Today -100: October 8, 1918: RUSH RUSH RUSH RUSH

France captures Beirut.

“Black Jack” Pershing cables the War Department: “RUSH RUSH RUSH RUSH.”

2 hours of speeches about the war in the US Senate. No one wants anything other than unconditional surrender. By the other side, I mean. Porter McCumber (R-ND), for example, proposes a resolution that there be no armistice until the Central Powers... no, wait, just Germany, huh... disband its army and hand over its arms and navy, pay massive indemnities, etc etc.

Also: there was a US senator named “Porter McCumber.”

The Whites form a Russian Provisional Government at a self-styled National Convention at Ufa. It claims to be the “sole possessor of supreme power over the whole territory of Russia.” It is devoted to overthrowing the Bolsheviks, getting back all Russia’s breakaway regions/countries, and rejoining the war.

The latest (false) rumor: Field Marshal von Hindenburg resigns after a fight with Kaiser Wilhelm over the necessity of a retreat.

The NY Sanitary Police are fighting the Spanish Flu by arresting dozens for spitting. The spitters are being fined $1 to $20 (or jail if they can’t pay). The magistrate says starting tomorrow it’ll be 5 days in jail without the option of a fine.

Don't see comments? Click on the post title to view or post comments.