North Carolina Newspapers

FORECAST: +4 + j ^ 4 VQL- 81-—NO. 108. "” WILMINGTON, N .C., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1947 ESTABLISHED pilgrims Celebrate Nativity In Silence British Armored Vehicles Replace Donkeys Camels Of Biblical Times On Road To Bethlehem; Storm Clears By ROBERT MILLER lnjted Press Staff Correspondent BETHLEHEM, Palestine, Dec. ,4 __ (U.R) — A cold Christmas nioon broke through storm clouds 0ver this hallowed place tonight. It lighted the narrow cobble stoned streets through which Pil grims moved to celebrate the birth oi the Christ child. British armored cars and heavi ly armed troops replaced the don beys and camels of biblical times. Troops with their weapons clank ing replaced the pilgrims of other years. There were about 10,000 visitors in all compared to the many who come here in happier times. The sound of Christmas carols broke the night’s stillness when the Church of England services were held in St. George’s Chapel. The service was held there in stead of on the Shepherds' Field at the foot of hilly Bethlehem because of the rain which had poured down all day. But in mid evening it turned clear and cold and the moon came out to add its light to that of army searchlights. British High Commissioner Gen. Sir Alan Cunningham was among those in the chapel. The chapel was crowded with British Tom mies, rifles slung over their shoulders, the officers wearing side arms. They came in convoys, See PILGRIMS on Page Four Truman Sends Message Of Hope To 111 World PRESIDENT PLANS TO S GOP BILL Scathing Rebuke On Pro visions May Be Re leased At Same Time WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 — (*) -President Truman may sign the Republican anti-inflation bill “any day after Christmas,” the White House said today. He will accompany it with a statement which is expected to blast it as inadequate to curb living costs. The bill’s main price stabili zation feature—authorizing vol untary agreements within in dustry for cooperative anti - in flation action—falls short of the 10-point Truman plan. He failed to win the wage-price-rationing powers he asked. But the measure carries some features included in the Truman program. These extend the President's powers over export of scarce essentials and over the use of boxcars. In addition the bill revives, until Jan. 31, the government’s authority to curb whisky-making by ra tioning grain to distillers. Whisky manufacturing could be thrown wide open at mid night tonight with expiration of the industry’s voluntary 60-day "holiday” which was designed to save grain for Europe. How ever, part of the industry has already pledged to restrict use of grain after the holiday. But when the bill is signed, the distillers may be squeezed a 2,500.000-bushel monthly ment. This is the figure -iich Secretary of Agriculture .mderson has vainly sought to get them to accept voluntarily. Charles G. Ross, Presidential press secretary, told reporters at a news conference that the President will act on the bill next week, but amended this to say that it might “be signed any day after Christmas.” Ross said a statement would be is sued at the same time. COLD CHRISTMAS FOR WILMINGTON Weatherman Says Highest Temperatures Today Will Be 44 Degrees This Christmas day was scheduled to be rather cold in Wilmington and Southeastern north Carolina with highest tem peratures only around 44 de grees, Weatherman Paul Hess said last night. The day was to be mostly cl,ar, but with a few clouds scettered about the sky during Bl0£l of the time. Lowest tem perature was to be relatively "'gh and still above the freezing P°wt with a 34-degree minimum Predicted. N° snow and no rain, sleet j/"er disagreeable precipitation *as ® store for Wilmingtonians .r Southeastern North Carolin Jns on Christmas, if Mr. Hess ai)d his weather prognostications ,fe correct. The Weather tsft.'f1'11 . CAROLINA—Cloudy and light CoJd Thursday wich accasional Nr> Tain' t:2TK. CAROLINA—Cloudy and con Thljr_, co*d with occasional light rain Irg r iy* probably with sleet or freez - ram west and central portions NiniTTllog5cal data for th€ 24 hours ‘"g ‘:3f) a.m. p.m. Today Yesterday. TEMPERATURES ;V a rn 46 7:30 a.m. 38 1:30 p.m. 46 .\jjrjr; 'rn- 46 7:30 p.m. 43Maximum 48 38 Mean 42 Normal 46 i .3* HUMIDITY :07!Larn- 67 7:30 a.m. 70 1:30 p.m. w Pm. 57 Total * PRECIPITATION a.Tp \ for tbe 24 hours ending 7:30 first n?1'*!) ,0° inches. Total since the Tinrotbe month 4.60 inches Tr" S F°R TODAY TOMORROW • S*. p ;’~'e Tide Tables published by 'Vir>vTixast and Geodetic Survey). • HNGTOX 7.35 a.m. 2.05 a.m. ‘'ASOVpn-n^ 7 47 pm 2 52 p m ■ 'OPo Inletl a.m. 11.46 a m S,;.5-28 p.m. 11-50 p.m j X- 7.16 Sunset 5.10 Mocnrise j'sVf.,. -‘‘^onset 447a River stage at ^ N. C., at 8 s. m. Wed. ^5 tN_* _ President Takes Words Of St. Paul For Version Of Marshall Plan WASHINGTON, Dec. 24.—<U.R) President Truman promised the suffering people of the world on this holy night that “we shall do more” for them. To the cold, the hungry and the homeless abroad, he uttered this Christmas message: “We have supplied a part of their needs and we shall do more”. * Mr. Truman spoke at dusk from a gaily decorated platform on the South grounds of the White House after toning on the lights on a big community Christmas tree. Addressing a nation-wide radio audience—and the world — Mr. Truman reminded his listeners that the spirit of Christmas was inherent in this country’s effort to avert starvation and want overseas. In giving a Christmas version of the Marshall plan, the Presi dent used as his theme the words ot St. Paul: “And Now Abideth Faith, Hope, Charity, These Three; But The Greatest of These is Chari ty.” Mr. Truman said that in ex tending aid to the unfortunate abroad ‘we are developing in their hearts the return of ‘hope’ . . . (and) with the return of hope to these people will come renew ed faith—faith in the dignity of the individual and the brother hood of man.” Cites Want Abroad The President said there can be little happiness for those in Europe and Asia who will ob serve another Christmas in pov erty and suffering. “As we prepare to celebrate our Christmas this year in a land of plenty,” he said, “we would be heartless indeed if we were indifferent to the plight of the less fortunate peoples overseas.” Then, after quoting the words of St. Paul, he said: “We believe this. We accept it as a basic principle of our See TRUMAN on Page Four CLOQUET MOURNS FOR SANTA CLAUS Death Of Vic Swenson Makes Christmas Less Cheerful For People CLOQUET, Minn., Dec. 24—VP) —Christmas isn’t the same in Cloquet this year—Vic Swenson isn’t around any more. Vic was the town’s Santa Claus for 46 years. Five foot six and roly poly, he didn’t need a pillow to fill out the bright red Ermine trimmed costume he donned each Yuletide. 1 But it was a kindly person ality—cheerful, friendly, help ful sympathetic—which caused Cloquet to regard Vic as the real Santa Claus. That and his happy chuckles. Vic lived the Santa spirit throughout the year. Where ad versity struck, there was Vic. He visited ailing children to regale them with fascinating tales of high adventure. His neighborly deeds were myriad. At Christmastime, you’d see him darting into a school, a See CLOQUET on Page Four Santa Feels North Wind When His Breeks FaDoon __- — KINSTON, Dec. 24— <U.PJ —It shouldn’t happen to anybody. But it happene to Santa Claus. Bank Teller Chester J. Olzin ski was playing the part of Santa in the last-minute shopping rush. He started across the main street —and a small admirer didn’t want him to go. The kid tugged at Santa’s red pants. The pants sagged. The kid jerked harder. Santa began to feel the north wind. He appealed to a passing shop per for help. No good—his arms were full of bundles. Suddenly it was too late. San ta’s red pants were around his heels in the middle of the street. With the dignity befitting a children’s saint, he shooed away the pants-grabber and retied the string which served as a belt. Santa wants suspenders for , Christmas. LAXITY CHARGED ! IN WRITER CASE State Department Proposes Drastic Revision On UN Rules —Charging the United Nations with laxity, the state depart ment proposed today a “drastic revision” of the UN rules for j granting credentials to alien news correspondents. The department said in a sharply worded statement that the United States acted yvithin its sovereign rights in seeking to deport two men accredited by the united nations as corre spondents. The deportation move was made on the ground that the men are communists and not legitimate news report ers. What revision in rules is de sired was unstated but officials made clear the state depart ment wants a general tightening up, with the United States re taining the right to challenge the good faith of any alien ac credited by the UN. “This government, of course, has in no way yielded up its sovereign rights to challenge the bona fides of any alien jour nalist seeking to enter this coun try or already in this country,” the department said. “It has in no way yielded its sovereign rights to investigate, to hold hearings and to deport alien See LAXITY on Page Two NCCS TO OPERATE ONSLOW BUILDING USO At Jacksonville Ac quired By Navy; Legion Bid Rejected JACKSONVILLE, Dec. 24 — The USO building in Jack sonville has been acquired by the United States Navy depart ment effective January 1, and will be turned over to the Na tional Catholic Community serv ices which will conduct a rec reation program for service personnel similar to that of USO. Announcement of the acquisi tion by the Navy department came last night at _ exercises which marked the closing of the service center. The announce ment was made by George See, director of the USO. USO will cease operation De cember 31, throughout the world after having served faithfully and efficiently during World War Two, the NCCS is one of six organizations which banded together to compose the USO. The USO building in Jackson ville was erected by the Federal Works agency at an approxi mate cost of $80,000. It has been up for sale for the past six months. The town of Jackson ville which had first priority on the purchase waived the priority in favor of Burton Co well Post Number 265 of the American Legion which submit ted a bid for the building. Had the Legion Post been suc cessful in its bid it would have See NCCS on Page Two Crowds Jam Stores, Tax Travel Outlets NO STAR TOMORROW In keeping with the policy of the management of the Morning Star, there will be no issue of the paper tomorrow morning. This is being done so that employes of the jyiper may spend Christmas day and night with their families. There will be no issue of the Wilmington News today. The Morning Star will re sume publication Saturday morning as usual. The News will resume publication Fri day as usual. DEATH OBSERVES NO YULE SEASON Sporadic Killings Mar Christmas Eve In Un happy Palestine JERUSALEM, Dec. 24 — UPl— Death took no Christmas holi* dr^ in the unhappy Holy Land today. Bullets kiiied five Arabs and two Jews and at least nine other persons were injured. The death toll since the Unit ed Nations General Assembly voted Nov. 29 to partition Pal estine into separate Jewish and Arab states mounted to 314 for the Holy Land. A bomb and grenades dam aged a truck carrying Jewish prisoners from Jaffa to Tel Aviv. Four Jewish policemen were injured. A spokesman for the Palestine government told a news confer ence the government will take all necessary steps including more patrolling, to obtain com plete safety on the main road from Jerusalem to Jaffa and Tel Aviv. This spokesman expressed the opinion that if the vicious cir cle of so-called mutual reprisal actions between Jews and Arabs would end for at least two days, the situation would be much easier to handle. Jewish Woman Shot Snipers’ .bullets killed a Jew ish woman while she was hang ing clothes on the rooftop of her Haifa home. A Jewish child and a Jewish man also were wound ed by the snipers before they were dispersed by Hagana, self styled Jewish defense army. Three Arabs of the Hanajra tribe were killed while plough ing their fields in the Beersheba area when a party of Jews driv See DEATH on Page Four Chicago Center Of Biggest Christmas Splurge In U. S. History HICAGO, Dec. 24. — <U.R> — Record-breaking crowds jam med stores and travel facilities today in perhaps the biggest Christmas splurge in the nation’s history The weatherman’s forecast that there would be no "White Christmas” in most of the na tion failed to dampen any of the Yule spirit. Last-minute shop pers crowded stores and folks hurrying home for the holidays jammed railroads and airlines, pushing the volume of travel and sales to record levels. The U.S. Weather Bureau pre dicted generally sunny, season able weather for most of the country. Snow already had covered sections of the Upper Ohio Valley and Eastward through Pennsylvania and New York to New England, assuring a White Christmas in that area. But the only new snow expect ed was from a few flurries in the Northern Rocky Mountains and Great Lakes areas. Rain was forecast for the Pacific Northwest. Railroads and airlines sched See CROWDS on Page Two FREIGHTER SAFE ' REPORTS S T A TE Tug Michael Moran Stand ing By Ship Off Frying Pan Shoals Coast Guard officials at Oak Island confirmed a report late yesterday that the 7,176-ton freighted Andrew Moore, with five men aboard, was in “no danger” and was in contact with the tug Michael Moran. The Maritime Commission re ported in New York City that the Moran was standing by the ship in rough seas five miles off the mouth of the Cape Fear riv er at Frying Pan shoals . An earlier report from the Coast Guard said that the ves sel was helpless and that no signs of life could be found aboard. The tug A. J. McAllister broke down while towing the ship to the lay-up basin here and came into Wilmington for repairs on Tuesday night. The Maritime Commission re port late yesterday afternoon said that the ship might possi See FREIGHTER on Page Twd Along The Cape Fear GREETINGS — The Column this morning wishes for its read ers all that is good during the holidays and the New Year to come. But this subject won’t be dwelt upon, and we’ll get back into character. OLD RICE FIELDS — Yester day the Column had a very in teresting communication from Mr. Louis L. Merrett, on the growing of rice along the Cape Fear. “Years ago,” he writes, “along the west side of the river rice fields extended from above the fertilizer plants to below Big Island and there were some fields on the east bank. “The fields were ditched and dyked and empties with flood gates to control the drainage and the floodings of the fields. “When the rice was beginning to ripen the planters had a good deal of trouble with rice birds and coots eating the rice. They employed Negroes to walk the ditch banks with muzzle loading shot guns to fire into the droves of birds to scare them away. “In the book entitled ‘Low Country,’ written by some Charleston writers, there is an interesting description of the rice fields and their cultivation. It is said that the mules were trained to wear boards fastened to their feet to enable them to walk on the soft mud. “The last rice field that I re member along the river was owned by Gilbert Hollins, near Town Creek back of Big Pond. “On Chestnut street back of the Murchison building and on the site of the present parking lot, a rice mill was located. “After the Civil War it became unprofitable to raise rice here and this business moved to Loui siana. “The rice planters used a lot of gun powder, and many of the hardware dealers had powder houses built on piles in the river. Sea CAPE FEAR ta Page Four POLICEMEN HURT IN CLUB BATTLE Two Youths, Girl Held Fol lowing Shooting Spree In Reno Club RENO, Nev., Dec. 24 —(J)—A midnight shooting among the roulette wheels and dice tables of a gambling club left three policemen wounded today and ended in the jailing of two youths and a 21-year-old girl. Charged with shooting the po lice officers after being corner ed in crowded Harold’s Club was "l-year-old Bobby Carter, whose home was given to police variously as Huntersville, W. Va., and Pinson Fort, Ky. Carter was trailed to the club by officers checking the de scription of a man who had staged three taxicab holdups earlier in the evening. -vc Carter, the officers said, opened fire with a small-calibre pistol as they closed in on him. Club patrons scattered under tables and out doors. But the po lice refrained from returning the fire in fear of hitting them Taken to the hospital were Detective Sergeants Francis Quinn and James Franklin, and Patrolman William Reeder. Franklin was in serious condi tion today with a bullet lodged against the spine. Quinn was hospitalized with a wound in the thigh, and Reeder released aft er treatment of a hand wound. After opening fire on the offi cers, Carter commandeered a taxi but was cornered in a used car lot half an hour later and wounded in a gun battle with Patrolman Leonard Codega. He was taken to a hospital where his condition was report ed not serious. Carter was charged with assault with intent to kill. Later picked up for investiga tion were another youth and a girl, booked as Carl Wallace Duckett of San Francisco, and Julia Ann Liguras, 21, of Brew* ster, Ohio. All three had shared the same hotel room police said. Chief Clayton Phillips said See POLICEMEN on Page Two GREENSBORO MEN BURN UP $3,200 Super Market Owners Cash Accidently Falls Into Trash Can STATESVILLE, Dec. 24.—W— Burning of waste paper at their store here was a costly under taking for Wade and Fletcher Drum, It was learned this after noon. The brothers, who operate a super market here, had with drawn a large sum of money to have on hand for cashing Christmas checks. A bag con taining $3,250 had been placed on a shelf under a counter and was See GREENSBORO on Page Two Miners Break Tradition; Sing, Work On Yule Eve TAMAQUA, Pa., Dec. 24. —UP) — More than 100 Anthracite min ers wearing lighter electric lamps on their caps stood in the snow around the opening of Newkirk Mine before dawn today and lift ed their voices in “Joy To The World.” They were gathered there by Welshman R. S. Davies, superin tendent of the mine, who two years ago organized a choral group, the St. David’s Day So ciety of Schuylkill County, al ready well known lor its singing. It is the first time such a cere mony ever has been held. The men of Newkirk Mine — rated one of the outstanding for its safety and production records in the lower Anthracite field — came to work an hour earlier than usual so that they could leave early 19 have Christmas Eve with their families. Although the Newkirk miners usually do not work either the day before or after Christmas, this year in order to keep pro duction up they will be idle only sa Christmas. Greek Guerrillas Form Communist State On North Border Of Nation; U. S. May Get Back Bases In Panama Dispatches Quote Foreign Minister As Agreeing To New Contract ATHENS, Greece, Dec. 24—OT -The Guerilla Chieftain, Gen. Markos Vifiades announced by radio today the formation of an independent Communist State in the north, thereby creating a situation which could explode in to a Greek civil war. The broadcast summoned members of Elas, the military branch of the Leftist National Resistance front known as EAM, to “take up arms” to support the “first provisional democratic gov ernment of free Greece.” Premier Themistokles Sophou lis declared the new Communist state probably would be recog nized by Greece’s pro-Soviet northern neighbors. Should that come about, the pouring in of arms and muni tions to the support of the North ern Separatists would be facili tated. Since aid for the Athens government already is coming from the United States the situ ation thus contained explosive possibilities. Members of the United Nations special commission on the Bal kans, set up to investigate bor der incidents, said last week that the creation of an independent Communist State with open as sistance by the Northern neigh bors would constitute a “threat to peace” and a :sion of the U. N. General Assembly probably would be called to meet the sit uation. Balkans Outlet Greek military men at Saloni ka said they believed the broad cast originated from a station in the Balkans, probably Yugo slavia. The announcement did not give the location of the new state or its capital. Vifiades, who has been going under the name of “Gen. Mar kos,” was named prime minister and minister of war. The other ministers in the new government were listed as: John Joannides, vice-premier, minister of interior; Petros Roussos, foreign affairs; Miltiades Porphyroyennls, jus tice; Vassilis Bartzokas, finance; Petros Kokkalis, health, social welfare and educatoin; Dimitrios Vladas, agriculture; - -Leonidas Stringos, national economy and food. All are Communists or EAM leaders. Stringos is a former edi tor of the suppressed Communist newspaper Rizzospastos. Porphy royennis, who was minister of labor in the liberation Greek cabinet, told a Communist meet ing in France last summer that an independent state would soon be formed. Old Time Red Joannides is an old-line Com munist who has been in charge of the undercover mechanism of the party for years. He is re ported to have signed an agree ment with Bulgarian Com munists during the German oc cupation to cede Greek territory to Bulgaria. Roussos was the party’s middle east representa tive in the Greek army and naval mutiny during the war. He is under a death sentence. Bartzokas was the Athens lead er of the Communist revolution in 1944. Vladas is a member of See DISPATCH on Page Two PLANES ON HUNT FOR MISSING B-29 Army Ship With Eight Men Aboard Fails To Report At Base FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Dec. 24. —(JP)— A wide aerial search was launched this morning for an Army B-29 which failed to re turn to Ladd Field last night from a long range navigation training flight over the Northern portion of Alaska. Eight men were aboard. The big plane was due at the field at 10 p.m. Bases at Nome and Fairbanks, were alerted one hour later. Takeoffs for the search began early today. Col. Lloyd H. Watnee, direct ing the search, said operations are hampered by poor weather and the short hours of Arctic daylight at this time of year. He said every available air plane in the region has been alerted for the search. The names of the eight men aboard were withheld. Action Creates SituatioB Which Could Explode To Civil War Status WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 — «■» —Hope that the United State* might get back some of its wap* time bases in Panama to help del end the canal was kept alive today by official assurance* that both countries would like to revive the base-leasing negotia tions. Dispatches from Panama quoted Foreign Minister Fioren cio Arosemena forte as saying his government is willing to start discussing a new agree ment to replace the one reject ed by the Panamanian Assem bly Monday night. He said he was “convinced” the two coun tries still could get together. In Washington, acting U. S. Secretary of State Robert A. Lovett told a press conference that Forte had not made the of fer official as yet but that thi* country is ready to reopen the talks at any time. The rejected agreement called for a five-year American lease on 13 minor “defens# sites” in Panama—mostly radar stations and fighter strips — and a 10-year lease with a 10-year renewal option on the big Rio Hato Air base which the United States used during the war as it B-29 heavy bomber station. Want Shorter Lease The Panama Assembly was understood to have turned down the pact largely because of th# length of the proposed Rio Hato lease. It was believed possibl# that a new agreement would 1># ratified if it limited the leas# on that base to five years, with a five-year renewal option. Meanwhile, the United State# began to withdraw its 2,000 air and ground force troops from the 14 bases, as a demonstra tion of its respect for the sov See ACTION on Page Four BIZARRE CUTTING PUZZLES POLICE Odd-Job Man Kills Wife, Slashes Throats of Three Other Persons WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Dec. 24 —(JP)— A 42-year-old un employed odd-jobs man wrote out his will to his “beloved wife” in his lawyer’s office here today, then with a Boy Scout knif# slashed her to death and cut th# throats of his son, 15, and two at torneys before killing himself by leaping from the sixth floor fir# escape of an office building. Chief of Police Jack Thompson identified the man as David Ralph Burnside who neighbor# told police was “jealous of hi# wife,” Bernice, 39. Thompson said Burnside “just seemed to have gone crazy.” Thompson said that no motive had been established for the cut tings, and ah attorney who had handled some affairs for Burn side in the past declared the man was perfectly normal “mentally” and “had no known family troubles” The bizarre Christmas Eve cutting took place in the law of fices of E. M. Baynes and R. G. Hamilton in the Comeau building on Clematis street in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach. Baynes, Hamilton and the son, James, were listed as critical at a hospital. Both Baynes and Hamilton are about 55. Baynes was placed in an oxygen tent. Dies Instantly Mrs. Burnside died on thn floor of the law offices with ft gash in her throat 10 inches long, Thompson said. The police chief could not e* plain how Burnside could havn cut all four about the throat so quickly. The knife, “very See BIZARRE on Page Four And So To Bed Adopting Irvin 8. Cobb’s statement of the situation, W. S. (Buck) Morris, native Wilmingtonian now living in Kilgore, Texas, told Ro tarians here the other day that all North Carolina needs is a good press agent. “I was acting as the Care* lina Chamber of Commerce’s fair-haired boy recently, giving a lecture before a group of friends In Tyler, Texas, on the merits of the Tar Heel State,” he said. *‘I told them that North Carolina had everything-** finest land, the best climate, the most beautiful scenery and the finest people in the United States. They had me stopped for a minute when they said, ‘Okay, you like the place so well, why did you leave, then?’ “But I thought about a minute,” Morris said, “Then I said, ‘Well, if you really want to know, the people back there were so smart I couldn’t make a living. I had to come out here where the people were dumb enough 1 so that I could get along!’ "