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Difficulty: EasyInterwar Foreign Policy and Road to World War II

"Suppose my neighbor's home catches fire, and I have a length of garden hose four or five hundred feet away. If he can take my garden hose and connect it up with his hydrant, I may help him to put out his fire. Now, what do I do? I don't say to him before that operation, 'Neighbor, my garden hose cost me 15;youhavetopayme15; you have to pay me 15 for it.'... I don't want $15—I want my garden hose back after the fire is over."
— President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Press Conference, December 17, 1940

The analogy presented in the excerpt was primarily used by President Roosevelt to support which of the following foreign policy actions?

  1. A
    Joining a formal military alliance that obligated mutual defense among member nations
  2. B
    Implementing a strict embargo on all warring nations to maintain absolute US isolation
  3. Providing military supplies and aid to Great Britain without requiring immediate paymentAnswer
  4. D
    Committing United States ground troops to fight alongside allied forces in Europe

Answer

Providing military supplies and aid to Great Britain without requiring immediate payment
The correct answer is correct because President Roosevelt used the garden hose analogy to explain and justify the Lend-Lease program. Under this policy, the United States provided military equipment and aid to Great Britain and other allies fighting the Axis powers, with the understanding that the materials would be returned or replaced after the war rather than paid for immediately.

Step-by-Step Solution

Analyze the analogy in the stimulus
President Roosevelt uses the visual of lending a garden hose to a neighbor whose house is on fire to show that immediate payment is not required during an emergency, as long as the hose is returned or replaced later.
Understanding the logic of the primary source argument is essential to connecting it to historical context.
Connect the stimulus to the corresponding historical policy
The press conference took place in December 1940, immediately preceding the introduction of the Lend-Lease Act in early 1941, which allowed the United States to supply war materials to Britain on credit.
This links the specific policy of Lend-Lease to the political arguments used to pass it.
Identify the option that reflects the core feature of this policy
The choice describing the provision of military supplies without immediate payment aligns with the definition of the Lend-Lease Act.
Matching the correct definition of the historical concept is the final step to solving the question.

Key Concept

The transition of United States foreign policy from strict neutrality toward active material support of Allied nations prior to direct military entry into World War II.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Interwar Foreign Policy and Road to World War II

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