Following the November election, Roosevelt found himself in a predicament regarding how to best assist the British, who were rapidly depleting their funds to finance their armaments. In December, Roosevelt embarked on an extended voyage to the Caribbean for rest, accompanied only by Hopkins. During the cruise, he received a lengthy letter from Churchill detailing Britain’s strategies and dire financial situation. Roosevelt read the letter repeatedly. As Hopkins reported, “One evening, Roosevelt suddenly revealed the entire program. He appeared uncertain about the legal feasibility of its implementation, but he was resolute in his determination to find a solution.”
Roosevelt’s proposed solution was the lend-lease program. In a White House press conference on December 17, 1940, he explained, “My objective is to eliminate the dollar sign. Allow me to illustrate with an example. Suppose my neighbor’s house catches fire. If I can lend my garden hose to connect it to his hydrant, I may assist him in extinguishing the fire. However, I do not inform him beforehand that my garden hose costs $15 and that he must repay me $15. My intention is not to receive $15; rather, I seek to reclaim my garden hose. In other words, if you lend certain munitions, and those munitions are returned at the conclusion of the war, you are free to proceed.”
In his State of the Union Address to Congress on January 6th, Roosevelt outlined the Four Freedoms that the world’s inhabitants were entitled to: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.
Despite facing opposition from isolationists, the Lend-Lease program was passed by Congress. The House approved it with a vote of 260-165, and the Senate approved it with a vote of 60-31.