Today -100: September 21, 1920: Of women’s ages, occupations, black socks, and stupendous frauds

The Maine Supreme Court rules that women don’t have to reveal their ages (if 21 or older) to register to vote.

Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby defends the US invasion of Haiti in 1915 and subsequent occupation, which Harding is criticizing in order to undermine FDR.  Evidently it’s all been done for the benefit of the Haitian people and with their permission and will end soon (Spoiler Alert: 1934). And he denies handing over Haitian finances to the National City Bank of New York.

Speaking of that benevolent occupation, the US tells Haiti’s president, cabinet secretaries, state councillors etc that their salaries, which have been withheld since June, won’t resume until they show a less antagonistic attitude towards their American masters. Which I believe would be shown by agreeing to turn over the Bank of Haiti to the National City Bank of New York.

A grand jury in Chicago will investigate gambling in the 1919 World Series.

Harding calls the League of Nations a “stupendous fraud.” Stupendous frauds are the worst kind of frauds. He says the League has a dozen ambiguities in it, while the US Constitution had only one and one that led to the Civil War (whether or not states could secede). That is the oddest explanation of the origin of the Civil War I’ve ever heard – it was all because of... a loophole?

French Prime Minister Alexandre Millerand gives in to the pressure to take over the presidency from Deschanel. He really didn’t want to take the largely ceremonial position.

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