Churchill's first letter, shown below, to FDR as Prime Minister was written on May 15, 1940. Although Churchill does mention a desire for American aid to help France, his main concern was for British survival and then victory. Churchill had become Prime Minister on May 10 and the war had changed much. This letter had a "tone of desperation." Churchill desires American aid in order to stop Hitler's invasion of France, stating "I think myself the battle on land has only just begun..." The main purpose of this first letter was to provide FDR with his shopping list for the war, meaning the materials that he saw as essential to British survival and victory. He requested submarines. aircraft, antiaircraft equipment, and American raw materials. His political request was an impossible one for FDR to grant. Churchill stated that "All I ask now is that you should proclaim nonbelligerency, which would mean that you would help us with everything short of actually engaging your armed forces." However, FDR could not grant this request, but he did as much as he could at the time.(3)
Above: WWII: Europe: Near Toulon, France;
"Weapons & Fortificcations - Long
Range Naval Gun". (NLR-PHOCO-789(234)
from NAIL Database
FDR and his advisers believed that Hitler would get slowed down in his invasion of France, allowing the Royal Navy to build up enough strength to isolate him on the Continent. Little did they know that France would fall in less than a month. So, FDR ignored Churchill's plea for American non-belligerency and only helped to facilitate purchasing of war materials by Britain. FDR's tone was very noncommittal. At this point, he was not sure how far the American public would allow him to go. Churchill put pressure on FDR to respond in a strong way to his requests by pointing out that he expected Germany to conduct heavy bombing that would be followed by a combined air and sea assault. He stated that Britain would "perservere to the very end" and that "under no conceivable circumstances would we consent to surrender." He threatened that "You may have a completely subjugated, Nazified Europe established with astonishing swiftness, and the weight may be more than we can bear." However he also pointed out that if American assistance was going to aid the British, it "must be available soon." Churchill also took the opportunity to hint at what would later become part of the Lend-Lease Program. He he spoke of ports in both Ireland and Singapore. (4)
Winston Churchill to Franklin D. Roosevelt Unrestricted. May 15, 1940 (NLR-MR-FDRWSC-1940-3T) from NAIL Database