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vnLj4—NO. 156 _...___ WILMINGTON, N. C., MONDAY, MARCH 3, 1941_ _FINAL EDITION ESTABLISHED 186T
HERMANS REAC
MAY SIGN A
* ★ * ★★★ ★ ★ ★
Vichy AgreesTo Jap Terms
_—- X.
Delegation To
Tokyo Delays
Pact,However
Representatives of French
Indo-China Hope to Min
imize Concessions
SIGNATURE EXPECTED
Domei Dispatch from Hanoi
Says French Troops Are
Moving Southward
SAIGON. French Indo-China,
Ham, 2-W5)—The Vichy goverh
lias agreed to Tokyo’s plan
for settlement of the territorial dis
pute between Indo-China and Thai
land a Japanese spokeman declared
today, but French colonial ^ repre
sentatives at Tokyo are withholding
their own agreement, hoping to.
minimize the concessions to Thai
land.
The spokesman. Commander Isao
Yasumura, said, however, that the
Japanese expect prompt signature
of the Tokyo agreement. Japan has
demanded that the .Flinch cede to
Thailand large areas of the Indo
china provinces of Laos and Cam.
bodia.
Not Informed
Officials at Hanoi, the French
colonial capital, nevertheless said
they had not been informed of any
Vichy decision.
A Dontei (Japanese News agepey)
dispatch from Hanoi said that
French troops “continued to move
southward amid continued tension”
and that French and Japanese au
thorities alike were awaiting in
struction from their home govern
ments. ■ -
The signifiance of any south
ward movement by French forces
was not explained.
AGREES
VICHY. France, March 2—(A>)—
An informed source intimated to
night that France had agreed to
Tokyo’s request that she come to
terms with Thailand but said she
bad not consented to the conces
sions asked.
it was indicated that the French
reply made or to be made in Tokyo
was a compromise offer as the
basis for further discussions.
"The door is open to continue
negotiations and Vichy counts on
a peaceful solution,” the informant
said.
CIVIL SERVICE BILL
AMENDMENT ASKED
Firemen With Most Service
Would Be Given Opportu
nities for Promotion
Wilmington firemen have asked
'tat an amendment be offered to the
tal now pending before the state
legislature and providing for the
establishment of a civil service setup
for firemen and policemen, Repre
•entative John R. Morris said last
night.
amendment would be offered
°.1' purpose of enabling the men
lt"h the most service to be given
on Page Three; Col. 2)
British Soldiers Capture
Pass Leading To Cheren
.,AIRo March 2.— I/P) —British
m ?'.ers closing in on Italian forces
,kms a strong stand at Cheren,
ian Eritrea, have captured an
‘•nportant pass’ covering the ap
BrirCk to that vital junction point,
!sh general headquarters an
"^ced today.
, ie Royal Air Force aided the
, le§ers of Cheren by attacking
fcrnrimy positions” in the neighbor
tllG RAf said in an accom
? PKmg C0rnrn unique.
c,rn,ci’en is the key to Asmara,
a, of Italy’s oldest colony and
fighting fr<r>rr> the scene of the
*
The British also reported pro
gress in operations in Ethiopia,
where the nativd followers of Haile
Selassie are cooperating in harass
ing the Italians, and in Italian
Somaliland.
The general headquarters com
munique said the troops in Ethiopia
proceeded along the road to Gon
dar.
“In the Gojjam (district) patriot
(native Ethiopian) forces inflicted
considerable losses on the Italian
garrison at Burye which attempted
a sortie with cavalry and infantry,”
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 4)
Jimmy’s Got It; Ginger Too
Clutching their golden “Oscars,” James Stewart and Ginger Rogers
congratulate each other on having been given the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences’ awards as 1940’s best actor and actress at the
academy’s annual Hollywood banquet. Jimmy got the prize for his work
in> “The Philadelphia Story.” Ginger’s prize-winning performance was
in “Kitty Foyle.”—(NEA TeIephoto)
New AmericanLiner Runs
Aground Near Hog Island
IN CAPE COD CANAL
Coast Guard Reports Presi
dent Hayes Is Not in im
mediate Danger’
BUZZARDS BAY, Mass., March 2.
—UP)—The new liner President Hayes
went aground tonight in Cape Cod
Canal, but the coast guard reported
she was in “no immediate danger."
The coast guard said there were
no immediate details on the circum
stances and declared “she may be
only stock in the mud."
The coast guard cutter Algonquin
and a picket boat and two Boston
tugs were dsipatched to the assist
ance of the craft which is a com
bination cargo and passenger ship.
Near Hog Island
The position of the vessel was
given as near Hog Island, a short
distance from the canal entrance.
The liner left Boston on a 29,000
mile round-the-world voyage.
In command was Captain Dale E.
Collins, 40, one of the youngest men
to have charge of such a large ship.
The President Hayes, owned by
the American President Lines, arriv
ed in Boston only Saturday morning
from Newport News, Va., where she
was constructed.
She was carrying a New England
made cargo for consignments to
ports all over the world.
French Seize Oasis
Of Cufra, 1,000 Men
_
LONDON, March 2.—OP)—1 he
headquarters of the “Free”
Freuch forces announced tonight
that its troops in Libya, Italian
North Africa, had captured the
Oasis of Cufra, taking 1,000 pris
oners and “important war mate
rial.”
De Gaullist troops from the
Chad region and the Cameroons
of French We6t Africa have be
sieged the Italian garrison at
Cufra since Feb. 7, commanded
by General Eduard Rene Marie
De Larminat.
Cufra lies more than 600 miles
inland in southern Libya, sep
arated from British forces along
the coast by a desertland. An
other Oasis, Giarabub, much
closer to the coast has been for
weeks under British siege.
PETAIN RETURNS
VICHY, France, March 2—(iP)—
Chief of State Marshal Petain re
turned from a tour of the main in
dustrial area of unoccupied France
“deeply impressed by the enthu
siasm of the workers” members of
his suite said tonight,
WEATHER
FORECAST
North Carolina: Increasing cloudi
ness and warmer Monday; Tuesday
cloudy and occasional rain, colder in
west portion.
(By U. S. Weather Bureau)
(Meteorological data for the 24 hours
ending 7:30 p. m: yesterday.:
Temperature
1:30 a. m. 34; 7:30 a. m. 29; 1:30 a. m.
47; 7:30 p. m. 43; maximum 54; mini
mum 29; mean —; normal 50.
Hnmidity
1:30 a. m. 52; 7:30 a. m. 66; 1:30 p. m.
32; 7:30 p. m. 59.
Precipitation
Total for the 24 hours ending 7:30
p m. 0.00 inches. Total since first of
the month 0.00 inches.
Tides For Today
(From Tide Tables published by U. S.
Coast and Geodetic Survey.)
High Low
Wilmington -||f“
Masonboro Inlet-10:34a 4:56a
11:13p 5: up
Sunrise 6:38a; sunset 6:10p; moonrise
9:41a; moonset ll:17p.
Cape Fear river stage at Fayette
ville on March Z, at 8 a. m., 9.60
feet.
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 7)
* - 1 " ' 'I" j
WorkOnCamp
DavisReaches
Half-WayPost
Construction of $12,880,
660 Firing Center About
50 Per Cent Completed
14,000 MEN EMPLOYED
One of Three Fire Stations
At Camp Scheduled to
Be Occupied Today
Construction of Camp Davis, the
Coast Artillery’s new $12,880,660
anti-aircraft firing center at Holly
Ridge, is approximately 50 per
cent completed, an official of the
constructing quartermasters’ office
said last night.
He pointed out that some fea
tures of the large development
are well above 50 per cent com
pleted and none are below the 40
per cent mark.
No buildings have been finished
it was explained, as the builders
do not consider a structure com
pleted until every detail of work,
such as wiring, painting and
plumbing has been carried out.
In about two weeks more, it was
said, several hundred buildings will
be completed.
Approximately 14,000 men are
now employed on the project,
which is expected to be completed
by mid-May.
It was revealed that one of the
three fire stations planned at the
camp will be occupied today. This
one is in the center of the develop
ment and the other two will be at
opposite ends in order to provide
equal protection for the large area.
Six fire trucks, two of 750-gal
lon pumping capacity and four of
500-gallons, will be stationed at
the three stations. Two of the
trucks have arrived and will be
placed at the center or No. 1 sta
tion today.
A well-organized fire department
was established at the camp at
the beginning of operations and is
in charge of Lieutenant Wilbur
(Continued on Page Three; Col. SI) I
BROWN ADDRESSES
NEGRO GATHERING
Calls on Wilmingtonians to
Open Homes and Clubs to
Camp Davis Troops
Lieut. Col. Robert Duncan
Brown, who will be in command
of the negro troops at Camp Davis,
urged negro citizens to open their
homes, churches, and clubs for
the entertainment of commissioned
and non-commissioned officers and
men of these regiments in a talk
before a patriotic mass meeting
held yesterday afternoon at St.
Stephen’s A.M.E. church under the
auspices of the T. J. Bullock Pozl
No. 4, American Legion.
Lieut Col Brown told • capa
city audience that “these boys
were American boys away from
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 6)
Funds To Maintain N. C.
Waterways AreProposed
WASHINGTON, March 2.—UP>—
The board of army engineers re
ported to congress today that ap
proximately $1,440,000 could be pro
fitably spent on maintenance of
rivers and harbors in North Caro
lina during the 1941-42 fiscal year.
The report, apparently reflecting
economy in such projects did not
call for expenditure of any amount
for new work.
The largest North Carolina item
included was $454,600 for mainte
from Norfolk, Va., to Beaufort In
let, N. C.
The committee said $225,000
could be profitably spent during
the year for maintenance of the
Cape Fear river at and, below
Wilmington, the state’s principal
port.
Cost of maintenance at More
head City, another chief port, was
put at $89,000.
Amounts the board said could be
profitably expended on mainte
nance of waterway projects in
cluded:
Waterway from Norfolk to
000; Knobbs Creek, $10,000; Me
herrin river, $3,500; Cashie river,
$1,000; Roanoke river, $1,000; wa
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 5)
FRONTIER; YUGOSLAVIA
BRITISH POMB RUMANIA
NAZI TROOPS ALSO MOVING
TOWARD TURKEY; ENGLAND
TO BREAK WITH BULGARIA
OIL FIELDS BOMBED
Heavy Explosions Occur,
Big Fires Are Started
North of Bucharest
THREAT IS FULFILLED
British Legation in Sofia
Prepares to Move at a
Moment’s Notice
NEGOTIN, Yugoslavia At The
Rumanian and Bulgarian Fron
tiers), March 2—The RAF was
reported today to have carried the
European war to Rumania—rAak
ing good Britain’s threat to bomb
Rumania’s rich oil fields and com
munications lines if Nazi troops
invaded Bulgaria.
The reports reaching heije from
Rumania said heavy explosions
occurred in the Ploesti fields, north
of Bucharest, added that big fires
were started and attributed the
vices also said that all foreigners
and Rumanians, save those witn
military passes, had been barred
from the oilfield region.
Southwest of Ploesti
Negotin, where this dispatch
originated, lies about 175 miles
Southwest of the Ploesti fields and
about 120 miles Northwest of So
fia, Bulgaria, which the Nazis oc
cupied yesterday.
George W. Rendel, British min
ister to Bulgaria, said Friday that
the British would regard them
selves as “free to attack the Ger
mans on Bulgarian soil without
any formal declaration” of war.
Rumania, he said, had not been
bombed “because we want to make
it easier for Bulgaria to remain
neutral,” and implied that Ru
manian oil fields and communica
tion lines would be attacked shoulu
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 3)
NAZIS PUSH MOVE
TO HELP ITALIANS
Troops Sent to Libya Take
Oaths 'to Make Greatest
Effort’ for Victory
ROME, March 2.—(JP)—The Ger
man troops sent to Libya to
strengthen faltering Italian forces
there have taken an oath to “make
the greatest effort for a joint vie
tory” of Germany and Italy, the of
ficial Italian news agency, Stefani,
reports.
The high command communique
did not mention an “oath” and
Stefani did not say when the pledge
was made. It simply declared that
Marshal Rodolfo Graziani, Italian
commander in Africa, and a German
officer not identified in the dispatch
first reviewed the Nazi troops.
Then the German officer delivered
a speech closing with these words:
“At the beginning of Italian-Ger
man cooperation on African soil we
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 8)
J
Yugoslav Regent, German
Minister Hold Conference
ZAGREB, Yugoslavia, March
2—UP)—The probability that
Yugoslavia soon will sign the
Axis three-power pact was re
ported in authoritative quar
ters tonight.
These sources said this re
sulted from conferences be
tween Prince Paul, the Yugo
slav regent, and Viktor von
Heeren, German minister to
Belgrade.
Scarcely had Bulgaria enter
ed the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo al
liance Saturday, they said, than
von Heeren requested a spe
cial audience.
He was said to have been
received last night.
(A Berlin radio broadcast,
heard in New York by NBC,
said that Yugoslav Premier
Dragisa Cvetkovic had return
ed to Belgrade Sunday after
noon from a week-end at his
country estate and immediate
ly held an “extremely lengthy”
conference with Prince Paul.)
Authoritative sources said
von Heeren “informed” Prince
Paul that his conversations last
week with German Foreign
Minister Joachim von Ribben
trop concerned Yugoslavia’s
position in the Nazi plans for a
new European order.
They said he ‘reviewed
Yugoslavia’s position in the
light of recent developments
in the Balkans, especially Bul
garia’s adherence to the Axis
pact,” and “touched” on the
^Continued on Page Three; Col. 3)
Turks Close Dardanelles
ToShipsWithoutPermits
GIVE NO EXPLANATION
Units of Fleet Steam Out of
Istanbul Toward the
Famous Straits
ISTANBUL, Turkey, March 2.
—(£>)—The Turkish navy ministry
announced tonight that the strate
gic Dardanelles straits had been
closed to all ships except those
having special permits and em
ploying Turkish naval pilots.
The ruling went into effect to
night.
Units of the Turkish fleet, it was
learned at the same time, steamed
out of Istanbul towards the Dar
danelles today.
NO EXPLANATON
No explanation was offered im
mediately for Turkey’s action in
shutting the Dardanelles to any
traffic except under strict Turkish
control and for speeding her fleet
into that vital zone.
Presumably, however, it is a
counteraction to Saturday’s devel
opments which put Bulgaria solid
ly in the Axis orbit and opened
the Bulgarian frontier to Ger
many’s legions.
Because Bulgaria already had
been infiltrated by the German
military and written off as an
inevitable Axis ally, it is likely
that thoughts for defense of the
Dardanelles were prominent in the
discussions last week between
Turkish officials and British for
eign Secretary Anthony Eden and
General Sir John G. Dill, chief of
the British imperial staff.
The Dardanelles and the Bospo
rus are of high military signifi
cance because they are the gates
between the Mediterranean Sea
already a major theater of the
European war, and the Black Sea,
Continued on Page Three; Col. 1?
Army Orders
WASHINGTON, March 2.—The War
Department released the following or
ders yesterday, dated Feb. 27.
BRIGADIER GENERAL
Metcalfe, R. F., Assistant to the Sur
geon General, to retirement, May 31.
COLONELS
Holliday, R. C., Inf., Frederick, Md., to
367th Inf., Camp Claiborne, La.,
March 10.
Gillespie, J. A., Q. M. C., Ft. Bragg, N.
C., to headquarters IX Army Corps,
Ft. Lewis. W'ash., Feb. 1; previous
orders revoked.
LIEUTENANT COLONELS
Rogers, H. D., Med. Corp$, three
months and seven days leave, March
23.
Williamson, M. S„ Cav., Decatur, Ga.,
to 2d Armored Div’n., Ft. Benning,
Ga., June 1.
Scott. J. P., Cav., Phoenix, Ariz., to 2d
Armored Div’n., Ft. Benning, Ga., to
sail from San Francisco, Calif., about
April 12 for New York.
Gibson, H. D.. Inf., Schenectady, N. Y.,
detailed in General Staff Corps, head,
quarters. Governors Island, N. Y.
MacDonald, S. C., Inf., Pueblo, Col., to
Inf. Replacement Center, Camp Wol
ters, Texas, March 13.
(Continued on Page 10; Col. 2)
Anthony Eden Arrives
In Greece for Talks
ATHENS, March 2—«•)—Brit
ish Foreign Secretary Anthony
Eden arrived today by plane
from Turkey and was received
by King George II.
Accompanying Eden was
General Sir John G. Dill, chief
of the British imperial staff,
who participated with Eden in
talks with Turkish chieftains
during their stay in Turkey.
Premier Alexander Korizis
will give a luncheon tomorrow
in Eden’s honor. He also will be
honor guest at a dinner at the
British legation tomorrow
night.
Eden plans to stay in Athens
a few days.
BRITISH VESSELS
SUNK BY GERMANS
Four Ships, Totaling 24,
000 Tons, Destroyed
During Air Attack
BERLIN, March 2.— UP) —Four
British merchantmen, totalling 24,
000 tons, were sunk by German air
attack today, informed sources re
ported.
These were in addition to five
vessels claimed by Germany’s sea
going fliers to have been sunk Sat
urday in raids on British shipping.
One 10,000-ton ship was said to
have been sunk immediately in to
day’s air bombardment when a direct
hit on the engine room exploded the
vessel’s boiler off the Shetland Is
lands. Two other ships, of 8,000 and
10,000 tons, travelling in the same
convoy, were so seriously damaged
they sank soon after the attack,
these sources said.
A fourth merchantman, of 2,000
tons, said to have been intercepted in
Continued on Page Three; Col. 1)
Germany Calls On Turkey
To Offer War Mediation
INSTANBUL, Turkey, March 2.
—MP>—It was learned on reliable
authority today that Germany ask
ed Turkey to offer to mediate the
European war during the recent
visit in this country of British for
eign secretary Anthony Eden.
The British, however, flatly re
fused to consider mediation when
sounded out by Turkey, this source
said.
A well-informed source said that
German Ambassador Franz Von
Papen approached Turkish for
eign minister Sukru Saracoglu on
the subject before Eden’s arrival
last week, pointing out thqt Turkey
was in a most favorable position to
act as mediator.
(Authorized sources in Berlin
ridiculed the report and repeated
the stock answer, ‘‘It is not for the
winner to suggest peace.”)
It was a week-end busy with
diplomatic activity at Ankara with
President Ismet Inonu keeping in
close touch with his cabinet.
The cabinet, with Inonu presid
ing, held an extraordinary session
from late Friday night to the early
hours of Saturday morning, presu
mably considering Bulgaria’s new
(Continued on Page Three; •v
TAKE UP QUARTERS
Extensive Air Raid Defense
Precautions Are Pushed
Throughout Bulgaria
BREAK SEEN TUESDAY
British Envoy Tells King
Boris That War Will ‘Un
doubtedly Follow*
SOFIA, Bulgaria, March 3—Mon
day)—(£)— The vanguard of Ger
many’s onrushing Balkan army,
speeding across Bulgaria from
bases in Rumania, was reported
to have reached the Greek fron
tier at four points early today.
The Germans also sped toward
the Turkish frontier. Two train
loads of infantrymen were dis
patched from Plovdiv, Bulgaria's
second largest city, toward the
Turk border.
Take Up Quarters
Reports from the provinces said
small Nazi detachments had taken
up quarters in the Bulgarian towns
of Slatograd, Melnik, Trigrad, and
Svilengrad, a few miles short of
the Greek frontier.
Other troops were said to be
rolling into Plovdiv.
Air raid defense precautions
went steadily ahead throughout
Bulgaria.
Anti-aircraft batteries were in
stalled on all large railway sta
tions as well as important bridges
and tunnels.
Although official orders were not
given, many citizens of Sofia be
gan leaving the city for the coun
try.
Queen Ioanna, daughter of King
Vittorio Emanuele of Italy, and
crown Prince Simeon and Princess
Marie Louise left for the country
palace.
MAY BREAK TUESDAY
SOFIA, Bulgaria, March 3—
Monday)—(®—British quarters in
Bulgaria’s capital declared early
today that minister George Ren
del had informed King Boris Brit
ain would break off relations with
Bulgaria “probably Tuesday” and
that a state of war would “un
doubtedly follow.”
The British minister and King
Boris were alone for two hours
last night, talking in the monarch’s
study.
Through the windows, both men
could see gray armored cars,
troops and trucks of Germany’s
army rolling through Sofia’s main
streets.
Friendly Talk
The talk was described as very
friendly.
King Boris met the tall, stooped
British minister on the palace steps
and escorted him into the study.
Rendel was understood to have
expressed regret felt by the British
government that Bulgaria should
sign the Axis pact and open the
country to German armies, since
the British must resist the Ger
man march and Bulgaria may be
come a battleground.
King Boris was understood to
have replied that he had chosen
the course which he believed best
for his people.
The German and Italian minis
ters were received by Boris just
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 1)