Served By Leased Wire Of The £«y Dedicaled To The Progress Of ££==■ . jumingtim Horning 2>tar ynL7£—NQ> 155-*_*_WILMINGTON, N. C., SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1941_FINAL EDITION ESTABLISHED 1867 ^SK ^ ^ ^ n AAA AAA Bulgaria To Join RoLie-Berlin-Tokyo Axis —-- _._+_ _a. Nazi Troops Set To Enter Balkanjtate Great Britain Will Have to Break Relations With New Axis Recruit YUGOSLAVS INFORMED Bulgarian Leaders Are Fly ing to Vienna to Sign the New Agreement BELGRADE. Yugoslavia. March 1 _ (Saturday). —W— Bulgaria stated officially early this morn ing that she will join the Rome Berlin-Tokyo axis today Before the ink is dry on the documents at Vienna — expected scene of the ceremony—German troops already marching in Ru mania will enter Bulgaria auto matically as allies and Great Brit ain will have to break relations with the newest Axis recuit, keen ly-watching diplomatic quarters predicted. The official word that Bulgaria finally has yielded to the Nazi pro gram was conveyed to Yugoslav Foreign Undersecretary Smaljanic by Bulgaria’s charge d’affairs, Ivan Strateff. Flying to Vienna Diplomatic reports from Sofia said Bulgarian Premier Bogdan Philofi and ^oreign Minister Ivan Popoff were flying to Vienna in a special plane this morning to sign the pact. German Foreign Minister Joach im von Ribbentrop and the Jap anese ambassador to Berlin, Lieut. Gen. Hiroshi Oshima, already are in Vienna. Thus, on Bulgaria's own official word, she finally was yielding for mally io the Axis in a few hours. A Bulgarian merchant who ar rived here late last night from Sofia said that many millions of Bulgarian levas (the monetary unit) had been purchased recently by agents fo- an unknown account which was assumed to be the Ger man quartermaster corps acquir ing funds for the German troops (Continued on Page Two; Col. 5) TRIAL OF TRAFFIC CASES SIMPLIFIED System Set Up for Handling Minor Violations in City And County Thf city, county and state au thorities joined hands here yester % in steps to solve the traffic Problems of the city by inaugurat ing a streamlined system of hand ling minor traffic violations in both Wilmington and New Hanover county. Under the program invoked yes krciay it is possible for motorists in submit their guilt and pay spe 'fontinued on Page Two; Col. 3) WEATHER V FORECAST mm' 1 ^arolina: Generally fair anil , “"W cold except rising tempera .™ mountains Saturday. Sunday r "ltb rising temperature. data for the 24 hours ™un* i:3(l P- m. yesterday. (®y C. S. Weather Bureau) 1. n.. Temperature , :,1 ®. 35; 7:30 a. m. 33: 1:30 p. 7:30 P- m- 36; maximum 39; “■ionium 32; mean 36; normal 50. 1 ;r, Humidity K'-i0a. m. 89; 7:30 a. m. 91; 1:30 p. m. T„t., , Precipitation t„ „ ,(;'r. the 24 hours ending 7:30 tie mr.,,Vj 'jclies: total since first of mouth 3.22 inches. (From T-.i Ti31es iot Today n o vl"5 Tables published by the ■ “■ Coast and Geodetic Survey) tViin, High Low 12:08n 7:18n boro Inlet_ 9:46a 3:38a 8m„. . 9:57n 3:57p sunset 6:08p; moonrisc d’ Looiiset 9:31p. 'Iat rlvrr stage at Fayetteville "• -8- =t ? *. m., 9.SO feet. 'Continued on Page Two; Col. 3) End Of The World Of Tomorrow Only structural steel framework remains of the imposing trylon and perispliere whicii served as the theme of the New York World’s Fair. Three-fourths of fair construction has been demolished. Wilmington Hotel Annex Contracts Are Awarded IS $100,000 PROJECT Preliminary Work on New South Wing to be Start ed This Morning Contracts for the erection of an addition to the Wilmington hotel costing approximately $100,000 were awarded yesterday, accord ing to E. B. Bugg, owner and manager. Bugg estimated from 50 to 60 workmen would be employed on the project, which would require about four months for completion. Preliminary operations will be gin this morning and actual con struction work will get under way Monday, Bugg said. Low Bidders The successful bidders were general contract, W. A. Simon; plumbing contract, Ideal Plumb ing company, and heating contract, W. W. Way and Sons. The names of the other bidders for the general, plumbing, and heating contracts and the amounts of their bids were not immediately available last night. James B. Lynch, of Lynch and Foard, is the architect for the project. The new south wing, to be seven stories high and containing from 40 to 50 rooms, will be constructed on the adjacent lot on the Front street side. Bugg said the addition will pro vide additional hotel accommoda tions in keeping with Wilmington’s progress and will be the very latest in hotel building and equipment. The addition, to be 35 feet wide and 100 feet deep, will be of struc (Continued on Page Two; Col. 2) I Local weather bureau officials last night predicted the lowest temperatures of the winter sea son today and tomorrow for Wilmington and vicinity. Weathermen forecast fair and continued cold for today, with the mercury expected to drop to a lowT of about 23 degrees, as compared with the previous low of 24 degrees recorded during the first week in January. Fresh north and northwest winds will predominate. Tomor row w'ill be fair and not quite so cold. A hard freeze over the state to the coast was predicted by weather officials. SNOWSTORM HITS EASTERN STATES Traffic Disrupted, Schools Forced to Close, Storm , Warnings Raised CHARLOTTE. Feb. 28.—(#)—A driving snowstorm accompanied by high winds and sub-freezing tem peratures struck mid-Atlantic and Eastern states, today with a vio lence which disrupted traffic, forced schools to close, and brought out storm warnings for ocean go ing craft The storm, winter’s farewell par ty for February, centered in mid day over New Jersey and Dela (Contiuued on Page Two; Col. 2) French Silent On Japs’ Call To Cede Land Sharp Ultimatum that Thai land be Given Large Ter ritory Expires MAY DELAY ACTION Vichy Announcement Says France’s Position in In do-China Decided TOKYO. March 1.—(Saturday). —L?)—A Japanese ultimatum that France cede large areas of her Oriental empire to Thailand or suf fer “forceful rction” by Japanese armed forces expired on the stroke of last midnight (10 a.m., Friday, E. S. T.) with nothing from the French but their silence. This silence appeared to make the next move Japan’s, under the reported terms of her ultimatum, but there were immediate indica tions that any “forceful action” in Indo-China would be delayed. Ships off Indo-China (According to reports at Saigon that could not be confirmed, Jap anese naval patrols numbering 51 vessels of various classifications were in the Gulf of Siam and waters off southern Indo-China. (Moreover. Japan is reported to have in northern Indo-China, aside from air bases, more than double the 6,000 troops allowed under last September’s accord with the French—these ostensibly for pros ecution of the war with China— and the airfield at Saigon, south ern Indo-China, is said to have been converted by the Japanese into a “nucleus’’ air base. (In Vichy, after a French cab inet meeting, it was announced merely that the French position on Indo-China had been decided. During the meeting, however, an official spokesman said France “is obligated to conserve the integrity of her empire by the terms of the armistice”—with Germany). Authoritative sources said the Japanese foreign office planned an extraordinary conference of key of (Continued on Page Two; Col. 7) — TRAIN-CAR CRASH TAKES FOUR LIVES Millard and Adrian Teach ey, Mrs. Newton and Baby ’ Killed Near Watha BURRAW, Feb. 28. — Four per sons were killed instantly early this morning when the car in which they were riding was struck by a southbound Atlantic Coast Line rail road freight train near Watha, Sheriff Jack Brown, of Pender coun ty, reported. The dead are: Millard Teachey and Adrian Teaehey, brothers, of Watha. Mrs. Paulie Newton, sister of the Teacheys, and her 18-months old baby. Sheriff Brown said that he had not completed his investigation last night. An inquest into the deaths will probably be held next week, he said. Highway patrolmen who investi gated the deaths said that the car was struck by the train when it drove on the tracks just as the (Continued on Page Two; Col. 6) Long Debate ... Long Bill The much debated lend-lease bill, seven feet long with all accepted amendments attached, is examined by Senators Bennett Champ Clark, lett, Missouri democrat, and Gerald P. Nye, North Dakota republican. Both oppose bill. Banks Cash $114,000 In Camp Davis Pay Checks ' - *___ ALL FOUR REMAIN OPEN Total Number of Checks Handled by Institutions Estimated at 3,800 Approximately $114,000 worth of Camp Davis payroll checks were cashed by Wilmington’s four banks last night as the financial institu tions remained open for the third successive Friday night as a service to the workers and local merchants This amount was by far the large 't yet cashed on a night following pay day at the camp construction project. On Friday, February 14, the banks cashed $54,992.46 in checks, which totaled 1,848. The following Friday. Feb. 21, the banks cashed 3,470 checks for approximately $98,000. The- total number of checks han dled by the banked here last right was estimated at 3.S00. Each bank reported more business than on previous nights. The'check casliing. service was established a few weeks ago especially for the workers on the large anti-aircraft firing cen ter project at Holly Ridge. Although there were no definite figures available for the downtown business enjoyed by the merchants who remained open until 9 o'clock, it was essimated that approximately $15,000 ir checks were cashed at inese stores. The weekly payroll of the camp is approximately $500,000. Most cf the hanks say that at least as many checks as were'cashed at night will be cashed by workers the week fol lowing the payday. PET AIN TO SPEAK VlCHV. Prance. Feb. 28.—t.-P)— Chief of State Petain will travel to morrow to the manufacturing rlty of Saint-Etienne to deliver a speech which is expected to be an apj>eal to French labor. Italy Admits Britain Marking Up New Gains HOME, Eeb. 28.—(/P)—Italians were told by their high command today that the British are scor ing new successes in Somaliland and commentators warned them they may expect new Italian re treats. Xlie fascist communique ac knowledged the fall of Magadis cio, capital of Italian Somali- ■ land, (reported two days before by the British), but said desper ate resistance at Cheren and at the desert oases of Giarabub and Cufra continued to hold the Brit ish in check in Eritrea and Libya. “Strenuous'’ fighting north of Mogadiscio was reported in So maliland. SUBURBAN SEWAGE CHANGE !S REMOTE -1-— Request of Forest Hills Residents for New Hook up Declined by City So far as the city of Wilmington is concerned, residents of Forest Hills—one of the most exclusive suburban developments in eastern North Carolina—will have to con tinue suffering the "objectionable odors” of the Oleander sewage dis posal plant overflow. That, in effe’-t, was the city’s de cision yesterday in answer to a re (Cohlinued on Page Two; Col. 6) Army Orders Department released the following or ders yesterday, dated Feb. 25: MAJOR GENERAL Lynch, G. A., Chief of Inf., retired on own application. April oO. BRIGADIER GENERAL ‘Sheep, W. L., Fort McPherson, Ga.. and from additional duty at Station Hos pital, Atlanta, Ga., about April 1, to command Lawson General Hospital, Atlanta, Ga. COLONELS Lippineott, A.. Cav., three months leave. Dougherty, C. A., retired, to active duty high schools, Dallas, Texas. Kimball, A. R., Q.M.C., to Constructing Quartermaster, West Point, N. Y., in addition to other duties, upon relief of Lieut. Col. J. A. Gilman. I Allen, . H., Med. Corps, Santa Barba ra, Calif., to Hoff General Hospital, same station. Chappell, H. L., Med. Corps, Vancouver Barracks, Wash., to Barnes General Hospital, same station. Dale, H. L., Med. Corps, Fort Benj. Har. rison, Ind., to Billings General Hos pital, same station. (Continued on Page Five; Col. 5) ? HITLER’S FOREIGN MINISTER AND JAP ENVOY TO GERMANY ARRIVE IN VIENNA I ---—-— BERLIN Feb. 28.— OR—'The ar rival in Vienna of Adolf Hitler’s foreign minister and the Japanese envoy was announced here tonight amid a deepening feeling among authorized military and other ob servers that important Axis mil tary and political events were im minent. Vienna was alive with rumors that Bulgarian leaders would turn up there tomorrow to put their country into the German-Italian Japanese alliance. (Balkan diplomats in Budapest also heard that Bogdan Philoff, Bulgaria’s prime minister, and Ivan Popoff, the foreign minister, were flying to Vienna to sign up. They said Bulgaria’s adhesion to the pact would mean the country automatically would admit the ar mies of its German ally.) The communique disclosing that Joachim Von Ribbentrop, the Nazi foreign minister, and Lieut.-Gen. Hroshi Oshima, the Japanese am bassador to Germany, had reached Vienna gave no details. Germans closed the books on February with a compilation of 29 British ships, totaling 146,000 tons sunk or damaged in the last two days, and attributed part of this expectancy to Adolf Hitler’s declaration that submarine war fare will “begin” in March or April. Many believed he would give the word before March was many days old. Artillery General Paul Hasse, in an article in the Boersen Zeitung, described a German army of mil lions drillng with fanatical zeal in a pause between blitzkriegs to master the handling of intricate war gear. “The course of the war so far has taught that the first essential is to be quicker than the foe,” he wrote. “Quicker in grasping deci sions and carrying out orders, quicker in movement by foot, horse, \VJieel and armored car, quicker in surprise attack and most of all quicker in taking full advan tage of any break.” (Reports emanating in Vichy to the effect that the Germans have begun a methodical evacuation of all civilians from a 22-mile-wide stretch of the French Channel coast, possibly as part of final preparations for attack on Eng land, were met in Berlin by a shrug of official shoulders. (Continued on Page Two; Col. 8) TO BUILD 375 $3,500 HOUSES IN THIS AREA Wilmington is Listed As One of Best Cities In U. S. for Business Wilmington is listed in Forbes Magazine in the March 1 issue as one of the best places in the United States for concentrating sales activities, for collections and other promotion operations of business. Wilmington is the center of the second best high-spot terri tory in the United States today. Twenty other nearby cities make up the territory. This district, with the four other high-spot territories, is chosen for special mention by Forbes because in it business is farther alie:V of last year than in any other territory contain ing 1,000,1)00 or more population. For the territory which includes Wilmington the median gain over last year lias recently been 33 per cent. EX-KING ALFONSO PASSES IN ROME Family Present As He Dies After Lengthy Attack Of Angina Pectoris ROME, Feb. 28.—ffl—Former King Alfonso XIII of Spain died today after 15 days of the agony of angina pectoris, and tonight his body lay in the hotel bedroom which for a decade had been his place of exile. His weakened heart stopped at 11:50 a.m. (4:50 a.m. EST. Fif teen minutes before the end all that remains of his family had gathered about him—all save the Infanta Christina, who was at Turin awaiting the birth of another grandchild of the dying monarch. Alfonso was lucid but spent and could only look at them —at the estranged former Queen Victoria; at his son and designated heir to the throne of Spain, Don Juan; at his son Jaime and his daughter Beatrice. It seemed to those about him that he was clearly resigned, and he died calmly and appearing un afraid, true to his proud, ancient Bourbon blood. The final expression of his life, made with the last of his strength, was to thank with grave courtesy the three physicians who had worked over him so long. Even in the long agony of his last days it was clear that he had thought much of the throne which he had relinquished ten years ago, before the sharply emerging re publican spirit of Spain, lest blood be shed among his people. For, it was disclosed, only a few days ago he had asked his intimates whether Juan, the son he had chosen to succeed him if the monarchy ever returns to Spain, was suffering much for his father’s condition. “I hope he is bearing it well,” Alfonso had said. “For a king must be strong.” The funeral mass will be cele brated Monday in the church of St. Mary of the Angels, the ex king’s church in life. The body will be taken afterward to the Spanish national church here, St. Mary Monserrato, for ‘provisional interment. Permission will be sought eventually to lay Alfonso (Continued on Page Two; Col. 5) SHORTAGE REPORTED Nation’s Chief Allocates Funds to FWA to Proceed With Construction WILL SELECT AGENCY Selection of Site and Tyne Of Building to be De cided by Builder Finding that a housing shortage exists or impends in Wilmington which private capital is unable or unwilling to meet in the rent ranges needed. President Roose velt yesterday approved plans call ing for the erection of 375 units of defense housing “in Wilming ton including Holly Rdige” to care for a portion of the increase ill the population caused here by the erection of Camp Davis. The President approved alloca tion of funds of the Federal Works Administration with which to pro ceed with construction. The units, which will be'single units and duplex apartments, with the former probably predominat ing, will cost approximately $3500 apiece for construction alone, and when the cost of land, architect fees and other costs are added, the project will cost in the vicinity Of $1,500,000. The next step in the procedure which must follow before any of the houses can be erected here is for John M. Carmody, adminis trator of the Federal Works Ad ministration, to delegate to an agency of his choice the actual construction work. Agencies now being used by Car mody for such work include the Public Buildings Administration, local housng authorities and the United States Housing Authority, the Farm Security Administration, and some of the defense housing units are handled directly through his office with local housing auth orities while still others are han dled directly through Carmody’s office with private contractors. Permanent Structures Selection of a site, the type of building and other such items will be left up to the agency which is selected to build the units. The units, however, will be permanent structures and will not be frame dwellings. The units will be used solely to house the families of non-comrnis sioned officers from Camp Davis (Continued on Page Two; Col. 8) BETHLEHEMSTEEL STRIKE IS ENDED Company and Lackawanna Employes Approve Gov ernment-Drafted Pact BUFFALO. N. Y., Feb. 28— Cheering, flag-waiving CIO work ers terminated a two-day strike at Bethlehem Steel’s Lackawanna mill today after the company and employes approved a government drafted agreement. After the strikers unanimously ratified the three-point program submitted by President Roosevelt’s office of production management. Lackawanna plant Manager Ed (Continued on Page Two; Col. 4) TEACHER TENURE PLAN IS DOWNED RALEIGH, Feb. 28.— UP)—Senate redistricting was approved and teacher tenure, or job security, was disapproved by committees today as the general assembly con tinued to grind out legislation. The big joint appropriations com mittee, meanwhle, added $176, 400 to the spendng bill by in creasing funds for several agen cies—despite the fact that it faces an apparent deficit of $2,000,000 for next biennium. As things now stand, the measure calls for spending that amount in excess of anticipated tax receipts, not counting the proposed transfer of moneys from the highway to the general fund. Hence, the committee must pare the tentative budget, which now includes huge increases for schools and some other agencies. The appropriations bill is the one big obstacle to adjournment—now thought possible by March 12—and it was indicated it might be re ported to the legislative floors Thursday. At any rate, the spend ing committee set its next meeting for Monday morning, a time not ordinarily used by legislative bodies. Both houses today received bills which would allow municipalities with over 10,000 population to ex (Continued on Page Two; Col.^ 1)