davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08
WASHINGTON
DAYBOOK
BY JACK STINNETT

Vhd d puS Cdl Ut
a victim of propaganda. seventeea-year locusts,
especially.
Puritan ministers started the anti-17-year 10.
Gust propaganda 300 years ago. What the Massa.
chusetts preachers said about the insect troub.
adors was character assassination, no less. The
cicadas still haven't lived it down.
1t seems the Puritan farmers got scared when
the ground practically exploded and billions OF
insetcs came forth. They'd never seen anything
like that in England.
1t was a swell opportunity for the ministers to
throw a little fear into the backsliders. So they
announced that the insects were locusts. 1t was
announcer visitation, they preached, like to the
plague of locusts that laid waste Egypt in
Biblical times.
Locusts Aren't Locusts
The Puritan theologians were nature-fakine
Seventeen-year locusts aren't locusts at all
They're periodic cicadas, no relation to the vor.
cious insects of the Bible. But the preachers
poured it on, and the bad name stuck.
Now a 17-year locust plague is coming again
this year, the biggest since 1923. Uncle Sans
entomologists say there's no cause for alarm,
Adult cicadas don't eat at all. They do make
the woodlots ring when several million get in
tune at once, but who'd begrudge a cicada his
brief few weeks of song after waiting patiently
for his turn for II years?
." SAScSIoo ~ LIZ Aty N1l1LOuS,
They aren't major pests, and their life cycle is
the most interesting in bugdom. For instance:
The eggs are polite, and wait their turn to be
matched. The first egg laid matches first, and so
on. A female lays about 500 eggs in bark. It
doesn't hurt older trees, and rarely Injuries
younger ones.
The Matched larvae drop to the ground, and
burrow in for II years a la Rip Van Wrinkle.
Nobody knows why it takes 'em so long to de-
velop.
Somehow, after II years in a solitary burrow,
they can tell to the hour when the other pupae
are about to emerge. All the males come out
one night, the females several nights later.
Music In Their Legs
Their digging clothes" in which they spent
II years split down the back when they emerge.
The cicada steps out in a milk-white debut
dress, complete with gauze wings. They turn
darker in an hour. Then they have black bodies,
orange legs, and big, red eys.
After that, life's one brief round of song
but only for the males. They sing choruses in
the top branches of a tree, solos in the lower
branches, by rubbing their wings on hollow
sound boxes on their bodies.
The bureau of entomology finds that cicadas
are homebodies, who stick close to their own
localities. A brood energies somewhere every
year, but is restricted to a definite area.
The American broods of cicadas have been
numbered. This years crop is Brood IA. It is
the largest and most widely distributed. The
1910 l7-year locusts are spread from Cape Cod
to Illinois. Brood 10, which is due again in 1868,
is next largest.
Ihats the not-very-scary lowdown on "17.
year locusts,' who are going to visit us in a
plague" this summer. Too bad they got the
wrong kind of publicity, back there in 1884.
isn't it?
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08
NEW PHONE

Beiause of the mechanical setup all Will
mington phones under the new dial system,
which will be put into use next month, must
have four numbers, and as a consequence many
local subscribers will have to give up numbers
containing fewer digits which have become as
familiar to them as their prayers and which
they will surrender as reluctantly.
That's the way with progress. It always en-.
tails some sacrifice. Maybe, in the long run,
the new numbers will become as dear as the
old.
But whatever the outcome, and the matter
is quite trivial after all, the telephone service
for Wilmington is being vastly improved and
the city has reason for gratitude to the oper
ating company for its expenditures to improve
it. There will be profit, to be sure, for the com
pany, but the public will profit also, and all
of the expense falls upon the company, not
any of it upon the subscriber.
The new telephone building at Fourth and
Princess is an asset to the city not only be
cause of the investment in it, but because oil
the facilities installed there for lettering com
munication and for taking care of increases
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08
AIRPORT IMPROVEMENTS

So far as Wilmington is concerned, the
establishment of air service will be more easily
accomplished if Bluethenthal airfeld is
brought up to standard requirements.
In this connection it is gratifying to note
the county commission has adopted resolu-
lions pledging the field to public use, with
out discrimination against or favor for any
individual or any scheduled airline OPERATOR
With copies of the resolutions sent to Ra-
leigh and Washington, it is reasonable to hope
that favorable action by the WPA on the grant
sought for runways and other needed improve
ments will quickly follow.
1t is important that the project be pressed
for prompt action as application for a coastal
airline from Norfolk to Charleston, with stops
in Wilmington, is already before the communi-
cations administration, and representatives
from cities along the route are in conference
in Charleston today to formulate a program
for promotion of the service.
Nor is this the only reason Bluethenthal air.
port should be improved. The Junior Cham.
Der of Commerce proposes to be host to the
when at least 200 planes will visit this city.
1t will be some job, to put it plainly if in
elegantly, to find satisfactory accommodation
for such a large fleet. Any work that can be
completed at the field before their arrival will
make that job measurably easier.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08
Forest Fire Is Raging
Near Blue Ridge Parkwa,

RALEIGH, May 7.-R-A forest
fire is raging in the Elk Creek Sec
ton Of Watauga county, northeast
of Boone, and has burned within
about a mile of the Blue Ridge park
way, the state department of conser-
walton and development reported to-
day.
District Ranger E. P. simmons of
Lenoir, in charge of forces fighting
the fire, Informed Assistant State
Forester w. C. Mccormick that the
blaze had covered 5000 to 5000 acres.
1t was discovered yesterday after it
had spread to the forest from a burn
ing house.
District Ranger Simmons reported
that he had more than 300 men work
ing on the fire, including our regu-
lar fire fighters, men from two civil
ian conservation corps camps and
special fighters" Mccormick said.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08
MOTHERS DAY AND MILK

THE Golden Rule Foundatlon' d ~ -
1 ganization seeking to encourage WIDER prac'
tice of the Injunction to edo unto others as
Won wou1d have them do unto you" has set the
guage of Mothers Day celebration lof WIZ
mington with the launching OF a milk 1uno
solicitation that mothers with a1llng baoles
NAV not be without this aid in restoring their
health.
The effort is strictly local. No part OF the
funds will be diverted to other uses. Every
penny will go for milk, and every drop OF milk
bought will go into needy households. The
KEYNOTE of the drive is found in the following
"Observing Mothers Day the Golden Rule
way pays tribute to our mothers by doing Tor
IMPOVERISHED, dependent or otherwise under
privileged mothers as we would have liked to
do for our own mothers If conditions were re
versed, and what our mothers would do for
others if they had the opportunity"
This program is not intended to supplant
the custom of giving presents to living moth
es or revering the memory OF mothers gone
on in some special and effective way. 1t mere
ly seeks to broaden the celebration to take in
mothers whose lot is not cast in such comfort
able circumstances as our own and who need
the help of more fortunate Wiimingtonians.
The Star-News has offered it's services as de-
pository for contributions. All money received
will be turned over to the public welfare de-
partment for administration, as the agency
most familiar with the situation and best fit
ted to see that the milk provided through your
generosity reaches the neediest cases.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08
Editorial Comments
From Other Ano|es
ON PUTTING OUR HOUSE IN ORDER
Greensboro News

win the European war spreading and no man
Knowing what new front or intensifcation of
battle each succeeding day may bring forth,
Washlngton's attention naturally is conferred
more and more upon national defense! deter.
mlnatlon to keep this country out of war divid.
ed with realistic preparations to meet any even
tuality in a day when the only certainty seems
to be uncertainty.
Such a situation above all calls for calmness,
for avoidance of hysteria in all it's hazardous as.
poets, and for deliberate evaluation of the whole
pattern of the national economy and defensive
ability. General George c. Marshall, army chief
of staff, admonishes that I'VE put our house in
order before the sparks reach the western lem.
isphere."
General Marshall was naturally thinking in
preparedness terms as they apply to the military
and naval establishments. He was thinking pre-.
eminently. and advocating accordingly, in appro-
prlatlons figures; and that Congress is thinking
and acting under similar stimulus is attested
by the sharply stepped up defense funds which
have been voted since the German invasion of
Scandinavia. But, however, essential this in
creased appropriation may be, there is in it's
very method of passage a weakness which may
prove of transcending significance and which
must receive commensurate consideration from
the Washington leaders.
The heart of that house which we must set in
order is the treasury, that source from which
FUNDS are pumped into army, navy and other
preparedness channels. And the treasury con.
tains nearly '$45 600, 600, 900 less than nothing. Nc
provision has been made for the actual funds
which Congress has voted the admirals and the
generals recently. But these military funds arc
not the only appropriations that have been SO
voted. Farm subsidies have been sharply step.
ped up, Increased demands are to be made for
rellef' and there is a rout of so-called economy
forces all along the line. How strong is the ma
f1nnQI nrn6ito VNhot - Ill., e%0L- . 49, -a1-,,-
upon which a preparedness program depends?
Ii the United States should become involved in
the war, which heaven forfend, how could OR
would our national economy Withstand the doub.
ling, or an even greater strain, of the indebted.
ness which already ensues? How would this ma.
ton, rich and powerful as it is, come out from
under an Indebtedness of $50, 600, 000, 200 to $780,
900, 0 10000, Or who knows how much more?
Putting our house in order goes far, far deep.
er, we fear, than General Marshall admonished
in his advocacy Of more men and ships and
tanks and bombers
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08
UP TO THE PRESIDENT

1t is gratifying to all Wilmingtonians, and
should be equally gratifying to all North Caro-
~linians, that the rivers and harbors bill as sent
to the White House retains all state projects,
despite the whiting deemed necessary to woo
the Presidents approval.
Senator BAILEY, whose work in behalf of the
bill has been notable, believes that the revised
measure will come within the range OF Mr..
RoosEvELT's favor, in view of the fact that
only projects for needed waterway improve
ments are retained and all projects for other
work, including hydro-electric development,
have been eliminated. By this means, the SEN
ator thinks a Presidential veto unlikely.
But shold the veto be applied, Senator
BAILEY feels reasonably assured that it could
be overridden in the upper branch of congress.
He is not so confident of the same result in
the house, but there is an aroused sentiment
for river and harbor improvements there as
we'll as in the senate, and the forces which
engineered the bill through the house might
be relied on, in the circumstances, to muster
the necessary votes to Offset the veto also.
AS the Presidents mind is focused on in
needs for defense, it seems fair to believe that
he will not oppose the bill, but give it his
executive approval, as our rivers and our har-
bors are an integral part of the national de-
tense, and any improvement in them promotes
national security.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08
DRIVING'S THE THING

Practical instruction in driving motor
vehicles is becoming more popular in the high
schools of the nation, not only in the interest
of safety, important as that is, but as a means
All boys, as parents are finding to their sor-
row, do not step into jobs as soon as they re-
ceive their diplomas. In fact, very few of them
do. Often years of idleness follow release from
school. 1t is a part of our economic inefh-
cheney, as a nation of intelligent people, that
we have not found the way to put our boys to
work. It's not their fault, not wholly ours
either, but stems from bad adjustments in the
American social structure and failure to deal
with an increasingly distressing situation
created by book studies at the sacrifice of
manual training.
To offset this some educational leaders have
hit upon the plan of teaching youths in high
school how to handle motor vehicles, from
runabouts to great vans, that they may become
dependable chauffeurs and truck drivers, COM
petent to take care of the mechanical needs
of their vehicles as we'll as operate them safe
ly and courteously. Not all boys who take the
training can hope to find jobs behind steer
ing wheels, but many can, and do, and all are
better fitted to occupy that exacting position
whether for pay or pleasure, for having TAX
en- the course.
The .high cost of automobiles and of gaso
line has put an obstacle in the way of wide
adoption of the training, but this is gradually
being overcome through gifts of cars from
manufacturers and of fuel from distributors
By this means more and more high schools
are enabled to add the course to the great
benefit of the boys who take it. That it viii
ultimately be required of all boys, say in the
last two years of high school everywhere, is &
reasonable hope. It should parallel air training
which is becoming a popular course in many
of our public schools as well as the univer
sites.
Motor travel and aviation are two evolutions
in communications upon which the nation mus
"a concentrate if it is to keep the modern pace
By training youth in both, the United States
will progress more rapidly than by a hap
hazard program ~
-. q @$
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08
George Bailey Killed
In Practice For Auto
Race At Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS, May T. R-
George Bailey, 3S-year-old Detroit
bachelor, was killed today in practice
for the 5OO-mile Memorial Day au-
tomobile race on the same curve of
the Indianapolis motor speedway
where another man died last year.
Bailey, driving an ultra-modern,
rear-motor %speedster designed by
Harry Miller of Los Angeles, had
just finished the fastest lap yet this
year, at 1885 miles an hour, when
the car spun through the inside
guard rail and burned up.
He was thrown out, his left hip
was broken and his clothes were
burned off. Hurried to a hospital
gasping, my back is still burning"
he died of his burns less than As
minutes later.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08
Food Industry Leaders
Laud Chain Store System

WASHINGTON, May 7,-R-Rep.
resentatives of the food industry tes-
tifying today before a house COM
mittee in opposition to the Patman
chain store tax bill extolled the mer
it's of chain store distribution of
products ranging from Texas grape
fruit to Maine sardines.
D. w. Colt of Mission, Texas, a
fruit and vegetable operator, said
that the chains, through their mer-
chandising and moderate price poll
cies, had "educated the public to the
desirability of citrus fruits and have
taken them out of the luxury class
making them a part of the average
Americans every day diet"
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08
Hollywood Sights And Sounds
BY Robin Coon

| HOLLYWOOD, May 7-Suggested
future double-bill for the marquee
collectors: "One Came Home And
One Was Beautiful"
One of the nice things about this
town is its quaint attitude toward
rain. There were six rainy nights
called for in the script of Lone
Wolf Meets a Lady," and the di-
rector got five nights in a row
exactly as he wanted them-no
rain. The sixth night, when it rain
ed, there was confusion until he
could get the set covered with tar
|paulins so he could go on working
with studio rain. That's always the
way here, nc n to anything. . .
Ranger Pete Crawford of the Tex
as Rangers, here for advisory duty
on "Texas Rangers Ride Again."
gives the low-down On how to spot
a dude rider in the movies. . The
key is "ringtail" horses. A ring
tail" swishes it's tail in a circular
motion-because its rider isn't sit
ting In the saddle properly. .
Pete opines that Gary Cooper
knows his stuff. .
Il
The Jack Moss who produced
1.-THE Biscuit Eater" is the same
Jack Moss who used to say no al
most every time anybody asked any
thing about Gary Cooper. Cooper
and Moss. the latter more or less in
the background, were a team" for
seven years.
The association began, actually,
wheen Cooper met Jack while he
was making a movie in New York.
Jack was an assistant director. The
eastern studio closed shortly after
that, and while Gary went hunting
in Africa, Jack went hunting
for a job. He still was hunting when
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08
WEDNESDAY, MAY s, 1910
Star.News Program

Consolidated Ctty-County Government
under Council Manager Administration.
Public Port Terminals.
Perfected Truck and Berry Preserving
and Marketing Facilities.
Arena for Sports and Industrial
Shows.
Seaside Highuay from WrightsviHe
Beach to Bald Head Island.
Extension OF City Limits.
S5-Foot Cape Fear River channel, 1ctd'
err Turning Basin, with ship lanes into
industrial sites along Eastern odnE
south OF Wilmington.
orion Plantation.
Development OF Pulp Wood Produc'
ton through sustained-yield methods
th%rouohout Southeastern North Carolina.
Unified Industrial and Resort Pro
motional Agency, supported BY one,
countrywide tar.
Shipydrds and Drydock.
Negro Health Center for Southeastern
North Carolina. developed around the
Community Hospital.
Adequate hospital facilities for whites.
Junior High School,
Tobacco Warehouse for Export Buyers.
Development OF native grape grow1mg
throughout Southeastern North Carolina.
Modern Tuberculosis Sanatorium.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08

Cooper returned and telephoned
him. Cooper had learned he was sus-
pended by Paramount, and he need
ed a g~o-between for negotiations.
Moss took the job without pay as a
friendly gesture. Two days later
these big silent men move slowly
Gary telephoned and said he had
been thinking things over, and how
would Jack like to be his manager
in Hollywood?
Big Jack Moss came west. He's
a heavy guy, and apparently he
was heavy on the demands. First
off, he yanked Cooper out of the
cowboy rut, demanded and got
the right to approve Cooper sto-
ries and directors. The lid blew
off when he demanded ga Fare
well to Arms as a Cooper vehi-
Gle, but he got it. Then he limited
around that Gary might be good
in comedy, too-that's how Coop
er got into the fast company that
made Design for Living" and
IlOW It pdNeu lie "dy lOWdlu u
Their comedy assignments.
He gaveup the Cooper manage
ment when the chance to produce
dropped into his ample lap, but he's
still the Cooper confdante and ad-
wiser, and Gary is still doing right
we'll for a young fella.
So is Jack-"The Biscuit Eater
is a nice, touching, sure-fire pic
ture about a boy and a dog, al
ways good whether it's filmed On a
sound stage or, more beautifully as
here, in it's actual locale down in
Georgia. The picture ought to do
things for little Billy Lee, a young
ster who hitherto was almost as
obscure, in the public eye, as was
Jack Moss.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08
Jacksonville Merchants
Group Opens New Office

JACKSONVILLE, May 7. - The
newly organized Jacksonville Mer-
chants association opened it's offices
Saturday here. John H. Aman is
president and Miss Dorothy Farnell,
secretary.
The association is composed of %
Jacksonville business firms, and is
open to all merchants and business
and professional men of the county.
The bylaws say the association
was formed for the purpose of,
among other things, creating better
working conditions in the community
and encouraging location of indus
tries here.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08
SIGNS BILLS

MANILA, May 7.-P-President
Manuel L. Quezon today signed two
bills creating government controlled
tobacco and coconut corporations
capitalized at SIS, 900, 600, of which
$40, 600, 900 was for the coconut cor
poration. The principal purpose of
the measure were to develop and in.
dustrialize the coconut industry and
to revive and promote the tobacco in
dustry. Both depend largely on
United States markets
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08
Rotarians Will Open
District Meet Today

ROCKY MOUNT, May 7.-P-
Approximately 700 Rotarians and
their wives are expected here tomor-
row for the 189th district conference
of Rotary international.
Highlight of tomorrow's program
will be a fellowship dinner at which
Abit Nix of Athens, Ca, will be the
principal speaker.
Thursdays program will include an
address by Governor Hoey nj cleo
ton of officers.
Representatives of As clubs IN
North Carolina are expected.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08
PRECEDENT 0 X

INDIANAPOLIS, May 7.-p-
Academic precedent was broken TO-
day as Booth Harrington received
n honorary degree of doctor o.
humane letters from Purdue II
Verslty, where he once studied Tor
Two years. The ~7O-year-old author
Ill., could not go to Lafayette 10 take
degree. So President Edward Z.
Eillott came here to confer it on
him in his home
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08
UP A STUMP

Senator SMITH of South Carolina ("Cotton
Ed to an irreverent public) says he'll bolt if
President ROOSEVELT is offered a third term.
Whereupon his precinct elects him delegate to
the state convention and votes that the dele
CATION be instructed to endorse the President
ator SMITH on the spot-or is it out on a limb?
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08
Legion To Hold Meet
In Jacksonville May II

SWANSBORO, May 1.-THE Third
district meeting of the American Lee
gion will be held at the Hotel Tar
rymore here Wednesday night, May
II. Department Commander June
Rose, of Greenville, will be present.
w. E. Boggs of Swansboro is dis
trict vice-commander.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08
WEATHER RECORD

CHARLOTTE, May 7.-R-Fur
naces were gong full blast here las,
week and folks were looking appre,
henslvely skyward and talking about
sun spots and unseasonably cold
weather. Today the thermomete,
registered SO in mid-afternoon - the
hottest May z on c
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-08

means the body
is rapidly gen.
Grating en- er5y
in the form Of
h e a t, Usually
t h i S re quireS
that you eat
more to save
he body from
burning it's
0 W n tissues.
With spring
and t h e first
hot Us the
problem is get
ting rid Of The
extra heat the
. o d generates