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®I}£®IUMitttpt0ttg>tai Published Daily Except Sunday By The Wilmington Star-News At The Murchison Building R. B. Page, Owner and Publisher Telephone All Departments I DIAL 3311_ Entered as Second Class Matter at Wilming ton N C Postoffice Under Act of Congress ’ C" 0f March 3, 1879_ —SffSPrirpTION RATES BY CARRIER Payable Weekly or in Advance Combina Star News tion , Week .$ -20 $ .15 « .30 t . 2.60 1.95 3.90 8 Yearh....'. 10.40 7l8° 15‘60 ^3—TTates entitle subscriber to Sunday issue " of Star-News_ - BY MAIL Payable Strictly in Advance Combina Star News tion 1 Month .$ .75 $ .50 $ .90 3 Months . 2.00 1.50 2.75 6 Months .4.00 3.00 5.50 j year . 8.00 6.00 10.00 News rates entitle subscriber to Sunday issue of Star-News (Daily Without Sunday) 1 Month .$ .50 6 Months .$3.00 3 Months . 1.50 12 Months .6.00 (Sunday Only) 1 Month .$ .20 6 Months .$1.25 3 Months.65 1 Year .6.00 Card of Thanks charged for at the rate of 25 cents per line. Count five words to fine. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS is entitled to the exclusive use of all news stories appearing in The Wilmington Star WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1940. Star-News Program Consolidated City-County Government under Council-Manager Administration. Public Port Terminals. Perfected Truck and Berry Preserving and Marketing Facilities. Arena for Sports and Industrial Shows. Seaside Highway from Wrightsville Beach to Bald Head Island. Extension of City Limits. 35-Foot Cape Fear River channel, wid er Turning Basin, with ship lanes into industrial sites along Eastern bank south of Wilmington. Paved River Road to Southport, via Orton Plantation. Development of Pulp Wood Production through sustained-yield methods through ' out Southeastern North Carolina. Unified Industrial and Resort Promo tional Agency, supported by one county wide tax. Shipyards and Drydocks. Negro Health Center for Southeastern North Carolina, developed around the Community Hospital. Adequate hospital . vilifies for whites. Junior High School. Tobacco Warehouse for Export Buyers. Development of native grape growing throughout Southeastern North Cafolina. Modern Tuberculosis Sanatorium. TOP O' THE MORNING Today the earth lies hushed and white, The crimson berries shine; But it is Christmas in MY heart Because the Christ is mine. Oh, world, in vain' the white drifts fall, In vain your halls are trim; There is no Christmas anywhere. Unless men turn to Him. —HELEN FRAUEE-BOWER. Churchill’s Warning Winston Churchill’s appeal to the Italian people to cast off the yoke of Mussolini’s dictatorship and prevent the complete down fall of their nation, is adroitly timed. With the Greeks closing in on Valona, and the British pounding Bardia into submission, the British premier used the best moment of the campaign to warn the Italian people that U Duce’s African empire is about to^be tom "to shreds and tatters,” and by the same token, that his discouraged forces cannot hope to withstand the onslaught in Albania. That Italy is yet ready to overthrow Mus solini is not certain. But it is obvious that Churchill’s address, which was repeated time and time again so that no Italian with access to a radio could well avoid hearing it, cannot fail to stimulate thought of revolt—and nation al salvation—among the masses. In the final analysis it may be found that his words are as convincing as British guns in Africa and Greek bayonets in Albania. Recreation Center In selecting the vacant property at Fourth and Princess for a recreation center for sol diers at the Wilmington anti-aircraft base, the city and county administrations and the Wil mington Defense Council showed clear under standing of the need for a central location near the business and entertainment district, the hotels, restaurants—the center of the city’s life. With such a hall as it is planned to erect on this -city ^property, the men coming to Holly Ridge for defense training will have a headquarters while on leave where they may conduct many forms of entertainment for themselves, where the people of Wilmington may give dances and other social events in their honor, where they may lounge in com fort, have purchases delivered, and in gen eral make themselves at home. There will be games, of course, and soft drinks and tobacco, magazines, daily papers, even candy and other knick-knacks, and a hostess to see that every man .is comfortable and to main 1 tain a good moral atmosphere. The selection of this site for the center is no more commendable, however, than the de cision to proceed with construction promptly with the purpose of having everything ready when the first contingent of troops arrives. The center will gain in value and service if all transportation between Holly Ridge and Wilmington, except by rail, is routed to pass it. By this means it will become in actual fact a “center” for the boys whom we want, above all things, to look upon Wilmington as a second home. There Is A Santa Claus Virginia was a wee girl whose faith in Santa Claus was put to a heavy strain by her older companions. She wrote to the editor of the New York Sun to learn what he knew about it. In reply, this kindly soul who, in all things else sat in the seat of the scornful, wrote an editorial which has never yet failed to touch the hearts of all who read it. As is our custom, we reprint it this morning, that doubters and scoffers of whatever age may purge their minds of the sophistry that Santa Claus is a myth. This editor wrote: Virginia: Your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skep tical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible to their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with a boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and know ledge. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and gener osity and devotion exist, and you know they abound and give to your life its high est beauties and joys. Also, how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginia. There would be no child like faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existance. We should have no enjoyment except in sense and light. The eternal light which child-like fills the world, would be extinguished. Not believe in Santa Claus? You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus coming down. What would that Rrove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders that are unseen and unseeable in the world. You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it real? Ah, Virginia, in all the world there is nothing else as real and abiding. No Santa Claus? Thank God, he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood. The Hope Of The World “Nearly 20 centuries ago a babe was born in Western Asia. He lived only 33 years. He never went to college. He never traveled as much as 200 miles from the place of his birth. He never owned a pair of shoes or a suit of clothes. He never established a system of government. Yet his life has had a more profound influence on the people of all the earth than all kings and rulers who ever lived, and all the armies that have marched or fought since the beginning of time. The Christ, born at Bethlehem over 1900 years ago, is the one and only hope of the world.” This paragraph heads the current bulletin of the Kiwanis club. It needs no comment here, nor could we embellish it. While a secular press is, under ordinary circum stances, not a proper place for religious re flection or discussion, we feel no need to apologize for reprinting it. On the contrary, it is peculiarly appropriate to direct the minds of Star readers to the profound truth that Christ, indeed, is the hope of the world. In this time of distress it is fitting to think deeply of spiritual things. Roosevelt To Speak President Roosevelt’s custom of periodical ly taking the country into his confidence has been severely censured by political antago nists, but has always been valued highly by the American masses. By this means the Chief Executive has set up a friendly relationship which has never failed to do the people as much good as he has gained, politically or otherwise. For this reason the people of the country welcome the announcement that Mr. Roose velt will again be on the air next Sunday and give an accounting of the defense setup and an outline of administration plans for aid to Britain short of war. There has been much confused thought con cerning defense. Many people have an idea that it was bogged down, and it is true that production has not kept pace with desire. Be cause we have wanted to place Great Britain m a position to win tne war overmgnt, ana because we have wanted to perfect our own defenses in as short a time, it has been hard to recognize the inescapable fact that industry as a whole cannot be regeared for the job in a day or even in months. Hence we have criticized the government, complained of in dustry’s inefficiency, and promiscuously cen sured everybody who occupies an important place under the defense program. It is to be expected that Mr. Roosevelt will have information to give us in his radio ad dress that will go far toward restoring sane thinking and ease the distress of many critics. It is not to be expected that he will minimize the emergency one iota. If anything he will probably indicate that it is greater than many of us have previously realized. But at the same time we may be sure that he will not minimize the work that is being done to meet it and triumph over it. Of all the “chats” the President has had with the people, this one is likely to prove the most important, the most enlightening, and, we believe, the most heartening. WASHINGTON DAYBOOK BY JACK STINNETT WASHINGTON, Dec. 23.—If you aren’t wax ing your skis or filing your skates, you’re clear out of thq running. What has happened to the vacation and sports-minded in this country in the last ten years is something for the historians to mull over. And whenever they start, they will be going to the records of several government agencies and at least one private organiza tion which headquarters here. Ten years ago, the American Automobile association started laying off its staff in Octo ber, and by January only a few of the boys and girls stuck around to keep the lamps light ed and see that no Eskimo-minded tourists lacked for those little packets of fascinating maps if they did venture out on the unsnow plowed highways. Ten years ago the Civilian Conversation Corps was no more than a few wisps in the subconscious of some potential New Dealers. Ten years ago, most of the national parks shut up shop in the. winter and left only a few oldtimers around to worry about how the buffalo herds were going to weather the storms or about how the bears were hibernating in the bridal suite in Ranier’s Paradise Inn. * * * FIRST SKI TRAIN Eight years ago, the first ski train pulled out of Boston with about 200 popeyed young Magellans of the ski-ways staring at each other and wondering what darn-fool idea had prompted them to pay good money for such a junket. Now ski trains out of every metropolis in the north and east are easier to get on week ends than a local to Whistle Junction. From Grand Central station in New York you can catch one practically every hour. Ten years ago, during the four months from November to February inclusive, less than 20 per cent of the year’s auto routings were made by the AAA. Now those four months, constitu ting a third of the year, account for 40 per cent of the annual AAA routings. Ten years ago, it was almost impossible to find winter accommodations in any of the snowed-in national parks. Now 15 of those in the zero belt keep open all year around, and in them the CCC has built ski-tows, runs, to boggan runs and tin pants slides for miles and miles. From Maine to Mount Ranier in Washington and as far south as Shenandoah in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia, these parks are doing a thriving business on winter week-ends. Ski and skating instructors, with Scandinavian and Swiss names, are as thick as mosquitoes in summer. And the good sportsman’s fashion note is wax on the seat of the breeches to show that he has participated in the lowly, but hilarious, “tin pants slide.” * * *. EXPLANATIONS LACKING America’s increasing interest in winter sports has outstripped wildest expectations of national park officials, as well as manufactur ers of the necessary paraphernalia. The for mer have no explanation for it. Some point to the improvement in winter travel and the resultant accessibility of winter playgrounds. Others think Sonja Henie and the indoor "ice spectacles” had something to do with it (sta tistics prove that the fad was on its way be fore Miss Henie made her debut or “ice fol lies” ever became anything like a winter cir cus). But credit it to anything you like. When the census bureau issues its manufacturing and distribution reports in a few weeks, skis, ice skates, and other winter sports equipment will be in the lists—and not at the bottom. 4 Editorial Comment Tobacco Acreage Raleigh News and Observer With or without production control, tobacco growers are faced with a continued reduction in acreage planted in tobacco. That inescap able fact is realized by all thoughtful growers, an overwhelming majority of whom prefer that if there is to be control that it be brought about in an orderly manner under the super vision of the Federal government rather than through the disorderly and disastrous method of starvation prices resulting from over-pro duction. There are two reasons for believing that it will be a long time before the world tobacco market will absorb a crop of the record-break ing size of the 1939 crop, which was the last uncontrolled crop. Markets have been curtail ed substantially by conditions abroad result ing from the war. That market may be re stored, in whole or in part, in the future, but the pauperizing effect of war will necessarily be reflected in the demand for tobacco and all other luxuries for some years to come. The other reason for believing that tobacco acreage must be reduced for many years to come is the fact that yield per acre has been increased greatly in recent years. The extent of that increase is shown by production fig ures for 1940. This year the yield in North Carolina was 2 per cent, greater than the average yield for the past ten years, despite the fact that in 1940 the number of acres planted in tobacco was 20 per cent less than the average number for the same ten-year period. This is the time of year when plans are being made for the coming crop. Through ’ the action of more than 90 per cent of the growers themselves, tobacco acreage will be 11 reduced substantially, and in a uniform man ner for the next three years. But thoughtful farmers wilt realize that there must be reduction of some sort for a much longer period than three years, and will make their plans accordingly. At a recent convention in Dur ham it was disclosed that 95 per cent of all eggs and poultry sold in Durham are produced outside of North Carolina. In a general way, the same condition applied to dairy products and to all forms of livestock. Now is the time for some long-range planning on this question. Land formerly used for tobacco will be available for other purposes for a number of years to come. That land should be used in an intelligent manner. The Editor’s Letter Box The editor does not necessarily endorse any article appearing in this department. They represent the views of the individual readers. Cor respondents are warned that all communications must contain the correct name and address for our records, though the latter may be signed as the writer sees fit. The Star-News reserves the right to alter any text that for any reason is ob jectionable. Letters on controversial subjects will not be published. To The Star: I wish to express to you and your publications, and through your columns to the public, sin cere thanks for the cooperation and courtesy which has been shown to the Wilmington post of fice during the Christmas rush oi business in 1940. Through the press, the schools, posters, etc., the public has been requested to "mail early,” and the result is that on this Christmas Eve all of the mail in the post of fice is current and none held ovei for delivery except as delayed by today’s trains. The mailings for Wilmington reached an all-time high this year, and we are very proud oi the record which has been made— which record and achievement would have been impossible with out the cooperation of the pub lie—the schools—the various civic organizations and the press. Permit me as representing the entire personnel of the Wilming ton post office to express apprecia tion for the cooperation given and to wish each and every citi zen of our city a very Merry Christmas. W. R. DOSHER, Postmaster. Hollywood Sights And Sounds ■ 1 Bv Robbin Coons HOLLYWOOD Dec. 24.— “The Philadelphia Story.” Screenplay by Donald Ogden Stewart from Philip Barry’s play. Directed by George Cuk or. Principals: Katharine Hep burn, Cary Grant, James Ste wart, Ruth Hussey, John Ho ward, John Halliday, Roland Young, Mary Nash, Virginia Weidler. Made from the play in which the persistent Miss Hepburn con founded her Broadwa> critics, this is the movie which now has Holly wood tumbling over itself for the Hepburn favor. It’s a rare piece of movie, be sides—an abundance of “box-of Eice cast” in a “big” picture not ronscious of its bigness, in a “smart” comedy not too smart to oe human, in a picture (in short) that is just about the year’s most satisfying piece of ' .rtainment. The Philadelphia Story’ ’—the ane that Reporter Stewart and Photographer Hussey of “Spy Magazine” crash Hepburn’s main line Society home to —t-—concerns the coming second marriage of the resolutely opinionated youn“ wo man who doesn’t know that she’s the occupant of a mental ivory tower. Abetting the crash i£ Grant, the first husband, tried “nd found def initely wanting—by ivory tower landards. By the fade-out, Hep ourn has climbed down from her tower on a chain of complications, always amusing and freqently ailarios, always embroidered pleasantly with keen, bright Bar ry dialodgue. Star arriving: Miss Hussey, pre viously seen in “Susan and God." “Trail of the Vigilantes." Screenplay by Harold Shu mate. Directed by Allan Dwan. Principals: Franchot Tone, Warren William, Broderick Crawford, Andy Devine, Mis clia Auer, Porter Hall, Peggy Moran. Watch for this one if you’d like a change from the usual wild west thriller. It has all the ingredients —plus pungent satire, spread on so nicely that those who prefer to take it “straight” may have it that way. At the It loss, of course. Fast and funny. * * * “Comrade X.” Clark Gable,.. Hedy Lamarr. Directed by King Vidor. “Ideals” of Russia take a beat ing again, more broadly than in “Ninotchka” but also with more adventurous notes. In this tale of an American reporter in Moscow and his Soviet girl, there are funny lines and situations, excite ment, and a preposterous finish involving a wild mess of Russian tanks, Hedy, incidentally, has her most an.mated role. Felix Bres :art, Akim Tamiroff, Eve Arden. * • * “Little Men.” Jack Oakie, Kay Francis, Jimmy Lydon, George Bancroft, Charles Es mond, Ann Gillis. Louisa May Alcott wouldn’t recongize the story. Kay Francis doesn’t seem like Jo, exactly, but Plumfield has its old charim—and Oakie’s comic talents are still in full stride. There’s enough senti ment for the Alcott fans, but Nor man. McLeod’s direction hap pily emphasizes comedy. Interest ing debutante: Elsie, the cow. * * * “The Son of Monte Cristo.’’ Louis Hayward. Joan Bennett, George Sanders. Ju ; like his old man, climbing balconies, fencing, swashbuckling, thwarting villainies and —oh, yes, winning the girl. Hayward mas -™.ra»TS a,s a fop by day (see The Mar kof Zorro” to cover his nocturnal heroics. 3 The Little Man Who Wasn’t There Man About Manhattan By GEORGE TUCKER NEW YORK, Dec. 24.— Glad Hill, a New York newspaper man, was telling me about an experience a friend of his had in a Turkish bath. This friend was steaming away in his box, with only his head, sticking out, when the fellow in the box next to him, a foreigner, suddenly inquired, “You play chees?” “Sure,” said Hill’s friend. “Want to play a game?” “Okay.” “Well,’ said the foreigner, “are you ready?” “Am I ready!” cried the fellow, “What’ll we use for a board?” “We don’t need a board,” re turned the foreigner quietly. “Okay,” but Hill’s friend was awfully puzzled. Ill move first,” the foreigner said, “is that all right -ith you?” "Of course,” came the dazed re ply. “Well,” said the foreigner, "I move the king’s pawn.” At this point Hill’s friend broke down and -confessed that he was unused to playing tournament chess when all but his ears were submerged in a steam bath. But the foreigner, who seems to have been something of a fanatic on the subject, could visualize the play perfectly. He wasn’t kidding. He frequently played games with his fr.ends by telephone or merely while riding about in an automo bile. It was very simple, he ex plained. All you had to do wa6 re member where the pieces stood and to have a picture of the board in your mind. That’s every last single thing there was to it, really. * * * This department owes Eli Kess ler, a New York chemist and an executive of the Carioca Rum com pany, a new hat. It happened like this. About a year -go, at a Christmas party, he told us he was trying to figure out a way to put eggnogs in bottle6, with the spice, the eggs, the milk, and everything else already in them. We told him he was certainly crazy, as we had once tasted an imported bottled eggnog, which was pretty awful, and he said, “Well, I’ll bet you a netv hat I do it.” sure, we bet him, and forgot all about it. Yesterday we ducked into that restaurant across the street from this office, at 50th and Rockefeller Plaza, for lunch, and had hardly settled before a waiter politely set a foaming cup in front of us. “Try this,” he suggested, “good for tiie appetite.” It was a sip of eggnog and we accepted it gratefully, murmuring all sorts of thanks. “Don’t thank me,” he said, “it’s from a friend of yours.” We looked u pto find Kessler, a wolf ish grin on his face, saying soft ly, “My hat size is seven and one quarter, and nothing under $10 will do.” Think what an awful fix we’d be in if the stakes had been a suit of clothes. * • • Which leaves us just space enough to ask the daffiest ques tion of the week. What do you think the mayonnaise said to the housewife when she opened the ’.cebox door? The mayonnaise said: “Shut the door—I’m dressing.” 3 I Wilhelmina And Haakon Send Yule Messages Horn LONDON, Dec. 24.—CJ!—Two royal expatriates, Queen Wilhel mina of The Netherlands and Kin? Haakon of Norway, sent message of hope and sympathy tonight tc the people of their German-occu pied lands. “We can now face the future with growing hope and confi dence,” Queen Wilhelmina told the Dutch. “I pray the Lord that is spite of everything which this year might make it so very difficult for you to celebrate the sacred day in the true spirit ot Christ mas, it will nevertheless be a reel Christmas for you in tire most pro found sense.” Haakon, talking of his "great sorrow” at being unable to cele brate Christmas at home, said: “What is most painful for me is the unarmed Civil war now going on in Norway.” He added: “Let Christmas this -ear more than ever before be a family feast to strengthen family tie-- and unity between all Norwegians and give further impetus to the liberation of our country.” f Williamson Is Made S. C. Highway Chid COLUMBIA, S. C., Dec. 24.-® —J. S. Williamson, chief state highway engineer, was made chie: highway commissioner today to succeed Ben M. Sawyer, who ha been chief commissioner fro® 1926 until his accidental death Sunday. The announcement was made ¥ G. C. Chandler, commission chair man, after a brief meeting of commissioners, most of who were here for the Sawyer fureW' — Four New Freighters To Be Built At Mobile MOBILE, Ala., Dec. 24.—(jPI— The gulf of shipbuilding corpora tion here will begin work within a few weeks on four 9,600-ton freighters for the Watprman Steamship Corporation, under a contract awarded today by the U. S. Maritime commission. The ships, which will replace five vessels Waterman bought earlier this year from the com mission and resold, will be built at the Chickasaw plant here at an estimated cost of $12,000,000. Gulf also has a contract for four destroyers, to cost $32,400,000, on which construction will begin in J anuary. The Chickasaw ways, idle since 1920, are being prepared for the resumption of shipbuilding here as rapidly as possible at a cost of approximately $3,000,000. More than 600 men are engaged in the rehabilitation program. Checking San Isabel national forest in Colorado, the U. S. for est service estimated there were 18,500 prairie dogs on 4,300 acres and 34,000 gophers on *.800 acres. WILMINGTON DEFENSE COUNCIL Houses-to-Rent Committee Postoffice Box 698 I,----, of..—-. Name of Owner or Agent Address of Owner or Agent have _ of (check) (_) Unfurnished (Number) (_) Furnished rooms to rent, as follows: (-) furnished rooms (_) unfurnished rooms, capable f|. No. No. caring for- people, located at__ renting for |-per day or $__per week' ef $-per month. My Phone Number Is_;_ I (-) will; furnish meals. The puce I (-will not; Breakfast $—____per day; Lunch $__ per day; fcurifer $-per day: Breakfast and Supper per day $---. All three meals each day per day $_; All three meals each day per week $_; All three meals each day l'er month $__ I take only (-) white tenants; (.) negro tenants.