The Item from Sumter, South Carolina • 1

COTTON New York Sopts Sumter Spots -1810 -1740 WEATHER purlfe- cloud)- not much temperature The Sumter Daily item Full NEA Feature Service And Watchman and Southron Full Associated Press Leased Wire VOICE OF THE GAMECOCK FIRST JWITH THE NEWS FORTY-EIGHTH YEAR THE DAILY ITEM ESTABLISHED IN 1894 WATCHMAN AND SOUTHRON IN 1850 SUMTER TUESDAY AFTERNOON DECEMBER 9 1941 FIVE CENTS A COPY it Soldiers Stand Guard Over Sumter Bridge 0y WSTpIftllGS RCDOftCd Off Atlantic Coast Navy Hunts Jap Ships In Pacific ation A waitsReport Of Its President At en onight Washington Dec 9 (A P) A bold Japanese foray that threatened to carry the horrors of the Pacific war to the continental United States put the nation on notice today that War Interpretive Vrb over Fran aii seryj for tit To Resume Grading At Shaw Field Major Burton Hovey Jr commanding officer of Shaw IFeld announced this afternoon that orders had been received from the war department at Washington for construction work and grading at Shaw Field to be resumed on a 24-hour basis Grading at Shaw Field was stop ped about ten days ago when the appropriation for this part of the work was exhausted However the Wolfe Construction Company which held the grading con tract has not moved any of Its machinery and work can recommence at once It is not believed that more than three weeks more will be required to complete all of the grading and most of the other construction work should be completed by that time also Uncle soldiers already are on the alert throughout the nation attd Sumter is no exception above are hyo' members of the Army Sergt Van eghton left and Datjny MuscaEello both Shown natives street (Staff Memorial bridge on South Main Washington Dec (IP) The nrrest of aproximately 490 Germans and Italians designated us "dangerous aliens" has been begun by the Federl Bureau of Investigation it was learned today of New York city on guard at the John Bossard Britton Photo) Pravda Puls Nazi Losses At 6 Million Believe Nazi Pjlots Aided In Sunday Raid Amcrtcan-Tapa-n Relatives Hear From TKose In New War Zone New York Dec 9 Major General Herbert A Dar-gue commander of the First air force said today in a statement that do not a series of air raid alarms in the eastern section of the United States was a rehearsal By The Associated Press New seven millions experienced a touch of wartime reality today as hostile airplanes were reported two hours away from the giant metropolis and two air-raid alarms sounded ml The first at 125 lasted 20 minutes The second began at 2:05 army and naval forces were reported still scouring the waters off San Francisco in search of an enemy aircraft carrier In New York interceptor planes swarmed into the skies to meet the supposed invaders An air alarm was sounded at the navy's huge new air base at Quonsett It I and all civilians were ordered to evaluate Officers said all men were "at their battle stations" Civilian -enHiloyes also were evacuated from the Boston navy-yard Schools throughout New York the greater Boston area were ordered to release ail children at once and there was a great outpouring from the buildings The Bethlehem Shipbuilding largest plant at Fo-e river near Boston was completely evacuated under orders issued by Superintendent Collins 1:10 -p The plant ha T80' employes Authoritative sources at Portland Maine which did not wish to lie named said it was reliably reported that "hostile were an hour outside of Boston at 2:00 Eastern Standard Time A few minutes later a Panama radio broadcast said Japanese planes were reported flying over the Panama coast this mornings-but no bombs were dropped Eostori reported that civilian air raid warning service had gone into operation on a report that planes were approaching southeastern New England In Washington the war department said all fields had been put on the alert hut it said there was lib official information that enemy bombers had been sighted off New York City Nevertheless the metropolitan area was alive with aerial defense activity There was no immediate indication where the planes reported flying in the New York area might have come from IT army planes from Mitchell Field Long Island which received the warning from Washington imediately swept into the skies All families were evacuated from the field and "every piano was off the It was stilt- -ed Secretary of State Cordell Hull indicated the United States should be on guard against a sudden German move supporting Japan in Beilin Dec An author' izvd spokesman said today he was unable to state whether German-Ainerican relations would change wiihin the next 24 houfs bul well-informed sources said a "clarifying statement" on esc war was expected oon Pretoria Union of South Africa Dec 9 (IP) The government announced today that a state of war exists between the Union of South Africa and Japan Manila Dec The army announced today that one United States soldier Was killed and 1 2 were Injured in this pre-dawn 'raid on Fort Nichols near Manila Two other soldiers were hurt when a bomb landed near Fort William McKinley also the Manila area Manila Dec 9 (IP) naval sources denied reports today that the seaplane tender Langley was bombed during a Japanese attack Davao yesterd They said the carrier was safe and carrying out routine duties New York Dec (IP) Hart Berg 76 engineer who the Browning pistol and machine gun in this country and sponsored the first public flights the Wright brothers abroad died today at hospital El Paso Tex Dec 9 ()P)j Three men were reported killed and three burnet) severely today the crash of an army bomber three miles east of El Paso Berlin Dec 9 A DNB happen detection of enemy aircraft strategically vital San area and the threat of carrier lurking off shore realistic introduction 'report President Roosevelt has promised the country on the progress of hostilities with Japan The White House said Mr Roosevelt had no information on these planes beyond that available to the press Most of his day was reserved for preparation of a radio address tonight which his secretary Stephen Early said would have to do to a large extent "with what might be called the Nazi pattern of the whole situation" Early said Mr Roosevelt had concluded a careful redding of all dispatches and a comparison of them with press reports and that there was no news to Issue "You have Early told reporters "You have as much as we have Mold of the dispatches this morning Jjtad to do with the west coast cowtion of last evening You know asjjfcch about It as he does" To a Mptloii how the Japanese could get within striking distance of Han Francisco where three air raid alarms have been sounded Early- replied: no answer to that It Is certain that the army and navy Under the Instructions aro on the alert for the defense That apply only to San Francisco or the west coast Tne Picture is much broader" Mr Roosevelt's address his first since the nation declared war on Japan will be broadcast at 10 EST The speech which the White House said would con tain a "more complete documen tatlon of the war than has yet been possiblo will be carried by all networks The presence of hostile aircraft off the -Golden 5200 miles from Japan stirred the capital and was taken as notloe that the front lines of the struggle may be In the main streets of Pacific coast cities as wel las In the bomb-bat-tored gun pita of Hawaii The Interception and repulse of the raiders was a general source of gratification but this was tem pered by the fact that planes were identified as a reconnaissance mission and by the realization of the extremely audacious strategy the Japanese would risk In their all-or-nothing hid for supremacy in the Pacific und Asla The California area with its vast aircraft plants and shipyards offered a tempting cluster of targets for air raiders Informed sources agreed but their shrewdest guess was that the Japanese hoped to strike a surprise blow at one of the major navy bases with the idea of inflicting further damage on the operating facilities nshore Capitol Hill studied last night's reports from California against the background of a statement by Senator Gillette (D-Iowa) who said he had information that Hitler had promised Tokyo active assistance by February The possibility of the French BY JOHN HIGHTOWER Washington Dec 9 (K) A fur-flung Japanese effort to panic the United States into withdrawing its tnain battle fleet to home waters appeared to be under way today as part of an almost incredibly daring plan for a swift rout of all American military and naval power In the Far East This was the interpretation which some informed quarters here placed op the bold aerial reconnaissance of the San Francisco area last night the reports of officials in Vancouver that Japanese naval units were oft the Aleutian Islands and the expecta tion in Canada that an attack on the Pacific northwest was lm niineAt Experts keeping tab on rapid utilization of the initial advantages gained at the start of the war Sunday by their surprise attack on Pearl harbor pieced the puzzle seemingly scattered actions into this significant pattern: The Japanese grand stategy appears to call for Immobilizing the powerful Pacific fleet as the first major move of the war The first action designed to this end was the devastating raid on Pearl Harbor In itself this attack had the effect of greatly narrowing the Pacific ocean in a naval sense and even raised the possibility that under a favorable combination of circumstances the very coast of the United States might be tern-rorarily vulnerable to hit-and-run operations Quickly taking advantage of the initiative gained the Japanese as al! evidence Indicated today apparently had maneuvered an aircraft carrier clear across 5200 miles of the Pacific to the very shores of California and sent' reconnaissance planes roaring landward through the night What could the Japanese hope to gain by such a maneuver? The most probable answer seemed to be a panic-born demand that the fleet be brought home Such a move would strip the fleet of its strategic mission of protecting far Pacific bases and keeping supply lines open and compel it to adopt defensive strategy in home waters Such an accomplishment would leave the Japanese free to act with relatively small naval forces against American bases strung cross the Pacific from Hawaii to the Philippines That action in fact has long since started against Guam Wake Midway and the other American outposts which fitted In with the apparent long range American strategy of blockading Japan cutting off her trade with South America and meanwhile conducting offensive opera- THE WAR TODAY BY DEWIT MACKENZIE Wide World War Analyst "With war a momentary possibility for weeks why were defenses in Pacific caught flat-footed by Japanese? Did our forces await declaration of war before taking offensive action?" The above message from the Editor of a South Dakota newspaper was lying on my desk when I arrived at my office In Manhattan this morning It rs a burning question one which must have been in all our and so this column repeats It Hoestiy I know the answer to and wish to heaven I did But our naval and military authorities alone can tell us what happened Still probably my South Dakota friend will agree that while the answer to his question is vital -it is far more important that we avoid a second shocking experience of this sort One suspects indeed that the chief purpose of his query wa sto utter a warning Warning of what? The writing on the wall clearly indicates that if the early Japanese operations give sufficient encouragement Hit- in Moscow Dec Pravda Communist party organ estimated today the Germans- had lost approximately 6000000 men in killed wounded and captured during the first five months of fighting in Russia Pravda the Moscow radio said also estimated that the Germans had lost more than 15000 tanks about 13000 aircraft and 19000 guns (DNB official German news agency said last night that nearly 1 0000000 Soviet troops had been out of since Germany invaded Russia last June) Red army trodp8 attacking in temperatures as low as 17 ddgrees below zero have the Ger'-mans from localities before Moscow and cost them heavy casualties Soviet government agencies announced meanwhile Pravda said the Germans had been pressed back with heavy losses In sectors of the important Tula front 100 miles south of Moscow The snow and biting air drew wiry comment from Russians this is a Mos- Washington Dec 9 ()P) A tremendously intensified drive to ljuild warships faster than ever be fore In American history to compensate for naval losses inflicted by Japan and to gird the nation swiftly for two-ocean war was announced today by Chairman Vinson (D-Ga) of the house naval committee The veteran legislator who voted for war against Germany in 1917 and has fought consistently -to give this country a navy second to none declared that all naval building would be ordered on a 24 hour basis at once He said he planned to call the navy department Secretary ir his war duties permit before hte committee during the day to see what can be done to further speed the construction of urgenly needed combat ships Special attention will be paid ViJison added to the pressing question of whether are navy has oeen getting proper consideration in the matter of priorities on steel and other vital materials Vineon and Chairman Walsh or Two more persons located In the war zone had been heard from by relatives here today Pfc Clarence Poplin stationed with the! army air corps at Honolulu wired his mother Mrs Bullock whose husband Is head of tne Bullock Amusement company here: Unscratched Frank Browne advertising manager of the Item also had had a report of the safety of his brother First Lt Pope Browne who Is with the air corps in the Philippines Several new names have been added to the Item's list of persons In the war zone who have close relatives here The parents of Mrs Don Harby Mr and Mrs Frank Dillingham are In Honolulu where Mr Dillingham has been head Of the chemistry department at the University of Hawaii for nearly 35 years Mrs Harby who was born and spent her childhood at Honolulu also has many other relatives and friends there Mrs Dillingham spent a month with her daughter here last summer and Mr Dillingham was here for several days They returned to the island territory in September Mrs Robert McCluskey a sister of Mrs Daniel A Cooper whose husband Major Cooper Is executive officer at Shaw Field also is in Hawaii Mrs Cooper talked with her family In California last night but no word had been received there from Mrs McCluskey Mr and Mrs Herbert Parrott developed of CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE 'NTINUED ON PAGE TWO CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE Where East Meets West In War in Shanghai today from dispatch CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO Sumter's Red Cross Drive Quota Raised To $8500 Gillette Says Nazis Hoping Get Control Of French Fleet 13 SHOPPING DAYS to Christmas Also GIVE US Defense Savings BONDS and STAMPS at STORES BANKS POST OFFICES HAWAII tressed civilians To provide essential funds Red Cross today Is la ii dilng a campaign for war fund of minimum of fifty million dollars The president will Issue on Friday a proclamation supporting this appeal Your chapter quota Is 8500 dollars Chapters may retain ilftecu per cent of their collections for local war relief expenditures Chapters should at once devote full efforts to raising tlieir quotas In shortest possible time Please report action taken We must not and shall not fall in this crisis Even before the telegram from national headquarters had been received' here Mr Brennan in a letter to Mayor Creech had expressed the readiness of Sumter's chapter to cooperate with anji national program and' with any emergergencies or needs which might arise in the city The chairman of the local chapter placed at Mr disposal ail ithe units of voluntary serv- H-HUSUWE mm tSiAMOS fc 4 caw am Opening of a fifty-million dollar war fund campaign in the United States was announced this merning in telegram from Norman Davis chairman of the American Red Cross to Brennan head of the local chapter quota in the drive was set at 48500 i A committee to work with the drive here is now in the process of being set up Mr Brennan said today and the campaign will be launched immediately Mr Davis pointed out that both nationally and locally the Red Cross now faced and definite responsibilities for services to our armed forces and for relief to dls-tresed civilians" Text of the national chairman's telegram follows: Again the American Red Cross Is called upon to serve our nation In war Both nationally and locally we face vast and definite responsibilities for services to our armed farces and for relief to dis BY JACK BELL Washington Dec 9 (IP) Sena tor Gillette (D-Iowa) said today ho had received information from a sourse found to be reliable in the past that Hitler had promised Japan he could obtain control of the French fleet by next month and would be able to give the Japanese active military aid by February Gillette said this information came to him from persons who had reported on October 28 that Japan planned to launch an attack on the United States either in December 1941 Or in February 1942 Gillette said this information was transmitted to the state department along with a report from the same source on November 16 That Saburo Kurusu special Japanese envoy had been sent to this country at Hitler's Instance to gain time for preparations for aggressive action Most legislators thought that the extent of any military aid Hitler might give to Japan In furtherance of the Axis pact would depend largely on whether the Russian armies were able to continue their resistance to the Nazis But any move to make a portion or all of the French fleet available to the Japanese was regarded with extreme concern In congressional circles already shocked by disquieting reports of American naval losses in the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Hawaii The White House said yesterday that one old battleship and a destroyer had been sunk and several other' war vessels damaged These losses left the United States far superior to Japan In capital ships it was pointed out but there was CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO sW MMVU KmmV WAR NEEDS MONEY! will cost mofiey to defeat Japan Your government calls on YOU to help NOW Buy defense bonds or stumps today Buy them every day if you can But buy them on a regulur basis Bonds cost as little as $1875 stamps come as low ns 10 cents Defense bond and stamps can he 'bought at all banks and post offices and stamp can also be purchased at retail stores and from your newspaper carrier boy The Sumter Daily Item urges all Americans to support your government with your dollars I ZASt MHpl' struggle Map shows theater of war In the Pacific where East meets West In a struggle for supremacy- started by Japan when she bymhed without Warning 8: "Pacific outposts (NEA Telephoto) a( CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO.