Yet another daring pilot was thrilling Americans with his exploits, Colonel Claire Chennault, of the now-famous “Flying Tigers.” Chennault had volunteered to fight with the Chinese against the Japanese like so many other young American adventurers, however, to do so, he had to “resign” from the Army Air Corps. That was before December 7 changed everything. Chennault was a ruggedly handsome Texan and natural leader who shot down numerous Japanese planes, flew the “Hump” over Burma, was a virulent anti-communist and graced the covers of Look and Time magazine.20
Roosevelt was pushing hard to organize a Supreme War Council and the name of Wendell Willkie was floated to either chair or at least serve on the committee. “The Council members would be given broad policy-making powers and authority over all segments of the Nation’s wartime life—from civilian activities to actual naval and military operations. They would be responsible only to Mr. Roosevelt.” The council was described by one White House insider as “embryonic.” On the surface, the White House seemed in command and organized but if the surface was scratched, human beings would be found who were just as disorganized and panicky as anyone else in the country. He was also still trying to get a planning operation going that would involve the British, American, Russian, Chinese, Dutch, “and other governments allied in the world-wide war against the Axis.”21
Joe Stalin was being a pain in the ass, as per usual. The British Foreign Minister, Anthony Eden, had been in Moscow for days, holding the Soviet Dictator’s hand, trying to get him to play nice with everybody else. In a confidential telegram to Secretary of State Cordell Hull, a British official wrote it became “apparent at the most recent meetings between Eden and Stalin that it would be impossible to reconcile the British and Soviet drafts of the proposed pacts on the joint war effort and European post-war problems, in view of the Soviet attitude with respect to the recognition of the 1941 frontiers.” Stalin was also delusional as he told Eden “he had expressed the belief that Germany will be defeated within one year and Japan possibly within six months.”22
All told, FDR had five big items on his “to do” list including “reorganization of the machinery of the United States and British governments to integrate and expedite the war tasks of the two nations.”23 He met that Sunday with the British Ambassador, Lord Halifax, to begin the work on an agenda for a planned meeting that week of the Allies. Though the Russians still hadn’t declared war on Japan, they wanted in on the talks.24
Curiously, even as of two weeks after the beginning of the war, it was still not commonly being referred to as “World War II” or the “Second World War.” Nor was the “Great War” being commonly referred to as “World War I.” These appellations appeared here and there in one form or another but would take time to take root in the common lexicon.
Willkie had been on the radio just the evening before, giving the American people what for, telling them they were not sacrificing enough and that they had to get used to a future of “Spartan simplicity and hard work.”25 If his 1940 GOP presidential opponent was willing to play bad cop, FDR was more than happy to play good cop.
In his 1940 effort, hundreds of “Associated Willkie Clubs of America” had sprung up. By 1941, they had become the “Independent Clubs of America.” By December 1941, they had become nothing, disbanding to concentrate on the war effort.26 The Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Joe Martin, sent a letter to all GOP state chairmen informing them of his decision to cancel the party’s annual meeting in Washington in January. However, Martin did suggest that countrywide “Lincoln Day dinners” be held on the anniversary of the sixteenth president’s birthday as “patriotic demonstrations.” He continued, “Let us publicly proclaim our support of the Administration in an irresistible effort to win the war.”27
FDR already had a “War Cabinet” working on solving the problems facing the American military and he’d met with them on Saturday, in the Cabinet Room of the White House. It was an amalgamation of White House staff like Harry Hopkins and Cabinet officials like Attorney General Francis Biddle and Labor Secretary Francis Perkins.28 A bit of good news greeted the War Cabinet in Washington and Winston Churchill’s war planners in London, when the British army scored another breakthrough in Libya against the German tank corps. As the Brits rolled into Derna, Libya, they were greeted by “cheering and smiling Arab tribesmen.”29
Just days before, the government was assuring the American people that food was plentiful and would be so for the foreseeable future, and nothing like the last war. Then Paul McNutt, Federal Security Administrator, told the National Defense Gardening Conference that Americans needed to conserve food and that the “meatless Mondays” of the last war were not inconceivable.30 Fearing a run on sugar would drive up prices, the government stepped in and froze the cost.31
Whereas several days earlier American flags sales were only up modestly, near the end of the month, they had increased sharply—at least for the thirty flag manufacturers in the greater Chicago area. “Orders by the thousands are pouring into the some 30 companies which manufacturer the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ and other patriotic insignia. It’s the war, of course.”32 Washington was encouraging all Americans to display the stars and bars.
The American Institute of Public Opinion, headed by the up and coming pollster, George Gallup, took a survey of the American people and asked if they would be willing to work an extra eight hours a week in order to help the war effort. An astonishing 88 percent said yes and only 12 percent said no. “Despite long working hours in many war plants, the overwhelming majority of defense workers interviewed indicated their willingness to work an extra eight hours a week in order to speed production.”33
Washington was moving ahead with what it hoped would be a streamlining of labor, bringing the state and local governments effectively under the control of the national government. The plan was to have a workforce that responded “rapidly” to the needs of the war effort. “President Roosevelt, acting to utilize the man power and woman power of the country for armament production to the fullest extent, ordered creation of a national industrial recruiting agency, which would merge the State and territorial affiliates of the United Sates Employment Services.” The plan included “more effective use of those already employed through transfer of needed workers from less essential jobs to war production.”34
Private property was being confiscated left and right, especially in Washington. One example was a picture-frame shop across from the White House. It had been there for years, filling the orders of presidents as far back as Teddy Roosevelt. It was taken for the war effort and the old building raised. “The land, it seems, is needed for construction of a Government building. Spared were the historic Decatur and Blair houses.”35
While the government was seizing private property for the war effort, it was also taking control of some twenty foreign-owned plants in the Philadelphia area. The Axis-owned factories were taken over by Treasury officials, after the FBI identified their ownership. “Treasury agents, following a pre-arranged plan, moved in quietly to prevent sabotage and insure maximum production of defense products.”36
Like their German counterparts, American shipbuilders were also working overtime and ten navy ships slid into the water in one day. “Destroyers, submarine chasers, cargo ships and tankers were represented in the launchings, many of them going into the water far ahead of schedule.” Ships were launched in Charleston, South Carolina, New York, and Chester, Pennsylvania.37 In Charleston, two ships “splashed” within ten minutes of each other. Of course, it had already been determined that these shipyards would be fully operational on Christmas Day.38
Three Republican senators came forward to say they would not be “gagged” by the war, despite FDR’s power and popularity. This ran contrary to a proclamation the Republican National Committee had issued some days earlier. The chairman of the RNC and the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, issued a joint communiqué and sent a telegram to FDR pledging to set aside partisanshi
p for the duration of the emergency. The pledge lasted nearly two weeks—pretty impressive, considering politicians made the promise.
The three who decided to battle the headwinds of near-unconditional national support for Roosevelt were Wayland “Curly” Brooks of Illinois, Styles Bridges of New Hampshire, and “Mr. Republican” himself, the redoubtable Robert Taft of Ohio and the leader of conservatives in America, such as they were in 1941.
The three represented three differing viewpoints of the GOP which may have explained their apparent permanent minority status since 1932. Brooks was an out-and-out isolationist, bitterly opposing FDR, Bridges was an out-and-out internationalist, supporting FDR, and Taft was somewhere in the middle. He told the Associated Press that he did not believe that all of FDR’s “recommendations . . . must be accepted blindly.” Elaborating, he said “Certainly in all fiscal matters we must exercise our own judgment.” The three said they planned on critiquing civilian decisions but not those by the military, and they promised not to try to “run the war in Congress.”39
Others joined the flow with enthusiasm. The publisher of the Chicago Tribune, Colonel Robert R. McCormick, a fierce opponent of Roosevelt’s for years, and a champion of the America First movement, significantly announced from his own radio station, WGN, that America would someday rule the waves and that America would someday have “command of the sea” and “command of the air.”40 Heads must have shaken in the White House when they heard of the internationalist address by McCormick.
McCormick wasn’t anything if he wasn’t a patriot, though. Two weeks after the attack, American newspapers were still filled with angry editorials and tough cartoons attacking the Germans, the Italians, but most especially, the Japanese. McCormick’s Tribune was no exception. One of his reporters had an unusually salient point. At the 1932 Olympics, the Japanese swimmers had done surprisingly well, especially in the shorter competition. It was later learned that the swimmers had been pumped full of fresh oxygen. The Tribune’s point was that if the Japanese cheated then, and had cheated two weeks earlier at Pearl, they could be counted on to continue cheating.41
As it was the weekend before Christmas, Americans were engaged in last-minute shopping. There were only three shopping days left. For women, jewelry, slippers, quilted robes, lounge pajamas, house coats and gowns were suggested, while smoking jackets, pajamas, White Owl cigars, a Palmolive Shaving Kit and shirts were offered for men. Portable radios were also suggested by retailers as good gifts—for war news of course—as were albums of Nelson Eddy and Rise Stevens, Kate Smith, and the “Dorsey Brothers Favorites.”42
For girls, baby buggies, rag dolls and tricycles were dancing in their heads, while for boys, BB guns and bicycles were what kept them mostly nice and not naughty.
It was an especially busy season as shopping, cooking, wrapping, church services, caroling, decorating, and school plays, intermingled with meetings and lectures on incendiary bombs and the ethics of leaving children in school during air raids as opposed to parents taking them home. The Post took note of “Gay Caroling Ushers in Christmas Week.”43
As always, Americans were flocking to their favorite movie theatres to see their favorite actors and actresses. One new film had no actors though. It was a documentary entitled Target for Tonight, and the newspapers ads for it shouted, “How Would You Like To Bomb Germany Tonight?” The film was a feature-length depiction of an RAF squadron from takeoff to dropping bombs over Germany, dodging harrowing anti-aircraft fire and attempting to return safely to England.44 Still, the Motion Picture Board that represented women’s and civic clubs selected Citizen Kane as the best picture of the year, followed by How Green Was My Valley. Also appearing on the list were Dumbo and Meet John Doe.45
War Bonds were also popular Christmas gifts, especially Series E. They sold in denominations of $25, $50, $100, $500 and $1,000, but this was their value at maturity after ten years. Their purchase price, respectively, was $18.75, $37.50, $75, $375 and $750. They paid a respectable 2.9 percent interest annually and could be cashed in for their full face amount after 10 years. Of course, the full faith and credit of the U.S. government backed up the principle and the interest of every bond. For the small patriotic investor including tykes, war stamps were available at 10 cents, 25 cents, 50 cents, $1 and $5 dollars. Bonds were also available in Series F, but these were large amounts, beyond the reach of nearly all Americans, going as high as $10,000.46
Americans—at least those of a marriageable age—also had something on the minds, namely matrimony. The Cook County Clerk said a new record was set for marriage licenses, 350 in one day, December 19. “The spurt was attributed to the presence in Chicago of many soldiers, sailors and marines on Christmas leave.” Conversely, the county also reported that the number of divorces had plunged since December 7.47 The Post Office reported voluminous mail48 and crime was reportedly down across the nation.
An early Christmas present came for the family of navy man Oscar Thompson, 21, of Geneva, Illinois, whose family had received a telegram ten days earlier that their son was missing and presumed dead. Then his father, Fred, received a telegram saying that Oscar “was among the survivors, and there were apologies about the previous report being untrue.”49
For the first time since December 7, navy recruiting offices would close from 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve to 8 a.m. on the twenty-sixth. The navy also announced that all recruits, both active duty and on reserve, could go home for Christmas if they could make it. It was generous, as they would have off the twenty-second until the twenty-seventh.50
Before December 7, many servicemen and officers wore their civilian clothing as much as possible, as a military career was not held in high regard by many Americans. Now, everybody held them in high regard, especially those in the services themselves, who wore their uniforms with unbridled pride.
Most civilians had a tough time telling a staff sergeant from a seaman or a colonel from a corporal. To help American distinguish ranks and services, many of the papers helpfully displayed the stripes and stars of shoulder boards for generals and admirals as well as the insignias of lesser ranks.
Army servicemen wore khakis and a black tie, tucked neatly into their shirt between the second and third button with the “overseas” cap that looked like a large, #10 envelope when laid on a table. The army was updating its officers’ uniforms, dropping the great looking Sam Browne belt that for years featured the across the chest from right shoulder to the left hip supporting leather strap over their suit coat.
Some thought the navy had the best uniforms, both officers and swabs. The officers wore dress whites in summer, dress blues in winter, and for daytime dress, wore khaki suits. For the summer, they also had the option of white shorts, short sleeve shirts, stretch white socks, and white bucks. Some of their formal uniforms were eye-catching. The seamen also had dress white and blue uniforms for going ashore and got to wear dungaree pants and denim shirts when shipboard. The round “gob’s” cap was classic, as were the buttoned-not-zippered pants with bellbottoms and the flap on the back of their pull-over tunics. The flap was popularized by the British navy to keep uniforms from being soiled by greasy pigtails (not an issue for American sailors in 1941.)
For many, the marines had the others beat hands down, both for the officers and the lowly privates. The mix of light blue, dark blue, red trim, and white officer cap for their formal dress uniform was smashing. That the most important general in the marines wore the same dress uniform as the men in the ranks told of a singleness of purpose which screamed “always faithful.”
Two Admirals who had new braid added to their uniforms were Admiral Ernest J. King, whom Roosevelt promoted to commander-in-chief of the United States Naval Fleet, replacing Admiral Husband Kimmel; and Rear Admiral Royal E. Ingersoll, who was appointed commander of the Atlantic Fleet. The replacement of Kimmel was pro forma, as he’d already been relieved of command of the Pacific Fleet.51 King was unique among the elder gentlemen of the navy in that he knew how to fly
an airplane and had served aboard submarines, as well as ships during the Spanish-American War. He was one of the most rounded and experienced men in the navy.52 Because King outranked Chief of Navy Operations Admiral Harold Stark, he only had to report to the Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox and the president of the United States. King was tall, no nonsense, described as “a pleasant gentleman ashore but a tough hombre at sea.”53 King’s nickname at Annapolis had been “Old Eagle Eye.”54
At train stations and bus depots, volunteers for the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, often pretty girls, were there to hand out free coffee and doughnuts as well as pencils and writing papers.
Restaurants and coffee shops in those terminals were jammed with travelers. At some of those restaurants and at others across the country, they were in the process of changing their menus and “rechristening Italian spaghetti” as “Liberty Noodles.”55
CHAPTER 22
THE TWENTY-SECOND OF DECEMBER
Major Battle Is Raging in Phillipines
Birmingham News
GOP Chiefs Agree Party Must Keep Eye on New Deal Actions
Birmingham News
Holiday Mail Breaks Record
Los Angeles Times
Three More Attacks On U.S. Ships by Jap Submarines Revealed
Evening Star
U.S. Attorney General Francis Biddle began creating seventy “Alien Enemy Hearing Boards” situated around the country to determine the fate of the thousands of Japanese, Germans, and Italians being held by the government at various detention centers. “The quasi-judicial panels, which start functioning as soon as they are appointed, will hear the cases of all enemy aliens brought before them individually and will make recommendations to the attorney general, who will render the final decisions.”1
December 1941 Page 47