Jan. 15 Sunday Sylvia and Carol Shenkler are the only two girls in her class that are already considered in 2B. This afternoon we walked around in Fordham. Sylvia got a Little Golden dictionary. Eugene will get a comic tomorrow. He gets one only rarely as it has been taboo here.
Jan. 16 Thousands of miners refused to quit their unexplained strike. Chinese Communists seized French and Dutch diplomatic property in Peking.
Jan. 17 Sylvia was chosen to see that the children did their work. She had to report one child to the teacher. Several thousand delegates demonstrated for civil rights, especially an F.E.P.C. Left wingers are being screened out of the rally. Russia walked out of three UN groups until the Nationalist China delegate is ousted.
Jan. 18 Sylvia's eyes were examined by Dr Chernick on Fordham Rd. She does not need glasses. Her twitch is due to nervousness apparently. Scientists are agog over a new hydrogen powered super atomic bomb. Many oppose its construction. The greatest cash haul in our history - $1000,000 [also half million in securities] was stolen in Boston from Brinks Inc. An armored trucking firm which 'protects' payrolls. Another million which the gang could not carry was left behind. The NMU announced two Anti-Communist resolutions had been ratified by the membership 5-1. The opposition is being harassed and expelled. Gen. Hap Arnold is dead at 63.
The item in red is about the same robbery that Dad later put in on the wrong date, shown on January 8 of this year. The bracketed item was written between the lines in the diary.
Jan. 19 The kids got shoes at Tom McCann's [sic]. Sylvia's were size 1 1/2 $4.99. Eugene's were size 4 1/2 $4.99. Lillian is having trouble with Sylvia's hand washing. She must be watched or she will not wash cleanly. A Wallace article in 1944 criticizing Chiang as unsuitable for running post war China is credited with being the criterion for the State Dept's China policy. A Pole and two Czechs quit thir posts here in protest against their countries [sic] policy. Pa'asikivi was re-elected President of Finland. Opposed to him were the Communists.
Jan. 20 Eugene got bedroom slippers, a bathrobe and a holster for his birthday. He also got his Cub Scout "Bear Book" and went off to the meeting in his scout shirt and a 'sword' after getting his new glasses (7.50). The House ended further aid to Korea in protest against Truman's Formosan stand in refusing to help Nationalist China make a last ditch stand there. Russia walked out of the secret six power atomic control talks. Sec'y of State Acheson set the stage for recognition of Franco by offering to extend credit to Spain.
Jan. 21 Bobby & Danny R. brought up a game for Eugene. Acheson's statement that Russia was annexing four Northern Chinese provinces was strenuously denounced by Foreign Minister Vishinsky as untrue. The State Dep't countered Bulgaria's demand for American minister Heath's removal as a spy with an ultimatum to withdraw the demand or suffer a break in diplomatic relations. The Administration won on the 'rules' fight when the House voted 236-183 against restoring the "bottling" power of the reactionary Rules Committee. Sylvia drew "Sniff" by Tippett & Tippett "We Live on a Farm" Horn, Wickey & Horn, "Race Between Monkey & Duck" - C. Hurd and "Down Along Apple Market Street" by M. B. Hill. Eugene claimed three of the books were repeats but Sylvia conceded only one. Eugene drew "Swiss Family Robinson" by J.D. Wyss "Peter and Wendy" by JM Barrie "Adventures of Chatterer The Red Squirrel" T. W. Burgess and "Freddy and Mr. Camphor" by W.R. Brooks.
My father started a "diary" in 1945 (more accurately, a journal, covering both family and current events), and I'm going to see if this is a decent way to publish it. Since I'm doing it as a blog, to get to the beginning of the journal, you have to go to the beginning of the blog.
They definitely gave up on comics within the next couple of years. (I don't even remember any disapproval.) It sounds like they gave up on banning guns too, unless you were supposed to use the holster for something else?
ReplyDeleteI remember the disapproval well! I'm as surprised as you about the holster; I always remember as a kid borrowing other kids cap guns, because I couldn't have one of my own.
ReplyDeleteSince they seem to be family presents, meybe the holster was supposed to be from you! And maybe they figured, at least he won't be brandishing the gun.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard for parents to hold to their convictions when their kid so badly wants what most other kids are playing with. It helps if someone else gives it to the kid, eg, Barbie dolls in the seventies!
ReplyDelete