I L.T. SUNOCO > TUESDAY. MAY 6. 1941 NEPTUNE. NEyi JERSEY GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY The most important piece of news today comes from Soviet Russia — the resignation of Molotov. In Moscow important political developments have commonly been signified by the appointment to/or dismissal from a post. Soviet collaboration with the western democracies was identified with Litvinov as foreign coramissari The Hitler-Stalln treaty, which led to the present w'ar, was preened most significantly by the resignation of Litvinov amd the/appointment of Molotov as his successor. Molotov has been regarded as almost the personification of that Nazi-Communist pact rrgf'us ubgcrvfii / Molotov has been holding two ;Jobs, one as foreign commisar, the other as Premier of the Soviets. It’s his second post from which he now resigns — he steps out as Premier but he remains as head of Soviet Foreign Affairs. So perhaps this is a sign of a change in Stalin foreign policy. Quitting as Premier 30 VIET - S may presa-e the eventual disappearance of Molotov. If that were the case, we’d have grounds for surmising a great deal. The war in the Balkans has produced a number of hints, and more than hints - that there is discord between Moscow and Berlin. And the complete elimination of Molotov would make an eloquent addition to these. As things stand, we are merely confronted with another enigma — and, Red Moscow has been perfused with enigmas all along. Who succeeds Bolotov as Soviet Premier? The answer is striking. Stalin. For the first time the Red Dictator has taken an official post in the Soviet Government. Hitherto, his formal status has been that of a functionary of the Communist party — which, of course. is all-powerful. No'.i Stalin becomes Premier. BRITAIN Today the British Government began its full-dress debate on the campaign in the Mediterranean — with emphasis on the war in Greece. Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden made a declaration to the House of Conniions. He put the blame on the government of Prince ^aul of l^ugoslavia. The ^rince Paul regime he said, had misinformed tne British about the extent to which the Yugoslav army had been mobilized. The British had been told that the Yugoslav army was more ready for action than was the case. That produced a miscalculation, and was the prime reason for the defeat of the British and Greeks. The Yugoslav government which took power after the overthrow of Prince Paul, tried "to mobilize, but had not enough time. The Foreign Secretary repeated the contention that the Government at Athens had informed the British that the Greeks would fi 0 :ht if the Germans attacked — no matter what. So the British had to send help — a simple matter of honor. The expedition to Greece had the approval of the military command- General Wavell. There has been criticism in England because of the fact that General wavell's array 4id, in North Africa, not drive on — after the series 3IRITSH - 2 of spectacular defeats it had Inflicted on the Italians. Why stop shore? Foreign Secretary Eden today explained that it was impossible f for Wavell*s victorious army to continue it advance. Their machines were too badly spent. They had to stop, and recondition their motorize equipment. ‘i^oday's debate brought forth dome important declarations of London policy. Anthony Eden stated that Great Britain lias complete faith in the loyalty of Turkey to the British Alliance. That was one point. Another was this — that the British will not negotiate the war in Iraq, until the regime has withdrawn its attacking forces. In Iraq the situation remains about the same, desultory fighting, ’^he Turks report that British transports with large forces of mjan and guns and tanks have arrived at an Iraq port. w TRAiNSPQRT Tonight tile tragic story of the Canadian transport cannot be told, save it terms of elementary fact, the first Canadian military transport to be sunk thus far. We are told ohly about the sinking and about the victims lost. The circumstances are hidden by British wartime censorship. There’s no indication of whether the vessel was sunk by a submarine, a surface raider or a sky bomber. A hundred and eleven lives were lost. The list of fatalities includes high Canadian and British officers; and eleven American aviators. These were on their way to Britain to fly in what is knovm as — the ferry service. Meaning, the piloting of warplanes from British factories to aviation bases. That’s a non-combatant service, in which a number of Americans are employed — thereby releasing British pilots for flying in battle. One of the American aviators who perished in the sinking of the Canadian transport ?/as Kenneth Ceilings — one of the famous characters of aviation, and a friend of mine, Kennth Ceilings flew and fought in that previous World War, and during the years that followed was the hero of a series of adventures all over the world. Several years ago he and 1 collaborated in a series of magazine TRANSPORT - 2 articles telliag about troubled events in Palestine. So Kenneth Collings had his last adventure — not a victim of the nazards of the air, but aboard a sinking ship; an episode of terror not yet made clear — whether a torpedo, shell fire or-:? air bomb. CONGRESS by A Senate clash this afternoon with argument provided Senator Pepper of Florida, No wonder there was a flare of debate -- after the declarations made by the Florida Senator, who Is sometimes called — an advance agent of the l^hlte House. The theory being - the gentleman from Florida speaks oilt In advance — propounding Ideas that the administration may later adopt. Today he advocated that the United States take over Eastern Atlantic Islands — the Azores, the Cape Verde Islands, and the Canaries, these belonging to Spain and Portugal. Also, he advocated the selzuore of Dakar, the strategic port on the Coast of West Africa Dakar belongs to France. Occupy Greenland and Iceland — also Singapore - which Is the propety of Great Britain. Senator Pepper suggested that the United States take these actions In collaboration with Brlijaln. He advocates war - - and declares that the American people are willing to go to war. Ha expressed It In these terms:- ’'If the emergency Is sufih that it is necessary for the American people to spill their blood, they’re ready,” said he. Strike at Japan, advised Senator Pepper. ” my opinion,” he proclaimed, ’’fifty modern bombing planes with Ametlcan aviators at the throttles could make a flQNGRESS - P. shamblfts out of Tokyo,” He said Tokyo could be bombed in what he called "an inadverdent way." The Senator says we whould go to war as a measure of preFention. "If we lose a few lives n oW," he declared, "the sacrifice is immate ial coraoared with what we should have at a future time." To this he added, "Lots of times a general has to sacrifice a company to save a regiment. The American people," he argued. "Would rather see a few sailors and soldiers lose their lives in order that me may not have to send an expeditionary force to South America, but he obviously meant that the Axis powers might invade down there. These statements provbked a swift counter attack by the Senators opposed to war. Senator Bennet Clark of Missouri said^- "I am shocked at the placidity with which the senator from Florida offered up a few soldiers and seamen on the alters of sacrifice. It’do not think," he added," that we can send a few boys to die and not get into a total war in which whole armies will be killed." The non-interventionist group makes the charge that the Pepper policy would constitue a declaration of war against the entire world. w CONGRESS - 7 > Meanwhile, President Roosevelt was conferring with what is called the war cabinet. They talked over plans for the expanded production of bombers, which the President wants — a speeded-up air program to give the Democracies the command of the air. I JERSE^ SHORE - NEPTUNE I feel a bit jumpj' tonight, I mean a bit jumpier than usual, ^he reason, because I am broadcasting from the Jumping Brook Country Club, Where might that be? Why, down on the Jersey shore, where millions will be coming soon to enjoy the sea breezes and the sea at Asbury Park, Ocean Grove and nearby spots, including Neptune City where this Jumping Brook Club is, ■fhe occasion is a big banquet of the Tall Cedars of Lebanon, In the past eleven years I have spoken from functions of all kinds, state, national and civic affairs, state universities, Protestant educational centers xuch as Depauw University, and catholic institutions such as Notre Dame, But tonight I believe is the first time from a Masonic Banquet, ^^or all Tall Cedars are Masons, They are accompanied by their wives who may be called Little t>pruces or Arbivitae, I don*t know. Maybe Mr. Frederick Hicks the Supreme Tall Cedar of the U,S,A,, or Anthony Hanrattie, a Cedar who isn’t quite so tall, can tell us......................... ? The v/ar news coming through these days has a special significance to Free Masons: news from Cairo, Baghdad, Alleppo, and Jaffa^ vvord that German agents are trying to arouse the Arabs in the bazarres of Damascus, and revolt against tne British in Jerusalem i NEPTUNE - 2 right at the site of King Solomon’s Temple in the building of which the Cedars of Lebanon were used. Cyprus, Malta, all the places where the Knights Templar and other knights of the Crusades, sojourned. and where they fought. All are in the headlines now. Another reason I am where I am tonight is because ray parents live in this neighborhood, and my father is still actively and as vigorously as ever carrying on as a physician and surgeon. The Cedars of LebanonI What memories they must bring back to him. For after the first World V^ar my father, for a time was a professor in the great American University at Beirut, at the foot of the Mountains of the l*ebanon. FREYBERG. V.C. A name cropped up in today’s news that gave me a special thrill. The name of a British officer who is playing a big part in event in the Eastern Mediterranean. Long ago, before the other World War, a young Bew Zealander came to this country, to attend one of our colleges. I think it was ■‘^ehigh University. At any rate he went back to l^ew Zealand to open up an office as a dentist. Then came the war. He joined up and was with the Anzacs when with terrific loss of life they landed at Gallipoli, hoping to capture the Dardanelles — a Winston Churchill campaign that went wrong. Young B.C. Freyberg - that was his name - volunterred to swim from the transport, to the Gallipoli Beach, alone, light calcium flares, draw the fire of the Turks, while the main force of the Anzacs landed elsewhere. And he got away with it; and v/as decorated of course. Later, on the Western Front, he perfomred heroic feats that made him an almost legendary figure. Wounded many times, they told him in the hospital in England that he could never ^ight again. But he ran away from that hospital and returned to the Front, and went on fighting. Wounded again, they recognized his indoroinatable spirit, and although he was by now all shot up they gave him a job at the War J Is m FREYBFRG V.C. London. But there wasn't enough action. So he vanished from London, and went to the front again. By now, although only twenty-seven, he was a Brigadier General, youngest general in the Vi'ar. The day the Armistice was signed he called for volunteers and went over the Top for one last go at the enemy, tie had the V.c. and every decoration. One arm off, and scores of wounds, in peace time he served as a Colonel in the crack Grenadier Guards. And now in today *s news he crops up again. The British and Greeks have an army on the big island of Crete. And BC Frey berg V.C., who in this war arrived In Egypt at the head of the Mew Xealand Expeditionary Force, hasnow been made Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in Crete. If the British have enough men like Major General Freyberg, and can get enough supplies from us, they’ll never be beaten.y J CHURCH It’s hard to think of anything more disconcerting - than somebody making faces at the preacher in church. But it happened - in Chicago a lawsuit began today — a lady suing her former husband. She’s the daughter of the Pastor of an English Lutheran Church. Several years ago the pastor^s daughter married the choir director choir singing better, sermons more eloquent. Holy wedlock, however, has a way of turning into a pitched battle, and there was trouble between the pastor’s daughter and the choir director. They were divorced, which may have affected the singing of the choir and the sermons of the preacher. It was, however, only the beginning. The choir director. upon being divorced from the pastor’s daughter, turned around and married the churgh organist. You can imagine how that affected the singing of the choir, not to mention the sermons of the pastor. Things were the worse by the fact that the former choir director and his new wife, the ex-organist, still kept coming to church. And the pastor's ex-son-ln-law' made faces at the pastor. Today's complaint in court puts it in these words:- "He has conducted himself in a manner obnoxious - by making grimaces, sneers of the c’nurch. That should have made everything nice and harmonious; [' CHURCH - 2 and otherwise disturbing the sanctity of the services." That* s the accusation in the legal document, and it's easy to Inageine the painful picture. Well, there's one advantage in talking on the radio. They can't make laces at you, not unless you're broadcasting at a banquet, as I am no, in Weptune City. And now from the Tall Cedars let s send out an aerial posse to see if we can locate Hugh James. U