Tuesday, September 30, 2014

11/21-11/27/48

11/21 Sunday Israel's airmen downed an Iraq bomber. France protested the return of the Ruhr to Germany. A recent O.K. of hotel rent rises of 12% was rescinded after an investigation. Talk of repeal of the Taft Hartley law is prevalent. Max Bedacht was expelled from the C.P. for sectarianism. Molly came home from Hot Springs this morning. She and Sam were over for dinner. Also Milton & Shirley. We had a delicious pot roast and one of Lillian's wonderful chocolate cakes. Beat Milton a chess game.

11/22 Lillian got Eugene a winter jacket with a fur collar $7.88 and a pair of pants $4. at Alexanders. Sylvia was jealous because she didn't get anything. She prints her letters very nicely. Chiang insists he will fight to the end as Mme. Chiang appealed to the U.S. for help. The first election in Spain since '36 saw Franco's candidates saw the Felange party, the only legal one, win.
The A.F.L. demanded a boycott of Russia as long as its "barbarous blockade" continues. The N.Y.C. C.I.O. lost the charter for Communist activities at the C.I.O. convention.

The crossing out and new paragraph seems unusual.

11/23 Sylvia's teacher put her drawing of a Pilgrim man and lady on the blackboard. Eugene is worried about his test on the Congo. The N.Y.C. Rent Advisory Board turned down a request for a blanket 15% rent raise. The U.S. announced seizure of a Czech spy ring in Germany operating since 1946. Murray denounced the "left" at the C.I.O. convention for not following C.I.O. policy and not organizing.

11/24 Eugene drew "Dr. Dolittle's Post Office" by Hugh Lofting "Young Hickory" (Andy Jackson) by Stanley Young, "A Bakers Dozen" by M.G. Davis - selected Fairy Tales and "Missee Lee" by A. Ransome. Sylvia drew "Noodle" by Leaf and Bemelmans "Johnny Cake" by E.L. Brock, "Chin Ling The Chinese Cricket" by A. Stilwell  and "Gramp's Desert Chick" by Rita Kissin. Hogan's suspension was rescinded by Local 100. Truckers are on strike. Read Ann Petry's gripping novel of the sordidness of Harlem life - "The Street". Hack Wilson is dead at 48. We saw at the Oxford "A Love Foreign Affair" with Deitrich [sic], John Lund and Jean Arthur rather lenient with the Germans and "Lulubelle" [sic] with George Montgomery, Lamour and Krueger [sic]. Levi Jackson is first Negro football captain at Yale.

11/25 Thanksgiving Day Took the kids to see Macy's parade with the usual giant balloons. Home to a delicious dinner of roast chicken, stuffing cranberry sauce. Then to Mother's to see Lilly's new apartment. Susan was full of life and fun and Peggy good as gold. Eugene lately loses control of himself and screams and shouts at the slightest difficulty. A military coup in Venezuela ousted Gallegos. Justice Douglas made an important speech calling for labor representation in international affairs to "resist totalitarianism" New units were chartered at the C.I.O. convention to organize in fields where left wingers control unions.

11/26 The kids played downstairs in a gang of gun-toters. France will get a voice in the control of the Ruhr.

11/27 66 of 71 I.L.A. locals voted to accept a 13¢ increase retro-active to Aug 21, better vacations, and a four hour guarantee on call to work. Progressive N.Y. locals have not yet accepted. Sun Fo, appointed Chinese Premier asked for a U.S. military adviser. The A.V.C. barred 13 N.Y. locals in the drive to oust Communists at the third national convention. F.E. was ordered to merge with the U.A.W. by the C.I.O. Exec. Board. The Board also called for abolition of the "UnAmerican Comm. and re-examination of the govt loyalty program. The 81st Congress will dismiss 60 contempt citations incurred by the 80th Congress. Jack Delaney is dead at 48. Lou Boudreau won the A.L. M.V.P. award.

Monday, September 15, 2014

11/14-11/20/48

11/14 Sunday We went to the Valentine to see "They Drive by Night" with Bogart, Raft, Lupino and Sheridan. Also "Angels With Dirty Faces" with Cagney, O'Brien, Bogart, Sheridan. Sylvia was in misery throughout. After the movies we took home delicatessen. Sylvia ate only the baked beans. No franks, potato salad, pastrami or salami.

11/15 Lillian bought bed-room slippers for Eugene $1.69. Eugene came home for lunch very hungry. Both kids clean their platters. Princess Elizabeth gave birth to a royal heir. Nobel prize winner Blackett agreed with Russia that the atom bomb would not decide a war. Nobel winner in Literature was T.S. Eliot.

11/16 Lillian picked up her mouton coat today. It is beautiful. Sylvia learned some of the music on her little golden records, She says 'Jekovzy' for Tchaikovsky. Eugene got the magic ring for which he had sent away. The T.W.U. voted to nullify the recent referendum on grounds of fraud and condemned Hogan's suspension.

I believe that was a "glow in the dark" ring, and I immediately went into the dark (a closet), with Silvia, I think, to see it glow).

11/17 Truman refused to agree to four power talks as long as long as the Soviet blockade continues. The dock strike caused truck and rail lay-offs. Minister Moch accused the Cominform of fomenting and financing strikes in France. The UN Security Council ordered Jews and Arabs to negotiate an armistice. Sophoulis formed a new gov't. More arrests continued in the drive against rent gougers in these days of housing shortages. Bobby R. came up to trade comics followed by Richard M.

11/18 Eugene appeared in a Thanksgiving play at school. Sylvia wants a turkey for thanksgiving. US Marines left for China and civilians were advised to leave as the situation grew more critical. The A.F.L. in convention set up on a permanent basis its "Labor League for Political Education". Residents of Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper village voted 2-1 against a ban on Negroes, now in existence.

11/19 Sylvia complained to Lil that I took her across the narrow street but not across the wide, dangerous street. Israel will defy the UN and stay in the Negev. The Big Four agreed to cooperate with the UN to try find [sic] a solution to the Berlin crisis through a currency agreement. Green branded the WFTU a fifth column as Max Eastman said we were appeasing Russia and Huey Long's son spoke at the A.F.L. convention.

11/20 Lillian took the kids downtown. She got them shoes at Macy's. Sylvia - brown, size 13 1/2D $3.49 Eugene - brown size 3 1/2EE $6.44. She had measured my head size and got me a hat size 6 7/8 - $4. worth about $7. Eugene charged I always complain of his excessive reading of comics when he does something wrong, which is true. Lillian read Art Young's book. We both read Burton Rascoe's "Before I Forget". Kuomintang claimed a great victory at Suchow with 130,000 Communist casualties. Negro Robert Mallard was killed in Georgia by masked men.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

11/7-11/13/48

11/7 Sunday We have decided to give Eugene an allowance of 50¢ a week. He may buy only one comic book a week. Yesterday Eugene drew "Orpheus With His Lute" by W. L.M. [sic] Hutchinson, "Panther Magic" by Olaf Baker, "Garibaldi" by N. B. Baker also "Great Northern" by A. Ransome [this last inserted at the bottom], and for Sylvia "Who Goes There" by D. P. Lathrop, "Baby Bears" by E. Charushin, "The Umbrella Man" by E L Brack.

Could not confirm the name/author of the last book. 

11/8 An unprecedented UN plea stayed the execution of 10 Greek trade union leaders. In French elections using a new and complicated system of voting DeGaullists made great gains and the C.P. lost heavily in the upper house. Rank and file beer strikers finally won over their international officers in their fight against speed-up.

11/9 Sylvia waits for Eugene every afternoon, but apparently cries in the interim. Eugene got 100% in his spelling pre-test and is happy he will have no spelling home-work. Parnell Thomas was indicted for defrauding the gov't.

11/10 Open school week and Lillian attended Sylvia's class. Mrs. Hilzer said she has has [sic] improved. She used to burst into tears when frustrated but doesn't any longer. She volunteers pretty often. Yesterday however Sylvia wouldn't go to play with any of the children at their homes. At night Lillian went to a P.T.A. meeting where she met Eugene's teacher Miss O'Rourke who had nice things to say about him. Acting mediator Dr R C Bunche prepared an armistice in Israel with creation of a demilitarized zone and withdrawal of armed forces before the Security Council. These proposals are aimed at helping the Arabs. Food riots and strikes broke out in China as currency became worthless. Genevieve Taggard is dead at 53.

Silvia discovered that the teacher's name was surely Hilser, not Hilzer. 

11/11 Armistice Day We went to the Windsor seeing four cartoons, a "Three Stooges" comedy, "Bowery Bombshell" with Leo Gorcey - a horrible picture and "The Last of the Red Men" from "The Last of the Mohicans". Sylvia annoyed as usual. 10,000 longshoremen rebelled against Joe Ryan's contract with employers and struck the City of N.Y. Hogan was suspended by Local 100 for not exhausting all union procedures before taking court action against Quill and Faber in the embezzlement case. Greek premier Sophoulis resigned.

11/12 Lillian went to Eugene's class for Open School Week. Eugene has a commendation for being well behaved. He also have some of his excellent exam papers hanging on the walls. Tojo and 24 others were found guilty of war crimes. The beer strike ended with the speed-up relaxed and other points to be arbitrated. Police clashed with Communists in Armistice Day celebrations.

11/13 Lillian went down for a fitting for her fur coat. It will be ready Tuesday. The UN adopted Bunche's proposal for Israel. Russia abstained. Evatt and Lie asked the "Big Four" to end the danger to peace. A general strike of 24 hours in Paris found the tying up of transportation and newspapers most successful.

Saturday, September 6, 2014

10/31-11/6/48

10/31 Sunday Eugene is Joseph Arnold the cowboy and champion lasso thrower. On Sundays his programs are "Tell It Again" at 1:30 and Oscar Brand's Folk Song Festival, Nick Carter and Sherlock Holmes on successive programs starting at 6 P.M. On a really mild day we went to the Botanical Gardens seeing the last of the roses for the first time this season. Played a little chess with Eugene Sylvia. Chinese Communist victories in Manchuria have startled the world putting Chiang's gov't in jeopardy. Russia announced a gigantic 15 year plan to reclaim Siberia. Sandy Saddler knocked out featherweight champ Willy Pep in four rounds to win the title.

Don't remember Joseph Arnold, nor could I find a reference, but the name seems clear in the text. I do remember the others well, and Oscar Brand's Folk Song Festival continues to this day on WNYC (literally, I just listened to a bit of it).  Interesting that Dad apparently was so used to writing that he played chess with me that he apparently automatically wrote my name, and then crossed it out.

11/1 Sylvia is supposed to wait for Eugene at lunch time and come home with him. Although she has done this once or twice, she came home alone crying today. A lady had taken her across. No reason. We were asking riddles. After my asking several along the same lines, Eugene got this one. "What's the difference between a sailor and a window shopper?" Ans. One sails the seas, the other sees the sales. An American E.C.A. employee in Vienna was murdered by men in Russian uniforms. Israel took Galilee. A fog caused by industrial poison fumes killed 17 in Russia.

11/2 Election Day We voted a straight A.L.P. ticket today. In the middle of a chess game with Eugene, he began to moan and groan. He wanted to listen to his four programs: Adventure Parade, Superman, Captain Midnight and Tom Mix. As soon as food is allotted to Sylvia, she automatically says "It's too little". The trial of the C.P. leaders was set for Nov. 15. Further time for preparation was refused. 1500 picketed the courthouse today. The N.Y. Barbers local seceded from the C.I.O. charging a "pattern of autocracy" in the National unit and the C.I.O. Wallace toured Brooklyn and the Bronx yesterday and today with hundreds of thousands turning out. We went to the Ogden at night to see two good revivals "Guadalcanal Diary" with Bendix, Conte                 "Purple Heart" with Dana Andrews.

I don't remember "Adventure Parade" at all; the others, very well. But I found this in a Wikipedia article: "An hour of entertainment for the kids: Jules Verne’s Mysterious Island is air adapted on the Adventure Parade this week. Also there is Superman, Captain Midnight and Tom Mix." In that last line, he apparently left space for another star, but didn't fill it in.

11/3 Sylvia was a baby goat in a puppet show in class. Chinese Communists are racing southward trapping Kuomintang divisions and demoralizing the gov't. The UN for the first time failed to bar Franco Spain from an intern'l convention. The Klan burned crosses in the South to deter Negro voting. A Peruvian right wing revolt of Army troops ousted Bustamente. The progressive wing of the Israel army, the Palmach was dissolved. Lillian read "Dulcimer Street" by Norman Collins and "Homeland" by G. Surdez. We both read Art Young's "Life and Times".

Transcribing this at the time of the U.S. Open, I initially read the last book name as "Life and Tennis". 

11/4 In an upsurge of middle of the road liberalism Pres Truman defeated Gov. Tom Dewey by 2000,000 [sic] votes in a startling upset compared to projection predictions. The Dem. party regained control of the "House" and Senate and many labor haters were defeated. Wallace rolled up a little over one million votes in a disappointing showing. Only left-winger elected was Marcantonio. Over 90% of the AFL and C.I.O. supported Truman and his fellow candidates, only left wing labor supported Wallace. A Eugene school song "This old man, he played one, he played knick knack on my thumb, knick knack paddy whack give a dog a bone, this old man came rolling home. Two - shoe, three, knee, four, door, etc. Sylvia One A song: "Here's a cup, here's a cup, here's a glass, here's a glass, there's a pitcher of milk I see, pour some in this glass, pour some in this glass, won't you have some milk with me". Motions are very important in both songs. Lillian went to a tea of class mothers and teachers. All had a nice time.

11/5 The UN council adopted a resolution threatening Israel with possible military action if it did not give up Negev territory it had won. U.S. voted for it. Russia abstained. The Ukraine opposed. The Gen'l Assembly rejected Soviet proposals for destruction of atom bomb and simultaneous setting up of a control system. The U.S. plan was adopted where we would reduce our bombs step by step as stages of a control plan would be reached. A T.W.U. Local 100 meeting resulted in violence and disorder between Quill and Hogan supporters. An I.E.B. meeting voted 22-2 to censure Quill. Parnell Thomas refused to testify before a Federal Grand Jury on charges he padded Gov't pay-rolls and received kickbacks.

11/6 Lillian went downtown to Mac Becker's uncle and ordered a mouton coat - $125. Played Eugene a chess game. The block box has definitely been outgrown. It hasn't been used by the kids for many months. Sylvia finally has a job to do in class. TS Eliot won the Nobel literature prize. Japan and its army were found guilty of aggressive was. Former Premier Tojo is one of the defendants. 750,000 acclaimed Truman in Washington.

I'm sure I remember that coat, which Mom had for many years.