Pearl Harbor: The Seeds and Fruits of Infamy - Ludwig von Mises ...

336 Pearl Harbor: The Seeds and Fruits of Infamy
Jersey, Majority Floor Leader John W. McCormack, Minority
Floor Leader Joseph W. Martin, Jr. 80
Th e president began by giving them
a very frank story of what had happened, including our losses.
Th e eff ect on the Congressmen was tremendous. Th ey sat in
dead silence and even after the recital was over they had very
few words [to say]. Th e president asked if they would invite
him to appear before the Joint Houses tomorrow and they
said they would. He said he could not tell them exactly what
he was going to say to them because events were changing so
rapidly. 81
Th e White House meeting didn’t wind up until after 11:00.
As the cabinet offi cers and congressional leaders were fi ling out,
Postmaster General Frank Walker said to Secretary of Labor
Frances Perkins, “I think the Boss really feels more relief than he
has had for weeks.” 82 She agreed.
Mrs. Perkins wrote later,
A great change had come over the president since we had seen
him on Friday. Th en, he had been tense, worried, trying to be
optimistic as usual, but it was evident that he was carrying an
awful burden of decision. Th e Navy on Friday had thought
it likely it would be Singapore and the English ports if the
Japanese fl eet meant business. What should the United States
do in that case? I don’t know whether he had decided in his
own mind; he never told us; he didn’t need to. But one was
conscious that night of December 7, 1941, that in spite of the
terrible blow to his pride, to his faith in the Navy and its ships,
80Sherwood, Th e White House Papers of Harry L. Hopkins, p. 437, and Roosevelt
and Hopkins, p. 433. See also excerpt from Stimson diary entry, December 7
( Joint Committee, part 11, p. 5439).
81Joint Committee, Pearl Harbor Attack, part 11, p. 5439, excerpt from Stimson
diary entry, December 7, 1941.
82Perkins, Th e Roosevelt I Knew, p. 380.