1940.12.31 “An Expert Prompter”
by William Norman Ritchie (1866-1947)
17 x 14 in, ink on paper
Coppola Collection
Ritchie was known for signing his work simply as 'Norman'. On 16 July 1892, he began working at the Boston Post, where he worked for over fifty years as their political cartoonist. Before shifting his focus to politics, he was well-known for his coverage of murder trials such as the Lizzie Borden case in 1893. Throughout his lifetime, he became well versed in politics and was often approached for advice by local politicians. He was a close friend of former President Theodore Roosevelt and was acquaintances with former President Calvin Coolidge. Although many politicians were often the subject of his cartoons, many respected and admired his work at the Boston Post.
The anxious but restrained US posture on the eve of full-scale entry into World War II is on display. “Armed Peace” - the US was not yet at war but was rapidly militarizing in response to the escalating global conflict against the global disruptors of peace, the Axis powers. Ritchie is reflecting a position that peace could be maintained, but only through strength.
Americans were divided: isolationist sentiment remained strong, but support for aiding Britain was gaining momentum. The experience of 1940, with growing conflicts, is being passed along to a position of militarization, representing the new year as a young soldier.
As 1940 transitioned into 1941, the United States was experiencing intense public debate about involvement in the burgeoning World War II, primarily between isolationists and interventionists.
Most Americans, still affected by the Great Depression, initially favored staying out of foreign conflicts and focusing on domestic issues. The escalating war in Europe and Germany's conquest of several nations, leaving Britain as the last major European power standing against Hitler, intensified the debate.
America First Committee, formed in September 1940 and which included prominent figures like Charles Lindbergh, strongly advocated for non-intervention, believing aid to Britain would draw the US into war.
While a majority still wanted to stay out of the war, there was a growing sentiment in favor of providing material aid to Britain. Polls showed a significant increase in the percentage of Americans willing to risk war to help the British, from 12% in January 1940, to 52% in June 1940, after the fall of France, and 68% by April 1941.
The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, ended the debate.
