r^dT° The Progress °i"l Served by Leased Wire of the
WILMINGTON ASSOCIATED PBESS
And Southeastern North With Complete Coverage of
p Urolina State and National News
—-_ WILMINGTON, N. C., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1940_ + + ESTABLISHED 1867
Plans To Ask
Full Delivery
Of 1940Quota
Reich Plans To Send Dr.
Karl Chdius, Ace Nego
tiator, To Bucharest
IS IMPORTANT MISSION
Rumania Assures Allies She
Will Prohibit Export Of
Plane Gasoline
BY DANIEL DEDUCE
BUCHAREST, Feb. 21.—VP)—Ger
many tonight challenged Rumania’s
ban on shipments of high test avia
tion gasoline to the Reich by decid
ing to send her ace economic nego
tiator, Dr. Karl Clodius, to Bucha
rest to insist in crucial conversations
upon full delivery of her 1940 quota,
it was learned authoritatively here.
Not only will Germany’s future at
titude toward Rumania most likely
depend upon the fautcome of Clodius’
mission, but also her view of all
other neutral southeastern European
countries.
Caught In Grapple
Caught in a perilous economic
grapple between German and allied
demands for the lion’s share of her
war-propelling oil exports, Rumania
earlier today was reported to have
assured Britain and France she
would prohibit the export of aviation
gasoline to the Reich.
A government decree to this ef
fect was understood to have been is
sued in direct contradiction to a re
cent arrangement with Germany.
The capitulation to British-French
pressure was reported to have been
decided upon in the face of serious
losses of Rumanian industry unable
to obtain cotton, wool, jute and iron
ore from the allies, who shut down
on their Rumanian trade to enforce
their oil demands.
On the other hand the Germans
charged that allied and neutral oil
producers alike in Rumania have re
fused since Jan. 1 to supply tlio
Reich with oil.
Soliciting Orders
These producers are now soliciting
long-term orders abroad so that these
commitments will prevent Rumania’s
new oil commissioner from forcing
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 6)
RUSSIAN EXPERTS
ARE CALLED HOME
Exodus From Turkey Will
Follow That Of Many
German Technicians
ISTANBUL, Feb. 21.—«■)—Soviet
Russia today called home hundreds
of Russian technical experts em
ployed for years in Turkish indus
try under a Rusian-Turkish agree
ment.
Their exodus will follow closely
that of technicians from Germany,
Rusia’s partner. Russia already was
liquidating her commercial organi
zations in this country and Ger
many, Turkey’s World war ally, is
doing likewise.
The Russians, ordered by the
Kremlin to leave immediately, were
expected to embark with their fam
ilies for Odessa, Russian Black Sea
port. The Russian embassy at An
kara first received the order and
then notified those affected.
The Russian action came at a
time when the Turkish press openly
is discussing the possibility of war
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 1)
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Star and News Wants Ads,
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Charge Ii
- i
British Preparinp' J'o Relax Weed Embargo Soon
News Of New |
Move Cheers
U. S. Officials
i
Government Expected To
Allow Entrance Of Part
Of Pre-War Imports
INTERESTS CONFERRING
Consumption Has Been In
creased Because Workers
Have More Money
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21. — UP) —
News from London that the British
government may relax its ban on im
ports of American leaf tobacco was a
source of gratification tonight to of
ficials here.
They were waiting, however, to see
how far the prohibition would be
relaxed before expressing any jubi
lation.
Unofficial reports in London said
that the government was likely to
permit at least a percentage of the
pre-war imports to enter the coun
try. Tobacco interests of the empire
were said to be conferring with gov
ernment officials on the question.
Imposed Sept. 8
The prohibition, a war measure,
was imposed Sept. 8. Since that time
the British reserves of American to
bacco have been dwindling, and con
sumption has been increasing be
cause the British workers have more
money in their pockets as a result
of w-arboomed business.
The Financial Times of London,
in an article dealing with the Impe
rial Tobacco company, said that the
firm "cannot remain independent of
the American market for long," be
cause alternative sources of supply
are “inadequate."
Commerce department officials
predicted some time ago that Britain
would relax the restrictions, espe
cially in view of the fact that the
government in the past has derived
much income from taxation on im
ported American tobacco.
The prohibition was described, at
the time it was put into effect, as
an economic measure designed to
conserve foreign exchange. How
ever, officials here believed that it
had political aspects also. It was
noted that Great Britain had decid
ed to get her tobacco in the future
from Turkey, and that Turkey would
thus repay over a long period a large
loan which she obtained from
Britain.
Secretary of State Hull has had
several conferences with British rep
resentatives in an effort to have the
restriction changed. While officials
here acknowledged that Britain, be
ing at war, was in an abnormal situ
ation, they declined to admit that
economic necessity indicated the com
plete blocking of American tobacco
shipments.
SOUND-TRUCK VOTE
CAMPAIGN OKEHED
_______________ <»
Use Of Vehicle Gets Clean
Bill As Far As State And
County Taxes Concerned
RALEIGH, Feb. 21.— (.£>> —The
sound-truck political campaign
which Mayor Thomas E. Cooper ot
Wilmington has indicated he
might make in the democratic
gubernatorial contest got a clean
bill today insofar as state and
county taxes on the sound-truck
were concerned.
Attorney General Harry McMul
lan, ruling in response to an in
quiry from Cooper, held that sound
l tsuck equipment used in a politi
cal campaign was not subject to
special state or local taxes im
posed under the business license
section of the revenue act.
Cooper said he had information
that a truck he had devised would
be subject to heavy special taxes
in “certain counties,” and re
quested a list of the counties en
abled to levy such taxes.
McMullan said that the revenue
commissioner, in a ruling some
time ago, held that the revenue
act did not permit taxing of loud
speakers unless they were being
used to advertise merchandise and
that it "does not apply to po
litical candidate using this means
of making a political campaign.”
A. J. Maxwell, another candidate
for governor, now on leave from
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 1)
I “Howdy”
first to greet New York District
ittorncy Thomas E. Dewey, GOP
residential candidate, on his ar
il]! at Che,venue, \Yyo„ was little
airicia Tuck, who wears costume
hat won her title of “.Miss Chey
mie" in a best-dressed cowgirl
ontest. Gov. Nels H. Smith looks
n. _
iTRAL SHIPPING
LOSSES CONTINUE
treat Britain Claims High
Rate Of Destruction Of
German Submarines
By ROBERT E. BUNNELEE
LONDON, Feb. 21.—(iP)—Neutral
lipping, harassed by warfare be
veen Germany and the Allies, bore
k brunt of mounting sea war
isses today as the British admir
Ity evinced new determination to
Meet vessels from German at
icks and claimed a high rate of
istruction of enemy submarines.
The arlmir-a it \r rlicolnc-Q/l fT-iot- c- Vi -
ig ships were being equipped with
stingers'ami-aircraft weapons—
i fight off German aerial attacks
ich as Nazi planes carried out on
wide scale yesterday.
One trawler reported driving off
German raider with gunfire and
nother group of fishing craft told
t damaging a German plane with
iking crossfire during the raids.
(A German communique declared
'■o British minelayers and an
fined merchant ship were sunk
“ring the raids.)
(Royal air force planes during
16 night carried out scouting
ights over Helgoland bight, an
nn of the North sea where im
ortant German aviation and naval
mes are situated.
Such scouting flights were given
ew significance by Prime Minister
hamberlain's declaration in the
ouse of commons that "our prep
rations for meeting and counter
's “ir attacks, on whatever scale
my may take place, are continu
“riy being developed.”
Winston Churchill, first lord of
16 admiralty, assorted that recent
““cesses showed his statement
ec' 6, that the British navy was
“king from two to four German
'•boats a week, “was in no way
iterated.”
shipping casualties counted
day were:
Tim 8,371-ton Netherlands tank
ben Haag (The Hague), owned
i (be Standard Oil Co. of New
•rsc> through a subsidiary sunk
. an unexplained explosion while
-Ming England on a New York
mterdam voyage, with 26 of her
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 2)
^WEATHER
W „ FORECAST
“W mia °llna:- cloudy apd con
the ' occasional snow flurries
ir." I0u|nains Thursday; Friday
’wfeniu08*’)?’1 data f°r the 24
dlnK 1:30 p. m. yesterday).
130 e temperature
hi. 4 7m,„ 44: 7:30 a. m. 42; 1:30
‘"imum 41 m- 42; maximum 45;
Um 41. mean 43; normal 49.
1:30 a „ , Humidity
H' 7-3o" S°; 7:30 a' m- 82; 1:30 P
■ P. m. 82
Total for £je«ip“ation
■' "one- w.i 's end‘nS- 7:30 p.
onth 4 89 °, Rlnce first of the
* inches.
't ides For Today
‘'Winston High Low
Sl0n - 3:57a 3:39a
9s°nboro Inlet ®:24p 4:15p
lnlet — 0:43a 0:31a
Sunrise ti-a.-.a- 7:10p l:05p
» 5:3ln- m„r ' SPnset 0:02p; moon
p- moonset 5:59a.
St
^uniiiuied U11 ^ xhree. Co,
i— o? w*-*
P.&y Vanishes
w~_
In tears, Mrs. David Hoclireicli,
one time silent screen actress, looks
at locket photo of her daughter.
Donna Manning, 19, New York en
tertainer, who vanished from their
Manhattan hotel. The girl was re
ported upset by lack of progress
in her father’s $65,953,125 suit
against three electrical firms, in
which he charges anti-trust viola
tions.
BODIES OF CREECH
BROTHERS FOUND
‘Accidental Drowning' Ver
dict Returned In Deaths
Of Southport Men
SOUTHPORT, Feb. 21.—Coast
Guardsmen today found the bodies
of James E. Creech, 29, and
Charles Gilbert Creech, 19, broth
ers, who drowned while fishing of)
Bald Head island, in the Cape Fear
river, some time Monday.
Coroner John G. Caison said that
the bodies were recovered this
morning at 11:30 o’clock by Adri
an Willetts and Sammie Oden, of
the coast guard.
The coroner termed the deaths
“accidental drowning’’ and said
that no inquests will be held.
The two bodies were found on
the south side of Bald Head island,
abreast Seven Mile slue. The bodies
of the men were taken to the Yopp
funeral home in Wilmington today
and will be returned to Southport
tomorrow. Funeral arrangements
had not Deen completed late to
night.
Coroner Caison said this after
noon that his report of the time
the search for the missing fisher
men was started by the Coast
Guard at Oak Island was incor
rect. The coast guard was first
officially notified of their disap
pearance 1 ' ind:1,y afternoon at
4:45 o’clock and the search was
started imm'diately, he said.
The coroner said that earlier
statements that the coast guard
delayed starting a search for the
two men were derived from “street
talk.’’
The two men left home about 6
o’clock Monday morning to tend
some shad nets in the river. When
they failed to return later in the
morning, members of the family
became alarmed and the search
was started.
Their overturned boat was dis
covered near Cedar Creek Tuesday
morning and it was believed that the
open dory capsized at the mouth
of Bald Head creek, at a slough
going out to Frying Pan Shoals.
The men were the sons of Mrs.
J. J. Weeks, of Southport. James
Creech is survived by his wife and
two children.
WILL ENTER PRIMARY
NEW YORK, Feb. 21.—UP)— Thom
as E. Dewey’s campaign headquar
ters tonight announced he would
enter the New Jersey preferential
primary of May 21 and renewed
his challenge to other republican
presidential aspirants to contend
with him.
-----•*.
Jones Plans
Rehabilitation
Of Louisiana
Is Jubilant At His Triumph
By More Than 20,000
Votes Over Gov. Long
DEFEATED MAN SILENT
Next Governor Says He Will
Restore Constitutional,
Decent Government
NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 21.—(^>—
Louisiana’s next governor, 42-year
old Sam H. Jones, turned today
from his smashing ballot victory
over the old Huey P. Long dic
tatorship to plan the “rehabilitation
of Louisiana.’*
Jubilant at his triumpji by more
than 20,000 votes over Gov. Earl
K. Long for the four-year term be
ginning May 14, Jones nevertheless
soberly called his “the greatest job
any Louisiana public official has
faced since reconstruction days.”
Objective
I In an interview he said “Our
simple objective is to restore con
stitutional, democratic, decent gov
ernment.
‘‘The second thing is to put Lou
isiana on a sound financial basis.
And the third is we must never let
this thing happen again in Louisi
ana—this set of conditions that for
: years has made every honest Lou
isianian bow his head in shame.”
Governor Long declined comment,
saying only that he would issue a
statement when-he saw official re
turns from yesterday’s runoff prim
ary for the democratic nomination,
tantamount to election. He sum
moned his crestfallen administra
(Continued on Page Four; Col. 4)
DESTROYER WILL
CALL JERE SOON
U. S. S. Roe Scheduled To
Make Visit From April
8 Until April 11
David S. Harriss, president of the
Propeller club here, announced yes
terday that the U. S. S. Roe, newest
of the United States navy destroy
ers, is scheduled to visit the port
of Wilmington on April 8 and re
main until April 11.
The ship is under the command
of Lieutenant Commander R. M.
Scruggs.
Members of the Propeller club
are planning entertainment for the
'officers of the ship,
j The destroyer was built in the
I Charleston, S. C., navy yard.
- ■■■ +
Screen Writer
A high school junior, Joanne
Benedict, 15, accomplished what
thousands of writers dream of but
never accomplish. She sold a screen
story to a Hollywood firm for $1,
500. She lives with her parents on
a cattle ranch near Handford,
Calif.
RITES FOR POPE
SCHEDULED TODAY
Young Man Dies From In
juries Received In Explo
sion At Gas Station
Funeral services for James F.
Pope, 20, who died early yesterday
morning at James Walker Memo
rial hospital from injuries sustained
in a gasoline explosion at the Sin
clair Service. Station at 17th and
Dock streets Tuesday afternoon, will
be held from the home of his sis
ter, Mrs. W. E. Marine, of 1008
South Fifth street, this afternoon
at 3 o’clock.
The Rev. George W. Saunders,
assisted by the Rev. F. S. John
son, will conduct the services. In
terment will follow in Bellevue
cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be: J. R.
Singletary, Whis Hufham, Jr.,
Thomas Underwood, Charles F. Sass,
William Fulcher, and L. C. Wil
liams, Jr. Honorary pallbearers will
be: G. W. Bellois, D. H. Willard,
R. E. Tapp, the Rev. John L. Davis
and Leon Williams, Sr.
Coroner Asa W. Allen said yes
terday afternoon that the death
was purely accidental and that no
inquest will be held.
The young man was badly cut,
bruised and burned on all parts of
his body, partly from the flame of
the explosion and partly from be
ing thrown through the heavy plate
glass window in front of the sta
tion.
He was the son of Mr. and Mrs.
James F. Pope, of 1025 South Front
street. He was formerly employed
as a truck driver for the Willard's
Dry Cleaners company.
He is survived by the following:
his parents, and five sisters: Mrs.
Clint Russ, Mrs. W. E. Marine, Mrs.
Lucille Bramer, . Mrs. Lillian Dell
Long, and Mrs. Elizabeth Long, all
of Wilmington.
Additional Prize Winners
In Civic Contest Listed
R. B. Page, publisher, yesterday
announced the second group of five
$1 prize winners in The Star-News
civic improvement suggestions con
test.
Five additional $1 prize winning
suggestions are to be announced in
the next few days. Shortly there
after checks will be mailed to the
$25, $15, and $10 major prize win
ners and the 15 $1 prize winners.
Those announced yesterday as
winners of $1 prizes are Mortimer
P. Watkins, Mrs. Marvin P. Craig,
Mrs. P. J. Coppedge, Clyde B. King
and Mrs. E. I. Brown.
Their suggested improvements for
Wilmington and Southeastern North
Carolina follow:
Shipyards
Mortimer P. Watkins-r-.
“1—Adequate facilities and intelli
gently supervised recreation.
“2—Safe and courteous- operation
(Continued on Page Xhree; Col. 3)
Swedish Town i
Bombed,Fired
By Red Planes
Incident Threatens To Re
new Swedish Move For In
t ^
tervention In Finland
WARNING SAVES LIVES
Many Buildings Demolished
But Residents Escape
Death Or Injury
STOCKHOLM, Feb. 21.— UP) —
Swooping Russian planes today
bombed and fired the little Swed
ish border town of Pajala, an in
cident that threatened to rekindle
the fiery Swedish movement for :
intervention in Finland.
Although all of Pajala's 3,000 !
residents escaped death and the '
shower of 134 bombs was believed i
aimed at Finnish territory just six j
miles away, neutral observers ex- !
pressed the opinion that Swedish
“Activists” now would reopen their!
drive to help Finland “so vigor- j
ously that any other help is un
necessary.” |
Incendiary Bombs Used
Townspeople estimated that 34
of the bombs from the heavily
laden raiders were explosive, the
remaining 100 incendiary. The fact
that there were no casualties was
credited to a timely warning flash
ed from the border and by the
heroic work of a girl . telephone
operator who stuck at her post.
Most of the lethal load was
dropped in the center of town.
Among the demolished buildings
were an apartment hous-' and a saw
mill from w-hich workers just had
time to flee. Bombs rained about
a church in which terrorized towns
folk had huddled, shattering many
of its windows.
The weather was clear and the
bombers, flew as low as 3,000 feet.
The Swedish government ordered
its envoy to Moscow, Wilhelm
A -sarson, to make an immediate
and vigorous protest at the Krem
lin. Weight was added to the the
ory that there would be a resurg
ence of the “activist” movement by
the chief of the Swedish Finland
committee, just back from Finland.
He announced tonight that an
Continued on Page Three; Col. 1)
OPENING OF C Y
HALL IS SI ITED
Commissioner Wade Plans
To Invite Public To Visit
Remodeled Building
The formal opening. of the re
modeled city hall w-as tentatively
set for the first of next week by
the city commissioners yesterday.
J. E. L. Wade, city commission
er of public works, said he plans
to have an open house and invite
the public to view. the building be
fore the offices are filled.
As the structure . is now about
completed, the setting of-the ope -
ing date hinges upon the announce
ment by the contractor that the con
tract has been fulfilled. It will then
become the duty of Wade to Inspect
it and accept it for the city.
Mayor Cooper urged that efforts
be made to move out of the present
building in order tljat the city may
avoid the payment of another
month’s rent. Wade said it will take
several days to move back into the
city hall.
INVADING SOVIET ARMY CENTERS DRIVE
ON FINNS’ FORTIFICATIONS AT TAIPALE
By THOMAS F. HAWKINS
HELSINKI, Feb. 21— (fl>) —
The invading Russian army,
after pushing the Finns back at
the western end of the Manner -
heim Line, battered with great
force tonight at Finland’s forti
fications at Taipale, on the east
ern extremity of the isthmus de
fenses.
The Russians threw two divi
sions, strongly supported by
artillery and aircraft, into this
fighting, ’ the Finnish high com
mand said, but were repulsed
and lost heavily. (This force prc
t
sumably totalled between 30,000
and 33,000 men.)
“Fighting raged fiercely until
late last night,” said today’s
Finnish communique.
In attempting to turn this Fin
nish left flank the Russians
shifted their main offensive,
which had been concentrated
around Summa and Lake Mucla
in the west and which had forced
the Finns to withdraw to new
positions.
Fighting continued in the west
ern isthmus region as well, how
ever, although the Finns denied
Russian claints to capture of the
anchor fort of Kpivisto.
The twin offensive meant that
tlie Russians were trying to
crash nearly the whole width of
the isthmus, and demonstrated
that the isthmus fighting still
was the most critical of the en
tire war.
The Finns are holding the
positions to which they withdrew
under Russian pressure; Rus
sian losses are said to be ex
tremely heavy and Finnish
casualties light, but nevertheless
there still are hundreds of thou
sands of Russians along the
front to keep up attacks in the
face of constant Finnish shell
fire.
The Finns counted on the
weather to help them. The first
blizzard of February today check
ed Russian bombers in southern
Finland after yesterday’s inten
sive attacks by 800 planes, and
it inspired new confidence
among the defenders.
Finnish military strategy is
helped by the snow and cold
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 2)
-;-iJ
Punishes Parish
-I
No weddings, funerals or bap
tisms may he held in Holy Re
leeiner, church, Cleveland, until its
parishioners do penance. The inter
act was pronounced by Archbishop
Joseph Schrembs after parishioners
battled police seeking to escort a
new pastor to liis post.
DARST TO ADDRESS
BANQUET TONIGHT
Annual Brotherhood Ban
quet Will Be Conducted
At Masonic Temple
The seventh annual Brotherhood
banquet will be held in the Masonic
Temple tonight at 7 o'clock, with
Bishop Thomas C. Darst, of the
East Carolina Episcopal Diocese, as
the principal speaker. »
Bishop Darst will speak on the
operation of the National Confer
ence of Christians and Jews, an or
ganization set up for the purpose
of promoting better understanding
between members of different
faiths.
Father J. A. Manley, of St.
Mary’s Catholic church, will give
the Invocation tonight, and Rabbi
M. M. Thurman will deliver the
benediction.
Music will be provided by a
mixed quartet.
Tickets for the banquet are now
on sale by various persons through
out the city and may be secured
from any member of the organiza
tion.
Leaders in the local organization
are Rabbi M. M. Thurman, of the
Temple of Israel; the Rev. Walter
B. Freed, of St. Paul’s Lutheran
church; the Rev. James Lawson
of the First Christian church;
Father J. A. Manley, of St. Mary’s
Catholic church; and Bishop Darst.
The banquet will be one of sev
eral hundred held throughout the
country this week in observance of
Brotherhood week. It is hoped that
from it will come the establish
ment of a permanent round-table
conference of Christians and Jews.
Diversion Of Auto Taxes
Opposed By Car Dealers
RALEIGH, Feb. 21. —'' UP) — The
board of directors of the N. C. Au
tomobile Dealers association today
went on record in favor of use “for
highway purposes only” of all funds
from the sale of automobile licenses
and the tax on gasoline.
A resolution directed against di
version of money from the highway
to the general fund, the directors
said highways and secondary roads
were “inadequate" for modern de
mands and “in some cases” were im
passible, and blamed this condition
largely on lack of funds for main
tenance, construction and moderniza
tion of the road system.
They called for repeal of a section
of the revenue act which allows di
version from the highway to the gen
eral fund.
Roosevelt, Party Fish
Near Costa Rican Isle
ABOARD U. 8. S. LANG, Feb.
21.—GP) (Via Wireless)—President
Roosevelt, still combining business
with pleasure, fished near a Costa
Rican island today but he didn’t
get the biggest one.
George Fox, a White House phar
macist, landed the largest prize, a
45-pound wahoo, a blue food fish.
For the rest of the presidential
party aboard the U. S, S. Tusca
loosa, said a laconic message from
Brig.-Gen. Edwin M. Watson, secre
tary to the President, the fishing
was “fair" but otherwise there was
“no news,”