Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 43, Number 98, Decatur, Adams County, 25 April 1945 — Page 1

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I XLIII. No ' 98,

ILIMAX OF BERLIN BATTLE REPORTED NEAR

ilfon’s Army feeing For jsfria Border Nazis Breaking Into Confused Rout Under Strong Yankee Drive bulletin With u. s. Third Army, Irniany, Apr. 25 (U) Lrican third army tanks L 15 miles southeast of Ln today to a point only Lies north of BerchtesMen. L Apr. 2HUP)-Lt Gen. L S. Patton’s American M army raced for the Austrian L and the Salzach valley L to Berchtesgaden today, Lpeding thousands of crack |i troops 80-odd miles from If Hitler’s Bavarian death Li dispatches said the Geris were breaking into a conL and disorderly rout before Itkird army drive, falling back Liles and more a day over the I approaches to the Bavarian ■bt Lton’s men officially were Led 30 miles from the Ausin border, 52 miles from the Lee to the Salzach valley fewer than 90 miles due north Berchtesgaden late last night, bt his rough-riding tank colls were meeting little or nq Lion all along their 100i front, and the speed of their knee indicated they might be miles closer to their goal bei nightfall. niton's vanguards were fewer p 120 miles from Red army tes pounding along the south Ik o! the Danube about 110 k northeast of Berchtesgaden, lore than 19.000 hand-picked i elite guards were captured the third army yesterday and Bands more were being overand surrounded by the means'forward tank columns, i the center of their line, Ron’s men were storming the ntbian fortress of Regensburg, lie their western wing rammed in within 52 miles of Munich, ftal of Bavaria and the birthre of Nazism. In Patton’s southwestern flank, Gen. Alexander M. Patch’s ienean seventh army poured a id of men and armor through ® bridgeheads across the lube, with their vanguards nly 40 miles northwest of nich. bench first army forces far- ’ to the southwest were rolling hard along the German-Swiss Jtier around the shores of le Constance and were rapidly •ring out thousands of trapped ®ans in three pockets behind tr lines. Jr to the north, the American 1 an d ninth armies deployed ® ibe Elbe and Mulde riv.ers ” and southwest of Berlin, ••ting an imminent juncture " Red army. d‘o Luxembourg said all .. , !Z j‘ en «ury resistance was red to have ended in the corridor between the ‘ fans an(l Russians. White ,’ ere re P°rted flying 8 " ““ n p le Brea over towns Dn thJ \. iy in Germau hands. Meftnnt ereat western rthwest al ° ns Germany’s ar? C ? St ’ the British tk ß ~ 7 burled waves of DOr?? n ymetl in ‘° the i r( L P “ ° f Bremen and beout the die-hard Nazi kk fight 3 b ‘ tter ’ block ’by German 11 r WaS no confir mation «er eP ° rtS that Adoif !>. rem *ining in Berlin n THE Rmometer mature reading s°° a. m. w- 46 — - 50 We *ther tloudv .T Airway. S", and r extr ' tn ” Si cL ?? t6nl flht. ConSy Warm. ThUr#day e «ept »during X’ lonfl Ohio

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Six Names Added To Petit Jury List Six additional members of the petit jury have been drawn by James L. Kocher and Albert Harlow, commissioners. They are Samuel Beeler, Geneva, Mrs. John Walters and Louis Koldeway. of Union townsip; Paul Bahner, (Monroe; Rolbert Speicher. Berne and Mis. Charles Brodibeck, Decatur. Three of the original members were excused from service by the court and if the jury is called this term, three of the six chosen will be subject to call. 0 Hiller Retreat High In Alps Bombed Today Bavarian Retreat Bombed For First Time During War London. Apr. 25— (UP)—British Lancaster heavy bombers escorted by American fighter planes, attacked Adolf Hitler's Bavarian retreat high in the Alps near Berchtesgaden with six-ton earthquake bombs The" air ministry announced the first air attack of the war on Hitler’s house in the Berchtesgaden area. Big forces of American heavy bombers ranged over the Nazis’ “national redoubt” in the Alps today before the British heavies swept in to strike heavily at Hitler’s house. American Mustang pilots escorting the Lancasters over the .Hitler hideout said the Nazi threw up an intense barrage of anti-aircraft fire. An official announcement said Hitler’s house, SS elite guard barracks on the grounds, and hie mountain refuge on Kehlstern, five miles from the house, were attacked. Separate forces of Lancasters carried out the attacks between 9 and 10 a. m. today (2 and 3 a. m. CWT). Two of the Lancasters are missing. The first announcement gave no hint o-f the effectiveness of the attack, Significantly, however, it said the bombers, attacked specific targets, and the practice heretofore has been to identify such pinpointed objectives when the attack is successful. Whether Hitler was in his mountain hideout was uncertain. The Nlazi radio says he is in Berlin personally directing the defense of the city. Observers pointed out. that such a claim might be propaganda designed to help the morale of the Berlin garrison. First reports did not specify the (Turn To Page 5. Column 5) — 0 — Individual Bond Sale Quota Fixed County Individual Goal Is $866,300 Adams county’s quota of individual bonds to be sold in the seventh war loan drive is $566,3W. Theodore F. Graliker and Earl Caston, colhairmen of the county bond staff, announced today. INo quota has 'been received for corporations and other purchasers, the import of the drive being made on sales to individuals. The national quota te 14 billion dollars, of which half has been allotted to individuals. Os the $866,300 alloted to this county, $44,1.100 has been designated as E bonds. Individuals who purchase EJF, or G. bonds or any market issues available in the drive, will be credited with meeting the county’s quota. While the quota of individual bonds is higher in the mighty seventh war loan drive than in any previous governmental financing drive, it is hot much larger than the amount purchased by individuals in the sixth war loan drive, Mr. Caston explained. In this drive, individuals bought $774,895.75 worth of bonds. Since April 1, Adams county investors have purchased $69,93 < .50 (Turn To Pago 2. Column 5)

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Pumphrey Reelected Community Leader Annual Meeting Os Directors Is Held The majority of the officers of <he Decatur Community Fund, Inc., were re-elected at the annual meeting of the directors held last evening at the First State bank building. Carl C. Pumphrey was re-elect-ed president. Mrs. Herman Keller, secretary and Herman H. Krueckeberg, treasurer, were also re-elected. Two vice presidents were elected. They are, Ray Leitz. first vice president and James K. Staley, second vice president. The new officers will serve for one year and with four other members comprise the l»ard of directors. The directors reelected for a three-year term last month are, the Rev. Joseph J. Seimetz. Clarence Heiman and Mr. Krueckeberg. President Pumphrey will appoint members of the standing committee of the organization at the next meeting of the board. The directors discussed informally the suggestion launched a month ago that if Decatur is to build a memorial to the men and women from this city who are serving their country in uniform, that the memorial take the form of a community building. While many citizens have expressed sentiment in favor of the community building idea, no definite steps have been taken. Several servicemen have voiced their opinion in favor of such a memorial. The Decatur Community Fund. Inc., was organized here in 1944, as a project to incorporate community and youth activities and the raising of funds for the war fund drives. The fund sponsors all youtli programs carried out in the city. o — Moves Point To Ease In Manpower Crisis Selective Service Act Is Extended Washington, Apr. 25—(UP) — War began cautiously to relax its grip on this nation's fighring manpower today. Four related moves by the armed services and the U. S. congress made it clear that the approaching end of operations in Europe has eased the manpower crisis which faced the nation at the beginning of the year causing draft calls to be stepped up and demands made for labor conscription. The four steps: 1. Yesterday the war department announced that men over 41 in the army could be released upon application unless they were undergoing disciplinary action or required medical treatment. Some 50,000 men in uniform were affected. 2. At the same time the war (Turn To Page 6, Column 4)

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, April 25,1945.

Conference Schedule San Francisco, Apr. 25 —(UP) —Here is the tentative schedule for the plenary session officially opening the United Nations conference today: 6:30 p. m. CWT —Secretary of state Edward R. Stettinius, Jr., accompanied by Gov. Earl Warren of California and Mayor Roger Lapham of San Francisco, make their appearance on the stage of San Francisco's war memorial opera house. 6:33 p. m.— Stettinius speaks briefly and introduces President Truman. 6:35 p. m.—President Truman Speaks from Washington. 6:46 p. m. — Stettinius introduces Gov. Warren for brief address of welcome. 6:50 p. m. — Stettinius introduces Mayor Lapham for brief address. 6:54 p. m. —Stettinius addresses session briefly. 7:00 p. m. —Adjournment. o Allied Armies Move Toward Brenner Pass Strike Northward From The Po River Rome, Apr. 25. — (UP)—Allied armies struck north from the Po river in northern Italy today ro within 30 miles of Verona, gateway to the Brenner Pass. Swiftly extending their bridgeheads across the Po, Gen. Mark SV. Clark’s forces joined the race to trap remnants of Adolf Hitler’s armies in his national deboubt in the Bavarian Alps. Both the Fifth and Eighth armies were advancing north of the Po toward the Brenner Pass, backdoor to the redoubt, against weakening German resistance, Allied force headquarters reported. The eighth army at Bogoforte was less than 30 miles from Verona and held a 50-mile front along the Po from there to Ferrara. French First army and American Seventh army units were only 90 miles from the northern entrance to the Brenner Pass at Innsbruck, while Third army troops were driving it from the north. Headquarters revealed that the Fifth army’s Tenth mountain division spearheaded the push across the Po, establishing the first bridgehead Monday morning, April 23, after a 55-mile drive in two days. (Turn To Page 6, Column 5) Lt. Floyd Tobey Reported Missing iLt. Floyd Tdbey, 24, of Long Beach, Cal., brother-in-law of Glenden Borne, baker first class, U. S. navy, is reported missing in action over Saipan, Mrs. Edward Borne of this city, learned today. (Lt. Tdbey Was a graduate of West Point military academy and was a pilot of a B-29. At one time, Sgt. Joe Hazelwood of this city was a gunner on his plane. Lt. Tobey made a volunteer flight to intercept a Jaip enemy plane that had attacked the plane in which Sgt. Hazelwood served. Glenden Borne married the pilot’s sister, Sally Tobey, who resides in Long

Yankees Near Jap Citadel On Luzon Baguio Under Heavy Fire By Americans Manila, April 35 —(UP)—(American troops under strong aerial support drove-to within a mile and a half today of Baguio, Japanese citadel in northern Luzon. (Heavy attack and fighter bombers pummeled the Japanese positions at Baguio with 500-pound bomlbs and machine gun bullets while tlie infantryman pushed more than a half mile through the hills al the northwestern corner of the city. Baguio, where a number of Filippino icollaibui’alioiiisls have beieu captured in the past week, was the former Philippines summer capital and at one time headquarters of Lt. Gen. Tomayuki Yamashita’s Japanese forces in the Archipelago. Gen. Douglas (MacArthur announced that more than 250 tons of bombs were dropped in support of the ground forces on Luzon from Baguio to the Marakina watershed, northeast of Manila, where 43rd division troops bad reached within a half mile of strongly defended mount Mapatad. In the tactical aerial operations east of Manila, headquartens disclosed that -Mustangs placed 66 of 68 500-pound Ibomfbs directly on enemy targets in the Yamashita line and severely raked the Japanese positions from .the tree-top heighth. An anti-aircraft emplacement, two staff cars, a camouflaged vehicle, three trucks and tlwo gun emplacements were destroyed. (Strategic bomber forces from the Philippines destroyed or damaged 12 more Japanese vessels, including a submarine, in the China sea blocked; pounded Formosa’s airdromes again, raked the naval base at Saigon in French Indo-Chi-na and hammered oil installations throughout the Dutch East Indies. o * Nazis May Hold Out In Denmark, Norway Last Ditch Defense May Be In Denmark Washington, Apr. 25. — (UP) — Military observers here said today the Nazis might hold out longer in Denmark and Norway than they do in Germany itself if they follow out their declared intention to fight to the end. A rough estimate gave the Germans about three weeks more before they are cleaned up in northern Germany, and approximately six weeks in the so-called Nazi redoubt in southern Germany. Supreme headquarters has stated more than once that victory will not be proclaimed until German resistance is ended and all major pockets of resistance wiped out. Reports that German forces have been observed moving into Denmark caused speculation that the Nazis might be planning a la’st ditch defense there. Denmark is good defensive terri(Tunn To Page 5, Column 6)

High Nazi Officials Are Reported Fleeing-~Over Half Os City Is Overrun

46 Nations To Meet At Peace Confab Tonight Meet To Map Peace, Retrieve Mistakes Os First World War War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, Apr. 25. —(UP) —Representatives of 46 nations united in war against the Axis meet here in plenary session at 6:30 p. m. CWT today determined to make the postwar world safe for peace-loving peoples. The Objective is the same at which the world shot after 1918 — and missed. The delegates gathered here an the shore of the Pacific do not intend that the world shall miss again. They meet this time with war still raging. Foreign minister Anthony Eden of Great Britain arrived by plane early today, completing the list ol prominent personages present for the important conference. The hundreds of delegates, experts and aides are as mixed a group as ever is likely to gather. Almost all the world's languages I are spoken here today. There are men from the desert, men and women from great cities, spokesmen ot poor nations and spokesmen of the rich. But they have much in common. They know that men ot anti-Axis armed, forces are being killed or wounded as they sit down together and talk today. They call this the United Nations conference on international organization. The first session will be brief. It takes place under the shadow of a stubborn big three dispute over the status of the Rus-sian-sponsored provisional government of Poland. Secretary of State Edward R. Stettiniue, Jr., chief of the American delegation, will open today s session and introduce Presient Truman who will broadcast a 10-min-ute opening address from Washington. Local officials will deliver messages of welcome. Stettinius will speak again and the opening session will end. It is 23 years since the United States was host to a great international gathering such as this. That was the occasion of the Washington arms conference which undertook in 1922 to start a warweary world toward disarmament. This conference, conceived by the late Franklin Delano Roosevelt, (Turn To Pagw 2. Column 4) o Trusteeship Planned In Former Jap Bases Allow United States Retain Full Control (San Francisco, April 25—(UP)— The United States has found a formula for international trußte.eehipe of dependent areas which would let this country retain full control over former Japanese naval and air bases in the Pacific. 'The formula, secretary of state Edward R. Stettinius. Jr., said was ready to be presented to the United Nations conference for incorporation in the world organization charter. It has been approved by both the war and navy departments. They vigorously opposed relinquishment of Pacific bases won at such great cost in American lives and material. 'The plan represents a workable compromise between the military viewpoint and the state department’s original idea to put all of the former Japanese mandated islands under an international trusteeship. (Chairman Tom Connally, D., Tex., (Turn To Pag?® 2, Column <).

Volunteers To Gather Clothing From Homes Phil Sauer, city street commissioner, and a volunteer worker in the current used clothing drive, announced today that he would gather clothing from the homes, on Thursday and Friday afternoons if the persons who had donations of wearing apparel would call Red Cross headquarters and leave their addresses. Red Cross headquarters may be reached by calling number 1509 from 1:30 to 4:30 in the afternoon. While it is impossible to call at every home in town for clothing, a number of families have been unable to deliver their donation to headquarters on Second street, and Mr. Sauer volunteered to contact these parties, so they could join the large list of contributors. Drive Breaks Stalemate On South Okinawa Three More Islands Off Okinawa Seized By American Forces Guam, Apr. 25 —(UP)—Seventh division troops broke the stalemate on southern Okinawa today in seizing a new height on the western sector north of the capital city of Naha. Behind a pulverizing naval bombardment which blasted a path through strong Japanese defenses, the army troops hammered across the hilly terrain and captured an important high position west of Ishin village. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz also disclosed that elements of the 3rd marine amphibious corps had landed on Heanze island, east ot Okinawa's Katchin peninsula, and Kouri and Yagachi islands north of Motobu peninsula. There was no opposition at Heanza and Kouri, but some enemy remnants still were being mopped up on Yagachi. The breakthrough in the southern line came as the Americans prepared the northern section of Okinawa for the next phase of the march on Japan and Tokyo radio (Turn To Page 5. Column 5) O Plan Projects For Civil Air Patrol Organize CAP Here Thursday Evening Early projects to I>e undertaken by the Decatur flight of the CAP, following its organization here Thursday evening at the Lincoln school, include the attending of the air maneuvers at Huntington on May 20, and the staging of a similar maneuver in this city, as soon as a suitable landing field is established here, organizers of the meeting explained today. Major J. W. Baldwin, commander of Flight 523 CAP of Fort Wayne, will be the principal speaker at tomorrow evening’s meeting. His entire staff of officers, including Capt. Don White, will be here to assist in the formation of the local flight unit. sponsors of the organization announced. ' Roibert McComb, former army instructor and actively identified with the civil air patrol, stated that the CAP had been given army liaison planes for use in CAP aviation cadet recruiting a nd training. Army (PT 17’s primary trainers are soon to be placed at the disposal of the CAP for the purpose of giving officers and enlisted personnel the opportunity for flying hours in aircraft of higher horee(Turn To Page -5, Column 5)

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Chaos, Panic Are Rampant In Nazis Capital; Reserves Thrown In Battle BULLETIN London, Apr. 25 —(UP) — Red army troops have encircled Berlin, Marshal Stalin announced tonight. London, Apr. 25 —(UP) —High Nazi officials were reported fleeing by air today from siegewracked Berlin. Moscow dispatches said chaos and panic were rampant in the German capital and the climax of the war’s most spectacular battle was near. A half to two thirds of Berlin had been overrun and ground to rubble by two Russian armies which now had joined forces in the city for the final onslaught. The Germau high command admitted that in south Berlin the Russians had reached a line through Neukoelln, in which the Tempelhof airdrome is situated, Zehlendorf. live miles southwest of Potsdamer Platz; and Babelsberg, the "Hollywood” of Germany and site of the big ULA studios two and a half miles east* of Potsdam. A communique said other Soviet forces were in the area of Ketzin, on the Havel 10 miles northwest of Potsdam, indicating that whatever gap the Nazis still had out of Berlin was shrinking fast. The expiring German capital was almost encircled. Marshal Gregory K. Zhukov’s army had hooked around it from the north to Brandenburg, due west of the capital, and Marshal Ivan S. Konev’s men were hammering Potsdam at the southwestern edge of the city. “For all practical purposes Berlin is isolated,” a United Press dispatch from Moscow saidThe Luxembourg radio quoted Moscow dispatches as saying that the topmost ranks of the Nazi hierarchy had begun to leave Berlin by air. Nazi broadcasts admitted Berlin was seven-eighths encircled, but Allied pilots said the Germans were rushing reinforcements of men and armor from other fronts through the narrowing gap west of the city for what may be the last big battie of the European war. “Ail that is left of the German army seemed to be streaming back into Berlin," reported an RAF squadron leader who joined American and Russian fliers in spreading carnage through the enemy columns. RAF tactical planes alone destroyed or damaged 300 to 400 enemy vehicles yesterday on roads leading into Berlin from the west. They exchanged salutes with Russian fighter planes over the capital. The Exchange Telegraph agency heard a station broadcast over the Luxembourg radio wavelength that the Russians had completed the occupation of Berlin. but this appeared prematureThe broadcast asserted that the Red banner was flying over the Brandenburg gate on Unter den Linden. Most houses were (Turn To Page 2, Column 3)

Waste • PAPER Collection SATURDAY Sponsored by American Legion —o—. City Trucks and Boy Scouts will make the pick-up. • Please put bundles and cartons of paper on curb in front of your home. • Pick-up in Preble Saturday afternoon.