i I |ii ii ■
NOBTH CAROLINA, FKIIUY, AUGUST t, IMS
• mi 'WT < YI
TOBACCO AVERAGES $4150
IN SAUS ON BORDER BELT
;
Ceiling Average Paid as
Auction Season Opens;
Commoft Leaf Setting
High
Raleigh, Aug. 2.—Tobacco Farmers
of the Carolinas began exchanging
their golden weed for criap greenbacks
yesterday as the sales season
opened on the 16 markets of the
Border Belt with a price average of
approximately $44.50 per hundred
pounds.
Opening sales were regarded as
considerably better than in 1944
both in regard to price and volume.
The opening day average Uurt year
was $43-12, while the opening in
1943 was $41.23.
Sales began yesterday on aeven
markets in North Carolina and nine
in South Carolina. Although the
opening was a week earlier than
last year, when a fruitless effort to
obtain a higher OPA ceiling was
made, the volume was reported to
be considerably larger than that of
the 1944 opening. Farmers general,
ly reported that the crop of 1945
was about three weeks earlier- than
the crop last year.
Higher Ceiling.
The ceiling of $44.50 per hundred
in effect this year is $1 higher than
the ceiling in effect last year. A
number of growers offering tobacco
on the North Carolina markets of
the belt yesterday expressed the
opinion that the increased ceiling
price reflected the approximate
boost in the opening averages,
while others thought the increase
yesterday was more than the OPA
allowance . The growers generally
were well-pleased with the opening
day prices. Very few notes of
dissatisfaction were heard, and few
tags were turned.
Common Leaf Sells High.
A large volume of common tobacco
was offered yesterday, and as
in the opening last year growers
and tobacconists commented at
length concerning the very slight
variance in price between common
and good tobacco. Much of the tobacco
marketed yesterday at high
prices would hardly have been considered
worth selling in prewar years.
The U. S. Department of Agriculture,
the N. C. Department of Agriculture
and the S. C. Department of
Agriculture, in a combined report,
said the opening prices yesterday
were $1 to $4 per hundred" higher
than the opening last year. The report
revealed that best nondescript
showed an advance of $11, averaging
$37. Bulk sales ranged from
$44 to $46, with a few lots selling
up to $48. Hie lowest price reported
was $22 for poorest thin nonder
^script. There was a larger proportion
of lower qualities and less
choice and fine. Offerings were
composed principally of fine to fq)r
lugs and fair to lotf primings and
cutters. Logs predominated.
Because of recent rains, damaged
tobacco appeared on some floors.
Lt Lewis S. Bullock
Injured In Florida
Around Camp Blanding friends of
Lt Lewis S. Bullock are congratulating
him for not "losing: his head"
while out on a recent night problem.
He and a companion were traveling
in a jeep (without lights) deep in the
combat area in search of two lost
platoons. Rain, steady and incessant,
made the going even more dangerous
in the stjrgain darkness of the night.
They ran into a single strand of barbed
wire, throat high, and both'irera
badly cut, his companion dangerously
so. Had they not been able to atop
so quickly, both would have been decapitated.
Lt Bullock has been discharged
from the hospital, but his
companion will have to remain for
several weeks.
Lt and Mrs. Bullock send greetings
to their friends in tUs section
and would welcome a line from them.
Their address is 1476 Avondale Avenue,
Jacksonville, Florida. Standard-Laconic.
Debnam Gets Citation
For Covering Attack
Snow Hill.—War Correspondent W.
E. Debnam of Radio StattoavJVTTF
has bean presented a citation frt
"courage and bravery" in accompanying
members of « parachate and
glider assault unit in an attack upon
Jap-held air strip in northern Luzon
on J«n« 21. The citation was presented
by Gen. Walter Kroger, commanding
general of the 11th Airbom.
Division on Luxon _
WAR IN BRIEF
Oreataiat jut raid of all time ia deSuperforts
carrying 6,000 tons of
incendiary apd high-explosive bombs.
All of targwte Had been givea advance
warning of attack.
Carrier plaaee and warship* attack
bypassed Wake Island as radio
blackout shrouding the Third-Fleet
extends to 60th hour.
Far Eastern Air Force play blast
targets on Kyushu and ia adjacent
waters despite bad weather.
Chinese troops capture Shangkao aa
they continue drive.
Japs claim their war industries
have been moved to rural areas to
escape bombings.
Momentous "Big Three' conference
ends at Potsdam and long-awaited
statement will be released today..
President Truman flies to F.ngjand
Thursday to meet King George.
* Former G-Man Melvin Purvis is revealed
to be helping in hunt for/war
criminals in Germany.
Pierre Laval ia placed in Paris prison
to await trial as traitor.
Letter of Admiral Leahy Is presented
in defense of Marshal Pefaain.
Army's new P-80 "Shooting Star"
flies from Dayton to New York at
speed of more than 500 miles per
hour.
Churchill Moves Out •
London, July 31.—Winston Churchill
today moved out of No. 10 Dawning
Street, resident of Britain's Prime
Ministers, after five years of occupation.
• ■
The war premier, whose party was
defeated in the July 5 general elections,
went to spend a few days at
his country house at Weeterfcavem
Kent, his secretary said, and was
feeling "qvfite fit and well."
Give Release
To Roosevelt
Will Retire From Army
Air Force On August
the 15th
Washington, Aug. 1.—Brig. Gen
Elliott Roosevelt will return to civilian
life August lb.
His release from the army air forces
was arras fed, however, the army insisted
last night, before the recent
headline flurry that led to a congressional
inquiry into reported loans
made to the late President's second
son.
It follows Roosevelt's own request
for retirement, completion of two
assignments growing out of his European
war experiences and the faet,
the army said, that "there was no
requirement for his services m the
Pacific which could not be filled by
another available and qualified officer.
The youthful general became a
new storm center early in June with
published reports that he had borrowed
$200,000 to finance a Texas
radio enterprise in 1939 and that
the loan latep was settfed for $4,000.
The reports said John Hartfond,
president of the great Atlantic and
Pacific Tea Company listed the remaining
$196,000 ab\ bad debt tn his
1942 income tax retprn.
The statement said Roosevelt ask-,
ed for his release on May H "'if
there was no need for his services
in the Pacific."
SURRENDERS
Frankfort on the Main, July 3L—
Pierre Laval, expelled from Spain,
flew to Austria and surrendered today
to U. S. occupation authorities who
arranged tf> hand him over to Franca
at once.
The swarthy* former chief of the
Vichy, government^ who is «harged
with collaboration with the Germans,
arrived with his wife in a Junkets"
188 manned by two German
pilots.
Plane Crah
ToH Is Placed
At Thirteen
I . •- ■»*£*• • •* -..--.if - «rW' ' ? 'Jf >_ '■
Empire State Building
Reopened For Business
Today
New York, July 30.—Business was
rammed today cm 76 floor* of the
102-story Empire State building',
where Saturday a B-25 bomber crashed
Into the 79th floor, killing' 18 persons
and Injuring' 26 others.
Soafe confusion was reported in
the lobby, because only four of 10
elevator* serving the 66th to 102nd
floors were operating. Other elevators
operated at reduced speed
Preparations were being-made to
set up temporary headquarters for
those offices closed above the 76th
floor. Offices of the National Catholic
Welfare Council, where the
plane struck, were closed, as was the
observation tower.
Workmen continued to clear away
rubble at the scene of the crash.
An Amy board of injniry checked
the wreckage on the 79th floor
of the building-—913 feet above Fifth
Avenue—for causes _of the spectacular
crash.
Army officials made no definite
statement regarding damage to the
building, which Gen. Drum at first
believed would amount to $500,000
but later said could not yet be accurately
estimated,
However, Artny Public Relations
officers said that in similar cases
the Army ordinarily has assumed all
responsibility.
Gen. Ira Eaker, deputy, commander
of the Army Air Forces told Mayor
F. H. LaGuardia in a letter made public
yesterday of the sympathy of the
AAF for "all your citizens killed, injured
or disturbed by the disaster."
- Eight of the 13 crash victims had
been identified yesterday, including
the three aboard the B-25 twoengined
"Bjlly Mitchell" bomber
bound for the Newark, N. J., airport
The three men were Lt Col. William
F. Smith, Jr., 27, Walertown,
Mass., the B-25 pilot; T. Sgt Christopher
S. Domitrovich, 31 Granite
City, I1L; place engineer, and aviation
machinist mate Albert G. Perna.
19, Brooklyn, who had hitched
a ride on the plane.
Most of the remaining victims
were women stenographers employed
in the 79th floor* offices of the
National Catholic Welfare Conference,
caught beneath falling office
partitions when the heavy wreckage
of the plane hurtled through
the building. Flaming gasoline flooded
the 79th and adjoining floors,
burning victims and making identification
difficult.
The pilot bad bean in radio communication
with LstGoanctia Field
a few nrinutw before the crash, and
was told by the control tower that
it could not "see the top of the Empire
State Building." The B-25 continued
southward along Fifth Avenue,
hitting the huge building squarely
just before 10 a. m. Saturday.
Three Mere Weeks |
Of Meadows Trial
■ .
Greenville, Aug. 1.—The defense in
the trial of Dr. Leon R. Meadows
for false pretense and embezzlement,
neared the end of its direct examination
at Frank P. Wall today. Wall,
a certified public accountant of Raleigh,
was employed by Meadows to
fhake an audit of funds handled by
him while President of East Carolina
Teachers College. In his testimony
Wall has given an item by item
explanation of entries in Meadows'
memo books and declared that he allowed
Meadows' credit for them on
the basis of substantiating documents
of Meadows' satisfactory explanation.
Practically all the same items
had been disallowed by M. L. Widehhouse,
of the state auditing department,
one of the chief prosecution
witnesses.
Wall's direct testimony was expected
to be concluded late today or
by noon tosnerrow, Solicitor 1). M.
Clark is scheduled to conduct the
cross examination.
Defease counsel indicated today
it probably would conclude its evidence
by the end of this week or by
next Monday. After the defense rests
the prosecution will present rebuttal
witnesses that will require prsbaWy
a week of mere after which the
lawyers will get the case for argument
Baaed on the previous trial the
case could hardly be concluded before
Saturday, August 18, sod it !
very probably that it might be a
week later before the end is reach
Statement To World
Now Expected Friday;
Truman To Meet King
George May
Potsdam, Aug. 2.—Hie historymaking
conference of the "Biff Three"
has ended, an announcement at 2:19
a. m., today said, and a report en
their decisions was expected to be
made to the world tomorrow.
The final meeting at President
Troman, Premier Statin and Prima
Minister Attiee was concluded "hall
an hour after midnight, the official
statement said.
At the same time, it waa disclosed
that^the conference sessions had
been held at CecBienhof, former
resident of the German Crown
Prince.
To the end, the leaders of the
world'8 three most powerful nations
adhenad to the self-imposed secrecy
behind which they have worked
here since July 7. '
Tomorrow.
An Army public relations officer
said the official communique covering
the actions of the conference
would be made available to correspondents
sometime tonight (Thursday)
for study, but that release
would be made simultaneously Friday
in Washington, London, Moscow
and Berlin. Correspondents
were excluded
from tonight's colorful fipale in a
rococco hall where the Hohenxollern
princes once entertained. A request
from a press conference with the
"Big Three" or their foreign secretaries
was declined.
There was aa yet no announcement
that the final ceremonies had been
concluded.
The three chieftains held a long
plenary session this afternoon.
Planes Wait
As they moved through the closing
diplomatic formalities, a fleet
of transfort planes waited at a
nearby military airfield to whisk
Troman to Plymouth and a meeting
tomorrow with King George
VI, and to return Attiee to London
to take over the reins of the Laborite
government.
Stalin and Foreign Commissar
Vyacheslav Molotov may depart almost
immediately by special train
on the lon^ journey across the
Polish and Rusian plains to Moscow.
Surrounded by the mystery which
is created in human imagination
by things unknown, the "Bib Three"
worked intently, and forcefully
through 12 protracted business sessions.
The full score of what they accomplished
may not be disclosed for a
considerable time—perhaps not before
a decisive turn is reached in
the Japanese war.
In that respect, the Potsdajg. talks
may be akin in tone to those at
Tehran two yfears age, where the
coordinated -blows from East and
West against Germany were agreed
upon.
For affairs of the European continent
and the Mediterranean, the
Beriin conference represented a
direct continuation of the discussions
at Yalta last February, although
President Roosevelt's death
and Prime Minister Churchill's political
defeat had left Stalin the only
survivor of the original "Big Three."
Stalin, by lending the prestige of
his physical presence to the TfcumanChurchill-Chiang
Kai-shek ultimatum
from Potsdam to Japan, and
by consenting to the disclosure that
be had talked in the palace here
to Admiral Lord Lows Mountbatten,
Britain's highest commander in
the Far Eastern struggle, gave
strength to the widespread belief
that he actually was coordinating
Soviet military forces with those
of the United- States in the Asiatic
theater.
That development would surprise
neither the Japanese, who desperately
fear Russia, and who deeply
rspect Stalin's strategic ability.
Among the little body of United
States officer* and soldiers who
worked side by side with the Red
Army i&m in operating the shuttle
bomber bases around Poltava las!
year, there never has been douM
that Japan ultimately would feel -the
impact of Soviet power. „• • , if
There, on the dusty Ukraine fieldi
where a sudden German attack
once destroyed 71 United Stat*
bombers, a Mood brotherhood between
Americans and Russians, wai
CTnstiri in which confidences latel
NEWS OF OUR
BOYS IN SERVICE
<tome« Lelaad FWi^an, U8N son
«r »r. -d Ifa.
tioned it Point Mootan, Calif., has
bwm »»®««>ted from 8 2/ct»8 1/e.
b 1W ftatM
months duty in the Eorop<wn Thea
Z'JlT ****£* to rWy »»
we «fth Army. Pfc. Skinner has
2T2SLlt!l!!T ^ ** *"■*
U® te be home within * few
«y».
Home From Pacific
Pfc ^nua Bus, son of Mir. and
Mm. J. W. Bass, arrived at fee Moor*
General Hospital, AaheviDe, July 10,
after twelve msnths duty in the Pacific
Areaa. Pfc. «ass fa now s^end»
thirty day furlough visiting
relatives here and at Greenville. He
will import to Fort Oglethorpe, Ga.,
following his furlough.
Awarded Bnme Star
T/Sgt James M. Gibbe, son of Mr.
and Mm. J. c. Gibbs of FarmviHe,
has been awarded the Bronze Star
Medal for meritorious service against
«>e «a«»y in operation. hi Prance
and Germany. Gibbs served as persoimel
sergeant with a field artillerv
b*ttaiio". ■*» is credited with tiie
excellent handling of his writ's admiaistntve
functions. The oommendation
coven the period from August
1M* to April, IMS.
Awarded Medical Badge
With the Fifth Army, Italy. Private
Pint Class Ashley R. WainFaroville,
N. C., recently
was awarded the Medical Badge in
recognition of his having daily shared
with the doughboys the hasardsand
hardships of combat while serving
with an mfantry unit on the
"»«» Army front during the Italian
campaign.
Wainwright is a litter bearer with
RSth^ IT^Mtry 8*giment ot the
if 5 Devil" Division. His wife,
M«- Mattie B. Wainwright, lives in
Farmville. ,
A board The USS Guam
to The Pacific _ .
James B. Bailey, 28, pharmacist's
' £eW* Clmm* USNR> 210 West
IhOlJ!'• FarrnviJle' N* c-' served
aboard this unique battle cruiser while
she was proving her worth during
nearly si* months of combat from
2STE.*0 016 fringM ot jtLpaa''i®The
Gym, under the command of
Uvette' USN' m«*
r battle rebut on the morning of
■ami 18, during the now historic
two-day air strike against the Byukyus
and the Inland Sea ana of
Japan.
rJ%Z°f '£?£* h*W* cruii#er ^
credited with shooting down two Jap
tfanea as they attempted eakide dives1
«# a nearby aircraft carrier. Inaddi-1
tow. "he is credited with assists on
sue attacking: enemy planes, while her
12-inch guns haws poured tens of
steel on two Jap-held inimwi.
The Guam, the American version of
the pocket battieahip and * compara-!
lively recent addition to the Pacific
Fleet, cruised with her task foree off
Japanese? shores for 61 days. In ncent
operations, supporting the Okinawa
invasion, «he protected carrien
of her escort in a aeries at hattloc
Local Bey Decorated
Finney General Hospital, Ga.—Pfc.
Joe T. Baldree, of Farmville, N. C.,
has been presented the Oak Leaf
Cluster to the Purple Heart, the
Bronze Star and the Combat Infantryman
badge at Finney General Hospital,
it was announced recently by
Col. S. M. Browne, commanding officer.
Pfc. Baldree is convalescing at Finney
following his return from over
The presentation was made by Col.
Browne at retreat ceremony while
members of headquarters detachment
looked on.
The presentation was made in
recognition of: the Oak Leaf Cluster
was awanded for wmmris received
in action, the Bronze Star for heroic
or meritorious service in action, and
the Combat Badge for eoremplary
conduct in action.
* tat* Boy Goed
ATC Air Base, Cain, Egypt—Cpl.
Jack Yelverton, of Farmville, N. C.t
was recently sswigned to John H.
Payne Field, Cairo, Egypt, for duty
as an airplane mechanic. ..
Payne Fis* the huge air terminal
at Cairo, is the canter for NSAAF
Air Transport Command traffic moremints
through the Middle East to the
Asiatic Theater of Operations. With
redeployment of material and manpower
from Europe-to the war agaiast
Japan, Corporal Yelverton will pfcy
a big part in increased activity of the
North African Division of the Air
Transport Csmwwfl. ^
Hie North African DMsion imfer
the rnnivnaad of t^gy™- Gr^r*1
James S. StoweU is currently tngsg>ed
in a two fold program—rushing
vitally needed war materials to the
China front and at the same time
Local Stoma Have
A Freak Element
Fro* one of a acriea of tiieaderclouds,
that have visited tha community
this week. com a repat
from David Harris, young ft.' K. A.
superintendent, who saw a balt of
ligttaiag strike the Gngg «
the ffarmrillo-r»oatah» highway on
Wedneaday afternoon.
As Mr. Harris walked oot ob Ul
lawn maxm from the Grm house,
the lightafc* "track a belfry-Like
ornament on the roof and knocked
"Mr. Harria thnrf het The Aock
waa only temporary and watching for
effect of the bd£ on .the houae ct hia
neighbor, he afterwards aaw a ball of
fire come oat of the hole, hlaatqd by
the lightning, roll down on the roof
and into a gutter pipe to the ground.
Making an inspection later, Mr. Harria
waa unable to find any sign of a
blase or damage other than the hole.
Dr. Gregg, a former veterinarian of
Farmville, is now serving in the
United.State* Amy aa food inspector
at the Newton D. Baker Gtaecal
Hospital, Martmsbw*, W. Vs., with
the rank of Captair.. The bonne baa
been tuvocaaited since the Graggs left
two yean ago.
A tornado-like wind in the same
cloud, Wednesday, blew over tress
and did soma damage te buildings on
the Pieroe farm four miles from
town. .
Mr. Harris was about a half mile
from the tobacco bam struck by
lightning on the C. L. Beaman farm,
Tuesday afternoon, and sedated in
removing curing equipment from the
ban, which waa browed
A weather foraewt far this ana
states thai scattered afternoon and
•evening thunder ahowors may be expected
through August 4, with normal
to slightly above normal temperatures
prevailing.
Washington, July 8L—A government
fuel expert testified today "1
expect all industry, including' steel
mills, to be on a four-d*y weA tins
winter" doe to a prospective 87,000,000-ton
coal deficit."
. Only two things could prevent each
a development, Dr. C. J. Potter,
deputy solid fuels administrator, told
the Senate War Investigating Committee.
1. The army could agree to furlough
80,000 coal miners to go to
work by October 1.
2. The warwith Japan could come
make up the prospective deficit
"This would be true even if we did
not send a pound at bituminous coal
to Eurepe." Ides told tbe Senate
War Investigating committee wkieh
it looking into the possibility at getting
miners discharged from the armed
foroes. «
tfcnt 6,000,000 tons of coal be
to liberated and neutral E
countries before 'not Jsnuaz
Goes Into 6Gtti Hmt;
Record Superfort Raid
First Marie Under New
Strategic A i r Command
of den. Spaatz
Guam, Aag. t.—in the gneeaaat single
sir raid sf all turn, MO Superfortnseea
May trapped MM tons
of iaesndttary bomb* ead tiro-ton
WoeUnialan OB four fosvaanaad Japtke
fhrst B-M strike nn.aliJ wider
command of On. Ciri L 8paarz'
United States Army Strategic Air
JPoieaa.
A gigantte sky train of Suparforte
stretching mora tfcaa 1M nrftaa over
devastation through the Honshu industrial
aad transportation eeaten
of HseMoji, Topams, Nagaolta and
Mho.
The tonnage- of bsmha eaeeaded
the weight dropped in the laigeet
previous single raids by both United
Stales and Royal Air Force heathen,
making it the greatest individual
aerial Mew struck in Watery.
Meantime United States Pacific
Fleet carrier planes and warships
attacked long bypaased Wake laland
yesterday as Adm. William F.
Halsey's Third Fleet remained under
a security Markhut now almost
60 hoars old.
The tiny island when a few Marines
held off the Japanese in a
heroic 14-day stead at the start of
the war was hi sated by warplane*
bombs and battleship shells, Adm.
Cheater W. NImiti announced
Attack 0* Wake
The attack, first in months by
major fleet unite on Wake, was designed
to haraM the hunger-weakened
garrison cot off from its homeland
by the Allied advance to the
threshold of Japan.
Several weeks ago United States
warship intercepted a Japanese hospital
ship carrying troops and civilian
workers suffering from malnutrition
back to the homeland.
The Japanese were permitted to
continue the voyage after the Americans
inspected the ahip to make certain
no important military personnel
were being evacuated.
Nimiti said a United Stales battleship
steamed up cloae to the islsnd
and battered it with heavy shells
while waiplanes were attacking.
The Jay—Me offered "slight opposition"
from shore batteries "and
anti-aircraft guna» There were no
American casualties and damage
to oar ships was "extremely minor,"
Nimiti said. Warship damage was
caused by shell fragments, indicating
thai, the Japanese did not soore
any direct hits, with their rfieUe
exploding in the water.
. With more than 000 Japanese evacuated
from Wake a Tnonth ago
aboard the hospital ship, it was believed
that only about 2,000 of them
remained on the island.
Nimits' bulletin did not disclose
whether Hal say's fleet was atill
which started July 10"and cost the
Tmwn M77 planes and 967 ships
dsstmyed or damaged. The last action
by carrier planes was against
Tokyo and Cental' Bonrhn on Moua&y,
although warships bombarded
Tokyo, early Tueeday morning.
Nimits disclosed that li*t Pacific
fleet units evacuated 288 nativee
from Mult Ialand m the Marshall*
yesterday. Some opposition
from the bypae**! Tspsnssn garriesn
waa encountered, hat the United
States fonce suffered no rssnettiss
filiates! planea of Fleet Air
Wing One baa Okinawa meanwhile