ABSTRACT
Leo Crowley had his own reasons for wanting to cut back the lend-lease program to Russia. He could probably best be characterized as nationalistic, neo-isolationist, and in general skeptical of international movements, whether of the political, economic, or ideological kind. Crowley's attitude toward post-V-E Day adjustments in the lend-lease program was rooted instead in the opinions he had formed and expressed about the nature and purpose of the program. For Crowley the cutback of lend-lease to Russia was a matter of following the letter of the law and redeeming his oft-repeated promises to the Congress. The sudden cutback of lend-lease to Russia and the manner in which it was initially carried out considerably heightened Soviet suspicion of American behavior and did so at one of the most critical moments for the wartime alliance. In addition to congressional sentiment, public feeling, and Crowley's reading of both, the cutback was also affected by the unique status of the Soviet lend-lease program.
