Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 42, Number 165, Decatur, Adams County, 13 July 1944 — Page 1

All Else Is Chores!

>l. XLII. No. 165

15 ALLIED WARSHIPS LOST IN INVASION _ _ , x : i —— — f „ ——

. S. Bombers ound Munich )r Third Day Vital Rail Center ''Apparently Marked For Obliteration BJuIT 13 —(UP)- Moro ii American flying fort--1 Llteraiorfe wecorted by ng fighter forces, struck Into many today to Nt the Munlen t for the third gtmight day and nbrucken, on the Franca bonder, he big four-engined bomlM-rs ai encountered hoffvy cloud tortone over Mttnwh, tat lot-afed targerta in the ffhportant com location center wMh instrument* ora han «A<W ton* of bomte • dropped on the Bavarian city the t*Ms TteMk ? and Wedlay and if today*a ntta ck was on I mllar scale It wonid be one of heaviest atteckg ever made on ■rman city. 1 • result of the heavy attacks hree within 48 hours (Munich irrntiy wag Sjssrk-d tor the e obliteration treatment meted to Hanlburg a year ago. unioh la one of the moat vital centers In Southern Germany. 4 the junction point of lines ling toward the Brenner pees he Italian front and to the west ird France. he aerial force which attacked doh today atone wax estimated übetween 760 and I .«<•<• heavy 'piem and nearly 500 fighters. King to a total number of tea sent over the city in three < to approximately 3,260. J was announced M Zurich that -•ear Utzenstorf in Northwestern tsertotw today after the crew I tcbatM to safety. xarbruck, (he other target hit by U. 8. aerial forces. Is on the n rail ami road routes leading ! France, and a prime target ~e the Nasi oomwraicat ion lines utortiltem Fiance and Belgium jertuan radios, which had reportIbe .Munich raid earlier, said bad Ither severely handicapped Ger- \ aortal defenses, but idd>d the American temteimet Inta anti-aircraft tire in the flight Bavaria. o- - ink Geary Dies Lima Hospital rank J. Geary. 46, died Wednesafternoon at 3 o'clock at a bos “’1 In Lima, O-. where be bad ' I a pallets for the past three r. deary was born December ’ 'MH in Mercer county, the son L Dan let and Laura Ge try, with >m he made his home prior to ’ IlinMa Survivors are the pari at Willshire. O, a son, Donald; 1 brother. Daniel of Fort Wayne. I one Sister Mrs. Frank Hose. A'lUsbirc. He wae a member of -Mamie sad Bagiev lodges. *he body will be removed to the te of bis parents in Willshire lay morning and the funeral ices will be held from there Ifirday at 3:30 p. m wWh burial in | Wiltshire eraetery hme>Grown Apples id Canteloups Soon * — afayelte, UA. July it H’P) Isiera wore promised home wn apples and canteloups in nitty in the next few days but w told not to expe, ' much early et corn by the Purdue univer- ' ‘j market new* service today. he service said that 10.000 to 00 bushels of Duchess apples n the Vincennes area would be red as t*O shipping seas sot underway. Although the tbor of canteloups which will be >ped from the Johnson, Vincenti and Decker areas will be lees prevtouaty predicted, the metg wilKe of good quality. JIMFIRATVRE READING |tMOCRAT THERMOMETER Q „ BM» a«. 63 HO6 a. m. —- 70 *•••••• 74 t : 00 p. m. . 81 Z WtATHER Fab* tewWrt and Friday: wr •’•j' ,

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Members Os Amish Church Contribute $575 To Government dn support of the government and In Beu of bond buying, a group of metrtbers of the Reformed Amish Christian church of Monroe, hae contributed approximately >675 toward governmental running expenses It was learned today. iAs conwclentlous dbjectors to war the Individuals do not buy war loan bonds, but fee) as American citizens they should support Vhelr government. It was explained. The men made up a purse, contributing from >IOO to |S each, which was sent to tho United States Treasury, Washington, ae an outright gift. The contribution was made in observance of the fifth war loan drive. A similar token was sent to the treasury in previous war loan drives. o —— Germans Begin Major Retreat On Baltic Front Berlin Radio Gives Running Account Os Bad News To Nazis London. July 13 —(UP)—Nasi broadcasts reported today that the German army had begun a major retreat on the Baltic front and that massed Russian armor was trying to force the Niernen river at Alytus, Lithuania. 25 miles from the 1938 border of East Prussia. The Berlin radio beat out a running account of bad news for the Germans on the eastern front throughout the day, highlighted by the report of a large scale withdrawal in keeping with a previous warning that this drastic step was imperative "to protect the Reich." -The Nasis said the main defen. ses of Daugavpils, defense citadel of tower Latvia, were being storm ed by the Soviets after a German withdrawal, and that strong Soviet armored columns .had pierced the German protective screen on the road to Brest Lltovsk. The British press association's military correspondent said the Germans were believed to have suffered nearly Wo.tMHt casualties in killed, wounded and captured since the Russian offensive began on June 23. Ernst Von Hammer. Berlin radio commentator, said the Red army concentrated infantry and tank forces at Alytus, 30 miles south of Kaunas, and began an attempt to storm across the Nlemen. the last major natural barrier east of German soil. Lt Col. Alfred Von Oiberg. an. other military broadcaster, said a big tank battle had broken out southwest of Kaunas, pre-war capital of Lithuania, indicating that the Russians might be even closer to East Prussia there than (Turn Ta Page I. Column I) 0 Germany Suffering Manpower Shortage Captured Document Reveals Shortage Washington. July 13.—(UP)—A captured German document several months old has confirmed that the enemy is suffering from a severe manpower shortage which Is affecting the course of the war in Europe, acting secretary of war Robert P. Patterson disclosed today. “There is no doubt that the enemy is faced with a manpower shortage," Patterson told a press conference. “A German order, now several months old. decreed a 30 percent reduction in strength of rear echelon combat units; a 26 percent reduction of strength of all supply unit); tea immediate transfer without replacements of men of 1914 class and younger (men under 30) from rear echotone and supply units; and preparations for transfer, with replacements, of soldiers cf 1906 to 1913 classes (men up to 3a) from rear echelons and supply unite , “FOr manpower to keep the roads (Turn Te Pago 8, Column I)

Starving Japs 1 On New Guinea Seek Escape Casualty Figures Are Released For Saipan Campaign (By United Press) An estimated force of 46.000 starving Japanese sought desperately to break out of an Allied trap on British New Guinea in the southwest Pacific today, as casualty tig ures on the Saipan campaign revealed the Japanese lost live men for every American killed. Although details of lighting were not disclosed It was indicated that isolated units of the 18th Japanese anny on the northern New Guinea coast were making furious attacks in an attempt lo find an escape route. The unite, pocketed on a 110 mile strip, by the American landings at Altape and Holtandia, were encircled by American forces to the west and Australian troops to the east. A communique from Gen. Douglas MacArthur's headquarters said the strength df the original army trapped was estimated at 60.000 but that an estimated 26 percent was believed to have died from privation or had been killed by aerial bombardment. On Saipan it was estimated that less than five percent of the enemy's original force of 20,000 to 30,000 survived. Americans buried 11.948 Japanese dead and captured 1,000 prisoners. A considerable number of Japanese still remain unburied. American losses In the 27 days of fighting were announced at 2,359 killed, 11,841 wounded and 1.213 missing. A communique by Admiral Ches (Turn To Pegs I. Column 4) o : Asserts Roosevelt To Endorse Wallace Early Statement By President Expected Washington, July 13.—(UP)—A well-informed congressional source asserted today that President Roosevelt may announce very soon -possibly today or tomorrow—that he would again like Henry A. Wallace of lowa to be his vice presidential running mate. Mr. Roosevelt. It was understood, will emphasise that he has no wish to dictate a vice presidential choice to next week's Democratic national convention, but will add that if he were a delegate, his vote would go to hie 56-year-old third term partner. This source, one of the president's moot loyal congressional supporters. asserted that the chief executive bad drafted such a statement and that It could be expected in the near future, perhaps today or at his news conference tomorrow. It was at ’ bis news conference Tuesday that Mr. Roosevelt declared his availability for a fourth term nomination. He said nothing regarding bls preference for a vice presidential running mate, but it would surprise no one here for him to endorse Wallace. Wallace han conferred with Mr. Roosevelt twice since he returned from his Asiatic trip and there were some reports that he had been summoned to a third White House conference. There is considerable speculation over what effect the president's open support would have on Wai(Tura To Page I. Column 7) O Stolen Bicycle Recovered Here 'A bicycle owned by Jack Fisher of West Adame street was Identified today by the boy and returned to Mm by Sheriff Leo Gillig. It had been stolen from In front of his home about three weeks ago. His mother saw a boy take the vehicle, but thought It was one of tho neighbor children. Last Sunday tho bicycle was found In Trout’s woods about two miles south of Decatur by a boy who was taking a walk. It had been abandoned in the underbrush.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday, July 13,1944,

■ Reds Launch New Attacks r iky 1 • \.J / I A m ieei‘7 |RUSSIA ACCORDING TO LATEST REPORTS, the Russians, stabbing deeper into Lithuania, have launched heavy attacks on a broad front In the Utena area with the aim of breaking through to the rail junction of Dvinsk. The Reds liberat'd more than 4<m towns and villages In their drive toward the Baltic and East Prussia.

Mountain Stronghold Is Seized In Italy Lajatico Captured By American Forces Home. July 13 -(UP).—American assault forces stormed and captured Ijajatlco. German mountain stronghold 20 miles southeast of -Livorno, In some df the bitterest fighting on the Italian front since the fall of Rome. Allied headquarters reported today. German resistance stiffened further along the line, and none was nearing the intensity of a full scale stand in the outposts of the Gothic line ss the Allied Fifth and Eighth armies battled before the coastal anchors of Livorno and Aucona. The Germans mounted costly and generally unsuccessful counterattacks In a number of sectons, and were revealed to have pushed advanced Eighth army elements back to miles from Pietralung-i in the mountains east of the Tiber valley. 'United States units of Lt- Gen. Mark W. Clark's fifth army beat off counter-thrusts in the Era river valley southeast of livorno before capturing by-passed laijatico and making gains up to a mile and a half beyond the line five miles <aatward from laijaltco to Viilamagua. The Allied communique and supplementary reports said nothing of the situation in the coast.il sector below Livorno .Where the Americans had captured Caatlglioncello and pushed on within eight miles of the big port. 'Between 150 and 200 German prisoners were captured at 1-ajatico where they made a last ditch stand while the Americans pushed on beyond in a bld to turn the stubborn coastal defenses. Two of the heaviest of the German counterattacks were smashed (Turn To Pago 1. Column «) o Japs Splitting Into Remnants In India Some Enemy Forces Are Surrendering Southeast Asia Headquarters, Kandy. Ceylon. July 13. — (UP) — The abortive Japanese expedition into India from northern Burma continued to deteriorate today with the enemy splitting into disorganised remnants and surrendering in the Imphal-Ukhrul sector and. to the south, sdandonlng control of their most Important supply route over the Palel-Tamu road. An Allied communique, meanwhile. reported that west African Chlndita and Chinese In a combined attack captured the village <of Pylndaw. approximately eight miles west southwest of Mogaung. The heavy resistance they encountered Indicated the importance the Jap anese attach to the Mogaung-Man-l.s located. It was expected the daisy railway, upon which Pyindaw enemy would bitterly contest further thrusts along the rail line. In the Imphal-Ukhrul sector. Isolated bands of Japanese were still being pursued and wiped out. the communique sal A At Sangshak, a (Turn To PSge 3, OHuina 4)

First Betting Odds Favoring Roosevelt St. Louie, July 13 — (UP)—The first official betting odds for the 1944 presidential election stood today at three-to-one in favor of President Roosevelt, according to Maury Cooper. St. Louis betting commissioner, who explained that a I bettor must wage S 3 to win |1 on . the presidenti Gov. Thomas E. Dewey's odds are f 2Mt to 1. Cooper said, with a bettor I posting |1 to win 12.60. Consider- > able money is being wagered, he re- . ported. — q . City Swimming Pool ; Is Perfectly Safe Inspection Made By i State Health Board t The city swimming pool at the i muncipal plant kt perfectly safe . for bathing purposes and no reason . exists for closing it, Dr. J. W JackI son, director of the division of com-munk-aible dlseaa‘-H. of the state - board of health, haw informed Dr. • James Burk, secretary of the DecaF tur Itoard of health. 1 <Dr. Jackson made an inspection of the pole and took samples of the water back wlhh him last Monday F for analysis. No trace of cositamlna- ' tion was found Dr. Burk also made ■ a minute Inspection of the pool. * bathhouse and equipment He said i that he found the chlorinating system functioning perfectly and that - in his opinion the pool was as safe > a place to swim as could be found I anytwhere in the county. The pool water is not ouly chlorinated. but Is flMeder, removing sediment and impurities white it may ac- ’ cumulate, the health officer ex--1 plained. A continual flow of fretxt water enters the poll, a complete change taking place every 24 hours. The rumor, like all other “ghost stories" which build up qu'eker and larger than Mt. Vesuvius, started when it was announced that Thomas Briede was stricken with meningitis. Although there was no foundation for such rumors, children have been staying away from the pool, because of the unfounded fear that the Briede youth contacted his disease at the swimming pool ■ Dr. Burk enplalned-that the cause -of the boy's Illness was not trac- > able to the poll. The city health ofI ficer commented on the benefits i of swimming and said he did no* - like to see «he children deprived of > its beneficial use during the hot > summer days f o Charge Policemen ; With Beating Boys ‘ Hammond, Ind., July 13.—(UP)— The East Chicago board of public ’ works and safety today held under ’ advisement charges that four Indiana Harbor policemen beat three teen-aged boys to obtain a jewelry ’ robbery confession from them ' which later was repudiated In testimony yesterday, the three claimed the olßcem used a rubber hose to obtain a confession from ' them. It later was found that the ' owner had misplaced the articles. The boys admitted that they had ‘ played truant from school the day of the episode.

Americans Lose Seven Ships And British Eight In Invasion Os France

American Shock Troops Closing In On St. Lo Pound Out General Advances Os Mile On Norman Front Rupreme Headquarters. AKF, July 13. (UP) — The American first army blasted and bayonetted its way to the outskirts of Bt. Lo today and hammered out general advances of about a mile all along the Normandy front to threaten the German keystone defense bases of IxMsay and Perlers. While Lt.-Gen. Omar N. Bradley's left wing closed on Ht. Lo in some of the bloodiest fighting of the French campaign, his assault forces battered forward In at least seven sectors, cleared the entire 1-a-Haye Du Puits-Carentan railroad and highway, and completed the conquest of the sprawling swamp area called lrf*s Prairies De Marecageuses De Gorge. In the west coast sector United States forces overran the strategic hill 92. commanding the entire area of Lessay and bringing that key transport jun< (ton under direct fire. The last “bloody mile" Into the heart of Ht. Lo. hinge of the German defetisea on the Normandy front, shook under thunderous artlileiy and infantry attack as the doughboys drove spearheads to the east and northwest of the city, setting the stage for a possible encirclement of the stubbornly defended hilltop citadel. A« the foremost elements slugged to the outskirts, a column striking upstream along the west bank of the Vire from Pont Hebert advanced a mile south of that village to a point three miles northwest of Ht. Lo. The advances of 3<»<> yards to more than a mile gradually were straightening out the American line and eliminating the maruhaland salients, with the battlefront now stretching along a lie running northwest to southeast from Lessay to St. Lo. Southwest of Carentan the Americana captured Nay, 349 miles northeaat of Perlers. St. Andre De Bohon, 4>j south of Carentan. and Gornay. north of the wood known as Hols De Hammet. through which U. S. troops were advancing after squeezing out the last of the Germans. Between St. Andre De Bohon and (Turn To Page 1. Column T> U. S. Casualties Os War Total 235,411 Normandy, Saipan Figures Not Listed Washington. July 13 -(UP) —U. S. combat casualties as officially reported thus far by the war and navy department* here were brought to 235.411 today with an announcement by undersecretary of war Robert P. Patterson that army casualties through June 20 total 187.028. Official navy department casualty figures announced through today total 48,383. Normandy and Saipan casualties aa announced in thorn- theaters would raise these totals by 30,000 or more. Patterson said army casualties included 33,240 killed. 77.449 wounded. 38.142 missing, and 38,197 prisoners of war. Os the wounded 46,414 have returned to duty. The navy total, embracing navy, marine corps and coast guard casualtlea, ln<-lude 20.362 dead. 14.127 wounded. 9,433 mlesing and 4.461 prisoners of war. Patterson Mid American fifth army casualties In Italy from the time of the first landing on the (Turg Te Page I, CetuM 4) ’

Says Nazis May Quit Some Occupied Lands Seek To Bolster Battered Armies London, July 13 (UP) -A Madrid dispatch said today that Germany's suprefiie war council, hurriedly convoked by Adolf Hitler, lias decided to withdraw forces from certain occupied countries bellevedly Norway and the Balkans —to bolster Ite battered armies against mounting Allied threats i from the east, west and south. Marshal Guenther Von Kluge, new German supreme commander in the west, wax said to have expressed apprehetMion at the meeting over the possibility that additional Allied landings in France would compel him to call for additional reserves from Germany Itsself. German broadcasts quoted the Berlin newspaper Nachtausgabe a* . saying that "it can be assumed" Lt.-Gen. George H. (Blood and Gust) Patton, who played a key role In , the liberation of Tunisia and Sicily, would lead the "British southeast army" in a new landing In western Europe. The reference to the "British ‘ southeast army" was not clarified,; but it may refer to forces put through their final training in I southeast England under Patton. The Ijondon Evening Standard contributed to speculation over Patton's forthcoming role by as- , serting that the German believed (Turn To Page 4. Column 4) Mrs. John Wechler Is Taken By Death Funeral Services Sunday Afternoon 'Mrs Rosa L. Wechttr. 70. wife of Jahn Wechler, prominent Blue Creek township fanner and funner treasurer of Adams county, died ' at her home Wednesday night at 9 o'clock a<fter an Illness of eight weeks. She suffered from carcinoma. 'Mrs. Wachter was born in Max v4lle, 0., October 3. 1873, und was the daughter of Obadiah and Retec-ca-dlitchcock latrlmer. She wae a memtber df the Union U. B church, two miles southwest of Willshire. Ohio. She was married S'-ptembe--2 1*93 and had lived in Adams county ail of her married life. Surviving are the hualMnd. John Wechter, two daughters, Mrs Mary Workinger of Monroe township and Mrs. Jennie Edwards of Decatur; j a son. Delmore, of Blue Creek town-1 ship; a brother. Charles i Ixrgan Ohio, three step-brothers, i Dr. Erneot Kohn, of Grover Hill. O. Clarence, of Van Wert, and Homer of Ypsilanti Mich., and two stepsisters. Mrs. Banta, of Grover Hill. Ohio, and Mrs Florence Smith tg Erie. Pa., There are eight grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Sunday at 1 o'clock at the homo and a< 1:30 o'clock at the Union U. B church. Burial will be In the Willshire fenvetery. Rev, C. C Nichols will officiate. The body will be returned to the (Turn To Page 4. Column 7) 0 O'Connor Is Named Red Cross Chairman Washington. July 13—(UP)—O. Basil OX'onnor, long-time friend and former law partner of President Roosevelt, was appointed today by the cbiwf evocative to be chairman of the centra) committee of the American Red Cross, succeeding the late Nonnan H. Davie. O'Connor has been closely associated with Mr. Rooeeveit In hie work as president of the national foundation for infantile paralysis. He waa appointed tor a term expirIng Dec. U, 1944, aa Red Cross director.

Bin War Savings Bonds And Stamps

Price Four Cents

One U.S.Commanding Officer Lost; Two Wounded; Three Os Losses Destroyers London, July 13 '(UP)- Gen. Dwight D. Eisrnbtrwer's head, quarters revealed today that the invasion of France cost the United Htates navy three destroyers and four other warcraft. The destroyers lost were the Corry, the .Meredith and the Glennon. The other U. 8. losses were the transport Susan B. Anthony, the minesweeper Tide, the destroyer escort Rich and the fleet tug Partridge. This list of losses Include the two destroyers which Mr. Roose, velt mentioned as having been lost shortly after D-day. British losses were three de. stroyers, three frigates and two other smaller craft. This was the first announcement the British have made of their naval losses during the In. vasion of France, The Susan B. Anthony wax the former passenger liner Santa Clara. The Hhip wax fully loaded with troops, but only six men were lost. Through the first days of the invasion, more than half a dozen British and American battleships and about double that number of cruisers worked the channel, bombarding German positions and pro. tecting Allied convoys. All of the big ships were afloat and operating at the end of the naval phase of the Invasion, ai though some of them were dam. aged lo some degree. Six Survived Washington, July 13 — (UP) — The navy revealed today that six of the commanding officers survived of the seven U. H. naval vessels lost in the landings in France, although two of them were wounded. Announcement of the loss of seven U. H naval vessels waa made first by Allied supreme headquarters In England. The British lost eight ships in the nav. al operations in connection with establishment of the Normandy beachhead. Only U. H skipper lost was Lt. Cmdr. Alard Barnwell Heyward of the 890 lon minesweeper Tide. Hix next of kin wax his mother. Mrs. I. K. Heyward, of Charleston. H. C. The wounded officers were: Lt. Cmdr. Edward A. Michel, Jr., Jamestown. N. . Y.. who command, ed the 1400 ton destroyer escort Rich, and Lt. James C W. White. Han Diego, Calif., who commanded the 400 ton minesweeper Partridge. (Turn To Faga 4, Column 4) Noah D. Schwartz Dies Last Night Funeral Services Saturday Morning Noah D. Hchwartx. 60. lifelong resident of Adams county, died at 10:20 p. m. Wednesday at hla home in Monroe township after a year's illness of complications. He waa born in Monroe town, ship April 29. 1884. the son of David and Anna Hteuryjfchwartz. He was a member of the Amish Christian church of Monroe town, ship. Surviving are the widow, (or. merly Catherine Nussbaum: the father; one adopted son Palmer Lewis Schwartz, and nine broth, era and sisters, Joseph D. Mrs. Jacob L. Liechty and Mrs. Dxvld Grater, all of near Berne; Daniel D. and Mrs. Jacob H. Hxbegger, both of Berne; John D and David D.. both of Fort Wayne; Pet»r D. Schwartz of Decatur and Jacob D. R Schwarts of Nappanee. Funeral services will be held at 10 o'clock Saturday morning at the church, with Jacob J. Hchwartx officiating Burial will te in the Mazelln cemetery northwest of Berne Friends are askad to oml( flowers.