 ever thee I sing, I can sing such grandeur and glories about you. I tramp a perpetual round, come listen all, to Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota to hear their songs, then to Ohio and Indiana to hear theirs, to Tennessee and Kentucky to the Carolinas and Georgia to hear theirs, to Texas and Louisiana and along upward to California, I hear America singing, and to you all each and every one whom I specify not, health to you, goodwill to you all from me, from America. The songs, the stories and the achievements of a nation and a nation's people have been the inspiration of many distinguished American authors and among the most recent of our American novels of unusual historical interest is Red Lanterns on St. Michael's by Thornwell Jacobs. Tonight DuPont on the Cavalcade of America presents a radio play based on this story featuring the Cavalcade players and starring William Johnstone in the role of Perry White. In the morning, in the city of Charleston and the free and independent state of South Carolina, a party is in full swing in a home on the fashionable high-battery. Everybody quiet, quiet please. First of the Lincolnites over there in Fort Sumter refused to surrender to our sovereign state. So in accordance with our orders. They treated like a game, like a cock fight. Don't they realize it means war? Most of them don't think it does. Of course it does. Some say that when the North realizes we mean business, there'll be a compromise. Oh no, it's gone too far. When they shoot at those men in the fort, it'll be too late. Darling, be calm. Perhaps it's hard for you to know how I feel, but I know what it means. I know that when war comes, it'll be my duty to hate one side or another. And how can I? How can I hate my friends and family in Boston? How can I hate Charleston and the man I'm going to marry? But I'll be made to hate one or the other. You'll have to hate the North because it'll be war. Ladies and gentlemen, we've just learned that Mr. Edmund Ruffin, that grand old Charleston gentleman, the father of secession, is to have the privilege of firing the first cannon shot at Fort Sumter. Beginning of a war, a war that started with the cheers of ladies waving handkerchiefs from balconies and terraces. Three years later, the shooting was still going on, but the gaiety had died. Charleston was blockaded by a solid ring of Union ironclad ships in the bay. Charleston homes stood wrecked from Union shells. Ladies nursed rows of wounded in Charleston hospitals. Charleston faced ruin. Joan. Yes, Perry? I've heard you say often that war is so horrible, we must do all we can to make it less horrible. Of course. And I've said it too. But Joan, Charleston was starved, unless a way is found to combat those Union ironclad ships. And I've found that way. How do you mean? An invention. I'm taking it to General Beauregard in the morning. You said nothing. They called for secrecy. But Joan, I had to tell you, when this war is over and we get married, I want your love and respect. So I couldn't go ahead without telling you. Joan, this invention is something that will blow those ships off the face of the water with all the men on them. It's their ruin or ours I had to choose. What's this all about, Captain White? What are these designs? I call it a diving boat, General Beauregard. Diving boat? An underwater vessel? Yes, sir. Now look here. You know our previous experiments in that line were disastrous. Two whole crews went down today. Yes, sir, but I know what was wrong with those experiments. Look, I think I figured it out. I want to make this boat like a cylindrical metal boiler, four feet in diameter and 25 feet long. I want to divide it into watertight compartments here and here. I've calculated closely that the oxygen in this compartment would last a crew of eight men more than half an hour. And I know the attack on an ironclad can be made in that time. This design looks as if you know some physics. I have studied the subject, but look, sir, there's no other way that we can ever combat those ironclads. The metal plating on the sides of those ships protects the sides completely, but not the bottom. We've got to reach that vulnerable part. You're right. Quite right. Now, we could approach the ironclad underwater with a great charge of explosive at the end of this long pole passing to the prowl. We'd ran that into the bottom of the iron. Then we'd back up quickly, but there'd be a rope from the boat to the explosive charge, and as we backed and the rope became taut, it had set off the explosion. Why not? Why not? I've tried to think of every single detail, and now look, sir. How would this boat be propelled by hand since we can't use an engine underwater? The men would sit along these seats here, and each one would have a crank beside him. Here's a detailed drawing of it. Now, those cranks will turn the screw. Now, we'd start off on the surface. Of course, we'd go on a dark night. We'd keep going until we came close to the ironclad. Then we'd dive down by filling these compartments here with water. What I want to know is, how are you going to come up again? Well, here. Here's the drawing of that, too. We'll have these heavy metal weights underneath the boat here, which can be released from the inside by unscrewing these bolts. And every man has a boat right by his seat. The moment those weights are released, we'll leap to the surface. Excellent. Why not? This boat will be built at once. As soon as it's ready, you'll take charge of the test. Yes, sir. All right, that's all. Yes, sir. Oh, just a minute. Yes, sir? Captain White, there's something most important I want to discuss with you. Talking about the boat, I clean forgot about it. Tell me you know telegraphy. Yes, sir. Come back here. I notice you talk somewhat like a northerner. When I have northern friends, sir, perhaps I've picked up their habits of speech. I think you could sound real in all of them. Well, I could try. Captain White, you're going to jail right now. You follow me? I'm not sure. Then listen, you're a Yankee captain from the military telegraph corps. I will give you a northern uniform. And you've been captured. You'll be in a cell with a Yankee officer named Phil Barlow. Phil Barlow has some information we'd like. There's a new Union code being used between the Union ships and the bay and their troops on shore. We've got to get that code. I see, sir. Take your time. Get Barlow's confidence. When you learn the code, you can signal us by refusing food. Then we'll know it's time to let you out. Yes, sir. Meanwhile, we'll start on your boat at once. Look, Perry. What? Look through the bars up there. That's the church tower. St. Michael's, they call it. What about it? It means there's a fire. That's the way we used to tell from our ships when one of the shells made trouble for them. That fire looks serious. Too bad. It's a nice old town. I understand our orders will be to level the city to the ground. It's an object lesson. Yes, I'm afraid so. It's the way it is. The longer the fighting goes on, the more violent it gets. All right. I certainly get tired of this soup. Well, it's all we'll get. Let's eat. Say, do you say you were from Boston? Oh, yes. I was up there once. I met a girl named Joan Brooks. Then she later went south to live. Yes, yes. I remember her. You know her? Yes, a long time ago. A nice girl. Well, I guess she's turning into a fine southern belle by now. Seveners are putting up quite a fight. Yeah. Hopeless though. What are you laughing at? I was just remembering how I was given the job of deciphering the new Confederate code. What? It had me guessing, but then suddenly it was just like ABC. Did you decipher their code? Sure. Wasn't the key passed on to your company? No. Well, I'll have to explain it to you sometime. You were shifting letters. Well, you knew that, didn't you? Oh, I thought it was. Well, they tried to mix you up by throwing in arbitrary words to break up stock phrases. It's got clever stumbling blocks. Not as tricky as ours at that. I guess it'd be hard to decipher this new series of ours all right. Oh, yeah. It's clever. Still as simple as daylight when you know it. Yeah. Say, how'd they ever think of it anyway? I never ran across a code like it before. Didn't you know it again? No. It was an old gambler's trick. You see, in this old gambling system, King was five, six, seven, and Queen, three, four, eight, Jack, one, nine, two. Here's what happened when they first began working on the code. They took that idea and adapted it in such a way that when the third letter is taken as another... You see? That's working out, General Beauregard. Go on, go on, young man. One, six, two. So these last words become create diversion northeast of Charleston. That's it. You have it. Captain White, now we'll be able to anticipate every move of the enemy. I'm glad I could do it, sir. Good work, good work. Now, your boat should be ready for tests in a couple of weeks. No word about it is leaked out. Only the men working on it know about it. In spite of the fact that every man on the two crews had tried it before in similar boats drowned in the attempt. These men still volunteered to be your crew. Very good, sir. Now, middle of next month, the nights are dark. I'd like you to be ready for the first attack on an ironclad by then. Very good, sir. All right, that's all, Captain White. Sir, what is it? My cellmate, Philip Bartle. What's to become of him? I don't know why. Everything can be done for him. I'd like to do it. There's to be an exchange of prisoners. Could he be among them? Request granted. Yes, Perry? I can't go without telling you. What do you mean? Remember that invention? You never mentioned it again, Perry. Well, tonight's the night. We're going tonight. Going? That's all I can tell you, honey. I had to tell you this much because... Heaven knows if I'll ever be back. Perry, I'm frightened. Don't be, honey. We thought on every detail, I know we'll succeed. It's just that I had to tell you we were going. Goodbye, darling. I love you, Perry. We remind you that you are listening to the DuPont Cavalcade of America presenting Red Lanterns on St. Michael, a radio play adapted from the novel by Thornwell Jacobs and starring William Johnstone as Perry White. The Cavalcade of America is brought to you by DuPont, maker of better things for better living through chemistry. The last chance to stay ashore. You know what we're facing. Anybody want to change his mind? Now, will you please answer when your name is called? Gary? Yeah. Henderson? Here, McCulloch? Yeah. O'Brien? Yeah. Yes, sir? Carol? Yes. All right. Let's get in. Go on up, buddy. Take it easy now. Everybody set? Yes, sir. Quiet now. What was that? Sorry, sir. I dropped my wrench. We've got to be absolutely quiet. Not a sound now. All right. Well, each one of you put your wrenches on the floor right beside your seats. I want to have them handy to release the weight so we can rise to the surface if anything goes wrong after we're down. Is that clear? Yes, sir. Everyone set? Now, the idea is, we've got to get close to those Union iron clans before we dive under. So, start cranking them. Hey. Hey. Hey. Headed just about right, I'd say. Awful black out there. Those atomic should be straight ahead. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey, look. What? I'm sure. I sure want to hit one of those houses. It's on fire. We'll keep blazing light up, all right. I'll hit light up the water. All right, men. Keep going. Hey. Stop cranking. Don't move, men. What's that? Wait. Listen. We're right in the light of the burning building on shore. Don't move, men. We better dive under. There's fire on us. Another minute for sure. All right, men. Close the hedges. Quiet now. All right. We're ready to dive, sir. I'm going to let the water into the compartments. You know, can't eat. We keep on as we're headed. We ought to hit a squarely. If we miss her, we wander underwater till we find her. Now I'm going to light the candle. Remember, when this candle begins to go out, lack of oxygen, we know we've got to get to the surface and get that quickly. When that happens, I'll give the signal for every man to grab his wrench and start unscrewing the bolts to release the weights underneath. Everybody got your wrenches handy? Yes, sir. Remember, you'll be in the dark. Can you find the bolts? I got them. Right here, sir. Until the flame dies, we've got to keep trying. Remember, if we succeed in this, it might be the means of winning the war. Good luck, men. Relax, sir. Let's go. Stop a minute. Have we missed her, sir? I don't think so. I don't think we've come to her yet. Everybody all right? Yes, sir. Does that candle seem to be sputtering to you, sir? No, I don't think so. Come on, men. We've got to find the Housatonic. You ready? Yes, sir. Let's go on. Stop cranking, everybody. We've hit her. Now then, quick. Back her up. Start cranking. Yes, sir. He's got the weight. Yes. Where's he at, sir? We're rammed in that heat. Nice, man. Yeah. We've got to get off. We've got to back away. Hurry up. Hurry. We'll be blown up with the Housatonic. The kingdom comes. Quick, men. Hurry! Hurry! The hospital, sir. Take it easy, Johnny. Water. Water, get me some water. Yeah, I think there's a guard. What happened? Enough so they probably shoot you when they get time for it. Oh. Using methods not recognizing civilized warfare. They ought to shoot you. Did the Housatonic blow up? The pieces are still drifting up on shore. What about the others? Your friends? You're the only one for them. You say they're going to shoot me? What do you think? What day is it? I wouldn't worry about that. What happened to you when they asked you to step out one of these fine mornings? What's that? Maybe this is when they come for you. Right here in the stockade. Here's your prisoner, Captain Bolo. Harry? Phil! How are you, Perry? I heard about you being captured and I've been working for your release. I finally got your papers. Now I can pay you back here to be exchanged. Free? I can't believe it. Release the prisoner, God? Yes. Come on out, Perry. We'll be back in Charleston tomorrow. You're a free man. Sir Perry, you're back! Yes. Oh, bless the Lord and all these chases. Is Miss Joan home? Oh, my, sir. Yeah, I get it. Yeah, right away. Joan, darling. Oh, Perry. Joan, sweetheart. You're back. You're back. Yes. Oh, I hadn't dared to home. It's good to see you back, Master Perry. I haven't been praying. Oh, honey. Phil Bolo heard about me and got me exchanged. Phil Bolo? Yes. He's back with their forces on Morris Island. I was in the stockade there. Oh, Perry, I'm so happy. I was so lost without you. Joan, someday soon we'll all learn what I'm beginning to understand. That the people of the north and people of the south are not enemies, but kinsmen, brothers and darling. Soon this will all be over, and it must never happen again. Americans have always taken pride in the heroism self-sacrifice and gallantry, which have resulted in many remarkable achievements by those men who have served our country according to the finest traditions of the United States Navy. And in times of emergency, this is more true than ever. Today, as industry collaborates with all the armed forces of the United States in safeguarding our democracy, still another achievement has recently received public recognition in the records of the United States Navy. The Navy's Chief of Ordnance, Rear Admiral William H.P. Blandy, has presented to the management and 1,000 employees of the DuPont Smokeless Powder Plant at Carney's Point, New Jersey, the Ordnance of the United States Navy. The awards were for outstanding excellence in defense work. Said Admiral Blandy in making the presentation, I quote, those who know the tradition of the Navy E are proud to win the privilege of displaying it. Those who see it displayed say, there go the champions in their class. Here, therefore, this award has been restricted to those in Navy service, but under the conditions in which we live today, with defense depending so largely on the performance of the Navy, industry and American workmen, we believe that they also are eligible to become candidates for the Navy E for Outstanding Achievement. Of the hundreds of firms engaged now on Navy Ordnance assignments, the DuPont Company is one of the first 14 to receive special recognition for excellent performance. The employee who received the E Lapel Button Award on behalf of his 1,000 fellow workers is here tonight, and I think his chest is a bit of a challenge and I think his chest is a bit expanded because of that new blue and white E badge that I see on his coat. He is Mr. Dennis C. Fay, a veteran of 43 years of unbroken service with DuPont at Carney's Point. Every employee of that plant today is privileged to wear a similar E badge, and incidentally, about 40 of them have been with DuPont 25 years or longer. Dennis, how does it feel to be a champion? I'm so proud of this button, ladies and gentlemen. That is the fear of my life and I might lose it. I intend to wear it only to very special affairs. Now I ask what man wouldn't be proud of it, coming as it does from the Navy of the United States. And I want to say this while I'm on my feet, down at Carney's Point we're all Americans, and the whole lot of us is mighty proud of that too. The only isms we have are Americanism and patriotism. We're working for the best company in the best country in the world. We're turning out all the power we know how to make, and added some more for good measure. The boys at Carney's Point didn't expect to be winning any medals. None of us is looking for a fight, but none of us is aiming to run away from it either. It's the other fellow we hope to see running. Thank you, Dennis Fay, and more power to you and the 1,000 men and women at Carney's Point. I think you've expressed the spirit of all DuPont men in this emergency. To do the job that's to be done with a bid added for good measure. Powder is only one of many products that DuPont is furnishing the nation in this present emergency. Neoprene, plastics, nylon, dyes, plating materials, and chemicals of all kinds are being produced on schedule in the common effort to make this America of ours strong and safe. Yes, the nation's security is a vital objective in the DuPont pledge better things for better living through chemistry. Next week, the Cavalcade of America presents Kenneth Del Mar as Stephen A. Douglas, the little giant. Idolized and feared by the men of his time, Douglas might have defeated Abraham Lincoln for the presidency. Why didn't he? The answer to that question will be found in our play next week. In our story of chemistry at work in our world, we will tell you how chemistry contributes to better dental health. We hope you'll join us at the same time next week when DuPont again presents the Cavalcade of America. In support of William Johnstone as Perry White on tonight's program were the Cavalcade players. Agnes Moorhead was Joan Brooks, Frank Reddick was Phil Barlow, and John McIntyre, General Beauregard. Our drama was written by Eric Barnell, and Cavalcade gratefully acknowledges its obligation for material in the new historical novel Red Lanterns on St. Michael, written by Thornwell Jacobs, president of Oglethorpe University, published and copyrighted by E.P. Dutton and Company Incorporated. The orchestra and the original musical score were under the direction of Don Burry. On the Cavalcade of America, your announcer is Clayton Collier, sending best wishes from DuPont. This is the red network of the National Broadcasting Company.