The Charlotte News

Wednesday, December 31, 1941

THREE EDITORIALS

Yet, ominous war news was flowing from the Philippines, from Singapore, from the Dutch East Indies, news which announced that the war would be long. Manila appeared about to fall and northern Luzon to be soon in enemy hands. Singapore, despite the contrary optimism exuded by Churchill to his Canadian audience, appeared soon to follow and with it the key to control of Thailand, the Burma supply road into China, the Dutch East Indies and the oil fields of Sarawak, the rubber of the Malay Peninsula and the East Indies, that comprising 93% of the U.S. supply, and the tin and chromite from these areas also soon to be controlled by Japan--plus that 3% of the world's oil to enable the renewed sustenance of their war machine.

Losses, however, were being minimized in the press. The American people were being assured that time would work to their advantage, that the build-up of the air and naval capability ultimately would tell the tale, and that U.S. industry had no match in either or both of Germany and Japan. True such optimistic assessments would prove, but the cynic in the U.S. might have carped that Hitler's prediction of victory in 1941 was no less Pollyannish than the optimism being displayed by Roosevelt and Churchill, with the press dutifully going along. But neither spoke of victory in 1942, only that an offensive strategy would begin by 1943. Neither were so foolhardy as their adversary had already proved himself--and not just in 1941. But millions more would need die for him to understand the folly of his adventure.

To evidence the defiant mood of the country, determined to defeat the oppressor, automobile plants of Detroit, now turned fully to defense production as all automobile assembly lines were suspended for the duration, were not granted a holiday for the New Year. No one too much noticed now the loss of new cars, for the first concerns were gas and tires for the old ones. Indeed, the first concerns were that the sun would rise without bomber planes overhead, either from the east coast or the west coast--however unlikely that prospect in fact was to become a reality--, and that the sun would set without a sudden displacement of the democratic form of government, however unrecognizably deformed it was inevitably becoming at the indirect behest of Hitler and Tojo.

J. W. Snyder's prediction that bombs would fall on Tokyo by spring was correct; the Almanac's reading of the stars of the first half of 1942, faulty.

Japanese submarines, despite their 8,000 mile range, would never seriously imperil the United States again. Indeed, even at Pearl Harbor, they caused no damage and served no useful purpose other than to collect additional data to that being collected on land re ship movements prior to the attack.

A long, tough year lay ahead for the Allies. There would be precious few victories. The emphasis would be on gearing up war production and holding the line on the battle fronts. For the most part, that would be achieved.

Two of the four, the President-elect and the former comedian, went to Harvard. Which is good. We never did, but that's okay. We never did apply.

Actually, come to think of it, should Mr. Franken win, assuming the recount concludes before the term expires, he would be, at least, the second former comedian to occupy a seat in the Senate, the first having been Robert Rice Reynolds--but in that case, it was principally unintentional. He would not, however, be the first to sport a bowtie, should, that is, he do so.

And we note that gasoline prices have dipped to nearly the same level they were when the present President took office. Well, we guess that is saying something. But we do have to question what in the world happened during the interim seven and a half years or so. Oh well, no sense worrying about the past. They say that there was a time in history when gasoline prices reached $4.00 per gallon. We cannot remember that far back in time.

Happy New Year and happy seventh day of Christmas. We hope you got your seven pipers dancing, or whatever it is they do on the seventh day.

We started the year of 1941 in early 2003, we added most of March in spring, 2005, and we ended that year with nine successive months in daily real time, since April 1. (That is, except 14 dates in April and May which were posted either in 2003 or at the beginning a decade ago.)

We thus put the fateful year of 1941 to bed. We also say with this conclusion--save for November, 1939, the last week of September, 1940, and a few scattered pieces here and there, mostly in March, 1938, all of which we shall eventually put forth along with all of the whole editorial pages--goodbye once again to the writing of W. J. Cash, something we shall miss in putting this mass of materials together. It was the reason for this website and that which has sustained our interest for the past decade.

We now turn our attention to the jungles of the Philippines, the East Indies, Malaya, Burma, Thailand.

We have decided to go on with 1942. We have to cover, after all, tomorrow's Rose Bowl game in Durham between Duke and Oregon State, among other things. See you at the game. We hope it isn't sold out yet or that the scalpers will prove ruthless. We hear that the weather will be good.

Below, incidentally, is a picture a kind reader sent to us. It is from April, 1964, someone standing with some little kid who, we are told, was visiting the White House for the first time.

Good night and good luck.