Today -100: March 22, 1923: Of copyrights, non-recognition, and non-putsches (this time)

The Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of America threatens to sue radio stations if they keep performing copyrighted songs.

Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes says the US won’t recognize Russia until it abandons its policies, like confiscating private property, and stops trying to export revolution or, as he puts it, “the disasters that have overwhelmed the Russian people.” Also, we want the loans we made to the Kerensky government repaid. (Other articles on Russia in today -100’s paper include “Soviet’s Oil Policy Failed”; Social Revolutionary Party leaders, including the exiled Kerensky, offering to exchange themselves for the 22 party members condemned to death or long prison terms; and ballerina Anastasia Abramova complaining that the Revolution interrupted her ballet training.)

The French seize 60 million marks, which is the equivalent of some money, from the Duesseldorf city treasury & the post office in retaliation for German sabotage. They’ve also arrested 28 tax & customs officials in the city.

French newspapers are calling for Rhineland to be removed from Germany and made a separate, demilitarized state.

5 members of the Blücherbund, the political wing of the Freikorps Oberland, were arrested a week ago after asking a French army captain to provide them grenades so they could blow up a Frankfort synagogue as a signal of the start of a putsch. The captain consulted his superiors, who seem to have taken rather a long time pondering the request, deciding no only after a similar conspiracy by Munich Blücherbunders was thwarted. At no point did the French bother to alert the German authorities.

De Lacs, North Dakota, which last year elected an all-woman village government, votes them all out.

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