davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24
Don't Repeat The Mistake

The war IN the Pacific has reached a stage
where it can be said that Japan virtually has
lost the great island empire which it wrested
from the United States, the Netherlands and
other powers in the first months of the war.
Our position on Leyte island in the Philip
pines seems secure, and the invasion of Min.
doro is meeting with such easy success that
naval bases looking directly upon the South
China sea seem assured. With sea and air
dominion over the Philippines area already
established, the Japanese soon will be sub
stantially cut off from access to the Dutch
East Indies, perhaps even from Singapore and
Burma.
But we should not fall into state of I'm.
timely optimism such characterized our
attitude about the European front. The war
with Japan almost certainly is farther from
end than the German war. After the island
st1ongholds are iquidated or left to die on
the vine, there will remain the tremendous
task of an invasion Of the Asiatic mainland
to be followed by the supreme test-an attack
on the japanese home islands. 1t would be
foolish in the extreme to suppose that sue.
cess in these endeavors will come as readily
as it has come in the island offensive. The
island campaign leads itself to the use of our
naval and air arms and with naval supremacy
there almost is no limit to what we can
achleve in the way of tactical surprise. These
conditions will not prevail in land offensive
against the centers of enemy strength.
The Nation must be prepared for a long anc
costly struggle in Asia, and must not make
the mistake OF assuming that the war etfor
on the home front can be relaxed.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24
A Prayer At Christmastide

autumn flower, fullblown, imprison-
ed in early ice.
Let my shame at needless pro-
family arrive two seconds before, in
stead of one second after, the i'm
pulse to utter blaspheny. and let
me remember more often the re.
ligious awe l felt when I first
heard the surf pounding on the
stormswept shore.
Guard me from illusion that lis.
teners are held in thral by my
tales Of bygone hangovers. land
let me taste. instead, in memory
the unaffected ecstacy Of my first
orange with hole cut in top by
the kitchen knife.
Let there be no moment of any
day, Lord, when M love for my
loved ones is not eloquently mani
fest in my words and actions; let
not my preoccupation with other
things cast a shadow over the
steady light Of my devotion.
Keep me from petty irritations.
Let the impulse to hug my son
hard to my chest flow over me
when eager, confident questions
are about to irk me into impa-
tience. las we'll as when l see
him in soldier cowboy-airplane
dreams on his midnight pillow.
These are just samples, Lord.
What I mean is-While You need
all Of us so much-let me play an
everlasting parley on the little good
that's in me. let me pyramid
my worthwhile emotions into a job
Of work that will really count.
for my family. for my friends.
for my country. for my fellow
man. and through them all for
You.
With all my heart I ask it. Lord
Amen,
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24

patriotic motives. Save me from
the coWardly smirk of agreement
when l don't agree at all.
Keep me from bigotry and false
pride. and let me feel the same
degree of warm self satisfaction
from the friendly smile of my low.
Hest acquaintance as l do from
the infrequent handshake of the
mighty.
Stay my tongue from gossip and
backbiting. and make me think
instead of so living that evil things
may not be said of me when I'm
the one who leaves the room. Let
humility snuff out envy Of others
success; let good will drown my
thoughtless criticism; let me be
generous in praise for those who
still have ears to hear it.
Let me not cravenly turn my
head. muttering unconvincingly to
myself about the miserable pit
lance l give to charity, when a
ragged. begging derelict accosts
me on the street. but give me
ample grace to hear the poor dew
lis story for what it may be
worth.
When l wander into frantic wor-
ry and futile fears. remind me
of that dark night of boyhood, when
the ghostly foots cps which pursued
me, faster and ever faster, across
the vacant lot, turned out to be
the ribs Of my corduroy breeches,
rubbing against each other.
Teach me to think again the SIM
pie thoughts.
Let me be brave enough to say
I don't like smutty stories or. if
that be inconsistent with tolerance
let me at least refrain from reply
ing in kind. and cause me instead
to think as l thought on a day in
my childhood when I found a late
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24
Is There A Santa Claus?

In answer to many requests, the follow
ing editorial written by Francis P. Church
in 1897 for the New York Sun is reprinted:
We take pleasure in answering at once ane
thus prominently the communication below
expressing at the same time our great gratifl
cation that its faithful author is numbered
among the friends Of The Sun:
Dear Editor-I am 8 years old. Some Of
nv little friends say there is no Santa Claus
| papa says If you see it in the Sun it's So
"Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa
Claus?
Virginia OHanlon
els West Ninety-Fifth Street."
VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong.
They have been affected by the skepticism OF
skeptical age. They do not believe except
thew see They think that nothing can be
which is not comprehensive to their little
minds. All minds, VIRGINIA, whether they
be mems or children's, are little. In this great
universe of ours man is mere insect, an
ant in his intellect, compared with the
boundless world about him, as measured by
the 1QlGulSeUCG CdpoDAS Va SAoSFAA'S 'A-~ ''NN-~
of truth and knowledge.
Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a SANTA CLAUS
He exists as certainly as love and generosity
and devotion exist, and you know that they
abound and give to your life its highest beauty
and ioy. Alas! how dreary if there were
then, no poetry, no romance to make toleraole
this existence We should have no enjoyment
except in sense and sight. The eternal light
with which childhood fills the world would be
eNtinguished.
Not believe in SANTA CLAUS? You might
your papa to hire men to watch in all the
chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa
Claus, but even if they did not see SANTA
CLAUS coming down, what would that prove!
Nobody sees SANTA CLAUS, but that is no
sign that there is no SANTA CLAUS. The most
real things in the world are those that neither
children nor men can see. Did you ever see
fairies dancing on the lawn? OF course not,
but that's no proof that they are not there.
Nobody can conceive or imagine all the Won
ders there are unseen and unseeable in the
world.
You tear apart the babys rattle and see
what makes the noise inside, but there is
veil covering the unseen world which not the
strongest man, nor even the united strength
of ali the strongest men that ever lived, could
tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love,
roman &c, can push aside that curtain and view
and picture the supernal beauty and glory be-
You'd. Is it all real? All. VIRGINIA, in all
this world there is nothing else real and abid-
ing.
NO SANTA CLAUS? THANK GOD! he lives.
and he lives forever. thousand years from
now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand
years from now, he will continue to make
glad the heart of childhood.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24

money exchange in war-inflatee
Chinese currency had to be licked
Chinese merchants - and none
are smarter-like the feel of CT
Yankee pocket lettuce and the ex
change rates had the doughboys
fiscal foolish. When they were
handed a bale of crisp, new bank
notes totaling $4,000 Chinese for
one U. S. $40 bill, it seemed like
financial mama.
Brock and helpful, ethical Chi
nese, learned that some exchange
artists were giving Americans
only $240 Chinese for 81 U. S.
while that days going rate was
260 to l. At that rate, money
changer could net profit of SIS
U. S. without much trouble every
day.
So Brock got the dope on the
exchange rate daily and announc-
ed it to shop-bound soldiers. When
CT Joe knows the score, he's hard
to chisel.
Then, Chinese steaks didn't jibe
wit h American memory of
T-bones So this Chicago Manda-
rim" toured the approved restau-
rants and taught cooking. Now a
half-dozen Chengtu restaurants
feature double thick steaks"
The infrequent merchant who
jacks up prices beyond reason is
checked. The word goes out from
Brecks office that some one is
snarpshooting, and CT business
disappears. This crude OPA sys-
tenn works.
To the Yanks, Brecks the final
authority on where, what and
when. From buck private to gen
erals, they consult him on living,
shopping and dining.
He's stuck, though, when asked
where could guy get a date?"
Chinese girls don't date" But,
otherwise, Brock has Chengtu in
hand.
Already, Brock who has learned
China and Chinese, mas been given
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24
SENATE SEEKING
LOUDER SESSION
By TOM. REEDY

WASHINGTON Dec. 23.-Y-
Some senators want micropnOnes
for Christmas.
They are getting tired OF cuppmg
their ears.
The thought Of putting an am
plifying system in the enate
chamber has Mortified members in
the past but now the move is on
again.
1t is gaining support, TOO.
Something might be done about
it in the 18th Congress.
Senator Andrews (D-Fla) has a
resolution to install microphoneS
His Florida colleague, Pepper,
wants to go even further. he
has a proosal to put the Senate
proceedings on the radio.
Support is coming from those
senators whose hearing isn't 50
good any more. Half the time they
aon't know what the other ha1 i
saying.
The Senate is working with the
most important business Of the
generation and this is not time'
,ney feel, to be missing anything
Inc Senate has TO solve some
problems before it can install Ill
crophones however.
One of the biggest difficulties d
presented by t h senators lneN'
selves. Iney walk around alrfle"
ly from desk to desk, talking al
the while. You Just don't N1y Nv.
what part of the chamoei 'ns' "
turn up in next. ,.,.
Anoiner objection that IS os-'
raised is that the Senate may Aa''
to 90 into secret sessions ana S0n'
of the members don't want d.!
wires around that can be 'app'"
Senate Secretary Edwin A HaS''
said that objection has been W." =,
ed before and it carries a Nv
weight. ,,,;,ro.
Some system of portable nll'l'
phones might be worked OUT l..
However they do it, there ! ,s :.
leries. Some days I forget ny .s 20
trumpet and miss lot Of S'''
quotes.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24

The man or woman does not live
nor has ever lived-Who could no,
profit by this Christmas Prayer by
Paul Warwick, which appeared il
The Atlanta Constitution. Read ii
Clip it. On Christmas morning
when all is quiet, slip off into a
corner and read it again 1t will
cleanse the soul and bring peace
to the troubled heart.
This morning, o Heavenly Father
l wish You would turn me wrong,
side out
I'm fine one to be telling You,
but there are millions of Your peo
pie in this war torn world who
are all shiny and bright, inside
where their secret dreams lie
sleeping, but who give off no glow
at all when you look at the part
that shows.
Help me and all those others,
Lord, to wake up those ideals anc
urge them into action. Help me
get control of the little things: the
words and deeds that are blemish.
es on what You intended to be my
immortal soul. Then, the things
that matter most will take care OF
themselves.
To bulWark the unity our nation
needs today, and as personal
habit, Lord, help me to be toler.
ant, even of intolerance Let me
not only cling close to the doc.
trine of live-and-let-live with my
everyday neighbors, but make me
man enough to reason calmly with
my friend when he unthinkingly
echoes some banal but deadly opin.
ion or epithet-charged with ra.
cial. RELIGIOUS or personal r~eiu-
dice which does not spring from
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24

The War y
By KlRKE l.. sI.,poo>,
Associated Press w., ,oN

Bleak battle news from, %SSs
confronted con- t91n home front r Ta[GDs
snls Christmas Eve weekend su sI'
ing. 'lo' lack.
1t seemed clear that tho
old Nazi surprise counts avg week
In Belgium and Luxembouraa' laek
approaching crisis. 1t mad b Was
led deeply through American sp P nun
army forward echelons on t I,s,
once dormant sector bn IA mat
slowing up short of snv Goo; was
result beyond throwjng s sSi
winter offensive plars out of 'ntIea
American losses, unquestiogss esF
neavy both in battle casualties a IVY
material, are yet to be rev ls aaa
The cost to the foe also sin G i.
De reckoned except for one fsc.s W
OF tremendous Significance W.
cry man, tank, plane Or a,,n wv W.,
out OF action in enemy ranks r ps'
resents relatively greater inr ,sg,
INTO German reserve strenn.a
than does any similar Amariss. l
or Allied loss. N''''N
That is the factor that in d.
long run will crush Germanr "is
total defeat. That is the circr, N
stance which inspired the rinoi ,,I,
battle order call by the Ail Is
generalissimo, Genera! Eissn'
hover, to his troops.
by rushing out from fived l.
lenses the enemy may give rs t%.
chance to turn his great 9amT.
into his worst defeat" the Eisen,
mower order said.
There was no 'backs-to.tbe.w.r
or "die-at-your-post" flavor ia hi,
summons. On the contrary tas
general told his armies in effec.
that Nazi desperation had givsn
them an opportunity they Could
rot otherwise have foreseen for
weeks Or months of slogging som
pressure against deeply fortified
German defenseS.
BY every sign available ns
crisis for the Nazis cannot be long
deferred.
The German commander has tL
ly committed to this action
fourth or more of his total avail.
able divisional strength in tbe
west, and far larger pro2ortion
Of his crack field units as distinct
from Fortress troops. If he bs,
overreacned himself as Eisenbow
er and his staff obviously believe
he has, the evidence of it is all
but certain to be clearly apparent
within the next few days.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24
CAREER NOT ENDEDe

Tar Heels around the Capitol read political
motives in Sen Robert R. Reynolds farewell
speech in the Senate last week-and point out
that the junior senator, who declined to stand
for reelection, left himself sprngboard for
re-entry into politics if he so desires. He de-
clared:
mr. President in reference to statements
as to the rebirth of large-scale isolatonism, as
humble citizen Of the American republic, I
wish to express my opinion to the effect that
within two years from now the people of the
United States of America will have turned
again to solationism and to real, genuine
American nationaism.
Il wish to say further, Mr. President, that
in my humble opinion, if we had stuck by
isolationism and attended to our own personal
business, today we would not be involved In
wars everywhere upon the face of the earth
AS l have repeatedly declared in this body
for years gone, unhesitatingly and unblushlng-
ly, l am today more thoroughly in favor OF
isolationism for America, more thoroughly an
American frster and an American nationalist
than ever I was in my life, because nave
observed without any difficulty whatever the
results of internationalism, what 1t mas brought
about in Greece and Poland and elsewhere
abroad. and the consequences of our having
INDUCED in that which is contrary to Amerl-
can firstism and to American iSolationism.'
Should events prove him right, and the rest
of his colleagues wrong Sen. Reynolds, who
plans to open a law practlce mere next year,
may again return to the political arena
CONGRESSIONAL PAY RAISES
When the new Congress convenes IN January,
the representatives and senators are going to
be confronted, once again, with the delicate
question of raising thei: own salaries. bill
to raise the salaries of both groups from $l0,0
to $4,000 year died for want OF acuon last
week and it's supporters are planning to re-
introduce It.
The idea is more logical than it might ap-
pear at first blush, its supporters argue IN
past days, a senator or Congressman was IN
Washington perhaps six months out OF the
year, could devote the rest of the year to
maintaining his private business. Now IN ad-
dition to being required to stay in session Tor
the majority of the year, he must MAINTAIN
two homes More and more OF his time IS
required to handle non-legislatlve problems
between his community and various branches
of an expanded Federal government Like
other white-collar workers, he has been caught
in the rise of cost of living.
Pay raises proposed in the Vmson OH,
which will be reintroduced, are from Slo'ooo
to $4,000 for representatives and senators;
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24
TAR HEEL HONORED

Maritime Commission will name another
Liberty ship, now under construction at Sa
vannah, for North Carolina merchant ma
rine hero. The vessel will be christened the
George R. Poole in memory of F eigh-born,
53-year-olo assistant engineer who died in the
torpedoing of the SIS Gulfstate, tanker, or
April 3, 1913.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24
WITH THE AEF
Meet The OPA Of Chengtu

several flattering offers to stay
here ant manage postwar enter
prises, but he says he'll speak his
Chinese in Wentworth street
chow mein parlor in Chicago after
the war.
Breck is the only son of DR.. and
Mrs. c. J. Breckenridge OF Chi
cagO.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24
BY JOHN GROVER
for Kenneth L. Dixon

CHENGTU, szechwan, China
Delayed - iR - He's the "OPA
Administrator of Chengtu," the
boss of the downtown ward of this
2. 200-year-old west China metrop-
oils. And he's CT Joe who
couldn't order chop suey without
pointing to a menu in his native
Chicago 10 months ago.
On his job, he's a combination
international banker, etiquette au-
thority, lovelorn editor and infor-
nation supervisor. That's PFC. C..
j. (ChicD Breckenridge, who used
to manage a small Chicago loan
office at l North Pulaski street.
"Breck' was assigned desk
in the Chengtu Military Police Of
flee nine months ago, detail Of
the Army Special Service Forces.
He was supposed to help Devil
dered CTS find their way among
the towns more than 100000
equally puzzled Chinese.
The GPs wanted steaks, souye-
Mrs, silks and jewels for the girls
back home. Brock admits he did
not know his elbow from a bale of
hay in Chinese when he first
came.
It's all different now. Some of
the Midwest's "git up and git'
mat made Chicago the Nations
1relght handler" has been trans
planted to this town where pigs
are still toted to market in wheel
barroWs.
An index was made of Chengtu
shops, including an approximate
1alr price schedule Rickshaw
rates were posted to keep payday
happy GTs from blithely paying
eight to ten times the normal tar.
III. Then the vexing problem of
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24
JAPAN PROTESTS
ALLEGED SINKING
OF MERCY VESStI
Rx The Associated Press

Japan's Domei news agens! had
ported today an official PROVE, Cate,
been made to the United , '. .jns.
government over the allegeq , hi,
ing of japanese hospital .r sll6l
the Muro Maru by Am s.rsor
planes in a raid on Mania ii''
December 10. III, vas
Domei said the hospital snip .5.t i
bombed and strafed ana Nv u. The
sank several hours later d.
result of the attacks .,;c.t;oa,
The Federal Comlli" a. IN h.
Commission, which picked w aprosd.
Domei report, said 1t wa ssded fol
cast in English and ln'eH'
American consumption. j. avert.
Domei asserted the U. S , go' ian.
me nui'l had been notified last s1. t 5ss
uary through neutral chs i hospital
the Muro Maru was a .a tlV Cent
ship in accordance with Inc
va Convention.
,,, - bee makes Nv .,
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24

from $4,000 10 s10o, 900 for the pres.
ldent, and from $4,000 to $40 900
Tor the vice-pres;dent, speaker of
The house and cabinet members
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24

The wing of a bee man. wasp
movements Il second -
10; of a fly. $780,
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
a n., II, tho IIal1r Ninhf

Comes again the Holy Night
As in days of long ago;
Waiting hearts again should see
Heaven alight and hearts aglow,
For the Father heart of God
Throbs with yearning love the same
And the Saviour longs to save
As when first to earth He came.
FRED SCOTT SHEPARD.
Evening star., 1944-10-13
|torcoran Gallery 10 Sell
Alumni, Students Work

The Corcoran Gallery of Art an
nounced today 1t will hold a
sales exhibition of work done
|by Corcoran alumni and students
at the gallery from November 4
through November 19. The gallery,
admission free, is opened to the
public from 2 to pm. Sundays,
noon to 4..30 pm. Mondays and 8
am. to 4:30 pm. Tuesdays through
Saturdays.
The gallery also announced 1t will
hold the third annual exhibition of
the Artists Guild of Washington
November 26 through December Is.
Evening star., 1944-10-13
Noodle Plant Assault
Defendant Is Freed

Sung Sui Kuei, 20, was found not
guilty Of assault in the Chinese
noodle factory case q jury in Dis
trict Court late yesterday.
1t was Sung's second trial on
charges arising from shooting
fracas at Howard Lees noodle fac
tory at Fifth and @ streets NV.
on February l, in which he and
a fellow Chinese worker were
wounded and a third employe was
killed.
In the first trial, Sung was found
not guilty of charge of murder
ing Lum Tum, As, his foreman. The
Evening star., 1944-10-13

assault charge was IN connection
with the wounding Of Low Ching.
Low. principal witness for the
Government in both trials. testified
he heard Lum shout. Help, I'm
being robbed" and then heard two
shots fired. He said he opened the
door, saw Lum lying on the floor
and Sung with a revolver in his
hand. Then, he said, Sung turned
and shot him.
Sung contended Low was shot by
Lum as Sung and the foreman
fought for possession of revolver.
Evening star., 1944-10-13
Scribe Teaches and Points

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (P).-
Versatile Maurice A. Jones, school
teacher by day and police reporter
for the Salt Lake Tribune by night,
has taken on another activity. He
entered two paintings at the Utah
State Fair.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-04-20

An old city ordinance demand
ing the inspection of all fresh meat
sold here was revived. Such in
spection was seen as a physical
impossibility, under present condi-
tons Should the law be vigor-
ously enforced, it was shown, op-
orators selling much of the, local
fresh meat would be forced to
close.
DR.. A.. H. Elliot, city-county
health officer. admitted that ex-
animation of all animals slaugh-
tered at various places in the coun-
ty would be an insuperable task
for one veterinarian.
It appeared to be Elliot's con-
clusion, as well as Mr.. Romeo's,
that a central station where ami
mails could be brought for inspec-
ton before slaughtering, and the
meat after slaughtering could be
inspected, would be the soundest
solution.
1t is understood that the Office
of Price Administration through
the State Board of Health is call
ing for the revocation of tempo
rary permits to all slaughtering
houses in New Hanover county
which do not meet health stand
ards. Not single New Hanover
establishment now meets h e
health specifications. A deadline
for the closing of the units oper-
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-04-20
Lee Gravely Backing
M'Donald For Governor

ROCKY MOUNT, April 19-R-
Lee Grovely, tobacconist, a candi
date for the Democratic guberna
torial nomination in 1910, said to
day he would support Ralph Nc
Donald in the current campaign
as governor
Gravely, who served as chair
man of Che senate appropriations
committee during two sessions o.
the General Assembly and as Z
member Of the advisory bulge
commission for four years, said:
certainly McDonald's views O.