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With Complete Coverage of WILMINGTON
Slate and National Newa And N»rth
^___ Carolina
vnr, 74—NO. 116 --------
U-----WILMINGTON, N. C., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15,1941 FINAL EDITION ' ESTABLISHED 1867
ROOSEVELT FLAYS CRITICS OF AID-TO-BRITAIN PLAN
Chief Refers
To Wheelers
RecentSpeech
Displays Anger as He Says
Critics Are Guilty of ‘Rot
tenest’ Untruths
SENATOR SHOOTS BACK
Moves Made to Compro
mise Some of Controver
sial Points of Legislation
By JACK BELL
WASHINGTON, Jan. 15.—WV
Displaying more anger than he has
shown in many a day, President
Roosevelt today declared that crit
ics of his aid-to-Britain plan were
guilty of the “rottenest” and “most
dastardly” untruths when they
charged that the plan would result ;
in “plowing under every fourth,
American child.”
The President named no name*
at a press conference, but it ws*
immediately recalled that Senator
Wheeler (D.-Mont.), embattled op
ponent of the Roosevelt plan, had
said in a speech Sunday night that
“the lend-lease-give program is
the New Deal’s triple A foreign
policy—plow under every fourth
American boy.”
Wheeler Shoots Back
As soon as he heard of the Presi
dent’s remarks today, Wheeler shot
back with a statement that "ap
parently the President lost h i s
temper.” He expressed the hope
that hie “plow under” statement
would prove to be untrue, but add
ed that every speech of the Presi
dent leads the country a step
, “closer to war.” A
The President’s remarks grew
out of a discussion of the recently
introduced bill giving him broad
powers to supply war materials,
and otherwise assist, countries bat
tling the Axis powers.
A reporter noted that the bill
had been called a blank check,
and asked for the President’s com
ment on that.
Mr. Roosevelt said he supposed
the best way to put it was to sug
gest that some one write him an
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 6)
PNEUMONIA, FLU
SPREAD IN N. C.
Three Person? Die in 24
Hours; Additional Public
Schools Closed
RALEIGH, Jan. 14.—(^—Pneu
monia and influenza, harbingers of
death for three North Carolinians
in the last 24 hours, sent more peo
ple to bed today and caused the
closing of additional public schools.
At Hamlet, 19 - year - old Billy
Smith died of pneumonia, the same
malady that caused the death yes
tedy of Locky Virginia Huskins,
seventh grade pupil of near Mar
ion. Eight-year-old Donald Gene
Suits died at Hamlet of intestinal
influenza.
■thousands of persons i nthe state
were under the care of physicians
as health authorities sounded a
general plea that all persons stay
away from public gatherings.
Dr. Carl V. Reynolds, state
health officer, expressed the opin
ion that the near-epidemic of in
fluenza was “just on its way in
this state.” He said that most of
the cases were mild, much more
so as a whole than the type that
claimed many lives in World war
day.
Charlotte city schools closed on
the heels of a report that 24 per
cent of the white children and 13
(Continued on Page Ten; Col. 4)
*** ★★★ ★★★ * Jf * *
Broughton Opposes J&ost In Taxes
163 Millions
Dudget Sent
To Assembly
Governor Calls on Solons
To Lengthen List of Sales
Tax Exemptions
record expenditure
Retirement Program Of
$3,408,152 for All Em
ployes Proposed
RALEIGH, Jan. 14.—M—'Trans
mitting a proposed budget calling
for the expenditure of $163,635,382
in state money in the next bien
nium, Governor Broughton today
urged the general assembly to
maintain a balanced budget,
lengthen the list of sales tax ex
emptions, and increase no taxes.
The record expenditure, con
tained in the unanimous report of
the advisory budget commission
and former Governor Hoey, goes
as far "as prudence would dic
tate," Governor Broughton s._;d.
The budget would be balanced and
practically every state agency and
institution would receive increased
funds.
Go Before Committees
The two measures went before
their respective joint ccmmittes.
Representative Bryant of Dur
ham, a member of the advisory
budget mission, told the opening
session of the joint finance com
mittee that it would be “unwise”
to increase taxes “in the face of
certain increase in taxes by the
Federal government.”
Bryant, who is chairman of the
house finance committee, defended
as necessary a provision for a con
tingent highway fund diversion.
"The only alternative,” he said,
“is to cut appropriations or find
additional revenue, or both.”
Representative Kerr of Warren,
chairman of the house appropria
tions committee, announced that
the joint appropriations committee
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 3)
SOKOLSKY REVIEWS
TODAY’S PROBLEMS
forum Speaker Calls For
“Unless the fundamental prob
lem of food and raw materials is
solved it doesn’t make the slight
est difference who wins this war,”
George E. Sokolsky, noted jour
nalist and economist, declared at
New Hanover high school last night
before a large audience attending
the Community Forum program.
“If England was completely vic
torious and Germany completely
conquered it would not solve a
single problem,” he said after a
review of the alternatives facing
the United States and consequent
ly after he had ruled out each al
ternative of (1) war (2) isolation
ism f3i a system of barter, as
conformity with the democratic
way of living.
Europe is living in an area in
which there is an inadequate food
supply and an inadequate access
to raw materials and consequent
ly Europe would still have these
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 1)
---&z&:*r ^
Keeping The Army r
-— .• . tf
The scene Is a Libyan port—once Italian, now h;ld by Britain’s hard-fighting Army of the Nile. Aus
tralian soldiers are helping British sailors hustle supplies ashore.
Broughton Favors Port Terminal Loan;
Application To RFC Is Given New Life
__ a. m
WRITES JESSE JONES
Governor Urges Favorable
Consideration of Wil
mington’s Application
Urging favorable consideration
rf the application by the City of
Wilmington to the Reconstruction
Finance corporation for a loan of
£635,000 to construct public port
terminals here. Governor J. M.
Broughton declared in a letter to
Jesse Jones, RFC chairman, on
January 11, “I have the conviction
that the development of this port
not only will serve North Carolina
sut will prove to be a development
jf national importance.”
A copy of the letter to Chairman
Jones was forwarded by Governor
Broughton to R. B. Page, pub
lisher of the Star-News, yesterday.
Prior To Conference
The letter was sent to the RFC
chairman prior to the conference
reld by a delegation from Wilming
(Continued on Page Five; Col. I)
6-DAY WORK WEEK
ASKED BY MARTIN
Airplane Builder Says Con
gress Should Delegate
Power to Draft Board
WASHINGTON, Jan. 14.—
Glenn L. Martin, pioneer airplane
builder, told congress today it
should keep in mind a “bigger
show” than the current arms pro
gram and delegate emergency au
thority to draft labor as well as
industry for defense production.
Testifying before the house na
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 4)
Young Bandits Kill Two
Men In Attempted Holdup
NEW YORK, Jan. 14.—(tfi—Two
young payroll bandits—brothers—
coldly shot to death a protesting
victim today in an elevator of a
miatown building, then raced onto
crowded Fifth Avenue, terrorized
throngs of noon - day shoppers,
rutiled a patrolman and sent a bul
let into the throat of a taxi driver.
The chase, which led through a
clock-long department store at
tilth Avenue and 34th Street, end
ca with one of the bandits lying in
®e street, wounded by the slain
Patrolman, and the capture of the
second gunman in a nearby 10
cent store.
hink guard who attempted to
aid in the capture also was shot
and wounded.
Assistant District Attorney Jacob
J. Rosenblum said the bandits
identified themselves as Angelo de
Stefano, 23. and his brother, Jo
seph, 27. The latter, Rosenblum
said, had three guns and Angelo
two.
Rosenblum told this story of the
holdup and killings:
Alfred Klausman, general man
ager of Kemp and Beatty, Inc., a
linen firm, shortly after noon
stepped into the elevator of his
building at 34th and Fifth, carrying
with him the firm’s payroll of
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 3)
R. B. Page To Attend
U. S. Defense Meeting
R. B. Page, member of the
North Carolina Defense Council
appointed by the Governor and
chairman of the Wilmington De
fense Council, a local group
named by Mayor Thomas E.
Cooper, has been invited to at
tend a three-day conference of
state chairmen of similar organi
zations of the nation, beginning
in Washington, D. C-, next Mon
day.
The invitation came from Col.
J. W. Harrelson, dean of N. C.
State College, who is chairman
of the North Carolina Defense
Council. It also included an in
vitation to Mrs. Page to attend
the tea to be given at the White
House Tuesday afternoon by Mrs.
Roosevelt.
The invitation to the Wil
mington publisher was taken as
new evidence of the important
part Wilmington will play in
the National Defense picture.
SMITE IS FINED
IN LOTTERY CASE
Also Receives Six Months
Suspended Term After
Nolo Contendere Plea
Gerge (Crip) Smith was fined
$2,000, taxed with the costs, and
received a suspended eix months
term on the roads after entering a
pea of nolo contendere to charges
of conspiracy to violate the lottery
laws yesterday afternoon before
(Continued on Page Ten; Col. 2)
WEATHER
FORECAST
North Carolina: Clouf.'y, possibly fol
lowed by light rain Thursday and in
the mountains and on the coast Wed
nesday.
(By TJ. S. Weather Bureau)
(Meteorological data for the 24 hours
ending 7:30 p. m. yesterday.)
Temperature
1:30 a. m. 44; 7:30 *. m. 38; 1:30 p. m
54; 7-30 p. m. 46; maximum 55; mini
mum 37; mean, 46; normal 46.
Humidity
1:30 a. m. 89; 7:30 a. m. 87; 1:30 p. m.
58; 7:30 p. m. 66.
Precipitation
Total for 24 hours ending 7:30 p. m.
0 00 inches. Total since first of the
month 0.77 inches.
Tjdes For Today
(From Tide Tables published by TJ. S
Coast and Geodetic Survey.)
■ High Low
Wilmington -ll|4a 5:54,
Masonboro Inlet- 8:52a 2:45a
9:17p 3:18p
Sunrise 7:18a; sunset 5:26p; moonrise
8:06p; moonset 8:35a.
Cape Fear river stage at Fayette
ville on Jan. 14, at 8 a. m., 10.30
ffct.
(Continued on Page Ten; Col. 4)
4>
CONFERENCE IS HELD
Port Commission Asked To
File Additional Data on
$635,000 Project
The application of the City of Wil
mington to the Reconstruction Fi
nance Corporation for a loan of
$635,000 for the erection of municipal
port terminals here has been given
new life, it was learned yesterday
from J. T. Hiers, manager of the
Wilmington Port Commission.
The application rejected last
week by the board of dircetors of
the RFC, was reopened by the RFC
Mohday after Hiers, C. D. Hogue,
chairman of the Wilmington Port
Commission, and J. E. L. Wade, city
commissioner of public works, con
ferred with Morton Macartney, head
of the self-liquidating division of the
RFC.
Hiers said that with the reopen
ing of the application the Port
commission was requested to file
additional sustaining data to show
the project will be self-liquidating
and able to pay off the indebted
ness in a period of 25 years.
The RFC last week wrote Mayor
Thomas E. Cooper that the appli
cation had been declined on the
grounds sufficient data to show the
loan could be repaid had not been
given the RFC.
Additional proof of the ability of
the terminals to be self-liquidating
has been worked up since the fil
ing of the application and will be
submitted in the near future to the
RFC, Hiers said.
At the time the application was
rejected the applicants and spon
sors of the proposed project said
they were not unduly alarmed by
the rejection, as similar proposed
projects which have since been
built with RFC funds, had been
rejected and later reopened just as
this one had now been revived.
r -
Greek Troops
AreAdvancing
Toward Berati
RAF and Italian Bombers
Trade Blows on Targets
In Albania, Greece
PREVEZA BASE RAIDED
Athens Elated Over Re
moval o! 2 Italian Com
manders from War
By MAX HARRELSON
ATHENS, Jan. 14.— WJ—Greek in
fantrymen were reported driving
toward Berati, in south central Al
bania, today while communiques
told of a trading of blows by the
British RAF and Italian bombers
on targets in Albania and Greece.
Although conceding sturdy Ital
ian resistance at some points,
Greek spokesmen aserted the
fighting north of Klisura, whose
fall opened the way for an advance
on Berati, “continued to develop
satisfactorily.”
Under Bomnarameni
Berati, south of Tirana, Alba
nia’s capital, and northeast of Va
lona, only major port in southern
Albania still in Italian hands, was
reported .under British air bom
baTtlm'ertf. An RAF communique
told of bomb attack- yesterday on
Communications and military ob
jectives there. Rising columns of
smoke after the attack led to be
lief, it was said, that direct hits
were scored.
An Italian air raid on Preveza,
Greek west coast naval base, was
described by the Greek ministry of
home security. It announced a
small number of casualties and de
struction of several buildings in
cluding a cathedral and a girls’
school.
In Athens, Greek elation over
the removal of two Italian com
manders in the Albanian campaign
was demonstrated in a newspaper
cartoon portraying a Greek Evzone
fighter in a ring crying, ‘ Bring on
another one,” after he had left the
two replaced generals, Ubaldo Sod
du and Sebastiano Prasca, on the
ropes.
Soddu, who replaced Prasca at
the head of the Fascist armies in
(Continued on Page Ten; Col. 3)
BRITISH GUNBOAT
TAKES ARGENTINO
Italian Blackshirt General
Snatched from Hiding
Place in Africa
CAIRO, EGYPT, Jan. 14.—(AT—
The crew of a British motorboat,
directed by patrolling aircraft, has
snatched the Italian blackshirt
General Francesco Argentino from
a hiding place by “the water’s
edge” in North Africa near Tobruk
Libya, British middle eastern head
quarters announced today.
The number of Italian generals
declared to have been seized in
the fighting in Egypt and the Brit
ish counter-offensive in Libya thus
was increased to eleven. A twelfth
and the most picturesque of all,
General Annibale “electric whisk
(Continued on Page Ten; Col. 3)
Holly Ridge Wage Rates
Released By Contractors
Approved wage classifications in
hourly rates for the Camp Davis
project were given yesterday to the
North Carolina State Employment
service by the contractors, Maurice
H. Moore, manager of the Wilming
ton office, announced last night.
Such scales were applicable to jobs
beginning with the new payroll as of
4 p. m., Sunday, January 12, Moore
said, and are listed as follows:
Asbestos workers, $1; asbestos
workers apprentices, first year, 40
cents; second year, 50 cents; third
year, 60 cents; and fourth year, 75
cents; blacksmiths, $1; boilermakers,
$1.25; boilermaker helpers, $1; brick
layers, $1.25.
Journeymen carpenters, 90 cents;
cement finishers, $1.10; electricians, I
91; electrician helpers, 60 cents; fire
men portable boilers, 75 cents;
glaziers, 90 cents; jackhammer men, i
50 cents; unskilled laborers, 40 cents, i
Lathers, metal, $1.10; machinists, '•
$1; millwrights, 90 cents; mason
tenders, 50 cents; mortar mixers, 60 1
cents; oilers, 75 cents; operators of
power equipment, air compressors,
$1; stone spreaders, 60 cents; blade 1
graders, 75 cents; cranes, derricks,
and drag lines, $1.25; distributors '•
bituminous surfaces, 75 cents; fin- 1
ishing machines, common concrete
pavement, 75 cents. 1
One drum hoists, $1; hoist two J
drums or more, $1.25; mixers, $1; 1
motor graders, $1; pile drivers, $1.25; i
(Continued on Page Ten; Col. 1)
-—-4
Government Considering
Possible Establishment
Of Arms Plants In N. C.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 14.—iff) I
—Senator Bailey (D-N.C.) dis
closed today consideration was
being given by the government
to the possible location of mu
nitions plants in North Caro
lina.
The senator, pointing out the
state had ample supplies of la
bor and power, said he could
not reveal locations under con
sideration and that he was in
terested primarily in seeing
that the state as a whole
shared in the industrial expan
sion under the defense pro
gram.
There were%eports the moun
tainous sections in Western
North Carolina were being
studied more seriously as
greater protection would be af
forded munitions plants.
A power expansion program
already is underway in that
area and part of the section is
served by the Tennessee Val
ley Authority. A number of in
dustries have located there in
recent years, including rayon
and paper mills.
Bailey said the shipyard
program for the state was pro
gressing nicely and pointed to
the move of the Newport News
Shipbuilding and Dry Dock
company to locate facilities at
Wilmington, N. C.
He intimated there would be
other shipyard developments,
pointing out there were many
areas along the state’s coast
suitable for building vessels.
Bailey said North Carolina’s
lumber industry also would
benefit from the defense pro
gram.
“There are black walnut
trees all over the state,” he de
clared. “Black walnut wood is
is good for making gun stocks.”
The senator said plans of
Governor J. M. Broughton to
continue a state office in Wash
ington would be a great help in
coordinating activities to ob
tain defense industries and
business for North Carolina.
British Airplane Carrier,
Other Warcraft Damaged
1 ■ w
DESTROYER HIT
Germans Reported Using
Dive Bombers in the Med
iterranean Section
LONDON, Jan. 14— UP)—Brit
ain’s 23,000-ton aircraft carrier II
lustrous and the 9,i00-ton cruiser
Southampton were damaged Jan.
10, the admiralty announced to
night, in the first reported use of
German dive bombers in the Medi
terranean area.
Italian and German planes co
operated in the attack on the war
ships, which were convoying mer
chant vessels to Greece with “ma
terial assistance” for the Albanian
campaign.
Destroyer Damaged
The 1,335-ton destroyer Gallant
was damaged earlier by a mine or
a torpedo, the admiralty said,
when the convoy encountered two
Italian destroyers. One of the Ital
ian ships, a vessel of the Spica
class (638 tons), was reported
sunk; the other escaped. The Gal
lant reached port safely, it said.
The surface encounter and the
latter aerial attack, which the ad
miralty said cost the Nazi-Fascist
forces 12 planes and damage to
“a further number,” occurred in
the Sicilian channel, between Sicily
and the North African mainland.
Informed sources in London said
tonight the attack might be an in
dication that Germany’s air force
would make a new challenge to
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 4)
CHANGES PLANNED
AT NEARBY CAMP
Minor Shifts in Location of
Buildings Slated at
Firing Center
Minor changes in the location of
buildings at Camp Davis were made
yesterday when a reallocation of
men among the units to be st ion
ed at the camp, approval of ’.hich
has been requested of the War de
partment by the Coast Artillery,
along with a request for additional
(Continued on Page Ten; Col. 6)
War
Interpretive
By KIRKE L. SIMPSON
It is now a demonstrated fact
that British Air power is catching
up on German-Italian superiority
and increasingly taking the offen
sive.
This is shown by the daylight
bombing raids along and deep be
hind the “invasion coasts” of
France and the low countries. Sim
ultaneous British air offensives in
East and North Africa, in Albania
and in both Northern and Southern
Italy further illustrate the point.
Despite incessant Nazi bombing
of England’s war workshops for
months, it is clear that Britain has
been able to muster a formidable
increase in her air power for use
(Continued on Page 'Three, Col. *)
CONVOYS BATTERED
Italian Sources Claim 15
‘Enemy’ Vessels Were
Sunk or Damaged
ROME, Jan. 14.—UP)—A double
line of British convoys loaded with
troops and supplies to replace loss
es in North Africa and Greece has
been battered by a 5-day Axis
sea and air offensive in the Medi
terranean, Fascist editor Virginio
Gayda reported today.
All told, official and unofficial
Italian sources say that 15
“enemy” vessels have been sunk
or damaged.
(The British admiralty acknow
ledged today that three warships
convoying “important material as
sistance for Greece” had been
damaged. It said, however, that
an Italian destroyer was sunk and
12 Axis planes were shot down in
the actions.)
Score
The Fascist high command it
self has placed the score at 10
British warships hit, of which a
submarine and a cruiser were re
ported sunk. Today’s war bulletin
said the “enemy” submarine was
sent to the bottom Jan. 9 by Italian
planes and motor torpedo boats.
Previous communiques since last
Friday have listed hits on a battle
ship of Britain’s 31,000-ton Malaya
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 5)
LEASE OF RAILWAY
IS EXPECTED SOON
M. J. Corbett Says W. B. &
S. Lease Will Not Con
tain Option to Buy
The Wilmington Brunswick and
Southern railroad will probably be
leased in the near future to three
Charleston men who will form the
Southport Railroad and Transporta
tion company, M. J. Corbett, receiver
for the road said last night.
He said, however, that if and when
the lease is signed it will be without
an option to buy all the holdings
of the railroad at any time the con
tract is in effect.
Previously Corbett had said he had
refused to sign a lease which con
tained such a provision, because he
(Continued on Page Ten; Col. 4)
RAF Is Showing Results
Against Nocturnal Raids
LONDON, Jan. 14.—(St—An air
ministry statement that RAF night
fighters are "beginning to show re
sults” against nocturnal raiders and
the admiralty’s announcement of one
of the smallest week’s shipping los-'
ses of the war bolstered hopes of
Britons tonight of overcoming event
ually the two chief menaces to their
embattled island.
Last night's massive fire-bomb
raid on the southwest port of Ply
mouth, the target of 10,000 incen
diaries and "many tons” of high ex
plosives, showed, however, that Brit
ain has far to go in coping with the
night raiders—an! the air ministry
admitted as much.
Telling of efforts to fend off night
raids, the air ministry news service
said "more and more Nazi bombers
are being intercepted and those get
ting through are being attacked
with some success.”
The number of night fighter squad
rons "is steadily increasing," it said,
but added that progress necessarily
was slow because the pilots have to
be taught an entirely new technique.
Up to a late hour tonight there
were no reports of German air ac
tivity over any part of Britain and
it was believed that bad weather on
the continent coupled with recent
(Continued on Page Ten; CoL,3). A