`New York Times' Coverage of 1932 to 1948 History Revisited: Part 2

Between 1932 and 1948, the New York Times newspaper claimed to always be providing its readers with accurate information about what was going on during the 1932 to 1948 period of world history. But between 1932 and 1948, the New York Times sometimes printed articles that turned out to be historically accurate; and sometimes also printed articles that turned out to be historically inaccurate.

In a November 22, 1939 article, headlined "Gandhi Warns Britain On India's Role," for example, the New York Times noted that "Mohandas K. Gandhi told Britain bluntly today that...they could not participate in the" then-inter-imperialist "war against Germany unless they obtained in return `complete freedom for India...'" from being ruled by UK imperialism's government. And in a January 5, 1940 article (that, perhaps, may not have been featured on the New York City newspaper's front page), headlined "Jews Lay Torture To Nazis In Poland," the New York Times stated:

"...Jewish sources cite excerpts from reports by the German police in Lodz itself--excerpts, Jews say, that have been printed in the Schlesiche Zeitung of Breslau. The police are quoted as saying there have been wholesale executions in Lodz and at least 100 Jews shot. The German police, it is added, reported that 1,000 Jews surrounded a synagogue when the police wanted to search it and hundreds were killed when the police opened fire. The synagogue was burned..."

But in a May 11, 1940 article by Harold Denny, headlined "Allies See Victory In Low Countries: Military Leaders Emphasize Strength Of The Defenses Of Netherlands And Belgium," the New York Times stated:

"London, May 10--Though the scope and exact objectives of Germany's sudden invasion of the Low Countries cannot be defined this early, military leaders express complete confidence in the ability of the British and French to defeat Germany if the new operations takes the nature of a wheel into Northern France, such as Britain's little army faced in 1914.

"The German armies will meet far more effective opposition than they encountered in the last war..."

Then, after UK imperialism and French imperialism's allied military forces failed to defeat German imperialism's military forces in the Low Countries in May and June 1940, the New York Times, in a July 3, 1940 article, headlined "Gandhi Appeals To Britain To Seek Peace With Nazis," reported:

"Mohandas K. Gandhi tonight appealed to all Britons to cease hostilities with Germany and urged that they settle their differences with `non-violent methods.'

"The Indian Nationalist leader urged Britain not to enter `undignified competition with the Nazis in destructive power.'..."
(end of part 2)