Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 39, Number 294, Decatur, Adams County, 13 December 1941 — Page 1

<XXIX. No. 294.

BLUES BATTER AXIS WAR MACHINE

ksiA CLAIMS fa ROUT OF MAN FORCES Lfnion AstertoNwi LnM'e Completely j Smashed I H Russia. Dec. IS — Fr*-*w clslmed one of Rhe ■' milHory victories In mod today j -setting It had E/amahed an offensive by E B3 n division*. upward* of t» in . on Moscow and the t. L were fleeing. E, di«< lo»ed that the Rn« r.'.rted a counter-offensive L'J i(.> today and after E -hr Ormans who had E .heir greatest drive of the |la »n attempt to take the L capital, had recaptured <#o L.j village*. extending from to the »<>uth of the caplII r*at wml-circle. K.L- it wa- asserted that on Lthrnt front the armies of fa Semyon Titnoahenko still K, full pursuit of the German* ■ g Taganrog and were ImL oslf by German dead and L. tank* and truck* which fa the road* and field*. Cga'i noon communique, fay the I'nlted Pre** at LonLid that the Russian armies L loath had won further sueL nd had recaptured addl- | torn* and village*. It refa the German 80th infantry Lt- routed with 400 killed I fa*d report* made II clear fa the Moscow front*, the Ru» | tad won a victory overfane that at Ro»tov-on Don. L Rsarlan armies, which the L, had called beaten, gave Eg wehrmacht It* firm dehj? month* of war. Im asaerted officialy that In jfao* fight the German* had ktw> of their vaunted "herren I* killed. b ItMian* had captured or hod MSI Orman tank*, isoop. and *upply truck*. 575 Lm. MS mine thrower*. MH* mi (an*. It was asaerted. on Butt of report* still IncomIhmaae additional material (bring captured hourly. ■ ***• of the victory came IltoMia was (till considering Mcy In the Pacific war. but lat official itu**ian commute ky newspaper Pravda, de ■hr the Japanese for their mmu attack on the United k bad left no doubt a* to It* p Pravda editorial excited Mt. here and shocked the Me eoiony. who had arranged ■ <tai.«r last night to celeI their “victory" in the k ittack on the Hawaiian rtard* Ita own titanic war F the Germana, Russia said ks that It Intended to give |«**iy no respite. The Red jtad taken all the German* hive It had stopped the M tanka and massed infangff airplane* had beaten off P»an luftwaffe, and now its I*’’ advancing along front* F*< for hundred* of mile*. ►** from the front said the ware trying vainly to h*i>d» In towns and village* ► Red army troops hounded rbsi house to house, from I* town, over snow covered F“d fields, with bayonets RJ grenade*. while the now F lad army artillery, follow- ► wheeled ita batteries into ► at point after point to rain ht * h obeli* fw’wralited enemy. Em r ** 1 " ,for ® al,on bureau's on the collapse of the * Moscow offensive, was p* »vor a national radio F M 11 o'clock last night. !*■ Indicated that the Run [** held the Initiative on all l 1 "* that. after having F>t»"wn nw v»anw rtyp Chopping days to Christmas M Also GIVE ■U-S. Defense Savings n BONDS and [■T STAMPS HR •• STORES* BANKS rorr offices --J

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

U. S. Shipbuilding Figures Released > By Navy Department Fnm January i N r gg. 1941. the U. H Navy commissioned 27 combatant ships: 41 were launched. and keel* were laid for 12H. the Navy Department announced last week. Detail* follow: Battleship*: commissioned. 2; launched. 3; keel* laid 2. Aircraft carriers: Commissioned. 1: keel* laid. 3. Cruisers: launched. 8 keel* laid 19. Destroyers: Commissioned |); launched. 19; keel* hid, M. Submarines: Commissioned. Id; launched. 13: keels la'd. 25

KEN FLITTNER BIESSUODENLY Well Known Decatur Bakery Manager Dies Friday Night Kenneth It Flitiner. 24. popular Decatur young man and operator of the Hon-EKrust Baking coinpan/ here, died suddenly last night at 7:10 o'clock at the Adams county memorial hospital Hl* death came as r shock, following a short Illness of two week*, and was attributed to a cerebral hemorrhage He had been admitted to the hospital about two hour* before bl* death when hh condition became serious. He had been 111 at hl* home for about two weeks, but hl* condition was never believed serious. The young man was a native of Evansville, hern there on September 6. 1917 He came to this city about four year* ago to take over the operation of the Imai bakery, whtrh was purchased Ry IB" Mflter R C. Fllttner. Since residing In this city he had become popularly known and wa* active In various civic and service organization*. He wa* a memfar of the St. Mary'* Catholic church and fraternally wa* associated with the Knights of Columbus, the Holy Name society and the local Lion* dub. He wa* married on October 24. 1940 to Patricia Fullenkamp. daughter of Mr. and Mr*. TT»*d Fullenkamp. She survive* Surviving alio are the parents, Mr. and Mr*. It C Fllttner; 10 brother* and slater*. Bernard. Cletus. Evelyn. Florlne. Stanley. Angelete. Mary Anna. Arnold. Ray mond. and Norbert, all of Evansville. Funeral service* will be held Monday morning at 9 o'clock at the St. Mary's Catholic church, with ReV. Joseph J. Selmetz officiating Burial will be In the Catholic cemetery In Decatur. The body will be taken from the Gilllg A Doan funeral home to the Fred Fullenkamp residence thl* evening and may be viewed there after 7 o'clock until lime for the service*. ... *ii o Mrs. Tice Baker Is Reported Critical The condition of Mr*. Tl to Baker well known lady living northwest of Decatur, was reported critical today. She ha* ben ill at her home for the past month. BUTCHER QUITS JUSTICE POST Adam C. Butcher Resigns As Jusice Os Peace Here Adam C. Butcher, local attorney, today tendered his resignation aa justice of peace of Washington township to Clyde C. Troutner, as clerk of the Adam* circuit court. The resignation Is to become effective on January 1. 1942. according to the original submitted to the county clerk. Mr. Butcher wa* elected to the prot without opposition in the fall election of 1940 along with W O. Little, also of Decatur. Mr. Little, who ha* been ill for some time, has been conducting the business of bi* office at bl* home. Since the law provide* that the county may have two justices of the peace, the county commissioner* are eipected to name a successor to Mr. Butcher ala future meeting.

SHELL-LOADING PLANT BLASTED ——— At Least Five Killed In lowa Munitions Plant Blast Burlington, la.. Dec. 13—(UP)— Workmen searched inside the shell of a wrecked building today for additional victims of a munitions plant explosion while army officer* awaited the arrival <>t war department Investigator*. At least five and perhaps nine - men were killed and 2C injured when a blast rocked the government's (.Mi.mm.ooo shell-loading plant five miles west of this Mississippi river town yesterday afternoon. Five Imdle* were ncovered and the plants* personnel department reported four men were missing. The victims were among a crew of 52 working In a small three-story building. The structure wa* used to melt TNT before It wa* mlzed with other Ingredient* for til-milli-meter trench mortar shells. Lieut. Col. K. F. Adanuon. commanding officer at the plant, said he had ‘‘no idea" of the cause of the elplosion hut he experssed doubt that It rsulted from sabotage. A three-man board of inquiry from the war department at Washington wa* expected to arrive this afternoon. Meanwhile, federal bureau of investigation agents inspected th plant. Htate patrolmen guarded nearby highway* while regular guards policed the plant. Although the explosion was heard in miles away, it failed to damage other building* on the in.ooti-acre troct. The plant wa*’ incomplete, but three of its four production lines were in operation and work continued rm two rd Hie liwee The«plosion halted work on the third for an Indefinite time. Four of the five dead were Identified as John J. Cummings. Lunch, la.; Woodrow W. Wehrle, Rome, la.. Pearl J. Pettit. Lansing, la.; and E. C. Hchillersirom. Agency, la. Coroner R. O. Giles raid two of the Irndiea were mangle I so badly that it wa* necessary to identify them hy finger print* Only the leg* and lower portion

.mNTZNinm on pagw thrkb» AAA BANQUET HERE TUESDAY Decatur Busmens Men Guettto Os AAA Committee Tuesday The* annual banquet of the Adams rounty agriculture conservation association for members of the committee and Decatur bueinesa men will be held Tuesday evening at 8:30 o'clock at the Zion Lutheran church on Wear Monroe street. Winfred Gerke. chairman, announced today. The association will be host to the business men and reservations have been made for 150 gue*t*. Virgil D. Sexton of Purdue university extension department and a member of the Triple A for Indiana. will be the principal speaker. Mr. Sexton will speak on current agriculture problem* and the part that the farmer will play In the war program. Feeding the 130 million of Americana, beside* supplying much food for Great Britain and other countries allied with the United Statea In the war against Japan. Germany and Italy. 1* the Job expected of farmers, Claude Wlckard, secretary of agriculture, haa atated. Only on wheat and corn have (CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX) —o First Payment Is Made For Beets Sugar beet growers today received check* from the Central Sugar Co., for the 1941 beet crop of 99,142 tons, valued at 1539.M31. The company advanced the first payment from 36 to |S.SO a ton. About 1.240 grower* grew beet* this year. Other payments will be made next year, following the sale of sugar, molasse* and pulp In which lhe farmer* participate on a 60-60 basis. The factory will cioae next week, H. W. McMlTlen, president, stated.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAP ER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday, December 13. 1911.

U. S. Flyer Who Sank BattleHhip '-'I---Captain Colin P. Kelly. Jr. Dr-ad now. but (Taptaln Colin P Kelly. Jr.. 2«. graduate of the C S Military academy In 1937. will go down In C. H history a* the first hero of the war with Japan Kelly dlslingulshed himself by .coring three direct hits on the Japanese capital battleship Haruna. leaving her In flame* and In distress The Madison. Fla., youth was cited by Lieut. Gen Douglas MacArthur, head of C. S forces in Philippines.

BILLY HELL IS HURT IH FALL William Bell, Jr., Sustains Slight Brain Con* cussion Wlllism Bell. Jr„ seven-year-old son of Mr and Mrs. William Bell of east of Decatur, la suffering from a head injury suffered late Friday afternoon in a fall from a nayrnow Little Bill I* reported lo have sustained a slight brain concussion and a aevern shaking up. His condition I* believed to he satisfactory, however. He fell from the mow 1 •> the cement floor 12 feet below, landing on hl* th<*ad. Fbr a tlmn following the fall he wm unconsetou*. The youth wa* removed to the Bell home and a physician «ummoned. Examinltion revealed that he suffered no broken bone*. Hl* father reported that the lad wa* resting comfortably this morning. o — o TEMPERATURE READING DEMOCRAT THERMOMETER 3:00 a. m 31 10:00 a. m. 31 11:00 a.m. 32 WEATHER Cloudy to partly cloudy and colder tonight, Bunday fa*r.

Lieut. Marcella Brandyberry Cablegrams Os Her Safety

Word ha* been received by relative* here from at least one of the Adame county persons in the center of the Jap bombing* of Island possession* of the United State*. Mr. and Mr*. Frank Brandyfarry of Tenth street have received a cablegram from their daughter, Lieut. Marcella Brandyherry. stating that she Is "safe and well." With the other* it Is most a case of considering "no new* a* good news." Mr and Mr*. William Noll of Pleasant Mill* have received no word from their non. Max A. Noll, •Ince November 29, when he sent a Clippergram Mating that If nothing happened he would sail for home on December 13. The later events, however, caused the cancellation of his furlough here with hi* parents, whom he has not seen in two year*. No word has been received by relative* here concerning Thad Huffman, former Decatur young man. whom It waa reported was

* ♦ Good Fellows Club Previous total . .. 8U14.7S A fi i.-tnl -M> Women of Moose 5 (Mi A frh-nd J-50 Total 1198.79 MANY GIVE TO GOOD FELLOWS Hundreds Os Decatur Citizens Have Helped Christmas Club In looking over past l»«ue» of the Decatur Dally Democrat concerning the amount of money donated to the Good Fellows club in different year*, the list of Good Fellow* over all those years would fill the front page Hundred* of name*, representing almost every organization in city a* well a* individuals would be listed. It is a revelation to know so many of Decatur's good citizen* are so generous, hut that Is tile spirit of Decatur. It would be Impossible to print the complete list for want of space. It I* safe to say that many people look every evening to seo how much money I* in the fund. With the Increase In prices this year, les* can he purchased for a 'CONTINUED ON 7’AOE *IX»

stationed <m the Hugh L. Scott a* junior engineer. The Scott, a lumber boat, was reported hy radio a* sunk Sunday night but never veriffed No information has been received from Hubert Glendening, son of Mr. and Mrs. Milo Glendening. of southwest of Berne, who was reported stationed at Clark Field on the island of Luzon. Mrs. Ada Martin of thl* city Is still awaiting word from her son. Glen, who waa employed ae a civilian In the construction work at Pearl Harbor. A radio report that civilians had been taken by plane to Honolulu led the local lady to believe that her son might have escaped to that city. It has been reported here that a son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Liggett, former operators of the grocery store and beer parlor at Middlebury. wa* on a U. 8. boat eunk by the Japs. The report could not be verified, however, sfcice the Liggett* now live In South Bend.

American Armed Forces Hold Ground In Philippines; Axis Battered On Widespread Front

BULGARIA JOINS WITH AXIS IN WARONU.S. Declares War On I nited States And Great Britain Tnday (i <By I’nlted Press! Bulgaria declared war on the I'nlted Htatt* and Great Britain today, the G- rmaii offit lai news agency said In a Sofia dispatch. The Berlin radio, heard by the I'nlted Pres* in lamdon. broadca*t the dispatch. nr- Bulgarian parliament had lieen called Into extraordinary session today, and the war announced had been anticipated Nignltlcancr was attached to the declaration because of Turkey ji delicate status a* a neutral allied to Great Britain. Germany has massed Important force* In Bulgaria within striking dlßtances of the Turkish frontier and the Bulgarian army has be<-n fully mobilized for many month*. Axis sources made much of British attacks on Vichy French ships, and Vichy Itself said that "measures have been taken to Insure that such cowardly attacks tease." The Vichy statement was read I tn the light of report* that Germany and Italy are seeking to get control of the Vichy fl- et and Vichy naval base* In Africa. Vichy's statement on "measure*" was issued apropos the sinking of the steamship St. Deni*, on its way from Africa to France, off the Spanish Balearic inlands by a submarine It believed to be British Italy and Spain reported that British patrol Imats had captured the French Nteamship Formlgny, 2.166 tons, and taken it to Gibraltar. An Italian official news agency dispatch from Hantander. Rpaln, reportetl that an unidentified airfCONTINIIKn ON PAGR SIX) o ■ Fred Kreischer Dies Friday At Van Wert Fred Krelscher. 77, lifelong resident of near Convoy. Ohio died Friday at the Van Wert. Ohio hospital after a stroke of paralysis. Surviving are the widow; four children, Mrs. Otto Gehres of Wren. Ohio, Walter Kreischer of Convey, Norman Kreischer of Ih-fiance, Ohio, and Arthur of Pleasant township; two sisters, Mrs. ('. M. Sn'th and Mrs. Fred Kline of Convoy, and two brother*. William Krelscherof Harrison township and Emanuel Kreischer of Convoy Funeral nrrangetnent* have not been completed. WILLSHIRE LADY TAKEN BY DEATH Mnu. Arthur Stove Dies Friday At Local Hospital Mrs. Cora Stove. 87. of near Willshire, 0.. a former resident of Decatur, died at 6:30 o'clock Friday evening at the Adams county memorial hospital following an operation about 10 days ago. She was the daughter of the late Will la in Frazier, who was Adams county assessor a number of year* ago. Surviving are the husband, Arthur Stove; three sons. Ralph Stove, of near Willshire; Paul and Roy Stove, both of Chicago; one brother and one sister. Funeral services will be held at the Willshire Methodist church Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock (EST). Burial will be in the Willshire ceyetwry, NOON EDITION

STAMP BUYING WARNING GIVEN Assessor Warns Os Necessity Os Purchase Os Intangibles Stamps Ernest J. Wonhman. county assessor. u|hiii his return from the assessors' convention at Indianapolis the past three days, advised taxpayer* thl* morning that per sons holding intangibles should purchase their 1941 stamp* Immediately. The law provide* that they cannot be purchased after January in. I 1942. he stated Penalties an- very : severe. Mr Worthman asserted, being four time* the amount of the tax, plus Interest The Intangibles are taxabl. at the rate of five cents for erch I2<* or fraction thereof, or 25 cents per one hundred dollars of valuation.. Thl* tax mint he paid befor • at I Intangibles can Im- aold legally. Owners of the Intangible* are urged to contact assessor W<»rthman or treasurer John W Blakey The Indiana lax board has ad '*<d that strict enforcement of the law will prevail Mr. Worthman also *tul<*d that there will lie no reappraisal of real estate made In the combig year of 1942 The state tax bo»rd ha* Indicated there will lie a genj eral re-appraisement on March 1. 1943. . GIVES MEWOS ON CERTIFICATE County Clerk Clarities Rules On Birth Certificates County clerk Clyde O. Troutner today Issued a stutement clarifying the methml of securing a birth certificate. People born In the city after 19m’> are to go to Dr. Janie* Burk, city health officer. Those lM>rn in l>ec*tur prior to the dale or elsewhere In the county are to go to Dr F L Grandstaff, county health officer. If th*- birth record Is not available. the applicant may secure one through ths- court procesu, providing he lives In Adam* county. Otherwise the applicant must g.> to the county In which he resides. To secure one through the court, the applicant must go to the newspaper office and Insert a b-gal notice. After seven days he may call at the clerk's office, bringing the pr<M>f of publication and two householders who can verify his residence In the county for tinpast year. This Information is submitted to the court. The court make* ait order and the certificate Is issued by the clerk's office. A copy is sent to the state board of health and a | record kept on file at the clerk's i office. Present war conditions have brought about an Increased number of applicants for birth cerllfi--1 cates. Home confusion has resulted, especially among applicants calling at the clerk's office, when they are actually required to go to the office of the city or county health officer, Mr. Troutner stated. This Paper Will Appear in New Dress The Decatur Dally Democrat will appear tn a new head letter dress Monday. The head* will be set In upper and lower case, a style followed by leading newspapers of the country and recognized by schools of journalism and journalistic prize award* a* the mo*t attractive and ea*lly read. Heretofore all head* have been set In upper case, or capl.tali of 3» point size. The new head letter type I* known as .Metromedium and is a modified Gothic style. The type will be set on the linotype. We (relieve our readers will find It more easy to read and that the new dresa will improve the looks of th* paper.

Price Two Cento.

Dutch Submarines Sink Four Japanese Troop Transports; Italian Ships Destroyed. RUSSIANS GAIN Hy Vnlted Pres* The Allies batleied the Axis war machine tiMlay from the far east to the Russian fighting front and the central Mediterranean In the Pacific war theater: Dutch submarine- reported the sinking of tour Japanese troop transports with lo«- of aliout 4.<Hm men. Dutch naval forces destroyed a "Japanese poat" on the east coast of Borneo. American armed force* still held their ground again*! Japanese attuck* on Guam. Wake Midway and Luzon l«land In the Philippines. In the Mediterranean: British and Dutch destroyer* attacked an Italian naval force In the central Mediterranean before ' -lawn, sinking a cruiser, a torpedo ■ iwiat ami an E-IhmH and setting a i second cruiser ablaze "from stem I to stern " Al! Italian ship* in the squadron were knocked out. A renewed British tank drive ' west of Tobruk In Libya was re- ! ported encircling the remnants nf . Axis armorer! strength In an effort | to deliver a knockout Mow. hi the Soviet I'nIon: Red army attacks on the Moscow front and in the Donets basin j continued to drive back the tier--1 man* despite desperate Axis cmin-ter-attack* in the Kalinin aector. A Berlin radio broadcast said ! the Axis force* <>n the eastern . front had executed a "tactical move to the rear." (111 the other side of the picture. j the Tokyo and Berlin propaganda broadcast* claimed that Japan had won mastery of the air over Malaya by destroying 129 Brlflah Mr- . planes In a great air battle In which Japan lost 17 The Axis also claimed that a new British destroyer, apparently the Matalwle. had been sunk off , the Hpanlsh coast by submarine 1 ittack. and that the l'nlt<>d Htales battleship Arizona had been sunk j off Hawaii. In Malaya, the British defense force* fell back slightly In the northern Kedah sector, adjacent tn Thailand, but held all other defense lines before Hlngapore and mx narrun <N* *»or th muo War Bulletins Washington. Dec. 13.—(UP) —The army recruiting service today appealed ftr 20 000 applicants per month, between the ages of 20 and 2C years, for training a* flier* to meet Increasing war need*. Washington. Oec. 13.— (UP) — President Roosevelt today called in secretary of state Cordell Hull, secretary of war Henry L. Stimson and a group of naval officers, presumably to diacuaa progress of the war and the United State* strategy. London, Oec. 13. — (UP) — British bombers attacked dock* at Brest and Dunkirk, occupied Francs, last night. Coastal command planes attacked other objective* in northern France, especially an oil refinery at Donges. where a large fire wes started. Kuibyshev, Oec. 13.—(UP) — The Soviet information bi reau ridiculed the German claim that a “bitter" Russian winter had stopped their offensive on Moscow, by revealing that temperatures on the front had not dropped below 23 to 2t degree* above zero. The average December temperature of Helena. Mont., is 24 degrees; of Slous City, la., 23 degress, of Chicago. 29 degree*. The Germans had described cold wo intense it froze the oil In tank*, froze German soldiers to ths ground and to their gun*.