__ 1 Dedicated To The Progress Oi Served by Leased Wire of tye WILMIHGTOM associated press And Southeastern North With Complete Coverage of Carolina Slate an(j National News ____ * ESTABLISHED 186ll FRENCHMEN TAKE UP STAND ON RIVER EAST OF CAPITAL; BRITISH A TTA CK AIRDROMES ‘ -- ■ W _ _ . ITALY KEEPS SILENT Geneva Reports Say Italians May Move Against France In The Maritime Alps DUCE TAKES COMMAND ROME, June 12—(Wednesday) — (IP) — This ancient capital experi enced its first air raid alarm early today and was blacked out com pletely. Whether enemy planes actually visited the city was not determined. Italy, so newly joined as Ger many’s active partner in the war against Britain and France, moved secretly in her belligerency. The nation still awaited the first Italian war communique, forecast for 10 p. m. last night, but delayed. (The Italian radio announced it would be issued instead at 10 a. m. (4 a. m. EST) today. Malta Bombed (British reports told of eight Iitalian air raids bn Malta; a Gen eva dispatch said Crown Prince Umberto planned to throw his Italian shock troops against the French in the southern half of the Maritime Alps; and weagre advices from the Swiss telegraphic agency reported attacks on French Tunisia and Corsica. (British planes raided Italian Libya and Eritrea, in East Africa, bombing air bases; and South African planes raided Italian Mcy ale, near Britain’s African Kenya colony.) II Duce assumed supreme com mand of Italy's armed forces “on every front” in the war proclaimed to drive the British and French from their long-held position in the Mediterranean. He took over with the consent of 70-year-old King Vittorio Emanuel who went into the field with the troops and announced his intention of remaining at the front as he did in the World war. Mine Bridges Italian troops moved quickly into valleys and mined bridges on their side of the French frontier last night as soon as the frontier was closed. Countess Edda C-iano, daughter of II Duce and wife of the foreign minister, left to serve as a nurse on the w’estern front. Her de parture indicated Italians might ex I (Continued on Page Three, Col. 6) British Attack Airports In Two Italian Colonies LONDON, June 11.—

—Brit ain’s air force raided the desert airdromes in Italian Libya and East African Eritrea today, back ing up with bombs the Allied declarations of readiness to meet Mussolini. These blows, along with eight Italian raids on the British naval base at Malta, were the first struck in the new theater of wrar—the Mediterranean and Red seas. British announcements said "we caught them napping this time.” A prize claimed by the British was the capture in the Red sea of the 10,000-ton Italian vessel Umbria, loaded with 5,000 tons of bombs intended for the Ital ian East African airforce and thousands of tons of cement. “Great success’’ attended the attacks of long-range Blenheim bombers on Italy’s principal mili tary airfields in Libya, which threatened Egypt and the Suez canal, and near Asmara, in Eri trea, Italian East Africa, where Italy threatened to cut Allied communications through the Red sea. Swooping down in the desert dawn, British bombs made re peated hits on hangars, gasoline (Continued on Page Three, Col. 3) Germany Pounds Against Resistance Along Marne _ + 12 MILES FROM PARIS Nazis Claim 400,000 To 500,000 French Killed Or Captured In Battle BERLIN, June 11—(a1)—The Ger man army was reported pounding against fierce resistance tonight on the M. rne river where the initial decisive battle of the World war was fought in September, 1914, close by Paris. The Allies 26 years ago decisively halted the legions of Imperial Ger many there in the first battle of the Marne, with the augmenting "taxicab army” frcm Paris battering down the Kaiser’s- men into their even tually disastrous trench warfare. Near Paris Although the position of today’s extreme advance was not given, the Marne is only a dozen miles or so from Paris at its confluence with the Seine. In a vast enveloping advance, the Germans claimed today, 400,000 to 500,000 French in two armies were taken prisoners or killed and others were “pocketed,” as in Flanders, with low-skimming planes bombing and strafing columns on the move and blasting bridges from the Marne and lower Oise to cut off retreat. In the German view, Paris is “im mediately threatened" . . . the fate jf France is sealed . . . enemy power j{ resistance is visibly waning . . . No uniform French line of defense is left.” As for President Roosevelt’s ad Iress of yesterday condemning Italy's sntry with Germany, the Nazis as serted it was Italy’s place to reply, not Germany’s. While the scene of battle on the Marne coincides with the 1914 Ger man setback, Nazis placed confidence in a 1940 reversal at the Marne on die strength of modern tactics. Battle Of Segments The battle now has changed from me of lines to one of segments spearing from the inside of a half continued on Page Three, Col. 7) 1 Dr Lancaster Named Surgical Section Head NEW YORK, June 11—(/P)— Dr. W. J. Lancaster of Wil mington, N. C., superintendent and medical director of the At lantic Coast Line Railroad’s re lief department, was elected chairman today of the medical and surgical section of the As sociation of American Railroads. JAPANESE TROOPS MOVE INTO ICHANG Is Japan’s Most Important War Success Since Cam paign In Kwangsi HONGKONG, June 11—(fll—Jap anese dispatches reported today that Japanese troops entered Ic hang, most important port on the middle Yangtze between Hankow and Chungking, late today, scoring JKapan’s most important military success in China since last Au tumn’s campaign in Kwangsi. Two Japanese columns which have been moving in from the north and northeast reached Ic hang, in western Hupeh province, almost simultaneously, the dispat ches said. Ichang has been the objective of the largest Japanese military ef fort of 1940. It may provide a base for a further drive to#ward Chung king, China’s provisional capital, about 300 miles farther up the Yangtze. The Japanese infantry was re (Continued on Page Three; Col. 3) BURGAWFESTIVAL SCHEDULED TODAY Commissioner Scott To De liver Main Address; Pa rade, Dance Planned BURGAW, June 11—The annual Burgaw Bean Festival will be staged here tomorrow with a parade at 3:30 o'clock highlighting the fes tivities of the afternoon. Commissioner of Agriculture W. Kerr Scott will deliver the prin cipal address at the courthouse at 3 o’clock. The parade will be headed by the Queen of the Bean festival, who will be selected by popular vote, the ballots to be counted in the morning. Floats sponsored by var ious merchants and organizations in the town will be in the parade. The festival will come to a close tomorrow night with the Queen’s Ball at the Burgaw High school gymnasium from 9 until 12 o’clock Music will be provided by Hal Thurston and his orche^ra. LINES ARE STILL OPEN Many Persons Leave City As Its Outskirts Bombed By German Planes \ men defend Divers PARIS, June 12— (Wednesday M£l —The creeping battlw of France edged to within the sight and hear ing of suburband Parisians today as Frenchmen, for the second time in a generation, took up their stand along the historic Marne east of the city. Residents in the outer parts of the city reported Rearing the roar of the night battle and seeing the gun flashes on the northwestern horizon. Communications Open Although the Germans were try ing to encircle the city, communi cation by highway and wire still was open to the nerve center where the government had moved | in central France. ' Most people had been transporta tion already had left the one-time capital of the republic of France. As many as 50 persons crowded about available taxicabs and it was almost impossible to board one of the infrequent subway trains. Automobiles still were leaving the city, but many were without gasoline. Others here expected train service to be restored that would enable them to leave. The city was ominously quiet as the battle rolled closer. The outskirts of the city were bombed several times yesterday, but the center of the city went untouched. Many Rumors Without newspapers, Paris was filled with fantastic rumors about Soviet Russia and America. Only one newspaper was printed in Paris today and it was Ameri can—the Paris edition of the Her ald Tribune. The official govern ment newspaper, now printed in the south, was expected to be dis tributed here, however, to relieve the anxiety for news. Not a light burned in the streets, but the scarcity of automobiles and pedestrians made light unneces sary. Electricty water and gas still were available, however. A turn in the weather, which up to now has favored the Naxi blitzkrieg of planes and tanks, may aid the defenders of Paris. It was noticeable cooler and more cloudy this morning. Major Hopes The French lines on the Seine to the west, where the Nazis were attempting to cross by boats where the Germans were turned back in 1914 and 1918, were the major hopes of the city’s defenders. But to protect Paris, the French line would have to bulge northward from these two streams to a line on both sides of the Oise, as the Seine passes through the city. On the west flank, other French forces fought bitterly to throw back the Nazjs, who were trying to cross the Seine between Rouen and Vernon, u""» — es for troops and puiva^ie boaTs for their tanks. On the east flank, as part of what the high command called a gener al battle of the “greatest vio lence’’ of the whole struggle for Franch, a heavy tank attack by the Germans in the valleys of the Vesle and Ardre, thundered on. It is designed to cut off Reims from the east and southwest. Fresh Troops Arrive Fresh German divisions were brought into the battle in the re gion of Champagne, on the east. Bitter fighting raged on the whole course of the River Retourne, south of the Aisne and of Rethel, and the French reported the Nazi crossings there had been “dearly disputed.” South of Attigny French counter attacks were said to have inflicted “serious losses,” and all German assaults between the Aisne and Meuse Rivers were pronounced r» pulsed. - ■ f t-H ’ pushes Defense General Sir Robert Gordon-Fin Ja.vson has been appointed general ii/fieer commanding the western de lete area of the British Isles. De ,tnses are hurriedly being strength 'll as Britain prepares for any German invasion.__ discipline urged By DR. FREEMAN Richmond Editor, Biogra pher Speaks Before U. N, C. Graduates CHAPEL HILL, June 1 — Dr. Douglas S. Freeman, Rich rand, Va., editor and biographer, told a record graduating class ox M tonight at the university that America paradoxically could nev »r hope to avert war except by adjusting itself to a discipline it jas never displayed except in war. Such discipline, he said, mani festly must be born of an ideal shich can be found only in the churches and colleges. America must find “the moral equivalent c; the force that has given Ger many such superb discipline,” he said. “There is not among these graduates today,” he explained, “Me who has not sacrificed some pat of his pleasure to the attain ment of his end. not one who has cot hung onto his task when his mu!cles craved rest and his nerves twitched for relaxation and his eyes drooped: not one who con sciously or otherwise has not re peated; 'Let me deny myself.’ 'Ho • like body is there in America capable of seeking, o8f shaping, and of ex-emplifying that national discipline without which, as surely as Rome, we shall fall.” Discipline and peace and order, he asserted, can come only through religion and education. Without advocating the kind of discipline Germany has, Dr. Free said that Hitler nevertheless had taught the world a great les (Cnntinued on Page Three, Col. 5) [WEATHER Y forecast tir.i ! faro,ina: I’JU’tly cloudy, scat rsdav°^ers9owers Wednesday and (Meteorological data for the 24 hours "lnS 7:30 p. yesterday). Temperature » 75; 7:30 a. m. 77; 1:30 p. Bi-i'*' P. m. 79; maximum 85; ""“™ 73; mean 79; normal 76. .... Humidity 91: 7:30 a. m. 8S; 1:30 p. '-30 p. in. 73. Tfitoi f . Pr<*< ipitation non,. a'f.0r“4. hours ending 7:30 p. m. ‘"^inches Smce °* ^le month Tides For Todav -.ui‘Z ^ I«et _S *o:42a .Sunrise -no. 1 :04p 7:09p >'«U.4-,,'J'JUa■ sunset 7:24p; moon ,ila; moonset,_. June u- - <*> - *»4 rainf-.li * ,'‘'corils of temperature f- 111. i,,' 1 for 'Im 24 hours ending 8 ulsewhereF91 cotton-«rowlne „i, , High Low Clos, pilan>»- el udv5’ — 84 84 °-5f! Slr"iinghnm t -92 ,iS 1-22 cloudy °U — Warmly endorsing or organized “stop Hitler now” movement, Presi dent Roosevelt worked today to rush all possible material help to the Allies, whiie congress continued itn rapid-fire action on the national defense program, now grown to $5, 021,619,622. The chief executive announced to a press conference that the na tion’s lists of military supplies were being combed to see what might be spared for the beleaguered French and British. At the same time, the senate, by a 67 to 18 vote, approved legislation to permit the govern ment to dispose of surplus World war guns in a way which will make them available to the Allied armies. Comments On Advertisement Reporters attending Mr. Roose velt's press conference noticed ly ing on his desk the full-page adver tisement w’hich was inserted in many newspapers today' by the “committee to defend America by aidin gthe Allies.” It bore a big black streamer: “Stop Hitler Now.” "We ca nhelp—if we will act now,” was one of its statements, “we can help by sending planes, guns, munitions, food. We can help to end the fear that American boys will fight and die in another Flan ders, closer to home.” Ae reported asked the President for comment on the advertisement. He replied that he had not paid much attention to it unti. he learn ed it had been written by Robert N. Sherwood, dramatist, author of “Abe Lincoln In Illinois,” and the current play on Finland, “There Shall Be No Night.” Without meaning, Mr. Roosevelt said, to endorse each phrase con tained in the advertisement, he thought it was a mighty good thing, a great piece of work, educational to the people of this country. Bills Rushed .OHIO iciciLtru iu uiic i-’i v gram meanwhile rushed along. (1) Mr. Roosevelt signed the $1, 400,000,000 naval appropriation bill. (2) The house passed and sent to the White House a measure authoriz ing 10,000 planes, 16,000 pilots, 22 new combat vessels and as many auxil iary ships for the navy, and specifi cally approving an 11 per cent in crease in its total surface fleet. Con gressional action also was completed on a $1,821,953,222 army appropria tion bill. (3) The senate approved legisla tion—in which the aproval of the sale of guns was written—authoriz ing an army air corps of unlimited size, giving the President broad power to restrict the exportation of war materials, and permitting the government to construct and lease munitions plants. The measure next goes back to the house for action on senate amendments. (4) The house appropriations com mittee reported a supplemental ap propriation bill of $1,706,053,908, for many defense purposes, including an addition of 95,000 men to the regular army. Its figures bring defense pro gram appropriations for the current session to a total of $5,021,619,622. (5) The house pressed forward with consideration of the defense txa bill, intended ot raise $1,004,000, 000 annually. Republicans contended it was not big enough and objected to procedure under which only amendments offered by the ways and means committee could be consid ered. To show America’s “inherent and decent generosity,’’ the chief execu tive recommended a $50,000,000 ap propriation for Red Cross relief work among war refugees abroad. And, in still another action result ing from the war, he issued a proc lamation barring American ships from the whole Mediterranean area. Such ships, however, can still go to the west coast of Portugal and Spain. *Stop Hitler Now* Advertisements Are Endorsed By F. R. WASHINGTON, June 11. — President Roosevelt, at his press conference today, endorsed a newspaper advertisement placed in many publications by the Na tional Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies. The page advertisement, bear ing a black streamer saying "Stop Hitler Now’’ was lying on the President’s desk. Without meaning, Mr. Roose velt said, to endorse each phrase contained the advertisement, he thought it was a mighty good thing, a great piece of work, edu cational to the people of this country. It was well, he said, that William Allen White, chair man of the committee, was plac ing such things before the peo ple of the country. Sponsors of the advertisement, speaking in New York, said it will be printed in newspapers of every large city of the United States. It was written by Robert . Sherwood, Broadway playwright. DUTCH PRINCESS REACHES HALIFAX Is First Of Europe’s Refu gee Royalty To Seek Peace In New World HALIFAX, June 11—(#)—Guard ed with secrecy that permitted neither crowds nor cannon salute, the plump 31-year-old crown prin cess Juliana of the Netherlands, first of Europe’s refugee royalty to seek peace in the New World, reached Halifax today on a Dutch warship. With her two small daughters and reported to be expecting a third child, the crown princess seeks in the Americas rest from harrowing experiences of the war which drove her from her home land, and a safe seat for the ruie of the Netherlands empire if Queen Wilhelmina should be forced t o leave England. Too, the quick dash across the Atlantic brought her thousands of miles closer to Netherlands em pire soil if she should choose that her next child be born there. The crown princess was expect ed to remain aboard ship over night, then travel by train to Que bec tomorrow. Accompanying the princess, be sides her children. Beatrix, 2 1-2, and Irene, 9 months, were Baron ess Veyrum, Baroness Roell, and Rear Admiral and Baroness Devos Van Steenway. A government announcement said the princess was making her visit in response to an invitation from Lord Athlone, new governor general of Canada. She will be a guest at Government House, his residence in Ottawa. 4 LECHE GIVEN TEN YEARS IN PRISON ALEXANDRIA La., June 11—W— Richard W. Leche, Louisiana’s governor from 1936 until his re signation under fire last June 26, was sentenced today to ten years in federal prison—the stiffest term yet meted out to anyone convicted in the Louisiana scandals. Judge Ben C. Dawkins denied defense arguments for a new trial and gave Leche the maximum of Eive years each on two counts of his conviction June 1 for using the mails to defraud the state in purchase of trucks for the highway commission. U. S. Refugee Liner Halted By Submarine Passengers Of Washington Climb Into Lifeboat Dur ing U-Boat Scare OFF COAST OF SPAIN Second Sub Is Sighted But Vessel Escapes By Quick Maneuver ABOARD S.S. WASHINGTON AT SEA, June 11—liB—Calm under the supervision of officers of this Unit ed States liner, men, women and children climbed into lifeboats in the grey dawn today while Capt. Harry Manning held at bay one unidentified submarine which had threatened to torpedo her in “ten minutes” and outmaneuvered an other. “We are an American ship,” “we are an American ship,” Cap tain Manning repeated over and over in answering the signalled threats of the first undersea boat. ‘‘Go on” Signal This finally satisfied the subma rine commander who gave the Washington a “go on” signal. There were few, if any instances of terror among the 1,020 passen gers and 570 crew members. All donned lifebelts for the emergency. Excitement from the meeting with this first submarine had scarcely died down when a second undersea craft was sighted on the horizon. This time, Capt. Manning did not wait to receive threats of a tor pedo. He adopted the tactics of an old-time, experienced navigator. He swiftly swung the prow of the Washington in the direction of the rising sun. This maneuver put the Washing ton between the sun and the second submarine. Its blinding rays pre vented the submarine commander from seeing the American ship. Races Away Capt. Manning then ordered full steam ahead and left the submer sible far behind. The undersea raiders came upon the Washington, which was plain ly marked with Great American flags on her sides, about 180 miles off the Spanish coast, as she was speeding toward Galway, Ireland, to pick up more Americans fleeing war zones. It was not far from where the Argentine steamer Uruguay and the French freighter Marie Jose (Continued on Page Three, Col. 3) | Ruler Of Brazil Speaks In Defense Of Dictators RIO DE JANEIRO, June 1— (/PI — President Getulio Vargas, Brazil’s dictatorial ruler, proclaim ed his country’s neutrality in the Allied-Italian war today in a de cree preceded by a vigorous speech interpreted as a defense of totalitarian ways. “We are marching toward a fu ture different from all we know in economic, political and social or ganization and we feel that old systems and antiquated formulas have entered a decline,” he said. “It is not, however, as pessi mists and stubborn conservatives pretend, the end of civilization, but the beginning — tumultuous and fecund—of a new era.” Vargas spoke beneath the guns of the battleship Minagerase in an address high-lighting the 75th an niversary of Brazil’s naval victory over neighboring Paraguay in the Battle of Richuelo. It was the first declaration by a South American president on latest European events. (Usually reliable sources in Buenos Aires said today that both Paraguay and Argentina had strengthened their frontier garris (Continued on Page Three, Col. 1) FSCC FOOD STAMP DISTRIBUTION PLAN IS EXPECTED TO BE ESTABLISHED HERE It is virtually assured that the Federal Surplus Commodity cor poration’s food stamp distribu tion plan will be placed into op eration in Wilmington within two months, following considera tion of the matter by the city and county commissioners and FSCC representatives yesterday. The city and county boards unanimously passed a resolution by J. E. L. Wade, city commis sioner of public works, to the effect that the two boards jointly cooperate with the ISCC by ap propriating 510,000 as a revolv ing fund, setting up administra tion offices and providing other essentials, >,,■. The stamp plan officials esti mated the system would release approximately $170,000 per year into the trade channels of Wil mington through the blue ani' orange food stamps. This, they said, will be entirely new busi ness for Wilmington merchants and will represent an increase ot that amount in yearly gross busi ness. The food stamp plan is an ar rangement whereby the Federal Surplus Commodity corporation distributes fod to the needy through giving oiut cards nego tiable at grocery stores instead of doling out food at warehouses, such as is done at the loot of Grace street here. The text of Wade’s motion was that “the city and county com missioners enter into a contract with the United States Depart ment of Agriculture, Federal Surplus Commodity corporation,, food stamp division, for the pur pose of instituting in New Han over county the food stamp plan and that Thomas E. Cooper, mayor of the City of Wilming ton, and Addison Hewlett, chair man of the New Hanover coun ty commissioners, be authorized to sign said contract on behalf f of said boards and to be attested by respective clerks of said boards, it being agreed that the two boards set up a revolving fund of $10,000, to be provided equally by the two said boards and to furnish quarters, help and equipment to place the plan in to operation.” It was seconded by Harry Gardner and passed unanimous ly by the boards. The FSCC representatives, Gideon L. Bateman, program or ganizer, and A. E. Langston, state director of FSCC commodi ty distribution, said they "knew (Continued on Page Three, Col. 2)