George Orwell Liveblogs the Start of World War II
August 23, 2009:
Foreign & General
- Parliament meeting tomorrow. Emergency Powers Act will be passed. Certain classes of reservists called up. The King returning to London. Reservists being called up in France & Germany. Legislation to be hurried through Parliament to prevent further buying of nickel° copper etc. by Germany. Almost all shares have dropped, no doubt in anticipation of this. World press comments as quoted in D.Tel. are very non-committal but the Axis powers evidently greatly pleased by the Russian demarche. Daily Telegraph [a]
Social
- Railway strike now arranged to begin in a few days’ time. Daily Telegraph [b]
Party Politics
- Communist Party membership stated at 17, 000,[1] which is increase of 2000 over last year. C.P. again applying for application to L[abour].P[arty]. Daily Telegraph [c]
[1] 40% of this in London, & membership in industrial areas negligible (C.P. pamphlet) [Orwell’s note]
