Thursday, November 24, 2011

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.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

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.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

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.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

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.