World History

The Telegram published in the Washington Post March 1, 1917 / spotlights.fold3,com

The Zimmerman Telegram.  On 19 January, 1917, twenty-two months before the end of the Great War (1914 – 18), the United States had still not joined with The British Commonwealth and France in the munumental struggle against Germany and her allies. On that day the German Foreign Secretary, Artur Zimmerman, sent a telegram in code to the German ambassador in Mexico. The message said that should war be declared between Germany and the United States, an alliance must be made between Germany and Mexico: this would indicate the need for Mexico to go to war with the US, in order to recover what the message called ‘lost territories’; these were Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. At the same time Mexico  would have to persuade Japan to join Germany’s alliance, making war in the Pacific against American interests. (more…)

Eamon de Valera / es.wikipedia.org

Ireland’s neutrality in World War II

As the clouds of war deepened over Europe in 1939, certain countries declared their neutrality in the hope that they would not become involved in what promised to be a world conflict. Turkey (both the Axis powers and the 1939 allies tried to lure her into the net), Switzerland (right in the middle of what might be a European killing ground, with her own big citizen army and easily defended terrain), Portugal, teetering towards Fascist Germany but which seemed, at the time to be pro-Allies), the Vatican, inscrutable, but probably anti-Nazi, Sweden which pronounced her neutrality while permitting sales of her iron ore deposits to Germany and allowed Germany the right to move troops over her borders: Spain, whose Caudillo was in debt to Hitler recently given in the Spanish Civil War. There was not much love lost between Hitler and Franco however; they were to meet at Hendaye for a nine-hour conference in October 1940: later Hitler said that he would prefer a long visit to the dentist than another meeting with the Generalissimo. (more…)

This is another of those brief quizzes designed to keep your mind active. Please tell me who said these things in the form of a Comment. The last ‘Who said it?’ was masterfully won by David Williams on 7th March, 2014. The answer is W.C. Fields. Now think about these:

 “Why should people go out and pay to see bad movies when they can stay at home and see bad television for nothing?”

“Any man who goes to see a psychiatrist should have his head examined.”

“Pictures are for entertainment; messages should be delivered by Western Union.”

“That’s the way with these directors, they’re always biting the hand that lays the golden egg.’

“A verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it is written on.”

“Gentlemen, include me out!” (while resigning from something).

“I’ll tell you in two words – im possible.”

“We can always get more Indians off the reservoir.”

“We’ve all passed a lot of water since those days.”

“Elevate those guns a little lower!”

Field Marshal Montgomery visited America and our subject entertained him at an exclusive dinner party. When everyone was seated our subject beat time against a glass and announced,“Ladies and gentlemen, I propose a toast to Marshall Field Montgomery . . .”Another personality, seated nearby, cracked “Montgomery Ward, you mean . . .”

When one of his studio (CLUE) employees told our subject he was off to the Second World War as a volunteer, he said, “I’ll cable Hitler and tell him to shoot around you.”