PUBLICATION AND THE ARTS

William Faulkner's collection of short stories, Go Down, Moses, was published in book form on 11^th May 1942.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is founded on the 11^th May 1927. Douglas Fairbanks is the first president of the academy.

Citing government misconduct, Daniel Ellsberg has charges for his involvement in releasing the Pentagon Papers to The New York Times dismissed on 11^th May 1973. Whilst Ellsberg is not strictly the author of the Pentagon Papers his ‘publication’ of the material was quite a performance. Indeed the dismissal of the charges was a classic form of deus ex machina in the shape of Richard Nixon, President of Paranoia.

As a response to the leaks, the Nixon administration began a campaign against further leaks and against Ellsberg personally. Aides Egil Krogh and David Young, under the supervision of John Ehrlichman, created the "White House Plumbers", which would later lead to the Watergate burglaries.

In August 1971, Krogh and Young met with G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt in a basement office in the Old Executive Office Building. Hunt and Liddy recommended a "covert operation" to get a "mother lode" of information about Ellsberg's mental state in order to discredit him. Krogh and Young sent a memo to Ehrlichman seeking his approval for a "covert operation [to] be undertaken to examine all of the medical files still held by Ellsberg’s psychiatrist." Ehrlichman approved under the condition that it be "done under your assurance that it is not traceable."

On 3^rd  September  1971, the burglary of Lewis Fielding's office – titled "Hunt/Liddy Special Project No. 1" in Ehrlichman's notes — was carried out by Hunt, Liddy and CIA officers Eugenio Martinez, Felipe de Diego and Bernard Barker. The "Plumbers" failed to find Ellsberg's file. Hunt and Liddy subsequently planned to break into Fielding's home, but Ehrlichman did not approve the second burglary. The break-in was not known to Ellsberg or to the public until it came to light during Ellsberg and Russo's trial in April 1973.

On 26^th April 1973 the break-in of Fielding's office was revealed to the court in a memo to Judge Byrne, who then ordered it to be shared with the defence.

On 9^th May 1973 further evidence of illegal wiretapping against Ellsberg was revealed in court. The FBI had recorded numerous conversations between Morton Halperin and Ellsberg without a court order, and furthermore the prosecution had failed to share this evidence with the defence. During the trial, Byrne also revealed that he personally met twice with John Ehrlichman, who offered him directorship of the FBI. Byrne said he refused to consider the offer while the Ellsberg case was pending, though he was criticized for even agreeing to meet with Ehrlichman during the case.

Due to the gross governmental misconduct and illegal evidence gathering, and the defence by Leonard Boudin and Harvard Law School professor Charles Nesson, Judge Byrne dismissed all charges against Ellsberg and Russo on 11^th May 1973 after the government claimed it had lost records of wiretapping against Ellsberg. Byrne ruled: "The totality of the circumstances of this case which I have only briefly sketched offend a sense of justice. The bizarre events have incurably infected the prosecution of this case."

FIRSTS IN MAY

The 10^th May produces a few firsts in politics:

On 10^th May 1872, the fabulous Victoria Woodhull (see lots of previous blogs) becomes the first woman nominated for President of the United States).

On 10^th May 1981, François Mitterrand wins the presidential election and becomes the first Socialist President of France in the French Fifth Republic.

On 10^th May 1994, Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa’s first black president.

Lucknow

One hundred and fifty five year ago today, on the 10^th May 1857 in Meerut, India, the Sepoys began the Indian Mutiny. Herewith is a bit of a recording I made in connection with this bit of history.

ALWAYS RELEVANT

The Wasteland Speech was a speech given by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Newton N. Minow to the convention of the National Association of Broadcasters on 9^th May 1961. The speech was Minow's first major speech after he was appointed chairman of the FCC by President John F Kennedy. In the speech, Minow referred to American commercial television programming as a "vast wasteland" and advocated for programming in the public interest.

"When television is good, nothing — not the theater, not the magazines or newspapers — nothing is better.

But when television is bad, nothing is worse. I invite each of you to sit down in front of your own television set when your station goes on the air and stay there, for a day, without a book, without a magazine, without a newspaper, without a profit and loss sheet or a rating book to distract you. Keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off. I can assure you that what you will observe is a vast wasteland.

You will see a procession of game shows, formula comedies about totally unbelievable families, blood and thunder, mayhem, violence, sadism, murder, western bad men, western good men, private eyes, gangsters, more violence, and cartoons. And endlessly commercials — many screaming, cajoling, and offending. And most of all, boredom. True, you'll see a few things you will enjoy. But they will be very, very few. And if you think I exaggerate, I only ask you to try it."

This speech is properly titled "Television and the Public Interest". It was a landmark speech for the medium of television, at a time when there were only three networks in the United States and when the realm of television was much less vast than it is today.

Minow often remarks that the two words best remembered from the speech are "vast wasteland," but the two words he wishes would be remembered are "public interest

3 KINDS OF PROMOTION

The 8th May - Ian Price's birthday has rolled around again. A couple of clips from some of the older stuff. Tee hee.

Paramount Pictures is celebrating its centenary today.

Paramount Pictures can trace its beginning to the creation on the 8^th May 1912 of the Famous Players Film Company. Founder Hungarian-born Adolph Zukor, who had been an early investor in nickelodeons, saw that movies appealed mainly to working-class immigrants. With partners Daniel Frohman and Charles Frohman he planned to offer feature-length films that would appeal to the middle class by featuring the leading theatrical players of the time (leading to the slogan "Famous Players in Famous Plays"). By mid-1913, Famous Players had completed five films, and Zukor was on his way to success.

It appears that I missed out an important event on the 5^th May 2012. Goals from Michail Antonio and Nile Ranger helped Sheffield Wednesday easily beat Wycombe to win automatic promotion back to the Championship. On this topic, I find it hard to comment. The manager Dave Jones apparently commented: "It was hard earned. We were a bit nervous, but the goal settled us and I told them it's their time if they want it badly enough and they did.”

I assume this is significant.

ELECTIONS, DEDICATIONS AND HOW PICTURES GET SOLD

I have missed out a couple of days, in particular the 5^th May which has been designated Europe Day. As to the rest of this mixed bag, it's difficult to put a tag on it.

On the 5^th May 1949, the Treaty of London established the Council of Europe in Strasburg. This was the first European institution working for European integration. In my submission, not a bad thing. Indeed on the 5^th May 1964, the Council declared the 5^th May as Europe Day.

On the 6^th May 1940, John Steinbeck was awarded the Pulitzer prize for The Grapes of Wrath.

On the 6^th May 1994, perhaps a day late in the light of Europe Day, Queen Elizabeth II and French President François Mitterrand, officiated at the opening of the Channel Tunnel.

This last event is significant as on the 6^th May 2012, the first Socialist President of France since Mitterrand has been elected in the shape of another François, François Hollande.

In Russia, on the 7^th May 2000 and today the 7^th May 2012, Vladimir Putin is inaugurated as President of Russia. This is not required viewing.

On the 7^th May 1994, Edvard Munch’s iconic painting The Scream was recovered undamaged after having been stolen from the National Gallery of Norway in February. The painting sold at Sotheby’s only 5 days ago, the 2^nd May 2012 for a record $119.9 million, bought by the Royal Family of Qatar.

COMPROMISE OR CARVE UP

The 4^th May is an interesting anniversary for a number of political events.

This date usually signifies election results in the United Kingdom. On this day, 4^th May 1979 Margaret Thatcher became the first female Prime Minister of the UK and it was also 21 years later on the 4^th May 2000 that Ken Livingstone became the first directly elected Mayor of London. He would try again twelve years later. Today 4^th May 2012 will reveal the result of yesterdays ballot. Ken or not Ken?

Of greater historical significance (in my view) is the anniversary of the May Fourth Movement in China. On the 4^th May 1919, student  demonstrations took place in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, protesting the Treaty of Versailles, which transferred Chinese territory to Japan.

Students in Beijing rallied during the May Fourth Movement.

On the afternoon of 4^th May over 3,000 students of Peking University and other schools gathered together in front of Tiananmen and held a demonstration. The general opinion was that the Chinese government was "spineless". They voiced their anger at the Allied betrayal of China and the government's inability to secure Chinese interests in the conference. A boycott of Japanese products during this period was advocated, which boosted the domestic Chinese industry slightly. Throughout the streets of China, students packed the streets to protest China's concession to Japanese demands. During these demonstrations, students also insisted on the resignation of three Chinese officials involved in these proceedings. After burning the residence of one of the three despised officials, student protesters were arrested and severely assaulted.

Protestors dissatisfied with the 

Treaty of Versailles for China

The May Fourth Movement was an anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement growing out of student demonstrations in Beijing on 4^th May 1919, protesting the Chinese government's weak response to the Treaty of Versailles, especially the Shandong Problem. These demonstrations sparked national protests and marked the upsurge of Chinese nationalism, a shift towards political mobilization and away from cultural activities, and a move towards populist base rather than intellectual elites.

China had entered World War I on the side of the Allied Triple Entente in 1917 with the condition that all German spheres of influence, such as Shandong [Shantung], would be returned to China; although in that year, 140,000 Chinese labourers (as a part of the British army, the Chinese Labour Corps) were sent to France. The Versailles Treaty of April 1919 awarded German rights in Shandong Province to Japan. The representatives of the Chinese government put forth the following requests:

1. the abolition of all privileges of foreign powers in China, such as extraterritoriality

2. the cancelling of the "Twenty One Demands" with the Japanese

3. the return to China of the territory and rights of Shandong, which Japan had taken from Germany during World War I.

The Western Allies dominated the meeting and paid little heed to the Chinese representatives' demands. This disregard of Chinese sensibilities was the seed for the founding of the Communist Party of China in 1921. How’s that for performance writing?

Alexander VI

Another bit of political performance writing emerged on 4^th May 1493 when the Spanish-born Pope Alexander VI decreed in the bull Inter caetera that all lands west and south of a pole-to-pole line 100 leagues west and south of any of the islands of the Azores or the Cape Verde Islands should belong to Spain, although territory under Christian rule as of Christmas 1492 would remain untouched. The bull did not mention Portugal or its lands, so Portugal couldn't claim newly discovered lands even if they were east of the line. The usual land grab stuff of treaties and papal bulls, which was reflected at Versailles 426 years later.

Does the concept of carve up never stop? Some call it compromise. When does compromise become a peaceful solution? If the compromise is genuine, I suppose it can be effective. We all have to give a little in reaching a solution to a contentious situation; but at what point does effective compromise become an expedient carve up? In examining the results of yesterday’s local elections in the UK, the Liberal Democrats have more cause than most to be disgruntled with their ‘carve up’ with the Conservative Party. It is they who are suffering most from the amateur politics being practiced at present. In abandoning their corps policies for a seat on the board, they have clearly compromised too far. Is it not time for the shareholders in the party to make a protest?

PERFORMANCES IN MAY

Some literary stuff for the beginning of May:

On the 2^nd May 1611, the King James Bible was published for the first time in London, England by the printer Robert Barker.

On the 2^nd May 1885, Good Housekeeping Magazine went on sale for the first time.

The magazine was founded by Clark W. Bryan in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The magazine achieved a circulation of 300,000 by 1911, at which time it was bought by the Hearts Corporation. In 1966 it reached 5,500,000 readers. Good Housekeeping, features articles about ‘women's interests’, product testing by The Good Housekeeping Institute, recipes, diet, health as well as literary articles. It is well known for the "Good Housekeeping Seal," popularly known as the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval."

But do not think slightingly of the magazine. Writers who have contributed to the magazine include Somerset Maugham, Edwin Markham, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Frances Parkinson Keyes, A. J. Cronin, Virginia Wolf and Evelyn Waugh.

The magazine advocated pure food as early as 1905, helping to lead to the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act. It prohibited the advertising of cigarettes in the magazine in 1952, 12 years before the U.S. Surgeon General’s warning labels were required on cigarette packs. During the 1930s, it endorsed the Ludlow Amendment, which sought to require that any declaration of war, except in the event of an invasion, be ratified by a direct vote of the citizenry.

First Edition Cover

On the 2^nd May 1955, Tennessee Williams was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

                                     

On the 3^rd May 1915 the poem In Flanders Fields is written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae.

In Flanders fields, the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead, short days ago,

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields!

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands, we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields!

On the 3^rd May 1937, Margaret Mitchell is awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her only novel, Gone with the Wind.

GRAND OPENINGS

The 1^st May brings up a couple of opening nights in the world of performance.

The opening night of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro at the Vienna Opera was on the 1^st May 1786

The Folies Bergère opened in Paris on the 1^st May 1869.

It also marks the opening of a couple of world fairs.

On the 1^st May 1851, Queen Victoria opened the Great Exhibition in London.

The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or The Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, from 1^st May to 15^th  October 1851.

Opened to the public on 1st May 1893, The World's Columbian Exposition (the official shortened name for the World's Fair: Columbian Exposition, also known as The Chicago World's Fair) was a World’s Far held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the New World in 1492. The fair continued until October 30, 1893.