S—Z-42
Los Angeles, Cal., Friday, Dec. 12, 1941
Phones:
Night—Rl. 5471
No. 58
tes Accepts Italo-German to Enter Two-Front War
•	t
aiian
Told
day’s Attacks; >n 20 Planes
U.P.)—In addition to two >ase at Pearl Harbor Sun-followed with a third at-[onday morning, it is pos*
It time.
icific Coast ses Jitters, ttles Down
Tea Around Fort Ord [vacuated for Present; lix Towns Affected
FRANCISCO, Dec. 12.—(U.P) Pacific coast today got into with war-time emergency >ut conditions and, rid of its [al jitters, went through an-night that saw temporary ition of civilians from the iround Fort Ord, and a pre-(inary air-raid warning in Los les.
fe than 1000 citizens living on miles of coast between Santa |and Monterey, behind which he huge Fort Ord garrison, ;scorted from their homes by to the security of schools and les. Army authorities super -the evacuation, which was led an houT after it was is-rithout explanation, entire area was under black-jders from 4:15 to 8:14 p.m. |ders of the 4th interceptor tnd, although radio stations led on the air.
itowns of Santa Cruz, Salinas. }ey, Carmel, Watsonville and Grove were affected by the :ion order.
ngeles did not blackout, al-many citizens believed the tiled lor it and the Munici-^ht and Power bureau was with calls asking why ights were not extinguished. »cond air force command at decreed full wartime cen-of news in the 11 western j
’acific northwest, as usual, I ttxt its customary blackout fiO tc 7:30 a.m. Radios were j off the air indefinitely with j option of KOIN in Portland tO in Seattle.
Fiorello LaGuardia of New irector of the office of civ-fense. said in a nation-wide 1st from Tacoma, Wash., je're going to beat the Japs they will be unable to atone for centuries to come.” j Boeing Aircraft plant in (completed blackout precausing 1747 gallons of black |o make it one of the first lefense factories in the na-^omplete such a transforma -The precautions will permit lound the clock, jew Douglas Aircraft factory Beach has been built with-idows, and bomb-proof as that work will not be in-|q. Other aircraft plants in jgeles and San Diego were ing blackout precautions.
WASHINGTON, —(U.P.)—The United States plunged into a two front-war with the Axis tonight, accepting with grim confidence the Italo-German challenge to fight to the death.
Congress, which 72 hours earlier voted war against Japan —third member of the tripartite alliance—moved with dazzling speed to proclaim a state of war with Germany and Italy.
President Roosevelt warned in a special, 120-word message read at noon that the very life of the nation was threatened.
At 1:01 p.m., war resolutions had been snapped through both houses. This was less than four hours after Germany and Italy had formally advised the state department they had declared war.
At 3:10 p.m., President Roosevelt signed the German resolution. One minute later he put his signature on the Italian document.
For Germany and the United States—enemies in World war I—they terminated 23 years of uneasy peace.
For Italy, they cast her in the role of a hostile, the first time in history that she has gone to war on the United States. She was an American ally in 1917.
The senate acted on the war resolution first. It approved the proclamation against Germany at 12:31 p.m. by a
' vote of 88 to 0.	I-*-
| Three minutes later the j Italian resolution passed, 90 to 0.
! At 12:38 p.m. the house voted war with Germany. The vote was 393 in favor, none opposed, and with Miss Jeannette Rankin, Montana Republican, voting “present.”
She cast the same vote on the Italian resolution on which 399 cried “aye” and none “nay.”
LATE BULLETINS
FDR Summons Labor Confab to Capital
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11.—(U.E)—
President Roosevelt tonight invited
leaders of industry and labor to
, , ,, | meet in Washington next week to Immediately afterward, both | consjder thg probJem of lafeor dis_
putes during the war.
houses bolstered the president’s hand by unanimously voting him power to create a new American expeditionary force — including draftees and national guardsmen—for service anywhere against the enemy.
As the nation went on an all-out war footing, greater even than in 1917, the first move in the Atlantic was expected to be a race for seizure of neutral islands from which Axis bombers could be hurled against North, South, or Central America.
They include the Canaries, owned by Spain; the Azores and Cape Verde Islands, which fly the Portuguese flag, and the French island of Martinique.
None is heavily defended, but a French aircraft carrier and a cruiser are at Martinique, as are many American planes which were en route to France when it collapsed in June, 1940.
These outposts have been watched closely by the navy.
Strong army garrisons have been spotted at strategic points, ready for eventualities.
A united nation swung calmly into its first two-ocean war.
There was no confusion, no hysteria.
The surprise attack by the Japanese on the great Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii had taught an unforgettable lesson.
Mr. Roosevelt revealed Tuesday he had under consideration plans for a meeting out of which would come a voluntary agreement that would do away with the demands for anti-strike legislation now pending in congress.
MAY INCLUDE MEDIATION
The machinery to be agreed upon by the conferees, the white house suggested, “might include appropriate procedures for adjusting disputes, for mediation, and for resort in defense industries to some tribunal whose decisions will be binding by agreement on all parties.”
The white house emphasized the voluntary nature of the conference and the results hoped for.
Announcement of the parley followed a series of meetings between Mr. Roosevelt and individual labor leaders, including William Green, Chairman Harry Bates of the AFL peace committee, and Philip Murray.
HILLMAN CALLS MEETING
Meanwhile, Associate OPM Director Sidney Hillman asked representatives of labor and industry to meet with him in Akron, O., Dec. 13, to discuss industrial unemployment caused py war economy measures.
He also invited .the chairman of the business advisory council of the department of commerce to choose
12	representatives o f industrial management to meet with the labor leaders.
Later the chief executive will appoint someone to serve as moderator and associate moderator.
Los Angeles Flashed Alert at 2:50 a.m.
BY UNITED PRESS
The air raid warning service flashed an alert at 2:50 am. today, warning police, fire companies, and public utilities of a probability of a blackout or air raid.
At 3:10, all radio stations were ordered off the air.
San Diego blacked out at 2:45 a.m. and Los Angeles had an alert five minutes later indicating a possible blackout.
The fourth interceptor command said the blackout was ordered berause of the presence of unidentified planes off Point Loma.
All aircraft factories except Consolidated shut down during the blackout.
Nicaragua, Guatemala Join Cuba
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, Dec. 11—(U.P.)—Nicaragua today declared war on Germany and Italy.
The country is already at war with Japan.
Funds of the German legation and of German residents here were reported to have been transferred secretly four days ago to the newly-arrived Spanish minister.
GUATEMALA CITY, Dec. 11—(U.P.)—Guatemala tonight declafed war on Germany and Italy. The country already is at war with Japan.
Cuba Declares War on Italy, Germany
HAVANA, Dec. 12—(U.P.) — A state of war between Cuba and Germany and Italy was in force today, having become effective last midnight when President Fulgencio Batista signed a war measure approved unanimously by the two houses of congress.
A state of war already existed between Cuba and Japan.
‘No Peace Treaty’ Says Russia
The Soviet government radio at Kuibyshev last night was heard by the NBC short wave listening post here announce that the USSR would never sign a peace treaty with Germany unless Britain and the United States agree to such action.
Knox Arrives in Honolulu
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11—(U.P.)—The navy announced tonight that Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox arrived at Honolulu this afternoon. There was no previous announcement that he had left for Hawaii.
Chinese Hold Japs at Hong Kong
HONG KONG, Friday, Dec. 12.—(U.P.)—Large forces of Chinese troops under direct command of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek have assailed the rear of the Japanese troops attacking Hong Kong and are threatening to cut the Japanese communication lines, it was announced officially today.
As a result of this action, the situation at Hong Kong is stabilizing and enemy power is diminishing, a communique said.
The British crown colony has been free of air raiders for 24 hours. During an artillery duel one Japanese gun lobbed a shell into the island yesterday but it caused little
damage.
Bay Welders Expected to Drop Strike
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 11.—(U.P.)—San Francisco bay shipyard welders today were expected to drop their planned strike action in their dispute with the American Federation of Labor over union autonomy.
The war department ordered the controversy must not interfere with defense work. Six welders allegedly locked out of private shipyards because of closed shop contracts held by the AFL were taken on by Mare Island navy yard.
Fairbanks Homes Ordered Darkened
FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Dec. 10 — (Delayed) — (U.P.) — Army authorities today ordered all windows in this cen-tral-Alaskan city permanently covered and all outdoor lights on buildings darkened for the “duration.”
111
Italians Retreat in Libyan Battle
CAIRO, Dec. 11.—(U.P)—Axis forces are retreating to the northwest before slashing British imperial mobile attacks west of El Adem, main enemy supply dump five miles
southwest of Tobruk which the British captured Tuesday, it was announced today.
A war communique reported that small enemy pockets left in an area south of El Adem were “be-
in Philip}:
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 — (Uj airpower, striking back savageh the Pacific, has sunk one Japanes ly damaged another, and blaste] and a destroyer to the bottom in official announcements disclosed The lineup of naval reprisal the Japanese, as announced in partment communiques:
Sunk—
The 29,000-ton battleship Hi the bottom yesterday by army northern coast of Luzon, in the Ph One cruiser and one destroy fied, sunk by naval air action where marines are holding out o tacks.
Bombed and badly damaged-Another 29,000-ton battleship the Haruna and believed to be by bombs from naval patrol pli of Luzon.
News of the first major blows at Japi in swift sequence.
First, Secretary of War Henry L. Sti| sinking of the Haruna.
Then the navy, in its second commun] of the cruiser and destroyer being sunk NAVY PATROL PLANE SCORES HIT A few hours later, navy communique “Adm. Thomas C. Hart, command Asiatic fleet, reported that navy patrol hits on a Japanese battleship of the coast of Luzon. The ship was badly dai “This is the second Japanese battlesh] fectively by United States forces.”
Destruction of 20 of the attacking Jz was disclosed by Delegate Samuel W. Ki] trans-oceanic telephone conversation ernor Joseph B. Poindexter.
POINDEXTER DISCLOSES INFORMATH King said the information was auth< Hawaii by Lieut. Gen. Walter C. Short, was permitted to make the disclosure.
Meanwhile the navy department discl^ of the Navy Frank Knox has arrived al a personal survey of the situation there. | Knox’s arrival coincided with renew* senate that the American people be told] the “serious setback” at Pearl Harbor-met by a ringing call for confidence in by a “united American people.”
America First Group Quits
CHICAGO, Dec. 11. — (U.E) — The national directors of the America First committee announced tonight that the organization would be dissolved as soon as the necessary legal steps can be taken.
“The primary objective before the nation can now be completely defined in one word: “Victory!” the committee said.
The announcement was made by National Chairman Gen. Robert E. Wood after a day long conference of directors. Directors R. Douglas Stuart Jr., Chicago, and John T. Flynn, New York, attended the press conference at which Wood announced dissolution of the committee.
Wood said Charles A. Lindbergh had approved “by telephone in advance’* any action the directors might take.
After reviewing the organization of the committee in the summer of 1940 to further the objective of ‘‘an impregnable defense for our nation and avoidance of involvement in the European and Asiatic war,’* the committee statement listed the declaration of war since Sunday.
The white acknowledged battleship’ damage to ships, dest and 3000 a 1500 wound* Oahu alone.
FIRST SI
The Hai ship known the Japanes battle of thi Kirisima coi [ of ships in others are Naval e: while the been used aj quite likely reconditioned] tion. Hence) bombed and have been Kirisma. It ever, that all FIVE ATTAC Navy comm Wake garrisoi tiny south four separate] 48 hours by one by naval all.
“A resumpti« probable landj pected. The continuing to The navy re] mation receiv Dec. 11,” indi to Japanese
(ContiJ
from the
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