military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) (12/23/89)
From: military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) Saturday, 23 December, 1939 President Roosevelt appoints an envoy to the Vatican, calling upon the Pope, as well as leaders of the Protestant and Jewish religions, to cooperate toward achieving world peace. 21 American republics, including the United States, send a joint protest to Britain, France, and Germany over the various violations of sea neutrality near the Americas. Germany has returned to Italy several crated aircraft, shipped from Italy to Finland via Germany. Rumania announces that it will refuse any offer by the Soviet Union to negotiate over the fate of Bessarabia. The Finns launch a major counterattack in Karelia, but after suffering 1500 casualties, it is cancelled this evening. In Dublin, the IRA steals the Irish Army's entire reserve of small arms ammunition, about 1.1 million rounds. (The bulk of this will be recovered during massive Army-police sweeps over the next 11 days) References: C.Argyle, _Chronology of World War II_ J. Piekalkiewicz, _Tank War 1939-1940_ R.Dupuy and T.Dupuy, _The Encyclopedia of Military History_ C.Salmaggi and A.Pallavisini, _2194 Days of War_ C.Messenger, _Atlas of World War Two_ The New York Times, daily editions Time magazine Newsweek -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Bill Thacker military@cbnews.att.com Send submissions for "50 Years Ago" to military-request@att.att.com "... unless there is belief in some guiding priciple, and some trust in a divine plan, nations are without light and peoples perish." - President F. D. Roosevelt