LT. SUNOCO. KRIl'A*. WVh3aBliR 1. 1940 GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY: Tonight I am broadcasting from the county which is the home of President Roosevelt. In fact, I am in the county s eat, the city of Poughkeepsie, next door to ttyde Park. But the occasion is not a political one. I am simply taking part in a big banquet in honor of a distinguished clergyman, a friend and neighbor of mine, who is celebrating his fortieth anniversary in one pulpit. The guest of honor is Dr. Alexander Cummins; and the committee for the occasion includes men of every faith and all political parties. As for the news tonight, well, it’s all politics. And, as usual I will attempt to give it to you without bias. Which means thqt right now, when the campaign is in its hottest stage, whatever I say will displease both sides. POLL A new angle of political battle exploded today. I never saw an election with so many angles and so many explosions. This time itfs a straw vote angle, and concerns the GallUp Poll. How has the Gallup Poll been going? Well, to answer that I need only mention the political chieftain who fires the big anti- Gallup broadside today. Flynn, Democratic Campaign leader, Ed Flynn of the Bronx. Flynn issued a statement that the Gallup Pol! is controlled by, what he called — ”pro-VVillkie people.n That irate comment was evoked by the latest straw vote returns, which add New York, Connecticut and Missouri to the Willkie column! Flynn made reference to straw vote'figures that/appeared just before the Republican convention, figures that showed pillkie to be the most popular Republican contender. "It is very apparent," said the Democratic campaign manager today, "that the Gallup Poll is attempting to do what it did at Philadelphia during tho convention." And he added, "It is attempting to bol ir up the filse idea that there is a sv/ing toward Wende>i Willkie." This brought a prompt counter-blast from Dr. George H Gallup, director of the American Institute of Public Opinion./ He. -rl POLL - 2 runs the poll. The Doctor referred back to previous charges against the straw vote — charges made some weeks ago when the Gallup Poll showed Willkie taking a bad slump in popular favor. Answering the Flynn blast, the Doctor says — "That statement is just as fantastic as the one made by some Willkie supporters about a month ago that the Gallup Poll had sold out to the New Deal for a hundred thousand dollars. It is as fantastic, he continues, as a statement in the Chicago Tribune that Gallup is well known to be a rabid New Dealer.” The Doctor’s theory is that when you like the figures,| you’re for the poll. When you dislike the one you’re against th€ other. I can sympathize with Dr. Gallup. Because I too get it from both sides. GY,INN - ELECTION Yes and political observers are even watching the home bailiwick of Ed Flynn, Jim Farley's successor as Democratic National Chairman. Flynn has long been known as the Boss of the Bronx. And there a Hoosier named Ralph Gwinn is trying to break the power of Ed Flynn. The Twenty-Fourth New York Congressional District which contains the eastern half of Bronx county has a large population tnat any one of these ten states: Nevada, Y/yoming, Delaware, Vermont, New Mexico, Arizona, Idaho, Utah, Montana, or New Hampshire. AMBASSADOU The Great Ambassadorial question is something of a verbal puzzle tonight. Whose ambassador is it? Who owns the exalted diplomat? Was President Roosevelt correct when he called Joe Kennedy -- "my ambassador?” Or is Willkie right in saying that the use of the expression "ray ambassador” is a symptom of personal rule? These election questions are important enough to evoke an explanation from the State Department. We are told that according to International custom, an ambassador is considered the personal representative of the head of the state which he represents. In the case of Joe Kennedy, for example, he had his credentials personally from President Roosevelt to King George the Sixth. In England >.ie royal form is:- ”My armed forcesIV ^is Majesty’s armed forces.” Tne King says My Minister”, and they even use that quqint expression — ”His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition.” But now let’s look at the dictionary. I find the following in the big and authoritative Funk and Wagnalls. "Ambassador” — a person commissioned as of the highest diplomatic AMBASSADOR - 2 rank, sent by one severing power to another.” Severing power — th:.t does not necessarily mean the person who is at the head of the government. Wot in the United States, anyway, *t would seem to mean that government as a whole. And it might even mean e- the severing people. Which sounds nice and American. The dictionary definition goes on to state that the congress of Vienna in eighteen Fifteen, defined ambassadors as representatives of one personal sovereign to another. To which the dictionary adds this observatior.:-"republics, however, have sent and still send ambassadors.” Republics of course are not supposed to have a personal sovereign. So, from a dictionary point of view, the president might have said — ”our ambassador.” Or even, talking to the people — ”frour ambassador”, as Willkie said. In fact, this latter might seem to be preferavle when an election is on. The President, of course, appoints the ambassador But who pays His Excellency? In other words, who pays the taxes? The great ambassadorial question is so preponderant that it evoked a blast today from Democratic campaign manager Ed Flynn of the Bronx. Flynn denounced Willkie for what the Bronx leader called - zrm nhis discovery that the President’s use of the personal pronoun indicates a dictatorial state of mind.” Flynn thundered back that Willkie himself uses the first personal pronoun frequently. He pften says, ”1, me and my”. uf course Willkie has never said — ”my ambassador”. But he would if he could — is what Flynn means. To which the ehco resounds -- Oh, my! Even tne president himself is going to take up the subject of pronoun diplomacy. F.D.R. was asked about it today at his press conference. He refused to make any comment but indicated that he’d say something about ambassadors and first persons in Brooklyn this evening — in his campaign speech Number Four, which will be on the air at nine o’clcok. It might all seem to be rather trivial -- a mere matter of words. But down the line of American history, words have had a way of swinging elections. Take the election of Eighteen Forty. In a red hot campaign, A Democratic newspaper made a bad mistake in attacking the Whig candidate, William Hnery Harrison. The newspaper sneered at Harrison, who was from the West, sneered at him as a J.og-cabin-hard-cider-candidate. That was strictly a li'rel because Harrison was a Virginia aristocrat by origin and a wealthy landov/ner in the west. The Whig Party jumped at the false MiBASSADQR - 5 AMBASSADOR - 4 accusation, adopted it as the truth, and proceeded to put on a log-cabin-hard-cider campaign which swept the nation. Another instance of the political power of words is to be found in the verbal catastrophe that befell the eminent James G. Blaine. It’s of recent memory how he was defeated for the presidency by that famous triple alliteration — Tfrum, fomanism and rebellion. " It sw\jng the Irish vote against him. W.P.A There was picketing at the White House today. A hundred W.P.A. workers from Hew York staged a demonstration to protest what they called nsystematic terrorization" -- in behalf of the third term. They were led by William Levner, who declared that he represented the W.P.A. Teachers Dnion and the Workers Alliance. The White House pickets issued a statement declaring that people on relief in Hew York were being terrorized to control their votes. They charged that W.P.A. officials were intimidating workers — asking them questions about how they intended to cast their ballots on election day, making use of the law which requires that Communists and Nazis whall be thrown off the relief rolls. You’re a Communist or a Nazi if you don't vote third terml So declared the pickets. Charges were also made against the Republicans — assertions that insurance company executives had staged a campaign of persuading policy holders that their insurance was in danger d)f President Roosevelt were reelected once again. What of the War tonight? \Little is clear about the Italian invasion of Greece. Tne Greeks cj.aim successes, and the Italians are bringing up heavy forces for their drive. Today Italian planes repeatedly bombed Piraeus, the port \ of Athens. Also — Salonika, the all important harbor of northern \ Greece. With Greek aviation striking bacn. Yes, and British bombers blasted Naples — the first time that famous city has had an air raid. Naples and its scenery of long renown — but then itTs also an important naval base. The flight leader of the R.A.F. squadron tells his story as follows:— "The most interesting raid l’ve undertaken," said he. "The idea of competing with Vesuvius appealed to us all as we Came from the north — the bulk of Vesuvius rising benind the city." And he added: "We were dead on the target before we unloaded our bombs." Britain too was bombed today — as usual. But now the Germans seem to be switching the air raids to attacks on ships. It may be that the Nazi plan is shifting to some sort of blockade attempt by war plane and submarine. There»s one bit of foreign news that brings us right ? Af. - 2 around to our election a^ain. London by Lord Queensborou£h. Britain ani the Lnitcd States Queensborough. This to happen The open ^etter is addressed t It’s an open letter written in He c.-^ls for union between Great c-ose accord*, says ^ord after tne defeat of the laris. > the President of tne United States whether it be Roosevelt or Willitie, says “rhe British statesman. DR. CUmflS To return to the banquet table froic which I am broadcasting — for just a moment; sitting aroune me are judges, sheriffs. Priests, Rabbis, preachers of various denoniminations, politicians, and just folks, all paying tribute to Dr. Cummins who for forty years has been Rector of Christ*s Church in Poughkeepsie. And, it is the same here as everywhere else in America, Bishop Tucker President Ogilby of Trinity College, Father Ford, counselor to the Catholic Stddents of Columbia University, Judge Mack who has on three occasions nominated F.D.R. for the presidency. Professor William Starr Myers of Princeton, Dean Weigle of Yale and all the others around me at this large gathering are talking of ast one thing, the coming election. LA GUARDIA La Guardia should be able to sympathize with White House Secretary Steve Early. Because — look what*s ::appening to LaGuardia. The fiery Fiorello is being sued for three hundred and fifty thousand dollars, because of the political clash he had in Detroit a week or so ago. That was the memorable incident in which LaGuardia, campaigning for the New Deal, made a speech on the steps of the Detroit City Hall. A heckler near him called out, nare you still taking orders from Boss Flynn?n That question, in a most unfeeling way, referred back to the days of not so long ago when La Guardia was blasting Flynn of the Bronx as the worst of political bosses. You know the way the Fiery Fiorello can denounce political crookery and corruption — he had it all to say about Flynn. But now, of course, the Bronx chieftain is Third Term Campaign manager, and LaGuardia is an ace Third Term campaigner. So it1s sometimes inconvenient to be reminded of things. So inconvenient, that the fiery Fiorello sprang upon the heckler in Detroit. La Guardia later stated that — he just QUOTE shook the guy END QUOTE with the inconvenient memory. Today however, the suit entered by Benjamin H. Owens makes the following portentous charge in the most portentous of legal LA GUARDIA f~ language:- "The defendant maliciously and violently assaulted the plaintiff," declares the legal document. "Laid violent hands upon the plaintiff. And seized the plaintiff by the throat. And forcibly shook him. And tore the plaintiff*s clothes on his person. And thereupon attempted to strike the plaintiff. And put the plaintiff in fear of sustaining violent bodily injuries." It sounds like a lot and the plaintiff wants three hundred and fifty thousand dollars — which also sounds like a lot. KICK The political drama of the kick went into its fourth day today — which is pretty good run on any election circuit. Presidential Secretary Steve Early said he dldn^ do it. And apologized. That may seem rather complicated logic, but the gentlema i from Virginia delcaredthat he did not kick the negro policeman, but there wassome kind of scuffle, and the patrolman got hurt, so the President's Secretary sent his apologies. Ajid today Mayor LaGuardia was interviewed concerning the episode, which must be rather distressful to His Honor,. It was his police force that got kicked, but at the same time he's out campaigning for the third term, ^he Mayor got around the question about as well as could be expected. He defended both parties, took both sides of the argument. Among other things, he said:-"the patrolman's orders were not to let anyone through. But Mr. Early had to catch that train. It amounted to an irrisitible force, running into an immoveable object,". Not so immoveable, Mr. Mayor. The patrolman went to the hospital, and is still there. To the bedside of the negro policeman, came Joe Louis today — Joe the heavyweight champion and pride of his race. Joe is campaigning for Willkie, and he commiserated with Officer Sloan. KICK - 2 Well, anyway, it was a most reverberating kick, and should £0 down in history along with nthe shot heard round the wor^d" and "the face that launched a thousand ships." And, now Hugh, how about the gas that propels a few million cars?