Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 43, Number 19, Decatur, Adams County, 23 January 1945 — Page 1

Must Win the War! Wme AH Else Is Chores!

»> I !■ ,1 I Vol. XLIII. No. 19.

RUSSIANS WITHIN 138 MILES OF BERLIN

German Forces In Full Flight From Belgium Americans Rooting Last Os Nazis Out Os St. Vith Base Paris, Jan. 23 — (UP) — The American first army fought house o house through St. Vith today nd on the rest of its Ardennes ront pursued German forces in ull flight out of Belgium. “We are having trouble keepng up with them, they are fleeng so fast,” a staff officer at Lt. Sen. Courtney H. Hodges’ headquarters told war correspondents. Only at St. Vith did the Germans make a fight of the last hase of their withdrawal across he border of the Reich into the degfried and that tand apparently was aimed only t holding open escape channels. The snclt-torn wreckage of St. ’it.h and a bare few miles to the ast was about all that was left 'f Marshal Karl Von Rundstedt’s Christmas holiday” in the west. As the seventh armored diviion rooted the last Nazis out of t. Vith. the 30th division nearby wved up about two miles and he 75th division more than a rile. American planes were running p another big bag in the second freight day of assault on the etreating Germans. Early reorts said that in 247 sorties. 464 merman motor transport vehicles 'ere destroyed and 567 damaged. To the north, the British second rmy captured the four villages f Valdenrath, Obspringen. Lafjld, and Locken in gains of halt' mile east of St. Josst mid beond Ebensweert in the Dutch.oer pocket. The capture of Laffeld brought ae« British within two miles of re Jrig road center of Heinsberg. The southern front was reportd quiet except for two German ounterattacks around Kilstett ear Gambsheim They were eaten off in several hours of tiff fighting. Both the American first and mericati third armies reported le Nazis were Wilting under un emitting ground pressure and pe effects of < the terrific air mash which yesterday knocked jut 4,100 German vehicles trying '> get back inside the protection f the Siegfried line. The third army punched out a ain of four and a half miles -om a point six miles northeast f Houffalize and all along the ,ne shoved forward distances of mile or more. Upwardly-revised figures shows' the following toll exacted by re tactical air forces in yester ay’s record strikes at German trees lu and just behind the rdennes bulge: Motor vehicles —1,594 deslroy3, 1,193 damaged. Tank# ond arniored vehicles—--9 destroyed, 72 damaged. Horse-drawn vehicles —4O decoyed. • Railway cars — 745 destroyed, To 2. Column 3) fep. Car/ R. Noack | Missing In Action In Germany Dec. 28 I ■ -——_ ■ -’—T IPtc. Carl R. Sback, 34, son of Ins. Lewis -Stump of Decatur route tx, has lheen missing in action in jcrmaiiy sipce December 2s, the lar department has notified relaI'The Decatur soldier lived in Michigan prior to joining the army I 1943 and went overseas lasi jeptember. He was an infan'-ry-lan with General Patton’s Third ItHid brother, (Pvt. Norman L. loach, also an' infantryman, was | ported wounded in Germany on leeember 22. Relatives here had 'Uy meager details 'concerning the (malty. o TEMPERATURE READING DEMOCRAT THERMOMETER 8:00 a. m. - 24 10:00 a. m 21 Noon . 21 2:00 p, m 25 WEATHER Generally fair with no decided change in temperature tonight and Wednesday.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Institute Speaker . *-/.’i -- I ■. » Arthur O’Connor, Australian journalist and foreign correspondent, will speak at the third of the series in the Rotary institute of •international understanding lectures. at the Decatur junior-senior high school Thursday evening. • Australian To Be Institute Speaker Third In Lecture Series Thursday The trip around the world in tlie Rotary institute of international understanding will be continued this week with a talk on Australia by 'Arthur O’Connor, Australian journalist and foreign correspondent, who will epeak at the juniorsenior high auditorium Thursday evening at 8 o'clock. Having heard aibout Russia from Simon IM. Davidian and the new republic of China -by Rose Hum Lee, the 1000 or more members of he institute will have the opporcunity to learn what the people of Australia, New Zealand, and islands of the South Pacific think of world affairs and cooperation for a durable peace, from Mr. O’Connor, a native Austrian. IMr.. O’Connor is a journalist and lecturer well known in his native Australia and in the United States. As a reporter he covered almost •very phase of Australian life, from he capital cities to the sheep and tattle country, the goldfields of Western Australia, tropical Queensland and the great barrier reef. During World War I, Mr. O’Contor was a staff correspondent in London of the Australian daily press, feature contributor to the Paris ‘Daily Mail”, and later special correspondent of the London “Daily Express.” As chief of the federal political staff of the 'Melbourne “Herald” and allied newspapers. Mr. O'Con(Turn To Page 2, Column 7) o Pvt. Fred Musser Killed In Action Former Decatur Man Dies In Luxembourg Pvt. Fred Musser, 31, of Fort Wayne, formerly of this city and Monroe township, was killed in action in Luxembourg on January 8, his wife, the former Olive Teeter of this city, was advised by the war department last night. Pvt. Musser was with the 80th division of General Patton’s Third army. Last Sunday his wife, who had Visited here over the weekend with Dr. and Mrs. Roland Reppert, received a letter from her husband, giving her his new address. He stated that he was in Luxembourg. The death message followed the next day. The Decatur soldier entered the army in September, 1943 and went overseas last May. At one time he had been a cook with his company. Pvt. Musser was graduated from the Decatur high school in 1932. He was employed at the Daily Democrat in the composing room for several months and then followed the printer’s trade in Berne, where he opened a cut making business. He was married to Miss Teeter four years ago and later moved to Fort Wayne. They have one son, Fred Jr. Sha resides at 435% Fx:ton street. Besides Ms wife and son. he is survived by W mother. Mrs. Emil Brunner and two brothers, Harry and Ed Musser.

Yanks Keep Up Swift Advance Toward Manila American Vanguards In Sight Os First Os Clark Airstrips General MacArthur’s Headquarters, Luzon, Jan. 23 — (UP) — Vanguards of the American 14th corps drove to within sight -of Bamban and the first of the Clark Field airstrips only 53 miles north of Manila today. Capas, four miles northeast of Bamban and 56 miles north of Manila, fell yesterday in the swift American advance down the main highway to the Philippines capital and it appeared likely that Bamban also would be captured by dusk today. Resistance continued negligible. Though earlier reports Indicated the Japanese might make a stand at Bamban, headquarters now anticipated no more than a delaying action. The Americans also further strengthened their eastern and western flanks against the possibility of a Japanese counterattack as the invasion of Luzon went into its third week. Gen. Douglas MacArthur disclosed that five divisions and a special regimental combat team —a total of 75,000 to 100,000 troops —were fighting on Luzon, divided into two corps. Spearheading the advance on Manila. Maj. Gen. Oscar W. Griswold’s 14th corps captured! both Capas, 11 miles south of Tarlac, and Santa Monica, eight and a v half milek east of Capas, yesterday. A dozen smaller villages were overrun in the advance and a front dispatch said patrols were probing the Bamban river valley within sight of both Bamban and the Bamban airstrip, most of the Clark Field constellation. The 14th corps sent one column branching out to the west toward Camp O’Donnell, eight and a half miles from Capas, whet*e a large number of American war prisoners formerly were confined. (Turn To Page 2, Column 5) -» —o— —- — More New Measures Submitted In House New Liquor Measure Is Among New Bills Indianapolis, Jan. 23—(UP) — A proposal to force the Indiana alcoholic beverages commission to issue liquor permits upon the unanimous recommendation of all three local county beverage board members was introduced today in the house of the state general assembly. Rep. Elmer C. Weller. R., Dale, offered the measure to make it mandatory for the state commission to grant permits to retailers and dealers whose applications have been approved by all county board members except the state ABC representative who serves as a fourth member. At present, the ABC is not bound by the recommendations of county boards. The bill was one of 17 presented in the house, which passed three minor measures and adjourned until 10 a. m. tomorrow. In the senate, 10 new bills were offered and three others passed before the nipper house adjourned to the same hour. A senate concurrent resolution also was adopted. Other new house bills would: Allow school teachers to have group Insurance. Reduce school fund loan interest rates to four percent, retroactively. Permit state banks to make V-loans to industrial firms making war goods. Prohibit city officials or employes from receiving commissions on the purchase, installation and operation of parking meters, and require that all parking meter funds shall be placed tn city street and alley funds. Repeal the merit system provisions regarding the appointment (Turn To Page 2, Column 5)

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday, January 23, 1945.

Closer—And Closer—To Berlin \ i third 11 ; - Il \ J WHITE RUSSIANS 1 1 y * » » k» _. _. Lw J > f / ■" —-TTonigmhg' I T~.._ INSTHBUBG* •GUMBiNNENI -T EAST 0010 "* # i » t osiirooi ornwj>G * > ■! -J»A»ItNWHOtS j •'OSTIOLEKA _ . 7 V v & —nm - ? 1 S ZzHown life, Y ; \ 4 •»AOOM S 4 V QERMANY 1 ■V,: ( * / JI • ’ ■ -L. K«US» u »Gt; »CieSIOCHOWA\' , ’J -7 \ ...MOW r B cfoHOSIOVAKIA RUSSIA’S WINTER OFFENSIVE continues to monopolize the headlines as three great Red armies plunge closer and closer to Berlin, now less than 200 miles away. This map shows the latest Red thrusts in East Prussia and Silesia. The historic Hindenburg shrine city of Tannenberg fell to the Reds in a new 16-mile lunge into southern East Prussia. The Oder river became the focal point for what may be the biggest battle of the second World War for it is this barrier that the Russians must breach for the final drive on the Reich capital. High ground on the western banks of the Oder gives the Germans command of the approaches to the Reich.

Drastic Program To Cut Clothing Costs To Reduce Prices Os Essential Garments Washington. Jan. 23 —(UP)— Price Administrator Chester Bowles and production chief J. A. Krug today announced a synchronized, far-reaching program which they said was designed to keep American civilians “decently” clothed in the face of rising prices and dwindling supplies of cotton, wool, and rayon. The drastic new program is planned to reduce prices of medium and low-priced essential garments by six or seven percent in the next few months. This rollback, plus elimination of an anticipated price increase of a similar amount if left uncontrolled, will save the consumer an estimated $500,900,000 yearly, they said. The program should get quality, quantity and prices of essential apparel back to the level of the first six months of 1943, when the hold-the-line order began to take effect. Bowles and Krug unveiled their plan at a joint press conference (Turn To Page 2, Column 6) o Complete Action On Work-Fight Measure Restraints On Labor Stiffen Opposition Washington, Jan. 23 —(UP)—Conflicts over restraints on organized labor threatened today to stiffen opposition to house approval of pending “work or be drafted” legislation. The house military affairs committee has completed action on the bill, although it deferred a formal vote until tomorrow so it could draft a new bill and eliminate the need for offering a lengthy series of committee amendments on the house floor. The delay probably will prevent the bill from reaching the floor until next week. The measure now provides that men in the I'B-45 year age brackets, including 4-F’s must stick to their present war jobs or get into essential work as needed, under penalty of stiff fines and prison terms or army induction in the case of physically qualified registrants. The principal change made by the committee yesterday would exempt workers assigned to or volunteering for certified war jobs from closed shop provisions of union conoontractfi. Rep. Philip J. Philbin, D., Mass., committee member opposed to the amendment, told reporters an attempt would be made on the floor to eliminate It and predicted a “tough fight." He said the amendment would (Turn To Pag* 2, Column 4)

Donald Pillars Is Killed In Action Donald Pillars, electrician second j class, 26-year-old grandson of the ■ late Ben F. Pillars and Mrs. Pil- j lars, former residents of this city.; was killed in action on October 20, according to word received here. He was communications officer on a cruiser, and had participated in the naval battles of Guadalcanal, Solomon islands, Marshall islands, the Marianas and Saipan. His wife resides in Dallas, Texas. -■ 0 » Training Course To Boy Scout Leaders Refresher Course Held Here Monday A refresher training course for Boy Scout leaders of Adame county was held Monday evening at the Decatur junior-senior high school building, with Anthony Wayne area officials conducting the session. This was the first of similar meetings to be held in the nine counties embracing the Anthony Wayne area. Purpose of the course is to refresh Scout leaders in the various branches of Boy Scout work and activities. R. L. Von Horn, Anthony Wayne area executive, was in charge of the meeting, assisted by Carl j Schust, area commissioner; A. W_ Kettler, area president, and Joe Saundcns, field executive. Brief talks were given by Kettler and Schust on the importance of scouting at the present time. VanHorn then discussed in detail the duties of each of the Scout organ!-, zatlons. Adams county leaders of various ! Scout activities, who were present ; last night for this refresher course, and their committees are as follows : ■Extension and organization. Clifton Spruuger, of Berne; commissioner and staff. Sylvester Everhart and Sherman Stucky, of Berne; leadership and training. ; Royle Sprunger; advancement, W.! Guy Brown and Harold Mumma; camping and activities, Clarence Ziner; finance, Grover Sprunger, of Berne; health! an safety, T. C. (Turn To Paste 2. Column 4) o 121 Percent Boost In Fresh Fruit Prices Chicago, Jan. 23—(UP) — Fresh fruit and vegetables now cost the consumer 121 per cent more than they did in 19»9, Geoffrey Baker, chief of the food price division of? the OPA in Washington, told here this noon at a meeting of the United ‘Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association today. Most of the increase in prices were caused by the necessity of equalizing the farmer’s income with other industries, and of encouraging inei'easM production, he said. High wtag.s and scarcity of labor have also contributed, he added.

Storm Poznan Defenses, \ Great Transport Center Os Bydgoszcz Captured i

John Christener To Head Finance Board John Christener, county commissioner, was elected chairman of the county finance bored at an organization meeting held at the auditor’s office yesterday. Eli Dubach, commissioner from the third district, was named vice-chairman. Thurman I. Drew, county auditor, by virtue of his office, is secretary of the board. Under the law the board will send invitations to the banks in the county asking them to submit proposals for the depositing of county funds in the banks. The board will designate the depositories next month. Hiller Rushes Gestapo Chief To East Front Stockholm Reports Say Nazi Leaders Are Fleeinq Berlin London. Jan. 23—(UP) —‘Berlin reported today that Adolf Hitler had rushed Gestapo chief Heinrich Himmler and other of his best commanders to the eastern front and given' them “complete power” to rally German strength against the Russians in any way they saw fit. “I’he Fuehrer has sent his best army commanders and men of iron determination like Reich leader Himmler to the focal points ol the battle,” a Nazi broadcast said. "They have neen given a complete power and will make radical decisions and guarantee the command.” The broadcast signalized Berlin’s acknowledgement that the battle of Germany had begun in the east, since Himmler is commander in chief of the German home army-and commander of the gestapo, which Allied armies have credited with keeping Germany in the war. Unconfirmed reports from Stockholm said Nazi leaders were fleeing Berlin, and the rest of the capital’s inhabitants would be evacuated as soon as th party bigwigs were safely away. A German broadcast plainly trying to boost morale on the home home front said that, "already the Soviet herders are getting a foretaste of German contempt for death when the-defense of the Homeland is at stake.” The DNIB news agency said the Germans calmly were preparing counterblows, but it would take longer than the preparation of “tactical defense measures.” A DNiB commentator, calling on the Germans to" make Germany an insurperable bulwark of fanatic resistance,” cried: “What is all’the Soviet mass brutality, all the Jewish hatred, the plutocratic profit instincts, compared with the glowing will to live of IGOJOCO.OOO persons? At no time •shall we forget that, we were and will be Germans, and therefore are stronger than all our enemies together.” —o Gross Income Field Man Here Wednesday Carl H. Pease, field agent of the Indiana gross income tax division, will be in Decatur Wednesday from 1 t« 4 p. m. to assist taxpayers in filing the annual 1944 gross income taxireturn, it was announced today by Cal F. Peterson, auto license bianch manager. The 1944 annual gross income tax return is now due aijd must be filed and paid on or before January 31, 1945. After that date it will be delinquent. The annual return must include the taxpayer's entire gross income from January 1 to December 31, even though quarterly returns have been made for the preceding quarters during the year.

Superforts In Attack On Main Japan Island Tokyo Radio Says 70 Superfortresses Smash At Nagoya Pearl Harbor. Jan. 23. — (UP) — The Tokyo- radio said about 70 Superfortresses from the Marianas raided the Japanese homeland aircraft center of Nagoya for two hours today. The war department, announcing the raid, said the B-29’s “again struck at the center of industrial Japan.” A communique gave no details of the attack by the Superfortresses operating under a new commander. Maj. Gen. Curtis Lemay. The Japanese claimed “fierce in-; terception” interfered with the sev-, eral formations of big bombers and that they were able to do only I “slight” damage. They said nothing. however, of any American i planes shot down or damaged. Destruction of 140 Japanese aircraft and damaging of 100 more by planes of the third fleet in destructive attacks Sunday (Tokyo time) on Formosa and the adjacent Sakishima and Pescadore islands were disclosed in a Pacific fleet com * munique. Tokyo said the carrier-based assault on the Formosa area had gone into a second day Monday, will) a total force of 1.000 planes attacking Japanese installations in the two-day period. Eighty-five of the raiders were shot down and 68 damaged. Tokyo said. I’he Japanese radio also said; American Lightning fighter planes j had joined land-based bombers for! the first time in attacking Formosa, j Apparently from Philippines bases. 80 Lightnings and 20 Liberators raided southern Formosa tor three hours Sunday. Tokyo said. The report of the large-scale land-based assault was not confirmed immediately, but Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s communique reported that patrol planes from the Philippines bombed the harbor at Takao, (Turn To Pagie 2, Column 4) o Committee To Confer With Wallace, Jones Also Plan Study Os Sen. George's Bill Washington, Jan. 23 —(UP)— The senate commerce committee decided today to call former vice president. Henry A. Wallace and secretary of commerce Jesse Jones before it tomorrow. Tlie committee is copsidering i both President Roosevelt's nom-1 ination of Wallace to succeed i Jones and a bill by Sen. Walter' George, D., Ga., to divorce the government's multi'-billion-dollar .lending agencies from the commerce department. The bill was prompted by Wallace’s nomination. George, one of the most influential members of the senate, and many other congressmen have expressed the belief that Wallace lacks the necessary financial experience to handle successfully such agencies as the Reconstruction Finance Corp. • Chairman Josiah W. Bailey. D., N. C.-, of the commerce committee said Jones and Wallace, bitter enemies, will meet face to face in a hearing open to the public. Bailey said the hearing would be held at 1:30 p. m. CWT. He made the announcement after a 2Va-hour closed meeting. He said the committee agreed to consider the George bill —to reestablish the federal loan agency at) an independent agency—first (Turn To@Pag>e 2, Column 4).

Buy War Savings Bonds And Stamps

Price Four Cents.

Fall Os Transport Center Unhinges Main Defenses In Northwest Poland London. Jan. 23—(UP)—(The Red army today stormed the defenses of •Poznan. Polish Baston 138 miles due east of Berlin, and 66 miles to I the northeastu captured the big transport center of Bydgoszcz, southern gateway of the old Polish corridor to the Baltic. Marshal Gregory K. Zhukov’s . army, setting the pace in the great Russian sweep against Germany, captured Bydgoszcz in a frontal assault coordinated with a flanking maneuver. The fall of Bydgoszcz, hu'h from which a score of railroads and highways radiate, unhinged the main German defenses of northwest Poland and Freed powerful Soviet forces to join the big push toward Berlin. Both Moscow and Berlin reported that Zhukov’s’ left wing was charging over the approaches of Poznan, last big Polish base on the ! road to the German capital. To the south. Marshal Ivan S. ■ Konevm’s invasion forces in Silesia I were reported to have reached the ! Oder river southeast of Breslau, i and Berlin tacticly acknowledged ‘that the first soviet wedge had been driven to this primary defense line of the Nazi homeland. In the northeast, the Moscow radio reported that the Red army “is nearing Konigsbeeg,” capital ol East Prussia which was being overj run from the east and south. Last official accounts placed the Soviet vanguard 28 miles from Konigsberg. Marshal Stalin’s .first order of the day today announced the capture of Bydgoszcz, "an important junction of railways and highways and a powerful stronghold of the German I defense of the lower Vistula.” Soviet dispatches quoted uncon- | firmed reports that the Russians i had smashed to the upper Oder riv|er in German Silesia, the lower ! course of which winds within 35 miles of Berlin. The lightning pace of tlie Red army advance imticat d that the mauled and ranted Germans could not undertake a stand short of t;h.e Odor. Two Red armies were battering through East Prussia, defended by an estimated 2() ,000 German troops tlireatened with entrapment by a drive cutting the next to last exit railroad, and carrying within 44 miles of the Baltic. On the opposite wing of the unprecedented Russian offensive, the German high command ..cknowldeged that pwoerful Soviet units were attacking in the area between Manslau and Dels, respectively 29 miles east and 17 northeast of Breslau, capital of Silesia. From Berlin came a clamor of warnings to the German people that the decisive hour of the war has struck and that the eastern frontlets must be held at all costs. The Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung declared that Adolf Hitler had gone to the east to take personal command of the battle. ' Unconfirmed and apparently ex- ! aggerated reports circulated by the 1 Swedish press told of panic inside i the German capital. These accounts j said Nazi officials were removing the government archives and fleeing to some undisclosed place of safety and that the general population was to be evacuated shortly. Other reports told of hurried fortification of building on the outskirts of the capital and along the Oder. To the south. Marshal Ivan S. Konev's first Ukranian army drove (Turn To Page 2, Column 6) Flying Fortresses Smash At Railyards London, Jan. 23—(UP) — American flying fortresses, 200 strong, escorted by about 100 mustang figh’ers today smashed at the Neuss railyards, four miles south of Dusseldorf. The day strike followed a night attack by 750 RAF bomb 1 rs on Duisburg and other objectives in western Germany.A synthetic oil plant at Duisburg wa» the main British objective.