Radio stars (June 1933)

RADIO STARS Radio's New Destiny (Continued from page 7) after any great national emergency passes. That being the case it seems certain now that President Roosevelt will go straight to the people over the air waves and ask for their support against any faction in Congress which may be blocking his plans and purposes. Therefore, as I say, radio has come now to have a great new function, to be a strong arm of the Presidency. OF course, Presidential use of radio is by no means new. The first President who ever spoke over the air was Warren G. Harding. This on the occasion of his inauguration March 4, 1921. On January 15, 1921, however, Herbert Hoover broadcasting as a private citizen, made an appeal for European relief funds. And in the past dozen years every President, I believe, has used radio to some extent. All have used it for campaigning purposes, to further the interests of their parties or of their own elections. And some have used it for governmental purposes and in support of policies. But never until the night of Sunday, March 12, did a President so frankly and directly employ radio as a means of rallying behind him public opinion of the people. It required a President with intuitive understanding of the American mind to seize upon radio as an effective instrument of government. The question will be asked, probably : Well, if radio is so useful to a President, why cannot it be used by those who oppose his policies, or by factions and groups of Congress or by any other section or group? Of course, it can be so used, but it is extremely doubtful— in. fact, extremely unlikely — that any individual or group of individuals could ever use radio with such telling effect as the man who is responsible for the destinies of the nation. After all, the Chief Executive is our only national figure. He is responsible to no section or group, but only to the people as a whole. Radio is our only national means of communication and loses much of its influence and power when directed only to a group or a section, or is employed only by a group or a section. And that is why, I think, radio will become the Voice of the Presidency, the surest means of calling the people to his support in time of trouble, and the most effective means of giving the people from time to time the information which is their due and right. DON'T FAIL TO READ THE LAST INSTALMENT OF EDDIE CANTOR'S LIFE STORY IN OUR NEXT ISSUE Sit down and have a chat with DOROTHY JORDAN I OVELY Dorothy Jordan through the eyes of a famous *— and discerning novelist. There's an article you'll want to read! But it's only one of many absorbing features in the latest MODERN SCREEN . . . Rupert Hughes, another great writing name, revealing "The Hollywood Nobody Knows" . . . Claudette Colbert demonstrating with word and picture her new wardrobe . . . Jack Oakie and Peggy Hopkins Joyce — and what Jack's mother thinks of Peggy . . . Clyde Beatty, lion tamer extraordinary, takes his pen in hand: "When Wild Animals Become Movie Actors, Beware!" . . . But we haven't space to tell you about everything in that new issue. If you know MODERN SCREEN you know you can expect many other fascinating, "inside-stuff" articles and scores of pictures, most of them exclusive from our own Hollywood photographer. If you don't know MODERN SCREEN, now's the time to discover that it's the biggest screen magazine value in the world. Prove it with the June issue! MODERN SCREEN The Biggest and Best of All Screen Magazines Look for Sally Eilers on the cover I 43