davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27
Junior Rotarians

Too often the contributions, either large or
small of an individual or group to making
the community better one are not properly
recognized as we hurry though everyday A1e'
OF a worthwhile civic undertaking we may
say that's a good project and let our in
terest 60 at that, not pausing to 60 deeper
into its merits and benefits
Then, someone somewhere else comes forth
with a similar project and the value Of ours
comes into its true light
good example of this point is the Junior
Rotarian plan, now being carried out in its
sidering its importance to the High school
students selected for the honor, it has receiv-
ed comparatively little publicity. Recently
General Mecklenburg, in the Charlotte OBJ
server, congratulated the members of t h e
Charlotte club on establishment of a similar
program there. So, not belittling the Char
lotte club, we say we've been doing that all
along and take time to consider what #
means to the students, club and communitv
Under the plan here, two High school STU
dents are selected, on the basis of their school
activities, scholarship and leadership. each
month to be Junior Rotarans. 1t is consd.
cred, as it should be, quite an honor. Thew
attend the weekly meetings and, during the
program of the last one each month. give
their views and observations collected during
their membership" incidentally, the talks OF
the youths are often quite interesting, bring
ing out points in club life that many men,
Der has overlooked.
The program is much more than just an
educational one. The young men have the
benefit of weekly association at the luncheon
meetings with many of the city's outstanding
business and professional men. They are be-
ing taught the principles and practices of
Rotary, which in essence mean good citizen
ship and the full ideals of service-service
to ones fellows community state and nation.
A fine introduction to one of the better
phases of civic life, into which the Junior Ro
tarians will enter in few years, the pro-
grams future benefits to the community NAV
be measured as considerable
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27
Hugging the Shore

Mixed in the strategy of naval attacks al
ways going nearer and nearer the Jap home
land is the attempt to draw out the japanese
navy for a finish fight So far the willy JAP
who in spite of his fanaticim and suicidal bat
tie tendencies still seems to appreciate living
to some extent, has avoided this After the
engagements off the Philippines when he took
& sound drubbing, he seems content to wait
although he may not know what he is waiting
for mol what will happen if ever his navy
does venture forth to battle.
he still has plenty of caution. He knows
that when the Jap navy is destroyed that is the
last Of Japan Japan has a big army but
without a navy to provide safety for SUD-
plying it, it can be only handicap The
Japanese soldiers in China and in Japan can
be sealed up without a navy.
Not all the Japs want to go down shouting
banzai. At the last they will cringe and plead,
Kissing so sorry and blandly expect to be
allowed to escape with little punishment But
they might well bring the navy on out. It's
going to be destroyed no matter what course
the japanese leaders pursue. Whether crying
banzai or mercy, it's curtains for Japan and
the curtain will fall sooner than is generally
expected
America has the mightiest navy afloat. One
of its task forces is as large and powerful as
the entire navy was few years ago. 1t is
indeed mistress Of the seas, especially the
seas about Japan And the Japs, whether IA
natics or friends; dumb or delirious, know it
and fear it.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27
A Heavy Decision

It is good to know that the increase OF the
Italians bread ration from 200 to 300 grams
day, ordered many weeks ago by President
Roosevelt, has at last become effective. 1t is
less pleasant to realize that the basic prob
lem of caring for underfed Europeans cannot
be settled till the war is over.
There is only so much shipping space avail
able. So which shall it be-military supplies
to shorten the war and save the lives Of
American and Allied soldiers, food to avert
DEATH disease or permanent disability among
the innocent civilian sufferers in devastated
regions?
1t is heavy decision, and one which none
of us would like to make. But when it has had
to be made, there has been only one possible
answer The war must come first. The enemy
must be beaten as quickly as possible Lives
and hard-won gains must not be sacrificed for
want of munitions and equipment.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27
The Literary Guidepost

in Hungary among Polish refu'
gees.
AS she now views her WORK
she finds it without glamor 0'
hercism; her readers will coAVa,
dict her on this score, but VIII
agree with her that it was fa'cf
mating.
Out Of her extraordinary range
of experiences come specific sHg'
gestions for relief work after 'li'
war; qualified workers; lh|e-A.
gent provisions for supp@'ns
food, clothing, medicine; adequa's
camps for the millions Of disp-acea
peoples; and a coordinated worm
teer effort, though without I00
much GENERALIZATION she SER
sibly mistrusts the perfected spH
and polish" of American orgahlL'
ton, efficient but sometimes a''
humanized.
This is very warm and moving
record. People are the suolee.
matter. The same people and n.
same problems will confront ine
victors in World War II. IM'
English writer has made dlfess
significant contribution to tine ~
erature about the postwar Wolig,'
She hesitated to write, she aPOr
ogizes, because Of the paper sA".
age. Let the people who turn w,
the trash hesitate; there'll aIWa"
be paper for books Of this GUAM
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27
Production In Southeast

A good picture of Southeastern North Caro-.
lina's part in war production was given dur.
ing the weekend by Henry 1. Shepherd, War
Manpower Commission director for the area
as he pointed out 30 establishments are pro.
ducing must items for the war effort.
These factories, he continued, are employ
ing 3O,l92 workers and need an additional
1874. When they can get a few more en-.
playes from less critical activities and reduce
absenteeism to half Of its present rate, their
manpower problem will be solved, he added
In an effort to show the extent of operations
in the southeast counties, he listed some of
the war items being produced being high
octane gas ingredients, rocket bodies, signal
satin, camouflage netting, assault bridge
parts, airplane components ships precision
machines, cable parts and field assault wire
yarn. Other details of the manufacturing pro-
pram cannot be made public because of Sc
curity reasons but all Southeastern North Car
olinians may be assured that their section is
doing its part toward winning the war.
Several factors are responsible for this ex-
cellent showing Chief of these is good labor,
men anu women who are anxious to do their
share in keeping their sons. fighting over,
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27
Charcoal Burning Trucks
Carry Goods To Prisoners

A fleet of charcoal operated
trucks recently has been put TITO
service in Germany to carry rec
reational and educational mate
rails to prisoners of war, accord
ing to a report from E. L, White,
president of the Community War
Chest.
These trucks were put into use
by the War Prisoners Aid OF the
YMCA, White said, in ordeg to
ease the transportation difflculIos
in Germany. The vehicles, WEhcn
have {: trailer attachment, nave
been secured from neutral coun'
try, White added, and will enanle
War Prisoners Aid to maintain us
service to war prisoners desoi'e
internal transportation limitat' u.s.
The War Prisoners Aid is Par,
ticipating service of the Natlo2al
War Fund.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27
BOX
NURSES AND THE WAR

10 the Editor:
During the past few weeks there
has been so much controversy rel
ative to the drafting of nurses that
would like to present my side
of the case, as it relates to the
war and to the need for nurses
in connection Herewith.
There are a great many regis
tered nurses who graduated from
small hospitals, now practicing in
Wilmington, VINO would make al
most any sacrifice to enter war
work. However, nurses graduating
from hospitals over the state
which average less than fifty daily
patients are not eligible for Red
Cross nursing, and until this crltl-
cal shortage of fnurses for the
armed forces developed, small
hospital graduate could not enter
the service unless she took an ad-
ditional nine months of post-grad-
uate work, regardless of her years
of experience.
Until 1927, there were only about
seven hospitals in North Carolina
which met Red Cross require
ments. We have private-duty
nurses in Wilmington who have
had postgraduate courses, who
also have done general duty in
Duke Hospital and others which
average 275 beds, but who still
are unable to enter the military
service due to having graduated
from a small institution.
We just can't understand this,
and that is the reason that so
many of us are still doing private
duty when we have all tried to get
in the Army since the war began.
A REGISTERED NURSE.
Wilmington, N. c.
Feb. 26, 1915.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27
BY w. G. ROGERS

I'm THE MARGINS OF CHAOS
by Francesca M. Wilson Mac
milan; s3).
Miss Wilson saw her first ref
ugees at Tilbury, across the
Thames from Gravesend where
she was teaching. They we're
bewildered and confused Belgian
men, women and children. Obvi-
ously their needs were great and
she wanted to help. When she
applied to the Society of Friends
for a position, she was accused
OF being interested only for I'VE
of excitement. -
She admits she did love excite
ment, then throughout the rest Of
the book, though perhaps without
oelnng aware of it, she proves she
loves people: not generals, am
bassadors and consuls who ere
important and clean and easy to
love, but the hungry, homes:ck.
heartbroken, wounded, dirty and
ragged
Miss Wilson helped to alleviate
suffering from 1914 to 1914; from
Alaccio to Bizerte and Belgrade,
Nish, Vienna; in Russia bey,nd
the Volga, in Spain in government
areas during the civil war, in
France among Spanish refugees,
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27
SEAFOOD PROPOSAL

10 the EQlLOT.
Our sounds are an ever present
help in time of need or food trou-
bles. In fact, it would be difficult
for the Southeastern counties to
get along without fish, oysters.
clans, shrimp and crabs. At least
it would not be pleasant to be
compelled to further tighten our
belt in wartime. There is need
here for a greater production
more sea food and safer sea-
food"
The yield can be stepped up by
the establishment of seafood
processing plant on the inland wa
terway at Wrightsville terminal.
With a small pickup boat operat-
ing a few miles to the north and
south, twice a day, seafood could
be quickly transported, and the
lone fisherman saved the time and
toll of polling his boat and then
laboring uphill with his catch,
which he is now forbidden by law
to process in the bush or back
yard. Sound produce would be GER
titled by the Board of Health and
made available to Wrightsville
residents in a few minutes after
and almost as speed
lily put on the Wilmington market.
In every sound, north of Jack
sonville, the seafood industry h
been organized and made more
profitable to the fisherman and
more palitable to the public. In
fact, some Of our local delicacies
are shipped to Morehead and Bell
haven and like bread upon the
returned, to us after many
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27
Daily Prayer
FOR STRENGTH

With hearts bowed down, in rev.
erence and confidence, we p
proach Thee, o Almighty Father,
with prayer for a share OF Thine
unfailing strength. Make stout our
hearts within us, in the sure faith
that OUR times are in Thy hand,
May we not dishonor Thee, or our
cody forebears, by any panic
weakness or wavering of minds.
Bestow upon us the grace Of pa
tent continuance, that in quieLness
and in unshakable trust, we may
carry on faithfully at our appoint
ed posts. Let thoughts of Thine
inscrutable almightiness rule ever
in our minds, that we may have
the fortitude of good soldiers OF
Jesus Christ. Elevate all of .he
way of our life into nobility and
courage; and make us kind to one
another. In Thy good time give vic
tory to our arms, and to the holy
cause they represent. Am IN -
WIT.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27
Curfews and Cussedness

Perhaps we're cynical, but it strikes us
mat the streak OF stubborn cussedness in the
American character may defeat the purpose
OF War Mobilizer Ryrness midnight curfew
order just as it defeated prohibition That
isn't new thought. But the fact that it pop
ped into many heads as soon as the curfew
was announced only strengthens our conten-
ton
1t also strikes us that Mr.. Byrnes may
have worded the order in a way to aggrayate
our native stlbbornness Certainly no one can
quarrel with his intentions We're all for any,
thing that will save scarce material and man.
power and hasten victory. And most of us
will agree that, except for soldiers and sail
ors on leave, anyone who attaches prime i'm
portance to having fun in times like these
lis moral moron
Doubtless the Byrnes curfew won't effect
any great saving. Only few big cities allow
amusement places to stay open till or 4
o'clock. Many cities and states already have
the most numerous of the establishments af
fected. Most others have | or 2 o'clock cur
feWs.
AS for transportation economy schedules
will have to be maintained for night workers
abroad after IL, curfew or not. And the cur
fews effect will scarcely be drastic enough
to save manpower by forcing many walters
entertainers, bartenders and hat-check girls
into other employment. For most of them it
will just mean shorter hours and less pay
Granted that the saving will be small, it
is still worth achieving. And there may be
other savings, in efficiency and perhaps in
curb on inflationary spending. Mr.. Byrnes
didn't mention these things. In fact, it seems
to us that he expressed himself rather unhap-
PLY.
lie didn't specify that the curfew was tenn
porary, though logically it might be. He did
specify that restaurants that serve liquor may
continue to serve food if they close their bars
at midnight. He also specified that night clubs.
which likewise are restaurants, may not stay
open after midnight, even with their bars
closed, because they are places of amuse
ment"
That sounds more like stop-having-fun or.
der than coal-saving directive. It is. we fear
just blue-nosed enough to invite speakeasies
and black-market entertainment - as If we
didn't have enough trouble already.
1t Will be pity if that fear is justified
Mr. Byrness idea deserves whole-hearted co.
operation The curfew will affect only mi
mute segment of our population, and the Sac
rlnce' 1t requires is too trivial to discuss
! But the idea was presented in such way as
10 invite the reaction that prohibition arous.
3D. Perhaps another, franker statement bv
Mr. Byrnes might remedy the damage before
Its DONE
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27
interpreting
The War
By kIRKE T. SINrnco,

Nazi Germany's hold m Nv.
crescent of the Reich west ''' Of ' tsi
E I was fast slipping as NE
cllmactic Allied winter o;sensI ne
accelerated its speed. "lSe
:, From the Tier anchorage n *.
Moselle valley to the Em,n Nc ne
gateway on the Rhine itsn1 It', j..
the Hanoverian plain tbers no 70
little to indicate any deterni way
Nazl stand against the sto ,'.5u
mounting power General FIe 1S
hover is bringing into action Avn
erlcan, British and Canadian tro '.,
were too rapidly shredding The ls ~
segments of siegfried Line detons
es west Of the river for doubt t1ot
the enemy IS pulling back bebinS
the Rhine itself as best he can - ~
escape being trapped with the r,,ou
at his back. '''ef
Relatively, the resistance sr.
countered by the American F;~st
and Ninth Armies in the center ~
the American Third Army on t5a
right flanks appears no more than
rear guard action. The implication
OF official and field press report,
on the third day of the main 3r;v.
beyond the Roer is that only son.
ondary troops are being enccun.
tered by American forces and that
the Germans are fighting primsr.
ly delaying actions. Whole com.
pllcated networks of trenches and
anti-tank bitches have been fomd
unnamed.
The only potentially serious IA.
tural obstacle on the First Arrav
front guarding Cologne is the Err,
river. 1t is a looping left bank
tributary of the Rhine that rises
in the highlands at the north end
of the Cologne plain to empty icto
the Rhine just above Dusse, icrf
The Erft forms an inner moa. Tor
Cologne itself, most of which also
lies on the west bank of the Rhine
The Erft line is distinctly vul.
nerable, however. A broad sw4eo
of open plain lies north of its cas-.
ward bend dotted only by the Glad
bach industrial community group
Of which Odenkirchen is the south.
ern member. Ninth Army advance
forces were nearing Odenkirchen
as this was written, apparently
aiming at slicing in between Glad
bach and Dusseldorf, A gap six
miles wide exists there and an
Allied penetration at that point
would outflank the Erft moat even
before First Army troops reach in
on their direct march on Cologne.
The speed with which the First
and Ninth Armies forced the Roer
and storrned on beyond it verities
the reports of gravely thinned out
Nazi troop concentrations in the
west to meet the Russian advance
in the East. The same thing ap.
peared true to even a greater eX.
tent in the surprise lunge of Pat
toms Third Army on the RICH. to
invest Bitburg and Trier and threa-
ten an immediate breakthrough to
the middle Rhine down the MoSelle
Valley.
The Nazi commander is up
against the problem of shutting
his meagre first line reserves from
point to point along front now
more than 200 miles wide and all
flaming with action. Nor is it pro-
babe that Eisenhower has thrown
his full strength into the wide ana
deep drive.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27

seas. supplied with the necessities OF battle
While practically every other section OF the
country has been affected by labor discord,
there has been none here To the southeastern
defense worker, the job of winning the war
is much too big to have anything else placed
before it. AS long as this spirit continues
this section will hold its place as a real
contributor to victory.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27
BY ERNIE PYLE

IN THE MARIANAS ISLANDS,
delayed = Soldiers and Marines
have told me stories by the dozen
about how tough the Japs are, yet
how dumb they are; how Illogical
and yet how uncannily smart at
times; how easy to rout when dis
organized, yet how brave.
I've become more confused with
each story. At the end of one eve
ming, 1 said Il can't make head
nor tail cut of what you've told me.
I'm trying to learn about the Jap
soldiers, but everything you say
about them seems to be inconsis-
tent"
That's the answer" my friends
said. They are inconsistent. They
do the damnedst things. But they
are dangerous fighters just the
same"
They tell one story about a Jap
officer and six men who were sur
rounded OH a beach by small
bunch of Marines.
AS the Marines approached, they
could see the Jap giving emphatic
orders to his men, and then all six
bent over and the officer went
along the line and chopped off
their heads with his sword.
Then as the Marines closed IN,
he stood knee-deep in the surf and
beat his bloody sword against the
water in a fierce gesture of de-
fiance, just before they shot him.
What code led the officer to
kill his own men rather than let
them fight to the death is some
thing only another Jap would know.
Another little story-a Marine
sentry walking up and down before
a command post on top OF a steep
bluff one night heard noise in the
brush on the hillside below.
He called couple of times, got
no answer. then fired an explora-
tory shot down into the darkness.
In a moment there was loud ex-
plosion from below. A solitary
Jap hiding down there had put a
hand grenade to his chest.
Why he did that, instead of toss
ing it up over the bluff and get
ting himself a half dozen Ameri-
cans, is beyond an Americans COM
prehensicn.
On Saipan, they tell of a Jap
plane that appeared overhead one
bright monday, all alone. He OBJ
viously wasn't Photographic
plane, and they couldn't figure out
what he was doing.
Then something came out of the
plane, and fluttered down. 1t vas
a little paper wreath, with a long
streamer to it. He had flown it all
the way from Japan, and dropped
it I'm Honor of Japan's Glorious
Dead on Saipan.
We shot him down into the sea
few minutes later, as he I'M
doubtedly knew we would before
he left Japan. The gesture is touch.
ing-but so what?
AS I've talked with Marines. I've
begun to get over that creepy feel
ing that fighting Japs is like fight
ing snakes or ghosts.
They are indeed queer, but they
are people with certain tactics and
now by much experience our men
have learned how to fight them.
AS far as I can see, our men are
M more afraid of the Japs than
thew are of the Germans. Thew are
afraid of them as any modern
soldier is afraid of his foe, not be-
cause they are slippery or ratlike,
hit simply because thew have
weapons and fire them like good
tough soldiers. And the Japs are
h1man enough to be afraid Of us
in exactly the same way.
40 Some of our people over here
think that, in the long run. the
J 1ialr won't take the beating the |
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27
PERFECT LANDING

HUNTINGTON, Ind, Feb. 26.-
WR)-At least this pilot guessed
right! When he was delivering
the private plane which Ralph
Brown had ordered for his per-
sonal use in CAP work, the pilot
found he was low On gas and had
to land Immediately. He set the
plane down on an empty plot and
walked next door to a farmhouse,
only to find that it was the home
of Ralph Brown.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27
Your War; With Ernie Pyle

The Japs are dangerous people
and they aren't funny when they've
got guns in their hands. 1t would
be tragic for us to underestimate
their power to do us damage, or
their will to do it. To me it looks
like soul-trying days for us in the
wears ahead.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27

Germans have. Others think they
will, and even more.
I've not been here long enough
really to learn anything of the Jap
psychology. But the Pacific war is
gradually getting condensed, and
consequently tougher. The closer
we 60 to Japan itself, the harder
If will he.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27
CITY RROOM-MAKERS

BURBANK, Calf, Feb. 26.-'UH
Broom-making has become a clVl
service position in Burbank, at a
salary of $164 a month, and city Oh
ficials say it's cheap at the price
The brooms, they explain go OIL
Burbank's street sWeepers.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27

days. Let us do something about
organizing here and now.
A SOUNDER.
Wilmington, N. c.
Feb. 26. 1915.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27
THOUGHT FOR TODAY

o son of mine, when you come nome
This is my prayer, that you will be
A soldier of the King of Kings,
That you who serve your country well
Will better serve the Lord of Hosts.
Martha Smell Nicholson.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27
Fair Enough

Editors note.-The Star and the News
accept no responsibility for the personal
views of Mr.. Pegler, and often disagree
with them as much as many of his read
ers. His articles serve the good purpose
of making people think.)