Japan May Occupy South French Indo-China; Grove Wins 300th

[Globalization41]

Saigon, French Indo-China, Associated Press,
The New York Times, Friday, July 25, 1941:
Japan will swiftly pour thousands of troops
with war equipment into newly won military,
navy, and air bases in Southern French Indo-
China, starting this weekend, usually reliable
sources reported tonight. Major Gen. Raishiro
Sumita, chief of the Japanese military mission
to Indo-China, was expected to arrive here
tomorrow from Hanoi to direct the operation.
... Japan has won the right [meaning an
agreement with the French] to post troops at
several coastal points in Southern Indo-China,
as well as to station warships in Cam Ranh Bay
and at Saigon and to establish several air bases
in the southern part of the colony, it was
reported authoritatively. ... Informed sources
said "several thousand" Japanese troops would
be stationed at Saigon and along the Southeast
Indo-China coast and within Cambodia, which
is on the Gulf of Siam along Indo-China's
border with Thailand. ... All of these positions
into which Japan is moving bring her closer to
Singapore, Britain's great Eastern naval base;
British Malaya; and the Netherlands Indies.
The newspaper Volonte Indo-Chinoise at
Hanoi, the colonial capital, hinted in an
editorial, presumably government inspired, that
Japanese occupation of the new bases would be
a step for further moves south. ... "Indo-
China," the paper said, "is on the way to
Singapore and the Netherlands East Indies.
The Formosa and Hainan bases being too
distant for her South Seas policy, Japan
required these facilities in Southern Indo-
China." ... Members of the French military
staff here [in Saigon] departed for Tonking in
the north. Ship traffic from Haiphong, Indo-
China's chief northern port, was resumed after
cessation for several days. ... ... Vichy,
France, United Press, The New York Times,
Friday, July 25, 1941: The newspaper Cri du
Peuple reported from Saigon today that
Japanese warships, "double the number of
British warships [Britain's strategy sometimes
called for campaigning in French colonies after
France's capitulation to Germany] in Asiatic
waters," had already arrived in Indo-Chinese
waters. ... "Military measures have been taken
and now everything is ready to reply if there is
an attack," the Saigon dispatch to the Cri du
Peuple said. [Defeat of the corrupt and poorly
trained French colonial forces would have been
a training exercise to the Japanese Army,
which was well-led, highly motivated, at peak
efficiency, brutal, and indoctrinated with
racism (standard in 1941).] ... ... Shanghai,
Associated Press, The New York Times, Fri.,
July 25, 1941: Foreign advices from Saigon
said today it was reported there the Japanese
would land between 40,000 and 50,000 troops
in French Indo-China about July 30.

[On July 14, U.S. intelligence intercepted
Japanese radio transmissions revealing plans to
occupy Indo-China, peacefully if possible, by
force if necessary, as a stepping-stone to the oil
of the Netherlands Indies. "Seizing" Singapore
would also be required, but an attack on the
Philippines was not mentioned. ... On July 21,
France reluctantly agreed to allow Japanese
bases in Southern Indo-China. The Japanese
convoy of occupation forces en route to Indo-
China purposely did not sail in secrecy. By
broadcasting their military position during
the movement, the Japanese hoped to deceive
U.S. and British intelligence into believing that
Japanese deployments, which always seemed to
be moving south (thousands of miles from
Hawaii), could be easily monitored.
Meanwhile, Japanese air bases in Indo-China
would eliminate the need for aircraft carriers in
the eventual assault on the Netherlands Indies,
making a proposal for a simultaneous knockout
blow against the U.S. Navy in Pearl Harbor,
now under consideration, seem more attractive.
The proposal called for an aircraft-carrier task
force to sail for Hawaii in radio silence.]

Fenway Park, Boston, Associated Press,
The New York Times, Friday, July 25, 1941:
After staggering briefly, Robert Moses Grove
recovered today and trudged sturdily into the
company of baseball's immortals, achieving the
300th victory of his fabulous major league
career as the Red Sox rallied to defeat the
Indians, 10-6. ... The Sox, trailing by four
runs, then by two, twice tied the count, but it
remained for Jimmie Foxx, who jumped to fame
with Grove as a member of the Athletics, to
provide the pay off clout [a two-run triple],
which broke the Clevelanders' hearts in the
8th inning. Then Old Moses breezed to his
earned triumph, which he had been denied in
two previous attempts to gain the select
circle last reached by Grover Cleveland
Alexander in the 20's. [Hurling for Connie
Mack's A's, Lefty Grove posted a 128-33 won-
lost record (161 decisions) from 1929 to 1933,
starting 157 games, completing 118, and
relieving in another 65. During that same
five-year span, teammate Foxx supported
Lefty at a season rate of 145 RBIs, 124 runs
scored, and 41 home runs while batting .341.]
... "The thrill of a lifetime? This is it!" grinned
Grove as little Dom DiMaggio, who caught Lou
Boudreau's fly for the final out, handed him the
winning ball in the locker room of the jubilant
Red Sox. ... Grove, tired and dripping with
sweat after being rushed by police through a
crowd of screaming fans, said he would send
the ball to Cooperstown, N.Y., to be placed in
baseball's Hall of Fame. ... "Quit now?" Grove
almost screamed to a question. "They'll have
to cut the uniform off me. I'm going out for
another 300." ... Victory was particularly
sweet for the 41-year-old left-hander because
in his two previous quests he had seen his
teammates fail him, first at bat as Bobo
Newsom shut them out in Detroit, 2-0, then in
the field as Johnny Rigney gained an extra-
inning decision. ... There was none of that
today, and the Sox blazed back with all their
renowned power after giving the Indians a
4-0 jump in the first three innings, while Joe
Krakauskas was holding them hitless. ... They
got two runs back in the 4th, driving
Krakauskas to the showers in the process, and
Ted Williams tied the score in the 5th with a
powerful belt into the right-field stands with
Lou Finney on base. ... Cleveland added a
pair in the 7th, but Boston bounced right back
in its half to tie when Jim Tabor whaled one of
Mel Harder's offerings into the left-field screen
with Williams aboard. Grove fended off the
Indians handily in the 8th, then Foxx insured
No. 300, tripling to right center after DiMaggio
and Joe Cronin had walked. Tabor followed
with his second homer. [Al Milnar relieved in
the 7th with two outs and received credit for
Cleveland's loss in the 8th when Foxx tripled in
two runs, giving Boston an 8-6 lead. ... Lou
Boudreau singled, doubled, and hit a home run
in five at bats for the Indians and Ken Keltner
doubled twice. Boudreau and Jeff Heath
(Indians) each stole a base. ... Lefty gave up
12 hits, issued one pass, and fanned six. At
the plate, he doubled in four at bats.
Defensively, Boston totaled ten assists and
recorded nine outfield flyouts. ... Time of
game was 2:27. Attendance was 10,000 paid,
6,000 ladies. ... With the victory, third-place
Boston improved its record to 48-43, trailing
Cleveland by four games. The Indians fell to
53-40, eleven behind the pacesetting Yanks at
63-28. ... The umpires were Bill McGowan
behind the plate, John A. Quinn at first, and
Bill Grieve at third. ... Grove began his big-
league career at the age of 25. His record
after Friday's game was 300-138, 7-4 on the
year. ... With the bat, Grove finished his
career hitting .148 in 1,369 at bats. He hit 15
home runs. ... This would be Lefty's last
victory.]

Starting Lineups

Cleveland Indians
Lou Boudreau ss
Larry Rosenthal cf
Gee Walker lf
Jeff Heath rf
Ken Keltner 3b
Hal Trosky 1b
Oscar Grimes 2b
Gene Desautels c
Joe Krakauskas p

Boston Red Sox
Dom DiMaggio cf
Lou Finney rf
Joe Cronin ss
Ted Williams lf
Jimmie Foxx 1b
Jim Tabor 3b
Bobby Doerr 2b.
Johnny Peacock c
Lefty Grove p

Baseball and World War II

When Baseball Went to War

[As of this posting, Chicago Cub pitcher Greg
Maddux's W-L record stands at 299-170. His
next start should be in a couple of days. ...
Stay tuned for late breaking war bulletins.
... Globalization41.]