It will be interesting to see when the NY Times first uses the term Second World War or World War II. Will the European war along with Japan's war against China count, or will it not be considered a "World War" until Pearl Harbor and America's entrance into the war?
I am curious about that myself. I'm guessing it will be next May when Germany invades France and the low countries. For the West the war in China has a peculiar, shadowy status. I believe that comes from the fact that east is east and west is west, as the saying goes. After Pearl Harbor, the Philippines, Singapore, etc. that will change.
I was just trying to track down an instance earlier in 1939 where Hitler referred to the first world war in a speech. I thought it was his big one of April 29 but I couldn't find it. That surprised me when I came across it.