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TWO__ JAPAN IS OPEN TO NAVY ATTACK (Continued From Page One) aifcraft and 1,200 by land based airplanes.” In incressant attrition operations against Japanese planes and pilots, approximately 3,975 Niponese air craft were shot down in aerial com bat and 2.675 planes destroyer on the ground. These plane destruc tion totals do not include any re ports by Gen. Douglas MacAr thur’s Southwest Pacific Com mand. "In massive lunges spearheaded and sustained by the United States Pacific Fleet,” United Nations for ces moved 1,830 miles westward from Tarawa to anchor their arm ed might securely in the Marian li. “From here, systematic bomb barding of Tokyo and other Japa nese industrial centers has begun." The review declared "from the jungles of New Britain, the front was pushed 1.60 Omiles north and west to the Philippines. "As of today, the enemy’s de fensive arc from Paramushiro in the northern Kuriles to Manila, 2, 780 miles in extent, is within ef fective range of our fleet and shorebased aircraft. “To U. S. offensive forces in the Ma rianas and the Philippines, a constant procession of cargo ves sels is carrying thousands of tons of supplies. These two points are 4,938 and 6,056 miles respectively from San Francisco. "No military operation has ever er. braced such dimensions.” The review quoted testimony of Radio Tokyo that the Japanese had Counted on slow and painful prog ress for American forces instead of swift advances. Radio Tokyo recently reminded Japanese listeners that speed is an "outstanding trait” of the Ameri can people and added "the enemy has come pressing upon us skip ping three or four steps in one jump for the step-by-step method was not speedy enough for him.” The review said "strategic vic tory has been consummated” by seizing positions in "the pivotal Philippines.” I added "a string of bases along the southern perimeter of Japan's inner sea has been es tablished. From them can be launched drives against the home empire. At the same time Japan is being cut off from rich military resources in the Indies—the em pire she coveted, won and planned to exploit without hinderance. "Japan's leaders are well aware of the strategic import of the bat tle of the Philippines. This battle which they know they must not lose. “This was indicated when the Japanese imperial fleet, long in hiding, steamed forth in a supreme effort to destroy the forces cover "The U. S. Navy came to grips with and thoroughly defeated a major force of the Japanese navy in the three actions of Surigao Straits, Samar and off Cape En gano. "These three actions constituted! the second battle of the Philippines Sea. culminating sea engagement! of the year which was symbolic of the destruction wrought upon the Japanese military machine throughout the Pacific.” As the batilefront moved across the Pacific, the review said, 'Ve have drawn alter it a ret of air and surface blockade entangling, pinning down and choking bypass ed Japanese holdings. "It is estimated that 225,000 enemy- troops and strong enemy bastions, such as Truk, Kavieng and Rabaul, have been rec’/jced to impotence or ashes.” Stressing growing difficulties of supply, the review cited that Naval forces alone used 36.260 tons of| ammunition in the Marianas cam paign, 9,000 tons at Peleliu, in the Palaus, for air and surface bom-j bardment. "The year 1944.” said the re view, "has brought success and added momentum to our advanc ing forces. But the Pacific is on ocean of fantastic distances. The road to Tokyo is rough and long. "The enmy has just begun to defend his home empire.” -V WAR’S MEMORY STAYS NEW YORK. Jan. 1—(UP)— Al though actual fighting has ceased in Russia, the memory of war’s ravages continues, not only in the visible scars on the countryside but in its art Russia War Relief reveals. At a recent exhibition of 300 paintings in Moscow the sole theme was the heartbreak of war. One of the prize winners was a 34-year-old boy, a war orphan. DINING DANCING Every Night Except Monday PLANTATION CLUB ORCHESTRA N'o luxury tax on checks paid before 9 p.m. No cover charge until 9 p.m. The Plantation Club CAROLINA BEACH ROAD Dial County ilc and ask for 4t>ll2 for reservations. JLAl-Cj VV 1JUXUXXX KX X WAX lUUIVl^l 111 U OlAIi, YV 1.W1Y111X \JT A WA> , AX. V/» - —1 "' * '' • Second Battalion of State Guard to Attend Inauguration • -- - — ' The Second Battalion of the North Carolina State Guard, commanded by Major Frederick W. Willetts of Wilmington, will attend the inauguration ceremonies for Governor-elect R. Gregg Cherry in Raleigh Thursday. The battalion companies, from left to right, are: Wilmington, New Bern, Kinston and Lumberton. The staff officers are standing in front of the Kinston company and they are, from left to right: Major Willetts, First Lt. Harriss Haskett, Second Lt. C. B. Parker and Staff Sgt. Hooper Johnson. Capt. Leo Sykes is commander of the local company. ____ BASES ON CHINA COAST, ARE VITAL (Continued From Page One) nection he said the recent Allied setback in Europe would delay the re-deployment of force in that the ater—particularly the air forces— but the Pacific commanders “will continue to carry on our operation with what is available.” Nimitz insisted he was ot mak ing predictions but said he never theless foresaw certain calamities for the enmy. He said “I foresee an unhappy 1945 for the Japs. “I foresee their shipping dwind ling as a result of attacks by our submaries, aircraft and surface vessels. “I foresee the Japanese combat vessels getting hit when they leave the safety of their harbor. "I foresee an increase in t h e tempo of the airwar against Japan. “From the standpoint of the Jap anese. I see no reason for opti mism.” MORE mmiiz ana snerman visitea me Marianas and spent Christmas with Adm. William F. Halsey aboard his Third Fleet flagship. Speaking of the Marianas— Guam. Saipan and Tiniam—Nimitz described their seizure together with the Philippines sea battle as the most important forward step of 1944. "I was amazed at the progress we’ve made on those islands. They constitute a naval basing area that is of gret value to us and will increase in value.” Nimitz said. Nimitz complimented the British for their establishment of a Pacific fleet and said their aid already was having effect. He said that during Adm. Sir Eruce Fraser’s visit, they had "a very satisfac tory series of conferences” and the future of our coordinated ef forts "looks very bright indeed.” When a correspondent asked about the Russians joining the war against Japan "on our side” Nim itz said he would welcome them as an ally. Nimitz declined to give any in dication of the sequence of opera tions against Japan and the China coast but said he foresaw a "prac tically complete blockade of Ja pan.” "I don’t know yet what is the capacity of the Japs to take pun .shment in their homeland. What we will do this coming year will give us some idea of whay they can stand.” -V BABY ‘BLACK MART7 IS FLOURISHING IN U. S., EXPERT HOLDS (Continued From Page One) relinquishment of babies by moth ers is made a matter of court rec ard, treated confidentailly. It is a "common practice” throughout the country for unwed mothers to sign away the rights to their babies on a slip of paper, often before the birth or while still in the hospital, she said. Ir states where baby brokers rave not been ouiawed, she said, operators approach expectant mothers, offering to pay expenses n return for the babies, who are sold at a lucrative profit. Mothers who later want to kep their babies rave no legal way to reclaim them. Miss Morlock estimated that less than half the illegitimate babies adopted are placed by professional children s agencies and that most are handled by "brokers” for a profit. She warned that people who do not adopt through regular agen cies are taking a risk because uit'ii Dantes may prove to be handicapped. The Children's Bureau advocates that mothers wait at least four months after the babies are born before signing them over to any one and that it should be done by a court process. Some social workers oa not agree, however, feeling that unwed mothers would fear even a private court appear ance and would avoid the help of social agencies. GUARANTEED WATCH REPAIRING Quick Service We Teach Watches To Tell The Truth The Jewel Box _109__N1_Front _ Footwear For Dogs A member of an American infan try unit in Burma, Corp. Charles J. Williams, Portland, Ind., is shown fitting his war dog with custom made shoes. They were de vised after it was found that long hikes over tough jungle terrain cut the feet of dogs badly enough to put them out of service. (International) Obituaries MARIE LOUISE WESTBROOK Funeral service, for Mrs. Marie Louise Westbrook, 40, of Nesbitt Courts, who died at 1:45 a. m. Saturday at James Walker Me morial hospital, will be held at 3 p. m. today at the Yopp funeral home. Services will be conducted by the Rev. C. C. My ers. Burial wi'l be in the Belle vue cemete /. Honorary pallbearers will be W. D. Burriss, S. P. Eranch, J. N. Jenkins, Dr. J. E. Evans, Dr. George Johnson, Dr. E. P. Walker. Dr. J. D. Freeman. Active pallbearers will be E W. Sykes, James Cottle, R. D. Meier, J. L. Bradshaw, and P. L. Weaver. TEBE D. SANFORD Funeral services for Tebe D. Sanford, 52, former member of the Wilmington Police Department, serving actively for more than 15 years, will be held at 4 p. m. to day at the Yopp Funeral Home by the Rev. J. L. Davis and the Rev A. K. Dudley. Burial will be in Bellevue cemetery. Surviving is his widow, Mrs. Louise Sanford of 605 South Third street; a daughter, Miss Menola Sanford; one son, Tebe D. San ford, Jr., a prisoner-of-war of the Japanese; two sisters, Mrs. L. W. Anderson of Maxton, and Mrs v-iciu x inuo vjx uauuiiuuig, auu five brothers, Oscar G. Sanford of Wilmington, W. W. and L. T. Sanford of Laurinburg. B. F. San ford of Asheboro, and Ralph N. Sanford of Raleigh. Active pallbearers will be H. E. Fales, Thomas B. Hughes, D. D. Connor, J. S. Canfield, N. 3. West brook and T. D. Hall. Honorary pallbearers will be Charles H. Casteen, Henry Ker man, '.V. K. Rhodes, Jr., H. T. Wil son, Dr. D. R. Murchison, R. B. R dman, Coy Etheridge, and L. E. Sikes. IVEY WILLIAMS SIDBURY Ivey Williams Sidbury, 80, died at the home of his son, Raven wood Sidbury, of Scotts Hill, yes terday. Funeral services will be held at 5 p. m. today at the Top sail Presbyterian church by the Rev. C. C. Myers, assisted by the Rev. Carroll. Surviving are two sons, Raven wood Sidbury, of Scotts Hill, and A. W. Sidbury of Wilmington; a daughter, Mrs. Inez S. Roberts, Hampstead, and seven grandchil dren and three great-grandchil dren. Active pallbearers are D. F. Sidbury, E. C. King, V. R. Sid A Germans Hurling Armor And Planes at Americans (Continued From Page One) direct challenge of the Nazi air force. The Germans sent formations of fighters in attacks on Allied air fields in France, Belgium and Hol land and preliminary reports in dicated at least 208 enemy planes had been shot down in these sav age skirmishes. Part of the Luftwaffe's effort was directed at the many big air fields in the Maastricht-Brussels Eindhoven triangle, catching some of them by surprise with tree-top attacks. During the attacks the streets of Brussels were even ma chinegunned. U. S. and British boomers Join ed in the New Year’s day aerial scramble and altogether more than 6,000 Allied planes were in the skies and at leas* 241 German planes were destroyed. Allied losses were no* yet known. Every attempt by Field Marshal von Rundstedt’s forces to reduce the Third Army's corridor into Bastogne was repelled, and the Nazis’ most important gain was one of 200 yards at a point four and a half miles southwest of Bas togne. The Germans recaptured Moircv, 11 miles west of Bastogne, and gained a mile at another point, but neither enemy advance affect ed Patton’s five-mile-wide relief corridor. Patton’s forces launched a sharp attack north of Bastogne, at the narrowest point of the Nazi salient, and made some progress. As his bold Belgium adventure backfired and threatened possibly to develop into a major disaster, von Runstedt hurled a series of night and day attacks against the American Seventh Army in the vicinity of the old Maginot Line fortress city cf Bitche in the French Saar. The new Nazi assaults, two of which were in at least battalion BYRNES WOULD INCREASE ARMY (Continued From Page One) lessen our effort,” the report warned. Byrnes said Congress should give War Labor Eoard rulings statutory authority, so that WOB could “en force its decisions in the courts without resort to seizure.” Less than a week after Army seizure of Montgomery Ward prop erties for non - compliance with WOB rulings which Ward’s chair man, Sewell Avery, declared un constitutional, Byrnes observed that seizure is "an inadequate rem edy in many cases.” “Congress, I am sure, can draft a law which will treat the Avprys and the Petrillos alike,” he said. The latter reference was to the head of the AFL musicians union, James Caesar Petrillo, whose pro tracted ban on recordings was in defiance of the WLB. If the War Production Board proves unable to enforce manpow er ceilings on less-essential plants, by withholding matetials or fuel, then Congress “should pass a law to say to an employer that he can only have so many empolyes,” By rnes asserted. While squelching any actual re _in 4 V-i /-» Wile f 11 _ ture, Eyrnes suggested for the con sideration of Congress at least eight other measures most of them deal ing with demobilization and the postwar economy. They included: Financial aid for the re-establishment of small bus iness closed by the war; giving home builders greater financial help; amendment of the Lanham Act to permit the sale of tempo rary war housing for residential purposes; measures to assure suc cessful operation of the huge mer chant fleet; extension of the Rene gotiation and Stabilization Acts, and liberalization of the Unemploy ment Compensation Law. bury, Lacv C. Sidbury, Earl Bouschee. Honorary pallbearers will be Julian K. Taylor, Dr. J. B. Cran mer, T. E. Hayes, R. A. Nixon, E. V. King, J. S. King, and Na :han Skipper. strength, began before last mid night and continued through today along a 10 mile front on both sides of Bitche in the French Saar. The new Nazi assaults, two of which were in at least battalion strength, began before last mid night and continued through to day along a 10 mile front on both sides of Bitche. Allied headquar ters conceded that the enemy might have made some progress. Although it still was too early to tell, this possibly was the be ginning of another major assault by the enemy. The German com mander’s actions since his Bel gium attack was thrown into re verse last week have indicated he was searching for a new—and softer—spot to strike. (The German communicue said American positions had been as saulted on a wide front on both sides of Bitche in a sector “from which major forces have been withdrawn.”)' One German attack hit the Seventh Army at Bannstein, five miles southeast of Bitche, and another force lashed out south of Dambash. six miles east of Bann stein and three miles from the German frontier. Three attacks were made west of Bitche. General Patton threw powerful forces of Yank infantry and armor into his attack in Belgium, pound ing hard at the enemy along a front extending from a point two miles southwest of St. Hubert to within five miles of Bastogne, which is 15 miles due east of St. Hubert. A front dispatch tonight said gains of from two to six miles were made Sunday at points on both sides of St. Hubert, a highly important road junction at the farthest point of the Germans’ advance toward Sedan. Third Army ground forces destroyed at least 32 German tanks, while sup porting Allied battle planes de stroyed another 35 and damaged 27. ° SUNDAY HUNTERS ARRESTED HERE Accused of hunting on Sunday. R- C. Alien of Maffitt Village, and L. D. Harrelson of South Front street, will be called before Recorder H. Winfield Smith this morning to answer charges, it was reported last night by State Game Warden W. P. Floyd, who said he would ask that the court confiscate their guns, Floyd said the men were ar rested Sunday afternoon while they were hunting ducks near Keg island, in the Cape Fear river, about two miles below Wilmington. It was explained by the game warden that violations of the stat ute regarding hunting in North Carolina have shown considerable increase over the past few weeks, and that he would seek to have all guns belonging to law-breakers of this type confiscated in the fu ture. The two men arrested Sunday ■ • ^ a v_1.u5111r.cu uu uicii appear ance in Recorder’s court this morning. Floyd disclosed that he had ar rested 17 persons for various vio lations of the state game laws in th j vicinity of the lower Cape Fear river in December, about 12 of whom were accused of hunting on Sunday. He explained thatj hunting li censes are automatically revoked in such cases, and the fine for a first offense can not be more than $50, or imprisonment not more than 30 days. For a second of fense, a violator may be fined not less than $25, nor more than $200, nor imprisoned for more than six months. ^WEATHER (Eastern Standard Time) (By U. S. Weather Bureau) Meteorological data for the 24 hours ending 7:30 p.m. yesterday. Precipitation Total for the 24 hours ending 7-30 P.m., 0.12 inches. * Total since the first of the month, 0.12 inches. Tides for Today (From the Tide Tables published by u. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey) . High Low Wilmington-12:15a l:\5a .. 12:38p 9-y,n Masonboro Inlet_10:17a 3:53a _ 10:44p 4:20b Sunrise, 7:18 a.m.; Sunset, 5:15 pm ■ Moonrise, 9:18 a.m.; Moonset. 10:16 a.m’. Inside A B-29 Here is one of the first interior photos of a B-29 to be released by the U. S. Army Air Forces Crew man of a B-29 ordinarily work in the front or rear pressurized cabins. However, when duty calls for work outside the cabins, portable oxygen bottles, such as this one carried by the flight engineer, may be attach ed to breathing tubes. (International) BUDAPEST BATTLE MOUNTS IN FURY (Continued From Page One) confirmation from Russian or Ger man sources. Once Buda is in Soviet hands. Red Army guns placed on its heights will command the plain of Pest and will be able to level Ger man defenses east of the river at will. In Pest, the German-Hungarian defenders already are hemmed in by Soviet forces in an arc through the eastern suburbs and within the city limits at several points and Moscow’s communique reported capture of the railway station of Rakos in the eastern part of the city. Meanwhile, (he Russian drive on Losonc iLucenec', Slovak commu nications hub near the Hungarian border above Budapest, continued with the capture of 14 places. The advance brought Marshal Malinov sky’s forces within less than two miles south of the city with the capture of Mikusovce. But the principal action of the eastern front and one of the blood iest conflicts of the war raged at Budapest. Hand-to-hand and house-to-house fighting narrowed the enemy-held zone in Buda to an area less than four miles wide and a mile deep. Russian frontline reports said vet eran divisions of Marshal Tolbuh kin were concentrating on a mop up of Buda before launching an all out attack on Pest. A furious barrage was maintain ed by the big Red guns which en circle Budapest, and smoke from oil reservoirs set afire by the ene my laid a black pall over the cap ital. “I might as well tell you, George, my diamond ring didn’t go down the drain pipe — I sold it last iveek with a Star-News Ad!” 1 NEW GREEK PEACE CONFERENCE FAILS ATHENS. Jan. 1. —(UP)—A del egation of the Greek ELAS organ ization conferred throughout this afternoon with Lt. Gen. Ronald M. Scobie, British commander in Greece, but failed to reach an agreement which would end the fighting in Athens and leave the regency and the government to restore conditions to normal. British and Greek government troops continued to mop up ELAS guerrillas during the day and brought two-thirds of Athens and half of Piraeus, its port, under control. (British Correspondent John Nix on reported that most of Athens was clear and that shops were re opening and crowds circulating in the belief that they now were se cure. He forecast the formation of a new government tomorrow. (The London Daily Telegraph re ported that ELAS leaders had of fered to cease fire as soon as basic political questions were settled, in order that negotiations might be gin.) Greek War Undersecret ary Leo nidas Spahis was called into this afternoon’s conference between Scobie and ELAS leaders. ELAS leaders insisted that they had accepted ‘Scobie’s terms but he pointed out that they had not withdrawn from Attica and laid down their arms. He said that if the ELAS insisted that Greek gendarmes and national guards men be disarmed they should talk to the Greek government. The ELAS delegates asked for a conference with the Regent, Archbishop Damaskinos, who sug gested that negotiations be defer | red until the formation of a new government, perhaps, tomorrow. Archbishop Damaskinos appeal | ed for an end of fighting to bring an atmosphere of calm and Sco bie also appealed to ELAS leaders to lay down their arms. XT 20 Live Bombs Scattered Over Kansas Countryside SALINA. Kas., Jan. 1—(UP) — Twenty live bombs, jettisoned by a crew forced to abandon a big Army bomber, are scattered over an area about 15 miles northwest of here. Army officers warned to night. The bombs were dropped from the plane abandor.ed by the crew last Friday near Salina. The crew parachuted to safety and the plane crashed a short time later near Concordia, Kas. Maj. Alfred Evans, public rela tions officer at Smoky Hill Army Air Field, said civilians who tam pered with the bombs might cause explosions. -V City Briefs JAYCEES TO MEET The regular meeting of the Junior Chambe. of Commerce will be held at 7:30 o'clock tonight at the Y. M. C. A. MR. 1945’ Claiming the title of “Mr. 1945,’’ a seven-pound boy was born at 12:30 a.m. yesterday to Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Gor*, of 506 1-2 South Sixth street, at the Marion Sprunt annex the City s first in the new year. 241 NAZI PLANES < i DOWNED BY YANKS LONDON, Jan. 1.—The Ger man air force lost at least 241 of its carefully hoarded planes today, with most of the downed planes— 208—sacrificed in a desperate at tempt to cripple Allied aerial su periority by bombing and strafing air fields in France, Belgium and Holland. The surprise offensive was the greatest by the Luftwaffe since its heyday of 1940-41, but it failed to check the momentum of the Allied aerial offensive that sent at least 6,000 American and Brit ish planes over the continent on New Year’s Day. These included more than 1,600 U. S. Eighth Air Force heavy bombers and fight ers. A front dispatch said some of the German planes that struck the Allied air fields shortly after 9 a. m. were American craft captured by the Nazis in the recent break through into Luxembourg. The dispatch added that they had been repainted with German markings but were clearly iden tifiable. Ninth Air Force fighters were able to knock down 83 of the enemy planes, RAF fightei* blasted another 84 and anti-air craft gunners picked off an addi tional 41. TT EIGHT JAP SHIPS I SUNK BY YANKS IN GULF OF LINGAYEN (Continued From Pare Onel reconnaissance planes shot down five enemy aircraft, and it was announced that three out of 15 en emy planes which attempted a night raid on Mindoro island Sat urday were shot down by night fighters and anti-aircraft guns. In mopping up on Leyte Island. MacArthur announced, 995 addi tional enemy dead were counted Saturday and 11 prisoners were taken, bring the total of Japanese casualties in the campaign to 118, 983. AMERICA, SOVIET SPLIT ON LUBLIN (Continued From Fage One) tion of a regency in Greece. This is an important step, he said. that, would appear to pave the way for solution of the difficult situation in Greece. In London, a British Foreign Of fice commentator said today that Britain does not intend to recog nize the Lublin provisional govern ment. of Poland at this time, and expressed hope that the question would be threshed out at a “Big Three’’ conference. Almost simultaneously, a friendly exchange of messages between King George VI of England and President Wladyslaw Raczkiewicz of the London Polish government was released officially. The Foreign Office commentator clearly implied hope that Russia would not recognize the Lublin group without consulting Briiain and the United States. He said that Britain will continue present relations with the London Polish government and has no pre sent intention of sending a repre sentative to Lublin, and has no in formation to indicate that the Rus sian or American governments plan to recognize the Lublin group. FLUSH KIDNEY URINE Benefit wonderfully from famous ( doctor’s discovery that relieves j backache, run-down feeling duo to excess acidity in the urine People everywhere are finding amazing relief from painful symptoms of bladder irritation caused by excess acidity in tho urine. DR. KILMERS SWAMP ROOT acts fast on the kidneys to ease discomfort by promoting the flow of urine. This puro herbal medicine is especially welcome where bladder irritation due to excesa acidity is responsible for “getting up at nights’*. A carefully blended combination of 16 herbs, roots, vegetables, balsam; Dr. Kilmer’s contains nothing harsh, is oh* solutely non-habit forming. Just good in gredients that many people say have a marvelous effect. Send for free, prepaid sample TODAY! Like thousands of others you’ll be glad that you did. Send name and address to Department A, Kilmer A Co., Inc., Box 1255, Stamford, Conn. Offer limited. Send at once. All druggists sell Swamp Root. NOTICE 1944 City and County taxes are past due. Pay your personal property tax now, and save garnishment of wages starting Jan. 1st, 1945. B. Morse City & County Tax Collector. ^