' /r A/ ^ * Jlttr 1'A/' ►— ■^Y . L.T» - SUNOCO. Friday, January 20T 1939, Cannon Mountain, N.H. 1 GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY: Tonight I am perched on the summit of a lofty peak in the White Mountains, near Franconia, New Hampshire. Outside the window the thermometer says zero, and it!s dropping. The building in which I am sitting is the summit station, on Cannon Mountain, of the first aerial tramway every built in America. In the room, sitting around me, are about fifty people, skiers, members of the New Hampshire Tramway Commission and the Governor’s council and their wives, mountaineers, guides, and spectators who have been swung up the mountain in the hanging car^i of this new aerial cableway, spectators who have come for the thrill of the snowy mountain and valley panorama all arouna us - the Vhite Mountains,| it Green Mountains - and the mountains of Canada to the North. It’s V- ■ -------------- LEAP - 2 an inspiring sight in the summer ti:ie, but even more so at this season when Jack Frost holes sway. As we sit here by a roaring fire on the summit of Cannon - Mountain let*s see how the rest of the world looks tonight according f to the U.P. news dispatches that have come up over the cliffs and through the snow-covered trees over a special Western Union wire A nev. scrap in the Automobile Workers Union* Today AUTO union fifteen union officers received a notice from Homer Martin, President of the U«A*Y?», a notice v«hicli begins this wayt — ”Acting under the authority vested in me as international president, I have this day suspended you from office.” Of the fifteen thus suspended, five are the officers whom Martin had previously removed. That previous expulsion led to a rambunctious row, which ended when the C.I.O. stepped in and a committee was appointed to consider the affair. The committee reinstated the five officers - but now theyrre out again. This follows a controversy concerning Homer Martin1s negotiations with the chief of personnel of the Ford Motor Company, negotiations that we’ve been hearing about for the unionization of the Ford plant. The fifteen expelled officers didn’t agree with what the Union President was doing. So out they go, says $artm. And now the fight is on in a big way, say they. HOPKINS. The Ha- ry Hopxviiis dGfoatG wsnt on furionsiy in "blie SGnate today with the opponents of the new Secretary of Conunerce launching bitter attacks. Senator Rush Holt of West Virginia hammered away at the charge that as W.P.A. administrator Hopkins had played politics. Senator Gillette of Iowa joined in — and that was interesting, because Hopkins campaigned against Gillette in the Iowa primaries. The Senator attacked th4 former W.P.A. Administrator, but said he wouldnft let his personal feelings count. At any rate he would not vote against the confirmation of the Hopkins appointment. Here's a hot one to give out from a mountain-top on this cold Franconia night:- The will of Colonel Jake Ruppert sprang a surprise today. He was known to fame as a multi-millionaire brewer, owner of the New York Yaiurees, and a confirmed bachelor. And today's publication of his will reveals that he leaves one-third of his thirty million dollar fortune to a former chorus girl,. You can imagine how hotly the reporters went on the trail of that story, trying to find out about this ten million dollar heiress who used to play on Broadway. Investigation has failed to disclose much about her. Helen Winthrop Weyant was a high school girl at Springfield Massachusetts, who went to New York to seek fame and fortune on the stage. Under the name of Winthrop Wayne she was in the chorus of a George M. Cohen show - "The Merry Malones." Later, she was in the chorus of "Three Cheers" which starred Fred Stone. Will Rogers played in that one, substituting while for Stone. After that, Winthrop Wayne made no further appearance on the stage. She was known to be a friend of Colonel Jake Ruppert, RUPPERT - 2 and at times acted as hostess at his bachelor home. Her brother became assistant traveling secretary to the New lork Yankees. All of which made today's publication of the Ruppert will a headline surprise - his fortune estimated at thirty million dollars divided equally between two nieces and Wlnthrop Wayne. It seems to have been a stunning surprise to the former chorus girl herself. She was not available for interviews today, and was merely quoted as saying that when she heard of her sudden fortune - she was dreadfully shocked. You'd think it s pleasant shock to fall heir to a third of thirty millions i If any of us sitting up here on a snowy peak in the White Mountains had a shock like that I'm sure we'd fall all the way down Cannon Mountain BOBBERS Two southern playboys are under arrest in Cleveland. They did their playboy gallivanting in high social and aviation circles. They &re tv^o brothers who said they wrere sons of a wealthy family and talked enthusiastically about flying. So they were received with a hearty welcome in the home of a leading Cleveland citizen, who was formerly an officer in the British Royal Air Force. That gave them access to the best homes in Cleveland where they met all sorts of top-ranking figures in aviation. They talked of their family wealth and of their own airplanes. And one of them courted the daughter of their host, the former officer of the British Royal Air Force. But in stepped the police who today say they have confessions. The two southern playboys are accused of seven robberies, one in New Orleans, another in Nashville^ and five in Cleveland during their social career. Their wealthy New Orleans family turns out to be on relief in New Orleans. Ana the one who . . , „ _ liH fp and two children down in did the high-society-courting has a wile certainly playing fast and loose. Louisiana. Those playboys were GAIiENTO Detroit is feoing t0l have a look at Two-Ton Tony. Last night in New York the ponderous Galento knocked out the South American Brescia in one round, vdiieh certainly does elevate the stock of the Jersey Fat Man who has a punch so potent that they call it - rthe night stick," Today it’s announced that Tony is to fight Natie Brown in Detroit on February third. So the city of autos will have a look at the two-tonner — or rather another look. The news dispatch piquantly informs us that the last time Galento fought in Detroit he knocked out three heavyweights in one night. So they say. ALASKA Some more Fascism and dictatorship - this time in the Mat ami ska Valley. That»s in Alaska, which seems like an odd place for a Hitler or a Mussolini to appear, it all concerns that colony of farmers placed in Matanuska Valley, one of the early projects of the Mew Deal. Today there*s a loud protest about the way the colony is being handled, and the complaint also concerns the government-owned Alaskan Railway. The authorities of the Alaskan town of Seward, on Resurrection Bay, call for a congressional investigation. They ask the Alaskan delegate in Washington to place the matter before Congress. The charges are mismanagement, with Fascism and Dictatorship dragged in. The complaint uses these words; — **Fascist-like dictatorial mismanagement." All that in Matanuska Valley, away up in Alaska, where the thermometer at this moment probably is nearer 40 below zero, then merely zero up here on this mountaintop — in Mew Hampshire. Is there a dictator here on Cannon Mountain? Not unless you would call Roland Peabody here beside me, a ski- dictator. Shout;- Yea l STATE COMPTROLLER PATTER We expected to have Governor Francis P. Murphy of New Hampshire here on top of Cannon Mountain with us tonight. But the Governor is under the weather and couldn't make it. State Commissioners MacLeod^ Sawyer, Whittemore and Carpenter, are herej also Assistant Secretary of State Jackson, and many others including State Comptroller Patten who is representing the Governor. Colonel Patten, what do you think your New Hampshire Governor would have to say on this zero night, up here where the snow is three feet deep - if he were here? C01. PATTENs- I know one thing he wanted to say. He wanted to invite everybody in America to follow you to the top of Cannon o ] Mountain, and ride in a car that goes swinging above thetrees of the White Mountain National Forest and the New Hampshire State Reservation. L.T.And tnen either ride dcmn, or ski down, as I hope to do for the next two days, on the new ski trails that have been cut through the forest-covered slopes of Cannon Mountain. Boston and STATE COMPTROLLER PATTER We expected to have Governor Francis p. Murphy of New Hampshire here on top of Cannon Mountain with us tonight. But the Governor is under the weather and couldn't make it. State Commissioners MacLeod, Sawyer, Whittemore and Carpenter, are here; also Assistant Secretary of State Jackson, and many others including State Comptroller Patten who is representing the Governor. Colonel Patten, what do you think your New Hampshire Governor would have to say on this zero night, up here where the snow is three feet deep - if he were here? COL. PATTEN:- I know one thing he 7/anted to say. He wanted to invite everybody in America to follow you to the top of Cannon Mountain, and ride in a car tha.t goes swinging above thetrees of the Y/hite Mountain National Forest and the New Hampshire State Reservation. L.T.And then either ride down, or ski down, as I hope to do for the next two days, on the new ski trails that have been cut through the forest—covered slopes of Cannon Mountain. Boston and 1 I I t STATE COMPTHOLLI-H^ATTEN - 2 Maine and New York, New Haven Snow Trains bring crowds every snowy weekend; and crowds of others fill up their tanks with Blue Sunoco and come here every day for this latest thrill. Colonel Patten, here’s a thriller in tonight’s news. from Europe:- mm The Spanish news today provided a thriller _ Generalissimo Francisco Franco in a narrow escape from being shot out of the sky. The insurgent comitiander-in-chief was flying with a squadron of planes —— looking over the Barcelona area* There was a burst of anti-aircraft fire from the ground, accurate fire. One of the planes was hit and shot down. Anti-craft shells burst perilously alongside the plane in which the Generalissimo himself was flying. The insurgents announce that they have captured the city of Igualada, which is described as the key to the defense of Barcelona. The place was savagely attacked and bitterly defended. The rebels say that today they advanced from five to ten miles all along the Catalonian fighting front. GERMANY In V.askiftg'fcon today State Department experts were studying the possible meanings of the dismissal of Dr, Schacht in Germany. Schacht the financial wizard^ known to be a conservative, reported to have been in opposition to extreme Nazi financial policies - he goes and his place is taken by Hitlerfs man, Walter Funk. This particular Nazi leader has been a Number On© man in the pushing of the Nazi policy of barter agreements, exchanging goods with other nations no gold or cash involved ENGLAND At the great British airfield of Hendon all airplanes are out in the open tonight. They were taken out of the hangars and ordered to be kept out for several days. And detachments of guards are on vigilant day-and-night patrol. This because of threats to bomb the hangars. The British authorities have received nev. anonymous and menacing letters:- this following the series of explosions during recent days. Itfs all attributed to the Irish Republican Army, - presumed to be a part of its campaign for the union of the North and South of Ireland* The police in Manchester, England, say they raided a house which was the main arsenal from which the bombers sent high explosives to various parts of England. Today from Dublin came apologies. President DeValera himself sent his regrets because of the bombing of the hotel in Ireland at which a son of Prime Minister Ohamberlain was stopping. The Irish President apologized to the son, Frank Chamberlain, and, also to the Prime Minister himself. SINGAPORE SPIES Now let’s take an imaginary jump from this mountaintop to far off Singapore, that great fortified naval base which dominates south Asiatic waters, where another big spy case looms tonight. Three Japanese, who are described as employees of the Japanese owned South Manchuria Railroad, took what they called a vacation-trip across Indo-China and Siam to Singapore, There they enjoyed their vacation in a way that aroused the suspicion of the British intelligence. Two of them paid a visit to Batavia, in Dutch owned Java, and returned to Singapore. The Japanese vacation tour looked so much like espionage, that the police jumped in. Today they raided several Japanese offices, seized the suspects on charges of spy work. SHIPS Mark dQ\*n another exploit for the Coast Guard today. The vsild gales on the North Atlantic are giving Uncle Samrs lifesavers plenty bo do, and one of their toughest assignments came when the freighter BLACK CONDOR, lost its propeller off Sahle Island, Nova Scotia. The five thousand ton steamer lay drifting helplessly in the howling storm. The Coast Guard cutter CAYUGA went to the rescue, and tried to take the BLACK CONDOR in tow. For 24 hours the Coast Guard hoys couldn't do it, the sea was too high, the tempest too violent. But this afternoon they turned the trick. The CAYUGA got a tow line across to the BLACK CONDOR and tonight the disabled freighter is being towed to port. While we are up here above Franconia, New Hampshire, looking down on the lights of Pecketts on Sugar Hill, here in zero-calm of snow-and-ice, far out to sea, to the east of us a wild gale is whipping the Atlantic. And now let's leave Cannon Mountain and take the aerial cableway to Franconia for the Governor’s dinner at Pecketts. Shall we go? Shout:- "Let's got" And so long until MONDAY.