The first casualty when war comes is truth (speech, 1917)

The first casualty of war is truth.

The first casualty when war comes is truth.

Among the calamities of war may be jointly numbered the diminution of the love of truth, by the falsehood which interests dictates and credulity encourages

I do not by any means believe the initiative, the referendum, and the recall are the panacea for all our political ills, yet they do give to the electorate the power of action when desired, and they do place in the hands of the people the means by which they may protect themselves.

He wasn't in World War II and neither was his speech writer.