Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-05-08

@kN y
-.
Russell Landstrom looked from his
job of herding copy to the cable and
radio channels to answer it.
This is Paris calling, came a
faint muffied voice. Then it faded
and came back so Mr.. Landstrom
could catch the word Paris again,
and he turned the telephone over
to Lewis Hawkins.
Every dimly the voice said that
Germany had surrendered uncon-
ditionally at Rheims. Mr.. Hawkins
asked who was calling and was told
that it was Morton Gudebrod of the
Associated Press Paris staff.
Being unfamiliar with Mr.. Guide
brod's voice, Mr.. Hawkins was ask
ing for details and authority when
Mr.. Kennedy broke in to say: This
is Ed Kennedy, Lew. Germany has
surrendered Internationally. That S
official. Make the date Rheims,
France, and get it out
Recognized Voice.
'Mr. Hawkins, well acquainted
with Mr.. Kennedy, recognized his
voice, and after jotting down the
flash called a woman traffic opera
tor to take the call in a dictation
booth and copy the story Mr.. Ken
nedy had ready.
THE flash moved from London by
cable and radio at 1926 pm. (s:26
am. EWT).
Then Mr.. Hawkins found that
the operator had been unable to
hear Mr.. Kennedy sufficiently clear
ly to get the bulletin, so Mr.. Haw-
kins took the call back on the news
desk and with difficulty wrote down
the first bulletin with d pencil, then
handed the phone over to James F.
King while he hurried the bulletin
to the wires at 1884 pm. (9:34 am.
EWT).
Mr.. King took the next two OF
three sentences, passing pencileo
sheets across the desk to Alex Sim
gleton for copying before they went
to Mr.. Landstrom for final editing
and filing.
Mr.. Kennedy's voice faded again
and again, and Mr.. King gave way tc
Dwight L. Pitkiu, who continued
taking Kennedy's slow, careful but
faint dictation until 10 takes hac
been brought in, copied, edited anc
cleared to New York Then the con.
nection faded entirely or was cut
off, and communication was not re.
established.
No British Censorship.
British cenSors had had no spe-
cial instructions on handling sur.
render stories, and since Mr.. Ken.
nedy's dispatch originated abroad
and was only being relayed through
London, under standard British
censorship practice, there was ne
question raised about passing it,
When the flash reached the New
York foreign desk, it was held III
for eight minutes pending receipt OF
sufficient Of Mr. Kennedy's date.
lined and detailed dispatch to make
certain that there was no possibility
OF error. There was none, and the
news was sped throughout the
Allied world at 9:35 am. (EWT).
For four hours afterward, officials
In Washington, London and Mos.
cow were silent. Then the British
Ministry Of Information announced
that Prime Minister Churchill would
make a formal We day proclama.
ton today at 9 a m. tEWT) and thai
King George would speak at :
pm. (EWT).
The British Press Association re-
ported that "the surprising della,
in announcing We day in spite O
the complete capitulation by tn,
Germans" was due to the impor,
lance attached to synchronizine
the news in London, Washington
and Moscow"
Stain Not Ready.
The Press Association said that
telephone calls had been in progress!
all day among Washington, Lon.
don and Moscow. and that differing
views were apparently held on which
hour the public should be told, bu
finally tomorrow afternoon was
decided upon"
Edward Murrow, Columbia Broad.
casting System correspondent ir
London, later broadcast to this
country that Mr.. Churchill anc
President Truman had been pre-.
pared to issue the official news al
noon Monday but that this wa.
delayed because Premier Stain wa.
not ready.
Fifty-eight minutes before MI
Kennedy's dispatch was carried, tn,
Germans-bound by no such black,
. out as was enforced among tn,
Allies-broadcast that they had sur.
rendered Internationally.
The German broadcast was car
ried on the wavelength of Flens
burg, station which actually is il
British-occupied Schleswig- Holstein
but on whose wavelength all recen
official German statements hav,
been carried from an undiscloset
site.
I The German announcement wa.
made by Count Ludwig Schweri1
Won Krosigk, newly appointed For
eign Minister in the regime o
Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz, tn,
man who succeeded Hitler a
Fuehrer.
Suspension Ordered.
4 Mr.. Kennedy's suspension was an
nounced in the following order 1t.