And of course, it was Saturday.
Last edition:
Friday, September 6, 2024
Wednesday, September 6, 1899. The Open Door Policy.
The McKinley Administration, through Secretary of State John Hay, sent "open door" notes to Germany, Russia, and England. They would later be sent to Japan, Italy, and France.
United States Department of State
Washington, September 6, 1899
At the time when the Government of the United States was informed by that of Germany that it had leased from His Majesty the Emperor of China the port of Kiao-chao and the adjacent territory in the province of Shantung, assurances were given to the ambassador of the United States at Berlin by the Imperial German minister for foreign affairs that the rights and privileges insured by treaties with China to citizens of the United States would not thereby suffer or be in anywise impaired within the area over which Germany had thus obtained control.
More recently, however, the British Government recognized by a formal agreement with Germany the exclusive right of the latter country to enjoy in said leased area and the contiguous "sphere of influence or interest" certain privileges, more especially those relating to railroads and mining enterprises; but as the exact nature and extent of the rights thus recognized have not been clearly defined, it is possible that serious conflicts of interest may at any time arise not only between British and German subjects within said area, but that the interests of our citizens may also be jeopardized thereby.
Earnestly desirous to remove any cause of irritation and to insure at the same time to the commerce of all nations in China the undoubted benefits which should accrue from a formal recognition by the various powers claiming "spheres of interest" that they shall enjoy perfect equality of treatment for their commerce and navigation within such "spheres," the Government of the United States would be pleased to see His German Majesty's Government give formal assurances, and lend its cooperation in securing like assurances from the other interested powers, that each, within its respective sphere of whatever influence--
First. Will in no way interfere with any treaty port or any vested interest within any so-called "sphere of interest" or leased territory it may have in China.
Second. That the Chinese treaty tariff of the time being shall apply to all merchandise landed or shipped to all such ports as are within said "sphere of interest" (unless they be "free ports"), no matter to what nationality it may belong, and that duties so leviable shall be collected by the Chinese Government.
Third. That it will levy no higher harbor dues on vessels of another nationality frequenting any port in such "sphere" than shall be levied on vessels of its own nationality, and no higher railroad charges over lines built, controlled, or operated within its "sphere" on merchandise belonging to citizens or subjects of other nationalities transported through such "sphere" than shall be levied on similar merchandise belonging to its own nationals transported over equal distances.
The liberal policy pursued by His Imperial German Majesty in declaring Kiao-chao a free port and in aiding the Chinese Government in the establishment there of a customhouse are so clearly in line with the proposition which this Government is anxious to see recognized that it entertains the strongest hope that Germany will give its acceptance and hearty support. The recent ukase of His Majesty the Emperor of Russia declaring the port of Ta-lien-wan open during the whole of the lease under which it is held from China to the merchant ships of all nations, coupled with the categorical assurances made to this Government by His Imperial Majesty's representative at this capital at the time and since repeated to me by the present Russian ambassador, seem to insure the support of the Emperor to the proposed measure. Our ambassador at the Court of St. Petersburg has in consequence, been instructed to submit it to the Russian Government and to request their early consideration of it. A copy of my instruction on the subject to Mr. Tower is herewith inclosed for your confidential information.
The commercial interests of Great Britain and Japan will be so clearly observed by the desired declaration of intentions, and the views of the Governments of these countries as to the desirability of the adoption of measures insuring the benefits of equality of treatment of all foreign trade throughout China are so similar to those entertained by the United States, that their acceptance of the propositions herein outlined and their cooperation in advocating their adoption by the other powers can be confidently expected. I inclose herewith copy of the instruction which I have sent to Mr. Choate on the subject.
In view of the present favorable conditions, you are instructed to submit the above considerations to His Imperial German Majesty's Minister for L Foreign Affairs, and to request his early consideration of the subject.
Last edition:
Tuesday, August 29, 1899. Volunteers back in the U.S.
Labels: 1890s, 1899, Blog Mirror, National Guard, Philippine Insurrection, Wyoming Army National Guard, Wyoming National Guard
Tuesday, September 6, 1774. The Worcester Revolt.
American Association for State and Local History
It was truly, a major event.
Last edition:
Monday, September 5, 1774. The first Continental Congress Convenes.
Thursday, September 5, 2024
Tuesday, September 5, 1944. The USSR declares war on Bulgaria.
\WORDS AT WAR episode #62 Sept 05, 1944; "The Veteran Comes Back" for Johnson's Wax.
The USSR declared war on Axis aligned Bulgaria.
Bulgaria had not attacked the USSR, but had supported Nazi Germany. It had declared war in 1941 on the US and UK, which was a fairly safe, it seemed, thing to do. Really, the Soviet Union should have declared war on it earlier, for that reason, although the delay bade sense for strategic reasons. It had also participated, albeit to a limited extent, in the war in the Balkans, for its own territorial reasons.
The Battle of Turda began in Romania. Hungarian forces allied with the Germans joined in the action as the Hungarian army began to act in opposition to its government's desire to get out of the war, out of a fear of Soviet invasion.
Sweden barred entry into its country of fleeing Nazis, something significant in light of Finland stepping out of the war.
The U.S Army captured Namur and Chareroi.
In Italy, the U.S. Army captured Lucca.
Hitler reappointed Rundstedt as Commander in Chief West.
French spy Gustave Biéler was executed by the Germans. Born in France, he immigrated to Canada as an adult, and joined the SOE during the Second World War.
Pro Nazi Štefan Tiso became the Prime Minister of Slovakia. He'd press for the "final solution" in Slovakia.
He was sentenced to live in prison after the war, dying in prison in 1959.
The U-362 was sunk in the Kara Sea by a Soviet minesweeper.
The governments of Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg agree to the form the Benelux Customs Union.
An earthquake at Cornwall Ontario damaged buildings there and into New York.
Last edition:
Monday, September 4, 1944. Reaching Antwerp.
Labels: 1940s, 1944, Antwerp Belgium, Army, Belgium, British Army, Continuation War, Finland, France, German Army, Norway, Red Army, Romania, USSR, World War Two
Friday September 5, 1924. Back in the US.
The three surviving U.S. Army aircraft attempting to fly around the world, the Chicago, New Orleans and Boston, reentered U.S. airspace near Brunswick Maine in a dense fog.
President Coolidge gave a press conference.
Press Conference, September 5, 1924
Last edition:
Wednesday. September 3, 1924. The massacre at Taif.
Monday, September 5, 1774. The first Continental Congress Convenes.
President Peyton Randolph.
The first Continental Congress convened at Carpenters Hall in Philadelphia. Twelve of the Fourteen (not thirteen) colonies sent delegates. Georgia, which was fearful of war with native tribes, did not participate as it hoped for British assistance in the impending war with those earlier denizens. Quebec had no interest in participating.
Peyton Randolph of Virginia was named President of the First Continental Congress.
Randolph. . . not Washington.
Randolph, not Washington, was the first President of the United States by some measures (and Washington is not the first President under any properly considered measure). He was an American born lawyer who had studied law at the Middle Temple at the Inns of Court in London, becoming a member of the bar in 1743, showing just how unlike the current populist "don't tread on me" crowd these men were.
He died of some sort of seizure in 1775 while dining with Thomas Jefferson. He was 54 years of age.
Signatory page of the three-page Continental Association signed by 53 of the 56 delegatesLast edition:
Sunday, September 4, 1774. Explorers.
Wednesday, September 4, 2024
Wednesday, September 4, 1974. Recognizing East Germany.
The United States established diplomatic relations with East Germany.
Gen. Creighton Abrams, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, died at age 59 due to complications following a lung removal surgery. He was a heavy cigar smoker.
Abrams had entered the Army following West Point as a cavalry officer. He was a highly successful commander under Patton during the Second World War. His tenure as commander in Vietnam was less successful. Following that, he was appointed Chief of Staff by President Nixon.
All three sons of the general and his wife became Army general officers and all three daughters married Army officers. Raised as a Methodist, he converted to Catholicism in Vietnam.
President Ford appointed George H. W. Bush to be the Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office to the People's Republic of China.
Last edition:
Monday, August 19, 1974. Gerald Ford on the cover of Time and Newsweek.
Monday, September 4, 1944. Reaching Antwerp.
The British entered Antwerp, Kortenberg and Leuven. They failed to take the Antwerp canal crossings.
The 7th Army took Bourg-en-Bresse.
The Red Army took Brașov and Sinaia, Romania.
Fighting stopped between Finland and the Soviet Union. German troops fall back to Norway or embark for Germany at Baltic ports.
Last edition:
Sunday, September 3, 1944. An agreement to end the Continuation War.
Labels: 1940s, 1944, Army, Belgium, British Army, Bulgaria, Continuation War, France, Free French, German Wehrmacht, The Holocaust, U.S. Navy, Wake Island, World War Two
Sunday, September 4, 1774. Explorers.
Hudson’s Bay Company explorer Samuel Hearne and his small company of Europeans and Crees arrived at Ministikominuhikosak (Pine Island) in the Saskatchewan River Delta to search for a location to establish the company's second inland trading post, which they would call Cumberland House.
A ship captained by James Cook entered the harbor at Balade on the coast of New Caledonia.
Alexander Hamilton wrote poignant poem.
Poem on the Death of Elias Boudinot’s Child1
For the sweet babe, my doating heart
Did all a Mother’s fondness feel;
No More thy self Important tale
Some embryo meaning shall convey,
Tuesday, September 3, 2024
Some Labor Day Reflections.
Yesterday, I made some observations on Denver, and today I'm doing the same on Labor Day, 2024.
Of course, it's immediately notable that I'm making these the day after Labor Day, which was a day I didn't get off. I worked a full day.
I was the only one in the office.
Labor Day dates back to the mid 1800s as an alternative to the more radical observance that takes place in many countries on May 1. Still, nonetheless, early on, and for a long time, there was a fair amount of radicalism associated with it during that period when American labor organizations were on the rise. The day itself being a widely recognized day off is due to organized strikes on the day that started occurring during the 1930s, to the day as sort of a "last day of summer holiday" is fairly new.
Even now, when people think of it, they often think of the day in terms of the sort of burly industrial workers illustrated by Leyendecker and Rockwell in the 20s through the 40s. Otherwise, they sort of blandly associate it with celebrating work in general, which gets to the nature of work in general, something we sort of touched on yesterday with this entry;
Deep Breath
A Labor Day homily.
Sadly, I'm working on Labor Day.
Early on, Labor Day was something that acknowledged a sort of worthy heavy work. There are, in spite of what people may think, plenty of Americans that still are engaged in that sort of employment, although its s shadow of the number that once did. Wyoming has a lot of people who do, because of the extractive industries, which are in trouble. Ironically, therefore, its notable that Wyoming is an epicenter of anti union feelings, when generally those engaged in heavy labor are pro union. There's no good explanation for that.
When Labor Day became a big deal it pitted organized labor against capital, with it being acknowledged by both sides that if things went too far one way or another, it would likely result in a massive labor reaction that would veer towards socialism, or worse, communism. Real communism has never been a society wide strong movement in the United States, in spite of the current stupid commentary by those on the political far right side of the aisle accusing anyone they don't like, and any program they don't like, of being communistic. But radical economics did hae influence inside of unions, and communists were a factor in some of them, which was well known. As nobody really wanted what that might mean, compromise gave us the post war economic world of the 50s and 60s, which were sort of a golden age for American economics.
One of the unfortunate byproducts of the Cold War era, however, was the exportation of jobs overseas, which brought us the economic regime we have today, in part. The advance of technology brought us the other part. Today we find the American economy is massively dominated by capital in a way it hasn't been for a century, and its not a good thing at all. The will to do anything about it, or even understand it, seems to be wholly lacking. As a result of that, while an increasing number of Americans slave away at meaningless jobs in cubicles, and the former shopkeeper class now works at Walmart, we have the absolutely bizarre spectacle of two Titans of Capital, Donald Trump and Elon Musk, spewing out populist rhetoric. Populism, of course, always gets co-opted, but the working and middle class falling for rhetoric from the extremely wealthy is not only bizarre, its' downright dumb.
Indeed, in the modern American economy, having your own is increasingly difficult. Entire former occupations that were once local have been totally taken over by large corporations while agriculture has fallen to the rich in terms of land ownership, making entry into either field impossible. Fewer and fewer "my own" occupations exist, and those that do are under siege.
One of those is the law, of course. Lawyers, because of the nature of their work, still tend to own their practices, as to medical professionals of all types. The latter are falling into large corporate entities, however, and the move towards taking down state borders in the practice is causing the consolidation of certain types of practice in the former.
Not that "having your own" in the professions is necessarily a sort of Garden of Eden either, however.
Recently, interestingly, there's been a big movement in which young people are returning to the trades. That strikes me as a good thing, and perhaps the trades are finally getting the due they deserve. Ever since World War Two there's been the concept that absolutely everyone had to achieve white collar employment, which demeaned blue collar employment, and which put a lot of people in occupations and jobs they didn't care for. I suspect the small farm movement reflects that too.
Indeed, on my first day of practicing law as a lawyer over thirty years ago the long time office manager, who must have been having sort of a bad day, made a comment like "you might just end up wishing you had become a farmer". I remember thinking to myself even then that if that had been an option, that's exactly what I would have become. It wasn't, and it never has been for me, in the full time occupation sort of way.
Oh well.
And so we lost the garden to labor in, but we can make things better than they are. And we could do that by taking a much more distributist approach to things. Which seems nowhere near close to happening, a populist uprising notwithstanding.
Sunday, September 3, 1944. An agreement to end the Continuation War.
A ceasefire, to take place on September 4 at 8:00, was agreed to in the Continuation War. The Germans commenced Operation Birke to try to keep a supply of Finnish nickel from Lapland.
Residents of Couvin, Belgium, flock into the streets to welcome the vanguard of American troops which arrived after driving out the Nazis. 3 September, 1944.
Residents of Couvin, Belgium, flock into the streets of their town to cheer the vanguard of American troops rolling eastward across their country into Germany. 3 September, 1944.
Residents of Chimay, Belgium, gather in their town square to welcome their liberators, the first American troops to reach their town. 3 September, 1944.
S/Sgt. Robert Troxler, left, of Elson College, N.D., and Pvt. Charles Forkas, right, of Rutland, Vt., both members of an infantry unit, walk along a French road to rejoin their unit after having escorted some German prisoners to the rear of the line. They are fighting the Nazis still holding out around Brest, France. 3 September, 1944.
The British Second Army took Brussels. The U.S First Army took Toumai.
The French 1st Infantry Division entered Lyons.
Gerd von Rundstedt was restored as Oberbefehlshaber West, replacing Walter Model, in the face of rampaging disaster.
Execution of political prisoners was halted in Bulgaria.
Could it have been any clearer that Germany was defeated?
Nonetheless, Germany begin the deportation of Dutch Jews from the Westerbork, Amersfoort, and Vught.
The U.S. Navy bombarded Wake Island.
Last edition:
Saturday, September 2, 1944. Finland calls it quits.Labels: 1940s, 1944, Belgium, boats and ships, British Army, Bulgaria, Canadian Army, Chichijima, Continuation War, Finland, George W. Bush, Personalities, Poland, Polish Home Army, U.S. Navy, Winter War, World War Two
Wednesday. September 3, 1924. The massacre at Taif.
Troops of the Ikhwan sent by Sultan Ibn Saud of Nejd killed no less than 300 civilians in the city of Taif.
Last edition:
Tuesday, September 2, 1924. Glazman kills himself.
There is something bizarre about Elon Musk posting about the United States Constitution.
Frankly, in my view, he shouldn't even be in the country. He was from a wealthy family in South Africa when he entered Canada. Immigration shouldn't have a place for wealthy ex pats.
South Africa might have been able to use him better. And we didn't need him. He didn't need us. All that's done is made a rich man richer.
Anyhow, he's not a lawyer, and he's an American by the grace of the country. If he wants to share his opinion about constitutions, he should go back to South Africa and comment on theirs, in my uncharitable opinion.
Monday, September 2, 2024
Observations on Denver
Some years we have Rockies' ticket package. We did last year, but we didn't go to a single game for a variety of reasons. Work was the big one, but then, about this time just a year ago, I was under the knife for the second time as well.
We went to the Orioles game on September 1.
The choice of the date was not my own, September 1 is the opening day of blue grouse and dove season, but I didn't complain about it. A young member of the family loves the Orioles and that's why it was chosen. When you get old, as I am, you yield in favor of younger family members, so I did, without complaining. You also learn, hopefully, not to complain where in former days you might have.
It was a great game.
I've been to Denver several times since my surgery, but they were all hit and run type of deals for work. In and out, with no time to spare. This is the first time I've lingered in the Mile High City for awhile, and the first time over a weekend for a long while. Therefore some observations, I guess.
It was hot. "Unseasonably hot" is what I'm hearing. I'm not a fan of hot. As Wyoming has already been chilly in the morning, and I couldn't find my Rockies jersey, I wore a light flannel shirt. I don't really feel comfortable in just wearing a t-shit in that setting anymore, so I when I got hot, right away, before the game, I went and bought a jersey. Now I have two.
I can't wear my old New York Yankees pull on jersey anymore. I'm too big and its too small. My Sox jersey is messing a button.
It's really weird to think that at least into the 1940s people dressed pretty formally at baseball games. Men were in jacket and tie, something you'd never see now.
We were there on Sunday.
Holy Ghost is, in my view, the most beautiful church in the region and the most beautiful one I've ever been in. We went to Mass early Sunday morning. It's stunning and it never fails to impress me with its beauty.
A beautiful church really adds something to worship, and a sense of the Divine.
Not a new impression, but the street people problem is out of control.
I don't know what can be done to help these people. Some, you can tell, are now so organically messed up that they'll never really recover.
In various places, when approached for money by somebody on a street, I'll give them some. But not in Denver. The people on the streets are so messed up I know where that money is going. Something needs to be done to help them, but I have no idea what it would be.
The day before I went down I read that the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) had taken over two apartments in Aurora. Looking it up, it's apparently true, and they're using them for sex trafficking.
The greater Denver area, fwiw, has never been all that nice, in spite of what people might say. I recall going down in the 1980s, when I was an undergrad at UW, and parts of were really rough then. 16th Street was just starting to develop. The area around LoDo was really really rough. I can recall walking from an off street towards 16th past a really rough looking bar mid morning when a prostitute came spilling out of it, probably just getting off work. The Episcopal Cathedral, St. John in the Wilderness, had lots of broken windows, broken by rocks thrown into them from the street. Colorado Blvd in the region of what is now Martin Luther King Blvd was as complete red light district full of XXX movie theaters. Lo Do was a no/go zone.
Coors Field really cleaned up a lot of that, and much of downtown Denver has really gentrified. 16th Street, however, is a drug flop house as is much of downtown Denver. The legalization of marijuana, COVID, and a highly tolerant city council has created an enormous problem.
Anyhow, I don't go into Aurora much, but I don't really recall it being really nice. I recall my father, who had experience with Denver going back to the 1930s, mentioning it had never been nice.
We had a big breakfast at Sam's No. 3. It's a great cafe. A real urban one, which probably makes it surprising that I'll go there, but it is great.
At the game, I had a hot dog. I usually have "brots", rather than dogs, if I have your classic small sausage on a bun. I'd forgotten, accordingly, what real dogs taste like. I like them, but I don't like them as much as brots.
Converse Chuck Taylors are comfortable for sitting at a game, but not for hiking around a city. Like my baseball jerseys, I like Chuck Taylors but given my line of work and my off time avocations, which I unfortunately seem to be able to engage in less and less, I have little call to actually wear them.
Regarding clothing, while I hesitated to post it, a lot of young women in urban settings don't dress decently when dressing casually. I don't mean "dress up" either. Perhaps because it was hot, a lot of them had on "summer clothes" which showed way more skin, and other things, than is decent, in my view. For that matter, coming out of a hotel a barista was coming in wearing a t-shirt who had chosen to omit undergarments and was showing, well, through. I almost turned to my daughter who was with me and thanked her for not dressing like so much of what I was seeing, but I didn't.
On that, some of the younger women were clearly with a parent. Why would you let a child, even if not a child any longer, go out dressed like that?
I'm not really proud of noticing and I didn't glare or stare, but frankly with so much on display its impossible not to notice anything. I'm old, but not dead, and there's way too much on display, certainly way more than is the case up here in the rude hinterlands. A Christian should have custody of their eyes but I'd rather other folks make it easy to exercise.
Also on display were vast numbers of tattoos, some artful and some really bad. Having a bad tattoo has to be a bummer.
I was reminded of how much I don't like country music. My wife and daughter do, so we listed to one of the XM Radio satellite radio channels on the way down. I never listen to contemporary country music, although over the years I've gotten to where I like some of the older stuff.
Anyhow, I was surprised by how much country music is just devoted to getting drunk. It's weird.
A fair amount is devoted to bad decisions, particularly with alcohol and women. Some has gotten inappropriate towards women in general. One of the songs on the way down I heard was Country Girl, which involves alcohol, and also the lyrics "shake it for me, girl". I've been around country people, including country girls, my entire life and I've never seen a country girl shaking whatever for anyone. Indeed, I've always been impressed by how almost everyone who lives in the sticks knows how to swing dance and tends to wear, usually, a fair amount of clothing, even in the summer.
The Working Man's Beer
Today is Labor Day, and beer will be consumed in above average quantities in the United States.
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