Conversation Between President Roosevelt and Henry Morgenthau, Jr. After the Pearl Harbor Attack
12/7/1941
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This is a transcript of a conversation between Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau, Jr., and President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the evening of December 7, 1941, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
At the time Roosevelt telephoned, Secretary Morgenthau was meeting with U.S. Secret Service Chief Frank Wilson and Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Herbert Gaston about increased security at the White House during wartime. As was typical of Morgenthau's office practice, the meeting between the three officials was being transcribed at the time Roosevelt telephoned and interrupted the meeting.
Although conversations with Roosevelt usually were not recorded or transcribed, this particular conversation was picked up by the stenographer. The conversation primarily involves a discussion of proposed actions to protect the White House. Roosevelt denies Morgenthau's request to place soldiers on the White House grounds but agrees to doubling the guard and closing traffic around the White House.
At the time Roosevelt telephoned, Secretary Morgenthau was meeting with U.S. Secret Service Chief Frank Wilson and Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Herbert Gaston about increased security at the White House during wartime. As was typical of Morgenthau's office practice, the meeting between the three officials was being transcribed at the time Roosevelt telephoned and interrupted the meeting.
Although conversations with Roosevelt usually were not recorded or transcribed, this particular conversation was picked up by the stenographer. The conversation primarily involves a discussion of proposed actions to protect the White House. Roosevelt denies Morgenthau's request to place soldiers on the White House grounds but agrees to doubling the guard and closing traffic around the White House.
Transcript
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(At this point, the President came on the wire and the following is their conversation:) [handwritten: copy in President's Book.]
The President: Hello, Henry. Cabinet at 8:30.
HM Jr: Yes, sir. I have some orders which we are getting out. I cleared all of them with Welles.
The President: Fine.
HM Jr: We are freezing all Japanese funds.
The President: Yes.
HM Jr: We are not going to let any Japanese leave the country or to carry on any communications.
The President: I see.
HM Jr: Well, our responsibility is the border.
The President: Yes, Yes. That's right.
HM Jr: And we're putting people into all the Japanese banks and business houses tonight and we're not going to let the Japanese get in there at all.
The President: That's good.
HM Jr: Now the other thing I would like - Chief Wilson and Gaston are here.
The President: Yes.
HM Jr: We would like permission to put a detail of soldiers on the White House grounds.
The President: Well, wait just a second. Steve Early said something about that. (Slight pause while President talks aside.)
This primary source comes from the Collection FDR-MORGEN: Henry Morgenthau, Jr. Papers.
National Archives Identifier: 593228
Full Citation: Transcript of Telephone Conversation between Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr. and President Franklin D. Roosevelt; 12/7/1941; Diaries of Henry Morgenthau, Jr., 4/27/1933 - 7/21/1945; Collection FDR-MORGEN: Henry Morgenthau, Jr. Papers; Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, NY. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/morgenthau-fdr-transcript, April 1, 2023]Activities that use this document
- Japanese American Incarceration During World War II
Created by the National Archives Education Team
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