ENCOUNTERS, BREAKTHROUGHS AND BETRAYALS

Some items for the 29^th September:

What was effectively the first employment agency in the United Kingdom, the Office of Addresses and Encounters, was opened on the 29^th September 1650 by Henry Robinson.  Robinson was an English merchant and writer. He is best known for a work on religious toleration, Liberty of Conscience from 1644.

In 1650 he set up as a business, though short-lived, an Office of Addresses and Encounters. It was in Threadneedle Street in London, and charged 6d. for answers to certain types of queries, concerning real estate and employment amongst other matters. There was a free service for the poor. The creation of such an Office had been pushed for three years by Samuel Hartlib, who had lobbied for public funds for it. Robinson was an associate of Hartlib, and provided a limited implementation of a grand reformist scheme, which drew also on the French model of Théophraste Renaudot that had operated by then for 20 years. Through the simple provision of a central Register of Addresses, Robinson argued, employers could find employees

  

The Metropolitan Police Service was founded on the 29^th September 1829, under the Metropolitan Police Act 1829, and at that time, merged with the River Thames Marine Police Force, which had been formed in 1798. In 1837, it also incorporated the Bow Street Horse Patrol that had been organised in 1805.

Two other incidents of note occurred on this day.

Brigadier General J V Campbell addressing troops

of the 137th Brigade (46th Division) from the

Riqueval Bridge over the St Quentin Canal

The Battle of St Quentin Canal was a pivotal battle of World War I that began on 29^th  September 1918 and involved British, Australian and American forces in the spearhead attack and as a single combined force against the German Siegfried Stellung of the Hindenburg Line. Under the command of Australian general Sir John Monash, the assault achieved all its objectives, resulting in the first full breach of the Hindenburg Line, in the face of heavy German resistance and, in concert with other attacks of The Great Offensive along the length of the line convinced the German high command that the was on the wall regarding any hope of German victory. It was not long after this that the Armistice and the Treaty of Versailles was signed.

30 years later to the day, one of the most shameful sell-outs of a country was orchestrated on the 29^th September 1938.

At Munich, an Agreement was reached between France, Great Britain and Italy giving  Germany permission to seize the territory of Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia. The meeting occurred in Munich, and leaders from neither the Soviet Union nor Czechoslovakia attended. The Munich Agreement was a settlement permitting the Nazi Germany’s annexation of Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along the Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement, negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without the presence of Czechoslovakia, is widely regarded as a failed act of appeasement toward Germany.

From left to right: Chamberlain, Daladier, Hitler, Mussolini and Ciano

pictured before signing the Munich Agreement, which gave the Sudetenland to Germany.

A deal was reached on 29^th  September, and at about 1:30am on 30^th  September 1938, Adolph Hitler, Neville Chamberlain, Benito Mussolini and Edouard Daladier signed the Munich Agreement. The agreement was officially introduced by Mussolini although in fact the so-called Italian plan had been prepared in the German Foreign Office. It was nearly identical to the Godesberg proposal: the German army was to complete the occupation of the Sudetenland by 10^th October, and an international commission would decide the future of other disputed areas.

Czechoslovakia was informed by Britain and France that it could either resist Nazi Germany alone or submit to the prescribed annexations. The Czechoslovak government, realizing the hopelessness of fighting the Nazis alone, reluctantly capitulated (30^th September) and agreed to abide by the agreement. The settlement gave Germany the Sudetenland starting 10^th October, and de facto control over the rest of Czechoslovakia as long as Hitler promised to go no further. On 30^th September, after some rest, Chamberlain went to Hitler and asked him to sign a peace treaty between the United Kingdom and Germany. “…We regard the agreement signed last night and the Anglo-German Naval Agreement as symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war with one another again.” After Hitler's interpreter translated it for him, he happily agreed.

 In a letter to his sister Hilda, on 2^nd  October 1938 Chamberlain wrote:

"I asked Hitler about one in the morning while we were waiting for the draftsmen whether he would care to see me for another talk….I had a very friendly and pleasant talk, on Spain, (where he too said he had never had any territorial ambitions) economic relations with S.E. Europe, and disarmament. I did not mention colonies, nor did he. At the end I pulled out the declaration which I had prepared beforehand and asked if he would sign it. As the interpreter translated the words into German, Hitler said Yes, I will certainly sign it. When shall we do it? I said "now", and we went at once to the writing table and put our signatures to the two copies which I had brought with me."

As to the Munich Agreement itself, it is a series of five bits of paper containing 719 words of little substance, signing over one country to another.  The first document containing the deal is only 508 words, the next four bits of text just confirm what has happened. It’s as if the signatories had to convince themselves they really were making this deal.  They signed five times.

Munich Pact September 29, 1938

Agreement concluded at Munich, September 29, 1938, between Germany, Great Britain, France and Italy

GERMANY, the United Kingdom, France and Italy, taking into consideration the agreement, which has been already reached in principle for the cession to Germany of the Sudeten German territory, have agreed on the following terms and conditions governing the said cession and the measures consequent thereon, and by this agreement they each hold themselves responsible for the steps necessary to secure its fulfilment:

(1) The evacuation will begin on 1st October.

(2) The United Kingdom, France and Italy agree that the evacuation of the territory shall be completed by the 10th October, without any existing installations having been destroyed, and that the Czechoslovak Government will be held responsible for carrying out the evacuation without damage to the said installations.

(3) The conditions governing the evacuation will be laid down in detail by an international commission composed of representatives of Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Czechoslovakia.

(4) The occupation by stages of the predominantly German territory by German troops will begin on 1st October. The four territories marked on the attached map will be occupied by German troops in the following order:

The territory marked No. I on the 1st and 2nd of October; the territory marked No. II on the 2nd and 3rd of October; the territory marked No. III on the 3rd, 4th and 5th of October; the territory marked No. IV on the 6th and 7th of October. The remaining territory of preponderantly German character will be ascertained by the aforesaid international commission forthwith and be occupied by German troops by the 10th of October

5) The international commission referred to in paragraph 3 will determine the territories in which a plebiscite is to be held. These territories will be occupied by international bodies until the plebiscite has been completed. The same commission will fix the conditions in which the plebiscite is to be held, taking as a basis the conditions of the Saar plebiscite. The commission will also fix a date, not later than the end of November, on which the plebiscite will be held.

(6) The final determination of the frontiers will be carried out by the international commission. The commission will also be entitled to recommend to the four Powers, Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Italy, in certain exceptional cases, minor modifications in the strictly ethnographical determination of the zones which are to be transferred without plebiscite.

(7) There will be a right of option into and out of the transferred territories, the option to be exercised within six months from the date of this agreement. A German-Czechoslovak commission shall determine the details of the option, consider ways of facilitating the transfer of population and settle questions of principle arising out of the said transfer.

8) The Czechoslovak Government will within a period of four weeks from the date of this agreement release from their military and police forces any Sudeten Germans who may wish to be released, and the Czechoslovak Government will within the same period release Sudeten German prisoners who are serving terms of imprisonment for political offences.

Munich, September 29, 1938.

ADOLF HITLER,

NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN,

EDOUARD DALADIER,

BENITO MUSSOLINI.

Munich Pact : Annex to the Agreement

His MAJESTY's GOVERNMENT in the United Kingdom and the French Government have entered into the above agreement on the basis that they stand by the offer, contained in paragraph 6 of the Anglo-French proposals of the 19th September, relating to an international guarantee of the new boundaries of the Czechoslovak State against unprovoked aggression.

When the question of the Polish and Hungarian minorities in Czechoslovakia has been settled, Germany and Italy for their part will give a guarantee to Czechoslovakia.

Munich, September 29, 1938.

ADOLF HITLER,

NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN,

EDOUARD DALADIER,

BENITO MUSSOLINI.

Munich Pact : Declaration

THE HEADS of the Governments of the four Powers declare that the problems of the Polish and Hungarian minorities in Czechoslovakia, if not settled within three months by agreement between the respective Governments, shall form the subject of another meeting of the Heads of the Governments of the four Powers here present.

Munich, September 29, 1938.

ADOLF HITLER,

NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN,

EDOUARD DALADIER,

BENITO MUSSOLINI

Munich Pact : Supplementary Declaration

ALL questions which may arise out of the transfer of the territory shall be considered as coming within the terms of reference to the International Commission

Munich, September 29, 1938.

ADOLF HITLER,

NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN,

EDOUARD DALADIER,

BENITO MUSSOLINI.

Munich Pact : Composition of the International Commission

THE four Heads of Governments here present agree that the international commission provided for in the agreement signed by them to-day shall consist of the Secretary of State in the German Foreign Office, the British, French and Italian Ambassadors accredited in Berlin, and a representative to be nominated by the Government of Czechoslovakia.

Munich September 29, 1938.

ADOLF HITLER,

NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN,

EDOUARD DALADIER,

BENITO MUSSOLINI

DEFINING MOMENTS

The 28^th September brings up a few rather momentous events which have dramatically changed the direction of many lives.

On the 28^th September 1066, the forces amassed by William the Bastard landed at Pevensey in Sussex. William assembled a large invasion fleet and an army gathered not only from Normandy but from all over France, including large contingents from Brittany and Flanders. He mustered his forces at Saint-Valery-sur-Somme. 

The army was ready to cross by about 12^th  August. However, the crossing was delayed, either because of unfavourable weather or because of the desire to avoid being intercepted by the powerful English fleet. The Normans did not in fact cross to England until a few days after Harold's victory over the Norwegians, following the dispersal of Harold's naval force. They landed at Pevensey in Sussex on 28^th September and erected a wooden castle at Hastings, from which they raided the surrounding area. 16 days later it was all over, William became the Conqueror.

The first Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures (General Conference on Weights and Measures) took place between the 24^th and 28^th September 1889 – the resolutions made on the 28^th September defined the length of a meter, the weight of a kilogram and the hydrogen thermometer centigrade scale:

The Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures

Considering

·      the "Compte rendu of the President of the Comité International des Poids et Mesures (CIPM)" and the "Report of the CIPM", which show that, by the collaboration of the French section of the International Metre Commission and of the CIPM, the fundamental measurements of the international and national prototypes of the metre and of the kilogram have been made with all the accuracy and reliability which the present state of science permits;

·      that the international and national prototypes of the metre and the kilogram are made of an alloy of platinum with 10 per cent iridium, to within 0.0001;

·      the equality in length of the international Metre and the equality in mass of the international Kilogram with the length of the Metre and the mass of the Kilogram kept in the Archives of France;

·      that the differences between the national Metres and the international Metre lie within 0.01 millimetre and that these differences are based on a hydrogen thermometer scale which can always be reproduced thanks to the stability of hydrogen, provided identical conditions are secured;

·      that the differences between the national Kilograms and the international Kilogram lie within 1 milligram;

·      that the international Metre and Kilogram and the national Metres and Kilograms fulfil the requirements of the Metre Convention,

Sanctions

A.As regards international prototypes:

1.                   The Prototype of the metre chosen by the CIPM. This prototype, at the temperature of melting ice, shall henceforth represent the metric unit of length.

2.                   The Prototype of the kilogram adopted by the CIPM. This prototype shall henceforth be considered as the unit of mass.

3.                   The hydrogen thermometer centigrade scale in terms of which the equations of the prototype Metres have been established.

The 11th Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures (CGPM), redefined the metre. Considering:

that the international Prototype does not define the metre with an accuracy adequate for the present needs of metrology,

that it is moreover desirable to adopt a natural and indestructible standard,

decides

B.The metre is the length equal to 1 650 763,73 wavelengths in vacuum of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the levels 2p₁₀ and 5d₅ of the krypton 86 atom.

C.The definition of the metre in force since 1889, based on the international Prototype of platinum-iridium, is abrogated.

D.            The international Prototype of the metre sanctioned by the 1st CGPM in 1889 shall be kept at the BIPM under the conditions specified in 1889

Fleming

On the 28^th September 1928 Sir Alexander Fleming notices a bacteria-killing mould growing in his laboratory, discovering what later became known as penicillin.

"When I woke up just after dawn on September 28, 1928, I certainly didn't plan to revolutionise all medicine by discovering the world's first antibiotic, or bacteria killer," Fleming would later say, "But I suppose that was exactly what I did."

Joe Falcon and Cléoma Breaux

on their wedding day April 27th, 1932

Something perhaps not as momentous but certainly of note to musicians:

Joseph Falcon, born on the 28^th September 1900 was a Cajun accordion player in southwest Louisiana, best known for the first recording of a Cajun song entitled " Allons à Lafayette" in 1928. He and his wife Cléoma Falcon (née Breaux) left for New Orleans to record the first Cajun record and went on to perform across southern Louisiana and Texas.