3/23-3/29/47

3/23 Sunday Hy & Millie Navorich [?] over with Sandy. The kids romped quite noisily. Hy played Eugene a chess game then I pulled out a tough one with him. This morning I overlooked several pieces with Eugene and I finally resigned for Eugene's first victory over me. Truman has ordered a purge of "reds" in the government. Lillian discovered she had a cold this evening which affected her ear.

Not sure of the name, none of the names familiar. 

3/24 Lillian didn't feel well today, sleeping most of the day. After school Eugene and Sylvia went up to play with Gloria S. Later played a chess game with Eugene and after passing up a chance to mate him he mated me. However he still makes some careless moves which I allow him to take back. Sylvia amused herself pretty much alone till Eugene came home. The United Christian Council for Democracy composed of six affiliated groups condemned the spreading witch hunt and attempt to outlaw the C.P. Allis-Chalmers workers called off their year old strike with determination to continue the fight in the plant. The general rubber strike was abandoned and 11 1/2 per hour was accepted.

3/25 Sylvia romped all over the swings, see saws and sliding ponds in the playground. Eugene has finished his second reading contract in school, again the only one as yet. Lillian feels better today. The hearings to outlaw the C.P. started with Legionaire [sic] witnesses calling for a clean sweep of "reds" all over the country. Bullitt testified that Russia would bomb us if it had the atom bomb; also asked for our intervention in France. Acheson testified at the Senate Foreign Relations Comm., Korea will be saved from Communism next. Also that Russia is the only potential aggressor against Turkey. 100 Allis-Chalmers active strikers have been barred. Leon Josephson has been cited for contempt by the "Rankin Comm." William L. Shirer is the latest liberal commentator casualty on the radio.

3/26 Lillian felt worse today and I called Dr. Marcus of the I.W.O. and stayed home from work. She had 102° in the morning, a headache and her nose bad as usual. When the doctor came she was normal. He said she had a light grippe, was to stay in bed 24 hours and in the house several days. He advised empirin compound #100 a better kind of aspirin also lots of juices. Lillian had 100° at night but felt all right. Mollie was over and helped a little. Eugene is on the committee to study ponds in class. Today he sought information on frogs and toads from the B of Kn. Joyce G. came up to play some chess at which she is a beginner. Later they played casino Sylvia joining when I found her crying because they hadn't asked her. At bed-time I started to read Bunny Cottontail to her and Eugene finished it. William Green strongly opposed the outlawing of the C.P. at the hearings but added his own denunciation of Communism to the others. The Congress of American Women is in Washington protesting the Greco-Turkish venture. 100 were trapped in an Illinois mine blast. Russia vetoed a censure of Albania on the question of the mining of the Corfu channel where British warships were hit. This was at a Security Council meeting at Lake Success. The House voted to oust Conciliation Service Director E. L. Warren for joining two "communist front" organizations 343-39. Utah defeated Kentucky 49-45 in an upset in the National Invitation Tournament finals.

Don't knwo what "I.W.O." was, or why we didn't call our usual Dr. Holzman. 

3/27 Lillian better. Sister Lillian over with some chicken from Mom. Had to go all the way to school at lunch time to get Eugene as he was standing there with some friends watching for something. We always get Eugene across the street. Susan looks up to "Sissiya" (Sylvia). C.P. Sec'y Gene Dennis at the hearings refused to answer several questions and was ousted without being heard at all. He refused to accept a subpoena. F.B.I. Chief Hoover and US CofC representative Schmidt testified against outlawing the C.P. but offered reactionary programs of their own. Ralph Ingersoll and Wallace have attacked the red hunt. Holy Cross won the NCAA title over Oklahoma.

3/28 Lillian better but very weak. Eugene was reading to his class when the teacher was out. One boy rang the teacher's bell which Eugene reported to the teacher. Sylvia is very stubborn when she thinks she is right. V.F.W. Commander Louis Starr, anti-labor crusader attacked the C.P. at the hearings. He approved measures to outlaw the C.P. after some prodding by committee members. Miners at the Centralia Ill. mine where the disaster occurred had pleaded previously for enforcement of state laws to make the mine safe. The "House" passed the amended Knutson tax bill 273-73 giving the rich much relief. Dewey signed the Condon-Wadlin anti-strike bill. Johnny Evers is dead at 65.

3/29 In the morning took the kids to a show in school. Magician performing dogs and movie cartoons. Later to the library where Eugene drew "Don Coyote" by Leigh Peck "The Children Who Followed The Piper" by Padraic Colum, "Wooden Shoes in America" by Maloy and Dalgleish [sic] and "The Fairy Circus" by D. P. Lathrop. Then bought a Bordens Wagon pull toy for Susan, high chair for Sylvia's high chair and tie for Eugene. Played chess with Eugene. Lillian better after several argyrol packs. Commissioner Davis of the Board of Trans. made known his plan to prevent strikes, giving no sole right to any union but greater consideration to the largest. A comprehensive study of the press by a group of experts including Macleish, Schlessinger [sic] and Chaffee [sic] found much wanting as far as a free press is concerned. Ironically it was a Luce enterprise. Cacchione refused to dignify the Rankin Comm. with his appearance but sent a denunciatory message with Norman Schrank. Gov. Sigler endorsed outlawing of the C.P. at the hearings. Ex Gov. Earle predicted Russia would destroy us with atom bombs within five years. 111 miners are definitely dead in Centralia. The A.C.A. again defeated the A.F.L. at Western Union by almost 4-1.

He probably bought a high chair for Sylvia, or possibly something else for Sylvia's high chair.