1!.:1 . - ~ - ~ , ~ 11 , ,~'f'3 . GOOD BVBIIIG W ERXBOD!: lell, well, Huge Jou have takm •• orr guard, and Yer/ aucb bf surpri••• Bl.eTen 1•rs with the aw 111••· 1ponaor on the airl And eleTen ••ltt and unusual extraol'dinar, 1•n ~ tbeJ baYe been. For t • 1•rs I bad ro•ed the world alllo1t 111.tbDut stopping. And naow, tor eleven I have been ■lttiDI are at the • d ot press wires high up in a lew !ork 1!111•1t■ r - , 1eraper ill watching world events, and than reportinc tb• • • ID fact, I bad been cm the air nearlJ two 7ear1 before com.111 alder tbe sponsorship or blue Sunoco. But eleYm 1ear1 with one 1pon1or is, I understand an all-ti■e record in the biator, ot radio. It is great to have a sponsor like that. I've been fortunate indeed. And any than k s to you Bugh tor passing along tbe message traa the dealers and •plo7ees or Sun 011 who have stood by ■e so loyally, ev.- w hen I baTe •de mistakes - - an4 I 1Ye made many. llany of you ■o doubt have heard today's thrilling ne w s tbe lledi terranean -- the r all ot Pant.Al 1,,,.1 • . WtliJ·J«ERIA One prominent structure on the Island of ~antell e ria is a rortress that bears the romantic name of -- ~ t. ~lmo. Today at the plnnaale or the fortress or ~ t. l!.l m o somethin g white appeared and tl~ttered -- a white fl a g. S1multaneously allied pilots tl1ing over the island saw a la~ge white cross spread out on the air field. Wblte tlaga and . white cross -- signals or surrende~ and tbey wer e perscribed by 1f the !_ll1ea the■ selvea. Pantelleria waa under tre m endous air boabardaent, hut, along wttb high explosive, pa■pbl.eta were drop p td. These called upon the garrison to Jil~d. 1iie lNtlets, which we; signed by American .!,ir _£O■manderc General Spaatz, included a message t.o tbe commander ot the stronghold. •tou must realize that resistance in tbe present circumstances ta useless, regardless ot now heroic. We only want to avoid bloodshed,• said the message from General Spa n tz. The formula of surrender w a s described, white flag on St. Elmo, and white cro s s on the airfield. ~nd these today duly appeared. Then came a message flashed by the ltalian commander, Who signed hlmself Gd m iral Renseni. !{estated "Be g to surr e nder through lac k of w ater.n o there is the •talta r ea ~ "> n "or t"'- ·!-1!? tM+IH:JRJA - 2 capitw.ation -- lack or water. It is known that the Island ot Pentelleria has no water su p ply -- dr1nk1n~ ater must be brougbt in. And the stronghold for twenty days a was blockaded by sea and air -- -•••••••••••••- neitber ship nor plane able to get tt, so tierce was tbe day and ni g ht boabtng assault. Allied military ■en have anbtber explanation tor tbe 111rreDder, bo . . ver:-- not water; but,bollba. The dispatches rroa lortb Africa dwell upon tbe enormous weight ot bigb exploa1ve and the fantastic bavoc. )teaterday Pantelleria ns battered by the greatest wt1gbt or bombs ever hurled at a single target by tbe lortb Atr1can Air Force -- ••out two mi-llion pounds ot bombs during tbe day. Pilots used almost taatastic languare to describe the devastation. 'lbey say it looked as if the island had been, in their words, •blown into tbe air," or -- •torn apart." Tbe Azis made a tinal desperate ettort at air defense.~ Lt was t n v a in, against the overwhelmin g pre p onderance or the Americans and B ritish in the s . y. l nirty-seven enemy p lanes w e r P shot down, ~ h 1le ~e lo s t six. Another shatterin g ay of b o m bs h a d fMTELLERIA ,I been plaMed for Pantelleria today, a s great a blow as that or yesterday -- when tbe surrender called 1t ott. Allied Air cbieta are bailing th e fall or the island as an historic vindication or air power -- stunning prolt or what war arlatlon can do. Pantellerla as powertolly fortified, and na bailed as tbe "Italian Glbra1ter.• It fell to air power -- avw r-.-.. .. Y 1 r ~ n e . True, there was so■e naval boabardllent -- tbe Brltlab Fleet sbelllng the island six tl■es. But tbe overwbel■lng bulk ot tbe work was done by planes in twenty days or stupendoua 1111a aaaault. 1(.t-~ w .... ~~ ibere ~ •• no invasion, landings played no part.I\._ A• atngle !_llied soldier set foot on Pantellerla until the island surrendered. "The victory was al■ost one hundred percent air poftr. For the firat time* an island fortress has beea subJugated by bo■ba fro m tbe sky. Today some comment was given by one or our air chiefs, Brigadier ~eneral ~orstad of'•inneapolis. ae described tbe reduction or Pantelleria as a class!& ot air power operation -- planned according to the book. nit ~a ! L scientific job pr e pa r ed by slide rule." said he. i . nd b e added an e p i g ramatic hrase, c allin ~ the . operation "a c lassroom classic." PflELLERIA - 4 American airmen w e r e sayin g jub t lantly today tbat tbe tall ot Pantelleria was a trium p h of tb e theories or the late a111 1 Kitcbell, that prophet of air po w er who foretold that blows rrom tbe sky alone would force the capitulation or cities and tort.eases -- and nations And,Americans point out tbat, ironica\l~ enough, the tall or Pantelleria is an equal tribute to an Italian -- tha t Italian General Doubet wbo was a pioneering apostle or air power, and wrote a prophetic book prognosticating the total war or the skies. 1" Do\lbetl theories were neYer put into ettect by his own co\llltl'J, Italy -- though the Nazis did follow them 1n the early blitzkriegs ot the war. And now the Americans are to11 ~ wing the theories or tbe Italian Doubet in the most dramatic rashion -- 1'1 th the air power reduction of the L taltan island fortress in the Mediterranean. President hoo s evelt today hailed the fal l of Paatellerta, and cal led u on he r t a l · &11 .i eo l t , , 1 . , r . ... ~ ... , , - " r . In v,t. s tr o n g ::> r .:; he t o l rl t hi n · h at t hey ha~ be ea , n i led and betrayed by D ict at or : u s ol i i t . . .. r.i · OIU • , _. r r '1 a r- c-1 s , n. B e o vi e the •talians to o v ,. rt h wow tif u s so l ini an d ' ascis m , and ma k e an e nd of t he ti a z i d omlnatt o n of the ir coun try. · he P r e s ident EM!1iW«ERIA - 5 assured the Italian people that the un1ted ~ations would a s sure th• ---- the right to choose their own Government -- a non-Fascist Go•ernment. •nd he told the .Ltallans that by drawin g out of the ar tbeJ will have an o p portunity o take their place as a respected ••ber or tbe tu1ly or nations. 1 be President •pbasized tbe word •respected.• &PSTflALIA Yesterday we had a Jubilant note that is follow e d ~ya rather sour e : ho today. 1he Jubilant note was from Australia, with Prime •tnist•r Curtin st a tin~ that Australia tas no longer t"ireatened by J a :, ~ne G c invasion. The i l a nd continent wa now safe from tbe J &. 0 , n~ , J , ; . T :, riy ' ~ 1 ~.n atch . f rom ..,y ey 1ves a hint that the high ■ optimism 'll&y have been s.li "itly t uch ,.. · ' · 1th olttt c! ; . F or m r o l ' r ". ~ . y~ ·d ~, f t h e O 01 oslt1on Par t y, declaresz •It c011es at a time""when ~urtin is preperine ror the Federal elect1ona;• In other words, Australia 1s about to go to tbe polls. Tbe Prime Mlniater is attack i ng ~e opposition tor not ha•tng looked atte1'-Auatralian defense wben they were in power. And be 11 pointing to what be has done for Australian defense. lothing - could tit the argument better than the idea that the menace or Japanese invasion is no more. "campaign oratory; say the op p osition politicians -- and th81 point to he fact that General MacArthur refrained from add 1 ng h11 own voice to Prime •1n1ster Curtin's o p timism. All of ~hich has the familiar ring of p olitics. AP§T8♦&1A - 2 And anotner former !'rime •1n1ster or australia today said that ttae election down under •o~ld be, i n n his own words -- "dirty~ be,oD4 compare.• / &BQEBTINA 0 Secretary of S tate Cordell au11 x lains that United Stateszm reco g nition of the new revolutionary government in Ar,_.iina is J ust a m at er of rout ne. H o w ev e r, it 1 s to be noted that the recognition follows a development favor a ble to the United "ations. ln Buenos Aires, P~esident Ramirez has deprived diplomats ot tbe Axts ot the ri g ht to send ~essages in code to their ~~ countrie a thing we have been wanting Argentina to do - - because en9111 secret code can be used for espionage. T be abolit16'n of' such Axis tacili ties was recom _ i ended by the ?an American conference -- which voted to allign the Latin-A■ P rican Republics on the side of the United ~ations. The prenoua Argentine Govel'ftllmt ot Castillo refused to abide by any of this, but now the new reg1■e takes the 'an -merican line -- at least to the extent of putting an end to Axis co d e messages. This was the first pro-ally ste p taken:t by. resident Ramirez, and the ~nited ~ tat e s r e . o g nition or bis ~ov rnment follows promptly. wimult a neou s ly ureat ~rit a in r - c o g n! z ed Ra mir e z -- and so d o some of the oth e r s outh e rn re 9 ublics. MtI-STRIKE The 0 ouse of Representatives today pa ~· se d the Ant1-~tr1ke Bill. ~be •ote was twk ■w two hundred and nineteen to - one hundred and twenty-nine in favor of the measure that would •irtuallJ ouUaw strikes in war time. tor example, the bill •111 enable the QoTernment to send John L. Lewis to Jall it be should call another coal atr1~e -- when the present coal mine truce expires on the twentieth. Some m.ile ago both the lower house and tbe Senate passed antl-atrike bills. There were some differences between th e two, dltterences that were compro ~ .ised by a Joint committ~e. The Lower iouae took action today and ■•-••• okayed the Committee's •era1on, Wbicb now goes to the Senate -- whe!~ 1 t seems likelJ to pass. What •111 the ~resident do? . Opponents ot the ant1-~tr1ke bill hope tor a White louse veto. !ut thus far the President bas not Indicated whether he •111 s1sn or turn down the bill -- which the unions oppose. Mean~tiile there was a coal mine strike today in Alabama, •1th three hundred and fifty workers stagin ~ a walkout -- two mines tted up. the reason was -- th.t'ftne that S e r~tary Ic k es impos e d on tne min e rs. dtJ - STRIQ - 2 The !.olid ~els !2,ministrator in barge or the mines the GoYernment nas seized, put the penalty on the men because or the recent strike. lne regular union contract provides tbat miners may be rtned a dollar a day ror ev--ry day they fail to work1.w without justifiable cause for not mowing up. The strike las~ ti•• days, so Ickes tined more tban · balr a million miners five dollar• eacb. --.c.e~ ~ ~ " ' ~ ~ , The miners don'xllllliii'U:lftld')\and bave threatened to strike against the tine. Tbe first action was today, when three bundred and fifty Alabama miners walked out. IJP The Senate today voted money tor the Agriculture Departaent - 1nclud1Dg the Fal'll Securit1 Acbdniatration, against wblob there was a tight. Ult An · Econo111 bloc in the Senate wanted to do awa1 with the Securit1 Adain1strat1on, which bl1 been directing tar■ resettl•ent projects, and proposed to cut ott it1 oaab. Bowe•er, the Senate today Toted eight IIDDdred aD4 Pitt1 line Million Dollar• tor the Departaent ot Agriculture, Snolud.iDC a mmdred and Sixty ■1111on tor the r.s.A. ••nwbile, the lalllkaers are con1iderabl.7 perturbecl Oftr the food lituation - this following the peasialatic crop report 18111184 JHterda, • 0'- Deper-t ot .\ar1cul ture stete4 that the production ot Yarlou1 kinds ot toodatutts will be 1barplf reduce4 tb1s rear.( Cond1t1ons at th• beg1Dn:lng ot tbl.a ■onth banish all hope that American tar■s will produce •• nob •• the, did last year - tb1s largely because of bad weather COn41 t1ona during the spring.) Cbainaan Fulmer or the House Agricultural Coanittee aaid today h1•11 ask for a conference with President Roo s . velt 1n ~ effort to impress upon the Presldmt the seriousness ot the tood problem and the necessity or the goYernment doing something abOut 1t. Senator Bankhead or Alabama, leader or the Fal'lll Bloc tn the Senate, makes this d•md: "Ir necessary, •• ought to •n4 bal.t ot tbe Army out into the tlelds to ••• that no aor• ot thi• 1ear•a crop la lost•. lQOI SQIT Today we bave some Washington comment on the battle or the 1oot suit -- com ent from the tar Production Board. Last October the IPB announced that zoot suits were out for tbe duration, defined the costumes worn by the jitterbu. •Tbey teature a coat wbicb comes down to tbe knees,• said tbe WPB, •and the trousers that ba•e a high rise and are tull at the knees.• And the •ar Production Board went on to say •we are going to put a stop to this wRste of di cloth. Tbe large amount or fabric• that is being wasted in tbeae so-called pants ought to be saved tor our soldiers and '-( \ sailors.• The irony is -- not only ls tbe :ID fabric not betn · g saved tor our soldiers and sailors, but the jitterbugs wearing tbe fabric have set out to beat up our soldiers and sailors. ibe question that bothers the War Production Board ls tbis -- last October tbe IPB at>olished zoot suits, s 0 where have the jitter bugs been getting them? Today officials expressed the opinion that ■aybe the rioting hoodlums were wearing old costumes bought before zoot suits were abolished. er maybe Gelt-rorala ~itt••~u~a ~•t ~bel•, • l'l!at pleats r 1018 .Meziecn Or pa•l-b po s sibly -- there :n ay be a black market in zoot suits. lt is a p r o f o und and puzzling q uestion, but maybe the solution of the whole thin mi r, ht be left o the a>QT SOit aailors who have been stripping the bag y pants ort the Jitterbugs. • IQSSIA Moscow toQay celebrat e d the first anniversar y or Lend Lease to Son.et nussia. the ~ oscow newspapers g ave full and glowing accounts telling or American aid, with expressions cordiality !be celebration was climued with a luncheon at tbe ~rnl1n, at wbicb American diplomats headed by Ambassador St411111ldley, were entertained. Foreigb.!:i>mmissar Kolitov continued tbe praise or ~end Lease, and concentrated on post war collaboration between the 8o•1ets and western duocrac, • • Tbe luncheon was a twenty-course atratr. Tbere were eigbt courses ot hors d 1 oeune, followed by tisb, game, lanlllJ Wegetablea, ice creams, wtnes,~Avodka. Pretty good, tor lunch. laybe it was gastrono m ical evidence or Soviet departure tro■ :,Z.,. proletarian world revolut~on.