The French newspaper "Petit Troyen" from April 1963
Germany offered a 19-point peace proposal to the other Locarno signatories. None of the points included Germany withdrawing any troops from the Rhineland.[1]
The Italian bombing of Harar was discussed in the British House of Commons. Hugh Dalton of the Labour Party asked Foreign Minister Anthony Eden if he was aware "that British public opinion is increasingly stirred by these horrible atrocities which are being perpetrated, and when are His Majesty's Government going to take any further step to end it, at least by refusing to supply British oil to these murderous airmen?" Eden replied that the government was just as anxious "to bring this war, and the miserable suffering consequent upon it, to an end."[4]
Germany sent Britain a point-blank refusal to promise not to fortify the Rhineland.[7]
The British government indicated that it would again apply pressure to impose an oil embargo against Italy unless it ceased its hostilities in Ethiopia, due to the strength of the evidence Britain now had that the Italians were using poison gas.[8]
The shortest pro boxing match in history took place in New Haven, Connecticut when Al Carr knocked out Lew Massey in 10 seconds. This record was equalled in 1946 but not broken until 1984.[10]
Spanish parliament voted President Niceto Alcalá-Zamora out of office by a vote of 238 to 5 after the Socialists brought a motion against him claiming he had acted illegally in dissolving the last parliament. It was the first time Spanish parliament had ever voted a president out of office.[13]
A Trans Continental and Western Air passenger plane crashed during a fog in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, killing 13 of 15 aboard.[14]
Died:Marilyn Miller, 37, American stage dancer, singer and actress
France countered Germany's peace proposal with its own plan, which included the creation of an international army working through the League of Nations.[15]
The Soviet Union and Mongolia signed a treaty of mutual assistance to counter Japan's growing power in the Far East.[3]
During a parade celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Second Spanish Republic in Madrid, several petards exploded under the presidential reviewing stand. The explosions caused no injuries but several people were trampled in the panic that ensued. Police blamed the attack on fascists.[23]
Peace talks in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War broke off in Geneva as the League of Nations essentially concluded that it was too late to save Ethiopia from defeat.[28]
Five London schoolboys died having been walked into a blizzard by their teacher on Schauinsland mountain in Germany.
Baldur von Schirach said that 90 percent of young Germans were enrolled in the Hitler Youth. He appealed to parents of the remaining 10 percent to enroll their children as well, warning that special laws would be passed if they did not.[30]
The German cruiser Emden began a controversial 10-day goodwill visit to the city of Baltimore, Maryland, sponsored by local German-American groups. Over 2,000 people marched to protest the cruiser's arrival, but thousands of other Baltimoreans would wait for hours to take tours of the ship during its stay.[32][33]
Germany announced that Eckener Avenue in Berlin, named after the Zeppelin commander Hugo Eckener, would be renamed Adolf Hitler Street. Eckener had fallen out of favour with the Nazi regime after he declined to release a statement of support for Hitler ahead of the March 29 elections.[36]
At 12:44a.m., rescuers freed two men trapped by a cave-in for over 10 days in the Moose River Gold Mines. A third trapped man had died during the rescue efforts.[37]
Adolf Hitler formally opened three NS-Ordensburgen (National Socialist Order Castles), elite military schools where future Nazi leaders were to be trained for three years.[38]
Hitler gave a belated birthday amnesty to minor offenders who had been fined small amounts or sentenced to prison terms not exceeding one month.[39]
Legislative elections were held in France, with run-off elections to be held the following week. The left-wing coalition known as the Popular Front did even better than expected and looked poised to take power.[41]
The final Italian drive on the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, immortalized in Fascist propaganda as the March of the Iron Will, began.
Died:Tammany Young, 49, American stage and film actor
An Italian plane dropped leaflets on Addis Ababa threatening to bomb and destroy the city if the advance on the Ethiopian capital met any resistance.[42]
Hitler appointed Hermann Göring as Commissioner of Raw Materials and Foreign Currencies.[43][44]
The first professional baseball game in Japan took place. Nagoya defeated Dai Tokyo 8-5.[25]
Austria sent troops to its German border, fearing invasion.[22]
Detroit Tigers star Hank Greenberg suffered a season-ending wrist fracture in a collision at first base with Jake Powell. Without their best hitter, the Tigers' hopes of repeating as World Series champions were dashed.[46]
The British government announced plans to construct 38 new warships.[3]
Died:A. E. Housman, 77, English classical scholar and poet;[50]Oran Pape, 32, Iowa State Patrolman and former Green Bay Packers running back (murdered in line of duty)[47][48]
