F0RSCAST REMEMBER *
NORTH CAROLINA: Tuesday partly
3 cloudy and moderate cold with slightly DPAPf IV&fiRfll
lower temperatures in southeastern part. iLAIlL AAADUA
Slightly warmer in mountains in aAer
__ AMD BATAAN
j^-77.—NO. 52__ __WILMINGTON, N. C., TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 1944__FINAL EDITION_ESTABLISHED 1867
Arabian Oil
Line Backed
3yArmy,Navy
industry opposes
Military Leaders To Ask
That Project Be Under
taken Immediately
By JOHN M. HIGHTOWER
WASHINGTON, March 20.—(IP!—
Military advocates of the proposed
multi-million dollar trans-Arabian
0il line are preparing to tell Con
fess, it was learned today, that
the project should be under-taken
immediately.
These representatives of tne War
and Navy Departments and the
joint chiefs of staff will base their
contentions, it was understood, on
these two points:
Two Main Points
1. Delay might cost American
companies their present complete
domination of oil rights in the rich
Saudi Arabian fields.
2 Unless it is started as soon
as possible it will not be ready
to deliver oil when the post-war
European market opens up. Con
struction is estimated to require
at least 18 months.
Their views will be presented to
the Senate's special oil committee
4hic TVPpk'
Time Element
Without going into the merits of
the project—which has been con
demned by oil industry leaders as
a "possible breeder of future
wars,” its backers are described
as considering the time element
this way:
King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia
has been hard-pressed for cash
since the war began. His pre-war
economy was supported mainlv
by Moslem pilgrimages to Mecca.
[ The war all but stopped the pil
gramages.
The British government, with the
aim of aiding a pro-Allied and stra
tegically-located neutral, has turn
ed over to him funds reported to
total about $20 000.000.
U. S Assisting
The United States has assisted
with lend-lease supplies approxi
mately equal to the British pay
ments.
But this represents only a por
tion of the king’s pre-war income
and unless he can look forward to
considerably increased royalties
from oil production in the next two
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 1)
tugoslav"ruLer
WEDS IN LONDON
LONDON. March 20.-Young
King Peter of Yugoslavia married
his Greek princess, Alexandra, to
day in one of the strangest royal
weddings London has ever seen,
with King Goerge VI as best man.
Peter is 20, Alexandra 23 and
pretty.
The young monarch, who risk
ed the wrath of his people in defy
ing a tradition that Serbian rulers
should marry on their own soil,
thus completed half the object of
his present visit to London. The
other half involved behind-the
scenes conferences, going forward
between two of Peter’s ministers
and British leaders in the hope
that an alliance could be arranged
with the fighting partisans of Mar
shal Tito in Yugoslavia.
Today’s ceremony was a private
one in the Yugoslav Legation be
fore about 40 guests, including King
George VI of England, King
George of Grace, King Haak
on of Norway. Queen Wilhelmina
of The Netherlands, Queen Eliza
beth, the Duke and Dutchess of
Gloucester and the Dutchess of
Kent, and Foreign Secretary An
thony Eden.
The ceremony was performed by
Archpriest Ristanovitz of the Ser
•Continued on Page Five; Col. 2)
County Medical Society
Endorses TB Sanitorium
A letter from the New Hanover
Medical Society was received and
recognized by the Board of County
Commissioners at its weekly meet
ing Monday afternoon, which stat
ed that the group, which met
March 16, passed unanimously a
resolution stating that the group
“go on record as endorsing the
idea and confirming the need of
the Tuberculosis Sanitorium in New
Hanover county.
Commissioner Lewis Coleman
stated that it was his opinion that
the Medical Society should know
the needs of an institution of this
type in New Hanover county, and
stated that he would appreciate
it if the group made a report be
fore the board, stating the number
of beds and other requirements,
that would fill the needs of this
county.
The communication received by
the board was signed by Dr. C.
B. Davis, secretary of the Medical
Society.
Most of yesterday’s session was
taken up with discussions and con
sideration of tax problems submit
ted by citizens.
A letter was received by the
county government from the Coun
cil of Social Agencies, which stated
that members of the Welfare Di’ jj
sion of the group had reviewed *|*|
ommendations and resolu* ^F (
which were a result of a rr A
February 12. V (7
The letter stated that “*
bers of the Welfare di
pleased to note certain
ments that have been m«
the Juvenile home during the j,
month. However, they wish tc
know why the two new buildings,
referred to in the previous report,
are not being used to house juve
nile delinquents, as they appear
to be much more suitable for this
purpose than the quarters now be
ing used.
(Continued on Page Five; Col. ")
Plan To Put U. S. In Air
Line Business Presented
WASHINGTON, March 20.—{IP)—Senator McCarran
(D-Nev) proposed today that the United States enter the
international air transport field with a billion dollar cor
poration open to participation by all existing airlines. Mc
Carran embodied that idea in legislation which would re
I W l lit v-uiiijjn. aviatiuii iw
tablish a Civil Aeronautics Author
ity to replace two present agen
cies, assure state control of in
trastate flying and provide a so
called “bill of rights’’ for private
fliers.
The proposal for a single Ameri
can flying company to carry the
American flag abroad attracted
most attention, since it resembles
a plan which Pan American Air
ways, Inc., is understood to favor
and which is opposed by all but
one (United Air Lines) of the pres
ent air carriers. The other seven
teen airlines have united in an air
lines’ committee for United States
air policy to oppose Pan Ameri
can’s views.
Briefly, McCarran’s plan for a
company to be known as all Amer
ican Flag Lines is this:
A federally chartered corpora
tion with a working capital of more
than $1,000,000,000; participating to
be open to all companies presently
certified by the Civil Aeronautics
Board (CAB) except those in Alas
ka.
Class A capital stock, the voting
stock, would be issued in an
amount totaling $200,000,000 and
could be purchased . only by air
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 3)
_Tr_
WEATHER CAUSES
LITTLE CONCERN
RALEIGH, March 20. — (A5) — A
greater part of eastern North
Carolina continued today in the
grip of a cold wave accompanied
by considerable rain, but state ag
riculture officials discounted the
possibility of it int.erferring with
crops already in the ground.
Continued wet weather during
recent weeks has retarded planting
ot early truck crops in all areas,
and peach and apple trees still are
net in full bloom, these officials
said. They indicated that the fruit
crop war getting eff to an excel
lent start.
However, some concern was be
ing expiessed in the extreme
southeastern area, embracing New
Hanover, Pender, .Columbus and
Brunswick counties, where truck
crop planting already has been de
layed three weeks or more. The
present rainy spell, the officials
said, probably would further de
lay planting.
Generally, low temperatures re
mained around freezing during the
day. Raleigh had a low of 33 and
a high of 44. Precipitation was set
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 3)
ENGINEERS NAME
DRIVE CAPTAINS
Information Chairman Cer
tain Red Cross Cam
paign To Be Success
A meeting of employes of the
Wilmington District Engineer of
fice Friday, at which Lt. Col. John
T. Knight, Jr., district engineer,
was the principal speaker was the
preliminary “shove” in the Amer
ican Red Cross drive for the en
gineer office, Capt. Leslie Boney,
Jr., public relation officer, an
nounced Monday.
Volunteer workers of Wilming
ton’s drive for $75,000 began work
Monday morning in a drizzle of
rain, following the “kick off”
breakfast at St. Paul’s Lutheran
parish house.
John Sheehan, public information
chairman of the campaign here,
stated last night that from all indi
cations, the drive would be £ 'suc
cess.
District Engineer Col. Knight
emphasized, in his speech to office
personnel, the importance of suc
cessful completion of this request
from us on the home front.
learn captains ior me neu cross
drive in the District Engineer of
fice were elected. They are as fol
lows: Misses Atha Josey, Katheryn
Kirby, Doris Judge, Cherrie
O’Shields; Mesdames Margaret
Thompson, Dudley Howell, Letha
Deon, Mry P Mundoy; and Wil
liam Oberjohoren, George Tienken.
W. E. Denise, H. E. Hicks, Phil
Davis, Tracy R. Cobb and George
Faison.
No results have been tabulated
on the New Hanover county cam
paign, but the first report will be
released Tuesday morning, it was
announced.
-V
British Develop New
12-Ton Armored Car
LONDON, March 20.—(A’)—The
British announced today that they
had developed a 12-ton armored
car equipped to fire an anti-tanl»
six-pounder while rumbling along
from 18 to 42 miles an hour.
Called the "EAC Armored Car
Mark 11,” the radio-equipped ve
hicle also mounts machine-guns.
The crew of four is protected by
armor plate an inch and a quarter
thick at the front and one inch
thick at the sides. _
Veteran Teacher Taking Up Fight
Against Petrillo’s Ban On Music
WASHINGTON, March 20.—UF)—
James Caesar Petrillo’s refusal to
permit the broadcasting of high
school music hit a new harsh note
'n Congress today with demands
that his “raids on school children’’
he brought to a halt with legisla
tion.
Chairman Clark (D-Idaho) of an
Interstate Commerce Sub-commit
'te instructed counsel for the na
t'ena! music camp to draft a bill
to break Petrillo’s ban on broad
casting from Interlochen, Mich.,
after Dr. Joseph E. Maddy, the
camp president, recounted what he
termed Petrillo’s “hostile attitude
toward school music.’’
Maddy testified he would not
plead with the stbeky president of
the American Federation of Musi
cians to relax the ban under which
broadcasts from Interlochen have
been prohibited '■ince 1942.
“Chamberlain and Hitler worked
out a reasonably satisfactory ar
rangement at Munich—with final
results we all know to well, the
veteran music teacher said.
“I would prefer never to broad
cast educational programs than to
do so only with the permission to
Petrillo or any other dictator.”
Clark told Middy’s attorney, J.
Joseph Herbert, to draft legisla
tion making it unlawful to inter
fere with the broadcasting of non
commercial music of other cultural
programs. He likewise asked Fed
eral Communications Commission
counsel to work on a similar bill.
“I believe that Congress is thor
oughly out of sympathy with Pe
trillo’s* treatment of your organiza
tion,” Clark said.
To which Senator Vandenlperg
(R.-Mich.) added:
“I have no sympathy whatsoever
with Petrillo’s war on school chil
dren or on non-profit culture.”
Maddy said the union pleader
once threatened him if he disclosed
that he had been forced to pay
for a 50-piece “standby” union or
chestra before the union would per
mit a high school orchestra to
broadcast at the Music Educators
National Conference at Chicago in
1928.
“You better be careful what you
say over the radio if you value
your health,” he said Petrillo told
him.
“This threat didn’t stop me,” the
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 4)
Jittery Germans Are Reported
To Have Occupied All Hungary;
Russians Capture Dniester Base
- X _ x * - * -
f ^ Heels Aided
don In Burma
<EW DELHI, March 20.—W-Lt.
jhn Kelly (Buddy) Lewis parti
cipated in the Allied airborne
flanking attack in northern Burma
with the same dach that he for
merly showed as third baseman of
the Washington Senators.
The North Carolinian, a pilot
ferrying troops, wrote enthusiastic
ally of the operation to his old
friend, Sgt. Johnny Derr, a fel
low Tar Heel and sports editor of
the China - Burma - India Round
up, whose byline Lewis had seen
while he was preparing at a jungle'
air base for one of the spectacular
operations of the war.
“My job,” Lewis wrote, “is to
drive a C-47 plane wherever they
desire. . .It’s the best ship the ar
my producer. The whole set up is
a helluva lot of fun and is becom
ing more interesting as we pro
gress.”
-V
FRANKFURT AREA
GIVEN PASTING
2,000 Planes Take To Air
During Day To Batter
Enemy Targets
LONDON, March 20.—UP!—Fight
er escorted U. S. Flying Fortress
es and Liberators, thundering
through pea soup clouds, bombed
military targets in the Frankfurt
area today in the major operation
of a day which say between
1,600 and 2,100 British-based Al
lied planes of all types in the air
against the Germans.
The formation which made the
400-mile trip to Frankfurt was de
scribed in a U. S. Army com
munique as “medium sized.” It
consisted of between 250 to 500
bombers escorted by even strong
er formations of Thunderbolts,
Lightnings and Mustangs of the
U. S. Eighth and Ninth Air Forces.
Six American bombers and eight
fighters failed to return, the war
bulletin said, while the escorting
fighters brought down four of the
German planes of the few encoun
tered in the dense clouds.
The formation flew in weather
so bad that the crews of the bomb
ers sometimes could not see the
ships flying beside them. Driving
unerringly to the targets the
bombers again used instruments
to drop their loads through the
clouds.
The Frankfurt radio network
broadcast warnings tonight that Al
lied aircraft were crossing southern
Belgium toward Frankfurt, indi
cating that RAF bombers were
bound for the Reich.
While the Fortresses and Liber
ators were conducting this scienti
fic bombing in this, the sixth day
of a shattering aerial offensive, a
much stronger force of lighter
planes — american Marauders and
Thunderbolts and British Bostons,
Mitchells, Mosquitos, Typhoons and
Spitfires—plastered the Nazis’ At
lantic Wall and targets slightly
deeper in France in fine weather.
Some of the lighter planes oper
(Continued on Page Ten; Col. 5)
-_V
VICHY MINISTER
PUCHEU EXECUTED
ALGIERS, March 20.— W —De
clining to be blindfolded and him
self shouting the command to fire,
Pierre Pucheu, former Vichy in
terior minister, died at dawn to
day, sentenced by a special French
military tribunal that found him
guilty of treason.
A few hours later, a special tri
bunal condemned a young Tunisian
native to death for treason and
imposed prison terms on three
other defendants. All were former
members of the African Phalange,
which recruited and sent troops to
the Russian front during Vichy
rule as members of an anti-Bol
shevik legion.
Pucheu, a prominent industrialist
who was convicted for alleged col
laboration with the Germans, had
vehemently told the court that con
demning him would ‘‘plant the first
stake in a civil war” in France,
and had should that ‘‘this is not
a court of justice; it is a political
coup.”
Pucheu died on a barracks pa
rade ground soon after 4 a.m. His
execution was witnessed by a rep
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 5)
DRIVE TOWARD LWOW|
Key Junction Of Mogolev
Podolski Is Taken By
Soviet Troops
LONDON, Tuesday, March 21.—
W)—Russian troops have captured
the east bank German base and
rail junction of Mogilev-Podolski on
the Dniester river and hurled aside
two Rumanian divisions trying to
bar the Soviet surge into pre-war
Rumania, a Moscow communique
announced early today.
Premier-Marshal Stalin in an or
der of the day also announced the
fall of Vinnitsa, the German Bug
River stronghold 60 miles north
east of Mogilev-Podolski, and the
communique said other Soviet
troops driving on Lwow in old Po
land seized 50 villages, including
Korsov, only 56 miles northeast of
that big Axis communications hub.
Moscow dispatches said the Red
Army was within sight of the Car
pathian Mountains, rolling through
shattered German lines with such
astounding speed that the libera
tion of the entire southern Ukraine
now was almost a foregone con
clusion.
Attacking on a 500-mile front
from old Poland to the Black Sea
near the encircled port of Niko
laev, the Russians said their troops
had swept through 115 more towns
and villages during the day, in
cluding the district center or Rad
aivilov on the Rovno-Lwow railway
60 miles northeast of Lwow.
Fifty other villages were taken
in the westward push into former
Poland, said the regular com
munique.
Of the Bessarabian fighting the
bulletin merely said the Russians
“continued to wage successful en
gagements to expand the bridge
(Continued on Page Ten; Col, 5)
-V
THIRD MEADOWS
HEARING IS SET
GREENVILLE, N. C., March 20.
— (£) —Trustees of East Carolina
Teachers College will hold their
third public hearing tomorrow on
a state auditor’s report that Presi
dent Leon R. Meadows has not
satisfactorily accounted for $18,000
in school funds.
At the second hearing here a
week ago. Meadows said that al
though the report showed he han
dled $26,066.42 from July 1, 1934 to
June 30, 1943, he actually handled
$37,304.69. The auditors said that
the amount “for which we are
reasonably satisfied the college stu
dents received benefit’’ totaled $7,
430.08.
On cross-examination, however,
Attorney General Harry McMullan
tried to show that figures in Mea
dow’s personal memorandum' book
had been altered after first being
inspected by the auditors. McMul
lan introduced a photostatic copy
of the book to support his con
tention.
McMullan also introduced an en
velope, containing a memorandum
and about $800 earmarked for a
piano. The date it contained was
1938, but the attorney general pre
sented a letter from the paper man
ufacturer saying that particular
type of paper was not manufactur
ed until 1940. McMullan tried to
show that Meadows did not put
aside that sum until the auditors
started their investigation of ac
couns.
McMullan said he would attend
tomorrow’s hearing ,
British Clear 700
Miles Of Coastline
As Invasion Prelude
LONDON, March 20—UK—In
prelude to the invasion of
Europe, more than 700 miles
of England’s southern and east
ern coastline were declared a
“protected area” today, with
severe limitations on all civi
11 a n movements enective
April 1.
The great naval base at the
Forth also was included in the
order by the British military,
which stated succinctly that it
was “for operational reasons.”
With few exceptions — and
authorities exercise rigid con
trol over these—no one except
persons who reside in the area
will be permitted to enter a 10
mile deep belt which extends
from the wash in the middle
of the east coast to England’s
southwestern extremity at
Land’s End.
Russians Drive On
Driven to the Dniester River and retreating in disorder over the
old Rumanian border at Mogilev, fleeing Nazi forces are reported
taking up new quarters at Cernauti, not far from the Prut River
border of Rumania across which the Rumanians and Germans
launched an invasion of Russia in 1941. This latest Nazi debacle is
the result of a terrific new smash by Marshal Konev’s army striking
near Vimitsa, as shown on the map. Mogilev (heavy arrow) has been
captured by the Russians. _
Jap Convoy Smashed;
5 Enemy Vessels Sunk
By RAY CRONIN
Associated Press War Editor
Furious warship and bomber attacks on Japanese
strongholds in the Central and Southwest Pacific and de
velopment of a major battle in Burma in connection with
the new Nippon offensive in that area were reported offi
cially Monday. Battleships and carrier planes heavily shell
CU dliu UU111UCU XYXili aiui X xxx
Marshalls. American bombers sank
an entire five-ship Japanese con
voy at Wewak. Hundreds of Jap
anese saidors and troops were lost
as three corvettes and two medi
um transports were destroyed.
Bombers unloaded 113 tons of ex
plosives on Wewak shore targets
while destroyers moved in and
shelled the area. Sixty tons lashed
Rabaul, Japanese base on New
Britain.
In Burma the Japanese, pushing
out of remote bases along the Up
per Chindwin, started a fight that
appeared to be the heaviest in that
war zone in two years. After a
bitter two-day battle in the Tid
dim sector on the southern flank
of the Nippon drive, the Japanese
were forced to withdraw. They sus
tained severe casualties.
Nippon objectives were doible
barreled—first, to pierce the jun
gles on India’s Assam frontier to
ward the British Imphal bas=: and
second, to reach the supply lines
feeding Allied forces in north Bur
ma and the U. S. airforce in China
Meanwhile Chinese and Ameri
can forces were forging southward
from the Hukawng Valley into ttie
Mogaung Valley toward Myitkyi
na, 75 miles away. The outflank
ed Japanese there were falling
back from the mountains east of
Jambu Bum, doorway to the Mo
gaung. The Chinese captured Tasu
Bum to the west.
The new operation at Mili, in
volving the weight of American
battleships and carrier planes, may
presage another invasion of the
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 7)
-V
SENATE SLASHES
MONEY FOR FCC
WASHINGTON March 20.—(A*)—
The Senate sustained today the
House action in slashing $1,500,
000 from the appropriation of the
Federal Communications Commis
sion for the opeiation of its radio
intelligence division an^j foreign
broadcast monitoring service.;
The Senate acted, 38 to 22, de
spite protests of Senator La Fol
lette (Prog.-Wis.) that the step
would “cripple or eliminate’’ the
only agency monitoring enemy
propaganda broadcasts.
Democratic Leader Barkley
(Ky.) also appealed for restoration
of the fund to the $8,557,000,000 in
dependent offices appropriation
bill.
During the debate, LaFolleHe
told the Senate that the radio in
telligence division had located a
shBrt wave transmitter in the Ger
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 5]
NAZIS GIVE UP
CASS1N0 HOTEL
Fresh Enemy Troops Infil
trate Into Southwest
Corner Of Town
By LYNN HEINZERLING ..
WITH THE FFTH ARMY AT
CASSNO, March 20.— W1) —The
Germans have surrendered the
Continental Hotel which they had
converted into a powerful fortress
but fresh troops infiltered into the
southwest corner of the town last
night and heavy fighting was in
progress all day today.
The tough German parachute
troopers who gave up the fight for
the hotel yesterday were from the
command of Lt. Gen. Richard Hei
drich, who had boasted that his
first parachute troop division woujc
throw the Allied forces out of Cas
sino. Although he is ^ar from ful
filling that boast tonight, New Zea
land troops and tanks were en
countering unusual resistance from
a few points in the southwestern
part of the town. The valley itseli
was an exstremely hot spot as the
Germans sprayed shells over the
countryside, which is just taking
on the appearance of spring with
a few straeslinu blossoms
The stiffening enemy resistance
in the Cassino area was apparent
all along the roads leading to the
town. New Zealanders, who had
been repairing the roads barehead
ed, turned up today with helmets.
The manner in which the Ger
mans manage to reinforce their
troops still was a subject of specu
lation. The most popular report
was that a tunnel runs down
through Monastery Hill from the
abbey to the town. Another report,
however, said Allied bombing had
destroyed the tunnel.
Although the battle appeared to
be progressing favorably for the
Allies, the Germans fought dog
gedly to retain their hold on the
southwest , corner of the town and
on Hill 165 above it. Indion troops
were within 100 yards of the Mon
astery on top of the hill, but are
cut off from regular supply lines
and are being provisioned by plane.
Possession of Monastery Hill ap
peared necessary for control of the
situation.
Allied artillery gave the attack
ing ground troops effective support,
blasting German positions at al
most point - blank range, while
Warhawk fighter planes gunnec
Nazi infantry at times only 2(
yards ahead of the Allied lines
ACTION IS RESISTED
i Nation Is Reported [Falreil
Over Lock, Stock And
Barrel
LONDON, March 20.— (ffl —Th«
German army was reported tonight
to have taken over Hungary lock,
stock and barrel—against resisting
Hungarian forces whose leaders
were within the Reich, Reuters
said—in an effort to lock the back
door against a Red army which
has already crossed the Bessara
bian frontier.
From Berlin came indications
that the Nazis were preparing to
seize control of other southeastern
Europe satellites.
Hungarians Resist
A Reuters dispatch from Stock
holm said Hungarian troops resist
ed the German march in, made
from both Germany on the north
and Rumania on the south, but
had no details.
mi_-.-- „ i ~
made their swoop while Regent
Nicholas Horthy and Gen. Ghezy,
Hungarian commander in chief
were held virtual prisoners after
conferring at Hitler’s headquart
ers.
The Hungarians were widely re
ported during the day to have balk
ed at Hitler’s demands they resist
the Russian advance, which is
treatment to inundate Hitler’s
Danubian storehouse and his Bal
kan Allies, and neutral sources
said the invasion was also design
ed to thwart any Hungarian peace
bid.
Germans Fearful
Turkish sources said the German
action was inspired also by fiar
of an Allied landing in the Adriatic,
a fear raised by the American
bombing of the Hungarian trans
Danubian rail centers.
The Bulgarian assembly was
scheduled to meet Wednesday, si
multaneously with a slated Hun
garian parliament session, said an
Ankra report, which added: “The
announcements of these twin met
ings . . .created speculation wheth
er the Hungars and Bulgars are
planning some common action.”
(OWI said the Sofia radio an
nounced that the Bulgarian regen
cy conferred today with Premier
Dobri Bozhilov.)
Later in the day, direct con
firmation of the occupation came
(Continued on Page Ten; Col, 6)
MANYARElEARED
KILLED IN WRECK
PASSAIC. N. J.. March 20.— W—
A diver estimated late today that
there were “about 25” bodies in
a bus which had skidded from an
ice-covered bridge into the 18-foot
barge channel of the Passaic Riv
er nearly ten hours earlier.
Four bodies already had been
taken to an improvised morgue and
officials said others might be under
the bus or swept downstream by
the outgoing tide.
Six persons escaped with their
lives, and their estimates of the
dead ranged frmo light to 30
before Julius J. Cinamon, Passaic
director of public safety, announc
ed the diver’s report.
Rescue efforts were dramatic,
but the bitter cold of the water
offset much of the work.
Dotting the surface were self
inflating life rafts pitched with ex
tra-lightwood from fourth-floor win
dows of the big United States Rub
ber Company plant beside the riv
er, ropes and poles dangled from
the bridge, cushions which floated
free from the bus, and swimmers
who dared the all - but - paralyzing
water. But only seven passengers
(Continued on Page Ten; Col. 4)
Destroyer Escort Ship
Is Reported Lost In
Atlantic By The Navy
WASHINGTON, March 20.
Loss of the destroyer escort Leo
pold in .the Atlantic on March 10
due to an “underwater explosion”
was announced today by the Navy.
The communique did not say
how many casualties occurred, re
porting only that next of kin had
been notified.
This was the first reported loss
of a destroyer escort, the new
type of ship built especially for
anti-submarine work in Atlantic
and Mediterranean waters. De
stroyer ■ escorts usually carry a
complement of about 10 men. The
1,300-ton Leopold was about 300
feet long.
eep The Red Cross At His Side-Wilmington s Quota Is $75,000
A\ ft . '