 They're coming where around the bend they got the beautiful lady with them. Nah, she's tied up somewhere We got a saver Jim. You're right egg. We got a saver Quiet I Can hear him coming. They're coming at war Tonight the National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with the Consul on books in wartime Attempts to tell a part of the story of what we in our war have done to the children of the world Tonight's drama is based on the important new book by Otto's off and titled they shall inherit the earth The part of the author will be played by Richard Stark Dirty Dan, you're dead. They're Texas Jim. We just killed Dirty Dan all his cattle ruffles. We've done a good job Yeah, buffalo head. We've done a good bang bang bang bang. What are you doing? Dirty Dan wasn't dead yet He was still flopping. Hey, you stand on my horse's head. Hey Jimmy get off mom's bro Excuse me. Where's mine right here. Come on, Texas. We got a ride. Yeah, lady still tied up in a railroad tracks We got a saver. Come on. Oh Are those words at war No No, they're not They're just the words of some little boys Playing a game in a small town in the eastern part of the United States of America It's the summer of 1937 At this same time in Madrid, Spain But perhaps I'd better tell you who I am My name is Otto's off and for years. I've been gathering material for a book that would answer the question What are we doing to the children of the world? And so I walked through many countries. I saw and spoke with children the militarized children of Mussolini's regime in Italy the German boys and girls and educated to hate under the Nazi rule the children of Spain in 1939 I saw the children of Spain Back in 1937 while American children were playing cops and robbers cowboys and Indians Children in Spain were being bound to death There was a man in Madrid a simple quiet man a librarian I believe But it doesn't matter what he was what does matter is what he said I Have seen so many things mr. Zoff Day after day the fascist troops Lay in the miserable tenements of the workers quarters They lurked at the windows of the houses and starved people out across the way The troops would stay very still Waiting for thirst and hunger to provide them a target At last the woman would appear fearfully at one of the doorways Planning to go out and get her family something to eat She looks around There is nothing She pulls a child after her by one hand a second child by the other She is not going to risk leaving the children alone there with her husband He might get killed in the fight at any moment She looks around again Everything is quiet She says to herself I'll just risk it be right back And so she goes out with the children slipping along between the rows of tenements and Now it is time to throw the grenade And so they threw the grenade but why not Those fascists had been cooped up in that house a long time They needed the practice Is it known how many children died in the civil war? Yes, it is known precisely 10 699 and wounded 15 320 You You know it by heart. Yes, I know it by heart There is one thing though mr. Zoff One consolation What's that? Nothing else ever We do seem brutal to you Compared with this My friend from madrid was wrong Many times during the next years. I saw things of indescribable brutality Things happening to children You know of those things You've read about them in the newspapers seen them in the newsreels, but what has it meant? When hundreds of thousands of children are in danger They become statistics We see them as figures and graphs printed black on white paper Not as little boys and girls burned bleeding starving tortured abandoned to despair So we sit quiet and motionless in our comfortable homes knowing with our minds But not believing with our hearts That there are thousands of children weeping and bleeding all over the world It's 1941 now And the two fires begun in china and spain Have ignited the world Belgium has fallen holland norway france. Even america is now at war What about the children of america? Are they still playing games? Oh, yes Different games of course, but they're playing games They're not being murdered and you see through a happy circumstance of geography american children Are still allowed the privilege of childhood Nazi i'm a terrible dirty Nazi I'll kill all the terrible people in the world all the terrible people in the world Bang you're dead bang you too Bang bang bang bang bang you're all dead Just hit you with a mortar. You're a nazi and you're dead. I ain't no nazi sure you are You just said you was I heard you I was saying it private out loud. I ain't go on There I just cut you in two in the middle and all your insides is gushing out I ain't gonna play My dad says the worst thing can happen to a man is to be a nazi or a jack Nothing wrong with being a nazi when you're playing It's just when you grow up. You got to watch yourself when I grow up. I'm gonna be a What I'm gonna be a first lieutenant like my dad and have a thousand millimeter gun What's that? I don't know exactly, but it takes a hundred men to make a shoot My dad gives them all orders. He says see that german over there shoot his head off and they do I know what i'm gonna be I'm gonna be a street car conductor. Yeah. Yeah, that's okay too But I think I'd rather be a general the uniforms is better What are you going to be when you grow up? Every child the world over has been asked that question. He makes a game of it Not german children now They are asked the question, but it's not a game It's another way of instilling in them the nazi doctrine I shall grow up to be a member of the schwarzer course like my father, sir good I should be a member of the elite guard like my father and what else give my life for my fear, of course Right rudy. I shall grow up to be a member of her gurring's air force like my father Hyal Hitler Walter I shall grow up to be a member of her gurring's air force Order I will have order in this class Now valter you were saying I shall go up to be Give valter a chance to tell us about himself Come now. Walter. Don't be bashful. We are also interested in your future ambitions You were taught what to say say it I shall go up to be hanged like my father because I am a jew What have we done to the children of the world? Something has occurred that's beyond man's ability to grasp The earth is not changed the seasons pass in their appointed cycle Life and death still keep their secrets And each living creature broods over his final breath But the children What have we done to them? This in cold blood the whole world has turned to systematic murder Children have been condemned to starvation torture bombardment. They've been orphaned mutilated killed Why for tactical reasons What do they like then these military objectives these youngsters who will inherit the earth All over the globe children are touched by fascism and war They stagger down the endless roads of china under the bombs of japanese planes In japan they are taught to die for the emperor in germany. They're taught how to hate They starve on the streets of athens in madrid They huddle in the ruins of warsaw. They learn the ways of sabotage and murder Under the very noses of the victorious germans in france holland norway greece danmark yugoslavia And in russia they fight children We're speaking of children What have we done to them almost wash your hands edmund okay what we got Well first we have soup Wash your hands dear. Don't just run them through the water. Okay vegetable soup vegetable soup Oh, not the dish towels son get a hand towel It's the summer of 1943 America has been at war for almost two years The home life in america has been affected of course. There are inconveniences Scarcities and in some homes tragedy has come However, the boys and girls in america do get enough to eat In france at this very moment A little boy and his sister the air and marie du corps Are starving to death Meanwhile Boy wouldn't pop like this bait ham Mom, when's dad coming home when the war's over dear? When the war's over your dad Take your hand out of the soup Your dad will come home and we'll go to picnics the way we used to and Edmund take your hand out of the soup. It's not in look. I'm holding in an inch up. I'm feeling with steam See mom. Look look mom. Yes, I'm looking I want you to sit down at your place now. Okay Yes, dear mom What are wars for? I believe wars are fought so there will be equal justice for all of the people in the world What's justice? Edmund your question she don't know what justice is mom doesn't know what justice is Edmund settle down now Now then Supposing we say justice is fairness fairness How? Well, now suppose you and jimmy adams were each entitled to one piece of candy. However jimmy takes two So you get none Now that wouldn't be fair would it no could I fight him then not at all you'd talk it over You know mom, I think I'll declare war on jimmy tomorrow. He's got a baseball and I ain't you do no such thing If I hear of you fighting with jimmy adams. I'll spank you okay Mom can I go fight with dad? Of course not Come now. Here's your bowl of soup. Eat it before it gets cold. Mmm smells good Why can't I go fight because you're too little War is not for children. It isn't Certainly not war has nothing to do with children now. Eat your soup Eat your bread. I don't want to Pea I'm hungry really hungry. They need your bread. I can't it's got a rare minute. Where? Right here see a bigger. I'm crawling just a minute There I killed it. Where is it? It's gone. I killed it Three eat your bread. Yes, Pierre. Just so bedman. I am Mom are there going to be any more wars after this one? I don't know son Maybe if they got someone to stop in the way you stopped jimmy and me from fighting There wouldn't be any maybe does anybody know if there'll be any more wars? Well, we all hope and pray there won't be Sure prayers is okay, but I think machine guns are safer I'm gonna hope and pray for a machine gun machine gun With a german shooter to the machine gun if we go no, of course not Why can't we go then? I told you Marie a good Frenchman doesn't take food handed out by a Nazi I'm not a good Frenchman. I'm hungry. I know Marie Don't think about it. Think about the piece of bread. It had a worm in it. Listen The Nazis would only give us greasy water and they'd shake with soup and they'd laugh at us And besides mother and father wouldn't like it Pierre. I'm hungry. I'm hungry Please don't cry Marie Look, I'll tell you the pretend in it the pretend dinner Will you promise to go slow and tell everything? I promise ready Go slow. We'll see a big dinner place. No, you skipped Start at the beginning. All right We'll be walking down the street hand in hand Hand in hand and we'll see a big dinner place And it'll be warm and the chairs will all be made of pink velvet And this is what we'll have to eat now go slow. Tell it slow First we'll have two potatoes to a piece to a piece And then we each have 25 raspberries that cost 40 francs 55 francs for 25 raspberries It says so in the window of the store on the corner. That's too much We'll have plums instead and then we'll have a loaf of bread. Please Pierre I don't want any bread. I'm hungry. My stomach's tired and I'm hungry. Don't cry Listen Marie, listen For dessert you can have a pear All to yourself. Hey Ken When when can I have these things? I don't know Marie I don't know A story No No, this isn't a story. It's true But where are these children now? We should know they're to inherit the earth remember They won't though Marie won't She caught cold one day and died within three hours. She was so Undernourished you see Pierre won't either. He's dead too dead of starvation And the others the countless others I saw you on the roads my little french friends On the roads leading south from Paris those roads that were worn down broken up Walked to pieces by the flight of 10 million panic driven people Those roads that were sawn with wounded and dying with blood machine gun bullets I saw you little french children hungry weary lonely On wind driven Paris streets. Where are you now? I don't know The little we here tells only of a tiny handful out of countless millions Let 11 year old Marie who lived in Poland tell you her story We lived in a tiny village We had a little house and behind it was an orchard And a pond for the geese and ducks On the other side of a pond Stood stood the neighbor's house They had a garden too And in their garden they had carrots Mother always said you mustn't go over there and eat their carrots That isn't nice But one day I thought mother wouldn't see me if I crawled through the hedge and And made myself little so I wouldn't show much You see Those carrots look so good I couldn't help doing it I pulled up one and another and another I ate them I washed in the in the pond and ate them I didn't hear anything or Or see anything Until suddenly there was a big crash I nearly fell in the water when I got up. I was terribly scared And I looked at our house And it wasn't there anymore my mother wasn't there A child knows not the meaning of the word insecurity He doesn't know the meaning but he shudders at the fact Before Pearl Harbor America's children were the children of a continent of peace Now however Though the children do not see much of war they hear of it incessantly War is hell war is death and destruction everyone who can't defend himself goes under we must learn to hate And as hate walks through a child's mind With it walks its companion Fear I'm gonna kill all the people in the world All the people in the world Boom you're dead. Boom boom I'll pull their eyes out and stick them in a garbage and put the top on And then when the Germans come I'll reconnaissance and then I'll kill them all Yes, so mrs. Smith is Eddie home child. He's been asleep for hours. It's after 10 o'clock Why aren't you home in bed? I I was but three Germans come through the ceiling and Now Jimmy tell me what on earth Grisha mother dear Mommy's on the night shift at the factory this week and daddy had to go out of town So she put me to bed and wet. She said she had a punch o'clock She said it was all right until the Nazis came right through the ceiling They came and I ran and and look mrs. Smith. I hurt my knee and I'm here Jimmy over to the light Now let's see Why child your knee's all right. It's not even skin. Yes, it is too and I'll read you Tell you what Jimmy you stay here for the night I'll go over and leave a note for your mother You can sleep in the other bed in Edmunds room and won't he be surprised when he wakes up in the morning and finds you there I don't have to go home. No Okay You know mrs. Smith. I wasn't really afraid. It's just that they were real big and they growled at me and I was there all by myself He was there all by himself How many American children are left by themselves these days You've heard a number of stories tonight Stories telling of the fears the persecutions the sufferings of little boys and girls in this our war We've spoken of the children's sufferings But as yet we have not told of their bravery of the sublime courage and indomitable will to live of all children It happened in london during the darkest period of the war and it seemed only a matter of weeks before england would be invaded The warning siren had sounded and youngsters from a nearby school had gathered in an air raid shelter Before the first enemy planes arrived overhead If you don't get up you think pushy one come down sit down Everyone sit down. I sit next to emily. There's my turn to sit next to emily get that peter. All right Tell us the story emily. Yes All right, but you must be quiet first everybody shut up Go ahead emily. We're quiet, but I have no more stories. I've told you them all Oh, wait a minute. Wait a minute. I shall think of something Shall I tell you of the time I took my sister jane to the fair? I hear bombs emily they're dropping bombs on us. Yes, peter. I know Now the story When jane was only four we went to the fair It was wonderful. There were booths with ducks to shoot at and sugar spun candy and clown clowns Oh, yes Three clowns in gay costumes with their faces all painted into smiles And they turned cartwheels around us right in a circle around us And jane was afraid and griped hold of my arm and said Emily i'm frightened. I want to go home. She was afraid of clown. I know it was strange But then she was a very little girl She said emily. I'm frightened. I want to go home And I said don't be frightened jane. They're only clown and then what? Do you think the bimes can get through? Oh, no, dear, of course not go on emily. What should you and jane do then? Well, then and this is the best part We saw a band concert a military band And the leader looked perfectly beautiful. He wore white trousers and a scarlet coat And on his head he had a very handsome fur hat And as he marched out to lead his band as he marched out so tall and straight He slipped and sat right down on his handsome Dust off his hat turned round bowed to the audience turned round and fell down again So they get through the shelter, you know they want to kill us The Nazis are trying to kill us shall inherit the earth What have we to say to them? What have we to say to the children of china russia poland england to the children of the world? Only this we will help you There are only a few who know of your need, but more and more will learn And those of you who are starving We'll feed and those who are lost will find This we promise Meanwhile Wait and have faith The day of victory will come And on that day we'll begin mankind's new effort to have trust in itself We've always failed up to now haven't we children? But have faith for one day you are going to inherit our old struggle to trust one another And when you do children Remember this So long as man can believe in man There's still a chance for all of us As the 30th program of words at war we have brought you a program based on the book They Shall Inherit the earth by Otto's off The book was adapted for radio by edith summer Richard stark narrated for Otto's off The original music was by william meter and the production was under the direction of frank pat Next week words at war will present an adaptation of another outstanding war book Words at war is brought to you in cooperation with the council on books in wartime By the national broadcasting company and its affiliated independent stations This is the national broadcasting company