Leased Wire Of The . ----*
iSSOCIATEn PRESS Dedira,ed To Ths Pr°Bress 01
■mg Complete Coverage ol WILBIRETOR
Slale and National News And Soolheastem Horth
Carolina
—--WILMINGTON, N. C., THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 1941 FINAL EDITION ESTABLISHED 1867
Shipways
Contract
/^warded
Job of Building Three More
Here Awarded to The
Present Contractors
boosts total to nine
yar(js Will Employ 4,500
Men Per Shift During
Peak Production
r ,ract for the construction of
additional shipways at the
f,E-e' Park vards of the North
Carolina Shipbuilding company,
vising t« nine the total ways
facilities of the concern, was
warded in Washington, D. C., yes
terday by the U. S. Maritime com
mission.
The additional ways for the yard
tee according to the Associated
Ls'c, were included in contracts
io-*32 shipways awarded by the
commission yesterday, to be built
it yards throughout the United
States. Some oi the 32 ways au
doomed yesterday will, as locally,
increase existing shipbuilding fa
cilities, and in other instances
create altogether new yards, as in
jjew Orleans for the Cleveland
Shipbuilding and Iron company.
Price Not Announced
The associate contractors of Un
derwood. Orrell and Loftis, now
constructing six ways and yard
buildings at Sunset Park at a cost
above $3,000,000, will build the
three additional ways. No contract
price for the new ways was an
nounced.
Unofficially, it was learned that
the North Carolina's nine ways
will be in simultaneous use about
mid-August. At least two ways,
work on which began in February,
will be ready for their first keels
before July 1. At full capacity, the
local yards will be capable of con
structing nine 10,400 cargo vessels
at a time. At peak production, it
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 4)
E WILL" SEEK
SEAT IN SENATE
Announces Candidacy For
Post Left Vacant By
Death of Sheppard
ORANGE, Tex., April 16.—(51—
Rep. Martin Dies fD.-Tex.) asked
lexans today to elect him to the
United States senate to press legis
lation which would "safeguard our
tare against enemies that threat
en from within and from without.”
From his ranch at Jasper he
formally announced his candidacy
for the seat left vacant by the
ieath of Morris Sheppard. The
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 41
WEATHER
. forecast
»«' .... iiiftlina—Considerable cloudi
nnJ„,iUr?'liiy anr- Friday, possibly
I,;, erci* li'iimlersliowers in tlie moun
dKiilextreme north portion. No
"ttKled change in temperature.
w£e7™m0giC!l1 data for tlle 21 hours
(iA:E m. yesterday).
• h. R. Weather Bureau)
i.m„ . Temperature
Ss 64: 7:30 a. m. 04: 1:30 p. m.
imum'fii ly m- maximum 88; min
Um 611 moan 74 : normal 62..
i.9A Humidity
» ,T: 7:30 a- m- 67; 1:30 p.
.. P. m. 45.
Tern i Treri pitation
P in an (I?r- ' .m 24 hours ending 7:30
,lle montK.ns' inclms.SinCe the first
(From rr T'd.<‘s ,or Today
Coast an Jr 6 published by U. S.
and Geodetic Survey).
"'ilmin„t0 how
O,on- 2:15a. 9:32a.
Wire i„ it 2:2Sp. 9:52p.
“'Mo Inlet _— 12:08a. 0:22a.
Sunrise 12:30p. 0:36p.
I!:IS». a .sunset U:40p; moonrise
ooonset 10:49a.
ti^T- Hver stage at Fayette
lee,” Al,ri1 16. at 8 a. td„ 12:45
<m Page Ten; Col. 51
rv --
Building And Loans Here
Boost Loans 100 Per Cent
-*
he ln® 111 u disputable figures
ej Sharp U5tul'n of private busi
11 this district brought about
‘nse • St'mu*us °f millions of de
uilfain!°llais' the five Wilmington
an dU<£ Ioan associations
‘8 the r ,assre=ate of $808,943 dur
This I*?1 lhree months of 1941.
ight iJV '?U1 released here last
ve Sj‘. ',anin F. Gaudian, execu
te Buna'aPy °£ the North Caro
sent. ■" ' an<1 Loan League, rep
icrease iiJr°Xlmately a lp0 per cent
uiie fj 1,1 llle loan figure of the
3nain„ " comPanies for the corres
Using th!UlS °£ 194°
ear aa n,i quarter of the
a measyrinz yardstick for
the months to come, Gaudian pre
dicted that Wilmington building and
loan associations would lend in ex
cess of $4,000,000 for building and
refinancing in this area during 1941.
Of the leans made to April 1 this
year, Gaudian’s statistics disclosed,
approximately one-third of the $808,
943 was for new building, mostly
small homes; approximately one
third for repairing and modernizing
of old homes and buildings, and the
balance toward the purchase of re
financing of .existing homes and
buildings.
A preponderant majority of the
loans are under $4,000 each; and
(Continued on Page Ten; Col. 6) j
_ A Champion Receives Congratulations
Adjudged the champion high school orator of the south in competition against two other sdendid
night Tn’thearnati^ira°lCtf0r’ i“ Dfu'l.,am His*} f'100.1 se nior last; night won the right to compete tomorrow
mght in the national finals of the annual American Legion High School Oratorical contest at Charleston,
S.C. Above, tbe 16-year-old Durham youth is being congratulated on the stage of the New Hanover High
*y RV P2ve PaI1’ .?tate Department Coinmrnder of the Legion, right, and Robert S. Kirby,
ot Charlotte, director of the state department’s Ame ricanism program.
______ k
Hams Proctor, Durham,
Wins Oratorical Contest
PRICE OF STEEL I
ORDERED FROZEN
WILL GO TO FINALS
Defeats Virginia and Mis
sissippi Youths in Sec
tional Finals Here
Harris Proctor, a Durham High
school senior whose hobby is
American history and whose am
bition is to enter the ministry,
last night in Wilmington won the
right to represent the south in the
national finals of the American
Legion’s annual High school ora
torical contest tomorrow night at
Charleston, S. C.
Speaking on “The Constitution,
It’s Benefits,” young Proctor
thrilled a small but rapt audience
ir. the New Hanover high school
auditorium to win the sectional
finals of the nation-wide competi
tion, whose winner tomorrow in
Charleston will be awarded a $4,
000 college scholarship.
The North Carolinian defeated,
by the closest of margins, Alf J.
Mapps, of Portsmouth, Va., and
James Horton, of Doddsville,
Miss.
Survived Eliminat'ons
The Durham youth, son of Mr.
and Mrs. J. H. Proctor, was re
presenting North and South Caro
line, Georgia, Florida and Tennes
see, having survived eliminations
against the champion high schools
orators of each of those states.
The Virginia entrant, Alf Mapps,
was the survivor of competitions
in his home state. West Virginia,
Kentucky, Maryland and the Dis
trict of Columbia. Young Horton,
a Mississippi Delta farm boy, had
previously won the championship
of Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama
and Arkansas.
Each of last night’s contestants
was required to deliver a prepar
ed 10 to 12 minute address on
some phase of ttie constitution of
the United States, after which each
was called upon to speak extem
poraneously for from between four
to six minutes an some subject
decreed by the contest committee,
and pertaining to the first 10
amendments of the constitution.
Horton spoke, for his prepared
address, on the subject “What
Americanism Means To Me,” ap
proaching the theme in the first
person singlar from the viewpoint
of a typical young American. In
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 4)
f -
Illinois Dog Catcher
Is Too Good for Job
EAST ST. LOUIS, III.. April
16.—(/P)—It was a job well done
that lost M. S. Richardson his
position as dog catcher.
The city was placed under a
rabies quarantine and Rich
ardson was hired under an
agreement whereby he was to
get $1 for each dog he captur
ed.
In 29 days he brought in
1,500.
Said Dr. R. C. Farrier,
health director:
“He proved to be a hound for
work. At that rate the depart
ment soon would be broke, so
we’re retiring from the whole
sale dog business.”
STA' ro DEMAND
W com LIFE
Is Scheduled to go on Trial
Here Next Month For
Slaying Girl
•?>_
A demand for the life of Roland
Paul Westcott will be made by the
state when the youthful slayer goes
on trial in superior court here next
month for the murder of his for
mer sweetheart, 18-year-old Mil
dred Lee.
On the basis of investigation and
circumstances surrounding the
girl’s slaying, David Sinclair, dis
trict solicitor, yesterday said that
the state would have no alternative
but to press for a first:degree mur
der conviction and a death sen
tence in the gas chamber of the
state prison.
"Everything officers and investi
gators have found thus far indi
cates cold-blooded, rughless, pre
meditated murder,” the solicitor
said.
Westcott shot and then clubbed
Miss Lee fatally last Saturday
night in the 700 block of North
Fourth street while a horror-strick
en crowd, including Miss Lee’s
younger sister,1 looked on helpless
ly. Halted by a policeman in his
jealousy-maddened clubbing of the
girl’s head with the butt of a
pistol, Westcott cried that he was
“glad” he had committed the act.
In jail this week, Westcott has
continued his uncommunicative at
titude, refusing to divulge to police
where he obtained the old-model
gun and beat the girl. Neither has
he,4 amplified on his at-the-scene as
sertion that he was "glad” he had
fatally injured te girl with whom
he had kept almost steady com
pany for four years.
Insofar as police officials are
aware, Westcott has not retained
legal counsel, though one attorney
has visited with the youth, pre
sumably to discuss the murder
charge against him. 5
STRIKE
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., April 16 —
taP)—The attention of Sidney Hillman
and William S. Knudsen, co-heads
of the office of production manage
ment, today was called to the strike
at the Appalachian mills here where
2,000 workers are idle. i
Showdown May be Forth
coming on Federal Price
Fixing Authority
WASHINGTON, April i6.—(JR—
The government today ordered
steel prices frozen at their levels
in the first quarter of this year
and prompted immediate specula
tion that a showdown might be
forthcoming on federal price-fixing
authority.
Leon Henderson, price adminis
trator, issued the order and said
that it was precipitated by recent
wage increases in the industry.
Some steel men have contended
that the wage increases made price
rises inevitable.
There was no immediate word
from either government officials or
steel executives as to how the price
order would be enforced or if it
would be obeyed.
Officials parried such questions
with the statement that they an
ticipated full cooperation by the
industry. It was learned, however,
that if any company attempts to
raise prices, on the ground that it
cannot do business at the fixed
levels, the office of price adminis
tration probablf will call upon it
to prove that higher charges are
justified.
Henderson emphasized that the
price schedule would be subject to
revision. He said that his office,
which was created by President
Roosevelt in an order last week,
would inaugurate an immediate
study of prices and coste in the
steel industry.
Steel men, who declined to be
quoted by name, expressed belief
the order would be challenged be
cause they said, recent wage in
creases meant that many compa
nies could not do business without
raising their prices.
Some congress members, notably
Senator Taft (R.-Ohio) have con
tended that President Roosevelt
acted without authority when he
established the price administra
tion.
Henderson said the price sched
ule was issued only after it had
been submitted to the newly
formed price administration com
mittee which includes Secretary
Morgenthau, Secretary Jones, Sec
retary Wickard and Defense Direc
tors Knudsen and Hillman.
In making it public, he 6aid a
steel price increase now "might
touch off a general increase in the
cost of living and start the country
off on the road to price infla
tion.” j
Surveys For 28 New Army
Cantonment Sites Begun
WASHINGTON, April 16.-M>1
Precautionary plans for housing
800,000 additional troops, just in
case they should be needed, were
revealed today by Robert P. Pat
terson, the undersecretary of war,
with a disclosure that surveys for
28 new cantonment sites had be
gun.
He made these statements in tes
timony before the senate defense
investigating committee, while Sec
retary of the Navy Knox was tell
ing the house naval committee that
efforts to legislate on defense labor
disputes should be confined to stat
utes intended to bring both sides
to the conference table.
Patterson said that with $15,000,
000 recently made available, en
Luftwaffe
Smashes
At London
Dive-Bombers Subject City
Jo Most Destructive At
tack of the War
GROUND GUNS ROAR
Casualties Believed Heavy
As Wave After Wave
Of Craft Rain Bombs
LONDON, April 17.—(Thursday)
—U)—German bombers diving low
in a steady procession through
fierce anti-aircraft fire smashed at
London last night and early today
for their heaviest raid of the war
on the capital.
Stick after stick of heavy ex
plosive bombs whistled and
crashed into buildings and streets
of the sleepless city, and casual
ties and damage were expected to
be heavy. ^
At 4:22 a.m. London time, (10:22
p.m., E.S.T.) the Associated Press
office messaged that there was a
temporary delay in communica
tions, recalling a similar interrup
tion during the devastating attack
last Dec. 29, when the Associated
Press building was destroyed by
fire.
Earlier, in New York both the
National Broadcasting Co., and the
Columbia Broadcasting system re
ported buildings housing their of
fices had been struck.)
Seasoned observers agreed that
this was the heaviest blow yet
loosed on London.
One Plane Downed
A curtain of anti-aircraft fire
arched across the starlit skies and
bagged at least one bomber, which
burst with an eerie flash and fell
in bits.
Casualties were not announced
but it was feared they might be
heavy.
The raiders dived low to loose
their bombs and scurried off, fol
lowed by others in procession that
kept coming over into the early
morning hours.
It was the first big assault on
London since the British made
their heaviest raid on Berlin April
9, after which the German press
published threats that the Nazis
would retaliate—“a hundred-fold.”
Some observers compared this
new destruction with that of last
Dec. 29 when incendiaries rained
fire and incredible damage on the
ancient “City of London,” the fi
nancial district.
Explosives were the main fare
today, however, with fires inciden
tal t<^ the attack.
Lobbies Crowded
For the first time in months ho
tel lobbies were crowded with
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 2)
NEGRO HUT MEET
SCHEDULED TODAY
Federal Representative Is
Scheduled to Confer
With Boards Today
The city and county boards of com
missioners are scheduled to meet this
morning at 10 o’clock at the court
house to continue their discussions
on the proposed immediate construc
tion of a city-county financed negro
soldiers’ recreational hut at Tenth
and Church streetsr.
Last Monday, in a meeting marked
for its verbal fireworks, the joint
boards voted three-to-two — county
against city commissioners—to defer
an immediate start on the project un
til the arrival here of a Federal
Works Administration representative
assigned to make a soldiers’ recrea
tional survey of Wilmington.
The government representative, J.
W. Faust, has arrived here and last
night it was understood that he
would meet wdth the two boards to
amplify what the Federal govern
ment proposes to do about recreation
al facilities in this vicinity for Camp
Lavis and Fort Bragg soldiers.
gineers had been or would be re
tained to make the cantonment sur
veys. He was emphatic in telling
reporters, however, that no plans
for calling up 800,000 additional
men had been made and that the
measures being taken were entire
ly precautionary. Plans long ap
proved call for having 1,400,000
men under arms eventually.
"This is the sort of thing,” Pat
terson said, "which, if we could
have done it two years ago, would
have saved a great deal of ex
pense and time in getting camps
ready when men were called out.”
While Knox had approved the
"spirit” of a bill, introduced by
(Continued on Page Ten; Col, 4)
Germaiis Penetrate Deep
Into Central Greek Lines;
Nazis, British Battling
_ . —__*-A -
SERB ARMY IS TAKEN
German, British Soldiers
Reported Fighting South
Of Mt. Olympus
AIRPORTS ARE BOMBED
Little Information Is Given
Out About Operations
In North Africa
BERLIN, April 17.—(Thursday)—
(TP) —German troops collided with
the British today south of Mount
Olympus, major eastern Greek de
fense bastion, as the high command
reported that the entire Serbian
second army had put down its arms
at Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.
Military headquarters gave few
det^ls of the ensuing battle but the
version here was that the withdraw
ing British were pushed so hard
they were obliged to turn and make
a stand.
What started as a mere rear
guard action may develop into a
great engagement, it was said.
Bomb Airports
Ahead of the German ground
forces was the airforce, bombing
the airports of Larisa and Trikkala
to the west and the seaports where
the Germans said British transports
were ready to evacuate the British.
Larisa is about 100 miles straight
south of the Yugoslav border.
The Germans said they smashed
22 airplanes on the ground and an
additional 17 were shot down in
aerial combat over narrowing Greek
territory.
Semi-official sources admitted that
the British in Greece were "show
ing more fight than heretofore.”
German newspapers hailed the
surrender of the second Serbian
army at Sarajevo as the capitula
tion of the last of five army groups
thrown into battle by Yugoslavia.
Information of operations in
North Africa was scant and it was
thought that the high command
was holding back news of that front
in order to make a great showing
by issuing a number of important
announcements April 20 on the an
niversary of Adolf Hitler’s 62nd
birthday.
Capitulation of this Yugoslav force,
of unestimated number, gave rise to
new speculation as to whether an
armistice might now be expected
with Yugoslavia, but informed Ger
mans said this was extremely un
likely.
"It Takes Two’'
"It takes two to make an armis
tice," they said, “each side agreeing
under certain conditions to stop
fighting. But there doesn’t seem to
be any Yugoslav government left and
certainly the army isn’t under uni
fied control. So there is no Serb com
petent or with authority to me t, an
agreement about anything in behalf
of the Serb people.”
Announcement of the capitulation
was made in a special high command
bulletin, issued hours after the morn
ing's official report of capture of
Sarajevo and the surrender of “thou
sands of Serbs.” (Yugoslavia’s gov
ernment for a time was reported at
Sarajevo).
Berlin sources said they had no in
formation as to the present where
abouts of King Peter or the Simovic
government, although they said they
believed that Premier Dusan Simovic
himself had left the country.
Also Get Supplies
In the long run, Nazi spokesmen
said, the Yugoslav captives will
amount to hundreds of thousands,
along' with vast amounts of arms,
(Continnued oil Page Three; Col. 4)
FASCIST SAILORS
TO BE TRIED HERE
Are Scheduled to Answer
Charges of Sabotage Here
On Monday Afternoon
Capt. Adriane Merlano Berasia and
nine of his crewmen of the U. S.
seized Italian vessel Villarperosa will
go on trial in the U. S. district Fed
eral court here Monday afternoon,
facing charges of sabotage and con
spiracy to commit sabotage in con
nection with wrecking of the motors
of their ship in Wilmington harbor.
The Italians are being held at
present in the U. S. Immigration de
pot jail at Savannah, Ga„ where
last week they were arraigned b*fore
a U. S. commissioner and formally
charged with offenses carrying
maximum penalties of $10,000 fines
and 20 years imprisonment, each.
They will be returned here and
placed in jail during their trial.
First official word that the Ital
ians were to be returned to Wil
mington for trial was learned from
the clerk’s office of the Federal court
yesterday with the announnncement
that 10 subpoenas were being issued
for government witnesses.
The trial will be presided over by
Judge I. M. Meekins.
t
Fighting in Western
Part of Macedonia Is
Now *in Full Progress’
LONDON, April 16.—UP)—1The
Athens radio in a broadcast
heard here said fighting which
opened Monday in western Ma
cedonia now is “in full pro
gress.”
The Germans on Tuesday
tried a further advance by,
throwing large forces into ac
tion, it said.
The radio quoted the follow
ing Greek press ministry com
munique:
“The battle which began the
day before yesterday in wes
tern Macedonia is in full pro
gress. The Germans yester
day attempted a further ad
vance and threw very consid
erable forces into play, sup
ported by aircraft.
“The Greek army which had
to meet these attacks inflicted
serious losses on the enemy.
AI lordered movements were
carried out by Greek troops to
new positions. British and Im
perial forces succeeded in re
pulsing the German mechaniz
ed forces everywhere. The
Germans nowhere were able to
break through the main line.”
BRITAIN STRIKES
AXIS IN AFRICA
May Have Recovered Des
ert Outposts of Fort
Capuzzo, Salum
CAIRO, Egypt, April 16.—CP)—A
lightning-like British blow at the Ger
man-Italian rear in Fort Capuzzo and
hand-to-hand fighting just across the
border in the Egyptian village of
Salum, both backed up by guns of
the Royal navy, were announced by
the British today with Intimations
that these desert outposts might
have been wrested from the Axis.
Military circles expressed the view
that the Nazi-Fascist Blitzkrieg
along the narrow strip between the
desert and the sea has about spent
its force—at least for the moment.
Simultaneously, British headquar
ters announced that the Duke of
Oasta, Italian Viceroy of Ethiopia,
had sent an envoy by plane to Dire
dawa. It was not known here wheth
er he sought to negotiate for the sur
render of the 40,000 Italian and 36,000
native troops still at large in the
East African wilderness or to ar
lange for the withdrawal of Italian
women and children.
The admirality announced the Ger
mans and Italians were being “con
stantly and successfully” bombarded
from the sea, particularly west of
Salum where the road is exposed a
top the Palisades.
A curio ol war was the announce
ed destruction by naval cannon of at
least five Axis planes parked at El
Gazala airport, west of Tobruk. The
RAF said it destroyed four German
planes at Fort Capuzzo and another
at Derna.
A British ministry of information
announcement, first made public in
London, said "in Libya our forces
have successfully attacked the rear
of the er.emy position in the Capuzzo
area, where enemy vehicles were
shelled and set on fire.”
Military sources here, however,
said the much-battered Italian fort
facing the Egyptian frontier had
changed hands time after lime before
the'British grabbed it. (It was not
made clear who holds it at the mo
ment).
(A German high command state
ment, apparently referring to the
same action, said a thrust at Salum
1 y British armored vehicles support
ed by warships was repulsed. :1s
implied German occupation of Sa
lum).
SEEKING KALABAKA
British Say Heavy Fight
ing in Progress Along
The Front
TOWNS ARE ATTACKED
Germans Admit British Are
‘Showing More Fight
Than Heretofore’
ATHENS, April 17.—(Thursday)
—((PI—A Greek high command com
munique early today disclosed a
German penetration deep into the
Greek-British central front, declar
ing that the Nazis are in action in
the Grevena region and trying to
advance towards Kalabaka.
Grevena is 60 miles south of the
Yugoslav frontier and baout 25
miles southwest of Kozane, which
the Germans already have occu
pied.
Kalabaka is another 30 miles
south from Grevena.
The Greek command attributed
the advance to the German forces
which penetrated the upper valley
of the Aliakmon river on the west.
Kalabaka is the northern rail
head of a line running to Trikkala
and connecting with Larisa, Athens
and the main Greek rail network.
Farther east, the Greek com
mand said, the Germans had
crossed to the south bank of the
Aliakmon from the heights of Ko
zane. This is about 15 miles south
of the town of Kozane. The Aliak
mon describes a sharp “V” across
the Greek peninsula before empty
ing into Salonika bay.
South of the Albanian town of
Corizza (Koritza), the Italians were
acknowledged to have taken the
gorge of Kiasma Marit (apparently
on the Devol river).
The Athens radio, which broad
cast the communique, said the in
formation “adds nothing new,”
though it admitted that "it pre
sents all those difficulties which
are natural after enforced evacua
tion and transfer of defensive lines
under fire.”
Previously, the British declared
that heavy fighting was in progress
in several sectors of the defense
line they and the Greeks threw
across the Greek peninsula for a
decisive stand against the mecha
nized hosts of the Nazi invaders.
The British war office in London
said there was no confirmation
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 3)
NORTHERNIRELAND
RAIDED BY NAZIS
Attack Is Described as In
tense as Any Suffered
By Midland Ports
BELFAST, Northern Ireland,
April 16.—W)—Between 200 and 300
German bombers blasted a path of
havoc across loyalist North Ireland
last night in a raid described as in
tense as any suffered by Britisl
midland ports.
Hundreds of homes in the work
ing class area of this city of ovei
400,000 population were destroyed
and considerable loss of life here
and in surrounding smaller town!
was reported.
Rescue workers digging into the
wreckage of bomb shelters, homes
two churches, a-'moving picture
theater and library here indicated
casualties were heavy.
During the four-hour raid hun
dreds of bombs were dropped, and
physicians and nurses removed pa
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 2)
Three Axis Destroyers,
Five Cargo Ships Sunk
LONDON, April 16.—W—An en
tire convoy of three Axis destroy
ers and five cargo ships bound for
Africa with troops, munitions and
mechanized equipment was blown
up and sunk between Sicily and
Tripoli by a British Mediterranean
squadron last night at the cost of
one British destroyer, the admiral
ty announced tonight.
Disclosure of the annihilation—
so described—followed announce
ment that the Mediterranean fleet
is continually bombarding the Ger
man and Italian troops, airports
and forts along the Libyan shore
in support of the hard-fighting im
perial desert armies.
Thus the British Mediterranean
fleet, with units freed at length
from convoy service to Greece
returned to the job of blocking
Axis supply lanes to Africa. It is
generally believed that German
mechanized forces reached Tripoli
for their drive into -Egypt largely
because the British fleet was en
gaged in protecting the transport
of imperial troops from Africa to
Greece. It also has been suggested
that the Italian fleet served as a
lure for the British warships late
last month, when the Italians were
caught off Cape Matapan and bat
tered by both light and. heavy Brit
ish units. Meanwhile, this theory
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 1)