L.T. SUNOCO. FRIDAY} SEPTE!JBER 1, 1359 GOOD EVENING EVER2BODX: ^This Is a broadcast ITve been dreading — the news on the day of the outbreak of warl 11*5 a sombre task to tell of the beginning of an armed struggle which may be one of the most devastating events in history. For war it is, with Germany and Poland fighting a major campaign tonight -™ and Great Britian and France about to plunge in.^ It surely seems they will ,w" “■“ ■“ “■*“ 1 began his Ethiopian adventure, with a radio broadcast. For a pretext, he made a charge of some minor Polish attack across the German border.^ He declared that he himself would lead his troops gave something of the impression of going to the war front and the firing line. How seriously Hitler regards the plunge he has taken is shown by his nomination of successors, LEAD - 2 should he -^Goering to take his place^ d-i«, and Rudolf Hess, a big Nazi party leader, to be next in succession. And he announced that Poland was being invaded - counter-attack, the Germans are calling it* It’s a heavy hearted thing tonight to begin the reciting of war bulletins^- reminding one of those incessant bulletins from the front during the Worlc^ War.^j And^ today*s battle dispatches^e^i^-anothe.r-^rFTirthlseehd^-of—the World War^j- .eont-^nTxACtory ne»s of the f:...filingboth sides winning. WeTll yv have those contradictory victories all the time now* ^Today the German command announced an advance all along the line, drives into Poland on three sides, pushing on everywhere - > nlightning ad vane es,1’the Berlin bulletin calls it* V ( On the other hand, here*s a United Press a : ) from Warsaw:- "Reports reaching the capital today said that Polish forces were stemming the German advance everywhere.1’ The latest from the German side claims that on the southern front, striking from Silesia and Slovakia, Hitler’s battalions drove into Poland for about ten miles today. along an extended front. On the western Polish border, they LEAD - 3 smashed ahead eighteen miles and are near the Polish industrial City of Katowitz. From the north they are striking down from East Prussia and claim to have advanced to within fifty miles of Warsaw in heavy fighting. I*ve left out a lot of unpronounceable Polish names featured in the^bulletins. They111 n^ws, those Jaw­ breaking wgBtwm-k-tmwwYM combinations of consonants - another reminiscence of World War days. BOMBINGS Today an immediate focus of world attention was on - the war in the air^AH along,the mind and conscience of mankind has been perturbed by the prospect of that ultra-modern borrow - A intensive sky bombings of cities?) j^En Washington, immediately upon the news of German-Polish hostilities. President Roosevelt flashed a plea to the governments of Germany, Poland, Great Britain, France and Italy - "Don’t bomb civilians and cities of no military importance^ w Just before that. Hitler in his war speech had given the promise in advance - he said he had ordered the German army not to bomb civilians or. use poison gas. That order would stand if Poland also refrained from air raids of peaceable people and the use of gas attacks. The President’s plea brought an immediate response from Warsaw, London and Paris. The British, French and Poles gave assurance that they would not bomb civilians. But of course Itocht there’s always a qualification, the qualification A previously stated by Hitler - "We won’t do it if the others don’t do it." BOMBINGS - 2 ^Then soon* as the v/ar hulietins rolled in, Polish accusation came ringing tfeat German warplanes were bombarding open cities, strafing civilians. Hitler not keeping his word, the Poles charged. Warsaw was bombed several times today the shrieking of air raid sirens, people scurrying to shelter, and the bombers appearing the sky overhead. A Warsaw dispatch relates that the Germans bombarded the outskirts of the city, and aimed some of their high explosive at the railroad lines. No bombs fell in the center of Warsaw, Polish news tells of air raids on many Polish towns, with a tragic death list among the civilians. Poznan was bombed, and there were heavy casualties. And so was the town of Warka. The Poles say that this place is not a military objective, yet it was hit by seventy bombs, with many civilians killed. So on the first day of the war we have a tragic dilemma. We have charges that a promise not to bomb civilians has already been violated. But who is to be the judge? All air raid pledges may go by the board -■ because it’s left to the enemy to judge whether or not they are violated. mnMu Tonight all that remains is for Great Britain and / France to declare war, and that seems about to happen.f London and Paris took simultaneous action. Each instructed its Ambassador in Berlin to present Hitler with an ultimatum. If Nazi Germany doesn*t draw back at this last moment and recall its armies from Poland - Great Britain and France will intervei in the struggle.Hitler refuses, the British and French Ambassadors are to ask for their passports. Hitler seems certain not to back down, and declarations of war by London ard Paris seea* to be inevitable - unless there should be some sWr1-- A A * A surrender at Warsaw, ffir. t fencing u^l-il.cly> Frames tedoy -"it to a Muci-eolini propcoal Per a peaoc inference, -iinininii rii-f - r-.ing r.f ip g,,-r^ure,—butr—WoFeaw,, . t>Hfi aed 'It. down; Prime Minister Chamberlain of Great Britain addressed the House of Commons today,- and spoke in terms of inevitable war. He gave the Commons an account of his negotiations with Hitler, and this account is further expanded in a British White Paper published today. The Chamberlain version BRITMM - 2 is vastly different from the Hitler account we had last night - contradicts it^tlatly. (rhe Prime Minister of Great Britain told Parliament that he knew nothing of the German sixteen point program which Hitler said yesterday had been presented to the British government. Chamberlain said he only knew about the sixteen points when he heard them broadcast on the radio. He added that the Polish government knew nothing of the Hitler proposals, had never been informed of them. Hitler had merely demanded that Polish envoy be sent to Berlin to get A proposals - and accept them, i The British Ambassador to Berlin had got first word of the sixteen points from Hitler’s Foreign Minister, von Ribbentrop, who merely read' them off to the Ambassador and wouldn’t give him a copy - saying it was too late The time for Hitler action v^as at hand, that Great Britain and Poland were still ready to negotiate when Hitler struck this morning. Parliamentary words were immediately followed by parliamentary action* The House of Commons, without even bothering to count the vote, put its okay on a war credit of five hundred million Pounds, two and a quarter billion dollars. Financial sinews for warf ^Chamberlain declared BRITAIN - 2 is vastly different from the Hitler account ue had last night ■ contradicts it^latly.(rhe Prime Minister of Great Britain told Parliament that he knew nothing of the German sixteen point program which Hitler said yesterday had been presented to the British government. Chamberlain said he only knew about the sixteen points when he heard them broadcast on the radio. He added that the Polish government knew nothing of the Hitler proposals, had never been informed of them. Hitler had merely demanded that fc&e Polish envoy be sent to Berlin to get proposals - and accept them. ) The British Ambassador to Berlin '■) had got first word of the sixteen points from Hitler’s Foreign Minister, von Ribbentrop, who merely read them off to the Ambassador and wrouldnft give him a copy - saying it was too late The time for Hitler action was at hand, that Great Britain and Poland were still ready to negotiate when Hitler struck this morning. ^Chamberlain declared Parliamentary words were immediately followed by parliamentary action. The House of Commons, without even bothering to count the vote, put its okay on a war credit of five hundred million Pounds, two and a quarter billion dollars. Financial sinews for warf BRITISH EVACUATION In Britain a great exodus began today, three million on the move. Some sick and some old but mostly children. Moving from cities to the open country, fleeing from possible air raids and bombs,^ Fugitives from what the British authorities call "target -•reas", sections that would be targets for the f bombers. Frou London alone seven hundred thousand school children departed, two hundred thousand from Liverpool, two hundred and fifty thousand from Manchester, a hundred and thirty thousand from the Newcastle coal area. The cities and the figures read on and on — a British exodus to match the flight of millions in China. The children marched through streets in double files,, carrying lunch baskets and gas masks. They were told they were going on a holiday to the country. Yet to the smallest it must have seemed strange a BRITISH EVACUATION - 2 holiday, -mothers don1! stand weeping and sobbing farewell when are just going awray on an outing. The children knew, A — ____ 'te as a ten year old boy^fcsl^an American newspaperman: nMy mother told me,w said he, "that I was going to the country to look for apples* But I know better. My big brother is in the navy and he said that the Germans are going to bomb London." Many of the children from city slums were vastly excited. One eight year old girl exclaimed, when she started out - "I wonder what the country is like." And many another slum child is saying the same thing. For them there*ll be revelation, the gargeosj autumn of the English countryside - one bright feature of the immense exodus tft the war. ^ 4 DUKE One war item has to do with a familiar theme - the Duke of Windsor and his Duchess* A London newspaper reports that as a result of the clash, the former Edward the Eighth and former Wallis Warfield, intend to return to England right away* His Ex-Majesty wants to do his bit, and the London report says he will be permitted to do it - he*11 be given a post in some bureau of national defense* It will warm many a British heart in war time to see the former monarch, once the British favorite, returning to serve in a subordinate capacity under the rule of his brother ITAIY The status of Itlay was clarified early. Hitler in his \ war speech this morning told his Reichstag that he expected no military aid from Mussolini, said Germany would undertake the Polish adventure alone^ ne spoke in terms of high, gratitude of the Fascist government in Rome, thanks and friendship. Somehow it had a little of the tone of a fond farewell. Then Hitler sent a telegram to Mussolini: - am persuaded that ^ can do the task assigned to us with Germany^ armed forces.” Hitler wired. "Therefore,” he addx, ”1 believe ^ do not need Italian military aid in this circumstance.” About the eventual status of Italy, weTll have to wait and see'— what will Mussolini do in the event of a British and French declaration of war against Germany? RUSSIA Hitler during morning broadcast launchirg the German X A attack, made the strongest reference to the new found friendship between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. His emphasis was significant - and so is this bit of news from Moscow. 'ith war breaking out, Premier Molotov today addressed the Supreme Soviet, about it as the Nazi Fuehrer had been earlier in the daj Molotov referred to the sudden change in the relations between the Nazis and the Communists. "Only yesterday," he declared, "we were enemies in the field of foreign policies. Today, however, we^e no longer enemies." And then he made a most striking statement, with a special reference to this first day of war. "In the present world situation," proclaimed the Soviet Premier, "it Is hard to over-estimate the significance of the German-Soviet treaty." All of which raises anew the rather bewildering speculation - just how much is there between Hitler and Stalin? the Communist Parliament, that suddenly that suddenly discovered ( 4^5 between Stalin and Hitler, he was just as emphatic NEUTRALITY Every American is thinking -- what about ourselves?^ Will we be drawn in? That question was answered today by President hooseveit* At the White House press Conference the Chief Executive of the United States spoke with grave earnestness to emphasize what he saicU^ I have a wire from Author Ted Shane who attended the Press Conference, and he says that the president spoke as if stunned by the dreadful event of war, in a subdued voice, hardly audible. Beside him A sat Secretary of State Cordell Hull, equally grave of face and manner. For further emphasis the president allowed himself to be quoted verbatim, word for word — a permission that is given only in affairs of singular importance, xy~Prea4den-t. was asked whether he%» say something about the United States remaining neutral^ and replied in these ¥*rords:- "Only this — that I not only sincerely hope so, bu; I believe we can, and that every effort will be made by the Administration so to do,” I think the President was echoing the vast majori^ty of Americans — let’s do all we can to keep | out of it 1 NEUTRALITY - £ The question of neutrality Inevitably suggest^ the question — would the President summon Congress and ask for a revision of the neutrality law, especially that clause of the law which forbids any American sale of wqr materials to a nation at war. The President replied that he would not immediately summon Congress and ask for neutrality alterations. Not now, later perhaps. The Press Conference Included a solemn Presidential plea to the assembled White House newspaper men, and to the Press of the nation and all agencies of public information. VUru ■Pigfrtgfewt Roosevelt asked that news be treated factually, A that the tidings given to thd American public be treated with a sense of reality and cool judgment. Don’t XKi steam things up with wild stories and blasting rumours. Let the news be the facts as well as the news man can honestly and calmly judge. Presi&ntlaladvice — and good advice. The White House press Conference also revealed the resignation of our Ambassador to Berlin, Hugh Wilson. He’s been in this country for some time, ever since both Berlin and Washington called their Ambassadors home, months ago when the Nazi Germans staged an anti-Semitic outbreak. With the resignation of Hugh Wilson, the United States has no Ambassador accredited to Germany. The President would not i say whether a new one would be appointed. VATICAN A melancholy echo came from the Vatican today - publication of the text of the plea for peace Pope Pius the Twelfth A made yesterday. In the light of today’s events, or rather the darkness - there is sombre irony in the words that the Pontiff addressed to the rulers in the crisis. nHis holiness, in the name of God, beseeches the governments of Germany and Poland to abstain from any measure capable of aggravating.the present tension.” So pleaded the Pope- How vainly he pleaded, was to be seen in the march of German troops into Poland a few hours * ^ __ ^ — later