Today -100: January 19, 1923: Of humanity, watches on the Rhine, sages, and the surprising origins of that Two Ronnies routine

The French Parliament votes to suspend the parliamentary immunity of Marcel Cachin (Communist) so he can be prosecuted for treason for articles in L’Humanité, of which he is editor, calling for a general strike against the Ruhr occupation. A major fight breaks out in the Chamber.

The Rhineland High Commission gives France (and Belgium, I guess) the power to seize customs in the Ruhr, as well as state forests, and to collect the coal tax and...  Given the (predictable) lack of cooperation (the Reichsbank just removed all its funds to Germany proper), France may just have to run the place. 

France will also court-martial 6 coal magnates (it isn’t saying which ones). Also, a German cop is arrested for not saluting a French officer. Also, the songs “The Watch on the Rhine” and “Deutschland über Alles” are banned. Which is pissing off the German miners, because you know how those guys love to sing. 

Adolf Hitler says he’ll review 200,000 armed Nazis ready to go to resist the French occupation.

William Jennings Bryan wants to be the “sage of the Democratic Party” at the 1924 Convention.

Headline of the Day -100:  

Gosh, so they didn’t just sit in the dark, isn’t Egyptology fascinating?

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