Finest Hour – July 2019

ARTIST AND AVIATOR

My new Long Island friends continued to look for

material, and I was hopeful when they informed me that

they had additional research on Seversky done in the ear-

ly 1990s by an aerospace historian. It appeared that with-

in these personal papers, moreover, that there were doc-

uments proving the film’s appearance in Quebec. I went

through a portion of these papers, which were held at

the Cradle of Aviation Museum in New York, but found

nothing. I was told that there were plenty more of Sever-

sky’s papers in the system and that I should not give up.

But as of this writing, no more have been found.

More Frustrations

S

hort of primary source material from the conference

principals, I began branching out. General Laurence

Kuter was at Quebec as “Hap” Arnold’s assistant

chief of air staff for plans and combat operations. An early

air power historian, Murray Green, interviewed Seversky

on 16 April 1970. In this interview Seversky tells Green

the story of the film being shown at the conference and

states: “So Larry Kuter was ordered to fly this picture all

the way to Quebec. Did he tell you that story?” To which

Green replies, “I will ask him about it.”^2 The very next day,

17 April 1970, Green did an interview with Kuter...and

forgets to ask him about flying the film to Quebec! Kuter

died in 1979. History was now taunting me.

I looked for still other individuals who attended the

conference, but, along with Kuter, all of the key partici-

pants had passed away. So I began searching through the

names of staff that might still be alive. I was assisted by

two brilliant historians in this process, Dik Daso, curator

at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington,

and Duane Reed, historian at the US Air Force Academy.

They thought a member of Arnold’s staff might still be

alive. They had not heard of his passing, and such news

travels quickly in the tight-knit air-power community. I

began my quest to find Jacob Edward Smart.

After more than four months, I managed to track

down the retired ninety-five-year-old, four-star gener-

al in South Carolina and went to interview him. During

the Quebec Conference, he was indeed a key member of

Arnold’s staff. But he told me that he was only in atten-

dance at Quebec for the last three days. He missed most

of the conference because earlier in the month of August

1943, he was leading the bombing raids over the Ploesti

oil fields in Romania. He did recall seeing Seversky on a

number of occasions, but Smart could not have seen the

film in Quebec since he was not in attendance when it is

supposed to have been shown.

The Case for the Defense

D

espite the cold trail, there are historical clues that

help support the claim made about the showing

of the film. The most obvious is that the Allied

powers did emerge from the conference with a decided

bias towards long-range air power. A telegram from Roo-

sevelt and Churchill was sent to Marshal Stalin of the So-

viet Union on 24 August 1943 to bring him up to date on

strategic decisions agreed to at the conference. In a state-

ment that would have made Walt and Seversky proud, the

telegram read: “The bomber offensive against Germany

will be continued on a rapidly increased scale from bas-

es in the United Kingdom and Italy. The objectives of

this air attack will be to destroy the German air combat

strength, to dislocate the Germany military, industrial,

and economic system.”^3

(^) While evidence independent of Disney and Seversky
is lacking, there is still a good case to be made based on
their personal accounts. I studied each one based on what
was said, when it was said, how it was said, and then—fi-
nally—by considering possible motives. I also took a look
at the various deviations from one version to another.
The claim did not appear during the war. This is not
surprising since the proceedings at the conference would
have been highly classified at the time. Attendees would
not have been permitted to speak about it until long af-
terwards. If Walt did know, he would have been bound
by secrecy. The same was true for Seversky. So the fact
that the story did not appear until a decade after the war is
not surprising. The Ultra Secret, after all, was not revealed
until three decades after the war.
The earliest version of the story comes from a 1956
interview Walt did with Pete Martin. In referring to Vic-
tory Through Air Power, Walt declares: “It was even flown
by special request to Quebec at the Quebec Conference
for Churchill and the others to see. And I got that straight
from the fellow who flew it up there and he was a General
in the Air Corps.”^4 (Walt is, of course, speaking of Lar-
ry Kuter.) Listening to the interview in context provides
even more insight into Walt’s thinking—he is talking ca-
sually, commenting on whatever comes into his mind,
and it is not rehearsed.
Seversky repeatedly told the story in interviews and
articles. The most notable is in a 1967 article he wrote
for Aerospace Historian, the official publication of the Air
Force Historical Foundation. Seversky wrote that “At the
request of Mr. Churchill, General Arnold asked General
Larry Kuter, who is now Vice President of Pan American
Airways, to have the film flown to Quebec at once. Presi-
dent Roosevelt and Churchill, closeted together, saw the
film twice.”^5 Not only did General Kuter get this publica-
ARTISTANDAVIATOR
MynewLong Islandfriends continuedto lookfor
material,andI washopefulwhentheyinformedmethat
theyhadadditionalresearchonSeverskydoneintheear-
ly1990sbyanaerospacehistorian.Itappearedthatwith-
inthesepersonalpapers,moreover,thatthereweredoc-
umentsprovingthefilm’sappearanceinQuebec.I went
througha portion of these papers, which wereheld at
theCradleofAviationMuseuminNewYork,butfound
nothing.I wastoldthattherewereplentymoreofSever-
sky’spapersinthesystemandthatI shouldnotgiveup.
Butasofthiswriting,nomorehavebeenfound.
MoreFrustrations

S

hortofprimarysourcematerialfromtheconference

principals,I beganbranchingout.GeneralLaurence

Kuter wasat Quebec as “Hap”Arnold’sassistant

chiefofairstaffforplansandcombatoperations.Anearly

airpowerhistorian,MurrayGreen,interviewedSeversky

on 16 April1970.InthisinterviewSeverskytellsGreen

thestoryofthefilmbeingshownattheconferenceand

states:“SoLarryKuterwasorderedtoflythispictureall

thewaytoQuebec.Didhetellyouthatstory?”Towhich

Greenreplies,“Iwillaskhimaboutit.”^2 Theverynextday,

17 April1970,GreendidaninterviewwithKuter...and

forgetstoaskhimaboutflyingthefilmtoQuebec!Kuter

diedin1979.Historywasnowtauntingme.

I lookedforstillotherindividualswhoattendedthe

conference,but,alongwithKuter,allofthekeypartici-

pantshadpassedaway.SoI begansearchingthroughthe

namesofstaffthat mightstillbealive.I wasassistedby

twobrillianthistoriansinthisprocess,DikDaso,curator

attheNationalAirandSpaceMuseuminWashington,

andDuaneReed,historianattheUSAirForceAcademy.

Theythoughta memberofArnold’sstaff mightstillbe

alive.Theyhadnotheardofhispassing,andsuchnews

travelsquicklyinthetight-knitair-powercommunity.I

beganmyquesttofindJacobEdwardSmart.

After more than four months, I managed to track

down the retired ninety-five-year-old, four-star gener-

al in South Carolina and went to interview him. During

the Quebec Conference, he was indeed a key member of

Arnold’s staff. But he told me that he was only in atten-

dance at Quebec for the last three days. He missed most

of the conference because earlier in the month of August

1943, he was leading the bombing raids over the Ploesti

oil fields in Romania. He did recall seeing Seversky on a

number of occasions, but Smart could not have seen the

film in Quebec since he was not in attendance when it is

supposed to have been shown.

The Case for the Defense

D

espite the cold trail, there are historical clues that

help support the claim made about the showing

of the film. The most obvious is that the Allied

powers did emerge from the conference with a decided

bias towards long-range air power. A telegram from Roo-

sevelt and Churchill was sent to Marshal Stalin of the So-

viet Union on 24 August 1943 to bring him up to date on

strategic decisions agreed to at the conference. In a state-

ment that would have made Walt and Seversky proud, the

telegram read: “The bomber offensive against Germany

will be continued on a rapidly increased scale from bas-

es in the United Kingdom and Italy. The objectives of

this air attack will be to destroy the German air combat

strength, to dislocate the Germany military, industrial,

andeconomicsystem.”^3

While evidence independent of Disney and Seversky

is lacking, there is still a good case to be made based on

their personal accounts. I studied each one based on what

was said, when it was said, how it was said, and then—fi-

nally—by considering possible motives. I also took a look

atthevariousdeviationsfromoneversiontoanother.

The claim did not appear during the war. This is not

surprising since the proceedings at the conference would

have been highly classified at the time. Attendees would

not have been permitted to speak about it until long af-

terwards. If Walt did know, he would have been bound

by secrecy. The same was true for Seversky. So the fact

that the story did not appear until a decade after the war is

not surprising. The Ultra Secret, after all, was not revealed

untilthreedecadesafterthewar.

The earliest version of the story comes from a 1956

interview Walt did with Pete Martin. In referring to Vic-

tory Through Air Power, Walt declares: “It was even flown

by special request to Quebec at the Quebec Conference

for Churchill and the others to see. And I got that straight

from the fellow who flew it up there and he was a General

in the Air Corps.”^4 (Walt is, of course, speaking of Lar-

ry Kuter.) Listening to the interview in context provides

even more insight into Walt’s thinking—he is talking ca-

sually, commenting on whatever comes into his mind,

andit isnotrehearsed.

Seversky repeatedly told the story in interviews and

articles. The most notable is in a 1967 article he wrote

for Aerospace Historian, the official publication of the Air

Force Historical Foundation. Seversky wrote that “At the

request of Mr. Churchill, General Arnold asked General

Larry Kuter, who is now Vice President of Pan American

Airways, to have the film flown to Quebec at once. Presi-

dent Roosevelt and Churchill, closeted together, saw the

film twice.”^5 Not only did General Kuter get this publica-