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Served By Leased Wire Of The Dedicated To The Progress Of ASSOCIATED PRESS f WILMINGTON With Complete Coverage of Amf Southeastern North Siale and National News > Carolina yQLjirNa —____WILMINGTON, N. C„ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1940 FINAL EDITION ESTABLISHED 1867* Britain May Ord ';£<SSillions Worth Of Arms -- * negotiations For U. S. Deal lire Started ifay Be Financed Under President Roosevelt’s ‘Lease- Lending’ Plan SOLONS MUST APPROVE Plan To Buy 12,000 More Warplanes And Approxi mately 2,500 Tanks WASHINGTON, Dec. 19.—(®— Creat Britain has begun negotia tes it was disclosed today, look jn» toward ordering $3,000,000,000 worth of arms in this country, possibly to be financed by the United States under President Roosevelt's "lease-lending” plan. Announcement that the British had been told to go ahead with negotiations on new war orders was made by Secretary Morgen tfcau who said no co:*:acts would be signed until congress could act u Mr. Roosevelt’s proposal for patting aid to Britain on a new feting. Proposed Plan As outlined by the President at ! press conference last Tuesday, this idea is for the United States In take over British orders for sar materials, pay the manufac turer for their production, and lease or lend the products to Brit ain. When the war was over, the British would return those arms which were in good condition and replace those destroyed, llorgenthau gave no hint as to the size of the proposed new Brit ish orders, but informed sources aid the total was upward of $3, .'00,000,000 and included the fol ding: About 12.000 additional wrplanes. to cost $1,125,000,000, ffld 2.000 to 2,500 tanks, guns and ammunition to cost about $1,700, M.OOO. Current British contracts are understood to total about 52.500,000,000. The treasury secretary’s an iouncement came amid increasing indications that some steps would * taken very shortly in an effort to speed arms production. Studying Proposals Stephen Early, presidential press secretary, said Mr. Roosevelt was Continued on Page Seven; Col. 5) LIFE WILL TAKE ORTON PICTURES Photographer Elisofon Will Attend Annual Christ mas-Eve Party A series of pictures, expected to ■? Published in an early issue of “e magazine, will be taken at ®e Christmas - eve party to be Tuesday for the approxi 150 persons employed or VJ?° at the 0rton plantation. L~Ul°t Elisofon, staff photogra *r for the Life magazine, will : ,Ve Monday afternoon to take ures of the annual event at on Page Six; Col. 7) US. Planning To Improve Morals Near Army Camps JASHINGTON, Dec. 19.—UP)— ‘ee government agencies joined i. Ces today in a move to improve litepv1 cond>'t-ions” and curb pro jrmrinS in the vicinity of certain fy camps. ii Jnecifically criticising conditions i.,ct°®ns near Fort Benning, Ga., »0U1^ary Stimson announced he torrm’!!ailne a community service Wm « t0 c°pe with a11 prob" ^“ affecting the army’s morale Sacral welfare, and r1Ve service headquarters Nation6 federa^ security admiis liSclo 'vere cooperating, Stimson la ed’ in an organized effort :°ntro?r°Ve bealtb and sanitation, l,>Sh r V*Ce' an<i prevent unduly onder 6n-s. in areas not directly "Themilitary centred ,arrny has and is getting type of men,” Stimson told his press conference. “It is of the highest importance that military posts be in a good neighborhood or that they be bettered if condi tions are not good.” Without identifying the localities by name, Stimson said he found on an inspection visit to Fort Ben ning last month that there was “great room for improvement in one of the nearby towns in all sorts of ways.” In the town nearest the big post, the site of the army’s infantry school and headquarters for both an armored division and a motor ized infafit'ry division, StimSoh said rents had mounted threefold since the recent defense expansion start ed. This worked a great hardship, he said, on young officers with (Continued on Page Seven; Col. 6) -: ; # cT -- Unck ^ .^\JW Men — - I . ■ S :; •'!'V-. - _ n ___3 ./-' Uncle Sam has paid close attention to the many lessons in military matters afforded hy Europe’s wars. One of the first was given by Finland, which sprang s »me new things in winter fighting. Fruit of this lesson was the formation of the U. S. Army’s own white-un iformed ski unit. Some of its 110 picked men, of the 26th Infantry, are pictured above, practicing at Lake Placid, N. Y. Anti-Aircraft Base Work Progresses At Good Rate - - ■¥,-— ERECTING BUILDINGS General Willoughby Looks Over Camp Layout In Trip Through Section Work on the Wilmington Anti-air craft firing center at Holly Ridge was stepped up yesterday, with be tween 300 and 400 workers busy erecting office buildings and clear in ehgt camp site proper of trees and shrubbery. Construction is expected to be in full force in a week or ten days. “Wonderful Progress” Col. Albertis Montgomery, con struction quartermaster, said last night that “wonderful progress” is being made. However, most of the work up to now has been purely organizational. Col. Montgomery said that his office was visited yesterday by Brigadier » General Willoughby, Chief of Staff of the First Army, who, he said, was “just passing through and stopped by to look over the camp layout.” General Willoughby, he said, is scheduled Ho be stationed at the Wilmington camp after its com pletion in some official capacity in charge of troops. The general layout of the firing center, from which grading and the laying out of streets will be done, has been tentatively approv ed. Grading Land To make way for the contract ors, the camp site is being burned over and operations are also un derway in grading and leveling the land. The state Wednesday began con struction of quarters fo- four state highway patrolmen to be stationed at Holly Ridge. The building, to contain bunks and telephone serv (Continued on Page Seven; Col. 2) Britain Plans Ship Construction In U. S. WASHINGTON, Dec. 19—(/P> —Given a hearty “Go Ahead” signal by United States au thorities, Great Britain tonight pushed forward with an ambit ious program of cargo ship con struction in this country, ex pected to cost at least $100, 000,000 in its early stages, and perhaps many times that sum. Informed United States offi cials said that as a first step, 60 ships would be built by the Todd Shipbuilding and Dry dock interests, 30 of them at Portland, Me., and 30 at Rich mond, Cal., in the San Fran cisco Bay area. \ These ships, designed to plug some of the gaps left in the British merchant marine by Hitler’s submarines, are to be 410 feet long, of 9,300 tons each, and with a speed of 10 or 11 knots. They are expected to be finished in a year or 18 months. U. S. SPEEDS UP AID TO BRITAIN English Getting More Fight ing Planes From Plants Than Army Receiving WASHINGTON, Dec. 19. — UP) — The pace of United States aid to the British has been stepped up, authori tative sources disclosed today, to the point where Britain for the time be ing is obtaining many times more fighting planes from American fac tories than the United States Army is getting. Britain receive dprobably 10 times (Continued-outage Seven; Col. 3) WEATHER forecast North Carolina: Rain, warmer on the coast Friday; Saturday cloudy, ram along the coast. (By V. S. Weather Bureau) (Meteorological data for the 24 hours ending 3:70 p. m. yestrc'ay). Temperature 1'30 a. m. 40; 7:30 a. m. 38; 1:30 p. m. 57- 7-30 p. m. 54; maximum 54; mini mum 37; mean 46; normal 48. Humidity l.:30 a. m. 74; 7:30 a. m. 82; 1:30 p. m. 70; 7:30 p. m. 74. Precipitation Total for 24 hours, ending 7:30 p. m. 0.00 inches. Total since first of the month 0.43 inches Tides For Today (From Tide Tables published by U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey). High Low Wilmington- l-3|a S_:43a Masonboro Inlet-11:34a 5:32a _p 6:07p Sunrise 7:13a; sunset 5:06p; moon rise 11:17p ; moonset 11:14a. River stage at Fayetteville, N. C„ at 8 a. m„ Dec. 18, 11.5 feet. (Continued on PagrfSeven; Col. 5) GREW TAKES ISSUE WITH JAP LEADER Ambassador Denies Inter est Of U. S. In China Largely Sentimental TOKYO, Dec. 19—UP)—In a blunt unscheduled speech before the American-Japanese society, U. S, Ambassador Joseph C. Grew took issue today with the assertion o! Japanese Foreign Minister Yosukf Matsuoka that “The fate of China is largely a question of sentimen to Americans.” The Ambassador’s forthright re marks were made after he hearc Matsuoka’s exposition of Japanese Foreign Policy at a farewell lun cheon for Admiral Kichisaburo No mura, new ambassador to the Unit ed States. Matsuoka, who had been intro duced by Grew with the statemeni that the foreign minister “has the same sort of personal affectior for our country as I have for Japan,” asserted in his speech: “The fate of China is largely a question of sentiment to Ameri cans; to us it is truly a vital issue affecting the very existence of our empire. “We believe we have a greal mission as a civilizing and stabil izing force for peace and honor, We shut our door to none. Anj nation that desires to take a hand in this task is welcome.” He concluded with a plea foi America to stay out of the war lest it bring on the world an “Ar mageddon” that would destroj civilization. Arising after the address, Grew took immediate exception to the foreign minister’s interpretation ol U. S. interest in China. “I think I must relieve the minis ter of his misapprehension thal the interest of Americans in China is largely sentimental,” he said. “I am glad to learn that ir (Continued on Page Seven; Col. 1) British Plan1 Large Attack Upon Bardia Rear Wing Of Italian Army Entrapped There Is Fac ing Annihilation EXIT BEING BOMBED Total Of Prisoners Reaches 31,546; British Lose 1,000 Troops CAIRO, Egypt, Dec. 19—(#)-The British brought up new troops be fore Bardia today for p last heavy blow in that Libyan sector, and declared officialy that the rear wing of the Italian r -my entrapped there was facing imminent capture or annihilation. The road of Fascist exit to the west toward the important base of Tobruk—the next objective of the desert offensive and lying 80 miles west of the Egyptian frontier —was under intermittent bomb fire, and in the Mediterranean the guns of the British flee* command ed the route of retreat. “Precarious” Position The Italian position in the whole area was termed “precarious” by the British command. How many Italians were cut off about Bardia was not stated offi cially, save that their forces were described in a British communique as “numerically superior” to the lengthening columns which had boxed them in, and were believed by some to be perhaps two di visions. Lengthening, too, was the British list of Italian captives. Those sort ed, counted and in hand as “per manent” prisoners of war num bered 31,546, said general head quarters here, and to this number will be added the “several thou sand” still being brought forth from the battle areas. Total Brit ish losses—killed, wounded and (Continued on Page Four; Col. 6) EMPTY STOCKING REACHES $1,094 More Contributions Needed Jo Fulfill All Demands Upon The Fund The Star-News Empty Stocking fund went beyond the $1,000 mark yesterday, but with only five days remaining until Christmas many more contributions will be needed to make possible a visit by Santa Claus to the homes of all the unfortunate boys and girls who are expecting aid from the fund. The total to date is $1,094.93. Requests upon the fund are con siderable more in number than in former years and unless there are further donations hundreds of chil dren will not be cared for at Christ mas. You can help prevent the sorrow, heartbreak and disillusionment of many youngsters by making a contri (Continued on Page Seven; Col. 4) Churchill Warns Britain Against Germanlnvasion LONDON, Dec. 19.—(®—Winston Churchill gave this pre-Christmas warning to the British nation to day: “Watch from hour to hour the danger and menace” of Ger man invasion. “It would be a disaster if any one supposed that the danger, the supreme danger, the mortal dan gers, are passed,” he declared to the House of Commons, recessing for these wartime holidays. “They are not! . . The winter season offers some : Ivantages to an invader. . . It would be a very great lack of prudence, a lack of prudence amounting to a crime, if vigilance were relaxed in our armies at home.” The prime minister used this oc casion to express hope that Brit ain, “still only a half-armed nation fighting a fully - armed nation,” would in 1941 become well-armed, with the help of America’s "great supplies,” and to detail the British conquest of the Italian armies of Egypt. “The British army,” he said, "has at last had an opportunity of showing its quality.” The year 1941, he predicted, will see British troops in action "in other theaters on terms of mod erate equality in numbers and in equipment, if not in defense of the : British Isles themselves.” Churchil’s warning was not the first of an invasion befow spring; his minister for aircraft produc tion, Lord Beaverbrook, and others have foreshadowed it. Until after Christmas moon, tides and weather in general are (Continued on Page Four; Col. 5), Dies KYOSTI KALLIO FORMER PRESIDENT OF FINLAND DIES Kyosti Kallio, 67 Passes After Heart Attack In Helsinki Station HELSINKI, Finland, Dec. 19.—i® —Kyosti Kallio, who broke his health in leading Finland’s lost cause against the Russians in 1939, died to night of a heart attack in the arms of the country’s greatest military leader, Baron Gustaf Mannerheim, just as he was saying farewell to Helsinki and to public life. A few hours beforehand, Risto Ryti had been elected his successor as president, and Kallio, ill and tired at 67, had been driven to the railway station with his wife through streets ringing with the cries of Godspeed from tens of thousands. He was go ing home to the country. On the platform a company of sol diers was drawn up in his honor. He paced smartly to the end of the line in the last act of what Helsinki had planned as its goodbye to him. He smiled; said "goodbye, thanks for everything.” Then he gasped, thrust a hand to his breast and tot tered. Baron Mannerheim caught his sag ging body. Mrs. Kallio already was in the waiting train. A group of officers took in her husband’s body, and the crowd was hushed. It had been a moving and exhaust ing day for Kallio. After the for malities of Ryti’s election there had been a reception at the presidential (Continued on Page Six; Col. 8) SEABOARD, A. C.L. TRAINS COLLIDE Passenger Engineer Killed And Ten Passengers Are Injured ZEPHYR HILL, Fla., Dec. 19— jj)—A Seaboard Air Line passenger train, the Sunbeam, and an Atlan tic Coast Line freight train col lided at a right angle crossing -ear here early today, killing the Sunbeam’s engineer and injuring 10 of the passengers and crew. Engineer Benjamin J. Green, ibout 50, of Tampa, Fla., was kill 'd in his cab and Porter Isaac 3eorge, also of Tampa, was injur Continued on Page Six; Col. 7) War _ Interpretive BY KIRKE E. SIMPSON Amid a hubbub of predictions on Doth sides of the Atlantic that the STazis will launch a gigantic at ;ack on England within months, Prime Minister Churchill sounded i significant note 4 parliament. He made it abundantly clear that 3ritain is being geared for an of :nsive of her own in 1941; not nerely for defense. He radiated iupreme confidence in England’s ibility to withstand any blow Ger nany may strike by land, sea or iir, and to hit back effectively. A still “half armed” Britain vould become a “well armed na (Coutinued on Page Three; CoL 2) j TO ALBANIAN FRONT -i. * ‘ _ GREEKS DRIVE ENEMY FROM THREE TOWNS FASCISTS FLEE Reported To Have Aban doned Palermo Bay In Re treat Toward Chimara PRISONERS TAKEN “ Papagos Claims Large Part Of Italian Forces ‘Al most Disbanded’ ATHENS, GREECE, Dec. 19.—W) —A government spokesman an nounced tonight that the Italians had abandoned Palermo Bay, on which Porto Palermo is situated, in retreating toward Chimara. The Fascist-held town of Klisura was under fire, he added, and the Italians also were pushed back to the outskirts of Tepelini. The Greek command’s nightly communique reported that over the whole fighting area an aggregate of more than 600 prisoners had been taken. Fighting Continues It read: “Fighting continued successful ly. The enemy despite stiff re sistance was dislodged by bayonets from his positions, leaving in our hands more than 600 prisoners and a large number of automatic wea pons and other materials. “The activity of enemy aviation was directed today even against hospital installations despite con spicuous Red Cross signs. Our avi ation was active on military ob jectives.” At one point along the central front, the spokesman added, two officers and 60 men were captured and at another in the north one officer and 150 men were seized. In some areas where they had constructed artilery emplace ments, the Italians offered ener getic resistance, the spokesman 6aid. He remarked that in places the snow was four to five feet deep. “Despite these dificult condi tions,” he continued, “reports which we are receiving say our army is maintaining the initiative and that its morrle remains high beyond praise.” Italian counter-attacks failed, the spokesman added, despite the arrival of fresh troops even during the operations. “DEMORALIZED” ATHENS, Dec. 19.—UP)—General Alexander Papagos. Greek Com mander-in-chief, told ]--<! army in a general order tonight that a large part of the Italian forces had been "almost disbanded and demoralized,” and appealed to the Greeks to persist until they "throw the enemy into the sea.” Referring to liis first general or (Continued on Page Four; Col. 6) Army Units Will Leave For Newfoundland Soon WASHINGTON, Dec. 19.—UP)—An undisclosed number of army units will leave New York for New foundland early next month, to garrison the northermost of the Atlantic naval and air bases being acquired from Great Britain. Announcing this today, the war department disclosed that the troops would sail for the outpost even before shore accomodations were ready for occupancy. DELAY OCCUPATION Swiss Paper Says Civjjfeji Traffic Halted In Bren ner Railroad DUCE ASKS AID Greek Columns Are Con tinuing Advance Despite The Cold Weather STRUGGA, Yugoslavia. (At Tb Albanian Frontier), Dec. 19.— (JV Military sources reported tonight that fleets of German-piloted Junk ers air transports were ferrying Italian reinforcements across the Adriatic to the Albanian battle front, as Germany’s aid to her hard-pressed ally. ^UllV.UllCliU,)', VJ1CCA. XUlt,CO| fighting in cold so fierce that hun dreds of their Fascist foemen were reported found frozen to death, were said by front dispatches to have forced Italian withdrawal from the strategic Albanian towns of Klisura, Tepeleni and Palermo. Delay Occupation The same advices said, however, that the Greeks followed their cus tomary tactics of delaying occupa tion until dominating heights near by had been mopped up, lest the Italian rearguard entrap them. The assignment of German transports to carry troops to Al bania—if true—would represent an application of the now familiar blitzkrieg technique of troop move ment, worked so successfully in Poland, Denmark, Norway and the low countries. (A Swiss newspaper, Le Demo crat of Delemont, reported ‘‘from a good source at Zurich,” that commercial freight and civilian passenger traffic had been sus pended on the Brenner railway line, which connects Germany and Italy, to permit passage of Ger man divisions enroute to Italy.) The report of Junkers trans ports in Italy’s service indicated (Continued on Page Seven; Col. 3) DEFENSE PROGRAM AIDS TEXTILE BELT Work Reaches New Peak And Many Mills Are Ad ding Third Shift CHARLOTTE, Dec. 19— UP) — Spindle and loom sang a song of growing hope and optimism through out the textile belt of the Carolinas today as national defense orders pumped new life into the veins of this region’s long-ailing major indus try. Operations reached a peak not at tained in years except perhaps for a short-lived spurt in 1937. More and more mills were adding a third shift, a procedure that was anathema to some leaders of the industry when the main problem was to curb over production. Here and there plants that had been idle for months were reopening for business. And since the manufacture of tex (Continued on Page Four; Col. 5) Nazis Demand ‘Radical’ Changes In Vichy Setup BERN, Switzerland, Dec. 19.—Ca*) —Fernand De Brinon, representative of the French government in Ger man-occupied Paris, brought today to Marshal Philippe Petain in Vichy what diplomatic sources here de scribed as "firm” Nazi demands for "radical" changes in the govern ment’s personnel. The Vichy cabinet meeting decided during the day, these sources said, that certain cabinet changes would be made to meet the German de mands. The ousted Vice Premier Pierre Laval, they added, probably would not figure by name among the suc cessors of those to be oustefi. However, those losing their posts are expected to include some known as Laval’s political enemies. Petain, it was said, would an nounce the changes in a radio speech to the nation, probably Saturday. Further cabinet meetings are to b* held Friday and Saturday. ( -- j ■ .. ^—I
Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
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Dec. 20, 1940, edition 1
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