Mrs. Gunn's Diary: Feb. 15, 1942

She wishes everyone had been prepared; Singapore falls to the Japanese

Mrs. Gunn’s church observed Scout Sunday today, with a sermon on the Scout motto “Be Prepared.”

“How we wish that had been the motto of all countries against the Japs and Germans,” she lamented. “Today the report came of the fall of Singapore. This is very bad news for it means a five year war and, oh, what a terrible loss of life.”

Radio reports on the Japanese victory got the jump on Washington’s print media. It wasn’t until Monday morning that the Times-Herald had a full report, as demonstrated in the headlines above. Paid subscribers can read on about what this meant and why Mrs. Gunn was so pessimistic.

The clipping of the mast and lead headline of the Times-Herald was accessed via newspapers.com.