Single Copy 5c
NUMBER 10
VOL. 26
SELMA, N. C, THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1943.
U. S. -Built Staff Car. First in
:m,; '
t . . COLUMBIA BBWPIWl.
WiQ the capture of Benghazi, after the whirlwind drive a Chevrolet ttaff car. Note camouflage netting rolled up
acroM the deserts of western Egypt into Libya, the United on top of the car. Military insignia on the car. wnsaroo
Nations' troopt quickly established miliury control. Here and boomerang on front fender would indicate tnat Uf
the vanguard hands over the city to officers who arrived in officers were of the Australian forces. , r
JAPANESE CONVOY DESTROYED
SUNK, 15,000 MEN KILLED
Major Disaster Inflicted On the
Japs In Bismark Sea; 55 Ene
my Planes Shot Down While
- Allies Lose Only One Bomber
and Three Fighters; Entire
Convoy Wiped Out By Con
' tinued Air Attacks.
' General Mac Arthur's Headquarters,
Australia, Thursday, March 4. Allied
planes battering a big Japanese con
voy bound for New Guinea have turn
ed the engagement into "a major dis
aster for the enemy," with a total of
10 enemv warshiDS and 12 transports
-sunk or sinking, Gen. Douglas Mac-
.Arthur, announced today.
v "The battle of Bismark Sea now is
aeciaea, xne noon corarauniqu-issue
at United Nation's1 headquarters said.
"We have achieved a complete Vic
tory. cumpieiciicaB was oircii an w
assume the' proportions of a major
disaster for the enemy. His entire
force was practically destroyed."
Credits Providence. ;
Fifteen thousand Japanese ground
troops on the vesse were drowned or
killed, "almost to a man," the official
announcement said, and 55 enemy
planes were shot out of action Tues
day and yesterday.
"Merciful providence guided us to
this victory," MacArthur commented.
The convoy included 10 warships
described in the communique as cruis
ers or destroyers, escorting the 12
transports. The entire fleet represent
ed a total tonnage of approximately
90,000 tons.
"All are sunk or sinking," the com
munique reported.
The big convoy, one of the largest
ever sent against New Guinea by the
Japanese, was sighted Monday north
of New Britain Island. It was ad
vancing behind a weather front that
prevented MacArthur's American and
Australian planes from attacking.
Tuesday, however, Flying . Fort
resses and Liberators took off through
tropical storms and trapped the con
voy north of Cape Glouster, on the
southwestern tip of New Britain and
about 150 miles from its destination
at Lae, the Japanese base on New
Guinea's north coast.
Early reports had, placed the size
of the convoy at 14 vessels, but to
day's communique, based on informa
tion from late-returning ships at 22.
Joined by Other Ships.
It said the convoy as it was orig
inally sighted consisted of only 14
ships, but was joined yesterday af
ternoon by eight other vessels. ,
All categories of Allied planes
roared to the attack yesterday, driv
ing blow after blow at the enemy
vessels as they sought to escape,
probably to Lae, the direction in
which they were headed.
"Ship after ship was again and
again hit with heavy blows from low
altitude," the communique said. "The
enemy air coverage became weaker
and weaker and his forces more scat
tered and dispersed, and finally his
remnants, isolated and bewildered,
were gradually annihilated by our
successive air formations as we sent
them into combat" ... '
The Allied losses in the decisive en
gagement were exceptionally light
One bomber and three fighters were
shot down. A number of other planes
were damaged, but were able to re
turn to their base. ,.:if
"Our decisive success cannot fail to
have the' most important results on
the enemy's tactical pl.nsV the com
munique said. "His campaign, for the
E being t least, is completely d,s-
Thconvoy battle followed closely
rt. heels of warning issued
DrMs Monday that the J.P
2esiwere reinforcing their pontoons
Panicky Nazis
London, March 2. - "The
Germans in France are ex
pecting an early Allied land
ing and are ; becoming pan
icky," the escaped French
Senator Andre Maroselli said
today.
Maroselli has joined the
Fighting French national
committee of General Charles
de Gaulle in London after
fleeing from France.
"I am sure if a landing
could take place before the
youth of France have been
sent to Germany, there would
be an uprising which would
-fcnrrise the 'weiM.'jIarosellt:
He also told a press confer- i
ence that the Petain. "myth
has collapsed completely and ;
today he (Petain) is only a
bust on the mantlepiece."
Maroselli said an effort is
being made to mobilize 250,,
000 workers for the Reich by
Pierre Laval's police man
hunts in which a factory is
surrounded and all workers
are arrested and compelled to
. leave immediately for Germa
ny. ' ,
"The people are living most-1
ly on turnips and spinach," he
said, describing France as a
country of desolation and fam
ine. ':'.;; ''," :
MONEY ALLOTTED
TO PRESBYTERIES
Increased activity resulting from
war conditions impelled the home
missions committee of the North
Carolina Presbyterian Synod, at a
meeting in Greensboro, to prorate
among the nine Presbyteries in the
state $10,404.06 special emergency.
The Albemarle, Wilmingon and
Fayetteville Presbyteries were allot
ted more than the others because
emergency needs were deemed to be
greater in these defense areas. ' L -
Th committee also distnoutea j,-
199 in regular appropriations for
various enterprises in the synod.
It decided to hold its annual synod
wide evangelistic campaign beginning
April 1, 1943. The fifth annual pre
avnod home mission conference will
be held in Red Springs the first week
in September. V
JAMES W. SUBER
PROMOTED TO SGT.
C.amn Wheeler. Ga.. March. 1 The
nromotion of James W. Suber from
nmnrnl fn tie rank of Sereeant was
announced recently at the infantry
replacement training center, wrap
Wheeler, Ga. Sgt Suber is the son of
Mr. and Mrs. It E. Suber of Selma.
He was a school teacher before en
tering the Army.
along the northern perimeter of Aus
tralia, from Timor to the Solomons.
At that time a headquarters spokes
man warned that the Japanese, al
though they mieht be makimr defense
arrangements, could be preparing for
a grand-scale action against tne Al
lied positions to the south.
It was within a few hours after
MacArthur had made that warning
in a communique that reconnaissance
planes, flying through hase and murk
over the Bismark, Sea, sighted the en
emy ships bringing at least full di
vision to attack the Americans and
Australians , now in command of a
large section of New Guinea.
Benghazi
- 22 SHIPS
Funeral Services Held
For Mrs. H. M.Hocutt
Funeral services for Mrs. H. " M.
Hocutt, 37, who died in an Asheville
hospital, Thursday morning, Feb. 25,
were held at the New Bethal Baptist
Church near Garner at 3:00 on Satur
day afternoon, Feb. 27. The services
were conducted by the Rev. I. K.
Stafford of. Buie's Creek, the Rev.
Frank Fisher of Hampton, S. C, and
Rev. Garland Hendricks of Knight
dale, N. C. "' C,v;f?-::Vv '-: U-
Mrs. Hocutt was the wife pft the;
Rev. H. M. Hocutt, who is pastor of,
ai t i t in -fn w.
UK neeu luemunaKoapuoi vmurcit in
faithfully: and "efficiently J with 1 Tier'
husband in the work of the church. At
the time of her death she was super
intendent .of the Junior Dept. of the
Sunday school of the church. She was
also leader of the Junior and Inter
mediate Girls Auxiliaries and of the
Y. W, A. In adition to this she work
ed regularly in the Business Circle,
the W. M. S. and took an active part
in the Training Union of the church.
Apart from her work in her own
church, Mrs. Hocutt was Young
People's Leader for the W .M. U.
work in the Buncombe Baptist Asso
ciation. Before going to Asheville
about two years ago, she was Young
People's Leader for the Bryson City
Division of the W. M. U. work in the
State.
For the past three summers Mrs.
Hocutt, has served as director of the
G. A. House Party at Ridgecrest for
the Western part of North Carolina.
There ! were in attendance at these
meetings about 300 to 400 girls.
Mrs. Hocutt was a graduate of
Buie's Creek Academy, Buie's Creek,
N. C, Western Carolina Teachers
Cbflege, Cullowhee, N. C, and also
attended . the Southwestern Baptist
Theological Seminary, -Fort Worth,
Texas.
Surviving are her husband; her
mother, Mrs. D. H. Stancil of Garner,
the Rev. R, T., Stancil, pastor of the
Baptist Church at Garner; D. Hadley
Stencil of the U. S. Navy, located in
Wilmington, and William Shirley
Stancil of the Coast Guard in Nor
folk. Va.
The deceased was a niece of Editor
M. L. Stancil of TheJohnstonian-Sun.
i:.;tv,
Kivanians Hear Talk
On Tuberculosis Control
Mr. Webster, representing the
North Carolina Tuberculosis Associa
tion, addressed the Selma Kiwanis
club on last Thursday night as part
of a program now being carried on in
an effort to organize an association
for Johnston county. Prior to coming
to Selma he addressed the Smith
field Kiwanis club on the same sub
ject
Mr. Webster mentioned the great
progress being made by the State As
sociation which has proven an im
portant factor in arresting the spread
of this treacherous disease. He said
there are at present 127 known active
cases of this disease in Johnston, and
also mentioned the improvement made
in sanitary conditions at the tubercu
lar ward at the County Home where
such cases are cared for, He said
there were 21 deaths from tuberculo
sis last year. -
Prior to Mr. Webster's address.
Program Chairman Howard Gaskill
made a short talk on the word, "Ki
wanis," and what it stands for.
Miss Naomi Wood spent the week
end in Four Oaks, the guest of her
sister.
Local Workers Plan
For Red Crops' Drive
Slogan Is: -With Every Real
- American Giving" How Red
Cross Work Is Financed.
Millions of American furnish the
funds to carry on the work of the
American Red Cross. These funds are
received as membership dues result
ing from the annual Roll Call or from
special drives as in the case of the
War Fund. It is a rule of the Red
Cross that 100 per cent of the reve
nue derived from benefits be turned
over to the Red Cross with no ex
penses deducted. All Red Cross ac
counts are audited by the War Dept.
and a report, copies of which are
available to the public, is submitted
annually to Congress.
Workers for the Red Cross are not
paid, all workers for special drives
and local work' volunteer their time
and services. Will you give ? If not of
your, time, Give your Money!
. Your dollars may be responsible
for:
(1) Conducting Blood Donor Serv
ice. .-. (2) Furnishing emergency medical
supplies and equipment.
( 3 ) Making surgical dressings for
military and naval hospitals.
(4) Training military and naval in
structors in Red Cross First Aid.
f(5) Providing recreation and enter
tainments for the sick and wounded.
And many, many other services the
Red Cross is providing through out
the nation daily. . .
Beginning Wednesday, March 10th
through March 13th Saturday, a War
Fund Drive will be put on in Selma
Township. Already supplies and tags
are on hand and the local chairman,
Mrs. Richard Lewis, with the aid of
Johnston County Vice President of
Red Cross, Mrs. C. E. Kornegay, has
made definite plans toward this drive.
A, full report of all workers, Scouts,
teachers and other volunteer workers
will be published in next weeks John-
stonian-Sun.
.i-Have your dollars ready and by the
end of the War Fund Drive let every
Selma Citizen be seen proudly wear
ing a Red Cross Tag a symbol that
he is helping win by giving!
, National Red Cross Quota
$126,-
000,000
i Selma Township Quta J2;O00.00.
SPECIAL MEETING
A special meeting of all workers is
scheduled for Tuesday night, March
9th at 8 o'clock, with the Mayor, the
Selma chairman, and others present
for discussing and setting up final
details of the drive to begin the fol
lowing day. Be present for your in
structions and let Selma go over her
quota in a big way!
MRS. RICHARD LEWIS,
Selma Township Chairman.
Charlotte Man Says Nice
Things About Paper
Mr. Hubert A. Womack, brother of
Messrs. Ernest and E. W. Womack of
Selma, in writing to his brother, Mr.
E. W. Womack, has some nice things
to say about The Johnstonian-Sun.
We are reproducing a paragraph con
tained in the letter: "The Johnstonian
Sun is well gotten up. It. would do
justice to any town ten times the size
of Selma. I , was glad to get it. I
notice the subscription is only $1.50.
Suppose you put me down for a sub
scription and pay for it out of the
enclosed check." Mr. Womack hand
ed Editor Stancil a check for a five
year subscription. The Charlotte man
is manager of the Southern Fruit
Company and was a resident of Selma
for many years. We appreciate these
kind words and trust he will enjoy
reading the news from his old home
town.
Miss Whitaker Invited
To Speak At Smithfield
Miss Elizabeth Whitaker of the
Selma school faculty has been invited
to review the book "Latin American
Circuit" Wednesday evening. March
10, at the Methodist church in Smith
field. The book to be reviewed is the book
of the year for Mission study in the
church. Latin America is a timely
tonic in this era of world emergency.
Miss Whitaker has made a special
study of the countries of Latin
America in their varied phases of
economic, social, and political life
and she should be able to give an in
teresting synopsis of the book with
valuable additions.
Mrs. Page Returns
From Hospital
Mrs. Ernest Page, who has been un
dergoing treatment at Duke Hospital.
Durham, for some time, has returned
to her home here, much improved, her
many friends will be glad to learn. All
of her children visited her during her
illnesa. Amonr those coming from a
distance were Ivey Page and Argo
Page, of Newark, N. J.. John Page,
of New Orleans', and Theo Page, of
Camp Hoxey, Texas.
Autoists Are Placed
Under 'Honor System'
Dr. Robert G. Lee will speak next
Sunday morning at 8:30 over WPTF
and WBIG, Greensboro.
Dr. Lee is pastor of Belleview Bap
tist church in Memphis, Tenn. He is
the author of several widely read
books; is past president of the Bap
tist State Convention of Tennessee,
and ha3 served in many important
places in the Southern Baptist Con
vention. He will, begin a series of
three sermons next Sunday. The first:
"Gaining God As Ally." Second will
be on, "From Death to Life Through
Christ." Third, "Paying the Price to
Follow Christ."
Larger Consumers Get
Cut In Electric Rate
At a meeting of the board of com
missioners of the Town of Selma,
held on Monday night, March 1st, it
was decided to make some changes in
the electric power and light rate in
the town of Selma, as follows: ,
LIGHTS TKe original rate M 10c
hehargedaji cpsr
26 to 75 K.
10 per cent dis
count, which is also the old rate; 76
K. W. H. and over, 30 per cent dis
count, which is 10c per K. W. H. less
than the old rate. Minimum charge
of $1.00 stands as it was before.
COMMERCIAL POWER First
1000 K. W. H. 4c per K. W. H. for
the number of kilowats used, whereas
it was formerly 5c per kilowat for the
first 500 K.W.H.; second 1000 K.W.H.
has been cut f jom 4c per K. W. H.
to 3 l-2c per K. W. H.; all over 2000
K.W.H. will remain at 3c per K.W.H.
DOMESTIC RATES Combina
tion light and power, must have one
major appliance, $1.50 service charge,
whereas this charge was formerly
$2.00; all over 100 K. W .H., 2c per
k .w .h. ;:.;v:.-..;-
Selma Kiwanis Club
Given Wide Publicity
Due to a quiz contest put on at the
Selma Kiwanis club by Program
chairman H .H .Lowry a few weeks
ago, the matter has been given nation-wide
publicity through The Pub
lishers' Auxiliary which goes into
every newspaper office in the United
States as well as in many other
places, as will be seen by the follow
ing paragraph clipped from that
publication in its issue of February
13. 1943:
"M. L. Stancil, editor of tne aeima
Sun, is noted as a "Newspaper man
Who Knows His Counties. At a re
cent meeting of the Selma Kiwanians
each member was asked to write tne
name of the counties in North Caro
lina within an allotted time. When
time was up Editor Staiicil was high
scorer by naming 74 of the 100
counties."
Lt. J. L. Pittman
Home On Furlough
Mr. J. M. Pittman was in town
Wodnendav and told the editor of the
Johnstonian-Sun that he had just re
ceived a telegram from his son, Lt.
J. L. Pittman, who is stationed at
Camp Stewart, Ga., stating tnat ne
would arrive Wednesday night to
spend about a week at home. Lieuten
ant Pittman's last visit to see his
parents was on last Thanksgiving.
Glee Club To Sing
At Methodist Church
The Selma High School Glee Club
will give a musical program at the
Methodist church Sunday morning at
the eleven o'clock worship hour, as a
climax to the Week of Dedication. If
you have heard these young people
sing, you will try to be there. If you
have not hekrd them you have missed
something. Public invited. -B.
rwiJf
se ko
W. H.,
OPA Chief Orders End to Police
Enforcement of Ban On
Pleasure-Driving. ,
Washington, March 3. OPA Ad-.
ministrator Prentiss Brown today or
dered an end to police enforcement
of the East's ban on pleasure driving,
said future compliance will depend
upon an "honor system," and added
there is "a fair probability" the ban
can be entirely eliminated by March
22, when new gasoline coupons go in
to effect.
Brown said he didn't mean nobody
will be questioned about Whether his
driving is for pleasure or duty, hut
"it's one of those irritating things we
want to avoid." '
"The time has now come to stopi
all unnecessary inconvenience of the
public," Brown told a press confer
ence. "I believe in light of the wide
spread understanding of the situation
which exists we can henceforth rely
on what 'might be termed the 'honor
system of compliance instead of po
lice enforcement. I am instructing all
OPA regional, state, and branch of
fices to put this policy into effect im
mediately. "This action is in line with my gen
eral ideas on enforcement of all OPA
regulations. : Positive V enforcement
measures must be used with criminals
but they are not necessary with the
general public. Instead I expect to
secure voluntary compliance by the
public through understanding of the
need for regulation."
As for lifting the East's ban on
non-essential driving, Brown said the
decision rests largely upon whether
Petroleum Administrator Ickes finds
that the gasoline supply will permit
it. . -v.- .
Three Negroes In JaO
On Cutting Charges
Three Selma Negroes, two men ami ;
one' ' woman, nairied ; Godwin, were '
bound overate Johnston County Re.
corner s ioucx .iuj3aaj-ni;..i i ny
. . . .. in ...i, J j .
staoomg joe nopmns n me womaca ,
with a knife, inflicting a bad wound.
" The men are charged with cutting
Charlie Hopkins about the face ' and
head. Failing to give the required
$500 bonds, they were remanded to
the county jail.
The affair occurred Saturday night
in front of the Hopkins cafe here.
Seen and Heard Along
THE MAINDRAG
:By H. H. L.
MAYOR BARNIE HENRY sport
ing a new Spring Hat MONROE
PITTMAN a few days ago bought
twelve hens which cost him $21.34
he paid 23 cents 'per pound so you
can figure what the 12 weighed we
saw one in his coop that weighed 10
1-2 pounds, . sold for $2.4 some
chickens it is rumored on the Main-
drag that we will have four candidates
for Mavor in the aDDroachme munici
pal election DAVID BALL. HARRY
EVERITT, LUTHER ETHEREDGB
and the present incumbent havent
heard anv new names mentioned for
commissioners "Why Doesn't Jesus
Do More For Us In Our Troubles:
was the subject discussed before the
Baraca Class at the Baptist Church
in Pine Level by their teacher, C.
HUB BROWN, on last Sunday
In rep number was on hand to hear
this subject expounded the editor of
the Smithfield Herald, TOM LASSI
TER. spent a couple of hours in our
sanctum sanctorum yesterday glad
to have him drop around come again,
TOM painters have been busy this
week on the interior oi Ltvii
HINTON'S store CLEVE has just
mnvoH hist stock of firoods to the
building recently vacated by DICK
LEWIS it is one of the most attrac
tive store rooms in Johnston County
o-Uit fn im some of the vacant lots
in the town being ploughed up for
Victory Gardens if you have a
vacant lot. why not plant something
on it don't let weeds grow on it this
spring CHIEF J. H. GRIFFIN on
last Monday celebrated his 85tb,
birthday you wouldn't think he was)
that old as he is spry as a chicken
here's hoping you will celebrate many
more, CHIEF another old citizen,
the REV. J. H. WORLEY, can be seen
on the Maindrag almost every day-
he will be 90 his next birthday-
these two gentlemen are beloved by
every citizen in Selma news was re
ceived by MISS LOIS WARREN an
nouncing the death of MRS. HAR
RIET YODER. of Newton, who pass
ed away at the age of 102 MISS
WARREN boarded in her home wnen
she attended - Catawba College in
Newton the writer of this column
lost his mother on the 19th of Feb
ruaryshe was nearaig her 90th
birthday the Presbyterian church is
being replastered this week, ana otner
improvements on the interior of thej.
church are anticipated toon.