Tuesday, March 6, 2012

4/13-4/19/47

4/13 Sunday Eugene's temp normal again, Sylvia's hovering under 100°. We spent the day playing tiddledy [sic] winks, anagrams, Authors, chess, cutting out paper toys. Read "Hamlet".

4/14 The kids both normal today. Sylvia has been putting things in her mouth again while in bed. Eugene has been in our bed all along and Lillian slept sleeping in the cot near him. Sylvia has been in her bed and I sleep in the folding bed near her. Lindbergh has come out for the Truman Doctrine. Senators have begun to attack Wallace's speeches in England. C.I.O. head Murray attacked the Hartley & Taft Anti-labor bills as first real step toward fascism here. Lillian got Eugene a summer jacket in Alexander's - a good buy at $4. but Eugene was more interested in the piano and lamp Lillian got for Sylvia's doll house. She also got me a silk tie - 93¢. Ernie over tonight talking for three hours, aggravating my slight indisposition. I am on vacation for a week.

4/15 Hallelujah! Both kids are up and dressed today and it's a pleasure to hear them squabbling again. Drew for Eugene "Sorcerer's Apprentice" by R. Rostron "Pecos Bill" by J.C. Bowman "Jamaica Johnny" by B&E Hader "The Great Quillow" by James Thurber. The "UnAmerican Comm." called for Wallace's prosecution under the 1799 Logan Act forbidding an American from advising other gov'ts to oppose our gov't. Stalin told the Republican Stassen who is in Moscow that censorship was revived there due to lying correspondents. Eisler was indicted for perjury. The G.M. Electrical division gave the U.E. 15¢ per hour raise - no strike. Lost a chess game to Eugene. The kids got extra portions of chocolate at supper and Sylvia vomited a little - due to a lot of phlegm, Lillian thought.

4/16 The kids O.K. but playing in the house all day due to the bad weather. It is admitted N.A.M. lawyers helped write the Hartley slave labor bill. A few businessmen informed Truman they had reduced prices in accordance with his general request. Marshall saw Stalin but it seems no agreement can be achieved on the German treaty. Eisler has been released on $20,000 bail. Several cases of smallpox have prompted doctors to request every New Yorker to be vaccinated. A temporary injunction barring the arrest of phone strikers under the New Jersey law has been obtained. Opening game of the 1947 season showing sensational rookie Hartung playing his first regular season Major League ballgame and Jackie Robinson first Negro to play Major League ball playing his first game. Nazis de Brinon and Haess have been executed and Father Tiso condemned. Att'y Gen'l Clark called Wallace a liar for saying the U.S.' course is imperialistic. Ball pen manuf'er Milt Reynolds has set a round the world record in his plane of 78 hours 55 1/2 min. Played chess with Eugene. At home after seeing "Counterattack" with Paul Muni I had 101.5° and got plenty of tea and lemon and empirin and vicks. [...]

See scanned in page for the box scores of the two openers. For Hartung, it was the start of a mediocre (at best) career; not so for Robinson, of course.



4/17 In bed all day today for first time since my marriage. 100.2 in the morning, decreasing gradually to 99.2 at night. Lillian tended me beautifully all day. My trouble is a cough which gives me pain and a lot of phlegm. The kids still in the house due to the weather. A ship carrying either nitrate or ammunition blew up destroying a good part of Texas City and killing up to 1200 persons. [Insert] Revised death toll approx. 560. The Monsanto Chemical plant was rased [sic]. Scenes of horror abounded. The execution of Dov Gruner and three other Jews in Palestine brought death threats against British officials.

He says it's the first time in eleven years. He inserted the corrected death toll between the written lines. 

4/18 Out of bed today feeling better. We finally got out of the house all together when it looked nice outside during supper. We hurriedly finished and stayed out an hour. Sylvia looked glamorous in the new sweater Lillian made her and her new slacks. Whenever we play chess, as we did tonight Sylvia plays with the captured pieces and we find them under tables or in the sofa. The kids call each other mighty mean names now when they quarrel. Fires and explosions continued in Texas City. General DeGaulle has reentered politics with a new political movement. The House passed the Hartley bill 308-107 even Democrats favoring it 93-84! A new gov't took power in China containing for the first time other Elements but the kuomintang. These are the Young China party and the Social Democratic party and some independent political leaders. The Kuomintang still dominates. Italian demonstraters for food beat Count Sforza.

4/19 This morning for a long walk on the "Concourse" to 182nd st, the kids enjoying the window shopping and light treats. In the afternoon walked to the Kingsbridge Terrace Police Station at 232nd st where we were all vaccinated against smallpox. Then to the nearby playground where Sylvia showed more courage than Eugene on the adult swings. In chess Eugene drove me in one game until he overlooked several pieces. We all finished off with tiddledy winks. Eugene got two argyrol packs. Labor demonstrations are growing against the congressional anti-labor drive. Wallace spoke in Stockholm. The Security Council rejected supervision of the American plan for Greece & Turkey by the UN. U.E. win 15¢ at Westinghouse. Robeson has been barred at Peoria as a radical. Benny Leonard at 51 collapsed and died of a brain hemorrhage while refereeing a boxing match.

I have vivid memories of the vaccination, and I remember that it was in the direction of Kingsbridge Terrace; I didn't remember that it was so far.