There is no doubt at all that FDR was behaving in a wildly unconstitutional way. Liberals, who got their panties in such a bunch over the Patriot Act, ignore this.
I don’t ignore it, but I do believe he behaved appropriately, even though unconstitutionally. As during our Civil War, unconstitutional measures are sometimes necessary to save the Constitution.
Had Britain been defeated, our eventual return to Europe would have been far more difficult, and if USSR had gone down, a distinct possibility with Germany having only one front to deal with, a US invasion of Europe would have been quite impossible without using the Bomb.
Least we so soon forget -- most liberals supported the Patriot Act at the time.
Only political perfidy drove some against it while President Bush was in office.
With their own Obama in charge now... silence from the Left.
I don't agree that FDR's actions were necessarily "unconstitutional."
He certainly had enough support in Congress that it made no efforts to stop him.
Had there been a serious clash between Congress and Executive, then we might argue which was more constitutionally correct...
However, FDR's actions were anything but "neutral."
They were provocations and acts of war against Germany in every way but the official declaration.
Americans never felt truly "neutral."
They-we supported the western allies from the beginning.
The only issue ever was: how far were we willing to go to help our friends?
All the way to declared war?
No, not yet -- after all we've not ever been directly attacked...