North Carolina Newspapers

Served By Leased Wire Of The + ^ ^ . * Z00^' * BrMrMBPB ASSOCIATED PRESS T| ^ A ^ . a. ▲. HtnEPlBEII timtttnij itt nrttttm s^Ktr peml harb°r _ Stale And Na&mal New \ ^ AND BATAAN VOL. 76.—NO. 364____WILMINGTON, N. C., MONDAY,NOVEMBER 22, 1943 __ FINAL EDITION _ESTABLISHED 1867 Dogs Aid Marines On Jap Hunt With dogs to aid them, United States Marines make their way into the jungle on Bougainville to hunt for Japanese soldiers. The ■ „s especially trained for this type of work and sentry duty, are used to “smell out” the enemy and at times to carry messages or assist in first aid work. The Marines, after landing on Bougainville '\ov 1 have hung on and at last reports were enlarging their beach iicads.’ The island marks the last Jap hold in that area. (AP Wire i .L.toi ---= One Dead, Another Hurt In Auto Accidents Here One person was killed and another suffers from a pos sible broken back as a result of week-end accidents in Wil mington. George Wilber Gore, 17, was arrested Sunday and charged with hit and run driving, resulting in the death of Nicholas IF. Pence, who was a passenger in a car operated hmi T Fllli? rinrp is hpim* Jt r field under a bond of $2,000. Mrs. C. A. Millinor is reported to be in a serioua condition at James Walker Memorial hospital after a collision at Second and Orange streets Sunday afternoon, when the car operated by her husband struck a Coast Guard ambulance driven by Daniel O'Connor. The ambulance was going north on Second street when the Millinor vehicle struck it on the left rear, turning it over and knocking it against a light pole. Coast Guardsmen said that the ambulance was on -call and that the siren was on. fine death of Pence occurred Saturday night when the Ellis car “terea Third street at Greenfield and was struck by Gore, traveling I'Wth on Third. Hardie Kirkpat-1 ' r‘ck- N. a passenger, and Gore, abandoned the automobile and Kirkpatrick is being held for aid >Continued on Page Two; Col. 4) -V Christmas Seal Sale Will Begin Monday; Jones Is Appointed The Eusmtss Groups Division of „eNe'v ria novel- Countv Tubercu °ms and Health Association will , -ale of Christmas Tu w iS- Seals Monday as Em nrX .Beilamy’ P^sldent of the nX a ior anr>ouneed the ap h dXnu 01 WUbur D- Jones to J?, ,the harness group. Mr. Jones and tSSIS,ed bv Storer P. Ware a™ J- E. l. Wade. in ao(-rfr.X'V sale the seals is industiiX‘Rf'eJWlth the request of Who wiX ■and business leaders mas m V° prepare large Christ Th» 1 mgs in advance, will be™!!6 h°t tbe E-h’istmas seals unde- n," Monday- November 22, D. Maffiu. S"pervision of Mrs. C. paSesT5 S6als 01 leUei's and of ‘P a reminder that each aun-ers fSt. tV6i be alert to-the Ilamv sai? X!c“-” Mr. Bel one"nh *’< We b0PF that every 1,11 their’ma1 'tw Cbristmas seals we fiphi- "■<“ b,s 'fa). for unless Sis ,! 11 eontinually, tuberculo in othp., '-rerease here as it has war - c°untries engaged in this WILMINGTON MAN DIES IN MISHAP Lieut. Ralph Rusher Fatal ly Injured In Automo bile Accident Lieut. Ralph Rusher, a former Wilmington resident, was killed about 7 a. m. Saturday in an auto mobile accident near Florence, S. C., it was learned Sunday night. Sergt. William B. Best of White ville was also fatally injured in the mishap, details of which could not be learned until an Army board of inquiry had completed its in vestigation. Lieut. Rusher and Sergt. Best were en route to Whiteville from Camp Stewart, Ga., where they were stationed. Rusher was attached to the Air borne Command at Camp Stew art and received his commission as a first lieutenant about 30 days ago after graduating from an of ficer candidates’ school early in the year. He was a graduate of New Han over High school, class of 1936 and finished in a pre-medical course at Wake Forest in 1940 Prior to his entrance into the arm ed forces, he represented an in surance firm in a branch office in Whiteville. He was called for induction into the Army in March, 1942. Sergt. Best was also a former resident of Wilmington dnd was a grandson of Mrs. Fred Griffith of this city. Lieut. Rusher is survived by his widow, the former Martha Floyd of Fairmont, one daughter, Mar tha Jane, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Rusher, a sister, Mrs. Joe Womble and two brothers, E. A. Rusher and J. W. Rusher. Sergt. Best is survived by his parents. Mr. and Mrs. G. B. Best of Whiteville and several brothers and sisters. Pending the inquiry by the ; Army, funeral arrangements are i delayed. I Republicans Fail To Show A Plan For A Sound Policv On Homefront 1 ' r " AITER LIPPMANN ■ i , -s a widespread assump' P°liticans that the De V afiHSiVOng in foreiSn af tstie aflthe Republicans in dom true iftahlrs- Thi^ of course i ton with th Sf jSe tilat bissatisfac ho*e front6 Admimstration on th< torn from th»aUSes the voters t. resPonsihlf>he T>nS t0 the outs- Bu ■: v'hMookfo. Republican leader '■"-untry ‘ in 1mld t0 carrying th( 1} toink are nr?44 W!U not» and out of tv g6tting more com is in it this notion than ther. k ir ' 11 is only loo evident tha __V as an organized party in Congress the Republicans have nothing that • could be described even charita ' bly, as a coherent, considered and intelligible policy on domestic is sues. What is the Republican po • sition as set forth in Congress on : the control of inflation: on how to i -ontrol prices, how to control : wages, on what to do about ex > cess purchasing power? What is '■ the Republican position on demo 1 bilization: on how to carry out • reconversion, how to dispose of : war facilities and surpluses, how to bridge the gap for the derno t bilized soldiers and the discharged i war workers between war employ ment and civilian? What is the Republican position on the post war economic transition in re spect to our huge merchant ma rine, to our vast aviation industry, t.c our enormously increased in dustrial plant, to the reconstruc tion of currency for international trade, to the relation between ex ports and tariffs, our creditor po sition and our commercial and financial policies? There are very able Republicans in both houses of Congn.s (Continued on Page Three; Col. 5) V REDS HOLD GERMAN ASSAMTS ON KIEV _* £ & _* __ JAPS MAKE GAir TOWARD CHANGTEH Two Spearheads Of 80, 000 Men Driving In Rice Bowl Country CHUNGKING, Nov 21.—UP)—1Two spearheads of a Japanese force of 80.000 made progiess toward Changten in the Rice Bowl coun try west of Tungting lake today, and reports of strong reinforce ments at their Yochow base east of the lake indicated the invaders may be opening a fourth great bat tle for Changsha, capital of Hun an province in Central China. The Chinese high command’s communique suggested that the Japanese were making a determin ed effort to encircle Changteh, 110 miles southeast of the Yangtze river and port of Ichang and 25 miles west ot the lake, and seize that communications center as a springboard for a decisive thrust at Changsha, 100 miles to the southeast. Bloody fighting raged near Japa nese-held Tzeli, at the junction of the Ling and Liu rivers 30 miles northwest of Changten, where the Chinese were hitting back vigor ously against repeated Japanese attacks supported by incessant re lays of bombers me Japanese also were striking southward immediate}* west of the lake in a move wh’ch threatened Changteh’s communications from the northeast. By moving on Changteh, the Japanese were taking heed of three costly failures to capture Chang sha in previous campaigns. It was from the Changteh area that wily Chinese commanders in the earlier campaigns launched flank assaults which wiped out large enemy forces extended up the Siang valley toward Changsha, 50 miles south of Tungting lake. Private reports said the Japa nese had transferred large quanti ties of materials from Hankow to Yochow, their base east of the lake from which they launched their previous campaigns. If Changteh falls, iney evidently in tended to be ready for a two-armed drive on Changsha. From the mountains below Ichang, to the wesi oi the Japa nese salient, hovvevei, the Chinese already were striking back in an effort to smash the invaders’ stra tegy and were mopping up con siderable territory already reoccu pied. m Brig. Gen. Edgar Glenn, chief of staff of the United States 14th U. S. Air Force said the Japanese were within 10 miles of Changteh and American planes, both fight ers and bombers, were striking from dawn to dusk to support the Chinese in the Tungting area. “The 14tn Air Force has been effectively bombing the enemy’s Yochow base where they are bringing in men and supplies by rail, road and river ’ he said in an interview. “The Tungting lake sector is area No. 1 in importance at present,” he added. We are giving all sup port possible to Chinese troops try ing to repel the ad\ ance on Chang teh, which is the corridor of ap proach to Chungking ” The Changteh avenue to the war time Chinese capital over a good road might offer a better prospect for enemy success than the at tempt up the Yangtze which failed last June, he said, but added that it still was unclear whether the Japanese offensive had such an ambitious purpose. “Again we don t know whether it is only a rice flareup—an at tempt to loot the rich rice harv est,” he explained. “There’s evi dence the Japanese are hauling out lots of rice.” Japanese troops for the offensive (Continued on Page Two; Col. 6) & nans Hurling ■ .-^nks Into Conflict j v for Sattelberg Base SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AL LIED HEADQUARTERS, Mon day, Nov. 22.—i/P)—Australian troops supported by Matilda tanks increased their pressure against the Japanese on the main trail a mils east of Sat telburg on New Guinea while Allied bombers dropped a 138 ton bomb load on Gasmata, New Britain. General Douglas MacArthur’s communique today announced also that American troops were engaged in active patrolling from their Empress Augusta bay bridgehead on Bougain ville, last big Nipponese base in the Solomons. Strong resistance was en countered both on New Guinea and Bougainville, not only from Japanese defenders but from their air force as well. American Mitchell bombers in force heavily bombed Jap supply and bivouac points northwest of Sattelberg Satur day morning while outnumber ed P-38 lighters broke up a large formation of enemy bombers and lighters, shooting down one. LIVING COST ROW NEARING CLIMAX Subsidy Program Expected To Be Killed By House This Week WASHINGTON, Nov. 21. — M — Caught in a storm of congressional rebellion, the Administration’s program to hold down the cost of living faces its worst buffeting of the session in the House this week. Waiting for Administration lead ers in Congress as they return from the week-end is this triple assault against the White House home front strategy: 1. Within 24 hours a House co alition of Democrats and Republi cans is expected to swat the con sumer subsidy program. No. 1 weapon in the Administration s fight against higher food prices. 2. Before mid-week the House will take up a $2,140 000,000 reve nue bill which snubs the Treas ury’s demand for $10,500,000,000 in new taxes to fight the war and in flation. 3. Gaining strength is a Con gressional move to take control of oil and coal prices away from the Office of Price Administration which has resisted stubbornly sev eral attempts to boost the crude oil ceiling. Sponsors said they had 209 of the necessary 218 names on a petition to get the bill out of committee and said tney would get the rest Monday. The measure would give control to Interior Sec retary Ickes who has approved a coal mine wage boost and recom menaea an on price muxcaoc. The House probably will reach a vote sometime Monday on a dou ble edge bill to outlaw consumer subsidies while putting new life into the Commodity Credit Cor poration wnxch, as one of its func tions, has financed many of them. Opposition xrom botn parties in two days of debate showed the subsidy program was marked for defeat. The government has used subsi dies to pay grov ers support prices for their products without letting the retail prices go up. Subsidy foes would let the farmers get their full cash return from higher market prices—viewed by the ad ministration as the first step to ward uncon! rolled inflation. The fight against inflation was behind the Treasury’s request for $10,500,000,000 in new taxes too, but the Ways and Means commit (Continued on Page Two; Col. 8) WEATHER FORECAST NORTH CAROLINA: Fair and continu ed mild Monday. (Eastern Standard Time) (By CJ. S. Weather Bureau) Meteorological data for the 24 hours ending 7:30 p. m., yesterday. Temperature 1:30 a. m., 51, 7:30 a m., 50, 1:30 p m. 74, 7:30 p. m, 59. Maximum 75, Minimum 47, Mean 61, Normal -. Humidity a. m., 96,. 7:30 a. m. 98, 1:30 p. m 26, 7:30 p m, 80 _ Precipitation « /(ft0 • ior the 24 hours ending 7:30 p. m. 0.00 inches. n J0^1,since first of the month, 0.62 inches. Sunrise 6:52 a. m.. Sunset 5:05 p. m, Moonnse, 1:43 a., Moonset. 2:27 p. Ffar Rlver stage at Fayetteville Sunday at 8 a. m., 9.27 feet. ON 90-MILE FRONT Soviet Forces Slog For ward Through Waist deep Mudholes NAZIS ~CLAM GAINS Berlin Radio Says Hitler ites Are Nearing Ca thedral City LONDON, Nov. 21.—(JF) —Russian troops for the sec ond successive day fought the German attack against the vital Kiev budge to a stand still today, inflicting heavy losses on the Nazi force of 150,000 men, while north and southeast of that area otner Russian units continued their drives toward the pre-war Polish border and Rumania, Moscow announced tonight. The Red army’s drive to uie suuuiwest, aimed at li quidating the German forces in the Dnieper bend, extend ed over a 90-mile front from Kremenchug to Dneprope trovsk, and in some places the Soviet trops made their way forward through mud waist deep. Foe Says Many Men Used While the Russian communique ..spoke only of minor successes in the southwestern push, the Ger man radio said that the Red army was using 50 divisions, 600,000 to 750,000 men. in this struggle. The German communique spoke of “grim defensive battles” which it said Nazi units fought there. A claim that the Germans had driven back in the last 48 hours in the Zhitomir-Korostyshev region to within 40 miles of Kiev was made in a broadcast dispatch of the German DNB news agency, but the Russian war bulletin re corded here by the Soviet moni tor from a broadcast, flatly de clared that Red army troops “con tinued to repulse” large German forces in this area. German Field Marshal Gen. Fritz von Mannstein, on this the eighth day of the bloody fight ing in the northern Ukraine re gion, struck at the Kiev bulge with waves of infantry and tanks. His troops, however, were facing the crack Russian Ukrainian army that was fighting on the scene of the Russian’s greatest set-back in their 1943 campaign. The German military commen (Continued on Page Two; Col. 2) LEBANESECHIEF TO BE RESEATED French Committee Of Na tional Liberation Orders Khoury Reinstated ALGIERS, Nov. 21. —U?)— The French National Committee order ed the reinstatement tonight of Le banese President Bechara Khoury and said it would negotiate on "the regime of independence promised by France’’ in 1941 Bowing to the recommendations of its special envov Gen. Georges Catroux and British demands, the. committee also recalled delegate General Jean Helleu from Beirut and ordered the liberation of Pre mier Riad Sohl and two other min isters who had been arrested by Helleu. The official status of Riad Sohl, however, was left open. The committee acted during a hastiiysummoned session following receipt of oral representations from Harold MacMillan, British minis ter to French North Africa, who demanded a quick colution of the Lebanese crisis. The freeing of Khoury and his re instatement plus Hellep’s recall fulfilled most of Britain’s request, but the committee still refused to reinstate Riad Sohl. MacMillan “requested” a prompt solution with the Lebanese lead ers in accordance with Catroux’s 1941 promise of independence which was underwritten by Britain. A communique issued after the hurried meeting said, ‘the commit iContinued on Page Two; Col. 3) AlliesSeize 4 Key Points In Italy War Agnone Archi, Castel San Vincenzo And Roc chetta Taken 8TH ARMY PLUNGES ON Bad Weather Holds Down All Allied Aerial Activities ALLIED HEADQUAR TERS, Algiers, Nov. 21.— (/P)—In sharp fighting Al lied armies have captured four key points along the Italian front — Agnone, Ar chi, Castel San Vincenzo and Rocchetta — straightening out their line and shortening it by some 20 miles, Allied headquarters announced. In capturing Agnone, the veterans of Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgomery ironed out an eight-mile deep German salient, which extended from Carovilli to Salicito in the central sector and which had prevented the Allies from us ing all of the lateral highway running from Vasto on the Adriatic to Isernia in the lllUUUbctlilS. No Opposition Noted Overrunning Agnone without meeting opposition, the Eighth Ar my plunged on beyond. Near th'e Adriatic, the troops un der Montgomery also pushed for ward to capture Archi and nearby heights 13 miles from the sea. Another three mile advance was chalked up in the upper Volturno region where Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark’s Fifth Army troops occu pied Castel San Vincenzo and Roc chetta, northwest of Isernia, broad ening their elbow room for a thrust toward the highway center of Cas te! di Sangro. All these operations accomplish ed yesterday were carried out in extremely bad weather—so bad that virtually all Allied air oper ations were cancelled. In previous advances the Allies, especially on the Eighth Army front, had driven salients forward at many points. In these latest op erations the gaps between salients were shaken out, thus effecting a shortening of the line as a sailor would take in the slack in a rope. The gains of the past 24 hours brought the Eighth Army square ly in front of the massive German winter lines at all points. The German high command com munique admitted that Nazi “cov ering forces” had withdrawn be yond the Sangro river in the face of “vastly superior forces.” Archi is two miles from the east ern bank of the river Sangro. It was seized after brisk fighting. Agnone, famous for its manufac ture of churchbells. was occupied after the Germans had deserted the town, but, in a hot- pursuit in the hills beyond, the British engaged in a number of sharp clashes with the retreating enemy and inflicted hea vy casualties. Anti-aircraft batteries of the Fifth Army shot, down five enemy planes which were bombing and strafing at low level. In spite of the bad weather fight ers managed to make a sweep ov er enemy territory but encountered no hostile aircraft. Friday night RAF Mosquitos siiafed rail targets at Padua, 30 miles west of Venice and at Fer rara, 20 miles north of Bologna, damaging two trains. Photographs of Elevsis airfield (Continued on Page Two; Col. 7) Marines And Doughboys Strike Strong Blow At' Japanese Held Islands' Mighty American Naval Units Afford Cover For Assault Forces; Only Moderate Resis tance Met On One Point; Fighting Raging PEARL HARBOR, Nov. 21.—(jP)—Powerful United States forces, carrying the fight to a new section of Ja pan’s Pacific outposts, have landed on Makin and Tarawa islands, about midway between New Guinea and Hawaii. United States Marines and Army troops pushed ashor® at both places, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, commander of the Pacific fleet, announced in a communique today, under cover of mighty naval units of all types and after those and utarDy lsianus iiau Deen pounded for a week by bomb ing planes. The assault forces met only moderate resistance at Makin island but the Japan ese fought back fiercely at Tarawa and the battle still rages there. Hard Job Ahead Since the Japanese on Tarawa had been holding out for 24 hours when the communication was is sued, it appeared that American forces there were up against a win, die or retreat proposition. Makin and Tarawa are in the Gilbert islands, British mandated territory which was seized by the Japanese in December, 1941. The American attack there means a 700-mile extension of the arc of operations on the perimeter of Japan’s southeastern frontier. These operations extend from New Guinea northeastward through the Solomons and to a point about 1,200 miles from Haw'aii. It brings major Allied forces in the Central Pacific to a point north of the Equator for the first time. It was disclosed that Army ar tillery and other units besides in fantry were among the assault troops. The Marines in the operation were reported to include some of those who fought in the Solomons, but no further clue to their iden tity was given. Apparently the enemy threw up some aerial opposition to the land ing but it seems doubtful whether the Americans encountered any Japanese naval forces. Landings on atolls such as Ma kin and Tarawa are tough jobs because they afford no protection to attackers and little to defend ers except that the latter have had time to dig in. set up ar tiliery and gouge out shallow fox holes. Most atolls rise only a few yards above sea level. The assaulting troops faced tough opposition and fierce fight ing continues for Tarawa, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz reported today in a communique, but several beachheads have been secured. The Americans ran into lesser opposition on Makin, northernmost of the Gilbert islands, but the Jap anese still are battling desperately to hold that tiny atoll. The landings, made yesterday, were preceded by a heavy aerial and surface bombardment by car rier planes and the big guns of ships. Text of the communique: “Marine Corps and Army forc es, covered by powerful units of all types of the Pacific fleet, es tablished beachheads on Makin, Tarawa atolls, Gilbert islands; meeting moderate resistance at Makin and strong resistance at Tarawa. Fighting continues. “During these operations Army Liberators made diversionary at tacks in the Marshalls. The landings constituted the first major United States offensive blow af the war in the Central Pacific, rbey followed week-long aerial oombings by Army Liberators and Slavy carrier planes of Japanese strong points in the Gilberts, Mar shalls and on Nauru. Tarawa and Makin both are small atolls which can be strongly iefended by a small number of roops concentrating heavy artil ery fire on the beaches. Continued on Page Two: Col. 2) AMERICANS HIT ! FIRST BLOW AT MIDDLE PACIFIC Offensive Forges New Threat To Japan’s Stolen Empire NEW YORK. Nov. 21. — (JP) — American soldiers and Marines sweeping ashore onto the low, san dy beaches of Makin and-Tarawa islands in the Gilberts are thrust ing the first spearheads against Japan’s outer shield guarding the Central Pacific. This offensive, promised by Ad miral Chester W. Nimitz, forces a threat from a new direction to Nippon’s stolen empire, and strikes directly at the sinews of her pow er in the world’s greatest ocean. The heart of that Japanese pow er are the Truk islands, 1,600 miles to the west of the new landings, won by Japan as spoils of World War One, and fortified secretly. This invasion brings Americans into battle north of the Equator again in the Central Pacific theat er, and northeast of t,be Solomons. British-held until Japanese con quest overspread the Pacific, the Gilbert group is composed of 16 small, rocky islands mostly spar sely-vegetated, lying about 2,400 miles southwest of Honolulu and some 1,100 miles northeast of the Solomons. They lie athwart near ly a direct line from the Solomons to Hawaii. On Tarawa the Japanese estab lished their main air base in the Archipelago, and here the U. S. forces met their strongest resis lance. Makin island, at the north ern end of the Gilberts, harbored a seaplane base. From these islands the Japanese had aerial cover for their sea for ces and could spring attacks a gainst Allied supply lines. Loss of the Gilberts would greatly expand the effective scope of Allied as saults deeper into Japan’s Pacific holdings. Tarawa is the largest of the Gil berts. and the most important stra tegically. It is 22 miles long, cor^ posed of nine small islands, includ ing a leper asylum, Lone Tree Is let, and administration station. One main extrance commands its lagoon. Tarawa also is known as Knox or Cook island. Makin is some 11 miles long, with two entrances to its lagoon. Ccral reefs protect most of the is lets in the Gilbert group. Altogether, the Gilberts cover an area of 166 miles, and in 1938 had a population of 27,000. - Makin was struck by a hit-and run landing on August 17, 1942 when Marines killed at least 80 Japanese, destroyed seaplane in stallations ashore and two sea planes in the water, withdrawing ■hereafter. They were supported by L S. Navai guns. The officers leading the daring group were Lt. Col. Evans F. Carlson and Maj. James Roosevelt, son of the pre sident, who was second in com mand. (Continued on Page Two; Col. 4) MacArthur, Plus Halsey And Nimitz, Are Dynamite In South Pacific Area By HAROLD STREETER Associated Press Staff Writer The busy American, catching up on the global war at his fireside or breakfast table, must be pardoned for feeling a bit befuddled over re cent reports on the fight against Japan. To him, some of them do not seem to jibe. He reads that the campaign is on to clear out the Japanese from the last Solomon islands and that the Allies stand ready to take care of the long hidden Nipponese fleet it it tries to interfere. Good. He also has it on highest author ity that the Japanese airforce, al though concentrating on that sector because it is not unduly occupied elsewhere, is losing planes by the hundreds and seldom manages an offensive. Fine. But a little later he goes into a blue funk. Here are reports, also from reliable sources, that no large scale offensive can be mounted in the Southwest Pacific because the means are lacking. These are not contradictions. Fney make sense when it is deter mined whether the reports apply to the Southwest Pacific sector ot 3en. Douglas MacArthur, to the South Pacific sector of Adm. Wil liam F. Halsey—or both. MacArthur's Southwest Pacific command is comprised of an area northwest and northeast of Austra lia. No Allied invasion is in progresi northwest. There lie periodically bombed Timor, Celebes, Borneo, Java and many smaller islands, all occupied by Japs, some within 300 miles of Darwin. The northeast is the invasion rcene. There Allied forces occupy New Guinea from the southeastern (Continued on Page Four; Col. 6)