Vietminh Power Struggle? (The New Leader Magazine, 1951)During the earliest days of 1951 many journalists and intelligence analysts in the West thought Ho Chi Minh's prolonged absence from public view meant a coup d'ιtat had taken place within the Viet Minh hierarchy. These same minds held that the most likely candidate to launch such a power play was Ho's number two: Dang Xuan Khu (1907 - 1988). This article goes into some detail explaining who he was and what he'd been up to for the past forty years. The Twilight of Segregated Baseball...(People Today Magazine, 1951)An anonymous scribe at People Today wrote this well-illustrated piece to mark the occasion that heralded the end of the Negro Baseball League - and the integration of major league baseball in America.
Click here to read a 1954 article about Willie Mays.
Setting the Trends from Paris (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)So much had changed in the world as a result of the Second World War, and although those shifting sands had moved much of the fashion industry to New York, the heart and soul of women's fashion was still in Paris. This article is all about the fashion kings and queens who remained in the French capital. These columns explain what all the finest French designers were up to: Dior, Balmain, Schiaparelli, Fath, Balenciaga, Lanvin etc, etc, etc...
To read further about post-war Paris fashion, click here...
Another Purge? (Quick Magazine, 1951)A short list of the assorted difficulties that faced the Russians in the early Fifties, with two additional news paragraphs that told of additional setbacks on both sides of the iron curtain. Television: God's Gift To Politicians (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)Placing a teleprompter or cue cards below a camera lens seems like old-hat to us - but our grandparents thought that it rendered an amazing affect for televised addresses:
"The new technique for speeches on TV - reading from larlge cards with lettering two inches high placed just under the camera lens - makes it possible for the speaker to look directly into the camera lens, giving the appearance of talking directly to the viewer." John Barrymore (Coronet Magazine, 1951)John Barrymore (nι John Sidney Blyth: 1882 1942) is said to have been one of America's finest actors; co-star in an ensemble cast of thespians that consisted of his brother Lionel and sister Ethel, they were known around Broadway and Hollywood as "the Barrymores". Today he is primarily known as the great-grandfather of Drew Barrymore (b. 1975). Although badly plagued by alcoholism, he managed to play his parts admirably - and those who knew him best both on the stage and off, remember him in this article.
A far more revealing article about Barrymore can be read here. The Milliner's Collaboration (Collier's Magazine, 1951) In 1951 the finest minds in American millinery were asked to put their collective craniums together and design some hats; each brought something unique to the table - the most humorous design element that appeared in each hat included a telephone!
"Collaborators in the struggle to produce a taller plume, a more involved bird's nest, are the hat designer's - to whom carrots and cornstalks, bean bean pods and bumper-shoots are all perfectly acceptable decorations for the head." A Trivial Tail (Quick Magazine, 1951)A short news piece concerning the reappearance of Mickey's tail - after a 10-year absence. Congress OKs the Hiring of Illegal Farm Workers (People Today Magazine, 1951)"In the midst of the Imperial Valley labor strife, on June 27, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill by a vote of 240 to 139 making it possible for farmers to hire illegally entered [Mexicans]." The Atomic Spy Ring (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)An interesting column that succinctly sums up how Stalin's spies were able to compromise the Manhattan Project, who organized the spy ring, the intelligence that was gleaned, how they were caught and what their fate within the legal system would be.
You can read about Alger Hiss HERE...
''Don't Count on Germany to Fight'' (Collier's Magazine, 1951)Not too long after the end of World War II, the French, British and Americans found that they had to assemble a coalition of nations (NATO) that would be willing to fight the Soviets for what was believed to be an even bigger rumble in the future - but after losing two enormous wars, West Germany refused to join.
The Frenzy for Rudolph Valentino (Coronet Magazine, 1951)Even as late as 1951, those eccentric little movie theaters that ran only thirty year-old flicks filled their seats with middle-aged women who still nursed a flame for Rudolph Valentino (1895 1926); their beau ideal from the mad Twenties who so many imagined to have been "the perfect lover.
The Pentagon Prepared for W.W. III (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)Shortly after the Soviet Union successfully tested their first atomic bomb, the brass hats who work in the Pentagon saw fit to take the first step in preparing to fight an atomic war: they gave the order to create a subterranean headquarters to house a military command and control center for the U.S. and her allies.
"The finished chamber, according to local observers, will be 3,100 feet long, contain four suites for the top brass (the Joint Chiefs of Staff, among others), and provide operational quarters for some 1,200 technicians in peacetime, or 5,000 if atomic bombing threatens the Washington command."
Commonly known as "Site R", it is located not terribly far from the presidential retreat, Camp David, and in the subsequent years since this article first appeared, the complex has grown considerably larger than when it was first envisioned. Today, Site R maintains more than thirty-eight military communications systems and it has been said that it was one of "undisclosed locations" that hosted Vice President Dick Cheney (b. 1941) shortly after the September 11th terrorist attacks.
A related article can be read here...
The Wandering Waistline (Quick Magazine, 1951)Looking back, the fashion silhouette of the 1950s is remembered as having a very narrow waistline, but in the early days of the decade, as this 1951 fashion review indicates, the feminine waist was a highly contested battle ground:
"Where's the waist? Paris popped the question, but has yet to give the answer. On the one hand, many leading designers showed a tendency to raise the waistline. But they were challenged by a strong minority that seemed determined to drop it [pictures of both high and low are provided herein]...Apparently, Paris has decreed it the year of the wandering waist. Where it will stop may well be up to American women." If you'd like to read about the feminine silhouette of the early Forties, click here. Unrepentant Fascists in Argentina (People Today, 1951)The pages of People Today, a short-lived gossip rag and probable ancestor of today's People, seldom reserved any column space to report on the whereabouts of all the various celebrity Nazis who had missed their date's with the hangman - but for this scoop they made an exception.
"Spotted in Argentina during the summer of 1951 was Mussolini's daughter, Edda Ciano (1910 1995), Otto Skorzeny (1908 1975) and Croatian fascist Ante Pavelić (1889 1959). The murderous Pavelić was in the employ of the Argentine dictator, Juan Peron; the other two resided in Europe (Countess Ciano had recently served a two year stint in an Italian prison and Skorzeny, as an ODESSA flunky, was probably no stranger to South America).
Click here to read a related article from NEWSWEEK concerning the post-war presence of Nazis in Argentina.
Click here to read another article about the post-war whereabouts of another Nazi.
U.N. Forces Turn Back Spring Offensive (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)Attacking across a 125 mile front, the Chinese Army launched their spring offensive on May 17, 1951; unable to make any advances, they retired two weeks later, leaving behind some 80,000 dead. "The Communist hit first on the east central front. A quick rout of two ROK divisions caught the U.S. 2nd Division, commanded by Major General Clark Ruffner, in a dangerous pocket with their east flank exposed...One officer called the Red onslaught 'an astounding demonstration. They wade right through macine gun or artillery fire. The bodies pile up and they walk right over the bodies and the pile of bodies gets higher.'" Milton Berle (Coronet Magazine, 1951)He was the biggest television star of the 1950s - Milton Berle (1908 2002):
"An incurable extrovert of 43, Uncle Miltie is already a 36-year show business veteran and will probably go on forever. At the very least, his new 30-year contract with NBC will keep him in front of of the TV cameras until he is 72..." Jacques Fath and Elsa Schiaparelli (Quick Magazine, 1951)This illustrated fashion review shows four images that depicted the sophisticated offerings by Jacques Fath and Elsa Schiaparelli from their respective 1951 mid-summer collections. What the American women who gazed upon these pages learned is that the era of the padded hips was continuing its march into the next decade.
Where Glamour and Tennis Met: Nancy Chaffee (Quick Magazine, 1951)This article is about Nancy Chaffee (1929 - 2002), another California-born tennis champion of the post-war era. Chaffee had once been ranked as the fourth-place women's tennis champ in all the world, winning three consecutive national indoor championships (1950-1952). She first came to view in 1947 playing alongside the men on the U.S.C. tennis team (there was no women's team at the time). The year before this article appeared on the newsstands, Chaffee made the semi-finals at Forrest Hills, her record at Wimbledon can be read here
The Origins of ''Undocumented'' Labor (The New Leader, 1951)This article was penned in 1951 by Hank Hasiwar, a loyal New Deal Democrat and president of the National Farm Labor Union (formerly the Southern Tenant Farmer's Union). His column was written in order to express his complete and utter outrage that there were members of congress who openly worked to undermine the welfare of American workers:
"U.S. Senator Clinton Anderson (D-NM) made a strenuous attempt to flood the farming areas with hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals to be brought in at great expense to the taxpayers in order to provide cheap labor for the farm owners." When Truman Fired MacArthur (Quick Magazine, 1951)General MacArthur's wish to expand the Korean War by dropping as many as thirty (30) A-Bombs on various strategic targets located in both China and North Korea contrasted dramatically with President Truman's plans as well as those of the United Nations. Plagued by a crippling sense of self-grandeur, the General's arrogance became a liability and President Truman was absolutely delighted to fire him.
Tax Policy (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951) Foreign-Aid on Behalf of the American Civil Rights Struggle (Quick Magazine, 1951)Recognizing that the United States has seldom ever been without civil libertarians, of one form or another, who could always be relied upon to file papers in the courts on behalf of one injured tribe or another - I often wondered why, if this was the case, was so much progress made in the American civil rights struggle of the 50s and 60s as opposed to other periods? This article answered that question.
"Radio Moscow noted the warnings of a Klansman in South Carolina, that there will be bloodshed if Negro students attend white schools. But ignored the admittance of 1,000 Negroes to colleges in 15 Southern and Border states, schools formerly for whites only."
Picket's Charge (W.C. Storick, 1951)[General] Picket's "column of assault consisted of 42 regiments: 19 Virginia, 15 North Carolina, 2 Alabama, 3 Tennessee and 3 Mississippi - a total of 15,000 men" Analyzing Truman (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951) My Brother Groucho (Coronet Magazine, 1951)In this six page essay Harpo Marx tells the tale of Groucho (1890 1977) as only an older brother could see it. From the Marx family's earliest days in the slums of New York and Groucho's first entertainment job (he was 13), Harpo (1888 1964) briefly recounts his brother's wins and losses leading up to the team's first popular show on Broadway ("I'll Say She Is", 1923) and the man's travails on his T.V. game show, "You Bet Your Life".
"Groucho's infatuation with the language has been the backbone of his entire life and has, undoubtedly, played the largest single part in shaping him into one of the greatest wits of our time. Groucho doesn't regard words the way the rest of us do. He looks at a word in the usual fashion. Then he looks at it upside down, backwards, from the middle out to the ends, and from the ends back to the middle...Groucho doesn't look for double meanings. He looks for quadruple meanings. And usually finds them."
Click here to read about the manner in which the Marx Brothers would test their jokes.
Fears of a Stalin/Mosadegh Alliance... (People Today, 1951)The attached article will give you some indication as to the high level of anti-Soviet intensity that existed in the U.S. in 1951. This short piece, and others like it, fanned the fires that lead to the downfall of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh (1882 1967) in the well-known 1953 coup that was launched by both the CIA and MI5. The results of of this joint effort ("Operation Ajax") were fruitful in the short run, but set in motion a series of events that have created the Iran we enjoy today.
Illustrated with a military-style map, abounding with footnotes and an ominous-looking red Soviet arrow, rudely pointing at the Abadan oil fields, the uncredited journalist hinted that Mosaddegh's rise and subsequent nationalization of all foreign-owned oil wells would only create a new Iran that was firmly in the Soviet camp. This was not to be the case, for Mosadegh really never trusted the Reds. An Ice Cream History (Coronet Magazine, 1951)In this admirable effort to briefly explain the history of ice cream, the authors of this three page narrative begins in the year 62 A.D., pointing out that the Roman Emperor Nero had gone on record declaring his fondness for frozen delicacies, but, as you will read, what he was consuming was in actuality something more along the lines of a "snow-cone"; but it is good to know that the market was very much in place at such an early moment in time. The U.N. Counter-Offensive (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)In mid-March the U.N. forces launched a counter-strike in answer to the Communists offensive that was commenced across a wide swath of the front line in early January. General Ridgeway remarked that although the Communists were in retreat, they still had an enormous pool of men in reserve. The Kaesong Cease-Fire (Time Magazine, 1951)The Korean War peace negotiations that took place at Kaesong during August of 1951 are remembered as one of the many failed peace conferences to be convened during the course of that war. The talks were broken off early as a result of a series of U.N. raids that were launched in two different enemy held positions - in addition to an nighttime airstrike that almost decimated the grounds where the talks were being held. The U.N. negotiators were especially frustrated with the fact that the Communists wished that both armies adhere to the 38th Parallel as the post-war border; exactly where the war began. Watch a Film Clip About the Kaesong Cease-Fire Truman's China Policy for 1951 (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)This is a single column that clearly lays out the Truman Administration's diplomatic policies concerning Mao's China - the summary is reduced to five bullet points. How I was Saved (Coronet Magazine, 1951)No doubt, the most glam passenger to survive the Titanic disaster was the fashion designer Lady Duff-Gordon (1863 1935: a.k.a. "Lucile"). Attached is the great couturier's account describing the pandemonium she witnessed on deck, the screams heard as Titanic began her plunge and the sun coming up the next morning:
"I shall never forget the beauty of that April dawn, stealing over the cold Atlantic, lighting up the icebergs till they looked like giant opals. As we saw other boats rowing alongside, we imagined that most passengers on the Titanic had been saved, like us; not one of us even guessed the appalling truth..."
Stalin's Nine Point Plan (Coronet Magazine, 1951)Joseph Stalin (1878 - 1953) is credited as the author of the attached article, Russia's Plan for World Conquest, and it outlines all the various methods Soviet agents can subvert and curry-favor among the various youth and labor groups that are based in the industrialized democracies of the West:
"...here is the Russian Dictator's nine point program for world conquest, taken from his recorded writings, which are now on file in the Stalin Archives of the National War College in Washington, D.C. Italicized sentences have been inserted throughout the article in order to point up Stalin's plan in the light of today's crucial events." [ie. the Korean War] "As Lenin has said, a terrible clash between Soviet Russia and the capitalist States must inevitably occur...Therefore we must try to take the enemy by surprise, seize a moment when his forces are dispersed."
Click here to read about Soviet collusion with American communists.
Charlie Chaplin Bio (New Leader Magazine, 1951)Here is an interesting review of Charlie Chaplin, a 1951 biography:
"The acting of Charlie Chaplin has enriched our lives; it has become part of our experience. Regardless of how his casual and unserious politics are interpreted, irrespective of what attitude is taken toward newspaper stories of his private life, his films have demonstrably healthy influence on audiences. All one needs to do to prove this is to sit in a theater and listen to the genuine laughter which Chaplin evokes." The Domino Theory (Collier's Magazine, 1951)In 1951, N.Y. Governor Thomas Dewey (1902 1971) made a fact-finding trip to French Indochina (Vietnam), and as impressed as he was with the French command, he wrote urgently in this Collier's article of his belief in the "Domino Theory" - Indochina, Thailand and Burma were the Rice Bowl of Southeast Asia:
"The Rice Bowl of Southeast Asia is the cornerstone of our Pacific defenses. And Indochina is the cornerstone of the cornerstone." Resourceful Robert Motherwell (Quick Magazine, 1951)The ink-stained editors at QUICK MAGAZINE rarely ever concerned themselves with the Bohemian-happenings of the New York art world, but when the abstract expressionist painter Robert Motherwell (1915 1991) strayed from the standard-issue art supply tools and used a reflective fabric called Scotchlite in the creation of a 12 foot, three-paneled mural - the editors thought it was news.
America's Disgrace: Polluted Rivers (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951) The Musicians Duke Ellington Admired (Coronet Magazine, 1951)"Of all the jazz musicians who link yesterday's ragtime with today's dance music, Duke Ellington is the dean. In his 27 years as a pianist and composer, the Duke has played alongside every great brass, reed, and rhythm man of his day. Now he picks those music makers who, 'on the basis of their over-all contribution, their all-time record, consistently good performance, and love of music,' constitute 1951's All-American jazz band."
Duke Ellington made a list of his favorite eleven musicians; some of the names may surprise you. The Salad Days of Gynecology (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)Do you think your job is tough? Pity the pioneering gynecologists of the 16th Century...
Lt. Colonel Fremantle at Gettysburg (W.C. Storrick, 1951)"Lt. Colonel Frementle (1835 1901), a member of the Coldstream Guards, was a guest of the Army of Northern Virginia during the Gettysburg campaign. After the Battle of Gettysburg, he returned to England and published Three months in the Southern States . The following is a vivid extract, describing a part of the battle from the Southern lines:
"The position into which the enemy had been driven was evidently a strong one. His right appeared to rest on a cemetery, on the top of a high ridge to the right of Gettysburg, as we looked at it."
"General Hill now came up and told me he had been very unwell all day, and in fact he looks very delicate. He said he had had two of his divisions engaged, and had driven the enemy four miles into his present position, capturing a great many prisoners, some cannon, and some colors; he said, however, that the Yankees had fought with a determination unusual to them."
Reds Pushed Back (Quick Magazine, 1951)The two-round, all-out offensive launched by the Chinese Army on April 22 exhausted itself and fizzled-out four weeks later after suffering heavy losses and gaining no ground whatever. American Resolve and the Draft (Quick Magazine, 1951)Illustrated with a chart that shows how much the U.S. Navy had shrunk after W.W. II and then expanded anew when faced with the war in Korea, this short article pertains to the various steps Congress was taking to meet the Soviet challenges abroad:
"A $2.3 billion ship-building and repair program, just approved by President Truman, will add a 57,800-ton carrier and 172 other new vessels to the fleet. And 291 more are to be demothballed-including 6 carriers, 12 cruisers, 194 destroyers.
[Stalin was incapable of responding to such growth, so he simply ordered the production of additional A-Bombs]
The Soviet Union was the first atheist government...
Anticipating Soviet Imperialism (Quick Magazine, 1951)A brief Quick Magazine report on the Christians who made their 1951 pilgrimage to Fatima, Portugal. In 1917, the year of the Russian Revolution, it said that the Virgin Mary appeared before three children and interacted with them. Among other remarks, the Virgin is said to have made this warning:
"Russia will spread her errors throughout the world and many nations will be annihilated".
Mobilization (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)Attached is a report on President Truman's efforts to intensify America's wartime posture. When this article was first read the Korean War had been raging for seven months - with the fifth month bringing the promise of an expanded and very bloody war as a result of Chinese intervention. Compiled in these columns is a list explaining how the Truman administration, the Pentagon and the officials on the American home front had met the Korean challenge thus far. A Hollywood Star Before the Committee (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)Larry Parks (1914 1975) was an Hollywood movie actor. His career arched from bit player and supporting roles to top billing before his career was virtually ended when he admitted to having once been a member of the Communist Party USA; his candor soon led to his being blacklisted by all the Hollywood studios. The Young Nancy Reagan (Modern Screen, 1951) Published in a Hollywood fan magazine some months prior to her engagement with Screen Actors Guild President Ronald Reagan (1911 2004) was this 1951 profile of the actress Nancy Davis (born Anne Frances Robbins: 1921 - 2016). A gossipy yet informative article that covers her days at Smith College, her relationship with capitol "H" Hollywood stars Alla Nazimova and Walter Houston, the eight films in which she had acted in up to that time and the various assorted reactions she instilled in such directors as William Wellman and Dore Schary.
A 1942 article by the young Ronald Reagan can be read here...
Lee's Report Regarding the First Day (W.C. Storck, 1951)"The enemy was driven through Gettysburg with heavy loss, including about 5,000 prisoners and several pieces of artillery. He retired to a high range of his hills south and east of the town. The attack was not pressed that afternoon, the enemy's force being unknown, and it being considered advisable to await the arrival of of the rest of our troops."
The ''Actress/Models'' (Quick Magazine, 1951)The Forties and Fifties were indeed the infancy of the "model/actress" era; one of the first "slashies", Lauren Bacall (b. 1924) was buried in 2014. Where was General Lee Headed? (W.C. Storrick, 1951)A brief explanation as to what General Lee had in mind when he invaded the North in the Summer of 1863, why he chose a route through the Shenandoah and Cumberland valleys, where his army was actually headed and what the South had intended to gain if the campaign had been successful.
From Amazon:
Lee's Real Plan at Gettysburg
The Strong Economy and its Effect on Fashion (Quick Magazine, 1951)The antidote to the austere fashion deprivations of the 1930s and the wartime fabric restrictions that characterized the Forties arrived in the immediate post-war period when designers were at last permitted to make manifest their restrained cleverness and create an aesthetic style in a mode that was overindulgent in its use of fabric. This fashion revolt commenced in Paris, when Christian Dior showed his first collection in 1947 - couturiers in every style capitol in the West willingly kowtowed and a new era in fashion was born.
The Long Haul (Quick Magazine, 1951)By the Winter of 1951 another round of cease-fire and truce agreements between UN and Communist field commanders had once again come to naught - and America's second Thanksgiving in Korea soon gave way to America's second Christmas in Korea. This brief column lays out what went wrong in the last negotiations and American Secretary of State Dean Acheson declared that the U.S. would remain in Korea even after a peace agreement has been signed. The North Korean Winter Offensive (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)On December 31, 1950, the Communist Armies fighting in Korea launched a campaign that was intended to drive the UN Forces further south away from the 38th Parallel. Costing much in both blood and treasure, the Red Push was easily contained and whatever ground had been gained was easily re-taken when the UN launched a counter-offensive of their own on February 21, 1951.
Click here to read how Japan, still smarting from their defeat just six years earlier, had found a new identity and resolve as a result of the Cold War, and the war in Korea in particular. Should Truman Have Fired MacArthur?
(Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)"Had the five-star general, brilliant military servant of his country for 50 years, been a sincere, farsighted prophet advocating the only course which could halt Communist Imperialism and save the free world? Or had he been an egotistical, arbitrary, insubordinate soldier, deliberately undercutting his Commander-in-Chief in pursuit of a policy to which no United States or United Nations official would give endorsement?"
The author lists numerous instances indicating that the General had been insubordinate. The First 365 Days of the Korean War (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)When the Korean War began during the summer of 1950 many Americans were wondering aloud "Is this the beginning of W.W. III?" One year later they were relieved to find that it was not a world war, but the butcher's bill stood at 70,000 U.S. casualties and still there was no end in sight. This article examines these first 365 days of combat, taking into account all losses and gains. The U.N. and Collective Security (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)Eight months into the Korean War came this editorial from an American news magazine pointing out that the burden of defending South Korea was not being evenly shared by the other member states of the United Nations and that the U.S. was over-represented on the battlefields:
"When the Korean Communists invaded South Korea last June, the U.N. was quick to authorize the use of armed force to combat the aggression, but not so quick when it came to contributing troops. [As of February, 1951] U.N. forces in Korea total about 275,000. Of this number 150,000 are American and 100,000 are South Koreans. This leaves less than 25,000 from 11 of the other U.N. members - a pitifully small contribution... What is there definition of 'collective security'? Have they so soon forgotten Munich? Have they forgotten that collective firmness by the Allies, when Germany invaded the Rhineland, might have prevented World War II?" Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner To Wed (Modern Screen, 1951)Back in the day, some wise old sage once remarked: "It's Frank Sinatra's world; we only live in it." -in 1951, Nancy Sinatra certainly thought these words were double-dipped in truth; married to "The Voice" since 1939, she tended to their three children devotedly, yet she was served with divorce papers nonetheless in order that "Ol' Blue Eyes" could go keep house with the twice-married starlet Ava Gardner (1922 1990). The attached article will tell you all about it; it's a juicy one - filled hearsay, innuendo and the knowing words of a Vegas odds maker as to whether the marriage will last: "Will Frank turn out to be a better husband than Mickey Rooney or Artie Shaw? Will Ava have more luck with him than Nancy had?" (they divorced in 1957) A Failure to Spread the Word (Coronet Magazine, 1951)Here is a classic story about the failures in global communication during the pre-Twitter era. This article explains how there was a fifteen hour lag between the Japanese surrender and the time in which Tokyo heard that their offer had been accepted by the Allies.
"In the midst of a routine radio-teletype conference between GHQ officers in Manila and the War Department in Washington, the teletype suddenly began printing:
'Stand by for important message **** from Marshall to MacArthur ****you are hereby notified of Japanese capitulation ****'"
It all centered on one skanky, bullet-pocked, bomb-damaged Radio Operations Room in Manila.
Building the CIA (People Today Magazine, 1951)"For the first time in history, the U.S. government is training professional spies - and picking the brightest college youngsters to make espionage their career. By December, some 250 men and 50 women will be learning the spy business from the bottom up, at schools they mustn't even admit exist."
A 1951 article about the young CIA can be read by clicking here...
The Fad for Felt Fashion (Quick Magazine, 1951)The fad for skirts fashioned out of felt began with college girls when it was discovered that a flattering silhouette could be achieved when the fabric was cut on the bias; the attached article shows the color image of a felt "ballet skirt" as a case in point.
Sub-standard fabrics play a part in fashion's march from time to time; in the Sixties there was a short-lived craze in some circles to wear dresses made from paper or vinyl. The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge (Collier's Magazine, 1951)There is a set of rocky hills close to the 38th Parallel that came to be known as "Heartbreak Ridge" in the Fall of 1951. It came to pass when a plan was made to secure these hills for the U.N Forces - they thought this would be done in one day - but it continued for a full month. At long last, the 23rd Regiment of the 2nd U.S. Infantry Division finally wrested Heartbreak Ridge from a numerically superior enemy on October 12 - and in so doing, lost half their strength (1,650 men). The San Fernando Valley (Coronet Magazine, 1951)During the Second World War, millions of American military personnel passed through Los Angeles. Many were attracted to the simple domestic architecture, the smell of orange blossoms, Hollywood, the glorious weather - all of these or none of these, but many of them promised themselves that if they survived the war, this is where they would want to start their lives.
Many of these men fulfilled that promise, and they brought with them the government guaranteed housing loans provided by the G.I Bill - and a dusty, arid flat land just over the hill from Los Angeles called the San Fernando Valley began to grow as a result. By 1951, just six years after the war, two thousand building permits were issued for this area each month. British Moles Defect (Quick Magazine, 1951)On May 19, 1951 two officials of the British Foreign Office were reported as missing; their disappearance raised many eyebrows within the intelligence community.
One of the men, Donald MacLean (1913 - 1983) had been working in various trusted positions within the British diplomatic corps since 1934, but his handlers in Moscow called him "Homer". The other Englishman, Guy Burgess (1911 - 1963) began working for the Foreign Office in 1944; the KGB called him "Hicks". The two men were members of a spy ring that would soon be known as "the Cambridge Four" (the other two being Kim Philby and Anthony Blunt. In later years a fifth spy would surface: Roland Perry. All of them were recruited by the Soviets while attending Cambridge University in the 1930s).
The information that was fed to the journalist who wrote the attached article was clearly meant to disguise the fact that all the Western intelligence agencies were totally freaking out.
''Political Killings in Korea'' (Quick Magazine, 1951)"South Korean firing squads had executed hundreds of men, women and children accused as Red sympathizers before President Rhee stopped the practice last week and set up a special board to review death sentences." Germany and the Next War (Collier's Magazine, 1951)No sooner had the curtain descended on the tragedy that was World War II when the Allied nations found themselves having to put together a coalition of nations that would be willing to contain Soviet expansion throughout Europe. A COLLIER'S journalist wandered among the rubble of West Germany and found that a great number of draft-age men simply replied "nein" when asked if they would be willing to fight alongside the Americans, French and British. One of the wiser observers opined:
"Remember that Germany is a convalescent country...These people have lost two world wars in a generation. The last one cost them nearly 3,000,000 dead and another 1,000,000 or so still missing, to say nothing of some 4,000,000 wounded. They just don't want to take a chance of being on the losing side again."
The West Germans joined NATO in 1955.
The Early CIA (Coronet Magazine, 1951)"The CIA is a young and relatively untested child in the strange world of intelligence. The enemy dourly accuses it of 'Black Warfare.' But there is definite proof of its success. Radio Moscow never misses a chance to scream shrilly of 'the extended spy network of the Wall Street mercenaries.'"
"The CIA formula avoids the fog of rumor that fills any world capital, and goes straight to the hard facts of the enemy's economy, production, transportation, raw materials and manpower. A modern war must be organized, much of it in the open, long in advance. Guns must be manufactured; munitions, food, and raw materials stockpiled; railways and roads expanded and soldiers trained. The allocation of scarce Soviet-controlled steel is far more important than the minutes of the Politburo."
In 1958, Fidel Castro wrote an article for an American magazine in which he thoroughly lied about his intentions; click here to read it. Japan Chipped-In (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)War-weary Japan recognized that when the U.S. and her assorted allies went to war in Korea, she too, could play an important roll in the struggle as a reliable, non-combatant partner. Expanding The American Draft Pool (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)Nine months after the American intervention into the Korean War, the Congress saw reason to expand the draft pool to an even wider degree:
"Eighteen-year-olds were a little closer to the draft this week, and America was a step closer to a system of permanent universal military training..." A Chronology: 1950 - 51 (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)Appearing in the June 27, 1951 issue of PATHFINDER was this list of chronological events that made up the first ten months of fighting in the Korean War. The Reds Take it on the Chin (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)"United Nations patrols in Korea probed north last week seeking out an enemy that wouldn't stand and fight. But early this week, after U.N. advance units had pushed to within eight miles of Seoul, the Communists suddenly stopped playing hide and seek and began to offer stiffer resistance.... The Communist reluctance to fight last week caused much speculation at Eighth Army headquarters. Some officers thought the Reds were regrouping for a major push down the center. Others felt the Chinese had pulled back to give weight to the cease-fire negotiations at Lake Success. But they all agreed on one point: the Communists have paid an appalling price for their Korean adventure."
In hindsight we can say that the musings of the first officers were correct: the Communists were indeed rearming for a major offensive that would begin the following May.
Click here to read an article about the American POW experience during the Korean War. W.W. I and American Women (Pageant Magazine, 1951)Here is a segment from a longer article published in 1951 by an anonymous American woman who wished to be known to her readers only as a woman who had "grown up with the Century" (born in 1900). In this column she insisted that it was the First World War that served as the proving ground where American women showed that they were just as capable as their brothers - and thus deserving of a voice in government. ''Our First War With The Russians'' (Collier's Magazine, 1951)With the Korean War in full-swing, Major General Edward E. MacMorland (U.S.A.) recalled his experiences some forty years earlier when he was a field grade officer fighting the nascent Soviet Army on their own turf:
"It was a tough and surprisingly well-equipped enemy that our soldiers faced in this region..." Why America Could Win A War Against Russia (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951) When this article first went to print, American forces had been slugging it out on the Korean peninsula for the past six months - and the American people had genuine concerns about that dust-up snowballing into a much larger conflict. This article was written to remind them that mighty air armadas do not simply appear when necessary; they must be planned and budgeted. The author goes into great depth concerning all the impressive aircraft that was both available in limited numbers and on the drawing boards - but the military-industrial complex would need a lead time of 18 months to produce them in effective numbers.
"If we win this war or any part of it, it won't be due to the wisdom or foresight of our political leaders but to what U.S. industry has heretofore conclusively proved itself capable of - an outright production miracle."
Were Russian MIGS Better Than American Fighter Jets?
Counter-Espionage (Coronet Magazine, 1951)This is the story of Harry Sawyer (real name William G. Sebold), a German immigrant to American shores. On a return trip to Germany to visit family in 1939, Sawyer was very reluctantly forced into service as a spy for the German SD (Sicherheitsdienst), the intelligence arm of Himmler's SS. Sawyer was schooled briefly in the ways of spying, told what was expected of him and then let loose to set sail home.
Upon his return, Sawyer quickly explained his problem to J. Edgar Hoover, who masterfully turned the situation to his advantage, an advantage that led to the capture of 32 Nazi spies.
Click here to read about "Lucy" - Stalin's top spy during the Second World War. Fashion's Rainmaker (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)"In the February of 1947, he opened eyes and mouths all over the world by showing almost-ankle-length daytime dresses. In the United States this length was christened the New Look. And Christian Dior had won, by inches the title, King of Fashion. His title is still secure. Dior designs accounted for an estimated 60% of total haute couture exports last year." A Southern Spy in Pennsylvania (W.C. Storrick, 1951)In his Civil War memoir
Confederate General John B. Gordon (1832 1904) recalled leading the spearhead of Lee's army through Gettysburg and on to the towns of York and Wrightsville on June 28th, 1863. While his procession was entering York a young girl ran up to him and handed him a large bouquet of flowers, which served to camouflage a letter from a Southern spy.
Click here to read more about Civil War espionage.
The Need For A New Word (Collier's Magazine, 1951) Post-War Nazis (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)By clicking the title link posted above you will see a photo of what appears to be the Fascist's answer to the von Trapp Family Singers - but hold, good reader - it was something far more sinister.
Read about American censorship in Occupied-Japan...
Shopping from Television (Pathfinder Magazine, 1951)Before there was an HSN or a QVC - before there was an Adam Freeman or a Mary Beth Roe, there was "Your Television Shopper" and "Leave It To The Girls" starring Maggie Johnson and Faye Emerson, respectively. The programs were two of several such shows that aired during the prepubescent days of television broadcasting - and like the shopping shows that came along fifty years later, they, too, moved products off the shelves at a surprising pace.
Click here to read how Hollywood costume designer affected popular fashion... | 
