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Mtlmtttgtfltt Morning £tar Published Daily Except Sunday North Carolina’s Oldest Daily Newspaper By The Wilmington Star-News At The Murchison Building R. B. Page, Owner and Publisher Telephone All Departments DIAL 3311 Entered as Second Class Matter at Wilming ton, N. C., Postoffice Under Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY CARRIER ~ Payable Strictly In Advance Combina Time Star News tion 1 Week .-.$ .25 $ .20 $ 33 1 Month . 1.10 .90 1.50 3 Months . 3.25 2.60 4.55 6 Months . 6-50 5.20 9.10 1 year . 13.00 10.40 18.20 News rates entitle subscriber to Sunday issue of Star-News BY MAIL" Payable Weekly Or In Advance Combina Time Star News tion 1 Month .$ -75 $ .50 $ .90 3 Months . 2 00 1.50 2.75 6 Months . 4.00 3.00 5.50 1 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 of 25 cents per line. Count five words to line. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Is entitled to the exclusve use of all news stories appearing in The Wilmington Star. TUESDAY. DECEMER 8, 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’r, War Message Our Chief Aim To aid in every way the prosecu tion of the war to complete vie- . tory.___ THOUGHT FOR TODAY The architect of the Episcopal Cathedral in Cleveland made sixty plans, one after another, all of which were rejected. He was about to give up. “Make sixty-one, John, if necessary,” said his wife. The sixty-first was accepted. Lucy R. Keller. -V The Key To Tunisia The Tunisian battle is said by Allied leaders to be approaching the final stage, which can mean only that preparations are in the mak ing for gaining supremacy in the air, a vital factor of victory there as in any other major battle. Thus far the Axis has been able to counter attack in the Tebourba-Mateur salient because General Eisenhower’s forces have not solved the communications problem and consequent ly lack command in the skies. Allied planes must travel from England to reach the Afri can front, whereas German and Italian air craft need be moved no more than 400 miles, A quick clean-up in Tunisia was prevented also by lack of advanced air bases. A remedy must have been found at the night conference of Allied commanders, held by candlelight in a farm house. Otherwise it would hardly be justifiable for them to issue so positive a statement that the end is now in sight. But it is not in Tunisia itself that victory is to be achieved in the battle for Tunis and Bizerte. The battlefield actually extends across the Mediterranean, into Germany and Italy and particularly to Sicily from whence have come the bulk of the reinforcements, planes and equipment the Axis has poured into Tunisia. It reaches into Axis industries and to Nazi rail communications. And it in cludes port facilities at Bizerte. In any estimate of the probabilities for vic tory, therefore, the recent heavy air raids upon these sources of Axis supply must be given full consideration. Hitler cannot hope to win in Africa unless,he can furnish his •ommanders a steady stream of troops and equipment. Once his lines are cut and his war output materially curtailed, he must find his task too great, just as he is finding it in Russia and as Rommel found it in Egypt. There is a terrific battle in progresss in Tebourba-Mateur area, with the outcome still in question. But this fighting does not pro vide the key to the situation. That is to be found in the ability of the Allies to seize con trol of the air, to wipe out Hitler’s convenient springboards to Africa and destroy his war plants and railways. _v_ Meat Dealers Speak Up The National Association of Retail Meat Dealers has addressed a letter to President Roosevelt warning him that “chaos, chiseling and black markets” will result if the gov ernment’s program for controlling meat prices and distribution is put into effect. The dealers say that because of difficulties and complexities involved in rationing the many grades and cuts of meat bootlegging will spring up and defeat«the object of ration ing. Their letter calls for a committee, chosen from all branches of the industry, to advise with and guide the government in its effort to divide the available meat supply among the armed forces, the civilian population and the Allied nations. Such a committee, say the dealers "would reestablish confidence on the part' of the industry and the consuming public “which now is questionable under the trial and error system.” Logical as this is, it is the dealers’ demand for careful surveys to determine the popula tion of a given area that enlists attention here. They contend that adequate consider ation should be given for shifts resulting from new workers attracted to war plants, and that the allocation of meat supplies should be made accordingly. If consideration for increasing population in war and defense centers can once be made a primary factor in the rationing and alloca tion of commodities, Wilmington, along with communities similarly situated, will have less reason to complain of the rationeers’ blun dering. The need for a revision of the viewpoint of those who make up schedules for commodity apportionment is clearly indicated by the fact that while Wilmington’s population has more than doubled since the 1940 census was com piled the city’s allocations are persistently based upon the census figures. Persons capa ble of estimating the situation claim that if nothing is done to correct this short-sighted policy Wilmington will soon be confronted by an actual and wholly unnecessary food short age. —— v - The Economic Outlook The year now drawing to a close has brought many changes in the economic life of the nation. The burdens of war have multiplied. Luxuuries have come under a ban. Even necessities are scarce. A universal tighten ing cf belts has resulted. Rationing has im posed inconveniences. The people generally are doing without many of the things for merly considered essential. But these changes, we have reason to be lie-, e, are minor as compared with those an ticipated in 1943. This is not said to breed discouragement but only to emphasize the fact that war, and especially so great a war as the one we are now fighting, is a costly adventure and that victory can be achieved only through sacrifices by the people. It is worth. while to consider that however great these may be, the greatest of them would ,be trivial in comparison with defeat. What our economic situation will be next year may only be guessed. Present trends and established programs, however, seem to give some idea of general conditions ahead. On the strength of these, economic organiza tions are already basing forecasts. One forecast comes to attention which paints the picture in bold colors, but' without over tones. It is made by the United Business Service of Boston. It shows: Further gains in war production will lift the volume of business about 5 per cent, but civilian business will be 10 to 15 per cent smaller. Labor shortages will be a greater problem than material scarcities. Additional ‘•controls” may be expected. Industrial production should average about 15 per cent higher. About two-thirds will be fcr war, one-third for civilians. Average wholesale prices may rise from 5 to 7 per cent. Military needs will increase. There will also be hidden price increases due to quality deterioration and more black markets. Merchandise shortages and curbed auto use will cut retail sales, despite further gains in buying power. The total retail dollar volume will be about 10 per cent less, despite ex pectations of a further 6 to 8 per cent rise in average retail prices. Steel ingot output should be close to 90, 000,000 tons, against 86,000,000 this jyear, but only about 2 per cent of this will be avail able for civilian uses. The scrap situation will remain tight. Building construction will be off about one third, due to sharp curbs on private and non-essential government projects. Residential contracts will drop 5 per cent. Rent stabiliza tion is expected to be effective, and real es tate values will increase. War spending will mount close to $95,000, 000,000 compared with about $52,000,000,000 this year. Plane and ship output will be nearly doubled. Munitions, guns and tanks will be up to revised schedules, based on actual combat needs. The farm income will reach a record $18, 000,000,000—a full billion over 1942. Farm prices will average 8 to 10 per cent higher as many items are still well below ceiling limits. Military needs will take 20 per cent of the food output. This year it is 13 per cent. Living costs are expected to rise about 5 per cent. So are average wage rates. Total employment will gain, despite labor shortages. as more women are employed. A general labor draft is unlikely, but there will be in creased pressure for “work or fight.” Stock prices are expected to show a gradual rise, with peace stocks making a relatively better showing than war stocks. Aggregate stock earnings will be from 5 to 10 per cent less. High grade bonds are likely to remain at inflated levels, although some softening may be expected in the second half of the year. •XT Japanese Ship Losses Glenn Balpb, substituting for DeWitt Mac Kenzie, Associated Press war analyst, who is touring the Middle East war zone, recently had something to say of the unsung but tre mendously effective campaign against Japa nese shipping by American submarines and air forces, which he rightly declares are play ing an important part in the Pacific war. It is his comparison of Japanese and Amer ican shipbuilding and the inevitable conse quence to Japan of being unable to main tain equal production with this country that holds closest attention. He cites the fact that only in one pre-war year was Japan able to produce more than 500,000 tons of shipping—in 1919 when the output was 612,000 tons, which included a large number of ships built for the United States, largely of American materials and financed by American dollars. He finds it possible to believe that this rate of production may have been equaled or surpassed under war stress, “but it is unlikely that it has been doubled, as it would have to be to offset the year’s losses.” Compare that, he says, with the American program, and to point his case adds: The Maritime Commission said the oth er day that American shipyards “will turn out the required tonnage” to meet Presi dent Roosevelt’s goal of 8,000,000 tons in 1942 although that will mean a December output of 1,110,000, probably greater than Japan’s best for a whole year. And the President’s schedule calls for 16,000,000 tons in 1943. Japan’s inability to keep pace in the twin battles of the shipyards and the sea lanes sooner or later will compel her to shorten her lines, perhaps even abandon some of her more distant conquests be fore she is thrown out of them. The Japa nese may give up Burma, if they can seize Yunnan by way of compensation, and so lop 2,000 miles off that supply route. They may have to get out of the . Solomons, New Guinea, Timor and other islands simply because of lack of ships to feed those outposts, even though each island yielded brings the next under at tack of Allied ships and planes. It would be unwise for any one to confuse this possibility with the ultimate victory, lest deep disappointment follow. Encouraging as the prospect of having Japan contract the frontiers of her conquests is, it must always oe remembered that Japan must be defeated in Japan before peace can be restored. The heavier her losses at sea, however, and the more resources she has to give up in the lands of her early conquests, the easier will it become to bring Japan to her knees. -V- I FAIR ENOUGH (Editor’s Note.—The Siar and the News accept no responsibility for the personal views of Mr. Pegler, and often disagree with vhem as much as many of his readers. His articles ferve the good purpose of making people think). By WESTBROOK PEGLER NEW YORK, Dec. 7.—The Nazis always said that the free countries could not fight them effectively without waiving or abandon ing their freedom and, whether we like it or not, events are bearing them out. We have learned that to fight an enemy who has total control of all his people and all the property and money in his country our government re quires much firmer control of us and ours than we ever expected to consent to. We hope that when the war is won all this control will be relinquished, but we can’t be sure that the postwar situation will permit a sud den return to the old American way. In fact, that way is constantly disparaged as a nos talgic dream of a few rich men, and we are tending more and more frankly toward a way of life which combines elements of Nazi Fascism and Communism and which our rulers call Democracy. Hitler took over the industries in Germany but, in general, let the bosses keep their jobs and, nominally, their holdings, not be cause he had any special feeling for them but because he needed their specialized intel ligence and abilities for the task of preparing for war and fighting the war on the industrial front. Little business which did not bear on his war effort was put out of business and the profits of all business which was allowed to survive for his war purposes above a low maximum were piped into his treasury. Russia does not tolerate private business and the state runs things directly as state projects, so there is no nonsense about private profit. We are striving toward a total war effort and, as thoroughly as could be managed in a short time, American industry has gone to work for the government, subject to govern ment regulation and enormous taxation or limitation of profit. Non-essential business is waning and, in many cases, has been told, frankly, to sell itself out of business for dura tion. And, suddenly, and without a murmur from the big unions, American labor lost by de cree the right to use collective force to com pel an employer, nominally independent but practically under government control, to pay higher wages, except by consent of a gov ernment agency. Wages are now limited by decree emanating from a general law, and so are rents and prices, the purpose being to prevent inflation, and high salaries are re duced by limitation as well as by taxation. Agencies of the national government now possess a power to legislate and sit as courts, subject to no review by the real courts, and, so many and complex are the regulations con trolling the lives of Americans today that in nocent men may expose themselves to seri ous punishments without the faintest notion that they have done any wrong. In one instance, the President felt that urgent necessity and the danger of calamity compelled him to warn Congress to give him a law or he would make his own, and, in another, where Congress repeatedly and em phatically refused him a law which he had proposed, he passed it himself. In industry, the national government is, in practical effect, now the employer of labor, as Hitler is in Germany and Stalin is in Russia, and is labor’s bargaining agent. And if the draft of civilian labor should be adopt ed the first reason for the existence of the American union movemmnt, already a wraith, will simply expire. Like Hitler and Stalin, we have concen tration camps and the inmates of these camps, although most of them are native Americans, were swept up because we were afraid they would signal the enemy and otherwise betray us. Race was the basis of selection. All this could be accepted on faith, with an understanding that when the war is won the old American system will return, but for the fact that so many of the most power ful political personalities in the government regard controls as social gains, Vice Presi dent Wallace has spoken slightingly of the Bill of Rights and said that, as we move to the left, Stalin inches toward the right. But as we move toward Communism we also move toward Hitlerism, for they differ only V “HENDERSON FIELD” TNE BOYS ON GUADALCANAL BAYe NOTA1N6 ON ME» Mi Raymond Clapper Says: Evidence Clearly Shows War Production Success By RAYMOND CLAPPER DETROIT, Dec. 7.—Two days in this important war production cen ter convince me that, around here at least, war production is a suc cess. You see some of the evidence with your own eyes—the tanks be ing finished off at the Detroit tank arsenal operated by Chrysler, the Rolls-Royce engines going into crates af Packard, the guns at Pontiac, the belly turrets for Fly ing Fortresses at Fisher's plant, and the heavy bombers being made at Willow Run. You see further evidence in the volumes of statistics. This area is employing 930,000 men and women in war work, which is one-third more than were employed when was here last January. In the ten months since automobile production ended, the industry has built up war production to an annual rate of more than six and a half billion dollars—which is two-thirds above the peak production value of auto mobiles and trucks. Perhaps the best evidence that all is going well is the changed mood of the automobile executives, who a year ago were worried. They had given up automobile pro duction reluctantly, under pressure. They felt misunderstood, and were on the defensive against public criticism. Thy faced a war pro duction problem that they weren’t sure they could lick, although they were ready to try it. Now I find the same executives confident, feeling that their main worries are over, that they have licked the chief production prob lems, and that from here on it is largely a mattei of obtaining suf ficient manpower, sufficient mate rials and necessary machines. They are more mellow about la bor, and speak of labor problems now as growing pains. They say frankly that labor conditions in De- i troit have improved gradually dur ing the last year. They see no advantage in stirring up labor questions, and for that reason would rather see the 40-hour-week law stand. They complain about the amount of red tape in dealing with Wash ington. They struggle to find the man in Washington who has the authority, and when they do find him he is gone by the time they go back to Washington a second time. But they are philosophical. Along with several other Wash ington correspondents, we ques tioned them for several hours— executives such as C. E. Wilson, president of General Motors; Charles Sorenson, of Ford; George Christopher, of Packard; Harold Vance, of Studebaker; Herman Weckler, of Chrysler, and E. A. Clark, president of Budd Wheel. Chrysler is facing a union-shop controversy, but when that was mentioned the others settled back, because they have gone through it and have readjusted. They feel toward Chrysler the way a fellow in their labels, as our intelligence well knew untiy we found our selves on Stalin’s side. Since then it has been unpopular to remem ber out loud the identity of Com munism and Hitlerism which used to be called brown Bolshe ism. leaving the dentist’s feels toward the patient waiting to go in. The struggle to get machine tools continues. General Motors has orders in ior 16.000 but is get ting only about 2500 a month. Chrysler expects to wait several months more for 18,000 machines still on order. Those figures sug gest one reason why defensive weapons Ere being cut back. The limited supply of machines must go into expansion of engines and power plants for planes and boats. One hears many rumors about Ford’s Willow Run bomber plant. But several hours spent in walk ing over 80 per cent of the plant shows that the place is full of planes in various stages of pro duction. The plant is working but it is far from peak production, which is not expected until to ward the last quarter of next year. The principal task at Willow Run now is to obtain and train help. Thousands of men and women who never have worked around ma chines must be taught. Materials and machines appear to be on hand in adequate supply. Sections are built up along the assembly lines, but although there is much mechanization, a vast amount of hand work is inescapable when 700,000 rivets must be put into each B-24. Problems encountered' in setting up new industries, shortages, and manpower difficulties exist for many plants, yet the production being achieved in the Detroit area is thoroughly reassuring. A look at it rather completely knocks the worry out of you. TT WHO’S LOSING NOW* We may be losing the war as Representative Maas and his fel-1 iow critics insist, but there is a I modicum of consolation in the fa" j that the other side hasn't won it j yet.—Greenville (S. C.) News. 1 The Literary Guidpost By JOHN SELBY “Barriers Down: The Story of the News Agency Epoch,” by Kent Cooper (Farrar & Rinehart; $3). For the first time in a good many years the directing head of a great American enterprise him self tells the whole story of his greatest achievement. The man is Kent Cooper, general manager of The Associated Press, and the story is to be found in “Barriers Down,” published today. This is what happened. Twenty eight years ago, Mr. Cooper found a cablegram lying in a basket in the New York offices of The As sociated Press. It was from La Nacion, one of Buenos Aires’ g*e3t newspapers, and it asked that Associated Press facilities be made available for its use. This was not especially remarkable, but e *act that the message was un answered impressed Mr. Cooper, we asked his predecessor as gen MelviUe Stone, why tiiere had been no reply. felt W?s 0131 Mr- Stone Jack of an answer was wUh wW etCvfUSe °f an aSreernent monn^ t-.then W3S 3 world news monopoly it was impossible for The American*^ Press to serve 3 South American paper. It started Mr. Cooper thinking, and although he was officially not concerned, since his job was to supervise the traffic department of The Associated Press, he saw no reason why he should not look into the situation. He found that the world had been effectively divided among three great news agencies: Reu ters in England, Havas in France, and Woolf in Germany. Of these, the most powerful was Reuters. There were many other national agencies and all of them were bound to the main stem. The American cooperative was effec tively barred from honest compe tition, and what was much worse, Mr. Cooper felt, the ideals of a free press were submerged. In one way or another, the world combine was responsive to gov ernment contr<jl, and its news was colored by nationalistic demands. “Barriers Down” is the detailed and dramatic story of Mr. Cooper’s long battle against this monopoly, not for the financial gain of The Associated Press, because that or ganization does not serve for prof it, but so that a free interchange of free news might be had. And it was undertaken in the belief that the basis of world security is the unfettered transmission and publication of news. Civilian Defense Timetable BASIC TRAINING COURSES High School Room 109 at 8 P. M. Fire Defense A—every Monday. General Course—every Tuesday. Gas Defense B—every Wednes day. FIRST AID 10 HOURS Room 106, New Honover High School First lesson — every Monday. Second lesson — every Tuesday. Third lesson — every Wednes day. Fourth lesson — every Thursday. Final lesson — every Friday. FIRST AID 10 HOURS Beginning Monday, December 7, at Hemenway School. 7:30 P. M. SPECIAL, COURSES Police course — every Thursday, high school room 109, at 8 P. M. HEALTH FOR VICTORY CLUB MEETINGS Nutrition Program 2nd. December 10th, 2 P. M., at St. Paul’s Parish House, 6th and Princess streets. Mrs. Cordelia Fos ter, instructor. 3rd. (Negro) December 8th at 3 P. M. at Salem Hall, 8th and Red Cross streets. Mrs. Cordelia Fos ter, instructor. If you hear or observe anything suspicious in character report it promptly to: Wilmington Police, 5244. Wrightsville Beach Police, 7504. Carolina Beach'Police. 2001. Captain of the Port, 2-2278. County Defense Council 3123. Sheriff, 4252. -V You’re Telling Me Coffee rationing will have at least one salutary effect—it should cure a lot of folks of the hahit of dunking. * ! ! ! Mussolini has the jitters, we read. And no wonder, with the RAF turning almost every night into a Hallowe’en preview for him. Interpreting The War By KIRKE L. SIMPSON Although both jaws of the Allied pincer attack in north Africa s.f presently stalled, primarily by th« difficulties of bringing up adequate forces, the odds are heavily against the Axis on that from That Hitler even hopes to hold the narrow coastal strips within which his African armies are now pent up longer than necessary to bolster Italy’s defenses against a trans - Mediterranean invasion i» doubtful. Yet to do that and to offer what is left of Rommel’s once conquering army in Italian Africa any chance whatever of cape from extermination, it js ofc. vious the Axis must make * de laying stand in northern and ea« ern Tunisia. That probably accounts for the furious Nazi defense of the B zerte-Tunis triangle. Had northern and eastern Tunisia fallen to the first rush of the British-American armies from Algeria, the plight of Rommel’s remnant in Tripoli tania now would have been all but hopeless. The Tunisian foreland, tipped to the northeast by Cape Bon only 90 miles from the southwestern promontory of Sicily, is the tac tical and strategic key to the whole Allied African-Mediterrane' an campaign. The fate of Rom mel’s command is vitally linked with the battle of the Tunisian triangle. It is possible that General Alex ander’s British veterans, as yet only feeling out Nazi defense po sitions in the Agheila narrows 400 miles east of Tripoli are waiting more for British-American com rades to spring closed the west ern jaw of the trap, than upon their own supply and communi cation troubles, great as they are. From the outset of his westward drive in Egypt, Alexander has stressed to his troops that anni hilation of the enemy, not merely his defeat and retreat, was their assignment. Once the Tunisian foreland and its air bases were in Allied hands, sea escape for any substantial part of Rommel’s still considerable army would be a desperate busi ness. Ships to carry them would have more than a 300-mile run to make with Allied bombers on both flanks, to any Sicilian port of ref uge. That is too far for a one night cover-of-darkness run includ ing loading and unloading. It is too long a jump for Italian small coastal craft to be able to repeat the amazing British success in evacuating an army from Dun kirk’s beaches. The role of Malta in the Medi terranean has been completely re versed. It was Britain's sole re maining foothold in the central Mediterranean and has endured an agony of Axis bombing attacks, but heretofore its value was pure ly defensive. Now it is a powerful and ideally placed offensive weapon in Allied hands. Its hour of vengeance is near. The island stands athwart any route of German retreat from Italian Africa. Its planes and sub marines are an ominous threat no matter what sea route to or from Tripoli or any Axis-held ports in Italian Africa the enemy seems to use for reinforcements or retreat. So long as Nazi forces cling to a narrow strip of the Tunisian coast and the foreland dominated by the Bizerte-Tunis battle trian gle, however, some sort of an es cape corridor along the Tunisian shore lino might remain open to Rommel. That might be the real reason for the stubborn Nazi stanc against Eisenhower's British American troops. If it is, however, not many more days can pass before it would be too late to make the attemp ■ There is no reason to doubt that Alexander is rushing up men. tanks and supplies and advancin» his air bases from the east m preparation for renewing his " ey ward drive. And in contrast o the Nazi opposition Eisenhowei s men are meeting in Tunisia. Alex ander is being left all but unnm lested to make his preparations, for assault. _ As Others Say It Good Enough For all practical purpose; the Russians have created a - front by reversing a first Greenville (S. C.) News. Coffee and Goats Coffee was once so plen1 if' olden days that Arabian sheet goats, chewing the coffee used to go on coffee jags on 're - light nights in the desert—-a fi: | ous thought to many an old At: ^ ican coffee addict just now.—A?' ville Times. Man Proposes Man proposes—but ofttimes > > when he has been maneuvere a a position from which there no graceful exit.—Mont eon.e-. (Ala.) Advertiser. Worth It! A dime to a panhandler too much for informal.' ; coffee.—Richmond CVa.> 1 Dispatch. .. ALL GAEL— Were it possible for Coe?ar bring his Commentaries up date he would, doubtless. reCL'~ all Gaul as now divided in10 1,1 parts—inhabited. respe<; > cb • ^ the virtuous and the Vich: Norfolk (Va.) Ledger-Dupatch
Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
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Dec. 8, 1942, edition 1
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