Want To Sell
Something ?
Try a Want Ad
The Alleghany Times
You Will Profit
If You Always Read
Times’ Advertisements '
I
DEVOTED TO THE CIVIC, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ALLEGHANY COUNTY
Volume No. 15.
GALAX, VA. (Published for Sparta, N. C.) THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1939.
Number 27.
This Week
in
Washington
Washington, Nov. 15 (AS)—
The, fact that many “old line”
Democrats, including such staunch
party men as Senator Carter
Glass, of. Virginia, elected to go
along with the Administration in
advocating the repeal of the arms
embargo, has been taken in some
quarters as proof that the split in
the party ranks has been closed
up and that all is harmony once
more between the New Dealers
and the traditional Jeffersonians.
Nothing could be farther from
the truth, as the political events of
the next few weeks are certain
to demonstrate. The recalcitrants
who jumped the party lines last
year arc still as bitterly opposed
to the President and the acts of
hit administration as they were
before. They simply regarded
the Neutrality matter as'something
outside of party lines, went along
with the President not because re
peal of the-embargo was his idea,
but because they believed in it as
the best way of keeping America
out of the European war. Their
attitude was much like that of
Gov. Alf Landon when he went
to the Lima Pan-American Con
gress: “Politics ends at the water
line.”
Opposition Still Strong
When it comes down to the
struggle for delegates to the party
nominating convention and the
effort to pick a candidate for
1940, the same Senators and
Representatives and party organi
zation men who have opposed Mr.
Roosevelt on domestic questions
will be found opposing him again.
It is generally admitted, how
ever, by astute political observ
ers here, that it is likely to be
more difficult to prevent him from
getting himself nominated for a
third term than it would have
been had the European war not
broken out.
Beyond any question, the very
fact that the President, as chief
executive, is responsible for the
management of our international
relations, has strengthened Mr.
Roosevelt’s position immensely.
Even if there is no untoward in
cident to stir up public indig
nation and make people believe
that we are bound to get into the
war, reports from the nation at
large indicate a growing feeling
that the Administration intends
to insist upon the recognition of
American rights by all the bel
ligerent nations.
That puts the President, per
sonally, in the position of the
outer guardian of American lib
erties, insures him first-page pub
licity and distinctly improves his
popularity with the masses of the
voters. It also puts on him a
tremendous responsibility to watch
his step and see to it that no act
of the Administration gets us em
broiled.
So long as he makes no mis
step in the handling of foreign
affairs—for the Secretary of State
is, after all, merely the Presi
dent’s personal aide whom he
couldi dismiss at any time—Mr.
Roosevelt is bound to enlarge his
personal prestige with the voters.
Talk Of “Incident”
There is much speculation going
on in Washington as to what sort
of an “incident’’ might precipitate
a crisis in our foreign relations
which would give the President
an opportunity to further assert
himself and gain still greater
popular acclaim. The German
government has always been no
toriously inept in its handling of
foreign affairs, and many who
understand the international situ
ation are expecting some move on
Germany’s part which could be
taken as seriously here as was
the German effort to line up Mex
ico against the United States,
which was the final straw that
brought us into the last war.
The effort to make such an “in
cident” out of the seizure of the
American ship “City of Flint”
by a German sea-raider is being
promoted! by some of the little
group who believe that for the
United States to get into the war
would insure their jobs for an
other four years, and so would
like to see the shooting start
right off.
There is no concern among
sober-minded observers here over
the “Flint” affair, since Germany
has only applied the rules of con
traband which were first formu
lated and made to stick in inter
national law by our own Govern
ment, during the Civil War.
There is little concern, either,
over the bungling of the Russian
authorities in the “Flint” mat
ter. They chased the American
ship out of a Russian port as soon
as our Government protested. Un
less the Germans pull a boner by
harming the American crew of
the “Flint" nobody in Washing
ton feels that the incident is any
thing to worry about, since a
neutral ship carrying contraband
to a belligerent port is always
subject to search and seizure,
(turn to page 5, please)
The 21st Armistice
Day celebration
was clouded
—by the spectre of three
great nations in a new con
flict and several others
watching them warily.
While traditional observance of
Armistice Day was curtailed
therefore in many places, Presi
dent Roosevelt led the United
States’ customary celebration by
attending a wreath-laying cere
mony at the Unknown Soldier’s
tomb in Arlington cemetery and
pleading for a “new and better
peace,” one that would cause men
to “lay down weapons of hatred.”
“We work for peace, we pray
for peace and we arm for peace,”
President Rosevelt said in a tele
phone address to Virginia Military
Institute, observing its 100th an
niversary.
“We have never had the illus
ion that peace and freedom could
be based on weakness.”
Germany took no official recog
nition of the day, burying instead
seven victims who died Wednes
day in the Munich explosion ap
parently intended to kill Adolf
Hitler.
Wartime restraints marked Eng
land’s celebration. The customary
nation-wide silence at 11 a. m.
was foregone publicly but observ
ed privately. The memorial ser
vice at the Cenotaph, National
Monument in Whitehall, was
cancelled for fear of a possible
air raid on the large crowd which
would have gathered. Services
were held, however, in Westmins
ter Abbey where Britain’s un
known soldier lay.
King George Vi’s wreath was
the first placed at the Cenotaph.
Laid there by Commander Harold
Campbell, equerry in waiting, it
was joined shortly by many
others.
The familiar British legion pop
py was displayed widely and with
it was the French cornflower, a
symbol of Freneh-British alliance
in the new war.
Alleghany citizens
are urged to join
die Red Cross
—during the annual Roll
Call which is now in prog
ress, thereby helping in
what is generally regarded
as a most worthy cause. The
Red Cross, it has been pointed
out, is a protection to all; it
helps everyone to help each other.
Most of the funds raised in
Red) Cross Roll Calls are kept for
use in the United States, and in
the communities from which they
come. Last year the Red Cross
fund in Alleghany County pro
vided groceries for sick, medicine,
transportation to hospitals, ex
amination of patients in hospitals,
eye glasses for school children,
emergency dressings, etc.
Last year $89.25 was raised
during, the roll call for Red) Cross
membership. This, toother with
a balance of $14.78, made the
total on hand $104.03. During
1939 $18.94 was spent for emer
gency relief, and $15.80 for Ul
ness. $44.62 was sent to Nation
al Headquarters, leaving a balance
on hand of $24.67.
Relief of War-time distress is
only one of the many services
of the Red Cross. First-aid train,
ing, service to the blind, to sold
iers in government hospitals to
veterans’ families, disaster relief,
and other ministrations are duties
the Red Cross carries.
Every person who can do so is
urged to join the Red Cross this
year.
Circle No. 2 of
The Baptist Women’s
Missionary Union
—held a meeting at the home of
Mrs. Walter Taylor, Glade Valley,
Tuesday night, November 14.
Mrs. Howard J. Ford presented
the program with the following
members taking part: Mrs. Tay
lor, Mrs. Hugh Choate, Mrs. Roy
Burgiss, Mrs. J. G. Mitchell and
Mrs. Claude Miles.
Following the program, delici
ous refreshments were served by
the hostess, assisted by Mrs.
Bruce Wagoner.
The December meeting will be
held at the home of Mrs. Ford
Tuesday night, December 12, at
7:15. Mrs. Claude Miles will be
the leader for the month.
The monthly
Methodist Young
People’s Union
—meeting was held Friday night,
■November 10, in the Piney Creek
Methodist Church, at which time
an Armistice Day Program was
1 given, with Mrs, Guy Perry as
program lender.
During the social period, games
and contests were enjoyed, after
which sandwiches, pickles, pump
kin pie and coffee were served to
approximately 60 persons.
J. C. B. Ehringhaus
spoke at Dobson on
Armistice Day
—and his speech, which
was the principal one de
livered at the unyeiling of
a beautiful monument to
honor the more than 900 Surry
County citizens who served in
the World War, the former gov
ernor expressed the hope that
the United States may never be ’
embroiled in another foreign war.
The former Tar Heel gover
no/, speaking on the twenty-first
anniversary of the first Armis-,
tice Day( urged that the Ameri
can people keep to the spirit of
peace that was bom on that day
in 1918 and make every effort to
keep the United States from be
coming entangled in the second
world war now in progress in
Europe, declaring that this coun
try “is not justified in going
further than protecting its own
shores.”
Ehringhaus was introduced by
Judge W. F. Carter, of Mount
Airy, oldest practicing attorney
in this section of the state. The
former governor was followed by
John H. Folger, Surry attorney
and political leader, who appeared
as the personal representative of
his brother, Congressman A. D.
(“Lon”) Folger, who could not
be present. Folger, introduced
by Hugh Royal, of Elkin, also
advocated every reasonable peace
effort.
The beautiful shaft, erected in
honor of Surry’s World War vet
erans, bears the name of each of
the Surry citizens who answered
|the country’s call in 1917-1918.
| It was erected with funds sub
i scribed several years ago by Surry
| County school children in a drive
I which was sponsored by Judge
: Carter, A. H. Wolfe and E. S.
'■ Hendren, the latter two being at
I that time school officials in the
, county.
The monument was unveiled by
Mrs. Alma Calloway McCollum,
of Leaksville, who was a pupil in
the Surry County schools at the
j time of the drive and led the
county in the amount of money
raised for the memorial. The
privilege of unveiling the monu
ment was a prize for her efforts
tin the campaign.
I A large crowd gathered for the
'exercises, the program for which
was arranged by a committee that
included W. M. Allen, of Elkin;
John Llewellyn, of Dobson; and
Mrs. R. J. Lovill, of Mount Airy.
Governor Hoey
will be backed
for president
—next year by North Caro
lina Democrats, Secretary of
State Thad Eure told “Gar
ner for President" Demo
crats Tuesday in Raleigh, if he
understood sentiment in the state.
Eure, replying to a request from
E. B. Germany, of Dallas, Tex.,
co-chairman of the Garner-for
President committee, for informa
tion on the feeling of Nortel Car
olina Democrats regarding die
possibility of the presidential, can
didacy of Vice President Garner,
said,that if he understood senti
ment in North Carolinp, the, party
in this state would “most certain
ly present a’united front ,at the
national convention’' in belief of
Governor Clyde Roark Hoey.
Germany said the committee
understood “that North Carolina
Democracy will likely present the
name of their own great states
man, Governor Hoey, as their first
choice. We sincerely hope that
Mr. Garner will be accorded sup
port as your second choice for
the nomination.”
However, Eure replied: "I am
quite certain that little, if any,
consideration has been given to
a second choice.”
Queen Enlists Among The War Workers
LONDON, England . .■ . View of Queen Elizabeth's working
party at Buckingham Palace, showing the ladies bu y knitting socks
and sweaters for the soldiers. Her Majesty is seated at the head of
the table. Photo passed by the British censor.
EDITORIAL
Do Your Duty!
This year, perhaps more than at any time since
the World War, the American Red Cross needs your
hearty support. With several of the nations of
Europe deadlocked in a struggle, the suffering,
terror and ruthlessness of which cannot be accur
ately foreseen, this humanitarian organization will
be called upon to do a tremendously big job for the
alleviation of suffering among stricken humanity in
the countries at war.
Already, one million dollars has been appropriated by
the American Red Cross to aid suffering humanity among
the peoples of Poland, as a result of the recent ruthless
invasion of that country.
Every day thousands of Polish refugees are
pouring into neutral surrounding countries. They
are without food, clothing, shelter and medical at
tention and are without any other agency to save
them from starvation other than the Red Cross^
The American Red Cross will be called upon this year
to alleviate suffering among the people of our own country,
as welf as among the peoples x»f foreign countries, judging
from past experience. Cver a period of the last sixteen
years, the average number of disasters annually requiring
Red Cross relief has been 96 in this country.
During the past year, the experienced hand of
the American Red Cross gave rescue, food, shelter,
clothing, medical aid and rehabilitation assistance
at the scene of 157 domestic disasters. The num
ber of persons aided in disasters during the year
throughout the United States was approximately
130,000, at a total expenditure of $2,276,109. -
In addition to disaster relief last year Home Service
Workers dealt with the problems of 150,606 individual
cases of war-disabled veterans. In hospitals and regional
offices of the Veterans Administration, representatives of
the Red Cross dealt with 54,792 ex-service men and their
families; 355,110 persons were trained in First Aid to
combat the inroads of accidental death and serious injury;
100,361 persons received Life Saving Certificates qualifying
them to rescue and treat drowning; 1,053 highway first aid
stations were opened; 134,103 families assisted with social
and financial guidance, and Red Cross Public Health Nurses
cared for 272,729 persons by making 1,946,933 visits.
When we realize that these are only a few of
the activities participated in by the American Red
Cross, we marvel at the usefulness and capacity for
service of this great organization.
The American Red Cross depends almost entirely for
financial aid for its many activities upon the enrollment
of membership. The quota for Alleghany County during this
Roll Call is not unreasonable, and the good people of our
county ought easily to meet it. The Roll Call started Sat
urday, November 11 and will continue until November 30.
No person best serves his community and nation
unless he, or she, is willing at all times to extend a
helping hand to others. Join the American Red
Cross during this Roll Call and add your part in
helping to alleviate suffering among your fellow
men! You will be a more useful and happier citi
zen as a result. We believe Alleghany County will
go "over the top” during this Roll Call, if each will
do our part. JOIN TODAY!
The Wayne Magic
Show will be given
at Piney Creek
—at Piney Creek High School,
tonight (Thursday), at seven o’
clock, through the courtesy of
Allied Mills, Inc., manufacturers;
of Wayne Feeds, and Smithey’s
Store, Sparta, local Wayne Feed
dealer. The show will be free and
the public is invited. Compliment
ary tickets may be obtained at
Smithey’s Store here.
•Magic and fun for everyone—
magic that would make the Thief
of Bagdad “wall-eyed” with envy,
a bewildering whirlpool of sensa
tional “mystic” surprises that will
widen the eyes of those attend
ing with astonishment is promis
ed those who attend.
Clifford P. Kirkpatrick, “the
man who mystifies magicians,” is
the feature attraction of the show.
Mr. Kirkpatrick, veteran magician
and globe trotter, has performed
magic for more than 34 years.
He comes from a family which
for many years has been noted
for their ability to wield the
“magic wand” and pull unusual
objects out of hats.
Another very popular -feature,
of the magic show is to, be the
showing of an educational spuud,
movie—“Vitamins On P^r&de.fj
This movie actually shows yitamins
end illustrates in natural , color
the part they play in cluck, health
and growth. Those w}io see thd
picture will have a clearer qj>d?rf
standing of how vitamins wpjktd
make poultry and livestock fefedr
ers more money, it is said.
THE METHODIST WOMEN’S -
MISSIONARY SOCIETY
—will hold its November meeting
tomorrow (Friday) afternoon, si}!
two o’clock, at the home of Mrs.
Mack Parsons, Piney Creek. Mrs.
Grover Enopier will be associate
hostess.
Mrs. Beal Poole will be pro
gram leader.
Hitler let the
world know Tue do;/
that he cofvvdern.
—the po. I • • of peace non
existent at ; , eh't. in* e- Bdjaii
and France failed to aoo-p; bo
November 7 i 'Hon „ ; 0
the soveri f < i: and th<
Netherlands. .
Hitter’s view-, were /wide
known throurh hi- f«j: «. I - r.iims
ter, Joa<;’,: von 11 i ’ ' • i *(>:■,, \ .ho
told the < of th
that the reply would bo a polite*
“no.”
Von Iiibbentrop grave fid * no
tification to Viscount Jacques
Davigno.n, Belgian ambassador,
and H. M. Van Haer.snia de With,
I Netherlands minister, in advance
!of formal delivery of the reply
| in Brussels and the Hague.
The sinking
of a British
r. v, ■<' - ■ ;\'j
destroyer early j
—Tuesday, and of ten other
vessels in the past few
days, with a toll of at least
33 dead and many critically
injured among the survivors Tues
day night, heralded intensified
warfare on the high seas5 it was
said in London.
[■ The sinking coincided with an
unofficial Nazi threat to torpedo
all British ships “on the assump
tion that they are armed’’ and a
statement in the House of Com
mons that Britain may orde>\ sub
marine chasers from the United
States to cope with the U-boat
menace if British shipbuilding
yards should prove incapable of
keeping abreast of the challenge.
The unidentified destroyer, sixth
British naval vessel to be sent to
I the bottom since the start of the
war, struck a Nazi mine and
foundered just before dawn Tues
I day with one woman dead, six
missing and 15 injured.
Seventy survivors of the de
stroyer, suffering from exposure
and ghock and some on stretch
ers, were landed at English ports
by rescue boats after the warship
went down stem first near the
coast.
It was the first destroyer lost
by the British navy in the war.
Rescuers told of heroic actions
on the part of the destroyer’s sea
men, including one sailor in the
oil-covered water who refused res
cue until men in worse plight had
been saved and swam away sing
ing:
“Even Hitler had a mother.’*
The news of the loss of the de
stroyer was accompanied by de
tails of the sinking of 10 other
ships, including a Norwegian
tanker and a British freighter
shelled and sunk by Nazi U-boats
without warning according to
statements of survivors.
In his own home in Wilkes County—
Sanford Maurice Burchette, formerly
of Alleghany County, was shot to death
—Saturday night, November 11, as he was un
dressing to retire for the night. A load of slugs
from a shotgun in the hands of an unknown
[’assailant outside the window struck Burchette in the
chest and he dropped dead at the feet of his wife. J. A.
(Burchette, a brother of the slain man, lives in Sparta.
J. Will Taylor,
congressman from
Tennessee, died
—Tuesday, November 14, at
LaFollette, Tenn. Taylor,
who was born in Union
County, Tennessee, and who
was 59 years of age at the time
Of his death, had returned Mon
day to his home from Washing
ton D. C., where he had voted
-with the administration forces for
repeal of the arms embargo at
the recent special session of Con
gress.
I Taylor was widely known in
the Republican party. He repre
sented the Second Tennessee Dis
jtrict and made his home in Knox
(turn to page 6, please)
Officers were called and! the
grounds were guarded by neigh
bors until bloodhounds could be
taken to the scene. They struck
a trail within a few feet of 'the
house, where tracks were found,
and! trailed for five miles over the
nearby hills but the trail was
broken where tracks led into
Stony Fork Creek.
Coroner I, M. Myers said Mrs.
Burchette told him her husband
had removed his clothes and was
in the act of getting into the
bed when she heard! the shot and
he crumpled to the ftoor dead.
The shotgun load went through
the window screen, glass and cur
tains.
Burchette, who has been en
gaged as a salesman of household!
articles in rural communities, liv
ed in the village of Ferguson, and
the community was very much
disturbed over the deliberate and
planned murder of one of its
citizens.
He was a son of the late Isom
(turn to page 5, please)
! AlSer'iany County
•11 F
will avea
r n
"7T? ' T? Yl~ “> -> n 0.'*1
■ ; - \ F ; 4
i .U :oi . . r <4* ' ' kiV '_. 'j '•ii
ing quota referen
■her
"'1>. T’' reFe'reri ja,:n, with
vobn^ laces to be located
in.-the'Trait House in Sparta and!
'•i Ti'.i: Knob School will be
held in view of the fact, that the
Seer Lr; of Agriculture had duly
proclaimed, pursuant to the pro
visions of Section 312 (a) of the
Agricultural Adjustment Act of
1938, a national marketing quota
for Burley tobacco for the mar
keting v ar beginning July 1,
1910. The referendum will be
for farmers who were engaged
in the production of the 1939
crop of Burley tobacco.
If more than one-third of the
farmers voting in the referendum
oppose the national marketing
quota, the quota will not be in
effect for the marketing year
beginning July 1, 1940.
Voting will be in progress from
9:00 a. m, to 5:00 p. m.
The Library
Committee of the
Woman’s Club
—which sponsors the Spar
ta Public Library, held a
meeting Monday, November
13, at the 'home of Mrs.
Crystal Heinz.
The committee, the members of
which are Mrs. Heinz, Mrs. T. J.
Carson, Mrs. Jay Hardin, Mrs.
R. E. Black, Mrs. J. T. Inskeep,
Mrs, Amos Wagoner and Mrs.
Albeit Richardson, appointed Mrs.
Mexa Phipps as librarian.
At this time plans were made
for increasing interest in the
library, and ways an?"- fitenifl
were discussed. The committee
is optimistic over the outlook for
the library.
The following books have been
lent t-o the Sparta Public Library
for a limited time, by Mrs. Cry
stal Heinz: “Job,” by Joseph
Roth; “The House in Paris,” by
Elizabeth Bower; “Twenty Thous
and Years in Sing Sing,’’ by
Lawes; Van Loon’s Geography,
“Saint Satumin,” by Schlumber
ger; “And Life Goes On,” by
Vicki Baub; “The Memorabilia
of Fifty Years,” by Rondthaler;
“The Standard Opera and Con
cert Guide,” by George P. Up
ton ; “Arctic Adventure,” by
Frenchen; “Susan Spray,” by
Sheila-Kaye Smith; “ Audobon,”
by Rourke; “The Fountain,” Char
les Morgan, and “Mozart,” by
Davenport.
The library will be open every
week day except Wednesday, from
9:30 to 1:00 o’clock, and ifrom
2:00 to 4:30 o’clock.