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Mmtitersmt Baily Bispafrlj
ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN THIS SECTION OF NORTH CAROLINA AND VIRGINIA
fWl
i NTY-SEVENTH YEAR
LEASED WIRE SERVICE OF
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.
HENDERSON, N. C., MONDAY AFTERNOON, DECEMBER 16, 1940
PUBLISHED EVERY AFTERNOON
EXCEPT SUNDAY.
FIVE CENTS COPY
France's Fale Hangs In Balance
_ ^ „ v v ^ v . V V 3C X X X X X » 1
British Drive 'Well Across* Libyan Border
Bad Weather
is Impeding
British Push |
{Lilians Admitted To
Be Still "Holding,
Strongly Fortified Po
sii 'cm Around Salum"
Aftfr Fierce Fighting.
i It*.—(AP>—Vanguards
m's ;irmy in the western
> well across" the border
! >va. a general hcadquar
r.:e reported todav at
of the second week of
• . I • • .• drive.
iiis. however, were admit
• '.! "holding strongly forti
• around Salum." Egvpt
• o miles east of the fron
• cast sector, where heavy
■ _ - been going on for three
i t'-roe nights.
A.* -it'iig yesterday almost
v • -ugh dust storms. British
• v >aid to be forging ahead
S ...r.-Fort Capuzzo-Bardia
y in rain. The communi
d weather was still caus
: visibility.
T • I: ' n high command report
■jilting both in Libya anc
wi»h heavy casualties in
:he British attackers.)
• may impede the British
• :t is not expected to stop
ctrcics said* the British
• keep the Italians on the
i he desert rain might cause
• The advance is expected
..in any case, however.
(Contorted on Page Four)
Traffic Deaths
Are Fewer
.Ate. Dec. 16.—(AP)—The
fat! 1 highway accidents in
■ Carolina over the week-end
drop as compared with the
Saturday-Sunday periods,
three were reported.
•* -T Anderson. 23. of Fayette
killed near there when a
- ' out of control and crashea
; * ■ « ravine.
- Ballard, INT. C. State College
was killed near Newton, his
' -'.vn. when struck by an au
Browster Grant. 27. Mocks
ycr. was killed in an aufo
accident at a Kanntpolis
' itu'section.
New N.A.M. Head
Walter D. Fuller
Walter D. Fuller, Philadelphia pub
lisher, has been elected head of the
National Association of Manufac
turers. He was elected at the
N.A.M. convention at the Waldorf
Astoria in New York.
Bloom Urges
British Aid
Chairman of House
Committee Would Re
move All Legal Ob
stacles to Giving Help.
Washington, Dec. 16.—(AP)—The
elimination of all legal obstacles in
the way of expedited aid to Great
Britain was urged today by Chair
man Blcunt, Democrat, New York,
of the House foreign affairs com
mittee.
Bloom outlined his position as the
capital awaited the return of Presi
dent Rooesvelt, who is expected to
give thorough study to all recent de
velopments bearing on British aid
when he gets back to his Vesk.
The questions which await Mr.
Roosevelt's decision range from di
rect financial assistance to a trans
fer of more destroyers and the im
plied request for outright naval as
sistance which Lord Lothian, the
British ambassador, made in a speech
delivered a few hours before his
death last Thursday.
The President's preoccupation with
foreign affairs in which British aid
is an important element was indicat
ed by the remark he made in a brief
talk to patients at the foundation for
infantile paralysis at Warm Sprnigs.
Georgia.
He told them he hoped to be back
for two weeks next spring "if the
world survives," and his words re
called the prophetic utterance on
(Continued on Page Fo«ir>
Greeks Take
Important
Positions
I
Italian Officers Re
ported Killed as
Greeks Drive Italians
From Strongly De
fended Albanian
Heights Position.
Athens, Doc. 16.—(AP)—An Ital
ian general and a colonel were re
ported killed today when Greeks
stormed an important position which
fascist forces were trying desperate
ly to hold.
The Italians were said to have
fled, leaving Tinny dead.
This was on > the southern front
where the Greeks are driving toward
Valona, one of the three remaining
Albanian ports in Italian possession.
"In this sector our troops scored
I another great victory by storming
and occupying another height which
the Italians defended with a gen
eral and a colonel at their head." one
report said.
"These two senior officers with re-j
volvers in hand induced their men;
to defend the position. However,
both officers were hit in the breast
and Uied.
"Their death was the sign for a
wholesale retreat and abandonment
of the height. After occupation of
the height our soldiers found the
bodies of Italian senior officers."
In a fierce new drive from Pog
radetz toward Elbasani, in central
Albania, Greek mountaineer regi
ments were reported to have smash
ed through massed Italian reserves
for large gains.
Dispatches from that battlefront
said the Greek offensive which had
been held up by storms and zero
temperatures was resumed over the
week-end with greater gains.
The Greeks said Italians attempt
ing to counter attack were "repell
ed and dispersed in such a way as. to
lose contact with the bases from
which they started."
CANADIAN FREIGHTER
BOMBED OFF IRELAND
New York, Dec. 16—(AP)—A for
mer Italian freighter seized by
Canada after the crew attempted to
scuttle her in the St. Lawrence riv
er wireless today that she "was be
ing bombed by enemy aircraft" off
the coast of Ireland.
The vessel is now the Bic Island.
On the day Italy entered the war last |
June 10 her crew ran the vessel
ashore in th St. Lawrence river near
Bic Island, from which her new name
I was derived.
Five Millions In Federal Road Money
May Be Scorned By State Authorities
—. 1
Dauy Dispatch nureau, j
In th« Sir Waiwr HoteL |
Bv HENRY AVERILL
I)cc. 16.— Believe it or
• if is a strong possibility that
v.'ite of North Carolina will
I've million dollars of Federal
• '>ney which normally would j
liable tor highway construc-i
'•'iring the 1941-43 biennium.
• almost unprecedented refusal j
■ p' IT. S. help will come about,
there is a change in the pres
'iook. because of the niggardly
"jjative policy Congress seems
• i to adopt about building the
" national defense" roads.
• tan Frank Dunlap of the
•'•<>' Commission, Governor
1 K. Hoey and members of the
■ " :!mission are not getting up
p boxes to tell the world about
i«: they do not hesitate in pri
) -ay flatly that unless the cen
^"vernment assumes the finan
•uici"n of building the defense
•' -vs. it will be better for the
to ret use to jnatch Federal
for that purpose.
' ' say frankly, too, that there
present evidence that Congress
'i- to make up any sort of that i
Close investigation, includ-)
' P> by high-ups to the national:
' »!. has failed to reveal to State |
i- t.nv favorable sign. So far
(-•••'! be learned, there isn't even
drawn, or considered, any Fed
;j;l! to change the present road
- method, which calls for the
; to match every Federal dollar
t!; one of its own.
' 'I": these circumstances, the
thority are known to feel that il
would be better for the state to keej.
the five million it would have to pul
up to match Federal funds during the
next two years. There is a strong be
lief that the state system could be
more adequately served by spending
that much on projects chosen by the
State than by the ton million which
would go into State-Federal road.'
for "defense."
And so, unless there is a market:
change, the highway appropriation:
made by the 1941 General A^semblj
will not contain any funds earmark
ed for general cooperation with the
Federal government in road building
Normally each year's road fund;
contain three types of Federal aid
In the first category are the "re
gular" Federal funds which the State
matches dollar for dollar and whici
are spent upon projects initiated bj
the State, but approved by the Fed
eral road authorities.
This is the money which will prob
ably not be "earmarked" in the com
ing legislature. Under existing Fed
eral appropriations, the State will ge
for the fiscal year 1941-42 a Federa
fund $2,672,689 for the "general'
road program. Ordinarily, the legis
lature would vote an equal sum spe
cially to match this. This time, how
ever, it is planned merely to include
ii as additional state money for roae
construction. Then, if the Federal:
finally decide to build the defens<
road.; at their own expense, the gov
ernor, or highway commission, car
allot funds to match Federal mone^
for the usual "general" progran
uiohr-nv '"Vmmission dc
sires.
If. as seems likely, the Federals
stand fast and ask the States to pay
half of defense highway construc
tion, North Carolina can ignore them,
take its own money and build the
roads the Highway Commission feels
will fit most beneficially into the Tar
Heel system.
An added indication that the cen
tral government will stand fast is
the specific singling out by President
Roosevelt of roads and highway con
struction as activities in which;
drastic economy "cuts" can be effect
ed. In other words, it seems unlikely
that the President will recommend
that the Federal government assume
entire cost of defense roads.
Of course the State will continue
to accept, if the Federal government
will allow it to take part and leave
part of the program, the funds usual
ly granted for secondary roads and
for elimination of grade crossings.
The first item for 1941-2 amounts
to $348,612 and the second to $754,
. 096. The secondary road money must
; be matched by the State, the grade
[ crossing funds are put up entirely by
' the Federal government.
The 1942-43 Federal funds which
■ j would normally come to North Car
olina haven't been figured out, but
the entire Federal appropriation to
[ aid in state road building will be
;• $137,000,000 as compared with $160,
- [ 000.000 for the year 1941-42.
On that basis, it is easy to figure
i that North Carolina's share would be
•! about twelve and a half per cent
(Continued on Page Four)
From "Down Under" to Fight on the Desert
Leaving their train in the desert during a sand storm, Australian troops in Egypt set out to pitch their
camp. These are among the men who have routed the Italian forces in the successful British drive against
the Fascisti. Sand storms occur frequently where the forces are figthing.
p i * nn T"*
r ood ohips 1 o Europe
Duce May
Be On Skids
Stewart Says Hitler
Seems Glad Over
What May Be Musso
lini^ Finish.
By CHARLES P. STEWART
Central Press Columnist
Washington, Dec. 16.—Probably it
wouldn't be quite correct to say that
Herr Hitler is outright glad of the
evidently very serious situation in
which Signor Mussolini is beginning
to discover himself. He doubtless
would have preferred Italy as a Ger
man asset rather than a liability.
Nevertheless, state department in
formation from competent observers
in the midst of events across the At
lantic strongly hints at the conclu
sion that the fuehrer at least is glad
of what looks like Benito's finish as
the fascists' duce.
The impression in Washington is
that Adolf considers his axis partner
a hopeless bungler and wants to in
stall a new management of his own
in Rome as speedily as possible. Pre
sumably it will be nominally an Ital
ian management, but entirely subject
to his dictation.
Assuming that this guess is a good
one, it manifestly will be to Adolf's
advantage to see Benito go into the
discard in a hurry, and the frantic
effort that the latter has been mak
ing lately to put some ginger into
his military, naval and aviation com
mands decidedly suggests that he
fully realizes how precarious his po
sition is.
And it's surmised that Adolf fer
vently hopes Benito is right about
it. If the duces overthrown, the fueh
rer obviously will have to have the
Italians think that they themselves
capsized him. Then he can squeak in
to control surreptitiously, direct the
country's policy under cover and
maybe make it genuinely helpful to
the nazis without letting it know that
he's doing the manipulating. Con
trariwise, if he gives Benito a con
spicuous shove the Italian people will
be apt to resent it as outside inter
ference, making them less amenable.
Internal Rumblings.
That, it's supposed, is why Adolf's
choice is an internal Italian revolu
tion to dispose of the duce rather
than an overt move on his own part
to turn the trick. That he's doing his
best to stir up anti-Mussolini senti
ment in the fascist peninsula is deem
ed much more than likely—but very
covertly.
What becomes of Benito, Adolf ap
parently doesn't care; it's immaterial
to him whether the fascists kill him
or chase him into exile or any other
old thing, provided he's completely
eliminated.
.Stories arc current 10 the effect
Champ Recruiter
I Elaine Bassett
|
Elaine Bassett is fast becoming
known as the champion recruiter of
i North America. From Dallas, Texas,
i this winsome lass is the original of
the Canadian Join-the-Army post
ers. Her face did so much good
there, it has been selected to per
form a like service for Uncle Sam.
She is the daughter of a Baptist
minister.
that the fuehrer never did like the
duce. When they met initially Benito
already was a full-iledged duce, and
going strong, whereas Adolf was just
in his incipiency as a fuehrer, and
accounts are that the former patron
ized his yis-a-vis overpoweringly. It's
the other way about now. So per
haps there's something personal be
tween the two. Had Benito turned
out to be a capable junior partner,
the chances are that Adolf would let
bygones be bygones. Benito has fiz
zled, though.
Of course the duce's censorship,
which still is effective, even though
its boss is in a peck of trouble, pre
vents much news from getting out of
Italy. Reports do leak out. however,
of a deal of anti-Mussolini activity
there, even to the point of sure
enough disturbances, especially in
the c6untry's northern area, which j
was as pro-fascist as the southern i
provinces.
Germany Pleased.
It's noticeable, too, that German
censors are pretty free in passing
these rumors from the nazi realm,
hinting that Berlin doesn't object to
their dissemination. If not, the fact
tends to strengthen the belief that
the nazi regime isn't averse to fur
ther warming up the spot that
Benito's seated on.
The rank and file of Germans cer
tainly make all kinds of fun of the
Italians' showing against the Greeks
and in northern Africa. Dispatches
from Berlin emphasize this detail,
and the censorship o. k.'s 'em readily.
Apparently it isn't that the Ger
mans want to unload Italy (though
Germany and Italy traditionally
weren't particularly good friends'
with one another), but that Adolf,
wants to unload Benito. Then he [
wants to Germanize the Italians. It'll
be a queer mixture, if he can do it. j
Red Cross
To Send Two
T entative Arrange
ments Completed for
Relief Shipments to
Spain and France.
Washington, Dec. 16.—(AP)—The j
American Red Cross has made tenta
tive arrangements to send food ships
to hungry Europe, one to Spain and j
the other to unoccupied France, it
was learned authoritatively today. j
Actual departure of the ships de- I
pends cn a successful outcome of ne- j
gotiations in progress between the!
United States and British govern
ments, and the prospects there were
considered good.
While unwilling to exert pressure j
on the British government for a gen
era lifting of the blockade, the State
department, it was learned, is seek
ing permission for a ship to proceed ,
to Versailles with a cargo of con-!
densed milk and concentrated vita- j
min products for children in unoccu- j
pied France.
The British government has ruled
;ut any relaxation of the blockade ;
for food shipments to countries oc- j
cupied or dominated by Germany, j
blocking proposals for a large-scale |
American relief program in conti- j
nental Europe.
Seeking a continuance of Spain's ;
neutrality, however, Britain has j
granted permits lor some food ships j
from South America to Spain, where ,
need is already acute, and is under- 1
stood to be willing to sanction, the j
projected $1,000,000 worth of food-1
stuffs from the United States.
US&aJJwi
FOR NORTH CAROLINA.
Showers this afternoon and
tonight; colder in south and west
portions tonight; Tuesday partly
cloudy and colder.
*7 SHOPPING DAYS
/ LEFT
,^X1??Iacoua§
Otto Abetz
Expected To
Meet Petain
Gremany Withholds
Comment on Ouster of
Laval, Now Reported
Held With Leaders
Awaiting "War Guilt"
Trials at Riom.
Born, Dcc. 16.—(AP)—The fate of
conquered France's Vichy govern
ment and possibly even total nazi
occupation of her soil was believed
here today to depend on how the
axis takes the week-end upheaval in
the cabinet of Chief of State Philippe
Petain.
Hitler's representative in Paris,
Otto Abetz. was expected in Vichy
today to talk with Petain. according
to diplomatic reports reaching Bern.
Berlin's approval of the ouster of
Pierre Laval as vice premier and
foreign minister may hinge on what
the French chief of state tells Abetz,
observers said.
Sources here said that Laval, at
first reported under guard in his
own home, now was rumored to be a
prisoner in Chautau de Pellevison
along with the republican leaders
who faced "war guilt" charges in the
impending Riom trials which Laval
himself advocated.
Authorized sources in Berlin said
that the Laval dismissal came as a
surprise and that until the German
government has been fully informed
of what it means the German press
will not even report that Laval is out.
A special reason for Germany's
reserve, they said, is that France has
made only a truce with Germany and
peace has not yet been re-established.
Sheffield
Is Victim Of
Second Raid
London, Dec. 16. —(AP)—Ger
many's night raiders bombed Shef
field, English steel center, last night
for the second time in less than a
week.
Official sources in their first re
ports said only that bombs "fell in
the Sheffield area."
Sheffield was attacked heavily
last Thursday night and victims of
that raid, buried alive in raid shel
ters. were still being rescued early
today.
Royal air force planes struck at
the Berlin area with "prolonged at
tacks" during the night, while wTiat
was at first identified only as an in
dustrial region in the north of Eng
land was receiving German's blows.
In the first reported activity of tho
new day a German plane machine
gunned a town in East Anglia this
morning.
Planes were also reported near
Liverpool.
In Berlin, the German high com
mand reported that four persons
were killed and twelve wounded in
British air raids on Berlin last nf»ht
and the command also acknowledg
ed some damage. A communique said
some houses were damaged and two
hospitals hit, while a surburban rail
line was "temporarily disturbed."
Smaller Use
Of Fertilizer
Is Foreseen
Daily Dispatch Bureau.
In the Sir Walter Hotel.
Raleigh, Dec. 16.—Any decrease in
tonnage of fertilizer sold in North
Carolina will unbalance the State
Department of Agriculture's budget,
according to D. S. Coltrane, assist
ant to Commissioner W. Kerr Scott.
There exists, too, the very serious
possibility that there will be such
a decline. Coltrane writes in the de
partment's biennial report, soon to be
released by the printer.
"In all probability the fertilizer
tonnage fo> the next biennium will
not equal that of the past two years,"
he said. "If the tonnage should drop
there is a probability of our receipts
for the next .two years falling short
of expenditures. In our opinion Jhe
reserve in the agricultural fund is
about as low as it should be."
The assistant commissioner cited
the lact that the department has
(Continued on Page Four)