MQiMDAY, MAY SI, na-^ GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY; As a matter of fact It*s mid-afternoon Yrtiere I am, out here in California, Today my cross-country travel has taken me all the way across - to the Pacific Coast. On this Memorial Day I*m in Los Angeles. The people of this region, like most of you have been enjoying a quiet holiday, with the usual exercises in honor of the war dead. Thousands of Los Angeles patriots have been putting wreaths on graves in the National Cemetary at Sawtelle where some 16,000 war veterans sleep. Well, Los Angeles means Hollywood — capital of the movie world. And this evening - this raid-afternoon I should say - I’m attending the annual convention of Twentieth Century Fox. Around me I see all sorts of celebrities of the film world:- Sydney Kent, the President; Darryl Zanuck, the wizard producer; John Ciark who passes them on to the world; Truman Talley of Movietone who was wi London at the Coronation. And then I could reel off endless names leap - £ of people you may be more familiar win, than I am: Son]a Heinie; Shirley Temple; Simone Simon; Warner Baxter; Loretta young, Tyrone Power; Wallace Beery; Barbara Stanwyck; Victor McLaglen; Jean Hersholt; Walter Winchell; Fred Allen; Bddie Cantor; Adolph Menjou; Dixie Dunbar; Alice Faye; Warner ftldlnw Oland; and hosts more. Several of them will be on with me in a few minutes. Not all. There wouldnH be time. So we*ve put all their names in a hat and two were picked out at random to represent Hollywood. Each will give you one of my news items. But 1*11 start the ball rolling with what looks like one of the most important items of the day: SPAIN ^ Today, five German warships bombarded the Spanish Left Wing port of Algeria, and laid it in ruins. The armoured fighting vessels stood out at sea, and fired salvo after salve/)— the old dread sight Of naval vessels in action. A rain of shells blasted the city, shattered the harbor. The casualty list? It's relatively small. Nineteen reported killed* They say the death toll would have been in the thousands, if the city had not received warning, so that most of the inhabitants were able to clear away to safety. The Germans, on their side, declare that their squadron refrained from shelling the heart of the city. Time after time during the past year, nations, angered by some occurrence in the Spanish Civil War, had threatened reprisals - but nothing violent occurred. But today violence of the most thunder­ ing kind did break loose, as Germany took swift reprisal for the bombing of the pocket battleship DEUTSCHLAiiD* l Tonight the Spanish Left Wing government is shouting - "An act of war!" But then, when the Socialist war planes bombed the German battleship, which was on international patrol duty - that also looked like an act of war. Two bombs hit the DEUTSCHLAND. SPAIi - 2 One crashed right through the deck and exploded. Twenty-four men were killed^ There are two many things in Spain that look like acts of international war* ^ Simultaneously, Germany today withdrew from the £on- Iniervention Committee, refused to have anything more to do with that organization formed to keep the Spanish Civil War from turning into a battle between the nations.^) Berlin declares; No more -non-intervention until there*s a guarantee that the Spanish radicals will refrain from bombing German vessels on international patrol duty. And Italy Joins Germany — Rome also withdraws, ^The Italians are protesting because one of their own patrol ships was bombarded by Left Wing war planes.^ So Germany and Italy are out, with the German squadron bombarding . Aamrtwndtai Almeria. All this brings the Spanish imbroglio to a climax of international peril. Never, since the savage war of classes broke loose in Spain a year ago, has the danger of a general struggle been so great. The Germans are mx reenforcing their fleet off the co sPain. The French are moving their warships. London is in a state of alarffi - afraid that the whole non-intervention scheme will collapse, and that the forces of Fascist Italy and Germany, radical France and Communist Russia, will be openly thrown into Spain for an International conflict there, ^nd then? Who knows? This new crisis has broken out with dreadful swiftness. Why? What’s at the back of the sudden flare-up? It seems Impossible to answer that. But one thing looks apparent - the Spanish Socialist regime abruptly started to make attacks on German and Italian ships that are patrolling its coast under the Non-Intervention Agreement. Does this mean that the Left Wingers are trying deliberately to precipitate a European explosion? No answer can be given to that.; But^it1 s reported today that Socialist Premier Blum of France has upbraided the Spanish Radical regime, reproving the Left Wingers for causing this sadden crisis. For my part, I don’t believe there’s any serious danger of a European war - although the peril is at a climax tonight. From what I heard and saw abroad, talking to people who ough believe that Europe will draw back from plunging in today we are faced with one thundering fact;- a German squadron SPAIN - 4 boabarded Almeria. As usual, the stock markets of the world are reacting to the situation, btocks and bonds took a drop tn London Paris and Berlin. But then, thatVs not alone because of the war peril. Itfs also because of new rumors in Europe that ! Washington is about to cut the price of gold. That same rumor which Washington has denied, but which keeps on echoing incessantly. TNTROPUOTIOa TO HEHSHQLT. As I mentioned a moment ago we selected two Hollywood stars to read two of my items, selected them by lot - the young ladies’ names in one hat, the gentlemen in the other. 0ut of the second hat came the name of one of the best loved actors of the day, the man who played the Swiss bell ringer father in the film "Thin Ice,” and before that played the part of Country Doctor, in the film of that name, with the Dionne Quintuplets, Yes, of course, Jean Hersholt. Mr. Hersholt, which of these items interests you? In your news despatches here's one that interests me, Mr. Thomas. And I feel fairly sure it interests people everywhere, no matter what their ideas are about religion. It's this bulletin telling us that Pope Pius is eighty years old today# and still going strong. I think we all admire the grand fight for life made by the Pope. So no wonder your news says, Mr. Thomas, that the Vatican was deluged today with messages of congratulations from all over the world. In every land, and in churches other than the Catholic, felicitations were heard. For only a few weeks ago it seemed as if Pius the Eleventh would never reach his 80th birthday. Despite his good health and his apparent returned strength his doctor advised him not to make the radio broadcast he had planned to deliver. At any rate I think it would be appropriate for this convention of film people to Join in the good wishes to the Pope. The world admires him for his fighting spirit, for the work he done In the cause of peace; and we of Hollywood respect him for what he has done to improve the moral tone of our filB world of make-believe. SPORTS Sitting beside »e right now is a man ^ peolnds Be Qf old times - of those days six years ago, when 1 first went on the air* He's Ed. Thorgerson. At that time he was a star announcer for H.B.C. The first announcer I had in this long series of news broadcasts, Ed. and X were partners on the job - then. And now we're partners on another job, Ed. Thorgersen being the sports commentator of movietone newsreel. Tonight, just to recall days gone by — I've asked him to join me on tnis program, so what's the sports news of the day, Ed,? "Thorgersen: It's good news, Lowell, - cherry news about Mickey Cochrane, I certainly had a sinking feeling that baseball would go into mourning for another tragedy, like the one of seventeen years ago when Chapman of Cleveland was killed by a bean ball, pitched by Yankee Carl Mays. When Cochrane wa felled the other day by a fast one, from the whipping arm of Bump Hadley, It looked like the Chapman misfortune all over aga But Mickey has been getting better all along, in spite of a fractured skull and threats of complications. And today SPORTS - 2 comes the best news of all. The doctors report the liger catoher definitely on the road to recovery. His temperature is lower the fever easing off. He Is sleeping well, and he's ablt to eat solid 0 food again. In fact, Mickey is feeling so good that he's talking about going home — home to convalese, take It easy and get well. I don't know if Mickey Cochrane is listening in tonight, but if so heTll be interested in this one — maybe amused* Baseball played in polo helmets - sounds almost as odd as swimming a race in a suit of medieval armour. But they've started doing it, have tried it out. Polo helmets as protection against bean balls — and all because Mickey Cochrane was cracked on the head by a fast and almost deadly pitch. They made the experiment in a game between Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. The players borrowed some helmets from a local polo team, and wore them to the plate. Stout helmets made of pith, yo know - constructed to be a protection against a crack on in a wild melee of men, ponies and swinging mallets. Polo helmets ought to be an effective guard against a bean ball, but wasn't tested or proved at the Des Moines - Cedar Rapids game. so batter *ss 02 tie polo blaaet ij £ ftEX cretdag curve* wac -—^*^6> scwcVt-r, iss imHcst-ed — use ri^~ -n^r iDes2.t* interfere a hitter’s vision, the cid hatting ej€. In tne Des Moines—Cedar Rapids ease, while wearing those white re- s enforced hats eight hose runs were hit. So the batting eye was O.K., or naibe tne pitching wasn’t so good. There was only one drawback - the sight of base runners s running around the bags in tropical bonnets. It was so funny, a couple of the spectators collapsed laughing 1 It put comedy into the game. Or was that a drawback, or a step forward? bhu. J May 1/7 INTRODUCTION TO MISS HUDSQM. Well, when we put the names of Simone Simon, Loretta loung, Rochelle Hudson, Barbara Stanwyck, Alice Faye, Shirley Temple and a few more in a hat - stars attending this convention. Miss Simon said she was glad her name didn't get drawn because she usually gets so excited she bursts Into a torrent of French. Shirley Temple was glad her name wasn’t drawn because she's seven years old and believes she would get stuck on the big words in this broadcast. The name that was drawn was Rochelle Hudson, a young lady who has just come of age but who has been in the films for some seven or eight years. She played the lead in one of the pictures with the Quintuplets - ’’Reunion11 it was called. And her latest was called ”She Had to Eat.” Judging from the success she’s had, Rochelle Hudson ought to eat fairly well for the rest of her life. Will you take my place and broadcast the news of the day. Miss Hudson? I understand the name of your latest picture Is II 11 I 1 ”Born Reckless,” So here's a reckless item for you. UTSS HUDSON Well of course the really hot news of the hour 1. Wilbur Shaw and that 113 miles an hour he drove at Indianapolis today* To win tpe 0 J 000 purse* last y ear * s race was won at 109.7 miles an hour. Op do I have my tenths wrong? Ralph Hepburn came in second the news said. Ralph of course belongs out here in sunny California, Los Angeles to be exact* 150,000 people watched the long grind in the whirling round and round in a racing car. L.T.: Thanks a lot. I*d rather be standing right here beside you than Indianapolis. JITTERS There * s snother distineTii _ . . tinguistaed authority with me here. So I asked him to pick what he considers the prize news item of today. He’s my newsreel colleague. Professor Lew Lehr, whose studies of unnatural history of the dribble-puss are well known to the world of science. So naturally, the Professor has selected a hit of scientific news, which comes under the heading of mammalian newrology. Explain it to us. Professors^ LEW: At Cornell University they are studying this mammalian neurology which is called the Jitters. You knew what the Jitters are. The stress and strain of modern life, too much speed, the machine age. Also those last six night-caps you had at two A.M. That's what gives you the Jitters — and they're studying it on a pig. That's exceedingly appropriate, because when you make a pig of yourself, you get the Jitters. They got the lde« at Cornell University because of Achilles. You know about Achilles. He was a Greek, but at Cornell he’s a pig. Achilles the pig had a nervous breakdown. He got theheebie-Jeebies. And go did Homer. You know about Homer JITTERS - 2 he was a poet, but at Cornell he»s a goat » a goat. Maybe a poet is always the goat. Anyway, Homes the goat also had a nervous breakdown. He also got the heebie-jeebies. That's wonderful, a pig and a goat get the jitters - In college. How did It happen? Ivery time Achilles and Homer were eating dinner and making a pig of themselves, an electric buzzer was buzzing, making an irritating noise. And it got their goat and they had a nervous breakdown. So the Professors figure they could study the pig and the goat and find out something about you and me when we get the heebie-jeebies. They figured they could study other animals too, like tom-cats, jack-rabbits. So they*re stocking a hundred acre farm with animals and they'll give the poor dumb creatures the strains and stresses of modern life — Hire the racket the milkman makes when he wakes you up at five A.M. or the stenographer chewing gum in your earj when your wife asks you where you ve been al night. The pig and the goat, the tom-cat and the jack-rabbit, will all have a nervous breakdown — and that's how us profemso study mammalian neurology* WEATHER - ENDING When most of the gentlemen attending this Twentieth Century Fox Convention got off the train, they found Los Angeles so cold, and the weather so misty that they put on their top coats and then had their pictures taken with their umbrellas up. I put that in just to win the good-will of the various California Chambers of Commerce. I guess that’s about enough and I’d better start running now. So I’ll be on my way to Salt Lake City and then Denver, and SO LONG UNTIL TOMORROW