Vannevar Bush was not the only one pushing for a war preparedness program. William Allen White, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and supporter of the Progressive Party, also recognized the need for American preparation. In May 1940, he founded the Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies (CDAAA), a non-isolationist response to the America First Committee. White and his supporters advocated financial and material support for Britain as the best means of containing the war in Europe and preventing direct interference by the U.S. In a demonstration of unbiased commitment to the cause, White refused to accept support or donations from any steel manufacturers, weapons makers, or other parties that would benefit financially from the adoption of his plan. As his campaign grew, he gained a number of notable followers including journalist and political reformist Clarence K. Streit.

Many Americans were assuming a more confrontational stance than that taken by White. One result was the formation of the Fight for Freedom, Inc. (FFF) organization, which advocated an interventionist program that would place the United States forces in direct combat with the German military. Where the CDAAA only supported involvement through legislation like the Lend-Lease Act, the FFF campaigned for a preemptive move against Hitler.