V Was for Victory: Politics and American Culture During World War II

388 Pages·1977·32.38 MB·English

by  John Morton Blum

—
Politics and American Culture DuringWorld War II
' . . . a bookofgreatintelligenceand style ... ofbittersweet nostalgia and
tellingpoliticalperceptions." The Washington PostBook World
JOHN MORTON BLUM
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V WAS FOR
VICTORY
AlsobyJohnMortonBlum
JoeTumultyandtheWilson Era
The Republican Roosevelt
WoodrowWilsonandthe PoliticsofMorality
Yesterday'sChildren (Editor)
TheNational Experience (Editor)
ThePromise ofAmerica
Fromthe MorgenthauDiaries
I. YearsofCrisis, 1928-1938
II. YearsofUrgency, 1938-1941
III. YearsofWar, 1941-1945
Rooseveltand Morgenthau
The Priceof Vision (Editor)
V WAS FOR
VICTORY
Politics
and American Culture During
World War
II
JOHN MORTON BLUM
A Harvest/HBJ Book
HarcourtBraceJovanovich
NewYorkandLondon
m
Copyright© 1976byJohnMortonBlum
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublication
may bereproducedortransmittedin anyformor
byanymeans,electronicormechanical, including
photocopy, recording,or anyinformationstorage
and retrievalsystem,withoutpermissionin
writingfromthepublisher.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
ThelinesbyRandallJarrellarefromTheCompletePoemsbyRandallJarrell,
copyright1948byRandallJarrell,copyright© 1969byMrs.RandallJarrell,
copyrightrenewed© 1976byMaryvonSchraderJarrell,andarereprintedwith
thepermissionofFarrar,Straus&Giroux,Inc.LinesbyMarianneMoore
fromherCollectedPoems,copyright1944byMarianneMoore,renewed 1972
byMarianneMoore,arereprintedwithpermissionofMacmillanPublishingCo.,
Inc.,andfromTheCompletePoemsofMarianneMoorearereprintedwith
permissionofFaberandFaberLtd.PauliMurray'spoeminTheCrisisis
reprintedbypermissionofthatmagazine.Thequotationsfrom"LittleBoxes,"
wordsandmusicbyMalvinaReynolds,copyright© 1962bySchroderMusic
Company(ASCAP),areusedbypermission.
LibraryofCongressCataloginginPubUcationData
Blum,JohnMorton, 1921-
Vwasforvictory.
(AHarvest/HBJbook)
Includesbibliographiesandindex.
1.UnitedStates—Politicsandgovernment—1933-1945.
2.UnitedStates-Sociallifeandcustoms-1918-1945.
3.WorldWar, 1939-1945-UnitedStates.I.Title.
[E806.B58 1976b] 973.917 77-3426
ISBN0-15-693628-3
FirstHarvest/HBJedition1977
D E F o H I J
FOR E. S. M. AND C. V. W.
incomparablecolleagues, indispensablefriends

1
Contents
Preface xi
Prologue: ThePresident,thePeople,theWar 3
1 / TheSellingoftheWar
1. Milesfromthe Battlefields 15
2. WarBondsandWarAims 16
3. TruthasaHandicap 21
4. PrescriptionsforWarInformation 3
5. ThePoliticsofPropaganda 39
6. PicturesoftheEnemy 45
2/ HomelyHeroes
1. The GI's: AmericanBoys 53
2. InForeignFoxholes 64
3. CossacksandComrades 70
4. The Warin Literature 79
3 / GettingandSpending
1. The ReturnofProsperity 90
.
2. TheWartimeConsumer 92
3. EnterprisersatWar 105
4/ WarLordsandVassals
1. Industryand Government 117
2. PainsforSmall Business 124
3. HolidayfortheTrusts 131
4. OfSizeandAbundance 140
5/ Outsiders
1. Little Italy 147
2. "AJap'saJap" 155
3. JewsinGreatBritain 167
4. AmericanJews 172
6 / BlackAmerica:TheRisingWind
1. JimCrow 182
2. The PersistenceofPrejudice 188
3. RaceRiot 199
4. ProtestandPrognosis 207
7/ CongressandthePoliticsofComfort
1. ResurgentRepublicans 221
2. TheNewDeal atBay 234
3. TwoBillsofRights 245
8/ ReferendumonRoosevelt
1 MiseenScene 255
2. Willkie: RepublicanHeretic 262