Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 43, Number 90, Decatur, Adams County, 16 April 1945 — Page 1

Ast Win the War ®lse Is Chores!

1111. No. 90.

HUMAN PLEDGED TO ROOSEVELT IDEALS

]Bh Army's ®e Stalled Sbe Line ? ,, H cr F ° rces Unchecked »oi^ML arc | Red Armies kej’i uce. BULLETIN S Apr. 16.—(UP)—Aerial ■ I? of the American and - -* armies made their first -j contact above the Leip- - 8 corridor today. ’ !i 40 rTii,es ahead of two - H K 3 united States tank arm- ’ ■* through the shat- • ” defenses of central 1 " !s SB any - Apr. 16—(UP) —Savage 211 resistance stalled the —"KU 111111 ariny alonß ,lll “ Ell,e -‘HHHt ,0 ,niIPR f 10111 Berlin . E|gS)ii: oilier American forces lin ked toward a juncRurßili the Red army. One , was reported astride the border. the thunder of battle rolling back over their JEMi capital, the Nazis turned ■JmvH|||it for their last-ditch line ‘"'KEgllio Elbe with a desperate 1 hurled the American sec- , . d division back across ' a '’ Just north of Magdeburg, :: -p- HjSaL. southwest of Berlin, and EH a heavy artillery bombardKKnn the ninth army's other ESjpead at Bai by, 15 miles to Barby bridgehead, won JEM Slid infantry division Satwas reported firmly estabSmH and expanding steadily in raking enemy shellfire £sE and again wrecked the ||||Mcaii pontoon bridges. tank crews of the sec■SHarmoied division, driven EgE their own bridgehead late ■Ey after IS hours of furious ■E bounced back across the > through the 83rd’s salient f the doughhoy attack. L combined divisions slugg- ■ way forward four miles 111 l’ osit ’ olls about 50 BE southwest of Berlin. HB I armored and 30th infan- ’^^■‘ lninll ’d up to the Elbe river a flonl of more than 50 north of Magdeburg and f,,r a crossln ß a t points *MB“ se aS 4 "’ nll,es from Berlin. ImB 1 fierce German stand before - B however, was being nullilßFffltl,y ,iy the overwhelming EB 1 of the American first and ar,l 'ies advancing into eastiKßCermany along a twisting, front, ,^B t ' 1 ' i< ' :in first army troops httle more than 80 miles *b|l 11 juncture with the 'Soviet ijpg 113 massed on the Neisse feached the Mulde river ’||gH Suulll ot Dessau > on ’y 15 hum the ninth army bridge’lllll ai - Rar,)y ’ capturing the .HEP 1 junkcrs aircraft plant in ' {eie!l. Their armor and in- ? BW y stor med into Halle. 25 ar^Cr sou^1 ’. and entered T7pag7 5. Column 6) t|ye f al Held Today J Hawkins Infant eervices were held at the iiineral home this afternoon IM; 11 ' 1 ' Lee Hawkina, still liorn |^H“ ay morning at the Adame 'IK „ e,llor,al hospital. The Rev. .I Shall officiat ed and burial the Decatur cemetery. fiV l ? 1 ' in | are th e parents, EmFl <«sie SmithiHawkins; KI brot hera, Sgt. Ralph, with the r M in Edmonton, Can- * In Y C r, Paul, ln th « South Pad . Carl William, at home; EjL ’ lce Je an, at home, and i>arentfi W. W. Hawkins - Ktat'F r 2" d Mr ' arld Mrs - James - » hug, of Kirkl . n , HEMorD RATURE READING ■ 8 :oo OCRAT THE RMOMETER idst- "** s. m. c ~ ... 2 Mloon - 64 ■ P m ' - 74 1 EL> WEATHER #^B'aht y . cl rt Udy and cooler *oBFind. us , Tue «lay. Strong .. J diminishing tonight

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Two Decatur Men Are Reported Wounded In Service Os Nation ar fSpni 5 ® Thomae Andrews Harley Roop

7wo Decatur men have been wounded in action, one with the navy and the other with the army in Germany. They are: ensign’thomas’andrews. PFC. HARLEY ROOP. Ensign Thomas Andrews, 25, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Andrews of Decatur route four, a torpedo bomber pilot aboard a navy carrier, was wounded in action recently in the Southwest' Pacific, relatives have been advised. Ensign Andrews is now in~a naval hospital at Bremerton, Wash., having been flown back to the United States. The navy’s message did not state the date on which he was wounded nor did it divulge the location where he met his accident. Ensign Andrews is one of four brothers in the armed services. Following his graduation from

Crashing Offensive Is Opened In Italy Entire War Front In Italy Ablaze Rome, April 16—(UIP)-R'he U. S. Fifth army opened a crashing attack in the Kalian mountains below Bologna today and Gen. Mark W. Clark announced that the Allied 15th army group’s general spring offensive now is on. “Hit them with all yon have got, and with God’s help we will have a decisive and perhaps final victory,” Clark said in an order of the day. The whole Italian front was ablaze. British eighth army forces were feating back the Adriatic wing of the German line. Fifth army troops were striking along the approaches of Bologna and to the west were slugging up the Ligurian coast toward La Spezia and its great naval base, iClark, commander of all Allied forces in Italy, issued the following special communique: MThe spring offensive in the Mediterranean theater has begun. The fifth army started its offensive this morning, joining the large scale effort begun a week ago by the British Eighth army. The fifth army attack was preceded by an all-out air bombardment in the mountainous area south of Bologna Sunday afternoon.” The U. S. 15 th air force eclipsed all its previous records in the attack preliminary to the new offen(Turn To Page 6. Column 2) — O — German Strong Points Attacked From Air (London, April 16 —(UP)—M'ore than 2,000 (American bombers and tightens attacked German strong points today along the Girode estuary, where the French werp tying to open the gateway to Bordeaux, and transport targets in the Regensburg area. (Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle sent out two separate forces of flying fortresses, Liberators and fighters. The first struck in the direct support of the French troops along the Gironde. The second hit rail yards and bridges between northern Germany and the Bavarian redoubt. ißoyhl air force Mosquito bombers attacked Berlin three times last night.

Indiana University in 1942, Jie enlisted in the naval air corps and following intensive training was commissioned a navy pilot in 1944. He was home on leave last December. His three brothers are in the army. Sgt. Francis Andrews is , in the air corps, stationed in i Italy; Cpl. Richard Andrews is in i New Caledonia, Southwest Pa>cific; and Pfc. Spencer Andrews is with a combat engineers group j in Germany. Pfc. Harley Roop, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harley Roop of Decatur I route one, was wounded in action in Germany on April 5. He has been moved to a hospital in Belgium, the parents have been advised. Pfc. Roop entered the army in 1942 and went overseas in December, 1943. He is a graduate of the Monmouth high school and was employed at the Central Sugar company in this city prior to entering the service.

Col. James Roosevelt Too Late For Funeral New York, April 16 — bUP) — Marine Col. James Roosevelt eldest son of the late President, was home today but he arrived an hour and half late for his father’s funeral which he flew 10,000 miles from the Philippines to attend. (Headwinds slowed Col. Roosevelt’s plane. He made the trip in 60 hours, arriving at Floyd Bennet field at 12:05 P. M. yesterday. He said he would stay with the family in Washington about a week before returning to duty. o 20 Are Killed As Airliner Crashes Morgantown, W. Va., April 16 — (UlP)—Federal and county authorities Beached the wreckage of a Pennsylvania central airlines plane today for a clue to the cause of the crash which killed 17 pasengers and three crew members. ' (The 20 bodies, most of them burned beyond recognition, were party which trudged three miles up recovered last night by a search the side of Cheat mountains, eight miles northeast of here, to reach the smouldering wreckage. o— Wietfeldt Funeral Services Tuesday , Fred H. Wietfeldt Dies Saturday Night Funeral service for Fred 11. Wietfeldt, 78, who died Saturday night at his home five miles east of Hoagland, will be held at 1:30 p. m. Tuesday at the residence and at 2 o’clock at St. Peter’s Lutheran church, with the Rev. Karl Hofmann officiating. Interment will be in the church cemetery. Mr. Wietfeldt was born in Root tdwnship, later moving to Allen , county. He was a member of the St. Peter’s Lutheran church. He was married to Wilhelmina , Busse May 7, 1908. Surviving in addition to the wife are three sons, Paul, Marvin and Fred, Jr., all at home; seven daughters, Mrs. Verena Bleeke and Mrs. Lydia Buslck. both of Root township; Mrs. Flora Schuller, Ossian; Mrs. Lorinda Merkle, Whiting; (Turn To Pago 5, Column 6)

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Monday, April 16,1945.

Mrs. Roosevelt Leaves Grave k AW Jr \ ACCOMPANIED by her daughter, Mrs. Anna Boettiger, and her son. Brig, Gen. Elliott Rdosevelt, carrying the flag that draped the casket of his father, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt leaves the grave of the late president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, following burial services in the garden of their Hyde Park, N. Y.. home.

Americans Close In On City Os Baguio Three Columns Close On Jap-Held City Manila, Apr. 16 —(UP) —Three American columns closed in today on Baguio, last major enemy-held city on Luzon, with one force only three miles away. The columns were approaching the city, former Japanese headquarters in the Philippines, from the northwest, southwest and southeast. One force, which pushed up from the original Lingayen invasion beachheads reached within three miles of the southwestern city limits, while a second column drove through Monglo, four miles northwest of Baguio, and the third contingent advanced beyond Lawitan to within 10 miles southeast of the city. In southern Luzon, other American troops seized Cagraray island off the east coast of Albay Gulf, where the 158th regimental combat team landed two weeks ago at Legaspi and since have pushed far up the Bicol peninsula. Gen. Douglas MacArthur disclosed that bombers and fighters, in direct support of the ground forces throughout the Philippines, dropped approximately 400 tons of bombs on Japanese front positions. Other aerial forces hammered Davao, in southeastern Mindanao, Thursday and Friday, and para(Turn To Page 2. Column 3)

Body Os Franklin D. Roosevelt Is Laid To Rest In Hyde Park

Hyde Park, N. Y... Apr 16—(UP) —The body of Franklin Delano Roosevelt rested today in the soil of a sunny rose garden on the family estate overlooking the Hudson river. A few minutes before 10 o’clock yesterday morning, a lone gun in a nearby field stilled thoae waiting in the hedge-locked garden with the first round of a 21-gun presidential salute. Forty-seven minutes later the simple services for the 31st president of the United States were over. As the echo of the gun faded, the strains of “Hail to the Chief” played by the West Point cadet band came through the nearby woods. The funeral procession moved up the hillside, paced by the muffled drums. First came the band, then 600 West Point Cadets. The president’s flag’draped casket rested on a black caisson drawn by six brown horses. Behind it was Mrs. Roosevelt and her family, President Harry S. Truman and his wife and daughter. Inside the garden, the widow of the late president’s half brother, Mrs. James R. Roosevelt, waited in a chair beside the graveside. At her side was Fala, the president’s

58,510 Allied War Prisoners Liberated With U. S. Ninth Army in Germany, April 16 —(UP) —The U. S. ninth army liberated 53,510 Allied prisoners of war, including 689 Americans, in its three-week advance from the Rhine to the Elbe river, it was disclosed today. o President Truman Confers With Eden Churchill Messages Delivered By Eden Washington, Apr. 16 —(UP) — President Truman conferred for 20 minutes today with British foreign minister Anthony Eden who delivered several verbal messages from Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Also present were secretary of state Edward R. Stettinius, Jr., and British ambassador Lord Halifax. Stettinius met with Mr. Truman earlier —shortly after the president arrived in the executive office at the early hour of 8:15 a. m.—then returned to join in the conference with Eden and the ambassador. Eden, wdio flew from England to attend the late President Roosevelt’s funeral, told reporters as he left Mr. Truman's office: “I was very pleased to have the privilege of calling on the president and very grateful that he found time to see me on this day I — (Turn To Page 5, Column 4)

dog. Planes flew across the procession, low on a straight course. A drum began a dirge. Three beats and a slow' roll, three beats, slow roll, three beats, slow roll — endlessly. As the procession neared the garden the band took up Chopin’s Funeral March. In an undertone the drums kept the rhythm. The band played the Star Spangled Banner, then the hymn chosen by Mrs. Roosevelt, “Near My God to Thee.” At 10:36 a. m. the caisson was drawn into position. Eight enlisted men from the armed forces—there were no honorary pallbearers —bore the casket to the grave. Behind the 76-year-old Rev. George Anthony, stood Mrs. Roosevelt with a son. Brig. Gen. Elliott Roosevelt, on one Bide, and her daughter, Mrs. Anna Boettiger, on the other. Behind them stood her four daughters-in-law and her son-in-law, Col. John Boettiger. Behind them was another family—the nation’s official family, President Harry S. Truman, his (Turn To Page 2, Column 1)

New President Assures Nation He Will Support Victory And Peace Aims

Tokyo Ablaze As Superforts Continue Raids 10 Square Miles Os Tokyo Burned Out By B-29 Raid Saturday BULLETIN Washington, Apr. 16. —(UP) —Eleven Superfortresses are missing from today’s 300 to 400 plane raid on Tokyo, the war department announced. Guam, Apr. 16.—(UP) —B-29 Superfortresses burned out 10% square miles of Tokyo Saturday, the 21st bober command announced, and another huge air fleet heaped new destruction on the still-burning capital today. Some 300 to 400 B-29s dropped possibly 2,000 tons of high explosive and incendiary bombs on war plants in southeast Tokyo and at Kawasaki, an industrial suburb southwest of Tokyo, in today’s early-morning raid. Fires raged out of control for seven and a half hours, Tokyo broadcasts said. Approxiately 100 carrier-based planes and a small force of Liberators bombed and strafed southern Kyushu, southernmost of the Japanese home islands, tor about 50 minutes this afternoon, radio Tokyo reported. The raid was the first by Liberators yet reported against Japan proper. Another Tokyo broadcast eaid 40 “small type” and carrier planes raided Boso peninsula, eastern arm of Tokyo bay, for 50 minutes yesterday. Neither broadcast could be confirmed here. The destruction wrought by the Superfortresses in Saturday’s raid included factories contributing to seven major war-making industries, including the prize target—the Itabashe arsenal. Also damaged were chemical plants, powder factories and shell plants. The devastated section was twice as large as the specified target area for the raid —five square (Turn To Page 5. Column 5) 0 — Jap Counterattacks Beaten On Okinawa Resistance Light On Northern Front Guam. April 16.—(UP)—Marines of the third amphibious corps pushed along the laet 10-odd miles toward the northern tip of Okinawa against light resistance today. In southern Okinawa, army troops of the 24th corps beat off Japanese counterattacks and, by Tokyo accounts, prepared for a full-scale offensive against Naha, capital of the island. The army forces have been stalled for nearly a week by upwards of 60,000 Japanese troops entrenched in defenses built into hills shielding Naha, only a scant four miles south of the American lines. American infantry killed 195 Jappanese in smashing three counterattacks yesterday. The enemy troops, swarmed down from well-de-fended Kakazu ridge 1.000 yards inland front the west coast and about 6,000 yards north of Naha. Some of the enemy troops were armed only with spears, but others carried tommy guns, grenades and explosive charges. A Japanese communique said the Americans were making “full pren. aration for an offensive in southern Okinawa in spite of powerful blows sustained under our counteroffensives.” Some 1,700 American troops were (Turn To Page 5, Column 7)

Lauds Press, Radio On Roosevelt News Washington. April 16 —(UP) — Sen. Carl A. Hatch, D., N. M„ today paid tribute to the press and radio for the manner in which they handled the news of the death of President Roosevelt “Press and radio—friend and foe alike of the previous administration through editorial comment, through the news services, and in every possible way. rose to the occasion with a patriotims never before witnessed in any country,” Hatch told the senate. o— Russians Open General Drive On East Front Open Supreme Push On German Capita! From Eastern Front London, Apr. 16. — (UP) — The Red army attacked on a 110-mile front east of Berlin today in a general offepsive to capture the devastated Nazi capital and link up with Allied armies in the west. In the first few hours of the longexpected assault, the Nazis conceded, the Russians penetrated the last-ditch Nazi defense line between Kuestrin and Frankfurt due east of Berlin and seized a new bridgehead across the Oder midway between the capital and Stettin. The Soviet high command did not confirm the offensive immediately, but the Germans—usually first to announce such major Soviet rives —let no doubt that the supreme push from the east had begun. Marshal Gregory K. Zhukov's first White Russian army threw the main weight of its all-out offensive against the German line from Wriezen, 23 miles northeast of Berlin, to Fuerstenberg, 42 miles southeast, at 3:15 a. m. under cover of a terrific air and artillery bombardment. “Grim fighting” developed on Berlin's frontal defenses. Nazi accounts said, and Soviet forces wedged into the line in at least one point. Eighty miles to the west, American forces also were driving toward Berlin. With the attack, Ute Russians engaged the last sizeable organized (Tmrn To Page 6, Column 5) O Laurin Yager Dies After Short Illness Will Hold Funeral Services Wednesday Laurin D. Yager, 42, a native of Adams county, died shortly before noon Sunday at his home in Lancaster township. Wells county, after an illness of two days. He was born in Kirkland township October 5, 1902, the son of William and Lucinda Hocker-Yager. He was married to Naomi Gilbert July 18, 1930. He was a member of the Pleasant Dale church in Kirkland township. Surviving are the wife, the mother, Mrs. Lucinda Yager; two sone and a daughter, Don Allen, Wayne and Ellen Rose, all at home; four brothers and a sister, Herman Yager of Philadelphia. Kenneth of Fort Wayne, Charles of near Spencerville, Samuel and Mrs. Rachel Sautbine, both of near Decatur. Two brothers and one sister are deceased. Funeral services will be held nt 2 o’clock Wednesday afternoon at the church, with the Rev. Ruesell Weller officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. The body will be removed from the Jahn funeral home to the residence Tuesday noon.

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Grand Strategy Os United Nations War Unchanged—Will Not Traffic With Enemy Washington, Apr. 16 —(UP) — President Truman ini his first appearance before the congress today assured the nation and the world that he would support and defend the ideals of President Roosevelt “with all my strength and with all my heart.” He said that in the war “our demand has been, and it remains —unconditional surrender.” “So that there can be no possible misunderstanding, both Germany .and Japan can be certain, beyond any shadow of doubt, America will continue the fight for freedom until no vestige of resistance remains.” And, he continued, "we are deeply conscious of the fact that much hard fighting is still ahead of us.” . t “Having to pay such a heavy price to make complete victory certain. America will never become a party to any plan for partial victory. To settle for merely another temporary respite would surely jeopardize the future security of all the world. “We will not traffic with the breakers of the peace on the terms of the peace.” He also was emphatic in saying that this country's war strategy, conceived under the lata president and the chiefs of the armed services appointed by Mr. Roosevelt, would not change. “The grand strategy of the United Nations war has been determined —due in no small measure to the vision of our departed commander in chief,” he said, “We are now carrying out our part of that strategy under the able direction of Adm. Leahy, Gen. Marshal, Adm. King, Gen. Arnold. Gen. Eisenhower, Adm. Nimitz and Gen. MacArthur. “I want the entire world to know that this direction must and will remain—unchanged and unhampered." Looking to the April 25 conference of the United Nations in San Francisco, Mr. Truman said “we will face the problems of peace with the stune courage , that we have faced and mastered the problems of war.” “In memory of those who have made the supreme sacrifice —in the memory of our fallen president —we shall not fail.” It is “not enough to yearn for peace,” he said. “We must work, and sary, fight for it. The task of creating a sound international organization is complicated and difficult. Yet without such organization, the rights of man on earth can not be protected. Machinery for the. just settlement of international differences must bo found. Without such machinery, the entire world will have to remain an armed camp . . doomed to deadly conflict, devoid of hope for real peace.” Expressing the importance of continued international cooperation by the nations which mustered “the force necessary to defeat the conspiracy of the fascist pow> ers to dominate the world,” the new president said: “While these great states have a special responsibility to enforce thn peace, their responsibility is based upon the obligations resting upon all states, large and small, not to use force in international relations except in the defense of law. The responsibility of the great states is to serve and not dominate the peoples of the world.” In. an humble mood, the bespectacled, small-statured new head of the American government appealed “to every American, regardless of party, race, creed or color, to support our efforts to build a strong and lasting United Nations organization.” He made a forthright appeal to congress, of which he had been a member, for help and cooperation. “You, the members of congress, (Turn To Page 2, Column 2)