2/22-2/28/48

2/22 Sunday Washington's Birthday Over to Mom's for lunch and dinner. Brought Lillian's birthday present of stockings. Susan loaned Sylvia her doll but asked her if she would take it home. Beat Pop two chess games, Eugene losing one to him.

2/23 Sleigh riding in the morning. After lunch we walked to the Oxford at 183 st to see Barbary Coast with E. G. Robinson, Miriam Hopkins & Joel McCrea, made in 1937. Also Marco Polo with Gary Cooper and Gurie and Basil Rathbone made in 1935. Sylvia cared for the Popeye cartoon only, otherwise she nagged us to go home. A great Jerusalem blast killed about 50 and wounded 100. Jews blaming it on the British killed about ten British soldiers in retaliation. Third party groups are being started in many states. Czech labor called a stoppage for nationalization and against reactionaries.

2/24 Sylvia teases us by shouting "can't catch a butterfly" then runs away. She'd gone down this morning and played with "baby Joycie" as she calls her. Eugene made a confession today. He got five charges for fighting in the "gym". Went to Dr. Robbins today for my xray results. 6 2-surface fillings - $30. 1 simple filling - porcelain $5 Prophylaxis $5 xray - $5. Sen Taylor announced his candidacy for V.P. with Wallace. The Second A.D.A. convention elected Leon Henderson President and attacked a third party. In Czechoslovakia, a National Socialist Party plot was unearthed for an armed uprising. The Nat'l Lawyers Guild rapped the Marshall Plan. Kenny was reelected President. The Nat'l C.I.O. Conference on Civil Liberties gagged most of the opposition. Implementation of the Presdident's Civil rights program was announced as the sole business. ...

2/25 Sylvia has hidden Eugene's "gun", a branch they found in the street. Eugene is determined to find it. Our UN delegate Austin asked for further study on Palestine. He called the partition not binding and said the UN could act further only if a threat to the peace is found. Wallace testified against the E.R.P. as a threat to peace before the "House" Comm. Radio and movies were banned for his testimony. The Czech gov't took stringent steps against a suspected National Socialist plot. Workers seized factories, borders were guarded, 200 officials were arrested, newspapers were suppressed. The Social Democrats voted to join the C.P. in a new gov't. The S.D. party split on the issue. The City Council refused to seat Gerson again 14-4. England froze prices.

2/26 Sylvia yesterday did not brush her teeth but wet her brush to fool Lillian. As for Eugene, see yesterday's notation. A new cabinet was formed in Czecho. comprising a five party coalition with Pres. Benes approval. Rightists were excluded. Police met anti-communist student protests with some shooting. 15 spies of a german ring sponsored by the U.S. were captured in Czecho. Arnold P. came up for the first time. Will Irwin is dead at 74.

2/27 Sylvia has washed the dishes twice. Eugene has an "Ivory Soap" washing chart hanging in the bath-room. He gets a medal from school each week that he passes inspection. Eugene played a poor game of chess. Milton, Shirley & Molly came up for supper. Beat Milton two games and drew one. Marshall asked a quarter million for Greece & Turkey. F.B.I. agents are investigating N.Y. left wing unions. U.S. Britain and France denounced the Czecho. coup. We both read Charles Jackson's "The Fall of Valor". A professor slowly realizes he has homosexual tendencies. Lillian read Mary Jane Ward's "The Snakepit" This is the story of an insane asylum inmate. I read Carlson's "The Plotters". Nationalists among the veterans.

2/28 Lillian was in bed most of the day with a cold. Sylvia moped around all day whiney and pathetic. Eugene drew "Seven Peas in the Pod" by Margery Bailey, "The Gypsy and the Bear" - Polish fairy tales by L.M. Borski "Pigeon House Inn" by Sybil Emerson and Sylvia chose "Henner's Lydia" by M. De Angeli. Eugene made an elevator which the motor drew up. I split chess games with him. The kids did some washing and drying of dishes.