Today -100: October 7, 1918: Of not peace, not epidemic, not nobility, and not able to see Theda Bara as Vampire Salomé

No one in the US or the European Allies seems especially interested in Austria & Germany’s offers of peace talks, which they see as a ruse to allow the Central Powers to regroup behind a shorter front line, and anyway they’re only offering negotiations not unconditional surrender, and anyway there shouldn’t be talks while they’re occupying any part of France, Belgium etc. Lots of excuses to continue the killing.

NYC Health Commissioner Royal Copeland still insists that the Spanish Flu is not epidemic in NY, but Dr. Sigismund Goldwater, director of Mt. Sinai and a previous health commissioner, begs to differ, saying there are many more cases than have been reported because doctors are too busy fighting the flu to fill out paperwork. Copeland says Goldwater’s view from Mt. Sinai is “provincial.”

Hara Takashi is the new Japanese prime minister. He is the first non-nobleman ever to hold the office, and the first Christian, getting the job (this is also a first) because he is the head of the largest party in the legislature. He will be assassinated in 1921.

Now Playing: Theda... Bara.... IS.... Salome! The NYT says she is “every minute the vampire”. Lots of stills here. Looks wild. But it’s (sigh) another lost film.

The War in Duty-Free:

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