I
WEATHER
Snow in north and west portion
and rain mixed with snow and
sleet in southeast portion today,
tonight and Wednesday and con
tinued cold.
The HhelhysBaily Him«
CLEVELAND COUNTY’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1894
TELEPHONE 1100
- State Theatre Today -
“THAT'S THE SPIRIT”
JACK OAKIE
PEGGY RYAN
•J
VUL. XL,m— 302
ASSOCIATED PRESS NEWS SHELBY, N. C.
TUESDAY, DEC. 18, 1945 TELEMAT PICTURES
SINGLE COPIES—5#
FLEET SAFER IN
PEARL HARBOR
THAN OUTSIDE
Wilkinson Says Harbor
Defenses Best That Could
Be Provided
'LOST' JAP SHIP*
By Jack Bell
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18.—
(#)—face Admiral Theodore
S. Wilkinson asserted today
the U. S. fleet would have
been in greater danger on
Dec. 7,1941, if it had been at
tacked outside Pearl Harbor
or on the west coast rather
than at the Hawaiian anchor
age.
The former chief of naval In
telligence told the Congressional
Pearl Harbor committee, in effect,
that the harbor derenses were the
best that could be provided.
His testimony was In response to
questions by Rep. Murphy (D-Pa)
who asked:
"If the fleet had been in La
banla Roads instead of in Pearl
Harbor would It have been less se
cure?”
"I would say it would have been
less secure because It would also
have been exposed to submarine
attack while there would have been
the same danger from air attack”,
Wilkinson said.
“Would it have been any more
safe at Puget Sound or San Pedro
(on the west coast)?”
LESS SAFE
"Rather less safe.” Wilkinson
said, "the anti-aircraft protection
was not as complete as at Pearl
Harbor.” .
Senator Lucas (D-I1P said today
he wants to know more about the
Navy’s effort to find some trace of
the Japanese naval units it lost
track of three weeks before Pearl
Harbor.
These carriers and battleships
were the ones, the Illinois Senator
noted to a reporter, which losed the
crippling blow against Hawaii.
Vice A dm. Theodore S. Wilkinson
told the Congressional Investiga
ting Committee yesterday that the
navy in mid-November, 1941, had
lost track of the Nipponese war
ships. But he adaed that the radio
silence trick employed was made to
work both ways.
“Admiral (William F.) Halsey’s
fleet bobbed up in several positions
that were very annoying to the
Japanese,” the crisp-speaking wit
ness reminded the senators and
representatives. Wilkinson was
chief of naval intelligence at the
time of Pearl Harbor.
CHIEF TASK
Joining Lucas in his quest for
more information on what was
done about the missing units. Rep.
Murphy (D-Pa> said he understood
it was the chief task of an Ameri
can monitoring station in Ha
waii to intercept Japanese messages
and thus keep track of ship move
ments.
Gerhard Gesell, committee coun
sel, noted that there were conflict
ing reports within the Navy's files
about this missing striking force.
jsee rLLti rage z
i NEWSPRINT
PRICE UPPED
$6-Ptr-Ton Increase Is
Granted; Will Cost Pub
lishers $20,000,000
NEW YORK, Dec. 18 —(IP)—
American newspaper publishers will
pay approximately $20,000,000 more
to put out their papers next year
on the basis of an Increase of $6 a
ton just granted on the price of
newsprint.
The action was taken, govern
ment quarters said, to “check fur
ther decrease In 17. S. newsprint
production, which has been gradu
ally declining for some years.”
PRODUCTION DOWN
As production has gone down,
the price of newsprint has risen
steadily. The price of newsprint de
livered In New York was $60 a ton
Just prior to Pearl Harbor. With
the latest Increase the new celling
will be $67 a ton on the same basis.
The American Newspapeer Pub
lishers Association, which has made
no public comment on the news
print price increase, figures that
140,000 full sized newspaper pages
can be produced from a ton of
newsprint. This would figure down
to 4,666 copies of a 30-page news
I paper per ton.
Government sources estimated
that approximately 3,250,000 tons of
newsprint are consumed ta this
tountry annually.
I NAZI SUBS TO BE SUNK—German submarines are tied up in the U-boat “trots” at Loch Ryan, Scotland,
I waiting to be towed to a “graveyard” off Bloody Foreland, Northwest Ireland, where they will be sunk by
| destroyer gunfire. Hitler’s U-boat packs are being towed six to eight at a time from Loch Ryan and are being
! sunk in what the Royal Navy terms “operation deadlight.”
DR. ROYSTER IS
NEWCOFCHEAD
Retiring President Short
Presented Silver Plat
ter For Work
With a vigor that belled his 70
odd years, Dr. S. S. Royster today
undertook presidency of Shelby’s
Chamber of Commerce and Mer
chants Association pledged to make
it a “bigger and a -better forcq"
for the advancement of Shelby.
Dr. Royster's election to head
the organization, which he has
served vigorously the past several
years as an honorary member of
the directing board, was by ac
clamation as directors held their
first meeting with the newly-elect
ed members present last night.
Holt McPherson was re-elected
vice-preisdent while J. Dale Stentz
was re-elected secretary-treasurer.
PRAISE FOR SHORT
A sterling silver engraved
platter was presented retiring
President Clyde A. Short on
behalf of the directors and
members by Worth Morris,
chairman of the merchants di
vision, who praised the unsel
fish and devoted civic service
that had characterized his
presidency.
New board members welcomed to
the directorate were Charles Do
ver, Charles Hoey, Henry Edwards,
Will Arey, Jr., Holt McPherson,
Worth Morris, chairman, and Vance
Weaver, vice-chairman, of the
merchants division.
A report by J. H. Grigg for the
special committee investigating a
course for the credit bureau recom
mended that the work be stepped
up to standard reporting require
ments and get recognition as such
so that its usefulness to local mer
See DR. ROYSTER Page 2
Communists See Halt
To Civil Strife As
China’s First Need
CHUNGKING, Dec. 18—(fl*)—The
head of the Chinese Communist
peace delegation declared today
that a halt to civil warfar was
China’s first need, and peaceful na
tional reconstruction was her sec
ond.
For that reason, Gen. Chou En
Lal said he would seek a cessation
of hostilities before the all-party
political consultative council con
vokes its peace session. Date for the
session has not been set.
Failing that, Chou said, he would
insist that this be the first item
on the council’s agenda. He said
the Communists had their own
plans for stopping civil strife but
declined to disclose them.
He also announced that the com
munists would demand an open
general election for the national
assembly, which he said was se
lected before the war with Japan
and no longer was representative.
General Assembly
Likely To Choose
City For UNO Home
LONDON, Dec. 18—(;P)— Choice
of a specific American ciyt as the
site for the permanent United Na
tions Organization headquarters
probably will be left up to the Gen
eral assembly which convenes Jan.
10, delegates to the preparatory
commission said today.
FLU, NO COAL
COMPLICATE
COLD WEATHER
The weather man continues to
call the plays. After dealing out
a five-degree low temperature
yesterday, resulting In frozen pipes
and radiators all around, he pro
mises for tonight and Wednesday
continued cold with snow, sleet
and rain.
Yesterday was the coldest De
cember 17 on record here in more
than 50 years. Complicating nor
mal problems which mult. from
cold weather, Shelby was faced
with a scarcity of coal which
threatened to become serious.
Local dealers had on hand m
supply of stoker coal, but lump
coal, the kind burned In grates
and stoves, was not to be had.
Some of them said they had no
assurance when more fuel would
be received.
Also making the pinch felt more
severely Is the prevalence of In
fluenza In many homes. The hos
pital itself has not been spared
from this apparent epidemic, sev
eral of the nurses becoming pa
tients themselves. Physicians are
working overtime trying to ans
wer the flood of calls pouring in.
Chinese Nationalist
Troops Not In Mukden
PEIPING, Dec. 17—(Delayed)—</P) ^
—Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek’s |
provincial headquarters said to-'
day that contrary to previous
reports there were no central gov
ernment troops in Mukden.
Furthermore, the announcement
said, diplomatic and military pre
parations for the occupation of that
biggest city in Manchuria had yet
to be completed.
(Previous Chungking reports said
that not only had National govern
ment troops entered Mukden over
land but some even were fanning
out to the north and northwest.) |
One Major General, charged with
Liason with front line troops, said
he had no Information In the past
three days and did not know where
the National troops were. No one
seemed concerned, either about the!
lack of information or the delay
in the occupation of Mukden.
Kerr May Succeed
Lord Halifax
LONDON, Dec. 18 —(JP)— Three
London newspapers reported today
that Lord Halifax, Ambassador to
the United States since 1941, would
be succeeded soon by sir Archibald
Clark Kerr, present British Am
bassador to Russia.
Extra Coal Moves
For N. C. Dealers
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18—(JP)
—An increase of 33 1-3 per
cent in North Carolina’s coal
allotment for this month has
been approved by the Solid
Fuels Administration, Senator
Clyde R. Hoey announced to
day.
Hoey said it is hoped that
the additional allotment will be
in dealers' hands before the
end of the month. The increase
was approved, he said, because
of increased sickness and colds
brought on by recent cold wea
ther in North Carolina.
SFA officials have been in
vestigating the coal situation in
North Carolina for several
weeks, at Hoey’s request.
80 KILLED IN
JAVA FIGHTING
Bottle British At Buiten
zorg; All Dead Are
Indonesians
BATAVIA, Dec. 18 —(/P>— At
least 80 Indonesians were killed
yesterday in bitter hand to hand
lighting at Buitenzarg with a
British Indian column which- suf
fered IT nMMtlss, the newspaper
of the 33rd Indian division re
ported today.
Three Indians were killed. A
British officer and 28 Indians
were wounded when the column
encountered a road block 30 miles
south of Batavia, the newspaper
“Fighting Cock" said. The Indo
nesians were estimated to total
300.
An official British press state
ment issued earlier minimized the
action and did not list the Indo
nesian casualties, asserting that
two British troops were killed and
five were wounded. The Indones
ians were armed with machine
guns and rifles.
BANDOENG EVACUAEES
Two hundred and fifty Euro
ropeans and Eurasians were evac
uated from Bandoeng. Some of
the evacuees said that Indonesians
seized 32 persons there Dec. 9, and
that nothing had been heard from
them since.
Indonesians were reported to
have occupied Ambarawa, which
was evacuated recently by the
British.
An RAF Thunderbolt was shot
down yesterday near Soerabaja,
but the pilot was reported to have
bailed out successfully. A RAF
spokesman said that Indonesian
antiaircraft gunners were inflict
ing heavier proportional losses
than the Japanese were able to
do in Burma.
Group Capt. W. D. Davis, sen
ior staff officer of the allied for
ces in the Netherlands East In
dies, told reporters that the Brit
ish lost 13 or 14 planes in Java,
and that four or five of this num
ber were shot down.
Moon To Be Seen In
Eclipse Tonight
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18— <JP) —
The moon will be seen in eclipse
in parts of the United States
where weather permits tonight.
The earth's shadow will begin
passing across the satellite at 7:30
p.m., eastern standard time and
will clear it at 11:03 p.m.
Even during totality—from 8:40
p.m., to 10 p.m.—the moon will
be visible, with a dull, coppery
hue.
STALIN BACK
AFTER LONG
VACATION
Foreign Ministers Prepare
For Third Formal Ses
sion Of Meet
68-DAY~HOLIDAY
MOSCOW,~Dec. 18.—(JP)—
Generalissimo Stalin, rested
by a long vacation, was back
at his desk today as the for
eign ministers of Soviet Rus
sia, great Britain and the
United States prepared for
their third formal session on
world problems with a feel
ing of reserved optimism.
Stalin returned from his 68-day
holiday yesterday, just four days
before his 66th birthday, and
plunged immediately into his du
ties as president of the council of
people’s commissars.
His long absence from the
Kremlin had given rise to rumors
abroad that he was ill, but these
reports had been denied both by
Soviet officials and by U. S. Am
bassador W. Averill Harriman, who
visited him at his Black Sea re
treat near Sochi.
Harriman reported on his re
turn that he had found Stalin in
excellent health and enjoying his
holiday. Similar assurances as to
the generalissimo’s health were
given only two days ago to U. S.
Secretary of State James F. Byrnes
and British Foreign Secretary Er
nest Bevin by high Soviet offi
cials.
PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT
Stalin’s return was announced
by a brief statement published in
all Moscow newspapers, saying:
“Yesterday, Dec. 17, the presi
dent of the council of people’s
commissars, U. S. S. R., Comrade
Stalin, returned from his vacation
to Moscow and entered upon the
fulfillment of his duties.”
The announcement came as the
“Big Three” foreign ministers,
meeting here since Sunday, fin
ished their preliminary talks and
prepared to get down to discussion
of some of the basic issues of
world peace and prosperity which
were believed to be on their agen
da.
OPTIMISTIC
Both Byrnes and Bevin were
said by diplomatic observers to
have emerged from yasterday’s
meeting with a feeling of reserved
optimism, looking not so much for
See STALIN Page 2
Chiangs Return To
Nanking Today
CHUNGKING, Dec. 18 —{IP}—
Generalissimo and Madame Chlang
Kai-Shek returned triumphantly to
day to Nanking from which they
were forced by the Japanese to
flee in 1937, a semi-official dis
patch reported.
They traveled to the former
Chinese capital from Peiping in
Chiang’s special planee, “Mei Ling,”
which he named after his wife.
Thousands crowded the old Ming
airfield to greet the couple, who af
terwards motored through the
ancient city to the acclaim of the
cheering inhabitants, the dispath
said.
WHAT’S DOING~
TODAY
6:30 p.m.—Rotary club di
rectors meet with Willis Mc
Murry at his home.
7:00 p.m—Lions club enter
tains children at Christmas
party at high school cafeteria.
7:30 pun.—CAP cadets will
have dance at armory.
WEDNESDAY
7:30 p.m. — Fellowship hour
at Central Methodist church.
7:46 p.m.—Midweek prayer
and praise service at First
Baptist church.
Fact-Finding Board Wrestles
With Profits, Prices Problem
WABmJNUTUN, uec. 1H —pP)
Some of the problems—and much
of the pattern—of government
fact-finding took shape today as
labor and industry waited to learn
whether profits and prices are to
figure in the wage studies.
The question — regarded by
the CJO as fundamental but
opposed by industry on the
contention it would be a fore
runner of government “snoop
ing,”—nearly broke up the
first session of the oil wage
fact-finding board yesterday.
Unable to decide itself whether
it should relate possible price ad
vances to recommendations for
wage increases, the oil board an
nounced it would ask Secretary
of Labor Schwellenbach and Eco
nomic Stabilizer John C. Collet to
provide the answer.
INDUSTRY PROFIT
To demands by the CIO Oil
workers union that company books
be offered to show industry profit,
the board likewise offered no im
mediate reply. At the same time,
Chairman Frank P. Graham em
phasized his panel was setting
fact-finding precedents and would
See FACT-FINDING Page %
MEETING HONORS LAD—Ira Mosher, president of the National Asso
ciation of Manufacturers, pins a convention badge on 8-year-old Jackie
Shea of Arlington, Mass., in New York City. The convention honored the
boy and his late father, Comdr. John Joseph Shea, who wrote a famous
father-to-son letter.
Navy Would Give
Ships To China
Shapers Of Nayal Policy In Congress Vigorously Op
pose Proposed Plan
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18.—(JP)—Shapers of congres
sional naval policy cast a dubious eye today at a navy pro
posal to turn over excess fighting ships to the republic of
YULE BONUSES
OVER $100,000
Industrial Plants, Busi
nesses Remember Help
For Christmas
Christmas bonuses are being dis
tributed this week and estimated
to be around $100,000 for the in
dustrial plants and business hous
es, all of which report a success
ful year’s operation.
In addition to cash bonuses,
treats in the form of fruits, cakes,
gifts for the home and of a per
sonal nature are included. Candies
are scarce, so sweets will be less
than usual this Christmas in the
yule packages.
The amount of the cash bonuses
vary. Some industrial plants pay
for an extra week, some are add
ing $25 to the usual work-week
pay envelopes while others are
making the bonus two per cent of
the total wages paid each employe
during the year.
SUBJECT TO TAX
In each instance, however, cash
bonuses are subject to the with
holding and social security tax de
duction, required by law to be
taken from each contribution and
forwarded to the Internal Revenue
Service and the Social Security
Board. Employers usually include
a printed notice with their bonus
checks calling attention to the fact
that they are required to make
such deductions.
The distribution of bonuses and
gifts will be marked in some in
stances with appropriate cere
monies.
With both wars won, service men
returning home in great numbers,
Christmas falling on Tuesday
which allows a longer than usual
holiday period, everybody is an
ticipating the most joyous Christ
mas in many years.
Japanese Diet Goes
Home To Prepare
For Free Election
TOKYO, Dec. 18—(J>)—'The Jap
anese Diet dissolved late today af
ter 22 days of its 89th extraordi
nary session and legislators start
ed back home to prepare for the
first free election in over a decade.
Before the dissolution, the house
of peers passed the farm reforma
tion and labor union measures, both
introduced at the prodding of Al
lied headquarters and previously
approved by the house.
The elections, tentatively sched
uled for next January, will be the
first test since 1942 for legislators
seeking re-election.
China.
The proposal, advanced yester
day by Secretary of the Navy For
restal In a letter to Speaker Ray
burn (D-Texas), caught Capitol
Hill off guard.
"This is the first I have heard
of it,” Chairman Carl Vinson (D
Ga) of the house naval commit
tee told reporters. “I’m not say
ing anything until I know more
about what they have in mind.”
Vinson indicated he would be
in no hurry to call the navy’s
suggestion to the attention of his
committee.
"This is a complete surprise to
me,” said Rep. Sheppard (D
Calif.), chairman of the appro
priations subcommittee handling
naval funds. “I don’t know a
thing about it and there are lots
of things I want to know.”
Several members of Vinson’s
committee expressed outright op
position.
PLAY POLITICS
"This looks like a move in the
direction of using the navy to
play world politics,” one said pri
vately. “Apparently we are to give
away our surplus ships to strength
en the hand of Chiang Kai-shek
in his fight with the commun
ists.”
A few months ago the naval
committee reported that there
would be a surplus of 222 major
combat ships after the navy’s post
war needs are met.
“Among these are six battle
ships, four carriers and eleven
cruisers,” a committee member
said, “and before we give them
away or sell them we should be
certain that we don’t need them
ourselves, and that there is no
chance they will ever be used
See NAVY Page 2
Shelbian Offers
! Stranger A Ride,
Gets Slugged, Robbed
RUTHERFORDTON, Dec. 18 —
(tP)— Theodore Whisnant of Shelby
was in Rutherford hospital today
—all because he offered a stranger
a ride.
Whisnant told police he picked
up a man in sailor uniform in
Spindale last night while enroute
to Marion. He said his unknown
companion, whom he thought he
knew when he stopped to pick him
up, struck him, robbed him of $140
and fled.
Whisnant revived and drove on to
Rutherfordton where he made his
report to police.
EXTENDED FORECAST
Extended forecast for Carolinas
from 7:30 p.m. today to 7:30 p.m.
Saturday — Precipitation Tuesday
night and probably Wednesday fol
lowed by clearing Wednesday night
and Thursday; Friday, fair, preci
pitation beginning again about
Saturday and continued rather cold
to end of period.
15 CENTS AN
HOUR RAISE
IS PROFFERED
Demands Company Secur
ity Promises From Work
ers in Exchange
12.4 PER CENT
DETROIT. Dec. 18.—i
A pay increase of 15 cents an
hour was offered the CIO’*
United Auto Workers by the
Ford Motor Company today
md the union promptly re
jected it.
The company combined its wage
offer with a demand on the union
for a “company security” arrange
ment, involving fines up to $5,000
for “illegitimate strikes.”
Richard T. Leonard, Ford direc
tor for the UAW-CIO, announced
immediately after a reading of
the company proposals that Ford’s
offer was “completely unaccept
able to the union.”
Ford said its offer would rep
resent a 12.4 percent Increase and
a total of approximately $33,000,
000 a year. In its last employ
ment figures the company said 16
had 109,000 employes.
The Ford offer compared with
a 10 percent increase offered the
UAW-CIO by General Motors.
This has been estimated at 13 1-2
cents an hour.
RESUME TALKS
While union negotiations an
nounced their rejection of the
Ford proposal, they said discus
sions would be resumed Thursday.
After its rejection of General
Motors’ 10 percent offer, the U
AW-CIO went on strike against
GM Nov. 21 and 175,000 GM pro
duction workers have since been
idle in the wage stalemate.
The Ford company today ampli
fied its original company security
proposal to the UAW-CIO, among
the chief proposed points was this
one:
That the union would be
“liable to the company’* for
the sum of $5,000 for each
person found guilty of “in
stigating an illegitimate strike**
when such person has an “of
ficial or representative posi
tion in the union” but is not
an employe.
In labor-management disputes
in the auto industry this has been
put by management under the
heading of “outside interference.”
In the Ford proposal an umpire
mutually agreed upon by the par
ties to the contract would determ
ine guilt or innocence.
SUBJECT TO DISCHARGE
Ford proposed to the UAW-CIO
that any employe found guilty of
“instituting, fomenting, actively
supporting or giving leadership”
to an “illegitimate strike” should
be subject to discharge.
Any other employes who take*
part in such a strike would be li
able to “liquidated damages” to
the company. For his first of
fense the damages would be $1.50
a day, for the second $2.50 a day.,
See 15 CENTS Page 2
fiuy CHRISTMAS SEW
GALE DAMAGES
TWO WARSHIPS
LONDON, Dec. 18 — (IP)— _
American warships, the aircraft
carrier WASP and the cruiser Au
gusta, were damaged in a 70-mile
an hour gale which swept over the
Mid-Atlantic and battered the coast
of England today.
The U. S. Navy port office at
Southampton announced that the
WASP was enroute to Southampton
to pick up troops when she ran
into the storm Sunday. Steel cur
tains on the hangar deck were wash
ed away.
The Augusta, en route
United States from Le Havre with
troops, had her starboard side
crushed in one or two inches and
received similar damage to
bulkheads.
No casualties were reported
either ship.