Some idea of how far-flung and wide-ranging our world was in 1958 can be heard in a sampling of these two commentaries by the legendary Broadcast Journalist Eric Sevareid, given as a nightly commentary on the news of the day in December of 1958.
The Cold War took precedence over just about everything – fear of a new World War was the constant and relentless drumbeat and upheavals taking place throughout the Middle East and former colonies of Africa were an almost daily occurrence.
And there was the political climate. In 1958 we were already thinking about what a run for the White House in 1960 was going to look like. In December of 1958 we had had our mid-term primaries in November and were wondering what Congress was going to do in the coming year. Discussing new faces on the horizon. One in particular; Senator Albert Gore (Sr.) and the possibility of his name on the ballot as potential Presidential material in 1960 was a consideration worth mulling over.
And the talk about Space exploration. Now that the Russians one-upped us with Sputnik the year before – what were we going to do? And was this “conquest of space”, as it was called in some circles, going to be a Soviet or American conquest? And did the arrogance extend that far that the vastness of outer-space could be the under the control of any country on earth?
A sampling of how the world was turning, this December of 1958, as viewed by Eric Sevareid of CBS Radio. Six minutes which speak volumes about a world on the brink of something, but no one was sure what it was at the time.
History never ceases to amaze, especially in hindsight.
Arriving in India as part of his whirlwind tour of 11 countries in 11 days, President Eisenhower landed in India and was greeted by an overwhelming crowd in New Delhi. Dubbed The King Of America by the Indian Press as well as the average Indian on the street, Eisenhower was recipient of some of the warmest outpourings of any President in recent memory.
Adding to his popularity was a call for World mobilization in the war against Hunger and for peace. Summing up in four words; Freedom, Food, Family and Friendship, Eisenhower gave an address at the first International Agricultural Fair and the opening of the American exhibition. Those words, as Prime Minister Nehru remarked, won the hearts of millions in India. And the audience responded with wild cheers. The trip so far, the World Tour was a huge success.
Back home – pundits were wondering just how this was going to translate in the upcoming 1960 Presidential election. Since Eisenhower in fact wasn’t King, a new President would be taking over by this time the following year. Would Eisenhower’s successor have the same cheering crowds and appreciation as he had? Many in both political parties wondered.
Still, this was the Cold War world, and life was uneasy even in India, as skirmishes were breaking out along the northern border with China.
But there was a lot going on in the rest of the world, this December 11th, 55 years ago.
At the United Nations the U.S. and Russia agreed on setting up a new UN group to promote the peaceful exploration of Outer Space.
On Capitol Hill, a gloomy prediction of unemployment to the tune of 4 million by 1960.
To the more mundane – a criminal court judge in Chicago denounced as “inadmissible hocus-pocus” the use of hypnosis by a State investigator on an Airline Stewardess who had been called as a witness against a defendant in a kidnapping trial.
And that’s how the day went – December 11, 1959 as reported by NBC Radio News on The Hour and a Special Report on Eisenhower’s World Tour.
You’d be hard pressed to name a band which had as many legendary guitarists passing through its ranks as this one. Okay, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. But The Yardbirds boasted Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page – and for a while both Beck and Page shared guitar duties at the same time.
One of the most influential bands to come out of the initial British Invasion era The Yardbirds, of course went on to become Led Zeppelin – known briefly as The New Yardbirds. But during their formative period between 1964 and 1968 with Keith Relf on vocals, Jim McCarty on Drums, Chris Dreja on rhythm guitar and Paul Samwell-Smith on bass (along with, at various times, Clapton, Beck and Page), they released some of the most recognizable and enduring classics of the 60s, which are still listened to, studied and discovered by new fans to this day.
So tonight it’s sessions recorded between February and May of 1966 for the BBC, right at their peak of popularity and featuring Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page trading solos.
One of the truly great and memorable bands from a decade fairly crowded to overflowing with new and astounding music.
A day full of contrasts, like every other day, only this one was from June 19, 1990.
An Airline hi-jacking ended In Helsinki Finland with all passengers aboard the Soviet Jet released and the hi-jacker taken into custody. Apparently the hi-jacker, a 20 year old Russian commandeered the Aeroflot jet, with 55 passengers and 5 crew members en route from Moscow in an attempt to fly to the U.S. – initial reports said the plane was heading to Sweden, but Finnish air force jets intercepted the plane and brought it to land in Helsinki.
And on the subject of the Soviet Union – the issue of breakaway republics and the Russian Communist Party was headed towards either dissolving or going its own way was stirring up all sorts of controversy. Mikhail Gorbachev appealed for calm while newcomer Boris Yeltsin was poised to take over leadership of the party. Cooler heads and conciliatory moods were called for during this pivotal and uncertain time.
And rifts were widening in Poland between Solidarity Founder Lech Walesa and Polish Prime MinisterTadeusz Mazowiecki, longtime aid to Walesa who headed up to Solidarity government. Mazowiecki was coming under criticism from Walesa because reforms Walesa had pledged as basis for the Solidarity Movement weren’t coming fast enough under the intellectual-based Mazowiecki government and weren’t protecting workers interests. So Walesa threatened to run for President in order to shape Polish reforms to his liking. The threat caused further rifts because opinions were divided over whether Walesa was earnestly seeking to implement those reforms, or if he was angling to set up a post-Communist Monarchy, with himself as head. And the rift continued.
The state of Arkansas used its Electric Chair for the first time in 26 years in the execution of John Edwards Swindler, a 46 year old convicted murderer was put to death in the 1976 murder of an Arkansas police officer. He was the first Arkansas inmate to be put to death since 1964.
Jury selection was complete and opening statements were being readied in the criminal trial of Washington D.C. Mayor Marion Berry. The Jury consisting of 15 women and 3 men; 13 blacks and 5 whites were to be sequestered until the trial was over, estimated at some 6-8 weeks from the start. The case itself has cause a lot of controversy in Washington, particularly in the Black community where many felt it was the White Government out to “get” the powerful Black Mayor. Berry was charged with drug possession, conspiracy and lying to a Federal Grand jury. Supporters accused government prosecutors of luring the Mayor into a sting by pressuring one of Berry’s former girlfriends who had legal troubles of her own. Berry was subsequently videotaped allegedly smoking Crack Cocaine. Despite persistent rumors of a plea bargain, opening argument were set to begin shortly on this day.
And South African Leader Nelson Mandela was mobbed by fans and admirers during his tour of North America. Stopping in Toronto, Canada, Mandela told a crowd his country was on the threshold of major change, but he said the last hurdles would be the most difficult. The Canadian audience was delighted – although the message wasn’t heard at home because of heavy censorship in South Africa. Virtually none of the news regarding Mandela’s tour was being reported in the Johannesburg press.
And so went the world on this June 19th in 1990, as reported by the CBS World News Roundup.
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News on this July 8th in 1990, held a disturbing indication of things to come. But at the time, attention was focused on Louisiana, as the State Senate voted for the third and last time on what was the toughest anti-abortion legislation introduced to date. The Governor vetoed the bill and the effort to override that veto became a rallying cry for anti-abortionists, who descended on the State Capitol, and supporters of the bill in the Senate were hoping to overturn the veto, which fell short of three votes needed on the second try.
Elsewhere; President Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Kaifu agreed to withhold economic support to the Soviet Union until Moscow sharply reduced its budget for the military, which was estimated to be 1/4 of the GNP. Bush did not object to Japan providing aid to China, even though the U.S. still had sanctions in place resulting from the crackdown at Tiananmen Square a year earlier.
But the news of Albanian refugees flooding foreign embassies had a dramatic uptick overnight, with over 3,000 crammed into the West German Embassy in Tirana alone. The Albanians were refusing to allow the embassies to fly in emergency supplies, and spokespeople for the German, French and Italian embassies were quoted as saying sanitary conditions were making the entire situation epidemic prone. The Albanian government said the people can leave the country – they just didn’t indicate how they would be able to leave.
And that’s a small slice of what went on this July 8th in 1990 as reported by ABC Information Network News.
Despite news of increased violence and civil war in El Salvador, the big news was the continuing unfolding of events in the former East Berlin on this November 13th, 1989.
Beginning with word from San Salvador that a large offensive had opened up, the biggest since the conflict began some ten years earlier. The results of a bombing at an Anti-Government labor union and the pulling out of peace talks by the Rebels. Casualties were heavy and one American teacher was among the dead. Alfredo Cristiani, whose right wing government received some $1 million in aid from the U.S. every day, went on the air to declare a state of siege. In doing that, Cristiani suspended constitutional rights and made demonstrations illegal – all radio and television stations were heavily censored or closed and the government imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the Capital city. At the time of this newscast, Rebel forces had remained in control of many parts of the Capital.
Meanwhile, in the former East Germany – there was little future in being an East German Border Guard – the government abolished the Death Strip, along the 850 mile border with West Germany, opening those once dreaded areas to public access and abandoning the Watch Towers. Sweeping changes in the East German legislature with elections for Speaker – it was the chamber’s first-ever secret ballot with several candidates vying for the position and the vote was carried live on East and West German Television. West Berliners were busy welcoming newly landed East Berliners from a new opening in the Berlin Wall. The East Germans were busy removing the concrete sections of the wall earlier. Unlike earlier days, the flow of people into West Berlin was slow, and many returned to work in East Berlin – but knowing travel was now free between East and West kept the party atmosphere going. Ironically, of the 3 million East Berliners who walked freely across the border since it was opened – only some 23,000 elected to stay in West Berlin – but that number expected to change in the coming days. Still, souvenir hunters were busy chipping away at the Wall, dragging away pieces to keep and sell.
And that’s just a small slice of what went on this November 13th in 1989 as reported by The CBS World News Roundup.
Prague – August 21, 1968 – In an attempt to turn back time, sent tanks instead.
Prague – August 21, 1968 – NBC Radio Second Sunday: Revolution in Revolt – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
August 21, 1968 – If you were living in Prague on this day, you would no doubt have been stirred out of your sleep by the sound of tanks rumbling down your street. Not the Czech Army on maneuvers, not some movie being filmed – it was the sound of the Russian Army and they were coming to take things over.
Only months before, things were optimistic – an experiment in Socialism With A Human Face, as it was characterized all over Czechoslovakia. Under the leadership of Alexandr Dubcek, a reformist who was unanimously elected as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia in January of that year ably demonstrated. Dubcek instituted a wide range of reforms. Those reforms sought to decentralize the economy and create a move towards democratization. Those reforms also saw a relaxation of restrictions on media, speech and travel. There was also a decided movement afoot to restore the region to its former makeup; three countries, rather than one; Czech Republic, Slovakia and Moravia-Silesea.
Almost immediately, the reforms and their suggestions were met with stiff resistance from Moscow. After an attempt to negotiate these reforms, Moscow gave up and sent in some half-million Polish troops in an attempt to turn back the clock. Czech citizens left the country in droves. The Czech people organized a series of protests throughout Prague as well as the rest of the country; painting over street signs, fraternization and refusal to comply with curfews.
After some attempts at trying to impose rule-from-Moscow on the Czech people – the full-on invasion of Czechoslovakia took place just after midnight on the 21st, with Russian planes landing in Prague airport and troops fanned out over the city – the main radio station was taken off the air and citizens were advised to stay in their homes. The resulting days and weeks were chaotic, but Moscow prevailed and Czechoslovakia wouldn’t taste self-determination again until the Iron Curtain came down decades later.
To observe the event, as it was unfolding – a number of media outlets in the U.S. began running broadcasts focused on the situation in Prague – NBC Radio, as part of their Second Sunday documentary series, ran this program; Revolution In Revolt, which traced the events leading up to the end of Prague Spring and a return to rule from Moscow.
December 27, 1981 – Solidarity, despite official news reports to the contrary, was anything but dead. The protests now extended to the coal fields in Silesia, where over 1,000 Miners went on Strike, staying underground and refusing to leave as protest to Martial Law.
The situation was described as “difficult” when Polish Radio reported on the latest set of protests at the Piast Mine. The reports went on that attempts by authorities and members of the Miners families to begin talks. Broadcasts maintained that the situation throughout the country was “improving”, and that the strike at the Silesian mine was the last pocket of resistance. However, reports coming from other sources in Warsaw said Solidarity had been circulating clandestine bulletins, urging workers to strike. The bulletins also reported talks between Church officials and Communist party leaders were taking place, aimed at finding solutions to the crisis in the country. No further details were available.
Meanwhile, China expressed support for President Reagan‘s tough policy toward the Soviet Union. But at the same time, they voiced serious misgivings over the U.S. attitude toward third world countries and Taiwan.
And on the home front – 6,000 residents of the Detroit suburb of Stirling Heights were waiting to return to their homes, ending an evacutation which began the previous Saturday evening when 50,000 pounds of the swimming pool compound, Dry Chlorine, caught fire. Clouds of dangerous gas formed over the area, and Police were forced to evacuate a four-square mile area. Authorities didn’t know what caused the containers holding the chemicals to leak, but had managed to evacuate residents before any injuries or deaths occurred.
And that’s a small chunk of news for this December 27, 1981 – as reported by CBS Radio‘s Hourly News, with commentary from the daily feature Spectrum.
December 29, 1981 – Poland in the news. This time with “official word” that order was restored, General Wozek Jaruzelski was still in charge and that the striking miners at the Pilast Mines had gone back to work. In short; nothing to see here – keep moving along.
If that were only so. Uncensored news reports leaked from inside Warsaw told of strikes continuing. And those who “went back to work”, were going back to work in name only. Most workers either showed up and did nothing, or in the case of dock workers at the port of Szcecin, were merely re-cycling cargo; loaded and unloading the same goods, giving the impression work was going on, when in fact, nothing was happening and the country was at a virtual standstill. How long this seeming non-work atmosphere would prevail was anyone’s guess, but it was certain the higher-ups in Poland couldn’t pretend for too much longer.
Meanwhile, President Reagan was preparing to announce a series of economic and political sanctions against the Soviet Union because of its involvement in the Polish crackdown. Reportedly, the President will halt the export of high-tech to the Soviets, and block the sale of equipment for a pipeline that would carry natural gas from Siberia into Western Europe.
Back home; conditions appeared to be normal at the Krome Avenue Federal detention center in Miami, where several hundred Haitian refugees staged a hunger strike over the Christmas holiday. A rumor kept Haitian refugees at a federal detention center facility fasting for five days. In a hunger strike which sparked an angry demonstration between rock-throwing protestors and guards lobbing teargas. But officials said the strike was now apparently over. All 600 Haitians ate lunch the day before, after the INS circulated a memo. The memo denied a rumor that the refugees would be detained for an additional year at the camp for ending the strike. Immigration officials were criticizing Haitian activists, who they say are using the refugees as pawns to gain attention. They claimed the activists not only instigated the strike, but a protest in which Haitian demonstrators tried to rush into the facility. 110 Haitians escaped during the incident. Spokespeople for the Haitians say there will be more demonstrations until all the Haitian refugees are released.
And that’s a small slice of what happened on this December 29, 1981 – as reported by CBS Radio News on The Hour along with commentary from Spectrum.
The Central Intelligence Agency, long the shadowy figure in world affairs, it began in 1947 when President Truman signed The National Security Act into law. And since that time the agency has been responsible for numerous upheavals, overthrows and coups going back to the Korean War. But the actions of the CIA weren’t generally known, and events such as the 1951 overthrow of the democratically elected government of Mohammad Mossaddegh in Iran in favor of reinstating the Shah, and numerous other activities throughout the 1950s and 1960s largely went unacknowledged as having the fingerprints of the CIA, at least to the American people.
It was only during the time of Watergate and the Nixon resignation that questions about other clandestine activities began to surface. At the time of this National Town Meeting, in November of 1974, the democratically elected Marxist government of Salvador Allende was overthrown by an extreme right-wing military junta, led by General Augusto Pinochet on November 11, 1973. Since Watergate was front-and-center, the coup was given news coverage, but not as a CIA operation, rather a clashing of political ideologies that appeared to be perfectly natural on the surface. But after the Nixon resignation, and the shockwaves that rippled throughout the government, our political system and our collective level of trust in anything with Washington attached, questions arose as to just how much the CIA had been involved in the coup, and what, if anything Congress was informed about.
This panel discussion, part of the regular series National Town Meeting, brought several figures; Senator James Abourezk of South Dakota, Tom Braden, a syndicated news columnist and Dr. Harold Ford, former official of the CIA to address the issue and to answer questions from the audience. The panel is candid, and holds very little back as far as the CIA involvement in world affairs.
Interesting, when you compare the current controversy over Russian hacking and intelligence reports. Who knows what and for how long did they know it. Sometimes the stories don’t change, just the names and the places.
Here is that episode of National Town Meeting from November 30, 1974 from NET-TV and National Public Radio.
Another historic concert this week. This time it’s the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood in 1982 with guest conductor, the East German Otmar Suitner leading the orchestra in music of Brahms, Mozart and Wagner. Joining him is the celebrated Austrian pianist Alfred Brendel in a performance of the Piano Concerto Number 20 k. 466 by Mozart.
In the first half, Suitner leads the orchestra in a performance of the Brahms Serenade Number 1 in D, and concludes the concert with music of Wagner. His Overture to Tannhaüser.
Otmar Suitner was a celebrated conductor whose career was almost entirely based in East Germany. He was the last of what was known as a conductor in the “Kappelmeister’ tradition, which meant he made a slow and methodical climb to the Professional podium, rather than by lightning bolt transformation, a tradition which is more favored now apparently – and the slow-but-sure method has been all but abandoned. After a career which began in 1942, conducting regional orchestras and opera companies, Suitner made his debut with the Stattskapelle Dresden in 1960, where he stayed with the orchestra until 1964 when he became Generalmusikdirektor of the Staaatsoper in East Berlin. A position he held until 1990 when the end of a divided Germany meant Suitner could take up positions just about anywhere in the world.
Alfed Brendel is a pianist, but also a Poet and Author. He is known for his stellar performances of the music of Shoenberg, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. Brendel has retired from the concert stage since 2008, but still records and has a massive catalog of highly praised recordings currently available.
A historic concert that is without challenges. Recoded at Tanglewood and broadcast on August 17, 1982 – very easy to take and does the trick nicely for Anti-Road Rage Wednesday.
Enjoy.
Alferd Brendel – plays Mozart this week. And the world is a better place for it.
More history this week, by way of the legendary Berlin Philharmonic who, at the time of this concert in 1982 were busily celebrating their centenary with a series of notable concerts,featuring many works the orchestra had premiered, and many soloists who have worked with the orchestra throughout their careers.
The concert starts with the Overture to Benvenuto Cellini by Berlioz – Claudio Arrau joins the orchestra in the Konzertstück by Carl Maria von Weber. And in the second half and on the player just below the first one, Arrau joins the orchestra again in a performance of the Burlesk by Richard Strauss and the orchestra finishes off the concert with a performance of Matis der Maler by Paul Hindemith. The Hindemith was premiered by the Berlin Philharmonic in 1934 with then-Music Director Wilhelm Furtwangler.
A lively and varied concert, keeping with the wide range of the orchestra, as they have been throughout their history. Stein had a distinguished career, with posts in Hamburg, Vienna, Mannheim and Berlin. He began his career in the mid-1950s, conducting regional opera and in 1961 came to Berlin where he first conducted the Berlin Philharmonic. Stein died in 2008. He left behind an impressive legacy of highly regarded recordings, including a series of works by Max Reger and Anton Bruckner, both of whom he had a special affinity for.
Claudio Arrau is no stranger to these pages, having featured a concert with him just a few weeks ago. In typical Arrau fashion, he displays brilliant talent and mastery, adding a luster to the proceedings of Weber and Strauss.
There are a couple of iffy sounding spots on this deteriorating tape, but they only last a fraction of a second – however, they are in very obvious spots, so I had to mention them. Otherwise, here is another rare concert recording to hang out and relax with and enjoy.
February 26, 1988 – Characterized as a turbulent 18 hours in Panama, figurehead President Eric Arturo del Valle stunned the country by firing General Manuel Noriega who was his political godfather. The ploy didn’t work, as Noriega, with the backing of his military and National Assembly, put del Valle out of a job. He was replaced by Education Minister Manuel Solis Palma, who became the acting President. However, del Valle vowed to fight to maintain his power, even though the Assembly voted to strip del Valle of his guards, his escorts, his chauffeurs, thus rendering del Valle pretty much a moot point in Panamanian political affairs. However, del Valle insisted his was still the President of Panama. The move to unseat del Valle came from the persistent rumor that del Vale was under the influence of various foreign countries. On the surface, Panama City was calm as people waited to see what was next. The new President, a Noriega loyalist, announced what he called the “campaign of lies against Panama”, suggesting it was coming from the U.S. Meanwhile, Washington was watching and waiting.
There was other news – On the Israeli–occupied West Bank, troops shot and killed an Arab School teacher, youth and injured several others in clashes that followed prayer services. In East Jerusalem, hundreds of Palestinians gathered on the Temple Mount, shouting anti-Israeli slogans and throwing stones. It was against this background that Secretary of State Schulz began his round of peace talks in Jerusalem with the hopes of at least attempting peaceful outcomes.
And President Reagan said he didn’t think a Strategic Arms Treaty would be ready in time for the Spring Summit in Moscow with Mikhail Gorbachev. However he did say that he expected a START agreement to be signed by the time he leaves office.
And that’s a little of what went on, this February 26, 1988 as presented by The CBS World News Roundup.
