North Carolina Newspapers

Wilmington Wonting £tar North Carolina’* Oldest Daily Newspaper Published Daily Except Sunday t By The Wilmington Star-News / At The Murchison Building B. B. Page, Owner and Publisher Telephone All Departments DIAL 3311 _ . , n_S m... IfaMaa (TUmitta. bUICfCU mm WBWWUM — —- - -- -~ Ion. N C, Postoffice Under Act at Congress ' of March 3, 1878. SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY CARRIER Payable Weekly Or In Advance Combina Time Star News tion 1 Week ...I 25 $ .20 % .35 1 Month . 1.10 90 1.60 3 Months .3.25 2.60 4.55 6 Month. 6.50 5.20 9.10 l Year .13 00 10.40 18.20 News rates entitle subscriber to Sunday issue of otar-News BY MAIL Payable Strictly in Advance Combine Star News tion 1 Month .r*..$ -75 3 -50 5 .90 3 Months . 2.00 1 50 X75 8 Months .4-00 3 00 5.50 t Year . 8.00 6.00 10.00 News rates entitle subscriber to Sunday issue of Star-News _ Card of Thanks charged for at the rate at 25 cents per line. Count 6ve words to line. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS is entitled to the exclusive use of all news stories appearing in The Wilmington Star. FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 1942. With confidence in our armed forces—with the unbounding de termination of our people—we will gain the inevitable triumph —so help us God. —Roosevelt’s War Message Star-News Program To aid in every way the prosecution ol the war to complete victory. Public Port Terminals. Perfected Truck and Berry Preserving and Marketing Facilities. Seaside Highway from Wrightsville Beach to Bald Head Island. Extension of City Limits. 35-Foot Cape Fear River channel, wider Turning Basin, with ship lanes into industrial sites along Eastern bank south ol Wilmington. Paved River Road to Southport, via Orton Plantation. Development of Pulp Wood Production through sustained-yield methods through out Southeastern North Carolina. Unified Industrial and Resort Promo tional Agency, supported by one county wide tax. Shipyards and Drydocks. Negro Health Center for Southeastern North Carolina, developed around the Community Hospital. Adequate hospital facilities for white. Junior High SohooL Tobacco Warehouses for Export Buy ers. Development of native grape growing throughout Southeastern North Carolina. Modern Tuberculosis Sanatorium. TOP O' THE MORNING What yon are is God’s gift to yon. What yon make of yourself is your gift to Him. —ANONYMOUS -—A Officers’ School News that Camp Davis probably will be Utilized for. an officers’ training school comes from Washington with peculiar gratificaton to Wlmngtonantf who have seen soldiers de part in recent weeks with deep concern for the future of the camp. The War department’s general plan for in creasing the Army to a personnel of S, 600,000 men is a sure sign that a large force of officers will be required. The regular Army and West Point are not prepared to provide the large number of officers needed. Nor is the Reserve Officers personnel. There must be a training school to fill the quota, and it is with sincere pleasure that we learn Wilming ton is "in the cards’’ for its location. Auto-Use Tax Despite the treasury department’s decision to put automobile-use stamps on sale at once, It will be some days before the Wilmington postoffice receives its supply and consequently auto owners here will be delayed in obtaining them. Postmaster Wilbur R. Dosher has an nounced that they will not be obtainable before January 27. It would be well for motor car owners to be on hand to purchase them as soon as they are offered, lest they be caught in a last minute rush and compelled to spend tedious time In line awaiting a chance to be served. Any one who saw the throng before the office of the North Carolina Auto club during the closing days of the period for buying auto licenses will understand the advantage of being forehanded now. These stamps are the medium by which the federal government Is to collect a flat tax ol $5 per year per vehicle to help meet the costs of war. As the present issue is not effecitve until February 1 the amount Is fixed at $2.0{ and protects the owner until July 1 next. Upor that date other stamps will be available at a cost of $5 for the then current fiscal year, ANONYMOUS LETTERS The Star-News is always pleased to receivi Utters from Its readers, written for publication ,8m am crandMI bum thsl an anonymone; They will be available at the postoffice only, and heavy penalties are provided lor owners who do not comply with the law creating the tax. Thus the way of the auto owner becomes harder. With the purchase of tires next to im possible the prospect is that few owners will be using their cars at all by spring. One might wonder why it is necessary to pay a “use” tax for a car that can’t be used. But there are so many more important things to wonder about, and worry over, that there is no time to waste in seeking this answer. If this money were not raised by this means it would be by another. To Teach Economy Because of the serious economic situation created by the war, and the necessity of individual saving, it is obvious that every consumer must learn new ways to stretch the dollar. Earnings must be rebudgeted with an eye to eliminating every unnecessary pur chase. But that is not all. Such commodities as are bought must be used with the purpose of making them last longer. This, to be an effec tive means of saving, must apply to every article that goes into the home. The tremendous costs of war can fall upon the shoulders of the people only. No other source of revenue with which to meet them can be made available. If they are to be paid, and they must be, the people must discover means by which conservation will reach new highs. Else the tax burden will become in supportable. With the aim of educating the people gen erally to this new need for economy The Ad vertising Federation of America is sponsoring a campaign to teach the people how to make all articles, but particularly scarce goods, last longer and to make the process fashionable. Elon G. Borton, the federation board’s chair man, proposed the plan in an address before the Boston advertising club. The people, he said, must be educated to buy more intel ligently and learn how best to use goods made of new materials not, required by the war program. The program, he said, “should prepare peo ple for shortages, discourage hoarding and itself to war merchandising conditions.” And giving advertisng men a defnite place in carryng out the program he added that they should do everythng in their power to prevent unwarranted price increases and to work ac tively in finding, as well as promoting, sub stitute materials. % Synthetic Rubber The fact that the country expects to be in position to produce 400,000 tons of synthetic rubber in a year and a half is consoling chiefly to auto owners with sufficient fore sight to lay in a surplus of tires when the rationing period was first hinted. For the rest of the auto-owning publ;c eighteen months is a long time.. The general impression obtains, however, that within a matter of weeks the present order rationing tires in a limited field only will be relaxed and even the jalopies will blossom forth in new underwear. The matter of synthetic rubber production is explained by the New York Times thus: Shares of oil companies responded yes terday to the overnight announcement in Washington that the United States Govern ment had decided to construct plants cap able of producing 400,000 tons of rubber annually. The Standard Oil Companies of . New Jersey, Ohio and Indiana and the Texas Company gained more than a point each. The fear that gasoline consumption would be restricted sharply because of the threatened shortage of rubber from the British and Netherland colonies in the Far East has caused some uneasiness in the oil group recently. While it will require up to eighteen months to build the synthetic plants, the country probably has sufficient stocks of natural rubber for essential pur poses until the plants are in production. However, it is quite likely that the ration ing of automobile tires will be continued, but not so drastically as was intended originally. With an abundant supply of all raw materials going into the production of synthetic rubber, the quantity to be pro duced here is limited only to plant expan sion. If the present program should not prove to be sufficient to supply the needs of the country, it is quite likely that it will be enlarged. The cost will not be so much greater since the synthetic product can be produced around 30 cents a pound, com pared with the present level of 22 1-2 cents for the natural product. Argentine Blindness Argentina’s refusal to enter any military alliances or “acts of prebelligerency” is so similar to the policy of Holland and Belgium before they were conquered one can only wonder at her blindness. The Netherlands took the same position. Belgium took the same position. They were content to “stand on their neutrality” and rely on Hitler’s promises for freedom from war. And because they refused to join England and France they were overrun by Nazi forces, bombed by Nazi war planes, conquered by Nazi bandits and now exist in slavery to the Nazi fuehrer. The situation may not be identical. Argne tina may not be as near to falling as were Holland and Belgium in the January before Hitler emerged from the phoney war. The Americas are farther from Dakar than the Low Countries were from the Seigfried line. But Argentina would do well to consider that the three Americas are definite objectives in 1 Hitler’s scheme of world conquest and that only by alliance* with her American associate ' republics can she hope to benefit by the united strength and resources of alL Argentina has long been a favorite spot for propagating Hitlerism and it may be that these fifth column activities have really lulled the people,and government into a state or false security. If this is so, it is time that some agency acquire the power to make Argentina see herself as others see her. For in these days of lightning war, distance alone offers no security and no pledge of any sort has even been fulfilled by Hitler, When his chosen time arrives Hitler will strike at the Americas, and the republic which seems to be nearest Wilhelmstrasse is most likely to feel the Nazi heel first because of its isolation from its natural allies. More Food The agricultural marketing cooperatives have a real job on their hands. As Secretary of Agriculture Wickard has pointed out, we must increase our production of many foods both for us and for England, which depends on this country for a substantial part of the foodstuffs that she needs. That means agriculture must have incentive to work harder and produce more. The marketing co-ops are today fighting a battle to get the consideration the farmer de serves. They are fighting for fair prices and reasonable profits. They are working to im prove production methods. The future welfare of tens of millions of farm families depends upon the success of their efforts. Washington Daybook BY JACK STINNETT WASHINGTON, Jan. 15.—The other day a friend showed me a letter from his mother who had traveled from Chicago to the Pacific northwest on one of the country’s crack streamline trains. The weather was perfect. There had been no wrecks. Yet her train was 30 hours late in arriving at her west coast destination. What occurred to me would have occurred to any one who heard the story and remem bered 1917-’18, when wartime transportation demands caused a nightmare of congestion on American railroads which finally caused the government to take them over. Could it be that the railroads of the nation again were caught short? Since then, I have talked to a good many officials who are well on the inside of the problem and their answer is a unanimous “No.” Never in the history of this country, they will tell you, has transportation been better prepared to handle the demands of all-out wartime production. In World War I, there was practically no transportation in the United States other than that provided by the railroads and inland waterways. Now, the railroads handle about 60 to 65 per cent of the intercity transportation. The highway truckers account for some 8 per cent; the inland waterways, includ ing the Great Lakes, about 18 per cent; the pipelines, nearly 12 per cent; and the airlines about one-tenth of one per cent. As strange as it may seem, there are 600,000 fewer freight cars rolling today than there were in 1918. Yet in 1941, the railraods were able to move 25 per cent mors freight, without congestion or car shortage, than was handled in the peak year of war production 23 years ago. Not once was there the slightest hint of congestion like that which occurred at one time then when 200,000 loaded freight cars piled up in the eastern industrial and shipping centers. • * • The reasons lie in the vast improvement in equipment and speed. The average freight car today carries nearly nine tons more than the 41.5-tpn freight car of 20 years ago. There has been a 60 per cent increase in train speed a full 100 per cent increase in tons carried per train hour; a 37 per cent increase in the capacity of locomotives. In the first six months of last year the railroads were able to handle about 20,000,000 carloads of freight, nearly 40 per cent more than in the same period in 1938. Editorial Comment THE NEW WAR LABOR BOARD New York Times The Administration’s new set-up for the set tlement of labor disputes in wartime is not reassuring. As compared with the old Natonal Defense Mediation Board, which the new Na tional War Labor Board supersedws, there are doubtless a few minor gains. The new board, for example, may take jurisdiction of a dispute on its own motion, without waiting until the Secretary of Labor certfies a dispute to it. But the appointment of William H. Davis to head the present as he did the old board is not a happy one. As head of the old Mediation Board Mr. Davis made too many errors of judgment. He never recognized, to begin with, the cardinal importance of adopting and an nouncing in advance the principles upon which recommendations for settlement of disputes will be based. He has never given any sign to this day that he understands the necessity for this. Very serious questions are raised, moreover, by g single sentence in the President’s order: “After it takes jurisdiction, the board shall finally determine the dispute and for this pur pose may use mediation, voluntary arbitration or arbitration under rules established by the board.’’ Does this sentence definitely establish compulsory arbitration of labor disputes? If it does, it is a decision of the first importance. Can or should such a major polcy be estab lished by mere executive order without sanc tion of Congress? If we are to have compulsory arbitration of labor disputes, there should at least be no shadow of ambiguity about it. Both employers and unions are entitled to know in advance whether that is what they must submit to. And if it is, it must be two-sided. As it turned out, what the old NDMB established was'acuu ally compulsory aribtration for employers but not for unions. When an employer - failed to accept a “recommendation” of the NDMB he promptly had his plant seized; when a union refused to accept the board’s decision, either a new board was appointed to give the union a decision it liked better, as in the “captive” coal mine case, or, as in the rail road case, the Government board obligingly changetfits decision, BUILDING UP THE PUBLIC MORALE!_| JmvCBS JJ |/KeEPew\ As Others Say It NIX ON CAROL A suggestion that leaves us plumb cold is the one that there shall be established a “Free Ru mania’’ government with head quarters in the United States and that King Carol be the head of it. If what we have in newspapers, magazines and books is even 50 per cent correct Carol is a perfect example of everything a ruler should not be and Rumania under Carol was not a happy or an ef ficient country. The philandering playboy king managed to exist by playing both international ends against the dom estic middle of his country for a number of years, but the end pro duct was for it to be strangled in the Nazi noose. The United States today is en gaged in tearing that noose from around the neck of every nation over which it has fallen. If it is to remove the Nazi noose merely to substitute for it the kind of gov ernment Carol would give them, we might as well take that $59, 000,000,000 and store it up for a rainy day or use it to build electric refrigerators for the Eskimos.— Fayetteville Observer. CONNECTING ALASKA Congress now' has before it a proposal to speed up the proposed highway to Alaska. The proposal should be adopted without further delay. The military importance of the project is no longer open to serious question, but the project is now being opposed on the ground that it cannt be completed in time to be of service in the present war. That may or may not be true. But the project should be pushed to completion in any event, because of its value in time of peace as well as in time of war. Alaska should be made a part of the Unit ed States in fact as well as in name. The physical connection of a modern highway will do more to bring that about than any other single thing which would be done. —Raleigh News and Observer THE BIG HUMP IN 1942 Granted one assured factor, namely, that of machine tools, America’s gigantic industrial ma chine would easily meet the Presi dent’s goal of 60,000 planes in 1942. It is by no means sure, however, that such an objective can be reached in view of the necessity of first producing the myriads of gad gets that are necessary for this particular construction. It is this year, that challenges the nation’s industrialists, not next. No trouble will be met in 1943 in producing the maximum of 125,000 planes set if the hump in 1942 can be scaled. Once this vast and powerful in dustrial mechanism of the United States gets set for a task, it can always meet it, with margins to spare.—Charlotte Observer. BY ‘A'NKLE EXPRESS” With the increasing difficulties of deliveries some of the mer chants ard asking that customers carry some of their packages home and thus contribute to a feature of national defense. As a matter of fact merchants take a loss on small items, for the customer is unworried about that old bogie overhead. In the same breath the telephone is a great convenience and a great nuisance. The housewife depends on it for things she ought to get after personal inspection. In cir cumstances now prevailing it seems only fair to the rank and merchants for housekeepers to tote their email parcels espe InterpretingThe War Tokyo Admits Strength Of MacArthur’s Line By KIRKE L. SIMPSON (Wide World War Analyst) i ne skui ana aaring with which General Douglas MacArthur timed and executed his withdrawal on Luzon into Batan peninsula is now doubly underscored by Tokyo ad vices admitting the strength of his defensive line. Repeatedly tested by Japanese air and land attack, the American-Fili pino line still is firmly rooted across the narrow northern neck of the peninsula. According to Tokyo’s admission. Its right flank is protected by swamps and marsh lands at the eastern junction of the mainland and the peninsula. Its left and center are backed by Mount Natib, a 4,000 foot peak from which MacArthur’s guns dom inate not only much of his narrow land front but also Subic bay. Southward, the Marviveles moun tains lift an even higher creast to afford long-range gun positions. They could make water-borne at tempts to outflank the defenders from the sea costly if not impos sible as long as MacArthur has am munition for his batteries and food for his men. - And there is evidence from Tokyo that he got away into Batan with all but four of. his mobile guns and the shells for them. That can be read into a Tokyo summary of “prizes” taken in the Luzon campaign. They included 130,000 rifles, nearly 700,000 rounds of ammunition, and 50 machine guns — but only four artillery pieces. It is the big guns that count not the rifles nor machine guns. ’And while Batan holds out it jabs a galling thorn into the flank of the Nipponese drive down the China sea, just as British-held Tobruk in Libya played a vital cially when they have delayed in placing their orders. No merchant wants to lose customers, but buy ers ought to be considerate.— Charleston News and Courier 3 SUGAR HOARDING Although it ranks today as a minor annoyance rather than a major inconvenience soon to be come a hardship, the proposition of unofficial rationing of sugar to combat hoarding illustrates how unthinkingly people rush out to meet unpleasantness and thereby making a problem out of some thing that really isn’t a problem. What, if anything, can be done to persuade people not to play that way is beyond us. It has been tried off and on in various ways and places since the memory of man and never yet with appreci able success. Maybe it is useless to try and persuade people not to do what they know they shouldn’t do.—Durham Herald PROUD, BUT OF WHAT? A pastor, new to the Harford country, was discussing his bur dens with a sympathetic friend. “Harford people are interesting to me because of their intense family pride,” he said. When his friend asked what this great pride was based upon the pastor thought a long while. “That” he said, “is what in trigues me. It isn’t wealth. It isn’t social position. It isn’t intellectual distinction. That’s why they are interesting to me. I can’t find out what it is they are so proud of.”— (Harford Gazette, Bel Air, Md.) roie in stemming tne now collap sed Axis drive toward Egypt. It is the eastern or sea coastline against which the enemy might try to repeat the technique they have used on the Malay peninsula against British defenders of Singa pore. Time after time landings have been made there behind both flanks, forcing successive British retreats. There is an unconfirmed report from Tokyo of a similar operations which has trapped 30,000 ■ Empire troops. If that is true, it would add immeasurably to the darkening outlook for the British at Singa pore. Yet terrain and command of the entrance to Manila bay from Cor regidor island fortress make Batan peninsula potentially a tougher nut than its far large Malayan counter part. The Japanese cannot bring naval bombardment to bear against the bay coast to cover landing operations on that side. Corregidor bars the way. High ground along the sea coast side, where Mac Arthur’s light and medium caliber guns could be ppsted, tend to make formidable naval approach to sup port a landing attempt a very cost ly operation. Given munitions and supplies, and troops enough to hold his northern front and man both coasts against night landing sorties, MacArthur might duplicate for weeks or even months the British stand at To bruk. This may prove too optimistic an estimate of the Batan situation. The writer does not know what reserves of ammunition and food staples are available on Corregidor or the pen insula. He does know that over many years it has been Washing ton policy to keep Manila's defenses heavily stocked. Is That So! By WILLIAM HITT The Japanese parliament has just gone into its 79th ordinary session in Tokyo. In other words, the Far East Stooge Division of Hitler, Inc., has opened for busi ness. 1 i ; Lee Stanley postcards he hasn’t heard West Coast pub licity boys do any raving so far about the bomby weather. ! ! ! Zadoz Dumbkopf has added his own slogan to “Remember Pearl Harbor!” It’s “And Don’t For get Tokyo!” ! ! ! The emperor of Japan claims he is a descendant of the sun goddess, so he shouldn’t com plain when Uncle Sam starts making things plenty hot for him. ! ; ; . The man at the next desk wants to know whether or not those crafty Japanese diplomas address their imperial boss as “Your Roy al Slyness." ! ! ! Folks in the Dutch East In dies these nights probably lull themselves to sleep by count ing Japanese ship losses. ! ! ! Grandpappy Jenkins says he once heard of a Japanese fishing vessel which sailed in to foreign waters and returned to Nippon loaded—with fish. j Clapper . . . Watches 'Vashing,,, BY RAYMOND CLAPr* WASHINGTON. Jan. 15 those who read between "tv Secretary Knox, in his add-7^ the conference of mayors."-'^'* the nation’s question'd'the--'1 Where is the fleet’’ In a word, the Secretary ri Navy tells us not to expend scale naval engagements’-''' Pacific, or a conclusive sho—-.^ with the Japanese navy near future. ’ ’ 4 That should be sufficient v. mation for our purposes home. Of course we all have s?' personal curiosity for more dg? But of what use would thoses'" details be except possibly -0~8? plement the information of j-ii ese intelligence services’ “ For our purposes v.e hn0w that is necessary. Our "co^? sense will tell us the res;'-' know we have suffered as'.-? blow in the Pacific. We are?? not to expect a full-scale assault on Japanese forces’-? near future. We know that thus far has advanced through sea and air superS We know that until we car'f-d, large numbers of planes into s southwest Pacific, the Japan* onrush probably cannct be stoow Since w.e are not to expect a attack on Japanese forces ? must look to the a::-, and'g put our effort there. * * * JOB MARKED OET What else do we need It know here at home? Nothin, The job is plainly marked JJ It is to pump planes and mere planes and yet more into ft( the southwest Pacific until n, Japanese are driven out cf ti. air. That job starts here n home. It is that job and a ifg lot more. For there is ajothe battle of the Atlantic. adt( organization and dispattk 4 American forces to van* parts of the world as suggesttjl in President Roosevelt’s at nnal message. Winning tbj war is going to be the hard* job this nation ever tackled There isn’t an informed perse here who doesn’t realize fc But here at the center d the effort we have shaky, cos fused, aancertain direct™ e lack of direction. This is bit ing a befuddling effect on tk whole town and likewise «> those who must deal will Washington in doing their m work. The place is seethinr with feuds and backbiting. ♦ * * PROFESOR LANDIS Because Mayor LaGuardiar' Mrs. Roosevelt are stubbornly i ting tight at the office of Civil defense, despite the appalling o satisfaction inside and outside tti organization, Mr. Roosevelt mail a slight reshuffle and slips in; an executive officer Prof. Jain Landis of Harvard. He is a bri liant man in his field but he bill had no notable experience in a; a nation-wide job of organizaw and handling large numberscj people scattered throughout til country as the civilian defense;] requires. Meanwhile a man li Jim Farley, who knows the peep in every county of the country® can get things done, is left outs: to sell soft drinks. Not only Republicans like: tional Chairman Joe Martin, t many ordinary citizens, are ask: when Mr. Roosevelt is going | use the talents of Wendell Will® This war is big enough to need | of those men like Farley and'rl kie who have long ago demons!® ed their loyalty and capaci Plenty of others could be uses® great advantage in this total efi as Mr. Roosevelt is finally as using Bernard M. Baruch, aftd term in the doghouse. Some fresh faces around b* would be a tonic relief from feuding, from what Secretary to thinks of Harry Hopkin* and® versa, and what Secretary B ard and Leon Henderson thin* each other, and all of the to gouging around OPM and SP Total harmony is a futile dre= but the demoralization here-' reached the point where it i= terfering with the wholeheait aggressive direction of the - war effort that must be had be. the short time that has been a runs out. _v-— Factograpto , ifi The first bishop ol 'he ^ odist Episcopal chuic.. m dained in the United Stales Francis Asbury. He was M® England in 1745, and ca® America in 1771, He re®* through the Revolutionary "a suffered imprisonment. * * * As war has interfered monopoly of French factor^ the manufacture of cigaret P* an American mill, first is now making cigaret paper home-grown flax riber. * * * When fish don't bite it may® that the water in that vicsii. tains a variety of des;ra • , and that the fishermans » ( lost among objects at wn fish may bite. i -V— 53 YEARS IS ENOUGH IN PUBLIC LIFE g MAHWAH, N. years in public life, Mayor James Devine , to his farm to raise fl°" vegetables. ,d eh During his career he he o elective office in the : n"‘s‘;iid several county and stale P [ He says now. “public hm - , thing for young folks, hu good for old folks ”