Served by Leased Wire of the nsa _ _ (““"""“" "
—= THE SUNP^S STAR-NEWS
y_"g=!f=- <affMwwS«!rl h W1 — anbbataaw
^..■NOje, m„^—WILMINGTON, N. C., SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 1943 FINAL EDITION PRICE FIVE CENTS
American Soldiers Will Note Easter
in Numerous English Churches Today
48 SOLONS FAVOR
TRADE PACT SETUP
Survey Shows At Least 40
Will Vote To Continue
Reciprocal Accords
WASHINGTON, April 24.—GP>—
An Associated Press poll showed to
day that at least 40 senators will
vote to t -ntinue the administration’s
reciprocal trade agreements pro
c: in or demand substantial amend
dents.
Since there are 95 members, the
senate's decision on renewal of the
authority, which expires .Tune 12,
thus apparently rests with the 37
t ators who either declined to coni
r.iii themselves or. in six cases,
c mid not be reached for comment.
T s far the administration has
r, i. no public move to compromise
tv- form of the legislation, which
provides for agreements under
which tariffs can be reduced as
much as 00 per cent in return for
v ' ipvocal reductions bv foreign
nations. Under" the most-favored
! : :i clause, other countries which
d > not discriminate against Ameri
can trade can enjoy the same ad
vantages.
At the law now stands, the agree
ments are not subject to approval
t'. congress. A change in this pro
V - is demanded by a substantial
Sumter of senators listed as oppos
ed to continuance in the present
form. The change also is favored
by some of chose who said they will
vote fur renewal of the act as it
Stands.
The 40 senators willing to vote to
ro include S3 democrats and sev
•n republicans. They represent a.
grou;:. only nine short of a majority
of the seriate. However, several of
tin- republicans, as well as some of
• > mmoerats, made if clear they
ftr' '"’illii f: to go along- on an tin
smen<1 oh renewal only because of
^ar coralii ions.
^ 'i ae poll showed that there Is lit
tt* question a majority can be mus
1r r' ‘ in the senate to extend the
r o.le agreements authority in some
f-'i'm, Whether ihe result if? entire
! satisfactory to the administra*
Ti,,n apparently will depend largely
111 'vilat> if any, amendments are
made.
4, he hov,se is expected to vote on
(tvestiun first. Jf, for instance,1
It. agrees to the two-year extension
T !^lout amending the measure to
Permit congress to nullify agree
ments which it did not approve,
H^mttnncd on Page Two; Col. 1)
Stockholm Warns Nazis
On Mine - Laying Activity
STOCKHOLM, April 24—UP)—'The
Swedish government, announcing
we discovery of German mines in
Sweden’s territorial waters, sent a
wunt note to Berlin today warning
Germany about the mine-laying
aRd expressing dissatisfaction
®Ver the German answer to a pro
b'd against the firing upon the
' -‘'dish submarine Draken by the
'nan merchant ship Altkirch.
I lie government announced that
Swedish navy will take mea
?ll!,'s against any German forces
."■'ms mines in this nation’s ter
m ■ ial waters as well as against
Si!ps which fire on Swedish ves
*ely.
Pile the formal note to Berlin
W’Ptioned only that “measures”
t'ouid be taken, qualified obser
MANY ENJOY HOLIDAY
Troops In Middle East Will
Also Attend Special
Sunrise Services
LONDON. April 24—UP)—Under
the same sky which two springs
ago was filled with tire German
air force’s roar of destruction,
United States soldiers at dawn to
morrow will commemorate the
resurrection of the Prince of
Peace.
Observing its second Easter In
Great Britain, the American Ex
peditionary force will be host to
thousands of British comrades at
a service in Hyde park—an Amer
ican custom new to the play
ground and forum of London’s
millions.
On the dazzling green lawns,
where Londoners later in the day
will gather to hear an Easter
concert by the renowned band of
the Grenadier Guards, voices typ
ical of all America will be lifted
in prayer and song.
Throng Streets
Thousands of these soldiers,
with a sprinkling of sailors,
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 3)
BURN! G VESSEL
SUNK IN HUDSON
Explosive Laden Craft De
stroyed After It Catches
Fire At Jersey City
NEW YORK,'April 24—MB—An ex
plosive laden ship was sunk in the
Hudson river oft Bayonne, N. J.,
tonight after it had caught fire
and the police department broad
cast a request that waterfront resi
dents of Brooklyn, Staten Island
and New Jersey keep their win
dows open.
Acting Police Commissioner
Louis Costuma requested the warn
ings be given after' the ship had
burned for some time and had been
towed from its mooring at Jersey
City to a point between the New
Jersey and New York shores.
Fireboats and police launches
meanwhile had been sent to the
aid of the boat. At 9:15 P.M., East
ern War Time, the New York Po
lice department announced that the
ship had been sunk.
Further details were withheld.
vers viewed the order as meaning
'that officers had been instructed
to open fire to protect the neutrali
ty that has safeguarded Sweden
from the war.
The note demanded assurance of
the Nazis that steps would be taken
to prevent a repetition of such in
cidents as the attack on the
Draken.
“Swedish naval vessels are or
dered to take measures against
ships belonging to belligerent pow
ers which, through laying mines
or shooting at other ships or in
other ways, are caught in the act
of breaking the ban against mili
tary action within Swedish terri
tory,” the note said.
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 1)
NEW INCOME TAX
BILL IS OFFERED
Measure Would Cancel
About 44 Per Cent Of
1942 Obligations
WASHINGTON, April *4.—(/P)—
A new pay as you go tax bill, can
celling approximately 44 per eent
of 1942 tax obligations, emerged
from the Ways and Means commit
tee today as the democratic majori
ty sought to compromise the weary
house deadlock.
House Democratic Leader Mc
Cormack of Massachusetts prompt
ly bid for republican support for
the plan, asserting it results in
“forgiveness of about $3,000,000,
000“ and holding out this olive
branch of conciliation:
“My republican friends need not
fear that such action would be con
strued as a defeat for them or a
victory for the democrats. It would
be a powerful message to our ene
mies of legislative unity x x x It
would be construed as a legislative
victory for all of us;’’
But the measure gained commit
tee approval on voice vote, with
the outnumbered republican mem
bers sitting silently by — and
their silence then and statements
later served notice they will con
tinue to urge a version of the
Ruml skip-a-year bill.
Indeed, the action which will
bring the second floor showdown
on taxes came only after the com
mittee, also vocally, had rejected
the modified Ruml plan and anoth
er compromise advanced by Rep.
Robertson (D Va) to abate the six
per cent normal and first 13 per
cent surtax on '42 income.
By agreement, the Ways and
Means bill will reach the floor for
a single day of general debate on
Monday, May 3, but a free or all
fight is expected to develop the
following day, when both the re
publicans and Robertson expect to
offer their substitutes with the
likelihood still other compromises
may.be proposed.
In an effort to get the nation’s
taxpayers on a current basis the
democratic plan — in contrast to
its previous "no abatement” meas
ure — calls ror;
1. A 20 per cent withholding levy
on wages and salaries, beginning
July 1.
2. Payment of 1942 individual
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 1)
_17_
WEATHER
' FORECAST:
North Carolina: Slightly wanner Sun
day.
(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., 54; 7:30 a. m., 53; 1:30 p.
m., 62; 7:30 p. m., 60.
Maximum 63; Minimum 53; Mean 56;
Normal 65
Humidity
1:30 a. m., 84; 7:30 a .m., 87; 1:30 p
m., 88; 7:30 p. m., 89.
Precipitation
Total for the 24 hours ending 7:30 p.
m., 0.16 inches.
Total since the first of the month,
2:10 inches.
Tides For Today
High Low5
Wilmington _„_ 1:28a. 8:54a.
l:47p. 9:05p.
Masonboro Inlet _11:37a. 5:41a.
p. 5:46p.
Sunrise, 5:29 a. m.; Sunset. 6:51 p. m.;
Moonrise, -; Moonset, 9:55o.
Cape Fear river stage at Fayetteville
on April 24, at 8 a. m., 17.25 feet.
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 1)
Strike Ended
^Celanese
company Mill
UMW Members Terminate
Walkout After Roosevelt
Threatens Intervention
SAYS PLEDGE BROKEN
WLB Orders Wage Con
tract Extended Until Coal
Dispute Is Settled
(By The Associated Press)
Members of the United Mine
Workers at the Newark, N. J.,
plant of the Celanese Corporation
of America decided last night to
end their two-weeks-long strike a
few hours after President Roose
velt threatened government inter
vention unless they returned to
work by noon Monday,
Howard Gill, president of UMW
local 12666, announced in Newark
that members of the union voted
unanimously to go back to their
jobs Monday morning ‘‘at the Pres
ident’s request.” The President
telegraphed union officers that the
government would take steps to
protect ‘‘the rights of the patriotic
workers who desire to work” and
the company’s legal rights.
Picketing Halted
Gill, reporting that picketing
had been halted, said Mr. Roose
velt’s telegram assured union
members that the President would
“see that the proper agencies give
the proper hearings that are neces
sary. That is all we wanted in
the first place.”
The President did not say, in his
telegram to John L. Lewis and
officials of district 50, United Mine
Workers (members of which walk
ed out at the Newark plant! what
steps the government would take.
The implication was, however, that
the Army or Navy might take the
situation in hand if the men did
not call off their picket lines and
return to work. Both services have
war contracts with the Newark
plant.
Mr. Roosevelt said the strike “is
a clear violation of labor’s , no
strike pledge.” He moved into
the case at the request of the war
labor board which previously had
demanded that the walkout be end
ed. The strike, which started
about two weeks ago, arose out. of
a Jurisdictional dispute in which
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 3)
HARMON ARRIVES
! AT FLORIDA FIELD
i --
Plans To Recuperate From
Jungle Ordeal Following
Crash Of His Plane
MIAMI, Fla., April 24. — Iff) —
Lieut. Tommy Harmon, former
Michigan All - America football
player, was flown to Morrison
Field at West Palm Beach to
day to recuperate from his jungle
ordeal which followed the crash of
an Army plane in Dutch Guiana.
He arrived aboard an Army
plane from Puerto Rico. The
craft had been expected to land at
Miami where a group of Army of
ficials awaited the flier, but the
plane was flown to its base at
West Palm Beach.
Lieut. Harmon reported looking
well and feeling in good spirits,
is the sole known survivor of ihe
plane crash. ,
He slashed his way through tie
jungle for four days before he'
could find help.
The flier was ordered to a hos-,
pital after his arrival at West
Palm Beach and plans for a radio
broadcast were cancelled.
News reporters and photograph
ers were not permitted to inter
view him immediately.
It was at Morrison Field that
the former Michigan star received
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 5)
OPA Strikes At Poultry
‘Black Market’ in State
RALEIGH, April 24.—UP)—'With
Raleigh markets advertising that
they had no chickens this week-end
because of “black market” opera
tors the OPA legal division today
struck at the “black market” in
poultry in one criminal and six
i civil court actions, state OPA^ Di*
rector Theodore S. Johnson said.
Johnson appealed for “patriotic
cooperation” of dealers and citizens.
The OPA chief said that criminal
proceedings were instituted against
Paul T. Poole, a poultry retailer at
the Raleigh c ty market, and that
judge I. M. Meekins has signed
temporary restraining orders against
six poultry dealers.
Johnson said Poole is charged
with buying chickens at prices in
[ exec s of OPA ceiling prices, and
AMERICANS, FRENCH CLOSE
ON BIZER TEAS FIRST ARMY
CONTINUES DRIVE ON TUNIS
New Report Indicates Rommel
Has Been Removed From Africa
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS
IN NORTH AFRICA, April 24
—UP)—The allied ground com
mand gave official currency to
day to an engaging piece of
captured evidence that Field
Marshal Erwin Rommel had
been removed by some means
from the African fighting scene,
leaving his cornered Africa
corps under command, of Col.
Gen. Jurgen von Arnim.
The basis for the crystalliz
ing belief that Rommel had dis
appeared from Tunisia was a
brief statement made public by
the headquarters of Gen. Sir
Harold Alexander, the allied
ground commander, which
said:
“A document dated March 19
and recently captured by the
(British) First Army was sign
ed by von Arnjm as general
officer, commander-in-chief,
and not by Rommel, whose pre
sent whereabouts and new ap
pointment, if any, are un
known.” * i ■
The cryptic announcement
immediately revived specula
tion on what may have hap
pened to the wily Rommel
whose whereabouts long have
been the subject of rumor and
conjecture.
That the Nazi desert fox
would abandon his personally
hothouse-trained Africa corps,
now engaged in its fight for
life, opened these possibilities:
(1) That he had been recalled
to take charge of the defenses
of Italy’s mainland and Sicily
and Sardinia because the Ger
man high command is convinc
ed Africa already is lost;
(2) That he is in disgrace
with Hitler and has been re
moved the same as many other
German generals who failed;
and
(3) That he had been wound
ed or killed.
It is certain that Rommel’s
disappearance would have a
profound effect on the Africa
corps which he personally
trained and led in three years
of desert battle.
Of the three possibilities, the
first appeared most likely. It
is considered certain Hitler
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 3)
County Exceeds War Loan Drive Quota
By 12 Per Cent With $2,902,002 Total
SOVIETS DESTROY !
20 NAZI PLANES
:
---■—
Hit 18 Others In Raid On
Airdrome At Stalino
In Donets Basin
LONDON. Sunday, April 25—Iff)
— Russian airmen destroyed 20
more German planes in the north
western Caucasus and hit 18 others
in a raid on an airdrome at Stalino
in the Donets basin, Moscow an
nounced early today as land fight
ing subsided on the long front.
German efforts to expand their
narrow bridgehead in the Kuban
valley of the Caucasus ceased tem
porarily because of heavy losses
sustained during the last w'eek,
said the midnight communique re
corded by the Soviet Monitor.
One company of enemy infantry
was reported annihilated or dis
persed in the Balakleya sector
southeast of Kharkov in the Uk
raine by sporadic artillery duels
raging along the front, and the
communique disclosed the Red
army still was entrenched in the
Sevsk salient 80 miles from Bry
ansk.
Soviet artillerymen were said to
have destroyed five enemy block
houses and dispersed a battalion
of Germans in the Scvsk sector,
and anti-aircraft fire downed four
planes.
Six blockhouses, one artillery
piece, and two enemy batteries
were'knocked out on the Volkhov
front southeast of Leningrad, the
communique said, and 200 Germans
were killed when caught by a bar
rage as they were moving up to
the front.
Soviet airmen appeared to have
taken over the brunt of the fight
ing. The 20 planes credited to the
Caucasian air force were downed
in-air combat or destroyed on Ger
i man airdromes. At Stalino the
communique sndi 18 successful
I hits on enemy planes were observ
ed,” and in addition a hangar was
demolished, a fuel dump blown up,'
several fires started, and two lo
comotives and a troop train were
destroyed.
Front dispatches had indicated
thgt the Germans were trying to
enlarge their Caucasian bridege
head as the preliminary to a large
scale offensive., , '
the legal division of OPA charges
that Poole attempted to hide the
truth about the transaction by giv
ing the seller an invoice at ceiling
price, they paying the difference
"on the side."
A total of 1,371, pounds of poultry
was involved in the deal, OPA- said.
Defsndants in, the civil actions,
all charged with having sold poul
try items in excess of OPA maxi
mum prices, Johnson said, are B. J.
Beasley of Raleigh, P. D. Gupton
of Henderson, S. D. Rogers of Hen
derson. Andrews and Rnolls, Inc.,
of Mount Olive, C. S. Rhodes of
Raleigh and J. C. Castleberry of
Apex.
The orders restrained the defend
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 1)
| STATE SALES GOOD
-*
Morgenthau Reports Na
tional Campaign Within
Billion Dollars Of Goal
New Hanover's Second War Loan
drive went “over the top” last week
by approximately 12 per cent with
$2,902,002.75 invested in government
securities, K. A. Laney, chairman
of the . War Finance committee, an
nounced Saturday.
The pace of the campaign was
stepped up this week by the pur
chase of $1,102,002.75 in V'ar bonds
to exceed the county goal by $308,
002.75. New Hanover was asked to
invest $2,594,000 in government se
curities during the period April 12
30.
State Sales Good
Mr. Laney also reported that the
State of North Carolina has already
invested $58,000,000 of a $62,000,000
goal.
Heavy sales last w-eek were di
rectly attributed by the bond leaders
to the news that the Japanese had
executed several American aviators
captured following the raid on Tokyo
last April.
“We felt all along we would reach
the goal,” Mr. Laney said, “but
sales mounted with the announce
ment of the death dealt to o.ur air
men by the Japanese.”
The bond leader predicted New
Hanover citizens will buy three and
one-half million dollars worth of
bonds before the Second War Loan
campaign ends April 30. “We’re set
ting that figure as our minimum
goal.”
Mr. Laney announced that the
national organization of • Beverly
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 4)
TT
ALLIES ATTACK
BIG JAP CONVOY
Five Zero Planes Downed
In Engagement North
west Of Wewak
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
Australia, Sunday, April 25.—UPi—
A large convoy of Japanese ships
has been attacked by 'Allied Liber
ator bombers northwest of Wewak,
New Guinea, during which five
Japanese Zeros were shot down,
the high command announced to
day.
The communique also reported
the dropping of 21 tons of bombs |
yesterday in a raid on Kendari,
which is on the southeast coast of
the Celebes approximately 900 i
miles northwest of Darwin, Aus
tralia.
Five enemy, planes were destroy
ed on the ground in the Kandari
raid and six probably were shot
down.
It was the first heavy, raid re
ported on that base since, one
Feb. 10.
NOTICE
The Star-News Circula
tion Department is open
Sundays from 7 to 10 a. m.
If you fail to receive your
paper, phone 2-3311 before
10 and one will be sent to
you by special messenger.
After 10 o’clock, the de
partment is closed.
DEATH OF LEWIS
TERMED ACCIDENT
Verdict Returned By Cor
oner’s Jury Following
Investigation Here
| A verdict that “Barney J. Lewis
came to his death from an air
embolism caused by the introduc
tion of air into his vein acciden
tally due to the machine used be
ing improperly connected at the
James Walker Memorial hospital”
was returned here Saturday after
noon by a coroner’s jury.
The 24-year-old Wilmington Air
Base soldier died at the hospita
early Thursday night.
During the inquest, which began I
Saturday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock!
and lasted for three and one ha! ''
hours, it was revealed that Lewi'
along with two other soldiers, h d
voluteered to donate blood a
it was during the process of :
curing the blood that the fa;
accident occurred.
Dr. J. D. Gilland, resident s .
geon at the hospital, named Dr. C..
H. Workman, Jr., an interne
and a nurse, Miss Lina Walton
as performing the blcod
donation operation. He said bl ■
was obtained in a routine mar
from a soldier aecompan;
Lewis, but “through an error,
tube was then connected to a ma
chine which pumped air into Lew
is’ vein instead of to a suction ma
chine which would have drained
the blood.
“Dr. Workman detected the error
in about 30 or 40 seconds and dis
connected the machine,” Dr. Gil
land continued, “and he observed
Mr. Lewis for two or three min
utes. failing to find any symptoms
of ill effects. He then proceeded
with the routine process, drain
ing about 75 cubic centimeters oi
blood. Mr. Lewis then complain
ed of not ‘feeling well’ and hav
ing a ‘blown-up’ sensation. The
operation was discontinued.’
The Resident Surgeon revealed
that after Lewis showed symp
toms of illness such as a “blueness
about the head and face,” artifi
cial respiration was begun and
medicines administered, but Lewis
failed to respond favorably. As a
last resort, he w'as placed in the
“Iron Lung” for oxygenating
treatment, but after nearly two
hours, he was pronounced dead, he
testified.
Under questioning by Attorney j
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 2)
U. S. Makes New Round
Of Attacks In Solomons
WASHINGTON, April 24.—W—A
new round of attacks on Japanese
bases in the Solomon islands was
reported by the Navy today in a
communique which said that three
grounded enemy planes were set
ablaze.
The communique made no re
port on operations in the north
Pacific, where for weeks Japa
nese on Kiska island have been
under almost daily attack. Naval
officers said they assume that
■bad weather characteristic of the
Aleutians had prevented new air
raids. This w'as the second day
that no assaults had been report
ed on Kiska, and if the assump
tion with regard to the weather
was correct, it indicated that the
■enemy had been given two days
OVERRUNNING HILL
U. S. Troops Speed Se
cretly From Southern Tu
nisia To New Front
LAUNCH MAJOR PUSH
French Soldiers Reported
But 23 Miles From
Axis Naval Base
ALLIED HEADQUAR
TERS IN NORTH AFRICA
April 24. — UP) _ American
troops who sped secretly to
battle from southern Tunisia
and French forces on the
northern coast were closing
on Bizerte from three direc
tions today and the British
were overrunning strategic
Long Stop hill in their push
toward Tunis against the
rapidly shrinking axis siege
line.
In the midst of this sudden
outburst of fierce fighting for
the principal remaining objec
tives in Africa — the great
naval base and the capital—
it was disclosed that the Ger
man commander. Marshal Er
win Rommel, had disappear
ed.
Gen. Sir Harold Alexander's 18th
army group headquarters announc
ed the capture of a document dated
March 19 which indicated that Rom
mel, who led his Africa Corps into
Tunisia after the long retreat from
El Alamein, no longer Is In Africa.
La<uii p] Full Attach
Shifted frci (the south gwifth
and secretl; j tnerican troops
the north ha\ ./inched • futl-s; ■ '
at 'a eV agaii \ ' true ps
• Uspat aes sa \ -it
advance are fi.'
hill to hill witi.
zerte.
t.V French com
in London from'
broadcasts, said F
advanced more tha
Cap ierrat area. ’
sn at least wit
11; ■ e. since Cap i,
i from the big
■i Britt first,
on ti»e westeA,
en i s defense line
to have captured t'i _
dun” BtrvfitfioW at f. ^
<Continued on Page Two; Col. 4)
WAR CASUALTIES
NOW TOTAL 78,235
Figure Represents In
crease Of 12,855 Since
Last Report Feb. 20
_
WASHINGTON, April 24—W—The
Office of War Information an
nounced today a war casualty total
of 78,235. This figure, representing
an increase of 12,855 since the
last OWI report Feb. 20, apparent
ly did not include some of the most
recent Tunisian losses. The OWI
explained that the figures were only
for casualties whose next of kin
had been notified as of yesterday.
The latest list included 12,123
dead, 15,049 wounded, 40,435 miss
ing and 10,628 prisoners.
Army casualties totaled 53,309,
including 4.976 killed, 10,384 wound
ed, 27,321 missing, and 10,6298 pri
soners of war. Of the wounded,
1,058 have returned to active duty.
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 4)
in which to push work on the
Kiska airfield.
The three grounded planes fired
in the Solomons were discovered
at Munda on New Georgia island
Thursday by a flight of Corsair
fighters which strafed the air base
there. Earlier Avenger bombers
had blasted the runway and sil
enced anti-aircraft positions.
Following their assaults on Mun
da the Corsairs raided Vila on
nearby Kolombangara island, but
results were not reported.
During Thursday night, Libera
tor heavy bombers attacked Ka
hili, an enemy air base in th®
Shortland area of the northwest
ern Solomons. Friday, Dauntless
(Continued on Page Two; Coly 3)