Franklin D. Roosevelt: U.S. Merchant Marine Wooden Serving Tray....

Description

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A unique and original Franklin D. Roosevelt handmade wooden souvenir tray. Lovely inlaid wood, reverse painted decoration (on the back of the glass) and real butterfly wings make up this stunning display piece. "U.S. Merchant Marine" appears on a banner below and two American flags drape either side of a paper cutout picture of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In the bottom middle is a lovely color scene of sailboats on a tropical sea and the name, "Rio de Janeiro." The blue highlights are iridescent butterfly wings. Butterfly wings of many colors fill all of the non-painted areas. The flags have forty eight stars. Likely this piece was made in Brazil as a souvenir for servicemen. This gorgeous piece measures 13 ¼ x 21,"  and weighs a full 3 pounds, 4 ounces. The wood on the front of the piece is gorgeous. There is an interesting history regarding FDR and the Merchant Marine. Following his inauguration on March 4, 1933, FDR sent a message to the Congress asking whether or not the United States should have an adequate merchant marine. He left little doubt that he personally favored a strong United States flag fleet that could compete with foreign shipping combines, allow the United States to continue its trade in the event of a major foreign war, and be able to provide the logistics ships required by the Navy in time of war. It took the United States Congress over a year to answer FDR's question, and it did so in the form of the Merchant Marine Act of 1936. With only minor changes to the policy statement in the 1920 Act, the new Act stated emphatically that: "It is necessary for the national defense and development of its foreign and domestic commerce that the United States shall have a Merchant Marine." A wonderful piece.