June 6, 1919. Portents

When we think of this day in terms of history, we naturally think of June 6, 1944.  But just a short twenty five years prior there was a lot going on, including a lot associated with the war that had just ended . . . and some that would figure in the war to come.

Some American troops who were not American citizens were becoming the same.

"Large group of overseas soldiers who applied for Naturalization, June 6, 1919. Man in center is Raymond Crist, Director of Citizenship, Bureau of Naturalization, Department of Labor".  June 6, 1919.

Those men had survived the Great War.  I wonder where they were when the Second World War came about and was raging?

Russian POWs who had survived at least the latter part of the war remained in German captivity while their country was itself aflame.

"Interior of the Clothing Supply Room, at American Red Cross Headquarters, Berlin. Sgt. Carl Olson, U.S.A. Supplying two Russian officers, Prisoners, with complete new outfits, Berlin."  The officer on the right retains the Imperial Roundel on his cap and the one on the left is a Cossack.  I wonder if they returned home?

 Russian POWs in a POW camp, June 6, 1919.

I really wonder about the fate of the men depicted above.  All we can really tell is that if they returned home, and most likely did, that fate was grim.  The country they had fought for was in a horrific civil war and they were of military age.  They were likely going into it, and no doubt many didn't survive it. Those who did, had World War Two in front of them, and no doubt many of the men shown here, if still living during the Second World War, served in their second war with the Germans.

And the nature of their country they had served here would never be the same again.

Residents of Cheyenne received the word that the last of Wyoming's Guardsmen still in service were now on their way home.

They were returning, of course, by sea.

Hampton Roads, Virginia.  June 6, 1919.  Hampton Roads was a major Navy installation.  It would have been busy in 1919, just as it would have been in 1944.

One country turned towards regulating the air, and became the first to do so.

Air Board ensign from 1922 and 1923.

Canada established its Air Board, making it the first country to have a regulatory body over air travel.  It's duties would be assumed by a successor entity in 1923.

An older means of transportation was also in the news.

Man o' War won the Belmont stakes, the first race on his way to fame.

Chicago Police Department inspection at Grant Park, June 6, 1919

Chicago's finest, who were about to endure one of the worst decades in their history, due to Prohibition, stood for inspection.

Mussolini's fascists, meanwhile, published their Manifesto in an Italian newspaper.  They were on their rise and just becoming a force that some would come to think, for a time, was the wave of the future, including some in the free world who thought that such movements had perhaps eclipsed democracy.

Here's what it stated:

Italians! Here is the program of a genuinely Italian movement. It is revolutionary because it is anti-dogmatic, strongly innovative and against prejudice.
For the political problem: We demand:
a) Universal suffrage polled on a regional basis, with proportional representation and voting and electoral office eligibility for women.
b) A minimum age for the voting electorate of 18 years; that for the office holders at 25 years.
c) The abolition of the Senate.
d) The convocation of a National Assembly for a three-years duration, for which its primary responsibility will be to form a constitution of the State.
e) The formation of a National Council of experts for labor, for industry, for transportation, for the public health, for communications, etc. Selections to be made from the collective professionals or of tradesmen with legislative powers, and elected directly to a General Commission with ministerial powers.
For the social problems: We demand:
a) The quick enactment of a law of the State that sanctions an eight-hour workday for all workers.
b) A minimum wage.
c) The participation of workers' representatives in the functions of industry commissions.
d) To show the same confidence in the labor unions (that prove to be technically and morally worthy) as is given to industry executives or public servants.
e) The rapid and complete systemization of the railways and of all the transport industries.
f) A necessary modification of the insurance laws to invalidate the minimum retirement age; we propose to lower it from 65 to 55 years of age.
For the military problem: We demand:
a) The institution of a national militia with a short period of service for training and exclusively defensive responsibilities.
b) The nationalization of all the arms and explosives factories.
c) A national policy intended to peacefully further the Italian national culture in the world.
For the financial problem: We demand:
a) A strong progressive tax on capital that will truly expropriate a portion of all wealth.
b) The seizure of all the possessions of the religious congregations and the abolition of all the bishoprics, which constitute an enormous liability on the Nation and on the privileges of the poor.
c) The revision of all military contracts and the seizure of 85 percent of the profits therein.

Or, in the published Italian:

Italiani!
Ecco il programma di un movimento sanamente italiano. Rivoluzionario perché antidogmatico e antidemagogico; fortemente innovatore perché antipregiudizievole. Noi poniamo la valorizzazione della guerra rivoluzionaria al di sopra di tutto e di tutti. Gli altri problemi: burocrazia, amministrativi, giuridici, scolastici, coloniali, ecc. li tracceremo quando avremo creata la classe dirigente.

Per questo NOI VOGLIAMO:
Per il problema politico

a. Suffragio universale a scrutinio di lista regionale, con rappresentanza proporzionale, voto ed eleggibilità per le donne.

b. Il minimo di età per gli elettori abbassato ai 18 anni; quello per i deputati abbassato ai 25 anni.

c. L'abolizione del Senato.

d. La convocazione di una Assemblea Nazionale per la durata di tre anni, il cui primo compito sia quello di stabilire la forma di costituzione dello Stato.

e. La formazione di Consigli Nazionali tecnici del lavoro, dell'industria, dei trasporti, dell'igiene sociale, delle comunicazioni, ecc. eletti dalle collettività professionali o di mestiere, con poteri legislativi, e diritto di eleggere un Commissario Generale con poteri di Ministro.

Per il problema sociale:
NOI VOGLIAMO:

a. La sollecita promulgazione di una legge dello Stato che sancisca per tutti i lavori la giornata legale di otto ore di lavoro.

b. I minimi di paga.

c. La partecipazione dei rappresentanti dei lavoratori al funzionamento tecnico dell'industria.

d. L'affidamento alle stesse organizzazioni proletarie (che ne siano degne moralmente e tecnicamente) della gestione di industrie o servizi pubblici.

e. La rapida e completa sistemazione dei ferrovieri e di tutte le industrie dei trasporti.

f. Una necessaria modificazione del progetto di legge di assicurazione sulla invalidità e sulla vecchiaia abbassando il limite di :età, proposto attualmente a 65 anni, a 55 anni.

Per il problema militare:
NOI VOGLIAMO:

a. L'istituzione di una milizia nazionale con brevi servizi di istruzione e compito esclusivamente difensivo.

b. La nazionalizzazione di tutte le fabbriche di armi e di esplosivi.

c. Una politica estera nazionale intesa a valorizzare, nelle competizioni pacifiche della civiltà, la Nazione italiana nel mondo.

Per il problema finanziario:
NOI VOGLIAMO:

a. Una forte imposta straordinaria sul capitale a carattere progressivo, che abbia la forma di vera ESPROPRIAZIONE PARZIALE di tutte le ricchezze.

b. II sequestro di tutti i beni delle congregazioni religiose e l'abolizione di tutte le mense Vescovili che costituiscono una enorme passività per la Nazione e un privilegio di pochi.

c. La revisione di tutti i contratti di forniture di guerra ed il sequestro dell'85% dei profitti di guerra.

That manifesto did include some radical elements, particularly in regards to the Church, but like a lot of radical movements its radicalism was largely hidden or obscured except where it appealed to simplistic populist elements. There was a lot of that going on in this time frame and it would help bring the world into war in 1939. For that matter, it helped cause a lot of big wars for the remainder of the 20th Century.

Worth noting, and contrary to the way that some latter day pundits tend to view it, the manifesto demonstrated Fascism's hostility to religion.  And while it had very strong nationalistic and militaristic elements, it combined those with socialistic elements, which was true of it wherever it was and in all its normal forms.   For these reasons, the conventional defining it on a left and right basis isn't really accurate, which has caused some people to debate its classification on the political right from time to time.

Well, at least there was something you could really sink your teeth into. Canned whale.