These sentiments certainly were not shared by the masses that gathered at the
doors of the recruiting stations.
America at War: The Pundits Pronounce
In these dark days, the American people turned to the syndicated pundits for
analysis, comfort, and consolation. Kirke L. Simpson set the scene with baseball
imagery: the Japanese had put up a lopsided first inning score, but in the end only
the last inning score would count. Yes, the Japanese had sent the Prince of Wales
and the Repulse to the bottom of the sea. Yes, the Japanese were on the attack
across the Pacific, but these successes could not mask Japan’s critical weakness in
the necessities of modern war—oil and war metals. What is more, Japan lacked
the industrial capacity for long-range mastery on land, sea, and in the air to main-
tain such widespread attacks, and Japanese supply lines would be in peril across
broad expanses of the Pacific. This was prescient: the U.S. submarine forces of
World War II indeed crippled Japan’s productive capacity and troop movements. 37
Walter Lippmann did not spare his readers. The nation, he said, had been griev-
ously wounded by a combination of Japanese treachery and its own blindness.
The United States was not facing a feeble and contemptible little enemy on the
distant shores of Asia, he warned, but the most carefully prepared, highly organized
and shrewdly directed combination that had ever set out to conquer the world.
It was, he continued, truly a world war that could end only in victory or defeat.
If the United States were indeed defeated there should be no illusions that it would
Thursday, December 11, 1941 205
be treated honorably or mercifully. The price of defeat would be nothing less than
the invasion and occupation of the North American continent if ever British and
American sea power failed to protect it. 38
In his address to the nation, President Roosevelt had laid down two rules for
the disclosure of war information. It would be released only after it had been veri-
fied by responsible sources, and it would be released only if the heads of the War
and Navy departments believed that it would not “lend aid and comfort to the
enemy.” The New York Times ’s Arthur Krock argued for a narrow interpretation of
“aid and comfort to the enemy.” He compared the fact that days after the Pearl
Harbor attack the extent of damage to U.S. naval units was still unknown while
the British had promptly announced the sinking of the Prince of Wales and the
Repulse. In many cases, Krock argued, the United States was withholding information that the Japanese already knew. He admired the British principles of disclo-
sure designed solely to prohibit the leakage of military information, a system never
designed to curb criticism of government policy or official blunders. 39
Naval expert Hanson W. Baldwin engaged in the then-current game of count-
ing battleships, concluding that the combined British–American fleets still main-
tained superiority. He recognized the potency of air power—America’s aircraft
production rate, its manpower, and its resources were infinitely larger than those of
the Axis powers. Its great industry, which would have to be transformed into the
great dynamic strength of planes, ships, and guns, would eventually tell. 40
America at War: Editorial Voices
The syndicated columnists were stars in the journalistic firmament, visible and
known to the public. Their colleagues, the editorial writers of the daily newspa-
pers, labored in anonymity but probably tracked public opinion in their markets
more faithfully. We are not surprised to find the editorialists of the Chicago Tri-
bune grumbling that the battleship was obsolete, which the Navy didn’t know.
They inveighed against the “stupid aging bureaucrats” of the Navy Department
who lacked imagination and understanding of the true character of warfare
today. This message could be stated simply: throw the bums out. 41 Before the war could be won on the seas or on the battlefields, the Tribune advised, it must be won in Washington.
The New York Times agreed that this was an air war in which the airplane was the master of the battleship; but it expressed this opinion in a less contentious tone. 42
The Atlanta Constitution was cautious. “ DON’T CRITICIZE TOO SOON ” it
headlined on its editorial page. In its opinion too little was known of the facts in
the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack to warrant any conclusions. 43
The Washington Post ’s editorial headline was “ DEFEND THE DISTRICT .”
Sensibly it pointed to the fact that the nation’s capital, which was the nexus of
the entire war program, was almost totally undefended. It needed air-raid shelters,
firefighting equipment, bomb-fighting equipment, emergency medical supplies
and more. The reason, the editorial said, was simple. It was a lack of funds that
were desperately needed and the sooner the better. 44
206 First Week at War: December 8–13, 1941
To the Houston Chronicle , the Pearl Harbor attack and the declarations of war
that followed had one profoundly positive effect.
The air is clear. All hesitation and dissension is gone in America and the
country is united as it has never been throughout its history. Every American
is ready. Yes, eager to do his part. There can be no doubt as to the outcome.
The ultimate victory would be a victory for liberty, justice, and humanity than
which there could be no greater cause. 45
Economic Mobilization
As important as manpower was the productive capacity of the country. William
S. Knudsen, Director General of the Office of Production Management (OPM),
announced a twenty-four-hour-a-day, seven-day week at all shipyards and in
plants producing heavy bombers, aircraft, guns, tanks, and munitions to achieve
the supply of “whatever is needed, in the quantities required” for the defeat of
Japan. Strategic materials might be in short supply; to assure their availability it
was predicted that orders would soon be issued for the seizure of all stocks of tin,
rubber and other products imported from the Far East, thus offsetting Japan’s
effort to interdict such supplies. The program would go into effect as soon as
available labor supplies had been achieved. 46
Effective immediately was an order by Donald N. Nelson of the OPM, ending
the sale of new automobile tires until December 22 in order to forestall panic-
buying and hoarding. The order applied to tires not only for autos but for trucks,
buses, motorcycles, and farm implements, whether at wholesale or retail. Another
order would sharply reduce the manufacture of new passenger cars. Surely noth-
ing could more poignantly bring to the attention of the American public that the
country was truly at war than a prospective limitation on its inalienable right to
drive to its heart’s content. 47 , 48
How far these limitations would penetrate into America’s daily life was exem-
plified by the ordered limit after February 1 on production of coin-operated gam-
bling machines, jukeboxes, and other coin-operated devices, curtailing production
by 75 percent. This was not a small industry. It counted some 12,000 employees
in its heartland, the Chicago area. The aim was to conserve steel, and th
e hope
was that manufacturers of coin-operated devices would switch their production
to defense materials. 49
Life in These United States: As Time Goes by
Deeply conscious as they were of the profound impact the war would have upon
them, the American people carried on their daily lives in the first week of war
much as they had done in the last week of peace. At the Palace Theater in New
York, the popular duo of Bing Crosby and Mary Martin appeared in The Birth of
the Blues . In a review closely attuned to the argot of the day, it was described as
“a film straight down the groove—a blend of jump-and-jive music that should
Thursday, December 11, 1941 207
make the ‘hip cats’ howl with some sweet bits of romantic chanting that should
tickle the ‘ickies,’ too.” 50 Other “photo plays,” as they were then called, included Gary Cooper as World War I hero Sergeant York and Abbott and Costello in Keep
’Em Flying. Loew’s State featured William Powell and Myrna Loy in Shadow of the Thin Man and, in person, Artie Shaw and his big band. 51
Houston offered a classic, Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane , plus “Our America at War”
by The March of Time. Admission was 55 cents to the orchestra, whites only, and
44 cents in the balcony for the “colored” audience. 52 The same ticket prices were in effect in another Houston presentation, “Stage and Screen Follies,” which promised
“Harlem’s Hottest Saturnalia of Wanton Rhythm and Brown Skinned Models.” 53
There was romantic news from Hollywood. Film producer Howard Hawks
was seen cutting the wedding cake with his bride Nancy Gross. Luster was added
to the ceremony as Gary Cooper gave the bride away. 54
*
War or no war, Christmas was in the air and the nation’s retailers were ready
for it. In Houston a full-size Western Flyer bicycle could be had for $22.95 and
a rubber-tired red wagon for $2.65. Christmas items included a tree stand at
29 cents, red cellophane wreaths at the same price, a set of eight tree lights
for 59 cents, for the boys a microscope set at $2.50, for the girls a thirty-one-
piece tea set at 59 cents. In tune with the times, the same merchant offered
“Army” automatic cap guns at 48 cents, and at 15 cents a “realistic” olive-green
Army helmet that would enhance the authenticity of war games played in the
vacant lots and on the streets of an America at war. 55
*
We have learned some useful lessons since 1941. One such lesson is exemplified
by a full-page Philip Morris cigarette ad in The Oregonian headlined in gigantic black letters: “ YOU CAN’T HELP INHALING BUT YOU CAN HELP YOUR
THROAT .” But, the display continued, all smokers inhaled sometimes. Eminent
doctors, it assured the public, had compared five leading cigarette brands and
found that the others averaged more than three times the irritants of Philip Mor-
ris, an irritation that lasted more than five times as long.
If you smoked Philip Morris, its maker claimed, you had good protection and
freedom from worry about smoking problems. Change now, it urged, to a ciga-
rette that tastes better and is better for you. This was combined with an eye-
catching graphic of the iconic “ CALL FOR PHILIP MORRIS” bellboy. 56 For the nation’s smokers this was an age of innocence.
Notes
1.
New York Times , December 12, 1941, 14
2.
Houston Chronicle , December 11, 1941, 8
3.
Denver Post , December 11, 1941, 5
4.
New York Times , December 11, 1941, 4
5.
New York Times , December 11, 1941, 4
208 First Week at War: December 8–13, 1941
6.
New York Times , December 11, 1941, 4
7.
New York Times , December 11, 1941, 3
8.
New York Times , December 11, 1941, 1
9.
New York Times , December 11, 1941, 1
10. New York Times , December 11, 1941, 1
11. New York Times , December 11, 1941, 1
12. New York Times , December 11, 1941, 1
13. Washington Post , December 11, 1941, 11
14. Atlanta Constitution , December 11, 1941, 1
15. New York Times , December 11, 1941, 1
16. New York Times , December 11, 1941, 10
17. New York Times , December 11, 1941, 4
18. New York Times , December 11, 1941, 20
19. Chicago Tribune , December 11, 1941, 5
20. Denver Post , December 11, 1941, 10
21. Houston Chronicle, December 11, 1941, 10A
22. New York Times, December 11, 1941, 20
23. Houston Chronicle , December 11, 1941, 10
24. New York Times , December 11, 1941, 24
25. Houston Chronicle , December 11, 1941, 10
26. Los Angeles Times , December 11, 1941, 2/2
27. Houston Chronicle , December 11, 1941, 16
28. Chicago Tribune , December 11, 1941, 3
29. New York Times , December 11, 1941, 30
30. Houston Chronicle , December 11, 1941, 1
31. New York Times, December 11, 1941, 4
32. New York Times , December 11, 1941, 4
33. Atlanta Constitution , December 11, 1941, 35
34. New York Times , December 11, 1941, 12
35. New York Times , December 11, 1941, 12
36. Oregonian , December 11, 1941, 17
37. Oregonian , December 11, 1941, 2
38. Oregonian , December 11, 1941, 14
39. New York Times , December 11, 1941, 26
40. New York Times , December 11, 1941, 6
41. Chicago Tribune , December 11, 1941, 14
42. New York Times , December 11, 1941, 26
43. Atlanta Constitution , December 11, 1941, 22
44. Washington Post , December 11, 1941, 18
45. Houston Chronicle , December 11, 1941, 20A
46. New York Times , December 11, 1941, 1
47. Atlanta Constitution , December 11, 1941, 1
48. New York Times , December 11, 1941, 1
49. New York Times , December 11, 1941, 30
50. New York Times , December 11, 1941, 39
51. New York Times , December 11, 1941, 39
52. Houston Chronicle , December 11, 1941, 39
53. Houston Chronicle , December 11, 1941, 39
54. Los Angeles Times , December 11, 1941, 22
55. Houston Chronicle , December 11, 1941, 11
56. Oregonian , December 11, 1941, S4
19
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1941
FIGURE 19.1 See color plate section.
Poster by Valentino Sarra. Courtesy of Northwestern University Library World War II poster collection, Pr32.5015:28.
210 First Week at War: December 8–13, 1941
America at War: Upbeat Reports
Readers of the Friday papers awoke to tales of glory. According to official reports
the Japanese f leet was in f light to escape an encounter with the U.S. Navy
“somewhere in the Pacific.” There was more: a Japanese battleship sunk, as were
a cruiser and three destroyers. Another Japanese battleship had been gravely
damaged by aerial action off Luzon while supporting an attempted landing
at Aparri on the north Philippine coast. The second battleship was identified,
like the Haruna , as Kongo class. 1 , 2 An Atlanta Constitution picture of the Haruna bore the caption: “The Japs thought she was pretty tough, but that was before
she tangled with Uncle Sam.” 3 Mean
while, the small Marine garrison on Wake Island not only continued to hold the Japanese attackers to a standstill but fought
fiercely back, sinking a Japanese light cruiser and destroyer. In the words of the
President, the Wake Island garrison “was doing a perfectly magnificent job.” 4 All this was hailed through an Associated Press dispatch as “the first down payment
on the Pearl Harbor score and . . . a fighting answer to the Berlin-Rome declara-
tions of war.” 5
Equally glowing reports depicted America’s successes in the Philippines.
Indeed, it was reported that defensive forces in the Philippines had “smashed every
Japanese effort to set landing forces firmly ashore, save possibly for one new thrust
by parachutists.” At Aparri, Japanese invaders were driven back to the seacoast
and the whole region surrounding the fort had reverted into American hands.
According to a U.S. Army spokesman, the situation was completely in hand and
mopping-up operations were proceeding. 6
A more balanced appraisal came from correspondent Dewitt MacKenzie, who
had bought into the assumption that reinforcements on land, sea and air would
shortly be forthcoming; until then our “knight-champions” were capable of hold-
ing their own. He reported General MacArthur’s terse statement: “We shall do our
best.” He enthused over the “grand job those Marines are doing on the little isle
of Wake—darn their tough hides!” But he recognized that the Philippines were a
“tough place.” Japanese troops ashore in northern and southern Luzon, heading
toward Manila, represented a serious threat. 7
Auguries of success are common in all wars, else why would the parties fight?
Thus, the Associated Press reported on this day:
Many hard American blows were falling upon the Japanese assailant in the
Pacific. In that vast theater of early tragedy—where the invader had won
initial successes by springing without warning—the news was no longer
of American disaster, but of American victory. 8
News was positive from other Southeast Asia fronts. A British stand was stem-
ming the Japanese drive into Malaya. The fighting above Singapore was depicted
as “well under control” with losses lighter than expected. Meanwhile British
planes kept a close watch on the Malayan coast for further Japanese troop move-
ments and bombed Japanese landing force footholds in the northern jungles. At
Crucible of a Generation Page 33
