Sunday, May 21, 2023

Friday, May 21, 1923. German murders and attempts to murder.

Bulgaria yielded to German pressure and agreed to turn 25,000 Bulgarian Jewish residents of Sofia over to the Nazi's, who were busy losing World War Two but which had ramped up extermination efforts.

It actually would not occur, as Bulgarians organized massive protests to prohibit it.  They Jewish Sofians were put in Bulgarian labor camps, but they were not turned over to German executioners.

Bulgaria attempted to navigate its own course in the war.  It was, at this point, a declared belligerent in the war against the Western Allies, but not the Soviet Union.

Busk, Ukraine's centuries old Jewish population was exterminated by the Nazis.  The towns' first synagogue had been built in 1502.

Radio Tokyo announced the "gallant death" of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.  Franklin Roosevelt was subsequently asked by reporters about the event, and simply stated, "Gosh!".  He had, of course, approved the assassination.

On reporters, perhaps this was at the press conference noted in the busy government schedule for that day.   Here's the only text from that press conference, however.

Q. Mr. President, you have had a number of recent conferences with Dr. (T. V.) Soong. Is there anything you can tell us about that?

The President: I don’t think so. There isn’t any particular news, one way or another.

Q. I wondered if there was anything special you had up between you?

The President: No. I suppose the—the principal thing relates to getting war materials of all kinds into China.

Q. Did you say more material?

The President: War materials—and medical things—things of that kind. That is going along pretty well.

Q. Mr. President, is there anything you can tell us about the visit of Prime Minister Mackenzie King (of Canada) here?

The President: I don’t think so. He is just—just down here on the same—same thing that everybody else is here—furtherance of the war. I am seeing him again this morning.2

Q. Mr. President, back to Dr. Soong, we have noticed that he has been in here, particularly since Prime Minister Churchill arrived. Could you say if your talks with the Prime Minister concerned something about China?

The President: Oh, sure. We talked about China. It isn’t the only place we have been talking about.

Q. Mr. President, when you referred to the majority of our forces, you were speaking then of a majority of these forces which are outside the continental United States?

The President: Yes, yes.

Mr. Godwin: (aside) How about it?

Q. Mr. President, any sort of progress report you can give us on your talks with the Prime Minister (Churchill)?

The President: Well, I suppose the best way to put it is this: that, so far, most of the work has been done by the Combined Staffs. And they have been at it, and we expect to get some preliminary recommendations from the Combined Staffs—you might call them tentative recommendations—probably in tonight’s meeting. Then those will be gone over—and I might say the Combined Staffs have been getting along extremely well—and then over the weekend we will be going over them, and take up the preliminary recommendations next week and iron out any kinks that are in them and make them final.

Q. Mr. President, has any consideration been given to the political future of Italy?

Mr. Godwin: (aside) What?

The President: Unconditional surrender. I think that—

Q. (interposing) Thank you, Mr. President.

The President: (continuing)—speaks for itself.

Q. Thank you.

Q. Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. Godwin: Italy?

The President: What?

Mr. Godwin: Italy?

The President: Italy.

Mr. Godwin: He asked about Italy?

The President: Unconditional surrender.

 

Patrol Torpedo Boat PT-30 off Sand Island during operations at Midway, May 21, 1943.  She's be stricken as obsolete in March, 1944, the entire concept really being obsolete by that time.

No comments: