Did you know?
(Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series)
The United States of America was at peace on Nov. 1, 1941.
?That would soon change.
The world was in turmoil, and by the end of that year, the U.S. would declare war on three world powers.
On Nov. 1 though, while many readers of the Uniontown Evening Standard read about the peace time attack on the U.S. naval destroyer — the Reuben James — by a German submarine, they might have flipped to the sports page, and learned of the 54-0 defeat of Uniontown High School’s football team at the hands of the Connellsville Cokers.
The Cokers were led by their sensational halfback Johnny Lujack, who would eventually become Fayette County’s first Heisman Trophy winner — as a quarterback.
The growing influence of Adolf Hitler’s war machine, too, was the subject of a front-page editorial.
“We snickered at his Chaplinesque mustache and unruly lock of hair,” wrote the editorial writer. “Then Mein Kampf was translated and we began, dimly at first, to realize that this Hitler the mounteback (a charlatan or a quack) was really Hitler the madman and that total domination of the world was the real objective,” they wrote.
Nov. 4 — There was another report of a German submarine that had attacked an American naval vessel.
This time, a tanker traveling in waters southwest of Iceland managed to get to port without any casualties.
It was also reported that there had been 97 deaths as a result of the attack on the Reuben James.
Locally, there was a large front-page picture accompanying a story about two freshmen at Georges Township High School who were trying out for majorette.
That might not have been newsworthy, except for the fact that one of the freshmen was the 32 year-old mother of the other (14 year-old) freshman.
Nov. 5 — Local newspapers reported that turnout for the previous day’s elections was heavy, because there had been an issue on the ballot asking voters to decide if Uniontown’s theaters should start showing Sunday movies.
That measure failed by 498 votes. A similar ballot question posed to Dunbar’s voters was also turned down by 37 votes.
The “Christian Youth Council,” had mounted a newspaper advertising campaign calling on voters to keep “The Sabbath Holy.”
Among the group’s complaints was that, “Many of the pictures shown are unfit for exhibition on week days, much less on the Lord’s Day.”
“A hard-surfaced road from, Pittsburgh Street, South Connellsville to the plant at the Anchor Hocking Glass Corporation was thrown open to traffic this afternoon,” was the news that greeted readers of the Connellsville Daily Courier on Nov. 6
The work had been part of a WPA project.
It was also reported that a projected TNT manufacturing plant would not be located in Brownsville. The War Department confirmed that the plant, instead, was going to be built at Geneva, in Crawford County.
Nov. 10 — “Britain ready to America in Jap crisis,” was the headline in the Evening Standard.
Great Britain’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill vowed that his country would come to the aid of United States “within the hour” if the Japanese ever attacked.
Nov. 11 — The Evening Standard carried extensive coverage of that year’s Armistice Day celebration.
The Connellsville High School band was pictured on the front page as they marched along “a flag adorned Uniontown parade route,” as part of the day that marked the 23rd anniversary of the (misnamed) “War to End All Wars.” — WWI.
Also that day, there were ominous indications that there were growing war clouds that were about to darken the future of the United States.
“Showdown in Japan Crisis is Seen Near,” was the headline for a front-page story about the united front that was being formed between the United States and Great Britain in the event of an attack by Japan in the Pacific.
Nov. 12 — In Johnstown, three children were expelled from schools because they refused to salute the American flag during the daily pledge of allegiance.
The children (Jehovah’s Witnesses) had declined to take part in the exercises because of their religious beliefs. The story said their parents were about to answer charges of negligence because they failed to acknowledge their children’s absences from their classes.
Nov. 15 — There was a front-page story in the Evening Standard about Uniontown’s congressman, J. Buell Snyder, embarking on a special mission to England with diplomatic passports and special credentials given to him directly by President Roosevelt.
Little was revealed about the mission, although the credentials said, “This is no junket. Congressman Snyder is to be shown everything, and told everything of immediate importance to our joint prosecution of the battle against Hitler and Hitlerism,” when he would meet with U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain — John G. Winant.
Snyder was accompanied by Col. W.M. Wilson, who was assigned to the special mission by Uniontown native, George C. Marshall, who was U.S. Army Chief of Staff.
Next week, I’ll conclude the story about the days leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, known as, “the date which will live in infamy” — Dec. 7, 1941.
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Edward A. Owens can be reached by email at freedoms@bellatlantic.net