REMEMBER
PEARL
_ HARBOR!
VOL. 75—NO. 51 -—
l ——--- FINAL EDITION ESTABLISHED 1867.
SO JAPANESE TRANSPORTS SIGHTED OFF LUZON COAST;
ARMY MAKES READY FOR MAJOR DRIVE ON PHILIPPINES;
HITLER A ""”"ES PERSONAL COMMAND OF NAZI ARMIES
Fuehrer Pleads With
Retreating Soldiers
To Hold Till Spring
Foreign Observers See Major Crack Develop
ing In German High Command As Legions
Fall Back Both In Russian And Libya
TROOPS EXHORTED TO ‘FANATICISM’
LONDON, Dec. 21.—(JP)—Publicly recognizing the cold
difficulties and torments suffered by the retreating Ger
man aimies in Russia, Adolf Hitler announced tonight he
was taking over personal direction of the Nazi land forces,
and he immediately appealed to his soldiers—“fanatically,”
as he put it — to wait out the winter for new arms and
■ troops.
Hitler first announced in a sur
prise move that he had replaced
Gen. Field Marshal Walther von
Braughitsch as commander of the
armies. *
Then, he addressed his soldiers,
speaking to them as a bitterly
WALPURGIS NIGHT!
JERUSALEM, Dec. 21.—OR—A
mysterious anti - Nazi radio
broadcasting tonight from Ger
man-occupied Central Europe
said Hitler’s military reverses
had created unrest in Germany
and that hasty measures were
being taken against demonstra
tions.
The announcer reported barri
cades were being built on many
German roads, machine-gun
nests installed at important
highway junctions and SS
Black-Shirt Elite Guard garri
sons heavily reinforced.
experienced, -pounded, almost
blinded, old soldier; as one who
knows the horrors of war.
He said “intuition” led him to
his fateful decision.
The dramatic announcements, in
cluding the hold-fast exhortation to
his troops, contained the harsh ad
mission that the great Red army
offensive of recent weeks was hurt
ing Germany to the core—and on
(Continued on Pare Three; Col. 1)
XT
GERMANS TOLD
GRIEVOUS NEWS
Rumors Of Army’s Shakeup
Long Rife; Facts Of
Retreat Withheld
NEW YORK, Dec. 21.—UP—1The
German nation heard its most
grevous news since Adolf Hitler
pui on his field-gray uniform Sept.
1, 1939, to wear to victory or
death, when it was told tonight
tot its fuehrer had cast aside
tie man to whom he had given
command of his armies.
Field Marshal General Walther
von Brauchitsch, commander-in
chief of the German army, has
been fired while the gray legions
are on the run for the first time
in mere than two years of war—
both in Russia and Libya.
The implications of his displace
ment—by Hitler, himself—are in
escapable.
In German minds, this sudden
shift of topmost command at such
a moment may rank even with
the mysterious flight of Rudolf
Hess, Hitler’s deputy fuehrer, as
a sign cf trouble in the nation’s
leadership.
Rumors had been current in the
last week that such a shakeup
to imminent. They said von
Brauchitsch had been seen in ci
vfliin clothes in Vienna and that
| Ctn. Feodor von Beck, command
s'of German forces on the Mos
cow front, also had been relieved
of his command by Field Marshal
Sigmund Wilhelm List, who led
the Balkan campaign.
One of the last reports of von
Brauchitsch in the field was that
he had been sent early this month
to try to bolster the stalled and
repulsed German offensive on the
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 3)
-V
ft Fisher*s Lonesome
Soldiers Need Records
For Their Phonograph
How would you like to have a
phonograph and not one record
'o play on it?
That’s the situation the men
Jf the 156th Infantry at Fort
T'sher find themselves in, ac
cording to Regimental Chaplain
"“y A. Smith. Someone gave
‘hem a nice record-player, but
“ey have no records.
s°> if you have some records
that you’re getting tired of
"earing, the 156th would appre
ciate getting them. They want
*ny sort of records as long as
f s music—swing, classical, re
"S'ous or military.
Records may be left for the
lr°°Ps at the YMCA, or if you’ll
?!?, Chaplain Smith at 2841,
._e 1 come get them.
PROMINENT EDITOR
OF KINSTON DIES
Long Illness Proves Fatal
To Charles McDevett,
_ Noted Writer
KINSTON, Dec. 21.—(iP—Charles
Warren McDevett, managing edi
tor of the Kinston Free Press for
about 30 years and author of hun
dreds of freak nature stories, died
early today in a Winston-Salem
hospital. He became ill in October
and since then his condition grad
ually had grown worse.
McDevett, nearly 53, was corre
spondent for many dailies in this
section and he often contributed
to ^metropolitan publications.
Survivors include his widow, and
their two young sons; two chil
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 5)
British Say Dutch Have
Three More Jap Vessels
NEW YORK, Dec. 21.— tff>) —A
British broadcast quoted Batavia re
ports today that Nefcherland forces
had sunk three more Japanese
troopships off Borneo.
The broadcast, heard here by
CBS, said two were sunk by naval
forces and a third by a Dutch tor
pedo bomber.
Shattered Axis Armies
Fall Back On Bengasi
BULLETIN
NEW YORK, Dec. 21.—W—
o>ne units of German Gen. Er
111 Rommel’S' African forces
re abandoning Bengasi and
'‘treating toward Tripoli, the
ritish radio declared today.
Niro Egypt, Dec. 21.— (A1) —
«r>r 'Xis' shattered army in Libya,
11 and in headlong flight, was
torfU'C<1 *jy Br'tish headqquarters
j 1 .t as too disorganized to col
(i<f its strength for an effective
e ^ase of Bengasi, the enemy’s last
Position east of Tripoli.
• azi Gen. Erwin Rommel’s re
amlng armored forces had been
* — ... —-—-——
driven to Soluch. about 35 miles
south of Bengasi, and Italian infan
try was declared virtually isolated
northeast of the port.
The rapid pace of the British pur
suit, pressed despite severe duet
storms, was indicated by the faot
that Soluch, inland terminal of a
spur railroad from Bengasi, is 160
miles southwest of Derna. whose
capture the British announced only
yesterday, and 280 miles west of the
Egyptian frdntier, starting point of
the British offensive Nov. 18.
Thus, almost overnight, the Brit
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 6)
AWARD TO POSTER WINNER
Mrs. Rogers Balcom (left), executive chairman of
the Medical and Surgical Relief committee of America,'
presents a check for $25 to Frances Bird, first prize win
ner in the poster contest conducted by the committee
among students of New York schools. — Central Press
Photo.
Nazi Tank Divisions
Smashed ByRussians
General Flight Of Germans Along Far-Flung
Front Continues As Reds Sweep Onward
By HENRY C. CASSIDY
WITH THE RED ARMY ON THE MOSCOW FRONT,
Dec. 21.— (IP) —The steel skeletons of two German tank
divisions lay along the Klin-Volokolamsk road, a narrow,
tunnel-like path winding through a frosted pine forest,
where they were overtaken and smashed by the Red army.
CASTEEN ISSUES '
FIREWORKS BAN
City Ordinance Will Be
Enforced To Limit,
Chief Warns
A warning to ail Wilmingtonians
that the discharge of fireworks
within the city limits strictly is
against the law was issued Sun
day night by Chief of Police
Charles H. Casteen.
“We have a city ordinance which
prohibits the sale and shooting of
firecrackers and firworkc within
the city limits," the chief said.
“I am instructing every mem
ber of the police force to enforce
this ordinance.”
Chief Casteen said that anyone
above lo years of age caught shoot
ing firecrackers within the city
limits would be cited to recorder s
court. Children under 16 will be
sent to the juvenile court.
“I am asking the cooperation of
the parents of all children in the
city in not giving fireworks to
them,” the chief said.
He also emphaued the fact that
it was just as much against the
law to discharge fiieworks on per
sonal property e.f it was to dis
charge them in the streets.
Last Christmas, tne city council
temporarily lifted the ban on fire
works to permit the discharge of
fireworks on personal property dur
ing the 1940 Christmas seeason
However, the anti firewroks or
dinance, .first passed by the city
council in 1922, is very much in
force in its entirely this year.
The penalty for violating the or
dinance is left up to the discre
tion of the recorder and ol the
juvenile court judge.
QUAKE ROCKS CHILE
SANTIAGO, Chile, Dec. 21.-13’)—
A fairly strong earthquake was felt
here at 3:47 p. m. (2:47 p. m., EST)
today.
3fW0PP//V<r
Mxrtepr
Buy
Christmas
Seals
The ghastly graveyard of the
Nazi panzer forces was marked
by masses of cncrred machines,
piles of frozen bodies and a litter
of personal belongings.
The German Sixth and Seventh
tank divisions had passed this
way. The vengeance visited on
them, by the Russians indicated
that what had started as an or
derly withdrawal on the northern
flank of the Moscow front was
turned into panicky flight and fi
nal disaster.
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 4)
AIR RAID MEETING
CALLED FOR WOMEN
Chief Warden Urges Full
Turnout For Instruc
tion On Fires
All Wilmington housewives are
asked to be present at a meet
ing at 8 o’clock Monday night in
the Superior courtroom, at which
M’Kean Maffitt, chief air raid
warden for the city, will explain
the proper methods for blacking
out a home and the means of
dealing with incendiary bombs and
fires.
“It is essential to your own safe
ty, as well as to the safety of
the city at large, that every Wil
(Contlnued on Page Six; Col. 1)
Santa Clam Still Has
A Big Job_ To Do Here!
It takes a heap of fixing to make Christmas joy
ful for every one of more than 2,000 children.
But, that’s just what the Empty Stocking fund has
to do.
The 2,000-odd children are not in occupied France
or China or some other far-off place, but are right here
in Wilmington.
And, unless the Empty Stocking Fund can reach
All members of the North Carolina Sorosis are re
minded to be on hand at 10 a. m. Tuesday in the 252nd
Coast Artillery armory at 814 Market st., to help pre
pare the packages which will be distributed through
the Empty Stocking Fund.
them, their chances of a happy, joyful Christmas are
pretty slim. f
Thanks to the donations of Wilmingtonians in the
lafet few weeks, the fund now is in a position to take
care of the majority of the unfortunate little ones in
the city.
But, we of the Star-News are just as concerned for
the minority — the children who Won’t wake up Christ
(Continued on Para Thraa: Col. A\
Knox Says
14 Enemy
Subs Sunk
All Underseas Craft Re
ported Operating In At
lantic On East Coast
FLEET ON ALERT
- 0
WASHINGTON, Dec. .21—
(A*) — Secretary Knox an
nounced tonight that up to
the present, American naval
forces probably have sunk or
damaged “at least 14 enemy
submarines” in Atlantic
waters and have “effectively
dealt with several Japanese
submarines” in the Pacific.
In his announcement, Knox said
he “could assure the public that
the Navy has already adequately
dealt with more than one subma
rine which has sought to make at
tacks on our naval and merchant
vessels.”
He added that after weighing the
evidence carefully, he could “now
state that in the Atlantic ocean,
U. S. naval forces have up to the
present time probably sunk or
damaged at least 14 enemy subma
rines.”
The text of Knox’s announce
ment, issued by the Navy depart
ment, follows:
1.—The Navy has been aware for
some time that enemy submarine
activity in and near American wa
(Continued on Pape Three; Col. 6)
-V
7 ALARMS KEEP
FIREMEN MOVING
Only Serious Blaze De
stroys Home Of Negro
At Seventh, Nun
Seven alarms kept the municipal
fire department m act''on for the
greater part of the day Sunday.
The largest, reported at 8:04
a.m., virtually gutted the hoqpe
of Ruth Hail, negro, at Seventh
and Nun sts. The house was filled
with smoke and flames when the
firemen arrived ar.a seveial heavy
flood streams were necessary to
subdue the blaze.
Other alarms answered during
the day were:
10:25 a.m., C'ame Justice, 813
Millis alley, slrrgle fire; 12:05
p.m., Box 114, falje alarm; 1:01
p.m., Box 416, grass fire; 3:53
p.m., Loutricia Cowman, 718 Mc
Rae st., small fire; 1:32 p.m.,
2017 Creasy ave., grass fire; 4:25
p.m., Seventeenth ai.d Nun, grass
fire. ' 1
-V
GIANNINI’S WIFE DEAD
SAN MATEO, Calif., Dec. 21.—(fP)
—Mrs. A. P. Giannini, 72, wife of
the noted California banker, died
today. A son, Lawrence Mario Gian
nini, is an executive of the Bank of
America.
HE FIXED IT
Visit of Adm. Frederick H.
Horne to the French island of
Martinique resulted in an accord
with the U. S. which is perfectly
satisfactory, according to the State
department. Under the agreement,
the Caribbean naval base pledged
that French vessels’ and nationals
there will take no action detri
mental to the U. S.—Central Press
Photo.
MAJOR LITAKER
TO PLAY SANTA
General Smith. Will Speak
At 2 Christmas Parties
For Soldier Children
Maj. Oliver M. Litaker, who
heads the legal staff for Camp
Davis, will turn aside from his
regular duties Monday and play the
role of jovial Santa Claus when
several hundred children, under
the ’teen age, gather at the USO
hut, Second and Orange sts., to at
tend the Christmas party. .
Old Santa will hand out preserits
and the commanding general, Maj.
Gen. Frederic H. Smith, will ad
dress the group.
Presents were purchased and the
big Christmas tree decorated by
the Camp Davis Welfare Associa
tion, headed by the wife of the
commanding general, Mrs. Fred
eric H. Smith. Warrant Officer
Sprang will lead the 93rd orchestra
in a series of marches and carols.
A similar program will be stag
ed Tuesday afternoon for the col
ored children of the military per
sonnel at the colored USO, Ninth
and Nixon. General Smith will
speak at this party and the 99th
CA band will play.
-!-V
Missing Plane Located
On Lake Near Fairbanks
FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Dec. 21.—
(A1)-—1The disabled plane of Archie
Ferguson, missing since Thursday
with two passengers, was located
yesterday on a small lake, just in
side the Arctic circle between Kotze
bue sound and Fairbanks.
Because . the .take was too small
for,the large rescue planes to alight,
supplies were dropped to the ma
rooned men, none of whom was re
ported. Injured. Smaller planes will
take them off the Ice.
Dr. David Hoehn, Fairbanks, and
Norman Anthony, attorney, of
Kotzebue, were with Ferguson. The
plane, endangered by ice on' the
wings, made a forced landing, on the
frozen lake while, enroute here.
WEATHER
FORECAST:
NORTH CAROLINA anil SOUTH
CAROLINA — Considerable cloudi
ness with slowly rising tempera
ture Monday. . ,
(Meteorological data for the 24 hours
ending 7:30 p. m. yesterday):
(By U, S. Weather Bureau)
Temperature:
, 1:30 a. m. 45; 7j30 a. in. 36: 1:30 p. m.
52; 7:30 p. m. 46: maximum 54; min
imum 35; mean 44: normal 48.
Humidity:
1:30 a. m. 51; 7:30 a. m. 65; 1:30 p. m.
35; 7:30 p. m. 57.
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.
S. Coast and Geodetic Survey):
High Low
Wilmington -12:27a. 7:41a.
1:00p. 8:12o.
Masonboro Inlet _10:52a. 4:24a.
ll;12p. -5:03p.
Sunrise 7:14a: sunset 5:07p; moonrise
10:34a; moonset 10:01p.
Cape Fear river stage at Fayette
ville at 8 a. m.. Her. 31, 9.70 feet.
(Continued on Page Six; Cal. 3)
Flotilla Apparently
Headed F or Lingayen
To Reinforce Troops
Announcement Says ‘Undoubtedly’ Nip«
ponese Now Starting Determined Effort To
Wrest Islands From Possession Of U. S. {
DEFENSES SET FOR ‘ANY EMERGENCY1
‘ MANILA, Monday, Dec. £2— (11:15 a. m.—9:15 p. m.
Sunday, EST)—A flotilla of 80 enemy transports was sight
ed this morning off Lingayen gulf, north of here on the
west coast of Luzon, and the Army, in announcing the hos
tile approach, said there was no doubt that this was the
beginning of Japan’s major drive on the Philippines.
The port of Lingayen, 110 miles northwest of Manila,
lies in the sheltered waters of the Gulf of the' same name.
The Japanese tried one landing there last week, but
were pushed back into the sea by Philippine land forces.
Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters has antici
pated an attempted landing in force there and preparations
have long been completed to meet just such an eventuality.
The first repulsed Japanese thrust:
at Lingayen was the initial encoun
ter between the invaders and the
Philippines’ stuot land defenders.
In other Luzon landings, which
were unopposed, the Japanese have
gained small beachheads on the
Luzon coast at Aparri, in the north,
and at Vigan, in the northwest,
some 100 miles above Lingayen.
The Japanese also have gained
footholds at Legaspi, southeast of
Manila, and at Davao, heavily
Japanese-populated port, 600 miles
south of Manila on Mindanao island.
At Legaspi, the invaders have
been under'-ceaseless aerial assault
while at Davao, Army headquarters
here said, confused fighting raged
but no clear picture of developments
there was available.
A communique from General Mae
Arthur’s headquarters issued this
morning before the Japanese flotilla
was sighted in Lingayen gulf said:
“There is continuing activity
south of Vigan, but nothing serious
has developed. Conflicting reports
of enemy reinforcements have not
been confirmed.
“No reliable information has been
received from Davao-”
-V
SANTA WILL VISIT
TRAILER SITE HERE
Children Of Workers In
Shipyard To Have USO
Sponsored Party Monday
One of the first Christmas parties
to be given for the children of de
fense workers quartered in trailer
camps at war industry centers over
the nation will be held at the trailer
camp at the shipyards here Monday
afternoon at 4 o’clock for the 200-odd
children of the camp who will not
be able to be home for Christmas
because their fathers cannot be
spared from the vital task of build
ing ships.
The Christmas exercises will be
held in the center of the camp where
a Christmas tree has been erected.
Santa Claus will distribute presents
to the children, after which a group
of costumed Christmas carollers will
sing.
A short Christmas playlet also
will be present d,
All of the trailers in the camp
have been decorated by the wives
of shipyard workers for the Christ
mas season.
Monday’s party is being put on
by the TTSO club at Fifth and Orange
sts., which it sponsored by the Wom
an’s division of the National Catholic
Community service.
Grim HongKong Garrison
Fights Off Major Attack
LONDON, Dec. 21.— (JP> —Hong
Kong’s grimly resisting defenders
still defied overwhelming Japanese
might tonight, urged on to hold
their rock-hewn strongholds in the
island’s peak by an exhorbitation of
its governor:
“The eyes of the Empire are upon
you! Be strong! Be resolute, and
do your duty!”
Britons were thrilled by accounts
of the garrison’s stubborn fight
against great odds, but no hope was
held out here that the invaders
could be driven back, and British
sources refused even to speculate
how long its resistance gojtld last.
%
x V
r
King George VI, Colonial Secre
tary Lord Moyne and other officials
sent messages of praise to Governor
Sir Mark Young and Maj. Gen. C.
M. Maltby, Hong Kong’s comman
der-in-chief. for the valiant stand
of the garrison, drawn almost equal
ly from Canadian and United King
dom forces, and the Crown colony’s
volunteer defense force of Europeans
and Chinese.
(The British embassy in
Chungking said its latest ad
vice from Hong Kong was that
fighting still was heavy there at
-.Continued on Pw- Six: Cal.
U. S. SAYS ENEMY
SUBS OP RATING
OFF BOTH COASTS
2 Tankers Attacked Near
Frisco; One Destroyed,
Other Escapes
I. - ■ - . —k
BULLETIN
SAN DIEGO, Calif., Dec. 21.
—(/P)—The Navy tonight investi
gated reports of a burning ship
at sea off San Diego, and re
ported “all clear.” A tower
ing column of smoke was visi
ble about 12 miles offshore dur
ing the day. Army observers,
howeyer, said they believed the
ship was not burning, but prob
ably was an American tanker
under forced draft.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21.—
(A3)—The Navy reported to
night that there were indica
tions of enemy submarine
activity off the East coast as
well as off the West coast
where it said that enemy sub
marines had attacked the
steamships Agwiworld and
Emidio.
In a communique, the Navy said
also that V/ake inland nad sus
tained iwo additional attacks by
enemy aircraft.
The crew of the Emidio aban
doned snip and took to the life
boats alter the vessel was shelled
and torpedoed.
Three Tfeboatr were destroyed
by gunfire, and 32 oi a known 54
in the crew ha”e been rescued,
the Navy said.
A big enemy submarine, or pos
sibly two of the underseas craft,
lurked off Ihe California coast to
day after attacking and disabling
one tanker without warning and
driving ; nother 'nto a harbor.
Appearing suddenly mar thi
Northern California coast, one
submarine opened fit e on the tank
er Emidio about 200 miles north
of San Francisco yesterday after
noon.
The 13th Nava, D.strict here re
ported the submarine first fired
on the Emidio. owned by the So
conq-Vacuum Oil co., and then sent
a torpedo streaking toward its vic
tim.
At least five members of the
tanker’s crew were reported miss
ing. Five others were injured in
the attack. i
The crew of the Blunt’s Reef
(Continued on Page Three; Col. #)