/ Served By Leased Wire Of The ----- "-r REMEMBER With Complete Coverage Of PEARL HARBOR State and National News AND BATAAN VOL. 75—NO. 208 _ _ ' _ ESTABLISHED 1867. COAST TO BECOME MILITARY AREA HITLER IS Gr Z'fED LIFE, DEATH 1OWER 0 VER GERMAN PEOPLE Fuehrer Apparently Dis turbed Over Condition Of Home Front PURGE IS HINTED Winter Disaster Explained; Another Winter Of War In Prospect, He Says Bv NOLAND NORGAARD LONDON, April 26.—(/P)— Betraying anxiety over the condition of his home front, Adolf Hitler today pointed to Russia as the decisive battle field of the war and from a quiescent Reichstag received confirmation of his power of life and death over every Ger man — an act which informed London sources said means that not even Nazi judges or army officers may now7 stand between the German people and the Gestapo. In a speech of one hour and one minute in which threats, some hint of a peace offen sive, admissions of a barely escaped catastrophe in the frozen drifts of Russia and plans “for the coming winter” were strangely mixed, Hitler unfolded no new master plan or smashing blow to stun the world. But he proclaimed that Germany had won a defensive winter war, and promised these actions: 1. “Fighting in the east will be rontinued. The Bolshevist Colossus will be beaten by us so long and until such time as it has been ;mashed completely.” 2. Against the mighty British air j»fensive now being waged against Germany, he promised resumption of mass air raiding of Britain—” Retaliation, blow by blow, such as happened in 1940.” 3. increased use of submarines, already “growing in rigid sequence and rhythm” in the Atlantic where U-boats “already by far have sur passed the highest number of sub marines employed during the first World War.” Reichsmarshal Hermann Goer ing read to the cheering, uniform ed deputies a new law giving Hit ler the right without regard to any existing laws or decrees to compel any officer, soldier, official, judge or other man to do his duty by all means. “The only reason for such an action must be that Hitler and his gang, including Himmler (Hein rich Himmler, head of the Ges tapo), fear civilian disturbances and are taking measures to deal with them,” one informed London (Continued on Page Three; Col. 2) JOHN cTCALHOUN LAUNCHED SUNDAY Ninth Liberty Freighter Slides Down Ways At Shipyard Here The John C. Calhoun, ninth lib erty ship built in the yards of the North Carolina Shipbuilding com pany here, was launched at brief exercises conducted yesterday morn ing at 7:30 o’clock. With the launching of the freighter, a ship has now been sent off each of the nine ways at the shipyard, which has been in opera tion a little more than a year. bliss Jean Elizabeth Maclay, daughter of J. A. Maclay, superin tendent of hull construction at the shipyard, was sponsor for the Cal houn. Her maids of honor were Uiss Carolyn Holland. Wilmington, and Miss Elizabeth Lankes, Hitlon Village, Va. During (he day a telegram was received by shipyard officials from Patrick Calhoun, Pasadena, Calif., a direct descendant of John C. Cal houn, distinguished statesman and parliamentarian, for whom the ship was named, expressing best wishes for the vessel. Captain Roger Williams, president of the shipyard company, Mrs. Wil liams, and Borden Sparkes, were among those- witnessing the launch ing. U. S. Will Halt Sale Of Sugar At Midnight WASHINGTON, Apr. 26—UP— Begnning tomorrow at mid night, the nation will feel the first effects of the sugar ra tioning program. From that time until ration ing begins on May 5 retail sugar sales will be prohibited. Industrial and institutional sugar consumers will register Tuesday and Wednesday and thus will be able to obtain their allotments under the reg ular rationing procedure, but individual consumers do n ot register until next week. Cautioning that a heavy de mand was anticipated immedi ately after the end of the “freeze” period a week from Tuesday, the Office of Price Administration has urged sell ers to stock up to the limit of their May quota. In North eastern states, where a scarci ty has been evident, nothing but beet sugar will be retail ed at the outset of the ration ing program. Beet sugar hasbee n moved into the area by the defense supplies corporation and sale of cane sugar will not be per mitted until beet supplies are exhausted. Restaurants and other food services next month will be al lotted 50 per cent of the amount of sugar they u sed during May, 1941; bakers, con fectioners, ice cream makers, dairy products companies, bot tlers and other specialty in dustries will be given 70 per cent of their May, 1941, sup plies. All industrial consumers at the present time are receiving approximately 80 per cent of last year’s consumption. The individual rationing book of stamps will work this way: the first stamp will authorize its holders to buy one pound of sugar in the period May 5-16; the second will be valid for the May 17-30 period; the third for May 31-June 13 and the fourth, June 14-27. The amount allowed for each stamp after June 27 will be announc ed later. Congressman Clark Dedicates USO Club Citizens Called Upon Jo Organize To Give Service, Put Forth United Effort Speaking at the dedication of the Federal Community building, lo cated at Second and Orange streets and operated by United Service Organizations, Congressman Bay ard Clark urged citizens, to or ganize, to give service and to put forth united effort. Declaring that “we all know be fore America is able to fight her way out of the present situation it will be necessary for many Ameri can boys to die on the field of battle, Congressman Clark said Jews, Catholics and Protestants, both black and white, will have to mingle together in defense of the Stars and Stripes and added “I don’t think there should be any question of creed, or race or re ligion.” In opening his address Congress man Clark explained that the USO is a corporation formed at the re quest of President Roosevelt and composed of six agencies which served during the World War. The organizations are: National Catho lic Community Service, Y. M. C. A. Salvation Army, Y. W. C. A., Trav eler’s Aid and Jewish Welfare Board. “Realizing these agencies would be called on to render even great er service than during the World War and believing they would give better service united, the President called on them to form the United Service Organization. “The government furnished the money for the physical property— erecting the buildings and furnish ing them—and to more greatly hu manize this thing for its objective citizens were called on to give 'unds for the operation.” He added :hat citizens would be called on again soon for funds for operation af the clubs. Greater Organization After explaining that now is a great day for organizing, Congress (Continued on Page Three: Col. 6) 8.000 WILL ANSWER CALL HERE TODAY Men, 45 To 65, Through Nation Are Called To Reg ister For Possible Service Approximately 8,000 men—those between the ages of 45 and 65— are expected to register in New Hanover county Monday in the fourth national registration of men for Selective Service, according to an estimate by state headquarters officials. Nineteen places have been desig nated for registration and local officials said they expected about 1.000 men to enroll at the North Carolina Shipbuilding company. City and county boards have re ceived enough supplies to register 5.000 and 3,500 men, respectively. Officials stated that men are not compelled to register at their pre cinct places, but are asked to reg ister there if it is convenient, though in many cases it will not be. The place of residence given by the registrant will indicate the board which has control over him, draft officials explained. (For ex ample, if a man lists his home as Columbia, S. C., his registration card is automatically sent to the board there. All transactions must, thereafter, be carried on with the Columbia board.) The upper age bracket men should register at the appointed places and not at local draft boards, it is stated. If a man re quired to register is out of the city Monday, he may register wherever he may be, and the card will be sent to Wilmington. Disabled men who cannot ap pear at the registrations are be ing notified it is meir responsibili ty to notify the draft board or (Continued on Page Three; Col. 5) Chinese Take Taunggyi To Score Second Success By SPENCER MOOSA CHUNGKING, Apr. 26—— The Chinese veterans under U. S. Lieut. Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell have scored a second triumph in Burma by the recapture of Taunggyi, 100 miles southeast of Mandalay, the Chinese announced today. Their first big success was recapture of Yenangyaung. At the same time, however, they admitted that they had been forced to fall back rapidly on the Sittang front to the west where the Jap anese made a forty-mile t h r ust through Pyinmana and Ta t k o n, capturing Yamethin and reaching p the vicinity of Pyawbwe, but 85 miles south of Mandalay. The Chinese retirement on the Sittang front along the Rangoon Mandalay railway may have been in the nature of strategic straight ening of the lines, however. After reaching Taunggyi the Jap anese had started a northwestward movement toward Meiktila, threat enng the rear of the southward slanting Chinese lines in the Py inmana sector. By the recapture of Taunggyi, however, commentators pointed (Continued on Page Three; Col. 7) Rostock Laid Waste In 3rd Raid Jfy RAF English Bombers Swarm Over Three-Quarters Of ~ Germany In Big Raid SKODA WORKS RAIDED Bombers Make 1,500-Mile Trip To Blast Munitions Plant In Czechoslovakia By J. WES GALLAGHER LONDON, April 26.—(A5)— Great swarms of huge British bombers dropped tons of high explosives onto the smoking ruins of Rostock for the third night running last night blasted the great Skoda muni tions works at Pilsen and numerous other targets in south Germany and occupied France in the RAF’S greatest offensive so far. The mounting fury of the non-stop attack was widened to cover three-fourths of Ger many and came as close as air action could to opening a second European front against Hitler. American-built Boston (Douglas j bombers, accompanied by vast es corts of swift fighters, took up the offensive at dawn crossing the channel in relays almost before the great four-motored night raid ers—some of which lugged 16,000 pounds of explosives to Hitler’s reich—were tucked away in their hangars. Heavy explosions bombed up from captive France in the di rection of Calais and Dunkerque, indicating the invasion coast was being softened with TNT. The Dun kerque docks and airdromes in Northern France had been attack ed during the night. Violent air battles were fought above the channel and French coast throughout the day, some four miles in the air. The sky was dark for miles with British planes streaking back and forth in their missions of destruction. Score Many Hits Afternoon raiders scored many hits on switching yards and the railway station at Hazebrouck and struck at the railway station at St. Omer, authoritative sources said. The air warfare reached its peak intensity for the year as the Ger mans struck back with increasing strength at fashionable old Bath and other points from Scotland to Southern England. The British said there was “rath er heavy damage” and casualties at Bath where incendiaries and demolition bombs started quickly controlled fires. Numerous homes and buildings were wrecked by explosives. Rescue squads combed the debris of Bath throughout Sun day in search of trapped victims. The great new Stirling bombers, which Britons proudly call the most deadly plane on earth, wing ed across the heart of moonlit Ger many on a 1,500 mile round trip to bomb the Skoda works in oc cupied Czechoslovakia for the first time in a year and a half. The Skoda plant is second only to the battered Krupp works at Essen as a Nazi arsenal. The last attacks were made by small forces of bombers late in 1940, and since then Skoda has been supplying a great share of munitions for Hit ler’s war against Russia. Despite extremely heavy defense fire and the danger of a bomb exploding a big munitions dump, the air ministry said each of the Stirlings dumped its eight tons of concentrated destruction from “very low levels.” Hundreds of miles to the JNortn on the Baltic coast, the still smouldering city of Rostock was raided once more by “a strong forced off bombers.” Rostock, plane manufacturing center and chief Baltic port for dispatch of troops and material to Northern Russia and Norway now that near by Luebeck lies in RAF ruins al ready had been blasted in two of the heaviest raids in British bomb ing history Thursday and Friday nights. The extensive Heinkel aircraft factory again was the chief target. An indication of the violence of last night’s attack was the air ministry announcement that virtu ally every type of night bomber participated. The new Lancasters Stirlings, Halifaxes, Manchesters, Wellingtons, Whitleys and Hamp dens deposited tons of bombs on (Continued on Faye Three; Col. 1) Small Meteor Streaks Across Heavens Here Mrs. W. J. Parks, Jr., Lake Forest, last night reported see ing a metor at about 8:45 o’clock moving low across the heavens in a southeast to a northwest direction. She said it was small, but bright, being reddish in color. The meteor appeared rounded and smooth in front with scat tered sparks spreading out in a narrow fan-shaped tail, the sparks being a more dull red than the light from the main glowing particle. The weather bureau report ed that several persons wit nessed the phenomena. TORPEDOEDSHIP’S CREW IS LANDED Not A Life Lost On Ship Torpedoed After Fire Breaks Out Aboard PORTLAND, Me., Apr. 26—W— Thirty-five shells and a single torpedo fired by a German sub marine blalted a medium-sized American freighter to the bottom of the North Atlantic the night of April 20, the Navy disclosed to day after the vessel’s entire crew of 35 arrived here uninjured. All but 4 were Americans. Crew members revealed that a fire in the freighter’s smokestack, which spread to tarpaulins, five minutes before the attack, made the ship an easy target for the submarine. Able seaman William R. Gib bons, 21, of New York, said the blaze “illuminated the ship like 42d street.” “The fire ignited tarpaulins over the hatches and the stern looked like a sheet of.flames,” Gibbons said. “I was afraid the ship was going' to be torpedoed then.” During the fire, believed caused by ignited carbon. Seaman Frank Black, 25, of Tiger, Ariz., said to Gibbons, “if we don’t get it now. we never will,” the sailors related. Captain Antone Anderson, 61 of Baltimore, Md., said all hands went calmly to their stations after the torpedo struck forward on the starboard side, and were in two lifeboats 17 minutes later. Radioman Frank Kilgore, 42, of San Francisco, flashed two distress messages and “got an acknowl edgement” before leaving the ship, according to Chief Officer Frank M. Jasper, 46, of Minneapolis. Minn. It was Kilgore’s s e cond torpedoing in as many successive trips. Captain Anderson said he d i d not see the submarine before the attack, but from the bridge saw the wake of the torpedo which lost him his first ship in 44 years of seafaring. The lifeboat carrying Capt. An derson and 17 of his crew was picked up by a “United Nations warship” 17 hours after the ship was abandoned and two hours la ter the other lifeboat was found. Chief Officer Jasper related that shells fired by the submarine, aft er surfacing, finally left’ the freighter in flames. The submarine commander, Jasper said, maneu vered his craft close to his life boat and an officer, speaking good English with a German accent, inquired if anyone had been killed, and asked the name and destina tion of the freighter. “Some of the men in my boat were scantily clad,” Jasper con tinued. “Some were without shoes and some even without pants. “After the lifeboat’s sail was hoisted, its canvas cover was cut up and shoes and other clothing improvised to help keep the men warm.” WEATHER FORECAST: NORTH CAROLINA — Continued warm Monday with scattered show ers in mountains. SOUTH CAROLINA — Continued warm Monday. (EASTERN STANDARD TIME) Meteorological data for the 24 hours ending 7:30 p. m. yesterday): (By U. S. Weather Bureau) Temperature: 1:30 a. m. 62; 7.30 a. m. 61; 1:30 p. m. 81; 7:30 p. m. 70: maximum 81; minimum 57; mean 69; normal 65. Humidity: 3:30 a. m. 77; 7:30 a. m. 72; 1:30 p. m. 23; 7:30 p. m. 62. Precipitation: Total for the 24 hours ending 7:30 p. m., 0.00 inches; total since the first of the month, 0.87 inches. Tides For Today: (From Tide Tables published by U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey): High Low Wilmington _ 6:44a. 1:34a. 7:20p. 2:00p. Masonboro Inlet- 4:21a. 10:49a. 4:59p. ll:22p. Sunrise 5:27a; sunset 6:52p; moonrise 3:31p; moonset 3:26a. Cape Fear river stage at Fayette ville on Sunday at 8 a. m., 9.50 feet. (Continued on Page Three; Col. 8) Soviets Beat Off Terrific Nazi Attacks Germans Throw Planes, [Tanks, Flame Throw ers Into Action _ 2,800 INVADERS SLAIN Enemy Repulsed At Tre mendous Losses On Kalinin Front KUIBYSHEV, Russia, Apr. 26.— (#'—Russian soldiers engaged in what the Army newspaper Red Star called the “most serious re cent battle’’ on the central front have beaten off many German at tacks on a river position in which the Germans threw tanks, planes, flame throwers and smoke screens into action, it was reported tonight. The scene of the action was not located other than that it was a wooded sector arong a river but front-line dispatches indicated it was important tactically to both sides. The Germans were said to have moved upon the position with three regiments last Friday. Fierce fighting followed but the Russians said all attacks failed. The Moscow radio reported that 2,800 Germans were killed in the last two days of fighting on the Kalinin front. (This apparently referred to an other engagement as the Kalinin sector is northwest of Moscow and is not a part of what the Russians call the western, or central, front.) A supplement to the midnight Moscow communique listed 300 more Germans killed and prison ers taken by Red forces in repuls ing a Nazi tank battalion on the Kalinin front. un the central front 160 Germans were reported slain and several block houses destroyed by Soviet artillery and In another sector of this front Soviet batteries dispers ed an enemy tank column. The official account said 17 blockhouses were destroyed by So viet units and heavy casualties in flicted on the Germans in a tank clash on an unstated sector. The communique reported the sinking of a German submarine in the Barents sea and destruction of 21 Nazi aircraft yesterday against 10 Soviet plane losses. The Germans also pounded Len ingrad from the air today for the third successive day, sending 63 heavy bombers to raid Russia’s second city. With all the surge of activity on the long, thawing front, the feeling prevailed here, 650 miles from the fighting line, that two of the world’s greatest armies, who have participated in no major scale ac tivity for 43 days, might strike with all their pent up fury at any mo ment. It was said mat both sides were bringing up huge reserves and were feeling out one another in sometimes fierce minor engage ments_ scouting every mile of the front by air. Throughout the last 43 days and under some of the worst fighting conditions of the war—snow, and cold and thaw and mud—the Red army has moved forward. Its prog ress has been slow but it has not lost the ground it had reconquered. Confidence Increases One factor is apparent—the in creasing confidence of the Russian press, the Red army and the Rus sian people about events to come. All evidence here points to the fact that the main German force still is a powerful army but it is believed that the reserves are in ferior in quantity and quality to those of the Red army. The Russians consistently report capturing coldiers who are in their (Continued on Page Three; Col. 1) Vichy Protests U. S. Occupation Of New Caledonia VICHY, Unoccupied France, April 26.—i/P)—Gaston Henry Haye, French ambassador to the United States, has been ordered to protest to the State depart ment against the landing of American troops hi New Cale donia, it was officially announc ed today. “Even if French rebels against the Fatherland took over New Caledonia in September, laiu, this does not authorize Ameri can troops to land there, ' a government communique said. “De Gaulle (Free French Leader Gen. Charles De Gaulle) or his representatives have no right to speak in the name of France.” TWO JAILED HERE FOR TIRE THEFTS Men Accused Of Stealing Cars And Stripping Them Of Rubber Two men, charged with stealing two automobiles and abandoning them after stripping them of tires, tubes and wheels were arrested early Sunday morning by Harry E. Fales, superintendent of New Hanover Bureau of Identification, and Detective Sergeant W, D. Thompson of the City police de partment. Arrested on the charges were Russell Moore, Cape Fear Taxi driver of 121 South Second street, and D. C. Howard, manager of the Cape Fear Service station, of 117 Monroe street. Sunset Park. Moore is charged with taking an automobile owned by Walter L. Carter, of 73 Pine Crest Parkway, from the residence Thursday night. The car was abandoned at Summer Hill after the tires, tubes and wheels were taken off of it. The tires later were found on a taxicab belonging to the Cape Fear Taxi company which was being operated by Moore. An automobile owned by Dr. H. K. Thompson, of 102 Live Oak Parkway, Oleander, was taken and abandoned between Oleander and Blythe’s Bay after it had been stripped of the tires, tubes and wheels. The tires and tubes were found in the garage of D. C. How ard at 117 Monroe street. Moore and Howard were placed in jail under $1,500 bond each. The officers said they had re covered 25 tires, 15 tubes and eight wheels in the raid all of which— except those found in H o w a r d’s garage—were found either on cabs of the Cape Fear Taxi company or in the company's storage room. Some of the tires, which original ly had white side walls, had been painted black and the serial num bers effaced. Also the serial num bers had been chiselled from the other tires. The maroon wheels on Carter’s automobile had'yb e e n painted black. Officers said Mrs. Mary Geld baugh, owner of the company, and her husband, Jack Geldbaugh, told them .they knew nothing of the tires found on the cabs and in the storage room. Mr. Fales and Sergeant Thomp son, who began investigation into tire thefts in the city several days ago, said the investigation was be (Continued on Page Three; Col. 4) Roosevelt Will Confer With His Leaders Today WASHINGTON, Apr. 26— UP) — President Roosevelt has called his congressional leaders to the White House for a conference tomorrow before he sends to the capitol his omnibus program for combatting rising costs of living. Although Mr, Roosevelt follows a practice of having weekly talks with legislative leaders, the meet ing took on special significance be cause of belief that it would deal chiefly with the question of what new legislation would be needed to effect his program. Most legislators anticipated that the greater part could be carried »•---— out under existing laws. However, senate majority leader Barkley of Kentucky, who told reporters the White House conference had been called, said he did not know. He had not, he added, “seen even a rough draft of the president’s mes sage.” On the basis of reports in con gressional circles the broad out lines of the program appeared to shape up in this manner: First of all; a general freezing of most retail prices and perhaps rents at about the March 1 level. (Continued on Face Three; Coi. 8) ARMY WILL PUT IT INTO EFFECT AT EARLY DATE Action Will Be Taken As A Wartime Security Meas ure, Says General Drum NO MASS EVACUATIONS Blackouts, Dimmed Lights To Be Ordered For Some Sections Of The Coast .NEW YORK, April 26. — ( ) T.he early establishment of an eastern military area covering the entire Atlantic seaboard from Maine to Flor ida as a wartime security measure was announced today by Lieutenant General Hugh A. Drum, commanding gen eral of the Eastern Defense Command and First army. As a first step, control over all sea coast lighting already has been assumed by the com* manders of the four corps areas within the military area, the announcement said. This means that there will be di rect military control over all coastal lights in an effort to prevent further silhouetting of ships and their consequent destruction by enemy sub marines. No effective date was set for establishment of the area other than an assertion that it would ba accomplished at “an early date.’' The announcement emphasized that mass evacuation of enemy aliens from the area was not con templated but that selective pro cesses of evacuation might be re quired in some instances. “The object of prescribing a military area is to facilitate con trol so as to prevent subversive activities and aid being given the enemy such as by lighting along our coasts,” General Drum’s state ment said. “The military area sys tem is an important and necessary adjunct to the defense of our east ern seaboard.” General restrictions and orders designed to control the conduct of enemy aliens or others deemed dangerous to the national security will be issued from time to time by headquarters of the eastern de fense command. To Watch Aliens While it was emphasized that the plan did not seek to interfere with the lives of “the great mass of loyal Americans,” the statement said nevertheless that it was the determination of military author, ities to prevent any enemy sum pathizer. alien or not, from com mitting any act detrimental to na. tional security. The corps areas through which control will be exercised are the first, with headquarters at Boston; second, with headquarters at Gov (Continued on Pafe Three; Col. 1) 11 JAP PLANES ARE SHOT DOWN Allies Blast Raiders At Dar* win, Fend Off Attacks On Moresby, Solomen Isles By C. YATES McDANIEL ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, AUSTRALIA. Apr. 26.— UP) —Unit ed States and Australian pilots shot down 11 Japanese planes which raided Darwin Saturday and fend ed off other attacks on Port Mores, by and the Solomon islands, Gen. MacArthur’s headquarters said to day. Air raids on the Manila Bay for tress of Corregidor increased and artillery dueling continued, the communique added. The small and out-numbered American and Fili pino forces on Panay and Cebu in the Philippines continued to harass the invader, and on Mindanao the situation was said to be unchang ed. Darwin, strategic naval fueling port on the northwest coast, was raided by 24 bombers escorted by fighters in the first bombing there in three weeks. One dispatch credited American pilots with all of the 11 planes shot (Continued on Page Three; Col. 4) *