Served By Leased Wire Of The ___
associated press ^ v npMrMnm
jjSESzz ™set
6—-NO. 44 ---- ----
—IT C., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1942 FINAL EDITION ESTABLISHED 1867.
Reds Repulse
(a' Attacks
On Stalingrad
Russians Hold Ground In
Steel City And In The •
Caucasian Zone
N0 MAJOR fighting
[n Mozdok Area, Snowy
Mantle Begins Falling
Over Mountains
MOSCOW, Thursday, Oct.
j5.__i7P)—T he Red Army,
fighting in the welcome chill
of an approaching winter, re
pulsed several more tank-sup
ported German attacks in the
Stalingrad and Caucasian
areas yesterday without
yielding ground, the Soviet
Command announced early
t0For the second straight day
the communique reported no
significant change in the gen
eral situation. The German
shock troops apparently were
in a state of temporary ex
haustion or were holding back
for replenishment or to
switch to another theater.
Two Nazi Companies Killed
Two companies of Nazis were
reported to have been killed, and
live German guns, seven machine
gun positions, and three dugouts
destroyed by one Soviet unit oper
ating inside the ruined city where
the enemy s attacks have notice
ably faltered within the last week.
Northwest of the city only “Bat
tles of local importance”occurred,
with the Russians fending off an
attack by two infantry companies
which lost 100 men. the commun
ique said. Nazi prisoners also were
taken in this area where one dis
patch said the Red Army had dis
lodged the enemy from hilltops
which had dominated Russian sup
ply roads.
In the Mozak area of the Cen
tral Caucasus where a snowy man
tle was descending the mountain
slopes, the Germans also were con
tained, the Russians said.
Several German tanks support
ing^ a German infantry regiment
broke through Russian defenses in
this area individually, but the com
munique said "fighting went on for
the destruction of this group of
snemy tanks.” On other sectors,
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 4)
DRAFTAGEDROP
REASONS GIVEN
Stimson And Marshall De
clare Army Has Too
Many Older Men
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14. — (UP) —
: ‘m;v p ans to build a hard-strik
J„g,™ce o£ at least 7,500,000 men
e ' , v,ere disclosed today by
teretary 0f War Stimson and Gen
George C. Marshall as the
thn Serative” reason for lowering
' araft age from 20 to 18 years
immediately.
Simultaneously, they revealed to
ha^oc that t!lis nation already
4’2,5„°-000 men in the Army
e' 3-2M.000 less than the mini
™ reciuirements by the end of
next year.
taA,u‘evement °f the 1,500,000 goal
>, a mean that Uncle Sam would
p"e at the end of 1943 an Army
twice the size of the esti
ec “t-GOO.OOO men in uniform at
t md of World War No. 1.
“oth Stimson and Marshall, the
Ij , ^ chief of staff, said the Army
many older men, who
find it hard to stand the
t'1 ‘n °f modern war, and Marsh
JContinuea on Pa(;e Three. Coi. 5)
Uon t Hold Scrap Back
(An Editorial)
• The Wilmington area has done a good job thus far
in contributing to the scrap metal campaign which,
tor the present is sponsored by the Star-News as a part
ol the national newspaper crusade. The people, both
house dwellers and industrial firms, have made a splen
^rford which must make even sluggish hearts beat
a little faster with pride.
But it is to be regretted that all owners of idle
metal are not doing their full part. There is a great
quantity of old machinery, boilers, mechanical ap
pliances of one sort and another, still to be sold and de
livered. It is serving no good purpose now. Its future
usefulness is exceedingly doubtful. Certainly it could
never be put to such good use as being converted into
tanks and shells and-ships and all the other many war
tools of which steel is a most vital part.
jo „ N,0Wv? is ArustinS a.way- As machinery its value
is negligible. As scrap it has a value far in excess of
any reapplication in its original functions.
of tter U"der heavy oWiKa«°". in the interest
ot the nations war program, to sell it. To SELL it,
not give it away. The government is paying for all
scrap turned in. No gift is asked, or expected. Every
pound brings compensation.
• *s casdl, so easy that the money available for junk
tLt V h COnsldeTg? And ^ patriotism so cheap
that Americans can leave the metal which could be
going into war tools exposed to the weather to rot,
when the very existence of the country’s liberty is at
stake and can be jeopardized by a steel bottle neck?
In addition to this junk that is being withheld
there is need for heavy trucks and strong crews to
move it when owners recognize their duty and sell it.
In the past, the collection in New Hanover county of
heavy pieces of metal has been handicapped by lack
of enough heavy trucks for transportation to junk
yards. The army has helped, the junk dealers have
loaned their rolling stock, the WPA has put two trucks
into service, but none of these has fully met the need.
Surely, among the trucking firms operating out of
Wilmington there are some who could donate a part
of their heavy equipment and crews for this vital work.
It would not be necessary to assign any trucks to the
job regularly. Definite hours could be set for collec
tions and the crews given specific directions where to
go, so that no time need be lost. This would not in
volve an actual sacrifice, but even if it did it ought to
be made, willingly, in the cause of freedom, and made
now.
WATER PROJECT
CONTRACTS LET
A. H. Guion, F. D. Cline
Companies To Build
City’s New System
The A. H. Guion Company of
Charlotte and the F. D. Cline
Construction company of Raleigh
were awarded contracts for the
construction of the proposed King’s
bluff water supply project here by
the city council yesterday morning
on a joint bid of $1,642,880 sub
mitted by the two firms.
The V. P. Loftis company of
Charlotte was the only other bid
der. Its bid was $2,445,170.
Yesterday’s contract award, how
ever, is subject to approval by the
Federal Works Agency, it w a s
pointed out.
A resolution requesting the Fed
eral government to provide addi
tional funds to take care of the
increase of the estimated cost of
construction of he city’s entire
waterworks improvement project
was unanimously adopted by the
council.
The over-all increase in the cost
of the project amounts to only
$269,000, City Attorney W. B. Camp
bell said, despite the fact that
estimates were drawn up last Feb
ruary.
The council’s action yesterday
placed the last division of the city’s
$2,889,000 waterworks project under
contract.
Work is already underway on
the main extension and the filter
plant. Release of steel is needed
before construction can begin on
the two storage tanks, designed to
provide an emergency source of
water pressure.
The Federal Works agency is
providing 60 per cent of the funds
while the. remaining 40 per cent is
being furnished by two municipal
bond issues, approved by the vot
ers last December and last June.
The major item in yesterday’s
contract was the 22-mile, 30-inch
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 4)
Teen-Agers Out To Beat
America’s Call To Draft
“y THE associated press
teen-ages are crowding recruit
stations in most sections of
,e nati°n. a survey disclosed last
r,'~ri1. The recruiting tempo went
markedly as plans were speed
in i"?,,''vTash*nSton for drafting 18
an£ ^ear-olds.
. 6 uPswing in enlistments was
t„ -.fenced mostly in Army re
u o£fices- Navy authorities
, - the bulk of their enlistments
were in the teen - age
^elroit, Army recruiting had
Col T1 so ^ yesterday that Lieut,
chief OSC,)k L- Bachus, recruiting
■ • added two rooms to the of
fice and referred inquiries to a
special staff of recruiting officers.
The Little Rock, Ark., recruiting
station reported an increase in the
number of parents asking about
various branches of the Army for
which their teen-age sons might
bte eligible.
Army recruiting of youths 17-19
at Cleveland was up 75 percent
in a week, although the Navy re
ported no noticeable rise there,
and at Baltimore hundreds jam
med stations on one of their busi
est days.
At Rochester, N. Y., recruiting
of youngsters doubled since Mon
day. Recruiting at Buffalo, N. Y.,
i (Continued on Pa*e Twelve; Col. 6)
FDR MAY COl )L
RENTS IN ION
House Group Approves
Plan To Allow Presiden
tial Stabilization
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14.- W —
Broad legislation authorizing and
directing the President to stabilize
all rents, commercial as well as
residential, and hotel rates
throughout the United Saes and
is possessions was approved
speedily today by the House Bank
ing Committee.
No opposition developed in the
committee after James F. Byrnes,
economic stabilization director, ap
pealed for action on the ground
that uncontrolled rents had risen
as much as 200 percent in some
places.
Leaders planned to call the bill
up in the House for passage to
morrow under procedure requiring
unanimous consent for its consid
eration. If any member blocks
this action, however, the bill prob
ably will go over for consideration
later under such procedure as the
rules committee may provide.
Unlike the recent act authoriz
ing and directing the President to
stabilize wages at the levels of
September 15 as far as practica
ble, the rent bill stipulated no level
at which rents should be frozen.
Steps already taken to control
rents under Existing law, however,
have aimed at bringing about re
ductions to the levels of last
March 1.
The provision extending rent con
trol to the transient rates charged
by hotels and rooming houses was
not originally requested by Byres,
but was inserted .by committee
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 3)
WEATHER
FORECAST *
NORTH CAROLINA — Occasional
rain over east portion with little
change in temperature.
(EASTERN STANDARD TIME)
(By U. S. Weather Bureau)
Meteorological data for the 24 hours
ending 7 :30 p. m., yesterday :
Temperature:
1:30 a. m. 70; 7:30 a. m. 69; 1:30 p. m.
80; 7:30 p. m. 73; maximum 80; minimum
68; mean 74; normal 66.
Humidity:
1:30 a. m. 100; 7:30 a. m. 98; 1:30 p. :.i.
73; 7:30 p. m. 93.
Precipitation:
Total for the 24 hours ending 7:30
p. m„ 0.55 inches; total since the first
of the month, 4.09 inches.
TIDES FOR TODAY:
(From the Tide Tables published by
U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey):
High Low
Wilmington -—-1:18a. 8:LC_».
. 2:03a. 9:20p.
Masonboro Inlet —-11:49a. 5:16p
-p. 6:10p.
Moore’s Inlet -11:54a. 5.21p
-p. 6:15p
New Topsail Inlet _11:59a. 5:26a:
(Elmore’s)
-ip. 6 :20p.
Sunrise 6:17a; sunset 5:38p; moonrise
11:54a; moonset 10:30p.
Cape Fearr river stage at Fayette
vRle on Wednesday, at 8 a. m., 9.48
feet.
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 4)
LAND HEA W REINFORCEMENTS
ON GUADALCANAL AND HIT AIRPORT;
U. S. SUBS SINK NIPPONESE CRUISER
4 OTHER VESSELS
SE f TO BOTTOM
3 More Ships Damaged By
American Raiders in
Far Pacific
AVENGE NAVY LOSSES
Latest Reports Bring Ene
my Casualties To 18
In Two Days
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14.—
(JP) _ American submarines
operating in Japanese domi
nated waters of the Western
Pacific have sunk an enemy
heavy cruiser and four other
vessels and damaged three
more, one of which probably
sank, the Navy reported to
day.
Disclosure of the undersea
successes raised the total of
enemy ship casualties official
ly announced in two days to
18, of which 11 ships were
sunk, two probably sunk and
five damaged.
Those sunk included two heavy
cruisers, destruction of which at
least partially avenged the loss of
three American heavy cruisers an
nounced by the Navy three days
ago as having been sunk at the
outset of the Solomon Islands cam
paign in August.
The recent record occasioned con
siderable satisfaction in naval quar
ters here on the ground that such
attrition of Japan’s naval strength
must inevitably increase the ene
my’s difficulties In maintaining his
extended supply line while protect
ing his bases scattered over the
Central, Western and Southwest
ern Pacific.
The communique making one of
the Navy’s periodic reports on Pa
cificc submarine operations listed
these results without telling how
any of the actions occurred:
Sunk—a heavy cruiser, medium
sized cargo ship, small cargo ship,
small tanker, and small trawler.
. Probably sunk—a medium sized
cargo ship.
Damaged—a large tanker and me
dium sized tanker.
Navy men expressed the opinion
that there was undoubtedly a dra
matic story behind the destruction
of the cruiser, which is considered
a most formidable target for sub
marine attac. Ordinarily several
torpedoes would be required to sink
such a ship which under usual cir
cumstances would have a strong
destroyer escort.
RAF BOMBS SMASH
NAZI NAVAL BASE
Hundreds Of Big Bombers
Rain Devastation On
Kiel Shipyards
LONDON, Oct. 14. — UP— Some
hundreds of bombers, including
many of Britain’s biggest dyna
mite carriers, gave the German
naval and submarine base of Kiel
one of its most destructive blast
ings of the war last night, it was
announced today.
Two-ton “block busters” sprin
kled with incendiaries smashed
among the dockyards and ship
building facilities, leaving large
fires and flying debrs, plots re
ported.
Meanwhle, in daylight today,
Spitfire patrols attacked a freight
train and workshops near Lannion
in Northern France, and damaged
two mineswepers off the French
coast, while Beaufighters attacked
German motor torpedo boats off
the Dutch coast.
It was the 70th raid on Kiel since
September, 1939, but the first in
nearly six months—a period which
(Continued on Page Twelve; Col. 5)
NOTICE!
If your carrier fails to
leave your copy of the Wil
mington Morning Star,
Phone 3311 before 9:00 a.
m. and one will be sent to
you by special messenger.
-*
Bumper Goes Into War Effort
Ed M. Anderson, left, immediate past president of the North Carolina Press
Association, that is sponsoring the N. C. newspapers scrap metal contest, is shown
congratulating Jack Schulman, well known Brevard merchant, for being the first
motorist to join the ‘Transylvania Scrap Bumper Club.’
County Scrap Collection Total
Reaches 3,129,741 Pound Mark
NATION TO BEGIN
TIRE PURCHASES
Plan To Start Today In
Effort To Keep United
States Rolling
WASHINGTON Oct. 14— OP) —
The government will begin pur
chasing motorists' "excess” tires
tomorrow in an effort to create a
huge national stockpile to keep
America rolling.
Details of the purchase plan
were announced today by the of
fice of Price Administration in con
nection with nation-wide gasoline
rationing which limits each car
to five tires.
The defense supplies corpora
tion has advanced $150,000,000 to
finance the program, and designat
ed 160 warehouses throughout the
country as delivery points. The
Railway Express agency will col
lect the tires and transport them
to the warehouses.
While gasoline rationing puts a
limit on the number of tires to sell
each car, DSC also will purchase
tubes whch motorists desire to
sell.
Under OPA regulations, gasoline
rationing will be issued to pri
vate cars only after owners list
all their tires by seil number
and certify thy have no more
than five tires for each car. In the
already-rationed East, the certifi
cation will be required for contin
ous use of coupon books.
OPA said the maximum penalty
for false certification was a fine
of $10,000 and a ten-year»prison
term. Except in the East registra
(Continued on Page Two; Coi. 3)
-V
Evidence Shows Axis
Subs Moving Forays
Down African Coast
LONDON, Oct. 14.— WB —Ac
cumulated evidence indicated
strongly today that U-boat war
fare is spreading systematically
down the African Atlantic coast
to Capetown and an authorita
tive British source said war
ships ol the United Nations
probably were seeking out
mother ships and shore bases
along the Allied shipping route
to the Indian Ocean.
The British spokesmen, who
could not be named, told today
of the intensifying German sub
marine campaign in the area
around the Cape of Good Hope
and of the Allied counter-mea
sures probably being undertaken
already.
He said the U-boats had been
“forced further afield by the
defensive-offensive tactics of the
United Nations” and had moved
their activities to the South
African coastal waters where
enemy action had been confined
mainly to mine-sowing and oc
casional forays by surface craft
and U-boats,
Collection Of 359,965 Lbs.
Wednesday Boosts
Total Skyward
A collection of 359,965 pounds
yesterday in the newspaper-spon
sored scrap metal drive in Wil
mington and New Hanover county
swelled the total for the 13 day
drive here to more than three mil
lion pounds and .boosted the county
to second place in the state cam
paign.
The drive figure now stands at
°. 129,741 pounds, a per capita rate
of 65.8 pounds. ■
Biggest boost to the drive was
given by the 225,000 pounds contri
bution of the Southern Junk com
pany, which reported that they had
collected that amount through their
own efforts since October 1. Rob
erts Auto Exchange reported a col
lection of 78,120 pounds while Mur
rell’s Auto Exchange said they had
contributed 17,005 pounds to the
drive.
Boy Scouts in their week-end col
lection garnered 21,490 pounds
which was added to yesterday’s to
tal.
Working only a half, day yester
day four Army trucks turned in a
total of 5,100 pounds while the
Brigade Boys club truck collected
13,250 pounds, W. A. Stewart, of
the Salvage committee, said.
Nine Army trucks will be on the
job today, Mr. Stewart said, anti
the collection jojb is expected to
move along much faster.
Biggest individual donation
yesterday was made by Mr. and
Mrs. C. W. Morgan, proprietors of
the Brunswick hotel, who cleaned
cut their place of business and pro
duced 8,000 pounds of scrap metal.
Their contribution included a
steam table. A steel filing cabinet,
donated to the drive by Louie
Woodbury, Jr., added 1,200 pounds
to the total.
As a further effort to boost the
collection in Wilmington, the Star
News scrap metal matinee show
will be given at the Bailey theatre
Saturday morning at 9:30 o’clock.
Only persons contributing two or
more pounds of scrap will be ad
mitted. The scrap metal movie is
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 3)
The * Welles Episode’
May Not Affect Amity
With Southern Nations
BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 14.—'<fP)—
A high government official declared
today that “the Welles episode”
would not affect relations between
Argentina and the United State#
“which will continue as friendly and
cordial as always.”
Mentioning no names, Acting Sec
retary of State Sumner Welles ob
served October 8 that two American
republics “are still permitting their
territory to be utilized by the offi
cials and the subversive agents of
the Axis as a base for hostile activ
ities against their neighbors.”
Both Argentina and Chile, the
only American republics still hav
ing diplomatic relations with the
A,xis, took exception to the speech.
WILLKIE CONFERS
WITH ROOSEVELT
FDR’s Personal Envoy To
War Zones Makes No
Comment On Meeting
WASHINGTON. Oct. 14.——
Wendell L. Willkie, back from a
31,000-mile trip to United Nations
war fronts, conferred with Presi
dent Roosevelt late today and de
clared flatly afterward that “in my
judgment, Germany will never
conquer Russia.”
Willkie nevertheless renewed his
appeal, first made in Moscow, for
the opening of a second front.
He based this appeal, he said,
on an analysis of the recommen
dations of military leaders of Brit
ain, Russia, China, and the United
States. And he told reporters he
had had considerable experience
in judging recommendations of
technical experts.
He had his own ideas where a
second front should be opened, he
said, but he kept 't to himself.
The man who opposed President
Roosevelt in the 1940 elections, as
the Republican party’s presidential
nominee, circled the world in 50
days as the Chief Executive’s per
sonal representative. He visited
the Middle East. Russia and China,
arriving in Washington in the late
afternoon. Then, for an hour and
a half, he gave what he described
as very frank observations and
conclusions to the President. He
would not say specifically what he
had reported and he preferred that
Mr. Roosevelt say whether the
President was satisfied. witH .hi?
mission and with his report.
To a question what he thought
of the cause of the United Nations,
after making his tour of 14 sep
arate countries, Willkie replied
that there were "ome things he
wanted to comment on only after
more deliberation.
Reports Of Nazi Rift
With Italy Now Heard
LONDON, Oct. 14.—(ffl—Reports
of a widening rift between Ger
many and Italy came from neutral
European capitals today as Hitler’s
Gestapo strongarm chief visited
Rome and conferred at length with
Mussolini in what seemed obvious
ly to be something more than a
social call.
As a possible clue to the topic
of discussion between Heinrich
Himmler and II Duce, reports
which filtered out of the Axis camp
indicated strongly that German}
has grown increasingly suspicious
of her junior partner’s attitude to
ward the United States.
Reported among the tind -s that
fed the flames of this distrust
were:
1. Italy’s permission for the
landing of Myrron C. Taylor’s
plane in Rome, facilitating the re
cent visit by President Roosevelt’s
special envoy to the Vatican for
talks with the Pope;
2. U. S. Attorney General Fran
cis Biddle’s announcement that aft
er October 19 the 600,000 Italians
in the United States no longer
would be under restrictions as
enemy aliens.
The Berlin radio announced that
Himmler “is in Rome for a pri
vate visit as a guest of the Ita
lian government. “Later it broad
(Continued on Page Two; Col. *) ' t
MAJOR OFFENSIVE
BELIEVED COMING
Bold Operations By Foe
Is Carried Out Despite
Loss Of Naval Craft
SITUATION IS SERIOUS
Navy Loses No Time In An
nouncing Latest Move
By Togo In Pacific
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14.—
(/P)—The Japanese landed
heavy reinforcements on
Guadalcanal Island in the Sol
omons early today, and indi
cations tonight were that a
major battle was impending,
if not actually begun, between
the strengthened enemy and
the Marines spearheading the
American offensive in the
Southwest Pacific.
Announcement of the ene
my landings was made by the
Navy Department tonight in
a special communique based
on reports received up to 7:30
p. m. Eastern War Time.
The communique also re
ported that Japanese war
ships had bombarded the
American airfield and shore
installations on the strategic
island two nights before the
landings were undertaken.
No Opposition Revealed
These bold operations were car
ried out successfully by the de
termined enemy despite the fact
that only last week-end a U. S.
cruiser-destroyer task force had
repelled a landing attempt and
smashed eight Jap ships while Ma
rines had fought forward to ad
vanced positions on the edge of
Ihe northernmost section of the is
land where the enemy troops are
concentrated.
The latest landings were made
on the coast of this same section.
Whether they were opposed by U.
S. Army, Navy and Marine air
craft stationed on Guadalcanal was
not stated in the commuiyque. Nei
ther was there any mention of the
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 1)
U. S. BESTS NAZIS
IN DESERT SKIES
American Fighter Pilots
Win Major Battle Over
Axis In Egypt
CAIRO, Oct. 14.— (JP) —Fighter
pilots of the U. S. Army Air Forces
were disclosed today to have fought
and won their first major battle
over the Egyptian desert as the
surge of heavy aerial warfare spread
from Malta in mid-Mediterranean
to the mainland battle areas of
Africa.
Twelve U. S. fighters, escorting
fighter-bombers of the South African
Air Force, tangled for twenty furi
; ous minutes Tuesday with 20 Axis
: fighters, both Messerschmitts and
| Macchi-202s, which were guarding
a formation of a dozen Stukas.
I TtVo' MeS^ehschmitt-lOOs were shot
down and others damaged by the
j Americans while the South Africans
after dropping their bombs on ene
my targets in the El Alamein battle
zone, tore into the Stukas. They
shot down two of these Junkers-87s,
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 6)