Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 42, Number 224, Decatur, Adams County, 21 September 1944 — Page 1

lust Win the War! Else Is Chores!

XLII. No. 224.

JEW YANK DRIVE ON SIEGFRIED DEFENSES

Imbers Pound It Os Davao ■Philippines ■mencan Landing Bn Philippines Is Beared By Japanese ||. ’>'l *. Southwest S Sept 21—(1'1’i -Marine*, K r a. roxx sheer. jagged corS y assaulted a chain of - < onxtrm ted Japanese |B fortresses on the ridges of I’elehu under buttle con>.v<‘ii worm- than those at K, cu.nlah ai.al, and -Saipan, dl«pat< li>'* reported. {ar ,t W Johnston. United K war < -orrespondent who K in at the beach at Tarawa Mfuah-I Mt Tapotchau on Sai|Mreported from Palau: Kl.-lm mice surpasses them ■ disclosed that tlte lut and ■e casualties.” Horn i<>iit|.< tiriK cave* equippsteel doors. -lap* were pouring a crossfire of Ml anil*, mortar and artillery k* inching their way th- sharp rural Tile surface ■M> rough that men Injured merely by falling Gen Roy S. Geiger said ■terrain wax the worst I ever ■mu tli>- -t.iiidpoitit of territory ■ttr.'il, the marines appeared the end of the Peleliu cam■n liecauxe they hold two■b of the inland. ■rther west, land-based liberfl homla-ni. Intensifying the fl»ay drive on the Philippines, ■ernl the |Hirt of Davao with ■ opposition Monday. flokyo radio Indicated that rhe b ap-d an American landfl In the Philippines wax Itnml- ■ More than 50 Liberator* of ■ far eastern air force carried ■ the attack on Davao, shower--112" tons of bomba on airdromes, ■ply .ind personnel installation*, flhe heavy raid, firs' large-scale ■ration since carrier planes from ■*lml William F. Halsey's third ■ hit Mindanao nearly two ■ki ago. came ax soldiers and ■is... were cleaning up enemy flex on Morotai, 250 miles south ■he Philippines, and in the south- ■ I’alau Islands to the east. flk» army * hist (Wildcat) dlvls- ■ already had crushed Japanese ■union on Angaur Island, af'er ■lbk Coy enemy troops, and the ■ division marines were digg■Turs Tn >■*«. z. Column 4) late Bulletins |U. •• Ist Army Headquart»ept. 21 —(UP) —A big I**l* German counterattack I*” throws back today in the IWo'iendorf area north of Ech- [ ttr "*ch on the German-Lux-|**bourg frontier. I,,** ,h * Wane retired, they • «®wing detachment Iwh.ch w(t entirely wiped out. Itltewhere German activity |*»« restricted largely to paItrs's. I Washington. Sept. 21—(UP) I ** house and senate today I Mooted a resolution to ad when they complete ®e.r bwsineM today, until I 14 #r “ B,il •“"•’■•eaional . M * r * <’•••" back inltrM*'on ’ Is earlW**hmgton, Sept >I—(UP) •Kretary o f war He(||ly L L'"”*" tod, y presented to I" Th *®d«re Roosevelt, Jr., „ ** ,f ,h * br, »«dier.genorT,,.*" * th « l«ta President •wore Roosevelt the conr**'«"*l modal of honor In ‘•asii’" ,, '°" of ,h * ••"•ral's - “J’*'**'* 1 ”' |2£’ R * TU « •»«aoing ®«*OCRAT THERMOMETER ’«:«# < m . 44 SJtr — - 74 Mr UnX't™? blight si.J**’ M cwl,r Portions Friday

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Heads Legion n Edward N. Hcheilmrling. Albany. X. Y. attorney, was rlwted national commander of the American Legion at the closing session of tho annual convention, held in Chicago. Scheiberling Named New Legion Leader New York Attorney National Commander Chicago, Sept. 21.—(CP)—Delegates to the 26th annual American l-eglon convention returned >o their homes today, after closing their three-day meeting by electing Edward N. Scheiberling, Albany, X. Y.. as national commander to succeed Warren H.* Atherton. Stockton, Calif. The convention endorsed a report of its foreign relations committee which demanded unconditional surrender of Germany and Japan and favored American participation in an international pqllce force to preserve peace. "Germany and Japan must be occupied and policed." the report said. "The cost of maintaining the peace thusly would be insignificant compared ’o the cost of war." The Legion endorsed a universal military service resolution which provided that every qualified American male receive a year's military training along with his academic education, after Secretary of the Xavy James V. Forresial had declared he favori-d rapid enactment of a universal compulsory military training law which possibly could combine civic and educational training with "purely military indoctrination." In the Legion election Scheiber!ing was elected on the first ballot after John Steele, former Illinois lieutenant governor, had moved that the convention vote unanl(Turn To Page 3, Column ■) o — Attending Indiana Union Convention

Vernon Htdrble and Cyril Heimann left today for South Bend, where they will attend the Indiana state convention of the UEI6MWA, (ClO).They are delegates *'orn the local union. Decatur Man Badly Injured In Wreck Arthur B. Miller Hurt This Morning Arthur B. Miller is in a serious condition at hl* home on Mercer avenue as the result of an automobile accident early this morning on the Piqua road, about three mile* southeast of Decatur at the Butler creek, shortly after 1:30 o'clock. He told Sheriff i-eo Gililg. who investigated the accident, that he fell aslsep just liefore crossing the creek and that hl* car left the pavement and hurtled across the creek, burying the front of the car in the mud. Mr. Miller suffered severe laxeratlon* about the mouth and a possible head Injury, together wtlh numerous contusion* alxmt (he body. ing him quiet and under observation but reported today that hl* Hi* attending physician is keep condition la "aatisfartory " The car was a total wreck. Sheriff Glliig said.

American Soldiers Approach Futa Pass Threaten Gateway To Northern Italy Home, Sept. 21—(CP)— American troops advancing north of Florence approached the famous Futa Pass through the Appennines, today amid signs that the Germans were shirting troop* from tile west to meet the threat against that gateway to northern Italy. Fighting in a driving rain which hampered ground forces and restricted aerial support, the C. S. sth army tnsips captured five mountain peaks ami pushed near the village of Santa Lucia, a half mile south of Futa Pass and Itself a part of the German defenses for the pass. Other sth army units on the Ligurian Sea coastal sector approached the outskirts of the town of Pietraxanta, on the LuccaMassa highway, three miles Inland and six miles north of Viareggio. Pietraxanta is four miles northwest of Camaiore, which was captured yesterday by Brazilian expeditionary force troops operating with the sth army. As the Americans approached Futa Pass, 2S miles south of Bologna on the main Florence to Bologna highway, they encountered a part of the German 362nd infantry division, which had been stationed near Pistoia. In their drive towards Bologna. sth army troops look at least five strategically Imtmrtant mountain peaks. British units with the sth took the Valdicrioto feature with other hill masses attached to it. 20 miles northeast of Florence; Americans captured two key points. Mount Montale and Mount Frena. only a few miles apart, while slightly south of that area, other American* captured Mount Barco and Mount Acuto. Mount Frena. which is more than 2.t»o<> feet high, is two and a half miles southeast of the road junction. Firensuola. and only 26 airline miles from Bologna. - —o Church Institute Is Held Wednesday

Evangelical Church Is Host To Meeting * Representative* from nine churchex attended an annual fall meeting of the Evangelical church here Wednesday afternoon and evening, for the purpose of promoting Christian religious education in the churchex. Approximately 75 minister* and laymen attended the afternoon meeting and 100 were present at the night Resalon. A supper was ssrved the visitors by the ladies of the church. Rev. F. H. Willard, pastor of the local church, was in charge. Churches represented were from the following communities: Portland. Berne. Linn Grove, Van Wert, O.; Celina. O.; Celina circuit, and Wapokoneta. O. Heading the list of speakers was Rev. G. 8. Lozier, nt South Bend, former pastor of the Decatur church ami now superintendent of the South Bend district He taikexl on Sunday school ad vancement ami In particular discussed the advantages of visual education Other speakers were Rev. Mentor Herman, superintendent of the Indianapolis district, and Rev. Harold H. Hazenfield, conference dialrict director of Christian education. Clayton Thornton, a layman member of the Bethel Evangelical church at Elkhart, spoke on winning other* Into the fellowship of the church and evangelism. During the supper hour, he talked on men s work. Mr*. Mentor Herman, president ""(Turn To Psge ». Column 7) ... — "0 ■! High School Juniors Elect Class Officers The annual organization meeting of the Junior class of the Decatur Junior-senior high school was held Wednesday. Melvin Taylor was elected president; Gerald Springer, vice-president; Merritt Marbaugh. secretary, and Don Light, treasurer Miss Catherine Weldler, English teacher, was elected for class sponsor.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday, Septe

Seaman Gordon Selking Lost At Sea In Performance Os His Duty

Gordon Charles Selking. 19, seaman second class, son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Selking. 2613 South laifayette street. Fort Wayne, formerly of this city, and a brother of Mrs. Wayrnon Patrick, of the Imcatur Homesteads division, was lost at sea In the performance of his duty, the navy department notified the parents yesterday. Seaman Selking was alioard the large destroyer. I’. S. S. Warrington, sunk off the Atlantic coast by the terrific hurricane which struck the east coast last week. Mrs. Patrick said tier brother was re|M>rte<| missing on September 13. one day after his 19th birthday. The young seaman was born in Preble township, Adams county, September 12. 1925. The family moved to Decatur and Gordon attended the Decatur public school up to his freshman year, when his parents moved to Fort Wayne three years ago. Seaman Selking. who entered the navy on February 2. 1942. took part in three major battles in the South Pacific. He was a crew member aboard the aircraft carrier Wasp which wax sunk in the Pacific last fall. He wax then transferred to the new destroyer and had been overseas 11 months.

Dewey's Campaign On In California Will Speak Tonight At San Francisco With the Dewey Campaign Train. Sept. 21. —(UP) -Gov. Thomas E. Dewey swung into California 'oday prepared to devote the rest of this week and two major speeches to the most determined drive of hl* 6.700 mile presidential campaign tour for the state's 25 elec'oral college votes fourth largest bloc at slake 111 the November election. Fur a state where personal popularity usually mean* more than party organization, the Repul,Bean presidential nominee scheduled major addresses both at San Francisco tonight and Los Angele* tomorrow night. Instead of the customary single appearance. Party organization was no( Ignored. however. The New York govx-r---nor - first , dsy •<-he<!!!.'- included meetings with mayors of cities and towns surrounding the populous San Francisco bay and lunch with GOP leaders from neighboring counties ax well ax private conversations, with Gov. Eurl Warren, who look himself out of the Republican presidential race at (be Chicago convention last June In 'he face of the mounting Dewey landslide. Warren, before leaving Sacra-m«.-nto to meet Dewey in Oakland, said he would venture no prediction on whether the state's 25 electoral (Turn Tn Paas 6. Column t) World-Wide Access To News Is Urged Resolution Passed Today By Senators Washington. Sept. 21. — (I’P) — The senate today passed and sent to the house a streamlined resolution calling for world-wide access to news without discrimination. The resolution was offered by chairman Tom Connally, D.. Tex., of the foreign relations committee. It was adopted immediately after Connally read the six-line text and explained that he and Sen. Robert A. Taft, R., O„ had Introduced similar resolutions. This one. he said, embodied the Ideas intended by each of them. Vice President Henry A Wallace put the question immediately, and no dissent was heard. Text of the resolution, which vas drafted by a special foreign relations subcommittee: "Resolved, "That the congress of the United States expresses its belief in the world-wide right of the eichange of news by news gathering and news distributing agencies, whether Individual or asaociated, by any means, without discrimination as to sources, distribution, rates or charges; and that this right should be protected by international compact."

ber 21, 1944

« • His sister said that he wax to have been given a 30-day leave following his return from sea duty. Besides the parents and sister in this city, he is survived by a sister. Miss Melba Selking, at home, and a brother. Itobert Selking of 4011 South Fairfield avenue. Fort Wayne.

Lose's Condition Is Reported Unchanged The condition of Nortiert Ixise. a patient In the St. Joseph hospital in Fort Wayne, was reported as iffwut the same today. Pbyalclan* expected to drew the gun shot wound In hi* chest today and believed they would be aide to determine whether or not he was making progrea*. No Infection ha* set in as yet. which j* considered a good sign. Mr. lame formerly lived in Decatur and now reside* in Fort Wayne Complete Plans For Annual Club Exhibit County 4-H Clubs Exhibit At Berne Mixa Mildred Worihman. Mrs. Ralph Rh-e. Mrs. Clyde Jones, Mns. John Lyse. Mrs. Earl Slpt, Mias Gteniiy* Arnold. Mra Holman Egley and Mi*» Anna K. Willlanw. leaders of Adam* county 441 clulu with Home Economics garden, and victory projects, have completed plan* for the annual cltsl, exhibit. All clothing and canning exhibits and victory record Itooks will be taken to the Berne community auditorium Tuesday. Octralter 3. between 9 a m and 4 3 . p. m Theoe ,-x hWdts will be Judged Wednesday, Octol»er 4 and be on public display Friday and Saturday. October 6 and 4 Food exbiidt*. Including baking, food preparation and gardening, will be brought to the auditorium by 9:30 a. m. on Saturday. Baking for the exhibit ehould be done on Friday, and brought on paper plates or piece* of cardlMKird. Al! dishcM tmed in food preparation exhibit* should be carefully marked with (he owner's name. Garden exhibits should be brought on paper plates. All exhibit* should be accompanied by labels approxima ely incluw by 2’* inch<«. containing name and division of project, exhile itor's name, age. and club. No exhibit will be considered complete v.iilera the record l>ook is handed in. All exhibit* will be removed at the close of the Saturday evening achievement program, which will start at 8 p. m. The dress revue will be featured in the achievement program. All clothing members may model their apron, dress or complete costume In that event, entrants should be at the auditorium by 7:30 o'clock Saturday evening. Presbyterian Church Meeting Here Friday Attention is called to the special meeting of the session, board of trusteed, deacon* and heads of all departments of the First Presbyterian church, of tbe meeting to be held at 7:30 o'clock Friday »venlng at th* church parlor*. A report will be made by' those who attended pre'bytery UH* week and atapa taken toward* procuring a mlniater to succeed Lieut George O Walton, resigned Dr Fred Pa'enoon h temporary moderator.

New Offensive Opened Southeast Os Aachen; Troop Junction Near

Four Russian Armies Wheel Through Baltics Soviet Government Paper Says Baltics Liberation Is Near Moscow, Sep'. 21. — Il’PI- The government newspaper Izvextla said today that the Red army campaign to liberate the Baltic states is almost won. Four Russian armies were wheeling through the Baltics on a 200mile front, riding down the rear guard of an estimated 200.000 German troopx threatened with Imminent death or capture. Gen. Ivan C. Bagramian stormed the suburbs of Riga. Marshal la-onid A. Govorov swep' toward Tallinn. Gen. Ivan Maslennikov deepened his thrust toward the sea northwest of Valga. Gen. Andrei I. Yeremenko pushed against Riga from the east. Writing against that backdrop in sarcastic vein. Izvestia's military commentator said that “the Germans soon will be compelled to announce the 'successful' conclusion of the Baltic campaign." (Radio Beilin said the Soviets also launched their big assault on Warsaw, forcing several crossings of 'he Vistula river and winning i foothidd s(>o yards deep In the streets of the capital. Berl'l sai l the bridgehead wax sealed oft after a wild battle that jammed the quarter-mile wide river with dead.) Soviet Premier Josef Stalin revealed last night that iiis Leningrad army, freed for action ny the capitulation of Finland, hgd been thrown in'o the bailie for the tic states, joining the offensive opened by the Ist. 2nd and 3rd B iltil- armies. Spearheaded by powerful tenk tormationx. the combined Russia. armies thrust d. ep wedges into the German line.* in at least four vital sectors and observers believed 'he Nazi position nad lecome critical < The Germans still held a narrow corridor along the Gulf of Rig? for a |M>sxible land evacuation to the south and the port of Tall'nn fori a try at escape- by sea. The Riga corridor already wax under heavy Russian xheilEre. nowever. and the Soviets were established by their Finnish armistice terms on the’ north coast of Gulf of Finland, making a sea-borne withdrawal all but Impossible. The Leningrad army, operating under a security blackout tor four days, liberated more than 1.800 Estonian towns and villages In a (Turn Tn Pags 6. Column 6) ©. — U. S. Casualties Go Over 400,000 Mark Casualties Listed As Os September 6 Washington.'Sept. 21 -VP)—American confbat cxMualth-w in this war. as officially announced here, passed 400.000 today to reach a total of 400.760 a* compared with 380,126 a week ago. Secretary of war Henry L. Stimson announced that army casualties through Sept. 6 totaled 337.743. Including 64.468 killed. 177235 wounded. 48.725 prisoners Os war. and 47,316 mlasing The artny total wax 10.127 greater than that announced by Stimson a week ago Navy, coeat guard, and marine casualties aa announced today contributed 63.017 to the overall total. They Included 25.152 dead 23.x.,7 wounded. 9.632 mlasing and 4.466 prison er*. The navy total wax 1.508 larger than that of a week ago. Hthnsou announced that of the army wounded. 72.583 have returned to duty.

Start Repair Work On Bridge Monday De Armond Repairs Will Start Monday Work on the repair or the De Armond bridge, the Hrxt of three bridges to Ih* Improved in Blue Creek township, will start next Monday. Cal Yost. <<>ntra<tor for th,- triple project, totaling 138,700, stated today. Tile contractor and county officials. who went to Indianapolis yeslenlay to confer with state highway officials, were informed that approval of the war production luiard wax not necessary in the local improvement. Mr. Yost. Dale Moses and John Chriatener. county commissioners: Thurman I. Drew, auditor and John Doan, deputy county surveyor, conferred with the highway officials. Tho contract with Mr. Yost, covering the three bridge*, will be signed tonight by the county cominixHionera and Mr. Yost will begin work Monday The other two bridges are the D. D Jones and Miller, which also span Blue Creek ditch. The abutments were washed out by high water and the weak ening of the structures with the widening of the ditch. A number of men will lie employed ulc tile projects, the contractor salvaging some of the re-inforcement steel in tlie old abutments. The bridge* were condemned several months ago by the commissioners and the De Armond structure has been closed to traffic. - . - - o Roosevelt Returns From Quebec Confab Opening Political Speech On Saturday Washington. Sept 21 (Vl’l President Roosevelt has return I ed from his war conference with Prime Minister Winston Churchill at cjueliec and hax begun work on a political speech he will make here Saturday night, the White House disclosed today White House Secretary Stephen T Early said the president would devote motel of the day to work on the speech, which will be addressed tc members of the International Teamsters union (AFL) at a meetIng in a Washington hotel. Mr Roosevelt announced some time ago that It would be hix first political speech of the presidential campaign The president's only scheduled conference today wax with I'nder secretary of War Robert P. Patterson. Nearly l.Oob union officials are expected to attend the meeting at which the president will open hi* lourth term campaign. The talk will be broadca»t on the NI4C and CBS radio networks from 8:30 to 9 p m. CWT Wallace Tonight New York. Sept. 2’.. (UP) —Vice President Henry A. Wallace delivers his first address advocating (Turn To Pass 8. Column 6) Polish Paratroopers Dropped In Warsaw (London, Sept 21 —(U'PI- The German DXB Newa agency reported today that Allied planea dropped Polish parachutis'o in Warsaw. "On the fifth anniversary of the unconditional surrender of Warsaw, a large formation of Anglo-Ameri-can bomber* carried out a demonstrative raid for the purpose of encouraging remnant* of the underground movement In Its desperate struMle," DNB said. “They dropped a number of Polish •hock troop leaders who were all shot down In the air. The dropping of Poliifti parachutists took place at midday.**

Buy Wat Sayinas Bonds And Stamps

Price Four Cents

Allied Air Forces Brave Bad Weather To Pour Aid For Troops In Holland Supreme Headquarters. AEF, Sept. 21. — (UP) The American Ist army opened a new offensive against the Siegfried defenses southeast of Aachen today, while tile northwest Allied mobile forces raced beyond the Rhine toward an Imminent junction wl'h airborne troops, encircled in the Arnhem area of Holland. Berlin in effect reported that skytroopers at Arnhem had been relieved by American and British forces pouring over the Rhine on a Nijmegen road bridge captured In a battle through the streets of the strategic Dutch towns which is a gateway to northwest Germany. The Allleri campaigns In western Europe is "well over a month" ahead of schedule, a broadcaster reported from Paris on his arrival from Gen Dwlgbt D. Elsenhower's new command post In eastern France, adding that “so now It lx forward to Berlin." The U. 8. Bth air force sent about 500 of Its Flying Fortresses and Liberators to the Rhineland to hammer the strongholds of Mainz. Coblenz, and Ludwigshafen, directly in front of the Ist and 3rd armies. Despite bad weather other Allied air formations continued pouring strength into Holland. Supreins headquarter* disclosed that 11.5ih» sor'les hud been flown In the airhorvte operation which le-gan Sunday. not Including the gliders Involved. Headquarters advices disclosed that Lt. Gen. Courtney H. Hodges' Ist army had struck out through the ffnnk. mine-strewn Hu.gon forest southeast of Aachen in a new drive on German soil. Details were few regarding the scale and progress of the new attack in the sector where a few days ago Hodges drove a wedge through the Siegfried line Til., ii.fl "!,'■■■ ua - going on in the area south and eas' of Stolberg. 6's miles east of Aachen, with doughboys making progress against stiffening resistance. The imminent link-up of the armored column speedtag up from the Nijmegen area and the airborne for at Arnhem I<> miles to the north will clear 'he way for a further swing around the Siegfried line, which ends at Kleve. 18 miles southeast of Arnhem. The German DXB news agency reported that the Germans had captured the staff headquarters of the Ist ulrlHirne division north of Eindhoven, but there wax no confirmation In rrxponxible quarters. Os three bridges across the Rhine which were attacked by massed allied tank forces, DNB said, the (Turn To Pass 3, Column 4) Q Catholic Classes Name New Officers Felix Braun Elected Fourth Year In Row AH four classes of the Decatur Catholic high school held election of officer* for the current scholastic year Wednesday The officer* «re a* follows: Seniors-<Felix Braun, president (he has been pred'dent of his class for sou" years!; Francis Faurote, vice-president; Virginia Kuhnle. secretary: Eugene Braun, treasurer: Sr. <M Agne* Terete, class guardian. Junior*--Bill Lengerich, president; Pat Brlede. vice-prosidetvt: Jim Hess, secretary: Bernice Kintz, trsaaurer, Sr M. Hugoline. class guardian. Sophomores—Victor Braun, pre■eldent: Eugene Schindler, vicepresident; Helen Gehwer. sec re-, tary; Joan Parent, treasurer; Br. M Dorlnda. class guardian. Froshmen — L“ngerlch, president; Charles lawhe. vice-pre-sident; Donna Lou Korteivber. secretary: Eugens Baker, treasurer; Sr. M. Leonida, das* guardian.