==~| the gi p-MFWg r^ST|
State and National News * ™ B BBi Bl^ B ^B BjjB^^^B B 9 publishes in^, BbB B B Bl ^B ^BBI W W ^^B AND BATAAN
■ — ___ ^©[^T (gflW @(P B®@BEHg$3 AMIS) [^lUgAgylg^_L- -'
\ 0L^6.—NO.-17-.____WILMINGTON, N. C., SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1944 _FINAL EDITION_PRICE FIVE CENTS
THREE CIVILIANS DIE,
25 SOLDIERS INJURED
IN BRUNSWICK WRE0
_*
OJi HITS CONVOY
Elder Pee, Of Wilmington,
Held After Crash Near
Jackies Creek
men in hospital
Soldiers Were Members Of
Party Seeking To Locate
Downed Plane
Three Wilmington Negroes were
killed, and 25 white soldiers from
Bluethenthal Field Army Airbase,
members of a searching party sent
to find a plane downed in the
Brunswick county swamps Friday
morning, were injured when a ci
vilian car bearing the Negroes
struck two trucks of the Army
convoy eight miles south of Wil
mington. on Highway 17, at 11:45
o’clock Friday night.
Elder Pee of 202 South 13th
street, Negro driver of the death
car, was carried Saturday after
noon to Dosher Memorial hospi
tal, from the Brunswick county
jail, Southport, where he was
lodged, following the accident, on
charges of speeding, reckless driv
ing, and driving under the influ
ence of intoxicating drink.
Dead
The dead were Quincy Finklea,
Georgia Hemrningway, of Ninth
and Wooster streets, and Lou
Pearlie Woodbury, of 1103 Prin
cess street.
Names of the soldiers, a few oi
whom were said to be seriously,
but not critically, injured, had not
been disclosed Saturday night by
the Airbase public relations office,
because of the Army policy of
first notifying next of kin. The
men were undergoing treatment at
the base hospital.
Pee, who was not thought to be
seriously hurt Friday night, ap
peared to be suffering some Sat
urday at noon, according to Dep
uty Sheriff F. L. Lewis of Bruns
wick county. Pee was arrested by
State Highway Patrolman M. S.
Parvin, whose car preceded the
(Continued on Page Seven; Col. 4)
-V
OUTPUT OF ARMOR
HALTED BY STRIKE
6,000 Members Of CIO
Union At Great Lakes
Steel Corp. Are Idle
DETROIT, Feb. 26.— UP—Pro
duction of armor plate for U. S.
Navy landing barges was at a
standstill today as 6.000 employes
of the Great Lakes Steel Corp. in
suburban Ecorse remained idle in
a strike that began Friday.
Thomas Shane, district 29 direc
tor of the United Steel Workers
of America. CTO, in a statement
urged appointment of an impartial
umpire to rule on the discharge
°f an employe, which precipitated
the walkout.
At the same time Shane said
me major cauve of the strike was
that for “the last 18 months the
men have been working shorthand
en crews ” He said the workers
had not been compensated for the
extra work.
( A corporation spokesman
termed Shane’s request a "subter
. »e" and said that while, the un
ion's working contract called for
me naming of an umpire when a
Disagreement occurred, it also re
[ 5°ntinued on Page Five; Col. 4)
Airbase Groups Pre
Hunt For Missing S? ^ne
Ground and aerial parties
from Bluethenthal Field Army
Airbase continued their search
Saturday for a P-41^ Fighter
plane, piloted by Second Lieut.
Arthur A. Seppanen of Tren
ary, Mich., said to have crash
ed through the Tog Friday
morning, somewhere north of
Southport.
According to the pilot of a
plane accompanying the lost
plane, Seppanen’s ship flew
into the dense fog, several
hundred feet thick, and fail
ed to return.' It was impossi
ble, because of lack of visibili
ty, to establish whether the two
were flying over Brunswick
county swamp-land or over
the ocean, the Field’s public
relations office advised.
Original unconfirmed reports
indicated that the crash occur
red approximately 10 miles
northwest of Southport, like
ly in an area between the old
“River road” and the new
Wilmington - Southport high
way.
When Seppanen failed to re
appear, his flying companion
notified the airbase here where
they were stationed and the
searching crews were organiz
ed. A convoy was bound for
the Brunswick county area
when two trucks of the column
became involved in an acci
dent, eight miles from Wilming
ton on Highway No. 17, late
Friday night.
Lieut. Seppenan and Miss
Helen Kamppinen of Catham,
Mich., were married here in
St Paul’s Lutheran church
February 5. The couple was re
siding at 619 Market street.
Lieut. Seppanen is the son
of Mrs. Josephine Seppanen
of Trenary, Mich.
Roosevelt Orders Review
Of All Draft Deferments
FASTER RATE SEEN
Asks Speedy Start In Mak
ing Up 200,000 - Man
Deficit In Inductions
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.—UR— A
sharply accelerated draft rate ap
peared in prospect tonight as a
result of President Roosevelt’s or
der for an immediate review of
all occupational deferments and a
speedy start on making up a 200,
000-man deficit in Army induc
tions.
Moving toward that end, Selec
tive Service already has tightened
rules for deferment of agricultural
workers and draft officials told
Congress this week that it may
be necessary to rule out indus
trial deferments for all men un
der 26. The minimum age for in
dustrial deferments now is 22.
Sent to State Chiefs
Selective Service headquarters
sent copies of President Roose
velt’s order to all state directors
immediately after its issuance at
the White House today and di
rected that it be transmitted to
all local boards and appeal boards.
The state directors were direct
ed to review the cases of all men
between ages 18 and 37 deferred
in classes 2-A, 2-B, 2-C and 3-C.
In considering reclassifications,
local boards were instructed to
give “particular attention to regis
trants under 26 years of age in
view of the President’s statement
that agriculture and industry
should release the younger men
for military service.”
Noting that nearly 5,000,000 men
have been deferred for occupation
al reasons, Mr Roosevelt declared
he was convinced “that in this
respect we have been overly len
ient, particularly with regard to
the younger men.”
Memorandum
In a memorandum to Paul V.
McNutt, chairman of the War
Manpower CommissionJ and Maj.
Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, Selective
Service director, the President
said the “crucial campaigns” of
this year will determine the length
of the war and its costs in men
and materials.
“The present allocations' of per
sonnel to the armed forces can
not be further reduced,” he said,
adding thaj “there is a very real
danger in our failure to supply
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 3)
•Four Cherry Point
Projects Approved
NEW BERN, Feb. 26—M>>—
Four additional projects cost
ing $853,600 have been approv
ed for the Marine air station
at Cherry Point and its outly
ing fields, Rep. Barden an
nounced tonight.
These include fire protection
and a laundry extension at
Cherry Point and additional
water supplies at Bogue, At
lantic and Oak Grove fields
CHARLESCHAPLIN
PLEADS INNOCENT
Fails In Efforts To Nullify
Indictments On Mann
Act Violation
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 26.— MP) —
Actor - producer Charles Spencer
Chaplin failted in two efforts today
to nullify grand jury indictments
charging him with Mann Act viola
tion and then pleaded innocent.
Federal District Judge J. F. T.
O’Connor set Tuesday, March 21,
for the opening of the white-haired
little comedian’s trial on charges
that he transported Joan Berry, his
25-year-old red-haired former pro
tegee, to New York with immoral
intent.
”1 am not guilty,” said Chaplin
clearly as he was asked to plead
to the first count. A moment later
he repeated the words as he plead
ed to the second count, which con
cerned Miss Berry’s alleged return
(rip to Hollywood.
Defense Attorney Jerry Giesler
had entered a motion to quash and
had filed a demurrer in his attempt
to knock out the indictments. In
the first he had contended that the
federal grand jury which indicted
Chaplin was not legally constituted
because the list from which it was
drawn contained the names of no
women,
Giesler based his demurrer on
the grounds that the Mann act was
designed to prevent commercializ
ed vice and traffic in women
(Continued on Page Seven; Col. 6)
-V
WEATHER
FORECAST
NORTH CAROLINA: Cloud* with
showers and little change in Temper
eture Sunday and Sunday night. Mon
day. partly cloudy and warmer with
scattered showers.
(Eastern Standard Time)
(By U. S. Weather Bureau)
Meteorologies data for the 24 hours
ending 7:30 p.m.. yesterday.
TEMPERATURE
1:30 am. 5C, 7:30 am, 60, 1:30 pm, 70,
7-30 pm, 62. ’
Maximum 76, Minimum 53, Mean 64,
Normal 49.
HUMID ITT
1-30 am. 96, 7:30 am, 97. 1:30 3pm, 71,
7:30 pm, 88.
PRECIPITATION
Total for the 24 hours endnig 7:30 pm,
0.00 inches.
Total since the first of the month,
6 07 inches.
TIDES FOR TODAT
(From the Tide Tables published by
U S. Coast and Geodetic Survey I
High Low
Wilmington _12:14a 7:26a
12:44p 7:46p
Masonboro Inlet-10:33a 4:17a
10:56p 4:40p
Sunrise, 6:43 am, Sunset, 6:06 pm,
Moonrise, 9:19 am, Moonset, 10:22 pm.
Cape Fear River stage at Fayette
ville on Feb. 26, at 8 a.m., 29.11 feet.
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 1)
Acting Ministers Named
By New Argentine Rule
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, Feb.
?'~®—Amid indications of con
siderable tension in Buenos Aires
ke government headed by Gen.
delmiro J. Farrell announced to
P'ght the appointment oi Gen. Die
f?. Mason as Acting Foreign
Minister and Gen. Juan Pistarini
as acting Navy minister
ne appointment of Pistarini
"larked the first time in Argen
*'e history that an army man
J)s {aken over the naval portfolio
ieh always has been in the
nands of a naval officer. It also
pas confirmation that Admiral
cmto Sueyro had resigned that
Post when President Pedro Rami
‘_.f, riel®gated presidential pow
,jav to Vice-President Farrell Fri
!In Washington information was
received that Gen. Ramirez had
resigned under compulsion. This
opened up the question of United
States recognition of the Buenos
Aires regime).
The resigned Sueyro was a child
hood friend of funeral Ramirez,
and rumors have been circulating
that Ramirez refused to sign the
document by which he “delegated
authority’’ to Gen. Farrell.
Both Mason and Pistarini now
are charged with two ministries.
Mason already holds the agricul
ture portfolio and Pistarini is pub
lic works minister.
The appointment of Mason to the
foreign ministry filled a vacancy
created by the elimination of Al
berto Gilbert last week in a pal
(Continued en Page Two; Col. 2)
Germans Flee
On Northwest
Russian Line
_
Soviets Capture Two Rail
road Stations On Roads
Leading To Pskov
NEARING LATVIA
Great Advance Moving At
Rate Of 10 Miles Daily
In Some Locations
LONDON, Sunday, Feb. 27.—!#)—
The German army appeared to be
retreating rapidly from all of
Northwestern Russia today as Mos
cow announced that Soviet forces
yesterday had not only captured
two railway stations on the roads
to Pskov but had overrun 318 lo
calities and ousted the Germans
from 105 miles of a northsouth rail
way less than 70 miles from Lat
via.
The great Russian advance —
which in some places was moving
at the rate of ten miles a day —
was nearing Pskov, communica
tions center and key to the Baltic
states, from three directions Mos
cow said. In addition, to the south,
the Russians were declared to have
won complete control of the 105
mile section of the Leningrad-Odes
sa trunkline between Dno and No
vosokolniki.
Both of these advances were
made on a continuous 175-mile
front extending frotn the shore of
Lake Pskov, and running about 20
miles north of Pskov to the Lenin
grad-Pskov railway where the sta
tion of Novoselye, 26 miles north
east of Pskov was captured yester
day.
Then the line swings to the south
east across the Leningrad-Pskov
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 3)
-V
COST OF LIVING
CLAIMS ASSAILED
BLS Takes Labor’s Charges
Apart, Says They Are
‘Absolutely Wrong’
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.— (/PI —
The Bureau of Labor Statistics took
labor’s cost of living claims apart
today and concluded that they were
“absolutely wrong.”
The bureau submitted '.o the
president’s cost of living commit
tee a 35,000-word analysis of the
“recommended report” of the "um
mittee’s labor members, George
Meany and R. J. Thomsu, with
this comment:
“The claim of the Meany-Thomas
report that the cost of living has
risen 43.5 per cent (in three years*
is not supported by their data. Ra
ther there is conslusive evidence
that they are absolutely wrong in
asserting that the rife in the cost
of living is nearly twice as great
as the BLS shows it to be (23.4 per
cent).
“The report contains man” er
rors of fact, and makes use of un
presentative data to support its
general conclusions. It does not
meet the high technical standards
which usually have characterized
trade union research. Could the la
bor members of the committee,
who assumed responsibility for
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 2)
I
Message to Readers
The management of the Star-News regrets that it
has recently been unable to publish all of the advertising
submitted to it and also to accept new subscriptions,
due to the rigid restrictions placed upon both the Star
and the News through newsprint allotments by the War
Production Board.
Because of the tremendous shortage of newsprint
we have been forced to reduce the number of pages per
issue. Despite this curtailment we are going to furnish
as broad news coverage and as many features as we
have been publishing, even though we are compelled to
curtail our advertising volume to do so.
This condition is general from a percentage basis of
newsprint allotments to all papers, but the dailies on the
East Coast, whose communities have had large popula
tion increases have been hit hardest, particularly Nor
folk, Charleston and Wilmington.
During last week we were forced to reject 1680
inches of advertising and many new subscriptions, in
order to maintain our news and feature service and pro
tect old subscribers. We hope this condition may soon be
remedied and that more normal operation permitted by
the War Production Board.
*
We are glad to do our bit in the war emergency,
and solicit the patience and long continued friendship
of our readers, in the assurance of an expanding pro
gram when conditions ease up.
#
BATTERED NAZI AIR INDUSTRY
CANNOT MEET FIGHT LOSSES;
FOE ON DEFENSIVE A T ANZIO
/
ENEMY REGROUPS
Has Suffered About 15,
000 Casualties Since Al
lies Landed Jan. 22
MANY ARE CAPTURED
Garrisons In France, Yugo
slavia Weakened To Meet
Threat To Rome
By KENNETH L. DIXON
ALLIED HEADQUAR
TERS, Naples, Feb. 26.—(ff)
—The Germans have suffer
ed about 15,000 casualties on
the beachhead at Anzio since
the Allied landing Jan. 22
and the ten Nazi divisions
there have now been thrown
temporarily on the defensive
while they are regrouping,
an Allied spokesman announ
ced tonight.
The spokesman, reviewing
the Anzio situation “now
that the enemy’s first reac
tion is over,” said that the
German casualty figures in
cluded 2,816 prisoners.
The German attacks on the Al
lied positions on the beachhead
have been "supported by a larg
er weight of artillery than had
been encountered hitherto in the
African and Italian campaigns,”
the spokesman said, but he added
that the attack had been defeat
ed.
•t Program-Upset
As a result, tne German program
for relieving a number of top di
visions for the west has been up
set, ten enemy divisions have been
forceito remain on the'beachhead
sector and German garrisons in
in France and Yugoslavia have
(Continued on Page Seven; Col. 4)
-V
POST-WAR PLANS
TO BE DISC D
Dr. Gus Dyer, Of Nashville,
Will Speak At Meeting
Here March 23
A joint meeting of the city’s civic
clubs, chamber of commerce and
Junior Chamber of Commerce will
be held at 1 p.m., March 23 na
tional post-war plans.
Dr. Gus W. Dyer cf Nashville,
Tenn , chief of the speaker’s bu
reau of the Southern States Indus
trial Council, will be principal
spokesman.
Some civic clubs have already
agreed to the ioint meeting and
i( is expected that others will soon.
Dr. Dyer will appear here under
the auspices of Associated General
Contractors of America, Carolinas
branch. U. A. Underwood, general
(Continued on Page Seven; Col. 5)
-1*
Ever See A Ghost Flying?
Looking like a ghost in flight, a Grumman Hellcat fighter pre
sented this weird appearance as it took off from U. S. carrier to
strike Jap bases in the Pacific. Plane was too fast for even speedy
newscamera lens to “stop” the action.__
Americans Shell Kavieng
As Bombers Blast Rabaul
-* •_
SINK ONE SHIP
Axis Radios Report Vio
lent Battle Being Fought
For Guam Island
By LEONARD MILLIMAN
Associated Press War Editor
American destroyers shelled Ka
vieng for the third time this month
and bombers blasted the heart of
Rabaul, Gen. Douglas MacArthur
announced today as Axis radios
reported a violent battle was be
ing fought for Guam.
The United States Navy depart
ment offered neither confirmation
nor denial of a Berlin broadcast
that a fight “for possession ol
the Pacific isle of Guam” has
been underway for days.
Destroyers, unhampered by Jap
anese warships or planes, sank
one ship and left two in flames
in Kavieng harbor on the northern
tip of New Ireland, about 650
miles south of Truk. Another car
go vessel was left sinking off
nearby New Hanover island.
Japs Pulling Out
Japanese were reported pulling
out of both Kavieng and Rabaul,
were Adm. William F. Halsey’s
bombers turned from blasting he
airdromes to hitting “the weaken
ing enemy base” in the city it
self. A munitions dump, a. power
plant and many buildings were
demolished.
On the opposite flank of the
Bismarck sea medium bombers
and attack planes destroyed ten
Japanese aircraft at the Wewak
air center on New Guinea, dam
aged 13 others, hit ten barges and
silenced four gun positions.
More than 2,000 miles north of
Wewak, Tokyo radio said in a
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 5)
_V_:_
BRITTAIN ACCUSED
OF BOND SCHEME
Arrested For Conspiracy
In Unlawful Negotiation
Of Securities
What U. S. Secret Service agents
termed the largest case of con
spiring with War bond holders in
the unlawful negotiation of the se
curities was revealed here yester
day following the arrest of Ben
jamin Franklin Brittain, 56, of 105
Castle street, by the officers on
conspiracy charges. He was later
released on bond of $10,000 to await
action by the Federal grand jury.
They said Brittain centered his
activities at the yard of the North
Carolina Shipbuilding company.
Officials of the shipyard had noti
fied federal authorities of “sus
picious activities,” saying that they
felt, “from a patriotic point of
view,” something should be done,
the officers reported.
Agents said they seized about
$2,500 in War bonds from the per
sonal effects of Brittain. They add
ed that, in approximately 60 days,
he had negotiated War bonds with
a total value of more than $7,500.
It was estimated by federal au
thorities that more than 200 checks
were mailed from the Federal Re
serve bank of Richmond to various
payees, all addressed to Brittain’s
residence.
Saturday, the defendant was
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 3)
)
100 Russian Planes
Stage Helsinki Raid
STOCKHOLM, Feb. 26— Iff)
—Approximately 100 Russian
planes raided Helsinki tonight,
reports reaching the Swedish
press said.
An indication of the attack
was given when telephone,
service between the Finnish
capital and 'Stockholm ,w?s.
broken at 6 p. m. and/earn
nections had not been restored
at midnight.
A short time after the Fin
nish raid was reported, anti
aircraft guns in the Stockholm
area went into action against
an unidentified plane that flew
high over the Bromma air
port on the southwestern out
skirts of the city.
FINLAND MAY GET
P CE THIS WEEK
Hmlomats Keep Attention
On County’s Negotia
tions With Reds
LONDON, Feb. 26.— UP)—Peace
may come to war-weary Finland
early next week with acceptance'
by the Finns of Soviet Russia’s
six-point terms, diplomats agreed
tonight as they kepi, their atten
tion on negotiations between the
two countries.
One big stumbling block in the
terms, which circulated here un
officially, was said to be a Rus
sian demand for the internment
of 100,000 German troops in north
ern Finland.
Another serious problem was
posed by Russia’s reported de
mand for restoration of the 190
borders, beyond which Finnish
troops have advanced.
The Stockholm Aftonbladet’s
Helsinki correspondent said this
provision was a shock to the Fin
nish people because many thou
sand Karelians already have
moved back into the land of the
Karelian Tsthmus between Lake
Ladoga and the Gulf of Finland
which was ceded to Russia in 1940.
“If peace with Russia is to guar
antee Finland’s independence then
the country’s boundaries must not
(Continued on Page Seven; Col. 7)
15 CENTERS HIT
Greatest Sustained Air As
sault In History Leaves
Plants In Ruins
ENEMY LOSSES HEAVY
Allies Lose 3,500 Men On
400 Bombers And 50
Fighters Destroyed
By W. W. HERCHER
LONDON, Feb. 26 — —
Giant fires burned them
selves out in Augsburg to
night and the ruins of at
least 14 other centers of Ger
man aircraft production gave
smouldering evidence of the
greatest sustained aerial on
slaught in history — an on
slaught that a high American
air force spokesman said had
rendered Nazi factories un
able to keep -up with combat
losses.
The Germans in six days
have lost 641 planes in air
combat with the American in
vaders alone, plus many more
new ones on the ground out
side factories, and uncount
ed others in process of com
pletion in the bombed works.
The cost to the Allies has not
been negligible: About 3 500 air
men on 400 heav; bombers and 50
fighters lost, roughly $100,000,000
worth of planes, but the loss was
described as economical in view of
the aggregate of 17,000 sorties and
the great damage done to the ene
my.
Started With Leipzig
The offensive which began one
week ago tonight with 2,300 long
tons of bombs hurled on Leipzig
by the RAF, was rounded out with
a 1,700-ton RAF overnight blow
against Augsburg. The week’s
bomb tonnage was estimated at 17,
500 dropped by the Americans and
RAF together.
(Since the tonnage figures usually
are given in British long tons of
2.240 pounds each, this would be
slightly less than 20,000 American
tons of 2,000 pounds each.)
Operations went into a temporary
lull today, with Typhoon patrols
over the French coast as the only
activity reported. These cost the
Nazi two planes.
The factories no longer are be
lieved able to make up air losses,
said the American spokesman. He
disclosed that since Jan. 1 twin
engined fighter production in the
Reich has been cut 80 per cent
and single engined fighter produc
tion 60 per cent. These figures may
be revised upward as they are
based on latest reconnaissance and
are still only preliminary.
Greatest Damage
The greatest damage of all was
probably done in the past week, he
said, when the Eighth U. S. Army
Air Force alone dropped 7,935 tons
of bombs in Germany—a greater
amount than that force dropped
during its entire first year of op
erations in the European theater.
With the tonnage of the Italy
based 15th U. S. Air Force, the
American total rose to 9,425.
The spokesman expressed belief
that Germany had lost her last
hope of maintaining a successful
air defense. She cannot prevent the
strategic bombing of any target in
Germany, he declared, coupling
this flat ass’ertfon with a promise
'Continued on Page Seven; Col.'6)
Churchill’s Son Confers
With Tito In Yugoslavia
LONDON. Feb. 26.—L¥>—Capt.
Randolph ' Churchill, son of the
Prime Minister, is conferring with
Marshal Josip Broz (Tito), the Yu
goslav guerrilla leader, after pre
sumably parachuting into Yugo
slavia. it was learned today.
Capt. Churchill. 32. was the first
member of Parliament to become
a paratrooper. He went to the
Middle East with a commando
ynit in 1941 and later was serious
ly injured in an automobile crash.
He returned to action in North
Africa in 1942.
The purpose of his mission to
Tito was not announced but pre
sumably it is a part of the British
effort to give all possible aid to
the Yugoslav partisans.
A
Announcing last Tuesday in his
House of Commons war review
that “we intend to hack him (Ti
to) with all the strength we can
draw on, having regard to our oth
er main obligations,” Prime Min
ister Churchill disclosed that a 32
year-old friend of his, Ct. Col.
Frederick William Dampier Dur
kin, had entered Yugoslavia near
ly a year ago by paAchute and
was at the partisan leader’s head
quarters for eight months.
“For a long time past I have
taJren particular interest in Mar
shal Tito’s movements,’ Chui chill
said.
He disclosed that recently Tito
sent him a message during i is ill
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 3).
9