FDR Speech on Lend Lease Act

Well, let me give you an illustration: Suppose
my neighbor's home catches fire, and I have a
length of garden hose 400 or 500 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; you have to pay me $15 for
it." What is the transaction that goes on? I
don't want $15—I want my garden hose back
after the fire is over. All right. If it goes through
the fire all right, intact, without any damage to
it, he gives it back to me and thanks me very
much for the use of it. But suppose it gets
smashed up—holes in it—during the fire; we
don't have to have too much formality about it,
but I say to him, "I was glad to lend you that
hose; I see I can't use it any more, it's all
smashed up." He says, "How many feet of it
were there?" I tell him, "There were 150 feet of
it." He says, "All right, I will replace it." Now, if
I get a nice garden hose back, I am in pretty
good shape.
In other words, if you lend certain munitions
and get the munitions back at the end of the
war, if they are intact—haven't been hurt—you
are all right; if they have been damaged or
have deteriorated or have been lost completely,
it seems to me you come out pretty well if you
have them replaced by the fellow to whom you
have lent them.
Answer the following Questions
2. What is the “fire”?
3. Who was the “neighbor”?
4. What was the “water hose”?
5. Do you agree with the President? Explain.

6. What risk does the United States run in
loaning the water hose?
7. What problem could arise from helping the
British and Russians?
8. What problems could happen if we don’t
help them?