L^^SUHOCO^TUESDAY. AUGUST 1959 GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY; ^Last ©vening that startling break or news came In so late I was giust able to blurt out the facts - the first word; that treaty between Hitler and Stalin, the non-agression pact between Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany. I told how it came as a bombshell in the world crisis, a bolt from the blue; use any figure of speech you like. What did It mean? Tremend­ ous things, obviously. A sudden and overshwlming transformation of the European situation^ But just what? What were the full implications? Today the press wires of all the world were busy trying to provide Information for an answer. And that gives us todays sequel to one of the biggest stories of our time. In Moscow tonight, two stately gentlemen went to get some Information - the Ambassadors of Great Britain and France called at the Kremlin to ask the question - what does it mean? Night had already fallen in the Soviet Capital. After a day of world-wide bewilderment London and Paris sent their Ambassadors to ask Soviet Commissar Molotov for an explanation. Why the LEAD - £ negotiations for the German-Russian non-agression pact? Why did you do It? v»e donTt know what Soviet explanation Their Excellencies the Ambassadors got^ but it was probably one of those diplomatic smoothies!— that Stalinas government was acting in hehalf of peace. Soviet spokesmen in various places have been handing out that line today. The whole affair came as a stunning surprise, although the prospect of a Mazi-Communist line-up had long been spoken of. One striking revelation was in that remarkable series of Krivitsky articles in the Saturday Evening Post, in which the former Soviet big shot stated the main lines of Stalinrs foreign policy. Stalin was aiming at two things, Krivitsky wrote — two contra­ dictory things. He was maneuvering for a treaty with Great Britain and France. But, more than anything else, Stalin wanted a treaty with Hitler. And now that sounds like a dazzling prophecy. While Stalin was for so long negotiating with London and Paris, he was actually in secret fixing up a non-aggression agreement with Hitler. LEAD - S So the Red Dictator gets what he wanted most, but he grants Hitler a startling victory over the Democracies. ^Not \ only was Stalin staging long-drawn-out-and-dragging-negotiations with London and Paris for an anti-Hitler alliance, but he was having military talks, actual war arrangements between British and French military missions and commanding officers of the Red Army. Just think of todays painful plight of the high-ranking top-lofty members of the Franco-British missions. They ate still in Moscow; something like magnificent big-wigs with the rug sud­ denly pulled out from under them — just sitting on the floor wit a blank expression.^ The latest is that the military missions will have another meeting, and they'll put it up to the Soviet Army chiefs — what does it all mean? They'll ask Stalin's Commanders whether they had been acting in good faith. Another element of timings- Stalin let Hitler have what is called the crucial moment. ^Tust as the Mali's diplomatic drive for Danzig in the Polish Corridor was coming to the verge of wsix* Hitler isocploHes tiie booibsiieU tno.t tnex*e will be no Soviet Russia* no *ed Army, on the side of the Democracies if LEAD - 4 war should come.J Oddly enough, there were still faint hopes today among some British and some French that the case may not be as bad as it seems, and the Soviet spokesmen were encouraging that faint hope. Perhaps London and Paris may still get Moscow into their anti-Hitler front, in spite of Moscow’s treaty with Hitler. Maybe non-agression doesn’t mean that the Soviets would stay out of a war against Germany. Mayve there’s a loophole in the treaty that would enable Stalin to join the Democracies. Sounds a bit dubious: if War should break out, would it be non-agression for the Soviets to attack Germany? From Berlin we have word that Hitler’s foreign minister Von Ribbentrop has started for Moscow according to schedele — flying. All accounts seem to indicate that German Soviet negoti ations are vittually complete, and all that remains is to sign the treaty. A late report from Berlin says that the pact may be broadened out to include more than mere nonagression, some kind of active alliance. And the hint is that this may be done while Von Ribbenifcrop is in Moscow. Huge and final military preparations were going on in Germany today. The Hazis are saying jubilantly that Hitler will act promptly. As soon as the treaty is signed in Moscow it is predicted that he will launch the move to take Danzig. By the end of the week they say. And the German demands are expanding. They now include the who^e Polish Corridor, and the word is that the Nazi Reich will claim every inch of territory that Poland got from Germany after the World War. J^^zl military predictions are that with A no Russian help forthcoming, Poland will be swiftly overrun by the huge German army — the Western powers unable to do anything about it, just battering themselves against the German fortifi­ cations; if they do that. ^Warsaw is talking defiance, saying that the German-Russiak treaty doesn’t mean so much, won’t make any great difference. Poland never did expect any important help from the Soviets, had always rejected the idea of the Red Army entering Poland aw a defender. I The Poles are still saying they’ll fight. They be­ lieve that Great Brit.ian and France will keep their pledges to fight with them. But even if they don’t, Poland will resist. LEAD - 6 and are convinced that if there should be a German—Polish war, Britain and France would surely be drawn into it* In London the British Cabinet met today, and a lugubri­ ous meeting it was* I'he Cabinet session had been called to give a last minute warning to Germany on the subject of Danzig - stern word to Hitler that any aggressive move would mean war. Instead of anything so belligerent as that. Prime Minister Cham­ berlain and his fellow statesmen issued a call summoning Parlia­ ment to special session. Ihe Lords and Commoners will gather on Thursday to consider the sudden and complete change in the state of affairs. Late word from London Is that Parliament will be asked to pass emergency measures anticipating possible war, to be ready if war should come. And there*s an official declar­ ation that, in spite of the witiDhrawal of Russia, Great Britain will fulfill her pledge to defend Poland. In France military preparations continued today, troops called to the colors. And Paris joins London in declaring that the pledges to Poland will be kept. And that bears on the criti­ cal and all-important question - with Soviet Hussia out of the LEA D - 7 anti-Hitler picture, will Great Britain and France fight Germany and Italy in behalf of Poland? Hews from Rome is ambiguous, with little hint of how well Mussolini likes the latest coup staged by his azis partner. Hitler. Tokyo is reserved also, though there are complaints that Germany has let Japan down in its feud with Soviet Russia. What does the anti-Comintern pact amount to now? That German, Italian, Japanese line-up against Communism? With the Hazis and the Communists signing up, the anti-Communist alliance seems little more than a figure of speech. In our own country one bit of opinion was expressed bjr the Stock Market today. Prices rose in Wall Street, going up* The Market opinion seemed to be that the German*Russian treaty decreased the danger of war — good financial news. Onthe other hand itfs sad to observe the painful perplexity of our American Communists^ Reds and Pinks, who have been idolizing the Soviets and Stalin as the lofty and indomitable foes of Fascism. The picture of Hitler and Stalin doing a waltz must be an agonizing sight for our American Communists, Reds and Pinks. LSAD - 6 Some say It may result in a break-up &£ the Communist party in the United states. Americans far and wide are saying it’s good that Uncle Sam was not exactly among the victims of one of the biggest double crosses In history * We were not among those who wooed Stalin* Vi^TERAi'jS I have a notice from Dormont, ^eniisylvania about a ’’time tube” a container with various things in it for pos­ terity to unearth, among the objects to be enclosed in the time- tube will be an account oi the news of the day —— one day*s news in this year of 1939. It occurs to me — what a day this is, for people of future years to notice. Actually, the time-tube is only one feature of a patri­ otic event. The Veterans of Foreign Wars of Dormont are going to celebrate the one hundred and twenty-fifth anniversary of the writing of the Star Spangled Banner in appropriate fashion. They are going to erect a flag pole to commemorate our National hymn which celebrates the Stars and Stripes, ^he Star Spangled Banner flag pole is being financed by contributions of ten cents — no­ body more than a dime, i'hen, at its base will be place the time- tube, with various objects signifying the present day. The Dormont Veterans of Foreign Wars have asked me to contribute not only a dime, but also a copy of one oj . these Blue Sunoco broadcasts of ours to be placed in the time tube. VSTBRASl S - 2 So how about today1s? Certainly the news we hear this evening is something that people years hence may read with interest and curiosity- Hence all this is not only for the mic­ rophone tonight and for you listeners, but it also goes in the time tube — for Dormont, though not dormant, posterity. LEPKE I don*t know what the record is for the price on a man’s head. But the much hunted Lepke must come close to it* iNew York City to pay twenty-five thousand dollars for the notorious gangster and racketeer. And today the Federal De­ partment of Justice indicated that the Government will pay another twenty-fivethousand. J. Edgar Hoover matching Tom Dewey buck for buck; fifty thousand dollars for Lepke, dead or alive, '^hat should be quite a temptation for some of the double­ cross ers of the underworld. MILK Another flare up In New York's upstage milk strike. In the city which bears the classical name of Rome —Rome, New York — there was a mild melee of shooting and clubbing. It started when a non—striking farmer tried to get his truck through a picket line to a milk plant. Strikers attacked the truck and started dumping the milk. The farmer opened fire with a shot gun. Two men were shot and in the subsequent melee, several were severely beaten. Meanwhile in New York City the slogan was sounded — babies first . The milk shortage is severe in the Metropolis, and at one place on he crowded East bide two hundred women surrounded a milk truck today, pleading for milk for their babies. b0 the City Distributing Organization, rationing out the sufficient supply* sounds the slogan; "Babies ^irstt" Suppose you heard of something going three hundred and seventy miles an hur - youTd surely think it a speed plane of the sky. Not at all, — an automobile went that fast today. Not any sort of bus that you and I would drive, but a thing on wheels. Yes, John Cobb, the swift Britisher, still is out on the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah for the purpose of breaking the speed record on land — the record held by his fellow British­ er, Captain Eyston. Today John Cobb took out his twenty-six hundred Horse­ power joloppy, and ripped off a mile at a shade less than three hundred and seventy — three hundred and sixty-nine and twenty- three one-hundredths miles an hour, to be exact. That sure was record-breaking speed, but it didn*t break the record -— because of that familiar rule. You have to make the mile-run two ways to get in the official record book. Jonn Vi Cobb bu.zed the tremendous mile and then started back for the second run. But someth ing went wrong. He was shifting gears to reach top speed when his motor stalled. Borne mechanical failure, and he had to call off the return mile. He'll try again. Philanthropy is an admirable thing, usually reserved for ag^d capitalists and veteran magnates of industry. Today, lew Jersey reports a case of five business men who have decided to donate twenty-five percent of their profits to charity. Sounds noble and exalted, and it is all that — and even more so. Some while ago five small boys of Trenton, New Jersey were operating a lemonade stand on a street corner. They hadn*t and license and were afraid the cops would chase them sp they appealed to the Governor. When little children appeal to Gov­ ernors the result in seldom in doubt — and frequently reflected at the polls. In New Jersey Governor Harry Moore told the five young business men to go ahead and sell their lemonade — told them in a letter which got due publicity. Today the Governor received the following communication, from the youthful lemonade magnates. nLat year, ” they told him, "we made a profit of thirteen cents a day. This year with your letter and the publicity we jumped to One Dollar and Thirty cents for one and a half hours." Thatf s a first class business report. CHARITY - £ and then came the philanthropy. “Yu'e are going to give twenty- five percent of our income.wrote the big hearted boys Hto the school for crippled children as a gift of gratitude.w Then hey add a sentiment that certainly is noble and exhalted. *’We hope" they say, "that some day we may be able to do bigger and better things for our less fortunate brothers and sisters." And, with those noble sentiments we say:- SO LONG UNTIL TOMORROW