Hfcttiterson Hatttj Uispatrlj
ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN THIS SECTION OF NORTH CAROLINA AND VIRGINIA
^ '• ' V-SEVENTH YEAR LTE*fEA^{5fT|gRSsop HENDERSON, N. C., SATURDAY AFTERNOON, DECEMBER 14, 1940 publisi^^ever^^afiernoon FIVE CENTS COPY
How Britain Smashed Threat to Lifeline
A . capturing: the important base of Sidi Barrani, Italian base for the invasion of Egypt, British forces
uod pushing on through the desert towards Libya. The smashing British victory relieved the threat
to the Suez Canal and is said to have cut otf 30,000 Italian troops by a blitzkrieg thrust.
(Central Press)
Defense Plant Burns
Less Set At
High Figure
Hoboken, N, J., Plant
Building Equipment
For Steamships, De
. stroyed by Fire.
. X. J.. Dec. 14—(AP)—
: .y destroyed the plant
—er Service and En
.■poration. active in na
• :..-c orders, with a loss
y company spokesmen
..'00 to SI.000.000. One
• ; lied.
:r.an was tentatively
- G >.ge Jacobs of Jersey
.itchman who discover
v.ith four other work
ing the night shift at
en said Jacobs had
een going back into the
btain papers and was
: y the flames.
■- :i. plant executive,
the loss at SI.000,000 in
..:jie wood patterns and
.achines being con
defense order's.
■- . co:npany treasurer.
"1.000 estimate was
r. gh—about a tenth of
c.-.y built turbines, con
•ther equipment for
Britain Now
Wants Ships
American Shipbuild
ing Once Frowned
^pon, But Conditions
C hanged, Stewart Says
< KAKLES P. STEWART
< intral I'ress C ilumnist
• •' Dtc. 14.—I can re
John Bull wasn't near
• ■f-re.st>>d in the develop
' ientry's maritime facii
• nt present. In fact, he
Tt-d to it. He found no
. .it with our mainte
: espectable tonnage of
but emphatically he
' dea of the upbuilding
merchant fleet of any
proportions. Back in
■ .-hip days our bottoms
bit of the oceans' cargo
!'• it that time parsed. Rail
i setter than overseas ac
Wo concentrated on in
'■ '; n. Our mercantile
••d out to pretty nearly
d lots of exporting and
') be sure, but most of it
English vessels.
\o. 1 caught us with
v to carry on our for
Kngland. while the con
< • Id not continue hand
■ in sufficient volume
■i bad shape for quitt
course, our shipyards
• ri.:>t^ly. working over
Armistice day we hac
°nt little fleet of carg'
• ition. It wasn't as bif
i do all our transport
experience had taugh
•i- :i<>vt undesirable foi
■•■:>»'ndent on foreign boat:
international business in
- ted on Page Two)
Benefit Payments
Reach New Record
Director Yelton Seeks
Increase in Old Age
and Dependent Chil
dren Social Security
Benefit Payments.
Daily Dispatci? Bureau.
In th<» Sir Walter Hotel.
By HENRY AVERILL
Raleigh. Dec. 14.—For the current
month North Carolina will pay to
36.504 old age assistance beneficiaries
a grand total of $359,552.92 or an
average of $9.85 each.
If the widows of Confederate vet
erans whose pensions were transfer
red to the Old Age rolls be includ
ed. this will rise to 37.157 bene
ficiaries drawing $376,172.24. or an
average of $10.13 each.
This month, also. 23.564 dependent
children will receive $162,873.49. or
an average of $6.91 each.
Nathan Yelton. director of the
Public Assistance division of the De
partment of Charities and Public
Welfare, released these figures today
with the comment that the average
payments arc the highest yet attain
ed under the Social Security regime
in North Carolina.
He pointed out at the same nme.
however, that the average benefits
both for Old Age and for Dependent
Children are still far behind the Na
tional average; and he cited his 1941
43 budget requests to indicate that
his division is consistently working
to raise the average payments, as'
well as the total number of bcne
ficiaries.
Final objective, he said, is parity
! with the national average, at least,
j though he confessed inability to say
} just where the State can get the tre
] mendous sums which would be r.eces
i sary to do this.
The December figures for Old Age
[ assistance showed an increase of 128
: recipients and of two cents in the
average paid each. Pensioners drop
ped off two (from 655 to 653), with
: the average payment going down by
I one cent.
For dependent children there was
1 an increase of 187 while the average
i payment went up five cents from $6.
89 in November.
Taking up the requests made foi
the 1941-43 biennium, Mr. Yclton
pointed to reasonable increases all
along the line.
The aim for the next two years,
in Old Age assistance, is 40.000 bene
i ficiaries drawing checks which will
! average $11.67 each per month. That
! includes Ihe pensioners on the old
; age rolls. As mentioned, current fig
ures are 37,000 recipients getting
(Continued on Page Three.)
Lottery Racket
Arrest Is Made
In Wilmington
Raleigh. Dec. 14.—(AP)—Freder
i ick C. Handy, director of the State
Bureau of Investigation, reported to
;day that his agents in cooperation
Uvith the New Hanover county sher
iffs office early today arrested a
man who Handy said was the head of
the lottery racket in Wilmington.
Handy identified the man as
(alias Crip and Dutch) Smith. He
[was arrested in Wilmington and is
i also wanted in Greensboro on lot
tery charges. Handy said. The ar
rest came shortly after 33 Negroes
hand been convicted in the record
er's court in Wilmington on lottery
; charges and had received fines of
. $25 to $1,000 and had been sentenced
to terms ranging from 30 days to
four months.
Fills Lothian Posi
Nevile Montagu Butler
Phonepholo
Counsellor to the British Embassy
in Washing-ton, Nevile Montagu
Butler will act as Ambassador un
til a successor is named to Lord
Lothian, who died suddenly, few
hours before the envoy's death in
Washington, Butler read Lothian's
plea to the American Farm Bureau
Federation for more U. S. aid to
Britain.
Army Reserve
To Be Called
Washington, Dec. 1 k—(AP)—The
War Department announced today
that all of the 28.735) members of the
regular Aimy reserve who do not
have dependents would be ordered
into active service probably by Feb
ruary 15.
The reserve is composed of for
mer enlisted men who volunteered
to remain subject to orders.. Those
not available for active duty because
of dependents or because they hold
key positions in essential industries
will be dischargd 'rum the reserv.
The reservists will be ordered out,
it was explained, to help "carry the
load of training th*.; new army".
The regular Army reserve was
created two years ago with the orig
inal intent to expand it to 75,000 or
more but officials said so many of
the former soldiers re-enlisted re
cently that this objective was aban
doned.
NEW PATROLMEN.
Raleigh, Dec. 14.—(AP)—Major
John Armstrong, commander of the
State Highway Parol, announced to
day the appointment of five men as
highway patrolmen to fill vacancies.
They include Charles Powell of Wil
son and J. W. Williamson of Kenans
ville.
(l)&jaihsiA
FOR NORTH CAROLINA
Cloudy tonight and Sunday,
•with occasional rains: somewhat
I colder.
Italians Driven
Back Into Libya
New Plan To Aid British
Use Of U. S.
Navy Escort
Is Involved
Two Plans Put For
ward by Advocates of
Aid to Britain Have
Not Been Submitted to
State Department or
President. '
Washington, Dec. 14.— tAP)—Va
rious advocates of greater United
States assistance in the British war
effort were reported authoritatively
ioday to have formulated plans for
two nwe types of aid, one of which
.vould involve use 01 United States
.laval escorts for supply ships.
The two proposals, wheih may be
brought to the attention of President
Roosevelt when he returns to Washi
ngton from his Caribbean cruise,
are:
1—Convoying of supplies to the
British Isles in United Sattcs ships
protected by escorts of United States
vvar vessels.
2—Bring|ng about *hc sa^ to
Great Britain of some or all of 143
foriegn flag cargo vessels, such as
chose of Denmark, which were tied
up in American ports to escape an
uncertain fate after German occupa
tion of the homelands. '
Informed persons emphasized that
both proposals were still in the
"mulling over" stage and while under
consideration have net yet been
placed formally before either the
State department or the President.
While official comment thus was
lacking, these person? rpoplled that
Lord Lothian, the late British ambas
sdaor, made an implied plea lor
American naval assistance in keep
ing supply routes open to the British
Isles in an address made for him
before the American Farm Bureau
Federation in Baltimore a few hours
before his death.
Authorities who have studied both
plans said it would be necessary to
Have congresssinal action beoreieith
er could be put into effect. They
explained that the convoy system
would require amendment of the
neutrality law which forbids Ameri
can shipping to enter European war
zones, and the sale of foreign flag
vessels would have to have enabling
legislation.
NAVAL ORDNANCE
PLANTS ANNOUNCED
Washington, Dec. 14.—(AP)—Sites
for four additional naval ordnance
plants to cost $35,000,000 were an
nounced today by the Navy depart
ment.
Acting Secretary James ForrestaJ
announced that one of the plants
would be located near Detroit, one
near Canton, Ohio, and another at
Indianapolis, Ind., and the fourth at
Macon, Ga.
More Staples
For Surplus
Commodities
Dauy Dispaith Cureau,
In the Sir w.^iipr Hotel.
By HENRY AVERILL.
Raleigh, Dec. 14.—Action of the
Council of State in making available
somethink like $40,000 to the Sur
plus Commodity Distribution divi
sion will mak available for distri
bution a much greater volume of
"staples" than ever befoc, Governor
Clyde R. Hoey said today.
In view of this fact all county wel
fare boards will be able to requisi
tion and receive a much greater pro
portion of staples, such a-? meal,
flour, meat and the like than has
iever before been the case, the gov
ernor added.
j According to A. E. Langston, direc
tor of the commodity distribution.
1 the Federal officials have notified
(Continued on Page Three)
The British Travel Fast
Powerful units of R.A.F. armored cars, such as these shown speeding
through the African desert, worked in close cooperation with infantry,
artillery and the Mediterranean fleet in Britain's smashing Egyptian
victory over the Italians and the capture of Sidi Barrani. The armored
cars are used generally in airport defenses.
(Central Presi)
Windsor May Visit
CCC Camps In U. S.
Freezing Weather
Crosses Continent
(By The Associated Press)
Freezing temperatures stretch
ed across the coniinent today
as the cold wave reached the
eastern seaboard.
In addition to frigid weather,
i
snow, sleet, rain and fog were j
reported in many parts of the
nation.
Eight deaths were attributed
to the cold and snow in the mid
dle west and Rocky Mountain
region, where rising tempera
tures today brought relief from
sub-zero weather.
A mass of cold air sweep
ing down from Canada gave |
parts of California their coldest j
weather in eight years yester
day.
Virtually all of the plains
slates were covered with snow.
The temperature fell several
degrees below the freezing point
in Nw York City last night after
a day of unseasonable warmth.
Large Defense
Contract Let
Washington, Dee. 14.—(AP)—The !
War department awarded contracts
totaling $105,887,790 today for small
arms ammunition and for a new
plant at St. Louis to produce the
ammunition.
Officials said the awards repre
sented the largest single ordance
manufacturing project of the cur
rent rearmament program.
The plant will be built on a 134
acre site and employ from 10,000 to
12,000 persons when it starts pro
duction nearly a year hence,
Duke, Returning to
Miami After Meeting
President Roosevelt,
Says Talks Concerned
Naval Bases in West
Indies.
Miami Bcaeh, Flu., Dec. 14.—(AP)
—The first meeting in 21 years be
tween President Roosevelt and the
Duke of Windsor may have paved
the way for the former British king
to come to the United States next
year for first hand study of a New
Deal agency.
While 5he two talked yesterday
aboard the cruiser Tuscaloosa in Ba
hamian waters, the duke said he ask
ed the President "if after New Year's
he could make arrangements for me
to visit CCC camps."
Edward indicated the reply was
a cordial invitation and added he
"wouldn't be surprised" if he sees the
President again.
The dukev governor of the Ba
hama islands, has expressed deep in
terest in the CCC program because,
he says, he sees in it a possible aid
for Bahama islanders.
It was as governor that he flew
from Miami in a United States Navy
plane to keep a rendezvous with the
President, who is completing an in
spection of naval and air bases leased
from Great Britain.
"We discussed naval bases in the
whole of the West Indies," the duke
(Continued on Page Three)
Second American
Woman Now Held
In Nazi Custody
Washington, Dec. 14.—(AP)—The
United States embassy in Paris, the
State department said today, is mak
ing a determined effort to obtain the
release of Mrs. Etta Kahn Shiber,
the second American woman to be
taken into German custody in occu
pied France in the last two weeks.
Beyond the fact that Mrs. Shiber
was detained by German authorities
little was known here. The Paris
embassy was not able to determine
the nature of the charges against her
or where she was held.
On December 1 the State depart
ment heard that members of the nazi
secret police had <■' >s. Eliza
beth Deggan of Asheville, N. C., a
clerk at the United States embassy
in Paris. Maynard Barnes, embassy
charge d' affaires later located Mrs.
Deegan in a small hotel but officials
here did not learn whether sh° h*d
been released. In her case it was
understood, the Germans were inves
tigating accusations that she had
helped British officers escape from
:ccupied France.
British Move
Cautiously
In Advance
Cairo Reports More
Than 30,000 Italians
Surrendered to Brit
ish; In Greek-Italian
War Greeks Continue
Gains.
(By The Associated Press.)
Closely pursued remnants of Mar
shal Graziani's Egyptian invasion
army were reported retreating into
Libya today after futile rear guard
attempts to stop the British advance
east of the Egyptian-Libvan frontier.
Unconfirmed rumors were circulat
ed at Cairo that General Sir Archi
bald P. Wavell's advance units had
captured the Egyptian border post
of Salum and crossed the frontier,
driving Italians from Fort Capuzzo.
A spokesman said litt lo fighting
continued in the parched sands of
northwestern Egypt. The British
were believed to be moving up cau
tiously alonj the frontier, consolidat
ing far-extended positions and pre
paring to pounce upon any counter
thrust Marshal Graziani might at
tempt from Libya.
Military observers expressed doubt
that General Wavell would attempt
a major drive on into Libya until his
striking force was reorganized for
the next phase of the campaign.
Italian prisoners still were being
rounded up—their number only es
timated. Cairo sources said more
than 30,000 had surrendered.
Meanwhile, other Italian troops On
the defensive in eastern Albania near
Lake Ochrida were said to be put
ting up their fiercest resistance of
the Italian-Greek war in an attempt
to stem the Greek drive toward the
central Albanian base at Elbasani, 20
miles from Tirana, the capital.
At the opposite end of the Al
banian battlelront, the Greeks said
their troops were advancing toward
Chimara while inland forces near
Tepeleni were pushing another
wedge northwestward through the
mountains toward Valona.
Italian authorities refused to con
(Continued on Page Four)
Laval Out
Of Office
Marshal Petain Oust*
Laval From All Con
nection With French
Government.
Vichy, Dec. 14.—(AP)—Old Mar
shal Philippe Petain ousted Pierre
Laval, prime "collaborator" with
Adolf Hitler, from all connection
with the French government today,
but insisted it made no difference to
his avowed desire to get along with
Germany.
(Bern diplomats heard that Petain
had also ordered Laval's arrest)
Sudden decrees and a speech by
Petain, following a blackout of all
communication between France and
the outside world, disclosed that
former Premier Philippe Etienne
Flandin had replaced Laval as for
eign minister and that Hitler al
ready had been told about the
change.
Marshal Petain declared in a radio
speech tonight that Laval, who has
been both vice premier and foreign
minister, now is no longer a part of
the government because of "the in
terest of the country."
"It is for high reasons of interior
policy that I am resolved to take
this decision," said the old marshal.
"It will make no difference in our
relations with Germany."
It was Laval, the constant appeas
er, who initiated post-armistice col
laboration with Hitler by defeated
i France.