Presidency of Robert A. Taft (No New Deal)

The Presidency of Robert Taft began on January 20th, 1941 and ended on January 20th, 1949. The Presidency of Robert Taft would largely be defined by US involvement in the Second World War and the early Cold War as well as income inequality and class tensions.

Presidency[]

Domestic Policy[]

John Sparkman and Fred A. Hartley Jr. — John Sparkman (D-AL) and Fred A. Hartley Jr. (R-NJ), key proponents of the the Sparkman-Hartley Act

The Sparkman-Hartley Act and "Right-to-work" laws[]

Ever since the Hoover administration, Labor Unions had been gaining power in the United States. Legislation such as the Norris-LaGuardia Act of 1932 had given more protections and power to nonviolent labor unions. Al Smith, while pro-business and conservative, did not pursue any serious restrictions on Labor Unions in fear of alienating Northern Democrats with urban, unionized constituencies. As a result, labor laws would remain relatively the same throughout the Smith administration and early Taft administration. However, a massive wave of strikes throughout 1945-1946 in the post-War years would result in Congress reviewing labor laws.

With the Conservative factions of the Democratic and Republican parties holding a majority in Congress, legislation would be pursued in 1946 to curtail the power of labor unions. Encouraged by President Taft, Alabama Democrat John Sparkman would propose the Labor Management Relations Act in the Senate. New Jersey Republican Fred A. Hartley Jr. would propose an alternative version in the House of Representatives. A unified bill would come into existence in late 1946. Despite fierce opposition from the Progressive Union members of Congress, the law would pass the House of Representatives on November 23rd, 1946 and would be signed into law by President Taft on November 27th, 1946.

The Sparkman-Hartley Act would introduce a series of restrictions on Labor unions. Such as the prevention of Wildcat Strikes, solidarity or political strikes, secondary boycotts, secondary and mass picketing, closed shops, and monetary donations by unions to federal political campaigns.

Supreme Court Appointments[]

During Taft's tenure he would get to appoint one Chief Justice of the Court and four associate justices. For Chief Justice Taft would pick California Attorney General Earl Warren (1941-1967). This selection sparked disappointment among conservative factions within both political parties due to Warren's perceived lack of conservative judicial leanings. Despite this, Warren's nomination received confirmation from the Senate with a majority of Senators endorsing his appointment, albeit a minority expressing reservations.

Charles Edward Wyzanski Jr. (1941-1973) and William Francis Smith (1945-1950) encountered little opposition during the Senate confirmation process, securing their positions as Associate Justices with notable ease. In contrast, Hiram Church Ford (1946-1969) faced considerable resistance from Progressive Union Senators. The core of this opposition lay in Ford's more conservative judicial philosophy compared to his counterparts. Although progressive Senators attempted to impede Ford's nomination through filibustering, these efforts ultimately proved ineffective, culminating in his contentious confirmation.

However, President Taft's most enduring achievement on the court was the historic appointment of Florence E. Allen (1946-1966), the first woman to serve as a Justice. Allen's nomination garnered widespread acclaim. While her Senate Judiciary Committee hearing experience was characterized by a somewhat reserved reception, she triumphed over any skepticism to achieve a successful confirmation by the Senate.

Cabinet[]

The Taft Cabinet needed to stay united throughout the Second World War but however it didn’t not stray from the occasional scandal, initially wanting to appoint his brother Charles as Attorney General he was opposed by the senate and his media team but the “Pet Taft”, as he was known because he was a “Political Pet Project” to his family, held the Ohio Governorship so in an attempt to get it away from the Taft family the other Republican high command offered him to become Postmaster General. Desperate to get into cabinet the Governor accepted the post immediately.

Position	Name	Term	State
Vice President	Joseph W. Martin Jr. (1884-1968)	January 20, 1941 - January 20, 1945	Massachusetts
Vice President	Harold Stassen (1907-2001)	January 20, 1945 - January 20, 1949	Minnesota
Secretary of State	Lester J. Dickinson (1873-1968)	January 29, 1941 - June 13, 1947 ^R	Iowa
Secretary of State	Hugh Scott (1900-1994)	June 30, 1947 - January 1949	Pennsylvania
Secretary of the Treasury	John Davison Rockefeller Jr. (1874-1960)	February 5, 1941 - January 1949	New York
Secretary of War	George C. Marshall Jr. (1880-1959)	February 2, 1941 - January 20, 1949	Pennsylvania
Attorney General	Earl Warren (1891-1974)	January 27, 1941 - January 20, 1949	California
Postmaster General	Charles P. Taft II (1897-1971)	February 20, 1941 - January 20, 1949	Ohio
Secretary of the Navy	William D. Leahy (1875-1959)	January 31, 1941 - January 20, 1949	Iowa
Secretary of the Interior	William Langer (1886-1959)	February 3, 1941 - January 20, 1949	North Dakota
Secretary of Agriculture	James Henderson Duff (1883-1969)	February 1, 1941 - January 20, 1949	Pennsylvania
Secretary of Commerce	Herbert Hoover Jr. (1903-1979)	February 10, 1941 - January 20, 1949	California
Secretary of Labor	James J. Davis (1873-1947)	January 24, 1941 - November 22, 1947^D	Pennsylvania
Secretary of Labor	Fred A. Hartley Jr. (1902-1975)	January 7, 1948 - January 20, 1949	New Jersey

Notes:[]

^R: Resigned

^D: Died

Executive Order 8345 + Desegregating the Military (1943)[]

With the United States being dragged into the second world war in 1942, the military would still remain segregated throughout the first year of American involvement in the war. However, Taft would sign executive order 8345 which officially desegregated the military. The decision would be met with controversy across the United States. However, Taft would not frame the desegregating of the military as a civil rights issue but rather as a means of improving efficiency within the military and to reduce the cost and strain put onto the military high command in creating both black and white divisions. The executive order itself would allow for desegregation to occur gradually as to not hinder the current US war effort with a drastic reorganization of the United States military. The army would become fully desegregated by 1946.

Taft's decision to desegregate the military would be met with negative reception by the conservative coalition, would Conservative Democrats condemning the decision entirely and conservative Republicans believing the decision would cost the party in the upcoming Congressional, gubernatorial, and Presidential elections. However, the decision would be met with positive reception among liberal Republicans such as Minnesota Governor Harold Stassen.

Status of Japanese Americans[]

Following the Japanese attack on the Philippines and subsequent declaration of war on Japan in March of 1942, racism and hate crimes against Japanese Americans would spike. Throughout 1942-1943, there were calls for Japanese Americans to be rounded up and interned until the war would be over. Despite growing pressure on President Taft to intern Japanese Americans, he would decline to do so on multiple occasions throughout 1943. The main basis for Taft's opposition to internment was that internment was both immoral and unconstitutional. This position would result in Taft making enemies among the Southern Democrats and other racial conservatives within Congress. Even as Taft refused to implement internment, state governments such as California and Oregon would still implement internment policies on a state level, something which Taft condemned. President Taft would denounce the Supreme Court's decision in the case of Korematsu v. California (1944) in which the court upheld the state of California's decision to put Japanese Californians in internment camps in the eastern part of the state.

During the 1944 campaign, Democratic nominee Richard Russell would attack Taft for his attempts at appeasing the Japanese empire and implying that Taft's opposition to internment would turn America into a Japanese colony. Taft would continue to oppose Japanese internment until the end of the second world war.

Vetoing of the GI Bill + "Second Bonus Army"[]

Throughout much of World War 2, the American Legion, an interest group representing veterans, would lobby for government benefits to be given to veterans at the conclusion of the war. These benefits included employment benefits, healthcare benefits, as well as University scholarships. The legislation would be popular among Democrats, Republicans, and Progressive Unionists. However, Taft disliked the proposed idea, believing it to be government overstepping into civilian life. After the GI Bill had passed the House and Senate with tripartisan support, Taft would officially veto the BI Bill on June 7th, 1945, believing the bill to be a radical expansion of government. This decision would be widely criticized by several members of Congress and the media.

Taft's veto would be overridden by Congress on June 25th, 1945, and the veto would cause Taft's approval rating to fall. Even as the bill passed, Taft would use his power as the executive to reduce enforcement of the bill such as directing the IRS. A second bonus army would form by early 1946, demanding more benefits and expansions to be added to the GI bill. Despite efforts from some progressives in Congress, the conservative coalition and President Taft would prevent any further expansions from happening. Frustrations with Congress would ultimately culminate in the bonus army storming the United States capitol on March 4th, 1947 which would be broken up with violence by the afternoon with 5 people dead and 12 injured. This incident sparked criticism of Taft from both the left and the right. Progressives and left-wingers called Taft a "butcher" and blamed Taft's inaction and hostility towards the Bonus Army for being the cause of the riot. Right wingers such as John Sparkman had decried the storming as a "failed communist revolution" and conservatives believed that Taft was not doing enough to stop the spread of Communism domestically.

The Second Bonus Army and Taft's handling of the army would prove to be very damaging to both Taft's reputation and the Republican Party as a whole, leading to the Republican Party's devastating defeat in the 1948 Presidential Election, thus marking the beginning of the decline of the Republican Party.

Foreign Policy[]

Negotiations with Japan (1941 - 1942)[]

Throughout the first year of his Presidency, Taft would attempt to overturn the oil embargo put on Japan by the Al Smith administration. An initial attempt would be made by isolationist members of Congress on March 7th, 1941; however, the motion would fail by a narrow margin. As public opinion continued to turn against Japan, Taft's other 2 attempts to overturn the embargo would be blocked by wider margins. Despite the failure to overturn the embargo, the United States and Japanese Government would remain in negotiations throughout late 1941 and early 1942 until the Japanese military would attack the Philippines seemingly unprovoked, breaking down all negotiations between the United States and Japanese governments.

US Involvement World War 2[]

Robert Taft gives a speech — Robert Taft speaking to a joint session of Congress (March 15th, 1942)

Attack on Clarke Airforce Base and "Storm of War" speech (1942)[]

Despite the government in Tokyo's efforts to negotiate with the Taft administration, the military and anti-American factions within the Japanese military and the Imperial Rule Assistance Association would only grow further frustrated with the negotiations and the United States. This was largely because the oil embargo put into place in 1940 would begin to negatively impact the Japanese military and a desire to capture the American Philippines in order to have a better landing ground for an invasion of the Dutch East Indies. As a result, Japanese general Masaharu Homma would defy Tokyo's negotiations and lead the 14th army to attack the American Philippines on March 14th, 1942, with the first major attack being on Clarke air base on Batan Island which resulted in the death of 3 American soldiers and the injuring of 14 others.

On March 15th, 1942; President Taft would give a speech to a joint session of Congress asking Congress for a declaration of war against Japan. Taft's speech, known as the "Storm of War" speech, would decry Japan as a bad faith actor and a threat to both American interests and America itself. The speech remains one of the most famous in American history and one of the most famous moments of Taft's Presidency. Congress would officially declare war on Japan later that day, and Nazi Germany would declare war on the United States the following day.

Course of the War[]

Throughout the course of the War, Taft would do tours across the country and give speeches in favor of the war effort. He would also be in close communication with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill as the United States and the United Kingdom attempted to coordinate war plans and strategies.

Beginning of the Cold War[]

At the conclusion of the second world war, Taft wished for the United States to return to a neutral, isolationist foreign policy. This was because Taft, and many conservative isolationists, feared that the United States increasing its presence abroad would only increase the power of the federal government in unprecedented ways. As a result, Taft would oversee the United States join the United Nations but would reject giving funding or increasing troop presence in western Europe. This policy of neutrality came at a time when the Soviet Union had arisen as the dominant power in Europe, securing satellite states in much of eastern and central Europe. Churchill had declared that an "Iron Curtain" had fallen over Europe in a 1946 speech. The United Kingdom and France would attempt to re-assert themselves in order to combat Soviet influence, establishing the Channel Treaty Organization in 1946. Despite these efforts, both Britain and France were still struggling with rebuilding following the devastation brought up by the second world war.

Taft would be criticized for refusing to send foreign aid to Europe by members of all parties, and especially by Vice President Stassen. It is believed that a lack of US aid is what resulted in a communist victory in the Greek Civil War, as well the 1946 Dutch Revolution, a Communist victory in the 1946 Italian General Election, Communists unifying Vietnam and repelling the French in 1947, and a Soviet backed coup in Turkey in 1948. These communist victories made people in the United States less content with isolationism, and public opinion began to favor anti-communist intervention abroad in order to prevent a "domino effect" in which communism would reach the United States. As a result, a red scare would begin by the late 1940s and Taft's isolationism had made him a target by the anticommunist movement and ruined his approval rating among conservatives even as Taft remained conservative on economic policies. Democrat Francis E. Walter, head of the House Un-American Activities, had actively campaigned to have Taft administration members testify in front of the committee under the belief that the Taft administration was complicit in the spread of international communism.

During his farewell address, Taft warned the American people of the dangers of the red scare and how the founders warned about people trading freedom for security. Taft's foreign policy is universally regarded as a failure by presidential historians.