Jan. 5, 1942: Nazi patrols plow through students protesting in Paris’ Latin Quarter, “firing a warning burst from machine guns over the heads of the crowd” and then proceeding to “clean up the situation,” The New York Times reports. “A separate report stated that at least 100 hostages had been ‘liquidated.’ ”

Japanese immigrants Henry Morishita and K. Goto try to establish their San Diego vegetable market as the headquarters of the Free Japanese Committee to Aid Democracy, which would raise money to help U.S. defense.

Times columnist Tom Treanor, who was killed covering the liberation of France, muses on what life will be like after the war.

“In the aircraft factories, employment of women, after a lull, is about to pick up again. Experience to date has shown that women can do what has heretofore been considered men’s work and do it satisfactorily. Many jobs they perform better,” Treanor says.

Redondo Beach Councilwoman Bernice Venable has come up with a play to beautify the many blocks of right of ways abandoned by the Pacific Electric Railway.

“When the Pacific Electric abandoned its right of way the removal of rails left broad stretches of unsightly, broken ground centering some of the city’s most scenic residential boulevards,” The Times says.

And yes, that means the streetcar system was already being dismantled before World War II. Are you surprised? Good.

Nathan Marsak, this is for you: Recent enemy submarine activity off the coast has restricted the movement of tankers, which in turn has curtailed oil production. The Times once covered the mining and oil industries, believe it or not.

Film director Fritz Lang is planning a lecture tour on “Fear Psychology.”

Jimmie Fidler says: Study in contrasts: Bouncing Betty Grable and sedate Judy Garland at adjoining tables at the Mocambo.