Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 41, Number 284, Decatur, Adams County, 2 December 1943 — Page 1

■ the War! lf|ie Is Chores'

mil. No. 284.

ILLIED CONFAB BELIEVED CONTINUING

lazis Retreat | Lfore British |n Italy Front

i — —— * I L Army Scores Ltont Victory [furious Bottle IjonQro River L United J*r«-»s» 1 4 * m a*hi'iK victory for I E,ilhtb army In Italy. J iwrt p«. beaten in a fourL C rar the Adria'lc. are („( before the onAlready. Gener* Lj,-)-. ni' ii have round- i E prisoner* and killed Kswlh in a new three E.. vela lommunlque in continuing. K-t army has suffered Kl-ir- Headquarter* lat'h to the bitter Erf the fifth army at SalLew- eighth has played K German defenses. It Kd th,- Herman line Eg,,.- from It has com-Eewiii'-i of a vital ridge Kik- Saxis had moored K, And It has capturKfcar mile* north cf the Lran-I t»" miles inland Krxh'b i* fighting in the Ks two vital towns — Ko and t'aso'i. Al Ca* are battling for K, lateral road winding K| lad leading to Home. Keho toad alr-ady ar.■tomi* Kri'.’l' roll forward In ■ > fit'll army lias Its ■ E th,, w.-st Ame i lean K-, i- lute thrown ba. k K ■ ■-inter attar ks K (the line un- it- ar ■nd the other four miles ■ V-tufto The Germans Krt runfori eineuts into K'>-tnan- ate suffering Kv.- * Jugoslav coin Ban 'he partisans have ■r■ • 1.2 on ■ - the tw - w.eks ending ' ■ Th- guerrillas also 1 Er-I several fortified ■i- Italian border. ■x- G- tn it. lines in Italy, ■u. tie- tinmans ha* ■ Th* sri libl-diop of Mil ■Mly criticized German Btl-rie. fur the second ■Hs-k In a diocesan ■l> jl( used them of !• r■b people and looting t?' ■Wnutu have more than about In north- ■ Amei:< an Flying Fort ■Ming ui two waves, B> M«e«t hall hearing E' l Column I) ■County Man ft By Mayor ■*" <>f roar Decatur.' Jj r - ‘i ’ <o t« by Mayor Bh«< m city i ourt today *>’»*»!;• intoxication a Idea of guilty He ! ■* ‘ e '•>»• li'.gnt in the ■ *<- by officers ■ •MR'y' hi.coteof the j'<>r John L. De 'he a'a .. at the V" i* - a' mi of charges Itecatur nan. arpolice after he alleg- • fight .nd broke a Mj|i * **■ t»**rn last night B* 1 ’!! pending 'he out- ■ an | mental ex fr^ Rt READING W*’ thermometer I ~ « ■ 18 i ■ 50 ■ •tATHER ■**•»» ton,ght: part V •*« contrnued cold »*d a bundle of ■T'* Meh week. H for the •* fat and

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Germans Slow Red Advances On Russ Front Germans Swinging Northward To Aid Encircled Mates By United Press The Russian- say the German | troops west of Kiev have swung | northward toward White Russia., where a large Nazi army is fight | Ing encirclement in tin- Pripet marshes. This serins to indicate that the Germans feel that the front in HuKiev bulge Is stabilized and that the Nazi command-r- do nit believe the Red army cun retake Zhitomir ai d Kot 1«-n As late as this morning. Moscow reported the Germans were throw Ing tanks and Infantry reinforcements into the furious battle of the btilg. Moscow now tacitly admits a stabilization of the situation in the bulge — but blames It on the weather. The Russians «ay the Red air force is temporarily ground'd and hence they cantin' utilize it to resume immediately the offensive to retake Korosten and Zhitomir and continue tin idvance towaid Poland Behind the Hu-ian lin-< In the Kiev bulge. United Pres- r-orres pondent Henry Shapiro reports a. vast sea of mud. He -ay- that rivers are rising steadily Flerct | winds sweep the Russian Steppes 'and heavy rain Interlaced with i snow la hes the troops. I'p in White Russia. S ivlet gen oral Rokossovsky is methodically I mopping up- and driving the encircled Get mans tloepei into the marshes. These are tin- Nazis whom the army turning north from Kiev seeks to rescue But Rokossovsky I- making go. si progress. He ha- tightenedl litis grip on the approaches to Mozyr—a town controlling Get man communication* in the west(Turn To Page *, Coin.nil • j — o—- — Accident Injuries Fatal To Farmer l-ogansport, Ind. Dec. 2 ill 1 ' A Bullington fur buyer ail i fanner died this morning in the Ca. * county hospi’al of injuries suff- d Monday in an automobile collk-ion llwas 52-year-old J E. Smuk a veteran of world war one. ( —o November War Bond Goal Oversubscribed Exact Figures Not Available To Date The Novemlier war bond drive sponsored by Adams Pont It "f thAmerican legion, b over the top. ■but ezact figure* are not y «' n able. Ka ! ('» ton. vlce-chs'rman "f the war finance committee report«i today. _ The county*- quota was »!••..«'tand purehaae-s are fai above 'hat figure. Mr. Cas'on said Repot * from Berne and o’her par' sos hcounty are not yet in the final tota. will be complied a won »* ' sales from tnese points are reported here. ~ The Legionnaires epona< red tw campaign In Indiana and aid-d m making many additional -a campaign was launched o.i Armi« lice day in nv-mmy of th- men who gave their Homo in World War l and the present global conflic' their country. AdanM county has met i’s monthly and -pecial war loan quo'** •">•■* the. war began with the .< pron of one month, but l«»**l » B ’»• combined total* f° r mna since May. IH2 net sale* gr-* » . exceed the amount.

One American Vessel Lost In Gilbert Battle Escort Aircraft Carrier Only U. S. Loss In Conguest tliy United Press) Th- navy annonticca that the <«■ cor' aircraft c irrii-i "Llscome Bay” wa.< unk by a Japanese submarine off tin: Gilbert Islinds. Hut the navy communique mak>w it clear that thlw was the only Am'■ib an ship lost in the conque-t of tin- Gilber'a. That’s quite a different story than the on- fold by the Japanme. Radio Tokyo has i-n' oni fantastic i laitn that w.- had lost eight carriers and many o.her ship* Th- l.iscome Biy'it ekippi r <'ap- | tain Irving Wiltsle of New York I f'ity and R-ar Admiral Henry ‘ Mitllitinix who was aboard a- cornI mander of a ta -k forte are mtaa- | Ing in action. The navy gave no caaualtiso, or other details on the sinking, except to ay that the carrier went down aft'-i bi-ing torp'-do'-d on November 21 The Lisconu* Bay was launch'll Auguat 1. She is tin- flrwt eocort carrier lost by the navy in this war. .mJ |iu- fir t American carrier of any type ot in- sunk since the Hornet w-nt down in the South Pacific in (Xtolier, 1912. In the Southwest Pacific, American warships are cutting the Japam.o- sea communications between Rabaul and New Guinea i-lands. Our ships made their d-epest drive into waters once controlled by the -ti'-my to bomliard Gasmatn, on the south ehore of New Britain, and Madang and Sio, acros- a narrow -trait on N-w Guln-a. The shelling was tensely deserile (Turn To P«g« I. Column 4! Probe News Leak On Allied Conference Officials Irked By Premature Releases Washington, lb--. " <UP) Am-i-rlcan ii'-wspap'-iw and news aerivuie have been ao-Ured all even I break in the future on Allied news involving th'- United States. Government officiala, angered by premature British releasis. made the promt e this morning. R< utere. the British news agency broke th- news of th- three-power confer-nce in Notth Africa U hours ahead of the official releaae time. American editors had the story on their '!•' ks but h-ld it in confident- as the) had been requested to do. Elmer Davie, director of the office of war information, his placed partial blame forth- inc'detit on British censorship. The British cen ors had allowed the -lory to lie sent out from London although they did forbid i’s publication in the British Isles. Davkt rejet t.-d Reuter- explanation that th- scoop was the result of ,-ii'ei prise l»y its I.lslmi.-i bureau chief Davis aid that it wae enterprise that any American news editor . ouid have indulged in It is understood tiiat Davis in- ' t-nds to take the matter up with It • ndaii Bracken, head of British II ■■tjsor hip. School Students Are Examined By Dentists Th- t—th of approximately 6"<» -.-hied children were examined yesI terday by the Decatur d-atal soc- | i-;yti as part of the Indiana high ', . ho.il Physical fittssss program Pupils from the Decatur juniorsenior and Catholic high zchools. and from the Monmouth. Pleasant Mills and Kirkland high a* h.iols were examined. Th- d-nti ts taking part were Die R >y \ici.bold. Fred Patterson. J... M.c 1-is and Ray s«tin«ely They were assisted in their work by member* of th- Tri Kappa sororOn January I*. under the au • picra of Tri Kapps, the Decatur dentist* will conduct an .lamination of the teeth oi the children of the Lincoln Cntholl* frnnn * achooli.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decotur, Indiana, Thursday. December 2,1943

Marine Hero New Head Os Corps ~ ■■V"’ ’ ■c ' I ..*JMBBBHB VALIANT LEADER in th. su.ee.-ful haul, fol (.il.nlal. in.il Lien' Gen. Alexand-r A Vandegrlft, left, receives congiatulati.ins from Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, center, on hi* new appolntm-mt vs commandant ot th.. I S Marine Corps, succeeding Lb-itt G.-n Thoma-. Holcomb, right Photo taken In capital.

No Official Word t Os Extended Leave Two Contingents To Leave This Month Although the Adams county draft board lias received no official notice to such effect, it Is believed possibie tiiat men of the two December draft contingents accepted by Hie navy may get th** extended three weeks post-induction leave. h was anti' ttneed in Washington , last week that th.- navy is to foiI low the practice of the army and , give an inductee three Weeks after Induction before calling him to ac- . five service. Draft board ollh lais said today that such steps may be taken without official notice being received here. They pointed out that the army'* relations with selective service are much chser than those of the navy, citing the fad tiiat after men are accepted by the navy, the 10. al draft board lias no further Jurisdiction or supervision over them. Matty men in the December •’> contingent from here are especially interested in the possibility of ’ the extended leave becoming es- • f.-ctlve Men in thi* group accepted by the navy under its present sevenday leave plan would he forced to ’ leave th-ir It men Itefore Christ(Turn To !’>•<• <■ Column 4) —o U. S. Armed Forces Casualties 130,741 So Far Durinq War Washington. Dec. 2 (UP) Official flgur.s* show that th- I'nlt-d States armed forces have sustained 130,741 ca ualticeso far in this war. Army ca ualties stand at 91.915; Navy casualties Including the recent Gilbert iela'i'Lt campaign at 35,833. Our army ca ualties in Italy since the Salerno landings total 11.572 including 1.811 killed, 7.091 wound ed and 2.F.70 mM*ing

Allied Leaders Sound Death Knell Os Japanese Empire

ißy United Preset The Allied council of »»r foreshadows the twilight of an empire the Japanese empire. Preaident Roosevelt. Prime Min-' later Churchill and Genet -allssimo Chiang Kai-Shek have pc nounced Its death sentence Aa empire* go. the Japanese empire will die young It was lew than a half century ago that the gleam of conquest Brat appeared in the eye* of Japaneae war-lords. By the pledge of the “big three in North Africa. Japan will Ire compelled to give up every Inch of the territory It hair seised from it* neighbor nations in the tost M years. Thus, postwar Japan will be tittle more than a row of rex ky islands. Tire nation will be whittled down to Its approximate site in ISSI when Commodore Perry opened its doors to the occidental w rid—and inadvertently loosed from Pandora * boa one ot the worlds greatest forces for evil Thereby Japan will be deprived of 'he basic Ingredients of making

Burns Are Fatal To Indianapolis Child IndianapoU , D.*e, 2 il'Pt Six-year-old Nancy l«ee Merrifield has died of Iturns suffered yesterday when her clothing caught fire. Th- child was i-lon- in her Indianapolis home When h-r clothing w.ie ignited by spark from a coal heating stove Tu.wday. Sit-* became panicky and ran outdoors, where the wind fanned the flam. s. She tll.-d last nigh'. Sprang Funeral Here I Saturday Afternoon Prominent Resident Is Taken By Death Funeral services will lie held Saturday for Mrs. Charity E. Sprang, wife of Daniel Sprang, who di'd Wednesday afternoon nt her home on North Second street in thio city. She had been ill sine* April and had been l»slfa t since , suffering a stroke iii June Services will b- held at 2 p 111. ’ Saturday at tlie Zwli k funeral . home, with Dr M (> la-st.-r official-1 ing. Bitrial will be in th- Decatur! cemetery. Th* li.xl)’ may Im- view ed at the funeral lionn- after 7 , o'. I<m k this evening Mrs Sprang was Itorn In Allen county September u. 1857. thdaughter of Morgan and Belinda Beam-Harrod* She was married t Daniel Sprang tli toiler 2fi. 1930 Prominent In < hur. Ii and < |vi<activities of th- community. MrJ Sprang was a member of flu )'->’ I Methodist < bur. It, the Eastern I star. Shakesp. aie Hub. 11-o arth j Hull and tlie women’s sot iety of I Christian service of th- HiurHi Surviving b- sides tin- hu-b.iud I who is chairman <f th. board of directons < f th- First Stat.* Bank, are three brothers: Therion Harrod of Lansing. Mich . Clark E Harrod of Fort Wayne ami Mill' Harrod o! I Morristown. S D. <»ne son. one daughter, five brothers and two I sister* preced'd Iter in death

war—strategic base* and easy access to vital raw materials The net result will lie thf« Ch:na will emerge as thi dominant power in ~,11 It will shate wt'h Itussia the Asiatic sphere of Influence. The North Africa conference went int detail In naming the areas to be taken Sroni Japan areas which, if left in Jap hands, would lie thorn* In the aide* of the Allied nations. Formosa and the Pescadores Inlands were specifically mentioned China ceded them to Japan In !W3 - after the Sin<rJapane»e war. Jap I an'a dream* of empire date from the acquHition of th **• island*, which lie between the China coast and the Philippines They will be returned to China If Japan kept them, they would be a constant threat to China and the Philip pine* The communique also specMleal|y mentioned the island* seized or occupied by Japan since lt»lt (Tarn To Pags T. Celamn >) |

Surrender Ultimatum To Nazis Expected; Vow To Crush Japanese Empire

Bowles Pleads Senate Uphold Food Subsidies OPA Director Warns Os Inflation Danger If Subsidies Banned Washing on D..- 2 1 1'l’i Tlie OPA is m.iking a last ditch fight for ii- sulisidy program to keep puce In )|||e Administrator Chester Bowles appeared bi-fore the senate bank ing .-.immtite.. to pl.-ad for tin; senate to defeat th- hoil-e puss.-d ban mi siilisidi- He w.un.-d that if subsidies are banned on January I, food prices will -lio.it up at lea-t seven percent dining tin-fir.-t two week* of tin- n« * year, And In- emphasized the words ' at lea-t.' - Bowles further .-xplailied that, with th., rise in the cost of living, there would follow demands for wage Increases which WotlM make it Impossible to maintain the little teel formula. At th- same time, the agricultural d-partm-nt economists nported ihit farm Income is runti in-? alvoiit 2h percent above lasi y-ar Tin- non fa in Income rise is rated at iiliout 2" percent Senator Clark of Ms-ouri told a senate flnan. <• committee today that if a lii-c.’tn a pound '.ix <>n I mart-.ii in.' were repealed, .-on iniiI ers would b- fool.-d into believing 'they ar., eating hHtter when ac tually Ih.-y were gelling margar- , in.- Ilu: R.-v Dr. Miitin. thpresident of tin- Atneri. an Hospital ass"i bitloli. aid lli.it the fG" 11 license which hospitals now have to pay in order to color margaritie is unfair and prohibitive And Hi. Anton Carlson of tin- I tiiv.- -ity »f Chi. lg<> t'dd tin- ciitlllllittl.- tll.lt 'good margarine is .i- nutritious i I go. .*' I'llt 1 e The nation's coal problem s'ill Is far from settled \>e.i ding to .-■.al administrator Ickes, the mine wage dispute would h ive he. n ended a long time ago if it hadu t 1..- -n forth- - uitherii Ap|ulac*hian c .al operator- He said they have followed a sit dow n strike poli.y f<» UJie 111"!.Ill I* den’ It.><>-.' veil though h<' hot lepoiled In Im- In this eoim'ry a! present, has been k.-.ping i'l (Turn To Pans 5. Column 5) o Austin Acker Dies Early This Morning Pleasant Mills Man Is Taken Bv Death Austin F Acker *2. of I’l.sisant Mills, a lifelong .sident of St Mary's township, d d about 3 30 o'clock this morning at tin Adame county mem rial hospital He was brought to the hospital M. inlay H.>-|o'.ii MW ■ h«- was in bed at 3 o'. I" k but . wh.-n a nurae returned to his room ‘ al'irnt one hour later, he was not in m-d in his ro m. io.at.-l on the thirl tt'Hir but hfs window had Im- n opened Ils body was found on th.- ground below Ms window It is thought likely he Ind opened the window to obtain s me fresh air end probably suffered a fainting spell, causing bls fall Mr. A. k-r was born in S' Mary's township August IJ. I'SI. th.- s«n ,of Norman and laiuretta Carterj Acker H. wx never marrf.-d He taught school for a number of years and was also associated with m-mb-is of his family in |ieration I of the general store at Pleasant | Mil's. Surviving are a brother. A N |A< ker of Pleasant Mills and v I alster. Mrs Ante. Bar'llng ot L<>* I Angles. Calif. Th- body was taken to the Cowan fun. ral h-m- at Van Wert. O. I Funeral arrangement* have n„t I been < ompleted

Britain Pledged To Defeat 01 Japanese Allies Determined To Crush Japanese By United Pr«s Britain is with ue '<> the end of this war. Prim- minister Churchill by joining in 'll- Notth Afric.i declaration has s.-t tli<- filial goal ■ n Bill •lin - piinnis..- no' t.i relax her war effort until Japan ic well as Germany. is crushed But Britain has gone even fur- ' ili'-i Ii l.as cl.-aily shown that after Japan in finished it will sit in on 111- diemenibeiment of 'hl- Japanese empire Tliu th- final d-a'li blow ' ha l»-en given any liopi-M Tokyo may have entertained ot hammering a Wedge betwc li It- elieini's J ip in can ii-a l th- crystal lial! ' of tin- fulur- Sl>' know* th- fa'e tiiat awaits her. Mint oba-rvere. howv'-r. ay th- declaration does . t-ol no in th- eventual .-nslavt-m.-ut , or <l> -'ruction of Japan it will con- , titiue aii itidepi’n'l-ni nation. But I it wil he atripp.sl of its empire and ! jl- army if will b- rend-red helple. ‘ And in th- declaration Germany '.in S'-- cl.-aily mirrored it own d- -tiny l.oi.doti .xji'-r'- tiling tiiat laird , I?'ii Mount bat ten lias i>'-< n handed the ta-k of lauuchiug an offensive ill south, ix t Asia even before I th- l ui'ain goe- u.iwn on th- war In Europe. Tli-y al-o think th.- <1 nlaratton (Turn To P»gn S. C-lumn S) : « Mrs. Carrie Peel : Is Taken By Death Funeral Services Sunday Afternoon iMI» t'.lllie Mie l'e.-l la. Wlll'W .f tile late .i.i-eph I'.-.l and t , native of \V.iba-!i town-liip died I thi moruilu' at 2 '■** o.lcuk i' th'1 Adams lom.iy nn-iiioi <1 ho-pital. 1 lb ath was caused by ■ -.inpli. ■ ' Hons, following a frai-tin.-d hip sustained in a fall three weeks ago Re, etitly Mt" I'wl Ind been * r-siding with her d.ing'tft-i Mt William Huffman, of Wes' M -r i sire- . The d-i' i-' d w.i l>" tt in W i bash town hip on S. pl.-mIH-t J'* I'll* the daiighl- of Ju"li anil Franc' - Cook lie hii-b.md «l -I (J. toiler 31 Ctl! Surviving it- I" .hUdt'-ii Mt Dav- l.ie.-hty Mi- Elizabeth Fogle. For' W.iyti' Mis Huffman. |n .alm M- I-..- Kline. Geneva Mrs El Hatini- Celina It William I Peel Dayton. <» Sterling .1 l’e.-l, Fort Wayne. Mt Fred Johns. I’-troleum MrTh. .»l-i • Hit -by lb • • M 1 hyrl Harmon. Wr.-n o. I* gland children. .’2 gi-at grandchildren 1 four ‘.ro'h-is. John and Joseph 1 Cook of Ib-Ille J.- « of Gell.-v I and c.rovei of Fort W ayn- Flo 1 childien. two -fst.is and one 1 brother are .1.-cea-.d Ten grand sous and one granddaughter ai1 serving in the arm-d tones ' Fiito-ral services will It*, held ' Sunday af*. rmwri at I 0.-iock I a' the Black funeral home and 2 I ...Irnk at th. First Missionary church m B-rne Burial will ire I il' • ■ **• I*. 7 Cstbpcji 1 ‘ - - — Wawarr . ■ w

Buy War Sayings Bonds And Stamps

Price Three Cents

Stalin Believed To Be In Meeting With President Roosevelt, Premier Churchill By United l’i.--At least one fact is certain about tin. log Allied war confer* •■in.- ie|>ort.-d to In- underway at Tehran han. That Is that it's a Hii.-e power < ons. i.-iu .- not four. chines.. G.-net.ii Chiang Kai* Sh.-k who m.t with Anglo-Aineti* can leaders at Cairo to plan th--mashing of Japan has returned to Chungking, accompanied by Madame Chiang That spik.-s any rumoi- that Ch mg would sit in mi a war council with Russian Premier Stalin, I’n -id.-nt Room** v.-lt and Prim- Minister Churchill. Presumably, that limits tho scope of th.- discussion* to tho Europ. in war or more specific* ally the d.-f-at of Germany. Although th*-r*-‘- no official n.-w - y.-t aluiut th, supposed Tehran meetfllK- ft i- lielllg accepted as i fa. ’ iiotlt m lamdoii and W i-hingion that th.- Hire.- power cotlfeience is taking place if not at Tehran, somewhere else. And generally it Is Irelleved tho chief r-splt will be a surrender ultimatum to Germany - coupled with i warning that although the price of peace will In- high, it will lie higher tb<- longer it s d.-lay.-d. There a lot of spe. illation a* to what the li.i ic terms of Get* m.iti surrender will Im- And It’s , g. nerally believed that at th« . minimum, the German people will lie told that they must turn th-if manpower, resource, and mdustty Into re.-nnstrilctloii of th- Etirnps that theli w i in.o liine hi- torg down Such an herculean task would he, p German) under such a heavy yok<* fur many years that she would have no chance of build* hip up her own military power to threaten th.- p.-a« of the world again Tli' Nazi al-o at, doing some gu>-sing aiiout what w II e.im.’ out of the . "Ilf. r.-n.-e German prupag.indi '- say they .-Xpert th.’ AHI. • to eonple i demand foi Germany tin. i.iiditioiial surrender with an lii'.-nsil,can.in of thn I'oiitt'iui’ ,ts. n v- against tho N izi hotn. land The Cairo . ons.-n tie. has re. firti'-d a v-rdii t of death for J.ip.iti, imp' ilistn M Roose* v. It Chut, full alid Chiang agreo th.it th. Japan. ■ domain of th" filfllle w ill lie ■ olifi ,<1 to the little group of island that Commodote P'-rry "lotted Io tin wiirld in l*M. \ll territories w’oleii from China will he r.-tii n.-d ill mandated tint- tl Pa. if|< i-land in fact all territory gobbled tip by Japan will bi* tak-H away While th.- three Allied leader* mad- p-.«f w o pi in th-ir mill* ta y staff - < hail> J •'!ati gy t.> achieve the goal fun T C-f i"-i 7» To Mail Christmas Checks Saturday 740 Members Will Receive $30,000 Tli Fir*’ Stah Bank wil! mall |M!I3 7a in Christmas fund check* to 7W m-mb.-r- of the 1943 club next Saturday Herman Ktueske* berg, aasistant < aehler of the bank, stated t'«lay The bank al»o announced tho forming of a I*ll club • n December fi Ev- n though nearly every person in the coanty is saving money through the purchase of war bonds members signified th-lr desire to enn.il again in 'he Chrtot* mas saving club ami th- bank mad« arrangem-nta t«> op* rate the spec* lai department Individual* exprrwd their pref* ence for the club saving plan, a* it provided them with money f< r Christmas shopping and other ex* pris-s Much or tne .11'plus it re* I invested in the club or in IxHids I The number of member* wa* I higher than expected and likewise, I the total deposit* exceeded thn amount the bank anticipated when I the club was opened a year ago.