Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 37, Number 27, Decatur, Adams County, 1 February 1939 — Page 1

hxxvn. No. 27.

lIIIZM |IMC OVER ■tSIH FINNS To Reach Middle West M Bv United Press .patlieiman WL,. . . . ■ blizzard. said dip Th" .. . N|K.\.. and "dl H left P" 11 '" S " Ve " u |R ! M- - halt and aha." today. |H Ti- ■!:•.>'■ ■ with ■ a . . ■ 'A 1 1. a:- ' •"! a tit.-ady this week. |M ;.; ■ .' Minn.-sota al Chicago. '» snow .. :r. • ■ . BB a! d " |H : y a' issue I^E-ir 7 ;g, page five) KSTATE OF ■DECLARED |Rn Cori'ider> Formal Of War R On China R'<"' Ha. him At it;, disclosed 'hat "gwernniettt circles" •■ :.tMh-r!:.r a formal declar|Rcd war again- china which ’’ ■ ,;f . R"”• -.-•: powers h*. |R i-m to moan that ac- _ , . ;nn>e'|l ■B®”'•}' army n,,-i i wore eon|R>? the advisability ~f a war w Seko asked a question in committee ()f parlialIM wtlilh brought the answer RArita: ■B 1 "' Japan 'PI-ln voluntarily R'ottsrdatinn money in or(ler IR’torr the losses of foreign !n < lima, the government R™' indemnities light . be toiler ted from •>>. china more drastic attibeen advo, among Rr° ent circl «. which are urgR ‘'rank proclamation that a Wa |, exists - Under a state action precludes Kte ° f an, ‘ .° ther righls |H ‘ 9 of foreign powers.” R MP «ATURE r EAOings R M °C r AT THERMOMETER Rq‘"’ 30 2:00 p.m 34 = weather 'n Muth and central porB* 0 rt or !now in extr *™ B»iiy n f^ iflht: Thur “ ■ow i- y air exce P* liflht K’r in IT' 381 POrti ’"- B'on. colder me "° r '- heast Bwr 1 S ° Uth Antral [*=«”£

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Senator Minton’s Father Dies Today Fort Worth. Texas, Feb. I—(UP) John E. Minton, retired cattle dialer and father of U. S. Senator Sherman .Minton, D. Ind., died at bis home today after an illness of seven weeks. .Minton, who retired from bug!-1 r< ss four years ago. had lived in Fort Worth since 1905. He was a native of Greenville, Ind. O " ■ ■ ■ DRUG EXPERT CLUB SPEAKER Expert On Narcotics Speaks To Service Clubs Tuesday Albert Earle Rowell, nationally known authority on narcotics, delivered an interesting discourse on ;he evils of narcotics, principally marihuana, at a joint meeting of the Lions and Rotary club of Decatur at the Rice hotel Tuesday evening. Mr. Rowell stressed the point that marihuana is one of the most dangerous of narcotics, in that it incites and excites the human being, where as the usual narotic tends more to induce drowsiness and a sense of relaxation. Many of the sex murders in this country in the past few years, Mr. Rowell stated, have been traced directly to the use of marihuana. Use of this drug, the speaker said causes the person taking the narcotic not only to think a thing should be done, but that it is "wrong not to do it." Use of narcotics is not a habit, ;tie expert asserted it is a disease. Using a narcotic for a period, in some instances one week, in others 10 weeks, causes a disease, not a habit, and this disease is incurable, comparable to carcinoma. Dwelling on statistics. Mr. Rowell stated that from 350,000,000 to 300.000,000 persons in the world are drug addicts, taking narcotics daily. The greatest peddler of "dope” today is Japan, the speaker said. This nation. Mr. Rowell stated, is , building its navy from the money made in the opium trade. The Japanese have forced the Chinese to make a vast increase in their op it.m production and are using many means to increase the number of addicts throughout the world. Dr. N. A. Bixler, president of the Lions club, presided at the meeting. Dr. Ben Duke acted as chairman of the program, introducing Mr. Rowel. Speaks To Students Mr. Rowell also spoke at a combined chapel program for students :of the public junior-senior high school and the Decatur Catholic! b.gh .held in the new gymnasiumauditorium. Tuesday afternoon. In this address, Mr. Rowell stressed especially the evils of marihuana. He told of the frequency of its use among children of school age, warned of the disastrous results to health and mind when it is used and cited scores of incidents w’here young people under its nifluences had committed atrocious crimes. The speaker was introduced by Dr. Ben Duke, who was instrumental in bringing the speaker to this city. Since the speaker was late in arriving, due to the conditions of the roads. Dr. Duke delivered a short address prior to his arrival. W. Guy Brown, school principal, was in charge. FRUIT POiSOiT KILLS TEACHER Tunnelton School Principal Victim Os Fruit Poisoning Bedford, Ind., Feb. 1. — (U.R) — Authorities took steps today to eradicate the supply of dried peaches which caused the death by poisoning of William C. Robert, school principal at Tunnelton, and made five persons in the Robert home seriously ill. Roberts died yesterday after eating a piece of pie made from the dried fruit. Dr. R. E. Wynne, who made an examination, said death was caused by botulism, a form of fruit poisoning. Those made ill from the pie included Roberts' wife; their daughter, Mrs. Hubert Ellison, and a maid, Reatha Blackwell. All became affected, Wynne said, 30 minutes after eating the pie Monday night. On Sunday, Mrs. Ellison’s husband and V. E. Garrison, elderly father of Mrs. Roberts, became ill after eating a dish of stewed peaches from the same batch : 1 (CONTINUED ON PAGE FOUB) 1

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

MURPHY ORDERS PROBE MADE OF JUDGE MANTON U. S. Circuit Court Judge Resignation Is Accepted New York, Feb. 1- (U.R) -Federal investigators said today that a special grand jury probably will lie called to examine the conduct of Martin T Manton, senior judge of the second United States circuit court of appeals, whose | resignation was accepted yester- : day by President Roosevelt, effec- ' five Feb. 7. The investigation was ordered by Attorney General Frank Murphy and was begun by acting United States Attorney Gregory F. Noonan, but federal investigators may have to wait until District Attorney Thomas E. Dewey is through with the evidence they need. Dewey had been investigating Manton's affairs secretly for nine months, and hus all the records of the judge's business affairs, including ledgers of the companies in which he was interested. Dewey has been presenting evidence to a state grand Jury since last July. Federal authorities did not undertake their investigation until last week, when Murphy came to New York and conferred with Manton. Dewey Sunday sent to Chairman Hatton W. Sumners, D.. Tex., of the house judiciary committee in Washington, outline of his investigation. He charged that Manton. or corporations owned or controlled by him. had received in loans $439,000 from persons or corporations acting for companies and individuals having cases in Manton's court. Congressional new dealers nromptly charged that Dewey had "butted in" on the federal invest!ON PAGE THREE? o C. C. Directors To Meet Thursday The board of directors of the Decatur Chamber of Commerce will meet in the office of John L. De Voss Thursday evening at 7:30 o’clock. All directors are asked to attend. SENIOR CLASS PLAY THURSDAY High School Seniors To Present Play Thursday Night Plans have been completed for tne presenation of “Growing Up" three-act play to be given by the senior class of the Decatur high school at the new auditorium Thursday night, starting at 8 p. m. Tickets are selling for 15 cents for children and 25 cents for adults. Tickets may also be secured at the door on the night of the performance. The play is directed by Miss Mildred Worthman, faculty member and and class sponsor. Fiora Marie kenau and Florence McConnell, members of the class are acting as student directresses. The Cast Penny, somewhat of a tomboy— Harriet Gilson. Pop, her father—Ralph Scott. Eileen, her older sister—Eileen Odle. Mrs. Johnson, Penny’s mother— Kathryn Yager. Mrs. Rose, a flibbertigibbet—Ethel Worthman. Mrs. Stevens, the banker’s wife— Betty Hunter. Bobby, her darling son—Bill Hunter. . Fred, an older son — Jack Tricker. Mr. Stevens, the banker — DarYCONTTNUSn ON PAGE THREE) j o Germany Places Added Restrictions On Jews Berlin. Feb. 1 —(UP)— Every Jewish man added “Israel" to his name today, and every jewish wo-; man added “Sarah” to hers. Midnight last nignt was the deadline by which jews had to report to city registrars or police stations had added the names, made obligatory by decree. The new law requires that the name Israel or Sarah must be added either before or after the original first name, and must appear on any name plates on doors and in business and official corrospondI euce.

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, February 1, 1939.

As Justice Took Court Seat II ) IB i Ik > Justise Felix Frankfurter In his official robes foi/Jjne first time. Associate Justice Fell? Frankfurter of the United SU/es supreme court is pictured in Washington as he took his seat on the high bench after being sworn in. Frankfurter is the former Harvard university law professor.

REBEL FORCES KEEP UP DRIVE Thousands Os Loyalist Troops Threatened By Rebel Trap Perpignan. French - Spanish Frontier, Feb. I — (U.R) —Spanish , nationalist troops have almost i surrounded the city of Seo De I Urgel near the French frontier and threaten to trap thousands of loyalists, it was reported today. Dispatches from nationalist territory said a nationalist unit expected to take Seo De Urgel soon, and thus open the road to Puigcerda, on the French frontier, 20 miles away. . The prospect was. it was asserted, that loyalist troops in the big triangle of territory bounded by Seo De Urgel. Puigcerda and Vich might be trapped within a few days. The nationalists were driving ahead again against all efforts of the loyalists to stop them. On the coast they took the towns of Malgrat and Blanes. and thus crossed from Barcelona province Into Oerona province at a point 38 miles northeast of Barcelona. They also reached the: point at which the Barcelona-Ge-rona-Figueras road turns in from the coast, and Gerona lay ahead of them, only a little more than 20 miles to the north. On the west part of the Catalonian front, the nationalists continued to advance toward the Barcelona Vich Puigeerda road as a separate army drove directly (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) 0 ARCHERY RANGE IS ESTABLISHED Decatur Archery Club Establishes New Range, In City A new archery range has been established in the city, David E Heller, president of the Decatur Archery club, announced today. The range is located in the Heimann building above the Paul H. Graham company offices on South Second street. ißaies of hay have been moved up to the range to place behind targets. The public is cordially invited to visit the range and witness) the shooting matches. Persons interested in joining are asked to contact Mr. Heller or ■ other members of the club. Arrangements have been made’ by the club for junior shooting, which will be open to all persons under 16 years of age. The range will be available to these shooters free of charge from 4 to 6 p. m. daiy and on Saturday morning. A supervisor from the WPA recreation department will be in charge. The club has extended a special invitation to the Boy Scouts to participate in the archery events.

♦ ♦ Groundhog Day On Thursday; Will He See His Shadow? ♦ —♦ Tomorrow is Groundhog Day. According to many old-time's if the old fellow clambers from a hole in the ground Thursday and sees his shadow, the community might j.tbt as well settle back and prepare for six more weeks of winter. Os course, .hese same people say it there is no sun Thursday, the ; winter will come to an abrupt end within the near future. There are those, however, who contend that the powers of the groundhog and his sooth-saying shadow-seeing is just superstition, and has no control, whatever, over the weather. COUNTY CLERK GIVES REPORT Annual Financial Report Os County Clerk Is Announced The annual financial report of the clerk of the Adams circuit court was released today by County Clerk G. Remy Bierly. The report disclosed a balance of $8,676 on hand January 1. 1939. This amount included court costs, marriage licenses, miscellaneous, docket, jury fees, fines and forfeitures. sheriff fees, prosecuting attorney fees, fish and game, support, printer fees, and other trust fees. , The receipts during 1938 totalled $35,049.43 with support money being the largest single item. It was $6,110.58. Receipts from fish and game were also large, totalling $4,102 during the year. Another interesting item is that; of marriage licenses. The total receipts in marriage licenses durI ing the year was S7OB. The total balance and receipts for this item was $712.71, while S7OB was expended in this column, leaving a ( balance of $4.71 on January 1 of this year. Jury fees, collected and expended during the year amounted to $21.50. The report disclosed that the office collected $35,049.43 in 1938 and paid out $38,974.48. It also (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) ■ O Special Service At Zion Reformed Churh In a service sponsored by the young people of the Zion Reformed . church, Rev. C. M. Prugh. pastor, will speak at the Sunday evening service at ,7 o'clock oh "How shall we think of the Jew?” The topic is one of several selected by the young people of the church for discussion at the Sunday evening services. “Anti-Semitism is a scourge that has invaded our country from abroad, and which calls for careful •investigation and sober thinking," said Rev. Prugh in commenting on the subject. The public is invited to i attend.

Senators Express Alarm Over Roosevelt Aid. To Democratic i Nations; War Fear Is Heard

LOCAL OPTION BILL PROPOSED TO LEGISLATURE Auburn Senator Introduces Local Option Measure Today Indianapolis. Feb. 1 — (U.R) — I A bill providing for local option I on the liquor question was introduced today in the state senate by Sen. Larry Brandon. Auburn Democrat, and appears certain to I confuse the liquor law revision already panding before the legislature. Brandon’s bill would permit a i referendum to be held in any i “county, township, ward or community" after 15 per cent of the qualified voters of the district in question file a petition with the clerk of the circuit court. If a majority of the voters decide to abolish the sale of liquor, it becomes illegal to sell or “give away" liquor in the unit which conducts the referendum after 30 days. The bill, however, provides no penalties for violation of the "dry" decision in the referendum. The local option bill is in line with the stand of the Indiana . Anti-Saloon League and various religious groups but it is directly , contrary to the attitude of Gov. M. Clifford Townsend and his advisors. When the governor’s liquor law study commission was selected in December, the governor instructed it not to consider local option or changes in “policy" of handling the liquor question but to confine itself to examining the defects of the present law. Thus far there has been no disposition in either party to sponsor local option but only to abolish the beer importer system. Brandon said that he introduced the measure at the request of dry groups in his own county and that unquestionably it is a “feeler” to determine the attitude of the legislature on local option. Infereutially, the bill would put the senators “on the spot" with dry groups in the next election if a record roll call is taken. ' Brandon explained the absence of enforcing clauses in the bill by saying that It sentiment for local option developed a companion measure would be passed with the proper “teeth.” The senate Democratic majority is expected to defeat the local option proposal in deference to i Townsend, in which ease a similar measure tnay be introduced in the house to try to put the Republican majority there on record for the 1940 electorate. Sen. John Webb, Indianapolis Democrat, entered his bill providing for $5,000 tax exemption on homes in which the owners are (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) o SENATOR BORAH REPORTED ILL Powerful Republican Senator Reported 11l Os Pneumonia Washington. Feb. I.—(U.R) —Sen. William E. Borah, R., Ida., was taken to emergency hospital in an ambulance today and it was reported without confirmation that he was suffering from pneumonia. There were conflicting reports as to the exact nature of the 75-year- ■ old senator’s illness. His office i said he was suffering from lagrippe. Offices of his physician said he was suffering from influenza. A hospital assistant said that his illness had turned into pneumonia. Wrapped in blankets, Borah was carried into the hospital. Mrs. Borah, her face streaked with tears, had accompanied him hi the ambulance. Borah, whose powerful influence in international affairs in the senate made him one of the best known Americans in the world, became fll a few days ago. Yesterday it was announced that he had a cold. Borah’s advanced age and custom of working intensively have ' (CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE)

45,000 UNDER CIVIL SERVICE Federal Employes Receive Civil Service Status Today Washington. Feb. I—(UF)—Approximately 45,000 federal employes I received civil service status today under the most far-reaching order in civil service history. The addition meant that approximately 610,000 of the 863.0C0 employes of the executive branch of the government now are under civil , service. Employes added to the merit list were scattered among the various departments, most in Washington. Virtually the entire personnel of the federal deposit insurance corporation was affected. The employes were blanketed into civil service under President Roosevelt’s executive order June 24 which placed under merit rule I 'all but policy-making employes and 'and those specifically exempted from civil service. The order became effective today. The civil service list has buen ex- ' tended 'by every President since 1 the law was passed in 1833 under President Chester A. Arthur. But I never before have so many workers ■ been blanketed at one time. Thousands of employes lost immediate chances for civil service status, however, because of congres- .' sional and Presidential action a fee. I hours before the executive order j was effective. Congressional conferees on the I $725,000,000 (M) relife bill agreed 'j to prohibit 33,000 administrative ■ j employes of the works progress ''administration from being covered.] ( I Mr. Roosevelt postponed granting I civil service status to about 5.000 ’] employes —including G-men —pending a civil service commission pe- ’ j port on adequate methods for se- , lecting and promitine them on a , merit basis. 8,000 STRIKE IN NEW YORK —— Garment District Affected By Transportation Strike New York. Feb. I—(UP)— The garment, district, one of the most ' congested business areas in the world, suffered a crippling strike of vertical transportation today. Officials of the building service employes union claimed that 8,000 elevator operators and maintenance men had walked out of 600 skyscrapers and office buildings. Elevator service in towering buildings—many of them 30 stories high — was stopped and furnaces were permitted to go out. In many structures persons who had waked up flights of stairs in the morning came down a few hours later because of the cold. James J. Bamhrick, president of ' local 32-B of the union said that 8, 000 employes were out iby noon and that all 600 buildings were being picketed. “We’re going to hit with everything we’ve got, ” he said. “We are prepared for a long seige —a month’s battle if necessary." A three year contract between the Union and the Penn zone and midtown realty association expired last midnight. The Union demands a 40-hour week and a 15 per cent wage increase. Formerly they worked a 48-hour week at wages ranging from $23 to $26.75 Ane estimate was that 250,000 persons were affected by the strike. ! There was no disorder. —, o Word Is Received Os Margaret Metts Death Mrs. F. V. Mills is in receipt of a letter from Charles H. Metts, of Muncie, telling of death December 28 of his sister, Mrs. Margaret Metts, who resided with him. They resided here many years ago, their father, Rev. Metts, serving as pastor of the Methodist church. Miss Margaret (began teaching school here In 1881 and continued in that work at various places tor years. They visited with the Mills family 'here about a year ago. |

Price Two Cents.

Assistance To French In Purchasing Airplanes Latest Instance Os Aid To Democracies. SHORT OF WAR Washington, Feb, 1— (U.R) President Roosevelt's policy of , peacefully but materially aiding democracies against aggressor states was interpreted here and abroad today to have extended America's defense line to its 1917 world war position in Franco. Secrecy shielding his discussions of foreign policy and French air mission activities were raised from Sen. Hiram W. Johnson. It., Calif., the question: "Are we on the road to war?” From senate military affairs committeemen who talked with the president yesterday details of the discussion gradually were spreading through the capital. They said Mi'. Roosevelt told i them he would support democracies against aggressors by active means but short of war. His remarks evidently were directed primarily at Germany and Italy, and probably through them to Japan. Senators variously descrilted his secret statement as alarming and as having indicated that the United States' defensive frontier lay now in France. The current instance of aid to the democracies is assistance given by the administration to France in purchase of American planes. It is understood that French facilities cannot produce the volume of planes needed immediately there for defensive purposes and that American sac--1 tories are expected to share the : burden until they are diverted to I construction of our own emergency defense air fleet. England also is purchasing planes here. The French enthusiasm for this assistance suggested, also, that Europeans may consider Ameri-can-made fighting planes superior to any others. Mr. Roosevelt previously had drawn a defensive line around the western hemisphere and invited sister republics and Canada to help defend it. He also has pledged the United States specifically to defend Canada against aggression. “America's boundary is the Rhine,” the Berlin newspaper Nachtausgabe said today in a page one attack on the president's conference with military affairs committeemen. Johnson's question whether the nation was war-bound indicated the controversy may be extended to the senate floor. “In the answer.” Johnson continued. “every Ariierican has an interest and deep concern. “If our present dealings with the French mission or any of the secrets now whispered about Washington indicate this, the American people are entitled to know it. If we are playing some supposedly clever diplomatic game that may place us in an equivocal position in the future, the American people are likewise entitled to know it. “To tell a committee of the senate in secrecy what concerns (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) RAIN OR SNOW IS PREDICTED Additional Rain Or Snow Predicted For This Section A possibility that today’s milder weather would be but shortlived was seen today by weathermen, who predicted rain or snow for tonight in this portion of the state. While they predicted warmer weather for Thursday, a possibility of light snow W’as also seen. The temperature steadily rose this morning, until at noon today th£ Democrat thermometer registered 34 degrees above zero. This morning at 8 o’clock the thermometer recorded 30 degrees above, still two degrees below freezing. While snow and ice on city streets and federal and state highways continued to thaw and aid driving conditions, traveling on county roads was still hazardous, farmers and motorists reported.