These are some highlights from the News Journal on September 9, 1961:
Nationally
‘40,000 More Soldiers To Be Shipped To Europe’
“WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara announced today that about 40,000 additional regular Army troops would be sent to Europe ‘in the immediate future’. Most of them will go to Germany to strengthen combat because of forces in the Soviet Union’s threat to Berlin.”
“Western efforts to open up a basis for negotiation of a Berlin settlement with the Soviet Union were reported today to have been unsuccessful so far.”
”GENEVA (AP) — The United States, Britain and the Soviet Union perform burial rites today for the nuclear test ban conference after 340 sessions. It was doomed when the Soviets decided to resume tests.”
“MOSCOW (AP) — Two days of talks between Premier Nikita Khrushchev and Prime Minister Nehru of India appear to have brought the world no nearer to peace. Nehru left for home today with little success to show in his role as East-West mediator.”
‘Widow, Widower with 18 Children To Marry’
“CARMEL, Calif. (AP) Their 18 children will be watching from two reserved pews as a 43-year-old Navy warrant officer — Francis Louis Beardsley, father of 10 — weds the 51-year-old widow of a Navy flier — the former Helen North, mother of eight — late today in historic old Carmel Mission. After the ceremony, the 18 will troop back to a battleship-gray house where carpenters are busy adding three more bedrooms to the present five, increasing the bathrooms from three to five and the living space from 2,700 to 5,400 square feet.” The children ranged in age from 18 months to 17 years, and the family was later the subject of the late ’60s movie “Yours, Mine and Ours” with Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball.
Locally
‘WHS Air-Ground Attack Beats Cadets’
“Wilmington High School chastised Xenia Woodrow Wilson 40-18 Friday night at Alumni Field. Twelve-hundred fans saw the victory. With a lightweight but hardworking line ahead of them, Wilmington’s talented backfielders reeled off 331 yards on the ground. Dwight Wallace threw all but one of nine successful aerials out of 14 attempts.” Jack Williams and Ron Nance led the running attack.
• “The G.C. Murphy Co. will open its ultra-modern store in Wilmington Plaza on Tuesday, Sept. 19, L.R. McLaughlin, manager, announced today. The downtown store, which has operated for the past 24 years, will close Monday at 5:30 p.m.” The new store would be 20,000 square feet.
• Coming soon to the Murphy Theatre was “The Guns of Navarone” with Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn.
