Nazis advance 50 miles from Stalingrad

Adolph Hitler’s field HQ asserted today that German troops, advancing with 50 miles of Stalingrad, had &uot;reached or crossed the lower Don at all points&uot; south of Kalach, and Soviet dispatches frankly conceded that it was the gravest moment of the entire war.

Red Star, the Russian Army newspaper, declared ominously that the pressure was becoming &uot;more and more difficult&uot; to meet, while other Soviet newspapers hinted anew at a need for opening an Allied second front in Europe.

London military quarters said the Nazis, throwing probably 625,000 troops into the assault, had been slowed somewhat after suffering heavy losses.

These quarters said that the Russian armies were mostly intact.

Civilian defense head calls meet

GATESVILLE – County chairman of Civilian Defense L. C. Hand has arranged a county-wide meeting for Friday night, July 31, at 8 o’clock p.m. in the Sunbury School Auditorium when every man, woman and child in Gates County is invited to attend in order to study and to learn something of the problems presented in the civilian defense program.

&uot;Whether one has or does not have any part in the work of civilian defense, it is expedient that every man in the county attend this meeting.&uot; Hand said.

Celia Lacy honored with bridge party

Misses Gene Hutton and Mildred Sheffield entertained yesterday afternoon complimentary to Miss Celia Lacy, of Fredericksburg, house guest of Miss Ann Daughtrey.

There were two tables of bridge.

Miss Mary Helen Macklin won the prize for high score.

Miss Lacy was presented with a gift.

The hostesses were assisted in serving an ice course by Miss Sue Hundley.

Those playing were: Misses Celia Lacy, Ann Daughtrey, Mary Helen Macklin, Eloise Cuthbert, Margaret Gobbel, Mary Frances Maxey, Margaret Saunders, and Mrs. James Murphy.

Planters, Ritz win wet games

Old Man Weather didn’t catch up with the softball games at Wellons Park last night – at least he didn’t stand in their way.

Planters won the first game in convincing style as they trounced the Colonial Stores, 14-3, scoring in every inning but the sixth.

In the second game, the Ritz Caf\u00E9 slipped and splashed over the wet field for a 5-1 victory over the Knights of Pythias.

Meadows allowed the Ritzmen six hits, and Westnidge yielded only five in the dampened contest.

In the first inning Nixon, of the Ritz, slammed out a home run, scoring A. Owens, who had previously tripled, and Alexander.

-Compiled by Andrew Giermak