Replies

Here ya go. Something to get your blood to circulating.

LOL!!

http://www.gwu.edu/~erpapers/myday/displaydoc.cfm?_y=1940&_f=md055470

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt
JANUARY 8, 1940

WASHINGTON, Sunday—Yesterday morning Anna and I spent an hour at the home economic exhibit in the patio of the Department of Agriculture Building. Though I had seen it before, I found it even more interesting, because there was no great crowd and we could really read all the material which explains the different exhibits. Of course, the work done by the Bureau of Home Economics is so far-reaching because the information goes to state colleges with extension services all over the country, and even has contacts with a great many individual homes. After all, nothing is more important than the help we can give the individual housewife to improve the health of her family and to make her home more comfortable and of greater value to the development of young and old.

In the late afternoon, the Women’s Committee of the National Committee for the Infantile Paralysis Drive, met here and gave a broadcast, which I hoped proved of interest to the country. I have so often found misunderstandings as to how the money raised at the Birthday Balls is spent, that I was glad to have them state clearly that 50 percent of this money remains in the communities where it is raised; that the other 50 percent goes to the National Foundation and is used for research which needs to be done, for we do not yet know how to keep people from being paralyzed by this dread disease, even though we know more about the treatment than we did a few years ago.

The Committee also allocates money to communities where epidemics occur and gives grants for the development of facilities to care for infantile paralysis patients in different parts of the country. I was quite overcome when I found how many women had come from distant states for the broadcast and tea yesterday, and the dinner which followed last night. I learned a great deal at the dinner, for I had been laboring under the delusion that a serum had been found which, if used early enough, would be beneficial. I discovered I was wrong, and also discovered that the experiments made the spray for the nose had not been proved beneficial.

Anna, John and I went out walking this morning, for the ground is still not good for riding. We are all very sad to have them leave us tonight to start on their journey back to Seattle. The grandchildren will be with us until Friday, when they will go to join their father and mother in Chicago for the rest of the trip.

We had a rather large luncheon party today, some of Anna and John’s friends came in to say goodbye, as well as a few people whom we have been trying to see for a long time. I always wish that one could see all the interesting people who come through Washington, but sometimes it is almost impossible to manage.
E.R.

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/jan40/f08jan40.htm

Soviet division eliminated by Finns
Monday, January 8, 1940 www.onwar.com

The Winter War... The Soviet 44th Division is destroyed in the Karelian Isthmus. Details of the Finnish victory over the two Soviet divisions at Suomussalmi released by Finland’s General Staff show that the Soviet 44th Division was utterly annihilated while attempting to support the defeated 162nd Division. Finns claim to have captured 102 field guns, 43 tanks, over 300 vehicles and 1170 horses.

In Britain... Bacon, butter and sugar are put on the ration list and are only available in small quantities. Butter is limited to 4 ounces per week. Adults are allowed 12 ounces of sugar and 4 oz. of bacon or uncooked ham — less of cooked ham.

In the North Sea... A converted Wellington bomber fitted with an energized metal hoop to explode magnetic mines does its first successful trials.

In China... Japan claims to have killed 25,000 Chinese in battle north of Canton.

In Germany... A new army headquarters is reportedly established at Recklingshausen, 10 miles from the Dutch border.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/08.htm

January 8th, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM: Rationing is introduced today, housewives had to take their ration books with them to buy butter, sugar and bacon from the shops with whom they have registered. Butter is rationed at four ounces a week. Adults are allowed 12 ounces of sugar and four ounces of bacon or uncooked ham - less of cooked ham. Hotels are allowed to serve one-sixth of an ounce of butter - a circular pat the thickness of three pennies - with each meal, including afternoon tea. Some have installed special weighing machines. They can serve one-seventh of an ounce of sugar, or two lumps.

British housewives will be allowed extra sugar for making marmalade by the Ministry of Food, providing that the Treasury and Board of Trade permit the import of Seville oranges. Obtaining rationed food from Eire is punishable by six months imprisonment, unless it is sent as small gifts.

NORTH SEA: A converted Wellington bomber fitted with an energised metal hoop to explode magnetic mines does its first successful trials.
This was Wellington Mk IA, RAF serial number P2516. The aircraft was equipped with a 48 foot (14.63 meter) dural hoop under the fuselage energized by an auxiliary motor mounted in the fuselage. Several Wellingtons were converted to Wellington D.W. Mk Is and successfully used for mine duty in British coastal waters and later in the Mediterranean harbours and the Suez Canal. (Jack McKillop)

GERMANY: A new army headquarters is reported to have been established at Recklingshausen, ten miles from the Dutch border.

The Italian Ambassador delivers a message from Benito Mussolini to Adolf Hitler cautioning the Fuhrer against waging war against Britain. Mussolini asked if it was truly necessary “to risk all-including the regime-and to sacrifice the flower of German generations.” (Jack McKillop)
U-754 laid down.

U-575, U-576, U-577, U-578, U-579, U-580, U-581, U-582, U-583, U-584, U-585, U-586 ordered. (Dave Shirlaw)

FINLAND: Details of the Finnish victory over two Russian Divisions at Suomussalmi are released. The 44th Division was completely destroyed, trapped while going to the support of the defeated 163rd Division. The Finns captured 102 field guns, 43 tanks, over 300 vehicle and 1,170 horses.

Tonight in Helsinki the Church bells are ringing, flags are flying and strangers embracing on the streets in celebration.

Many Soviet tanks were burnt-out by Molotov cocktails thrown by Finns hiding in pits by the forest tracks, other Soviet troops froze to death with nothing to protect them from the cold except crude shelters of spruce branches.

When the Finns attacked some of the Soviet troops were too weak to stand, too cold to fight.

The Finnish Foreign Minister Väinö Tanner authorises the author and playwright Mrs. Hella Wuolijoki to discuss the possibility of peace with the Soviet Ambassador at Stockholm, Madame Alexandra Kollontay.

The commander of the Swedish volunteers, Lieutenant General Ernst Linder visits the Finnish GHQ to receive his orders.

Group Sisu is formed at Lapua, west-central Finland. It’s composed of non-Scandinavian foreign volunteers. At the moment only eight men are present.

(Mikko Härmeinen)

CHINA: Japan claims to have killed 25,000 Chinese in battle north of Canton.

U.S.A.: Quezon tells Sayres that MacArthur is “crazy”. (Marc Small)