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FORECAST | * f ♦ 4 * REMEMBER I mm™m I ummgtmt nrmttg mar VOI.. 77—NO. 297 __ WILMINGTON, N. C. THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 1945 FINAL EDITION < First Army Opens Long-Awaited Counterblow; Land, Sea Pluses Hit Formosa, Ryukyus, Luzon; i 7 9th Congrt. & Convenes In Somber Atmosphere i -4 ~ — -----— Jr J.— ■ ” ■ ' — ■ - Rayburn Asks For Unity In Finishing War Members Urged To Work For Lasting Peace In World WASHINGTON, Jan. S.— (UP)—The 79th Congress, fated to deal with vast prob lems of war and peace, con vened today in a somber mood keynoted by House Speaker Sam Rayburn, (D.-Tex.) who appealed for wartime unity and American participation jn an international peace or ganization backed by “all the force necessary to bring about an ordered world.” Rayburn, elected to his third full term as speaker, warned that ci .: could not withstand-the shock of war every 25 years and warned that if we don't win the b;.ule 'for an ordered world and a permanent peace) we will have failed." His soeech before a hushed house of representatives highlighted the opening day of a two-year session that is likely to be one of the most momentous in history. While the Senate conducted only a perfunctory 45-minute session and then adjourned until Saturday, the House knuckled right down to business and became embroiled in a verbal battle only a few minutes after Rayburn finished his speech. It was touched off by a surprise proposal, approved 207-186. to make the special Dies committee on unAmerican activities a per manent standing committee. The proposal, offered by Rep. John 1. Rankin (D.-Miss.) was passed on the strength of a Republican Southern Democrat coalition. Op ponents of the committee felt they bad succeeded in forcing it out of existence with the end of the last Congress, particularly after for mer Chairman Martin Dies, <D. Texn declined to seek re-election. Other first day developments: Chairman Andrew J. May, (D. Ivy. i of the House Military Affairs Committee introduced legislation calling for the compulsory peace time military training of all youths between 18 and 21. He said the measure has the support of the American Legion and was agreed to in principle by the War De partment. Rep. Chester E. Merrow, (R.-N. H.1 introduced a joint resolution f a constitutional amendment to authorize the ratification of trea t;es by a majority vote of both Houses instead of the present two thirds vote of the Senate. Chairman Walter F. George. D Ga. i of the Senate Finance Com mittee and Robert L. Doughton, jj.-.v c.' of tne House ways ana Means Committee joined to blight hopes of early tax reductions. “We see no prospect of any major change in our tax laws—at best until after the war with Germany," fb' said in a statement. More than 600 bills were put in to the House's legislative hopper. Ihey included measures calling for * $30 a month Federal pension for everyone over 60. expansion of vet enns benefits, and abolition of the to a year automobile tax. Both Houses witnessed the swear Ins in of new members and adopt eh resolutions notifying President Roosevelt that they were in ses * ion and prepared to hear from huu. His message on the State o fne Union will be read to Con g-'css Saturday and his annual bud get message will be deliverec Tuesday. His State of the Union messagi " U outline for Congress the mo mentous problems which it mus tackle, including American parti c , uioo in a world security or g ration, a method of fulfillin; his hope of 60,000.000 postwar jobs E '■ more immediately, War Mobi h ‘lion Director James F. Byrnes "auest that 4-F’s be forced int * ewial war industry. iu the new House there are 24 Democrats, 190 Republicans, on Arnerican-Laborite and one Prc ? Assive giving the Democrats dear cut majority which they di have at the close of the la? Congress. The Senate party aligr tuent remains substantially th F<une with 37 Democrats. 38 Rei ublicans and one Progressive. There are 92 new members i (Continued on Page Two; Col. i Cherry, Ballentine To Take Oath Today L. Y. Ballentine R. Gregg Cherry State To Present First War-Time Inaugura tion Since 1862; Military Parade, Other Colorful Ceremonies Scheduled RALEIGH, Jan. 3.— (AP)—R. Gregg Cherry of Gas ton will take the oath of office as Governor of North Caro lina tomorrow in the State’s first wartime inaugural since __w 1 QUO T V Rollontina rvf WaLro will ASSEMBLY AWAITS INAUGURAL RITES Bill Increasing Salary 01 Lieutenant Governor Passed RALEIGH, Jan. 3—1*5—Bills in creasing the pay of the Lieutenant Governor by $2,100 a year and ap propriating $3,000 for inaugural ex penses quickly passed the 1945 Leg islature today and tonight the 170 members and the State at large eagerly awaited the address of Gov ernor-elect R. Gregg Cherry. The new chief executive will out line his plans for his four-year term shortly after he takes the oath at noon tomorrow. Both Houses will meet at 10:30 for a short session ! before adjourning to reconvene at ! 12 p.m., for the inaugural cere ! monies at Memorial Auditorium. The Assembly, the second to meet during this world war, quick ly organized today and got down to business. Both of the Bills originated in the Senate, where President pro tem Archie Gay of Northampton, an swering the dictates of the people in the November election, intro duced the bill to increase the sal ary of the Lieutenant Governor. He specified that the State's No. 2 post should pay $2,100 a year in addi tion to the salary now paid whicn is $700 per regular assembly ses sion, plus traveling expenses. It passed both branches of the Legis lature under suspension of rules, as did a measure by Senator Blythe of Mecklenburg to provide maug I UlcU lUiiuo. The principal debate ot the day was in the House, which finally killed by 75 to 32 a motion to re turn to the 1939 rules. Had the mo tion, by Rep. Unstead of Orange, passed, it would have meant the death of the two-thirds rule, some times referred to as “The Gag Rule.’ Under 1943 rules, which 1 were temporarily continued, a two thirds vote of the House is necfes ■ sary to adopt a minority report oi ; a committee. Umstead said “The (Continued oil Page Five; Col. 2) -V— t Bowles Assures Nation That Valid Shoe Stamps Will Not Be Cancelled WASHINGTON. Jan. 3 — (UP) > Price Administrator C h e s t e l Bowles tonight assured the Nation * that there is “not a chance in a 5 million” that any outstanding shot ' ration stamps will be cancelled. 1 In a succinct statement prompt * ed by “panic - buying’’ of shoes throughout the country, he said: “Not a chance in a million. Wt E are not going to cancel any out standing shoe stamps.” Ration stamps now valid for shot purchases are airplane stamps ) one, two and three. be inaugurated as Lieutenant Gov ernor. Cherry, Gaston county’s 53-year old ‘'Iron Major”, will take over the helm of the State from J. Mel ville Broughton, first nath'e of Wake county to hold the office of Governor. The inaugural ceremonies will be preceded by a military parade, and will be followed by a review, following which Governor Brough ton will turn over the keys of his office and the Great Seal of the State to the new Governor. The Houses of the General As sembly will meet tomorrow morn ing at 10:30 for a short session, after which the assembly will re cess to reconvene in joint session at the Raleigh Memorial Aditori um at noon. A t 11:15, all troops and persons participating in the parade will gather at the executive mansion, where a color guard from the Gas tonia post of the American Legion and and Army band from Fort Bragg will present honors to the incoming Governor and the First Lady. After the salute, the parade will ! proceed to the auditorium for the j inauguration ceremonies. Lt. Gov. |R. L. Harris, presiding over his 'last joint session of the General (Continued on Page Five; Col. 6) FDRApproves Induction Of FarmWorkers Byrnes Notifies Hershey To Begin Reclassifying Young Men WASHINGTON, Jan. 3.— (UP)—President Roosevelt, responding to urgent military pleas for young fighting men that may reflect American losses in the German counter offensive, today authorized the reclassification and in duction of as many farm workers 18 through 25 as the law permits. War Mobilization Director James F. Byrnes promptly notified Maj. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, Selective Service director, to take whatever action necessary to carry out the request. VY 1 Linn St It W UULU O, Iivi Jiitj telegraphed instructions to local boards ordering pre-induction phy sical examinations for all agricul turally deferred registrants 18 to 26 unless they previously were re jected for military service. Boards then will decide whether those physically fit should be inducted or retain their deferred status. Agricultural deferments have been granted to 364,000 men in the 18-25 age bracket, but draft offi cials said it was impossible to estimate how many deferments will be cancelled since the final decision rests with local boards. Byrnes said in a letter to Her shey that he has been advised by War and Navy Secretaries Henry L. Stimson and James V. Forres tal that Army-Navy induction calls this year “will exhaust the (pres ent) eligibles in the 18 through 25 year age group at an early date.” Both services, he added, “believe it is essential to the ef fective prosecution of the war to induct more men in this age group.” He said that the President, ap prised of the foregoing facts, found that “further deferment of all men now deferred in the 18 through 25 age group because of agricultural occupation is not as essential to the best interests of our war ef fort as is the urgent and more es sential need of the Army and Navy for younger men.’’ Indicating that the action had been well blue-printed in advance, Byrnes noted that: 1. War Food Administrator Mar vin Jones has advised that while (Continued on Page Two; Col. 2) City Employs Expert For Postwar^ Planning Employment by the City Plan ning Board of George W. Simons, Jr., of Jacksonville, Fla., to make a complete industrial survey of Wilmington and vicinity was ap proved last night by the City Coun i ciI ; The Council met in a joint ses sion with the Planning Board, and Mr. Simons also %as present for the discussion. It was announced afterward that the Planning Eoard contemplates engaging Mr. Simons also for a complete Physical plan ning and zoning study, but this is contingent on the provision of funds in the City budget for the next fiscal year. The cost of the industrial study will be borne from funds available to the Planning Board in the exist ing budget. Mr. Simons was described by members of the Planning Board as one of the leading planners in the United States. He has been practicing professionally in Jack sonville for about 30 years, and has done planning work in many of the leading cities in the South east. He now is engaged in work at Chattanooga, Tenn., and Charleston, S. C., and has just completed an undertaking at Tam pa, Fla. The Council authorized the Plan ning Board to enter into the indus : trial survey contract within the limits of funds presently available. Details of the contract will be dis : cussed today by Mr. Simons with William B. Campbell, City attorney, and H. R. Emory, chairman of the Planning Board. The financial com nitment will not extend beyond the present fiscal year. It is contemplated that the sur vey will begin in the immediate future, and Fred Rippy. .)r., administrative assistant to A. C. Nichols, City manager, will be ac tively engaged in the work unuer the supervision of Hr. Simons. Mr. Simons is to furnish all other as sistance required and will bear all other costs out of his fee. “The purpose of this survey,” said a statement issued by the Planning Board, “is to furnish the basis for industrial and economic development after the war. We need to know what industries and business enterprises can be devel oped with local or imported capi tal, and what sources of employ ment can be made available at the end of the war boom. Mr. Simons’ report will furnish this information. After the report is completed, it will be up to the community to make use of the information along industrial development lines. “To make the survey we have engaged the best man we could find in the entire field. We spent several months contacting people in all parts of the country, and we are convinced that Mr. Simons of fers the greatest ability available. “It will be our purpose, and that of Mr. Simons, to discuss the pro gram publicly, at meetings of var ious kinds, as often as possible. He will need to enlist popular support, (Continued on Page Two; Col. 4) New Landings Are Made On Mindoro Isle 25 Jap Ships Sunk Or Fired in Five Days Of Raids WASHINGTON, Jan. 3.— (UP)—United States carrier borne and land based planes struck in concert yesterday along a 1,000-mile Pacific front, attacking Formosa, the Ryukyu islands and Luzon in raids which bracketed the most vital area of the Philip pines between Adm. Chester W. Nimitz’s fleet and Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s Far Eastern air force. A 10-day attack on Formosa, Ryukyu and Luzon by Adm. Wil liam F. Halsey’s Third Fleet pre ceded the invasion of the Philip pines by MacArthur's men Octo ber 20. A new threat to Japan, in the two-day aerial attack, was inten sified by the announcement that MacArthur had landed men on the east coast of Mondoro Island, south of Luzon, and at new points on the west coast. Nimitz’s carrier planes, opening their 1945 campaign, struck instal lat ons in Formosa and Okinawa Island in the Ryukyus, the bas tions guarding Luzon from the north and the China coast from the east. Mac Arthur's planes in five straight days raked targets of all kinds on Luzon, ranging along the entire west coast in a shattering strike against shipping which net ted 25 ships sunk or set afire and attacking land targets in the southern part of the island. Nimitz, at his Pearl Harbor headquarters, made the announce ment that the carrier planes had attacked Formosa and Okinawa. Formosa is 220 miles north of northeast of Luzon and 320 miles Luzon. Okinawa lies 655 miles from the Japanese mainland. The Ryukys-Formosa attack fol lowed the 26th straight day of strikes at Hvo Jim a in the Vol cano Islands 900 miles east of the Ryukyus. No details were available im mediately on the carrier plane at tack because of the necessity for a fleet radio blackout. But MacArthur told a detailed story of merciless attacks on key areas of Luzon. Heavy and attack bombers, sweeping the west coast, sank or set afire a 7,000 ton trans port. a 6.000 ton freighter, 21 smaller freighters and two big trawlers. Medium and light bombers and fighters sw’ept southern Luzon, at tacking Clark Airdrome. Manila; railroad installations, reservoirs, barracks and barges. Eleven of 20 intercepting enemy planes were shot down in the Clark Field attack and two more were so seriously damaged that they probably crashed. The importance of the combin ed carrier-land based planes was emphasized by recent Japanese predictions that the United States soon would invade Luzon. Late Bulletins Soldier Killed in Motorcycle Wreck A soldier identified as Pvt. Charles S. McGee, 19, was killed at 12:15 a. m. today when his motor cycle struck the curbing of a plaza at Third and Harnett streets, police reported. His identification cards showed his home to be in Isabelle, Tenn., and he was attached to a fighter group at Blue thenthal Army Air Base. Chaplin Verdict Delayed HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 3.—(UP)—After deliber ating for 4 hours and 40 minutes, jurors hearing Joan Barry’s charges that Charlie Chaplin fath ered her baby girl tonight told Superior Judge Henry M. Willis that they had not yet been able to reach a verdict and were excused for the night. Paraguay Suspends AP Activity ASUNCION, Paraguay, Jan. 3.—(UP)—The National Department of Press and Propaganda to day suspended activities of the Associated Press in Paraguay on grounds that the news agency alter ed “fundamental words” in President Morinigo’s Christmas Day message. French Publisher Executed MARSEILLE, Jan. 3— (AP)—Albert le Jeune, former director of “Le Petit Nicois” of Nice and several other provincial newspapers, was ex ecuted by a firing squad today for collusion with the enemy.__ REDS ADMIT NAZI OFFENSIVE GAINS Several Towns Taken In Relief Drive On Budapest LONDON, Jan. 3—(UP)—Mos cow admitted tonight that a strong German counteroffensive from western Hungary to break through to the relief of encircled Buda pest had made headway, while inside the capital, Soviet shock troops broke through to the Dan ube river and captured another 167 city blocks. In a desperate bid to slice a corridor through a 30-mile wide Russian wall of steel west oi Budapest, the Germans hurled thousands of men and tanks and hundreds of big guns into battle and the German High Command clamped a “security blackout” on the battle, Berlin said. The Soviet High Command ad mitted that the Germans—at the cost of immense losses in men and material—had succeeded in recapturing several towns and vil lages on the south bank of the Danube river, 31 miles northwest of Budapest. Moscow added, however, that the counter-offensive had been re pelled. Sixty-one Nazi tanks were de stroyed, the majority of them in the German county-attacks south east of the Czechoslovak town oi Komarno. Within Budapest, the grim bat tle for the burning city continued without respite through its ninth day and the Russians appeared to have won more than half the city, holding more than 962 blocks. Moscow and Berlin reports said that Soviet forces had surrounded the gun-studded university and in dicated that they also were within striking distance of the Parlia ment building, one wing of which had collapsed. --- Local Yard Leads Nation In ‘C’ Sh ip Production By ALLEN J. GREEN Wilmington Star-News Washington Bureau WASHINGTON. Jan. 3-The North Carolina Shipbuilding Co of Wil mington, led ail other shipyards of the nation in production of “C ’ type merchant vessels last year by delivering 50 C-2’s during the 12 month period, the U. S. Maritime Commission revealed today. At the same time, Vice Admiral Emory S. Land, chairman of the commission, warned at his press conference that future contract awards would go only to ‘'effici ent” yards in the commission’s plans to bring the vast war-time shipbuilding program to a gradual halt. He pointed out that the Re cent Reconversion Act prohibits the commission from letting con tracts as an unemployment meas ure. The year-end figures showed that shipyards turned out a total of 1, 677 ships during 1944 with a total deadweight tonnage of 16,343.436. While deadweight tonnage was cut in half during the year, a commis sion spokesman said, building time was doubled. The North Carolina yard deliver ed six ships in December to bring the total to 60. The nearest com petitor in C-type construction was the Moore Dry Dock Co., of Oak land. Calif., with 35 C-2s complet ed during the year. Admiral Land declined to com ment specifically on the Wilming ton yard’s 1944 record. “Their record speaks for itself,” le said. “They are tops.” The commission chairman point ed out that completion of the 1944 (Continued on Page Two; Col. Z) I GERMANY POUNDED BY 1,700 PLANES Vital Transport Targets Hit As Luftwaffe Re fuses Fight LONDON, Jan. 3— (UP) — An of ficial winter record for continuous air operations was chalked up to day when more than 1,700 U. S. heavy bombers and fighters at tacked 12 German transport tar gets in or near the Rhine valley for the twelfth straight day of heavy bomber raids on the Reich. Some 1.100 bombers excorted by 600 fighters smashed rail targets in or near Cologne in the north and Karlsruhe in the south and also blasted a transportation triangle in the Frankfurt-Fulda-Aschaffenburg area. Other rail centers near the Belgian-German border also were hit. Pilots of a Mustang group led i by Col. George Crowell, Chicago, encountered three single-engined < German trainers—believed to be i Arados—just irorth of the Swiss 1 border and shot down all three in the only fighter combat reported. A few German fighters made pas ses at a squadron of Fortresses were promptly chased away by Mustang escorts. Early reports in dicated that this was the only at tempt made by the Luftwaffe to engage the bomber fleets. Three bombers and nine fighters were reported missing from the day's operations, but seven of the fighters are believed to have land- , ed safely at Allied bases in friend ly territory. The fortresses found good flying weather at high altitudes, but thick clouds covered the ground and they ( were forced to bomb by instrument. Ground fire was reported nil to meager, _v- i Turkey Will Sever Japanese Relations Soon, Ankara Says . By United Press ! The Turkish Grand National As- [ sembly voted unanimously Wed- 1 nesday to break diplomatic and ! economic relations with Japan ef- ' fective midnight January 6, the Ankara radio reported. (Radio Luxembourg reported to night that the Japanese embassy ‘ in Berlin had started to evacuate J its employes and other Japanese ^ subjects to Switzerland.) £ The action was taken after For eign Minister Hasan Saka inform- s ed the assembly that “the govern- ~ ments of the United States of . America and Great Britain had j expressed their desire' that Tur- c key make the break, the broad- e cast said. Sake explained Turkey’s position v and invited the assembly to make E the decision. Party leaders spoke £ in favor of the break and a bill' jc embodying the move was immedi-d ately read and unanimously ac- v cepted, said the broadcast as re- j corded by the FCC. ( Yanks Driven From Hold In Saar Basin i Hodges' Men Go Back On Offensive After Ger man Break PARIS, Thursday, Jan. (UP)—The U. S. First Army opened its long-awaited coun ter-offensive on the northern flank of the Ardennes bulge Wednesday, teaming with the Third Army on the south in a great squeeze drive against 200,000 German defenders of the salient. Intensified German attacks to the south, however, had forced the Americans to relinquish their toe holds in the Reich between Sar reguemines and the Rhine, a front of 55 miles. Withdrawal from these positions in the first belt of the Siegfried Line was dictated by exigencies “elsewhere,’’ front dis patches said in an obvious refer ence to the battle of the bulge. The two American armies stood [ess than 16 miles apart when the First Army went back over to the cffensive for the first time sines t was jolted loose from its Bel gium-Luxembourg line by the Ger man winter onrush starting De cember 16. Allied headquarters announced just before midnight that the First 4rmy attack had been launched Wednesday, thus bringing its re ports fairly up to date in con trast with the 48-hour news black cut, later modified to 36 hours, im posed on the first phases of the pattle. Fighting through a tide ot counter-attacks, tanks of the Third &rmy were lashing out in four columns from Bastogne and had driven up to five miles northeast cf that road junction, reaching within fives miles of Houffalize, cub of the German bulge. The First Army presumably wai attacking from the Malmedy Itavelot-Grandmenil sector where t had managed to stabilize its ine after the first fury of the Ger man drive—an offensive that, now n its third week, had cost the :nemy an estimated 60,000 casual ies. The German losses included 20, 100 prisoners and the severe maul ng of 11 divisions, including the iestruction of the equivalent of ive Panzer divisions by the Third ^rmy alone. Part of this armor belonged to the German Sixth Panzer Army commanded by the lotorious Gen. Sepp Dietrich, new y revealed as the third of the :hree armies with which Field Marshal von Rundstedt mounted lis drive. About 400 German tanks .vere estimated knocked out. Dipping ever deeper into his re serves, von Rundstedt had man jged to cram into the gap about !0 full-strength divisions of some 100,000 men, including four armor id and four infantry divisions into he Bastogne sector alone. One heavy counter-attack was ielivered against the 101st Air borne Division north of Bastogne vith the support of 14 tanks and arge forces of artillery. It wa* leld. A German DNB broadcast as ;erted that an American tank di vision was “annihilated” in the Michamps area four miles north east of Bastogne where the Yank* vere said to have launched “heavy - ^ I, r. ’ ’ 'T'Urt none ■laimed recapture of several towns ncluding Renaumont, 12 miles outhwest of Bastogne and four niles from Libramont high-water nark of the original enemy break hrough toward Sedan. Allied reports said that the Ger mans had been sending stream* f troops and tanks around Bas ogne in an effort to outflank th« ital city from the southwest, but o far had been firmly held. The greatest setback on th« outhern sector came on the Sev nth Army’s right flank wher* 20-mile frontage in the Wissem ourg gap, extending to a depth f five miles, had to be abandon d. Before withdrawing to a new ne behind the Lauter river, just outh of the frontier of Rhenish avaria, Lt. Gen. Alexander M. atch's Engineers systematically estroyed Siegfried pillboxes hich had been captured late in Continued on Paste Two; Col. 1)
Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
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