Man Without a Cause

Out front, in Pittsburgh's Soldier's Hall, 2,500 America Firsters gleefully awaited the U.S. Senate's most rabid isolationist. It was 3 p.m. A reporter went backstage, showed Senator Gerald P. Nye an Associated Press bulletin, stating that his country had been attacked. Snapped Gerald Nye, all wound up for an anti-war speech: "It sounds terribly fishy to me. . . . Is it sabotage or is it pen attack? . . ."

One hour and forty-five minutes and five speakers later, Senator Nye, chest out, wrapped his isolationist toga about him and went through his regular act about the "warmongers" in Washington. He did not mention the fact that the U.S. was at war. The reporter sent up another note, saying that Japan had now declared war. Senator Nye read it and continued his harangue.

Eventually the Senator paused and let his audience in on the war news. Said he: "I can't somehow believe this. . . There's been many funny things before. . . ." Grim-lipped, red-faced, sweating, he left the hall, muttering that he "must try" to get to Washington.

Senator Nye did not go directly to Washington. That night he spoke at Pittsburgh's First Baptist Church. His manner and tone were bitter and defeatist: ". . . just what Britain had planned for us"; "we have been maneuvered into this by the President."

Next day, all the fight gone out of him, Isolationist Nye meekly stood up with 81 fellow Senators and voted for war.

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