FORECAST: Served By Leased Wires
of the
. „ „ ., ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wilmington and vicinity: Partly cloudy ,,,
in temperature. with not much change UNITED PRESS j
With Complete Coverage of
State and National News
25^=- "' —----_WILMINGTON, N. C., THURSDAY, MAY 15, 1947_ ESTABLISHED IiiS7
VHF Opening
Set By July 1
(AA Official Announces
Compromise With Navy
Allowing Operation
B, frank van der linden
Corning Star Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, May 14. — Very
frequency radio range equip
„er.t will be in operation by July
, j* Wilmington, New Bern, and
Elizabeth City. N. C., to guide air
lanes on Norfolk-to-Charleston
jLhts a civil Aeronautics Admin
“,ration official informed this bu
eau today as CAA frequency en
gineers approved a compromise
Lte for the airway, by-passing a
Savy bombing range on Albemarle
Sound. By September 1, the official
aid the CAA expects io certifi
' te’ carriers to cover this course
Ire if necessary, at any time
‘ or night. Thus the Norfolk
fharleston route will be officially
designated as a “civil airway” -
,he iast link in the JacksonvUle
joston coastal airway.
New Postponement
Us activation, already delayed
•everal months by the conflict with
L Navy over the bombing range,
.•ill be postponed further by the
L-v work load of the technicians
the CAA’s second regional of
,ice in Atlanta who will install
tae V. H. F. equipment,
planes flying this route now are
joing many miles inland to pick
* ‘the radio beam between Flor
ae S. C., and Raleigh, N. C. In
He future guided by the airway
linking Charleston, Myrtle Beach
Wilmington, New Bern, Elizabeth
City and Norfolk, the planes can
nrovide direct service to all these
points regardless of weather, the
CAA official stated.
To Circle Range
They will circle the Navy bomb
ing range on the New Bern-Eliza
ke'h City hop. instead of going
,traight over Albemarle Sound as
originally planned — a route which
roused objections from the Navy.
These objections were overcome
ov the compromise, which has the
approval of the Joint Air Coordina
tion committee. A recommenda
tion favoring it will he wr itten by
the Airspace subcommittee Friday
for acceptance by the agencies con
cerned.
NEGRO SENTENCED
FOR $2.00 THEFT
James Davis Draws Three
To Five Year Term For
Holdup On Streets
I __
Six criminal actions were run in
rapid fashion through New Han
over county’s overcrowded court
calendar yesterday before Judge
Clawson L. Williams with as many
convictions returned and prison
and road terms passed out in four
instances.
For the larceny of two dollars,
James Davist Negro drew three to
five years in prison, the heaviest
penalty of the day, after a jury
found him guilty of stealing that
amount from Richman Sidbury,
another Negro.
Sidbury testified that last April
19, while returning to his home in
the evening, he was set upon by
Davis at Ninth and Dawson streets,
•lugged with an ash can and the
money removed from his pockets.
So hard was he hit, Sidbury told
[the jury that he was hospitalized
pud six stitches taken in his head,
the complaining witness declared
is he approached the street in
tersection he saw Davis, a neigh
wr whom he knew, and two other
Hen loitering by a telephone pole.
"Here he comes now,” Sidbury
hid Davis exclaimed before the
ftgro struck him with a garbage
lontainer. Police officer John Rich
told of arresting Davis and having
Sidbury identify the assailant in
tie hearing that lasted less than
I naif hour. Davis admitted three
irior convictions.
Two-Year Term
! Clammie Beatty, 60-year-old
Segro, was sentenced to two years
'r‘ the road after his attorneys
Wdison Hewlett, Jr., for the d«*
■endant in #ilea for leniency, told
court he had never felt so
fcongly in favor of a client. The
ittorney based his plea on what
le said was his client’s excellent
Word.
Beatty was found guilty by a
ari of assault with a deadly wea
I* upon testimony of Lonnie Man
lffig: Negro, who himself had
Weived a two-year sentence on
1 similar charge. Manning related
c th« jury that Beatty shot him
Continued On Page Two; Col. 2)
The Weather
V FORECAST:
' w Carolina—Partly cloudy Thurs
and Friday, not so warm Northeast
jjj °n Thursday, otherwise little
III in temperatures.
Carolina—Partly cloudy and
•nued warm Thursday and Friday.
(Eastern Standard Time)
n ,By T. S. Weather Bureau)
tiCSogical data f°r the 24 h°urs
i g p. m. yesterday.
l3 TEMPERATURES
I;'/.3, m- 7:30 a. m. 68; 1:30 p. m.
nL »: p- m- 75; Maximum 85; Mini
Mean 74. Normal 70.
HUMIDITY
1;'*.««’ 111 84; 7:30 a. m. 78; 1:30 p. m.
uo P- m. 74.
Tobi PRECIPITATION
i lor 24 hours ending 7:30 p. m.
» (inches.
^ch^ce the first oi tiie month
> TI1)Es FOR TODAY
I. rj*1 .^e Tide Tables published by U.
s* and Geodetic Survey).
iltom * high low
ngton - 5:16 a m 12:12 a.m.
5:51 p.m. 12:39 p.m.
boro - 2:55 a.m. 9:30 a.m.
Wi.„ - 3:30 P-tn- 9:55 P-m
:ig,. J'10; Sunset 7:06; Moonrise
: -"oonset 2:G0p.
n\vUse at Fayetteville, N. C. at i
■ Wednesday 10.3 feet.
* rt w*»ther On Pate Two
Woman Admits Part
In Murder “Pact”
Mrs. Mary Ellen Currin Miller, 24-Year-Old
Mother Confesses To Complicity In At- .
tempted Killing; Victim Improve'* v V
(Special To The Star)
LUMBERTON, May 14 — Mrs
Mary Ellen Currin Miller, pretty
24-year-old mother of two children
and wife of Dan Miller, prominent
Robeson county store operator, ad
mitted today to Sheriff Willis C.
Britt that she hired Fred Wiggins,
24-year-old Negro farmer, to kill
her husband and make it look like
a suicide.
Miller, attaches at the Baker
Sanitorium said today, is improv
ing from pistol wounds in his lungs.
The bullet from the wounded man’s
gun, a .38 calibre pistol, entered
his chest, punctured his lung and
emerged from his back.
Mrs. Miller - ,-j
ted that the '
wounded
husband. 1
Britt that si. - o love with an
other man, w ’ xs reported to live
on her father’s farm, and that she
had decided the only solution to
her problem was to do away with
her husband, the sheriff said.
Plans Discussed
The pretty daughter of a promi
nent Robeson county family, told
the sheriff that she first approach
ed the Negro about three week’s
ago, and according to her confes
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 1)
Technicality Knocks Out
Voice Of America Setup
OK. ROBERTSON
MEDICAL SOCIETY
NAMES ROBERTSON
Wilmington Physician
Elected President Of
N. C. Organization
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., May 14.
(A*)—Reelection of Dr. Carl V.
Reynolds as State Health officer
for the next four years and th#
selection of Dr. James F. Robert
son of Wilmington as president
elect featured closing sessions of
the 93rd annual convention of the
Medical Society of North Carolina
here today.
Other officers elected included
Dr. V. K. Hart, Charlotte, first
vice-president; Dr. J. G. Raby,
Tarboro, second vice-president.
Dr. G. C. Dixon, Ayden, and Dr.
J. Labruce Ward, Asheville, mem
bers of the State Board of Health
for the next four years; and Dr.
L. R. Hedgpeth, Lumberton, mem
ber of the Hospital Savings As
sociation.
Delegates Named
Dr. P. Y. Joyner, Enfield, Dr.
Alban Papineau, Plymouth, and
Dr. Harry Johnson, Elkin, were
designated delegates to the Medi
cal Society of Virginia, while Dr.
Frank Ward, Lumberton, Dr.
Lewis Gaston, Albemarle, and Dr.
C. H. Pugh. Gastonia, were named
to represent the group before the
South Carolina Society.
Georgia delegates are Dr. Robert
Matthews, Greensboro, Dr. W. H.
Hoover, Murphy, and Dr. Ben
Kendall, Shelby. The Tennessee
(Continued On Page Two; Col. 6)
Proponents Hope To Get
Senate To Give Funds
For Broadcasts
WASHINGTON, May 14.—(£>)—A
technicality in the House today
knocked flat efforts to rescue Sec
retary of State Marshall’s cultural
relations program and left it fac
ing death June 30. But another try
is in the making.
A point of order by Rep. Stefan
(R-Neb.) blopked a motion by Rep.
Gary (D-Ind.) to provide $31,381,
220 to continue the work beyond
mid-year. Gaby sought to restore
the sum to the State department
appropriation bill, from which a
committee had deleted it.
But Stefan insisted that since
th program has not been set up
bv separate law, the House can
not appropriate for it under its
rules. Rep. Curtis (R-Neb.), pre
siding at the time, upheld Stefan.
The House made no attempt to
override the ruling.
In the House Foreign Relations
committee, a bill to authorize the
program and meet this objection
received the backing of Walter
Bedell Smith, ambassador to Rus
sia. The program is aimed to sell
the American way of life abroad
by radio broadcasts and other
methods.
Smith declared the United States
“cannot afford to remain silent.
To the confused people of Central
Europe, the United States must
sell the idea of “a decent way of
life for the average citizen,’’ he
said.
Senate May aci
It appeared doubtful, however,
that the authorization bill could
catch up with the appropriation
measure before the latter passes
the House. In that event, it was
indicated that supporters of the
cultural program would attempt to
have the Senate provide funds in
hopes that the legal defect could
be remedied in the meantime.
On the House floor unexpected
support for the cultural plan came
from Rep. Short (R-Mo.l who
urged the House not to resort to
“ridicule” to kill it.
“Why should you kill the foreign
information program simply be
cause some mistakes have been
made?’’ Short asked. He contend
ed that the United States needs to
offset propaganda of other nations
Rep. Clarence Brown (R-Ohio)
criticized the art activities of the
program and distributed among
members photographs of an art
exhibition sent around the world
under State department auspices.
Much of the art, Brown said, can
not be understood.
Blasts Art
Any member of Congress who
contends such art helps world
peace, Brown said, “ought to go
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 4)
MRS. TRUMAN TO SHAKE 5,000
HANDS IN NEXT TWO WEEKS
WASHINGTON, May 14.-UP)—
Mrs. Harry Truman in the next
two weeks will have her busiest
whirl since she and the President
moved into the White House.
She will shake more hands, at
tend more teas and garden parties
and be honor guest at more meals
than in any previous fortnight.
She will even squeeze in a break
fast and a picnic.
For one thing there’s the annual
convention of the Daughters of
the American Revolution next
week, and one of the high spots
on the program will be a reception
Friday, May 23, given by their fel
low member, Mrs. Truman.
That means at least 3,000 hands
to shake that afternoon. Another
major event that will bring about
1 200 to the White House will be
the garden party for veterans hos
pitalized in Washington, at which
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH
POLICE OPEN DRIVE
AGAINST MOTORISTS
Thirteen persons were cited to
court for not having drivers li
censes and two others arreste
for operating vehicles with im
proper license plates, yesterd y
afternoon as the Wrightsville
Beach police department opened
a drive on traffic violators.
Chief of Police W. R. Wiggs, Jr,
said they were making a check on
cars on the west side of Banks
channel bridge.
“We are checking cars for im
proper brakes, horns, lights, li
cense platse and other faulty
equipment,” Wiggs said last night
The chief urged Visitors to the
beach to obey all traffic rule*
while driving on the beach.
the President and Mrs. Truman will
be hosts.
This afternoon, Mrs. Truman re
ceived several hundred delegates
attending the 49th court of the Na
tional Society, Daughters of Found
ers and Patriots of America.
—
45 Persons Lose Lives In Film Blast;
100-Year-Old Observatory Must Move
___ !
Dust, Radiation Makes
Site At Washington Un
fit For Clocks, Tec.
ROME, May 14—(U.PJ—Police re
ported that at least 45 persons
were 'known to have been killed
or injured tonight by two violent
explosions of movie film and a
fierce fire in a five-story build
ing. They feared that 60 or 70
other persons had been trapped
and possibly kilted.
These 60 or 70. police said, in
cluded about 20 women who were
packing film. Searchlights were
turned on the smouldering build
ing, so that firemen could search
the ruins for bodies.
The police reported that they
had found more than 20 bodies
under charred timbers and ashes.
The first of these to be brought
out was of a woman. Five bodies
were reocvered before the fire
was brought under control. Twenty
oersons, burned or otherwise in
jured, were taken to hospitals.
Spectators heard trary’ed vie
(Continued on Page Two, Col, 6)
Along The Cape Fear!
INDUSTRIAL EMPIRE — Form
er Governor Broughton was not
looking through rose colored glass
es yesterday when he pictured
North Carolina as an industrial
empire before members of the Ki
wanis club.
Broughton, one of the state’s
best-informed business analysts, as
well as attorneys, wove his talk
around two recent incidents which
had come to the state during the
year.
First and foremost, he said, was
the granting to the State Ports Au
thority $100,000 by the General
Assembly for its development.
Broughton saw in this first grant
by the state to the Authority its
one big opportunity to forge ahead.
* - * *
PROGRESS — Wilmington, be
cause of its location, should be the
principal benefactor in the work of
the Authority. With the proper de
velopment of its present facilities,
there’s no reason why this city
should not become the state’s lead
ing center.
Former Governor Broughton saw
such a possibility for Wilmington,
and he said as much yesterday.
His evaluation of the work done
by the North Carolina shipbuilding
company during the war days was
only one way of saying that such
activity os was known here then
might become a permanent propo
sition.
SECOND INCIDENT — Brough
ton likened the U. S. Supreme
Court’s decision lowering freight
rates in the south to emancipation
for the area. Industrial growth in
the state should follow this decis
ion, he predicted. ' And where
there’s industrial growth, there is
progress.
With North Carolina now on an
j equal footing with the manufactur
ing centers of the Northeast, the
j state should assume the leader
’ (Continued On Page Two; Col. S)
Sixty To Seventy Others
Believed Trapped In
Building Ruins
WASHINGTON, May 14—(£>)—Of
ficials of the 100-year-old Naval
Observatory here are looking for
a new site for their clocks and
telescopes.
Dust and heat radiation which
have increased with the growth
of the capital now seriously inter
fere with their precision time
keeping work, they explained to
reporters today.
The main requirements of a
new site were listed as:
Location somewhere within a
275-mile wide belt across the na
tion (within 2 degrees of the pres
ent latitude of 38 degree* 55 min
utes north.) Accessibility to good
transportation; generally good
weather, and a distance of at least
25 miles from a big city.
The search will take about two
years and another six will be re
quired to move the complicated
instruments now housed in 55 build
(Contlnned On P»i* Two; Col. t)
Citizens Voice Need For Program
Of Expansion At Local Air Field;
U.S. Moves To Halt German Strike
400,000 Tons
Food Ready
Patterson Announces Plan
To Halt Unrest In
U. S. Zone
WASHINGTON, May 14 — VP) —
Secretary of War Patterson said
today that more than 400,000 tons
of food will be sent to Germany
this month, a similar amount in
June and “even more” in July.
His announcement constituted
the War department’s response to
complaints of short rations. There
are threats of a general strike in
Stuttgart May 22 if food condi
tions are not improved before
then.
Referring to the survey and. rec
ommendations made by former
President Herbert Hoover, Pat
terson said in a statement that
shipments of food to Germany
called for under the Hoover rec
ommendations “have been met up
to May 1, except for an amount
equal to about one week’s ration.’
“Even this is only a delay, not
a reduction,” ratterson said
The planned shipments of food,
the secretary said, “should be
sufficient to maintain the ration
(in Germany) from now on ”
Substantially all the food Im
ports into Germany have come
from the United States “ as the
only available source, but they
have been paid for jointly by the
British and ourselves,” Patter
son said.
No Reference
Patterson did not refer to re
ports in London that Foreign Sec
retary Ernest Bevin will tell Com
mons tomorrow that substantial
relief from the food crisis in the
British occupation zone in Ger
many cannot be expected until the
summer harvest. ,
The fool crisis in western Ger
many “has been a source of deep
concern for weeks” to Gen. Lucius
D. Clay, the American Military
governor, to the War department
and to himself, the secvretary as
serted.
“Every measure within our pow
er has been taken to meet it,”
Patterson said. “Since last De
cember, food shipments to Ger
many from the United States have
been greater than ever before.”
War department reports show
ed last December shipments a
little over 300,000 tons.
Patterson said that after Mr.
Hoover left Germany it became
evident with the breaking up of
winter “that large amounts of
food had been destroyed or would
be required for re-seeding b*
cause of winter destruction of
crops which had been sown in th*>
fall.”
He estimated these conditions
reduced available local supplies
by almost 200,000 tons.
As part of the emergency pro
gram, Patterson said 74,000,000
pounds of dry skimmed milk have
been procured and are about to
be shipped to Germany.
Attributing the crisis to “the
(Continued on Page Two, Col. 3)
OLD FAITHFUL
KEMMERER, Wyo., May 15.
—yP)—Old Dutch Setzkie loved
his employer and the livestock
he was hired to tend
Even with death approaching,
Dutch was determined to take
care of the stock, rfis host, Bill
Davison of Opal, related today
that his reliable ranch hand fell
ill and that he came upon him
cawilng on hands an! knees to
feed the animals. Dutch died
a short while afterward.
Setzkie had worked c ranches
in thi Western Wyoming area
for many years. He was be
lieved to have been well past 80
years old.
WAVING TO THE HUGE CROWD of well-wishers who assembled outside Buckingham Palace
London, to welcome them back to England, are members of the British Royal Family, just returned
from their three-month tour of South Africa. Prin cess Elizabeth whom royal household rumors say
will soon be bethrothed to Prince Phillip Monmbat ten is at left, and Margaret Rose is at right. (In
ternational Radiophoto).«
Industrial Empire Visioned;
President Signs Portal Bill
Truman Overrides Labor
Protests To Outlaw
Costly Suits
WASHINGTON, May 14. —(U.R)—
President Truman overrode the
protests of organized labor and
his own labor secretary today and
signed the Republican-sponsored
bill outlawing practically all past,
present and future portal-to-portal
pay claims.
He explained in an unusual mem
orandum to Congress that he acted
in the firm belief that the $6,000,
000,000 bugaboo of portal suits now
pending in the courts must be done
away with to help restore economic
stability and clear the way for full
production and lower prices.
At the same time, he called upon
Congress to balance this legisla
tive boon to business with an im
mediate increase in the statutory
national minimum wage from 40
to at least 65 cents an hour.
Aware that his approval of the
controversial measure might bring
threats of political reprisals from
(Continued on Page Two, Col. 6)
GAS TANK BLAST,
CRASH KILLS TWO
Mount Airy, Pilot Moun
tain Men Lose Lives In
Collision On Bridge
PILOT MOUNTAIN, May 14. —
(iP)— Theodore Russell Southern,
29, of Mount Airy and Mallory
Jackson Whitaker, 33, of Pilot
Mountain were killed when trucks
they were driving collided head-on
on a bridge, two miles north of
here, at 4:10 p. m. today.
Southern was burned to death
when the gasoline tank of his trac
tor-trailer type van exploded and
ignited the cab. Whitaker was
crushed to death.
L. A. Hair, who was driving a
third truck directly behind South
ern said it appeared that the van
got out of control as it descended
on an incline leading toward a
small, concrete bridge. Whitaker.
Hair said, tried to swerve out of
the path of the run-a-way but was
unable to do so.
Body Burned
Southern was thrown half out
of his cab by the explosion of the
gas tank. His body was burned al
most beyond recognition before
would-be rescuers could reach him.
Investigating officers called an
official of Bell Lines, a Winston
Salem trucking concern which own
(Continued On Page Two; Col. 6)
! J. MELVILLE BROUGHTON
DIRECTORS NAME
MAJOR KINGSLEY
Washington Man Elected
President Of Norfolk
Southern Railway
NORFOLK, Va„ May lA.-HP)—
Major Joseph P. Kingsley of Wash
ington, who became a director of
the Norfolk Southern Railway only
two months ago, was elected its
president today at the annual
meeting of the board of directors.
He succeeds L. A. Beck who was
re-elected to the directorate.
Kingsley, who told a reporter
several weeks ago he favored the
policy of owner-management of
railroads advocated by President
Robert Young of the Chesapeake
and Ohio, was succeeded as board
chairman today by Patrick B. Mc
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 5)
CLERICAL ERROR AT HOSPITAL
BRINGS SUIT FOR $200,000
NEW YORK, May 14 — (IP) —
A Bronx couple today accused a
municipal hospital of substituting a
boy for a girl following their child’s
birth there, but hospital Commis
sioner Edward M. Berneker term
ed the matter a “clerical error.”
The couple Mr. and Mrs. Leon
ard Sosa, Puerto Ricans, made
the charge in a claim for $200,
000 damages filed against the city
with the corporation counsel and
the city comptroller._
Former Gov. Broughton
Says State Has Great
Possibilities
North Carolina, backed by an
abundance of skilled labor, am
ple local capital and ample
power resourses, now has an op
portunity to build a great indus
trial empire second to none in the
nation, former Gov. J. Melville
Broughton told members of the
Wilmington Kiwanis club yester
day at their weekly luncheon
meeting at the Friendly.
Introduced by program chair
man Aaron Goldberg as one of
the best governors the state ever
had, Broughton was guest speak
er of the day and an exceptionally
large number of members and
guests were present to hear him.
Interspersing his remarks with
a few stories that kept his aud
ience in good humor throughout,
Broughton at the outset of his ad
dress took occasion to pay trib
who is presiding over the May
session of New Hanover Super
ior court this week. He then went
on to tell of his first visit to Wil
mington as a boy and a never-to
be-forgotten trip by ferry across
the Cape Fear river.
In commenting on the establish
ment of the North Carolina State’s
Ports Authority by the 1945 Gen
eral assembly, Broughton told
Kiwanians that the authority,
without as much as a postage
stamp in capital, had been able
to secure from the Works Pro
duction administration, a grant
of $90,000 for the purpose of mak
ing a survey of port facilities
within the state and future port
needs.
This survey, now in prepara
tion, the speaker said, will be of
inestimatable value in years to
come.
Secures $100,000
Continuing, he pointed out that
the Ports Authority whose mem
bership is state-wide in scope, had
(Continued on Page Two, Col. 3)
They charged the shift was made
in Lincoln hospital subsequent to
March 15 after they had been is
sued a birth certificate for a fe
male child. They said the certif
icate was signed by the physician
officiating the birth.
Berneker said the clerical er
ror occurred in filling out an ap
plication form for a birth certif
icate and that nurses and physi
cians had listed the child as a
male.
The couple took the boy home
from the hospital. Mrs. Soso said
“we like him, but he is not ours.
We can give him no name. He is
sickly, not like my strong girl.
Mrs Soso said a girl was brought
to her at the hospital for seven
days5 after the birth March 13, but
that on March 21 a nurse brought
the boy instead.
DEMOCRATS PROTEST
HOLD UP BY GOP OF
POSTMASTER AWARDS
WASHINGTON, May 14. —{If)—
Democrats shouted protests in the
Senate today that Republicans are
"arbitrarily” holding up action on
800 nominations for postmasters.
Senator Lucas (D.-Ill.) announc
ed he will make a speech every day
until he gets a “showdown.” He
said it is “shameful and disgrace
ful” for Senator Langer (R.-N.D.),
chairman of the Civil Service com
mittee, to hold up the nominations
until $35,000 is forthcoming for a
Senate investigation of the method
of appointing: postmasters.
The nominations were made by
President Truman, but the Senate
must confirm the nominees.
Lucas, charging “politics of the
cheapest kind,” moved to take 37
Illinois postmaster nominations
away from the committee. He said
23 of the 37 are war veterans. Sen
ator Tydings. (D.-Md.l, made a
similar motion with regard to 14
Marylanders. The motion* did not
:ome to a vote.
Ideas Differ
Over Methods
Man On Street In Accord
That Progress At Blue'
thenthal Necessary
By SUE MARSHALL
Star Staff Writer
The man on the street in
W i I m i n g ton is definitely
agreed on one thing, at least
—and that is that something
should be done to develop and
expand Bluethenthal airport,
rather than let progress at
the $11,000,000 field remain
stagnant.
Ideas as to what persons
should operate and control the de
velopments and activities at the
field were not in unison, though
they all said that ‘‘something very
definitely should be done.”
The opinions were given by per
sons stopped on the downtown
streets of Wilmington late yester
day afternoon in answer to the
query:
"What do you think of the pres
ent conditions at Bluethenthal air
port and of the proposal made by
Horace Barnes, Lumberton airport
operator, to lease the airport from
the New Hanover county com
missioners?”
Kenneth Eaton, local jeweler,
expressed the opinion thrt. "if
they’d left the field with Parker
(J. C. Parker, former airport
manager), Hamilton Hicks and the
other men (the airport authority),
there’d be plenty of activity out
there.” Eaton; however, does not
believe that “the field would be
developed right if leased to an
individual.”
He believes that the solution to
the problem would be to place con
trol of the field into the hands of
an “air-minded group of individ
uals to operat% and control.”
Favors County Control
G. T. Sullivan, local insurance
man, thinks that the county com
missioners should keep control and
that “they could do something
about it, if they would and some
thing needs to be done.”
Jennings Otts, U. S. immigration
official, said that “the county
should be glad to get rid of It, if
they (the county) get anything out
of it.”
He expressed the opinion that an
individual, taking personal interest
in the field, wrould develop it more.
“Improved air service would be
a great asset to Wilmington,” he
said, and added that he would like
to see schedules operating to Cuba,
Bermuda, and the Bahama Is
lands.
Russel Williams, 9 S. Washington,
Sunset Park, thinks development
of the field “w’ould be a good
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 1)
CENTRALIA COAL
FIRM INDICTED
Grand Jury Returns True
Bills Growing Out Of
Fatal Explosion
NASHVILLE, 111., May 14.—UP)—
A Washington county grand jury
today returned two indictments
charging the Centralia Coal com
pany with ‘‘willful neglect” in con
nection with the explosion in the
company’s mine No. 5 at Centralia
March 25 in which 111 men died.
The indictments charged the firm
with failure to provide sufficient
air for miners working under
ground and failure to adequately
rock-dust the mine—a safety meas
ure to reduce the spread of dust
explosions.
The alleged violations of the Il
linois state mining law are mis
demeanors and carry a maximum
punishment of $500 each.
The grand jury found no basis
for criminal action against five
company officials for whom man
slaughter indictments based on
criminal negligence were souL-it by
State’s Attorney Wilbert L. Hohlt.
Neither was any action voted
against Driscoll Scanlan, state
mine inspector.
Fourteen witnesses were heard
by the 23-member panel which
investigated the disaster. The jury
also studied evidence collected by
other investigating groups.
And So To Bed
Yesterday afternoon the
Wrightsville Beach police,
under the direction of Chief
W. R. Wiggs, Jr., were stop
ping cars on the west side of
Banks channel bridge for
routine inspections.
The telephone in the Star
news room rang consistently
during the early evening and
many curious persons inquired
what was going on at the
beach.
‘‘Why are they stopping all
those cars,” one lady asked.
“Are they looking for a mur
der victi' or something?”
When informed it was •
routine check, the lady rcnlied,
“With my old car, 1 better
keep off the streets wM I •*!
H repaired.” J