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ROANOKE RAPIDS, NORTH CAROLINA
THE LARGEST NEWSPAPER IN HALIFAX COUNTY
Member North Carolina Press Association
CARROLL WILSON. Owner and Editor
Entered as Second Class matter April 3rd, 1914, at the post offk
«t ftoanoKe Rapids, North Carolina, under Act of March 3rd, 1876.
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TODAY—A NEW GOVERNOR
• • Today, a new Governor takes charge of North
Carolina for the next four years. Those next four
years will be filled with the most serious problems
of any Governor’s administration in the past twen
ty years. Practically the whole world is at war or
near war.
When this writer introduced J. Melville
Broughton to audiences in Roanoke Rapids several
months ago, it was with the warning that here
might be the next War Governor of North Caro
lina. No man likes to face such a leadership, but
with all due respect to past Governors we know of,
there is none who can lead the people of this State
better than the Governor who takes the solemn
oath of office in Raleigh today.
Plenty of folks will arise who will disagree
with him in the dangerous days which lie ahead.
But wise men know you cannot satisfy everybody.
Not even the best athlete can bat a thousand or run
for a touchdown on every play. It is the percent
age of hits and misses that count when the totals
are added up. When that time comes, we predict
that Governor Broughton will be heading the list
of popular Governors among the folks who know a
good man when they see one. His way will not be
easy, for he comes into office at the most critical
period in our nation’s history, but knowing the
man, we know he will surmount obstacles which
would weaken lesser men, and, with the support of
those who placed him in office and those who are
big enough to forget petty, political differences, he
will lead us the right way.
Roanoke Rapids and Halifax County voted for
him in a big way. They will be with him when crises
come and weighty decisions must be made. They
are happy with him today as he accepts the high
est honor at their hands.
An Open Letter to Congress
WE, the undersigned, address you as
private citizens, anxious for the
safety of our institutions and our country
in a world overfull of hostile aggression.
We speak for no one but ourselves, but
we speak not only to put before you our
thoughts, but in the hope that we may
perhaps stimulate others to do likewise,
in order that you, whose duty it will be
to make decisions, may be able truly to
represent the will of the people.
We believe that the Axis Powers—
Germany, Italy and Japan—have clearly
demonstrated that it is their purpose not
merely to defeat their present enemies,
but to conquer and dominate the world
and to impose upon the peoples of the
world a form of physical, mental, and
spiritual slavery designed solely to per
petuate the mastery of the Axis dictators.
We believe that the outcome of the
present war will determine whether hu
man dignity and freedom are to perish
throughout the world for generations to
come, or whether the challenge of lawless
lust for power shall be met and the
would-be rulers of the world defeated and
We believe that a victory of the Axis
tyrannies in Europe and Asia would place
our country in an extremely precarious
position, both militarily and economically
—a position in which its independence
could be maintained only at great cost
and sacrifice—if indeed it could be main
tained at all.
We believe that it is foolish and dan
gerous to assume in the face of so much
recent evidence that the Axis Powers, if
victorious over the nations now resisting
them, would have no designs upon this
Hemisphere. Once they were victorious,
the decision would be theirs, not ours.
We believe that it is an illusion skill
fully propagated by Axis agents and their
dupes to think that we, as a free people,
could ever “come to terms” with the vic
torious Axis tyrants.
We believe that only wilful blindness
to fact permits the assertion that this
country would be in no danger if it had
to face a hostile sea power in the Atlantic
as well as another hostile sea power in
the Pacific.
We believe that many of those who
say that it is too late, that the Axis Pow
ers can no longer be defeated even with
our help, do not want in their hearts to
have them defeated.
We believe that the Axis Powers can
be defeated. We have seen what British
airmen can do against German airmen
five times their number. We have seen
what a few British divisions can do a
gainst twice their own force of fascist
legions. We have seen what the Greek
army can do, and the Chinese army a
gainst a foe with every advantage of
equipment save the indomitable courage
of free men.
we believe tnat tne axis powers win
be defeated, if we, the people of the Unit
ed States, do our part—if we give prompt
and effective aid to those countries which
are now holding the Axis tyrants at bay.
This does not mean selling them war
materials so long as they can pay for
them and sc long as it is convenient and
profitable for us to produce them. It
means turning our whole productive
resources and ingenuity wholeheartedly
over to one single-minded purpose. It
means subordinating our ordinary needs
to this one greater need of building ships
and planes and tanks and guns. It means
giving these things to those who are
figBEIng the battle. It means the mobili
zation of America for war—a war in
which we may be fortunate enough not
to sacrifice our blood only if we do sacri
fice freely of our wealth, and work with
unflagging energy.
We believe that a vast majority of the
American people know these things and
are ready to make the sacrifice. We be
lieve they are eager for prompt and de
termined leadership.
We cannot express an opinion as to
the specific measures to be taken. We do
not know all the facts upon which to base
an opinion. We do not know, for ex
ample, whether it is necessary to use our
Navy to help keep open the lines of sup
ply between American and the British
Isles. We do know that those lines of
supply must be kept open if the Axis
Powers are to be defeated. We do know
that neither fear nor excessive caution
should stand in the way of our giving
whatevar aid is needed to bring about
their defeat.
Whether we do this or not, war may
be declared against us. But neither the
threats of the Axis Powers nor our own
dread of becoming involved as a bellig
erent must be permitted to hinder our
prompt and effective action.
Wre say to you, our representatives in
Congress:
inis is wnere we siana. we are mind
ful of the risks involved. We believe that
these risks must be taken in order to a
void the far greater danger of an Axis
victory. The President has clearly and
courageously defined the issue. We ask
you to act fearlessly and swiftly, so that
our country may continue to be free and
our children may receive from us a heri
tage of freedom even greater than that
which was handed down to us by our
fathers.
NAME _
ADDRESS _
IF YOU AGREE WITH US — ACT NOW
Clip and send this letter to your two Senators (J. W. Bailey, R. R. Reynolds, Washington, D. C.) and to your
Congressman. Get others to do likewise.
THE JAIL
• With more than 750
voters going to the polls
Tuesday to vote on a
bond election, double
that of usual bond elec
tion votes in the city, the
citizens of Roanoke Rap
ids, by a vote of more
than 6 to 1, elected to
place the new city jail in
or adjacent to the Muni
cipal Building.
rue Mayor ana ^it.y
Board of Commissioners
now have a clear man
date from the people.
There is no reason for
further delay in the erec
tion of the proper kind
of jail to house those
who violate the law.
They are, at least, entitl
ed to a decent place while
in “durance vile’’.
Those who opposed the
location of the jail at
this particular place had
a fair opportunity, which
they used, to gain sup
port which could have
defeated the measure.
Somebody had to lose.
We feel certain they will
abide by the will of the
majority.
JtiUL it must De me uuiy
of the majority to see
that their rights are pro
tected and that none of
the evils they presented
are permitted to exist.
The majority thinks it is
right in the question. It
is now incumbent upon
that majority to prove it
was right. The minority
must be protected.
That’s the American
wav.
STILL BUILDING
0 Some folks reading The Herald
might think we were not telling the
whole story about the growth of
our city during 1940. While it is
true that some of the building per
mits issued by the building inspec
tor may run over into 1941, it is
very interesting to see that per
mits issued in 1940 reached a rec
ord total of more than a half mil
lion dollars.
These permits include new dwell
ings, new office buildings, new
stores and apartments, additions
to filter plant and other similar
improvements, repairs to mills,
business and residential property,
etc.
Some critics may say we brag
some about Roanoke Rapids. May
be we do. But show us any oth^r
town like Roanoke Rapids that can
equal our 1940 record of more than
a half million dollars in building
permits (which does not include the
armory) and . . . we will still brag
about the fact that Roanoke Rap
ids is still building . . still growing.
What we want to see and brag
on, too, is that our people are grow
ing also . . . growing spiritually,
mentally, physically . . . good, hon
est, debt-paying, conscientious peo
ple are just as important as build
ing permit records. Let’s build
folks as well as buildings.
FIREFIGHTERS
0 There were 51 fires in the city
of Roanoke Rapids during 1940,
lacking one of an average of one a
week for the entire year. The Fire
Department also answered 13 fire
alarms outside the city limits.
For a fire a week, a total dam
age of $8,550 is small. That is
probably because an average of 15
firemen answered every call.
Firemen fight fires . . . are not
responsible for their beginning . . .
must stick with them until the end.
Our vote of thanks to the Roa
noke Rapids Fire Department for
keeping down the damage we mor
tals start.