October 9, 2009
100 Years Ago In the Forward
For each day that has passed during the strike at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company something unusual has happened. The streets surrounding the factory are still filled with police, plainclothes detectives and hired goons. The police threaten the strikers and make arrests without any reason. It looks like a war zone. Not far off, in Leyzerson’s, a shop on 17th Street, it’s the same story: Hired goons threaten and shove their fists in the faces of the striking workers. The Ladies’ Waist and Dress Makers’ Union is appealing to all workers not to forget their cause, and asks that contributions be made so that the workers can continue their strike for better conditions.
75 Years Ago In the Forward
The day after Yom Kippur, a magazine called L’Intransigeant appeared on the streets of Paris. One of its writers had the “honor” to have had the opportunity to interview Hitler. The interview was published in large print, along with a portrait of the Führer. This same portrait was printed on posters, which were put up at all the newsstands to let readers know of the big scoop. Hitler, after all, has never been interviewed by a foreign correspondent from any country. L’Intransigeant’s reporter, Lucian Leumas, had to follow the Führer all around Germany for months before he snagged the interview. This may not seem so unusual, but Leumas, it turns out, is Jewish, and his real last name is “Samuel,” his pseudonym in reverse.
50 Years Ago In the Forward
The 14th United Nations Assembly came to a close with a general debate in which 79 countries participated. The last country to speak its piece was India, but just before the debate was closed, the infamous Ahmed Shukeiri, currently a delegate from Saudi Arabia, chimed in with his usual attacks on Israel. This included the fact that there is no Jewish people, just a Jewish religion, and therefore there is no need for a Jewish country. He demanded that Israel return the land it “stole” from the Arabs, allow the return of all Arab refugees and allow the internationalization of Jerusalem.
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