HENDERSON’S
POPULATION
13,873
TWENTY-SIXTH YEAR "SBRJHKJBfJBto.
SOVIETS ASK
House Votes Powers
To FDR For Further
Dollar Devaluation
Route 1 Traffic
Shown Stationary
James Burch, in charge of high
way statistics and planning, re
ported today that motor traffic
on 17.l 7 . S. Route 117 near Golds
boro had increased 20 percent for
March as compared with March,
1938. There was no change in
traffic on Routh 1 near here and
Route 19 near Asheville, but a
gain of five percent was noted
near Salisbury on Route 29.
Use of county roads decreas
ed from seven to 38 percent at
each of four widely scattered
counting stations, Burch said. All
counts were made with “electric
eye" machines.
Burlington
Case Nears
jury Stage
George Smith Allow
ed Second Degree
Plea in Return for Be
coming State’s Wit
ness; Lawyers Start
Their Arguments
Graham, April 21. —(AP) —With
George Smith’s turning of State’s
evidence against his thr§e fellow de
fendants—on trial here for first de
gree murder in the fatal shooting of
two officers last December 7 in Bur
lington—hailed by the State as its
coup d’etat, attorneys on both sides
in the case of Smith, Roy Kelly,
Wade and Ralph Hanford began ad
dresses to the jury today.
The State permitted Smith to
change his plea to second degree
murder before becoming a State's
witness. Smith’s statement yesterday
involved the two Hanfords as the
two men actually in the filling sta
tion, with Roy Huffman, escaped
convict, during the robbery which re
mlted in the death by gunfire of
Huffman, Sheriff Robertson and
Burlington Police Officer S. W.
Vaughan. Smith testified he and
Kelly waited outside in separate cars
; md had no part in the killings.
Wade Hanford, Smith related, shot
three times from the floor as a
fusillade of shots, purportedly from
■Huffman’s pistol, felled Robertson
und Vaughan before Huffman him
:» 11 fell, mortally wounded by a bul
i‘t from the gun of Officer F. B.
Bailiff, lone survivor among the of
ficers of the gun duel. Previously all
evidence had indicated Huffman was
hie only one of the bandits to fire on
the officers.
Says Roosevelt Can Win
Again Only If War Comes
Babson Hints That May Explain Much of War
Propaganda in U. S. Today; Says New Deal Is
Out for 1940; Discusses Leading Candidates
By ROGER W. BABSON
( oj>.Yright 1939, Publishers Financial
Bureau, Inc.
Washington, April 21.—Two recent
li( -ncis have helped President Roo.'C-
Vt 'H politicially. These are: One, the
* eui ' ot a war involving Great Bri
'■ain and France'; and two, the pos
sibility that the Republicans may be
liria ble to get together on a strong
candidate. A war in Europe would
P'd F. D. R. in line for another four
year term, if he wishes, it. Without
:i war and with a strong G. O. P.
' he is licked. Remember,
tjU: mess conditions make politics;
Politics do not make business con
ditions.
business conditions are fairly good
today as far as retail trade and other
■Potistical indicators are concerned.
Measured by the number of people
oot of work, however, conditions are
much better than when Franklin
Metmetsmt Bmlit Mißtxntth
Treasury’s $2 Billion
Stabilization Fund
and Silver Purchase
Also Continued I n
Measure Sent Senate;
Perkins Orders
Bridges Hearing
Washington, April 21.—(AP) —The
House passed and sent to the Senate
today a bill extending for two years
the President’s authority to devalue
the dollar again, the Treasury’s $2,-
000,000,000 stabilization fund, and its
right to pay subsidies on newly-min
ed domestic silver. The bill passed on
a voice vote.
•lust before, final passage, the
House defeated by a 225 to 158 roll
call vote an amendment which would
have abolished the President’s de
valuation power. Approval of the bill
climaxed a bitter inter-party scrap
over administration monetary pow
ers, in which the weight of the Dem
ocratic majority crushed Republican
attempts to amend the measure and
killed some of its key positions. The
monetary powers would expire June
30 unless Congress renews them.
The Senate Banking Committee
approved a $1,000,000,000 increase in
the mortgage insurance limit of the
Federal Housing Administration.
President Roosevelt said he had
talked about the world military plane
situation with Colonel Charles Lind
bergh, but did not go into details.
Secretary of Labor Perkins said to
day she had ordered the immigra
tion service to proceed with a hear
ing of deportation charges against
Harry Bridges, west coast CIO di
rector. The charges include one that
Bridges is a member of the commun
ist party. The secretary told a press
conference the hearing would deter
mine whether Bridges was a mem
ber of the communist party in the
light of the Supreme Court's recent
decision that previous membership
was not grounds for deportation.
Asked how the Supreme Court’s
ruling would affect the pending de
portation case against Bridges, Miss
Perkins said, “we don’t think it'
would be futile to continue with the;
Bridges case, but the evidence has to
be examined at a hearing.”
Half Dozen
Congress
Races Loom
Daily Dispatcli Bureau,
In the Sir Waller Hotel.
Raleigh, April 21. Auxiliary
thrills to North Carolina’s- lf)40 gov
ernor’s primary will be given by no
more than half a dozen really seri
ous and formidable congressional
contests, according to the present
outlook.
Only seme drastic development or
political upheaval could upset this,
prospect, though, of course, the pos
(Continued on Page Six)
i Roosevelt took office six years ago.
Millions of Americans voted for
Roosevelt in 1932 because they be
lieved a change in administration
would solve unemployment. Millions
more voted for him in 1936 because
more people had jobs than in 1932.
' Since then unemployment has be
come bad again. What the voters did
last fall is a preview of what will
happen in 1940 unless jobs greatly
increase.
Democrats Badly Split
Will a possible business boom and
a big gain in employment help Pres
ident Roosevelt if he runs in 1940?
The answer is: “Yes, but it will not
heal the split in the Democratic
party.” The New Dealers and the
“old line” Democrats are at swords’
points. The gap between them is far
wider than the average voter realizes.
(Continued on Page Six)
DAILY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN THIS SECTION OF NORTH CAROLINA AND VIRGINIA.
Reports on Oil
I Ik
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Donald Richberg, former NRA ad
ministrator, recently returned from
Mexico where he represented oil
companies in negotiations with
President Cardenas, on expropria
tion of American oil wells, is shown
at White House where he informed
President Roosevelt of the outcome
of the negotiation*.
Asserts War
Rages Under
The Surface
Ambassador Kennedy
in Speech in Scotland,
Glad General War
Thus Far Been Avert
ed ; Hecklers in His
Audience
Edenburgh, Scotland, April 21.
(AP) —United States Ambassador
Joseph Kennedy said today that, de
spite the fact that “covert warfare
burns fitfully beneath the surface
of international relation ships
throughout the world,” there was
consolation in that general war thus
far had been avoided.
The envoy spoke in Usher Hall,
where he received the freedom of
the City of Edinburgh after Edin
burgh University conferred on him
an honorary degree of doctor of
lav/s. He had traveled overnight
from London.
The Usher Hall ceremony was in
terrupted by several men and wo
men who jumped up and started
shouting immediately before Ken
nedy received the “Burgess ticket”,
which i* a symbol of the freedom of
the city. One of the demonstrators
was John Cormack, leader of the
Protestant Action party, anti-Cath
ctic organization in the Edinburgh
town council, who shouted:
“My lord provost, I protest.”
Cormack and the other interrupt
ers were taken from th\e hall by
officials.
DELEGATES TO 4-H
MEETINGS SELECTED
Raleigh, April 21.—(AP) —L. R.
Harrill. State 4-H club leader, an
nounced today that North Carolina
delegates to the national 4-H club
camp would be Margaret Ellen
Wagoner, of Guilford ' county, and
Walton Thompson, of Wilson county,
and two other delegates.
HENDERSON, N. C,, FRIDAY AFTERNOON, APRIL 21, 1939
REVIVAL
Liner Paris Swept by Flames
Six-:-: .I:!: ,vx ; M.. .* «.* **>;
;
% X./'-v. • X : " ■■■■;■s
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Pictured above is the French liner Paris, swept by flames as it prepared
to leave Le Havre, France, for the United States. Aboard the 34,000-ton
ship were valuable art exhibits destined for the New York World’* Fair.
Authorities investigated rumors of . sabotage.
Hitler And Mussolini Pledge
Anew Their Fast Friendships
Hitler’s Birthday Cele
bration Brings Ex
changes Further Ce
menting 4 4 Indestruct
ible Friendly Ties”;
Hitler Drafts FDR
Reply
Berlin, April 21.—(AP) —Messages
published today showed that Chan
cellor Hitler and Premier Mussolini
exchanged assurances on the ‘ Reich
fuehrer’s 50th birthday yesterday
that the friendship between their
two countries could not be disturb
ed by enemies of their Romc-Berlin
axis.
They were disclosed while Hitler
turned from his first day festivities
t> drafting of the Reichstag .peech
with v/hich he will reply one woek
from today to President Roosevelt’s
non-aggression proposals.
lu a long telegram, Premier Mus
solini told his axis partner that the
friendship between Rome and Ber
lin, “which has withstood many tests
cannot be disturbed by the recurring
ridiculous attempts of our enemies.
Sometime will have to convince
themselves that they are following
a false course, because fascism and
national socialism (Naziism) are the
Way of justice and peace.”
Hitler thanked Mussolini, and
added: “With thanks I bring a new
assurance of my indestructible
friendly ties with you and the fas
cist Italy created by you, as well as
my best wishes.”
Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop
and his staff had gone to work on
material for the reply immediately
after Hitler was acquainted with the
contents of the President’s message
in conferences at Munich last Sat
urday and Sunday
While foreign office exports weigh
ed every detail and scrutinized every
word of, the Roonevelt message, Hit
ler made a troop inspection tour of
German Austria, returning to Berlin
in time for the two-day birthday in
spection, which reached its peak
yesterday with a gigantic parade of
German military power.
Official Os
Coster Firm
Flu Victim
New York, April 21.—(AP)—Jul
ian F. Thompson, treasurer of Mc-
Kesson & Robbins, Inc., whose per
sonal investigation of the corpora
tion’s affairs led to the exposure of
F. Donald Coster as Philip Musica,
ex-convict, died early today at his
Park Avenue home.
Thompson, who would have been
51 years old Sunday, had been ill
several weeks of influenza. Thomp
son, who was Author of “The War
rior’s Husband,” in which Katherine
Hepburn made her first Broadway
hit, became suspicious of his firm’s
wholesale drug department, because
while it showed steadily mounting
profits annually, none of the money
was turned over into the general
fund.
Last December, when equity re
ceivership proceedings were started
in Connecticut before former Fed
eral Judge Edwin Thomas, Thomp
son and other officials of 4he cor
poration went into Federal court
here and applied for permission to
reorganize under the Chandler act.
Costa-Musica was exposed * along
with his three brothers, and facing
re-arrest, committed suicide Decem
ber 18 in his Fairfield, Conn., home.
OF TRIPLE
Admits He’s a Red
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David Lasser (left), president of the Workers Alliance, and Herbert
Benjamin, general secretary, appear in Washington before the House
appropriations sub-committee which is investigating the WPA. Benjamin
admitted membership in the Communist party.
(Central Press)
Hungary Reports Fresh
Slovakian Bombardment
Latter Nation Is Un
der German Protec
tion; Hungarian Com
mander Demands Ex
planation of Outbreak
Budapest, Hungary, April 21.
(AP) —Hungarian military authori
ties reported that Slovak artillery
bombarded the Hungarian village of
Sarosremitz last night and this morn
ir.g. The authorities said Hungarian
'artillerymen and infantry returned
the fire, but apparently neither side
crossed the newly-established bord
er between Hungary and Slovakia.
Slovakia, nominally independent
following the final dismemberment
of the Czecho lovak republic March,
15 is under German protection.
Hungarians said they were com
pletely surprised by the revival of
border fighting, such as followed the
collapse of Czechoslovakia after Hun
gary occupied Carpatho-Ukraine.
(in the occupation of Carpatho-
Ukraine, the Hungarians pressed
agamst th° Slovak frontier for a
further adjustment of the border,
and fighting, including aerial opera
tions, ensued. March 31 a Slovak-
Hungarian commission agreed on de
limitation of the . border).
The Hungarian military com
mander of the region was authorized
to demand of Slovakia an explana
tion of the renewal of the “vest
pocket” warfare. The Budapest for
eign office charged that two days
ago two Hungarian soldiers were
wounded and captured on the bord
er. Unverified reports reaching
here said that they died in Slovak
hospitals. .
Seek Relief
Rather Than
Pick Berries
Daily Dispatch Bureau,
In the Sir Walter Hotel.
Raleigh, April 21.—The annual
panic is on among Eastern North
Carolina Negroes who are eligible for
unemployment benefits but who arc
being sought for and besought to
work picking sti’awberries.
They would far rather remain idle
and draw their weekly checks from
Charlie Powell’s office than get down
to the back-breaking and none too
remunerative business of picking the
pretty red berries off the nice green
bushes or vmes or whatever it is that
(Continued on Page Five)
U)&aih&h
FOR NORTH CAROLINA.
Partly cloudy tonight and Sat
urday; slightly warmer in south
east portion tonight, and slight
ly cooler in north central por
tion Saturday.
PUBLISHED EVERY AFTERNOON
EXCEPT SUNDAY.
Rails Want
Control For
All Carriers
By CHARLES P. STEWART
Central Press Columnist
Washington, April 21.—Water car
riers of interstate treight between
this country’s two oceans, the Can
ada line and the
Rio Grande or the
Gulf of Mexico are
not one bit enthus
iastic over the
scheme to put re
gulation of all our
forms oi transpor
tation under the
jurisdiction of a
single federal body
tfy e Interstate
Commerce Co m
mission or some
similar group, to
be created in place
of the commission.
Wheeler
Neither do the auto-truck operators
like the idea—not unless they’re sub
sidiaries of some one of our big rail
road systems. In fact, these indepen
dents are violently opposed to the
whole notion. The railroads, how
ever, warmly favor it. It looks good
likewise to holders of railroad se
curities—notably. our great, insurance
concerns. They’re a potent influence,
too, with rail investments running
.away up into the billions. And look
at the number of their policy hold
ers! Incidentally the general public is
vitally concerned, since it ultimately
pays the bill for freight carriage—
passenger fares a* f jo. I don’t think the
general public understands the sub
ject very w r ell, though—it’s extreme
ly complicated.
Chairman Burton K. Wheeler’s
senate committee on interstate corn
continued on Page Five)
Edwards Is
To Take Over
A.&N.C. Soon
Raleigh, April 21.—(AP)—H. P.
Edwards, of Sanford, will confer
here Monday,' Attorney General
Harry McMullen said today, in con
nection with details of his leasing
of the State-controlled Atlantic and
North Carolina Railroad.
McMullan said he expected Matt
H. Allen, general counsel for the
railroad, and John G‘. Dawson, of
Kinston, lawyer of Edwards, to at
tend the conference
The lease of the line must be ap
proved by the Interstate Commerce
Commission and the State Utilities
Commission.
ENTENTE
I Russia Now
Is Ready To
Aid Defense
Britain Had Expected
More Vague and Less
Binding Agreement;
Britain Willing But
Fears Objection of Po
land and Roumania
London, April 21.—(AP)— Soviet
Russia has proposed resurrection of
the Anglo-French Russian triple en
tente of the World War, a highly
authoritive souce said today, as a
bulwark against possible future ag
gression by Germany, Italy or Japan.
Such a recommendation of a flat re
ciprocal military alliance was said to
have been made by Foreign Com
missar Litvinoff to Sir William Seeds,
British ambassador in Moscow.
Both Britain and France, this in
formant said, have the proposal un
der serious consideration. No official
indication was given of the Anglo-
French reply, but Britain, although
favoring a less binding agreement,
was believed to be ready to accept
such a military alliance rather than
lose Russia’s support. *
London, April 21.—(AP)—An un
impeachable source said today that
Soviet Russia had demanded the full
military support of Britain and
France in return for her cooperation
in the Anglo-French front.
This Soviet counter-proposal to
Britain’s suggestion for cooperation
against the Rome-Berlin axis was
communicated to London by the Brit
ish ambassador in Moscow Sir Wil
liam Seeds, and is now being studied
by the British Foreign Office, in
formed British quarters said.
This source said Britain expected
a much more vague and less bind
ing agreement by which Russia
would merely “support” the coalition
being formed by London and Paris.
Although British officials were re
ported willing to accept Russian co
(Continued on Page Six)
New French
Decrees To
Aid Defense
Paris, April 21.—(AP)—Minister
of Finance Reynaud announced to
night the French government had
established a Hat 45-hour work
week and a new one percent sales
tax in ar . ffort to strengthen na
tional <3- fonse. Reynaud said the
government expected to realize 15,-
000,000,000 francs ($396,000,000)
from the new series of decree laws.
NEW DECREES ACCOMPLISH
FOUR MORE OBJECTIVES
Paris, April 21.—(AP)—The cab
inet, meeting tonight with President
.Lebrun, approved a series of new
decree laws which it was estimated .
would increase France’s financial re
sources 17,000,000,000 francs ($448,-
800,000) for strengthening national
defense.
The decrees did four things:
1. Created a new “armament tax”
of one percent on all cash payments
(Continued on Page Five)
Restraints
Upon Rates
Dissolved
Fayetteville, April 21.—(AP)—Su
perior Court Judge Q. K. Nimocks,
ji\, dissolved today an order tem
porarily restraining the Atlantic
Coast Line Railway Company and
receivers for the Seaboard Air Line
Railway from reducing rates on
kerosene and gasoline shipments out
of Wilmington to other North Caro
lina points.
The restraining order was issued
some time ago upon petition of the
City of Fayetteville and Cumberland
county officials, who alleged the pro
posed reduced rates would be dis
criminatory because no such reduc
tions were proposed for shipments
out of Fayetteville, a terminal of the
Cape Fear waterway.
Judge Nimocks sustained a con
tention of the railway attorneys in
arguments yesterday that the lain
tiffs should seek relief through the
State Utilities Commission and should
exhaust this relief before bringing
an action in a court of equity.
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