Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 43, Number 145, Decatur, Adams County, 20 June 1945 — Page 1

Seventh War Loan jO Days to Go

t l XLIH. No. 145

12 ■ DAY BATTLE FOR OKINAWA NEARS END

Iree More Jap lies Knocked ■ulßy B-29s ■Triple Strike Made I By 450 Superforts ■Against Jap Cities Lin, Ji"’ o 20.—(UP)—Three K Japanese industrial cities E believed knocked out as miliK targets today after a triple K e by more than 450 superfortKes. K r es still blazed in Shizuoka and Kohashi on Honshu and- FukuoK n Kyushu more than 12 hours ■er the pre-dawn fire raids, ■trong winds fanned the flames, ■hie 75 miles or more at sea. Edreds of backyard and cellar ■adow" factories and a number ■ larger war plants were ,leKvetl. ■ ore than 3.000 tons of fire ■bs were dropped on the three Ks, bringing to at least 20,500 K.the weight of bombs cascaded ■ japan in this month’s obliteraK raids. ■eturning crewmen told these Kies of destruction* Khizuoka, 95 miles southwest of ■yo- fires and explosions blankK areas two or three blocks ■e and four blocks long in the Ker of the city. Kyohashi, 189 miles southwest K Tokyo—the heart of the city K left a solid mass of fire that K smoke 14.000 feet into the sky. ■plosions could be seen GO miles ■f. ■uktioka—on northwest Kyushu ■ pain of fire two miles wide Kad 10 miles inland through the K stretching from the dock area Ketly across the industrial secft Smoke climbed 10,000 feet ■r the target area. One report Kribed the city as a solid con■ration visible for 75 miles. Sevftl ships were afire in the harbor, ■he huge bombers fought ■iggli heavy rains and rough ■ather to reach Japan, then split fto three formations of 150 each ft the individual attacks. The ■ther was clear over the tar-■nti-aircraft fire was light and ■ter opposition ineffective. Pi- ■ said strong updrafts from the K shot their planes 2,000 feet ■(Turn To Page 2, Column 1) ■ Q . Bd Cross Service Bice Aiding Vets ■Secretary Reports lOn Service Rendered ■he home service office of the ■ Cross, established several ■tubs ago in this city, is render- ■ daily service to servicemen f their families, a report by ■■ Ruth Hollingsworth, execufr secretary, discloses. to June. 1, 129 cases had ft handled by the local office, ■>ded as follows: army person- ■ W 6; navy, 8; ex-servicemen, ■ civilians and others, 7. funds expended were as folr s: army personnel and dependi,E - J 147.25; ex-servicemen and ■’hdents, J 149; total to June 11256.25. ■Roscoe Glendening, treasurer I the chapter, reported at last ft. s meeting of the chapter Brnnen and directors, that total ft- i,,is j n the war fun(l I 1 ’® were $23,818.37. I e local chapter received 16 ft c ; m of the total, or $3,858.58. ■ vlendening reported that the [ !°“ al Red Cross had been paid IT- checks for $19,959.79 havft ° eeu sen t to the treasurer, t "— 0 FMOCRAT thermometer LtJ’PERATURE reading Ip WEATHER Ij/ ly c, °udy tonight and hw Ur,,lay wlth «ca«e» , ed and thunderstorms Ihni k* and ce ”tral portions [Hi.?. except near Lake Thu,, »day. Slightly I Wfn er central and northeast

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Windows Broken In Business Houses City police reported today that rocks were hurled through large windows at four Decatur business Placeg sometime last night. Windows were broken at the Hiway service station. North Second street, (he Badders & Tutewiler service station at Monroe and Thirteenth streets, the Riverside garage, and at the Albert Riehle auto parts on Nuttman avenue. The four places were not entered and nothing was reported missing, police' stated. —o E Bond Sales Over Quota In Adams County County Near Goal Os Bond Purchases In Mighty Seventh

Tlie purchase of E Bonds' and other securities in the seventh war loan drive by individuals in the county, went over the top today with the report that sales in the two classifications now total $884,458.75, an excess of SIB,OOO over the quota. Only $50,000 more is needed to meet the entire quota of $1,294,900, Theodore F. Graliker and Earl Caston, the co-chairmen, announced, with the disclosure that total sales, including corporations and other investors, reached the $1,244,154.75. Sales to date follow: E Bonds $450,018.75 Quota 441,100.00 Other individual purchases 434,440.00 Quota for above.. 425.200.00 Corporations 359,09(5.00 Quota 428,600.00 The bond sale runs for the balance of the month and it is expected that purchases by individuals and other investors will continue, the chairmen said. This is the seventh time that the people of Adams county have met and oversubscribed their bond quotas, Mr. Graliker explained. “It is a wonderful record of which we are proud,” the chairman said. The bond drive officially opened on May 14, although a six weeks prior campaign was made in Indiana, to increase purchases through the payroll deduction plan. All purchases made during April, May and June are credited to the mighty seventh, the chairmen explained. o Australia Opposes Russian Position Final Issue Slowing Confab Adjournment San Francisco, June 20. —(LT) —Australian foreign minister Herbert V. Evatt stood firmly today against Russian demands to narrow the discussion powers of the proposed general assembly—the last issue obstructing adjournment of the United Nations conference on Saturday. The Big Five may persuade Evatt to change his mind before nightfall and accept the Russian counterproposal, which arrived only last night. If they fail, another proposal may have to be referred back to Moscow. That would certainly push conference adjournment into next week. The Australian and Russian positions were said to be very clo.se together and officials were hopetui that the final session would not have to be postponed beyond Saturday. Today marks the start es the ninth week of the conference and President Truman is waiting in Olympia, Wash., to come here for the final session. If necessary, he will wait there until Monday or Tuesday of next week. The Big Five arranged an early meeting today—their fourth within 24 hours—to continue to search for reconciliation of the Russian and Australian views on matters which the general assembly can discuss. The United States and (Turn To Page 2. Column »)

Eisenhower Greeted In New York City gsMKKBBMKWWPHWWBHHBKBBISBBBBBMftBBMMMMMiI “IKE” GETS A SCROLL from Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia, giving him the key to the city. In background is New York’s official greeter, Grover Whalen. Seated is Lt. Gen. Walter Bedell Smith, who signed the surrender terms for the Allies at Reims, prance.

Three High-Ranking U. S. Officers Lost Admiral, General Added To War Toll Washington, June 20 —(UP) — The country lost three high-rank-ing leaders in the Pacific war on Monday and Tuesday— two of them on Okinawa. It was disclosed today that Rear Adm. Forrest B. Royal, 52-year-old commander of the amphibious operations against Borneo, died of natural causes on Monday. And on the next 1 day, it was learned, Brig. Gen. Claudius M. Easley, assistant commander of the 96th army division on Okinawa, was killed. In action. Details of Easley’s death were not available. Lt. Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr., commander of the 10th army, was killed on Okinawa on Monday. Royal died just a few days after the June 10 and 11 landings in Brunei Bay off the northwest coast of Borneo. Other than the fact that he died of “natural causes,” no details of his death were available. He was a native of New York. Easley would have been 54 next month. His widow lived here. Easley went overseas about a year ago. . He is survived by the widow, a son, Maj. Claudius M. Easley, Jr., now serving in the sixth army in the Philippines; his father, A. H. Easley, Waco, Tex.; a brother, K. H. Easley, Waco, and two sisters, Maybelle Easley, Waco, and Miss A. M. Easley, 2400 Pacific Ave.,' (Turn To Page 4, Column 7) o Reds Not Asking Death For Poles Death Penalty Not Asked By Russians London, June 20. —-(UP) —Moscow announced today that the Soviet prosecution was not asking the death penalty for 16 Polish underground leaders being tried bn charges of subversive activity against the Red army. Maj. Gen. Asansiev, chief prosecutor, said in summing up the Red army’s case against the Poles that he would insist they be imprisoned but would not demand the extreme penalty. An earlier Moscow dispatch said it appeared that sevdral of the Poles would be acquitted or at most get light prison sentences. Word that the death sentence apparently hr.d been excluded came a the outset of the third day of the trial. The testimony was completed and final pleadings were under way. Asansiev said he considered that the accusations against Gen. Leopold Okulicki, commander of the Polish home army, Jan Jankowski, vice premier of the Polish government in London, and two other de(Turn To Page 4, Column 3)

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, June 20,1945.

Postpone Horse Show To Friday, June 29 Due to the extremely wet weather, the Lions club horse show, scheduled for Thursday night, has been postponed until Friday night, June 29, it was announced today. The east field of Hanna-Nutt-man park is inundated and street commissioner Phil Sauer informed the show committee that it would be impossible to use for exhibition or parking purposes. More than 50 entries in the 12 events have already been received, Thurman I. Drew, secretary of the show announced. These will be entered in the show at the later date. o Red Cross Work Is Shown To Committee Layettes Made By Workers Displayed A display of layettes made by women volunteers in the county was shown at the committee meeting of the Red Cross at headquarters last evening, and drew considerable commendation from those who viewed the attractive garments for overseas and the special boxes prepared for babies of local servicemen. Mrs. Ed Bauer, chairman of the sewing division, explained that two different sets of layettes were being prepared by the women. The smaller outfit, numbering 125 complete sets, are for needy children overseas, and the more elaborate outfits are for the babies of local war veterans, who request them. The overseas layettes include a dress, slip, Bleeping garment, two shirts, two bands, a pair of booties, a jacket, mittens, cap, wrapping blanket, six diapers and 12 safety pins. The articles are made of white outing flannel, furnished by the national Red Cross. The attractive layettes for local distribution contain two dresses, two slips, three sleeping garments, two shirts, two bands, pair of booties, two pairs of stockings, a jacket, wrapping blanket, 12 diapers and a card of safety pins. The material for these articles is purchased by the local Red Cross chapter. Thought is given to the age-old uncertainty if the blessed event is to be a boy or girl, so the women decorated one dress in blue and one in pink. The same color scheme is used on the little nighties. The Berne women were credited with making the dresses, which are fashioned of sheer material. The quota is for 125 overseas layettes and so far 12 outfits have been prepared for servicemen's wives. Two layettes have already been distributed and the committee has requests for two more. They are given free to the serviceman’s family. The knitting division, headed by Mrs. James Kocher, is making scarfs for navy men and has a request for 1,500 knitted wash rags. The women have also' knitted helmets, sleeveless sweaters, mufflers and other articles requested by the army and navy. Miss Grace Coffee, chairman of fTurn To Page 2, Column 7)

Nurses Aides Guests Os Decatur Lions Local Service Club Pays Honor To Aides Nurses aides who have given invaluable service at the Adams county memorial hospital during the past three years were honored at the weekly meeting of the Decatur Lions club Tuesday evening. Thirty of these aides have been trained in Adams county and 22 of these were guests at last, night’s meeting. These women have given a splendid total of 4,53jj% hours of free service, Mrs. Roy Price, chairman of the nurses aides, announced at the meeting. Two of last night’s guesjs, Mrs. Max Schafer of Decatur and Mrs. Grace E. Lehman, of Berne, have completed more than 500 hours of assistance. The nurses aides present last night, presented by Mrs. Price, were as follows: Mrs. Madge Barton. Mrs. Geraldine Fairchild, Mrs. Ida Holthouse, Miss Mildred Worthman, Mrs. Bernice Adams, Mrs. Agnes DeVor, Mrs. Robert Helm, Mrs. Robert Freeby, Mrs. Max Shafer, Mrs. Harold Hoffman and Mrs. William Bowers, all of Decatur; Mrs. Ruth Muselman Steury, Mrs. Esther Heare, Mrs. Lovina Allspaw, Mrs. Mildred Neuenschwander, Miss Goldie Ellenberger, Mrs. Edith Lehman, Miss Florine Flueckiger, Mrs. Naomi Beitler, Mrs. Helen Sprunger, all of Berne. Mrs. Price also announced that a new class for nurses aides will open Thursday, July 5, with Mrs. Harold Hoffman of this city as instructor. Dr. E. T. Franklin, superintendent of the Methodist hospital at Fort Wayne, was the guest speaker at last night’s meeting and Herman Krueckeberg was chairman of the meeting. Recently elected officers of the Lions club will be installed at next Tuesday’s regular meeting. o State Cop Probes Alleged Slugging Robert Porter, railroad worker, charged with grand larceny and committing a robbery with a dangerous weapon, has not yet been arraigned, pending an investigation being made by state patrolman Truman Bierie. Porter is still confined to the county jail. (He wae arrested a week ago yesterday. o 86th Division Vets Expect Furloughs Camp Atterbury, Ind.’, June 29— (UP)—Hoosiers of the army’s S6th divisipn today anticipated 30-day furloughs at home before assembling again for final training in Japfighting. The seasoned veterans of the European war arrived here yesterday following the landing of the entire division on the east coast. They expect to go to the Pacific theater after the month furlough at home.

Defeated Jap Troops, Bewildered Civilians Surrender To Yankees

Robert H. Jackson Arrives In London' , London, June 20 —(UP) — Supreme court justice Robert H. Jackson, chief American prosecutor of war criminate, arrived in London today for conferences with the United Nations war crimes commission. o Says Hitler And Mistress Killed Selves Hitler's Personal Chauffeur Relates Story Os Suicides Berchtesgaden, June 20—(UP)— Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun shot and killed themselves in an underground bunker behind the Berlin (Reichschancellery on April 30, a man who said he saw their gasolinesoaked, burning bodies reported today. Hitler and Eva, who long had been his mistress, were married two days (before they committed suicide as Nazidom was crashing about them in the midst of the Russian seige of Berlin, the witness said. illitler’s personal chauffeur, Eric Kempke, gave the first eyewitness account bearing out Nazi reports that Hitler died in Berlin shortly before it fell to the Red army. Kempke said he carried Eva Braun’s body from the bunker a little before 3 p. m. April 30 after she and Hitler shot themselves with pistols. Propaganda minister Joseph Goetbbels and his wife killed themselves it, an unknown manner in a (bunker on the night of May 1— the day before Berlin tell—Kempke said. The butiKer was saturated with gasoline and set on fire after the suicide of Goebbels and his wife, the chauffeur reported. Kempke said that ‘between 3 and 4 a. in. on May <2 he saw three other topflight Nazis wounded, probably fatally, while trying to flee Berlin. They were Martin Borman, Nazi party leader; Werner Naumann, state secretary in the propaganda ministry who married Hitler and Eva; and Dr. Stumpfecker, Hitler’s personal physician in the last days of Nazi resistance. o Struck Ohio Plant Taken Over By Army Nation's War Output Is Cut By Strikes By United Press The army began operation of the strike-bound Diamond Alkali company plant at .Painesville, O„ as a nation-wide wave of strikes curtailed war production. President Truman ordered seizure of the Alkali plant after undersecretary of war Robert P. Patterson described the strike of 2,000 workers as “one of the most critical from a war standpoint.” The workers, members of the United Mine Workers of America, struck in protest against the company’s use of outside contractors for work in the plant. Additional thousands of soldiers in full .battle regalia moved into Chicago today to operate trucks made idle by the walkout of 10,000 operators, demanding more money. The army already had 1,500 soldiers driving trucks there. At the same time the war labor (board, ordered 5,500 strikers at the McCormick works of the International Harvester company, Chicago, back to work today. The strike had (Turn To Page 4, Column 8)

Japs Report New Invasion Near On Borneo Report Allied Mine Sweepers Begin Work In Balikpapan Bay Manila, June 20. —(UP)—Radio Tokyo reported today that Allied mine sweepers have begun work in the Bay of Balikpapan, the great Borneo oil center which has been pounded from sea and air for the past week. The Japanese broadcast said that four mine sweepers began their work yesterday, a necessary preliminary to any invasion of the rich oil area on Borneo’s east coast. Tokyo claimed that shore batteries sank one of the sweepers and the other three withdrew. A Dome! dispatch said that the sweeper sank after it struck a Previous Japanese broadcasts have reported the bombardment of Balikpapan by an Allied fleet, said to include an aircraft carrier, three battleships, 16 destroyers and other warships.

Communiques from Gen. Douglas MacArthur's headquarters have not confirmed the naval bombardments, but 'nave reported daily ah attacks on gun positions and airfields in the Balikpapan area—also a pre-invasion pattern of assault. Today's communique reported that heavy bombers dumped 2(10 tons of explosives on Balikpapan and the ship-building center of Samarinda io the north. On Borneo’s northwest coast, the Australians made more progress in all directions, their advances apparently slowed only by the thick jungle country. The force which landed at Weston, on the east shore of Brunei bay, gained two of the 18 miles to the rubber center of Beaufort. (Turn To Pag-e 2. Column 4) o — County Farm Bureau Picnic On July 1 Larry Brandon To Be Principal Speaker Larry Brandon, of Indianapolis, secretary-treasurer of the Indiana farm ibureau, and a former state senator, will he the principal speaker at the annual picnic of the Adams county farm ibureau, on Sunday. July 1, in Tollman park, Berne. C W. R. Schwartz is general chairman of the event, which will be featured with a basket dinner at noon in the park grove. Long tables will be provided for families, refrw-hments will >l*o sold and amplo drinking water will be provided, Mr. Schwartz said. A program, including mueie, singing and games for children, fe also being arranged, the chairman said, the details of which will ho announced later. Mr. Brandon will speak at the afternoon gathering and the public is invited to attend. Assisting Mr. ‘Schwartz are several chairmen and directors of activities for the annual picnic, which last year was addressed by former governor Henry F. Schricker. The committees are: Mrs. Harry Crownover, social and educational director: Mrs. Ervin Lochner, aestetant social and educational director; Alonzo Smith, secretary, and Delmore Wechter, treasurer. Carl Schug and Hibbard High, in charge of parking. A committee of women, constating of Mrs. Earl Sipe, Mrs. William Gritzman, Mi*. lEdward Bleeke, Mrs. Alonzo Smith and Mrs. Edwin Neu(Turn To Page 2, Column 6)

Z. Swell the Total 1 By Buying an • Extra Bond

Price Four Cents.

Many Nip Soldiers Commit Suicide By Hurling Themselves From Okinawa Cliffs Guam. Thursday, June 21. —(UP) —The 82-day battle for Okinawa was ending in complete American victory today with throngs of beaten Japanese troops and bewildered civilians surrendering to onrushing U. S. forces along the southern "suicide cliffs." Many enemy soldiers, in a fimil iar pattern of last, ditch despair, committed suicide by hurling themselves from the 100-foot cliffs onto the jagged rocks lining the shore. Sixty-five hundred Okinawa civilians and 455 Japanese army and navy personnel streamed into the 7th division lines on the southeastern front in a 24-hour period starting at noon Tuesday. United Press war correspondent Russell Annabel reported many half-naked civilians attempted to descend the cliffs on ropes to escape American guntire, but that vengeful Japanese soldiers cut the ropes and let the Okinawans drop onto the rocks below. Even while final enemy resistance cracked, Tokyo again reported apprehensively that a large American transport convoy was assembled in the Keramas west of Okinawa, presumably preparing for new amphibious operations against Japanese islands. The 10th army hacked the last Japanese into tiny, isolated pockets, and killed hundreds of fanatical holdouts in their caves and foxholes. Although victory was at hand, the savage business of flushing Japanese machine gunners With flamethrowers and grenades continued. “We’re starting the mop-up, and that, sounds easy,” said an American soldier. "But hell — it’s the toughest part of any campaign." Civilians surrendered wearily, trudging through American lines. Obviously they were thankful that the battle for them was over. Their faces showed relief, and in some cases, distrust. A few waved little red, white and blue surrender leaflets which had been dropped to them. Lt. Col. Jackson G, Gillis, Sacramento, Calif., of the 7th division, was attempting to arrange for the surrender of a horde of milling Okiwanans near the Kiyamu-Gusu-ku castle, an ancient stronghold built to fend off sea raiders. "We’ve got them on the run now,” said Lt. Col. John G. Johnson of Champaign, 111., commander of the 22nd marine regiment. “We’re going like a bat out of hell and we intend to keep them on the run.” The 82-day campaign reached the • mopup stage yesterday with a ma- ■ line breakthrough to the south • coast on a wide front. Marines and doughboys then knifed out in ‘ all directions, carving up the enI emy survivors into helpless groups ’ of only 10 to 100 soldiers each. : Admiral Chester W. Nimitz an- , nounced in a communique that the > enemy’s last defenses were colltips- • ing and resistance steadily was weakening. —o —-— New Transport Plane Built For Eisenhower : Santa Monica, Calif., June 20— 1 (UP)— Douglas Aircraft Co. employes. today completed and delivered to the army a luxurious C-54 transport for the personal use of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. The four-motored plane, just like the presidential airplane except for interior furnishings, was finished in three weeks, 32 days ahead of schedule. Douglas employes worked night and day to have the plane ready for the general on his arrival in the United States. Tire transport has sleeping quarters, an electrically equipped galley, conference room and desk like those of Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s “flying headquarters.”