We tend to forget what a crucial role railroads played in our society during the 20th century. It was the main source of transportation over long distances for passengers (or medium distances for commuters) and for freight and raw materials. Air travel was still considered a luxury and our highway system was still evolving.

In 1946 the country was crippled from a strike by Railroad workers. Essentially, the entire nation was stranded, and the strike quickly escalated to crisis stage where President Truman addressed the country to declare a national emergency in an effort to bring the warring parties back to the bargaining table.

On May 24th he made a radio address and on May 25th he addressed an emergency session of Congress.

Here is that May 24th address by President Truman from the White House as broadcast over all networks.

Ironically, the strike was settled the next day as Truman addressed Congress. But until then, it was a nail-biter.

With a burst of support from so many of you overnight, we've been able to reach 1/3 of our goal. I can't tell you what this means to me and to the continuation of Newstalgia. We still have a ways to go, but our goal is in sight. And thanks to the incredible outpouring of donations and kind words from all of you, we're able to slowly get there. We can make it - and with your help we will. Any amount is gratefully appreciated. No matter what you may think is an insignificant amount, it's huge to us right now. I cannot thank you enough for your support. And if you haven't made a donation yet, and are able to (I know these times are rough - if they weren't, I wouldn't be asking for your support), please consider any amount in order to keep Newstalgia alive and keep the Archives (from which all these posts come from) from disappearing. With your help, we can do it.

Since April 23rd in 1979 also came on a Monday, it was the start to what promised to be a busy week for Jimmy Carter, and for Capitol Hill in general.

First off - with Carter back at the White House from his 11 day Easter vacation, he was gearing up for the onslaught of cameras and microphones as he went into lobbying mode for this Windfall Profits Tax and SALT Treaty legislation. SALT was thought to be a hard sell because of the verification agreement in the Treaty. While the Windfall Profits Tax proposal, aimed at the Oil Producers, had a "wait and see" cloud hanging over it. Obviously a welcome piece of legislation from the voters, there was "Big Oil" to deal with, and that could pose a big problem.

Meanwhile - as Congress came back from Easter recess, the Senate were gearing up for testimony from Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburgh and others over the recent 3-Mile Island Nuclear Power plant disaster. Looking for answers amid a sea of finger pointing. Also at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearings was more testimony regarding the SALT Treaty and questions over CIA Chief Stansfield Turner's appearance at the Hearings, resulting in Carter's blast of Turner for leaks an distortions during his previous testimony.

On the Union front - Negotiations resumed between the Machinists Union and United Airlines, attempting to end a strike that got started late March. Also pending was a tentative agreement between Teamsters and the Steel industry.

In the rest of the world - Heavy fighting was reported in Cambodia with an estimated 40,000 civilians and fleeing troops loyal to Pol Pot fleeing over the border to Thailand. The Thai government were tight-lipped and clamped a black-out on Press inquiries.

Senator Frank Church, while visiting Tokyo, warned the Japanese government that a strong feeling of Protectionism was brewing in the U.S. over the trade imbalances between Japan and the U.S.

Deposed Ugandan Dictator Idi Amin turned up in Iraq, flying in from Libya, presumably seeking asylum in Baghdad.

And flooding continued in Mississippi, with protests launched at the Feds for the reported 7% interest rate being handed flood-ravaged victims.

And on and on it went, that Monday April 23rd in 1979. As reported on the CBS World News Roundup.

One often wonders if the contentious relationship between the White House and the Press has always been that way. To a certain degree, yes - and, for the most part, that's a good thing.

But it hasn't always been so vicious. And maybe that's the level of professionalism that's been sorely missing of late.

Here is an address given by President Kennedy on the occasion of a meeting of Editors and Bureau Chiefs for United Press International on June 8, 1961.

It's a short address and it's followed by an impromptu Q&A and it was carried by NBC Radio.

Just a reminder that some things do change over time - and often for no good reason.

Today most people naturally assume Presidential Press Conferences were always a thing of national record - something broadcast to the American people on a regular basis since the earliest days of broadcasting.

Not so. In fact, it wasn't until the Eisenhower Administration in the mid-1950's did anything remotely resembling a broadcast Press conference exist.

Prior to that they were recorded only as a means of verifying a statement and never broadcast. Because of that, they were much more relaxed, jovial and off-the-cuff affairs - on occasion they were free-for-all's, but in retrospect they are important glimpses of the less formal side of the White House and its interaction with the Press corps.

This Press Conference, given on January 10, 1952 focuses mostly on the upcoming election. In January, it was still not decided whether Truman would run for re-election or not. Speculation was General Eisenhower would, as a Republican and the Press tried every way imaginable to get a statement out of Truman over his decision to run.

Technically speaking - because the press conferences were informal affairs, not a lot of importance was placed on getting clearly asked questions. Subsequently, the volume levels fluctuate all over the place and it's a little hard in places to make out what was being said. Some of the references are obscure and germane only
to the Beltway in 1952. But for the most part it's an informative, rare look into the White House before the era of high-tech and how much, in retrospect, has changed as the result.

Here is the complete Press Conference of President Truman from January 10, 1952.

These days, when you want distraction from the world in general you can be bombarded by mindless reality shows, mindless talkshows and mindless infomercials. In 1967 the avenues weren't so plentiful (newspapers, radio or non-cable TV), so what was the equivalent of a "media event" in 1967 was a White House Wedding.

Not that much unlike the substance-free Kardashian wedding of recent vintage, in 1967 we had the wedding of Lynda Bird Johnson and Captain Charles Robb. And on December 9, 1967 that was pretty much what the world watched.

The interviews with the Bride and Groom-to-be are quite priceless, only because in a few scant years the social underpinnings from where this interview sprang would come quite unglued. And needless to say, in a few short weeks the madness that would be 1968 would be upon us and this event would seem quaint and distant and from another time.

So if you were curious as to how America got their attention riveted prior to the dawn of Social Media and instant access, this twenty minute capsule of what was at the time one of the most talked about events in America, may prove enlightening.

That was then and this is now and the concept of something being many lifetimes ago seems somehow apt in retrospect.

And in the event you weren't there, or weren't even getting started yet - here is a glimpse of what may or may not have missed.

NBC News with "Candlelight and Crossed Swords" for December 9, 1967.

May 14, 1978 saw the world in a state of threatened discontent. There were grumblings of a war developing between Ethiopia and Somalia. Border clashes between China and Russia brought a call from Beijing for intense training of its armed forces, citing a war between the two Communist powers was inevitable. Three Cambodian soldiers were killed in a clash with Thai Border police. And Yassar Arafat let everyone know Cuba offered to send troops to Lebanon if the PLO asked.

Meanwhile, a group of military experts was slated to accompany National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski on his upcoming trip to China. It was viewed as a slap in the face to Taiwan and further evidence the Taipei government was losing favor with the White House.

Speaking of Capitol Hill; the big push was on to win over votes in the Senate for Jimmy Carter's F-15 Fighter jet sales package to Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The bill was in threat of being vetoed and Carter pledged to override the veto if push came to shove.

A Russian language newspaper published in Manhattan was bombed by a Pro-Israeli group calling themselves The Jewish Resistance. No injuries, but a lot of damage, and phone calls claiming credit also demanded Russian Jews be allowed to emigrate to Israel.

In Zimbabwe Rhodesia. Abel Muzorewa threatened to pull out of the bi-racial transitional government of Ian Smith over the recent dismissal of a Black judge.

And American companies operating in Iran were told to restrict the movements of their employees because of intensified anti-government violence against the Shah.

Supposedly a quiet news day, since May 14th in 1978 was a Sunday.

All that, as reported by Neil Strawser on the 7:00 am (PDT) CBS Hourly News.

News on this May 7th in 1945 was confusing at best. In what began at 9:45 EWT (Eastern War Time) on Monday May 7th as flashed bulletins that Germany had unconditionally surrendered sent a wave of excitement throughout Europe and the U.S., was reversed less than an hour later with reports from Allied Headquarters that no "Official" surrender announcement had been made. And there would be no more news regarding the surrender until further notice (which turned out to be the next day).

The culprit, it was later learned, was someone at Associated Press who had witnessed the surrender signing, got the scoop on the rest of the world and, as you would say if it happened today, the whole thing went viral.

This broadcast, part of those first few hours of May 7th 1945, starts at 11:00 am in New York. Roughly twenty minutes in comes (during a Jimmy Fidler's Hollywood Program) a bulletin cautioning people getting ready to celebrate that it wasn't quite a done-deal yet and the brakes were quickly put on declaring it VE Day.

Listening back to this broadcast, it's clear something was potentially amiss, as there was no word from The White House regarding the surrender and there was a wait for confirmation from Supreme Allied Headquarters which, as it came to pass, hadn't come yet.

But everyone was still excited, and this half-hour glimpse into that May 7th from 1945, via WOR in New York, gives some indication.

The controversy surrounding the Pentagon Papers, and their release to the public was unprecedented in history. Putting it in contemporary perspective, it most closely rivaled that of Wikileaks and the release of sensitive and potentially embarrassing government documents to the public.

The Pentagon Papers basically exposed (or confirmed) a vast series of coverups, deceits and falsehoods during the Vietnam War. The papers were damning to our Foreign Policy, our Military complex and the White House.

Key to the release of those papers was a former Pentagon Official, Daniel Ellsberg, who presented them to The New York Times, where excerpts were published. The resulting storm brought under fire and repercussions, not only Ellsberg and The New York Times, but the whole question of censorship and National Security and the Public's right to know, especially where it concerned the lives of so many of its citizens.

In the end, The Supreme Court sided with Ellsberg and The New York Times. and this broadcast, aired shortly after the decision was given, attempts to cover those bases.

Here is the special program, originally aired on June 30, 1971 from NBC News "The Supreme Court And The Pentagon Papers"

April 6, 1976 - News was breaking, during this broadcast, of a possible settlement in the long running Teamsters Strike. President Ford campaigned in Wisconsin, ahead of Tuesday's Primary election. Democratic hopeful Morris Udall quietly campaigned in Wisconsin. UAW President Leonard Woodcock was quoted as saying if a Democrat wanted to be in the White House this election, he needs to consider that it's not less government, but better run government that''s the key. Whether anyone took his advice or not wasn't clear. Right Wing death squads were responsible for the systematic rounding up and murder of 15 people ages 20-25 during the latest reign of terror as part of the Military crackdown in Argentina. Terrorist bombs went off in Northern Ireland and Northern Portugal. Women stage the largest protest in Rome's history as several thousand march in opposition to the Vatican's position on contraception. And France tested another nuclear device in the South Pacific this day.

All that, via NBC News On The Hour for April 6, 1976.

This day in 1965 ran the gamut.

From reports regarding a terrorist bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, resulting in over 200 casualties and calls from Capitol Hill for retaliation. The White House was debating how to go about it. The Hawks in Congress called for an immediate bombing of Hanoi. The bottom line was; this was the first time the Viet Cong hit so close, and it created an embarrassing situation for the U.S. to deal with. How it would be handled would give some indication as to how long this conflict would go on for.

Elsewhere on Capitol Hill - The HUAC Hearings took a turn for extremist groups on this day. With approval given to commence an investigation of the KKK, Black Muslims and The Minutemen. A few protests were voiced, asking how come the KKK and not CORE or the NAACP were being investigated. The old "those Civil Rights groups are loaded with commies" mantra went echoing around the halls of Congress.

And today was the day The Freedom Of Information Act was introduced, bringing an immediate storm of controversy and condemnation from the White House, saying people didn't have the right to know certain things. The opposition thought transparency was a good thing for the Government. But it was also hinted LBJ might just veto the thing if it passed the House and Senate.

Charles De Gaulle issued a stinging denunciation of the French Scientific community. Not that they were screwing up, but that they were insisting on speaking English, especially when it came to International Conferences. Long an opponent of too much Americanization of Europe, the latest tirade from De Gaulle brought into focus the fact that, as much as he claimed to love America, he just hated the way we spoke, and ate food, and listened to music, and drove cars.

And finally, a story about LeRoy Dunlap, who was convicted of robbery and murder in absentia in 1920, since he escaped custody before trial. Dunlap was handed the Death Penalty and managed to evade the long arm of the law for some 45 years, assuming a new name and a new life in the process. Until 1964 when his true identity was discovered. Most everyone had forgotten the case and most of the documents associated with the trial had been long destroyed. But the wheels of justice insisted on grinding forward, so he entered a guilty plea with the proviso that his sentence be reduced to Manslaughter and he be given a prison term, rather than the death penalty. Dunlap, who was 64 and a Grandfather, was convicted and sentenced to from 2-20 years and was eligible for parole when he hit 66.

And that's how it rolled on this particular March 30th in 1965 as delivered over NBC Radio via their News In Review feature.