The Era -- Day By Day

[LizzieMaine]

("Procurers for a house of prostitution?" Point of Order: Mr. Hirk is a producer, not an agent.)

Eleven of the United Nations and the French National Committee today condemned Germany's "bestial policy of mass slaughters of Jews," and resolved that those responsible will not escape retribution. The statement was endorsed by the Belgian, Czechoslovak, Greek, Luxembourgian, Norwegian, Polish, Soviet, British, United States, and Yugoslav governments, with other United Nations expected to subscribe to it later. The statement accused Germany of "carrying into effect Hitler's oft-repeated intention to exterminate the Jewish people in Europe, and charged that Jews are being transported from occupied countries "in conditions of appalling horror and brutality," that Polish ghettos are being systematically emptied, and that the infirm are "left to die or are massacred."

In London, members of the House of Commons stood in silent protest today against what one member called "this disgusting barbarism", after Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden read the Allied denunciation of the German slaughter of Jews. Polish quarters in the British capital reported that the Germans have deported 433,000 Jews from Warsaw in just the last three months, and that 8000 were recently slaughtered in the Lublin district. Labor MP Reginald Sorensen asked Secretary Eden to explore the possibility of mass migration of Jews to "a neutral country, such as Sweden." Mr. Eden declared that His Majesty's government would be happy to do all it could, "but there are difficulties." Private reports received in London stated that the German mass deportations are part of a plan to "dispose of 5,000,000 persons" over the next six months, "in order to alleviate the increasingly serious food situation and protect Germans from starvation." Laborite Samuel S. Silverman asked Eden whether the Allies are taking "immediate steps" to aid the Jews, and was told "we shall do what we can to alleviate the horrors, but at this stage the help is inevitably slight."

Allied forces in Eastern New Guinea increased pressure today in what is left of the Buna front, where Japanese defenders were under direct orders from Emperor Hirohito to hold the line "to the last man." In the fighting at Gona, the Japanese dead were heaped in such numbers that survivors had to wear gas masks as protection from the stench, and some committed suicide rather than face capture.

The possibility appeared likely today that Admiral Jean Francois Darlan will become the center of a sort of French Provisional Government for the duration of the war. That development was seen on the basis of Darlan's "repudiation of any political ambition," and his pledge that the French people will determine their own government "when the time comes." Such an arrangement would carry out President Roosevelt's pledge that the present deal with Darlan is "a temporary expedient," but it could complicate relations between the United States and the Fighting French, unless the present breach between Gen. Charles de Gaulle and Darlan can be healed.

The Red Army, driving onward thru blizzards and waist-deep snow captured five more towns west of Rzhev today, killing 2000 Germans and destroying 24 tanks. The advance brings to eight the number of towns in the sector reclaimed by the Russians within the past two days.

Manhattan newspapers returned to general circulation today after a three-day absence from city newsstands caused by a strike by 3000 delivery drivers. The members of the unaffiliated Newspaper and Mail Deliverers Union voted unanimously at a meeting that ended at 1 AM to comply with a War Labor Board order and return to work. The Daily News, the New York Times, the Herald-Tribune, and the Mirror were back on the streets within half an hour of the vote, and the evening Journal-American, World-Telegram, Post, and Sun will be delivered at their usual times this afternoon. The WLB order provides for the matters in dispute between the newspapers and the union to be settled by arbitration "within ten days if possible." Hearings before the State Arbitration Board were scheduled to begin at 11 AM.

A 29-year-old Bushwick woman pleaded guilty yesterday in Kings County Court to second-degree assault charges after the 54-year-old president of the Graybard Silver Spinning Corporation of Manhattan declared that he was "reluctant" to press charges against her. Anna Kowal of 1049 Bushwich Avenue confessed to throwing lye in the face of Sam Nadborne, disfiguring him and costing him his right eye. Nadborne, who has spent that past five weeks in Greenpoint Hospital recovering from his injuries, advised his attorney that he wishes to "withdraw all charges" against the woman, and wishes to "offer her his every sympathy," and Assistant District Attorney Frederick Loughran told Judge John J. Fitzgerald that Nadbourne had been "consistently uncooperative" with all efforts to prosecute the case, to the point where he had been "compelled on the basis of his testimony before the Grand Jury to threaten him with perjury if he gets on the stand and lies." Miss Kowal has a criminal record dating back to the age of 19, when she was involved in a robbery in which notorious mobster Frankie Palumbo also took part. Nadborne has been married twice, and was divorced from his first wife.

("I ordehed a toikey," says Sally. "No moeh Automat f'Chris'mas. Innis weat'eh, we c'n hang it off t'fieh escape till we need it!" "Ah," sighs Joe. "Ah?" replies Sally. "What ah? I t'ought you liked toikey." "Yeah," nods Joe. "But I awlso like'at H&H pie." "No reason we can't get a coupl'a t'em pies." "Ya ma won' like t'at," warns Joe. "What my ma don't know," declares Sally, "won' hoit 'eh none." "Uh---ohhhh" interjects Leonora. "What?" replies Sally. "Nut'n", interprets Joe.)

(Nobody ever closed down a Molly Picon show! And meanwhile, "The Devil With Hitler" is the first in a brief series of wartime slapstick comedies depicting the wacky adventures of Hitler, Mussolini, and Japanese agent "Suki Yaki." In this installment, Satan becomes annoyed that Hitler is stealing his thunder when it comes to pure evil, and takes steps to prove that even the most wicked human can be tricked into doing good. I look forward to the reviews.)

(Three hots and a cot!)

(Baseball realignment? Eastern and Western divisions? What a ridiculous idea.)

(I wonder what Miss Prang will say about Anne's new uniform? A BIT CLINGY ISN'T IT?)

(Veronica? From "Harold Teen?" Well, it's nice to see she's getting work.)

(Chester Gould says "HEY I WISH I'D THOUGHT OF THIS.")

("This wasn't in my contract!")

(Slap-Happy! Is that you? Did you finally get your feet fixed??)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

"I liked to drink and argue." Yeah, but don't you find that the booze takes your edge?

"What, you think we're gonna pay the fat guy a bundle for a non-exclusive deal? Do I look like a chump?"

You know, you could patent that and make a fortune.

You're not really a sergeant, are you? Some French girl gave you that shirt, didn't she?

Well, at least he can still facepalm.

"AWK!" This is no time for bird imitations.

Pat couldn't have done it better himself.

"Wonder if Ma will like her stirrup pump?"

Actually, I think Willie's the one who could use the soap.

"Oh, and in case you get any ideas about my daughter, notice the size of my wrench."

 

[Fading Fast]

("Procurers for a house of prostitution?" Point of Order: Mr. Hirk is a producer, not an agent.)
...

"Judge Bohan commented that many youthful servicemen were passing though the city and parents expected it of New York to see to it that the morals of these soldiers and their sister are not corrupted.'"

Now that's taking in loco parentis a bit too far.


"Mayor fight Oleo ban in City's hospitals"

[copy and paste] There is no detail too small for Butch; prioritizing is not his superpower.

...

(Chester Gould says "HEY I WISH I'D THOUGHT OF THIS.")
...

I can see Gould being jealous as the rocking chair over the molten cauldron is a good one.

...

("This wasn't in my contract!")
...

He was so happy to get work that he signed the studio's "standard" contract and we all know who's favored by that fine print.

And in the Daily News...

"I liked to drink and argue." Yeah, but don't you find that the booze takes your edge?
...

Today argues the obvious: bad people make bad spouses.

Ms. Herlihy sports a hint of Patty Hearst from her Symbiosese Liberation Army days.

..

You know, you could patent that and make a fortune.
...

We see it time and again, not just in the comicstrips, but in the news pages too, plenty of the crooks and schemers in the 1940s had the skills to have easily been successful in legitimate business had they tried.

...

Pat couldn't have done it better himself.
...

Our little Terry is growing up, *sniff*.

Now, after they get back and he gets this little sergeant/not-sergeant kerfuffle sorted out, and if I was he, I go find me Hu-Shee.

 

[FOXTROT LAMONT]

Terrence should become a barrister. And the solicitous Queen's Bench jurist prudence prud in New York
is laughable. Soldiers man want women. Wake up! Yes indeed. Over sexed, over paid, over here. That film with
Gere, Yanks had it right. 'half the town is preggers!' Just love all this.

 

[FOXTROT LAMONT]

Fast, just now took a look. Hu shee? And is she Terrence's wife or Friday lass what?

 

[Fading Fast]

Fast, just now took a look. Hu shee? And is she Terrence's wife or Friday lass what?

Lizzie is always better at remember all the details of the characters and storylines (her memory is quite impressive), but my imperfect one remembers Hu Shee being an agent of the Dragon Lady (think, female Chinese warlord). Hu Shee ended up rescuing an injured Terry (don't remember those details well) and, after their immediate escape, they spent several days and nights on the road alone together till they got home.

Along the way, it became obvious Hu Shee, an incredibly smart, competent and resourceful woman who is calm in crisis (and who had also been a Hollywood stunt driver, I kid you not), had thing for Terry (or "the yellow-haired one" as she called him) and would have been happy to have gotten "close" one night, but our young boy remained, alas, just a boy.

I have told my girlfriend that I would leave her for Hu Shee. After explaining to her who Hu Shee is, her one comment was "she wouldn't have you."

 

[FOXTROT LAMONT]

Brave jack lad Fast. Better man than I. Now this is the goods. Terrence a virgin? And a three hash marks
shirt even the sly, Eve in the garden running around strut naked man and boy? All the more love it.

 

[LizzieMaine]

That's a pretty good summary. In her first appearance, Hu Shee was posing as Raven Sherman's secretary in a plot to lure Pat Ryan into a scheme to rescue the DL from a Japanese prison -- where Hu Shee was to disguise herself as the DL and take her place in the cell. Pat, and Terry, Raven, their interpreter Connie, and their bodyguard Big Stoop went along with the plan, with Pat bringing in his friend Dude Hennick to fly them into Invader territory for the mission. Much ensued, and, as Fading notes, Terry and Hu Shee ended up separated from the others.

They then fell in with a elderly Chinese college professor, Dr. Ping, who was secretly the anti-Japanese saboteur known as "The Blue Tiger," and worked with him for a time before Terry was separated from them during a mission. All of this happened about two years ago. Hu Shee and Dr. Ping haven't been seen since, although they are presumably still alive and active behind the lines. Among Miss Hu's many accomplishments are disguise, stunt driving, flying, seamanship, expert marksmanship with a variety of weapons, munitions and explosives, sabotage and espionage, and shorthand. But though she practically threw herself at "the Yellow Haired One," his fortress remained unsullied.

 

[LizzieMaine]

And speaking of Hu Shee, here's something I don't think we've seen before -- a 1941 article about a promotion in Milton Caniff's home town featuring drawings he'd originally made for "Harper's Bazaar." Is there no end to the man's talents?

In the "real life" of the strip, Normandie and Raven Sherman never met, which is unfortunate in retrospect. They wouldn't have gotten along fine. And Hu Shee, alas, is fully submerging her talents here, waiting for the opportunity to go into action.

 

[FOXTROT LAMONT]

These ladies are all loveliness and most elegant. Such elegance is lost today or hard to find wherever looked.

 

[Fading Fast]

And speaking of Hu Shee, here's something I don't think we've seen before -- a 1941 article about a promotion in Milton Caniff's home town featuring drawings he'd originally made for "Harper's Bazaar." Is there no end to the man's talents?

View attachment 473511

In the "real life" of the strip, Normandie and Raven Sherman never met, which is unfortunate in retrospect. They wouldn't have gotten along fine. And Hu Shee, alas, is fully submerging her talents here, waiting for the opportunity to go into action.

What a great find, Lizzie. As you said, his talents seem limitless. I like how respectfully he speaks about his wife - it says a lot of nice things about both of them.

It's a shame the strip has no modern cultural awareness anymore.

 

[FOXTROT LAMONT]

All of this happened about two years ago. Hu Shee and Dr. Ping haven't been seen since, although they are presumably still alive and active behind the lines. Among Miss Hu's many accomplishments are disguise, stunt driving, flying, seamanship, expert marksmanship with a variety of weapons, munitions and explosives, sabotage and espionage, and shorthand. But though she practically threw herself at "the Yellow Haired One," his fortress remained unsullied.

Well and good. Smacks the modern Bond though and well beyond artist license to kill. Bond's gone because
of all this tomfoolery. Franchise tossed but another day, another column for the motion picture productions.

 

[Fading Fast]

Also, it was neat to learn that Caniff works with nine weeks of lead time as I know we've discussed it before. I think we learned that one of the strips worked with six weeks, but I don't remember which one it was.

 

[FOXTROT LAMONT]

I imagine that workday pencil production would aim at the net basket for a month or so copy.

 

[LizzieMaine]

It's amusing that he says his wife's fashion sense is closest to Raven's. I wonder if Mrs. Caniff loafs around the house in an old soccer jersey?

(Original art, 3/19/40, just as Pat, Captain Blaze, and April wash ashore at Raven's orphanage.)

 

[Fading Fast]

It's amusing that he says his wife's fashion sense is closest to Raven's. I wonder if Mrs. Caniff loafs around the house in an old soccer jersey?

(Original art, 3/19/40, just as Pat, Captain Blaze, and April wash ashore at Raven's orphanage.)

Raven's soccer jersey, *sniff*.

 

[FOXTROT LAMONT]

The actual script dialogue is done exceedingly well. Quite superb line pencil and script these circa comics.
Did with deliberate intent for substance, given that era and what.

 

[LizzieMaine]

("Sometimes," sighs Joe, "I t'ink it might be nice t'own a cawr." "Yeh," snorts Sally. "Right.")

Filling station attendants in complying with the present emergency order banning the sale of gasoline to private cars except in emergency cases will be required to first measure the amount of gas in any car presented for emergency fuel to determine that its tank contains no more than three gallons. That requirement will prevail as long as the present temporary order is in effect, with a more detailed order spelling out additional requirements expected to be released by the OPA soon.

Medical men in Brooklyn are expressing concern over the implications of the no-gas order, with Dr. Charles F. McCarty of the Kings County Medical Society noting that in the past, ration boards have been "fair" in responding to the special needs of doctors, but the new order takes that responsibility away from the local boards. He further notes that, in pre-automobile days, doctors were able to get around fairly well, but these days "a doctor's practice is at the end of a telephone line," and that it is hard to get around without an automobile, "particularly in view of the small number of doctors still in civilian practice." Brooklyn clergymen, on the other hand, indicated today that they will "walk or use any sort of conveyance available" in seeing to their duties.

The Red Army revealed today that it has advanced on the central front to within 85 miles of Smolensk, pivot point of the entire German campaign in Russia. A special communique stated that Soviet troops are now fighting in the vicinity of Bely, 85 miles north and slightly east of Smolensk, and 60 miles west of the Rzhev-Vyazma railway line, and are making rapid progress, taking their ninth village in the area in the last three days. A main railway line runs from Smolensk back thru Warsaw and on into Germany, and Soviet control of Smolensk would remove the heart of this supply route. Seven thousand Germans were killed in a rout near Bely, with a loss of 110 tanks. Soviet losses were estimated at 2000 men.

Despite the fall of two inches of snow, the Long Island Rail Road was on time today for the first time in four days. An official of the L. I. R. R. confirmed that this was so. "Everything is going fine this morning," he beamed. "All the trains are on time." The L. I. R. R. has been much troubled over the past week, with delays attributed to engine troubles and "the slowness of passengers entering the trains." Some commuters today expressed disagreement with the railroad official's statement concerning the promptness of today's trains.

A jury trial has been ordered for Thomas J. Ryan, head of a nationwide racing information service, and 33 others accused of selling race information to gamblers. Supreme Court Justice J. Sidney Bernstein granted the change from Special Sessions to General Sessions Court after it was argued by the defendants that they could not receive a fair trial in Special Sessions if their case was to be decided by judges appointed by Mayor LaGuardia. The defendents further argued that their arrest was directly caused by the Mayor's "prejudiced comments in the press and on the radio" about horse racing and gambling.

The Board of Transportation has rejected a proposal to allow servicemen free rides on the subway. A 13-2 board vote against the proposal followed a statement by Board Chairman John H. Delaney that free rides would cost the city $800,000. The only votes in favor of the plan came from the borough presidents of the Bronx and Richmond.

The war has brought a sharp increase in crime in Brooklyn, with criminal prosecutions up 25 percent over the first eleven months of 1942 compared to the same period in 1941. It is noted, however, that most of the increase is made up of petty crimes. An exception is found in the juvenile crime statistics, where grand larcenies are up among boys and girls brought before the Adolescent Court.

(Did Butch put you up to this?)

John F. Kelly, representing Local 70 of the Bartenders Union writes in to remonstrate Judge J. Roland Sala for acccusing a fellow judge of "irresponsible, undignified, and uncouth behavior worthy of a fishmonger or a bartender" when that judge likened Mayor LaGuardia's crusade against bingo to the actions of Mussolini. He points out to Judge Sala that the bartenders of the city stand fully behind the Mayor in his campaign to ensure that all taverns and restaurants live up fully to the reqirements of the law in keeping the city clean, and that to liken Judge Downs' criticism of the Mayor to the behavior of bartenders is an insult and a slur. "Perhaps the fishmongers," adds Mr. Kelly, "may have something to say later."

(The Indiana National Guard is on the march!)

Wendell Willkie criticized the use of the word "tolerance" as "an assumption of superiority" for one group over another, in his remarks accepting an award in honor of his work promoting greater understanding between Christians and Jews. Receiving the medal last night from the publisher of American Hebrew Magazine, Mr. Willkie stressed that no American should presume to exercise "tolerance" of any other American, because to do so assumes that he is in some way superior to his fellow citizen. "It is the right," Mr. Willkie maintained, "for every American to be treated by other citizens as an equal."

(Mr. Cullenbine sure gets around. I wonder if he's spent all that $25,000 he got from MacPhail?)

(Aw, come on Jane, take off your high hat. I bet Herbie Cohn would've reviewed "The Devil With Hitler.")

The controversy surrounding Noel Coward's "In This We Serve" will get a thorough airing-over by the local radio commentators next Monday. Betty Beatty of WOR and Mary Margaret McBride of WEAF are scheduled to discuss it from the womens' angle, with John B. Kennedy of WNEW, Paul Sullivan of WMCA, and Sidney Mossley of WMCA all set to review the story from a mens' perspective.

("Hush!?" What effrontery! Don't you know I'm a world-famous ophthalmologic surgeon??")

(A dye job, but otherwise the same old Veronica. It's a living.)

(As John Hix might say, "HOT NEWS! Metal printing slugs are cast from an alloy of LEAD, TIN and ANTIMONY!")

(Yeah, next time you see a paperboy, be AFRAID. HE KNOWS MORE ABOUT YOU THAN YOU DO!)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

Well now just a G-stringed minute. What say does the Army have over who theatres not on military installations can or can't book? Who is this "Amusement and Recreation Committee of the Sixth Corps Area" and to whom do they report? The American Guild of Variety Artists demands an investigation!

Watch your language, son, everybody knows that Naval officers don't swear.

Get rid of him quick, before he notices all the bookies in the back stalls.

You haven't known Dr. Clover a month, and it hasn't occurred to you that she might have career plans of her own? Yeah, "selfish egotistical ass" just about fits.

"Even Your Best Friends Won't Tell You."

Well, you did say you wanted action.

"Soree young Terreee -- Rouge hazz planzz of her own..."

Awwwwwwwwwww.

HEY KIDS! COMICS!

 

[LizzieMaine]

Oh, and...

They're all inside the station trying to get warm. Don't you read the Eagle?