Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 34, Number 284, Decatur, Adams County, 1 December 1936 — Page 1

bTx \l\ No. 284.

Roosevelt Urges Hons Join To I Preserve Peace

■<ißresi|ent Opens South I Xie:"' Conference ■On Peace 'Mil* Plea I Tokll Nations. ■ATBi 1 A " s X,KES "■Bii'iiofi Aires, Dec. 1 — (U.R) ’’’ft* 1 Jl-'llcili'■ ‘fKiHnt linn u.iui -•KtS' «,(' apt «! ''K,. Amk can republics. E-We ft tit’’ \m« vii-as make it L,*' we stand shoulder to might Einst 'd f 'id a hemisplt' r.■holly p' r i l H ,L|l ,o consult to ■?”>ert#B, nations that “each one (K K'tl ’be ' Let each one of us ■ Mr. R " in~l'ii -lie EipMzxl that the "welfare and K ,pj;y of each of our nations -■epenA tn large part on the bene■ps itaji" : ••< >n; n .•-:•<•• • 1 Jkhenrse tea and with other naff HO< i b-- ' ''' '""'t - ■teiinqp " leading to war and pov■trty H lands across the seas in ■mjAirection from the western ■torlßai:il declared this conf> rBines provides an opportunity far ■lie dly firing in the Americas ■to coo, !?. ■’ in establishing • ■e> .lie unity. ■ At i. CST United Smb ■Am. las dor Alexander W. Wed■tell will call for Mr. Roosevelt ■tnd ■cert him to government ■loins,(arriving at 6:40 p.m. CST president will be thhonor at a state banquet Etendsje by President Justo This ■taqust will end at 8 p.m. CST., ■ after which a general reception ■for ■ pea," conference '!■ 1be h< ■ Iff possible honor was ic-iti: Mr. Roosevelt the nation made its welB ICMfIINI'En ON PAGU FIVE) I —;— iCUY COUNCIL IMEETS TONIGHT ; Regular Meeting Os City Council To Be Held Tonight meeting of the city will be held at 7:30 o’clock loci *gt at the city hall. objections are filed, an Moina: ce will be pa-ssed appropriating an amount up to $2)500 for a which the council buying for the street deBids for the truck and S^SB er w b e received Decernitems in departmental funds “H ar ° depleted will be included ■■■ordinance. Before the approare available the expendi,llrSßßiiu«t have the approval of the of tax commissioners, at the (ity ILhi a i^E wel ’ (Plant is nearing compleofficials have a few iniunder consideration and them will in all probability he taken tonight. These imI'rorAents include a screw conveythe conveying of the coal silos to the stokers on the ant * rebuilding the west wall boiler. Other improvem nts d iblplant under a future program n discussed by the council officials. of the November light ’ills las started, the new and lower kilowatt applying on the urreht month's billing. The bills j -Ide on or before December Th< reduced rates mean a sav■E approximately $7,000 to pat'oa» |f the (plant.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

1 — —— 1 Invited to U. S. ■ ~ ■fe A ; fti. 1 f | I i 8 l S- ■ f v 1 JB It ■ ■ President Agustin P. Justo, above, may some day be a guest of the United States. Putting into effect his good neighbor policy. President Roosevelt, in Buenos Aires for the ' Inter - American Conference for Peace, invited the Argentine Chief ; Executive to return the goodwill ■ call. adamscounty” MAN IS NAMED Harvey LaFountain State Chairman Os Infirmary Superintendents Indianapolis, Ind., Dec. I—(Spel—(Spe- ■ cial) —Harvey I>aEontaine, of near Decatur, was named state chairman of the county infirmary superin- ' | tendents section of the social welfare conference of Indiana at the meeting here Monday. Mr. Lafontaine has been superin1 tendents of the Adams county infirmary since December 31. 1920, when Martin Laughlin resigned the position. For several years the institution has been given a first class rating as to equipment and management by state inspectors in their annual reports. Select Vreeland Indianapolis. Ind., Dec. I—(UP)1 —(UP) Dr. F. M. Vreeland professor of sociology at De Pauw University, today headed the state conference on social work after succeeding Joseph A. Andrew', Lafayette, at the annual elections. 1 The three-day conference closes today. Amos W. Butler, former secretary of the board of state charities, ■ was re-elected President EmeritusVice presidents of the conference ranted are Mrs. J. W. Moore, Indianapolis, representing the Indiana federation of clubs; Allan Bloom, Indianapolis. General secretary of the Jewish community center association; Mrs. Richard Edwards. Peru, member of the state board of public welfare, and Miss Emma Puschner, National child welfare director of the American Legion. Directors elected are Dr. John . H. Hare, superintendent of the Evansville state hospital; William J. Murray. Crown Point, judge of the Lake Circuit court; Rev. August RFussenegger Indianapolis, director of Catholic Charities; Raymond F. Clapp, manager of the Indianapolis community fund; Mrs. E. B. Ball, Muncie, past president of the state conference, and Mrs. Esther Barker Neff, Richmond, secretary of the social service bureau. Lay Leaders Meet Wednesday Night The lay leaders of the local Methodist Episcopal church will meet at 7 ’3O P. M. Wednesday to consider following up the preaching mission and the public covenant campaign during the winter months. The pasj tor will discuss the matter at the mid-week service and present definite activities and goals to the official board for action. In addition to the regular attendants of the mid- ' week service, the church school officers and teachers, the evangelistic visitors and unit leaders and all members of the official board are urged to be present.

FRANCE SEEKS SETTLEMENT OF DEBT QUESTION France Desires To Open Negotiations To Settle War Deht Washington. Dec. I—(U.R1 —(U.R) —Acting Secretary of State R. Walton Moore today said the French government had advised this government of its desire to open negotiations for settlement of the French war debt, now long in default. Moore asserted, however, that there had been no negotiations with France, as yet. and that nothing approaching an agreement | has been reached. He eaid French Foreign Minister t Delbos, in a conversation with Ambassador William Bullitt at | Paris la’st Saturday expressed a | desire by his government to ar-1 range for some settlement of the debt question. Delbos did not go into details, or indicate when his government would be prepared to open negotiations with the United (States, or what proposals he might be prepared to make. The statement by Moore came a few hours after a, conference between Vice-president John N. I Garner and secretary of the treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr., -im-l mediately follow ing Garner’s arriv- j al in Washington. Garner refused to say whether the conference concerned the debt question and refused to comment J on the debt situation as did Morgenthau. Moore declared that Bullitt informed the French minister that I he was not in position to discuss | the debts officially; that he had > not been authorized to do so. a,nd that even if he had been so authorized he would not be in a position to state or express any opinion of what the American government's attitude would be. For Settlement (Copyright 1936 by United Press) Paris, Dec. I—(U.R1 —(U.R) —(France and the United States have agreed on i the advisability so war debt pay- ■ ment and, in doing so, have taken a long step toward the goal of economic disarmament, it was said today on the highest authority. It is hoped to include Great Britain in an agreement by which she and France would pay their (CONTINUED ON PAGE SEVEN) SUGAR COMPANY PLANS BANQUET Annual Banquet For Employees Will Be Held Tonight The approximately 400 employees of the Central Sugar company will be entertained at a banquet to be given by the company in the Fort Wayne community center this evening at 6:30 o’clock. Roy Hall, president of the company, will act as toastmaster and will also make a short talk. Other talks will be made by: E. W. Busche president of the Central beet growers association; Harry Offutt, coni suiting engineer for the company and president of. the Indiana engineering and construction company ' i of Fort Wayne; J. W. Calland, field manager* H. W. McMillen, secretarytreasurer, and John Neering, plant I superintendent. A band'and other entertainment will be provided. Joe Seabold of Bluffton will lead community singing. At the conclusion of the program a five (pound bag of Sparkling Crye- ' tai White sugar will be given each employee. The banquet is given by the company as an expression of its appreciation for the work done by the employees this year- It comes at the conclusion of a highly successful campaign and will be the last op- ' portunity for the' employees and officials to get together. -0 County Grand Jury Continues Session The Adams circuit court grand > jury continued its annual session today, interviewing private citizens. • The jury can not adjourn until after > next week it is believed, because it is required to visit the county instl- ■ tntions. Harvey LaFontain, super- ■ intendent of the county infirmary, I is attending the state social welfare i conference in Indianapolis this j week.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday, December 1, 1936.

Former Local Man Commits Suicide I Sheriff Dallas Brown and Chief < f Police Sephus Melchi received word today of the eulcide of Owen i i Wright Grimm, aged about 65, former local character. The word did i not state how he had killed him-, itself, but that it had occurred in Lafayette on November 21. Since that date authorities there lad been searching for relatives.' When Elisha Grimm, a brother liv- i log near Williams, was informed of the suicidal death, he stated that he had thought Owen dead for several years. Relatives had not heard of him for a number of years. Burial is to be made in Lafayette. Other than the brother, the only known survivors are distant relatives. o : Free Rabbit Fry For Legion Thursday Legionnaires, members of the drum corps, Spanish-American war veterans, their wives and families are invited to attend the free rab;bit fry at the Legion home Thursday ■ night at 6:30 o’clock. 0 — DEATH CLAIMS MRS. FRED LIN N Prominent Decatur Woman Dies Early This Afternoon Mrs. Maggie A. Linn. 66, wife of Fred H. Linn well-known lady, ,pro- : minent social and church worker of this city, died at her home at 1:15 I o’clock this afternoon. A dilated heart wes given as the immediate cause of death, although she had been suffering from undulI ant fever since November 18. While her condition had been deemed serious since she first became ill, her death came unexpectedlyMrs. Linn was a devout member of the First Evangelical church and an active worker of the ladies’ aid of that church, having served as president of the organization for the past 26 yeans. She was a member of the Pythian Sisters lodge, and an active ! 'eader in all of the lodge activities. Mrs. Linn was a lesident of Adams county all her life. She was born March 9, 1870, the daughter of Joseph S. and Rebecca Jane Congleton, moving to Decatur from her farm home after her marriage. Surviving, besides the husband are three sons, William L., local clothier; Joe and Lawrence E. Linn, all of Decatur. Two brothers, Homer D. Lower and W. A. Lower also survive. i Funeral arrangements were not completed this afternoon. — o WEATHER Increasing cloudiness and not so cold, possibly light snow extreme northwest tonight; Wednesday cloudy, probably light snow except rain or snow extreme southwest; slowly rising temper- | ature.

Series Os Stories Reviewing Gov. McNutt’s Administration

» — (Editor's note: This is the first of a series of five stories- reviewing the administration of Gov. Paul V. McNutt, one of the most momentous in Indiana history). By Allen Dibble, (UP. Staff Correspondent) Indianapolis, Dec. 1. —<U.PJ* One of the notable chapters of Indiana history will be closed Jan. 8 when Governor Paul V. McNutt makes a final accounting of his stewardship Before a joint session of the 80th state general assembly. Emergency legislation . . . unprecedented centralization of power with the governor . . . budget- ■ balancing fiscal policies . . . labor | unrest and martial law . . . the 1 j bloody trail of a paroled Indiana i convict . . . wholesale prison es- ■ capes . . . political feuds . . . and ' patronage handed out over a state- ■ house counter. Such is a panoramic view of the four-year administration of the former Indiana University law professor and national commander of ‘ the American Legion whose political future is a favorite topic of 1 .discussion. 1 From the same platform four! • years ago McNutt In his inaugur-1 al address before the 78th general assembly outlined a program de-j ■ signed to relieve a state suffering ■ the .dire effects of the depression.; . An emergency existed and the >! militant governor demanded emergi! ency action. He was favored with near-record

BERNE WITNESS PUBLISHER DIES THIS MORNING Fred Rohrer Dies After Extended Illness; Funeral Thursday Fred Rohrer. 68. founder. ma,nnger and president of the Berne ■Witness company, long a militant editor, died at his home at 12:55 o’clock this morning. Death came to him peacefully after being confined to hfs home with infirmities nearly two weeks. Mr. Rohrer was born near the • city of Berne. Switzerland. De- , comber 9. 1867. the second in a large family of 14 children. His parents were John Christian and Rneina Danz-Rohrer. Tn 1883 thev moved with their familv to America. settling first in Whyne connty. Ohio. Mr. Rohrer wa,s 16 years old at the time and three years later the family moved to Berne. Upon io-1 1 eating there Mr. Rohrer clerked in i a local store for a few years. He then entered the Tri State Normal college at Angola. He wo.s . graduated with honors in 1896. He I was completing hie last year in I college when he began to learn the printer’s trade as 'in a,nnreni tice with the Steuben Republican. Mr. Rohrer returned to Berne ' |on July 31. 1896 and purchased a i job printing nlant, making a few 1 additions. The equipment was | purchased from the Decc.’ur ’Press and the Decatur Democrat, which were being consolidated at that ■ time. First Berne Paper On September 3. 1896. anneared the first newspaper printed in Berne. On September 3. 193,, the paper celebrated its 40th anniversary. During the first four years. Mr. Rohrer was glone in the business, but in November 1900, he formed a partnership with three other men, retaining a half interest. In 1906, the company was incorporla.ted with a capital stock of i $12,000. In 1911 the stock was iuI creased to $30,000. to provide a sum for a large medern plant, costing s2l one It has hcen occupied since February. 1913. The firm today has a large amount of book a,nd catalogue printing, commercial printing an' 1 book binding, and through nearlv , all these years. Mr. Rohrer has been manager and nr< sident of the company. Mr. Rohrer, from October 1928 to 1932. held the . office of postmaster a,t B?rne and was not acting manager of the ; Witness during that period. Through youth and manhood | Mr. Rohrer was a leader and hi-- ’ work and influence were ever lajmed to be on the constructive side. He was a fighter. Ou numerous occassions he displayed this trait, particularly aa the ac - tive leader of the anti-saloon forces in cleaning the town of the sa,loon in the notable campaign of 1903, which went on for four years. During that lime hisJmnio jras ICONTTNTTFD nN rAC.P WE'

majorities in both houses during, the 1933 and 1935 degular sess-! ions. The party whipped 292 acts and resolutions through the legislative mill during the 1933 session and during the 1935 session 352 acts and resolutions were written into the state’s statute books record volumes in size and content. Keystone of the McNutt administration was the government reorganization act passed by the 1935 legislature. It centralized the administrative control —and responsibility—with the governor and reduced the number of departments from 169 operative during the previous Republican administration to eight. New divisions of those de I partments were created by later legislation. The centralization brought cries of “dictatorship" from the opposition party and strained the rela-! tions between McNutt and other ; Democratic leaders jealous of their powers threatened by the new law. | Not only was McNutt eager to enact legislation fulfilling party platform pledges, but he also was anxious to keep the state in stride with the “new deal" program of < President Roosevelt. Indiana was I the first state in several instances J to co-operate with federal agencies in establishment of new projects. Social problems pressed heavily i on the governor. On Sept. 26, 1933, ten long-term convicts escaped from the Indiana state prison at Michigan City and (CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX)

Publisher Dies r i » Fred Rohier. presiib nt Os lb>’ Berne Witness company, died shortly after midnight at life home in Berne after an extended illness. FlmeraJ services will be held Thursday. MEMBER DRIVE IS NEAR QUOTA Red Cross Roll ('all Is Only 46 Short Os 1,000 Quota Miss Annie E. Winnes, secretary ot the Adams county chapter of Red ' Cross, reported today that the coun-; i ty roll call had fallen but 46 short ' of the intended goal of 1,000 I A total of 954 persons enrolled in | the chapter during the drive, which was officially concluded on Thanksi giving Day, after being opened on November 11. Miss Winnes .stated, however that the chapter was making a special effort to obtain the established goal of 1,000, and appealed to all persons, who had not joined to get in touch with a member of the chapter and enroll at once. Miss Winnes stated, “While we have endeavored to make a comi plete solicitation of the county, we feel that there are persons who ; have not been asked to enroll. Our quota is 1.000. We are still short 16 enrollments. I appeal to the citiz. ns of the county to help us meet I it.” Os the total enrolled during the drive, 515 came from the northern ■ part of the county, including the ! northern six townships, 302 were I enrolled in Berne, 70 in Geneva, 40 : in Peterson and 27 in Hartford I township, for a total of 96 I. FORMER LOCAL RESIDENT DIES — Aaron T. Vail Dies Monday Evening At Home In Fort Wayne Aaron T. Vail, aged 67, former Decatur manufacturer died at his j home in Fort Wayne last night at 6 o’clock. Death was caused by diabetes, i after an extended illness of several | years. The deceased was born in I Ossian. While living in this city, the de-! ! ceased was engaged in the cooperage business with his brother, the late John Vail, R. M. Donaldson and Dan Sprang, Decatur, as partners. II" moved to Fort Wayne several years ago. He is survived by the widow, three daughters, Mrs. Lucille McCready, Gary; Mrs. Aline Schwartz, Auburn and Mrs. Martha Stephen, of Fort Wayne; one son, John, of Fort Wayne. A brother E. A. Vail of Frankfort | and a sister, Mrs. R. M. Donaldson, i of Marmaduke a'so survive. One brother preceded in death. Tom Vail., of this city, is a nephew of the deceased. Funeral services had not been ! completed at a late hour today. Mr. and Mrs. Sprang left for Fort | Wayne today to aid in making the ] arrangements. Annual Meeting At Bluffton Thursday The annual Outlook meeting for this district, County Agent Archbold stated, will be he’d at the Bluffton At 10 A. M. Community building Thursday. Quite a number of Adams county people have attended this meeting in the past, and no doubt many will attend it this year in order to be advised as to the trend in prices of agricultural products, so that they may plan their farming operations accordingly.

Nationalists And Loyalists Locked In Fierce Battle

GOODFELLOWS i CLUB OPENED Club Sponsored By Della Theta Taus Opens Annual Drive Mrs. Howard Earnest, president of the Delta Theta Tau sorority, sponsors of the Gooq Fellows club, , issued the first appeal today for: volunteer contributions. The generosity of he Good Fellow contributors has for the past several years made it possible for the organization to provide clothing, food, toys and in some instances fuel, to brighten the Christman of the less fortunate boys and girls of the city. The first Good Fellows club in Decatur was organized over 20 yeans ago, providing unfortunate kiddies with candy, nuts, oranges and a few toys. Each year since that 1 time the club has grown and has been able to spare more children the disappointment of being forgotten by Santa Claus on Christmas morning. Mrs. Earnest stated “it any person knows of a boy or girl, whom they would like to make happy, of a boy or girl whose prospects for a happy Christmas are not very bright, send their names to the Good Fellows club and we will investigate.” “Each donor will be amply repaid in seeing the contentment and smiles of the unfortunates, who have been helped on Christmas.” The sorority opened the 1936 club contributions with a presentation of SSO. Boxes will lie placed at various places over the city, Mrs. Earnest stated. , : .— o— > JUNIOR CLASS | TO GIVE PLAY Monroe Juniors To Present Comedy Thursday And Friday “And Mary Did,” a three-act comedy drama will be presented by the Junior Class of Monroe high school. It will be presented Thursday and Friday nights at the Monroe Audi- , j torium, at 7:30. The admission ' charge is 15 cents and 25 cents. The public is cordialy invited to at-1 tend. The cast is as follows: Mary Sterling, a modern young ; , girl -Clara Mae Diehl Lauerence Grey, a modern young ! i man, —Le Roy Schwartz. Mrs. Sterling, an old fashioned ■ mother—Dorothy McClain. Dressa Rand, the girl that men forget (?) — Mildred Schindler. Daniel Grey, the father of Lauerance —Verlin Moser. Edith Smith, Mary's chum —Ruth I Ludy. Willie Sterling, Mary’s little brother—James Liechty. Betty Sterling, Mary’s little sister | —Anna Barbara Liechty. (Miss) O. G. Whittaker, a masculine monument to feminine freedom Lavon Lehman. Matilda, Maid at the Sterling home —Louneta von Gunten. Henry, Daniel Grey’s gardener — Merlin Sprunger. Make First Purchase Os Christmas Seals W. F. Beery and H. E. Zerkle, rural mat’ carriers, finished in a dead heat in their race to be the first to purchase Christmas seals', it was : reported today by the Adams county tuberculosis association, which sponsors the annual sale. Christmas seals and health bonds sold in the crusade to end tuberculosis. Local funds are spent to provide free milk for underprivileged i children, to support four free clinics a year and to help in the fight ' against the disease. o ' 1 ■ Invites Indiana To Take Part In Fair i! Albany, N. Y„ Dec I—Governor i Paul V. McNutt of Indiana has been i Invited by Governor Herbert H. Lehman of the state of New York to i have the state of Indiana participate I in the New York World’s Fair of , 11939. Formal invitations of a sim- ; ilar nature have gone forward to 1 the governors of 46 other states.

Price Two Cenb

Capital Os Spain Scene Os Fiercest Battle In Siege Os Madrid; German, French Soldiers ARE VOLUNTEERS (Copyright 1936 by UP.) Madrid, Dec. I.— (U.R) — The defenders ot Madrid and the invading insurgents were locked in the greatest battle of the tiiree-week siege today, while the capital rockled under a shattering artillery ’ bombardment. It was war on a big scale at last. All night, under a beautiful moon the guns roared. At 5 a. m. there was a terrific blast of fire and the people of the city were startled from their sleep. The crash of shells on the outskirts of the city became continuous. One great exi plosion merged into another and 1 its the sun rose and the morning advanced the din became greater. Fog, and smoke from the guns, began to obscure the sun and ’Still the fighting Intensified. Shells criss-crossed between nationalist and loyalist artillery, whining high over the center of the city. Shells began falling in the city I proper from the nationalist guns. 1 Casualties were unreported. Reports from the front said that tanks, artillery, machine guns, trench mortars, hand grenades were in action in full force. The nationalists brought cavalry to support thdir infantry in an attempt to break through northwest of the city, while loyalist artillery firing at long range punished them severely. Nationalist artillery in the southwest section opened up a barrage. A terrific battle was in progress in University City, in the northwestern section of the capital. Defense council sources said the loyi alists had dynamited part of the 1 hospital clinic of the university where fierce fighting continued. It was understood part of the hospital was blown up but the rebels still held other parts of the building. Volunteers (Copyright 1936 by UP.) London, Dec. I.—(U.R) — Thousands of Germans and Frenchmen I have arrived in Spain to fight in fCONTpvrTwn nv namr f'TVICj o SERMON SERIES IS ANNOUNECD Series Os Advent Sermons To Be Given At Zion Reformed A series of Advent sermons to be delivered at the Zion Reformed church on the Sunday mornings of December was announced by the Rev. Charles M. Prugh, pastor ot the church. The subject for the Christmas service, to be held at 9 a. m. Christmas morning is also included in the services. The subjects and dates are as follows: Dec. 6, 10:30 a. m. —“A Little Child Shall Lead Them.” — Isaiah 11:6. Dec. 13, 10:30 a. m. —“He Shall Bear Their Iniquities.”—lsaiah 53: 11. Dec. 20, 10:30 a. tn.—“Of His Kingdom There Shall Be No End.” —St. Luke 1:33. Dec. 25. 9 a. tn. — “He Dwelt Among Us.” —St. John 1:14. Dec. 27. 10:30 a. m— "He Shall Come Again.”—Acts 1:11.

21 SHOPPING ■ DAYS LEFS ' j T" - " - "■ A STOCKINGS W FOR 8/G I* Aft SISTBR Iggg ? BUY CHRISTMAS} SEALS ;