9/18-9/24/49

9/18 Sunday Lost to Goldberg. We went to Anne's to see Richard Seth, being picked up by Lil and Harry in their car. Richard is very cute. Sylvia put on one of her silent tearful scenes. She was afraid to go down with the children as she was in strange surroundings. Eugene put his plum pit in his pocket when he didn't know how to dispose of it. Barbara wanted a sister and is crazy about Peggy.

9/19 The kids are working on their beads making bracelets, necklaces and bags. The S.S. Noronic in Toronto went down in flames in a great catastrophe with 200 dead or missing. England cut the pound to $2.80 from $4.03 in a major move to stave off disaster, as a result of the financial talks just completed here. 13 Peekskill clerics condemned the recent violence. Chicago printers ended their 22 month strike against five newspapers with a $10. per week increase. Progressive Party job conference asked for a 50 billion dollar public works program, increase in unemployment benefits, resumption of payments to unemployed vets, a two billion dollar food stamp plan, passage of Marcantonio's housing plan, $100 a month to all at the age of 60. Frank Morgan is dead at 59.

9/20 Lost to Levine. The kids skated today. Twenty countries have devaluated [sic] their currency following England's action. Miners have struck in 20 months states for a pension and welfare fund for which employers have stopped payments. The U.E. Convention opened with right wingers making their greatest bid for power but still far behind in the first tests. Foster disavowed statements of 20 years ago on Red Army support for a Soviet America. Five more defendants confessed in the trial of eight Hungarians for treason. They asserted they had conspired with Allen Dulles to overthrow the Hungarian gov't. Prague sentenced Archbishop's Matocha's secretary to ten years in prison for distribution of the Vatican's excommunication order.

9/21 Eugene takes Sylvia to school so Lillian has it easier now. After school we went to the Lido to see "Blithe Spirit" with Rex Harrison, Constance Cummings - a story of ghosts, spirits, mediums and "Mr. Emmanuel", showing the horrors of Nazi Germany and the bravery of an English Jew. Both pictures were very good. The fourth meeting of the UN Gen'l Assembly opened at Flushing. Gen'l Romulo of the Philippines was elected President 53-5. N.M.U. delegates voted 405-198 to bar future Communists, Nazis, Fascists. A vote to bar present members failed. U.E. leftist majority voted 2376-1464 to condemn the recommendations of the Steel Board which the Steel Union had accepted. Six were indicted in the Peekskill riot. Robeson was called as a defense witness in the C.P. trial but objections prevented him from giving any material testimony. Richard Dix dead at 54.

9/22 Eugene beat both Lil and me in checkers. Sylvia and Arline played with their dolls up here this afternoon. Acheson backed the Internationalization of Jerusalem at the UN. The Chinese Communists announced the People's Republic of China. Several hundred marched to Albany to protest to Dewey on the Peekstill whitewash. U.E. leftwingers were re-elected by 2300-1500. Military rule of Germany ended and the occupation status began.

9/23 Lost to Levine. Lillian went to the Windsor last night with Sam & Molly to see "Oh, Mistress Mine" with Sylvia Sidney, John Loder and Charles Neville [sic]. President Truman announced that Russia had an atomic explosion in recent weeks. Czech Minister of Justice Cepicka charged an underground supported by capitalism and the Catholic Church committed murder sabotage arson, etc. China asked the UN to do something about the Communism storm. The Senate OK'd the $1,314,010,000 Arms Bill. Western Germany asked for return of its lost territory now occupied by Russia and Poland.

9/24 To Molly's for dinner. Milton Shirley and Seth also came as did Shirley's cousin Caroline and Mrs. Pearl. At home, we did puzzles. Rajk and two other were sentenced to death in the Hungarian trials. Others received jail sentences. U.E. leaders urged expulsion of Carey and his henchmen while N.M.U. leaders banned "reds" from the Exec. Board.