3/3-3/9/46

3/3 Sunday Greenwich has voted against having the UNO in it's locality 2 1/2 to 1. Mom and Pop came over and I made out pop's income tax. Eugene was in bed today with 100 degrees in the morning but normal later. Sylvia is getting shyer in the street. She calls us now if she has to go during the night. Eugene reads to the class in school sometimes.

3/4 32 Cardinals were officially ordained at the St. Peters Cathedral in Rome. Eugene was in bed part of the day. Lilly went down town with Sylvia to get some wool and bought her a doll. I got a chess game and Eugene got his first lesson. Later I went to the movies and saw "G.I. Joe" with Burgess Meredith as Ernie Pyle. It is the saga of the infantry man, played with much restraint. Also "Snafu" a comedy of errors. Molly over in the evening. Lillian read "The Darker Brother" by Bucklin Moon. The plight of the Negro. Peasant leader Mikolajczyk has refused to form a united slate in Poland unless his party got 75% of the mandates. Spaak and De Schryver have failed to form Belgian gov'ts. GM has rejected arbitration and demanded a secret union vote on return to work. It has given a "final offer" of 18 1/2¢ raise. The Union is sticking to 19 1/2¢.

3/5 Thousands of girls that our soldiers married on the other side are coming over on special boats, many with their children. Several "Stars and Stripes" editors have been removed and transferred for their anti-fascist exposes with many colleagues resigning in protest. Eugene was out of school again today but better. The House defeated a veteran's housing bill of $600,000,000 for construction material subsidies. British shot down Indian food rioters. U.S. Britain and France called on the Spanish people to quietly remove Franco. Canada charged the espionage was directed from Moscow. Lillian went to the movies. Hundreds of Chicago vets invaded Washington in their cabs to protest refusal of their city authorities to give them licenses. Lillian saw G.I. Joe and Snafu today. Played chess again with Eugene.

3/6 Eugene returned to school today. Churchill in a speech in Fulton Mo. called for a British-American alliance aimed at the growing democratic movement led by the Soviet Union. The F.B.I. is probing "outside influences" in Columbia Tenn. Eugene lost his first pencil in school.

3/7 Twelve Negroes in Columbia Tenn. are being held on charges of "attempted murder" and "carrying concealed weapons". It is called a frame-up. There is much criticism of Churchill's speech here and in England. Eugene was cute in his first chess game as he tried to capture pawns oblivious to the danger his queen was in. Davis and Cacchione were the only city concilmen to dissent on a resolution welcoming Cardinal Spellman back to New York. Ben Davis read a statement objecting to the latters political views. He was vigorously attacked by all except Isaacs [?] and the ALP and Liberal Party councilmen. An N.M.U. squabble has Curran asking for the ouster of Myers Smith MacKenzie and Stack alleging they act in concert indulging in character assassination. An investigating committee has lined up against Curran on the issue. Lillian read "Song of the Valley" Sholem Asch. She didn't care for it.

Not sure of the name of the councilman who didn't object. 

3/8 [...] Ever since Mrs. Peterson took her into her apartment and closed the door without Lillian's presence causing Sylvia to burst into tears her shyness has greatly increased, her fears multiplied and she cries more often. She eats by herself but must be reminded to take almost every forkful. She has finally shown interest in learning her letters. She knows about a half-dozen. We have vigorously asked USSR to remove its troops from Iran under the March 2 deadline treaty. The Iranian premier has been conferring with Stalin on Soviet requests for autonomy for Azerbaijan Iran, oil concessions. A 1921 treaty gives the Soviet Union the right to occupy Iran in case war threatens. O'Dwyer has named a Negro to the Board of Higher Education but pro-Franco Timone to the more important Board of Education. An eviscerated Patman housing bill has passed the House. A national telephone [strike] has been avoided at the last minute with $5-8 weekly increases granted. 15000 attended a C.P. Union Square rally against the war drive and Negro killings. Foster Everett Thomas Rabbi Felshin and Patosh were among the speakers. Lillian asked Eugene since he was such a smart boy how was it he didn't etc. etc. "I'm not so smart", he said, "I don't even know the capital of New Brunswick" (Canada). Played chess with Eugene and Lillian who got her first lesson.

The word "strike" is not in the entry, but seems obviously meant. Not sure of all the names of the speakers at the rally.

3/9 City College basketball team pulled a terrific upset on the N.Y.U. team which was considered #1 in the country. Score 49-44. N.Y.U. now has 18-2. City lost 4 games this season. Joan Crawford won her first "Oscar" for "Mildred Pierce". Ray Milland was chosen among the men for "The Lost Weekend". Played chess with Eugene. Brought the typewriter over to Milton's on a visit after his recuperation and borrowed a chess book. German Communists are being arrested in the American zone for violations of regulations. A "rank and file" group in the "Brotherhoods" was formed with Wellington Roe at the head. Truman appointed a fact finding board in the Railroads dispute to postpone a strike.