Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 43, Number 167, Decatur, Adams County, 17 July 1945 — Page 1

jj* Win the War jßfce Is Chores!

111. No. 167.

ftgr Three Conference Opens After Days Delay IACIFIC FLEET STEAMr iO TOKYO GATES

Bruznan, Stalin ®>n/er For Hour jK fore Opening

W' an Premier Is .tUheon Guest Os pjßident Before Cjference Opens July 17- —(UP)--Presi-I Premier Stalin and ministere conferred today at the preliminary to the Three immediately aft e r Stalin was M". '‘Ti-Mißi luncheon guest after the conference in tin .office on the second ’Boot SBhis Potedam villa. Afißtiiial announcement said Sw.hjßccompanied by his staff. Jlndveßat Mr. Truman’s villa at jvmM. The party was greeted fnßteps of the villa by the military aide, Brig. Gen. S?fflNfl®aiiKhan, and naval aide, Zlpapt. K- Vardaman. fl Sfcawand foreign commissar V. S accompanied the aides tiHoffiee where Mr. Truman gpnl.®retarv of State James F. waiting. The initial ®the American and Russian conducted through of■y.'#Mßaeeting of Mr. Truman and jfSaSEpeared the way for the Big •Tlwßto get down to business. Minister Churchill had -i®l*tEbn the President for an iniMtalk yesterday while they ■’ ..wereßraititig the delayed arrival -announcement of Stalin'.-. WHBlth Mr. Truman was the disclosure that the had arrived in Pots- | <|w|®hiofficial sources had re- ’) P#g®his arrival yesterday after- | a||®nation from the tightly se- * 'SSBc' I conference area still was ( It was impossible to say i whether the Truman-Stalin ! was a get-acquainted chat in business. Some quarit as highly probable luaiSHr. Truman sought to get >iow®o business without delay. J-Sny rate ’ the conference was iluoH get under way this after--''(Beithcr with a personal meet- | ■■ the three Allied chieftains ’ SSEP lwiary session without the themselves. . h®ations increased that world IK and the P roblem of fbe<l ' •'- : -’®e hungry millions of many <®n To Page 5, Column 5) B- o IS an * s* r *k e | ■ *|® At Fort Wayne | Wayne, Ind., July 17.—(UP) 1 of the ,nca division of the '../“® Dodge Copper Products ■returned to their jobs today —“•what was termed by plant ! ®*® er W. B. Griswold, “a satisagreemeut - between both "■ion and the company.” L Plant had been closed since ® an d Harold Rroxon, presi1 ®2S <>! tll e United Electrical I rS ’ 10Cal 933 (CI0) ’ t 0 which S taeßipi oyes of the plant belong, ! M ~® lat lt was a lockout. -Bwold said that the difficulty ■ out ot the disciplinary layI ■ four Pisons, but today etat- ' ® ! the four were back working ‘V plant - . ®~ o 'BIOCRAT THERMOMETER ■Emperature reading ®°o a. 58 E°o a. m __ 66 g®® n -- 74 8 10 P- m 80 WEATHER jß art 'y cloudy tonight and Wdnesday; scattered light W Wtr » near Lake Michigan B tonight or early Wedneswarmer tonight and little gM® n Se In temperature Wed■<ta y-

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT;

No News Coverage Os Big Three Meet Correspondents Not Permitted In Area Berlin, July 17—(UP)—Lieut. Col. John Redding, U. S. army public relations officer, announced today that the Big Three had decided “to adhere to their original decision that there be no coverage of the conference” by correspondents. Redding’s announcement meant that Allied correspondents officially accredited in Berlin will not be permitted to enter the area in which the conference is taking place nor to reveal any information obtained within the compound. It was not clear immediately whether Redding’s threat to suspend any correspondent for 72 hours if he attempted “to approach” the compound still stood. However, he said that military censorship would not halt any report which a correspondent filed, whether true or false, and that there would be no censorship of speculative diepatches. Redding said that the army itself would cease providing any news about the conference except for acting as a transmitting medium for any information given it by the conferees to pass along to newsmen. Redding explained that this decision wag based on the army’s desire “to prevent the army or its representatives from becoming involved in politics.” It was understood that the public relations decision was based on the sharp criticism of Redding which has been contained in the dispatches of some of the correspondents. <r o 2,750 War Prisoners To Harvest Crops Lafayette, Ind., July 17 —(UP) —lndiana farmers have been allotted 2,750 prisoners of war to harvest crops this fall, J. B. Kohlmeyer of Purdue university, state emergency farm labor supervisor, said today. Kohlmeyer said that requests had been made for six prisoner of war camps at places needing seasonal help: Fort Wayne 750; Windfall 700; Eaton 400; Camp Atterbury 500; Morristown 200, and Vincennes 200.

Says Hitler Hiding Out In Argentina On Nazi Estate In Southern Argentina Chicago, July 17 — (UP) —Chicago Times correspondent Vin cent De Pascal has reported from Montevideo that he is “virtually certain" Adolf Hitler and his sweetheart, Eva Braun, are in hiding in a German-owned estate in southern Argentina. His dispatch was carried in yesterday’s final edition of the Times. “From information just receiv ed from Buenos Aires,’’ De Pascal wrote, “I am virtually certain Adolf Hitler and his ‘wife’ Eva Braun, the latter dressed in masuline clothes, landed in Argentina and are on an immense. Germanowned estate in Patagonia.” De Pascal's 1 information, which he said was received through “reliable channels,’' was that the onetime master of Germany was (Turn To Page 4, Column 4)

Japs Battling Stubbornly To Halt Aussies Australian Units Advancing Slowly In South Borneo Manila, July 17 —(UP) —Japanese troops battled stubbornly today attempting to keep closed the road leading north to Samarinda as Australian seventh division units advanced slowly east of captured Mount Batochampar in southeast Borneo. Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s communique said other seventh division units were pushing north along the coast from the Manggar airstrip, fighting skirmishes almost constantly. The Japanese also continued strong opposition against Aussie troops moving east from Beaufort along the railway toward Tenon, 20 miles to the southeast. Strong combat patrols of the Australian seventh and ninth division probed enemy defensive positions in the wooded ' hills north and east of Balikpapan and along the Jesselton railw’ay in the Brunei bay sector. In northern. New Guinea Australian sixth division troops captured the last Japanese stronghold in the Prince Alexander mountains, four miles south of Wewak, and occupied two more villages in the Yamil area. Fifth airforce mustangs destroyed two tunnel entrances and a railway station near Tombunco on the west coast of Formosa. Liberators bombed Tinchi island in the Amoy area on China’s east coast while a seventh fleet mar(Turn To Page 4, Column 5) 0 Report Decrease In Mortgages In County To Offset Loss In Personal Property The decrease in the amount of mortgage exemptions and the added value of improvements on farm lands and town real estate in the county, will more than offset the loss in personal property assessments for thie year, a table of figures prepared by county auditor Thurman I. Drew reveals.

The increased value of improvements on real estate amount to $165,593. Mortgage exemptions declined $115,669, making a net gain of $281,262. The loss in personal property assessments totals $198,065. The 1945 value of all assessed property id the county, exclusive of the state’s assessment of railroads and other utilities is $26,100,378, compared to $26,132,850. The present assessment of railroads and other property assessed by the state is approximately $3,500,000. A gain of $28,333 was made in the value of improvements made on real estate outside of incorporated towns. Improvements in Decatur and other incorporated places in the county have an added value of $137,260. The value of mortgage exemptions on file this year is $1,025,055. Soldiers’ and widows’ exemptions total $36,367,' compared to $1,140,724 and $29,407 a year ago. Mort(Tum To Page 5. Column 4) O Fort Wayne Newspaper Strike In 10th Day Fort Wayne, Ind., July 17—:(UP) —The newspaper strike in Fort Wayne which involves both the Journal Gazette and the News Sentinel entered its 10th day today, and newismen have no hopes of an immediate settlement. One source said that there wasn’t much the local union and publishers could do toward a settlement until the ITU and WLB reached an agreement.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday, July 17, 1945.

Truman Meets Churchill In Berlin pk Wflll EBa I ® S SJMBpb 'r 1 LAIR I • L i l .. jl. FOR THE FIRST TIME, President Harry S. Truman of the U. S. and Prime Minister Winston Churchill meet prior to beginning their “Big Three” conferences with Premier Josef Stalin in the Potsdam area of Berlin. This is a radiophoto from the conference site in Germany.

Just Share Os Food Promised Civilians Pledge Is Made By Secretary Anderson /Washington, July 17 —(UP)— American civilians are going to get a just ehare of the nation’s food supply—and not simply what is left in the cupboard after other demands have been met. Secretary of agriculture Clinton P. Anderson made that clear today with his pledge that the needs of the American people must and will be given “due recognition” when food is being allocated for military and foreign use. In his first public survey of food problems, the nation’s new food boss said that the policy of “close and constant” scrutiny of food demands already has brought results favorable to civilians. The army recently cut back its requirements for sugar by 68,000 tons. This quantity is expected t 6 go a long way toward meeting the canning sugar deficit. Reductions in military purchases of meat and •butter will further aid the home economy, Anderson reported. But he warned civilians not to expect miracles because shortages will continue to exist for many months to come. (Turn To Page 4, Column 8) o Contingent Leaves For Active Service 12 Men Leave Today For Armed Services Twelve Adams county men left Decatur this morning for active induction into the nation’s armed forces through selective service. These men will be assigned to the various branches of the service after undergoing further examinations. Delbert Eugene Runnion was the leader of this morning’s contingent. Other members were: Amos Stauffer, William Dwight Denny, Earl Ervin Buckingham, Edward Elmer Zimmerman, Arthur Gottlieb Cook, Verlyn Ray Geyer, John Henry Schultz, Lynn Wallace Sprunger, Roy Dale Gilliom, Lowell Alvin Thatcher and Arthur Jess Rufus Werst, the latter a volunteer. James Emett Hurst, who was also scheduled tor induction with today’s group, has been transferred to the jurisdiction of the Jay county board.

Damage Collections By OPA $18,506.35 Indianapolis, July 17 — (UP) — Damage collections by the Indiana OPA enforcement ‘division amounted to $18,506.35 for the week ending July 9, it was announced today. The fuel ’ and consumer durable goods unit led collections with a total of $12,263.44. Other unit totals were: food, $3,545.46; rents and services, $2,697.45; price panel, $1,347.62. 0 Mrs. Rosa Womack Dies This Morning Mrs. Burg Womack Is Taken By Death Mrs. Rosa T. Womack, 70, wife of Burg Womack, of 816 Line street, died at 7 o’clock this morning at the ASams county memorial hospital, following a fractured hip suffered in a fall last Saturday. She was born in Willshire, 0., February 8, 1875, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Durbin, but had lived in Decatur most of her lifetime. She was a member of the Nuttman Avenue United Brethren church. Surviving in addition to the husband are two daughters, Mrs. Elisha Gause of Orland and Miss Bonnie Womack, at home; two sons, Pvt. George Womack, with the army in Germany, and Pvt. Woodson Womack, stationed at Sheppard Field, Texas; two grandchildren and 11 great-grand-(Turn To Page 6, Column 4) 0 Evans Funeral Rites Held This Aftenoon Funeral services were held at Portland this afternoon for Mrs. Lillian Farlow Evans, 33, who died Saturday evening from cancer. The husband and five children survive. She was formerly a resident of Berne. o— ——— Slander Suit Counter Charges Are Filed Marion Schindler, defendant in a slander suit filed in circuit court a few days ago on affidavit by Mrs. Reba Bailey after a neighborhood quarrel, has retaliated by filing counter charges in the court of Justice E. J. Stengel of Berne. The evidence was heard and the cause taken under advisement.

Tons Os Explosives Pile On Jap Homeland Already Rocking Under Air Blows

Heavy Damage To Jap Ships Is Disclosed Third Fleet Aerial Raids Destroy 140, Damage 234 Others Guam, July 17. —(UP) —Further information on air attack by forces of Adm. William F. Halsey’s third fleet on July 14-15 against targets in northern Honshu and Hokkaido show that “heavy damage” was inflicted on enemy shipping and industrial installations, Adm. Chester W. Nimitz announced today. ■ The communique said that Halsey’s carrier aircraft operated throughout the two-day period despite weather conditions which were described as "extremely adverse." ~o enemy airborne opposition was encountered, the communique added. The communique said 140 ships and small craft totalling about 71.-' 000 tons were sunk. These included one old destroyer, two destroyer escorts, two patrol craft, four picket craft and six train ferries. Also listed in the toll were a large cargo ship, a medium oiler, 12 medium cargo vessels, 12 small cargo ships, three tugs, 59 luggers and 37 other craft. About 234 ships and small craft, totalling approximately 88,000 tone, were damaged. These included seven destroyer escorts or gunboats, three patrol craft, three train ferries, one transport and one large cargo vessel. 0 Native Os Decatur Dies In Michigan Relatives here have received word of the death Sunday evening of Roy Johnson, 47, of Fremont, Mich. Death was due to a heart ailment. Mr. Johnson was born in this city, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Will Johnson. He is survived by his wife, one daughter, and a son in the service, two uncles, Charles Johnson of route 1 and Gus Douglas of this city, one aunt, Mrs. Elizabeth Ruckman, also of this city.

Funeral services w’ill be held at the Methodist church in Fremont at 2 o’clock Wednesday afternoon. — o New York Newspaper Slrike Ends Today Solution Is Reached For Settling Strike New York, July 17—(UP)—The 17-day strike of deliverymen of 14 daily newspapers ended today. Louis Waldman, attorney for the Independent newspaper and mail deliverers union, said at 10:15 a.m. that delivery trucks “should be rolling” throughout the city within an hour. Waldman issued a statement from his office announcing that the strike had been settled. His statement followed a closed meeting of a number of the 1,700 strikers at Webster Hall at 9 a.in. Waldman announced that a “satisfactory solution” for settling the strike was reached on the basis of an exchange of telegrams between union officials and the daily newspaper commission panel of the national war labor board. On the basis of the telegrams (Turn To Page 4, Column 4).

Senator Explains Reconversion Bill Maximum Payments Os $25 Benefits Washington, July 17 —(UP) — Sen. Harley M. Kilgore, D., W. Va., today explained the proposed reconversion unemployment bill for maximum payments of s■2s benefits for 26 weeks. “AU the bill attempts to do is to enable each state to bring its unemployment insurance benefits up to the standard outlined by President Truman,” Kilgore said. “If any state does not voluntarily agree to supplement its state benefits in this way, the director of war mobilization and reconversion is authorized to make such supplementary payments.” In addition, the bill would amend the GI bill of rights to entitle unemployed veterans to 52 weeks of benefits at $25 a week for a single person and S3O a week for a person with dependents. The proposal also would finance maximum benefits to federal workers, maritime workers, agricultural processing workers and employes of small firms who are not now covered by state law. Amendment of the federal unemployment tax act was proposed to extend its provisions to employers of one or more persons, effective next Jan. 1. Payment of (Turn To Page 2 Column 3)

Chinese Storming Kweilin Suburbs Cut Off Japanese Retreat To Hunan Chungking, July 17 — (UP) —A Chinese communique said today that China’s troops stormed the suburbs of Kweilin, former site of the great American airbase lost to the Japanese last November, and advancing columns have pushed 20 miles to the north cutting off the enemy's retreat toward Hunan province. The communique also announced that. Tinpak, on the Kwangtung coast 150 miles west of Hongkong, had been retaken. The Chinese forces have recaptured Tungching, in the southwestern most corner of Kwangtung province approximately 290 miles southwest of Kweilin, and crossed the border into French Indo-China to occupy Moncay. On July 15 two enemy held points 20 miles north of Kweilin were recaptured. Chinese troops pushing up the Hunan-Kwaingsi (Turn To Page 6, Column 4) o New Teacher Is Hired At Berne* High School Robert Greenway, of Jasonville, has been employed as history and social study teacher in the Berne high school, superintendent E. M. Webb has announced. He will take the place of Howard Burnett, who resigned to accept a place at Anderson. o ★ ★★★★★★★ Honorable Discharge ★ ★*★★★★★ T/Sgt. Vern Huffman, route 2, Geneva, discharged from the separation center at Camp Atterbury. He was released from the army under the adjustment service rating plan, having 85 or more points.

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United States Third Fleet Standing Less Than 10 Miles From Shore Near Tokyo Guam, Wednesday, July 18.— (P) —The Pacific fleet steamed almost to the gates of Tokyo today, to unlimber its dreadnaughta’ huge batteries against Japanese shore targets and pile tons of high explosives on the Japanese homeland already rocking from the continuous air strikes of 1,500 American and British carrier-borne planes. (A. mutual network broadcast from an American battleship reported that the correspondent was speaking from a dreadnaught at that moment engaged in battering part of the Japanese homeland only 25 miles from Tokyo). Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz reported that the naval bombardment opened up on the factory city of Hitachi and its industrial suburbs 75 miles north of Tokyo. The attack started before midnight last night and was still in progress today. (The mutual correspondent said that the fleet was standing less than 10 miles off shore, battering targets over a 25-mile area north and northeast of Tokyo.) Admii-al William F. Halsey's third fleet was carrying out the attack, led by the battleship lowa, and other dreadnaughts. It was the third inshore attack on the Japanese homeland within four days by Halsey’s rampaging battlewagons. Already, assessment of intelligence reports revealed, the continuous operations up and down the coast of Japan had sent 140 Jap ships and small craft to the bottom and damaged another 234 for a total of 374. (T h e mutual correspondent. Jack Mahon reported: “We could, not reach Tokyo tonight. It is too far inland. But the citizens of the Jap capital can hear our guns and smell the fires that are burning all along the enemy coast. The Japs are dying on the burning coast even as I speak.” He said that close to 500,000 Japanese lived in the area under attack by the fleet's big guns.) Swarms of royal navy and U. S. flattop planes smashed at a dimiriTShing number of targets in the Tokyo district. Bombardment of Hitachi opened at 11 p.ra. (Japan time.) moving at high speed, the surface naval force moved almost to the gates of the Japanese capital before it leveled the big guns of its battleships, cruisers and destroyers against the (Turn To Page 2 Column 3) 0 Crack Streamliner Derailed In lowa Ties Are Loosened After Cloudburst Chicago. July 17—The crack Union Pacific Streamliner, the eastbound City of Los Angeles, was derailed early today near Dunlap, la., after a cloudburst loosened railroad ties, northwestern railroad officials said. No passengers or crew members were injured when 13 of the train’s 17 cars jumped the rails, officials said. •Only the diner, unoccupied when the accident occurred at 5 A. M., CWT. turned over. The remaining cars remained upright on the roadbed. The engine and first three cars passed over the loosened rails without mishap. Passengers on the streamliner were picked up by another train and will arrive here tonight. The City of Los Angeles, on a regular (Turn To Page 2 Column 3) X