Today -100: March 23, 1920: Spelling patriotism with a p-a-y

Washington State ratifies the federal women’s suffrage Amendment. 35 down, 1 to go. And here’s where it gets complicated. The Delaware Legislature has been called into special session specifically for this purpose, but it’s faffing about with other issues instead. Also, Ohio’s ratification is being challenged before the US Supreme Court next month after state courts insisted that there be a referendum. In light of that, suffragists are thinking that, just to be safe, they should get 37 states to ratify. 35 down, 2 to go.

British War Sec Winston Churchill proposes cutting down on the costs of “guarding” Mesopotamia by doing it primarily with aeroplanes. Guess how long it will take for him to start dropping bombs on Iraqis.

The New York branch of the American Legion is divided, as is the entire Legion, over whether veterans should be paid a bonus, whether it should be restricted to the disabled, or whether the demand should be repudiated because it means “spelling patriotism with a p-a-y,” as one delegate put it.

German Defense Minister Gustav Noske resigns, just like the left demanded.

The Senate finally confirms Bainbridge Colby as secretary of state, by voice vote.

King Faisal of Syria, as he calls himself, decrees a boycott of the occupying countries, Britain and France. The Syrian Congress asks foreigners to leave Syria.

The assassinated Lord Mayor of Cork Tomás Mac Curtain/Thomas MacGurin is buried, with a long funeral procession including Republican Volunteers marching in uniform. In Parliament, T.P. O’Connor suggests that the search of Mac Curtain’s home immediately after the murder, and by soldiers rather than police, might give rise to the suspicion that they were destroying evidence. Cries of “Monstrous!” greet this almost certainly accurate suggestion.

In Dublin, 300 British soldiers returning from the theatre, singing “God Save the King” in the streets, according to one account (the NYT just decided to print several conflicting versions and let God and its readers sort them out), clash with a crowd and open fire, as was the custom. 2 dead. “[T]here is considerable excitement in Dublin.”

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