ALLEGHANY
STAR-k TIMES
OVER HALF A CENTURY OF SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF ALLEGHANY COUNTY
52nd. Year. No. 16. Sparta, N. C. Thursday, December 5, 1940.
j PETTENGILL j
|“The Gentleman from Indiana’’j
THE NEXT CONGRESS
The next Congress gives prom
iise of occupying a place in gov
I-eminent more nearly as intendec
•by the Founding Fathers than anj
in the past decade or longer. The
■drift toward delegated power hat
been checked. And if the inform
al coalition which exists keeps to
gether, it has more votes than the
President.
This was demonstrated by the
first vote after election when the
House refused to adjourn. One
hundred forty-four Republicans
voting solidly under the leader
ship of Joe Martin, plus 44 inde
pendent Democrats, gave the New
.Deal a jolt. Adjournment was
defeated 191 to 148. As Mr. Will
kie has urged Congress to stay in
session, this vote gives prestige to
the opposition. The day of taking
orders may now be over if citi
zens will back up their Congress
men.
ui me two, tne House seems
destined to have a larger place
in the public eye than the Senate.
It more truly represents the cen
ter of gravity of national thought.
This was manifest last year when
the House passed the Smith bill to
amend the Wagner Act, and the
Logan-Walter bill, both of which
reflected majority public opinion.
In the Senate Henry A. Wal
lace apparently faces an unhappy
time as presiding officer. The
•mystery grows why the President
insisted on his nomination. He
was supposed to bring home the
farm vote, but he lost his own
state of Iowa, as well as Kansas,
Nebraska, Colorado, Indiana and
North and South Dakota. Else
where in rural sections the Re
publicans made huge gains. Omit
ting the majorities in the Solid
South and the 18 largest cities,
Roosevelt and Wallace would
have been defeated.
So Mr. Wallace assumes his post
as presiding officer of the Sen
ate with no laurels of victory ex
cept his election certificate. He
has never served a day in any
legislative body, and he will sit
in the chair of John Garner, who
had 42 years’ experience in leg
islative chambers.
While Mr. Garner began to
grow cold to the New Deal three
years ago, nevertheless when he
went along with “the boss”, he
could get things done in both
House and Senate beyond the
Capacity Of anyone on the Hill
or off it. Wallace will be just
another Vice President,
With the rural sections going
Republican, the big labor vote of
the 18 cities which gave Mr.
Roosevelt 2,400,000 of his total
plurality of 4,500,000 will not
hold the whip hand of recent
years. Labor today is split from
stem to stem, not only between
the two big groups, but among
the groups. John Lewis has left
the CIO, an avowed foe of the
Administration, and the A. F. of
L. cannot screw up the courage
for an energetic purge of its
racketeers. Besides, the CIO’s
new president, Philip Murray, re
sents the Administration’s attempt
to force a “shot gun” wedding on
the warring factions.
For seven years organized lab
or, and particularly the CIO after
it: was formed, cracked a potent
whip over the House of Repre
sentatives.- The Labor Committee
of the House, header by Mary
Norton, Frank Hague’s Congress
woman, took heavy punishment on
election day. Out of 21 mem
bers, 7 were defeated for re-elec
at home were such extreme New
tion, a casualty list greater than
any other House Committee with
one exception. Among those left
Dealers as Keller (111.) of “Crab
Orchard Lake”, Dunn (Pa.);
Fries (111.) and Wood (Mo.).
Apparently they were caught in
the enfilading fire between the
CIO and A. F. of L.
v^apivoi wcuv tu camciuco ut
1920’s, labor in the ’30s, and the
great law of balance is resuming
its ancient sway. It seems re
asonably certain that the new
Labor Committee will be more
conservative than any of its im
mediate predecessors.
In the Senate the country will
take heart over the emergence to
power of Senator George of Geor
gia as the new chairman of its
Foreign Relations Committee. He
is of presidential size and would
be a formidable candidate for
that office if he lived in a north
ern state. No man on earth can
push him around, not even F. D.
R. He succeeds Key Pittman of
Nevada, who despite some virtues,
was too small and unstable a man
to be the head of the Foreign Re
lations Committee in a world at
war. The great majority who
are opposed to going to war now
have a powerful leader in Walter
F. George. The ranking Republi
can is Hiram W. Johnson of Cali
fornia, just re-elected by a tre
mendous vote.
Beyond all this Mr. Roosevelt
has promised not to run for a
fourth term. This brings into
play the old rule that “authority
deserts a dying King”. The star
of the executive will wane and
that of Congress will rise. The
country is going to have some re
■ ■ ■
Our wo r I d
What is Britain’s Financial Ability?
Washington, Dec. 3.—The whole question of Brit
ish financial resources and ability to buy war mater
ials in this country was reported authoritatively to have
been the cause and chief topic of a meeting yesterday
•of nine of the most important officials in the govern
ment. According to this source, it was not a meeting
to decide whether the United States should lend
money to Great Britain, but more to take an account
ing of the situation resulting from British contracts,
now aggregating more than $2,500,000,000 and ex
pected to rise to $4,000,000,000 in the next year.
• • •
Britain Must Have More Ships
London, Dec. 3.—The British disclosed yesterday
that they have turned to United States shipyards with
an order for 60 new freighters to meet their most
immediate menace—Nazi raids from on, above and
below the surface of the sea. In addition, Ronald H'.
Cross, the youthful minister of shipping, told the
House of Commons: “Old but serviceable United States
vessels, including vessels belonging to the Maritime
Commission, have been and will continue to be pur
chased for the British flag as opportunity offers.”
Britain’s own figures and acknowledgements, entirely
aside from those broadcast by the Germans, made it
a black Tuesday for Britain at sea.
Pope Hopes For One Day of Peace
Vatican City, Dec. 3.—Pope Pius XII expressed
his hope yesterday for a Christmas truce in the war—
lest strife and bloodshed “cover the angelic chorus of
peace . . . disturb or miserably extinguish the heavenly
joy of that hour.” But, the first available word from
belligerent capitals, while not final, suggested that the
pope’s appeal for a Christmas free of fighting would
not prevail.
Our Major General “Very Optimistic”
New York, Dec. 3.—Major General J. E. Chaney,
commander of the northeastern district of the U. S.
Army air corps, told newsmen yesterday that after a
43-day survey in England he was “very optimistic on
the outcome of the war from the British point of
view.” Describing the British Isles as “a fortress,” he
said, “at the rate they are going, the British won’t lose
the war.”
Nothing Has Stopped The Greeks, Yet
Athens, Dec. 3.—Greek troops advancing through
a snowstorm were reported last night driving upon Port
Edda, vital Albanian port for Italian military rein
forcements and supplies, after seizing control of the
highway northward to Argirocastro. Reports from
the Epirus front said hard-driving Greek forces had
captured a walled town between Port Edda and Argiro
castro dominating the entire coastal sector of south
ern Albania and keystone of Fascist defenses there.
Great numbers of Italians were killed or wounded, it
was reported, when the Italian Ferrara division holding
a valley below the captured town was curt* off and
shelled by Greek guns until 60 per cent, of its men
fell. The survivors finally charged up a mountain pass,
only to be hurled back by the bayonets of the Greeks,
reports said.
First Inaugural for a Third Term
Washington, Dec. 3.—Representative Robert L.
Doughton, member of the House committee on inaugu
ration, today conferred with officials in charge of the
! event January 20 and expressed himself as highly
' pleased with the progress that has been made. Presi
j dent Roosevelt’s third inaugural will cost something
| above $150,000, it was indicated as Joseph Davies, in
i augural committee chairman, called his co-workers to
j gether on the eve of opening headquarters.
North Carolina
| Girl Wins 4-H
Club Award
I If you want- to know how to i
ibeautify your home, ask Lillian!
| Humphry, 16, of Saint Pauls, j
Robeson County, N. C., who just |
walked off with the National 4-H j
Club home Beautification award. j
The contest, conducted by the
State Extension office of the 4-H
| Club was designed to aid in cre
! ating more natural beauty in
home surroundings. So, little
Lillian Humphry went to work.
This industrious young lady, with
the help of her mother and sisters
cleaned up the yard and sowed
Italian rye grass to establish a
lawn that would retain its green
ish hue through the winter. Lil
lian then regrouped and planted
evergreen shrubbery and set out
a hedge to conceal the chicken
yard. The appeanance of the
house was immensely improved by
Green asbestos roofing and re
paired brick pillars.
And Miss Humphy’s prize? Oh,
yes a beautiful 17-jewel gold
wrist watch.
Grayson County
Red Cross
Roll Call
Our neighbor across New River,
Grayson County in Virginia, ral
lied to the Red Cross Roll Call
and gathered 1,263 members, of
which 872 were from Galax and
381 from the rest of the county.
And the total funds for those
memberships were 1,631 dollars.
Surely a very commendable rec
ord, as well as enviable.
gard for Congress again, and
this is as it should be. Barring
war, we seem likely to have a
representative form of govern
ment once more.
—SAMUEL B. PETTENGILL
Copyright, 1940, America’s
Future Inc.
Story of N. C.
Novelist Told in
New Biography
The biography of Christian
Reid, said to be North Carolina’s
greatest novelist, who was bom
n Salisbury, has just been com
pleted by Kate Harbes Becker,
and will be published in Janu
ary, 1941.
Miss Becker, a member of the
English faculty of Sacred Heart
Junior College, Belmont, knew
Christian Reid personally. Al
though the public knew Christian
Reid as Frances Fisher Tieman,
author of forty-six novels, the
new biography introduces her as
patriot, teacher, and woman of
rare ability as well as a novelist.
The distinction of being one of
the most exact colorists of the
Plantation Era, the greatest des
eriber of mountain scenery
American literature has produc
ed, and the ability to endow the
characters which she created with
a moral standard, are claimed for
her by the biographer.
The biography is illustrated and
may be obtained by sending an
order to the Sacred Heart Junior
College, Belmont, N. C.
Cold Weather
In Alleghany
Tuesday night was not the first
cold weather Alleghany has had,
but the mercury in the ther
mometer went down to five above
zero before morning, and many
water faucets that were not well
protected had to be thawed out.
HIGH SCHOOL DANCE
The faculty has announced a
Christmas Dance for Friday even
ing, December 20, in the Sparta
gym at 9:30. Music will be sup
plied by Johnny Thompson’s or
chestra of the Appalachian State
Teachers College, Boone.
Oxford Orphanage
Cites 67 Years Of
Humanitarian Work
The Greatest Humanitarian of
all once said, “Suffer the little
children to come unto me . . . for
of such is the kingdom of
Heaven,’’ North Caroilna’s
answer to the call of needy,
homeless children is partly rea
lized in the humanitarian efforts
of the Oxford Orphanage located
at Oxford, N. C.
This grand institution, founded
in 1872, has cared for and train
ed nearly 6000 of our boys and
girls during its 67 years of ac
tivity. Although owned by the
Grand Lodge of Masons, only
50% of its pupils are of Masonic
parentage. It is the oldest or
phanage in the State and the only
fraternal order orphanage in the
j United States that receives child
|ren other than those of the mem
. bership of the supporting order.
From its halls graduates and pu
pils have emerged to enter into
all walks of life, and it is a
fact to note that there is no re
cord of a former pupil having
been convicted of and sentenced
for a major crime.
The Home is more than a phil
anthropy; it is an investment in
the priceless lives of homeless
boys and girls. It pays to the
State and its citizenship the high
dividends in character and trained
young people. It is an opportuni
ty today for North Carolina citi
zens to express in a substantial
way their willingness to help
others.
The Orphanage’s annual budget
calls for an expenditure of $170,
000, which provids shelter, cloth
ing, food, recreation, heat, light,
books, school supplies, health
program, staff of trained work
ers, vocational training in several
departments, laundry, repairs and
upkeep to buildings, grounds and
equipment, and experienced case
work for a family of more than
330 children.
But as in most great humane
institutions' opportunities for ser
vice too often exceed their
means. Superintendent C. K.
Proctor announces that the sum
of $10,000 is needed this year
for operating expenses in order
to balance the budget.
The people of Sparta remem
ber the splendid program the
Oxford youngster’s presented here
last August in the high school au
ditorium. The healthy, happy
looking children who sang and
recited for the entertainment of
the Spartans were an excellent
testimonial of the wonderful work
the Oxford Orphanage is doing.
The Superintendent of the
Home announces that the Orphan
age doors are open for visitors
each day, and hundreds of North
Carolina citizens visit this his
toric spot every year.
A Glance At
A Press Clipping
Bureau
If you were to visit Burrelle’s
Press Clipping Bure,au in down
town Manhattan, New York, you’d
find a hundred young girls doing
nothing but reading newspapers
and magazines. The offices, which
overlook the Hudson River, are
as quiet as a library reading
room, and all you see are news
papers stacked in piles ready to
be read and clipped. Harold
Wynne, a young college gradu
ate, who is the president of this
unusual organization says: “Our
girls enjoy reading the Alleghany
Star-Times because it contains so
many interesting items about our
clients.”
Burrelle’s Press Clipping Bu
reau was started back in 1888
with two readers and a handful
of papers. Frank Burrelle, the
originator of the clipping bureau
idea and founder of Burrelle’s,
overheard one man ask another if
he had seen the article in the
morning paper which mentioned
his name. From this conversation
began an organization which to
day has branch offices all over
the world and spends more than
$40,000 a year for newspaper
and magazine subscriptions.
Mrs. S. G. Caudill
Is Expectd Home
Sunday
Under the able care of Dr.
Caudill of St. Elizabeth Hospital
in Pearisburg, Va., Mrs. S. G.
Caudill has made fine progress
since her recent operation and is
expected home next Sunday,
Elder Caudill reports. Dr. Cau
dill, of Pearisburg, and Dr. Cau
dill, of Eliizabethton, Tenn., arc
both brothers of our Elder S G,
Caudill.
Free Soil Tests Offered
Testing Soils To
Find the Correct
Fertilizer
Dr. I. E. Miles, Director of the
I Soil Testing Division of the State
! Department of Agriculture (right)
land Frank Brown, Assistant Soil
j Chemist (left) .are shown pre
paring to make soil tests for
'farmers to determine the best
j suited fertilizer mixture for the
crop they desire to grow. The 51
! boxes of “dirt” represent 13
i farms, whose owners will be given
[free information that can be used
jin obtaining better crops at the
lowest cost. Any farmer can se
cure free soil tests by writing
the State Department of Agricul
ture at Raleigh.
“Now is the time for growers
I to have their soils tested if they
| are to use the information to the
| best advantage,” Dr. Miles said.
More than 5,000 farmers received
free tests of soil on their farms
last season.
Lucille Ford
Circle to Meet
December 10
The Lucille Ford circle of the
Baptist W. M. A. reminds all their
members of the next meeting to
be held Tuesday night, December
10, at 7:30 in the home of Mrs.
Ben Reeves, Sparta. Mrs. R. L.
Hickerson will have charge of the
program.
Today, according to a noted
military expert, there are cases in
which American companies have
invested as much as a million dol
lars in new production facilities
to aid in defense work without
having a single signed order from
the Army.
Dutch Resistance
Worries Nazis
The iron German censorship
imposed in all occupied countries
has successfully frustrated at
tempts of regular newspaper men
to send reports of actual condi
tions. For a while, nothing came
through but nice reports that the
citizens of Holland, Belgium, Nor
way, Poland and the rest not only
accepted, but positively welcom
ed the Nazi rule.
The first serious official slip
ap occurred early last summer
when General Christiansen, har
assed by the stubborn passive
resistance of the Dutch, decreed
;hat acts of violence against
Herman soldiers would be pun
shed by death, and severe meas
ures taken against those who fail
id to show the proper respect for
;he Nazi army. He even rebuk
;d the people of Holland for fail
ing to recognize what he termed
;he blessings of “safety and
aeace” Germany had brought to
;hem.
Later, it was decreed that the
Dutch must stay off the streets
of the cities of Holland during
certain night hours. Reports fil
tering back to Holland-American
citizens give the reason. Ac
cording to certain Dutchmen liv
ing in this country, the Nazi
have been forced to caution
their own people about going out
alone at night. There have been
cases where Germans foolhardy
enough to make such an attempt
among the “friendly” Hollanders
have turned up floating in the
famous Dutch canals.
The passive resistance is car
ried out despite every attempt of
Germany to break the Dutch
spirit. Tulip bulb growers, forc
ed by the invaders to raise
grain on their fertile fields, re
ligiously plant their crops by day
only' to find them plowed under
during the night. The Dutch
simply, refuse to grow supplies
for their conquerors even if i1
means starvation for themselves
Of more vital, immediate im
portance is the fact that many
Dutch citizens have suppliec
British agents with informatior
regarding German troop anc
plane movements. Naturally th(
penalty for such conduct i:
death, but the stolid Dutch con
tinue to aid their Ally.
U. o. IMavy Utters
Wide Range of
Opportunities
*The U. S. Navy is a lot like
he proverbial grape-fruit,—there’s
more to it than meets the eye.
rhe Navy is not merely a fleet
of ships and a “passel” of swash
buckling sailors. There are about
136 separate ratings for civil
employment positions in the Navy
that have their counterparts in
national industry. No matter
what trade may interest you,
from Electrical Engineering, Car
pentry, Butchering, to Photog
raphy—the Navy trains you.
What’s more, the enlisted men can
earn while they learn.
Right now, when civil indus
try is offering well-paying jobs
in industrial plants to skilled me
chanics, many Navy-trained tech
nicians are leaving the service to
enter private establishments. The
Navy, therefore, must train a5
high as 40 per cent of its re
cruits in specialized vocations.
The men who are trained tfoi
these vocations not only have
an opportunity to obtain advanced
ratings as petty officers, with in
creased pay, but also to find them
selves equipped for private em
ployment.
Interested young men shoulc
apply to the nearest Navy recruit
ing station now.
Temperance Play
At Twin Oaks
| A Big Success
The Temperance play entitled
“What Shall It Profit?” offered by
the young people of the Twin
Oaks New Haven Church of the
Brethren enjoyed such success
last Saturday night that the
; troupe has been invited to repeat
its splendid performance for three
I Out-of-town churches.
The young people presented
1 their play before a capacity audi
ence in their New Haven chapel.
So vividly did the group interpret
the temperance drama that there
was hardly a dry eye in the en
tire audience when the final cur
tain fell.
“What Shall It Profit?” is the
tragic story of the evils resulting
from the liquor traffic, wherein
a young editor, driving while in
toxicated, kills his lovely wife
and is himself crippled for life.
| During his convalescence he re
solves on a crusade against drink.
He begins by making the news
paper given him by his father
on his thirtieth birthday a dry
paper, by refusing all liquor ad
vertising.
The cast of “What Shall It
Profit?” WUS;
Bob Kurtz . . . Reporter on
the Daily Tribune . . . Jay Sex
ton.
Robert Kurtz . . . Bob’s father,
owner of the Tribune . . . Carl
Jones.
Rev. Arthur May hew ... Gar
nett Sexton.
Sue' Kurtz . . . Bob’s wife . . .
Frances Wrench.
1 Helen Masters . . . friend of
Sue Kurtz ... Ada Poole.
Margaret Kurtz . . . Bob’s
mother . . . Delia Sexton.
Bobby . . . Infant son of Bob
and Sue . . . G. C. Sexton.
Henry Getty . . . Liquor sales
man ■; . . Robert Grwne.
Between scenes rreddie Sue
and Margaret Sexton sang two
selections, “Answer Them, No”
and “Where Is My Wandering
Boy Tonight?”
Since their dramatic debut Sat
urday night the New Haven youth
have arranged a tentative pro
gram for the future. For their
i first appearance, December 14,
they will motor to Goodwill, W.
| Va. North Wilkesboro cornea
I next on the list, December 21,
while they expect to travel to
Scotville on the 29th.
The silver offering taken Sat
urday night was a very substan
tial amount, which will go to
ward purchase of a piano and
new pews for New Haven church.
L. C. Cox Suffers
Broken Leg in
Fall From Wagon
L. C. Cox, of Vox, a school
bus driver, suffered a broken leg
last Tuesday when the wagon he
was driving overturned. He was
taken to the North Wilkesboro
Hospital where he was confined
for some days. Mr. Cox is said
: to have been hauling a load of
i fodder on his farm when the
accident oc^^red. As he was
making the wagon cap
j sized, ai^^Hile attempting to
(jump cle^^Bfthe falling wagon,
Cox turi^^Ks leg, resulting in
a fractui^^Bfr. Cox has returned
home anc^Vreported to be doing
nicely.
John L. Joines and wife had a
happy Thanksgiving dinner with
R. L.. Maines and family.
Only 16 Shopping
Days Until
Christmas
“Don’t put off until tomorrow
what you can do today,” is a
good maxim to follow, because
tomorrow never comes. But
Christmas does come, and you
have only 16 more days in which
to do that shopping. “Time's a J
wastin’, folks!”