The steamer Lexington sank in New York's East River after being rammed by the freighter Jane Christenson.[7] 120 passengers and 51 crew were rescued by tugboats, but 4 people were believed to have perished.[8]
As the Abyssinia Crisis continued, Ethiopia asked the League of Nations to act in accordance with Article XI of the League Covenant, which stated that "Any war or threat of war, whether immediately affecting any of the Members of the League or not, is hereby declared a matter of concern to the whole League, and the League shall take any action that may be deemed wise and effectual to safeguard the peace of nations." The League, however, postponed action on Ethiopia's request.[3][10]
Nazi authorities released an American woman after holding her in prison 11 days for allegedly insulting Hitler.[11]
The Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935 was reached, as France and Italy issued an official communique upon the conclusion of the Mussolini-Laval talks. The statement vaguely reported "agreements relating to the interests of the two countries in Africa and documents registering the community of views on European subjects." It was understood that France had agreed to allow Italy a free hand in dealing with Ethiopia in exchange for help containing Hitler.[5]
Died:Russell Gibson, American bank robber, was shot by FBI agents.
The joint U.S.-Canadian commission appointed to arbitrate the controversy surrounding the sinking of the rum-running ship I'm Alone in March 1929 ruled that the United States should apologize for sinking the vessel and pay $25,000 compensation.[19]
Brian Harradine, Australian politician who was the longest-serving independent member of Australia's parliament, serving as Senator for Tasmania from 1975 to 2005; in Quorn, South Australia (d. 2014)
A newspaper in France published the results of a survey asking whom the French would prefer to have as a dictator if their country were to have one. Philippe Pétain received the most votes.[21]
The plebiscite commission of the League of Nations announced that the Saar had voted overwhelmingly (about 90%) for reunification with Germany.[25] Adolf Hitler gave a radio address on the results of the plebiscite, saying that "Fifteen years of distress, which was a painful period for all Germans, has finally ended. The joy of the return is the joy of the entire nation."[26]
The League of Nations voted to return control of the Saar to Germany, effective March 1.[5]
Grigory Zinoviev was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and Leo Kamenev to five. The court ruled that they had no direct connection to the Kirov murder but knew of the terroristic character of the group that carried it out.[30]
The French cabinet decided to make Maurice Gamelin the new Commander-in-Chief of the country's armed forces to replace Maxime Weygand, who was about to reach the mandatory retirement age of 68 on Monday.[31]
The city of Lima, Peru celebrated the 400th anniversary of its founding.[32]
Died:Lloyd Hamilton, 43, American silent film comedian, died during surgery.
Gangster Alvin Karpis and accomplice Harry Campbell shot their way out of a police trap in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Authorities seemingly had them cornered in their hotel room, but they escaped into an alley, stole a car and managed to evade police in a citywide chase.[35]
Iceland passed a law legalizing abortion in certain circumstances. This is often cited as the first law of its kind in the world, although other countries like Mexico had previously passed laws allowing for abortion under certain conditions, and Soviet Russia passed a short-lived law permitting it in 1920.[47][48]
In a proclamation issued on the second anniversary of his coming to power, Adolf Hitler said the Nazis had already fulfilled two-thirds of the programs they had promised to complete in four years.[51]
Born:Kenzaburō Ōe, Japanese writer and Nobel Prize in Literature laureate; in Uchiko, Ehime prefecture (d. 2023)
Died:R. W. Child, 53, American author who served as U.S. Ambassador to Italy 1921 to 1924, and served as the ghostwriter for the autobiography of Benito Mussolini, died of pneumonia.