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The Secret Diary of Harold L. Ickes, Volume III: The Lowering Clouds, 1939 - 1941
Harold L.Ickes wrote of quiet changes that shif the United States and the American people from a position of neutrality borderin on isolationism to one of deep and committed involvement with the foreign world.
695 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1955
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About the author
Harold L. Ickes
58 books2 followersHarold LeClair Ickes was an American administrator and politician. He served as United States Secretary of the Interior for 13 years, from 1933 to 1946, the longest tenure of anyone to hold the office, and the second longest-serving Cabinet member in U.S. history after James Wilson. Ickes and Labor Secretary Frances Perkins were the only original members of the Roosevelt cabinet who remained in office for his entire presidency.
Ickes was responsible for implementing much of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal". He was in charge of the major relief program, the Public Works Administration (PWA), and in charge of the federal government's environmental efforts.
In his day, he was considered a prominent liberal spokesman, a skillful orator and a noted supporter of many African-American causes, although he was at times politically expedient where state-level segregation was concerned. Before his national-level political career, where he did remove segregation in areas of his direct control, he had been the president of the Chicago NAACP.
Ickes was responsible for implementing much of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal". He was in charge of the major relief program, the Public Works Administration (PWA), and in charge of the federal government's environmental efforts.
In his day, he was considered a prominent liberal spokesman, a skillful orator and a noted supporter of many African-American causes, although he was at times politically expedient where state-level segregation was concerned. Before his national-level political career, where he did remove segregation in areas of his direct control, he had been the president of the Chicago NAACP.
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November 15, 2015
The final volume of Ickes' prolific and detailed diary. This one ends right after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent declaration of war against Japan, Germany, and Italy. Most of the volume is taken up with the growing menace of war looming over America's head. Ickes was for declaring war long before Pearl Harbor occurred; he believed that there was no feasible way that the U.S. could hope to remain completely aloof and not have to commit troops at some point. He knew that Britain would exhaust all of its reosurces in an effort to repel and defeat Germany. And I do not doubt that Britain, if left alone without the U.S. getting into the war, and if not for Hitler foolishly turning around and attacking Russia, would have probably succumbed eventually.
In these three volumes, it is interesting to see how Ickes' views of the many government and private officials that he encounters change over time. A few examples:
1) He started out intensely disliking Henry Morgenthau Jr., but came to respect him.
2) He waffled back and forth about Henry Wallace - ultimately deciding that he liked him well enough personally but thought very little of his abilities as an administrator.
3) Frances Perkins was a frequent target of his sarcasm, yet he inevitably found himself agreeing with her many times at Cabinet meetings.
4) He grew to really dislike Cordell Hull due to the Secretary of State's continued reluctance to upset any other country.
5) He liked Vice President John Nance Garner at the start, but came to loathe him later.
But most notable was the evolution, and subsequent deterioration, of his relationship with FDR. He as much as anyone suffered the consequences of FDR's maddeningly evasive and contradictory managerial style. FDR would promise him things, only to later act like there had been a misunderstanding on Ickes' part about a matter. Roosevelt would keep him at arm's length for weeks at a time, only to then turn around (after angering Ickes to the point of resignation) and act like nothing was wrong and that he was a valued member of the Cabinet. Ickes came to dislike the President personally, while still respecting him for the many leadership qualities that he demonstrated.
Reading this reminds me that, if all of us kept assiduous notes like Ickes did, undoubtedly ours would show the same change in opinions concerning people. How often does one change an opinion of another person? ALL the time. So, I see nothing inconsistent here; just a human quality coming through.
While Ickes wrote much about his feelings about and towards people and things, he remained reticent to write about his family. His account of the birth of his daughter Jane could not have been more dry! Overall, these three books are a great inside account of the Roosevelt Administration covering the New Deal and the build-up to WWII. Incidentally, there was supposed to be a Volume IV that covers the remainder of his time as Secretary of the Interior, but his wife encountered issues with the publisher, and it was scrapped. I am sure it would make for interesting reading as well.
In these three volumes, it is interesting to see how Ickes' views of the many government and private officials that he encounters change over time. A few examples:
1) He started out intensely disliking Henry Morgenthau Jr., but came to respect him.
2) He waffled back and forth about Henry Wallace - ultimately deciding that he liked him well enough personally but thought very little of his abilities as an administrator.
3) Frances Perkins was a frequent target of his sarcasm, yet he inevitably found himself agreeing with her many times at Cabinet meetings.
4) He grew to really dislike Cordell Hull due to the Secretary of State's continued reluctance to upset any other country.
5) He liked Vice President John Nance Garner at the start, but came to loathe him later.
But most notable was the evolution, and subsequent deterioration, of his relationship with FDR. He as much as anyone suffered the consequences of FDR's maddeningly evasive and contradictory managerial style. FDR would promise him things, only to later act like there had been a misunderstanding on Ickes' part about a matter. Roosevelt would keep him at arm's length for weeks at a time, only to then turn around (after angering Ickes to the point of resignation) and act like nothing was wrong and that he was a valued member of the Cabinet. Ickes came to dislike the President personally, while still respecting him for the many leadership qualities that he demonstrated.
Reading this reminds me that, if all of us kept assiduous notes like Ickes did, undoubtedly ours would show the same change in opinions concerning people. How often does one change an opinion of another person? ALL the time. So, I see nothing inconsistent here; just a human quality coming through.
While Ickes wrote much about his feelings about and towards people and things, he remained reticent to write about his family. His account of the birth of his daughter Jane could not have been more dry! Overall, these three books are a great inside account of the Roosevelt Administration covering the New Deal and the build-up to WWII. Incidentally, there was supposed to be a Volume IV that covers the remainder of his time as Secretary of the Interior, but his wife encountered issues with the publisher, and it was scrapped. I am sure it would make for interesting reading as well.
Displaying 1 of 1 review