Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 43, Number 124, Decatur, Adams County, 25 May 1945 — Page 1

1 DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

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J'XLIH- No - 124 - '

r . & Destroyer Survives Jap Suicide Attack

OKYO AGAIN RAKED BY SUPERFORTRESSES

ftaf/ey, Struck wy Six Suicide Jpianes, Lives

bailors, Strapped [To Gun Posts, Beat [Off Japanese Planes In Historic Battle Lard Adm. Tinner’s Flagship, Lwa, April 10.-(Delayed)-l)_Brave sailors died strapped L r gun seats in the agony of ■ United States destroyer Laffey, Ler great ship that refused to punk. L> gunners fired until they were Lowed up in the searing flames I exploding Japanese suicide L P s and bombs. L two hours the 2.20?) ton dcL er was hit by six suicide planLnd two bombs. Other bombs L close enough to increase the page. L ship's rudder was jammed to [left by a bomb and the vessel L dizzily in a circle during the L g battle. The engineers judg|the speed needed by the sound L intensity of the gunfire. he'skipperTCindrTFrederick J. Ln of Hot Springs, Ark., utter|these words: fl'll never abandon ship as long la gun will fire.” Lj so (|e Laffey came through Lthird mass Japanese suicide tack on ships off Okinawa, nursL serious wounds but still proudlafloat. pe saga of the Laffey’s two ltrs of agony will stand out among tsea epics of the war along with ler great episodes such as that the Franklin. • It was unquestionably the most page and spectacular action in Lit an American destroyer has rticipated in the entire war. Ii no other part of the world bold the enemy hurl six screamt war planes in flaming suicide fa onto a ship. This 2,200-ton B” absorbed all the Japanese »id give that day with tremendis heroism and unparalleled fightt performance. The gallant destroyer stayed at f post until the last enemy planes lil been destroyed by gunfire or Wean planes. pfhen the last fire was out it ip found that there were 31 of f officers and men listed as killtor missing in action. Another I were wounded. Her gunners had shot down eight tose planes and probably a W. Added to the six suicide «bes that made a score for the Hfey of 14 certains and one probR a single gun was abandoned, iison said, despite the fury of * fighting and the winged death ■around as enemy planes explodspraying flaming gasoline on ’ship. He said it looked at one ’as if it might be necessary to lTurn To Page 6, Column 5) — wte Bulletins J-eonia, N. J., May 25—(UP) taw Comdr ‘ John J - McC, °y> tler Os twa congressional me"ls o f honor, died of a heart c * ’ n h’s home today. ?' troit ’ Ma - V 25 — (UP) — ' on ordnanceman Fred 'speare, 23, Narrowsburg, •’ was injured fatally dur!il’* ar bo "d rally today helldivJ T strati "3 a navy lim r p ane ~ in which he ita * On the distinguished fly’Woßs and the air medal. *SiL THERMOMETER ioo. Rature reading p W i weather ' y elou<, y and mild with er * d Bhower# and *d ly ,^ torm# tonloht and Sat-

Graduate Exercises Held Last Evening W. C. Dickmeyer Is Graduate Speaker A philosophy of life built on Christian principles and an understanding of Divine law, must be the goal of the present and coming generations if civilization is to survive, W. C. Dickmeyer, Fort Wayne manufacturer and nationally known Lutheran lay leader, voiced in an inspiring address, “The Challenge to the Youth of Tomorrow',” .to the graduating class of Decatur high school at the 64th annual commencement exercises held at the junior-senior auditorium last evening. Ten of the 79 graduates, are already in the armed services of their country. One graduate, Janies C. King, home on leave, received his diploma in navy uniform. A section was reserved for the parents of servicemen graduates and their diplomas were presented to their mother or father. Outlining that never in history have any generations had placed into its hands the power for good or evil that has been placed into the hands of the present and coming generations, Mr. Dickmeyer, who is board president of Valparaiso University, cautioned, “The present and coming generation must develop a philosophy of life that will insure the proper Use of these enormous powers.” “First of all, we must be worthy of peace. To my way of thinking • enduring peace will come only if we accord with the laws and precepts laid down by the Creator of this universe in the Book of Books.” Continuing, Mr. Dickmeyer emphasized the need for following Christian principles in the desire to build a better world. “The German nation defied man and looked to the develop* ment of supermen and a superstate. As a result of that philosophy Germany met with destruction. This experience on the part of the Germans has been but a repetition of the history of the (Turn To Pago 6, Column 4) 0

Mrs. Etta L. Miller Is Taken By Death — • Funeral Services Saturday Afternoon IMrs. Etta L. Miller, 75, who resided five nad one-half miles east of Decatur, died Thursday afternoon at the Van Wert, O. convalescent home. She had been ill for six years and Ibedfast for tlhe past year. ’She was born in Crawford county, iO., Nov. 29, 1i8i69, the daughter of Saimuel and Anna Tobin-Sprin-ger. She was maried to William W. Miller Nov. 22, L9OO. —(UP) —wo She was a memlber of the Calvary Evangelical church, east oN Decatur. Surviving in addition to the husband are three sons, oland, J. of St. Mary’s townyhip. Lee T. of Bluffton and oyal W., at home; one sister, iMrs. Mae Nye of Crawfoid county, O ; and eix grandchildren. One daughter, one brother and one sister are deceased. Funeral services will be held at 2 p. m. Saturday at the Zwick funeral home, with the Rev. F. H. Willard officiating. Burial will be in the Decatur cemetery. The body may be viewed at the funeral home.

Marines Seal Okinawa Caves With Grenades Shatter Organized Jap Resistance On One Okinawa Front Guam. Saturday, May 26—(UP) —Grenade-throwing marines systematically sealed oft Japanese caves in fierce hand-to-hand fighting outside Shuri today while army troops shattered organized resistance on the southeastern Okinawa front beyond Yonabaru. Japan announced without Allied confirmation that special suicide troops of the Giretsu corps had landed—presumably by parachute —on two American-held air fields Thursday night and had blown up IT. S. installations, aircraft and munitions depots. An imperial headquarters communique said a coordinated Kamikaze suicide plane attack was carried out against a great fleet of American naval and merchant vessels lying off Okinawa. “The air-borne units,” said the Japanese communique, “are achieving great war results by throwing the enemy into confusion.” ' Tokyo predicted American troops soon would attempt a landing on Amami island, 115 miles northeast of Okinawa and 185 miles south of Japan proper. Yesterday the enemy said 400 American transports and craft of various sizes and classes were lying off the island. Tenth army ground forces have c'amped a half-circle around Shuri, stubbornly-resisting fortress city invested by the first marines and 77th and 96th infantry. A stoutly-held ravine at the edge of the city held up the leathernecks’ advance. Here the marines, under cover of darkness, prowled boldly through enemy defenses, hurling grenades and “Molotov cocktails” into the entrances. Marine Pfc. Carl L. Sellers and a three-man patrol, in a, daring night foray, invaded the ravine with dynamite satchel charges and grenades. They scaled four (Turn To Page 5. Column 3) Civil Air Patrol To Attend Maneuvers

Huntington Airport Maneuvers Sunday About 35 members of the local CAP flight are planning to attend the air and ground maneuvers S day at the Huntington airport, it was announced today. The group will meet at the Lincoln school at 8:30 o’clock Sunday morning, and then proceed to Huntington, where the ground maneuvers begin at 10 o’clock and the air maneuvers at 2 o’clock in the afternoon. They are asked to register with George Daniels, local flight transportation officer. Robert McComb, CAP flight leader, stated that the main purpose for attending the maneuvers was to familiarize local members with the technicalities of featuring a CAP event in Decatur, at a time when an airport is available. McComb is a former advanced flight instructor for the RAF and AAF, is listed to perform a lowaltitude precision acrobatic and inverted flight demonstration at the maneuvers. Three years ago, Mr. McComb invented a highly precision acrobatic maneuver that has gained popularity in the country and England. He will demonstrate it next Sunday. The local flight officer was in charge of the CAP maneuvers in Van Wert and Auburn last July and was the lead performer at both events. He taught a group of Van Wert pilots formation flying and this same unit will perform at the Huntington maneuvers.

Decatur, Indiana, Friday, May 25, 1945.

Yanks’ European Wives Arrive J Sag ?? . 31 | 't • a-•• I z v h|B SSjSS ( ■ V 'mi* "RM 4 SOME OF THE 110 FOREIGN-BORN WIVES of American servicemen who have arrived in this country are pictured above in Boston, Mass., after their ocean trip aboard an Army transport which also carried U. S. veterans from Europe. All were thrilled with the first sight of their new homeland.

Doubt Broad Power Grant By Congress See Opposition To I Truman's Request Washington, May 25. — (UP) — President Truman wants to reshuffle the federal government in such away as to centralize responsibility in as few officials as possible. That was seen today as the major purpose behind his request to congress yesterday for continuing authority to reorganize the executive branch. Congressional reaction was one of agreement in principle. It looked doubtful, however, that congress would grant powers as broad as Mr. Truman wanted or as speedily as he would like to have them. The first thing congress wanted was more details on exactly what the president has in mind. The record of his years as chairman of the senate’s special war investigating committee indicates that centralization of responsibility and elimination of overlapping functions is his primary air. The cabinet shakeup he announced two days ago is considered a step in that direction. He announced that the war food administration will be merged into the agriculture (Turn To Page 5. Column 5)

Pfc. Herbert Ehlerding Killed On Luzon Island, Philippines

Pfc. Herbert Ehlerding, 27, eon of Mr. and Mrs. Gustave Ehlerding of Decatur route two. a combat infantryman with the 152nd Infantry of the famous 38th (Cyclone) division. was killed in action on Luzon on May 7, the parents were notified by the war department last night. Pfc. Ehlerding was one of the first men from this county to be inducted into the army, his service record dating from April 19, 1941. He had more than sufficient credits to be released from combat duty. A veteran of 16 months active duty in the war against Japan, Pfc. Ehlerding went overseas in January, 1944, and fought in the battles of Hawaii, New Guinea, Samar, and Leyte in the Philippines. He was awarded the combat infantry badge for his exploits in the battle of Zig Zag Pass, east of Olongapo in the Philippines, the American defense medal, the good conduct medal, the Philippine liberation medal and the Aeiatic-Pacific theater medal. The citations awarded listed him as one of the nation’s best soldiers. Pfc. Ehlerding was born in Preble township on July 12, 1917. He attended the Preble Lutheran school and was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran church. He assisted his father in farming, until about a year before he joined the army and was then employed by O. C. Ewell,

Radio Tokyo Reports New Tarakan Attack San Francisco, May 25 —’(UP) — Radio Tokyo today reported a new AlMed attack on Tarakan island, off Borneo. A Ibroadciaet recorded by the United Press listening post said both shore and ship batteries hammered the Japanese positions before the attack. o Permit Production Os Liquor In July Industry Granted Month's Holiday Washington, May 35 — (UP) — “The drought’s over,” the liquor industry declared today. ■The occasion for their pronouncement was, of course, the war production board's announcement that they could make spirituous liquors during the month of July. INot only that. The WPB said the supply of war alcohol indicated the industry would get other gO-aheads “from time to time.” This, an industry spokesman said means that from now on the industry will try to meet consutner demand. iGiven the nod by the WIPB, dis(Turn To Page 6, Column 5)

/Mill'- ?'r f

oil dealer in Preble. He received his basic training as an infantryman at Camp Shelby, Miss., and at camps in Texas. Besides his parents, who are prominent residents of Preble township, he is survived by a brother, Lewis Ehlerding at home; and two sisters, Mrs. Frank Schuller, wife of Pfc. Frank Schuller, who was with American troops in Holland on V-E day; and Mrs. Vern Linker, of Ossian route one.

4,000 Tons Incendiary Borahs Dropped By Big Armada Os Superforts

Fighting On Mindanao At Mop-up Stage Linking Os Yankees Splits Philippines Island Lengthwise Manila, May 25. — (UP) —The Mindanao fighting reached the mopping-up stage today after two American forces linked in the heart of the island to split it lengthwise. The 31st infantry division driving north and the 40th and Americal divisions going south joined Wednesday north of Malaybalay in central Mindanao, a communique from Gen. of the Army Douglas Mas Arthur’s headquarters said today. “The Mindanao campaign has reached the mopping-up stage,” the communique said. The last remnants of a Japanese force which originally totalled around 50,000 had taken to the hills as American troops and Filipino guerrilas extended their hold on the island. Most of the Remaining enemy troops were centered north of Davao, where another linkup took place. This one was between the 24th division, which drove ahead eight miles along the coastal highway, and Filipino force. They met near the head of Davao gulf. American planes pounded other enemy pockets in the hills of central Mindanao and in the northeastern part of the island around Remedios. Organized Japanese resistance also cracked in the Ipo dam area northeast of Manila on Luzon island. The 43rd division, in mopp-ing-up operations, kiHed 174 Japanese. East of Manila, the 38th division drove toward the Marikina river. They sealed 25 caves where Japanese holdouts hid, and reported another 262 enemy dead. Australian forces on New Guinea found over 7.000 boxes containing the ashes of cremated Japanese soldiers at the Wirui mission, three miles south of Wewak. Australian troops drawing a ring around We(Turn To Page 2, Column 6) O

Pressure Fast Trial For Axis Criminals U. S. Prosecuting Staff In Europe London. May 25. — (UP) — Pressure for swift trial and punishment of Axis war criminals mounted today with the arrival in the European theater of the American prosecuting staff, headed by Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson. Authoritative sources said the official British stand on the disposition of captured Nazi criminals is being formulated by the cabinet and probably will be announced within the next few days. These informants indicated Britain may follow in general the policy proposed by the United Stated. Under that plan, the principal criminals would be tried by United Nations tribunals, leaving the thousands of “small fry” to national courts in the countries where their crimes were committed. They were inclined to minimize Washington reports that disagreement between the United States and Britain over procedure was delaying the trials of such top Nazis as Herman Goering, Robert Ley (Turn To PhgM 2, Column 4)

Production Os New Autos Authorized Manufacturers Warn Prospective Buyers Detroit, May 25 —(UP) —Automobile makers answered the government bugle in the new-car derby today, eager to race, but discouraged l>y the handicaps and the empty grandstands. The war production board's long-awaited authorization of passenger car production beginning July 1 was greeted in official industrial circles as offering “no substantial improvement” for either the industry or the carhungry public. “This is a piece of paper,” said George Romney, managing director of the automotive council for war production—an industry-wide agency, “It doesn’t provide release from the bonds of government restrictions and it won’t put cars in the garages of the people who really need them.” Nevertheless, every major plant announced readiness to restore output, of passenger cars “as swiftly as possible” under the WPB’s quota of 200,000 for the remainder of 1945 and 2,000.000 within the next 14 months. Ford Motor company, powerful “lone wolf” of the industry, said it hoped to be in production within 60 to 90 days. Hudson Motor Car company expected to get out its new models “about as fast as any plant,” emphasizing an advantage in owning its own body division. The Packard “face-lifted” Clipper will be in production by October, according to a company spokesman. General Motors, a high official told the United Press, doesn’t “want to come second to anybody.” All companies agreed that they had anticipated the government action by many weeks and already had highly-trained squads of skilled engineers, pattern-mak-(Turn To Pagus 4, Column 6)

Retired Farmer Dies Thursday Afternoon Louis Weber Rites Sunday Afternoon Louie Weber, 78, a retired farmer living seven miles north of Decatur, died Thursday afternoon at the Lawton sanitarium in Fort Wayne after a six weeks illness of complications. He was born in Adams township, Allen county, Dec. 10, 1866, but spent practically his entire life in Adams county. His wife, Mary Bieberich, preceded him in death. He was a memlber of St. Pe-ter’s Lutheran church. iSurvivilfg are four sons, Charles, Gust, and Theodore, all of Fort Wayne, and Otto, of Root township; two daughters, Mrs. Hugo Thieme of Union township and Mrs. William Witte of .Preble township; two Ibrothens, Fred of Norfolk, Nelbr., and William of Kirkland township; three sisters, Mrs. Dan Bieiberich of Fort Wayne, Mrs. Henry Werlirtg of Fort Wayne and Mrs. Dallas Hower of Tulsa, Okla, 19 grandchildren and eight greatgrandchildren. One son, two brothers and three sisters are deceased. Funeral services will be held at 2 p. m.'sund'ay at the home and at 2:30 o’clock at the church, with the Rev. Karl Hofmann officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. The body will be removed from the Zwick funeral home to the residence this evening a#d may be viewed after 7:30 p. m.

Price Four Cents.

Second Great Fire Raid Os Week Is Made On Capital Os Japs' Empire Guam, Saturday. May 26 (UP) — Five hundred superfortresses dropped 4,090 tons of incendiaiy bombs on Tokyo shortly after midnight today in the second great fire raid against the Japanese capital this week. The B-29s braved defenses which the Tokyo radio claimed were the most violent ever put up against America's growing air arm in the Pacific. The great load of fire bombs again were plummeted into the strategic industrial target area of south-central Tokyo, bordered on the north by the imperial palace and on the south by the Shinagawa small-plants district. It was the Shinagawa district that took the full impact of Thursday’s record-shattering attack in which more’ than 550 B-29s dropped in excess of 700,000 incendiaries. The mission this morning, originating from Maj. Gen. Curtis Lemay’s 21st bomber command fields on Saipan, Tinian and Guam, was preceded by smallscale attacks by 60 mustang fighters and reconnaissance superforts, enemy reports indicated. Tile sky giants rose from their string of Marianas liases during the early evening and joined in a huge parade heading to Japan. They struck about midnight from medium altitude. Tokyo claimed Japanese defenses accounted for 27 superfortresses destroyed and 30 damaged in the Thursday morning raid. Aerial photographs taken Friday while smoke still billowed over Tokyo showed “visible damage” in an area about 3.2 square miles—the equivalent of approximately 85,000,000 square feet. The 21st bomber command emphasized, however, this was only partial damage since assessment of the strike results were restricted by haze and smoke. “Considerable, additional damage is probable,” a headquarters statement said. Tokyo city damage now totals (Turn To Page 4, Column 4) oLegion Memorial Services Sunday The annual memorial services of Adams Poet 43. American Legion, wlil be held at the First United Brethren churdh, Ninth and Madison streets, Sunday morning at. 10:30 o’clock. The Rev. R. R. Wilson, pastor, will deliver the memorial address. All Legionnaires, auxiliary members and Spanish War veterans are urge dto attend, and a special invittion is extended to veterans of the present war. Members are asked to be at the Legion home at i 10:15 o’clock to leave for the I churcfli. Sat., May 26 \ z V /