Friday, April 11, 2014

Today -100: April 11, 1914: Enter the Dolphin


In Tampico, Mexico, which is the rebels’ next target, a Federal colonel orders the crew of the USS Dolphin, which had stopped to refuel, arrested, basically for being in a war zone in uniform and unable to explain in Spanish what they were doing with those oil drums. [Note: the article refers to the Dolphin as a whaleboat, which refers to the shape of the ship; it’s not a whaler]. They are quickly released, and the port commander apologizes to the American commander of US forces in Tampico, who is named Admiral Mayo because of course he is. Admiral Mayo is just happy to let this little misunderstanding blow over... oh, of course he isn’t. He demands a formal apology, the arrest of the Mexican colonel responsible for the incident, and a 21-gun salute, within 24 hours or else. Mayo has been sending both sides warnings that their little fight had better not damage any oil equipment in Tampico.

One of the towns that voted itself dry in the elections Tuesday was Minooka, Illinois. As a result, the town has had to return the license money already paid by saloons, and is now broke. It will have to turn off its street lights and fire its three cops and the city attorney.

People who are against women’s suffrage: 1) Helen Taft, wife of the former president, who has joined an anti-suffrage organization. 2) Archbishop Moeller of Cincinnati, who thinks it would “bring women into a sphere of activities that is not in accord with their retiring modesty, maidenly dignity and refinement. We fear that suffragette women will cease to be the queens of the home.”

In Italy, Baron Dominico Camarda is arrested for having imprisoned his sisters Isobel and Teresina in his castle’s dungeon 18 years ago. Isobel has gone insane, and Teresina died 3 years ago. Evidently they disgraced the family.

The Paris prefect of police bans a prize fight between two women.

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2 comments:

  1. Is, I wonder, the Parisian prefect of police related to Archbishop Moeller? All he needed to do was substitute "pugilist" for "suffragette" in the Archb's words.

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  2. Sadly, the short LA Times article on the Paris story didn't contain any quotation from Prefect Hennion. I'd have been interested in his explanation. The archbishop of course merely stated the views of the majority of men and probably women, although in terms ("maidenly dignity") that seem a little antiquated for 1914.

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