U. S. DEMANDS BRITISH CEASE LONG DETENTIONS OF SHIPS (1/23/40)

Microfiche-New York Times archives, McHenry Library, U.C. Santa Cruz | 1/23/40 | Bertram D. Hulen, Harold Denny, P.J. Philip, G.E.R. Gedye

[Homer_J_Simpson]

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Hints Retaliation – 2-3
The International Situation – 4
Browder Gets 4-Year Term; Sees Betrayal by New Deal – 5-6
Browder Assails Murphy at Rally – 7
Throngs in Moscow Pay Honor to Lenin – 8
Russians Repulsed on Five Fronts In Renewed Offensive, Finns Say – 10-11
French See Lesson in Raids on Finns – 11-12
Vatican Denounces Atrocities in Poland; Germans Called Even Worse Than Russians – 13
250,000 Jews Listed as Dead in Poland* – 13-14
Izvestia Attacks Pope Pius and Roosevelt; Terms Pontiff ‘Tool’ of Allies in Peace Move – 14
100 in 2 Buses Lost in Yugoslav Storm – 14
Incidents in European Conflict – 15
War Fliers’ Trespass Protested by Dutch – 15

*This story appeared on page 5.

[abb]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/jan40/f23jan40.htm

Mannerheim Line remains intact
Tuesday, January 23, 1940 www.onwar.com

The Winter War... The battle of Taipale ends. Finnish forces have successfully resisted the Soviet attempt to break through the left flank of the Mannerheim Line in hand-to-hand fighting.

In Pretoria... General Hertzog, the South African Leader of the Opposition, moves a peace resolution in the South African Parliament.

From London... Britain and France warn that they will attack German shipping encountered by their navies in the Pan-American neutral zone.

In Britain... Following allegations by troop entertainers that ENSA’s organization in France is in a “chaotic muddle,” its officials are to report to the war office. Meanwhile, the large number of road accidents in the “black-out” leads to a reduction of the speed limit from 30 to 20 mph.

[abb]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/23.htm

January 23rd, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM:

London: Britain and France warn that they will attack German shipping encountered by their navies in the Pan-American neutral zone.

Following allegations by troop entertainers that ENSA’s organisation in France is a “chaotic muddle”, its officials are to report to the war office.

Jack Payne, who has just completed a three-week tour of France with his dance band says that they missed four concerts completely due to bad organisation, including their Christmas Day concert with Gracie Fields. “When we arrived in France there was no transport and no-one at the port had heard of us,” he said in a press interview headlined “Sack the Lot!”. Billy Cotton and his band missed their engagement because a bridge collapsed, leaving the lorry carrying their instruments on one side and the coachload of players on the other side.

There have been many complaints about the standard of entertainment offered, and Lord Haw-Haw has sneered on German radio that the troops have to be paid to attend ENSA shows. Basil Dean, who runs ENSA from the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, does not deny that mistakes have been made, but said that time was needed to perfect the service overseas. Since ENSA went to France, 383 live shows have been given, led by Gracie Fields, Leslie Henson, Will Hay and other stars.
At 2213, SS Onto struck a mine laid on 8 January by U-56 and sank within minutes 2.7 miles 251° from Smith’s Lightvessel, Cross Sand. A British destroyer and a Greek steamer rescued all hands.

At 0843, the unescorted SS Baltanglia was torpedoed and sunk by U-19 SE of the Farne Islands. The master and 27 crewmembers landed at Seahouses, Northumberland.

At 0855, SS Pluto was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-19 and sank by the bow after 14 minutes east of Longstone Island. The survivors were picked up by a Finnish vessel and taken to Seahouses. (Dave Shirlaw)

GIBRALTAR: U.S. freighter SS Excambion, detained at Gibraltar by British authorities since 17 January, is released to proceed on her voyage to Genoa, Italy, but not before 470 sacks of mail (bound for Germany and Italy) are seized; freighter SS Excellency, detained at Gibraltar yesterday, is also released. (Jack McKillop)

CANADA: Corvettes HMCS Matapedia, Arvida, Summerside and Louisburg ordered. (Dave Shirlaw)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: SS Varild sunk by U-18. (Dave Shirlaw)

[CougarGA7]

Day 55 of the Winter War, January 23, 1940

Ladoga Karelia: three battalions of Group Talvela launch a counteroffensive on the River Aittojoki.
Photo: SA-KUVA

Finnish troops repulse enemy offensive in Taipale

• Ladoga Karelia: three battalions of Group Talvela launch a counteroffensive on the River Aittojoki.

• Central Isthmus: heavier than normal enemy shelling in the Summa and Lähde sectors.

• An enemy detachment of company strength attacks the islands of Suursaari and Rumakoira in Lake Muolaanjärvi. The Finnish defenders repulse the assault.

• Northern Finland: Colonel Siilasvuo arrives in Kuhmo with the staff of the 9th Division and settles into the Jämäs barracks.

• Group Ilomäki is placed under command of the 9th Division.

• North Karelia: 11 enemy aircraft bomb Nurmes, killing 21 people and injuring 39.

• Southeast Isthmus and Ladoga Karelia: Finnish troops repulse the enemy offensives in Taipale and on the northeast side of Lake Ladoga.

• The enemy has already dropped 6,700 bombs behind the Finnish lines.

• Northern Finland: a Finnish Gladiator fighter is hit by an explosive shell, bursts into flames and crashes behind enemy lines 3 kilometres west of Märkäjärvi. The pilot, Swedish volunteer Second Lieutenant Johan Sjökvist, is killed.

• Finland's employers recognize the trade union movement. The Central Organization of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) now has 80,000 members.

• The author Frans Emil Sillanpää donates his Nobel Gold Medal to the defence of Finland.

[Chewbacca]

Wow!!!!
Those were some pretty expensive apartments at Tudor City.

$50/month (remember those were silver dollars back then.)

At today’s prices those one bedroom apartments were renting for around $850/month.

A 2-bdr apartment was going for about $1250. Ouch!

[freedumb2003]

Are you kidding?

In L.A. County $850-1250 a month would be considered on the low side.

And if it is “withing walking distance to work” then that puts it in the Financial district — which means you would be lucky to get a 1 bedroom for 2 or 3 grand a month.

I love the ads as much as the unfolding war information... :)

[Chewbacca]

1940 prices silly. Not the inflated fiat currency prices of today.

In 1940 $5000 could purchase a good sized single family home.

- Average Salary $1,299. Teacher’s salary $1,441.

(that was when the money was backed with silver)

[freedumb2003]

>>1940 prices silly. Not the inflated fiat currency prices of today.

In 1940 $5000 could purchase a good sized single family home.><<

God, now I have to go hit the CPI calculator — which is only partially helpful. I’ll go with what you said that the place is expensive... :)

[BroJoeK]

"Vatican Denounces Atrocities in Poland; Germans Called Even Worse Than Russians – 13

"250,000 Jews Listed as Dead in Poland* – 13-14

"Izvestia Attacks Pope Pius and Roosevelt; Terms Pontiff ‘Tool’ of Allies in Peace Move – 14

*This story appeared on page 5."

I've never seen a good explanation of why the NY Times would classify a story about 250,000 murdered Jews, along with other atrocities in Poland, as only page 5 news.

I suspect their problem was:

A) The story could not really be confirmed, and so might possibly be just propaganda from pro-Jewish groups -- after all, who would ever believe that a civilized country could be murdering people by the hundreds of thousands? It just wasn't credible.

B) Sadly, far too many Americans didn't really care to learn of the fate of Europe's Jews.

C) A key element of Nazi propaganda was their claim the war was Ayrians against Communist-Jews. But President Roosevelt, and also the NY Times no doubt, believed it was important to keep the war's true focus where it belonged: the Nazis against civilization itself. So they somewhat downplayed the "Jewish angle."

We should also take careful note here of the Pope's clear, loud and unambiguous condemnation of Nazi atrocities in Poland,and remind ourselves again that the Pope at this time was doing everything he could -- and possibly more than he should have -- to bring the war to an end. He has clearly gone the extra mile for peace.

But if my history books are correct, this will be one of the last times. The Pope's peace efforts will soon fail, the war will hugely expand, the Pope himself along with the Church, will be threatened physically; and the result will be years of papal silence -- while the war's death toll rose from 250,000 Jews to tens of millions of Europeans: Christians, Jews and everyone else.

Or maybe my history books are wrong again?