National Geographic February 1940

Our Most Versatile Vegetable Product: Rubber Drops from Millions of Tropical Trees Are Transformed by Genii Chemists into Myriad Articles, from Tires to Teething Rings
American factories produce rubber from Indonesian trees for use in automobiles, conveyor belts, Hollywood movie props, and hot- air balloons.
Behind Netherlands Sea Ramparts: Dikes and Pumps Keep Ocean and Rivers at Bay While a Busy People Carries on Peacetime Work
A nation with two- fifths of its land below sea level, the Netherlands relies on a system of dams, dikes, and pumps for survival; if attacked, however, the country plans to flood strategic areas.
Flashes from Finland
These photographs capture everyday life in Finland, including Helsinki, which was bombed by Russia in November 1939.
France Farms as War Wages: An American Explores the Rich Rural Region of the Historic Paris Basin
As France joins the Second World War, its quiet farming villages continue to produce cheese, bread, cider, wine, and lace.