davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-29
WHITEVILLE-WINS

WHITEVILLE, March 20. -
-(SpeciaD- Defying a cold
wind and dark overhanging
clouds, the Whiteville and
Wilmington high school base
ball teams hooked up in a hard
fought thriller here this after
noon. with the Columbus Coun-
ty nine capturing 3-2 victory.
The contest was hurting
duel between Whiteville's Bob
by Hickman and Wiimington's
Football Smith. The seashore
lads garnered four blows off
Hickman's offerings, while the
Whiteville stickmen were able
to secure but three off Will
mington's crafty little left
handler.
Randall Dyches. hard-hitting
Wilmington backstop, paced the
batting parade for the after
noon as he belted out a single
and a double off the left field
fence in two appearances to the
plate.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-29
Joe Cronin Is Shedding
No Tears Over Ball Year
BY FRED STABLEY

BALTIMORE, March 28.-lRA
Joe Cronin is one major league
manager who isn't moaning ''ain't
it awful as he looks forward to
the 1914 baseball season in gen.
eral and his own teams prospects
in particular.
The 37-year-old, slightly plump
ish Boston Red Sox boss fairly
beamed good spirits as he peeled
off his leather jacket and shirt in
the dressing room of Baltimore S
International League park-where
the Sox are training-after having
run a dozen or SO of his men,
and himself, through brisk three
hour drill.
Sure, I'll see action. I'll prob
ably be in and out there all year,
the manpower situation being what
it isl Joe said, thus accounting
for his own strenuous workout.
I'm looking forward to one OF
the best baseball seasons in years,
financially and competitively," he
said, land if we can keep most
Of what we have now, we'll be
in the thick Of the fight all the
way"
Most of what we have now in.
cludes an all-veetran infield com
posed of Tony Lupien at first, Bob
by Doerr at second; Cronin AND
Lamar (Skeeter) Newsome al
short, and Jim Tabor at third; Box
Johnson, Pete Fox and handful
of hopefuls and the outfield; left
handed Oscar Judd and bunch
Of fellows named joe for the
other pitching and catching assign
ments.
Some of them, however, includ
ing Cronin himself, are likely to q
the way Ted Williams, Dom Di
maggie, Frank Pytlak, Tex Hugh
son and a long list of others have
gone-to Uncle Sans ball club.
But" Cronin said, shrugginE
off the losses, 1.-The way thing
stand now any club can beat an.
other club on any given day, ant
that means good baseball"
He blames baseball's difficultie
last year ION the worst sprinl
weather in years" and the expert
menting the clubs were doing t
find the right times to start thel
games. Everything should be Sc
now, he opines, with night game
paying particularly heavy divl
dends.
With only IS players on hand
the squad so far is Approximately
at half strength, but Doerr, New
some and other are expected me
mentarily. The first practice gam
is next Monday against the Maya
Academy.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-29
SPORTS TRAIL

should have a spot on the list
which at least is unusual. Every
tnlng Johnny eve, did was unusual.
his double no lit performance was
unusual, which is something of an
understatement His strikeout rec.
orc was unusual, His base on ball
record was unusual. He was usual
" very good or very bad on the
mound. His desire to be sent back
to the minors in 1910 for more
seasoning, after a siege of illness.
not to say wiidness, was unusual.
He's the unusual Johnny Wander
Mee1 and, like many another play-
er, he's dropping out when he ap-
parently was Oil the Threshold of
Els best years. He was good last
year, lot bette1 than his record
OF Is victories against 16 defeats
lrdicates. HIS teammates Just
couldn't hit for him, and four of
his defeats were shutouts.
That's why we got a kick out
NAAeS, general manager OF the
Reds, after his induction. He re-
marked he woulc like to have the
Reds play Sampson, as he would
like to pitch against Giles heavy.
hitting club. 70, can just imagine
Johnny mentally understanding
those words, heavy FITTING"
Anyway, he'll &c down in nation
al league history as the 200th play
er to enter the service. There will
be quite few more indicted be-
fore the draft runs its course. the
total probably reaching a figure
that will make you wonder a little
how the league can operate. But
X will, and We have an idea that
what the PLAY lacks in sheer class
II will make up in sheer competi-
ton. Right now nobody can pick
nothin', as they say, when it comes
to doping a winner.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-29
Four Basketball Rules
Revised By Committee

NEW YORK, March 28-lR-The
National Basketball Committee,
making the first important changes
in basketball rules in two years,
today moved to eliminate goal
tenders" by sharply restricting
their activities.
Requested by the college coaches
to make some move to curb exces-
sively tall players, who have been
used in recent seasons to bat shots
away from the baskets, the COM
mittee complied by forbidding de-
fensive players from touching the
ball on it's downward flight on a
shot for the goal. The penalty is
the award of field goal, the only
exception being when the ball OBJ
viously is falling short of the bas-
ket.
Three other rules changes made
during a two-day session were:
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-29
BOOKING ACTION
CARDED FRIDAY

Vance Beard, Wilmington's fight
ing redhead and recently crowned
middleweight champion of the
North Carolina Shipbuilding Com
oany, will be cunning for another
knockout victory Friday night at
the American Legion Arena as he
takes on Johnnie Bruce Back,
lanky Tabor City ring veteran.
This battle will be the featured
tracas on a ten-bout card, which
starts at $3.50.
A victory for Beard would en-.
title him to fight with challenger
Buddy Best, provided Best gets by
Jimmy Curran, a hard hitting
Camp Davis pug, in the semi-final
event on Friday nights show.
Many local fight fans are hoping
to see both Beard and Best emerge
victorious, so that the two might
clash. In recent bout Beard
handed the clever Best the first
knockout of his career. Best states
that he feels that he would be
able to turn the tide in a retlrn
engagement, and the ring addicts
predict that this would present one
Of the hardest fought scraps staged
here in recent years.
Another. headliner on the card
will be an encounter pitting Ace
Parker, 210 pound Erwin, N. c.,
slugger, against Pate Fish, a 1875
pound shipyard leather singer.
These professional boxing match
es will be the initial ones promot-
ed by former boxer Huck Lilies,
who has announced a cut in the
prices that will bring the ringside
seats 20 $1.10. the bleachers to SIS
and all servicemen's admittance
set for $50.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-29
Injury Fails To Stop
Reds Van HARRINGTON
Ey CHARLES CHAMBERLAIN

BLOOMINGTON, Ind, March %.
IRA severe knee injury has
helped, rather than hindered, wiry
Van Harrington c h n C e S of
breaking into the major leagues.
The $50 pound North Carolina
rookie filched So bases for SYRIA
cuse, N. Y. last year to lead the
international League, and now
promises to become one of the
most fearless runners the Cincin-
natl Reds have ever had-as well
as adding a dash Of color to a
club which has lacked it in re-
cent years.
Harrington, a second baseman,
led Syracuse in hitting with .291
and pilfered his bases with a knee
in such bad shape that he had to
warm it up before he could play.
Many a cool night he kept a heat
ing pad around it so he would be
able to walk the following day.
The cartilages were torn from it
in 1912 when 210 pound player
slid into him at second base. 1t
threatened to end his baseball ca
reer, but last season he came back
and did his thievery with a new
method of sliding which he had
to develop to protect the knee.
He literally plunges head first in.
to his job, for he has found it
more profitable to dive for the
sack instead Of going in feet first
His draft board took look al
his left knee, which resembles q
big knot in a tree trunk, and list
ed him for limited service.
Harrington injured his other knee
and also was spiked last July aftel
he had stolen 80 bases. For si1
weeks he was unable to risk ;
slide. Thus, he failed to reach hi
goal of breaking the Internationa
League record of 70 thefts set b.
George Stirnweiss of Newark il
1912.
II got IS or 20 bases by divini
for the bag" says Harrington
land I could have made more i
I had kept it up. The knee doesn'
bother me when l run, once
gets warmed up, but feel safe
, when I dive for base than whe
, go in feet first. When I go i
with my feet I have to turn
, peculiar angle on my side to pre-
tect my knee and even then Tr
not sure it will work.
Harrington thinks the main rec
= uisite of a base stealer is to stud
the pitchers and try to outgues
: them or confuse them, which h
did at least four times last yea
= when he stole home while the hur
: err was trying to catch man o.
first.
. The most sacks he filched in on
game was four, and the best Sc;
son he ever had prior to last yea
was Is steals in his first pro 10
with his home team, Thomasvill'
N. c.. in 1898.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-29
By WHITNEY MARTIN

NEW YORK. March 28.-,AL
The national league has gone to
war. and if you don't believe it
here are the figures: At the latest
count there were 203 players on
the league service roll. The PLAYERS
limit of club during the last
three months or so of a season
is Is men, making a total roster
Of 200.
That would indicate that every
man in the league had gone into
the service, but the catch is that
some of those who have departed
were minor leaguers who had new
Ell played big league game. How
YER they were on the lists of 40
men each club was allowed to car.
ry until the date when it was
forced to slice its active roster to
IS.
At that, it's .. fine showing, and
tells the story better than anything
Use of why baseball this wear
won't be up to standard and why
eutfielders will be playing third
base and sho~tstops may be catch
ing.
As if the departure of the 2Ooth
man to make a man in uniform
for every man playing called for
name player, the man officially
listed at league headquarters as
No. 200 is Johnny Wander Nicer.
now taking boot training at the
Sampson (N.Y> Naval Training
Station. The names are listed at
headquarters in the order in which
they arr received from the respec-
tive clubs, and there may be more
than the 2G3 on record. but as far
as the league is concerned Wander
Nicer is the 200th.
IT'S fitting loo, that Johnny
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-29
ROOSEVELT STILL
FAVORS INDUCTION

Hershey told Providence. r.
l.. Rotary club meeting that he
was ready to ask the armed serv-
ices to induct INTO work battalions
any At regisirarts who are able
to work but are not contributing
materially and substantially" to
the war effort
The time has passed when any
citizen of the United States can
sit by and not give his full effort
to winning this war" he said. Her
shey said more than 3,500,000 men
have been deferred as unfit for
military service and declared there
for for too much evidence" that
once the possibility of induction
disappeared such registrants tend
ed to stop working or to engage
in activities OF little or no sig
nificance in the winning of the
war. :"
Hershey said the army has par
ticularized-it wants young men,"
II don't know exactly why" he
added, but I believe it is because
they want infantry requirements
who are young
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-29

sociations, the Y. M. C. A. and
two Canadian groups, considered
several other proposed solutions Of
the goal tending problem.
Oswald Tower, longtime mem
Der of the rules committee and
editor of the Basketball Guide, ex-
planned that these suggestions were
discarded because we hoped to
make the rule so strict that no one
would want to try goal tending
A rule in effect for some time
has prohibited players from touch
ing any part of the basket or from
reaching into an imaginary cylind
err above the basket ring to deflec1
the ball. The new rule, Tower said
extends this prohibition while il
does not affect the right of de.
fensive player To jump and deflec1
a shot as it leaves the shooter s
hands
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-29

l. Raising from four to five the
number of personal fouls player
may commit before being disquali-
fled from the game.
2. Permitting players to re-enter
the game an unlimited number of
times instead of being restricted
to two re-entries after once leaving
the court.
g. Granting the officials authority
to suspend play Immediately in the
case of an injury to player
Under present rules officials cannot
stop play for an injury unless the
injured players team is in pos
session of the ball or until the play
in progress at time of the injury
has been completed.
The committee. including repre-
sentatives of the National Colleg-
late A. A., the National Federation
of State High School Athletic AS
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-29
Ex.Clemson Star Booty
Payne Reported Missing

GREENvILLE, S. c., March %
--R-Lieut. Walter {Booty) Payne.
one of Clemson Colleges outstand-
ing football stars, is listed as
missing in action since he took
part in an aerial raid on Germany
March 9, according to a War De-
partment message to his parents,
Mr.. and Mrs. W. e. Payne OF
Greenville.
Lieut.. Payne, BIZ pilot, quit
Clemson in his junior year two
years ago to enter the air serv-
ice. He went overseas in January.
He was ene Of four brothers IN
the army.
As student, Payne, playing
tailback, not only flashed across
the gridiron like a comet but ne
was one of the best punters OF his
time and a capable passer.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-29
IRISH AUTHOR
TRACES U. S. ANTHEM

BELFAST, Northern Ireland R
After more than a year OF re
search, Sam Henry, Irish author
and antiquarian, has uncovered IN
formation which he says suggests
that the tune of 'Th. Star Span
gled Banner" was written about
1850 by b. ,dsman William
M'Keag, Of the Royal Inniskllllas
Fusiliers. and adopted as the regi.
mental air.
Henry says that the Eighth Bat
talon of that regiment detected
from the ranks and raced to de-
fend the hol :es Of their kinsmen
when the French invaded ireland
at County Mayo in 1893. They
were dismissed from the army
and emigrated in body to Bos'
ton, taking their marching tune
with them
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-29
FIRING NOTICE

Firing will be conducted by
the Headquarters Antiaircraft
Artillery Training Center of
Camp Davis at Holly Shelter
March 81 from 8-10:3O p.m.;
April l from 8 AIMS p,m.;
Firing will be conducted at
Sears Landing Firing Point,
Sector No. 2 April 2-9, inclu-
sive, from 8 am. to II p.m.;
Danger Zone: Water area
known as Sector No. 2 to in
clude a distance off shore of
$4,000 yards at Sears Landing,
and the air area above the
water area up to an altitude a
60. 900 feet.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-29
a 3 y S;z&sz:z = IlSSZZ.
\, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
2 NAal9 = BIAS BALl, t#a ca
LlTRA1NlNC CA MPSl.1l

COLLEGE PARK, March %. -
P-Eddie Butka, Swapping lad
who came up from Springfield
in the New England league, ap-
parently has clinched a job as
utility infielder with the Washing
ton Senators.
Butka was tabled as first
baseman at the start of the spring
training season but lately has been
handling the chores at every in
field post. Manager Ossie Bulge
is satisfied that his search for
an extra infielder is ended.
Butka is President Clark Crit
fith's discovery. Griffith took him
from Canonsburg, Pa, to the
ashington training camp in
1910 and then sent him, out to the
minors. He batted .290 for Spring
field last year.
LAKEWOOD, N. j., March 28.-
R)-The New York Giants worked
out for three hours today, veteran
Ace Adams having his first turn
of the year on the mound by pit
ching in batting practice. Bill Vol
selle, Frank Seward and Ken
Brondell also threw to the bat
tiers.
On nearby Hartnett field Carl
Hubbell put IS tryout youngsters
through the PAGES after the Jer-
sey City farm club had finished Its
practice. An interested onlooker
was Manager Mel OFT, who was
outdoors for the first time since
becoming i'll Of influenza last week.
BEAR MOUNTAIN, N. Y, March
% -(P)- Chief scout Wild Mat,
thews' check up today showed
there were 70 players In the
Brooklyn Dodgers camp
The feature workout of three
practice drills to be held tomor
row will be a game between the
Dodgers and West Point Cadets at
West Point. Before the contest a
SQUAD will engage in drill IN the
Army cage and while the Army
came is on Matthews will have an
other batch of players working
out here. ,.,,
Curt Davis, Bob Chapman, Bill
Tanner and Hal Gregg have been
selected for mound duty agalns'
the Army team.
Two indoor sessions were helc
today.
FRENCH LICK, Ind, March %
- (R The inaugural exhibition
game of the Chicago Cubs witt
the Cincinnati Reds was wiped ou
today by soggy baseball tlele
and low temperatures.
Tomorrow the Cubs will fac'
their ancient enemies, the Chlca
90 White Sox, at Freeman Field
Manager Jimmy Wilson of thu
Cubs plans to use pitchers Hany
zewski, Wyse, Fleming and Bur
rows.
ATLANTIC CITY, N. j., Marcl
II % -lR- The Yankees announces
tonight the purchase of Secon'
Baseman Mike Molly Milosevlcl
20 from their Kansas City farm
. in the American Association.
! Milosevieh, classified 2 B in tn
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-29

draft, is a native of Ziegler, III.
He has been in the Yankee chain
for the last nine years. Last year
he hit .243 and drove in AZ runs
in 139 games for Kansas City. He
reports Monday.
First Observation-Disclosures Jack
Phillips, property of the Newark
Internationals, another farm, re-
ported from Buffalo that he had
passed his pre-induction physical
exam, but would return to camp
and play until called.
Earlier, Pitcher Bill Zuber join
ed the club, leaving Charley Wen
sloff as the only remaining pitching
absentee.
FRENCH LICK, Ind, March %.
= up Manager Jimmy Dykes of
the Chicago White Sox said to-
day he would start Thornton Lee,
whose arm has been ailing for
two weeks, against the Chicago
Cubs in their first exhibition game
tomorrow at Freeman field.
Lee is greatly encouraged with
the condition of his left arm after
last falls operation. Hal Trosky,
former Cleveland Indian, who has
been in retirement for two years,
is scheduled to start at first base.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-29
JAPS CONTINUE
BURMA ATTACKS
Continued from Page One)

NCUICIHUtU ITUHI Tdge OHeJ
terattacks between Maungdaw and
Buthedaung.
Allied fighter pilots reported a
highly successful attack on
enemy positions southwest of Bu-
thedaung and heavy bombers des-
troyed japanese supply dumps in
the Kamaing area.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-29
BELGIAN SHIP LAUNCHED

SOUTH PORTLAND Me-. March
28.-(P)-Symbol of Belgian deter
mination in that little nations
struggle against aggressor Ger
many, the S. S. Belgian Tenacity
was launched today at the New
England Shipbuilding Corporation
yard.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-29

Bad Bill Bartush, armed with
mis- famous 'Twister' hold, says
that he is ready for his clash with
DR.. Len Hall, the battling phar-
macis. turned grappler, on the mat
card at ITALIAN Hall Friday night.
In another topflight fracas Jerry
Meeker and Jack Dillon collide in
return match. Meeker won a
bout from rowdy Jack last Friday
when he gave him an eye cut that
necessitated five stitches. Friday
affray is expected to truly be a
bloody engagement.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-29

ATLANTIC CITY. N. j., March
% -(R- The Yankees announced
tonight the purchase OF Second
Baseman Mike Molly Milosevlch
20 from their Kansas City farm
in the American Association.
Milosevieh, classified 2 B in the
Smyrna times., 1944-08-31

the same time We published HON.
er's letter written from Burma.
Who would have ever believed that
Our Boys would have been so wide
ly separated, all over this world, as
they are to-day. 1t just don't make
sense, however, we all know it to
be a fact. Let us all hope that
this kind of a thing will never
come to pass again for hundreds
of years to come-if ever. We call
ourselves civilized, but there is
something lacking when we allow
wars to destroy so much of so
many things. AS 1 remarked be-
fore, it just doesn't make sense.
Please give both Homer and Will
liam Dribbles' best wishes the next
time you write them. Tell them
that the invitation to join in with
many of the other Boys is stand
ing one, and that we hope they will
take advantage of the offer fire.
quently.
Smyrna times., 1944-08-31

33381816, Service Company, Sind
Armored Infantry Battalion, A. P.
o. No. 259, Camp Polk, Louisiana.
Should any further change of ad-
dress occur, I will let you know.
1 guess you still have T-5 Ralph
E. Handy, A. S N. 333S170S, A. P.
o. No. 464, C Postmaster, New
York Citl, New York. He is now
stationed in the Mediterranean
area. I hear from him quite Of
ten.
was wondering if you have the
address of Woodrow Wilson Bur-
ris? He used to work for us, and
I think we should write him.
If all reports are true, this war
will soon be over in thesEuropean
area. I'm praying that it will
happen within the next few weeks.
Gods will be done.
My brother George is acting as
cook. I wish you could hear of the
numbers of pies and cakes that he
bakes. He tells me that he makes
as high as SIS and go pies at a
time.
You will be hearing from me if
any changes occur in either of the
above listed addresses.
Yours very truly,
Mrs. Laura Dunning
Smyrna times., 1944-08-31

Dribbles is indebted to Mr.. David
E. Smith, Townsend, Delaware, R.
d. No. 8, for the use of the letter
published above. Mr.. David E.
Smith has two sons in the Service.
John is a Motor Machinist Mate
third class, in the U. S. Navy, and
George is a Sergeant, Staff Ser
geant at that, in the u. S. Army,
4th Tow Target Squadron at Liber-
ty Field, Camp Stewart, Georgia.
Johns address was first entered in
this column on July 18th, 1914,
whereas George has ben one of the
Boys since February 18th, 1913.
Both of these fellows are a bit
bashful about writing in to the
column; however, if my old friend
Mr.. David E. Smith will keep me
informed on all changes of address,
We'll try to list their names cor
rectly for our readers as time goes
on.
Smyrna times., 1944-08-31
Norfolk, Virginia


Hello Dad: /:
How is everything? Well, I hope.
I'm getting along fine. I was
just moved again recently to Nor
folk Navy Yard. The U. S. Navy
is giving me instructions on a new
engine they just put out. At the
same time + am learning some
thing about refrigeration and wat
er purification-making fresh wat
er from sea water. I will be here
for three or four weeks, then I will
join my old crew at Little Creek.
I have good chance of getting a
higher rating while I am here.
Well, please tell all the folks 1
have been asking for them.
Your son,
John
John F. Smith, Mo. M. M. Sc
D. E. Post Office Unit
l.. S. M. Group No. lob
N. T. S. Norfolk IL, Virginia
Smyrna times., 1944-08-31
Service Honor Roll

Pvt. Clarence F. Council
A. S. N. 42083486
Co C, 10th I. R. T. C.
Camp Joseph T. Robinson
Little Rock, Arkansas
Pvt. James C. Deacon
A. S N. 20257252
A. P. o. 957, o Postmaster
San Francisco, California
balance of address on application
1t. Grace ]. Desmond
A. S. N. N755376
A. P. o. 1922, Postmaster
San Francisco, California
balance of address on application
Sgt. John H. Dyer, Jr.
A. S. N. 2013807
Tilton General Hospital
Ward No. %
Fort Dix, New Jersey
1t. S. Kassal
A. S. N. 0-1684319
A. P. o. PIG, Postmaster
New York City, New York
Balance of address on application
Smyrna times., 1944-08-31
Townsend, Delaware

Townsend, Delaware
Dear Dribbles:
I received a letter the other day
from a friend overseas relating to
the death of my son, Sergeant
James L. McClain, who was killed
in action in the European theatre
of war.
I would appreciate very much if
you would publish the contents of
this letter in your column called
Dribbles which you write for Our
Boys and Girls in the Service.
Thanking you, I remain
Yours truly,
Mrs. James L. McC1ain, Sr.
Smyrna times., 1944-08-31

A-C John NJ. Fleming
A. S. N. 420S2399
Barracks 6-E-Class Ash
2550th AAF, Base Unit (C.P.S.-P)
Coleman, Texas
CONTINUED on Page four)