Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 43, Number 160, Decatur, Adams County, 9 July 1945 — Page 1

S’ We Must Win the War! AH Else Is Chores! .

bill. No. 160.

President Truman Enroute To Big Three Meeting

STRONG TASK FORCE IS RANGING PACIFIC ...IBEsP■ x •

at <*»&:*<* K | Phief Executive rLeaves Norfolk Saturday

T* Truman Accompanied eti’ns By Large Party On Op.i Voyage, Will Meet Churchill, Stalin or) ——Washington, July 9. — (UP)--Truman sailed from the Norfolk. Va., naval base last Satrday for hia forthcoming confernce near Berlin with Soviet Prej, /TYUier Josef Stalin and British Prime gAiAflinister Churchill. He was accompanied by a large —larger than those which usaccompanied the late Presin»' ent P ooseve,t when he met with t|-gitalin and Churchill. Among the party were Secretary f State Janies F. Byrnes, assiet- \ j nt Secretary of State James Dunn nd Charles E. Bohlen, a special as- , istant to Byrnes and an expert on Bohlen was Mr. Roose.V eit’s interpreter at conferences 'ith Stalin. that Mlt was understood that Mr. Trus. try lan plans to make some side-trips round Europe after the Big Three ilks end, probably including one London. BgjgAlso aboard the ship with the were the White House for the three mapress associations. However, IMmV last public word from press Sattaecretary Charles G. Rose prior to is departure was that no reportwould be allowed to cover the ■ | Ur Three meeting itself. Ross 'as in the presidential party. The White House announced last > i ;eek that in event there is any air•''lane travel involved in the trip, [r. Truman and Byrnes will fly in sparate planes in order to elimiate the possibility of both being Hied or incapacitated in a single lane crash. Hope For Pact Washington, July 9. —(UP) — Largthe United States hopes to conr j c jtt lude a formal, four-power pact th j ;ir immitting this country, Russia. . ritain and France to a uniform, apppi' ■ ‘ mg-term program for control of ermany, it was learned today. President Truman, it was said, ill present the single policy proasal to Prime Minister Winston hurchill and Premier Josef Stalon ( at the forthcoming Big Three eeting near Berlin. Ite acceptance would present a ew challenge to Gen. Dwight D. 101 isenhower, the great soldier-dip-(Turn To Page 2, Column 2) j a" '■"ff" ° 1 M jnthony Corral Rites Jere Tuesday Morning . Funeral services for Anthony fflUterral, 15 year old son of Mr. and irs. Joe Corral of Root township, cutor iio was killed in an auto mishap offer (i’|turday morning, will be held at Tolle- o’clock Tuesday morning at St. i*Fjr^ > .|drgrch, with the Very Rev. 4 sgr. Joseph J. Seimetz officiatug. Interment will be in the iatholic cemetery. Besides the parents the youth survived by two brothers, Amao and Joe Jr., and four sisters, rs. Caroline Garcia of Chicago; rs. Louise Vela, Van Wert, 0., f . rs. Sarah Ybarra, of this city j g - Ixi|d Corral at home. n TaW Officials who investigated the . nalljcident stated that evidence es; 1 towed that the boy had lost conn Sri ol of his car, in attempting to and > ake a turn at the road intersec--30 ,pn north of Preble. ales- ■„, WWIW , q — DEMOCRAT THERMOMETER . F TEMPERATURE READINO d 8:00 a.m - 65 s’too - — 72 2:00 p.m - 81 1 ■ , WEATHER ekA Partly cloudy with local ytthundurshowers this afternoon or tonight. Cooler In north .•nd central portions tonight. JXfjCvTuesday fair In north portion, and partly cloudy in south portion. Cooler.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Personal Property Assessment Higher $80,824 Net Gain Recorded This Year A net gain of $80,824 ie recorded ' in the personal property assessments this year over the 1944 vali ues, a table of figures compiled by Mis. Vincent J. Bormann, county ■ assessor’s clerk, disclosed. In 1944, the value of personal property was $24,960,454. This year it has climbed to $25,041,278. A gain of $67,928 was made in Decatur-Washington, w'hich includes the greater part of the city, but a loss of $75,452 in values is ’ recorded in Decatur-Root, which as a result Will decrease the net valuation of assessed property in this city. In addition to the $25,041,278 val- , uation of personal property and real estate, there will be added the state’s assessment of railroads and ' utilities which operate in the county. Last year this valuation was $3,584,810, which figured on ’ the new valuation will boost the ’ county's net assessable value to ' $28,626,088. The state’s assess- ' ment may be lowered or increased. Net gains were registered in the townships as follows: I'nion, $41,779; Root, $1,860; Washingion, $11,344; St. Marys, $10,505; French. $8,125; Wabash, $3,931; Jefferson, ' $12,440. The following townships showed a net loss: Preble, $15,305; Kirki land, $3,720; Blue Creek, $14,533; Monroe, $840; .Hartford, $3,369. Berne shows a net increase of $12,966 and Geneva gained $14,150. . The value of personal property in Monroe shrunk $325. The decrease in Decatur-Root is ’ largely due to the liquidation of ’ the Central Sugar company and the removal of the machinery and close-out of the inventory of sup- ’ plies at that industry, local tax officials' explained. The assessments, including the , value of improvements to real estate, were checked by members of the board of review, which adjourn- ' ed last week after a 26-day session. _ o. Dispute Holds At Fort Wayne Papers Union Leader Says No Contacts Made Fort Wayne, Ind., July 9,—(UP) —Approximately 93 members of Fort Wayne typographical union 78 remained away from their work in the composing rooms of the Journal Gazette and the News Sentinel today. Charles Albert, secretary of the local union, said that no contacts had been mkde by either the publishers or the union officials toward an agreement on the new contract since tht union members refused to work Saturday. Albert said the union asked that the new contract include the entire body of laws which were enacted by the international typagrophicaT union in 1944, of which the local printers union is a member; but the publishers refuse to accept the laws in their tqtality. Specifically, Albert said, the disagreement is over the arbitration clause in the body of laws. This new clause written in by the ITU asks that arbitration automatically cease when the contract terminates, while the newspapers want the power of an arbitrator to continue after the contract is dead. Defy Demands New York, July 9. —(UP)—Strik(Turn To Page 4, Column 4)

Fierce Attacks By Japs Mark Borneo Battle 1 Japanese Battle To Stop Aussies From Reaching Oilfield Manila, July 9. —(UP) —Fierce Japanese counter-attacke were reported today around the Manggar airstrip, where the enemy battled to prevent the Australians from breaking out of the Balikpapan bridgehead for a drive northeast to the Saraarinda oilfield. Australian army dispatches, relayed by radio Melbourne, said that the Japanese made two counter-at-tacks Saturday night and Sunday morning at Manggar, 12 miles northeast of Balikpapan. In the first enemy stab, fighting raged back and forth for half ap hour before the drive was stemmed. Less than an hour later, tire Japanese attacked again. That time they lost heavily, the Australian report said. The seventh division had encircled the Pandaneari oil refinery area northwest of Balikpapan, and the Japanese garrison there was being reduced steadily. To the north of Balikpapan the Australians advanced into swampy country and captured Soemba village. Today’s communique from Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters eaid the Australians were fanning from’ the Balikpapan bridgehead, which was 18 miles long and two to three miles deep. Japanese coastal guns still were pouring shells into the beachhead, although they were under heavy attack by the seventh fleet. Car-rier-based planes hammered the enemy positions, while engineers sweated to ready the captured (Turn To Page 4, Column 5) o Thrice-Wounded Vet Now Home On Leave Charles Barker On Convalescent Leave A thrice-wounded veteran of the European war is home on convalescent leave before reporting to Percy Jones General hospital at Battle Creek, Mich. He was in Berlin, when the Russians marched in. .He is Pvt. Charles Barker, son of Kenneth Barker of Bellmont park, east of Decatur. He arrived in the U. S. on June 21 aboard the S. S. St. Paula and came home last Friday. Pvt. Barker served with the famous 87th division, which entered north Germany over the Rhine and then marched to the southern border. Wounded by a shell fragment on last December 17, in France, Pvt. Barker was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds in action against the enemy. He was wounded twice in Germany by bullet and shell fragments and was hospitalized in France* and later removed to England. He was awarded two Oak Leaf clusters to the Purple Heart. Pvt. Barker entered the army in March, 1944, and was trained at Camp Robinson, Ark., and Fort Jackson, S. C. He went overseas last September and went through the France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany campaigns. —-o- ——— Brazilian Cruiser Sinks After Blast Rio De Janeiro, July 9 —(UP) — The Brazilian cruiser Baia sank yesterday bout 100 miles off the Perrfmbucan coast after an explosion attributed tentatively to a mine, it was announced officially today. Casualties were feared high. The Baia normally carried a complement of about 400 men. Thir-ty-three survivors were reported to have reached Recife.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Monday, July 9, 1945.

They Have 65-Hour Trip Ahead

a ’ * "Ml aSpygHWRIII' I ? Off"

STRIPPED TO THE WAIST, overseas war veterans are shown here jammed into a day coach, trying to make themselves as comfortable as .possible for a 65-hour trip that lies ahead. They are en route from Camp Shanks, N. Y„ to Fort Lewis, Washington and then home. The , ODT, fb ease the situation, has ordered all trains going less than 450 . miles to discontinue Pullman service on such trips.

Shortages Os Food Continue This Year Important Foods To Remain Short Washington, July 9—(UP)—American housewives can expect shortages in such important food categories as meat, sugar, fats and oils to be with them at least until ■spring of next year, a survey of government food agencies indicated today. Prospects are that meat supplies for this fall and winter will be no better than last year. While there will be an increase in beef marketings, that will be offset by a further cut in the pork supply. Officials believe there will, be no real improvement until late next spring when both beef and pork are expected to be more plentiful. .Butter production is lagging behind lf>44 and non-Civilian demands have been greater. The 40 per cent cutback in military purchases to be effective next month, however, will relieve the situation somewhat. The expected spring increase in Pork is also'expected to ease the fats an doil supply. Domestic stores of sugar are critically low at present. The picture may improve next year if .shipments from the Philippines are resumed. The public will get a good guide to 1945 food production tomorrow when the department of agriculture issues its July crop report with the season’s first official forecast on all major crops. The estimated size (Turn To Page 2, Column 7) Total Eclipse Os Sun This Morning First Total Eclipse In U.S. Since 1932 Boise, Ida., July 9. —(UP) —A fiery red ling circled the moon’s edges as it passed across the face of the sun today to give the United States its first total eclipse since 1932. In Opheim, Mont., 50 miles south of the Canadian border, two distinct rainbows flanked the shadow as it obliterated most of the sun’s light. Opheim was the last U. S. town within the 25-mile path of totality. At 6:14 a.m. (MWT) the point of totality wae reached. It lasted for 30 seconds and then the shadow of the moon began creeping across the other side of the sun. Creeping out of the dawn, the shadow of the - moon swept across a light strata of clouds here and then raced northeasterly at a 2,000-mile-an-hcnr clip. Observers at an east mountain lookout near Cascade, Ida., were treated to a brilliant display as the sun rose obliterated by the moon except for a fiery red corona, or, ring, circling the moon’s edges. The outer corona waa white. Dr. Otto Struve, director of Yerkes observatory at Williams Bay, Wis., said the total eclipse came (Turn To Page 3, Column 6)

BULLETIN Richard Johnson, 32, and Vernon Frauhiger. 25, both < of Decatur, escaped injury < shortly before 3 o’clock ‘ this afternoon when the 1 large truck they were driving stalled on the tracks at the Tenth street crossing of the Erie railroad andi was struck by the west bound passenger train. The truck, owned by the Fort Wayne-Portland truck lines (Teeple). stalled only a few seconds before the passenger train struck it, barely giving the two men, both regular drivers for the company, time to jump from the cab. The front part of the truck was badly damaged. Efforts were being made this afternoon to remove the truck from the south track, where the vehicle was knocked by the 1 impact. O Eight War Prisoners Are Slain By Guard Fires Into Tent Os Sleeping Prisoners Salina, Utah, July 9—(UP) —A BSyoarold tower guard, who had never aimed a shot at the enemy 1 during eight months overseas, was in military custody today after he fired A .30 caliber machinegun into a tentfui of .sleeping German prisoners of war, killing eight and injuring 20 others. Col. Arthur J. Ericsson, com- , maud of the base camp at Ogden, Utah, of which the Salina camp is a branch, .said Pvt. Clarence V. . Bertucci, New Orleans, “For no apparent reason" sprayed a full belt of machine gun bullets on the slumbering prisoners. .Eight, died almost, immediately and .six of the wounded were in critical condition. The shooting occurred about 112:30 a. m. yesterday, some two hours after the prisoners normally retire. Col. Ericsson said Bertucci was taken into immediate custody and “given an opportunity to explain his action.” His statements were expected to be released today with thef iling of a formal charge against him. , ‘‘Bertucci apparently went berserk and for no apparent reason cut loose with the mounted gun and kept shooting until he ran out of . ammunition,” Ericsson told reporters. 'Ericsson said the young private’s army record, while not exemplary, , indicated he had experienced no previous trouble with the prisoners. , The colonel said Bertucci, a Vet- , eran of four and a half years in the army, twice had been before a summary court martial. On one occasion, he was fined S3O and sentenced to three months hard labor for refusing to go on guard duty and another time was restricted to company limits for breaking rules. .(In New Orleans, members of ’ (Turn To Page 2, Column 8) 1

Under Orders To Search Out, Destroy Remnants Os Jap Sea, Air Power

Red Army Resumes Control Os Berlin American, British Forces Step Aside Berlin, July 9—(UP) —The threepower occupation of Berlin had broken down completely today, and the Russians were running the whole city. Although the Big Three conferesnee was fast approaching, the American and British military governments had no control over the sections of the city where President Truman and Prime Minister Churchill presumably would have their headquarters. High Allied officers were to meet later this week to thrash out the problems behind the Present situation, but there was some speculation the matter might have to be carried to very high levels. The American and British military governors here even seemed to disagree on what the main problem really was. Brigadier W. R. N. Hinde, British governor, said it was a question of the Russians supplying food and fuel for Germans in the American and British zones. Col. Frank Howley, of Philadelphia, the American governor, said that was not the crux of the matter at all—that it was a matter of adopting an over-all plan for running Berlin. He seemed to favor a system of intergrated rule of city agencies such as police, health, finance and so on. Howley said that he was optimistic about things working out all right. However, as an example of the present confusion. Howley told of how Russian soldiers had torn down (Turn To Pagie 4, Column 6) 0 School Calendar Set By Trustees No Action Taken On Attendance Officer The township trustees have adopted the school calendar for the 1944-45 scholastic year, Lyman L. Hann, county superintendent, announced today. The trustees also adopted a uniform report card to be used in all the schools. No action wa* taken on the election of a county attendance officer, Mr. Hann stated, for the reason that there is no candidate for the place. The annual county teachers institute will be held in this city on August 29. The program is being prepared by Mr. Hann and the speaker or speakers have not yet been engaged. The calendar of activities, beginning August 30, follows: Registration of pupils in all county schools. August 30. Opening of schools, Tuesday, September 4. Adjournment for state teachers association meetings, either October 18 and 19, or the following week. Thanksgiving vacation, November 22 and 23. Christmas vacation, begins December 22. Schools reopen on January 2, 1946. The county basketball tourney, January 11 and 12. The sectional tourney, February 22 and 23. Schools will be closed on Good Friday, April 19. The trustees also voted to adjourn all rural school on the same day, April 26, being the final day of the spring semester.

SI ettinius Says Charier Real Aid To Peace Initial Witness As Hearing Opened By Senate Committee Washington, July 9 — (UP) — Former secretary of state Edward R. Stettinius, Jr., hailed the United Nations charter today as a “truly effective instrument for lasting peace" and urged the senate to give it speedy ratification. He appeared in the role of first witness as the senate foreign relations committee opened hearings on Lire world peace plan drfted by the United Nations at the San Francisco conference. Stettinius, as chairman of the U.S. delegation there, also submitted to President Truman today a lengthy report on the. nine-week conference. Stettinius told the foreign relations committee that events at San Francisco convinced him that international disagreements could be settled amicably and that the charter could be made to work. . “In that firm belief,” he said, “I have come to testify before you today in favor of ratification of the charter by the senate of i the United States.” Stettinius, who will be the U.S. delegate to the new world peace organization, asked for prompt action by the senate because “no country has a greater stake than ours in a speedy beginning.’’ Administration leaders are confident of wininng senate ratification of the charter and plan to keep committee hearings brief. They hope to complete taking testimony in a week or 10 days and to get the final vote on ratification by Aug. 1 or 15. In both his 6,000 word statement to the committee and his 50,000 word report to Mr. Truman, Stettinius emphasized that the (Turn To Pag» 2, Column 4) 0 GOP Seeks Limit On Presidential Tenure Launch Campaign For Limit Os Two Terms Washington, July 9 — (UP) — Republicans opened a campaign today to restore the two-term presidential tradition by constitutional amendment. House Republican leaders Joseph W. Martin, Jr., said congress should submit to the states next autumn an amendment which would limit the tenure of a president to two terms of four years each. If congress fails to submit such an amendment, he continued, the states themselves should act. Some observers believed an effort will be made to obtain President Truman’s support for the amendment. With his backing its speedy adoption would be reasonably certain. Martin's proposal, made public here in the form of a statement issued from his office, invited Democratic assistance. "Now is the time to put this reform into effect,” Martin said. “It can be done now in a nonpartisan way, when it will have no effect on the immediate political program of any party." He also proposed that ex-presi-Si ni— —.i. i i —■ ... —— (Turn To Page 2 Column 3)

I F Buy War Savings Bonds And Stamps

Price Four Cents.

Twin Aerial Blows On Honshu, Kyushu Lead Pre-lnvasion Softening Process BULLETIN Washington, July 9. —(UP) — Several hundred superfortresses made another five-way strike at industrial targets in Japan today. The targets were Gifu, Sakai, Wakayama, Sendai, and Yokkaichi. All are on Honshu island. Guam, July 9—(UP)—Twin attacks on Honshu and Kyushu cari t ied through its 34th straight day toda'y the pre-invasion softening up of Japan in which superforts alone were revealed to have been deljvI ering bombs at a rate of more than 1,000 tons a day for 40 days. Fleet dispatches disclosed that a strong American task force was ranging the western Pacific under orders to search out and destroy the remnants of Japanese sea and air power. Tokyo reported 50 Liberators attacked the Omura area of northwestern Kyushu for nearly two hours. They were screened by 40odd Thunderbolt and Lightning fighters. About 50 long range Mustang? strucck from Iwn at dozens of targets around Kyote, Osaka and Kobe on central Honshu to open the daylight assault. Authorities revealed that sup?rforts had flown at least 6,442 sorties in 40 days, dropping almost 42,000 tons of bombs, and that Mitchell medium bombers had joined the attack. The devastated area of Japan had risen to more than 130 square miles. In the first nine days of July, the superforts flew some 1,675 sorties against Japan. Despite the stepup, the loss of B-29’s this month stood at four. Since the 21st bomber command first hit Japan in November, 1914, it has flown 241 missions over tha home islands. The Japanese broadcast a report credited to an unidentified naval base tht guperforts had been mining the main harbors of Japan. It said submarines in some force had been sent into Japanese waters to try to blockade the homeland and break up shipping activity. The enemy claimed to have sunk seven or more submarines in home waters since June 1. Long-range army mustang fighters, about 50 strong, led off the daylight assault on Japan today, roaring up from Iwo Jima at mid-day to strafe dozens of enemy military targets around Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe on central Honshu. Three B-29 superfortresses, apparently scouting in advance of another major air strike, also were over the main Japanese island, including the Tokyo area. Japanese accounts said they were followed by four B-24 Liberators and a pair -of navy scout bombers that flew over eastern Honshu, The presence of the new American battle fleet in the far Pacific was revealed in a delayed dispatch from thq flagship of the task force, commanded by Vice Adm. John S. McCain, chief of fast carriers in Admiral William F. Halsey’s veteran third fleet. (Turn To Pag*? 4, Column 6) 0 ★ *★***★* Honorable Discharge *★★★*★** Pfc. Robert E. Dull, 110 8. Eighth street. He entered the army on Feb. 10, 1943 and went overseas Oct. 17, 1944. He served in the Northern France campaign and was wounded. Certificate of disability for discharge Issued from Wakeman Convalescent hospital, Camp Atterbury.