North Carolina Newspapers

_j cSHr" xlmxngtm rurtiitt^ jglJr~N0- 6° WILMINGTON, N. C., WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 1944 FINAL EDITION ESTABLISHED 1867"* - " " ■■ I I ”" 1,1 l^— Chaplin And His Attorney I Wl III .Mill——881^—i Defense Attorney Geisler (left) is shown here conferring with his client, the former Actor Charles Chaplin in Los Angeles during the trial of the latter on charges of Mann Act violation. A jury last night declared Chaplin was not guilty. Chaplin Found Innocent Of Mann Act Violation By GENE HANDSAKER LOS ANGELES, April 4.—</P)—Lips trembling, clutch ing at the knot of his necktie, an emotion-choked Charlie Chaplin tonight heard himself acquitted of Mann Act charges. Yells of “hooray” went up from the jammed spec tator section along with a burst of applause as the court clerk announced acquittal on the: first of the indictment’s two counts. The balififi rapped for order, and U S. District Judge J. F. T. O'Connor warned loudly against a further demonstration. The clerk then read the result on the second count. The jury of seven women and five men cleared the world-famed F: i'h-born comedian of govern r :' charges tnat he transported to former protegee, 24-year-o 1 d Berry, to New York City »rd back in October, 1942 for im moral purposes. The jury cane in at 6:10 p.m. a‘ e-r six hours and fifty eight minutes of deliberation. As Court Clerk Francis Cross took the ve: diet from Jury Fore n sn Rescue Reeder and read the first count of the verdict “not guilty’’ a crowded courtroom burst into appluee and Federal Judge F. T. O'Connor was forced to tang his desk r.eavily before order "as restored ar.d the clerk could proceed with reading of the second count. The jury announced it had reached a verdict fully ten minutes tdore it returned to the high ceil 1— inged walnut - paneled courtroom. Chaplin who has betrayed almost no emotion during the trial sat with his head in his hands both before the )ury came in and during the preliminaries to the verdict. As the verdict was announced the stocky silver-haired producer comedian rose from his chair and seized his Attorney Jerry Giesler by the hand, a smile broke over the actor’s face and Giesler clapp ed him on the shoulder. It was a crowded courthrocm when the verdict was returned and die bystanders immediately swarmed around Chaplin pumping his hand and putting their arms about his shoulders. He was over heard to say to one friend “I had faith in the American people.” By its verdict the jury of seven women and five men decided that Chaplin was telling the truth when he asserted from the witness stand that he paid for attractive redhair ed Joan Berry’s transportation to Mew York with no immoral intent. That charge was the basis of the first count of the government’s in dictment. (Continued oil Page Three; Col. 5) SERVICEMEN TOLD ABOUT VOTE LAW WASHINGTON, April 4—UPI—The ArrT-' and Navy and the War • P?:ng Administration announc e- today they are rending full in •- nation on the service voting 0 personnel in the armed services. lne War Department said it 'dered expedited” distribution a circular explaining all fea |.re- of ;he law and the “re -pwsibilrtiej of commanders.” Commanders must give full ; o-o.ty, the department said, 0 several voting information °Vlaed n the circular, bring •••pressly to the attention of sol .Vs 0,her circulars giving spe ‘lc. biformation as to 1944 pri r.Ies and elections, make post av'^/.^Pphcations for a ballotl to all soldiers desiring //'■ ass!st in certifying signa in attesting oaths and in Dr ct /he men how clearly and / execute ballot appli The circular to com the department added, smn.: attention in detail to re Polit' 'Vs on dissemination of v 'ca argument or propaganda .nemoers of the armed forces v0-cPOln's out that polls or straw ■ «^are prohibited.” Secdp", Edward A. Hayes of p-,i': v° Knox’ office, said the ,.m-> of the Navy Department ; oeen and is to assist and tjteJ Tase naval personnel in the of the voting privilege.” „ dr -y ping Administrator Em v.-r. iV band, said polling places Sr/.,,. e Provided on all ships ed .r‘c seamen would be furnish H -r?P !r ations tor ballots, en t.; r~ and instruction on voting •--Pdure. BLS INDEX SAID 'SAWDUST CHART’ WASHINGTON. April 4.— (A*)— The American Federation of Labot unlimbered its best statistics and arguments beiore a War Labor Board panel today to support its contention that both the little steel wage formula and the cost of liv ing index are out of line with the government’s promises and the facts. Secretary - Treasurer George Meany, who conducted the AFL’s case, said he could not accept the statement cf any government of ficial that prices have not riser in the last yeai and added tha1 'after the failure of the rollback and holdback campaign” ‘he gov ernment decided “it could at leasl sit on the figures.” He pointed out the formula hac failed to maintain a parity wit! even the government’s living cos1 figures and described the Burear of Labor Statistics’ index as a “sawdust chart.” The little stee! formula is a cost oi-living pay adjustment schedule for groups of workers. Its ceiling is 15 per cent above the average hourly rates of January, 1941. The BLS index shows a rise of 23.4 per cent in that period, and ar AFL-CIO study claims the increase is at least 43 per cent. “Let me remind you,” saic Meany, “that the whole _ stabiliza tion program and the little stee. formula itself were based on mak ing wage rates stay even with liv ing costs. The little steel formula was concocled to prevent inflation It has had erectly the oppositi efiect. It has submerged wages further and further below the con stantly mounting rise in prices.’ I Voters Favor Thos.E.Dewey InWisconsir TAKES AN EARLY I - Candidate Pledged ~ ^ Commander S '4? Among Top 4? MILWAUKEE, April 4.— (a. Candidates pledged to Gov. Thom as E. Dewey, who swore he didn’t even want his name used, took a run-away lead tonight in mount ing early returns from Wisconsin presidential primary which many politicians had eyed chiefly as a test for Wendell Willkie. EARLY LEAD MILWAUKEE .April 4.— (/P) — Candidates pledged to Gov. Thom as E. Dewey of New York, and running despite his disavowal jumped into an early lead tonight in inconclusive returns from Wis consin presidential primary bal loting on four state delegates at large to the Republican national convention. Three Dewey-pledged delegate candidates led in returns from 119 of the state’s 3076 precincts. A candidate pledged to Lt. Com mander Harold E. Stassen, form er governor of Minnesota, also was in the first four, while his three running mates were close behind Although Wisconsin will have four delegates-at-large, the best Dewey could do would be three— the fourth Dewey man having with drawn after the New Yorker ob jected to use of his name in the contest. The ticket running In the name of General Douglas MacArthur was in third position, while that pledged to Wendell L. Willkie, who campaigned the state for 13 days, trailed in fourth. The Dewey delegates came to the fore after candidates pledged to Stassen had been out in front on the basis of first unofficial tabula tions. Republicans elected 24 delegates, including 20 by districts and four from the state at large. Democrats (Continued on Page Eight; Col. 3) -v FLOWERS PLANTED HERE LAST MONTH The Park Department during the month of March planted 3,325 bulbs and perrenials and trans planted 359 shrubs, A. C. Nichols, City Manager, announced yester day. A detailed report of the Park department’s work for March sub mitted by R. W. Snell, superinten dent of Parks follows: The park crew has averaged 7.6 men per day, the tree crew 3 men per day, while parts of several days have been lost due to rain. “Flower beds have been prepar ed at the following locations; along 3rd Street at Greenfield Park. 3rd Street plaza at Greenfield Street, 3rd Street plaza between Church at Harnett Street. 3rd Street plaza at Dock Street, plazas at 5th and Market Street, Market street plaza at 17th Street, and the Willard Street fire station. “Practically all flower seeds have been sown in flat in the greenhouse and in cold frames. Ap proximately 350 narcissus bulbs were lifted and “heeled in.” 35 shade trees were dug and planted at various places throughout the city and 5 large crepe myrtles dug in front of the City Hall and transplanted on S. 5th Street. “The grass at the filter plant has been fertilized, practically all roses in the plazas have been tied up and all winter grass has been mowed over one time. “Approximately 75 crepe myrtles and small trees were pruned on Dawson Street from 17th to the city limits and at the Katherine Kennedy Home. Considerable weeding was done in shrub beds in Greenfield park, and one man has been on duty patroling the park on Saturday evenings and (ontinued on Page Two; Col. 7) President Roosevelt’s Health Is Satisfactory, His Physician Reports WASHINGTON, April 4.—(£>)— Vice Admiral Ross T. Mclntire, who keeps tab on President Roose velt’s health, said today that a comprehensive physical check-up has shown the Chief Executive to be in satisfactory condition. “I can say to you,” he told re porters, “that the check-up is sat isfactory. The only thing we need to finish up on is the residual of his bronchitis and one of his si nuses, and they are clearing very rapidly. We decided for a man of 62-plus we had very little to ar gue about.” Mr_ Roosevelt has been troubled for several weeks with a head cold and bronchitis. Japs’ Hollandia Base Wrecked , By U. S. Bombers In Great Raid; ^/Greater Part Of Tarnopol Taken • <€» - Places Ban >n Sale Of Coal LONDON, April 4.—(iP)—1The gov ernment of Prime Minister Eamon DeValera announced tonight a complete ban on the sale of coal in Eire—reflecting the drying-up of strike-ridden England’s export supplies as well as a further notch in Eire’s belt-tightening. Coal long has been rationed in Eire and tonight’s announcement cancelled all existing permits to purchase it for any purpose. The Dublin government long has push ed the use of peat as a fuel, since the country has large supplies. -v BUCHAREST HIT BY U. S. BOMBERS American Fliers Raid Ru manian Capital For The First Time ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, Na PLES, April 4—!®—American Fly ing Fortresses and Liberators for the first time bombed the Ruman ian capital of Bucharest today, fly ing to within 200 miles of the Russo-German front to strike the third Allied blow in 24 hours at Hitler’s Balkan communications. The American airmen flew 600 miles from bases in southern Italy to carry out this attack supporting the Red army troops invading Ru mania from the northeast. Like Budapest, capital of another Nazi satellite, Hungary, which was pounded twice yesterday, Bucha rest is an important rail center of the Balkans, ai d its yards have been reported choked with supplies and troops moving to oppose the Rusian invaion of Rumania. To day’s smash probably equalled yesterday’s 1,000 - ton assault on Budapest. This was the first American blow of the war at Bucharest, though a strong force of Liberators flew near it last summer when they made a costly but highly effective attack on the Ploesti oil refineries about 25 miles north of the capital. Sometimes called the most bizar re and corrupt of all capitals, Bucharest has been bombed three or four times by the Russians— possibly more—and a year ago this month’ the government made a half - hearted attempt to remove the civilian poupulation. But the Soviet raids probably were in nothing like the strength of to day’s attack. The first Russian raids were in June, 1941, and in July of that year they were reported to have blown up an arsenal in the capital. Moscow reported that the Ruman ians had constructed a dummy ’ Bucharest’ near the real city in an effort to fool the bombers. Last August it was reported Bucharest might be declared an “open city,” but nothing more was heard of it. AMERICA REVISES STAFF IN ITALY WASHINGTON, April 4.— UP) President Roosevelt reorganized American diplomatic assignments in Italy today but made no move suggesting greater recognition ol the Badoglio government. Despite a Russian agreement to exchange representatives with Ba doglio, the United States and Brit ain have continued to deal with the Italian regime on a strictly military basis. The White House announced these two appointments: Alexander C. Kirk, minister to Egypt, goes on the Allied advisory council for Italy with the personal rank of ambassador. Britain and Russia also have membership on this council. KODert jj. iviurpny, wno nas oeen both a member of the council and political adviser to the Allied com mander in the Mediterranean, Gen. Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, gives up the council position in order to deal exclusively with Allied command political problems. Secretary of State Hull said at a press conference that it was the increase in such problems which brought about the revision of dip lomatic assignments. The secretary emphasized that Murphy, who has been in Wash ington for three months for con sultation but has now gone back to Italy, has responsibility lor Bal (Continued on Page Two; Col. 4) NEAR ESCAPE ROUTE* Russians Overrun 50 Lo calities In Their Drive On Odessa LONDON, Wednesday, April 5,— (fP)—Red army announced today that it had captured the greater part of surrounded Tarnopol in former Poland and smashed to within two miles of the last rail escape route for perhaps 200,000 Germans and Rumanians now vir tually pinned against the lack Sea near Odessa. Bearing down on the big Black Sea port of Odessa from the north west, the Russians overran 50 lo calities, including Bakalovo, two miles east of Razdelnaya. control junction for Germans fleeing into Rumania via Tiraspol and Kishin ev, said a broadcts bulletin record ed by the Soviet Monitor. The capture of Bakalovo, near by Ponyatovka, and the rail sta tion of Veselyi Kut, 18 miles north of Razdelnaya, practically des troyed the usefullness of the Odes sa - Razdelnaya - Kishinev trunk route, forcing the Germans to rely solely on a small line running from Odessa to the ferry terminus of Ovidiopol. From there fleeing Germans would have to cross the six-mile-wide Dniester estuary by ferry to Akkerman in lower Bess arabia. Stormovik fighter planes were strafing German columns retreat ing toward the Black Sea, front re ports said, and the inadequate Od essa-Akkerman route also was vul nerable to bombardment by the big guns of the Soviet Black Set fleet. The Russians also slashed deeper into the remnants of 15 German divisions sealed off just above the middle Dniester river in the Skala pocket 250 miles northwest of Od essa, the communique said. Mos cow dispatches said these trapped Germans were growing “weaker and weaker is the ring closes.” Killing 3.400 Germans and cap turing 300 in three days at Tarno pol, the bulletin said the Russians now had won most of that torn (Continued on Page Two; Col. 4) -V YOUTHS UNDER 26 TO BE EXAMINED RALEIGH, April 4.— UP)— General J. Van B. Metts, state director of selective service, said today all men under 26 years of age who had not been examined within the past 90 days would be ordered to report for pre-induction physical examination. Metts said directives from na tional selective service headquar ters at present indicated occupa tional deferments would be re stricted to vital war activities con nected with the following: Landing craft, tires and tubes, high tenacity rayon for war prod ucts, aircraft, airborne radar, rockets, submarines, transporta tion. and possibly a few others. The general said he believed that “few young men would be grant ed agricultural deferments, in view of the need for young men in the armed forces,” and that a “reg istrant could hardly be found es sential unless his over-all produc tion contributed more to the war effort than his service in the armed forces.” A registrant may be granted oc cupationa deferment, Metts said, if a form 42-A special is approved by the state director having juris diction over the place of employ ment and received by the local board before the registrant’s actu al induction. Metts said North Carolina would be required to furnish its propor (Continued on Page Three; Col. 3) Near Panic Conditions In Rumania Reported; Speedy Collapse Seen INSTANBUL. April 4.—(IP)—Near panic conditions in Rumania, ivhere the Russians are rolling across the frontier and Allied air power is newly evident, were in dicated in reports today from Bucharest. Repeated calls to the people to cease hoarding and to merchants to halt speculation are construed as signs that the population fore sees a speedy collapse. The resignations of Finance Minister Alexander Neagu and Governor Obnescu of the National Bank of Rumania were interpreted here s signs of a crack in Ruman ia’s currency and economic struc ture. 17 Jap Ships Were Sunk By Daring Carrier Force By LEONARD MILLIMAN Associated Press War Editor At least 17 Japanese ships—and probably many more—were sunk by a powerful American carrier force making a three-way strike close to the Philippines and by submarines patrolling even deeper in enemy waters, the Navy an nounced yesterday (Tuesday). Secretary of the Navy Knox dis closed that the naval task force which began raiding the Palau is lands, only 530 miles from the Philippines, last week, also hit Yap and Woleai harbors was sunk or damaged, Knox said. First re ports coming through the five-day radio silence gave no count on their number. Three Japanese warships were caught and sunk outside the atolls. Fourteen merchantmen—two tank ers and 12 cargo ships—were sunk by submarines in separate actions. Twenty-seven American planes were lost in the attacks. Tokyo radio said the Japanese airforce intercepted the great task force last Wednesday night, before the dawn strike at Palau, and contin ued attacks until Saturday. It caimed two American cruisers were sunk, two battleships and an aircraft carrier damaged and 80 planes shot down. “The naval war progresses with greater speed than we had expect ed,” Tokyo admitted. Manila was blacked out and un derwent an air raid alarm. Knox suggested it was a sidelight of the Palau attack, and perhaps some American planes approached the Philippines. Japanese warships sailed south from Foochow harbor on the Cen tral China coast, Chungking radio (Continued on Page Two; Col. 5) Germans Shell Hospital In Italy Without Damage By KENNETH L. DIXON WITH THE FIFTH ARMY ON THE ANZIO BEACH HEAD, April 4.—(/P)—Digging in of the Anzio beachhead hospitals during recent weeks paid dramatic dividends to day as more than 20 German shells combed the densely packed hospital area without killing or wounding a single peisuu. rue Mieinug, uvci d penuu^ of half hour, was one of more than 20 bombings and shellings suffered by the hospitals since the invasion and these do not include random incidents. Only last night five shells land ed in the area of a hospital kitch en. killing a cook. Total casualties due to bombing and shelling of the beachhead hos pitals are 43 killed and 145 wound ed. In this afternoon’s blistering bar rage hospital personnel and pa tients huddled behind sand bags below the earth’s surface or sought haven under flak roofs of wood and sand bags erected over cots. “They threw more than 20 shells in around the tents, but nobody was hurt.’’ said Pfc. Samuel Ute sey, Edna, Tex., hospital worker. “We just sweat it out.” Last night’s lone casualty was caused by a “lucky hit” on a pa tient’s mess tent, said Pvt. Neillie J. Halgruks, Comanco, Tex., kitch en worker, who had a close call but was not injured. He said that if the first shell hadn’t been a “lucky hit” the cook would have had time to take cover. Generally speaking, personnel of (Continued on Page Two; Col. 6) -y COURT MARTIAL WITNESS HEARD CINCINNATI April 4.—(A’l—A sharply disputed picture of inspec tion difficulties which the Army contends resulted in defective air plane engines and parts was drawn by the prosecution today' in a gen eral court martial of three Air Force officers accused of neglect of duty and conspiracy. One witness, a former inspector at the Wright Aeronautical Corp. plant at Locklar.d, O., testified that ir July 1942. 250 engines, rejected by civilian inspectors because of oil pumping, were accepted by the Army to enable the company to meet its quota. But the witness, William J. Ratchford, now working in the Ford Motor Plant in Hamilton, O., declared under cross examination that he knew of no engine from the Lockland piant that ever failed in flight. Millard T Clark, supervising in spector for the AAF materiel com mand central procurement office in Detroit, testified that some in spectors complained the company dominated and frustrated their work. Clark, whose duties included periodic check-ups on plants in the district, admitted under cross questioning by Maj. Edward F. Cavanagh that there were serious personal differences between him and Maj. W. A. Ryan, former in spection officer for the procure ment district, who is on trial. The two othei accused men are Lt. Col. Frank C. Greulich of De troit, former chief of the inspec tion section of the AAF materiel division at Wright Field, and Ma jor William Bruckmann of Cincin nati, AAF representative in the Wright plant. HIGHER PRICES FOR FRUIT SEEN Tar Heel Producers Confer In Washington With OPA Official WASHINGTON, April 4(Special) Optimism concerning the request of North Carolina producers for increased ceiling prices on fresh fruits and vegetables was express ed here tongght by J. V. Whitfield, president of the Pender County Farm Bureau. Whitfield was one of a delegation of Tar Heel producers who con ferred here, begining Monday, with Franklin Gindicks, of the Of fice of Price Administration’s divi sion of fresh fruits and vegetables, to whom facts concerning asserted ly “excessively low” prices was submitted. The delegation was headed by R. Flake Shaw, of Greensboro, president of the North Carolina Farm Bureau. New Hanover county was represented by R. W. Galphin, of Wilmington. “We pointed out that some of the current vegetable ceilings are hardly above cost of producction”, declared Whitfield, “Mr. Gindicks agreed to study the cost of pro duction data and decide whether our request for increased ceilings should be recommended.” Shaw suggested to Gindicks that 1944 ceiling on fruits and vege tables should be at least 50 per (Continued on Page Two; Col. 5; BRITISH FORCED BACK IN INDIA NEW DEI-HI. April 4—(#—Fires set in the tinder-dry jungle by Japanese invaders east of the threatened Allied base of Imphal in eastern India have forced desperately ■ resisting British and Indian troops to withdraw onto the Mainpur plain after having killed at least 900 Japanese in a week of hard fighting it was reported to day. For days the defenders threw back attack alter attack on the shell-swept Sangshak plateau 30 miles east of Imphal, receiving food and munitions by plane, be fore the Japanese resorted to care fully laid fires to rout them from their positions. Some Allied troops perished as they attempted to dash through the flames and others were machine-gunned. In the mi nth since the Japanese began their invasion of India they have lost 3,600 men killed and another 6,400 wounded and captur ed as they infiltrated in numerous small columns over 200 miles of foot rails along the India-Burma border, a front dispatch declared. Although ihe Japanese had suc ceeded in cutting the main supply roads into Imphal. today’s com munique from Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten’s headquarters d i d (ontinued on Page Two; Col. ?) 400 TONS EXPLOSIVES Greatest Raid Of South Pacific Rocks New Guineo ’Drome ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, Southwest Pacific, Wednesday, April 5.—(Ah—Lt. Gen. George C. Kenney sent mere than 300 planes against Hollandia Sunday in the greatest single raid ever attempt ed by his Fifth Air Force, and when the attack ceased after an hour and a half of continuous ac tion the big Japanese base on the northwestern coast of New Guinea was only a useless smoking wreck. 288 planes were destroyed. The great air fleet cascaded 400 tons of bombs on the target—more than ever previously expended in a single strike anywhere in the Southwest Pacific. It’s low-flying aircraft—Mitchells and Bostons by the scores — riddled three air dromes and surrounding areas with hundreds of thousands of rounds of machine-gun fire. The attack began at 10:49 a.m., by noon, the participating pilots reported that all enemy aircraft sighted were on the ground and •‘seemed to be burning or under attack.” By that time the entire Hollandia area was only a field of smoke and flame. Gen. Dougias MacArtnur said to day that every one of the 288 Jap anese planes last observed at Hol landia had been ‘‘demolished or irreparably damaged.” Twentysix intercepting Japanese fighter planes were downed in an air battle over Hollandia against the loss of only one American air craft. noiianaia s runways wcie icm unserviceable. Occupation of Rambutyo island just southeast of Manus island in the Admiralty group was an nounced. After naval shelling troops moved ashore and took the island without opposition on Mon day. Allied bombers again hit Truk in the Carolines dropping 46 tons of bombs on docks and warehouses ot Dublon atoll the largest and most important in the Truk atoll. Seven out ot 60 intercepting Japa nese aircraft were shot down and the attackers lost five planes. This was the twelfth raid in less than a week on the once-vaunted enemy bastion. Hollandia. near the border of northeast New Guinea, has served (Continued on Page Three; Col- 4) -V STATE TO APPEAL RAIL FARE RULE RALEIGH, April 4.—<m—Gover. nor Broughton said the State Utili ties Commission, which conferred with him today, had decided to appeal in the Federal District Court from the Interstate Com merce Commission’s recent order to raise intrastate coach fares from 1.65 to the interstate level of 2 2. 'Filing of the appeal automati cally stays enforcement of the ICC ruling. The North Carolina utilities commissioners said they would ask commissioners of three other states affected by the ruling Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky —to support the appeal. The North Carolina utilities com mission last July denied the rail roads’ request for an increase in fares. At a hearing before the ICC the commission contended: That ICC’s assertion of authority over purely state matters was un warranted; that the intrastate quality of railroad service did not justify an increase; and that the railroads failed to prove need qf an increase in revenue. Three members of the 11-man In terstate Commerce Commission dissented from the decision order ing the increase in coach fares. M. R. Hobbs Is Victim Of Hit And Run Car; Condition Is Good M. R. Hobbs, 401 Wright street, was the victim of a hit and run driver between third and fourth on Wright street last night about - 8 p. m. The car was a black ’36 Ford sedan with yellow wheel and tire on back, loaded with Negroes; W. J Millis and Earl Williamson, investigating officers, reported they did not have any trace of it. Mr. Hobbs’ condition was report ed as satisfactory by hospital au thorities late last night. (