Addresses.

Washington, DC: The White House, Christmastide,, 1942. Presentation copy from FDR to his Secretary of War First edition, number 6 of 100 copies only, inscribed by Roosevelt to his secretary of war on the front free endpaper: "For Henry L. Stimson with the affectionate regards of his old friend Franklin D. Roosevelt Christmas 1942". A superb association copy of this volume collecting Roosevelt and Churchill's early war speeches. Stimson (1867-1950) served as US secretary of war from 1940 to 1945, the whole period of US involvement in the Second World War, under both Roosevelt and Truman. In a very long career, he had also served as secretary of war under President Taft from 1911 to 1913, and as secretary of state from 1929 to 1933 under President Hoover. A lifelong Republican, Stimson was appointed to the position to strengthen bipartisan support for Roosevelt's foreign policy and preparation for war. Despite their political differences, the pair had a strong working relationship. Stimson's overall impact on the course of the war was profound. Of key importance were his oversight of the Manhattan Project and, despite his strong ethical reservations, his advocacy of the use of atomic bombs against the civilian population of Japan. Similarly consequential was his opposition to the Morgenthau Plan to de-industrialize Germany, and his insistence on an international tribunal for the Nazi war criminals, which led to the Nuremberg Trials. The volume, a select compendium of Roosevelt and Churchill's early war speeches, was specially collated and printed as a holiday gift for White House staff members in December 1942. Beginning with Roosevelt's famous address to Congress the day after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, this slim volume includes three other Roosevelt orations: his broadcast to the nation on 9 December 1941, his 11 December request to Congress for a declaration of war against Germany and Italy, and his 6 January 1942 State of the Union address. It also includes his joint Christmas 1941 radio greetings with Churchill from the south portico of the White House, and Churchill's famous "What kind of a people do they think we are?" address to a joint meeting of Congress of 26 December 1941, with a fold-out broadside facsimile of the 1 January 1942 United Nations declaration formalizing the anti-Axis alliance, the basis of the eventual formation of the United Nations. Also included are: i) a note of provenance, on diary paper dated 8 January 1987, detailing how Stimson gifted the book to Kenneth Gray, who worked with him, then on to "Graijo" [?] then to Donald Cameron Douglas; afterwards sold to a private collector and now new to market; ii) two photographs, both with a censor's stamp to verso and dated 18 July 1944, of Stimson paying his respects at the grave of Theodore Roosevelt's son General Theodore "Ted" Roosevelt in France (stamped 18 July 1944), and of a press conference with Stimson, Dwight Eisenhower, and Major General Alexander D. Surles; iii) The Pentagon, published by The Pentagon Post, Washington D.C., 1944, inscribed in December 1944 to Stimson by John W. Montagu. The book comprises photographs of and information about the new Pentagon building, including two photographs of Stimson. Small folio. Original quarter vellum, blue spine label lettered in gilt, marbled sides, top edge gilt, others deckle-edged. Original acetate jacket. In blue card slipcase, as issued. Housed in a black quarter morocco solander box by the Chelsea Bindery. Printed in three colours throughout, with folding facsimile broadside. Acetate worn. Tiny indentation to spine and mark to front cover, very light spotting to endleaves, slight running mark of discolouration in margin of pp. 35-46, notwithstanding a near-fine copy in like slipcase, light rubbing at extremities.