Britain opens war on Japan
Churchill warns that foe is powerful
By Edward W. Beattie, United Press staff writer
LONDON, England (UP) – Great Britain today made formal declaration of war against Japan.
The announcement was made to an emergency session of parliament by Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
The session convened at 3 p.m. (9 a.m. EST) and Mr. Churchill immediately announced Britain’s action, fulfilling his pledge of just a month ago that Britain would stand beside the United States if war came to the Pacific.
Mr. Churchill warned against any tendency to underestimate Japan’s military and naval strength. His speech to the House of Commons lacked the famous invective which he hurled against Italy when Premier Benito Mussolini brought his nation into the war at the darkest hour of the Allied cause.
Formally aligning Britain beside the United States, the prime minister emphasized that the war which has now spread over two hemispheres is an indivisible and interdependent conflict.
The session of Commons lasted only a half hour. It was a business-like, undramatic meeting.
Britain’s note to Japan announcing her declaration of war was couched in language stronger than that employed by Mr. Churchill in Commons.
It charged that “this wanton act of unprovoked aggression was committed in flagrant violation of international law.”
Mrs. Churchill sat in the distinguished strangers’ gallery of the House as her husband spoke. She wore a bandeau on which was printed the slogan: “Go… Go… Go…”
“It remains,” said Mr. Churchill, “for the two great democracies to face the task with whatever strength God may give them.”
Each time he mentioned China or Gen. Chiang Kai-shek, the House cheered.
Mr. Churchill disclosed that last night he had talked by trans-Atlantic radiotelephone with President Roosevelt.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands government-in-exile here announced that it considered that a state of war existed between the Netherlands and Japan.
Instructions were sent at once to Netherlands East Indies authorities on their course, and similar orders were sent to Netherlands authorities at Curacao and in the Netherlands West Indies and Dutch Guiana.
Japanese in the Netherlands East Indies were ordered interned.
2 Latin nations enter Jap war
Costa Rica and Nicaragua act immediately
By the United Press
Two Latin American republics – Costa Rica and Nicaragua – declared war on Japan last night and it was indicated that several others would follow suit.
An emergency Cabinet meeting was called in Havana. Observers recalled that President Fulgencio Batista announced recently that Cuba would follow the United States in any declaration of war against Japan.
President Alfredo Baldomir, in a nationwide broadcast, called upon Uruguay to abandon neutrality. Uruguay has always been the chief advocate in South America of complete defense cooperation with the United States.
Foreign Minister Ezequiel Padilla of Mexico, after a conference with President Manuel Avila Camacho, angrily condemned Japan’s “aggression.” Informed sources said a Mexican declaration of war was “not impossible.”
Strategically-located Panama ordered the arrest of all Japanese nationals.
Emergency Cabinet meetings were held in Peru, Colombia and the Dominican Republic, and Foreign Minister Juan B. Rossett of Chile discussed the crisis with Acting President Jeronimo Mendez.
U.S. Ambassador Jefferson Caffery conferred with Brazilian Chancellor Oswaldo Aranha.
Acting President Ramon S. Castillo of traditionally-neutral Argentina said his country will “maintain absolute neutrality.”
The American Ambassador to Buenos Aires, Norman Armour, was told by French Minister Enrique Ruiz-Guinazu that Argentina will take no measures until the position of the United States is made clear.
Soviet policy in war secret
Russians refuse to reveal stand in Pacific
By A. T. Steele
KUIBYSHEV, USSR (Dec. 6, delayed) – It is idle to speculate on what line of action the Soviet government will take in event Japan begins an American war. Russians are not saying nor is it at all certain that they have definitely made up their minds.
Of this much, however, we can be reasonably sure – that the Soviet government would prefer peace in the Pacific. Russia wishes to concentrate all her energies on the defeat of Hitler and she needs American and British supplies with which to accomplish that purpose. War between Japan and the United States would jeopardize and possibly reduce this all-important flow of war materials just when it is beginning to assume important proportions. Nor is it certain that war in the Pacific – even if Russia took no part – would enable the Russians substantially to lower their vigilance along their Pacific frontiers.
So far during this latest Japanese-American crisis, the Soviet government has taken no action which would give the Japanese or anybody else a clue as to its policy in event of a Japanese-American showdown. Its attitude toward the Pacific dispute has so far been one of meticulous detachment. However, the Japanese cannot fail to be taking note of the difficulties which their Axis brethren – the Nazis – are encountering in their Russian campaign.
Those Japanese who have always contended that ultimate German victory in the present World War is a foregone conclusion have been given food for very serious thought in the jarring Rostov reverse and in the slow pace of the German drive toward Moscow.
Monahan: Those masters of mayhem, the Three Stooges; discuss their art
By Kaspar Monahan
Curly Howard and Larry Fine were playing gin-rummy rather half-heartedly in their dressing room when I interrupted their game. Moe Howard, the other third of the Three Stooges, wasn’t there, so Curly and Larry began to denounce him.
“All he does,” said Curly, gingerly rubbing his clipped iron skull, “is stay awake nights thinking up new ways of hurting us. And him my brother, too.”
Larry said, “Look at this,” and I looked and saw a big lump on his left jaw right near the ear. He said his jaw was always swollen that way.
“And our poor noses,” they exclaimed in unison. “They’re always sore.”
Curly had a deep scar on one cheek, more of sadistic Moe’s work.
“But it’s even worse in picture,” Curly went on. “That’s when we really get battered. Each of us lost a tooth in one picture – even Moe, and it served him right. And we get ribs busted, too.”
Moe came in, glaring menacingly at his two victims, and they yelled insults at him, seeing as how I stood between them and him. Moe made that threatening gesture – two fingers pointing, and they cringed and subsided.
“These bums squawking to you about the way I smack ‘em around?” Moe yelled. “Hah – look at the way I suffer. Look at this mitt, would you?”
I looked and saw the knuckles were swollen.
Then Larry, the one with the wild mop of hair, pointed to a growing bald spot. For year after year Moe has been digging his fists into Larry’s hair pulling it out in tufts and sometimes it doesn’t grow back.
“But we’re not worried,” said Curly of the clipped sconce. “When all of Larry’s hair is gone, why I’ll let mine grow and he can take over my role and I’ll take his.”
“I get mine clipped once a week – with a No. 1 clipper. That gets it close to the skull.”
All three then discussed their respective hairdos. Moe shook his head and down tumbled his black locks, forming a circle close to his eyebrows and giving him the appearance of a zombie. He will shoot any barber whose shears slip and spoil that circular outline.
“Lots of money has been won or lost on whether I wear a toupee or not,” Moe said.
Larry said he always had arguments with barbers who insist on cutting his mop of curls.
Curly declared that he has been cutting his hair right down to the bone so long that if he lets it grow for more than a week, he can’t stand it.
Moe demonstrated just how he stabs at the eyes of his coworkers and yet doesn’t blind them.
“I been doing it for years and I haven’t put out an eye, yet,” he said proudly. It’s a delicate maneuver – Moe’s arm darts out, the two fingers striking Curly to Larry just under the eyebrows, the thumb colliding with the nose. That’s why their noses are always sore.
“And you can’t pull your punches,” he said. “Audiences would detect it at once.”
The more enthusiastic the audience, the more Larry and Curly suffer, for Moe then really goes to work on them.
They’ll yell “Give it to ‘em, Moe” – and Moe was never one to let an audience down.
“How long,” I asked, “can you fellows keep on with this business of maiming one another?”
“I don’t know,” replied Larry gloomily, “but if it can stick it out 10 years more, I’ll be surprised,” and he rubbed his sore jaw and sore nose.
Moe and Curly said they’d buy ranches some day and retire. Meanwhile the Three Stooges are making eight pictures a year. In the studios they really take punishment as each scene of mayhem must be “shot” four or five times. In a recent comedy Moe said he got hit with a 60-pound pie which knocked him silly.
Now he’s taking vitamin (ABDG) pills to keep up his strength.
“I’m taking vitamin pills, too,” chirped Curly, “to build me up.”
He weighs 215 pounds.
His sturdy build and the public’s belief that he is immune to pain, often results in offstage tortures for poor Curly…
Once while strolling along the Atlantic City Boardwalk, drinking in the beauties of the ocean, Curly reeled from a heavy blow. An overgrown youngster, walking with his mamma, just up and cracked Curly with a cane – and the kid shrieked and mamma giggled.
“I’d a murdered him if he had been half an inch taller,” growled Curly.
On another occasion, a big, tall girl – a stranger – in a crowded elevator swung from the heels and cuffed Curly on the jaw. And she laughed and all present laughed – except Curly.
Came the call for the next show – and Moe, Curly and Larry appeared before the Stanley footlights on the stage and Moe began to slap them around and poke his fingers at their eyes. Five times they did it Saturday and other days they murder one another only four times. Wotta life!
Must pay well, though. For instance, Curly is paying an ex-wife $130 weekly alimony, and he isn’t missing any meals.
Opening tonight: “Arsenic and Old Lace”, with Erich von Stroheim, Effie Shannon and Laura Hope Crews, at the Nixon.
Comic air wife has real task
Portland Hoffa is Allen Stenog, partner
By Si Steinhauser
Being the wife of a Jack Benny, a Fred Allen, a Fibber McGee, or a George Burns pays, but it also requires a ability to put up with crazy schedules and to keeping a household on even keel.
Mary Livingstone has little to do with Jack’s program plans. She sees the script only at first rehearsal time. Between broadcasts and rehearsals, therefore she can devote all of her time to their little adopted daughter, Joanie, whom she has built up from a sickly cross-eyed baby to a healthy, beautiful and lovable child. She draws a $1,000 weekly paycheck for her part on the program and Jack asks no questions. Her household clothing and jewelry expenses are all out of Jack’s wallet. In spite of that Mary is a fragile soul, who frequently faints from nervous exhaustion. This in spite of her laughing on the air.
Gracie Allen is a serious housewife who would leave the air at a moment’s notice and devote all of her time to their two adopted children if George would say the word but he’s smart enough to know that Gracie is the show.
Molly McGee (Mrs. Jim Jordan) is the modest housewife and mother she portrays on the air. Her husband is head man of Encino, California, and they live in an average home in a family neighborhood where neighbors are real folks. She maintains a lively interest in their two children and is her husband’s partner off the air as well as on. Together they shared the hard knocks of vaudeville. Together they are enjoying their good breaks, which they so richly deserve.
Being the merry wife of Fred Allen is something else, again. Tiny Portland Hoffa is a Mrs. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde, of necessity. From Monday to the following Sunday the life of the Allens (John F. Sullivans on their bank books) follows a methodical arrangement geared to split-second timing of a radio hour.
Monday, they conclude breakfast and walk to their first rehearsal. They have no car. After rehearsal Fred joins his staff in script-cutting and revisions while Portland does her marketing. The script her husband cuts was typed by her after he had written it in pencil without capital letters or punctuation.
Time of their evening meal depends entirely on how long Fred talks over the script with his associates. While the maid burns, the meal may do likewise, awaiting Fred’s late arrival. Portland’s sister Latone is always a Monday night dinner guest. The two women attend a movie while Fred continues work on his script. When the women return home, they bring armloads of newspapers and Fred cans them until around 3 in the morning for news and program ideas.
Tuesdays Fred goes to a gymnasium until 2 in the afternoon, while Portland goes shopping and visits her beauty parlor, in anticipation of the Wednesday broadcast. The Allens dine alone, attend a movie and try to retire early to be fit for the next day’s ordeal.
Wednesday, they get an early start and by noon are deep in rehearsal. Around 4, Portland returns to their modest apartment for a nap. Fred keeps on worrying and working and by 7 is all steamed up for the broadcast at 9. Script has been cut word by word to keep in running time.
There is no dinner on Wednesday. A bowl of soup and dish of ice cream in a Radio City café is their menu.
Comes the 9 o’clock broadcast, Fred’s business of signing autographs, a rush to a café for dinner which Portland orders while Fred reads the evening papers. If there is time left, Fred spins yarns for his associates and one inevitable guest is Harry Von Zell, Fred’s former announcer who comes over from the Eddie Cantor program to “get away from it all.” At midnight there is a repeat broadcast.
Thursdays the Allens sleep until noon, then answer fan mail, in person. Fred types these letters, again without capital letters or punctuation. Portland knits, just now for British war relief. They have dinner at Portland’s sister Latone’s home and after dinner Fred goes to work laying first plans for the following Wednesday’s broadcast.
Friday is Fred’s gymnasium day again. It is also Portland’s “day off” and Fred’s day for business conferences but they meet for dinner, always outside their home, then go to a theater or a boxing bout.
Saturday, Portland’s sister is again their dinner guest at their home. The day winds up with the two sisters at typewriters working on scripts which Fred pencils.
Sunday is no day of rest. It is a day of preparing scripts, with only time out for church. Portland prepares light meals, has the night off till 12, a midnight movie with Fred and home. Then begins the week’s schedule all over again without change.
Dick Stabile and his orchestra are broadcasting from Frank Dalley’s (he owns the famous Meadowbrook) Valley Dale in Columbus.
Tonight’s (KQV at 9) Radio Forum will launch a drive for salary adjustments for postal employees. James M. Mead, D-New York, and Rep. Robert Ramspeck, D-Georgia, will speak.
Lowell Thomas is scheduled for his regular 6:45 broadcast but he’ll also appear a half-hour earlier to present Santa Claus to the KDKA audience.
The Garrison-Montgomery lightweight fight is a 10:30 KQV listing.
Actor Sandy Strouse is Alan Reed’s stand-in for “Shadow” rehearsals on Wednesday while Reed appears on the stage in “Hope for a Harvest.”
The Institute of Radio Engineers meets at Mellon Institute tonight to hear R. T. Griffith, transmission engineer of the Bell Telephone Company, discuss “Wire Transmission of Radio Programs.” An informal dinner at the King Edward will precede the meeting.
Raymond Clapper speaks at Carnegie Music Hall tomorrow night on “What’s Ahead in American Affairs.” He will broadcast his 10:30 news discussion over KQV to the network.
Judith Anderson has been the only woman to star on “Inner Sanctum.”
Radio actresses Adelaide Klein of “Meet Mr. Meek” and Irene Winston of Joan Blaine’s valiant lady cast are rehearsing parts in “Brooklyn, U.S.A.,” a stage play about “Murder, Inc.”
Are the girls going mean?
Franchot Tone will enact “Men in White” on KDKA’s 7:30 “Cavalcade of America.”
Gladys Swarthout and Felix Knight share vocal honors on tonight’s (KQV at 9:30) “For America We Sign” treasury hour.
Lewis W. Douglas, former director of the federal budget, will reply to Herbert Hoover’s “defeatist attitude” over WJAS tomorrow night at 10:15 when he discusses “An Answer to Herbert Hoover – We Can Lick Hitler.”
Joan Blaine has just been assigned the lead in Edna Ferber’s “So Big” to be broadcast, January 12, over WJAS.
KDKA will present recordings of what went on in the recruiting offices and civilian defense headquarters at 6:15 tonight.
At 10:30, the station will present Ross Loeffler, chairman of the Air Raid Precautions Committee and Capt. Ralph Flynn, chief air raid warden of Pennsylvania.
Red Cross extends aid
WASHINGTON – The American Red Cross today extended aid to civilian victims of the Japanese hostilities. Problems of first aid and evacuation of civilians were met by chapters in Manila and Honolulu.
