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FORECAST NORTH CAROLINA: Fair to partly cloudy and slightly warmer Wednesday, 0 not quite so cold Wednesday night. Thursday decreasing cloudiness, occa sional light rain in west portion and with mild temperature. VOL. 76.—NO. 324-----WILMINGTON, N. C., WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1944 FINAL EDITION ESTABLISHED 1867 House Against Roll Call Vote On Ballot Bill debate intensified Demand That They Stand Up And Be Counted Is' Rejected WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.— (/P) — By a vote of 233 to 160, the House decided today against a roll call vote on the question of a Federal ballot for those in uniform, thus rejecting President Roosevelt’s de mand that Congress “stand up and be counted" on the issue. The decision foreshadowed prob able House approval tomorrow of a measure leaving the whole ques tion of soldiers’ voting to the States _-a procedure which Mr. Roosevelt has declared is impractical and will mean millions of those in uni form will have no chance to cast ballots. _ , , . „ . Opponents of a Federal ballot denv this is true, and the argu ment as well as today’s House vote ’ promises to carry over in the election campaigns. The specific question before the House was whether to adopt a spe cial rule requiring a roll call vote on a Federal ballot bill which Rep. Worley (D.-Tex.) will offer later as a substitute for the “States Ri<>hts” measure reported by the House Election; Committee. On the division, 180 Republicans, 52 Democrats, and one minor party member voted against the rule. For it were 146 Democrats, 11 Re publicans, and three minor party members. Fifty of the Democrats who vot ed against the roll-call are from the South, one (Elliott) from Cali fornia, and the 52r.d (Disney) frcln Oklahoma. In general they favor the “States Rights” ’bill now before the Housfe and those taking the opposite posi tion are for the proposed Federal ballot. But some Democrats and Republicans as well explained that their votes were in line with the tradition of upholding old-line standing committees. The House rules committee had recommended against a special vote on the Fed eral ballot plan. An acrimonious debate preceded the House decision while across the Capitol in the Senate the Presi dent’s demand that Congress “stand up and be counted” also became a target for criticism. In the House, Rep. Fish (R. (Continued on Page Two; Col. 3) _\r_ MCNUTT SUPPORTS DRAFT OF LABOR WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.— UPi — Manpower Commissioner Paul V. McNutt, who once said a civilian labor draft was “inevitable,” then cooled off to the idea, reversed his position again today with an announcement that he now sup ports it. McNutt said it is touch-and-go whether manpower resources meet requirements in the next six months. He announced his support of na tional service legislation at a press conference and explained his ac tion by saying that it is recom mended by President Roosevelt and the heads of the armed forces. Thus, said McNutt, “who are we to question it?” McNutt gave an over-all picture of the manpower situation which summed up to this: 1.—More workers must be founc for aircraft, ship repair, radio and radar, heavy trucks, and landing craft. 2— There is a “growing tendem cy” among workers to leave wai Production jobs for "a safe bertt irt non-war work of a permanen' character.” 3— There is a “critical” short aSe of labor in rail transport, bal hearings, foundries, coal, mea' packing and radio tube production 4— “Our only remaining substan (Continued on Page Three; Col. 7) Won t Come Back ’Til Job Is Done BY LEIF ERICKCON WITH U. S. NAVAL FORCES IN THECENTRAL PACIFIC, Feb. 1. — (#1 — ‘‘I have every confidence that we’ll put this over,” said Rear Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner before he l^d amphibious forces in to the Marshall islands. “We won’t come back until we’ve finished the job. “Do any of you gentlemen have any questions?” That was the way the admiral finished briefing correspondents as signed to cover the invasion as sault on Kwajalein, the world’s' largest atoll and key position in the Japanese held islands. We were assembled in a Navy movie theater. Clutching a wobbly microphone standard loosened at its base, the tall, lean admiral had started by counting off the tre mendous naval power in fighting ships—the greatest concentration of Navy might in the world’s his tory—that would be employed in the operation. “We will have the power there,” Turner said, “and we expect to use it.” -V Sr AIN LtAKNINli U. S. CAN BE HARSH Diplomats Believe Some thing Is In The Wind LONDON, Feb. 1— Wl —Diplo mats studying American and Brit ish relations with Spain speculated tonight that something was in the wfind awaiting a final decision since Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden did not make an expected state ment on the subject today to the House of Commons. The American suspension of oil shipments to Spain had brought home to the Spanish people that the Allies mean buisness and had created a crisis which Generalis simo Francisco Franco could not keep secret. It appeared here that Franco had sought to reassure his home front over the Allied oil ban with the explanation that it merely was a question of supply difficulties. Meantime Franco was expected to meet shortly with his ambas sadors to London and Berlin be fore making a decision on Spain’s future—perhaps with his own job at stake. The Duke of Alba, Spanish am bassador to London, already is in Madrid and -the German-controlled Paris radio said the Spanish am bassador to Berlin, Gines Vical Y Saura, was on his way home from Germany, apparently to report. No official statement was forth coming over Eden’s failure to ap pear in Commons. Both pro-Franco and'anti-Fran co Spaniards here expressed doubt that Franco would go so far as to break off relations with the Nazis this week, as predicted by an un identified diplomat last night in, Buenos Aires. The Spanish embas sy here refused comment. Franco adherents, professing neutrality, said Spain had more to fear from the Germans, just across the border in France, than from the United States and Britain, who have the power of sea blockade but are at a distance. Franco’s opponents declared France was in sympathy .with the Germans ideo (Continued on Page Two; Col. 7) Thirty-Seven Ships Launched On Atlantic Coast During January PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 1.—<ff) —Thirty-seven ships, construct ed by East Coast shipyard un der the supervision of the Uni ted States Maritime Commis sion, joined the “bridge of ships” over the seas in Jan uary, it was announced today. J. F. Mclnnis, regional direc tor of construction, East Coast, U. S. Maritime Commission, re por'ed the total delivery last month was four more than the output of January, 1943. Four tankers, 23 Liberty ships, five standard cargo ships, four military types and one concrete barge made up the delivery. President May Not Sign New Revenue Bill the tax bill nt. approval by Congress, anu history of what happened to a& .er tax bill President Roosevelt didn’t like, lent support tonight to a belief that the President may refuse to sign the $2,300,000,000 measure. There was little expectation of an outright veto, predictions run ning more toward Mr. Roosevelt’* simply letting the act become law without his name on it. Although House and Senate con feeres removed most phases of the bill that had prompted Secretary Morgenthau once to label it as worse than no tax bill at all, it still falls more than $8,000,000,000 short of administration revenue de mands and contains at least two other features opposed by both the Treasuty and the White House. One is a provision terminating the war contracts renegotiation act at the end of this year instead of continuing it for the duration. Other proposed renegotiation amendments brought forth Morgen thau’s blast shortly before the holi day recess, but most of them were left out of the conference version. The second objection is to an amendment freezing Social Securi ty levies at the present one per cent rate on both employer and employee. The tax was scheduled to double January 1 but stop-gap legislation deferred the rise pend ing final action on the revenue measure. A veto generally was regarded as unlikely unless Treasury expert* find the net yield to be consider ably lower than their present esti mates of roughly $800,000,000. They arrive at that figure by taking into consideration the Social Security freeze, which they say will reduce original revenue estimates by $1, 400,000,000 this year, as well as oth er technical provisions. They are known to suspect that some of these—primarily affecting certain segments of industry— may cut the net yield still further. Those sums they subtract from the estimated (Continued on Page Two; Col. 8) -V HOME IS VISITED BY COUNTY BOARD Following an investigation of the New Hanover County home, by the Junior Chamber of Commerce, county commissioners made an in spection of the institution Tuesday morning. The local institution was the sub ject of much discussion at the board’s meeting Monday afternoon after six members of the Junior Chamber asked the group for a new home and separate juvenile detention quarters, declaring that present arrangements were both insanitary and inadequate. The Board of Commissioners purchased from the National Youth Administration 75 steel, double deck beds complete with mattress es which have replaced much of the old, worn furnishings at the institution. The 1 ds were part of the equipment which was in the NYA center buildings on the Caro lina Beach road. Commissioners, it was learned, had been in the market for more than six months to purchase furnishings of this de scription to be used in the institu tion. The committee from the Junior Chamber made seven recommen dations for the juvenile set-up and 11 suggestions for the county home structure. The Board of Commis sioners lauded the organization for taking an interest in the situation. Addison Hewlett, chairman of the board, said that the building and farm is a public institution and that it is open at any time for visitors 1 who wish to see the county home. Republican Party Urged To Dratt St as sen As Presidential Candidate WASHIGTON, Feb. 1.—<# Senator Ball (R.-Minn.) called on Republicans tonight to draft Har old E. Stassen, former governor of Minnesota, as the kind of presi dential candidate the party needs and the country ought to elect. to a CBS broadcast generally regarded as opening a nationa; campaign, Ball pictured Stassen— now a lieutenant commander or duty with the Navy in the South west Pacific—as a candidate with a clear, affirmative program foi attacking basic domestic and for eign problems. Asserting that the next Presi dent “will face the toughest jol 0,1 r history.” Ball told his listen ers in the course of a prepared ad dress: “There is no place in that proc ess for bitterness and name call ing, or for movements based whol ly on an ‘anti’ or ‘stop’ philoso phy.” The Minnesota senator said Stas sen, whose name has been en tered in the Nebraska preferential primary, stands for international cooperation to prevent future wars and has developed a broad pro gram for reconversion to peace time pursuits at home. He praised Stassen’s record as . an efficient administrator who i would do something about “the . mushrooming jungle t>f federal bu reaus and agencies in Washing ton.” Ball said Stassen has shown by “his out-in-front leadership on for eign policy in a state considered isolationist” that he is capable of furnishing the leadership which he asserted the nation needs “desper ately” today. The Minnesota senator also pointed to Stassen’s accomplish ments as a governor in support of the contention the latter was equipped with "the political under standing, the capacity and the will to work with congress as a team in developing national policies.” “Efforts of the present admin istration to hammer congress into (Continued on Page Two; Col. 2] 1 r ’ Important Facts About Marshalls PEARL HARBOR, Feb. 1. — JJP)—Facts about Marshall Is land bases which were invad ed today by an American force: Kwajalein — 66 miles long and 18 miles wide! the main airfield, probably tie principal target, is on Roi islet, having four paved runway^ and cause ways which provile taxiway has a seaplane base at Kwa palein islet: harbor one of best in Marshalls. Wotje — 26 mile: long and about 11 miles wids; has air field on Wotje isle approxi mately 5,000 feet lonf; also ac tive seaplane base. Maloelap—Taroa arfield has two concrete runw:ys, hang ars, repair shops, *any bar racks and buildings for stor age of ammunition and sup plies; such areas probably were set afire by tie heavy concentrated bombinj power of carrier planes in ontiuual relays. -V GERMANS RUSIING TROOPS TO I’ALY _ Allies In Outskirts OfCam poleone, 16 Mi Is From Home ALLIED HEADQUARTER IN ITALY, Feb 1— W) —Reinfrced American and British troops, trik ing out ii.i their first major cfen stve since the landing on th. A zio beaches 10 days ago, l(ve fought into the outskirts of Carqo. lene, only 16 miles southeast of Rome on the main coastal rail liU supplying German forces on the lower Fifth Army front, headquar ters announced today. As the Nazis rushed more troop: from northern Italy to oppose th< Allied drive — now approximately halfway to the Eternal City frorr the landing beaches—American in fantry and armor lunged within i half-mile of the strongly-fortifiec rail and road junction of Cistera guarding the Appian Way at : point 24 mies from Rome. Describing the drive agains Field Marsha] Albert Kesselring’: lines of communications betweei the two Italian fronts, the Germai high command said the Allie; •‘continued their heavy attacks to ward the north and northeast,” an< declared that the Allied thrust; ‘‘collppsed in heavy fighting.” With the capture of both Campo lene and Cisterna, the Allies woul( effectively sever rail and highway traffic between Rome and the mail Fifth Army front except by an in land route — the Via Casilina - which already must be burdenet with Nazi transport. Fully awaki to the threat of losing the Appiai Way, the enemy was resisitny fiercely at Cisterna. Field dispatches said Nazi de fenses across the northern peri meter of the bridgehead were a elaborate as the flat terrain madi possible, with every farm house silo and cowshed concealing ma chine-gun and mortar nests. Eve; innocent looking hay-stacks turnei out to be deadly pilboxes. Th Germans were well supplied wit! big 60-ton Tiger tanks and sell propelled guns, and their coun+er (Continued on Page Three; Col. 8 -V WAR BOND DRIVE ONE-THIRD OVEfl _ ^ WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.— ff) The first report of “big mcney' subscriptions drove the $14000, 000.000 Fourth War Loan carr paign to the one-third mar: ti night. M Of $4,628,000,000 now subscibeq^ the Treasury said $2,886/000,00 r^ presented purchases by copor:p tions and other large invetori3 with the balance—$1,720,000000-^ Accounted for in individual :ale:u A $156,000,000 gain in indiiduitl sales in the last 24 hours ws tth largest since the drive bega| afd reflected, the Treasury reposed, n mounting indignation over th Ja; anese atrocity reports. a A Treasury spokesman sal th; c while an “excellent showin” hi c been made in individual sail a through the first half of th car, w paign, stress would continu to lli placed on the “little mone;’ su re scriptions until the drive does tMlV weeks from tonight. o: Individual subscriptions sill aiL less than 32 per cent of te $% 500,000,000 goal. te ' s I SAID DRIVE ON TOKYC FDR Says All Is Apparent ently Going Well In Pacific WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, President Roosevelt said to day that American operation :n the Marshall islands ap oar ently were going well am hat they were aimed at ai objective of uttter defeat foi he Jananese and a drive 01 ',°Vvo itself. Moving westward and, in collab oration with our Allies eastwart from Burma and Malaya, Mr Roosevelt said, the American ob jectives are complete defeat of th< enemy. Apoarentlv attempting t< ease any fears which may hav( arisen by the presence of Ameri 'an troops in the Far East, he as 'erted in a formal statement tha' “nobody in India or anywhere else in Asia will misunderstand the presence there of American armec forces if they will believe, as we do at home, that their job is to as sure the defeat of Japan withoul which there can be no opportuni ty for any of us to enjoy and ex oand the freedoms for which we Fisht.” Mr Roosevelt opened his new: conference by referring to new: dispatches about the operations ir the Marshalls and spoke of th< heavy opposition He said everyone was waiting to see what the out come will be Then he said he had something to say which he hoped would clari fy the American position in the Far East and he read this state ment: “The American objectives in In dia or elsewhere in continenta Asia are to expel and defeat the Japanese, in the closest collabora ibn with our British, Chinese anc i oher Allies in that theater 1 “Our task in expelling the Jap: iom Burma, Malaya, Java §nc ,her territory is military We rec ?nize that our British and Dutct: rothers-in-arms are as determin 3 to throw the Japs out of Malays nd the Dutch Indies as we are etermined to free the Philippine re propose to help each other or le roads and waters and above |iem, eastward to these places and eyond to Tokyo (Paranthetically he interpolated lat there is a mutual determina ' on to help each other westward |S'om where the Allied forces also re operating) , “No matter what individual or ’idividuals command in- given |Teas, the pupose is the same. , "There will, of course, be plenty ’f problems when we get there, 'heir solution will be easier if we 'll employ our utmost resources of 'xperience, good will and good iith Nobcdy in India or anywhere *lse in Asia will misunderstand the resence there ot American armed prees if they will believe, as we ‘o at home, that their job is to as hre the defeat of Japan, without Hrich there can be no opportunity br any of us to enjoy and expand ie freedoms for which we fight.’’ -V UlKAUlVt tilKL FATALLY WOUNDED FAYETTEVILLE, Feb. 1.—(#)— h attractive blonde young woman 'as found fatally wounded on the awn of a home where she had a oom early today after spending ie evening with a field artillery fficer from nearby Fort Bragg. Police Chief N. A. Wetherington aid the woman was Miss Alex nder Buske, 25, of Mineola, L. I., n employe of a dental laboratory t Fort Bragg. She was found ounded in the chest, still con nous shortly after midnight but ie steadfastly refused to discuss ie shooting. Chief of Detective L. F. Wor ;11 said Lt. Walter McClain of leveland, O., told him he was ith Miss Buske from 9:30 p.m. ntil 12:05 a.m. Worrell quoted IcClain as saying Miss Buske lanned to leave Fayetteville at 10 a.m. for New York and that a knew nothing of the shooting itil officers told him today, when ley found a note addressed ^o m in the woman’s pocket. They d not divulge the contents of the )te. Wetherington said Miss Buske aparently was shot with a 32 iliber pistol while sitting in a u- parked in front of her home, id that she was crossing the lawn hen she„ collapsed. The pistol be eved to have been used belonged i Mrs. T. R. Bullard, with whom fss Buske made her home, the ficer said, adding that Mrs. Bul rd had told him she saw the m in its accustomed place yes rda^ * II I I (I ■ American amphibious forces have invaded the heart of the Japs' | hotly defended mid-Paclfic empire, and landed on Kwajalein atoll. A bridgehead has been established. The main objectives on the atoll are Kwajalein, on the southeastern tip and Roi, on the norther most tip. Surging Soviets Appear T o HaveReached Estonia LONDON, Feb. 1.—(/P)—The Red army captured the frontier railway station of Kingisepp (Yamburg) today and farther north appeared to have reached the pre-war Estonian border with the capture of the little Luga River town of Kelkino. * ihe Moscow broadcast communi que, recorded by the Soviet moni tor, said more than 50 more com munities were captured by Gen. Leonid Govo/ov’s Leningrad front forces sweeping toward Estonia north and south of the trunk rail way to Reval (Tallinn), capital of ore-war Estonia. In* addition to capturing Kinsi sepp, which is seven miles east of the old border and 14 miles from Narva, first important Estonian station on the railway, the Rus sians crossed the Luga river to capture Keikino, seven miles northeast of Narva. This town was either on the old dividing line or a few hundred yards away and marked the farthest western ad vance of the Russian offensive. Forty more towns and hamlets were taken by other Russian forces to the east and south of the north ern-most fighting. Troops of Gen. Kyrill A. Meret skov’s Volkhov front, driving west from the Leningrad-Moscow rail way — now entirely in Russian hands—captured the railway sta tion of Novinka. 35 miles west of the Leningrad-Moscow line and on the Leningrad-Vitebsk line. Meretskov’s left wing, which had cut the Leningrad-Vitebsk line 55 miles to the south, moved close to the rail junction of Batetskaya by capturing Toroshina. three ' miles northeast. t (Continued on Page Two; Col. 7) i ALLIES REPULSE j JAPANESE DRIVE j ADVANCED ALLIED HEAD- 1 QUARTERS, New Guinea, Wednes- • day, Feb. 2—(P) —The Japanese - have been repulsed in an attempt to attack an Aliled post in south ern Dutch New Guinea, a sector northwest of Australia which Hitherto has been a dormant theater. Headquarters announced the enemy reverse today. Sixty Japanese casualties were inflicted as a small force tried to land from barges in the Eilanden River 150 miles north of the Dutch New Guinea-Papgan border Mon day. Four of eight barges were de stroyed. Dutch soldiers were in ac tion with the Australian for the first time. Over Rabaul, New Britain, Ja pan’s swiftly growing air disaster (Continued on Page Two; Col. 3) V RUSSIANS ADOPT NEW GOVERNMENT Eacli Of 16 Remihlfcs Will Have Right To Raise Own Army MOSCOW, Feb 1—W—’The Su preme Soviet (Russian parliament) adopted unanimously tonight a pro posal by Foreign Commissar Vya cheslav Molotov giving the 16 in dividual republics within the Soviet Union their own commissariats of national defense and foreign af fairs with the right to raise their own army formations and deal di recently with other countries. This history making reconstruc tion of the Soviet Union, the first since the adoption of the consti tution in 1936, was achieved after a four-hour debate. The Supreme Soviet also elected Nikolai Shvernik, secretary of the trade unions, as first vice chair man of its presidium, an office amounting to vice-president. Of the country His name was proposed by President Michaell Kalinin. Kalinin said a vice chairman was needed to help handle the increas ed work of the presidium in foreign affairs, interpretation of domestic law and bestowal of decorations. (Continued on Page Two; Col. 7) Book Matches Must Be Given With Cigarettes, Local OP A Board Rules Many complaints have been made recently concerning Wil mington retailers not issuing matches with the purchase of cigarettes. The l'ollowing statement is an excerpt from the OPA rule book: The Office of Price Ad ministration has ruled that re tailers who during March 1942 gave away book matches to purchasers of tobacco must continue this practice. This in cludes sales made through vending machines. The estab lishment of these maximum pri ces on resale book matches shall in no event relieve the retailer of his responsibility for continuing this practice. (3N KWAJALEIN ATOLL Japs Reported Putting Up Fierce Resistance To Americans PEARL HARBOR, Feb'. 1. — (/P) — American amphibi ous forces have invaded the very heart of Japan’s fierce* y-defended mid-Pacific Mar shall islands. Marines and soldiers land ed on Kwajalein atoll, estab shing beachheads near the oowerful Japanese bases on loi and Kwajalein islets. Defending forces, described by Tokyo radio as “the best imperial units” were putting up fierce op position, Adm. Chester W. Nimitz announced in a brief communique today. But indications were that American casualties so far have bp-'i moderate. This first bold move into pre war Japanese territory was preced ed by heavy air attacks and ship bombardment. For three days car rier and land-basej planes rained hundreds of explosives on enemy air-fields and ground defenses. Army and navy planes had struck at the Marshalls daily since Jan. 5, and almost daily since mid-Nnvpmh#*~ Battleships, cruisers and destroy ers, forming history’s greatest sea armada, joined in the battle Sun o'ay. They sailed close in, defying Japanese shore guns that may have survived the aerial pound ing, and laid down a terrific bom bardment. Presumably the ship barrage and drumfire bombing sent the de fenders cringing into their under ground positions. Strong defenses, both above and underground, were expected as the enemy had nearly a quarter of a century in which to build them. American Marines and infantry took to their landing boats after the ship barrage had reached its height. They crashed the beaches of islands adjacent to Roi and Kwajalein islets of Kwajalein atoll. Roi, at the northernsmost tip of the atoll, was the site of one of the enemy’s better airfields. Kwa jalein islet is at the southern tip of the atoll. The guns of the American war ships blasted at all shore installa tions on Roi and Kwajalein islands. The Fourth Marine Division, commanded by Maj. Gen. Harrv Schmidt, made the landing in the Roi area, Admiral Nimitz said: The Seventh Infantry Division of the U. S. Army, commanded by (Continued on Page Two; Col. 5) _\T BOND SALES SET AT TWO MILLION No official report on war bond sales for New Hanover county was received from Richmond Tuesday, G. J. Thornton, chairman of the drive for New Hanover county, stated Tuesday night. Mr. Thorn ton said that he believed that ap proximately $400,000 in bonds had oeen sold in this area since Friday rowever, and this would bring the otal to approximately $2,000,000. When asked about the progress jf the campaign up to this point, VIr Thornton declared that ne felt t was going along in a satisfactory nanner The goal set for New Hanover bounty is $4,859,000 in the Fourth f/ar Loan Drive, which means that :itizens of the county must reach ar down in their pockets to sub icribe the remaining $2,859,000 rhe drive closes on Tuesday, Feb uary 15, which leaves less than wo weeks for individuals to ex cess in the most effective manner lossible, their anxiety to support nen on the fighting fronts, and heir resentment of the treatment neted out to American soldiers in rapanese prison camps Monday’s Wind Lacked One Mile Per Hour Of Breaking Record Paul Hess, meteorologist of the Wilmington weather bureau reported Tuesday that the wind on Monday lacked one mile per hour of reaching the record for this area, 38 miles per hour, made on January 19, 1936. From 1:30 p. m. to 11 p. m. the wind was exceptionally strong for January, however, there was a lull from 6 to 8 p. m. The wind reached the peak, 37 miles per hour at 9:45 p. m.
Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
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Feb. 2, 1944, edition 1
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