Newspapers / The Alleghany News and … / Sept. 7, 1939, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Alleghany News and Star-Times (Sparta, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
• r.-M» - - ■, '■ 1 - ’ $ Want To Sell IY| 1 All 1 • Y°U WiI1 Profit I n p All A/y n 5111 XT I 1TH AC IfYouAlwaysR“d Try a Want Ad A A JlTL A A A A A A jr JL A AAA Times’ Advertisements DEVOTED TO THE CIVIC, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ALLEGHANY COUNTY Volume No. 15. GALAX, VA. (Published for Sparta, N. C.) THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1939. Number 17. This Week in Washington Washington, Sept. 6 (AS).— War has superceded politics, at least for the time being, in the minds of. official Washington. A dozen questions of vital national interest are being asked, and the answers are as various as the questions. All relate to the pos> sibility or probability of the Unit ed States being drawn into the European mess, whether we want to go to war or not, to just what we can do to keep out of war, and how a great war in Europe would affect us if we were not participants. Recent events have disclosed facts previously unknown to the public about fche preparations which our Government has been making in anticipation of war, whether involving us or not. Much has been said and| writ ten about the completeness of our program of national defense, but the [recent war games in # which the regular army and the national guard participated have disclosed that we are nowhere nearly as ready to fight as people had sup posed. - I Serious Deficiencies I The Chief of Staff, General j Hugh A. Drum, has been out- j spoken in his criticism of the unpreparedness and lack of train ing of the national guard units, and has pointed out serious de-j ficiencies in the military equip ment both of the citizen soldpery and the regular army. We are short of mobile artillery, of anti aircraft guns and of coast-defense artillery, according to high army officers, some of whom are much. more outspoken than General Drum. , Official Washington is fully aware of the almost unanimous desire of the people of the United States to remain at peace, but in many quarters the question is raised as to whether that is pos sible under certain circumstances which might easily arise. While public and official sym pathy with the so-called democrac ies of Europe as against the dic tatorships is so well understood as to be taken for granted, can we avoid acts which could be in terpreted as taking sides? In case of a conflict resulting in , the conquest of the free nations by the totalitarian governments, re taliations against the United States might quickly follow if any of ficial action by our government could he given the color of un friendliness to the victors. Such retaliations might not take the form of direct war against the United States. Watch South America In the opinion of many high officials a victory by Germany or Russia or Italy, or their com bined forces, over France -and Great Britain, would be followed by attempts to colonize or even assert territorial authority over parts of South America. In that case the United States would be obliged under its treaty obliga tions and the historic Monroe Doc trine to resist, by whatever force might, be necessary, any such in vasion of any part of America. The possibility that a victory by the Central Powers might re sult in the transfer of sovereignty over Canadja is one which is also being given serious consideration here. What sort of acts might be in terpreted as giving aid to one side as against the other nobody can foretell, since nobody can be sure that truth and honesty will govern the djecisions and acts of some oif the great powers. Re cent European events indicate the contrary. The reason which actuated Congress in refusing to amend the Neutrality Act to accord with the President's desire was the belief that, if so amended^ it' would lead to our lending sup port to one side which was denied to the other sidje, and so would increase the likelihood of our in volvement in war. But the neutrality law as u stands unamended, still leaves loopholes through which the Exe cutive could favor one side. The law gives the President the right to restrict the use of Ameri can ports and territorial waters by belligerent submarines or arm ^ - ed merchant vessels, and to pro mulgate such rules and regula tions as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of the l*w. This part of the law, it is being pointed out here, could be used to favor the sea-power: nations, France and England, as against those with less naval power. Regardless of the question whether the United States may become involved in actual hostili ties, the best informed officials in Washington hold that war would have serious effect upon this country’s economic position. Die* Commute* Roport* A factor which may have an important bearing upon the ques (turn to page three, please) I Many Americans were on the sunken Athenia —British liner, which was torpedoed early Monday (late Sunday E. S. T.) off the Hebrides, west of north ern Scotland!. It was understood that about 350 Americans were aboard the liner. Practically all aboard the ship, except those killed by the actual explosion, were rescued. The Athenia is said to have been adequately equipped with lifeboats. Announcement of the tor pedoeing was made within an hour after an air raid signal had shocked London wide awake in the early morning of Britain’s second day at war. Stephen Early, secretary to President Roosevelt, said Sunday night that the torpedoed Athenia was “carrying” mostly Canadians and some Americans,” according to official reports received in Washington, D. C. Mr. Roosevelt received an of ficial dispatch telling of the tor pedoing. “I’d like to point out,” Early said, “that according to official information the ship had come from Glasgow to Liverpool and was bound for Canada bringing refugees. “I point this out to show that there was no possibility, according to the official information, that the ship was carrying any mu nitions, or anything of that kind.” The report was received with obvious horror at the White House. When reporters, seeking more information after Early had made his announcement asked1 “is that all?” Early replied: “Isn’t that enough?” Questions Witnesses r _i_.. WASHINGTON, D. C. . . Chair man Martin Dies of the House Committee investigating un American activities, as he ques tioned witnesses. Governor Hoey urged strict U. S. neutrality —in the face of the Euro pean war, and urged North Carolinians to combat the “nefarious doctrines” of communism and naziism, and to support President Roosevelt’s stand for neutrality. Governor Hoey madie his attack on “isms” in a speech at a state convention of berbers held in Raleigh Mon day. Cautioning his listeners to “keep your head,’’ the Governor asserted that Americans must be ever on the alert to prevent the European conflagration from spreading to this country. “It’s (turn to page six, please) In a momentous talk Sunday night— President Roosevelt pledged his full effort to keep the U. S. neutral —in regard to the new European war that broke * out Sunday when Great Britain and France declared war upon Germany. Pleading that Americans face Europe’s havoc with “national unity,” the chief executive solemnly promised the nation his utmost effort to keep the country neutral. “As long as it remains within my power to prevent,” he said in a broad cast address, “there will be no blackout of peace in the United States.” The president made a re mark which reminded many of his listeners of his efforts to re vise the neutrality law in such a way as to scrap the arms embargo. “I trust that in the days to come our neutrality can be made a true neutrality,” he asserted1. He did not say anything about a special session of congress to revise the law, although he is generally expected to call such a session. “Think things through,” Mr. Roosevelt admonished the country, with an accompanying statement that America has had and! will have the “best information in the world” upon which' to rest its judgment.” To all this, he attached this appeal; “I cannot prophesy the immedi ate economic effect of this new war on our nation, but I do say that no American has the moral right to profiteer at the expense either of his fellow citizen or of the men, women and children who are living and dying in the midst of war in Europe.’’ Much attention centered upon Mr. Roosevelt’s plea that “parti sanship and selfishness be ad journed1: and that national unity be the thought that underlies all others.” It was easy, he continued, for people to shrug their shoulders and say that conflict so far away do not seriously affect this coun try. “Passionately though we may desire detachment,” he said1, “we are forced to realize that every word that comes through the air, every ship that sails the sea, every battle that is fought does affect the American future. “Let no man or woman thoughtlessly or falsely talk of America sending its arnries to European fields,’’ he warned. He spoke, too, of the import ance of “spiritual values.” Al most everyone, regardless of creed, believes in “toe spirit of the New Testament—a great teaching which opposes itself to the use of force, of armed force, (turn to page 6, please) The neutrality law embargo was invoked Tuesday —in Washington, D. C., by President Roosevelt. With an historic stream of procla mations end significant, but informal, statements, the presi dent told the world of America’s neutrality, clamped down the neu trality act’s tight embargo on arms shipments to the belliger ants and disclosed that: Gaps in the national defense are soon to be filled by increas ing the personnel of the navy, now at only 85 per cent of peace time strength, and augmenting the defensive garrison at the Panama Canal. A flotilla of World War de stroyers will be reconditioned! and recommissioned to take up the dramatic task of patrolling Ameri can territorial waters, presumably to see that they do not become the scene of violations of neutral rights by belligerent warships. Measures will be taken to com bat propaganda aimed at the American form of government, espousing communism, dictator ships ami the like, and to pre vent the United States from be coming a center for the gathering of information useful to the bel . ligerents. In all, there were three procla mations, the first, in accordance with international law, notifying the interested nations that Amer ica would be officially neutral, the second invoking the arms ban jf the neutrality law, and the third dealing with protective measures at the Panama Canal. In addition, the president dis closed that one decision had been reached. American naval vessels will not be sent to convoy Ameri can passenger ships through the submarine zone. Instead, the ships will have American flags painted on hull, decks and super structure, will keep to the usual shipping lanes, will not darken ship, will not fonow a zig-zag (turn to page five, please) ! Like most of the capitals of {Europe, Raleigh —capital af North Caro ; lina, echoed Saturday to the tramp of feet marching to war. But the feet whose steps resounded from Raleigh pavements were marching to a war of a 'different kind than the feet marching in European capi tals. They were the 102 feet of 51 new state highway patrolmen, marching to war on death and injury on North Carolina’s high ways. Among them was E. C. Hawthorne, Sparta, who is one of the nine new patrolmen from Northwestern North Carolina. R. H. Biggs, of Ashe, and W. L. Lancaster, of Surry, were also in the group. Into the historic Capitol, which has seen soldjiers of four wars march past, the 51 new patrol men marched Saturday morning to take the oath of office from Associate Justice A. A. F. Sea well, to hear words of advice from high state officials. Then, after receiving their com missions, one by one personally from Governor Hoey, they march ed out again to be assigned to their gleaming new cars and to enter the service of the state of North Carolina. In charge of the detachment of 51, looking very military in their new grey uniforms, grey cam paign hats andl Sam Browne belts, was the man in command of the first patrol of 28 men ten years ago, Captain C. D. Farmer, now commandant of the eastern di vision. Under his orders, they marched up to the senate chamber, filed in and took seats. Numbering one more than the senate membership, they made a military-looking body in the sen ate seats. Even more military did they appear when Captain Farmer brought them to attention and ordered a regular military salute as Governor Hoey walked out after presenting the commissions, signed by hims<f and) Secretary of State Eure. In words of advice given the new patrolmen by Governor Hoey, Revenue Commissioner Maxwell, State Treasurer Johnson, Secre tary of State Eure, Attorney General McMullan, State Highway Counsel Ross, courtesy and care fulness were emphasized. Particu larly were they admonished by Commissioner Maxwell, in direct charge of the patrol to observe the regulations which they en force upon the public and| to refrain from criticizing the courts action upon the persons they hail into court. At conclusion of the speeches, Governor Hoey shook hands with each patrolman as he handed him his commission. Social Security act operations in Alleghany —County have benefitted residents and communities in the county to the extent of $39,450.00. These bene fits have come about through the operation of the ten divisions of the Act, some parts of which, have been active for more than three years, it is estimated by Chair man Charles G. Powell, of the State Employment Compensation Commission. Usually Unemployment Com pensation is the larger of the ten items, especially in counties that have a fair proportion of indus trial and commercial organizations, but in Alleghany, which is large ly agricultural and rural, Unem ployment Compensation, or job insurance, is the second item and accounts for nearly one-third of the total. Job insurance dis tributed in Alleghany in the 18 months of distribution, ending June 80, amounted to $10,855.74, embraced in 1,509 checks issued to Alleghany residents, Chairman Powell said. With cooperation from Nathan L. Yelton, State director of Pub lic Assistance, and Dr. Roma S. Cheek, executive secretary of the State Commission for the Blind, along with figures in the Central (tan* to Mi ft** tUmrni 'Conducts Concert t i - ----- NEW YORK CITY . . . Lorin Maazel, 9-year-old conductor from Los Angeles, leading the National Music Camp Orchestra. The con cert was given here by the Na tional Music Camp of Inter lochen, Mich. W. Luther Ferrell will head the eleventh district —of the North Carolina Bar, Inc., he having been elected at the second annual meeting of the organization held Saturday, September 2, at Greystone Inn, Roaring Gap,’Mr. Ferrell is a Winston-Salem law yer. Floyd Crouse, Sparta, was nam ed a vice president representing Alleghany County, 'and Robert M. Gambill, Sparta, was elected sec retary and treasurer. George Cheek, Sparta, was elected a member of the executive com mittee representing Alleghany County. Other vice presidents named were: W. B. Austin, Ashe County, and Winfield Blackwell, Forsyth County. Other executive com mittee members namedl were: Ira Johnston, Ashe County, and W. P. Sandridge, Jr., Fortsyth County. After the group convened at luncheon, Ex-Lieutenant Governor R. A. Doughton, Sparta, welcom ed the organization to Alleghany County, and the response was given by Linville K. Martin. Ed Cannon, secretary of the North Carolina State Bar, Inc., spoke briefly to the group rela tive to the work being conducted by his office in Raleigh. The group paused for »ne min ute as a tribute of respect to W. M. Hendnen, A. F. Sams and Moses Shapiro, who died since the organization last met in an nual session. The retiring president appoint ed Harold McKeithan, Judge G. H. Hastings and Spruill Thorn ton as a committee to draft let ters to the families of the deceas ed, expressing the appreciation of the group for the contribution each made to the legal profession and its sorrow at their passing. In a short talk Fred Hutchins, president, outlined the substance of the program of the North Carolina Bar, Inc. Fred Sutton, president of the North Carolina Bar Association, set forth the high standards of citizenship the group should en courage. “May I admonish you,” he said, “that it is our duty, expected) of us as evidenced by years of ex perience to be among the leaders of our communities on those con structive measures which benefit every man, woman and child in our locality. . .” Retiring officers are: Ira T. Johnston, president; W. P. San dridjge, Grant Bauguess and Car lyle Higgins, vice presidents; G. H. Hastings, councillor; W. Luth er Ferrell, W. B. Austin and George Cheek, members of the executive committee, and Spruill Thornton, secretary and treas urer. Walter M. Irwin was sworn in as a U. S. Deputy Marshal —in Greensboro, Tuesday morn ing, September 5. Mr. Irwin is a former Sheriff of Alleghany County, having been succeeded by the present incumbent, Sheriff DeWitt T. Bryan. * The new deputy marshal’s first duties weTe in Greensboro, where Federal Court is now in session. He will be assigned), however, to work out of Wilkesbono, with headquarters there. Mr. Irwin was notified Monday of his appointment, and was re quested to report for duty im mediately. I Col. Roscoe Turner ! sped to his third | triumph Tuesday r—the 300-mile Thompson tro * phy classic in the annual Cleve land air races. Turner immediate ly declared the race was the last l&f his 12-year conjpetive career, i i he swashbuckling flier gunned jhis big aluminum Turner-Laird, j powered by a Pratt and Whitney -twin wasp, 282.536 miles an hour for a convincing victory over six other pilots. 1 Shortly after the start he j thought he had cut a pylon and rounded it again, but made up this handicap to finish more than ten miles ahead of Tony Levier, Montebello, Calif., over the 10- j j mile closed course. Pylon trouble I cost him two previous Thomp-1 . sons. A Sparta man who is a veteran of nearly 25 years ; —of service as a U. S. I Marine was the winner of j the national rifle matches last Thursday, August 31, in Camp Perry, Ohio, and the re cipient of a personal letter of commendation from President Franklin D. Roosevelt. | Master Gunner Sergeant Thom- j as J. Jones, Sparta, a “devil' 'dog” for 24 years, defeated the | | greatest field in rifle history,! ■2,032 entrants, in the 30-calibre, j 30-shot President’s match, with a iscore of 147, equalling the rec ord. Jones won the big event over his own protest. On the 1,000 yard range he declared the haze caused his official scorer to give him one more point than he act ually deserved on one shot, but j match officials overruled him and j awarded him the championship, ! one of the most coveted in rifle-! dom. “I shoot for the fun of shoot-! jing, and I don’t want anything L | don’t deserve,” Jones told -match officials. Jones has been a top flight gunner for more than 20 years, and previously had won practically every major 30-calibre j title. Thursday’s match was fired) | at 200, 600 and 1,000 yards. Invitations were issued Tuesday night by Panama —with the blessing of the United States government, to all the American repub lics to attend a conference designed to preserve peace in the Western Hemisphere, maintain normal trade and prevent financ ial disturbances on this continent as a result of Europe’s war. It was learnedi at the State Department in Washington that the Panamanian government was sending out the invitations in the name of itself, the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Cuba and Mexico. The State Department disclosed that a number of South American governments had suggested that there should be some consultation in line with the declaration of Pan-American solidarity which was approved by the international conference at Lima, Peru, last year. It was decided, however, to wait until an actual declaration of war before arranging such a consul tation. Several of the American re publics decided to ask Panama to send out the invitations. Emphasis was placed in well informed circles upon the fact that the conference was not like ly to consider military and naval mattters. Instead it was suggested, views would be exchanged as to the best means of preserving peace on. this continent, the steps which different governments may be planning to take in an effort to preserve neutrality, and what measures could be taken to pre serve normal trade. Steps to see that other interests are not prejudiced also would be consid ered, it was said, and w’ays would) be sought of preventing economic and financial disturbances detri mental to inter-American rela tions. The date for the conference was not discLosedi, but it was re ported that some countries had suggested late this month. In the declaration of Pan American solidarity which was adopted at the Lima conference, (turn to page 5, please) I In fulfillment of pledges to Poland— Great Britain and France went to war with Germany Sunday as Hitter failed —to heed ultimatums given him by both Great Britain and France to withdraw his troops from Poland and assure them of further non-aggres sion intentions. An announcement by Prime Minister Chamberlain, in London, of the momentous decision was followed quickly by a senes of fast-moving acts to place Members of the Caldwell Mutual Corporation —of Alleghany, Ashe, Wa tauga and Caldwell oounties, will hold their annual meet ing on Saturday, September 9, at the Court House in Lenoir. Business of the cooperative will be discussed, and the annual elec tion of the Board of Directors will be held. The following persons have been nominated by the nominat ing committees for members of the board: Alleghany — C. G. Collins, Sparta; Van Miller, Laurel Springs, and G. Tom Perry, Piney Creek. Ashe—J. C. Goodman, West Jelferson; A. B. Hurt, Nathans Creek; R. E. L. Plummer, Crump ler, and G. B. Price, Clifton. Watauga—Avery Green, Meat Camp; Clarence Newton, Shulls Mills; Clyde Perry, Sugar Grove, and C. M. Watson, Deep Gap. Caldwell—A. G. Beach, Lenoir Route 1; D. R. Moore, Granite Falls; C. C. Poovey, Granite Falls Route 1, and G. W. Sullivan, Yadkin Valley. The meeting will be called to order at 10:00 a. m., by G. W. Sullivan, president. As each member of the REA Cooperative is a stockholder, all members are urged to be present and an the nation on a war-time basis. The announcement came 15 min utes after the expiration of an 11 p. m. (5 a. m. E. S. T.) ultimatum to the German Nazi government to withdraw its troops fnom invaded Folandi France joined her old ally just five minutes after her own 5 p. m. (11 a. m. EST) deadline pass ed without a reply from German Chancellor Adolf Hitler. After several days of anxious waiting by the nations of the world and a rapid but fruitless exchange of notes between Ger many and1 England last week in the search for peace, Hitler sent his armies smashing across the Polish border FridayT"’ “The German army will con duct a fight for honor and the right to the life of the resur rected German people with firm determination,” said Hitler in or dering his troops to “meet force with force.’’ In a weary voice that some times faltered, Chamberlain an nounced Britain’s fateful decision in a broadcast to the empire. He was followed by King George, who broadcast an appeal to his subjects to stand fast in the hour of conflict. Prime Minister Chamberlain im mediately formed a new wartime government which took in former Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden as dominions secretary and which included Winston Churchill as first lord of the admiralty. Premier Deladier made a three minute radio address from Paris, solemnly assuring the French peo ple they would be victorious in
The Alleghany News and Star-Times (Sparta, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 7, 1939, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75