Friday, 21 March 1930

Manchuria:  

Warlord Zhang Xueliang, effective ruler of Manchuria, offers his services as mediator between Chinese President Chiang Kai-shek and rebellious Governor Yen Hsishan of Shansi.  The threat of renewed civil war in China has been looming for weeks.

  

London:  

The French delegation appears to withdraw from the naval conference, having left for Paris for the weekend and announcing that they won’t be back.  Observers think it’s a ploy to try to wrest an 11^th hour concession out of either Italy (to give up its demand for naval parity with France) or England (for a naval deal that includes continental security).  But Great Britain, the U.S. and Japan evidently saw this coming, and reportedly have a three-way “fallback” pact they will go to work on.  It is expected that if France is out, Italy will be too, as Italy presumably would not agree to any limitations on naval power with France under no such obligation.

Chisinau, Romania:  

Russian and Romanian border guards get into a firefight on the Dniester River near here.  According to reports, the Russian guards board a boat on their side of the river, then cross over and attack the Romanian border post with hand grenades.  The Romanians respond with rifle fire.  One Romanian is killed and several Russians wounded.  No one knows a reason for the attack, but tensions relative to Russia are high in Romania, as the government says it has uncovered communist plots to attempt a coup in the country.

Elsewhere:

Moscow:  Crowds of Young Communists and Young Pioneers (a communist version of the boy scouts) converge on the Italian Embassy and hold protests against the Pope. 

Bogota:  Thousands of unemployed conduct a demonstration that devolves into a riot when police fire on the crowd.  Two are killed and at least 20 injured.

Thursday, 20 March 1930

Soviet Union:

Moscow:  Newspapers run headlines, articles and cartoons ridiculing the Pope’s prayers on behalf of Christians in Russia.  Pravda runs a cartoon of a warrior wearing the Pope’s headpiece, riding a horse and carrying a banner that reads “Anti-Soviet Crusade.” 

Yet at a meeting of the All-Union Congress of Atheists tonight, speaker after speaker reminds the audience that religion cannot be stamped out of Russia overnight, and warns against excessive force or zeal in closing churches, synagogues or mosques.  The chairman of the meeting says removing God from the people should be done by peaceful persuasion, propaganda and scientific argument.  Special and intensified propaganda should be brought to bear on women and children, says one speaker. 

Elsewhere in the Soviet Union, reports say peasant revolts are flaring up in several places, as the people protest food shortages and having their lands collectivized.  Factory workers are living on black bread and thin soup, and striking for better food.  The OGPU (secret police) is arresting strike and revolt leaders.

London:  

At the naval conference (still going), the meeting is deadlocked.  Italy and France cannot come to agreement on Italy’s insistence for parity with France, and France’s demand for a high level of naval tonnage.  An unnamed British officials says, “My reasoning tells me that the present deadlock will not be broken . . . .”

Wednesday, 19 March 1930: Religious War of Words Continues

It's a day of religious "warfare of words."

Vatican City:  Pope Pius XI leads a special prayer service and mass at St. Peter’s for persecuted Christians in soviet Russia.  50,000 attend.  A Russian choir sings, and Orthodox Greeks join in Slavic chants during the service. 

 

Vienna:  Communists attack and break up a meeting of the Czechoslovakian Catholic People’s Party, which was protesting religious persecution in Russia. 

Moscow:  Meanwhile, the press here is full of anti-Pope messages.  The Atheist magazine publishes an article entitled, “Down With the Pope,” which calls the Pope the world’s biggest landowner and the capitalist scion of a Milan textile family.  The article goes on to boast that 33 churches, 2 cathedrals and 10 chapels were closed in one soviet in the past week, and 9 villages threw “God’s rubbish” from their homes, namely icons, church fences and bells, ecclesiastical robes and altar draperies.  The gold, silver, iron and other items filled 50 carts.  The magazine goes on to insist that the 240 remaining churches in the Moscow soviet be closed.  “We must turn the red capital into a godless city this year.” 

Pravda, official publication of the communist central committee, criticizes the Pope for his “personal enmity” for the soviets.

Berlin:  

Communist mobs attack churches holding prayer services for persecuted Christians in Russia.  The communists parade around the city all day in protest of the Pope’s prayer service in Italy.  But as night descends, they grow bolder and more violent.  In one working district, a group of communists bursts through the doors of a church shouting, “Long live the red front!” and ridiculing God.  The congregation rushes at the intruders and drives them out of the church, and a melee ensues.  Police arrive to break it up.

In another working district, communists attempt to raid a Catholic church, but are fought off by a guard established by the church members.

Yet not everything happening today is of a religious tone.  Minister of the Interior Karl Severing orders all funds for the police in the state of Thuringia suspended pending an investigation into charges that Wilhelm Frick, the nazi Minister of the Interior of that state, is plotting treason against the government.  This is in response to a manifesto issued by Frick (elected earlier this year), which denounced the federal government and called the public to support nazi ideas for nationalist rule.  The Prosecutor General will begin an investigation. 

Tuesday, 18 March 1930

United States:

New York:  More evidence of the worldwide economic depression: Francis H. Sisson, Vice President of Guaranty Trust Company, says export trade by the United States has declined $117 million since November 1929.  Meanwhile, at two different “bread lines” in the city, more than 1,000 unemployed are reportedly in cue. 

Pittsburgh:  Newspapers report more than 1,700 people standing in a bread line at one location, 800 at another. 

Elsewhere:

Moscow:  Notwithstanding the soviet executive’s order of Saturday, the Moscow soviet votes to close 56 more churches in Moscow and the surrounding region.  The churches are to be converted to schools, clubs, libraries, restaurants and laboratories.  The congregations have the right of appeal, however.

Hanau, Germany:  Communists attack Paul Rehbein, a Social Democrat member of the Prussian diet, while he is visiting a cemetery.  They knock him down and beat him with spades so severely he is taken to a local hospital.  The attack is understood to be in retribution: Rehbein was formerly a communist, but became a socialist.  

Monday, 17 March 1930

Paris:  The negotiations between France and Germany over the Saar region are suspended after five months of on-again off-again meetings that have thus far produced few results.  Reason given is that France wants to wait for the London Naval Conference to end before resuming.

Moscow:  The Godless One, newspaper of Russian atheists, calls for anti-religion demonstrations to “counteract” the Pope’s call for Catholics to pray on Wednesday for the persecuted church in Russia.

Sunday, 16 March 1930

Tokyo:  

Press reports state that the “two-thirds” ratio of capital ships proposed for Japan at the London Naval Conference is causing a rift between military and civilian government leaders in Japan.  Naval officers are displeased with the “second-class citizen” status the ratio would give Japan.

Vienna:  

The government announces that the Austrian national anthem has been changed (for the fourth time since the World War).  The new anthem will be Deutschland, Deutschland-Uber Alles (Germany, Germany Above All) which is also Germany’s national anthem.  This was also Austria’s national anthem before the war (though with different words).  The socialist mayor of Vienna, Karl Seitz, dislikes the anthem so much he refuses to stand or remove his hat when it is played.

England:  

In response to a call from Cosmo Gordon Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury, Anglicans throughout the country hold special prayer services on behalf of persecuted Christians in Russia.  Indeed, Christians as well as Jews around the world are supposed to be holding similar prayer services .  Rev. A.F.W. Ingram, Bishop of London, says, “to think that all those bishops have been butchered [in Russia], all those priests murdered!”

New York:  

Police are busy guarding special prayer meetings in area churches, called on behalf of persecuted Christians in Russia, as well as guarding 12,000 people attending a communist anti-religion rally at Bronx Coliseum.  At the communist rally, the crowd boos religion, calls for an end to class war, and pillories everyone from New York Police Chief Grover Whalen to Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini to the Pope.  The meeting is guarded by 450 police with riot gear, machine guns and paddy wagons, but it is peaceful.

Paris:  

Miguel Primo de Rivera, who until six weeks ago was dictator of Spain, dies unexpectedly in his hotel room here.  Cause of death is said to be an embolism, a complication of his diabetes.

Saturday, 15 March 1930

Germany:

Berlin:  A newspaper reports that Germany and Russia are scheduled to hold a conference to discuss German concerns about the spread of communist propaganda in Germany.  Meanwhile, Chancellor Hermann Mueller announces that he expects Germany’s approval of the Young Plan to help the nation’s economy, attracting fresh capital, stimulating trade and helping with unemployment.

Schleswig-Holstein:  Bombs connected to clock timers are found in two different places – one in the cellar of the town hall, the other against the wall of the treasury building.  Both are discovered before they explode, and are safely removed and disarmed.  No claims of responsibility. 

New York:  

The impact of the worldwide economic depression widens:  The Family Welfare Association of America releases a report indicating that 54 of its city agencies around the country are reporting a 100% increase or higher in families needing welfare assistance compared to a year ago.  Moreover, “A number of the societies stated the number of families under their care at present does not give a true picture of the unemployment situation in their respective communities,” the report states, “as many dependent families whose difficulties are only of unemployment are being referred to the tax-supported departments.”  It goes on to say, “It is estimated that between 55 and 60 per cent of the relief funds for January, 1930, went for unemployment relief.  There was never, in the history of the society, a month like January, 1930.”

Moscow:  

Despite Russia’s fiery rhetoric defending its elimination of religion, the soviet Central Executive Committee issues a new decree ordering punishment for those who ridicule religion or close churches without consent of the majority of a local populace.  In doing so, the order effectively concedes that earlier claims by various Russian authorities and media, that churches and synagogues were closed at the request of the people, were lies: it prohibits church closures under the pretense of “fictitious petitions of the inhabitants.”  Additionally, it says party officials and organizers “unnecessarily” ridiculing religion will be severely punished. 

The order comes the day before Christians both Protestant and Catholic, as well as Jews, are scheduled to hold coordinated prayer services for persecuted people of faith in Russia.  

Friday, 14 March 1930

Germany: 

Berlin:  The worldwide economic depression worsens: new reports signal that manufacturing production is decreasing, and bankruptcies are up 30% from a year ago. 

Munich:  The Muenchner Neuste Nachrichten newsapaper reports that two nazi Reichswehr officers in Bavaria have been arrested as a result of a decree by the Minister of Defense to eliminate political propaganda in the military.  More arrests are expected. 

Leipzig:  The Federal Supreme Court sentences Richard Schultz, Editor of the communist newspaper Rote Fahne, to 15 months in prison for attempting to incite treason.  One of the articles on which Schultz was found guilty was titled, “Away with the Bourgeois republic, fight for soviet power.”  

Elsewhere:

Moscow:  The League of Militant Atheists announces plans for a “counter-papal prayer” day to kick off an anti-religious campaign scheduled to last two months.

Thursday, 13 March 1930

Germany:

Berlin:  President Paul von Hindenburg signs the Young Plan bills passed yesterday by the Reichstag.  Among other things, they commit Germany to World War debt payments until 1988.  After the morning signing ceremony, Hindenburg issues the following proclamation.  “With a heavy but firm heart and after thorough and conscientious examination, I affixed my name to the Young Plan.  After hearing the advocates and opponents of the plan, I have reached the conclusion that, despite the heavy burden which the plan puts on the German people for long years, despite the strong criticism of some of its terms, compared to the Dawes Plan, the Young Plan means progress on the long road of liberation and reconstruction of Germany.  I could not refuse to sign, since such a refusal would bring immeasurable harm to German economics and finances and would cause a great crisis to our fatherland.  I am wholly convinced that the acceptance of the Young Plan does not free us from all sorrows in the future, but I believe it is the road that will bring us our long-desired freedom.  I have received many letters asking me to keep my name – the name of a former field marshal – from being darkened in history through these documents.  My answer is: during my entire life I have served in the school of duty, and I have learned to do my duty for the fatherland without consideration for my person.  Therefore any thoughts my person had was abandoned in this decision, and I gave up the idea of relieving myself of the responsibility by a plebiscite or resignation.”

Dresden:  Communists conduct a “hunger march,” which quickly leads to clashes with police.  Armored cars are used to disperse the demonstrators, and 125 people are arrested. 

Elsewhere:

Madrid:  One thousand unemployed people march peacefully, with banners announcing simply: “We want work.”

Wednesday, 12 March 1930

Germany:

Berlin:  The Reichstag approves the final reading of the Young Plan bill, 266-193, ending the days of political maneuvering over the bill and, some hope, ushering in a new financial era for Germany.  At the last minute, nationalists, supported by the communists, attempt to introduce a resolution which would delay signature of the bill by President Paul von Hindenburg for two months.  The government counters with a proposed resolution making immediate signature of the bill mandatory – and the government’s resolution carries the vote.  The communists make one last-ditch effort to derail the proceedings, calling for a vote of no-confidence in the government of Chancellor Hermann Mueller, which also fails, 277-169.  The nationalists jeer as the votes are counted.

Breslau:  More impact from the worldwide economic depression: the old German trading house Molinari declares bankruptcy.  The firm, though not overly large, is famous for the literary popularity it gained as the model for the fictional trading house in Gustav Freytag’s novel Debit and Credit.