March 9, 1940 - Continued border fighting between Finland and Russia. Germany threatens Sweden over Iron Ore exports. von Ribbentrop visits Rome regarding Finnish crisis. U.S. accused of inciting Finland. Capitol Hill - Labor Committee chairwoman Mary Norton condemns move to drop the Labor Relations Board and calls to revise the Labor Law. Election campaign of 1940 gets underway with Democrats split over the Hatch Act or "pure political law" regarding a ban on officials campaigning for colleagues.
March 9, 2012

Finnish-Border---March-1940.jpg
Finnish-Russian border. Calm before storm.


As the War in Europe started to heat up, all eyes were on the border dispute between Finland and Russia, this March 9th in 1940.

With Germany pressing Moscow for a settlement, fighting had broken out while this broadcast was on the air. The French government was optimistic the Finns would successfully repel Soviet aggression, and Hitler sent Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop on a mission to Rome to try and find some resolution.

Meanwhile, German radio was quick to accuse the U.S. of inciting the Finns to carry on their dispute, although in Washington there was no confirmation or denial of those rumors or give any indication they would have anything to do with the conflict now or in the future.

But Capitol Hill had its own set of situations to deal with. Since it was an election year (1940 Presidential elections), squabbles erupted within the Democratic party over a piece of legislation being introduced called The Hatch Act, or as it was referred to, the "Pure Politics Law" and Congresswoman Mary Norton, Labor Committee Chairperson, condemned the Smith committee move to drop the Labor Relations Board and revise the current Labor law. Norton threatened to take the issue before the voters and make it a campaign topic in 1940.

And so went this day, along with much other news for March 9, 1940 as presented by NBC's News Of The World with reports direct from London and Berlin by reporters who seemed to have trouble reading their own copy.

News as it happens. Or news, it just so happens.

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