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i01 — '----WILMINGTON, N. C., SK^f^jf^CEMBER 24, 1944 _ PINAL EDITION ESTABLISHED 1567
tanks Bite Into Gcphans* Southern Flank
As Air Force Pours Destruction On Enemy;
Byrnes Forbids Racing In Manpower Drive
New Controls
On Industry
Are Outlined
_ 9
Materials And Fuel To Be
Denied Defiant
Businesses
WASHINGTON, Dec. 23—
(7pj_in its most drastic man
power moves of the war, the
Government today banned
horse and dog racing, called
for draft boards to check on
professional athletes not in
service and served notice that
Materials, fuel and transpor
wm be denied industries
which defy manpower regulations.
Jamei Byrnes, war mobilization
director, with Roosevelt’s approv
al. asked all racing tracks to close
January 3 and remain closed until
war conditions permit.
Then he disclosed that at his re
quest, Selective Service Director
Lewis B. Hershey has directed lo
cal draft boards to “review the
classification of men known to be
engaged in professional athletics
who har e been deferred because
of failure to meet, the physical
qualifications for service, or who
hare been in one of the services
and have been discharged there
from.
The racing industry, employing
thousands of riders, handlers and
stable hands, contributed $55,971,
232.87 in taxes this year and more
than $1,126,308,645 was wagered
during the season.
The actions capped a week of
intensified endeavor to speed up
the whole American war effort to
the greater pace which the Ger
man counteroffensive has shown
will be necessary for victory.
In earlier moves, the government
had:
1. Increased the draft rate for
January and February from 60,
000 to 80.000.
2. Raised its sights on war pro
duction to plan on the basis that
heavy fighting may continue in Eu
rope for a year or more.
3. Frozen production of civilian
foods at current levels indefinitely.
4. Sharply cut the allotment of
tmomobile tires for civilian use.
The racing ban, along with the
tightening of manpower regulations
is aimed at “squeezing” manpow
er out of less-essential activities
md into war production. Even be
fore the German offensive raised
production problems, it had
'een estimated that war plants
‘Continued on Page Two; Col. 1)
TT
tOlUT-FREE MEATS
Am CANNED GOODS
SET FOR RATIONING
(By the Associated Press)
virtually all point-free meats and
tanned vegeables will be back on
ration list by the start of the
Ns"' Year, it was learned tonight.
The OPA, reliable sources said,
, prepared to announce the dras
t,c move next Wednesday.
New point values, now being
•‘scussed, probably will be effec
ts December 31.
The decision is understood to
practically all cuts of beef,
Vaa‘- lamb and pork as well as
‘k major canned vegetables. The
directive foods have been ration
tee since last May.
(Because of continued need for
freezer space in warehouses for
military commodities, frozen fruits
and vegetables probably will stay
Point-free. Jams, jellies, and pre
‘erves are not expected to be re
wned to the list.
Restoration of points to the wide
v°nety of meat cuts and vegeta
wni be a major victory for
!A over the War Food Adminis
‘raUon. For the last five months
- A has recommended that point
,ree meats and vegetables be put
°ack under rationing, contending
l,‘at spotty distribution and short
ages—actual and potential—war
franted such a move.
WPA which has jurisdiction
as -,J which commodities are ra
•0Ped. rejected the proposal each
■me it was submitted. The dis
was climaxed last month
"hen OPA appealed to Stabiliza
(Continucd. on Page Seven; Cpl. 5)
TWP Refinance Plan
Approved- By Board
Move Will Shift Control To Predominantly
Local Group And Render Firm Indepen
dent Of General Gas And Electric Co.
I* inancial reorganization of the Tide Water Power Co.
officially was set in motion yesterday by a stockholders’
vote of approval rendered shortly before midday.
in announcing xne development,
Warren W. Bell, president of the
company, said yesterday after
noon that the change would result
in a shift of control from the hold
ing company possessed until now
of a large share of the company’s
common stock to holders of the
present preferred stock, a pre
dominantly local group. Substan
tial annual tax saving also are
expected.
The recapitalization plan in
cludes a merger with Tide Water’s
wholly-owned subsidiary, the Cape
Fear Power corporation. Stock
holders of both organizations, meet
ing separately at 11 a. m., added
their sanction to that of the Se
curities and Exchange Commis
sion, received Friday night after
negotiations in Philadelphia last
week, and that of the North Caro
lina Utilities Commission, accord
ed previously.
Procedure in the refinancing will
include securing an interim bank
loan of $1,500,000, to be used with
company funds to retire present
outstanding bonds worth $6,067,500.
New first mortgage bonds in the
principal amount of $4,500,000 and
sinking fund debentures in the
principal amount of $1,000,000 were
approved today for issuance early
in January. Price and interest
rates on these are to be determin
ed by competitive bidding.
Of the 68,693 shares of new com
mon stock to be issued, 95,432 will
be offered for exchange, in a ratio
of four to one, for the 23,856 shares
of present $6-preferred stock, which
(Continued on Page Seven; Col. 4)
_IT_
Charles Dana Gibson,
Creator Of Gay 90’s
Fashions, Dies At 77
NEW YORK, Dec. 23.— UP) —
Charles Dana Gibson, 77, whose
pen-and-ink creation, the Gibson
girl, was the model of American
womanhood from 1894 into the 20th
century, died of a heart ailment
today.
The artist, who had been in fail
ing health for some time, succumb
ed at 9 a. m. in his New York
apartment. Mrs. Gibson, the form
er Irene Langhorne of Virginia,
sister of Lady Astor, was at his
bedside.
Gibson, a native of Roxbury,
Mass., had built a solid reputation
as an artist by the time he was 25,
but with the publication of his
sketches of alluring, lovely and
fragile girls, the artist became an
arbiter of fashion and manner for
the whole “gay ’90s” era. Women
consulted the latest Gibson girl
sketch before they dared plan their
wardrobes.
CITY PUBLIS ES
YEARLY EVIEW
Report Covers Everything
From Azaleas To
Murder Rate
By JOHN CONLY
Wilmingtonians currently ab
sorbed in wondering where their
money has gone—a not inconsider
able group at this time of year—
may be able to find' part of their
answer in a natty blue pamphlet
published Friday by the office of
City Manager A. C. Nichols.
It is the first priiyed edition of
the annual municipal report, and
among the enlightening items on
its 35 pages is not only a fraction
by-fraction account of where the
taxpayer’s dollar went, but vari
gated information to the effect that
67,000 azaleas were raised this year
in Greenfield Park gardens, that
murders fell away in the same pe
riod from 24 to 11 and that the
downtown sidewalks are now bath
ed with soap in the wee hours once
a week.
Handsomely made up by J. Fred
Rippy, Jr., administrative assistant
to Mr. Nichols and a product of
the University of Chicago’s up-to
date graduate school of municipal
administration, the brochure con
tains graphs illustrating financial
progress and photographs submitted
by city employes and interested
citizens.
In amplification of the last-page
scale of income sources and expen
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 5)
__
WEATHER
FORECAST
Cloudy today with highest temperature
about 46 degrees. Moderate northeast
winds.
Yesterday’s temperatures:
High, 52—Low, 33.
(Eastern Standard Time)
(By U. S. Weather Bureau)
Meteorological data for the 24 hours
ending 7:30 p.m., yesterday.
Temperature
1:30 am, 35; 7:30 am, 35; 1:30 pm, 44;
7:30 pm, 47.
Maximum 52; Minimum 33; Mean 42;
Normal 48.
Humidity
1:30 am. 100; 7:30 am, 92; 1:30 pm. 94;
7:30 pm, 100.
Precipitation
Total for the 24 hours ending 7:30 pm,
0.00 inches.
Total since the first of the month,
2.66 inches.
Tides For Today
(From the Tide Tables published by
U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey)
High Low
Wilmington _ 5:03a
5:31p 12:19p
Masonboro Inlet_2:59a 9:16a
3:24p 9:38p
Sunrise, 7:15 am.; Sunset. 5:09 p.m.;
Moonrise, 1:44 p.m.; Moonset, 1:48 a.m.
Christmas In Europe
Spirit To By-Pass Lands
As People Long For Peace
By RUSSELL LANDSTROM
LONDON, Dec. 23.—<*>—For the
sixth straight year, the Christmas
spirit will by-pass Europe, its bel
ligerents locked now in perhaps the
final struggle and most of its
hearths desolate.
The German counteroffensive has
pulled up the Allied armies tautly
and made them determined to set
right this reverse on the Western
Front.
In the mud and snow of the bit
terly-contested ground where Field
Marshal von Rundstedt cast his
challenge, there can be nothing ap
proximating Christmas, not even
the ordinary Christmas at the front
when special food and gifts are
passed forward.
Consequently, London, Pans,
Brussels and Rome naturally feel
far less disposed to celebrate.
Yet the people do not want to
be—nor are they encouraged to be
—morbidly gloomy. News of peace,
the finest Christmas story, will be
delayed, and at tragic cost, but its
coming is inevitable.
As in the past, therefore, Amer
icans and Britons here are ex
changing courtesies, the former
sharing the good things of their
Red Cross clubs with children de
nied a normal family life, and the
latter receiving U. S. service men
into their homes.
Red Cross clubs are serving free
turkey dinners and sponsoring par
ties, concerts, movies and dances.
United Seamen’s service is tak
ing care of many merchant sail
ors of the Allied nations.
Similar arrangements were made
in several Belgian and French cit
ies.
Apart from the frontline jolt, the
British had troubles with the black
market flourishing in poultry, 111
our and toys. Only a relatively
small number of people are able
(Continued on Page Seven; Col. 1)
As reports indicate that American forces have partially checked
the powerful German counter-offensive in' Belgium and Luxembourg,
military observers look for a greatly strengthened counterattack bj;
our armored and infantry units. Now that Gen. Von Runstedt has
revealed the whereabouts of his reserves, it is believed that regroup
ed U. S. First Army forces will undoubtedly attack the flanks of
Nazis moving forward in the Malmedy-St. Vith sector and, further
south, in the Vianden sector. The hacking off of enemy forces in this
salient may result in disaster for the Nazis who have gambled all on
the drive.
NEWS ‘BLACKOUT’
PROBE TO START
Congress Plans Inquiry
Into Lack Of Data
To GI’s
WASHINGTON. Dec. 23.—(.Pi
Rep. Brooks (D-La.) said today the
House Military committee will in
vestigate what he called a “com
plete blackout” of news to Ameri
can fighting men abroad.
Brooks is a member of the com
mittee. which recently completed
a four-week inspection of Eu
ropean battlefront areas.
American troops, he complained,
are not getting enough news of the
rest Of the world and most of what
they do get is old.
The French edition of the Army
publication, Stars and Stripes, he
said, gives “very little news” to
the troops and “what news is given
is highly colored.” Some of the
news it publishes, he added in a
statement, is “a month or two
old.”
“The paper does have one column
for ‘gripes,’ which is used to air
grievances of the men in the serv
ice, and is satisfactory, but it fails
completely to give news coverage
from home,” he declared, adding
(Continued on Page Seven; Col. 3)
-V
300 Billion Debt
Faces U. S. Money
Experts Next Year
WASHINGTON, Dec. 23.— UP) —
Fiscal experts took a look today
at a prospective National debt of
$300,000,000,000 and said its man
agement will afford one of the
greatest challenges ever to con
front the Government
At stake in finding a sound
method of handling it are the sol
vency of the Government, stability
of the National economy and the
savings and investments of every
American.
These experts aren’t exactly wor
ried yet. But they are working
on a budget, which President
Roosevelt will submit to Congress
in about ten days, which will hoist
the debt upwards of $300,000,000,
000.
In former years, they say, it
didn’t matter greatly if there was
a bit of a deficit—or even a size
able deficit—for the total debt was
relatively small and there always
were prospects of running into a
period of good years which would
permit trimming it to comfortable
size.
YANK LIBERATORS
HIT CLARK FIELD
Airborne Division Helped
Strike Japanese On
Leyte
GENERAL MACARTHUR’S
HEADQUARTERS, PHILIPPINES,
SUNDAY, Dec. 24.—UP)—Headquar
ters today reported a smashing
daylight air raid on Clark Field,
near Manila, in which the majority
of 100 grounded Japanese planes
were destroyed, and said also that
U. S. troops had completed the
destruction of Nipponese in the
bloody Ormoc corridor of Leyte
Island.
Liberator bombers, operating
from an undisclosed field, possibly
on Mindoro island, which is only
a half hour’s flight from Manila,
made the Clark Field raid Fri
day, Philippine time.
It was the first daylight Lib
erator operation against that main
Japanese air center in the Philip
pines and an Army spokesman said
it was a first class surprise to
the Nipponee, who got only nine
of their fighters in the air to meet
the assault.
Eight of the nine interceptors
were shot down by U. S. Thunder
(Continued on Page Seven; Col. 2)
Reds Gain 16 Miles
In Westward Thrust
Soviet Forces Within 100 Miles Of Vienna
And Heavy Fighting Around Budapest;
Drive Pushes On Bratislava
LONDON, Dec. 23 — (£>)— A hard-fighting Russian
thrust westward above the Danube river in Hungary has
gained as much as 16 miles and placed Red Army troops
within 100 miles of Vienna and 72 of Bratislava, Moscow
_:-^disclosed tonight as action flamed
700,000 SLAIN
INNAZI CAMPS
Russians Report New Atro
cities Committed In
Poland
MOSCOW, Dec. 23. — (£■) — A
Soviet Extraordinary State Com
mission investigating war crimes
reported today that 700,000 persons
including an undetermined number
of citizens of the United States
and Britain, had been killed by
the Germans in three camps in
Lwow province. Poland.
The report did not list the names
=of the Americans and Britons, nor
did it give any further details con
cerning them. The victims of all
nationalities were said to include
both civilians and prisoners of war.
Writers, artists and musicians
were made to wash the stairways
of one seven-story building with
their tongues, and then were com
pelled to pick up garbage with their
lips, the report said.
In another incident, the report
related, the conynander of one of
the camps, the Yanov camp, threw
two four-year-old children into the
air and shot them to amuse his
own nine-year-old daughter.
The committee said it was also
established that at the three camps
(Continued on Page Seven; Col. 4)
■ Y
American Units Gain
Near Monte Belmonte;
Canadians Widen Front
ROME, Dec. 24.— UP)—Canadian
troops of the Eighth Army, push
ing ahead against strong opposi
tion, have established a front more
than five miles wide along the
east bank o fthe Senio river north
east of Faenza, while American
troops have made local gains near
Monte Belmonte, south of Balagna,
Allied headquarters in Italy an
nounced today.
The report of the American ad
vance was the first mention of
any gains south of Bologna in
weeks. The Americans have been
in control of Monte Belmonte, a
peak almost 2,000 feet high just
east of highway 65, for several
weeks. In their 24-hour advance,
they moved up 500 yards in some
places against dogged German re
sistance. Patrols maintained con
tact with the enemy throughout the
night.
on the Southeastern tront in
many sectors.
The Soviet communique ignored
a German radio announcement
that Red Army forces had en
tered the southern and eastern
suburbs of beleaguered Budapest
in a new frontal assault, but de
scribed heavy fighting at dis
tances northeast, north, northwest
and southwest of the Hungarian
capital.
The drive towards Bratislava
and Vienna through mountainous,
wooded country below Ipoly Sag
and north of the Danube, captur
ed nine towns and reached the bar
rier of the Ipoly river on a 10
mile front down to its confluence
with the Danube, Moscow disclos
ed. The Russians were virtually
on the river for another ten miles
right up to the Ipoly Sag area.
The German DNB agency in a
late broadcast conceded that the
Russians actually had crossed the
Ipoly and had reached the valley
of the Hron (Gran) river a dozen
miles farther west on former
Czechoslovak territory.
Berlin, purposely obscure about
the exact location of this action,
claimed a German counterattack
had cut off this Soviet wedge and
encircled an isolated Russian
grouping of troops.
The; Moscow communique an
nounced, without giving place
names, that “in the area north
of Ipoly Sag (Sahy) our troops
successfully repulsed counterat
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 4)
_ v_
Chinese Press Attack
On Hochih With Help
Of American Aircraft
CHUNGKING, Dec 23.— <JP> —
Chinese troops supported by Amer
ican lighter planes pressed their
attack on the key railroad town
of Hochih in Kwangsi province
from three sides tonight, the Chi
nese High Command announced.
Hochih, which is 95 miles north
west of Liuchow, is being assaulted
by troops which routed Japanese
columns from Kweichow province
during the past two weeks.
Mustang fighter planes of Maj.
Gen. Claire L. Chennault’s 14th Air
Force supported the Chinese
ground action by bombing railroad
yards east of Hochih and enemy
road traffic west of Ishan.
In another raid at Hongkong
yesterday, U. S. P-51s destroyed
two enemy fighters which inter
cepted them over Kaitak airdrome,
an American communique said
Four Japanese planes were de
stroyed on the ground.
From Don To Dawn:
B-29 Pilot Dreams Of Christmas Day
With Tiny Daughter He Longs To See
(Editor’s Note: From “Don to
Dawn”—this is a Christmas letter
transmitted by the Associated
Press from Capt. Donald W.
Thompson, 25-year-old veteran of
several B-29 flights over Tokyo and
Nagoya to his wife, Dawn Thomp
son, Ridgewood, N. J.
(Thompson, a West Point gradu
ate and former Colgate University
student, named his Superfortress
‘Punchin’ Judy” for his daughter,
Judy, who will be a year old Feb
ruary 4 His B-29 has an amusing
painting of a be-diapered young
boxer coming out of his corner,
raising clasped hands over his
head in cocky fashion. His letter
“Somewhere on Saipan, Decem
ber, 1944.
“Dawn Darling:
“Your last letter came on a beau
tiful Sunday morning and was so
in tune with all that Sunday can
mean. It was a rare day, some
how, although I did some of the
routine things—jeeped up to the
line to check or Punchin’ Judy and
attended a critique on the last Na
goya mission. The Puncher was in
fine fettle for Sgt. Raynes really
takes care of that big silver baby.
“I would fly an orange crate to
Tokyo and back if he would in
stall the engines and maintain
them. The recon photos shown at
the critique would make a hearten
ing Christmas greeting for each
and every Rosie-the-Riveter Boeing
employe.
“Speaking of Christmas, it is
about time that I started on a
Christmas letter to you and Judy.
The big question out here is ‘not
how many shopping days ’til
Christmas?’ but 'how many days
’til we go again?’ But that does
not interfere with the hopes I send
for a most happy Christmas Day
and a more victorious New Year
that will follow.
“You know that all the crew join
I
me in these wishes. They all are
in the pink these days. Ray still
is a most able assistant in direct
ing the crew; Mac has seen his
bombs fall on Tokyo; Randy is
licking one of the world’s tougher
navigation problems; and ‘Plumb
er’ checks his engineer gauges
and distributes the gas that keeps
those four fans humming.
“Sarge Strong sits in his ‘Dark
Room’ and keeps radio contact
with the rest of the world while
in ‘Dark Room No. 2’ ‘Burk’ Burk
hart works in secrecy with his nu
merous important gadgets.
Old Man Staller, our CFC gun
ner, along with Stormy Cloud and
Dave Davis fuss like old women
over their 50’s while Dan Bartok
takes more than usual pride in the
cannon that makes any tailgunner
feel considerably less lonely. They
all are doing a fine job not only
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 1)
t
Enemy Drive
Is 23 Miles
From Jledan
Allies Lift Time Lag On
News; U. S. Regroups
Its Forces
PARIS, Sunday, Dec. 24—*
(fP) — American relief col
umns, swinging up through'
Luxembourg and southeast
ern Belgium in their first ef
fective counteraction, have
bitten into the southern flank
of the German penetration
which now has reached Libra
mont, only 23 miles northeast
of historic Sedan, Allied headquar
ters disclosed last night.
With clearing skies the world's
mightiest air force also swung into
action with 4,500 sorties against
the German invasion columns, cut
ting destructive swaths through
their ranks and hammering their
rear bases.
Allied headquarters, nmng a <*o
hour time lag on front news, gave
this report of the situation:
Striking north of the city of
Luxembourg and also north of Ar
lon, 13 miles northwest of Luxem
bourg, American troops have dent
ed the German southern flank.
A front dispatch covering this
action through Friday morning
said the Luxembourg counter-ac
tion was sprung north of Mersch.
eight miles above Luxembourg
City. Although this dispatch was
censored it contained these per
haps significant words:
“It is obvious that in the eight
days since the Germans threw the
dice in what probably are their
last big gamble, the Americans
have had time to reform their
forces.”
Encouraging news also came
from the northern flank where As
sociated Press Correspondent Wes
Gallagher said that Field Marshal
von Rundstedt had been forced
to pull back one of his crack SS
(elite) divisions because it was so
badly mauled by hard-fighting
Doughboys in the Malmedy sec
tor.
The Germans left more than 1,
000 dead in the snows below Mal
medy, Gallagher said, and a hard
freeze setting in had the Yanks
grouped around small bonfires
across the battle-ridden fields and
cross roads. Hundreds of Hitler’s
youthful troops are snow-covered,
lumps, dead in the no-man’ land
between the lines in that area, the
dispatch said.
The Americans, however, have
(Continued on Page Seven; Col, 2)
-V
VON RUNDSTEDT’S
LINES ARE RAKED
BY 1,400 PLANES
LONDON, Dec. 23.— UP) —The
might of Allied air power was
thrown in today over the snow
covered Western Front in an at
tempt to check the German drive
into Belgium and Luxembourg
as more than 400 heavy bombers
and more than 1,000 fighter-bomb
ers pounded Marshall von Rund
stedt’s lines.
In some of the fiercest air bat
tles of the war 106 German Mes
serschmitt and Loce Wulf fighters
were shot down by American
fighters and bombers which escap
ed with much smaller losses. Only
three heavy bombers and 13 fight
ers were reported missing by the
U. S. Eighth Air Force, based in
Britain. '
Three hundred planes of the U.
S. Ninth Air Force based in France
shot down at least 29 of the Ger
man fighters which rose by the
hundreds to protect the German
supply lines. The Ninth’s losses
were not reported here.
Meanwhile, RAF Lancasters
battered targets in the Rhineland
and their escorting Mustangs and
Spitfires strafed ground targets
and shot down one German.
The Luftwaffe fought frantical
ly against the American airmen
who had been waiting anxiously
three days for clearing weather
to lend a hand to the hard-press
ed ground forces on the Western
| Front.