4/6-4/12/47

4/6 Sunday Eugene woke up not feeling well and had 102 1/2 temp. After an enema and other ministrations it went down to 100°. He acted normally. His trouble seemed to be a sore throat or his stomach. Took Sylvia down and she paraded with her doll carriage and her pin wheel. Mom and Pop over later and Eugene started to cry over a stalemate argument in a chess game with Pop. Eugene's temp teetered and he had a bad night.

4/7 Called Dr. Holzman this morning and found Eugene had a strep throat. He had 104° while the doctor was there. Eugene got sulfa powders and Lillian was to sponge him, cold applications to the neck, daily enema, liquid diet, gargle which Eugene failed to do after much fuss privine drops and throat swab with argyrol. Telephone workers of many unions, none CIO or AFL but many affiliated with N.F.T.W. are due to strike at 6 AM today for raises and working conditions after a week of fruitless negotiations. Miners intend to stay out until mines are made safer. A phony expose of Communism has been authorized for printing in 500000 copies by Congress but a book on the Fascist danger has been stalled so far. MacArthur and reactionary Premier Yoshida have declared war on Japanese Communists who are called fascists. Joe Stack has been removed as N.M.U. V.P. by another membership meeting approx. 900-700. Mom came over to help but I stayed home from work. Eugene's temp stayed up all evening. We took Sylvia's temp. at night and she had 103°. Called Dr. Holzman and he advised the same regimen for her except the sulfa (aspirin instead). We had lots of trouble with her on the medication. She finally vomited all over herself and her bed after he throat was swabbed. Jimmy Demaret won the $70,000 Masters Tournament with 281.

4/8 Eugene was quite sick all night Lillian catching him in a slight delirium twice. His temp. however was normal in the morning. Sylvia was just under 100°. Lillian got the kids some toys and Mrs. K. sent in some books following the chocolate Easter bunnies she had sent. Yesterday with his high temp. he insisted on playing a game of chess with me. The kids enjoyed our marching in with their lunch and supper trays singing as we did so. 325,000 telephone workers are on strike. Gromyko at Lake Success asked for economic aid for Greece by the UN instead of our bypassing the UN. Mayor O'Dwyer promised to keep nurseries open during hearings on his record breaking billion dollar budget. Bessie Beatty dead at 61. Chinese Communists attacked American Marines, casualties on both sides included dead and wounded. Henry Ford is dead at 83. Stayed home from work again.

I believe I remember the "delirium" incident; at least I do remember awakening in the middle of the night to see my mother standing at the foot of the bed, and telling me that I had been a bit delirious, apparently talking about things that were not there. Of course, I don't really know if that was this same incident. 

4/9 Sylvia temp was 102° this morning so we called Dr. Holzman who came at 9 P.M. He suspected a pyelitis to be verified by her urinalysis. Sylvia had complained during her urinating that it "hotted" her. Played Eugene some chess. Lillian came over with some cut-outs for Sylvia and a book - "King Arthur" for Eugene. Langley Collyer has been found under the debris in his home. Comp. time today.

Aunt Lillian was always good with presents. 

4/10 Brought Sylvia's urine report to Dr. Holzman. It was negative. While I was there Lillian called that Eugene's temp - 99.8 at 9AM had risen to 102°. The doctor said he would be over. He came at 6 P.M. He found that Eugene had adenitis an inflammation of the neck glands arising from the throat infection. He had to have the sulfa again and ice bag on his neck - left side. Lillian had to resume most of the other treatments also. He examined Sylvia again and could find nothing yet. He thought something was brewing or perhaps a virus infection. Sylvia has been very active and talkative all day. Her temp. ranged from 100.4 to 100.8 without aspirin. We still march in with the meals, singing, which they enjoy. Eugene insisted on a chess game. Lillian read to the kids. I cut out and pasted pictures together with Sylvia. N.J. passed an anti-strike bill bringing back some phone strikers. Dennis was cited for contempt on two charges. Frankie Sinatra was arrested for "socking" a Hearst writer who has been heckling him in print and called him a "dago" according to Sinatra. Manager Leo Durocher of the Dodgers has been suspended for the entire season for "unbecoming conduct" by Comm. Chandler. The A.F.L. Hotel Union Conference saw gangsterism and murder before and redbaiting and purge of opponents of the administration during the sessions. The Senate confirmed Lilienthal as head of the Atomic Energy Comm. 50-31. Got certificate from Holzman and stayed home again.

4/11 Sylvia's temp. between 99.6 and 100.6 today. Very playful again. Mom and Molly over. She told Molly, Eugene was her man rather than her brother. Eugene's temp 101.6 all day. After midnight he felt normal. The Dodgers signed Jackie Robinson the first Negro to join a major league club. Poland's new western boundaries are again under fire. 5 million Germans have been transferred from the territory in question and Poles resettled there. A tornado in Texas and Oklahoma killed 127 and injured more than 1000 persons. Brought another specimen of Sylvia's urine to Dr. Holzman - negative again. Returned to work today.

4/12 Eugene's temp went down to normal today. Sylvia's ranged up to 101° with nothing visible yet. They were both fairly cheerful. Sylvia's nose was stuffed again. Jersey phone strikers prepared for a show-down with the state's anti-strike law. Union leaders surrendered to the police and were released on bail. The A.F.L. Hotel Union convention put through an anti-communist clause. Anti-communist gangsters in Cuban leaders [?] are shooting up left wing offices in a drive to oust left wing leaders. The British charge that Albania laid mines in the Corfu Straits doing damage to British ships has been sent to the Court of Intern'l Justice by a vote of the Security Council.

I think he meant "in Cuba", and the word "leaders" got put in as he thought of the end of the sentence.

3/30-4/5/47

3/30 Sunday To Susan's birthday party she looking very cute. She spins round and round and says "[??]", Played Eugene and pop a chess game and Eugene as usual lost interest before the finish. Taubie and Mike over with Mrs. Thaw later. We taxiied there and subwayed home. Lillian had 101 temp when we got home. She took an enema argyrol pack empirin comp. and tea and whiskey. Sadie [?] over at night and Irving R. to tell us of the ride upstate in their new Chevvy to look for a summer place.

I can't tell what Susan says - maybe someone else can; it's scanned in below. He wrote "Sadie", but if it's Irving R(osenberg), then he meant "Sarah". 

3/31 Played out a chess game with Eugene out of a paper during lunch hour. Sylvia regaled Molly who came over with stories and poems. Lewis decreed an 8 day shutdown of the mines in memory of the dead miners. A.D.A. supports the Truman Doctrine - to fight Communism abroad. P.C.A. opposes it. Sylvia has a slight cold. Lillian felt much better this evening. Eugene brought home his first report card. A in reading and composition B+ in arithmetic and spelling A in conduct Satisfactory in all other items. His and Joan's were the two best. New elections were held in his class old officers being ineligible.

Don't know who Joan was. 

4/1 Eugene guessed the lunch time story I would read from the Book of K. would be "Little one-eye, etc." I have already read "The Straw-ox", "Ali Baba".  Wallace denounced the Truman Doctrine at a P.C.A. meeting before 30,000 at the "Garden". He called for a return to the UN and democratic rights at home. King George of Greece has died suddenly.

 4/2 Lillian put Sylvia in her bed with her shoes off when her temp. was found to be 100°. Eugene seems to have resumed with Gloria. Chinese Nationalists have slaughtered thousands of Formosans. The House Banking Comm. voted for a 10% rent rise. The 5-man N.M.U. trial board cleared Joe Stack. A membership meeting ended in confusion with Curran claiming a vote there had gone against Stack. Curran has intensified his red-baiting and is supporting the Truman Doctrine "against Russian expansion". Lillian read O'Brien's "Best Short Stories 1940".

4/3 Sylvia out of bed today. Eugene a leader of group 3 in class. They need a good leader he says. Left wing Laborites are opposing Bevin's anti-Soviet policy. Lillian read "Sister Carrie".

4/4 Took the kids to the park this Good Friday morning picking up Bobby R. on the way. The kids skated and romped about. Eugene says he knows the "murmel" (moral) of Cinderella "Don't be too greedy or else it will end up bad for you". Eugene takes the attendance in class and records the temperature. The Greek-Turkish intervention received an O.K. from the Senate Comm. Sec'y of Interior Krug shut 518 unsafe mines (see 4/5),

4/5 250,000 Ruhr miners are striking against hunger rations. State Mine Director Medill has resigned under fire in Illinois. It is disclosed mine owners had contributed to the G.O.P. to hush mine violations. Progressives again swept the 65000 man Ford Union local. Wallace reviled here by many liberals for his progressive views has been invited to France as the leading American liberal by all parties and is in great demand all over Europe. The Italian C.P. is supporting the principle of recognition of Catholicism as a state religion in order to retain a broad working class unity. Current joke is of Langley Collyer who with his recently deceased brother Homer formed a pair of wealthy eccentric hermits on 5th Ave. Langley is being sought in their home where 150 tons of junk have already been removed. Went with Eugene to Arnold P.'s house to give him a chess lesson but he had gone to the movies. Spent a half hour there, Eugene having milk & cookies and reading a "Buddy" book there which he borrowed. Played Eugene some chess. (Lillian and the kids went to Mollie's yesterday for a seder. I had to work. Mike Ev & Isabel there. Also Milton and his new girl friend.)

Not sure why the parentheses at the end; I guess because it was "yesterday". This entry is followed by 1 1/2 pages of obliterated stuff, this time in what looks like blue crayon. I will try and read it, but this is going to be much harder.

3/18/47

This post will be different. On 3/18 I wrote: "The remainder/bottom third of this page is physically cut out of the diary, and the writing on the reverse side is crossed out in what looks like green crayon as well as ink. What I can read of it appears more "diary-like" than journal; it seems to be some political/philosophical comments, which, I guess, he later decided to eliminate. The next page continues with the next day."

So I didn't think I could read the whole thing, and I didn't think I would publish it, because he crossed it out. But when I looked at it carefully (it's scanned in below; the line after the crossed out stuff is actually from the previous page; it's hard to see the cut), I realized that I actually could read almost the entire entry. Here it is, as best as I can tell:

“[starts at bottom of previous page, which is physically cut out] ... I believe to be universally applicable within the sphere of liberalism can be safely maintained. I would like to digress a little in order to bring out my first point.

We are now entering a point of monstrous political perversion. Our country is being panicked into belief in the proposition that the fascist danger is negligible by implication, that Communism is the enemy that it is worse than fascism and that it must be stemmed abroad and outlawed at home. The incredible progress [not sure, may be “pogrom”, which seems to fit] within [can’t really read the word, but it might be “Russia”, which would fit] a few years back, and comparable to the Hitler program in Nazi Germany, is being fed to the American people and swallowed by many. It has been sponsored by certain ...”

 

and that’s it, the rest of the page is essentially cut off (half a word at the end of each line remains). And the page following this has been completely cut out. 

 

It actually looks like preparation for a speech; e.g., “I would like to digress ...” And, the next day (3/19/47) he writes “At night to the "Fed" Installation at the Hotel Diplomat.”? Maybe the whole speech was on the completely cut out page? Was it his speech? Someone else's? We (Silvia and I) are not quite sure what the last full sentence means; perhaps the part of the page cut out would have clarified it, or maybe someone else can decipher the words in question. The cut out part on the page before surely would have clarified at the beginning what could " be safely maintained"

 

 I originally thought it had been cut out/crossed out because he didn't want anyone to see it, but now I think it more likely that it just wasn't really part of the diary/journal. So we decided it was OK to publish it.

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.

3/16-3/22/47

3/16 Sunday Visited Al & Edith today. Danny is a bright, energetic toddler, very alert and intelligent. He puts the radio on, runs to the lamp then grins to show how pleased he is. He tries to get hold of ash trays. Eugene and I played a draw with Al in chess. The kids behaved pretty well. A revolt has been going on in Dictator Morinigo's Paraguay for several days. Marshall in Moscow has defined our concept of democracy as the right of the individual to develop his mind and soul in ways of his own choice free from fear of coercion, provided he does not interfere with the like right of others. We are about to make a mockery of this concept here. Molotov asserted free speech did not mean freedom to propagate fascist doctrines. Yenan has asserted it was bombed by American planes.

3/17 Eugene got 100 in arithmetic and marked the children's papers. Sylvia went on the high sliding pond in the playground. Mrs. Roosevelt has opposed the ban on the C.P. among countless others. A Maritime Union conference passed an anti-communist resolution, C.I.O. Unions however disavowing it. Milt Murray, newspaper guild head pointed out "reds" to the "House" Labor Comm. Budenz is fingering them for the "UnAmerican Comm."

3/18 British Parliament discussed the Truman proposals on Greece and Turkey, many Laborites denouncing them. The UN Investigating Comm. in the Balkans is having a hectic time. Blocked in a Yugoslav town suspected of harboring guerillas [sic] they passed on to keep their schedule although permission came to enter the next day. When a Greek guerilla leader was delayed in keeping an appointment with the comm. all but the Soviet & Polish delegates went on. In Greece the route lay along territory where guerillas were battling soldiers & gendarmes. In Albania they were welcomed. Charges there were made that Greeks were provoking border incidents. Molotov at the Moscow conference asked a billion dollars reparations from Germany. Joe Stack of the NMU will stand trial on Curran's charges of years old misdeeds. Sylvia spends her mornings in the playground as she is not enrolled in the pre school class for indoors. Eugene wants to see The Jolson Story. Jean R. Bloch is dead at 62.

"Guerrilla" was regularly spelled with one "r", I won't note it further. 
The remainder/bottom third of this page is physically cut out of the diary, and the writing on the reverse side is crossed out in what looks like green crayon as well as ink. What I can read of it appears more "diary-like" than journal; it seems to be some political/philosophical comments, which, I guess, he later decided to eliminate. The next page continues with the next day.

3/19 Eugene drew "The Story of the Other America" by Gill and Hoke. "Three Gay Tales From Grimm" by Wanda Gag "[The] Chinese Ink Stick" written and illustrated by Kurt Weise and "The Boy Who Could Do Anything" - Mexican Folk Tales retold by Anita Brenner. Sylvia went to school this morning and had a few heartaches when a couple of nasty children tried to exclude her from the class. She went right back at one boy though who pushed her. Eugene has two school mates who like to gang up on him. He says he's going to fight them one at a time. Bread is going up again. A Negro reporter has won his fight to sit in the Senate press gallery. Murray has ordered the rump group in the NY C.I.O formed to oust the communists to disband. The State Senate approved the Wilson-Pakula Bill to prevent coalitions in elections. Also passed was the Archinal-Corey [?] Bill to require oath-bound organizations to file membership lists.It is expected to be used illegally against the C.P. Another Archinal Bill to bar members of "UnAmerican" organizations from holding office was passed by the Assembly. Lillian read "In Time of Peace" a superficial novel of pre-war times by Ben Ames Williams. I read Pierre Van Paassen's great account of his native town in Holland weaving in the Hitler rape of Europe. At night to the "Fed" Installation at the Hotel Diplomat.

There's a second name for the "Archinal" Bill, but I'm not sure of it.

3/20 Chiang has captured Yenan. The Archinal Bill barring "Unamercians" from holding office was killed due to its probable unconstitutionality. The Georgia Supreme Court has ruled that M.E. Thompson is the rightful Governor and Talmadge a usurper. The latter is vacating, all his actions while Governor invalidated. The French C.P. has refused to approve the war against the Indo-Chinese colonies. Sylvia was struck by a "beautiful" hat worn by a girl in playground school and described it to Lillian. Eugene got 80% in spelling, one wrong but three erasures.

3/21 Eugene escorted some children to the principal's floor where they had to do homework in which they were behind. Sylvia is desperate for playmates even to going down to the Gallins to call for Norma. Acting Sec'y of State Dean Acheson testified in the hearings before the "House" Foreign Affairs Comm. He claimed no possibility of war hanging on one projected program of vast expenditures in European countries to stop Communism. Schwellenbach called for a constitutional amendment to circumvent the unconstitutionality of outlawing the C.P.  Milt Murray was reproved by the NY Newspaper Guild for his testimony before the House Labor Comm. Investigator Paul Porter returned from Greece with recommendations for aid to the Monarcho[?]-Fascist gov't "to stop communism".

3/22 The "Bund" is reorganizing. The Senate passed the Anti-postal pay bill which wracks the wage-hour law 64-24. We will not grant food relief to starving Yugoslavia claiming their need is not urgent. Eugene made pumpkin faces for Sylvia and himself. Played Eugene a chess game. Bobbie R. called for the kids and they went down to the yard where Eugene's bike collapsed. Socialist Minister Spaak has formed a Belgian cabinet the C.P. and Liberals staying out.

3/9-3/15/47

3/9 Sunday To mothers for dinner, Lil Harry Susan also. We walked all the way in cool weather. We bought a sparkler for Susan which flashes different colors due to the emery on the rotating wheels. The kids were fascinated by it so on the way home we got them one. They took turns holding it a block each. Read King Lear. Lillian read "Imperial City" of Elmer Rice. Herb Sorrell Film Studio Union leader was kidnapped and badly beaten. The John Ericsson burned with $1,500,000 damages. An unsuccessful attempt was made to assassinate Roxas.

3/10 Sylvia this morning said "When I grow up I'll have children and my children will have children but I'll be dead and my children will be dead." Then, "I hope it's not so." What she said may have been a little different but I can't remember exactly. There is a strong rivalry at all times between the kids. Eugene loves to skip. Carrie C. Catt is dead at 88.

That's the first time I remember him commenting like that about what he wrote. 

3/11 Sylvia joined the pre school class at St. James playground and enjoyed it. Eugene will not attempt to explain anything. His stock answer is "I don't know". The Big Four conference opened in Moscow yesterday. Molotov asked that China be placed on the agenda. An A.F.L. comm. after an on the spot investigation denounced gov't control of the trade unions in Argentina and recommended no collaboration with them. The Supreme Court upheld collective bargaining rights for foremen. After a five week grilling David Lilienthal was approved for chairman of the Atomic Energy Comm. by an 8-1 vote of the Senate Committee. Only Bricker voted no. Loughlin resigned last week as Tammany Hall leader and was replaced by Frank Sampson.

3/12 Sylvia went to playground school again being very disconsolate when there was no paper for her to draw and cut out. Eugene wrote a piece in school which may appear in the bulletin. Truman asked Congress today for a half million dollar loan to reactionary Greece and Turkey as a bulwark against Russia and Communism. Sec'y of Labor Schwellenbach in a shocking statement asked Congress to outlaw the C.P. as a group committed to the overthrow of the government. President McNear of the strike bound TP & W railroad was assassinated. Reid Robinson, President of the M.M.&S.W.U. resigned to remove a weapon in the hands of the enemies of the union. He had made the error of soliciting a loan from the President of a company during union negotiations with the company. Robinson will remain a rank & file worker. V.P. M. Travis will replace Robinson. Russia has rejected an American protest in the arrest of Hungarians accused of conspiracy against Russia & Hungary. The State Senate passed the much discussed Condon-Wadlin Bill to bar public workers from striking. All Democrats opposed the bill. In Moscow Molotov criticized failure of Allied dismantling of Nazi war plants. We have refused to place China on the agenda.

3/13 Harry Boykoff broke all "Garden" scoring records amassing 54 points in a St. Johns victory over St. Francis 71-52. Bevin in Moscow attacked Russia's German policy countering Russia's attack on Anglo-American German policy. 500 demonstraters [sic] sat down in Albany in protest against the Condon-Wadlin anti-strike bill. After school we went downtown buying The Pied Piper of Hamelin and records of the Anniversary Song for Lillian and ourselves from the proceeds of the sale of Pop's "atom smasher". Eugene had his first homework, in arithmetic, his spelling having been O.K. Sylvia said she was glad she had a daddy like me (as I say things to make her laugh). At night to an A.L.P. meeting at P.S. 80 where Paul Ross O'Dwyer's Admin. Sec'y and Lenny Strauss warned of fascism's coming to America.

"atom smasher" ?????

 3/14 Eugene is the first to have finished his 'reading' contract in school and is free to do anything he pleases during "reading". Sylvia has been taking my seat whenever I get up for anything so that I can pick her up and deposit her on the floor. Wallace has denounced Truman's plan to aid Greece and Turkey militarily. Lillian and the kids went to a magic show in St. James Park which was enjoyed by all.

3/15 Bills being passed in Albany include a teachers pay bill which it is claimed will result in pay cuts for many teachers ultimately, a local tax bill on cigarettes, amusements, etc. to raise money for improvements. Dewey will not relinquish any part of the $600,000,000 surplus he inherited Wallace's answer. [?] In the yard this morning Sylvia cried because she was afraid of Mimi. Upstairs Eugene cried when Sylvia kicked him in the teeth in a scuffle. When Lillian threatened to debar Eugene from Arline D's.6th birthday party this afternoon, Sylvia interceded for him. The kids went to the party, all being dispersed about 4 o'clock because it was too noisy.

I haven't been able to figure out the anomaly "Wallace's answer". Would seem to have something to do with the previous day's entry; the two words do appear on a new line.