I1IIII'II'I'''II'IM""'?^4 _ _ COUNTY. NOMH CAROLINA. FRIDAY, JANUARY IS, 19S9 NUMBER THIBTT-SIX
VOLUME TWENTT-NINI > __ ,
? '? ' 1 - 1 i ? ? 1111 . 1 ? " ? ?1 . ?1 ? 1 - . 1 i. ' ? ' ?
I , .
Two American Envoys
Think Europe Headed
Toward Early Warfare
...I- ...
Kennedy and Bullitt tell
Congress New World
War Is Inevitable.
Washington, Jan- 10. ? General
European war before summer over
Italy's demand for French colomes
was predicted today by the Amen
can ambassadors to France ^Grea*
Britain in secret testimony before
Congressional committees w _
weigh President Roosevelt s $2,000,
000,000 national defense program.
It was learned from an ummpeaeh;
able source that Joseph
ambassador to the Go
James, and WiUiam C. BdH*.
baasador to France, informed a joint
?!^tive session of the House and
Senate Military Affairs
that they believed a general conflag
ration inevitable.
?licy formulated jointly with Great
SttZn at the Munich meeting with
^y and Italy, the source said
and believed that despite the cun?
British doctrine of "peace at any
price" the Chamberlain government
PwiU 'be drawn into the war as the
natural ally of France.
The extraordinary joint
the committees was held as ?
Roosevelt prepared to write
tional defense program mes**g
whfch he said he will not send to
Congress before Thursday. The mes
sage will outline naval and shore
facilities and the urgent necessity of
increasing the aation's military air
strength.
The appearance of Bullitt and
nedy before military affairs commit
tees was unusual. Ordinarily, diplo
matic reports by American envoys on
international politics are made before
the Congressional committees0!! ^
eign affairs. In view of the Presi
Ss rearmament plans however,
their testimony was -g-"
ficant, since it lent weignv
Chief Executive's recent
that the Munich conference had not
"S?E?-W generei aspect,
of European polite Wore the ?m
mittees, the envoys were said to have
detailed events leading to the Munich
inference, at which France and
Great Britain agreed to the dismem
berment of Czechoslovakia as pro
posed by German Chancellor Adolf
Hitler. It was then they emphasized
that the "appeasement" policy is
doomed to failure.
'Steeping Death'
Proposed As El
ocution Solution
sleep" before they are executed at
North Carolina's central prison ap
peared yesterday as legislators pre
pareT to consider a bill which would
substitute electrocution for esphyx
i*Goverw>r Hoey disclosed that the
possibility had been proposed, ana
Surt he believed "it is worth looking
v into."
The Governor's statement was
m?^? shortly after he had conferrea
with Warden Hugh Wilson and Chap
lain E. C. Cooper of central prison
on the pending electrocution bill.
J , menp to the Gmmti Aa
aaM, (wt w-k. tha GwmwW
msted that the law-makers consider
a? State AmU
siet triritj as an agent of capital
ZZSLlrt. The Aawwhly
sobatituted lethal gas for electricity.
Both Warden Wilson and Chaplain
Cooper believe that ^yxiation u
more hi"1*"* than electrocution, the
Governor said. p ^
*It was their. opinion, he saifl,
?that the procedure which precede
slsctroeution?the shaving of a man i
J^jSTSmptaf of the etee
***?. hb skul ? is more horrible
other hand, *b? Go****
jJJ^pTaMbe opinio^that elec
ton, urtfin b more humane."
iTlL Issuing dMath" propoea^, fc
adopted, cot^b^w^,
House Body Cits
WPA Relief Find
To 725MiHions
Seven Democrats and
Four Republicans Vote
Reduction of 150 Mil
lions.
Washington, Jan. 10. ? The first
committee of Congress to act upon
any part of President Roosevelt's
new spending program today slashed
$150,000,000 from the fund he re
requested for WPA and revolted
against his order placing WPA ad
ministrative employes under the civil
service.
An appropriations sub-committee
composed of seven Democrats and
four Republicans recommended to
the House that it appropriate $752,
000,000, instead of the $875,000,000
which Mr. Roosevelt had requested,
to operate the WPA until June 30.
Whether the administration would
make an active fight on the House
floor to restore the slash was not
disclosed immediately. Such a course
would risk an initial test of strength
there which, if it went against the
President, might be more damaging
to his prestige than the sub-com
mittee's action.
Mr. Roosevelt made plain at a
press conference, however, that he
still favored the larger sum.
He asked a questioner to try to
figure out how many persons would
be thrown off WPA rolls as a result
of the reduction; and when a re
porter suggested 50,000, he contend
ed that was probably all wrong. He
suggested that the reporter check
again.
In Human Terms
In his position, the President de
clared, he had to think not only in
terms of dollars, but in terms of in
dividual men, women and children?
and he felt this was an important
factor.
The WPA appropriation which the
sub-committee sent to the full com
mittee contained a provision ..de
signed to nullify an evecutive order
which members of Congress said
would otherwise blanket 31,300 ad
ministrative employes of the work
relief ' rganization into the civil ser
vice c ? February I.
It provided simply that the ap
propriation should not be available
to compensate the incumbent of any
position placed in the civil service
after January 10.
The civil service order had aroused
furious controversy. Citing charges
of politics in relief, Senator Vanden
berg (R-Mich.) had declared that in
stead of throwing the gangsters" out,
the administration was rewarding
them "by life tenure in their rocking
chairs." Administration supporters
on the other hand, declared that the
order was designed to end politics in
relief by making any one who abused
his post subject to civil service pen
alties.
Besides voting to block the civil
service order, the sub-committee
wrote into the bill a requirement
that the $725,000,000 be made to last
the full period to June 30.
The sub-committee members re
fused to say afterward how they had
voted.
Republican View.
Representaive Taber, the ranking
Republican member; announced, how
ever, that when the bill came up for
consideration in the House, he would
propose that only enough money be
appropriated to operate the WPA un
til April 7,
"I propose to suggest," he told re
! porters, "that in the meantime a com
1 plete and careful study be made of
1 the situation and a definite^ program
be laid out for the government to
> follow in providing honest and effi
' cient non-political relief."
1 Taber declared be always had op
P posed WPA money "because I have
> known always that it has been spent
f jin an incompetent, reckless and inef
ficient manner."
The full appropriations committee
1 probably will make a recommepda
* tion on the bill to the House Thurs
day. House leaders hope to begin
[ debate on the floor the same day
1 and to pass the measure by Friday
i Th'y ?
WW? ?vi *-? ' ? ]
Last Ritas Are
Held For Highly
Esteemed Woman
~ ?
Mrs. Ida Wooten May
Passes At Age of 81
Years.
Mrs. Ida Wooten May, 81, widow
of the late Alfred May, a highly es
teemed woman of this section and one
of the oldest citizens of Pitt County,
died in a Greenville hospital, Mon
day afternoon, at one fifteen o'clock
following an illness of several weeks.
Funeral services were conducted
from the ancestral homestead of the
| Mays near Farmville, Tuesday after
noon at three o'clock, by Rev. C. B.
Mashburn, Christian minister, and
Rev. Jack R. Rountree, Episcopal
rector. Interment was made in Hol
lywood cemetery beneath a handsome
floral tribute. A choir, composed of
Mrs. C. R. Townsend, Mrs. Alton W.
Bobbitt, Mrs. J. L. Shackleford, C. F.
Baucom and E. C. Holmes sang
"Abide With Me" and "Nearer Myj
God To Thee."
In his tribute to Mrs. May as a
personal friend of many years, the
Rev. Mr. Mashburn referred to her
mental alertness and remarkable ac
tivity, her sagacity, strong convic
tions and Christian faith, which were
marked characteristics and attributes
by which she was sustained through
out her long and useful life.
Surviving" are two daughters, Mrs.
W. A. B. Hearne, of Greenville, Mrs.
D. S. Arnoys, of Newark, N. J-? tw0
sons, A. A. and E. W. May.of Farm
ville; nineteen grandchildren, two
great grandchildren, and a brother,
Spencer Wooten, of Durant, OWa
Mrs. May, born August 12,-1857,
was the daughter of the late Shad
erick and Mary Murphey Wooten, a
descendant of prominent pionee^ fam
ilies of this section. She was mar
ried to her late husband on October
12, 1875 at the age of eighteen. She
was a faithful member of Emmanuel
Episcopal Church, having been con
firmed in early girlhood.
Active pallbearers were: L. W,
Godwin, J. M. Stansill, Luby Bundy,
Sam Tugwell, William Beaman and
Sam Hobgood. Honoary: Dr. W. M,
Willis, John T. Thorne, Charhe^ Wal
ston, W. A. Pollard, Jr.. B. S. Smith,
John T. Bynum, Walter Hobgood,
Sara Lewis, Ben Weaver, E. L, Bar
rett, J. H. Harris, Dr. Paul E- Jones,
J. L. Shackleford, W. J. Rasbeny, T.
W. and R. O. Lang, C. L, Gates,
Blaney Strickland, Mr. Stocks, Siney
Carr, Harold .Sugg Askew, John B,
Lewis, Dr. W. I. Wooten and Dr.
Armistead, of Greenville,
WPA In Slate
CutsOff 7,010
Rolls Fall From Record
High of 58,000 in First
Week In December.
... ? '
Raleigh, Jan. 10. - North Caro
lina's WPA rolls have been cut from
the all-time peak of 58,000 the first j
week in "December to approximately
51,000 State Administrator George
W. Coan, Jr., said yesterday.
Coan said he did not expect much
change in the rolls before April.
There is no indication yet as to what
course will be followed after that
time. j .1 c ?
The reductions were carried out u?
the various areas of the State at the
rate of approximately two per cen
a week for the weeks beginning the
first of this month.
Before the peak of 58,000 was
North CmoW. iwvjM?
high had been approximately 48,000,
reached during the first quarter of
1936* -
U. S. Navy Is Seeking
Men For Air Training
??I 1
In an effort to build up a strong
Naval reserve aviation force, theju.
Si Navy has Issued a call for ywmg
college-trained men who desire flight
training at various air stations in
^FivTqMdifications are requirejlof
applicants: He_mnst be an American
citizen, unmarried and between tu
and 28, of sound physica1 ronditJcm,
including a minimum height <% nve
feet, six inches and a minimum
weight of 182 pounds and must have
perfect vision without aid of glasses
He must have a college education,
but those who dropped^out shorty*
sut^P^t p?
Building^Baleigh.
, ? g4-$iv fka larsrest in '
i
. ? ?
nffilflTBny ill lTTllltr**' ??? I
(Hugo S. Sims, Wuhington Corres
pondent.)
DIPLOMATIC IMPASSE.
WAR NOT INEVITABLE.
OUR INTEREST IN CHINA.
TRADE PACT IN FRANCE
MUST BUY IF WE SELL.
GERMANY'S AIR FORCE
Diplomatic relations between the
United States and Japan have reach
ed the point where war is inevitable
if both of these powers insist upon
what they consider their rights. The
Japanese proclaim a "New Order" in
the Far East, under which Japanese
have superior rights to other powers,
regardless of thejr treaties with
China and Japan. The United States
rejects this thesis and reserves all
rights, refusing assent to any impair
ment of them. So far as the ex
change of notes is concerned, the
clash could not be more complete.
This does not mean, of course, that
war is about to break out between
the United States and Japan. It does
mean very emphatically, that if the
United States attempts to uphold its
rights in China by force that war
fare will result unless Japan aban
dons the present course of conquest.
If the United States, in support
of her diplomatic position, resorts to
other measures, such as extending
financial aid to China, putting an
embargo on the shipment of goods to
Japan, or prohibiting the sale of Jap
anese goods in this country, war
might be averted, but only if the Jap
anese accept the conditions without
resort to force. It may be taken for
granted, we think, that if any meas
ure of the United States becomes ef
fective enough to impair the Japa
nese ^campaign in China, the danger
of a conflict will be great.
While the United States has not
the commercial investment in China
that Great Britain has, it is a mis
take to assume that our interests in
the Far East are less than that of
the British. For generations, the
United States and China have been
on extremely friendly terms and mis
sionary activity in China has given
the people of this country great in
terest in the Chinese, Transcending
the material interests is the concern
of the United States over the con
tinued successes of aggressor na
tions, which flout treaties and the
rights of other powers? thus leading
the world to a day when force, and
force alone, will become the arbiter
of national developments.
It is possible, of course, that the
United States may follow the course
adopted in 1983, when Secretary of
State Henry L, Stimson reserved
American rights in Manchuria after
Japan had completed her conquest of
that area. Diplomatically, we have
refused to recognise the new status
in Manchukuo and while Japan has
systematically interferred with the
commercial rights of Americans in
the new state , the American Govern
ment has permitted the matter to
rest. If this course is followed in
regard to the other parts of China,
the Japanese will not be concerned
with the American attitude nor care
(Continued on page 4)
Doctor Held Up
6n 'Mercy' Call
Dr; D. W. Rnffinof Pink
Hill Kebbed of Car and
- $300.00 in Cash and
Cheeks.
? ?
Kinston, Jan. B* ? Dr. D. W. Ruf
fin of Pink Hill was robbed of* his
automobile and $300 in cash . and
checks by . a man who held him up
.last night. Kinston and State police
joined Lenoir and Duplin County au
thorities in a search for the robber
today.
The physician said a stranger ask
ed, hiin to-go-with him "to-Ms-home
in upper Dhplin County to treat his
sick baby." They set out in the doc
tor's. ear. En mute, the stranger
said, the infant was very Rl. At a
point below the line between Lenoir
and Duplin counties, he stuck a pistol
in the physician's ribs and drtnand
ed money. Ruffin was forced to get
out of the car, after which The man
drove away.
The car was found today in woods
some miles from LiddeH, .
J?' """ye* *
Pink Hill by a farmer near whose
Metost^ear.
Record
Paris and London
IMM 111 Miii
terraaiaa Issues
.?-? -v'*3>*- ? .* j
Paris, Jan. 10. ? Prime Minister
Chamberlain today pledged Great
Britain to support France in her
firm refusal to give in to Italian
clamor for part of. France's Mediter
ranean empire.
The two democracies strengthened
their cooperation - to counter the
Italian-German menace to their com
mon life-line?the ship route through
the Mediterranean and the Suez Ca
nal
British and French statesmen, how
ever, were understood to have left a
way open to prevent tension in the
Mediterranean between France and
Italy from reaching a deadlock?un
less Italy is determined to force the
issue.
Some well-informed political lead
ers said the French government
would be willing to.meet Italy at a
Mediterranean conference table with
all other countries bordering oh the
great inland sea for complete settle
ment of all Mediterranean problems.
Chamberlain and Viscount Hall
fa*, British Foreign Secretary, con
ferred with Premier Daladier and
Foreign Minister Bonnet, then left
Paris for formal appeasement con
versations with Mussolini in Rome.
After the brief conference?sand-,
wiched between the arrival of the
British statesmen's train and their
departure for Rome ? the situation
appeared to be:
France will not give an inch to
Fascist agitation, which Daladier has
described as "blackmail," and, will
refuse to let her personal quarrel
with Italy be brought before a'con
ference where Germany or Britain
would act as mediators.
In this she has Britain's absolute
support and Chamberlain will tell
Mussolini so.
If Italy Is willing, however, to
thresh out the - entire Mediterranean
situation, France will be willing to
join a conference of Mediterranean
nations which would include Spain,
Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey and
Egypt,
The Paris conference in effect
served notice on Mussolini that the
two democracies stood firmly togeth
er. . t .
Britain's position was announced
earlier by Bonnet. The meeting be
tween the Premiers and their foreign
ministers merely confirmed it. The
outcome of the talks was so certain
that the communique telling of the
closeness of British and French
viewpoints was inadvertently mark
ed: "To be issued after tea."
It had been written by the British
on the train before they reached
Paris. 1
To Hold Mission
I WookjNao. 29
Rev. Jack R. Rountree, rector of
Emmanuel Episcopal Church, has an
nounced a preaching mission to be
held here for a week beginning Sun
day evening, January 29, at 7:30
o'clock, with Dr.' Mortimer Glover,
rector of St James, Wilmington, as
the evangelistic speaker.
The rector and congregation join in
extending a cordial invitation to the
entire community to attend tire ser
vices, which will be held daily at 2:30
in the afternoon and at 7 ;30 at night
The purpose of the mission, as slat
ted by the Rev. Mr. Rountree, is not
to be held in the interest of the Epis
copal church alone, but through pray
erful preparation and coordinated ef
fort is meant to serve as a medium
through which the voice of God may
speak to the entire community, and
is to be. a, season, for-the quickening
of faith, and of inspiration to a fuller
and more jojtoils Christian service on
the part of all people here. \ v
Four Persons Fined
On Wliiskey Charges
Wilson, Jan. 10. ? Four of five
persons arrested over the week end
on liquor violation charges were con
victed in Recorder's. Court_ yesterday
and fined by Recorder McLean. Bach
received a suspended road sentence;
also. ? ? ^.aJ'* ? " j.
Detective P. K. Hartis* one of the |
raidersk said that the places raided
dhiefly were little "nip joints" who*
liquor was spld By -the drink and
where there never was a very large
amount of it on hand. Several gal
lons of liquor were captured id the
IllSslirS
_ j it, . . ?
GMgriain
Opens Talks
Wlth_Mussoli?i
Conversations Begin as
Responsible Fascists
Declare That Italy's
'Natural Aspirations'
Can be Satisfied With
out Territorial Claims.
Rome, Jan. 11. ? AuSioritative in
dications that Italy may accept sat
isfaction of her "natural aspirations"
without claiming any French terri
tory appeared tonight after a' one
hour and 40 mirtute appeasement talk
by Prime Minister Neville Chamber
lain of Great Britain and Premier
Benito Mussolini.
Responsible Fascists, including Vir
ginio Gayda, whose Giornale dltalia
usually serves as II Duce's mouth
piece, said that Italy's revisionist
claims in their final form contain no
menace to any European or African
power.
The 69 year old Chamberlain,
Striving to push forward with his
badly-buffeted program of European
appeasement, made an open plea to
night for "a just and peaceful solu
tion" of Italy's demands and all other
European issues by means of nego
tiation rather than threats of force.
' Chamberiain revealed in a banquet
speech that Britain and Italy yester
day began an exchange of military
! information, here and in London, un
der the terms of the two-month-old
Anglo-Italian pact of friendship.
Military Clauses.
It was the first disclousure that
military clauses were contained in the
pact
"I have come here in pursuit of
the policy for which I stand?a policy
of friendship with all and enmity
with none?and that policy is directed
to a just and peaceful solution of in
ternational difficulties bf the method
of negotiations," Chamberlain said.
' -His statement was made at an ex
travagant banquet given at Venice
Palace by Mussolini in honor of his
t British guests, Chamberlain and
[British Foreign Secretary Viscount
Halifax.
During the banquet, Chamberlain
placed a final, seal upon the recon
ciliation of Britain and Italy and
} British recognition of II Duce's Ethio
i opian conquest by raising a glass of
wine in a toast to King Victor Em
, manuel as "Emperor of Ethiopia."
J In the summer of 1936,. Britain anu
Italy were close to war because of
ithe Italo-Ethiopian conflict and the
! British massed their fleet in the
I Mediterranean.
"I raise my glass to His Majesty,
the King of Italy and Emperior of
Ethiopia, and to the continued wel
fare and prosperity of the people
over whom he rules," Chamberlain
said eloquently.
> Nearly 1,000 guests joined Cham
berlain in. his toast.
Previously, the Prime Minister had
paid tribute in his speech to "the
powerful and progressive new Italy"
risen under Mussolini.
Editor Attributes Cure
To Faith Healer's Work
Kinston, Jan.-10. ? George Albert
Jones' sinus trouble has been cured,
he said today.
Jones is editor of the Snow Hj?
Square Deal, a weekly which "shoots
at deviltry from the pulpit to the
penitentiary." He is not religious
His neighbors used to call him the
Irrev. Mr. Jones." He studied the
Bible f6r years searching for in*
consistencies."
Recently the sinus trouble "gave
him fits," he said. He had a conr
stant headache. He took a keg of
anti-pain tablets."
In the home of Jones' sister there
was casual mention of a faith healef
in the. neighborhood, "one Sine
Hamed, from Syria or Egypt or somf
place." Miraculous cures were at
tributed to Hamed. :
Jones was skeptical but went to
see Hamed. "He sAid he could stop
the pain," the editor said, "and stop
it he did. There has been no sugges
tion of a headache since Hamed want
to work on me. He used orflyfidtiu
I am beginning to believe he effected
a permanent cure. Mind you, before
1 called on Ua I ? in pain'prac
tically all Sfc tbne." . ? i
? - ? "zi
Pitt County Plans
Big Celebration Of
President's
Eli Joyiter, Jr., To Serve
As FarmviUe Chair
man; Committee Met
Tuesday To Lay Plans.
The Pitt County committee in
charge of the annual celebration of
President Roosevelt's Birthday, met
at the Proctor Hotel in Greenville, on
Tuesday evening at seven o'cloek to
make'ftl ana for the observance of the
event in Pitt County, which will again
be in the form of a dance to be held
on Monday evening, January 30, in
the campus building of East Caro
lina Teachers College.
Hoover Taft, chairman of the Pitt
committee, presided and introduced
the following chairmen, who were in
attendance and represented their re
spective towns: David W. Mosier and
Marion 0. Blount, Greenville; J. R.
Taylor, Ayden; George Jeffereon,
Fountain; Eli Joyner, Jr., Farmville.
The committee decided to hold an
informal dance at the College with
music by the College orchestra. The
entertaining program will include a
floor show and one of the many
features will be the personal appear
ance of a new movie star.
A revue by beautiful girls, under
the direction of Miss Ramona Staples
and specialty numbers will enliven
the evening, and a high spot of the
floor show will be the Jitterbug and
Little Apple contests. Other features
assure an evening of fun and enter
tainment for those in attendance.
As is the custom, proceeds from
the celebration "of the President's
Birthday Ball will be- used in the
fight against infantile paralysis,
with fifty per cent being retained at
national headquarters for research
work and the other half returned to
the respective counties for local work.
Young Greenville
Boy Jailed For
ThreoteniogLottor
Failure to Get Note Un
til Past Deadline Kept
Intended Victim From
Acting.
. Greenville, Jan. 10. ? Paul Hill,
Jr.,* 16, of Greenville, was lodged in
the city jail today on a charge of at
tempting to extort $600 from Graham
Flanagan, well-known business man
and member of 6 prominent local
family. ? , .
Hill will be given a preliminary.
hearing Wednesday before United
States Commissioner Nellie A. Paul
at Washington, N. C.
Chief of Police George Clark to
night revealed how he and members
of the Charlotte division of the Fed
eral Bureau of Investigation "broke"
the case, following a secret investi
gation that began early in August.
A letter was sent to Flanagan's
business establishment while he was
away on a vacation in August. When
Flanagan returned and found the let
ter, it was turned over to the Green- .
ville police chief, in that the date
had expired for him to act in accord
ance with the instructions.
Flanagan was instructed to leave
$500 at -a home which was being' re
novated on East Tenth Street. The
house is situated directly behind Hill's
home. . The note said: "I want no
njarked money and no police inter-. ^
ference." It demanded that the
money be left at the home at mid
night.
In the letter to Flanagan, son of
former Senator E. G. Flanagan, it
was asked: "How would you like for
something to happen to your chil
dren? How would you like for your
place of business to be blown up?"
Chief Clark said the note declared:
"I would hate to-instruct my men to
proceed with these threatB."
After being taken into cusfcxfer ,by
the local .police chief, and federal
agents, Hill was instructed to make
a duplicate of, the original letter,
which was printed in capitals. Chief
Clark said that words misspelled in
the photostatic copy were also spell
ed incorrectly in the duplicate.
Before' doing additional writing,
Hill confessed: "There's no need for
me writing any mors. I sent the
letter to Flanagan. I didnt mean to
harm anyone. I just-wanted to make
some easy money."
a The youth was convicted recently
of breaking and entering. Sentence
was suspended upon condition that
the defendant-remain of good be
havior for two years. This was th