At the end of his first term in office, FDR attended a grand ceremony celebrating the opening of a bridge in Chicago. In typical fashion, he took the opportunity to give a speech about world events. Which is to say, the ascent of fascism and Japanese imperialism.

Delivered on October 5th, 1937, the "Quarantine speech" as it's called, is an early instance of what would become FDR's main concern as president in the coming decade—the threat of military aggression by the Axis powers of WWII against the United States.

At this time, the Neutrality Acts were pretty fresh, and there was still one yet to come in 1939, but already FDR knew that the political sea change occurring in Europe and Asia was going to bring on the ugly in a major way. Lend-Lease was far off, considering, but the urgency that motivated FDR to initiate its complex diplomatic arrangements in 1941 was very much present in the rhetoric of this speech.

Interestingly, FDR takes the notion of "isolationism," which was so popular among the American people at the time, and flips it around, suggesting that it's the anti-democratic fascist nations that should be isolated instead.

However, notice how he chose his words carefully. "Quarantine," with its suggestion of contagious disease, is much, much nastier.

Sly move FDR, very sly indeed.