2/20-2/26/49

2/20 Sunday I stayed in bed all day with a 100° temp. I had a sore throat and much phlegm. Lillian dosed me all day with tea, hot milk, vicks etc. Pop came over for a visit. The kids amused themselves all day by playing "cargo" building block houses with rooms and people, lassoing in which Pop joined. Eugene complete his 300 piece jig saw puzzle again. This time there were ten pieces missing, one more than last time. Mayor O'Dwyer has aroused the protests of countless groups and individuals by brazenly interfering in the Board of Higher Education choice of a president for Queens College. Although liberal Bryn J Hovde of the New School was choice of the majority of the "Board" O'Dwyer called the members to City Hall and demanded they name Dr. Margaret V Kiely.Yesterday Lil took the kids to the Lido to see a documentary "Louisiana" and "Code of Scotland Yard".

Since on last December 30th he reported "Ten pieces were missing at the end", the implied criticism appears unfair. Interestingly, regarding the first movie, Wikipedia says "Louisiana Story (1948) is a 78-minute black-and-white American film. Although the events and characters depicted are fictional, it is often misidentified as a documentary film, when in fact, it is a docufiction."

2/21 Stayed in bed again today although feeling better. Eugene played in the street after school with a younger girl and said he had a lot of fun. Sylvia got a star for drawing G. Washington about to chop down the cherry tree. Phila transit workers went back to work with an 8¢ raise on Quill's advice although the E.B. voted 23-9 to continue the strike. A Cultural and Scientific Conference for World Peace will be held here in late March with reps. from thirty countries including Russia, attending. An intra union battle in the U.A.W. has developed around the issue of the 3¢ wage cut due on Mar. 1 under the escalator clause 'won' by Reuther. Today a son was born to Milton and Shirley weighing 8 lbs. 2 oz. by Caesarian operation.

2/22 I felt better today and stayed out of bed. We spent part of the day watching the Gallins' new television. A 10 month hearing on jury discrimination in Jersey concluded with the judge conceding possibility of the charge having been proved. "Oliver Twist", with a particularly anti-seimitic version of Fagin was withdrawn from the British Zone of Germany of [sic] two days of violent demonstrations against the film by displaced Jews. The Army withdrew its 'spy' charge against Agnes Smedley but MacArthur's chief officer stuck to the charge. Miss Smedley stated she would sue MacArthur if he would waive immunity.

2/23 Eugene came home with a new quiz game. One is required to guess the title of a book with the aid of clues. Lillian guessed "Gulliver's Travels". Serious unemployment seems to be cropping up. Israel and Egypt have approved an armistice with de-militarization of many areas and retention of the Negev by Israel. Sylvia drew, without help, "Fuzzy Tail" by A. Sondergaard, "How The 'Rhino' got his Skin" Kipling "My Dog Rinty" by Tarry & Hallets [sic] and "The Fast Sooner Hound" by Conroy & BonTemps. Eugene drew "Black Beauty" "Pigtails" by Hekking, "Dr. Doolittle's Garden" - Lofting & "True and Untrue" - Norse Tales edited by S. Undset.

2/24 Lillian was busy at lunch time today and asked Sylvia to go back to school herself - which she did! The Finnish gov't won a 97-95 victory with left and right against[.] Wallace testified against the proposed $5,000,000,000 expenditure under the E.C.A.

2/25 Eugene got his "Captain Marvel" wrist watch from Sam and Molly. Sylvia merely wants some holes in the strap of her 10¢ wrist watch. This afternoon Lillian bought Sylvia the red raincoat and red boots she wanted so much. Eugene got a raincoat also. N.Y. Organized tenants visited Wash. to plead for stronger rent control. They received a lukewarm reception. The Armenian children who had been kept at a Catholic institution forcibly while their parents returned to Armenia will remain where they are according to an Appellate Court decision. Paul Gallico wrote an openly Anti-semitic article for the "Journal" which was yanked in a later edition.

2/26 Lillian went to see Shirley at the 5th Ave. Hospital bringing the carriage cover and sweater she crocheted for the baby. Judge Medina called an end to the jury challenge and ordered the trial of the '12' to start Mar. 7. The 15 Protestant churchmen went on trial in Bulgaria with the first two admitting their guilt in court. They were charged with espionage, treason and black marketing. Both Thorez and Togliatti have made successive speeches advocating their countrymen's solidarity with the Red Army should it appear on their native soil since the Red Army is not capable of aggression.