L.Ty - MNOCO. TUESDA!i:. SEPT. 16^ 1941 GOOD EVENING EVERXBODX: The state of the war in Russia is reflected in the nev;s from London tonight, here’s a statement made by Averell Harriman, head of the United States supply mission going to Moscow, Stopping off in Britain, he contirasts the American view and the British view — they're so different. He says there is among Americans what he calls - ”a definite let-down.” Tension has subsided among t he people of the United States since Hitler went to war with Stalin. The let-down, said Harriman, is largely because of the oelief that the Red Army can hold out against the blitzkreig - without any vast help from the outside. While the British are far more keen than the American about the Nazi-Soviet War, right no?/ they are worried because of the reported break-through of the blitzKrieg armies in the Ukraine The German drives beyond the River Dnieper are of Imminent peril to the Red forces, the British think. Consequently, they want their own country and the United States to rush the largest possible amount of war materials to the Bovicts WAR 2 Lord Beaverbrook announces that one entire week's production of British tanks will be hurried to the Red army, C4nd we are told that o^inri-lar^amount '-trf American supplies w±±i ^ __ _____ ^ ^arrive^n Russia. ^^LondorTgi^s us a statement that Great Britain and the United States have agreed to provide the Red air force hundred fighting planes iBgjgwic per month, beginning January First Also - London and Washington are going to go halves with the Soviets on certain kinds of war stocks. The Red army is to get half of British-American production of some sort of war material - and that*s to begin immediately. The British report that Moscow has been disappointed by the amount of aid received, and Soviet tempers are running short. They want more. And they We been assured they will get more. London says that Soviet dissatisfaction at United States- British aid was largely dispelled at a recent conference between Prime Minister Churchill and Stalin*s Ambassador to Britain. All of this urgent talk of aid to the Soviets is emphasized by word from Berlin. The Wazi high command officially announces large advances in the Ukraine area. The Berlin bulletin I i ViAR — «5 uses these words:- »»advancing victoriously on a oroad front.” No definite placds are named to measure the distances the panzer units Inave driven, but it would appear that there are several thrusts hammering deep into Soviet territory. And Berlin announces victories equally as large in the north — the Leningrad area. The Nazi high command claims that eighteen Soviet divisions were smashed in the sector about a hundred miles south of Leningrad. This is where the Soviets day after day have been launching violent counter-attacks to relieve the pressure on the second Soviet City. If the Berlin claim today be true, it means the counter-attacks have been turned into a heavy defeat. The Germans declare, indeed, tiiat the Red army offensive to relieve Leningrad has been transformed into a Nazi drive threatening Moscow, The government of Bulgaria today rejected a Soviet pPQ'^03'1^, Moscow complained that the Bulgars were not being neutral. Today the protest was rejected, and it looks as if a state of war in ight ensue between Bulgaria and Soviet Russia ■a PERSIA FOLLOY,’ W/|H One of the world's amazing rulers fell from power today - tne Shah of Persia^ oe leaves his throne, as the British and Sovie forces draw near the city that was his capital - until today. The occupation of Tehran by r^pire forces and units of the Red army may be expected at any time - if it has not happened already. Riza Khan Pahlevi ho» been nl\:lBiaTued - began life as a stable groom, watering horses. Then he climbed his way upward to the command of the army of Iran. He became the strong man of the ancient land of Persia, deposed the ShJiEh Shah - and took his place on 'the throne. H qw , he’s a casualty of the conflict that engulfs nations - has resigned the throne to his son, who may or may not be able to keep it. Why did Riza Khan Pahlevi abdicate? The answer would seem to be simple, but it gives us an odd oriental twister. Shah Riza Khan^Hsiiiibeaci, himself, explains tiacfc with a stal^ diplomatic excuse. ^ says he’s quitting the throne because of ill health. Everybody else knows that he’s resigning because the British and Soviets are marching in and they don’t like the way he has been Acting. London and i A qsccw have made an abundance of statements ::|1 PERSIA FOLLOW W a R _ 2 that Riza Khan has been procrastinating, dilly-dallying, trying to evade British-Soviet demands. So that’s why he quits, as everybody knows. That is - everybody save people in Persia. JL In Tehran today there was a wise shaking of heads with sagacious A smiles. They know. They understand the real reason. It is numerology. The Persians go in for the mystical science of numbers applied to names - it’s an old kind of Persian cabalistics. whftt-* &■ the -niumerolegy ^ears ago, they applied the mystical science of numbers to the name Riza Khan Pahlevi and found that numerology indicated that the Shah would lose his throne in this present year. So that explains it all - numerologyI AViAiian The City of Cairo bombed -- that’s a headline because of the special reason. The British have announced all along that if the capital of Bgypt were blasted by air raids, retaliation would be made on Rome. Cairo — one of the holiest cities of Islam. If it were attacked from the sky, why then the British would bomb Rome. That’s the supposition, and what do we hear today? The Egyptian Government announces that thirty-nine persons were killed in an Axis raid on Cairo last night. However, the report uses the term ’’the Cairo area.” So this might indicate that the bombs were dropped on objects outside the city proper. FRANCE A few hours after the posting of the sinister announcements, two more Germans were reported shot in Paris A non-commissioned officer was badly wounded by a bullet as he 6L walked along tfi# boulevard. And another German was shot and A injured at about the same time. Grim events in occupied France continue,fen Impjeii'i. Today in Paris notices were posted announcing the execution of ten Frenchmen, hostages. The Nazis describe then as Communists. They were shot in accordance with German threats to take reprisals \ i for attacks on Nazi soldiers in the occupied area. r I NAVI i ■■ Now here»s a question- Waht is the meaning of ”shoot first.^l ls f President Roosevelt today gave one possible hint — a sort of negative inkling. He said in effect, - Don’t think that convoying is the only way to protect ships. He warned amateaur strategists not to regard convoying as the necessary implication. There might be other ways to safeguard ships of all nations in American defense waters. And he added that possible clashes between United States warships and Axis raiders will be revealed only at the discretion of the Navy Department. So that’s all we’re told officially, as the American fleet today began the operation ordered by the President. We don’t know what’s happening out on the ocean. It’s all shrouded in blank secrecy. An order was issued today — to permit American ships to go into ports hitherto forbidden to them under the Neutrality Act, The ban is taken from harbors of the British Empi^^Tsave those in the actual war zones in Europe So American ships can now traffic with the British in Africa, Asia, and the South Seas - such important places as Suez, for example. lAXfiS The House of Representatives t'^day puts Its okay on the final draft of the Tax Bill — the measure that increases taxation so drastically and is designed to raise three and a half billion dollars* The Senate is expected to give its* approval tomorrow, Today’s proceedings were enlivened by an Inquiry ibout taxes on s afety razors. The Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Congressman Doughton waved that aside* ’’Under this bill and previous bills,” said he, ”the taxpayers will be shaved so clean and so closely they won't need a razor.” The American Legion had its big paradt•today. Milwaukee il; !l witnessed all the customary noise and splendor. On the more s erious r side, the convention proceedings featured speakers on the reigning subject of the hour — foreign policy. Representative Ramspeck of Georgia attacked Lindbergh. He said that anyone who tries to ji 'r sabotage a the nation’s foreign policy is bordering on disloyalty He spoke of American freedom, and added, ’’In fact we have freedom to the extent that men like Lindbergh can raise intolerant issues.” And the congressman surninarized his denunciation in these words, ” ”There are people in this country who hate the Roosevel-c admlnistratior^ im 1 so much, that they would rather see Hitler win than see Roosevelt vindicated. ” OOKILLA The White H^use is exceedingly expert on matters of international ceremony and propriety - the greeting of foreign dignitaries, the reception of diplomats* But how do you receive and greet a diplomatic gorilla? That*s the question which now confronts the protocol division of White House affairs. The gorilla is a big one, and most ferocious. The Abysmal brute is on its way to this country, sent to the President <f the United States. gift from the Free French forces of central Africa, tttm followers of General DeGaulle. They want to express their regard for President Roosevelt, and are saying it with a gorilla. The monster, by the way, was captured by an American, Pvilip Carroll. The diplomatic communication to the White House and, we believe, the most ferocious gorilla that ever left Africa.” On being informed of the matter. President Roosevelt delegated his military aide and secretary, Major General 1 Watson, A 1 ) I' 0 I, I -E- I FI; announcing the shipment, states the following: ”It is the largest J i GORILLA - 2 to receive the monster anthropoid when it arrives. The General admits he doesn’t know what kind of ceremony is required when you greet a visiting gorilla. He’s trying to figure that out. And the President is trying to decide what he’ll do with King Kong upon arrival. 1 gUiNTS There’s news about the Dionne quintuplets — and it really is news. They’re going to learn to speak English. The quintuplets J have been raised on French - English a mysterious language to them. I had occasion to realize that when I broadcast from their studio on their birthday some months ago. They were supposed ‘ * to say something and sing something in French at the microphone - although they said nothing distinguishable and sang mighty little. i Papa Dionne and Mama Dionne, who are thorough French- | ij Canadians, have insisted that the Famous Five be reared according ii to the ways and customs of Quebec - including the language. But now the Ef^ucation Department of Ontario steps in with a new decree. The order is given that the seven year old quintuplets start to study English right away. Beginning with the coming school year, the little girls will take lessons in the official language of Canada, n CHILDREN Today a bus in Brooklyn was rumbling along cin avenue. when down the line the driver saw two children on tricycles - a ten year old boy and a seven year old girl pedaling along. There was something about them that attracted the bus driver’s attention - they were riding their tricycles with so much earnestness and industry. He stopped, and asked them where they were going. ”We*re going to California," said the boy. That astonished the busman no little. "Hop in," said he, "and I’ll give you a lift on your way to California." He drove the children around to the nearest police station, and there m the cops questioned them. The ten year old boy, dark and rather stern, wouldn’t say much. He merely frowned, The seven year old girl, with stringy blond hair and a freckled nose, was less reserved. The boy’s name was Arinand Mascato, she said, (ind hers'janet Every. They lived in the same Brooklyn house, A add early this morning, at dawn, four A.M. — Apmand crept to her bed. "He woke me up," she related, "and said we had to travel." And Janet replied - "All right.” 1 i-i I i I* CHILDREN - 2 They packed their clothes, and started out. Tliey had two tricycles which they had found in a vacant lot. They were on the way to the home of a relative of Janet’s, they decided they’d go to Coney Island^ and finally On their they figured - California, why not? SXMli^tricycles they Isa^ pedaled for two miles - before the bus driver picked them up. The police phoned an inquiry to the Children’s Aid Society, and there the reply was prompt. The boy was an orphan. The girl’s father was dead. They had been given to the custody of the Children’s Aid Society, which in turn had placed them to live in the home of Mrs. Edith Hall in Brooklyn. This morning. \ Hall, getting up at a reasonable time, missed the two and had immediately informed the Society. It would appear that tne ten year old and the seven year old had an attack of the wanderlust — probably because they happened to find two tricycles. ing-plaoQS ■ lot’s go» , ten year old Ai»taand awaaena 4 -ae^fea-yeai»-»ld Janet anrt 8^4.4-- ^tn traTolr* I CHILDREN . 3 Then in court a midget made a complaint that a side show owner wanted him to act as a barker — take his place outside and ballyhoo the show. Said the midget to the judge:- ”I wouldn’t be a barkerT' It would make me look like a freakl" Yes, most peculiar happenings, but they occurred where you’d expect them — in Brooklyn, home of Oyr Bums who are now in another extra inning game with the Reds. The score at this moment stands nothing to nothing XtiA NOW Hugh. I