Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies facts for kids

The Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies (CDAAA) was an American group formed in May 1940. It was also known as the White Committee, named after its leader, William Allen White, until January 1941. Other important members included Clark Eichelberger and Dean Acheson. The CDAAA wanted the U.S. government to support Britain against Nazi Germany, which was winning World War II in Europe. This support included sending economic aid and military supplies through agreements like the Destroyer-for-Bases Agreement and the Lend-Lease policy. However, the CDAAA did not want the U.S. to declare war until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

How the Committee Was Organized

Unlike some other groups, the CDAAA actively involved the public. By July 1940, they had created 300 local groups across America. These groups funded themselves and made their own decisions. This helped them get more people involved, which was important because they relied on volunteers for their outreach work. For example, volunteers in Minneapolis sent out thousands of letters, pamphlets, stickers, and Christmas cards to raise money and support for the Allies. The CDAAA had a wide reach across the country, but some states had many more local groups than others. For instance, Massachusetts had 137 chapters in April 1941, while Idaho had only one.

The CDAAA tried to include different types of people in their organization. They wanted to reach groups that had different opinions about whether the U.S. should get involved in World War II. To do this, they divided the organization into four main parts:

• The youth division
• The college division
• The women's division
• The labor division

Working with African-American Communities

The committee tried to get support from African-Americans to make their group more diverse. They published pamphlets like "Colored People Have a Stake in the War" to show how helping the Allies was important for African-Americans. Important African-Americans, such as Ralph Bunche, who later worked for the Office of Strategic Services, were part of their national committee.

The CDAAA also supported laws against unfair treatment, which fit with their goal of helping the Allies. For example, when President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802, which banned unfair employment practices, the CDAAA asked for this ban to also apply to the military. They said that "anti-Negro discrimination was inconsistent with the democratic principles which the American people as a whole are being called upon to defend."

However, the CDAAA's decision to have separate groups for African-American members caused some problems. When A. Philip Randolph joined the CDAAA, he felt that creating a separate "Negro-branch" weakened African-American organizations and felt like "jim-crowism," which was a system of racial segregation.

What the Committee Wanted to Do

The main goal of the CDAAA was to keep America safe during World War II. They believed the best way to do this was to provide money and supplies to its allies, especially to help Britain fight against Nazi Germany. In July 1940, William Allen White clearly stated this. He said that Britain was America's first line of defense. He argued that if Britain wasn't supported, the United States would be attacked. Even though they wanted to help, the CDAAA did not want America to declare war on the Axis Powers.

Helping with the Destroyer-for-Bases Deal (1940)

In May 1940, Winston Churchill, the leader of Britain, asked to buy old U.S. Navy destroyers to make the British Royal Navy stronger. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was unsure about agreeing because of the Neutrality Acts. These laws stopped the U.S. from selling weapons to countries at war. Also, many Americans did not want to get involved in the war. Since it was an election year, Roosevelt was very careful about what the public thought.

The CDAAA started a campaign to get public support for selling military resources to Britain. Robert E. Sherwood wrote a powerful newspaper ad called "Stop Hitler Now." It was published on June 10, 1940, and asked Americans to tell their president and representatives to support helping the Allies as much as possible. He warned that if Europe was taken over, America would be "alone in a barbaric world." The CDAAA also worked with the Century Group to organize a speech by John J. Pershing on August 4, 1940. Pershing's comments got a lot of attention from newspapers, with the New York Herald Tribune putting it on its front page.

Besides getting public support, the CDAAA also tried to find legal reasons for the trade. On August 11, 1940, they published a document called "No Legal Bar Seen to Transfer of Destroyers." This document suggested that Roosevelt did not need Congress's approval to sell the Navy destroyers to Britain. Several important lawyers signed it.

Before the 1940 election, the CDAAA worked to make sure that the issue of American involvement in the war did not become a political fight between parties. Because they were a nonpartisan group (meaning they didn't favor one political party), they could support both Roosevelt and Wendell Willkie, who both wanted to help the Allies.

On September 3, 1940, with public and legal opinion on his side, Roosevelt announced that the U.S. would exchange 50 warships for the right to use naval and air bases in eight British territories. This was a big success for the CDAAA.

Helping with Lend-Lease (1941)

Just like in 1940, the CDAAA used public pressure to influence the U.S. government to support the Lend-Lease bill. This bill was meant to provide military aid to the Allies. The CDAAA now had direct access to Congress because their new leader, Ernest Gibson, was a Senator from Vermont. In 1941, Gibson spoke in favor of the bill to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Meanwhile, Clark Eichelberger debated Alf Landon on the radio to get support for the bill from both political parties.

The CDAAA also provided legal support for the Lend-Lease bill. They released a statement by George Rublee, who argued against claims that the bill would give the President too much power. He said that the bill "does not add to the powers the President already has as Commander in Chief of the Nation’s armed forces."

This help led to the Lend-Lease bill passing through Congress. President Roosevelt signed it into law on March 11, 1941. Since the Lend-Lease bill ensured maximum aid to the Allies, the CDAAA had largely achieved its goals of helping the Allies without America going to war.

Who Opposed the Committee

The CDAAA had to compete for American support with the America First Committee. This group was formed on September 4, 1940, and was the main group that wanted the U.S. to remain completely neutral and not get involved in the war.

Sometimes, rivals accused the CDAAA of being controlled by Britain. After the "Stop Hitler Now" advertisement was released, a senator claimed that its funding came from British businesses and bankers. This made the committee seem like a tool for big business. To prove they were independent, the CDAAA showed the government details of who had paid for the advertisement. They proved that the "Stop Hitler Now" ad was funded by "100% American sources."

In September 1941, the CDAAA was criticized again for having close British connections in a newspaper article. The story accused committee member John L. Balderston of often talking with the British embassy. As a result, Balderston had to leave the CDAAA.

When the No Foreign War Committee was formed in December 1940, its leader, Verne Marshall, said his group's goal was to fight against the "propaganda" of the CDAAA. He said the CDAAA was trying to create the same public feeling that led America into World War I. He wanted the CDAAA to clearly explain what they meant by "steps short of war."

William Allen White's Resignation

In late 1940, there were disagreements among the CDAAA's leaders. William Allen White made comments that some thought went against the group's goals. He said, "The only reason in God's world I am in this organization is to keep the country out of war.... If I were making a motto for the Committee it would be 'The Yanks Are Not Coming.'"

New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia wrote a letter to White, accusing him of "doing a Laval." This referred to Pierre Laval, a French leader who cooperated with Germany during the war. Other members supported the mayor and said that the organization's main goal was "all possible aid to Britain and the allies," no matter what White said. The national director denied any differences and said everyone in the group supported Lend-Lease and opposed giving in to Germany or making a peace deal.

The America First Committee used these disagreements to their advantage. They suggested that White's statement showed that the two groups actually agreed on some things.

On January 2, 1941, White resigned as chairman of the CDAAA. He said his age was the reason for leaving. Ernest W. Gibson Jr. took over as the new national chairman in January 1941.

Name Change and End of the Committee

After Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, the CDAAA changed its name to simply the Committee to Defend America (CDA). They removed "by Aiding the Allies" because many members did not want to support Joseph Stalin and communism, even though the Soviet Union was now fighting with the Allies against the Axis Powers. The CDA officially remained against communism, even with America cooperating with the Soviets.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 brought America into the war, which effectively ended the CDA. The America First Committee also dissolved at this time.

In January 1942, the CDA joined with another group called the Council for Democracy to form Citizens for Victory: To Win the War, To Win the Peace. This combined organization then ended in October 1942, which was the official end of the CDAAA.