State of the Union Address

President Roosevelt stood in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon to give the State of the Union Address to the 76th session of Congress. His remarks were centered firmly on national defense. This is a topic that has in recent months become one of great interest and urgency. Developments in the past year in Europe as well as in East Asia have indicated a need for nations to take it upon themselves to ensure their continued peace and prosperity.

On this, the President said "All about us rage undeclared war - military and economic... threats of new aggression - military and economic." He stated that these entities are attacking the "new philosophies of force" with their threats to liberty, religion and international good faith. He pledged the defense of the Western Hemisphere from these philosophies. These philosophies are fascism, nazism and with less urgency though no less significant, communism. All of them subscribe in some measure to a rabid nationalism. He went on to say that the demands of the future will demand a United Nation. He linked national defense with his New Deal and social welfare programs.

He concluded his address by quoting Abraham Lincoln's closing remarks to his own 1862 State of the Union address: "This generation will 'nobly save or meanly lose the last best hope of earth. The way is pain, peaceful, generous, just - a way which if followed the world will forever applaud and God must forever bless.'"

With it's conclusion, the President and his cabinet exited the chamber and left Capital Hill.

Libyan Jews no longer Italian

Italy made a decision to rescind Italian citizenship from 20,000 Libyan Jews. They will remain stateless where they are for time being as no other option is available.

Synagogue blown up in Romania

Reports have surfaced that the Totul pentru Ţară, the Iron Guard, a rabid ultra nationalist, anti-semitic fascist political party in Romania have blown up a Synagogue on November 18th. The Synagogue in question is in the western Romanian town of Reşiţa.

The Iron Guard did do things thoroughly and dynamited it. This was not a simple case burning and looting.

Anti-Jewish Laws in Italy

The Legislation making it harder for Italian Jews passed the legislature in Italy. The Fascist Government passed several laws resembling the Germany's Nuremberg laws today.

Despite Fascist laws in Italy, there has not been a systemic Anti-Semitic rhetoric in Mussolini's government. This past autumn, Italy has made several changes to its Jewish policies. These laws ban miscegenation between Jews and "Aryans," and placed Jews, defined by racial criteria much as in the Nazi legislation, under further restrictions. Alien Jews have also been expelled from the nation and teachers and students pulled from schools.

Italian Jews under harder Laws

The Italian Government enacted anti-Jewish legislation. Many of the laws proposed would be similar to the Nuremberg Laws passed three years ago in Germany.

No New Businesses

Italian authorities decreed that no new business licences would be granted to any Jew should he seek it. This was announced yesterday and it assumed that it goes into effect immediately.

Italy cracks down on Jews

Italy has passed the Racial Laws against the Jews barring them from studying or teaching in a school of higher learning and revoking the citizenship of all foreign Jews obtained after January, 1919, and decreeing their expulsion within six months.

Hull says US can't intervene in Romania

U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull declared today that America cannot intervene in Romania's internal affairs.

In the last week of the year, the National Christian Party established a government at King Carol's request. Octavian Goga formed a government that many fear will be vehemently anti-semitic and much like Germany's Nazi Regíme.

Romanian goes Fascist

On December 20th and 22nd, two rounds of elections were held to choose the Romanian Parliament. The election was held with universal male suffrage.

The first day was to elect Assembly of Deputies. The second on the 22nd was held to elect the Senate.

After two days of voting the tally looked like thus:

Parties Votes Seats

National Liberal Party 1103353 228
National Peasants Party 626612 5
Totul pentru Ţară 478368 70
National Christian Party 281167 35
Maryar Party 136139 3
National Liberal Party-Brătianu 119361 16
Radical Peasants' Party 69198
Agrarian Party 52101
Jewish Party 43681
German Party 43412 3

After the election, King Carol II asked the National Liberal Party to form a government. This is the party that has held electoral power since 1933. Gheorghe Tătărescu has led the party for some time. However, the party was unable to form a coalition government with the next two parties: The National Peasants' Party or the Totul pentru Ţară, otherwise known as the Iron Cross.

This left left the King with the choice of asking poet and politician Octavian Goga to form a government on December 27th. Goga's National Christian Party came in fourth in the polls and is decidedly very anti-semitic and has strong anti-Jewish rhetoric. The party is fascist and shares that in common with Totul pentru Ţară which is also firmly anti-Communist.

It seems he may be the right man for the job. But in the cause of stable government, Romania has become Fascist.

Communism banned in Swiss state of Geneva

Geneva has banned the Communist Party from politicking in the canton. Small fascist groups have been causing political squabbles in the largely neutral nation since 1932.

Jews excluded from Professional Associations

In Romania, a measure largely illegal, bars all Jews from Professional Associations such as those for physicians, businessman and attorneys. For some professions such legal ones, being accepted into a professional association is required to actively practice that profession.

Romania will likely see a shortage of practicing physicians in the near future.

Italy & Germany for Franco

Italy and Germany have both voiced support for General Franco and his Fascist forces. Each will be shipping arms to the rebels to help with their struggle against the Republican government and the Monarchy.

General Franco declares Spain in a "state of war"

The Spanish Foreign Legion continues to rebel in Spanish Morocco on Northern Africa. They hold the territory.

Rebels made considerable headway in Spain itself today. Fighting erupted in Spain and Pamplona, Zaragoza, Oviedo, Salamanca, Segovia, Ávila and Cadiz rest in rebel hands tonight.

General Francisco Franco, from the Canary Islands, made a pronouncement over the radio, that Spain was in a "state of war". His pronunciamiento came within hours of the uprising in Morocco which only strengthens the belief that he is leading this revolt despite his geographic misplacement.

What set it off was the brutal murder early last week of the leader of the Spanish monarchists, able, eloquent Deputy José Calvo Sotelo, onetime Minister of Finance under the late Dictator Primo de Rivera. Calvo had just notified the Government that he planned to interpellate it next day on the riots. Assault Guardsmen called on Calvo with a warrant, took him off in their police car, dumped his body, shot, mangled and bashed, at Madrid's Municipal Cemetery.

Premier Santiago Casares Quiroga promptly suspended Parliament for eight days, and all the Monarchist Deputies swore never to return. Unwisely the Government refused to allow Calvo's body to lie in state anywhere, barred a mob of 30,000 Rightists from the cemetery where he was being buried. When the crowd gave the Fascist shout, "Up Spain!" Assault Guardsmen fired, killed five, wounded three. Forehanded, President Manuel Azaña ordered the Army and Civil Guards mobilized in quarters, ordered a roundup of Rightist leaders, jammed them into jails. Talkative Rightists had begun telling about a great Army revolt that was due any day and that was to have set up José Calvo Sotelo as President of Spain.