1941.06.09 " 'Deliver the Goods' - Willkie" by Ralph Lee

1941.06.09 “ ‘Deliver the Goods’ – Willkie”
by Ralph Lee (1906-1947)
23 x 14 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.

After losing the 1940 election, Wendell Willkie became an unexpected advocate for aiding Britain, even supporting Roosevelt’s foreign policy in broad terms. His phrase “Deliver the goods” was widely quoted in spring 1941 as a call for the U.S. to actually follow through on promised aid.

This cartoon is rooted in the implementation of the Lend-Lease Act. Britain stands largely alone against Germany, anf the US debate centers on how far to go in supporting Britain, and whether aid without war is sufficient.