December 11: ON THIS DAY in 1941, U.S. declares war on Axis

December 11, 2020 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1893, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Throngs of shoppers are visiting the dry-goods establishment of Bloomingdale Bros., Third avenue and Fifty-ninth street, New York, to take advantage of the big book sale. Thousands of volumes of fine books were bought of Charles E. Gould, the receiver for the United States Book company, the International Book company, the Horendon Book company and for Lovell, Coryell & Co., in anticipation of the holiday season. These enormous stocks were obtained in some instances at less than the cost of the paper. This is doubtless the greatest sale of books for years, whole volumes of standard works selling in many cases for less than $1. The stock comprises books worthy of any library, such as Cooper, Irving, Byron, Scott, Dickens, Thackeray, Hawthorne and Macauley. Among the French writers are Dumas and Sand. Many of the books are nicely bound in cloth and gold.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1921, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (A.P.) — A new quadruple agreement to preserve peace in the waters of the Pacific was announced to the world today by the United States, Great Britain, Japan and France. As a consideration of the international realignment, Great Britain and Japan agreed to consign to the scrap heap the Anglo-Japanese alliance, long viewed with appreciation in both America and Asia. The provisions of the agreement, which is in the form of a ten-year treaty, are confined to the ‘region of the Pacific Ocean.’ Under them, the Powers are to respect each other’s island possessions and to meet in consultation if a dispute arises or if the rights of any of the four are threatened by any other Power.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1941, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — Germany and Italy went to war against the United States today, and Congress prepared for immediate action on an impending request by President Roosevelt for a resolution formally recognizing existence of hostilities. The official German war declaration was delivered to the State Department at 9:25 a.m., while the Italian war notice was handed to the American charge d’affaires in Rome by Count Galeazzo Ciano, Italian Foreign Minister. The action completed the Axis cycle of aligning its full military and naval forces against the United States, following by four days Japan’s assault on this nation’s Pacific strongholds. The greatest war in the world’s history became a full reality for an America which for months has been on a basis of undeclared shooting with Germany and Italy. Members of Congress pledged full support to the President in the extension of the war and said it might last for years.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1946, the Eagle reported, “The Boys’ Club of New York, century-old organization helping east-side youth, will collect the proceeds of a special presentation of Liberty Films’ RKO Radio-released feature, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ on Friday, Dec. 20, at the Globe Theater. The presentation will be followed on Saturday by the world premiere engagement of the Frank Capra production which co-stars James Stewart and Donna Reed.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “INDIANA, PA. (U.P.) — Jimmy Stewart, film actor, plays a ‘supporting’ role today at the wedding of his 82-year-old father to a Canadian widow in a home-town ceremony before about 40 friends. The lanky cinema star plans to be best man for his octogenarian father, Alexander Stewart, a widower who owns and operates the town’s hardware store. Stewart, a life-long resident of this small western Pennsylvania mountain community, will wed Mrs. J.J. Stothart of St. James, New Brunswick, at the home of Mrs. Robert Dingman, a next-door neighbor, and a niece of the bride-to-be. The elder Stewart was reported by his family to be ‘bursting with excitement’ over the impending ceremony. His famous son arrived after an overnight train ride from New York, accompanied by his wife, former model Gloria McLean. Stewart was first married in 1906 to Elizabeth Ruth Stewart, Jimmy’s mother. She was the daughter of a Civil War veteran and steel company founder. She died here Aug. 2, 1953.”