Wednesday, October 7, 1936. Soviet Ultimatum over Spain.

The USSR issued an ultimatum to Portugal, Italy and Germany that unless they stopped aiding the Spanish Nationalist in the ongoing civil war, the USSR would take an active involvement.

On the same day, German armored troops arrived in Spain as trainers with their focus being on tanks and antitank guns.

José Antonio Aguirre became the 1st President of the Basque Country, an autonomous region in the Spanish Republic.  He'd muster local forces to fight on the Republican side, and accordingly went into exile for the rest of life when the Nationalist won the civil war.  He died in 1960 of a heart attack at age 56 and, as a Catholic, was given a funeral Mass.

Agrarian Party member, and Lutheran Pietist, Kyösti Kallio became Prime Minister of Finland.

The Dodgers fired Casey Stengel.

Last edition:

Tuesday, October 6, 1936. Yankees take the series.

Labels: 1930s, 1936, 1936 Spanish Elections, 1936 World Series, Anarchy, Communism, Communists, Spain

Wars and Rumors of War, 2026. Part 8. Donald Trump, China's (and Russia's) greatest ally edition, additional labels.

 

Tuesday, September 24, 1946. The Clifford-Elsey Report.

White House counsel Clark Clifford  presented President Truman with a top secret report, authored by George Elsey, stating that the "U.S. must be prepared to wage atomic and biological warfare".

The disturbing report would help lead to the Marshall Plan.

Mrs.Temis Sullivan,coal miners wife, preparing to go to a weekly Daughters of America meeting with other ladies in her community, in the kitchen of her home rented from the Inland Steel Coal Company, Wheelwright,Kentucky 9/24/46.

Cartoon from the Rocky Mountain News that sort of rhymes today.

Last edition:

Monday, September 23, 1946. Alienating hearts and minds in Vietnam.

Labels: 1940s, 1946, Democracy, Denmark, Faroe Islands, French Empire, French Indochina, South Vietnam

Monday, September 16, 1946. The arrival of the 1946-47 Soviet Famine.

Drought and poor harvest resulted in the Soviet Union massively increasing the cost of meat, dairy products and bread.  This would soo be followed by order reducing who could receive bread rations.  The famine which would follow, would result in 1,000,000 lost lives into 1947.

Enzo Ferrari produced his first V12 engine.

Member of both of Major League Baseball's leagues privately voted to 15 to 1 to approve a recommendation allowing for black players.

Blues singer Mamie Smith died at age 55.

Last edition:

Thursday, September 12, 1946. Wallace takes a different route.

Labels: 1940s, 1943, 1946, 1948, Colorado (Denver), Disease, Education, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Henry A. Wallace, Personalities

Tuesday, August 31, 1926. Non aggression pacts and spiffy caps.

The Soviet Union and Afghan government signed a Pact of Neutrality and Non-Aggression.

General Yang Sen seized the SS Wanhsien for a second time in a week, and captured a second ship. The HMS Cockchafer lacked sufficient bluejackets to intervene, so it radioed for help.

The general would subsequently join the Kuomintang that year and side with Chiang Kai-shek following the latters expulsion of the Communists.  He became a figure in the Nationalist Chinese Army and ended up in exile in Taiwan.

He was also an avid mountaineer.

A polygamist, he had 22 daughters and 21 sons born between 1912 and 1960.  He died in 1977 at age 93.

Shakeups were occuring in Greece due to the recent overthrowal of the military government there, including the sacking of the Army Chief of Staff, Major General Ptolemaios Sarigiannis.

He was imprisoned by the Germans during World War Two and served a role in the post war Greek government.

Last edition:

Monday, August 30, 1926. The end of Italian voting.

Labels: 1920s, 1926, actors and actresses, boats and ships, Catholic, Disaster, Fascism, religion, Russia (Kronstadt)

Thursday, August 15, 1946. The Truman Doctrine.

Truman told Turkish President İsmet İnönü that the United States would provide its assistance to help Turkey resist Soviet demands for control of the Dardanelles straits ushering in the Truman Doctrine in which the US pledged support to countries resisting authoritarian pressure.

Notorious was released.

Last edition:

Tuesday, August 13, 1946. Humble Congressman and no so humble one.

Labels: 1940s, 1946, Joseph McCarthy, McCarthy Era, Native Americans, Personalities, The written word

Saturday, August 14, 1926. More killings in Mexico.

The Mexican Government arrested Father Luis Bátiz Sainz at a private house.  He and three members of the Mexican Association for Catholic Youth would be driven out of town, and then shot, the following day.

Before the closure of the churches, he had spoken at a gathering where the topic of armed resistance to suppression of the Church had been discussed.

He was later canonized.

The USSR claimed Wrangel Island.

An Ethel Hays' cartoon for the day.

It was a Saturday

Last edition:

Tuesday, August 10, 1926. Executions in Mexico, Hurricane in Nova Scotia.

Labels: 1920s, 1926, boats and ships, Cartoons, Cristero War, Disaster, J.R. Williams, Mexico, Nova Scotia, Weather

Wednesday, August 7, 1946. The Dardanelles Crisis commences.

Stalin demanded that Turkey permit a joint defense of the Dardanelles.  This resulted in Truman sending the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt to the region.

The crisis would last until Stalin's death.

Last edition:

Monday, August 5, 1946. Neil Armstrong becomes a private pilot.

Labels: 1940s, 1946, Aircraft, Personalities, Teenagers

Wednesday, July 31, 1946. Cracking Venona.

American cryptanalyst Meredith Gardner made a breakthrough, identifying the ciphers used for spelling English words, in a team project to crack Soviet espionage codes used in the United States.

His work remained secret for decades, and he personally felt badly about how it was used in the McCarthy era.  He died at age 89 in 2002.

The stillborn Morrison-Grady Plan was proposed by Herbert Morrison of Britain and Henry F. Grady of the U.S., providing for the division of Palestine into three districts.

President Truman and Prime Minister Attlee would both endorse it, but it had no support from Arabs or Jews.

President Truman signed legislation creating the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute.

Philippine Airlines made its first transpacific flight.

Last edition:

Monday, July 29, 1946. Anping Incident.

Labels: 1940s, 1946, Anping Incident, China, Chinese Civil War, International Military Tribunal for the Far East, Operation Beleaguer, People's Liberation Army, United States Marine Corps, War Crimes

Sunday, July 25, 1926. Last services before the Calles Law.

Thousands of Mexican Catholics pilgrimaged to Tepeyac the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, as well as to other shrines and churches in the country a week before the Calles Law was to take effect.  The event took place following the newspaper publication of a pastoral letter, signed by the Archbishop of Mexico City, José Mora y del Rio, as well as seven other archbishops and 29 bishops, ordering the suspension of services in all Catholic churches and directing all priests to stay away effective July 31, a move I frankly don't understand.

Advertisements called for a boycott of businesses supporting the Calles Law.

Border Patrol Inspector William Llonzo Parker was killed in a battle with Mexican liquor smugglers near the Wills Ranch, west of the Huachuca Mountains, Arizona.  The body of smuggler Artilio Espinosa was found during the investigation, indicating that Parker had killed at least one of his opponents. 

Grigory Zinoviev was removed as chair of the Comintern after opposing Stalin.  It would ultimately cost him his life.

Young Tunisian Jewish woman, published in Forverts, July 25, 1926.

Last edition:

Tuesday, July 20, 1926. Turning up the heat.

Labels: 1920s, 1926, British Army, Calvin Coolidge, Diplomacy, Food, France, French Army, Haiti, The Press, United Kingdom, USSR, Weather

Tuesday, July 20, 1926. Turning up the heat.

 

Coolidge gave a press conference at White Pine Camp.

Secretary Davis and I discussed only incidentally the question of munition depots. He said that there was a location in Utah that would he available, but the expense of moving our munitions out there would be pretty heavy. I think he said that none of the munitions that belong to the War Dept. have been exploded. What he did say which was of most importance was that careful studies were being made to make the locations of munitions as safe as possible.

I am not just certain when I shall go to Plymouth. I had rather expected that I might go last week some time, but I wasn’t able to get away. I haven’t any definite plan about it. What would the members of the conference prefer, to go by automobile or by train?

Press: Train.

President: Seems to be unanimous. Well, I think I can arrange to take you over there by train, if that would suit you better. I will do what I can in that direction. I suppose I will have to set down a time when I have made up my mind to go and then stick to it. Otherwise there is something coming up all the time that seems to make it desirable for me to be here. I got word that the Secretary of War was coming up, and now the Secretary of State is coming up here later in the season. He is going to speak at Plattsburg at the celebration there of the MacDonald victories on Lake Champlain.

The resignation of Commissioner Fenning is in the hands of the Attorney General. It was received just about the time we were leaving Washington. He has some small matters that we wish to have him clear up before he relinquishes the office. That will take but a few days and then he is to retire. I suppose that he would have given in his resignation any way, but I did send a request to him that he should retire.

Press: Was that request since you have been up here?

President: Why no, I said I got the resignation just as I was leaving. The request was made just before I came away.

There isn’t any particular significance in the visit of Senator Fess. He told me while I was in Washington that he was to be in the Adirondacks this summer. He has some friends up here. I think he makes it a practice to come up here every summer. They are located within 30 or 35 miles. I understood he was to be at Tupper Lake, but he is at Loon Lake. Perhaps he was going to Tupper Lake later, and I told him of course that if he was here I hoped very much ae would have a chance to come and stay a day or two with me.

I am not expecting to speak at Plattsburg at the unveiling of the MacDonald monument. As I indicated before, the Secretary of State will be there. I understand there will be some representatives of the Canadian Government there, which makes it especially appropriate for the Secretary of State to be present.

Press: Do you think you will go over, Mr. President?

President. No.

I haven’t any information about what Chairman Parker or other members of the House Commerce Committee are contemplating in relation to coal legislation for a conference with the coal operators and coal miners during the vacation. I knew that Representative Parker had prepared a bill, or that his Committee had, I coal legislation, which they were proposing to take up immediately on the convening of Congress. There didn’t seem to be time to take it up at the last session. I think I have said enough to make that plain. I didn’t know anything about a plan for trying to make an adjustment between the operators and miners, other than what I have seen in the press. I think I indicated at a conference that was held long ago that perhaps the railroad legislation which was passed at the last session might furnish a foundation principle for legislation and adjust in the coal industry. There are two or three things that I wanted as coal legislation. The first was the opportunity to call in a temporary Board to adjust differences whenever an emergency might arise, and the second was an opportunity have a coal administration whenever a scarcity was threatened. Those are the principal things.

There isn’t any comment that I can make on the fall of the French Cabinet. It is hardly appropriate to comment on a matter of that kind.

I hope that I may have a chance to go to the training camp at Plattsburgh some time during the summer. That is about 50 miles away and I judge we could go over in the morning and return in the afternoon.

If I go by train to Plymouth I shall go to Ludlow, and I think the members of the press would find accommodations at Ludlow or at Tyson, which is about 6 or 7 miles from Plymouth. It i s in the town of Plymouth, but that is post office name, 5 miles toward Plymouth from Ludlow. There Is a very good hotel there that was opened long ago but has been closed quite a good deal and reopened last summer. I went down there to lunch with Secretary Mellon and Senator Smoot when they came to Plymouth to confer with me relative to the Belgian Debt settlement, so that I know that it is a very comfortable place. And there is also at Woodstock a very good Inn that some of you are already acquainted with.

I haven’t had any report from the Secretary of Agriculture relative to his work in putting into operation the bill that was passed at the last session relative to cooperative marketing.

And I haven’t any information other than that which has appeared in the press about bank failures in southern states. That seemed to be due to some local conditions there. It i s my understanding that those were mostly state banks and not national banks.

I also expect to visit the Saranac Veterans Bureau Hospital for tubercular patients while I am here.

The Adirondacks climate is very much like that with which I am acquainted over in Vermont. I noticed that a number of the old-timers over here came from Vermont. Paul Smith came from Milton. A man named Plumbley, a very famous Adirondack figure for a good many years, came from Suesbury, next to Plymouth. Suesbury is even more like the Adirondacks region than Plymouth is. The fishing is better here than it is in Vermont.

I have an inquiry about the appropriations. If anyone is interested to analyze the increased appropriations for the present year you will find that there is a very complete study of that in the remarks of Martin B. Madden, as you know, the Chairman of the Appropriations on the part of the House. It is in the Congressional Record for Monday, July 12, 1926, beginning on Page 13,006. Of course our Post Office Department is a growing Department. We mean to keep it practically self-sustaining. Sometimes there is a deficit. There has been all the time since I have been President. Wages have been greatly increased in the Post Office Department since 1914, increased about 50%. Those that were getting $1400 at that time are now getting $2100, and the general average of increases in the postal service is very close to 50%. That accounts for a very large part of the increase in the appropriations for 1926 and 1927, that is the budget that has just passed. The Government expenditures are $273,000,000 greater. There is $100,000,000 of that which is accountable for on account of the adjusted compensation, or the bonus law. The first year that it went into effect it was estimated that the expenditure would not be known and that an appropriation I believe of $50,000,000 would take care of it , so that for this year we made up that deficiency with $100,000,000 I think put in the regular appropriation for the bonus bill. As I recall, it was $125,000,000. I won’t be sure about that. I know it is $100,000,000 extra we had that we put in. So that the Veterans Bureau has $173,000,000 more in the present budget than it had in the last budget. Than there was a great deal of money that came due on the matter of roads. We had been making appropriations that took care of the current needs, but last year there were very large bills that came in, so that the appropriation for this year is $26,000,000 greater. Than we have adopted the public buildings bill. Haven’t had a public buildings bill for 12 years, and that accounts for $14,000,000 more. Prohibition costs are $13,000,000 more. Rivers and Harbors carries $10,000,000 more. That is for special work that is being done in the Mississippi Valley, notably from Kansas City, or rather from St. Louis to Kansas City going up the river, or from Kansas City to St. Louis down. If you are reporting for the Kansas City papers it would be Kansas City first, if you are reporting for St. Louis papers St. Louis first. Than there were some refunds, $5,000,000 of refunds on cigars taxes and automobiles. We have increased pensions for Civil and Spanish War veterans $5,000,000. The Arlington Bridge $2,250,000. Then we have begun construction of military posts to replace the temporary housing erected during the war. That doesn’t come out of tax money really, but of course it does appear as an appropriation item. That is $2,250,000. We passed a law that as that military land was sold off the proceeds might be taken to make better housing facilities for our military posts. And the Sesquicentennial is $2,000,000. Judgments against the Government in the Court of Claims and other judgments are nearly $9,000,000. The total increase outside of the Post Office, of which these are the principal items, is $273,000,000. I think these items that I have given you figure up to about $260,000,000. But there are some other small items of one kind or another and you can refer to this little table here in the Congressional Record to give you a very complete explanation of it if you wish to. Now, some of those of course are permanent. The public buildings program runs for five years. The Veterans Bureau bill for the next year won’t be nearly as big. The cost for the Post Office next year I should expect would not be as large public buildings will be larger next year because we expect to appropriate about $25,000,000 a year, but we found that $14,000,000 was all that we could expend advantageously this year. It takes so long to make plans and lay out the work. It is difficult to make any estimate about pensions. The Civil War veterans are dropping away very fast. That item which now runs about $2,000,000 will naturally decrease. Of course the country is a growing country. It keeps expanding all the time and there is tremendous pressure on the Federal Government to take on new activities which the Congress resists as well as it can and which I resist as well as I can. As we pay off the national debt of course the expenses are going to be reduced for interest, but I think the plan is that as interest charges are reduced more money will go into the sinking fund. That isn’t spoken of here, but it is my recollection that there is $30,000,000 more in the sinking fund for the present year than last year. That means we are using that to pay off the public debt.

Soviet monster Felix Dzerzhinsky died of a heart attack at age 48.

French General Auguste Dubail of France and British Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson reached an agreement for a joint plan to mobilize 150,000 men in the event that Germany declared war on either nation.

Rebels in Haiti captured Cap-Haïtien.

Last edition:

Saturday, July 17, 1926. Boicotear

Labels: 1920s, 1926, Boycott, Catholic, Christianity, Cristero War, Mexico, Plutarco Elías Calles, religion, Taxes

Thursday, July 15, 1926. Aragon Ballroom and Belgian inflation.

The Aragon Ballroom opened in Chicago.

King Albert of Belgium was given six months of dictatorial powers in an effort to address inflation.

The USSR's Central Committee approved a plan to resettle 570,400 Jewish families from the Ukrainian SSR and the Byelorussian SSR to the Crimea.

Harold P. Sheldon, Chief U.S. Game Warden, on this date.

Last edition:

Wednesday, July 14, 1926. A new around the world record.

Labels: 1910s, 1913, 1920s, 1926, Aircraft

Friday, July 9, 1926. The Kuomintang launches the Northern Expedition.

Seal of the Beiyang government.

The Kuomintang launched the Northern Expedition against the internationally recognized Beiyang government and regional warlords. Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek was in charge of its Soviet advised National Revolutionary Army.

Last edition:

Wednesday, July 7, 1926. Coolidge heads for the Adirondacks.

Labels: 1920s, 1926, Calvin Coolidge, New York

Monday, July 8, 1946. Germans ordered to go home.

The Soviet military government of Austria began deporting Germans who had moved to the country after 1938.  54,000 would be repatriated to a Germany.

The News reported about a Hughes' accident.

Last edition:

Sunday, July 7, 1946. Mother Cabrini canonized.

Labels: 1940s, 1946, Catholic, Christianity, Immigration, Italy, Jimmy Carter, Personalities, Protestant, religion, United States

Tuesday, July 6, 1976. First women at Anapolis.

The first women to do so entered the United States Naval Academy.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II began a "Bicentennial tour" of several locations in the original thirteen states.  As with much associated with Queen Elizabeth, her tour was a huge success.

South Africa ceased requiring black students to be instructed in the Afrikaans language, which itself is a variant of Dutch.

Soyuz 21 was launched into orbit.

Last edition:

Sunday, July 4, 1976. The Bicentennial.

Labels: 1970s, 1976, American Bicentennial, Argentina, Commandos, Growing up in the 1970s, Israeli Defense Force, Operation Thunderbolt, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Terrorism, Uganda (Entebbe), Wyoming (Casper)

Sunday, June 30, 1946. Wartime powers expire.

The OPA's emergency wartime powers ended at midnight in spite of an effort by President Truman to extend them.

The Fair Employment Practice Committee (FEPC) authority also expired at midnight as did the authority of the War Relocation Authority.

Surplus military vehicles  were being sold.

Sunday was apparently the cheesecake edition of the News.  A photo of an actress was given the full page treatment for no other discernable reason, while later in the paper the famous Jane Russell Outlaw poster was also.

And an add depicted teenagers advertising at home.

A sham election in Poland placed the country under the Communist Party and approved the post war borders with the USSR.

Last edition:

Saturday, June 29, 1946. Operation Agatha.

Labels: 1940s, 1946, Art, British Army, Hagenah, Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine, Operation Agatha, Palestine