ONE WORLD. by WILLKIE, Wendell L

New York 1943, Simon. Black cloth, very good, end paper maps 206p., b.w. photos, 14 x 21 cm. FIRST EDITION THE AUTHOR'S SIGNED PRESENTATION COPY WENDELL WILLKIE: Was the Republican candidate who tired to to be President of the United States in 1940: . *** In 1942, after losing the presidential election to Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1940, Willkie traveled around the world in a four engine converted Consolidated bomber named Gulliver. He traveled 31,000 miles and took 49 days for this circumnavigation of the earth and in the course of the travel met with world leaders, pleading the case for international peacekeeping after the war. . * In this book Wendell Willkie gives a highly personal account of his meetings with Stalin, Chiang Kai-shek, General Montgomery, General Chennault and other United Nations leaders. He tells of his talks with prime ministers and kings, and with teachers, soldiers, librarians, factory workers, and farmers around the world. He reports a great awakening that is going on among the peoples of the world and his deep conviction that the United Nations must learn to work together now, while they fight, if they hope to live together after the war is over. . * Willkie met with General Claire L. Chennault, commander of the A.V.G. [American Volunteer Group] aka "FLYING TIGERS." In 1942, Willkie visited Kunming the seat of the home base of Chennault, and Chennault presented a letter to Willkie dated Oct 8, 1942 for hand-delivery to President Roosevelt, outlining just how the Japanese could be defeated in China. . *** Although Willkie in 1940 received more votes than any previous GOP candidate [22.3 million votes], he lost to Franklin D. Roosevelt in an Electoral College landslide: 449 to 82, carrying ten states. . * After the election Willkie became one of Roosevelt's most unlikely allies. To the chagrin of many in his party, Willkie called for greater national support for controversial Roosevelt initiatives such as the Lend-Lease Act and embarked on a new campaign against isolationism in America. . * On July 23, 1941, he urged unlimited aid to the United Kingdom in its struggle against Nazi Germany. That same year he traveled to Britain and the Middle East as Roosevelt's personal representative, and in 1942 visited the USSR and China in the same capacity. In 1943, Willkie wrote One World, a plea for international peacekeeping after the war. Extremely popular, millions of copies of the book sold. In 1941, Willkie helped to establish Freedom House together with Eleanor Roosevelt. . *** From Wikipedia: Wendell Lewis Willkie [February 18, 1892 -October 8, 1944] was a corporate lawyer in the United States and the Republican Party nominee for the 1940 presidential election, despite having never held a prior elected political office. . * Although Willkie in 1940 received more votes than any previous GOP candidate [22.3 million votes], he lost to Franklin D. Roosevelt. . * On July 23, 1941, Willkie urged unlimited aid to the United Kingdom in its struggle against Nazi Germany. That same year he traveled to Britain and the Middle East as Roosevelt's personal representative, and in 1942 visited the USSR and China in the same capacity. In 1943, Willkie wrote ONE WORLD [this book] a plea for international peacekeeping after the war. . * CHINA-U.S.A. RELATIONS WITH MADAME CHIANG KAI-SHEK According to Gardner Cowles publisher of the Des Moines Register, Willkie's visit to the Republic of China led to a bizarre consequence: Madame Chiang Kai-shek, the hugely ambitious co-ruler and First Lady of China, developed the idea that she could seduce and marry Willkie, use China's wealth to help him become president in 1944, and thus become the most powerful woman in the world. Cowles claimed that the affair was consummated in China, and that on a visit to the U.S. a few months later, she told him "If Wendell could be elected, then he and I would rule the world. I would rule the Orient and Wendell would rule the western world." He pointedly did not dismiss the possibility that Willkie, had he been nominated, might have accepted her highly improbable offer on some level. Extracted from Wikipedia. . *** Claire L. Chennault, commander of the American Volunteer Group [A.V.G.] aka "FLYING TIGERS." In 1942, Willkie visited Kunming the seat of the home base of Chennault, and Chennault presented a letter to Willkie dated Oct 8, 1942 for hand-delivery to President Roosevelt, outlining just how the Japanese could be defeated in China. . *** BIBLIOGRAPHY: Claire L. Chennault: WAY OF A FIGHTER. Several Willkie references and a letter to Willkie by Chennault. . Claire L. Chennault: WAY OF A FIGHTER. Several Willkie references and a letter to Willkie by Chennault. * From Wikipedia: Wendell Lewis Willkie [February 18, 1892 -October 8, 1944] was a corporate lawyer in the United States and the Republican Party nominee for the 1940 presidential election, despite having never held a prior elected political office. *** .