March 15: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

March 15, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1941, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (I.N.S.) — While President Roosevelt puts finishing touches on his worldwide radio broadcast tonight, the government today moved to meet pressing British war needs by allocating up to $1,300,000,000 worth of American defense materials on hand and on order to England. Mr. Roosevelt was scheduled to speak on the lend-lease program over the three major radio hookups at 9:30 p.m. His address will be rebroadcast by short wave radio in six languages. The speech was expected to have a dual theme. First, it was believed, the president will tell the people of this nation that they must be ready to make sacrifices in the defense program. Further, he was expected to stress the pledge of the United States to help nations resisting the Axis Powers. William S. Knudsen, defense production chief, informed the House Appropriations Sub-Committee considering the $7,000,000,000 lease-lend fund that it would be months before the production program can reach its height.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1947, the Eagle reported, “BALBOA, CANAL ZONE — Ed Stanky is the boy that men forget. If the square-rigged little second baseman starts the season for the Dodgers, it will be the first time he has gone to work that early since he was with the Cubs in 1943. Now the shadow of Jackie Robinson — not too threatening as yet — could frustrate the Brat again. ‘If he’s a better man than I am, he can have the job,’ says Eddie, who likes to fight for what he gets out of life.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — Secretary of State George C. Marshall said today that as a result of Communist ‘intimidation, fraud and terror, the hour is more fateful now than it was a year ago.’ He told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the nation must avoid ‘fear which would lead to sterile inaction’ abroad. He added that ‘hasty action’ likewise must be avoided, lest American resources be wasted. Mr. Marshall’s comments were made before the committee in support of the new request for $275,000,000 in military assistance for Greece and Turkey. ‘The hour is far more fateful now than it was one year ago,’ he said. ‘By intimidation, fraud and terror, Communist regimes have been imposed upon Hungary and Czechoslovakia.’ Mr. Marshall added that other European nations faced a similar threat of ‘being drawn against their will into the Communist orbit.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1949, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — The State Department has summoned a ‘national conference on American foreign policy’ to meet here Thursday for discussion which will include the North Atlantic security pact. Signature of the North Atlantic treaty, whose terms have not yet been made public, is scheduled now to take place here during the first week of April. Francis H. Russell, director of the department’s Office of Public Affairs, told the United Press the policy conference will be similar to three or four held in the past two years. Approximately 200 persons will attend, representing business, farm, labor, religious, civic, foreign policy, scientific, educational and veterans organizations. Besides general conference business, there will be a special discussion of President Truman’s plan to furnish American technical and scientific know-how for the economic improvement of undeveloped world areas. Those attending the two-day conference will be invited to express their own views on foreign policy as well as to listen to State Department experts tell what it is all about.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “Police Commissioner Francis W.H. Adams charged in a radio interview yesterday that inadequate funds are sapping the strength of the police force at a rate of approximately 200 men a year. The commissioner, speaking on the CBS show, ‘Let’s Find Out,’ said the department has been unable to replace the number of men taken from the roles by sickness, death and retirement because of budgetary problems. As a result, Adams said, the force has fallen 1,000 below the authorized strength of 20,800.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Taxi” star Judd Hirsch, who was born in 1935; jazz musician Charles Lloyd, who was born in 1938; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead), who was born in 1940; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Mike Love (The Beach Boys), who was born in 1941; “Crash” director David Cronenberg, who was born in 1943; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Sly Stone, who was born in 1943; former New York City Public Advocate Mark Green, who was born in Brooklyn in 1945; Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider, who was born in 1955; Baseball Hall of Famer Harold Baines, who was born in 1959; “Wishing Well” singer Terence Trent D’Arby, who was born in 1962; “Soap” star Jimmy Baio, who was born in Brooklyn in 1962; Poison singer Bret Michaels, who was born in 1963; “Desperate Housewives” star Eva Longoria, who was born in 1975; and rapper and actor will.i.am, who was born in 1975.

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BENCHMARK: Ruth Bader Ginsburg was born in Brooklyn on this day in 1933. The Madison H.S. graduate was appointed the second woman on the U.S. Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton in 1993. During her 27 years on the bench, she became a cultural icon for many Americans. She died on Sept. 18, 2020 and was succeeded by Amy Coney Barrett.

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FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT: “The Godfather” premiered on this day in 1972. Based on the novel by Mario Puzo and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, it traces the fortunes of the Corleone crime family. The powerful cast includes Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, James Caan and Robert Duvall. The film won three Oscars and was followed by two sequels.

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Special thanks to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and Brooklyn Public Library.

Quotable:

“You can disagree without being disagreeable.”

— U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was born in Brooklyn on this day in 1933