LIVE AUCTION IN BOSTON, MA ON SEPTEMBER 25
JOHN F. KENNEDY
Diary from the Summer 1945
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It reveals a man who, not yet thirty, understood not only that a new world drama was taking shape, but that he was destined to play a great role in it
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HUGH SIDEY, TIME MAGAZINE COLUMNIST
SPECIAL THANKS TO The John F. Kennedy Library The Princeton University Library Dwight D. Eisenhower Library Globe Photos, Inc., Andreas Weimer Ronnie Paloger Collection
The diary owner and historian, Deirdre Henderson, co-wrote and edited this catalog
Prelude to Leadership: The Post-War Diary
JFK SUMMER OF 1945 LIVE AUCTION WILL BE HELD IN BOSTON, MA SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2021
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t is rare that a manuscript of such importance comes to the attention of the auction world. Discovered in a call from its long-time owner, Kennedy’s research assistant Deirdre Henderson, it is of great significance as the only diary JFK ever wrote. We here at RR Auction have become one of the preeminent auction houses for Kennedy documents and are proud to bring this little-known diary to the attention of our collectors in the United States and throughout the world. After the end of the war in 1945, Ambassador Kennedy arranged for his son to work for the Hearst newspapers. This allowed the young veteran to attend the opening session of the United Nations in San Francisco in May and then travel abroad to cover post-war Europe. JFK followed Prime Minister Churchill throughout England during his reelection campaign. He traveled to Ireland, then to the Potsdam Conference in Germany with Navy Secretary James Forrestal. This diary is not a travel log. It is his personal observations of what he saw and perceptions of what would happen in the post-war world. Our name, RR Auction, stands for “Rare” and “Remarkable.” The 1945 diary of John F. Kennedy is rare because there is nothing comparable. Remarkable for the hidden story shown, his insightful views and predictions of the world around him at an early age—sixteen years later America’s 35th President.
JFK’s 61-page diary closed above; opened to first handwritten page, reflecting on WWII, below and at right
“ This war has been won
”
THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 1945
Recently released from active duty, Kennedy
REFLECTS ON WAR KENNEDY WRITES IN HIS DIARY
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“‘Salana de Wolfgang once wrote: War is fatal to a democracy if beaten et(c).’ This war has been won—we cannot lose our liberty at the hands of the enemy. But it is still a question whether we shall have it in our own hands. We have been gravely weakened by this war—our values have been changed as never before we have suffered the loss of nearly 8 hundred thousand young men—many of whom might be the leadership that we will so desperately want. To meet the challenges of the post war years we must show far greater concern for the new years of our country than we have ever shown in the past.”
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n a letter written to a ‘PT-boat friend’ from the United Nations Conference in San Francisco in June of 1945, John F. Kennedy shows the same abhorrence of war as he did in the first handwritten page of his 1945 diary.
He says: “When I think of how much this war has cost us, of the deaths of Cy and Peter and Orv and Gil and Demi and Joe and Billy and all those those thousands and millions who have died with them—when I think of those gallant acts that I have seen or anyone who has been to war—it would be a very easy thing for me to feel disappointed and somewhat betrayed... You have seen battlefields where sacrifice was the order of the day, and to compare that sacrifice to the timidity and selfishness of the nations gathered at San Francisco must inevitably be disillusioning.”
26/Jun/1945. San Francisco, United States. UN Photo/Yould.
San Francisco, United States. UN Photo/Otto.
San Francisco, United States. UN Photo/Rosenberg.
San Francisco, United States. UN Photo/Rosenberg.
26/Jun/1945. San Francisco, United States. UN Photo/Rommel.
San Francisco, United States. UN Photo/Rosenberg.
TUESDAY, JULY 10, 1945
The San Francisco Conference
THE CREATION OF THE
UNITED NATIONS
IN HIS DIARY JOHN F. KENNEDY WRITES ABOUT THE BIG THREE
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“The Conference at San Francisco suffered from inadequate preparation and lack of fundamental agreement among the Big Three; from an unfortunate Press which praised it beyond all limit at its commencement which paved the way for subsequent disillusionment both in England and in this country. The finished Charter is a product of these weaknesses—but it is also the product of the hope, and even more, the realization that humanity can ill afford another war. In practice I doubt that it will prove effective in the sense of its elaborate mechanics being frequently employed or vitally decisive in determining war or peace. It is, however, a bridge between Russia and the Western world and makes possible discussions and a personal relationship which can do much to ease mutual suspicion.”
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ennedy’s initial assignment as a Hearst reporter was covering the first meeting of the United Nations in San Francisco “from the point of view of an ordinary GI.” He arrived on the opening day of the conference, April 25. This endeavor was arranged by his father, Joseph P. Kennedy, through his connections with the Hearst newspapers. Lt. Kennedy had been released from active duty on March 1, 1945, after three and a half years in the Navy. His health problems with his back forced him to take an early retirement.
Three-page July 10th entry documenting the San Francisco Conference
The young reporter was not sanguine about the future of the UN or its ability to enforce the peace. In one of the stories he filed from San Francisco, May 7, he wrote: “The world organization that will come out of San Francisco will be the product of the same passion of selfishness that produced the Treaty of Versailles. There is here, however, one ray of shining bright light. That is the realization, felt by all the delegates, that humanity cannot afford another war.”
JFK CONTINUES WITH HIS OPINIONS ON “THE CLASH WITH RUSSIA”
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“As to the future, I do not agree with those people who advocate war now with the Russians on the argument ‘Eventually, why not now?’ Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you view it, democracies have to go through a gradual disillusionment in their hopes of peace: war must be shown to be the only alternative to preserve their independence—or at least they must believe this to be true. I think that the clash with Russia, will be greatly postponed. It will come perhaps, as its avoidance depends chiefly on the extent of Russia’s self-restraint, and that is a quality of which powerful nations have a limited quantity. The clash may be finally and indefinitely postponed by the eventual discovery of a weapon so horrible that it will truthfully mean the abolishment of all the nations employing it. Thus science, which has contributed so much to the horrors of war, will still be the means of bringing it to an end.”
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At the conference Kennedy came in contact with current and future leaders, including Anthony Eden, future Prime Minister of Great Britain, Chip Bohlen of the State Department, Averell Harriman, U.S. Ambassador to Moscow, and Adlai Stevenson, special assistant to the Secretary of State. JFK filed 17 stories between April 28 and May 28. The overall theme of his stories was that the UN would prove unproductive and Russia unsettlingly threatening. He was right on both counts.
Image of an article written by John F. Kennedy courtesy of the JFK library
THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 1945
The British Election CHURCHILL, ROOSEVELT,
AND CAPITALISM
Churchill, FDR, and Stalin at Yalta. Image courtsey of Globe Photos, Inc.
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rom the historic UN summit in San Francisco, Jack travelled overseas to cover the British Election. Over the course of a month, JFK followed his boyhood hero, Winston Churchill, on the stump witnessing firsthand his oratory and campaigning style, which would invariably influence his own. Kennedy’s June 21 diary entry signaled a deep, insightful understanding of the move to the left, a contrarian view at the time.
Jack’s comments on capitalism and FDR here are quite eyebrow-raising. JFK and FDR, considered perhaps the two most influential Democratic Presidents of all time, render Kennedy’s harsh criticism here notable. The underlying sentiment likely originated from his father, Joe, who had well-documented struggles with Roosevelt as his ousted English Ambassador. Beginning here, and throughout the diary, Kennedy shares a somewhat surprising view of the “left” given his enduring legacy as America’s shiny beacon of liberalism.
IN HIS DIARY JFK WRITES ABOUT THE ELECTION AND FDR
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“Tonight it looks like Labor and a good thing it will be for the cause of free enterprise...D— maintains that free enterprise is the losing cause. Capitalism is on the way out—although many Englishmen feel that this is not applicable to England...when times go bad, as they must inevitably will be then that controls will be clamped on—and then the only question will be the extent to which they are tightened. Socialism is inefficient; I will never believe differently, but you can feed people in a socialistic state, and that may be what will insure its eventual success. Mr. Roosevelt has contributed greatly to the end of capitalism in our own country, not through the laws which he sponsored or were passed during his Presidency, but rather through the emphasis he put on rights rather than responsibilities.”
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Kennedy filed a column for the Hearst Newspapers: “Britishers will go to the polls on July 5th in the first general election in almost ten years and there is a definite possibility that Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his Conservative Party may be defeated.” In a surprising upset, and just as Kennedy had predicted, Churchill lost re-election. The harsh realities of a war ravaged people, wary of conservative belt tightening, believed a new house was in order.
Two-page June 30th entry covering legends Eisenhower and Churchill
Eisenhower and deGaulle in June, 1945 Image courtesy of Globe Photos, Inc.
Ike greeting JFK on the steps of the White House in December 1960 Image courtsey of Dwight D. Eisenhower Library
SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 1945
Young Jack had a great admiration for
GENERAL EISENHOWER IN HIS DIARY JOHN F. KENNEDY WRITES ABOUT THE GENERAL
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“General Eisenhower has taken a great hold on the hearts of all the British people...At the fall of Tunis in Africa back in 1943, a parade was held of all the forces that had brought the African campaign to a successful conclusion. As the crack Eighth Army filed past, the Desert Rats, the Highland Division, the South Africans—all experienced and excellent troops— Eisenhower, as the supreme Commanding Officer, took the salute. He was heard to say after the Eighth had marched past, ‘To think that I, a boy from Abilene, Kansas, am the Commander of troops like those!’ He never lost that humble way and therefore easily won the hearts of those with whom he worked.”
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n the 1960 election, candidate Kennedy criticized President Eisenhower’s national security policy. However, here in his early personal diary, young Jack had great admiration for the general and president-to-be. As Ike’s successor, Kennedy had the responsibility for carrying out the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba. Later he grew to respect Eisenhower’s opinion and consulted him during challenging times in his presidency.
SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 1945
President Kennedy’s icon
SIR WINSTON
CHURCHILL IN HIS DIARY JOHN F. KENNEDY WRITES ABOUT CHURCHILL
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“Churchill in his book ‘World Crisis’ brings out the same point—the terrific slaughter of the field officers of the British Army—two or three times higher than the Germans. They were always on the defensive in the dark days of ‘15, ‘16, and ‘17, and they paid most heavily. The British lost one million of a population of forty million; the French, one million five hundred thousand of a population of thirty-eight million; and the Germans, one million five hundred thousand of a population of seventy million. This tremendous slaughter had its effect on British policy in the 30’s when Chamberlain and Baldwin could not bring themselves to subject the young men of Britain to the same horrible slaughter again.”
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ir Winston Churchill was President Kennedy’s icon. As a young boy he read his books; he was seen in his hospital bed reading ‘The Crisis’ and Churchill’s biography of ‘Marlborough.’ JFK’s college thesis at Harvard and later Pulitzer prize-winning book, ‘Why England Slept’ was based on the wide range of history books he had read and his research on a man he saw as a world leader.
One of President Kennedy’s best days was on April 9, 1963 when he “signed the Congressional Bill granting honorary United States citizenship to Winston Churchill in recognition of his great contribution to saving both the Allied Powers and civilization at large.”* On the steps of the Rose Garden with Sir Winston’s son, Randolph, and his grandson, the President paid tribute to the aging Prime Minister, who was unable to make the journey. He watched with Clementine from his apartment in London.
One-time American Ambassador to England, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., and Prime Minister Winston Churchill in front of Downing Street in London
The President paid tribute to his idol in the following words: “In the dark days and darker nights when Britain stood alone—and most men save Englishmen despaired of England’s life—he mobilized the English language and sent it into battle. The incandescent quality of his words illuminated the courage of his countrymen.” As author Thomas Maier says, “Both men had spent their lives underlining the importance of courage in life. And President Kennedy made clear his words of praise for Churchill during the Rose Garden ceremony, “when-ever and wherever tyranny threatened, he always championed liberty. His life has shown that no adversary can overcome, and no fear deter free men in the defense of their freedom.” It was one of the finest moments in the waning days of both men’s lives.”*
On the steps of the Rose Garden in April 1963, JFK grants Churchill honorary US citizenship; too frail to travel, his son Randolph (at Kennedy’s left), accepts in his stead. Courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Library
*Thomas Maier, author of “When Lions Roar: The Churchills and the Kennedys, (Crown 2014)
SUNDAY, JULY 1, 1945
“Unconditional Surrender”
RUSSIAN DOMINANCE
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FK made contact with Douglas-Home through his sister Kathleen, she being a great favorite of English aristocracy. The significance of this powerfully worded diary entry is the idea that Kennedy picked up from his host on the growing Russian threat in Europe. The phrase, “we made it possible for Russia to obtain that very dominance that we fought Germany to prevent her having,” is particularly thought provoking. He went on to say, “only time can tell.” Sixteen years later, Kennedy would face that very same Russian threat in the White House as he tackled the building of the Berlin Wall and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
IN HIS DIARY JFK WRITES ABOUT HIS DINNER WITH A FORMER CAPTAIN OF THE BRITISH ARMY, WILLIAM DOUGLAS-HOME
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“I had dinner with William Douglas-Home, a former Captain in the British army...He feels that by insisting on the doctrine of ‘Unconditional Surrender’ instead of allowing Germany and Russia both to remain of equal strength, we made it possible for Russia to obtain that very dominance that we fought Germany to prevent her having. He feels that we had great opportunity for a balance of power policy. For my own part, I think that only time can tell whether he was right, but I doubt that William Home will ever meet much success because people distrust those who go against convention. And furthermore, prowess in war is still deeply respected. The day of the conscientious objector is not yet at hand.”
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JFK studying at Harvard. Courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Library
JULY 2, 1945 & JULY 3, 1945
Danger of the Left for the “common good”
LASKI AND RADICALS IN HIS DIARY JOHN F. KENNEDY WRITES ON JULY 2, 1945
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“The great danger in movements to the Left is that the protagonists of the movement are so wrapped up with the end that the means becomes secondary and things like opposition have to be dispensed with as they obstruct the common good. When one sees the iron hand with which the Trade Unions are governed, the whips cracked, the obligatory fee of the Trade Union’s Political representatives in Parliament, you wonder about the liberalism of the Left. They must be most careful. To maintain Dictatorships of the Left or Right are equally abhorrent no matter what their doctrine or how great their efficiency.”
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ollowing his Choate graduation in 1935, Joe Sr. insisted Jack spend time at the London School of Economics studying under Harold Laski, as his elder brother Joe Jr. had. Due to a mixture of boredom and an impending health scare, he was swiftly sent home from London. However, a decade later, Kennedy would encounter Laski again during the summer of 1945, when he observed just how radically Marxist the formerly distinguished professor had become.
July 2 entry above on “dangers of the left”; July 3 entry on Laski below
Kennedy’s insights on the “radicals of the Left” prompt consideration of where these viewpoints originated. Jack’s Harvard education was crucial to his intellectual development and his professor Bruce Hopper, author of ‘Pan-Sovietism,’ had particular influence on the future President. In his book, Professor Hopper described the background of Bolshevism and speculated on future Russian-United States relations.
IN HIS DIARY ON JULY 3, 1945, JOHN F. KENNEDY WRITES ABOUT LASKI & RADICALS OF THE LEFT
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“I attended a political rally this evening at which Professor Harold Laski, Chairman of the Executive Council of the Labor Party and erstwhile Professor at the London School of Economics, spoke... Odd this strain that runs through these radicals of the Left. It is that spirit which builds dictatorships as has been shown in Russia. I wonder whether dictatorship of the Left could ever get control in England, a country with such great democratic tradition. These Leftists are filled with bitterness, and I am not sure how deeply the tradition of tolerance in England is ingrained in these bitter and discontented spirits. I think that unquestionably, from my talk with Laski, that he and others like him smart not so much from the economic inequality but from the social.”
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JFK’s astute comments here, especially, “The great danger in movements to the Left is that the protagonists of the movement are so wrapped up with the end that the means becomes secondary,” are surprising to hear from a Democrat. It seems Jack was not as mainstream as many historians paint him. Indeed, as a legislator and President, Kennedy showed restraint on social issues and was fiscally conservative. The contents of this manuscript—the only private diary of America’s 35th President—fuel a reevaluation of our previously held beliefs.
Professor Harold Laski
JULY 24, 1945 & JULY 25, 1945
Kennedy leaves England and travels to
IRELAND
Joe Jr., Joe Sr., and Jack Kennedy traveling to Europe in July, 1938. Courtesy of John F. Kennedy Library
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FK’s visit to Ireland shows his great interest in the country of his heritage; his knowledge of Irish political and economic history was extensive. Kennedy’s father arranged for him to meet with Prime Minister de Valera. He had first traveled to Ireland with his brother Joe and his father in 1938; he again visited in 1947, 1955 and finally made a triumphant, sentimental tour of Ireland as President in June, 1963 which showed his deep affinity for those, including his relatives, who had grown up with less than he. As a Congressman, Senator, and President, John F. Kennedy was careful not to take sides, but he remained true to supporting the Irish in any way possible in their struggle for freedom from British oppression. JFK knew that the Irish plight was not the most pressing issue on the world scene in 1945, but he recognized it was important to his political future.
IN HIS DIARY JOHN F. KENNEDY WRITES ABOUT PRIME MINISTER DE VALERA
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“I left England yesterday to come to Ireland... I stayed with Mr. David Gray, the American Minister to Ireland. Mr. Gray’s opinion of DeValera was that he was sincere, incorruptible, also a paranoiac and a lunatic. His premise is that the partition of Ireland is indefensible and once the thesis is accepted all else in its policy is consistent. He believed Germany was going to win. He kept strict neutrality even towards the simplest United States demand.
Prime Minister de Valera
DeValera has a unique political machine. Only one member of his caucus ever voted against him. He has a way of bringing the national issue into every question. He joined neutrality in this war with the independence of Ireland. Either you were for neutrality and against partition or if you were against neutrality you were for partition. As a Parliament and political boss he is unique. Gray states that DeValera expected America and England to follow out again at the end of this war as they did at the end of the last war. If this had happened, he would have been proved right. He did not figure on Russia, which is now holding these two countries together.”
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President Kennedy’s 1963 motorcade in Cork, Ireland
Portion of lengthy six-page Ireland diary entries dated July 24 and 25
FRIDAY, JULY 27, 1945
Kennedy’s impression of the
BRITISH
ELECTION RESULTS
IN HIS DIARY JOHN F. KENNEDY WRITES ABOUT THE SURPRISE
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“The overwhelming victory of the Left was a surprise to everyone. It is important in assaying this election to decide how much of the victory was due to a ‘time for a change’ vote which would have voted against any government in power, whether Right or Left, and how much was due to real Socialistic strength.”
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he British went to the polls on July 5, 1945, promptly issuing Churchill his marching orders, and instead choosing the Attlee-led Socialist Labor Party in a landslide. Kennedy’s smart deduction that English conservatism was on its way out, to be replaced by the left was accurate. The election results came as a terrific surprise to everyone, except Kennedy. Churchill himself was unaware of his loss until late July.
JFK had an uncanny understanding of people, politics, and the way the world worked. He saw something coming that most experts of the time overlooked. The idea of the English people voting out Churchill, the stoic Prime Minister who had led them through the darkness of World War II, seemed unthinkable.
IN HIS DIARY JOHN F. KENNEDY CONTINUES WITH HIS OPINIONS
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“My own opinion is that it was about 40 per cent due to dissatisfaction with conditions over which the government had no great control but from which they must bear responsibility— 20 per cent due to a belief in Socialism as the only solution to the multifarious problems England must face—and the remaining 40 per cent due to a class feeling—i.e.; that it was time ‘the working man’ had a chance. For too long a time now England has been divided into the two nations...the rich and the poor. The Labor Party will stay in for a long time if the conservative wing of that party... remain in office. But if the radical group like Laski...become the dominating influence...there will be a reaction and the Conservatives will come once again to power. Labor is laboring under the great disadvantage of having made promises to numerous groups whose aims are completely incompatible. The Conservatives may pick up some of these votes, at least those of the middle class when conditions make it impossible for Labor to implement many of its promises.”
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Although Jack idealized Churchill, the young reporter was able to assess the English post-war political climate. War-shocked Britians were desperate for the assurance of a socialist state, with the promise of food, health care, and comfort.
Image courtesy of Globe Photos, Inc.
July 27 British Election Results entry at left; July 28 France entry above and below
SATURDAY, JULY 28 , 1945
Kennedy writes about Charles de Gaulle and
NOTES ON FRANCE
IN HIS DIARY JOHN F. KENNEDY WRITES ABOUT CHARLES DE GAULLE
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“People are disappointed with DeGaulle. He has not pleased any group (which may be a sign of fair government) and has made himself extremely unpopular with most. Any movement against DeGaulle will take the form of a swing to the Left—the victory of the Socialists in Britain may accentuate the swing.”
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t the time Kennedy visited France in the summer of 1945, the country was recovering from the humiliation they sustained during World War II. After the French government failed to effectively mobilize their mighty army, they signed an armistice with Hitler in June, 1940 and de Gaulle was provided refuge in Britain. JFK’s reflection that the “people are disappointed with DeGaulle” represented the general view of the French leader abroad. The British were fed up with de Gaulle’s ego during the war. Churchill referred to him as “his Cross of Lorraine.” However, Truman recognized France’s strategic role in the post-war recovery, allowing them a place in the UN and in the reconstruction of Germany and, by doing so, quashing Russia’s plans for neutralizing France.
IN HIS DIARY JFK WRITES ABOUT THE STRUGGLES OF THE FRENCH
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“Food is hard to get for people in the city because of lack of transportation. This lack of transportation has contributed greatly to the difficulties all throughout Europe. United States unpopularity is strengthened by the fact that we control most of the rolling stock (railroad, cars, trucks, etc) and use it to feed and supply our own forces. The French have nothing…”
” Sixteen years later, President Kennedy travelled to France and met face to face with de Gaulle as a fellow world leader (see image upper right of this page). JFK’s wife, Jackie, dazzled the country and their President. Jack famously declared, “I am the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris,” a sentiment he invoked during the last speech he ever gave at Texas’ Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce breakfast on November 22, 1963.
President Kennedy, the First Lady, and de Gaulle during their 1961 trip to Paris. Courtesy of Cecil Stoughton White House Photographs, John F. Kennedy Library
Three pages of JFK’s historic four-page Potsdam, Germany diary entry
SUNDAY, JULY 29, 1945
Truman, Ike, JFK, & Stalin in
POTSDAM
Frankfurt, Germany airport upon arrival for the Potsdam summit; Forrestal and Eisenhower in foreground and Kennedy in background
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his excerpt, dated July 29, 1945, chronicles the first day of JFK’s visit to Germany with Navy Secretary James Forrestal. Less than three months after the surrender of Germany to the Allies, Kennedy’s recollection of this portion of his trip is extraordinary because, like many of his diary entries, he is not only reporting conditions on the ground, but listening to those who truly knew what was going on. JFK was also analyzing the possible future outcome of events; this is significant because much of what he predicted became reality during his presidency.
Kennedy listened to Forrestal’s conversation with Eisenhower and provides us the Supreme Allied Commander’s report on the current complicated situation in Germany. This is, of course, the leader he would follow as president and come to know as a trusted advisor.
IN HIS DIARY JOHN F. KENNEDY WRITES ABOUT THE ATMOSPHERE IN POTSDAM ON JULY 29, 1945
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“With Secretary of the Navy Forrestal and others of his party, we left Paris at about three o’clock in the Secretary’s C54 plane for Berlin...At the field at Berlin where we arrived, Prime Minister Attlee came in just ahead of us. There was a large crowd, and he inspected the same Guard of Honor which Prime Minister [Churchill] had inspected only a few days before. We drove immediately to Potsdam through miles of Russian soldiers. We stopped in front of the President’s house which was in a peaceful Potsdam square untouched by war. The Secretary talked to the President for a few minutes and then we drove to a house on the Kleine Wann See—a beautifully furnished house on a wonderful location along a beautiful lake. It was untouched by bombs, but during the evening as we drove along the lake in a speed boat, many of the houses in this residential section were badly hit.”
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This diary entry confirms that the young reporter Kennedy was in Potsdam and stayed in the same house as Secretary Forrestal. JFK said, “We stopped in front of the President’s [Truman’s] house which was in a peaceful Potsdam Square…The Secretary talked to the President for a few minutes and then we drove to a house on the Kleine Wann See.” Forrestal was not an official member at the Potsdam Conference; he had come to give advice to the Commander-in-Chief.
Hearst Newspaper letter showing the same photo and stating, “This is to certify that Mr. John F. Kennedy is a special correspondent for the Hearst Newspaper.”
IN HIS DIARY JOHN F. KENNEDY CONTINUES ABOUT THE RUSSIANS
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“One opinion here is that the Russians are never going to pull out of their zone of occupation but plan to make their part of Germany a Soviet Socialist Republic. The question, therefore, is whether the other three occupying forces can afford to leave their zones. So far, the British seem to be encouraging a German economic revival. (The new British government may change this.)”
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Eisenhower was in Potsdam to prevent Truman from begging the Russians to come into the war in the Pacific. At the Potsdam Conference, JFK witnessed his two predecessors-to-be, President Truman and General Eisenhower, as the Allied leaders grappled with Stalin over the future of the post-war world.
IN HIS DIARY JOHN F. KENNEDY WRITES ABOUT THE BIG FOUR
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“If a split among the Big Four develops as far as long-time administrative procedure, it will be serious. Germany will be unable to build and maintain communications, roads, canals, trade coal, and food. If we don’t withdraw and allow them to administer their own affairs, we will be confronted with an extremely difficult administrative problem. Yet if we pull out, we may leave a political vacuum that the Russians will be only too glad to fill.”
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“ Hitler’s Reich Chancellery was a shell. The walls were chipped and scarred by bullets. ”
JFK viewing Hitler’s ravaged bunker. Courtesy Princeton University Library
SUNDAY, JULY 1, 1945
Impressions of the ruins in
BERLIN
IN HIS DIARY JFK WRITES ABOUT HITLER’S BUNKER
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“Hitler’s Reich Chancellery was a shell. The walls were chipped and scarred by bullets, showing the terrific fight which took place at the time of its fall. Hitler’s air-raid shelter was about 120 feet down into the ground—well furnished but completely devastated. The room where Hitler was supposed to have met his death showed scorched walls and traces of fire. There is no complete evidence, however, that the body that was found was Hitler’s body. The Russians doubt that he is dead.”
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he words of John F. Kennedy, a young man raised in affluence and privileged to travel throughout the world, do not reflect those of a wealthy, debonair tourist looking for adventure. As a young reporter, he was a disciplined thinker who looked at a world in crisis and reported the facts. But, beyond this, he could look at the conditions in a devastated city and feel empathy for the German people who were in dire straights. He comments on their “colorless faces—a yellow tinge with pale tan lips.” Then he says: “They sleep in cellars. The women will do anything for food.” In college, John F. Kennedy had been in favor of the Lend-Lease program, and urged his father, then Ambassador to the Court of St. James and a known isolationist, to drop his opposition to it. This compassion for people followed Kennedy into his presidency where he was the architect of the Peace Corps.
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On some of the streets the stretch—sweet and sickish from dead bodies—is overwhelming
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A sharply dressed JFK, in sunglasses, touring the Berlin ruins with Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal. Courtesy Princeton University Library.
IN HIS DIARY JFK WRITES ABOUT THE DEVASTATION HE SEES
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“The devastation is complete. Unter der Linden and the streets are relatively clear, but there is not a single building which is not gutted. On some of the streets the stench—sweet and sickish from dead bodies—is overwhelming. The people all have completely colorless faces—a yellow tinge with pale tan lips. They are all carrying bundles. Where they are going, no one seems to know. I wonder whether they do.”
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Kennedy viewing Berlin ruins along with Forrestal. Courtesy Princeton University Library
IN HIS DIARY JFK CONTINUES ABOUT THE DEVASTATION
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“They sleep in cellars. The women will do anything for food. One or two of the women wore lipstick, but most seem to be trying to make themselves as unobtrusive as possible to escape the notice of the Russians. The Russians were short, stocky, and dour looking. Their features were heavy and their uniforms dirty.”
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IN HIS DIARY JFK CONTINUES ABOUT REBUILDING BERLIN
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“One of the debatable questions in Berlin is whether Berlin will be built up again into a larger city. If Germany remains divided into four administrative units as she is now, Berlin will remain a ruined and unproductive city. In any case, it will be many years before Berlin can clear the wreckage and get the material to rebuild.”
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JFK viewing Hitler’s ravaged bunker with Secretary of the Navy Forrestal and Ambassador Harriman
Kennedy’s “Impressions of Berlin Ruins” above and below; July 31 entry on Bremen visit at right
TUESDAY, JULY 31, 1945
Kennedy tours German E. Boats in
BREMEN
Kennedy viewing Bremen factory. Courtesy John F. Kennedy Library
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n Bremen, the Forrestal team made an inspection of German hardware and, according to JFK, had discussions with Navy officials. Naturally since JFK had served on PT boats in the Pacific, which were of very poor design and durability, he was interested to learn that the comparable German E boat was of superior quality.
IN HIS DIARY JOHN F. KENNEDY WRITES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE BOATS AND THE PT BOATS
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“Spent the day in Bremen talking to Navy officials and to the heads of military government in this area. Among other things, the Navy had accurate reports on German E boats which correspond to our PT boats. The German boat was approximately 105 feet—engines developed 6,000 horse power—had four torpedo tubes and some light machine guns. In Speed they ranged from 42 knots to 49 knots in actual trials. Their cruising range was about 700 miles at 35 knots—their displacement about 115 tons—their engines were Diesel. These figures demonstrate that the German E Boat was far superior to our PT Boat…”
”
This fascination with how things were made and what made them work was a trait that JFK showed throughout his career. In his book ‘Let Us Begin Anew,’ an oral history of the Kennedy Administration, Glenn Seaborg, chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, confirmed this fact. He reported that the President asked to visit the commission headquarters in February 1961 and showed a sound technical grasp. Later, in December 1962, President Kennedy asked Seaborg to arrange a visit to the laboratory at Los Alamos; they traveled together in Air Force One. At the site they went out to the crater by helicopter. According to the chairman the crater was “half a mile across and maybe several hundred feet deep.” The President said to the pilot, “This is very interesting. Let’s land in this and look at it more closely.” Seaborg and the pilot managed to discourage this venture.
Three pages of JFK’s August 1 entry assessing Hitler’s retreat in Berchtesgaden
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1945
Kennedy visits the mountain top home of
HITLER
IN HIS DIARY JOHN F. KENNEDY WRITES ABOUT GERMANY
“
“We flew from Bremen to Frankfurt and were met at the airport by a Battalion of Paratroopers and General Eisenhower...We drove to the Farben building which was completely untouched, though surrounded by ruins. Eisenhower talked with Forrestal for a few minutes...He said that the situation was complicated by the Fact that the Russians in the East have the major food-producing area in Germany.”
”
T
he Princeton-held Forrestal papers confirm that on August 1, 1945, at the Farben Building, Eisenhower briefed Forrestal and JFK was reporting. Frankfurt had become Eisenhower’s headquarters in May of 1945, and the Farben Building was a luxurious office complex which had not been bombed out as had much of the surroundings. In his diary, JFK wrote: “From Frankfurt we flew to Salzburg.” Salzburg, Austria, considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, is located on the German border, near the Northern Foothills to the Alps. From there, JFK and Forrestal drove to Berchtesgaden, the town across the border in Germany and the site of Hitler’s retreat, ‘The Eagle’s Nest.’ This picturesque area, located in a valley surrounded on all sides by Austria and the Alps, was used by the Allied occupation after World War II as a recreation spot. The building where the Forrestal party dined had been the headquarters of Field Marshall Wilhelm Keitel, the chief of the German high command.
IN HIS DIARY JOHN F. KENNEDY WRITES ABOUT AN AREA OF GERMANY UNTOUCHED BY WAR
“
“From Frankfurt we flew to Salzburg...and drove to the town of Berchtesgaden. It is a beautiful town in the mountains... It is a town apart from the destruction of war. We stayed at a beautiful inn for the evening after dining with the local General at the lavishly furnished building that was formerly the headquarters of General Keitel.”
”
The Nazi mountain retreats at Berchtesgaden, including air raid shelters and barracks, were heavily bombed by the Allies in April 1945. The ruins were leveled in 1952 to make way for a park and it is now a tea house; Forrestal and Kennedy were among the few to inspect the ‘Eagle’s Nest’ in its bombed out and stripped down condition. When JFK said that Hitler “had in him the stuff of which legends are made,” he was speaking to the mystery surrounding him, not the evil he demonstrated to the world. Nowhere in this diary, or in any of his writings, is there any indication of sympathy for Nazi crimes or cause.
IN HIS DIARY JFK WRITES ABOUT HITLER’S HOME
“
“In the morning we went up to Hitler’s mountain home. It was completely gutted, the result of an air attack from 12,000 pound bombs by the R.A.F in an attempt on Hitler’s life...After visiting these two places, you can easily understand how that within a few years Hitler will emerge from the hatred that surrounds him now as one of the most significant figures who ever lived. He had boundless ambition or his country which rendered him a menace to the peace of the world, but he had a mystery about him in the way he lived and in the manner of his death that will live and grow after him. He had in him the stuff of which legends are made.”
”
JFK 1946 “official” Congressional campaign portrait “Looking the Part” taken at his Beacon Hill apartment. Courtesy Ronnie Paloger Collection.
Handwritten pages on JFK’s congressional
CAMPAIGN
F
ollowing the 28-year-old’s brief, though eventful, reporting assignment for Hearst, “Jack Kennedy arrived home on August 7, the first day of a new age and a different, more dangerous world.”* In October 1945, five months prior to declaring his candidacy for congress, and a mere two months upon his return from Europe, Jack began familiarizing himself with voters of Boston’s eleventh district. JFK’s congressional campaign slogan was “The New Generation Offers a Leader.”
JFK JOTS DOWN NOTES ON A “SCHOOL OF INSTRUCTIONS FOR POLITICIANS”
“
“Impress…Appraisal of common picture-1-Full Employment, 2-Housing, 3-Wages…Labor relations, Social Security… Stress ethics + government…open to public, Regardless of race creed + color”
”
Within the 61-page diary, there are a total of twelve handwritten pages. Five of the pages precede the typed portion of the diary, and seven follow it. Only the first, which we have placed at the beginning of this catalog, concerns Europe. Much of the other eleven pages, of unidentified date but most certainly circa 1945-1946, consist of jotted notes with several nuggets of interest regarding JFK’s first official foray into public service.
* Kennedy biographer Geoffrey Perret, author of ‘Jack: A Life Like No Other.’
Three initial handwritten political diary pages, mentioning Roosevelt and Truman
KENNEDY’S MENTION OF FDR AND TRUMAN ARE PARTICULARLY NOTABLE
“
“Strikes are due to Truman’s failure, to get G.M. To come through...Remember Roosevelt’s principle that you have to keep politicians + policies apart.”
”
Revealing a wealth of information on Kennedy’s private thoughts regarding his initial congressional run, these pages exhibit thought-provoking political quotes and assessments of other iconic American Presidents, including, Wilson, FDR, and Truman. The young pragmatist is under no disillusionment that his task will be easy, as he keenly recognizes the low opinion several Boston pols have of his political aspirations.
1946 Congressional campaign—JFK addressing a group in Boston’s North End urging legislation for vets. Courtesy Ronnie Paloger Collection.
Jan 27 diary entry above mentions he’ll get “murdered” in the polls; below Kennedy discusses loyalty in politics and jots down books to read
Continuation of JFK’s personal 3-page reading assignment above; Kennedy pens his description of the “best politician” below
“ “The best politician is the man
who does not think too much of the political consequences of his every act”
”
Jack Kennedy, father Joe Sr. at right and mother Rose at left, are surrounded by campaign supporters celebrating his June 18, 1946 primary victory win. The incredible 1946 Congressional images featured here, and many other rare photographic selections from the Ronnie Paloger Collection, will be offered in RR Auction’s May 18, 2017 JFK 100th Birthday Celebration.
On June 18, 1946, JFK votes in the Mass Democratic Primary with his maternal grandparents John F. “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald and Mary Hannon Fitzgerald at his side; he beat 11 other contenders in this primary, going on to win his Congressional seat the following November. Courtesy Ronnie Paloger Collection.
JFK IS TOLD BY A FELLOW POLITICIAN HE’LL GET “MURDERED IN THE POLLS”:
“
“Says I’ll get murdered—No political experience— A personal district. Says I don’t know 300 people personally...attack on me will be: 1. Inexperience. 2. Injury to role on me in father’s reputation.”
”
JACK PENS SEVERAL INTERESTING POLITICALLY DRIVEN QUOTES, INCLUDING A REFERENCE TO LOYALTY
“
A testament to Jack’s unquenchable thirst for knowledge, three handwritten pages consist of a list of books, with catalog numbers that the studious congressional candidate was reading, or intended to read. The considerable list includes several books on his nation of heritage, Ireland, and ‘Why England Slept’ which, of course, was written by Kennedy himself.
“‘In politics you don’t have friends—you have confederates.’ One day they feed you honey—the next will find fish caught in your throat. You can buy brains but you can’t pay—loyalty.”
”
Imaged right: 1946 Congressional campaign vets working for JFK at a campaign booth. His slogan “The New Generation Offers a Leader” came from Joe Kane, a Kennedy cousin. Courtesy Ronnie Paloger Collection.
Within these incredible congressional candidacy-related eleven pages, Kennedy is clearly thinking through the beginning of his political career, which would begin with his election to congress in 1946, just a year after the eventful trip to Europe chronicled in the diary. The poignant political quotes and private insights provided throughout these invaluable handwritten pages are absolutely historic.
JFK PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO HIS SUBSTANTIVE POLITICAL IDEALS
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“‘The best politician is the man who does not think too much of the political consequences of his every act.’ Democratic party has survived because—Wilson—’it had a heart in its jacket.’ ‘The one great failure in American govt is the govt of critics.’”
”
Kennedy’s 1946 Campaign Victory Dinner at Bellevue Hotel, Boston, Mass. From left to right are: Judge Morrisey, JFK’s grandmother, JFK’s best friend ‘Lem’ Billings, sister Eunice in middle, Jack himself beaming brilliantly, his future Presidential Appointment Secretary Ken O’Donnell behind, JFK’s grandfather “Honey Fitz,” and finally, famous Boston politician Joseph F Timilty. Courtesy Ronnie Paloger Collection.
“ The decision to compromise by trading the
Soviet missiles in Cuba for the U.S. missiles in Turkey, was President Kennedy’s alone.
”
SHELDON STERN
EXCOMM meeting during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Courtesy John F. Kennedy Library
John F. Kennedy’s 1945 diary represents his insights and viewpoint on the political career he was about to embark upon. What he wrote will come as a revelation to historians and others who have been in search of how and why he was able to grapple with the serious crisis of the post-war era. Sheldon Stern in his 2003 book, ‘Averting the Final Failure,’ sees in the diary the seeds of what led him, as President, to make the disciplined and informed decisions which allowed the avoidance of a nuclear war with the Russians. “If any of the key members of the White House Executive Committee...had made the decisions on Black Friday, October 27, 1962, we would very likely have been in a thermonuclear war,” he writes. “The decision to compromise by trading the Soviet missiles in Cuba for the U.S. missiles in Turkey, was President Kennedy’s alone.”
SPECIFICATION OF THE DIARY •Sixty-one-page diary housed within a quality 8 x 10 black cowhide leather Trussell binder. •Diary contains 12 handwritten and 49 typed white loose leaf 6 x 9.5 pages. Of the handwritten pages, five are front and back, and two are single-sided; all typed pages are single-sided. Within the binder, there are also eleven blank pages not included in the overall accounting above, the last of which features a few words of Kennedy’s handwriting on the reverse. •Condition statement available upon request. •For an in-depth analysis of the diary’s contents, including full transcription and images of each page, we recommend you refer to Deirdre Henderson’s book, Prelude to Leadership. •ESTIMATE $750,000+
A WORD FROM DEIRDRE HENDERSON
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“It was a privilege to work as research assistant to Senator John F. Kennedy in his run for the Presidency. He gave me his 1945 diary so I could better understand his views.Through recent research, it has been concluded this is the only true diary JFK ever kept. It is now time to relinquish this iconic and valuable piece of history. I trust that, through this catalog, the diary will come to the attention of a wider audience and find a home worthy of its merit.”
”
Deirdre Henderson with Senator John F. Kennedy
Deirdre Henderson first met with Senator John F. Kennedy on June 15, 1954 when she was in college. Later, while working at the Harvard Defense Studies Program, she began sending the Senator memorandums on National Security issues and particularly on the need to build up conventional forces. In 1958, Deirdre asked her brotherin-law, Paul Pennoyer, who was a good friend of Senator Kennedy, to request an interview with him for a job in his upcoming presidential run. After passing a tough interview, the Senator hired her as his research assistant to work in his Boston Senate office and spend time on position papers by gathering ideas from his Academic Advisory Committee—mainly MIT and Harvard professors. Deirdre is most proud of the fact that
the Senator told her to expand the list as needed. At the President-Elect’s request, she remained as his research assistant during the transition period. Deirdre worked at the White House before President Kennedy asked her to go to the State Department. Following extensive research of the pre-World War II period, Deirdre decided it was time to share the diary Senator Kennedy had given to her in 1959. She was introduced to Hugh Sidey, well known ‘Time’ magazine columnist, by Ambassador James Lilly. Mr. Sidey wrote back after reading the diary: “This is vintage JFK.” Sidey, who knew the Senator well, agreed to write the introduction and named the book ‘Prelude to Leadership.’
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