Foreign Correspondent

- What's new?

- Same old daily bunkeroo.

Mr. Powers says he wants to see

that foreign stuff as soon as it comes in.

Don't declare war for a few minutes.

"According to a high official,

it is believed"...

Foreign correspondent.

I could get more news out of Europe

looking in the crystal ball.

That Stebbins cable has a morsel in it.

Stebbins makes me sick.

They all make me sick.

Europe about to blow up...

and all I can get from my foreign staff

is a daily guessing game.

- I want some facts, Mr. Bradley.

- For instance?

Any kind of fact.

There must be something

going on in Europe...

beside a nervous breakdown.

Why not try sending me over, Mr. Powers?

You've written a book

on economics or something.

The Twilight of Feudalism?

- Yes. It was very well received.

- Not by me.

I don't want any more economists, sages,

or oracles bombinating over our cable.

I want a reporter.

Someone who doesn't know the difference

between an ism and a kangaroo.

A good, honest crime reporter.

That's what the Globe needs.

That's what Europe needs.

There's a crime hatching

on that bedeviled continent.

Wait a minute.

I've got something

that might pass for an idea.

Who was that fellow that ran down

the payroll robbery last week?

You mean Johnny Jones.

He beat up a policeman, didn't he,

in the line of duty?

Yes. There's some talk at the city desk

of firing him.

Beat up a policeman?

Sounds ideal for Europe.

Send Mr. Jones up here right away.

- Mr. Powers wants to see you, Mr. Jones.

- He does?

- You should come to his office right away.

- What about?

I ain't in his confidence.

Tell him to save his breath.

Tell him I've resigned.

- I'm supposed to bring you there.

- Okay. Wait till I open this.

Where's Mr. Jones?

I told you to send him right up here!

- Are you Mr. Jones?

- Yes.

Sit down, please.

- You mind a personal question?

- No.

- Are you married?

- No luck.

Single?

- Ever been in Europe?

- No.

What's your opinion

of the present European crisis, Mr. Jones?

What crisis?

I'm referring to

the impending war, Mr. Jones.

That. To tell you the truth,

I haven't given it much thought.

You don't keep up

with our foreign news, do you?

If you're gonna fire me,

you can scrap the intelligence test.

It's perfectly okay with me.

I can get a job on any newspaper in town

within an hour. So long.

Wait a minute. Nobody fired you.

How would you like to cover

the biggest story in the world today?

With an expense account,

I'll cover anything.

You'll get an expense account.

- Okay, what's the story?

- Europe.

I'm afraid I'm not exactly equipped,

but I could read up.

No reading up. I like you just as you are.

What Europe needs

is a fresh, unused mind.

- Foreign correspondent?

- No. Reporter.

I don't want correspondence. I want news.

- Can you dig up some news in Europe?

- I'll be happy to try, sir.

This is what I mean:

Mr. Van Meer, when questioned

by our oracle, Mr. Stebbins...

refused to open his mouth.

A 1,200-word cable told...

to the fact that

the great Van Meer had nothing to say.

Know what that's doing? It's driving

our readers crazy with frustration.

- Who's Van Meer?

- Keynote to the European situation today.

If Van Meer stays

at the helm of his country's affairs...

for the next three months,

it may mean peace in Europe.

If we knew what he was thinking

we'd know where Europe stands.

- German?

- No. Holland's strongman.

One of the two signers

of the Dutch treaty with Belgium.

Now, this is your first assignment.

I want you to talk with him...

find out what's in that treaty,

and what he thinks will happen. Facts.

- Van Meer?

- Right.

- Anybody else?

- No.

How about Hitler?

Don't you think we should pump him?

He must have something on his mind.

- Yes?

- Mr. Stephen Fisher to see you.

Tell him to come in.

Ever hear of Stephen Fisher?

- I'm afraid he's not on my beat.

- He is from now on.

He's head of the Universal Peace Party

and very close to Van Meer.

They're both working

to prevent Europe going up in flames.

How do you do, Mr. Fisher?

Nice of you to come over.

- Sit down.

- Thank you.

Mr. Fisher, Mr. Jones,

our new foreign correspondent.

I want you to know each other.

How do you do, Mr. Jones.

Jones. I don't like that name.

It's going to handicap you, young man.

Now, wait a minute.

I've got some sort of a name here.

Yes. Haverstock. Huntley Haverstock.

Sounds more important,

doesn't it, Mr. Fisher?

Yes, very dashing.

Sounds better than Richard Harding Davis.

- What's the matter with that?

- We can't use that.

That's the name of one of our

greatest war correspondents 40 years ago.

Speak up, young man. You don't mind

being Huntley Haverstock, do you?

A rose by any name, sir.

It's exciting being present at the

christening of a newspaper correspondent.

Shouldrt we break

a bottle of champagne?

Break one over my head to see

if I'm still awake. Huntley Haverstock.

Mr. Haverstock, you better get started.

You've got a lot to do.

- Passports, photos, visas...

- Expenses.

I'll send a note to the cashier.

- I hope you brought your Sunday articles.

- I managed three of them.

- See you in London then, Mr. Haverstock.

- Yes, of course.

Thank you, Mr. Powers.

Thank you for everything.

Except Huntley Haverstock.

Get a load of this, Mother.

How's it look? Chic?

Don't wear it over one eye.

It makes you look like a dandy.

You always think the boys are wearing

their hats over one eye.

- Let him wear it the way it is.

- He'll have to wear a stovepipe in London.

- They call them poppers over there.

- Toppers.

Bobby, put that in the box for Uncle John,

will you?

- Let me try it on.

- No, I want to try it on.

- Now he's a regular war correspondent.

- Without a war.

I'm afraid he'll get his war.

- They're throwing a big bluff over there.

- Let's hope so.

How do you like the way

we've our little nest furnished?

If I were you, I'd hang lighter curtains,

and move that sofa out here.

It's too bad you haven't an open fireplace.

If you'd speak to the captain,

I think he'd attend to everything.

All ashore that's going ashore!

Now, Mother.

Goodbye, John.

- Take care of yourself.

- Thank you.

You're Jones?

I'm Stebbins, London man for the Globe.

Mr. Powers told me you'd probably

be here. Nice of you to come.

Reminds me. I lost mine on the way over.

I can say your other name, too.

That Huntley...

I could say it yesterday...

but I had a rather tough session

with the boys last night.

- So I'll stick to Jones if you don't mind.

- Jones is great with me.

Let's go. This crowd's making me nervous.

My nerves aren't in the pink.

Just take it easy.

I'll follow you right along.

Porter, bring those bags. And don't

bang them into my knees from behind.

What about a drink

after that long train ride?

Sounds like a very logical idea.

I may not act it,

but I've been here 25 years.

London man for the Globe

and they haven't caught onto me yet.

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