Today -100: September 8, 1923: Dropping the iron that has grown too hot for him

Japan is rounding up Koreans, putting c.15,000 from Tokyo in internment camps. It’s claiming that Koreans are looting and burning earthquake-downed buildings and that there is a conspiracy, just now uncovered, for Koreans to assassinate Prince Regent Hirohito and other royals on his wedding day and kill lots of Japanese etc.

Commerce Sec Herbert Hoover says Japan will recover rapidly. Hoover is always so optimistic about economic recovery.

The Oklahoma KKK’s Grand Dragon N. Clay Jewett says Gov. J.C. Walton is using his anti-Klan fight to make himself a national figure (i.e. to set himself up for the VP nomination in 1924) but now he “would like to drop the iron that has grown too hot for him”. Walton responds by threatening to extend martial law to the entire state. He’s giving state police commissions to people threatened by mobs so they can defend themselves with lethal force. Jewett says Walton’s real problem with the Klan is that they rejected his membership application.

1,500 Hackensack, New Jersey parents, evidently spurred on by the Klan, petition against a young (21) black teacher, Nellie Morrow, being allowed to teach white students. The district has no choice but to employ her since she passed her exams. So they’re going to create a class of “backward negro pupils” for her to teach. The district superintendent will be forced out for hiring her, but she will continue to teach in the district for 42 years, despite years of harassment by the Klan, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Knights of Columbus. There’s now a Nellie K. Parker (her married name) School in Hackensack. Her father had fought for her and her brothers to attend local rather than Jim Crow schools (his father, a slave, learned Latin and Greek alongside his master’s son). One of those brothers, E. Frederic Morrow, will be the first black person to hold an executive position in the White House, administrative officer for special projects under Eisenhower. He will then become a vp at the Bank of America and write a book about how fucking racist Hackensack was. Another brother, John, will be appointed, also by Eisenhower, as the first US ambassador to Guinea after it became independent and the US rep to UNESCO. Nellie died at age 95.

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Today -100: September 7, 1923: As high-handed as it pleases

At the League of Nations, Albania says the Italians could not have been killed by Albanians because the bodies were not robbed.

The NYT thinks that Mussolini’s slightly less bellicose rhetoric against Greece is due to having finally read the League of Nations Covenant and realized that Italy could be put under a trade interdiction. “Fascismo may be as high-handed as it pleases within the boundaries of Italy...” High-handed? that’s the phrase you’re going with? “But it cannot project its arbitrary measures into international relations.”

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Today -100: September 6, 1923: Of post offices and klaniversities

Calvin Coolidge gives his first speech as president, addressing a bunch of post office workers at the White House. He tells them they are the direct representatives of the federal government in their communities and not to fuck it up.

The Klan won’t buy Valparaiso University after all. Evidently no one noticed until now that the U’s charter bans it being run by any benevolent, charitable, mercenary (?) or fraternal body.

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Today -100: September 5, 1923: Of fires, peaceful occupations, and libeling Hitler

The fires in Tokyo have been put out or burned out, after c.350,000 homes are destroyed. The police are attacking Koreans and arming civilians to do the same; rumors say that Koreans and Chinese are trying to overthrow the government or something. Which is ridiculous, but the Japanese will kill a few thousand Koreans and Chinese just to be sure.

Adm. Aurelio Bellini, appointed by Italy as “governor” of Corfu, issues a proclamation referring to the “peaceful occupation” (ignore the dead orphans) and to Italy as “direct heiress of the great Latin civilizations.” Mussolini threatens that if Greece doesn’t “pay up” by next week, “the price will be higher.”

Hitler wins a libel suit against the Socialist newspaper Vorwärtz for saying he’s being financed by American anti-Semites (Henry Ford) and Bolsheviks.

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Today -100: September 4, 1923: Inured to great disasters

Mussolini threatens to withdraw from the League of Nations if it expresses an opinion on the occupation of Corfu. He may not know about the requirement to give two years’ notice before leaving the League.

Japan is estimating 250,000 dead in the Japanese earthquake. It’s bad, but not that bad.

But fortunately...

When the quake hit, Japan only had an interim prime minister, Kato Tomosaburo having died a week before. Adm. Yamamoto Gonnohyoe, who was PM once before in 1913-14, is appointed to head an emergency government. Martial law is declared in the remains of Yokohama and elsewhere. There are food riots, and the police fight back starving people with swords, as was the custom.

Different stories in today -100’s paper say that the Imperial Palace is 1) opened to refugees by Prince Regent Hirohito, and 2) on fire.

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Today -100: September 3, 1923: We need a revolution, bloodshed and a dictatorship

Headline of the Day -100:  

The enormity of the Japanese earthquake is becoming clearer.

Italy says it won’t be attending League of Nations meetings concerning its dispute with Greece, so it won’t consider itself bound by any decisions made there. Don’t think that’s how it works. Italy adds a new demand, for Greece to pay the costs of the Italian occupation of Corfu.

The Nuremberg, um, rally features Field Marshal Erich Ludendorff, who presents a silver goblet to 17-year-old not-prince Ferdinand of Bavaria and calls him “your highness,” creating some confusion about whether Ferdy is being named as the Bavarian or the German king.  Hitler calls for another revolution, “not that Socialist, bourgeoisie and Jewish revolution of 1918 but a nationalist revolution today to restore Germany’s might and greatness. We can save Germany from internal and foreign foes only through blood and sword. We need a revolution, bloodshed and a dictatorship.” The supposed 150,000 crowd includes monarchists (again, Bavarian and/or German ones), Hitler’s fascists in their finery, veterans of the Franco-Prussian War and World War I, etc.

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Today -100: September 2, 1923: Don’t Paxos and Antipaxos cancel each other out?

A huge earthquake hits Japan. Tokyo and Yokohama are on fire and nearly half of Tokyo will go up in flames. The death toll is well over 100,000 (for contrast, the SF quake of 1906 killed 3,000).

Italy occupies two Greek islands near Corfu, Paxos and Antipaxos. An Italian submarine shoots at a Greek steamer. There’s evidently an Italian blockade of Corfu, which I guess they just announced by... shooting at a steamer without warning.

Ireland is finally finishing up tallying  last week’s vote. The government forces (Cumann na nGaedheal) win 63 of 153 seats, Éamon de Valera’s Republicans just 44. PM Cosgrave will rule in alliance with the Farmers’ Party (15 seat), not that it’s necessary as the Republicans will stay out of the Dáil since they won’t take the oath of loyalty to King George. The Republicans include Countess Constance Markievicz and Mary MacSwiney, 2 of the 5 women elected.

Bavarian Nazis – supposedly 400,000 of them – are gathering in, where else, Nuremberg, marching up and down, tearing down republican flags and replacing them with the Kaiser’s, attacking Socialist hq, etc. “Anything may happen.”

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Today -100: September 1, 1923: Of coal, recognition, offended Italians, and martial law

A coal strike starts despite Pennsylvania Gov. Gifford Pinchot’s efforts at mediation.

The US finally recognizes Mexico’s Obregón government. 

Headline of the Day -100:  

Mussolini says “This unjustified attitude imposes on Italy the necessity of recalling Greece to a position of recognizing her responsibility”. So Italy is occupying Corfu. The Duck says this is not an act of war but is intended to “only safeguard her prestige” and obtain the reparations he demanded of Greece (and how’s that working in the Ruhr?) and has nothing to do with Italy wanting to put a naval base on Corfu, which it’s been trying to get from Greece for some time. The prestigious occupation begins with a bombardment, although Corfu has no defences. At least 15 civilians are killed, including several refugees, Greeks who were ethnically cleansed from Turkey, some of them orphans. Greece appeals to the League of Nations, but Italy says it’s none of the League’s business. Of course it is. Shit like this is precisely what the League is for.

After another attempted abduction by masked men in Tulsa County, Oklahoma Gov. J.C. Walton makes martial law there even more martial lawy: no habeas corpus, courts need the military’s permission to operate, all weapons and ammunition to be turned in, etc.

A Klan initiation outside New Castle, Delaware is attacked by a large crowd who shoot the fuckers up, wounding 5.

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Today -100: August 31, 1923: Of humiliating conditions, masks, sleepwalkers, and really French hats

Greece replies to Italy’s ultimatum. It agrees to the apology for the assassination of Enrico Tellini & co. and the memorial service, but refuses to let the Italian military attaché take part in the investigation, to commit to the death penalty for the unknown perpetrators, or to pay an indemnity, calling those conditions “humiliating.” Which is rather the point. A lot of people are comparing them to the Austrian ultimatum to Serbia in 1914.

In Naples and Milan, Fascisti attack the Greek consulates. Demonstrations throughout Italy chant “Down with Greece.”

The Klan tries to hold a meeting in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, but it’s broken up by 6,000 Perth Amboyhoovians, who are in turn attacked by police and firemen. Some kluxers wind up holed up in the Town Hall overnight, afraid to leave. When they do try to leave, the crowd overturns their car and beats the snot out of them. A cop prevents one kluxer being dropped down a manhole.

Michigan bans masks. You know, like the Klan wear.

The farming & livestock business of Warren McCray, governor of the ku kluxiest state, Indiana, is going bankrupt (not literally bankrupt; farmers in Indiana can’t be forced into bankruptcy). He blames the general state of the agricultural sector but also mutters something about blackmail. He says it’s a private matter and the public shouldn’t be especially interested in it. In the coming months he will try to restore his fortune through fraud and blackmail, as is the custom. He will take out loans from the State Ag Board and coerce banks into giving him other loans by threatening to withdraw state funds from them; he’ll offer forged promissory notes as collateral. He’ll will wind up in prison in 1924 after the Klan, with which he has been at odds, digs all this up. 

Headline of the Day -100:  

Still more proof that silent movies were documentaries. 

At Gimbel’s.

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Today -100: August 30, 1923: I want to be guillotined

Italy is blaming the assassination of Enrico Tellini et al yesterday, on the border between Greece and Albania, on Greeks, without any actual proof.  No one will ever be caught or identified. Greece says they were Albanian bandits, although valuables were left behind. No points for guessing who Albania blames. Italy issues an ultimatum to Greece, demanding: an indemnity of 50 million lire, which is the equivalent of some money, a 21-gun salute to the Italian fleet, the execution of the people responsible (trial optional, presumably), an abject apology, and funeral ceremonies at the Catholic church in Athens attended by every member of the Greek Cabinet. And they want a response within 24 hours. Italian Navy ships are on the way...

The German government denies persistent rumors that it’s about to surrender to France on reparations and passive resistance.  The rumors say Chancellor Stresemann will resign so the Social Democrats take the blame for surrendering.

Hitler (the NYT is back to spelling it Hittler) (and his followers Hittlerites) is supposedly planning to declare Bavaria independent of Germany on September 2nd, Sedan Day, the anniversary of the victory over France in 1870. Trouble is expected all over Germany on that day.

Convicted French murderer Pierre Levée is furious that his death sentence was commuted. “I want to be guillotined,” he says.

Princess Anastasia is dead! I didn’t bother reading the story so I can’t say what country she used to princess for.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame, starring Lon Chaney as Hunchy, premieres at Carnegie Hall.

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Today -100: August 29, 1923: The real cause of Warren Gamaliel Harding’s untimely demise

Former Gov. William Sproul of Pennsylvania says Prohibition hastened Harding’s death, because he felt obligated to obey the law (hah!) and was unable to take his usual whiskey, which would have sustained him during his arduous Alaska trip.

Gen. Enrico Tellini, the Italian president of the International Commission for Delimitation of the Greco-Albanian frontier, is killed along with 4 of his staff while inspecting that border, in an ambush on their automobile 3 miles on the Greek side.

Headline of the Day -100:  

Be vewwy vewwy quiet.

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Today -100: August 28, 1923: Virtual but not actual technical recognition

The US has recognized the Mexican government. No, wait, it’s given it “virtual but not actual technical recognition.”

Stuttgart, Germany declares a state of siege because Communists threaten to celebrate Party Day. The police ban it, so they have a picnic in the woods.

Arthur Finley, a constable in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, pleads guilty to being part of a Klan flogging party. He’s sentenced to 2 years. 3 other participants pled guilty last week. The victim was a Myrtle Spain, 22, a married woman accused of improper relations with a younger man named Goolsby. A few days later her husband died in a parachute accident and she married Goolsby shortly after that. So she is now named Myrtle Goolsby, which is surely punishment enough.

The Klan calls off a parade in Binghamton, New York, saying their rules say they can’t parade without a permit. The mayor keeps telling them parades don’t need permits in Binghamton. There’s a street battle between kluxers and opponents, and someone gets a little stabbed. I assume there is no requirement for permits for street fights either.

NYT Index Typo of the Day -100:  

Her real name was Letitia Rudge. Her 4 sisters also entered show business, one as Lydia Flopp and one as Fanny Dango.

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Today -100: August 27, 1923: Of scents of anarchy, assassinations, and baby movies

The Ku Klux Klan offers $5,000 for the capture of whoever killed their compatriot-in-bedsheets outside Carnegie, Pennsylvania. “The action of the mob of Carnegie residents scents of anarchy,” a Klan statement says. It says they marched on Carnegie “to prevent their constitution right of peaceable assembly being abridged by an element of citizenry absolutely dangerous to the safety and cause of freedom.” It fails to mention that their application for a parade permit had been denied.

Rayko Daskalov is assassinated in Prague. He was the Bulgarian ambassador to Czechoslovakia before the coup. The coup regime has been trying to get Czech. to extradite him, unsuccessfully.

Professional actor Baby Peggy (age 4) “has signed a new contract” with Universal Studios for $1.5 million per year. Her parents will piss it away before she is of age, so she’ll see none of it, as was the custom for child actors. Baby Peggy died a couple of years ago at 101. Somehow I’ve never felt tempted to watch a Baby Peggy film. Most didn’t survive, but if your tolerance for saccharin is higher than mine some are on YouTube.

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Today -100: August 26, 1923: Of konfrontations, ordinary citizens, and whippings

The Ku Klux Klan try to hold a large parade in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, for which they had been denied a parade permit, following a mass initiation in the hills. They are stopped by protesters; indeed one of them is stopped quite dead by a bullet. Knives are also used. At one point both sides raid a Pennsylvania Railroad coal train and have a coal fight, as was the custom. The kluxers eventually retreat.

Former crown prince Friedrich Wilhelm tells a Dutch newspaper reporter he’d like to return to Germany someday: “I ask only to live like an ordinary citizen on my large estate in Silesia”.

Oklahoma Gov. Jack Walton, who has put Tulsa and other parts of the state under martial law, tries to explain the recent wave of mob violence in his state. He finds its origins in “the hysteria of war,” when everyone was encouraged to spy on their neighbors. Now, people don’t trust cops to enforce the law. “Thousands of citizens, otherwise normal, apparently approve the whippings on the theory that it is utterly impossible to secure prosecution and conviction through the legal agencies of Government.” So some of the whippings come from certain (unnamed) organizations, but many come from individuals and groups of individuals who think they can get away with it.

Headline of the Day -100:  

That Harvard expert is Prof William McDougal (Psychology/Parapsychology/Being Wrong) (William McDougal is also the name of The Simpsons’s Groundskeeper Willy).

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Today -100: August 25, 1923: Fiume again

Mussolini threatens Yugoslavia over Fiume, giving it until the end of the month to come to an agreement. This was supposed to have been taken care of by the Treaty of Rapallo, but the two countries have bogged down over details.

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Today -100: August 24, 1923: Of chancellors, flogging parties (and not the sexy kind), speculation, and boxers in the river

Neville Chamberlain is named chancellor the Exchequer after Reginald McKenna, PM Baldwin’s first choice, declines.

3 Klansmen from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma plead guilty to rioting (being part of a flogging party) and are sentenced to 2 years in prison, the first convictions in the state for such a crime.

France says food shortages in the Ruhr are due to speculation and certainly not from anything the French occupation may or may not have done.

A Klan meeting at Brilliant, West Virginia decides to “run [black boxer] Jack Johnson into the river” if he goes ahead with a boxing match in Mingo on Labor Day. I assume the match is with a white person.

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Today -100: August 23, 1923: Of alliterative bombers and petting parties... and worse

Headline of the Day -100:  

The Barling Bomber. It’s super-expensive, slow, can’t achieve much height, has a short range, and will be scrapped as a failure.

Kansas Attorney Gen. C. C. Griffith says college towns must crack down on “petting parties and worse.”

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Today -100: August 22, 1923: Adopt a forward poise

German banks & corporations will be required to state – under oath – how much foreign currency they’re holding, so the government can seize a portion of it to stabilize the mark.

Headline of the Day -100:  

Also touching heads or putting arms around the partner’s neck. They are also to “adopt a forward poise” and move continuously in one direction.

The Ku Klux Klan gives up plans for a parade in Steubenville, Ohio. The grand kleagle says “they had no desire to become targets for local gunmen.” The local gunmen are doubtless quite disappointed.

A restraining order is issued in New York against the Klan and lady Klan group Kamelia exercising corporate rights under its charter, which they took out claiming to be charitable groups not subject to laws requiring disclosure of members’ names.

Newsboys across the country are collecting pennies to be made into a statue of Warren G. Harding’s dog Laddie Boy. The Smithsonian has it now. It is not on display. I can’t help noticing the statue includes a (copper) penis.

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Today -100: August 21, 1923: Of rigid dirigibles, Rhenish indies, and nickels

The Navy’s ZR-1, the largest ever rigid dirigible (snicker) is launched. The previous largest ever airship, the ZR-2, blew up two years ago. The ZR-1, which will be called the USS Shenandoah, uses helium rather than hydrogen, so it probably won’t blow up... Instead, weather will be its nemesis. It will get badly torn up during a storm in 1924 and, after repairs, destroyed by another storm in 1925, with 14 dead. Crowds will rush to the Ohio crash site and loot it, as was the custom. Wikipedia says the schools in the district in which it crashed are named after the airship and their sports teams are called the Zeps.

The various independence groups in the Rhineland unite under Hans Adam Dorten and Hugo von Metzen, who recently forced Dorten to move from a policy of federation with Germany as a state to full independence. I’m not sure how much aid they’re getting from France; maybe less than you’d think.

John D. Rockefeller gives out nickels to members of a crowd outside his church on Sunday, because that’s just the kind of guy he is. Also a dime to a real estate broker he gets into a conversation with, as a souvenir.

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Today -100: August 20, 1923: Of floggings, martial law, and dangerous movies

The Macon County, Georgia sheriff is actually cracking down on racist terrorists, arresting 3 white men caught in the act of flogging 2 black men. Everyone in Macon has been buying guns. There are believed to be several flogging gangs, going after adulterers, bootleggers, whatever, not necessarily black. And of course there are lynching gangs.

The NYT notes that Southern governors are more concerned with floggings of white people than lynchings of black ones, the latter being a slippery slope towards the former.

Many Klan and anti-Klan meetings are held in and around Steubenville, Ohio, but police realize that many of the people pouring into the area aren’t either, they just want to see another fight. The NYT says an “impartial investigation,” by whom is not said, claims 90% of the adult men in the agricultural parts of Jefferson County are kluxers.

Oklahoma Gov. J.C. Walton describes the martial law imposed on Tulsa as Tulsahoovians being  “told to go to bed and when to get up”. The Klan denies being responsible for the many recent floggings. Court cases challenge the governor’s right to just declare martial law and place the military over civil authorities.

Headline of the Day -100:  

Annoyingly, we are not told what dangerous film he was watching. And there’s no listing in today’s paper for what’s playing at the Lyric.

Speaking of dangerous movies, French PM Raymond Poincaré bans The Birth of a Nation, which was playing in Paris, worried about more conflict between American tourists and black French citizens. The film had been passed by the censors but Poincaré is using a French Revolutionary decree.

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