 The DuPont Cavalcade of America starring Henry Ponder Company brings you of such as the Kingdom starring Henry Ponder on the Cavalcade of America Such as the Kingdom starring Henry Ponder as James E. West on the Cavalcade of America Come on kid, what'd you get tossed in a who's cow for? I didn't do nothing. You look like a bright kid. Come on. Come on. Tell us what you did They said I stole an automobile Now don't go balling. So you got caught. What about it? Listen kid's wife and automobiles a good start but getting caught is something else again Let me alone. Listen when you get out you come to see me. Wally Collins. I'll learn you some tricks So you won't get caught so easy. I can use a smart kid like you There's the kid get him out of there constable get him out. That's what I said get him out of there Now wait a minute. Mr. West. He's the kid the story of automobiles. That's got to be proved first You pick him up without hearing his story Then you shove him in this filthy cage with a bunch of criminals Maybe you think here we should have put him in the bridal suit at the will at hotel All right. All right. Maybe you're not to blame but get that boy out of there I'll be responsible and see that he turns up in magistrates court Shortly after the turn of the century the place Washington DC Later that same day James E. West appeared before the magistrate and heard the charge against the boy Mr West this boy Joe is charged with stealing your automobile. That's right your honor and yet You're going to act as his counsel. Yes, sir. Well, it's rather unusual but proceed Joe come here I'm going to ask you a question and I want the truth understand. Yes, sir Did you steal my automobile? No, sir. I didn't thanks Joe You're on now hold on a minute Constable yes, sir your honor you found this boy in Mrs. West card, didn't you yes? And six blocks away from where you said you'd left it mr. West the boy says he didn't steal it I believe it. Oh, oh, he's lying. I am not I ain't lying. You'll be quiet young man How old are you 15 sir? 15 Mr. West I admire your attitude trying to help this boy But if you sat on this bench day after day if you saw the young scams that come in here day after day Yes, your honor day after day Why mr. West I'm not the one to give reason for juvenile delinquency. I judge the cases as they come before me Yes, I know you're not to blame. All right. Let's get back to this case The boy was found in your car blocks from where you'd left that's right your honor. Did Joe ever admit stealing it? No kid that comes in here ever did anything to hear them talk. They're all little angels, but there could be an exception We're wasting time my calendar's full. I'm behind schedule already mr. West This is a simple routine sign the complaint against the boy is not that simple your honor sir I've been patient, but I warn you that you'll be held in contempt. I'll risk that your honor But it's still not simple My signature on that complaint would mean Joe would be locked up as he was this morning in a cage with Adults men who've been criminals for years He'd be subjected to all their viciousness all their accumulated rot and filth He wasn't bad before he'd be when he got out now. Mr. West is 1904 But I went back 200 years when I saw those prisoners in that that cage this morning be careful, mr We've all got to be careful careful of these kids the boy stole your auto. I'm not so sure your honor constable Yes, sir Joe was in the auto he was Joe why were you in the automobile? I I just wanted to see what it was like I've never been in an automobile It looked like fun. So so I got in and it was so much fun that he had it six blocks away So how did you get that far? Well some other kids came along and gave me a push Listen to that, but you didn't start the engine did you Joe? No, sir. I didn't Your honor, do you have an automobile? What's that got to do with this? Please? Do you have one? I had one of the first in the city good. How do you start it? Why with the starter plug do you leave it in your automobile? Of course not neither do I here's mine Joe couldn't have started my auto and I submit that he couldn't have pushed himself those six blocks Constable was the engine running when you picked the boy up He could have turned it off, but he couldn't have started it without the plug It's a fishy story. I think it's the truth. Don't you your honor from the evidence? Yes, but it doesn't alter the fact that he was sitting in your car your honor Automobiles are new. Maybe maybe you and I would have done the same thing get in sit behind the tiller pretend daydream well Perhaps mr. I think that's all it was your honor. Well all right Joe, I hope you appreciate what mr. West has done for him. Oh, yes, sir. I do All right case dismissed. Can I go home now? I'll go with you Joe And thanks your honor one moment mr. West. Yes, sir There were times when you forgot the dignity of the court I shouldn't advise a repetition of your performance this afternoon Your honor something tells me I've just started You can let me out here. I I'll walk the rest of the way. What's the matter? Don't you like riding in my auto? Oh gee, it's swell, but Well, my mom and pop will be worried about me that case will get your own quicker Please mr. West. I I don't want him to know what happened. Well, joe. Aren't they going to wonder where you were? I'll go along and explain the whole thing. You got to let me out here, mr. West. You just gotta What's the matter nothing nothing mr. West only my mom and pop what about them? Why don't you want me to see them because I? I Oh, please don't go with me. I want to go with you joe because I want to ask them something I want to Well, borrow you borrow me. What do you mean? You'll see now. Where do we turn? Joe I asked you a question. I I ain't gonna tell you Now look, sonny I'm trying to help you. I did help but I want to do more And you can help me. I'll do anything you want me to mr. West. I'll go any place with you, but what are you afraid of I ain't got no mom What no pop either Is that the truth joey? Yeah Where do you live joe look a city orphanage? Why didn't you tell me the truth? I didn't mean to lie mr. West I just like to pretend like I had a mom and pop like I had a home the way other kids do I hate living at the orphanage mr. West look at me sonny Are you ashamed of it? You ain't never been teased by kids at school. You ain't never been joked at Go on joey. You don't know what it's like not to have no mom or pop to live in an orphan asylum Let me out of here. I want to go wait. Please mr. West joey that big central staircase in the orphanage Are the steps still pretty hard to keep clean? Yeah, but in the big window in the hall that tree outside still poke in when the leaves come in the spring How How do you know all that joey? I lived in that orphanage till I was 18 Hot chocolate be ready in a minute Jim. Thanks smells good Oh, you didn't mind my bringing joey here. Did you maryon? Of course not poor youngster He looks as though he's been put through a ringer sleeping now Well, we're taking back to the orphanage soon as he wakes up and has something to eat maryon I'm not going to take him back not yet But jim sit down a minute listen to me What is it? I got to wondering about kids kids like joey How many of them are there like him? Thousands but the orphanages they do all they can sure but take a kid like joey He's lonely maybe knocked around Full of dreams that get stopped before they're started So one day he climbs into an automobile just to pretend Some other kids come along and to them it's funny to give joey a push and joey ends up accused of being a thief Jim that's all cleared up now joe's all right. Look how many joey's are there? We don't know about A kid pulls a prank that ends up Well, not so funny after all he's arrested Comes up with an adult court in front of a judge whose calendar is crowded who has to judge by the evidence You can't blame the judge then I didn't say that dear But if there's nobody to take the kid's party sentenced treated the same as a man of 40 or 50 And by the time the kid's 40 or 50 he's been pushed around enough to feel that everybody's against him There's your criminal. I know that jimbo. What can you do? What can anybody do about it? Fight that kind of thing exactly what I'm going to do Oh, what's the matter darling? Jim you you've studied so hard to become a lawyer you you fought your way to where you are now You're you're just getting a practice started. You can't let anything stop you and I I thought we were going to be married Yes, is there anything to stop us? No, I'll need help marion and encouragement Mine more than anyone's Jim Did I sound a little selfish before? No sure not If I did it because I love you I'll marry you any time you want jim Is that you? Ah, it's me darling How's mrs. West? I'm fine dear, but I thought you were never coming home It was a long day Darling you look tired. I am Tramping into offices seeing people talking talking talking getting no place getting no encouragement I suppose they don't even listen. Oh, they listen. All right Lawyers judges they agree, but they can't do anything either The courts are set up to handle all cases establishing a special court would take new laws that would take a long time I know Maybe it's a losing fight marion. No No, it's not I'm afraid you married a man who's a dreamer. No, I didn't jim. I married a man who's going to the top Please darling, don't be discouraged through the top It's a long climb And I don't And what What we're gonna say Marion The top There's one who listen who will help me if anyone can't you've gone to everyone you've driven yourself into no, there's one more Marion helped me write a letter right now. But dinner's ready dinner can wait. Help me write this letter to whom jim to the president Theodore Roosevelt Mr. West I've read your letter several times. I'm delighted to speak to you. Thanks, mr. President I wrote you about joy a boy who might have ended up a criminal in a few years time because of a prank But he didn't mr. West I know but joy was lucky sir lots of kids his age aren't I've visited court after court, mr. President They're crowded with children like joy who need individual attention They mustn't be thrown in with a common run of lawbreakers older men at just a moment I want to ask you a question before you go any further. What is it, sir? Don't you believe there are bad children? That's a hard question sir, but Suppose the child is bad. Why don't we learn? Why what made him that way? How? Well, sir right now our courts can't give individual attention to children. They haven't got the time to To go back and find out what made a kid steal a bicycle or break a window or Any one of it doesn't other things that brings a child into court But then your point is we should have specialized procedure A special court for jubilee. That's it sir where a kid can talk talk without getting confused all mixed up Because he's hurried through and it's not the judges for mr. West a court such as you suggest would mean new law laws we need sir congress adjourns in a week There are a hundred bills to push through already But mr. President we can't afford to ignore this problem any longer. It'll grow and grow. Yes, I know Mr. West when I was young I was sickly weak I fought to overcome my handicaps But there were people who helped me And now it's my chance We'll set up a children's court right here or now in the district of columbia Make it a model for the rest of the country right now You mean Now you wanted action. Well, you'll get it. It's a bully idea Oh, by the way, your law business mr. West Is it good? I just started and what i'm doing sort of sidetracked me, but now that it's settled out You'll go right on Mr. West That court will need a judge. You're just the man for it Judge of the new children's court You are listening to of such as the kingdom starring henry fonder as james e west on the cavalcade of america Sponsored by the dupont company maker of better things for better living through chemistry James e west believing that juvenile delinquents are a special problem Convinced president theodore roosevelt that a special juvenile court is needed As the second part of our story opens. It is sometime later Marion jim's wife is speaking to a visitor in their home Mr. Theodore dricer the editor of delineator magazine If jim had only known you were coming theodore, so it'll be a surprise for america He's late tonight He's late every night. He's working hard on this, isn't he? His whole heart and soul are wrapped up in it. Well soon. It'll be judge west Oh, I hope so for his sake. Well, it's practically certain my magazine received a copy of the announcement That's why I wanted to talk with jim and see if we oh, that's jim now jim come in here dear right away Oh, he looks tired. Hello darling. You look see it. Oh drifter Hello jim. I mean judge west congratulations judge Darling telling what's the matter? Nothing just a little premature. What are you talking about? I didn't get the appointment marion Oh, no, but it was practically certain jim rosevelt wanted you we all knew that I guess something had oh jim the only job. I wanted badly enough to to grovel for it All my life. I've worked for the day. I could do something for the kids and I Never mind How's the magazine coming theodore? Oh fine fine Come on don't look so glum the juvenile court's going in. That's really what I wanted What'll you do now jim practice law jim? You're not going to give up. Are you the appointment's been made? I don't mean that There are still kids to help. I know I wonder if you two ever knew why I worked so hard because you were an orphan yourself. Sure, but that's just a phrase marion Theodore it's hard for anyone else to understand. What do you mean jim? You sit down in a restaurant and suddenly you remember being hungry You walk down a street and watch kids playing in front of their homes And you remember the orphanage You remember the rest of the kids with you sad little old men and women I was one of them forget it not jim. It's all over for me. Yes, but not for the other kids I want to get them out of it make them believe they're wanted make them make somebody want them That's it jim What can you write that the way you said it What write a series of articles for the delineator and I'll print them you mean that theodore? Absolutely sure Sure put the fact in front of the people tell them Make them feel those kids the real cure for juvenile delinquency shouldn't come in the courtroom That might be too late. That's right jim marion. Will you help me? You know, I will jim We'll have to let a lot of other things slide by we won't be making money, but we'll be happy start now jim tonight. Why not? Come on marion. We got work to do Yes, I have they'll tear your heart out Every child and a child in every home why that's wonderful Why don't we do something about those four children? Here read this newest article. I'll tell you this man west knows what he's talking about Jim three months of these articles and we've got the whole country talking about your idea now I'm going to the top again to the president I've been reading your articles jim They're great marion and I worked hard on mr. Roosevelt and now what next? Mr. President, how much does congress spend on the care and study of animals animals? What's that got to do with your work? Just this sir We spend millions on cattle, but not one cent on the care and study of children That makes us sound like a nation of fools. No, sir. We're careless. That's all We think because we live in the greatest country in the world We can afford to sit back and say sure everything's all right. Everything's fine But it isn't But what's on your mind a conference on child welfare look here What you're doing is bully But there are a million things right now forest conservation bureau fisheries oil reserves minerals everything coming up at once Forest fish minerals oil What good are they if our children are shoved aside? There are real assets the only ones worth counting you're right jim mr. President You gave me action once before can I get it again? You certainly can The cabinet is going to think i've gone crazy They're waiting in there for me to talk about states rights Instead i'll give them a lecture on kids rights sure go ahead jim call your conference. I'll attend it myself It's a bully idea Before this conference should study take into consideration all the problems of child welfare Not tomorrow or the day after but starting right now May I ask a question mr. West? Certainly mr. Valentine Do you believe that our orphanages and charitable institutions are not taking proper care of the children? What do you mean by proper care? Well food clothing shelter as good as they can yes But do you believe those three things are all a child needs? Well, it's all we can do mr. West it isn't all we can do child welfare must be organized Organized to make every effort to see the children get homes homes mr. Valentine not just shelter Ladies and gentlemen, it's up to us to give every child a chance at the opportunity offered by america What they do with that opportunity is bounded only by ability and ambition No one has ever questioned your sincerity your knowledge of the problem But private charity and public institutions serve children long before you began this crusade Establishing a child welfare program now would be difficult. I'm not sure this is the right time We are not organized sufficiently to act No, mr. West. This is not the time since when do we put a time limit on progress in this case? We must Sit on jim, please They didn't understand maryon They just didn't understand they will someday jim. Don't worry someday And when someday comes it'll be someday again, but you don't i'll answer jim Hello Yes, he's here Oh, oh my of course right away Jim jim that was mr. Loeb president rosa felt secretary. You ought to go to the white house as soon as possible This is delight. Thank you, mr. President I'd known you were coming mrs. West I'd have postponed my barber, but I need a shave badly. It's quite all right mr. Roosevelt Mr. President is there any news once over lightly ed don't get any ladder in my ear. Yes Mr. Roosevelt the news you wanted to see me. Yes, I I did Jin he must realize that things never go the way we planned Oh, well what happened and I I had word from the committee and Ed not too much often stash, please. Yes, mr. President I'm sorry jim. I plan to keep you in suspense and have a little fun But I can't stand that look on your face What happened the things been handed you right on a platter They not only merged all child welfare activities into a single organization, but they gave the government itself the job Well What's the manager? There There's this lather in your ear mr. President. Oh, well, is that all you can say? No, but I Can't say it now Mary and I'd like to go but jim the president is getting a shave Go ahead and scrape away. Goodbye sir and thank you Someday we'll all thank you jim Goodbye You've done it darling. You've got all you wanted No darling Now the work's just beginning Just beginning the skyscraper tower overlooking Manhattan sits james e west Is now 71 years old his office walls contain photographs of more than 2000 smiling children Who have long since grown into worthy american citizens? And in the mind of james e west must be memories of another magnificent achievement For his chief scout and executive officer for nearly 33 years of the boy scouts of america His has been a nobling patriotic work in organizing this world's foremost youth building movement Yes, james e west believed in america and above all in america's greatest natural resource our children Our hope perhaps the world's best hope for the future Vegan in a good-natured and dynamic story about a little at remington called the forge the week following We have the pleasure of starring william powell in the oath and in succeeding weeks robert montgomery Helen haze thomas mitchell and bill stern step before cavalcade's microphones So make it a point to listen every week to the dupont cavalcade of america The general theme of the 35th national safety congress meeting in chicago today Is that accidents do not always happen to the other fellow this week and every week We should all bear in mind the slogan of the national safety council be careful the life you save may be your own The music for the dupont cavalcade is composed and conducted by robert armbrister Our cavalcade play was written by theodore r. Nathan Henry fonda will soon be seen in the john ford rko picture the fugitive Featured in the cast with mr. Fonda tonight where betty lou gerson is marion William roye as joe and howard mcnear as theodore rosevelt This is frank bingman inviting you to listen next week to the forge starring ronald reagan on the cavalcade of america Brought to you by the dupont company of wilmington On cavalcade of america came to you from hollywood. This is mbc the national broadcasting company