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LOUISBURG, N. CAROLINA FRIDAY, DECEMHEK ST>, 1948
(Eight Pages)
NUMBER 46
Commandos
Strike Almost
To Bizerte
Return To Base After Dar
ing; Raids; Allied Patrols
Also Stab Forward In
Tunisian Area
London, Dec. 22. ? The Daily!
Telegraph reported today that!
American and British Commandos
penetrated to within four nilles
of the Axis base at Bizerte last
week In a daring raid that galn-j
ca them temporary control of]
125 square miles of enemy terri
tory and disorganized transport
on the Bizerte front for three
days.
The dispatch, reported from
Commando headquarters in North
Africa, said the expedition was
the most successful Commando
raid of the war. The 30-year
t.ld colonel who planned and
commanded the mission describ
ed It as "a textbook classic."
The raiding party was half
American and half British. It
drove into the Bizerte area and
inflicted heavy damage on Axis
transport convoys, armored ve
Mcles and airplanes.
Big IjOHses
The enemy's losses were des
cribed as "far out of proportion"
to those of the Commandos, one
sixth of whom were casualties.
The operation took five days,
with schedule being maintained
throughout.
Two Important road Junction*
were seized north of Mateur, the
apex of the Northern Tunisian
triangle where lighting has been
heaviest. The Commandos held
the crossroads until the Germans
launched heavy counter-attacks
which drove them out.
ft ?
Eisenhower
Has Planned
Big Assault
Is Making Careful Prepa
rations To Glean Up In
Africa
Allied Headquarters in North
Africa, Dec. 22. ? Lieut. Qen.
bwight D. Elsenhower has work
ed out a plan to unite Allied
forces in Tunisian with the Brit
ish Eighth Army for a grand as
sault on the Axis, and prepara
tions are going forward under
the motto of "Take your time
ai.d make sure of success."
The grand strategy of the Al
lies in North Africa, it can be re
vealed today, is to chase the Ger
man Afrika Korps all the way tw->
to Tunisia, and then hit the Axis
forces with all the combined
weight of Eisenhower's troops
and General Sir Bernard L. Mont
gomery's army which Is chasing
the Germans across Trlpolltanla.
Gaining In Aair
Air battles over Tunisia have
taken a sudden turn in favor of
the Allies, and supplies are be
ing rushed to the front lines to
day in preparation for the even
tual attack.
There were reports that Elsen
hower and Montgomery had met
to work out plans for the co-or
clnated attack, but there was no
dfflclal confirmation of that here.
The world cannot make peace
without us. We must not make
the mistake of 1918-19. This time
wc should see the job through. ?
* Dr. Clark M. Elchelberger, direc
tor League of Nations Associa
tions./ s
o
Chrisamas Is the one time you
get what's coming to you.
NEWS
manded British
Fortress
Eisenhower Did Staff Work
At British Fortress For
African Invasion
Allied Headquarters, North Af
rica, Dec. 6. ? (Delayed) ? Lieut.
Ceil. Dwight D. Eisenhower com
manded the British fortress >f
Gibraltar during the first days of
the North African operations,
thus being the first foreigner in
two centuries to control that rock
of British empire.
Security reasons restricted the
announcement until today. (.Cen
sorship further delayed publica
tion ?f the dispatch even after it
was written).
With Allied Staff
In the world's safest air raid
fchjlter under 1,41)0 feet of solid
rock in offices carved from lime
stone, the Allied staff worked 24
hours a day under the U. S. com
mander.
"Never in my wildest dreams in
my West Point days did I ever
think that I ? an American gen
eral ? would ever command the
British fortress of Gibraltar,"
Eisenhower declared one day at
a press conference at his office
1.: the rock.
Gibraltar, of course, was ac
tually under hla command only
because he was Allied comman
der-ln-chlef and Gen. Mason Mac
Farlane, who actually la In
chargfe, was responsible to his or
ders.
Weeks before the xero hour,
American and British advance
groups were working secretly at
Gibraltar and keeping out of the
way of a daily Infux of 5,000
Spanish workers. They Installed
signal apparatus and put 40 of
ficers In tbe heart of the rock in
shape for Allied operations.
To reach headquarters, one had
to pass Navy guards and then
guards at the mouth of the tun
uel, which was about three-quar
ters of a mile long.
A final British guard more than
a quarter of a mile inside tbe
tunnel Inspected passes before
allowing one to enter the North
African headquarters.
Generals, air marshals, admlrp
uls and privates all had to walk
through the dripping tunnel to
h? adquarters where concrete case
ments kept out the water.
?O
British Advance
Deeper in Burma
Now Only 45 Miles From
Strategic Japanese Sea
" And Air Base at Akyab
New Delhi, Dec. 21. ? British
forces pushing through the thick
jungles of Western Burma have
occupied Alethangyaw, only 46
miles from the strategic Japanese
held sea and air base of Akyab,
reports from the front said to
day.
Alehangyaw is about 10 miles
south of the Maungdaw-Buthi
daung area which British troops
occupied Friday.
The new gain was reported by
an army observer who said the
Eritlsh forces still had not met
enemy opposition but that pro
gress was slow because of the
jungles and swamps.
Capture of Akyab would give
the British an air base only 250
mtles from the Jap base at Man-'
from Ran
lunique an
nounced that British bombers
blasted the big Hagwe airdrome
in central Burma Sunday.
7fe SPIRIT or
K SANTA CLAUS *
* JM- i ,i r :i i L
THERE will be many shadows clouding our Christmas Day (his year; but?
Christmas Is important! It comes at the close of the old year binding up the
wounds ol bitterness, makinq last the moorings of friendship, renewing the
promise of peace and good wilL Invoking the magic of memories.
Christmas is the children's feast: has the Master not said that what we do unto
the least of His Uttle ones we do also unto Him? It Is twenty centuries since there
was no room for Him in the inn and many children have neither a bed nor place
of safety these nights. For these, we give our efforts, our bundles, and our prayers.
In America, the children must not lose their faith in Santa Claus. The best
explanation regarding Santa Claus and the Christmas Spirit I hare ever been
offered or able to figure out for mysell. is the one that was given to me by my
mo!h?r on that fateful day when I accidentally caught a delivery boy entering
the house bearing an ill-concealed rocking horso.
Scnta Claus typifies the Christmas Spirit: the mothers and fathers, those be
whk leered gar.tlemen In the stores (who puzzle lots of b ?ys and girls by being
so numerous), the dolivery boys, and all of us who support and participate in the
campaign of spreading cheer, we are the life blood and sustaining power of the
Christmas Spirit
The children c! today must have their tqys this Christmas; and we must be
extra careful thai no child has occasion to lose his faith in Panto Claus. There
are plonty of slfds ar.d drums, dolls and painted carts and Christmas trees to go
cround: but il b up to Santa's helpers to see that evory child in the land is
remembered.
i
And we grown-ups must have our Christmas, too. For when we out -grew our
toys we set this day aside to reunite our families and strengthen the bonds of
friendship.
"Yet in thy dark streets shine th
\ 77)* everlasting Light;
\ The hopes and fears of all the years
) An me/ in thee tonight."
Christmas Closing
Practically all the places of
business In Louisburg will be
cloned on Friday and Saturday
In observance of the Christmas
holidays. This Includes the
Banks at Louisburg and Frank -
llnton.
If yon have any business
with any of these places attend
to It before Christmas.
o
E ' AND 'C OAS BOOKS
NOT BEING ISSUED NOW
Washington. 'Dec. 22. ? Issu
ance of B and C gasoline ration
books Is being halted for the next
few days in the 17 East Coast
states while the OfTlce of Price
Administration readjust mileage
tables to conform with tbe new
unit values of the coupons. The
unit values in the East were cut
from four to three gallons each
o\er the week-end.
Validity of the B and d books
already issued was not affected
by the order temporarily halting
the Issuance pf new ones.
o ? ?
Toung married couples get
along best when near relatives
are far away.
Wake Jury Awards $36,000 In John
f D. Waldrop Death
Raleigh, Dec. 23. ? A Superior
Court yesterday awarded dam
ages of $36,000 to the estate of
John Douglas Waldrop, who was
chief engineer for the State
Highway and Public Works De
partment at the time he was in
jured fatally In an automobile
accident on August ,19, 1934.
The suit was bt-ought by the
executrix, Jenny Llnd Waldrop,
who now Is Mrs. John Burt Hill.
The defendant In the trial of
the civil suit In Wake Superior
Court was C. J. Hayes. The suit
There is only one standard of
illness ? the standard of total
war. Every man should have
the light of battle In his eye. ?
Brig. -Gen. Bernard L. Montgom
ery, British Africa commander, j
' o
In England evaporated milk is
rationed UJider the "points" sys
tem, as it comes in standard size
cans, bat' liquid milk is rationed
by volume. 4
wag brought as a result of the
fatal accident, and originally was
filed for $50,000 against Hares,
P. W. Lantz, and the Consolidat
ed Advertising Corporation, Ltd.
Liability as to the other defend
ants In the action was dismissed
at previous terms of Wake Su
perior Court.
Hayes was driving an automo
bile owned by Lantz when the
collision occurred on N. C. High
way No. 10 in New Bern about
5:15 p. m. Waldrop died Au
gust 20 from injuries received
in the wreck.
TUESDAY
' ?
Tuesday was a day of two
distinctions? it was the short
est day in the year, and the of
ficial beginning of winter.
The sun rose at 7:22 and
set at 0:04.
Winter officially begun at
6:40 Tuesday morning.
y
WILLKIE TO
SPEAK AT
DUKE, JAN. 14
Will Discuss Recent Tour
Of Major Allied War
Capitols; Invited Here
Several Times
Durham, Dec. 22.? Wendell L.
Willkie, globe-circling 1940 Re
publican party presidential can
didate, will speak at Duke Uni
versity Jan. 14 on observations
of his recent trip to the major
Allied war capitols, Duke Presi
dent Robert L. Flowers said to
day.
Dr. Flowers said Willkie defi
nitely accepted an invitation from
the University Lecture Committee!
yesterday.
The 1940 Republican .party
Presidential candidate was first
invited to speak at Duke last
Spring, but was unable to accept
at that time. He was again in
vited following his globe-circlih;
tour of the early Fafl, during
which he visited major war capi
tols and several of the fighting
fronts, but for a second time he
was unable to come.
He has now definitely accepted
the Duke invitation and will
speak In the big indoor stadium,
which can seat an audience of
more than 10.000 persons.
It will be Willkle's first visit
to the South since his widely pub
licized tour, during which he had
significant conferences with Pre
mier Joseph Stalin, Generalissi
mo Chian Kai-shek and other
outstanding United Nations and
neutral leaders.
Willkie Is expected In his ad
dress to make reference to his
ohservatlois on world affairs
growing out of his trip. He will
be accompanied to Wurham by
John W. Hanes, for Under-Secre
tary of the Treasury, a native
North Carolinian who holds the
degree of Doctor of Laws from
Duke University.
o
Another Snow
Another heavy uiow fall vis
ited this section Sunday. This
time snow begun falling Hun- ,
day morning and continued un
til night. This time, the flakes ?
were not so large and did not
tall so fast. This time the
snow was In the shape of rent
fine showers of Ice. In rain,
it would be whut we call mist,
but It soon covered the ground
and with the frozen ground and
cold wave It remained till Wed
nesday.
? o
DRAFTEES LEAVE
Seventy-foiLE C^Jored draftees
were sent tarFort Bragg Friday
by the local Draft Board.
PROGRAM AT THE
LOUISBURG THEATRE
The following Is the program
at the Loulsburg Theatre, begin
ning Thursday, Dec. 24th:
Thursday ? Midnight Show,
Bing Crosby, Mary Martin and
Jack Teagarden and Band in!
'The Birth of The Blues.' '
Thursday-Friday ? Bud Abbott
and Lou Costello in 'Pardon My
Sarong."
Saturday ? John Mack Brown
and Tex Ritter in 'Raiders, of
San Joaqulm' and Fay Balntei
and Carolyn Lee in 'Mrs. Giggs of
The Cabbage Patch.'
Sunday-Monday ? Tyrone Pow
er and Maureen O'Hara In 'The
Black Swan.'
Tuesday ? Jinx Falkenburg and
Kay Harris in 'Lucky Legs.'
Wednesday ? The Ritz Bros,
and Carol Bruce in 'Behind The
Eight Ball.'
Thursday ? Midnight Show.
The Andrews Sisters and Harry
James ind his orchestra In 'Pri
vate Buckaroo.'
Thursday-Friday ? Bing Crpsby
Fred Astaire, and Virginia Dale
in 'Holiday Inn.'
A CHRISTMAS
MESSAGE
Babson Says, "Let
Nothing Plague
Us"
By ROGER W. BABSON
Baltimore, Maryland, Dec. 23.
? Christmas began with the birth
? ?UI1 J XT
(or a day, let us
men meet ltfe
in the spirit of
childhood. Dur
ing the Christ
mas Season we
become less crit
ical, more spm
pathetic and
more joyful than
at other times
during the year,
nut this Christ
mas should have
a deeper mean
in tr fnr nil nf n?
3
BABSOX
For the children, it will be a
happy day. For us older folk, ?
wrll. pwha-ps for a little time we
can forget and forgive ignorance,
brutality and selfishness.
Uncertainty Natural
Many people sincerely believe
that the world is going- to the
dogs. They are terribly fright
ened of war, disease and death
and of social or economic chang
es. War and disease wait for no
man. Even on Christmas Day
fighting will continue and many
men, women and children will
die. Families everywhere, be
i caved from whatever cause, we
should remember In our prayers.
1 ask that they be not cast down,
that they rejoice in the memo
ries of loved ones and renew and
revitalize their lives In service to
others.
No wonder people feel today
us they do. They are burdened
with doubt. Like Jeremiah,
their "pain Is perpetual." Even
the most experienced are going
through life ignorant of what Is
really going on. We are all in
the same boat, confused and be
wildered. There are forces at
work throughout the world and
perhaps even in our own country
that may well spell disaster to
the life and liberty for which
our civilization has fought and
which we. In particular, have en
joyed. Yes. many things look
black today. But we must re
member that the very first Christ
mas dawned on a world just as
bad as ? In fact, very much worse
than ? ours.
Withhold Judgment
Personally, I am an incurable
optimist. - I believe that in spite
of everything bad the world la
getting better. Every day many
of us do and say things for which
a few hundred years ago we
would have had our heads chop
ped off. Nations make mistakes
just as individuals do, .but I
have faith even in my enemies.
My children and grandchildren
will happily be doing business
with these Germans and Japa
nese. Like most Individuals, all
nations, including our own, will
get back again on the right track.
Most of us have thought Russia
a terrible place. Now she Is
again recognlzlnz the churches.
She has pulled the political com
missars away from her armies.
Her people are showing wonder
ful courage. Certainly, they must
love their country and their
leaders and believe in better
things to come.
It is too easy to pass judgment
upon what is taking place In tho
world today. In our planetary
life, present events are occupying
only an infinitesimal period of
time. But we do know from his
tory that out of all previous up
heavals. from the over-running
o fEurope by the Mongolian Huns
In the Fourth Century. B. C., up
through the Middle Age* from
476 A. D. ? 1492, to modern
times, much good has come from
war. And people In those times
(Continued on page eight)