GOOD EVENING . EVERYBODY: Although I am in Chicago, at the Democratir. convention, and naturally e er to talk about r t • the big news tonight comes from France; where Today w~s marked by the most violent fo the invas~on -- also the greatest clash oft nks Last night's news of the huge British break-bhrough in the Caen sect r was followed by Swift and powerful enemy action. The German Commander, who is described as Rommel, realized instantly the dire thre t to his army, with the British pouring through the gap they had smashed open. So he mustered every tank and m c ia ha could, and hurled ponderous forces of mechanism agah st the spe rhe ~ d that was thrusting forward so ra idly. The British met the charge head-on, and t at's wen the gre test armored battle of Western Europe was fought. tl!!£1 - 2 All through last night and on throug today the conflict raged. In some places the German's won so ■e ground, this at the expense of too heavy a cost. The l\r ■ ored punches weremet by · evastating fire, and finally the huge counter-attack simply wore itself out. Whereupon, having hurled back the assault, th British resumed their drive forward. This was the state of affairs late today. They pushed new masses ot armor through the breach in the enemy f~ont, and ktpt rolling -- for advances if from four to seven ■ ilea. And the latest news pictures the drive as hav- ing reached the plain of Calvador, with the most open kidd of country ahead for motorized operations -- the road to Paris. So no wonder British Commander General YontgomeJ spoke jubilantly of the success of his tactics success that may turn out to be fol ~ owing wor d s. One di patch from Surpe ■e Allied Bea ouarters today uses the following words: •News of the high•st importancemay be imminent.• And still another dispatch says ffThe outcome of t h e [BA!Ql - 3 battle may determine the length of the Europe!n w~r." ITALY ----- Also double success in Italy has an appropriate sound -- the capture on th~ same day of two historic seaports: Leghorn, on one coast and \ Ancons on the other. 1 In each case, the Allies acquired possession of a good seaport. Ancona on the Adriatic is an old and famous port, which in the days of the past flourished richly on the Mediterranean trade with the East. However, h the greater strategies of battle are on the leghorn eidt of the peninsula, which gives that harbor the more iam6diate importance. American troops today marched into a city of devastation, with only a fraction of its former large population wandering amid the ruins. Between constant Allied bombings and methodical German demolition, the harbor works were mere splintered wreckage. The Germane •ell aware of the importance of the port for future Allied supplies, blew up everything. However, aepairs will be made in fact today Aaerican engineers had already started rebuilding th e ltlL! - 2 rebuilding the docks. The harbor used to ban le seven- teen thousand, five hundred tons of cargo a day. It - bad sixty docks, thirty-five power cranes and twenty- one large warehouses. A busy port that again. and it will be General Clark's Fifth Army is now up against that ■uch . vaunted Nazi Gothic Line, which is said to begin just North of the River Arno. And Allied reports are not ainiaizing the strength of the new enemy battle- front. The country rises to the high Apennines, travereed . b7 passes, and the Germans are said to have fortified every pass with bugA pill boxes, some carved into 1olid rock thirty feet deep~ · In captured Leghorn, civilians related today that the W~r-blasted port had been visited several aonths ago by Mussolini, the fallen Duce. This is told by United Press correspondent Eleanor Packard, who accompanied the American troops when they marched in. She says that during his visit to Leghorn, Musso- lini appeared a few times in public, and the people got the impression that he had become feeble-minded. They said he was thin and emaciated, with hollow cheeks. Bis eyes were vacant and staring, and ~e fumbled stupidly with his bands, as if his nerves were shot -- half out of bis mind. The people at Leghorn believe that Mussolini has now left Italy altogether, and is living in seclusion in Germany -- with little or nothing to say in the puppet Fascist Government that plays the stooge to the Nazis. RUSSIA ------ The latest bulletin from Russia uses these words: •The most powerful diive ever launched agains the Nazi's.• This is Moscow's discription of the offensive battering toward the Polish City of L•ov one of Europe's great transport centers. Soviet troops are now *itbing eight miles of the city. The Nazis ad ■ it the progress of the drive, and tel l of th 6 Russian' forcing the BugRiver to the North of Lvov. This gre ~ t offensive is in the South, while in the Borth the story is much the same. Russian zroops are driving fo•ward in the area of tbe Baltic States, and tonight Stalin announced a twenty-four mile advance with the capture of sevenhundred towns and villages. l!Zl-~RQQ!!BQl A story of crazy violence co es from Greece,an account of a meeting of bigb German office rs at Athens. These top Nazi Commanders gathered at a hotel to discuss ailitary plans, and here is what happened -- according to the exiled Greek Government. As they sat across the conference table, the German officers got into a hot argu■ent. Their planning discussions turned into a savage row, with the ~ urling of charge and counter-charge. And it came to a climax of pistol fire, with the officers firing at each other across the table • . Six were killed in the military conference that turned into a shooting ■ atcb. So we are told by the exiled Government of Greece which adds that the C~ief Nazi Commander in the Peloponne escaped from the shooting, only to be killed by Nazi guards at the hotel. PEICE FEELERS: Reports of Nazi pe a ce moves persist and one . ' story comes along in considerable detail. It rela es that recently Hitler's outfit tried to get in touch with the Soviet's to open negotiations far a separate peace with Russia. This report comes from London and states the unsuccessful Nazi attempt was made in Stock bola by a group of German tourists. That is -- they pretended to be tourists but in reality were officials of the Berlin Foreign Office, beaded by Dr. Paul Shmidt, a principal aide to Hitler's Foreign Minister von Ribben- trop. In stockholm these tourists tried to get in touch with Soviet representatives there, but the Russian's wouldn't bite, wouldn't see them. CONVENTION --------- As you would expect, Chicago is a hotbed today this first day of the convention. At the me ent it looks as though Vice President Henry Wallace has lost out, and that Barry Truman of Missouri will be Bo. 2 aan on the slate. \~ow come? Well, one story is ...- that the White House feels that Wallace bad four years ir. which to make good -- and that he didn't hence, be is now on bis own. Another rumor concerne the President, and where be will be when ihe aakes his speech of acceptance. I could tell you something about that. But, with a war on, we are not talking about the whereabouts of the Co■■ander-in-chief. The buzz of gossip certainly has been on the hu■ here in Chicago, everJ since the news came about President Roosevelt'• address to the Convention, that he willspeak - Y radio tomorrow night -- instead of Friday night, as had previously been expected. No reasor: 11 given for the change in plan, and everybody is won- dtring. There h a s been u nen d in g speculation about t h e possibility that President Roosevelt might make his spee - ~ to the Democratic Convention from some oint over eas in a war zone. Nothing is really known about this - publicly I mean - but that doesn't keep jaws from Waggin@ And today's announcement about tomorrow's presidential radio address to this ia bering of the Democrats is just the sort of thing to increase the buzz of gossip to ao ■ ething like a roar. For one thing, the news brings about a ch a nge in the Convention schedule. The plan was to have the balloting tomorrow night -- with the p reside n t's radio ~ ddress to follow on Firday night. Now, howe~er, the time for the ballotin g bas been advanced -- tomorrow afternoon, so as to make way for the president via radio •o•oreow night. In the battle for the Vice Presidency, the name spoken everyw h ere here in Chicago is -- Truman. This follows in e vitably the events that occurre d toda ,r---- lir1t as you know, Byenes wit _h dre ! _ J Yesterda y , con erv a t w tive Democratic o p inion was concentr - ting on the War l(obilizati n Director -- in opposition to 'ice lresidert ' lallace, the da rl i ng of the New D e ler~. Today, howeve~ 1 • Jaaes F. Byrnes of South Craolina made a formal re~uest , tb&t his name be kept out of the Vice •residential ca■ petition. In a letter to the Chairman of the dele g ation fr bis own state, South Carolina, be stated that he was wi tbdrawing President.• "In deference to the wishes of the Those were Byrnes' own words -- indicating that the White House was movint him out of the p icture. The meaning of i 1 all became clearer announced that President Roosevelt was g iving support to Senator Truman of Missouri. This was stated by Democratic National Chairman Hannegan, who is quoted I • 'll by the United Press as saying: WTbe President has in- dicated that he will be ha p py to run with Senator Truman, and that he thinks Trum a n would Strengthen the ticket. All of which is taken to indic a te the W~ite Bouse beli e f t h t V i ce Jtre i d ent 1 all ac e cannot be re- QQB!ll!!QB - 4 nominated. The Presi d ent h ad expressed his prefe A rrnce for Wall a ce, though not in any diet atorial w ~ y, and now be was switching with an okay for Truman. If he can't h• lallac ~ , he will t a ke the Missouri ~ena or. That's the logic, as p~opounde d here in Chicago. And he belief is expre ~ sed that Senq t or Trem a n will get the Vice Presi d e ial nomination perhaps even on t h e first ballot thou - the Wallace forces still seem to be full of fight. In the rise of Truman we seem to sense a compro- aise intended to pacify the angry Southern Conservatives. They'd prefer a Southerner for Vice President -- lik Byeles of South Crolina, who has withdrawn, however, in deferecne to the President. Truman is oa the Souther~ ~ringe, Missouri being one of the border states. And he stands high in public esteem -- after his work as head of the Truman Committee lookin g tino the w a r ex p en- ditures. However, the Southern revolt is still much i n evidence. Vtriour dele ations from Dixieland have Pledged themselves against a fourth term, 8n d have COIVEBTIOI- 5 ~-------- declared in favor of Senator Byrd of Virginia for President. And today the news came that the Texas deleg3tion had toted to line up for Senator Byrd. As !or the Vice Presidency, the Texans left the open. They will deiide tonight on their choice for second place on the ticket. Of course, there are two rival sets of Texans, a one group pledged for a fourth term. The other was left uninsbruct e d, and now has joined with other Sout~ern insurrectos in favor of Senator Byrd of Vinginia. It ien•t clear what all these Dixieland maneuvers will aaount to, but certainly they won't affect the aomina- tion for the Presidency. Here is the latest -- a statement by the Vice President. At Convention Headquarters here in Chicago, he declared this afternoon that he'll put up a fight to the finish for eenomination. He referred to the President's letter endorsing him but not insisting and sadd it was esactly the kind of letter th a . e hi lf "I did not sug ge st the let t er," said ••e wan ed. QQl!l!!lQ! - 5 Wallace, •I told the President that, in justice to him- self and myself, there should be nothing in the nature of dictation to the convention.• Ris intention to battle it out for the nominatia was expressed in these words: •ram in this fight to the finish.• And he added: •r will put op the very beet fight I nowhow.• All of which is a Vice Presidentil pro ■ ise of a sla ■ -bang contest. Fate, or somebody, fixei my he a dquarters at the B l ackstone Hotel in the suite adjoining National Deaocratic Chairman Hannegan. And I wish you could sit with me, in my room, with the door open, and watch the strea■ of Democratic bigwigs and bosses as they go in and out of the Hannegan suite. It sort of makes you wonder whether the convention is being held at the hotel, on the seventh f ~ oor, or out at the Stadium. At any rate, the keynote address wi l l be delivered at the stadiua, and not in Chairman Bannegan's rooa -- so, now ii I'm heading for the Stadium, while I transfer this broadcast back to Bugh Jaaes in New York.