ormng vtnr “'"sst**.
■■" ~-life™ _, ILMINGTON, N. C., SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1,1941 FINAL EDITION -ESTABLISHED 1867
■■11—Mil Wl Ilf II
1
I
■ * * * ★★★ ★★★
Preliminary
Contracts Let
To Three Men
Loftis, of Charlotte, and Or
rell and Underwood Are
Given $900,000 Job
TO CLEAR LARGE SITE
Maritime Commission Will
Soon Conclude Contracts
For 25 Freighters
Contracts for some of the
preliminary work at the
North Carolina Shipbuilding
company’s plant here were
let yesterday to one Charlotte
and two Wilmington con
tractors and plans were start
ed immediately to begin clear
ing the 70-acre site of the
yards Monday morning.
According to an Associated
Press report from Newport
News, Captain Roger Wil
liams, president of the com
pany, said the contract price
was $900,000.
The work to be carried out
by V. P. Loftis Construction
company, of Charlotte. Dallas
Orrell, of Wilmington, and U.
A. Underwood company, also
a local contractor, includes
dredging and the construction
of shipways, sheds and shops.
Mr. Underwood said here
yesterday that the work on
the shipyards will be started
first thing Monday morning,
“possibly with a small force,
but men will be added
rapidly.”
He said the construction of
facilities consists of several
phases: clearing, grading, pile
driving, pouring of concrete
for ways and the erection of .
five or'six structures. Wash
ington officials have said the
shipyard will cost from four
to five millions of dollars.
North Carolina Firm
The North Carolina Shipbuilding
company is a recently organized
firm, formed as a subsidiary of the
Newport News Shipbuilding and
Dry Dock company.
The Maritime commission has an
nounced it will shortly conclude
contract with the company to build ■
25 of the 200 cargo vessels the U. S.
agency is hoping can be built and -
launched within the next 24 months.
The Newport News firm has said
(Continued on Page Six; Col. 3)
AMERICANOFFICER
HURT IN AIR RAID;
Major Robert Williams, Air
Observer, Injured in Nazi
Attack on London
/
LONDON, Jan. 31.—Iff)—German
raiders, flying singly but in im
pressive total numbers, inflicted
numerous casualties in London to
day, including Major Robert Wil
liams, United States air observer,
who was seriously injured.
Three hospitals and a number of
other buildings were hit.
Major Williams, the second
United States army officer-observ
er to become a casualty in the
present war, was taken to a hos- ‘
pital and fears were expressed that
he might lose the sight of one eye.
He was injured by a fragment
from a 100-pound bomb.
The censor authorized tmblica.
tion of the statement that Major
Williams “was not on duty when
hit.”
A native of Albany, Texas, the
39-year-old major was the first *
American military casualty in this
war since Capt. Robert M. Losey,
assistant U. S. military attache at
Stockholm, was killed in a German,
bombing raid at Dombas, Norway,:
April 21, 1940.
The Luftwaffe switched from its
former night tactics, using clouds
instead of darkness to hide its
movements, strewing high explo
sive and fire bombs over many
London areas, apparently without,
aiming at specific targets. Other
(Continued on Page Six; Col. <)
(residential Power In Lease-Lend Bill Opposed
publicans
tor Credit
To Britain
Members of House
gn Affairs Commit
State Opposition
VRE IS ADVANCED
Committee Gives It
t of Way on House
loor Next Week
[ICHARD L. TURNER
[NGTON, Jan. 31.—W—
publicans members of the
jrei.gn affairs committee
innounced their opposition
lease-lend bill's grant of
tial power today but said
old "willingly support a
Drward bill which would
■ilain S2.000.000.000 worth"
ican credit.
would eliminate the step
g the President absolute
per every concern in this
manufacturing war mate
hey said.
would not permit him to ■
irector of the war in Eng
position which is fraught
iat danger to the Ameri
ile. If we assume the di
if the war, we underwrite
ess of the war. The ulti
mo must be the American
nil pay the full costs of
and that means we will
ated to put our material
s and our men into the
Call for .Credits
line credits which England
ill fully meet the situation
and it will lessen materi
likelihood of our going
war. Our naval and mili
lerts agree that our nation
d danger of attack; that
' vast resources and geo
il position, our situation is
parable to that of nations
lental Europe,
power requested is too
i give any man at a time
e country is at peace. As
imed on Page Six; Col. 4)
JOE WATCHES
{MAN SHELLING
Witnesses Anti-Air
ft Guns in Action
[ainst Nazi Raider
-R, England. .Ian. 31.—UP)—
through the mud of Brit
ontlines in this “hell's cor
itmleil L. Willkie witnessed
'liglu ' eross-cliannel shelling
ratehed anti-aircraft guns in
igainst a Nazi air raider and
rd: "1 wouldn't like to be the
attacking- these invasion de
hoes and clothes were crusted
ucl after his tour, and Willkie
-arI' but full of enthusiasm
limied on Page Two, Col. 1)
leather
FORECAST
di”!"1* ;,Fair Saturday: Sun
sitieralde c loudiness and slightly
jL7, 'leather Bureau)
7-30 n‘ta, di,t" for the 24 hours
T 111 • yesterday.)
Temperature
j P m '4-'30 3' la‘ 40 ’ 1:30 P- m
i: mean \r' lnaxim.um 54; mini*
nean 4<>: normal 47.
, Humidity
'P.m2:46.:30 a' 7"1:3°P- ».
U r ,,Precit'hation
lies * bT\eudinS 7:3« P- m.
8 nco Elrst of the month 1.62
n r itld,es ,or Today
«4 G«deatiie|uPrveyS)hed by U' S'
gton ,I?iRh how
..12 :58a S:17a
'«ro I„|f.t .V^P 8:36p
- 10:o8a 4:47a
^ 7:09a: sunset vli16” 5:13»
^oonsot 10:46p 5'4“p: m°onrise
""‘rr'si'atV1’1** at Fayetteville
at 8 a. m„ U.4J feet
ltim,ed « Six; Col. 6)
I—------f
Stars At President’s Birthday Party
(NEA Telephoto)
Seated informally on the floor in the White House, Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt is surrounded by some of
the many stage, screen and radio stars who went to Washington for the President’s birthday party. They
are, from left to right: front row, Deanna Durbin, Maureen O’Hara, Kay Aldridge, Mrs. Roosevelt and Carol
Ann Beery. Middle row: Edna Stillwell, Mrs. C. C. Pettijohn, Margaret Davis, Mrs. Lauritz Melchior anil
Mrs. Dave McCoach. Back row: Preston Foster, Tommy Harmon, J. C. Flippen, Andy Kelly, Glenn Ford,
Lauritz Melchior, District Commissioner Melvin Hazen and Wallace Beery.
Important Italian Posts
Are Captured By Greeks
FIGHT IN MOUNTAINS
Smashing of Fascist Tank
Counter-Attack in Al
bania Also Reported
ATHENS, Feb. 1—(Saturday)—
Lf)—The taking of Italian positions
"of great importance” in moun
tains nearly 6,000 feet high and
the smashing of an Italian tank
counter-attack at another point on
the rugged Albanian front were
announced early today by the
Greek high command.
Earlier, the Greek military
spokesman had said that the latest
Italian counter-assault, in the
coastal sector, “met a fate worse
than any” of the series recently
attempted. Large Italian forces
were used, he asserted.
Losses Heavy
The attacking troops were re
i pulsed with such heavy losses that
they retreated in confusion and
have not had time to reorganize
their positions, the spokesman said.
“These Fascist troops were pur
| sued by us and we succeeded in
occupying a mountain 1,500 meters
high, beyond the positions from
which the Italians launched this
counter-attack,” he related.
At another point the Greeks oc
cupied a height of some 2,000 of
1,600 meters,” the spokesman
states.
Two hundred Italian prisoners,
including seven officers, were de
clared to have been taken in the
last of the series of frustrated
Italian assaults.
Greek forces were reported ad
vancing rapidly north of Klisura
and dispatches from the Albanian
front said an Italian attempt to
wrest the offensive was regarded
now as a failure.
As a result of what were called
important gains, the Greeks were
(Continued on Page Two, Col. 1)
Germany’s Big Guns
Shelling Kent Coast
DEAL, England, Jan. 31.—(/P)
German guns along the coast of
France have been lobbing shells
ten or eleven miles inland from
the Kent coast in the last three
days, but the random shots have
been falling mostly in open
country.
“The shells fall intermittently,”
said one observer. “Nobody is
paying any attention to them.”
CHURCHILL TOURS
PORTSMOUTH BASE
Hopkins Accompanies Brit
ish Leader on Three-Hour
Inspection Tour
PORTSMOUTH, Eng., Jan. 31.
—LPI—Prime Minister Winston
Churchill jubilantly tourc this big
gest British naval base for three
hours today, accompaned by Har
ry Hopkins. President Roosevelt’s
special emissary, and led dock
yard workers in a vociferous
“three cheers for the President
of the United States.”
To the workers, he introduced
Hopkins as “The envoy and friend
of President Roosevelt, that great
statesman and friend of freedom
and democracy,” and added:
“One cannot help feeling enor
mously encouraged by the spirit
of the ever-growing movement of
aid to Britain which we see laying
hold of the mighty masses' of the
United States.”
Standing in front of a ship, the
Prime Minister then called for the
three cheers for Mr. Roosevelt.
The workers responded" with a roar
of “hip, hip, hoorays.”
(Continued on Page Six; Col. 5)
State Employe Retirement Measure
Given Favorable Report By Group
By JOHN PEELE
RALEIGH, Jan. 31.—UO—Pruned
by amendment to eliminate large
pensions for higher-salaried exec
utives, ftie state employe retire
ment bill today won r. favorable
report from the joint education
committee and moved a step
nearer to enactment into law.
However, the bill to retire teach
ers and other state r ployes at
the age of 60 must sH’l meet the
scrutiny of the joint appropriations
committee before it takes its place
on the legislatve calendar, i The
budget commssion recommended
and appropriation of $1,679,076 each
year as the state’s fund to match
4 per cent contributions by em
ployes.
A campaign being waged against
alcoholic beverages gained new
impetus in the general assembly
when the Forsyth house delega
tion sent forward a bill to pro
hibit the sale of wine md beer in
Forsyth county between midnight
and 6 o’clock in the morning.
A measure to prohibit sale of
fortified wines in. the 74 counties
legally dry has already been in
troduced. A bill to provide a state
referendum on liquor is expected
to hit the legislative hopper next
week, and Representative Williams
of Pasquotank has said he will
sponsor a proposal to use part of
the liquor store profits for a pro
gram of education against the evils
of' strong drink.
Also sent forward by the Forsyth
delegation was a measure which
was described by its sponsors as
aimed at checking the numbers
racket in the state.
The bill which bears the endorse
ment of Solicitor J. Erie McMi
chael of the 11th district, would
amend the search warrant statute
so as to allow officers to search
“any and all personal property
(Continued on Page Two, Col. 7)
COPPER FACTORY
STRIKE STARTED
Work is Resumed at Two
Other Establishments Im
portant to Arms Goal
(By The Associated Press)
CIO workers at the Bay way, N.
J., plant of the Phelps-Dodgs Cop
per corporation walked out yes
terday as work was resumed at
two other establishments impor
tant to defense.
A wage agreement ended a strike
at the Martinolich Boat company
shipyards at San Diego, Cal.,
which is working on five boats for
the navy. AFL building trades
workers went back to their jobs
on a $1,500,000 expansion program
at Wright Field, Ohio, army air
corps testing center.
A fresh dispute involving 1,500
truck drivers, cropped up, how
ever, at Dayton, Ohio. Federal
conciliators were working to pre
vent a threatened strike which
would halt deliveries of materials
to Wright Field and Dayton indus
trial plants.
The recent labor disputes brought
fresh talk in Washington of legis
lation to restrict work stoppages
on defense projects, but a spokes
man said the war department was
not ready to recommend any “co
ercive” legislation at this time.
Testifying before the house mili
tary committee, Robert Patterson,
undersecretary of war, expressed
the opinion, too, that “the degree
of slow-up has been overestimat
ed.”
Reporters brought up the ques
tion of restrictive legislation at
President Roosevelt’s press con
ference, but the chief executive
turned their inquiries aside. Asked
about various specific proposals,
he pleaded only general familiar
ity with them.
The Phelps-Dodge strike affect
ed 1,600 workmen. Union repre
sentatives said the company had
refused a request for a collective
(Continued on Page Six; Col. 5)
British Clear
Path For Big
Bengasi Drive
Advance Striking Forces
Are Operating West of
Fallen Base at Derna
FOLLOW USUAL PLAN
RAF Carries Out Heavy
Bombardment on Italian
Plane Base at Barce
_
CAIRO, Egypt, Jan. 31—UP)—Ad
vanced British striking forces,
bombers and motorized treops, op
erated west of the fallen Italian
base of Derna toward Bengasi to
day, methodically clearing the way
for the expected general assault
upon that important naval center
and capital of eastern Libya.
Official news was scarce, but it
appeared that the same program
that reduced Bardia and .Tobruk,
and yesterday Derna, was at work
again — dashes of reconnaissance
and attrition by Britain’s dusty
tanks and an endless offensive pa
trol of the air by British bombers.
Air Base Bombed
The Royal Air force told of a
heavy bombardment of the Italian
air base at Barce, 120 miles be
yond Derna on the r ad to Ben
gasi, announcing that its day-lcaX
activities of yesterday had been
“mainly focussed” on that mili
tary settlement.
The' airdrome was declared to
have been repeatedly attacked,
and direct hits were claimed on
a series of hangars and other
buildings. A single Italian plane
was reported downed.
The British command itself cov
ered its activities on every front
—fro mLibya to the fighting along
the frontier areas of Italian So
maliland 2,000 miles to the south
—in ten words:
‘‘On all fronts operations con
tinue to develop to our advantage.”
From Kenya itself it was re
ported that Nigerian troops oper
ating in the coastal sector had
joined the British in harrying the
Italians in Italian Somaliland, de
stroying the village of Kiambon
and meeting not a single Fascist
soldier.
The town, said to have been a
center of Italian native troop ac
tivity, was reported burned by the
(Continued on Page Two, Col. 1)
14,OOODRAWPAY
CHECKS AT CAMP
Approximately 6,500 Com
mon Laborers and 4,300
Carpenters Are on Job
HOLLY RIDGE, Jan. 31.—Ap
proximately 14,000 persons drew
pay checks at Camp Davis today,
the largest payroll since construc
tion was started.
Today a total of 12,812 workers
were on the job and 3,332 were out
either by sickness or layoffs, this
making a total of 16,144 who would
have worked if all had been on the
job. ....
Of the 12,000 working today, a
total of 6,542 were common labor
ers, 4,317 carpenters and 1,161 op
erators and miscellaneous workers.
The miscellaneous workers in
cluded painters, of whom not quite
100 worked today, several hun
dred having been laid off on ac
count of material shortage. 5
War .
Interpretive
By KIRKE L. SIMPSON
If Herr Hitler is actually plan
ning a vast victory attack on Eng
land in the spring, Italy probably
must forego any hope of tapping
German oil reserves to meet her
own desperate needs in Africa and
Albania.
The Nazis would need all the
gasoline and fuel oil they could
accumulate to launch a spring of
fensive on a grand scale. Yet it
becomes clearer day by day that1
oil shortages in Italy have created
the critical situation in which her
(Continued on Page Six; Col. 3)
The Skies Get A New Star
Mrs. Ogilvie Druce, 76, who was the first woman ever to fiv in a
plane, pins the Women Flyers of America’s official wings on Constance
Moore, left, at the organization’s Edgemere, L. I., airport. The Holly
wood star says she will now realize her life’s ambition in learning to fly.
F. R. Says U. S. Is Ready
To Take Over Any Plant
ASKED ABOUT FORD
Motor Company Is Denied
Army Contract Because
Of Labor Differences
WASHINGTON, Jan, 31.—(A>)—
Questioned today concerning con
tract difficulties between the Ford
Motor company and the War de
partment, President Roosevelt said
the government was prepared to
take over any factory in the coun
try if that action became neces
sary for national defense.
At the chief executive’s press
conference, a reporter brought up
yesterday’s disclosure that the
Ford concern had been denied a
$10,000,000 contract for Army
trucks because it took exception
to certain labor clauses in the in
vitation for bids.
Answer Is Yes
The newsman asked whether the
government was prepared to take
over the company if such a step
were essential to defense. Mr.
Roosevelt replied that if the word
Ford were left out and any plant
substituted for it in the question,
the answer would be yes.
There w'as no indication, how
ever, whether Mr. Roosevelt be
lieved it actually would be neces
sary to commander any plant.
By way of comment on the War
department’s action in denying
him a contract, Ford said today
that he was ready to build defense
materials “at cost if other manu
facturers will do the same.”
The elderly automobile manu
facturer telephoned this statement
from his winter home in Georgia
to company headquarters in De
troit while in Washington a War
department spokesman said that
withholding the contract from Ford
did not necessarily mean that a
provision requiring compliance
with all labor laws would be in
cluded in all future Army con
tracts.
Robert P. Patterson, undersec
retary of war, told a congressional
committee that the department
(Continued on Page Six, Col. 6)
Spanish Paper Urges
Better U. S. Relations
MADRID, Jail. 31— (/P) — The
newspaper Alcazar unexpectedly
spoke out tonight in favor of
better Spanish-United States re
lations and said “ail American
President without false notions
of racial superiority,” and ‘a
powerful, respected, united
Spain” were good bases for a
campaign to effect increased un
derstanding.
The article, signed by one
Federico de Madrid, was in sharp
contrast to recent editorials at
tacking the U. S. for alleged de
signs on South America.
FRENCH SITUATION
NEARS NEW CRISIS
Informed Person Says Pier
re-Etienne Flandin May
Have to Resign
VICHY, Jan. 31.—W-The politi
cal situation of Franc was near
ing a new crisis tonight, with in
formed persons saying that Pierre
Estienne Flandin, the foreign min
ister, might have to resign.
The newspapers of German-oc
cupied Paris continued their cam
paign against the Vichy govern
ment, as now constituted, and said
that German officials took the
stand that Flandin was one of
those responsible for t'.e departure
from the government of Pierre
Laval, former vice-premier, for
eign fhirfster and political heir to
the mantle of chief of stato Petain.
The Germans also were repre
sented as feeling that collaboration
between Germany and France was
impossible unless Laval returned
to thb government. Indeed, they
were said to feel the Vichy gov
ernment’s policy at present is “An
glophile.’
(Authorized foreign office
sources in Berlin, on Thursday.
(Continued on Page Six; Col. 6)
High Point Power Plans
Face New Legal Barrier
RALEIGH, Jan. 31.— W—High
Point’s proposed $6,000,000 hydro
electric power project on the Yad
kin river, which has been in and
out of the courts almost continu
ally since it was conceived in 1936,
must be authorized by a certi
ficate of convenience and neces
sity from the state utilities com
mission, the supreme court held
today.
The ruling was contained in a
decision which remanded to the
Guilford county superior court a
judgment voiding an injunction
which the supreme court had pre
viously upheld.
The case came to the court in
this manner:
High Point, by resolution, had
attempted to place itself under the
1935 revenue bond act (which did
not require the utilities commis
sion certificate )and remove itseli
from the jurisdiction of the 1938
bond act (which did require such a
certificate). This resulted in the
superior N court order voiding the
injunction. An appeal was noted
by the plaintiffs—certain High
Point taxpayers and the Duke pow
er company.
(Continued on Page Two, Co). 4) i