In Berlin… Hans Frank, former Reich Minister of Justice and a high-ranking Nazi official, is designated to become governor of the General Government region of former Poland. His administrative capital is to be located in Cracow.

In Moscow… The Soviet government denies the British claim to have a right to stop Soviet merchant ships bound for Germany.

In the United States… On the eve of the Senate vote on amending the Neutrality Act, President Roosevelt delivers a fireside chat: “In and out of Congress we have heard orators and commentators and others beating their breasts proclaiming against sending the boys of American mothers to fight on the battlefields of Europe. That I do not hesitate to label as one of the worst fakes in current history. It is a deliberate setup of an imaginary bogy.”

In Britain… The Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps is formed.

In London… Chamberlain responds to claims made by the Nazi Foreign Minister Ribbentrop that Britain sought and plotted for war with Germany. He says “the whole world knows that this is not true.”

On the Western Front… Wintry conditions prevail with much rain and snow. Minor encounters between patrols and artillery fire from both sides is reported.