Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 43, Number 11, Decatur, Adams County, 13 January 1945 — Page 1

janHE leMustWintheWar! 1 ' All Else Is Chores!

&LXLIIL No. 11

RUSSIANS OPEN TWO MORE MAJOR DRIVES

. S. Carrier lanes Smash ip Shipping <? 38 Japanese Ships iWrecked By Planes ‘From Third Flee* ‘carl Harbor. Jan. 13 —(UP) — Tier planes of the third fleet ick powerful new blows along !50-mile stretch of the French o-China coast today after •eking 38 Japanese ships in first phase of an assault that arently has smashed a major my attempt to reinforce eratled Luzon. ariying the attack into its ond day, hundreds of dive| ibers, torpedo planes and iters hammered at shipping, homes and other enemy inJlations from Saigon in the th to Quinhon in the north. A. Tokyo broadcast heard in don said some 90 B-29 supercresses also attacked Saigon night, but there was no connation from American sources land-based bombers had joinfin the attack. The Tokyo lidcast said 20 superfortresses ■fie shot down by Japanese ters and ground defenses.) Pacific fleet communique losed that 25 ships, including . and possibly 12 transports, a l'o-ton Katori class light cruisand several destroyers or detX>yer escorts, wore sunk and ither ves»eis damaged heavily the initial attacks, yesterday .10-China time). Thirty-nine tnese planes also were de“lt last reports, our service es have suffered no damage were continuing their aty ps,” Admjral Chester W. NimAnnounced. t least four Japanese convoys e hit in yesterday's strikes I it was theorized that some, hot all, had embarked on an mpt to move additional troops f supplies to - Luzon, about 0 miles to the east. arly advices gave no clue ther the convoys had been >d out completely, but it apfi'ed certaiSgQiey had been ||cd to disperse. Such ships might have escaped may be ■hauled yet and blasted to bottom.-, The Japanese Domei agency, ts first comment on the ats. said approximately 90 lier-based planes raided the Irhin-China sector centering and Saigon” for nine and a hours yesterday, with 20 of planes being shot down by; aireraH. batteries, i rough no major Japanese units were engaged in the y phase of the attack, the Turn Tn Psge 6, Column 11) JI * ns Prove Fatal Father Os Six >komo, tnd., Jan. 13 —.(UP) — children were made fatherlees 5y by the death of Thomas Wit- , 29, from burns sustained early week when he attempted to lea fire with kerosene. His also was burned severely.

Writer And Radio Was Born Here

uch intereat was created here ng radio listeners last Sunmorning, when it was annced that Forrest Davis, hington editor of the SaturEvening Post, and a native tecatur, would b ea member the world front round4aj>le s forum, sig. quiries did not reveal his tity. This newspaper wired pD. White, publicity director station WLW, Cincinnati, and desired information was obed through him about the ms personage who was born' lecatur. ■ .rsawsa'Mr. Davis’ own words, he | barn in this city on Novern--1893* the son of Elmer SWorth Dh-VfS. His note to Sji&ai bom in-’Decatur on Nov. OM, but was removed therebn year later by my parents, father at the time was the or Os the ttttiu United Brethchurch. Sjhtt leaving Deca'he was transferred to the

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN, ADAMS COUNTY

Argument On Murder Indictment Tuesday 'The motion to quash the grand jury indictment charging Orval Johnson with the murder of his exwife, Mary E. Johnson, on the night of December 9, is scheduled for argument before Judge J. Fred Fruchte in Adams circuit court on Tuesday morning. Johnson, who has been lodged in jail since Decembtr 10, has not yet en.ered a casS. He is held without bail on first and second degree murder counts, being indicted by the Adams county grand jury on December 13. The motion to quash the indictment was filed by his attorney, R. C. Parrish of Fort Wayne. G. Remy Bierly. newly elected prosecuting attorney, will represent the state. 0 Germans Still Pulling Back In Ardennes Allied Columns Fan Out Against Western End Os War Salient Paris, Jan. 13.— (UP)—Fast-roll-ing Allied columns fanned out through the western end of the Ardennes salient against disintegrating Nazi opposition today while stronger German covering forces to the east fought American armored divisions driving into their flanks from the north and south. A heavy morning mist hung over the battlefield early today but front reptffts said the skies were clearing an<j. there was some hope that Allied air forces would be able to join in the battle before noon. Far to the southeast in Alsace. U. S. seventh army troops rallied to throw back a strong German armored attack on their Maginot line positions along the northern edge of the Hagenau forest. Field dispatches indicated that the Germans still were pulling back in the’Ardennes, giving ground rapidly in the west and putting up a skillful rear guard action east of the Basiogne-Houffalize-Liege highway. Hard fighting was in progress on the northern and southern flanks east of that road and a Shaef communique acknowledged that the U. S. first and third armies were making only slight progress into the center of the pocket. The stubborn enemy covering action seemed likely to result in the successful escape of the bulk of Marshal Karl ■ - - f - — (Turn To Page 6, Column 3) o Action Is Generally Quiet On Italy Front Rome, Jan. 13 —i(UP) — Eighth army units killed 20 Germans and took 40 prisoners on the Commachio split, between the Va'.li Di ICammachio and the Adriatic, but action generally was quiet on both the eighth and fifth army fronts, hcadquartne said today. 'A six word communique covered yesterday's action by saying: “Fifth and eighth army fronts quiet.”

Presbyterian communion. His name is Elmer Ellsworth Davis. My father came from a farming family just across the Ohio line in Van Wert county.” Although living here only a year, Mr. Davis can be claimed as a native son and one of its most famous. He has been a newspaperman the greater part of his life and is the author of several books. Recently he contributed an article to the Saturday Evening Post on the navy, having interviewed Admiral King. Mr. White has contributed the following biography on Mr. Davis, who will again be heard over WLW at 11 o’clock Sunday morning: "Forrest Davis, a native of Decatur, Ind., and now Washington Editor for the Saturday Evening Post, was the guest observer on the station WLW “World Front” round-table news discussion program on Sunday, January 7. Mr. Davis joined the- regular WLW {Turn To Pagif «, Column 7)

Keesling Takes His Troubles To House Committee 1 I i / Ik J SHF j ; ■k Ax \ u-m. I I 4HI ■BMWrZ sj:<o ■ • ' wo.o § ; ’ inb* '■ JBK - ■ / wW - ;!■ JBaf- \ / ; 72'- ’ >OO ag . . — ' URGENT MILITARY NEED for 900,000 inductees plus addition of a million workers required by critical war industries, now makes “work or fight” labor legislation imperative, the House military affairs committee is told. Cpl. Francis Keesling. Selective Service liaison officer, is shown above at left pointing out the manpower situation by means of a chart to Chairman Andrew May of the military affairs committee.

Work-Or-Fight' Bill Meeting Obstacles CIO Leader Assails Roosevelt Request Washington. Jan. 13. — (UP) — President Roosevelt’s request for “work-pr-fight” legislation to force 4-Fs into war work ran into tough obstacles today, as the following developments were reported: 1. The Congress of Industrial Organizations said such a law would be “thoroughly unworkable", that in fact no form of manpower draft was needed hut that manpower problems should be worked out by management and labor conferences with the government. 2. Members of the house military affairs committee, currently considering the work-or-fight bill, began to wonder if such a law would force new war workers to join unions against their will. 3. And at the same time war production officials said the manpower crisis in industry would be greatly eased anyway if the currently reported trend of 4-Fs into war work continued. The house committee has been holding hearings all week on a bill introduced by chairman Andrew J. May, D.. Ky., to set up special army units for men 18 to 45 who refuse to do essential war work. Army, navy, manpower and production officials have told the committee of the need for legislation to force men into war work. But the committee has not yet heard from labor, which is scheduled to present its Bide of the case next week. Last night CIO president Philip Murray told mobilization director James F. Byrnes in a letter that “the way t(> solve production problems is not through such unworkable measures" but by a confer(Turn To Page 6. Column 3) o — Four Gl Black Market Operators Sentenced Paris, Jan. 13—(UP)—Four more GI black marketeers started long prison terms today for stealing cigarette and other supplies from U. S. array trains in the Paris area. The length of Their terms stirred speculation that they were being used as an object lesson to ether ■soldier offenders in the European theater. A court-martial sentenced the four to terms of 35 to 45 years’ imprisonment at hard labor yesterday after finding them guilty on a speckic charge of conspiracy in the theft of 5,000 packages of cigarettes and other articles on which they netted a profit of 32,000. _____ TEMPERATURE READING DEMOCRAT THERMOMETER 8:00 a. m 30 10:00 a. m — 30 a. m 30 WEATHER Partly cloudy and mild today, tonight and Sunday.

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday, January 13, 1945.

Thank You! We acknowledge with sincere appreciation receipts of a beautiful floral piece from’Adams Post No. 43. American Legion, last evening, on the occasion of the 42nd anniversary of the founding of the Daily Democrat. The surprise brought up memories of many events that have transpired during the more than two score years, not the least of which was the excellent cooperation of the Legion and other service organizations in efforts for the public good. Thank ,£ou tor remembering our birthday, which in the rush of affairs had passed our mind so completely that we failed to mention it. The Daily Democrat. o— — 14 Pupils Complete High School Studies To Receive Diplomas At Spring Exercises Fourteen high school students completed their work in the Decatur high school yesterday, with (he ending of the first semester, and will receive their diplomas at the annual graduation exercises next May, W. Guy Brown, principal, announced today. The new semester opens Mon day and several of the students will return to class, taking postgraduate work during the semester or continuing until they are called for military service. Six of the first semester graduates arc already- in the armed forces. They are, Thomas Colter. Frank Young, Jr., William Marbaugh, Leo Borne. Thomas K. Lures and Cletus McManama. Others who completed their work are. Robert L. August, Margery Linn. Donald E. Eichar, Douglas K. Gilpin, # Russell P. Stanley, Morris McClure and James C. King. There is no mid-year graduation from the eighth grade into high school. Mr. Brown stated. At the Lincoln building, Bryce Thomas, who was recently retired from the army after serving four years as a major, has resumed his position as principal of the grade —o

Two Suspects Held In Fort Wayne Murders Fort Wayne. Ind.. Jan. 13 —(UP) — Police in Louisville. Ky., and Montgomery, Ala., eac.h held a euspect whom they believe might be connected with t.he three unsolved rape murders here last year, for questioning by detective captain John Taylor, who left Fort Wayne today for the two southern cities. Chief of Police Jule Stumps said that he and Taylor had received numerous replies to their circulars about the brutal slayings, but that the.se two eeemed to have the most direct bearing and the best evidence. ,

Inventory At County Farm Is Increased Appraisers Report Increase Os $5,800 The inventory of livestock and personal property at the county farm shows an appraised value of ?18,990.43. an increase of more i than $5,800 over a year ago. The appraisement was made on ■ January 1, by Tillman H. Lehi man and Barton P. Walters, and j supervised by the county commissioners. In 1942, the inventory amount- | ed to $17,634.0<\; in 1943 it was $20,410.31 and in 1944 it dropped to $13,160.11. Os any single category, cattle qprriqfl the highest value. The .57 head were appraised at $5,855. Os this number, eight registered milk cows were assessed at $2200. Hogs were appraised at $1219 and four old mares at $l6O. Chickens numbering 400, were valued at SSOO. Grain, hay, feed and fertilizer amounted to $3750.50 and farm implements were appraised at $2948.10. Produce and supplies are listed at $900.55 and clothing for the inmates is valued at $418.70. Household goods were appraised at $2591.85 and miscellaneous items, including 50 tons of coal, are valued at $673.43. | The inventory was typed by j Ferd L. Litterer, county attorney. who assisted the appraisers i and county commissioners in list- . ing the number and value of livestock and other personal property owned by the county on its 270 acre farm and at the county home.

500 Men Are Lost As Typhoon Sinks Ships 91 Officers, Men Survive Sinkings With Admiral Halsey’s Third Fleet. Dec. 29.—(Delayed) — (UP) — A swirling tropical typhoon caught a group of third fleet vessels attempting to refuel from tankers at sea after extensive operations. swept 500 men* to their death, sank three destroyers, and damaged three Craft. (Loss of the destroyers was announced by the navy department in Washington Wednesday. Only 91 officers and men survived the sinking of the destroyers, the U. S. 8. Hull and the U. S. S. Monaghan. 1.500-ton vessels of the Farragut class, and the U. S. S. Spence, a 2-100-ton ship of the Fletcher class. Three officers and 24 men of the Hull, whose bodies or identification tags were recovered, were listed as dead. The remainder of the com(Turn To Page 6, Column «)

Alarmed German Radio Reports Say Gigantic Struggles Are Raging

Yankee Forces Drive 6 Miles Into Jap Flank — American Beachhead On Luzon Island Is Widened To 26 Miles General MacArthur’s Headquarters. Luzon. Jan. 13 — (UP) —! Sixth army forces have driven ■ six miles into the enemy's forti- I tied flank on the eastern shore l of Lingayen Gulf under supporl- ■ ing fire of American warships, I widening tjre American beach- ; head to at least 26 miles, a front ' dispatch disclosed today. The thrust from San Fabian, former northeastern anchor of : the beachhead, carried to the coastal town of Rabon, four and a half miles southwest of Rosario , airfield, 18 miles from Baguio. and 29 miles south of San Fernando, the latter the center of a , strong Japanese concentration. Forty-six Japanese freighters and coastal vessels attempting to | land reinforcements and supplies j at San Fernando Thursday were intercepted by American naval units. Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s I communique reported, and when j the smoke of furious shellfire : cleared, all 46 had been sunk i or damaged heavily. (Radio Tokyo said two Ameri- i ran convoys already have landed troops and supplies on the Lingayen Gulf and a third of more i than 100 transports, 100-odd J landing craft and 10 escorting ; aircraft carriers had arrived in | the gulf. Tokyo also speculated i that other American landings : were impending at- Batangas. i southwest of Manila, and Lamon ! Bay. southeast of the capital.) i Another Japanese broadcast said Japanese forces had sunk 31 and damaged 25 American i ships in the Lingayen Gulf be-1 tween Jan. 5 and 10. The Ger- i man Transocean agency claimed ; a Japanese submarine sank an American battleship last night in i the gulf.) Al tl)e center of the beachhead, ! American forces advanced in strength through Malasiqui. 12 i miles inland, to within six miles ! of the Agno river line on the | main highway from the Lingayen ; (Turn To Page 6, Coluntn Hi 0 —_— Company Salesmen Mee! Here Friday Schafet Company Plans For 1945 ■Plans for the sales division of the Schaler comijjny were completed at a company's salesmen. Ireld rday at the io-i ■cal office on First street, with Earl i C. Fuhrman, general manager. in 4 charge. Ten salesman attended and products which thtLc’Ompany manufactures and distributes wet e displayed and discussed with the salesmen. Talks were made by Ralph Gentis. sales manager and Harold En-1 gle, manager of the hardware de- ■ ■partment of the company. Last year the company enjoyed one of its big- i gest volumes of business and with , new lines added, the 1945 goal has be n set at a still higher point. Mr. Gen'tis stated. The company employs about 150 persons in its wholesale and glove manufacturing divisions. Aged Indianapolis Lady Fatally Burned ■lndianapolis. Jan. 13 —t(UP) — Funeral rites will be hold Monday for Mrs. Ella Burns, 83, victim of burns suffered when her hair and clothing caught fire from a candle she held while searching a cupAmtrd.

Army Seizes Struck Plant At Cleveland Strikers Ordered To Return To Work Cleveland. Jan. 13 (UP)-The army seized control of the Cleveland Electric Illuminating company early today, terminating a 16-hour wildcat strike, and ordered the strikers to return to work immediately or be discharged. In the fastest strike action to date. President Roosevelt ordered the army to take over before the power strike hampered production in additional war plants. At least 40 plants deluding on CEI for power had been forced to curtail production before the army took over. Col. E. A. Lynn of the army ordnance department, accompanied by a staff of eight officers and carrying a United States flag, entered the CEl’s downtown office and took possession of the struck facilities at 4:15 a. m. As the army began conferring with company and union officials, a competent observer declared that “a campaign could have been fought with the thousands of man hours lost” during t4ie -twrk stoppage. Col. Lynn warned that normal power service could not be expected until mid-morning, an,d appealed to homeowners and industrial users tol conserve electricity. One of the first problems facing the army officers and enlisted men stationed throughout the company's system would be relief Cor the skeleton crews —made up of day shift men—who had remained on duty throughout the work stoppage. Lynn immediately called on all employes to return to work. “Any employe who does not report at the beginning of his next regular shift will be subject to immediate discharge.” Lynn said. Any who hesitated, he said would be "immediately referred to the state director of selective service for reclassification in event he holds an occupational deferment." Acting secretary of war John J. McCloy in Washington called for every striker to “resume his post at once” in a statement anrtmncihg the presidents early morning seizure order. The wildcat strike of 409 maintenance workers reportedly started over a union steward's resentment of the company’s refusal to substitute a day shift for the overnight shift to which he had been assigned. Power was cut from 50 to 75 percent shortly after midnight to rive outlying counties and the curtailment of war production was reported immediately. McCloy said in Washington that the president's action was necessitated by a strike “which fTiirii Tn isirc 6. Column S)

Gerald H. Schroeder Wounded Second Time On Europe Front

Pfc. Gapild H. Schroedeti eon of Mr. and Sotirgpder of. Preble townsffip.Ja wrgifyled hero il>the inva?>sn D-Day-last June 6. hd% again been wountler. this time in Germany. . V The parents were notified yesterday that their son was wounded December 21 in the German counter-drive, which was launched by General Rundstedt against American troops who were driving through the Siegfried line. Pfc. Schroeder was awarded the Purple Heart for his first wounds and several of his buddies wrote to this newspaper last fall, telling of his heroic deeds on the field of battle in France. The wounded soldier is with a Ranger battailion. He entered the army on July 15. 1942, taking training at Camp Forest, Tenn.. Fort Pierce. Fla., and Fori Dix. N. J. He went overseas in October, 1943 and has participated in several major battle®.

Buy War Savings Bonds And Stamps

Price Four Cents.

Front Os 600 Miles Between Baltic And Danube Valley Is Ablaze With Action London, Jan. 13.— (UP)--'Alarm-id Nazi broadcasts said today that the Red army had opened two more i-major offensives in East Prus a and Czechoslovakia and that >■ “gigantic struggle of decisive importance is raging” on a 600-mile front between the Baltic and the Danube valley. Berlin reported that one day afi ter blasting open the Polish front the Russians mounted full dre’.s offensives apparently aimed at ••- j curing the flanks of a Soviet push across the frozen Polish plains on ■ the shortest rout to Berlin. As usual in the first phase of new operations. Moscow had not announced the Nazi-reported attacks. But the almost panicky tenor of i the German reports indicated strongly that Marshal Stalin had hurled a massive array of pentttp power at the G-'nnaus in a historic ; winter offensive. “There is no doubt that the Soviets now are staking everything on one card,"’ Ernst Von .Hammer, Berlin military commentator, said. “A great testing of forces with the Soviets now is in progress on six battlefields scattered from East Pressia to Budapest. “They are firstly around tht Hungarian capital; secondly b* tween Szekeefehervar and the Danube bend, thirdly the penetration area east of Komarno on the Danube, fourthly the area of the Hun-garian-Slovak border; fifthly the Vistula biidgelo-ad west ol Bai.inow, and sixthly the East Prussian fighting zone. “it must lie assumed that the Soviets will still further enlarge the scenes of the fighting.” The German DNB agency also reported that the Soviets had thrown at least thTee armies, two tank corps, and other independent units into the first of its long-await-ed winter offensives, which admittedly already had breached the outer Nazi defenses before Krakow in southern Poland. DNB said Russian forces at the northern end of the front had swung over to the offensive this morning along a 20-mile sector in East Prussia between Pillkalleu, 2s miles northeast of Isterburg and IP miles from Lithuania, and Eydtkau. on the East Prussian-Lithuani. i border. The offensive got under way from the narrow eastern salient oi East Prussia which the Red army seized in a brief spurt last’October. The attack was forcused along the northern side of the KonigsbergKaunas railway. Fighting also flared in the M-emel bridgehead on the Baltic coast northwest of Pillkallen. the German transocean agency said. The Soviets were “repulsed everywhere,” the agency said. (Turn To Pasce 6, Column G)

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