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The J ohnstonian-Sun
VOL. 25
SELMA, N. C., THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 1942.
Single Copy 5c
NUMBER .15
s
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Blast Claims Must
Be Filed by April 30
Thiose Suffering Losses As Re
sult of Munitions Truck Ex
plosion On March 7th Should
Read This.
Property owners who suffered
losses in the munitions truck explo
sion near Selma on March 7, 1942,
and who intend to lay claims before
the government must file a statement
of their losses with the special claims
committee appointed by Governor
Broughton by April 30, according to
a notice released to the press this
week.
The' committee named by the Gov
ernor is composed of W. H. Call of
Selma, R. P. Holding of Smithfield
and Charles Ross of Raleigh. The
group will have no authority to de
termine the merit of claims but is of
fering its ■ services at the Governor’s
request merely to assemble informa
tion regarding damages for presenta
tion to Federal authorities.
The committee released the follow
ing notice:
“The undersigned having been de
signated as a committee by Governor
Broughton for the purpose of assem
bling and filing with the Federal
■ authorities information as to the
claims of people sustaining damage
oji account of the explosion of a truck
load of ammunition at the junction of
U. S. 70 and 301 on the morning of
March 7, 1942, wish to advise that all
persons who may desire to have their
claims considered by this committee
will please file the same with Mr. W.
H. Call, chairman. Board of Educa
tion, Selma, North Carolina, between
. now and the 30th day of April, 1942.
. “It is requested that each claim be
itemized as much in detail as possible
and sworn to, and where repair work
has already been done, that copies of
bills of materials and labor be attach
ed to the statement, and where repair
work has not been done, that the
.claim be accompanied by signed state
ment of some person qualified to
make an estimate of the cost of such
repairs.
“The committee disclaims any au
thority to give any assuranc^e^ wbat-
ever that these claims will be paid,
.but is simply offering its service at
the request of the Governor in an ef
fort to assemble the data, in order
that such claims may be considered
on their merits.
“Respectfully — R. P.Holding,
W. H. iCall, Charles Ross.”
RALEIGH GRIFFIN
SUCCEEDS R A. JONES
At a meeting of the Board of
Commissioners for the Town of Sel
ma Wednesday evening, Raleigh H.
Griffin, cashier of the Branch Bank
ing & Trust Co., was elected a mem
ber of the board, succeeding R. A.
Jones, resigned. He will have charge
of Buildings and Grounds.
Seen and Heard Along
THE MAINDRAG
:By H. H. L.
Rumors of all kinds are flying
thick and fast since that fishing par
ty returned from “Bay View”, sum
mer home of DR. BOOKER—we,ask
ed pur friend, CLARENCE BAILEY,
to write this column this week, but,
since he’s the town’s undertaker, he
said he didn’t want to get into any
trouble—the first rumor was started
by HUNTER PRICE, who is telling
it around that ED CREECH slept
with a porcupine—ED says it’s false,
as he can prove that he slept with a
skunk (HUNTER PRICE)—the par
ty, chaperoned by MAYOR BARNIE
HENRY, left the Maindrag Saturday
p. m., returning late Monday—BAR
NIE says he had a hard time with
some of the boys, namely: NEWT
BRANCH, PUT BOOKER, CHARLIE
MANNING and HAWLEY POOLE,
but he let them understand he was
boss of the outfit—RALEIGH GRIF
FIN told His Honor if he needed any
help just tb call on him—DR. R. M.
BLACKMAN says the old saying that
a woman’s tongue is loose at both
ends, doesn’t only apply to the fair
sex, but to some men, as well—“ex
cessive conversation” predominated,
DR. BLACKMAN said, on the entire
trip — another report is that DR.
BOOKER’S supply of medicine ran
out, and after, that the Mayor had
little trouble with his proteges—C. M.
DALY, a new comer to Selma, and
-W. E. COMER, of, Greensboro, a
brother-in-law of DR. BLACKMAN,
say this is. their first time to take a
trip with this bunch, but they enjoy
ed it just the same—some of the
boys say they wish Easter would
come Oftener—it was a fine bunch of
fellows and their behavior was above
par—HUNTER PRICE got the credit
for catching the most fish — while
HUNTER was fishing he went to
sleep, a stranger came by and noticed
that HUNTER had a fish on his line
and awoke him—HUNTER killed the
fish, leaving it on his hook, and went
back to sleep—“I won’t be disturbed
now,” said HUNTER.
Old Canon—Reborn—May Roar Again
TELLS OF GREAT
CHINESE MIGRATION
The Cruelty of Japanese Armies
Forces Millions of Chine.se
From Their Homes.
Part of cannon caravan shown as it passed through Pittsfield, Mass.,
on its way to Boston Common, to participate in demonstration commemo
rating the original expedition, when Gen. Henry Knox delivered a train of
artillery to Gen. George Washington, from Fort Ticonderoga. The old
cannon will be smashed and used for salvage in the current war.
War Savings Campaign
Outlined At Meeting
7 ■
R. P. Holding Heads Committee
In Johnston County, Which
Sets Up Tentative Organiza
tion.
A tentative organization for en
listing every possible investor in the
purchase of War Savings stamps and
bonds, was set up in Smithfield last
week when a representative group of
citizens, headed by R. P. Holding of
Smithfield, met in the Commissioner’s
room Jn the court houg.e, to,^discuss
WayF and m'eans''of getting more peo
ple to invest their savings in Savings
bonds and stamps.
Mr. Holding presided over the meet
ing and explained that unless the pri
vate citizens buy more Government
bonds and stamps, there is grave dan
ger that we will have a very detri
mental period of inflation. He said
that, the banks have been buying
most of the bonds and that they
could probably handle all that the
Government offers, but he warned
that this would prove very unsafe for
the country, since all these billions
of dollars would be turned loose for
people to spend afid this would create
such a spending epidemic that prices
would soar to unheard-of proportions
in this country. To prevent such a
situation, Mr. "Holding said, if the
people would invest every possible
dollar in stamps and bonds this will
absorb surplus earnings and prevent
unnecessary spending.
Edward A. Wayne, secretary of the
North Carolina Bankers Association,
was present at. the meeting and dis
cussed at length the work he is doing
in helping promote the sale of bonds
and stamps through an organized ef
fort in o.ther' counties in North Caro
lina.
R. P. Holding was elected to head
the organization for Johnston county.
Mr. Holding was given authority to
appoint such other mefbers on the
committee as he might deem proper.
He then named the following:
Clayton, Paul Kellar; Benson, W.
R. Strickland; Smithfield, M. B. Wil
son; Micro, C. A. Fitzgerald; Pine
Level, B. Oliver; Wilson’s Mills, H.
E. Mitchiner; Princeton, M. P. Young;
member-at-large, H. B. Marrow.
Wanted — 300 Laborers
There are 300 laborers wanted for
construction work immediately by the
Raleigh white and colored employ
ment offices. Wages are thirty-five
cents per hour, sixty-three hours per
week, with time-end-a-half pay for
all over forty-eight hours. Strong
and husky laborers who are available
and willing to work are wanted.
;Aiiy truck owners having trucks
they wish to use in transporting la
borers to and from this job will
please register them with .the Raleigh
local offices or the itinerant represen
tatives.
Representatives of the Employment
Service are at the following itinerant
points on each Friday: Clayton, Town
Hall, 9:30 a. m. until 10:30 a. m.;
Smithfield, courthouse, 10:45 a. m. un
til 12:00 noon; and Selma, Mayor’s
Office, 1:15 p. m. until 3:15 p. m.
People residing in Johnston county
may go to the designated points and
secure their referral cards for the
job openings.
Johnston Republicans
To Name County Ticket
Will Hold County Convention In
Courthouse In Smithfield On
Saturday Morning At Eleven
O’clock — Speaker Expected.
Clyde Stancil, Republican county
chairman, announced recently that
the Republican county convention to
nominate a county ticket will be held
in the courthouse in Smithfield Sat
urday morning, April 11, at 11 o’clock.
A speaker of state-wide pronimence^.tJie Japanese
is expected to be on hand'ttrairareSs^
the convention, after which the nomi
nation of candidates will be in orded.
The ticket to be nominated includes
the following offices: County .treasur
er, clerk of Superior court, sheriff,
auditor, solicitor of Recorder’s court,
judge of Recorder’s court, register of
deeds, coroner, surveyor, and three
county commissioners.
The legislative ticket will be com
posed of two candidates for the House
and one candidate for the state sen
ate.
If you have some person in mind
who you would like to have make the
race for any one of .the above-named
places, be on hand and place his or
her name before the convention. The
public is most cordially invited to at
tend.-
NEW STORE BUILDING
NOW TAKING SHAPE
The new store building being con
structed by Floyd C. Price & Son
near the Selma post office, is now be
ginning to take more definite shape.
Considerable trouble was experienced
in getting the basement dug; it hav
ing caved in on the sides several
times before a concrete base could
be poured. But at long last a base
ment has been obtained that will
stand the ravages of time, and now
the walls are beginning to take on
the appearance of a real structure.
We Understand this is to be a three-
story building when completed.
Presbyterians To Have
Preaching Sunday
There will be preaching services at
the Selma Presbyterian church Sun
day morning, April 11, at eleven
o’clock, conducted by the Rev. Marlin
B. Curry, of North Point, West Vir
ginia. We understand, .that he-will
hold services at the Kenly church on
Sunday night of the same day.
A cordial invitation is extended to
.the public, and all Presbyterians are
urged to attend, as it is important
that there be a good attendance at
this service.
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Selective Service
DRAFT
NEWS
From Board No. 2
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Mr. and Mrs. David S. Ball and
children, David, Jr., and Betty Ann,
spent Easter Sunday in High Point
with the parents, of Mrs. Ball, Mr.
and Mrs. H. L. Dearman. Mr. Ball’s
parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Ball, of
Stony Point, also spent the day with
the Dearmans.
The President has issued a pro
clamation designating Monday, April
27, 1942, between the hours of 7:00
A. M. and 9:00 P. M., as .the Fourth
RegistrationDay. Those required to
register on said date are men who
were born on or after April 28, 1877,
and on or before February 16, 1897,
Never in .the history of mankind
has there bqen so great a movement
of men, women and children as dur
ing these past few years in China,
fvhere the Japanese armies have
fought the defenseless Chinese and
brought about such trying conditions
that they have had to leave their
homes, farms and places of business.
The Chinese are a peace-loving
people, as we are, and did not pre
pare for war, even as we, too, had not
prepared. Chinese .troops have had to
fight with well-equipped Japanese
I forces both along the coastal regions
and also interior far up the Yangtze
River. When retreating, these Chin
I ese have found it advisable to use the
“scorched earth” policy, as the allied
I armies are doing in the Netherland
East Indies, Burma, and elsewhere.
Everything of value to the enemy is
destroyed, thus making it hard for
.the .lapanese to find suitable shelter,
food and fuel. Railways, bridges, and
roads are destroyed. Even the carts,
wagons and animals are sometimes
taken so these will not fall into the
hands of the invaders. This, of course,
works a great hardship on .the people
who are left behind. Then when .the
Japanese are driven back, they, when
retreating, destroy whatever is left.
This is done because they hate .the
Chinese, and so these will be put to
a disadvantage. The people are, it
will be seen, left with almost noth
ing.
But • worse than all this, wherever
the Japanese soldiers go they often
seize and outrage the women, and
then frequently kill them. They kill
off many young men who may not
have fled, and all men of military
age are slain, if thought to have
worked against the Japanese; or they
are forced to take up arms against
their own people as soldiers for Ja
pan. The Japanese took no prisoners
in Manchuria, but killed all who fell
into .their hands. Then, too, where
get control they take
from the people everything of value.
When they entered northern China
during .the first World War to attack
on land Tsingtau, the German port on
the coast of Shantung Province,
though traveling through a neutral
country, .the soldiers occupied the
best homes of the people, forced the
Chinese to furnish them food and
serve them, the Japanese Government
providing only a little rice. There was
much loo.ting. When the Chinese of
fered opposition to this and the out
raging of their women, they were sa
bered or shot. When we exposed these
atrocities .through the Associated
Press and papers in China, the Ja
panese military not only sought to
arrest us, but certain prominent peo
ple in America, duped, decorated, and
otherwise favored by the Japanese
government, called upon the Ameri
can public not to believe such reports,
claiming that the Japanese could not
possibly be guilty of such things, and
that the missionary making such
charges was. evidently a spy working
for the Germans. When later the
facts became better known, these
people neither opened their mouths
nor moved their pens. Japan has spent
millions of dollars on taking parties
to Japan for propaganda purposes,
and here in America, to lead our peo
ple to believe that she could do no
wrong.
Now that China has been entered
as an enemy country, Japan is bleed
ing the people and the country to the
very limit, as she has bled Formosa-
and Korea. In Manchuria, where we
have now labored these past sixteen
years, the 35,000,000 Chinese, Korean
and Russian inhabitants are virtually
slaves. All firearms have been taken
from them, so they are defenseless.
The people have been so cruelly
treated and intimidated that they
fear the Japanese as they would dev
ils. Not only was the country seized
politically, but everything tha.t brings
in money has been taken over by, the
Japanese people or by their govern
ment. Yes, conditions there are indeed
very bad; but in China proper, where
Japan has met with greater resist
ance and the people poorer, the state
of affairs can be described only by
the expression “hell on earth”, a ter
rible situation, involving such de
struction and distress as has never
been known in the history of the
world.
Under such conditions, does one
wonder that some fifty millions of
people have fled before these terrible,
cruel, ruthless armies, which have
invaded the mostf densely populated
regions of China ? It is gratifying to
note that Baptists of .the South have
determined to raise this spring in
their churches $300,000 to save from
starvation the millions in China who
have been so mistreated and are dy
ing for lack of food, clothing and
shelter.
CHARLES A. LEONARD, SR.
Greensboro, N. C.
Lieut. R. A. Jones, of Norfolk, Va.,
Have Salvage Material
Ready For Truck Friday
TO MAKE RACE AGAIN
MISS CORA BELL IVES, who has
decided to seek the Democratic nom
ination for . Register of Deeds in the
primary on May 30, 1942. Miss Ives
is a former register of deeds who
preceded Bill Massey in office.
Retired Naval Officer
Tells of Japan’s Fleet
Rear Admu-al Yates Stirling,
Jr., United Press Naval Analy
sis!, Says Japan’s Fleet Is
Practically Unscathed.
The United States fleet in the Paci
fic is .the main objective of the Japa
nese. If our ships could be destroyed,
the whole of the Pacific Ocean would
be at Japan’s disposal. Japanese haste
in .seizinguthe East Indies, the Philip,
pines and Singapore was to forestall
any serious move by the U. S. fleet
into the Orient.
The Japanese fleet so far is prac
tically unscathed, despite some losses
in cruisers, destroyers, and trans
ports. When the war began, Japan
was supposed to have 13 battleships,
46 cruisers, 12 aircraft carriers, 137
destroyers, and 77 submarines.
Ships Secretly Built.
She probably had built more war
ships secretly, possibly including four
high-speed battleships of 25,000 tons,
armed with 12 inch guns. This type
of warship would be a menace to the
enemy’s lines of communication, and
could take on in combat several cruis
ers at once.
The Hawaiian Islands are our
“Gibraltar of the Pacific,” and long
have been coveted by the Japanese,
since they dominate the Pacific coast
of the United States. Now, if Japan
could destroy the United States fleet,
the islands would be hers, and Japan
could feel that her conquest in the
Far East would be secure. Japan
knows that the United States fleet in
Hawaii is being increased by new
units, and that the fleet will become
even more powerful than it is today.
For that reason the time might seem
propitious for a Japanese attack. .
Japanese Main Fleet
Little is known of the state of readi
ness of the Japanese main fleet for
an expedition so far from its main
bases. That fleet has not .taken part
as a whole in any of the naval move
ments into Malayasia.
The island of Oahu is the only
island of the Hawaiian group that is
known to be fortified and defended.
The remaining islands could furnish
numerous air bases for an enemy in
attacks on the fortress island, and
the fleet based at Pearl Harbor. The
Japanese are said to have 12 aircraft
carriers,' but for an attack on Hawaii
what is to prevent Japan from adding
to .this number a score or more of
large merchant ships converted into
carriers ?
The Hawaiian objective is of such
importance to Japan that any expedi
tion sent against those islands would
be strong enough to overcome any ex
pected opposition.
Enemy Bases Prepared
'The distance from Japan to Hawaii
is about 3,800 miles. This distance is
too great for a fleet to operate, but
there are intermediate stops avail
able. These are in the Bonin Islands,
where a first-class naval base exists,
and in the Marshall Islands. The for
mer islands are 3,000 miles from
Oahu, and the latter only 2,000 miles.
A Japanese fleet could use these
bases as refueling points and to make
repairs to damaged warships.
An expedition to Hawaii would be
composed of the greater part of the
Japanese fleet, and might be accom
panied by an army of 100,000 men in
35 transports. Upon arrival in the
islands, the Japanese fleet would
seize a base on one of the big islands,
and there unload their aircraft car-
Frdm 32 carriers nearly 1,500
Old Newspapers, Magazines,
Rags, Corrugated Cardboard
Rubber and Metal Needed For
Defense— Next Week Will Be
Clean-Up Week.
On Friday afternoon, April 10, the
city truck will be around to collect
old newspapers, magazines, cardboard
and other paper materials, for 'War
purposes.
How To Prepare
Tie all old newspapers in same
bundle.
Tie all magazines in same bundle.
Tie corrugated Cardboard in same
bundle, corrugated boxes should be
cut apart and sheets packed flat and
tied together.
Tie rags in bundles.
Place all bundles on porch or in
some conspicuous place convenient to
truck driver when he comes around.
Rubber and Metal
On Friday afternoon, April 17th,
the city truck will be around to pick
up rubber and metal. These are very
important items in Defense work.
Collect all discarded auto tires and
tubes or any other rubber items and
place in a pile convenient for the
.truck, but not too convenient for the
intruder. Also any metal, such as
iron, steel, brass, copper or o.ther ma
terials wanted for Defense.
Clean Up Week.
Next week is Clean Up Week, when
the cooperation of everyone in Selma
is badly needed in order to make the
town more sanitary and a more de
sirable place in which to live. All
garbage, trash, or other refuse mate
rial should be piled in a convenient
place for the truck to get it and take
it to the city dump. The full coopera
tion of everyone in town is most ear
nestly solicited in making next week
a real Clean Up Week.
There are piles of old tin cans at
most every home in town, and these
afford an ideal breeding place for
mosquitoes and flies. Be sure to pick
up all these old cans and pile con
venient for the truck when it comes
around. Tin cans are not wanted in
defense work as yet, but they are
a menace to home surroundings.
Mayor Henry wishes to remind the
citizens of our town not to throw old
tin cans, garbage or other rubbish on
vacant lots adjoining your own
premises, or along Railroad Street
and in old ditches. If you do the truck
driver may riot see them and they
will remain a menace to the health of
the people of the community.
One old tin can wilt hold enough
stagnant water to raise enough mos
quitoes to annoy the people of that
immediate community alt summer.
And we should not overlook the
fact that mosquitoes carry malaria,
and malarie throws you into a fever,
and fevers makes it necessary to call
a doctor, and doctors expect pay for
their services.
Bataan Has Fallen
After Bloody Battle
News flashes today carry the un
welcome announcement .that the bat
tle of Bataan on the Philippines,
which will go down in history as one
of the most bloody struggles of all
time, has ceased and that General
Wainrigbt’s valient fighter’s who
have battled for months against over
whelming odds, have had to give in,
and that guns are again silent on
that battle ravaged island. The fate
of the remaining American and Fili
pino soldiers on the island is not
known at the present, but regardless
of .their fate, it can be said that they
have fought a brave fight which has
won for them the never-dying ad
miration of every man, woman and
child in the United States.
The new Naval Medical center near
Bethesda, Md., includes 250 acres of
land.
and fighting power of the two fleets,
victory or defeat would be the result.
Large Submarine Force
As a preliminary to such an attack
by the Japanese navy, a large sub
marine force of 50 vessels might be
sent to surround the islands. Against
.these submarines a large fleet of des
troyers would be needed by the U. S. .
Hawaii today requires a formidable -
garrison of troops, a great air force
and a fleet of sufficient strength to
meet the Japanese fleet. The import
ance of Hawaii is such that this garri
son, air force and fleet alone can give
assurance that Hawaii will not be
lost. Its loss means the loss of Alas
ka, .the loss of the control of the eas
tern Pacific, and the loss of the Pana
ma Canal.
The venture would entail great
risk for the Japanese fleet fighting
so far from its bases, but Japan has
learned by her offensive actions else
where .that large results can be ex
pected by accepting great risks. The
menace to Hawaii today is believed to
and therefore had attained their 45th spent the Easter holidays here with airplanes would be available.
borthday on or before February 16, his family. His many friends herel The Ujaited States fleet would meet \j)e imminent, and its defense is the
1942, and have not attained their 65thjwere delighted to see him on thelthe Japanese expedition at sea, andlfirst objective of United States naval
birthday on April 27, 1942. (Maindrag again. idepending upon the relative strength!strategy.
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