Today -100: February 13, 1924: Keep cool

The Senate Teapot Dome committee hears that the Albuquerque Journal was bought in 1922 to shut it up about Teapot Dome.

I believe I’m seeing the first appearance of the 1924 campaign slogan “Keep Cool and Keep Coolidge.” I mean, it’s no Make America Great Again, but...

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Today -100: February 12, 1924: Of exclusive executive functions, martial law, and sausages

The Senate votes 47-34 to ask Coolidge to fire Navy Sec. Edwin Denby. The yes votes includes 10 R’s, the no vote 1 D.

Coolidge responds, telling Congress to jump in a lake: “The dismissal of an officer of the Government... other than by impeachment, is exclusively an executive function. I regard this as a vital principle of our Government.”  He might do something when the special counsel reports but, he says, he won’t sacrifice any innocent man for his own welfare, or retain any unfit man for his own welfare.

The Illinois National Guard are coming to Williamson County with machine guns and everything. Glenn Young, the KKK-paid dry raider, resigns as police chief of Herrin after a day. The coroner’s inquest in the case of Constable Cagle is delayed by Young arresting the jury foreman.

Former Italian PM Vittorio Orlando will run as a Fascist after all.

A German critic complains about the habit of eating sausages at the opera. Almost as bad as Americans with their chewing gum, he says.

George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue premieres at New York’s Aeolian Concert Hall. No doubt with many in the audience chewing gum.

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Today -100: February 11, 1924: All for a purpose

Attorney Gen. Harry Daugherty writes to Rep. George Graham saying he wasn’t involved in Teapot Dome (I think that’s true; there are just too few hours in a day for him to have been involved in every corrupt action of the Harding administration). He blames attacks on himself for his action or inaction on Teapot Dome and on war-fraud cases on “innocent but used, and ignorant but ill-disposed persons [which] generally have back of them the hand of those who expect to profit by inspiring lack of confidence, procuring newspaper attacks, insinuations, abuse and falsification – all for a purpose.”  Whatever that means.

Mussolini has been trying to recruit prominent members of non-Fascist parties to run under the Fascist umbrella in the next parliamentary elections in parts of the country like the south where Fascism is weak. They’re negotiating with former prime minister Orlando now, although he and others might join as members of their parties, in effect in coalition with the Fascist Party, rather than as individuals, as The Duck would prefer.

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Today -100: February 10, 1924: Of bribes, shootouts, and court uniforms

The Senate Teapot Dome committee questions Frederick Bonfils, publisher of the Denver Post, about whether the Post’s sudden dropping of its articles on the scandal in 1922 had anything to do with being bribed by Harry Sinclair. He is amazingly unprepared with an explanation for why Sinclair paid him $250,000. The money just appeared in his bank account and he just went with it, seems to be his explanation.

The participation of the KKK in liquor raids in Williamson County, Illinois, led inevitably to a wild shootout between cops and kluxers and an anti-Klan group called the Brothers of the Flaming Circle (the London Times says Knights of the Flaming Circle), with a (Klan-friendly) constable killed. Now 11 men, including Herrin Mayor C.E. Anderson and Sheriff George Galligan, are arrested (the London Times says the mayor and police chief are arrested by the sheriff). Martial law is declared. Glenn Young, the KKK-paid dry raider, claims that he is police chief now. Unclear for now whether anybody else says that.

Incoming British Labour Party Cabinet ministers have to fork out £200, which is the equivalent of some money, for gold-laced uniforms in which to appear at Court. That they’re willing to put up with this nonsense is seen as a reassuring sign that they aren’t a serious threat to the British way of life.

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Today -100: February 9, 1924: Brace up

The Senate expands its investigations of oil deals to include Colombia and Hawaii.

Medical and scientific observers at the Nevada gas-chamber execution insist it was swift and painless, “although the condemned man’s head continued to move up and down for six minutes,” which the doctors insist was probably post-mortem. Gee Jon was crying as they strapped him in, so the captain told him, “Brace up!”

Texas introduces death by electric chair, executing five (checks notes) black men. As is the custom.

There’s been an ongoing hissy fit by the American Legion and others over the German Embassy’s failure to lower their flags to half-staff for Woodrow Wilson, which might have a little something to do with, you know, the war.

The Prince of Wales falls off a horse, as was the custom. Breaks his royal collarbone.

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Today -100: February 8, 1924: Of falling and gas

The Senate Teapot Dome committee decides not to call former Interior Sec. Albert Fall as a witness, since they don’t want to give him immunity that would affect any future prosecution.

William Gibbs McAdoo says attempts to link him with Teapot Dome are “unfair and libelous,” but he’s stopped doing legal work for Doheny anyway.

Tomorrow Nevada will perform the first execution by gas (prussic acid) in the US on Gee Jon, a Chinese man, for a tong gang slaying. 2 cats are executed in the chamber to test it. 4 guards resign.

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Today -100: February 7, 1924: Thrilled and less-thrilled crowds

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Gabriellino D'Annunzio, a director and son of aviator-poet Gabriele D'Annunzio, is being hunted by the authorities, along with the Princess Galles, on a charge of manslaughter after a lion that was supposed to be pretending to eat Christians in D’Annunzio’s Quo Vadis chowed down for realsies on an extra instead. D’Annunzio did not have a valid lion license.

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Today -100: February 6, 1924: Radio Dead

Mexican federal troops capture Vera Cruz from the Huertista rebels.

Woodrow Wilson’s funeral service will be broadcast throughout the country by radio.

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Today -100: February 5, 1924: Of funerals, Labour lords, and married students

Woodrow Wilson’s funeral will not be a state funeral, because he liked to think of himself as a humble man of the people, which he wasn’t, and he asked for a private funeral. Coolidge & Taft (the only living ex-president) get to go (Taft will be too ill to attend). He’ll be buried at the Chapel of Peter & Paul in D.C., still the only president buried in Washington. Former First Lady Edith Wilson will live another 38 years. Coolidge planned to close government offices on the day of the funeral, but there’s an 1893 law banning that for former officials. (A workaround will be found, Coolidge directing that no work is required in government depts after 12:30 pm that day).

Wilson had planned to present the Democratic Convention with the gift of his declaration of the principles the party ought to follow.

Austria recognizes the Soviet Union and Italy will soon. It just took the British Labour win to open the floodgates.

The British release Gandhi from prison, less than 2 years into his 6-year sentence for sedition, on health grounds.

Three members of the Labour government are elevated to the House of Lords, the first Labourites to be so.... honored? This is down to a law that there has to be at least one Cabinet member and one under-secretary in the Lords. They are Sydney Olivier, Secretary of State for India, Brig. Gen. C.B. Thomson, Secretary of State for Air, and Sydney Arnold, colonial under-sec.

Less than a month after returning to Greece to save it from civil war, Eleftherios Venizelos resigns as prime minister, along with his Cabinet, because he’s too sick to continue.

Outgoing Honduran president López Gutiérrez has decided not to go out (his term expired last week but Congress deadlocked in choosing a successor) and to name himself dictator, as is the custom. Gen. Tuburcio Carias rebels and names himself president, as is the custom. The US has informed Gutiérrez that it won’t accept his continuing in office.

Syracuse University expels a sophomore, Herbert Porter, for breaking the rule against students marrying.

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Today -100: February 4, 1924: He kept us out of war until he didn’t

Thomas Woodrow Wilson is dead. The 28th president of the United States was 67.

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Today -100: February 3, 1924: Of dying presidents and new prime ministers, non-testimony, duels, and cabbies v. goats

Woodrow Wilson is still dying.

Alexei Rykov is named Prime Minister of Russia and of the Soviet Union, replacing Lenin.

Russia arrests an American (?) who took film footage of Lenin’s funeral, which foreigners were banned from doing.

Former Interior Secretary Albert Fall takes the Fifth before the Senate Teapot Dome committee. He also claims there were various irregularities in the setting up of the committee that make it null and void.

The Navy’s chief engineer, Rear Admiral Robison, defends the Navy’s contract with Doheny to construct fuel tanks at Pearl Harbor, saying Japan might try to invade the Pacific Coast, possibly acting in concert with Britain (less of a worry now that the British-Japanese naval alliance has expired).

Hungarian Prime Minister István Bethlen will fight a duel with Dep. Stephan Rakovsky over statements the latter made in the National Assembly. We’re not informed what those statements are.

In other dueling news, in Italy Prince Mario Colonna and the editor of the Tribuna fight quite a bloody one over an article attacking an organization of economic theorists headed by the prince.

Paris cab-drivers are complaining about the herds of goats that roam the city in summer, supplying milk to children.

Ernst Lubitsch’s film The Marriage Circle premieres. Lots of amusing little touches. Adolphe Menjou shaves.

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Today -100: February 2, 1924: I am ready

Woodrow Wilson is dying.

He says, “I am ready. I am a broken piece of machinery.”

Britain recognizes the Soviet Union, without conditions.

Since the US plans to send a dirigible to the Arctic to claim any previously undiscovered land for the US, Canada will send a steamer to claim it for Canada.

William Gibbs McAdoo would really prefer not to be dragged into the whole Teapot Dome thing – his law firm was employed by Edward Doheny in his dealings with Mexico but not with anything Teapot-adjacent.

The NYT says of the Teapot Dome hearings, “The Republicans seem to be possessed with a panic fear, the Democrats intoxicated with partisan zeal.” Everyone should just slow down, the editorial suggests.

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Today -100: February 1, 1924: Cancel culture

The Senate passes, 90-0, the resolution calling on Coolidge to cancel the Teapot Dome & Elk Hills oil leases.

A fight breaks out in the Japanese Diet over an attempt to derail a train carrying 3 opposition leaders. The prime minister threatens to call new elections.

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Today -100: January 31, 1924: Indisposed

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Speaking of indisposed, the Senate Teapot Dome committee appoints 3 doctors to see if former Interior Sec. Albert Fall really is too sick to testify (his own doctors testified today, behind closed doors).

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Today -100: January 30, 1924: No colonies, no remedies

Eleftherios Venizelos has another heart attack while debating opposition leader Alexandros Papanastasiou in the Greek National Assembly about unbanning royalist newspapers.

Navy Sec Edwin Denby says he won’t resign, even if the Robinson resolution calling for him to do so passes. He defends the legality of the Teapot Dome leases.

Responding to resolutions in the Senate calling for his removal from office, Attorney Gen. Harry Daugherty says “I am not worried about the situation in Washington.” He says he doesn’t feel a need to respond to the attacks against him, and that’s why he’s in Florida instead of Washington. Sure it is.

Pres. Coolidge regrets that Americans are so pessimistic.

A German professor has supposedly found a cure for African sleeping sickness. The German Colonial Society wants to leverage that to demand the return of its pre-war colonies. “No colonies, no remedies,” says the head of the Bremen branch, Edouard Achelis.

Is this the most cynical approach to sleeping sickness? Well, the real cure these days is Eflornithine. The pharmaceutical company that owns the patent stopped manufacturing it in the mid-1990s because the disease affected poor sub-Saharan Africans and was therefore not very profitable. Fortunately, after a few years they resumed production when they discovered that Eflornithine also treats unwanted facial hair in rich white women, and that’s a population Big Pharma knows how to market to.

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Today -100: January 29, 1924: Of special counsels, noisy but negligible minorities, and have you driven a Ford lately, comrade?

The Senate passes a resolution calling on Coolidge to fire Navy Sec. Edwin Denby and any other Navy personnel who did bad shit in the Teapot Dome & Elk Hills leases. (I just had to correct a typo “Teapot Dom.” “Teapot Dom & Elk Hills” sounds like a middling porno. Just saying.)

The House gives Coolidge up to $100,000 for the special counsel he was forced to promise to appoint to look into Teapot Dome / Elk Hills. Dems complain that Coolidge claimed there were D’s as well as R’s involved in the scandal. Many of the attacks in the debate focus on Attorney Gen. Harry Daugherty. House minority (D) leader Finis Garrett notes that Coolidge’s decision to appoint a special counsel, “admit[s] before the world that he cannot risk his own attorney general to protect the interest of the government, and at the same time that attorney general remains in the Cabinet.” Assistant Secretary of the Navy Teddy Roosevelt Jr. is also being called on to resign by congresscritters of both parties.

The NYT reports, from unnamed sources, that Teapot Dome has not proved profitable for Harry Sinclair’s Mammoth Oil and he might be willing to give up the lease if he was compensated for his investment so far (he expected to make $100 million).

Mussolini rejects the idea of an alliance during the next parliamentary election with any other parties, which he calls “a noisy but negligible minority.”

Mayor Daniel Hart of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, not only says he supports the American Legion for breaking up a Communist meeting yesterday, but in future the city will only license meetings approved by the Legion.

Ford has a deal to export automobiles to Russia, probably ones manufactured in its Danish branch.

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Today -100: January 28, 1924: Of cold funerals, reeds, and Fiume

Walter Duranty of the NYT reports that Lenin’s funeral is really cold, so cold, did I mention how cold it was?

Sen. James Reed of Missouri announces his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president.

American Legion members break up a Communist meeting in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in honor of Lenin. They force Communists to salute the flag. On their way to the meeting they ran across Mayor Daniel Hart, who said he’d send the cops to assist them.

Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini and Yugoslav Prime Minister Nikola Pašić sign the treaty annexing Fiume to Italy. And there’s a mutual defense provision.

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Today -100: January 27, 1924: Shall the United States have corrupt government or clean government?

Pres. Coolidge issues a statement saying he has the Justice Dept observing the Senate Teapot Dome inquiry, and will prosecute anyone who needs prosecutin’ and cancel any contracts “illegally transferred or leased.”

Cordell Hull, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, says the Teapot Dome scandal is “the greatest political scandal of this or any other generation.” He says the 1924 election will be partly fought on the issue should the US have corrupt government or clean government. He points out that when Coolidge was VP he sat in the Cabinet (the first to do so) when the oil leases were discussed, and never said a word about Teapot Dome or any of the other Harding Administration scandals until yesterday, when he said he was reluctant to believe anyone involved had criminal intent.

Japan’s Prince Regent Hirohito gets married. Mrs Prince Regent and him inform the imperial spirits that they are doing so. 122 imperial spirits, evidently.

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The 1919 treaty disarmed Bulgaria, so they are unable to fight the wolves, who were not disarmed by the treaty.

The US Bureau of Biological Survey reports that wolves are being hunted to extermination in the West. Also prairie dogs. It’s bragging about this.

Former president Balthazar Brum of Uruguay fights a duel with current Minister of War Rivera over the latter’s intention to introduce conscription. Neither is hit.

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Today -100: January 26, 1924: Of loans (or “loans”)

Harry Sinclair’s personal attorney tells the Senate Teapot Dome hearings that last year Sinclair loaned (or “loaned”) $25,000 in Liberty bonds to then-interior secretary Albert Fall to buy some ranches in New Mexico. That’s in addition to the $100,000 loan (or “loan”) we already knew about. Rep. John Morehead (D-Neb.) introduces a resolution for the cancellation of the Teapot Dome lease on the ground that it was corruptly obtained. Which it was.

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Today -100: January 25, 1924: Poodles defended

Oil tycoon Edward Doheny admits to the Senate Teapot Dome inquiry that he loaned $100,000 to Interior Secretary Albert Fall in 1921, shortly before Fall granted him the lease on the Navy’s oil reserves in California. He says it was just a coincidence and Fall was an old friend. The money was of course delivered in cash, brought by Doheny’s son.

The Labour government will restore diplomatic relations with Russia, and has already chosen an ambassador.

Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald warns India not to try anything, in case you were wondering if a Labour government would defend imperialism.

Petrograd is changing its name to Leningrad.

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Italians are often afflicted by throat affection.

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