Tuesday, 14 January 1930

Paris:  

Alexander Kerensky, former Prime Minister of the short-lived Russian Provisional Government (which ruled Russia between the February and October 1917 revolutions), now living in exile, says his contacts within Russia inform him that Joseph Stalin’s communist government executed 583 people in October and November 1929 for “political offenses.” 

The Hague:  

At the Second Reparations Conference, Hjalmar Schacht, President of Germany’s Reichsbank, finally agrees – under pressure -- to the bank’s participation in the war debt payments of the Young Plan.  Faced with the prospect of the German government using other banks as an end-run, Schacht reluctantly gives way. 

London:  

A manifesto calling for the abolition of the battleship and a reduction of all warships to a maximum of 10,000 tons is published today, in advance of the London Naval Conference, signed by 77 Labor Party members of Parliament.  “The abolition of battleships would be a substantial step toward making the past a reality.  Such a step would not only result in an appreciable reduction of expenditure of naval armaments, but would of itself insure the success of the conference.  We note a growing feeling, even among naval experts, that fighting ships of over 10,000 tons are no longer necessary.  We therefore urge the delegates of the British Labor government to make the abolition of battleships and of warships over 10,000 tons one of the principal aims of the conference.

“In the event of a minority of the great powers not agreeing to the proposed abolition of battleships, we urge our delegates to consider where, in view of the advance in science and the fact that our danger lies in the possibility of an air attack rather than at sea, Britain cannot take the lead and announce that she will not in the future lay down any warships over 10,000 tons.” 

Germany: 

Worms:  Five policemen are injured breaking up a rowdy meeting of the unemployed.

Berlin:  And in an event that draws virtually no attention from the world’s press, a local nazi by the name of Horst Wessel is shot by a group of communists.  One of his few claims to fame is a song (or the lyrics) that he wrote to be played as kind of fight song at SA (Stormtrooper) events.  He will later die of his wounds . . . and his death be commemorated by the nazi party for years to come.