Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 43, Number 76, Decatur, Adams County, 30 March 1945 — Page 1

Ist Win the War! |/se Is Chores!

Uli. No. 76.

ERMANS SURRENDERING BY THOUSANDS

■rican And ph Forces Ind Ryukyus Jkyo Reports One ■sk Force Is Only , J Miles Off Japan 9. March 30-(UP)-Tokyo that one of perhaps four ;W, n a nd British task forces awa y at Japan’s southern ] 1;ls appeared “around” JW island, only 25 miles off coast. Mao the closest approach to Allied warships yet reand represented a ringing to the remnants of the fleet to come out and transocean dispatch iHd by the United Press in K said 150 American super(K PS raided Tokyo this morn:Hth a new-typa incendiary caused fires at several ■) ■ , Tokyoeaid Japanese planes the task force late last St:: i! eanly th i •'■morning a roti nd K a 30-mile-long island off Buthern tip ot Kyushu, southBst of Hie Japanese home isBavy damage was reported to Biieen inflicted on the enemy Boree." Tokyo said. “(Detailed Bviil'e are now being checked B ast two other American task B hy Japanese accounts—and Blingent of the British Pacific ■ meantime, were believed Bing their unprecedented bomB tI1! °f Okinawa and other isB southwest of Japan into its Bi straight day. Byo sa ’d *he warships and carBlanes were softening up OkB. 330 miles southwest of JaBoran imminent invasion. CapBof Okinawa with its naval,and B at ions midway It dween Japan B orniosa would give the Allies Bar base for an invasion ot the By homeland or the China coast. Be on.my account said a task ■of more than 100 enemy war- ■ including about 10 battle- ■ was cruising around Okinawa ■ning still another task force ■ around more than 10 aircraft Brs. The task forces were said ■dude transports. Bific fleet headquartets con■d that American warships Bd their bombardment of the Byu chain, of which Okinawa is Brgeet island, through its sev- ■ straight day yesterday. ■ring Tuesday night, a com■ique said, warships shot dawn H counter-attacking enemy air- ■ an< i destroyed a number of ■y Torpedo boats, presumably ■ the “surface forces” which ■yo said were attacking the Am■an fleet. ■miral Chester W. Nimitz also |° llnp ed that a task force from ■ British Pacific fleet, in action Be Pacific for the first, time, ■ joined in the bombardment of ■ Kyukyus Monday and Tuesday. Inkers Assailed By Union Paper lianapolis, March 3V—(UP)— In ternational Teamster, offi>rgan of the International Broio°d of teamsters, charged in Pnl issue today that American are working to destroy incollaboration at the San c ®co conference. an editorial entitled “(Bankers »« *orld peace,” the ma>l teamster President ’ T(rt),n asserted that “orus like the American hated , a3Bociation are more inLace wifv mCS With proftt than f_ e wi tb justice.” l>KMOrn*^ TURE re AD«NG I 8 00 a AT THE «MOMETER koo - « Noon — S I leather land fnosti° P ? rtly clou,| y north '»«" ,a ' ««■ •a..*L rs * nd thun «*er.. in 0 exti-» toni oht»0 ht » continu--8li ’ ht| y wX e " uth Baturt,iy ’ pmporti *"?" er ”®rth with no I taniMkA chMnna* Bht Utu*., ’

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Fifth, Eighth Army Fronts Are Quiet Rome, Mar. 30.—'(UP) —The Fifth and Eighth army fronts along the Po valley continued quiet today although a broadcast French communique said French forces had opened a campaign along the Franco-Italian border just below Switzerland. The French troops were reported to have stormed and captured a German strongpoint on the southern slopes of Mt. Valazzan near the St. Bernard pass leading into northern Italy.

See Hard Fighting For Several Weeks Military Experts See Hard Fighting Washington. March 30 —(UP)— People here who make it their business to take a cold look at the German war situation aren’t counting on V-E day coming right away. They recognize ot course, that anything might happen as Germany’s disintegration progresses. 'But they think the chances are that there will be. hard fighting for several weeks, and perhaps a few months, before Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower is alhle to proclaim the end of organized resistance. They expect more and more German units, small and large, to be chopped up and forced to surrender. Barring the unexpected-such as (Hitler giving up — they think this is likely to toe a gradual process. It probably will be quite a time before the last principal elements of the elite Nazi troops are tracked down and subdued. This does not mean that there is any disposition here to minimize the tremendous successes now being scored. But it does mean that some officials here are concerned over what they view as a popular disposition to think that the European war is going to be over any day naw. (Here are some relistic factors which informed quarters here say ought to be kept in mind in appraising the advance into Germany: 1. The rampaging Allied columns are likely to have to slow down to permit supplies to catch up. (Turn To Page 2, Column 7) Gross Income Tax Sets New Record Indianapolis, Mar. 30 —(UP)— Hoosiers paid nearly twice as much state income tax in 1944 as they did in the pre-war years of 1938, 1939 and 1940, director Gilbert K. Hewit of the Indiana gross income tax division said today. Collections from April 1. 1944, to now exceeded the previous year by $5,000,000, Hewit said. The all-time record payment of last year was $45,580,012.35.

William Roe Dies At Hospital Today Funeral Services Sunday Afternoon William D. Roe, 78, of 324 Grant street, a retired railroader, died at 7;85 o’clock this morning at the Adams county memorial hospital, He had been in failing health for several years. His condition became serious a week ago and he was removed to the hospital. He was born in Adams county March 23. 1866. the son of Isaac and Katherine Smith-Roe, and had spent practically his entire life in this community. Mr. Roe and his wife, the former Orah Sherrill, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary last December 9. Surviving in addition to the wife are one brother, Ed Roe. of Monroe, and three sisters, Mrs. Harve Smith, of near Decatur; Mrs. Rose Munson, of Antwerp, 0., and Mrs. Linna Easterling, of Jonesville, Mich. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p. m. Sunday at the Black funeral home and at 2 o’clock at the Church of God. with the Rev. Glen Marshal! officiating. Burial will be in the Decatur cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 7 o’clock this evening.

Coal Dispute Is Certified To War Board Secretary Os Labor - Acts As Operators Reject Proposals Washington, Mar. 30.— (UP) — The war labor board was expected today to order soft coal operators and the United Mine Workers to extend their present contract temporarily pending completing of a new one. Their failure to comply would be virtually certain to bring quick government seizure of the bituminous mines to prevent a strike after the present contract expires at midnight tomorrow. Miss Perking said it was “obvious that no agreement could be reached” without WLB compulsion. The fate of the WLB’s order will be decided' on its expected provision that any wage adjustments finally approved shall be retroactive to April 1. Lewis is favorable to that, but the operators have rejected two such requests from other government agencies. The UMW and operators were scheduled to resume discussions today. Prospects for averting a crisis in the soft coal fields mounted for a while yesterday when Miss Perking revealed that Lewis had accepted her compromise. But shortly before midnight, she reported that the operators had rejected the terms as well as her request to make adjustments retroactive to April 1. They also- refused to submit all of the issues to further arbitration of any kind. Miss Perkins said her overall proposal eliminated 13 of the UMW’s 18 original demands, including the 10 cents a ton royalty for health and insurance benefits for union members. She said the estimates on the increased wages ranged from 95 cents to $1.58 a day. She declined to “guess” an amount between those figures. She said all of the parties were agreed that the additional production cost would be about 25 cents a ton. Her terms were that the employers furnish the miners’ with safety clothes and accessories but not explosives; premium pay of four and eight cents an hour for second and third shift work; flat vacation pay of $75 a year for everybody; increase in the rate of all men in a mechanical mining unit to within $1 of the top rate; full straight time and premium pay for all overtime spent in traveling to and from the coal face; raises in wage rates for outside day men; and inclusion of supervisory employes in the UMW. An operators’ spokesman said that the proposals were rejected because “they would have added $100,000,000 a year to the cost of production without adding one lump of coal to the total output. 1 ’

Eighth Air Force Pounds Al Germany Naval Installations Targets Os Bombers London, Mar. 30.— (UP) —More than 2,300 U. S. eighth air force planes pounded Bremen, Hamburg and Wilhelmshaven today in the biggest American aerial attack ever made against German naval installations. The huge assault by more than 1,400 Fortresses and Liberators, escorted by 900 fighter planes, apparently was a bid to cripple finally the German naval facilities and U-boat fleet bases. The heavy bombers dropped loads of at least 3,000 tons of bombs on the three target areas. The targets included submarine building yards, naval vessels, oil storage, and pert facilities. The heavy attacks apparently also were designed to further the confusion now reigning among the reich’s land armies. The attacks followed up raids last night by British mosquitoes on Berlin and other targets in northwest Germany.

Decatur, Indiana, Friday, March 30,1945.

THE CRUCIFIXION Llggg

Secret Agreement At Yalta Assailed Gives Extra Votes To U. S. And Russia Washington, Mar. $0 —(UP) — The big three’s secret agreement on extra votes for Russia and the United States in the world assembly pointed clearly today to a bitter fight between the big and little nations at the San Francisco conference. It is certain to stir up a violent controversy among the American public and to split the U. S. delegation on the eve of the conference to create a world organization for keeping the peace. Immediate unofficial reaction was disillusionment. Sen. Joseph H. Ball, R., Minn., characterized it as a “gratuitous slap at the small nations.” Sens. Arthur H. Vandenberg, R., Mich., and Wallace H. White, R., Me., denounced it and opposed extra votes for the United States as much as for other countries. If the deal agreed to at Lalta is approved, Russia and the United States will ‘get three votes each in the assembly. The British empire will have six through the United Kingdom, the four dominions and India. All the other nations will have one each. The first proposal for more than one seat on the assembly was made by Premier Josef Stalin who, a year ago, granted a degree of autonomy in foreign affairs to his 1G Soviet republics. •Stalin now wants separate representation in the world organization for the Ukrainian and White Russian Soviet republics. (TUrn To Page 2, Column 7) O — Decatur Rotarians In Weekly Meeting Claude Somers, of the Fort Wayne General Electric works laboratory. was the guest speaker at the weekly meeting of the Decatur Rotary club Thursday evening. The speaker discussed the mysteries of electricity and the advances that have been made in recent years. Gordon Harvey was chairman of the program. The club will entertain their wives and sweethearts with a ladies' night program next Thursday evening at the K. (ft P. home.

Lt Charles Ehinger 111 In Philippines A telephone message from Mrs. Charles Ehinger, Vivian, La., to relatives here, • gave the information that her husband, Lt. Charles 'Ehinger, is quite ill with malaria and jungle fever. He is in a hospital somewhere in the Philippines. Lt. Ehinger is manager of the Citiben’s Telephone company with a leave of absence for the duration of the war. Mrs. Ehinger also reported that her mother, Mrs. David Campbell, formerly of this city, is quite ill. o Yankees Seize More Philippine Islands Secure Approaches To Big Cebu Harbor Manila, March 30 — (UP) — Eliments of the America! division secured the. approaches to Cebu’s big harbor in the central Philippines today with invasions of nearby Cauit and Mactan islands. The main city of Opon on Mactan island, where Magellan died in the 16th century, was seized by the assault troops while Tiny Cauit, a former seaplane base just outside Cebu City’s hartior, was completely occupied. The Islands were the 29th and 30th invaded by G*n. Douglas MacArthur’s American forces •in the Philippines. lAt the same time other units of the Americal division continued to fan out on Sebu island against only disorganized Japanese resistance. One column which cut north from captured Cebu city, capital of the island, seized Dahug airdrome with its two air strips to provide another base for the growing aerial offensive from the Philippines. A second force pushed south along Cebu’s eastern coast and occupied the town of Naga, nine miles below the Talisay landing beaches and 14 miles south of Cebu city. MacArthur’s communique said there was only minor action in the ground campaign on Luzon, in the Northern Philippines, where an additional 1,338 Japanese bodies were counted in the mopping up operations east ot Manila. Mitch'ell medium bombers and fighter planes continued steady at(Turn To Page 2, Column 6).

Nazi Armies In West Appear Breaking Up; Likely Revolt Hinted

Citizens Pause To Observe Good Friday Churches Os Decatur Observe Three Hours “We adore Thee, O Christ and we bless Thee Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.” W’ith this prayer on their lips, members of all faiths turned to the churches this afternoon to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the Cross, joining in the Three Hour observance at the Zion Evangelical and Reformed church and at St. Mary's Catholic church, where solemn and impressive rituals reminded the faithful of the supreme sacrifice made by the Savior for mankind. Congregations knelt in prayer, listened to the gospels and story of Christ’s journey with the Cross and his death thereon, for this was Good Friday, the day on which Christians throughout the world bow in reverence and express through prayer and meditation their appreciation for the fulfillment of prophesies that the Savior would come. “Today thou shalt be with Me in Paradise.” Throngs of people attended the union Three Hour devotions of the Protestant churches at the Zion Evangelical and Reformed church, where pastors of the participating churches were in charge. The meditations and discourses were on the last words uttered by the condemned Jesus from the cross. At St. Mary’s church the congregation made the W’ay of the Cross through the 14 stations, depicting the condemning of Jesus to die on the cross, his sorrowful journey to Mt. Calvary and His death, which the gospel relates occurred three hours after hanging on the infamous giblet. Good Friday observance started with the mass of the pre-sanc-tified at 7:30 o’clock this morning, the Holy Eucharist consumed by the priest during the mass having been consecrated yesterday. A state of complete mourning for the crucified Christ is observed in the church. During the Three Hours adoration before the Crucifix and blessing with a relic of the True Cross took place. (Turn To Page 5. Column 7) o

12 Men Leave Today For Physical Exams Pre-lnduction Group Leaves This Morning Twelve men left Decatur this morning for Indianapolis for preinduction physical examinations under selective service. One of the contingent volunteered for immediate induction if accepted, and three of. the group were transfers from other boards. Those accepted will be returned home on furlough awaiting call to active service. Two men scheduled to leave today have been transferred to the jurisdiction of other boards. They are: Herman Joseph Hain, transferred to Detroit, Mich., and Clarence Wallace Tallman, transferred to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Those who left this morning are as follows: Francis William Dayton Stults, John WHliam Suman. David Clowser Wynn, Carl Christian Brunni, Dan Franklin Durbin, Harold Ervine Thieme, Robert Samuel Workinger, Roy Lester Kaehr, John Paul Kelley (volunteer for immediate induction), Clark William Smith (transfer from Warrendale, Pa.), Samuel M. Troyer and Jerry M. Troyer, (transfers from Centerville, Mich.)

Soviet Armies Threatening To Outflank Vienna Great Baltic Port Os Danzig Falls To Onrushing Russians London, Mar. 30. —- (UP) — The Red army today was reported driving on Vienna along five highways south of the Danube and was only 30 miles from the Austrian capital at Sopron, which was reported besieged. The German high command admitted the fall of Danzig and Gdynia. The Germans, however, claimed the Soviet drive into Austria had been halted. At Sopron the Russians were only 18 miles from the huge Austrian manufacturing and war center of Wiener Neustadt, often a target for American heavy bombers, and the rail lines linking Austria with the south. The rail lines are also vital to the supply of the German forces still holding out in northern Yugoslavia. The Germans were reported massing troops along the l.eite river line just a few miles in advance of Soviet spearheads for a last stand to save Vienna. One Soviet column threatened to flank Vienna from the souUi. Still another column clearing the western tip of Hungary was within five miles of the Austrian border and 40 miles southeast of Vienna. Far to the north, the great Baltic port of Danzig fell into Soviet hands, a German army newspaper dispatch recorded by the FCC in the United States said. A Soviet communique last night reported only the capture of the center of the city and the greater part of its port area. Marshal Feodor I. Tolbukhin’s third Ukrainian army group rolled up to the Austrian frontier on a 14-mile front yesterday and a free Austria radio broadcast said the Soviets crossed the border at several points, liberating some villages. The Soviets turned the German defense line based on Lae Neusiedler with the capture of the border stronghold of Koeszeg, 19 miles southwest of the 130-square-mile (Turn To Page 5, Column 1) — o

Released Civilians Are Enroute Home Former Philippine Internees Enroute San Francisco, Mar. 30 —(UP) —The first large group of civilians released from internment camps in the Philippines will arrive soon in San Francisco aboard a transport, the navy disclosed today. The 12th naval district made public a tentative passenger list of 336 names, including 50 children under 17 years of age. Presumably most of the civilians are former internees at the Santo Tomas university prison camp at. Manila. This was the first large group scheduled to reach the mainland since American troops liberated Santo Tomas prisoners, although a few former internees have arrived individually or in small groups. The list included Virginia Hewlett, wife of United Press war correspondent Frank Hewlett, who was interned at Santo Tomas. Many missionaries, merchants. engineers and other persons from all sections of the United States were listed as passengers.

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Price Four Cents.

Virtually Envelop Ruhr Basin And Last Major Nazi Force In West Germany Paris, March 30 —(UP) — German troops were reported surrendering by the thousands today as the American First army cut into the enemy's rear areas 180-odd miles from Berlin, virtually enveloping the Ruhr Basin and the Nazis’ last major fighting force in Western Germany. The German high command said U. S. Third army forces were 18G miles southwest of Berlin at Bad Wildungen 19 milts southwest of Kassel. That was the closest point to Berlin reported specifically for the Americans. The break-up of the German armies in the west appeared to have begun. The first army's tank columns already had knifed 100 road milts through the rear of the enemy forces defending the Ruhr, meeting only beaten, demoralized Germans inte'nit only on sunender. The Allied-controlled Luxem'borg radio said one of the greatest mass surrenders in history was under way all along the western front and that revolt against the Nazi regime was imminent. Vanguards of the first army were reported in and perhaps beyond the communications center of Padeitborn, gateway to .the north German plain, and moving fast toward a decisive juncture with field marshal sir Bernard L. Montgomery’s British and American forces in the north At Paderborn, Lt. Gen. Courtney 11. Hodges’ first army was less than 40 miles from a juncture with Montgomery and 59 miles southwest of Hannover, 12th ’ city ol Hitler’s disintegrating Reich. The Americans were 49 miles southwest of -Muenster, already menaced by British columns advancing from the west, and the Luxemlboung radio Baid the city was reported draped with white flagß. Unconfirmed reports again wero heard that third army troops were racing southeastward for the Nazi shrine city of Nuernberg. A Brussels radio broadcast placed them 30 miles northwest of the city at a point aibout 85 miles southeast ot Frankfurt. iHodges men raced northward over more than 100 miles of twisting German roads almost without, firing a shot. They reached the Paderiwrn area just 24 hours after the jump-off from Giessen at dawn yesterday. (Radio Luxembourg said Patton’s men were racing into the Thuringian forests on the road to Eisenach, 155 miles southwest of Berlin and 90 miles east of Leipzig. 'Both the first and third armies were pursuing a phantom German army that melted away at their approach. Only a handful of fanatical Nazi SIS troopers opposed the first army’s triumphal sweep of Paderborn, and Patton’s men were reported meeting virtually no opposition. More than 33.000 dazed German prisoners were swept up by the ttwo American forces yesterday and United Press war correspondent Robert Richards reported that the Nazis were falling over themselves in their rush to surrender. The third army’s prison cages were jammed with more than 150,000 captives rounded up in the eight-day advance beyond the Rhine, and the last major fighting force left to the enemy in western Germany was believed to comprise aibout 16.000 Germans reeling back before Montgomery's men in the north. -- — o Question Local Youth In Huntington Theft Huntington police are questioning three youths, one from Decatur and two from Wells county, in connection with the theft of jewelry from the V. P. Caldwell home in Huntington on the..night of tie regional basketball tournament. The Decatur lad was reported to be only M years old.