davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-25
The Thrust Into Assam

It is difficult to form any definite opinion
on what is transpiring in northeast India az
a result of the japanese attack on Assam
The fighting is taking place in an area Of
which little is known and under conditions
thai do not lend themselves to news cover
age. But it would appear that the enemy is
seeking to break the hold Of the Allies in
northern Burma by sending at least two and
possibly three combat columns against them.
The Allied force from a strong crescent
around the enemy, which the enemy is trying
to pierce in the middle. If it is successful
Lord Mountbatten's forces will be in a diff
cult situation and the victory in the Burma
theater be Indefinitely postponed
The Allied command is said to consider the
present japanese thrusts strictly local in char
acter and to entertain no fear of Allied power
to throw them back. This may be the sound
view OF the situation, but it is worth while
to consider that the Japanese were vastly
aided in their initial conquests by Allied un-
derestlmates of their striking power.
Burma was TAKEN not by a great army
but by small units infiltrating the iuneles
Singapore fell because the Japanese used the
same jungle approach in the early stages of
that campaign. It was not until they gained
control OF the jungles and cleared positions
1or their heavy guns that they began the
major assault. All Malaga was conquered he.
cause the Japanese started out by taking DOS
session of small areas
Lord Mountbatten may find in what hap.
pened when Japanese were moving stealthily
against major detectives a key to what they
are up to now in their thrust in Assam.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-25
Sees Crime Wave Ahead

Tragic increase in crime after the war is
foreseen by E. E. Conroy, head of the New
York branch of the Federal Bureau of In
vestigation. Addressing delegates at the Ar
mored Car Operators convention, Mr.. Conroy
predicted his forecast on three causes: the
drafting Of young policemen, the training te
kill received by men in the armed services
and increased juvenile delinquency.
In the hope of checking the anticipated rise
in crime he said the FBI wi double the
attendance at its police academy at Washing.
ton during the summer, to train new mem.
bers of local police forces.
We cannot believe that Mr.. Conroy is quite
right in thinking that any large percentage
of the veterans who return from battlefronts
will be some, of course. The armed forces
are not free from undesrables, but they are
in vast minority. The great majority Of
the United States military forces have been
drawn from homes of normal living condi-
lions where the ways of peace and decency
not liable to take to crime merely because
they have been engaged in firing guns or
shells or bombs at the nations enemies. On
the contrary, it is reasonable to think that
the discipline in the armed forces will have
become fixed habit, even among weaker
men during their war service
The drafting of young policemen is another
matter If municipal administrations are un-
able to recruit their police ranks from civilian
circles they probably will find it hard to curb
crime in their cities. AT the same time chiefs
might find it possible to build up their forces
from groups of war veterans who will not
all find jobs industry. The discipline they
will have learned would be a great asset
in police service.
Juvenile delinquency raises grave prob
lem. 1t has become serious in Wilmington
during these recent years when parents are
away from home in large numbers, working
in war plants. 1t is still serious, as police
dockets show. And the great pity is that more
has not been done to cope with it. We are
convinced that current efforts are inadequate
and that until the detention home is made
habitable and full-tirne probation officers are
employed the citys effort to control delin-
quency will remain inadequate. -.
The redemption of hayward youth is not
a part-time undertaking.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-25
HOSPITAL USES
new OFFICES

All offices of James Walker Me-
mortal hospital have been moved
to the new annex, as a prellml-
nary to complete occupation OF the
wing, c. W. Mangum, superinten'
dent, announced Friday.
Mangum issued a request that
visitors come directly to the new
building, which adjoins the ola
structure, as the admission desk
the cashiers desk, the waiting
room and the administrative SUITE
have all been transferred to their
new quarters.
Entrance is maze on Dickinson
street through the doors OF the
new annex. Visitors should turn
left on entrance.
Already occupied, in addition 10
the offices, are the mems ward
the women's ward and the isola'
t1on ward of the new building. No
individual rooms have yet been
put into use, but it is expected
that complete occupation is only
a few days off. The staff is sul
awaiting arrival of vital equipnen:
for installation in the operating
rooms.
Mangum reported that the Office
space in the old section of the
hospital has been converted INTO
bedrooms,
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-25
Postwar Construction

DR.. Gus W. Dyer, who addressed joint
session of Wilrnington's civic clubs on Thurs.
day, in addition to making fine appeal for
the return to constitutional government TO-
cused his remarks upon the, necessity for new
construction in the postwar period.
He dwelt chiefly upon the expansion of in
dusry and its need for more and greater
plants. But it is brought to light by the
Twentieth Century Fund Research staff that
to keep up with actual requirements there
should be built million dwelling units a
year for the first decade of peace. If it is
possible to put such program into effect
that is, if the people are permit'e ed to solve
their own building problem without bureau
cratic interference-the research staff says
employment and production in home construc-
ton and rela ed industries will rise to levels
'fn excess of anything accomplished in the
past"
The funds researchers took today's housing
situation as starting point in their survey,
and declared that as a whole it is in IAN
extremely deteriorated condition. with more
than four million houses in rural areas alone
in need of major repairs.
A New York dispatch dealing with the fund S
survey says It shows that nonfarm vacancies
in 1910, the report said, were about l 900
or under per cent of the total supply,
chiefly in houses in disrepair or where the
demand has been removed by migration. This
condition has been changed by the war and
new construction will be needed to provide
a sufficient number of vacancies for postwar
market requirements.
mo strain is required to build up an esti-
mate of potential new housing demand
amour ing to 100000, or even more, non
farm units a year during the first decade
after the war;" the Fund reported. There
would, in addition, be heavy demand for
farm housing, repairs and alterations.
Judging by the past the Research Staff
concluded, "a high level of income such as
may be anticipated at the wars end would
permit and in fact imply, a relatively high
level OF residential construction, probably at
least somewhat above the cyclical average.
''We say, therefore, take as possible fig
ure per cent of national income of $780,
0oOoo 900, or &c. 600, 0OO 900 annually for hous-
ing construction
With this picture before one, and Doctor
Dyer's remarks on industrial expansion pos
sibilities still fresh in mind, it is easy, to
think that if Washington gives the people the
green light as it should, the nations con-
struction program will be among the nations
most effective agents Of recovery in the years
following the war;
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-25
BY JOHN SELBY

THE MISADVENTURES OF
SHERLOCK HOLMES" edited by
Ellery Queen Gittle, Brown;
$3.50.
A friend of mine named Charles
E. Honce is a member of the
Baker Street Irregulars, which is
as you may know, an organiza-
ton which meets occasionally in
New York to pump up the repu.
tation of Conan Doyle and bubble
over the numel GUS quibblements
OF Sherlock Holmes and his Man
Friday, greatest of all yes-men,
Doctor Watson.
M. Honce was recently billed
Tor a speech before this convoca-
ton, but instead of speaking, he
mad privately rrinted a beautiful
brochure on Sherlock Holmes in
the news. This is brought in to
snow the wide interest in Holmes,
!or Mr.. Honce has been pestered
1or months, now, by Holmes So
elet1es all over the United States.
lhey want copies of the afore-
mentioned n dissertation, and
.aey re welcome to them. The diff
1lculty is that the copies are about
d yard square, more or less, and
pass through the post with the
greatest of difficulty
so much for the reasons which
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-25
Would Give Her Eye

When young woman pupil at the Univer
sity of California read that sergeant in the
American Army had been blinded in battle
she wrote news agency in London to Offer
one Of her eyes if grating it in one OF the
soldiers eye sockets could be done.
It was a noble gesture, but the young wo
NAH felt no elation. When reporters met her
as she emerged from university class she
told them she thought any one would give ar
eye, "if they had two and some one else did
not have any,
In light Of this willingness to make real
sacrifice, how can many of the rest OF us
explain our reluctance to do something
really worth while in the war emergency? How
can we, specifically and Immediately, refuse
to give our dollars, when we can't give SER
vices to the Red Cross which conducts the
greatest work Of mercy in this war-torn world?
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-25
Mexican Oil

There is some predisposition in this coun-
try to help Mexico develop new oil resources
in Mexico. 1t is said that the Mexican gov
eminent is studying the employment of Amer
lean experts and the request for American
capital for oil explorations and production.
Ambassador George S. Messersmith recent
ly said in Mexico City: 1.-THE Mexican gov.
eminent is familiar with the world oil prob
lem and with the fact that the adequate de.
velopment OF the Mexican oil resources, which
are not explored and producing, is necessary
in the interest of the United States, Mexico
and other American countries. Mexico is CIV
ing consideration to the ways in which this
development can be carried forward under
existing law Mr.. Messersmith was talking
to a group of American correspondents at
the time.
This is interesting news. Mexico has vast
petroleun resources. But Mexico has a bad
habit of Selling foreign investments and prop
critics. On March 20 the Mexican government
and presumably the people celebrated the
sixth anniversary of the ousting of foreign
oil companies from the country. That act OF
expropriation has cost foreign investors large
amounts of money, only partially restored
Settlements thus far forced upon the Mexican
sc,Arnroent represent only a small part q.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-25
The Literary Guidepost

obviously, underly Ellery Queens
The Misadventures of Sherlocl
Holmes" There is obviously q
market for anything about that
magic detective, and Mr.. Queen
is supplying it as best he can,
only year after the appearance
Of Conan Doyle's first stories, the
parodies, limitations, satires and
whatnot began. Mr.. Queen has col.
lected the best of these, in his
opinion, and has copiously intro.
duced the collection, provided II
with erudite foctnotes.
Some Of the detectives arc
pretty bad puns-as witness Solar
Pons, Shamrock Jolnes, Shylock
Holmes, and Sherlaw Kombs. Wat.
son appears as Whatsoname and
Wnatsup, just as samples. AS dis
parte writers as Carolyn Wells
ana Sir James M. Barrie are in
the collection, not to mention
Mark Twain. And of course ri.
lery Queen himself.
Just ahead of story by Allan
ramsay Mr.. Queen quotes a Co..
n1sh boatmans comment to Sir
arthur: Il think, sir, when
Holmes fell over that cliff, he NAV
not nave killed himself, but all
the same he was never quite the
same man afterwards.
l think the Cornish boatnan
may have been exactly right.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-25
Daily Prayer
FOR SIMPLE FAITH

We are little folk, but we have
a great God; ard we adore Thee
and worship Thee and trust Thee.
We have naught and are naught,
except from Thee. Enable us to
put our trust wholly in Thee
throughout all the days - the
bright days and the dark days;
the glad days and the sad days;
the days of glad tidings and the
days when we await good news
from a far country. AS our faith
ers trusted Thee in the past, so
we would trust Thee in the pres
ent, and for tomorrow. Intensity
our God consciousness. Be Thou
to us living, bright Reality. May
our faith in Thee be stronger than
our fears for the war; for Thou
art the God of battles, and the
One who giveth victory to His own.
So we pray the prayer of old,
Lord, increase our faith" Amen.
w. T. E.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-25
With Ernie Pyle

bed. When l went to get a cigaret
after the bombing, I found they'o
all been blown out of the pack.
The cot occupied by Bob Yer
million of the United Press wa:
covered a foot deep with broker
tile and plaster. When it was all
over somebody heard him call Out
plaintively, will somebody come
and take this stuff off of me?"
After seeing the other CORE
spondents, I went back to my shat
tered room to look around again
and in came Sergt. Bob Geake Of
Fort Wayne, Ind, the first ser.
geant of our outfit. He had some
iodine, and was going around
painting up those who had been
scratched.
Bob took out a dirty handker.
chief, spit on it two or three times,
then washed the blood off my face
before putting on the iodine, which
could hardly be called the last
word in sterilization.
Three of the other boys were
rushed off to the tent hospital. Aft
er an hour or so, five of us drove
out to the hospital in a jeep to see
how they were.
We found them not in bad shape,
and then we sat around stove
in one of the tents and drank COT
fee and talked with some of the
officers.
By now my head and ears had
started to ache from the concus-
sion blasts, and several of the 9TH
ers were feeling the same, so the
doctors gave us codeine and aspi-
rim.
Much to my surprise, I wasn't
weak or shaky after it was all
over. In fact l felt fine-partly
buoyed up by citation over still be-
ing alive, I suppose. But by noon
l was starting to get jumpy, and
by mid-afternoon I felt very old
and beat up as they say, and
the passage of the afternoon shells
over our house really gave me
the WoolieS.
We got Italian workmen in to
clean up the debris, and by eve
ming all the rooms had been
cleared, shaky walls knocked
down, and blankets hung at the
windows for blackout.
All except my room. It was so
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-25
Hitler's Mistake?

Certainly one of the greatest weaknesses
Of the Wehrmacht is that its forces are dis
persed over so much territory. They are scat
tered as far north as Norwoy, as far east as
Russia, as far south as Crete and as far west
as Brittany. Hitler's more conservative gen.
erals are said to have warned him OF the
dangers of biting off more than he could chew.
That peril must be increasingly obvious to
the German high command; the Germans are
just beginning to pay the penalty for their
overexpansion. Many military strateglsts will
contend that Hitler's insistence on this ire
mendous dispersal was fatal mistake. and
perhaps they are right.
But Hitler's strategical dilemma was gen.
uine one. The alternative to expansion is con-
centration He was doubtless impressed by the
danger to Germany as a target for bombers
operating from circle of bases in easy range
Of the reich's vitals.
One of Gernanys military experts Maj.
Herhudt Won Rhoden, wrote an article in 1887
in which he said, "Airwarfare implies war
Of continents Russia and the United States
OF America, being nations continental in scope.
are big enough to absorb great deal of pun
ishment from the air and then come back with
powerful air offensive. Germany is not. AS
Major Rhoden pointed out, THE position OF
Germany is particularly unfavorable, since on
ly triangles of extraordinary depth afford any
possibility of successful defense" Hitler tried
to achieve these 'triangles of extra ordinary
depth by process of invasion and conquest of
neighboring states. 1t worked for while. But
now the German people are learning how right
Major Rhoden was in characterizing their po-
sition as particularly unfavorable." The rec
ord is written in letters of fire. They took up
the warplane and are now perishing by it.
News
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-25
BY ERNIE PYLE

WITH FIFTH ARMY BEACH
HEAD FORCES IN ITALY,-by
wireless)-When our bombing was
over, my room was a shambles
1t was the sort of thing you see
only in the movies.
More than half the room was
knee-deep with broken brick ano
tiles and mortar. The other hall
Twas a disarray all covered with
plaster dust and broken glass. My
typewriter was full of mortar AND
broken glass, but was not dam
aged.
My pants had been lying on the
chair that went through the door,
so l dug them cut from under the
debris, put them on and started
down to the other half of the
house.
Down below everything was a
mess. The ceilings had come down
upon men still in bed. Some beds
were a foot deep in debris. That
nobody was killed was a pure mir
acle.
Bill Strand of The Chicago Trib-
une was out in the Uttered hall
way in his underwear, holding his
left arm. Maj. Jay Vessels of Du-
luth, Mimi, was running around
without stitch of clothing. We
checked rapidly and found that
everybody was still alive.
The boys couldn't believe it
when they saw me coming in.
Wick Fowler of The Dallas News
had thought the bombs had made
direct hits on the upper part of
the house. He had just said to
George Tucker of the Associated
Press, "Well, they got Ernie"
But after they saw I was all
right they began to laugh and
called me "Old Indestructible." 1
guess 1 was the luckiest man in
the house, at that, although Old
Dame Fortune was certainly rid
ing with all of us that morning.
The German raiders had
dropped a whole stick of bombs
right across our area. They were
apparently 5oo-pounders, and they
hit within 30 feet of our house.
Many odd things happened, as
thew do in all bombings. Truth
fully, I don't remember my walls
coming down at all, though 1 must
have been looking at them when
they fell.
Oddly, the wall that fell on my
bed was across the room from
where the bomb hit. In other
words. it fell toward the bomb.
That is caused by the bombs ter
rifle blast creating vacuum;
when air rushes back to the center
If that vacuum. it's power is as
great as the original rush of air
outward.
When I went to put on my boots
4hera was broken glass clear up
into the toes of them. My mack
nav had been lying on the foot
of the bed and was covered with
hundreds of pounds of debris, yet
NV goggles in the pocket were I'M
broken.
At night I always put a pack
of cigarets on the floor oesloe my
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-25
od when tried to stage a comeback
GU WAANAN yga~a No1i >,

ed when tried to stage comeback
because they were "pro-Nazl."
These contradictions criss,cross
tho nolitical picture in all the
region south of Germany now 40
split by panic into its original ere
ments, perhaps into new elements,
for Hitler would not be forced to
make the Hungarian coup If the
fear of Russia was as dominant
a. # used to be in the Hugarian
ARMY. It may be that Stain recog-
nizeJ the Badoglio government in
anticipation Of the imminent II:
breakup in the Balkans, as an IN
timation to the frightened govern
ments that they might surrender
safely.-New York Times.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-25
OH, SHIPPED

NEW YORK, March 24-R-lh ne
Venezuelan Petroleum Co. report
ed today the availability of tank
ers beginning in August of iasE
year had enabled it to ship Boil
O93 barrels Of crude oil from lts
wells in Venezuela between Aug
ust and the end of that year
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-25

the capital and effort that foreign companies
put into developing the countrys Gil resources
It is hard to see how more American or
ether foreign capital can be used in further
developing Mexico's great petroleum fields un-
less the Mexican government can give ade-
quate guarantees against future exproprla-
tons.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-25
SAILOR MISSING

WASHINGTON, March 24-R-
Seaman First Class, A. G. Helms
OF Paw Creek, N. c., was listed as
missing today by the Navy De-
partment. His parents are MI.
and Mrs. Adron G. Helms OF Pa"
Creek. -"
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-25

bad they decided it wasn't worth
cleaning up, SO we dug out my
sleeping bag, gathered up my scat
tered stuff, and 7 moved. to an
other room.
The hospital has invited Wick
Fowler and me to move out with
them, saying they'd put up a tent
for us, and [ wouldn't be sur
prised if we took them up on it.
There's such a thing as pressing
your luck too far in one SPOT.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-25
Chemists OF Southeast
To Meet In CreenyilIe

GREENVILLE, S. c., March "a
- ZAP Chemists of the Southeast
will meet here tomorrow in the
Goth annual convention of the Pied.
mont division, American Associa.
ton of fertile Chemists and Color
lists.
William D. Appel, national presi-
dent of the organization and chief
Of the U. S. Bureau of Standards
textile division, will make the prin.
cipal address at the banquet.
A technical session will be held
in the afternoon with r. H. Math-
ewson Of Greenville and R. H.
Smith of High Point, N. c., leading
the discussion.
Past presidents of the section
will be quests Of honor at the con-
vention.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-25

TOP OF THE MORNING
Tomorrow as well as yesterdaf is safe
in Gods keeping. SCRAPBOOK.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-25
Our Chief Aim

To aid in every way the prosecution Of
the war TO complete Victory.
The Nome nugget., 1944-02-04
SEN. LODGE
 RESIGNS POST

w. SHINGTON. Feb. 4.-(APl -vsrry Cabot Lodqe. Jr.. resign ed ae senator from Massachusetts, 10 resurn to active duty as an army officer.
 A letter addressed to the presid- ing officer. was read by the clerk
 Senator Lodge holds 6 commis- sia- as major in the army. He said '>e felt. in view of the impending large scale ground fighting. at his age he could best serve his country as "a combat soldier over seas"
 The appointment of his success sor rests in the hands of republi- can Governor Saltenstall of Bos- ton, who will appoint It. Gov. Horace Cahill to succeed him in the senate.
The Nome nugget., 1944-02-04
CaHn PARTY WAS "A HUGE SUCCESS

The Pioneer card party held Wednesday evening at the Odd Fellows Hall, the first of the ser ies, was a huge success. Several men from the post were invited as guests, including the post com nander.
 Prize winners were: Ladies', first prize, Miss Marie Riordan; second prize, Mrs. George Bayer, and third, Mrs. George Waldheln.
 Prizes for the men: First prize, Pvt. Rowland s. Mitchell; second, Andy Nerland; third, H. J. Jenks.
 The door prizes were won by the post commander and Pvt Rowland s. Mitcrell. After the games were ended and prizes distributed, refreshments were served by the committee for the party. Committee members were Mrs. Ole Hay and Mrs George Waldhelm.
The Nome nugget., 1944-02-04
CHURCHES
I.AVINTA WALLACE YOUNG
 MISSION

Minister and Director-C. W. :
 Erickson Sunday, January 30th: \ II a. m. Church School.
The Nome nugget., 1944-02-04
TO PRESENT RELIGIOUS QUIZ SUNDAY EVENING

The Voice of Religion will pre- sent a religious quiz at five o'clock Sunday afternoon. This will be the last of the semI- finals. Those com peting on the school team are Frances Waldhelm, Ida Rudd and Jane Scott The three men on the Infantry team will be Pfc James B. Wilkins, Pfc. Oliver J. Mueller and Pfc Ebert Kuntze Eberhord. Cpl. Norman Johnston will be the