North Carolina Newspapers

Witch The Libel On Your Piper, Ai It Carrie? The Dite Your Subm-iption Expiree THE ENTERPRISE Advertiser! Will Find Our Col umn! A Latchkey To Over 1,600 Homes Of M i r 11 n County. VOLUME XLIV?NUMBER 98 Uilliamtton. Martin County, Korth Carolina, Tuesday, December 9, 1941. ESTABLISHED 1899 German Declaration Of War On United States Expected Judge Henry L. Stevens Makes Stirring Patriotic Addresses To Two Audiences Here Yesterday Describes Japanese Attack As The Most Dastardly Yet Made It Is Now Time To Realize That Situation Is Not a I National Joke in a stirring patriotic address. punctuated by experiences gained in World War No. 1 and linked closely with the dastardly Japanese attack made upon American lives and prop erty last Sunday, Superior Court Judge Henry L. Stevens, former Na tional Commander of the American Legion, pleaded last night before a small audience in the American Le gion hut for guns, supplies and sup port to our armed forces and com mander-in-chief sufficient to "whip ten Japans." His address, a part of a program arranged around a dedi catory program and the presentation of John W Hassell's portrait, was well received. Extending congratulations to the legionnaires for the work they had accomplished. Judge Stevens said he hardly knew what to say. but seconds later he had taken up the treachery of a double-crossing Japanese mili tarists as his subject, and he con demned the aggressors, pausing often to say that Americanism would win the battle. "I feel vastly different tonight from the way 1 felt last Saturday," Judge Stevens said. "1 was worried about the people taking the serious situation facing this country as a na tional joke. Soldiers and sailors were running home week-ends People were griping and bellyaching be cause thev could not buy gas from 7 to 7>Thi-y w ere sore because the stiects weie durkoned a few nights. It appeered that people werenet willing to make even small sacri fice Put maybe it was not so bad i.her ail, ior as news started coming in Sunday night from Pearl Harbor, one's mryes begun to tingle. An en emy bad challenged our integrity, our freedom and our way of life, and we fed tl i, and feel now that under God we will protect that integrity, that fieedom and that way of life. "Those treacherous, sawed-off, double-ciossing yellow Japs struck foi l blows below the belt. They did not cay w ar would start at a certain time but on a balmy Sunday after noon just .i few days before Christ's! buthdaj and when our troops were i relaxed and on leave for the week end and when the scheming envoys were talking peace in Washington they advanced one of the most das tardly attacks ever made by any government, superceding German tactics if such are possible. "In the last war," Judge Stevens continued, "I was a captain of a ma chine gun company just as our hero whose memory we honor here to night was. At that time I faulted German military leadership and not the people for the debacle. After 20 years I have decided I was wrong. I have seen the German people, as a whole, burrow under and plow over country after country. I now [ blame it on every man, woman and child in Germany. It is a bloody at titude, but I only wish they had turned us loose instead of stopping us on November 11, 1918, and allow- i ed us to kill the barbarians down to ( the cradle, for from the time of the I Hun, they have caused trouble. I believe Germany instigated and ini tiated the Japanese attack on Ha waii. "But with that attack heretofore discordant chords have been har monized and unified. Grievances have been banished, and where we (Continued on page four) No One Hurt When Automobiles Crash No one was hurt and no great property damage resulted when Brownie Whitehurst crashed his 35 model car into the rear of an old 29 model driven by Jesse B. Williams, colored, on the old River Road be tween Hamilton and Palmyra last Thursday night. Damage to both cars was estimated at $50 by Patrolman Whit Saunders who investigated the accident soon after it was reported the following day. After plowing into the Williams car, Whitehurst apparently lost con trol of his machine and it continued into a nearby yard, coming to a stop only after striking a tree. Whitehurst claims Williams was parked in the highway. Both were charged with careless and reckless driving and were given a hearing last evening. CALL FOR MEN! v, / Due to the state of war that now exists, the United States Marine Corps needs men ur gently. Men between the ages of 17 and 30, now have an oppor tunity to enlist in the most out standing military organisation in the world. The Marine Corps has always played an important and bril liant part in all wars that the United States was involved in. At this time, those who want to show their true patriotism for our country, may enlist at the Raleigh recruiting station for the duartion of the emergency in the Marine Corps. Timely Program For Dedication Of Post Hut Monday Night Portrait of Ijitr John W. Hatt M-ll PretM'iitnl to legion I'oM Bearing Hi* Name Free of debt and growing, the John Walton Hassell Post. No. 163, of the American Legion dedicated its building on Watts Street here last evening with a timely and very fitting program which was featured by the presentation of John Walton Hassell'i portrait and by an address by a former National Commander of the American Legion, Judge Henry L. Stevens John Walton Hassell, a native of Williamston, was the first American officer from Martin County to give his life for his country in the first World's War, and strangely enough the program to do honor to his mem ory was scheduled for the same day in which the Congress of the United States declared a state of war exist ed between this country and Japan. The program last evening rekin dled in the minds of the small crowd the value of Americanism and the American way of life, and made one feel that Mr. Hassell and the millions of others who sacrificed their lives did not do so in vain. Miss Clyde Hassell, sisiter of Mr Hassell who was among the first from this county to volunteer his services !h 1817, presented the por trait to the Legion post and it was unveiled by little Miss Mary Caro lyn Leggett, a cousin of the late Mr. Hassell. The portrait was accepted for the post by Elbert S. Peel who read a brief review of Mr. Hassell's life and a letter describing him in service and his death in France on i July 18, 1918. "The same challenge J that faced Mr. Hassell in 1917 faces us today," Mr. Peel commented. The local Legion Post first con sidered the construction of a home back in 1935 A building committee was named and a few years later the structure was completed The debt remaining after Legionnaires and friends had contributed their serv- j ices, money and material was clear- j ed with profits from the fair held this year. The key was presented to \ H. G. Horton, representative of Com mander J. R. Winslow who was un able to attend on account of a death in his family. J. Sam Getsinger, a member of the Legion, read a resolution of appre ciation for the support accorded the post in the construction of the build-1 ing. Time To Forget All Grievances, Jurist Tells Grand Jurors ? By llie Grace and Help of God We Will Handle the Job Now Before U? Addressing the quarterly meet ing of the Martin County grand iurv here yesterday. Judge Henry Stev ens called for a united effort in the fight against aggressors, and said that by the grace and help of God we will handle the task now before us. Explaining to the jurymen that he had already outlined their duties in a previous charge, Judge Stevens said that thp last report showed ev erything was in good shape and that he wanted to congratulate the peo ple for the splendid condition Con sidering it unnecessary to make a detailed survey of offices. * school j busses and other public property, the jurist instructed the jurymen their only duty this term was to pass on the bills of indictment and file their report. In a charge lasting less than five minutes, Judge Stevens, past nation- I al commander of the American Le- \ gion, stated that this country is how ] at war. "I don't care wether you like the President and the government or not, but he is our President and this government is our government, and we want to keep them. We want to keep all that is fine and good and just It is time to bury all our griev ances and do our level best to save this country which has been brought about by sweat and blood. We want (Continued on page foifi > Sailors Return To Posts In Numbers Advised of the new emergency ere- j ated by the dastardly anion of Ja pan, sailors returning to their sta tions, traveled through here in large numbers late Sunday. Agent Banks estimated that more than 100 of the service men were aboard the eleven \ busses operating on two schedules Sunday night. Their cash running low, many more were bumming their way back to Norfolk to report to i their station officers. It was also stated that quite a few traveled by ( private conveyance through here during the late afternoon and night. | A few soldiers were in this area over the week-end, but most of them were returning to their stations even i before the emergency was created. Others made immediate arrange ments to report for duty. Raleigh Harrington, a member of the Army Air Corps, was advised by telephone about 1 o'clock yesterday morning to return to his station in Georgia. Dan iel Lilley, home from Allsbrook Field in the Canal Zone, said yes terday he was looking for a tele gram momentarily advising him to return. Young Lilley, stating that hi was/ready to go, just recently came home on a furlough to stay until af ter Christmas. No official announcement had been made early today, but it is not considered likely that the service men will be granted furloughs dur ing the Christmas season. However, it is possible that some few will be able to visit home during the per iod. Navy Issues Urgent Call For More Young Men Immediately Following Japan's dastardly at tack on American life and property Sunday, service recruiting stations have been crowded with volunteers, early reports stating that the call to the youth of the land was being an swered 10 now to one when war broke out on April 6, 1917. "The United States is at war and the need for men in America's fight ing Navy is urgent," today asserted Lt.-Comdr. McFarland W. Wood, officer-in-charge of Navy recruiting in the Carolines. "Carolinians have always been foremost in defending this country in time of war and I am sure the peo ple of these two Southern states will not fail to Respond now," he declar ed. I "During all the wars in America's | history, the men in North Carolina and South Carolina have joined the colors to fight off attackers, and a quick, large muster of recruits is ex pected from the Carolines to help de ' fend the nation in this times of eris is | "The Navy is relaxing its physical standards to enlist men between 17 and 49 years of age in the regular Navy or Naval Reserve. Men with physical defects will be accepted if the defects can be corrected after entrance into service. Applicants who have been previously physical rejections or who think they might be rejected are asked to contact their nearest recruiting station, t "All active men between the ages | of 17 and 49 may now take a definite step toward defending America by applying at Navy recruiting stations in North Carolina at Raleigh, Char lotte, Greensboro, Salisbury, Ashe : ville. New Bern, Wilmington, or in j South Carolina at Columbia, Spar tanburg, Greenville, Florence or Charleston. Hie Raleigh recruiting station and the 11 sub-stations over North and South Carolina have gone on full war-time footing, with all recruiters I being placed on 14-hour call. Nazis Give Up Hope Of Taking Russian Capital This Winter Yen, Kiissia Is Still Fighting The German Barbarians, \ml Winning. Too Pushed into the background on the front pages of the American press, the struggle in Russia con tinues just the same with the Rus sians claiming victories over the in vaders around Tula. The Nazis, said to have virtually abandoned all hope of taking Moscow this winter, are certain to have suffered terrific losses during recent days. An uncon firmed report states that the Ger mans have lost six million men since the invasion was started last June. The official report coming from Berlin announcing the viFlll&l Wlth drawal from the Moscow front and delayed plans for its attack is a bit baffling since one scoundrel, Adolf Hitler, said a short time ago that the Russian Armies had been smashed and that Moscow would be taken be fore Christmas. It is difficult to un derstand how Hitler is going to ex plain to his people the failure of the German armies in their Russian cam paign. The battle of Russia is still progressing at a fierce pace. The German announcement can mean one or many things. It can mean that Hitler is withdrawing from Russia 111 preparation for an all-out attack on England. He may be planning to tighten the blockade around the British Isles and go back to Russia when the weather is more inviting. Many of his men have froz en to death in the cold that has sent the mercury to points as low as 30 degrees below zero, arid winter has not struck in all its fury yet On thf African front, the Germans are said to be withdrawing east of Tobriik without a decisive turn in the desert fighting. A report from Uruguay this morn ing stating that a German battleship of the Graf Spee type was operating off the coast of South America. Aside from talking over a possible court martial for those responsible for the poor defense 111 Hawaii Sun day, Congressional and department al leaders are discussing a iou nil lion dollar victory program. It was declared today that the Jap anese had lost .heavily as well as America in the Sunday fighting, and the claim that Japan had gained an upper hand hi tin Pacp n wa given little credence Mexico vvi. aid t-?d .\ !?.? have de elared war on .Lip-m I" <? ting tin- to tal enema of the boasting little Pa cific empire to twi tve. A late n i^ort.m.Miifirmed. stated that a laig numb' i > I planes had been dispati 1. :d 11 om Mitchell Field, New?Vol U?-t?i?tiu?\t hnitie?patrol, and that all families m and near the field had br'eh "id red to vacate. The possibility ot ;? blackout all along the entire East( i n Seaboard was men tioned. Long I land arid New York City had an air raid warning at 1 25 this afternoon, tin all-clear signal coming-fifte n n.imito later It was believed to V.ITVi been a Test, the Army st.iti. ; that it had been un able to find any"n lanes previously reported ofi tin Atlantic Coast. Young Bov Hurt In Auto Widen! Hero Bllhe Cu!l:pln r. Jr., \A years old, suffered ?i broken leg and was slightly _bruwhen In- rude his bicycle into the path of Mr George H. Harr'sort's ear on East Main Street, n< aV the Presbyterian church yesterday morning about 10:30 o'clock. The buy was running a school errand when lie was hurl. Riding (a t on the : treet, Culti pher turned *t-i the left of a ear that was backing front a parking place and into the path of the Harrison car which was traveling slowly at the time. The victim was picked up by Mr. Harrison and removed to the Brown hospital where he is reported to be getting along all right. Both bones in the boy's left leg were brok en. NEW SCHEDULE A new schedule fur the school holidays in this county was an nounced ysterdav, the super intendent statin* thai most of the white schools would eloae on Friday of real week and reopen on Janucrv 5th. If was not cer tain todc.y wlirther Jamesvllle and Bear Orate would close for the full two weeks or reopen on January 1st the date proposed in the first schedule. Teachers and several ol tee committees asked for the lon*er holiday. Most of the eolored schools will close on the 19th and re open on the Ilith, the others to eloae on the first date and re open on the 1st, but in no eaaea will the colored schools hiyt a Iwo-weeka holiday. Serious Reverses Experienced By United States Following A Declaration 01 War By Japan American Diplomats Are Ready To Leave ^ ithin A Few Hours Our Dissenting Vote (last As I Jiited States Declares War I On Moinlav Afternoon A formal declaration of war by Germany against the United States I ui expected wilhina lew hours, ac-! cording to a hews report coming out of Stockholm, Sweden, this morn ing The report stated that Ameri can diplomats had already packed their earthly belongings and were ready to leave Germany on short notice. Later reports stated that the American diplomats had already left Berlin. Virtually recognizing a state of war to exist between this country and Germany, the American people could see immediately no marked change in the situation that reached far reaching and serious proportions two-days ago. The action is certain to have a definite meaning in that Germany may center a greater force in the Atlantic in an effort to tight en a blockade around Britain and thwart the delivery of lease-lend supplies. It was also pointed out that such action would make it almost impossible for German naval ?units to go to Japan's aid in the Pacific, but there is the possibility that Ja pan and Germany believe their sep arate forces are adequate to handle the situation in both oceans Typical of the Germany we have been warned against, the govern ment has told its people that the | United States first attacked Japan and that the attack was without pro vocation. Under such conditions, false, of course, and in accordance with the tripartie pact, Germany niuKt declare?war nn the United States. Air raid warnings were sounded in New York soon after talk of the war declaration was heard. Local Toy Collection Wry Disappointing Old Santa Clans will not bo bur jdi iud with toys or other articles whon he starts his visits to the hum j hie honu s of this community ttrtsr Christmas. The collection of toys, | sponsored by the local Kiwanis Club here last Saturday, was very | disappointing. Canvassing the town, tin' youths gathered hardly enough toys and other articles to fill more than one or two scant packs. No one is being asked to discard a single toy that might afford joy to the owner, but housewives are earn estly urged to contribute those toys the usefulness of which in their homes has long since gone. Those who found it inconvenient to gather the toys, old clothing or other ar ticles last Saturday are asked to leave word at The Enterprise office and Professor I) N Hix will send a n - enger for the bundle. If you have a spare dollar or two to spare in the name of needy hu manity right here at home, hand it or mail it to Rev. John W. Hardy, treasurer of the Christmas Cheer movement. DonT wait to be canvass ed fhr a donation. Send it today. KKFKRI MM M In the heat of the war now raging, Martin County farmers are urged not to forget to partic ipate in the cotton referendum scheduled throughout the Cotton belt next Saturday. Colling places will be opened in most of the townships for the conven ience of the cotton growers. It will be a long time before Japan will buy any more cotton production is almost certain to break down the price. This coun ty voted 1,030 for and none against cotton quotas a year ago. Every farmer is urged to help maintain that record on Satur day of this week. Superior Court In Final Session Of Term On Tuesday Human I.iff Apparently t ar rif?> (iuinparutivfly l ittle Value in Tlii? County ? Opening a week's term of Martin Superioi Court here yesterday morn ing for the trial of both criminal ami ciy11 cases, Judge Henry \. Stevens cleared the docket and adjourned the tribunal at 11:40 this morning The docket, despite two murder cases, attracted very little attention, and the records of the court appar ently show that human life appar ently carries little value in this coun ty. Proceedings of the court Henry Ellison, charged with drunken driving, failed to appear for trial and papers were Issued a see ond time for his arrest Pleading guilty in the case charg ing him with an assault, () H Boyd was given a 30 days suspended road term on condition that he pay costs amounting to approximately $130 The ease charging (J E llviiiaii and James Johnson with forgery was no I pressed. Mack Peterson, the colored man who stabbed and killed George Pur rington.in Williamston's beer garden district a few Weeks ago, was plead ed guilty on a charge of manslaugh ter and was sentenced to State Prison for not less than three and not more than five years Charged with temporary larceny, Thomas Ryaii, Jr., was found not guilty Leamon Mizel'le, charged with reckless driving and manslaughter. was released, the court directing a 'verdict of not guilty I The case charging Howard Grif I fin with forging J II Gaylord's nana i to a check in the sum of $14 32 and cashed by a Wilhamston hotel clerk was continued. A verdict of not guilty wa direct ed by the court in the case charging | John K Bryant with drunken driv ling and manslaughter -Solicitor-fftf I liam told till' court that tin St,?t? I would, not be justified on the basis . of the evidence in asking for a ver (-diet of guilty. ^ I Charged with seduction," Ervin iCulliphcr was given a two years' (Continued on page four) Williamston Native Captain Of Battleship In The Pacific Williamsotn and Martin County I art- well represented in the thick of : the fight between thia nation and the treacherous Japs in the Pacific. I Complete details are not to be had, I ut at least half dozen men from this < aunty are attached to the Pacific fleet or are stationed at Pearl Har -bor, according to indirect reports heard here during the past few hous. Hi liable reports that Don Godwin, a native of Williamston, is captain of the Battleship Maryland, that the ship was accompanying other ships m Pearl Harbor,, Hawaii, when one of the group was sunk. It is believed here that Captain Godwin sailed his : hip with its crew of approximate ly 2 nOO men out of the harbor to en gage the Japs in battle soon after the Mirprise attack was directed on the harbor and other strategic cen ters in the Pacific. Meagre informa tion has been received, but accord ing to reports a big naval engage ment was underway in the Pacific ronn after the attack and again yes terday morning. Captain Godwin took command of the Maryland only a few weeks ago I Mrs. Joe Mike Mitchell hovered close to the radio here long hours yesterday anxiously awaiting reports from the new war zone that might throw some light on the whereabouts of her boy, who is with the Pacific fleet. She wiped an occasional tear from her face, holding back many others. James White, nephew of Mrs. C. D. Carstarphen, is in Hawaii. Martin County boys believed to la in the war arena either in the army or navy include Arthur Adams, John Hardy, Elmer Winberry. "Shorty" and George Ben Warren, L I) Roe buck, Jr., Winston Murray Cargih*. Trotman Nobles, Staton Everett, Wil liam Cherry, Eli Gurganus and pos sibly others. Cargile and Nobles are members of the U. S. S. Oklahoma, believed to have been?the battleship that was sunk in Pearl Harbor. Eli Gurganus, son of Mrs. Mary Bonner Gurganus, was reported to have sail ed on his ship carrying a lumber car go to Pearl Harbor some time after the middle of November. If other sections are as well represented in the Pacific as this county is, the U. S. must have a formidable force now turning on the double-crossing das tards. Three Thousand Are killed imd Wounded In II uwuiiun Attack til riiian* \re Told 1 . S. At tanked Japan Fir*t ami W itliout ( au^e Desci ibed as the most treacherous and dastardly attack m all military auna Is. double-crossing Japan brought war home in a tragic way to tl ^ United Stales Sunday, killing and wounding J.000 persons, includ ing 350 American soldiers, and fan ning tlie war flame into ?1 world wide eonflagration. A declaration of war bv Germany on the United States, according to a report early this morning from -Sweden, is expected within a few hour.. It is an all-out affair with the first advantage going to the treacH < rOus attackers. Dazed and still suffering a dull ache from the first blow oh the nose, this country is now rapidly whipping its defenses into shape, observers stating that the German-inspired, j double crossing, sawed-off yellow skunks have scored their greatest victory That they will make more progress is not to be doubted. That the struggle now underway will last a long time is recognized in reliable quarters as certain. The declaration of.war by Japan, coming after the brutal and surprise attack was made and when Japanese envoys were talking peace in Wash ington. solidified American opinion m a matter of seconds What we had been asked to do by our government and which we had argued a bp u t and put off we came together as one to take action. The die has been cast. President Roosevelt will speak to the nation tonight for 30 minutes be ginning at 10 o'clock. He is expected to go into details as they relate to I the war and our plans for prosecut | ing the war. Possibly some of the re hpoi;ts. heard will be clarified. Until he spiaks tli' country is stfll bending it e.n loi r< ports and rumors of 11 ports. About 0 o'clock Sunday morning or about 2 o'clock Sunday afternoon, our time, Japanese planes made a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in the Territory of Hawaii Two ships, ;i battleship believed to have been the Oklahoma/and a destroyer were link in the harbor Other ships may have heeuudainaged Approximately 200 airplanes were damaged or de troyed Fifteen hundred persons, in cluding about J5o United States sol diers, were killed and a like number wounded. Two or three Japanese planes were shot down, but the sur : prise attack cuUghi' the defenders from then posts of duty in many in tanees That portion ot the United States fleet < capuig damage steam - oil out of the harbor later in the day, unofficial reports stating that a na val engagement followed. No report on such a battle has been received. From Hawaii, the attack was di rected, to other parts of the Pacific. jTbleh Anienean freigliters, one be tween San Francisco and Hawaii, wen attacked and sunk- Thailand folded up with ten hours, and re | ports today state that the Burma*" Road, China's life line, had been at tacked Wake and Guam Islands, econdary American bases, are re ported to have fallen into the hands ,of the invaders Attacks were made ii the strong British base of Singa jxiie, killing sixty persons and I wounding nearly 200 others. Inva sion efforts are being made in oth (Contniued on page four) Man Is Injured In Vutomohile Wreck Joshua Rascoe, local colored man, was painfully but not seriously cut on the head in an automobile' acci dent near Mickey's Inn on Highway U4 last Sunday evening at 7:30 o'clock Rascoe was not injured In the wreck itself, according to one re port which stated that his head was pusher! through the windshield by u no tin i passenger who. >tampeded out of the ear. Rascoe was hospital ized and later discharged w ith sever al stitches in his head. Ira Clark, driver of the car in which Rascoe and several other col ored boys were riding, ran into the back end of a car driven by Hardy 11. Smallwood. Damage to the cars was estimated at $25 by Patrolman Saunders Charlie Clark, one of the passengeis in the Ira Clark car, was arrested. Patrolman Saunders stat rig that Charlie while in a drunken i mdition drove the car after the ac cident.