Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 43, Number 100, Decatur, Adams County, 27 April 1945 — Page 1

j| Else Is Chores!

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AMERICAN, RUSSIAN ARMIES JOIN FORCES

Imp Berlin Benders In lalh Pocket ■Soviet Siege Forces ■Clamp Defenders In ■Shrinking Pocket K bulletin ■ undon, Apr. 27-(UP)- ■, wl an forces today captur- ■ Potsdam, Spandu and Kthenow, crumbling the ■ stern defenses of Berlin Kd driving within 13 miles ■ the Elbe where the Ger- ■ n high command reported ■d. S. ninth army crossing. Lon. A-pn77-(UP)- Rus■jeig e forces clamped -the Ger- ■ defenders of Berlin into a ■shrinking dea”!i pocket around ■Tiergarten today and a Swed■eport said the fall of the razed ■u'l was “only a matter of ■th-v-.'. x.izi di’hards, pnrportKeil by Adolf Hitler, were reKd falling back into the TierK at th- heart of Berlin fbr K hopeless stand against the Erkring ring of Soviet steel and Kj army assault forces plung- ■ for the Tiergarten from the ■li were reported to have over■the Aloaibit district, a workers’ ■ adjoining th-? central business ■net reaching within half a mile ■ke Brandeniburg gate. ■e most optimistic of a flood ■ports indicating the Nazi were ■lee inßßerlin came from StockE, the nearest neutral listening ■. A mutual broadcasting cor■udent there reported: ■ k only a 'matter of houre he- ■ the Russian high command ■ announce that Berlin is ours ■ eyewitness reporters say that ■distance ou'side the fortress■the Tiergarten) is unorganiz■udsporadic, and that by night■fiiday, today. Berlin will be ■tiered liquidated." ■sited Press correspondent. Hen- ■ Shapiro reported from Moscow ■ Marshal Gregory K. Zhukov's ■ftbattalions storming through broke into Charlotten- ■ nid linked up wih Marshal ■>B. Konev's troops battling from the botanical gard- ■ circle is drawn around the ■t of Berlin, with ■tiog from the Goerlitzer eta- ■ northwestward and the Pan- ■ dlstriet southwest-ward within ■ range of the Tiergarten,” Sha- • reported. ■•Soviet army newspaper Red ■reported that the Russians had E* 011 to the heart of Berlin ■wt delaying to clean up all ■ behind their fore- ■ spearheads. ■ Mid .the Germans were hold- ■ 2? To Page 2, Column 8) Pfe Bulletins ■ United Press ■ B BC broadcast said today ■ Allied armies in the west K. Mpturel Lt. Gen. Kurt * pokestnan of the GerEZt h . command and fre■T,.. m ' ht ary commentator I the Berlin radio. |«.* a ii n9tOn ’ Apr ' 27—(UP) |fei J .. P ’ SMn9ep commercial l*ashin ° v ' r *hot a runway at llodiv S ° n ' s nati< >nal airport l*d burst”!*’ 1 into a ravine '"‘o. flames. police 3aid 12 ■•"'lderino nwved from the !’>e WPScka ae. Two fc th 'X s e were believed Btui |n&rn RMOMET ER I r ATURE reading Im 50 ’■ "• * 34 I 1 « | 46 I We ather h i "he«?? ni ’ ht follow ' d ISht )nri ® late l’ CCa,i ’ fl ’lliflht tUr 1 day and by r st por - I*”" or nioht turday afterli Not so cool |j* in l l rt t s ,iaht Light Portion. | **m«r Saturday.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Shoe Ration Stamp Valid On August 1 Washington, April 27 — (UP) — Everyone can have a new pair of rationed shoes August 1, the office of price administration announced today. OPA said a new shoe ration stani'p would become valid at that time for one pair of shoes for each ration bookholder. It did not reveal the number of the new stamp. (Airplane stamps 1,2, and 3 are now good for a pair of shoes apiece and will continue to be valid indefinitely, OPA said.

Jap Resistance Is Cracking On Okinawa Island Tokyo Reports New American Landing On Northwest Coast Guam, April 27.— (UP) —.Japanese resistance began to crack on southern Okinawa today and Tokyo reported a new American landing on the northwest coast of the strategic island. American troops assaulting the southern defenses, shielding Naha, capital of Okinawa, captured bit-terly-contested Sawtooth ridge, highest point on the island,' and wedged deeply into the enemy line less than a mile from the inland town of Shuri. Radio Tokyo said the Americans were lanning men and materials from bargee in the vicinity of Minagigawa on the Motobu peninsula, which juts out of northwest Okinawa. The landing put American units in .the rear of Japanese pockets still holding out on 'the peninsula and should speed the opening of the Unten harbor navy base to American ships. Capture of bloody Sawtooth ridge was regarded as the turning point at the Okinawa campaign. From here out, it is a downhill battle with the Americans looking down the enemy’s throat. Two of the last three airfields on the island were almost within’the Americans’ grasp. Maj.' Gen. John R. Hodge, commander of the 24th army corps, told a United Press front reporter that numerous Japanese troops were deserting to the American lines. “Soldiers don’t do this until they begin to crack,” Hodge said. "I think the Jap is pretty well disorganized and in my opinion the time for a possible counter-offensive has passed.” Some 400 miles to the northeast, a fleet of 150 B-29 Superfortresses (Turn To Page 2, Column 6) Swiss Report Says Mussolini Captured Another Report Says II Duce In Hiding bulletin London. Apr. 27—(UP) — The Milan radio reported today that Benito Mussolini had been arrested by customs guards at Lecco on Lake Como. Rome, Apr. 27. — (UP) —Benito Mussolini was reported variously today to have been captured or to be hiding in a monastery on the SwissItalian frontier. The Italian government could neither confirm nor deny a Swiss agency report that II Duce had been captured at Pallanza on Lake Maggiore. However, Rome radio repeatedly broadcast the report. Other dispatches eaid that Mussolini and Roberto Farinacci. former secretary of the fascist party, had taken refuge in a monastery at Como after fleeing Milan. Further adding to the mystery of Mussolini's whereabout, a late dispatch from Zurich said II Duce had not reached Como. . An unofficial controversy raged in Rome over who would win the privilege of trying Mussolini for his various war crimes. Most Italian officials thought the United Nattions would reserve the right to tiy him. tv' 5 ' ' *

fifth Army 1$ Smashing Into Alps Foothills Fifth And Eighth Armies Advancing At Will In Italy Rome, Apr. 27. —(UP) —American Fifth army forces raced 40 miles in 24 hours to capture Piacenza, 35 miles from Milan, and drove into the Alps foothills within 90 miles of the Austrian frontier today. A broadcast by the self-styled free Milan radio said Allied troops — presumably of the American Fifth army — had entered Genoa, some 50 miles northwest of captured La Spezia. With the German defenses collapsed completely and Italian patriots claiming control of much of northern Italy, the Fifth and Eighth armies were advancing at will. Today’s Allied force headquarters communique said Fifth army forces were operating west of Lake Carda, which runs from 60 to 90 miles south of the Austrian border. This put the American units 25 miles west of their last reported positions in that area of Verona. Further gains also were made toward the great port of Genoa, which —like Milan and Turn—ltalian patriots claimed to have liberated. The partisan- controlled “free Genoa” reported that German navy units in the harbor at Genoa surrendered and 1,500 Germans were imprisoned. The broadcast added that Genoa had been freed by 4,000 workers and students forming what it called the “Bisagno” and “Garibaldi” divisions. Travellers arriving in Zurich from Milan reported patriots there had arrested several hundred adherents of Mussolini's puppet regime. They said the regular partisan forces wre trying to prevent the outbreak of mob law in all north Italy. o — Civil Air Patrol Is Organized Here 33 Are Enrolled Here As Group Organizes With about 50 persons in attendance, 33 men and women enrolled in the Civil Air Patrol last evening at the Lincoln school when Decatur Flight. Group 523, Squadron one, was organized. Promoters of the local flight were more than pleased with the turn-out and interest shown in obtaining a CAP unit for this city; Dr. Joe Morris, a civilian pilot, was named temporary flight leader. Provisional training will be given over a 10-week period of two and one-half hours of instruction at the Lincoln school every Thursday evening. Dr. Morris stated. The provisional training consists of history of CAP, one hour; infantry drill, 10 hours; organization of army, one hour; interior guard duty, four hours; military courtesy and discipline, three hours; articles of war, one hour; organization of AAF, one hour; physical training, two hours; inspections, one hour; the uniform, one hour.

Major I. W. Baldwin, flight commander of 523, Fort Wayne, was the principal speaker at last night’s organization meeting. He outlined the history of CAP, which was first organized by presidential order in December, 1941, just prior to the outbreak of war. It served as an agency of civilian defense and in 1943 was made an auxiliary of the army air force. Capt. Don White, also of flight 523, acted as chairman of the meeting and enrolled the prospective members. Capt. Sylvester Yaney explained the training proMajor Baldwin's entire staff of officers attended the meeting. They included, Capt. Will Lipkey, Lt. James Bryan, Capt. Leo Yoder and warrant officer Doris Balzer. (Turn To Page 2, Column 4)

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Friday, April 27, 1945.

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Spring Taxpaying Rush Is Reported The spring taxpaying rush is on at the county treasurer’s office. Monday, May 7, being the final day for paying the installment to avoid a penalty. Yesterday’s receipts amounted to more than SII,OOO, Roy Price, county treasurer announced. It is estimated that more than half of the total receipts have been called for. Bankers from Berne and Geneva were at the treasurer’s office today getting the receipts for their clients. The spring installment of the local tax bill exceeds $260,000. o _ Mrs. Harold Martin Dies At Fort Wayne Funeral Services On Sunday Morning Mrs. Lillian F. Martin 34, a native of Adams county, died Thursday at her home, 3422 Felician street. Fort Wayne, after an illness of two weeks. She had made her home in Fort Wayne for the past eight years. She was a member of the Watchtower Bible and Tract society. Survivons include the husband. Harold; the parents, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Burke, of Berne; four brothers, Pfc. Adrian Burke, former Decatur city councilman, with the army in Italy; Verlin, of Berne; Jesse, of Frt Wayne, anod S/Sgt. Von Burke, stationed at Fort Bragg, N. C.; seven sisters, Mrs. Jesse Daniels, Mrs. Rufford Broadbeck and Mns. Harlo Miller, all of Decatur; Mrs. Roger Andrews, of Fort Wayne; Mrs. Glenn Isch, of Monroe, and the Misses Rosena and Bonnie Burke, both of Berne. Funeral services will be held at 10 o’clock Sunday morning at the Klaehn & Sons funeral home in Fort Wayne, with the Rev. Wilbur Tibbetts officiating. Burial will be in the Decatur cemetery. Friends may call at the residence until 8 a. m. Sunday, when the body will be returned to the funeral home. o Report Check Forger Operating In Decatur A check forger ie operating in Decatur, Chief of Police Ed Miller, announced today. Yesterday a sl2 check was passed on a local restaurant proprietor iby a man, who had forged the name of'Hugo Gerice. The bank on which it was written said the signature was a forgery. Chief Miller cautioned local merchants to be on the Ibokout for the forger.

sth Army-Navy Award To Kraft Cheese Co. Excellence In War Production Cited The Kraft Cheese company in this city has received its fifth armynavy production award as a result of continued excellnnce in the manufacture of necessary war materials, John H. Kraft, president, announced today. iThe plant which received its original ‘E” award in October 1942, was among the first in the food industry to receive such recognition. iSince that time, four stars have been added to the original awards. 'ln the letter addressed to employes of the plant, under-secretary of war Rofbert P. Patterson said: “You have maintained the fine record which brought you distinction more than six months ago and your standard of practical patriotism is one of which you may well be proud. “This fourth renewal is a symbol of high achievement over a long period and you may now fly the army-navy production award flag, with its four white stars, for a full year before (being considered again by the army-navy boards for production awards.” o — Americans Near To Capture Os Baguio Little Resistance Met On Mindanao (Manila, April 27—(UP) —American doughboys of the 33rd division today battled toward the center of Baguio, summer capital of the Philippines, against fierce Japanese resistance. (Front dispatches said,the fall of the mountain city was imminent despite a last-ditch fight* by its Japanese defenders. On Mindanao, 24th division troops racing across the island to split the Japanese forces in tiwo were less than 20 miles from Davao gulf after a 12-mile spurt along highway number one. (At last reports, units of the 33rd were little more than 700 yards from the center of Baguio. They smashed into the city after driving the Japanese from the commanding peak of mount Mirodor and advancing 300 yards further along the As-in-Baguio highway. IThe entry into Baguio capped a 20-mile driva through fierce moun(Turn To Page 2, Column 5)

Russian Coup Throws Confab Into Deadlock Russians Win Two Os Major Demands At San Francisco San Francisco, Apr. 27. —(UP) — The Russians were conceded today to have won two of their first three major demands on the United Nations but they have now deadlocked the world security conference on the issue of major chairmanships. "The whole chairmanship thing is in a mess,” an American'delegate sadly told the United Press. Molotov apparently had won on the Russian demands for three votes and for the right of veto by major 'powers. The Polish question was yet to come up. The conference steering committee has been summoned to meet again at 10:30 a. m. PWT to eek a comprmoise on Russian objection to making Secretary of Stare Edward R. Stettinius, Jr., permanent conference chairman. Important American delegates are protesting sharply the conference management which permitted a deadlock to occur on the “relatively unimportant” matter of who shall bang the gavel and where. Soviet Foreign Minister V. Al. Molotov, however', has objected officially to two proposals, the United Press was informed. The first was that Stettinius, representing the host nation, be permanent chairman of the conference itself. Molotov said the chairmanship should rotate among China, Great Britain, the Soviet Union ijnd the United States, the sponsoring nations. The second proposal—a compromise effort —was that the conference chairmanship rotates but that Stettinius be permanent chairman of the powerful conference executive committee. Molotov wanted that chairmanship to be rotated, also, among the four powers. Sentiment appears to be strong for making Stettinius a permanent presiding officer. Foreign delegates also were expressing surprise today that the routine detail of who should preside had not been determined in advance.

The stalemate developed in yesterday’s meeting of 'the conference steering committee bul was hushed for a few hours by the policy of secrecy imposed here, largely on the motion of Stettinius himself. Tht* steering committee battled three hours over 'the chairmanship question before adjourning in frustration until today. The committee is composed of the chiefs of the 46 delegations. (Turn To Pag*e 2, Column 4) 0 Cpl. Ralph Peterson Freed From Germans Decatur Soldier Is Liberated By Yanks Cpl. Raiph Peterson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Peterson. 521 Penn street, and husband of Airs. Lucinda Borne Peterson, 1420 S. Anthony Blvd., Fort Wayne, formerly of this city, has been liberated from a German prison camp, where he was held captive since last December. Airs. Petersan received a letter yesterday from Mrs. John Bekrenes of Huntington, who had a letter from her husband, Cpl. John Bekrenes, stating that she should inform Mrs. Peterson that members of the Seventh army had freed Cpl. Peterson. Cpl. Peterson was a prisoner in Nuernberg, Germany, Camp 13-D Stalag. He was captured on December 17 when the 'Germans under General Von Runstedt made the bulge in the American lines at Ardennes, Belgium. Cpl. Peterson was the athletic director in his regiment and was in a rest camp when the Germans encircled t|ie area and took several thousand American soldiers as prisoners. Mrs. Peterson has not heard directly from her husband. Cpl. Bekrenes told his wife that Ralph was well and that he would be back in the states very shortly.

Juncture Below Berlin Is Death Blow For Hitler Historic Juncture On Elbe River Cuts Germany Into Three Broken Fragments; Bavarian Link-Up Is Imminent Paris, Apr. 27—(UP) —American and Russian armies have joined forces on the Elbe river below Berlin in a historic juncture that cut Germany into three broken fragments and sealed the doom of Hitler’s Nazi regime. Vanguards of the two armies merged their eastern and western fronts yesterday at the river town of Torgau, 75 miles south of the German capital, at the crossroads of the long and bloody trails from Stalingrad and the beaches of Normandy. The juncture split the Reich into three crumbling islands of resistance centering around the North Sea ports, Berlin and the Bavarian redoubt in the mountains of southern Germany and Austria. Still another American-Russian link-up appeared imminent in the Bavarian foothills bordering Hitler’s Berchtesgaden retreat, where Gen. George S. Patton's third army established radio contact with a Red army force apparently only 30 to 40 miles away. Doughboys of the U. S. first army's 69th infantry division pushed out from the Mulde river 30 miles from the Elbe to join up with the 173rd Russian guards regiment in

14 Men Leave Today For Active Service 33 Are Accepted In Tuesday Contingent Fourteen men left this morning for active induction into the nation’s armed forces, including one transfer from Michigan. Tile scheduled induction of two others was postponed and one was transferred to Ohio. ■Fred Ansil Scheiderer was leader of today's contingent. Other members of the group were: Earl George Fuhrman. Richard Earl Sheets, George Washington Hawkins, Robert Lee Derrickson, j Hugh Kedric Engie, Thorval Lee' Alattax, Weldon Loris Sprunger. Robert Paul Briede, Alfred' Martin Bultemeier, Robert Louis Reppert, Howard Earl Schwartz, Lester Koenemann. Orval Cloyd Taylor (transferred from board 1, Montcalm county, Mich.) Induction of John Smitley, Jr. and Ernest Hubert Querin was postponed and Francis Paul Aloser was transferred to board 3, Allen county, O. 33 Are Accepted The local selective board also announced that 33 men from Tuesday's contingent sent to Indianapolis for pre-induction physical examinations, were accepted for service. Thfse men have been returned home to await call to active service. The accepted men are as fol-1 lows: Ainos Stauffer. Harold Edwin; Alelchi, Ernest Emanuel Sprunger, Ralph Junior Teeter, Leßoy Justus Moser, Delmar Wayne Neuenschwander, Chester William Porter, Richard Earl Sheets, Marvin Lee Sprunger, Eugene Christian Sommer, Thomas Anthony Terveer, Nolan Eugean Hoffman, Winston Dwight Moser, Kennett Paul Kauffman, Silvino William Vergara. John Henry Schultz. ' Vilas Eugene Burry. Albert Francis Gillig, Raymond Arthur Hirschy, James Clayton ■ Everett, Charles William Bollinger, Leslie Eugene Ohmit, Richard : Paul Hurst, Obbie True Jackson, Harry William S.tucky, Werner 1 Elmer Hoffman, Henry Oscar 1 (Turn To Page 3. Column 6) —TT°. ' Absolve Soldier In Fort Wayne Murder Indianapolis, Apr. 27. — (UP) — j Pvt. Charles Dodson, 2t>, of Baer ( army air field. Fort Wayne, Ind., was absolved 0f,.-guilt yesterday in , the death of a soldier's wife at Fort j Wayne. An army general court martial at , Stout Field here found Dodson not j guilty of assault and battery with j intent to commit rape in Conner- [ tion with the death of Mrs. Dor- r othea Howard, 36. whose husband |f also was stationed at Baer Field, s

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Torgau, on the west bank of the Elbe. As they went forward, hundreds of war-wearied German prisoners lined the roadsides to watch the parade of American power that foretold Ihe death of Nazidom and the final destruction of Germany’s military might. The electrifying news of the juncture on the Elbe was announced simultaneously in Washington, London and Moscow. Leaders of the big three hailed the event as the decisive triumph of the European war. "This is not the hour of final victory hut lite hour draws near’ 1 [ President Truman declared in a I brief White House statement. “The last faint,. desperate I hope of Hitler and his gangster government has been extinguished." Patrols from the two armies met for the first time on the Elbe Wednesday afternoon at 4:40 p.m. (9:40 a. tn., CWT) but the first junction in force was not effected until 8 p. m. (1 p. m., CWT) yesterday when the 69th and the Soviet guards regiment joined hands in Torgau. Maj. Gen. E. F. Reinhardt, commander of the 69th. led his division into the battered river town where almost two centuries ago another Russian army joined its Australian allies to tight Frederick the Great of Prussia, their common enemy in the seven years war. German resistance appeared to have collapsed completely in the juncture area. The dusty roads west of Torgau were reported choked with thousands of beaten Nazi soldiers and German civilians, ail fleeing for the Mulde river in a panicky rush to enter the American lines and escape the avenging Red army. The remnants of Germany’s northern armies were going down in the smoke and flame of encircled Berlin and in the wrecked North Sea ports of Hamburg and Bremen, taking with them the Nazi dynasty that Hitler boasted would endure for a thousand years. Another large Nazi force was trapped hopelessly in central Germany and Czechoslovakia, pinned between the merged American and Russian lines in the north and the rampaging American third army into Austria in the south. The size of the central German pocket was uncertain, but the cornered enemy forces there were showing little signs of fight and there appeared little likelihoop that they would continue the battle after the fall of Berlin. Hitler and his chief Nazi aides variously were reported trapped In Berlin and hiding in their Alpine hideout at Berchtesgaden. In either event, their chances of remaining free for more than a few days or weeks at best were slim.