ington Post remained in family hands until purchased by Jeff Bezos of Amazon in 2013.
Located in the nation’s capital, the Post has been thought of from time to time as a semi-official organ, despite its 1941 average daily circulation of 132,089. Perhaps it was this status that lay behind a long-time policy of not making endorse-
ments of political candidates.
In the matter of taking a political stance, there was no diffidence about the
Chicago Tribune . Founded in 1847, it was in 1941 the flagship of American isolationism under the editorship of the irascible Colonel Robert R. McCormick. The
Colonel and his newspaper were ardent foes of the President, the New Deal, and
all that went with it. That the President was running for an unprecedented third
term in 1940 only stoked the Colonel’s ire. The political views of the newspaper
were not confined to its editorial columns. It was thought that they flavored the
paper’s news reporting. It was typical of the Tribune ’s orientation that it called itself
“The American Paper for Americans.” It also liked to identify its radio station
by the letters WGN, in tribute to “The World’s Greatest Newspaper.” Its 1941
average daily circulation of 1,076,866 was as broad as the Midwestern territory
it covered. It pioneered advice columns and comic strips and was a champion of
modified spelling.
The Atlanta Constitution was founded in 1868. Its succession of distinguished editors included Henry W. Grady, spokesman for the “New South,” and Ralph
McGill, one of the few Southern newspaper editors to support the civil rights
movement. One of its literary distinctions was to have published Joel Chandler
Harris’s stories of Uncle Remus. Its 1941 average daily circulation of 122,021
covered all of Georgia’s 159 counties. Its Southern and liberal orientations made it
natural that the paper would endorse the President in the 1940 election.
The Denver Post had humble beginnings. Founded in 1892, it suspended pub-
lication in August 1893. It was resurrected in 1894 by owners who supported
Democratic President Grover Cleveland. In 1895 the paper was sold for $12,500
to Harry Heye Tammen, owner of a curio shop, and Frederick Gilmer Bonfils, a
lottery operator. Neither was a journalist or newspaper man, but they understood
that sensational stories sold newspapers. Tammen died in 1924, Bonfils in 1933.
Bonfils’s daughters Helen and Mae became the principal owners of the paper. The
Post ’s 1941 average daily circulation was 156,800. Curiously for the voice of the Rocky Mountain Empire, The Post did not endorse candidates, because for fifteen
years, including 1941, it had no editorial page.
The Houston Chronicle , founded in 1901, was a relatively new entry in the newspaper world of 1941. Its founder, Marcellus E. Foster, had been a newspaper reporter for The Houston Post . Having invested in the Spindletop oil gusher, he used $30 of his investment returns to start the Chronicle . The paper rose to
A Note on Sources 255
eminence and Jesse H. Jones, a local businessman, built a new office and plant
for the paper in exchange for a half interest. Jones acquired full ownership in
1926, and in 1937 transferred ownership to the Houston Endowment, Inc. He
remained publisher until 1954. During his tenure, the Chronicle regularly endorsed Roosevelt for president, in 1932, 1936, 1940, and 1944. Nevertheless, what was
later stated of the paper in the 1950s was equally true in the 1940s: “The Chronicle generally represented the very conservative political interests of the Houston business establishment. As such, it eschewed controversial political topics. . . .” Its 1941
average daily circulation was 117,082.
That Jesse Jones served as Franklin Roosevelt’s Secretary of Commerce from
1940 to 1945 may well have affected that policy. So widespread were the activities,
public and private, of Jones that he was jocularly referred to by the President as
Jesus H. Jones.
The Oregonian was first published in 1850, filing its claim to be the oldest continuously published newspaper on the West Coast. Its 1941 circulation was
138,517 and was, as it always has been, statewide. Oregon was once a rock-ribbed
Republican state known as the Vermont of the West. That reputation was con-
firmed by the fact that the paper endorsed every Republican presidential candidate
in every federal election until 1992.
The Los Angeles Times was founded in 1881. In 1882, Harrison Gray Otis became editor. He passed control to his son-in-law, Harry Chandler, who was, in
turn, succeeded by his son, retaining family control through the twentieth century.
The Times ’s principal interest was in promoting the growth and prosperity
of southern California. Its politics were conservative. The 1940 election was no
exception; the Times endorsed every Republican candidate up to and includ-
ing Richard Nixon. Whether as a matter of conviction or expediency, the Times
stopped making political endorsements after that election. With a 1941 average
daily circulation of 215,137, the Los Angeles Times was the leading newspaper by circulation in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
Other Sources
The brief narrative of Japan’s decision to go to war is based upon The Road to
Pearl Harbor: The Coming of the War Between the United States and Japan by Herbert Feis (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1953).
The summary sketch of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor is based upon
Walter Lord’s classic Day of Infamy (New York: Henry Holt, 1957).
The figures for World War II aircraft and other military production are pro-
vided by Wikipedia.
INDEX
Abbott, George 53
Arbitration Committee 52
Abbott, William “Bud” 208
Arlington Street Unitarian Church of
Abele, Peter 160
Boston 48
Actors’ Equity Association 74
Armstrong, George 101
Adams. C. E. 79–80
Armstrong, Mrs. George 101
Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce 110
Army and Navy Joint Board report 97
Ahern, Brian 54
Army and Navy Journal 58
air raids 184–9, 200, 223, 238–41
Arnold, H. H. 237
Akagi (aircraft carrier) 145, 249
Arrival of Buyers 63
Allen, Fred 86
Arsenic and Old Lace (Kesselring) 53
Althoff, Helen 32–3
Asahi (newspaper) 106
America First Committee 59, 98, 135, 172, Askew, Frank 79
204, 215
Association of Gold Star Mothers of
American Bankers Association 52
Future Veterans 12
American Bible Society 225
Astor, Mrs. Vincent 136
American Committee for the Settlement
Atkinson, Brooks 39
of Jews in Biro Bidjan 76
Atlanta Constitution : “Beware of
American Communist Party 74
Pessimism” 190; debutantes 86–7;
American Friends of Yugoslavia 65
domestic servant notices 35; editorial
American Institute of Public Opinion 11
turnaround 161; educational equality
American Legion 12, 74
editorial 51; Japanese bluff 73; “Makes
American Magazine 57
the Most of What She Has” 34; nation
American Weekly 37
at war 205; opinions/editorials 95;
Amory, Clevel
and: The Last Resorts 30;
passing of John S. Candler 192; picture
The Proper Bostonians 30; Who Killed
of Haruna 210; political interference of
Society? 30
Georgia institutions of higher learning
Anderson, Judith 53
112; “The Pulse of the Public” 78;
Anderson, Maxwell 53
requests for information about family
Ando, Rikichi 45
members 162–3; response to German
Andrews, Adolphus 10, 235
and Italian declarations of war 216;
Andy Hardy series 84, 193
Roosevelt visit to Warm Springs 18–20;
Anti-Axis Committee 173
stories from 5; “War imminent in vast
anti-British sentiment 75
Orient” 71; war predictions 58
Antoneri Fireworks Company 76
Atlanta Journal 112
258 Index
Atlanta Ladies’ Memorial Association 114
Brown, Constantine 132
Atlantic battles 90, 106
Brown, Irene 33
Atlantic Charter of Freedom 60
Broy, Mrs. Cecil Norton 11
Atlantic System, The (Davis) 39
Bryn Mawr College 137
Atwood, Velma 97
Buck, Pearl S. 176
Australia 56, 71, 72, 92, 94, 105–6, 132, Bullitt, William C. 176
141, 178
Bull, Robert Lee, Jr. 31
Bundles for Britain 51, 65
Badt, Mrs. Ernestine 23–4
Burma Road 9, 21, 43, 72, 93, 131, 144, Bahtsin, Hedda 169
154
Baldwin, Hanson W. 22–3, 205
Burton, Martha 87
Baltimore Bachelors Cotillion 65
Byars, Chester A. 112
Baltimore Sun 161
Byington, Spring 84
Barkley, Alben 97
Barrett, Cynthia 31
Camp Elliott 22–3
Barrett, Frederic 31
Camp Seward 22–3
Barrett, Leonard Rutledge 31
Canada 72–3, 84–6, 87, 90, 96, 97, 113, Barrett, Mrs. Frederic 31
133, 217
Barrymore, Ethel 37, 53
Candle In the Wind (Anderson) 53
Bartholemy, Alan 171
Candler, John S. 192
Baruch, Bernard M. 26
Cannon, Clarence 109
Bendel, Henri 87
Cantor, Eddy 86
Benet, Mrs. Steven Vincent 136
Capin’s Department Store 63
Berlin Diary (Shirer) 39, 53, 86
Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines
Berlin, Irving 218
(Beeson) 37
Best Foot Forward (Abbott) 53
Cárdenas, Lazaro 215
best-seller list 53, 84
Carnegie Endowment for International
Biddle, Francis 66, 243
Peace 174
Bill of Rights Day 242
Carrollton town budget 80
Birth of the Blues, The (Schertzinger) 206
Carr, Ralph 241
Bismarck 182
Case, Francis H. 109
Bliss, Mrs. Anthony 217
Castle, Mrs. Vernon 98
Blitz, the 8
Castle, Vernon 98
Blood Sweat and Tears (Churchill) 39
casualty lists, American 200
Bluebird, The (Maeterlinck) 38
Cathedral of St. John the Divine 10, 16
Blythe Spirit (Coward) 53
Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia 5
book reviews 38–9
Chamberlain, William Henry 38
Boss, Charles F., Jr. 174
chambermaids 35
Boston Herald 161
Chase, Mary Ellen 53
Bottome, Phyllis 38, 102
Chekov Theater Players 67
Boyd, Louella 236
Chiang Kai Shek (Hedin) 217
Braggiotti, Francesca 138
Chicago International Livestock Exposition
Brayman, Harold 178
32–3
Bredhoff, Elliot 160
Chicago Sun 109, 113, 225
Brett, George H. 237
Chicago Tribune : advertisement by Wieboldt
Brevard, Mrs. John 15
Stores of Chicago 215; “Aircraft Jobs”
Bridges, Harry 179
190; Army and Navy Joint Board report
British War Relief Society 51, 76, 136
97–8; Baltimore Bachelors Cotillion 65; Broadway 53
charge of treason 138; diversions 226;
Broadway Temple Methodist Church of
editorial turnaround 160; isolationism
New York 48
xii, 14–15, 48, 98; “Japan’s Perfidy Broderick, Helen 84
Unites the American People” 175;
Brooks, John, Jr. 12
letters to editor 216; nation at war 205;
Brooks, Wayland 74
opponents of President’s policies 58–9;
Index 259
patriotic duty 236; pictures of pets and
compulsory military service 68, 96
Betty Grable 37; “The Red Carpet”
Connell, Frances 65
48–9; report on cost of war 106; request Connell, Mrs. Phillip G. 65
for supplemental arms appropriation
Connell, Phillip G. 65
108–9; response to German and Italian
Connelly, Tom 73, 158, 170
declarations of war 216; stories from 5;
Connery, Lawrence J. 98
threat of war 132; war effort 109; war
Constant Wife, The (Maugham) 37
preparations 133; “We Are at War” 190
Coolidge, Grace G. 35
Chikuma (cruiser) 145
Coolidge, Mrs. Calvin 12
China: declaration of war on Germany
Cooper, Gary 84, 207
178; defeat of Germany and 109;
Corbett, Leonora 53
informed of discussions in Washington
Corn Is Green, The (Williams) 37, 53
between President and Japanese
Costello, Lou 208
Ambassador 92; Japanese campaigns
Cota, Norman 237
of aggression in xii, 9, 15, 58, 72, Cotton Bowl 103
108, 118–19, 141, 144–5, 155–6, 198, Cotton, Paul 204
225; joint declaration of cooperation
Cotton, Travis 171
45, 93; object of Japanese diplomacy
Council for Democracy 175
58, 73; public opinion in favor of 20, court-martial proceedings 237
176; puppet government 18; reports
Courtship of Andy Hardy, The 84
of discussions between Germany and
Coward, Noel 53
120–1; United States aid to 21; United Cox, Cynthia 163
States Marines out of 51; United States
Cramer, Sterling, Jr. 213
Navy protecting interests of 154; youth
Crawford, Cheryl 67
of 75
Criswell, Taylor 79
Chocolate Soldier, The (Romberg) 54
Cronin, A. J. 53
Chodorov, Jerome 39
Crosby, Bing 207
Christ Church, Methodist 48
Cross Winds of Empire (Remington) 217
Christmas retail items 207, 216
Crouch, Horace w. 171
Churchill, Mrs. Winston 21
Crouter, Margaret Lyle 236
Churchill, Winston 8, 21, 39, 60, 68, 71, Crowley, Jim 102
90, 97, 170, 178, 182, 212–13
culture xiii
cigarettes 23, 102, 207
Curley, Michael J. 99
Citizen Kane (Welles) 207
Curtin, John 56
Citizens Committee for the Army and
Navy 23
&nb
sp; Dali, Salvador 40
Civil Defense 214–17, 226–7
Daughters of the American Revolution 32
civil-defense army 23
Davis, Forrest 39
Civilian Technical Corps 27
Davis, Mrs. Dwight 12
Clark, D. Worth 32, 98, 135
Day of Infamy (Lord) 149
Claxton, Allen E. 48
debutantes 30–1, 34, 65, 86–7, 192
Cleland, Gail 67
December 1, 1941: arts and entertainment
Cleveland, Mrs. J. Luther 32
53; economic indicators 52–3; Op-Eds Cloete, Stuart 84
48–52; storm signals 43–4; threat of Cocking, Walter 111
war 44–7; voices of clergy 47–8
Coffin, Henry Sloane 47
December 2, 1941: arts and entertainment
Colbert, Claudette 54
67–8; economic indicators 62–5;
college students 12–13
human interest stories 66–7; opinions/
Columbia Broadcasting System 39
editorials 58–60; political wars 60–1;
Columbia University: Law School 138;
race issues 61–2; social spectrum 65–6; School of Commerce 13
threat of war 56–7; war preparations
comics 38, 115
55–6
Commerce Bulletin 13
December 3, 1941: arts and entertainment
communism 74–5, 99
84–6; def lationary times 78–81;
260 Index
economic indicators 76–7; human
diversions 226; first heroes of new
interest stories 82–4; opinions/editorials
war 222–3; optimism over Asia 221–2;
74–6; social spectrum 86–7; sport 86; other fronts 222–3; press support 224; threat of war 71–4
war of nerves 223
December 4, 1941: economic indicators
December 14, 1941: Civil Defense 238–41;
100; fight fronts 89–91; human interest patriotism 234–7; very little known
stories 101–3; opinions/editorials 94–100; about war 232–4
threat of war 91–4
Defense Bonds 22
December 5, 1941: Atlantic battles 106;
defense buildup xiii, 110–11
deadlock in Far East 106–8; economic
defense contracts 26
indicators 110–11; human interest
Defense Savings Stamps 22
stories 113–15; opinions/editorials
defense spending 26–7, 76–7
108–9; race issues 111–13; threat of war def lationary times 78–81
105–6
DeGolyer, Everett Lee 62
December 6, 1941: continuing
Dennett, Tyler 20
negotiations with Japan 118–20; human
Dennison, Charles S. 216
interest stories 123–7; irresponsible
Denver City Council 62
Crucible of a Generation Page 40