Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 43, Number 170, Decatur, Adams County, 20 July 1945 — Page 1

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I. No. 170.

HOUSHU WAR CENTERS GUTTED BY B-29’S

Ujfn Asserts M|ca 's Only Ml Peace SpeMing At Berlin, Trujan Renounces Claims H -MMR’ 11 '’ 1 11,1 ■ I>r ' ,s - speaking llois,illg 01 over lo- * ° niy aiin was pence and prosperity, territorial ambitions, 81 flanked by the who . MRn ,lIP l ' ( 'f , ‘ at of dor Dwight D. Eisenhow- ££ of war Henry L. ■ Omar N. 0 S ' Pa,,on ' _ y.- sei fKI Berlin for the big ■ weaiiß®Erence was revealed for ■tre firsKme. raised at 2 p. m. over vHHKp ‘ ontrol head,|]|B||gß|Efri a former air defense t mrkKn the Dahlem suburb tnßSone lifted over Algiers snd RoK. It fluttered over the ...nits' Hen a state of war with Italy and Japan spoke for five minutes iirc Memony wedged into the big three conferences, gfcer • wSffh the obscuring veil of wcrecjHil'- hung. M Admktl Emory Land. American eHping administrator, and SBS tMAWwere revealed to have srrtvedH join the big three conThey reached the Married Potsdam com>J*HEtl Bflerday. a historic occasion,” TiumJßfcaid at the flag raising eeremoH "We have conclusivethat a free people can kwessfilly look after the affairs M^K rkL ' . Troopß of the second armored |( MKk occupation forces zone of Berlin, were JffF? H in smart formation for band gave Mr. ruffles to e n ■M MIe Star Spangled Banner flag was going up #0 barracks. x '■■"'W proud, Mr. Truman at attention as Old U X&Fy.Munted over what he call- " of our great ad- - SCißd that in raising the flag Si be remembered that this in tlle name of the peo--4*s® '|9Be United States who were to a better world .. benefits shared by all. qMHa few at the top. LaHSMßsclaimed any American in the territories of the reaffirmed that his had no other goal than of peace and prosMl the peoples. ! voice tensed ■potion and determination **w W: not interested in condo not want a single territor y from this war. i Sw want peace and prosper;*SsSy > s what we are fighting IKyuW ,lla t is what we propose. not forget we are fight- ’ the peace and welfare of J® ,,linß ’ l' e s,e Pl )of i hack to tile Sn,| alongside his generals a^ i B lllar staff ai(les and watchtMflag rise over the barracks '“ i?? Hr<'upied I)y the master ••muOif reichsmarshal Hermann la ’ r f° rce - and Bradley lunch- > Mr> Truman before the H 6 >ng. Last night the presi’^B/ 6 a state dinner in the House, at which he p * ano tor Prime Min--1 e» Premier Stalin T° Page 5, Column 8) & W CRAT THERMOMETER Wperature reading ,®H am 70 ,£ W a.m 76 N M 83 *■ p-m 91 B WEATHER „ jr r and wa rm tonight and

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Osaka Reported One-Fourth Destroyed By B-29’s •" mb ■ UK' • -diw ; IB feff&MM r . ~ gsF .. MF ; m" oPtsl £|b .MT %|M Es. - B Wt - *» ■ sWyMKfegm - iJBMEiildSMtf -w- ». i . ■ - -* jjhi* ... FIRES SPREAD through docks and warehouses of Osaka, Japan, during a daylight incendiary raid by B-29’s. Bombs released over the harbor at 20,000 feet have drifted in on the target area. Latest figures report that Osaka is 2G percent destroyed. U. S. Army air forces photo.

Three Churches To Observe Centennial Joint Celebration Is Planned Sunday Sunday afternoon, three Lutheran congregations of Adams and Allen counties will begin celebrating the JOOth anniversary of their organization. They are the Emmanuel Lutheran church, Soest, Wayne Trace; St. John’s Lutheran church, Bingen, on the Ft. Wayne-Decatur road: and St. Peter’s Lutheran church, Root township. AU three congregations were organized in 1845 by the same man, the Rev. F. W. Husmann. Hence the joint celebration. The service will be held in the picnic grove of St. John’s at 2:30 p.m. The festival speaker will be Dr. J. W. Behnken, president of the Lutheran Missouri synod, with which the congregations are affiliated. In fact, two of the three congregations, St. John’s and St. Peter's, were charter members of the synod, which was organized in Chicago in 1847. Special music will be provided by a mass centennial choir and several trumpeters. The pioneer Lutheran missionary for this entire area was the Rev. F. C. D. Wyneken, who served the scattered gioups of Lutheran settlers in the early forties of the past century under extremely primitive conditions and tremendous hardships. When the work became too large for Rev. Wyneken, part of the field was turned over to the Rev. F. W. Huemann, who made his. home within the Emmanuel congregation and served St. John’s and St. Peter’s from there. Emmafruel church, at first called St. Paul’s of Marion township, Allen county, was officially (Turn To Pas* 2. Column 4) o— — Lt. Staub Memorial Service On Tuesday Plan Service For World War Victim Memorial services for Second Lt. Fred Staub, who the army reported as killed in Germany, will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic church at 9 o’clock Tuesday morning. The Very Rev. Msgr. Joseph J. Seimetz, pastor, will be the celebrant of a solemn requiem high mass, the parents of the army bombardier, Mr. and Mrs. Sylvester A. Staub, announced. Lt. Staub was on a mission over Lutzendorf, Germany, on July 7, 1944, and since no word or information has bee;: received from him, the army notified the parents that he was presumed to be dead. Lt. Staub, a graduate of Decatur Catholic high school, entered the army in October, 1941 He vfas a bombardier on a 6-24 Liberator pllfie.

Four Men Killed In Ordnance Plant Blast Baraboo, Wis., July 20 —(UP) — Damage was estimated at approximately $40,000 today from an explosion which last night blasted the neutralizing house at the Badger ordnance works, killing four employes. The dead were Erwin Pugh, Baraboo; Mark E. Scherer, Badger Village; Ellsworth Goff, Ableman, and William M. Denny, Green Bay. They were the only occupants in ' the building when the explosion occurred at 7:33 p. m. o Halifax Evacuees Returning To Homes One Person Killed, Four Others Missing Halifax. July 20.—(UP)—Evacuees returned to their explosionrocked homes today as naval firefighters battled flames at the Burnside naval arsenal in the wake of a series of explosions which killed one person and injured at least 17 others. Police said four civilians were reported missing. Military authorities said fires still burning at the 600-acre arsenal seven miles from here were under control and the possibility of further blasts was “small and remote.’’ Explosions rocaed the city for 18 hours Wednesday night and yesterday as tons of explosives were blasted into the sky. The main dump, containing hundreds of thoueands of tons of T.N.T. and other ammunition, was spared. The fire started aboard a barge tied up at the arsenal pier. Naval spokesmen said the one dead was a naval sentry on duty when the first, powder blew up at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday. His name was withheld pending notification of the next of kin. Five of the injured were listed as soldiers. They were treated for burns and shock aboard the hospital ship Letitia. More than a dozen civilians were injured, most of them by flying glass. o ******** Honorable Discharge ******** The following veterans have been released from the army through the Camp Atterbury Separation Center, on the point system: Tech. Sgt. Max O. Bahner of Monroe. Sgt. Arthur Meyer of Monroeville. T/3 Vernon W. Affolder, 744 Mercer Avenue, Decatur. S/Sgt. Fred W. Conrad, 1128 Elm street, Decatur. Capt. Corwin L. Newcomer, army air corps, of Geneva, placed on inactive list.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Friday, July 20, 1945.

28340 U. S. Troops Arrive In New York Greatest Number To Return In One Day New York, July 20—(UP)—Exactly 28,340 U. S. troops—the greatest number ever ito come home from European battlefield in a single day — Began pouring into New York harbor today. Among the arrivals was the Monticello with 7,037 .soldiers, including the 23rd and 38 regiments of the second (Indian Head) division. The second was organized at Bourmont, France, for world war 1 and was in at the finish in the tide-turn-ing battle of Meuse-Aregonne. In this war, the second went into battle on D. plus seven, .going ashore on Omaha Beach. The division was pulled into the Britanny Peninsula for the siege of Brest. Later in the campaign soldiers of the Indian Head outfit, joined the encirclement of the Ruhr. They were in Pilsen, Czechsolvakia when victory came. Division commander is Maj. Gen. Walter ■’M. Robertwon, a native of Nelson county, Virginia. The (transport Le Jeune was docking with 4,621 troope, including the 11th infantry regiment of the fifth division. The fifth, or “Red Diamond" knifed 760 miles across France and spearheaded the aseault on 'the Key city of Metz. The Germans called the fifth’s fighting men “Red Devils.’’ The Brete Harte, with 3|3 reassignment troops, and the NishamaHa, with 12 liberated air forces prisoners of war, complete the homecoming fleet today. On the Le Jeune are these units of the fifth infantry division: The 11th infantry regiment; i>th (Turn To Page 5, Column 7)

Relates How Tiny Paratrooper Blasted 12 Japanese Pillboxes

Luzon, July 20 —(UP) —The talk around the fire halted for a minute, and some doughboy said, “tell us about it again, Max. How did he do it?” Sgt. Max Polick, rugged squad leader from Medina, N. Y., rubbed his chin with a weary hand and started talking about Pfc. Manuel Perez, tiny paratrooper of the 11th airborne infantry division, who knocked out 12 pillboxes and killed at least 75 Japs tp win the 'congressional medal of honor. The story was on everyone's lips because yesterday, in a review at Lipa airstrip, Gen. Walter Krueger made the award posthumously. Perez was killed a month after winning the nation’s highest honor while covering his platoon's withdrawal from the edge of Santa Tomas in southern Luzon. Polick, talking about*the fight last Feb. 12, said, “our company was attacking the line of Jap em-

Bretton Woods Is Passed By Congress Designed To Cure World Economic Ills Washington, July 20. —(UP) — The houae today completed legislative action on a bill authorizing United States participation in the international bank and stabilization fund contemplated under the Bretton Woods fiscal agreements. Only Mr. Truman's signature on the bill remains to make this country the first nation ready to join the proposed $8,800,000,000 (B) monetary stabilization fund and the $9,100,000,000 (B) international bank of reconstruction. The U. S. would put a maximum of nearly $6,000,000,000 (B) into the two funds. The Senate passed the bill late yesterday by a vote of 61 to 16. As soon as the bill was received by the House today, Chairman Brent Spence, D., Ky, of the banking committee, asked the House to accept three minor Senate amendments. The House agreed without a dissenting vote. The Senate meanwhile began debate on another phase of the administration’s international economic program—-a bill to give the export-import bank an additional $2,800,000,000 for its lending operations. That bill already has been approved by the House and the Senate is expected to pass it without change. The two measures, involving $8,800,000,000, are keystones in the administration’s program for international economic cooperation. Bretton Woods, in effect, is a global plan designed to aid in the reconstruction of war-torn Europe, development of backward countries, and elimination of “economic gangsterism" from the international trade of the peacetime future. The world bank will make and (Turn To Page 8. Column 6)

State Supreme Court Upholds Liquor Code Joins Federal Panel In Upholding Code Indianapolis, July 29 —'(UP)— The United 'States supreme court remained as the only recourse left today to 14 Hoosier Democratic beer wholesalers who are fighting to retain their licenses. In a 3-and 2 decision, the Indiana supreme court joined a federal three-judge panel in upholding the Republican state administration in enforcing the 1945 state liquor code. The state’s highest court permanently enjoined the Carroll and Montgomery county circuit courts from hearing suits brought by two Democratic beer dealers against the state alcoholic beverage commission. Constitutionality of the liquor code, one of whose sections revoked all beer wholesalers’ licenses May 1, was upheld by the threejudge court at Hammond. A dozen northern Indiana dealers had at(Turn To Pare 2. Column 4)

placements which defended the high ground ahead of us. in depth. • “I wall leading the squad on the right flank and Perez was on my left and a little ahead. The Nip pillboxes were thickly covered by heavy sodding and logs. Smaller positions contained one to four riflemen, who covered the larger bunkers containing the automatic weapons.” ’ Polick paused, and some other soldier said, “Hell, those Japs are good with their automatics.” Polick said, “The Japs were throwing direct fire from 20 millimeter machine guns and there wasn't, a helluva lot of cover. “Immediately behind the main line of fortifications was a big concrete bunker which housed twin 50 caliber machine guns. Perez ran out, ducking this way and that, with an armful of grenades. “We covered him with fire as • (Turn To Pag» I, Column 4)

Halsey Fleet Reported Prowling Japan r s Coast For New Sea-Air Strikes

Japan's Grip On Borneo Oil Supply Weakens Australian Troops Pressing Forward For Rich Oil Belt Manila, July 20.--(UP)— Australian troops pressed toward the rich oil belt around Samarinda and the mouth of the Mahakam river, in eastern Borneo, today after capturing Sambodja, 28 miles northeast of Balikpapan. Both Australian and Dutch East Indies troops smashed two stubborn Japanese counterattacks in the area north of Balikpapan, and Japan’s grip on Borneo’s rich oil supply appeared vastly weakened. Before the war Sambodja and the Mahakam river delta, to the north, produced 7,000,090 barrels of oil each year from 400 wells. Sambodja has a email refinery as well as a pipeline leading to the Mahakam delta. The Dutch began destroying wells in the two areas three days prior to the Japanese invasion in 1942, but it is believed that all but a few have been put back into operation. Australian troops in the Balikpapan area found an enemy 200 millimeter homemade mortar with a 1,000 pound bomb. The mortar was built from oil pipes, but there was no hint of how. the Japs had planned to fire it. (Melbourne radio, recorded by the United Press in San Francisco, said Australian forces on the western side of Balikpapan harbor had enlarged their holdings by capturing Safari village, over five miles west of Penadjim. (North of Balikpapan, the broadcast said, fierce fighting continued beyond Mount Batochampar where the Japanese were reported strongly entrenched.) Gen. George C. Kenney’s fifth and seventh airforces in a doublebarrelled attack Tuesday hit Kyushu and Shanghai. It was the heaviest blow of the war for Shanghai, with nearly 300 tons dropped on Kiangwan airdrome. Seventh fleet patrol bombers (Turn To Page 4, Column 8)

Fuel Conservation Is Urged By Ickes Worst Shortage Os War Is Threatened Washington, July 20. —(UP)— Fuel administrator Harold L. Ickes warned today that the “worst fuel shortage of lhe war” is threatened for the com jig winter. He said he has requested fuel conservation directors of 25 states to launch local drives at once to place homes and other buildings in condition to be kept warm on shorter fuel quotas. The jobs must be done now, he said —“next fall will be too late to start.” “Millions of Americans in the eastern half of the nation will have to keep warm on 80 per cent of the coal or coke normally burned, while fuel-oil users cannot expect more than three gallons for every four normally consumed,” Ickee said. The “prepare for winter dr(yes” have been urged in Illinois and Indiana. ’ "The only way the public can keep warm next winter without impairment of industrial activity and impeding the war against Japan for lack of fuel is for each consumer to prepare now to conserve his precious fuel supply most rigidly,” Ickee said.

Robert Houser To Leave G.E. Plant Resigns To Accept Post In California Robert J. Houser, assistant superintendent of the General Electric company, in charge of plant one, for the past four and one-half years, has resigned his position and will move to Los Angeles, Calif., with his family, to accept the post of superintendent of the motor division of a west coast manufacturing company. Mr. Houser, a sufferer of a sinus ailment, seeks a change iu climate in making his change. Born on a farm near Auburn, DeKalk county, Mr Houser was graduated from the Garrett high school. He entered the employ of the General Electric company nearly 16 years ago and is a graduate of the G. E. apprentice school. With the enlargement of the plant in this city, Mr. Houser came to Decatur in January, 1941, and has been actively engaged with the progress and production of war materials since that time. He is a member of the Masonic lodge and recently was named a member of the information panel of the local war price and ration board. He is a director of the city bowling association and ie a vicepresident of the G. E. apprentice alumni association. He has served as a member of the local G. E. (Turn To Page 6, Column 6) 0 Possible Easing Os Shoe Rationing Seen More Leather Shoes For Civilian Users Washington, July 20 —(UP) — A more plentiful supply of leather shoes, and a possible easing of shoe rationing, were in prospect today for American civilians. The war production board and the office of price administration last night that 19,500,000 more pairs of leather shoes would be made •for civilians in the fourth quarter of this year than in the current quarter An OPA official said the civilian shoe situation “looks a lot better" and that rationing would be eased “when the supply warrants.” He declined, however, to be more specific. The fourth quarter production quota means an increase at the rate of 3,500,000 shoes a month. Shoe industry officials predicted last week that if 3,900,000 more could be made each month, still another stamp could be validated this year. OPA declined to comment on that estimate. Military cutbacks, of which more are expected, are responsible for the improvement in the civilian shoe supply. Cancel Projects Washington. July 20 —(UP) — The war production board's rubber bureau today cancelled 12 plant expansion projects in its program for large truck tires and*announced partial cutback or complete elimination of 25 additional expansions in the program for smaller truck tires. » Five projects for tires to which (Turn To 6, Column 7) Rich Funeral Rites Changed To Sunday Funeral services for Mrs. Mary Rich, who died Thursday, have been changed to Sunday, instead of Saturday, ae previously announced. Services will be held at 1:39 p.m. Sunday at the Jacob Yoder residence and at 2 o'clock at the Defenseless Mennonite' church, west of Berne, with the Rev. Oscar Eicher of the Berne Missionary church officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

i T Buy War Savings Bonds And Stamps

Price Four Cents.

Huge Fires Raging In Jap War Centers Gutted In Night By Record B-29 Force Guam, July 29—(UP)—Admiral Wililam F. Halsey's marauding fleet was reported prowling the Japanese coast for a new air-sea strike today while huge fires still raged through five Honshu war centers gutted during the night by a record force of B-29 superfortresses. Shaken by 11 days and nights of intermittent naval attacks during which Halsey’s Anglo-American raiders sent 7,599 tons of bombs and shells crashing into a # 690mile strip of Japan's Pacific coast, Tokyo warned that the assault might be resumed at any moment. The Japanese said Halsey's 159 battlewagons, carriers, cruisers and supporting warships were still maneuvering off western Honshu after thrusting into the mouth of Tokyo bay early Thursday morning in an effort to lure the battered imperial fleet into battle. Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz gave no additional details on the bombardment of Nojiina cape, western arm of Tokyo bay, or the prelimina’-y air strike on the Yokosuka naval base Wednesday. That indicated Halsey had imposed radio silence on his armada, possibly covering a new blow at the enemy coast. More than 600 Marianas-based superfortresses, the biggest 829 fleet ever sent aloft, sowed a 310mile trail of fire and ruin across central Honshu before dawn this morning to carry the pre-invasion bombardment into its 45th consecutive day. Thundering in to the attack around midnight, the giant sky raiders splattered almost 4,099 tons of jellied-gasoline fire bombs on the teeming industrial cities of Hitachi, Okazaki, Choshi and Fukui, and the Nippon oil refinery at Amagasaki in the suburbs of Osaka. Tokyo broadcasts said Itaga, west of Nagoya, and Takahagi, 13 miles southeast of Hitachi, aledged that big fires burned in all so were hit, and they acknowlthe target cities hours after the last, raiders disappeared. The superfortresses, less than one-half of one percent of the striking’ force, were lost in the attack. One was shot down in flames and the other was abandoned later, with five of its crew rescued possibly by Halsey's warships. The 4,000 tons of fire bombs dropped during the night raised to 13,300 tons the weight of ex(Turn To Page 6. Column 5) o Chinese Pound Japs In Southeast China Japanese Defenses Reported Weakening Chungking, July 20. — (UP) — Chinese forces pounded a weakening Japanese defense throughout southeast China today. Troops driving on the former great American airbase at Kweilin, have recaptured Laipo, 55 miles to the south, and are now moving against Yangso, a Chinese communique said. While Chinese units pushed for Yangso, in Wwangei province approximately 30 miles south of Kweilin, other troops in the Kan river valley of south central Kiangsi province battled fiercely with a large Japanese force. Most of the fighting took place at points west of Taiho, 150 miles southeast of Changsha, as the Japanese attempted to keep from being driven north. Yi-Yang, on the southern shore of the Tung Ting lake in Hunana province 50 miles northwest of Changsha, has also been recaptured. The communique said that Yung(Turn To Page 4, Column 7)