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Record sales have not exactly been stellar. Look, I need this tour. It's the only place I feel like I can breathe again. Based on the Incredible True STORY I'm Tim. I'm Mark's walnut. This is my first tour. Now I just want to write something that helps people. You will never understand what I'm going through. Imagine what God can do again. Whatever you're going through, you're never alone. God is eating fire. And it is beautiful. I can only imagine. 2 now playing only in theaters. Rated PG. Words at War. Out in the South Pacific Ocean there was great faith and a lot to be learned in the last two months of 1941. And in the first four months of 1942, There was great faith. The United States will never let the Philippines come. We'll show those Japs what it means to play in the big league. We'll have reinforcements any day now. Lexington is off the coast. We're getting planes tomorrow. Tomorrow. Planes? They must be ours. And a lot to be learned. Disperse your battleships. Never anchor in a straight line. Pretty straight lines. Excellent targets. Disperse your airplanes to a number of small scattered landing fields. No line formations when on the ground. Straight lines like the clay pipes in a shooting gallery. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Clay pipes in a shooting gallery with a Japanese eye behind the gun. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 planes in a straight line down there and a Japanese eye behind the gun above them. The Japs can't fight. Why, they can't even shoot. Oh, they can't even shoot. They call it Pacific. Words at War. The National Broadcasting Company, in cooperation with the Council on Books in Wartime, brings you another in its series of radio adaptations of great books of this war. Each week at this time we bring you selected dramatic episodes from some of the most stirring of our war inspired literature. Tonight's story, they call it Pacific by Clark Lee, distinguished foreign Correspondent. They call it Pacific. Japanese Occupied Shanghai, China Late In November of 1941, I was sitting at a table in a nearly deserted tea room. Opposite me was American born Sergeant Hajime Matsui of the Imperial Japanese Army. Jimmy, we call him. And now Jimmy is glancing cautiously around the room. He leans closer to me, across the table. I have a message for you from the colonel, Mr. Lee. What is it, Jimmy? It was at the Colonel's suggestion that I asked you to meet me here. The Colonel says he believes that you appreciate Japan's national problems. He has grown to like you personally. Even though your newspaper stories have been highly critical of Japan's conduct in China. It could hardly be otherwise The Colonel has been informed that you have recently made inquiries as to whether the Japanese barracks near Shanghai would be used as an internment camp for Americans in the unfortunate event of war between Japan and America. I certainly made no such inquiries than perhaps you should have. Oh, I see what you mean. When you have some more tea. No, thanks. It has also been called to the Colonel's attention that you plan to go to the United States on home leave in about two months. Well, that one's true enough. All right. And why not? It's been five and a half years since I left San Francisco. Lord. Two years in Hawaii, the rest of the time in China and Japan. The Colonel takes the liberty of reminding you that there have been no regular Trans Pacific ship schedules from Shanghai for some months. There is a possibility that after the next 10 days there may not be any way to get out. The powder keg is just about. It is almost certain to explode shortly and blow up the orient with it. Mr. Kurusu, who is now on his way to Washington, will tell Mr. Hull that Japan is anxious for peace on Japan's terms. Terms that cannot involve surrender of any of the territory which Japan has taken in the past four years at the cost of so much blood and treasure. And Mr. Kurosu will be told that Japan's terms are impossible. And then we'll go to war. What about yourself, Jimmy? I'm here for the duration. Or until I get killed and there is a fat officer watching us from the other side of this room. I think you had better go. Goodbye, Jimmy. I won't see you until after the war. Unless we happen to come face to face in a trench. But I won't forget what you've told me and thank the Colonel for me. When I walk across the room, fling the door open, here is the sparkling afternoon sunshine and crisp fall air of Shanghai. Rickshaw. Rickshaw. $1 for goat chop Chop. Corner Sichuan Road, Fu Cha Road. On our way now to the Dutch Lane ticket offices. Through the streets of Shanghai, the Shanghai of Japan's new order. Shanghai, China. With Japanese soldiers on the sidewalks, jostling Japanese girls in kimonos. We're approaching the Garden Bridge and there are Japanese soldiers on sentry duty. I'm not allowed to ride past these sentries, so I get out of the rickshaw, remembering to douse my cigarette. They stare at me with what we call the China face, corners of the mouth turned down, chin thrust forward. Get out, they seem to be saying. Get out of the rickshaw. Get out of Shanghai, out of China. Get out of the Orient, the Pacific. For this is Japan's new order. Well, I'm getting out. If I'm lucky, I'll get space of some kind down to Manila, then transship to the President. Coolidge. I'm getting out, Tojo, but I'll be back. Mr. Lee. Mr. Clark Lee. Mr. Clark Lee. Mister Lee, over here, please. Mr. Lee's dancing in the pavilion. Plug it in right here at this table, will you, boy? I'll take it for him. Yes, sir. Here you are, sir. Hello. Who? Oh, Mackay Radio. Yes. No, this is Melville Jacoby of Time magazine. Mr. Lee is with my party. Yes. All right. I'll take the message for him. Go ahead. Yes. Yes, all right. Shall I read it back to you? Here it is. Clark Lee, AP Manila. Desire you remain in Manila. Kent Cooper, AP New York. Right. Thank you. Well, did you hear that, Senor Lanez? It is unfortunate. Clark is looking forward to getting home for a little while. I know. And I am sorry for myself too, for here they come now. I thought he would be my traveling companion under Coolidge. Hello, Clara. Glad you could come. Roberto. So you've already met Mel Jacoby, huh? Yes, we have been chatting. May I introduce Mrs. Jacoby? Annalee, this is Senor Roberto Lanez of the Argentine Embassy in Tokyo. How do you do, Mrs. Jacoby? After the first round, we drop last names. Shall I order it now, boy? I'll have a Tom Collins. No, same for me, please. And I will have the signal. Tom Collins all round. Well, did you enjoy your dance? It was wonderful. But everybody on the pavilion is talking war. Seems most of them are leaving on the Coolidge tomorrow and glad to get out. Maybe you ought to stay here in Manila, Clark. If you do go home, you might not be able to get back in time. Clark isn't going. Oh, darling, don't be depressing. Of course he's going. What are you talking about, Mel? A radiogram from Ken Cooper. I just took it over the phone. You want it word for word, Clark? No, don't bother. I can imagine. I'm sorry. Forget it, Annalee. I'll hang around with you two honeymooners until the shooting starts, if you don't mind. Well, Roberto, give my regards to the Golden Gate. William. Too bad we cannot do that together. Well, we can toast it here. Here are the drinks. I'll change that toast. Roberto. I say, here's to the first Japanese attack. Let him come to Manila. We'll show the Japs what it means to play in the big league. Femel, you've been here for some time. We're in good shape here in the Philippines, aren't we? It seems so. I'd say There are some two divisions. About 30,000Americans. Besides the Filipino scouts, how about our air force? I should say there must be around 100 planes, 35 fortresses and the rest pursuits. The Navy has a handful of PBY patrol bombers. That's not much. But if anything breaks, America can fly bombers out in three days now. And Manila Bay is mined. And no enemy ships can ever get in there under the guns of Corregidor. Corregidor itself, of course, is impregnable. Sounds good. Do you mind if I ask? What do you think General MacArthur and Admiral Hart will do if war is declared? They'll hit them and hit them hard, not waste any time about it. What do you think, Mel? You bet. Our heavy bombers will probably attack Formosa and Hainan island, mess up the enemy transports before they reach Luzon. Admiral Hart's patrol planes will spot the enemy ships and the subs and destroyers and cruisers will tear into them. If any Japs survive to reach the islands, American forces will mop them up on the beaches and chase them back into the sea. Well, it looks pretty good. How about another drink, boys and girls? Well, it's getting pretty late. None for me either, Clark. It's 2 o', clock and I think we ought to get upstairs and get some sleep. Roberto, shall we see you before you sail tomorrow? I certainly hope so. Coming upstairs, Clark? No, I think I'll stay and have a nightcap with Roberto. I'll see you in the morning. Right this morning. Good night. Good night. Good night. Well, Roberto, when we say goodbye tomorrow, it'll be for the duration. Any idea where you'll be sent next? I have no idea. No. I think I would like to go to Washington. You like the United States, eh? The United States of North America. Yes. I think Argentina should know more about your people. You are such delightful hypocrites. You may be right at that, Roberto. Of course I am. But you have a sense of humor, and that is the great saving grace. Not always. I saw that specimen over at the bar tomorrow. How dare you tell me what to do? You're just a policeman. A Filipino policeman. Well, go ahead, arrest me. I don't want to arrest. I'd like to see you. We Americans are the ruling race here. You're nothing but dirt. Do you understand me? Dirt? I'll show you. You can take that from me. Mrs. Work, I must ask you to go upstairs to your room. And who are You? I'm the manager. Don't you remember? Oh, sure, sure, you're all right. But he's trying to arrest me. I'll fix that dirty. No, no, no. Where are you going, Cloud? I want to talk to the constable. But she was the wrong one. Never mind her. I want to congratulate that constable. Come on. And you have been telling me, mi amigo, that the Chinese in Hong Kong and and the natives in Malaya and Burma will not fight for the British when war comes. Because the British have mistreated them and offered them nothing. Now, perhaps you are aware why Argentina says no when the United States asks for naval bases. Sergeant. Senor Sergeant, I'd like to shake hands with you. I'm Clark Lee of the Associated Press. Certainly, Mr. Lee. This is Senor Roberto Lanez of the Argentine Embassy in Tokyo. I am Ilario Francisco of the Philippine Constabulary. We both want to congratulate you, Sergeant Francisco, for the manner in which you behaved in the face of that woman's insults. The lady was not herself, Mr. Lee. We of the Constabulary are expected to understand those things. Yes, well, that's very tolerant of you, Sergeant. But it's time she learned how to conduct herself properly in these islands. She's an American. She ought to act like an American. I, too, am an American, Mr. Lee. Target. Neat rows of battleships and neat rows of planes. Japanese bombers and machine gunners sweeping in from the sea. Find them without difficulty. Place, Pearl harbor. Time, morning of December 7, 1941. From alarm through fear to hatred requires no great mental effort for Americans. But angry men shaking their fists at the sky cannot pour the splattered blood back into torn bodies. Right overturned battleships or straightened, twisted steel. You cannot damn the torrent of little men with big machines sweeping southward through Indochina to Thailand, Malaya and Java. Eastward to Pearl harbor in Hawaii, then westward to the Philippines. We wait in the Philippines for our turn and wonder what has happened to that precious plan we talked about so bravely. Our heavy bombers will attack Formosa and Hainan island and mess up the enemy transports before they reach Luzon. Admiral Hart's patrol planes will spot enemy ships and our subs, destroyers and cruisers will tear into them. If any Japs survive to reach the islands, American forces will mop them up on the beaches. But it doesn't happen that way. We can't do that. You see, there has been a Pearl Harbor. Yes. But the United States has not yet officially declared war. No use sending our bombers up from Clark Field and Nichols Field in the Philippines. They can't go anywhere. We haven't yet declared war. The pursuit planes are up all right. But they'll be down for lunch, all of them. And they'll all line up in pretty even rows. Just in time as the Japanese Zeroes hurl themselves out of the sun. I'm afraid. I'm really and truly afraid. Forget it, darling. We're doing all right. Doing all right? Don't you think so, Clark? No, he doesn't, and you know it. Mel. Our airfields have been bombed and our planes wrecked. Manila's been bombed twice. Japanese transports have landed soldiers on Luzon. Clark saw some of them in action himself. And the naval base at Cavite has been bombed and badly damaged. If they smash Cavite, they can smash Corregidor too. No Cavite. I'll hold out all right. There's nothing much to worry about, Annalee, except keeping your pretty head. It's just a matter of time. By the minute that first bomb fell on Pearl harbor. The United States got moving from all over the country. Those big bombers are flying to San Francisco. They'll hop to Hawaii and then on down to Australia and up here. They'll be here within a week. The aircraft carriers will ferry pursuit planes out from Hawaii. Who's staring out the window at Clark Cavite over there. I thought I saw smoke, Maybe bombers overhead again. Probably not, though. I didn't hear any sirens. We ought to go. You ought to be working. There's nothing to do now. You could be riding up that adventure of yours last week up in Paguio. I never will understand how you got out of that one. Nor I. That's just it. What's the use of writing it? Well, write it anyway. Oh, it's no good, Mel. Not even Hollywood would go for it. All that stuff about being surrounded by the Japanese fires and falling off cliffs and nearly stepping on landmines and just not getting killed at Tarlac. And the rest of it. It's too melodramatic. That's irony for you. Here we are. Good Lord in heaven. What is it, Clark? What happened? Cavite just blew up right in front of my face. And on the morning of December 24, 1941, Manila newspapers carried the headline Manila de Clarada Ciudad Manila de Clarada Ciudad. In the streets and in restaurants and in offices. I heard the people of Manila discussing this new turn of events. What is this Ciudad Abierta? This open city? It means that we are removing all our forces from the city and asking the enemy not to bomb it. The purpose is to safeguard lives and prevent destruction of that which we do not have the forces to defend. Does it mean that the enemy is coming here? What has happened to our army? Why did the Navy men blow up Cavite? That is a mystery. But our army is fighting well. Have you not tried to communicate? Maybe it would be better if we would fight the Japanese in the streets and from our houses as they did in Odessa. Maybe we should fight them with our knives and bolos and clubs. Maybe it would be better to die fighting than to let them kill us later at their leisure. After all, if we hold them for a few days, help will be here from our big brothers. They believed. Oh, how they believed. They knew that the big brothers would come. They knew that the United States fleet would come plunging proudly up through the islands, throwing airplanes inland from the decks of its carriers, blasting the Japanese transport units to kindling wood and bits of torn flesh. And out on Bataan, they believed. They're fighting here on Bataan, side by side. The American army and the Philippine army. The aviators without planes now man rifles and machine guns. And the sailors from Cavite without ships or a naval base now man rifles and machine guns. They're fighting out here side by side on a dusty little peninsula called Bataan. And they believe. Sage, you hear the latest story about what actually happened at Pearl Harbor? Within four hours after the attack, American planes located and sank the Japanese carriers that launched the bombing and fighting planes against Hawaii. Yeah, that sounds like us all right. I'll buy that report. Yeah, and I hear the army's got transports jammed with troops on their way to Wake Island. Ah, they'll knock the stuffing out of those Japs and sink all of our ships quick. They say a convoy left Pearl harbor yesterday with reinforcements for us, but keep that under your hat, will you? They're gonna have plenty of trouble getting through. So what? The United States has never ducked a fight yet, has it? They'll get here. Okay. This President's Day, upgrade the look of your home without breaking your budget. Save up to 50% site wide on new window treatments@blinds.com blinds.com makes it easy with free virtual consultations on your schedule and samples delivered to door fast and free. With over 25 million windows covered and a 100% satisfaction guarantee, you can count on blinds.com to deliver results you'll love. Shop up to 50% off site wide plus a free professional measure during the President's Day mega sale. Last chance happening right now@blinds.com terms apply. I came over to Bataan from Corregidor where I left Mel and Annalee Jacoby to report from the front lines. I wanted to see those Navy guys especially. I wanted to see how the Navy fought a land battle. Well, they're fighting it, all right. Losing more men than they should because they don't know how to take cover. Because they don't know Japanese trickery. That they're driving them back, back toward the se. Who cares about mathematics with a mortar? I come up on the other side of the ridge now, and there's Commander Frank Bridgerton surrounded by five army field telephone sets and using them all at one time. Perez. Perez, you've got the last few shots in there. Commander Tokyo. Yes. Right. His center is under heavy machine gun fire. He can't hold out long. Captain Wormuth is here with me now. Just got here. Some other guy just came up. Oh, it's Lee. Hello, Clark. You sightseeing? Hello, Commander. What would you give to be in an airplane right now? So he's turned out to be a comedian. Perez, you have nine rounds. Right. Hello, Jack. Jack. Hold on, kid. I'll give you some help in a minute. Perez, you got nine. Now, look, you've got to make every one count. You can't miss. Load your howitzer. Hey, Clark, this is Captain Wormuth. Art, meet Clark. Lee. Get out of here, you two guys, will you? Till I get Lieutenant Jackson out of that trap down there. Perez, all set down? I know you reporters. Came all the way up to the shooting line. Sometimes, Captain. Pretty risky. Here we come. We've got some of our dead along this path. Gonna marry em soon. Hope they don't bother you. No, I've seen. Funny, there won't be much more of this. Convoy came in yesterday. Give us those men and the Ammun. We'll run these Japs off Batan in no time flat. That was just one little freighter out of three that tried to get through, Captain Weymouth. Not a convoy. What's that? Just one little freighter. I'm living on Corregidor. I saw it, you Red Jersey liar. Sorry, Captain. I know how you feel. All right, Lee, I'm sorry. Forget it. How long are you gonna stick around? We're leaving tomorrow. I'm afraid of. We're gonna try to get through to Australia. We'd like to stay, but the censors won't let our stories go out. Anyway, watch your step along here. Some more bodies. Who's we? I'm going out with Mel Jacoby and his wife. I know him. Time magazine. Yes, that's right. Just got married, didn't he? Some girl with an Odd name. Yes. Annalee. Yeah, she's great too. Must be. Say, look here. Look at this one. Oh, that's too damn bad. I knew this soldier. Look at that row of machine gun holes. They almost cut him in half. I've seen him somewhere, but I can't. Sure you have. That Sergeant Hilario Francisco of the Philippine Constabulary. He used to be on duty at the Manila Hotel. United States Army Forces in the Far East. Office of the Commanding General to whom it may concern. This will identify Mr. Clark Lee. Mr. Lee is a representative of the Associated Press and has been accredited by this headquarters. He is now traveling on a special mission with military approval. All military organizations are directed to render every assistance to aid him to his destination. Douglas MacArthur, commanding general. Think that'll do it, Clark? Yes, sir. I'll give you the same thing from El Jacoby. When you board a ship to leave the islands, if you're lucky enough to make connections, throw away your uniforms, your guns, passports and all diaries and identification papers. When you get to Cebu, look up the names of some businessmen and learn enough about them to enable you to assume their identity if you're captured. We'll follow those orders strictly, sir. Well, goodbye, Clark. I hope you'll make it. Say goodbye to Anna Lee for me. Goodbye, Stone. Good luck. And, Clark. Yes, sir. We will fight as long as we can hurt the Jap. But unless we get reinforcements, the end here will be brutal and bloody. The Princessa headed straight out into the China sea for about 10 miles then turned south along the coast of Luzon. Eastward, in the darkness was the Japanese city of Manila. Those were nervous days and nights. But we reached Australia at last to learn that General MacArthur had got there before us. We saw him later in Melbourne and the bitterness in his heart was reflected in his face. The bitterness in his heart was reflected in his face. Few days later in Melbourne, Annalee, Mel and I were saying goodbyes as usual. Well, Clark, here you go again. I'm not going to say so long to you, Mel, nor do you, Annalee. When I get to Sydney, I'll phone you to let you know if these orders to visit New Zealand still stick. If not, I'll wait for you there. Well, if you do go on to New Zealand, Clark, remember to look around for a line of retreat. From here we can always get to Tasmania and then to the South Pole if the Japs come. But it looks like the only way out of New Zealand is to Easter island and then to Chile. That's quite a long jump in a canoe. You two are Always talking about ways out of places. I'm glad to see, for a change, you're both starting to go north in the direction of the Japs. Let's start a counteroffensive of our own. What's this about north? What are you bound for, Mill? Just a few short hops with General George to inspect Australian airfields. Don't worry, Clark. I'll be here waiting for your phone call from Sydney. I'm waiting in my hotel room in Sydney. The trip to New Zealand is on after all. Now. That eternal telephone again. Maybe it's the Navy calling to confirm airplane transportation. Hello? Clark, I. Bad news, Clark. Henley. What is it? It's Mel. Mel was killed yesterday. How? They were at an Airfield. A P40 got out of control on the ground. It killed them both. Clark, Mel and General George. What about you, Emily? I'm all right. Mel Jacoby was dead, and I went on. I went on through many scenes of a bloody pageant in an ocean they call Pacific. This next scene is far removed, for there before me now are the skyscrapers of San Francisco. The most beautiful sight I have ever seen in my life. There are three other scenes which I hope to live long enough to witness. I want to be there when General Douglas MacArthur raises the American flag of a Corregidor again and then hauls it down and with his own hand raises the flag of the Republic of the Philippines symbol of a nation which has won its right to life by learning how to suffer and how to die. I want to be with Generalissimo Chiang Kai Shek when he marches once again into Nanking after the last Jap has been killed or driven from China. And I want to see Jonathan Wainwright and Joe Smith and Arthur Wearmouth and some Filipino scouts. And Vandergrift and his Marines ride down the main streets of Tokyo and with Admiral Halsey and his sailors drive in tanks and armored cars across the moat and enter the Imperial palace while American airplanes fly overhead in clouds so thick that they blot out the rising sun. As the third program of Words at War, we have dramatized for you portions of the popular book they call it Pacific by Clark Lee. It was adapted for radio by Neil Hopkins, one of the NBC script staff. Clark Lee was played by Les Damon. Melville Jacoby was Sam Wanamaker. Annalee Jacoby was Joan Alexander. Other members of the cast were Fay Baker, Ed Begley, Bernard Lenro, Lewis Van Ruyten and Lon Clark. The original music was composed and conducted by Frank Black. The production was under the direction of Joseph Losey. Next week, Words at War presents episodes from the Last Days of Sevastopol by Boris Wojetikov, vivid account of the fall of that Soviet Crimean port. Words at War is brought to you in cooperation with the Council on Books. In Wartime. Time for the National Broadcasting Company and the independent radio stations associated with the NBC network.