Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 43, Number 53, Decatur, Adams County, 3 March 1945 — Page 1

t XLIII. No. 53.

GERMAN TROOPS FLEEING ACROSS RHINE

billing Still Ip Resistance bstOf Manila 18th Philippines I Island Invaded By I American Forces Lila. Ma'' 3 " ,rP) “ SUP ‘ | IP d by bombers and fighters, Lrican troops battled yard by |d through the Japanese line |t of Manila today in some of | fiercest fighting yet on Luzon. Iflie Japanese were resisting lagely along the entire U mile L from Antipolo to Wawa in Lsperate attempt to cover what L described officially as “this Li mountain retreat. snits of the first cavalry and Li: infantry divisions were enLittering strong artillery, morI jnd rocket fire as they inched lough the enemy's tough KqbaLhi line. |Tu? Japanese were fighting Ln strongly defended caves and illioxes, entrenched in the Luitains on the Marakina water* Id. the last big barrier before Lon's east coast some 30 miles Ly. (American forces met little opLition. however, in wresting Lt?., r island in the Philippines Ln the enemy. Ken. Douglas MacArthur’s comImique said American troops of L 24th division invaded and Lkly seized Lubang island, pt L western end of the Verde Issage. Thursday against only Lligible resistance. ILnbang, main island of the loup of the same name, was the lilt island in the Philippines inLed by V. S. amphibious forces Is capture firmly secured • confol of the main shipping channel bough the Philippines between t« I'nited States and Manila. (Other American forces continIkl to fan out through newlyBaded Palawan against prar■tally no opposition from the ■panese who were fleeing into L hills. I One force swept across the bay I Puerto Princesa and seized be abandoned village of Iwahig, pier Philippines penal colony. (Turn To Page 5, Column 3) 0 krvice Station Sale bAnnounced Today 11. fi. Ziutsmaster, who recently F honorably discharged from the Ry. has purchased the service ption at the northwest corner of pnroe and First street, from Rclbfi Ailerson. |Mr. Ziutsmaster, who was emM by the Central Sugar com* W prior t centering the army, taken possession of the bueiraai. I — Sottish Rite Club nttts Next Friday The Decatur Scottish Rite club •ounces another s«qgon for next I. even ing, 9, starting 'badinnerat 6:Ss»t which time Embler will lead the group MJ. Three new directors will ‘Outed at this meeting. speaker for the occasion iLa- 0 *” 88 W ’ Winfrey of _ 'Hiliia. who is recognized as “1 ‘ he outstanding platform 111 be state - He is called “In* M, * 111 Rngens " and will promany g0(x! lhoughte wW , c .’"'R out philosophy in easy to w «S’t n M h mberS ° f the ClUb essinn”? be presen t at this “'"'hers’t t b . r ‘ ng BlUe fXKIg ° rickets Jf, fuesta if they desire. « the a- DOt b ® Price nte win be 75 cent - »eetin«« haS ba(i a number of la <t ann S >. nCe tbeir or sanizatioTi a ® ber are Planned for the g and summer. DEMOCR»i TURE R - AD| NG emocr at THERMOMETER ’0:oo. _ t 52 >1:00 - 41 Cl-,,. WEATHER ywithsnow f|ur . e, ««na tL"’u ” ,o,,<>wed by colder* B ’ decidedly "outline*. S “ nday incre ««ing with mi. ,nd a Pttle warmer afternoon’ 1, *° W • #u,hw »»t in

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

County Councilmen In Special Session iThe members of the Adams county council met in spacial session at the court hquse this morning to consider requests for additional appropriations for the county highway department. One request .was for s6(k> to pay the ‘balance due on the new truck purchased .by the department. A request for |9.100 to .purchase a power grade wag placed before the councilman. 'Che department desires to purchase this equipment for use in grading the berms on the county highways, o Russian Army Drives Nearer To Baltic Sea Last Escape Routes For 200,000 Nazis Cut By Red Forces London, March 3.—(UP)—Berlin said today that the Red army was fighting across the last four miles to the Baltic in a drive that already has cut the last escape routes for 200.000 German troops in northeast Pomerania and Danzig. Marshal Konstantin K. Rokossovsky’s second White Russian army in Pomerania cut the Danzig-Stet-tin railway and super-highway at Zanow, four miles south of the Baltic, and struck on toward the sea, Nazi broadcasts said. Soviet vanguards also reached the outskirts of Koeslin, key\ junction astride the railway and highway four miles west of Zanow, the Nazis said. They estimated that Rokossovsky has thrown three tank and three guard corps into the break-through area. The thrust cut German Pomerania in two and virtually trapped an estimated 200,000 German troops still holding out to the east. Official Soviet reports lagged far behind those from German sources. The Russian high command last night announced the capture of Dubbertech, IS miles south of Koeslin, in the Red army’s closest official approach to the Baltic in Pomerania. Thirty other towns and villages w-ere captured along a 22-mile front in Pomerania, the Soviet high command said. Forging a siege arc around Gratnenz, 13 miles northwest of Neustettin, the Soviets seized Klingbech, Gissolk and Juchow, seven miles southeast, nine miles west and eight miles southwest respectively of Gratnenz. o — Hammond Residents Are Killed By Train iHaimimond, Ind., March 3 —(UP) — harles J. Thomas, 30, and Lucena ‘Mae Deyle, 127, ‘Hammond, were killed instantly yesterday when their automobile was struck by a westibound New York Central passenger train. Police said their car started across the track as an eastbound freight train passed. o — Second Report Made In Red Cross Drive Volunteers Report Near S7OO Donated The eecond report in the Red Gross war fund drive shows contributions of $687.70 received from the. section leaders in the rural areas and a few in the business section of Decatur. Previously reported. $134.50. W. R. McMichael, St. Mary’s, sectinoe, 4, 5 and 6, $10; Washington township, John Kintz, 7, $37; T. V. Johnson, 17. sl7; Jacob C. Heiman, 21, sl3; A. P. Heiman, 9, S3O; Merl Essex, 32, $21.50; Blue Creek township: Vergil Hoblet, 27, $33; Cora Lautzenheiser, 30, $25.10; French township: Henry Aschlitnan, 35, $29; Union township: Rollie Crozier, 15, $20.50: Root -township: Jacob J. Wagner, 12. $26; Preble, eastern section of town, including $5 from women’s class of Beulah, Chapel. $77.10; Decatur Roy Mumma, partial report, S6O; Phil Sauer, partial, $lB4. The county’s quota Is $16,700,

Marines Battle To Split Japs On Iwo Island American Marines Battle To Within Half Mile Os Coast Guam, Mar. 3—(UP)—The veteran third marine division battled to within a half mile of the northeast coast of Iwo today in a determined bid to split the decimated Japanese garrison. Maj Gen. Graves B. Erskine’s third division resumed its attack early today after pushing ahead 700 yards to within 606 yards of sheer cliffs overlooking a 300yard beach on the northeast coast yesterday. A thrust to the northeast coast would isolate he Japanese on the east coast from those on the northwest and speed final conquest of tiny Iwo, only 750 miles south of Tokyo. Front dispatches said the Iwo campaign already was entering its last stages. Capture of a 362-foot height dominating northern Iwo, by the third division yesterday was ex pected to facilitate the drive to the northeast coast. The division was also within 1,200 to 1,400 yards of the northern tip of Iwo. The Japanese still were fighting desperately and exacting a steady toll of marines despite losses of nearly three quarters of the original garrison of 20,000 men. The number of Japanese bodies recovered by the marines reached 7,127—an increase of 2,343 since Monday—by noon yesterday and thousands more were known to have been pulled back by the enemy hitnself Thirty-two prisoners «have been taken. A front dispatch from marine combat correspondent Jim Lucas of Tulsa, Okla., revealed that the Japanese have begun attempts to supply the hard-pressed garrison from the air. Japanese planes dropped cargo chutes believed carrying tanks of water on northern Iwo for “thirstcrazed enemy troops.” Lucas said. There are no springs or ffatufal sources of water on Iwo. The fourth and fifth marine (Turn To Page 6, CoJump 2) o Operators Denounce Coal Union Demands Negotiations On Coal Wages To Continue Washington, Mar. 3 — (UP) — Soft coal producers said today that labor unions soon would be taxing all of life's necessities if John L. Lewis were allow-ed to collect a “private tax” c(f 10 .cents on every ton of soft coal mined. Lewis, president of the United Mine Workers, has asked for royalties of 10 cents a ton in addition to other demands in the current negotiations between his union and the producers. Spokesmen for the producers said that by Lewis’ own admission the 10-cent royalties would have taken $36,000,000 out of the federal treasury in 1944 had they been in effect. Lewis said the producers could recover that amount in tax refunds if the royalties netted his union $60,000,000. The operators made their charge as Lewis prepared to dispute their estimate that his total demands would cast the industry $400,000,000 a year and boost each miner’s pay $3.50 a day. After today’s public sparring the negotiations are scheduled to go into the smoke-filled room stage Monday, where the real infighting is expected to take place. Results of those discussions will probably determine whether there is a coal strike April 1 when the miners’ present contract rung out. The producers’ spokesman who claimed Lewis’ “private tax" was an opening wedge for similar demands by other unions did not, however, regard musicians’ boss James C. Petrillo's royalties in the same light. Petrillo now gets royalties (Turn To Paa* 3, Column 3)

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday, March 3, 1945.

Ninth Army Reaches The Rhine I CAN IST (. GOCH • .pT NETH?V>h» • it G£R/Vizwr I AffMY | tk , OBERHAUSEN W 2 ’venioJL Krefeld «uh» (( MutNcwN- N > u j s ftjEDuesseldorf —JI • — GLAD»ACH> — u $ ■* i\sI I r v* /// oovetfN* ' t dL ' A""" ' r W MUELHEIM I \ i?. COLOGNE I I u s lit I a»mv k Zr - L Dueren** \ ! _ Aacnen(| F I . s, " > -l, stolseig h \ jLßonn 'pj euski»chen\ fl BE£G. \ \ ’./ sr«rurc MILES — 0 5 10 20 B * \ * . -L THE WATCH ON THE RHINE, American style, has begun with S3rd Division elements of Lt. Gen. William H. Simpson’s Ninth Army having pushed their way to the strategic river's bank. The Yanks had to force their way across the Neuss canal, which the Nazis defended by means of tanks and self-propelled guns. While the Ninth was engaged in slashing 11 miles beyond Muenchen-Gladbach into the city of Krefeld, Lt. Gen. Courtney 11. Hodges' First Army massed tanks and infantrymen ready to storm the last five miles into Germany’s fourth largest city and capital of the Rhineland, Cologne. Canadian First and British Second Army forces, 20 iftiles northwest of where the Ninth Army was approaching the Rhine, have crunched southward nearly a mile, threatening to join the Americans in a rampage through the sprawling Ruhr industries.

Rivers In Indiana Swelling Rapidly Ohio River Cities Face Flood Danger By United Press Hoosier rivers swelled rapidly today as heavy downpours of rain caused many streams to crest at flood stages. Communities bordering on the rampaging Ohio river were reported in danger, while the White river reached two feet above flood stage at Hazelton. Public schools in Aurora were closed yesterday and 14 families were removed from their lowland homes when the Ohio river climbed to 56.4 feet. Meanwhile, weather bureau forecasters predicted continued heavy precipitation through Tuesday and flood experts said the Ohio might reach a crest of 11 feet above flood level. Flooded highways were closed to traffic in many sections of southern' Indiana, state police reported. Red Cross emergency workers were standing by in Evansville, Jeffersonville, New Albany, Mt. Vernon and other Ohio river cities. Local officials made extensive preparations for housing possible refugees. At Evansville, the Ohio was five feet above flood level and climbing steadily. Many small boats were sunk by heavy debris and tug boat skippers needed all their skill to (Turn To Page 6. Column 4) -* North Dakota Senator Dies This Morning Rochester. Mitin., Mar. 3 — (UP)—Sen. John Moses, newlyelected Democratic senator from North Dakota, died early today at the Mayo brothers clinic where he had been under treatment for a stomach ailment. He was 59 years old. The former, three-time governor of North Dakota had been a patient at the clinic since Jan. 18. He underwent an operation last September and had returned to Rochester for additional treatment. His condition became critical yesterday and he died at 3 a. m. today. Moses was elected to the U. S. senate last November, defeating the veteran isolationist Gerald P. Nyn. He was the first Democratic senator elected from North Dakota by popular vote.

4-H Proclamation Issued By Governor Attention was being drawn this week to the Indiana 1945 4-H membership goal through a proclamation issued by Governor Ralph F. Gates, calling for full participation in the 4-H program for boys and girls from 10 to 20 years old living in the rural and email town communities of the state. Governor Gates, reviewing accomplishments of 4-H members in the state last year, cited a record of production achievements that added greatly to the war effort through a total of 81,771 completed projects in a number of activities. o Ameican Warplanes Pound Nazi Targets 200-Mile Train Os Planes On Attack ‘London, March 3. —(UP) —A 200 mile long skytrain of American warplanes smashed today at German targets within 40 miles of the Red army Ifront and on a great arc swinging south and west oif Berlin. About 1,100 heavy bomlbers and 700 fighters hit Germany for the 19th straight day. They feinted toward 'Berlin, then fanned out over a broad reach of central and eafitern Gentnany in a broadside assault o trneport and industrial centers. The Silesian rail hub of Ruhiand, 29 miles north of Dresden and directly in the pafh of Marshal Ivan S Konev’s Red army, was one of the targe's. Another was the great rail yards of Chemnitz, southwest off Dresden, which the Americans have bom‘l>ed repeatedly in direct support oif the Russian forces. United States strategic air force headquarters, announcing the multiple bomibardlment by Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle's eighth air force, said oil refineries at (Brunswick and Magdeiburg, West and southwest of Berlin, were among the many olbjectives. German broadcasts reported that the raiders were heading for Berlin, and the ‘battered capital apparently prepared for another deluge of bomlbs. / RAF Mosquitos dropped two-ton block busters on Berlin last night for the night straight night and also attacked the communications center of Erfurt. ‘American and British (bombers (were revealed to have dropped more than 101,000‘ ton» of bomlbs on Germany last month, most of it (Turn To Pass 6, Column 4)

Stalingrad-Like Stand For Cologne Expected Os Harassed Germans

Increased Artillery Duels On Italy Front Rome, Manoh 3—CUP)— Increase artillery duels were reported today along the fifth aimiy lines while other action on the Italian front was limited to patrolling. iMore than 500 rounds o>f artillery and mortar fire fell in the vicinity of ‘Mount Belvedere Thursday niight, iheadquarterß said. On the right, slang German grenades were fired into forward positions from west of Monte Rumici. Assembly Session Ends Monday Night Dozens Os Measures Are Awaiting Action Indianapolis, Mar. 3 —(UP) — Nearly 300 bills had been ground out of the legislative mill today as both houses of the Indiana general assembly raced to beat the deadline for adjournment of the 1945 session. Returning to their chambers for a Saturday session which was expected to last until dusk, the state's 150 legislators faced final disposition of dozens of measures sponsored by the Republican majority's legislative policy committee. All of the GOP-endorsed bills had a “must pass” stamp, virtually assuring strenuous activity up to midnight Monday and the traditional stopping of the clocks at he deadline hour until the last technicality involved in the engrossment of bills was out of the way. The approaching end of the 61day session with much proposed postwar and veterans' rehabilitation legislation unsettled, and questions in the minds of Republican leaders as to whether they had covered their governmental changes in the maze of bills considered, signalled the possibility of a special session. Governor Gates, who was conferred broad powers by the GOPcontrolled assembly after 12 years of Democratic control of state government, was reported reliably to have agreed that a special session was necessary before the end of 1945. Meanwhile, however, the three bills holding top general interest (Turn To Page 6, Column 2) 0 —— General Eisenhower Visits Front Lines Has Narrow Escapes From Enemy Gunfire Paris, March 3. —(UP) —Supreme Commander Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was back at his headquarters safe and sound today after two narrow escapes from enemy gunfire during a tour of advance lines on the western front. The five-star general made the seven-hour inspection trip yesterday by jeep over smashed German roads. At one point he was within five miles of the great city of Duesseldorf. Eisenhower had hoped to see action closer to that ninth army target, but his schedule did not permit. The enemy, however, provided several bits of entirely uncalled for action during the tour. His first close call with German fire came shortly after he crossed the turbulent Roer river. Just a few minutes before he reached a division command post, a jet-pro-pelled plane swept over the general's four-Jeep convoy and strafed the poet. The enemy plane was quickly routed by squadrons of Thunderbolts which later raked a group of enemy tanks along the nearby Erst canal. (Turn To Page 6, Column 2).

Adm. Mifscher Force Blasis Ryukti Islands 55 Ships and 91 Planes Are Reported Destroyed, Damaged Guam, Mar. 3 — (UP) — Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher’s rampaging charrier task force bombed and strafed the Ryuku islands in a 275-mile arc within 200 miles of the southern tip of the Japanese homeland Thursday, destroying or damaging 55 ships and small craft and 91 aircraft, Adm. Chester W. Nimitz announced today. It was the third strike by the fast American carrier task force in Japan's home waters in less than three weeks. On Feb. 17 and IS Mitscher sent his great task force against Tokyo in the first full-scale carrier strike of the war against the Japanese capital. On the 25th they hit Tokyo again in a strike under adverse weather conditions. On the following day they attacked the outpost island of Hachija. Thursday's strike was made against six islands, ranging from Amama Shima, 200 miles south of the southern tip of Kyushu and 220 miles south of the Japanese naval base of Kagoshima to Kume Shima, 275 miles farther south. The carrier strike came as the veteran third marine division battled foot-by-foot to within a half mile of the northeast coast of Iwo Jima in a bid to split the decimated Japanese garrison. Within the 275-mile arc of the carrier planes’ attack they hit Minami, Tokuno Jima, Okinoyeradu Jima ami the main island of Okinawa Jima. In addition to damage wrought to military, naval and air instal(Turn To Page 6, Column 5) 0 —— General Harmon Is Reported Missing Pacific Air Forces Commander Missing Pearl Harbor, Mar. 3—(UP)— Lt. Gen. Millard F. Harmon, commander of air forces of the Pacific ocean areas, and nine other army officers and enlisted men have been missing in the Pacific sicne their plane was reported overdue recently from a routine flight, it was announced today. Lt. Gen. Robert C. Richardson, Jr., commander of army forces in the Pacific area, made ' the announcement. Army and navy planes and ships are conducting the most extensive search operations ever known in the Pacific in an attempt to find the missing airmen. All available air and surface craft were dispatched in the area in which the p'lane was believed to have gone down. Harmon was given command of all army air forces in the Pacific not under Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s direct supervision last August. That included Pacific territory north and east of the Philippines, which is under the overall command of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. In his dual capacity Harmon has been responsible for the mighty B-29 raids which have heaped destruction on Japan's homeland, including Tokyo, and for B-29 an dother army bombing raids on Iwo Jima that helped pave the way for the marine invasion of that island.

Price Four Cents.

Major Attempt To Cross Rhine River Expected By Nazis On Northern Flank Paris, Mar. 3—(UP)—Germah troops fled eastward across the Rhine through a five-mile gap between the American ninth and ■ Canadian first armies today. Front reports said the Nazis were believed gathering their remaining Rhineland forces for a Stalingrad stand in the ruins of Cologne. An 11-mile stretch of the Rhine’s west bank between Kre- ' | feld ami Neuss was being cleared rapidly of German resistance, | and hundreds of American ninth ’ army guns Were pouring salvo ’ after salvo across the river into ' | the tightly packed Ruhr valley ' factories. 1 There was no confirmation of ’ rumors that American patrols already* had crossed the Rhine in tile Neuss area. The reports ap- ’ parent ly were inspired by a ’ vague London newspaper dispatch > stating that two doughboys went across the river yesterday on a reconnaissance mission. > | German reports said a power- ■ ! ful force of British armor, sup--11 ported by bridge-building and L i engineering units, was massing i - on the northern flank of the Cai uadian first army at Emmerich I and that a major attempt to force the Rhine was expected there at > any time. Neuss and Krefeld both were in ! American hands after a short, I sharp fight against die-hard Ger- , man rear guards, and Lt. Gen. , William 11. Simpson's armored . and infantry divisions were racing through the Rhineyand corridor to the west and northwest ' mopping up by-passed enemy i units. American flying columns plungI ed 16 miles northwest of Krefeld to reach the highway center of Geldern, only five miles from a ' junction with the Canadians in Kevelaer. ’ I Several thousand Nazi paratroops, fighting a stiff rear guard action against the Canadians to cover the retreat of their main • forces, faced envelopment between the converging armies, but the bulk of the German divisions were reported already on or across the Rhine. The remnants of the German 15th army left in the Rhineland corridor south of Neuss were reported fleeing southward in some disorder toward Cologne, under (Turn To Page 6, Column 3) 0 Edgar S. Moses Will Contest Compromised The contest of the will of the late Edgar S. Moses, well known Adamscounty fwanmer and former florist of this city, by Glenn Forray and • other heirs at la.w, was dismissed yesterday in a compromise action brought ‘before Judtge J, Fred Fruohte. Carroll ‘Moses oif Fort Wayne, administrator of the Moses estate with will annexed, was authorized to pay $2,000 to Glen Furry, er al. as compromise settlement. The original content suit was then dis- ■ missed. bllii • Ju the Margaret A. Moses estate, the clerk of Vhe court was authorized to pay to arroll MoseCs, the administrator. the sum of $1696.34 as the distributive share of the decedent as an heir in the Esaias Dailey ' estate.

IT COSTS MONEY to save your boy’s life How much is it worth to you-to have blood plasma there? To get extra food give JL