BACK UP YOUR BOY latnasa yoar payroll savings to yoar family limit flMEJ Invasion Is Costly flghpng your Boy O/tm 100 per cent; s How ab oat yoar bond buying? VOLUMN LXXIV $1.50 per year In Advance LOUISBURG, N. CAROLINA I l!ll>\ Y, JL'LY Ifl, 1H43 (height Pages) NUMBER aa BIG HEADWAY IN SICILY American and British Troops Mak ing Cleanup ? Taking Much Ter ritory and Many Prisoners Allied Headquarters, North Af rica, July 14. ? The British Eigh th Army today swept onto the open plain before the big Sicilian port of Catania, already aflame from Allied air and naval bom bardment. and Allied headquar ters announced 12,000 prisoners have been captured so far in the Invasion. Sicily's second city thus ap peared the next likely prize in the rapid development of the in vasion bridgehead which now was an unbroken arc six to 30 miles deep around the southeastern ?nd of the island. Americans vapiure Eight thousand captives, in cluding many Germans from the crack Hermann Goering Division, fell to the U. S. Seventh Army during fierce fighting in the southwest sector where American troops are now in firm control of a 60-mile line from eight to 20 miles deep. The rest were captured by Brit ish and Canadian troops, an an nouncement said, and it was dis closed here for the first time ? on the occasion of the first unres trained celebration of Bastille Day since the fall of France ? that French forces also are tak ing part in the Sicily campaign. The Allies' bridgehead now ex tended more than 175 miles from north of August, which an Allied communique announced fell this morning, around Cape Passero to within a few miles of the big enemy south coast base at Agrigento. Two more airfields. Comiso and Ponte Olivo. were added to the lengthening list ol conquests. Dispatches to headquarters said land fighting had not yet reach ed Catania. But official reports that the city was under heavy air and naval bombardment "im mediately ahead" of the Eighth Army indicated that Gen, Sir B. L. Montgomery's men were mov ing rapidly northward from cap tured Augusta, 25 road miles be low Catania. (Madrid dispatches, quoting re ports from France, said that Montgomery's spearhead had reached the outskirts of Catania, and had brought the city under artillery fire. (Axis communiques as record ed in New York and London said fierce fighting was raging on the Catania plain as well as in the mountains to the southwest where the enemy admitted the Allies had succeeded in extending their coastal gains. The German DNB agency asserted that at least a full regiment of British parachute troops landed on the Catania plain Tuesday night but claim ed they were all killed or cap tured.) UOCKN uimuniuKCfu The Eighth Army captured Au gusta this morning, an Allied communique said, meeting only isolated resistance and finding in stallations in the line naval har bor undamaged. Tribute for "materially assist ing" the capture of Augusta was paid to Allied naval squadrons, cruisers and destroyers, which shelled the port heavily Monday and again yesterday. Front^ dis patches said a Greek destroyer and a British destroyer steamed in later to accept the city's sur render and the Eighth Army ar rived shortly afterwacri. En route to Augusta the Eighth Army swept through the little town of Priola, five miles airline to the south, and all along the in vasion front new conquests were reported. The once busy Comisio airfield now a mass of pitted landing strips and debris from Allied bombings, and the railway junc tion of Ragusa, seven miles to the east, fell to American and Canadian troops in the first joint operation since they combined their forces south of Ragusa. \ RENEW YOUR SUBSCKifTION o PREFERRED JAIL -Wilson, July 12. ? M. (1. Knl ghum, county welfare head, said tonight that he had dis covered a man who would ra ther stay in jail than get out and work. With a special order for a good farm hand, h'ulghuni ob tained a parole from Raleigh for a Negro serving nine months In the county Jail here, if the Negro would work on the farm. The farm belonged to Sheriff W. A. Weathersby. The parole riin# through. Faced with the prospect of jail or work, the Negro declared that he believed he'd "rather stay in jail." WAR NEWS London, Thursday, July 15.? Counter-attacking at the moment when the German offensive was bogging down, the Red Army re captured several villages Wednes day In the battle-seared Belgorod area and killed about 2.000 Ger mans in savage fighting. Russia reported today. The Germans failed to attack at the Orel-Kursk end of their offensive front during Wednes day, a Russian communique re ported as recorded from the Mos cow radio. Nazi Tanks Mopped At the Belgorod end, they con tinued to send tanks and infan try against the deep Russian de fenses, but they were stopped in their tracks, the communique said, and lost more than 100 tanks and 47 planes. Tuesday night, a special com munique revealed, the Red air force attacked Orel, one of the great German anchor points, and. without the cost of a plane, start ed fires which merged Into a gigantic blaze covering the entire center of the railroad-Junction city. Heavy explosions mingled with the flames as the planes rained explosive and incendiary bombs on enemy train concentra tions and war supply depots. London, July 14. ? Flying Fortresses and swarms of lesser American and British planes dark ened the French skies today with bombing attacks on an aircraft factory and park at the great Le Bourget airport in the Paris sub urbs and four other German in stallations. They shot down 51 German planes, 45 of which fell to the deadly Fortress guns over . Le Bourget and Villacoublay. where aircraft repair and assembly plants were pounded. A joint communique by the U. S. Eighth Air Force and the Brit ish Air Mlnjstry set Allied losses at eight bombers and four figh ters but did not specify the casu alties. London, July 14. ? Fierce fight ing along the whole Sicilian front was reported by the Axis part ners today and Rome admitted that the Allies are "now thrust ing toward the southeastern mountainous region' and "facing the Catania plain." Offering "the stubbornest re sistance," German anil Italian troops "dispute the Anglo-Ameri cans every inch of ground and inflict heavy losses on them," said the German military commentator Capt. Ludwig Sertorius, in a Ber lin broadcast recorded by the As sociated Press. Old Tune This tune of "hard fighting" and steady Allied reinforcements was closely akin to what the Axis propaganda machines played when Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's army was retreating across Libya. Both Berlin and Rome predict ed new Allied landings on the west coast ot Sicily. With the Western Task Force, ( Delayed ) ? Americans, capitaliz ing or invasion lessons in North Africa following a sharp shore skirmish, took over the enemy's coastal positions at Licata and occupied their day's objectives long before noon today. (Editors Note: The date of this dispatch was not given). The battle of Sicily, if ttfere is to be one, still remains to be fought. Enemy's Aim Bad Though it seems fantastic that several hundred ships of an in vasion fleet could escape detec tion, it is a fact that the initial enemy reaction is one of definite surprise. The rough sea route from the Allied base to Sicily's southeast coast constituted a bad hazard outside the first line enemy posi tions. The pre-dawn debarkation In a high surf could have been disas trous but the enemy, apparently overwhelmed by the magnitude of the firing power hurled against them, fired wildly, hitting only two small vessels. The batteries which scored hits turned out to be manned by Ger mans sharing the island's coastal defenses equally with Italians. Mussolini's own men, for tho most part, didn't Are a single shot, surrendering in droves. Over 300 were rounded up in the first three hours, while the Germans numbered some 60. By midday not a single Italian soldier had been killed. All were gleeful when taken prisoner. "Work or Fight" Meeting Held in Court House In pursuance of Governor Broughton's "Work or Fight" Proclamation, a group of inter ested citizens, including the law enforcement officers of tlie coun ty, assembled in, the Courthouse Thursday, July 8, to discuss ways and means of getting all able bodied people productively em ployed. The meeting Was called and presided over by Hon. Wil lie Lee Lumpkin. Because of the scarcity of la bdr for harvesting the crop, it Is going to be necessary for every body to engage in this very vital work even though the individ ual's financial necessity for such work may not exist. It is our patriotic duty to produce Food and Feed. Secretary Claude Wickard. U. S. Department oT Agriculture, has said that "food will win the war and write the peace." If we cannot "shoulder ja gun," we can at least "should er a farm tool." I i ne worn or r lgni uommii tee organized at the meeting is to be composed of all law en forcement officers in the county. These officers are duty-bound to (enforce the law against idleness, loafing, and vagrancy. But every intelligent citizen in the county knows that no law can be effec tively and efficiently enforced by the officera^Jvlthout the coopera tion of all the people. Public sen jtiment should be strong enough I in our county to insure the ef fective operation of this Work Program without having to re sort to requesting the aid of the law. After all, the law is only the sentiment of the public en acted by our legislature into statues as a permanent rule es tablished according to custom and practice. Therefore, let us resolve to ac cept the Governor's Proclamation jon this Fourth of July, as a chal I lenge for us to secure work in | the war effort wherever we are jhest suited by training and phy jsical strength to render the most ! help to our country in this hour ! of its greatest need since the .original Independence Day in 1776. The people of this state and nation have a great sense of ap preciation. admiration, and love of our Democratic Way of Life. This democracy is being challeng ed and may it be further resolv ed, that each and every individ ual play his and her part in pre serving this way of life for our present and future generation. I AliVIN C. GRAY Funeral services for Alvin C. Gray, 48. of Louisburg, Route 2, who died Tuesdoy night at the Veterans' Hospital in Fayette ville, were Conducted Thursday afternoon at 4:30 at Sandy Creek Baptist Church by the pastor, the Rev. John Edward. Burial was in the church cemetery. Surviving are his wife; a son, A. C. Gray, Jr.; and two daugh ters, Mrs. Lillian Raynor and Athleen Gray, all of Louisburg, Route 2. o BANK STATEMENT It will be interesting to the readers of the FRANKLIN TIMES and business men of , Franklin County to read the statement of the First-Citizens Bank & Trust Co., in this issue. It will be no ticed that it shows a healthy con dition, a good growth and occu pies a splendid position to assist the business Interests In the county. It also shows excellent management. Franklin County people are proud of this splendid showing of this strong Institution. Phenothiazine is especially ef . fectlve against nodular worms In sheep. See your county agent, if a sheep grower. o Saving food is one of the most effective ways for the average citizen to help win the war. o ? I POOD FOR SICILY An Allied Force* Command Post, July 13. ? As an indica tion that the Allied invasion of Sicily actually is going "ac cording to plan," supplies for the severely rationed Sicilian populace already were being unloaded today at captured ports. Gen. Dwlglit D. Eisenhower, back from a brief Inspection of Sicily, said today that the coordination of Allied forces in the Sicilian landings could not have been better "If all the navy, air forces and ground troops had been from any single nation." Revealing that he visited Ca nadian forces as well as Ameri cans under Meut.-Gen. George S. Patton, Eisenhower said he had wanted to welcome the Ca nadian allies personally through their commander but, unable to locate him, had conveyed his greetings to subordinates. GASOLINE AND TIRES The tire situation is about to take the lead over the gasoline situation in reference to serious ness. For the past three weeko the local Rationing Board has not had tires enough to give out spares. The Board has had a time trying to get cars rolling, j To do this it had to adopt a pol-| icy of getting four tires' on each! car and all but spares for trucks. ) Even then there were not enough ! tires to go around. It is hoped' to soon get all cars and trucks | rolling and then begin issuing! spares. The gasoline situation contin-! ues to be a seriqus question with! only a suggestiou from Raleigh that in a short while we may be driving up to filling stations to get gasoline, only to be told the tanks are empty. Only Wednes day one of the big gasoline dis tributors in Franklin CoUnty told the Chairman of the local Board his tanks were empty and he did, not know when lie would get an-i other supply. Gasoline users of Franklin County who use up their allot- 1 rnent of gasoline before time fori their book to expire should not be coming in and making applica-i tion foY more gasoline expecting to get it before their books ex-, pire. ? The Board reports over a hundred applications on file from persons who have used their I four months supply in one. two and three months time. Only in I very extreme cases, a very few of! which exist, can additional gaso-i line be issued under these cir-: cumetances. There are very rig- 1 id requirements that have to be i met and only a few can qualify.' Those who have made such ap plications should save their time in calling back to see what thai Board has done about it. If al-l lowed the coupons will be mailed to the applicant. If you don't get your coupons you may know! it is waiting its turn. This does not mean that you shouldn't make application for gasoline from two to four weeks 1 before your old books expire. This means the Board cannot consider issuing additional gaso- 1 line on an application tiled more! than 30 days before the expira-' tion of the last allotment, except; under very unusual and extreme i conditions. If the people of the county will cooperate with the local Board they will be able to savei a lot of time and gasoline by not calling for the gasoline they ex pect to get. but wait for it to goj out in the malls. Radio dispatches yesterday morning presented -an exceedingly' serious situation in the gasoline and oil fields. The report In substance said all gasoline and oil will be cut off except to farmrf ers and their allotment would be reduced to the bottom. This1 condition, the broadcast said, was not only due to transportation,! but to supply as well. This warning should be taken serious-! ly and arrangements made to off-! set its effec^r SPLENDID SHOWING Attention is called to the es pecially fine showing of the Citi zens Bank h& Trust Co., of Hen derson, appearing in this issue of the FRANKLIN TIMES. These figures show a splendid growth, excellent management and a ca pacity fully in keeping with its liberal assistance It has always granted its community. The peo ple of Vance and surrounding counties are thoroughly justified in their pride in this splendid in stitution. o REVIVAL AT SHILOH Revival services will be held at Shiloh Methodist Church, be ginning Sunday, July 18. Ser vices will be at 8:30. Rev. C. A. Jones will do the preaching in these services. The public is cordially invited. o PROGRAM AT THIS LOUISBURG THEATRE The following Is the program *t the Louisburg Theatre, begin ning Saturday, July 17: Saturday ? Bob Livingston in 'Wolves of The Range' and Wil liam Tracy and Joe Sawyer in 'Yanks Ahoy' and Chap. 7 'Dare devils of Tlte West.' Sunday-Monday ? John Carroll. Susan Hayward, Eve Arden, Wal ter Catlette, The Three Cheers, The Golden Gate Quartet. Freddy Martin and Orchestra. Count Ba sie and Orchestra, Ray McKinley and Orchestra in 'The Hit Pa rade of 1943.' Tuesday ? Jinx Falkenburg and Joan Davis in 'Two Senoritas From Chicago' Chap. 2 'The Se cret Code.' Wednesday ? William Gargan and Bobby Readick in 'Harrigan's Kid' also new March of Time. Thursday-Friday ? Preston Fos ter and Roddy McDowall and a grand cast of- favorites in 'My Friend Flick*,: Will Vote On Quotas for Flue Cured Tobacco North Carolina farmers will vote on flue-cured tobacco mar keting quotas for the 1944 crop, or for the three-year period 1944 46, in a referendum to be held on Saturday, July 24, in accord ance with War Food Administra- 1 tion regulations, announce Exten sion Service officials at State Col lege. National marketing quotas and ' state and farm acreage allotments ' will be the same as in 1943. with similar provisions for adjust ments as have prevailed in the past, it was explained. Before the quotas can become effective they must be approved by?a two-thirds' majority of all eligible farmers voting. At a meeting held in Haleigh, ' July 14, representatives of all the agricultural agencies in the state, warehousemen, bankers, merch ants. and other groups allied with 1 agriculture expressed the opinion that the present marketing quotas should be continued by all means In the interest of the farmer and all business connected ..with agri culture ill North Carolina. Dean I. O. Schaub of State College said: "It would be a great calamity for the farmers of North Carolina and the state as a whole if quotas were discon- 1 tlnued at this tiiiie and growers were allowed to plant an unlimit- ?' ed acreage ,qf tobacco^ Prices ' would probably drop to a very low figure and it would be years before the state could recover ! from the shock. Also, we must maintain our acreage of food and , feed crops in winning the war." "Commissioner \V. Kerr Scott and Governor J. Melville Broughton heartily concurred in thi< state- ? men(. Since crop quotas have been in effect, crop production has greatly increased: tobacco, 9 per cent; peanuts. 32; wheat. 51; < oats, 69; corn. 23; and hay. 66 percent. Larger yields and great- 1 er profits have come from less acres. o .1. I*. >STItOTHE|{, SH. J. P. Strut her. Sr., 83. died at j the home of his son, H. R.j Strotlier, here Sunday following a lengthy illness. Funeral services were /field from the St rot her home itonday at 4:00 p. m.. with the/Rev. For rest D. Hedden and -tlie Itev. E. D. Dodd officiating Burial fol lowed in the J?ranklinton city cemetery. ,/ Survivingare four sons. H. R. Strother Louisburg, W. M. Strothef* of Youngsville, J. B. Strother of Franklinton, and J. Strother. Jr.. of Oreer, S. C. : I two daughters, Mrs. Tobias Kearney of Henderson, and Miss Annie Strother of Louisburg; one sister. Mrs. Hettie Lloyd of War renton; one brother, C. R. Stro ther, of Louisburg; 11 grand childrep and one great-grand child. The pall bearers were A. B. Inscoe, B. L. Bragg, R. W. Wig- ' gins, U. G. Woodlief, Wyatt Con- , yers, J. T. Wright. o , MISS BESSIE MAE LANCASTER , Miss Bessie Mae Lancaster, 41, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. E. L. Lancaster, of Louisburg, died at Rex Hospital in Raleigh, Thursday of last week at 3 p. m. after an Illness of three weeks. Surviving are her parents; two sisters. Miss Beulah Lancas ter, of Raleigh, and Mrs. J. How ard Moye, of Greenville; and two nieces. Funeral services were held from the Pittman and Lancaster Funeral Chapel here Friday at 4 p. m., with Dr. A. Paul Bagby officiating. Interment followed in Oakwood Cemetery. Q ? NO LOSSES YET Washington, July 13. ? ! Secretary of the Navy Frank j Knox said today that thus far f there have been no reports of loss of any of the American warships which participated in { the Allied Invasion of Sicily. ( He told a press conference J he was "very much ({ratified" ^ with the role United States i ships played in the campaign. j He also reported he could j not disclose whether the Navy j suffered any losses in the second . battle of Kula (juif In the Solo- s inons, Japan lost four to six j ships In the engagement, ac- ( cording to reports from the , South Pacific. The optimistic report on fighting on two sides of the ? world was accompanicd, how ever, with a warning that the liattle of the Atlantic still was ' on and would continue "in [ greater or less degree" until | the end of the war. It would be "the worst kind ' of folly," Knox said, to assume 8 that recent good reports of an ti-submarine warfare meant that the war against the Ger man U-boat Is won. Two Convicted At OPA Hearing Minister and Federal Dep uty Collector of Revenue Lose Gas Rations Raleigh. ? A minister and a Federal deputy collector of rev enue were convicted here Tues day of charges of possession of loose gasoline coupons. The cases i were heard at an OPA hearing conducted by Daniel L. Bell, chief hearing commissioner of the Fourth OPA region. The minister ? Allen C. Edens, I Jr.. of Durham, Methodist min- ' ister? was charged with the pos-i session of two loose "B" gasollnel coupons. The judgment of Com-| missioner Bell was that Edens be suspended from acquiring, using. r>r consuming gasoline from mid night of July 12 until August 1. The other case involved James i H. White, of Washington. N. C? I deputy collector for the Depart ment of Internal Revenue, whb | was charged with "possession of a quantity of loose "C" coupons and with the use of "C" coupons illegally." Commissioner Bell urdered White's gasoline rations suspended for a period of 30 Says, beginning July 17. The administrative OPA hear- 1 ings were held in the Federal 1 court-room. Frank P. Spruill, Jr., 1 attorney for the Raleigh OPA district, presented the cases against Edens and White. Commissioner Bell formerly served in Raleigh as OPA ration ing attorney. His home is at Pittsboro. and he is a former judge of recorder's court in Chat liani County. American Bombs Reported On Jap Paramushiru Base Washington, J u*)/ IS.? Secret ary of the Nayy'Krank Knox to day refused -to confirm or deny | unofficial ^reports that American planes operating from newly-re conquered Attu Island In the Al [?utirtns have bombed Paramushiru Japan's. No. 1 naval base in the North Pacific. "There is nothing I can talk about", he said in reply to a press conference question. "I won't de ny or affirm it." President Roosevelt told his 1 press conference later he would go along with Knox's noncommit tal statement. Paramushiru. which guards the northern stepping stones to Tok yo and is comparable to Hawaii, lies 725 statute miles southwest] of Attu and is within easy range i af American heavy bombers. The only recent United States activity even approximately near that general area was reported . Monday by the Navy, which said that longrange bombers had blast- i ad four Jap cargo ships appar-|i jntly destined for isolated Kiska.j linking one, probably sinking an- i Jther and damaging the other I ;WO. > i (The Navy reported Tuesday I ;hat United States heavy and < medium bombers carried out three 1 1 -aids Monday against Kiska. last lap foothold in the Aleutians, but \ :hat bad weather prevented oh- ; servation of results.) The four ships were routed 280 i miles southwest of Attu and their position suggested that they night have come from Paramu- i jhiru, northernmost of the Kurile : Island chain which stretches from the Japanese home island of Hok 6aps and bounds. Even fertilizer is more expensive iind ha rde c/to get. All of thes*J increased' costs have gone into the lmdiing of every pound of tobjXfco. A conservative estimate Iftns the increased cost of this year's crop at 25 percent above last year." lie declared. "North Carolina farmers would be happy to receive last year's prices if their costs had been held down to last year's level. Hut since tile farmer's costs have been permitted to rise 25 per cent in one year, his crop prices must rise also." CI Recorder's Court Franklin County's Recorders Court held regular session oa Tuesday and disposed of the fol lowing cases: Woodrow Williams plead guil ty to no drivers license, discharg ed upon payment of costs. Dallas Blount was found not guilty of receiving stolen goods. Zollie Hayes plead guilty to - larceny, and was given 6 months on roads. Zollie Hayes, housebreaking and larceny, transferred to Su perior Court. Maryland Williams Conyers plead guilty to carrying conceal ed weapons, fined $50 and costs. William Duke, ^murder, dis charged for lack of probable cause. ?Raymond Strickland plead ?uilty to motor vehicle violation, ;o he discharged upon payment sf costs. Doris May, plead guilty to no irivers license, to be discharged upon payment of costs. Willie Wright plead guilty to jnlawful possession of whiskey, fined $10.00 and costs. William Dunston, assault with leadly weapon, remanded to J. R. Pearce, J. P. Samuel Perry West plead guil ty to no drivers license, prayer tor judgment continued. The following cases were con tinued: Oliver O. Barbour, speeding. ? Hubert Perry, manufacturing whiskey. Edwin Jones, operating auto mobile intoxicated. Lee Burnette, operating auto mobile intoxicated, no drivers li cense. Lewis King, unlawful posses sion of whiskey. R. L. Peoples, operating auto mobile intoxicated, no drivers li cense. o $265,000,000 A DAY Washington, July 13. ? Uncle Sum's war expenditures, which for the last three years have averaged ahout $90,000,000 dally, ?re expected by the Treas ury Department to reach the great sum of $265,000,000 for every day during the fiscal year which started July 1. This was disclosed here by Chairman Cannon (l)-Mo.) of the House Appropriations Com mittee on the basts of a report from Daniel W. ltell, Undersec retary of (lie Treasury. Actual expenditures on the war program during the three years from July I, MMO to July 1, 1043, Bell disclosed, were *1 04.421, OOO.OOO. From a modest beginning of #?. 301, OOO.OOO spent during the fiscal year I94& expendi tures on the war-activities pro gram amo tinted to 938,011, 000,000 for 1048 and 97*, 100,000,000 for 1M8,