 Through chemistry Good evening ladies and gentlemen. This is the Cavalcade of America sponsored by the DuPont company Tonight we present a new radio play the Diary of a Saboteur written by Peter Lyon, especially for Cavalcade A play that might be taking place in your own hometown Starring Joseph Schildkraut as the Nazi secret agent and Mildred Natwick as a new England shopkeeper in Diary of a Saboteur on the Cavalcade of America Ecologious laboratorium The psychological laboratory of the Nazi 3rd Reich with officers at Laertesgrasse 58 Berlin commanded by General Hans von Forst Let us imagine it is 1939 and then an agent named Carl Ritter is summoned to the office of General von Forst Their conversation would have gone somewhat along these lines Carl Ritter reporting, sir. Hi, Hitler. Hi, Hitler Captain Ritter. Who Mr. Ritter is. Thank you. Mr. Ernst? Yes, sir, General? Bring me the Ritter file. Yes, sir, General. Oh, have a seat, Ritter. Thank you. You may smoke if you wish. Thank you, sir. Here's the Ritter file, sir. Thanks. And that's all for the moment. Carl Ritter. Correct? Correct, sir. Oh, two years special study at the psychological laboratory. Doesn't this your curriculum, Captain? Psychoanalysis, personality study, national psychology, and propaganda techniques were the causes emphasized. Oh, and the usual subsidiary work in social organization. Now, how about oratory? I mean, platform techniques. Oh, yes, of course. Six months. Of course, I took the preliminary basic year of chemistry, code, shortwave radio, microphotography. Yes, sir. Ritter, you still have your American citizenship, I hope. Why, yes, sir. Am I being sent back to America? At once. You have to concentrate on all our general directors of the moment. Anti-Semitism, of course. Yes. Usual emphasis on the menace of Bolshevism. You read Goebbels' last speech? Yes, sir. And you know our general line, quite. I don't need to tell you the specialized angles, the possibility of playing on the theme of white supremacy over the Negroes, attacks on the president, the utilization of our various organizations in America. All our usual Nazi tactics, quite. Oh, can I get a list of those of our people over there that I'm to see? Well, speak to me, sir, and it's about it on your way out. Yes, sir. And here's some money for you and the usual credentials. Automobile license, social security card. Good. Any specific instructions, sir? Yes. You're getting a ticket to Montreal for two reasons. First, we can hope that the FBI will miss you that way. Second, because I wanted to get me some information almost immediately, even before you get to New York. Yes, sir. On your way from Montreal to New York, I want you to stop off in New England, in New York City to be precise, New City. We have learned of a tremendous new factory being built there for some entirely new weapon. This is, of course, inconceivable that these Americans have developed a weapon which we have not already in our arsenal. Of course. Nevertheless, I want you to investigate not only this factory, but its products. In New York, you're getting in touch with a courier appointed to you and he will transmit your findings. Understood? Completely, sir. And when I'm in New York, you will do everything in your power to ensure American neutrality when the war breaks out. Particularly, set the boondests right. This is of vital importance. You will get all the money you need for the work. It must be incessant, plentiful, and effective. Right, sir? And when, or rather, if I am unable to continue that sort of work, you will decide about that when the occasion arises. Right, sir? That's all. See me soon to be on your way out. But remember, your first assignment is in New City. Hi, Hitler. Hi, Hitler. Good morning. What can I do for you? I'm looking for a special cigar, man. A kind that I rather like than you. What's the name of them? The name... Oh, there. Right there, there on this box. That box? There ain't nothing special about this cigar. I reckon every cigar store in New City carries this cigar. Oh. How many do you want, mister? No, a half a dozen will do. Thank you. Another activity down the street, isn't it? Yeah. Looks like a new factory going up. Yeah. One of them... One of them defense factories, I take it. Yeah. Well, I guess the city feels pretty good about getting this new business, being used to sell more papers and cigars too, doesn't it? Likely. Tell me, what are we going to be making in that factory? Well, they ain't taking me into their confidence on that point yet, mister. Well, well, well, man, you don't need to bite my head off. Don't make me sound as if I were a spy or something. I can't be too sure these days, can you? You think you know how to get in a job there? Well, no, not exactly. You see, I'm a salesman. I was just curious to find out if this factory there is going to be the kind that would need some of my product, maybe. Well, if it's the kind of goods to help make tankbusters, you've got a client. Tankbusters, isn't it? That's what they say. Well, I guess I better look up the plant manager right away. Thank you for the afternoon. Bandar hotel. We are checking associates. More later. Yes, sir. I should like a corner suite, please, on about the 10th floor. Yes. I expect to be here indefinitely. Here's my car, thank you, sir. You can attend to any financial questions through my bankers. The expert mercantile on Wall Street. I shall want an extra and private telephone put in my sitting room. Can you attend to that for me? Yes, indeed, Mr. Jensen. Shall I register you under your business address in Stockholm, sir? Yes, if you please. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Come in. Mr. Jensen. Yes. I come for greetings from Brantzau, Berlin, and Hamburg. Oh, good. I was expecting. Ah, and Captain Ritter. Hi, Ritter. Hi, Hitler. My name is, of course, known to you. Well, your arrival is most welcome. Tell me the news. I'm all eagerness. You've heard of our work back in the Fatherland, I suppose? Yes, we've heard of it. Ah, yes, yes. Things progress. You don't need to worry about us. We are justly proud of our work, I can tell you. I'm afraid you're alone in your pride, sir. What? Shut up. Listen to me, and take both that foolish smile and that fraudulent look of consternation off your face. Your tactics have been wrong, all wrong. From now on, and I want this instruction to be transmitted to all our organizations, when a speaker gets up on an American platform, he is to forget Germany. When a pamphlet comes out, it is to ignore Germany. Ignore Germany. Exactly, you heard me. Just that. From now on, in public, you are no longer Germans, understand? You're Americans. Similarly, when you attack something, you attack it as un-American. Alien, Jewish, Bolshevist. From now on, you're an American patriot. Understood? Mm, un-American. Right. Yeah, I think I understand, Captain Riddle. Anyway, it's too much for form, now it's for content. Oh, by the way, you better take some notes on all these things. Oh, of course, of course, Captain. If I may just borrow your fountain pen here. Put that pen down. Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be here. Here's a pencil. Just let me have that fountain pen, please. Yes, sure. Sure, I didn't mean to. That's all right, never mind. What was I saying? Oh, yes, the content of your propaganda. Everything your speakers say, every printed word you get out, all must focus on one thing, American neutrality. Implement this general directive with every means at your command. All our energies are to be thrown behind keeping America out of the war until Germany is ready. What are we to do if such work becomes illegal? If we fail and America goes to war. Then my friend, the form of our work changes, but it does not stop. Changes? Yes. You see this fountain pen, the one you almost were foolish enough to use a moment ago? Yes. Very well. It contains a very interesting chemical arrangement. I have several fountain pens like this one. Oh, yes. Yes, I have heard about them. It's a thermite bomb, no? It will burn. Never fear for me, my friend. And I'll get on about your work. I wish to see results immediately in every sidewalk auditor, every mother's organization, every trade union, even from church pulpits, even from the floor of Congress itself. Being dragged into war by a government has been taken over by radicals and aliens. I tell you the truth. Mothers? My friends, if this keeps up, there won't be any election in November. You can bet on that. Yes, sir. You listen, pal. Germany will never attack us. And Japan is bogged down in China. We're safe now, and we're safe for years to come. December 7, 1941. Gentlemen, order. Captain Ritter has the floor. Gentlemen, as a few of us have known for some weeks now, our work has got to undergo an immediate change. From now on, the emphasis will be all on splitting the United States from Russia and England. All right, everybody, you must take no chances. This meeting will have to break up immediately. At any moment, the FBI may be on our trail. You will know how to get in touch with me at Mill City if you need to. And remember, from now on, we are soldiers of the Third Reich on enemy soil. Our future looks to us to fulfill our national socialist destiny. Today, gentlemen, we owe Germany to model the world. Yes, sir? Hello, Mrs. Abbott. Well, well, well, I guess you don't remember me. I came here about a year ago. Oh, I'm afraid I do. Oh, now we chatted about that factory, don't you remember? Oh, well. I'm sorry. Oh, no, madam, my name is William Miller. I work now at that same factory. Do you now? Yes. Well, welcome to Mill City. Thanks. This is my daughter, Priscilla, Mr. Miller. She works in the big factory, too. Oh, how do you do? You work in that factory, too, huh? Well, sure. I'm on the assembly line, the machine shop. Where? And this is Clem Hall. He's Priscilla's intended. Glad to see you, Mr. Miller. How are you? Congratulations to you both. You work in that big factory, too, do you? Yeah, that's fine. Well, that's great. Perhaps we can all walk to the plant together this morning, huh? No, I'm afraid not, Mr. Miller. Priscilla and I are working on the swing shift this week. We aren't going to the plant until tonight. Oh, I see. Well, that's too bad. Well, some other time. Mrs. Abbott, I make it a point to buy all my newspapers and cigarettes right here. No more America. Come on. Hi, so long, Mrs. Abbott. I haven't seen you in the dog's age. Oh, Mrs. Abbott, I've been working pretty hard, I guess. Keeping you busy, are you? How are things at the plant? Not so good. I must say, Mr. Miller, you don't sound so tricky these days. Well, a lot of us are beginning to ask ourselves, what are we working so hard for? We didn't ask for this. What did we? No, that's right. We didn't. Yeah? Lots of folks don't ask to catch cold either. That's right. Wake up on a Sunday morning and sneeze once or twice. There they are with fever and stuff. That's right. The war isn't going any too well for us either, Mrs. Abbott. Don't kid yourself. Say, any of your friends got sons in the Navy? My dick. He's in it all right. That's so. Then in our family, they've been going to sea for six generations. Lots of folks run here the same. Why? Well, I wouldn't want to worry you are then for that matter. It's probably nothing. By what? What is it? Well, you see, Mrs. Abbott, I've got a sister down in Savannah, Georgia. As you wrote me, the three ships have put in at the harbor. They're all loaded with coffins. Coffins? Oh, yes, they have. They say they've suffered a terrible naval disaster in the North Atlantic, Mrs. Abbott. I guess the government in Washington is trying to hush it up. Well, I suppose that's why they had those ships put in at Savannah, not in Boston or New York. Well, I imagine the government knows best. But it does seem a little bit funny, doesn't it? Coffins. My dick was on Atlantic patrol. Well, I tell you, I wouldn't tell your friends about a Mrs. Abbott. They'd just worry. Oh, Mrs. Abbott. Oh, hi there, Mel. Hi there, Clev. How's Priscilla? I'm. Prayed not, Clem. But she said she was going to meet you here at eight to go to the movies. Yeah, that's the trouble. I have to break the date. I've got to go to a safety committee meeting tonight at the plant. Well, I'll tell her. I'd like to leave her a note in my bar pencil. Oh. Oh. Sorry, Clem. I lost mine. I was looking for it just a minute ago. Coffins. That's terrible. What? What's that about coffins? Oh, nothing, nothing. It was just a rumor, Clem. I didn't spread it out. Oh, a rumor. Oh, say, Mel, you have a pen there. May I borrow it to write Priscilla a note? Well, this pen. Yeah, but I. Oh, I won't hurt it. I just want to write a little note. Well, it's this way, Clem. You see, I'm left handed. And the point of this pen is delicate. You don't mind, do you? It's a peculiarity of mine. Oh, all right. Never mind, Clem. I'll give Priscilla your message. Oh, you'll excuse me if I'm late for an appointment. So long, Clem. So long, sir. So long. He's a funny guy. He's a terrible shock and sink, he told me. Just before you came. Terrible shock and sink. You're listening to Joseph Shillkraut as the Nazi agent and Mildred Natwick as a New England shopkeeper in Diary of a Saboteur on the Cavalcade of America sponsored by Dupont. It is some weeks after Pearl Harbor. And Carl Ritter, ace Nazi agent carrying out orders from Berlin, has gotten a job at the war plant in Mild City. And now as our play continues, he is planning with his associates to carry out his work of sabotage. All right. You coming? Good evening, Charlie. Sorry to be late for the meeting. I was over at the cigar store. Maxim Fredibuth here. Oh, hello. How are you doing? Anything by shortwave? Berlin wants specifications on the tank buster. Oh, they do. Something easier. It's almost time for another shortwave, Captain Winner. Radio's turned in. Want the earphones? I'll have them. I'll plug in the speaker. Maybe some people are all of us. Okay. Yeah, they are. The moment we bring... Listen, I've got the work set up. But first, they present G-minor sonata off on court. We bring you the first movement marked and done... That's it. And done. Something important happened. Listen, are you ready, Max? Yes. Go on, listen. Well, did you get it, Max? Yes. Come on, come on, decode it. What's it say? Right. Order that the plant must be destroyed. Oh, this has got to change your plan. No, it won't. Our plans are all made. I made them. What are they? This little pen here. I almost had an embarrassing time with it a half hour ago. The boy in the cigar store wanted to borrow it to write a note to his sweetheart. But who would plan to pen you? No, even that I planned. I have the perfect uke to take this little pen in for us. When? On our way to the plant tomorrow night. Hello, Clem. Oh, hello, Milly. Going to work? Yep. Thought I'd look in first Mrs. Abbott's for a cigar. Ah, good enough. I'll go with you. I'm going to have my hands full tonight. Oh, yeah? Yeah. Foreman asked me to tell the machine crew the new safety rules. Well, I guess that's worked for all of us these days. Boy, you're not kidding me. Here we are. Go ahead. Thanks, Clem. Oh, hello. Hello. Howdy, Mrs. Abbott. Didn't Priscilla get here yet? Oh, she'll be here in any minute. Mrs. Abbott, I believe I've run up quite a bit at your store the last two or three weeks. Oh, don't bother, Mr. Miller. Of course, if you do have a little cash with you, I can always use it. Well, I have a little cash, Mrs. Abbott. I write your check. How much does it come to? Paper, magazine, cigar. It's right here in my account book. Yeah. Let's see. LM. There. 462. 462. There you are. I think you'll find it's good. Well, if it isn't, I know where to find you, see? Yes. Oh, yes. What's the matter? Oh, silly. My factory identification badge I left it at home. Oh, it's... I'd better run for it. Hello. Hello. That's Pony. What? Oh. Oh, it's not important. Still. Oh, Mom. Hello, Priscilla. Hello, honey. I claim that man Miller just passed away. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh, honey. I claim that man Miller just collided at me, but he left his pen here. Oh, yeah. It is. Sure has a dropsy tonight, isn't he? He was running for the butt. He wants you to bring it to him at the plant, Clem. Okay. What's the matter? You look worried. Oh, I'm all right. I just don't like that guy. Don't like him. Something. Oh, I don't know. Well, forget him. Yeah. That's what I'll do. Well, forget Miller if you want to. But don't forget his pen. A night shift to 8 o'clock tomorrow morning. I don't think it was taking a chance on that going to work tonight. Of course not, you idiot. This way there can be no suspicion of us. Yes, but if they find the pen... Charlie, Charlie, that thermite will burn the pen so quickly that that won't even be a trace in it. Why don't we hear the fire engines? It's 10 minutes late already. How long delay did you put in the time mechanism? Well, it was to go off at Miller. The boy's working on the night shift this week. It's better that way. You know, the fire will have a chance to get really going. Enough chance to get to the turpentine bar. It's next to the locker room. And after that... There they go. Success. That mechanism went off fully 10 minutes ago. Well, that is a fire which is by now well underway. Come on, Charlie. You've got 10 minutes to catch this. You hold it all. Yeah, you go first. There you go. Open the door. Yes. Ooh, look at that smoke in the sky, kid. Beautiful. Yes, come on, Muto. We'd better hurry. Half these Americans, they think they can fight a war against them. No, we miss our train. That's right. Come on, Muto. That's the hurry for it, too. Well, why? Who are you? What's this about? I said, what's your hurry? Where's the fire at, too? Is it Jensen? Or is it Miller? Or is it me? Keep your hands away from your pocket shoe there. Let's keep holding those suitcases. I don't know what you're talking about. Either of you. Do you want to tell them, Mrs. Abbott? Oh, good morning, Mrs. Abbott. What are you doing here? So early? Well, who are these men? Just some gentlemen from the FBI, Mr. What's your name? That's right, Ritter. FBI. Come along, both of you. It took a little time, Miller, but we caught up with you. Very well. But at least I've carried out the orders of my Fuhrer. It'll be some time before your Americans will build any more tankbusters in that beautiful plant of yours. As usual, I guess lady gets the last word. Go ahead, Mrs. Abbott. Oh, yes, Ritter. We had a little fire in town tonight. Some old newspapers in my backyard. Why? You're lying. My pills set fire to the tramp. Oh, no, it didn't. You should know better than to make out your check with your right hand. When you told Clem and me, you were left-handed. Thank you, Joseph Schildkraut and Mildred Natwick. Before we tell you about our play and star for next week, we have some news that all DuPont workers are proud of. Ted Stuart of the Cavalcade has just returned from a DuPont plant on the Delaware River where he witnessed the presentation of still another Army Navy E to a DuPont plant. I'm going to ask him to tell you what it's like to attend an E ceremony behind the guarded gates of a chemical plant making materials for war. Yes, I was there and I can tell you a little of what I saw. This DuPont plant, among the latest to receive the E, is called the Die Works because more perhaps than any other plant in the country. It helped to give the United States a die industry after the last war. But in this war, it isn't making dies alone. It's making more than a thousand products, going either directly or indirectly to the fighting forces. It's grown so that it has its own railroad line, about 25 miles of track within the plant's many acres. That was the thing that excited me in my tour of the plant. A feeling of production on an intensive scale. A feeling that products were literally pouring out of this plant by the train load. We need production to win the war. This is production, as only Americans can produce. Major General Clifford L. Corbin of the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps presented the award and he said in part, I quote, the output for the military as well as the civilians of hundreds of textile plants is absolutely dependent upon the production of this plant. The management and the employees of this company are producing materials that are just as essential for the war effort as our guns and airplanes. Our meeting today is a tribute to your record. Just as a soldier of the battlefield is decorated for valor and outstanding performance, so you collectively today are being decorated, unquote. The award was accepted for DuPont by Dr. William Kirk, the plant manager, and W.W. Weatherby, the president of the plant's collective bargaining agency. Now standing beside me in the studio is a man from the die works who was a member of the employees' committee to receive the Army Navy E-pins, Mr. Al Brown. Mr. Brown has been with the DuPont Company for 43 years. Al, how do you feel about this award? I feel proud. Do you remember the 25 years ago? The place where the die works now stands was just shortly marshland. And the one big building I worked in, 1917, has become 700 buildings a day. Well, it changed in the last quarter of a century. In 1920, we shipped 14 million pounds of various die stuff. This became 168 million pounds of various finished products in 1940. We began by making die stuff. Today we are making not only die stuff, but hundreds of different products to serve the American industry in its fight for victory. We're producing all right day and night. That's all I have to say except that by doing everything in our power to back up the fighting men on the fighting fronts, we approve that we deserve this Army Navy E by doing our jobs just a little bit better. Thank you, Al Brown and Ted Dewitt. Ladies and gentlemen, the Army Navy E about which we've told you tonight is one of many awarded to DuPont plants across the nation. This is a continued story that will run on for the duration. This is part of the story of the wartime work of the plants producing DuPont peacetime better things for better living through chemistry. The finest traditions of the United States Naval Service. All of us thrilled to that citation heard so often today, but there's one man who would thrill more than any of us could hear it. He is John Paul Jones, founder of our Navy. It is his story that Cavalcade brings you next week with Ralph Bellamy as our star. Join us next week when DuPont again sponsors the Cavalcade of America. Our star will be Ralph Bellamy. Our play called The 18th Captain is the exciting and ever-timely story of our Navy's rise to glory. Cavalcade is pleased to remind its listeners that Joseph Schildkraut heard on tonight's program is now starring in Uncle Harry. And that Miss Mildred Matwick is co-starring in Noel Coward's flight spirit. Both plays currently Broadway successes. Tonight's play written by Peter Lyon was based on original material by Michael Steyers and Albert Kahn, office of the recent best-seller Sabotage. The orchestra and musical score for tonight's program are under the direction of Don Burry. This is Clayton Collier sending best wishes from DuPont. This program came to you from New York. This is the life in old what's not been done.