North Carolina Newspapers

I 0 « ******** ^* * • »**»•<#»♦ *-^*-*** "KEEP FAITH ^ \ll/^US—\ Ifytgym^l WAR BONDS Southern Pines, North Carolina Friday. September 7, 1945. TEN CENTS Col. Stuart Wood Is Safe and Well After 3 Years In Japanese Prison Local Man, Taken At Bataan, Hopes Be Home Soon RIGHT THERE Col. Stuart Wood, after more than three years as a prisoner of the Japanese, is in fine health and good spirits and is hoping to see his family soon, according to a message received by Mrs. Wood Saturday from the War Depart ment, which quoted Col. Wood as above. This good news followed short ly after the receipt of informa tion of Col. Wood’s safety, which was contained in the following message from the War Depart ment: “The Secretary of War desires me to inform you that your hus band’s name appears on a list of personnel at Camp Hoten Muk den, Manchuria, dated 26 August received from the American Camp Commander. You are invited to submit a message not to exceed twenty-five words for attempted delivery to him. Message should be addressed to casualty branch, Agonroo, 3641 Munitions Build ing, Washington, D. C. E. F. Whit ing,'acting the adjutant general of the Army Hoten Mukden 3641.” From a friend in Chungking came this message: “Officers from Stew’s camp, say he is well and healthy. Should be out soon.” Col. Wood was captured when Bataan fell to the Japanese in the spring of 19‘^2. Mrs. Wood had had no direct word from him since last March, when she received a letter written several months previously. Later she was noti fied by the Red Cross that he had been sent to Camp Hoten Muk den, the same camp from which General Wainwright was rescu ed. No details were immediately available, but it is presumed that Colonel Wood now is in China. On November 19, 1942, Colonel Wood was awarded the Distin guished Service Medal in absen tia by the War Department for “rendering invaluable service through the Philippines cam paign.” He was in the Philip pines for medical attention when the war with Japan began and he immediately offered his ser vices. His knowledge of the Jap anese language enabled him to assist intelligence officers in questioning prisoners and exam ining documents from which the command obtained comprehen sive and accurate information of the enemy. Colonel Wood was sent to the United States Embassy in Tokyo in the summer of 1938. His wife, the former Mary Sutton of Fay etteville, accompanied him. Mrs. Wood had traveled in the sec tion of Manchuria where her hus band was interned by the Japan ese. She received her husband’s Distinguished Service award at her home in Southern Pines, (Continued on Page 8) Count on North Carolina and Moore County to be where things are happening. Among the men aboard the USS Missouri when the Jap anese envoys arrived to sign the final surrender docu ■ menits that officially ended the war with Japan were four North Carolinians, one of whom was a Moore^ Coun ty boy, Howard C. Sheffield, seaman second class. USNR, of Carthage Route 2, accord ing to a release from aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. James M. Rickart of Greensboro Is Drowning ‘ V ictim After 4 Years Naval Duty in Pacific Man Is Lost at Lakeview Attorney General To Pass On School- To-Lunch Driving Moore Schools Ask To Use Busses To Drive to Cafeterias GOOD SCOUT James Marshall Rickart, 23, of Greensboro, veteran of four years of naval duty in the South Pac ific. was drowned about 7:00 a. m. Sunday §t Itakeview when the boat from which'he ws fishing capsized. According to the information obtainable, a party had come down from Greensboro for fishing and were getting ready to begin their sport when Rickart got in a boat and rowed out a distance from the pier alone. The next thing the other members notic ed, the boat had capsized. After efforts to rescue the man by diving had failed, the Fire Department in Southern Pines was called. Mr. Kaylor, chief, be ing unable to respond, turned his equipment over to Police Chief Ed Newton, who carried it to Lakeview. The body was recqver- ed from the water by means of grappling hooks, about two hours after the accident. Efforts at re suscitation failed: A native of Tennessee, Rick art went to Greensboro about ten years ago- He was released from the Navy a few months ago and at the time of his death was em ployed at ORD. His mother, Mrs. James Rick art, his wife, and small daughter, Jean Rickart, reside in Greens boro, where funeral services were held. An opinion from the Attorney General’s ■ office determining whether it will be permissable for Moore County to use school busses to transport students to school cafeterias of the county if the schools they attend do not of fer eating facilities is expected within the next few days. y A Moore County delegation headed by H. Lee Thomas, super intendent of schools in the county, appeared before the transporta tion committee of the State Board of Education a few days ago and asked permission to use two school busses at Aberdeen, two at Carthage, and two at Robbins to transport students from the high schools in those towns to the corresponding elementary schools, which are equipped with cafeterias and which are on op posite sides of the towns from those in which the high schools are located. According to the delegation, the Moore County School Board is willing to appropriate enough county funds to pay all of the expenses of extra transportation, including insurance. The group pointed out that many children who live too far away to go home for lunch mere ly walk to the nearest drug store or soft-drink stand and make a lunch of a sandwich or crackers and a “coke”. The transportation committee agreed that jsuch a meal was not sufficient or proper for a growing child. The transportation committee sbught the advice of Assistant At torney General H. J. Rhodes, who promised that he would discuss the matter with Attorney General Harry McMullen upon his return from a vacation, and that an op- pinion on the matter would be forthcoming soon. All of the school lunch rooms in the county are recei'-ing Fed eral aid in the amount of seven cents per lunch where milk is not served and nine cents if milk included. With this help, the cafeterias are able to serve good nutritious meals to the children at the low cost of ten cents each. Free lunches are served to chil dren unable to pay. Belvedere Hotel Here Is Now Under New Management Reed and Heeler Are Lessees; Hockett to Go to Florida Soon Hodgkins Is Named War Finance Head N. L. Hodgkins, president of the Citizens Bank and Trust Com pany, Southern Pines, has been appointed, permanent chajrnaan of the Moore County War ^nance Committee, it was announchd^ to day by C. T. Leinbach, chairman of the North Carolina War Fin ance Committee. Hodgkins suc ceeds Shelby CuUom, formerly of Pinehurst, who recently moved to Fayetteville. Hodgkins will be responsible for encouraging the sale of E, F and G Bonds, and U. S. Treasur- ary Savings Notes, during the period between the War Loan Drives, and will cooperate with and assist E. C. Stevens of Sou thern Pines, who is campaign chairman for Moore County, through the period of the Victory Loan Drive, which is scheduled to begin October 29 and run through December 8. “We are Very fortunate in se^ curing Mr. Hodgkins’ assistance in this important work,” Mr. Lein bach stated, “and I feel sure that under his able direction Moore County will continue to do its part in this phase of the war ef fort. While our enemies have now surrendered, a large amount of funds are still needed to supply our boys overseas, as well as bring them back as early as pos sible.” PFC. ROBERT B, LEWIS Pfc. Robert B. Lewis of the 405th Infantry, 102nd Infantry Di vision, has been awarded a cer tificate of Merit “in recognition of conspicuously meritorious and outstanding performance of mili tary duty” in the European Thea ter of Operations. The certificate, which Pfc. Lewis sent to his mother, Mrs. Bruce Lewis of Southern Pines, reads: “Pfc. Lewis performed his du ties as scout from 28 October 1944 to 8 May 1945 in a highly ex emplary manner. Despite i,itense enemy fire, he advanced fearless ly over shell swept terrain, well ahead of assault units, to seek out the enemy and report their loca tion to his superior, thereby con tributing materially to the suc cessful operations against the en emy. His courage and devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon himself and the military service. Charles E. Woodruff, Lt. Col.v^OSih, Infantry-, Command ing.” Pfc. Lewis gradmated from Sou thern Pines Higli School and at tended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before his enlistment ih the Army. Pinehurst-Southern Pines Airport Is Leased to Major Burwell, Army Flyer Resort Section May IN TOKYO BAY Col. Gone Speaks To USO Group On Post-War Activity Lt. Col. W. W. Cone, Individual Service Division at Camp Mack- all, spoke informally Thursday evening, Aug. 30, before the oper ating committee of the Southern Pines USO concerning plans for the near future at Camp Mack- all. The meeting, called and di rected by Walter G. Kelly, direct or of the local organization, was held in the USO building. Col. Cone’s .comments dealt chiefly with the contemplated arrival of the 13th Airborne Division. Plans for the entire division returning to Camp Mackall have been can celled, the greater section to go to Fort Bragg. However, about eleven hundred troops are expect ed at Mackall by the latter part of September for redeployment and trainingrTie said, with a pos sibility that this number may be increased. Duration plans for any USO Club, Mr. Kelly told the operating committee, depend upon the post war status of the camp or camps it serves. Although many eastern clubs are being discontinued, those on the west coast continue actively, and new clubs are still being organized in the South Pa cific and ^ in Japan. The USO policy is to remain open for ap- proxim^ately a month after the closing of any camp it has served. He urged the committee to con sider post war plans in regard to / (Continued on Page 8) Labor Day Here Is Quiet Celebration The first peacetime holiday weekend since 1941 found South ern Pines a deserted town as most residents filled their tanks with coupon-free gas and headed for the mountains or seashore on Not Indiistry, Says Two Injured in Wreck North of Southern Pines Enterprise Needed Not Industry, Says Harriet iL^erring Moore Countyjs need of enter prise, not industries, was empha sized bV Harriet 1^. Herring of the Social Science Research Institute, University of Worth Carolina, when she spoke to the Sandhill Kiwanis Club Wednesday. “You have evejpything except enterprise,” Mliss BJerring declar ed. “The county ii abundant in raw materials; labcA will soon be plentiful as released^ war work ers and returning veterans seek employment; and theiCe is capital, or “venture money”, t to be had for the asking.” Considering some sp hfic en terprises that might I under taken, Miss Herring men onid the An important change in hotel management in Southern Pines took place last Friday evening with the arrival of Robert Brook Reed and William D. Hector, who have leased the Belvedere Hotel, which had been under the man- agemnt of W. E .Hockett for about a year and a half. Both young men have had con siderable hotel experience, Reed with the Palmer House in Chi cago, and Hector with the Brook Cadillac in Detroit, and both have served with the Armed Forces, Hector as a major in the Eighth Air Force, and Reed as a private first class in the infantry. With Reed are his wife and young son, Robert, Jr. In an interview with a repre sentative of this paper they out lined their plans, which provide for a continuation of the policies which have made the old estab lished Belvedere an outstanding commercial and family hotel of the resort section. They plan to refurnish the building and replen ish its stock as rapidly as war time scarcities are overcome. The Belvedere was sold by Frank Welch to Sidney B. Allen, J. Addison Smith and W. E. Hockett, of Greensboro, in March 1944, at which time Hockett as sumed the management. Desiring to retire, he sold his interest to his partners, and they, operating as the Belvedere Hotel Company, leased it to the new operators. Hockett will remain until the 15th of September, after which date he plans to make his hortie in St. Petersburg, Fla. The building has been greatly enlarged since its acquisition by Frank Welch in 1917. It was the home of the post office from 1905 to 1938, and of the Broad Street Pharmacy for many years. The new lease does not include the William E. Bushby. 2L E M 3|c, USNR, of Southern Pines, is serving on the heavy cruiser QUINCY, which is part of the Pacific Fleet com ■ pleting the first stages of the occupation of Japan, says an official release. Under the operational con trol of Admiral Halsey, the QUINCY is helping take ov er control of the Nip's big naval bases. The QUINCY took part in the victory at Normandy and was in the Task Force that bombarded Japan in July. Elderly Man Di^s Following Crash In Southern Pines George Bellingham of Florida, Apparently Little Hurt, Collapses Have Plane Service Before Fall Season tread-smooth tires. , _ Those who remained celebrated processing of frozen f( ds as a quietly, relaxing on the golf course, at local lakes, or just soak ing up the September sun in their own backyard. The bank, post office and most places of busi ness were closed on Labor Day, some giving their employes an extra long vacation with Satur day thrown in, also. The shows were packed all weekend, and Monday night the outside of the theatres was as packed with cars as the inside with people. Official V-J Day, proclaimed by President Truman on Sunday, struck a somber note in the holi day festivities. No special ser vices were held in local churches other than regular services in which were incorporated V-J Day thanksgiving. her that oods abil- ,the QPENS COLONIAL INN POPE ON VACATION Grover Pope, operator of Pope’s Cafeteria here, has closed shop for the month of September to go to Florida for a month’s vaca tion. Pope’s Cafeteria, operated as a restaurant until August 15, is the first cafeteria in the Sand hills. Mrs. George Burns, who re cently returned from a vacation in Steubenville, Ohio, has reop ened The Colonial Inn on New York Avenue for the fall and win ter season. CREDIT WHERE DUE In the rush to meef Ihe deadline with cutlines last week, credit for the Seaboard train wreck photos was over looked. Those on the front page were by ihe U. S. Signal Corps, mats courtesy of the Greensboro Daily News, and the inside picture Was by Kenneth Epps of Southern Pines, mat from the News and Observer. Raleigh. Thanks, friends. great business of the futiYre said that California’s pr industry was greater tha fresh produce market, an^ processing of locally grown for market would have a izing effect on the economy county. • Another resource that sho be developed is Moore Count; forest. Miss Herring said, whe: waste should be utilized. “AroUn 30 per cent of each tree cut wasted. Instead of shipping lum ber away from this section, man ufacture should take place right here, saving expensive transpor tation.” She listed agencies where ex pert advice could be obtained, and urged that Kiwanians begin work at once investigating the possibilities of these and other enterprises. Copies of a 32-page report on “North Carolina’s In dustrial Opportunities”, which Miss Herring has just compiled for the State Planning Board, were distributed. The report con tained graphs showing the in dustries of the state and the rank of counties in industry, popula tion, and agriculture. (Miss Gray Medlin, daughter o: Dr. and Mrs. E. M. Medlin o: Aberdeen, gave some delightful! recitations. The first was a com edy dialogue by Oscar Wilde, followed by a poem by Rupert Brooks, and for an encore, and airy ditty. ON VACATION \ A. G. Edwards, Seaboard ticket agent in Southern Pines, is en joying a two weeks’ vacation this week and next. Two local persons, Mrs. Frank Maples and the Rev. T. E. Davis, were injured in a head-on colli sion on Highway One in front of Johnston’s Service Station here Tuesday, shortly after noon. No cause for the accident has been given. The Chevrolet driven by Mrs. Maples, and the Plymouth sedan operated by Mr. Davis were both badly damaged. The car victims were immedi ately taken to the Moore County pies, who suffered lacerations of Hospital for treatment. Mrs. Ma- head as well as internal injuries, is still at the hospital, her condi tion reported slightly improved Thursday morning. Mr. Davis, who had a number of lacerations about the face and neck, was re leased Tuesday evening to return home where he is confined to his bed. Legion Auxiliary Meets The American Legion Auxiliary will meet at the home of Mrs. Hoskins 9 West Conneqti ^venue, Tuesday, September p. m. Joyce Palmer and McDonald who attend- te in June, will give ind the delegates to the Invention in Raleigh will ,ard P. Hassell. lUary. 1944• had itor and book- PILOT. re ign effective the re- and. Sgt. from arrived k after and ith a 'Second in a series of Labor Day weekend mishaps was the death of George Bellingham, 79, of St. Petersburg, Fla., following an automobile accident on Highway One in the southern edge of town Sunday around 11:40 a. m. Cause of the accident is not known, but County Coroner R. G. Frye ventured that Mr. Belling ham, who, according tq his daugh ter, had had heart trouble for many years, probably suffered an attack while driving, momentar ily losing control of his car, which crashed into a mud embankment and turned over. The police officer investigating the wreck said that Bellingham was all right immediately after wards. He and his passenger, Os car Barton, also of St. Petersburg, who was riding to Frankfort, N. Y., with Mr. Bellingham, got out and were examining the damage to the 1940 Oldsmobile coupe by the time the police. arrived, and Mr. Bellingham had just pointed to a bruise on his leg as his only injury when-he collapsed to the ground. Death was immediate. Barton continued north Sunday night, and Mr. and Mrs. R. E. J-ones of Frankfort, Mr. Belling ham’s daughter and son-in-law, arrived here Monday night to make arrangements for moving the body to Frankfort. Funeral services were scheduled for this afternoon at 2:30 at the home. Mr. Bellingham was a native of England, where he married and had two children before moving to America. Since the death of his wife, he had been dividing his tiihe between his two daugh ters, Mrs. Allen Hill of St. Peters burg whom he had been visiting, and Mrs. R. E. Jones of Frank fort. He is also survived by four grandchildren. Vacation Over As 340 Go to School Summer vacations ended for 340 school children here Wednes day when Southern Pines gram mar and high school doors open ed for the fall term after a three months’ recess. The ninth grade, or freshman year in high school, had 41, the largest number of pupils, which was unusual for a high school grade according to Principal Philip Weaver. The 340 that enrolled this year were 10 less than the enrollment figure for 1944-45, Mr. Weaver said, with 30 less students in the elementary school and 20 more in high school. Books were issued the first day to elementary pupils, while high school students made out their schedule of classes. Thursday, books were issued to high school ers, and the elementary school met for half a day. Today was the first full day which began with assembly in the auditorium for the entire student body. The PinehurstSouthern Pines Airport, formerly Knollwood Field, was leased to Maj. Lewis C. Burwell, Jr., veteran army fly er, by the Moore County Com missioners at their regular meet ing Monday afternoon in Carth age. The commissioners acted on the recommendation of the airport committee who conducted a hear ing last Friday morning in the Carthage courthouse, where the three applications that had been submitted up until the time of the hearing were reviewed. The proposal made by Major Burwell was accepted as the one that would utilize the facilities of the local field for the greatest benefit to Southern Pines and Pinehurst. Major Burwell has promised to assume maintenance cost of the field and to begin work at once establishing plane service between large eastern cities and this section in time for the fall season. "Resort Airlines" Major Burwell proposes to ex pand the airport within the year if expansion is warranted. An other feature of his near-future plans is the procurement of a franchise to operate an airline, proposed as the “Resort Airlines”, from New York and Chicago areas here during the season. This would not interfere with any plane service already established since it would run only during the winter months. Immediate plans for the air port, which Major Burwell al ready has underway, includes getting at least two light (cub type) aircraft for instructional purposes, and three Cessna, twin- engine aircraft, with seats for the pilot and four passengers, for charter service. Major Burwell intends to main tain facilities for transient air craft for the State and later for a wider territory. A veteran of 3,000 flying hours in Pacific skies. Major Burwell is at present stationed at Laurin- burgrMaxton AAB but expects to get his release from the army very soon. Originally from Char lotte, his wife and family are making their home in Pinehurst. Committee Reappointed At the commissioner’s meeting Monday, the Pinehurst-Southern Pines Airport Committee, com posed of D. G. Stutz and Howard Burns of Southern Pines, Rich ard S. Tufts of Pinehurst, S. H. Miller of Carthage, and L. R. Rey nolds of Robbins, was reappoint ed to serve during the five-year term of the lease which is now being drawn up by M. G. Boyette, county attorney. The committee has served since 1935 when Knoll wood, then only a few years old, was enlarged. The name of the airport was also changed from Knollwood to Pinehurst-Southern Pines Airport by unanimous consent of the commissioners. Other Proposals One of the other two proposals submitted came from two mem bers of the army personnel now at Knollwood: Lieut. Thomas Mather Roberts, army superinten dent of Knollwood, and Sgt. Ben jamin Albert Gilliland, who has been chief clerk for the adminis tration of the field since the army assumed control. The other proposal was from (Continued on Page 8) County Civil Court To Begin on September 17 The September term of Moore County Civil Court wilj convene in Carthage Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, September 17-19, with Judge J. H. Clement presid ing. The calendar includes 48 cases with the heaviest day on Monday when 29 cases will be heard. The Ark Begins Fall Term On October 3 Mrs. Millicent Hayes returned Friday from New York City, and will open The Ark school on Oct ober 3, in preparation for which she will be available mornings through September for registra tion. Enrollment was good last year and prospects are bright for a good year ahead. Included in the faculty will be Miss Fannie M. Clark, who holds an A. B. degree from Ohio Wes leyan and an M. A. from Colum bia University. Miss Clark, for a number of j"ears, has been teaching Latin, mathematics, English and art. Mrs. Maxwell Gray will be in charge of kindergarten and play ground supervision, and Miss Mary Webb, of primary classes and handicraft, Mrs. Hayes an nounces.