Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 41, Number 65, Decatur, Adams County, 17 March 1943 — Page 1

LMustW/nfheWflr/ | /// Else Is Chores!

XU No. 65._

GERMANY REPORTS ALLIED OFFENSIVE |S LAUNCHED BY BRITISH IN AFRICA

lllied Naval forces Raid Norway Harbor ! I I Entire Nazi Fleet I Reported Massing | In North Norway I By I'nlted Pre** I v'ion is •!' lopinK and the ] t ar( . ga'n<-riiig for •'» major K',!l n Allie* aM ’* ,h *' E. ;n 'ii- Arctic region* north K Europe ■ t -! iuv.it force* have carried L' j da ra.g ri il into a Norwegian K,-. w . Light naval force*, the K- .(i mini, i y announces, dashK Into the I' ii"" harbor M 5 miles Erh of B-rz-n "it Sunday, and. , enemy merchant; Kp Thu. ''ey made a getaway j inert., -v- fir.- from German Er- bntteri. • The British ships K> manned by Norwegians. ■ pock holm the source for a] Eie. o f other o-ports concerning Kt Arctic front Th" Swedish K-- <jv- tin- Russian army has Kr.r, '•> within seven-and-a-half K i! 'h< northern Finnish port K frowmo and is shelling the Kr from the nearby heights Kh'i report ate* that the Red Kay ba* o; n.-d a new offensive K the Arctic front ■l' fiti in with another StockBwz di*pa* ' Ixindon concernKfthiG.rj.an navy Thia di*Bi'i’h the entire German Blfh ••.<* including three Kfl-ii.p- .mi 'wo aircraft car- :• mi- ,i.g in northern NorBl.r Th-p i: pose, it Is said. Is to K-- A.lirai -apply routes in the Bcr'b Atlari':. and the Arctic, and Krwtsll any Allied attempt to K»r. i iscond front in Scandinavia. ■ Eapect Bad News |WI director Elmer Davis in raubiugton took notice of the fcor'nl Orman naval concentre- ■ (Turn To Page 3, Column 5) ■ o lily Coal Silo And Bevaior Blown Down | City Property Is I Damaged By Wind I Ihnuge which may range ■-'"-jr.d 12,000. was caused shortly •dore ’ o'clock this afternoon high velocity winds sent a ■kyovned SOfoot coal allo and P-foot elevator crashing to the f’rctd on North Seventh street. •*r the Pennsylvania railroad. ■ f.iur city workers, forewarned I* the danger by Phil Sauer, city •f*t commissioner, escaped in•*7 when hundreds of (rounds of r’* tn* brick plunged to ► ground I • lower sections weakened by r T *r*l fires, the tile brick silo I * »<y first after bucking the t 1 * 1 wil " 1 »R morning and carried r' 5 the metal elevator and Its ■Mtr. I Roy Elzey Max Knave!. George snd Red Shaw, city light plant | »»yes were working near the po»ben it crashed. I **' 01 the 250 to 300 tons of r** coal used to fire the boil F ” ,h - ci'y Plant, which was I 'Ro. spilled on the ground. *" h 111 * ’H*. metal and debris. gw L« ! '* <ht Br, ’t>ent crews are f* xed W | lt| [t|>) (a>k <jf han(l . I ”w» To Pur, g. Column «) I ■—~~ 0 I .I tMPER * T URE READING I “EMOCRAT thermometer I * 0® a. m. _ 32 I *•” I !"•2 WEATHER I tmZ!. '* Um ** r «t u r, I TWo' nSt I „"'*•* 'srsSMs; strong I• * "• rth P o * 0 " diminI ’J** u "'gM Le- A Ji*!. of 150 Victory Garorganizers will be | * 0,1 Page 2.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

War Bond Sales Arc Far Behind Quota War bond stales in Adams county fell far behind the quota during th,first two weeks of the month, E.ul Caston, county chairman of th'' war saving* staff, reported today. [ Sales loot week were only 314.- : 1M.25, bringing the total for the first 13 days to only 134,050 The ! county's quota for tin- month is »107.371. — - - — -—o - Reds Advance On North And Central Fronts Situation Is Also Reported Improved On Southern Front (By United Press) The Russians are advancing on : the central and northern front* and are at leant holding their own in I the south. The Moscow midday communique says that one Red army column on the central front has cut a rail line 65 mile* northeast of the main axis base of Smolensk. A number of villagi*. including a rail station five miles south cm Nikitinka. fell into the hands of the advancing Ri>d army. Another Russian force Is smashing westward toward the Ax* baste along the railroad from Vyazma. ♦"Th.- Germans, fighting vainly to halt this drive, are threatened with being cut off by the Red army s northeastern advance. Routh of Lake limen. Marshal Timoshenko's troops are gaining ground In their drive toward Starova Russa Timoshenko's men knocked out Ml enemy pillboxes and blockhouses, seized several villages and wiped out 1,060 Nazis during the night. The Red army of the Vkraine seized the initiative in several sectors of the Kharkov-Donets front today. In heavy attacks, the Russians drove the Germans from a range of hills In the region of lzyum, 75 miles southeast of Kharkov. The British radio says that the Russians have considerably Improved their positions London report* that the Nazis are suffering heavy lassis in vain efforts to drive ' across the Donets river. The Germans, however, claim to be gaining in one sector of the southern front. The Berlin radio says that the gain was scored by troops aimed at Belgorod, northeast of Kharkov. Also. Berlin declares. 66 Red army tanks have been knocked out in a b.g battle southeast of Kharkov. There Is no confirmation of these enemy claims ' o Four Men Accepted ! For Navy Service One Os Contingent In Special Service —-—- Four men in the March 15 selec- ! live service contingent have been accepted tor service by the I 8. I navy and one by the army for | meteorological training, the local . draft board was cfßclally Informed ' ,oday » The four navy men are »re<l Bierly. Donald Reldenba< h. Howard Minch and Don Frachte Accepted for the special army training Is Frederick Sprunger. wbo was a volunteer. This brings the total number of men accepted from the cont ingen’ to 36 Thirty-one men were accepted Monday by the army. The accepted men will leave here for active service after customary furlough* Exa< t time and date of departure cannot be pnhlishtd until they bare departed, according to censorship rules. The next group will be called to take examinations on March W All notice* for this group have - been sent out Another call -that t cC April Id- ha* not been complete ly Ailed.

Senate Passes Bill Io Defer Farm Workers Would Defer Farm Workers From Draft Into Armed Forces i Washington. Mar. 17 tl'l’i The senate has approved legislai (ion to defer farm worker* front | the draft. The ni'asure. passed by a vote of 5o to 21. now goes t the I house. In in final form, the legislation i-inpowers selective service boardto use their own judgin'nt In de--1 tennlnlng whether a farm work er's contribution to f od production < warrant* bis deferment. At pres- j ent. the selective sei vice act bans 1 (hr deferment of farm workers unless they cannot be replaced by 1 substitute workers. The depart ment of agriculture also has ruled that a farmer must pro luce a certain amount of foodstuff to win de term tit. Both <f thrae provisions would be thrown out by the new bill. The legislation was opposed at ; hearings by the army, war man power commission and selective service official*. However, the far mbloc argued that it was essential to insure adequate food elipI plies. No Furlough* Washington. Mar. 17.— (UP) — . The war department has decided : to discharge individual soldi' r* to do farm work in cases of extreme emergency, but says no soldier* i will be given furloughs to do such work The department issued its statement of policy thia noon. It app-urs to be a concession to the (Turn To P*g« I. Column 4) o Most Os Red Cross Fund To Services 65 Percent Os Fund Aids Service Men Service* to the armed forces will take 65 percent of it'd Cross national funds for 1043. M alter J Krick, city chairman of the local chapter anttounced today in com menting on Affams county’s |11..(m quota The fund is ab ut one-third raised, he said "Operations of the national organization will require |66.000,000 for servicemen at home and abroad." Mr. Krick said "Other need* are computed as follow*: disaster relief and civilian war aid. |6,SOO.miO; foreign war relief, la.I tmi> 00; health, education and safety service*. Il MHMHHi; *erviie allu assistance to chapters. E5.700.M®; general executive and financial of- ! flee*, f I.4mi.i"Mi; c ntlngencie*. |S.000.000. Balance of J2o.ihio.ooo left from the first war fund of laet Decemb» r will be applied on the 1*43 l budget, leaving EM.Mg.WO a* the net amount to be raised for uat- | tonal and International work ' Completing the total campaign goal of 1125.00v.000 la an estimated l4s.imo.tHHi tor the budget* of 3..55 (Turn To Psgs *• Column 5) Extra Hours Needed For Meter Reading ■I I ~ War work ha* created another problem Ralph R<»p. ci«F water department superintendent, reported to the city council las’ night, that score* of extra man houm of meter reading have been needed because of It. • With both the husband and wife working in war plants, doom of ' many homes are locked from < a. m until 4 p. m. he stated, thus) blocking the effort* of meter readeiw. About 75 percent of the city'* ; water meter* are inside the bouse* and cannot be reached an les* some one is at home, he said Extra meter reader* ar» belny uaed during the prraent quarterly reading period *nd la *ome iastancM a* many •• four or five i tripe are made to one horn* before | the mazer u reed, he said.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, March 17,1943.

Officers* Children Serve, Too ■tl a * A C — Just like their fathers. Luther 11. i - St.wn- se.im.in first • left above, and Deborah Kilk radioman tin <1 .las- in the WAVES .<!'<> are serving in their country s armed Sti-viis i- lie >n "I Brig G'-n Luth.-i R St.-v.-ii-, who was hi Bata,in Miss Kirk is the daughter of R.-ar Admiral Alan G Kirk Thi* photo was taken at' <..ti.it- cbrbtl Tex.. Naval Air Training slat lon.

City Plans Use Os Whistle For Raids _e 'Wildcat' Whistle Is Put In Repair Plan* for ueing the old "wildcat" whistle at the Municipal light and pow.-r plant as an air raid wainIng signal In Decatur are under consideration by the city council, it wa* announced last night at the regular meeting of tiie group Mayor John B. Stult* *ald that the whistle hag ben repaired and apparently will **rve as an excellent warning signal. The signal can It* "tuned” to a high pitch, he pointed out. and can ] prolmbly be heard all over the city. Since the police department has already started preparation* for, discarding the present police siren In favor of a lights aystem. It wa* pointed out that thi* warning could also be u*e<l in an advantageous sector of the city and another similar siren added, if nece*uary. Several "practice" warlags will ! probably lie tried within a few day*. Mayor Stult* stated. The pul. lie will be given ample warning A petition for electrical service, filed by Kenneth Mitchell of St. Mary’s township, was read to the council and approved The petition asked for an extension of alwut 300 feet from the preeent line to the Mitchell farm. The petitioner agreed to furnish the wire. The council also di»cu*»ed add Ing two new member* to the volun teer fire fighting force, in addition to tLe one named at the last meeting. The council approved an advertisement in the local newspaper. <!•• signed to stimulate the victory garden campaign. Progress was reported by the light department in the furnishing of electrical service to the new homes In the Studeluker addition.

LENTEN MEDITATIONS (Rev. J. T. Trucar Church of th* Sasarenei John *:M -And he Mid. Lord I belisve. and ho worshipped Him." In the verses preceding th" elven felt, the deity of Jesus woo brought into question The healing of the blind man anti the confession he make* in the printed verse is proof that Christ was all He had profeso-d Himself to be: the light of the world, the Savior of man kind, the friend of the friendless and the helper of the helpless Christ proves Himself to be master in the realm of sin and sickness at this point. He here shows Himself, to the onlooking crowd, to be the conqueror of His enemy, the devil. Like the poor man blind because of some sickness though with a believing heart, the sinner, blinded by sin and sick at heart can find that Christ will be the light of bls spiritual eyes and healing will come to his troubled soul Sone need be left out of the fold but all can come and with believing heart can find peac.- and worship Him in spirit and in truth In this season, why not terr, your affections God ward !»*ek first His kingdom and necessary bless--1 mgs will be added to your lite.

Roosevelt, Wife Mark 38th Weddinq Anniversary Today Washington. March 17 H I'' Today I* a special day for n well known Washington couple. The pr.widetit and Mr* Rooscvel' are marking their 3Sth wedding aliniv. rsaiy quietly, with no ce|e-] lit.it lon. - 4> Bulgaria Fearing Invasion By Allies French Guerrillas Entrenched In Alps By I'nlted Press Rumors of u possible Allied In ' vasion thrust through (lie Balkan*' are spreading across Bulgaria to-, day. The Bulgarians are reported mobilizing at top speed to resist | such an invasion attempt. Tingovernment reportedly I* sending official* through the nation to make pro-Nazi speeches And a ] general German propaganda campaign is scheduled to get underway next wet kend. Meanwhile. guerilla • band* throughout the Balkan* are oper-! ating lii full force, outbreak* are repoittd from (Irevee to Rum ..la , Small revolt* are reported in Buch ! are»t. Jugo-lavia and Greece. Tillkish teoi-t* say there were riots in Athens in early March A crowd of about I <hio persons shouted defiance at the Nazis. Tiny wre dispersed by water from fire hose*. German ami Italian farce* are being reinforced to wipe out a patriot army entrenched In the French Alp*. Large seige guns are being brought into action and veteran troops are pouring into the area The patriot armies, said to be under military leadership of for-. mer French army officer*, are (Turn To Pag* 4. Column l»

Long-Awaited Push By British Eighth Army Reported; Allied Headquarters Silent On Drive

American Air And Sea Forces Blasi Jap Bases Hint Major Action Believed Imminent In Pacific Zones (By United Press) American air aad sea forces have strongly attacked Jap base, as both i ende. of the Pacific line in what i may be a prelude to larger scale j offensive action. A navy communique eay* that a I n ival task force shelled th.- Jap air and supply ba-e of Vila in the | ceti’ral Solomon* on Monday night. Light surface force* presumably .-•ulner* and d.w’royers took part in the assault. It was the second such attack on Vila. The navy report* laconically that "good results'' were obtained. Not a *ingle American life was ].w*L Following up the warship gunning. fast dive bomber* and fighters raked Vila in daylight Tuesday. The game day. big army bombers and fighters ttnaehed at four other enemy base* in the .Solomons. Almost at the same time, th ■ i army airmen in the North Pacific 1 were action in the Aleutians. Bomb ens and fighter plane* attacked Kuka no les* than six time* Moni day Results were not reported. Only a few hour* before, navy i ommunique dispatch.* from i’.-.irl Harbor hinted that action of major Importance I* imminent in tinPaclfh. Tiie Pearl Harbor report warned that the Japs, who have suffered heavily in their own ditv.-s may i»- hoping that the Allie* will stick their necks out thi* time. In regaid to Jap setbacks, war information director Elm t H.ivl* says that just five out of 15.m*i Jap ' soldiens escaped death or capture in th.« Allied victory in the Bis- . march sea. In addition. Lieutenant General Georg.- (' Kenney, Allied soutbwrat Pacific air commander, declare* I that tin- enemy undoubtedly lias I lost most of hi* fiiwt-string flier*. . Kenney cotiferr. d for half an hour (Turn Tn Pag* *. Column 3) o De Gaulle Decides To Confer With Giraud French Leader To Leave London Soon London. March 17 -tt’P) -General De Gaulle ie leaving London shortly to confer with General Giraud at Algiers. A formal communique from the fighting French headquarters in London announced De Gaulle'e de- ' vision. The announcement came shortly after Prime Minister Churchil'. told the house of common* tha' there no longer ie any gquration o* principal dividing De Gaulle and the French gvernment North Africa. General Giraud. on his part. 1* continuing to purge Vicuy influence* from North Africa in anticipa'.ion of l>e Gaulle* arrival. He ha* ordered all picture* of Marshal Petain banned from public place* and all the toiirand* of p<i*ter* bearing the old marshal'* decreeo and statement* turn down. It i* reported that Giraud will appoint De OaaHe’a governor ;n Syria. General Catroux. aa deputy high commissioner of North Africa. Giraud la *l*o said la have fired many pro-Vichy official* from miner post* in North Africa In the la*’ i few day* in order to achieve unity | with De Gaulle.

Production Os Crops Vital In War Eflort Schricker Comments On Farm Conference Indianapolis. Mar. 17 il Pi - Governor Henry Schiick.-r sayhe is convinced that the slice-■> or failure of l’-«4 ’. crops can win or lose the war. Indiana's chief] executive cummented in part as he u-turn'd from a I'.' 'ate farm manpower ..mfer.-n.-t- in D'-s Moines Bountiful crop- certainly would play an important part in winning of the war and a crop failure might postpone victory for an indeterminate I'crlod Governor Schricker -ay hl* d;--eusslolis with seven other chief i executives convince* him that Indiana's food production problem Is not quite a* critical as the I situation confronting other mid-w.-stern -late*. ’’lndiana's situation." the gover--1 nor observe*, "I* not a* bad a* other stat.-* a* far as farm machinery is concerned However ' he add*. "1 found that Indiana was j about on a par with them a* far 1 |a* farm manpower wa- <onc.rn-i . cd" The lloosi.-r executive s.iy- lie offered thre. points at D> Moinas solutions to tiie farm problem] and that hi* .suggestion- are embodied in th.- ivsoiution* which; tTurn T-> pig- 3, Column 5) ——- —- •- o Wage Issue Brings New Inflation Fight WLB Votes Monday On Wage Ceilings By I'nlted Pres* The hauls' of inflation lias flared up anew over the wage Issue. I And today, the government is] I trying to get trumps in It* hand] for a showdown with John L. I , Lewis over mine;- wage* Here's how it *• <cks up Th.- war labor board split from i within In one of the most -erioiis dissension* of it> history will vote Monday ..n the whole wage | ceiling policy. Tiie evidence Indi j cates th.- board will break th" little steel formula to some extent. But not mu< Ii A compromise -nffh ient to satis-! fy the AFL and ('1(1 memlier*! would strengthen the board'* hand ] against Lewi* when he com.-* up, i with hi* U-a-day ial*'- demand for j soft coal miner* For then Lewis] | would find him-elf arrayed not i ’only against the administration] - but also against the two major] II labor organizations. Other serious disagreements mark the Washington scene today j > Th.- plan of four ■••nators foi in I I Allied union to preserve world] . peace face* a hostile committee ] chairman and a cautions sulecom-j . mlttee. Many senator* feel that! any di*cu»»ion of post war propos-: al» now would endanger Allied *1 mliy at a crucial peiiod in the! I On another front, the reciprocal trade agreement program i* being i attacked by Republicans who (Turn To t’««e i. Column 4) Mrs. Lydia Heller Funeral Thursday . i Funeral servii e* for Mrs Lydia I Heller. H 3. former Adams county resident, who died Monday night at Bluffton, will be held at 2 p m. i Thursday at the Domoatic ehnreh. with burial in the Alberton came- ' tery. Hhe lived nrwr Genera until the 1 death of her buaimnd. John Heller. 12 year* ago Surviving art three daughtena and five son*.

Buy War Savings Bonds And Stamps

Price Three Cents

German Radio Says British Imperials Launch Drive After Heavy Bombardment By I'nited PresTho crack British eighth army 1 is reported '■> hav.- b. gun its lotraI awaited off'-nsive .igain-' Hi*- M ir- ■ .-th line in southeastern Tunisia. Th.- German rad o. ,o cording to the British broad, a-ting company, 'say* the British lm|M'.il- be;'.in i their attack la-t night after a ] -ha't.-ring artillery bombar<lm<i:t. ' British tr.s.p- the Gt imans -..y. a'.' hammering the - n-tal .-nil of ; th<- Mar.-(h forts in .hi apparent effort to break t « the Axis supply port of .il.es Previously, the (1.-! in.in- had reported laig.-s. al<- troop movements at (lie > ;th(h inny position*. The«- Is no word y ' from Alli. d i headquartei« to lndu .it*' that the big push is on. Tiie latest official announceriK'tit m<-i'!y raid that Alli.d plain - w.-re bii-tiliK tin’ Mareth line strong points and bombing Gabes heavily R dfo Algier- reports that our bomber* hav.- cut tin- rail linn from Gabes to Hfax In several | place*, di'pi'lving Marshal Rommel '[of hi* only north- oi’h <i>tntnuni- '' cation Un.' I American pat ol* have cut tlo r way through the rough country I north of th. .M in th no to wiihfn thr.'. m;l>-s of <;.r - i They ... ’ now in position to drive through | to the sea Thr barge* hav. I |s. f afi..- by Allied h-.mb.ra be- ■ Sidy and Tut.l-ia \nd Bi t. h air ai. raft gnu-liav. hot <1 rati at I. ..-t 'w<> Nazi d ve bombI e-s a't.mptmg '■• a"ack . i Allied leoiiV 'y In the .• nt .1 Mediterranean. Rom.- id ■ «iy- Nazi planes torpedoed 'WO med ia m • IZ. il Allied ships and fired a third w.-it of Betiitlnzi y. -t'-iday General M m'gomery - nr a m I* pounding the Mareth line fort* ceaselessly and -yst.-matle.illy using :< huge fl.. -of t>o:ii " - (((her | Alli* d air for. h iv. d< liverwl .1 | blow in -npp .it of M .ii'.'-.nie'y ' hy bla-ting Rommel - .-iii.-f supply port t Gain ind ■ ■ ■ ' m ] Gabes not th Sfax The log air attack on Gabes was mad- Monday n.ght. l.r General I Elsenhower announced it only this I morning. Brit t ill and Oi|t of the Gab. Zone. • mashing road-. .«iifi*-'<te and the railway Rad • X:c ■ ays th.» planes plowed big le.tnb crater* l squarely on th. tilw.iy at many I places, thus effectively il.-sti tying Rommel's only m-rth -outh rad ] line for day* to come Fieti. ii I. gh c.miiii.ssionef | Giraud has banned all picture- of I Marshal P.-'ain from public places, io. To pagw ■ c i nra <> Verdict Is Upheld On $3,000 Judgment Appellate Court Upholds Verdict Tiie Indiana appellate court ha* ! upheld a Well* circuit court jury i verdict awarding Juanita Deßolt a ] |3 ihhi judgment against Dale Bed- ; well a* result of an a<ito-train < raell ’- several year- ago at the High strcit < costing of th. Nickel Plat* railroad in thi* city. H R Mt Cte-nehan was plaintir* attorney In the action, while Ro*coe D. Wheat and Abram Simmon* represented the defendant. One girl. Lui* Bs-> r, rx* killed. Mr* In-Bolt, her husbaml, Lloyd Deßolt, and Bedwell, driver of the car. wre injured. Tiie Deßolt* (pent aeveral w-ek* in the hospital f llowlr.g the crash Damage* were recovered by the platn'iff from the railroad company. Tha suit against Bedwell was Hied i here and then venued to Well* county.