davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-25

a co-worker of mine: you're prac-
tically a perfect criminal; your
prints don't register"
Personally, I thought that was
no way to talk to a fellow who had
worn his fingers almost to the bone
on typewriter keys. But nobody
got mad.
After all, it's all in newsman's 8
days work in these times of war
abroad and national defense at
home. And all of us still aren't as
much on the spot as the boys who
cover War-Navy and have to wear
their pictures and identifications
on signs on their coat lapels-or
those who cover Civil Service and
can only enter and leave by one
door, although the building has six.
I just thought I'd let you know.
Butch. A newspaperman still can
get around-that is, if he has his
passport and didn't funk the Secret
Service and the FBI.
The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-25
Citizenship Recognition Day

Every year about two million young men
and women reach the age Of 81, and thus be.
come full-fedged citizens and voters. Every
year thousands more become citizens by nat
uralization, and this year the number will be
exceptionally large.
The naturalized citizen is required to learn
at least some outline of what it means to be
an American citizen. But the millions of ma
tive-born young men and women who achieve
citizenship merely by being born and staying
around for 81 years often are not even taught
these basic elements.
1t is something to be citizen of the United
States. The Apostle Paul, arrested in connec-
ton with riot in Jerusalem, was able to
tell the centurion proudly, II am a man
of Tarsus . a citizen of no mean city, -
and demand to be heard So the men and
women of the United States are citizens OF
no mean country, and they have every reason
to wear their citizenship proudly.
So, few years ago, certain people con
ceived the idea that this precious citizenship
should not be assumed lightly or casually
but with solemnity, with ceremony proper.
toned to it's importance, and after preparation
for its responsibilities
The movement grew, and this spring Citizen.
ship Recognition Day is going to be more
impressive than ever. The date, the third
Sunday in May each year, has been set by
Congress in an effort to create nationwide
ceremonial. Previously groups in different
cities held their exercises at different times.
Adoption of a single official date makes pos
sible arrangement of national broadcast
perhaps including an address by the President.
More and more communities are joining in
the work each year. They form classes which
prospective citizens may attend, in which a
background on the meaning and responsible
tiles of citizenship, as well as its privileges,
is presented. State universities, with Wiscon-
sin and Illinois in the lead, have prepared
extension courses for new voters. The U. 5.
immigration and Naturalization Service, the
National Education Association, the American
Legion's Americanism Commission, and may
other organizations are cooperating.
Plans are under way for the most impressive
ceremony ever held to demonstrate on May
18 that Americans are growing more con-
scious Of both the rights and the duties i'm
piled by becoming "citizens of no mean coun-
try"
The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-25
Star-News Program

Consolidated City-County Government
under Counci1-Manager Administration.
Public Port Terminals.
Perfected Truck and Berry Preserving
Gnd Marketing Facilities.
Arena for Sports and Industrial Shoes.
Seaside Highaoay from Wrightsville
Beach to Bald Head Island.
Extension of City Limits.
35-Foot Cape Fear River channel, aOid-
er Turning Basin, aoith ship lanes into
industrial sites along Eastern bank south
OF Wilmington.
Paved River Road to Southport, viq
Orton Plantation.
Development OF Pulp Wood Production
through sustained-yie1d methods through
out Southeastern North Carolina.
Unified Industrial and Resort Promo
tional Agency, supported by one county,
acide tao.
Shipydrds and Drydocks.
Negro Health Center for Southeastern
North CAROLINA, developed around the
Community Hospital
adequate hospital facilities for 1ohites.
Junior High School.
Tobacco Warehouse for Export Buyers.
Development of ndtive grape groaoing
throughout Southeastern North Carolina.
Modern Tuberculosis Sanatorium.
The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-25
BY GEORGE TUCKER

NEW YORK, Feb. 24.-When you
spend your time kicking around
Broadway and sitting in smoky
restaurants talking to comedians,
prizefighters, and detectives or
hanging around theater doors and
taxicab stands, you hear lot OF
stories.
When these stories seem funny
to me, or amusing, or merely in
teresting, I pass them along. I in
tend to keep right on passing
them along, though let me warn
you here and now that most
new" stories are variations of
old themes and are seldom liter
ally true.
A few days ago 1 relayed the
story of the girl at theater who
mistakenly offered some fertil-
izer tablets to another young wo-
man with an annoying cough,
thinking they were coughdrops.
This story had been passed to me
by an advertising man who said
it happened to his secretary. He
even named the play she went to
see.
No one in this office had heard
the story. I always test stories
Like this on my colleagues in the
office. But after I had used it
there came a sudden chorus of
complaints, and one reader sent
me a clipping showing this same
story, with minor variations, as it
appeared in his newspaper at least
four months ago. This time it was
a New Orleans woman who had
passed the "coughdrops' to cold
victim in a Baton Rouge, La,
theater.
The gist of these complaints was
that I had been guilty of passing
along "stale" news. So I went
over to see my friend Ed Wynn,
who, besides being a great CO.
median, is one of the worlds best
authorities on jokes and their roots.
It was Mark Twain who said that
all stories are variations Of only
seven themes. Ed Wynn person
ally has broken down 11,00c stories
into 124 classifications, and that,
he says, is as far as he could 60.
The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-25
British Dig In

Tension in the Balkans has been built up to
such a point that developments there seem to
have taken on the character of slow-rnotion
film. The unfolding picture has assumed the
atmosphere of mreality. In such soil doubts
grow that the expected climax will never
come.
Yet there can be no question that events
are moving. If there is reason to suspect ru.
Bulgarian border a building pontoon bridges
across the Danube, it is fact that British
IL
The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-25
. Man About Manhattan

When I told him the coughdrop
story and asked if he had ever
heard it before he said:
"Oh, sure. I could find you 800
of those if I had the time. AS re-
lated to comedy, it is an off-shoot
of the old mistaken identity
theme. In vaudeville every CO.
median at one time or another has
used that same story, reduced to
line, as the sign-off to a skit or
a scene. For instance, you are
talking to friend, and he goes
out. Suddenly, you clamp your
hand to your brow and cry,
Great Scot! I gave him pickle
instead of piano!' This and the
coughdrops belong to tn e same
family of jokes. You can trace
this story to Shakespeare, and be-
yond."
I asked Ed Wynn if he thought
girl in New York, by coinci-
dence. had figured in such an ad-
venture as related in this tale, or
for that matter a girl in Baton
Rouge.
Gould be-" he said. 'tBut just
between you and me I don't think
it ever happened in Louisiana or
New York or anywhere else. This
story has hit it's cycle and has
come up again. They run in cycles
like that. In a couple Of years
from now when a new cold spell
comes up and everybody is dodg-
ing cough-germs it will come up
again.
The comedian, whose sh o W
Boys and Girls Together" is
one Of the long range hits on
Broadway this season, thinks the
coughdrop story is also a varia-
ton of that family of jokes about
the Lady and the Ship. You can
also find it in O. Henry, who used
Confederate money instead of
coughdrops.
Personally, the next time
panhandler edges up to me and
says, Buddy, can you spare
coughdrop," I'm going to turn
around and run like hell. He may
be an editor in disguise.
The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-25
Ne1v WPA Safe Driving
Class is Opened Here

The WPA safe driving school r
Wilmington opened a new cias. ar.
yesterday afternoon in the le'Ua Ss.
der's courtroom with classes w
ing held from 4 to 6 pm, ana l.or L.on
7 to 8 pm, c. F. WethliS'O''
class instructor, announced IN
Those wishing to enroll may ~
so this afternoon at $3.50 ocloch .hors
there is still room for few QUIZ. ay
in the classes. Any person N.tt .hs
enroll by getting in touch VIII Itond.
class instructor and those al'e aon
ing may take either the al'ei" s
or night session
The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-25

interference with that right. The confiscated
mail was sent by foreign agents who had
failed to meet the requirements Of our laws
by registering with the American government
No one here is much the loser if censorship
goes no farther.
The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-25
ITALIAN LOSSES

ROME, Feb. 24.-tRs-ftaly's Fifth
air squadron, which Premier Musso.
lini yesterday said was almost lit.
orally sacrificed" in the battle of
North Africa, lost III planes and 525
men up to Feb. 5, an order of the
day disclosed today,
The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-25
ADMINISTRATOR

RALEIGH, Feb. 24-lR-Warren
Il. Williams of Sanford qualified
today as administrator of the $l17,-
OO0 estate Of Mrs. Vashti Rand
Poindexter.
The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-25
TOP o. THE MORNING

The soul, like the body, 1ives by what it
feeds on.
y, G.. HOLLAND,
Imperial Valley press., 1941-07-11
by Willis Thornton
Youth for Defense

Sometimes we Americans forget
one thing that sets us apart from
every other country on earth.
1t is this: We are people made
up of many peoples. In that lies
strength, not weakness.
In European countries where
there is a mixed population, one
strain usually dominates. Others
are always less than equal to this
dominant strain, always made to
feel that they fall short in an effort
to adjust themselves to a mold. Most
often they are whipped and jammed
by force into that unwelcome mold;
of late years those esteemed not to
fit have been simply murdered
That is not the American way
Here there is no dominant strain.
There is, perhaps, a majority strain,
but it cannot be a dominant
strain in the European sense as
long as the rights of minorities are
protected.
Minorities of racial, religious
cultural strains which differ from
that of the majority are not made
to feel that they are at best inferior
limitations of the majority norm.
We glory in our differences, and
we feel that in them is strength
for each group mas something def
mite to contribute. The sum OF
those contributions must be greater
than any accomplishment by sin
gle inbred group which shuts a lie
down on the abilities of others
The thing that binds all together
Imperial Valley press., 1941-07-11
LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT
NOTICE OF MEETING OF THE
COUNTY BOARD OF
EQUALIZATION

NOTICE is hereby given that the
Assessor Collector of Imperial
County, California, has delivered TO
the Clerk of the Board of Super
viSors of said County, the assess
ment books, together with the map
books, and statements for the fiscal
year 194l-42 and
The said Board of Supervisors
sitting as a Board Of Equalization
will meet for the purpose of equal
izing said assessments on Monday,
July 7, 1941. at ten o'clock AM.
and said Board will continue in
session from time to time until the
business of equalizing is disposed of,
but not later than Monday. July
81, l94l, at 500 o'clock PM.
The Clerk Of said Board will be in
his office in the Court House at Ell
Centro, California, each business
day between Monday, July 7 l941.
continuously until and including
Moiioay, July Il, l94l, at 500 o.
clock pm, except on Saturdays af-
ter 1900 O'Clock noon and on other
legal holidays, for the purpose of
receiving requests for equalization
oil assessments by tax payers, and
all persons are requested to appear
before and file with said Clerk any
petitions for equalization which they
desire. On such receipt the same
VIII be referred to and considered
by said Board.
Dated: Ell Centro, California. July
z, 1941.
w. j. McCLELLAND.
Clerk Of the Board of
Supervisors.
Section 1901 Revenue
q ~
Imperial Valley press., 1941-07-11
TOO FAR, TOO
FAST, TOO LONG
(Santa Ana RegiSter)

Overshadowed only by the war news,
the black headlines that leaped at the
American public Monday morning told
again the CHASTITY story of another holiday
week end of traffic death and injury.
Unlike the war bulletins, which We're
read eagerly, the auto casualty list was
scanned with jaundiced eye by readers
whose interests in auto-smashupS mas oeeh
dulled by constant repetition.
Highway safety is in danger OF becom-
ing much like Mark Twain's description
of the weather. something about which
every one talks great deal but Whlch
nobody does anything about. Some real
ly effective formula that Will get peopi2
interested in protecting themselves ana
others on the highways is yet to be de-
viSed.
Studies by the State Department of
Motor vehicles of holiday accidents pro
vide the material for some cogent conclu-
sions. One of these is that most people
who plan holiday motor trips try to go
entirely too far for the time at their dis
posal and, as a consequence, are compel
led to drive entirely too fast and for en-
tirely too many hours without resting.
Holiday trips to be enjoyable should
be leisurely. The motorist who is forced
to drive to excess of 200 or 300 miles per
day cannot see much of the country
through which he passes and loses much
of the fun of his trip. Yet thousands of
Americans with few days at their dis
posal plan trips requiring them to drive
twice that distance daily
Journeys so planned mean travelling
at speeds often dangerous and for long
hours. They often mean travelling far
into the night when most of the accidents
are known to occur
Motorists should avoid citing off more
than they can safely chew. Take it easy.
It's better than being a Page One statistic
Monday morning.
Imperial Valley press., 1941-07-11
IMPERIAL COUNTY'S
MILITARY IMPORTANCE

For quite few years state and federal
officials have turned deaf ears TO the
pleas of Imperial county residents loi
establishment here of a National Oualu
unit. Whenever it was mentioned 10 any
one in Washington or Sacramento, lleS
did marvellous job of buck-passlng.
Now comes the emergency
A regular army cavalry regiment is
stationed in the valley. The Unlteo
States navy is putting in an emergency
seaplane base on the western shore Oh
Salton Sea. The u. S. Marine corps is
considering Ito put it mildly estaollsn-
ing gigantic training base near the eaSt,'
ern shore of Salton Sea, in the Nllaho
vicinity.
Imperial county, all of a sudden, has
more military activity per capita thah
any other part of the state.
The fact is quite heartening: 1t proves
that we weren't wrong, all these years
in pointing out that Imperial county
strategically and geographically, Is
logical place for peacetime defense pre-
paredness such as is represented py lne
National Guard.
A State Guard unit, now in process OF
organization here, is the wartime equlNa-
lent of the peacetime National Guard 80
as far as it goes, we shall at last have
our wish in this respect. Greater issues
dim the victory, and necessity makes IL
a grim business. But, when peacetlme
comes again, we shall at least have one
more argument in our long-fought con-
test to obtain approval for National
Guard unit serving Imperial Valley.
Meanwhile, more power to the more
Immediately needed organization - the
State Guard.
Imperial Valley press., 1941-07-11
WAS HE RIGHT?

This war has cOnfounded lot OF eA-
perts. Many times it confounded j. w. L.
Mason, United Press expert analyst VINO
died about two months ago. Like the
other experts, he was sometimes rlelIt'
sometimes wrong. Today, however, we
are having the first opportunity since his
death to measure one of his statements
by the facts.
Mason. several weeks before he died,
devoted a column to eXpoundlng the be
lief that the German blitzkrieg eXhausts
itself in Is days. He pointed out that the
drive into Poland was over within that
time limit. He recalled that the Nazl
drive faltered after it had conquered
France and the Low Countries WITHIN 10
days. so that the Germans were not strong
enough to strike a death blow at Great
Britain by preventing the Dunkirk evacu-
alton. He showed that the Hitler thrust
into Greece faltered at the end OF 10 days,
and was not able to prevent evacuation
there of IS per cent of the Empire troops.
Mason reasoned that neither men nor
machines could stand the pace OF the
blitzkrieg for more than 15 days. After
that period they need a rest. The mach
ines need repairs and new fuel. lhe men
need longer leaves to recuperate.
1t is interesting to study the Russian
campaign in the light Of Mason's belief.
Hitler's invasion of Russia started on a
Saturday. On a Sunday, two weeks later,
it showed the first signs of falterlng;;
Fifteen days, 1t has made no sensational
progress since that Sunday, which was
last Sunday. The fact is striking coin
cidence, if it is a coincidence.
1t is perhaps too soon to Judge finally
whether Mason was right or wrong in
his analysis of the blitzkrieg, but thus
far the evidence in Russia bears him out.
1t will be interesting to see if it continues
to do so.
Meanwhile-well, we hope he WAS
right.
Imperial Valley press., 1941-07-11
ONE IN FORTY THOUSAND
Nevada State JOurnaD

(NeVada State JOurnal)
For every practical invention there are
dozens of crackpot schemes for improv-
ing military and naval power. The lay
man, in his bewlderment, will do we'll
to consider the source before expecting
the impossible or dismissing every inven-
ton as impractical.
The genius that sponsors the latest
important naval invention is that of
Charles F. Kettering, whose words are
worth needing if anyone's are Mr.. Ket-
tering invented the self-starter and a
number of other gadgets which actually
work and which have improved the lot
of the motoring public to degree which
almost entities him to be called the patron
saint of the highways.
If he can, as he claims, clear the sea-
ways of enemy submarines his part in the
Battle of the Atlantic may be decisive.
Mr.. Kettering gives no hint of the exact
nature of the new invention which he
promises will curb the U-boat menace.
He does admit that the device is aimed
at the detection of submarines when they
are on the surface at night recharglng
batteries.
He points out that all submarines
must come to the surface for long inter-
walls for this purpose. All submarine de-
tectors today function only when the
underwater craft are submerged. Mr..
Kettering would catch them when they
are most vulnerable and before they arc
actually in position to destroy shipping.
Imperial Valley press., 1941-07-11
WASHINGTON WAR WORDS

The Army now has one cavalry
regiment which can cover 300 miles
a day. The horses are loaded on
trucks which make 25 miles an hour.
The unit has 300 motor vehicles
for its STA horses and 1000. France
Forever headquarters say many
Frenchmen are daily finding their
way to England, sailing the chan
mel in small boats at night. Where
the German army is expected TO
show its final superiority over the
Red Army is in its vastly better
trained afficer personnel and staff
work. One surprise German move
to watch for is the dispatch of
forces east from Archangel to oc-
cupy the mouths of the Siberian
rivers, Lena, Oh, and Yenesei' All
Russian and Siberian rivers, run
ming generally north and south, give
the Soviet a tactical advantage in
fighting a war of withdrawal to
the east.
Imperial Valley press., 1941-07-11

in the United States is not a phony
racial doctrine, but the joyous and
spontaneous loyalty of diverse peO-
pies who have learned TO live to-
gether, and found it good
In the defense effort, equal OPP
portunities to help should be cx-
tended SO far as practicable to all,
not as a grudging concession to
moral principle, but as a practical
recognition of the practical fact
that ali are equally needed.
The test IS not, who arc you?"
but What can you do?" 1t is wise
and right that both in the military
services and in defense industries,
broadening opportunities should be
gradually opening up (and they are)
to Americans of colorcd blood. 1t
is wise and right that America
should not deprive itself tas GeIE
many has done of the loyal services
of Jews and Catholics because of
their race or religion. 1t is wise
and right that America, fosterilil
mother of hundred races, religions,
and peoples, should call on all alike
to defend her.
That is our strength. Let us
use it,
Imperial Valley press., 1941-07-11
by Paul Harrison :.
America Needs ALL Her Strength

ganizations. That was spectacular.
but it also was relatively easy. You
don't hear about the long trips TO
training camps that players are
making, often in buses over scorch-
ing desert roads. Now they're try
ing to find few transport planes
SO that they can cover more terri
tory.
Imperial Valley press., 1941-07-11

ESTATE AT PRIVATE SALE
Notice is hereby given that Wal
ter AmeS, as Executor of the Last
Will and Testament of Amelia c
Bridges deceased, will sell at pri-
vate sale to the highest bidder fol
cash, or upon such terms and con-
ditionS as may be approved by the
Court and subject to confirmation
by the Court on or after July "a.
194l, at the office of his attorneys,
MeSsrS. Gray, Cary, Ames & Dris-
coll, l4l0 Bank of America Building,
San Diego, California, all the right,
title, interest and estate of said
Amelia c. Bridges, deceased, at the
time of her death, and all the
right, title and interest which said
estate by operation of law or other
wise may have acquired other than
or in addition to that of said de-
cedent at the time of her death in
and to the following described
property located in the County of
Imperial, State of California, to-
wit:
North half CNl2) OF Tract Nine
ty-one t9D Township Fifteen
C15) South, Range Thirteen 13J
East, S.B.M.. in the County Of
Imperial, State of California. as
per Map of the re-survey ap-
proved and filed in the United
States Land Office at Los An
geles, California;
Terms and conditions of sale.
Cash, or such cash and credit as
may be approved by the Court, ten
percent Q0%) of such purchase
price TO be paid at the date of sale
and the balance on confirmation of
sale.
All bids and offers must be in
writing and may be left at the Of
fices of MesSrs. Gray, Cary, Ames
and Driscoll, 14l0 Bank of America
Building, San Diego, California, at
torneys for the Executor; or may
be filed in the office of the Clerk
of this Court at any time after
the first publication of this Notice
and before making of said sale.
DATED: At San Diego, Califor-
MIA, this 3rd day of July, 194l.
WALTER AMES,
Executor for the Last Will
and Testament of Amelia C.
Bridges, deceased.
GRAY, CARY, AMES
81 DRISCOLL
Attorneys for Executor.
Bank of America Building.
Imperial Valley press., 1941-07-11
Did You Know?

Larger than the states OF Con-
necticut, Delaware, Massachusetts,
and Rhoue lsianu, combined, Is
Coconino county. Arizona.
So rare were steaks during the
Klondike gold rush that they sold
for between 5000 and 5000 each.
The skin of a whale varies from
two inches to two feet in thick
ness.
Imperial Valley press., 1941-07-11

EDITORS NOTE: The following
edit toriais are presented as interesting
opinions UOiced by editors elsewhere.
They do not necessarily reflect the
opinion of this paper.