Newspapers / Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, … / Dec. 20, 1940, edition 1 / Page 4
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SIjp®Unit«rton S’tai Published Daily Except Sunday By The Wilmington Star-New* At The Murchison Building. —“ R, B. Page, Owner and Publisher Telephone All Departments = 5 DIAL 3311__ Entered as Second Class Matter at ion, N. C., Postoffice Under Act of Congress of March 3, 1878__ SUBSCRIPTION RATES BYd^fIER Payable Weekly or m Advance^^ Star News tion Wppk .$ .20 i .15 | .30 i .• . 2.60 1.95 3.90 t Months . 5 20 3.90 7.80 S Months .. 10 40 7 g0 15 60 1 Year ..... News rates entitle subscriber to Sunday issue of Star-News -- BY MAIL Payable Strictly in Advance Combina Star News tion ! Mon&s .4.00 3.00 5.50 1 y°“r . 8.00 6.00 10.00 News rates entitle subscriber to Sunday issue of Star-News (Daily Without Sunday) 1 Month .$ -50 6 Months .$3.00 8 Months . 1.50 12 Months .6.00 (Sunday Only) 1 Month .$ .20 6 Months .$1.25 3 Months.65 1 Year .6.00 Card of Thanks charged for at the rate of 25 cents per line. Count five words to line. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS is entitled to the exclusive use of all news stories appearing in The Wilmington Star FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1940 Star-News Program Consolidated City-County Government under Council-Manager Administration. Public Port Terminals. Perfected Truck and Berry Preserving and Marketing Facilities. Arena for Sports and Industrial Shows. Seaside Highway from Wrightsville Beach to Bald Head Island. Extension of City Limits. 35-Foot Cape Fear River channel, wid er Turning Basin, with ship lanes into industrial sites along Eastern bank south of Wilmington. Paved River Road to Southport, via Orton Plantation. Development of Pulp Wood Production through sustained-yield methods through out Southeastern North Carolina. Unified Industrial and Resort Promo tional Agency, supported by one county wide tax. Shipyards and Drydocks. Negro Health Center for Southeastern North Carolina, developed around the Community Hospital. Adequate hospital Mities for whites. Junior High School. Tobacco Warehouse for Export Buyers. Development of native grape growing throughout Southeastern North Carolina. Modern Tuberculosis Sanatorium. TOP O’ THE MORNING I cannot tell why He whom angels worship Should set His love upon the sons of men, Or why as Shepherd He should seek the wan derers And bring them back, I know not how or when. But this I know that He was born of Mary, When Bethlehem’s stable was His only home, And that at Nazeratli He lived and labored, And so the Saviour, Saviour of the world is come. —SAMUEL M. ZWEMER. Stimson Steps In Using conditions discovered in unnamed towns near Fort Benning, Georgia, Secretary Stimson of the army told his press conference that there would be a committee to work tor improvement of the health and sanitary situ ation in all cities near army posts, which will cooperate with law enforcement and other official agencies in the communities. The secretary told his interviewers that soldiers at Fort Benning had been “exploited financially” and subjected to a bad moral influence. He emphasized the fact that it is highly important that the camps must be in a good neighborhood, and that the aim of the army would be to control “undesirable persons and places,” and to protect the sol diers “as far as possible from being exploit ed.” His recent visit to Fort Benning, he said had convinced him there was “great room for improvement in one of the neighboring towns, in all sorts of ways.” As soon as Fort Benning received its ad ditional personnel, Mr. Stimson 'declared, many of the young officers came in looking for quarters nearby, whereupon the rents “went up threefold.” That inflicted a great hardship “on the youngsters.” And he does not propose that the experience shall be im posed upon other officers elsewhere. Let The Lights Shine In many of the countries of Europe whole populations will retire on the night before Christmas In total darkness, in subterranean hideouts, their hearts filled with sadness and minds harassed with uncertainty. If they are spared to awaken on Christmas mom, it will be to face a gray day. The cloud of war will hover over them, mayhap close down, upon .them and snuff out theii spark of life. Yes, Christmas in Europe will , be a day of bafflement and bitterness. All that Christmas stands for, its promise, its _hM|e, its happiness, its kindly fellowship, ^1! bPxnissiog lor tha peoples ol nations still at war and for the millions war has turned into ’ fugitives. Because of this, there is the more reason that we, still spared the crushing effects oi war, still happy in the possession of liberty, should make of Christmas something more than a holiday, more than a day for bestow ing and receiving gifts, a day of gorging and merrymaking. In contrast with the blackout across the sea, we will be fully justified in making the night before Christmas bright with illumination as a token of thankfulness. Turn up the lights, let them shine brightly. They will not constitute a boast or challenge. Rather will they be a beacon to the benighted hordes of Europe - a sign that hope is not dead in the world, that the powers of darkness have not triumphed, that the torch of freedom still burns, that God is still in his heavens, and right and justice and decency and security will ultimately prevail. "Let your light so shine. School Buses On Highways Already, before the project is fairly start ed, Holly Ridge traffic has created a problem. Drivers of the four school buses which use the highway passing the site of the anti-air craft base report that they have difficulty getting through because of multiplying autos and trucks. Nor does increasing motor traffic create their only problem. They say that the rail branch near the turpentine plant, which was rarely i*ed before, is now in use at fre quent intervals every day. All of this activity, of course, is an indica tion of conditions to be anticipated with the coming of an army of workmen to construct the necessary buildings at Holly Ridge and, later, the soldiers who will train there. It also indicates the need for a special and prompt safety program on roads in the region of the base. This is essential in the interest of high way safety and especially for the protection of children who ride school buses. They must not be endangered. The drivers say that autoists, particularly newcomers from other states, pass while their buses are at a standstill, in complete disre gard of the law requiring all vehicles, either approaching or following school buses, to come to a complete stop as long as a school bus is stationary and to remain still until arriving or departing children have safely crossed the road. The drivers think that more emphasis should be placed on this requirement by all authorities, by contractors, by the army con struction personnel, and by residents of this area. It is their thought that this violation of a wise law is more the result of ignorance than of willfulness and that a word of caution to offenders will atop it. As for the grade crossing, they believe that the increasing rail traffic calls for a watchman, lor gates, lor automatic signal lights and bells, or other warning. Whatever speed is made in meeting the emergency to be created by the tremendous influx of workers and soldiers at Holly Ridge, it is apparent that the safety of school chil dren in buses should have immediate atten tion. On Their Way The British campaign in Africa and the Greek advance in Albania have both now reached a point where one holds one’s breath, hardly daring to hope for anything more. In the few days of their lightning attack the British have wiped out all the gains Marshal Graziani’s forces had made in three laborious months and taken at least one important Italian stronghold over the border in Libya. In Albania the astonishing Greeks are con tinuning to drive the Fascists toward the sea despite snow, bitter cold and heavy Italian reinforcements. It seems hardly in the book for these Medi terranean allies to pile more victories just now on top of the ones they have already won. By all the rules the British advance ought to slow up sometime to consolidate positions already won, to bring up supplies and fresh troops to meet the vastly superior Italian forces. The Greek army is still like a man living on borrowed time. All the mili tary experts gave it up long ago and even now there are few who will give it any chance of ultimate success. But if it is the part of caution not to expect too much, the hope will not down that both the British and the Greeks will be able to continue adding, day by day, to the successes they have already won in these two theatres of war. A complete rout of the Italians would be scarsely more fantastic or incredible than what has happened thus far. And it must be remembered that armies which have accom plished the impossible have an added weapon in their belts * the high confidence that stems from their achievements. Quicken The Defense Pace On all sides there are signs that the nation is rousing itself from its complacency over the progress of the defense program. Groups of educators, men of affairs, industrialists, news commentators and editorial columns, military experts and government officials are calling for action. We are seeing with a new clarity what we must do . and are not doing. There is one problem now that overshadows all others, and that is the problem of produc ing for defense. We must have guns, tanks, airplanes, munitions, all the weapons a nation must have in this day when might alone counts. We must have them to maintain the fighting front in Britain. We must have them for our own security. We are not getting them in sufficient quantities, or soon enough, for either purpose. Not only in this one branch of the program does a "terrible urgency” exist. There is also a crying need for eliminating the causes that have contributed to it. The service depart ments have farther to go in getting rid of red tape and fussiness and in coordinating their programs. The defense commission needs greater authority to mesh the gears between the services and industry. Producer and labor will both have to develop new and better means of meeting the demands placed upon them. The President, back from his vacation, finds a great opportunity awaiting him. The country is anxious and uneasy, ^but this restlessness can be turned into achievement. If Mr. Roose velt gives the whole program force and direc tion, the chance will not be frittered away. That he will take the reins is hardly to be doubted. Editorial Comment ITALY’S STAKE AT VICHY N. Y. Herald Tribune Herr Abetz has appeared at Vichy with his minatory guard of armed Germans, summoned up the disgraced Laval from his seclusion, conferred with the men of Vichy and depart ed for Paris in a thick cloud of rumor and speculation. Full details have been published of the comings and goings of the principal figures in the tense and secret drama in the little capital of unoccupied France. But not a word which can shed any authoritative light on the significance of the whole mysterious af fair has yet reached the public. Most peculiar, under all the circumstances, is the apparent passivity of Italy. Should Pe tain kick over the traces, Germany could in flict instant reprisals on metropolitan France. Herr Hitler, if it suits his purpose, may em ploy the episode to wring further concessions from the Vichy government; he may even use it as an excuse to take over the rest of the country and establish himself on the shores of the Mediterranean. But how would this aid Italy? Certainly, Germany could not ship troops to Libya in the face of British sea power with any greater success than II Duce has done, while the chances of inflicting a crippling blow on the British fleet .through air power alone would not be greatly increased. Meanwhile, any overt act against Vichy would almost certainly bring a reaction in French North Africa. The remnants of the French fleet might well go over to De Gaulle. Gen. Weygand is virtually free, while Italy is wrestling desperately with the British invasion of Libya, from any reprisals should he rejoin his old allies, and his intervention might easily prove decisive in the African sphere. Consequently, it is clear that Italy has a vital stake in the maneuverings at Vichy. Should either Petain or Hitler make a false move, Mussolini would be the one most likely to suffer. Yet, so far as can be ascertained, Italy has not been consulted on the issues in volved in Laval’s dismissal. Doubltess, if all goes well, Hitler will trundle off to the Bren ner and inform his partner of his acts. If matters go awry, Mussolini will hear about it from other and even more stentorian threats —French guns on the Libyan border. It is as significant a commentary on the present state of the Axis as any that has appeared since Berlin informed the world that its at titude toward the Greeks was one of "aloof reproof.” 1 WASHINGTON DAYBOOK BY JACK STINNETT WASHINGTON Dec. 19.—Capital people: Being a Texan and not exactly a young man, he is an A-l hunter and a crack shot because 40 years ago there were few men in that country worth their salt who couldn’t get a quail with each barrel and drop a deer as far he could draw a bead. But this man has Nimrod’s own rabbit’s foot in his pocket, too, and hardly ever takes the field but that he makes hunting history. A few years ago, for example, he went grouse hunting in Scotland. It is customary there, it seems, to hunt from butts, or blinds, strung in a line up a hill. The lowest blind is con sidered the worst and the hunters draw straws for them the first time, then move up in progression until each has had a shot from every blind. This fellow drew the worst blind but got the first grouse. From then on almost every bird that flushed flew straight into the blind he happened to be in an he got them all. They’re still talking about that in Scotland. Of late, this man hasn’t been hunting much. . . . what with national defense, elections and all. But the other day, a friend, Stewart Mac Donald, assistant federal loan administrator, finally persuaded him to take in a wild turkey shoot in Maryland, just across the West Vir ginia line. From here on, it’s McDonald’s story: I knew it, I knew it. I never saw anything like it. All afternoon we hunt, working every inch of ground we have time to cover. And what happens? We see two turkeys, both shots for him and him only, and he drops them with one shot each just as if he had been shooting wild turkeys every day of his life. Not another person got a chance' to fire a gun. I never saw anything like it.” He is Jesse Jones, sometimes referred to as secretary of commerce, sometimes as fed eral loan administrator, but always as one of the best hunters in this neck of the woods. * * * BUT TfflS ONE HATES GUNS He saw broadway and Forty-second street pass from the gold-and-champagne days of Rectors and “Diamond Jim” Brady and Zieg feld and Anna Held to tawdry cross streets with grind movie houses, fruit juice stands, Minsky burlesques and flea circuses. He was manager of the famous old New Amsterdam theater up until the day that she gasped her last as a legitimate theater and put on the trappings of a cinema. He tells it this way: “Do you know the first bad break the Am sterdam had? When they put in a shooting gallery next door. Yessir, that was the first. I knew it then and I was right. After that, cheap restaurants, fruit juice stands, gimcrack stores, movies, burlycues and all the rest. . . and finally the street was gone. “I came to Washington after that to manage the National tthe capital’s only legitimate theater) and you can imagine how my heart sank when I walked up E street, looked across, and saw, almost next door to the theater, a shooting gallery. “The other day, a fellow was in here with a petition. It seems you have to have signa tures of most of the property owners in the block before you can put in a shooting gallery and this ^fellow wanted to put in another shooting, gallery on the other side of the National, x told him as gently as I could the story I just told you and then I said: My friend. I can’t let you do it. If one shooting gallery can kill 42nd and Broadway, what do you think two would do to the National Theater!” His name is Edmund Plohn * * * RASSELIN’ fan For three hours, he sat at ring side in Arnica hall and cheered and rooted and jumped to his feet and made motions to explain just what he meant as the grunt-and struggle boys in the ring went through those wild gyrations of mythical slaughter that in these days passes for wrestling. He whopped for the beefy heroes and hissed the bearded villains. He had a whale of a time. He was Sen. Gerald P. Nye of Keith Dakota—relaxing. CHANGES ORDERED IN JOB AGENCIES Joseph Cude, Manager Of Lumberton Office, Will Go To Fayetteville Joseph S. Cude, manager of the Lumberton office of the North Car olina State Employment service, will assume the managership of the Fayetteville office effective January 1, the Wilmington NCSES office reported yesterday. Cude will succeed James A. Gawthrop, who will be assigned the managership of the Reidsville office, taking the place of Dan H. Jones, being transferred to the Lexington office. Cude, who began his employ ment service career as an inter viewer in the Winston-Salem office, had previously served as manager of the Henderson office. The new Fayetteville NCSES of fice manager will be responsible for continuing activity at Fort Bragg and the transfer of work ers from there to Holly Ridge and other job opportunities which may open in the state. During the past four months the Fayetteville office under the lead ership of Gawthrop made one of the highest placement records of any of the 1,600 public employ ment offices in the United States, the local office reported. He is credited with the task of securing the employer cards and actually placing the men on the 23,000 jobs filled at the fort. 1 St. Andrew*s Choir To Present *The Messiah1 The St. Andrew’s Presbyterian church choir will present its fifth an nual rendition of George Frederick Handel’s oratorio, “The Messiah," to night at 8 o’clock. The choir of 45 voices wi» be un der the direction of George L. Walk er, Jr., graduate of Westminster Choir college, Princeton, N. J. Laura Howell Norden will be at the con sole of the new Pilcher organ. The program for the evening is as follows: Overture, recitative (tenor) "Comfort Ye,” Aria (tenor) “Every Valley Shall Be Exalted,” chorus “And the Glory of the Lord,” Aria (bass) “But Who May Abide the Day of His Coming,” recitative (con tralto) “Behold! A Virgin Shall Con ceive,” Aria (contralto) “O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings,” chorus “O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings," chorus “For Unto Us A Child Is Born,” organ “Pastoral Symphony,” recitative, (soprano) “There were STiepherds Abiding In the Fields, reci tative, (soprano) “And Lo! The An gel of the Lord Came Upon Them,’’ recitative (soprano) “And the Angel Said Unto Them,” recitative (so prano) “And Suddenly There Was With the Angel,” chorus “Glory To God,” Aria (soprano) "Rejoice, O Daughter of Zion,” recitative (con tralto) “Then Shall the Eyes of the Blind Be Opened,” recitative (contralto) “He Shall Feed His Flock Like 9 Shepherd,” Aria (so prano) "Come Unto Him All Ye That Labor,” chorus “Behold the Lamb of God,” Aria (soprano) “How Beautiful Are the Feet of Them that Preach,” quartet “Since By Man Came Death,” chorus “By Man Came Also the Resurrection of the Dead,” quartet "For As In Adam All Die,” chorus “Even So In Christ Shall All Be Made Alive,” chorus “Hallelu jah!” (Congregation standing.) Ben ediction. The public is invited to attend. Grace Church Plans Special Yule Service A “White Christmas” service will be held at Grace Methodist church Sunday morning at li o’clock, With members of the congregation asked to bring gifts of food wrapped in white paper. The food will be distributed among the poor of the city. The pastor, the Rev. J. F. Her bert, will preach a Christmas ser mon. Sunday night at 8 o’clock, the young people of the church will give a Christmas pageant. Southport Church To Stage Yule Homecoming SOUTHPORT, Dec. 19. — The church school department ot St. James A. M. E. Zion church here will sponsor a Yuletide homecoming program at 7:30 o’clock Sunday night, December 22, at the church. A round table discussion of topics from the biblical theme, “While Shepherds Watched Their Flock by Night,” by a senior Sunday school group will feature the program. City Briefs cars damaged One car was overturned and both were damaged yesterday morning at 7:43 o’clock when an automobile operated by Libert Justice, of Atkinson, and Leroy Sidbury, negro, of Scotts Hill, collided at Seventh and Market streets. WALLET STOLEN George L. Stearns, of Green ville Sound, reported to police yesterday that while his car was parked at Fifth and Orange streets that someone stole a wallet, containing a registration card and driver’s license, from the pocket of the car. CARS COLLIDE Automobiles driven by C. L. Justice and Austin Hull were involved in a collision at Seventh and Chestnut streets, with dam ages to both cars resulting yes terday afternoon, police reported. HELD FOR ROBBERY Elwood Rivenbark was arrest ed by police yesterday on a charge of robbery after he al legedly held William Autrey while an unknown party robbed his pocket of four dollars and some change. ARRESTED Police yesterday arrested Sam Brown, negro, 409 Bladen street, on a charge of reckless operation of an automobile with damages after be allegedly drove his car into a car driven by John Rose, damaging it. AUTO ARREST Z. Bass, negro, 510 Nixon street, was arrested by police yesterday on a charge of reck less operation with injuries after he allagedl.' struck Joe Jones on a bicycle, injuring him. CHURCHILL WARNS BRITAIN AGAINST GERMAN INVASION (Continued from Par One) favorable for such an attempt; to meet it, Britain has approximately 3,000,000 men under the colors in the United Kingdom, regulars and home guardsmen. In particular, the prime minister noted the slackening in German air attacks in the past few days—a slackening which, he said, might easily be “in preparation for some other form of activity.” 1 CHIEFS PREr \RE LONDON, Dec. 19.—UP>—Amid sporadic and light air raids to night, Britain’s military chiefs so berly prepared to resist a German invasion attempt they believe might come from a half dozen points. The recent lull in bombing, part ly attributable to unfavorable weather, has not lessened anx^gty of military circles who point out that one night of “Coventry” raids at a half dozen small ports like Brighton and Torquay on the chan nel could so disorganize them that they would be open to the landing of troops. “Suppose,” they say, “Coventry had been a seaport. What would have happened if Germany had in vaded that port the following dawn?” 1 DEFENSE PROGRAM AIDS TEXTILE BELT (Continued from Page One) tiles is the major industry, all other lines of business felt the quickening effect of its revival. The Duke Power company, for instance, which serves more than half the spindles of the two states, announced this week a $3,000,000 addition to a steam-electric plant already under construction at a cost of $6,000,000, to meet the growing demands for power. Governor-Elect J. M. Broughton of North Carolina who will take office next month, expressed a note of optimism in an interview this week, predicting that the state would enter 1941 “with unsurpassed business and industrial activity and a chance to reap rich reward from national de fense building.” “Our state will have less unem ployment than at any time in the last ten years—perhaps any time in history,” he said. Yule Party Planned At Temple Church Tonight A Christmas party will be given at the Temple Baptist church to night at 7:30 o’clock, with a play let, "The Candlelight,” being pre sented by the Intermediate depart ment. The young people department choir will assist in the staging of the playlet. Included in the cast of the playlet are, Misses Marguerite Smith, Wini fred Rivenbark, Louise Murray, Margare Wenberg, Peggy Greene, Julian Ann Coleman, and J. A. West, Davis Howes, Lehman Greene and William Lassiter. After the presentation a Christ mas tree, with Santa Claus playing the host, will be held. DENIAL WASHINGTON, Dec. 19— Ml — The German embassy tonight de nied that arrangements had been made with American authorities to transfer 300 sailors from the scut tled German liner Columbus from Angel Island in San Francisco Bay to an abandoned CCC camp near Stanton, 2few Mexica NESBITT COURT TENANTS GATHER Plans For Christmas Enter tainment Discussed; Win dow Contest Slated Tenants of the Charles T. Nesbitt Court, white housing project here, held their first meeting in the Com munity hall last night with about 130 persons present. Plans for Christmas entertainment were discussed, with those present voting to have a Christmas tree in the hall Monday night. A Christmas pageant, directed by the WPA adult education division, will be presented in the hall Sun day night at 7:30 o’clock. The tenants voted to set in motion the machinery for organizing a per manent Tenant association. H. R, Emory, executive manager of the Housing Authority of the City of Wilmington, was authorized to ap point a committee to draw up plans for such an organization and present them at a general meeting to be held after the first of the year. Emory announced at the meeting that he will give two prizes of $5 and $2.50 for the best decorated win dows at Nesbitt Court during the holidays. A committee of judges is to be appointed to inspect the win dows. Dr. W. H. Moore, chairman of the housing authority, made a short talk on housing at the meeting. The tenants voted to appoint a committee to take up a collection for the Star-News Empty Stocking fund. ITALY ABANDONS PALERMO BAY IN FLIGHT TO CHIMARA (Continued flrom Pa£" One) der exhorting Greeks at the outse' of the war to fight with "stubborn ness and unlimited endurance, General Papagos said: “This you have done throughout All Greece is proud and the whole world is following with admiration from victory. “Neither sacrifices nor priva tions, nor pain nor even wintei prevented us from repelling the invader, overthrowing him from strong positions and facing hiir fearlessly and relentlessly. “Your blows placed him in < very dificult position. A large par of his forces are almost disbandec and without morale . . . our enemj is shaken on front before you anc in Africa before the English, he is shaken internally. Winter is ac celerating his disintegration.’’ t BRITISH PLAN BIG . ATTACK ON BARDIA (Continued from “age One) missing—were officially put at les than 1,000. Royal Air force reports indicatec that the earlier heavy Italian fligh observed toward Tobruk hac thinned out. There were some in dications that a gradual retrea from Tobruk, similar to that frorr Bardia, was the Italian plan. / withdrawal toward Derna, 17! miles within Libya, had been re ported by British pilots earlier ir the week. Inside and about the perimetei of Bardia heavy fighting went or during the day. The Fascists were known to have plentiful supplies and British military sources sug gested that the operation might re quire some time, although thej expressed no doubt about the ulti mate issue. 1 OBITUARIES FLETCHER J. BROWER Funeral rites for Fletcher J. Brower, 51, of Washington, D. C„ Who died In Washington Monday afternoon, were held from the Yopp funeral home yesterday morning at 11 o’clock. The Rev. George B. Webster con ducted the services. Intei’ment fol lowed in Oakdale cemetery. Active pallbearers were: Ar thur E. Read. Floyd Cox, Albert Harris, Jesse Croom, Martin Flan agan, and Herbert smith. Honor ary pallbearers were: Charlie Loper, W. Z. Corbett, Aaron Sai lings, Walter Barnes, George Jones and Tom Croom. He is survived by a daughter, Miss Betty Brower, of Washington and Wilmington, a1 sister, Mrs. J. B. Taylor, of Wilmington, a brother F. L. Brower, of Memphis, Tenn., and a half-sister, Mrs. Frank Stan cil, of Raleigh. Rev. Herbert Talks At Brigade Boys Supper “Giving Their Best” was the theme of a talk by the Rev. J. F. Herbert, pastor of Grace Metho Jist church, at a Christmas sup per given the boys of the Brigade Boys club last night. About 75 boys were present for he program. The Rev. Herbert lave the invocation and W. R. Kosher led in group singing with Mrs. F. L. King accompanying at he piano. The dinner was arranged by the adies of the Brigade Auxliary, of vhich Mrs. Walter Keen is the eader. Following the supper ses ;ion, the boys were presented with m orange and a bag of candy as hey marched out. Of all fore alarms sounded in American cities, approximately 11 per cent are for fires in automo Piles I Fair Enough The Star wishes its readers to know that views and 0pm ions expressed in this arUcl* are those of the author and may not always harmonize with its position.—The Editor. BY WESTBROOK PEGLER NEW YORK, Dec. 19.-Yes . deed, time was when the pos\ ! ambassador to the Court of St James’ was regarded as the can! ital prize of the American dip!,, matic service and went to the m who had given most to the cam paign fund of the party in pov ' provided, however, that neither hi nor his loving sp tse had ever been divorced. It was so desirable j its time, that the lucky fellow ne° er hesitated to assume the ore!j per- rial expense over and abov. his rather nominal pay and th petty allowanc*s, which iat:J hardly paid for the polish to bright, en the doorknob and the brVi plate out in front. Tlje ambassador to the Court of St. James’ was somebody, whether he was anybody or not. He lived up to his hips in dukes and lords he could just pick v the phone and talk to the king and he <, t invited out to the best estates for the trouting in the spring and the grousing in the fall. He learned to 'say, “I mean to say.” at the rate of four times a minute, and “fortnit,” too, and. most fun If all, he could treat other Americans as just what they are. after all nothing but a lot of Americans. Half the Pleavrc That was half the j -casure rf be ing the American ambassador to the Court of St. James'. . . “Sonv, the ambassador won’t be able to see you today; he’s having tea at the palace. No, tomorrow he’s oif to Scotland for his holiday. Then to Cowes with his majesty. P'raps you’d better see one of the clerks and state your business and. for God’s sake, get rid of that chew ing gum. Do you want to be an American all your life?” That was the life. Those were the days. And in the court season wasn't our ambassador the one? All the rich Americans with unmarried sprigs in tow who happened to be on that side of the water, and many who had made the trip just on the off-chance, would start arch ing their necks at Mr. Ambassador well in advance of the season in the hope of obtaining b^s to the big reception which would set the winners apart forever as ladies who - were permanently special, and there he would sit, in his pajamas at night, going over the list and i lopping off the pretty heads ot un happy little dummies v’-o couldn't ■ make the grade, and scratching himself and laughing like a mad executioner. A few years ago. there, it looked as though Mr. Joe Davies wouldn't mind sitting in at St. James'. He certainly did seem restless in the two jobs which he did hold—first at Moscow and later at Brussels— ; always bouncing away on Mrs. Da vies' yacht, and he seemed to be maintaining a regular blockade ott the British coast on the possibility that our Mr. Bingham, then incum bent, would step down to the cor ner for a dish of beer. It was like a game of musical chairs, with our Mr. Davies always alert to plump himself down in Mr. Bingham's place; but now Mr. Kennedy is home from London, permanently, and the place is wide open, and it begins to look as though we might have to draft a doughboy and send him over to London as a single handed A. E. F. to represent the United States at the Court of Si. James. wnai ao you buppubt? wh happened to the good old Court o* St. James’, anyway, that no rich deserving democrat seems to want the job? Has the climate changed, maybe, or is the moon too brigi.t these nights and likely to keep a man awake and blind his eye; Are they having some kind of sick ness over there, such as flu « typhus or some other condition that would impair a person's health. Of course, our Colonel Wild EiJ Donovan ts there on some sort -: government mission, but the col onel wouldn’t be eligible to repic sent his country, being a republi can and, anyway, he seems a have a 50-trip ticket on the cup pers which he must use up m a certain time or forfeit t'-e remain"' ei*. fr* This is a very good job. A «-• house goes with it. free, and ov-“-’ to the pressure of other businc;-. the cost of feeding the British au tocracy rich meats a n d hea'-' gravies would be negligible the days. But, of course, the princ*? spiritual pleasure of the post be missing, too, because : ’c toun-j trade has fallen away to noth and there would be very few Air* icans to snoot. Maybe it is all on account ot ■ noise in London now. London^ said to be a very noisy city. Tnite being slammed around_ ail - time. Trash and debris in --. streets, too. Never were streets ^ untidy as today in the very re=*' of the embassy of the U.. 5. A. the Court of St. James.’ That be it. Rain, Slightly Warmer Temperatures Forecasi Rain and slightly warmer ^ peratures were forcast f"1- , by weather bureau oilicials night. , ee! A low temperature o £ 44 cU;.. is expected early this mot " j Gentle to moderate northeas east winds will predominate today- . ranee<i Temperature yesterdaj ;a’of from a high of 54 to a 9 37 degrees, with the mean j below the 48-degree normal
Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 20, 1940, edition 1
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