Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 43, Number 31, Decatur, Adams County, 6 February 1945 — Page 1

Win the War! Aiftlse Is Chores? 4

111. No. 31.

KVAL JOHNSON SENTENCED TO LIFE TERM

■Of Manila ■oclaimed MacArthur pines Capital gSrnted, Tokyo Is Ot On Yankee List 6 — (UP)— Three d: encircled fanatiinr, Japanese remnants •oilay, virtually complet'ftjJL in« of the Philippines tlie s,age tor ,he next . » Hhi l Marell on Tokyo. ' MacArthur officialthe fall of Manila, Philippines and largc ci«e: liberated in the Pacific k( . ( ■ said the motto of his was: 111,1 “complete destrue’loomed enemy garrison ' imminent «nd re...pjKt .mother 1.350 American si .sßfl war prisoners and civilBUhßees had been freed jester:yW*Bti”‘ capture of ancient 811<sh®fntfrican forces avenging ... irtgK defeats of 1942 sealed off ittaKt insula and were believed eismß fm’ an early assault on ,-rt in Minila Bay. of .Manila marks the ~j 4*. great phase of the Pacit and set the stage for :«W,T MacArthur said in a accompanying hie daily safe, the Philipineitßra'ed. and the ultimate reof tile East indies and ; ei,y made a certainity, becomes, ‘on to Tokyo!’ ” off the eventual Ices of Japanese propagandists ■M^B 11 ' 1 FCC said that the comr Americans to Manila was our side waited for. .a jsjßbh'i'ding tactics will now positive stage.”) l Tfefrßtii airborne division com-’ if sß stranglehold on Ute batgarrison in Manila into the city from the >S#B:- rday after an overnight .ABjfi miles. TSaHui infantry division. |wurcapital from the north, n d,rj®ir.-u cavalry division, from ie e&B linked up in the heart of cleared al! of the city Pasig river with the ■ v®fc ( >f scattered groups of Tfe®t>unese blew up the Quezon bridges across the broad MSB they fell back into the of Manila for a last other bridges remained "Attß>..-t-ver, and may have been the Americans. demolition squads coniSWeir destructive work in Manila, working feverishtheir own imminent des'rtsS® Numerous fires cast a ■•<<sMii ° f snioke ° ver tlie city s - ulit ' shook the ground at WMh" 11 th airborne division’s bffljßto southern Manila, howcmony garrison could be “hopelessly trapped,” said. 'B 0 Yogds Fatal To a«B Os F am i|y ' W ll ' 1 foui 'th victim to die inflicted by the family slayer,” Zeile J. r^B 1 - was his wife, Mrs. Smith. 4S, who suffered head wounds until this (ea( 'her, and World 'hX* I veteran • attempted a '”^B e slaughter of his fivefamily Jan. 9. He had w B sllP(i telling the group an ‘ go ’ n S to be a better the future than I have H the past,” when he drew <a,il>f ' r pis, ° 1 an<l began ,! 'i«B| at them. .IB’ erature Reading 1rW CRAT the ß m <>meter m 26 ’MB- m 26 - 27 3, m ' 28 WEATHER JB dy through Wednesday, . . B flurries and becoming ■ Wsdhwsdey and tn i2B* northwest tonight,

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Lone Superforts Again Bomb Kobe Washington, Feb. 6 — (UP) — bone superfortresses bombed the big Japanese port of Kobe twice early today, radio Tokyo said, in a follow-up to Sunday's heavy raid. Two other B-29s flew over Kobe at 11:30 p. m., the broadcast said, but it did not indicate whether they, too, dropped bombs. A dispatch from 21st bomber command headquarters at Guam said reconnaissance photographs showed one important industrial plant had been "substantially destroyed” hy fire in Sunday’s raid. o Reveals Big Three Now In Conference Speculation Rife Over Confab Site London, Feb. 6.—(UP)—The Allied big three are in session at “this very moment,” Sir Walter Citrine, general secretary of the British trades union congress, revealed today. He made the disclosure at the opening session of the world trade union conference in explaining why Prime Minister Churchill could not address the meeting. Churchill had promised to speak at the conference, but instead sent a message of greeting's to the delegates. “He is at the conference of the three great powers taking place at this very moment,” Citrine said. Speculation continued over the whereabouts of thf big three meeting, with most sources suggesting the Black Sea area or possibly StaHugrad. One theory was that some sessions at least were being held aboard a warship, perhaps American, with President Roosevelt as host. The Japanese betrayed increasing concern that Premier Stalin - may align Russia with the United States and Britain against Japan at the conference. They obviously feared that Stalin, flushed by victories over the German army, will give President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill a definite promise to throw at least part of the Red army against the Japanese after Germany has surrendered. The entire far eastern military situation is scheduled to be reviewed at the big three meeting, and the Japanese know it. The influential Tokyo newspaper (Turn To Pago 5. Column 4) — o — Milk Weed Pods To Be Shipped Thursday Pods Collected By Schools Os County The 1,000 bags of milk weed pods that hung on the fence in Bellmont park east of town, were removed yesterday under the supervision of Lyman L. Hann, county superintendent of schools, Lawrence Archbold, county agent, and Winfred Gerke, county AAA chairman, and taken to the grain storage warehouses on Ninth street to await shipment on Thursday to a government receiving station. The pods were left out in the weather to dry and an inspection yesterday showed that they were in proper shape for shipment. A freight car has been ordered in on the Pennsylvania tracks next Thursday and the bags, along with another 1,000 that are stored in the county, will be loaded. The railroad will pictf up other shipments along the line and deliver the milk weed pods to the government, or a designated ag- ' ency. The school children in Decatur and throughout the county gathered the pods last fall. The floss of the pod is used in making life preservers for the navy, it being the only substitute available for kapok. A county contest was conducted last fall to encourage the children to gather the pods. When first gathered the pods heated up and had to be dried before they could be shipped. A county highway truck was donated to haul the bags from Bellmont park to the storage bins, Mr. Archbold, wld.

Yankee Troops Break Through Siegfried Line German Resistance Is Stiffening On Third Army Front 'Paris, Feib. 6—(UP)—American third army troops broke through the Seigfried line at a number of points in Germany’s Sdhnee Eifel forest today and closed in on the west wall bastion of Prura along an eight-mile front. 'Twenty-five miles to the north, infantrymen of the U. S. first army were locked in a hard fight for the Roer river dams and the last belt of Siegfried bilTboxes covering the approaches to the Cologne plain. At the southern end of the front, American and French troops splintered the German pocket around Colmar into isolated groups and Laid a curtain of shellfire across the enemy’s Rhine river escape bridges. Thousands of Nazi troops were reported in full flight across the Rhine from Alsace under heavy artillery fire, leaving 1,500 to 2,000 of their number hopelessly trapped behind the Allied lines in the Vosges mountains. Field dispatches said the American first and third armies were grinding steadily forward through the eastern fringes o f the Siegfried line, bursting through that barrier at some points in a methodical advance that was beginning to threaten the entire German position west ot the Rhine. German resistance was stiffening, however, particularly on the third array front where Lt. Gen. George S. Patton’s infantry divisions ran into increasingly heavy counter- attacks. • Patton’s troops hammered out gains of a mile and more on eightmile front before Prura, capturing Haibscheid, seven miles west-south-west of that communications center, and Schlausenbaca, six miles to the northwest. 'Three* miles below Sdhlausenbach, the doughboys pushed to within 3% miles of Prum after a two-mile advance from Buchet, while still farther south they captured Brandscheid, only to run into a sharp counterattack that carried the Germans back into the town. At last reports, heavy fighting was continuing inside Brandscheid, five miles due west of Prum. The Siegried break-through apparently was made in the Brandschied area and east of Buchet, where the enemy’s fixed defenses (Turn To Page 5, Column 3)

Planes Incessantly Pounding At Germany Daylight Attacks Follow Berlin Raid London, Feb. 6. —(UP)—More than 2,100 eighth air force bombers and fighters attacked industrial dnd communication targets in central Germany today following a night raid by RAF Mosquito bombers on refugee-packed Berlin. The American aerial fleet, comprising about 1,300 Liberators and Flying Fortresses and 850 Mustangs and Thunderbolts, concentrated principally on the Madeburg, Leipzig and Chemnitz areas in the heart of Germany. The RAF night raiders struck while firemen still were battling to quench the last of the fires kindled by 1,000 American planes in a devastating daylight raid on the German capital Saturday. A traveler who arrived in Malmo, Sweden, from Berlin yesterday said the American bombers scored a direct hit on Adolf Hitler s reichschancellory and demolished what remained from previous raids of the air ministry and war office. He said the death toll was unusually high because public shelters proved inadequate for the refugee-swelled city, with estimates ranging as high as 20,000 persons. Most of the dead were refugees clustered around railway stations and shelters, he said. He reported that the Berlin police had cordoned off blocks in which government offices were

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday, February 6,1945.

The Battle Os Luzon Isn’t Over sssssdib W J army L j j u. s. «tH 11 (san fhnandoW*t-% ' j SAN ANTONIO^ ' W MONTAtBAJ I BACAC i 11 paratroops fegfe ~ army ill 1 ft • |n | fetesss) BATANGAS ■ J^sj/i&ANG a; i LUZON STATUTE MlltS ' 0 5 1 I—4 15 DRIVING TO THE HEART of Manila, American troops have accomplished a mission of liberation for the imprisoned Allied military and civilian personnel and written off the now famous vow made by their commander, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, when three years ago in evacuating the island he said, “I shall return.” But the battle of Luzon is not finished. West of the Philippine capital, lying in Manila bay, is Corregidor island (white arrows above) with its fortifications still held by the Japanese.

Republican Ripper Bills Introduced Would Grant Great Power To Governor Indianapolis, Feb. 6 — (UP) — Republican majority members of the Indiana general assembly were set today to write into law the most sweeping legislation since former Gov. Paul V. McNutt sponsored far-reaching state governmental reforms in 1933. Governor Gates, whose election last Nov. 7 returned the GOP to complete power in the state for the first time since the late 1920’5, .was slated to receive unprecedented authority under terms of a myriad of reorganization and “ripper” measures introduced in the legislature before the deadline for introduction of new bills arrived last, night. Provisions of the restorative bills technically would give the governor complete control of all boards now classed as bi-partisan, although actual membership would continue to consist ot an equal number of Republicans and Democrats. The authority of a chairman designated by the governor to cast an extra vote in the event of a tie would constitute the balance of political power on such major bi-partisan boards as the state alcoholic beverage commission. But dozens of other state boards, departments, divisions and agencies also would come under the provisions of the bills. Apparently banking on retaining office of the chief executive tor more than the tour years of Gates' tenure, the GOP had, however, in the opinion of legislative observers, paved the way to set up a political control system which would give future Democratic governors equal prestige and privilege in the future. Reorganization measures highlighted more than 150 bills dumped into the legislative hopper during yesterday’s s before the senators and representatives adjourned to 10 a. m. today. The house received 102 bills and seven resolutions, the senate 51 bills and three resolutions. This boosted the total number of bills in the current session to 725, only six short of the 1943 total. (Turn To Page 2, 6olumn 3) ————HO Burk Elevator Co. Awarded Contract The Burk Elevator company was awarded the contract for furnishing fertilizer at the county farm on a hid of $29.69 per ton, for 212-6 formula.' The other bidder wts Roy Price, wheae proposal wis 130.68 p«| ton cn the same grade.

Lyman Peck Resigns McMillen Position » Lyman Peck, of Fort Wayne, director of/nutrition for the McMillen Feed Mills in this city for the past seven years, has resigned his position, it has been announced. Mr. Peck, in submitting his resignation, announced he is moving to Chicago, where he has opened an office as a feed consultant. o 20 Bills Are Passed By State Assembly Relatively Light Session Is Held Indianapolis, Feb. G — (UP) — The Indiana general assembly moved through a relatively light session today while laying the groundwork for placing sweeping executive powers oyer state government in the hands of Republican Governor Ralph F. Gates. The house of representatives passed 11 bills and one joint resolution and considered 19 other measures on second reading for amendments, then planned to recess until tomorrow. Senators approved nine measures and scheduled an afternoon session. Most ot the measures passed in the lower chamber were of minor importance in comparison to an avalanche of reorganization and “ripper” bills which poured in the assembly yesterday on the last day for the presentation of new legislation at the 1945 session. A senate bill authorizing Governor Gates to grant 300 acres to the federal government z for a veterans hospital was amended and passed in the house. Originally. it would have conveyed the land in the Indiana state Dunes Park, but as amended, it allows the land to he assigned from any state park. A joint resolution also was adopted seeking to amend the state constitution to prohibit the use of motor vehicle revenues for any purpose except the state highway department. The governor signed five house bills and one senate concurrent resolution, commending Federal Judge Philip L. Sullivan of Chicago for his ruling in the Montgomery Ward plant seizure case. Among the bills approved by Gates were two emergency acts. One legalizes the wills of service men under 21 years of age. The other authorizes the immediate distribution of emergency acts of the legislature. In the senate, bills approved included one to establish a 72hour work week for firemen in (Turn To Page 5, Column 4>

Confessed Killer Given 4 Life Imprisonment For Slaying Os Former Wife

50 Automobiles Are Destroyed In Fire Chicago, Feb. 6—(UP)— -Damage approximated sloo,ooio> in a fire which destroyed between 50 and 75 automobiles in the Edgar Fitzpatrick garage today. Most of the cars were privately owned. Exploding gas tanks on the cans hampered work of firemen. o Top War Officials Called To Testify Give Testimony On Work-Or-Else Bill Washington, Feb. 6 — (UP) — Top officials of the war and navy departments were called before a closed-door meeting of the senate military affairs committee today to bolster the administration’s sagging fight for speedy enactment of work-or-else legislation. The first witnesses were secretary of war Henry L. Stimson, undersecretary of war Robert P, Patterson, secretary of the navy James V. Forrestal and undersecretary of the navy Ralph Bard. The committee originally planned to conduct no hearings on the house-approved bill, designed to make men 18 through 45 subject to war work under threat of fines or jail sentences, but agreed yesterday to conduct “limited executive hearings” after a motion to hold public sessions was defeated by a bare 9 to 7 vote. Chairman Elbert D. Thomas, D., Utah, said only witnesses specifically invited would be allowed to testify, each limited to 30 minutes, but even then the procedure was expected to delay action on the bill by at least a week. The bill, however, faced trouble on another front in the form of an apparently coordinated Republican move to push a substitute by Sens. Robert A. Taft, R., 0., Chapman Revercomb, R., W. Va., and Edward V. Robertson, R., Wyo. Patterned after a bill de(Turn To Page 5, Column 5) O— —

House Committee OK's George Bill Three Republican Amendments Downed 'Washington, Feb. 6 —(UP)—The houee banking committee, responding to pressure from Democratic leaders, today approved the George bill after rejecting three Republican amendments to impose further restrictions on the department of commerce. Supporters of Henry A. Wallace are seeking to push tire bill to enactment in its present form — whereby it would divorce the federal loan agency from the commerce department. They believe its approval would lead to prompt confirmation <>f the former vice president as secretary of commerce. The senate passed the bill last week. It then deferred action of Wallace’s nomination until March 1, pending developments on the George bill. The house committee considered the measure for an hour. Then it voted unanimously to recommend His second amendment would have broadened the George bill provision requiring audits by the gen,its passage by the house. Rep. Jesse P. "Wolcott, R., Mich., ranking minority member, offered the three rejected amendments. Votes on all three were almost entirely party line divisions. Wolcott’s fiist proposal would have repealed the power granted to President Roosevelt under the second war powers act to transfer executive agencies by executive order. It was rejected, 16 to 11. All Republican committeemen, supported it. (Turn Xo Pkg% 2, Columa 4).

Soviet Shock Troops Storm Across Oder Silesian Citadel Os Steinau Falls To Russian Forces London, Feb. 6 — (UP) — The Germans reported today that the Red army had seized three bridgeheads across the Oder 32 to 35 miles from Berlin and had captured the Silesian citadel of Steinau west of the Oder. Marshal Gregory Zhukov’s shock troops stormed across the Oder south of Frankfurt anfl “have been able to build up two rather small bridgeheads” while a third was established at Kleinitz, 10 miles northwest of Kustrin, a German military spokesman said. The unconfirmed Nazi reports Indicated that in smashes through the Oder river line the Russians had been able to grab more or less solid footholds which, if developed, will serve as springboards for a plunge over the last lap of the road to Berlin. The two new bridgeheads across the Oder on the Berlin front — the one at Kleinitz was reported yesterday — were between Frankfurt and Furstenberg, the military spokesman was quoted by the Berlin radio. They were located as two or three miles south of Frankfurt, the last great citadel before Berlin, which was threatened by any flanking drive Zhukov is able to develop from these reported crossings. The Nazi spokesman said the ‘‘main Soviet masses” already were lighting on the FrankfurtKustrin line of the Oder, suggesting that Zhukov's major units had moved up to the river and were ready to resume the push on Berlin, temporarily checked by the Oder defenses. The entire Oder river defense line through Silesia appeared to be crumbling under the triphammer blows of Marshal Ivan S. Konev’s first Ukrainian army. Farther northwest, Marshal Gregory K. Zhukov’s first White (Turn To Page 2, Column 3)

Red Cross Service Office Opened Here War Veterans To Receive Service Despite the fact that she fractured her right arm in a fall on a slippery sidewalk last week, Mrs. Ruth Hollingsworth has taken over her duties as executive secretary of the Red Cross home sendee office in the Reppert building on Madison s-treet, and has aided several serviemen and their families in filling out papers in relation to allotments and insurance. The office has been newly decorated and will become county headquarters for the Red Cross, a meetHng of chapter executives and chairmen for the war fund drive being held there with C. E. Bell, county chairman, last evening. Clarence Ziner, county ehainnan of the war fund drive, which opens Miarcl! 1, will establish headquarters in the room for the campaign. Red Cross workers will also, use the room. Mrs. Hollingsworth was gratified with the interest shown by the public in the new headquarters and although faced with the handicap of having her arm in a sling, was happy to start the home service work. Servicemen and their families are invited to contact the office in helping solve any problem where the services of the Red Cross can be . - - - . -M

Buy War Savings Bonds And Stamps

Price Four Cents.

Local Man To Serve Life For Slaying Former Wife Here Last December 7 The doors of the state prison at Michigan City will close behind Orval Johnson, 40, confessed murderer of his ex-wife, Mary E. Johnson, on Thursday or Friday of this week and he will begin his life term, pronounced upon, him at 9:30 o’clock this morning in somber tones by Judge J. Fred Fruchte in Adams circuit court. Johnson pleaded guilty yesterday to the second degree murder charge in the fatal shooting of his divorced wife and mother of hie three children in this city on the night of December 7, as returned by the Adams county grand jury, which ateo indicted him for first degree murder. The prisoner was arraigned before Judge Fruchte this morning to receive his sentence. He stood before the bar of justice and answered questions of the court, before the life imprisonment mandate was pronounced. Although suffering remorse from hi» rash and criminal deed in shooting his former wife, because 6’he would not remarry him, Johnson had few words to speak to the court. Almost stoically be received the sentence, although a flush came to his ashen face, bleached from two months confinement in tho county jail. Only Sheriff Gillig, court reporter Bernice DeVoss, bailiff Fred Kolter, depu’ty sheriff Sam Bentz and the Daily Democrat reporter were present when Judge Frucht© propronounced sentence), Johnson stood before the rostrum, unassisted by an attorney. He informed the court yesterday that he wanted to plead guilty and his attorney, R. C. Parrish, was not present then. “D o you have anything to eay to the court,” asked Judge Fruchte. “iNo,” replied Johnson, “except I think it was an accident." Judge Fruchte then questioned the prisoner about his having a gun with him. Johnson replied, “I wanted to throw a scare into her.” (Mrs. Johnson). ‘‘You feel that you are not absolutely responsible for what took place in your wife's automobile,” countered the court, and Johnson said, that if his former wife hadn't grabbed hold of the gun that he wouldn’t have pulled the trigger. “You are Charged with a very serious crime,” 1 Judge Fruchte stated. “You admit your guilt and plead guilty to the second degree murder charge/’ the court commented. “I sentence you to life imprisonment in the state prison." Johnson walked away from the bench with Sheriff Gillig. They went to the sheriff's office. The reporter asked Johnson if he had any statement to make or a final word for the press. He replied “No”. A tear came to Johnson's eyes and timidly he lit a cigarette. Ho remained in the custody of Sheriff Gillig who stated it might be a day or two before Johnson would be taken to Michigan City to start his term. Sheriff Gillig explained that (Turn To Page 2, Column 1)

Fine Response To Infantile Paralysis Campaign In County Preliminary reports from the annual drive for funds by the Adams county chapter of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, Inc., indicate a splendid response by Adams county citizens, , While no intensive solicitation Is being made in this county, several sizeable contributions have been received. The drive, originally scheduled to close January 31, has been extended throughout the nation until February 15 because of severe weather conditions. Organizations or individuals desiring to make contributions may leave these donations with Herman Krueckeberg at the First State Bank or with Pete Reynolds at the Deastur Daily Democrat.