WEATHER
Sli«M'y colder tonight; Sunday
tne<-allv coatinued cool.
®Iip (i/tmpjs
Largest Daily Circulation of Any Newspaper in North Carolina in Proportion to Population
HENDERSONVILLE, N. C., SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1938
SINGLE COPIES, FIVE CENTS
DIE IN BOMBER MYSTERY EXPLOSION
■■ " " — — — - — ...... ...... V V V A
[Two Day Christmas Holiday Will Be Kept
AGEANTSAND
1USIC WILL BE
IFFERED HERE
oinrr unity Putting Final
Touches on Double Holi
day Program
I0NDAY WILL BE
COMPLETE HOLIDAY
;{•: son countians put the
13. • -hos today on prepara
a double holiday.
Wh <■ church, charity and other
_-r • otis started distribution
• is: mas baskets and other
•s • jodv families, housewives
L :• kitchens, men attend
f : -isiness of the workaday
Cirid " made themselves useful
- imily's Christmas scheme,
id ch iiren ran errands and "be
iv»'i 'orautifully" in general in
it ion of the arrival of Santa
!au>. Hundreds of visitors ar
; ! the holidays, and many
hsr;-~ vt'ie on the way to other
: > visit friends and relatives.
Most stores will remain open
c;,.t to accommodate last
ir.ut -hoppers but will be closed
Ipndav.
- j — • i
^ ctni« v«w»
n: c ':ty offices, the State Trust
:. a: r city library will observe
■te holiday Monday.
The ivst office will observe the
iy and there will be no city
urty deliveries on that day.
ir keeping with the custom of
j-- e holiday .a year, no is
? of The Times-News will be
Slisr.od on Monday.
churcius win
i-ievvo Christina* with appropri
*> service- today and Sunday.
»<: - - ave planned
a-,, , ; f'.:;-htmas tree pro
ran is.
Christmas messages will be dc
rrcred to congregations bv pas
urs at the regular 11 o'clock ser
ies tomorrow morning1.
St. James Episcopal church will
elebrate the Midnight Kucharist
or.ieht a* 1130 o'clock, and a
olemn H;,rh Mass will be cele
ate<: t' >r. _r.t at midnight at the
maculate Conception church,
le Mass of St. Anthony will be
E'<r a' thn time.
Special Christmas programs to
tor -v at various churches in
if:
5 p. .'ii.—Special Christmas pro
ra~ <>f nageantry and music at
ie r • M- thodist church.
" p. m.—Special Christmas
. - r! acted hy the Sunday
w a* Grace Lutheran church.
• v' m.—Christmas program
«5^Ieyur: Methodist church.
"•'0 p. m.—Special Christmas
**ice. nageant and Christmas
tee at Calvary Baptist church.
Several churches had their an
"is:mas programs last Sun
/ olete schedules of all
"torch services appear on the
j-.aee today.
GERMANS FACE
FUEL FAMINE
rer, Goering Playing
Santa to Thousands
of Destitute
3ERLIX. Dec. 24. (UP)—A se
.* - ortage that forced the
•"'•'c than 100 coal
Berlin alone last night
■ ~ in poorer working
*.s a- Chancellor Adolf
a- Field Marshal Hermann
, y1* ~ played Santa Claus to
T*.vr •' destitute families.
Coal Retailers asso
> hibited dealers from
_ a r.ouncements that their
. ^ .a: ii-cn exhausted on the
' that such information
:ru!:Jy excite" the public.
!£•? the holiday season,
'u, class districts were
"r- because families there,
far ilV:'* ^PPlies for only a
Pr advance, had no fuel
I ,,' n hand.
said the shortage
y to transportation
of": ■ cd bv the freezing
tj ft*'4*' 1 that there was plen
S c_a the mine pitheads,
•r . s were anticipat
p ;";n in jayS) they said.
tijllv» / were forbidden offi
: their own trans
• p- t'» ',btain coal.
Sh/wPS PLan drive
Vn u HAI- Dec- 24- (t'P) —
*a^ /"J f' fiav massing thou
W , ^"n for a drive into [
*®t Chin*
250 NEEDY FAMILIES AND
INDIVIDUALS GET CHRISTMAS
ASSISTANCE AND CHEER HERE
Reports Beating
Bv Memel Nazis
» 1
Jaws swollen and face scarred,
Robert A. Sellman. free-lance
American writer, is shown as he
reported being: beaten by Nazis
in the recent Memel. Lithuania,
elections.
NAVAL FLEET
WILL BE KEPT
IN ATLANTIC
Fighting Force Sent East
in Summer Will Be
Retained
WASHINGTON, Dcc. 24. (UP)
The United States government, in
a move associated by some with
increasingly strained relations
with Germany and general Euro
pean tension, yesterday decided to
maintain on a permanent basis the
fighting force of 35 warships as
signed to the Atlantic seaboard
this summer.
The force consists of four bat
tleships. eight cruisers and 23 de
stroyers. One of the capital ships,
the U. S. S. Wyoming, has been
stripped of its guns and otherwise
demilitarized. The other three, the
New York, Texas and Arkansas,
are ready for instant action.
Eight of the destroyers are new.
Fifteen are nearing the "over-age"
limit.
The navy department made no
explanation of its decision. It was
understood, however, that the1
question of maintaining a fighting
force on the Atlantic seaboard had 1
been under consideration by navy
strategists for years. Proponents;
of the theory were at a disadvan
tage during the era when Europe;
was comparatively quiet.
They had the suport of eastern
congressmen and senators who
were growing weary of voting
huge naval appropriations yearly
for the purpose of expanding or
rehabilitating a fleet which was
maintained chiefly on the west
coast.
But foes of the proposal fought
it on the basis that the east coast
was not in danger as loner as
Europe remained at peace. Those
among the navy high command
who consider Japan a potential
foe of the United States backed
up their contention that the fleet
should be kent in the Pacific by
pointing to Japan's invasion of
China.
E. A. SMYTH. Ill, BUYS
K. G. JUSTUS HOUSE
Announcement was made today I
that A. E. Sm.vth III, official of
the Balfour Mills, had purchased
the K. G. Justus home on the Ka
nuga road.
$250,000 HARBOR FIRE
NEW ORLEANS. Dec. 24. (UP)
The loss from a fire which swept
three sections of the Todd-John
son drydock^ and burned a utility
yacht was estimated at $250,000.
Organizations Take Hand
in Local Seasonal
Activities
More than 250 needy families
j and individuals will receive Christ
j mas cheer through the combined
| efforts of churches, civic and be
i nevolent organizations, and pri
| vate individuals, a survey indicat
i ed today. Gifts in the form of
I toys and Christmas fruits and ean
| dies ha\o teen or will be distribut
ed to children, and a check today
j showed more than 200 families
, would receive Christmas baskets.
Cooperating in the drive to in
1 sure some form of Christmas cheer
for all needy are the citv churches.
' Girl Scouts, American Legion and
i Leirion Auxiliary, the Elks club,
Kiwanis and Rotary clubs, Junior
I Welfare club, and private individ
i uals and business firms.
1100 ARE GUESTS OF
LEGION, AUXILIARY
The American Legion and Le
gion Auxiliary entertained about
100 children and adults at the an
; nual Christmas tree party yester
day afternoon at the Legion club
house.
Santa Claus was present in per
son to distribute the toys and
Christmas goodies to about 75
| children, while approximately 25
; adults in need were supplied with
Christmas baskets.
A brief program was given be
fore the presents were distributed..
ELKS TENDER FIRST
i YULE CHEER HERE
The B. P. 0. Elks, recently or
ganized here, is making its influ
ence felt in charitable fields as
more than 35 families will receive
Christmas cheer from this agency.
A. T. McCarsoq, chairman of
the committee on community and
social welfare, and other Elks
played Santa Claus today to many
families. The local Elks had the
co-operation of the Asheville Sal- j
vation Army in making this pro-'
gram possible, and in addition
toys, food and services were given i
by many local business people.
KIWANIS, ROTARY
ARE BOTH ACTIVE
In keeping with its annual cus
tom, the Kiwanis club will provide
shoes for 50 needy children in the
county.
Cards bearing the names of the'
children selected will be distribut
ed through the county welfare de
partment, and the recipients will
call Monday morning between the i
hours of 9 and 12 o'clock at Pat
terson's department store and Ka-!
lin's department store to be fitted.!
The cost of the shoes will be borne
equally by the club and the two 1
stores, each of which is represent- J
ed in the club, by Edward Patter
son and Sam Kalin.
Kiwanis and Rotary clubs in
joint Christmas meeting on Thurs
day exchanged gifts of toys and
these were turned over to the
American Legion Auxiliary for;
distribution with Christmas bas
kets provided by church and char-1
ity organizations.
Toys donated by civic clubs
were added to hundreds of others j
given at a Carolina theatre mati
ness and from other sources. The j
toys were repaired by the city fire ;
and police departments.
In addition to these Christmas
activities, churches and other or-;
ganizations were caring for needy
families today and tomorrow.
MAYOR DINES 75
IN HIS BOYS' CLUB
About 75 boys, members of
Mayor A. V. Edwards' club for
boys, had a Christmas dinner with
all the trimmings at noon today, i
The dinner was served in the
fire department recreation room at i
the city hall through the generos-'
ity of a local business man.
DINNER, TOEC PARTY
AT NURSERY SCHOOL
A Christmas dinner, tree and
party were featured at the WPA
Nursery School on Third avenue j
west in the Brooks building Friday
and all participants had an extra
ordinariv good time.
The dinner was the first of a !
series of three events at the WPA ,
Nursery school.
Following the dinner, the tree
was held at 4:30 o'clock and the
mothers and 13 tots in attendance
were generously remembered.
Mrs. Mary C. Binson said that
while only 13 children and their
(Continued on page five)
Model Debutante
Comely fashion model Wilma
Baai'd, who is NOT a socialite,
nevertheless becomes a "deb,"
thanks to the sponsorship of a
group of New York men about
town. Fed up with the current
"glamor deb" furore, they pre
sented her to "society." Among
Wilma's strongest admirers are
East River barge captains, who
call her "Tugboat Minnie."
POPE SCORES
TOTALITARIES
Flays Italian Anti-Jewish
Policy; Wishes for
Peace of World
*
VATICAN CITY, Dec. 24. (UP)
The Pope today criticized Italy se
verely for its anti-Semitic racial
campaign and referred to the Ger
man Nazi swastika as the "cross
which is inimical to the cross of
Christ" in his Christmas message.
The Pope also accused the Ital
ian government of violating the
Lateran accord by interfering with
activities of the Catholic Action,
an organization of laymen. The
Pope further deplored display of
the swastika and other Nazi em
blems in Rome during the visit of
Fuehrer Adolf Hitler. He ended
with reference to his advancing1
age and a Christmas wish for
world peace.
LIMA PARLEY
READY TO 01
DECLARATION
Ratifying Solidarity Policy
Against Aggression,
Only Formality
argentiniTand u. s.
POSITIONS BRIDGED
LIMA, Peru, Dec. 24. (UP) —
Delegates of the 21 American re
publics last night signed a dec
laration at the eighth Pan Amer
ican conference which pledged
solidarity of the New World na
tions apainst foreign military or
political aggression in the west
I ern hemisphere.
Only formal approval by the j
I plenary session, a technicality al-,
ready assured by the acceptance
of the draft by all countries, was
needed to make the declaration
effective.
Because of present world con
ditions, the declaration, while not
naming them specifically, was di
rected against the European to
talitarian states.
Agreement on the form of the
declaration, which at times threat-1
ened to split the conference wide
open because of contrary view
points of Argentina, on one
hand, and the United States and
the rest of the American coun
tries on the other, was obtained
when the Buenos Aires govern
ment cublcd its delegation au
thorization to sign the declara
tion.
rnc Argentine ropiT.sentauves
signed the agreement at 5:45 p..
m., after the other delegates had
put their signatures to it.
Isidro Ruiz Moreno, head of
the Argentine delegation, arriving
at the Peruvian chamber of dep
uties, where plenary sessions of |
the conference were held, told
the United Press his instructions 1
gave him "full powers to sign at
the discretion of the delegation." ^
He said there still remained to
be arranged "one or two changes
without importance."
The Argentines signed after a
meeting of all members of their
delegation.
The declaration, which was bas
ed on an earlier proposal of the
Argentine delegation, reaffirms
the decision of the American re
publics to "maintain and defend"
their continental solidarity and
absolute sovereignty "against all
foreign intervention or activity
that might threaten them." It fur-!
ther provides for consultation
among all the countries if the
peace, security or territorial in-1
tegrity of any of them is threat
ened by "acts of force of what
ever nature that might impair |
their sovoreignty."
In accordance with Argentina's
demands, the declaration contain
ed no specific reference to "non
American" nations but referred
only to possible "foreign" aggres
sion. This was interpreted in some
sources to mean that if the Unit-;
ed States should revert to "dollar i
diplomacy" accompanied by in
tervention, such action might be 1
made the occasion for consulta
tion among the Latin American
countries.
Ruiz Moreno said his govern
ment had decided upon approval
of the declaration "because all,
the aims of the declaration on .
continental solidarity have been■
met."
Although his instructions re- j
quested some minor amendments I
in the wording of the draft, Ruiz
Moreno indicated no difficulties
(Continued on page five)
JAP COMMANDERS READY TO I
WELCOME FRIENDLY GESTURE I
FROM CHINESE LEADERS
SHANGHAI,'Dec. 24. (UP) —
Japanese Central China headquar
ters today announced that Japa
nese army commanders would wel
come any friendly gesture from
Chinese leaders, according to an
official Japanese news agency dis
patch from Nanking.
"We are willing to accept our
enemies of yesterday as friends,
regardless of their previous stand,"
the dispatch quoted army leaders,1
as saying.
TOKYO. Dec. 24. (UP)—Japan !
"unquestionably" will go ahead
with her plan to create a political
and economic bloc of China, Japan
and Manchukuo despite the paral
lel policies of Britain and the
United States in extending finan-i
cial assistance to the Chinese Na
tionalists, a foreign office spokes-1
man said yesterday.
Commenting on Thursday nighb's
statement by Premier Prince Fu
mimaro Konoye the spokesman
said that the Anglo-American:
credits to Chinese Nationalist Gen-,
eralissimo Chiang Kai-shek "may'
have had a bearing" on the issu
ance of the statement which em
bodies Japan's program as decided j
upon at the imperial conference*
here on Nov. 30.
The premier's statement, hand
ed to foreign correspondents
shortly before midnight, was seen
as desigred to reassure the people
of China and to counteract the
effect of the Anglo-American cred
(Continued on page six) i
—
American Writer Gets Nobel Prize
— . ;
Smiling her pleasure, American authoress Pearl Buck receives the
1938 Nobel Prize for Literature from the hands of King Gustaf
of Sweden.
OFFICIAL NAZI PRESS SAYS
NO 'NATURAL DIFFERENCES'
BETWEEN U. S. AND GERMANY
- • • . • ' ' '
General Tenor of Nation in
Reaction to Welles' Reply
Said Indicated
BERLIN, Dec. 24. (UP)—The
tenor of official German reaction
to the reply of Sumner Welles,
U. S. assistant secretary of state,
to German protest against the
Cleveland speech of Harold L.
Ickes was indicated today in the
official Nazi party organ, Voel
kischer Beobachter.
The newspaper, without men
tioning Welles specifically, main
tained that German press criti
cism of the United States has
merely been in reciprocation
against attacks from across the
Atlantic and added that there
exist "no natural differences be
tween Germany and the United
States."
The Beobachter editorial, while
strongly phrased, dealt less with
personalities than other recent
press comment here.
In reference to the crisp state
ment of Senator Key Pittman of
the U. S. senate foreign relations
committee that the American peo
ple do not like Nazism, Beobach
ter said:
"If we answered this newest
provocation by voicing the obvi
ously justified opinion that the
gentlemen in Washington have
ample reason to poke their fin
gers into their own moral cess
pool, they probably would again
whine that they had been attack
ed. Even the impertinent Ickes
speech was followed by the asser
tion that the German press had
attacked Roosevelt and even Wil
son. Four points made by the of
ficial Nazi organ were:
"The National Socialist press
in Germany abstained from any
attacks on United States person
alities and institutions until late
in 1938—not because we wanted j
to please Americans or win their
sympathies, but remembering the
(Continued on page six)
Spaniards Wage
Bitter Fights On
Heights In Snow
HENDAYE, French - Spanish
Frontier, Dec. 24. -(UP)—Fight
ing through a blinding snow
aeainst icy wind. Spanish nation
alists stormed and captured first
line loyalist trenches on formida
ble Montsech, according to dis
patches from the front.
Navarese troops moving off at
dawn. 33 miles north of Lerida,
attacked loyalists with hand gre
nades and followed up with bayo
nets.
At a high altitude, slipping in
blood-stained snow, the armies ■
fought hand to hand until the gov-1
srnment troops were thrown back,
jccording to dispatches. '
'ANNUAL GRID
BANQUET HELD
Letters and Sweaters Are
Presented to the
Varsity Team
The annual banquet of the Hen
dersonville high school football
team was held last night at the
Ames hotel.
Prof. F. M. Waters, superinten
dent of the city schools was toast
master and the invocation was by
the Rev. B. E. Wall.
Following the dinner, Mr. Wa
ters called on several visitors for
talks. These included George R.
Fain, J. C. Coston, Hubert Bar
nett, Norman Miller, Rev. Wall,
and Fred Streetman.
L. K. Singley, high school su
perintendent, and Coach Stephens
spoke briefly.
Benjamin Simms presented the
team sponsor, Miss Frances Davis,
and on behalf of the squad pre
sented a football to Captain John
ny Magness. He also presented a
gift to Coach John Stephens.
Coach Stephens reviewed the
season and presented letters and
sweaters to the varsity team.
First year lettermen included
Marion Dorn, Joe Chandler, Bill
Bates, Geo fge Bowman, Frank
Yarborough, Dick Hedge, John
English, Jerry Orr, Jim Retse,
Selden Shipman, Benj. Patterson,
Dick Chapin, Brooks Shepherd,
and Loo Morris.
Those receiving sweaters were:
Brooks Williams and Harry ReeBe,
managers, Robert Coffey, Everett
Drake, Bert Miller, Bobby Quarles,
J. C. Coston, Jr., J. W. McCrary,
B. Simms and Captain Johnny
Magness. ,
A* certificate of honorary mem
bership in the block "H" club was
E resented to J. Clarence Coston
y the member of the club for
the service and support he has
given to the team. Only two other
honorary memberships have ever
been given. These were awarded
several years ago to L. K. Singley
and George Fain.
The cheerleaders of the past
season, Misses "Tootsie" Johnson,
Betty Powers and Mamie Lee
Pressley were introduced and
spoke briefly.
The meeting closed with the
singing of the "Red and White."
SYMPATHY STRIKES
TULSA, Okla., Dec. 24. (UP) I
Sympathy strikes spread last1
niprht through the oil fields as the
Oil Field, Gas Well and Refinery
Workers union closed down the
Mid-Continent Petroleum com
pany's biff refinery in West Tulsa
with a picket line.
TWO TARHEELS
ARE AMONG AIR
BUST VICTIMS
Explosion Heard for ZO
Miles Around in Very
"Unusual Tragedy"
BODIES ANlTPLANE
BLOWN TO SHREDS
UNIONTOWN, Ala., Doc. 24.—
(UP) —Something: -extraordinary
occurred aboard an armv bomher
which crashed in l'lamcs last night
after an explosion which was
heard 20 miles away, killing seven
men.
Bodies of all were horribly se<r
mented and the segments scat
tered over 15 acres. The huge-it
piece of the plane found was a
tiny segment of the tail.
An assembly of army officer}! is
supervising the task of gathering
the pieces of human bodies a»H
fragments of the airplane fn>:n
the black mud of the rain-soakM
prairie country.
iney were sure 01 oiuy one
thing1—it hadn't been an ordinary
accident.
Apparently there had beon a
terrific explosion aboard ship just
before ft crashed.
The crew of the ship was:
Lieut. Jarries Underhill of Mor
granto'n, N: C., pilot; •
Lieut. John W. Pollard, Wasco,
Calif., co-pilot;*
.Captain Fred Rueb,! San Fran
cisco;
Lieut. John' Hydle, San Fran
cisco; ' •
Private Shelton Johnson, North
ville, N. Y.;
Private Humpert Marro, Los
Angeles;
Private Ben Jones, Asheville, N.
C.
The plane, a Douglas bomber,
was tike that which crashed at La
Grange, Ga., Nov. 18, killing: eight
'inert;* ft "was en oute to Mitchrl
Field, N. Y., from Hamilton Field,
Calif.
Attashes of Barksdale FieM,
Shreveport, La., said they under
stood from radio reports as the
plane passed there that there wevc
five men aboard, although seven
were killed in the crash.
The plane burst into flames be
tween 8 and 6:15 p. m., thr•;»
miles southeast of this town in t j
laudest explosion residents report
ed they "had ever heard."
The bodies of the aviators were
torn into shreds. The largest part
of anv boay found was the torso.
Through an automobile driver's
license James Bennis Underhill,
28, was identified.
A bank book from Highland
Falls, N. Y.. First National bank
showed that another of the men
killed was First Lieut. J. H. Hydlo.
The plane had been last report
ed from Barksdale Field, Shw»v«
port, La., where it was said that
the plane was from California.
It was also reported yesterday
that the "million-dollar flving for
tress" had refueled in Dallas, Tex.
Hopkins Sworn In
As Cabinet Man
By Justice Reed
Campaign to Defeat His
Confirmation by Sen
ate Launched
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24. (UP)
Harry L. Hopkins, former WPA
administrator, took the oath of
office today as secretary of com
merce, succeeding Daniel C- Ro
per, who quit last nightr -
Even as lie wa* sworn In by
Associate Supreme Court Justice
Stanley Reed, Hopkins' foes on
Capitol Hill — Republican* a#d
some conservative Democrats-—b*
sran forcing a coalition in the
hope that they can prevent his
confirmation by the senate.
Hopkins' selection will be tmmif
the first matters debated when
congress convenes next month.
Public Christmas
Tree And Service
80'clockTonight
Community interest tonight will
be centered in a Christmas trot
erected at Church street and Fifth
avehue. At 8 o'clock a religious
service arranged by minisfciro of
the city will be presented. Mayor
A. V. Edwards, who h*d the tree
erected under sponsorship of the
chamber of commerce, will be one
of the speakers. Singing of eaiala
will ba featured.