Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 51, Number 200, Decatur, Adams County, 25 August 1953 — Page 1

Vol. LI. No. 200.

Adams County Soldier Freed By Communists

After almost three years and two months of imprisonment by the Communists in- North Korea Cpl.— now Sgt. Leroy Baumgartner—of route 1. Monroe, has been freed, with 136 othey Americans. The .announcement came late Monday night as a follow up to the announcement made by the authorities in Korea Saturday that those men captured by the Reds on July 5. 1950 would be freed. x Leroy was 23 years old when Was captured and can look forward to the happiest birthday, he's had in a long time this coming October 24 when he will be 26. His parents are • Mr. and Jlrs. Emil Baumgartner.* Leroy’s father, Emil, said today he was sure bls son was alive during the past imprisonment because he had been receiving, letters from North Korea every two months. He said when he heard 'Saturday night’s broadcast by the truce’ authorities of thq release of prisoners -taken on July 5 three years ago, he was certain Leroy would be among those free. Leroy is the first Adams county prisoner of war to come out of the North Korean prison camps. He entered service in December. 1947 and spent a full- two years occupation duty in Japan before the ’police action" dragged almost every able-bodied "peace duty” out of Japan to be thrown into the fighting. \The last letter received by his parents .before his capture was on Juhe->O. when Leroy was struggling with the other men of Company D. 21st Infantry Regiment, to keep the North Koreans—at that time the only ones fighting the U; N. .forces —from shoving them felear off the peninsula. information does not make it clear What camp Leroy was taken to. North, Korea or 'Manchuria, but the treatment he got was apparently better than a good many others of his comrades who fell straight into the hands of the Chinese Reds and it is thought his camp was maintained by North Koreans rather than Chinese Reds exclusively. . / The Daily Democrat spoke only to Leroy’s father because repeated attempts at. locating Mrs. Baumgartner had failed, friends of Mrs.. Baumgartner said; she had gone to Huntington following the news to stay with her daughter. Mrs. Herman Landis, who has no phone. , Mr. Baumgartner said he believes the condition of his son is good, and if is borne out from a cummilnique by authorities that stated the condition of the men released was “good.” Leroy’s father relates that in one of his letters home—postmarked with the ironic Red - post stamp, a cross and a dove —Leroy said he “feels old.” In view of the strict Red censorship of all U. N. prisoner mail, this can be taken to mean he feels “beat" ’ Procedure in processing returned American prisoners has varied with each particular case. First, Os course, Leroy will bet giyen an exhaustive physical to determine bis condition.

Will Operate Buses For School Children Gay's Service Will Be Operated Again Cay’s bus service for school children will be operated again this year, it was announced today by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gay, operators of the two school busses in Decatur. Routes are now being worked out and the service will be ex- - tended this year to all sections of Decatur, including Stratton Place, the owners announced. Two drivers have been added to make the service more .complete and reservations by parents for their children are now being received. The complete city schedule of pick-ups will be announced as soon as reservations are completed, the owners said. Last year the busses z operated in only the north and south sections of the city, but the new* schedule will * include the entire city. The service will stkrt on the opening day of school; and reservations will be made tor the entire first semester of the school year. —q’’ _ I »

DECATUR DAIIX DEMOCRAT

Ik W I •tJL ■ . <• i ■ ' ‘W Sgt. Leroy Baumgartner 400 More Men ” ? .•[ Freed By Reds In Exchange Claim 400 Other Captives Refuse To Return Home PANMUNJOM. Korea, UP — The Communists returned 400 more prisoners to freedom today, claimed that 406 other captives refused to go home;- and announced 1,651 had died in captivity. Os the 400 men who passed through Freedom Gate in the -21st day of “Operation Big Switch,” 136 were Americans. All wereAn good physical condition. A: In addition, the Communists released 250 South Koreans, eight Canadians, three Australians, two and a Greek. The Reds, who thu<s far have re-leased-8,620 captives or two-thirds of the 12.763 promised, announced they would free 133 Americans, 17 Britons and 250 South Koreans Wednesday. i 4 Twelve North Koreans being returned to Communism spat in the face of Lt. ’Col. Arthur LeFevre of 176-11 76th Ave.i Flushing, New York w'ho angrily protested to the Communists. Peiping radio and the United Nations military armistice commission each announced that 400 Allied captives of the Communists had refused repatriation. ) The Red radio claimed the list of names was given to the UfN. las£ Thursday, but Allied authorities said the roster was not re- , ceived until Tuesday night. The number of Americans on the list was not given, hut it was believed most of the 400 Refusing to return to democracy were South Koreans who had been® told in nearby Kaesong they would be executed by President Syngman i Rhee’s government. I Returning Americans have reported that 15 to 20 U. S. soldiers in Camps No. 1 and No. 5, plus a small number of British and Turkish captives, had chosen to remain with the Communists. These Americans also reported that some of the men who refused to go 'home had been urged to accept repatriation by rhe Chinese and .their refusal to do so had erabarrassed the Communists. Other Americans, have told of i “progressives" ' who swore they would advance Commpntsm in the United States and accepted repatriation to carry out their oath. Many “progressives” were de- ■ scribed as “rata” and “squealers” who pretended to embrace Com- - munism in! order to receive better treatment and feared to feeturn lest they be tracked down and killed in the United States by loyal prisoners. 1 1 | . j . Peiping radio also announced that the Communists formally had notified the U.N. that 1.651 Allied prisoners, including non-Ko-reans, had died in Communist compounds. “Some of them were killed hi air raids by United Nations aircraft.” the broadcast said. Peiping said the death list Included “complete data” on the dead prisoners, with their burial places.

Australia In : f: jB" Move To Hall Split & India * ’ . jyl ; Seek||S|ttlement Os Dffffences 1 At Privatjb Meeting UNITED-|N*ATiaNS, N. Y. UP —AustraliaZafepfealed today for a private of the question of India’s participation in the Far Eastern pdshtica| conference without forcingjk public western split in a vote. New ZeauTnl joined Australia in opposing iMia’s resolution calling for the submission of all U. N. decisions and proceeding on the conference feo the Chinese Communists and North Koreans for comment before they become finalIt appealed the committee debate might this afternoon with speeches tfejrtn India’s V. K. Krishna Menon.<hd United States Ambassador Hgnry Cabot Lodge Jr. The comtrHttee heard speeches from eight Countries this morning and five regained op the speakers list: Buri*|| Britain. Russia, India and th* United States. However* ithe committee then will pasq ? ;-jp “examinations of vote” and wlfeh the possibility that one or may be offered, it w».s uncertain when the 60-nation gfemip would vote on the six resolutions before it. Percy Spender deplored tl&tdifference "between India and United States” oh the a seat for India, at the peace conference. Actually, untfj now, it has been a rift between[Britain pnd her Commonwealth pffetners, on one hand, and the U. ffe’bn the other. . “We have said that we would ■regard India’s membership . . . a" of great viixliuie,” Spender said. "Yet we cannot remain unmoved that the U. reasons it has publicly advanced and in which 1 am satisfiedit sincerely believes, Spender dropped from his prepared text ah; explicit appeal for agreement oft the India issue before the comfcdtfoe votes, but gave a broad hint 4ghen he said: “We hope $ shat this difference may yet provA possible of adjustment. I would hope that this, by discussions bi Ween these two nations, may pr ve feasible. . . . “The quest )u of India’s membership shoul » in the interest of world peace, e resolved if it cauj‘ without the d spute widened. That would, 1 thin be in accordance with the pub| cly expressed views of the great - eader of; India, Mr. Nehru.” »’ 'Spender alluded to a statement by Indian Premier Jawaharlal Nehru that Ihdia would not participate in the conference without major support from both sides Australia and New Zealand voiced growing opposition to the Indian proposal which could delayl fTtora To P»«e «lx> ' ! ; Set Registration HoursFor Students Principal Andrews , Announces Schedule Regiswition schedules were announcfed|ftoday by principal Hugh J. Andrews fot* Decatur junior and senior high school for the school term* wlifch will open September 9 Herfe ijt the schedule: Monday, August 31,- 9 a.m.. TuestUjir, Sept 1, 9 a.m. juniors. Wednesday, Sept. 2, 9 a.m., sophomores. Sept. 3, 9 a.m., freshmen. ? = 4, 9 a.m., eighth grade; a.m., seventh grade. All hiAi school students will register the principal’s office, AndrewsJinnounced, and on junior high registration day, pupils will register room 205. Merrßt/’Algex, who has charge of schoof f book rentals, .will be present kt all registration sessions and students may get-their rental books atitlUt time. They also will receive k< list of the books which they will bug outright and these may be purchased at Holthouse Drug pecatur. All students will select their course* during the registration period and will be assigned times for each class, and each study period. This preliminary work is done so that classes may take up immediately the beginning of the school term on September 9, Andrews pointed out. ’ll ■ :

ONLY DAILY IN AbAMS COUNTY

Decatur, In dieno, Tuesday, August 25, 1953.1

New Telephone Strike Threatened; May Slow Service In 40 States

Reds Seek To i Spread Unrest Against Shah I Iran's Outlawed Communists Open Anti-Shah Campaign TEHRAN, Iran, UP outlawed Communists campaigned to overthrow the shah of Iran,- to day but the government tanks and troops controlled ih< nation. ( ' v The Tudeh (Communist) p|ytj£ central committee littered streets with .pamphlets denount ing the royalist coiiip that ende4 the rule-or-ruin regime of med Mossadegh. > Calling on the people to against the Anglo-American an<£ shah coup d'etat against the se<|ple,” the Communists sald thir “Anglo-American bayonets pointed? at you” could be brushed asidtf through Unity. It was the first open bid by the? Communists since Gen. Eazollahl Zahedi engineered the coup last? week that tpppled Mossadegh and' returned the triumphant shah' from exile. Zahedi said the country Was *10(4 percent under control** In spite of the Communist campaign to create unresf. He said, however, the government’s first task was “establish-; ing law and order” throughout; Iran. Iranian police scoured the conn-.* try for Tudeh leaders. They sought former foreign minisfor Hussein Fateml, who erroneously had been reported killed by t mobs during the Wednesday that took scores of lives in ran. ; ;• > Zahedi said Iran was “in a yepy;: critical position” and asked friendly nations to “extend the hand ‘of cooperation and assistance.” ?. The shah already has for economic help from any and he did not bar Russia. In his most recent blast at sadegh, the shah Monday nightt accused the former premier of trying to destroy the constitution,' emptying the treasury and issuing! worthless currency. Zahedi has accused Mossadeg&i of defying the shah’s orders dis-' missing him last Saturday nighd He said Mossadegh officially hagl! acknowledged receipt of a letter of dismissal Mossadegh : will be moved frois. his present, place of detention to; the central prison where other’ ministers of his fallen cabinet no*s <Twr» T. PM* T — Mrs. Ida A. Fennig Is Taken By Death I Funeral Services To Be Wednesday 1 Mrs. Ida Alice Fennig. 84. died suddenly Monday at the home of & daughter. Mrs. Kenneth Stolz, seven miles northeast of Portland, where she had resided for the seven years. Mrs. Fennig was a resident near New Corydon most of her llfe| Her husband, Lewis Fennig, pre< ceded her in death. Also surviving are another daugh* ter, Mrs. Mae Luttman of Decatur £ tvko sons, William J. Fennig ot ; Celina, 0., and Alvin Fennig of Decatur; a step-daughter, Mrs. Laura White of near Portland; two stepsons, Edward Fennig of Geneva and Fred Fennig of Berno; grandchildren; 35 great-grandchil-dren, and three sisters, Mrs. Coira Burris, Mrs. Daisy Yoss and Mrs. Jessie Mathyk, all of Geneva. Funeral ervices will be held ar 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at the New" Corydon Lutheran church, the Ralph Wheadon officiating. BurlaY will be in the State Line cemetery., Friends may call at the Baird eraThome, Portland, until *t Ime of the services. f- “ * i til 11 a

“Progressive” Admits It ■F> -AM j 1 Skids tz 4 EX-POW CORPORAL HAROLD DUNN oJ Baldwinsville, N.Y. is interviewed by newsmen on his arrival at New York’s Laguardia Field. I>unn freely admitted that he had been a “Progressive” during his imprisonment, but denied emphatically th|at he had ever informed on fellow-Amerlcan prisoners.

Eisenhower To Be Speaker Al Dam Dedication To Meet President Os Mexico At Dam Dedication Oet. 19 DENVER, UP — The White House announced today that Pres? Ident Eisenhower will meet I with President Aldolpho Ruiz Cortfnez of Mexico Oct. 19 on the Rio Grande river to dedicate the Falcon dam. The White House also disclosed that President Jose Antqniq 'Remon Cantera of Panama; had .accepted an invitation to visit Mr. Eisenhower in Washington Sept. 28. The President will ;at least two other speeches in epnnection • with his October trip ’to the dam built jointly by the tlditpd States and Mexico to servs lhe lower Rio Grande valley. As > part of his flying trip, the President will speak Oct 15 at Kansas City, Mo., to the convention of the Futur Farmers of Americd. ‘ • V Oct. 17 he will speak in Wew Orleans in connection with !the Louisiana sesquicentennial celebration. ;[ 1 [)< The Falcon dam is about 75 miles* downstream from j Laredo. Tex. J- i ■ ' The White House in announcing the date of the dedication cajled the dam “an outstanding example of practical cooperation of two neighboring countries in the utilization of a common resource.”; The President spent only a bfeief time at his office this morning, then left for a round of golf on the course at Fitzsimons army hospital. Since he began his vacation here 17 days ago. Mr. Elsenhfeßer has had only two chances to go trout fishing. He has played golf at the Cherry Hills Country Club course on several afternoons, but always after a busy morning ’at his offices at Lowry force Base. »■ The President Monday met With Fred A. Seaton, Hastings, Tifqb.. publisher and fotmei; Republican senator. Later he met with s£n. Frank , Carlson, (R-Kan.l, tSjen spent a little more than an hfeur dictating. Carlson saic| he talked with the President about a plan.’ to designate townships instead of ceftinties as disaster areas under the new federal drought relief <nrogram. The Kansas senator said Eisenhower assured him he ’intended to see -that isolated arijas in the drought states received fed9upport - r INDIANA WEATHER H. Fair tonight. Sunny avd warm Wednesday. Low tonight 58-64. High Wednesday

Annual Institute Held For Teachers Students Report At Sloots Wednesday The 1953 Adams county leach*’ er[s institute got underway 4t approximately 9 o’clock this morning and Gail. Grabill, new Adan)s county sfehpol .troduced himself to some 90 ers of the county educational te,n - ■. ?■' mijl The Rev. Ray J. Walther, pastor of the Presbyterian Church. Decatur, then gave the invocation. The major address was given by Clarepce A. Pound, associate professor of education at Purdue University. His talk was entitled “Conflicts in and he took up a host of topics with regard to seeing that children are helped to maintain healthful balance during their early and later school dajU. An interesting talk o.n “Health of the Sc.hdol Child” then ensued by Dr. Jejan Ry bold, of the state board of Ijiealth, invited to the annual meet! Adams county health nurse Misfe Marie Felber. She 9 told the teachers to always be observant of the)r students and note possibilities among them of falling health and things that should be corrected before they go too far | ( Dr. recommended all school children be submitted to pre-school physicals to make sure they get eff in school on "the right footing. She called for periodic jPatch testing for TB and yearly examinations of teeth of young students, Dt. Rybolt said teachers should he on the lookout .for their own health as well as that of their charges. ![ ' Following the open meeting was held an election of delegates tp the representative assembly, Indiana stated teachers association, the results of which have not as yet been announced. Tn the [afternoon teachers met with their respective principals for organizational meetings and lastminute preparations before the opening pl the county- schools. 1 -Students will report at all schools Wednesday morning for organizaticn and classes will start next Mont ay. • J ' T" | ' Elzey Funeral Rites Wednesday Afternoon Funeral services for William Roscoe Elzey, who died Sunday evening at his home, will be held at 2 p.m.. Wednesday at the Hlack funeral home. The Rev, H- J. Welty will offifeiate, with burial in ths Decatur cemetery. The name of a broth er, Ed Elzey, df Geneva, was unintentionally omitted from the list of survivors as published Monday. ' 5,

— fc —I County Council lii ’ Session Here Today Jtudy Petition for Hospital Addition BULLETIN I ' jAt 2 p.m. the the county council appended in w greement on what act|icn they wpuld in rbgafr!#Ho the petition to approve :$400,000 bond issue for the Adbms county memorial hospital. Henry Dehner, council president stated, “We will be in se&ion until 4 p.m. and a vote wifi, be taken we adjoin. The coundilmen plan to return Wednesday to ijgn the record.” Tit' 1 ' ’• i-”i ,i: - Ths Adams county cdtihcil met today for the first qf twqkday sesto consider th* $400)000 petition I for additions and improvement' to the Adams county hospitak '!■ ■ 1 ;| .. ’ Pnpr to, the meeting the Adams courtly commissioners — who Voted Unanimously in favor of the petition at their meeting two ago—met with the council, presumably to'give their iviews on the mutter. \ j Thia ,* Adams county hospital board, and its president. Cal E. Peterson, came before the council in the late mornibg to give their arguments support of the petition. (The council can alter the accept it or deny It.) Present at the meet was Howard: Baumgartner of Berne, attorney; Baumgartner said be repre-i sen ted tlie* remdnstrators to the petition. He said petitions against; Ihe bond issue were circulating In Berne, Decatur and Geneva ini I 20 counterparts. Three, however registered their Unwritten objection to the petition:.Sinn Nussbaum, Fred Bluhm, andcD. A. Rnmple. j Members of the! county council! who ! wfli decide the fate of the petition at this point are Henry Dehner, Julius Schultz, Charles’ Jones, Chris Stahley. Leon Neuenschwander, Rufus Huser and William Kruetzman. - - r ! ■ ■ ■ Third Auto Accident* Victim Dies Monday TtEpL CITY, Ind. UP —Leslie R. <|tehn, 23, Tell City, died Mondayt;pf injuries suffered when an autqiplurged over an embankment along ? Indiana 66 near here. Two others were killed in the wreck, and two Tell City teen-agers remaihed in critical condition. Harry Rolland Dies At Rockford Home Funeral Services To Be Wednesday Hurry (Butch) Rolland, 65, Rock iford,> 0., butcher, died unexpectedly of a' coronhry thrombosis at his hornb Monday. I ! . He had been a resident of Rockford Tor 37 years. > ' Surviving are his wife, Rosa; two sons, Carl Rolland of Van ijVert, O. and John Rolland of Decatur; five daughters, Mrs. Marie Lehman of Celina, 0., Mrs. Pauline Snyder. Mrs. Martha Taylor, Mrs. Louise Shellabarger and Mrs. Betty Reish. all Os Portland; 13 grandchildren; two half-brothers, James Strickler, of Decatur and WUI Strifekier of Portland, 'and eight half-sister*. Mrs.: Jessie Lautzenheiser of Decatur, Mrs. Ruby Huffman of Berne, Mrs. Effie Cor belt of St. Paul. ! Min£, Mrs. Wilma Hoblet of Willshire, 0.. Mrs. Ed Wojke and Mr*. Jesse Pyrrish of Fort Wayne, and Mrs. ; Mabel Figley of near Rockford. ‘ FUperal services Will be conducted a< 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Presbyterian Church |u RockfordJ the Rev. Charles Thompson officiating. Burial will be in Riverside cemetery, the body Is at the Ketchafci funeral homo in where friends may call until time' of the services. ’ !

Price Five Cent* L ■ ' I ’ 3 : <

Could Disrupt Toll Service Over Nation ®. H ! .-J j Wednesday Noon s Set Tentatively As Strike Deadline 2 liy UNITED PRESS the CIO Communications Wjoikers of America," already on strike in states, today threatened another telephone walkout which could disrupt long distance in 40 states. j. '. _ r. I’utpn officials at New York tentatively set Wednesday noon as the deadtina for .a strike by long lines emplpyes of American Telephone & Telegraph. But some sources said g strike might -come before the i Thh !feompaqy and union were reported' deadkxked in negotiations for a new contract to replace the one which expired July 5. The negotiation* at New York covet approximately 22,000 employes across the rpuntry. j J ; , L‘ : ! ; About 1,000 of the 'employes in cities Monday staged 4-hour walkouts to attend union “protest” meetings. The union charged the company with “dila[tactics (io stall the negotla- ■ tiqns. Saboteurs cut six cables, knocking dut service to 2.500 telephones at Ipdlapapolis, Ind., today. Indian* Bell Telephone Co. said the jcable cutting incident halted service through four exchanges in the eastern section of Indianapblis. In addition, the firm said, a charge of pellets from a shotgun damaged a long distance cable between Indianapolis and Dayton, O. TJhe incident occurred, after striking 610 communications workers attended a meeting at which they heard reports on the progress of their strike against Indiana Bell. Later. 7QO members marched around the firm’s downtown headquarters, ; Indiana Bell offered a >1.500 reward . for the conviction of those responsible for the cable cuttings. Spokesmen said there were 127 cases of cable damage since the strikfe began 35 days ago. A Union spokesman charged Monday shat the Bell system was pursuing. a “high button shoes” policy in dealings with labor groups. At St. Louis, where government mediators worked to end a strike' t>f Communication “Workers of America members against., the Southwestern [Bell System, the company planned newspaper advertisements th explaim its position. i Only one issue held \ip settlement -of that strike. 'l'he union called it a “no strike clause.” and "last minute legal gimmick.” CIG Communications Workers staged peaceful mass meetings in Indiana Monday night. The only incident there occurred when water was Jhrowu on some of the 7d(i union members marehing ; around the strike-harassed Indianapolis exchange. CWA strike director A. J. Jones. Washington, called on the company to “get rid of its high-button shoes” policy at an Evansville. Ind., meeting. He referred to wage differentials, a strike Issue in the Indiana (T«n T* p»~ Mrs. H. P. Schmitt Reported Critical The condition of Mrb, H, P. Schmitt oh this city, was reported as last night at Billings hospital in LChicago, where she Is a patient. Mitj). Schmitt underwent major surgery Aug. 12 and rallied ; satisfactorily. She took a turn for the worse Saturday and yesterday was placed on the hospital’s critical Hit, Her daughter. Miss Betty; and son Junior were at her bedside over the weekend, returning home last evening. Her husband ; left Immediately to be at his wife’s bedside. , ••