kt.l± _F_RIDAY. MARCH 14f 1941. GOOD LVENIDiG EVERYbODY : I am troalcastln^ from Durham, New Hampshire tonight - only a few miles from Portsmouth, nistorlc scene of the conference that ended the Russo-Japanese ftar. And until now, Matsuoka*s trip to Moscow and Berlin, that was the last time a Japanese Foreign Minister left Tokyo. Sitting beside me is Dr. Robert 0. Blood, Governor of New Hampshire. *nd here in the crowd are hundreds of the leading citizens of the Granite State. The occasion is the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of the University of New Hampshire. This affair may be one of the big news stories of the day for thousands of New Hampshire graduates. But for the world at large toniJht* s most important news story has .o do with the tremendous air battle now on over Britain. AIR AAR Trie britisn call it - The Battle of the Full Moon. Am itTs raining ' ombs again tonight. Tfcie third night in successionj Tne greatest air assaults of all, the uightiest exchange of blows througn the sky since this ultra modern war began. The reason ^or this Tlare-up is simple. The super magnitude of the giant warfare aloft is to be accounted for easily enough. The time of the year, the condition of the weather - and the dullness of the moon. Spring may be the time for the greenin? of the earth, the blowing of balmy winds, and the turning of a young manrs fancy to thoughts of love. But itfs also the season for tne night war of the air especially in northwestern Europe, the British German war area. The nights are twelve hours long, long hours of darkness for air raiders to operate in the shrouded sky. Tonight1s story bristles with elements of the dramatic. The Nazi air attack on the embattled isle is of huge proportions, and is startling with elements of fancy and strokes of surprise. Berlin claims that last night the i'iazi ^ir force left Glasgow - a sea of flames. And the German warplanes in waves of hundreds again struck heavily at such vital objectives as Liverpool, and the oorts ol birKenhead near Liverpool, and Hull on the Humber. accent 1 s on - shipping. For these are key points of biitain's system oi maritime transportation, Britain*s endless docks anl wharfs, warehouses end shipyards. The Nazis claim hupe devastation, and say their night bombing attacks on important harbors are coordinated with the U-boat campaign at sea -- to cut A Britain’s North Atlantic life-line. The British admit heavy damage was done in what London describes as probably the greatest bombing attack that the German air force has staged thus far. f The Battle of the Full Moon! That very name vividly suggests things eerie and fantastic! And we find these in abundance. London today announces that last night thirteen Nazi air raiders were brought down in the attacks on Glasgow, LiverooGl and other shipping areas. London adds that since the Battle of the Full Moon began, thirty-two erman warplanes had been destroyed in the operations at night. For Britain has found ways of striking at the enemy in the darkness. The fighter planes are now able to seek out the enemy And give battle. They are aided by the silver of moonlight and the British now claim to have new devices for nietit fighting In the air. This is indicated tellingly In AIR WAR - 5 today*s story from Berlin. The Berlin news dispatch uses this phrase - startling new British defense deviceso" It goes on v/i tr. the following statement, f,The British defenses against night bombing attack have multiplied in elaboration and are more fierce than previously encountered.” The Berlin story speaks of planes equipped with powerful searchlights speeding sky ships piercing the darkness with individual searchlight beams. And from the ground sweep long streams of light, the search lights seeking targets for the anti-aircraft guns. And there are balloons floating higher than ever at the ends of long cables, traps in the darkness. The Germans say that one British device is to light fires in patc-es of woods so that the Nazis war aviators will take these fires for beacons, think they are burning buildings, good target areas — and drop their bombs in tbe woods. Tne Nazi account concludes with these words, ’’Everythwere in the clear and star— sprinkled dky deatn lurked.” From the British side, we get something just as spectacular a first person account of a British pilot who shot down a Nazi bomber in the Battle of the Full Moon. He was flying high over the AIR WAR - 4 — coast. Here is his description: "i saW something reflected in the moonligr t below me that looked like a black spot on the sea,11 relates the British pilot. He thought it was a ship on the ocean below. nI dived to see what a ship could be doing there,” Then he goes on: ”At seven thousand feet I recognized the spot as any enemy bomber winging home. I continued to dive.” he goes on, "and my gunner gave the enemy two one-second oursts at close range. Our bullets entered the raiders bow. As we swept around to deliver a second attack,” he concludes, ”the enemy olane dived and crashed into the sea.” The British counter-strokes against Nazi Germany in the Battle of the Full Moon are likewise of the greatest magnitude. Hamburg, Bremen and Emden blasted more violently than ever before; - other places too. bit T.uere1 s one telling of description in the communiqie issued by the British Air Ministry, states that Hamburg was attacked so heavily that R.A.F. planes which were a mong the last to arrive - had difficulty in picking up their targets. The moon was bright enough, but the port of Hamburg could nardly be seen for the masses of :tlame and smoke. AIR- WAR - 5 V»c neer’ not scan the London account for the most elling evidence. L:tfs 20 to Berlin. The German High Command today T'e^ort0^ ^nat British war planes in the latest attack ted hit and damaged factories, harbors and docks at various places. The Berlin account does not say how bad the dai age. The striking significance is the fact that the bombing of factories and harbor facilities was admitted at all. Hitherto, the German accounts of British air raids have talked about civilian areas being hit- no damage to military objectives. But now the admission is made. Berlin relates further that fifty persons were killed a$ Hamburg, another telling indication of the destructiveness of the attack. Right now it is midnight over there, and the same story of havoc from the sky is being repeated; the battle of the Full Moon, the clash of air-war named after the Fair Goddess of Night. It's a mmonlight sonata of thunder and fire. AIR WAR A measured statement about British chances was made today by * £irst _lord of the admiralty- | l maimauamriBin A V Alexander^/^is indication was that the conflict might not last so very long, no inter alnable dragging affair. A decision might be reached rather soon^ than expected. A decision which way ? The First lord of the Admiralty said that Britain’s supreme danger is right now, the immediate future, MM It’s a case of Britain being able to hold out during the vitally critical period- until tact aid from the United States becomes effective' Once the full flow of American - Made Armament gets across the ocean, Britain will win. He used these words " Then victory will not only be certain- it will be quick." As the chief administrator of the British Fleet A V Alexander said that the Germans were sustaining heavy losses of submarines in the intensified sea campaign they are pressing so hard . He voiced the confidence that the Nazi submarine menace could be beaten. But^ should not be under estimated* He added. A AIR WAR. t T The statements made by the First Lord of the Admiralty were echoed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill^;nade a plea to the UNited A States for ships- more tonnage to meet the threat of the submarine blockade. “ In no sphere of the war," declared Winston Churchill, Is the he^p which the United States government can give us under the Lend-Lease legislation more important than that of shipping i* DL^iiCE Congress today voted the money to provide this nation with a new gitrat quantity of sea power. A lot of money - three and a naif billion dollars. Todays naval bill provides the cash for the two-ocean navy, which this nation wants and needs. The schedule of ships includes a new type, for us. Battle cruisers, with tremendous gunpower and speed, are an old story in the fleets of Europe. But we havenTt had any. wow, the fliavy is to acquire six. Today’s bill provides the greatest peace-time naval appropriation in American history. President Roosevelt is going to discuss problems of defense and aid to Britain in a radio broadcast tomorrow, Saturday. U •_o f »xi • ^er€ a ^e-e£ram Just put in my hands. Let*s see vha4- it is. It reads:- "New Hampshire alumni at Springfield, ilazs ., e? end you greetings. V«e are listening to your broadcast in commemoration of our Seventy-Fifth Anniversary." And then it concludes with these particularly appropriate words:- "Blue Sunoco has taken us through the snow one hundred strong!’ Stanley King, President." Other wires have just come in from Fred nobinson, on behalf of eight thousand alumni, Congressman Jen&s, President Barlow of Rhode island State, and Governor Sewali of toaine. Let’s ask the Governor of New Hampshire to reply to them all. What should we say. Governor Blood? GOV, u^OQD G3V». Bi.03P: You want me to step right up to the microphone, and think up some gem right off the bat? Without even a note? Sorry but I’m no Daniel Webster’. However, for the State I want to congratulate the University of ftew Hampshire. It’s one of the great universities - in liberal arts, technology and agriculture. Y,> of New Hampshire are proud of it. President Englehardt, I feel I ought to share this moment on the air with you, if Lowell doesn’t mind. PRES. ENGLEHARDT: Impromptu also? Well, for the University of New Hampshire, its faculty and students, we wish you were all up here with us. Thanks to Lowell Thomas and his Sunoco sponsors we are together - united by the air waves. DEATH VALLEY SCOTTY: The secrets of Death Valley Scotty are the subject of proceedings In a Los Angeles court. Kefs a fantastic fellow this legendary character of the western wasteland and today Scotty todl an astonishing thing — How he buried a hundred thousand dollars in bank notes in the Funeral Mountains, but there was a cloud burst and the rain \ ashed the hundred thousand dollars away. For decades Death Valley Scotty had been a personage of national fame, a rough - and - ready character of the tiestern desert, a replica of the old-time miner, the desert rat. He lives in a fabulous mansion in the forbidden waste called Dea. Valley, He's been a mystery man for long years. Reputed to have iaboulous wealth - but nobody could tell how he got it. He was supposed to have a secret gold mine somewhere in the rugged wilderness of Death Valley. Hundreds have sought the mine, but no one ever iound it. Some are reputed to have lost their lives in the quest of Death Valley Scotty's mysterious treasure. Scotty -i sell Used to keep up the mystification telling fabulous tales of secret gold, extravagant accounts, tall stories. The reality is apparently that he gets his money from a wealthy retired insurance man of Chicago. DEATH VALLEY SCOTT-^ Death Valley Scotty calls this insurance man “His partner” Apparently the rich citizen of Chicago is amused to finance the gaudy doings in Death Valley. But now Scotty has been sued - by a NewYorker who claims that he grubstaked the desert miner way back in nlneteen^twe . And he declares that he *8 entitled to twenty-two and a half percent of the wealth of the Death Valley individual. Scotty, in court today made his defense in the statement- ihiat he has no wealth. His Gold mine Is a myth, Hie hidden treaure* Just a tall story. He disappated the legend, burst the bubble of mythjbut he said he did have wealth at one time- had a hundred thousand dollars until that cloudburst washed It away. He said he acquired the bundle of cash back In Gold Field days when money was flowing in the mining camps. He Invested j gold mine stocky was handed one hundred grand In gold certificates." I took it up to the Mountains; Death Valley Scotty realted today, " And hid it away/1 broke a leg," he added and couldn’t get out of bed to ride my mules around the valley. By the time I got out the cloudburst came and Just about moved the mountain away. I couldnt find the bills^" C l . DLiiTn V^uLi^Y - 3 ’nOW ' Aany tiraes you I ook ,1’ he was asked. "Plenty", replied Scotty. "for a hundred thousand dollars in gold? Plenty!" And that^s plenty for me. i\ow Hugh.