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curved By Leased Wire Of The ---- Jgsss, BEMEMBER With Complete Coverage Of PEARL HARBOR jl^And Malional New _ AMD BATAAM --—WILMINGTON, N. C., TUESDAY, AUGUST^24, 1943 ~ FINAL EDITION ESTABLISHED 1867 New Health Center Activated v h. Elliott, assisted bv his secretary. Miss Ann Powell, are ' at home in the new §33,000 FWA sponsored health center which was recently put into operation by the city-county Health department. _____ 446,000 Fathers Facing Induction By January 1 WASHINGTON, Aug. 23.—(/P)—Draft Director Lewis B. Hershey, in the first official pronouncement of the kind, said today it probably would be necessary to induct 446,000 pre-Pearl Harbor fathers by January in order to meet quotas for the balance of this year. The figure was given in a letter sent to the 6,500 local boards explaining why the ban on drafting pre-Pearl Har bor fathers, except those in non-deferable work and there fore subject to induction at any time, had been lifted ef fective October 1. Since he put the total number of draft age (18 through 57) fathers in non-agricultural work at 6,559.000, Hershey’s figure showed approximately sev-. en out of 100 of them can expect to be in uniform before this year ends. Perhaps 21 out of 100 may be sent to induction stations, how ever. Hershey said 907.000 men would have to be inducted between Oc tober 1 ana January 1 to meet estimated Army and Navy calls, and that inductions from last July 1 to October 1 would total 966,000, making the aggregate of induc tions for the last half of this year 1,873,000, From the 1,566,000 non-fathers in 1-A on July 1, he said. 783,000 should be qualified for induction and another 644,000 can be ob tained among the nonfathers now in 4-F and occupationally defer red in the 2-A and 2-B classifica tions, making 1,427,000 nonfathers to meet calls for 1.873,000 men. The shortage of 446.000 must be made up with fathers, Hershej said, adding these observations: “We have 2.976,000 4F's. We are constantly re-working that group and many are inducted every month. The possibility of recov ery, however, from class 4-F is not great in the light of present , physical standards of the Army | and Navy. "Most of these men will remain in class 4-F until the present phys ical standards are changed by the Army and Navv. There are 1,449,000 deferred be cause of agricultural activities, -nese deferments have been made pursuant to the act of Congress, and while review of such defer ments may lead to the reclassifi cauon of some individuals, it is obvious that our deficit cannot be met from those now deferred for agricultural pursuits if food pro duction is to be maintained. "Those occupationally deferred because of their work in the war effort total 1,373,000. Many of the men so deferred must for the time eing continue their work in the b alding of ships, tanks, guns and Planes. Many are highly skilled tiaht 3Ceable in Present ! , labor market. Even if we wheth321 °f them jt is doubliul be act,Llf°re t!?an 685’000 would servinl «y available for military Th's afu6r physical examination, this number would do little more fnan complete the calls through January ], 1944 6 oniJ' i theref°re> appears that the in» frarge deferred pool remain ed h tv,1” ">hlch men can be eall V?-«lroup of bthe«. number ^ue is Tde fundamental is fathersn°K )vhetber we are to draft siderat,'nbUt ,whather' m the con "'111 c-n ntv,of the war effort we to thl those men least valuable „“e. war effort. 15 clear that if a pre-Pearl ,C°»tinue^on Page Two; Col. 6) weather CAROLINA:Continued rather fl4Elr'r,.n Standard Time) MeteoroioVicai' ,w*atb« Bureau) -ding 7a* for the 24 hours ,J0 P- m.t yesterday. \ m., 84 ~ orTemperature r'inimum’ kp• p' m> 78, Maximum 86; • mean 77; normal 77. ' m.( 59 - Humidity ’ 7.30 p. m> 76# Total Precipitation *'*, WO inches.4 h°UrS endin8 7:30 *-68 inches00 f*rs*’ 08 *be month From , 81 8**s t or Today ! s' Col* tables published by a't and Geodetic Survey), "ilmingtrm Higfi Low lt a - 4:29A 11:41A “asonboro Inl„t S:05P inlet - 2 ;33A S:40A .Sunrise 3:08P 9 ;28P •'A 0. , sunset 6:49; moonriee Cepe f-„™°™.set 2:37 p. ; ln Monday 5lv.er sta*« *t Fayetteville y‘ at 8 »• m„ 9.50 f«et. ANOTHER CRISIS NEARING ON COAL Government Heads For A Showdown With John L. Lewis’ Mine Men WASHINGTON, Aug. 23. —UP)— The government headed toward a showdown with John L. Lewis to day by returning the mines of 53 coal operators to them despite Lewis’ stand that his. United Mine '.Workers would stay on the job '.until October 31 only as govern ment employes. The miners’ chieftain kept his ■ own counsel as to what he would Ido. “No comment,” he told re porters. The companies, operating scores lof mines and including some of the larger producers in the in dustry, are scattered throughout 10 coal producing states. Secre tary of Interior Ickes, as fuel administration, took over about 3,800 mines on May 1. Five which have no had contracts with the UMW and several holding agree ments with the Progressive Mine Workers fAFL) previously had been turned back to the private owners. A spokesman for Ickes took the attitude of “wait and see what happens” when asked about Lewis’ demand for government operation of the pits until October 31. Lewis made the stipulation in sending the miners back to work in June to end the third gen eral coal strike. The instructions to work, Lewis told the miners at that time, “will automatically terminate if govern ment control is vacated prior’ to October 31. Since then, however, the situa tion has been altered by congres sional enactment of the Connally Smith labor disputes act raising statutory barriers against strikes without notice and a formal secret ballot. Since then, also, Lewis has sign ed an agreement with Illinois coal producers and made known that he considers it to be a model for settling the soft coal wage dis pute. The proposed contract, now before the War Labor Board for (Continued on Page Six; Col. 6) M’Nutt Asks Worker Shift WASHINGTON, Aug. 23. — Iff) — Manpower Chairman Paul V. Mc Nutt called today for 2,600,000 workers to shift from non-essen tial to “war useful” jobs between now and July 1 of next year. He said in a statement that 2, 100.000 are needed before New Year’s, and appealed for persons in doubt about the war-usefulness of their jobs to consult local of fices of the United States Employ ment Service. Warnings have gone out previ ously to draft-age fathers to get into essential work, but the new statement invited movement of workers from nonessential activi ties regardless of whether or not they are liable to the draft. “It is easy to see,” McNutt said, “why such large-scale transfers must take place. The military services plan to expand from 9, 300.000 to 11,300,000 between July, 1943, and July, 1944. These men and women will be drawn from war-useful jobs as well as from other occupations. At the same time, as our commitments on the battle fronts multiply, the war in dustries are required to meet ris ing schedules of production. They must replace the men drawn into war service, replace those they lose from accidents, normal deaths, retirements and other kinds of turnover, and add enough skilled workers to assure that pro duction schedules are met within specified periods.” McNutt urgea, however, th a t workers not transfer from one war useful job to another unless the switch involves greater use of their talents. For instance, he said, laundry workers in war industry areas where laundry help already (Continued on Page Two; Col. 7) i Plans To Defeat Japanese Are Laid At J/Jjrbse v elt - Churchill Conference; Ru /ian Army Streams Into Kharkov Winston Churchill Was Close To Death During London Raids Of 1940 QUEBEC, Aug. 23. — UP) — Winston Churchill narrowly es caped being killed during the London blitz of November, 1940, it was disclosed today. The . British prime minister was dining at No. 10 Downing street', his official London residence, with Sir Archibald Sinclair, British minister for air, and Brenden Bracken, minister of information. . A bomb fell on the Treasury building next door, demolish ing it and killing 12 people. The dining-room chandelier at 10 Downing street plopped right into the center of the prime ministers table, bu£ no one was hurt. Churchill insisted that his loyal cook go down into the air raid shelter but she refused to go without bringing the party its coffee. _17_ BRIGHT LEAF WEED MARTS ARE READY Eight Of Markets Report Total Of 8,000,000 Pounds On Floors RALEIGH, Aug. 23.— CD —With eight of the 14 new bright tobacco belt markets reporting a total of some 8,000,000 pounds of leaf al ready on the floor, indications were tonight that opening day sales tomorrow will run close to the 6,910,271 sold on the first day of last season. Earlier reports th a t farmers were holding back their tobacco, pending a conference in Washing ton Wednesday between tobacco officials of Virginia? North Caro lina and South Carolina and OPA and Commodity Credit Corporation representatives, seemed to be un founded. Representatives of the three states will try to get the ceiling of 41 cents per pound raised to 47 cents per pound. Governor Broughton said today that he thought “we have a good case,” but he would not predict the outcome of the conference. He said that a number of state farm leaders and officials would attend the meeting. He said that Governors Olin Johnson of South Carolina and Colgate Darden of Virginia would be present for the conference, as would congressmen from all three states. Meanwhile, State Department of Agriculture officials reported that tobacco was moving in “fairly well” to the new bright markets and predicted “fair sales” tomor row. Prices were expected to aver age well above the $36.94 set on last year’s opening day. The av erage in 1941 was $27.75. Five markets reported that a million or more pounds already was on the floors. Despite the more than 8,000,000 pounds report ed from eight markets, sales were expected to be “blocked” and it was indicated that floors would not be cleared tomorrow. Sales will be held to 360 piles per hour, as they were last year, instead of the normal 400 piles per hour. The reports by markets: Greenville — Approximately 1, 500,000 pounds on warehouse floors. Offerings mostly lugs with sprin klings of tips and up stalk tobac co. Quality fair, but better than leaf offered on opening sale last year. Some leaf weighing out light. Wallace — Estimated 1,000,000 (Continued on Page Six; Col. 4) FOE IS HAMMERED Enormous Losses Reported Inflicted On Germans Inside City MORE VILLAGES TAKEN Drive Of Soviets Continues Around Third Largest Red Metropolis LONDON, Tuesday, Aug. 24.—(A5)—Victorious Russian forces yesterday captured vital Kharkov, streamed through a major break in the German Donets river front almost 200 miles to the south, and hammered the retreating Nazis at both ends of the southern salient today in a drive to retake the industrial river basin. Moscow’s midnight com munique said the Red army, perhaps 150,000 strong, broke into the third largest of Rus sian cities from the north, east and west and inflicted enormous losses on the en emy. The Russians contin ued to throw heavy blows at the reeling Germans as they fled the city. Nazi forces west of Kharkov at tempted to counterattack, the Rus sians said, but were repulsed with 2,000 killed. I1 lfteen more villages were re- j captured by Russian forces in other sector of the Kharkov front; said the communique, recorded by the Soviet monitor. Berlin acknowledged Kharkov’s fall prior to a special Russian an nouncement by Premier - Marshal Joseph Stalin, but the Germans said the city had been “evacuat ed" in an orderly retreat. In the break on the Donets river south of Izyum, the Russians said their forces had smashed through from 19 to 22 miles in three days of savage fighting and had over run 30 villages, including the rail way station of Donetsko-Amvrosi evka on the only rail connection with German-held Taganrog fifty miles below on the Sea of Azov. In announcing Kharkov’s cap ture the Soviet war bulletin said: “Today our troops, as the result of violent engagements, broke down enemy resistance and cap tured the town of Kharkov by storm. “The Soviet divisions broke into Kharkov from the west, north and east, and engaged in fierce street fighting. Our assault detachments drove the Germans from fortified buildings and defense fortifications and took complete possession of the town. “The enemy sustained enormous losses and is retreating under the blows of our troops. Large quanti (Continued on Page Six; Col. 2) City Financial Condition Nea rPre-Dep res si on Ma rk The City of Wilmington is defi nitely passing the corner which prosperity was just around the depression years of the 1930’s, a survey of municipal financial re cords for the past 13 years reveal ed Monday. With two years of war-born pros perity topping a slow rise to norm al, the city’s tax rate is beginning to approach the 1930 figure, the total value of real estate is rising toward the pre-depression level despite war restrictions on con struction, and the municipal sink ing fund now has the greatest as sets in the 13-year period. In 1930, the real estate valuation within the city limits was $43,959, 463. The tax rate was $1.20 per hundred dollar valuation. Uncol lected taxes stood at $257,101. The bonded indebtedness of the munici pality was $3,222,700 while the sinking fund contained only $52, 346 in assets. Last month, thp real estate valu ation, though rot complete, was estimated to be slightly under $39, 000,000. The tax rate was $1.35 and uncollected taxes were $511,581.22 (as of June 30 and not including re ductions made by the delinquent tax bureau, established last year, since the annual audit has not been completed. The bonded indebted ness was $3,410,500, matched by $519,817 in sinking fund assets. Figures for the intervening years give an index to the financial history for the past 13 years. During the three years from 1930 to 1933, the value of real estate declined from $43,959,483 to $35,764,546, and, by 1935, to $35,599,571. Last year, the valua tion was up to $38,279,415. The tax rate remained at $1.20 until June, 1932. It jumped to $1.50, then dropped to $1.40 in 1936 and remained at that figure until 1941 when it was raised again to $1.50, cut to $1.40 last year and to $1.35 this year. Municipal bonded indebtedness showed a slow decline during the depression from 3,222,700 in 1930 to $2,815,500 in 1941. Bond issues to finance the city’s waterworks improvement program, undertak en with the financial aid of the Federal Works agency, have boosted the indebtedness figure back to $3,410,500 at present. The uncollected tax figures show a climb of from $257,101 in 1930 to $558,239.96, the highest figure they reached during the depression. Sinking fund assets, down tu $31,261.59 in 1931, climbed to $54, 233.28 in 1935, to $92,674.84 in 1939, to $231,232.71 in 1942 and to the present $519,817.16. When coupled with the $100,000 post-war fund set up by the coun cil last year, the 13-year record furnishes support for the recent statement of city officials: “The city is in the best finan cial condition yet in many years.” Salerno Is Drenched With Fire By Day And Night Aerial Drive ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN NORTH AFRICA Aug. 23.— UP)—Huge formations of day and night bombers flattened Salerno, south of Naples, yes terday and last night in the methodical Allied campaign to smash vital communications centers one by one, but met a German resistance which rais ed the air battle for Italy to high intensity. American Marauders with A-36 Invader escorts fought their way through a swarm of about 100 German and Italian fighters and shot down 33 in a blazing combat which marked a new high in the gunnery prowess of the twin-engined bombers. The fiery drenching from this day assault left Salerno flaming under a canopy of smoke which had not yet set tied when the night-bomber Wellingtons of the RAF with their lethal 4,000-pound block busters scattered a new holo caust which blazed through the rest of the night. Accompanying these blows, the RAF’s four-engined Liber ators and Halifaxes cracked down on Crotone on the arch of the Italian foot Saturday night, setting other explosions and fires which raged near a chemical factory and caused other damage which could not be accurately assessed because of low clouds. But while bloody air battles of the last four days left no doubt that German air forces were garrisoning Italian air bases to the north in strength, there were indications that Axis commanders were plan ning to abandon the Italian toe. RAF Kittyhawks and Ameri can Warhawks crisscrossed the area all day yesterday without firing a shot' or dropping a bomb for lack of enemy oppo sition and ground targets. Salerno, 50 miles south of Naples, is a main rail gate way between northern and southern Italy. Complete sev erance of the important electri fied railway through there would force German army commanders to route their troop and supply trains far in land and more than double the length of their communication lnies. Obviously the German air force had been ordered to stop at all costs the tremendous aerial campaign which in the last' four days had produced (Continued on Page Two; Col. 4) ALLIES TIGHTEN ALEUTIANS GRIP Americans And Canadians Occupy Other Islands Near Kiska WASHINGTON. Aug. 23.— UP — American and Canadian troops,, consolidating their conquest of the Aleutian islands, are spreading out from Kiska to islands adjacent to that once strong enemy air and submarine base. 'Strengthening positions that ul timately will be the bases for drives against Japan, the Allied forces have landed on Segula. is land of about 25 square miles, some 20 miles east of Kiska. A Navy communique reported today that the landing was made “with no Japanese being found.” Whether the Japanese ever had forces on Segula is not known here. It may have been an outpost for the Japanese before they fled from Kiska. for it could well have served as a point for warnings to the Kiska garrison of American moves toward the island. On Kiska itself the American and Canadian troops are continu ing occupation of positions for merly held by the Japanese, tak ing over and improving the in stallations left by the enemy when they fled shortly before Allied troops landed a week ago. Indications continued to be un covered of hasty evacuation. On the marine railway at the Japa nese-constructed submarine base* three midget submarines were found. There was evidence of ef forts, only partially successful, to destroy them with demolition bombs. Ultimately, that submarine base as well as the Japanese - built airfield on Kiska will be turned against the enemy, used as step (Continued on Page Two; Col 5) MacArthur’s Fighters Score New Gain Along The Path To Salamaua ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC, Tuesday, Aug. 24. —(£>)—American and Australian troops have scored a new gain on the west approach es to the airdrome of Salamaua, New Guinea, a communique re ported today. Allied jungle fighters, mean while,. were mopping up Japan ese stragglers at Komiatum which is inland among the mountains about seven miles southwest of Salamaua. In another of the increasing number of roundtrip flights ex ceeding 2,000 miles, big Liberators made a night raid on the Japan ese airplane repair and assembly base of Kendari, Dutch Celebes. Above Salamaua, off the Huon Peninsula, Allied warships moved daringly further north than they ever have ventured before along the New Guinea coast to shell Finschhafen at close range-. Such a shelling entails ventur ing on above the enemy air bases o' both Salamaua and Lae on the Huon gulf. TT CHINESE CAPITAL HAS AIR ATTACK Japs Approach Chungking For First Time In Nearly 2 Years CHUNGKING, Aug. 23.— UP!—For the first time in two years Japa nese bombers approached this cap ital of free China today, but ap parently failed to break through the city’s defenses. Air warfare reached the high est pitch in months, with Ameri can planes destroying or damag ing 54 Nipponese aircraft in a raid on Hankow. Two waves of Japanese planes totaling more than 60 approached this capital and also bombed Wan hsien, Yangte river trading cen ter 145 miles north of Chungking. It was a late opening to the Chungking area’s bombing season, which usually starts early in May. The Japanese planes which could be seen from the capital were en gaged by Chinese fighters while China’s highly efficient air raid warning system gave ample time (Continued on Page Two; Col. 2) ST. OMER IS PAID NEW ALLIED CALL Railway Yards In France Pounded For Fifth ' Time In 2 Months LONDON, Aug. 23—(£)—Paying their fifth visit to St. Omer in two months, American medium bomb ers again blasted railway yards at the town in occupied France to day in follow-up of an RAF bomb ing of the Leverkusen chemical works and other Rhineland centers last night. U. S. airmen first attacked the freight yards at St. Omer, 22 miles southeast of Calais, on June 24. Later they made thre attacks on the German air fields there. Off the Dutch coast, Spitfires at tacked enemy shipping and Coastal Command Beaufighters struck at a small force of enemy escort ves sels, the Air Minister announced. Beaufighters destroyed an enemy bomber over the North Sea and Spitfires shot down an enemy fight er in a sweep over the Bethune area in France. “Uneventful sweeps” were made by Spitfires over northern France and by U. S. Thunderbolts over the Dutch coast this afternoon, the Air Minister reported. Two fighter planes were missing after the day’s operations, on the continent. ^.ie Berlin radio became silent late tonight with the explanation it was “for technical reasons,” often an indication that night bombers are attacking the Reich. Hundreds of British heavy bombers made the attack upon Leverkusen, breaking a week-end lull. Leverkusen, bombed for the first time since 1940 when it was twice visited, was the only specific tar get named in last night’s missions. The Air Ministry said five bomb ers were lost. The German radio said Duseeldorf was also attacked. Cloud formations hampered the raid on the chemical works town, six miles north of Cologne. But crewmen said explosions and fires developed. St. John Lynk of Can ning, Nova Scotia, said two ex plosions “came up like red plumes through the clouds at about 12,000 feet.” The German international infor mation bureau, in a broadcast re corded by the Associated Press, said “Anglo-American air forma tions” had lost 21 bombers on the (Continued on Page Two; Col. 1) Board OfEducationMoves The Board of Education began Monday to occupy the four rooms of its newly renovated quarters across the hall from its old loca tion in the county courthouse. “We will be glad to get settled in out new home. We need the increased space desparately,” Superintendent H. M. Roland com mented. The location was vacated ap proximately two months ago when the city-county health department moved to its new building on Fourth street. Painters and car penters have been busy at the site ever since. Mr. Roland will maintain a pri vate office, large enough for ac commodation of school board members in their periodic meet ings. There will be a large rec ords office, where the supervisor of textbooks, the pay roll clerk, and Mr. Roland’s secretary will work. In the third large room are/ desks for the business man ager, the1 assistant superintendent, and the truant officer. The small front room is to be the reception hall. By far the brightest suite of of fices in the courthouse, the rooms have been provided with hard wood floors (which Mr. Roland avers were cheaper than linol eum). Walls are painted pale green, and all woodwork is cream colored. The heavy iron safe has been fitted into the wall and given a coat of cream paint. New shades and a few pieces of furni ture have been purchased. Addison Hewlett, Sr., chairman of the county commissioners, said that no plans had been made for use of the old education offices. They will be repainted, however, Consideration will be given to the request of County Au/itor J. A. Orrell for more space for tax acti-1 vities. J VITAL MOVE AHEAD Pacific Decisions Made At Meeting With Minister From China NO PRIORITY IS GIVEN Brendan Bracken Decliner Jo Comment On Im portant Outline / QUEBEC, Aug. 23.—(JP)— Military decisions “of the utmost important” in which the strategy to defeat Japan constitutes “a very important part” have been made at the Quebec war conference, it was announced tonight by Brendan Bracken, British minister of information and an intimate of Prime Minis ter Churchill. Bracken made his state ment after a luncheon confer ence attended by President Roosevelt, the British prime minister, T. V. Soong, China’s foreign minister, and Harry Hopkins, presidential adviser. The Pacific decisions were made at this meeting. Asked whether the con clusions taken regarding Japan were the most impor tant made, Bracken said: _ “It’s rather hard to _ give priority to any decision— There have been so many im portant decisions made here.” Bracken also disclosed that following the week’s confer ences, which close tomorrow Prim$. Minister Churchill plans a broadcast and a fish ing trip before he returns to London. The time of the British leader’s speech and where he will go from Quebec were not disclosed. Roosevelt Will spean Mr. Roosevelt, it had already been announced, will address Can ada’s Parliament in Ottawa Wed nesday before heading south. In describing the luncheon gath ering, Bracken said it was a “mil itary luncheon and a meeting to decide important matters of strat egy in the Pacific.” The general assumption was that the president and prime min ister already had reached a ten tative agreement on war strategy involving China, had informed Soong of it and asked him to rat ify it. Bracken told the press confer ence that he had not previously seen “a more hopeless assignment for journalists” because while so many were gathered here, yet nothing could be released about specific military decisions v .rich have been made. “I can assure you,” he said, “that military decisions of utmost importance have been taken in the Citadel. In years to come Quebec is going to be famous for these military decisions taken in this city.” Asked whether the strategy map ped here made this a more im portant conference than any be fore it at Washington, Casablanca or in the Atlantic, Bracken related a anecdote. He said that when visitors once remarked to a Lon don guide that the Thames was a beautiful river.'the guide explod ed: "Beautiful! It’s liquid ’istory.” Bracken remarked that because of the conference here he had come to look upon the St. Lawrence as "liquid history.” About all that can be said of the work done here is expected to be disclosed tomorrow by Presi dent Roosevelt and Prime Minis ter Churchill in a press confer ence, a joint statement, or both. The prime minister may elaborate somewhat in his radio speech. Foreign Minister Soong, who ar rived yesterday In response to a last-minute summons from Mr. Roosevelt, called at the presiden tial residence, high above the St. Lawrence river, before lunch and continued his discussions with the president afterward. Stephen Early, presidential sec retary, had declared earlier that the Chinese minister’s talks with Mr. Roosevelt would be concerned with plans for smashing at Japan. Early obviously was at some pains to emphasize the work done here on the war with Japan, and this was further pointed up by the arrivals here today of Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, whose (Continued on Page Six; Col. 4)
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