L jl T^SPNQCO, THURSDAY, JAMIARX 11. 1954 GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY:- O: Uncle Sam*s Navy aviators have set up a new world*s record, a non-stop record for flying in formation. They've jumped the Pacific to Honolulu — twenty-four hundred miles. Longer by far than any non-stop hop made by the bearded Balbo and his merry men. Lieutenant-Commander McGinnis and his equally merry men, in six flying boats, powered by twin Wright-Cyclone engines, arrived at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, at IS:50 o'clock this afternoon, that is, 6 p.m. O'clock Eastern Standard time. In other words, they took ^_____ hours to fly from sunny California to the still more sunny Hawaiian Islands. When Lieutenant-Commander McGinnis' plane rans lit dramatically on the T/aters of Pearl Harbor he found a crowd of eight thousand people to meet him, including Governor Judd. Thousands of tons of lei were cast on the waters. Thousands of tons of beauteous maidens of all shapes, descriptions and color. ....... . — %,— HAWAII - S . L The roar of the motors transmitted by short v/ave could be heard all the way from Hawaii to New Xork. Admiral King, Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics, declares that this flight was in no way intended as a stunt. Merely the natural way of delivering those six plnnes for permanent use at the Pearl Harbor Naval Station where they are to do patrol duty. NBC SCMDAL LaBelle France is having a grand time being more and more horrified over the scandal of that municipal bank failure in Bayonne. Newspapers me * are screaming loudly for reform, reform of the legislature, reform of the courts, reform of the police, reform of everything I The Parisien police are having a hot time putting down riots, iaiy Today every road leading to the Chamber of Deputies was barricaled by the gendarmes. In all the open spaces near the government buildings mobs were gathering, shouting abuse of the government and screaming that the dead Russian, Serge Stavinsky, had been assassinated. Meanv/hile, inside the Chamber, the Socialist deputies were putting the Prime Minister on the spot. For one thing, they were demanding that the government remove the Prefect of the Paris police. So far the government of M. Chautemps remains in power, but the clamor echoes from one end of France to the other. *## ■#■■»** * BB* John Bull takes it* scandal more quietly. For months idc an affair has been on the carpet in England, an w \ l SCANDAL - 2 insurance scandal which, if it occurred in America, would have created a sensation. A couple of months ago, there was a trial which disclosed the amaling fact that there was a conspiracy in fcuglaxxxH English fire insurance circles, a conspiracy to set fire to buildings and shake down the underwriters for enormous sums. Several men were convicted and sentenced to long termc in prison, including one of the leading insurance assessors in London. Today no less an official than the chief of the London Salvage Corps was committed for trial at the old Bailey. He is accused of having been in cohoots with the leader of those corrupt insurance men, of having conspired to defeat Justice^ and of bribery. oonvio^- -Salvage Core*. NBC AIRMAIL The tig spotlight this week se-ms to he focused on the Committee of the Senate which is investigating airmail contracts. We learn today that Herbert Hoover, Jr., and Colonel Lindbergh, are to testify. This is a sequel to the fact that the former President1® son had airmail contracts, and that Colonel Lindbergh was given twenty-five thousand shares in T. A. T. stock, valued at one quarter million. The publication ot this has set tongues wagging. At the same time, it is only fair to remark that nothing hae come to light which seems in the least bit off color in this connection. One thing the senators learned today was that the mall files of former Postmaster General Brown were not the only ones in the department that were missing. Also, the president of one airway concern, told' the Committee that his firm had submitted a bid which was one million, six hundred and seventy thousand dollars a year lower than that of the successful company TEST VQTa They are holding the Presidential boxing glove aloft in the Washington right tonight. There wasnft much of a fight but F, B, R. won. There was a roll eali, in the House of Representatives today which shows clearly the strength of the President's supporters in Congress. This came up in a discussion of the Independent Offices Appropriation bill, particularly that section which cuts the pay of those who work for Uncle Sam. There were quite a few rebels in Congress who want to ham­ string this economy measure with amendments, but the speaker ruled that amendments were out of order. The unruly ones appealed to the House against that ruling of the .Speaker and the steam roller flattened the President's opponents to the tune of two hundred and sixty-one to a hundred and twelve. KBC GAG RULE (FOLLOW TEST VOTEf But wait a minute, here's something that makes parliamentary history. Later on in the afternoon there came a far tougher test of that old Administration's steam xx roller, -^he result is the most stringent, I really should say, astringent, gag rule ifcxtxxxx ever slapped on any legisla- tive assembly,^was adopted by the House. It means that throughout this entire session no amendments whatsoever may be offered to any law whatsoever except those concerning relief to World Wcjtr Veterans. ~td ><kv*vN, ~tCu. **Ji4*^»+*s^*- uy-WCcr^JT a tough, close fight. The final vote was a hundred and ninety-seven to a hundred and ninety-two. fame, Representative Byrnes^ declared that it was the severest yx y-*£t test of President Roosevelt's influence with the Congress. NBC FOREIGN DEBTS Some more right swings and left hooks in the Senate, In the general direction of those foreign nations that have defaulted on their debts to Uncle Sam. Senator Hiram Johnson of California is acting father to a bill to forbid the selling over here of the securities of any defaulting nation. It would make it unlawful for anybody within the United States either to sell such securities or buy them. No American to be permitted to lend any money to any foreign government that has reneged on its obligations to Uncle Sam, not only to Uncle Sam, but to any American citizen or corporation. Today the Senator called that bill up for consideration and the Senate passed it by unanimous vote. But will it get by the House and the President? NBC a.R.A, Another scrap is looming in Washington, a scrap precipitated by General Johnson, head of M*R,A, Last night we learned that the General is out for shorter working hours in all the codes. Today he went a step further and gave out the information that in addition to shorter hours the Administration wants a higher minimum wage in every industry. It *s no secret that the reason for this is the fact that the H,R,A. has not brought about either the increase of employment that was expected of it nor has it put so much more money into circulation. The principal gains in employment have been effected oy the Public Works and the Civil Works Administration, They say the N,R,A, has disappointed its authors, that it has not filled the pocketbooks of millions as President Roosevelt’s advisers had hoped. There's going to be a meeting of code authorities in Washington next month and both these points are coming up for discussion. Obviously the heads of the big industries are not 2 N-R.A. - going to take these suggestions without a tight, and all political oberrers are prohpeeying that we'll see the fur flying around the N.R.A. offices next month. NBC Ci ^UTG iL.^y. Vsith, all our admiration for the marvelous new ears Bested ^iat the Auto Show, some of the old ones were not so sloucfay. For instance, two young men came from ftanticoke, Pennsylvania> to ftew York to see tne^ show. They made the one hundred and sixty miles in eleven hours flat. Maybe,that*s not a record. But what makes it interesting is that they drove a nineteen hundred and two Pierce Arrow, and they say they used HHM& j S j SX Blue Sunoco. That ancient Pierce Arrow is parked in front of the Grand Central Palace tonight. r\*xrvv«'v<w iiBC FORD Getting away from automobiles letfs turn to Ford — not Henry, but Edsel, Menry»s son and heir — on the witness stand. It was before the Senate Comm ttee on Banking and Currency which is exploring the unknown spaces of that Detroit banking situation. That dramatic affair which touched off the financial powder magazine and brought about the National bank holiday last March. At the time of the closing, the name of Ford was spritTg mentioned early and late. So young Mr. Ford’s appearance today was a dramatic high spot. He told the Senators that the Ford Company had no less than thirty-two and a half million .dollars in cash on deposit in the Guardian Trust Company and the other banks saxt controlled by the Ford interests. All this cash was tied up when the Governor of the Wolverine state called the Michigan bank holiday. The Senators asked a pointed question of Mr. Fords nWhy did his company not mention all that cash on deposit in the reports of assets tnat it published?^ Mr. Edsel Ford explained that they did not want the public to think they had FORD - S too much cash. They thought publicity of that kind in the circumstances might not help. The appearance of the son of the great motor magnate provided a hurly burly show at the Capitol. There was no advance publicity on it. So when Mr. Ford turned up he caught the reporters and cameramen by surprise. The moment word spread, aorit there was a frantic rush to the Committee room. Reporters and photographers swarmed round, leaping on tables and chinning themselves on the chandeliers. One little side-show was a scene between young Mr. Ford and Senator Couzens of Detroit. The Senator went up to Edsel and shook hands and congratulated him regarding an interview with his father in this morning’s papers. In this Henry Ford came out with an unexpected cheer for the R.R.A. ’’Congratulations,11 said the Detroit Senator. NBC Th.e Aynekoop trial opened in Chicago today and became £t*- occasion of a scene that appears to be peculiar to -ftmrr-frirang America although most Americans hate that sort of thing, A crowd of ten thousand morbid people tried to storm the court room, 1’he proceedings inside the room could hardly be heard of for the noise the shrel&g of the thousands-of women outside A who couldget in. Several were crushed in the fight. the ambulance had to be called, and the riot squad was summoned, The crowd created such a tumult that Judge David announced that for the rest of this trial the general public will not be admitted. While all this was going on. Dr. Alice Wynekoop, the aged woman physician, charged with the murder of her daughter- in-law, sat pale but impassive. She had to be brought into court in a wheel chair. The first day was taken up choosing jurors, NBC R. CENTER FOUNTAIN People are talking today about that new beautiful work of art in the Sunken Plaza at Rockefeller Center. They are also trying to pronounce the name. It*s the Prometheus Fountain by the great American sculptor, Paul Manship. Some of us are saying "Who is tite chap Prometheus? Is he a friend of La Guardia1s?" My detective informs me that according to classical legend, Prometheus was the first fireman. He brought fire from heaven for the use of mankind, thereby earning the enmity of thejoiympian gods* MERLE CROWELL Ej.ler> Walter, our widely traveled friend who has been sending us news dispatches from the Far East, Jk has returned to America* mail is at his home in Adams, Massachusetts. In fact. confined to his bed, having trouble with that famous one remaining From his bed,Si£^iaei sends me three conclusions he has reached as a result of his lengthy journey through the Far East. it the new state of Manchoukuo, in what we use to call Manchuria, is a going concern^lost to China, indefinitely. He says that the independent factions in Manchoukuo will never again, (never Is a long time), consent to be completely subject to the China that is south of the Great Wall. His second conclusion is:- That the present head of the State of Manchoukuo, Pu Yi, former "^-emperor of China, will soon be crowned emperor of Manchoukuo. He says that the leading Mongolian "princes" and tribesmen are ready to consent to this because it will strengthen the** against the Soviet/ in Outer Mongolia. ijiiuL'i Cn 0 U j T w O 0 — jc Ellery V, alterT s eoriclusion, xrrri A an extremely Interesting one, is;- That Russia has massed three times as many troops in Eastern Siberia as Japan mm In. the whole of Manehoukuo. In his opinion, Soviet Russia has its eye an the control of the Yellow Sea, And he adds;- American recognition of Moscow has strengthened the Communist cause in China, making Russia the chief menace to oeace in the Orient,n Elleriy Walter (L.T,) TREATIES A wireless frpm Pai’is brings the news that the trade treaty between France and Soviet Russia was ratified today. By this treaty, commerce between the two countries will be considerably increased. Meantime, France and John Bull were getting together. Word came to the foreign office in London/ today that the French government is about to restore the full quota for a large list of products from Great Britain. In other words, John Bull can sell France more than he has been within the last few months. NBC The good ship Jake Ruppert has pushed her icicle- encrusted bow-sprit into a geographic mystery. Right now the Jake is heading full speed through an impossibility, that is, through waters that up to now were supposed to be impossible for ships, an ice pack that no vessel could penetrate. Instead of being barred by an immovable ice pack, the irresistible Jake just kept going. The Byrd expedition strangely enough f inds itself in open water. Only a few low icebergs are visible and occasionally patches of loose ice. Dick Byrd, Admiral of the Poles, flashes by Mackay Radiograms- "This is one of the most puzzling mysteries I have ever come across. The question is, * Where is the ice pack?1" That’s the hot question that flashes from the cold South Pole. If any of you know f who’s got that ice pack, just notify Admiral Richard Byrd, S.S* Jake Ruppert Antarctica. Mackay ending During the gay season on Christmas I gaily observed that as a gift X would like tx a new way to say «So long until tomorrow." Mr. E. E. Armstrong of Parry Sound, Ontario, sends me one. Mr. Armstrong tells me that on Robinson Crusoe’s famous island'ftie fleas held a meeting on the top floor of Robinson’s dog. This meeting took place on a Thursday and it ended in a row. At the height of the noise, the biggest flea present jumped up and said: "I move that we adjourn to Friday." And that’s what I now say^with a jumpy, flea-bitten So long until tomorrow. PERSONAL CORRES