 As all the world knows, on last November 7th, the stars and stripes were raised over the port cities of North Africa. But it was not the first time that land had seen that flag at the head of an army. Tonight on the Cavalcade of America, we're going to tell a story 138 years old. The story of our first military exploits on those shores. The almost incredible tale of Bill Eaton, a swashbuckling Connecticut Yankee, who in 1805 sliced off and conquered Africa's richest province with only eight United States Marines and a handful of Arab mercenaries to help him. Carl Karmann suggested this astonishing and little-known story for Cavalcade, and Peter Lyon wrote the original radio play. Starring Joseph Cotton as Captain William Eaton, the hero of this African overture, the DuPont Company presents to the shores of Tripoli on the Cavalcade of America. I'll play it again with a prologue. It is a bright sunny morning in the year 1802. In the Norwich Courtyard of the Piratical Ruler of Tripoli, and under the personal supervision of the Bashar himself, a delicate diplomatic ceremony is in progress. Where is the Yankee prisoner I had ordered to watch, this little spectacle of wisdom? He is here, your magnificence. Bring him forth. I prefer not to turn my head. I see the Yankee is in chains. Good. Note carefully this little ceremony, Yankee. What's it all about? It's my work when you chop that Yankee flagpole, and when it falls, we are at war with your America. The flagpole nearly comes through. Freedom has a peculiar purpose, Bashar. It lends the state a great strength. Ah, the flagpole is chopped down. The Yankee flag is in the dirt. Look well at it, Americans. Now Tripoli is at war with the United States of America. That started it. Our play begins in the first years of the 19th century. Of the four fierce barbaric states, one is at war with the young United States of America. In one of the others, Tunis, William Eaton, played by Joseph Cotton, is American console. And every week, to William Eaton's office, come American merchant captains to tell an old and bitter story of tribute levied on American shipping. You thoroughly demanded $180 tribute from your captain. $180, Mr. Eaton. Only don't call it tribute. It's downright piracy. They're going up in their, uh, request. Oh, I'll say they're going up. Last time I put in at the Port of Tunis, I paid out 75 gold American dollars, never 75 too many. But 180. It must be something you can do, sir. This is paying you up. We're on the high seas. I want all the information you have, captain. Let's see. Cargo of nails and rum bound for Cairo and Athens. Right. Out to Boston. Mr. Farrer has held me up four days over my limit already. Can you do something? I'll do something, all right. I'll go over to the Bay's Palace right now. It's high time this piracy has stopped once and for all. Mr. Eaton, I assume business brings you to the Palace of the Day. That's right, Carmen. You are in too much of a hurry perhaps to stop in the courtyard and speak to the new Minister of Finance, Mr. Eaton. You? That's right, isn't it? Congratulations, ma'am. Many happy returns of the day. Hope I'll get along better with you. And I did with your predecessor. The first way, Mr. Eaton, and the only way to get along with Mr. Eaton, is to be prompt in your payment of debts to the state of June. Uh-huh. The old question of tribute money, is it? Carmen, I pay when I choose. Sometimes I pay if I choose. America must be a remarkable country, Mr. Eaton. It is such a young country and still so weak. Yet her counsel speaks with such a loud voice. You will kindly make the payment of tribute money for the year 1803 by Sunday. Will I? One of my clerks will call at your offices, Mr. Eaton. He will be armed. And he will come straight back to your offices, Caraman Horsquip, with a very whip. He so much as dare set foot in my office's arms. As my mother used to teach me, one good threat deserves another. Maybe I shall call at your office myself, Mr. Eaton. Did your mother teach you anything to take care of a situation like that? I rather think she would have advised me. Not to keep my treatment waiting, Caraman. I rather think she would have said, use your horse whip, Bill. The gentleman's waiting for it. Like that. Not like that. Like that. Like that. Like that. Like that. That's why it's been taken to the bay at once. He shall be made to answer this incest to the bay in Boston. He shall be made to answer this incest to the bay in Boston. He shall be made to answer this incest to the bay in Boston. The way of Tunis, defender of Mohammed, prince of princes, protector of Alhubau for Rites next to Mecca. So Mr. Eaton, you're in hot water. You disappoint me. You insist so strenuously on the role of headstrong young man. Magistat, your minister's seemed anxious for instruction on an American custom. Now I undertake to oblige him. This time you've gone too far Americans. But I'm a generous ruler, so I award you two coffers. Either you go out of my country the next available ship or the alternative. Well, I leave your imagination. I think you forget there is another alternative, Your Majesty. I'm going to allow you to sit and guess what it is until I return. You dare not return. We'll see about that after I've talked to the Secretary of State. I must say this is a surprise. It brings you all the way from Tunis without being recalled. In fact, sir, I left the country rather hurriedly at the urgent personal request of the day himself. The devil, you say? He hasn't declared war on us like the Bastion of Tripoli, has he? When I left there, but he may have done by now. That's why I'm in a hurry. To do what? Get back to North Africa, sir. Tripoli first, Tunis later. Tripoli? No, sir. We've been a war with Tripoli for two years. I know about that. I was in Africa when the Bastion cut our flag down. You're self-cuttermanly. He's the man I'm out to get. What are you talking about, sir? Will you have the time to make some sense? Mr. Madison, the point about you self-cuttermanly is that he's not the true Bastion of Tripoli. His brother Ahmed is the rightful Bastion. Yes, that's through him out of the country. Yes, and no one will... Wait, wait, wait, wait, listen. I'll be brief. My idea is that Ahmed would go along with us and give us the support if we offered to get him his throne back. This part of the deal would be to stop old Parisi against our shipping and put an end to the man's for tribute money. This is a fantastic idea. First, do that to find his army. I know where he is. He's in Alexandria. From Alexandria, we strike at Durna. That's the richest of the Tripolitan province. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, just a minute. Are you seriously proposing to advance from Alexandria and Egypt all the way across that stretch of desert to Durna? Must be 500 miles. As a matter of fact, sir, it's 600. But it can be done, Mr. Madison, and I can do it. Eaton, you must be crazy. If you realize how big an army and navy we'd need for a march like that. Half a dozen Marines and two officers. Eight men in all. Mr. Eaton, I must admit at least that you're entertaining. I'm dead serious, sir. What do you want me to do? Sign your name to an order, appointing the American Naval Agent of the Mediterranean. Give the cooperation of our frigates now in those waters and leave the rest to me. Well, Mr. Eaton, if you're willing to take the consequences, I'll get you your order. Well, Mr. Eaton, you'll forgive me, but I think this is a reckless, unfortunate, and hopeless venture. Who's that to me? Here's a copy, sir. Come on, that's your order. You're not dead yet. Who are you? What do you want? Come to see me. I'm at Pasha. I wrote a letter. I'm Eaton. Will you meet him? The American? I'll try. This is Lieutenant O'Baron of the United States Marines. You follow me. Alone. Lead on. Now, wait a minute. I'm going to stick right with you. Alone. You come along. You, you stay here. I do nothing to the shots. I've got, hey, hey! That's what he means, business, sir. Tell him to get that scimitar away from here. I shoot his head off. Take it easy. Take it easy. You, Eaton, you come along. And you, you wait here. Where's Armit? Which of you is Armit? I am Armit, gentlemen. You? Armit, good. Can I talk in front of these people here? Talk. They are friends, they are well. And listen, I'm in a hurry. I'm going to make you bash your triple-A again. You'll be able to do what you like to your brother. You make me bash our game. I might. This won't cost you a penny. Just your word, but no tribute, will be levied by triple-A on American commerce. Just my word. And there'll be some of our people around to make sure you don't forget you gave your word. Yes, of course. But how do you propose an army march on German thesis? Dick take time from there. Go on, take triple-A itself if necessary. An army to German. Six hundred miles, gentlemen. Where would I get the money? No, no, no. That's my job. How many followers have you here in Alexandria? Oh, not a hundred men. Ninety. Good. I'll waste the rest. You'll take care of getting camels and camel drivers. We'll need about seventy-five, I figure. But since your march has never been done before, then you worry about that. You just get the camels and drivers. Can you do it? For the price, if it's possible. Then have them at the Arab's Tower. You know the place? The desert to the west, yes. Have them there on Wednesday night. Ready to start. That a collection of camels are much got together, a baron. Oh, believe me, Captain Aitken, we should call the whole business office right here now. Ah, what's the matter, Lieutenant? I'd say we were all ready. There's you, Sergeant Peck. Yeah, look at him with you, trying to drill some discipline into that crowd. And we have six of our own Marines. And that's all. And that's really all. Oh, I don't know. Ahmed and his crew don't add up too much, but he did deliver the camel drivers. And there's my Greeks. I'm really proud of them. Any more of them. Listen, no value. Don't worry so much. And just what should we do when we get out in the desert? I know supplies have run out. I don't forget. We're meeting Captain Hell's ship at Bombard, a halfway point. He'll have fresh supplies. And if we don't get to Bombard, if we get out from the desert, and he's had to decide to use me. Look at this arm at close, Captain. You can't trust him. He's right behind you. Ah, gentlemen, we leave right away, gentlemen. Listen, stop calling me that. Call me Captain Aitken. Yes, we're ready. The camel drivers are. Yes. They want to say, gentlemen, as Captain. Tell them they'll be paid at their first stop. That's Captain Bain. See, they're at their first stop. Let's go. Listen, three weeks in there. Two hundred miles along. How do I wish I could share your cheer for this? Why not? Another hundred miles and we've reached Bombard. August needs to sell the fresh supplies. Why not be sure? What is it, Sergeant? The camel drivers. They're talking up to go back. They say they're going as far as they're going to go. I might have known that, Armit. Where's the lead of the camel drivers? I'm here. What's all this about? Armored partial payers to go this far, no problem. You've got time back now. We're only a third of the way to Jonah. Armored partial payers to go this far, no problem. Got to stay with us just a few more days. Armored partial payers to go this far, no problem. I'm beginning to believe you. How much money can we raise? We have a little over six hundred dollars with a scooter. Armored partial payers. All right, all right, all right. I'll pay you more. Four hundred and fifty dollars to take us to the next added and capped. So we can hire new drivers. Armored partial payers to go this far. That's the only English you know. Five hundred dollars. Six hundred dollars. Six hundred and fifty. That's all we've got. Six hundred and fifty dollars for four more days. To the next races. Captain Eason. That means exactly six dollars and fifty-four cents in the treasury. How about it? Armored partial payers. Oh, oh, here's a bargain. Thank heaven he knew that word. We're listening to the Cavalcade of America sponsored by the DuPont company, starring Joseph Cotton into the Shores of Ciprile, a fantastic story of the Marines of Africa one hundred and thirty-eight years ago. As our play continues, Captain William Eason, played by Joseph Cotton, has led a little army of eight Marines and a few score Arabs three hundred miles across the desert from Bomba, halfway forth to their march to Dana. Here at Bomba, they are to meet the American frigate August with fresh supplies, but no ship rides without her in the harbor. Oh, I hate to say I told you so, sir. Two days. We're two days behind schedule. Why didn't her wait for us? Couldn't he wait two days? Captain Eason, gentlemen, the ship, the American ship that brings supplies to us on me, where we see. Oh, probably around the clove to the left on a Tegadier. Captain Eason, my men, they are stars. They are not eating in three days. Not good eating in three weeks. I haven't been exact with stuffing myself with food. My men, Captain Eason, I cannot take responsible for them. Look at them. They're coming for them. This is Captain Eason. I go to my men, Captain Eason, but I give them no orders. We will see who is in command, Captain Eason. First, my men want their events on you. You will excuse me, Captain Eason. Now let's find it. Let's go. They are not eating. Come ten yards closer and pull that arm up. I'll choke you barehanded. You'll give me out of the fire suit. I'll give you order. One, two, three, four, five... Three. Hey, that's a lot of stuff. I don't have it, that's a lot of work. He's an awful... He's calling some men off. Whoa, watch somebody with him. Only a car. The chop's getting to that. What do you mean? What do you mean, what's wrong? It's a show, it's a show, I tell you, sir. I'll get round you the point. Thanks, Kevin. And not a minute too soon. That evening? Captain Howell, I'm certainly glad to see you, sir. Is he, uh, second trip to Bombayton? Most of you are up for a while. I hope you hadn't come when you did, so we would have been. Well, how many ships have we within fighting distance? We have this across. And the harness? Nautilus, a three-day sailor will. I say it'll take us three weeks more marching to reach Denner. That would be the, uh, 25th April. Can you get the harness and the Nautilus to join you in sailing to Denner Harbor on the 27th? You come in from the sea and we'll storm them from the land. You seem maybe sure you can bring us out, Ethan. Now, uh, I know about your Marines, but how'd the rest you soldiers? Not very good, Captain Howellman. I haven't given up hoping yet. Well, Lieutenant Brown, are we all here? We are, for just myself, you, Sergeant Peck, and the six Marines. We could fight not more than six, then. I'm sure of that. Well, then all of you listen to me. You're not in very good shape, any of us. Nine or ten weeks on the desert, there is nothing to boast about. I called you together because I wanted to impress on you how... Well, what a tough job we've got ahead of us. There's Denner. You just see those walls. This is the evening of the 26th. Tomorrow our frigates will sail into that harbor to bombard the town. We'll attack by land. You six are Baron Peck and I. The Greeks will fight with us, I'm pretty sure. For the rest of us. Any questions? Yes, sir. Captain Ethan, sir. How many men inside the city? Have we anywhere known? Maybe 6,000 in fighting trim. Why? Just one, sir. But 300 apiece for us in the Greeks. That's right. Where? Over five knots. I have a ton of balance. Yes, sir. I'm for Armit. Holding the Council of War. Fine. Well, then at least he's prompt. Here he comes now. Come in, Armit. And then I'll set for the scrap tomorrow morning. No, no, no, no, no, no. We will not fight this war in the city of my men and I. What's the trouble, Armit Pasha? Are you disagreeing with me? Inside the wars, there are many much bullets, not good. We are too few. What do you think, Lieutenant Baron? Armit Pasha, why did you and your men come all the way to Gunner if you don't want to fight now that we're here? There are too many in the wars of the city. 20, 25 to 1. They are more than we. Tomorrow we're going to fight if the governor inside insists on it. And you'll fight too, Armit Pasha, and your men will fight with you. My men do as I said in the captain. I say we won't fight. I know you're a coward, Armit. I suspect that you're a traitor as well. Well, good mind I have you shot as an example to your men. Is that me? Yes, Sergeant. What is it? Governor's answer to our offer is that, Armit, I told the governor you would grant him full pardon if he surrendered. Apparently he's not the coward you are. Here's his answer. It's addressed to you. Read it. It is to me that says, my head is yours. Looks like you've got a tough chance to make fun. If you don't fight, I shoot you. If you do fight and lose, the governor takes your head to send to your brother as a souvenir. Maybe they'll use your skull for an inkwell. The sort of thing your brother'd like to do. The flight says only one thing for you to do, Armit. Well, it looks like you'll fight come to bar the morning and all your men with you. And it looks like you'd better get them to fight well enough to win. Excuse me, please. I'm really sick. I go to my man. Nice work. But it's lucky that governor wrote that note back. That note? Yes. The governor? Yes. I wrote that note myself. Maybe it should be coming in now. Have a look through your glasses, sir. Yes. Now it's happening. They have to come all three of them. The artist? Don't lose heart. Good for catching hold. Roger. They've opened fire. Have the Egyptians bring a few things up to bear as close as they can. Tell them to try and reach the world somewhere. Keep them in one spot. Right, sir? Where are my Marines? Right up on. Let's go. Right, sir? Everybody! To the attack! You take your shots to the coast of the world! Come on! There's a double! Come on! Come on up on. Is it causing, sir? Four dead, then counting yourselves to ten wounded. The city is ours. They're guys and fed to the west for an hour. I would probably cut them off. How's your arms, sir? All right. Only a flesh wound. Hey. What's this? It's Captain Mercy! Disarm it! Quiet! Quiet! Hold on. Who's this? The governor of Gernet, Captain. Armett seems to think that... Yes, yes. Captain Eaton, you remember our little bargain, the governor and I. The little matter of head. But, Captain, I know nothing of this mess. Oh, yes. Look, Armett. Now that you have the rule of this country again, you should remember that your majesty's greatest gift is mercy. Oh, but Captain Gentleman's a bargain. He's a bargain. He's a... No, no, no, no, Armett. I have a message I want this governor to take to your brother, Yosef. Governor, I want you to go to Tripoli. Tell Yosef that the stars and stripes wave above your palace here in Gernet. And tell him that I am coming to Tripoli personally to raise the American flag that he cut down. Tell him it's going to wave over his very capital. Thank you, Joseph Cotton. Ladies and gentlemen, later in the broadcast, Mr. Cotton will appear again. Before he does, we have a story to tell of the part chemistry is playing in the drive for salvage. This year, the 82 plants of the DuPont Company will salvage more than 60,000 tons of scrap metal. Salvage is nothing new to the chemical industry, for salvage is merely another word for conservation. An industrial chemistry is built around the idea of conservation, finding more economical ways to produce and use materials. Coal tar was once thrown away, for instance, because we did not realize its usefulness. Today, thanks to chemical science, drugs, dyes, disinfectants, hundreds of things are made from coal tar. DuPont set up a salvage and reclamation division 35 years ago, a central control for handling waste materials. In 1907, its first year, the division salvaged, among other things, some acid drums, an old ladder, and $3 worth of wood ashes. This year, the salvage of scrap metal alone by this division will amount to 60,000 tons. Hundreds of men in DuPont plants will devote all of their time to salvaging materials ranging from conduit and valves to boilers and electric motors representing thousands of units of vital power. This type of salvage finds its way back to the steel mills, even the sand banks into which test shelves are fired as screens to recover lead and copper. Cleaning rags, waste paper, broken glass, burlap bags, cotton fuzz, cloths, containers, and whistles are reclaimed. Rolled steel drums are salvaged by the fountains. The dents ironed out and the holes welded. Even typewriter schools are returned to the manufacturer by the thousands. Every DuPont plant organization makes a continuous survey of buildings and equipment. Lists of any machines that become idle are circulated to all departments. Valuable machines and materials idle in one location are sent where they're needed. Equipment listed and not called for is sold to other companies for use in war work. But the ordinary kind of salvage in plants everywhere, important as it is, is small besides the hundreds and thousands of tons of material that industry is able to conserve in other ways with the help of chemistry. For instance, for many industries, chemical science saves metallic leftovers and puts them back to work. Leftovers like iron sludge, which helps to feed the blast furnaces producing America's steel. Another example of industrial salvage is the use of a DuPont solvent in removing oil from worn cloths. One manufacturer alone reports that 250 drums of this solvent salvaged 650 drums of spinning oil and in addition made it unnecessary for them to use 20,000 gallons of natural, 250 drums of ammonia, 56,000 pounds of sulfonated castor oil, 150,000 pounds of soda ash, and 75,000 pounds of soaps. Literally tons of materials were released to other manufacturers who needed them for other kinds of war work. This is salvage. Salvage and conservation are one and the same thing. One more activity touched by the helping hand of the chemist who brings you better things for better living through chemistry. And now, ladies and gentlemen, the star of tonight's Cavalcade of America, Joseph Cotton. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. It's been a pleasure reenacting on Cavalcade tonight this almost forgotten incident in our history. For by such adventurous exploits we are reminded especially in the coincidence of this story of the power of the past in shaping the forces of the present. Thank you. Next week, ladies and gentlemen, the Cavalcade of America sponsored by the DuPont Company will present a new radio play based on a favorite American classic, The Perfect Tribute. This celebrated and touching story is about the great emancipator in a moment of mingled triumph and despair. And our star will be Edwin Jerome. For this next week, when Cavalcade presents Edwin Jerome as Abraham Lincoln in a new radio play based on a famous short story, The Perfect Tribute. Joseph Cotton, who's latest motion picture shadow of a doubt is being shown throughout the country, appeared on tonight's program through the courtesy of David O. Selznick. The orchestra and musical score tonight were under the direction of Don Vorey. This is Clayton Collier sending best wishes from Cavalcade sponsor, the DuPont Company of Wilmington, Delaware. Welcome and come to you from New York. This is the national DuPont Company.