1941.08.15 “Your Gift Still Shines For You”
by Ralph Lee (1906-1947)
14 x 23 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection
Ralph Lee was an editorial cartoonist for the Portland Oregonian. He died suddenly, at 41, in January 1947. His cousin, Art Bimrose, was the editorial cartoonist for the Oregonian for more than three decades. In 1937, the Oregonian hired him part-time to work on printing plates. Following Lee’s death, Bimrose was hired as the Sunday editorial cartoonist.
The Atlantic Charter was a statement issued on 14 August 1941 that set out American and British goals for the world after the end of World War II, months before the US officially entered the war.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill famously included the principle of "self-government for all nations" as one of their war aims in the Atlantic Charter, a joint statement released in August 1941.
More specifically, the Atlantic Charter stated their desire "to see sovereign rights and self-government restored to those who have been forcibly deprived of them". This was seen by many, especially colonized nations in Africa and Asia, as a promise of self-determination and eventual independence after World War II.
However, the interpretation and application of this principle proved to be a source of tension between the two leaders:
Roosevelt was generally supportive of the idea of self-determination applying to all peoples and actively supported the right of nations to choose their own form of government. He frequently raised the issue of colonial independence with Churchill during the war.
Churchill, on the other hand, was less enthusiastic about applying this principle to the British Empire. He emphasized that the Charter primarily applied to countries under Nazi occupation in Europe, not to the British colonies. He famously stated that he did not become Prime Minister to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire.
Despite these differences, the Atlantic Charter's emphasis on self-government played a crucial role in inspiring and fueling independence movements worldwide after World War II. It served as a rallying cry for colonized nations and is seen as a significant step towards the decolonization that occurred in the following decades.
The cartoon takes the moment to acknowledge the occupation of France and uses the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France, to underscore the message.
