North Carolina Newspapers

SMITH CONTINUES TRIAL OF HIGGINS Negro Charged With Trans porting Liquor From South Carolina The trial of John Otto Higgins, Wilmington Negro, charged with transporting whiskey was continued until Tuesday by Judge H. Winfield Smith in Saturday’s session of Re corder’s court. Higgins was arrested for trans porting whiskey by ABC Officers B. W. White and M. F. Cooke as the Negro stepped from a train at the Atlantic Coast Line railroad depot here Friday afternoon. The officers said Higgins, whose address was listed as 614 North Ninth street, was carrying a case of bottled in bond whiskey, bear ing South Carolina tax stamps, in his suitcase. The trial of Lattimore Ballard, Negro, arraigned for receiving goods stolen from a cafe at 406 Nixon street owned by Hr. Roseman, Negro physician, was also continued. Two persons were fined for speed ing and one was acquitted on a Similar charge. For speeding 38 miles an hour in the business district with his truck, Lloyd G. Pope was fined $25 and costs while N. H. Jackson received the same fine for speeding 39 miles an hour. Henry Feemstra was found not guilty of the same charge when three defense witnesses testi fied to his innocense and some state's witnesses failed to appear for the trial. •XT NEW INCOME TAX BILL IS OFFERED (Continued from Page One) tax obligations on the basis of the lower rates and the higher person al exemptions of 1941. 3. Application of payments al ready made on 1942 taxes to the tax bill on income earned this year. 4. Provision that the payments of last years taxes may be spread ov er a three year period to lighten the load. 5. Discount of six per cent, how ever, for those who pay off their complete ’42 obligation by March 15, 1944, and of two per cent for those who have paid in full by that date in 1945. 40 SOLONS FAVOR TRADE PACT SETUP (Continued from Page One) then the administration must find nine votes among the uncommitted senators—17 democrat^ * republic "ans and a progresr all 96 - nreser on the :ge un DUbt on stration nt they , senate #■ without XS inches of the . They in the 1 Let Tour Voice ^ Lift High in < Song — For Easier Is A Time For Hopes 'Tis Easter once again , , . and our voices j.re resonant with cheer. ’Tis Easter and we wish you happiness and .ioin in your prayers for Victory! Our greetings, filled with war-winning hope, also express our determination to continue to fulfill what ever responsibilities come our way, in line with the nation’s war effort. > Missing Alonzo George Ward, (above) elec trician's mate first class. United States Navy, has been reported miss ing ill action since March 24. His parents are Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Ward of Bolton. Ward enlisted in tile Navy through the Wilmington recruiting station in January, 1940, and has been on submarine duty since finishing a Navy service school early in 1940. He attended Bolton High school and Louisburg college for a year before enlisting. WILDCAT STRIKE HITS TANK PLANT Unauthorized Walkout Closes Detroit Arsenal For Al most Eight Hours DETROIT, April 24—(fl—An un authorized strike in protest against discipline of a worker who left his machine to smoke, closed the De troit tank arsenal of the Chrysler corporation for nearly eight hours today. Production was resumed with the afternoon shift, and Leo LaMotte, director of the Chrysler division of the United Automobile Workers (CIO), termed the stoppage the “stupid action of a few irrespon sible workers.” A Chrysler spokesman said one worker who left his machine yes terday and went out of the' plant to smoke, against company regu lations. was laid off and that tank assembly workers this morning de manded that he be reinstated im mediately. When the company re fused, the men stopped work, and the arsenal was closed. In a telegram to UAM-CIO offi cials Robert W. Conder, Chrysler director of labor relations, said the workers’ action “stopped produc tion of tanks vitally needed by the armed forces” and that the pro duction “lost because of this un patriotic action cannot be regain ed.” LaMotte, whose order to the em ployes to go back to work was in effective since many of the day shift workers had returned to their homes, said the union would in vestigate and “take disciplinary ac tion against those responsible for the strike.” LaMotte said he had asked the company to work a larger force Sunday to make up for some of the time ldst on tank production to day. MILITARY PRESS STUDY IS URGED Senator Ferguson Assails Barring Of Newspapermen From Food Parley WASHINGTON, April 24.—<-?P>— Senator O'Mahoney (D-Wyo) today urged a study of army and navy press conference methods, while Senator Ferguson (R-Mich) called the barring of the press from work ing sessions of the forthcoming in ternational food conference ‘‘a di rect blow by the administration against the bill of rights.” O’Mahoney, citing instances which he said showed a conflict of au thority between the office of war information, headed by Elmer Da vis, and other government agencies said he wculd propose Monday that the judiciary committee authorize members to attend press conferen ces held by heads of a number of government departments. 1 Among the conferences which should be studied, he said, are those of the army, navy, and office of coordinator of inter-American affairs, headed by Nelson A. Rock efeller. Last Wednesday the judi ciary committee attended Davis’ OWI conference. O’Mahoney said that session developed ‘‘a much better understanding” between Da vis and the senators. “'The difference between the re porting of facts and the dissemina tion of opinion must be clearly marked out so the people, when they receive information from any government press relations bureau will know whether it falls into one or the other category,” he said. O’Mahoney listed some of the things he wanted to find out about the government's handling of pub licity. These included: “The policies which govern the dissemination of facts and informa. tion by radio . . . the plugging of ideas of commercial programs . . . how the speeches of government officials are cleared by OWI . . . the procedure by which stories are written and cleared and by which radio scripts and campaigns are undertaken . . . the responsibility for decisions, the relationship be tween OWI and the coordinator of inter-American affairs in the dis semination of facts and opinions in Latin America by way of press re leases. radio and motion picture films.” The Wyoming senator said he thinks the government has been doing “a particularly effective job in organizing the country for war” but feels the people are entitled to an even better job. AMERICAN SOLDIERS WILL NOTE EASTER (Continued from Page One) thronged London’s holiday-crowd ed streets today for a day of sight seeing on Easter eve. Men stationed elsewhere in Britain, while awaiting the call to battle for the liberation of Europe, also will commemorate the day. To the men already engaged against the enemy over France and Germany, Methodist Bishop Adna Wright Leonard of Washing ton, D. C., will deliver a morn ing sermon at an outdoor serv ice at the Eighth Air force head quarters. At one station hospital, Lieut. Col. William O’Connor, Catholie chaplain, will celebrate mass in a rock garden, using the same missal, vestments and chalice he had in France in World War I. In an open field at a division headquarters, soldiers will bare their heads before a large altar banked with vines and Easter lilies. Chaplains James R. Mc Allister of Boydton, Va.; Maurice A. Kidder of Durham, N. H.; Charles. A. Reed of Cleveland, Ohio; Asa Gardiner of Baltimore, Md., and Robert H. Poole of Eliz abethtown, N. C., will participate in the Protestant service. Chap lain John Griffey of Collingswood, N. J., will celebrate the Catho lic mass and Chaplain Gerard Taggart of New Rochelle, N. Y., will preach. Two English clergymen will as sist in services at Cheltenham, where soldiers will join towns people in worship at one of the city’s parks. Chaplains John I. Rhea of Bristol, Tenn., and Edwin R. Carter of Richmond, Va., will deliver the sermon and benedic tion. SERVICES IN MIDDLE EAST CAIRO, April 24—UP)—American soldiers in the Middle East will attend special Easter sunrise ser vices in base and forward camps tomorrow. Chaplain Francis J. Early of South Bend, Ind., will conduct Catholic services and Chaplain Sherwood S. Davis will preach at a Protestant service at the base depot near Cairo. Many enlisted men, nurses and officers were given four - day leave from Egypt to visit Jerusa lem. Several camps in Egypt are planning Easter parties. Red Cross clubs in Cairo and Alexan dria are sponsoring Easter pro grams with special Easter menus. _it_ U. S. MAKES NEW RAIDS IN SOLOMONS (Continued from Page One) dive bombers and Corsairs bomb ed and strafed Japanese positions at Hekata bay, a sea plane base on Santa Isabel island. All American planes returned from the various missions of Thursday and Friday, the com munique said. AMERICANS, FRENCH CLOSE ON BIZERTE (Continued from Page One) only 28 miles from Tunis and the key to the Tunisian coastal plain. Long- Stop hill, which has been fiercely defended by the Germans for months, guards a pass leading from Medjeb-El-Bab to Tunis. Gain Above Beja While one battle-tempered Ameri can unit fought its way toward Mateur, important traffic junction between Bizerte and Tunis, another force of Lieut.-Gen. George S. Pat ton Jr.’s Second army corps was reported to have hacked its way through stubborn enemy opposition for seven miles northeast of Beja and to the north of the Beja-Mateur road. An announcement from Gen. Sir Harold Alexander’s allied ground troop headquarters highly praised the speed and secrecy with which Patton’s American troops were transferred from the El Guetar sec tor in southern Tunisia to fall on the enemy in the north. “This decision involved the mov ing of large numbers of troops and great quantities of stores and equip ment along the whole length of the front, and senior British officers have the fullest admiration for the excellent staff work, particularly for the speed and secrecy with which the move was carried out,’’ the announcement said. The disci i«line of United States troops also was praised. Serious Threat While the Americans joined In what General Alexandemtermed the final phast that will see the an nihilation of the Africa Corps, von Arnim’s army and their Italian al lies in Tunisia,” the veteran Brit ish First army seriously threatened the entire western side of the en emy’s mountainous defense arc by gaining six to seven miles in the Goubellat-Bou Arada sector. Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgomery's prize British Eighth army, after having pounded out initial gains in the Enfidaville sector near the east ern anchor of the axis defenses, contented itself temporarily with vigorous patrol action while the British and Americans coming in from the west kept the enemy guessing as to where the next blow would fall. Allied bombers and fighter planes made the record number of 1,500 sorties yesterday in support of their attacking ground forces, yet so fee ble was axis opposition that only six planes were lost. “American troops made success ful attacks, capturing more than 100 prisoners,” said a communique from Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower s head quarters. “In several areas ad vances of many miles were made in difficult hill country.” Patton s men and armor attacked through the heavy brush covering the northern Tunisian mountain-sides at daylight yesterday. Considerable Advance The communique said the British First army had made ‘‘a consider able advance on the whole front between Bou Arada and Medjez-El Bab despite bitter and strong en emy counter-attacks, which cost the enemy heavily.” North of Sebkret El Kourzia armored fighting took place,” the communique continued. ‘‘The enemy was forced to withdraw and a number of his tanks were de stroyed.” Sebkret El Kourzia is about nine miles northeast of Bou Arada and approximately the same distance southeast of Goubellat, reported taken by the British First army. The American offensive was sprung from both the north and south sides of the Tabarca-Mateur road. Units north of the road cap tured the Djebel Mrata and D.iehel Ain Chouna hills and clung to them stubbornly despite costly attempts by the enemy to dislodge them with the support of artillery. South of the road other American forces cap tured Djebel Rmel, 33 miles north east of Oued Zerga, a height which commands wide areas both to the east and west and is located in the strategic area flanking the road from Tebourba to Medjez-El-Bab. The Germans counter - attacked fiercely from noon until night with out shaking the Americans loose. Leave Bodies Many twisted bodies of axis troops were left lying on the forward slopes where the enemy had come under the withering fire of the Americans. The Nazis tried all the tricks in their bag in an effort to catch the Americans at a disadvant age, but they found that their tricks no longer worked and that they were up against some of the tough est competition in Africa. The terrain over which Patton’s men were attacking was even more difficult than that faced by the British Eighth army on the Enfida vllle front. So far the Americans had made no frontal assaults on the Nazis bastions of “green” and "bald” hills, which straddle the road to Mateur. They appeared to be by passing or flanking these heavily fortified positions. (The British admiralty announced that 10 more axis ships, including a cruiser, had been destroyed or damaged in attacks by British sub marines against enemy supply lines in the Mediterranean. It was not ob served whether the torpedoed cruis er sank.) The strength and determination witn which the Germans counter attacked both here and on the First army’s front proved that the enemy did not intend to give up a foot of ground without a stiff fight. His task of holding was made almost hopeless, though, by the terrible and continuous beating he was tak ing from the allied air force. Long Stop hill, as it is known to the British, or Djebel Alimera by its native name, was the strongest known German position between Medjez-El-Bab and Tunis. Dispatches from the front said British troops had captured Long Stop in armored fighting, but at headquarters here it was thought possible that some 1 mopping-up remained to be done. THREE ACQUITTED OF LYNCH CHARGES Men Are Freed Following Trial In Federal Court At Hattiesburg HATTIESBURG, Miss., April 24. ——A federal court jury freed three Jones county citizens here today of civil liberties charges in connection with the lynching of a Mississippi Negro, thus ending the first federal action taken against white men in a southern lynching in 40 years. The jury of 12 men was given the case at 10:58 p. m. Friday and returned its verdict of acquittal at 9:14 a. m. today, just 14 minutes after court was convened. Federal Judge Sidney C. Mize polled the jury and found the ver dict was unanimous, acquitting the defendants, Luther Holder, Jones county deputy sheriff and jailer; Barney Jones and Allen Pryor. “I am a happy man,” said Hold er and the others. The three men were accused by the government of conspiring with an armed mob that broke into the Jones county jail at Laurel the night of Oct. 16, 1942, seized How and Wash, the Negro, and lynched him. Wash had been convicted a few hours earlier of murdering his wife employer, Clint Welbori and was awaiting sentence to life im prisonment. The charges, brought originally against five Jones countians, had been intended by the attorney en eral to be carried before the su preme court of the United States in a test of application of the civil liberties statute in a lynching case, but the verdict of acquittal ap parently closed that avenue. -V Secretary Perkins Says Absenteeism Controlled WASHINGTON, April 24—UP)— Absenteeism, one of the bugaboos of U. S. war production, is be ing “successfully controlled,” La bor Secretary Frances Perkins de clared today. “Wilful absenteeism Is almost negligible,” she said as a nation wide survey has revealed. “The survey shows that illness, accidents, transportation difficul ties, poor housing, bad nutrition, lack of child care facilities and other problems which the individ ual worker alone cannot solve are responsible for most absentee ism,” she asserted. Poor production planning and material shortages are a “serious cause” of absenteis.m, the secre tary declared, adding that plants should pre-plan work as far as possible. -V Hull Asks Continuance Of Trade Agreements WASHINGTON, April 24.—(IP)— Secretary of State Hull called to day for ‘clear cut continuance” of the reciprocal trade agreements act for three years, without amend ment. ( Apparently intended to settle any question of whether the State de partment might be willing to com promise the issue, Hull issued a formal statement saying there should be no amendment to the pending bill to extend the law, to make sure there is no doubt con cerning this country’s ‘‘steadfast determination to cooperate fully with like minded nations in peace as well as in war." Hearings on the administration bill were ended by a house com mittee yesterday. The reciprocal trade program was started in 1934 and, Iby legislation, extended in 1937 and 1940. -V HARMON ARRIVES AT FLORIDA FIELD (Continued from Page One) his final training before taking over his duties as a pilot for the Army’s air transport command. Harmon told of bailing out when the plane went out of control and started spinning down toward the jungle. Two of the occupants are known to be dead, and the other three are missing. In an interview at the Dutch Guiana base to which he first was taken, he expressed hope that they would be able to fight their way to civilization. He said he found no trace of them near the wreckage of the plane, which fell near where he landed by para chute. .__ TO ATTEND CONVENTION RALEIGH, April 24—(^—Pa roles Commissioner Hathaway Cross and Paroles Commissioner Harry Sample will leave tomorrow for Columbia, S. S., where they will attend the annual convention of {he southeastern states proba tion and parole association. The convention will end Tuesday. The British were reported to have destroyed 16 German tanks in the bloody fighting for the position. The picturesque little village of Goubellat was declared to be in firm control of the British and the Germans to be cleared out of the Goubellat plain. British tanks were reported pushing on in an attempt to make a breakthrough that would open into the flat coastal plain leading to Tunis. The axis was in a precarious position there. -V “BRIDE-ALES” The old English custom of hold ing “bride-ales” gave us our mod ern word “bridal.” Bride-ales were wedding festivals at which the bride served ale to the guests I and received presents in return. ! Two More Baltimore Welders Ordered Held For U. S. Grand Jury BALTIMORE, April 24—(/P)— Two more of the nine Baltimore shipyard welders arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on charges of doing improper weld ing in violation of the anti-sabo tage statute, were held for federal grand jury action today by U. S. Commissioner James K. Cullen. Neither of tha defendants—Far rell Houston Smith, 29, a native of Catawba, N. C., and Leonard W. Lucas, a native of Greenwood county, S. C.—testified at long hearings, but defense attorneys in i each case contended their clients were merely inexperienced and had no “subversive” intent in do ing the reputedly faulty welding. jeffersISlds RUB R PROGRAM Says Other Government Offi cials Could Well Copy His Methods Of Work BATON ROUGE, La., April 24.— M>'—Rubber Director William M. Jeffers said today that other gov ernment officials could well copy his methods of getting a job done instead of “sitting around desks and issuing orders and grousing.” Again strongly denying that his rubber production program had in terferred with aviation gasoline output, as charged by Under-Sec retary of War Robert Patterson, Jeffers contended his plans have been successfully pushed ahead in a manner which has actually spurred on other war production. Touring rapidly-completed rub ber facilities in the Baton Rouge area, termed by him the "cradle of the synthetic rubber industry,” Jeffers indicated he would side track other scheduled plant inspec tions elsewhere so as to appear in Washington next Wednesday be fore the Truman committee prob ing the war department charges. “I’m not mad, really; I’m just an easy-going Irishman,” he said in one breath, though in the next commenting “you know boys, this country would be better off, if some of us did more thinking and less talking.” Aides accompany ing Jeffers said he had reiterated feelings that his controversy with Patterson should end with the resignation of one or the other. Jeffers went over with report ers a progress chart on a govern ment butadiene plant, to show how his office had cooperated in get ting vital equipment necessary to rush its completion. He said it was a typical instance of his of fice’s “drive behind the job” to ward accomplishment. America’s Ace Airman Wants To Visit Toky0 WASHINGTON, April 24— (A1) — America’s ace pilot In this war. Ma rine Capt. Joe Foss who shot down 26 Japanese planes in the battle of Guadalcanal — wants to go back to the Pacific “to pay a short visit to Tokyo.” “When,” said the one-time South Dakota farm lad who used to whet his marksmanship by shooting skunks, “maybe we could have a short talk about what happened” to the Doolittle pilots who fell into Japanese hands after the raid on Tokyo more than a year ago. Foss met reporters today at a press conference and made no ef fort to hide his feelings over the ex ecution of some of those fliers. But the strapping pilot, whose record of enemy planes dow’ned ex actly equals that of Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker in the first world war, won’t have his wish fulfilled at once. He is to make a tour of pre-flight schools and naval training stations around the country after a short leave at home. Drawing a contrast to the fate of the Doolittle fliers, Woss said con siderate treatment was shown Jap anese prisoners, including pilots, in the Solomons. Of his own exploits, which con sisted in the ten weeks he spent on Guadalcanal cf downing 20 zeros, four bombers and two reconnais sance planes and then surviving a crash into the sea, Foss said his big gest day was last October 25. He bagged two enemy craft in the I morning and three in the afternoon, one of them directly over o son field. Describing American . tics as “like a football teanf ^ said the very essence 0f F'" combat is teamwork. 1Cces«t; “In my estimation a w, . hasn’t shot down a. plane 1 ^ up there and protects hif* 8t‘! rates higher than a pilot yLH score,” he added to offset ’\*V pression that fliers are in a*"5 ^ see who can ring up the If'l) score of kills. ' He said the Japanese fij,, excellent but have a flair f.W! *1 manship — they love nothlnff ter than to put on a show i of rolls and loops in appr0a, ^ leaving a dogfight apparently* * es them very much. ‘ p'^ As contrasted to American M “Use your own judgment and s' pare the score,” he grinned f Solomons score is fi\e pi,nt, one, in favor of the American,, "J SEIZE THEATER BELFAST. Northern irti, April 24. (/PI—An armed groun " the Irish republican army?11 a movie theater in the nation section of the city tonight to! 1 duct an Easter service for who died for Ireland" and to nT test the presence of Amerr°' troops in Ulster. Cr‘:j’ -V Canes which were presented t Abraham Lincoln in 1863 are ca ried by New Mexico’s Pueb]0 aian governors as official badm of office. FOR SALE <103 GRACE STREET 6 Rooms and Bath—Hardwood Floors Southern Exposure Occupancy In Thirty Days Reasonable Cash Payment Balance Monthly FOR APPOINTMENTS CALL WILLETTS REALTY (0. Hooper Johnson. Sales Mgr. Phones 5233-5234 1*4 Prince** Street a man s (JKome Is His Castle And it’s that home he is fighting to protect. Whether on the battle front or home front, it matters not, as long as all he holds dear is safe from tyranny and destruction. It is the duty of those at home to tend it with loving care and devotion until that glorious day when warriors come to rest, in peace and quietude of a fami liar hearth. So until that day be sure you are doing your duty at home for those who are fighting for us near and far. This is not much to ask, yet it is vitally important. It simply means that we are to keep them fresh, clean, well-painted, attrac tively furnished. When the rugs show unmistakable signs of wear, we are to replace them. We’ve just got to give our home the same attention that we would give to our own personal appearance. We’ve got to keep it a worthy representative of America . . . fine and clean and beautiful. 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