Aid to England 1940
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April - British Security Coordination office was established by Canadian-born William S. Stephenson, code-named Intrepid, who arrived in the United States to "assure sufficient aid for Britain, to counter the enemy's subversive plans throughout the Western Hemisphere and eventually to bring the United States into the War" (Thomas Mahl, Desperate Deception, p.10). The BSC would establish ties with the FBI and State Department and pushed the creation of the Coordinator of Information by July 1941 that became the Office of Strategic Services in June 1942. The British recruited the help of the Fight For Freedom Committee, Walter Lippmann, Arthur Hayes Sulzberger, Henry Luce, using the the polling organization Market Analysts, Inc. to create public support for intervention, attacked isolationist Congressman Hamilton Fish and provided mistresses to Senator Arthur Vandenberg, all to get US aid for Britain.
July 15 - W.M.L. "Billy" Fiske was one of the first Americans to volunteer to fight in Britain, joining the RAF 601 Squadron at Tangarere. His plane was damaged in battle and burned on landing, and Fiske died Aug. 17, the first American in uniform to die in Europe in WWII. More volunteers followed, some led by Col. Charles Sweeney or recruited by the Clayton Knight Committee, and became part of the Eagle Squadrons in the RAF after September 1940.
July 30 - Act of Havana to prevent German takeover of western hemisphere colonies that had been held by European countries occupied by Hitler.
Aug. 27 - destroyers for bases deal
- exec. agreement caused "furious debate"
- also pilot training in Florida
- and Brit. ship repair in Norfolk
- map of Brit. bases leased to US, from ILN 1940/09/14
Sep. 16 - Burke-Wadsworth Selective Service Act passed - a symbol of "a growing consensus that the nation must arm, no matter what" and "conscription was a symbolic tie which bound the entire nation even though less than one person in a hundred would serve." (Perrett p. 33) - World War I draft dodger Grover Cleveland Bergdoll began 7-year jail sentence.
Sept. 20 - The Army's code-breaking experts at SIS broke the Japanese Purple code.
Nov. 5 - FDR defeated Willkie to win 3rd term
Nov. 30 - Winter war began in Finland, Russia attacked with 30 divisions, Finns defended behind the Mannerheim Line, Russia lost 200,000 but defeated Finland by Mar. 12 treaty
Dec. 17 - FDR proposed Lend-Lease, to be like $15 garden hose
Dec. 29 - Arsenal of Democracy speech attracted huge 76% radio audience
Hearst newsreel "First London Raid Films" 8/2/40
Hearst newsreel "16 million Sign with the Uncle Sam" 10/16/40