The Wilmington morning star. [volume], July 31, 1940, Page 5, Image 5

About The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990

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BRITAIN REPORTS
shipping LOSSES
Total Of 37,577 Tons Is
Be|ow Weekly Average,
London Says
, oNt>ON, July 30. UP) British
! ' ’ ... marine losses for the week
mprcn*111
Tlliv 21 were 37.577 tons,
ending Jl,lv L
•he admiralty announced today.
Allied losses of 2,088 tons anc
neutral losses of 10,192 tons were
*or the same period, bring
! ^°the aggregate losses to 49,851
t0"L admiralty said the total was
below the weekly average
5 .hp 46 weeks of tile war anc
I ® tlK1n fourth of the highest
iveeklv fiS,,re- .... .
" Pleven British ships, one Alliec
f„l and six neutrals were In
'Led among the losses listed fo>
the week ending July 21
The admiralty announced thal
re-man losses up to July 28 amount
[ to approximately 908,000 tons
!?d Kalian losses to 254,000 tons
a m-and total of about 1,162,00c
[ons of enemy shipping sunk since
the start of the war.
Tn addition some 22,000 tons 01
: formerly neutral vessels now undei
Axis control have been destroy^
the admiralty said.
Its statistics also showed:
Total British wartime losses tc
i juiy 21_283 ships totalling 1,193,
411 tons.
Toial Allies’ losses—66 ships oi
310176 tons.
Total neutral losses 226 totalling
693.493 tons. *
S /-pjjg German high command re
norted July 12 that 4,329,213 tons
of -enemy merchant shipping space
or shipping space usable by the en
emy” had been sunk by German air
and naval action up to then, in ad
Oition to more than 300 ships put
out of commission by air attack.)
In April, 1917. when Germany’s
World war submarine campaign was
at its peak, 433 ships totalling 881.
600 tons were sunk, of which 196
totalling 545.300 tons were British
In that month one out of every
four Ships leaving Britain was sent
to the bottom.
Canada rlans military
Training Of 1,000,000
OTTAWA, July 30—(.IP)— Con
sidering the possibility of creating
| a Canadian army of 1,000,000 War
Services Minister James G, Gar
' diner between the ages of 21 and
45 might be compelled to undergo
I 30 days’ military training.
“There is no reason,” he said,
"why Canada should not train an
i army of 1.000,000 men under this
system and still operate her in
i dustry and primary production to
meet demands upon it.”
National registratio nis to be
conducted August 19-21. Canada’s
243 electoral districts will be the
basis for the registration.
I Child, 2, Is Killed
By Gun Brother Held
i| LAKE CITY. S. C„ July 30— tm
—Two-year-old Jimmie Owens was
i’i killed yesterday when a gun in the
iw hands of his seven-year-old broth
'll er, Buford, was discharged while
A they were playing at the home of
A their father, J. D. Owens,
y Jimmie was in his father’s arms
when the charge struck him. The
lather was wounded in the shoul
if der.
- — • _ __
_Churchill Inspects England’s Defenses
Prime Minister Winston Churchill inspects a camouflaged gun emplacement on the southeast coast
of. England. The channel is lined with heavy guns, ready to blast at hostile aircraft and ships when
Hitier s invasion starts.
F. R. LOAN PLAN
BILL QUESTIONED
Jones Is Asked To Explain
Bill To Extend Credit
To South America
WASHINGTON, July 29. — OT —
President Roosevelt's request for a
$500,000,000 fund to assist Western
Hemisphere countries in meeting
trade problems caused by war ran
into critical questions today from
members of the senate banking com
mittee.
Their questions, on whether legis
lation to carry out the White House
request to increase the capital of
the export-import bank from. $200.
000,000 to $700,000,000 might dan
gerously loosen restrictions on for
eign credit, were directed at Jesse
H. Jones, federal lending administra
tor.
Senators Clark (D-Idaho), Adams
(D-Colo.), Taft (R-Ohio) and Townsend
(R-Del.), all brought up the point,
by asking whether the measure
would remove present restrictions of
the Johnson act and neutrality act.
The Johnson act prohibits credits
to any nations that have defaulted
on World war debts to the United
States and the neutrality act bars
loans to belligerents.
The senators referred to a clause
in the export - import legislation
which stated that these loans might
be made “notwithstanding any oth
er provisions of law insofar as they
may restrict or prohibit loans or
other extensions of credit to, or oth
er transactions with, the govern
ments of the countries of the West
ern Hemisphere or their agencies or
nationals.”
Finally Chairman Wagner (D-N.Y.)
asked Jones whether the legislation
was intended to supercede the John
son and neutrality acts.
“No,” Jones replied after consult
ing a staff of lawyers and a-ssistants.
Senator Wagner suggested that
definite limitations could be written
into the legislation.
TRAFFIC DEATHS
MOUNT SHARPLY
‘Wartime Jitters’ Said To
Be Partly Responsible
For More Crashes
CHICAGO, July 30.—(jF)—“War
time jitters”—the war's psychologi
cal effects on American motorists—
were held partly responsible today
for a sharp increase in the nation’s
traffic deaths.
Reporting an eight per cent in
crease in traffic deaths for the first
half of 1940 compared with the same
period last year, the National Safety
Council attributed the rise to great
er travel and “wartime jitters.”
There were 14,740 persons killed
in motor accidents during the first
six months of 1940, or 1,040 more
than in the like 1939 period.
The June death toll of 2,820 was
15 per cent greater than that of
June, 1939 and the largest for any
month since March, 1937.
The council found that traffic
deaths began to increase almost
simultaneously with the outbreak of
war and that the rise reached a
peak in June when Prance surren
dered.
Motor vehicle mileage was about
7 per cent greater this year than in
the 1939 period, making the “mile.
age death rate” for both periods vir
tually the same, the council added.
Accidents in rural sections were
responsible for most of the June in
crease, the council reported. Among
cities, those in the 50,000 to 100,000
population class showed the poorest
record in June—A 32 per cent in
crease over June, 1939.
A total of 729 cities reported no
traffic deaths in June. Among them
were Kansas City, Rochester, N. Y.,
Providence, R. I., and Toledo, Ohio.
There were 110 reporting cities
without a traffic death in 1940, the
largest being Lakewood, Ohio, popu
lation 75,400, and Atlantic City, N.
J., 68,800.
Bamboo seeds are eaten by the
poorer classes in some parts of
, India.
Paul Green Writing Play Based
On Negro Novel, Native Sonf
BY HOKE NORRIS
CHAPEL HILL, July 30.—(IP)—In
a rough cabin that once was the
home of slaves, Paul Green and
Richard Wright are dramatizing
Wright’s novel. ‘‘Native Son”, a
story of negroes.
The young negro author of the
year’s sensational novel came to
Chapel Hill for the collaboration at
Green’s suggestion.
Wright brings 10 the dramatiza
tion the knowledge of one who has
seen at first hand the operation of
forces which lead to such brutal
crimes as he describes in his novel.
Green contributes the dramatic
artistry of a trained playwright,
the artistry which in 1927 won him
the Pulitzer prize for "In Abra
ham’s Bosom”.
Naturally, the story of Bigger
Thomas, Wright's hero, is present
ing problems, and which the writ
ers hope to surmount in time for
Orson Welles and John Housman
to produce the play in New York
next season.
Working in the cabin near
Green’s home two miles from here,
the two have completed the first
rough draft of the drama—‘i*rery
rough,” Green said — but still
haven't determined how to end it.
In the novel, Bigger Thomas,
awaiting execution for the murder
of a young while woman, realizes,
if hazily and dimly, the true pru
port of his act. He sees also the
full scope of the forces which have
driven him to commit the crime.
It is a powerful psychological pas
sage but not easily adapted to the
stage. It may be presented in a
monologue.
Also, Green and Wright are con
sidering the use of music to height
en the dramatic effect. However,
Green said only one scene could be
easily given a musical background
and the need for music was mostly
technical, to fill the actionless
blanks between scenes.
“When you have a great number
of scenes” (as “Native Son” is
likely to have), Green said, "you
need something like music to carry
the audience from one scene to an
nthor’ ’
“Native Son” will be Green’s
fourth New York appearance. His
first three plays—“In Abraham’s
Bosom”, “The House of Connelly”
in 1931, and “Johnny Johnson” in
1937—were written by him alone.
His novel, “Laugntng Pioneer”,
published in 1932, has been drama
tized and may be ‘produced on
Broadway, and he said he had in
mind an original drama' which he
hopes would also be presented
soon. So, conceivably, these and
“Native Son” may run simultan
eously.
Despite his success on Broad
way, in Hollywood and in his own
state, Paul Green is still in many
ways the unaffected farm boy he
was when he first entered the Uni
versity of North Carolina, where he
now teaches in the drama depart
ment. He still talks in the drawl of
the section from which he came—
Harnett county, in central North
Carolina, on whose sandy loam he
farmed. And he still likes to farm.
At his home he raises “corn and
potatoes and things like that.”
“We did that at home,” he said,
“and I’m glad to get back to it.
It always did kind of irk me to
have to buy things from a grocery
store.”
Green is 46. He was graduated
at the university in 1921—after a
period of war service—and did
graduate work there and at Cor
nell. He taught philosophy at the
University for a while but went to
the drama department when he
found that the teaching of many
different philosphies might be rob
bing him of one of his own.
He has spent some time in Holly
wood, writing for the movies, but
he and Hollywood are on mutual
bad terms. He has had some un
kind words to say about motion
picture making as practiced,
though he thinks the medium is
“marvelous” and is the first great
outlet for art developed in the ma
chine age.
“The last time I was in Holly
wood,” he recalled, “I had an as
signment, and I hired me a hotel
room and got me a dictaphone and
finished it, and then went and put
it on their desk and asked 'em if
I could home, and they said I
could, and I came home.”
For several years—since his
“Johnny Johnson” was produced
on Broadway—Green’s major writ
ing task has been a presentation
of the three chapters in the story
of democracy in America.
He began with "The Lost Col
ony”, which is being presented on
Roanoke Island, in Dare county,
this year for its fourth season. It
tells the story of the first attempt
to colonize the new world—an a
tempt which, Green said, express
ed “the dream of a new nation”.
Now he is writing a pageant for
Williamsburg, Va., where, he said,
there was expressed the first "act
ual statement of the new philoso
phy of the new nation”. It may be
presented next June, at the anni
versary of the Virginia bill of
rights, which a short time after its
adoption became the basis of the
Declaration of Independence.
The third chapter, the actual
fight for freedom, has already been
written and presented in “The
Highland Call,” laid in the Cape
Fear country of North Carolina.
Green when asked about the
possible connection between “Na
tive Son” and his historical pa
geants, replied that the forthcom
ing play would have no connection
with them.
However, the question did
prompt comment which, in a way,
links “Native Son” with the three
historical plays.
“In the American democratic
theory,” Green said, “we have a
method of stimulating first, by the
theory of equality, and then we
have tokens which frustrate. Every
year we stimulate college boys and
tell them to go forth, and there’s
nowhere to go. -
“That’s not altogether confined to
one race. We have 16,000,000 peo
ple who mainly because of their
color don’t have the opportunities
we have. In a democracy every tub
should stand on its own bottom—
everybody ought to have a chance
to develop his full talents. In 'Na
tive Son’, Bigger Thomas could
have got a job shining shoes, but
he didn’t want that and, perhaps,
his ability was far above that. But
he was frustrated and he commit
ted a horrible crime, as the only
way he could express himself.
“So we’ve never written the
fourth chapter of democracy, and
that chapter would be ‘coopera
tion’”. . .
“I think it’s time to write that
fourth chapter.” 4
Fifth Column Drive
Secrecy Is Defended
LONDON, July 30.—(A)—Prime
Minister Churchill cut short a com
mons questioner's attempt today to
bring out information concerning a
secret committee headed by Lord
Swinton connected with secret ser
vice operations against the "fifth
column.”
The prime minister declared it was
not in the public interest to discus®,
that committee, or others like it.
Asked whether he approved a ban
on newspaper mention of the Swin
ton committee without special per
mission, Churchill replied tartly:
"Yes, sir! and I am rather surpris
ed that he (a laborite questioner) per
sisted in asking this. The govern
have stated with all their respon
sibility they do not think it is in the
public interest that this should be
discussed.
Two Men Die As Fire
Sweeps Argonne Hotel
SAN FRANCISCO, July 30—UR—
Two men lost their lives and five
were injured in a fire which swept
through upper stories of the Ar
gonne hotel at dawn today.
Acting-Chief Albert J. Sullivan
estimated damage at $25,000. The
dead were not immediately identi
fied.
Sullivan said fire escapes and
balconies were choked with guests
when equipment arrived. They
were helped or carried down.
FRENCH PROTEST
BRITISH ACTION
Two Admirals Interned,
Two Tankers Detained
At Alexandria
VICHY, France, July 30.—W—
The French government announced
today that it had protested "ener
getically” to the British govern
ment over internment of Admirals
Cayol and Villaine, commanders of
French ships which were in Eng
lish ports when the French-Ger
man armistice was signed last
month.
The government also disclosed
that it had demanded without suc
cess the release of two French oil
tankers which, it said, were being
detained at Alexandria.
The protest against the intern
ment of the Frenc i admirals was
conveyed to the British govern
ment in a formal note, a com
munique said. It asserted the offi
cers had been taken into custody
after their ships were taken dVer
by British naval authorities.
Both men were said to be in an
internment camp at Oxford, and
to have been denied permission to
communicate with French authori
ties.
German authorities, meanwhile,
were reported to have relazed re
strictions on railway passengers
traffic between the occupied and
unoccupied zones in France to per
mit the passage of one train daily.
This train, however, will be allow
ed to carry only members of gov
ernment services and their fami
lies returning to Paris, it was said.
Refugees were allowed to travel
by highway between the two zones,
however, with the stipulation the
gasoline tanks of their automobiles
must be full when they cross the
line of demarcation.
The newspaper Le Figaro report
ed Marshal Philippe Petain, chief
of state in the new government,
would receive members of different
professions and representatives of
various regions daily in order to
"contact” the French people.
The newspaper said Petain would
| receive Rhone valley peasant far
mers tomorrow afternoon. 4
BRITISH BLOCKADE
ITALY. AT SUEZ
Airtight Control Of Canal
Seriously Hindering
Duce’s Efforts
BY LARKY ALLEN
SUEZ, Egypt, July 30.—(A1)—Brit
ain is holding airtight control of
this vital gateway of world com
merce, thus tightening the noose
about Italy’s African colonies and
strangling her attempts to transport
badly needed war materials and re
inforcements to Eritera, Italian Som
aliland and Ethiopia.
The British contraband operations
are like a three-edged blade. The
Italians are prevented from getting
help via the Suez canal, shipments
Italy-bound from the Far East are
blocked, and far south along the
African coastline ships trying to
edge their way up to Eritera and
Italian Somaliland are stalked by
British warships.
Since Italy’s entrance into the war
none of her ships have passed
through the canal.
Naval authorities disclosed today
that the Italian steamer Verbania,
6,000 tons, carrying a cargo valued
at $600,000, is held at Port Said.
Loaded with foodstuffs intended for
the Italian forces in Ethiopia, it
was seized en route from the Suez
soon after the Italian declaration of
war. The crew of 40 has been in
terned.
British say their control of the
canal and waters south of it has
been so successful that serious diffi
culties have arisen in the Italian
colonies, where lack of supplies
hampers Italian operations and the
guerilla warfare of Ethiopian tribes
men is making matters worse with
destructive raids on military supply
depots.
N. C. Job Placements
Show Sharp Decrease
RALEIGH, July 30.—(/P)—The.
State Employment Service reported
today that placements in jobs during
the first six months of the year
dropped 15,339 under those in the
same period of 1939 while new reg
istrations for jobs dropped by only
4,436 under last year.
"This drop in placements was en
tirely in those on public works,
largely PWA projects, while private
placements remained about the same
for the two periods,” commented R.
Mayne Albright, director of the em
ployment service, which is a division
of the unemployment compensation
commission.
There were 63,039 new registra
tions for jobs the first half of this
year, compared with 67,475 last year
Jerry Todd Is Slain
In Attempt To Escape
\
ALBERMARLE, July 30— UFI —
Jerry Todd, 30, of Tabor City, was
shot by a guard and killed when
he attempted to escape from a
prison camp squad near here yes
terday. A coroner’s jury ruled that
the guard, Rector McSwain, acted
in discharge of his duty'in firing.
Todd had just begun a 10-year sen
tence on charges of breaking, en
tering and larceny.
Trichogramma, a species of
wasp which preys on injurious in
sects, have been sold in California
at $10 a million
j
F. R. Spends Day Around Norfolk
Touring Chesapeake Bay Defenses
By DOUGLAS B. CORNELL
WASHINGTON, July 30. — CBi—
President Roosevelt cruised up the
Potomac river toward the capital
today, convinced by a study of de
fense operations around Norfolk,
Va., that Washington could “feel a
whole lot safer" a year from now.
At the moment ,the chief execu
tive informed newspaper men, he
feels that the success of an attempt
to invade the capital, as the British
did in the War of 1812, would "de
pend entirely on when it came and
who it was” making the attack.
Mr. Roosevelt put in seven hours
under a scorching sun yesterday
looking over defense installations at
the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, the
water route to Washington. He said
similar inspections of additional na
vy yards, army forts and air bases
might be expected.
That statement emphasized a be
lief of many politicians that he
would try to impress the public with
unstinting attention to defense and
world problems and try primarily
by indirect methods to get ballots
for a third term.
The President rode through a half
a dozen Virginia communities yes
terday with a hand flung up in
almost continuous greeting to crowds
lining the streets. Persons who had
accompanied him on his 1936 travels
were reminded of inspections of
drought and flood areas which the
White House called •'non-political.”
Yesterday's itinerary took Mr.
Roosevelt on a circuit of the Nor
folk Navy yard, on which $30,000,000
has been spent for improvements
since September to accelerate recon
ditioning of old and construction of
new war vessels;
The big fleet operating base and
naval air and training stations at
Norfolk;
Fort Monroe, where batteries of
seacoast artillery overlook Chesa
peake Bay and anti-aircraft guns
popped away at targets towed by
planes;
The army air base at Langley
Field, where 101 bombers and pur
suit ships staged an aerial review
in formation;
The Newport News Shipbuilding
and Drydock company, which Is
building a battleship and an aircraft
carrier and is going ahead with
plans to construct seven more car
riers and four light cruisers.
RALEIGH
BRIEFS
BY LYNN NISBET
RALEIGH, July 30—In the cal
endar of doings in North Carolina
shown in this correspondence the
other day, one event of some local
importance was omitted. Upper
Moore county, with the town of
Hemp as the community center,
stages each year a horse and mule
show with especial attention to
home grown colts. The "big Jay"
for 1940 will be on August 17. The
show has attracted wide attention
in other years for the excellence
of the young farm animals shown
and the interest stimulated in
horse and mule propagation.
The next North Carolina senate
is apt to go a’Larkins or be very
Gay before it gets down to the
serious business in hand. John
Larkins of Jones and Archie Gay
o" Northampton are currently the
leading candidates for president
protem of that august body. Thai
play on names reminds again ol
the Rocky Mount funeral homes,
One is operated by Mr. Gay anc
the other by Mr. Pleasants. Ever
worse than a Larkin or a Gay time
in the legislature, is a Gay or i
Pleasant funeral.
Commissioner Kerr Scott stop
ped at a table in - a local restau
rant to chide a group of fellow:
eating breakfast about 8:30 th<
other morning. He made some re
mark about them being might;
sorry prospects for farmers. “A
least we know which side to mill
a cow from,” said one of the slick
ers by way of showing off hi:
knowledge of farm life. “That isn’
important,” wise-cracked the com
missioner. “The cow would soor
give you that information.”
Note on hot weather: Las
week’s issue of a North Caroline
weekly edited by a Baptist preach
er, heads the leading front page
story: “It’s Too UB! !'?—** hotel”
All this talk about mountain cool
ness and Canadian premiums or
money, and general vacationing,
’•eminds that the regular conductor
of this bureau is also vacationing
—somewhere. He left Saturday p
m:, for points unknown. Meantime
some of the rest of us are trying
to carry on. And that recalls the
story of the guy on the construe
tion job whose wife wouldn’t pu!
up a lunch for him that day. Wher
When thp noon whistle sounded he
said: "Dinner time for some folks
but just twelve o’clock for me.’
So it’s vacation time for some
folks, but just two weeks work for
me.
Among enrollees for the four
months training course in the Na
val Reserve is Frederick Isler
Sutton, Jr., of Kinston, who enlist
ed at the Raleigh station last Fri
day. Twenty-three years old, grad
uate of the University law school
son of a prominent legislator and
barrister, young Sutton is contri
buting what he can to the pre
paredness program of his coun
try. If he makes good in the train
ing course, and odds are that he
will make good in a big way, he
will be given a commission in the
Naval Reserve, and if called to
active duty will rank with Anna
polis boys. Other enrollees for the
four months course included three
year college men and junior col
lege graduates. Tiie was when
police courts sentenced convicted
defendants to service in the army
or navy. Now a man cannot enlist
in the regular navy as an appren
tice seaman if he has ever been
convicted of any crime or misde
meanor. Lt.-Commander John
Yarnall, in charge of this reserve
enlisting at the Raleigh recruiting
station, points out that Uncle Sam
is now taking this defense business
seriously.
AMERICAN GRAIN
HARVEST LARGER
CHICAGO, July 30.—(IP)—'Thd
North American granary promises
to be overflowing soon, with mer
chandisers facing the task of find
ing sufficient storage space fop
huge surpluses of bread grain and
feed.
In sharp contrast, Europe’s grain
crops are sub-normal, the war-torn
continent faces an acute shortage
in animal feed, and some localities
may feel the pinch of inadequate
food supplies unless available sup
plies are proportionately distributed.
This, grain trade experts pointed
out today, offers a striking illus
tration of world economic malad
justment due to the war—a malad
justment likely to continue as long
as hostilities or even longer if nor
mal international trade can not be
restored.
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN HOTEi
A Vacation Paradise
Located on highest point of Lookoul
Mountain, overlooking Chattanooga
and seven mountain ranges. Cool
nights—pleasant days. All sports
Including outdoor swimming pool
golf, riding, tennis. Rates moderate.
Address
S. JOHN LITTLEGREEN,
Manager, Lookout Mountain Hotel
Chattanooga, Tennessee __
CAP
PORTER SERVICE
For the improvement and stand
ardization of Red Cap Service to
the public and place all Red
Caps upon a regular and uni
form wage basis, the ATLAN
TIC COAST LINE RAILROAD
will, effective August 1, ' 1940,
handle for those passengers so
desiring hand bags and other
personal effects at the rate of
10 CENTS
per bag or parcel at its station
Wilmington, N. C.
Red Cap will issue a check for
each bag or parcel handled and
will collect this check and 10
cents upon delivery where di
rected by passenger.
R. R. FUTRELLE, Ticket Agent,
Wilmington. N. C.
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