davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20
47AlHed Filters Shot To Death In Germany
AherMass Escape At Dresden Prison Camp

LONDON, May 19. - up --
Forty-seven British, Dominion
and Allied air force officers
were shot to death after mass
escape two months ago from
a prison camp near Dresden,
Germany, Foreign Secretary
Eden informed the House Of
Commons today, adding that
the British government was
profoundly shocked'' over the
news.
No Americans were involved
in the incident, which was dis
covered by Swiss inspectors
nearly a month after it hap
pened.
Eden is giving the sad report
to the country said that 76 men
had participated in the break,
Is were recaptured, Ia remain
ed at large and the others were
shot, "some while resisting
arrest and some in the course
of new attempt to escape
after recapture."
Thus, in his account based
on information so far available
from Switzerland, Eden with
''e'ff condemnation of Ger
many as vioIator of interna-
tional law, and he asked pari-
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20
TAX BAN SOUGHT
BY COP LEADERS
Constitutional Amendment
Would Outlaw State
Voting Laws

WASHINGTON, May 49,
up - Thirty-three Republi-
can members of the Senate in
troduced jointly late today a
p re pos e d constitutional
amendment to outlaw state
poll taxes.
Senator Wheeler (Neb), minority
whip, filed the petition bearing
the names of all but four Of the
COP Senate members. The move
came in the wake of the failure,
early this week, of an attempt to
bring an antipoll tax bill to a Sen
ate vote. The bill was shelved
when motion for debate-limiting
cloture received far short of the
required two-thirds majority.
The proposed new article of the
constitution reads:
1.-The right of citizens of the
United States to vote shall not be
denied or abridged by the United
States or by any state by reason
of failure to pay a poll tax"
congress shall have the power
to enforce this article by appropri-
ate legislation.
Eight southern states now collect
poll taxes. Democratic senators,
mostly from the south, fought the
recent attempt to abolish the tax
as a requirement for balloting in
federal elections on the ground
that Congress had no constitutions
al authority to interfere with state
control of elections.
Wheeler said and attempt was
made to contact all COP senators
before the petition was filed and
that the four who we're not listed
Continued on Page Two; Col. ~
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20
ACL WRECKACE
BEING CLEARED

DILLON, S. c., May 10 H.
Limited traffic was resumed over
the Atlantic Coast Line railraod
here today after wreckage of u
freight cars, piled up in an early
morning wreck, was removed form
the double-track roadbed
Passenger trains delayed by the
mishap were cleared by mid-after-
noon and freight trains began NOV
ing over an auxiliary route, H.
passing the scene of the accidnet
Eight gravel-laden gondolas and
four Refrigerator cars near the
middle of a southbound freight
were derailed in the outskirts of
Dillon, tearing up bot htracks of
the ACL's main line which serves
about so trains daily.
Work of clearing the right of way
moved rapidly as the accident &C.
Cured directly opposite the section
masters store of rails, ties and
other repair materials.
No one was reported injured.
Railroad men said they had not
determined the cause of the de-
railment.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20
House Approves
New Naval Bill

WASHINGTON, May 10. -(R)-
Construction of another million
tons of landing craft was approx
ed in the House today and Rep.
Fish R-NY) promptly demanded
to carry the war Unto the heart of
Japan"
Though there was no disagree
ment over the legislation, which
was sent to the Senate, it touched
eff an acrimonious House debate
over blame for the Pearl Harbor
attack.
When the shouting died down, the
House speedily approved a second
navy bill, authorizing an extra $65, :
100000 for ordnance and produc-
ton facilities, including 100000
for deVe10nnent of rpoket o1Ips
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20

Co m m n S, ''is profoundly
shocked by this news and have
urgently requested the protect
ing power Switzerland to be
demand from the German gov
eminent full and immediate re-
port Of the circumstances in
which these men met their
deaths, and an explanation Of
its failure to report the facts
at once to the protecting pow.
err"
Word of the shooting began
leaking out when relatives in
England after receiving formal
notification individually from
Swiss authorities, inserted
death notices in the London
papers each carrying the no
tation "shot trying to escape"
The airmen had been cap
tured in raids on Germany and
in the Mediterranean, and
some were veterans of the
bombing of the German battle
ship Scharnhorst and other
Raj exploits. Some of them in
letters to relatives in England
had told of previous attempts
to escape. One of the men
limited in a letter that the es-
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20

cape might have been by
tunnelling.
The victims included rs Raj
filters, six Canadians, three
Australians, two New Zealand
ers, three South Africans, one
Fighting French, four Poles,
two Norwegians and one
Greek.
An. International law expert
said tonight that attempting 70
escape is recognized as norm
al action for war prisoners,
and although it is legal to en-
ploy shooting to stop an at
tempt, it is NOT a crime for
which, if a fugitive gives up
without resistance, the slight
est penalty could legally be
imposed.
The consideration customari.
ly accorded escapes is shown
by the fact that although they
usually quickly change their
uniforms for less CONSPICUOUS
civilian clothes, and thereby
are in the same circumstances
as spies, they seldom If ever
are hot If they can establish
that they are fugitives.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20
WAKDE AIRFIELD
SEIZED BY YANKS

ADVANCED ALLIED HEAD
QUARTERS, New Guinea, Satur-
day, May 20.-(P)-American in
Wasion veterans smashed the jap
anese grip on the strategic Wakde
airfield five hours after they
stormed the island shores Thurs
day and Gen. Douglas Macarthur S
spokesmen said today the coral
runway will be ready for Allied
planes very shortly"
The Yank doughboys surged
across the 4,700-foot airstrip after
supporting hombers, strafing planes
and naval destroyers silenced en-
envy mortar positions which had
checked the invading 9Th Army
troops hallway across the runway.
Then, in a tremendous drive, the
Americans flooded across the re-
naming coral and their momentum
carried them all the way up the
west side of the island before the
defenders could rally for any more
opposition.
Almost Immediately engineers,
who followed the assault waves
ashore the day after the first in
vasion wave had carved out an
eight-mile-long beachhead on the
nearby Dutch New Guinea main
land, started work on the run
way.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20
SEABOARD WRECK
INJURIES ENGINEERS

CHESTER, S. c., May 19-tR-
Seaboard Air Line freight No. SO
pulling a short string of cars near
here late today and both engineers
were taken to a hospital with in
juries.
Engineer Claud Bonds, of Able
bile, of the southbound freight and
Jim Layfield, of Columbus. Ga.
engineer of the switch engine, were
rushed to Pryor hospital here. The
extent of their injuries was not
learned immediately
Other members of the engine
crews were reported to have jump
d just before the collision.
The switch engine was demolish-
ed, 10 freight cars were derailed
and $50 feet of track was ripped
up.
The wreck occurred in cut and
trainmen said it would take some
time to clear the line, which runs
from Hamlet, N. c., to Atlanta.
Trains will be detoured via Char
lotte, N. c., over the Southern rail-
way and thence to Monroe, N. c.,
until the track is ready for use,
it was announced tonight.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20
Grl Found In River
Reported Hit On Head

MURFREEsBORO, May 19-R
Miss Mabel Whitley, 21-year'
Old drugstore clerk, whose body
was found in Meherrin river on the
outskirts Of town this afternoon,
aled from blow or blows on the
Aeao With blunt instrument, &C
eo[alns 10 DR.. Morgan B. Raiford
u ffankln. Va, acting for coroner
-uhsden Horton of HEREFORD
county.
me girl, who recently had been
WORKING ii Suffolk, Va, drug
aofe, was fully clothed when
Iouho in the river by a group OF
lnen loading pulp wood on a boat.
a wrist watch which she wore had
stopped at 6 o'clock. DR.. Raiford
a. v,s'imated the body had been in
Nc Wates from eight to IA hours.
MISS Whitley was the daughter
MIR. and Mrs. H. F. Whitley,
VI como commu,aity.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20
MonetaryParle
Reported Called

WASHINGTON, May 10. -(P)-
President Roosevelt was reported
today to have decided to go ahead
and call world monetary confer
ence to consider plans for stabiliz-
ing international finance and pro-
noting postwar world prosperity.
Informed quarters said speci-
fic date already has been chosen.
Pinehurst, N. c., a resort with
large hotel facilities, has been
mentioned in speculation as one
possible site.
Secretary of the Treasury Henry
Morgenthau and Harry D. White,
treasury monetary expert, confer
red with Mr.. Roosevelt yesterday,
and presumably the decision to
call the conference was reached at
that time.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20
Storm Kills One
Near Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, May 10 -iR- A
heavy hail and wind storm killed
one person, destroyed fence
around an outdoor movie theater
and did minor damage to property
in the outskirts of Charlotte to-
night,
County police said Charles c.
Dale, about S., was killed when
the roof of roadhouse where he
mad taken refuge collapsed. Dale
lived near the roadhouse on the
western side of town, where most
OF the damage was reported.
The officers said hail four or
I've inches deep fell within the few
minutes the storm lasted.
Inc fence around the theater,
where cars drive in and park be
lore the screen was splinte-ed
out no one was reported injured
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20
Army Boat
Rescues Boys
On Tiny Isle

CAMP DAVIS, May 10 The
Army turned Navy" for a short
while yesterday afternoon and eff
fected the rescue of two boys faced
with imminent drowning when they
were marooned on an island in the
Inland Waterway as the tide came
in.
Participating in the rescue of the
two youths were Col. Adam E..
Potts, camp commander here, and
Capt. Charles C. Good, who were
members of an inspection party
aboard an army transportation
corps launch which had been tour
ing firing ranges of this anti-air-
craft artillery training center.
The lads, one about eight and
the other approximately IA years
old, had left the farm where they
lived to dig clans on the small
island which is exposed only during
certain GIBBS of the tide. An under
tow snapped the moorings of their
skiff.
The transportation corps launch
on which Colonel Potts headed the
inspection party came along as the
boys began to shout for help.
Colonel Potts ordered the launch
to the rescue. In a few minutes
it became apparent that it would
be impossible to maneuver the
craft near enough to take the boys
off the island.
Several officers were on the
point of swimming to the aid of
the lads when another plan was
hit upon. Captain Good, in charge
of transportation corps work at
Camp Davis, was then put ashore
several hundred yards upstream
where skiff was tied to land
ing. He poled the boat to the is-
land and the rescue of the through
ly frightened boys was made.
Neither of the two boys, whose
names were not Immediately avail
able, could swim, and veteran
boatman said that barring the
chance passing of the craft they
would soon have been in deep
water. They boys suffered no i'll
effects it was learned.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20
GERMAN TROOPS Keeling
UNDER AMERICAN FRENCH ATTACK;
tDLSORDERLY RETREAT REPORTED
RITZ SIS "
= Is vAN AuAlN
s s SActivity Flares
$ ,rthern Front;
yrtress Seized

LONDON, Saturday, May
20.-(P)-Mocow announced
today that the Red army was
attacking in the Vitebsk area
of White Russia and had cap
tured a fortified Nazi strong.
hold in that vicinity after a
fierce two-hour battle.
The disclosure of renewed ac-
tivity on the northern end of the
long front, made in the broadcast
supplement to the Russian com
munique, was accompanied by Red
army reports of repeated Nazi as
saults on Soviet positions near
StanislaWow in old Poland.
Moscow said 300 Germans were
slain during a series of Nazis at
tacks that lasted throughout yes
terday.
Five hundred Germans also were
killed, the supplement said during
Nazi efforts to wedge into the So
Wet lines near Tiraspol on the
Dnestr.
The Baltic Red air fleet set fire
to the Finnish port of Kotka with
out loss and other Soviet planes
Eagged seven Nazi aircraft and two
patrol vessels in a sweep off the
northern coast of Norway, Moscow
said.
The Soviet communique said
there were no essential changes
during the day along the eastern
land front, noting simply that 43
enemy planes were shot down the
day before. But there were several
indications that the Russians were
preparing for a new offensive.
From the German side there was
increasing propaganda emphasiz-
ing the weight of an imminent So
Wet onslaught, and there was step
ped-up bombing of Russian supply
lifelines in east Poland.
Although the Germans made
much of air attac ks the night be-
fore at Sarny and Rowne and 9TH
er nerve centers in that area, there
was nothing to indicate that the
raids were any more severe than
the blows struck by Red filters re-
Gently against the enemy's weak
ened feeder routes for men and
munitions.
In Stockholm, Aftonbladet's Hell
sinki correspondent reported that
the Soviet Baltic fleet was expect
ed to make major attempt soon
to Wrest control of he Gulf of Fin
land from the Germans. Red nav
al units now have bases at Luga
bay and Lovskar and several en-
gagements between units of unspe-
Gifted size were reported in the
last few days.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20
Unified Command Bill
Praised By Wadsworth

WASHINGTON, May 19.-LR-
Army and Navy leaders were urged
by Representative Wadsworth (R-
N.Y. today to forget '1ittle diff
ferences'' and smooth our ''fric-
tons and jealousies'' SO they could
present united front for mainte-
nance of adequate military for
ces" after the war is won.
The New Yorker gave this ad-
vice as the House postwar military
policy committee concluded hear
ings on the question of consolidat-
ing the War and Navy depart
ments into a single department Of
defense. He is a member of the
committee and sponsored the leg
islation that created it.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20
Siimplified Tax Bill
Strikes Initial Snaq

WASHINGTON, May 10. -P)-
The quick-moving tax simplifica-
ton bill struck it's first snag today
when Senator LANCER (D-ND) de-
clared it was so complex he could
not understand at all.
The tall, gray-ha1red LANCER
spent three hours and 10 minutes
reading from the bill and accom-
panying reports while sprinkling
of colleagues, unable to halt him,
fidgeted in their seats. Shortly
after 5 pm, the chamber recess
ed until tomorrow without acting
on the tax bill.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20
Raj Heaviies
Follow Forts
Over Europe.
ATLANTIC WALL HIT,
Germ n Radios Silenced
As Night Bombers
Head Inland

LONDON, Saturday, May
20.-IP)-Great groups of
Raj night bombers Joined
early today in the renewed
aerial assault of Hitler's Eu-
rope to follow up a heavy
combined daylight raid on
Berlin and Brunswick by l.
500 American bombers and
fighters Friday.
At least one section of the night
attack was directed at the Nazis'
formidable Atlantic wall defenses
against the coming invasion and
came just in time to interrupt a
post-midnight Smelling of the Dover
coast by big German guns across
the channel.
The possibility that other Raj
raiders were plunging deeper into
the continent was indicated by
German radio broadcasts that AL
led planes we're over western Ger
many.
The night action came on the
heels of fierce, swirling aerial
cattle which ragged over Germany
during the American thrust at the
Reich capital. In this savage'bat-
Ting U. S Fortresses and Liberia
tors and their escorts shot down
rs Nazi planes at loss of Is
bombers and 10 fighters.
The Raj flew out last night in
Two great waves-the first heading
across the east coast in the direc-
ticn Of Germany and the second,
much later, sweeping toward
France.
The latter section sped across
the channel just as the Germans
Big Toms opened up their Sc
cond Commandment of the Dover
area within six hours. The Ger
mans had fired only a few shells,
however. before the approach of
the Raj planes abruptly caused
them to be silenced.
short time afterwards anti i
aircraft flares flecked the cloud
covered strait with an eerie glow
and the crash of explosions along
the French coast could be heard.
Observers in Folkestone said
that Boulogne, French port rs miles
across the channel, apparently was
being pounded.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20
Chinese, Americans
Closing On Myitkyina

SOUTHEAST ASIA HEADQUAR-
TIERS, Handy, Ceylon, May 49,
R-Chinese and American jungle
fighters drove into the outskirts
OF Myitkyina yesterday after TAX
ing the main Japanese airdrome
two miles to the south, and two
other elements of a three-pronged
drive converged on the big jap
anese north Burma headquarters
from the west and the north, the
Allied command announced today.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20

10 to 2, with two of the four in
dustry members dissenting.
The effect of the decision is to
transfer the contractual obligation
for existing wage and working con-
ditions from Secretary of Interior
Ickes to the operators, thereby
permitting probable '-ithdrawal of
government control of the mines
covered by the contract.
The decision does not, however,
close the coal case inasmuch as
the Southern Coal Operators asso-
citation is not party to the agree
ment, and therefore is not obi
gated to pay the $40 lump sum set
Element for retroactive travel time
claims.
The southern operator group is
contesting the principle of portal
to portal pay in the courts. Hence
while the day. to day wages in all
soft coal mines will be uniform,
only those miners under the con-
tract will start collecting now the
$40 back pay for travel time.
Edward R. Burke, president of
the southern operators, said that
group would not pay the $40
There is no liability Burke said
land no reason to compromise
liability that doesn't exist. We pro-
pose to carry the court test to
final conclusion and to win it."
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20
Jury Convicts Trio
In Taxicab Staying

NM CHARLOTTE, May 49, Up -
1hfee young Negroes were con-
sicred tonight of first degree mu--
eef Tor the fatal knitting Of Mack
M,lyard, taxi driver, April 81.
Inc verdict makes a sentence OF
oeath In the lethal gas chamber
mandatory for the three-Ralph
thompson, Bessie Mae Williams
eno Annie Mae Allison. A fourth
ee1e2daat Cleve Bryant johnson,
pleaded guilty 20 second degree
murder and turned states witness.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20
Jurist Will Give
Polygamy Verdict

SALT LAKE CITY, May 10. -
P)-Fifteen Salt Lake City men
among 46 persons arrested in four
western states in an investigation
of plural marriage practices-will
hear tomorrow the verdict in their
trial Of unlawful cohabitation char
ges when the district judge who
heard the case without jury
renders his decision.
The Is men are accused of liv-
ing with from two to six women
each-a total of 55-Who are not
their legal wives.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20
|HITLER'S LINE
CRACKING OPEN
7 anks, Infantry Routing
Nazis From Positions:
Equipment Seized

ALLIE D HEADQUAR-
TIERS, Naples, May 19.-(P
.Reeling under Allied blows
which had torn away the Gus
tav line and engulfed more
than 100 towns and villages
in central Italy, battered
German troops fell back in
"disorderly retreat" through
the Hitler line today under a
slashing, relentless attack.
An Allied spokesman declared
that the American and French on
slaught between the Liri Valley
and the Tyrrhenian sea had thrown
the Nazis into a "disorderly re-
treat instead of a mere with
drawal," and that huge quantities
OF enemy equipment were falling
into Allied hands.
Lines of German prisoners
streaming to the rear became long
er, and ever more masses of Allied
guns and armor and men went
forward to press the assault.
American tanks and French in
fantry broke into the Hitler line
at SAINT Olivia on the Liri river
10 miles southwest of Casino Sid
FEEDER, of the Associated Press,
reported in dispatch from the
front.
This was the first disclosure that
the doughboys had joined the
French in their slamming attack
near the center of the battle front
and indicated that American troops
were advancing along a curving
16-nile front extending from the
Liri river to the Gulf of Gaeta
near Formia.
Yanks Poised to Strike
American troops pressing for
ward near the coast were reported
poised before 1tri, an important
road junction four miles northwest
of Formia. The town was under
heavy artillery fire. Monte
Faggeto, lofty peak eight miles
north of Itri, already was in Amer
lean hands.
A Yank breakthrough at Itri
probably would compel the Ger
mans to pull back into positions in
a mountain range extending from
Fondi southWestWard to the sea
near Terracina. This defense line,
would be extremely vul-
nerable to an attack from the rear
by Allied forces on the Anzio
beachhead, and it is doubtful in
any case that it is as strong as
were either the Gustav or Hitler
lines.
The desperate position of the
Hitler line defenders pointed to the
fact that the Allies already had an
excellent start toward their avow-
ed objective of destroying the
Nazi 10th army.
Fighting Together
An Allied spokesman announced
that the Allied Fifth and Eigh-
tn armies we're fighting together as
a single unit for the first time
under Gen. Sir Harold Alexander.
in much the same manner that
two corps within a single army
would function He attributed the
great success of the week-old Of
fensive to excellent work in estab-
fishing communicative quickly
across two mountain masses and
many streams.
At the extreme northern end Of
The active fighting front, Polish
roops who assisted in the capture
II Casino yesterday pressed on
westward to within mile and
lalf of Piedimonte. reputed
trong point of the Hitler line in
Tia Casilina, main highway to
rome.
British and Canadian units of
he Eighth army swept up the Liri
alley in methodical advance on
on Page Two; Col. 81
-V-
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20
ADVANCE IN HONAN

CHUNGKING, May 10. - Up -
Counter-attacking Chinese forces
have driven to within ten miles Of
the big Japanese base of Sinyang
in southern Honan province with
a surprise thrust from the south,
the Chinese command announced
tonight.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20
Labor Board Backs
Mining Wage Pact

WASHINGTON, May 9-(F)-The War Labor Board
approved tonight the wage agreement reached between
John L. Lewis United Mine Workers and than 70 per
cent of the soft coal industry after long record of
controversy and four general coal strikes The decision
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-20

NORTH CAROLINA: PARTLY cloudy .ns
mild today with widely scattered thun.
dershowers in extreme south west nor.
ton this afternoon.
Temperatures yesterday:
High: 83-Low: 60.
Evening star., 1944-04-26
Plune Hits Warehouse:
Three Killed, Two Hurt

BY the Associated Press.
LA JUNTA, Colo, April 26.-Three
Army flyers were killed and two ci-
villain workers were injured yesterday
when training plane taking off
from the La Junta air base careened
into a nearby warehouse.
A dozen civilian employees working
in the werehouse fed to safety as
the building burned to the ground.
The dead included Cadet Myron E.
Gross, 81, South Range, Wis.