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Served By Leased Wire Of The Dedicaied To The Progress Of ASSOCIATED PRESS WILMINGTON W,!h Complete Coverage Of And Southeastern North Siaie and National News Carolina L —— _ _ii jOL, 74—NO. 228___WILMINGTON, N. C., MONDAY, MAY 26, 1941 FINAL EDITION ESTABLISHED 1867 Allied Force Is Closing In On German Parachute Invaders Of Crete Isfeid „ BITTER fight rages British Observer Predicts It Will be Possible To Hold Vital Isle REINFORCEMENTS cut Sharpest Fighting I« Re ported Between Malemi Airport and Canea filRO Egypt, Monday, May 26. HV-AlVied soldiers waging bitter Mnd-to-hand fights are slowly clos in on the German parachute "d air invaders of Crete, the Brit bh indicated today, and a British miUtarv observer predicted it would w possible to hold the island on which the war in the Middle East hinges. The general headquarters here officially announced late last night , -e first break in the eerie sky pa „',e of German troops to the island. which began in full force seven days %,00p landings by the Germans, a mmmunique said, continued Satur Vv „but on a substantially reduced ‘“ic as compared with the previous tivo day?.” lieinforcem.nts Cut tiie hint that German troop rcaiforceir.ents through the air were 8 „ pins coincided with the re ,,, red activity of the RAF. which J,;. long range fighters and bomb e/oack to the battle Friday. (The German radio in a broadcast „ ,,-d Sunday night by NBC in New Vm-k repo ted heavy .erial combats ovpr crete. especially over Canea, where British fighters were said to hilve attempted to stop dive-bomb irg attacks. It was stated four British planes were shot down.) Out of the surging battle came Major General T. G. Heywood, the Chief of the British military mis sy,n to the Greeks, who brought encouragement to the empire. He re: died Cairo with King George 11 of Greece and the Greek government after a hazardous escape from Crete aboard a destroyer. "T think it will be possible to hold Crete." the major general de clared. ••The British and Dominion troops and marines fight well in this type of fighting. That is man to man.” Sharpest Fighting The sharpest fighting was reported between Malemi a here the Germans have secured a hold on the impor tant airdrome, and Canea, capital of Crete. \, hich was one of three cities the British said were bombed indiscriminately and destructively by massed German fighters Satur day. Intensive dive-bombing attacks were made in the Malemi-Canea area, the general headquarters said. "As on previous days, our forces in tin's area have inflicted very (Continued on Page Two; Col. 2) AMERICAN GOODS SEIZED BY JAPS Soldiers Break Into Two Haiphong Warehouses, Remove Products HANOI. French Indo-China, May 25.—iff)—Japanese soldiers broke down the doors of two Haiphong warehouses today and removed $1, OOO.OOu worth of United States prod ucts belonging to two American companies. The goods had been Mocked from reaching the Central Chit.- -e government. M e companies are the Far East ern Trading company and the North American syndicate. The Japanese, charging that the American companies were merely (Continued on Page Three; Col. 1) WEATHER ^ FORECAST: ( " Carolina and South Carolina— t„.ner.a 11 fair- slowly rising tempera tu rr Monday and Tuesday. J,r.'TWoiogical data for the 24 hours "“mg 1:30 p. in. yesterday). V. S. Weather Bureau) . Temperature: r *»■ GO; 7:30 a. m. 64; 1:30 : 1 ;30 p. ni. GO; maximum 74; 111 um GO; mean 07: normal 73. i .,n Humidity: J a- ni. 82: 7:30 a. m. 75; 1:30 p. 41; i 30 p. ill. 60. T,„, « Precipitation: t, m a ,lor. the 24 hours ending 7:30 of th. ' ' !n,clles: total since the first -he month 0.85 inches. * Tides For Today: High low dmington - 9:oSa. S:0fin. _ 10:21p. 5:05p. a-onboro Inlet- 7:44a. l:4fia. Siinr:- ir a, 7:o9p. 1:4<p. H,J 0:04 sunset 7:14p.; moon a-o6a.: moonset 7:39p. ( ape Fear river stage at Fayette ;i'b> on .May 25, at u a. m„ 9.30 (toutinwa gu Page Thr^e; Col. Evacuation Points On Crete Are Subjected To Nazi Air Attacks NEW -’ORE, May 25.—</P)— The German radio, hutting at a possible British-Greek evacua tion of the Island of Crete, said tonight ill a broadcast heard by CBS that “points suitable for evacuation” have been subject ed to heavy air attacks for weeks and that the destruction of vessels has turned some bays into “ships’ graveyards.” German reconnaissance planes flying over Crete yesterday, the broadcast said, “observed no fewer than four British trans ports sink in a bay there with their masts showing above wa ter, and a large tanker in flames.” HOSPITAL PARLEY SLATED TOMORROW Officials Will Discuss Pro posed Plans for Institu tion’s Enlargement Proposed plans for the enlarge ment of James Walker Memorial hospital will be discussed between city, county, Army, shipyard and hospital officials tomorrow after noon at a meeting in the commis sioners’ room of the courthouse. The meeting was called by J. V. Grainger, president of the board of managers of the hospital, for the purpose of ascertaining probable hospital requirement^ tor the com munity with the view of requesting federal financial assistance in the proposed enlargement program. Invited to be present at the meet ing, beginning at 3 o’clock, are mem bers of the present city commission, the city council-elect, the board of county commissioners, Brig.-Gen. James B. Crawford, commander of Camp Davis, and his medical corps officers; Karl D. Fernstrom, genera] manager of the North Carolina Shipbuilding company, and the man aging board of the hospital. In announcing the meeting Grainger said the hospital board hoped to clarify certain objectives of the proposed hospital enlarge ment program, and to learn what support will be given the hospital’s efforts to secure substantial federal financial aid. Queen Mother Mary To Note Birthday Today LONDON, May 25.— UP)—Queen Mother Mary comes to her 74th birthday tomorrow with heart sad dened by war and older wounds, but with the certainty she is more than ever firmly enthroned in the affections of her people. Her austere manner which read ily knows how to give way to smiles of human sympathy has never fooled the British. Their love for the queen mother is of a rare kind. Her birthday will be passed quiet ly in the country where many of her other days are devoted to rally ing her fellow countrymen. 1 AIR AT^&AaVY Berk roops Pro ce». ^ (hodically In Eftc 40 Take Crete ADVANCING EASTWARD Nazis Claim British Medi terranean Fleet Driven Away From Island BERLIN, May 25.—(jP)—To the accompaniment of what some ob servers called the heaviest air at tacks in the history of warfare, German troops were declared pro ceeding methodically today with a mighty effort to occupy Crete. Germans said officially that their troops had the western part of the Mediterranean island firmly in con trol. Presumably they were working eastward as fast as additional para chutists, air-borne troops and other reinforcements gave them strength to justify extending operations. Fleet Driven Away The Germans claimed that the British Mediterranean fleet, under the battering of air bombers, had been drivep completely out of waters north of Crete. This apparently would open the sea so that reinforcement could be brought from the Greek main land by surface craft. But there were conflicting claims as to the part the British fleet is playing at the moment. The Ger man version was that such ships as escaped destruction are scurry ing for the security of their bases. The Eastern Mediterranean, ac cording to these reports, is dotted with crippled craft limping away slowly and still subject to air at tack. High Command Quiet The high command, as always reluctant to discuss operations while they still are in an indecisive stage, refrained from saying whether sur face transport of reinforcements was being attempted. It said no thing of British claims that convoys had been destroyed or scattered. The Italian navy was said to be cooperating closely with the Ger mans and the high command said the Fascists "have shared to a great degree in the successes so far.” On Crete itself, the most bitter fighting over the extremely moun tainous terrain seemed to be for possession of airports and beaches where transport planes and gliders can deposit their loads of soldiers. The center of especially bitter fighting appeared to continue around Malemi airport in west, which the Germans say they are holding despite artillery fire. Military commentators said the German army now probably is in position to "clean up Crete swift ly” if that were desired. But they contended that now since a foot hold has been gained and reinforce ments are being sent in an orderly manner, speed no longer in a first consideration. They held that a slower power drive could be carried out with fewer losses — and that keeping casualties to a minimum had been from the start one of Germany’s first considerations. --- - Pro-Axis Regime Of Iraq Is Reported Breaking Up ANKARA, Turkey, May 25.—(TP)— Ten thousand Arabs rioted and loot ed in Basra yesterday, a telegram to the Turkish Agricultural bank said today am' 1 reports that the pro-Axis government of Iraq was breaking up. (First dispatches gave no indica tion as to whether the riot was for or against the Iraq government fighting Britain, nor did they say whether the British, who reported possession of the port early in the undeclared war, took steps to restore order). The telegram said the disturbances endangered $2,000,000 worth of American farm machinery which had been purchased for Turkish co operatives and was on the Basra docks. (Informed sources in London said there was no confirmation of rioting in Basra but pointed out that com munication were poor and the situa tion in Iraq was confused. These circles however, confirmed reports (Continued on Page Three; Col. 1) Contract To Extend Water, Sewer Lines To Housing Areas Executed The Wilmington Housing Author ity, acting as agent for the Federal Works Administrator, has executed a contract for extension of city water and sewer lines to defense housing areas in Wilmington, it was learned last night. The contract was reported to have been awarded to A. H. Guion of Charlotte, who was low bidder when the city commissioners opened estimates on the work May 14. Cost of the wor^c will be paid by the local housing authority as the' agent of the fWA. The amount was said to be approximately $95, 000. Amount of the Guion bid to the city was, $101,605. The city reject-i ed all bids on the ground that they were too high, and later it was Hwrned that attorneys for the FWA had declined to permit the city to install the lines with federal funds on the ground that such an ar rangement would constitute an il legal advance of federal money to the city government. It was originally contemplated that the city would perform the work with federal funds, and that it would then acquire title to the new lines by either paying the government from the proceeds of a bond sale or granting remissions of payments in lieu of taxes on the housing projects. In order to expedite start of the work, Guion was called to Wash ington last week and the contract was there executed after negoti ations on the cost of the work. The amount was scaled down by certain changes in the character of work and materials, and may be further reduced, depending on the actual cost as determined by the records as the work progresses. The mains are to be completed, under the contract, in time for use when the first houses in the two development areas are ready for occupancy July 30. The contract has been submitted to John M. Carmody, the Fed eral Works Administrator, for ap proval. — ---^ 1 Leaves Crete KING GEORGE II COLLEGE CRISIS | SEEN BY LINGLE President Emeritus of Dav idson Speaks at Pres byterian Meeting MONTREAT, May 25.—UP!—Dr. W. L. Lingle, president emeritus of Davidson college, said today that “church colleges and seminaries are in an acute crisis because of the world revolution, decreasing fi nancial support and competition of state schools.” Speaking before the general as sembly of the Presbyterian church in the United States (Southern), Dr. Lingle said that church col leges were necesary in training men for the ministry and in train ing Christian leaders and citizens. “The Christian college is a bul wark of civil and religious liberty,” he continued, “and the theological seminary is the cornerstone of Christian education. It prepared men for the organization and ma chinery necessary to carry on now.” The annual Sunday sermon of the assembly was preached by Dr. C. E. Diehl of Memphis, Tenn., the moderator and president of Southwestern college. “Religion,” Dr. Diehl said, “is a deep, earnest friendship with God and is expressed in love to God and man, faith in Christ that finds God and a persistent hope for immortality.” The words of Jesus Christ were simple, he said, not involved, or complex. “The forms of the church often conceal true and simple raifpons. Some people are literalists, others ritualists, others love emotional ism. Some think the gospel is mefely charity and social uplift. You can’t avoid human nature and variety is the law of God. Uni formity is impossible. The form of baptism, posture in prayer, cler (Continued on Page Three; Col. 4) HERBERT SPEAKS TO GRADS HERE He Says Heritage, Training And Faith Form ‘The Key to Citizenship’ Heritage, training and faith were extolled to members of the graduat ing class of New Hanover High school as “The Key To Citizenship” yesterday afternoon in the baccalau reate sermon delivered by the Rev. James F. Herbert, pastor of Grace Methodist church. Speaking to the graduates, their families and guests assembled in the First Baptist church for the- class’ vesper service, Rev. Herbert declared the key to good citizenship lay with good character; and character, he emphasized, is derived from heritage, training and faith. “You seniors have a great herit age; hold it high, be proud of it . . . Youth’s heritage is not destruction, though it is painfully true that you go now into a world where the forces (Continued on Page Three; Col. 2) George II Arrives In Cairo King of Greece Eludes Nazi Parachutists in Flight From Crete TO CONTINUE FIGHT Members of Government Accompany Monarch Dur ing the 72-Hour Trek By EDWARD KENNEDY CAIRO, Egypt, May 25.— (IP) — King George of Greece and his emigre government found a tempor ary haven in Egypt today enroute from embattled Crete to British soil and the king himself told the stirring story of how the first swarms of Nazi parachutists con centrated on an area about his house. He reached Cairo after a hair raising withdrawal from the be sieged Greek island and, besides escaping the clouds of air-borne troops, his party had to dodge bul lets of his own soldiers who thought they were ‘chutists disguised in British and Greek uniforms. To Continue Fight In a proclamation issued immedi ately on his arrival he said Greece would continue the fight, and then in his own words told the wierd story of his flight. . . after several days of inten sive air attack, the crisis of the battle of Crete w‘as reached when in the early morning of May 20 the enemy launched its air-borne offen sive,” the king said. "One of the main objectives for the German parachute troops was the area around the house where the pre mier and I lived. ‘‘In fact, the first flight of para chutists landed within a few' hun dred yards of my house and the fight began at once between para chutists and the Allied troops in that area. "As the main force of the enemy separated us from our troops it be came imperative for us to withdraw in order to frustrate their plans. ^i'grCTn.|r^Ianagya^and later from Tlierisson, where we stopped in or der to follow the course of battle, it proved impossible for us to keep in touch either with the remaining members of the government or with the Allied command. We later discovered military and civil author ities also had tried without success to communicate wdth us.” Flees To Mountains “We therefore pursued our jour ney toward the mountains,” the king continued. “After careful examination of the situation thus created in concert with our responsible advisers we became convince*! our continued pre sence in Crete would handicap the conduct of military operations. “We consequently decided with profound regret to leave this heroic island . . . “We leave Crete for the time be ing to proceed to British territory to which we have been invited. This is the only course which will enable us to carry out the duties imposed on us by the interests of the nation.” The king’s departure from Crete was one of the most remarkable journeys ever made by a king. Many times he hurled himself into Crete ditches to escape Nazi fire. He crossed a 7,000-foot mountain; slept in the open with peasant shepherds, ate their food, and finally reached the southern shore of Crete astride a mule. (Continued on Page Three; Col. 7) U. S. Army to Purchase Passenger Liner Sihoney NEW YORK, May 25.— UP)—1The United States Army has arranged to purchase the 6,938-ton passenger liner Siboney, now operating be tween New York and Libson, for transport service, it was reported today in shipping circles. The liner, due here tomorrow on her final passenger run, is ope rated under charter by the Amer ican Export Line and is owned by the Atlantic-Gulf and West Indies Lines. Purchase price was believed comparable to the $750,000 which the Army paid several months ago in acquiring a sister ship, the Ori zaba. Reds Deny Report Will Lease Ukraine to Nazis MOSCOW, May 25.—CP)—Pravda, organ of the communist party, found it necessary today to brand as "po litical nonsense and an idiotic lie” a Berlin report attributed to a Finnish newspaper correspondent that Soviet Russia would lease her grain-rich Ukraine to Germany. Pravda, which said the report came from a writer for the Helsinki Sanomat in the German capital, de clared sarcastically: “It is time that adult Finnish journalists stop representing the kindergarten and singing amusing nonsense in a falsetto voice. It is time for them to grow up and get Hissp,'* ---— v Reich Navy Chief Warns U. S. Convoys Mean War; British Seek Nazi Fleet VENGEANCE HUNGRY1 _1_ Pursue Units of German Fleet and Attempt to Ef fect ‘Close Action’ ONE HIT REGISTERED Seek to Settle Debt With Nazis For Sinking Of Battle Cruiser Hood LONDON. May 25.—(A>)—Ven geance hungry, the British fleet furrowed the North Atlantic to night in pursuit of heavy units of thr resurgent German navy, try ing, as the admiralty put it, to bring the Nazis to “close action. With aerial torpedoes, the fleet air arm was reported already to have blasted into the Germans, scoring at least one hit, and "ope rations are still proceeding.” The British were seeking a knock-down-drag-out battle to set tle Germany’s bold challenge to surface control of the Atlantic which was driven strikingly home early yesterday when the 15-inch guns of the new, 35,000-ton battle ship Bismarck blasted the battle cruiser Hood apart with a hit on her magazine. 1,300 Men Perish The 32,100-ton Hood, largest fighting ship in the world and hith erto the pride of His Majesty’s Navy, went to the bottom between Greenland and Iceland, carrying most of her 1,300-odd officers and men to their death. It was the war’s worst single blow to Britain’s seapower. That was the score the British were seeking to settle tonight some where in the blackness of the North Atlantic. Last evening British terpedo planes, combining reconnaissance with action, attacked the German units, of unspecified strength. These planes operate either from the broad decks of aircraft car riers or can be catapulted into the air. They are one of the most threatening weapons of a modern navy. The tight-lipped admiralty said that after the "unlucky hit” on the Hood the German forces "made every effort to shake off pursuit.” Eut the British apaprently were close at heel, counting somewhat on damage they claimed against the Bismarck to slow her flight. There was wide speculation that more powerful units of the fleet were speeding to the scene of ac (Continued on Page Three; Col. 5) THOUSANDS VISIT NEARBY BEACHES Wrightsville and Carolina Enjoy Largest Sunday Of The Young Season Several thousand persons visited Wrightsville and Carolina beaches yesterda.v giving each ot the popular resort centers their biggest Sunday of the still-young season. From virtually every county in the state there were beach parties, and, despite the fact that yesterday's temperature was several degrees lower than Saturday’s warmish mid eighties, the beaches were fairly swarmed with surf and sun bathers. The biggest single “party” was that of several hundred Fort Bragg soldiers, on week-end leave from military duty, encamped in their own mobile barracks at Carolina Beach. They arrived at the beach Saturday morning and will return to Fort Bragg today. Hotels and week-end cottages were well-filled, according to surveys made of the two beaches, and scores (Continued on Page Three; Col. 6) Weygand Approves Vichy Collaboration With Nazis I VICHY, Unoccupied France, May 25.—(tf)—G e n e r r 1 Maxime Weygand, generalissimo of France in the days of her defeat and now commander of all Vichy forces in North Africa, has thrown the weight of his appio- al behind the Petain government’s plan for col laboration with Germany. As Marshal Petain’s proconsul for North Africa, Weygand made a special air trip to Fez, French Morocco, to make clear his posi tion o the French colony there. His headquarters have been in Al giers. Dispatches from Fez said Wey gand in a speech to leading mem bers of the French colony said: “All Frenchmen concerned lor the future of continental France as well as the empire school sub scribe unanimously to the princi ples of the policy of collaboration decided on by the marshal.” He concluded with an appeal for "discipline and union” and urged colonial leaders to "follow without hesitation the way mapped out by the venerated chief of the com munity of Frenchmen.” It was reported that Weygand and French Gen. Auguste Nogues ac companied the Sultan of Morocco to Tafilet oasis at the base of the Atlas mountains, and there visited the ancient tombs of the Alauita dynasty, } g Sounds Warning m ADMIRAL RAEDER NAZIS SAY BRITISH WARSHIP DAMAGED Claim Ship of King George V Class Forced Out Of Atlantic Battle BERLIN, May 25.— UP)—The Ger man high command, claiming new successes against the British by land ana sea, announced today a battleship of the new King George V class was damaged and forced to retire in the North Atlantic bat tle in which the battlecruiser Hood was sunk yesterday. The Germane at the same time said that their air-borne invasion of Crete was continuing according to schedule with the western end of that Mediterranean isl:.nd “sol idly in German hands.” The daily war bulletin said the British battleship was hit and forced to retire from the battle of titans that saw the 35,000-ton Ger man battleship Bismarck send the 42,100-ton Hood, pride of .he roy 1 fleet, to the bottom off Iceland. “German naval, forces continue their operations without losses," the high command added tersely. (The British, fixing the scene of the battle off Greenland, an nounced yesteiday the Bismarck was damaged and that the pursuit of the Nazi naval forces was con tinuing.) XWO OF CLASS The British are knov.n to have completed and put into commission two ships of the 35,000-ton King George V clasr, the Prince of Wales and the King George V. The latter carried Lord Halifax, ambassador to Washington, across the Atlantic to his post early this year. Three others of this class, the Duke of York, Jellicoe and Beatty, have been under construction and near'ng completion but 1 a st ac counts did not disclose whether any of these have been put into service. With the addition of the King George V and the Prince of Wales to the fleet, Britain now has 15 battleships and battlecruisers the same number with which she start ed the war. The new battlecruisers fill the gap left by the sinking of the Hood and the battleship Royal Oak, the latter torpedoed at Scapa Flow early in the war. 1 SAVED CHILDREN CLEVELAND, May 25.— (TP) — Keeper Joe Chery, 35, racing to catch a runaway elephant, saved six children from possible serious injury or death today by breaking the force of their fall in the ele phant’s disloged howdah. The chil dren, aged 6 to 9, suffered only minor bruises and lacerations. RAEDER GIVES VIEWS Also Asserts That Ameri can Patrol System ‘Ag gressive’ in Character GIVES JAP INTERVIEW Says He Confirms View Of Roosevelt That ‘Con voys Mean Shooting’ BY LYNN HEINZERLING BERLIN, May 25.—Grand Ad miral Erich Raeder, commander of the German Navy, in an unusual in terview tonight warned the United States two days before a scheduled speech by President Roosevelt that American convoys for materials go ing to England would constitute an “open war act" which would be pre vented by guns of the German navy if necessary. The interview was granted to the Berlin representative of Domei Ja panese news agency, and was issued heie by DNB, official German news agency. “Aggressive" Patrol In addition to warning against con voys, Admiral Raeder said the Ameri can patrol system was “aggressive" in character. Since the nature of the cargoes of convoyed ships according to American admissions was established from the very beginning as contra band, resort to this type of convoy sjstem would not be a neutral con voy in the sense of international law or American treaties but an open war act and a bare, unprovoked at tack,” the navy commander said. “German naval forces would there fore be justified in taking measures against these contraband carriers, according to the law of sea warfare and would, by exercise of these rights, have to repulse with arms if necessary any hindrance even against American warships.* "So far as the so-called patrol sys tem goes, its aggressive character al ready has been established.” The grand admiral said nobody could expect a Gorman sea comman der to stand idly by while "his posi tion was reported to the enemy by an American warship, certainly not when a patrol ship follows him so long that strong British sea forces can be called up not only to hinder him in the execution of his task but also to destroy his ship and crew. Warlike Act “He (the commander) faces in this case just as in the case of convoys an actual warlike act and is justified according to the recognized rules of war to demand cessation of hostile actions by the ship involved and if necessary to enforce it with arms.” Admiral Raeder said the German navy regards possible results of American efforts to see that war materials reach England as "very serious.” “Not only the press but also re sponsible members of the North (Continued on Page Three; Col. 2) GERMANS RETURN TO BRITISH RAIDS Luftwaffe Inflicts Numer ous Casualties in Part Of West Country Town LONDON, May 25.—UPl—The luft waffe returned to heavy assaults on England last night, inflicting numerous casualties and consider able property damage in a residen tial section of a west country town. Several families were trapped in the wreckage of their homes, but rescue squads disregarded their own safety and worked right on through the raid. They were cred ited with holding down the fatal ities. The air ministry announced that British bombers attacking shipping off the Netherlands coast yester day sank a vessel of about 2,500 tons and set another afire, leaving it listing to port. A third vessel was declared hit and probably sunk and still other Nazi craft machinegun strafed. The British acknowledged the loss of one plane in these oper ations and said a Nazi fighter bomber and two Messerschmitt 110s were shot down into the chan nel today. German planes flying separately appeared over the British isles dur ing the day but no bombs were reported dropped. Warplanes were reported over a northeast coast district late Sun day night but no bombings were mentioned. Up to midnight there was little activity elsewhere, and London, without an alert, passed its 15th bombless day.
Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
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May 26, 1941, edition 1
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