The Wilmington morning star. [volume], December 21, 1944, FINAL EDITION, Image 1

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

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| j“---------WILMINGTON, N. C., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21,1944 _ FINAL EDITION ~~
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Leyte Battle
Held Drawing
fo Conclusion
Japanese Continue Evasive
Tactics On Mindoro
isle
GENERAL M'ARTHUR’S
^quarters, PHILIP
PINES. Thursday. Dec. 21.—
The battle of Leyte Is
knd i? "rapidly drawing to
ar"eiKl." i;en. Douglas Mac
inhur said today, announc
JC the complete destruction
Triy ui'.ce-powerful Japan
ese Yamashita Line on the
northwest shoulder of the
island.
: e watered enemy defenders'
supply route was lost
Ker, Yanks surging north up the
corrd >r road from Ormoc
L bor.gao where a road
: j the Nipponese supply
tort of Palompon.
The enemy's "cohesion is now
completely broken,’’ the commu
nique said, "and he is no longer
etfisle of an integrated defense.”
Small remnants of the Japanese
Drees have been broken into iso
!:;ed groups and are able to re
sist only temporarily and at iso
lated points.
Scattered Japanese forces are
:'.Tt .: rvard Palompon on Leyte’s
northwest coast, the only port re
'maining in enemy hands.
Destruction of the Yamashita
hue in the Ormoc corridor was
accomplished when the 77th divi
sion. New York's own, advanced
tor miles north from Valencia,
Japanese headquarters whose
seizure was announced Wednes
tsy, and took a road junction at
'Continued on Page Sev^i; Col. 3)
YANK BOMBERS
STRIKE MARCUS
AND IWO JIMA
L S. PACIFIC FLEET HEAD
QUARTERS. PEARL HARBOR,
-fc. 20.—<P—American bombers
u’uck Monday at Iwo Jima and
Islands, chief bases for
'=panese attacks on the Super
• tress airfield on Saipan, Adra.
Chester W. Nimitz announced to
day.
.Jne 100-ton bomb attack on Iwo
o.T.i by the Marianas-based Lib
t.ttors, escorted by Lightning
LM'er:. was the 12th consecutive
,-tnke against the small is
■ r.d on the B-29 road to Tokyo,
“pi t.:e 15th blow of the month.
*5E Lightnings shot down one en
erD' plane and strafed ground tar
jets.
Liberators of the Strategic Air
' :-ce hrd nit Iwo Jirna, only 750
L‘:es south of Tokyo, on the pre
'lOUS day. starting fires among
lr“tallations and on the airstrip.
attack on Marcus Island,
miles northeast of Saipan, was
":E L.st since December 12. Prin
c,t°L target was the airstrip.
Lie Liberators weathered mod
,lv-e antiaircraft fire, and all re
t-iiied safely, the communique
•aid.
Logiiters and bombers of the
LJjnh Marine Aircraft Wing and
;lee' Air Wing Two attacked
}ja!oelap atoll Monday, in one
c‘ the heaviest in many months of
Ruralizing raids against by
Passed enemy positions in the
Marshalls.
Marine Corsairs bombed and
'!rafed storage areas on Babel
haa J island in the Palaus also on
Monda ■.-.
--■------J
Invasion Hits Jap Supply Line
t
• ?°iW invasion of Mindoro has put the American forces within
quick jumping distance of the China and Indo-China coasts and placed
the Jap supply line in constant danger is indicated by the above ir
i Once the Mindoro air strip is functioning, bombers can virtually put
j out of business enemy routes in the South China Sea. (International).
N. Y. OPERATORS
VOTE TO STRIKE
Union Awaits Action Of
WLB On $5 Weekly
Raise
NEW YORK, Dec. 20—(JPi—Offici
als of Local 101, Federation of Long
Lines Telephone Workers (indepen
dent) announced tonight a majority
of the 6,000 long distance operators
in New Y'ork had voted to strike
if the War Labor Bard fails to ap
prove a $5 weekly wage increse.
In compliance with the Smith
Connally Act, officials said, the
strike would not go into effect be
fore 30 days.
Operators favoring the strike
handle only interstate calls. They
do not include local or intrastate
operators, who would not be affect
ed.
Mrs. Norma Naughton, chairman
of Local 101, said that of 3,172
union members who voted. 98.3 per
cent favored the strike. The union
claims a membership of 3,700.
There are approximately 6.000 long
distance operators in the New
York City area, all employes of the
American Telephone and Telegraph
Co.
The operators, according to the
union, now receive from $20 to $34
a week. A WLB panel has recom
mended that the $5 a week wage
increase be granted.
The union also has asked that
the 12-year employment period for
maximum wages be reduced to
nine years. A spokesman for the
telephone company said yesterday
it had agreed to the reduction.
“The demands were referred to
the WLB soon after they were
made (last January),” Miss
Naughton said, “and we have
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 4)
U. S. SPENDING
§ SETS NEW MARK
Experts Estimate 97 Bil
lions Used By Consum
ers In ’44
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20.— (tfl —
American consumers are ringing
up a new spending record this
year.
The Commerce Department es
timated today that 97 billion dol
lars will have been spent for goods
and services in 1944. That’s six
per cent bigger than last year.
It’s more than half again as big
as 1939 spending, which totalled
$61,700,000,000.
There's a war on. But the De
partment said enough civilian
goods were produced in 1944 to
satisfy most of consumers’ wants.
There was "some inconven
ences but no hardships.”
Rising prices account for some
of the increased spending, but not
all. The actual quantity of goods
and services bought this year has
been somewhat larger than in 1943.
Civilians spent two billion dollars
more for food than they did last
year, even though prices averag
ed slightly less than in 1943, ac
cording to the Commerce Depart
ment report.
The consumers laid down nine
per cent more money for clothes
than in 1943. but since there was
a seven per cent rise in prices,
the quantity was little changed.
As for durable goods, like furni
ture and autos, the quantity sold
was ten per cent less than last
year. But cdnsumers spent about
the same for the goods, because
of price rises. Furniture, especial
ly, got more expensive, said the
Department, but even with higher
prices less money was spent for
furniture.
Former Minister Held
As Saboteur For Nazis
NEWARK, N. J„, Dec. 20 A
former New Jersey minister, w’hose
name and address in secret ink al
legedly were found on a German
saboteur who landed from a sub
marine on the Atlantic Coast two
years ago, was held in $30,000 bail
here today at arraignment on char
ges ol violating the sabotage, cen
sorship and foreign agents statutes.
The arrest of Emil Ludwig Krep
per, 60, Newark, was announced
earlier today simultaneously at
Washington by the Department of
Juslice and at Newark by acting
U. S. Attorney Thorn Lord.
The Justice Department said
Krepper had been instructed to es
tablish himself in this country as a
contact for German spies, and his
arrest was the climax of more than
two years of investigation by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
from a clue—a w'hite pocket hand
kerchief-found on one of the eight
German saboteurs who landed from
a submarine in June, 1942.
The handkerchief, the Justice
Department said, contained the
words, "Pas. (Pasto?) Krepper,
Route 2, Rahway, New Jersey.”
and an unsuccessful attempt to lo
I cate Kreoper through the message
was made by one of the saboteurs
caught in New York.
I One ind.ctment alleges Krepper
conspired wiui waiter tvappe, luen
tified by the FBI as a director of
the Nazi sabotage school in Berlin,
and his wife. Bertha Krepper, “to
injure, interfere witn anu obstruct
the national defense of the United
States,” and ‘‘to use a code and
other devices” to conceal messages
from censorship.
A second indictment charges that
about December 19, 1941, Krepper
sent a code message, ‘‘which was
intended to be delivered to the en
emies of the United States in Ger
many.”
The third bill charges the ex
minister acted as a German agent
without notifying the Secretary of
State.
Federal authorities said the con
spiracy was to be carried out by
Krepper who was to establish him
self as a United States citizen and
then provide lodging and other fa
cilities for Nazi secret agents,
keeping in touch meanwhile with
his wife and Kappe in Germany.
Krepper received a regular sal
ary from the German government
which made payments to his wife
in Berlin, Federal authorities said.
In recent months, he has been
employed as a steward in a New
ark club. Federal officials said the
indictments provided possible mas
urium penalties of 32 years impris
onment and $30,000 in fine.
/>
i
•---*•
Eden Pleads
For Regular
Allied Talks
Secretary States Churchill’s
Case In Greek
Debate
LONDON, Dec. 20.—(#)—
Assuring the House of Com
mons that Britain’s bayonets
would not impose a king on
the Greeks, Foreign Secre
tary Anthony Eden tonight
eased political controversy
over Britain's armed inter
vention after reports of dif
ferences among the three big
Allied powers had received
partial confirmation from
Prime Minister Churchill
himself.
Eden, apparently giving up hope
for an immediate meeting of the
Big Three but bent on finding a
method of eliminating future mis
understandings, pleaded for re
establishment of quarterly meet
ings “between the foreign secre
taries of the great powers as we
used to have to deal with some of
these matters.”
ms ptea was entered only a few
hours after Churchill, in grim ref
erence to “this dangerous and. mo
mentous phase of the war,” main
tained that Britain, Russia and the
United States were in “entire
agreement about the general aims
which bind our alliance,” but ad
mitted that “whether there is com
plete agreement on every aspect
cf these matters is another ques
tion altogether.”
Churchill quickly side-stepped ar
gument over whether the accord
among the Allies could be applied
to “spheres of influence.”
One member pointedly asked him
whether “he did not agree that
there is a danger in implementa
tion of proposals of the Dumbarton
Oaks conference if certain powers
assign themselves spheres of influ
ence and other powers are not
brought into cooperation during the
war.”
“I think that is a topic that ob
viously I should not attempt to deal
with now,” replied Churchill.
It was against this background of
underlying concern for smoothly
harmonious inter-Allied relations
that Eden went to bat for his chief
and, with a detailed, stand-pat de
fense of the Churchill government’s
steps in Greece, at least tempo
rarily stilled the demand of some
Left-Wing Labor members for a
vote of censure.
The House rose long after dusk
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 1)
stettinwsYlans
TO INCREASE SPEED
IN STATE OFFICES
WASHING! ON, Dec. 20. — (fPl —
Secretary of State Stettinius made
public today his plan for tightening
administration aid speeding up his
department’s work.
A + the came tit-yio eli «*/•»!r.mrl
that he is going to make more
changes and ask Congress for in
creased appropriations so he can
enlarge the department.
The organization was made pub
lic just after Under-Secretary Jo
seph C. Grew and four new as
sistant secretaries took the oath
of office in an unusual and informal
mass ceremony.
The word Stettinius and his new
aides kept -epeating when they
spoke of the changes was team
work-reflected in the reorganiza
tion chart which eliminated divid
ed responsibility and places all
the work under what Stettinius
called his eight generals in the
field.
Two new aides were appointed
Viday, Charles E. Bohlen. now' the
Department’s top Russian expert
who accompanied President Roose
velt to Teheran and Cordell Hull
to Moscow, will have the new job
of liaison officer with the White
House.
Stettinius also brought Wilder
Foote over from the Foreign Eco
nomics Administration as an as
sistant. While he has no direct
charted connection with press re
lations. Foote is expected to play
an important part in Stettinius’
public relations.
OWI Official1
Censures Ban
On War News
Army Charged With Big
* Mistake In Suppress
ing Stories
SUPREME HEADQUAR
TERS ' ALLIED EXPEDI
TIONARY FORCE, PARIS,
Dec. 20.—(JP)—As protests
poured in from almost all the
Allied world over the sup
pression of news of German
gains on the Western Front,
Supreme Headquarters to
night pulled the curtain aside
partly and promised a bigger
view of the situation tomor
row.
The positions of the German and
Allied armies will in the future ' e
made public once daily, it was an
nounced—after a sufficient time lag
to make sure the enemy will reap
no benefit from the inlormation.
This time leg is expected to be
between 24 and 48 hours Tomor
row’s promised disclosures, there
fore. will be of positions as they
stood yesterday or today.
The Supreme Headquarters an
swer to critics of the news black
oux. nas been that it was imposed
on the basis of opinions of gen
erals directing the fight and that
the situation was so fluid that in
formation of the whereabouts of
German troops, even if it were
days late, might help the enemy.
George H Lyon, OWI represen
tative at Supreme Headquarters,
said tonight that he had been try
ing for 48 hours to get the Army
to let the people know what was
happening on the battlefield, but
without much success.
“In my opinion, the Army is
making a bigger mistake than it
did in the Patton case ithe incident
of Lt. Gen. George S. Patton’s
slapping a soldier in Sicily),” Lyon
said.
“It is following a head-in-the
sand policy. It could tell a great
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 1)
-V
Weather Prevents
Air Force Aid To
American Forces
LONDON, Dec. 20.—(JP)— Flying
Fortress and Liberator bombers ot
the 15th Air 1. orce, based in Italy,
smashed at strategic targets in
Czechoslovakia, Austria and Ger
many for the sixth straight day to
day, but bad weather strangled the
Allied British-based fighters and
bombers sorely needed to combat
German armor in Belgium.
In the bomber raids on German
held territory farther north Lib
erators struck near Pilsen. Czecho
slovakia, using instruments to drop
their loads through heavy clouds,
without meeting enemy opposition.
The Fortresses and Liberators
also used instruments to bon^s the
Regensburg area in Germany and
Linz, Salzburg and Villach in Aus
tria.
Enemy Claims Capture
Of 10, OOP Americans1
LONDON, Dec. 20.— (» —The
German radio claimed tonight that
“several” Allied divisions had been
rushed from the Aachen and Saar
fronts to check Marhsal von Rund
stedt’s counter-offensive and boast
ed that “according to incomplete
data, three to four American di
visions either have been destroyed
or badly mauled.”
The German daily war commun
ique claimed that 10,000 prisoners
bad been taken in the Nazi counter
offensive.
American tactical reserves thrown
in on the night swing of Lt. Gen.
Courtney H. Hodges’ U. S. First
Army have been engaged and beat
en ‘in very heavy battles” during
the past two days, Berlin claimed.
While giving the names of no
towns, the Germans said their Ar
dennes drive was “ahead of sche
dule and going strong in its fourth |
day. They claimed that German
losses were “less .than antcipat
ed.” The broadcasts said that the
drain of reinforcements from the
Aachen and Saar sectors had forc
ed the Americans to halt attacks
on those fronts.
The Berlin broadcasts admitted,
however, that American resistance
was stiffening.
The German communique said
that in addition tc 10.000 prisoners
taken, a total of 200 tanks had
been knocked out and 124 Allied 1
warplanes destroyed in combat by
the German air force.
The communique withheld the
names of any places overrun by
the Nazis but DNB, the official Ger
man news agency, reported dis
lodging of American troops from
the town of Kesternich on the Mon
schau-Vosenack road.
Reds Outflank Nazi Line
In Drive Toward Losnoc
LONDON, Thursday, Dec. 21.—(JP)—The Red army in
advances up to five miles in southern Czechoslovakia yes
terday captured 13 towns and cracked and outflanked the
Germans’ strong Slana river line in a drive aimed toward
lilt: criauer ui .uusuin:.
The Moscow communique last
night and a supplemental elabora
tion this morning said nothing of
the encircling thrust against Kas
sel where latest unofficial reports
from Moscow had Soviet forces
preparing for a climactic attack
on the Torysa (Tarca) river for
tifications two miles outside that
communications center.
Moscow announced, however,
that about a battalian (500) Ger
mans were killed in the day’s
fighting on the front 45 to 60 miles
southwest of Kassa and that the
Russians were closely threatening
the railway junction town of Rim
aszombat from the south and east.
Chief of the day’s captures was
the town of Tornala, 13 miles east
of Rimaszombat and a strongpoint
of enemy defenses on the east
bank of the Slana river. While the
(Continued on Page Seven; Col. 7)
Yanks And Germans
Battle For Sector
Around Tossignan
ROME, Dec. 20.—(JP)— American
forces south id Bologna are engag
ed in bitter fighting with German
troops in the Tossignan area, while
Polish and Indian troops have vir
tually wiped out all enemy resis
tance south of Senio river on the
eastern end of the Italian battle
front, the Allied command report
ed today.
American patrols which slipped
into Tossignan teported that heavy
barricades nad been erected in all
of the streets of the town, and that
strong Nazi patrols guarded all
roads in the vicinity.
Operations of the Polish and Ind
ian troops of the Eighth Artny
ended two weeits of stubborn fight
ing by the Nazis to hold their
positions in the Senio area.
U. S. FLIERS POUND
HONGKONG HARBOR,
BLOCK BURMA ROAD
CHUNGKING. Dec. 20, — UP) -
The stepped-up air offensive over
China’s scattered battlefronts ov
ershadowed ground activities to
night as Maj. Gen. Albert C. We
demeyer’s headquarters announc
ed successful raids on Japanese
shipping at Honkong and blocking
of the Burma Road by landslides
started by U. S. bombs.
Speedy P-31 fighter planes of
Maj. Gen. Claire L. Chennault's
14th Air Force have swept over
Hongkong’s waterfront and sunk
one large enemy tanker and prob
ably a Japanese destroyer and
two large freighters. They also
destroyed two enemy fighters in
the air and three on the ground at
nearby Kaitak airdrome.
In western China. P-38 fighter
oc^nbers attacked sections of the
Burma Road near the town of
Wanting on the China-Burma bor
der yesterday causing landslides
which made the road impassable.
A P-51 pilot sv/ept over the im
portant Japanese base at Hankow
on a reconnaissance mission yes
terday and found the city still
burning from the fierce Monday
daylight attack by 20th Bomber
Command Superfortresses and
planes of the 14th Air Force and
the Chinese-American Composite
Wing,
In the ground fighting in south
lentral China, Chinese forces driv
ing southeastward along the
Kwangsi-Kwei.fhow railrooad r,on
rinued to attack Japanese positions
tutside Hochih and made slight
;ains against determined enemy
-esistance, the Chinese High Com
nand said. I
British Planning All-Out Assault
On ELAS Unless Firing Ends Today
ATHENS, D;c 20.—(£>)—Lt. Gen.
R. M. Scobie. British commander
in Greece announced tonight that
as of 9 a.m. tomorrow, any ELAS
oatteries still firing in Athens and
Piraeus will be attacked “with 'll
the arms at my disposal.” and
warned civilians to put 500 yards
between themselves and Leftist
gun positions.
In leaflets captioned “urgent
warning” and dropped from RAF
planes, the British commander an
nounced that he intends to use ma
rine guns, rocket weapons, bombs,
land artillery, mortars and naval
oombardment on an all-out scale in
an effort to silence insurgent guns
which have been active for 10 days.
Earlier, there had been signs
of an impending political develop
ment when men using megaphones
n some ELAS-held areas announc
'd that regular Leftist forces soon
would withdraw from Athens and
Attica, and tnat only reserve troops
would surrender their arms.
There also was an announcement
that “there will follow certain poli
tical developments which will in
sure the liberties and rights of the
Greek people."
Informed quarters believe this
may be taken as a Leftist move
to prepare the public for ELAS
acceptance ol' British terms. In this
connection, it was understood that
mediators had been notified by
Leftist leaders to stand by and
be ready to take their answer to
Scobie.
The British commander’s leaflet
warning followed capture of RAF
Headquarters northeast of Athens
by ELAS fighters who overran the
station after a gun and dynamite
assault. A British radio broadcast
reported that “a relief column ar
rived too late to save the head
quarters, but managed to save a|;
big proportion of the men.”
The people of Greece awaited *
announcement of a reply from King *
George II in London to learn whe
ther he will accept a recommenda- ,
tion that the nation’s leadership be
turned over to the regency of (
Archbishop Damaskinos.
A telegram from the cabinet of
Premier George Papandreou and
a similar message from the elderly 1
Greek statesman, Themistokles !
Sophoulis, have been forwarded to *
London, a»d capital circles feel 1
there is the probability of an early
acceptance of the suggestion by 1
the King. a
Government observers are re- c.
ported to believe that if the mon- r
arch agrees to the recommenda- s
lion, Gen. Nicholas Plastiras prob- c
ably will become commander-in- i
thief of Greek forces. c
I
ifanks Admit
Offensive Is
Real Thing'
Enemy Drive Making Prog
ress With More
Expected
SUPREME HEADQUAR.
rERS ALLIED EXPEDI
riONARY FORCE, Paris,
Dec. 20.—(£*)—The gigantic
3erman counteroffensive is
‘the big thing” and is in
creasing steadily in fury, Su
preme Headquarters said late
tonight in lifting the blackout
)f news relating to the sav
ige fighting on the U. S.
First Army front.
Fourteen to fifteen German di
visions — of which five or six are
Fanzer (armored) divisions — are
swarming into the breach of the
First Army's lines in Belgium and
Luxembourg, it was disclosed.
Today fresh infantry waves were
fighting behind the armored units
which first, smas ed through the
American positions last Sunday
and headquarters said the Ger
man advances had made consid
erable progress with more to be
Plans are being made to stem
the onslaught, it was stated, but
the feeling at this headquarters
was that ihe situation would not be
restored this week — or even next
week.
Apallingly bad weather today
kept Allied air forces on the
ground, thus eliminating support
which the American troops sorely
needed. No heavy bombers could
leave their British bases and not
a single fighter-bomber got in
to the air during the day to help
the hard-pressed Doughboys.
Some of the Panzer units spear
heading the German drive are
first class fighters, veterans of
units which faced the Allies at
daen, it was disclosed. They have
been reorganized and refitted for
this great do-or-die German coun
teroffensive and now are fresh and
physically fit.
The German infantry division*
mostly are made up of volks gre
nadiers, Hitler's home guard.
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 9)
ENEMY SURROUNDS
SOME U. S. UNITS
IN BELGIAN AREA
with the u. s. ninth army
IN GERMANY, Dec. 20.—(fP)—The
major enemy penetration of Allied
lines on the Western Front wa*
made in the Eiffel forest and the
Belgian border also was crossed
at Consdorf near Echtarnacht.
Some of the American First
Army elements were surrounded.
Newsmen now are permitted by
censorship to report also that ene
my armored attacks within thre*
miles of St. Vith in Belgium com
pleted a pincers movement which
succeeded in cutting off their
Fank troops, while the enemy also
-eached Maaspelt to the south
Along the entire First Army
'ront affected by the penetration*,
he situation was both confused
md serious.
While there was only small lo
salized ground activity on tn*
:enter of the American Ninth Ar
ny front, German power con
inued building up miles behind
he enmey’s penetrations Into Bel
;ium. The largest enemy gain*
vere said to be 18 to 20 miles west
if the border in the vicinity ot
itavelot.
The very tact that a spot-new*
ime-lag policy has been imposed
m field censors by higher authori
ses testifies sufficiently to the sa
iousness of the situation but sine*
ome facts have been permitted to
:o through there is indication of
mprovement.
Presumably stories summarl*
lg the First Army front situation
re being written at rear head
uarters. Unfortunately, the new*
ien there are unable to check the
ituation themselves and must ad
ept what is told them without be
lg positive they are getting as
.irate information.