Roosevelt, Franklin D. Two related Typed Letters Signed as President, both on The White House letterhead, 1 page each, 8¾ x 6¾ in., Washington, July 20, 1939. Just six weeks before the outbreak of World War II, President Roosevelt writes a letter to a close friend of his and Eleanor's and encloses a letter for her to present to Joseph Kennedy, the American ambassador in London. To Mrs. W.H. Good of Darien, Connecticut, he writes: "Eleanor has sent me your note and I am enclosing a note to Joe Kennedy. I do hope everything will be quiet this summer and that you will have a delightful trip."
To Ambassador Kennedy, the President writes: "Dear Joe: Doubtless you remember Mrs. W.H. Good who is taking this abroad with her. She is a very old friend of Eleanor's and mine -- and in case anything blows up in England while she is there, I know you will do your best."
What could Roosevelt possibly have been thinking to allow anyone, much less a close personal friend, to go to Europe at this time? German had already seized Czechoslovakia on March 15, 1939, and Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain had guaranteed that England would come to Poland's aid in the event of a similar attack. FDR had invited the King and Queen of England for a State Visit June 7-12, the primary object of which was to establish empathy for the British with the American people so that FDR would be able to help the British when war came. The President certainly knew that Europe was teetering on the brink of war. We wonder what happened to Mrs. Good. Unless her visit was a short one, which was not usual in the days of transatlantic ship voyages, she could have been stranded after Germany invaded Poland on September 1 and Great Britain declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939.
Both letters are fine, the first having some uneven toning, and both lighter around the edges from earlier framing. Accompanied by an elegant 11 x 9 in. color photo of a study for a painting of FDR by Chandor, and a charming 7 x 5 in. B & W photo of FDR seated in a car and smiling at an unseen audience; this photo appears on the cover of a pamphlet from The Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, a copy of which is enclosed.
Estimated Value $3,000 - 4,000.
U.S. Presidents and First Ladies
