Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 43, Number 125, Decatur, Adams County, 26 May 1945 — Page 1

I DECATUR DAIEV DEMOCRAT r?nrTn ■ ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY IWmJglSffl

Country li Bonds

I XLIH. No ‘ 125 -

IROHITO'S PALACE DESTROYED BY B-29S

idi Os Naha [Captured By h. Marines Japanese Appear To L Abandoning Naha for StandJnShuri Lni May 26 - (UP) _U ’ S ‘ ■ n J captured a sixth of Naha, I“nattered capital of Okinali'n a 500-yanl advance today. ■ front dispatch said the JapI appeared to he abandoning K ty for a final stand to the ■n 'in the fortified inland city Ihui'i. Insiderable enemy troop ■ements out of Naha east and least toward Shuri have been ■ted United Press war corres|ellt Edward Thomas reported E Okinawa. ■ements of the sixth marine lion jumped off from the |h bank of the Asato river in Kern Naha yesterday for the Kctic assault on the capital. East reports, they were 800 ■s from both Naha harbor and ■mouth of the Asato. linforcements of* men, supI and a considerable number E n ];s were pouring across four Eo bridges toward the heart ■aha, Thomas said. ■he Japanese pounded the adling marines with 75-milli-ler artillery fire from the 111 shore of Naha harbor, peris to cover their own withlal to Shuri. The rubbleled streets of Naha were led. ■eavy rains and deep mud lied the first marine, 77th inly and 96th infantry divisions ■their frontal attacks on the Ind fortress of Shuri, central jhor of the Okinawa line. the seventh army division adicing south along the east Ist below Yonabaru also was Ktd by mud and rain. k Pacific fleet communique ■closed that Americans were Ing killed or wounded at the |e of more than 800 a day on bawa and in supporting fleet •rations during the five days Bed Thursday. lapanese air forces, struggling Iperately to stem the American Ive on Okinawa, lost 111 planes I heavy attacks on the U. S. F off the island and strong Inis ashore Thursday night and py. Kamikaze, or suicide planes, paged 11 U. S. light naval units fthe burst of activity which ped to 3,581 the • number of lanese planes destroyed since F ll 18 in the Okinawa and Rd operations. I o Fiiior Class Fund f Stage Equipment R senior class of the Decatur Por-senior high school, in their r act Friday, donated the balP,«f their treasury, approxip 185, towdrd the purchase feostat for the stage in the p auditorium. This project ■started by the 1944 graduat- ‘ c f 8 and continued with yess,.rs action by the 1945 E ! or U-Boats Sunk On Eve Os V-Day toy 26 (W)-RAF long L?? , ’ at<)rs four, and i*ithf in the Atlan- ' 24-bour period “Virtuale ve of y.day,” ajr J? last night. fcvlip-h* 0 the attack » were made . aßahlst surfaced U-boats bitterly ' the min ' was lost. WeJL THERMOMETER Rature Reading i, m 65 Pam WEA ™ER L!“® udy twSay ’ toniflht Niowers scattered hi an . d thunderstorms ana aßern ®O n Or tor >Ver most of state *Pt coal Continued warm exJ? ’ n extrem e north

MC- for Band f -‘ •-rw • w y,. - ... .. w .., i . - I i | M' Jr ~ Lt. Robert K. Adams, USNR, of Flint, Mich., radio officer on the ninth naval district public relations staff, who will serve as master of ceremonies of the navy war bond review, two hour stage presentation which will appear here Monday evening at the jun-ior-senior high school, in connection with the seventh war bond campaign. Lt. Adams is a former stage and radio actor. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan. Navy Band Appears Here Monday Night Musical Treat In Store For Decatur A great musical treat is in store for t'he people Monday night at the junior-senior high school when the navy war bond review, composed of naval heroes and Bluejackets who were former celdbritCs of the theatrical world, will stage a two hoprs’ program in connection with the seventh war loan drive. No admission will 'be charged and no seats will be reserved. iDecatur is one of 50 cities to be visited by the navy band, sent here by the IJ. S. treasury, in cooperation with the county war bond staff. The 45 men will arrive here Sunday and will be the guests of the American Legion during their stay here. Arrangements have been made by the Legion, Theodore Graliker, county chairman of the bond staff and Gerald Vizard, chairman of the program, to house and feed z the men during their stay in this city. (The biig navy cast includes the U.'SjS. Helena band from the U. S. Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, 111., a group of musicians who survived the sinking of the valiant cruiser in the Battle of Kula Gulf on July 3, 1943. The sailormusicians hold the navy unit commendation, the first award of its kind ever made by the navy department.

One of the leading speciality acts on the program will be presented by Bill Thompson, veteran of stage screen and radio, who spent eight years of his long career with Fibber McGee and Mofty. Thompson, who toured the middle west in behalf of the fourth, fifth and sixth war loan campaigns, is a specialist third class and attached to the Great Lakhs Naval Training Center. The Musical Meehs, a Bluejacket quartet from the Naval Air Technical Training Center, Chicago, also highlight the program. The Meehs are. led by Jack Sherr, who directed his own orchestra in New York before joining the navy. Sherr, musician second class and a native of Baltimore, Md., is featured in playing the saxophone and clarinet at the same time. Sherr’s shipmates are Joseph Shies, saxophonist, of St. Louis, Mo.; Clarence (Cub) Higgins, man(Turn To Page 3, Column 1) O 12 Women Workers Are Killed By Explosion Edgewood, Md., May 26. —(UP) The death toll in a loading platform explosion which wrecked a building at the Edgewood army arsenal rose to 12 today as 16 of the 50 injured were detained at the arsenal hospital. All of the dead were women war workers. The third service command reported that four of the hospitalized victims were in critical condition. Army officials said a five-man board was investigating the blast which occurred late yesterday.

Churchill Opens Campaign For Reeleclion Bid Says Election Must Not Mean Delay In Big Three Meeting London, May 26.— (UP) —Prime Minister Churchill said today that Britain’s general election must not delay “even for a day” a meeting of the big three. Churchill said he had informed President Truman that the election must not be permitted to interfere with arrangement for a conference between them and Premier Stalin on pressing international questions. He made known life note to the president in opening his campaign for reelection to parliament in the election July 5. It .had been feared that Churchill would hesitate to participate in a big three conference before the election results had been announced in late July. “If I had to leave the country for such a meeting, I hope you will make sure that I don't suffer for it,” Churchill said at Loughton, the third stop of his whirlwind tour of this constituency on the northeastern residential outskirts of London. He was scheduled to confer with Joseph E. Davies, Mr. Truman's special envoy, at the prime minister’s country estate, Chequers, over the week-end. It was believed they will discuss plans for the big three meeting and questions connected with the allied control commission for Germany. Churchill described President Truman as “the successor to Mr. Roosevelt with whom I have constant and cordial relations.” He told his constituents that he would not be among them as much as he liked in the future because of urgent international matters, then he placed his arm around his wife, who stood besides him in an open car, and said: “If 1 am called away by other duties and tasks, she will take my place. You will come to her and you will ask her all the awkward questions.” Only last night, Churchill announced a caretaker cabinet that will govern Britain with him pending the general election. Despite the “caretaker” tag put on the cabinet named last night, observers felt most of the appointments would stick if Churchill won his fight for reelection. The new ministers will receive their seals of office on Monday from King George IV. They will not take oaths, but the traditional rite of kissing the king’s hand will be observed. When commons meets on Tuesday, the resigned liberals of the (Turn To Page 3, Column 1)

First Band Concert Os Season Tuesday High School Bond To Present Series The Decatur high school band, directed by Albert Sellemcyer, will present its first of a series of summer outdoor concerts on the court house ramp Tuesday evening at 8 o’clock. The band has presented these concerts every summer for several yeard and has attracted large crowds. The band will also play a short concert Wednesday morning in front of the Legion home prior to the annual Memorial Day parade and services. The following announcements for members of the band were made today by Mr. Sellemeyer: The combined band will practice at 6:45 o’clock Monday evening, the high school band promptly at 7:15 o’clock. The high school band will meet in the band room at 7:45 p. m. Tuesday before the outdoor concert. The high school band will meet promptly at 9:15 a. m. Wednesday in the band room, as a short concert will be presented before the opening of the Memorial Day program. This concert will be presented in front of the Legion home on Madison street.

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday, May 26, 1945.

Truman Buys Bond From Champ

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TOP BOND SALESMAN sells the nation’s top man, when Roy Custer, right, signs up President Harry S. Truman for a bond in the Seventh War Loan drive. Salesman from Little Rock, Ark., Custer has sold over $500,000 worth of bonds.

Britain Willing To Ease Yalta Formula U. S. And Russia Opposed To Change San Francisco, May 26. — (UP) — Great Britain sought big four concurrence today in a proposal to soften the Yalta voting formula but was meeting stubborn resistance from Soviet Russia and the United States. Big four inability to agree on how to put in writing an interpretation of that formula —especially where and when the bfg power veto would apply —was delaying United Nations conference progress on the last major issue. It threatened to prolong the conference beyond the tentative adjournment target—the first week of June. Great Britain stands firmly with the other big powers against revision of the wording of the Yalta voting formula. But Britain alone among the big powers is willing to soften the ettect of the veto through a liberal interpretation of the formula. The British would like to see these three early steps by the council exempted from the veto and determined by simple majority vote: 1. Decision to “investigate” a dispute—short of setting up a- special investigating commission. 2. Determination that “continuance” or a dispute is “likely”to endanger world peace. 3. Decision to “call upon” parties to settle their dispute by peaceful means. The United States and Russia (Turn To Page 3, Column 2)

Report Received On Tuesday Contingent X 14 Os Group Are Assigned To Army The Adams county selective service board today received notice of the assignments of members of the contingent which left here Tuesday for active induction of the nation’s armed forces. Fourteen of the group were assigned to the army. They are: Herman Joseph Hain, Lester Fredrich Walter Thieme, Ralph Junior Teeter, Leroy Justus Moser, Eugene Christian Sommer, Nolan Eugean Hoffman, Winston Dwight Moser, Silvino William Vergara, Vilas Eugene Burry, James Clayton Everett, Charles William Bollinger, Richard Paul Hurst, Obbie True Jackson and Werner Elmer Hoffman. Julius Joseph Baker was the only regular member of the contingent assigned to the navy and he is now stationed at Great Lakes. Leslie Eugene Qhmit, who accompanied the contingent on

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******** Honorable Discharge ******** T/SGT. GLEN T. GRIFFITHS, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Griffith, Decatur route two, entered the army on Dec. 29, 1941 and served 32 months overseas., T/5 RICHARD L. JACKSON,'son of Mr. and Mrs. R. R. Jackson, 130 S. Eleventh streSt. Entered army in 1942 and served 28 months overseas in the Tunisia, Sicily and Italian campaigns. _____-o Nation's Airplane * Output Is Slashed To Step Up Aerial Raids On Japanese Washington, May 26 —(UP) — Army plane production took a sharp, planned nosedive today but it was not good news for Japan. A well-informed congressman said the land of the Rising Sun would be plastered during the coming 12 months with more than double the weight of bombs the Allies dumped on Europe in the last year of the war there. The congressman, chairman J. Buell Snyder, D., Pa., of the house subcommittee on war department appropriations, told reporters after an all-day closed meeting with chief of staff Gen. George C. Marshall: “You can say that in the coming year more than two and a half times as many tons of bombs will be dropped on Japan as the Allies dropped in Europe last year.” Snyder did not elaborate. However the army’s announcement of plans for a 45 percent slash in its plane output during the next 18 months also made it clear that the giant B-29 superfortresses would carry much of the burden of the reduction of Japanese armed might. The army' said that while many plane types will be cut back and even eliminated production of B-29s would increase for several months. After that production will be held at a sustained high rate. The still shadowy B-32 “Dominator” superbomber, which had been expected to take its place alongside the B-29, apparently is destined to fade entirely out of the picture. Its production will be cut back sharply and ended at the end of the year. Big sister of the B-24 liberator bomber, the “Dominator” has never been reported in action. Its sudden curtailment seemed to indicate that after some degree of production it had unexpectedly proved unfit or uneconomical for use in the Japanese war. The army’s announced cutback will eliminate a total of 17,000

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Greater Part Os Palace And Most Os Tokyo Are Laid Waste By Bombers

Savage Battle Is Raging On Tarakan Island Trapped Japanese Attack With Spears Against Allied Men Manila, May 26—(UP)— Savage fighting raged today on Tarakan island off Borneo as trapped Japanese troops counterattacked with spears and rolled artillery shells down hills on the heads of Allied soldiers. The Japanese, compressed in the central hills of the island, were fighting their most primitive and desperate sort of battle against Australian and Dutch troops. The conquest of Tarakan was virtually complete, with all the island’s major installations in Allied hands. But the moppingup of the remaining Japanese troops was turning into one of the dirtiest jobs faced yet. In the counterattacks, one Japanese force charged Allied lines brandishing spears like the warjiors of centuries ago. In another action, small soldiers struggled to lift heavy .75 millimeter shells, then dropped them like giant grenades down steep hills on Allied troops below. A communique from Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters reported naval units and planes were thrown Into the effort to wipe the last Japanese from the island. Tokyo yesterday reported a new Allied attack under cover of a naval and shore bombardment. In the Philippines native troops took the lead in fighting to liberate their’ homeland by scoring notable gains on the east coast of Luzon. Guerrillas, now fighting as the Philippine army, took Infanta, 44 miles east of Manila, and nearby Misua. The entire Dinahlcan peninsula was in their hands. In northern Luzon the 32nd division broke through a strong Japanese pocket on the Villa Verde trail and crashed within three miles of Santa Fe. To yieir south, the 38th divi(Turn To Page 5. Column 5) o Express Thanks To Red Cross Workers Philippines Aid Head Sends; Thanks tC. E. Bell, county chairman of the Red Cross, has received a letter of appreciation from C. Leo Wilhelm, director of civilian war aid in the Philippines, thanking the women Red Cross workers for the children’s dresses sent to him for distribution among the needy. His letters follows: ‘4 felt that it would be of interest to the volunteers in your chapter to know that the children’e dresses which were made by their production committee have been distributed in the Philippine Islands. “The Philippine Red Cross home service section fe extending temporary financial assistance and in those cases where a part of their need may be met by the distribution of free clothing, the garments are supplementing other assistance Which we are rendering to them. ‘tSince these people cannot individually express their appreciation for the efforts of the workers in your Chapter, I am taking the privilege of expressing it for them?’ (Besides the dresses, the Red Cross volunteers have made thousands of kit bags and other useful articles which are given to the servicemen and used in hospitals.

Pastor Returns

Dr. M. O. Lester has been returned to the pastorate of the First Methodist church in this city. Assignments were read at the closing session of the annual conference Friday night at Huntington. Dr. Lester Returned To Methodist Church Assignments Made At Close Os Conference Dr. M. O. Lester, pastor of the First. Methodist church in Decatur for the past three years, was returned to the local charge at the closing session of the annual conference Friday evening at Huntington. Dr. Lester came to Decatur in 1942, succeeding the Rev. Ralph W. Graham, who left the pastorate to become a chaplain in the United States army. The Rev. Graham, a captain, is stationed at Des Moines, la. The Rev. E. O. Kegerreis was returned as pastor of the Monroe Methodist church; the Rev. J. H. Richardson was assigned to the Geneva church; the Rev. W. C. Taylor will have the Geneva circuit: the Rev. R. J. Hicks. Mt. Tabor: the Rev. Homer Studebaker, the Decatur circuit; the Rev. Seth Painter, Pleasant Mills. The Rev. A. P. Teter, pastor of the First Methodist church at Huntington, was appointed superintendent of the Fort Wayne district by Bishop Titus Lowe, Indianapolis. The Rev. Teter succeeds Dr. W. W. Robinson, who was appointed pastor of the First Methodist church at Noblesville. Dr. Valorous Clear, superintendent of the Richmond district since 1941, was appointed pastor of the First Methodist church in Fort Wayne, succeeding Hr. Charles H. Smith, who is retiring after 43 years as a pastor, 16 of them at Fort Wayne. Rev. David Grether Dies In Wisconsin Funeral services were held Friday at Colby, Wis., for the Rev. David Grether, 52, pastor of the Evangelical and Reformed church at that place and for 17 years pastor of the church at Magley. The Rev. John Michael, his successor at the Magley church, was among those who attended the funeral services. Rev. Grether resigned the Magley pastorate in August, 1948. The family was well known here and his five children were graduated from the Decatur high school. His death was attributed to a heart ailment. Surviving besides the widow, are 'he children, Rev. Jacob Grether of South Dakota; Frank, U. S. navy; Marie, wife of the Rev. Calvin Steubbe of Storm Lake, Iowa; Ruth and Grace at home.

Price Four Cents.

Japanese Broadcasts Reveal Tremendous Damage, Business Section Levelled Guam. May 26—(UP)— Japanese •broadcasts said huige conflagrations touched off by American Superfortresses destroyed the greater part of Emperor Hirohito’s palace and “laid waste” to most of the remainder of Tokyo today. The capital, once the world’s .third, largest city, was “literally scorched to the ground.” one broadcast said. Virtually the entire central business section, including many government ministeriee, was said to have been levelled by the flames. A Japanese announcement said Hirohito and his empress were safe, along with the empress dowager, his mother, whose nearby Omiya place also burned to the ground. Premier Baron Kantaro Suzuki called an extraordinary meeting of his cabinet While inhabitants of the capital -still were fighting the fires kindled during 70-mile gale by 550 Bs29s with 4,000 tons of incendiaries just after midnight. (Suzuki issued a statement regarding the burning of the imperial palaces, radio Tokyo said, and the cabinet ministers pledged to work for the “renovation of the administration.” Vice ministers also were called into session later and deliberated upon measures to meet the air raid threat, Tokyo said. (Suzuki and two other cabinet ministers had visited the palace immediately after Vhe raid “to ascertain the whereabouts of installations and personnel,” a broadcast said; ! A Japanese communique said the “front” or outer palace and other ■buildings within Hirohito's palace compound were burned down. It also conceded “considerable damage” elsewhere in the city. The enemy account said huge conflagrations, whipped by a 70-mile-an-hour gale, turned vast industrial, business and residential sections of Tokyo into “blazing infernos” and destroyed numerous landmarks. (Civilians, old And young alike, turned out to help fight the fires, which apparently still were raging more than 18 hours after the start of the raid. Transportation facilities were “temporarily interrupted,” Tokyo said. (Crews who manned the 500 B-29s participating in the raid said nine square miles of Central Tokyo around the imperial palace were in flames when they turned home- ■ ward. They said they didn't see how the palace could escape at least some damage. But first confirmation that the ■ palace had been all but destroyed came in a news commentary over ■ the Tokyo radio following the regular Saturday afternoon newscast. 1 A later broadcast said the “greater part of Metropolitan Tokyo was laid waste.” Practically all of the business center, untouched in the 23 previous American raids, was burned to the ground it said. ‘“The great conflagration has practically laid waste to what was once the world’s third largest metropolis,” still another broadcast (Turn To Page 3, Column 1)

Honor Him IF vj' Bb Sat' May 26