Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 42, Number 286, Decatur, Adams County, 4 December 1944 — Page 1

vv,n thp Wnr |K f/ se /5 Chores!

XLII. No 286.

MERIC ANS GAIN ON RUHR AND RHINELAND

■eat Battle (joined At Ke Balaton Ifiord Riding Russ BLlumns Smashing K Nazi Defenses < ■MBl . a. .uhi tin- f it.. . - Lake Balaton to flying column, i - into powerful ■■F... eireen thrown -i,. bandy H^K r . tiding . i--. -iii'l i-ndli-Ks i .il- ■ I.ink* itowding tn BM, - -I Hung.ii ian plains HIM ' piointio d to bi mg ... • 'ln- i-ii.-niy before spokesmen tin ; |H-ople that "bri-ath-mi. event* are .md indicated that the Sohurling everything at into a twofold at- ■■■■■• open tin- gateway-to Hm , -fl ink Budapest fioin .< .il situation fai - \ ,z. along the Hungarian . d-1 northeast of Buda- * - . het Bed army force* si... ... their armored divisloo..- 'he flatlands about ■Hffi-le. dn<- east of Vienna, at - - d of Miskolc Ik: i t army ovet t n. towns and villages in w.-s> yesterday in a sweep carried hl* main forces for14 miles to within 20 miles of Ralston and 72 mile* of the frontier.

U :r-

broadcasts said later that Soviet columns on wuthern flank of Tolbukhin'* pushed 13 miles beyond cap Mrl Kaporvar to the Nagyhajotii less than 20 inline from th> Mt and 64 miles from Austria the t. liter of his line, Tolbtlk troops forced the Koppauy Mt if Xuybajom, On the north Ht'i. lit y seized hunafoltlvai, Mtn:.> s suiith of Szekesfehervar. Meh controls the railways from MtnrsT/. P*a» *. Column SI |B u Kiristian Selking funeral Tuesday [Root Township Man I Is Taken By Death ybneral services will be held ■»«lay afternoon for Christian ■ibnit. Ml. retired Hoot township R»*r. who died at his home five northwest of Decattn early Rnday mornink after an illnerM Rieveral months. R»*rvi(e, will'be held at 1:30 p. m Bihe rsidence and at 2 o'clock at f ß ' Paul's Lutheran church with r’ Adolph Koehler officiating. Rrial will be in the church cesneFT The body han been removed P® the Zwlck funeral home to the BMeace. I* 1 " was born In Root township pi-mWr 3, hhhi. gon o j chriaF and Charlotte Selking. He -was F rM *d to Elisa Bulmahn Septeml*S». Mm. Selking died SepF n ’* r 33. 1»43 | 8 «rv|ving are two daughtem. Mrs. F°B Thieme and Mm Amon f*M*. hpth of Union township: r «<m. Henry Selking of Hoot one brother, Louin of r® 1 township; 15 grandchildren M four great grandchildren. One ■ f>»e brothers and three sisters " leased. t «mmratur» rcadino °«“OCRAT THKRMOMtTCR . H " - 34 *'°o P. m jg WKATHKR *“** and Tuesday, h BM rain in north and Portion* Tuesday; warmr tonitht, little change in ‘•"'Perature Tuesday.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Decatur Stores Open Thursday Afternoons The Decatur Chamber of commerce announced today that Beta tur .tore, will remain open each Thursday afternoon until Christmas In order to accomodate Christnun -hoppers Effective Monday December I>, thp fltore , remain open evening, until s 30 o clock The regular Thur.-,day afternoon doting will again be -umed the Thursday following Chrlatmas. Violence Again Breaks Out In Greek Capital Order Martial Law, Greece Carried To Brink Os Civil War London. Dec 4- tip, Violence broke out anew ln Alhpnß l(J( | ay When left Wing elements, defying a proclamation of martial law seized many of the capital's po lite stations ami marched on the center of the city Divergent factions of the left wingers fired on each other In Thisson square in yesterday's clashes and at least 16 persons were killed and more than 150 injured A United Press dispatch from Athens said Premier Georges I’a pandreou and other cabinet mem iters abandoned their government offices and look refuge in Hie hotel Grande Bretagne. tindersecretary of war Ptolemeos Sari giania resigned The Greek crisis, carrying the notion Io the brink of civil war. vas precipitated by the refusal of leftist guerilla forces to demobl-

(Turn Te Pag* S. Column S) •• o — Women Os Moose To Conduct Bond Booth The Women of the Moose will be in charge of the war bond booth in the Schafer store this week. Mrs. Grace Weiland, ihairmati of the women'.< division, announced today The 'booth will be open from 1 to 5 p. m. and the women in charge invite members of their organization and friends to purchase their bonds front them They suggest that those who plan to give bonds so - Christmas presents purchase them this this week The Delta Theta Tau girls wold 54.0(H) worth of bond* November 27 to 29. The result of the ualtv made during the latter part of last week by the Busimes and Professional Women's dub has not yet been ompiled. Mrs. Weiland stated. An additional 525 bond was added to the Tri Kappa sorority credit, with lhe purchase of a bond by Mils Betty Fuhrman, lhe cha'rman reported. Grew Nominated As Aide To Slettinius Former Ambassador To Japan Is Named Washington. Dec. 4. — (UP) — Joseph C. Grew, who was U 8. ambassador to Japan at the time of Pearl Harbor, wae nominated today to be undersecretary of state. He will move into the spot that was held by Edward R Stettlnius until he was promoted into the secretary vacated by Cordell Hull. President Roosevelt also nominated three new assistant secretaries of atate: William L. Clayton, Texas cotton broker, who is retiring as surplus war property administrator; Archibald Macla-hih. now congressional librarian; Nelson A. Rockefeller, now coordinator of Inter-American affairs. Orew'a promotion will put a veteran career diplomat In the key post under Stettlnius, but selection of the three new assistant secretaries marks a quick Infusion of new blood Into the state department. They are replacing three present assistant secretaries Slmultaeonsu with the nominations. lhe White House announced resignation of assistant secretaries Adolf A. Berle. Jr.. G. Howland Shaw, and Breckinridge Long.

Royal Navy Clears Scheldt To Open Antwerp Port ... ... .. __ ' * * ' -• UK I 1 W"> Bl ■MBk ■ r " 1 -tas OWbk * A *1 MIN . E EXPLODES al ,hl ’ |,,f ' h» a rowtsi navy mine sweeper covers the entire Scheldt channel to leaj it Os demolition objects. This done, the strategic prize Antwerp, leading port in Europe since is opened to Allied (Mean going vessels. This is a U. 8. Army Signal Corps radiophoto

Boston Seeks Relief From Labor Shortage Boston Area Sets Pattern For Relief Boston, Dec 4. -(UP) -The war manpower commission set a pattern today for solution of lhe labor shortage In the nation's war plants with an announcement that male workers In any industry in the greater Boston area who quit their Jobs after next Saturday will be forced to take a war production job. la*on J. Kowal, area war man-, power cotnmlMion director, said that newspapers and radio stations will b<- asked not to accept advertising for les* essential jobs and that all business and industrial hiring throughout greater Boston's 43 communities will be handled through the United States employment service. Six changes In manpower regulations were listed as follows: 1. Male workers leaving present I jobs, if found qualified and able, will be referred only to essential jobs by the uses. 2. Workers seeking to change jobs for health reasons must produce certificates from their physic-, .an*. 3. Employers of fewer than eight, persons, previously exempted from > controls, will come under the n> w regulations. 4. Workers may no longer be "hired at the gate" by war plants. 5. Newspapers and radio stations Tilt.. In Pitifr I Pnlumn li Q Youths Assigned To Branches Os Service Report Received On Nov. 29 Contingent Service assignments of the con- 1 tingent of Adams county men sent | to Camp Atterbury last Wednesday for active induction into the nation's I' armed forces were received today by the local selective service board. I - Gs the contingent. 14 were aeslgn- ■ ed to army service and five were ' assigned to the navy. |, Those assigned to the army are { as follows: Charles Virgil Shell, Clyde Bur-' ■ nell Augsburger, Wayne Sylvester I Fisher. Bill Jean Dixson, Warren Elmer Bchmltt, Virgil Dale Neuenschwander. Arthur Edward Franz, Wayne Cloyd Nelson. Ear-neat Claytion Foreman. Vilas Eugene Luginbill. Myrl Edward Hannon, David Albert laingston, Junior Clifton Hart and John Earl Bauman, The five men assigned to the navy are as follows: Louis Edward Bulmahn, Max Edward Riggin, Roman Dale Beer. Howard Dailey Beltler and James Lewis Rice. Harold Martin Bapp, a member of the November 27 contingent sent , to Indianapolis tor pre-lnductlon physical examinations but who volunteered for Immediate Induction, has been assigned to the navy, the board also announced today. ti

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Monday, December 4, 1944.

Printing Bids Are | Received By Board Receive Highway Bids On Tuesday Proposals on furnishing printing supplies, blank lutoks and office supplies to the county offices were lieing received by the county commissioners today. The requisition Is estimated at approximately >3.500. At the Tuesday session, the commissioners will receive blds on the county highway requisition, estimated at >50,000. Major items ' Include 35,000 gallons of gasoline for the next six months; 30,000 tons of crushed htone; 5,000 tons of clean screenings; 10.000 tons of gravel; 1.000 tons of sand; 100,000 gallons of bituminous road binder; 10.000 feet of native white oak lumber; 200 gallons of paint and other supplies needed by the de-' partment. Including tires and ! truck equipment The commissioners will hold a -pedal meeting on December 23, for the purpose of allow.ng . and completing the record for the year. The appointment of a county 1 road supervisor will probably be announced at this meeting. So far the commissioners haven't decided on the appointee. Dale Moses, president of the board, stated. The four-district highway org anization will be maintained In the county, .Mr. .Moses stated, there being a'supervisor for each district. o Report Is Filed By County Farm Head Frank Kltson. superintendent of lhe county farm, filed his report with the county commUstcners today showing 37 Inmate* at the Institution Twenty-five are men and 12 are women. Mr. Kltson also received word frjtn the superintendent ot the Trumbull county, Ohio, infirmary, that Dale Harper .formerly of this ; county, waa an Inmate there.

Decatur, Berne Soldiers Are Reported Missing In Action

A Decatur soldier and a Berne turret gunner on a liomber are reported missing in action over France and Germany, respectively Pvt. William E Kheets. 19-year-old son of Mr and Don M Sheets. 919 Winchester street, la reported missing in action in France since November 15, the war department has notified “the parents. The Decatur infantryman entered the army last March and went overseas in October. The young man attended the Monroeville high school before entering the armed forces. The telegram did not divulge he sector In which the soldier

Rev. Wilson Spencer Speaks Here Sunday -Rev. Wilson E. Spencer will conduct services at the Final I’rertiyterlan church here next Sunday morning, appearing thia time a* a candidate for the paatorate. He filled the pulpit here November 26. at which time he met a number of local people, and plans to come to Decatur Saturday of this week and over until Monday. The church haa been without a minister since Rev. G. O. Walton reported for duty as a chaplain In the army the latter part of Augimt. o Chiang Says China Position Difficult Calls On Nation To Rally Against Japs Chungking. Dec. 4.—(UP)—Generalissimo Chiang Kai-.*hek today took public cognizance of the "extremely difficult” military situation but called on China to rally and annihilate Japanese forctw which have driven into Kweichow province, a bare 200 miles from China's capital. Faced with an explosive military and political crisis, Chiang took further steps to reorganize hfs government. naming foreign minister T. V. Soong, brother of Mme Chiang Kai-shek, acting president of the executive Yuan, a post which Chiang had held himself. Chiang then summoned hie new cabinet ministers and in an address called upon China to rally against i the Japanese. "The present war situation," he said. “Is extremely difficult but It Is nt ar the stage of Anal victory." Chiang said that the military developments at the front, including the dangerous penetration by the Japanese of Kweichow province "were within our anticipation.” “The enemy Inside Kweichow must be given a crushing blow and completely annihilated," he said. The appointment of Soong came at a time when experienced observers In Chungking were predicting that the next 60 days warfare in (Turn Tn Pags S. Column 4)

was fighting Mr. and Mrs. Sheets have another son in Frame He’la T/5 Robert Sheets, attached to the field artillery, and has been overseas for sometime. •gt. Miller Missing Sgt Chelsey C. .Miller, son of Mr. and Mrs. B. H .Miller of route two Berne, a turret gunner on a liomber, is reported missing over Germany since Nov 10. Sgt. Miller entered the army air corps in December. 1943, and went overseas last August. He was stationed In Ingland. He is a graduate of Berne high school and took basic training at Miami Beach. Fla., and advanced training at Las Vegas, Nev., and Pyotte. Teg. ,

Hammering At Gates To Greatest Arsenals Os Nazi War Machine

Jap Aircraft Works Pounded By Superforts Major Portion Os Factory In Tokyo Believed In Ruins Washington, Dec. 4. (UP) A major portion of the big Musashina aircraft works in the western stiburl* of Tokyo was believed in smouldering ruins today following yesterday's heavy attack by upwards of 100 B-29 Superfortresses. Striking at the Japanese capital for the fourth time and the Musashina works for the second time in nine days, the giant raiders laid their bom lie in perfect strings across rectangular factory buildings and saw eight to 10 fires burning as they headed hack to their Sa I pan bases. Near-gale winds probably turned the fires Into more than one conflagration. The raid was considered < ne of the most If not the most successful yet made by the 20th air force on Tokyo The attack came simultaneously with an admission by Japanese premier Gen. Kunlakl Koiso that the war situation was "critical" for Japan with her nioUt qrgent need an Increase planes, arms and other "material fighting power." The B-29s ran Into heavy tighter op|M>sition over Tokyo yesterday and returning crews told of battling enemy planes for as long as 50 minutes at altitudes of up to six miles They told United Press war correspondent Mac R. Johnson at Saipan that single and twin-engin-ed fighters dived on them with blazing guns in groups of three and six. But the crushing superiority of firepower of the big four-engined bombers proved conclusive. Four

William H. Johnson Dies This Morning Peterson Resident Is Taken By Death William Henry Jolm*on, 61. well-known Peterson resident, died at 3:25 o’clock this morning at his home In that village after a year's illness of complications Mr. Johnson operated a welding shop In Decatur for many years until forced to close the shop by Illness two years ago. A lifelong resident of Peterson, he was born there March 13. IXB3, the son of R. B. and Louise BakerJohnson He was married to Karat A, Dillman on January 15, 1905. Kurviving in addition to the wife are one daughter. Mrs Alvin Beineke of Milwaukee, Wise.; four sons. Sgt. Wayne M. Johnson of Port Mar Arthur. Calif; Dale. Buddie E and Marvel L Johnson, all of Peterson: two sisters. Mrs ■Mattie E Lenhart of Decatur and Mrs. Clara Bali ot Peterson; one brother, Herman Johnson, and four grandchildren. One dauglJ ter and three sons are deceased. Funeral arrangements have not been completed. pending word from the son in service, but the services will lie held at the Anti och M. B C church, with burial in the Antioch cemetery The body will be removed from the Zwlck funeral home to the rest ilence Tuesday evening o Commissioners Pay Bounty For Foxes The county commiMioners In session today paid bounties for five red foXN which were killed by Adams county farmers during the past month. The iraunty la |6, on prewentation of the tongue cut from the fog.

Filipino Guerrillas Capture Two Towns Operations On Leyte Are Stalled By Rain Allied Headquarters. Philippines, j Dec. 4 (UP) A barefoot, elrawI matted Filipino guerrilla army has captured Taft and Gras, two of the I most important towns on the east | coast of Samar, a front dispatch reI vealed today as ruins stalled American operations on la-yte. to the southwest. <Japanese premier Gen. Kuinaki Koiso told munition- workers in Tokyo, according to a Japanese I broadcast, that the Philippines , were a vital area in the war strut--1 egy and wanted that the “enemy must be crushed completely and i the Philippines held secure." At the same time, however, he concedled that the war situation was "critical” and called for increased war production.) <A Japanese communique claimed that Japanese plane- and naval forces between last Thursday and Saturday sank an American destroyer and seven torpedo boats and damaged four other torpedo boats The communique admitted the loss of a Japanese destroyer.) Apparently taking over offensive operations on Samar from American troops who liberated Its capital. Catbalogan, more than a month ago. the guerillas surged down from the inland hills last week and liberated Taft after a two-day battle. Taft, with a pre war population of 5.000, lies at the eastern junction of the main east-west and northsouth roads on Samar 3* tnliee east of Catbalogan The story of the liberation of Taft and Oraa, 17 miles to the north, was told by Frank Hewlett. | United Press war correspondent with the guerillas army, in a delayed dispatch from Samar Gras, Hewlett said, was captured : by some 35 guerilla- just before Gen Douglas Mac Arthur's Invasion < J urn To Pmu* 5 Column •» ' _o_.. Name Appraisers For County Farm Two appraisers to take the inventory at the county farm on Jan uary 1. were named today by the county commissioners. Tillman Lehman of Hartford townehip was appointed 'by Eli Dubach and Baron P Walters of Washington township was named by John Chrtstener. The commhisionena will aaaist In taking the Inventory. O Two Jap Warships Sunk By U. S. Subs 18 More Merchant Vessels Also Sunk Washington. Dec. 4 il'Ft American submarines, maintaining an unending offensive against Japanese shipping, have sunk an enemy light cruiser, a destroyer, and Ik more merchant vessels, the navy announced today in addition to the two warships, a communique said. the undersea cruft destroyed 13 car go vessels, four cargo transports, and a tanker Including today's bag. U. 8, submarines have sunk K 74 Japanese vessels, probably sunk at least 37. and damaged 119, for a total of at least 1.030 Japanese vessels hit during this war Enemy combatant ship losses from American submarines include 12 sunk. 11 probably sunk, and 16 damaged, for an overall total of 109 warships hit by U. 8. subs Today's sinkings follow closely the announcement of the sinking of 27 enemy vessels by V. 8. undersea craft on Nov. 25—Indicating a continued higher average of sinkings.

fluv War Savinas Bonds And Stamtn

Price Four Cents

Ninth Army Troops Battle Bloodily In Streets Os Julich, Roer River Bastion Paris, Dec. 4 (UP) —American forces hammering at the gates of Germany's greatest arsenal zones hacked out strategic gains toward the Ruhr and Rhineland today and tightened their grip on a springboard into the Saar at ruined and almost conquered Saarlautern. United States ninth army troops battled IdtHMlily through the streets of Julich. bastion of the Roer river line blocking the way to both the Ruhr and Rhineland, while first army units to their right straightened their line preparatory to a frontal assault on Duren To the south, the American third army, massed along the Saar river on a solid front of 16 miles and the first forces to cross the barrier to the industrially rich Saar basin, were beating down the dwindling pockets of resistance in the eastern part of Saarlautern. United Press correspondent. Jack Frankish reported from the Roer front that armies of Lt. Gen. Courtney II Hodges and Lt. Gen. William H Rimpson slugged forward in "consolidating advantages' today, and that the desperate German resistance w*s weaker on the left wing of the Cologne plain defenses southeast of Braneast bank of the hide river oppodenberg Hodges' troops cleaned up the site Inden. six miles northwest of Duren, straightened their line between Luc herberg and Luchem in the same area, and edged forward for small gains in the woods west of Merode. three and a half mites due west of Duren Bad weather closed in again today, preventing the Allied air forces from giving the first and ninth armies dose supfiort. but massive fleets of American and British bombers strewed a great weight of bomba over German rail centers behind the battletront. The British second army destroyed the last German bridgehead west of the Meuse in the Venlo area of Holland and massed along the river in position to join ’he Allied push toward the Ruhr. A Brussel broadcast said the ninth army had struck across the doer river at Julich and was fighting through tin- streets of the eastern portion of the town, but late front dispatches asserted there had been no crossing as yet. The western half of Julich on the west bank was entirely In American hands except for a single enemy pocket (A Blu>- network broadcast from Paris said Julich was "entirely in American hands.") The British second army In southeast Holland also aimed a spearhead toward the Ruhr with a breakthrough to the Maas river In the western suburbs of Venlo a half mile from Germany and 25 miles west of the war production center of Duisburg Lt. Gen George 8. Patton's American third army rapidly was nearing complete conquest of its first German city at Saarlautern five miles inside the Saar basin, second in importance only to the Ruhr as an industrial center geared to Germany's war effort. Front dispatches reported the western half of the town on the nest bank of the Saar already had been completely cleared of enemy resistance, and other troops were mopping up scattered enemy pockets on the east bank. The thrust across the Saar at Saarlautern gave the Americana a springboard tor a drive into the heart of the Saar basin with Ita huge coal mines, blast furnaces and war factories on which Germany must depend for arms and other supplies for her last months and weeks of battle. Saarlautern also was one of the anchors of the 'Siegfried line, whose guns were laying down heavy artillery fire on the Ameri-can-held portions of the city and on the Saarlautern bridge across the Saar, which the Americans (Turn To Pace «. Colum* |)