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The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, January 20, 1940, Image 1

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Persistent link: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn78002169/1940-01-20/ed-1/seq-1/

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Dedicated To The Progress Of * Served by Leaaed Wire of the I
499*1 ASSOCIATED PRESS
And Southeastern North Jfli I I With Complete Coverage ot
ar0 ina i \ Slate and National News
—7 _ 9}tng . --—
VOl^TS-NOJ^-uojqgrov^ q.aijj^, 71LMINGT0N> N. g, SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 1940 _ + ESTABLISHED 1867
* * * ★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ |
Freezing Weather Sweeps Into Wilmington
Mercury Will
Plunge To 18
Degrees Mark
Approximately One-Fourth
Of Inch Of Snow Falls
Following Rain, Sleet
ROADS ARE DANGEROUS
iow Temperatures Expect
ed To Continue For Two
Days; Skies To Be Fair
"Winter in all its blustery fierce
ness returned to Wilmington yes
terday and sent the mercury tumb
ling toward a new low for the sea
son amid a swirl of snow-flakes,
rain and sleet.
Weatherman Paul Hess predicted
last night that the temperature
would slump to a low of 17 or 18
degrees early this morning, setting
a new record tor this winter.
Approximately one-fourth inch of
snow fell here yesterday afternoon,
following a short rain and sleet that
made an icy sheet over streets and
highways in this section and added
another hazard to traffic.
Roads In Icy Condition
Miss Minnie Payne, in charge of
the Carolina Motor club office here,
said yesterday that she had been
advised by the Charlotte office that
the roads between here and Charles
ton are in an icy condition. North
bound tourists stopping over here
last night indicated they would
wait over a few days before chanc
ing the trip on northern roads.
Mr. Hess said that the cold wave,
which originated in the mid-west
and Rockies and hit here yesterday,
would probably continue without
much let-up for two or three days.
There will he a slight moderation
in temperature about noon today,
however, he said.
Previously the low temperature
record for Wilmington this winter
was 21 degrees, recorded late in De
cember. The all-time low record for
the city is 5.2 degrees, recorded on
February 14, 1899.
A high temperature of 46 degrees
was recorded yesterday about noon,
but shortly thereafter the mercury
started its tumble and at 9:30 o’clock
last night had touched the 23 de
(Continued on Page Three, Col. 7)
1 WEATHER
.. forecast
-North Carolina: Fair Saturday and
Rat i’ ^HRlitly colder on the coast
Elav slo"4y rising temperature
„!?etc2ro’°Sical data for the 24 hours
™>»8 7:30 1). m. yesterday).
i an Temperature
‘i 44; 7:30 a. m. 45; 1:30 p.
tniai'i.' 1:3(1 la m. 27; maximum 40;
imum 17; mean 30; normal 40.
Humidity
«1 if?,8,?; 59: 7:30 a. m. 57; 1:30 p.
®100; 7:30 p. m. 69.
Tnt.i , Precipitation
OK 24 llours ending 7:30 p. m.
nonti°i «-s'• total since first of the
mout" 1.6a inches.
Tides For Today
• f.,,'” 7l,'c Tallies published by U.
oast and Geodetic Survey).
Wiiminn. High Low
uunungtoa - 5:48a i2;37a
MacnnJt , (5:09p 1:20p
"asonboro Inlot _ 3:26a 9:58a
Siinfia - 3:47p 10:10p
risp sunset 5:30p; moon
“ l'30p; moonset 2:53a.
WeatherI;t'yrox. Jailuary I9— (ff) —
ture n„,i ,reau records of tenipera
ing g 4 rain fan for tjje 24 hours end
Kruivi n„ ’ ln- >*> the principal cotton
Stauin® rt'as and elsewhere:
Alpena , High Low Free.
Aslievi,'ieC °4>dy-21 4 0.00
Atlanta ’,cdt'ar -19 4 U.00
Atlantic r r-21 11 0.00
Hirnii ».,C ty’ ’dear — 17 l« o.07
WonShrclear-18 3 0.01
Hllffo ; c ear -10 14 0.03
V110"’ - 5 -3 0.29
Chicago °m c "“dy — 15 8 0.00
Ci»tin1aticloudy - 8 -13 0.00
Cleveland !i"ow - 4 -H 0.00
Dallas ei„cl,"udy --1 -H O.OU
Denver y -28 6 0.00
Detroit’ . 19 -10 0.00
Duluth : ”“ y - 5 -8 0.00
El l'as’o 7" ^ -17 -3 0.00
JalveS C‘VudJ - 34 1 3 0.00
0°ir.% 3 0°-“
9*««dT": 53 50 o:is
West , e,ar —- 12 -11 0.00
Little Roet- °t’dy —- 78 «7 0.07
,os Angeles’ 4 ear-23 -1 0.00
;°“isviiie — 87 48 0.00
OiiDhis ’ „eoudy - 4 -14 0.00
Jyridian' l „! I - 18 0 0.00
foblip Vi,,',, ’ cl°udy 15 -0 0.03
lc'f Orleans — 29 19 0.03
‘.C"’ York oudy ' 28 22 0.00
“"folk, ei. *!ar - 20 15 0.00
htsliurgn a, -3- 26 26 0.18
,°«laiid Ore “d,y — 3 -12 0.00
“rtlan<i in ’ aloudy 37 34 0.00
■chmon’d ’ clear - 20 10 0.00
’ Uuis, cUear - 23 16 0.00
n Antonio ", --t-1« -10 t».00
“ l'’ran? s;ocI®,udy - 35 15 0.00
•,Van'<ali 1°' cloudy 44 40 0.00
.SPa, eloudf -47 94 0.05
■Sfliurg *ly- 60 48 0.22
v,slli'>gt,in a, -21 7 o.OO
"‘Imington’ „c, eai; — 15 11 0.00
3 cloudy iB 43 018

Young Colonial
_ Youngest member of the expedi
tion headed for a lonely island 1,000
miles off the coast of Florida, King
Irvine, 17-months-old, makes sure a
water canteen is in good condition
before it is parked. The party of
21 Pasadena, Cal., persons say they
are seeking happiness “where there
isn’t too ;nucli poverty or too mucli
material success.”
GIBSON SENTENCED
TO DIE MARCH 15
Judge Frizzelle Sends Wil
mington Negro To Gas
Chamber For Attack
Simon (Coochie) Gibson, 22-year
old negro, is scheduled to die in
the state’s gas chamber in Raleigh
on March 15 for the criminal as
sault of Mrs. Gladys Barnes, white
woman, here on the night of July 23.
Gibson was sentenced in superior
court yesterday morning by Judge
J. Paul Frizzelle, of Snow Hill, fol
lowing the return of a verdict of
guilty Thursday night.
For the first time since the ne
gro was arrested and charged with
the crime, he broke into tears.
Asked by Judge J .Paul Friz
zelle if he had any statement to
make, Gibson said: "I just want to
say I didn’t do it.”
The condemned man turned with
tears in his eyes and pointed at
the crowd of negroes in the gal
lery at the rear of the courtroom
and said, “The man I’m taking the
rap for may be up there right
now.’’
After being sentenced to die and
returned to his cell to await trans
portation to the state prison at Ral
eigh, Gibson re-affirmed his state
ment of innocence, and added, “I
didn’t do it but I’m willing to go
down for it.”
It was presumed that by "go
down” Gibson meant take the death
penalty.
Tears came to his eyes as he sat
in his cell and thanked W. L.
Farmer and Addison Hewlett for
their fight for his life. "They done
good,” he said.
He also extended his regards to
District Solicitor David Sinclair
with words: “He done all for me
the law would let him do. May God
be with him.”
With the statement that it was
his last opportunity to speak to
(Continued on Page Three, Coi. 2)
SWEDISH STEAMER
IS SUNK BY SUB
Crew Of 35 Rescued After
Vessel Torpedoed Off
Coast Of Scotland
-St
STOCKHOLM, Jan. 20.—(Saturday)
UP)—Torpedoing of the 6,685-ton
Swedish steamer Pajala off Scot
land was disclosed early today by
her owners. It was the second
Scandinavian steamer reported
sunk in the last two days by sub
marines.
The crew of 35 was rescued and
taken to a Scottish harbor.
A cable to the owner said the
steamer was torpedoed without
warning on Thursday and sunk in
25 minutes. She was en route to
Sweden from Buenos Aires with a
cargo of corn.
The other Scandinavian ship
sunk, also on Thursday, was the
1,831-ton Canadian Reefer, of Dan
ish registry, bound for the Mediter
ranean from Los Angeles. The crew
of 26 was rescued. The Danish ra
dio said she was sunk by a German
submarine off Cape Finisterre,
Spain, -,
---—-*
Swedes Help
Finns Battle
Fleeing Reds
Many Swedish Volunteer
Pilots Fight Swarms Of
Soviet Warplanes
SOVIET BOMBERS BUSY
Bitter Fighting Rages At
Markajarvi, 50 Miles
From Red Frontier
By WADE WERNER
HELSINKI, Jan. 19—(A*)—Season
ed Swedish volunteer pilots in in
creasing numbers tonight aided the
Finns in harassing the retreat of
40,000 Soviet troops, fighting back
step by step toward their border in
the deadly cold of the Arctic Circle.
These blue-eyed airmen were pit
ted against swarms of Soviet planes
which, official Finnish sources say,
have reached a total of 450 in one
day. Waves of Russian bombers
have struck repeatedly at both
northern and southern Finland for
several days. Today, Helsinki’s peo
ple spent an hour in air-raid shel
ters while ainti-aircraft batteries
fought off raiders.
Airmen Take Toll
The Finns announced tonight that
the Swedish fliers were taking a toll
of Soviet troops. From Rovaniemi,
important west Finland junction on
the railroad which the Soviet armies
had hoped to reach from the Sulla
sector, Thomas F. Hawkins, As
sociated Press war correspondent,
said the Swedish fliers were active
in engagements both in the Salla
area and north of Lake Ladoga.
Swedish volunteer land fighters,
he said, also were pouring into the
fighting on the northern fronts
There are about a thousand Swed
ish volunteers now in Finland, along
with about a hundred Finnish-Amer
icans and some Norwegians, Danes
and Italians
The Swedes are well-equipped
with their own skiis, heavy sheep
skin coats, guns and trucks and
have their own commanders. A num
ber of them are housed in barracks
(Continued on Page Three, Coi. 2)
BEDACHT IS HEARD
AT BROWDER TRIAL
Swears He Saw Communist
Leader On ‘Business’
Trips To Moscow
NEW YORK, Jan. 19.—W— Max
Bedacht, a squat, graying veteran
of 20 years in the communist move
ment, swore today that he had seen
Earl Browder 'in Moscow on “busi
ness” trips during periods when the
government claims the communist
leader was traveling in stealth on
false passports.
Testifying in Browder’s trial on
charges of using passports obtain
ed through false representations,
Bedacht said obliquely—but was not
allowed to say directly—that this
“business” was that of the internat
ional communist organization.
He showed the same apparent re
luctance exhibited by other party
(Continued on Page Three, Col. 1)
-—— — , -fr
Priest Gives A Blessing
Blessings from heaven come to citizens of San Diego as the Rev. Paul
Schulte, famed “flying priest of the Arctic,” sky-writes a cross of smoke
in the sky above the California city.
Many Entries Received
In Civic Plans Contest
SUGGESTIONS OFFERED
Date Of Closing Contest
Moved To February 1
And Prizes Doubled
The possibilities for greater de
velopment of Wilmington and New
Hanover county are hardly sur
passed in any locality in the state
and the many entries in the Star
News contest to draft a program
of community projects indicate that
the persons submitting proposals
are covering the field.
If you are stumped for a sug
gestion, however, let your mind
wander over the many natural ad
vantages the city and county en
joy and then think how these can
be turned into channels to raise
the general welfare and prosperity
of the community to a new level.
Wilmington, as you know, is po
tentially the greatest seaport along
the lower Atlantic coast. What
are your ideas for developing this
one point to its fullest?
Have you considered the wealth
of natural resources in this area,
such as wood of every variety es
pecially pulpwood, shipping of pro
duce, fishing and the opportunities
for a canning program?
These are just a few suggestions
from which you can start your line
of thought and steer them into a
practical channel.
Although there have been num
erous entries in the contest, it is
not too late for anyone to submit
a proposal for a worthwhile com
munity project. The deadline for
filing has been moved up from
January 26 to February 1, and the
prizes to be given for the best pro
posals have been doubled by R. B.
Page, publisher of the newspapers.
The increased prizes are: $."5 for
the suggestion adjudged best, $15
for the second best and $10 for the
third best. A prize of $1 will be
awarded to each parson submitting
a suggestion that is incorporated in
the Star-News program.
This program, now undergoing
general revision, along with a list
ing of recently achieved projects
supported by the Star-News, may
be found on the editorial page cf
The Wilmington Morning Star.
Lawmakers Get Peek
At New Secret Plane
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19—
—Senators and representatives
got a peek today at some of the
array’s secret new planes and
aviation equipment.
Fighting planes credited with
400-mile-an-hour speeds and a
30-ton experimental bomber were
included in a $10,000,000 exhibit
at Bolling field which officials
termed the most comprehensive
of its kind in history.
It was arranged by the War
department to give congress an
idea of what is being turned out
under the $300,000,000 air corps
expansion voted last year.
Several hundred specially in
vited official visitors saw one
pursuit plane bristling with ten
machine guns, another armed
with a cannon, and bombers of
the type that have flown repeat
edly to South America and re
turn.
MOTORIST KILLED
WHEN AUTO SKIDS
Adolph Greeble, 59, New
ark, Loses Life In Acci
dent Near Rowland
ROWLAND, Jan. 19 — Adolph
Greeble, 59, of Newark, N. J., was
killed here early this afternoon
when the car he was driving skid
ded on the slippery pavement and
crashed into a light pole during a
snowfall.
Minnie Papari, another occupant
of the car, suffered a broken hand
and shock in the crash and was car
ried to a Lumberton hospital for
treatment.
The car was demolished ir. the
crash. After striking the light pole
and breaking it into three pieces, jt
continued for about 50 feet before
stopping.
Japs’ Canton
Line Defenses
Are Crumbling
Invaders Suffer One Of
Most Serious Setbacks
Of War With China
CHINESE PRESS FIGHT,
-
Japs Pushed Back 50 Miles
Since Retreats Started In
Kwangtung Area
HONGKONG, Jan. 20.— (Satur
day)—(fP)—Japanese outer defenses
of Canton, South China’s largest
metropolis, were reported by the
Chinese to be crumbling today fol
lowing one of the most serious set
backs inflicted on the invaders in
the two and one-half year old war.
The Chinese said a ring of steel
virtually had been completed around
Canton, normally a city of 1,500,000
population which fell to the Japa
nese in October, 1938, and which
has been used by them as a base
for extensive operations in South
China.
Japanese Pushed Back
The Japanese have been pushed
back SO miles since a series of re
treats in Kwangtung province forc
ed them to be§in a retreat from
Yingtak, important communication
center- on the Canton-Hankow rail
way 80 miles north of Canton, the
Chinese declared.
The pursuing Chinese were said
to have established lines forming
an arc, with their right, or west
ern wing, only 18 miles from Can
ton and their center and left 25
miles away.
The Japanese for several days
have maintained silence on their
Kwangtung campaign. They ac
knowledged a week ago that some
of their forces were withdrawing
from the northern area of the
province after completing what
they said was merely a drive to
mop up remnants of the Chinese
army there.
High Chinese sources in Hong
kong admitted their successes were
achieved only by great casualties
numbering between 15,000 and 20,
000 Chinese troops. They said a
“moderate estimate’’ of Japanese
(Continued on Page Three, Col. 8)
LONG INDICATES
SPECIAL SESSION
Louisiana Governor Hints
That He May Summon
Lawmakers Today
NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 19.—(dO—
Governor Earl K. Long, using the
sudden unpredictable tactics of his
brother, the late Huey P. Long,
indicated today that he might call
the legislature into special session
tomorrow.
Only two hours before his prin
cipal campaign foes in Tuesday's
gubernatorial primary announced
they had joined forces in hopes of
unseating him in the runoff pri
mary February 20.
"It’s too cold to campaign any
way,” the governor said cryptically.
"So we might as well take care of
(Continued oil Page Four; Col. 4)
COMBINATION RAIDER AND SUPPLY SHIP
WAS AUXILIARY VESSEL FOR GRAF SPEE
By HAROLD K. MILKS
MONTEVIDEO, Jan. 19.—
(AP)—A secretly-built warship—
a combination raider, supply
and prison ship, was reported
tonight to have been the auxili
ary vessel which accompanied
the Nazi raider Admiral Graf
Spee over three oceans and car
ried 300 prisoners under condi
tions which British captives
said recalled the “days of slave
traders.”
A reliable naval source here
declared the Graf Spee's auxili
ary was the “Altmark,” a dis
guised 12,000-ton vessel capable
of making 25 knots. She ap
parently has reached a secret
haven with her seamen prison
ers, this source indicated.
In London, the British charg
ed the Graf Spee supply ship I
[ had not been reported for more
than a month and it was pos
sible she might have reached a
German port. The British de
scribed the ship as a "tanker.”
A British statement charged
food on the auxiliary was "scarce
and bad,” a quart of water was
rationed to each man daily for
drinking and washing, the pris
oners were forced to sleep on
vermin-ridden mattresses, and
British officers were humiliated
before East Indian crewmen.
Authorized sources in Berlin
asked how the British knew
about conditions on the tanker
if they had not seized her. These
sources also said the cleanliness
of German ships was known
throughout the world.
The British, however, said
conditions on the prison ship
were described by British skip
pers who were freed from the
Graf Spee when she put into
Montevideo harbor last month
after a running fight with three
British cruisers. Later the pock
et battleship was blown up by
her captain, who then shot him
self.
It was said here the last con
tact between the Altmark and
the Graf Spee occurred Decem
ber 8. less than a week before
the battle of Uruguay. At that
time the Altmark flew the Nor
wegian flag and bore the name
of a vessel of that nationality.
The new warship was devel
oped under cover in pre-war
Germany and kept hidden un
til the start of the war, to
night’s informant asserted.
Especially built as an auxili
ary for Germany’s 10,000-ton
pocket battleships, she appear
ed in the guise of an innocent
merchantman on the high seas
but actually, the source here
said, she carried three six-inch
guns hidden behind shutters,
plus an anti-aircraft gun.
In addition to the armament,
the Altmark allegedly is equip
ped with a large number of
prison cells designed to confine
the crews of merchantmen
sunk by the Altmark or the
warship it was accompanying.
The Altmark, flying flags of
various nationalities, was re
ported seen in South Atlantic
trade routes by merchantmen
who did not suspect her identi
ty, and met German and neutral
tankers at designated locations
during her cruise with the Graf
Spee.
VETERAN G. O.P.
SOLON PASSES
A T RESIDENCE
-
DIES 1
SENATOR BORAH_
F.R. PAYS TRIBUTE
TO SENATOR BORAH
Legislators Of All Political
Faiths Mourn Passing
Of Idaho Veteran
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19. — (S') —
■ President Roosevelt tonight praised
! Senator Borah as “a unique figure
I whose passing’ leaves a void In
American life."
The Presidential statement said:
“The senate and the nation arc
sadly bereft by the passing of Sena
tor Borah. We shall miss him, and
mourn him and long remember the
superb courage which was his. He
dared often to stand alone and even
at times to subordinate party inter
est when he presumably saw a di
vergence of party interest and the
national interest.
“Fair-minded, firm in principle
and shrewd in judgment, he some
times gave and often received hard
blows; but he had great personal
charm and a courteous manner
which had its source in a kind heart.
He had thought deeply and studied
patiently all the great social, politi
cal and economic questions which
had so vitally concerned his country
men during the long period of his
public service.
His utterances commanded me
close attention of the senate and of
a far-flung audience whenever he
spoke. A unique figure, his passing
leaves a void in American public
life.”
Legislators of all political faiths
were quick to express their sorrow.
Senators Barkley (D-Ky) and Mo
Nary (R-Ore), the majority and mi
nority leaders, joined in praising the
Idaho veteran and others of his col
leagues voiced deep sorrow.
1 All paid tribute to Borah's cour
age, and many linked this with his
unerring courtesy in his relations
with fellow senators.
Among the comments were the
following:
1 Barkley—‘‘It is a great blow to the
congress and to the nation. He is
■ one of the men whose death will
1 make an impression around the
world.”
McNary—“No one can ever fill his
; place. He had a unique position ill
(Continued on Page Three, Col. 4)
The European
War Situation
(By The Associated Press)
MOSCOW—Russian communi
que reports Finnish Battalion
“annihilated,” numerous Finnish
casualties suffered in patrol
clashes.
HELSINKI — Swedish volun
teer pilots aid Finns in harass
ing retreat of 40,000 Russians in
Arctic Circle.
STOCKHOLM — Owners dis
close two Scandinavian steamers
torpedoed Thursday.
MONTEVIDEO—Secretly-built
combination supply and “slave”
ship carried 300 prisoners of
nazi Raider Admiral Graf Spee,
reliable source says.
COPENHAGEN — Danish
house declares neutrality “must
be maintained,’’ her indepen
dence defended
MRS. BORAH PRESENT!
Famous Idaho Legislator
Suffered Cerebral Hemor
rhage Few Days Ago
LEADERS VOICE GRIEF,
Death Ends One Of Longest,
Most Colorful Careers
In U. S. Politics
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19.—UP)-*
Death removed Senator William
Edgar Borah, the indomitable
“Dion of Idaho,” from the nation’s
council tables tonight.
Stricken down by a cerebral
hemorrhage at the age of 74, tha
famous republican legislator passed
away in a coma and “very peace
fully,” at 8:45 p. m„ EST, hiS
aides said.
Mrs. Borah—the beloved "Mary’*
for whom he repeatedly called in
his last illness—was present in tha
Borah apartment home when the
end came. In constant attendance
since the illness first struck the
senator down Tuesday, she was
in another room when a nurse not
ed the approach of death.
Doctor Summoned
The nurse called her to come to
the bedside, and the doctor was
summoned, but before he arrived
the senator was dead.
Miss Cora Rubin, the senator's
secretary of many years, who also
was at the bedside, said death oc
curred as if it happened "while ha
was asleep.”
Word of the death spread through
the capital swiftly. Miss Rubin im
mediately called the White House
and President Roosevelt was in
formed.
Secretary of State Hull, who as
a senator from Tennessee had serv
ed in the senate with Borah, ex
pressed his grief, as did many oth
er leaders.
The republican leader of the sen
ate, Senator McNary of Oregon,
with Borah’s junior colleague from
Idaho, D. Worth Clark, arrived at
the apartment within a few min
utes after announcement of tha
death.
The cerebral hemorrhage occur
red about the time the gray-man
ed veteran statesman suffered a!
fall at his apartment here Tues
day morning. It was not known
whether the hemorrhage caused tha
fall or resulted from it. ,
Called For Wife l
The senator was unconscious
when Mrs. Borah tound him lying
on the floor of his bathroom. Ha
(Continued on Page Three, Col. 5). j
F. D. R. DISCUSSES
FAMILY WELFARE
Says ‘Mere Handouts From
Federal Treasury’ Not
Solution To Problem
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19.— OT —
President Roosevelt told the Whit4
House conference on children in a
democracy tonight that “mere hand*
outs from the federal treasury” ar*
not the permanent solution to th*
needs of the American child and it*
family.
“I agree with you that public as
sistance of many kinds is neces
sary,” he said in a discussion of tli*
conference report, which recorn
(Continued on Page Three, Col. 3)
Don't Postpone
Buying A Better Car
. . . . just because you can’ll
afford a NEW Car.
Wilmington’s reliable dealer*
are offering today many bar
* gains in good "Used” Cars that
have been traded in on 194#
models.
They invite you to co-n#
around and g<-t behind the wheel
of one of their good late model
used cars and discover for
yourself the pleasure of driving
a “Used” Car in "New” Car
condition.
See Today's Classified

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