, GOOD EVENING EVEH¥BODy: For quite a number of years now I have given several of my broadcasts each Winter, from the heart of the Adirondacks* And that*s where I am tonight, in Lake Placid. In order to do this the A.T. & T. and the N.B.C. have run special wires up into these snowy mountains. And so has Western Onion. The scene is just the same as in other years. My microphone is perched here on Manager Sam Packers desk at the Lake Placid Club. In the room on my right, in plain sight through a big glass window, are the radio and telephone engineers. Through a window on my left,at his telegraph key, is the Western Union man who all afternoon has been typing out the newx of the world, as it came pouring in. Thanks to the magic of both radio and the Morse wire I can get the world’s news just as quickly up here as I can in my New Yorj£ office. I wish you could see this room. It would give you a laugh - maybe. In order to give it good accoustics, so it won’t LEAD - 2 sound as though I am talking into a barrel, Messrs. Packer and Hicks have nad blankets taken off the beds, and hung around the walls. They do this for me each year, yank the blankets right off the guests1 beds. And to further deaden the sound Jack Garren, head of the Olympic Arena here, has crowded the room with skiers, both visitors and Lake Placid people. They may deaden the sound, which doesn!t necessarily mean they are not lively people. And now, letfs rub the snow out of our eyes and take a look at the news of the world. UT Pl<^d • PEACE TJie Mussolini government in Rome has joined with the Vatican in the task of bringing an end to the present war. ^Xt*s announced in Rome today that the Italian Government ard the Pope have reached an understanding and will work together, in behalf of peacer^hls was accomplitehed by negotiations between the Italian representative to the Vatican and the Papal Secretary of State. The significance of course is obvious.^ It puts Mussolini in line with Pope Pious the Twelfth and President Roosevelt^reminding us vividly of tiie statement made by Senator King of Utah, about which I told last night - Senator King cailing upon Mussolini1 s Fascist government to join witli, the democratic powers in seeking a satisfac­ tory solution of the War. ^ Late this afternoon. President Roosevelt referred to the news from Rome, the Fascist Government announcing parallel action with the Vatican* The President smiled and said - the more nations working for peace, the better The White House today received a warm reply from the Vatican, the Pope expressing his hearty desire to collaborate with the United States.State Department. PEACE - 2 White House Secretary Early stated today that the White House had received hundreds of telegrams ever the weekend, telegrams referring to the President’s approach to the Vatican. Of these four hundred, said Early, only four expressed any criticism. Several Baptist groups spoke up in objection, and one Baptist clergy-man of Atlanta, Georgia, asked some questions;- Did the appointment of Myron C. Taylor as American Peace Emissary to the Vatican mean a resumption of diplomatic relations between A the United States and the Papacy? J And how would Myron C. Taylor be paid? \ Secretary Early stated that the appointment had no reference at all to the establishment of any formal diplomatic relations with Vatican City• yThat isn!t any part of the plan, jf- which simply concerns itself with the peace settlement. He said that the question of how the American representative would be paid has not been raised as yet. But he added that his salary could come out of the general appropriation. FINLAND ^ In Finland the City of* Vipuri is being completely evacuated. The order was given today as Bed army planes and artillery continued to devastate what used to be FinlandTs second largest city^ Long range artillery is bombarding incessantly, cannon which the correspondents are calling big berthas, reminisceitt of the giant guns with which the Germans bombarded Paris in the World War. The City of Vipuri is being reduced to ruins. Most of the population have been out of the doomed place for weeks. Now the others are going, only such as are needed for military purposes will remain, The Red Array is concentrating its power in the Vipuri section — the western part of the Mannerheim line, the northern fronts the Red cause seems to be hopeless. Above the Arctic Circle, they are still retreating. In the center of the eastern front th< Finns are on Russian soil in places and are now said to be threatening to cut the Murmansk railroad, the only line of communication the Soviets have in the northern area.^) With the Arctic winter closing down in earnest. frightful cold and huge falls of snow, it is apparent that the FINLAND - 2 Soviets are through for the Winter so far as the far north is concerned. The only place that is left to them is the Karelian Isthmus Just north and east of Leningrad. ^Their only hope of conquering Finland during the Winter is to break through and — smash the Maimerheim Line - with the whole weight of the Red armj to crush the Finns on that narrow front. ^ 1 The Finnish report tells of heavy fighting and repeats the story of repelling Red army attacks. They claim they have lost no ground FINLAND - 2 Soviets are through for the Winter so far as the far north is concerned. the only place that is left to them is the Karelian Isthmus just north and east of Leningrad. ^ fheir only hope of conquering Finland during the Winter is to break through and — smash the Manner helm Line - with the whole weight of the Red arm} to crush the Finns on that narrow front . ^ The Finnish report tells of heavy fighting and repeats the story of repelling Red army attacks. They claim they have lost no ground TROTSKY ^ Today at Mexico City, a loud denial was uttereda stentorian:- "Nol" The one who uttered it was no less a personality than Trotsky, one-time companion of Lenin and boss of the Red Army. ^Trotsky §houts:- "No", he doesn*t approve of the Soviet invasion of Finland.^)A newspaper said he does, but he denies it. And Tpotsky roars:- "Nol2 And he says he isnft going to make up with Stalin. He isn!t going to have any reconcilliation with the Red Dictator who tossed him out. And he xx isn’t going back to Soviet Russia. These things, too, were in the rumor. But Trotsky bellows: — "Nol" DIES It looks as if we might have a bit of a motion picture sensation, if the Dies Committee releases its report on Communism in Hollywood. We are told that former Communist officials have given investigators a list of prominent film personalities on record as Reds. There are said to be forty names on the list, twenty of which are prominent movie actors. These are accused of having supported the Communist Party or organizations affiliated with the Communist front. They contributed money, and the Dies Committee investigators state that individual organizations under Communist control got as much as three thousand dollars a month — money which motion picture big—shots gave to the cause of the Reds* TRADE TREATIES The move to investigate the trade treaty policy of the Government gained support today - from Secretary of State Cordell Hull who has been negotiating those commercial pacts^ and is the Humber One supporter of the policy. The Republicans have been complaining that the tjjade treaties have been hurting American producers - by letting in foreign imports. Senator Vandenberg of Michigan, who is a member of the Senate Finance Committee, has come out with a declaration that the Committee will make a study of the effects of the commercial pacts, before it recommends that they be continued. This Vandenberg declaration now draws the statement from Hull — that he'll welcome an investigation. Said the Secretary today:- T,The more comprehensive and searching an examination is made, the more pleasing it will be to friends and supporters of the program," He added that the investigation should be for the purpose of getting information, and not with the aim of taking pot-shots at the trade treaty policy. NORRIS Today Senator Norris of Nebraska announced that he %ouid not seek reelection again, which was precisely what he said several years ago. It didn't ntaken that time. Friends of the aged and much respected veteran of the Senate urged him that he still had work to do in Washington, urged him so strongly that Uncle George took back his refusal and was returned to the Senate. Today he stated that his present resolve is firm and final, fie is seventy-eight, and says that his work in political life is done. Uncle George tells his friends and political supporters that this time it will do no good to argue with him. Under no circumstances will he seek reelection in Nineteen Forty- Three when his present term expires. LAKE PLACID To the people who are sitting around me up here at Lake Placid tonight, just about the most important news is t he news that concerns the weather, that the Adirondacks are deep with snow - powder snow, because it*s cold as blazes. Here in this little room crowded around me, are Otto Schniebs and his family. Otto, who was so long and ski coach at Dartmouth, is now head of numerous ski schools, including the one here. Also Joan Tozzer, figure skating champion of North America - and exceedingly good looking. And not quite so good looking is Hubert Stevens over there, that Laic© Plasid giant who captained the American bobsled team when it won the Olympics. Rolf Monsen, famous Olympic ski-jumper is sitting beside me also, and many more. Willis Wells, supervisor and general Poo Bah of this snowy mountain country, has just been telling me that right now they have the biggest crowd of winter sports addicts in Lake Placid and vicinity that they've had since Nineteen Thlrty-Twc, when the Olympic Games were held up here. MPSIClAjiS There’s a threat of trouble tonight at the opening of a show in Chicago, trouble if anybody on the stage breathes the name of - Joan L. Lewis. The threat is made by James Petrillo, head of the Musicians Union in Chicago. You might think it ix a case of objecting to a gag at the expense of the C.X.O. chieftain but it’s nothing of the sort. The Musicians Union in Chicago is a branch of the American Federation of Labor, and Petrillo is a strenuous opponent of the C.I.O. Recently, Petrillo started a campaign of making shows in Chicago cut out any reference to John L. Lewis. "This Lewis,” he vociferates, is not going to get any publicity in any show appearing in Chicagotn When the George White scandals came to Chicago, thqy had a skit about the C.I.O, chieftain. Petrillo got them to take that out. he declares he has an agreement that when Hell zap oppin breezes into the windy city, they’ll eliminate certain references to the Labor Chieftain with the big eyebrows. The battle at hand concerns tonightJs opening in Chicago of the comedy, "The Man Who Came to flinner." X hear they got a line in there referring to Lewis •n Petrillo barked today ♦’It*s gotta come outl" This drew an answer from the management of the play — a refusal. They stated in positive terms that there would be no change in any line in the comedy. When Petrillo heard that he shouted:- nOkay^ I!m going - in there tonight and stop this show. I'll pull out the musiciansj and I'll haul out the stagehands too." So there's the promise of theatrical trouble In Chicago tonight — all because an A.F. of L. stalward doesn't want to have the name of the C.I.O. boss even mentioned. DRUNK The Lake Placid Club from which I am broadcasting, was founded by Dr. Melville Dewey, the famous advocate of simplified spelling. In fact I am broadcasting right from his office. And if his shade is hovering about his room, here is a special item for Dr. Dewey. He*11 applaud in ghostlike fhasion when he hears it. It»s an old adage that there1 s an exception to every rule. Today the police of Washington, D.C., issued a statement that this Christmas season has been the soberest in many years, positively absteminous, almost teetotalling. Thatfs the rule, but they admit the exception. On Christmas Eve one Washingtonian paid a fine of ten dollars for drunkenness. On Christmas Day that same merry-maker paid a twenty dollar fine — again for drunkenness, this morning he was sentenced to thirty days in jail for being drunk and disorderly! The exception proves the rule, and what an exception! KEELER Today a famous romance was severed in a Hollywood divorce court — and it's cruel to contemplate. A dozen years ago, a star sentimental affair in the realm of stage, radio and screen was the marriage of A1 Jolson and Ruby Keeler. The star comedian of Mammy song renown was wedded to the petite young dancer, whose tapping toes won Broadway ovations. A1 Jolson was twenty—one years older than Ruby Keeler, and of course he sang many a tender Mammy song to her. You'd suppose he'd go on crooning them forever and ever to his bride. But today they were divorced. And the grounds that Ruby gave were - "extreme cruelty" and that's no Mammy song. Ruby told the Judge that Hubby ridiculed her. He ridiculed her constantly. He called her ,"stupid", which is an awful thing to call a beautiful girl, they so seldom deserve it. "He called me stupid", she testified today, "and any time I expressed an opinion he would ridicule me. He would say — "Well that is wfonderful. So you know about that too. You are so smart." That's what he said - according to Rubyp and it was no Mammy song. Thereupon she gave another example of extreme cruelty. "When X had dinner guests", she testified, "he would sit at the table and refuse to talk, practically fo&cing me to make conversation - which I think was a KEELER - 2 little difficult at times,” SaidRuby. Well, it cetainly is tough when a famous comedian comepls his wife to make the gags and wisecracks. The Judge gtanted the divorce. He also granted alimony. Laugh off this Mammy song:- Ruby gets fo$r hundred dollars a week for life or until she remarries. If she happens to get married again she will get fifty thousand dollars flat. Hugh, tell about those two motors under the hood and then sign off for me tonight. Are you still there in Radio City, Hugh, or have you gone home?