TWE Remembers: Charles Lindbergh’s Des Moines Speech

Lindbergh was no more deterred by the outpouring of public criticism of his Des Moines speech than he had been by his wife’s private criticism. He believed he hadn’t done anything wrong. He wrote in his diary:

My Des Moines address has caused so much controversy, that General Wood has decided to hold a meeting of the America First national Committee in Chicago. I must, of course, attend. I felt I had worded my Des Moines address carefully and moderately. It seems that almost anything can be discussed today in America except the Jewish problem. The very mention of the word “Jew” is cause for a storm. Personally, I feel that the only hope for a moderate solution lies in an open and frank discussion.

Council on Foreign Affairs, 2012