Thursday, May 23, 2013

11/23-11/29/47

11/23 Sunday Eugene complained of an intermittent belly-ache all day. We finally reached Dr. Holzman who didn't think it was the appendix but suggested bicarb. in water, weak tea and a suppository. -- He hadn't eaten today after his soup at lunchtime when his pains began. Yesterday Vivian S. who also came up rearranged the shelves and traded Eugene a hard covered "Smitty" comic book for two Jack & Jill magazines which Mrs. Gallins had sent up last week. Lost a chess game to Eugene while he was in bed. He refused to finish a second game - the first time.

11/24 Eugene stayed home this morning but returned to school in the afternoon as he was O.K. The kids sewed on their toy sewing maching. With Lillian about to give Sylvia an argyrol pack, I told Sylvia to surprise Mommy by agreeing rather than make her usual fuss. I told her Lillian would give her something good which persuaded her. Jake LaMotta after being KO'd by Billy Fox has been suspended for the fight which most sports writers called a "fix". M.R.P. leader Robert Schuman succeeded in forming a gov't in France. Communists and DeGaulleists were excluded. Strikers increased to almost a million. Twenty million Chinese voted in the first general election with all opposition disenfranchised.

11/25 Lillian bought a pair of pants for Eugene $2.88 and material for a blanket cover at 39¢ per yard. Eugene is leader of the arithmetic group in school. The "House" voted to cite 10 Hollywood anti-fascists for contempt. Only 17 opposed on a record vote. The N.N.C. & C.R.C. voted to merge. Lillian read Jean Stratford's "A Boston Adventure".

11/26 Sylvia complained of a belly ache and went to bed with about 100°. -- Dr. Holzman on the phone thought it an intestinal infection. -- Diet of chicken broth. No argyrol pack. Sylvia got a primary "makit" with which we built some scales. Eugene drew "The Unicorn With Silver Shoes" by Ella Young, Malory's "Boy's King Arthur", "Let's Go Outdoors" by H.E. Huntington and for Sylvia "Clear The Track For Michael's Magic Train" by Louis Slobodkin. The "Big 4" Foreign Ministers in the opening session agreed upon an agenda which will include preparation of the German treaty, demilitarization of Germany, postwar German economy and reparations, US draft of the Four power treaty and report on the Austrian treaty. Almost 2000,000 [sic] railroad workers stroke [sic] in France. Fifty top movie moguls met and decided to fire the ten anti-fascists on trial and any other Communists or those who refuse to deny they are Communists. Chicago printers of the I.T.U. struck for a $100 per week wage scale. Postmaster Hannegan resigned to buy the Cardinals ball club being replaced by Jesse Donaldson. Lillian read "Wisdom's Gate" by M. A. Barnes & Ben Field's "Outside Leaf". Read Eugene Onegin.

The "Primary Makit" was a Tinkertoy set, you can look it up. I'll bet the two errors above resulted from his anger at the item in the next sentence.   

11/27 Thanksgiving Day Sylvia in bed though normal. Went down with Eugene and we bought a few knick-knacks for Sylvia. 19 Russians have been expelled from France following a raid on a Soviet repatriation camp last week. A city eviction curb requiring a certificate, was declared illegal. R.K.O. has fired producer Adrian Scott and Director Ed Dmytryk of the indicted ten. Bob Elliott and Joe Dimaggio won the N.L. - A.L. most valuable player awards respectfully [sic]. We both read "Paul Robeson - Citizen of the World" by S. Graham. 

11/28 Two million are on strike in France as Schuman's inadequate wage raise offers were turned down. 4 top Nazi war leaders were indicted by the Allies for barbarism. Lillian and the kids went to Dr. Holzman to get 'flu' injections. The charge was $5 apiece. The doctor examined the kids finding Eugene had a mild colitis for which he advised boiled milk. Sylvia had a slight congestion in the nose. He advised salt water inhalations.

I didn't realize until I looked it up that the flu vaccine was available in the 1940s.

11/29 Sylvia had a slight fever today due to the injection. She was rather cranky all day. After lunch we went to 125 St.to see about upholstering the sofa. Lost a chess game to Eugene. A coalition of demonstraters [sic] protesting the discharge of a prefect, formerly a partisan, took over Milan peacefully. In France Schuman called up 80,000 Army conscripts.