Americans express their views about United States entering into World War II after the Pearl Harbor attack. Anti-war isolationist and interventionist views are presented. Senator Gerald P. Nye advocates in favor of an arms embargo. Urging against American involvement in war, Senator Burton K. Wheeler cautions that war mongers and interventioners or intervention advocates control most of the avenues of propaganda. Wendell Willkie speaks advocating unity of purpose in America and importance of assisting the threatened democracies of Europe with war materiel and supplies. Next, Senator Joshua B. Lee of Oklahoma strongly urges support for lend-lease and "setting in motion an industrial blitzkrieg (of war materiel) that will make it possible for England to blast Hitlarism from the face of the earth." View of Congress meeting in the U.S. Capitol chamber. Anti-war college aged students protests against involvement in war and picket at the White House in Washington D.C.,United States. Adjacent to them are other protestors picketing against the peace advocates, with signs like "Americans are against subversive organizations picketing the White House" and "We Americans protest Communists picketing the White House. A women's organization advocating peace or protectionism or isolationism is seen wearing all black. They pull down black veils over their faces in a show of unity against war and the possible loss of American boys to war. An outdoor rally of a fascist organization meeting in America. Also scenes from a German American Bund meeting in 1939 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Speaker at the meeting is Fritz Julius Kuhn who watches as a protestor leaps on the stage and is subdued by guards. Scenes shown from various other protests in the United States during the same era, including labor strikes and lockouts, and a group holding a rally in favor of equal rights or civil rights, with a woman holding a sign "Did Lincoln Free the Slaves?"
Film begins with peaceful scenes of Japan, including Mount Fuji; women in traditional Kimonos strolling among cherry blossoms; exquisite gardens; Geisha girls in traditional dress holding fans; and picturesque peasant farmers binding sheaves of grain. Evidence of Japan adopting Western styles and ways, shown by modern buildings, motor vehicles, and many Japanese in Western clothes going about their daily business on busy city streets. A Japanese stadium filled with spectators at a baseball game. One difference from an American baseball game is that the players are seen marching onto the field accompanied by a military band and later all sharing in raising the Japanese flag to start the event. View of line of players in jerseys as flag is raised (jersey team name Tomasyo?) Views of the baseball game underway. Baseball player with "Y" logo on front steps up to plate to bat. Scene changes to demonstrations of Japanese Navy as senior Naval Officers review Japanese sailors aboard a warship. A formation of Japanese warships underway. Closeup of a Japanese destroyer. A flotilla of Japanese warships being overflown by several formations of Naval aircraft. A flight of Kawanishi H6K Naval flying boats flying in loose formation. A parade of Japanese light and medium tanks including Type 95 Ha-Go tanks (some with offset turrets). View from rear of the parade. Many tanks crossing a field. Emperor Hirohito, riding a white horse, reviewing Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tanks and their crews standing at attention. Tanks raising dust as they move in formations on a road and in a field. Japanese infantry soldiers high step march in review past the Emperor on his white horse. Massed Japanese infantry on parade. View, again, of the high-stepping Japanese infantry marching past the Emperor as a segue to Italian infantry goosestepping on parade. Several views of such parades. Mussolini giving an impassioned speech to Italians from balcony on the Palazzo Venezia in Rome on November 4, 1938. A huge flat field filled with Italian SPAD XIII army biplanes parked in symmetric rows. Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia speaking from a shelter, rallies his tribesmen to resist invasion by Italian forces. They are seen in tribal dress, armed with spears and ancient rifles, as they answer the Emperor's call. View of Italian L3 light tanks advancing across desert terrain. Italian cavalry charging. Italian infantry moving forward. Italian Caproni Ca.111bis light bomber in flight. Bombs dropping through the air. Barrages by batteries of Italian artillery. Shells striking a hilltop fortress. An open air stadium with one section containing many Japanese attendees waving Japanese flags. A Japanese statesman reading a speech in Japanese. View of the stadium filled with Italians. "Saluti" written on the edge of the section occupied by Japanese attendees. An Italian spokesman in black uniform welcomes the Japanese contingent. A Japanese translator stands beside him. Closeup of cheering Japanese who have heard the greeting translated. Scene shifts to Japanese infantry hi-stepping past Emperor Hirohito and immediately to Italian troops goosestepping and then to German troops goosestepping as they (according to narrator) march into Austria on March 13th 1938. View of German troops marching into Austrian town to cheers from civilians on sidewalks waving Nazi swastika flags and rendering Nazi salutes. Numerous utility vehicles carry German soldiers through the town. More German soldiers arriving in tanks and on motorcycles. Some arrive on horse-drawn caissons towing field artillery pieces.
Ground crew loads bombs into a B-17. Pilot, Captain Robert K.Morgan and his crew, arrive by jeep and jump off in front of their aircraft, the "Memphis Belle." at an airfield in England during World War II. Captain Morgan gives final briefing to the crew as they stand in front of their aircraft. He and his crew then climb aboard, take up their positions and start engines. View of the nose and fuselage of the "Memphis Belle" shows artwork, including 24 bombs painted on its side. Views of other B-17s included in this mission shows names and artwork on their fuselages. Among them are: 'Dame Satan',' Hitler's Gremlin','Heavyweight','Royal Flush','Old Bill' ,'In Der Fuehrer's Face','Helno Gal' , 'Peggy my little Waaf', and 'Desperate Journey'. Group of B-17s take off, one at a time, for the mission. View from the undercarriage of one B-17 as it takes off and the landing gear is raised. Aerial views of English countryside and of several British airbases, as the B-17s fly at relatively low altitude on their way toward the English Channel.
A man checks United States B-24 bomber named "Skylark" at an airbase in England during World War II. Men work on various parts of B-24s and turn propellers. B-17s also seen on the airfield.
U.S. 8th Air Force crewmen place their personal belongings on a table and seal them up in pouches for safekeeping, while they are away on a mission. They draw their parachutes and other gear. Crewmen boarding a B-24 named "Big Bust." Interiors of the plane as crew settle into their stations and check their equipment. Pilots check their watches. United States B-17 and B-24 bombers taxi along the British runway. An officer on control tower balcony fires a very pistol and planes take off.
Sketches show Joseph Stalin and victims of purges. Enmity between Germany and Soviet Union. Flags of Allied and Axis powers of World War II.
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