10/24-10/30/48

10/24 Sunday To Mother's where Peggy was the cynosure of all eyes. She rarely cries and gets up around 8 A.M. The kids as usual enjoyed themselves by dressing up in adults jackets and coats.

We always did that at our grandparents' apartment.

10/25 Lillian took Eugene down to Columbia U. to see about his eyes. He needed new lenses although there was no radical change. Sylvia was whiney all day apparently due to a slight cold. A citizen's Board of Inquiry into Germany heard Sol Surowitz, prosecutor of Ilse Koch, J S Martin, former decartelization chief in Germany, Richard Sasuly and others criticize American policy in Germany. The N.L.R.B. banned mass picketing. Franz Lehar is dead at 78. 

10/26 We went down to "Fed's" Optical Service "Eye Service Inc." At 149 E. 60 st. getting a whole new pair of glasses for Eugene and Lil. Cost was about $15. We hadn't played chess for about a month. Eugene agreed to miss his 5-6 programs to play a game which was hard fought. Sylvia made babies of the captured pieces on the floor. Lillian made jelly apples and delicious cookies. Bus drivers struck for one day to force companies to raise fares so they could get increases! Russia and the Western powers rejected each others plans on the Berlin crisis. 30,000 troops seized French mines. Fighting broke out again in Israel.

10/27 The kids skated after school, then Eugene went to the Singers for television. Quill tried to call of the bus strike which he suddenly decided had been planned as a 4-hour stoppage. At a meeting he claimed a majority for return to work in a 'hands' vote, disputed by most observers. Thousands then moved to Transport Hall to listen to Hogan. Supreme Court Justice Rutledge gave bail to three Denver Communists who had been in jail. Ten were jailed in a [sic] L.A. witchhunt. 22000 in and outside of Madison Square Garden heard Wallace promise the new 'party' was here to stay. Other speakers were Fitzgerald, Isacson, Rogge, Ada Jackson. Lillian went to a parents meeting as I stayed home from work with a sore throat.

10/28 J L Lewis asked Truman to deny funds to a French gov't which is shooting down hungry mine strikers. He repeated his anti-communist beliefs. More top Nazi Generals were freed by an American war crimes court. Israel refused to give up territory it had captured in the Negev. Bus drivers finally voted to return to work, many denouncing Quill for selling them out.

10/29 Sylvia had a Halloween party in school for which Lillian made some cookies. The kids were playing house. For food Eugene told Sylvia to get some animal which would hit itself in the head and so be dead. Millions saw Truman and Wallace invade N.Y. Truman's spectators were more numerous but Wallace's more enthusiastic. Several bus [?] firms broke the front by capitulating on the basic speed-up issue to the strikers. Stalin in an interview with Pravda put the finger on the Western Powers as seeking a new war and unwilling to make a peaceful agreement in the Berlin crisis.

10/30 We visited the zoo for a while as the warm weather returned. We had pop-corn, peanuts and hot dogs. At home played Eugene two chess games, Sylvia bringing in the canoe and jeep in which to put the captured pieces. Two dept store union pickets were fined and sentenced to jail for violating a court order limiting picketing. Marshal [sic] law was declared in Greece.

10/17-10/23/48

10/17 Sunday We went downtown getting ties wool and delicatessen for supper at home. Sylvia got a drawing book and both kids sat down in adjoining seats to color when we got home. Sylvia charged we were 'noshers' because we didn't give her enough delicatessen although she doesn't eat frankfurters.

10/18 A nasty day and both kids rather cranky, especially Sylvia. She complains she needs a new crayon box for school as some of her colors are missing. Rogge linked up Manhattan Borough Pres. Rogers with racketeer Costello. The Greek Royalist gov't made a fantastic charge that Polk was murdered by Communists. Four "guilty" were named. Fighting broke out in Palestine as Israel forces threatened to split an Egyptian force. The N.L.R.B. ruled in an important decision that scabs could replace strikers permanently. Mass picketing was also attacked.

10/19 Lillian saw Irving Rosenberg about her leg pain. He said it was a common ailment of women who wear high heels. He strapped her leg and gave her some exercises. Both kids are playing the new childrens records which they both love. Wallace attacked the NLRB ruling giving scabs preferences and the mass picketing ban before 5000 Westinghouse workers. Cuban maritime and C.P. leader A. I. Dias [?] was assassinated presiding at a union meeting. A witchhunt was launched in Cleveland. Beer drivers launched a wildcat strike against speedup.

10/20 Eugene drew another 'Ransome' book "We Didn't Mean to go to Sea" Kingsley's "The Heroes" - Greek fairy tales. "Brownies and Prince Florimel" by Palmer Cox and Howard Fast's "Haym Solomon". Sylvia chose "Boppet, Please Stop It" by Ida Binney, "Jerry and the Pony Express" by S. Tousey "Angleworms on Toast" by MacK. Kantor and "Peg-a-Leg" by Lin Cutler. Rep Celler charged the U.S. forced Count Bernadotte to offer the Negev to the Arabs. The Chinese Red Army won a great victory in Manchuria, also capturing the Kuomintang commander. Greek guerrillas claimed two of the four accused in the Polk murder are dead, one dying before the murder was committed. More teachers appeared before the "House Labor Comm." inquisition without weakening. We went to the Fordham at night to see William Powell Irene Dunne and Elizabeth Taylor in a delightful "Life With Father". Also Abbott and Costello in "The Noose Hangs High".

10/21 When Sylvia left some of her cereal and was told "no candies or cookies today" she said "then I won't have any cavities". 4000 Koreans revolted against the American-sponsored South Korea gov't. The UN voted to postpone debate on Palestine 34-11. U.S. voted to postpone Russia against. Forgery by Quill and Faber was charged in the T.W.U. poll. Elissa Landi is dead at 43.

10/22 Eugene came in with a million things to tell that would take an hour. The boys lined up better than the girls at school and he was office monitor as well as vice-pres. Sylvia agreed voluntarily to meet Lil at the drug store rather than at the school. The Supreme Court refused to order Illinois to put Wallace on the ballot. A Gerson worker was beaten by detectives.

10/23 Lil and the kids have colds of varied intensity. The kids love to wrestle and roll about. Ilse Koch was hanged in effigy. Israel and Egypt accepted a truce. French strikers and guards were killed in mine strike clashes. Cardinal Hlond is dead at 67.

10/10-10/16/48

10/10 Sunday We had the family over for dinner. Mom and Pop Lil Harry and the kids, Blume & Abe, Anne & Mac, Molly & Sam. Peggy was adorable and didn't cry at all. Eugene played with Susan, holding her up with a gun. Sylvia and Barbara played together. We had spaghetti and meat balls which Lil made deliciously. Sylvia got a plastic set of glasses from Molly, plaid skirt from Mom, pyjamas and socks from Lil, dress from Anne & Blouse from Blume. We played some cards after eating.

10/11 Sylvia got two stars on her paper where she wrote cat beautifully. Eugene saw the whole process of getting milk to the consumer in a technicolor picture in school. After school we went to the Lido seeing Walt Disney's "Melody Time" and "The Return of the Bad Men" with Randolph Scott. Sylvia showed some interest but reverted to nagging later. When Randolph Scott was dropped as if shot in one scene, she asked if he was making believe, something that fooled the rest of us. Lillian went to see Sadie in the evening. She had come in from Syracuse with the kids. Truman gave up a reported move to send Chief Justice Vinson to Moscow for direct negotiations. 1500 violations in Harlem houses were found by a group of 50 volunteer investigators sponsored by the A.L.P. and tenants organizations. The greatest baseball crowd ever 86,288 saw the Boston Braves win their 2nd game out of five with the Indians. Lillian read Pearl Buck's "Pavilion of Women".

10/12 Columbus Day Came home early as it was Yom Kippur eve. We went window shopping in Fordham where Sylvia asked if there were any holidays after "Young skipper". The kids romped noisily annoying Lil. Wallace charged the new Western powers Axis to be worse than the last one. Two liberal Democrats were ousted from the Arizona State Legislature in a frame-up. The Indians beat the Braves 4-2 to win the World Series. Gene Bearden was the pitching star. Sadie dropped in with the three children. Robert crawled all over the floor. Arline played with Sylvia while Eugene and Fredi paired off.

10/13 This is Eugene. I am in the 4th grade. I am making a sewing box as a surprise for mother. U.S. delegate Austin lashed Russia in the bitterest attack yet while Vyshinsky promised to submit info. on Russia's military strength simultaneously with an agreement to abolish the atom bomb and reduce armaments by one third within a year. Santo was ordered deported but will appeal. Lillian took the kids to the Windsor to see Sabu in "Elephant Boy" and "The Mark of Zorro".

10/14 Sylvia told me about the baby elephant squirting water on the mother. In Denver C.P. leaders are being jailed without trial or bail until they inform on their comrades. 

10/15 Sadie over with Fredi and Arline before going home. Later Lil took the kids to Molly to say goodbye as she is leaving for Hot Springs Sunday. Wallace asked the people to demand US - USSR negotiations. City C.I.O. officials were probed in Wash. D.C. by a C.I.O. investigating comm. on the charges of disloyalty and disruption. Fist fights broke out during the probe. Probers were Pat McGrath, Quill, Wolchok, Faber, Thomas Naughton Froesch, Buckmaster, Wagner. City C.I.O. reps were Schweidin, Guinier, Young, Mills, Durkin Burt. [not sure of every name]. The Arab League of Nat'l Liberation merged with the Israel C.P. Lillian went to a meeting called by the dentist's wife and became class mother.

10/16 The kids went to the dentist. Eugene had xrays of two teeth but Sylvia wouldn't take one. They didn't need any work. The bill was $8.for two cleanings and the xray. They were supposed to start fluorin [sic] treatments this morning but the schools announced they will do it soon. 3500 picketed the C.P. leaders trial. It was postponed to Nov. 1. Lillian read Howard Fast's "Conceived In Liberty".