May 22: ON THIS DAY in 1943, world communism ended

May 22, 2019 Brooklyn Eagle

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ON THIS DAY IN 1852, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “DISCOVERY OF MORE PLANETS. In addition to the new planet discovered by M. Gasparis, at Naples, the last advices from Europe bring information of another discovery by Mr. [Robert] Luther, at the Observatory of Bilk, near Dusseldorf, making the seventeenth planet now known to exist between Mars and Jupiter, all of which were unknown fifty-two years ago. The new planet has a right ascension of about twelve hours, and a north declination of about eight degrees. We have also information this morning, through the telegraph from Boston, that a comet was discovered yesterday morning, at the Cambridge Observatory, by G.P. Bond, which is the eleventh or twelfth first seen by him.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1939, the Eagle reported, “Toronto, Ontario, May 22 (U.P.) – The Dionne quintuplets saluted Queen Elizabeth today with five moist kisses in one of the strangest audiences ever granted by British monarchs. The Queen, forgetting royal custom and tradition, leaned over and put her arms around each of the Dionne children and kissed them back. The audience took place in the drawing room of the Lieutenant Governor’s quarters in the Parliament Building. The quintuplets were dressed in ankle-length court dresses of white and wore little white poke bonnets. Dr. Allan R. Dafoe, physician and guardian of the quints, came to the royal audience fearing that at least one of the little girls would stand on her head, seize the King’s gloves, or otherwise behave as 5-year-old children do. He could have forgotten his worries. The quints did swell. They had been carefully schooled in the technique of making curtsies, but no one had anticipated they would put their arms around the Queen’s neck and kiss her. That was their own idea.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1943, the Eagle reported, “Moscow, May 22 (U.P.) – The Communist International, which had as one of its basic principles the fomenting of world revolution, was dissolved today by the action of its leaders, who directed followers to join hands in the common fight against Hitlerism. The action was embodied in a resolution adopted by the Comintern executive committee, which stated simply: ‘In countries against the Hitlerite coalition, the sacred duty of all the masses and primarily that of the vanguard of workers consists in all-out support of their governments’ war efforts in order to route the Hitlerites as quickly as possible and secure friendly co-operation of nations on a basis of equality.’ The dissolution was announced by the official Communist party newspaper Pravda. Allied sources in London greeted the Russian announcement as a major Soviet gesture toward United Nations solidarity and one which paved the way for clearing up misunderstandings that have developed in the United States and other countries regarding Russia’s post-war aims. These sources pointed out that it might pave the way for a conference of President [Franklin] Roosevelt, Premier Josef Stalin and Prime Minister [Winston] Churchill under the friendliest conditions.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “Washington, May 22 (U.P.) – The Administration today abandoned, at least for this year, President [Dwight] Eisenhower’s proposal to let 18-year-olds vote after the measure received a crushing Senate defeat. Only 34 senators lined up for the proposed Constitutional amendment yesterday against 24 opposed – far short of the necessary two-thirds vote. State rights-minded Southerners voted heavily against the measure. New York’s senators, Herbert H. Lehman (D.) and Irving H. Ives (R.) voted for the measure. Senate Republican Leader William F. Knowland said he did not plan an effort to get the vote reconsidered and knew of no plans by other members. Knowland said he did not think the result would be changed by absentees from yesterday’s vote. A solid bloc of 24 Democrats, led by Senator Richard B. Russell (D., Ga.), defeated the proposal. It was supported by 27 Republicans and only seven Democrats.”