WEATHER
Increasing cloudiness and warmer
today and tonight, rain and sleet
mixed in west tonight and in moun
tains this aftemon. Thursday cloudy
and cool, light rain in central.
Tslxe Hhelhy Baily Stett «
- State Theatre Today -
“THE HITLER GANG”
See The Shocking Murder
Of Hitler's Niece
CLEVELAND COUNTY’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1894
TELEPHONES 1100
VOL. XLIII-3 ASSOCIATED PRESS NEWS SHELBY, N. C. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 3, 1945
TELEMAT PICTURES
SINGLE COPIES—6c
TANKS ATTRACTING GERMAN SALIENT—The arrows on this map
indicate American attempts to break up the German salient in Belgium
and Luxembourg. The U. S. Third army has widened its spearhead north
of Bastogne. and has made gains between Bastogne and Moircy. Third
Army troops now stand only about 13 miles from First Army forces which
have captured Grandmenll on the north side of the salient. The shaded
broken line represents the battle front.
Violent Fighting
Rages In Budapest
Russians Smashing On Through City In House-To
House, Street-By-Street Battle
By DANIEL DE LUCE
MOSCOW. Jan. 3.—(/P)—Russian storm forces were
smashing on through Budapest today in probably the fierc
est house-to-house fighting since Stalingrad.
Red army troops yesterday captured 232 blocks in Pest,
the part of the city east of the Danube, and 53 blocks in:
LAND BOUGHT
FOR AMT'
City Closes Deal For 175
Acres Of J. Andrew Lat
timore Land
Movement to secure and construct
an airport for the city of Shelby
went a long way forward today
when arrangement* were completed
for the purchase of 175 acres of
the J. Andrew Lattlmore land In
the Sharon church community.
The deal was being closed this af
ternoon. Mr. Lattlmore accepting
a check for $35,000 In payment for
this property, an average of $200
an acre.
This land comprises some of the
best farm land In Cleveland coun
ty and is a part of one of the
largest farms in the county. Mr.
Lattlmore's holdings in that sec
tion constitute more than 1.000
acres. He has been assembling this
acreage ever since the last war
and is understood to have paid as
high a^$218 an acre for some of
See LAND Fage 2
WBATS DOING
THURSDAY
7:00 p. m.—Regular meeting
oT Kiwanis club.
7:30 p. m.—C. A. P. members
meet at armory.
Buna on tne opposite Dame.
On the basis of preliminary re
ports It Is believed in Moscow
that the enemy garrison already
has lost 10.000 dead and possibly
30.000 wounded.
Although the Red army has not
officially estimated the strength of
the trapped garrison. Col. Gen
Janos Voros, minister of defense of
the provisional Hungarian govern
ment recently set us in Russian
held territory, said last night the
total may run as high as 75,000 to
100.000 Germans, plus 30,000 Hun
garians.
WUh yesterday's advances,
which brought In approximate
ly 1,000 prisoners, the Russians
now hold nearly 1,000 blocks of
the battered city.
How 2,000,000 civilians estimated
to be cowering inside the city are
8ee VIOLENT Page 2
Community Center
Project Growing
With More Gifts
Additional gifts of 1200 in cash
from the Star Publishing Company
and $200 in grading Work pledged
by Stone and Wilson, excavators,
today swelled the Foundation fund
for Shelby's Community center
nearer the Initial goal of $50,000,
Treasurer Thad C. Ford reported.
A number of individuals have
made contributions which are In
hands of the committee for cre
diting on the 1944 quota, O. M.
Mull, chairman of the Shelby and
Cleveland County Foundation de
clared.
RICHARDSON IS SPEAKER:
New Legislature Ready To
Swing Into Action Thursday
KALrJiufi, jan. a. —(»•)— wun
Democrats holding the majority all
the way, the 1945 legislature squar
ed away and swung into action
today for what was expected to be
a momentous wartime session.
Perfecting their organization both
branches of the general assembly
met briefly today and tackled the
task of handling, among other maj
or matters of legislation, an unpre
cedented surplus expected to reach
$70,000,000 by the end of the cur
rent fiscal year.
Topping the pre-assembly calen
dar of events, both Democrats and
Republicans caucused last night
ana aner a noor scrap, which saw
but two candidates In the running,
the Democrats nominated Rep.
Oscar L. Richardson of Union, as
speaker of the house over Rep.
George Uzzell of Rowan, the vote
being 70 to 31.
The Republicans—all 14 of them
—nominated Rep. T. E. Storey of
Wilkes. Storey automatically be
comes the minority leader.
With the speakership battle- out
of the way and brief sessions of the
two houses held today, attention
turned toward the inaugural cere
See NEW LEGISLATURE Page 3
BYRNES’ ORDER
IS BACKED BY
WHITE HOUSE
Group Is Largest Remain
ing Source Of Potential
Fighting Men
ARMY, NAVY AGREE
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3.—
(fP)—The White House today
directed selective service to
press, "to the full extent per
mitted by law” the drafting
of deferred farm workers in
the 18 through 25 age class.
Acting with President Roos
evelt’s authorization, War
Mobilization Director James
F. Byrnes called on Selective
Service Director Lewis B.
Hershey to draw as much as
possible on this largest re
maining reservoir of potential
fighting men.
Byrnes said there are 364,000
men in this age range now hold
ing agricultural deferments.
‘The Army and Navy believe It
essential to the effective prosecu
tion of the war,” Byrnes said, "to
induct more men in this age
group.”
“The President feels in view of
existing conditions." Byrnes told
Hershey, "agriculture like o#r oth
er war industries can, with few
exceptions, be carried on by those
in the older age groups.”
Byrne* noted that Hershey
had told him that if men were
not available from the farms
he would have to call up de
ferred men in the next high
er age group, most of whom
are fathers.
Presidential Secretary Stephen
Early said the war mobilization
director had made the request to
Maj. Oen. Lewis B. Hershey “be
cause of representations made to
him by the Army and Navy that
they must have men.”
So, Byrnes proposed to tap this
See BOARDS Page Z
Postal Receipts
Slow Greatest
Increase In ’44
Postal receipts in 1944 here
showed the greatest increase in
history of the Shelby poet office
as it closed its business year. The
figures show that postal receipts
in 1944 exceeded those of 1943 by
$23,802.54.
Postmaster R. M. Laughridge
explains the steady increase at the
post office due to the local post
age rates being raised and an in
crease in registered mall and in
surance fees, although the insur
ance fees have been lowered re
cently to an even lower rate than
before the Increase.
'The sale of air mail stamps saw
one of the biggest years in the lo
cal post office, Mr. Laughridge
stating that when he became
postmaster in August, 1940, air
mall stamps were bought in small
lots and their sales were hardly
noticed, now they are bought in
the same proportion as other
stamps. An average of 50 pounds
of outgoing air mail is handled
daily at the post office.
December of 1943 was the only
month in that year to exceed $10,
000 dollars, and seven months in
1944 exceeded that marie.
Receipts for 1944 were $126,604.
44 as compared with the 1943 fig
ures $102,801.90. In comparing
the months of December of 1943
and 1944, last year’s figures were
$1,527.63 higher than those of
See POSTAL Page 2
Bulletin
LONDON. Jan. 3. —</P)—The
Ankara radio announced tonight
the Turkish grand national as
sembly had voted unanimously
to break off diplomatic and
economy relations with Japan,
effective next Saturday.
Turkey broke relations with
Germany last Aug. 2.
The broadcast gave no details.
SUPERFORTS
BOMB HONSHU
AGAIN TODAY
Jap Announcement Says
90 Of Big Bombers Took
Part In Raid
AIRCRAFT CENTERS
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3.—
(/P) •— Superfortresses, 90
strong by enemy account,
struck again today at indus
trial targets on Japan’s teem
ing home island of Honshu.
A war department an
nouncement of the raid was
silent on the number and the
exact objectives of the giant
B-29s, but a Japanese com
munique said the aircraft
senter of Nagoya as well as
Osaka and Mamamatsu were
hit.
Acknbwledging some damage frbm
Incendiaries at Nagoya and Ham
amatsu, the communique added
“there were almost no damages in
flicted upon vital facilities and fac
tories.
The enemy-announced number of
90 was the largest to appear in a
Nipponese war bulletin. It claimed
—in the usual broad propaganda
vein—that 13 of the Superforts
were shot down, four probably
downed and 25 damaged. Two in
terceptors failed to return to their
home bases, the Japanese admit
ted.
The attack occurred by daylight,
and Tokyo broadcasts said the
bombardiers enjoyed almost per
fect visibility.
Two big Mitsubishi aircraft plants
at Nagoya have been hit previous
ly by the Superforts. Osaka is 75
miles southwest and Hamamatsu
the same distance southeast. Both
are large manufacturing centers.
Today’s was the first blow against
occ oua
ARMY TIGHTENS
REINS Of) WARD
Military Officials Seek To
Gain Complete
Authority
CHICAGO, Jan. 3. —<AP)— The
Army, waving a big stick, tighten
ed its control today over the feder
ally seized Montgomery Ward and
company properties in seven cities
across the nation.
Acting swiftly, Army officials yes
terday moved to gain complete au
thority in operating the big mail
order house facilities. The first step
in that direction was that ousting
of 11 company officials who Army
men said remained defiant since
the military took over last Thurs
day and had refused to cooperate
in the Government’s operation.
The alleged Interference in the
Army’s operation was being investi
gated for the first time by a feder
al grand jury and federal attorneys
had filed 18 affidavits in connec
tion with the government’s petition
for an injunction to prevent com
pany interference and a declara
tory judgment upholding legality of
the seizure, ordered by President
Roosevelt. A federal court hearing
is scheduled next Monday.
PENALTIES
Maj. Gen. Joseph W. Byron, mil
itary manager, who directed the
Army’s movements; yesterday, said
that officials or other employes dis
missed for non-cooperation with
the Army faced possible Selective
Service reclassification. Interfer
ence with Army operation, he said
in posters in the plant, might re
sult in "severe penalties.”
Later, Byron said there was "in
creasing indication that the War
Department will have the cooper
ation of a great majority” of the
company’s employes in stores under
government operation.
Commenting on the dismissal of
the officials, who were replaced by
Army officers, Byron said x x x
“The War Department has been
given to duty to perform and it
cannot continue in government
service those who refuse to support
their government in the execution
of this mission. I trust that the few
persons in this group will speedily
recoaniz* their obligation.”
)
Germans Lashing Back
At Many Points Along
70-Mile Western Front
PARIS, Jan. 3.—(/P)—The American armored onslaught
smashed 5 1-2 miles northeast of Bastogne today up the
diagonal railway toward St. Vith, beating into the outskirts
of Michamps and into the Maister woods through stubborn
German resistance.
But the German army was lashing out furiously at a
dozen place salong the undulating 70-mile front from the
Saar to the Rhine in diversionary assaults which already
have cost the Americans their thin foothold on German soil
northeast of Sarreguemines.
The attack may yet prove to be another burst in Field
Marshal Von Rundstedt’s offensive.
So far, the American lines were holding the Germans to
limited gains, but the Nazis were still striking along their
two-mile-deep and five-mile long dent southeast of Bitche.
The enemy, moreover, had driven a bridgehead across the
Blies river east of Sarreguemines.
Snow was falling again over the Belgian bulge and there
was rain farther south. At least through this morning, close
air support was lacking because planes were grounded.
However, aiuiuugii axiuw auu
ratal, negated close air support, 1,
100, American heavy bombers
struck for the 12th consecutive
day with from 3,000 to 4,000 tons
of explosives on a 150-mile belt
from Cologne to Karlsruhe.
“The German communique said
the Third Army was using eight
divisions, half of them armored,
in a supreme effort to encircle Na
zi positions on three sides of Bas
togne and admitted minor with
drawals in "fluctuating fighting.”
The Germans said the battles in
Lorraine and on the Saar were
taking a favorable course; that
24,000 Americans had been cap
tured in their offensive and that
U. S. casualties “far exceed 50,
000."
Lt. Gen. George S. Patton, jr„
See GERMANS Page 2
BANK DEPOSITS
UP $7,500,000
Current statements of Cleve
land’s commercial banks show de
posits up seven and a half million
' dollars over what they started with
in 1944.
The First ' National bank of
Shelby at the close of 1944 show
ed total deposits of $11j648,974
which compared with $1,760,442
deposits at the . start of the year.
The Union Trust company shows
deposits totaling $8,956,137 which
compares with $7,064,223 at the
start of the year, according to
Jim Bridges, cashier.
The First National Bank of
Kings Mountain has deposits of
$2,560,947 which is up a million
dollars from a year ago, according
to B. S. Neill, executive vice-presi
dent.
The deposits are up from a to
tal of a little over six million dol
lars at the war’s outbreak to over
$23,000,000 at the present.
On top of that near quadrupling
or bank deposits, George Blanton,
president of the First National
bank and War Finance chairman
for Cleveland county, estimates
that Cleveland firms and resi
dents have purchased approxi
mately $15,000,000 worth of War
Bonds during the same period.
GERMAN SUPPLY
TRAINS BOMBED
U. S. Heavies Continue
Offensive Through
Twelfth Day
LONDON, Jan. 3. — (/PI— Lt. Gen.
l James H. Doolittle’s all-weather
heavy bombers pinpointed attacks
today on masses of German war
material moving to the front. It
was the Americans’ twelfth day
light raid in as many days.
The Berlin radio said the for
mations were over western Ger
many. Hours earlier a great force
of heavy bombers and hundreds
of fighters were seen over Dover
Strait on their way to the conti
nent. Nurnberg, Ludwigshafen and
Berlin were attacked by RAF
squadrons last night.
British and American forces
teamed yesterday in two 1,000
bomber blows—one by day and the
other by night. Their targets were
railway yards congested with
freight, key highway intersections
and tank and troop concentrations
concealed in w'oods.
Fighters and bombers operating
from France. Belgium and Holland
smashed the Nazis hard with day
long attacks in support of ground
forces. The appearance of these
planes belied German claims of re
sults obtained by Nazi pilots in
their surprise New Year's day
strafing of Allied airfields.
750 SORTIES
U. S. Ninth air force divebombers
alone got in 750 sorties. Their bag
included 62 armored vehicles knock
ed out and 34 damaged in the Ba
stogne-St. Vith area, 27 German
antiaircraft batteries destroyed, 222
railroad cars wrecked and nine
locomotives blasted.
A dozen Mustangs caught five
i Messerschmitt-109s preparing to
land and destroyed every one.
One hundred and fifty medium
bombers worked on railroad bridges
and communications centers in the
Nazi bulge inside Belgium.
All told 13 German fighters were
shot down for a loss of 11 fighters
and 10 bombers by the Allies.
THE WAR TODAY:
Yamashita Seen Likely To
Launch Attack On Mindoro
By DeVVITT MacKENZIE, AP Writer
The Marshal von Rundstedt ot
the Philippines is bull-voiced and
bull-headed General Yamashiia
the Japanese commander in chief
who is showing signs of intending
to emulate his Nazi opposite in
Europe and launch a counter
drive against General MacArthui
—and our newly acquired position
on strategic Mindoro island is
likely to be an early objective.
The battle of the Philippine
Archipelago is rushing towards its
crisis, and the MacArthur-Nimit?
partnership is crowding the Jap
invaders hard.
| Yamashita has sworn to force
! MacArthur to surrender uncondi
| tionally, and there's no doubt that
j the war-lord means business. Ya
. mashita isn't to be regarded light
i ly. tor he's one of the outstanding
generals of our time. True, radio
Tokyo recently put him in a
somewhat ludicrous light by boast
ing naively that he's so clever he
■ can 'doze off and even snore in
the midst of conversation” How
ever. while we might like to gauge
his capabilities by this doubtful
See YAM A SHIT A Page »
>
GERMAN AGENTS, SAYS FBI—The Federal Bureau of Investigation
released these pictures, describing them as William Colepaugh (left*,
and Erich Gimpel (right t, German agents who landed from a U-boat
on the Maine coast last Nov. 29. They made their way to Boston, then
to New York where they were arrested.
Bombers From Leyte
Batter Clark Field
Patrol Planes Approach Formosa, 225 Miles North Of
Philippines, Firing Jap Ships
GENERAL MacARTHUR’S HEADQUARTERS, Philip
pines, Jan. 3.—(jP)—A smashing new year’s day bombing of
Manila’s Clark Field by Leyte-based Liberators was report
ed from a Fifth Airforce advance base as Gen. Douglas Mac
Arthur’s stepped up air assaults brought Formosa into his
communique today for the first time.
Ti,iorhtov_oc/'nrtnd
T .ihorafrkrc
BLYTHE FIRM
GEIS CONTRACT
Contract for sewer and water im
provements involving a cost of
$43,861 was let last night by the
Shelby Board of Aldermen to
Blythe Brothers Construction com
pany, of Charlotte.
Work will begin in February and j
is to be completed by May 1. The
construction job includes the build- '
ing of 10,000 feet of sewer outfall j
line and the construction of a j
new water intake in the river.
Four bids were opened at the
city hall last night, A. H. Gulon
and company bid $53,000 on the
•work; B. R. Hinson Construction
company $52,700 and Reid and j
Abee, $47,649. The low bid was ac
cepted immediately and by unani
mous vote of the board contract
was let on the spot.
ESSENTIAL
These improvements in the wa
ter and sewer system have been
recognized as essential for some
time. Right-of-way for the new
outfall lines have aheady been ob
tained across the Hubbard. Ham
rick and O. V. Hamrick property
in the western part of the city.
Representatives of the successful
contracting firm told aldermen that
they were ready to begin work
within 10 days of the time the
contracts are signed and it was in
dicated this would be done about
February 1.
the veteran Red Riders group flew
through intense antiaircraft fire
to spill their bombs on the busted
airdrome in the Philippines. Many
bombers were pierced by flak, but
all returned.
The fighters tangled with Japa
nese interceptors in numerous dog
fights, and at least two enemy
aircraft were seen to go down.
"We gave those Nips an unhappy
start on 1945,” observed bombard
ier Second Lt. Raymond Seidel of
Olympia, Wash.
The raid was an extension
of strong land-based assaults
on Luzon, reaching targets as
far as 150 miles north of Ma
nila, the past few days.
^General MacArthur said in his
communique today that patrol
planes approached Formosa, the
enemy’s island bastion 225 miles
north of the Philippines, Sunday,
setting five coastal ships afire
and shooting down four planes.
FAR NORTH
It was the first strike by south
west Pacific planes so far north.
Formosa was bombed in October
See BOMBERS Page 2
AUTO WRECKS
TAKE 5 LIVES
There were five fatal automo
bile accidents in Cleveland coun
ty during 1944, it was revealed this
morning by Sgt. W. L. Hatcher of
the state highway patrol. Two of
these accidents occurred within
city limits, one in Kings Moun
tain and one in Shelby. The rest
occurred on roads outside the two
Cleveland cities.
A GIRL S YEAR:
Jean Goodman Of Belwood
Is Miss 1945 Of Stork Derby
This morning els the assembled
judges of Cleveland’s annual stork
derby were disconsolately thinking
that bird had made a New Year’s
resolution to shun the county he
flew into the northern edge of the
county and dropped a little bun
dle of feminine pulchritude to in
dicate 1945 is a girl’s year.
The deadline was drawing al
ready at hand when Miss Jean
Goodman appeared on the scene
to claim the legacy of gifts pro
vided by Cleveland and Shelby
merchants snd business firms to
welcome her as the year’s first
bom in Cleveland county to Cleve
land. wjilte parents.
The little blue-eyed Jean is the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William
Roy Goodman who live on a farm
in the Beiwood community. She is
the youngest of five Goodman chil
dren, her father being a 34-year
old farmer and the mother, the
former Miss Fannie Swink, being
30 years old.
Little Miss 1945 as the fifth ot
her clan comes with a V for vic
tory. She has hefty lungs and can
smile, but beyond that offered no
comment upon the strange world
and reception into which she had
come.
As in past years the derby win
ner will Teceive various and sun
dry gifts from business concerns
that cooperated with The Star in
conducting the contest.