1934 (MONDAY)
GERMANY: President of the Reichstag Hermann Göring, speaking in Chancellor Adolf Hitler's name, offers to guarantee all of Romania's borders, including those with the Soviet Union and Hungary, and to completely rearm Romania with modern weapons, if it will pledge to oppose any attempt by Soviet troops to cross Romanian territory. Nicolae Titulescu, the Romanian Prime Minister, however, had previously promised the French and Czechoslovaks to allow the Soviets to cross Romania in case of war. Titulescu then attempts to conceal Göring's offer from his ministry and the Romanian government.
1936 (THURSDAY)
BELGIUM: Belgium's most important Fascist party is led by the charismatic Leon Degrelle. He founded the Christus Rex (Rexist Party) in 1935 and within a year has won 21 seats in Parliament. Today, the Belgian government proclaims martial law and clamps down on the fascists and Degrelle is arrested in the crackdown.
GERMANY: The first test-drive of the Volkswagen ("people's car") vehicle ("The Beetle") began today, and Porsche employees drove the VW 3-series model over 800 kilometers (497 miles) a day, making any necessary repairs at night. After three months of vigorous testing, Porsche and his engineers concluded, in their final test verdict, that the Volkswagen "demonstrated characteristics which warrant further development."
SPAIN: The Spanish Republicans (Socialists) transfer Spain's gold reserves to the Soviet Union.
October 22nd, 1939 (SUNDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: U.S. freighter SS Patrick Henry, detained by the British since 10 October, is released.
FRANCE: U.S. freighters SS Endicott and SS West Gambo are detained by French authorities at LeHavre and portions of their cargo ordered ashore as contraband; 750 bales of carbon black from West Gambo and 2,276 bars of copper and 1,796 bags of carbon black from Endicott.
GERMANY: Berlin: The propaganda minister, Josef Goebbels, calls Churchill a liar in a radio broadcast.
FINLAND: Helsinki: Finnish envoys leave for new talks in Moscow.
EGYPT: U.S. steamship SS President Hayes is detained by British naval authorities at Alexandria and searched for contraband.
UNITED STATES: The first National Football League game is televised by the National Broadcasting Company's W2XBS; the Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Eagles 23-14 at Ebbetts Field in Brooklyn. The play by play announcer is Allen (Skip) Walz.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: The British motor ship Trevanion (5299 BRT) is stopped and sunk by the Graf Spee. (Navynews)