Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 42, Number 141, Decatur, Adams County, 14 June 1944 — Page 1

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IREAK THROUGH CENTER OF GERMAN LINE

fcPunch |Hew Nazi Bln Italy Hgviest Fighting ■countered Since |K es Took Rome Ij. j.l i !• ' ■ Naples. IK ,| p. American ami ■K .i . . nmi punched ■H n.llslll-ll ~ J|.. lolls Iwrdeiing HE.. .ili.ive Rom* M,.. t* . tmh sor more . ti'-iliUiiK sine*- the IHj. apii.il 1" 'lays ago, it rd today. BB" (ri . i,.. d.m I’ Saville, „.i,:iu' d- i of ili<- tai-. |K (ok.- (Planting th■Hp j: ..| »'ii ai title- said • ■ ■ .'position was gain I 1 ""' for |K. li.tt t«-i <-«i arm. IK,, . n.iin defensive nortli'Tti Italy." |K n ami tanks HL,, fl.ink of the sth army through the Nazi thrown up across the |K at the coastal mad and |K fl . i of t n ln-10110 ■■ I W ard to sp. k. -m-ti said put up a desperate |K> juiu 'loll and the stir. |Kff. nil pi oi: I ill effort |Kte/ Ameiiian thrust 'to: would (lose a ser. threat to th. Nazi latke Rolsena. American units moved IK* B .liotip '!i. coastal road |Hpr>all Im lies Borne |Ki fighting raged around BHk'..:i i In mil. s inland. |KI?- 11:.’< Were Wtrik Ki t he west shore and Ik- up ihe ea.t side in 'lens' against Orvieto, |Hu «... and io.ul junction »'ie report.-d moving |Hk>r t.w.io! on both sides ot IK** on. column pit hed on northeast of Viterbo to about 13 miles above |Hapmsi sporadic enemy Mh army formation ■ b the east bank of the mil.-M beyond cap tor a gain ol about .tie halt miles in two to within about sev Terni and about the from Narnl. ■k Aduain coastal flank. BBtruops followed up the enemy to occupy a uniil'nti'.ed towns and jK B*B 8 * 8 their positions along bank of the Pescara MK^ 1 " bumb.-r- and lighter |K mtinu. d their steady |Kj* enemy transport lines ■K* columns yest-rday, (l f in e d i u j|| Hr zhippiiig in Livorno ksrtsir and road and in north central Italy KB®* enemy plane* were |K** r ,h, ‘ battle areas and forces flew 2.100 sorties, |V> » mass heavy bomber ■ rfhera at a eo-t (>f 2g ■ JWflv.- Pn „ my ptanM Buffed. K 3 ' Meeting Os K* n On Thursday firemen and Cpn . ■L? r "'-nwn will hold a '»« at the fire station at 7 o'clock. fre Bulletins The Kk..,„ n,w ‘ ao«ncy Mid p< °P*n«tl a heavy against the change « La Harv, today. Jun * (UP)—R>. Kfe,/ ihsard today ■Z?’ ■ report that Kt,' *‘"«d shipping ■* sulf b * en ob *« rv « d G,,c «"y> »h« K of t h , B , y o( Kb* r <* th * Fraß eo-®P«n •LT* 10 Vlehy • a,d 18 Kb ~. 1 »sy whether KBSta*h.o* ° r ,h * Prsluda K

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY !

For The Grave Os A U. S. Hero — In France Lw iWSr a i iir~ j J * BML Ar rr* ... - -jB ’ * I’* 5 ’ t ***l Y 1 " -' <■ - <■ mm 1 Jf I W - /•-*-*•***" ■ B ! . JH « 4 I HKKf V. Lr s’ M -'-~^K- 7. jff f -. Kab. '• r* ■ ■KK* »- W- m. ' er* on’the grau^of^i.? 1 deli .n"* ~f '"terated by American and other Allied troops, places flow. Kadmphoto uirbotne soldier, killed when his glider landed somewhere It. France. Signal Corps » I I Mill , -._ . _

Democrats To Open Convention Thursday I No Opposition To Most Os Candidates Indianapolis. June 14. — (UP) — Democrats arrived today for preconvention activity as Indiana parly officials polished plana tor I preliminary meetings tomorrow to the biennial trtale nominating smsI ion Friday. I Despite accelerated activity, howi ever, party leaders said that no new candidacl<*s had entered the I convention picture. They said that al leaat 11 nominations probably would be made by I acclamation, while contests might i be necessary to settle Cour other , places on the Democratic slate tic- . ket. Spokesmen for a downtown hotel : which will be tin- scene of pre-con- ' vention activity said that 16 candidates rMerved rooms on one floor i to open campaign headquarters. They listed the names of Robert R. Hougham of Franklin, who ie seeking the nomination for state superintendent of public instruction: Warren W Martin. Boonville, for southern Indiana appellate court judge; U-ster Holloway, 1 Muncie, for treasurer of state; Clem Smith of Terre Haute and Frank O'Rourke of Gary. for secretary of state; Thomas Hutson of Brazil and Floyd J. Hetnmer of Huntingburg, for lieutenant governor; Hubert Wlckens of Greensburg. for attorney general. Other candidates with room reservations were Mrs. Mary Garret of Frankfort and Miss Telia Haines of Sullivan, for reporter of the supreme and appellate courts; H Nathan Swaim of Indianapolis, Michael L. Fansler of Logansport, ami John Baumunk of Brazil, for supreme court benches; Frank B. Russell of Tipton. for northern Indian) appellate court judge; Cornelius O'Brien of laiwrenceburg, for (Turn To Pass 1. Column 4) ■O Dismisses Suit To Cancel Citizenship Bund Membership Not Legal Grounds Los Angelos, June 14. — (UP) — Federal Judge Peliwon M Hall today held that prewar membership In the German-American bund is not grounds for cancellation of cHlzenship. Judg* Hall ruled 21 former mein bers of the bund were within their legal rights in Joining the organ ization. and dismissed a government suit to cancel their citizenship. The cane had been under advisement nearly a year Ruling was withheld on Frederick Carl Mens Ing. an admitted member of the Nazi party. Hall also struck from the record ail evidence submitted against the 21 naturalized citizens, holding the government had tailed to prove any fraud In obtaining citizenship. Government attorneys had maintained that membership ,n <h ’' bund waa prime facie ground* for revocation of American citizenship.

Store Bond Booth Sales $11,500 On Openinq Two Days Fifth war loan bond sales at the Schafer store booth, in charge of the women's auxiliary of the American lx*gion. for the first two days of the drive, amount to 211,600, it was announced by Mrs. Elmer Darwachter, chairman. The women sold a number of bonds, including one $4,000 and two $3,000 iseues. The booth Is located in the front of the store and prospective purchasers are urged to call there and buy their extra bond. Next week the booth will be conducted by Itelta Theta Tau sorority, with Miss Helen Bathe) in charge. o Launch Bond Drive Al 6. E. Company Meetings Are Held Tuesday Afternoon Bond buying by employes of the General Electric coinimny started in full blartt last evening following the launching of the fifth war loan drive in three one-half hour meetings at the plants, during which thne operations were curtailed. Highlighting Lite programs were the appearance and talks by two; wounded war veterans. Pvt. Myron Haggard and Pvt. Rdbert Braden of i tills city, recently returned from i Italy Pvt. Haggard, who was wounded by shrapnel, has oeen given a discharge from the army and Is no>w employed at the G E. plant Pvt. Braden will leave tomorrow for North Carolina to report for further assignment. Talks were made by French Quinn, local historian and chairman of the minute men s speaking bureau, who addressed a joint meet-1 Ing of employes in building bwo, i and Arthur R. Holthouse, city bond j chairman, who apokr- to two assemblies in buildings one and two during the afternoon. E. W. Lankenaii. plant superin tendril), was chairman of the meeting and informed the employes that the quota assigned to the Deeatur plain by the Fort Wayne Work*, was |15.7t0. That is in addition to the purchases made through the payroll deduction plan, Mr. Imnkenau said, and is based on the G E.'s total quota, exclusive of the city’s quota iMuatic was furnished by Donald and Eileen Bloberich. Stands wars placed in both buildings and the war veterans and bond apeakens spoke from them. The bwo wounded war veterans told briefly of their exp rlences overseas and mentioned some of ~(Turn To Page I. Column I) —o— — Reports Bond Sales For 10 Days In June Wai* bond sales for the flnst 10 days in June, ahead of the opening of tbe fifth war loan drlye. amounted to $32,266.50. Carl Caston, cochairman of the war bond staff announced today. No twbulationn have been made since the drive opened by buying has been reported brisk. All bonds. purchased in June will apply on tbs | county'* quota off 1,473,300.

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, June 14, 1944_

New Pearl Harbor Charge Is Revealed I Army Colonel And Contractor Blamed Washington, June 14,—(UP) —A , congressional committee declared I today that ‘'mismanagement" by , an army colonel, and his collabor- , atlon with a German-born contract- , or. had delayed completion of an . aircraft warning system that would have detected the approach of Japanere planes In the Pear) Harbor attack , In a lengthy report compiled after monthe of secret investigation, a houne military affairs subcommittee said that the Japanese assault could have been robbed “of much of the element of surprise” had there been no "neglect and delay" in carrying out the contracts for the warning syetem. The report criticized Col. Theodore Wyman. Jr., district army engineer at Honolulu from June. 1940. to March, 1942, for "discriminating” In favor of Hans Wilhelm Rohl, leading Hawaiian contractor, in the award of secret army construction contracts. It named the two men as companions on “wild drinking parties. " The subcommittee said that Rohl, who became a naturalized American citizen four months before the Pearl Harbor disaster, had resided in the United States as an alien for 2s years. During that period, it said, he was aggressively pro-Gennan and associated with a man "now alleged to hold a high position in the Nazi regime.” On Dec. 7. 1940 one year before the Japanese attack Rohl was said to have signed $125,000,000 in con(Turn Tn Page Column 4) 26,000 Truckers In Midwest Vote Strike Seek Enforcement Os Granted Wage Boost Chicago, June 14—(UP)—The Centra) Htates Drivers Council announced today that 26.000 over the road truck drivers in 12 mid. western states have voted in favor of a strike in an attempt to en. force a war labor board directive granting them a seven cent an hour wage Increase. Dexter Lewis, director of the Drivers' Council, said a meeting of the council's executive Ixtard would be held this week to set a strike date. “The strike will be called with. In 30 days," Lewis said He said 98 percent of the 26.000 drivers participating In the strike ballot had voted in favor of tbe walkout. The council Is compos, rd of 250 local AFL teamsters unions In Michigan. Ohio, fndl. ana. Illlnos, Wisconsin. Minnesota. lowa, Missouri, North Dakota. South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. Lewis said the strike would be directed against 1.800 trucking companies. ‘‘Forty thousand drivers will be affected Immediately by a strike," Ihe said, "and within a week ITuri Te Page *, Celuzng $1 I*

Great Aerial Fleet Pounds Nazi Targets Greatest Daylight Bombing Assault Is Hurled At Continent London, June 14. — (UP)—More than 1.500 American flying Fortrewses and Liberators blasted a chain of Nazi targets from the suburbs of Perla to western Germany today in the greatest daylight bombing assault ever hurled at the embattled continent, while waves of U. H. medium bombers smashed at enemy supplies and reinforcements moving Into the battle for Caen. Allied air forces ewsrmed to the attack, beginning with the first light of dawn, In a seemingly-end-less parade of power that continued through the late afternoon without letup. The giant American bombers centered their Are on the Leßovrge, f'reil, Etampes, Mondesir, and Chateau Dun air fields In France, the Brussete-Melsbroeck and Eindhoven fields in Belgium, and oil refineries at Emmerich. Germany, splitting up Into separate task forces for these widespread raids. Fifteen bombera and night fighters were missing from the record fleet which led the day’s operations, which were expected to amount to lO.(MH) sorties by nightfall. Rimultaneously. the U. 8. ninth air force hurled 10 waves of Marauders and flavor's into a shatter ing bombardment of enemy installations and road lines behind Caen in direct support to the Allied arm(Turn To Pag* 1. Column St p — — Decatur Lions Club Dedicates Plaque Rev. Seimetz Speaks To Meeting Tuesday "Keep America America,” urged Rev. J. J. Seimetz, pastor of the St. Mary's Catholic church, at a Lions chib program Tuesday night dedicating a new service plaque The plaque has the names of the nine members who are in the armed services. Tribute was also paid to the 10 sons of nine membeim who are serving their country. Next week, the club is Io hold its ladies night at the Roy Price farm southeast of Decatur. The nine club members who are in the services, in the order of their entry are: Dr. H. F. Zwlck, Dr. E. P. Fields. I). Burdette Custer, James Ehinger, Frank J Krick. Jr.. William Porter, Clyde Troutner. John L. DeVons and Robert J. Holthouse. A short report was given on each of these men, in some cases by their wives. Guests at the meeting were Mrs. Harold Zwlck, Mrs. Robert Zwlck, Mrs. Frank Krick, Jr.. Major Custer and Private Robert Braden. Next, the nine fathers told about their 10 sons. He said, “if civilization U only producing new members for cannon fodder, something Is wrong and we need an awakening. It is history repealing Itself," he continued. "The nation* of the world, including the United States, have lived for the last 20 years without recognizing a higher authority. The nations and their citizens have become purely selflsh. Their phllos<Turn To Page ». Column 4) TONIGHT 7 o’clock Elk’s Uwn Combined program by Elk s lodge and Adame Post 43 of Ameiiaan Legion. HEAR Hon. Alex Campbell U. 8. District Attorney. «

Germans Throw Crack Suicide Divisions At Steady Allied Drives

Three-Day Raid On Marianas Is Costly To Japs I ■ ( I 29 Enemy Ships Are Sunk Or Damaged, 141 Planes Smashed (Pearl Haitbor, June H —(UP) — i Japan's air and sea power in the Pacific was weakened further today by a mnaehing three-day awault : on the Marianas by a powerful U. 8. task force which sank or damaged 2> enemy ships and destroyed 111 planeo, while landdiased Liberatom sent soven more enr-my vejseis to tire bottom off New Guinea. The task force strike into the Marianas, the oecond carrier based attack on the strategic inland* since February, raised th" toll of Ja|>anese ships knocked out in four major raid* on the enemy s "frontline defeiate" perimeter through the Central Pacific to 107, in addition todOl plant* destroyed. Admiral CbdMer W. Nimitz announced that 15 planes and 15 men were lost in the attacks ou Tinian. Saipan. Rota, and Guam and two enemy convoys in the nearby waters. guarding the approachen t> Tokyo and the Philippine (A Japanese imperial headquar tern comsnunique, broadcast by the Dtrntei Nows Agency, said .hat one U. S. warship was eunk, more thun 121 planes destroyed, and three heavily damaged in tire raids. The Japanese admitted only "alight" damage to their forces. The broadcast waa heard by United Press in Now York.) In the three day* of assault*, which began Saturday, the carrierl*oru planes sank 13 enemy ships, including four combat vrasetat. damaged Hi others, and wrecked 141 planes, most of them in aerial flights. Nine of the damaged vessels alao were warshlpa. The strike into the Mariana*, alx>ut 15Uo miles from both the Philippines and Tokyo, was the fourth major blow by Pacific fleet force* on Japan's ieland chain a "toss the central Pacific since mid Fobruary. The first came ou Fob hi and 17 at Truk in the Carolines, wnere 23 ships were sunk, seven prdbtUrly sunk, and 310 plant* d"*troyt-d. Four days later, jbe fleet destroyed 135 planes and two ships in the Marianas. Then on the three last (Turn To P*«s 1. Column «> 0 Pearl Harbor Trial Extension Signed Measure Is Signed Today By Roosevelt Washington, June 14. — (UP) — President Roosevelt announced today that despite objections or the secretaries of war and navy, he has signed legislation extending to Dec. 7, the time in which trial proceedings may be instituted against persons accused of responsibility for the Pearl Harbor disaster. Technically, the measure extends for six months beyond June 7 the date on which the statute of limitations would bar institution of the proceedings. That statute originally ran out on Dec. 7. 1943, two years after the actual date of the attack, but it was extended by congress until June 7. The measure was designed primarily to permit court martial trial of Maj.-Gen. Walter C. Short and Rear Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, who were respectively the army and navy commanders at Hawaii at the time of the attack. Both men have signed waivers which the war and navy department* contend would permit their trial at any time. The extension also would permit Institution of proceedings against any other persons deemed responsible for the success of the attack.

Red Army Smashing Finn Defense Lines Steady Advance Is Made By Russians Moscow, June 14 —(UP)- The Red army struck northeast across the waist of the Karelian Isthmus toward latke Ladoga today, meth, odically smashing th.- eastern half of Finland's already.breaclied outer defense line. While other columns pushed up , the main highways and railway toward Viipuri, Finland's third city 40 miles to the northwest, Gen. Leonid A. Govorov tempor. ’ arlly shifted the main weight of his four day old offensive to the northeast in an attempt to com. plete the destruction of the enemy line. The Russians captured five towns in advances of up to six miles on a 10 mile front in their new drive yesterday. Among them were Steklyannaya, 12 miles from latke latdoga and M miles north, east of the Gulf of Finland, and Siiranmyaki, six miles northeast of Kievennapa and about 4<t miles southeast of Viipuri. The extent of the Russian gains frontally toward Viipuri was not revealed, but front dispatches said Soviet tanks and mobile artillery were advancing steadily along Ute two highways and railways on the western side of the isthmus be. tween the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga. The advance was slowed by (Turn To Page 1. Column I) o Anna Straubinger Dies This Morning Proprietor Os Hotel At Willshire Deod iMIm Anna StratHtlnger. 73, member of a prominent Willshire. (). family and one of the operators of the Willshire Hotel died th!* morning at 7:10 o’clock al th- Adam* county memorial hospital of heart disease and complication*. She had (been ill about six months She was born at St. Mary* O. July 12. 1870, the daughter of Adam and Matilda Stratftilnger. She spent mo«t of her life in Willshire. Her father was owner and operator of tile Willshire hotel and after his death 18 or 30 years ..go. Mis* Straubinger, with tiwo of her sigtens, continued the management of tile enterprise. She i* survived by the following brother* and sisters: George, of Toledo. John, of Eldorado. Kan.; Benjamin and Tony of Willshire. Lucia and Katherine at home, and Mrs A. F PamwaSer, of Willshire. The Imdy will be removed from the Cowan Funeral home in Van (Turn To Page 1, Column «) Bible School Opens Here Monday Morning The Decatur Ministerial association announced today that due to various repairs In the Lincoln school building the weekday Bible school will be held In the various churches «rs the city. The school will open at 8:20 o'clock Monday morning, and (ho aixw-Hng places and department tear het* will be announced latertcmpcrature reading DEMOCRAT THERMOMETER 8:00 g. m. 70 10:00 a. m. .. .... .. 76 Noon go 2:00 p. m. go WEATHER Partly cloudy, continued warm and humid tonight and Thursday; scattered thundershowers in extreme Muth porttibn late tonight and in south portion Thursday.

BUYW4I WAR BONDS Ag> *•• -se—v 1 » * * « *** * •’

Price Four Cents

Allied Patrols Move As Far As 30 Miles Inland; Tempo Os Battle Increases Allied Supreme H> adquarters. London, June 14 —(UP) American and British armored forces have broken through the center of tht- German line in Normandy, sending patrols as far as 3o miles inland, but the Germans have thrown crack "suicide divisions’ Into five major counterattacks in an attempt, to stem the Allied advance. Supreme beadquarters revealed late today that the tidr of battle swayed back and forth, with the hotly contested town of Montebourg, 14 miles southeast of Cherbourg, changing hands several times last night. A dippatch from Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgomery's 21st army group headquarters, timed at 4 p. m. today, said the Germans were counterattacking vigorously along most of the front. The Americans lost ground north of Montebourg but scored slight gains to the south, while a German attack on (’arentan was contained. "The enemy Is bringing up all he can to halt us," a spokesman was quoted in the dispatch. At the same time It was said here that "repeated and furious” Ger man counterattacks in the key sectors of Normandy were likely to continue until one side or the other is exhausted. Both aides were throwing in everything available for what may be the first big showdown battle of the Norman invasion. Th- British even wheeled up the battleships Nelson and Itamillles to blast away with their big guns against the towns of Caen and Troarn, most stubborn strong points in the enemy defense system. Allied mobile units smashed all the way through the primary German defriisen to open country below the line from Caen to St. Lo in a sudden onslaught which took the Germans by surprise and outflanked those two key strongholds. latter it was r- vealed offi< (ally that the Nazi command had assigned four panzer divisions to the area of Caen and Tilly-Sur. Seulles. and that great armored battles of mounting intensity were going on around the rim of the littlge hantmtred into the enemy defenses. Three of the five big German counterattacks were launched in the general area of Caen, on* against Carentan and one against Montebourg American forces had captured the latter two towns on the Cherbourg peninsula, only to have the Nazis batter back Into them. The Germans scored some local successes, headquarters reported, (Turn To Pago 6. Column ») —-- —-O ■ Phone, Electric Circuits Damaged Flash Flood, Storm Here Tuesday Night Damage to telephone and elec, trie circuits was caused by the electrical storm which visited the city Tuesday evening. About 100 protection fuses were blown out rm telephone lines, Charles Heare, superintendent of the Citizens Telephone company said. Several cases were also reported on the rural lines. A 7% KVA transformer near Jefferson street, between Sixth and Seventh streets, was struck by lightning. Lester Pettibone, superintendent of the city light and power plant, said. Electric lights and tel. phone service were put out of order until workmen could restore service. A heavy rainfall accompanied the electrical storm .31 of an inch of rain being recorded at the river gauge. Herman Myers, local read, er. announced. The flash flood also caused water to back Into some of th* bfttcmeuu, gin oaiclala