FORECAST:
Parry cloudy and continued warm
‘odey hecrmvng cloudy with rain toniffh<
and Thursday. 8
" v(Tl. K—nO' -
108 Citizens Bitten
By Dogs in 5 Months
In the five months from July
is to December 23 police re
jved reports of 108 Wilming
ton persons being bitten by
Ms John Walker, chairman of
L Junior Chamber of Com
merce committee on stray dogs,
mid the club in its dinner ses
Von at the Friendly cafeteria
last night.
He added that in areas such
|S Lake Forest and Riverside
residents bitten by dogs re
norted the bites to the housing
juoervisors rather than to po
[jCe and that police did not re
ceive reports in these cases
ijhere were undoubtedly a num
ber of cases in which no report
lt all on dog bites were made,
he said.
After a discussion on the sit
uation in which most membei'
agreed that some action sfa* j
be taken to alleviate the^
dog problem in the city * _
tect its citizens, t>- of?
voted unanimously t
committee meet with ^\'rd
of directors, on "next . nday
evening and work out some so
lution which will be presented
to the club for approval at the
Tuesday meeting.
Walker, explained that the po
lice notify owners to confine
dogs when persons are bitten,
but added that “we know that
the owners don’t always confine
them. Usually they confine the
dogs for a day or two only, then
let them out again ' The own
See CITIZENS on Page Two
General Electric To Cut
Prices 3 To 10 Per Cent
rotarians hear
FORMER NEWSMAN
Major John Marshall Ad
dresses Club At Regular
Luncheon Meeting
Members of the Wilmington
Rotary club at their luncheon
meeting yesterday heard John
MacDougal, Lenoir Rhyne col
lege student from Wilmington,
jing three popular semi-classi
cal' solo numbers and heard
Major John Marshall, of Wil
mington, discuss his recent tour
of duty in the Mediterranean
with the army.
Before the war, Marshall was
managing editor of the Wil
mington News.
Accompanied bv Henry Emu
rian, of Wilmington, at the
piano, MacDougal, a tenor,
drew loud applause from the
Rotarians with his renditon of
“Invictus,” “Mother Machree”,
md “Without a Song.” He was
presented by Program Chair
man Claude O’Shields.
Major Marshall, who left An
kara, Turkey, on November 24,
ind came to Wilmington by way
of Athens and Italy, was admin
istrator of prisoners of war and
displaced persons in the Medi
terranean prior to his return to
this county.
Cites News Reports
He declined to discuss rela
tionships with Russia, because
he said officers of the United
Stales army have been enjoined
from doing so. He pointed out,
hn'vever, that a good picture of
the situation can be gained
from news reports.
^ome of the DP’s and PW’s
demanded by Russia and turned
over to that country had to be
restrained from self destruction
See ROTARIANS ou Page Two
FEE OKAYS AT&T
EXPANSION PLANS
Company Will Spend $76.
130,000 On Radio,
Television Lines
WASHINGTON, Dec. 30. — Of)
— The Federal Communications
Commission today approved a
$76,130,000 expansion that Amiri
*»n Telephone and Telegraph
lompany plans in 1943,
The program by A T & T and
•ubsidiaries, will add about 1,
500,000 miles of wire circuits for
telephone, telegraph, television,
»nd radio broadcasting services.
AT&T said it plans to lay
additional coaxial cables between
New York and Washington, D. C.
Washington N.C. and Charlotte,
N. C-, New York and Albany,
Philadelphia and Chicago, and
Chicago and St. Louis.
The coaxial cable can handle
itumerous telephone, telegraph,
television and radio realys simul
taneously.
FCC said the new cables will
Permit television relays between
the cities named and also at
Baltimore, Richmond, Va., Pitts
burgh, and Cleveland. The com
mission said that Boston may be
tied in to the circuit by means
•i existing experimental micro
wave relays between that city
•Ml New York .
The Weather
SUB FORECAST
•outh Carolina—Partly cloudy and
ontjnued warm Wednesday Increasing
doudiness Wednesday night followed by
and colder Thursday.
North Carolina—Partly cloudy and
continued warm Wednesday. Increasing
toudy and colder with rain Wednesday
***“* and Thursday.
k FORECAST:
'•worological data for the 24 hours
ending 7:30 p.m. yesterday
, . TEMPERATURE
a.m. 43. 7:30 a m. 39, 1:30 p.m.
"l.7 39 p.m. 58.
Maximum 69, Minimum 38, Mean 54,
forma! 47.
. HUMIDITY
am. 87, 7:30 a.m. 98, 1:30 pm.
7;30 o.m. 64
- PRECIPTATON
Total for the 24 hour3 ending 7:30
™ o 00 inches. .
, totaj since the first of the month
‘■w inches.
tides FOR TODAY DEC. 31
triom the Tide Tav,ies published by
„ * Coast and Geodetic Survey)
"Umingron _12:13 a.m. 7:19 a.m.
12:51 p.m. 8 02 p.m.
^••“nboro nlct_10:39 a.m. 4:15 a.m.
. 11:12 p.m. 4:59 p.m.
.sunrise 7:18. Sunset 5:13. Moonrise
8 P-m., Moor ~-:t IP 12 a m.
More WEATWF.R on r?ge lw»
President Wilson Says Con
sumer Saving Will
Be 50 Millions
NEW YORK, Dec. 30. — UP) -
The General Electric company
announced today retail price re
ductions affecting many home
appliances — the first break in
the price spiral by a major
manufacturer.
Charles E. Wilson, G. E. Presi
dent, told a news conference that
the price drop, ranging from
three to ten per cent, is effec
tive January 1 and will affect
40 per cent of the company’s
total business.
Refrigerators, ranges, and
home radio and television re
ceivers, are among the pro
ducts affected. No price reduc
tions in electric light bulbs was
announced.
Expressing the belief that in
dustry must take the initiative
in reversing the inflationary
spiral, Wilson said General Elec
tric also is reducing prices of
component parts, which it sup
plies to other appliance manufac
turers.
Huge Saving
Declaring that the price cuts
represent a savings of $50,000,
000 annually at the consumers’
level, Wilson added:
“It is not done to stimulate
business- These reductions come
at the time of the company’s
greatest demand for the goods
involved. We could sell in many
lines twice what we can produce
and is should be so far many
months.”
The reduction, Wilson said, will
cut profit margins unless the
company can cut costs.
“We expect to maintain these
prices,” Wilson sad, “provided
no further increase occurs in
our labor costs or in prices of
components an dmaterial which
we purchase in so great a mea
sure from others, and provided
there is no further distortion in
the material situation through
rationing or new allocations.
“We hope to be abole to ex
tend such action to other pro
duct lines as similar action is
taken by our suppliers and
material manufacturers.”
MIDWEST STATES
GET COLD WAVES
Sub-Zero Weather Be
numbs Citizens Of Mon
tana, North Dakota
By The Associated Press
Sub-Zero cold benumber sec
tions of the Northern midwest
and the East today.
A biting 25-mile wind whipped
a cold wave across the Cana
dian border into Montana and
North Dakota. The temperature
dropped to 12 degrees below zero
in Pembina, N. D., at noon.
Forecasters said the severe cold
was not expected to go any
futher South than Northern Iowa.
Early Wednesday morning
minimums of -20 were forecast
for North Dakota, with tempera
ture drops also in prospect for
Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Kan
sas and Nebraska
Upper New York state had the.
nation’s coldest temperatures
with Wanakena Reserve record
ing -30. Newton Falls had -22,
Canton -15 and Ticonderoga -14.
Syracuse reported three below,
while snow-clogged New York
city had a minimum of 15.6
above. Forecasters said tempera
tures would start rising in upper
New York Wednesday after
another cold night.
New York city continued digg
ing out from Friday’s record
See MIDWEST on Page Two
45-Foot “Sea Monster”
Sighted Off N. C. Coast
NEW YORK, Dec. 30 — UPI—A
“sea monster” 45 feet long with
an “eel-like head” was report
ed by the captain of a ship off
the North Carolina coast today,
the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard said a mes
sage from the master of the
S S. Santa Clara reported that
the ship struck the “monster”
and either killed or badly
wounded it. leaving the animal
“thrashing in a large area of
bloody water.”
The captain said the monster
was sighted by Chief Officer
William Humphries and Third
Officer John Axelson, who de
scribed it as having a body
about three feet in diameter.
The Santa Clara was bound
for New York from Baranquil
la, Colombia, South America,
the Coast Guard said.
Railroads Win Additional 10 Per Cent
freight Rate Increase By ICC Decision;
Young King Michael Abdicates Throne
Lovelorn Monarch
To Wed Princess
Communist-D o m i n a t e d
Cabinet Resigns; Re
public In Making
BUCHAREST, Romania, Dec.
30. —(U.R)— Lovelorn, politically
beset King Michael I, last remain
ing monarch behind Soviet Rus
sia’s iron curtain, abdicated to
day in favor of a “popular Ro
manian republic.”
The Communist - dominated
cabinet of Premier Petru Groza
resigned immediately afterward,
turning over its power to a state
council of five members pending
the election of a president by a
constituent assembly.
Twenty-six-year-old Michael
was at his mountain palace at
Sinai, packing big bags. He was
expected to leave the country
within a few days with his ret
inue to marry the beautiful
Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma,
24, with whom he fell in love at
the wedding of Princess Eliza
beth, heir to the British throne,
less than six weeks ago.
Court circles reported that Mi
chael, who became a king at
five years of age, then gave up
his throne in favor of his father
Carol, only to regain it in 1940.
had abdicated — in part at least
— because his government — and
possibly Russia — frowned on his
romance.
But his throne had been made
exceedingly uneasy by his coun
try’s intensified orientation to
ward Russia’s Eastern European
bloc. Simeon II, boy king of Bul
gara, and Peter II of Jugoslavia,
both had been forced into exile
because of this.
Council Sworn In
The new state council, consist
ing of one Communist, one So
cialist and three non-party mem
bers, was sworn in a few minutes
after an extraordinary session of
parliament passed a bill bring
ing it into existence “to defend
the interests of the people of the
republic and the democracy.”
Parliament then adjourned un
til 10 a. m. tomorrow.
Groza himself, leader of the
See LOVELORN on Page Two
KELLY SENTENCED
TO PRISON TERM
Army Captain Admits
Theft Of Pay Checks;
Gets 5 Years
CAMP Lee, Va., Dec. 30.— (U.R)
An Army captain who admitted
cashing the chacks of superior
officers and spending the money
in a 15-day absence without leave
spree was found guilty by a
courtmartial today and sen
tenced to dismissal from the
service and five years at hard
labor.
Capt. Edward P. Kelly, who
had intended to leave the Army
honorably today, was found guil
ty o" embezzlement, forgery, go
ing AWOL and cashing six
other checks without a bank ac
count. He admitted all charges.
The 40-year-old former Dan
ville, N. J., restaurant manager
stepped into the hall and whis
pered the verdict to his blond
wife, who testified today that he
was “a very good man when
he’s not drinking.” She sobbed
as he was led away by a mili
tary police officer.
Army spokesmen said Kelly
would be held here while his
case was re ewed by Second
Army headquarters, an Army
board of review in Washington
and the President. If the sen
tence is approved he will be dis
missed and put in a disciplinary
barracks.
Kelly was promoted to Cap
tain after he vanished from
camp Lee Dec. 1 with the pay
checks of 37 fellow officers. He
admitted cashing two of the
checks totaling $1,118 after tak
ing “a few drinks,” and said he
mailed the rest back from Rich
mond the next day.
He also admitted cashing
See KELLY on Page Two
LADIES NIGHT—The Shriners of the city got together last nijdjt at the Famous Club to fete their ladies in
the annual Arab Shrine Club Christmas and New Year’s party. Pictured above are the officers and board of governors.
They are, left to right: R. B. Roebuck, vice president, Richard Burnett, Horace King, governors; W. A. Loftin, president;
Pete Capps and James Downlelly, governors, and T. I. Watkins, secretary-treasurer. (Staff Photo by Ben Maynard)
PRESIDENT DROPS
LANDIS FROM CAB
Fiery Chairman Steps
Down At Midnight; No
Successor Named
WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 — UP)
—James M. Landis, one of the
last Roosevelt “brain trusters”
still actij'e in government serv
ice, will be dropped from the
Civil Aeronautics Board when
his term expires at midnight to
morrow.
The wiry, chain - smoking
Landis frequently has been at
odds with various airline offi
cials since he became CAB
charman 18 months ago, and
the Air Line Pilots Association
(AFL) charged recently that
“vested ini rests” were waging
a campaign to force him out.
President Truman’s press
secretary, Charles G. Ross, told
newsmen today that Lanids,
who is 48, “is not to be reap
pointed” but gave no explana
tion and did not say whether the
President has picked a succes
sor.
The Pilots’ Association had
See PRESIDENT On Page Two
PRESIDENTS SIGNS
INFLATION BILL
Anderson Immediately Cut
Grain Allocation To
Distillers
WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 — (U.R)
—President Truman signed the
Renublican inflation control bill
today and two departments
promptly took steps aimed at
saving grain and cutting prices of
export goods.
Secretary of Agriculture Clin
ton P. Anderson issued a tem
porary grain-allocation order cut
ting whiskey production sharp
ly for the next month.
Anderson’s order, effective at
See SIGNS on Page Two
Along The Cape Fear
HEROINE’S HOME — Yester
day the column started the story
of a confederate war heroine’s
attachment for her adopted
southland. The story, as revealed
in qld papers continues with the
description of her house near
Fort Fisher:
“It was a quaint abode, con
structed in the most primitive
style, with three rooms around
one big chimney, in which North
Carolina pine-knots supplied heat
and light on winter nights. This
cottage became historic and was
famed for the frugal but temp
ting meals which its charming
hostess would prepare for her
distinguished guests.
“Besides the many illustratious
Confederate Army and Navy
men who were delighted to find
this bit of sunshiny civilazation
on the wild sandy beach, escon
ced the sand-dunes and straggl
ing pines and black-jack, many
celebrated English naval officers
enjoyed its hospitality under as
sumed names; Roberts, after
wards the renowned Hobart
Pasha, who commanded the
y.
Wallace Proposes Seven-Point
Plan For “European Recovery”
---—--1__—
ST. PETERSBURG SEEMS IMMUNE
FROM EVEN MAN-MADE SNOWS
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Dec. 30 — (UR) — One-hundred
pounds of dry ice were droped from an airplane into coluds
under perfect conditions here today to “prove” a Chamber of
Commerce boast that “it can’t snow in St. Petersburg.”
The dry ice scattering even failed to cause rain, as the
method had done in several midwestern cities.
City Publicity Director Pressly Phillips was jubilant.
“We proved that it is impossible that it should snow here.
Anyone up north where I understand it has been snowing late
ly is welcome to come down, and is assured of sunshine,”
Phillips said.
KONITSA RELIEF
DRAWING CLOSER
Greek Army Forces Lunge
To With Artillery Range
Of Besiegers
ATHENS, Dec. 30—OD—Regu
lar Greek Army forces lunged to
night to within light artillery
range of Guerrillas besieging
Konitsa after Greek commando
units knocked Guerrilla fighters
off mountain heights dominating
the strategic Bourozani bridge
11 miles West of Konitsa.
Military informants said the
bulk of the relieving Eighth di
vision was three mile from the
bridge, which may be reached
some time tonight. Greek artil
lery units were already reported
lobbing shells into the Com
munist-led forces North and West
of Konitsa.
The defeat of the Guerrillas
atop the snow-covered Vigla
heights dominating the bridge
opened the way for full scale
reinforcements to the beleagured
garrison in Konitsa. A Ministry
of War communique said rebel
resistance was “petering out.”
Military observers here said
Konitsa was virtually out of dan
ger unless an international brig
ade—reportedly formed in Alb
See KONITSA on Page Two
Turkish navy; Murray, later
Admiral Aynsley; the brave un
fortunate Burgoyne, who went
down in the British iron-clad
‘Captain’ in the Bay of Biscay;
and the chivalrous Hewitt, who
won the Victoria Cross.
“Besides these, there were
many genial and gallant mer
chant captains. At first the little
Confederate was satisfied with
pork and potatoes, corn-bread
and rye coffee, with sorghum
sweetening, but after the block
ade runners made her acquaint
ance the impoverished store
room was soon filled to overflow
ing, norwithstanding her heavy
requisitions on it for the post
hospital, the sick and wounded
soldiers and sailors always being
a subject of her tenderest solici
tude, and often the hard-worked
and poorly fed colored hands
blessed the little lady of the
cottage for a tempting treat.
“Full of stirring events were
the two years passed in the
cottage on Confederate Point.
See CAPE FEAR on Page Two
HUMAN POLAR BEAR
WILL FOREGO SWIM
ON NEW YEAR’S DAY
PITTSBURGH, Dec. 30—
W—Ralph Unglo, self-styled
human Polar bear, has de
cided to forego his annual
New Year’s dip in the frigid
waters of the Allegheny
river. It’s too hot.
“Anybody can go swim
ming in this kind of weath
er,” complained Unglo as he
cocked an eye at the mercury
registering 55 degrees. “It
has to be zero to make it in
teresting.”
His New Year’s plans:
“I’m going to pl^y tennis,”
said the human Polar bear
in disgust.
CITIZENS PREPARE
TOWELCI E1948
Church Services, Movies
And Parties On Night’s
Agenda
Thousands of Wilmingtonians
prepared today to celebrate the
tfew Year tonight.
From all indications local res
dents, or most of them will
vatch the old year pass out
quietly. Many private parties
lave been planned throughout
the county and many of the
city’s churches have scheduled
services beginning at 11:30
o’clock.
A survey of night clubs indi
cated that reservations are be
:ng made in great numbers. The
Famous Club has been reserved
by the Veterans of Foreign
Wars for a private party. The
Plantation club will be open to
the public and will feature danc
ing to the music of Nick Ponos
See CITIZENS on Page Two
Collie’s Feud With Fur
Piece Winds Up In Court
BOSTON, Bee. 30—-A feud
between a golden Collie and a
silver fox fur piece wound up in
West Roxbury District court to
day and the dog’s bark almosl
cost his master a $10 “bite.”
Mrs. Helen Cataldo told Judge
Andrew J. MacDonnell tha1
every time she and her fui
piece passed the cleansing shoj
of William Ginsburg, the latter’!
Collie would bark “in a mos'
menacing manner.”
Ginsburg replied his dog wai
Independent Presidential
Candidate Urges Re
construction Fund
MILWAUKEE, Dec. 30 — (£)—
Independent Presidential candi
date Henry Wallace proposed
tonight a 'seven-point “Wallace
Plan,” financed by all nations
“possessed of the means” and
administered by the United Na
tions, to rehabilitate the nations
of Europe.
Wallace, who last night an
nounced he would be a candi
date for the Presidency as an
independent, said his plan “will
guarantee that it is not directed
against any country or doctrine
but against hunger, proverty and
chaos.”
“We propose a plan of inter
national action through the
United Nations, not unilateral
action by the United States,”
Wallace said. “Our plan will
couple self-help with economic
aid, all directed to the common
purpose of rehabilitating the
war devastated lands, strength
See WALLACE on PageTwo
NATIONAL MOVES
UP FLIGHT TIME
Southbound Plane To Leave
Half-Hour Earlier Start
ing Tomorrow
While no announcement of
early return of Flights 50 ari V.
to service in and out of Wilming
ton was forthcoming from Na
tional Airline headquarters yes
terday, James L. Holoman, lo
cal manager did release some
news of interest to Wilmington
air tarvelers who make frequent
trips to Atlanta, Cincinnati, and
Chicago.
Announcing that effective Jan
uary 1, Flight No. 61 will arrive
from Newark at 11:23 a. m., and
depart at 11:33 a. m., for Cht.. ;s
ton, Savannah, Jacksonville and
New Orleans, the flight sched
ule being moved up one-half hour
for the convenience of air trav
elers wishing to make connections
for Atlanta and points in Ohio
and Iillnois. Flight No. 60 for
the north will continue to depart
from Bluethenthal field nightly
at 7:15 o’clock, olomon l.
Good Connections
With this stepped up depart
ure time, passengers on Flight
See NATIONAL on Page Two
on the best of terms with hun
dreds of persons who daily pass
the store and suggested the ani
mal probably would like Mrs
Cataldo, too, if it met her apar
from the neck warmer.
The judge fined Ginsburg $1(
on a charge of keeping a bark
ing dog and told him “you can’l
• put a woman on a leash because
: she wears a fur neck piece.”
The fine was remitted after a
bench conference in which Gins
i burg agreed to fence in the dog.
Shippers Will Pay
Billion More Year
Domestic Water Carriers,
Forwarders Also Get
“Redress” By Order
WASHINGTON, Dec. 30—(£>)—
A further “emergency” rail
road freight rate increase of 10
per cent was authorized by the
Interstate Commerce Commis
sion today, boosting charges 20
per cent above what they were
last Oct. 1.
As in the case of the earlier
ten per cent hike, issued less
than three months ago, the
Commission made its new order
a temporary one, good only un
til next June 30.
.. Between now and then, the
Commission hopes to complete
its study of the railroads’ plea
for a permanent 30 per cent in
crease in charges and to decide
what the long term rates should
be.
The rise approved today is
expected by ICC experts to
yield the carriers an extra $1,
230,000,000 a year.
Permission to charge the in
creased rates was given not
to the railroads, which started
the move for revisions, but to
the domestic water car
riers and the freight forwarder
organizations which asked that
they be given the same con
deration as the rail lines. The
freight forwarders assemble
small quantity freight for re
shipment at carload rates.
Five Day Notice
All of these operators were
empowered to make the changes
effective on five day notices, and
railroad sources indicate that
the carriers may st’art collec
ting the higher charges next
Monday Jan. 5.
The ICC said that pending de
tailed study of the voluminous
testimony hearings on the 30
percent increase proposal, it is
unanimously “convinced there is
need for immediate action per
mitting further substantial in
eases” in freight rates.
The announcement noted the
15 1-2 cents per hour wage in
creases awarded to most rail
road workers during the last
several weeks and continuing in
creases in the cost of materials
and supplies.
President William T. Faricy
See SHIPPERS on Page Two
WHITE PRIMARIES
JUDGED ILLEGAL
U. S. Circuit Appeals Court
Rules Against South
Carolina
RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 30—
—White primaries were declar
ed illegal in Stuth Carolina by
the Fourth U. S. Circuit Court
of Appeals today in a decision
which, if upheld by the United
States Supreme Court, may
have farreaching effects upon
the political and economic
structure of the Southern states.
Upholding a decision by Dis
trict Judge J. W. Waring, the
Appeals Court blasted the con
tention of South Carolina De
mocratic party officers that the
party there is a “voluntary po
litical association whic’ can
exercise unrestricted choice
of membership” and that Ne
groes have “no more right to
vote in the Democratic pri
mary. . than to vote in the elec
tion of officers of the Forest
Lake Country Club.”
Parker Writes Opinion
“No election machinery can
be upheld if its purpose or ef
fect is to deny the Negro, on
account of his race or color, an
See PRIMARIES Page Two
! And So To Bed
After John Walker had
made the report for the
Junior Chamber of Com
merce committee on stray
dogs at the club’s dinner ses
sion last night, Harry Dosher
was asked if he had anything
to add as a member of the
committee.
“I thought John would
leave this out,” Dosher said.
“When he was over there
talking the the city manager
about what can be done
about the dog situation, the
telephone rang and it was
a lady who said that a dog
had blocked the alley to the
bark of her house
“She said that her serv
ants were cut off. The dog
wouldn’t let them through
the alley and she wouldn’t
let them through the front
of the house. They investiga
ted and found out that the
dog belonged to John’s
father-in-law.”
“That’s the d o g g o n e
truth,” Walker admitted.
*