Generalissimo Francisco Franco today brought Spain closer to the Rome-Berlin axis when he named as foreign minister Ramon Serrano Suner, his brother-in-law. Franco assumed the latter’s vacated post as minister of interior. Serrano Suner, recently returned from Rome and Berlin conferences with Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, replaces Col. Juan Beigbeder Atienz in the foreign ministry.
Consistent with other changes in occupied Europe, Holland now institutes a requirement that Jews carry special documents with them.
The London bus system has taken a beating during the Blitz. Today, the London Transport requests provincial bus systems to send replacement buses to keep the London transport system running.
Jews are to punished by Vichy for their supposed role in the defeat of France. Coincident with the departure of Vice Premiem Pierre Laval for important negotiations with the occupying authorities in Paris, the Cabinet here tonight announced the adoption of a series of measures regulating the status of Jews and certain foreigners within the French State.
German circles said tonight that 150 Nazi bomber and fighter planes already are in Rumania and 150 more are expected tomorrow, accompanied by 800 pilots, mechanics, members of ground crews and instructors.
Red Star, official organ of the Soviet army, said today that Germany’s air offensive against Britain has failed. The red army organ said that not only are the British able to continue to defend themselves but are able “effectively” to carry the battle to Germany. “In spite of its experience with surprise attacks on enemy airfields the German air force has been un able to repeat this experience in England,” Red Star said.
A message from German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop to Joseph Stalin to invite Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov to Berlin, Germany to speak about the recent deterioration of German-Soviet relations was delivered, at a few days delay, to Molotov. Ribbentrop was not happy regarding the delay, and the fact that the letter was delivered to the Soviet foreign ministry rather than to Stalin himself. Ribbentrop’s lengthy letter to Soviet Premier Josef Stalin is finally fully translated (after several days) and delivered to Vyachslav Molotov. Among the ideas in the far-reaching letter is the institution of a New World Order led by Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Soviet Union. Ribbentrop is furious at the delay in delivering the letter and feels it should have been hand-delivered to Stalin himself, but the embassy staff knows what it is doing and handles things properly.
Molotov is somewhat nonplussed by the letter — he virtually directs Soviet Foreign policy, with of course the required approval of Stalin, and the letter does not address concerns he has about recent German activities in Finland — but decides to accept Ribbentrop’s invitation for a visit in November. Molotov begins preparing a response to be signed by Stalin.
Royal Navy control of the Straits of Gibraltar continues to be somewhat shaky, at least as far as the French Navy is concerned. Previously, some French cruisers had reinforced Dakar by passing through the Strait, causing the British commander there to be sacked. Today, French torpedo boat La Batailleuse escorts submarines Pegase, Monge, Espoir and Vengeur westbound to Casablanca. Why the British are allowing these transits is a mystery because they have enough ships to at least attempt interceptions. It may simply be that the French vessels simply sneak through without being spotted — which also raises questions about British operations on Gibraltar.
Orde Wingate arrives in Cairo.
The Chief of Imperial General Staff in London informs Governor Dobbie on Malta that it will be sending some tanks and artillery to Malta. In addition, a battalion will be shifted from Egypt to Malta. This is completely inadequate to repel a serious invasion but does mitigate the military’s weakness on Malta. The General Staff somewhat puckishly suggests that building dummy tanks might convince the Italians to stay away from the island.
A rough day at sea for the Royal Navy. German Kriegsmarine (German Navy) submarine U-93 attacked Allied Convoy OA.228 300 miles northwest of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom, sinking Norwegian ship Dokka at 0317 hours (10 killed, 7 survived) and British ship Uskbridge at 0339 hours (2 killed, 6 survived); U-93 was depth charged at 0400 hours by HMS Folkestone, depth charged at 1015 hours, and attacked by aerial bombs in the evening; none of the attacks caused damage. Meanwhile, German Kriegsmarine (German Navy) submarine U-48 fired 3 torpedoes at Allied Convoy SC.7 400 miles northwest of Ireland at 0553 hours, sinking British ship Scoresby and damaging British tanker Languedoc; British corvette HMS Bluebell scuttled Languedoc with gunfire and rescued the 39 survivors from Scoresby and 39 survivors from Languedoc. At 1052 hours, German Kriegsmarine (German Navy) submarine U-38 sank Greek ship Aenos with the deck gun in the Atlantic Ocean; 4 were killed and 25 survived. In the North Sea, German motor torpedo boats S-24 and S-27 attacked Allied convoy FN.311 10 miles off Lowestoft, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom; British ship Hauxley was damaged by a torpedo, killing 1, sinking on the next day.
Both sides draw some conclusions from the course of the Battle of Britain so far on 17 October 1940. They are vastly different conclusions, and both are completely unwarranted — for vastly different reasons.
Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering attempts to put a bit of a period on the disastrous Battle of Britain by praising his pilots:
“In the past few days and nights you have caused the British world enemy disastrous losses by your uninterrupted disastrous blows. Your indefatigable, courageous attacks on the heart of the British Empire, the City of London, with its eight and a half million inhabitants, have reduced British plutocracy to fear and terror. The losses which you have inflicted on the much-vaunted Royal Air Force in determined fighter engagements is irreplaceable.”
It is true that recent attacks on London have been especially severe. However, throughout the battle, there has been a decided tendency for the Luftwaffe to think that it has been doing than it has. The RAF’s losses are hardly “irreplaceable,” and its losses are quickly replaced by newer and better aircraft and more pilots coming from Canada and elsewhere. The Royal Air Force has survived, and the Luftwaffe’s night attacks are doing little to curb its growth.
On the British side, the continued conflict about tactics once again breaks out into the open. Air Vice-Marshal Leigh Mallory of No. 12 Group, along with his second Douglas Bader, pushes his favored tactic of the “Big Wing” again. This is the assembly of large fighter formations composed of multiple squadrons before attacking intruders. AVM Keith Park at the more stretched No.11 Group, however, resists this tactic as it wastes valuable time and allows many intruders to complete their missions and escape. He would rather continue the strategy of sending squadrons into battle as soon as they assemble rather than go through the added complication of stacking squadrons. Air Marshal Dowding basically backs Park, while Leigh Mallory has the support of the Air Ministry — partly due to war hero Bader’s political connections with it and Churchill.
There are pros and cons to each approach, but Park has been the point man who essentially saved England in its darkest days. His leadership worked, as did Dowding’s. Leigh-Mallory has been a carper who at times appeared to disregard Park — to the detriment of operations. Bader, for his part, is a propaganda hero (somewhat overblown, but his personal story, of course, is inspirational) with a Member of Parliament in his unit. This has become a classic power struggle that has more to do with becoming a master of the domain rather than tactics. There are going to be winners and losers in short order.
With this background, after some delay, a long-anticipated meeting is held today under the rubric of Major Day Tactics in the Fighter Force. This becomes a classic bureaucratic set-up, with the guys on the front-lines — Dowding and Park — completely outmatched by the REMFs (or, as Hitler would put it, the swivel-chair Generals). Deputy Chief of the Air Staff Sholto Douglas chairs the meeting, and Leigh-Mallory brings junior officer Bader — a clear sign that this is a political affair, as otherwise, Bader has no reason to be there. It really doesn’t matter whose ideas are better — Leigh-Mallory and Bader are “in good” with the powers that be, and that is it.
As a direct result of this meeting — handled quite discreetly, with no blame attached and decorations granted and so on and so forth — both Dowding and Park get the ax. Dowding “decides to retire,” and Park is given a temporary post in the training sector. The Air Ministry’s description of the battle issued later does not even bother to mention either man. Leigh-Mallory takes over the more prestigious No. 11 Group from Park (made cushier because Park has done all the heavy lifting), and Bader is promoted to Wing Commander at Tangmere. Douglas, meanwhile, takes the job he quietly had coveted all along — Dowding’s spot in charge of Fighter Command.
The German Luftwaffe mounted four raids against southern England, United Kingdom during the day. Meanwhile, at 1530 hours, at the Air Council room at the Air Ministry in London, British fighter commanders including Portal, Douglas, Dowding, Park, Bader, and others gathered to discuss strategy; specifically, Park’s approach was attacked by some of the others. Overnight, London, Liverpool, and Birmingham were heavily bombed.
Over England, the weather turns better again, allowing large-scale raids, though visibility remains poor. The days are getting shorter, and the Luftwaffe no longer has its heart in the battle — which even a fool could see that it has lost, as evidenced by Goering’s spurious valedictory quoted above.
The day’s first raid occurs at 08:30, with fighter-bomber (Jabo) raids toward London. This group also includes some Dornier Do 17s and numbers altogether about 100 planes. The Germans bomb Margate, Broadstairs, and Stanmore without too much interference due to the cloudiness.
After lunch, another Jabo raid at 13:00-15:00 targets East London, Kenley and Biggin Hill. The RAF sends up 14 Squadrons, and massive dogfights break out all across southern England. Central London takes some damage, as does RAF Kenley.
At 17:00, another Jabo raid targets various objectives in Kent and Sussex. Three Fighter Command squadrons handle this attack.
After dark, the Luftwaffe targets the usual suspects of London, Liverpool, Birmingham, the Midlands, and East Anglia. There also is some mining in the Thames Estuary and off the Suffolk coast. The night’s biggest casualty is the automatic signaling equipment at Waterloo Station, which is replaced until repair by human signallers.
Overall, it is a fairly bad day for the Luftwaffe. It loses about 15 planes, while the RAF only loses five. As usual, when the Luftwaffe launches major raids as today, it loses disproportionately, whereas when it keeps the raids small and varied as in recent days, the losses are about equal.
British Losses:
Airmen: 5 | Aircraft: 5
Spitfire R6800, No. 66 Squadron
P/O H.W. Reilley killed. Shot down by Major Molders of JG 51 in combat over Westerham.
Spitfire P7360, No. 74 Squadron
F/O A.L. Ricalton killed. Shot down in combat with Bf 109s over Maidstone.
Hurricane P3174, No. 213 Squadron
P/O R. Atkinson killed. Shot down in combat with Bf 109s.
Hurricane V6575, No. 242 Squadron
P/O N.N. Campbell killed. Presumed damaged by return fire from Do 17 engaged off Yarmouth.
Hurricane V7414, No. 302 Squadron
Sgt. J.S. Zaluski killed. Overturned attempting forced-landing at Colliers End.
Two Home Guard officers, Sub-Lt Jack Maynard Cholmondeley Easton, RNVR, and AB Bennett Southwall, RN, attempt to disarm a mine in a house. The mine slips and goes off, killing Southwall and badly injuring Easton. They both receive the George Cross. Another man, 2nd Lt Alexander Fraser Campbell of the 9 Bomb Disposal Coy Royal Engineers, also perishes while working on a bomb and receives the award. While all involved undoubtedly earned their awards many times over — what more can you give than your life? — this continues a trend where the George Cross — originally conceived as a way to reward civilians — typically is awarded instead to men working (and often dying) in their official capacities.
Luftwaffe ace Hans-Karl Mayer, Gruppenkommandeur I./JG 53, never returns from a test flight today. His body washes up on a beach 10 days later. He was possibly a victim of RAF ace F/L D. McMullen of No. 222 Squadron. Mayer had 39 victories, just under the leaders.
The magazine Aeroplane told the following story today: “A Nazi pilot was brought in after having bailed out in a dogfight. Evidently he was one of Hermann’s tough eggs. Although considerably shot about he bore himself arrogantly and showed little give and take spirit. He spoke good English and all the while he was being stitched and dressed he kept up a running fire of abuse against England, the nurses, the doctors and anything else which met his eyes. “To round off the job they gave him a blood transfusion, settled him in a nice, clean bed and left him with the words: “Now, my lad, you have two pints of good Jewish blood in you. We hope it will improve your mood.”
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 8 Blenheims on daylight cloud-cover raids but only 1 aircraft bombed, De Kooy airfield. No losses.
Coastal Command makes a daylight attack on Brest.
The South African Air Force bombs Italian transports at Neghelli, Abyssinia.
U-boats have infested the major sea lanes, and today all the hard work to change bases from Germany to forward bases in Norway and France pays off.
Several convoys get hit in running battles that last several days. In addition, four German destroyers (Hans Lody, Karl Galster, Friedrich Ihn, and Erich Steinbrinck) with six torpedo boats are sighted off Brest, forcing the Admiralty to re-route Convoys OG.44, SL.50 and HG.45 to the west. The Admiralty despatches ywo light cruisers (HMS Newcastle and Emerald) and destroyers from Plymouth to confront the German ships, and the British cruisers chase the German ships from 16:00 to 18:00 before the faster Kriegsmarine ships slip away as the light fades.
Convoy SC.7 is entering the Western Approaches from Canada and only has as escorts three ships: destroyer HMS Scarborough, sloop HMS Fowey and corvette HMS Bluebell. This is one of those early-war situations where the number of U-boats watching actually is greater than the number of escorts. There is air cover by Coastal Command, but it can only do so much. This is only the beginning of the torture of Convoy SC.7.
U-38, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Liebe, sank Greek steamer Aenos (3554grt), a straggler due to bad weather from convoy SC.7, in 59-00N, 13-00W. At 0957 hours the unescorted Aenos (Master Dionisisos Laskaratos), a straggler from station #74 in convoy SC.7, was missed by a G7e torpedo from U-38 about 80 miles north-northeast of Rockall. The U-boat then surfaced and shelled the ship until she sank at 1052 hours. Four crew members were lost. The master and 24 crew members were picked up after five hours by the Canadian steam merchant Eaglescliffe Hall (Master Charles Madsen), another straggler from the same convoy. The survivors were landed at Gourock in the morning of 20 October. The 3,554-ton Aenos was carrying wheat and was bound for Manchester, England.
U-48, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Bleichrodt, in attacks on convoy SC.7 sank British tanker Languedoc (9512grt) and British steamer Scoresby (3843grt) in 59-14N, 17-51W. At 0553 hours, U-48 fired three torpedoes at three ships in the convoy SC.7 about 160 miles northwest of Rockall and reported two ships sunk and another damaged. In fact, only the Languedoc and Scoresby were hit by one torpedo each and sank.
The master and 38 crew members from the Languedoc (Master John Thomson) were picked up by HMS Bluebell (K 80) (LtCdr R.E. Sherwood, RNR) after an inspection revealed that the tanker was beyond salvage and was scuttled with gunfire by the corvette. The survivors were landed at Gourock on 20 October. The 9,512-ton Languedoc was carrying fuel oil and was bound for Clyde, United Kingdom.
The Scoresby (Master Lawrence Zebedee Weatherill) was the ship of the vice commodore. The master and 38 crew members were picked up by HMS Bluebell (K 80) (LtCdr Robert E. Sherwood) and landed at Gourock on 20 October. The 3,843-ton Scoresby was carrying pit props and was bound for Clyde, United Kingdom.
U-93, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Claus Korth, in attacks on convoy OB.228 sank Norwegian steamer Dokka (1168grt) 60-46N, 16-30W and British steamer Uskbridge (2715grt) in 60-40N, 15-50W.
At 0317 hours, U-93 fired one G7a torpedo at a ship of 6000 tons in the convoy OB.228 and missed the targeted ship, but struck the Dokka (Master Arthur Jacob Pedersen) beyond. The torpedo struck on the starboard side aft in hatch #4, destroying the stern and causing the ship to wink vertically in less than a minute. Nine Norwegians and one Irish died, including the whole engine crew. The master and six crew members jumped overboard and rescued themselves on two rafts. At 0352 hours, U-93 surfaced nearby and questioned the survivors. Korth was told the false name Cukna, but he noticed the ruse of war. The U-boat was soon forced to dive by gunfire from HMS Folkestone (L 22) (LtCdr C.F.H. Churchill, RN) and attacked with 13 depth charges, but escaped undamaged. The sloop then picked up the survivors and rejoined the convoy, landing the survivors in Sydney on 23 October. The 1,168-ton Dokka was carrying ballast and was bound for Mont-Louis, Gaspe, Quebec.
At 0339 hours, U-93 fired one G7e torpedo on a tanker in convoy OB.228 about 265 miles north-northwest of Rockall and missed, but hit the Uskbridge (Master Wilfred Breckon Smith) behind it. The torpedo struck on the starboard side near the bridge and caused her to settle by the bow. At 1336 hours, the U-boat fired a coup de grâce at the abandoned ship, which broke in two and sank. Two crew members were lost. Six crew members were picked up by Montreal City and 21 survivors by the Dutch steam merchant Katwijk, transferred to Cristales and landed at Bermuda. The 2,715-ton Uskbridge was carrying anthracite and was bound for Montreal, Quebec.
Early on the 17th, German destroyers Steinbrinck, Lody, Ihn, and Galster departed Brest to raid British shipping at the west exit of the Bristol Channel. German torpedo boats Greif, Seeadler, Kondor, Falke, Wolf, and Jaguar departed Cherbourg to act as a support force. The German destroyers were sighted at 0719 near Brest by British aircraft. Three convoys were in immediate danger, convoy OG.44 escorted by Sloop HMS Wellington, convoy SL.50 escorted by Armed merchant cruiser HMS Pretoria Castle, and convoy HG.45 escorted by British escort vessel HMS Gleaner. These convoys were ordered to steer west until the threat was dealt with. Light cruisers HMS Newcastle and HMS Emerald with destroyers HMS Jackal, HMS Jupiter, HMS Kashmir, HMS Kipling, and HMS Kelvin departed Plymouth at 1100.
The German ships were sighted at 1600 and an action ensued that continued until 1800 when the German destroyers had outdistanced the British force. No damage was received by either side, but destroyer HMS Jupiter experienced mechanical problems limiting her speed before the engagement and light cruiser HMS Newcastle had a breakdown in number three boiler room in the pursuit. The British and German forces were never less than 18,000 yards apart. Both forces were back in their respective ports early on the 18th.
British steamer Frankrig (1361grt) was sunk on a mine in 52-03N, 01-48E. Nineteen crewmen from the steamer were rescued by destroyer Holderness.
British fishing vessel Albatross (15grt) was sunk on a mine off Grimsby. All but five crewmen were lost on the fishing vessel.
Faroes motor fishing vessel Cheerful (65grt) was sunk on a mine off the Faroes Island.
British steamer Ethylene (936grt) was damaged on a mine one quarter mile north, northeast of East Oaze Light Buoy.
British steamer George Balfour (1570grt) was damaged on a mine 12,900 yards 230° from Aldeburgh Light Vessel.
Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Australia and destroyers HMS Echo and HMS Griffin departed Gibraltar, escorting troopships Karanja and Ettrick to the United Kingdom. They were recalled when a report was received that French battleship Strasbourg and twenty other warships were departing Toulon. When the report was found to be incorrect, the heavy cruiser and destroyers HMS Echo and HMS Escapade with the troopships departed Gibraltar on the 18th.
British troopship Reina Del Pacifico arrived at Gibraltar from Freetown.
British storeship City Of Dieppe, escorted by destroyer HMS Gallant, arrived at Gibraltar from Freetown.
French torpedo boat La Batailleuse passed Gibraltar westbound escorting submarines Pegase and Monge, which had departed Bizerte on the 11th and submarines Espoir and Vengeur, which had departed Toulon on the 11th. These ships proceeded to Casablanca to relieve submarines Le Heros, Le Glorieux, Circe, and Calypso. To return, submarines Circe, Calypso, Le Glorieux, and Le Heros departed Casablanca on 2 November, escorted by torpedo boat La Batailleuse and in an unnumbered convoy with two steamers, arrived at Oran on 5 November.
Convoy OB.230 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers HMS Antelope and HMS Clare, corvettes HMS Anemone, HMS Clematis, HMS Mallow, and anti-submarine trawlers HMS St Loman and HMS St Zeno from 17 to 20 October.
Convoy FN.311 departed Southend, escorted by destroyers HMS Verdun and HMS Watchman. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 19th.
British steamer Hauxley (1595grt) in convoy FN.311 was torpedoed by German motor torpedo boat S.18 six miles north, northwest of Smith’s Knoll. Steamer Hauxley sank in tow of Destroyer Worcester at 0645 on the 18th in 50-03-30N, 1-35-30E. One crewman was lost on the British steamer.
British steamers P.L.M. 14 (3754grt) and Gasfire (2972grt) in the same convoy were damaged by German motor torpedo boats S.24 and S.27 in 52-52N, 02-06E.
British steamer Brian (1074grt) claimed sinking one of the German S.boats.
Convoy FS.312 departed Methil, escorted by destroyers HMS Wallace and HMS Westminster. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 19th.
Convoy FS.313 was cancelled.
Anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Curacoa transferred to convoy SL.49 A east of Pentland Firth and escorted it towards Buchanness. At that point, the cruiser began escorting convoy EN.10.
President Roosevelt issued an executive order in Washington establishing the St. Lawrence Advisory Committee to confer with him and cooperate with agencies of the Canadian Government in the development of power resources of the International Rapids section of the St. Lawrence River, and sent a message to Congress informing it of this action and emphasizing the importance of this work as a part of the defense program. He conferred with Secretary Hull, UnderSecretary Welles and Norman H. Davis, chairman of the Red Cross, on refugees; with Clarence A. Dykstra, national director of Selective Service, and with John L. Lewis, head of the Congress of Industrial Organizations.
The Senate witnessed the swearing in of Joseph H. Ball as Senator from Minnesota and adjourned at 12:48 PM until noon on Monday.
The House transacted no business and adjourned at 12:22 PM until noon on Monday.
U.S. Secretary of War Stimson disclosed a conscription schedule today which would call 800,000 men to the colors by next June 15 and added that beyond that date “only God and Hitler” know what will be the conditions that govern the rate at which the men will be summoned to service. Secretary Stimson, a Republican, replied in detail today to charges by Wendell L. Willkie that housing for the Army was in a chaotic condition which illustrated the Administration’s inefficiency. The first group of draftees, a contingent of 30,000, will be sent to the training camps about November 18, he said, adding that 60,000 would go on December 2; 60,000 on January 3; 90,000 on January 15; 160,000 on February 10; 200,000 on March 5, and 200,000 on June 15.
Asserting that the role of the United States in this world crisis should be to give all possible aid to Great Britain in its fight for freedom by increasing the production of war material but not by sending another expeditionary force to Europe, Wendell L. Willkie asked tonight if the latter alternative was what the Roosevelt Administration had in mind; if that were the role for which the New Deal says it is indispensable. In a speech at the Arena, the Republican candidate, who reaffirmed his belief that the United States should give all possible material aid to the British, attacked the Roosevelt Administration as having stifled production in this country so that America at this time not only was unable to supply Great Britain with the number of airplanes and other war equipment needed, but was not even able to supply them for her own national defense. The primary object of our defense, he said, should be defense of ourselves and support of Canada and the nations to the south of us.
Wendell L. Willkie issued a statement today asking if President Roosevelt was delaying material aid to Great Britain in order to make a good impression at the right time for purely domestic political purposes.
The United States moved on two fronts today to strengthen its defense cooperation with Canada. President Roosevelt, in a special message to congress, revealed he has created an advisory committee to conduct preliminary work on the projected development of power on the St. Lawrence River for defense Industries. Concurrently, it was learned that the U.S. Army Air Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force each will get about half of the 250 to 300 American pursuit planes and light bombers originally ordered by Sweden. The Swedish government contracted for the planes early in 1939 but shipment was held up under the export licensing control system for fear they might fall into German hands.
President Roosevelt abandoned today the idea that he is not a political candidate and made plans for an old-fashioned political tour that will take him through the crucial Eastern States in the last two weeks before election. Four meetings, all to be broadcast nationally, and an additional radio speech have been scheduled between October 23 and election eve. In addition the President on his tour will make back-platform appearances, the details of which are still to be worked out. The entire tour will be under the auspices of the Democratic National Committee and will be paid for by that group, it was indicated. Two of the addresses announced yesterday had been previously indicated from the White House.
Democratic campaign managers in this part of the country have received a new line of instruction from the party chairman, Edward J. Flynn, in New York, telling them how they may live within the letter of the Hatch law and Corrupt Practices Act and yet obtain substantial aid, financial and otherwise, from many thousand government workers and from officers and directors of those corporations which are forbidden by law to make campaign contributions. In a short letter, enclosing two legal opinions from Sol A. Rosenblatt, general counsel of the Democratic National Committee, and an interpretation from Oliver A. Quayle Jr., national treasurer, Mr. Flynn suggested that even in the case of Federal employees barred from political activity under the Hatch Act, “their friends and relatives are in no way prohibited from such activities.” The new instructions have been received with considerable questionIng by Democratic managers in this section, and some have even sought additional legal advice on the subject.
A charge that President Roosevelt impeded national defense by using the Bureau of the Budget to slash military and naval appropriations as late as 1939 was made by Thomas E. Dewey in an address today in Hunt Armory under the auspices of the Alleghany County Republican Committee.
Chairman Martin of the Republican National Committee urged Chairman Flynn of the Democratic National Committee today to repudiate the publication by the latter’s Colored Division of a revised pamphlet attacking the ancestry of Wendell Willkie.
President Roosevelt “from now on” will wage a “real” campaign for a third term re-election, Mayor La Guardia of New York predicted in a campaign speech here tonight in which he denounced what he said were the “reckless, irresponsible and false” statements of Wendell L. Willkie, Republican candidate.
Dispatches from Hankow reported today that fighting between Chinese and Japanese forces along the Yangtze River was delaying removal of American women and children from that city. Families of four Standard Oil Company employees were said to be stranded at Hankow when the Japanese ship on which they expected to leave was commandeered to transport troops — apparently to the battlefront in Anhwei Province. Japanese authorities, however, said another ship might be provided within a week.
Thirty-six Japanese planes bombed Chungking this afternoon, showering bombs over the entire capital. Three Japanese planes bombed the city’s modern suburbs last night, hitting the dining hall of the Syracuse-in-China Hospital. A Chinese doctor and six typhoid patients were buried in the debris, but were rescued. Several homes were damaged. Bombs damaged the Canadian Mission’s offices in downtown Chungking.
Following through on its recent vow, Great Britain reopens the Burma Road from Burma to China after it has been closed for three months. China’s trucks of war are rolling again on the Burma road under the threat of imminent bombardment. At the stroke of midnight traffic was resumed across the border with British-controlled Burma after a three-month closure by the British in a futile appeasement gesture toward Japan. Instead of using the three months to seek a settlement of the three-year-old China war or “China Incident” as the Japanese call it, Japan won, with pressure on French Indo-China, nearer bases for an aerial offensive against China and the great highway itself. Now Japanese heavy bombers are only two hours at most from the Burma road at their Hanoi base.
Re-opening of the Burma munitions highway into nationalist China was viewed in Tokyo today as another proof that Britain and the United States intend to follow “a consistent interventionist policy” toward the Chinese-Japanese conflict. Newspapers joined with unofficial spokesmen in blaming President Roosevelt and his administration for the reopening of the road over which American materials for the Chinese war machine again are rolling into China, and warned the American people that they “are being misled by adventurous statesmanship which takes no account of the dangerous possibilities of its actions.” Britain would not have reopened the road, had it not been for American instigation, the nationalist organ Kokumin said editorially, adding that London has cast its lot definitely with the United States in a joint program to prevent success of Japan’s China program.
Buddhist priest Inoue Nissho was released from Kosuge Prison in Tokyo. Inoue was the leader of the Ketsumeidan (League of Blood), an ultranationalist group. Each member of the group pledged to kill at least one wealthy businessman and liberal politician on or about February 11, 1932, the 2,592 celebration of the ascension to the throne of the first Emperor of Japan. Twenty victims were targeted but only former Finance Minister and head of the Rikken Minseito, Junnosuke Inoue (on February 9) and Director-General of Mitsui Holding Company, Dan Takuma (on March 5) would become actual victims. Inoue and the assassins were sentenced to life imprisonment in November 1934 with the rest of the arrested group members given lighter sentences.
Arrangements have been virtually concluded whereby approximately 40 percent of Japan’s oil requirements for the next six months will be obtained in the Netherlands Indies. Final details are expected to be ironed out at a meeting today in Batavia between a Japanese economic mission and representatives of privately owned oil companies. Pressure by the Japanese Government on the Netherlands Indies Government is said to have been an important factor in arranging the deal. Under the proposed plan the Royal Dutch-Shell group and a subsidiary of the Standard-Vacuum Oil Company will supply at the rate of 14,000,000 barrels of oil annually to Japan over a period of six months. A small amount of crude oil also is involved, but this will be supplied entirely by the BritishNetherland group over a period of twelve months.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 132.49 (+0.52)
Born:
Peter Stringfellow, British nightclub owner (Stringfellows), in Sheffield, England, United Kingdom (d. 2018).
Marion Michael, German actress (“Liane, Jungle Goddess”, “Jungle Girl and the Slaver” “Davon träumen alle Mädchen”), in Königsberg Germany (now Kaliningrad, Russia) (d. 2007).
Baron von Raschke, professional wrestler, in Omaha, Nebraska.
Died:
George Davis, 70, American baseball player and manager.
Florence Scovel Shinn, 69, American artist, illustrator and spiritual teacher.
Naval Construction:
The Royal Navy Bar-class boom defense vessel HMS Barrhead (Z 40) is launched by W. Simons & Co. Ltd. (Renfrew, Scotland).
The Royal Australian Navy Bathurst-class minesweeper-corvette HMAS Maryborough (J 195) is launched by Walkers Ltd. (Maryborough, Queensland, Australia).
The Royal Navy Flower-class corvette HMS Amaranthus (K 17) is launched by Fleming & Ferguson Ltd. (Paisley, Scotland).
The Royal Navy Flower-class corvette HMS Veronica (K 37) is launched by the Smiths Dock Co., Ltd. (South Bank-on-Tees, U.K.). She will be transferred to the U.S. Navy in 1942 under Reverse Lend-Lease, becoming the USS Temptress.
History Diaries 