1949

Articles from 1949

Did Stalin Want the U.S. to Recognize China?
(Pathfinder Magazine, 1949)

Felix Morley (1894 – 1982), one of the senior Washington columnists in the early Cold War era, summarized the various concerns involved in the diplomatic recognition of Communist China as well as the surprising issue as to whether or not it was what the Soviet Premiere actually preferred at the time?

There is good reason to believe that the Communist high command in Moscow does not want us to recognize the new Communist government of China

But in recent years we have mixed up diplomatic recognition and moral approval. The absurd result is that we recognize Russia and not Spain, and are at present opposed to recognizing China even though we fear that may be cutting off our nose to spite Stalin’s face.

Lana Turner
(Quick Magazine, 1949)

When this Hollywood profile first appeared on paper, actress Lana Turner (1921 – 1995) was all of twenty-nine years of age and about to begin working on A Life of Her Own
it was her thirtieth movie; her last four films had nearly grossed a record-breaking $20 million, and her smiling mug was on each and every Hollywood fan magazine that could be found.

Today, the sleek, gray-eyed Lana has shed the plumpness of two years ago, keeps her weight between to 118 and 127 lbs… Now Lana is as shapely as she was in those early days. She has the ‘perfect’ figure: 5 ft. 3 in., 34-in. bust, 24-in. waist, 34.5 in. hips.


The article is illustrated with photographs from eight of her pre-’49 movies and lists all the husbands that she’d collected up to that same period (she had acquired eight husbands before she was through).

Washington Weighs in on China
(Pathfinder Magazine, 1949)

Seasoned Washington journalist Felix Morley (1894 – 1982) discussed the complicated issues involved in the diplomatic recognition of Communist China:

All the obvious arguments are against recognition. The Red regime in China has imprisoned our official representatives, confiscated American property, flouted and insulted us in a dozen different ways.

But in recent years we have mixed up diplomatic recognition and moral approval. The absurd result is that we recognize Russia and not Spain, and are at present opposed to recognizing China even though we fear that may be cutting off our nose to spite Stalin’s face.

The Bavarians Wanted a King
(Pathfinder Magazine, 1949)

An important news item came across the wire in mid-may, 1949:


The delegates from Western Germany’s 11 states gave final approval to the draft of the constitution for the new Federal Republic of Germany.


– but what matter was this to the thousands of Bavarians who were highly distrustful of the new government; they had their own gloried past that was largely due to the royal family known as the House of Wittelsbach:

A strong faction is campaigning for the return to the throne of former Crown Prince Rupprecht. The eldest son of King Ludwig III, deposed in 1918, Rupprecht is a tall, thin man of vast education. He led Bavarian troops under Kaiser Wilhelm. In World War II, he was exiled to Italy. Since then he has been living with his family at Leutstetten Castle on Lake Starnberg near Munich.

If the Bavarian people desire monarchy, I shall respect their desire.


Nice work if you can get it…

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