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t V REMEMBER _ _ —m ' I ^®rve<* by Leased Wire of the I PEARL TUC _ iCSIpcJV'D^lkl Ca |JmGZ ASSOCIATED PRESS HARBOR! | | I La _ -ht1sI?tS7' I | Ca WW With Complete Coverage of -_ _^jlTIKIg POKT gl^^mH^^’BaiSBia /StMB) IPIUgAgMiSggg State and National New. VQ).-14-—N°. 8----SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21 1941_ ~ PRICE FIVE CENTS Hitler Admits Reds Superior In Men, Arms Begs German People To Contribute Warm Cloth ing To Men On Front goebbels speaks High Command Admits Af rican Army Withdrawing ‘According To Plan* LONDON, Dec. 20.—(#)—An ap Be3l from Adolf Hitler read on every radio station of the Reich tonight acknowledged that his army faced an enemy superior in numbers and material and begged ^ straitened German people to contribute their warm clothing to enable the soldiers to endure the rigms of the bitter eastern front. The appeal, sounded on Hitler’s behalf by Propaganda Minister Paj Joseph Go.-bbels, said the Ge1 man people must show their gratitude by ma'.bng a Christmas gift of every article of warm clothing that oossibly can be smifd to the men in the army. Armv Withdrawing Wliile Goebbels was thus read ins -is own appeal and the proc lamation of the Fuehrer, the High Command admitted . its African arm' was withdrawing westward "according to plan” and that on the frigid Russian front heavy hat les were being fough1 without a c'a’m to Gera an advances. In Ku.ua. the High ( ommaad mere ly raid, the Russians were suffer ing extreme new losses. His proclamation calling for a gift from the people to the army on this third war Christmas, Hit ler jeciared: "German people: While, apart trom air raids, German homes are safe from the enemy, millions of yur soldiers now stand at the front, after a year of most severe lighting against an enemy vastly superior both in numbers and in quantities of material. "Victories, such as ihe world has so far never experienced, were achieved, thanks to the lead ership and the gallantry of offi cer; and men. Front Holds Thus, the greatest military from of all times holds and fights from the Arctic regions to the Black sea, from the snowfields of Finland to the mountains of the Balkans, until tiie hour of the fin;, i annihilation of the most dan gerous enemy of ail times.” I It was not clear just what Hit ler meant by his reference to a Ifnntiiiued on Page Eight; Col. 5) -V DUTCH WARPLANES BOMB JAP SHIPS Claim Direct Hits On Two Cruisers, Another War ship And Transport BATAVIA, Netherlands East In dies. Dec. 20—(A1)—Direct bomb hits os two Japanese cruisers, a trans port, and another warship pre sumably used as an aircraft car rier were reported officially to j“?ht by Dutch airmen operating Pig American bombers off Japa •ese-occupied Miri, Borneo. Other explosives rained along Ijde the Japanese ships as the Butch pilots twice attacked the invaders who are seeking to re Worce their toehold on the Sara !a" coast, which is adjacent to “dish and Dutch Borneo, the •gency Aneta said. Another Japanese cruiser was re Wed hit last Wednesday, hence ,e Dutch asserted three enemy on Page, Eight; Col. 1) I REUNION IN HAWAII < Overjoyed at finding his wife safe in an evacuation center, dishev eled, battle-weary Staff, Sgt. Dean Norris U.S.A., greets her in this fashion. Reunion was in wake of the treacherous Jap “sneak” raid on the unsuspecting island of Oahu. Mrs. Norris had been evacuated from Hickain Field to Red Cross center in the University of Hawaii, Honolulu, three days before. Red Cross Opens Funds Drive Here Tomorrow .A. MARSHALL IN CHARGE Workers Will Meet At Tide Water Power Company Hall At 9:30 a. m. Campaign workers of the Wil mington chapter of the American Red Cross will meet at 9:30 Mon day morning in the assembly hall of the Tide Water Power company to launch an emergency three-day drive for a minimum of $15,000 to meet the local chapter’s share of the national Red Cross’s quota of $50,000,000 for its war relief pro gram. Alan A. Marshall has been named campaign director for the three day-drive, General Chairman Louis Poisson announced Saturday volunteers weeaeo All workers who have already signed up to take part in the cam paign are asked to be present for Monday’s meeting. In addition, any volunteer, who thinks he can se cure 10 contributions, is aiso asked to attend. Meanwhile, Mr. Poisson issued an appeal to Wilmingtcmians who intended to contribute their share to the campaign for emergency relief not to wait until someone called on them before making their donation. “Mail your check to Treasurer L. D. Latta, now, and thereby speed up the campaign,” Mr. Pois son said. “Since we are endeavoring to raise Wilmington’s share of the war relief program as quickly as possible, time is of the utmost importance.” It was pointed out that its was particularly important for Wil mington to exceed the $15,000 quota since the city might be one of the first to need the work of the Red Cross because of its strategic lo cation. There is no good purpose to be served by denying this possibility. We must not hide our heads at the possibility of attacks, or deny that the Nazis, always on the offensive, will exert their full effort to strike a blow at the United States and especially at. cities where rich stores and industries exist, it was stated. _ British Continue Chase Of Axis Army In Libya CAIRO Egypt, Dec. 20.— UP) — "*ip resistance in Libya has all ,ut collapse^ and the British are ^ lull chase of General Erwin “Panel's army, fleeing westward R ;°ut almost to Bengasi, the itish declared onignt. . 7? is the pursuit, it was , lc> that the British have been repressed to stay on the ene y s heels and much of the job n gashing the Axis’ last rem tLnti of strength has fallen to the RAr_ nain body of the retreating Gp1'' i?]l rny is nnw in the western taf r AJdldar mountains, a coas whose western end ex g to south cf Bengasi, the r'!sh said. ‘,e route was said to have lit terec desert roa'is wtth destroyed and burning tanks, guns and ve hicles and to have left two mer chantmen listing off North Africa with torpedo hits after an assault on e. convoy gua.ded by t h r e>® Italian destroyers and three cruis ers. • After occupying the port of Der na and Mekili, 40 miles inland, the, British were sa:d to have pushed their advance patrols at far ;.s 60 miles further west with in 100 miles of Bengasi, the Axis’ important advance supply port. These patrols new are beyond the desert and in the Green coun try of eastern Cirenaica, which once was the region of one of Mus (Continued on Page Eight; Col. 7) France Says It Will Stay Neutral In War WASHINGTON, Dec- 20.—(/P) —Admiral William D. Leahy, American ambassador at Vichy, has reported that the French government under Marshall Pe tain has announced its "inten tion of maintaining an attitude of neutrality in the present con flict.” Gaston Henri - Haye, the French ambassador here, told newspapermen at the State de partment several days ago that he was informing the American government that France would remain neutral in the war em broiling the United States, but today’s announcement was the first official declaration to that effect. EMPTY STOCKING NEARING CLOSE Only Three Days Remain In Which Donations May Be Made To Fund Just three days remain in which contributions can be accepted for the Star-News Empty Stocking fund—just three days on which you can do your part to gladden some childish heart at a time when all childish hearts have a right to be glad. The deadline is Wednesday after noon, Christmas eve. The work of purchasing, wrapping and prepar ing packages for distribution has already been started by the ladies of the North Carolina Sorosis. But if all the 2,000-odd demands made upon the fund are to be met adequately and fully, more funds than those already received will be needed. This means there are many children in the Wilmington area who, without the fund’s ail, (Continued on Page Three; Col. 4) WEATHER FORECASTS: NORTH CAROLINA: Fair, much colder east and central portions and slightly colder extreme west portion Sunday. SOUTH CAROLINA: Fair, con siderably colder north and slightly colder south portion Sunday. (Meteorological data for the 24 hours ending 7:30 p. m. yesterday): (By B. S. Weather Bureau) Temperature: 1:30 a. m. 58; 7:30 a. m. 47; 1:30 p. m. 62; 7:30 p. m. 56: maximum 64; min imum 47; mean 56: normal 48. Humidity: 1:30 a. m. 75; 7:30 a. m. 83; 1:30 p. m. 41; 7:30 p. m. 52. Precipitation: . Total for the 24 hours ending 7:30 p. m., 0.00 inches: total since the first of the month, 1.88 inches. Tides For Today: (From Tide Tables published by U. R. Const and. Qepdetjc. Survey): High Low Wilmington -a. 6:49a. 12:10p. 7:22p. Masonboro Inlet _10:00a. 3:33a . • • lO:18p. •4r1Sp’. Runrise 7:14a; sunset 5:07p; moonrise 9:52a; moonset 8:59p. Cape Fear riTer stage at Fayette ville on Dec 30, 9.90 feet. (Continued on Page Threje Col. 3) Et ZMY SUBS DESTROY U. S. SHIPS OFF CALIFORNIA COAST, REPORTED OPERA TING OFF A TLANTIC SHORES; DEFENSE OF HONGKONG PROLONGED DAVAO SITUATION IS OBSCURE No Word Received From Japanese-Invaded City On Mindanao Island By Army Headquarters Since Saturday LUZON ISLAND SETUP UNCHANGED Fierce, Knife-Wielding Moros Are Expected To Aid Regular Military Forces In Jungle Fighting MANILA, Sunday, Dec. 21.— (7:40 A. M.—5:40 P. M. EST, Saturday)—(jP)—Army headquarters announced to day that due to communication difficulties the situation at Japanese-invaded Davao, on Mindanao island, is obscure. No word has been received from there since yesterday aftrnoon. A brief communique disclosed that an aerial bombard ment was carried out against Davao by the Japanese before they sent a considerable force of troops ashore from four transports in the early Saturday dawn. The announcement said the situation remained un changed on Luzon island, where the Japanese have estab lished small beachheads on the north, northwest and south eastern coast. ' Japanese Center Davao is one of the most heavily Japanese - populated centers in the Philippines and the invaders apparently chose that port for their landing with the idea of obtained sup port from fifth columnists among their number. Presumably the Japanese came ashore in fairly substan tial forces at this predomi nantly Japanese - populated center and informed sources here believed the Davao cam paign may develop into the most important land battle yet in the Philippine archi pelago. Heavy Fighting General Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters announced yesterday afternoon that heavy fighting was under way with ground defense forces, long-prepat-ed for just such an attempt opposing the invaders. Doubtless these forces were strongly supported by American planes. Heretofore initial Japanese land ings have been unopposed by ground troops, except at Lingayen, north west of Manila on Luzon island, where the Nipponese were pushed back into the sea last week. The island defenders were just as well prepared to meet the Japanese at Davao, 600 miles by land and sea from Manila, as they were at Lin gayen. In addition, fierce, knife wielding Moros who inhabit Min danao by the thousands are expect ed to aid the regular military forces. Other Landings In their three other landings, the Japanese gained beach heads at Aparri, on the northern shores of Luzon, at Vigan on the northwest coast and at Legaspi, southeast of Manila, and these forces are Under ceaseless aerial harassment. The Americans have taken a heavy toll of Japanese ships, planes and men but have made no concert ed effort so far to drive these in vaders out by land assault. The reason, it is pointed out, is because these three footholds are remote and lack major strategic importance. But at Davao it appeared a de termined fight was shaping up for that point commanding a short-cut sea route to Borneo on the south east. The Japanese at Davao appar (Continued on Page Eight; Col- 4) KING GIVEN FULL COMMAND OF NAVY Appointment Completes Shake-Up Started With Removal Of Kimmel WASHINGTON, Dec. 20— <50 _ Supreme command of the United States Navy, wherever its opefations may take it. was given today to Ad miral Ernest J. King. With the appointment went the Navy’s recognition of the terrific power of the airplane in modern warfare, for King’s career includes service with the air corps and he is, in his own right, a naval aviator. In addition, he has served with submarines as well as surface craft has proved himself an excellent tac tician, and thus is considered an of ficer of unusually full and well rounded experience. The appointment completed a widespread shake-up which began last Wednesday with the removal of Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, from command of the Pacific fleet, pend ing an investigation of the Navy’s (Continued on Page Three; Col. 6) BRITISHORGANIZE NEW MALAYA LINE Imperial Defenders Of Singapore Prepared For Attack On Key Base SINGAPORE, Dec. 20—W—Brit ish Imperial defenders of the dis tant approaches to Singapore me thodically organized a new line today in northwest Malaya withoul hindrance from the Japanese in vaders, after smashing an enemy stab on the main road which winds through the mountainous in terior. The new line was being reorga nized well south of the Krian river in Perak state, some 300 miles above Singapore. The tactical prob lem involved a slight further withdrawal. (It seemed likely re organization of these defenses (Continued on Page Eight; Col. 8) F. D. R. Studying Creation Of Supreme War Council By WILLIAM B. ARDERY WASHINGTON, Dec. 20.—(A>)— President Roosevelt was, reported on excellent authority today to be considering the creation of a su preme war council which would be subordinate only to him and would have powers even greater than those of the cabinet. Those in a position to know said that while the plan still was em bryonic, the President believed the war effort could be prosecuted more efficiently if he had a small group around him which could han dle many matters of policy which now require his personal attention. Informants said the proposed war council would be composed ,of from three to five men. They listed the following among those being considered for membership on the group: Wendell L. Willkie, Republican nominee for the presidency in 1940 and now member of a New York law firm. Rear Admiral William D. Leahy, minister to the Vichy. France, gov ernment, former chief of naval op erations and former governor of Puerto Rico. Vice President Henry A. Wal lace, chairman of the supplies, pri. orities an/l allocations board. Philip Murray, president of the Congress of Industrial Organiza tions. In informed quarters, it was re called there have been repeated (Continued on Page Three; Col. 2) JAPS LAUD TOMMIES’ London Says It Will Be Miracle If Colony Does Not Fall To Japs VICTORIA CAPTURED • i Chinese Not Expected To Exert Enough Pressure To Relieve Fort LONDON, Dec. 20.—(ff)— Written off by the generals as hopeless, the magnificent defence of Hongkong was prolonged tonight by the blood of a garrison of fight ing men thrown together from two sides of the world. Even the Japanese, in sud den praise of the last stand of the band of British Tom mies, Canadians from Mani toba and Quebec and bewhis kered, stoic Indian Sikhs, ad mitted in a broadcast tonight: “The expected imminent fall of the colony has been staved off by their stubborn defense.” “Win Respect” Then, in an unusual trinute, me Japanese News Agency Domei, ad ded: “They have fought desper ately in a manner to win the re spect of even the top Japanese.” Waiting for the end, authorities, in London said it would be a mir acle if the colony, a rocky square of England in the Orient for a hundred years, did not soon pass entirely into Japanese hands. The Japanese say they have the city of Victoria and that lorries flying the scarlet ball of the ris ing sun are roaring through the streets, packed with disarmed Brit ish soldiers; that the cannon on Mount Davis, dominating a chain of forts eastward, have been si lenced; that remnants of the Brit ish garrison are encircled on the peak of the island. Mount Victoria. Guns Still Reply But, their broadcasts acknowledg. ed today Mount Victoria’s guns still replied at intervals. None of this detail was confirm ed in any degree in London. The colonial office limited its announce ment during the day to this terse and dramatic communique: “The governor of Hongkong re. ported by telegraph this morning that operations are proceeding on the Island. “The governor wishes it to be known that the Japanese story that he left is entirely false.” Sir Mark Aitchison Young is the governor—A 85-year-old colonial' administrator who has served his empire from Trinidad to Tanganyi ka. He also is commander in (Continued on Page Three; Col. 4) PARKING METERS’ OPERATION SLATED Wallace Says They Will Be Put Into Use On Two Streets This Week Parking meters on two Wilming ton streets will be put into opera tion early this week, City Man ager James G. Wallace, said Sat urday morning. The streets on which the first parking meters will be used are Market and Front. The cost of parking will be one cent for 12 minutes and five cents for one hour: However, at certain locations such as the city hall, postoffice and. liquor store, the meters will be for 12 minutes only. Manager Wallace cautioned mo torists about, the 'method to be used in parking automobiles when the meters are installed. He stated that the proper procedure was to drive in the space head-on rather than to back in, because in back ing the meter might be damaged and in that . case the motorists would be assessed the cost of re pairs. The headlights of the auto should be at right angles with the me ters, he said, in order for the cars to be parked right. If this is done there will always be enough room for the cars to park. 2 V t, - x U. S. SUB SINKS JAP TRANSPORT Loss Of American Shipping Revealed BjfJ Admiral Greenslade In Appeal To Welders Not To Stop Work MINDANAO FIGHTING INCREASES , Nipponese Bomb Naval Base At Cavite, Neafi Manila, With Some Damage But Casualties Reported Light WASHINGTON, Dec. 20. — (fP) — Naval sources an nounced tonight that enemy submarines have been destroy ing American shipping off the California coast, and have been active, as well, off the Atlantic seaboard. From the Far East, meanwhile, came word that art American submarine had destroyed a Japanese transport, the second such vessel- to be sunk this week by the Navy’s underseas arm. In addition, a Japanese destroyer probably has been sent to the bottom. Real* Admiral John W. Greenslade at San Francisco revealed the loss of American shipping for Japanese sub mersibles in an appeal to shipyard welders not to quit work because of a union dispute. Without going into details, he said that the ships lost would have to be replaced. TWO U.S. TANKERS ATTACKED BY SUBS Navy Receives Unconfirm ed Reports Of Attacks Off California Coast ' --- SAN FRANCISCO. Dec. 20.—(A-)— The Navy said tonight it had re ceived unconfirmed reports that two oil tankers had been attacked by submarines off the California coast, and that one had sent out an S. O. S. One report, the Navy disclosed, was that the 6,912-ton tanker Emi dio was fired on off Blunt’s Reef, near Eureka, and that it sent out distress signals after smoke en veloped it. The other report was that the 6,771-ton tanker Agwiworld was at tacked off Cypress Point, about 100 miles south of San Francisco. It reportedly escaped and reached a haven along the nearby coast. “The Navy does not deny, but (Continued on Page Eight; Col. 3) penangTsland TAKEN BY JAPAN Tokyo Claims Forces Driv ing Inland On Mindanao Isle After Landing TOKYO, Dec. 20.—-Official Radio Recorded by (#).--The Japa nese announced tonight that their troops were driving inland on the Philippine island of Mindanao aft er a dawn landing, that the fall of British Hongkong was inevit able, and that Penang Island off the Malayan peninsula had been captured. (An official announcement in Ma nila said troops from four Japa nese transports landed in Minda nao at Davao, a heavily populated Japanese center, and that fierce fighting was proceeding.) Most of the Japanese announce ments concerned the conquest of (Continued on Page Three; Col. 5) ^cene oi ^ampmgii Mindanao, the southern most of the larger Philippine islands, apparently was be coming the scene of the major campaign of that area. Substantial enemy forces had landed at Davao, a city predominantly Japanese in population, and heavy fight ing was in progress. But army bparlcTiiarters in Manila re ported they had been out communication with Davao since Saturday afternoon and that the situation was ob scure. Cavite Bombed It was announced, too, that the Japanese bombed the naval base at Cavite, near Manila, yesterday. There was some damage to properly but casualties were light. They re turned to the Manila area today in an attempted bombing o£ Nbchols field, but the missi •>, di ' 1 frawi an extreme height, went -ide o* their objectives. The • v fb • -uea nrH .. •; - A’< ; nc coast Vias :■ ' aly, by th« jfa. v . . sa Cement cautioning rac. : is against weather fore cast jadcasts, even when they in volve only isolated areas far from the sea. The department related this story: A “weatherwlse” commanding of* (Continued on Page Three; Col. W I.A.F.DI NSFOUR JAPANESE PLANES Chinese Continue Drivg Against Nipponese At tacking Hongkong CHUNGKING, Dec. 20.— UR—'The International Air Force, composed exclusively of fliers who resigned from United States air fo-ces to defend the Burma read, had its first clash with Japanese war* planes today and shot down four of them, it was reported here to* night. The American fliers were said by high Chinese quarters to have (Continued on Page Thre;e Col. 3), Reds Take Volokolamsk And Score Other Gains MOSCOW, Sunday, Dec. 21.—LV)— Plunging foorwaj'd with accelerated momentum, the Red army’s grand offensive has captured the key in dustrial and rail center of Voloko lamsk, 65 miles northwest of Mos cow, and registered other gains from Finland to the Sea of Azov, the Russians announced today. The town of Voihokalo, south of Lake Ladoga on the northern front, and dozens more villages on the Moscow front have been re-occupied in fiercely contested battles, the Soviet information bureau commu nique announced last midnight. With Soviet forces counting vast new spoils and mounting numbers of German dead, pursuit of disor dered Nazi divisions routed in the Kalinin sector, 90 miles northwest of Moscow, was declared ga . t menturn. There the wr( ka.,- : • : German transports and wa rilti, littered the snows, the cct ..nun ioat said. Mockingly referring to Germ claims that the weather lai ely : responsible for their reve es, */.<| official announcement said: “The Germans still are complain ing about the snow on the Russian front which, however, makes no re ference to the Russians." The Russians asserted the rout of the Nazis in the Kalinin sector wa* being matched by simitar Red army • pursuits west of Moscow and on the southwestern front. Volokolamsk, a cotton textile (Continued on Cage Eight; Col. 9)
Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
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Dec. 21, 1941, edition 1
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