25 Dec 1940
Page 1
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Newspaper
Cedar Rapids Gazette
Location
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States of America
Date
Dec 25, 1940
Page
1
A reflective column argues that peace on earth remains elusive as humanity grapples with selfishness and ignorance. It compares human progress to the hunter seeking the Bird of Truth, noting that enduring peace may come only as future generations continue the patient work of enlightenment.
Cedar Rapids headquarters received 7084.44 in Wednes day mail for the No Foreign War committee. Contributions came from New York City, California, and midwestern households, with funds from Corinne Griffith and Francis X. Bushman noted among larger gifts.
The Duke of Windsor and Bahamas governor will address listeners on NBC facilities in Nassau. The 10 minute radio talk is scheduled to start at 5 30 p m local time and will be carried by NBC.
In Shanghai a Christmas Eve scuffle between U S Marines and Italian marines drew hospital attention for about a dozen Americans amid a melee between about 40 to 50 on each side. Italian casualties were not disclosed.
Fragmentary notice reports at 10 30 on Wednesday a 6 pound ad to Mr and Mrs with reference to Luke's hospital press time and Eighth Street context.
The speaker urges Americas to keep peace as a guiding aim and exposes suspected deception behind major wars. He defends the No Foreign War Committee and criticizes international scheming, while promising to reveal the truth publicly and defend America first if pressured by Roosevelt's forthcoming address. He cites William Allen White and calls for clarity on aid to Britain.
The Everleigh, a 1930 British freighter owned by Atlantic Shipping and Trading Co., reported being attacked by a submarine about 650 miles west of Scotland. The ship traded between Belgium and England before the war and is registered in London.
The 1939 Cedar Rapids retail trade climbs 40 percent, near the 1929 peak, amid lower consumer prices. City shows 919 stores, 829 proprietors, 4,131 employees, and a $3,950,000 payroll. Marion and Linn County figures also detailed. Other 10,000-plus cities posted varied gains.
Christmas brought a lull in air warfare between Great Britain and the Reich with no bombs over Britain and no RAF activity over Germany. British sources doubted a formal truce, fearing Nazi moves may resume. Jubilant crowds celebrated Yuletide in shelters and churches, while London shelters held carols and communal feasts.
Herr Heribert von Strempel of the German embassy in Washington announced Tuesday night that Germany has proposed a three day Christmas truce in aerial warfare with Great Britain. The statement appeared in a communication noted as continued on page 10.
A wartime note attributed to CBS quotes the British Broadcasting Corporation about German invasion messaging. It mentions Channel weather as extremely cold, choppy sea, and an army of 2,000,000 waiting across the Strait of Dover.
The column contrasts two paths for society from Wells to Pitcairn Island, arguing that goodness and wisdom together sustain civilization. It warns that unbridled science gives power humans may not wield wisely, and insists moral growth must accompany knowledge or humanity faces doom. The piece closes with a call to prefer "love and fine thinking" over "hate and coarse thinking."
Senator Burton Wheeler of Montana denounces administration plans to aid Britain by increasing war materials and calls on President Roosevelt to seek a just peace. He criticizes repealing the Johnson and neutrality acts, warns against evading laws, and questions the outcome of aiding Britain with repayment concerns. He urges a restrained policy, a clear foreign policy, and economic easing for Europe’s small nations.
Carolers sang of peace on earth in nations under siege and bombardment as WWII raged. While Britain saw a lull in air raids, fighting continued in Albania and North Africa. Roosevelt spoke of faith and hope, Hitler spent Christmas with troops, and wartime shortages marked Christmas in Rome and Vichy.
Cedar Rapids reports a mild Christmas with damp air as temperatures linger in the forties. Tuesday's high around 50 and a morning 45 reading marked a gentle warm spell above normal across many regions, with snow remnants melting from gutters.
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