Newspapers / Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, … / Jan. 4, 1941, edition 1 / Page 1
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Served By Leased Wire Of The 1 - — ASSOCIATED PRESS Dedicated To The Progress Of With Complete Coverage of WILMIHGTOH Slate and National News ^ Southeastern North _—-J Carolina VOlTt4—NO. 107 " - — --—- ESTABLISHED 1867 ★ ★ + Will Produce 2G0 Standard Cargo^Vessels Speed On $350,000,000 Job Is Expected To Rival That Of World War Days TO BE OWNED BY U. S. President Indicates Craft Will Be Built In New, Inexpensive Yards WASHINGTON, Jan. 3.—'IP)—A gigantic shipbuilding program aimed at producin' 200 new ocean going cargo vessels with a speed reminiscent of the feverish con struction of World war days was announced today by President Roosevelt. The vessels, 1,500,000 tons of them, will cost $300,000,000 to $350,* 000,000 and. Mr. Rooseelt said, some should be ready inside of a year. The chief executive said the car go carriers were to be built be cause so many vessels were going to the bottom in the war that there were prospects of a world shortage of tonnage. Diverts Questions He diverted press inference questions as to whethe' the pro gram would aid Britain in any way or result in the release of American ships to the British to replace some of tho"2 sunk by enemy action. But several factors in the pro gram, such as the appare: ' inten tion to sacrifice desirable features of design in the interest of 6peed of construction, immediately en gendered speculation that the ad ministration contemplated steps to help Britain solve the critical prob lem of getting bottoms to take war equipment and food across the At lantic. The President said the ships would be government-owned and that they would be cf one, stand ardized type, resembling oblong tanks, more than craft in whose lines a lover of ships, like himself, could take pride. Each ship will displace approximately 7,500 tons, and will cost $1,500,000 to $1,750, 000. To Use New Yards He indicated they would be built in inexpensive, new yards, operat ing insofar as possible merely as assembly plants to put together pre-fabricated parts and steel plates, and that special training of (Continued on Page Two; Col. 5) ENGLISH BATTLE FIRES IN TOWNS German Fire-Bombs Start Great Flames In Midlands And Southwest Cities LONDON, Jan. 4.-(Saturday) rlundreds of firemen and volun teers fought desperately early to day against great German-set fire in two British towns—one in the western midlands and the other in Southwest England. The assaults by German airmen, lurling fire and explosive bombs 3egan last night and appeared to lave assumed the proportions jarly today of previous Nazi at ;acks on London’s ‘‘city,” Cardiff, Birmingham,, Coventry and Bris ol. Four firemen and two soldiers were killed in the southwestern ;own in fighting the flames. One hospital whose ground floor vas badly damaged by explosives (Continued on Page Two; Col. 1) -1-. Australians Take 5,000 Italians In Bardia Battle '— --— , _ : Jk- ■ + A A _Three Die As Train Jumps 150-Foot Cliff C. P. Phoneph 'to Wreckage of a north-bound Santa Fe freight train is shown after the locomotive and 17 cars jumped the tracks and plunged over a 150-foot embankment near Del Mar, Calif. Three trainmen were killed. The -ngine and nine of the cars piled up on the beach at t ie foot of the cliff, eight other cars catapulted into the Pacific ocean. Recent heavy rains are believed to ha,-e caused spreading of the rails. Wilmington Camp Road Work Pushed; Sheriffs Plan To Coordinate Agencies - + . ___* - TO BUILD 60 MILES Equipment For Concrete Plant Arriving And Ce ment Expected Soon HOLLY RIDGE. Jan. 3.— W—'The task of raising roads out of a bog went forward despite inclement weather today, as the Army pushed construction of a S9.000,000 Wil mington anti-aircraft firing center which will be established here. The roads, within the Army res ervation will be used for trans porting materials, many of which will be extremely heavy. Col. A. Montgomery, construction quarter master, has authorized the use of SOO.OOO cubic yards or sand-clay to build foundations for the roads. To Build 60 Miles In all, 60 miles of roads will bt paved and curbed. For the task, a concrete plant, capable of pro ducing the equivalent of 20 rail road cars of materials daily, and an asphalt plant will be erected. Equipment for the concrete plant now is arriving here, and the ce _i i f i. __— rtV+ltT o lO CA^CbtCU c* i. i i » v- ^ - The Atlantic Coast Line railroad today was erecting a spur to move the materials into the Army base. Capt. V. A. Dash, retired, as sistant construction superintendent who today was appointed press re lations officer, announced that the purpose of a meeting of contractors in Wilmington last night was to co ordinate the efforts of firms which will do the constructing work. Firms represented at the meet ing were E. W. Grannis of Fayette ville, V. B. Higgins of Greensboro, and J. J. McDevitt and F. M. Thompson of Charlotte. Captan Dash said the construc tion work is a four-company part nership "founded for the purpose of coordinating. . . The partners have subordinated their individual efforts to a coordinated whole un der C. p. Street, project man ager." Water near the surface is a han dicap to road building at the Army base, he said, but the water is be mg removed by drainage ditches which now are being dug by seven Jarge machines., 1 Man Arrested For Tool Theft At Holly Ridge JACKSONVILLE, Jan. 3— Conrad Seutter, 30, who said that his home was in Wilming ton, was being held in the On slow county jail tonight on charges of larceny. According to Sheriff B. F. Morton, it s Seutter who al legedly stole carpenter’s tools belonging to three Southport men at Holly Ridge Wednes day night. The victims found the tools Thursday cached in the woods and later saw Seutter at the scene, Sheriff Morton said. They then called officers. It was the first trouble at Holly Ridge since the Army anti-aircraft firing unit was started, Morton said. PETAIN STUDYING” REGIME REFORMS Confusing Statements Fol lowing Resignation Of Baudouin From Group VICHY,.-FRANCE, Jan. 3.—(fl>)— Marshal Philippe Petain was said authoritatively tonight to be still studying a re-organization of his government after a day of con fusing and * contradictory state ments and the resignation of Paul Baudouin, a leading figure of the regime. Authorized informants tonight characterized as “premature” an apparently official announcement, earlier in the day, that the cabinet had been reorganized with sort of a directorate taking the place of the former one-man vice-regency of Pierre Laval ousted Vice-Pre mier. The earlier announcement had indicated that two French fighting men and a political veteran would have broad powers under Petain. (Continued on Page Three; Col. <>) WILL MEET THURSDAY Sheriff Jones And Others Discuss Problems Expect * ed To Arise From Camp HOLLY RIDGE, Jan. 3.— Sheriffs and county commissioners from New Hanover, Pender and Onslow county will meet in Jack sonville Thursday of next week to take further steps to coordinate the law enforcement agencies of the three counties most affected by the establishment of a $9,000, 000 anti-aircraft firing center here, it was learned today as the third work week at the center drew near a close. Sheriffs C. David Jones, of New Hanover, J. T. Bro'-'n, of Pender, and B. F. Morton, of Onslow met with the boards of commissioners of the three counties this week to discuss problems which may arise from the construction of the camp. Stevens Begins Work Meanwhile Dr. H. W. Stevens, director of the Onslow-Pender county district health office, ar rived and began work this week organizing his office personnel in two counties. The office is to be concerned primarily with preven tive medicine. The state highway patrol office here, in charge of Corp. H. C. Johnson, has been completed and Patrolmen C. L. Teague and A. R. Craig, formerly stationed at Greenville and New Bern, in Troop A have arrived to take up their duties. The two patrolmen from Troop B who will be stationed here have not been named yet. More than a score new private buildings are either under con struction or have been completed between Folkstone and Hamp stead. Meanwhile, Billy Arthur, contact man of the Onslow County De fense Committee, called on C. M. Thompson, chairman of the Pen der county group, for assistance in seeing that Onslow and Pender laborers got preference for work at the project. It was Arthur’s contention that Onslow and Pender county’s com (Continued on Page Two; Col. 1) 77th Congress Convenes for session Of Heavy Responsibilities, Decisions BY RICHARD L. TURNER WASHINGTON, Jan. 3—(IP)—In e subdued mood, the 77th congress convened today for a session ol heavy responsibilities and history Asking decisions. Quickly and solemnly, each bouse organized, elected officers, opposed of routine business, and bben adjourned to meet again or Monday and hear President Roose 'elt detail his views on America’s Place in a world at war, on Ameri can help to Great Britain and or the American defense program. References to the world situatior cropped out from the very start. The Rev. James Shera Montgom ery, house chaplain, prayed for the survival of democracy and Rep. Sam Rayburn of Texas, in a short and simple speech after he had been re-elected speaker, em phasized a need for national unity. President Roosevelt’s plan for lending war supplies to England, to be returned or replaced later, immediately shaped up as one of th biggest issues of the congress. Senator Barkley of Kentucky, the senate majority leader, made known that legislation to imple ment it would be introduced soon, and that it would probably contain no limita.ion on me amount to oe expended fdr the purpose. Meanwhile, it became clear that the Roosevelt foreign policies would face an organized challenge. Senator Wheeler (D.-Mont.) said there was a “rock bottom list” of 15 senators who would speak against administration methods which they believe are tending to ward ■ war, and that an effort would be made to •'organize the country.” The senate met a little before noon, with Vice President Garner (Continued on Page Three; Col. 3) i Troops Break Semi-Circular Line Of Forts Sudden Attack, Supported By Planes And Guns, Is Launched By British FALL EXPECTED SOON Quarter Of Garrison Is Taken; Operations De veloping Successfully CAIRO, Egypt, Jan. 3— <A>> — Australian troops storming the Italian fortress of Bardia, Libya, already have\ taken more than 5,000 prisoners, a quarter of the garrison, the British Command re ported tonight in a special com munique. me communique saiu ineieijr, "operations are developing suc cessfully at Bardia. So far, more than 5,000 prisoners have been cap tured.’’ Earlier dispatches from the bat tle zone declared that the sudden attack, led by the fight-hungry Aus tralians, had broken through the half-ring of forts protecting the Italian port and that the assault was continuing, supported by tanks. Heavy Bombardment The thrust was precedec and supported by the heaviest aerial bombrdment yet conducted in the African war, authoritative sources reported. All last night and this morning, from dusk until dawn, the Royal Air Force planes crossed and re crossed the perimeter of Bardia, dropping tons of explosives and in cendiaries on the beleaguered Ital ians and starting huge fires all over the town, it was reported. Not a single plane was lost in this extensive operation, RAF headquarters said. Then, at dawn, the Australians launched their drive. They reported a fairly deep pen etration in the southwest sector of the semi-circular Bardia defenses by noon today. The British command conserva (Continue'’ on Page Two; Col. 4) POSTAL REVENUE INCREASES HERE 1940-Receipts Total $218, 062, Gain Of Six Per Cent Over Previous Year Postal receipts for 1940 totaled $218,062.02 and were about six per cent or $13,697.75 ahead of reve nue of $204,364.27 for 1939, the postmaster reported yesterday. Postal receipts for December this year amounted ' $27,398.76, a gain of about fov - per cent or $1,179.53 over the -ecord of $26, 219.23 for the corresponding month in 1939. Postoffice officials reported re ceipts during 1940 by quarters as follows: first quarter, January, (Continued on Page Three; Col. 2) WEATHER FORECAST North . Carolina—Mostly cloudy Rat urday and Sunday preceded by light rain on the coast Saturday morning; slightly colder east and central por tions Saturday and considerably colt-'er Sunday. (By TJ. S. Weather Bureau) (Meteorological data for the 24 hours ending 7:30 p. in. yesterday.) Temperature 1:30 a. m. 59; 7:30 a. m. 58; 1:30 p. m. 58; 7:30 p. m. 55; maximum 61; mini mum 55; mean 58; normal 47. Humidity 1:30 a. in. 93; 7:30 a. m. 99; 1:30 p. . 9 '; 7:30 p. m. 93. Precipitation Total for 24 hours ending 7:30 p m. 0.77 inches; total since first of the month 0.77 inches. Tides for Today (From Tide Tables published by TJ. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey.) High JLow Wilmington_-_ 2:20a 9:40a 2:44p 10:04p Masonboro Inlet_- 12:02a 6:12a 12:26p 6:43p Sunrise 7:18a; sunset 5:16p; moonrise 11:28a. River stage at Fayetteville, N. C., at K a. m., Jan. 1, 14.4 feet. *<s«^itiiiued on Page Three; Col. 7) Going To Britain HARRY HOPKINS HOPKINSTO LEAVE FOR LONDON SOON Roosevelt Appoints Close Friend And Adviser For Special Mission WASHINGTON, Jan. 3— (A>> - Harry Hopkins, long-time friend and perhaps most intimate adviser of President Roosevelt, prepared tonight to leave for London on a special mission believed to be for the purpose of revealing the inner most plans of the administration to supply Britain with the sinews of war. President Roosevelt, in making the announcement today, said Hop kins would leave very soon and stay in England perhaps two weeks. He will have no title, of ficial status or authority, said the President. The mission itself, the President said, was not specific. The President said he expected next week to appoint a new am bassador to Great Britain — not Hopkins — to succeed Joseph P. Kennedy, who has submitted his resignation. Meanwhile, the President said, Hopkins will go over as his repre sentative to maintain personal con tact between the chief executive and the British government. Hopkins, one of the original new deal group which came to Wash ington with President Roosevelt in 1933, has had no official position in the government since he resigned last August as secretary of com merce. Before entering the cabinet in 1938, he was the new deal’s chief relief spender as WPA adminis trator. He lives most of the time at the White House with his young daugh ter, Diana, and is regarded as the President’s most trusted confi dant. He was considered the Presi (Continued on Page Three; Col. 2) War Interpretive BY KIRKE L. GIMPSON The fact that southern Ireland has now been subjected to further aerial harassment only deepens the mystery surrounding the motives for the unprovoked attacks. Dublin quickly satisfied itself of German responsibility. Its amand that Berlin make full reparations and give adequate guarantees of non-recurrence is an ultimatim in effect if not in form. It brought Ireland to the verge of belligerency and Irish west coast bases almost within Britain’s grasp. Wants Irish Bases Nothing short of an internal blow-up in Germany against Hit ler’s rule could give British vic tory hopes a greater tonic than quick acquisition of Irish bases. They would promptly change the odds heavily in British favor in the war at sea. Why Nazidom should risk that and the possible near collapse that and the possible near land at so critical a moment it is very difficult to see. Assuming that German:' was the aggressor (and a Berlin deniai of responsibility will not satisfy Dub lin obviously) it might be possible that Berlin has decided to deal (Continued on P^ge Three; Col. 3) J Irish Protest To Berlin On Bomb Attack Twenty Persons Injured When Dublin Is Raided By Single Plane CABINET HOLDS MEET Nazis Believed To Have Given Up Hope That Ire land Will Stay Neutral DUBLIN, Jan. 3.—(31—Dublin was bombed before lawn today by a single plane whose one explosive smashed two houses on Donore avenue, injuring some 20 persons —and Prime Minister de Valera sent a stiff protest to Germany and met with his cabinet in urgent secret session amid rumors that any further attack would mean the explusion of the German minister to Ireland. The Irish department of external affairs formally blamed the Nazis for the bombing of three other areas in neutral Ireland—such in cidents have been occurring inter mittently since Wednesday night— and announced “an energetic pro test to the German government against the violation of Irish terri tory by German aircraft and the loss of life and destruction of prop erty. . . .” To Ask Reparations The Irish charge d’affaires in Berlin, it was added, had been “further instructed to claim full reparations and insist that effec tive steps be taken to oid a re currence of such happenings.” As to the additional bomb that fell only today, the department an nounced. an investigation of its origin was still in progress. In London informed neutral sources asserted that bombs dropped on Ireland in the past two days had come without question from German planes and interpret ed this as meaning that the Nazis had given up any hope that Ireland would remain neutral or even be an ally of the reich if the Germans (Continued on Page Two; Col. 2) FIRE EXTINGUISHED AT OIL TERMINAL Firemen Avert Catastro phe By Checking Blaze In Pump House Here Wilmington’s firemen narrowly averted a major catastrophe early yesterday morning when they suc cessfully combatted a fire, which originated in the pump house, at the Standard Oil company termin als, located adjacent to the Sea board Air Line railway depot here. Damage from the fire, confined to the puny? house and the adjoin ing boiler house, was small due to the quick work of the firemen but, Chief J. Ludie Croom pointed out, “I am afraid to think of what might have happened if that Dlaze had gotten out of control.” The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, he said. He quoted the night watchman as say ing he heard an explosion just be fore he discovered the fire. The chief said he could find no bursted pipes or other signs of an explosion and could find nothing broken ex (Continued on Page Three; Col. 4) ^ Protests - DE VALERA BREMEN ATTACKED BY BRITISH PLANES RAF Continues To Retali ate For Big Nazi ‘Fire’ Raid On London LONDON, Jan. 3.—OB—'The big German port of Bremen underwent its second straight bath of bomb and fire last night in a mighty, all-night assault by the RAF in a continuation of its retaliation for the big Nazi “fire” raid on the heart of London, the air ministry anounced tonight. While the British bombers were adding new fires to those started the night before in Bremen, wave upon wave of German raiders in an apparent retaliation-for-retalia tion attack gave the great coal port of Cardiff in South Wales its worst drubbing of the war. "Scenes reminiscent of the World war,” was the way the British Press as sociation described parts of pum melled Cardiff. Recounting last night’s raid on Bremen, the air ministry news service reported the RAF attack ers swarmed over the city from shortly before 8 o’clock until al most daybreak, setting off “enor mous” new fires in shipyards and factories which produce Adolf Hit ler’s warships and other war ma terials. Besides the destruction of these targets the British assault was de scribed as for the purpose of "pro longing the inevitable disorganiza tion of the city.” The raid was not on so grand a scale as Wednesday night’s when 20,000 fire bombs were dropped, the air ministry said, but it lasted much longer. The RAF pilots found the air clear over their tar gets after bucking a fierce snow storm to get there. 1 BLIMP BASE FUNDS MAY BE PROVIDED Bonner Says Appropriation Bill May Contain $5,000, 000 For The Station WASHINGTON, Jan. 3.—(^—Rep resentative Bonner (D. N. C.) said today it was possible the first de ficiency appropriation bill would contain a $5,000,000 item to estab lish a lighter-than-air craft patrol (Continued on Page Three; Col. 5) Greek Troops Break Through Italian Defenses In Central Part Of Albania A.THENS, Jan. 4. -(Saturday) —xB—Greek troops broke through Italian defenses in the central sec tor to pave the way for what was authoritatively described early to day as “an important development in the war.” Scene of the breaching was not located specifically, but was un derstood to be north and east of the Klisura-Tepeleni area which a government spokesman earlier had declared was pierced by the Greeks. Gains northeast of Chirrara on the coast also were chalked by the Greeks in the drive north toward the impotant Fascis' bases of Va lona on the coast, and inland Be rati and Elbasani. An accelerated advance toward those Fascist points now is indi cated in the announced successes. Earlier the spokesman had de clared that “desperate” Italian counter-attacks failed to dislodge the Greeks * from newly-acquired heights in the Klisurr region, and that Italian tanks had been put to “headlong flight” from that region to the Adriatic sea. The Greeks said the Italians suf fered heavy losses. “The whole region of the Tepe leni-Klisura has beex. brought un der control of Greek fire,” ad vices from the front said. This was described as the ‘out standing feature of the c'eralions” on fronts torn the coast to Lake Ochrida. It is via the road running from Klisura through Tepeleni to the West that Greek forces in Central Albania aim to press on the port of Valona simultaneously with the southern wing advancing up the coast from Chimara. (Continued on Page Twoj Col, <| )
Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
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Jan. 4, 1941, edition 1
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