davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Coolidge examiner., 1940-02-22

any human and esta blished by
adequate proof is 113 years, ac-
cording to Walter G. Bowerman,
an actuary of the New York Life
Insurance Co. In only eight cases,
he says, have ages over 1OS years
been authenticated. Bowerman de-
clares that an impossibly large
population, including 10 billion 10
year-olds, would be required for
one child to survive to the age
Of Hex.
The Coolidge examiner., 1940-02-22

From Portland, Oregon, comes
the story of the harried-looking
taxpayer who stopped before the
woman with the white apron,
collecting coins.
"Would you like to hep Finnish
relief?", she asked courtesously.
Who would't like to help fin
nish relief" the man answered
dropping a quarter into the apron.
The Coolidge examiner., 1940-02-22
CHURCH OF GOD

Walton Avenue at 3rd Street
Charles Gross, pastor
SUNDAY
Sunday school, 1000 A. M.
Wrship, HOO A. M.
Children's Bible hour, 800 P. NJ.
Young Peoples meeting $50 P.
Nj.
Worship, 1880 P. M.
WEDNESDAY
Prayer meeting, 1880 P. M.
The Coolidge examiner., 1940-02-22

VIC waltz UO ySo hHCu III ti'S
s, meeting and that you need pull
no punches; and knowing you
as do ! am not much afraid
of any of you on either score,
am just telling you this so
you will feel at home and be
your usual selves In the argu-
ments.
My personal greeting goes to the
park service wives who are pres
ent, and | am sincerely glad to see
you here. No one knows better
than that the wife is large half
of a firm, both members of which
are working for the interest Of the
government. One of the most in
teresting features of my work as
l sit here at headquarters is watch
ing the play and interplay of the
man and wife and the job at some
of these field stations. 1t gives me
pleasure to welcome you wives
here and to tell you that l open
these meetings to you, not as a
superficial courtesy, but because
want you to attend any or all of
them as a right which you have
well earned by the excellent Ser.
vice you have donated to us in
your field work.
You are to feel free to come and
go as you please. l well know that
many of you will not be interested
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-30

Hitler's effort to cut Britain off from the out
side world, with intent to starve her into SUBJ
mission, is not meeting with the anticipated
success.
Captain B. E. forming Of the American Lee
gion, safe in New York, says that the German
radio kept up a constant barrage of warnings
until the American coast was almost in sight,
and among it's foolish declarations quoted it as
proclaiming that the transport was short of
fuel and food Inc had to be rescued by the
American navy. 1t is apparent that this was
for German consumption. as the German radio
system could have no means of knowing wheth.
er the transport was nearing the end of its
supplies or not. How wrong the report was is
shown by Captain Torning's statement that up.
on arrival the transport had 10, 900 pounds of
food in its refrigerators and enough fuel to
sail back to Petsamo. The navy rescue
was, in fact, an escort of honor.
Doubtless the Germans believed they had
some good reason for spreading false reports
Of the American Legion, but it would require a
key to the Nazi psychology to get the answer.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-30
Rains Teach Highway Lesson

Damage to North Carolina highways from
recent rains is estimated at between 81, 300, 600
by W. Vance Baise, chief highway engineer.
This amount, whatever it proves to be, coupled
with the 81, 300,0 900 damage from last winters
SHOWS places 1910 as the most disastrous in
the states highway history.
It teaches a costly lesson which the highway
administration will do well to learn.
Mr.. Baise says that the bulk of the damage
by rain was to secondary roads. Great quaint
ties of top soil were washed away, and its re-
placement will be an expensive job. We may
assume from this, and from the fact that the
primary roads stood up well under the con.
slant downpour, that real economy Ii s in
building all highways to Withstand assaults ell
Their from snow and ice or heavy rains. This
can be done only by paving them and having
them at levels high enough and with adequate
drainage to prevent wash-outs.
There is no assurance that the new top Soil
applied now to roads severely damaged will
not be washed away again by later rains. If
this happens, as it may at any time, the state
will be put to heavy expense for similar I'M
satisfactory repairs, and with no assurance
that they, too, will not be washed away and the
whole procedure have to be repeated.
The original outlay for paving roads is higher
than for dirt roads, but they last longer and
the upkeep is less costly. Granting that traffic
on secondary roads is not heavy and may not
appear to justify investment in the more costly
paving, it is still a fact that once a highway.
whether secondary or not, is paved it will Wea-
Their any storm and the money used for its
will be saved many, times over
through the saving in repairs or reconstruc-
ton.
Seven million or more dollars is too much
for this state to have to put out for highway
The same amount wisely applied in
paving secondary roads would make its rein
vestnent in repairs, a temporary benefit at
best, unnecessary at any future time.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-30
Editorial Comments
From. Other Angles
WHY NOT GERMAN?
Raleigh News and Observ,

There is undoubtedly significance in the re.
port of the famous Berlitz School Of Language
on the languages people in the United States
are studying at this time of war and change on
the earth.
The biggest decline has. been in the number
of those studying German. There have been
decreases also in tn number of those study
ing French and Italian. But the students of
Spanish have multiplied 12-fold and today num-
Der 1000 out of the total enrolment of II, 25l.
This should please the increasing number of
persons who believe that important aspects of
American security are involved in American
relations with our Spanish-speaking out h
American neighbors. Mrs. Franklin Roosevelt
recently wrote in her syndicated column:
I hope that in every school in this country we
will teach the children to consider Spanish
their second most important language. i.
This will encourage our Latin-American neigh
bors to make English their second language"
No other foreign language is So important
now to Americans as Spanish promises to be.
But at the risk of pushing an unpopular lam
guage, it may still be said that there is a real
question involved in the decrease in the study
of German. Not many Americans anticipate
any early use of German in pleasant CONVEX
sations or productive trade with Germans. But
If, as it probably does, the decrease in the
study Of German represents a growing sense
Of enmity, that enmity should prompt not a
decrease but an increase in the study Of Ger.
man. If, as many think, the United States may
become involved in hostilities with Germany,
Americans ought to seek to know not less
German but more. A knowledge of German
should make an American soldier a more ef-
fective antagonist of German soldiers.
It is an excellent thing to learn the languages
of our friends, but a sensible people will not
fail to learn the languages and everything else
possible about their enemies. 2
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-30
Safe In Port

The safe arrival of the transport American
Legion at New York with 81 refugees from
Europe is significant for several reasons. It
shows, for one thing, that Germany has failed
to close the waters around the British Isles
with mine fields, as Berlin upon many occa-
sions has boosted.
The American Legion was warned by the
Nazis not to follow the course laid out for her
from Petsamo to New York unless she, was
ready to go down, probably off the north Scot
fish coast where German mines, her captain
was told, were a menace to any ship. The
American Legion sailed these waters without
hindrance. Her successful passage on the pre-
arranged course d%isproves Germany's claim
that the British Isles are bottled up by the
Nazi blockade.
The assumption is justified that if an Amer
lean transport can navigate these waters safe
ly, other ships bearing supplies for Britain may
traverse them with equal safety. Obviously
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-30
Oil Prices

The %stagnation of business in oil export mar.
kets due to the war and diversion of American
business to South America and the Dutch East
Indies is not entirely to blame for new signs
of unsettlement in the domestic price structure.
Although petroleum consumption in this coun-
try has been running at al-time high levels,
prices for refined products are, in general,
around four and five years lows.
Illinois was blamed earlier for the inability
of the industry to stabilize refined prices at
more favorable levels, but Illinois as a price.
making factor is fading with the steady de.
cline in output, now off about 80 er cent from
the peak.
1t is more probable that on price considera.
tons the industry is having the same trouble
that it has been afflicted with for about six
years-inability to take concerted action to
correct bad competitive situations.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-30
Drafting Industry

Provision for the drafting of industry, in,
cluded among the senate-accepted amendments
to the CONSUMPTION bill, is in the interest OF
speedy preparedness. There should be no hest
fancy by the government to employ it, if it
is approved by the house, whenever any in.
dustrial company balks at its just task in the
defense program.
There is no threat to the American way of
life, as some senators argued during the debate
on the subject, as the whole program of pre.
paredness is limited to the emergency created
by the war in Europe. These oppositionists,
or isolationists as they are generally called,
continue to harp on the dictatorship bugaboo,
as it it actually existed. The fact is, it is but
a Pigment of their fevered imaginations.
The American way of living, the American
form OF government, the American economic
system face no threat except from Europe's
existing relationships. They do, however, face
a serious emergency, and any failure to enlist
them and their every resource in adequately
dealing with that emergency will place all in
jeopardy.
Industry has as important a part in national
defense as the nations army, navy and air
force. If it lodges the draft it will menace
American security quite as much as if the
army laid down its arms, the navy surrendered
its ships, the air force refused service. These
are extraordinary times, requiring extraordin-
airy measures. When orderly peace is restored
to the world, all extraordinary measures can
be quickly abrogated by the same congress
that invoked them ct industry H.. ;+e n,,+ 49,,
it need fear no dictator at home or abroad.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-30
WILLKIE CONDUCTS
PORCH CAMPAIGN
COP Nominee Working On
Speeches For His
Western Tour
BY F. o 0

RUSHVILLB. Ind, Aug. 29.-FI
While townspeople are busting to
entertain an ever.growing stream OF
visitors, Wendell L. Willkie is greet.
ing political callers on the front
porch and lawn Of the sprawlipg
red brick home he has rented for
his presidential campaign.
The street in front Of the so.year-
old residence is blocked off with
saw.horses but the sidewalk is filled
throughout the day with men and
women who cheer each appearance
of the republican nominee.
A banner downtown proclaims
Rush County Presents Wendell l..
Willkie." The hotel lobby is crowded
with newspapermen and members of
Wilkes personal staff. Restaurants
have hired extra mattresses. Several
stores have re-painted their fronts,
and the chief of the six-man police
force is keeping a personal eye on
the traffic situation.
Although Willkie told reporters
yesterday II am taking it as easy
as I can" his appointment book
generally Is. full and he is working
in spare hours on speeches for his
western campaign tour.
Most of his time is spent at his
home rather than in the office suite
over the corner drug store where
his staff is handling a heavy cor
respondence. He held a press con-
ference yesterday in the shaded back
yard Of his residence.
SPRAYED on the grass while the
reporters sat in a semi.circle around
him, Willkie suggested a section
be written in the CONSUMPTION bill
to give exemption boards in each
community power to determine
which men should be freed from
seective draft.
Under that SYSTEM" he said, 1.-THE
administration of the act would, be
both local and free of politics"
Willkie sent a telegram to sena.
tor johnson of California, congratu-
lating him on winning the demo
cratic, republican and progressive
nominations.
1T is fortunate" the message
said, that the people of Califor ia
are able to recognize a true pro.
gressive even though some others
may not"
Asked whether he referred to Pres
ident Roosevelt's assertion that
Johnson was no longer a liberal,
Willkie smiled and said, you fel.
lows can define who the some 9th
ers' are"
Then he added, 1.-THE Presidents
attacks on him (Johnson probably
helped him."
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-30
Burley Type Tobacco Almost
Free OF Nicotine Developed

LEXINGTON, KY. Aug. 29.-R
Type Of tobacco that looks, smells
and tastes like hurley but il almost
completely free from nicotine has
been developed by the Kentucky
agricultural experiment station
here.
The new type, according to the
chemistry department Of the Uni
versity Of Kentucky, with which
the experiment station is connect
ed, contains on the average only
about .02 Of 1 per cent nicotine.
Ordinary hurley, the department
reported, contains about 2 per cent
while dark tobacco such as that
grown in western Kentucky aver
ages from 3 to 4 per cent and runs
as high as z per cent.
The development Of this low.nic-
otine leaf was accomplished by
plant breeding and the crossing Of
types Of tobacco in experiments be-
gun in 1885 under direction of DR..
D. V.lleau, the stations plant
patholoQist.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-30
Army To Seek Recruits
Through Newspaper Ads

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 29.-R-
The U. S. Army is going out after
recruits next week through the me-
dunn of newspaper advertising with
a campaign playing up a chance to
learn and earn"
The War department has ear
marked s250.000 for the national
program, designed to supplement
Army's enlisted strength up to its
full authorized strength of 375, 900
by January 1.
On September 3, the first Of a
series of advertisements will start
in s56 daily papers and Is sectional
agricultural publicat.. ms.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-30

Station experts said that if a de.
mand YER shown for the new
plant, labeled simply as Tow MIC
otine hurley" hundreds of thou
sands Of pounds could be produced
annually just as cheaply as any
other type Of tobacco.
The experiment began with the
crossing on German cigar-type to-
bacco containing as little as 10 to
.1s Of i per cent nicotine with Ken
tucky's cigarette-making hurley.
This, the station reported, result
ed in a type of tobacco equal in
nicotine to the parent hurley, but
the second generation turned up a
great variety of combinations.
Out Of these were selected some
plants which were characteristical-
ly hurley, but of low nicotine con-
tent. BY Lack crossing with hurley,
the hurley characteristics were
strengthened while the nicotine con-
tent kept falling year by year..
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-30
Vinson Lists Contracts
Awarded Robert Concern

WASHINGTON, Aug. %. III
Chairman Vinson D-Ga) Of the nous
naval committee has publlsheo D."
the Congressional Record a Isl
defense contracts calling for le'
of $931,560 awarded to Robert an
Company, Atlanta engineering LII
which committee members said wa
headed by L. W. Chip Robert S'
rotary of the democratic na'iOD'
committee.
The list showed that OF 66 ns5'
tiated contracts awarded for ens'
neering and architectural sei'I~
the Robert firm obtained elsh'' ir ~,
estimated construction cost Oh ~
eight projects amounted to >-O''"
OS1. Six were in Florida' ohs "
Texas, and one in Puerto fIco'
The Navy department lul''' @s.
the data at Wilson's request ~l
Rep. Vincent (D-Ky) had question: :,
Rear Admiral Ben Morrell' cnlsi "
the bureau of yards and DOCKS aDs Wv,
awarded the concern "~
out competitive bidding
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-30
Security Lies This Way

AS foreseen during the closing days of de-
sorry military service bill. The vote approx
mated previous ballots on amendments offered
by the isolationists to cripple the legislation, il
not actually to make it impotent. As these
amendments were voted Town with about the
same difference in the strength of both sides
it became apparent that supporters Of the
measure had mustered enough votes for pass
age. When the test came the poll revealed So
senator's voting for it and 81 against.
Now the bill goes to the house, and while
there is some committee controversy under
way there over details, there is no reason to
suppose the measure will be long held up, as it
was in the senate. Passage should be much
easier there than in the upper branch of con.
gress.
Once passed and signed by the president,
the bill provides for a start on registration of
all men between 81 and 30 fifteen days there
after and actual training of draftees 40 DAYS
later. If present plans are carried out 400. 600
more by April l., 1871, and similar numbers
every six months until October l, 1914. By. this
process it is estimated that 4, 1000, 600 soldiers.
the number the chief of staff, General George
c. Marshall, deems necessary for hennisphere
defense, will be available. It is intended to
have goo, 600 conscripts in training at a time.
The bill prohibits more than this number.
There is, naturally, a feeling of apprehension.
if not real sorrow, in thousands of American
homes, as a result of this step in national de.
tense. Mothers are secretly terrorized at the
thought that their sons may have to face the
dangers of combat. They should find solace in
the thought that the surest way of saving their
boys from war is to send them now into train
ing for defense. With a strong military force
the possibility of invasion is lessened. By such
measures as this just approved by the senate.
the United States will be able to protect its
shores against the dictators, if they carry their
victories to new frontiers. In a very literal
sense, this is CONSUMPTION for security, no less
than for war.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-30
SCREWY NEWS

CHARLOTTE, Aug. zs.-R-
Need relief. from the war news!
Try today's Carolinas Screw,
News Gazette:
The cider AROUND doldsboro mus
be mighty powerful. Mark Smith
a farmer, reported he heard a pc
culiar noise when he started tx
fire the furnace in his tobacco
barn.
Believing one of his puppies hae
crawled into the flue, dog-lovine
Mr.. Smith dismantled his flue ano
whistled in vain. The noise was
heard again.
Finally the farmer climbed t
the top tier of leaf inside the barr
and there sprawled in peaceful
slumber amongst the golden weec
was a stranger who explained late,
to a deputy sheriff: Il don't know
why I was up there. I had beer
drinking cider with the boys Sat
urday night"
Pigeons which hand around the
Anderson County, S. c., courthouse
are going to find themselves in a
terrible predicament this fall TO,
contractors announced they plan.
ned to make the new courthouse
pigeon-proof. Irked Andersonians
talked Of starting a campaign for
the erection of a municipal pigeon
and bat roost on top the courthouse
annex.
When Asheville police found kids
too young to be arrested stealing
pears they brought them into the
police station and made them eat
every bit of the stolen fruit.
H. K. Thayers, Sr., Of Green
wood, standing in front of a theatre
on Times Square, New York, was
surprised when up walked his next
door neighbor. Joe Wharton.
If you see anybody dipping too
much snuff-can the Winston
Salem police. Someone stole $64
worth of the snuff from a sales
man there:
A fellow in Rocky Mount at
tempted to steal a state highway
patrol car and, when he found It
locked, jerked off the door handles.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-30
WASHINGTON
DAYBOOK
BY JACK sTINNETT

Aug. Iii any OF you read.
ers or your acquaintance are wondering about
the Hatch act, which keeps all federal full or
part-time employees out of politics and other
wise makes a hazard of some Objectionable
tricks in the national political game, tip your
hat to a man who is himself waging his big
gest political campaign under the new rule
and regulations.
He is John J. Dempsey. Friends call him
Jack. He's around go. He's white of hair and
red of face, but he looks, acts and talks like a
postgraduate athlete in his upper forties.
For six years he has been New Mexico's only
representative in the House. Now he's cam
paigning from the snow-capped peaks above
Ration Pass to the sandy bottoms of the Rio
Grande for United States senator. Qncumbent
Senator Dennis Chavez is his primary oppon-
ent.)
He's not the only man in politics who got
there inadvertently, but he is one of the few.
As a result of a long personal friendship with
(and mutual admiration for) President Roose-
welt, he was designated to set up the New Mex
leo recovery program in the hectic summer
of 1888. A year later he dropped in on the New
Mexico state Democratic convention and found
himself nominated for the states single seat in
the lower house.
SUCCEEDS WITH 100 BILLS
For three terms he has been elected with
clock-like regularity. He has seen 100 of his
sponsored bills written into the statute books
and has earned an enviable reputation for per-
sonal popularity.
That is not all. Dempsey's story is that OF
a man who emerged after years in the subWays
of New York City and won success in the wide
open spaces.
Jack Dempsey was born in White Haven, Pa.
near Wilkes-Barre. His first job-and ne needed
twas waterboy with a Lehigh alley rail-
road construction crew. His second was tele-
grapher for the same railroad. He taught him.
self the code.
At 10, he was tapping the keys is that laby.
rinthic underworld known as the New York
City subway system. You can't keep a good
man underground, he demonstrated, and even
tually he was vice-president Of the company
in charge of operations.
MADE FORTUNE IN OIL
You would think a fellow like that would
stick by his guns. But not j.. Dempsey. He
took his savings out to Oklahoma, where he
again went in for underground stuff. This time
it was oil. He pyramided his savings into a
fortune.
When most men are just hitting their stride.
Jack decided he had enough of the worlds
goods to compensate for the years of water.
boying and dot-dashing and he retired to New
Mexico. On a ridge above Santa Fe he built a
rambling Spanish villa, with windows that run
from floor to ceiling and a view that takes
your breath away.
He spent more money on a water system
lit had to be piped up from the Valley and
gas and electricity than he did on his house.
ODDS WERE AGAINST HIM
! Jovial and Rood-natured in social gatherings,
Dempsey is as serious and Woodworking IN
politics as he was in working his way up. When
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-30
is erecting some Of its own p0''

is erecting some OF us o"A
plants. n,
Two other big customers nv. nv.
our future additional elsrI N
power" Lilienthal says, VIII :;
the Vultee Aircraft plan nm N,
Nashville and a new $40, OOo,u WV ,s i
Pont powder mill near Me aoertt
THE vultee people resr1g j
took over the Stimson concera
Nashville and propose to INV. g..
it tenfold, ultimately employLuiIiIs +,
900 men. They find NaSas al'r;
strategic point. The haul o. i1a !,
mum from Alcoa to Nashvli~ ts
short one and they will nav ,ors..
benefit of this IVA eleclr'. ~ psf
BY the time we get VIC met
electric power plants GOING, j
may be many other tac'0t nv d.
the IVA area doing work ~ =. b:
tense. I say this because sind )
been found that about one srs
the commodities classitlea a. tiob
tegic and critical by the Monnrsr
Board are available IN COM Tsnnss
cial quantities right in the
see Valley