FINLAND: Arndt Pekurinen, the founder and chairman of the Finnish Anti-militarist League, is executed near the front-line in Uhtua after he has for three times refused to wear a uniform and carry a rifle.

Pekurinen was a principled pacifist, and it was largely thanks to him that in 1930s there became available a non-military alternative for the conscription. Back then Pekurinen had refused to perform military service, and was sentenced for jail. His case attracted international interest, and because of this pressure a law was made to accommodate conscientious objectors. But this law applied only for peace time. When the Winter War began, Pekurinen went again to jail. In 1941 Pekurinen was ordered from jail to front, where he rather chose to die before a firing squad than carry a rifle.

Whatever one thinks of Pekurinen's ideals, one has to feel certain respect for his commitment for them. There are only very few people who are ready to die for their ideals, esp. when the ideals run counter the main stream of the times.

U.S.S.R.: Soviet submarine V-3 launched.

The Soviet submarine SC-324 is lost after its last communication today for unknown reasons. All hands are lost.

JAPAN: Tokyo: The Japanese government sends Saburo Kurusu to Washington to help with negotiations with the Americans on a settlement to the question of Japan's role in South-east Asia.

The discussions have not been very successful. Today, the Japanese Foreign Ministry sends the following message to their embassy in Washington, D.C.: "(Of utmost secrecy). Because of various circumstances, it is absolutely necessary that all arrangements for the signing of this agreement be completed by the 25th of this month. I realize that this is a difficult order, but under the circumstances it is an unavoidable one. Please understand this thoroughly and tackle the problem of saving the Japanese-U. S relations from falling into a chaotic condition. Do so with great determination and with unstinted effort, I beg of you. This information is to be kept strictly to yourself only."�

Japan's commanders today ordered the imperial Japanese navy to prepare for a surprise attack on the US fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

The secret move follows the Japanese decision this autumn to carry out a simultaneous attack on Malaya and Philippines to get to the oilfields of the Dutch East Indies. Some commanders were reluctant to attack the Philippines, which are US territory, and bring the USA into the war, and a pre-emptive strike was seen as essential to hamper US defence efforts.

The idea of attacking Pearl Harbor was not new, but it took the determination of the Japanese C-in-C, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, to sell it to his colleagues. He studied English at Harvard and was a naval attache in Washington, and knows the potential power of the USA. He believes that only a surprise air attack will guarantee success. However, Japan's leaders agree that before any attack there should be one last attempt at a negotiated deal on Japan's role in Far East. If this fails, Japan and the USA will be at war before Christmas.

Detroit: The British ambassador in America, Lord Halifax, was pelted with eggs and tomatoes by women protesters last night as he completed a two-day tour of Detroit's arms production centres. 

Only one well-aimed egg actually hit the envoy. One hour later he visited the Henry Ford hospital to have an eye infection treated. The women were protesting against the possible entry of America into the war, though the identity of the group is not known. The American Mothers and The Mothers of the USA both blamed each other.

Destroyer USS Conway laid down.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The search for a German raider reported by British Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RAF) oiler Olwen yesterday continues; Commander-in-Chief South Atlantic (Vice Admiral Algernon U. Willis, RN) informs British ships of the unsuccessful efforts by the five USN ships (two light cruisers and three destroyers) involved in the search the previous day.