[S^By Leased Wire Oi The To Tha pr0Jrass 0, ASSOCIATED PRESS WILMINGTON Bh Complete Coverage Of And Southeastenl Norlh Stale and Nalional Mews | Carolina NO. 236- FINAL EDITION ESTABLISHED 18«T Made In U. S.—For Joe Rourk Case Will Be Aired Charges Against Former Chief to be Read at Com mission Meet Tonight FOUR CHARGES MADE Mayor Bellamy Takes Ac tion to Pave Way For Showdown on Issue Formal charges preferred . ,ajnst former Police Chief Joseph c" Rourk. who is contesting the right 0f the new city council to oust him. will be read tonight as ,he Wilmington Police and Fire de partment civil service commission meets in a special session at 8:15 o'clock in the council chambers of the city hall. The charges—four in number— were communicated in writing to the civil service commission late yesterday afternoon by Mayor Har grove Bellamy, thus paving the wav for a showdown on an issue which has held the municipal building spotlight since last Satur (j-v morning when the council -relieved" Mr. Rourk of all duties in tie police department. Called by Carr The special commission meeting was called by Edward Carr, sec retary of the board, acting in the absence from the city of Dr. W. Houston Moore, commission chair man. Tonight's meeting, Mr. Carr said, will not be a hearing, but rather the means by which the charges are legally transmitted to the former chief. The session, as required by law. will be public. Should the ex-chief wish for a public hearing on the charges to be read tonight—and he has indi t rated that he would welcome a hearing—the commission will be required to set a date within tbc next 30 days. The nature of the chargee pre ferred against Mr. Rourk is not known, and will remain a civil service commission secret until to night. Meanwhile yesterday, the police department settled down to routine once again, accepting orders from Charles H. Casteen, acting police chief, who served as assistant to Mr. Rourk for three and one-half years. The department, to the man, signed a pledge of allegiance to Acting Chief Ca6teen and the new city council. The acting chief still continued to occupy his assistant chief’s of fice, while Mr. Rourk, in civilian clothes, continued to occupy the chief’s office. The latter, however, issued no orders. 1 PROPERTY SEIZURE BILL IS EXPLAINED F. R. Says One Purpose Is To End Irreconcilable Strikes, Lockouts WASHINGTON, June 3.— OF) — President Roosevelt indicated to fiay that one purpose of the ad ministration’s new property seiz ure bill was to end any irreconcil able strikes or lockouts in the de fense industries. It is to be used in other situa tions involving a stoppage of de liveries, he said, but he cited just one past instance as a reason for the measure and that was a .,lle Protracted dispute at he Allis-Chalmers plant in Mil waukee. Under present law, he pointed out, the government has authority o take over a plant at which ere is a refusal to supply the ^finued on Page Two; Col. 3) Extension Of Street Here Assured By Road Official Official assurance that South font street would be extended to * e ®unset Park yards of the °rth Carolina Shipbuilding compa "y was made yesterday by Dr. G. sinno°°1m2’ state highway commis „ . r for the third district, at a is" unc,e in Kenansville with Add Npb, ett' Sr- chairman of the ClissioneTs'’" C°Unty b°ard °f C°m' The new commissioner, accord ing? Mr‘ Hewlett, is fully cog Brnh, of the multiplied traffic ems confronting Wilmington j.j8 result of the new shipyard, over "ei?tCrday gave the New Han th=t ,^hairman “every assurance” win state highway department Eever??mpIete the project begun eral monthe ago by the WPA and later stopped by a shortage of available labor. Completion of the 33-foot road way would give shipyard traffic two arterial thoroughfares into Wilmington. At present, S outh Third street is carrying the entire traffic load, and traffic experts have predicted that o n ce yard traffic reaches its peak volume the lone thoroughfare would be in adequate to handle the load. “Dr. Gooding is quite familiar with the location of the shipyard and the traffic problems it pre sents to Wilmington and the rest of the county,” Mr. Hewlett said upon his return here yesterday afternoon. “He promised that the state de partment would act favorably on the subject * . ■■■■■■■ ■■■■ ■ ■ ■ 1 —^————ajMMiMM— Familiar sight in skies over green Malay jungles near Singapore are these American-made Lockheed Hud son bombers of the Royal Australian air force, their sides marked with British target and letters “US.” Standard Oil To Sell Gas To Japan; ‘Gasless Sundays’ Proposed For U. S. _X u AGREEMENT OUTLINED Negotiations Made ‘With Full Knowledge’ of U. S., Other Governments FLEM1NGTON, N. J., June 3.— (-I’>—The Standard Oil company (New Jersey) outlined to stockholders to day details of an agreement to sell additional supplies of oil to Japan “negotiated with the full knowledge of the American. British and Nether lands East Indies governments.” W. S. Farish, president of the folding coiggany with interests wherever the world gets its oil, read a prepared statement to the annual meeting with the preface that the question of oil shipments to Axis powers had been raised and the con cern wished to explain its program. Owns Interest The New Jersey corporation, which meets in this rural borough of 2,700 residents, explained it owned 50 per cent interest in Standard Vacuum Oil company, with Far Eastern head quarters in the Netherlands East Indies. Parish’s statement continued: “About six months ago this af filiate joined with a Dutch-Briti' h oil company, a major producer of oil in the Netherlands East Indies, in special arrangement, over a limited period, to sell Japan additional sup plies of oil and ordinary oil products. 100 Octavne Aviation gasoline, for example, was excluded. “The agreement was negotiated with the full knowledge of the American, British, and Netherlands East Indies governments. “Up to date, the Japanese have not taken delivery of the full quan tity of products they bargained for.” Parish said Standard oil has mar keted oil in the Orient for more than 50 years and ‘‘even today, notwith standing increased deliveries to Japan under terms of the special sales agreement, the total movement of oil from the Dutch East Indies to Japan, including shipments of the Dutch British company, as well as those of Standard Vacuum company, are much smaller than Japan im ports currently from other sources of supply.” He said the New Jersey concern at all times endeavored to adhere stnc - ly to the policy of the United States the United States main tains normal relations with another country, Standard Oil company (New jersey) must also maintain normal relations. If the company on its own initiative, undertook to establish em bargoes on shipments of oil from (Continued on Page Two; Col. 1) Japan Sending Food, Commodities to Nazis TOKYO, June 3.—(A5)—Japan is supplying Germany with 1, 500 tons of essential foodstuffs and commodities every day, in formed sources declared today, and efforts are being made to increase this traffic despite a recent 500 per cent advance in freight rates to Berlin on Soviet Russia’s trans-Siberian' railway. The shipments from Japan, Manchoukuo and Japanese-oc cupied sections of China have been going out steadily for sev eral months, these sources said, as Germany has sought to mini mize effects of the British sea blockade by trading through her Axis partner in the Far East. Dr. Helmuth Wohlthat, Ger man economic expert, is confer ring with Japanese officials to expedite the shipments. (In Berlin, authorized Nazi sources said Dr. Wohlthat was in Tokyo to negotiate a far reaching extension of German Japanese economic relations.) NAZI-VICHY BASE ACCORDREPORTED London Chronicle Says It Provides For Joint Use Of French Naval Stations LONDON, Wednesday, June 4.— (fP)—The London News Chronicle, quoting London sources, declared today a collaboration agreement be tween Vice Premier Admiral Jean Darlan, of France, and Adolf Hit ler provided for the joint French German use of six French naval bases. The newspaper also said “Ger many already is using Dakar, French West Africa, as a submar ine base and U-boats from there have practically blockaded the Cape Verde islands.” The six French naval bases, the newspaper said, were: Sete, on the French Mediterran ean coast between Marseille and the Spanish frontier; Beirut, French-mandated Lebannon; Al giers, Algeria; Casablanca, Morocco; Villefranche, on the French Riviera between Nice and the Italian fron tier; and Dakar. Under the terms of the Hitler Darlan agreement, the newspaper (Continued on Page Three; Col. 1) WEATHER FORECAST: - North Carolina—Showers in the morn ing followed by clearing and much warmer moving eastward to the coast by late afternoon or evening Wednes day. Thursday partly cloudy. (Meteorological data for the 24 hours ending 7:30 p. m. yesterday): (By B. S. Weather Bureau) Temperature: 1:30 a. m. 71; 7:30 a. m. 08; 1:30 p. m. 73; 7:30 p. m. 72; maximum 79; minimuni 67; mean 73; normal 73. Humidity: 1:30 a. m. 93; 7:30 a. m. 93; 1:30 p. m. 81; 7:30 p. m. 83. Precipitation: Total for the 24 hours ending 7:30 p. m. 0.00 inches; total since the first of the month 0.60 inches. Tides For Today: (From Tide Tables published by IJ. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey). High Eow Wilmington - 4:44a. 5:30p. 12:14p. Masonboro Inlet- 2:16a. S :47a. 3:08p. 9:27p. Sunrise 5:01a.; sunset 7:20p.; moon rise 1:59p.; moonset 1:24a. Cape Fear river stage at Fayette ville on June 3. at 8 a. m., 9:45 feet. (Continued on Page Two; Col. 2) COMMITTEE MEETS Petroleum Men Make Sug gestions in Face of Short age Expected July First WASHINGTON, June 3. — (IP) — Rigid restrictions on the use ot oil, including “gasless Sundays,’’ were suggested today by a committee of the petroleum industry, in the face of an acute shortage expected by July 1. In a report to Secretary Ickes, defense petroleum coordinator, the oil men pledged their support “to any extent” to meet the anticipated emergency, and thus ward off a menace to the preparedness driv^, Shortage in Hast The shortage is expected on the eastern seaboard, hub of defense production. It results from the trans fer to British service of 50 of the approximately 250 tankers of Amer ica’s coastwise fleet and the ex pected transfer of others. “There will be sinkings and we will have to replace them,” Ickes told the oil men as the report was being read to him. The committee, formed by the American Petroleum institute at the request of the Office of Produc tion Management, suggested that temperatures of homes heated by oil could be lowered during winter. A general reduction of five degrees throughout the nation, it added, would effect a 10 per cent saving in fuel. Also, the report added, many fur naces now using oil might be con verted to coal. “Any restriction that may be necessary by reason of national de fense should be shared equitably by (Continued on Page Three; Col, 2) BYRD ASKS F. R. TO OUST PERKINS Senator Says There Were 31 Strikes Against Arms Plants on May 31 (By the Associated Press) Senator Byrd (D-Va) called upon President Roosevelt yester day to remove Miss Francis Per kins as secretary of labor or to take from her department the power to certify strikes to the de fense mediation board. Addressing the senate in Wash ington, he said that on May 31 there were 74 strikes against in dustries supplying army and navy (ontinued on Page Three; Col. 4) U. S„ Vessels Will Handle Part Of British Cargoes WASHINGTON, June 3.—(A>)—In a new move to strengthen Britain’s Atlantic life-line, the United States Maritime commission announced today that American vessels would henceforth handle all British ship ping services from Canada and the United States to Australia and New Zealand. “This will release a dozen Brit ish vessels for Great Britain’s own war effort,” said an announcement from the commission. The arrangements for the shift were made by the commission’s division of emergency shipping and the British supply council for North America. ^ , The neutrality act forbids Ameri can vessels to carry supplies to Britain, because it is in a war zone, and President Roosevelt has indicated he has no plans to ask changes in the act. However, such vessels are not forbidden to go to Australia and New Zealand. Putting them into such service and shifting British vessels to the task of carrying supplies to Great Britain or other war zones strengthens the British lifelines without modifying the neu trality act. During the day Britain’s urgent (Continued on Page Two; Col. 4) , v* War May Move Into Syria Soon Mass Movement of German [Troops, ‘Tourists’ Into Country Reported FREIGHTERS ASSIGNED Will be Used to Carry Men, Guns From the Port Of Constanta to Syria ANKARA, Turkey, June 2.—(De layed).—<iP)—Reports of mass Ger man troop movements into Syria, fol lowing up infiltrations by “tourists,” threw that French-mandated region into sharp focus today as a possible zone of armed conflict. Unofficial sources here and in In stanbul gave this account of the Nazi thrust into the Levant states: Recently numbers of Germans in civilian clothing and with Bulgarian passports went through Turkey to Syria. Since their papers were in seeming order, Turkey let them pass. Troops Land Then 500 German soldiers with ar mored cars and mobile field guns landed last Thursday at Latakia, di rectly opposite the British Island of Cyprus. Now a dozen freighters flying swastika flags have been assigned to carry German troops and heavy military equipment from Rumania’s Black Sea port of Constanta to Syria. The plan is for them to stop off in Italy’s Dodecanese Islands and then run the British naval patrol at night. The whole trip can be made in a week, it was said here. (Authorized Nazi sources in Berlin said of the Syrian landing reports, "it is unthinkable that this corres ponds to the facts.” (However, they intimated that France would be conceded the "sa cred right” of defending her terri tory against the British. This was in line with a blast from the French controlled Beirut radio, accusing the British of preparing an attack on Syria, and with dispatches from Vichy telling of increased tension betw'een the former Allies.) The reports here said that the Ger man air force would seek to keep open a lane of safety for its troops from the Balkans to Syria, and that once established in Syria the infan try and air force could threaten Iraq, Palestine and Cyprus simul taneously. Observers here already have told of seeing as many as 200 German planes in the Aleppo area, near the (Continued on Page Two; Col. 7) BERLIN DAMAGED DURING RAF RAID Bombers Spread ‘Whole Circle of Fires’ in Center Of German Capital LONDON, June 3.—(#)—The Royal Air Force spread “a whole circle of fires” in the center of Berlin last night with a compar atively small flight of warplanes, the air ministry reported today, and raked the Kiel canal yester day with bombs and gunfire di rected at Nazi shipping. It was the RAF’s 46th raid on the German capital, and the stories of returning pilots indicated that it was sharp and punishing. A single British bomb was declared to have started five big fires. Bombers ranging inland over Germany through ice and storm clouds loosed fire bombs and ex plosives on Duesseldorf, in the in dustrial Ruhr. The total affect of the attack on Kiel shipping was obscured by the fact that the diving planes had tc take cover in clouds after each swoop. A direct hit was claimed, however, on ona ship in the canal and an “enemy” ship was report ed sunk off German-occupied Nor way. 1 Britain And Axis Seeking Preliminary Position For Major Middle East War The Battle Line In Egypt I Australian soldiers watch as a captured enemy ammunition dump is blown up somewhere on the northwestern African desert. Unable to use tlie ammunition, they destroyed it before it could be recaptured. Axis Agrees On Plan To Meet Uo S. Intervention Star Editorial Ordered Read to Davis Troops The Wilmington Morning Star editorial of June 2 compliment ing Camp Davis troops for their orderly conduct in Wilmington over the week-end was included yesterday in the official camp bulletin upon order of Brig. Gen. James B. Crawford. The editorial was ordered read to all batteries and detachments “at the earliest opportunity.” Signed by Capt. Shelly P. Myers, Jr., CAC, camp adjud ant, the order said, in part: “This editorial has been the source of keen gratification to the commanding general. He extends the thanks to every member of this command who has helped to make so favorable an impression on the people of Wilmington.” COUNTY PLANNING BUDGET HEARINGS Increase in Estimates For 1941-42 Fiscal Year Is Expected to be Made The New Hanover county board of commisioners will begin 1941-42 budget hearings early next month, it was anounced yesterday by Addi son Hewlett, Sr., chairman. In advance of the hearings, depart ment heads will be requested to sub mit preliminary budget estimates for board consideration. Although no official comment on budget matters has been forthcom ing from courthouse circles, the pre diction has been freely expressed that the forthcoming budget will be materially larger than the 1940-41 schedule. Adiditional clerical help in many departments, occasioned by defense program projects concentrat ing in this area, are understood to be one of the major reasons for the anticipated upward budget trend. The ’41-’42 budget, when adopted probably in late July, will be retro active to July 1. 11,664,000 Tons of Ships Destroyed By Germany BERLIN, June 3.—®—Since the beginning of the war, German armed forces have sunk 11,664,000 tons of enemy shipping, the DNB, official neks agency, said today. Its totals showed that since Feb ruary, 1941, with the exception of the especially successful monih of April, the Germans sank a round total of 730,000 tons monthly. It compared the daily total to a 9 mile string of freight cars, each holding 15 tons of material. (British figures on Allied losses for the same period were 5,961,004 tons lost), 1 PARLEY’S MAIN TOPIC Said to Have Discussed Plans to Follow New Cy cle That Is Opening ROME, June 3.— (/P) —Premier Mussolini has agreed with Reichs fuehrer Hitler on a plan to meet American intervention in the war, and this was the one main object of their conference at Brenner Pass yesterday, Fascist sources indicated tonight. La Stampa of Turin, said that the Duce and the Fuehrer examin ed “all aspects of the situation with its imponderables and its prospects” and that as a result “no surprise is possible; everything is calculated up to the last consequence.” The authoritative Fascist editor, Virginio Gayda, taking a similar tack, said the Axis leaders had “discussed new plans to follow a new cycle which is opening im mediately” and were ready for ac tion against the United States if that country should enter the war. . Gayda wrote in his II Giornale D’ltalia: “This is a time of action. The meeting of II Duce and the Fue hrer is itself action. “England, with urgent voice, is calling for American aid. The Axis powers can oppose to this vast re serves of military and political forces of European and world ef ficiency and substantial prospects of defense and offense.” High Fascists believed Hitler and Mussolini had agreed on the next move in the war. II Telegrafo of Leghorn, Foreign Minister Count Ciano’s newspaper, said that results would be seen within the next few months. SUB SHELLS SHIP LISBON, June 3.—(jP)--Survivors of the Portuguese fishing steamer Exportador said here tonight that a submarine of unidentified national ly fired nearly 50 shells into their vessel 140 miles off the Portuguese coast, killing two and seriously in juring three others of the crew of 24. Improvement of Highways Near Marine Base Talked RALEIGH, June 3.— (JP) —The federal government may spend $2, 500,000 improving and building roads in the vicinity of the marine base near Jacksonville, it was announced here today. Plans for the work—which may include improvements to two exist ing routes and construction of a new road—were discussed by state, naval and marine officials at a luncheon given by Governor Broughton at the executive man sion. Commander C. H. Cotter, of Nor folk, in charge of construction at the marine base, explained that of ficials wanted the plans ready for immediate execution when the money became available. U. S. 70 and N. C. 24 between the base and Morehead City would be improved expeciaily in thp strengthening of bridges on Route 24; and a new road would be built from Jacksonville, through the marine barracks and across New river, connecting with.U. S. 17 near Folkstone. Cotter explained that officials were especially anxious to improve the Jacksonville-Morehead City routes because Morehead City was an embarkation point and adequate (Continued on Page Two; Col. 1) LONDON IS SILENT Transport Carrying Ger* man Troops Reported Shot Down PLANES GO TO SYRIA Germans Deny Landing At Latakia; Weygand At tends Vichy Meet (By The Associated Press) Britain and the Axis appeared last night to be struggling desperately for position in a last preliminary to a major war expected soon to set the whole of the Middle East aflame. On London’s side was an atmos phere of such urgent silence, an air of reserve so marked as to suggest to some observers in Britain that Imperial forces might already have moved against Vichy - controlled French Syria, the key area of the developing test. Plane Downed Late in the day, the British an nounced, a German troop-carrying Junkers plane of the type used in the aerial invasion of Crete was shot down off Malta, the fortified British island lying about at mid-Mediter ranean just south of Italian Sicily. This action, in an area well to the west of the British Imperial defenses now so imminently threatened, could have been connected either with an attack on Malta itself or with the developing Nazi offensvie eastward. For their part, the Germans took the attitude as to the Middle-East: Wait and see. But a Nazi spokes man declared roundly that should French “Sovereignty” be attacked by tlie English in Syria Germany was quite willing to concede to Vichy the “sacred right and duty” to fight back. Planes Dispatched A report tvhich could not he con firmed circulated in Vichy,. France, that 150 army planes had been dis patched to Syria during the past few days. There were persistent ana circum stantial reports that big detach ments of German troops were enter ing Syria behind groups of “tour* ists” and that aside from 500 sol diers landed by sea last Thursday at Latakia—just 70 miles from the British Mediterranean island of Cyprus—A dozen freighters had been made ready to transport German troops and equipment from the Black sea port of Constanta In oc cupied Rumania to Syria. The Germans denied the Latakia landing and so, too, did the Vichy government’s colonial authorities. In Vichy itself Marshal Philippe Petain’s cabinet met twice, and General (Continued on Page Two; Col. 6) USO DRIVE OPENED BY F. R. MESSAGE Says Recreation Important Because of Part in Total Defense Program NEW YORK, June 3.—«t—Presi dent Roosevelt declared tonight, that “because recreation is part of our total defense program, it is the first concern of every citizen,” in a message opening the $10,765, 000 campaign of the United Service Organizations for national defense. The President’s message was read by Paul V. McNutt, Federal Security administrator, as part of a nation-wide program carried on all three major radio networks. Army and Navy heads spoke from Washington; Charles P. Taft, assistant to McNutt as coordinator for health, welfare and related de fense activities, from Indianapolis; McNutt from Los Angeles, and Dis trict Attorney Thomas E. Dewey, national chairman of the cam (Continued on Page Two; Col. 2t

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