The Key West Citizen Newspaper, March 9, 1940, Page 1

Associated Press Day Wire Service For 69 Years Devoted to the Best Interests of Key West VOLUME LXI. No. 60. Diplomatic Action. In Europe Centers - On Peace Attempts COMDR. BYRNS GIVES TALK ON | CHINA TO LIONS LONDON, Mar. 9.—Diplomatic} LIONESSES WERE GUESTS OF action will be centered this week! EVENING: COMMANDER DE- | LIGHTED GROUP WITH DIS- CQURSE AND PICTURES GERMAN OFFICIAL IN ROME FOR IMPORTANT CONFERENCE; SOVIET ACTION WATCHED on efforts to bring peace to war- Ting Europe, according ports received at this capital city | today. Lions and Lionesses assembled Firstly, it was understood that |@t the Lions’ clubhouse Thursday. Foreign Minister Von Ribbentrop |*® hear and see an intensely in- of Germany was to arrive in teresting discourse and show of i ing pi d by the Rome today for conferences with |™Ving Pictures presente: Mussolini, Aare for the first time | S4est of the evening, Commander in many years, for an audience | PY ‘ie mies head ee ma ac- with officidls in Vatican City to- |COUNHDS, supply ani ‘isburse- morrow. iment department at the naval It was not known whether | Station. & pressure would be brought on|!,, Subject for the evening was the Italians to take up their for- | “China”. sen = mer position of strong alliance | Commani jer Byrns has spent with the Nazis ‘in view of the jconsiderable time in China while coal blockade incident engineered | 0” duty with the navy, and he by Great Britain. It. is under- |S in supreme command of his stood, however, on good author- | Subject last evening. ity, that Von Ribbentrop will de-| APproximately one-half of the liver several items of informa-|Ptogram, which delighted his tion to Il Duce for transference | 2udience, was a talk by the guest to re- Che Kry | eat Citi THE SOUTHERNMOST NEWSPAPER IN THE U.S.A. C.OF.C. MOVES FUTURE WORK RIOUS DIVISIONS IN “PUT KEY WEST AHEAD” DRIVE Organization of the new Cham- ber of Commerce is going for- j ward steadily. Following a meeting Thursday, the directors assumed the gen- eral chairmanship of the ‘several divisions involving the continua- tion of the Chamber as a repre- sentative group and the fulfill- ment of the program of improve- ments outlined during the recent “Put Key West Ahead” cam- paign.. Under this arrangement Direc- tor Charles E. Smith is head of the membership division; Direc- tor Albert E. Peirce, Jr., head of the civic division; Director Eliza- beth Sharpley of the town adver- To Supervise Havana- Key West Yacht Race ST. RETERSBURG RACE STARTED TODAY; EXPECT YACHTS TO LEAVE CUBA NEXT FRIDAY | | Cuba bound, Albert. E. Peirce, ;shipmates, estimated from seven \Jr., vice commodore of the Key/to nine on each yacht, will be the West Yacht Club, will leave to+/ guests of the local club. morrow to make arrangements; Sightseeing trips and other so- |for the’ final leg of the St. Peters-|cial activities are planned for the | burg-Havana-Key West yacht/afternoon, with dinner that eve-j race, | ning at the clubhouse overlook- The yachts got away from St./ing Garrison, Bight. Yachtsmen } Petersburg today and are sched-j|will not be required to dress for uled to arrive at Havana on Mon-/|the occasion, so that all ‘hands jday. It is Commodore Peiree's}will celebrate.in their dungarees | jmission to join the yachtsmen injand topside gear. |the Cuban capital and complete} Later, in’ the evening the |the plans for the final run tol|yachtsmen, will, be guests at the } {this city. Habana.Madrid and Club Cayo} | It is expected several yachtsiHueso. At the latter place ai jwill come to Key West, leaving |“shipwreck party” will be staged. | | Havana at 5 p. m. Friday. Under} Visitors will be permitted to | | VARIOUS ENGACE Ri AT WEEKLY MEET CAPTAIN JACOBS CANDI- DATE FOR MEMBERSHIP: NOTIFY INTERNATIONAL OF CONVENTION FACILITIES A wide variety of subjects was discussed at the luncheon meet- ing Thursday of Key West Rotary Club. Capt. Walter F. Jacobs, chief of staff of the seventh naval dis- trict, and commanding officer of Key WeSt naval station, was an- nounced as a candidate for mem- bership in the club. His selection | was applauded by the members, and the epplication is certain to be approved unanimously. President William V. Little an- nounced that next Thursday’s meeting. will. be in charge. of 21 would be Community Art Center, with Everett Winter, member of the board of directors of the institution, as a speaker. March 28 there will be no noon tising; Director Fred J. Dion of escort of a United States destroy-|dance in their ship clothes, and jmeeting, but an evening banquet EP It | Charles S. Taylor, and that March j the government division; Director | er due to return to Key West Charles S. Taylor of the shipping from a routine patrol that night, division; Director W. W. Demer- \the yachts are expected at the! jall formality will be dropped. In connection with the race, announcements have been ap- at Casa Marina in honor of the jwomen folks of the members. When the Rev. ‘John Gekeler, itt of the resort division; Direc- ;finish line here Saturday morn-|pearing regularly in all the daily |chairman of the lunchroom com- tor Bascom L, Grooms of the in- ing. dustrial division, and Director W.!_ Key West Yacht Club members T. Fripp of the retail division, {have made arrangements for the When Director Demeritt leaves | various sailing vessels to tie up Key West in line with his selec- at Porter, Craig and P.) & O, tion as commander in the Coast docks while in Key West. Guard service, a new director will |the ships have been berthed the After | |newspapers of Florida as a result of releases by the city news bu- Teau operated by Bill Lee for the (Chamber of Commerce. It is ex- )pected a number of out-of-town | Visitors will come here to see the finish of the race and participate mittee, reported some school children were now being served breakfasts as well as luncheons, there was a flurry of contribu- tions to meet the added expense. Members Charles S. Taylor, | William i, Doughtry, Jr, S. C. to Sumner Welles when he ar jof honor on Buddhism. Com- |mander Byrns displayed several | Buddha images and gave interest- ‘ing information about each sta- |tuette, revealing an unlimited | knowledge of the subject. Many {of the Lions and Lionesses re- jealled that they had seen the Buddha display shown by the ;Commander at the recent Flower Show. Balance of the program had to |do chiefly with movies of a | voyage taken a year ago in De- be elected to head the resort di- vision. Director Smith is busy tabulat- ing the reports of the member-; ‘THIS MOVIE STAR HAD SOME FIN ship drive. He will classify the membership according to occupa- tions, businesses and professions. When this list is complete it will be submited to the members of the Chamber for final approval, then it will be compiled. as.a~di~ rectory for the guidance of the members of the organization. members of the crew and their ! see in the festivities, Singleton and Bill Lee were nam- eee eee Fern Roberts’ Offered A ‘Bright Idea’, Too 5S. S. SAN FLORENTINE, HERE IN JANUARY, REPORTED TORPEDOED | | rives at Rome en route to U. S, shores. The issue of peace or war in the Russian-Finnish scene de- pends entirely on action which will occur over this weekend, and a high official of Finland is re- sponsible for that opinion to- day. ‘é The whole subject of peace in that séttor depends upon whe- ther Russia will agree to a ces- sation of hostilities, and on what | terms. All foreign nations, es-;cember on the navy transport pecially the Allies, are agreed|U.S.S. Chaumont from San Fran- that Finland must not give up | cisco to China. Excellent views her independence, and it simply }of various Chinese ports were remains to be seen whether the|seen and the audience thorough- terms Russia might advance for |ly enjoyed the running comment peace would be bearable to the | supplied by Commander Byrns Finns. ¥ during his picture showings. British officials have indicated} Visiting the club, as a‘ guest of that if peace does not come, that! Lion Charles Johnson, was an- the Allies will immediately pre- | other navy official in the person pare to answer the Finns’ call | of Lieut. Commander (Dental for help by sending armed troops jCorps) E. Laughlin, who is a visi- (Continued on Page Four) tor in the city at present. ES SEE A | Nextweek the Lions Club will | feature “Sport Night”. Members FATE OF BRITISH | (S Sez.hers;, Members | basketball team will be guests at SHIP NOT KNOWN “= b | HOTEL MEMBERS . | INSTALL FLOAT { AT SOUTH BEACH Key West shipping officials are Hl taking a deep interest in con-|DEFINITE ACQUISITION OF flicting reports regarding the sinking of the British merchant- PROPERTY BY CITY FOL- man, S. S, San Florentine, by a} LOWED BY ACTION TAKEN German submarine in European | Waters, because the vessel was| TODAY FOR BATHERS in Key West Jan. 16. > A press associatior! dispatch | from the Netherlands stated; Announcement at the city Wednesday that the S. S. San jcouncil meeting Thursday night Florentine had been . torpedoed | that leases for the South Beach by a German submersible off the |property had been signed by southwest coast of England. It|mjunicipal officials resulted ina was indicated only a few of the | decision today by the Key West crewmen who had enjoyed a/Hotel and Tourist Homes As- brief period of shore liberty in!sociation to place a float for Key West a little less than two/ bathers in the surf off the foot! months ago had been saved. |of Simonton and Duval streets. However, late Thursday anoth-| A gift of the Columbia Laun- er dispatch, this time from Lon-!dry company, the float has been don, was to the effect that the hauled to South Beach by a Wil- official British news agency re-|liam Curry Sons Co. truck, also ported the San Florentine had | donated, according to President! arrived safely in an English) R. A. Lehmann of the hotel as-| port. |sociation. A number of visitors! It will be recalled by readers | and citizens aided in ‘unloading! of The Citizen that the» San the float, which is eight feet wide! Florentine put in here for fuel jand 16 feet long. oil Jan. 16, She took on the fuel; President Lehmann has ar- at the Porter dock, and then pro- | ranged with Capt. Quintin Lopez, ceeded on her run to Houston, | fishing boat operator, for anchor- Texas. Members of the crew!age of the float after it has been said here at the time the San|launched. As soon as the weath- Florentine would head for Liver-|er moderates volunteers will be pool after leaving Houston. enlisted to see to the launching. _The day the San Florentine ar-| Feéling certain that eventually rived here it was rumored|the city would procure leases around the city the vessel had{|from the Gato and Sweeney es- been chased in to port by a sub-/tates for the beach property, the marine. The Florentine was built hotelmen have gone ahead with in 1919 and is listed as being of development of the beach. The 12,800 tons. She is owned by the | sand ig raked and swept i Eagle Oil and Shipping company and is in excellent condition. of England, | ontinued On Page Four) From this directory will be se-! ee lected the members of the va-: Porn Roberts, movie star who and its tropical is a rious committees to be appointed by the division heads for follow- ing up and putting through the various city-building projects in the Chamber’s program. FRANK LADD OUT FOR RE-ELECTION COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCES FOR OFFICE TODAY beauty appeared personally at the Mon-|marked surprise. If the city roe Theatre here this. week, had | ‘papas’, or whoever is supposed many interesting things to say to do the job, get behind -a na- | about Key West in an interview |tional advertising campaign of with The Citizen before she left./some kind I think that unnum-| Her comments follow: | bered People will come to Key “The first thrill I experienced | West to spend days instead of} is that I found I could dip my! hours, foot into the Gulf of Mexico and} “I want to go on record as sug- before I could pronounce the | gesting a manner of. avoiding jname of my guide I was in posi- | traffic congestion and at the same ed on a committee to inform Ro- tary International of the hotel accommodations and other fa- cilities in Key West in connection with the Havana convention of the world-wide organization in June. The, information was wired to Chicayo headquarters by Presi- dent Little later in the day. ».Col, James D: MaeMullen,;com- mandant of the Key West army barracks, was presented with a copy of “The Life of Greece” by Will Durant for his success in a recent questionnaire conducted by Time, newsmagazine. Col. MacMullen aroused chuckles with his humorous references to his own prowess in answering the questions, ascribing his success to “a clear conscience and right living”. With suitable introductions from Chairman Doughtry of the service committee and S. C. Sin- gleton, Earl Sykes, formerly of ;Cincinnati, now .of Key West, gave an illuminating talk on jtion to put the other foot in the/time lending color to the city. \ Atlantic. Your climate is heav- | “How about blocking off every i enly and for the first time in my | third stteet from auto traffic and | weaving as a business and hob- by. He related how he and Mrs. Sykes became interested in a pro- |life I have enjoyed the spectacle fof standing in one place and Seeing the sun rise from the sea/ jand at the end of the day sink! ;to rest in other waters. Frank H. Ladd, present: County Tax Collector, announces today for re-election to the same office i in the coming May primary. “I like Key West far better! His statement follows: than F'did Miami, The few days} “In announcing for re-election |I have had here have been thor- | to the office of State and County oughly enjoyable and the quaint- Tax-Collector for Monroe: Coun-ness of the city seems somehow ty, I wish to state that I have jor other to lend itself to a rest-| endeavored to perform the duties 'ful geiieral atmosphere that gets | incumbent to the office in an ef- |right tinder my skin. Really, I'd | ficient, courteous and _business- |like to spend a lot more time | like manner. If re-elected to this here and am figuring on coming! office I will continue to serve for ' next year if I am again given an/| jposal to set up a weaving colony putting some old fashioned | L chariots—manned_ with | disposal of visitors who want to be taken to the various points, of interest? ‘Tt would make peo- ple talk for months about the town ‘and pay for itself times over ‘in’ recited memories that would’ bring hundreds of friends of those who have once experi- enced the novelty. If the city should act on this I want the first ride and will pose for the Picture—no charge. the best interest of the County | and State. “T earnestly solicit the support of the voters of Monroe County.” FRANK H. LADD. ‘DELAY COURT TERM OPENING Spring term of Criminal Court, which had been scheduled to be- gin Monday at county courthouse, has been delayed; it was today to the sheriff's. office by Judge William V. Albury. A jury was to have been drawn this morning, but no action was ‘taken. CATES COMPLETES BUSINESS CENSUS Myrtland Cates stated today r “This letter would not be com- |opportunity to get away from my | plete unless I made mention of |work in Hollywood. jthe kindness that have been ex- | “Any attempt of mine to de-|tended me by the people here. jscribe the natural beauty of Key | They have been overly courteous } | West would be a terrible disap-|in answering my many questions jPointment to your readers. The! about the flowers and trees and jtropieal beauty that is so prolific |many have gone out of their way \in almost every yard here in Key!to favor me with information | West far surpasses ‘the finest ef-|that I have jotted down in my fort of landscape artists and “look book.” I am taking away | trained gardeners in other cities|more pictures of Key West and! where I have visited. I only de- | its beauty spots than I have taken ‘plore that your ‘residents take | any place since leaving California jthis beauty so much for granted;and I think that should let you and become so lax in caring for know that my most pleasant ex- ,the plants and trees that should |periences and delightful happen- .and undoubtedly will be a mag-j|ings have been right down -here jnet to attract visitors from alljat the tip of America. ‘parts of the world. | “I suppose that the Hollywood ! “One of my big. »worries for;Chamber of Commerce will be Key West is how they will. ac-' waiting at the train for me to commodate the. people... The nar~. knock my ears down for not com- Towness of the streets and the|paring this'city to Hollywood lack of accommodations will | but really 1 appreciate the lack | { : j jseveral days here. | : “There I go finding fault. But|unspoiled by the commercial T really believe that the people |strife now \ wild. under ‘here, and explained how it could {to many: Key West women. After the talk several members examined the many fine fabrics land patterns turned out by Mrs. |Sykes-on her handloom at her |home here: “If Key West weavers can‘ cap- ture the color of Key West and express it in weaving the product can be made the foundation of a |fine industry”, Mr. Sykes de- clared. TEMPERATURES Lowest last Highest last night 24 hours . 30 Stations Atlanta Boston Buffalo Charleston - ‘Chicago Detroit ZNBASSSANSSEN daily |the information as required on that the Monroe County Business }of Key West would do well to Census has now been completed. |prepare for an influx of visitors All firms of the county, both in such as they never dreamed of Key West and on the Keys, have entertaining. As it is now, many been called on, each supplying |vacationists start out to see the Widely advertised Overseas High- {way and the quaint almost for- blanks being universally used ii > [eign atomoaphere of Key West the regular 1940 census. the name of modern architecture lest pomemive soguntoacee | “Again I want to express the :sineere wish that I have | to visit Key land I hope that my every phesy comes true—especially chariots.” COCKTAIL HOUR Sunday, 6 p. m. #ill ? Key West, Florida, has the. most equable climate in the country; with an average © range of only 14° Fahrenheit PRICE FIVE CENTS Site.On Coppitt Key. ' Tentatively Picked — For Municipal Airport WH, MONSALVATCE sr tnoen co ENTERS RACE FOR. C. LEADERSHIP MAKE (COMMISSION POST. TRIP YESTERDAY SEEKS RE-ELECTION TO REP- ey on Big. Coppitt Key,’ Bast RESENT FIRST DISTRICT; ’ Rockland Key. Boca Chica and GIVES SUMMARY OF AC-/ | Stock Island were investigated COMPLISHMENTS TO DATE, i cy \ ‘group of city, county. and civic Wm. H. Monsalvatge today; _ z qualified as a candidate to suc- otticials: under leadership of the ceed himself as County Commis- Key West Chamber of Com- sioner from the First District. His statement follows: “In making my announcement seeking re-nomination for the of- j | merce. ! Although no definite decision was reached, it was tentatively agreed that a site on Coppitt Key not far from the old roadbed of the Florida East Coast railroad, ; Which may soon become a part of Overseas Highway, offers the best opportunity for economical development of a Key West air- | base. | Coppitt Key is approximately '14 miles from downtown Key | West in a line following the rail- road bed and viaducts from Stock Island? The land avail- ‘able without excessive filling and jleveling is believed more than ;ample for milelong runways for jthe largest military and com- |mercial airplanes. It is likely a plan of develop- |ment may soon be worked up by eee en Tt a enineer: a. Camry: Miaeete:° in fice of County- Commissioner of co-operation with Homer Her- the First District in the May pri- rick, WPA engineer, so that aad mary, I feel that.J should report, lands may be procured throug my progress since I ‘ave held , the Monroe” county” contthuission. : " To come under the Florida pro- this .offi¢e. | gram of airport expansion, the “As you all know, the Com-j airport would have to be op- mission has een ampaired!erated by the city, although the through insufficient funds for op-| funds and effort to procure the eration of the county, due to the |land might be supplied by the Murphy Act, also the loss of oth- | county. er funds from one state agency.| In making their examination And it was impossible for the|of the sites yesterday the offi- Commission to do all that it cials followed the railroad from would liked to have done, Nev-jStock Island, after considering ertheless,'I feel that the progress |use of part of the municipal golf of the county has been very fav- | course as an airport development orable under existing conditions. | possibility. 3 “During this administration the; Among those making the trip Commission has given aid to|were President Everett Russell, more than double the number of |E. P. Winter and Albert E. indigent poor than at any other |Peirce Jr., of the Chamber of time in the history of the county. |Commerce; Mayor Willard M. “We have sponsored approxi-|Albury and Councilmen L. C. mately $100,000 of WPA projects, | Brinton and Ernest Ramsey, rep- namely, Boulevard, Beach, Band, |resenting the city; Commissioner Sewing Room, Mosquito Control | William Monsalvatge. represent- and Commodity. We also have ing the county, and Engineers in the making a project covering | Moreno and Herrick. roads at Rock Harbor, Tavernier; Winter as chairman of the civic and Matecumbe. _ |comrmgittee was some time ago se- “We made evety effort to as- lected to investigate the airport sist toward securing the Housing | developmertt possibilities after project. I personally gave my |army, navy and civilian aviators time and aid together with those had | appearéd before officials who were interested ‘in this | with a plea for adequate airplane movement which was. helpful in | facilities on the island or nearby bringing the project up to its keys. WM. H. MONSALVATGE present standing. Hl Selmer ee “We have aided the Chamber, NOT NECESSARY T0 of Commerce morally and finan- | cially to our fullest extent. } "vethre awa ber ewty PAY POLL TAXES and willing to assist all govern-| mental agencies in the county. | —-- “Our efforts in regards to the GIBBS’ RULING CHANGES new highway have never ceased. | We have employed every known| CANDIDATE QUALIFYING method in the interest of having | REGULATIONS work started on same,- and we} are now hopeful that our efforts were not in vain. Ross C. Sawyer, county clerk, today informed The Citizen that according to decision handed | down yesterday by Attorney Gen- leral Cooper Gibbs, at Tallahas- . |see, it is not necessary for can~ | didates for election in the May ts are in as goud a condition, if not better, than when we took