FRENCH FLrF,T cr. ^ ij-7- Tonight wo find some doubt cast upon that old and doubtful Question - the French fleet. -Wirea -Fvews eem-e nearly two wo eke ago—that the Freno-h- e-^evs at Toulon frc.d scuttled their wnrships.to keep theee- f re-ffl—f-a^L-lriirp—irTtu tire -hands e-f the Na-zi-s ^—tire pr-eb lem -o-f- rt ^^kot all the vessels at Toulon were out out of business. This was disclosed today by Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, who gave the results of observations that Allied planes had carried out over the harbor of Toulon. Secretary Knox gave a series oi figures which show that fifty of the French warships were sunk or damared, or have not been accounted ior, while fifteen have fallen into German hands intact. Tire-se fiftenaff | --fcr^r sy'mBeriTiBff-. The vessels that the Nazir have ricked up in hood shane consist of destroyers, E2£|iCH_FTJTT . 2 lipht cruise'-s, anr an obsolete battleship. r TTXjt vessels tha4 were scuttled ranfe from punboats to modern battleships. The main question concerns the battleships At Toulon, when the Nazis seized the place, were "tU three rai;hty vesse's of war.' - Battleships DUNKERQUE, N STRASBOURG and PROVINCE. What does Allied aerial observation tell us a.bout them? The DUNKI iQUE vj &. s i drydock. She was scuttled -and now lies with her deck level with the water. Battleship STRASBOURG sits on h the bottom on an even keel. The PROVENCE is partly sunk, her stern lying very low in^weter. Secretary Knop tells us that- these three scuttled butt-eshi .‘S can be salvaged - just as our own battleships at Pearl Harbor were salvaged as shown in the newsreels that were released today. Our own Movietone reel, for example. FRENCHJ l I v ET - 3 The general implication of Secretary disclosure is that the French crews at Toulon did iA ll KJ Sk. a considerah"e j0h in wrecking their ships, but not a crvyje t . complete / T ive^rer cent^of th» ships have fallen into Nazi hands, alloat and intact. However, we may note that this is on evi-ence oi aerial observation, and it may be that some of the shirs that.' appear to be okay are really damaged inside S and/out of commission. To balance v/hatever the Nazis may have picVed uo at Toulon, we can consider what we are retting at Dakar. That imoortant West African harbor has come over to our side, and we will gain the use of biw French ships there. This was indicated by Secretary of the Navy Fnox today. TUNISIA ’he latest from Tunisia is piven in a terse military style by todays bulletin from the War i/^A attack : Hrhe. enemy in the A * A Department. It states Tebourba area on December Sixth had penetrated one of our positions. Yesterday our armored units delivered a strong counter-attack. During the ni^ht the enemy . ” Which is soldiers’ talk for relating the withdrew fact that the Nazis at Tebourba have been smashing at the positions held by American and British troops in the hills. These hills outside of the town of Tebourba are a dominating feature of the landscape, and are of Number One military importance. We are holding them firmly - as the battle for the tip of Tunisia has gone into something of a stalemate. t^Day before yesterday, the Nazi attack smashed into our fighting front, and drove a wedge into it. But the next day, up came our tanks and the rumbling, TUNISIA - 2 grinding, thundering armored forces hit the enemy so hard, shot him up so much, that during the night he withdrew. The remainder of today !s War Department communique tells of air activity. !,0ur light bomoers and fighters," it says, "gave good support to our troops in the forward areas." And it tells of sweeps made by our P-33 fighters over southern Tunisia. ■fo destroyed two enemy aircraft, and one o. our planes is missing, toe .b-u-iiTe^n -rive=s-'more iitfor» at i on— abftHt rfy ba-t^-T^s-fTr^t ©ay before yesterday three more Nazi planes were shot down, while five more of ours were lost. Between DecefiKber Third and Fifth, twelve \ \ \ \ \ \ \ >nemy\:lane\were\estro\d, while fodrtee\All^d ircraft were lost. T\e Briti-sh rep. t seven Axis arses s w\own,\hile \e Royafy.ir Force ll^t .ight. -j v.nuyj TUNISIA - 3 retake e3 ?ir Force , t.iu '"rolfth UnitT^^^ / / S / s x S d e st rq/ed one a z i Lj n * , wi. j, >f r. v;n '0 wired out. Those figures against ug were balance^ considerably by air fighting on Sunday, whefi we / / / / / / / / X ac c X X XX XX x^ s' unted for four enemyrplanp^,' with no lesb at ad:l / / / / / / x X / / X to ourg^lves. Allied headquarters in ^N^rth Afri / / states tht;t ri,pht now the Nazis Jitive s^aiie ’r ica iority in the air - b enly bala o 1 ^ tdi i n p /l s rn x The picture of the air situation is one of indecisive fiphting, with neither ourselves nor the enemy able to gain real supremacy. This version was amplified today in Washington by Lieutenant-General Henry H. Arnold, Commander of the Array Air Forces. He said an that our planes are now up a;ainst a first class air force for the first time in this war. Our P-33 pursuits are battling against the best c Lanes TUNISIA - i the Nazis possess - the Focke-V.'ulf . . ^ s ^ V^A^-ziu. L V f nCTtrt7=£tnd the Messers chmitt hundred- A How a^e we making out a ainst the best Nazi air e^uinment? The score is about even, said General Arnold. "At present,” he explained, "it is touch and go as to who is the stronger. In some sections we are, in others they are." General Arnold added that the air battles over Tunisia will decide who is to have aviation suoeriority in the Mediterranean - and possibly in the whole European theatre of war. So what have we to look forward to? The air losses on each side are about even, but we can certainly out-build the Nazis two to one in the production of warplanes. TUNISIA..- 4 tne Nazis possess - the Focke-Wulf fro-ini ^ ^ ^ c,4' ti^P , n iirrtyrtt n d the Mess er schmitt hundred- Hov^ &ve we making out a; ainst the best Nazi air e^uioment? The score is about even, said General Arnold. "At present," he explained, "it is touch and go as to who is the stronger. In some sections we are, in others they are." General Arnold added that the air battles over Tunisia will decide who is to have aviation superiority in the Mediterranean - and possibly in the whole European theatre of war. So what have we to look forward to? The air losses on each side are about even, bui we can certainly out-build the Nazis two to one in the production of warplanes. SPAIN Over in Spain the oracle spoke today - '’oracle" being, I think, the prooer word to describe Generalissimo Francisco Franco on this particular occasion. The Spanish dictator delivered an address that had been considerably ballyhooed in advance. There is a new crop of rumors that the Nazis may try a drive through the Iberian oeninsula, to get at Gibraltar, - ird-e^a -4 h ^ t tr^er—co-u-14-edrtr^ trke-frb-Flirt'S 1 ing -trh-o ^edi-l^^r^ncan^ they rotrM :■! a n — o ~ ut —N ot t h—A I’-r-t —o-pe-r-^ t i o n-s-* If N i 11 e r- -- h u-ch—ctrunte^r-b e--^ 4 HUU,of —Gro^^fr rreirt—w-^-udrd--4^---ef—r-~toe~4rflH^^^ Anr* the rumor was that the Generalissimo in his big s-eech today would have important things to say about his attitude A-irf' SPAIN - ? -'F' m ?■ - -Jw—js^ir^fc^rn-iy—talk»dr—IrHPft \ \ OOT-. _—-T11^——W4t-s—i-irs trefidrft'^ mtr^—crp—a-a^l—ir y l-tvg- Tie Delphic oracle of old used to utter dark and mysterious things which nobody could understand, and Franco today followed the Delphic tradition. For example, he stated: "We xxr Spaniards do not belon: to a world which is other than European." That might seem to be an obvious geographical fact, but interpreters were immediately reminded cnfctire^f*^* thrt Hitler often uses the term "European world" to describe bis own phoney new order. So Nazi meanings were reaa into that Franco sentence The Generalissimo also denounced Soviet Communism - which Franco has been doing for a long time. And he denounced liberalism and capitalism. t#-o But tha-L is nothing new for Franco. SPAIN - 3 On the other hand, he added: ’’There is no difference between what the masses of people in Germany nd in fnpland think." That would seem to be open to dispute, but the reference to both England and Germany is taken to mean that Franco intends to stick to a middle policy - middle of the road, neutrality. In which case - Spain would resist if the Nazis tried to push through the country. Franco was pure Delphic oracle when he said: "The moment at which great problems will be solved is no longer distant. When the war ends and general demobilization is carried out," he continued, "the time wii] arrive at which to draw the proper moral from events." But the old boy was on solid ground in one "Truth will prevail,*" • n * it i__ J ___ A *...... . ' ' A tor—a"i-l s^-A3Mwn--b*eth.er, -Agejau f I • ' RUSSIA In Pursia, the battle is pretty well tied up r~~ — . ...... —i i..-i by the we a then. A wild b.izzard is sweeping cat the Stalin rad front, with cossacks riding through deep snows. ‘oscow xfcxfeKxxhHx tells how the blizzards are holding up Soviet attacks. Heavy snow handicaps the work of Fed Array engineering units who are required to clear away the fields of Gerraan land mines and tank traps. Eeep snow banks are slowing down the work. So the drive against the Nazi line is impeded, and at the same time the Gerraan defense is stiffening the entire front the Nazis counter-attacking. ?r: ' *.*r Govern.neri't of Switzerland has proposed thc.t oot.* Great Britain and Germany discontinue the practice of shackling prisoners. Switzerland, es a neutral nation, represents both the British and the Nazis in leading with cue scions of war. A T^-^crr4-hs a^o-, tk* Berlin eh^rg^c trrrt ~t^e Br-i-trirsn ut chwrd-ns xrixffmnrx Ge-r re-as ce et urea in- t4^e Pie—e rard.— And the Nazis, elaim-ia-e that th^r *-ere- re t a 1 i e t i ag, lit- r c turttT"~Britain -put— ehnekleo or -a ntrarb^r Germaa.. p-p-j—- $ captives on both sides have been in cha insThe Swiss have oeen trvinp to do something about this, an^ today „c^e tneir rrooosal - that both sides release prisoners f ron cha ins . s t-hi-s- ^-i^&^irn^-a^Gre ptrb lie-rlfhtr- nr**. ondon respc nds that the S^iss proposals will be considered with what London ca—s - "tne utmost SJ ffpethy. * JEWS Today a group of Jewish leaders presented to President Roosevelt a report on the Nazi treatment of Jews in Europe - and the President was shocked. This was stated by Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, upon emerging from the White House. The memorandum submitted to the President told a sordid bloody story of how the Nazis are carrying out Hitler!s orders to exterminate the Jews in Europe, and it continued with a record of atroc ity. In London, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster denounced the Nazi persecution of the Jews. He called upon the Christian sense of justice to see that a speedy end is made to the anti-Semitic Arthur Cardinal Hinsley stated that the* Nazis intend to turn Poland into what he called "a vast cemetery for the Jewish population of Europe." JOBS President Roosevelt today « xe gave an answer to statements that millions of civilians have soft government jobs. T-her^ hag he-eft tal-k—etr ef people who work for the government ira cri-v i-l-iran cao-eri t i es-—- the i bei-ftf1 ih-e% these are hevinp an ^esy time during th-e we-r. The President said that such talk left a wrong impression and gave a false implication. And he proceeded to give figures.^ How many civilians are employed by the government? Two million s = ff « five hundred thousand, said the President. Of these, he declared, more than one million and five hundred thousand are engaged in the actual production of munitions for the Army and Navy. ament ■emo-loyed wark ;~p»ament, ]ilXm-+r&ILG-r Ho _sa-id~ ttortr-crf 4 rhe 'twe^nd -a-half million civilian f-eeie^al—employees» 1 y—per cent w.oi4c SILVER ±he Senete today h&d another filibuster - this one concernin- silver. A couple of weeks ago, a group of Southern Senators filibustered against the bill to abolish poll tax, and talked it to death. In the Senate today, Senator Pat McCarran of Nevada started in with the same tactics to block the bill that would permit the government to sell silver for war use - at fifty cents an ounce. 'Fke e-overirasirtr h+s —a-h-ug^e-Xot^ things\to the tvnenty\-nine cents a dp 11 a pr $>d uc ing . Western state' o unc N e v a\d a McCarra Sena to f silver. totally wisterl The Senator began the day by saying: "I am roinr to talk for a long time to keep tnis bill from cominr up at this session. So he started in on a SILVER . 2 talk in 'narathon. What did he have to say? Nobody seems to know. Tne Senator spoke in such a lov voice you couldn’t hear. Having a Ion oratorical way to go, TT he was saving his tonsils.As he whispered on, the other Senators, one by one, got up and left. Finally only two remained. One was Senator Van Nuys of Indiana. He couldn’t leave, because he was presiding in the absence of the Vice-President - just out of lick. Senator Thomas of Oklahoma was busy working on some nepers at his lesk, Icuife oblivious ao the gentleman ! from Nevada kept making movements with his mouth - and little if any sound came out. j V NYLONS Here is a story for the ladies - itfs about Nylons. At Wilmington, Delaware, today, the owners of a drygoods store donated three hundred and sixty-one pairs of Nylon stockings to the Red Cross. They explained the reason in these words:- "in the interest of public safety." Those Nylons were dangerous to have around - a peril to the drygoods store. Yesterday the store owners made a big mistake. 1 They had acouired six hundred pairs of Nylon stockings and advertised these xor sale between the hours of seven and eight P.M. And a^ seven o clock sharp the trouble beran. Five thousand women stormed the store to get at the six hundred pairs of Nylhns. They just about ripred the place apart, and motorcycle police hcd t0 be called to restore order. The ladies were so violent about getting to the Nylon counter, the j unfortunate sales girls were swamped and could not NYLONS O go on selling. So of the six hundred pairs of ~ / 0—0 stoc’-ings, less than half were disposed of. And today A the store owners donated the remaining three hundred and sixty-one pairs to the Bed Cross - nin the interest of public safety fn trhey ' eWl'Eaiie^ MELTON Last niphi I went to the Metropolitan Opera debut o: an old radio friend of ours, James Melton - whose mellifluous voice has been heard so much in broadcast oroprams and motion pictures. A a brilliant job in /7 ^ nThe Magic Fluted - alistened to a good story. Several years ago, as a radio singing star, \)va Melton went to Hollywood to clay in a motion picture. When he got out there, he objected to the plot of the film feature in which he was to 'lay. He didnft iiKe + c+r»T*v cjfliri it wss not pln-usib^-e* -TkJsort of thing that could not happen. The screen drama concerned a youn; radio tenor who had’operatic ambitions - and made a success at the Metropolitan. That fes what Jimmy Melton thought rather ridiculous - couldn't happen. The ^ in^iqted however, and he went ahead Hollywood producers insisted, and appeared in the picture -sau MELTON - 2 The producers were ripht, and he was wrong, - as Jimmy Melton himself n-ro^red las-t—n-lg4rt^ by doing the thing he once called impossible.A radio tenor - ck w raa king a success at the Met . '’V FIBE Here is a classic about a false fire alarm - * it finally hrd to happen. At Indianapolis today, somebody turned in an alarm, and ei^ht fire trucks converged on a hotel. No sign of a blaze there just a false alarm. The firemen were growling angrily when just then a fire irx broke out across the street. A bad blaze in an apartm-ent house - and the firemen, called by a false alarm, were on the spot to distinguish the real thing. /s VWvsJ- 1 LTP.1942.12.08i.pdf LTP.1942.12.08ii.pdf