davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19
HOLDS MONTHLY MEET
Boyd Says Port Has OPP
portunity To Get Bids
On Small Vessels

A movement seeking the pro-
motion of shipyard facilities here
in connection with national defense
needs was launched by
the Propeller Club of the United
States, Port of Wilmington, in
monthly dinner session last night
at the Cape Fear Country club.
The club approved the appoint
ment of a committee to investi-
gate the possibilities of establish
ing a shipyard for small boats
here through formation of a cor
poration with private capital
amounting to at least $500, 600.
Committee Named
George Rountree, Jr., president,
named a committee composed Of
Bruce B. Cameron, chairman, Da'
vid S. Harriss, and George l..
Stearns, to investigate the proposal
and present a full report at the
next monthly meeting Of the club.
If a shipyard could be started
in the Port of Wilmington for the
construction of small boats, club
officials pointed out during dis
cussions, enough business could be
assured from the federal govern.
ment only to keep the project going
top speed.
Henry E.. Boyd, of the Whining
ton Port-Traffic association, told
the club ''the port of Wilmington
now had a fine opportunity to get
bids on small vessels, if shipyarc
facilities were AVAILABLE
Plan Patrol Boat
Rountree told the club the U. S.
coast guard had completed plans
for the construction of a large
number of patrol boats, 83 feet in
length, but to date the federal
government had been unable to
secure any bids on the proposal.
The proposal approved last night
by the Propeller club would feature
the taking of the necessary steps
for formation of a corporation
backed by at least 500, 900 in pri-
vate capital to assure the ade-
quate beginning of shipyard IA
cilities for small boats here.
Boyd urged the club to get be-
hind the movement for establish
Continued on Page Three, Col. ~
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19
SIX men KILLED
AS BOMBER FALLS
Army Craft Crashes And
Burns In San Bernardino
National Forest

MARCH FIELD, CALF, Dec.
18.-R-Six officers and men of
the army's 93rd bombardment pur-
suit squadron, March Field, were
killed today as their 22-ton BIZ
four-motored bomber crashed and
burned at the 6,7O0-foot snow line
of Marion Mountain in San Ber-
nardino National forest.
Four bodies were hurled from
the giant craft as it plunged into
the boulder-strewn, heavily wooded
mountain slope, three miles north
east of Idyllwild.
At 10:45 A.. M. the plane ap.
peared to encounter mechanical
trouble. Ground witnesses at the
1dyllwild Inn and at Pine cove,
nearby, reported, that it circled
several times, it's engines SEEM
missing. Clouds closed in on
the bomber at 5000 feet, and in
a few minutes it roared into the
at full throttle.
A rescue party arrived 20 min
utes later from Pine Cove to find
the plane a mass of red-hot, fused
metal. Two bodies were in the
smashed fuselage. The right wing
had sheared a, big pine tree.
Residents of the two resort towns
said they heard a loud explosion,
indicating the gas tanks ignited
with the impact. The noise was
heard as far as six miles.
The victims: First Lieut.. Harold
J. Turner, pilot, Corning, Ia; Co.
pilot Donald. T. Ward, West Los
Angeles; First Lieut.. Vernon Nc
Riverside, Calf, Engineer
Staff Sgt. Thomas F.. Sweet, River
side; Assistant Engineer c o p.
j. Jirak, Salem, Ore, and
Radioman Private James D. Ses-
Bisbee, Ariz. 5
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19
Surround Port
And Its Fall
Fascist Army In General
Retreat Westward Along
Coast To Derna
CUT
British Feint Into Italian
East Africa Reported
By Headquarters

CAIRO, Egypt, Dec. 18.-RE-An
Italian retreat westward along the
Libyan coast toward Derna, $50
miles within the colony, was re-
ported today by Royal Air force
observers while the British army
closed in on tn Mediterranean
port of Bardia, Libya, the EASTERN
most bast left to the Fascists in
their disastrous Egyptian cam
paign.
Bardia itself appeared surround
ed and doomed to imminent fall to
the British, whose dusty armored
cars we're reported to have cut
communications to the west, From
the east, thousands of fresh inn
perial troops brought in from
Egyptian desert camps stormed
the other end of a closing pincer
which imperiled several Fascist
divisions.
Short Description
The British command had but a
single sentence in description:
"Operations in the Bardia area
continue"
The reports of British pilots, how
ever, drew a picture of Fascist
flight over a vast area-from Bar
dia to Tobruk, itself l. r than 70
miles from the Egyptian frontier
and the strongest Italian base in
Libya and on to the west from
there toward Derna.
The Italian columns were report
ed under machine-gun attack by
British planes.
While the offensive of the west
ern desert thus proceeded, a Brit
ish feint into Italian east Africa
was reported by general %headquar-
tiers.
British forces operating from the
frontier of the province of Kenya
were declared to have raided the
strongly defended township of Ell
WAX in the Kenya-Italian Somal-
land border region, killing so of the
Italian garrison and capturing 12O,
along with war material.
Among those declared seized was
an Italian lieutenant-colonel.
This frontier sortie was support
ed by the British South African
Air force, which rer--.ed it had
Continued on Page Three, Col. ~
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19
|1ANKERS, CARGO
ship TORPED0ED
Vessels Are Attacked By
.V.Boats Lurking In British
Shipping Lanes

NEW YORK, Dec. 1S.-(R-Sub-
marines lurking in British shipping
lines Of the north Atlantic struck
At Englands' oil and food supply to-
LAY, t%orpedoing two tankers and a
brighter, an indication that another
envoy was under fire.
At the same time, New York ship
ping circles said that the Belgian
inner Vile d'Arlon, the former Ameri-
can Traveller Of the U. s. Lines, was
more than a month unreported and
Presumed lost. The liner had been
lerFying food and war materials from
New York to England.
In messages picked up by MacKay
fsdlo during a four-hour period,
laese Ships reported submarine at
lacks:
Napier Star, 12,196-ton British re.
%lsefator snip used in carrying Aus
ITALIAN and New Zealand beef to
ofllaln ~"torpedoed at 1:35 GMT. Po-
alon 1888 north, 1918 west" (about
"o miles west of Scotland).
Dalfonn, Norwegian motorship
Alker' $3.50 tons attacked by sub
marine 1927 north, 1911 west, sus-
aAouS tanker flying Dutch flag in
lie vicinity"
fehdrecht, Dutch tanker, 10.746
pAS' completed last year, "torpedoed
Suo, position 59.05 north, 17.48
west"
Eighteen minutes later the Pend
"al reported the loss of two life
way said she had only one left and
Dsued Immediate aid.
!~e attacks came as American
%pSafds We're being flooded with
"& orders for tankers due to an
Nsve shortage Of the vessels.
NOfe than 100 tankers - British
r1 Aeutral-have been destroyed in
war. Tanker charter rates in
tFiicah waters have increased
4iold In recent months because of
DE shortage.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19
HULL URGES SPEED
ON ARMSP PROGRAM
Officials Consider Legisla-
ton For F. RS New Brit
ish Aid Plan

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10. - Up -
While Secretary of state Hull urged
that Americas arms production be
speeded up toward a wartime basis,
administration aides on Capitol Hill
prepared to push for legislation i'm
p%lenenting President Roosevelt's
plan to lend war implements to Brit
ain.
One expert estimated that this
plan, under which the United States
would take over future British war
orders, pay for the materials itself
and lease them to Britain, might add
about 81, 500, 000, 900 to the SIS, 900, 900
authorized and appropriated by the
present congress for United States
defense.
How the additional financing would
be handled was not officially explain
ed, but Secretary of the Treasury
Morgenthau already has asked con
gress to increase the national debt
limit from $45, 900, 900, 900 to $50, 0O0,-
100000 or $65, 900, 900, 900. The last
named figure, financial experts be-
lieved, would boost the governments
borrowing powers enough to cover
British war requirements, at least in
the near future.
Hull, in disclosing at a press con-
ference that he had been urging that
the production Of arms, planes, ships
and other materials be brought as
nearly as possible to a war basis,
CONTINUED on Page Two; Col. y
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19
NEWMAN TO HEAD
TRADE BODY UNIT
Several Phases OF Reorgan.
ization Program Are Dis
cussed At Meeting

A new chairman was elected,
subcommittee were appointed,
and several phases of the general
program were discussed at a meet
ing yesterday of tn committee
named recently to effect various
changes suggested in the proposed
reorganization of the chamber OF
commerce.
Harriss Newman was elected
chairman to succeed c. B. Par
mele, resigned All members of
the committee attended the meet
ing held in the Office of Parmele.
Newman announced the appoint
ment of six subcommittee as fol-
lows: finance, w. D. McCaig,
chairman; Emsley A. Laney, c.
M. Shigley, and J.. Holmes Davis,
ST.; constitution and bylaws, New
CONTINUED on Page Five; Col. y
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19
Builders Will
Get Co-Ahead
Signal Today
Survey Work Of Laying Out
Streets And Other Lines
Is Started
TO BUILD WAREHOUSES;
At Holly Ridge Will
Experience First Pay
Day Saturday

Plans for the Wilmington Anti
Aircraft Firing Center at Holly
Ridge, were given final approva,
yesterday and the go-ahead sigma
for actual construction will be Civ
en- today to the contractors on the
project.
Lieut.. Alden E. Specs, executive
officer, said last night that Or
ganizational work is about COM
plete and that construction should
get off to a good start next week.
1--WE have the plans for the camp
on paper now and with equipment
and building material arriving
daily the contractors now h a v e
something to 60 on" he said.
Survey Work Started
Survey work of laying out
streets, sidewalks and other lines
that will make up the $40, 600, 900
Army cap was started yester-
day. Lieut.. Specs said that the
lines for such thoroughfares had
already been I'll and it is only a
matter now of putting up stakes.
The first construction on the
camp proper will probably be the
erection of warehouses and stor-
age space along the Atlantic Coast
Line railroad. At present, contrac-
tors are busy erecting temporary
office buildings, a medical dress
ing station and othe- buildings nec-
essary to the actual construction
of the camp.
Two or three of the buildings
have been completed and in the
neighborhood of 300 workmen are
now engaged at various jobs at
the camp.
First Pay Day
It was indicated last night that
the camp will experience its first
pay day Saturday. Lieut.. Specs
Continued on Page Three, Col. ~
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19
BRITAIN SUMMONS
HOME CUARDSMEN
Maintains Constant Vigil
For Approach OF Nazis'
Threatened Armadas

LONDON, Dec. IS. - Up - Newly
warned today against the danger Of
German invasion, Great Britain has
modified a million home guardsmen
and thousands of coast defense and
mobile troops in her constant vigil
for the approach of Adolf Hitler's
threatened armadas.
At the same time, the government
officially admitted that the empire
could not win the war until the Brit
ish army had "struck-and struck
deep-into the Axis countries"
A ministry Of information spokes.
man said the British blockade would
weaken Germany and Italy, and the
navy and air force would shake the
confidence of Adolf Hitler and his
CONTINUED on Page Two; Col. 81
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19

BANGKOK, Finland, Dec. 49,
lRNThe Thai (siamese) air force
was reported by the high COM
mand tonight to have carried out
%large-scale "reprisal'' raids on sew
en- important towns in French In
d o-China.
The bombed towns include Thak-
hex, Savannakhet and Vientiane,
capital of the Laos district, which
the high command said were at
tackled with great success.
The Bangkok radio said that IN
addition to the seven towns named
by the high command Battambang,
Sisophon and Siemriep, in north
western Cambodia, were bombed
beyond recognition" i
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19
Air Force Raids
French-Indo China Towns

(These three lie near the ire
mendous ruins of Angkor, some of
the most famous archaeological
relics Of Asia, long buried in the
jungles, remnants of an entirely
last civilization of nearly 1000
years ago.
The radio urged the people OF
Indo-China to look at the newly
made ruins if French authorities
would permit them to do so.
A communicate yesterday de-
seribed recent French attacks on
as replies to Bangkok $
suggestion that a peace delegation
be dispatched to Bangkok. It add
ed that French acts of "aggres-
sion" prevented peaceful settle
fment Of the border fighting ]
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19
Comstock Being Changed
Into Army Cargo Vessel

The Comstock, seagoing dredge
of the U. S. engineer corps here, is
being converted into a freight car
rier to be used in transporting en-
cheering construction supplies to
outlying bases in the West Indies
acquired some time ago from
Great Britain, Col. Earl l. Brown,
Wilmington district army engineer,
said last night.
The work of stripping the Com
stock of her dredging apparatus
began last week, Col. Brown said.
The dredge is expected to be
made ready by next week to be
taken to the Sun shipyards at
Chester, Pa, near Philadelphia,
he said.
At the shipyards it will be haul
ed out and. put into shape for a car
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19
Bill Killed
By Roosevelt And House

he would introduce the same bill
again at the next session of con-
gress starting Jan. 3 but in the
meantime a report is expected
from a special committee which
doubtless will influence further leg
islative efforts.
The committee, headed by Dean
Acheson, Washington attorney, was
appointed by the attorney general
a year ago at President Roose-
velt's direction to review the entire
administrative process and rec
ommend Improvements, including
any needed legislation. Mr.. Roose
welt said in his veto message that
it's report would go to congress
Sin a few weeks"
Continued on Page Two; Col. B.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19
Propeller Club Launches
Move To Get Shipvard
Phillips
Will Return Ia Rome

WASHINGTON, Dec. 49, Up
in a surprise move possibly
connected with Italy's military
difficulties, Secretary of State
Hull announced today that Am
bassador William Phillips would
return to his post in Rome inn
mediately after the holidays.
Phillips, a veteran diplomat,
has been seriously i'll and there
had been indications that he was
not likely to go back to Italy for
many months, if at all.
Hull said the ambassador had
recovered from the illness, how
ever, and was ready to resume
his duties. He has been in the
United States a b ut three
months.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19

~ DISTINCTION, Dec. 18.-R-
H. Aogan-Walter bill, to broaden
H. jurisdiction of the courts over
activities of administrative
saV,es, was killed today. when
M Huent Roosevelt vetoed it and
WI mouse upheld the veto.
h 'ta' a tWo-thirds majority need
t,o, W override the veto, house
b. W. mustered only 153 votes
ssi, se roll-call test, % less than
ESls S,. at on original passage,
Men, ~ voted to sustain the Pres
Inc house vote made un-
|bjch 'ary any action by the senate,
h II a nao passed the bill originally
|ponspo =, Walter (D-Pa), who had
b. S o. the legislation with the
senator Logan D-Ky), said
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19
ROME SAYS ARMY
RESISTING BRITISH
Says Marshal Graziani's
Forces Are Seeking To
Wear Down English

ROME, Dec. 18- R Italians
were told today that Marshall Ro-
dolo Graziani's forces in Libya had
turned to tactics of trying to wear
down. the pursuing British army
of the Nile.
The final victory, Virginia Gay.
da, authoritative editor, assured
his readers, won't depend on who
occupies the most territory, but on
who inf1icts the heaviest losses.
The Italians, he said, r deal
ing out "ruinous punishment" to
Continued on Page Two; Col. y
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19
War
Interpretive
BY KIRKE L. p

o1 NAXS1AG As oAAAA 9OAN
Italy's badly shaken attempt to
extend her empire in Africa seems
due for testing on a second front.
Disaster for Mussolini maybe i'm
pending in East Africa as a follow
up to Greek successes in Albania
and the Italian rout in the Western
African desert.
This is indicated in advices from
Cairo and London. These advices
show that ten days IF British bat
tering not only has cleared Egypt
of Italian invaders and badly bro
ken Italian offensive powers in the
Western desert, but also has stim-
ulated a revolt in Ethiopia against
Italian conquerors.
Aid Pledged
Full British aid for exiled En-
peror, Halle Selassie in his effort
to regain his Ethiopian throne was
pledged in London. Richard But
CONTINUED on Page Two; Col. ~
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19
Greeks Fire
On Tepeleni
And Klisura
Action Seen As Prelude To
Major Effort To Drive
Out The Italians
BRILLIANT VICTORY
Artillery ding so
Tanks Used By Fascists
To Defend Section

ATHENS, Dec. 18.-R-Greek
machine = gunners were reported
raking the Albanian towns of Xii
sura and Tepeleni from surround
ing mountain peaks tonight in an
apparent prelude to a major effort
to drive out the Italian defenders.
The Greeks declared that in
bringing the two nearby towns I'M
der their guns their troops scored
a brilliant victory" likely to have
a decisive influence on the Albani-
an campaign.
On Mountain Road
Klisura is in middle Albania on
a cross mountain road leading to
Tepeleni, some IL miles toy the
west. It also provides an impor-
tant route to the lower Viousa riv-
er valley.
Tell tale flames such as those
seen before the Italians retreated
from Argirocastro and Porto Edda
were said to be licking skyward at
Klisura, indicating Mussolini's
forces had fired the city in prepar-
ing for withdrawal.
In the valley between Klisura and
Premet, to the southeast, artillery
was reported to be pounding SO
tanks used by the Italians in a
rowing defense of their fortifica-
tons.
On the Adriatic coast the Greeks
were said to have pushed well
within range of the port of Chi
mara. A thanking movement like
Continued on Page Two; Col. 81
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19
WEATHER
FORECAST

FORECAST
North Carolina: Increasing cloudi-
ness, somewhat warmer Thursday, fol
lowed by light rain in west portion at
night; Friday cloudy, light rain east
portion, slightly colder west portion.
(By q. s. Weather Bureau)
meteorological data for the "a hours
ending 1880 p. m. yesterday.
Temperature
1870 a. m. ~; 1880 a. m. 40; 1:30 p. nj.
IS; 1880 p. m. 4S; maximum Sc; mini
80; mean 48; normal 40
Humidity
1870 a. m. rs: 1880 a. m. 80; 1870 p. m.
SO; 7:30 p. m. SO.
Precipitation
Total for "a hours ending 1880 p. m.
600 inches. Total since first of the
month O.43 inches.
Tides For Today
(From Tide Tables published by q. S.
Coast anL .Geodetic Survey.
High Low
Masonboro Inlet ------ 10 :40a 4:37a
Sunrise 7:13a; sunset 5 :O6p; moonrise
10 lisp moonset 10 :335a.
River stage at Fayetteville, N. c.,
at 8 q. M, Dec. 16, 100 feet.
CONTINUED on Page Five; Col. 81
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19
LAVAL RESTORED
TO ACTIVE POST
.Petain Government Confers
New Powers Upon Fern
and de Brinson

vICHY, France, Dec. 1s.- R-
With Pierre Laval apparently re-
stored to an active if unofficial place
in French-G German dealings, the Pc
tain government tonight conferred
new powers upon Fernand de Brinon,
whom Laval had established in Paris
as Ambassador of France" for pur-
poses of collaboration with the con-
queror.
Official sources indicated they con-
sidered the "affaire Laval as closed
CONTINUED on Page Five; Col. y
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19
WAGE Recommendation

WASHINGTON, Dec. Is. Up -
The public contracts board today
recommended to Secretary of Labor
Perkins the establishment of a 40
cents an hour minimum wage on gov
eminent contract work in the tail
ored or service uniforms industry. .
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-19

go boat, with a number of altera-
tons having to be made. e.
When the dredge has been con-
verted into a freight carrier, Col.
Continued on Page Three, Col. "
The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-02-22
WINTER LAND-LOCKED
MANY SECTIONS SUN,

Winter land-locked the south
west with snowdrifts and dashed
the gulf coast with near-gale
winds Sunday.
The newest assault was made
while the east dug its way out
Of a storm which already has
caused more than 20 deaths-14
in Pennsylvania, rs in New York
and 30 in New England.
Texans in the south part of the
Panhandle, around Lubbock,
spent Friday night and yesterday
burrowing by train and tractor
through huge drifts to locate ap-
proximately 500 high school STU
dents marconed in buses. Re-
ports were reassuring that vir-
tually all had found safe shelter.
Army trucks laden with medi-
cines, blankets and food threw
their weight against huge drifts
of snow to bring assistance to
at least 20 persons marooned
overnight near Tahoka, small
town 35 miles south of Lubbock.
The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-02-22
III. MAXWELL WILL
TAKE ABSENCE LEAVE

Raleigh - Governor Hoey an
nounced Saturday night that A.
J. Maxwell, gubernatorial candl-
date, would take a leave OF alb
sence Monday from his duties as
revenue commissioner, and that
Lee Overman Gregory would
serve as acting commissioner.
Gregory formerly of Sails
bury, is an assistant attorney gen.
eral assigned to the revenue de-
partment.
Maxwell's leave will be with
out pay, and presumably will last
at least until after the second
Democratic primary of June o..
He originally had planned to
leave his job March l, but wrote
Governor Hoey yesterday that his
campaign was taking more time
than he had expected, and that
he would prefer to leave Mon
day.
The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-02-22
NAVY APPROPRIATIONS
WON QUICK APPROVAL

Washington. "A record-break-
ing appropriation of $965,779,430
for the navy won the quick ap-
proval of the House Friday but
only after a proposal to make
Guam a Pacific outpost for ma
val patrol planes was stricken
from the measure.
Needing warnings that the pro-
ject might lead to war with ia
pan, the House adopted an
amendment eliminating $1,000
900 sought by the navy to start
work on a 100000 dredging
and breakwater construction job
to make the islands harbor safe
for both naval and commercial
aircraft. The teller vote was l23
to ia.
The debate was a hot, but alb
breviated, repetition of the fight
last year, when a somewhat more
ambitious project for Guam was
beaten.
The navy bill, in the form in
which it was sent to the Senate
Friday, carried funds to start
work on 10 new combat ships,
five auxiliary vessels and 352 adj
ditional airplanes, as we'll as mo-
ney to continue work on 70 war
ships and 18 auxiliaries now un-
der construction.
The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-02-22
BRITISH CAPTURE TWO
NAZI MERCHANT SHIPS

London. = Two German mer-
chantmen were reported Monday
to have been captured by the
British navy and brought to Bri-
fish ports when the vessels were
intercepted on an attempted
dodge from Spain through the
blockade.
The German steamer Morea,
5000 tons, was brought to west
coast port Monday. The steamer
was loaded with magenese ore,
and her crew of seven officers
and % men were made prisoners.
It also was reported the 2,542-
ton Rostock had been captured
and brought into port.
The Morea and Rostock were
among six German ships which
in Feb. Is were unofficially re-
ported to have bolted from Vigo
in an effort to reach Germany.
The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-02-22

ice and rocks of a Norwegian
ford after a defiant and furious
fight on the very shores of a
frightened neutral nation.
Like a chapter from the ex-
pilots of Drake or Nelson, a
boarding party from H. M. Cros-
sack, one of at least three British
destroyers INVOLVED, swarmed
over the decks of the dingy, 12,-
000-ton Atlamrk, freed the sea-
men-prisoner taken months ago
by the now-scuttled Admiral
Graf Spec and killed five Ger
mans and wounded five others.
The officer-leader of the board
ing party sprang eight feet to
the lower deck of the Altmark,
knocked aside a German guard,
and raced to the bridge to send
the Altmark hard ashore with a
''full speed astern'' ring of the
engine-room telegraph.