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ASSOCIATED PRESS star . NEWS CIRCULATION
With Complete Coverage Of Yesterday . 18,849
State and National News Same Day Last Year. 14,385
____ Increase. 4,464
^0^74—^0-271-------WILMINGTON, N. C., TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 1941_,_FINAL EDITION ESTABLISHED 1867
Tobacco
Tops $30
On Marts
BUYING runs heavy
Fairmont, Whiteville Re
port Record Sales of
Over Million Pounds
Two tobacco markets of the Bor
df Belt experienced sales of over
, million pounds yesterday for the
best sales since the days of the
first World War. Prices were sat
isfactory and all 1 floors were
cleared and no tags turned during
the course of the day.
The Fairmont Tobacco Board of
Trade reported sales of 1,153,498
pounds for an average of $31.88
per hundred and totalling $367,
733.83. The top basket price was
$57 and the average price for an
individual truck load v/as $40. Staf
ford of the trade board, reported
sales the highest in 15 years and
every body satisfied. The floors
were cleared and no tags were
turned.
M. S. Smith, sales supervisor of
the Whiteville market, reported 1 -
103.116 pounds cleared during the
day for an average of $31.30 per
hundred. The price was the high
est in the history of the market.
Ciiadbourn reported sales of 193,
736 pounds with an average of
$30.46 per hundred and a total of
$59,013.99. At one time during the
height of selling the price soared
to 46 cents per pound. Prices were
the highest since 1919 and the floor
was sold out by the end of the
day . 1
FLORENCE, Aug. 18.—UP)—Sec
ond week of sales began today on
the Carolinas Border Belt and the
United States Department of Ag
riculture report showed that aver
age prices on all quoted grades
advanced over Friday.
The gains ranged from $1 to $4
on leaf grades and $1 to $2.50 on
lugs and primings. Cutters were
SI higher and most of the* sales
were from $37 to $40 a hundred.
Volume was very heavy at most
points and offerings consisted of
an increased proportion of leaf and
lugs and a decrease in primings.
Gross sales for the week ending
August 15, the first four days of
the current season, amounted to
22,554,8 1 6 pounds at an average of
$25.63 a hundred.
The average prices On a limited
number of representative United
States grades today, compared
with Friday follow:
Lemon leaf—Good $37 and $35,
low and $26; orange leaf—
low, $25 and $21, common $14.25
and $11; lemon cutters—good $40
and $39, low -38 and $37; lemon
lugs—choice, 39 and $38, good, $36
end $34, low $17 and 16; lemon
primings—choice, $39 and $38, good
$35 and $33, low, $17 and 14.50. 1
ELIZABETH CITY BASE
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18.—OP)
—President Roosevelt today
authorized construction of the
$6,500,000 lighler-than-air naval
diriglibie base at Elizabeth
City, . C. Contract for a major
portion of the project has been
awarded to the J. A. Jones
Construction company, Char
lotte, N. C., and work is ex
pected to begin soon.
READY FOR INSPECTION FLIGHT—Ma.. Gen. Holland Smith, commanding officer of
the Marine barracks in Onslow county, who directed last week coordinated army, navy
and marine maneuvers in offensive and defensive war study off the Onslow coast, dons
"aviation togs at New Bern for an airplane view of the maneuver area. (Left to right)
Lieut.-Col. H. D. Campbell, commanding officer of Camp Mitchell, near the New Bern
airport, where the Marine corps has established an aviation training center; Maj. Peter
Schrider, marine officer, who acted as pilot for General Smith’s air tour; General Smith,
and Lieut.-Col. Louis E. Woods, senior officer at Camp Mitchell.—Official U. S. Navy
photo.
FOUR KNOWN DEAD
IN NEW YORK FIRE
Sabotage Suspected As Cu
ban Cargo Vessel Bursts
Into Flames at Pier
NEW YORK, Aug. 18.—OP)—
Four men were known to have
perished, one other was believed
to be dead on deck, at least 55
were injured, and police said they
feared many more might have
burned to death today in the 3,570
ton Cuba mail line cargo ship
Panuco.
At a late hour tonight, investi
gators said they had yet to find
evidence of sabotage in the still
burning ship, which was destroyed
along with its $600,000 cargo when
flames, accompanied by explo
sions, engulfed it shortly before
noon. The 875-foot long pier where
the ship was moored was also de
stroyed in the fire, which did dam
age unofficially estimated at $1,
500,000.
The Cuba line reported 12 mem
bers of its crew still missing, and
the New York Dock company, own
er of the destroyed pier, said its
reports indicated that nine persons
had been killed.
May Find More Bodies
Police Commissioner Lewis A.
Valentine expressed fear the bod
ies of some crewmen would be
found when the ship cooled suf
ficiently to permit examination.
Inspector John J. Donegan, in
charge of police at the fire said
he understood there were eight men
in each of five holds, and many
might have been trapped.
District Attorney William
O’Dwyer, who sped to Brooklyn
waterfront for the five - alarm
blaze, would not estimate the num
ber of dead or discuss his findings
during the investigation, but an
assistant, Edward Heffernan, said
he believed there had been more
than^ 40 in the holds. A police
lieutenant estimated there had
been 90. They did not know how
many had been saved.
Total damage was estimated un
officially at $1,500,000.
(Continued on Page Two; Col. S)
Wallace Proposes Trial
For Parking Meter Plan
Plans foy the renting of parking
Meters by the city for a six month
tt'ial to determine if their use would
help relieve the congested traffic
throughout the downtown area was
advanced yesterday by City Manager
James G. Wallace.
The proposal will be placed before
the city commission at an early
date for their study and subsequent
action.
Under the city manager’s current
alan, the meters, simple to operate,
tould allow parking' on any down
loivn street for 12 minutes for a
WEATHER
FORECAST
. Uorth Carolina: Partly cloudy fol
lowed by scattered thundershowers
Wednesday and west portion Tuesday
TuesS°B; slightly warmer east portion
, (By V. s. Weather Bureau)
'Meteorological data for the 24 hours
aiding 7 ::j0 p yesterday).
Temperature
1;oC f. in. 71; 7:30 a. ni. 73; 1:30 p. m.
1 :'10 p. m. 78; maximum 83; minl
‘-m 06; mean 74; normal 78.
. Humidity
a. m. 84; 7:30 a. in. 79; 1:30 p. m.
41: p. m. 67.
T Precipitation
^otal for the 24 hours ending 7:30
P- ee 0.00 inches. Total since the first
w the month 2.87 inches.
Tides For Today
trroni Tide Tables published by U. S.
oasl an<l Geodetic Survey).
iVi, High Low
"Unimgton- 6:57a 2:02a
, , 7:30p 2:06p
wasonboro Inlet_ 4:40a 10:52a
Rl, 5:08p 11:34p
■ Jiinse 5:36a; sunset 6:55p; moonrise
‘ "Jl,a: moonset 4:37p.
1*ear river stage at Fayette
',U* at 8 a. m.. 9.30 feet.
Continued on Page Two; Col. 2)
penny with a full hour in the desig
nated space costing five cents.
More Discussion
Whether the measure w-ould meet
the approval of merchants and mo
torists alike has not yet been thor
oughly discussed, but it is assumed
that use of the meters would serve
to relieve the parking difficulties
as they have in the past. Another
problem yet to be studied is to w'hat
extent penalties w'ould be assessed
for those motorists who overstay
their 12 minutes or hour.
“I would not recommend to the
council that we purchase the meters
outright,” Mr. Wallace said, “at
least not until we have had an op
portunity of testing them out and
seeing if they are going to hell
relieve congested traffic conditions
My idea would be to rent them on
a six-months trial basis, the com
pany furnishing the meters to re
ceive a certain percentage of the
revenue, and the city the balance."
Mr. Wallace continued to express
his conviction that parking meters
would help solve the traffic problem
here, and said he was anxious tc
receive comments from any citizen.
“We do not wish to do anything
which would not meet with the ap
proval of our citizenry as a whole,’’
the city manager said, “and I would
like very much for anyone who has
any ideas in connection with park
ing meters to get in touch with me.
I am very anxious to secure the
reaction of the people before we
take any definite action regarding
the meters.”
Mr. Wallace had a "sample met
er” in his office today, and explain
ed its operation, which is very sim
pie to newsman.
Two Recreational Centers
Are Authorized For City
Federal Works agency officials
in Washington yesterday announc
ed the approval of two Wilmington
projects totaling approximately
$150,000 for the construction of two
recreational centers in this city
for defense workers and soldiers,
it was learned last night through
the Associated Press.
The two construction jobs, in the
first batch of more than $5,000,000
of approvals ^ported, are expect
ed to get underway soon, it was
said, with contracts to be award
ed as soon as possible.
The funds for the two recreation
centers is only a fraction of that
which has been asked by this ciy
Plans and specifications are said
NEGRO SOLDIERS
DRAW CITY'S FIRE
- - • • --
Manager Wallace Indig
nant Over Billiting of
Colored Troops Here
First official utterances of dis
satisfaction over the billiting of
several hundred negro soldiers at
the Marine hospital at Eighth and
Church streets was sounded yester
day by City Manager James G
Wallace on the heels of a Saturday
night riot in the local negro section
in which one man was shot, at
least three stabbed and numerous
others beaten up.
“I frankly don’t like the idea at
all,” the city manager said in his
mild denunciation of the army sta
tioning the troops only four blocks
from the white educational center
and in an almost exclusively white
neighborhood.
“We are already having enough
trouble with negro troops from
Camp Davis and I am afraid that
if this sort <ff thing continues there
is going to be even more,” Mr.
Wallace continued.
The new troops of which the
city manager complained freely,
are those who have been brought
into the cjty to serve as stevedores
at the new Quartermasters depot
established here, and from which
will flow all supplies used by the
First Army during its maneuvers
in this section this fall.
“I don’t like the idea at all,”
Mr. Wallace said, ‘ especially in
view of the fact that we have had
so much trouble here with colored
soldiers, and I think the least
Army officials could have done
woulc' be to give us notification of
their intentions to quarter these
troops on the hospital grounds.
That, I think, would have been
the courteous thing to do. We were
given no notification of any kind,
and I did not even know of it
until told by newsmen.”
A question as to where authority
came from to billet the soldiers on
the grounds elicited the response
that no one seemed to know. It
was stated by J. R. Benson, city
clerk, that the city does not own
any portion of' the hospital or
grounds, and that entire owner
ship is vested in the federal gov
ernment.
“The only connection. the city
has with the hospital or grounds,”
Mr. Benson said, “is the leasing
of a small section for a play
ground. We have no financial in
terest whatever in the property.”
Major Rogan Morrison, in com
mand at the Quartermaster depot,
was not in his office when called
in an effort to obtain information
as to authorization for billeting of
the troops.
“This camp, composed almost
entirely of negro soldiers,” Mr.
Wallace said, "is not only located
just four blocks from the white
educational center of the city, but
is in an almost exclusively white
neighborhood, and, frankly, I am
not at all pleased. We already are
having enough trouble with negro
troops, and I am afraid, if this
sort of thing continues, we ao go
ing to have a great deal more.® 2
to have already been drawn in
Washington, and it is expected that
bids will be asked immediately.
More than $5,000,000 in such
works, designed to facilitate serv
ices necessary to the health, safe
ty and welfare of the army per
sonnel and defense projects work
ers, have been asked by local of
ficials. It is expected that addi
tional approvals will be forthcom
ing inasmuch as $150,000,000 in fed
eral funds have been earmarked
for the purpose under the Lana
ham act.
Sites to Be Chosen
One of the centers to be con
structed here, on sites yet to be
selected, will take care of activi
ties of white soldiers and defense
project employes, while the second
would care for the needs of negro
recreational activities.
Approvals of projects in Wash
ington yesterday covered 26 un
dertakings in 12 states and called
for the expenditure' of more'"than
$5,000,000,000. -Gredter part of the
work will center on recreation fa
cilities, but some schools for de
fense workers were also included.
It is expected that new appropri
ations will be made almost daily
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 4)
POLICEAB ANDON
ATTACKER HUNT
15-Year-Old Girl Fights Ofi
Negro On Lonely Road
Near Camp Davis
Pender county peace officers last
night reached the end of a dead
trail in their efforts to find a man
believed to be a negro soldier from
Camp Davis who attempted to as
sault a white girl Sunday after
noon in Topsail township, two or
three miles south of the army
camp.
Sheriff J. T. Brown who earlier
in the day had placed a pack of
blood hounds on the trail in an ef
fort to track the suspect, said at a
late hour last night his men and
the hounds had reached the end of
the cold trail.
Whether an attempt would be
made today to have the girl try
to identify her would-be attacker
at Camp Davis could not be
learned. Sheriff Brown said that
the 15-year-old girl believed she
could recognize the suspect despite
the 6,000 negroes stationed at the
camp.
The negro was frightened off. be
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 1)
1,000,000 GERMAN TROOPS
POISED FOR FRESH ASSAULT
ON SOVIET UKRAINE ARMIES
-+_
NAZIS TIGHTEN TRAP
Nazi Command Says Fall of
Odessa Imminent; Luft
waffe Pounds Rivers
BERLIN, Tuesday, Aug. 19.—I#1)
—German and Rumanian troops
were reported today to be tighten
ing their encirclement of Odessa,
where waves of Stukas blasted at
Soviet transports to prevent any
“Dunkerque escape.”
Dive bombers also were said to
have put the whole of the Dnieper
river bend under continuous as
sault to break up the Red retreat
and keep the wide stream from
being converted into an effective
defense line.
DNB said six Russian transports
aggregating 15,000 tons, a cruiser
and a torpedo boat were disabled
or badly damaged in attacks on
Odessa harbor.
In the field, the Soviet armies
of the Southern Ukraine were of
ficially described by the German
high command as defeated and in
flight which in some areas was
“like a rout.”
German bombs beat heavily, said
front reports, on the great indus
trial area of Dnieperopetrovsk,
which lies but 80 miles northeast
of the captured town of Kriyoi
Rog.
DNB said German panzer units
had occupied one small town in
the Dnieper bend Sunday, captur
ing or destroying 100 trucks and
“the entire provisioning, supplies
and facilities for one division” as
well as taking 500 prisoners.
In the Black sea port of Niko
laev, whose occupation by the Ger
mans was announced yesterday, it
was declared that the remnants of
four Russian divisions were de
stroyed in their efforts to break nut.
Today’s aerial attacks in the
Dnieperopetrovsk area, in one of
which 24 American-made or de
signed Martin bombers were re
ported destroyed on the ground,
were subordinate in importance to
the Luftwaffe’s broader assignment
along the Dnieper where it winds
to the south and* southwest of that
city.
Few bridges span the river and
so Soviet craft of all types vere
under violent aerial fire. Specifi
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 6)
PAN-AMERICAN
PLA MISSING
Two Americans Aboard
Brazilian Transport Fear
ed Lost Near Sao Paulo
RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 18.—(A*)
—Pan-American airways of Brazil
announced tonight one of its planes
due at Sao Paulo this afternoon
was missing with a crew of four
and nine passengers, y including
Prof. Philip C. Jessup, of New
York, internationally-known lawyer
and lecturer
The plane which left Porto Ale
gre was due at Sao Paulo at 1 p.m.,
six hours before the announcement
was made.
The Lockheed Electra plane was
in radio communication with Sao
Paulo airport a few minutes be
fore it was scheduled to land, but
a plane searched the surrounding
countryside all afternoon without
finding a trace of it.
Jessup, a professor at Columbia
university and formerly a member
of the U. S. State department’s
legal staff, has been traveling in
South America on a mission for
the Carnegie endowment for in
ternational peace.
CITY, ARMY TO STUDY
CLOSER COOPERATION
Manager Wallace, Mayor Bellamy, General
Smith Will Confer Today; Week
End Riot to Be Aired
First concrete . Ians for prevent
ing recurrences of the riot of 300
negro soldiers here Saturday night
in which at least four men were
seriously injured and numerous
others beaten will be taken today at
conferences of city and Camp Davis
officials.
* Among those who will participate
in the conference at the camp to
day, which is expected to launch an
intensive investigation into other
similar instances in the camp region,
are Maj. Gen. Frederic H. Smith,
commandant at Camp Davis, City
Manager James G. Wallace and
Mayor Hargrove Bellamy. Whether
local police and sheriff representa
tives would take part was not
learned.
In announcing the conferences.
City Manager Wallace said that of
ficials here are in no w'ay anxious
to make moves which will have
friction between the army and this
city’s pleasant relations and that
every consideration would be made
to work out a plan whereby the
; 'my itself would better police the
affairs of its men.
No Trouble With Whites
The talk was made possible in a
conversation with General Smith on
the telephone yesterday, and it was
at that time pointed out by Mr. Wal
lace that there had been no trouble
with the white soldiers, but that
future friction between the civilian
and soldier negroes must be erased
in some manner.
“We cannot and will not let these
fights continue, even if we have to
take matters into our own hands
and arrest those responsible and let
the courts decide what is best to be
done,” Mr. Wallace said,
j. When told that members of the
Military Police force, which has of
(Continued on Page Two; Col, 1)
U. S. Plans Air Ferry
To British Middle East
Far-Reaching Step Is Described as Offset
To Possible German Thrust
Into Western Africa
By J. C, STARK
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18.—</B—
tn a far-reaching step to offset
any German move to French
Dakar and to strengthen British
forces in the Middle East, Presi
dent Roosevelt announced plans to
day to ferry American war planes
direct to West Africa and on to the
Middle East front.
The White House announcement,
which quickly followed the Presi
dent’s return from his historic sea
conferences with Prime Minister
Winston Churchill, described the
new service as “an important step
to speed delivery of planes direct
to the Middle East.”
However, it was considered im
portant also for its effect in neu
tralizing any move the Vichy gov
ernment might make to turn over
Dakar, French West Africa, or
Casablanca, Morocco to Germany
tor naval and air bases. It was
noted that the White House an
nouncement said “the importance
of this line of communication be
tween our country and strategic
outposts in Africa cannot be over
estimated.”
Under agreements concluded
with the Pan American airways
system, the White House said, the
ferry system and a companion
transport service would ‘‘provide
direct and speedy delivery of air
craft from the ‘Arsenal of Democ
racy’ to a critical point in the
front against aggression.”
Pan-American will ferry the
planes from the United States to
West Africa and thence to the
Middle East, also establishing an
air transport service from West
Africa to the Middle East. It plans
to arrange a similar transport
service to West Africa.
“Planes owned by the United
States government will be used by
Pan American,” the announcement
said, “and they will be operated
by American personnel. The route
is so arranged that it will nowhere
pass through the zone of actual
warfare.”
Higher Income Tax Rate
Advocated Before Senate
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18.—IP)—A
substantial increase in the $3,236,
700,000 tax bill was advocated by
the American Farm Bureau fed
eration today, but the organization
contended the heaviest share of the
burden should be placed on in
comes instead of levying sales
taxes.
To carry out this program, Ed
ward A. O’Neal, Farm Bureau
president, proposed cutting exist
ing income ta\ exemptions in half,
so that the exemptions would be
$400 for single persons and $1,000
for married persons, with a $200
credit for each dependent.
“We are strongly opposed to in
creased excise taxes, a general
sales tax, or a manufacturers’
tax,” O’Neal told the senate fin
ance committee “at least until oth
er tax sources have been more
nearly exhausted, and favor, in
stead, increased taxes based upon
ability to pay.”
O’Neal contended that the fed
eral revenues should be brought
up to a point equal to two-thirds
of expenditures. He asked the com
mittee to put a stop to “profiteer
ing at the expense of national de
fense and security’ ’and to use
taxation powers as “the most ef
fective way to prevent disastrous
inflation.”
O’Neal also contended that the
present excess profits tax was too
low.
Tax On Excess Profits
"We respectfully urge,” he said,
“that the rates on corporate in
come be graduated upward to re
capture a larger percentage of ex
cess profits; and that the average
earnings option be modified to
provide that all profits above a
reasonable maximum return on in
vestment be considered as excess
profits and subjected to the same
schedule of rates as applied to all
other corporations.”
JAPANESE ISSUE
BLUNT WARNING
Official Press Says Nation
Cannot Ignore Threat of
U. S. Aid to Soviet
By the Associated Press
TOKYO, Tuesday, Aug. 19.—(P)
—A new grave strain on already
tense Japanese-American relations
over United States aid to Soviet
Russia was reflected in the press
today after an hour-long confer
ence between U. S. Ambassador
Joseph C. Grew and Foreign Min
ister Teijiro Tyoyda on the ex
plosive situation.
With a million Red army troops
reported reliably to be mobilized
on the Siberian frontier (where
Far Eastern advices say Japan
likewise has formidable forces),
the newspaper Kokumin bluntly de
clared:
“As for reports that the United
States and Britain will demand
certain assurances from the Soviet
regarding pressure on Japan as a
condition for their aid to the Soviet
against Germany in connection
with the coming Moscow confer
ence Japan considers it injurious
to the safety of her empire and
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 5)
Spokesmen for the radio indus
try, with support from James E.
Fly, chairman of the communica
tions commission, protested the
imposition of a tax on radio time
sales as voted by the house.
Fly, who called the tax “pretty
dubious,” estimated that it would
cost the National Broadcasting
company and Columbia networks
$2,000,000 each per year on the
basis of 1940 figures.
“While that would not be de
structive,” he said, “with the in
come in doubt and the burdens
of public service on the increase,
I think it sufficient to give us
some pause.”
Ellsworth C. Alvord, appearing
on behalf of the national associa
tion of broadcasters, filed a state
ment in which he said the pro
posed tak was “discriminatory”
because the industry “cannot pass
on this tax and still maintain its
competitive position.”
“Even without the tax,” he said,
“the industry is facing a difficult
and uncertain period, for the de
fense program necessarily involves
dislocations and disruptions of nor
mal business activities.”
The committee heard a score of
business spokesmen during the
day, most of them in objection to
particular provisions in the bill.
AIM AT OIL FIELDS
Marshal’s Budyenny’s Men
Ready for Finish Fight
With the Invaders
(By The Associated Press)
MOSCOW, Tuesday, Aug. 19.—Red
army defenders, hard-put at both
ends of their bending western front,
have abandoned the town of Kingi
sepp on the northern wing, putting
the Germans within 75 miles of Len.
ingrad, the Russians announced of
ficially early today.
Kingisepp is southwest of the for
mer capital of the Czars and north
east of Lake Peipus, just inside the
province of Leningrad from the Es
tonian frontier.
LONDON, Aug. 18.—Field Mar
shal General Gerd von Runstedt
might hurl more than 1,000,000
war-hardened Axis troops against
the Red army’s defenses on the
west bank of the Dnieper in a
gigantic effort to reach the Crim
ean gate to the Caucasian oil
fields, Soviet sources said today.
Stoutly defended by the forces
of Marshal Semeon Budyenny, they
said, the steeply banked and swift
river—more than a mile wide for
100 miles from its mouth—would
be an almost impassable barrier.
They admitted,. however, that
the river also barred the possibili
ty of extensive Soviet counter-at
tacks westward against German
forces occupying the ship-building
and industrial center of Nikolaev
and encircling the port of Odessa.
une oi me main oojecnves oi a
push into Crimea, peninsular re
public which juts deep into the
Black sea, would be the city of
Sevastopol, main base of the Red
navy’s Black sea fleet.
Just as important would be the
Luftwaffe’s nearness to Tuapse and
Batumi, two vital ports on the
Transcaucasian oil line. Tuapse
lies 300 miles east of Sevastopol
and Batumi 470 miles southeast,
each less than two hours flight
away by bomber.
Vital Port Centers
Heavy bombing of these two
ports would deprive the Black sea
fleet of much of its effectiveness,
since they long have been refuel
ling stations for Soviet naval craft.
American military sources said
that if the Black sea fleet’s ef
fectiveness was limited by destruc
tion of its bases and shortage of
fuel the Germans would have “a
fair chance” of advancing east
ward by sea, protected by fighter
aircraft, to put flanking pressure
on the southern Russian defense
forces. i
Soviet sources here discounted
German claims of immense ma
terial gains by the seizure of Niko
laev and Krivoi Rog, but admitted
the war was entering a difficult
phase.
“Cities and towns are light for
feit to pay,” one said, “for the
maintenance of the Red army un
broken in the field.”
Authoritative sources said the
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 5)
Roosevelt Said Prepared
To Enter Shipyard Strike
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18.—(TP)—
Defense officials hinted tonight that
a Presidential appeal was going
forth immediately to the Federal
Shipbuilding and Urydock com
pany to accept a national defense
mediation board formula for end
ing the CIO strike which has halt
ed $493,000,000 worth of navy and
merchant ship construction at
Kearny, N. J.
These officials, who declined to
be quoted by name, indicated that
if the White House appeal was
rejected, an executive order would
be issued immediately for govern
ment occupation and operation of
the big shipyard.
The appeal by President Roose
velt might have gone forward al
xeady to the shipbuilding firm and
its parent corporation, United
States Steel corporation, it was
indicated, or would be sent very
shortly.
It was expected that no an
nouncement would be mad 4 of
Mr. Roosevelt’s request until an
acceptance or rejection had been
received in Washington.
More tnan a week ago an OPM
official stated than an executive
order had been prepared for tak
ing over the Kearny yard.
The strike, in which the CIO
Marine and Shipbuilding Workers
of America claims that 16,000 of
the yard’s 18,000 workers are idle,
was called August 7 after the com
pany refused to accept the media
tion board’s recommendation for
inclusion of a union-maintenance
clause in its contract.
This clause provides that all
union members, or workers who
may join Ihe union in the future,
must remain in good union stand
ing as a condition of employment.
The company, through its presi.
dent L. H. Korndorx offered to turn
the plant over to the navy for
“immediate occupation” rather
than accede to this.
Sidney Hillman, associate dinV
tor general of the OPM, and Wil
liam H. Davis, chairman of the
mediation board, both visited the
White House today following con
ferences with Secretary of Navy
Knox.
Onslow Deputy Sheriff
Narrowly Misses Death
In Fight With Negroes
Constable James D. Koonce, 40
year-old Onslow county guard at
Camp Davis, narrowly missed death
last night at the hands of a would be
negro assassin when three shots fired
from a pistol at his car missed and
lodged in the framework.
The peace officer, who also works
with Sheriff B. Frank Morton of
Onslow county, had just turned off
Road 17 into a dirt road near Verona
when he noticed a car parked on the
right side of the road and as he ap
proached saw a negro standing on
the left. Just as the car came along
side the officer the man opened fire,
the first shot hitting the door handle,
the second missing and the third
going wild into the rear of the ma
chine.
Drawing his own gun, the officer
opened fire as he passed, and believes
that he hit the negro because he said
that through his rear view mirror
he saw two companions leading the
man across the road to the car.
An eastern shore alarm was broad
cast describing the car and all hos
pitals asked to be on the lookout
a wounded negrot