The Wilmington morning star. [volume], December 17, 1942, Image 1

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

Image provided by: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library, Chapel Hill, NC

                
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VoT^Z^l^ ;_WILMINGTON, N. C. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1942 ESTABLISHED 1867.
City To Help
Enforce Army
D'unoutjlules
pencil Approves Resolu
[ion To Assist In Han
jting Situation Here
fIRE LIMITS PASSED
Extension Of Region Neces
sary Because Of Con
gested Conditions
At a meeting of the city
council Wednesday, City
Manager A. C. Nichols read a
resolution to the members re
garding the dirnout regula
nons affecting New Hanover
county.
Xhe resolution was unani
mously passed, and in its
adoption, the city council
moved to “comply with the
regulations set forth by the
fourth service command, and
to cooperate in the enforce
ment of such laws as the gov
eminent deems necessary
Extension of Fire Limits
Mr. Nichols also exhibited a map
showing the proposed new exten
sion of fhe limits for the city.
The extension was approved and
adopted by the council.
It was explained to the members
[hat the proposal for fire limit
extension was brought about by
the congested condition of the city.
The new extension, which will
provide fire protection for addi
tional zones, covers territory from
Seventh and Castle streets to
Eighth and Castle, on both sides
of the street, and 150 feet off of
Castle, south and north,” starting
at Fourth and Market streets on
the east side of Fourth, and going
150 feet back to Nixon street.
The extension also includes fhe
colored project on Nixon street to
Fifth, and west down the railroad
tracks to Parsley street, and back
up the water front.
Mr. Nichols also presented a
request from Army officials at
Camp Davis that the space in
front of the USO club on Orange
itoutinued on Page Five; Col. 3)
OCD INTERPRETS
REE ON D1M0UTS
County Divided Into Two
Zones; Speed And Light
ing Limits Outlined
Tne Office of Civilian Defense in
"'ilmington gave its interpretation
® dimout restrictions, Wednesday,
ai applying to New Hanover coun
ty.
toe text of this interpretation
“ as follows:
All of New Hanover county is
®nnin the dimout area covered
w memorandum Number three, in
*|e regulations governing the con
™ lighting and speed in the
wastal area of the state of North
Carolina.
These dimout restrictions may
e divided into two parts, the first
0 "hich covers that part of the
in which vehicle lights may
,e seen from the sea; second,
n°‘. pai'i of the county from which
elude lights may not be seen
lt0» the sea.
For the period of time from
^ e-half hour after sundown to one
(Mf110111 before sunrise, vehicle
,a“ic operating on roads, streets,
‘Other ways from which vehicle
lights are visible from the
1°; toall operate with no more
'*° Parking lights, and each
‘ 1 -amp .shall be equipped with
■tondie-power bulbs.
1]0. ltnoul or low beamed head
I s'S may be used if hooded in
ifastinuerf on Page Xwo; Col< 5)
weather
Korth r forecast
toy. '-archiia: Continued cold to
,E,tT^X STANDARD TIME)
^deovolr’V Weather Bureau)
Sitting 7:G; al data for the 24 hours
’ P- m., yesterday.
1:30 a Temperature
«i. 5-531 7:30 a. m. 53; 1:30 p.
•'Uitnu.to p' m-’ 33; maximum, 58;
’ -I; mean, 44; normal, 49
1:30 - Humidity
*■.62 ;.5- «: 7:30 a. m„ 74; l:30p.
•30 P- m., 95.
Tot5i ,. Preeipitation
*■ m r'L ,he 24 hours ending 7:30
*rst 0t rnches. Total since the
1 month, _.
Wffiinoton High Low
1 - 5:36a 12:12a
“ksonboro mi , 6:00p 12:44p
0 lolet - 3:42a S:56a
Sunrise , 4:05p 10;llp
Use, ' u a; sunset, 5:05p; moon
-p‘ moonset, 2:26a.
lC°nl‘nUei1 <**> Page Five; Col. 5)
Battle Of The Sky Armies
■■ ui.mi ■■ ■ ..... ■ ... ^ --
ALLIES CLASH WITH
✓ AXIS NEAR BIZERTE
AND TUNIS WHILE
!? PLANES FIGHT FOR
V; CONTROL OF. SKY
AXIS GLIDERS bring
in troops to meet:.:::::*.:*.;:
ALLIES ALONG EAST v/.tf.Vtt
COAST OF TUNISIA
ALLIED CHUTISTS,
CAMEL CORPS MOVE
IN FROM ALGERIA
TUNISIA
Crack American paratroopers, under Lieut. Col. E dson Raff’s command, are threatening the Axis sup
ply line from Tunis to Tripoli with raids that have carried them to within ft-,ur miles of Tunis. In an
etlort to halt tlieir advance, the Nazis are ferrying r einforcements, apparently from Sicily and Sardinia,
by aw transports and gliders. American tanks and French infantry, artillery and camel corps, are sup
porting the paratroopers in their advance, while a growing Allied air force battles an estimated 1000
Axis planes tor control of the air over Tunisia.
'White Christmas*Comes To City
Prematurely As Firs t Snow Falls
S. C. STUDENTS
SPONSOR SHIP
Pupils From Palmetto
State Schools To Christen
Freighter Here
Three representatives of South
Carolina school pupils who took
part in the nation-wide scrap met
al campaign will be guests of hon
or of the North Carolina Shipbuild
ing company Friday morning as
it launches the Christopher Gads
den, named by the youngsters and
the 50th Liberty ship to slide down
the ways of the yard.
The privilege of selecting a
name for the Liberty ship was
given the thousands of young Pal
metto state salvage collectors as
reward for their outstanding work
in the campaign. It will be the
third built here named in this
manner.
The launching is scheduled for
8 o’clock. The brief pro|ram is
expected to include a short talk
^Continued on Page Two; Col. 4)
NYA CENTERSET
TO TRAIN WOMEN
Will Strip Shops Of AH But
Welding Equipment; To
Have Matrons
According to new arrangements,
the National Youth Administration
resident center on the Carolina
Beach road plans to open its shops
and dormitories to women on Jan
uary 1, Marcus L. Ham, NYA
master project director said
Wednesday.
Mr. Ham, just returned from a
planning conference in the NYA
regional office, Charleston, West
Virginia, declares that the center
will furnish work and residence
facilities to 60 boys and 60 girls.
The new center set-up will take
care of training in welding only.
All machine shop equipment is be
ing stripped trom the NYA shops
and substituted with facilities to
train youths in the welding trade.
The master project director di
vulged plans to add a matron for
girls and a counselor for girls to
his staff
Youths, both boys and girls, be
teen the ages of 17 and 24 may
contact the NYA center by writing
t oBox 1534 or through phone 2
1252.
NOTICE!
If your carrier fails to
leave your copy of the Wil
mington Morning Star,
Phone 3311 before 9:00 a.
m. and one will be sent to
you by special messenger.
r
Mercury Drops Rapidly
Alter Warm Morning;
Sleet Also Falls
To all of those people who have
been dreaming of a white Christ
mas in Wilmington, the Weather
man said Wednesday night they
were realizing their dreams a little
early.
The high temperature recorded
for Wednesday was 58 degrees
and shortly after 2 o’clock Wednes
day afternoon, it began falling rap
idly, until a low of 33 degrees
was recorded at 7:30 o’clock.
During the early part or xhe
afternoon, an electrical storm gave
a warning of the change in the
weather, when thunder and light
ning continued for approximately
an hour.
About 4:30 o’clock sleet turned
into snow, and in a very short
time, roofs and cars parked in
the downtown district were cov
ered with a thin white blanket.
Some observers said that this
would probably be recorded as
the coldest December Wilmington
has seen in many years.
Tht snow is the first of the
season, and came about two
months early for this section.
The oniciai weainer rorecasi ior
the state is “considerably colder,
and - below freezing to the coast,
late Wednesday night, with con
tinued cold Thursday.”
Officials at the Western Union
office reported Wednesday night
that they had had no trouble with
wires at that time, but one of
ficial said, “our trouble usually
follows a sleet and snow storm
so we may be hard at repair
work Thursday.”
Southern Bell Telephone compa
ny authorities said that they had
no reports of lines down, or other
trouble.
Police department officers said
there had been no report of auto
mobile accidents, but that if the
streets should become icy, drivers
would be cautioned to travel with
great care.
MUCH OF STATE HIT
CHARLOTTE, Dec. 17.— <.P> —
Snow fell on a large part of North
Carolina today.
The weather here virtually ran
the gamut of its antics. Rain start
ed about T a. m. and continued un
til mid-morning when snow began
■Continued on Page Two; Col. 4)
COUN JAMES
Cl N MEMBER
Local Businessman Takes
Oath Of Office On City
Board Wednesday
At the meeting Wednesday of the
city council, upon the nomination
by J. N. Brand, Jr., and a second
by Ronald Lane, Garland S. Cur
rin, Wilmington wnolsaier, was
unanimously elected to the city
council.
Mr. Currin fills the vacancy cre
ated by the resignation of Mayor
Hargrove Bellamy. He was sworn
in to office by City Clerk J. R. Ben
son, and took part in the remain
der of the session.
“Mr. Currin, the council wel
comes you to its membership,”
Mayor Edgar L. Yow, who was
elected to replace Mr. Bellamy as
the city’s chief executive, de
clared.
“We feel very fortunate in ac
quiring your services because you
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 1)
Fall From Shipway
Fatal To Man Here
W. H. Maples, 27-year-old driller
at the North Carolina Shipbuild
ing company here, died in a local
hospital Tuesday of injuries re
ceived around 9:45 a.m. Monday
when he fell from a shipway at
the yards some 35 feet to the
ground, shipyard officials revealed
Wednesday.
An investigation revealed that
the death was entirely accidental,
they commented.
A second worker also slipped
and fell on an adjoining way Mon
day, the shipyard authorities said,
but was only superficially injured
and has returned to work.
Coroner Asa W. Allen viewed
the body and said that an inquest
would not be necessary. Maples,
he said, incurred a fractured skull
and two fractured arms in the
fall.
The body was sent to Southern
Pines for burial Tuesday. He is
survived by a wife and child at
Greensboro.
NUMBER OF ROMMEL’S ARMY
TAKEN BY BRITISH FORCES;
REDS PUSH PAST SURO VIKINO
-* *-—---» _
50 TANKS RUINED
Two Day Battle Southwest
Of Stalingrad Costs
Axis Heavily
EQUIPMENT CAPTURED
_
Russians Claim Rout Of
Enemy Troops; Infantry
Unit Destroyed
MOSCOW, Dec. 16—(fl5)—
Russian troops captured an
inhabited point more than 80
miles to the rear of the Ger
man Stalingrad siege army,
and destroyed 50 Nazi tanks
and a regiment of motorized
infantry in a two-day battle
southwest of the Volga river
city where enemy counterat
tacks had been increasingly
troublesome, the Soviets an
nounced early today.
The point taken far to the
west of Stalingrad was be
yond Surovikino, the Rus
sians said, and 305 enemy
guns, 1,500 motor vehicles,
two supply-laden trains and
other booty were captured.
Bout Enemv Troops
The action southwest of Stalin
grad was in the area of Verkhne
Kunsky where it was said “our
troops routed a group of e.iemy
troops that had broken through to
this area, disposing of 50 enemy
tanks and a regiment of motorized
infantry of the Sixth German Tank
Division.’ *
Limited Russian successes were
reported also on the central front
and in the Caucasus.
The Germans lost more than 1.
300 men, 89 tanks, 40 planes and
other valuable equipment in yester
day’s widespread operations, the
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 6)
STOCKING FUND
SLOWLY GROWING
100 Families Need Help;
Contributions Far Below
Amount Required
The hundred neediest families in
Wilmington are not unuspal peo
ple; the stories that the Star has
carried for the past several weeks
are not unusual stories. What has
happened to these hundred homes,
might happen to any of our homes.
Captain James Neighbors of the
Salvation Army believes. The indi
viduals in Wilmington who are
looking forward to the cheer that
the Empty Stocking fund hopes to
bring are bewildered children, help
less old folk, burdened mothers and
fathers defeated by illness.
A family of four, brought to the
attention of the Star-News Wed
nesday by Captain Neighbors, in
cludes a father suffering from in
juries received months ago, a wife
with a chronic heart ailment, a
little boy of four, and the hus
band’s mother. .
These four persons are neighbors
of ours, neighbors in spirit if not
in place. They need a neighbor’s
counsel. You, the reader of these
lines, are that neighbor. Bring your
Christmas donation to the city’s
unfortunate to the Star-News of
fice soon. Your contribution is need
ed for the fund if the fund is to
serve its intended purpose — af
fording the necessities of life and
an added dash of cheer to homes
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 3)
Darlan Pledges Africa
To Aid In Axis Defeat
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS
IN NORTH AFRICA, Deo. 16.
—(A5)—Admiral Jean Darlan de
clared in a formal statement
today that “French Africa,
with the Allies, must make the
maximum military effort for
the defeat of Germany and
Italy.”
The former commander of
all Vichy’s armed forces dis
claimed personal ambition as
his motive for joining the Al
lies and said that once free of
the Axis yoke ‘the French peo
ple themselves will decide free
ly the form of government and
national policy they desire.”
“I have stated emphatically
and repeatedly to Commander
In-Chief General Eisenhower
that in leading North and West
Africa against Germany and
Italy and into the ranks of the
United Nations I seek no as
sistance or support for my per
sonal ambition,” he told Amer
ican and British correspon
dents.
(Reuters quoted him as tell
ing this press conference that
the Germans “had me by the
throat,” and that cooperation
with the Nazis in the days be
fore the Allied occupation of
French Africa had been forced
upon him.
(‘Every move I made,” he
continued, according to Reu
ters, “everything I said or
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 6)
Infant And Two Others
Killed By Nazi Raiders
Over Southern England
LONDON, Dec. 16.—(#!—An In
fant and two other persons were
killed, others were wounded and
buildings were damaged today dur
ing intermittent German raids on
the English south coast which
caused London’s sirens to sound
the first warning in the capital
since October 26.
The London alert came when a
Focke-Wulf 190 raider approached
the outskirts and ended a short
time later without incident.
The three deaths resulted from
a raid on the south coast late this
afternoon. Houses were destroyed
in the working class district by
a lone plane flying low and ma
chine-gunning people in the street.
About a dozen were wounded.
Another raider machine-gunned
the streets and fired cannon shells
into houses in a swoop upon an
inland town in southern England.
A lone raider dropped bombs on
a second south coast town and
then machine-gunned the section,
damaging buildings and wounding
people.
The RAF, searching low clouds
for the Nazis, shot down two ene
my planes.
JAPANESEPLANES
MOVE IN PACIFIC
Lack Of Enemy Opposition
At Buin Leads To Much
Speculation
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.— <JP) —
Lack of enemy opposition as Amer
ican'1 bombers hit hard at Buin,
a big Japanese base in the South
Pacific, prompted speculation to
day as to where enemy airpower
was at the time and whether the
Japanese might be concentrating
their forces for a renewed big
scale drive.
One conjecture was that the Jap
anese planes based at Buin—on
the southeastern tip of Bougain
ville island 275 miles northwest
of Guadalcanal—might have been
on a. mission of their own, or con
serving planes for a major attack.
There was no indication in official
communiques of any mission the
enemy might have been engaged
in.
It appeared probable that the
enemy had moved both air and
sea power to a new location in
preparation for a concentrated
drive, possibly another large scale
assault on American held bases
in the Solomons. *
One thing was agreed upon by
observers here—the lack of oppo
(Continued on Page Eight; Col, 7)
Longest And Probably Most Important Term
In History Ended By Wartime 77th Congress
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 — UP) —
The wartime 77th Congress adjourn
ed today, ending the longest and
perhaps the most important session
in Congressional history.
With only about 120 of its 435
members in their seats, the House
voted adjournment at 5:12 p. m.
(Eastern War Time), three hours
after the Senate had ceased opera
tions.
Just before the House session end
ed, Speaker Rayburn (D-Tex) paid
tribute to the service of departing
members, and remarked to the re
presentatives who will return for the
78th Congress, opening January 6:
“It will be my unswerving am
bition to protect the honor and pow
er of the House.”
Rayburn is expected to have no
opposition to re-election as speaker
in the new House, which will have
107 new faces.
The Senate skipped through its
final day’s businss quickly, confirm
ing a long list of postmasters and
agreeing to a few minor bills before
settling down for a series of com
plimentary speeches. It joined the
House in adopting a resolution send
ing best wishes and Season’s greet
ings to “the members of our arm
ed forces and auxiliary services,
and those of our allies, on land, on
sea and in the air,” along with a
“frevent hope and prayer for a
speedy and complete victdry and a
lasting peace.”
Majority Leader Barkley asked
that,the expiring Congress be judg
ed by “the credit side of the ledger,”
conceding that no group of men was
infallible. ,
“In my judgment the constructive
and patriotic work of the 77th Con
gress in one of the most epic eras
of history was such that historians
must accord it a very high place,”
he declared.
The House heard a series of last
speeches by members who were de
feated in the November elections, in
dulged in a flurry of passing minor
bills, and adopted unanimously a re
solution of acclaim for Speaker Ray
burn.
The Senate meanwhile was listen
ing, to miscellaneous oratory, too,
including prominently a speech bj
Senator Murdock (D'-Ariz) defending
the western silver block, some oi
whose members recently conduct^
a successful filibuster against legis
lation to open up the nation’s non
(Continued on Psge 1 tht; Col. 6)
OWI HEAD SEES
ROMMEL STAND
Davis Predicts Axis Will
Make Attempt In Vi
cinity Of Misrata
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.—(A>)—El
mer Davis, director of War In
formation, expressed belief today
that Marshal Rommel and his
Axis forces would stop their pres
ent retreat and try to stand and
fight in the vicinity of Misrata,
east of Tripoli.
Davis said he did not think Rom
mel was trying to make a junction
with the Axis forces in Tunisia,
although “I imagine the two Axis
forces will try to support each
other, particularly by air.”
Davis explained to a press con
ference that Misrata was the first
good port west of Benghazi, which
the British already hold, and re
minded reporters that “the history
of the war in Africa shows that
any side that gets pretty far away
from its bases finds it pretty hard.
Apparently Rommel is trying to
force the British to stretch +heir
supply lines as far as possible.”
The OWI head disclose; th; ' s
Eisenhower, has gone to Africa
to represent the OWI and also to
take charge of the refugee prob
lem there. Eisenhower, a brother
of Lieut. Gen. Dwight D. Eisen
hower, was head of the war re
location authority, which handled
the»Japanese movement from the
west coast, before he joined the
OWI. A large number of refugees
who fled from France to Africa
when France surrendered to the
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 4)
situMnacute
ON FUEL COUPONS
Local Rationing Board Says
Everything Possible
Done For Relief
Through recent contact with OP.A
officials in Raleigh, and througt
over-time work with volunteer help,
ers, the local War Price and Ra'
tioning Board has done everything
in its power to alleviate the acute
fuel shortage in this area, ration
ing heads said Wednesday night..
At the last count on Wednesday
approximately ten thousand fue
coupons had been put into the
mails, the board declared. How
ever, in the face of below-freezing
weather, there were an estimatec
four thousand citizens to whorr
coupons had not been sent, anc
every mail was bringing new ap
lications.
"We can understand and sym
pathize with those who are with
out heat, light, car-fuel, and cook
ing facilities,” one member of th4
board declared. "However,” be
cause of the actual shortage of oi
to be had, now, it would be danger
ous to give citizens the privilege o;
obtaining fuel oil from dealers or
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 2
Bhoppine Bang
till Christmas
AIRPOWERRISING
Allied Plane Attacks Grow*
ing Stronger Against
Foe In Africa
AXIS HEAVILY BOMBED
Air Force Units Constantly
Attacking Retreating
Enemy Soldiers
LONDON, Dec. 16— (/F) —
British advance columns have
fought an important action
with the Marshal Rommel’s
rearguard in desert wastes
“somewhere west of El Ag
heila” and taken a number of
prisoners, reports from Cairo
said tonight while a rising
allied air attack beat at the
Axis in both Libya and Tunis
ia.
Berlin bore out the report
that an engagement had
taken place when the official
German news agency DNB
broadcast, obviously for for
eign consumption, that the
British Eighth Army lost 20
; tanks in a fight lasting sever
al hours.
No Hint Of Positions
Neither the Berlin nor the Cairo
| report gave any hint of Rommel’s
| position except that the British
indicated he was continuing his
flight.
British reports said the Allied
1 air force ceaselessly supporting
the ground troops of Gen. Sir Ber
nard L. Montgomery was constant
ly attacking the retreating Axis
, soldiers.
Meanwhile, a dispatch from Wil
! liam B. King, Associated Press
; correspondent with the Allied
forces in Tunisia, said the Allied
forces had strongly fortified the
(.Continued on Page Five; Col. 2)
LASTMANBATTLE
I ORDER GIVEN JAPS
Prisoner In New Guinea
Reports Mikado Gives In
structions To Army
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
AUSTRALIA, Thursday, Dec. 17.—
(jp)— The Mikado, according to a
prisoner, has ordered the trapped
Japs in New Guinea to fight to
the last man, it was learned today.
(Indication of the fatalistic re
sistance of the Japs in New Guinea
is to be found in the fact that in
the fall of Gona only 16 prisoners
were taken in contrast with more
than 600 killed in the final stages
and that, after the fall of Buna
village, AP War Correspondent
Murlin Spencer reported seeing
dead Japs “but no prisoners.”)
The noon communique of Gener
al Douglas MacArthur made no
mention of the prisoner’s account
but told of increasing pressure by
Allied troops on pockets of Jap
opposition holding out east and
west of Buna village.
Aerial activity filled out the rest
of the picture.
Allied heavy bombers encounter
ed intercepting Jap fighters at
Gasmata, New Britain, and shot
. down eight. Yesterday’s communi
que told of a similar victory over
Gasmata during which three Jap
fighters were shot down and two
damaged. The newest aerial bag
, was accomplished without loss of
an Allied plane.
Over the Huon gulf, Allied med
, ium units shot down one out of
. eight Jap fighters attempting in
. terception.
; American Bombers
Strike Deep Into
Enemy Held Burma
NEW DELHI, India, Dec. 1«.—
(JP)—Raiding deep into Japanese
held Burma, American bombers
and fighters have attacked railway
installations, strafed an enemy ad
vanced headquarter^ and scored
hits on a gun convoy and a motor
boat, it was officially announced
tonight.
A communique issued by the P.
. S. Army Air Forces in China, Bur
ma and India said no damage to
planes or airmen was sustained in
the three-day series of raids begun
last Sunday.