Washington waits three hours for flash
Pershing sees victory is ‘like war of liberation’ fought by sons of 1918 troops
Washington –
Washington learned officially of the invasion of Europe at 3:32 a.m. ET today when the War Department issued the text of the communiqué issued by the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces.
This flash was the climax of three hours of tense waiting that followed the first German radio reports that hostilities off France had begun. Before that both the War Department and the Office of War Information said they had no information to confirm or deny the German reports.
The communiqué was handed newspapermen in the War Department by Maj. Gen. Alexander D. Surles, chief of the Army Bureau of Public Relations. With the communiqué was issued a statement by General of the Armies John J. Pershing which declared the sons of the American soldiers of 1917 and 1918 were engaged in a “like war of liberation” and would bring freedom to people who have been enslaved.
The capital awakened rapidly after the initial broadcasts. Lights flashed on and radios began to blare. Newspapermen hurried to their offices. Everybody was demanding to know whether it was “official.”
If the White House was aware of the report, there was no outward indication. Only a few lights glowed there and the customary guards patrolled up and down monotonously.
Only a few hours earlier – at 8:30 p.m. – Mr. Roosevelt had addressed the world for 15 minutes on the fall of Rome.
By 1:45 a.m., almost the entire public relations staff at the War Department had reported for duty.
Elmer Davis, director of the OWI, met about half a dozen newsmen in his office about 4:00 a.m. and told them the OWI had no assurance that the invasion was coming off this morning but thought that it might be. He said that OWI did not put out any of the German broadcast reports prior to official confirmation from Gen. Eisenhower’s headquarters.
Between the official flash and the time Gen. Eisenhower began his talk, the OWI was transmitting the text of the communiqué.
The OWI director added that ABSIE, the agency’s foreign radio, had broadcast Gen. Eisenhower’s speech in about 20 languages.
Pershing sees patriots rising
Washington (UP) –
Gen. Pershing, in a statement headed “American troops have landed in Western Europe,” said today that he had “every confidence” that the invasion would succeed.
The statement was released by the War Department.
The aged general said:
The overwhelming military might of the Allies advances. It will be joined by the men of the occupied countries, whose land has been overrun by the enemy but whose spirit remains unconquered.
Twenty-six years ago, American soldiers, in cooperation with their Allies, were locked in mortal combat with the German enemy. Their march of victory was never halted until the enemy laid down his arms in defeat. The American soldiers of 1917-1918, fighting in a war of liberation, wrote by his deeds one of the most glorious pages of military history.
Today the sons of American soldiers of 1917-18 are engaged in a like war of liberation. It is their task to bring freedom to peoples who have been enslaved.
I have every confidence that they, together with their gallant brothers-in-arms, will win through to victory.