Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 42, Number 113, Decatur, Adams County, 11 May 1944 — Page 1

1, { Win fee War.’ - |fte Is Chores' .

31 1 it No. 113.

887 JAP PLANES TOLL OF 0. S. AIRMEN

Be French ■(enters ■Hard Hit ■encan Bombers Hd Raids; Rommel |K es Railroads \i,-. • I I'* Ameri|H. : . *, :iii..<l thf.'e tail ■ . r ; ■■lay to spear- ».. aiilt by more |K,.. ('..■■! I "II Vital M i'ii.iu defenses |K> ',-h,h<! -h- French in 's b.iik .nt:: action diy layoff to join . of Nazi .... Straits of |K> .. i ai iny lightning.-. I I nuiolnrliol) * hi * I fl at lllliift'lll i It.-J».»rt tuibs hl «'•:> Vli’ day of the . ■!.'-i-.ltnellt of WestBiJinli iiitht bombers : k • .Illway behind at four points loyal air force was '->7i Italy at Budapest: 'hroiigi: by daylight of I' and Brit ;tm. and tighterHi inaintami-d the "lartli i'a- (!•• Calais, ■ql • inland to strike at .i 1 yard- airdrome* •.! /• ■• v ttal to th" -upSit at.'; invasion ton es th- southwest coast of i: «l»-r tile impact in i.iiisting amidst mi- il.-iinaii Installa'li.. 25 odd miles of nter*. fir 15 minutes in an ■< procession this morn-■s-ti.- Uiiidoners said the ■f’ti*-.- ni '.s was the loudr.ad he- -1 . < lip-ing even HMi*-London blitz when the ■ or-rht-ad were German R St'iei Control y- May 11-tfPt Mar It 'ttitn.-t German anti comnianili-r. has seized ■ ' j! Fai..., bomb crippled the laitidon Daily Mall ■Mar pn-Mimibly In a des- ■' ; rt to k,.ep supplies ami moving t to his defenses. -r'.'.i! repot led that train service in H* will he cancelled from ■Monday as a f ur ther step ■ ki-'-ping the lines free for F* 1 BiHUry traffic. ■JMi Allied air attacks al- ■ *»d r-doi eil passenger trafb> the "barest skele'he Daily Mail said ■'"tilt that message* from ■ Rommel had ■J* fu, l control of the rail■•tahtrsflon. ■ •fort- are now concentrat ■ ‘--pltiir army train* and ■ ‘ ?> train, moving.” the ■’“! said "All else will yaiod m this " ■’-‘■•'l- of German railway I? h * <l 1,l, '» France from hive been unable to ■? , Tri »•»*• «. Comm* i»~ 8 15 Firms Utilize ■Time Workers May 1| _ (VIP) _ Kt'-, ‘l. 1 * 11 ‘"J'anapolis man- ■ -,, s ' a,H * wisploy- ■ ’"■ !<,<la * ,hat the have not taken ad-Kir-ii lar; “’ p, ’° 1 of “hilled K*» "* w '‘ r hers who were K,’ •“* Wrt ~m* K ,o Utilize workers hour* to epare daily ■T.t *° rk ** a ra, * ho; * ° r tnsnpwwer ahori.ige*. B- ?s* ATUhIE r *ADINO RAT ™ERMOMET<R ■J «. J*-- « Kfcr-- 7i* ■ **•••- no ls, n *tATWf« ■s Ll*** - * *•"•••»» «nd Ks. ****••/ Matured ■: °’ ur,tf «c*how*r» FriH '’“W •v»rm.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Hollywood Actress Is Seeking Divorce iHollytwood, May 11. (fl’i Joan Fontaine, one of Hollywood* finest actresses, today sought a divorce from actor Brian Ahsrne, the matt she called "The fin<«: husband in the worlds She said he made her life miderable. An out of court settlement has been reached Mies Fontaine « in Canada aiding the war loan drive She and the British star were married at Bel Monte. <’ a l., Aug. 20. 1939, she Is 2a, 17 yearn younger than Aherne. — Forreslal Nominated Secretary Os Navy Undersecretary To Succeed Frank Knox Washington. May 11 (CPt Republican and Democratic members of congress joined today to applaud the nomination of James V Forrnstal as nezt secretary of the navy and predicted the choir* will be approved jromptiy when the senate naval affairs committee act* on it nezt Monday. Forreotal. first undersecretary of the navy and acting secretary since since the death of Frank Knox, wa r nominated by. President Roose.Veil iate yesterday to be Kpox’ permanent successor A Democrat. Fofrestal'h selection left Henry 1., Htlmson as |he only Republican remaining in the president's official family. Congressmen of both major parties expressed approval of the president's ehofcg of Forrestal. Chairman David I Walsh. D., Mass., of the senate naval affairs committee tetnied it "excellent" and said he expected prompt approval by his. committee. Chairman Car’- Vinson. D. Ga , of the house naval affairs committee eaid he was "heartily in accord" with the president's selection. - Among the Republicans who applauded the choice we*e .Sen. James J. Davis. Pa. ranking minority member of the senate committee. Rep. James W Mott, Ore., and Rep William E Hess. Ohio. Forrestal. who hae been described by close associates as "five feet, nine inches of reticence." was an investment banker before he was called to Washington to serve as one of President Roosevelt's administrative aides "with a passion for anonymity." He was president of Dillon, Read A Co., one of Wail street's biggest investment houses, at the time. As undersecretary of the navy. Forrestal concerned himself chiefly with production and procurement problems. However, because he has what his assoi'iates call "an abounding curiosity," he decided to get first hand knowledge about the war by making two extensive trips to the Pacific battlefronts, the first in 1912 and the second early this year. Broad shouldered, dark complex loned and with a broken nose sustained while engaged in a private (Turn To Pag* t. Column •> 21,000 Japs Killed In Burma Campaign Thousands Facing Death Or Surrender Southeast Asia Headquarter*, Kandy. Ceylon. May 11—tl'PtAn estimated 21. W« to 22.000 Japanese have b<en killed in the three month* old Indo-Burma campaign, official sources said today, and front dispatches indicated that thousands of outer enemy troops face death or surrender in a swiftly closing Allied trap in the Mogattng valley area of northern Burma. Remnant* of rht> Japanese lltth division were reported falling back mi both sides of the M<e gating river toward their strong hold *t Katniang under increasing pressure from tank led Chinese force*. Kicape of the beleaguered ene my forces at Kamalng virtually was cut off by the two pronged ChlneseWmerlcan attac* from whe north and operations of airborne Chlndlt* along the Japanese supply and commun'eation line* souip of Mogaung. 12 mile* balow Kamalng. A communique said th*t one (Tur* T* PM* •• C* lttßa

More Japanese Atrocities Are Revealed Today Reveals Chinese Are Crucified By Japanese Troops Advanced AlHed Headquarter*, New Guinea. May 11 (VP) -Chinese win: aided Australian guerlilaa on the Mala peninsula were cruel--1 flt-d by Japanese troops who nailed them to palm trees with spikes driven through their foreheads, it was revealed today, with announce-' ment of the liberation of 707 Allied prisoners during the I’. H. invasion of Hollandia and Aitape A communique from Gen. Douglas MacArthur** headquarters disclosed that H 2 Sikhs, Indian troops captured at the fail of Singapore, were liberated at Hollandia. along with 159 other Allied prisoners. Including American tniiwionariea. Australians, Dutch, Chinese. Filipinos. Poles, and Czechoslovaks Eighty-six Japanese were freed at Aitape. The communique also disclosed that the Japanese already have lost 1.502 dead and 290 captured in the twin American invasion. At the same time. It was reveal ed that 69 Sikhs were rescued during the invasion of the- Admiralties last March, and the Auetialian de-: paftment of information quoted! one of them as accusing the Jap-1 anese of the atrocities against the i Chinese. The liheratt<d prisoner. Jemadar I Rhingeera Singh, declared: "On an , 18-day march from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur we were herded , along the road like ckttle. At one place we saw a number of Chinese . who had been nailed to palm trees with spike* driven through their foreheads "We were told by our guards that they had been suspected of helping guerillas, mostly Australians. who were still fighting de(Turn To pax* ♦. Column •) ———-<»— Summer School Will ‘I Open Here May 29 I 33 Pupils Enroll For Annual School ' The second annual summer I school in the Decatur junior-sen- ‘ ior high school will open .May 29 1 and continue 12 weeks. W. Guy > Brown, prim ipal. announced today. ‘ The self aupport program was 1 initiated laet year as a means of I helping 17 and 18 year old boys > aisiut ready to enter the armed service* to complete their high school work by taking a aomMter'* work • during the summer. • Last raimmer, 32 boys and girls, including some from the Decatur: Catholic high school, the rural school* and Wiltohlfe. Ohm. participated in the program There are already 33 Iwys and girls signed up for the prewent summer school. (Mr. Brown and R A. Adams will teach all of the aubjectn, which will Include chemistry, physics, advanced mathematics, business English, sociology and American literature. Other subjects will be added if there is a dents .'id. In addition a pupil may obtain an extra credit by obtaining a job in a factory. I»uslnt»s, or store. This - will be listed as .vocational work < Pupils may take three or four acai dernlc strbjM'e and the vocations! ■ credit. . .School wll begin at 7 o'clock each - morning and continue until noon I six days a week. Periods will »m> i lengthened from one hour to one - hour and a quarter. In this way the same amount of instruction <*n b-> i given In 12 weeks as is given in . the regular winter 1* weekwemes- • , * r *' u 1 A* the school receives no help ! (Turn To Pag* >. Column D > o- — BULLETIN Danvill*. 111., May 11—(UP) ’ —Five person*, four of them I women, snd four of the five representing four generstlono • ’ In one fsmlly were drowned In a wstorflllod strip mln* sseavsI I tlon. n*s* h*r*. when an suto- ' mobile in which they were riding went out of control and ' overturned. The accident »occurred late yeotordsy.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Thursday, May 11,1944.

Kong Tells Boys How It’s Done w A(• I i • A I•Y. k QB iSPw- it 1 i ww . ' MAJ. RICHARD I. BONG, until May s champion of American flying aces is sent seated, center, on a table as he is interviewed i>y new , papermen In .New Guinea. The Poplar. Wis.. hero has 27 .lap planes to his credit, but his record wai. tied thL month by (’apt Robert S. Johnson of the European theater of war, who now sports 27 Nazi swastlkar. on his Thunderbolt lighting plane.

Union Asks Damages From Ward Company Damage Suit Filed By Union Attorney Chicago, May 11 it’P) Francis IP isler. attorney tor the I'nited Retail. Wholesale and Department Store Employes union it'll)) filed suit against Montgomery Ward and Co.. today for attorney fees and damages of IJo.Ooo to |3(',ltoo Heisler said the union suffered. the damages as the result of an. injunction obtained by the com-1 patty, limiting to 42 the number of pickets at lite Wards properties during the strike last month. Httperlor Judge John L Lttpe. wito granted and later dissolved the injunction, said he would hear argum- nls oh the suit tomorrow. Meanwhile, a temporary lull settled over the case pending negotiations as the federal government prepared to arraign Paul Sowell, an assistant manger of the firm. He today for removing the firm, late today for removing building a week ago. Sowell, who said he was taking arraignment l»efore I'. S. commissioner Fidwin K Walker on charthe poster for a souvenir, faced ges ©f purloining government (Turn To Page S. Column •» —a o Big Winter Wheat Harvest Forecast Farmers Os Nation Face Tough Battle Washington, May 11. — <l’P) — The 1944 winter wheat harvest will be one of the biggest in recent i years but the agriculture department anticipates that for most other important crops, the battle* during the next few weeks will be the "toughest the farmers of this country have ever fought." Ih a monthly crop survey, the department said that the extent of 1944 food production would depend on weather- -and pointed out that one of the coldest and wettest springs in history already has thrown farmers farther behind schedule than in many years. It said that a full acreage of crops "can no longer be expected" ’ from farmers whose woes Include a short labor supply and •'unprecedented delays" in getting equip ment. services and seed. The report noted that It was still hard to determine just what crops I would be pllfnted by farmers in most interior sections of the country since "In the heart of the corn belt wild ducks are still paddling luund lu many Acids where com planters should be running Although rains have seriously (Turn To Page ». Column T) 1

House Opens Debate On Veterans Measure Washington, May 11 ill*) The house opened debate today on the so-called ''(J. I Bill of Kights," The omnibus measure providing a wide range of benefits for yeterans of World War II Tiie aetiate-aipproved bill wan brought to the floor undei a rule restricting debate to two days but voting was expected to be delayed until late next week because of the' absence of many member-> for primary elections. — O— Indiana Democrats To Meet Saturday District Endorses Jackson Candidacy Indianapolis. May II (CP> Changes were made in the chairmanship and vice chairmanship in only one of nine districts where Democratic reorganize ion meetings were held yesterday, assurIng re-election Saturday for state chairman Fred F Hays and other executive officers of th. party's central committee. Fifth district committeemen elected Harry Penning of Portland as chairman, succeeding Harry Baldwin of Anderson, and Mrs. Leah Miles, of Marion, vic- chairman. succeeding Mrs. Nancy L Echaefer of Huntington. I, Isfr I<• t chairmen and vice chairmen were re-elected in the second, third, fourth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th districts. In the first and 11th districts, new party heads were appointed last week by Lake and Marlon county party chairmen authorized to name district chieftains because their districts ate comprised of only one county each Endorsement us the district off! cars was viewed as assurance that Hays would be retained as state chairman; Mrs Edna A. Bingham, Indianapolis, vice chairman; Charite E. Hkillon. Winamac, secretary, and ('. U. Grainelspacher. Jasper, treasurer Several districts adopted resolutions endorsing the candidacies of President Roosevelt for a fourth term. Governor Schricker for U. 8 senator, and U. 8. Sen Samuel Jackson of Fort Wayne for governof. 1 chricker's candidacy was endorsed by the loth, second and ITurn Tn Paas 1. Column 4) Msgr. Fulton Sheen To Speak At Fort Wayne Rt Rev Msgr. Fulton J. Bheen of Catholic uniyetwlty, Washington. D. C„ and noted lecturer, will dellvet th»- iMt of ‘he series of Catholic Evidences talks In Fort Wayne on May 17. He,will apeak on "Tho' | burden of the weatem world*’-

Figures Announced By Stimson Reveal Ratio Os More Than 3 To 1

Joint Allied I Blows Soon To Hit At Nazis Molotov Promises Action; Russian Front Now Quiet Moscow. May 11. tl’l’l- For- j eign Commissar Viacheslav M Mol- i otov has promised that Germany |: "soon” will feel the full strength [ of joint Allied blim.j from the east ' and west, Moscow newspapers re I ported today as another lull settled over the Russian front. "Now the time has come when the armed forces of' the Allies are ' preparing for decisive joint open 1 atlona against our common enemy. Hitlerite Germany, and the enemy Will soon feel the strength of tile ' joint blows." Molotov was quoted a* saying in a speech thanking British Ambassador Sir Archibald Clark Kerr yesterday for conferring IIS British decorat lona on Soviet soldiers. Military observers expected the present lull in ground action to contihiie until the "decisive Joint opertitions" designed to sqdeeze Germany out of the war begin Front dispatches reported that a pall of smoke from German demolitions and tlie destruction wrought by Soviet bombs and shells still hangs over Sevastopol, Crimean naval base liberated Tuesday after a three-day battle Only a few buildings survived, dispatches said. Historic monuments and other structures were transformed Into heaps of rubble. Only 21 hours before the city fell. It was said, the gestopo round ed up a group of Russian boyti and placed them on a barge which was towed out into the roadstead ami: sunk Other barges on which the Germans drowned thousands of Inhabitants during their nearly two years of occupation were -aid to be visible in the transparent wat . er* of tlie bay. The Soviet midnight coinmunidue returned to the familial phr < "no ini|x>rtant changes on the fronts," and reported only patrol activity and small-scale enemy at tacks southeast of Stanlslawow and south of Tiraspol on the Mtuthein sectom. Eight hundred of the enemy Were killed Soviet fleet air arm planes (Turn To Pag* 2, Column <> Windsor Workers Vote Strike End Subsidiary Os Ward Awaits FDR Action (Ry United Press) More than 11.000 employe* of the Fort! Motor (’<> of Canada, Ltd. voted to return to work today at four Windsor. Ont . plants, but 3. 500 foremen in 11 Detroit war: plants refused to end their strike; and San Francisco bay region machinist* denied a war labor ooard request that they return to work Ford workers at Windsor voted to end their wtrike. which began April 20 in a dispute over grievance procedure, when the Canadian wartime labor relation* board at Ottawa ruled that the strike was In violation of wartime labor regain tioa*. The board said It would con : sider the dispute between the I United Automobile Workers (CIO) ' and the company after full produc- i tion. erpectid by Monday, was re-1 i stinted. At Detroit, 3,600 member* of the Independent Foremen* As*ocl ■ atlon of America continued a strike | for recognition after union presl-1 dent Robert K. Keys called for a management-union conference to determine the status of foreman. Federal, state and army conclllI (Turn To Pag* I. Column 1)

Meeting Tonight On Plans For Airport Decatur And Berne Leaders Meet Here A meeting of Decatur and Berne business and civic h-adere will be held at the Fire: State bank at 7.30 o'clock this evening to consider ways and means of ascertaining if the community can raiee 225,000 through personal qwb-cripttone to match tin- 120.000 cash offer of the Central Soya company to acquir- , and build an airport. ' Ralph (> Gentis, president of the chamber of Commerce, announced > that the Berne representatives would join De<-a:u» in < otmldering the oroposn! ami that th-- meeting was open for dierussions ami whatever action tiie group decided upon as initial steps in making a <umpaign for fund* Ray Leitz. who w.ie named by th Chaiiiher of Commerce as its commitre,snan on the ainiort project, will act aw-chalnnan of the meeting The local industry, through li W McMilli-n. ]>ri--iden! of 'lie Ceti t;-al Sugar company in this city, in fonm-d county officials and chain her of commerce inemtier*. that the Central Soya company would donate 62t».' «to to buy a 160-acre fami from hie company, if the community went through witft th<- original proposal t<> raise f25.<MH> to improve the place. Tlo- farm would be donated outright to the county and c county airport, und-T a boa-al of aviation commiseiolieri. would be i -.tablisli ,-d Dy tlie county commiMtionern. if 'lie offer is accoph d and tin money raised. <» Henry Heideman Dies Wednesday Evening Prominent Farmer Dies At Hospital Henry Hcidi-mati. *:t, prominent Washington town-hip farmer and a descendant of one of tlie pioneer famißei in the county, died at ti o'<l<M-k W dnesday evening at the Adams county memorial hospital of a heart ailment. Mr Heideman had been in fail Ing health for several months Ilhad been a patient at the hospital since January 5 The fleceas-d spent his entire life in this county He wa- iiorn October 27. 186(1, a -on of Gerhart and Elizabeth Kohne Heideman. who came to this county In tin tarly years of Its founding He and his brother were engaged in farming for more than a half century. The deceased was a member of St Mary's Catholic church and Os the Holy Name society Surviving are the wid w three children. Mrs D ioris Coichin. Mrs. Beatrice Scblrack and Aloysios Heideman of Dayton, Ohio. 17 grandchildren and 29 great grandchildren. Also surviving are a brother. Jultus Heideman. and a I sister. Mrs Lucy Coichin, who i reside on the Heideman farm One datight* r. one brother and , three sisters are deceased. The body wu* moved to the (Turn To P*«* 1. Column I) — o Wholesale Ceilings On 'Dry Groceries' — Washington. May II (l’P>—The I oflce of price admlnlotration an- ! nounced today It m establishing dollars and cents wholesale ceiling ! price* through the nation for "dry : groceries’ such an canned fruits I and vcgetatlile* coffee, sugar and ' cereals Dollar* and cents retail ceiling prices already exist for those items : under the OHA's commupnlty price program; OPA said the new whole sale ceilings will be set by (M’A district office* and will be tn es feet throughout the county Ijy th* end of June.

Buy War Savinas Bonds And Stamps

Price Three Cents

American Losses From Enemy Action Total Only 1,414; Ace Is Introduced Washington, May 11 (UP) — Army air forces facing the Jajtauese destroyed 1,887 enemy planes during the s-.rst 27 months of the war while losing 1.111 of our aircraft. secretary of war Henry L. ' Stimson revealed today. His figures showed that the four army air forces in the Pacific the sth 7th. Ilth and 13th i d'stroyed 1,061 Japanese planes while lof.ing 1,163 In addition, i 'he loth I' S air force in India , destroyed 282 enemy planea while losing 98, and Maj Gen. ('ialre , Chennault'a ilth air force in China de-troyed 511 Japanese plane* while losing 153. Os ill.- 1.R87 Japanese planes destroyed. 3,765 were shot down in combat and 1.122 were destroyed on the ground The figure on : U. 8. planes includ' d all losses due to Japanese action Btlnu-oti dLciosed the tigur>» duViug a pres* conference in which he Introduced a flier who has contributed much to that record Maj Richard Bong, credited with 27 enemy plants shot down In aerial combat in the Pacific. He is th. "first American tighter pilot to exceed the world war record of (’apt Eddie Rickenbaek er," Hthnson noted "As I introduced Capt. Ru kei* back'-r to you I think It ts only proper to introduce his successor." Stimson said. Bong, of Poplar. Win. who alss is credited with eight probables was scheduled to hold a press conference later today. Stimson said tlie enemy has been sending some new air strength into n« wly developed places on the western end "f New JG u I lies and on the >. hmten Island- n- arliy But Allied planes .<ie now turning their attention to these f gloils. Sim e f<li I American bomber* have dropped 7.730 tons of bombs on Kitbaul where enemy air in-tai-bit; ms h.ivi li.-i-n rendered u-■ lesr. In tin- \dmirulty islands American force- have lilted 3,180 Japan* -e killed and taken 158 prisoner- of war Stimson esti mat'd another | tun Japanese had .died there, and only a hand ful are now left At Hollandia and Aitape, 1.602 Japane-e have I killed and 290 captured while our losses have been small Stimson -aid it was noteworthy that Increasing number* of Japxnese w< h surrendering as Japanese force of war were declining. lie noted again that the mounting Allied aerial offensive in Europe Is resulting in cumulative destruction to enemy air power, tesources. and transport and that enemy resistance is diminishing. — <i — ...» German Rail Lines In Italy Smashed Allied Planes Carry Out Heavy Assaults Allied Headquarters. Naples, .May 1 11 -(UP) —Allied tactical air force bomber* carried out heavy day and night assault* on German-held railway and road lines north and south of Rome, a communique disclosed today, while sporadic patrol clashes and artillery duels continue all along the trans Italian battlefruiit. Swarms of American medium and fight* r-bomher* raked the enemy'* , | cummunicaiioii* line* ai.d troop ! concentrations from dawn to dark yesterday and the RAF’s hard hitting Boston bombers followed up with a night long aerie* of bombing . and atruflug runs over the highway lines around Rome American maraudem spearheaded the daylight assault, striking damaging hlow* st railway bridge* on the llume-Floienc« line at Hau , Giovanni and northwest of Arezso. (Turn To Pag* I, Columa V)