 The Johnson-Wax Program, Words at War with Carl van Doren. The makers of Johnson's Wax for home and industry in cooperation with the Council on Books in War Time proudly presents one of the most widely discussed programs in America, Words at War. Dramatizations of the most representative books to come out of this great world conflict. We're very proud too. We're very happy to have as an important feature of our series a man who really knows good books. All of you I'm sure are familiar with his name for he's one of America's leading literary figures. The eminent author, biographer and Pulitzer Prize winner, Mr. Carl van Doren. Here is Mr. Carl van Doren. Thank you. Well it's very nice for me to be here this evening and to have this chance to talk to you Johnson-Wax listeners. For a great number of years I've been with you regularly. Pippa McGee and Molly is one of my favorite radio programs. It's very satisfying too that the program which is to replace them for the summer months, a program in which I am to have a part, is Words at War. That too has been a favorite of mine ever since it was started by the national broadcasting company some time ago. Words at War is more important than ever in this great summer of America's life. Our hands and our heads and our hearts are all at war and so are our words. The free words of free men have always been weapons that tyrants dread as they dread almost no others. Tonight's story is called Fair Stood the Wind for France. It's a new novel that made a great impression on me when I read it and I'd like to tell you something about it in its author when Jack Costello said a word on behalf of our sponsor. Perhaps it isn't customary for a company to talk about its radio commercials with you, its radio audience. Yet I for one think it's a good idea and the makers of Johnson's Wax have asked me on this initial program to say a word about their policy. You have invited us into your home as friends and we appreciate that honor and privilege. Most of you are familiar with Johnson commercials on the Fibber McGee and Molly program. They're intended to be friendly and style, brief and helpful because they are informative. On this new show we hope you will find the commercial messages about various Johnson's Wax products helpful. We assure you they'll be brief and we all mean them to be friendly. Mr. Van Doran. Fair Stood the Wind for France is first of all a fine piece of writing by one of England's brilliant younger novelists, H.E. Bates. Secondly it is a novel that only a man like Bates could have written with authority for Bates himself is an RAF intelligence officer and has flown on many a bombing mission over France. France where an unconquerable people live for a time in defeat under the hated rule of Nazi tyrants but the forces of resistance which we call the French underground never falter and never sleep. Whatever there's a chance to do they are ready for. But suppose we get on with the story. It begins in a bombing plane on its way home over France on a moonlit night. It is a story told by the man who knows it best, the pilot John Franklin. We were returning from a raid on Italy and had left the Alps behind now looking like crisp folds of crumpled cloth under the light of the moon. We were dead tired the five of us. Taylor and Godwin the youngsters. Sandy short and bald. O'Connor the English bread Irishman. We were tense yet bored too. But most of all we were tired. Tired and silent when it happened. Okay everybody okay? Taylor? Okay Skip. Godwin? Right. Sandy? I think so. O'Connor? What the devil happened Skip? It sounded like a prop. It was a propeller. I'm going to make it. I've got to land in the next few minutes. Sandy? Yes Skip? Where are we? West nor west of the village. South of Paris. All right listen now. Don't do anything cockeyed. Remember everything we've been told okay? Right. Right. Okay. Right Skip? Hold on. I'm going down. Now two days after we've crashed. We were all right except that there was a gash in my arm the size of a jackknife and I'd lost a good deal of blood. We had crossed a river to put distance between us and the plane and it hid in a grape arbor for the night. It was after dawn now and just beyond the arbor I could see a girl feeding chickens in the yard of a small farm. I decided to go down and ask her for help. The others Taylor and Godwin Sandy and O'Connor were against it. They thought she might report us. I was for risking it and so I stepped out from the vines and walked toward her. A dozen paces away she saw me. I stopped. She just looked at me with big dark beautiful eyes. I stepped forward again and spoke to her. But myself, I'm English. Yes? Can you help please? Please I'm an English flyer. I have my identification. You can see that I'm telling the truth. It's not a trick. Look at the identification. Please. Are you alone? There are five of us. We were returning from Italy. I'm the captain and they're four sergeants. They're hiding in the vines. Can you help us? I can hide you in the mill. In the mill? It'll be all right, ma'am. Wave to your friends to come down. Yes. Thank you, ma'am. Your arm is injured. It's all right. You have lost blood? It's quite all right, ma'am. It wouldn't need attention. No, please. My friends will take care of it. Here they are, ma'am. Sir will help us. Hello. Hello, ma'am. Sir will hide us in the mill. Oh. I will go on the ed. Follow me. It's all right, O'Connor. She'll help us. I don't know. It would be easy to tuck us away in the mill and then report us. Skip, do you think it's the thing to do? We've got to take a chance, Taylor. We've got to trust her. Yes, I suppose we do now. All right, let's go. We walked toward the mill. I was raging inside, irritated by their mistrust of the girl. So you're torn by doubt of her myself. Then I looked at her as she waited for us at the door, standing there looking so sure and strong and beautiful. Please, go in. Thank you. You're welcome. Oh, sorry. Thanks, I'm sorry. Hmm, musty old place. Wow. This isn't too bad, huh? Hmm. You will all be all right here. As long as you are in your flying clothes, you must stay here. If anything happens, there is room below. There is water in it. But you can hide there. Is, uh, is anything lucky to happen to me myself? One never knows. Hmm. I will bring you food. You must also have other clothes. You're very kind. Miss, are there others up at the house? My father. It will be all right. You're sure? Yes. She said it would be all right, didn't she? It's not making any more difficult than... Excuse me. Then what? Grab him, Taylor. I've got an easy skipper, boy. It is his arm. Be careful. Easy skipper, man. He's out cold. We must take him to the house. He must have a doctor. Doctor? How can you get a doctor? He'd report us. He can be arranged, monsieur. There will be no danger for your friend. I'll help you all. If I tell you that I had a brother, a flyer and a French army, he was killed before Dunker. Forgive us, ma ma, sir. Give me a hand, Sandy. Let's get him up to the house. O'Connor. Yes, sir. I'm going to bring her down, O'Connor. Yes, you bring her down, O'Connor. Going down, O'Connor. Hold on, you chaps. We're going down. Down. Down. Hello. How do you feel? I've been asleep long. It's been the third day. Oh, no. Yes? You had a fever. Would you like a cool drink? Yes. Have you been here all the time? Yes. Who are you? Francois. Well, my name is... Yes, I know. John Franklin. Your friends have told me... My friends? Where are they? Oh, they're all right. They haven't been... No, no, no. They're all right. They want to see you. My father, too, wishes to talk to you. Do you feel strong enough? Oh, yes. Get them, please. My father will talk to you when I go to the mill. I will be gone in just a few minutes. Very well, Francois. Monsieur, I hope you feel better. Yes, I am better. I wish to thank you for all your dumb thoughts. It's nothing, monsieur. I have much to tell you. Yes? While you have been ill, I have been making arrangements in the village. I have obtained papers for you and your friends. We can leave? They can leave, monsieur. It is important that they do leave as quickly as possible. Will they all go together? No. Your arm needs the attention of a doctor, monsieur. Oh, it's all right. I'm all right now. No, monsieur. To put it more blunt, your friends have an opportunity to get to Spain. In your condition, you would do them no service by going with them. I can't stay here. It's not fair to you. Doctor, he's coming in the morning, monsieur. If the Germans should find out, it would mean... I am aware of what it would mean. But, monsieur, believe me, I know what I am doing. What my friends and I are doing is something we wish to do. I am not afraid of the Germans. They would never take me. Your friends are here. Remember what I have told you, monsieur? Yes. I will leave you now. Goodbye. Thank you. He is waiting for you, monsieur. Thank you, sir. Well, Skip, I say you look fit. Doesn't he? Yes, it does. Feeling all right. Skip, that old mill isn't half bad. We've made out fine. What did the old boy tell you? He's got papers for us. He told me. When are you leaving? Leaving? Well, when the doctor gets you fixed up. That'll be no time at all, Skip. Once he stitches that on, you'll be as good as new. Better than that. Look, you're going on without me. Skip, have you gone far, me? Quiet. Quiet, please, not to word. Two German soldiers have just come into the yard. Oh, no. What do we do? Please, it may be just a routine inspection. I lock the door. Now, not to word. I talk if necessary. Well, I've got my revolver. And by then they will... No, no, no, monsieur, please. Why is that theft? Just sleeping ooms. Well, have a look. Come, Heidi. The thing here? Wait a minute. It's the door to the other end there. Ah. Open up, Freulein. Oh, I am sorry. I'm dressing. You hear that, Hans? She's dressing. Yes, monsieur. Have you seen to that, Hans? Let it go. The modest young lady, huh? Let it go, Heine. Very well. Good-bye, Freulein. Perhaps we should meet again sometime. When you're dressed. Come along, Hans. I'll be... It's all right. We're going out in the yard. Probably just a census of crops. It was a bit too close. We can't be that close again. O'Connor, you all leave tonight. Oh, now, wait a minute. It's not a suggestion, men. That's an order. I'm still a skipper. Well, of course you are. Is it safe? Yes, Skip. Perhaps I'd better stay in the house tonight to look after Francoise. After all, I have a revolver. I'll have a revolver. I'll after her. Well, I just thought I'll do the thinking you do as you're told, O'Connor. Go back to the mill. Very well, sir. They filed out of the room silently. And I felt like a dog for having talked to them that way. Especially O'Connor. And then he came to me and I couldn't believe my own reason. What was this? Was I jealous of O'Connor? For a French girl, I scarcely knew myself. It didn't make sense. I tried to make it up and they came back later that night to say goodbye. Four men who were closer to me than my own parents. I tried to say something to O'Connor, but it was no use. Yet he seemed to understand as he held my hand and said goodbye, Skip. And when they had gone, the tears came, and I let them come until I fell asleep. In the morning, the doctor told me... You are a soldier, Monsieur. There's no point to my deceiving you. The arm must come off. Off? Yes. Can you take... Can you perform the operation here? It must be here. But Monsieur, I am humiliated to tell you this. I have no anaesthetic. Well, understand. You should not feel humiliated. I am humiliated for France. Doctors have no anaesthetic. It's all right. When will it be done? At once, I'm afraid. It's... it's not easy, doctor. No. No, it is not easy. I will call the girls. Doctor, please. I'd rather she weren't here. I'm afraid she must be here. I have no one else to assist me. Rasswhals, will you come now, please? For those of you who may have tuned in a little late, this is Carl Van Doran. Tonight on the Johnson Wax program, Words of War, we are presenting a dramatization of one of the month's best-selling novels, Fair Stood the Wind for France. So far, we have followed the adventures of five British fliers, who have been forced down in France and have been given shelter by a French peasant and his daughter. Four of the fliers have obtained papers and have gone on in their attempt to escape. But the fifth, John Franklin, the pilot, now is about to have his injured left arm amputated. The doctor readies his instruments in the bedroom of the farmhouse. The girl, François, stands by the bedside, assisting the doctor. It would be better if you did not talk, Monsieur. Thank you, doctor. What is that whistle? Just a train. Where does it go? To Marseille. And from there? Across the border to Spain. Could they? Could they be on that train, François? It is possible. Spain. Freedom. Dear God, let them be on that train. Now, doctor! She was always there, always strong, sure, beautiful. She dressed the stump of the arm when I couldn't bear to look at it myself. She held me as I learned to walk all over again to regain the sense of balance and destroyed with the loss of the arm. As the days went into weeks, she was always there, always sure. You are much better now. Because of you? No. I knew you would be better. How did you know? Because I prayed and that faith. Is it as simple as that? Yes. Do you always pray? Yes. Even when you go fishing, do you pray you catch fish? No, but I pray for faith. And if I have faith, I will catch fish, then I catch them. François. Have you faith that I will get home to England someday? Yes. I have faith. Do you have faith that I will come back for you? I know you will come back. I love you, François. I love you, Jean. Without her, I could not have survived the pain, the waves of self-pity that came over me. Her faith somehow became mine, too. She was my strength and I had none of my own. And as I grew stronger, the desire to get away left me. I did not want to go. I wanted to stay with her always. Then one day her father came home with news from the village. What has happened, Father? Trouble with the forced labor again. She is time more serious. Two Germans have been killed. What will happen? It has happened. You remember the doctor? Of course. He is dead. They dragged him from his office, stood him up against the wall, shot him. But why? What could he have had to do with labor conscription? Nothing. He was merely a prominent citizen of the town. They shot him as an example. There will be others. Will they come here? They will certainly come here. I must go. Yes. But you, Monsieur, what about you? They will not take me. Can you be sure? I am sure. They will never take me. No, you will excuse me. I will go lie down a while. I am very tired. Of course, Monsieur. Jean. I must get ready at once. Yes. I suppose you must. Be brave as you always are, my darling. Keep your faith. I will be back. I know you will. I know. Francoise. You must have known Francoise. He must have known he was mocked to die. He said they would never take him. There was nothing to hold her now. We decided that we should go away together. I tried to persuade her that it was too dangerous. But all she would say was that she had faith. And against her faith, nothing could prevail. I stayed in the mill until the sad little funeral was over. And then we set out at dawn the morning after. Francoise did the rowing. I hid under the canvas. But there were German sentries on the bridges we passed under. We are coming to a bridge. Can you see the guard? Yes, he is watching me. Be quiet. Yes, Monsieur. I'm fishing. There is a better place around the bend. Fishing, eh? Perhaps you have a little fish for me on the way back. Of course, Monsieur. Good fishing, Brian. Thank you, Monsieur. There were more bridges and more sentries and more narrow escapes. But at last, unbelievably, Marseille. And there, as we walked through the streets to the house of Francoise's friends, miracle of miracles, a man running, Jean-Dame after him. Francoise, look. It's O'Connor. O'Connor. I've got to get him. I've got to help him. O'Connor! O'Connor! Somehow, O'Connor and I managed to escape the police. That night with Francoise, we took the train for Spain. On reality, piled upon unreality. Yet there we were, the three of us. And poor O'Connor, with the dull look of a hunted animal still in his eyes. You feel better, O'Connor? I don't know. I've been half-barmish, Skip. Can you tell us now about the others? We were separated. I don't know what happened to them. I don't know half that's happened, Skip. It'll be over soon. One stop at the border, a routine inspection of the papers, we're free. And you two, you're going to be married, yes? You approve, Monsieur? Oh, yes. All for it. All for it, Francoise. We're at the border. Remember now, we separate. All meet back here in this compartment, right? Yes, Your Honor. I don't know if we'll make it. Seems too much to expect. We will make it. I have faith. Faith? Hold on to it, Francoise. All out for inspection. All out for inspection. Remember, we meet back here, yes? Form a line, form a line here. Have your papers ready. Form a line. Monsieur? Yeah, very good. Step along, Monsieur. Step along. You're next. Yeah. Right, right, right. Here. So, so. Step along, Monsieur. Next. Here, Monsieur. Go. Thank you, Monsieur. Next, next. Hey, that girl. There's something wrong in these papers. Quick, get her back. Arrest that girl! Have you seen a young girl come into this compartment? There was one here a moment ago. Yes. They came to get their things. Her papers were not in order. They took her home. Thank you, Madame. Francoise! Francoise! I've got to get my hands down along the girls. Francoise! I'm all right. But O'Connor... O'Connor! You got in heaven. They've shot him. The gendarmes were taking me off the train. O'Connor saw them. He ran to divert their attention. Johnny did it for you. He did it for us, Francoise. Oh. I think he loved you, too. She leaned against my empty sleeve. I let her go on crying as the train rushed on those few last hundred yards toward freedom. I knew she was not crying for herself. Not for O'Connor and the stupid wonderful thing he had done. Not for her father, her brother, or the doctor. Not for the magnificent France she represented. Deep inside, completely within myself, I knew why she wept. This little French girl with the great heart and the great faith. What she was really crying for was the agony of all that was happening in the world.