Events prior to World War II. Crowd of British citizens gathered at Trafalgar Square, possibly during a demonstration or large event. View of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain as he continues to make efforts to avert war. People gather to pray as the threat of war looms large on entire Europe. A young boy observes a wreath at cenotaph at London, England. People prepared to face air attacks in event of a war. People queue to enter an Air Raid shelter or bomb shelter to practice necessary protection steps in the event of air raid.
Events prior to World War II. President Franklin D Roosevelt presides over a meeting of his cabinet members to discuss the crisis situation in Europe and the threat of a world conflict.
Exterior night time shot of U.S Capitol dome in late 1930s. Sign 'Division of Communications and Records' above a State Department office door. Officer at desk. Men working in office and typing. Door sign 'Secretary of Department of State'. Cordell Hull at desk. Hull speaking. He reads a statement urging peace and security rather than armed conflict in Europe. State Department workers typing out memos and interpreting coded dispatches. A close up of a page decoding a secret coded dispatch. Newspaper headlines indicate orders dispatched for American ambassador to return from Germany (shortly before outbreak of World War 2). Sign for 'Carlton Hotel' on the hotel building. Secretary Hull seated in his office as he studies reports. Pictures of Hull in various newspapers of different languages. Seal of the U.S. on an entrance of a U.S. Embassy. A door closing with sign "American Embassy" on it.
Air Raid Precaution Depot at Borough of Camberwell in London, England as World War 2 looms in Europe. People seated on chairs. Several women sit with their children. A man fits a gas mask on a woman. People stand around a table. Several articles and documents kept on a table. People try masks in the background. Posters are pasted on the wall. The posters read "Borough of Camberwell. Fitting of Gas Masks."
People sell newspapers in London, England as World War II looms in Europe. Placard read 'What Hitler said', and 'Hitler's Demand'. A view of streets in London. People buy newspapers. Pedestrians walk on sidewalk. Vehicular traffic on streets. Buses and streetcars pass by. Shops in the background. Crowd at Charing Cross Station. People carry posters. Posters read 'stop this War'. Pedestrians cross streets. Members of British Union of Fascists sell their newspaper 'Action'. People buy newspaper at the Bank of England and The Royal Exchange.
U.S. Ambassador to Britain Joseph P Kennedy returns to report to President Franklin Roosevelt. Ambassador Kennedy arrives on the Queen Mary in New York. Reporters interview the Ambassador aboard the ship. He addresses the press on arrival. He gives statements regarding the economic chaos and war in Europe.