Description:

Hoover Herbert

H. Hoover Fantastic WWII Letter: "...things are going very badly for America"

 

1p typed letter signed by former 31st U.S. President Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) as "Herbert Hoover" at bottom right. Written at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City on June 4, 1941. In the second paragraph, Hoover has also pen inscribed the word "are". On watermarked cream stationery with "Herbert Hoover" embossed in black at top. Expected light paper folds and a few extra wrinkles. Else near fine. 7.25" x 10.5". Also comes with three additional items relating to Hoover's chain of correspondence, itemized below.

 

Herbert Hoover penned this letter Dr. Robert Alway Peers of Colfax, California, his friend and frequent correspondent, in part:

 

"As you can imagine, in my view, things are going very badly for America. For you[r] own information, I can tell you that the outlook i[s] very blue for the British, no matter what help we may give them. There are many rumors that peace negotiations are in progress, but I do not know how much of them are true. If decent terms can be arranged, they certainly are warranted from a British point of view. The most hopeful thing in this situation is that the Lord some times [sic] is very good to drunk people and children, and it would be through such an inte[rv]ention that our civilization is not totally destroyed."

 

In the spring of 1941, World War II had been raging in Europe for almost two years. The first six months of 1941 were particularly bleak for Allied forces. During the final few months of the Blitz (September 1940-May 1941), the Axis continued to conduct air raids across major metropolitan cities in the United Kingdom, resulting in civilian deaths, property destruction, damage to historical and cultural landmarks, and pervasive demoralization. U-boat attacks against Allied shipping wreaked havoc in the Atlantic Ocean. The Allies suffered reversals and retreats in multiple theaters, especially the Mediterranean and northern Africa.

 

Hoover admitted in this letter to Dr. Peers, that though nothing short of "civilization" was threatened by the Nazi onslaught, he also doubted that the Allied war effort would be materially bolstered by "help [that] we may give them." This comment addressed the ongoing debate about America's role in the conflict. Hoover's successor, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, had signed into law the Lend-Lease Act just a few months earlier, in March 1941. This Act allowed the United States--still officially neutral--to provide the Allies with food, oil, and war materiel. It was widely viewed as a step towards American involvement in World War II, and as a dedicated isolationist, Hoover vehemently opposed this.

 

The lot also includes three pieces of correspondence preceding and following Hoover's letter. Very good condition overall, with light expected folds, wrinkles, and a few minor chipped edges.

 

Including:

 

1. 2pp typed carbon copy of Dr. Peers's letter dated May 28, 1941 relating to a local matter presumably falling under Dr. Peers's purview as mayor of Colfax, California, which he and Hoover had discussed in previous correspondence.

 

2. 1p typed carbon copy of a letter addressed to Hoover as "My dear Chief" dated June 17, 1941. Dr. Peers wrote in part: "I am sorry to hear the gloomy outlook which you mention regarding Britain…Let us hope that Britain is still in the race in 1942."

 

3. 1p typed carbon copy of Dr. Peers's letter dated July 1, 1941.

 

Hoover's correspondent, Dr. Robert Alway Peers (1875-1970), was a Canadian émigré who relocated to Colfax, a town in northern California located about halfway in between Sacramento and Carson City, Nevada, in the early twentieth-century. Dr. Peers became a world-renowned specialist in tuberculosis treatment. He also served as the mayor of Colfax between 1922-1945.

 

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

 

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