2/6-2/12/49

2/6 Sunday To Mother's for dinner. Rachel & Mayer dropped in later. Won a chess game from Pop. Peggy showed signs of following in Susan's steps as a 'nosher'. The three children amused themselves by dressing up in the adult's clothes, as usual. Marcantonio testified on discrimination in federal jury panels at the trial of the '12'. Newspapers are beginning to make economy dismissals. We both read Sol Hurok's "Impresario" and "Thirteen against the Odds" by Embree. 

2/7 We went to the University Theatre after school to see "Kit Carson" with Jon Hall, Dana Andrews and Lynn Bari and "Without Reservations" with John Wayne and Claudette Colbert. Sylvia doesn't nag as much. Cardinal Spellman denounced "Satan and Stalin" in a 30 minute diatribe against Mindszenty's accusers, despite the latters confession. Unions intervened in the trial of the '12' attacking the jury rigging. Norway assured Russia it would not allow war bases on its soil as East and West fenced for Norway's allegiance. A number of Clergymen called for a Truman Stalin meeting.

2/8 Secret testimony bearing on jury rigging was barred from the trial of the '12' by Judge Medina.

2/9 Mindszenty received a sentence of life imprisonment. Anti-Communists everywhere are in a furor. Nine members of the Hungarian consulate resigned here. Two liberal AMG employees have been suspended by Army authorities for combatting our reactionary policy. Their cases are being fought. Sylvia has us take her across Kingsbridge Road sometimes, then wait til she waves when we can go back.

2/10 Eugene is often found rolling on the ground with Bobby when they're in the street. Sylvia still looks doubtful when she is invited in to a neighbor alone. Kravchenko is suing "Les Lettres Francais" for libel for stating he is too ignorant to write a book. His former wife testified against him. Truman called the trial of Cardinal Mindszenty "infamous". MacArthur revealed a Soviet spy ring in Tokyo during the war ferreted out vital secrets. Gunther Stern and Agnes Smedley were called two of the members of the ring. They both denied the charge vehemently.

2/11 Eugene stayed in bed today with a sore throat no temp. Sylvia went to Norma G.'s house with Lil. Lil came upstairs later. When Sylvia discovered this she made no disturbance. William Remington, denounced by Eliz. Bentley as a courier for a spy ring was cleared by a loyalty board. Hungary expelled two American officials for espionage. A Soviet disarmament move was voted down at the UN. Bulgaria arrested 15 U.S. Evangelical ministers for spying for the U.S. Sadie who is in town came over with the kids.

2/12 Lincoln's Birthday Eugene's temp. began going up today. At night his nose had given him much trouble. Lillian called Dr. Holzman who was on vacation. Dr. Satozky [?] came in his place. Eugene had an acute sinusitis, his first attack in a couple of years. The doctor gave him a penicillin shot prescribed penicillin dispolators, plenty of liquids. Eugene went into our bed and read comics all day. He received a Tom Mix whistle from the mail which he tested continuously. Sylvia read to me quite fluently at bed-time. A general transport strike hit Philly. At an "Assembly and Rally to end Discrimination" in Washington, Wallace assailed the cold war against Negroes. 1200 delegates attended. Other speakers were J Finley Wilson, Judge H P Reynolds, Peary Howard, Sen. Langer, Rep. Powell. Willie Pep who lost his featherweight title to Sandy Saddler last fall regained his title last night by a decision. Battling Levinsky is dead at 59. 

Never heard of a "dispolator", but it was apparently an old method of dispensing penicillin.

1/30-2/5/49

1/30 Sylvia is learning to read rapidly. Played chess with Eugene and he sadly out of practice. England finally recognized Israel (de facto). We went to the Kingsbridge to see a good western "Red River" with Montgomery Clift, John Wayne also Henry Morgan in "[So] This Is New York".

1/31 Sylvia is in group 2 in reading and only she and Judy got stars for reading this morning. Eugene told her when she gets to 3A she won't be drawing suns any more. Stalin offered to meet Truman in a no-war pact. An Unemployment Council was formed in St Joseph Mich, perhaps the first of the coming depression.

2/1 Sylvia stayed home from school and in bed with a stuffed nose. She is driving us crazy as she reads and wants to know what 'THEN' spells etc. Eugene came home out of breath and excited with the news that only he and another girl will start 5A arithmetic although they are entering 4B. He is the only one to get all A's on his new report card. Kuomintang refused to arrest Chiang. We are making more destructive A-bombs than ever. We have given de jure recognition to Israel and Trans Jordan. Wallace asked Truman to accept Stalin's peace bid as Sec'y Gen'l Lie offered UN headquarters for a meeting.

2/2 Eugene got 96 in spelling, 90 in Arith. and A's and S's in all other subjects. Lillian found him shoveling snow and ice in front of the [?] yesterday with Bobby R and Richard Monka. He was very excited as they were being paid for it. He even refused to go for his weekly comic book at first. We understand Rich. got a quarter and gave the two smaller kids a nickel each. Sylvia is out of school still but walking around. Police Comm. Wallander resigned as of March 1. He will be replaced by Wm. P O'Brien. Western Germany C.P. leader Max Reimann was sentenced to three months in jail for threatening German leaders who collaborated with the authorities. A people's regime was set up in Peiping.

2/3 Sylvia went back to school with a slight sniffle. Eugene and the girl pres. are the only two in the class who never had to be "demons" for misbehaving. Stalin invited Truman to meet him somewheres in Europe. The left wing dept store Union Local 1-S won at Macy's 5-1. The A.C.W. chosen by the C.I.O. to take over withdrew.

2/4 Sylvia got a star for cutting out clothes made of wool from a magazine. She forgot her "rich watch" (10¢) this morning. She also wants to know what a "soup case" is. New officers were elected in Eugene's class. He is out of office but will try to retain his office monitorship, by writing the best letter. Textile arbitrators rejected a 10¢ hourly increase for Amer. Woolen employees on the grounds of poor business prospects. Truman solved the battle of injunctions in the new labor law being debated by saying he has authority now to block strikes now by court injunction. Truman stated peace parleys must be made within UN channels. Mindszenty pleaded guilty to charges of treason espionage and black marketing at the opening of his trial in Hungary. William Rust died at 45. Chile freed many imprisoned Communists proving the inefficacy of duress against the Party.

2/5 Eugene went off to the television studio with his class. Lillian went over to the school where the class met. Eugene immediately started romping with his classmates oblivious to Lil's presence. Sylvia sets the anagrams standing up. They're supposed to be playing games like "Farmer in the Dell", etc.

1/23-1/29/49

1/23 Sunday We had a party in honor of Eugene's birthday. Present were Mom, Pop, the Thaws, Beckers, Edelsteins, Modelsons, Milton & Shirley, Lil Altschuler, Harold & Thelma, Evelyn & Isabel, Mike had to work. We had roast beef and tongue with trimmings and a lovely birthday cake. While the kids were reciting, Susan was digging into the cake, oblivious to all our giggles. We had a card game later. Eugene got pyjamas (2), white shirt, pants, socks, polo shirt, games, records, paint sets. Sylvia got [a] slip, doll cutouts, paint set. Lil got a house dress, apron and tablecloth. Eugene also got a book and $5. Eugene said "Jest For [sic] Christmas" and "Our Heroes". Isabel gave "The Landing of the Pilgrims",

The last punctuation definitely appears to be a comma, as if he expected to add something else, but did not. 

1/24 We went to the Kingsbridge to see a revival of the Marx Bros and Allan Jones and Kitty Carlisle in "A Night at the Opera". Also "Luxury Liner" in technicolor with George Brent and Jane Powell. Chinese Communists captured Peiping. Conservatives won in Japanese elections but Communists doubled their vote to 3,250,000. The kids stayed home from school today after yesterday's hectic party.

1/25 The German nationalist pianist Walter Gieseking will be deported from the U.S. after widespread protest. We both read Isadora Duncan's remarkable life. 

1/26 Called for the kids in sleety weather and they both "ice skated" home. Eugene's first story in the 'China' unit is "Alladin [sic] and the Wonderful Lamp". Sylvia has a new work book and reading book. A battle has begun to ban Senate filibusters. Detroit police moved to force reporters to sign non-communist oaths. USSR, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Poland and Czechoslovakia launched an economic aid council - E.C.M.A. The treason trial of 'Axix Sally' opened.

Did not realize the character Aladdin was Chinese, until I looked it up.

1/27 Eugene doesn't care for the St. Nicholas Anthology as yet. Joyce G. after playing with him finally admitted has was a smart boy. Truman met with a group of top advisors and announced he favored straight repeal of the T-H. law and return of the Wagner Act. The left wing independent dept. store union signed up its fourth store. Premier Ben-Gurion's socialist Mapai party won the first Israel election. Three left wing profs were fired at Wash. U. and another resigned because of it. Von Papen was freed by a German de-nazification court. Molly came over. Her apartment has just been painted.

I never did get into the St. Nicholas Anthology. 

1/28 Last night Lillian had her first rummy gathering Sarah R, Madeline G, Mildred W, joined Lil & Molly. After school a bevy of kids played here. Joyce and Norma G, Betty Ann L. Lewis W, Bobby R, Arline D. frolicked with Sylvia and Eugene. Eugene refused to admit he was beaten with one checker left against Joyce's four. Sylvia this morning, as leader of her table marked work books. Only she and one other child get checks. Judge Medina halted the stream of jurors being quizzed by defense attornies [sic], to prove discrimination in choosing panels. Sam Carr, former Canadian C.P. leader was arrested here as a leading Russian spy organizer. Truman denounced the high price of steel and landlords' strikes spreading in Western cities against rent control. Landlords are attempting to evict tenants and close up dwellings. Nanking sent its second peace envoy to the communists who insist that Chiang be surrendered as a war criminal. Some prices have fallen a little, notably meat. Bevin won his smallest vote of confidence when he was backed by 283-193 on Israel. 100 laborites were absent or abstained. The "Star"s last issue appeared today.

1/29 Sylvia drew "Good Times with our Friends" by Baruch & Montgomery, "Timid Timothy" by G. Williams, "We Live on a Farm" by Horn Wickey & Horn and "Johnny Crow's Party" by L. L. Brooke. Eugene drew "Dr. Doolittle's Circus" by Lofting, "Pecos Bill" by JC Bowman, "A Club of Small Men" - a story of Balinese children with photographs by Colin McPhee and "Frederic Chopin - Early Years" by Opal Wheeler. Doxey Wilkinson [sic] gave expert testimony on the discrimination in choosing juries for federal trials. Nationalist China dropped live bombs on liberated territory mixed with peace pamphlets. Royalist Greece accepted peace proposals by the guerrillas but called for an election on the question of foreign troops in Greece and for a UN sponsored general election.

1/16-1/22/49

1/16 Sunday We took a walk to Fordham where we saw six stores gutted by fire. In the morning I had taken the kids downtown for ties. Sylvia plays with the anagrams a lot. Eugene is a lot of help in solving cross word puzzles with Lillian. Chinese Communists capture Tientsin. Three unions are warring for control of the Dep't store field. Thousands are heading for Wash D.C. to protest the trial of the 12 C.P. leaders starting in N.Y. Monday. Mao Tse Tung laid down eight conditions for peace - Punishment of war criminals, abolition of the constitution, abolition of the present form of gov't, reorg. of the army, confiscation of bureaucratic capital, land reform, cancellation of traitorous treaties, org. of a dem. conference to form a new gov't.

1/17 Sylvia told us a cute story that the teacher had told her class this morning. 400 police guarded Foley Sq against outbreaks at the opening of the C.P. trial. Race riots are spreading in South Africa with hundreds killed. The Greek and Turkish gov'ts fell - the latter because of the H.cL [?].

That last looks like three letters, with a period only after the first, and the second appears to be either a lower case "c" or "e". Regardless, I don't know what it is, even though I can find why the Turkish government fell at that time.

1/18 Sylvia was looking over pictures and said "grandpa looks just like daddy when daddy was a little boy". Eugene forgets something from school every so often. An ex aviator, M.J. Monti admitted treason to the U.S. by broadcasting for the Nazis, and was sentenced to 25 years. The Western States formed a joint board to keep Germany dis-armed. The W.F.T.U. executive board session opened with C.I.O. and T.U.A.C. delegates out to dissolve the organization. Presidents received a pay raise from $75000 to $100,000 per year.

1/19 Sylvia was crying in the morning because Eugene wouldn't read the diary to her. The Senate OK'd Acheson 83-6. Bevin is ready to release the interned Jews in Cyprus and recognize Israel due to the Jewish military victories.

1/20 Eugene got 100% on his report on Switzerland. China is next. We have finally granted Israel the $100,000,000 loan. The Chinese gov't asked for a cease fire agreement.

1/21 Eugene's birthday We gave Eugene the St. Nicholas Anthology and Sylvia gave him a pencil box. Mrs. Gallins gave him a fine 'Fun and Riddles' book. Togliatti and Cachin asked for peaceful collaboration between the powers. Defense attorneys at the C.P. trial have unceasingly attacked the blue ribbon jury which omits poor industrial and Negro members. The Chiang gov't fled to Canton. Carey, Deakin and the Dutch Kupfers Kupers walked out of the W.F.T.U. DiVittorio was named temp. pres. to replace Deakin. The Board of Ed. voted to bar I.W.O. classes in the public schools. Truman was inaugurated before 130,000 with millions watching on television. The four major points of his speech were, support of the UN, economic aid to other countries, military pact with Western Europe and American technical aid and capital to help peace loving nations.

I remember the book they gave me; I still have it, although it obviously didn't mean to me what it meant to them. I've scanned in below what they wrote on the first (blank) page of the book, even though it's not actually in the diary: 

1/22 Eugene was the first to get an 'A' for reciting the boy's poem in school - "Our Heroes" by Phoebe Cary. Sylvia made a clock in school and is learning to tell time. Sam modernized our drapes and hung them this morning. We have recognized the new Venezuelan and El Salvador dictatorships. The Greek guerillas captured its third town in a month. 

1/9-1/15/49

1/9 Sunday Went to see Aunt Rose in the Menorah Home in Brooklyn. Mom and Pop, Abe & Blume and Faith there. Rose is aging and rather infirm. Eugene does the chess problems on Sunday then turns to the puzzle page. He heard "Moonstone" by Wallace Collins on "Tell It Again". Sylvia was cranky and whiney all day. Sec'y of State Marshall resigned due to illness and Dean Acheson replaced him. James Webb replaced Undersec'y Lovett. Israel downed 5 R.A.F. planes over Palestine. England claimed they were merely scouting.The kids took their third fluorine treatment. The fee for the series was $18. Lillian read "Norma Ashe" by Susan Glaspell and "The Leaning Tower" - short stories by K. A. Porter.

1/10 Sylvia is catching on in reading. Eugene loves detective mysteries. He listens to Nick Carter, Sherlock Holmes and The Mystery Theater on the radio. China has asked the major powers to mediate. A crisis is gripping Greece, unable to defeat the courageous guerrillas.

1/11 Sylvia brought home a school reading book and read to Lillian. She did very well. Truman sent a 42 billion dollar budget to Congress, the largest peacetime. Four suspected basketball fixers were indicted. U.S. warned England to ease its protests to Israel against the downing of its planes. Communist troops smashed the Nationalists north of Nanking.

1/12 Sylvia was proud that she came home early for lunch as she walked back quickly with classmate Bobby. Eugene goes to school with Bobby. It is hoped this will help to soothe Bobby's nervousness about going. Israel asked a UN probe of Englands military movements near Palestine. China's top council asked an end to fighting. A jury freed two white men in the murder of Negro Robert Mallard. Two jur[y]men testified for the defense.

1/13 Lillian saw Dr. Holzman yesterday. He told her she had a tumor in the uterus which should be operated on. He told her to see a gynecologist. Eugene has been practicing his report on Switzerland. Sylvia is studying the Book of Knowledge work book. Hogan, Maclachlan and Gahagan were expelled by Local 100 by a standing vote. Milk went down one cent but Borden's raised A&P's wholesale price in retaliation. Humphrey succeeded Henderson as A.D.A. head.

1/14 Sylvia saw some television (Howdy-Doody and Small Fry) next door but will not go in alone. She took her doll to school. The "Star" has exposed a big gambling syndicate in N.J. where N.Y. bettors place $1000,000 worth of bets daily. A tugboat strike was settled when owners agreed to pay special overtime rates. The 'Nation' charged Egypt has recruited 6000 Nazi PWs. Willy Howard is dead at 62.

1/15 Lillian went to see Dr. Goodfriend under the Fed Plan. He verified Dr. Holzman's diagnosis and told her to seem him in three months. Eugene's composition on favorite winter pastimes was praised by Mrs. O'Rourke. Sylvia's doll did not win the class contest although her teacher admired the sweater and hat. The winner had a pink ensemble.