March 20: ON THIS DAY in 1942, Pact would tie U.S., Europe against Reds for 20 years

March 20, 2020 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1931, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Virtually all forms of gambling became legal in Nevada today and the path of the divorce seeker will be shortened by May 1 as the result of two bills signed yesterday by Gov. Fred B. Balzar. In championing legalized gambling, Nevada took a step toward the so-called good old days. In the divorce measure she will become the only state in the union in which a person may establish legal qualifications in six weeks to sue for a divorce.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1939, the Eagle reported, “ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. (U.P.) — The swift swing of the season chews away granite on the highest hills and strains the strongest steel, so you get to wondering as the baseballs soar through the sunshine down here about the most durable ball player of them all, Henry Louis Gehrig. Is this going to be the season when the Iron Horse is taken off the rails and shunted to the scrap heap? It’s too early to make an accurate prediction, but the significant thing is that Manager [Joe] McCarthy of the Yankees has begun teaching Tommy Henrich, an outfielder, how to play first base. The Yankees without Gehrig? Why, it’s like Lunt without Fontaine, corned beef without cabbage and New Year’s Day without a hangover. Three years ago you would have sworn that Gehrig would go on forever, that he would be up there for endless summers, stretching his arms above his head just before stepping up to take his cut. But he hit below .300 last year for the first time since 1926 and some of the bounce has gone out of those thick legs.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1942, the Eagle reported, “GENERAL MacARTHUR’S HEADQUARTERS, AUSTRALIA (U.P.) — Gen. Douglas MacArthur promised today that he would lead a United Nations offensive against Japan. In a brief statement, every phrase of which was a fighting one, the hero of Bataan Peninsula said: ‘The President of the United States ordered me to break through the Japanese lines and proceed from Corregidor to Australia for the purpose, as I understand it, of organizing an American offensive against Japan. A primary purpose of this is the relief of the Philippines. I came through and I shall return.’ MacArthur’s statement was released as American and Allied air forces battled for control of the skies on the island approaches to this continent and as Japanese jungle troops pressed into the rugged interior of New Guinea behind Nazi-trained native guides. Twice, today’s communique said, Japanese war planes landed at Port Moresby, the base on the south coast of New Guinea that the enemy wants to use for invasion thrusts at Australia only 350 miles away.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1944, the Eagle reported, “NAPLES (U.P.) — Allied military government officials prepared today to evacuate towns in the path of lava flows from an eruption of Mount Vesuvius unless the disturbance abates by nightfall. The eruptions began Saturday, sending four streams of flaming lava down the mountainsides. The mainstream, estimated at a quarter of a mile wide and seven feet deep, sizzled toward Torre Del Creco and Torre Annunziata, both near Pompeii. Forests and crops already have suffered considerable damage, but no serious damage to dwellings has been reported thus far. Italian experts regarded the eruption as the most serious since 1906 when the upper part of the crater’s cone collapsed and lava streams poured almost into Torre Annunziata and partly destroyed Boscotrecase. Thousands of doughboys and Tommies with weekend passes organized excursions in jeeps and trucks and even hiked to get a view of the fireworks.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “Henry Modell, president of the Smaller Business Men’s Assn. of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and president of Modell & Co., today announced the association’s fight against spiraling costs had received a public vote of confidence in a test sale at five Brooklyn and New York stores of the Modell and Co. chain. The association by resolution called upon member businessmen to reduce prices in a drive to curb inflation and stimulate business. Speaking of Modell’s 59th Jamboree Sale, which he said was the ‘opening gun’ in the association’s drive, Modell declared: ‘It just shows you what concerted and common-sense effort can do.’”