Dedicated To The Progress 01 ^ M vf^ Served by Leased Wire ol the
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j jg^^NO. 276 WILMINGTON, N. C., THURSDAY JULY 18, 1940_ -fr * ESTABLISHED 1867
Jap Army And
Navy Improve
GripOnNation
Prince Fumimaro -Konoye
Outlines Plans For Mili
tary-Dictated Policies
jUAY PUSH SOUTHWARD
Great Britain Agrees To
Close Burma Route To
Chinese Government
TOKYO. July 18—(Thursday!—
The army and navy took a strong
er grip than ever upon Japan to
day as Prince Fumimaro Konoye,
advocate of totalitarian one-party
principles commissioned to form a
new government, outlined plans for
military-dictated policies which
jnay include a "march to the
South seas."
The premier-designate’s first ac
tion after receiving the imperial
command from Emperor Hirohito
was to announce that national pol
icies would be formulated by him
self. the war and naval ministers
and the foreign minister.
He conferred today with War
Minister Shunroku Hata and Naval
Minister Zengo Yoshida, and mov
ed tor speedy appointment of their
successors.
Will Choose Matsuok*
Political circles regarded it ? s a
foregone conclusion tha. the
prince's choice for foreign minister
would be Yosuke Matsuoka, form
er president of the South Manchur
ian railway whose bristling reply
1 in 1933 to League of Nations cen
sure of the Japanese seizure of
Manchoukuo was a sensation.
The new policies are expected to
pivot around Japan’s moves in the
South seas, which the army is ad
vocating as the future field of ac
tion.
; French Indo-China, the Dutch
East Indies, British Burma and
Siam may be concerned in these
policies.
Forced To Resign
Premier Admiral Mitsumasa
Yonai was forced to resign Tuesday
;j by army leaders who regarded his
foreign policy as too cautious in
the face of the French and Nether
:i lands collapse in Europe.
Japanese determination to press
on was evinced yesterday by the
announcement Britain has agreed
to close the Burma ruote to the
Chinese government at Chungking
for three months and has forbidden
export of useful supplies from
I Hongkong to China.
| Prince Konoye conferred with
tbe war and navy ministers im
mediately after his prolonged au
dience with the emperor last night.
LWEATHER
v _ FORECAST
“ Carolina and South Carolina:
,v rw'idy with scattered thunder
Saturday Chllrsday> Probably ending
data for the 24 hours
cndln8i:30 p.m. yesterday).
i .or, Temperature
m S.%»- 74; 7:30 a. rn. 74; 1:30 p.
minim!,J'-;, P- m- 74; maximum 80:
nimurn ■?; mean 70; normal 79.
1 M „ Humidity
m :■ S5: 7:30 a. m. 83; 1:30 p.
i .do p. m. 93.
Tntm f „ Precipitation
hlO inches•24t!lf°’!rs -ending 7:30 p. m„
month in-'• t?tal smco first ot fhe
-f-wi monos.
Tides For Today
^‘laineton Hi"h Low
ston - 8:44a 3:39a
Mason)Jorr, r . , 9:18p 3:53p
moro Inlet - 0:40a 12:41a
Sunrise r7:15p 12:45p
rise C'40r,-°'13a’ sunsct 7:23p; moon
Mi, moonset 4:33a. 'x
JuIy 17- — —
and rainfaUnCfU re(:ords of temperature
6 I>- m. in ti,„for ■ tfi.e 24 hours ending
areas a'nn' Principal cotton-growing
s'atio,, e sewhere: . ,
Aslievilie High Low Free
^tjanta ciou'uv- 81 60 °-57
Atlantic cite’y> ~7— Sa 66
5tt,nia*hiin * c, oudy - 77 96 0.00
S til eat — S7 68 0.00
lloudv-- 76 63 °-00
9,n<-iiu,ati °Vdy- 79 51 0.00
feftoit, cieaJ y — 83 59
balteston X- 78 51 0.00
mactsoi,vj'i|e .U,dy .- 88 77 0.00
Kansas c v ,, dy - 92 71 O.OS
hr West I'ln1 ,udy “ 96 71 0.00
,los Aageies eioy- 90 80 °-01
A-ooisvilie' oinf, ? r — 74 52 0.00
vm>diis.’cim“K.y- 79 58 0.00
x,ami- elouSvdy- 88 70 000
Orleans eie'V— 90 72 3.47
York elm °i',<4y - 93 75 0-06
p?rfolk. cioSdv dy — 71 64 °-01
SWiniigh Sr- S> 68 0.01
l1Cll®ond,’clone/ — 76 64 011
k • L°uis, elm,',!- 83 67 0.56
o,n Francis ,? dT- 84 60 0.00
b'aanah d(’Jilear - 69 56 0.00
i'^shintrfrsf °'1(ly_02 71 1 17
Wilmington’ !Ir,lldy - 85 68 0.00
“• Id*°-SO 72 0-10
j Where Over Thr ^^^Pied In Mine Blast
..„..._ ,,
A line of waiting stretchers outside an entrance of the Koppers company coalmine grimly bespeaks
the tragic news of recent mine explosion at Sonman, Pa. While rescue workers frantically toil below
friends and relatives wait anxiously under temporary canvas shelter. Blast's toll was more than three
score dead.__
Secretary Stimson Urges
Compulsory Arms Duty
War Department Signs Or
der for Powder Factory
Near Louisville
WASHINGTON, July 17.—UP)—
Secretary Stimson told prepared
ness advocates from 42 states to
day that there was a “very dark
outlook” for national defense un
less military service was made
compulsory to meet the need for
trained men.
“Congress has appropriated lit
erally billions of dollars for mate
rial to save the country, but we
have not yet taken the step neces
sary to get the men to run that
material,” the new secretary of
war said.
Asks Service Act '
“There is no way by which those
men can be obtained except by a
selective service act somewhat
similar to that we had 23 years
ago.”
Meanwhile, the war department
signed a contract with E. I. Du
pont de Nemours and company for
construction of a $25,000,000 smoke
less powder plant near Charles
town, Ind., about 12 miles from
Louisville, Ky.
This plant, to be owned by the
government but constructed and
operated by the company on a
fixed fee basis, would employ 5,
000 men during construction and
several thousand persons when
completed.
It would produce auuui
pounds of smokeless powder dailj
and would be the first of four under
contemplation. About 4,500 acres
are being purchased as a site and
construction, to start immediately,
will require ten months.
Other developments on the, de
fense front:
1. General George C. Marshall,
army chief of staff, said the war
department favored the exertion of
pressure, if necessary, upon em
ployers to keep open the jobs of
men who might be called to active
service in the national guard or
for compulsory mihtary training.
Developing Big Tanks
2. Marshall estimated that the
“most modern” arms and equip
ment would be ready by the end of
the year for the contemplated pro
tective force of 16 regular army
and national guard divisions. He
said that the army was develop
ing tanks of about 70 tons, much
larger than any built before and
about the size of thos - used in Ger
many’s sweep across France.
3. Secretary Knox said that the
navy department was “in process
of overcoming” a temporary ad
vantage his predecessor, Charles
Edison, reported had been gained
by air power over sea power. An
ti-aircra't defenses of existing and
uncompleted warships were being
strengthened, he added, in type of
guns used, rather than through
greai ■ armor protection.
4. Arthur B. Purvis, chief Brit
ish purchasing agent, said Ameri
can factories had stepped up de
livery of airplanes to Great Brit
ain from three to six or seven a
day recently, and predicted the
figure would reach 14 by the end
of the year, . 1.,
Railroad’s Revenues
Climb To $279,031,561
WASHINGTON, July 17—MP>
—The Association of American
railroads reported today that
89 class one railroads had esti
mated operating revenues of
$279,031,561 in June, compared
with $261,175,665 in June, 1939,
and $364,443,186 in June, 1930.
The 89 represent 81.2 per cent
of total operating revenues of
all class one railroads, the as
sociation said. ___
Freight revenues of the re
porting carriers totaled $225,
592,753 in June, compared with
$205,461,462 in June, 1939, and
$271,785,402 in June, 1930.
Passenger revenues in June
amounted to $29,973,361, com
pared with $32,561,589 in June,
1939, and $56,752,197 in June,
1930.
RUMANIA TO SHIP
GAS TO GERMANY
3,000 Tank Cars Filled and
May Be Shunted To
Channel Ports
BUCHAREST, Rumania, July 17
—(iP)— Three - thousand “rolling
reservoirs” of Rumanian gasoline
were fueled tonight to start for
Germany, and oil men believed
they might be shunted quickly to
English channel ports to feed nazi
planes in a mass onslaught on Brit
ain.
The cars, owned by Rumanian
oil companies, were made avail
able to carry the gasoline to Ger
many by a decision of the Ruman
ian oil commissioner. Informed
persons said they carried enough
gasoline to run 1,000 warplanes
for 45 days.
Rumania formerly compelled
Germany to use her own tank cars
to carry oil products from the
kingdom. Now Rumania’s foreign
policy has shaped up to that of the
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 6)
BRITAIN ANNOUNCES SEA LOSSES AND
WEIGHS WARNING OF NAZI INVASION
LOK OK, -July .18—(Thurs
day) —iff)—Britain announced to
day that Italian bombs dam
aged a cruiser with some cas
ualties in last week’s 7 lediter
ra- ,n r afight, added to her
sea losses an Iris" steamer fly
ing the British flej, .— " weigh
ed warnings that Germany is
poised for o: mighty air at
■'nck—then invar’'n.
the admiralty said the cruis
er was attacked July 8, the day
before tl- s British-Italian na
val action in mid-Mediterran
ean, and -' “The damage,
however, did not affect tie
ship’s fighting efficiency and
she took her full part in the
action against tlie Italian fleet
July 9.”
That came of tb' cruiser’s
crew were kil!cd or wounded
- as acknowledged : a brief
statement:
“Next of kin of the casual
ties have been notified.’’
The Dublin steamer City of
Limerick, 1,359 tons, was sunk
in an air attack, off Caps
Ouessant (Ushant) France last
Monday while carrying fruit to
Liver; aol. All but two of the
crew were saved. v
While r ~rman bombers kept
up sporadic flights over sou
thern England last night. King
George inspected munitions fac
tories there.
After a stormy day session
in which Britain’s tacit accord
with Japan to shut off war sup
plies to the Chinese central gov
ernment was announced, com
mons was told last night that
only the military situation was
delaying the sending of British
children to refuge abroad.
Geoffrey Shakespeare, under
secretary for the Dominions,
said Britain would accept any
! offer by the United States to
send American ships for the
children.
The mention of moves of Bri
tish accord with Japan brought
the words “appeasement” and
“Munich” from one critic of the
government.
But supporters of the gov
ernment replied to him with
cries of “shame!”
The words “appeasement”
and “Munich” with a remind
er of the grim consequences
associated with them were
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 4)
TRIAL OF THORPE
SLATED SATURDAY
Charged With Assault As
Result Of Attack Up
on Lucille Prevatte
Trial of Hampton (Hampy)
Thorpe, 36, white, charged in rec
order’s court with assault on a fe
male and in federal court with
violation of the Mann act, has been
set for Saturday morning. Trial
on the latter charge will be at the
fall term of federal district court.
Thorpe was arrested in Durham
on July 11 by federal agents on a
charge of transporting Lucille Pre
vatte, 19, white girl, from South
Carolina into North Carolina for
immoral purposes. The recorder’s
court charge arises from the same
charge.
The girl was found beaten and
unconscious on a highway in
Brunswick county early Saturday,
July 16. She told officers a man had
taken her in his car from Myrtle
Beach into North Carolina, stopped
at a roadhouse and made advances
to her which she refused, and had
beaten her and dumped her out ot
his car.
His bond was set at $300 in Dur
ham, but was raised by $500 by
Judge Alton A. Lennon.
Thorpe had come here by him
self to face the charges after post
ing the $300 bond when arrested
in Durham on the New Hanover
county warrant.
Meanwhile the girl is being held
in New Hanover county jail as a
material witness. She was remov
ed to the jail from James Walker
Memorial hospital where she was
taken for treatment when found the
morning of July 6.
Eddie Bell, negro, of 1112 1-2 Mc
Rae alley, only recently returned
from federal prison where he serv
ed a term for bootlegging, was
found guilty of assaulting his wife,
Pearlie Bell, and was sentenced to
a year on the roads in recorder’s
court yesterday. He noted an ap
peal to superior court.
Charlie Capps and Bennie Mel
ton. were found guilty of engaging
in an affray. Each was taxed a
half-set of costs.
John Byrd, 809 South Front
street, charged with an assault on
a female, was found guilty and
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 3)
Demos Pledge
Not To Send
Army Abroad
National Convention Shouts
Quick Approval Of
Lengthy Platform
IS R E A D BY WAGNER
Ryan’s Amendment Against
[Third Term Is Shouted
Down By Delegates
BY REX INGRAHAM
; CHICAGO STADIUM, July 17.—
MB—The democratic national con
vention shouted quick approval to
night of a 1940 platform promising
not to send United States armed
forces to fight in foreign lands,
outside the Americas, “except in
case of attack.”
Action came after Senator Rob
ert F. Wagner of New York, plat
form committee chairman, read
the document amid frequent inter
ruptions of cheering and applause.
Just before the vote, Rep. Elmer
J, Ryan of Minnesota, offered an
amendment to the platform declar
ing that no man shall be eligible
for a third term for president.
Proposal Downed
Booing drowned out the clerk’s
voice as he read the anti-third term
proposal and then the delegates
shouted it down vociferously by a
voice vote.
The 4,000 word document, com
pleted after hours of bickering in
the resolutions committee had
thrown the convention off sched
ule, also promised that “all the
material aid at our command, con
sistent with law and not inconsist
ent with the interests of our own
national defense” would be ex
tended to “the peace-loving and
liberty-loving peoples wantonly at
tacked by ruthless aggressors.”
Some of its authors said the for
eign policy plank would assure a
“middle of the road” course in
foreign affairs and Senator Wheel
er of Montana declared that if ad
hered to, it would thoroughly pro
tect the United States and guar
antee that there would be “no in
tervention” in foreign wars.
Pepper’s Fight Fails
Before it was finally adopted,
however, Senator Pepper of Flori
da had led an unsuccessful fight
for a plank pledging “full aid short
of war” for the democracies and
“a solemn pledge” that the United
States would not extend the “hand
of appeasement” to dictatorships.
Secretary of Commerce Hopkins
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 1)
BAD WEATHER HITS
NAZI A R ATTACKS
_s_
Preparations For Mass On
slaught Against Britain
Practically Complete
BERLIN, July 17.—(.S’)—Bad
weather temporarily wet-blanketed
Germany’s air war against Britain,
but authoritative sources said to
night that preparations for a pitiless
mass onslaught on the Island King
dom are practically complete.
Speculation as to when Fuehrer
Adolf Hitler will unleash the grand
attack was discouraged. Nazi spokes
men pointed out, however, that it
was so thoroughly organized and the
outcome so confidently awaited that
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 3)
THIRD TERM LEADERS
PLUNGE INTO DRIVE;
WHEELER WITHDRAWS
...—--V
I Proud Of Home State I
Mrs. Lennard Thomas, youngest committeewoman at the Demo
cratic conclave, shows pride in her home .state—Alabama.
RooseveltMayDesignate
RunningMateCandidates
EXCITING RACE IS SEEN
McNutt Says He Will Not
Run If President Pre
fers Someone Else
CHICAGO, July 17—UP)— Signs
multiplied in administration quar
ters tonight that President Roose
velt might designate various vice
presidential candidates as accept
able to him, yet refrain from say
ing of any particular one ‘‘that’s
the man I want.” ■
Friends of the hopeful trudged
in a steady stream to the hotel
suite of Mr. Roosevelt’s personal
representative, Secretary of Com
merce Harry L. Hopkins, and, so
far as could be learned, all came
away with about the same story:
That their man was considered ac
ceptable or that Hopkins would
check with the President about
him.
Personal Friends
Since most of the “acceptables”
were personal friends of Mr.
Roosevelt as well as faithful mem
bers of his administration politic
ians expressed the view that he
would hardly okay the entrance of
several into the field if he expect
ed later to express a preference.
This would leave the choice up to
the delegates, in which event the
vice-presidency might develop the
truly exciting contest of the con
vention; or the choice could be
made by agreement among the
candidates and leaders of the third
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 4)
Platform Makers Take
F.D.R.’s Phraseology
CHICAGO, July 17.—(/PI—The
democratic platform makers
adopted some of President Koose
velt’s own phraseology,
In a message to congress
July 10, the President said: “The
principal lesson of the war up
to the present time is that par
tial defense is inadequate de
fense. If the United States is to
have any defense, it must have
total defense.”
The democratic platform
states: “Experience of other na
tions gives warning that total
defense is necessary to repel at
tack, and that partial defense is
no defense.” ,
REAPPORTIONMENT
ROW FORESTALLED
South Accepts Compromise
Arrangement Providing
For Additional Votes
BY BEN GRANT
CHICAGO, July 17.-A
threatened floor fight over the re
apportionment issue apparently
was forestalled today when the
South accepted a compromise ar
rangement to award states voting
democratic two additional votes in
future national conventions.
Approved by the rules commit
tee, the new plan is subject to
ratification by the convention. The
vote is not expected until after a
presidential nominee is selected.
It is a way of compensating the
South for the abolition of the two
thirds nominating rule in 1936. As
long as that rule was operative,
southern states exercised, in effect,
a veto power over the choice of
presidential candidates.
Southern leaders agreed to the
bonus of two additional delegates
at-large on the assurance the na
tional committee would give furth
er study to the whole question of
reapportionment before the 1944
convention.
The compromise upset a plan
offered by the national committee
to give only one additional dele
gate to states going democratic in
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 3)
PLATFORM APPROVED
Alabama Chosen To Pre
sent President’s Name
At Start Of Roll Call
FARLEY IS IN CONTEST
Wheeler Says Delegates
Convinced Roosevelt
To Take Nomination
START BALLOTING
CHICAGO STADIUM, July 17—
(A>)—With President Roosevelt’s
third term nomination a foregone
conclusion, the democratic con
vention began balloting on a 1940
nominee at 11:13 (C.S.T.) tonight.
A decision was expected on the
first roll call of states.
BY RICHARD L. TURNER
CHICAGO STADIUM, July 17. —
<7P) — The democratic national con
vention clamorously plunged into the
momentous business of nominating
President Roosevelt for a third term
tonight, immediately after adopting’
a party platform which expressed
“pride” in the New Deal record and
promised non-involvement in foreign
wars.
Capitalizing upon the great crowd’s
uproarious enthusiasm for the Presi
dent, leaders of the third term move
ment planned to push straight
through to the first third-term nomi
nation of the party's history before
adjourning tonight’s session.
First Crack
Alabama, first in the roll call of
the states, and its senator, Lister
Hill, were chosen to present the
President’s name so that It might
go before the convention at first
crack out of the box, and possibly
forestall further nominations.
Nevertheless, although Senator
Wheeler of Montana had withdrawn,
the backers of Vice-President Gar
ner and Postmaster General James
A. Farley were determined to fight
it out, no matter how bad the beat
ing they obviously were doomed to
take.
The platform, approved after a
rousing row within the resolutions
committee on the question of assist
ance to Great Britain, was whooped
through on a roaring voice vote,
after its adulatory references to
President Roosevelt had evoked re
peated loud demonstrations from the
delegates and galleries.
As finally drawn, tne document
pledged the party to extend to "all
liberty loving peoples wantonly at
tacked by ruthless aggressors . . .
all the material aid at our command,
consistent with law and not incon
sistent with the interest of our own
national defense—all to the end that
peace and international good faith
may yet emerge triumphant.”
Roosevelt Record
Of the Roosevelt record, it said:
"We are proud of our record.
Therefore the party in convention
assembled endorses wholeheartedly
the brilliant and courageous leader
ship of President Franklin D. Roose
velt and his statesmanship and that
of the congress for the past seven
years, and to our great President
and great leader we send our cordial
greetings.”
And on Involvement in war, the
declaration was:
‘‘We will not participate in foreign
wars, and we will not send our army,
naval or air forces to fight in foreign
lands outside the Americas, except
in case of attacl;. We favor and shall
rigorously enforce the Monroe Doc
trine.”
Hill took the speaker’s platform
to say in nominating Mr. Roosevelt
that "this is no time fo runtried
hands to pilot the ship of state.”
Still In Race
Vice President John N. Garner
and Postmaster General James A.
Farley were still in the presidential
race, and their suporters awaited
only the proper point of the program
before submitting their names. But
Senator Burton K. Wheeler of Mon
tana had finally withdrawn. It would
‘‘serve no useful purpose,” he said,
"to be placed in nomination.”
Speaking in a more than faintly
sardonic tone, the senator asserted
that while he had assumed Mr.
Roosevelt would not be a candidate
(Continued op. Paye Three; Col. *'