June 22: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

June 22, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1916, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON — No reason for a change in policy toward Mexico is seen by the Washington government in Mexican accounts of the clash at Carrizal yesterday between American and Carranza troops. Until a report comes from General Pershing, there will be no decision, but President Wilson is said to view the fight as an incident for which subordinate commanders probably were responsible, and not as an act likely to precipitate general hostilities. From the tone, as well as the contents of a communication from the Mexican Foreign Office, presented by the ambassador designate, officials drew the impression that Carranza desired to disclaim responsibility for the affair, and make it plain that no attempt had been made to carry out his threat to undertake expulsion of the American expedition by force of arms.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1924, an Eagle editorial said, “What do you think of a plan to drain the East River as a means of solving the transit problem of the city? Can you conceive of anything more daring or revolutionary? Yet this is the Napoleonic scheme of Dr. John A. Harriss, special deputy police commissioner in charge of traffic — a scheme which aims to benefit the entire city instead of some particular locality. While not belittling the efforts of the many minds which have sought a way out of the tangled traffic problems of New York, paying them the tribute, in fact, that they have all rendered some good to the city, Dr. Harriss feels that something much more comprehensive is required — a ‘major operation,’ as he calls it — and this major operation falls nothing short of a revamping of the city’s topography. Dr. Harriss admits that the plan which would wipe out the East River is a large order, but then, this is the world’s greatest city, used to putting things through on a colossal scale, and Dr. Harriss has the assurance of federal, state, city and other engineers that the plan is a practical one, that it could be carried out in a comparatively short period of time and would mean little expenditure of money at the outset. The plan contemplates the erection of a concrete dam between the Navy Yard and the Williamsburg Bridge and the erection of a similar dam at a point where the Harlem River joins the East River near Hell Gate.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1943, the Eagle reported, “Early relief from the worst phase of the gasoline shortage here appeared in prospect today on the basis of a reported plan by government agencies to divert 9,000 tank cars from other parts of the country to the East Coast service. These reports gave emphasis to the statement of War Production Chief Donald M. Nelson in Washington yesterday promising relief ‘at this time’ and a ‘complete solution of the problem in the near future.’ Mr. Nelson made his statement before the special Eastern States Congressional Committee investigating the petroleum situation.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1951, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — Defense Mobilizer Charles E. Wilson warned today that the entire mobilization drive will collapse unless a reluctant Congress extends and toughens the Defense Production Act. The act, comprising all controls legislation, is scheduled to expire June 30. The Senate and House Banking Committees have voted severe restrictions on control powers in an extension of the act. Both houses of Congress will start debate on the bills next week. In a speech prepared for delivery at graduation exercises of the Armed Forces Industrial College, Wilson said the act ‘is the underlying charter of the whole defense mobilization program. From it is derived the power to control and allocate materials. Unless the act is extended, the entire program of defense mobilization would come to a standstill.’ Wilson said inflation was the ‘most subtle, most difficult and most important’ problem in the mobilization program. ‘Unless inflation is curbed,’ he said, ‘we face bankruptcy, dissolution and decay. [This] would bring to realization the burning hope of the Politburo.’”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who was born in 1933; singer-songwriter and actor Kris Kristofferson, who was born in 1936; journalist and author Brit Hume, who was born in 1943; The Turtles founder Howard Kaylan, who was born in 1947; “Hello it’s Me” singer Todd Rundgren, who was born in 1948; Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep, who was born in 1949; “The Bionic Woman” star Lindsay Wagner, who was born in 1949; U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who was born in 1949; “True Colors” singer Cyndi Lauper, who was born in 1953; “Star Trek: Voyager” star Tim Russ, who was born in 1956; “Evil Dead” star Bruce Campbell, who was born in 1958; Basketball Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler, who was born in 1962; “Judging Amy” star Amy Brenneman, who was born in 1964; “The DaVinci Code” author Dan Brown, who was born in 1964; and “24” star Mary Lynn Rajskub, who was born in 1971.

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LAW OF THE LAND: The Department of Justice was established by an act of Congress on this day in 1870. The department is headed by the attorney general. Prior to 1870, the attorney general, whose office was created in 1789, was a member of the president’s cabinet but not the head of a department.

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ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE: Joseph Papp was born in Brooklyn on this day in 1921. At the helm of the New York Public Theatre, Papp produced a wide range of works from the classical to that of the newest American dramatists, including “Hair,” “The Pirates of Penzance,” “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” and “A Chorus Line.” He won three Pulitzer Prizes, six New York Critics Circle Awards and 28 Tonys. He died in 1991.

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Special thanks to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and Brooklyn Public Library.

Quotable:

“Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?”

— comedian George Carlin, who died on this day in 2008