Today -100: October 7, 1925: Of intellectual demobilization, non-vanity, vodka, and tennis

Speaking to the American Legion convention, Pres. Coolidge calls for tolerance in vague terms which are taken as attacking the Ku Klux Klan, which he fails to name. Honestly, it doesn’t seem to me to be a particularly impressive speech, but he’ll get a lot of praise for it. He says it’s natural for intolerance of difference was inevitable during the war, “but when need for such a solidarity is past there should be a quick and generous readiness to revert to the old and normal habits of thought. There should be an intellectual demobilization as well as military demobilization.”

The United States Lawn Tennis Association lifts the wartime ban on Germans playing in American tournaments.

Col. Billy Mitchell, formerly of the Army Air Service, defies Coolidge’s order that members of the military not try to affect public opinion on military matters by sending a telegram to the American Legion convention calling for a Department of National Defense with sub-depts for the army, navy, and an air force. Interesting to see “Defense” instead of “War.” Wonder when the push for that change began. Incidentally, the National Military Establishment (NME), created in 1947, became the Department of Defense in 1949 because too many people were pronouncing the former abbreviation ENEMY, the best unintended acronym until the Northern Ireland Police Service.

Gloria Swanson’s 3rd husband the Marquis Henri de la Falaise, acting very much the middle husband, defends his use of the title marquis (it’s not clear in the article who questioned it or to whom he defended his marquisiosity). He says the title “has not caused me vanity,” then talks about being embarrassed that he only has the birth and marriage certificates of his ancestors dating back to 1271, names every French king who re-affirmed the title, and waves around his (notarized) papers. He says in the US he’s known as Hank. Gloria, wearing a dressing gown because of course she is, says, “I am greatly pained at these reports and want the thing settled once and for all.”

The limitation on the strength of vodka in Russia has been lifted, and Moscow is soooooo drunk right now.

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