Today -100: April 16, 1913: Of sore winners, arson, alien land, and two-cent lunches

The winners of the (not quite over yet) Balkan War are less and less unified. Bulgaria is happy to accept the Powers’ proposed terms, but Serbia wants more territory – a lot more territory – than the treaty the allies made before the war accorded it, and Montenegro is insisting on keeping Scutari, refusing monetary compensation (from whom?) for it.

British suffragettes burn down a house belonging to Arthur Philip Du Cros, anti-suffrage Tory MP and founder of Dunlop Rubber Company.

The home secretary bans suffragette meetings in Hyde Park and other public spaces in London on public order grounds. So the thugs who attack those meetings win.

The lower house of the California Legislature passes the Alien Land Bill 60-15. They’ve made it ostensibly non-racial by banning land ownership by aliens unless they declare their intention to become citizens, an option which is barred to Japanese by racist federal citizenship laws. If such aliens hold land more than a year after the bill passes (or in the future if an alien inherits land), the state can seize it.

Headline of the Day -100: “Two-Cent Luncheon Delights Roosevelt.” He had bean soup and an egg sandwich at a public school.

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Today -100: April 15, 1913: Of arson trusts, general strikes, and mongolians

The Chicago Grand Jury says that arson in that city has been “organized into a perfect system” carried on by insurance adjusters, an “arson trust,” as they describe it.

Sports Name of the Day -100: there is a boxer who calls himself Kid Ghetto.

The general strike for suffrage in Belgium is spreading.

Headline of the Day -100: “Six Hundred Quit the I.W.W.” Well, not so much “quit” as submit to extortion. Here’s the article, datelined North Providence, RI, in its entirety: “After renouncing their connections with the Industrial Workers of the World and signing an agreement not to join the organization again under penalty of dismissal, the 600 operatives at the Esmond Blanket Mills returned to work to-day.”

Japan plans to appeal California’s proposed Alien Land Bill to the Supreme Court. Adorably, they think they’ll win by proving that Japanese are not of Mongolian origin. Because that’s why Californians hate Japanese people: it’s all just a wacky ethnological misunderstanding.

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Today -100: April 14, 1913: Of assassination attempts, canters, and butts

An anarchist shoots at Spain’s King Alfonso, as was the custom. Three shots, all missed. Spanish anarchists were notoriously crappy shots, probably. The king rode back to his palace on a horse that had been wounded by one of the shots, so he was clearly a douche.

Headline of the Day -100: “BRYAN'S HORSE ARRIVES.; Secretary Plans Canters in Capital.” That’s what was wrong with Hillary Clinton: she never cantered in the capital.

Butt Headline of the Day -100: “TAFT PRAISES MAJOR BUTT.” (Titanic 1 year anniversary).

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Today -100: April 13, 1913: Folded arms and not raised fists

New York state bans discrimination by hotels, theaters, music halls bath houses, barber shops, etc on the basis of race, color or creed, with fines of $100 to $500 and/or imprisonment up to 90 days.

The NYT has an article about the first issue of The New Statesman that somehow neglects to mention the magazine’s name. The Times does quote one of George Bernard Shaw’s articles, on the Marconi scandal: “We are an incorrigibly intemperate and ridiculous people in our cups of virtuous indignation. We are a nation of governesses.”

Emmeline Pankhurst is released from prison, nine days into her three-year prison term. The NYT criticizes the British government’s “feeble policy.” Mrs. Pankhurst is “stronger than the Home Office and the whole Liberal Government.” The New Statesman (possibly Shaw again) says of forcible feeding, “The fact that Mrs. Pankhurst can make [Home Secretary Reginald McKenna] unpopular by dying on his hands does not give him a right to add one ounce to the weight of her sentence.”



Headline That Sounds Dirty But Really Isn’t of the Day -100: “Still Pounding Scutari.”

Belgium is preparing for a general strike tomorrow for universal suffrage (or universal male suffrage, depending on which article you read). According to the Socialists’ posters, “This is a strike of folded arms and not of raised fists.” Currently, the vote is held by males over 25, with extra votes if they own property, have university degrees, work for the government, are married or a widower with children (max. 3 votes each). 60% of voters have 1 vote, 25% 2, and 15% 3. The current Catholic Party government would not have been elected without plural voting.

Nebraska bans marriages between a white person and anyone with 1/8th or more of black, Japanese or Chinese blood. Presumably blacks and Asians can inter-marry, because the Nebraska Legislature doesn’t care about the “purity” of any race but one. Native Americans were originally included in the bill, but were later removed; I don’t know why.

John B. Henderson, the former US senator (1862-9) from Missouri who wrote the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery, dies at age 86.

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Today -100: April 12, 1913: Of hunger strikes, rag-tags, and sailors

Day 9 of Emmeline Pankhurst’s hunger strike. Holloway Prison officials are not forcibly feeding her – they don’t dare – but instead try to tempt her with much nicer food than the usual prison fare. Steak, chops, custard pudding, cocoa...

Suffragettes set fire to the grandstand of the cricket grounds at Tunbridge Wells. And break the windows of a Daily Standard editor. And are destroying fire alarms in London. Among other things. Oh, and one of them phoned the king on his private phone number. He hung up.

Misleading Headline of the Day -100: “Industrial Workers Quit.” Actually, IWW organizers fled from a posse organized by the Grand Junction, Colorado city government following a mass meeting demanding that the sheriff drive the Wobblies out of town. The LAT’s headline is “I.W.W. Rag-Tag Shoved Along.”

Three American sailors are killed in Guaymas, Mexico, possibly by the police chief, while they were drunkenly partying on shore leave.

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Today -100: April 11, 1913: Of train crashes, sherlocks, and blockades

A train is wrecked in Mexico, killing 20, because the passengers, afraid of rebels, insisted that the train speed up.

Name of the Day -100: Pres. Wilson appoints as postmaster for Baltimore one Sherlock Swann.

The Powers are now blockading Montenegro’s coast.

This won’t be in the papers, but the Cabinet discussed plans to segregate federal workers. There was no opposition.

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Today -100: April 10, 1913: Bye bye Montenegro?

Pres. Wilson refuses to interfere with a bill being considered by the California Legislature to ban Japanese people owning property (state’s rights, you know; if the feds stopped racial discrimination in one state, who knows where it would all end).

Montenegro is threatening that if the Great Powers use force to prevent it annexing land the Powers want for an Albanian state, King Nicholas will abdicate and Montenegro will merge with Serbia.

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Wherein Obama approvingly utters a phrase that embodies much that is wrong with America

Last week: “There doesn’t have to be a conflict between protecting our citizens and protecting our Second Amendment rights. I’ve got stacks of letters in my office from proud gun owners...”

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Today -100: April 9, 1913: Votes for women and damn the consequences

Pres. Wilson reads his address to Congress on tariffs in person, the “address from the throne,” and the republic does not end. Yet.

Oh, tariffs. Yeah, he wants them reduced.

China’s first-ever Parliament opens. The NYT notes that members are “nearly all dressed in European fashion”.

News of Emmeline Pankhurst’s health deteriorating in prison as she hunger strikes (but is not forcibly fed) is greeted with an attempt to blow up Dudley Castle. Painted on one of the castle’s cannons: Votes for women and damn the consequences.

Also, mail boxes. They’re destroying lots of mail.

Not six months after the last referendum on women’s suffrage in Michigan, there’s another one, and while the one last November was defeated very narrowly (and somewhat suspiciously), this time it’s losing much more decisively, with the Brewers’ Association offering cash prizes for high No votes.

A woman is elected mayor of Tyro, Kansas and women are also elected to a majority of town council.

That (still) unnamed US senator accused of attacking a married woman, who the US attorney refused to prosecute? The woman’s husband has sent a copy of her affidavit to every member of the Senate. Here’s a brief extract: “We first conversed for some time about patronage and the Senator began to make improper advances, and I reprimanded him and he apologized.” Hot stuff.

The 17th amendment, for the popular election of sex pests, sorry, US senators, is ratified by the 36th state, so it will be officially ratified just as soon as the states that have ratified actually send in their official notifications, which only 22 have.

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Today -100: April 8, 1913: Of borders and addresses from the throne

Britain’s foreign secretary, Sir Edward Grey, says there would have been a Europe-wide war if the Powers hadn’t agreed on the borders for Albania.

Some members of Congress are opposing Wilson’s plan to address Congress in person because who does he think he is, the king or something?

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Homicidal intent

The London Sunday Times reports that British soldiers are being given classes in body language: “The troops are being taught how subtle gestures, eye signals and changes to body posture can indicate that a ‘green-on-blue’ attack is imminent. Even the way an individual swings his arm or the direction his feet are pointing can provide a clue that he is hiding a gun. Troops are being told that three or more suspicious body language ‘cues’ may indicate ‘homicidal intent’.”

Afghans might be forgiven for thinking that nothing indicates “homicidal intent” so much as occupation forces being taught that they can and should shoot natives who look at them funny.

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Responsibly and judiciously

Secretary of War Chuck Hagel: “If we refuse to lead, something, someone will fill the vacuum. The next great power may not use its power as responsibly or judiciously as America has used its power over the decades since World War II.”

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Today -100: April 7, 1913: Of blockades, socialists, and jaywalkers

Although warships from Austria, Italy, Britain, France and Germany are blockading one of its ports, Montenegro refuses to give up its siege of Scutari, which the Powers want to go to Albania.

Woodrow Wilson plans to address Congress in person, something no president has done since Jefferson, to ask for tariff revision.

In Mondak, Montana, a negro is lynched (hanged, shot, burned). Later, authorities return his body to the jail for burial. Later still, someone breaks in to the jail, drags the corpse to the river and dumps it in.

Socialist candidates do badly in Berkeley municipal elections, except for a Mrs. Elvira Deals, who is elected to the school board.

Woodrow Wilson jaywalks, and the NYT (front page) is ON IT!

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Today -100: April 6, 1913: Of dirigibles, wild women, and freaks

Oo, mysterious: an unnamed US senator is accused of “a criminal assault on a married woman,” but the US attorney refuses to prosecute.

The French parliament will be called back into session early, so it can authorize the purchase of more dirigibles for the military, to keep up with the Germans.

Headline of the Day -100: “‘Wild Women’ Burn and Smash for Vote.” The first retaliations for the imprisonment of Emmeline Pankhurst: the grandstand of Ayr racetrack is burned and the flower beds in Armstrong Park, Newcastle are “devastated.” Guards are now protecting various country houses and the Shakespeare memorials in Stratford.

The Sunday NY Times Magazine section has an article (with pictures) on Barnum & Bailey’s freaks.

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Today -100: April 5, 1913: Of zetas and zeppelins

The British authorities are more than a little worried about how WSPU suffragettes will respond to Emmeline Pankhurst’s prison sentence. Kidnappings? Assassinations? There’s already been some property damage: bombs on empty railroad cars, an empty house burned. Some of it maybe even by suffragettes.

Montenegro, still refusing to join the peace, is being blockaded by ships of all the Great Powers except Russia. King Nicholas says that acquiring the fertile agricultural lands of the Zeta Valley (as opposed to the “barren mountains” of Montenegro) “is a matter of life or death” for Montenegro, adding that he’s heard Zeta girls are totally easy.

German newspapers say that the crew of the Zeppelin 4 should have blown it (and themselves) up rather than land it in France.

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We don’t want the smoking gun to be bellicose statements, or something

The State Dept on why it was totally necessary to practice in the skies over South Korea for bombing North Korea and stationing new weapons in SK: “When you have a country that is making the kind of bellicose statements and taking the kind of steps that they have, you have to take it seriously and you have to take steps to defend the US and its allies.” We are deploying the latest in anti-bellicose-statement technology.

The Guardian says that the US gov asked China to order North Korea to tone down its rhetoric. That’s an awful lot of work to deal with the clear and present danger posed by rhetoric.

Speaking of rhetoric, NK denounced the joint US-SK “madcap war exercises.” They’re clearly looking forward to the MASH reboot as much as I am.

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Today -100: April 4, 1913: Of artificial excitement and hysterical enthusiasm, dirigibles, and peanuts

Emmeline Pankhurst’s trial concludes. She refuses to call witnesses but does make a speech. She notes that she is pleading not guilty, despite having pointedly taken responsibility for the attempt to destroy Lloyd George’s country home, because the indictment said that she had “wickedly and maliciously” incited the act. Before the judge can stop her, she slips in a mention of an unnamed judge who was found dead in a brothel. She adds that she looks upon herself as a prisoner of war, under no moral obligation to accept her sentence, and that she plans to hunger strike and get out in time to speak at a meeting at the Albert Hall next week. The jury finds her guilty, with a recommendation for mercy, which the Dickensianly named Justice Lush ignores, sentencing her to 3 years.

The Standard (UK) says that the “artificial excitement and hysterical enthusiasm of militant meetings” causes “decent girls and married women” to “make criminals of themselves, [be] sent to jail, and go through hunger strikes and consequent degradation. It is useless to pretend that contact with the criminal law and experiences of prison can be otherwise than prejudicial to female modesty. Womanliness is a decent flower that cannot long survive the atmosphere of rowdyism which Mrs. Pankhurst has done so much to create.”

On April Fool’s, there was a French newspaper hoax about a German dirigible overflying France. Now, it’s actually happened. The Zeppelin IV lands, on the military parade grounds at Lunéville. It got lost and blown off course. Or so its crew says. After a search of the airship for spy stuff (and a nice chance for the French to do some industrial espionage of their own) and an investigation, the airship and its crew are released. 600 locals wrote their names on it as well as Vive la France and other, less printable, comments.

Headline of the Day -100: “Peanuts Start Vice Hunt.” The Illinois Senate Vice Commission investigates an incident in which some immigrant girls (nationality unstated) traveling to Chicago stopped to buy a packet of peanuts and missed their train, leading others in their group to claim they must have been forcibly removed from the train by white slavers. By the time the train reached Chicago, the story was that two men had enticed 20 girls into their grips. Hilarity ensued.

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Today -100: April 3, 1913: Of suffrage, cats & mice, colon fires, and chairs

The lower house of the Connecticut Legislature rejects women’s suffrage, 150-74.

Emmeline Pankhurst is on trial for inciting persons unknown to place an explosive in Lloyd George’s future country house. The sole evidence presented against her is her speeches at public meetings. Mrs. Pankhurst, acting as her own attorney, complains that the police reports of her speeches are inaccurate – and ungrammatical.

The British government’s Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill-Health) Bill (aka The Cat and Mouse Bill), giving the home secretary the power to release hunger-striking prisoners without having to commute their sentence, giving them time to recover under whatever restrictions he feels like putting on them, and then putting them back in prison to resume their sentence, is debated in Parliament. Home Secretary Reginald McKenna warns MPs against “attaching too much credence to the accounts which are being given as to the terrible tortures which are endured in prison under the system of forcible feeding.” He notes that “publicity is the keynote of this [suffrage] propaganda, and as part of publicity the prisoners who have been sent to prison for committing various offences, such as window breaking, attempted arson, and other offences, have adopted the hunger strike in the hopes of enlisting the sympathy of the outside public.” So while he claims the Cat & Mouse Bill is necessary to enforce the law, he makes clear that his real goal is to prevent suffragettes gaining publicity and making the government look bad. The bill passes its first stages.

The London Times applauds the Cat and Mouse Bill: “a hunger strike on the proposed terms will lose most of its charms, since it will neither offer a chance of martyrdom, nor make a picturesque appeal to sentiment, nor evade the decreed punishment.”

Headline of the Day -100: “Panic in Colon Fire.” A movie theatre in Colon in the Panama Canal Zone.

Former President Taft now holds a chair at Yale Law School. Actually, the chair he was given at his first faculty meeting was too small to accommodate his ample bottom. Finally, they found an appropriate chair from the Midnight Club, a chair built for two people to sit in.

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Today -100: April 2, 1913: Of sieges, elevator operators, zeppelins, and aerial suicide

The Bulgarian Army claims that the capture of Adrianople was achieved at the cost of ten or eleven thousand Bulgarian casualties and 1,200 Serbians, and that the Serbians are wusses.

The Ottoman Empire agrees to the Powers’ proposed terms for a peace. Montenegro does not.

Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan, after finding an elevator operator in the State Dept building well after his 8-hour day was over, changes the rule that operators must remain as long as the secretary of state is there.

A newspaper in Rheims, France, publishes a story about a German zeppelin cruising over several French forts before losing its propellers and landing near Rheims fortress. A crowd went to check it out and possibly, you know, lynch the German crew, but... April Fools! No German invasion... this time.

This may be another aeronautic first [update after reading to the end of the article: no, it’s not]: a Russian army pilot commits suicide by crashing his plane. His suicide note claims that he was the victim of many intrigues. Mysterious.

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Today -100: April 1, 1913: Of Morgans

J.P. Morgan dies, so that’s it for getting any other news out of the NYT today. He may have been worth less than $100,000,000. Loser.

Big Bill Haywood of the IWW (the Wobblies) is sentenced to six months’ hard labor for causing an unlawful assemblage, i.e., a strike meeting in Paterson, NJ. The sentence will be overturned later in the week.

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