davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29
HEADS
AMERICA S FARLEY
Pan American Union To
Be Ignored By Mexico
City Meeting

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28.-UP)-,
Secretary of State Edward R. Stet-
tinius, Jr., will head the United
States delegation to the forthcom-
ing meeting in Mexico City Of
delegates Of the United and As
ISOLATED Nations OF the Americas"
which, for the first time since
1898, will ignore the Pan Ameri-
can Union, it was disclosed to-
night.
The conference, to be held ap-
proximately February l to Fehru-
airy Is, will replace the consulta
tive meeting of American foreign
ministers which Argentina has re-
quested through the Pan American
Union to consider problems OF the
Buenos Aires government Inter
national relations.
Neither Argentina nor ell Saliva
dor will be invited. Were the Pan
American Union consulted and its
procedural machinery used, an in
vitation would have to be extend
ed to both countries because they
are members Of it.
Groundwork for the conference
the first ever planned without
prior consultation with the govern
ing board-will be laid tomorrow
at a meeting here of State De-
partment officials and ambassa-
doris of friendly Latin-American
nations.
Purpose of the ''junta Of ambas'
sadors'' is to arrange to bypass
Continued ON Page Two; Col. ~
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29
Five Yanks Are Shot
And Stomped In Face
By Nazis At Bastogne

WITH AMERICAN FORCES ON
THE WESTERN FRONT. Dec. %
-(UP)-An American lieutenant
and four Doughboys, who had sir,
rendered after being surrounded
by the Ger mans west of
Bastogne, were shot in cold blood
by their Nazi captors who the,,
stomped their faces with hobnailed
boots.
The story was told by survivor.
who crawled to American lines
severely wound d and described
the atrocity while a doctor treated
his wounds
There were six in the patrol
which was forced to surrender, the
survivor related, The Germa rs
perfunctorily questioned the men
and then shot them. When they
fell to the ground, the Nazis kick
ed them brutally in the face with
their heavy boots.
The survivor saiu he stifled a
temptation to cry out from pain
from the stomping and played
dead, laser crawling back to his
own lines.
American authorities said they
had checked and verified the
story.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29

You just got to learn this fighting
business right
Not all the Americans left in
Bastogne were talking. There was
a long line of ambulances fililD9
away from the city along the open
highway route, taking priority ov-
er incoming supplies, which still
are arriving by air in part.
Rochetto and his friends leaned
on their Garands in the shadow Of
a shelled building and told how it
felt to fight inside the Bastogne
pocket.
mostly we minded the rain,
snow and cold," Rochetto said.
God bless them CATS and them
Thunderbolts. They really kept us
going when things got tough.
Continued on Page ThrN; Col. a
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29
GENERAL FLIES
FROM u. S. TO
BE WITH UNIT

WITH us. BIRD ARMY TROOPS
In Bastogne, Dec, %. - CUP -
Maj. Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor OF
the 1O1st Air Borne Division, who
was in Washington when his divi-
sion was trapped inside Bastogne.
flew the Atlantic Ocean, and Slip
ped through enemy lines in a
speeding jeep 10 he with his men in
the final phase of the battle, 1t
may be revealed tonight.
The fighting general, comman-
der of one Ct Americas toughest
divisions, left Washington Christ
mas Eve.
He arrived inside the Bastogne
pocket two days ago, after a wild
dash through enemy territory in
a jeep carrying him, his aide and
one other officer.
By the time he got there, his
men already had knocked out
nearly $50 German tanks, Is en-
envy halftracks and had fought Oft
as many as four German divisions
at one time in desperate battle
to keep the enemy from the vital
Belgian road center.
His division arrived at Bastogne
with other American troops alrea-
dy there, and decided to stay and
fight it out to the last.
At the end of the first day, the
German rooos were blocked in IN
attempt to storm the city from the
east. They famed out to the north
an ultimately completed the en-
circlement Of Bastogne. But they
failed to break the iron ring which
the Americans established AROUND
the city.
On Christmas Eve the Bastogne
garrison was completely surround
ed
At 3 am. Christmas morning,
the Germans launched the biggest
Continued on Page Two; Col, ~
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29
CHURCHILL, EDEN
END ATHENS TALK
? air Expected To Present
Views On Regency
To Greek King

: ATHENS, Dec. o. UP) -
Prime Minister Churchill and For
eign Secretary Anthony Eden OF
Great Britain have left Athens,
echoing with the gunfire of civil
war, for London where they will
recommend personally to King
George of Greece that he accept
regency as a preliminary step
to solving the problems OF the
strife-torn country, it was an
nounced today.
Before they left, Damaskinos
archbishop of Athens and Greece,
who presided over two-day con-
ference of Greek leaders sum-
moned at Churchills request
Tuesday,, told them the conferees
wanted a regency set up immedl-
ately as an essential prelude to
the solution of many other prob
lens before the conference, ac'
cording to a communique from
British Ambassador Reginald
Leeper.
'Mr. Churchill and Mr.. Elder
undertook on behalf of His Maj
esty's government to recommend
their acceptance of this course tt
the King of the Hellenes," said the
communique. Authoritative quar-
tiers said the two British leaders
may take the matter up personal
ly with King George of Greece
when they reach London.
1t was believed the direct actor
was designed to overcome the
Kings reported GOODNESS toward 6
regency. A regency would replace
the government of Premier George
Papandreou, which is opposed by
the Greek ELIAS, armed forces o.
the Left-Wing Fam, the Nationa
Liberation Front. The British have
supported the Papandreou govern
ment, and their troops are tight
ing the ELIAS.
1t was understood that Papan
dreou had sent the King his res
ignation and ged the appoint
ment of three-member regency
ELIAS delegates to the confer
ehce repeatedly favored establish
Continued on Page Two; Col. q
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29

of the war. They admitted they
were glad to see the tanks.
"Of course, we amt talking
about armor, mind you,' said ia
Domonic ]. Rochetto, %, Spring
Valley, N. D., after he and his
buddies had talked of the private
character Of the fight. 1--WE are al
ways plenty glad to see armor and
the Air Corps. But we don't need
no infantry help right onw.''
.'Those Germans were too young
for u.s." said Pfc. Raymond De.
roster, Hartford, Conn.,, who ad,
mits being "a years old. Hell,
they are just kids. Yesterday, me
and two other guys captured seven
and killed five before they knew
we even were near them.
"1t's all in knowing how, mister.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29
Submarine Seawolf
Lost After Taking
Heavy Toll OF Foe

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2S.- R -
Loss of the ASTON submarine Sea-
wolf, which had taken a heavy toll
of Japanese shipping was announc-
ed today by the Navy which pre-
suned that the crew of at least
81 men had persisted.
1t was the Gath submarine and
the 239th U. S. Naval vessel lost
from all causes in this war.
American submersibles, however,
have sunk 934 Jap ships.
The five-year-old Seawolf, skip
pered by 1t. Cmdr Albert M. Bon
tier of White Plains, N. Y, was
the second submarine of that
name to meet disaster. The first
Seawof ran aground in 1920 on an
island off lower California and
sank during salvage operations.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29
Soviet Units
In Budapest.
Nearing Goal
Bloody Street Fighting
RACES; Tovaros Is
Captured

LONDON, Dec. 28-(P)-
Russian troops captured II
more eastern suburbs Of
Budapest today, one of them
six miles from the heart OF
the city, as other units swept
on westward to within So
miles of the Austrian from
tier and go miles from
Vienna, Austrian capital.
The Russians were only two
miles from the eastern city limits
of Budapest.
AS shock troops Of two power
full Red armies fought in the
streets of the half of Budapest or
the west bank of the river and
through the eastern suburbs, the
others pushed on westward along
both sides of the Danube where ir
curves westward between Hung
airy and Czechoslovakia towarc
Vienna.
Marshal Rodion Y. Malinovsky' (.
Second Ukraine Army striking
north ? of the great river reached
the Hron (Garam) river on 30
mile front from Leva Uevicel
down to the Danube, thus reach!
ing points within IS miles east d
Bradshaw, Slovak capital, and 6
miles from Vienna.
simultaneously, below the river
in Hungary, elements of Marshal
Feodor I. Tolbukhin' Third
Ukraine Army drove "a mics
northwest Of budapest along he
main railway to Vienna and cap
tured Tovaros, only 63 miles south
east of Bradshaw and 81 miles
from Vienna.
A total of 3,4e4 German and
Hungarian prisoners were taken
during the days bloody fighting
in Hungary and Slovakia. the Mos
cow communique said.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29
AirForceHeld
SeekiingUse0f.
DaviisHospital
Local Camp Ordered To
Remain Open Pending
Investigation

The Army Air Forces have
placed a formal request for
use of Camp Davis, especially
hospital f a CT it i e S, it was
learned from a reliable source
in Washington yesterday.
Representative =. Bayard Clark,
in an interview with Allen j..
Green. Star-News Washington cor
respondent, announced yesterday
that the War Department had ord
cred the big anti-aircraft artillery
center to remain open pending a
further investigation.
1t was revealed that the House
Military Affairs Committee is con-
sidering a report, in which future
use of the camp is urged by the
committees chief investigator and
Col Adam E. Potts, camp COM
mander. .-.a
1t was emphasized in the House
report that Camp Davis was con-
structed in pre-pr:ority days, when
the supply of construction mate
rails was not limited.
A repo, from Col. Potts averred
that e all the station hospitals
in the Fourth Service command,
the station hospital at Camp Da-
Wis rams first in health condi-
tons. c.. mp Davis also has one
of the lowest maintenance cost
lates in the command" the re-
port added.
Col. Potts does not like the
idea of having such splendid
camp with such splendid facilities
remain out of operation, the re-
port continued, especially when
such camps are needed and many
others with much inferior facili-
ties are being operated and the
committee investigator concurs III
this
At Camp Davis, Col. Potts an
nounced that he would lower the
flag, which has waved over the
post since 1941. at retreat Sunday
afternoon, and the installation will
be turned over to Brig. Gen. r. L.
Fowler, division engineer in At
lanta.
Informed later in the day Of the
order to keep the camp open, ne
said he would &C through with the
ceremony, adding that "the re
opening will be a new chapter
in the camps life.
Dismantling OF some of the utili-
ties at the camp has been started
but has not advanced to stage
that will affect the water and
sewerage services to Holly Ridge
residents. Although definite word
as to future steps was not avail
able in official quarters this after
noon, it is understood that the
War Department S new order halts
further activity along this line.
In a telegt er1 to r. B. Page,
publisher of he Star-News, Felix
a. Grisette. Chapel Hill, of the
State Planning Board, reported
that he had been advised that any
Continued on Page Two; Col. y
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29
Foe Battered
Back Along A
35-Mile Front
Third Army Push May Be
Decisive Battle OF
German War

PARIS, Dec. 28-(P)-Lt.
Gen. George S. Patton's Third
Army, with a typical light
ming blew, was believed to-
night to have broken the back
of the German winter often
sive and was battering back
the enemy's southern flank
on a 35-mile front in what
may be the wars decisive
battle.
Berlin radio announced tonight
that German spearheads menacing
the Mouse river as well as TINT
on the southern flank had been
Withdrawn 'according to plan" as
the U. S. First and Third Armies
attacked fiercely from north, west
and south.)
Hammering gains up to 16 miles
in six days through the wooded
hills of Belgium and northern Lux
embourg, Patton's powerful mo-
bile army. punching up from the
south, rescued the heroic Ameri-
can garrison at Eastogne and to
the east beat back the German
wave after it had swept to within
Is miles of Luxembourg's capital.
The hard-driv-ng Patton, Ameri-
cas- No. l tank general, was given
the job of stemming the enemy's
surprise offensive three days after
Won Rundstedt struck December
is and tonight, Associated Press
Correspondent Hawkins declared,
it appeared the back of the Ger
man drive was broken.
simultaneously. the =. 5. First
Army hit back savagely from the
north, carving out gains OF almost
a mile and half in the northwest
corner of the German salient point
ed toward the fortress of Liege and
the Allied feeder highways to the
port of Antwerp.
These twin developments, fraught
with peril for the German plan to
split the Allied armies and slash
across their Gfelines, presumably
were up to noon yesterday, and
subsequent developments shroud-
ed in a security blackout may have
marked up .lore gains.
One thing was clear. Today, the
18th since the Germans rolled out
of the Reich and through the thin
Il held American lines in the Arden
mes, was the first that no enemy
gains were reported.
On the contrary, the three Ger
man armies committed to the
Continued on Page Two; Col. 81
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29
Patton Breaks Back OF Nazis' Winter Drive
Red Spearhezas Within 90 Miles Of Vienna
Wards HeaoRefuses To Accept u. S. Seizure
l,200Big u s. Planes
Hfl4Nqzi Railroads
Luftwaffe Grounded By Heavy Clouds AS
American Liberators And Forts Bomb
Enemy; Four Bombers Lost

strong force of Raj Lancasters
smashed rail workshops at Opla-
den, II miles north of Cologne.
The American fleet devastated its
targets by shortly after noon, and
a second Raj force roared out
in the afternoon to hit Cologne.
A third Raj force of Lancasters
and Halifaxes returned to the at
tack last night with raids on rail
targets at Bonn and Munchen-
Gladbach, both vital transporta-
ton arteries west of the Rhine
The same overcast conditions
which grounded the Luftwaffe
also kept U. S. Ninth Air Force
tactical planes out of the air. Front
reports said the Ninth failed to
fly a single sortie. although some
few planes of the Second Tactical
Continued on Page Two; Col. 81
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29
MlTSCHER Sees
JAP NAVY'S END
Liquidation OF Fleet Prob
able Within a Year,
He Says

u. S. PACIFIC FLEET HEAD
QUARTERS, Pearl Harbor, D e c.
% UP) The Japanese fleet
probably will be iquidated within
a year if 1.-The present rate of at
triton is maintained Vice Adm.
Marc A. Mitscher, veteran of fast
carrier task force operations, said
today on his return to the Pacific.
Mitscher expressed h S opinion
that "by next summer the Japs
will be sitting on a decidedly I'M
easy seat in their empire as he
predicted that the enemy's fleet
will be cleaned up in another year
Admitting tn many thing;
could happen to either shorten OF
prolong the war, including the pos
Utility of another fleet action witt
the japanese, he said:
They've reached the p o n
where they'll throw in everything
I think in another year we shoult
have their navy cleaned up. If we
can't get them into a sea fight, we
will be in position to get after
them with Army and Navy bomb
ers.'
While the admiral insisted thai
he was not indulging in prediction
he smiled with confidence Of the
eventual result of the Pacific bat.
ties.
What job Mitscher has been Civ.
en- still is naval secret that the
enemy probably would like to
know, but it is permissible to say
that he has been reassigned to this
fContinued IN Pare Three. Col. II
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29
CTS At Bastogne Peeued By Relief
Horning In On Their Mazi SLAUGHTER

WITH AMERICAN FORCES ON
THE WESTERN FRONT, Dec. q.
: Correct -UP)-They said to-
FAY they knew their business,
which is killing Germans, and
hey were not a little peeved at
omebody else horning in on the
ine-day fight they had waged
gainst encircling German forces
7ho wanted Bastogne and didn't
let it.
When their ammunition ran low,
hey just shot little straighter.
That was what they said, the
american infantrymen who held
he highway town of Bastogne, at.
tr American armor broke into the
ety about $40 pm. yesterday in
srelief dash which eliminated one
{ the most daring armored thrusts
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29
FORMER SAILOR
ADMITS KILLING
CALF. HEIRESS

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 28-P
"A young man appeared at the
FBI office here today and volun
teered a confession that he killed
Georgette Bauerdorf, 20, Holly
wood oil heiress, in her apartment
last October, but police regarded
his story with .skepticism.
Police Inspector Frank Aherr
said the man, who gave the name
of John Lehman Sumter told MN
he had spent some time in men
tai hospital, that he was dlschats'
ed from the Navy in 1910 Tor men
tai disability, and that he SUB
sequently had joined the Army and
later served two years in Lea
wentworth prison for forgery.
He said he had accosted MISS
Bauerdorf On the street, begging
money for coffee, and she ha
taken him to Ocean Beach ano
later to her apartment, where ne
killed her when she resisted his
advances.
Ahern said there were dlscre
pancies in the story and that whar
|he asked the man to describe how
he killed the girl he repeatedly
referred to the account in a detec
tive magazine he brought witt
him, saying Ahern could "read al
about it in there"
Sumter was booked on an oper
charge, held for Los Angeles au
thorities.
Nat J. L. Pieper, Federal Bureau
of Investigation chief here. sale
the man first appe; red at his OF
| flee with the voluntary confession
He said he was born at Cuthbert
Ca, August 26, 1922. Pieper turn
led him over to police.
The nearly nude body OF Miss
Bauerdorf was found last October
| u in the bathtub Of her sister
apartment where she was living
while her family was in the east
An autopsy disclosed she hae
been crininally attacked ane
strangled.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29

lslIne WltnOut comment except for
an earlier formal statement in
which he refused to give up man.
agement of the concern and bitter
~ disputed the legality of the
Government action.
After his departure, Army offic-
ers also left the plant. A few min
utes earlier, seven new Army Of
ficials had arrived, apparently in
tending to spend the night in Az
ery's office.
Occupation of the plant was COM
p1eted this morning within 80 min
utes, soldiers posting placards pro-
claiming that the facilities of the
firm were the property of the U.
S. Government.
The Government seizure, order
ed by the President at 1880 a. M,
was equally swift in other Ward
properties in Detroit; Jamaica, N.
Y; st. Paul, MINI. Denver; San
Rafael, Cal, and Portland, Ore.
MFR. Roosevelt, in a statement on
the seizure, said the confidence of
its decisions by the head Of one Of
the greatest corporation Of this
country - Sewell Avery, chairman
of the board Of Montgomery Ward
and company
Avery and company attorneys
had rejected a War Labor Board
directive ordering it to accept
maintenance of union membership
by the United Mail Order, Ware
house and Retail Employees Union
(CIO) and to grant wage increases.
retroactive in several cases by
more than two years.
Wards had maintained that the
WLB only had the power to advise
and no legal authority to enforce
its directives.
Avery, following a lengthy con-
ference this afternoon with Maj.
Gen. Joseph W. Byron and other
Army officers ordered to take ov-
er the Chicago plant, issued a
statement asserting that Wards
"cannot in good citizenship accept
or obey the commands of those
who have no legal power to give
them and who are seeking to de-
prive Wards of its Constitutional
rights and liberties
1.-THE Congress. which is the sole
|lawmaking authority under the
Constitution, has given the Presi-
dent no power to seize the non
war business of Montgomery
Ward" he said.
Shortly after the seizure became
effective, Government attornyes
filed petition in Federal Court
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29

LONDON, Friday, Dec. %
UP)-Four powerful fleets of AL
lied heavy bombers, paced by l.
200 American Fortresses and Lib
orators, attacked az least ID rail
centers along the Rhine yester-
day, raiding through thick clouds
that grounded the Luftwaffe for
the first time in six successive
days of Allied assaults.
The main blow was struck by the
American bomber fleet. escorted
by 700 fighters, which hit 10 trans
port targets between the Germans
Belgian battlefront and the Rhine.
Not a single German fighter was
encountered and the raiding fleet
lost only four bombers to ground
fire, with all fighters returning
safely.
The days heavy bomber as
saults opened at am. when a
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29
HR Orders Soldiers
To Take Over Plants
SeWell Avery Remains At Office And Bitterly
Disputes Presidents Edict; Occupation
Completed Within 80 Minutes

CHICAGO, Dec. 28-(UP)-The Army took over plants
and stores of Montgomery Ward and Co. in cities
gay acting under orders from President Roosevelt but
SEVEN Avery board chairman of the mail order firm
fused to accept the Government seizure
The defiant Avery remained in his office the Chicago
headquarters until the pm closing hour leaving at that
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29
FORECAST

For North Carolina: Cold today with
some cloudiness. Gentle to moderate
winds.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29

Continued on Page Two; Col. y
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29

The Army Air Forces have
placed a formal request for
use of Camp Davis, especially
hospital f a C i | it i e s, it was
learned from a reliable source
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29

Continued on Page Two; Col. s.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-29

Continued on Page Three; Col. s.
The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1944-03-17
FiIgas Trial
Near Climax
Torch Deoth Cose
Ready for Jury

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich, Mar.
II Up The trial of David
Filgas, 16-year-old Greenville
High School student charged
with murder in the death of his
pretty schoolmate, Patricia Win
ters, II, of Gowen, rapidly near
ed a climax today following fl
nal arguments submitted by the
prosecution.
Assistant Prosecutor Adrian
Verspoor told the jury of nine
men and three women that "Da-
vid must be guilty of at least
manslaughter." He said the cir
cumstantial evidence presented
in the case was as strong as an
eyewitness"
FOUND IN CAR
Filgas Is accused in the torch
death of Miss Winters, whose
charred body was found in his
fire demolished car northwest
of Gowen on Dec. IL, after the
couple, according to his testi-
See TORCH-DEATH-Page 2