Art

A wartime poster reproducing the letter sent by Roosevelt to endorse Britain's fight, even though American had not yet entered the war. Roosevelt quotes Longfellow's poem, "Sail on, Oh Ship of State! Sail on, Oh Union strong and great. Humanity with all its fears, With all the hope of future years, Is hanging Breathless on thy fate". Roosevelt gave the letter to Wendell Willkie, whom he had defeated in the 1940 presidential election, to hand deliver to Churchill. In a radio speech on 9 February 1941, Churchill spoke of Roosevelt's letter as a symbol of an emerging Anglo-American partnership. Churchill read out the poem and said: "Here is the answer which I will give to President Roosevelt: Put your confidence in us. Give us your faith and your blessing... Give us the tools, and we will finish the job". Lend-Lease started soon after, and America would be in the war by the end of the year. Offset lithograph, 381 x 254 mm. Crease at upper outer corner. In very good condition.