Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 42, Number 298, Decatur, Adams County, 18 December 1944 — Page 1

■fRIJ/se Is Chcrcs!

298.

IAZIS ON OFFENSIVE ON WESTERN FRONT

|o Fleets Os fc Blast Al Lya. Hankow lljgpan's Third City, IKo Supply Base, 11 Jed By Superforts I"< 1' " ifortn-xs*-* hit |K_ I.u-g.-st air* raft ME*.,, t.- . .-in»T. and Han : main -upply has*-* , n i».)i raid* yesterday. .f.p.ir'trmnt annouiK •■<!. •aid <>f Hl<- H 29.* (or another attack on KT today ■K. |..,a«ild)ity tlr.it th*|KL , 41 .|. porti d t;y Wash T-'kyo wri- the same HK, r Il' said Un- laid •! •*.*- tn.oil- Sunday 'r-Hidi a»l« said the city |K*<». kod afn r1 p tn" Jap-K-v »'i"h would In- after K*. rantim war or pin tin- uncertainties of element could not be beyond question. raids on Nagoya Were the if ■ olifirnied by Wash K 'bird in a week on Japan * ilty. 185 mile* writ and home of the import ■ iv. .i-hi ain rafl work* ami Ku:. priority war factories. ly H 29* from ver*- le-ln-ved to have parin yesterday* attack, hundr.-d* of tons of demofin- bombs on the teetnHotonii island metropolis, it. equally large fort e from Hh kit Hankow tailed to tonfirm either BpWi-tdayN uttat ks. but broad it. imperial headquarters reporting that "some ■it •:;•■ io: four f-ngiiied raiders MN the Nagoya area today Mmk "slight damage." ■tthi- .-.aiiif time, the commillliK laid a small number of invaded the Kinka area. ■ 'tie! without dropping any ■*' The Kinki area includes Bb. Japan* biggest industrial Nara. Wakayama. Gifu ami Mh.. all iiiaoiinicentr.il Honshu, ■bsuh the communique made Bdlini that any planes had been Bl down, it saiti "an Investiga w: -r results is under way " pother Tokyo broadcast said B planes ami antiaircraft •‘•i* riving a "hot recepBf to several formations of Bbo»r Kyushu. Just southwest y*»hu. l,ut •’ was possibly reB 1 ** t 0 * ,,ni '' "f the formations yi later attacked Honshu tar largest force of B-29* yet J** Wtainst Japan blasted Nay ***l Tuesday, scoring a num Bkn To p*«. i. Column «> I — o per Resident Os ply Dies Sunday I Lois Bohne Funeral I Service Wednesday E*** Bohne. 78, former Adams pf resident, died Sunday mornP ,! bis home in Fort Wayne affu illness of a year. ptilvsd northeast of Decatur for fears, where he also operat[‘Mwmill. He retired 25 years F •wring to Fort Whyn». F* *•« born In Germany but fr fssided in the United Htate* f*y*ars. r’jnrtug are the wife. Louise; a U WHiam Bohne of Milwaur *M several nieces and nephF "Eluding Mrs C. M. Klleworth, F’ 1 *nd Lloyd Conrad of Decatur. «»r»l services will bo held at L Wednesday afternoon at F “retnann funeral horn* In Fort L r 9 ‘ with Rev. Fred Heldbrlnfc L." rt U- Burial <wl|| be In Conesmetery. ***MRATURU RSADINO 7 "OCR A” THCRMOMCTCD Rs*. * w <ATHtR • n- Tu ***«y; eelder tonight with w I’mperaturee S to 10 north and 10 to 15 /”• in south portions Tueo- > morning; not quits so Tuesday aftomoen.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Gifts Assured For Hospitalized Vets 'lndianapolis, Dec. lx (Up) Christman gifts for every ■ltaahled and hospitalised serviceman in an Indiana hospital were asxuri-d today an William E. Brown. Indiana departmental commander of the tmerlcan lx>gion announced the vUct-ess of the Legion project. •More than 25,idm gift package were received during the Legion's drive to nee that Santa Claus visited hospitalised Yanks in th- state." Brown said. He praised the "discriminating taste" of Hootlem who gave presents.

Russians Drive Wedge In Nazi Budapest Line Battle For Capital Os Hungary Flares With New Violence lamdon. Dec. 18 (UP) - The battle for Budapest flared up with renewed violence today a< Red army troops rammed a narrow wedge through one of the enemy's northeast defense lines within five miles of the capital Far to the northeast, other Soviet forces closed rapidly on the Hungarian-Slovak frontier in a multi-pronged drive that trapped thousands of Germans in the Bukka mountains and poised a new threat to the Slovak railway center of Kassa (Kosice.) Word of the new Soviet breakthrough In the R>idapr«t area came as Nail military spokesmen were boasting that their stiff defense had forced the Russians to "call off" the assault on the city. A Moscow communique said shock troops of Manghal Rodion T. Malinovsky's second Ukrainian army crack* d the center of a sev-en-mile highway line running from Alag to Bolnoka hill on the northeastern approaches to Budapest The Russians captured Fot, five and one-half miles northeast of the city, and Mogyorod. little more than a mile farther to the southeast, outflanking the Natti hinge positions at Alag and Bolnoka hill. The Germans abandoned hundreds of their dead on the highway and at nightball yesterday were falling ba< k slowly on I’est. fighting hard for every yard of ground. Other Red army force* carved (Turn To Paws 8. Coturna «» . —o— Large Crowd Attends High School Program ' Approximately 2.00<> people attended the Christman progiam held at the Decatur high school Sunday Afternoon, sponsored by the senior class. The cln.«i was assisted by various other organisations of the school. The program, consisting of musical selections by the glee clwbs and a short playlet, was preceded by a beautiful candlelight processional by the Junior high school students.

Capt. Fields Died Os Accidental Wound No Details Received On Nature Os Wound Capt. Eugene P. Field*, well known Decatur dentiat wlio was killed with American fighting forces In Burma. India, on Nov. 18. died of accidental gun «hot wounds, the war department him notified the widow, Mrs. Margaret Field* of thia c,,jr . , u The letter did not explain how the wound was uffllcted. It stated that the tragedy happened along the iMyltkyina-Rumprabum road in Burma. 'Mrs. Field* was also advised that the ibody of Capt. Fields would lie (burled oversea* and that full military rite* would lie aocorded him In a letter, dated Nov. 13. Capt. Fields Indicated that an accident bad bafallan him. ata’lni that he was "being moved to a hospital. Mrs. Fields •bellavaa that her husband attempted to reveal to her that ba had been wounded, saying that he thought he would be 0. K. In a tow day*

Yankee Forces Push Inland On Mindoro Island Radio Tokyo Reports Big American Fleet Seen In Sulu Sea Allied Headquarters, Philippines. Dec. IX. (VPI The liberation of the Philippines gained momentum today with American force* driving 1 12 miles inland on newly-invaded Mindoro within IStt miles of Manila and splitting the Yamaehlta line on la-yte Into three disorganised xeg-! tnents in a powerful offensive. t Radio Tokyo said an American ! fleet of "considerable strength" had been Sighted in the Stlltl sea south of Mindoro and speculated that another amphibious landing was in prospect, perhaps on Luzon, site of Manila and Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s ultimate objective In the Philippines.) American and Australian engineers on Mindoro, already were rushing repairs to capture San Jose airfield <nd building new air strips on what Gen. Douglas MdcArthur called "excellent sites” to cover the next phase of the Phllipplnew campaign. Japanese resistance, both in the air and on the ground, continued negligible Apparently paralyzed by the day and night raids on their Philippines airdromes by American carrier and land-based planes, the Japanese were able to get few aircraft off the ground and most of those were shot down. American patrol planes strafed and aet afire a coastal vessel and two small freighters off the northeast coast and damaged a third freighter off the east coast, but there was no official indication whether these were engaged in reinforcing the Mindoro garrison. On Leyte, some 300 miles southeast of Mindoro. American forces brought the final annihilation of 20,000 to 25.000 Japanese trappml In the northwiwt corner of the Island within sight with a series of surprise attacks from the south and east. The 77th division awung west of the battleline above Cogon, a mile ~"<Turn To Page 1. Column «»

Adams County Again Exceeds Bond Quota Goal Oversubscribed Here By $200,000 Thrifty and patriotic persons followed the advice. . "Grow war bond rich." ami invested more than *1.451.924.25 in sixth war loan bonds, exceeding the county's quota of *1,261,100. by *2<H).(M)O. Theodor** F. Graliker and Earl Caston, co-chairmen of thq county bond staff, announced today. The flag for going over the goal line in the sixth war loan drive went up late Saturday afternoon. when individuals and local corporations continued to invest in the government securities. Mr. Caston stated that final figures would probably send the total above the 81.500.mH) mark, as reports from over the county bad not been made for the last week of the drive. Local bond officials were doubly enthusiastic over the showing made hy Adams county people, especially in view of the fact that they exceeded the quota for Individual bonds. The quota was *512.000 and the amount sold wax *593.702.75, which figures will be lx»osted with the final totals. The corporation total was *741.100 and the amount purchased by local business firms and corporations amounted to 8862,221.50. Adams county is one of the countleg in the slate that exceeded Its quota for individual bonds. Ak though the state went over the '.op last Naturday, the stale as a whole lags in the amount of Individual lainds sold. The people of Adams county have met every bond challenge since the quota xyatem was established in May. 1942. Individuals and corporations have purchased approximately *10,000,000 of war bond a. The 14 billion dollar national quota will probably run up to 19 hUliona. treasury officials estimate.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Monday, December 18, 1944.

Jap Cruiser Ducks U. S, Bombs TWISTING AND CIRCLING at high speed, this Jap heavy cruiser leaves a turbulent wake, in this photo Just released by the Navy, a* she trlns to avoid dive and torpedo bombers. The large circles at the left are near misses. The action took place during a recent carrier attack on Manila Bay. U. H. Navy photo.

Four Injured When Train, Auto Collide Switch Engine Hits Auto At Crossing Four victims of an auto-railroad crossing accident were recovering today from fracture* and other injuries received at 3:2fi Saurday afternoon when a southbound switch engine on the-Pemisylvania railroad suui’k an automobile, driven by Mrs. John Barkley. 47, of 220 North Sixth street, at the Nuttman avenue crtaMing. iShe was traveling west. ’ Other occupants of the car were Mi«. Barkley’s daughter, Mrs. Robert *L. August. 27. end son Ronald. 2, and Mr*. Gorman Kauffman of 2<)9 South Third street. The engine wa* not traveling faet. It had -been detaachi-d from • ttie train and was doing switching work on the tracks north of ibe Nuttman avenue crossing. The Impact. which met the front end of the euto. pushed the vehicle down t(ie tra*k for tUbont 200 feet, city police stated. Mrs. Barkley is still confined to the Adams county memorial hospital. -She la suffering from a fractured collar hone and possible other injuries. i.Mrs. \ugust suffered severe *bruiee» on the face and her eon had his left shoulder'blade fractured. Mi«. Kauffman, who was riding In the back of the auto, wax not seriously Injured, 'beyond a severe •shaking up and body bruise*. The fnjuied persons were taken to the hospital, where all except Mrs. Markley were dismissed af'er ITnrn To Pwr* 1. Column 4) ■ 1 ■ O Allied Troops Move On Italian Front Faenza Is Captured By New Zealanders Rcrne. Dec - 18 — (UP) — New Zealand. British, and Italian units of the eighth army occupied positions along the Henio river above and below the main Rlminl-Boiog-na highway three miles beyond newly captured Faenza today while to the north Canadian troops pressed closer to Bugnacavailo from bridgeheads north and south of the city. New Zealand engineers, who took Faenza. were removing booby trap* and cleaning out Isolated pockets of German* in northern district* of the town. The ea*t bank of the Henio was reported clear of the enemy southwest of the highway for six miles to the confluence with the Hlnitrlo river. On the left flank Polish troops advancing toward the Henio took the village* of Limiuno and Caeette. A communique reported Canadian troops, moving north from their bridgehead acres* the lor none river, had made further progreee. * Other Canadian unite striking couth toward Bagnsr* vallo from a bridgehead acroee the Navtgllo canal captured 130 Germane, bringing their total to more than 1.100 in two weeke.

BULLETIN Washington. Iler. IH—(UP) — American submarines have sunk 33 more Japanese vessels, including 12 warships, in devastating further sweeps against the enemy’s supply lines, the navy announced today. The combatant ships sunk were one light cruiser, three destroyers, six escort vessels, one mine sweeper, and one mine layer. Enemy non-combatant losses in the latest submarine attacks were two tankers, 17 cargo vessels, and two cargo transports. . . —o — Decatur Lions Club To Entertain Sons Annual Christmas Party On Tuesday Members of (he Decatur Lions club will entertain their sons at the annual Chriatinax party Tuesday evening at 6:30 o'clock at the K. of P. home. The member* and their guests will Im- entertained l>y an unusual program, one <>f oliedience demonatratlons by prize winning dogs. Custer A. Dunifon, captain of police traffic .'I Fort Wayne, will have charge oi the program, and will open the meeting with a short tafety talk and give obedience demonstrations will) bis dog. Duchess Bold Venture, which is l>rlng trained for use in Capt. Dunifon'a school safety programs in Fori Wayne. Dinah and Fritz Von Glenhugle, present national champion*, parent* of Duchess, will give the prla' •:ipal obedience demonstrations, conducted by their master. Adolph Mueck. to show how a finished dog can perform In obedience. This promises to be an unique program, as usually these demonstrations are given only in shows (Turn To Paas *. Column t) —-O > .. —— Adams County Man Enters Guilty Plea Dan Death, of near Decatur, pleaded guilty to making false i claims In connection wit.i cauhing ' a Koiernment cheek and claiming tliat he had not received the money. when arranged before Luther M. Bwygert. federal judge of the northern district of Indiana, in federal court in Fort Wayne Saturday. George Mathew*, probation officer, ■will invtcitlgaie the case before sentence I* announced. ———o Four Negroes Victims Os South Bend Fire Sou'h Bend., (nd.. Dec. 18—4 UP) —lnvestigator* probed ruin* of the Page hotel today in an attempt to dlocover tba eauae of a *2O.<X)O ftra In which four nagroe* perished and 18 were hurt yesterday. The vlc'tma war* Mrs Tommy Banka. *1; Mrs. Annabelle Martin, 48; fra Acott. 48. and Leonard Rkyaa. 64.

Big German Offensive Penetrates American Lines Several Miles

Fierce Battles Flare Again In Greek Capital ELAS Troops Blast Way Into Prison Os Political Offenders Athens. Dec. I«—(UP Swarms of ELAK troops, launching a predawn attack .on Averon prison, shot and dynamited their way info two of the three Iniildingx housing political offenders today as fierce fighting flared again in the battle of Athens. Meanwhile. British - manned tanks and Greek infantry fought (heir way into the vicinity of the prison to prevent the ELAS forces from overrunning the small prisondefense unit and capturing some 920 inmates held in protective custody. I Il wax bellee-<| the ELAS • troops, fighting arm of the left-' wing EAM (national liberation front), might free some of the political prisoners and kill others. The inmates include former Prime Minister John Rallis. bis cabinet, a number ot women, ami two babies born in th*- prison during the past two weeks The British earlier captured i four rebel strong points in central and southern Athens, clearing the | road to Piraeus against slight opposition. but ihi- ELAS appeared (<> be creating u crisis around the political prison. In their first attack, the ELAS machine-gun tire from a window sprayed the prison compound with in an adjacent hospital building Then they dynamited a hole in the prison wall around the compound, and British paratroopers organ evacuating women inmates from the women's building Th*- outnumbered defenders •urned rifles and machine-guns on ' 'he blown part of the wall, but f urther dynamite blasts tore out other chunk* of the wall and ELAS forces streamed in to occupy the women's building. ———o Maj. Richard Bong Bags Another Jap •Allied Headquarters, i-eyte. PhilIpplnas, Dec IX Hpi Maj. Richard Bong. Popular. Wis . America'* leading fighter pilot, shot down another Japanrae plane over Negros Xxland Friday to give him a to’al of 39 to date, jt was disclosed today. Bong was awarded the congressional medal of honor Dec 12 when he shot down his 38th Jap plane. o——No U. S. Objection To Pole-Russ Pad Policy Statement Issued In Plans Washington. Dec. 18. — (fTP) — The United States In a statement of policy on Poland today said it would have no objection to settlement of the Polieh-Russian boundary dispute before the end of the war "If a mutual agreement Is reached hy the United Nations directly concerned." In contrast to the British stand on Polish policy, however, the United States refrained from directly urging the Poles to reach a border settlement now Thia country did hint it felt that an agreement would "make an essential contribution to the prosecution of the war against the common enemy." It la generally believed by ob•ervera that.it this stage In the dispute between Poland and Russia only one possible agreement on the boundr y is possible— tba one demanded by Russia and supported last week by Britain. The statement was released by Secretary of State Edward R. Stet* (Turn To Fage 8, Column 8)

Open Investigation Oi Indiana Election 84-Year-Old Voter Is First Witness Today Indianapolis, Dec. IX — (UP) — Sen. Thomas Ste • art. D.. Tenn., Criticizing Indiana attorney general James A Emmert, a ItepuK Ih-an. described him as "officious" today during the I'. K. senate campaign investigating committee's state election inquiry Stewart, who presided at the opening session of a two-day hearing, said that it "looked ax if Emmert 'took over'" in connection with the attorney general's order to county election boards Nov. 8. countermanding a previous order issued by the state board of election commissioners on voter registration. The Tennessean asked Ernest F Frick. Democratic member of the Marion county election lioard. If he knew of "any law in Indiana which gives the attorney general the power to ’take over'." Then he asked if Frick knew whether copies of a telegram received from Emmert l»y the Marion county election laiard ulxo were sent “by this officious attorney general to other county boards in Indiana." "It looks like he (Emmert) jumped in where angels feared to i tread." Stewart commented. IThe xesison recessed for an hour at I p. m An Xt-yeur-old Democrat, who testified thtit he wax detiied a vole Nov. 7 for the llrxt time in 62 yearn, wan the firnt witness. The witness wax Franklin P Spangler. Indianapolis, who told the U. S senatorial campaign investigating I’ommlttee that he wax denied the right to cast a ballot. (Turn To Page 3. Column 4)

New License Plates On Sale February 1 1944 Plates Valid Until March First Unles* Rue J Alexander, secretary of state, rule* otherwise, the 1945 auto plates and licei'xe* for drivers and chauffeur* -wil' no: go on sale until Fwbruary 1, the local auto license 'bureau announced today. According to law. the date is specified in the act*, but can I>e changed 'by the secretary of stale, it was explained The old 1944 plates and licenses for thie year are valid until March 1. 1945. the deadline for displaying the 1945 utfto plates. Mr*. Roy Hiolwi ich. clerk for Cal F. Peterson, bureau manager, issued the following stat.-men) on the procedure to be followed in Obtaining the new plates and license*, based on instWions given bureau managers and registration clerks as a district meeting la* wet k. •*The state office advises that the 1945 registration card* will be mailed from Indianapolis, beginning December 27. and all car owners should have these card* hy January 5, which wil! give them ample time to buy plates befoie March 1. Everyone desiring to purchase plates must have this reg-wtratlon curd which come* from the state or they must bring in their title, (’latex cannot be iasued otherwise. “Everyone owning a car must present a tax receipt in order to buy plate* if the car is in the wife's name -Rhe must secure from the county asetmsor. or the county treasurer. « statement that the taxes on thie car Irave been paid. The same rule applies to a minor, if the car io in his name. Platea cannot 1»e Issued without the tax receipt or the signed statement from the county assessor or county treaaurer. ■'Person* desiring to purchase plates for a car registered In a sarvice man's name, mus* have the registration card signed by the eer(Tura TO Pag* 8. Colama 4)

Buy War Savings Bonds And Stamps

Price Four Cents

Great Air Battles Swirl Over First Army Front—Counter Measures Launched Paris. Dec. 18—(UP) Lt. Gen. Courtney 11. Hodges unleashed his American first army countermeasures today against the biggest German offensive of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower's western campaign. the first Impact of which carried the Germans several miles across the Belgian and LuxemIwiurg frontiers. Dispatches from the fluid. 70mlle battlefront said Hodges' doughlioys had sprung to the task of sealing oil the penetrations of the American isisiHons l>y Marshal Karl Gerd Von Itiindsiedt'a counteroffensive which plunged at least three spearheads into Belgium and Luxembourg. For the second straight day great air battles swirled over the first army front. British spitfires and tempests streaked down from the 'list army group region to join tn Ihe tight against the longhoarded Nazi lighters ami liotnbera showing up by the hundreds In support of the offensive. Field reports up to early afternoon said that the American and British airmen had destroyed 2<> German planes, proliably downed three more, and damaged 13. Three U. S. tliumlerlioltx were lost The Nazis lost 103 planes yesterday against the Americans' 33. Brig Gen. Richard O Nugent, commander of the U. S. 29th tactical group, said at a ninth air force fighter base that Sunday's tact>«-al air battle* in the first army sector "exceeded anything on or since D-day. and today’s operations will he tremendous, too, weather permitting" Along with his planes. Rundrtedt threw Into his mad bull charge, regarded as an all-or-nothing bid lo turn the first army's line and upset Eisenhowers winter offensive, a vicious array of v-bombs and paratroopers Su|>r< m*« headquarters re|M>rted that about I<> more parachute troops were dropped on the ninth army front, flanking the first army to the left, last nighi. Six of them were captured A complete security blackout blanketed the first army front after the day's early reports were In. The move, a customary one in the first phase of new operations involving any appreciable change of positions, was taken to keep the Nazis from knowing the whercalMiuis of their forward elements whose communications might be cut off. and to obscure from the enemy standpoint the American counter-measures. Quick to take advantage, of the news blackout, Nazi propaganda (Turn To Paas 3. Column 8) o —~ Local Man Released From Parole Custody On the racommeiidations of the public welfare department and the state commMslon on clemency, Governor Henry Schricker ha« granted a discharge from the parole watch was given to Vidor Eicher on Nov. 29. 1943. A fo’rmer county auditor. Mr. Eicher was convicted at an embezzlement charge on Nov. 12, 1942 and sentenced to state prison for 2 to 21 years. He wan paroled a year later and the executivea order now releas«« him from the parole custody. Buys Health Bond

The Eastern purchase of a Protset Veer Hem* frsrn TUBSOCUtaSH IM Mff aa* UK OBtaaw Ml

Star hae voted 15 health tend, officials of the Christmas seal campaign in Ad< ama county announced today. Al! proceeds from the annua! Christ, mas seal salea are used in the flgbt o n tuberculosis and to provide free clinics and otherwise carry on the faght a-

gainst ths "white plague."*