Figure 1.--This is Anbassador Joseph P. Kennedy we think when he and his family arrived in England. The bous are two of his four sons, Joseph Jr, and Edward (Ted). They are at the Embassy residehce in London. Kennedy was an outspoken appeaser and opponent of aid to Britain at a time when President Roosevelt was doing all he could to save Britain.

Joseph P. Kennedy was a prominent Catholic businessman. He had supported Rossevelt in his presidetial camapign (1932). The President appointed him to head the new Security and Excahnage Commission. It was said like hiring the fox to guard the hen housep. Kennedy who had dolitical ambitiions was disappointed with what he saw was a low-level appointment. The President selected Kennedy to be the United States Ambassador to Britain (1938). Given that Kennedy was an Irish Catholic, it was an unusual appointment. It probably refleted Chamberlain's stand-offish attitude toward the United States and the Presidebnt's efforts to assist with the Germans. As it turned out, Kenndy got on very well with Chamberlain and supprted vhis appeaemenht policies. Kennedy was pleased to have such an imprtant post and his receotion by London high society, which also strongly supported appeasement. (In both Noston and and Washington he was an outsider. His eldest daughter Kathleen would marry an aristocrat during the WAr.) Kennedy was critical of Winston Churchill who opposed any compromise with the BAZIs. He was unphasded with NAZI persecution of the Jews, even wheh Kristalnacht exposed the depths of NAZI brutality. Like the rest of the tea with Hitler crowd, he tried to arrange a meeting with Hitler, believing he could be reasoned with. [Hersh. p. 63.] (It was unheard of for an amnassador to a country about to go war to meet with the head of state of the country of the other power. That of course was the job of the American ambassador in Berlin. When war broke out, he sent his younger children (Edward aged 7, Jeanne age 10, and Robert aged 13 years) home to the States (September 19). Jack was at school in Harvard. When the German bombing began, he retreated to the countryside. The British Royal Family, Prime Minister Churchill, government ministers, and other ambassadors remained in London. Randolph Churchill rejmarked, "I thought my daffodils were yellow until I met Joe Kennedy."Just before the Blitz, Kennedy again tried to arrange a meeting with Hitler, without the approval of the State Department, still convimnced he could be reasoned with. He saud that he eanted to 'bring about a better understanding between the United States and Germany'. Itbis amaing the numbr bof meam like Kennedy who believed thgat Hitler could be reasoned with and that bthey somehowv could suceed when so mmany nothers had failed. In addition to appeasing Hitler, Kennedy strongly advised the vPresidehnt nd State Department against military and economic aid to Btitain---believing the country was lost cause and would be defeated by the Germans. In addition he began to make sxtensive defeatist statements to the press. This was in sharo contrast to President Roosevelt's policy of aiding Britain. He even told a British reporter that Roosevelt would 'fall' in 1940. [Renehan] The President was didturbed by Kennedy's statements to the press and defeaest cables. Kennedy returned to the States. Roosevelt did not, however, want an open break with Kennedy. He wante the support of Irish Catholics. He even invited him to spend the night at the White House. Kennedy apparently hopeful of anoytherr appointment, committed to make a nationwide radio speech to push Roosevelt to run for a third trrm. " After Roosevelt was reelected, Kennedy resigned as ambassador. [Nasaw, pp 492-96.] The President wanted nothing more to do with him.

Sources

Hersh, Seymour. The Dark Side of Camelot (Back Bay Books: 1998).

Nasaw, David. The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy (2012).

Renehan, Edward, Jr. "Joseph Kennedy and the Jews," History News Network.

Created: 3:02 AM 3/24/2020
Last updated: 3:02 AM 3/24/2020