2/9-2/15/47

2/9 Sunday Read "The Red and the Black" by de Stendahl. Played chess with Eugene and he advised Sylvia in between on how to play with the captured pieces. Lillian's cold has resurged again. The kids played casino and cut out alphabet letters. Eugene also played some records. The portal-to-portal test case of the Mt. Clemens pottery workers was dismissed by Judge Picard on the basis that the time involved was de "minimus".

2/10 Lillian got Eugene a winter jacket $6.00, shoes $6.29 Size 2 1/2EE and boots $3.00 all at Alexanders. Also slacks for Sylvia $2.00. Over 100 were burned to death in a German night club fire in the British zone. The CMU will be dissolved because Curran's resignation has made it ineffective. Eugene asked me tonight whether there really are any witches, fairies and giants. He suspected there weren't. In school, Eugene was beaten for the presidency by Judy K 6-5 but won the V.P. getting 17 votes after a triple tie of 5 each between him and two other boys. At night saw "The Jolson Story" with Danny [sic] Parks playing a great role as Jolson whose singing voice is dubbed in. Evelyn Keyes is Ruby Keeler.

2/11 Told that tomorrow was Lincoln's Birthday Sylvia pleaded with us to go to the birthday. Eugene hasn't been eating quite as well lately. He complained his belly hurt and didn't eat his liver at lunch. The coal shortage has blacked out a large part of England. Final peace treaties were signed with Italy, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria & Finland with Allied occupation troops to leave within 90 days. Board of Estimate hearings on the 5¢ subway started at City Hall with real estate and landlord interests versus peoples organizations represented. At Supper Eugene vomited profusely. Lillian then gave him an enema.

2/12 Eugene's temperature was normal today but he was washed out and fell asleep after lunch. Susan also had a spell of vomiting lately. It seems to be a contagion. Sylvia is learning to tell time. Hearings on the 5¢ fare ended with O'Dwyer to announce his decision. Anti-red moves urging secession on the U.E.R.M.W. [?] and M M & Smelter. C.I.O. unions are winning scant success. 

2/13 Eugene was very tired all day yesterday. He stayed home from school today with 100° temp. Sylvia hasn't the restraint Eugene used to have. She is all over the house examining everything she comes across whether she is supposed to or not. England is fighting a severe winter bringing a shortage of coal. Another Judge has ruled in favor of Talmadge. U.S. & Canada have pooled their arctic military resources. The Board of Estimate voted 15-1 against a fare increase.

2/14 Read "The F.B.I. in Peace and War" by F. L. Collins. Lillian read "The Left Hand is the Dreamer" by Nancy Wilson Ross. Sidney Toler is dead. Our neighbor Mrs. Kreisler finally got Sylvia to visit her alone by calling her a baby. Sylvia returned as usual with hands full of candy. Eugene back to school. He gets 100 in all his tests. Visited Al at the Vets hospital where he is getting a pension checkup. Danny "goes to sleep" no matter where he sees a blanket.

2/15 The kids played hide and seek in the house this morning having a lot of fun. Sylvia looks through the Book of Knowledge now.

2/2-2/8/47

2/2 Sunday We both read Mrs. Palmer's Honey by Fanny Cook. Interesting story of the C.I.O.'s answer to the Negro question. We all went down to the R.C.A. building intending to visit the Museum of Science and Industry but it being closed we shopped the lovely things in the corridors of the bldg. Then to watch a little ice skating outside and home on the bus. At home Eugene got the 1 to 10 card trick in about 10 minutes with some help. At supper he said the egg was good and then gagged. Sylvia set the table. Lillian's cold still bothers her. The campaign against labor and liberals continues. Virginia has put through a ban on the closed shop. Five War dep't workers, Jewish union officials have been discharged on the charge of being Communists.

2/3 When Eugene was small he used to say "The best way to say pyjamas is circular pyjamas, pop-pop pyjamas". Sylvia recently asked Lillian to "pray, give me a towel". She got the word from "The Lilac tree" which the kids like so much. All English citizens have been evacuated from Tel Aviv as part of the general evacuation of Palestine. Meanwhile, Jewish conservatives and extremists are battling. President DeNicola swore in a new Italian cabinet. DeGasperi remains Premier.

I think I was aping some commercial; the line sounds familiar. 

2/4 Eugene played with Richard M. last night and enjoyed it as Richard is a year older than Eugene. Sylvia still builds big picnics with barns. The giant kiddy car brings the kids to the picnic. Sir Cunningham has issued an ultimatum to the Jewish Agency to cooperate in capturing all terrorists. Lillian played school with Sylvia this morning, Sylvia enjoying the drawing and reading exercises.

2/5 Eugene didn't go to school today because of the sudden cold wave. Yesterday he entered Class 2B - the class is still called 2-6 Room 304 Teacher - new - Mrs. Dwyer. This is a version Eugene made up of the Lilac Tree "A little girl and a little boy, Said the little boy to the little girl "Please give me just one kiss, Said the L.G. to the L.B. "Please give me just one siss. The boy went to find a siss and the girl went to find a kiss. The boy found the siss, The girl found the kiss. The boy gave the girl the siss and the girl gave the boy a kiss. The siss fell out of the girl and the kiss fell out of the boy". Eugene drew "Copper-Toed Boots" by M. DeAngeli "Wakaima and the Clay Man" African Folk Tales by Kalibala and Davis and "Pinocchio in America" by Angelo Patri which he loved. Sylvia is full of mischief. Tonight she dunked her cookie in her milk. Incidentally she doesn't like prunes. Lillian took Eugene to Dr. Rosenberg - Chirop. downstairs when he complained his leg hurt. Irving said his shoes should be wedged and gave him some foot exercises to do. Gerhart Eisler has been arrested as an enemy alien. Admiral Mitscher is dead.

2/6 Palestine Jews have rejected the ultimatum. "Citizen Tom Paine" is to be banned by the Board of Ed.! Sylvia doesn't like bread pudding or bread. She said the 'O' & 'C' were brother and sister. Eugene devoured "Pinocchio in America". Ellen Wilkinson is dead at 56 Hans Fallada at 53.

2/7 Sylvia vomited twice this morning before breakfast. She said her 'belly' hurt her. No temperature. Eugene is monitor of his line and helper to children who are behind in their work. They play "The King's Keys" where a child hides his eyes and guesses who has the keys. Eisler is charged with a plot to overthrow the American gov't and with being chief Moscow agent in America. A package came from Evelyn with two home made blouses for Sylvia, two shirts for Eugene and crayons, connect the dot book, doll cut out book etc. for the kids. Max Gardner, appointed ambassador to England is dead.

2/8 Sylvia got an enema last night. Today she is all better. Eugene got his first books in school. Elson's 2nd reader and The New Required Spelling by Boylan and Taylor. Rocky Graziano's license has been revoked in NY. Superior Court Judge Porter has ruled M.E. Thompson the rightful Governor of Georgia and Talmadge an usurper.

1/26-2/1/47

1/26 Sunday Sylvia sang this morning "See-saw Marjorie Daw, Dolly shall have a new mother-in-law". Sylvia rode the bike today and Eugene skated without being assisted. Lil Harry and Susan over later. Susan eating without stop, calls herself 'Noony', is good as gold. Eugene & Harry typed notes to each other on the toy typewriter. Lillan E. had a cold affecting her neck glands today. We both read "Where's Sammy" by Sammy Schulman photographer, of his experiences in the world of news. US Steel workers won $30,000,000 in back pay. A gang of bandits robbed Silvers baths in Coney Island of $50,000. Grace Moore and Prince Gustaf Adolph of Sweden were among 22 killed in a plane crash.

1/27 The kids have a "red father" a red lock block,  not broken as Sylvia says. Eugene has 12 compliments and no charges. The Brazilian C.P. has polled about 1000,000 out of 6000,000 votes in Sunday's election. Al Capone is dead.

1/28 Sylvia wanted me to be a giant and swallow her people. Then she asked me to vomit them back. She says "ding dong babies go to sleep, Ding dong midnight daddies and mommies go to sleep". She made a birthday cake out of clay with toothpicks for candles for her dolly's birthday. Eugene told me "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again" when I couldn't do a cryptogram. The Jewish underground kidnapped a British Judge and businessman as hostages. The C.I.O. defeated a company union 4122-4014 at the Allis Chalmers plant, strike bound for ten months. Rocky Graziano confessed to D.A. Hogan to $100,000 offer to throw his fight with Cowboy Shank. He told the man to see him later, but decided to cancel the fight on a pretext.

1/29 The kids do the dishes sometimes Eugene drying and Sylvia putting them away. The Jewish underground released its two hostages after an ultimatum. Hundreds of thousands are demonstrating against the anti-democratic Japanese government. U.S. Steel has proposed an open shop. Over to Moms where Eugene brushed an urn with his arm and broke it. Gave Robert K. a scarf on his P.S. graduation. We saw "Night & Day" with Cary Grant as Cole Porter supported by Alexis Smith. Enjoyable musicale.

1/30 Eugene in trouble for eating sloppily, getting food all over him. He dawdles too much in the morning also. Sylvia helped as we did the fourth and last venetian blind today. Sec'y of State Marshall has proclaimed the end of our mediation in China. Mrs. Roosevelt is head of the UN Human Rights Commission.

2/1 When I got home last night I found the attached note on the table. Lillian had bought two ice cream tarts and Eugene suggested she cut them both in half so I would have some [see pasted in note on the scanned page below]. Sylvia was chastised today for persisting in calling Eugene a dope. MacArthur broke the projected Jap. general strike of gov't workers. A 10% rent rise was ordered by Controls Director Fleming but cancelled by Truman at the last minute. The A.F.L. hedged on the C.I.O.'s unity action plea. Johnny Kling is dead.

1/19-1/25/47

1/19 Sunday We all went out this afternoon for a walk, a rarity these days. Met the Rosenbergs and walked with them then stopped in their apt. for half an hour. Eugene surprised us by biting Bobby. During the walk, Sylvia romped with the two boys taking plenty of punishment. In their play the kids continually talk about 'death'. Arnall resigned as M E Thompson was sworn in as Lt. Gov. of Georgia and claimed the governorship due to Gene Talmadge's death. The latter's son Herman says he will submit if the courts rule against him. We saw "Claudia and David" with Dot Maguire [sic] and Robert Young, a story of the typical life of a young married couple and "Home Sweet Homicide" with Lynn Bari & Randolph Scott. Three children provide much amusement in a murder mystery. We had much trouble with Sylvia's eating at supper. We had a chopped salad of which she doesn't like several ingredients like radish and celery. Finally when Lillian threatened not to make further meals for her, she tearfully flustered "You'd better make them, or you'll see"

1/20 Eugene was all set to return to school but rainy weather kept him out again. When the kids disagree about a game to play, as this morning when Eugene wanted to play make-believe lotto and Sylvia real lotto, they "call up" their respective friends who always confirm them in their own desires. Then they usually compromise. Lillian got Eugene a toy typewriter we had seen last night in Fordham. A Greek ship went down with about 300 lost including 40 chained antifascists sailing to exile M.P.'s enroute to Athens for the opening session and members of Prince Paul's retinue. 12,000,000 Poles voted for members of the Sejm, with 23 killed in a much discussed election observed by many foreign correspondents. Dr. Velloso, Brazilian UN delegate, is dead.

I remember that typewriter!

1/21 Chas Krumbein is dead at 58. Italian Premier DeGasperi resigned attacking the C.P.  Socialist Foreign Minister Nenni resigned recently. We have secured postponement of disarmament talks until Feb. 4. Bloc of gov't parties won a big victory over opposition groups especially the Polish Peasant Party. Eugene returned to school today. His "News of the day" was his seventh birthday today. In the afternoon he brought lollys and cookies to school, reciting a poem there and the children writing verses about his birthday. At home Mother, Lilly & Susan over. Molly couldn't come. Bobby R came up with pops and Richard M to wish Eugene a happy birthday. The kids stayed having ice cream and cookies & milk and the birthday cake was lit & extinguished. Sylvia and Eugene later recited duets. Frieda's check came. Mother gave Eugene a bathrobe and Sylvia a skirt. Lillian brought socks for Eugene and a blouse for Sylvia. Bobby R sent a telegraph set. Gloria & Vivian came over later and brought a pencil bag. Eugene said he had a great day. We gave Mother a beautiful picture frame which was cracked when it got home. At night Herb P. up with Arnold's present, polo shirt and plaid shirt. Stayed home from work. Susan is always noshing something. When asked where mommy & daddy are going, she says 'Califoona'. Hank Greenberg was sold to the Pirates. His salary is $52,000.

1/22 Josh Gibson is dead at 35. Georgia students hung H. Talmadge in effigy. So. African C.P. leaders are on trial for sedition arising from the strike of miners for union recognition and raises from 50¢ to $2. per day. Lillian took Sylvia to Dr. Holzman who said she had a mild case of thrush not trench mouth or anemia. She is to cut out the copperin B and keep things out of her mouth. She is to use gentian violet and rinse her mouth once a day with a solution.

1/23 Eugene had an intelligence test in school. Gloria came up after school. Eugene broke her house when she asked him to but when he wouldn't rebuild it upon request, she stalked out. Drew for Eugene "Humphrey" by Marjorie Flack. 100 years of a turtle's life. "Shirley Visits the Zoo" by Belle J Benchley with photographs of the San Diego Zoo and "The Story of Your Coat" by Clara Hollos. Illus. by Herb Kruckman. Truman is sending Hoover to Europe on a food mission. Socialist Premier Ramadier has formed a cabinet with 9 Socialists 5 Communists 5 MRP members and others. Talmadge's White primary bill was stalled in the State legislature. 20,000 heard Haldane, AE Kohn and Foster at the Garden Lenin Memorial. Andy Volstead is dead at 87.  

1/24 Trouble with Eugene about his disagreeableness after school. Finally he claimed it was because he was tired. Sylvia again wouldn't go down with callers Betty Ann & Joyce. Teachers have voted to postpone a strike vote. Molly over with Eugene's presents, shirt and pyjamas.

1/25 Sylvia persists in putting things in her mouth. Eugene enjoyed playing with his jeep car and lock-blocks down stairs. D. Maximos succeeded Tsaldaris as Greek Premier. 4 men robbed the Bklyn Eagle 20,000 [sic] payroll.

1/12-1/18/47

1/12 Sunday In the park with the kids after lunch and we played what Eugene calls "stairway fun". We went up and down all the steps in the park in different ways ordered by Eugene. Pop over later as Mom went to a funeral and was delayed too much to get here. Lillian read "All Thy Conquests" by Alfred Hayes, of post war Italy. Eva Tanguay is dead.

1/13 Lillian bought some clothes for all of us but Sylvia so she said that wasn't fair. Eugene went back to school today. Deaths caused by bombings continue in Palestine.

1/14 Eugene developed a cough so Lillian kept him from school and asked me to take him to Dr. Holzman when I go. His weight there was 59 lbs height 4 ft 2 in. Dr. Holzman said he had a virus infection of the chest. He was to stay home but not in bed, get inhalations, mustard plaster, and a medicine he prescribed. I have an anal fissure, the doctor said which is not serious but could become so if not checked, as it leads to an ulcer. I am to take mineral oil to prevent constipation, sitz baths every other day and a suppository every night for twelve nights. A truck strike in England is being broken by troops. G. Saragat has led a faction out of the Italian Socialist Party in protest against cooperation with the C.P. He has also resigned his Presidency of the Constituent Assembly. Sylvia is writing letters, Eugene and I are making an automatic coder (Eugene pronounced the first syllable as one says the fish. He also said the Grolier Sockety) and Lillian is knitting a sweater for Isabel. Six Antarctic flyers of nine in a plane crash have been found alive. Ann Biden [?] over. She is now an insurance agent.

The Grolier Society was the publisher of the Book of Knowledge. Not sure if the name was actually "Biden", and don't know who she was.

1/15 Both kids took turns sitting on a toy chair belonging in the doll house. Sylvia loves to go through the Sears catalogue commenting on all the things she sees. London dockers are supporting the truckers strike. The three Polish spies have been sentenced to death. Dewey has proposed $300 temporary raises for teachers. Localities where teachers have already had raises may use the money for additional raises or reimburse themselves for raises given. Teachers unions find Dewey's plan entirely unsatisfactory. The Supreme Court "heard" the gov'ts case against Lewis but postponed decision.

1/16 Eugene tried to make a parachute and a violin out of a cigar box but failed. He played cards and lotto with Sylvia and romped with her inbetween. The Georgia legislature selected Herman Talmadge to succeed his father because he had received 675 write-in votes in the election but liberal Gov. Arnall held his office in a brawl between supporters of both and the case will go to the state Supreme Court. Dictator Morinigo has outlawed the Paraguayan C.P. O'Dwyer is leading a Tammany faction's revolt against the leadership. William Jansen was elected Superintendent to replace retiring Dr Wade. Went to A&B Venetian Blind Co. at 59 Walker St and bought 7 yds blue ladder tape and 7 yds off white at 25¢ per yard. 20 yds each blue and off white cord at 4¢ per yard. 4 slats - gratis.

1/17 This morning we repaired the first venetian blind. Mom over this afternoon. Eugene has to be reminded continually to help his food along with his bread instead of his fingers. Sylvia has to be reminded to eat but does much better than she used to. She still has a lot of dislikes. Eugene dislikes only eggs. Talmadge's gang seized the Georgia Capitol. Raids were made on the India C.P. districts ostensibly to find certain documents. The US Army and Navy have agreed on a Unification plan. London strikers have won the 8 hour day. Churchill has launched his 'United Europe' plan. Vincent Auriol - S.P. has been elected President of the French Republic supported by the C.P. 15 were killed in a Penna [Pennsylvania] mine explosion after the mine had been declared gassy. Bill Tilden has been sentenced to nine months hard labor for contributing to juvenile delinquency. Morinigo has jailed C.P. leaders.

I was and am OK with hard boiled egss (but only really the yolk) but couldn't ever stand coddled eggs.

1/18 Sylvia wants to know if I ever saw a fairy push a witch or vice versa. She is also obsessed with giants which she mentions often. She broke her second milk glass this week by biting it. Eugene dried all the dishes after lunch. 10,000 teachers rallied at a B. of Ed. public hearing for wage rises. 

1/5/-1/11/47

1/5 Sunday Eugene woke with a stuffed nose. We went to Molly for dinner. Mike Ev & Isabel Lilly Altschuler Thelma and Harold there. Also Frieda K. We found Molly in bed suffering with a back-ache. The kids exchanged presents. Milton took their pictures. At home Eugene had 101° and got his second argyrol pack. The Congressional filibuster collapsed as Bilbo left Washington for another mouth operation. 35 other Senator elects were then sworn in. Two of the nine jailbreakers were captured. The Americans for Democratic Action sponsored by the U.D.A. and a rival to the P.C.A. was formed. Among the officers are Bolte, Dubinsky, White, John Green, Wolchok, Reuther, Niebhur [sic] & Wyatt. Also attending were Mrs. Roosevelt, Haywood Carey L. Henderson. Ogden Reid is dead at 64. Read Seldes "The Facts Are".

1/6 While the kids wait for their milk, they sing "Peddy por py pilk, ready for my milk", repeat the same and then "And here it is". Sylvia threatened to 'must' up my hair if I didn't accede to her wishes. Eugene had a difficult night but was normal this morning. It was Democratic Sen. Taylor who started the Anti-Bilbo proceedings in the Senate. The reaction dominated [?] Republicans are participating only on a partisan basis against the Democrat Bilbo. Wilson Wyatt and Leon Henderson are Co-Chairmen of the new Americans for Dem. Action. Went to the library with Sylvia and drew for Eugene "The Tortoise and the Geese" Fables of Bidpai retold by M. B. Dutton and Fire! The Mascot by Paul Brown. Sylvia was irrepressible today and full of mischief. She seems to be [at] a new stage where she refuses to obey as far as she dares. Going to bed she asked at what age one could be be [sic] a baby. Deciding in that she said 10 was a high school, and 100 a giant. Saw "Sister Kenny" great film with Rosalind Russell playing a fine role, Alexander Knox co-starring; also Gary Cooper in "The Westerner" portraying the battle between cattle raisers and homesteaders. Eugene out of school.

1/7 Eugene still in bed. Sylvia insisted she finished first once at meal-time and we were all fourth. Anglo-Iranian Oil Co has agreed to sell us oil. We have asked that Dairen be opened to international commerce. Truman's address to Congress asked for curbs on strikes over differences in interpretation of contracts; curbs on strikes in vital industries, universal military training, ban on income tax cuts, enactment of social legislation. Camera-gun mastermind Rocco was killed by cops upstate.

1/8 Eugene out of bed. The kids played together all day with a minimum of quarreling. Sylvia has recently formed this habit of speaking ""Can I do so and so, Can I?" "Does a giant do so and so, does it?" Eugene kicked Sylvia yesterday. Gen. Marshall has left his mission in China with a blast at irreconcilables in both factions. He will replace Byrnes as Sec'y of State, the latter having resigned on account of illness. Football pros Hapes and Filchock told of being wined and dined and offered bribes which they refused to throw the game with the "Bears".

1/9 Eugene has 100° every night so he is still in the house. Sylvia's delight is to join us in a "loving house" when we're embracing. The NMU Council rejected Curran's C.M.U. resignation 20-18. Truman in his economic message admitted the necessity of higher wages and lower prices, asked for extension of rent control, F.E.P.C., Social security expansion, housing programs. Bookmaker A. J. Paris was found guilty of attempted bribery of two football pros. The kids watched Lillian make cookies and were soon making their own out of clay. Hapes & Filchock have been suspended. Harold Dade defeated Manuel Ortiz to win the World's Bantamweight title the latter had held for five years.

Regarding the "loving house", not only Sylvia's delight!

1/10 Sylvia has a stuffed nose, apparently caught from Eugene and is also confined to the house the last couple of days. Ernie K. over in fairly good shape. We are anxious to have the "Big 3" protest to Poland on alleged acts of terrorism and intimidation against opposition parties. At Lake Success we insisted on acceptance of the Baruch Atomic Plan before discussion of the disarmament resolution.

1/11 Normal last night, both kids had 100° this P.M. due no doubt to their energetic playing. Poles on trial told of giving secrets to the British Embassy. Truman's 1948 budget is 37 billion with 12 billion military outlay. A Harlem fire has resulted in 8 deaths already.

12/29/46-1/4/47

12/29 Sunday Played with the kids all day - anagrams, chess, puzzles, science problems, then anagrams with Lillian at night. Had hot dogs for supper and both kids liked [? two unreadable words]. When I said a fairy brought the book of Knowledge into my room, Sylvia said "And truly?"

12/30 The kids put their balloons away with Eugene writing signs as: "Mr balloons napping place". This balloon kills giants and Indians. The N.C.P.A.C. and the I.C.C. merged into the historic Progressive Citizens of America with co-chairmen Frank Kingdon & Jo Davidson. Wallace keynoted the session. Treasurer M. Nisselson, Secretary Herman Shumlin. Among the Vice-chairmen are LaGuardia, Phil Murray, Paul Robeson Orson Welles, J R Walsh. Carrie J. Bond is dead at 84. We took the kids down with their skates. Sylvia, on her beginners, had no trouble.

12/31 This is the way Eugene spelled 'enough' - 'a naufth'. Sylvia mopes around half the time when Eugene isn't playing with her. The Baruch atomic energy plan was adopted by the Commission 10-0 Russia and Poland abstaining. Russia's objection is that the plan seeks to eliminate the veto in applying sanctions against violators. "The Best Years of Our Lives" was voted best of the year by N.Y. movie critics. The Italian "The Open City" was voted the best foreign picture. Laurence Olivier and Celia Johnson won male and female acting honors. Dixie Tighe is dead.

The movie was apparently "Rome, Open City". The only movie I found with the actual title "The Open City" was a 2011 movie!

1/1/47 Eugene is 4 ft. 2 1/2 in. tall. Weight 62 lbs. Sylvia is 3 ft. 6 3/4 in. tall. Weight 50 lbs. Over to mothers to see the beautiful new and remade furniture. Susan speaks well and 'noshes' incessantly. She had coffee, drained the kids milk, candy, roll, matzo, orange etc. She says 'Sissiya' for Sylvia. her [sic] name is 'Noonie Thaw'. Thousands of Chinese students are protesting the presence of American marines following the rape of a girl. The war between England and the Jews has flared up again with lashings and counter-lashings. President Truman proclaimed the end of hostilities at noon yesterday. NMU meetings saw NY and Phila support Curran and Baltimore. Boston and Norfolk condemn him.

1/2/47 With Eugene back in school Sylvia amused herself building lock block figures representing places as diverse as Africa and down-town. The British Labor Gov't has taken over the newly nationalized mines. The Senate Comm. has declared Bilbo guilty. A woman has been shot in a subway by a girl using a wrapped up gun which she thought was a camera with which a man evidently the estranged husband had asked her to 'shoot' the woman under a pretext. Tony Zale middleweight champ has been named 'fighter of the year'. Illinois defeated U of Cal. 45-14 in the Rose Bowl. Negro Buddy Young starred. Eugene got a compliment for being one of the few who kept in line in the school-yard. Mulloy beat Pails and Kramer beat Bromwich both in straight sets for a clean sweep. Jacob Fishman is dead. Charles W. Cadman is dead. Baruch resigned from the Atomic Energy Commission.

1/3 Most ports condemn Curran. A "House" Committee asked for prosecution of 46 C.I.O. Unions and the C.P. for alleged Election law violations. Another Comm. called for a rebuilding of Germany and break with Russia. Nine criminals broke out of the dilapidated Raymond St. jail. Eugene came home with four charges and two compliments. Sylvia again asked if she could marry Lil or me.

1/4 The kids went down alone. It transpired Cookie K knocked down Sylvia because she liked to hear her cry. Eugene claims he defended her. Stones were also thrown, Eugene's cheek being marked up. Congress' opening saw a filibuster develop over attempts to bar Bilbo from taking his seat in the Senate, with some Democrats supporting the Republican ouster move. Rabbi Wise has resigned from the Zionists.

12/22-12/28/46

12/22 Sunday Sylvia and Eugene got skates from Grandma. Eugene got his first lesson today. From school he brought home prizes won by all in his row: "Alladin" and a drawing set. The Christmas tree he drew was the best in his class. An earthquake and tidal wave in Japan has killed 1300 and left 20000 homeless. 8 hrs., all O.T.

12/23 Eugene is learning how to write long hand. Sylvia measures her urinations, viz. as big as the towel or the toothbrush. Ray Robinson, Friday won the vacant Welterweight title in a stirring 15-round decision over Tommie Bell. 2 hrs. O.T.

12/24 Sylvia is out of bed. Eugene called Bobby R. "a damn brat" in the yard. A Navy boat trying to land a Socony representative in Dairen Manchuria was ordered to leave by Soviet authorities in charge under the Russo-Chinese treaty. Suits for portal-to-portal pay amounting to a billion dollars will be instituted against hundreds of companies after a favorable Supreme Court decision. The City Council after an investigation adopted a report asking the end of tax exemptions for discriminatory schools. Lillian read "The Complete Dashiell Hammett" and "Reprisal" by Ethel Vance (G. Z. Stone). We both read "Color Blind" the clever discussion of anti-Negro prejudices by Margaret Halsey. John Barton (Jeeter Lester) and W. C. Fields are dead. 

12/25 Lillian and the kids went to mothers. The Edelsteins and Beckers there. The house, completely furnished is beautiful. Mom gave Sylvia a pack of cards which she keeps in her bag as her own. This morning the kids played casino. Mrs. Kreisler gave the kids their Christmas presents a bag and a book for Sylvia and a book for Eugene. Also a box of cherries for us. Eugene did the fifth anagram himself [see the scanned in page to understand this]. The kids are playing with the anagrams. 800,000 Nazi small fry were given a Christmas amnesty. Donald Day, Chicago Tribune correspondent who broadcast for the Nazis has been freed! The State Dept admitted the Russian right to ban the American landings in Manchuria. City workers have been give a $300 cost of living bonus. Joe Curran has resigned his Comm. for Maritime Unity post.

In addition to scanning in the page noted, I'm also including some UN info from the New York Times that had been pasted in on the opposite page, but had come loose, although there is no mention of it in Dad's text.

12/26 Lillian got up with an earache and a three day old cold a little worse. She went back to bed for a while but felt a little better after applying some hot oil to her oil [sic; surely "ear" was meant!] and was soon out. The kids went down after Bobby R. called but when it started snowing they came up saying it was raining. Sylvia was punished for saying "darn rat".[can't tell for sure, but it could be "dam rat"] The new Chinese Constitution was unanimously ratified with Kuomintang opponents absent. The kids played 'doctor' with Barbara at mom's yesterday. Each kid charged the other 'stank' today.

It's on the above scanned in page, so you can decide for yourself if he wrote "darn" or "dam".

12/27 Eugene drew "The White Duckling & Other Stories" - Russian folk tales translated by N. H. Dole. Also "Lets Find Out" by N&H Schneider - a picture Science book and "The Little French Farm" by Lida. Sylvia had a toy in her mouth. When Eugene said she would die she took it out and said "See, I'm not died". Labor party rebels are gaining in their fight against Bevin's foreign policy. Fighting continues in China and Hanoi where the French are gaining. Comm of Corrections Amoroso has been ousted by O'Dwyer in connection with the bribery scandal. There was no Dairen Ultimatum, it was disclosed by the State Dept.

12/28 With Ted Schroeder playing the match of his life, we defeated Australia in both singles the opening day and clinched the Davis Cup in the doubles. Australia had taken the cup from us in 1939 the last year matches were held. Results Ted Schroeder defeated John Bromwich 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 0-6, 6-3. Jack Kramer beat Dinny Pails 8-6, 6-2, 9-7. Kramer & Schroeder beat Bromwich and Adrian Quest 6-2, 7-5, 6-4. Mulloy, Talbert, Tom Brown and Frankie Parker all members of the American team failed to be named for the matches tho' they all traveled to Australia. Parker especially was put out about it. We went to Barbara Becker's fourth birthday party traveling in Harry's car. Mom went but Pop was tired. Susan 'noshed' all day. All the children at the party had a good time. Sylvia got a hot water bottle bottle [sic - I'm pretty sure the first "bottle" was supposed to be "doll"] after recitation of "Row, row, row your boat" and Eugene got a pencil box after singing "God Bless America". All got balloons also. It is disclosed butter prices have been artificially rigged up to raise the price of milk. Now sugar is being cornered. A break in prices is beginning. Bob Wagner Jr. has replaced N T Saxl as N.Y. Commissioner of Housing & Buildings.

12/15-12/21/46

12/15 Sunday In the afternoon to Arnold P's party. The kids brought him the Pinocchio records. They saw some childrens movies there. Sylvia got some shells to string from their Aunt Lillian and Eugene a crow shooting game. Eugene persists in hitting Sylvia when annoyed. Today we punished him for it. Ward Beecher Caraway who claimed he was under the influence of drugs when he killed Mrs. M. C. Logand [sic] and robbed and shot her daughter will die in the chair. He is a Negro. No work.

Apparently the name was actually "Logan".

12/16 Went to the library with Sylvia. She touched me then herself alternately to choose who should go step way and who slide way. Eugene was upset because Gloria said she didn't want to speak to him. W.F.T.U. got the right to submit questions to the UN. A plot has been uncovered to fix the world championship football game between the Bears and Giants won yesterday by the Bears 24-14. Implicated is a N.J. gambling syndicate and a N.Y. front man Alvin Paris. Lewis Valentine is dead at 64. 2 hours O.T.

I believe that "step way" and "slide way" referred to the hill leading from Kingsbridge Road to the library, which had a lot of steps, or one could go down the grass/rock hill, or a paved incline. 

12/17 Sylvia threatened not to lend me her eraser if she couldn't look at the big "alboom" of pictures. Eugene has to blow his nose during the night, also complained his lip and eye hurt him. The UN General Assembly closed its first session held in the U.S. Monday morning at Flushing Meadows. Siam was admitted as the 55th member of the UN. The I.R.O. (Intern'l Refugee Org.) constitution was approved for submission to member states by 30-5, Russia complaining quislings would be allowed to escape under the agreement. At the Bilbo hearings many contractors revealed gifts to Bilbo in return for aid in war contracts. Blum picked an all Socialist interim cabinet. 12000 at the Garden saluted the Spanish Republicans, hearing Toledano, Del Vayo, Oscar Lange, Masaryk, Kasonovitch, Parodi, Potofsky, Barsky, Wolff and Fritchman. It was charged we and England wish to keep Franco as a war base. 3 hours O.T. Senator Bailey dead at 73. Pay check $135.07.

12/18 Sadie and the kids over yesterday. The contrast between Fredi and Arline's behavior is great. Eugene and Sylvia are anxious to see Santa. The U.O.P.W.A. has endorsed the C.I.O.'s resolution against interference by the C.P. or any other party or group. Merrill has gone beyond the C.I.O. in resigning from the New Masses and Jefferson School! Money collected for his church went almost entirely to Bilbo. His former secretary Ed Terry, found in a hospital after threats against his life is testifying now. Paris is in jail without bail after a phoned threat against his life. Football Giants Hapes and Filchock have been named in the scandal. Filchock has been cleared and participated in the Sunday game. Hapes is still under supervision. 4 hrs. O.T.

12/19 Sylvia went down with Betty-Ann L. today although pathetically. Dope and sex have been added to the Bilbo trial. Truman defended our intervention in China. 23 Nazi doctors on trial for war crimes have been guilty of every possible perversion of the medical profession "to further medical science". Steel, Radio and Auto unions have issued a joint wage policy statement. The UAW also supported all-labor unity. Yugoslavia charged Greek violations of its borders at Lake Success. Another front man for the gambling syndicate has been arrested, J. Zarowitz. The syndicate made $25000,000 on football bets. Lillian and the kids went to mothers bringing Susan a xylophone. The furniture is beautiful. 4 hours O.T.

12/20 Sylvia is in bed with a cold. Eugene will bring home a picture highly praised by his teachers. The Security Council voted to send a fact-finding commission into the Balkans to investigate counter charges of Greece and Yugoslavia. A P Sloan presented a program of smashing labor unions. Kingdon and Steel are off the air. Paul Langevin is dead at 74. Sylvia got a doll house with furniture. 4 hrs. O.T. No $20 check.

12/21 Truman urged a universal military training plan playing down the military angle. War has flared up again between France and the Viet Nam republic in Indo-China. French Communists walked out of a gov't meeting discussing the issue. 8 hrs. All O.T. Gene Talmadge is dead.

12/8-12/14/46

12/8 Sunday This is Eugene, I was just promoted. I am in 2a now. But I don't have any 2a work yet. [me again; see scanned-in page. Note that I'm now printing in upper and lower case!] Sylvia wrote with crayons on the wall today. Lewis called of [sic] the mine strike. The country's greatest hotel fire saw 122 killed and 100 injured in the Winecoff hotel in Atlanta. The Bilbo investigation saw scores of courageous Negroes testify they were denied the right to vote after Bilbo's intimidating declamations. Eugene is at the stage where he spells out words he wishes to say. In the evening to Manhattan Plaza for the wedding of Thelma Altschuler and Harold Seigal. The feature was the 92 year old grandmother of Harold who danced several times.

We (Sylvia and I) believe that the Altschuler's were relatives, but we don't know the connection. 

12/9 Eugene drew "The King's Stilts" by Dr. Seuss, "Angelo, The Naughty One" by Helen Garrett, "How The Automobile Learned To Run" by Ilin & "The Story of Noah's Ark" by E. B. Smith. Eugene read about the big fire in the "Worker", his first news reading. Sylvia finally got a little bottle to use as a baby bottle for her doll. The UN Subcommittee on Spain of 18 nations called for a break with Franco. The Sydenham Hospital, only private inter-racial hospital had its Ambulance Service saved by public contributions. Got Capablanca's "Chess Fundamentals" in the library and started chess again. "Memoirs of Hecate County" by Edmund Wilson has been banned as obscene. Laurette Taylor is dead at 62.

12/10 Sylvia had a couple of squabbles on the sliding pond today but managed to survive. Eugene measured 51 1/2 inches in school today and was told he grew two inches since the last time. The UN Political Security Comm. voted to recall all ambassadors & ministers from Spain 23-4, 20 abstained. The UN Comm. on disarmament voted to ask withdrawal of armed forces of member states in other countries.

12/11 Sylvia wouldn't go down with Bobbie R. today as she couldn't take her bike or carriage in the street or go on the sliding pond. Eugene was doing a cryptogram from the clues I got and was almost late for school. Acting Sec'y of State Acheson has proposed a program for food relief which would interpose political considerations. There is a big shake-up in the Police dept. in the slain Scottoriggio's district. The Columbians in the South have been exposed through some confessions as a Nazi-modeled and aided conspiracy to overthrow the gov't. There is a consipiracy by big business to provoke strikes making a crack down on labor inevitable. Damon Runyon is dead at 61 and Walter Johnson at 59.

I hadn't done cryptograms for many years until a year or so ago, when I started doing the Newsday one every day.  

12/12 Sylvia threatened not to give me a bite of anything she eats if I don't let her look at the bag of pictures. Perusing them, she names every person and what they're doing out loud, Eugene came home from lunch with three nice things. The purchase of a stamp pad with a stamp bearing his name by Lillian was featured in his News of the Day. He also read part of a story to his class and corrected subsequent readers. Finally he learned subtraction with three figures. Yesterday he had been much upset when the teacher unjustly accused him of a scream. After lunch Gloria S. called for him and they played with the lock-blocks for ten minutes. Economist Robert Nathan has prepared for the C.I.O. a survey showing that industry can raise wages 25% with present prices. Labor must have a 23% increase to return to their January '45 status. JD Rockefeller Jr. has offered to buy a permanent site in Manhattan for the United Nations for 8 1/2 million dollars. Iran claims Azerbaijan has already capitulated to gov't troops after a two day attack.

I remember that stamp; I believe we still have it someplace. 

12/13 Sylvia threatened not to read Lillian a story from her book if she didn't get a cookie which she is always clamoring for. Eugene remarked for the first time that I wanted him to beat me when we raced to the corner. A fire at an abandoned ice house culminating in a reported blast which blew a brick wall on an old tenement house at 2515 Amsterdam Ave. caused a holocaust burying scores of tenants, killing and injuring many. The Senate War Investigating Comm. is now holding hearings on irregularities in war contracts involving Bilbo. Leon Blum has been chosen first Premier of the Fourth Republic as a compromise choice. Eugene broke his first lens carrying his soft case in his pocket. 2 hours O.T.

Definitely not the last lens I would break. Overtime for my father, a Post Office clerk, always grew towards Christmas 

12/14 Eugene is copying a story from one of his books in his nice script. Sylvia, in the yard with Eugene, started crying she wanted to go up but wouldn't go by herself. Victims are still being unearthed in 2515 Amsterdam Ave. Lillian and the kids went over to Sadie's after lunch. Later they had supper at mother's. 8 hours no comp day.

12/1-12/7/46

12/1 Sunday Eugene out of bed today. The kids played together all morning ending with the building of a great four room apartment. After lunch I took them down to St. James where we fed polly seeds to the birds. Then the kids went on the sliding ponds. At home, played different games with the kids using the French Spanish lotto game. They were very familiar with the objects on the boards, Eugene being faster at finding them than I was. Both still have running noses, Eugene still getting argyrol packs.

"French Spanish lotto game" sounds somewhat esoteric; I have no memory of that. 

12/2 Played with the anagrams with Sylvia to teach her some letters and she was delighted when I described a "D" as a pot belly. Played Eugene some real anagrams. Later we all played hit the marble. The veto is still the stormy petrel of the U.N. At night to see "State Fair" technicolor musical with Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Dick Haymes and "House on 92nd St." the story of the Nazi espionage system in America uncovered by the F.B.I. with Lloyd Nolan as Chief. 

12/3 We ordered the Book of Knowledge today - total cost $92.40 to be paid in $7. installments. Eugene will go into 2A tomorrow under the new rapid advance system. Sylvia is proud of her new long stockings. The Senate Committee investigating Bilbo heard witnesses tell of beatings and intimidation in connection with the elections. A Polish resolution to break with Franco was countered by an American proposal to request Franco to resign. Labor M.P. Zilliacus is prominent in battling the Labor Gov'ts reactionary foreign policy. U.S. & England merged their German occupation zones for economic purposes.

The Book of Knowledge, a 20 (I think) volume encyclopedia lasted a long time, and I really loved it. The grade change is confusing, as I've spent two terms in first grade, so going on to second seems normal. But this does appear to be a couple of months early. 

12/4 Eugene is in class 2-6 now but has the same teacher and room. He starts 8:30 instead of 9 and returns from lunch 12:45 instead of 1. Sylvia rode the bike this morning and told me a secret that she wanted to swing in the playground which we did. England and the US are shaping uniform military plans. Federal Judge Goldsborough pronounced Lewis and the miners guilty of violating the govt's injunction against a strike. Sadie and the kids over in the afternoon. 

12/5 Our anniversary. Gave Lillian two boxes of candy and she gave me a beautiful tie. Eugene got some new words in school today including "telephone". Sylvia likes to come to my bed in the morning and roll all over me. The Gov't fined the mine union $3,000,000 in an unprecedented move and Lewis $10,000. Oakland has an A.F.L. general strike growing out of dept. store organization. Molotov agreed that the control & inspection including the atom is not subject to the veto. Thorez was 51 votes short of the premiership of France. Housing Expediter W. Wyatt resigned, after failing to get support for veterans housing. Mama over for lunch with sheets for our Anniversary.

12/6 We had to chide Eugene severely for his patronizing and antagonistic attitude towards Sylvia in conversations. Sylvia washes herself and keeps up with Eugene in eating. C.I.O. and A.F.L. will support Lewis and the Miners.

12/7 Sylvia complains about her snow pants, claiming they're too dirty to wear. We have to continually remind her about whining when she has something to say to us. We had to scold Eugene for fighting with Sylvia, crying and carrying on indistinguishably from the younger Sylvia. Murray called for a parley of all labor to meet the attack on labor. Civil war has started in Iran stemming from Tehran's attempt to supervise Azerbaijan elections. Greek Prime Minister Tsaldaris is here to complain to the UN about alleged Balkan intervention in the Greek civil war through sheltering and arming guerrillas driven across the border and even entering Greece to fight with the guerrillas. Sam Shore is dead at 55.

11/24-11/30/46

11/24 Sunday We took a walk to Fordham this afternoon visiting Poe Cottage. At home I played Eugene some chess, he being out of practice as we cannot get a book in the library. Also played the kids "hit the marble". Sylvia and Eugene getting 7 & 9 respectively by the time I had 15. Eugene did the "Worker" puzzles and started to make his own cryptograms. At meals the kids like to have me make "tricks". Bilbo is being investigated by two Senate Committees with a view to barring him from office. Reshevsky won the American chess championship with Kashdan second and defending champion Denker fifth. Lillian read Howard Fast's "The American" and I read Conrad's "Youth", "Heart of Darkness" and "The End of the Tether" - one volume.

11/25 At lunch as I was serving the kids - Lillian had gone downtown, Sylvia said "I'm sorry you and Mommy have so much work to do." Lillian came home with a toy sewing machine which she intends to use, a game for Eugene and some copperin B pills for Sylvia. Swiss planes rescued 12 Americans who had crashed their plane on the Alps, after five days exposure. After school I went to the schoolyard to fool around with some racquets and balls with the kids.

11/26 Lillian went to look at a mouton coat on Gun Hill Road and stopped in at Molly's Mom's and Lilly's. She didn't like the coat. Eugene's visit to Poe Cottage was included in "News of the Day" in school. The French C.P. again led voters in chosing Electors for the Council of the Republic. The Indian minority in the Union of So. Africa was denied protection by the UN with England and the U.S. in the van on the issue and the S.U. and China supporting India. Morganthou Sr. is dead at 90.

11/27 Dr. T. Berreta won the Uruguan [sic] presidency over pro-fascist Herrera. Students are fighting police in Egypt over the presence of British troops. Truman created a commission to hunt out "Communists" and other subversives in the Gov't.

11/28 Downtown in the morning with the kids to see the Macy Thanksgiving parade. When we got home Lillian had a delightful dinner ready. After supper played Eugene checkers. He has a cough and is hoarse but no temp. UN delegates voted to take a census of all troops at home as well as abroad and linking it with armament reduction. Greek civil war rages.

I only remember seeing the parade once, so perhaps this was the time. 

11/29 I drew for Eugene "The Clever Cat" by E. F. Lattimore "Sinfi and the Little Gypsy Goat" by C. Kahmann and "Puppies for Keeps" by D. P. Lathrop. Eugene is in bed after a bad night although still no fever. Sylvia just asked me to make the radio a little lower as Eugene is trying to take a nap. The British are still battling Jewish immigrants in Palestine. Mine owners asked mass arrests of miners and depletion of union fund to break the strike. New York is again in a dimout. J. David Stern papers in Philly & Camden are on strike for three weeks. A group of U.S. leaders led by Mrs. J. B. Harriman and endorsed by Murray and Green asked the "Big 3" for World disarmament.

11/30 Eugene had 100° temp. today. Sylvia rode the bike this morning and insisted she could go faster than Eugene up-hill. Latin-Amer. countries will form their own News Association. The Polish C.P. & S.P. united. The Palestine Supreme Court upheld the deportation of illegal Jewish immigrants to Cyprus. Federal Judge Goldsborough held Lewis and the miners in contempt of court for the strike. Paul Porter has resigned his post as Price Administrator. Noske is dead.

11/17-11/23/46

11/17 Sunday A 1B song: "The little winds of Autumn come when Summer's done. 'Who, who, they go, who, who, they go' dancing in the sun. They make the leaves go whirling, down from every tree. 'Who, who, they go, who, who they go', laughing full of glee." At lunch, Sylvia was slow with her chop suey and almost lost her jello. Lillian made ice cream as a surprise and we had some after lunch and at supper. We decided to talk Jewish when the kids are present to teach them a little of the language.

We didn't retain very much!

11/18 Took Sylvia down and she rode the bicycle very well. Chiang convened the National Assembly at Nanking without the Communists who refused to attend. US blood plasma is being sold on the Chinese black market. The C.I.O. G.E.B. adopted a statement of policy in which they "reject and resent efforts of the C.P. or other political parties to interfere with C.I.O. affairs." This is a compromise in the efforts to bring unity to the C.I.O. Mom and Lilly and Susan over for lunch. Susan is very cute. Asked to urinate she said "I d'wanny". Seeing the doll, she said "baby". She napped here. Downstairs, she wheeled Sylvia's doll carriage pushing away anyone's hand on the carriage.

11/19 Jimmy Walker is dead at 65. The Democratic League also refused to attend Chiang's Nanking Assembly. Lillian went to Beth David to visit Anne. Eugene drew "Old Mother West Wind" by Thornton Burgess, "My Dog, Rinty" by Tarry and Ets and "Tales From Grimm" by Wanda Gag. Indonesia's independence has been "recognized". The Gov't is preparing an injunction against a threatened strike by soft coal miners. Murray at the C.I.O. convention promised no witch hunts. He warned of the coming slump being prepared by profit hungry corporations. Foreign ministers reached a compromise over Trieste. Marcantonio subpena'ed in the Scottoriggio case. Four material witnesses are being held - Dominick Petrone, Donaghy, Joey Rao and Mike Coppola. Sylvia is in bed with a stuffed nose. At night to see two gratifying pictures: "Night Train" with Rex Harrison - Secret agents at work in the enemy country - and "The Enchanted Cottage" with Herbert Marshall, Robert Young and Dorothy Maguire [sic] - where true love brings beauty. Lillian read "Broom Stages" by Clemence Dane a story of several generations in the theatre.

The first movie appears to have been "Night Train to Munich". .

11/20 Of the two remaining Tennessee Negroes on trial, one was acquitted and one received a five year sentence for "attempted murder" - to be appealed. A car carrying the lawyers & H. Raymond [?] was stopped three times by deputies in intimidation attempts but magistrate Pogue [?] refused to sign a warrant for their arrest. The General Assembly accepted three new members - Afghanistan, Iceland and Sweden - making 54 - elected Columbia, Syria & Belgium to replace Egypt, Holland & Mexico as non-permanent members of the Security Council and adopted a unanimous resolution against racial discrimination.

11/21 Eugene got three compliments in school today for sitting straight. I am practicing boxing with him now since he took a couple of punches from a boy. Both A.F.L. & C.I.O. will support the miners. Molotov agreed to have all UN members reveal numbers and dispositions of troops in former enemy and friendly countries. Italy and Yugoslavia will confer on Trieste. Read "Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde.

Sounds like they gave out compliments pretty easily.

11/22 Sylvia is out of bed today. She was very good in bed, sleeping mostly with the lock blocks which were different people with whom she conversed. Out of bed she took care of her children and soon one had a cold. She called the doctor for her. 400000 miners are out. Lewis has been cited for contempt of court. The Gov't, at present running the mines, claims contract negotiations cannot be reopened with it but with the mineowners. The "left wing" Bloc of Democratic parties has won a big victory in Romania in an election much criticized by U.S. & England. Molly over with a doll for Sylvia named Sister Molly. Milton came over later. Judge Laws will dismiss the case against the 24 seditionists. Stan Musial is the N.L. most valuable player. The C.I.O. convention unanimously re-elected Phil Murray president.

11/23 A Ukranian delegate here was wounded by a gunman. Manuilsky charged a political motive. Sylvia down for the first time this afternoon. Dimitrov is Bulgarian Premier.

11/10-11/16/46

11/10 Sunday After lunch we dressed in hiking clothes and walked for two hours in the Van Cortlandt woods. Eugene broke his gun in the downstairs door. Sylvia wore the new belt and holster but lost the latter on the way. We stopped at the boat house for hot dogs for us and pop corn for the kids. We visited the Van Cortlandt Mansion on the way seeing colonial rooms. Played some chess at night. Truman ended all price controls except on sugar and rice and controls on wages.

I guess that solved the gun problem I mentioned in the last entry. 

11/11 When Sylvia missed her holster during the hike she said "Where's my gun station?" Took the kids out with racquets and balls to the schoolyard wall but rain interrupted us in about ten minutes. Richard M. came up and I played parachute and marbles with all three kids. Eugene is running wild and is irrepressible. French elections to the National Assembly saw the C.P. lead with 2,800,000 the MRP second with 2,270,000 S.P. 1,700,000 Rep. Party of Liberty 1,500,000 - all incomplete. Complete results C.P. 5,430000  MRP 4,990,000 S.P. 3,430,000 PRL 3,220,000. Although giving the Philippines their freedom we have retained industrial control through the Bell Act which continues quotas on their exports and gives us equal rights in the Philippines. Swedish C.P. gained in elections as the S.D. lost. At night we visited Lil & Harry, Mom and Pop being there.

The "Complete results" sentence was squeezed in at the bottom of the page, presumably at a later date.

11/12 Bobbie R came up to ask Sylvia to play with him in the yard. She almost burst into tears on refusing him. However later she promised to go the next day. Novikoff at the UN trusteeship council asked that Palestine be freed or be placed under the UN trusteeship. Truman offered to cooperate with the Republicans. Scottoriggio anti-Marcantonio worker died of injuries in an Election Day beating. Transport workers won $6000,000 in back pay. We are returning the seized Danube boats to their owners.

11/13 Italian elections saw the CP-SP unity make big gains. A new reign of terror has hit Spain. A U.S. Embassy employee in Poland got 5 years prison for complicity in a murder of a Peasant Party leader. Rogge charged Att'y Gen'l Clark is shielding fascists here. Romped with Sylvia on the floor. She cried "uncle" when I gave her the "scissors". An election in Korea, rigged by us & Korean conservatives to return reactionaries to office, succeeded.

11/14 A new landmark was reached in Sylvia's life when Betty Ann and Joycie came up to ask her down to the yard to play and she agreed. Later after lunch she went with Eugene to invite Betty Ann to the house to play. Smuts followed U.S. precedent in threatening to annex S.W. Africa over the General Assembly's possible rejection. Belgian Communists quit the Cabinet over the failure to get one vice-presidency. 60 Labor M.P.'s asked for a change to Britain's foreign policy. Transit workers voted against a strike.

11/15 Lillian saw Eugene's class in session this morning as part of open school week. She was quite satisfied with Eugene's showing. He is wardrobe monitor. China peace talks are off again. Chou-En-Lai blamed U.S. aid to Chiang as mainly responsible claiming the fact prevented U.S. from being a satisfactory mediator. Dr. Howard Shapley before the Rankin Committee had papers snatched from his hand in closed session. He was cited for contempt for standing on his rights. The Big 4 Foreign Ministers continued to discuss Trieste at the Waldorf. May Sinclair is dead. Cousin Anne had her appendix out this evening. De Falla is dead. Our denazification program in Germany is a failure says Gen. Clay.

11/16 Mom came over and had lunch. She didn't bring Barbara as her aunt will take care of her. C.I.O. Exec board tightened control of local councils.

11/3-11/9/46

11/3 Sunday We went to Charlotte Langers and Hy Goodes afternoon wedding at the Concourse Plaza leaving the kids with Molly. Lillian shone with her new hair-do, hat, dress, shoes and gloves and bag. The Albanian firing on a British cruiser is called a hoax. The seven week United Parcel strike has been settled with a raise and cut in wages.

I have no explanation for the seemingly contradictory end of this item.

11/4 Sylvia asked for soap and washed her doll's clothing in the bathroom sink. Eugene attended a different class this morning and was worried about finding his way back there after lunch.

11/5 Lillian left the house at 8 A.M. with the kids and Bobby R. to see "Huckleberry Finn" and many cartoons at the Paradise. Later we voted for Mead and Lehman for Gov. and Sen. Transport workers get 20¢ per hr. raise. P.M. will take advertising with Ralph Ingersoll resigned. Big 4 Foreign Ministers opened their parley at the "Waldorf" to write the final peace treaties.

11/6 Republicans Dewey and Ives are N.Y. Gov. & Senator in a countrywide Republican landslide. Consolation is victory of Marcantonio and Powell. India's delegate at the UN Trusteeship Comm. attacked South Africa's projected annexation of S. W. Africa. Vets in Chicago and California are beginning to squat. W. A. Nickel, $60 a week Mergenthaler Linotype employee who embezzled nearly a million dollars was caught in one day but criminals who were implicated are still being discovered. Movie stars are also being mentioned. Isaac Wood[w]ard's blinder has been acquitted.

11/7 The Democrats debacle was due mostly to Truman's ineptness and P.A.C.'s closeness to the Dems. The A.L.P. showed strength polling 425,000 votes for Lehman. Ben Davis C.P. got 87,000 in the city alone, also impressive. The Liberal Party polled only 180,000 for Lehman. Lillian went with mother to see how her bedroom set was getting along while I took the kids to the park. They fed peanuts to the squirrels. Eugene wears a school-bag now. In the evening, Eugene wanted to be a farmer when he grows up. He will marry one of the girls in his class or Gloria. Gloria & Vivian played with the kids before supper. Each one made a house. Read "The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard" by A. France. Story of the humanistic savant who receives a vicarious satisfaction in his protection of the daughter of his early beloved. We saw the Marx Brothers in "A Night in Casablanca" and Boys' Ranch with Skippy Homeier. Reformation of juveniles on a ranch.

11/8 Eugene boasted he was smart in school when we scolded him. Sylvia caught him up right away "Why aren't you smart at home, too." Later she came running in "Isn't this a terrible word - to have a baby and no line." We aim to retain sole trusteeship of our newly acquired Pacific Islands no matter what the UN does according to J.F. Dulles. Liberals beaten in the election included Mitchell, Savage, Coffee, DeLacy, Murdock, Biemiller, Guffey, Tunnell, Ouillard[?], Healy, Izac, Doyle, etc.

I should get "straight man" credit for Sylvia's first quoted remark. I don't understand her second. Not certain of all of the names of the liberals who lost, but, while researching it in the NY Times, saw that one winner in California was a guy named "Richard W. [sic] Nixon".  

11/9 Evelyn & Isabel came over for lunch today. She brought a doll for Isabel [sic, clearly it was for Sylvia] with a full set of clothes made by Evelyn, also a pistol set for Eugene and home made cookies. We gave Isabel some book sets. Isabel is a real eating problem. At lunch she had a few spoonsfull of soup, no meat or veg. at all, some dessert and half a glass of milk. The transit board will not recognize any union for collective bargaining and is stalling on retroactive pay. The first bank strike ever saw big raises won after one day out at the Merchant's Bank. Gabriel Wells is dead at 85. Friday night Eugene listens to Burl Ives from 8 PM to 8:15 and Baby Snooks until 8:30. #41 for Eugene - New Mexico.

I wonder what they did about the "pistol set"; my mother did not allow me to have any guns, so I was always jealous of other boys' cap pistols.

10/27-11/2/46

10/27 Sunday Went to mom's today. Eugene fell in the foyer leaving the house, again on the street and again on the subway stairs. He is in high spirits and careless. At mother's Sylvia played with the dice beads as usual. I played Eugene and pop in consultation a chess game. Won after being in trouble at first. Leaving we couldn't find a pawn or Eugene's tie! Norway and Chile called for action against Franco at the UN Assembly.

10/28 Took Sylvia down in the morning and she joined some children in games turning shy just for a few minutes. In the afternoon we kept Eugene out of school and went downtown to pick up his glasses and buy shoes for the family. Went to Export shoe again. Sylvia got black shoes Size 12 - $3.50. Eugene fancy light brown with crape soles Size 1 1/2 - $4.25. Lillian got high heeled patent leathers trimmed with python Size 8 1/2 - $5.00. I got wide blacks - $6.50. At home played some chess Eugene wearing his glasses and looking adorable in them. On the bus we nearly had an accident. Getting off, Sylvia was left on the automatic door, the door closing on her and the bus starting. We both had our hands around her and Lillian's screams and my shouts stopped the bus right away. Incidentally, Lillian is delighted with her fancy shoes which are for the coming weddings. The Italian C.P & S.P. have obtained unity on political action. Bulgarians voted yesterday, the Fatherland Front apparently winning a big victory.

10/29 American intervention in China was denounced at the UN Assembly by Byelorussian Kiselev. Thousands of Italian Fascists demonstrated on the anniversary of Mussolini's coup. Many were arrested. Stalin, answering many questions sent by U.P. head Baillie denied war tension is increasing, branded Churchill and his followers the chief threat to peace, admitted Russia does not have the atom bomb and said the Soviet Union had sixty divisions in the West, to be reduced to 40 in two months. Read "Nicholas Nickleby" where virtue triumphs over rascality. Much humor is present.

10/30 Beat Mencher. One other child in Eugene's class wears glasses. Both leave them on the teacher's desk when they go for lunch. "American Action" leader M K Hart wants firing squads, deportations and life imprisonment for "communists" and their supporters. Molotov at the "Assembly" asked for a reduction of armaments, ban on atomic energy for military use. The City Council OK'd 10-35% raises for city workers. The British Embassy in Rome was bombed. The kids went to a Hallow-een party.

10/31 Beat Levy. Sylvia insisted I was George Washington today and she came to visit me with her lock block people saying I lived in the river. Wallace approved Molotov's disarmament proposals and charged Vandenberg and the War dep't are needling Byrnes into war. He called Churchill the greatest red-baiter. We are ready to cut arms but not the atom bomb. Bulgarian elections gave the F. F. 3 million votes against 1,200,000 opposed. C.P. got 2,250,000 of the F. F. total. Terror is again rampant in Dominican Republic.

11/1 Eugene asked if he could take two stars but decided to take a few more since he hadn't had any for a long time. The kids get a penny for every two bones they find in their food. Three C.P. members were given cabinet ministries by Pres. elect Videla in Chile setting a S.A. precedent.

11/2 Eugene drew "Don't Blame Me" by Richard Hughes, "Red People of the Wooded Country" by T.O. & E.W. Deming and "The Animals Own Story" by E. C. Babbitt. Helen Bannerman, author of "Little Black Sambo" is dead. Albanian shells drove off a British cruiser. A new terrorist group, the Columbians, is attacking Negroes in Georgia.

10/20-10/26/46

10/20 Sunday Today went to Moe and Mary Weitman in Lynbrook. Eugene played with their boy Bobby, his age. They also have a girl Renee about 11. Their 18 yr old boy Jimmy has just enlisted. Mr. and Mrs. Winkler who live with the Weitmans were there, also, Moe's mother. Mortie and Ray [sic - see below] Steindler and their boy Walter in an Army uniform also came over. Another couple also, Flo and Irving. Sylvia recited an original poem about the visit as usual and ate all day, being the first seated at the table when we had a bite. Going home Mortie and Rae offered to take us to Jamaica but generously took us all the way home. 4000 people went to Albany to interview Dewey and other officials on the question of veteran's housing, raises for state employees, and increase in appropriation for education. Quill, Levine, Strauss and Mills were among the leaders. 70 "vets" in a spectacular move took over the Senate chamber and started a sit down until they see Dewey after receiving runarounds from all officials. Judge Murray upheld the C.P. right to be on the ballot after a court fight. Other minority parties were thrown off the ballot. Tudeh members were dropped from the Iran cabinet in a shuffle.

Most of those people are not familiar to me. I didn't know we ever went to Lynbrook.

10/21 Eugene is in the bright row in school. He took Mrs. Curry's place today calling out children who were talking. Dewey saw the entrenched vets but refused to do anything about housing. Turkey refuses to discuss Russia's proposal for joint control of the Dardanelles. Rep. Barry is dead.

10/22 Beat Levy. Lillian Eugene and Mollie went down to Co-operation Opticians yesterday for eye examinations. Eugene may need reading glasses. Lillian is getting new lenses and frames for $6.25 representing 10% discount for union members. Examinations by an eye doctor are $1. A report concerning the Nazi fifth column in America based on German Nazis testimony is being suppressed by the Dept of Justice. Elections in all zones of Germany saw the Social Dems win getting 950,000 votes, Chris. Dem 430,000 Soc. Un. 380,000 Lib. Dem. 180,000. The Int'l Assembly of Women is being held upstate with delegates from many countries. A&P is open today.

10/23 Lillian went over to Molly's to get a dress she got her for the weddings. It was $10. wholesale price. Eugene takes a little classmate home from school - at her request. She lives along his path. Sylvia took down her aeroplane today and "flew" it in the "aqueduct". 75,000 in Stuttgart protested the recent anti allied bombings there. We recently cancelled a Czech loan because of their "hostile" attitude. C.I.O. Marine Engineers have won preferential hiring and wage increases. Board of Estimate approved transit wage increases. Ernest Thompson Seton is dead at 84.

10/24 Eugene needs glasses for reading and school. The cost will be the same as Lillian's. Coughlin asked the Nazis for help in fighting Roosevelt. John L Lewis was contacted by the Nazis through oil man Davis. These facts are from the suppressed Dept of Justice report. Truman addressed delegates of 51 nations at the opening of the General Assembly of the UN at the former Worlds Fair site in Flushing. He stressed the need and possibilities for peace. The O.P.A. removed controls from all foods and drinks except sugar and rice. Landlords in Seattle are refusing to rent vacant apts. until rent control is lifted. We are intervening in Bulgaria to "assure free elections".

10/25 Eugene had his dental examination for school by Dr. Levy who said his teeth were "one in a thousand". Sec'y Gen'l Lie of the UN called on the General Assembly to act on Franco Spain in order to restore democracy there. Henri-Spaak is presiding at the Assembly. The British T.U.C. heard Atlee attack communism and defend British action in Greece. A resolution criticizing British policy there was defeated by a show of hands. The Nazi razer of Lidice Daluege was hanged.

10/26 Lillian had asked the kids to call her mommy or mother instead of Lil. Last night Sylvia had to go to the toilet and Lillian heard a little voice whining "mother". Eugene at lunch today said the "koshe" was delicious. Immediately after he asked if he could leave some. Questioned, he said "it's delicious but I don't like it very much". German workers in the Russian zone have been sent to Russia for work there. They were transported early in the morning. It is claimed they had contracts and were sent when a train was available. The T.U.C. voted for a break with Franco. Estonian "refugees" here are winning the sympathy of the administration while Spanish loyalists are to be deported to Spain or France although they have visas for Mexico and Venezuela. The UN Assembly voted to discuss the veto question. Att'y Gen'l Clark has fired Rogge for divulging Nazi testimony concerning Americans who helped the Nazis. T.W.A. pilots are on strike.

10/13-10/19/46

10/13 Sunday We visited the Arons today. Had a lovely dinner including duck and ice cream and huckleberries for desert [sic]. The kids did the meal full justice tho' Helen didn't eat much. Sylvia kept plodding along. Eugene had two plates of soup, asked for more desert [sic] and insisted on his milk immediately. Joe played Eugene a game blind-fold. Helen and Sylvia played nicely of course Eugene joining them later. Holding the wishbone, Sylvia wished she lived there. The kids loved the B.M.T. ride because the train went in and out of tunnels. Henry Wallace will edit the "New Republic". Lillian sat tonight. She read Elliot Roosevelt's "As He Saw It".

10/14 Sylvia has been getting Copperin B [?] pills in her milk for some time. She has a tendency to get blisters in her mouth due to the absence of some food, it seems. Eugene is learning "a new kind of addition", he says. This is the adding of two groups of numbers each having two figures. The French approved the new constitution endorsed by the C.P. SP & MRP by a million and a quarter votes.

10/15 The kids like to fill a jeep with little lock blocks making believe these are people. Some are babies - Susan for instance which they imitate by talking like a baby. Sylvia is worried about an apartment when she grows up - as if she knew about the housing shortage. She says there can't be any empty houses when she grows up. She wants to marry Eugene when she grows up but will settle for mommy, daddy, the doll - anyone. At night we saw "Portrait of a Woman" - French with Francoise Rosay and "Hymn of the Nations" with Toscanini. German elections - French zone. C.D. one million S.D. half million D.P.P 180,000 C.P. 150,000 - all approx. Progressives are finding difficulty in getting visas. Timone has been "cleared" by an investigating commission for his B. of Ed position. Pres. Truman in his Monday radio speech announced the end of all meat controls accusing the Republican Party of sabotage but yielding to it in effect. Beat Levy. Played some chess with Eugene.

10/16 TODAY WHEN WE WERE READING MISS CURRY HAD TO READ SOMETHING AND I TOOK HER PLACE. [my printing again - see scanned-in page] The first day of decontrol saw a little more meat but higher prices. The Paris peace parley ended with the Anglo American bloc opposing the Soviet bloc as against the original Big Four leadership. Ten Nazis were hung as Goering cheated the gallows at the last minute by taking poison. The "supermen" took their medicine badly. In a stirring seventh game of a great series, the "Cards" beat the favored Red Sox Harry Brecheen winning his third game when called for service in the 8th inning. York starred for the "Sox". Slaughter for the "Cards". The Conference of Progressives asked for the end of atom bomb manufacturing. Sylvia says "I pledge allegiance" after a fashion. She is playing with Bobby Rosenberg right now.

10/17 Sylvia is in bed with a slight cold. The Pope has excommunicated all Yugoslavs concerned with the prosecution of Archbishop Stepinac. Slavic waiters and musicians coming here are being asked to register as foreign agents. Beat Mencher. Eugene went to synagogue with Gloria and Vivian for a "Simchas Torah" party.

10/18 Lillian went downtown for a dress and came back with cookies - scarce. Food is at an all time high. Raisins - 27¢ box Coffee - 45¢ lb. Bread 15¢ Milk 20¢ Meat 85¢ lb. Eggs 83¢ Butter 93¢

10/19 Sylvia better so we all went downtown to Seidman's 202 Canal St. where I bought a top coat - $30, We bought a little bird book for Eugene. When he looked for it at home later, Sylvia's doll Eleanor was reading it in her carriage. Played Eugene some chess. We have accused Tito of killing American citizens in prison camps. These are persons of German ancestry who collaborated during the war and now claim American citizenship. Many who can prove their claim have already been given exit visas. Budenz and the World Telegram claim that Gerhard Eisler is really Hans Berger and is the Moscow agent who transmits orders to the U.S.C.P. At night we went to the I.W.O. affair.

10/6-10/12/46

10/6 Sunday Went to mother's for dinner with Lilly and Harry also. Susan speaks a little. She is soft spoken - says Nonny for Susan, says many words well. Later Lilly and Harry took us to the Zoo in their car. We enjoyed the gibbons shrieking and swinging. Archbishop Stepinac's trial has been going on in Yugoslavia with witnesses to his friendliness to the Ustache. Taft sympathized with the doomed Nazis. Restaurants have won a 15% price rise. The American-Soviet Trade Union Comm. is meeting here.

10/7 Jewish butchers and delicatessens are closed indefinitely due to the absence of meat. Iran is undergoing Civil war. The Kuomintang Army is gaining in the vital battle for communist held Kalgan. Beat Evers. Dr. Moscicki is dead.

10/8 Beat Levy. Green asked for the end of wage and price control at the AFL convention. An American transatlantic liner crashed in Newfoundland on Thursday killing all 39 on board. Sadie and the kids came over for Sylvia's birthday bringing an aluminum set for her. Fredi raised Cain. Arlene is very cute.

10/9 Sylvia's birthday. Lillian made her doll a complete outfit. Eugene gave her a paint set. I gave her a peg set. Frieda's check came as usual. We had a little party with Mom, Lilly and Susan and Molly. Lillian ordered a birthday cake. Lillian got Eugene a South American jig saw puzzle. Sister Lillian brought two pairs of pyjamas and a book for Eugene. Molly got Sylvia - pyjamas. Sarah R. brought up a blouse. The B-29 Pacusan Dreamboat flew over the North Magnetic Pole in an historic flight. Per Albin Hansson, Swedish premier is dead. Schacht has been arrested by the German police. Lillian went to the P.T.A. meeting tonight hearing how the new rapid advance system works. Stayed home from work today. Lillian came home deliriously happy this morning with some meat.

10/10 30,000 unemployed Italians stormed the seat of the government. Yugoslavia paid $150,000 indemnity for the five dead airmen. 100,000 Ford workers were laid off on a pretext of shortage of steel.

10/11 The kids went down with kiddy car and bike and alternated rides on each. Eugene is telling us of the elephant who didn't like nuts. Soviet scientists have developed a serum effective against throat, cervix, uterus and breast cancer. Kudish [?] is out of the Grocery Clerks union due to financial irregularities. The "Times" retracted an anti-union article by Hanson Baldwin against maritime workers after picketing by thousands of seamen. A military uprising in Portugal was reported put down in short order. A&P's and Safeways have been closed for weeks refusing to sign with truckmen.

10/12 Archbishop Stepinac has received 16 years in prison as a collaborator. General Stillwell is dead at 68. [...]

9/29-10/5/46

9/29 Sunday Today we had the surprise party for the 40th Anniversary of mom and pop's marriage. Present also were Lil Harry and Susan, Mrs. Thaw and Tauby, Ida and Max, Sandra and Adeen, Rochel & Mayer, Blume and Abe, Anne Mac and Barbara, Izzy Goode and Rose, Harry and Molly & Lilly, and Sam Molly and Milton. Lillian made Chow Mein, a salad, salmon salad. We had tomato juice and jello, tea and the anniversary cake we ordered. Rochel made her cheeseless cheese cake. Milton took pictures. Lillian read my poem, when we presented the set of dishes for mom and opened the other presents. Eugene won his first chess game, beating pop. A Conference of Progressives opened in Chicago sponsored by the NCPAC, ICCASP, and the CIOPAC to Elect a FDR Congress. Russia again asked a joint Dardanelles defense. The Compromise "French" line border between Italy and Yugoslavia was adopted in Paris.

I can place almost all the people at the party in the family tree. The spelling of "Adeen" surprised me, as I had "Edeen" in the tree, now corrected. but "Izzy Goode and Rose, Harry and Molly & Lilly" are not really known. My grandfather had sisters Molly and Rose, but Izzy Goode and Harry and Lilly don't seem to fit.

9/30 Sylvia and Barbara got along beautifully at the party as they are both quiet and unaggressive. The Soviet chess team again beat the American team 12 1/2-7 1/2 in Moscow. The Cards and Dodgers wound up in an exact tie for the first time in Major League baseball when they both lost on the final day of the season. Each has 96-58. There is a popular clamor for nationalization of the meat industry.

10/1 When the kids are ready for their milk at meal-time, they say "petty por py pilk". Sylvia loves to drag her doll carriage up the stairs like a real carriage even though she works so hard at it. "The Conference of Progressives" just closed in Chicago is considered epoch-making. Among the participants were Ickes, Morgenthau, Murray, Patton, White, Pepper, Kroll [?] and Benson. Chicago AFL head Fitzpatrick is dead. Buddy Kerr, Giant shortstop broke two Major League records finishing the season with an unbroken string of 52 successive errorless games and 274 chances. F.B.I. chief Hoover called for deprivation of civil liberties for Communists.

10/2 Eugene and Gloria are always quarreling and making up. Lillian has to scold Sylvia for stuffing her carriage full of things. She says her baby needs toys to play with. Sylvia won't work when she grows up because her husband will work. She won't work before she's married either because who will take care of her children. The Nuernberg tribunal sentenced Goering, Von Ribbentrop, Streicher, Von Keitel, Kaltenbrunner, Rosenberg, Frank, Frick, Sauckel, Jodl, Seyss-Inquart, and Bormann (in absentia) to die by hanging. Hess, Raeder, and Funk get life sentences. Von Schirach and Speer got 20 years, Von Neurath - 15 years and Doenitz - 10 years. Schacht, Von Papen and Fritsche were acquitted. The Soviet judge dissented from the acquittals and leniency for Hess. The Hitler cabinet, General staff and High Command were also exonerated of criminal guilt. Milk, freed of controls had gone up another cent. C.I.O. Marine engineers and West Coast longshoremen and AFL Captains and Mates struck in united action. The C.P. is fighting an effort to remove it from the N.Y. State ballot.

10/3 Split with Mencher. The Army has asked 5,000,000 men and a year of military training. President McGrath is out of the CIO shoe union after redbaiting the other leaders.

10/4 Movie set makers are again on a jurisdictional strike involving the usual Hollywood violence. Two AFL unions are involved. Yesterday Lillian took the kids over to mom's bringing home the nice new doll carriage Ma got for Sylvia's birthday. Sylvia clings to it like a leech. She took her two babies Helen and Eleanor out in the carriage today. Beat Mencher. We had a session with Eugene tonight about his breaking into tears at the slightest pretext. Baruch and Wallace are quarreling about the former's atomic energy plan. Reconversion director Steelman warned of a depression resulting from rising prices. Millions of pounds of meat are being discovered in caches as virtually no meat is available in stores in the drive to do away with the O.P.A. Teachers are demonstrating for a $1000 raise. The Cards defeated the Dodgers two straight in a playoff for the N.L. pennant. Stan Musial led the N.L. batters with .365 Mickey Vernon led the A.L. .353. At the Tenn. trial Vincent Sheean of the H.T. was cursed and threatened by highway police chief Bomar with the condonement of Judge Ingram.Lillian sat tonight. Eugene drew "A Week With Andy" by Pitman and Dearborn, "Hoot-Owl" by M.G. LaRue and "Davy and the Goblin" by C.E. Carryl.


10/5 Went to Molly's for dinner today. The kids behaved well, Eugene reading and Sylvia playing around. 23 Negroes in the Tenn. trial are free but two face prison sentences of 21 years which will be appealed. Truman again asked for Jewish immigration to Palestine. Block who led the redbaiting drive against the U.E. leadership lost his own district presidency. At night we saw "A Stolen Life" with Bette Davis, Glenn Ford & Dane Clark and "Sunrise Pass".  Sir James Jeans, Barney Oldfield and Gifford Pinchot are dead.

Interestingly, I can't find a movie called "Sunrise Pass", but there's a 1946 movie called "Sunset Pass"! Looks like an error, and the movie probably didn't impress Dad much (he didn't even list the stars, as he usually did).

9/22-9/28/46

9/22 Sunday Took the kids down. Sylvia rode her kiddy car and Eugene his bike. Wallace is out as a speaker in the election campaign. Raimu is dead.

9/23 Averill Harriman is the new Sec'y of Commerce. Byrnes is reputed to have asked for Wallace's ouster. British marines attacked a Jewish refugee ship killing one and injuring a score. Big purge in Soviet farm system.

9/24 Sears Roebuck came with a magic skin doll for Sylvia. Father Stepinac, head of Yugoslav Catholics will stand trial as a war criminal. The Anti-Lynch Crusade led by Paul Robeson failed to get satisfaction from Pres Truman in Washington. 19 shipbuilding firms made $350,000,000 war time profits. A Negro witness at the Tennessee trial told of police beating and intimidation. British Arthur Deakin replaced Citrine as the WFTU president.

9/25 Stalin, in an interview saw a long peace possible, asked for American troop withdrawal from China and minimized the potency of the atom bomb. Dutch workers struck in protest against troop shipments to Indonesia. G L Mueller, President of the Independent Power Workers Union in Pittsburgh was sentenced to a year in jail for his part in the Pittsburgh power strike. An anti-strike injunction had been granted. A Soviet proposal to have UN members list numbers and dispositions of troops in non-enemy countries was defeated. We saw tonight: "Our Hearts Were Growing Up" with Brian Donlevy and "The Searching Winds" with Robert Young and Sylvia Sydney.Our indifference and blindness to the rise of Fascism. Jeff Tesreau is dead at 57.

9/26 Visited Harry Goodes today at a gathering to honor Izzy Goodes recent marriage. Saw Hymie Goode also who will be married in November. The kids had a good time. At night Julie and Ida Kurtz came over. The Pittsburgh "Power" strike committee is threatened with jail sentences unless they call off the strike. Labor is rallying against this repression by injunction. Greek Civil war is raging. Brotherhood of Railway Carmen failed to rescind their "White only" clause by a narrow margin. No. 40 for Eugene - Nevada.

The Goode's (or, perhaps, Goodes's ?) were relatives, I'm sure, from memory, but I don't know their connection. I remember being told that I should be proud that Richard Goode played the piano at my Bar Mitzvah. Wikipedia says he is 3 1/2 years younger than me, and born in the East Bronx. I wonder if the third sentence was "no pun intended"! Also don't know the Kurtz's.

9/27 Eugene helps Sylvia to dress in the morning and they both surprise Mommy. The kids love to stop at "Little White House" and get an orange or grape drink. Eugene drew "Third Reader" by Free and Treadwell, "Swift Thunder of the Prairie" by L. Maloy and "The Lion-Hearted Kitten" by Peggy Bacon. Yugoslavia and Albania are charged with helping anti-monarchists fight the Greek terror. The Pittsburgh injunction was dissolved and Mueller freed from jail due to the united fight of labor. W. F. Dunne has been expelled. The Tennessee police head admitted illegal arrests at the Columbia Negro trial. Intimidation of defence [sic] lawyers continues.

9/28 Meat is at an all time low due to manipulations of the big trusts who wish to abolish all ceilings. King George returned to Greece amid disorders. The A&P was fined $175,000 for violation of anti-trust laws. Phelps Dodge striker Mario Russo is dead from wounds inflicted by a thug during the strike a month ago. He was buried with the greatest honors in the labor movement as a martyr. The Shipbuilding Union convention saw the "right" again victorious over left wing opposition. Tony Zale Ko'd Rocky Graziano in the 6th round before 30000 at the Yankee Stadium to retain his title in a great see-saw fight.

9/15-9/21/46

9/15 Sunday Beat Emanuel. Lillian went to the cemetery in the morning. We spent the afternoon at St. James. Eugene got on an (asphalt) tennis court for the first time using an old raquet [sic] of ours. Later we bought the kids a jelly apple of which they took alternate bites. Truman has repudiated Wallace's "peace" speech. We beat Sweden in the Davis Cup 5-0. Parker, Kramer, Talbert Mulloy.

St. James had three rows of courts; two rows of clay courts, and one of asphalt. Dad always looked askance at the asphalt; he never played on that that I can remember. 

9/16 Beat Al Levitt. Rallies supported London squatters.

9/17 Lillian is getting over her cold but Eugene is out of school with a little temperature. Beat Levy. Ryan is urging his longshoremen to pass NMU picket lines with scant success. Swedish elections saw the S.D. lose and C.P. gain.

9/18 Eugene gets argyrol packs. He got an enema last night and was praised by Lillian for being so amenable. Sylvia gave her doll an enema at the same time. Went for Eugene's bike today and Sylvia rode it home. The NMU withdrew pickets from A.F.L. ships. Hundreds of truckers settled with the union for $7.40 per week increase plus a 40 hr week and other improvements. The main trucking organization is still adamant. Wallace's speech is causing great dispute. Meat is at an all time low (not in price). Manhattan barbers are striking. Hotel musicians settled their strike for a 20% raise and other concessions. Terror is Greece is conceded by all. Lillian over tonight to arrange party.

9/19 Wallace in a conference with Truman has promised to make no more speeches until the end of the Paris peace conference. Squatters are evacuating London houses after winning a promise of action by the gov't to requisition thousands of homes. Beat Levy. Joe Louis Ko'd Tami Mauriello in 2.09 of the first round at the Yankee Stadium before 35,000. Mauriello staggered Louis with a hard right at the bell. Eugene went out this afternoon.

9/20 Pres. Truman has dramatically and unexpectedly fired Sec'y of Commerce Wallace for his opposition to our foreign policy. Beat Mencher. One night we heard an outcry from Sylvia and getting off the bed found her with one bedroom slipper on. "It's so dark, I couldn't find the other bedroom slipper" she said. Another night she walked into our bedroom - "Please untie this" she said pointing to her pajama strings. C.P. anniversary rally heard anti war speeches at the "Garden". NMU won equal raises with the AFL seamen. Churchill called for a German-French bloc. Vern Smith has been expelled. Eugene back to school. Stewart Edward White is dead at 73.

9/21 Lillian went downtown to Macy's and got the set of dishes we and Lil & Harry are giving to mom on her anniversary. Sylvia has matured a lot in the last few months. She doesn't cry anymore when children play with her toys. She also goes to the tennis courts with me alone and plays on the side-lines while I am on the courts. The UN will not investigate the Greek terror. The American Slav Congress in session had delegates from USSR, Bulgaria, Poland and Czechoslovakia although Yugoslav delegates were barred from the country as Communists. Stalin has asked for a political clean up of the collective farm system. Played with the kids today making surprise houses for them out of blocks which they gleefully broke after admiring. 21 18 survivors have been found after a Belgian transatlantic airliner with 44 aboard crashed in uninhabited Newfoundland.

9/8-9/14/46

9/8 Sunday Jack Kramer won the men's singles in straight sets from Tom Brown and Pauline Betz, the women's singles similarly over Doris Hart. We visited Al and Edith today. Daniel is very lively and bright with big blue eyes and a ready smile. He looks up at every lamp-post he passes. I read "Sons and Lovers" the psychological novel of the son who in substituting himself for the negligible [sic] father is incapable of normal love for other women. The 9 month strike of Phelps Dodge workers ended with the usual 18 1/2 raise. This is Sylvia's poem on our visit to the Pope's. "We are going to Allan and Edith. There is a baby over there. The baby's name is Daniel. There is just three people over there. That is the end of it".

9/9 I JUST STARTED SCHOOL TODAY AND I READ THE CHILDREN A STORY [my printing again, see scanned in page]. Eugene drew "Bobby & Betty with the Workers"  by K. E. Dopp. "The Magic Monkey" by P&C. Chan and "Old World Wonder Stories" - four fairy tales. Eugene started the fall term today with Miss Curry again class 1-2-2 (1-B) room 201. Lillian went to Mt Sinai to see Lena Cherniak. We spent the afternoon at St James. At night Eugene complained of a stomach ache again and we didn't go out as a consequence. Truck drivers rejected the mayor's proposals over their leaders head. Ryan has ordered his longshoremen to hold up UNRAA shipments to Yugoslavia. Poles are demonstrating against Byrnes speech with respect to Polish German borders. Several were injured in a clash between British police and left wing demonstrators in Trieste.

I don't know who Lena Cherniak was. 
7/9/11 - Silvia tells me that she was one of our Aunt Molly's relatives.

9/10 Split with Levy. In the afternoon took the kids to the park as Lillian stayed in. They met a little girl and played. Eugene was a doctor, also a bad boy who put sticks in the doll's head. At school Mrs. Lyston said of Eugene: "This is the lad who could read third grade readers in kindergarden". At Lake Success our delegate Johnson supported Greece and Britain against Manuilsky's charges. Bulgaria voted 95% for a republic against the monarchy. Talbert and Osborne took the mixed doubles.

 9/11 Beat Sheib and Evers. The kids like to lick their plate clean at meals and then say "my mother doesn't give me anything to eat". Jews sabotaged oil, rail lines and ports in Palestine. In England squatters, led by the C.P. took over vacant houses. In the truck strike O'Dwyer charged Communists were behind the "revolt" against the union leadership in voting to stay out. At the "U.E." convention red baiting and factionalism led by Carey and Bloch were repudiated by about 5-1. Minton & McKenney have been expelled from the C.P.

9/12 Beat Evers. Saw Ernie K. who is improved and looking well. He is crazy about Sylvia as is J. [?] Durst. The WSB denied striking seamen boosts over the $17.50 per mo. previously granted. Tobin refused to intervene in the N.Y. truck drivers strike. At Lake Success Gromyko called the Greek situation a harbinger of a new Munich. B. of T. head Gross called for a 10¢ subway fare in answer to recommendations for 20¢ per hr. raise for the workers. The Dodgers and Reds played a 19 inning scoreless tie. At night to see "Inside Job" and "To Each His Own" with O. DeHaviland and John Lund. A sentimental but enjoyable drama of a mother's love for a son she could not claim.  

9/13 Beat Mencher. Sylvia gives delicious kisses, then names them as lettuce kisses, jelly kisses etc. Eugene is reading and rereading his library books when home to the exclusion of anything else. Lillian sat tonight. Reconversion director Steelman ordered raises for striking AFL seamen. At an I.C.C.A.S.P. and NCPAC meeting at the Garden, Wallace called for peace through compromises by both U.S.A. and Russia, balancing America's imperialist actions with Russia's influence for democracy as in the same class. Pepper however attacked our foreign policy. Kroll, Robeson and Kingdon were other speakers as Mead and Lehman were boosted for office.

9/14 We walked along the reservoir to Mama's today, seeing Lil, Harry and Susan Tauby & Toby and Mom. Pop is in Northhampton. Had supper there, Susan breaking something and knocking over a lamp. The NMU has struck to win the raises promised to the seamen. The mayor has named an advisory comm. to reach a trucking settlement. Wallace's speech, mild as it was has caused much anxiety to the State Dept and Byrnes. Lillian had a cold today following a shower she took. Read "Pere Goriot" telling of a father's love and sacrifices for his daughters and the decadent society of Paris.

I remember the names "Tauby" and "Toby" but don't know who they were. There's a picture pasted in here, seemingly unrelated - see scanned in page.