r F0RECAST 1 I REMEMBER
FORECAST
NORIH CAROLINA: Partly cloudy, PEARL HARBOR j
idth moderate temperatures Saturday,
Sunday and Monday; showers and cool- * IfTt DATA AH
er Tuesday end Wednesday. AllXI SAIAAH
^ L~ -- - i
VOL- 77.—NO. 50___ _WILMINGTON, N. C., SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 1944 _FINAL EDITIONESTABLISHED 1867
New Tax Plan
Is Explained
By Committee
returns eliminated
Filing Is Done Away With
For About 30,000,000
Persons In U. S.
*
WASHINGTON, March 17.—Wl—
Responding to a national outcry
against the recent siege of decimal
jitters, the House Ways and Means
Committee approved today a far
reaching plan to simplify the tax
Statutes, relieving some 30,000,000
of the 50,000,000 taxpayers of the
necessity of ever computing an
other income tax return.
Beginning next January 1, if the
bill is enacted the present with
holding system against wages and
salaries will be revised to deduct
the full tax liability for persons
earning up to $5,000.
There will be no change In
amounts held out of pay envelopes
and salary checks this year, but
the government itself will compute
the taxes on 1944 income for those
with wages and salaries under $5,
coo.
i The victory tax is abolished and
broad changes are made in the
normal and surtax exemptions and
rates, with a new normal rate of
3 percent (present normal 6 per
cent) to apply to all persons mak
ing over $55. Some 150,000 new
taxpayers will be added.
Congressional tax experts ex
plained that under the new normal
tax the exemption for any person
with income over $500 would be
only $590 plus 10 per cent of this
income, regardless of whether he
is married or the number of his
dependents, just as the 3 per cent
victory tax now is levied against
persons making over $624 regard
less of family status.
The 150.000 new taxpayers would
be picked up from persons earning
between $55 and $624.
However, Ways and Means chair
man Doughton said there would be
no substantial change in the bur
den on any taxpayer, declaring
“nobody will be hurt much or help
ed much” as to the actual amount
H cf their taxes.
Some 9.000,000 now paying vic
tory taxes but with earnings not
sufficiently large to come under
the present income levies will be
come regular income taxpayers,
paying rates about equivalent to
their present victory tax burdens,
Doughton said.
Of the 20,050.000 who still must
file returns, the committee said
10.000,000 can use a simple tax
table which will show their entire
fax, and the remaining 10,000,000
will fill out returns in more detail
but will be provided a simpler re
turn than the present long form.
If any taxpayer in the class un
der $5,000 wishes To claim larger
deductions than those computed
wnder the new withholding taxes,
be may file a return each March
15, as he now does and pay the
same tax as he is' liable for under
the current statutes.
"The new plan will provide a
real short-cut for about 30 million
Wage and salary earners,” a for
mal statement said.
"All those earning up to $5,000
and receiving not more than $100
from sources not subject to with
holding will be permitted to file
a copy of a withholding receipt,
famished by the employer, in place
of the regular return. These tax
payers will list their dependents on
the reverse side of this receipt
and enter the amount of “other
income,” if any.
j "They will then sign the receipt
and mail it to the local tax col
lector, without any payment. The
collector will calculate the tax and
where necessary will either bill the
taxpayer for additional payment or
issue a refund check.
; The 20 million persons who will
continue to file regular returns will
also benefit from simplification. If
h'cor income from all sources is not
c,fr $5,000 and their deductions
ate not over 10 per cent of income,
ihey can use the simple one-page
tax table to determine their tax.
Tver for the taxpayers who cannot
fhe tax table, the new form
will be simpler than the present
i°ng form.”
Carrier Guns Silence Jap Bomber
i i .. - - ----
U. S. Navy aircraft carriers carry a defensive as well as of
fensive punch when the need arises. This picture taken from one of
the flat-tops shows smoke arising from the spot where the enemy
bomber fell. This took place during a recent raid on the Marianas,
in the Pacific. (International)
Dies Committee Orders
Walter Winchell Probed
WASHINGTON, March 17.—(A*)—A feud between
Walter Winchell, radio commentator and newspaper col
umnist, and members of Congress who claim he is at
tempting to “smear” them, boiled to a climax today as the
Dies Committee ordered an investigation of Winchell’s
broadcasts for the last two years.
Chairman Dies (D-Tex.), whcrt
has excoriated the commentator in
several recent House speeches, an
nounced that the committee on un
American activities has issued a
subpoena for scripts and record
ings of Winchell’s programs for
the last two years.
He added that a thorough in
vestigation of Winchell’s programs
probably would require the ap
pearance of about thirty witness
es, including officials of the Jer
gens Company, Winchell’s sponsor,
and the Blue Network, which car
ries his programs.
Whether Winchell himself will be
subpoenaed, the Texan said, has
not been decided.
In New York, Philip W. Lennen,
president of Lennen and Mitchell,
Jpc., advertising agent for the
Jergens Company, tonight invited
Dies to follow Winchell on a Blue
Network broadcast March 19 or
March 26. The invitation was in
response to a request by Dies to
speak during Winchell’s allotted
air time.
Mark Woods, president of the
Blue Network, corroborated the in
vitation in a telegram to Dies and
said “that period will give you the
benefit of the entire Winchell audi
ence.”
At Miami Beach, Winchell de
manded “Why don’t they supboena
Winchell” When he was informed
of the committee’s action.
“I have repeatedly asked to be
called before the committee, or
any Congressional group, to tell
them things I am not permitted to
say on the radio or in the news
papers.”
___
RED CROSS DRIVE
PLANS ARE MADE
The Business division of the Red
Cross War Fund campaign, of
which F. P. O’Crowley is chair
man met Friday afternoon at
Campaign headquarters in the Tide
Water building, and plans were
laid for that group’s participation
in the extensive drive for $75,000,
which gets under way in Wilming
ton Monday.
Mr. O’Crowley spoke to the group
cn tceir responsibility of the men
and women who cannot be on the
fighting front, and said that "we
cannot, buck the Axis with a buck.”
explaining that the old settle-for
a-dollar” manner of campaigning
for the Red Cross is “out.”
J. Q. LeGrand, general chair
man. who has been called on time
and again for many civic acui
ties, spoke briefly to those pre
sent, and insisted that ‘any per
ron who can afford to give $1 at
the present time, can certainly
give three! which only amounts to
25 cents a month.”
He explained some of the acti
vities of the American Red Cross,
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 4)
I Only AFewMenUnder26
Indispensable, FR Claims
Washington, March 17.—(ff)—
Hres;cient Roosevelt, saying there
Ere f.w men under 26 really indis
pensable to industry, indicated to
Qay he is leaning toward the
srmpa services’ view that virtual
ly ail phvsically fit men under
that age must be drafted.
He told his press-radio confer
®/lce, however, that he still has
*,-e manpower question under stu
°y. expects to work on it all week
and probably will have a state
ment on it early next week.
ror the past 10 days there has
an intense behind-the-scenes
•Pj-ot'-war between the armed ser
vices and production officials ov
er the approximately 250.000 men
under 26 who have occupational de
ferments.
Production officials have hoped
to keep deferred some 40,000 to
50,000 who they contend are kev
men in industry and vitally need
ed to maintain production. Mili
tary authorities contend that is too
large a number of deferments of
men of the best fighting age.
Manpower Chairman Paul V.
McNutt, representing selective ser
vice, and Chairman Donald M.
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 4)
FR Wears Green Suit
With Green Carnation
For St. Patrick’s Day
WASHINGTON, March 17.—
(A*1—President Roosevelt was
togged out today in a green
tweed suit, with a green car
nation in the lapel.
Ee was wearing a green and
white striped tie, too, in the
spirit of St. Patrick’s Day and
on his desk were numerous
reminders of the occasion, in
cluding a flower bowl of sham
rocks.
-v
U. S. TO MAINTAIN
SALARY FORMULA
If Ceiling Is To Be Chang
ed, Congress Will Have
To Do It
WASHINGTON. March 17.—(ff>—
The administration was reported
on high authority today to have
decided to maintain the "Little
Steel” Formula despite increasing
pressure from labor organizations
for easing of wage controls.
If the formula is to be aban
doned and wage ceilings lifted, a
high official said, Congress will
have to assume the responsibility
—the Executive Department will
not.
Furthermore, this decision has
been communicated to the War
Labor Board whose members have
been confronted with recent moves
by both AFL and CIO groups for
action looking, toward discarding
the formula which limits general
wage increases to 15 per cent
above the level of January, 1941.
The belief in highest adminis
tration quarters is that Congress
will not take the initiative in rais
ing wage ceilings and that hence
they can be held in place.
The question of Congressional
action to ease wage controls may
come up next week in hearings
before the Senate Banking Com
mittee on a bill to extend the
life of the Stabilization Act. Con
gress directed in this law that both
wages and prices be stabilized at
Sept. 15, 1942, levels.
Chairman William H. Davis of
the WLB is expected to appear be
fore the committee to oppose
changing the sections dealing with
wages. . ,
While some legislators have
talked of writing the Little Steel
Formula into law, the administra
tion was described as opposed to
this It was said to be determined
to uphold the formula but wants
the stabilization act renewed un
changed. _
NOTICE
Your Star-News Carrier Is
striving to give you better
service. If you should miss
your Star please call Star
News office before 9 a. m. and
one will be sent you by
special messenger.
Your carrier Cays his papers
at a wholesale rate and sells
them retail to his subscribers.
He will naturally be better sat
isfied if he makes the maxi
mum amount from his route.
Please have his money ready
when he calls to collect on Sat
urday.
Europe Is Dealt Double Blow,
Vienna And Sofia Are Raided;
»w
Russian Armies Near Rumania
P ~ -- ★ -
11 MILES AWAY
ir
other Troops Lash Out In,
Offensive Through Old
Poland
LONDON, March 17— UP) —The
Russians reported tonight that the
Red army nad driven to two points
only 11 miles from the Dniester
River, pre-war border of Rumania,
while to the northwest other troops
lashed out in a new offensive west
ward through old Poland, captur
ing Dubno, “an Important strong
point in German defenses,” and
Demidovka, 18 miles beyond.
The Moscow communique, re
corded by the Soviet monitor, said
the Russians had captured Klem
bovka, 11 miles north of the river
and 12 miles from the former bor
er town of Yampol. Also reported
captured was Olshanka, 14 miles
southeast of Kelmbovka, and like
wise 11 miles fro mthe winding riv
er. Dlembovka is 30 miles south
east of Mogilev Podolski, another
important Russian objective on the
Dniester’s banks.
The Russians also seized the dis
trict center of Peschana 13 miles
southeast of Olgapol and 16 miles
from the Odessa-Zhmerinka trunk
line.
Nearly 400 communities In pre
war Poland and Ihe southwestern
Ukraine were over-run by the Red
army during the day, in general
advances along the Nazis’ crumbl
ing southern front, said the Mos
cow communique, recorded by the
Soviet monitor.
In their farthest thrust westward
in the area where the Odessa »
Zhmerinka trunk railway was
crossed the Russians captured the
town of Tomashpol, 32 miles east
off the former border town of Mo?-*
Alev Podolski and 21 miles north
of the Dniester.
Captured Demidovka, 70 miles
northeast of the historic city of
Lwow, is 42 miles inside the old
Polish frontier at its closest point
—the town of Shumsk.
Other towns announced captured
along the winding, flaming front in
the south included Bratslav, 33
miles southeast of Vinnitsa, and
Krizhopol, railroad station on the
Odessa-Zhmerinka line which, with
Petchanka, gave the Russians con
trol of a 32-mile sector of the rail
way.
Novo Ukrainka, a rail junction
38 miles southwest of Kirovograd,
also was taken, the Russians said.
The capture of Dubno, 27 miles
inside the old Polish frontier, was
announced by Premier Marshall
Joseph Stalin earlier.'
-V
CWAC DIRECTOR
TO SEE LEJEUNE
CAMP LEJEUNE, New River
Mar. 17.—Plans have been made
here for the arrival tomorrow of
Lt. Col. Margaret C. Eaton, direct
or of Canadian Women’s Army
Corps, and Capt. Anna L. Neilson,
director of the organization in
Washington, D. C. They will be ac
companied by Col. Ruth Cheney
Streeter, director of Marine Corps
Women’s Reserve.
This will be the first visit of
Lt. Col. Eaton and Capt. Neilson
to a Marine base, where they are
to observe the women’s activities.
Shortly after their arrival, Lt.
Col. Eaton is scheduled to take
the regular Saturday morning re
view presented by approximately
1000 women “boots” receiving six
weeks basic training here.
In the afternoon she is to address
women officers and members of
the Marine Corps Women’s Re
serve schools.
The visitors itinerary will include
observation trips to the amphibian
base, parachute towers, and other
training grounds for men Marines
as well as the women post troops
and school areas.
Allies Slowly Fighting Their Way
Into The Cassino Railway Station
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS,
NAPLES, March 17— —Allied
troops fought their way into Cas
sino railway station today and In
dian Churkas clawed within 100
yards of the summit of Mt. Cas
sino, but fiercely-resisting Ger
mans still retained a toehold on
the southwestern outskirts of their
ravaged stronghold.
The railway station had chang
ed hands frequently during the
bloody two-months battle for Cas
sino.
Bitter fighting raged on the
slopes of Mt. Cassino, and Allied
troops there were under intense
fire from Nazis in the ruins of the
ancient abbey on the crest.
A small number of New Zealand
tanks moved into the battle this
afternoon and one was destroyed
by four direct hits from selfpro
pelled German artillery.
All day the rubbled ruins of Cas
sino shuddered under violent at
tack, but when night came the
Nazis still clung to their caves,
tunnels and dugouts and there was
a discernible feeling here that
they might not be routed soon.
New Zealand troops spearhead
ing the Allied assault from the
north had fought their way
through the rubble to the town’s
outer fringe and had joined forces
with Indian Churkas who were
storming up the slopes of tower
ing Mt. Cassino on the west.
As a result, Lt. Gen Mark W.
Clark’s Fifth Army was in a much
stronger tactical position than it
was before Wednesday’s 2,500-ton
aerial bombardment virtually de
molished the Nazi fortress town,
but a determined enemy still
stood across the broad highway
leading to Rome.
Making use of ruined buildings
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 4)
U. S. STILL SOUR
TOWARD BADOGUO
Hull Says Russia Didn’t
Consult Us Before Tak
ing Action
WASHINGTON, March 17.—W)—
The Soviet government played a
lone hand in giving diplomatic
recognition to Marshal Pietro Bad
oglio’s Italian regime and the
United States is not even consid
ering similar action.
These points were made clear
by Secretary of State Hull at a
press conference today at which
he said:
1. The United States was not
consulted by the Soviet govern
ment although about the time the
Italian announcement was made
last week this country did have
some information as to what was
going on.
2. The State Department is now
assembling all the facts and cir
cumstances involved
3. The Allied advisory council
of Italy (U. S.—Britain—Russia)
normally would give attention to
such matters as diplomatic rec
ognition of the Badoglio govern
ment in the first instance. Here
the secretary implied an opinion
that Russia should have worked
through the council although he
did not specifically say so.
4. The question whether the Unit
ed States should follow Russians
lead in recognizing the Badoglio
regime is not arising.
The American policy is known
to be based on commitments to
give the Italian people full oppor
tunity to choose their government
as soon as the military situation
will oermit. Washington and Lon
don have agreed that not until Al
lied armies have freed Rome will
such a condition arise and they
are therefore giving the Badoglio
regime limited support through
military channels until that time.
MANY EXHIBITS
IN HOBBY SHOW
The Hobby Show sponsored by
the Department of Recreation held
at Hemenway school Friday from
4-5:30 p.m. featured many unique
exhibits.
Jesse Reynolds, Wilmington
recreation director, announced the
following prize winners: Wood
craft—sigo; Moth and butterfly
collection—Moody; China collec
tion—Rochelle; Crochet — Fryer.
Organization activities: Girl Scout
doll exhibit, first; Wright sboro
Seventh grade, first, art; Jerry
Axler, second, art; Billy McGlau
han, first, pets; Jean Rabon, sec
ond, pets; Montague Dowdy, first,
Army collection; Henry Vander
lith, second, coin collection.
The committee in charge of ar
rangements for the Hobby Show:
Mesdames Goldburg, Fryer,
Dowles, Rochelle, Triplett, Mc
(Continned on Page Two; Col. 6)
Seattle Printer Is
Caught In Own Trap
SEATTLE, March 17. — (ff)
—Bart Beard painted a yellow
line on the curb inv front of
his print shop, and then ap
plied for permission to reserve
the space as a commercial
vehicles zone.
His request was turned down,
but the paint was already
there.
A few days later he returned
to his car, which he had left
out in front, and found a tag
for “parking in a prohibited
area.’’
-V
SENATORS FAVOR
LEGION ‘GT BILL
WASHINGTON, March 17.—(iP)—
Wrapping up in its 46 pages every
suggested benefit for veterans of
the present war except a bonus,
the $3,500,000,000 *'G. I. bill-of
rights-’ measure was sped on its
way today toward overwhelming
Senate passage by a unanimous
vote of its Finance Committee.
Senator Johnson (D-Colo), one of
the sponsors of a pending $30,
000,000,000 adjusted compensation
or bonus bill, told reporters he
would seek Finance Committee
hearings on that proposal after
the omnibus measure had cleared
Congress
Finance Committee Chairman
George (D-Ga) estimated maxi
mum benefits under the “G. I. bill
at $3 000,000,000 exclusive of a $500,
000,000 authorization for construc
tion of additional hospital facili
ties to care for the wounded and
disabled
He estimated the cost of gov
ernment-financed education at $1.
000,000,000. based on a belief that
from 7 to 10 per cent of the men
and women of the armed services
will avail themselves of its bene
Principal benefits provided in the
“G. I.” bill, sponsored by the Am
erican Legion, are:
1. A year’s educational or vo
cational training for any man or
woman of the armed forces with
six months service at a cost to
the government up to $500 a year
tuition, $50 a month subsistance
and $25 a month for maintenance
of a veteran’s wife
2. Unemployment compensation
of $15 a week for a maximum of
52 weeks for a two-year period.
3. $509,000,000 for construction of
additional hospital facilities.
4. Loans up to $1,000 for the
purchase of homes- farms or small
business, interest free for the
first year, and carrying 3 per cent
annual interest thereafter.
5. A veterans’ placement board
to steer former service people in
to jobs.
6. Designation of the Veterans
Administration as an essential war
agency entitled to priorities on
personnel, equipment and supplies.
M’Arthur Promises One Of Greatest
Offensives To Clear The Philippines
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS,
Southwest Pacific, March 17.—
_Promising one of the greatest
offensives of the Pacific war to
liberate the Philippines and adja
cent islands from the Japanese,
Gen. Douglas MacArthur tonight
reiterated his pledge to the Fili
pino people to return and free
them.
The general, addressing a Com
monwealth Parliament dinner par
ty at Canberra, spoke strictly as
a professional military man, ig
noring the American political sit
uation in which he has been men
tioned as a Republcan presi
dential possibility.
The dinner commemorated the
general’s arrival in Australia ex
actly two years ago. It followed
his decoration by Lord Gowrie,
Governor of Australia, with the
Grand Cross of the Order of the
Bath. The governor general rose
from his sick bed to confer the
decoration.
MacArthur, looking as fit physi
cally as when he made his dra
matic escape from the Philippines,
declared “nothing is more certain
than our ultimate reconquest and
liberation from the enemy of those
and adjacent islands.
‘One of the grestest offensives
of the war will, at the appropri
ate time, be launched for that pur
pose. With God’s help it should
be decisive not only of redemp
tion but of Japan’s isolation from
southern conquests and of Chinese
restoration of Pacific ocean com
munication.”
The general added that back in
the dark days of early 1942, when
the Japanese had blitzed their way
southward almost to the shores of
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 4)
-<r
LORENGAU’DROME
ON MANUS TAKEN
Field In Admiralties Is
Captured In Quick Two
Day U. S. Offensive
By LEONARD MILLIMAN
Associated Press War Editor
Lorengau airdrome has been
captured in a swift two-day of
fensive on Manus island in the
Admiralty group and thousands of
Japanese have been killed and
wounded in a final rout of their
persistent but hopeless attack on
Bougainville island of the northern
Solomons! General Douglas Mac
Arthur announced today.
The ten day enemy offensive on
Bougainville completely broke
down Tuesday night, MacArthur
said. 'Over 1,100 of his dead lie
within our lines alone. His total
casualties are many times this.”
American losses were compara
tively small.
Capture of Lorengau air strip
gave American forces control of
the only two air fields in the Ad
miralty islands which blockade
the northern approaches to the
Bismarck Sea Destroyers lying
offshore, turned their guns on Jap
anese pillboxes and other fixed po
sitions to blast open the way to
the airdrome for the dismounted
cavalrymen. Another column,
pushing inland, was within 600
yards of the town of Lorengau,
enemy headquarters for the island
group.
rv> a & Tnntf HlS
tance flights to bomb the former
Dutch naval base at Soerabaja,
Java, and Japanese installations
on nearby Bali Island. The attacks
involved overwater flights of
around 2,500 and 2,000 miles.
Other bombers struck in the
Central Pacific, destroyed build
ings and guns with a 142 ton bom
bardment of Wewak. weakening
Japanese air base on New Guinea,
and poured 135 tons of explosives
on Rabaul, New Britain, without
drawing fighter opposition.
First Allied use of airborne
troops in Southeast Asia was re
ported by Admiral Lord Louis
Mountbatten. They landed behind
Japanese lines in north Burma.
Their maneuver is a further sped
up of the fastest moving Asiatic
offensive, presumably with the In
tention of breaking the backbone
of Japan’s nortji Burma defense
befbre the monsoons set in within
the next six weeks.
Along the Central Pacific cor
ridor, which Admiral Chester W.
Nimitz has promised will be
turned into a seaway to the China
coast, five more attacks by Amer
ican bombers on Japanese island
outposts were announced.
-V
FREIGHT RATES'
HEARING STARTS
WASHINGTON, March 17.—W—
All freight rates, including those
paid by the government, should be
determined by the Interstate Com
merce Commission, two railroad
presidents told a House subcom
mittee today.
William Jeffers, president of the
Union Pacific, and J. B. Hill, pres
ident of the Louisville and Nash
ville, appeared to support a bill to
abolish the land grant rates which
cut the government’s freight bill
in half.
“The Interstate Commerce Com
mission, which was created to pre
vent discrimination between ship
pers, is the body which should
make a determination of all rates,’1
Jeffers testified.
“In my opinion,” he said, “il
something is not done, the rail
roads will come out of the wai
period — when government traffic
represents 65 per cent of their busi
ness compared with three to foui
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 41
CACENA IS ALSO HIT
Continuous Assaults Smash
Germany And Sur
rounding Nations
XJVl’l, iuaiui ; —•
Italian-based U S. Flying Fort
resses and Liberators roared over
the Alps today to bomb military
targets in Vienna as Allied plates
from Britain in continuous assaults
olasted Nazi communication points
in France and Holland.
Tonight the Frankfurt radio sta
tion signed off suddenly in the
middle of a program, usually an
indication that RAF night bom
bers are over the continent.
In addition to the attack on
Viennese targets medium bombers
from Allied fields in southern
Italy bombed Cacena, a vital rail
road junction in northern end of
the peninsula.
The strong force of American
big bombers up from the south,
escorted by Thunderbolts and
Lightnings, found the Austrian ca
pita± blanketed by an overcast
through which a heavy anti-air
craft fire was poured. There was
no German fighter opposition, how
ever. The Algiers radio said the
target was an aircraft factory.
The Mediterranean air force also
struck northward into Europe by
night, hitting rail communications
at Sofia, capital of Bulgaria, for
xhe second night in a row. employ
ing big RAF Halifax bombers for
the first time from this theater.
From Britain American Maraud
ers joined in the growing bombard
ment of German lines of communi
cation in northern France with a
smash at the railroad center of
Creil, 30 miles north of Paris.
The day operations followed an
RAF night precision raid by Lan
casters using the new 6-ton “fac
tory-buster” bombs against the
Michelin rubber and tire factory at
Clermont, Ferrand, 30 miles south
west of Vichy, and -an assault with
smaller bombs against the rail
way installations at Amiens* a key
junction between Paris and the
Charnel Coast which in 1914 was
the first concentration point for
British troops landing at Boulogne.
The Marauder dash against Creil
was the ninth time this month that
Britain-based bombers had plas
tered transportation points behind
tnis section of the anti-invasion
front Creil is situated so as to
serve btoh the Nazi garrison in
Paris and numerous enemy in
stallations closer to the Atlantic
wall to the west.
British Mosquitos also swept
across the misty Dover Strait this
afternoon and bombed military ob
jectives in northern France, under
Spitfire escort and without loss.
As the medium bombers sped to
to mount machine-guns and hide
snipers, the Germans were fight
ing desperately and capitalizing
on the slowness of the Allied ad
vance through the churned - up
wreckage. In one instance Allied
engineers had to construct a 75
foot bridge over a water-filled
bomb crater to enable our tanks
to advance.
The furious fighting was in
progress in full view of German
artillery observers in the ruins of
Monte Cassino Abbey, but the posi
tion of these Nazis was becoming
steadily less tenable as Allied in
fantrymen gamed new points on
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 3)
-V
TOBACCO STRIKE
WILL END MONDAY
DURHAM, March 17.—(£'—Dur
ham’s strike of 2,400 employes of
the American Tobacco Company
ended tonight amid a flood of
promises from leaders of the local
units of the International Tobac
co Workers Union of America that
they would lead the workers out
of the plant again unless they gain
their point soon.
The strike officially will end
Monday morning, but in answer
to a request from union leaders,
many of the workers will be on
their jobs tomorrow morning in
order to make the plant ready
for full operation next week.
The vote in favor of returning
to work was overwhelming, with
less than 25 members of the union
voting to remain away from their
jobs.
Voting immediately after G. T.
Dunn, president of local No. 183
had asked his members to return
to their jobs, the membership
unanimously declared that it was
doing so primarily because they
had faith in Dunn’s leadership,
and because they felt that he was
more fully informed as to the rea
sons for halting the strike than
anyon® also.
&