■■■■ BILL_STERN_-_gUNOCQ. FRIDAy, 29. GOOD EVENING EVEnYBODf: / 4 When Lovell Thomas asked me to take over lor him this evening, he told me that about the only vacation he ever gets is a day at a time, now and then. He added that tne snow at Lake Placid was at its best for skiing, and he wanted to try it out on the sliding runners. I know that Lowell needs this day a off from the broadcasting job, xam giving him a longer weekend. And so I want to say that I hope ners having the oest of skiing* There1 s nothing more exhilerating than speed on the snow, and on Monday heTll be back here on the program with more zest than ever. Now' let! s see whatfs in the news WHITE BOOK The Number One item of international German White Book. ^J/tjvas issued by the Berlin Foreign^oTfice today, and became an instant focus of attentioruj It most of all concerns the United States, and purports to reveal what the Nazis call - T’the role played by the United States in bringing about the war .11 It contains statements which are claimed to have been made secretly by American diplomatic representatives abroad.lAnd the J German document contends that these confidential statements played a part in causing the outbreak of the present conflict. Here's the Berlin story:- When Hitler's armies conquered Poland and captured Warsaw, they seized the diplomatic archives of the Polish Government. The documents of state contained tnerem were shipped to Berlin, where they were examined by the Nazi foreign ministry. Some of these documents, such as pertaining chiefly to the United States, are now made public m the form of a White B Such is Berlin's account of the publication issued today. * It chiefly cooc.™ ,!uch "* ,.ih t, have been tent t. ..re., h/ *» ““ United States, Count f’l~r Pctocki. These give a report on conversations WHITE BOOK - 2 tnat ?otooki had with the Arnerin^ /■.mencan Ambassador to Paris, William C. Bullitt. The conversations are described as having occured in December of Nineteen Thirty-Eight, and January of Nineteen Tnirty-Nine. The European War began in the following September. Here!s what the Polish Ambassador quotes the American Ambassador as saying:- "He expressed himself regarding Germany and Hitler with the great vehemence and a strong hatred." And faTo i Ky P-otoojfci said that Bullitt added - "only a war could stop Germany^ mad ezpansion." The report of the Polish Ambassador to his government goes on with these words - concerning the coming war:- "Replying to my question whether the United gtates would participate in such a war, Bullitt said - ’unquestionably, but only after England and France had started it.’ he declared,” iVUt continued the Potoctel dispatch, "that opinion in the United States regarding Hitlerism and Naziism was so tense that already a war- psychosis existed, comparable to the United States declaration of war against Gennciny in Nineteen Seventeen. Such are the declarations which Hitler-s White Book attributes to the United Stfctes Ambassador to Paris, and the WHITE BOOK - 3 further statement is made that they were merely the personal opinions of Bullitt were not represented as • The Polish Ampassadcr is quoted as saying that they emananted from the President of the United States and that Bullitt had been directed t o present them to the French Government. He was also to place these opinions before other European statesmen as the American viewpoint - ana tnat may account for his having passed them along to the fbTcs ft Polish Ambassador, Count -P^toakl. All of this is on the authority of the Hitler Government in Berlin, and it isnft difficult to surmise the meant very much for American consumptior of telling the American people that the encouraged Poland to risk a war, and pro States would join in the conflict. \This might affect American public opinion right now. The White Book goes on with a lot more Our London Ambassador, Joseph P. Kennedy, is reported as advising Polish WHITE BOOK - 4 diplomats about the military help that Poland oould ^ Great Britain. And our Military Attach* to Lisbon is said to have talked to the Poles about American help for the Allies. Th6n WS 366 other the mere American. One passage in the White Book presents President Koosevelt as complete^ hostile to the totalitarian states. "It is the firm opinion of the President," says one quotation, "that England and France must end with every policy of compromise irai the totalitarian states.n In publishing that, Berlin may have its eye cocked in the direction Italy - for Mussolini^ realm is decidedly totalitarian. And then there’s this angle:-! Hitler's White Book represents American Ambassador Bullitt as saying that the Democratic powers wanted to see Nazi Germany get into a war with yiso’T Soviet Russia, tae kind of conflict is described in these words - "a weakening war.” The Democracies wanted Hitler and Stalin to fight it out, in the hope that Nazi Germany would be weakened by it. Then the Democracies would attack and overwhelm Germany. That section of the White Book has a decided slant in the direct of Moscow -- no doubt meant for Soviet consumption. FOLLOW WHITE rX)QK T.ie Ahite Book brings immediate response from Washington - response from President Roosevelt himself. Newspapermen asked him about that document released tM* by the German Government. The President replied, using the word "propaganda". He said that all European propaganda should be taken with a grain of salt. Or^ naybe that wasn't enough^ thought President Roosevelt* ^European Propaganda should be taken with two or t even three grains of salt" said he. He gave no sign of being at all perturbed by the revelations which the White Book claims to make. Will he say anything to Ambassador Bullitt about it? Our Paris Ambassador is in the United States right now, but the President said he wanxiatK didn't plan to have any conference turned with Bullitt about to the subject of Sumner Welles peace mission to Europe, and said that there seemed little hope of immediate peace, ^"rfijiri. He stressed the word "immediate". He declined to mr.r.OA WHITE BOOK - C make any comment on the report that the Under Secretary of State made to him about his travels. But-he did say the information tM- Welles got might be of value in the future. — in peace efforts to come. (Kdd tnis to the FOLLOVv WHITE BOOL piece) Shortly after the President made liisTtatement calling tne wa^i White B o O a L propagcinda, Secretary Hull added a formal denial. He branded as false tne intimation that Ambassador Bullitt had assured the Poles of American moral support. ^ The Hull denial followed a conference between the Secretary of State and Polish Ambassador, Count Potocki. Secretary Hull states that after he prepared his statement he had a telephone conversation with Ambassador Bullitt, Apparently Bullitt apprnvedl of the denial The way of war on the Western rv ™* < ^ ^ western Front is indicated by a French military dispatch today. This tells of a battle of artillery and machine guns against loud speakers and placards The French explain that in the Rhine area there is a new and more powerful drive by what they are calling - "the peace propaganda machine.” Today the German soldiers raised huge banners inscribed with the Biblical injunction - nLove they neighbor.” And at the same time loud speakers blared out slogans of peace. A±1 this for the benefit of the French troops, who could see the signs and were deafened by the iouti / They replied with artillery and machine gun fire, which we are told vanquished the loud speakers and the painted signs. R05SIA At Moscow today, Soviet Premier Molotov made an address which touched upon two interesting points - the Soviet attitude toward the war between the Allies and Germany, and the losses and casualties sustained in the Finland War. Molotov made his statements bexoi'e a joint session of the Supreme Soviets* He spoke of the Allies in noif friendly fashion and declared that Great Britain and France were responsible for the war in Finland, and had edged the Finns on to defy the Red Army. He declared that the Allies hoped to use the Finnish War as a way of striking at the realm of Stalin. He described the relation between the Allies as not so good — bad and getting worse. Sovet relations with Germany, on the contrary were unchanged — good. Molotov $ warned London and Paris against the idea that they could lilt at the Soviets as a way of hurting Nazi Germany. The Foregin Commissar indicated, however, that Stalin was not playing Hitlei*s rlan!e, not playing anybody’s game but his own Molotov then went on to give the first Soviet casualty list ot J in the war with Finland. Never before have we had Russian figures RUSSIA - 2 for the losses the Bed Army* suffered. Molotov ideated that the total casualties came to something over two hundred thousand. Nearly fifty thousand men killed and nearly 160 thousand wounded. While the war was on the communist guess placed the Soviet loss at aboat three hundrep thousand killed and wounded, Tne toieign Commissar went on to tell the losses that Finland suffered and here the discrepancy is greatest. He numbered the as total Finnish casualties over three hundred thousand, with sixty thousadd killed. Sixty thousand is four times as many as the figure the Finns give. They placed the number of Finns killed at fifteen thousand. Klnas Various Scandinavian sources, however, consider their figure much too low. They think the Finns lost about thirty thousand killed, which is about half of the figure the Soviets give today. In any case it!s interesting to compare the two official statements that Russia and Finland give ot their respective Moscow admits that the Red Army SHStained a death list fifty thousand. The Finns claim that their Army lost only thousand. TRADE The administration won a hard fought victory today. one that seems to make the Trade Treaty policy safe and Tne Pittman Amendment was defeated. secure. T his is the climax of a long fight, which I heard Lowell Thomas mention : rom time to time. And now, taking his place for an evening, 1 find Tiysexi telling about the end of the Trade Treaty battle. For it seems to be virtually the end. The Pittman Amendment provided that hereafter all of Secretary Hull’s trade treaties would have to be okayed by the Senate, the State Department commercial pacts would have to be confirmed by a two-thirds vote. This was strongly opposed by the Administration, which claimed that the Pittman Amendment would ruin the k.hole business of negotiating reciprocal agreements for trade with foreign nations. The administration forces xiiiami bant every effort to defeat the amendment - and today they succeeded. The majority consisted of eastern and southern Democrats. The amendment was supported by western Democrats and the Republicans The vote was a hundred and forty-four to forty-one. TRADE - 2 Mth the crucial amendment defeated an aeieated, all that non remains is for the Senate to vote on the resolution extending the Trade Treaty policy. Tonight Senate leaders were saying that this would be done early next week, and predicted the resolution would surely pass and be sent to the White House. There was a dramatic scpnp in o oene m the Supreme Court today when Chief Justice Charles Eva*Hughes interrupted an argument being made by a Iwayer, and made a fiery statement about freedom of religion. The highest tribunal was considering an appeal in the case ol three men who belong to a sect called Jehovah's Witnesses. These three vent into Catholic homes in New Haven, Connecticut, and tuere played a phonograph record which blared out denunciations of the Catholic church. The lawyer represent^the three was arguing that their arrest was a violation of religious freedom. The cidef justice stopped him. He leaned forward in his char, and demanded: nI suopose these catholics,” said he, ” had some right of religious freedom themselves, did they not?” ”1 suppose,” continued Chief Justice Hughes, ’’that t.iey have some right to be left alone and not to be attacked with denunciations these scurrilous aBacRi-isiixjfciHXX of their chosen faith, hhat have you to say to that?” he asked. The lawyer argued that playing the phonograph record was not an attack, at which the Chief Justice responded. ni!ou can nine a hall. y0u can hold a meeting, iou can distribute literature. Is BIIPREtiE COURT - P it the same thine," he inquired, "to go into a person's home and deliver these attach?" It's seldom that a Chief Justice of the United Stages interrupts a supreme court argument 1mm. as vigorously as happened today. TORNADO The tornado that struck in Louisiana today was a wicked, vicious thing. It hit a town on a bayou along the Gulf, a village of oil time Louisiana French folk, who are fishermen and pickets of moss* An odd trade — moss picking* The village spread on both sides of the bay, houses lined on opposite shores. The tornado whipped down one side and demolished the houses. Then it reversed itself and swept along the other side of the bay - wrecking things there. At last reports the casualties were twenty c^ with word coming inslowly, because of the isolation of the town the tornado destroyed. FIGHT Tonight in Hew fork's famed Madison Square Garden Joe Louis, heavyweight champion of the world, defends his title , >r tne t- nt;. time in less than three years. From Des Moines, Iowa, with a consecutive string of thirty-three victories, including twenty-three knockouts, comes one Johnny Paychek to chalienge Champion Louis for his title/. Champion and Challenger met today as they weighed in. Said Cnampion Louis, "No prediction.” Said Challenger Paychek, ”This time tomorrow. I’ll be the heavyweight champion of tne world.” END Tn.s ends my time with the news tonight. On Monday we'll be listening to Lowell Thomas again. On the toil, Sunday following, Lowell and I will be on the air together, he'll be with me on my Sunday evening program. So I'll say - So Long Until Monday for Lowell. And - Bo Long Until the following Sunday for