Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 43, Number 180, Decatur, Adams County, 1 August 1945 — Page 1

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XLIII. No. 180.

THIRD FLEET UNDER SECURITY BLACKOUT

pan Places Miners In rget Areas lespcrate Attempt io Halt Destruction if Cities Disclosed Lliinqton. Aug. 1 —|(UP) L’nited States, however reLiy. must continue the meal bombing of Japan despite Lmy’s diabolical practice of L American prisoners into Lie target areas, observers Inlay. I Japanese scheme, a desperLtempt to stop the destrucL their cities and industries, Bisclosed last night by the [department. It brought from |ry men bitter denunciation Iromise of revenge but none Jted belief that the bombing Lie for Japan should be Id. Itary men put it this way: lean airmen will continue to jefed carefully on the known Ln of all prison camps and Ho their utmost to avoid | But, necessary risks must Ikon rather than let a key lese arsenal go unscathed. L of the camps moved into Igic areas already have been ■ni casualties among AmeriIrisoners are certain to be I But, it was explained, the in American lives would be {higher if thg Japanese war ■ were permitted to continue Ig out weapons to resist the Lining invasion. I practice of placing prisonI a target area is a violation lenialional law. Although it lected to prove of no military | to the Japanese, observers {doubt that will stop the it from using it. Instead, tear that Japanese militarists Intensify it to. provide propa- | for sagging home front I state deartment said the fctent, methodical and delibI practice had been going on bince last year when full- | bombardment of the enemy [and began. U. S. protests {brought no results. | department noted that a | Tokyo broadcast said a I prison camp was hit by lean bombs only last Thursleial sources believed that Bpartment was attempting to I the public for the worst. I U. S. trqops move into Ja|he prosects of what they End are not pleasant. It is Expected that a lot of AmeriIwill have been killed or led by their own bombers. I"'as indicated that the detent has abandoned hope |be enemy will desist. The |U. S. protest was made in b'dier; 1914. With subsequent I s that more and more I were being moved near fry protests bef rn To Page 6. Column 3) — O : IV Major Commits side In Hospital Bago, Aug. 1— (UP) —Maj. |W. Doan, 31, Converse, lnd„ found hanged in his private lat Vaughn General hospital resterday, Army Public Relalofficer reported. F' s body was suspended by r'tric light cord from an overiPii o. Wounded in Germany, I bad been a patient at 'the |al since June 14. He had rer last Wednesday after a 30F ave at hie home. I overseas veteran, his fathI'id, told investigators, had pd mental fatigue. IJOCRAT THERMOMETER FMPERATURE reading r a r n. 70 | a m - 74 I P- rn 85 WEATHER cloudy tonight and Brsday, with scattered thun|hower 8 tonight and in ®nd east portions Thursr Cooler northwest and exf e north portions Thurs-

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Acute Labor Shortage Areas On Decrease Washington, Aug. I—(UP)—The number of acute labor shortage areas dropped from 53 to 4G during July, the War Manpower Commission reported today. Continuing declines in munitions production contributed to the improvement in the manpower supply. Former areas of shortage (group) w.liich dropped to the “approaching balance” or group 11 classification included Logansport, Ind., Muncie, Ind., and Peoria, 111.

Pierre Laval Is Taken Into French Custody Former Vichy Head Returned To France To Answer Charges BULLETIN Paris, Aug. I.—(UP) —Pierre Laval arrived at Le Bourget field tonight at 7:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m. CWT) from Strasbourg in the custody of French officials. « Paris, Aug. 1. — (UP) —The French press agency said today that French occupation officers have taken over custody of Pierre Laval at Innsbruck, Austria, and are questioning him. He will be returned to France this afternoon, the agency said. The former Vichy premier and his wife were turned over to the French by American troops who arrested them when they landed at Linz in a Gorman plane yesterday after being expelled from Spain. The French agency said French troops would escort the couple to the French frontier and turn them over to civil authorities. Laval is wanted for trial as France’s No. 2 arch-traitor of the war. There was no immediate word as to when and how the former Vichy premier would be brought to Paris. French authorities were, taking the most elaborate precautions to keep Laval’s movements a close secret until he has been lodged safely in jail. However, it was likely that ho will be flown to France to avoid publicity cn route. Some Paris newspapers suggested that he might be put in the Montrouge prison cell occupied by Marshal Henri Philippe Petain before he was taken to Paris for his present treason trial.

The prosecution and defense counsel in Petain's trial said neither wanted to call Laval to testify, but the final decision rested with the government. The summoning of Laval as a witness would mean a delay of at least a week while his preliminary examination was being carried out. Petain’s defense opened yestcr(Turn To Page 6, Column 5) — 0 License Is Received By New Distributor McCullough, Klepper Partners In Company Delivery of beer was being made in limited quantities today by the new distributor, the Adams Distributing company, following receipt of the state alcoholic beverage commission license and federal permits to operate the wholesale concern. Ben McCollough, manager of the business, which will continue to operate from the Mutschler Packing company plant on South Fornax street, returned last evening from Indianapolis with the state license. The license was issued in the firm’s name, which will operate for the present as a partnership. The partners are Mr. McCollough and W. A. Klepper of this city, it was stated. The Fred Mutschler Distributing company conducted the business during the last three Democratic state administrations, the switch being made with the advent of the Republican state administration headed by Governor Ralph Gates.

“Shooting Star” Is Army’s New Jet Fighter A ..... SSNBOKSSSSSP .., ..s’", • h. - - -imn™ * THE ARMY AIR FORCES now is introducing its new jet fighter plane; the P-80 Shooting Star, shown here for the first time in flight. Powered by a new jet propulsion gas turbine engine, the plane can do better than 550 miles per hour. Official United States Army Air Forces photo.

Soften Approaches To Oil Resources Hit Jap Positions Around Samarinda Manila, Aug. 1. —(UP) —Australian field guns softened up approaches to the vital oil resources around Samarinda today, knocking out several Japanese-emplaced positions 11 miles northeast of Balikpapan. Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s communique announced that three Japanese planes attempted unsuccessfully to bomb the BaTikpapaii area on July 2G-27. Observers now were convinced that the Japanese already have written off their holdings northeast of Balikpapan, in eastern Borneo, and that the present rearguard actions were designed merely to give main enemy columns a better chance to withdraw. (The Japanese Domei agency claimed today that Japanese garrison barges in Balikpapan’s general araa had “succeeded in pinning down” Allied troops through "vigorous counterattacks.” (The broadcast said “the enemy has suffered approximately 3,000 men either killed or wounded.” (Radio Tokyo also said that Japanese planes on Monday haxl attacked the Brunei bay area on Borneo’s northw.est coast.) Far Eastern airforce headquar(Turn To Page 2, Column 6) o Disastrous Fire Raging At Salem Heart Os Business District In Flames Salem, Ind., Aug. I—(UP)—A $150,000 fire raged out of control in the heart of Salem’s business district today, as five fire departments sought to halt the blaze. The fire was believed to have started at about 2 o’clock this morning, but was not discovered until 4:30 a. m. The blaze began in the basement of the Salem dry Goods company and soon spread throughout the three-story building and to neighboring buildings. McClintocks drug store, north of the dry goods building, was in flames and believed to be a total loss. The Fair Store, on the ’south, was also burning, but firemen believed they could save the building. The area bn fire covered half a city block. The city hall and fire department, immediately north of the building where the blaze began, had been evacuated and was expected to catch fire any minute. No injuries had been reported. Because of the early hour, there were few people in the dry goods building. Fourteen persons registered at Mead’s hotel on the second floor escaped from the smoke filled building without injury. (Turn To Page 3, Column 7)

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, August 1,1945

10th Air Force Is Shifted To China Chungking. Aug. 11 —(UP) —Lt. Gen. Albert C. Wedemeyer’s headquarters announced today that the 10th United States airforce is being shifted to China from the India-Burma theater ajtd will be commanded by Lt. Gen. George E. Stratemeyer. Stratemeyer’s air command now includes the 10th and 14th airforces, a Chinese-American composite wing, and an air service command for both airforces. o Additional Butter For Civilian Use August Supplies Up 10 Million Pounds Washington. Aug. 1 — (UP) — Civilians will get 10,000,000 pounds more butter during August as the result of a new cut in government purchases it was disclosed today, hut there will be no further reduction in butter’s red point value. Secretary of agriculture Clinton P. Anderson said manufacturers will be required to set aside for government purchase only 20 percent of their butter production instead of the originally scheduled 30 percent. This was possible, he said, because July production was higher than expected, and it now appears that August output also will be above early estimates. Moreover, military requirements will take less U. S. butter because the army has arranged to buy some butter from Denmark for feeding occupation troops in Europe. Under the new set-aside quota about 100,000,000 pounds of butter (Turn To Page 4, Column 8) 0 Senate Scheduled For Recess Today Heavy Agenda On Tap At October Session Washington, Aug. 1. —(UP) — Senate Democratic leader Alben W. Barkley planned to send the Senate home for summer recess today with a warning that it faces a heavy agenda of reconversion and postwar legislation when it comes back in October. The house already has recessed until Oct. 8. The senate was ready, to put aside its work until the same time after a more or less routine session today. Barkley’s fall program is expected to stress the so-called “human side” of reconversion. It will include proposals for emergency unemployment compensation, broadening the social security program and raising of minimum wage standards. In preparing It, Barkley drew (Turn TO Page 2, Column 1)

Army Aid Sought To Boost Coal Output Release Os Miners Sought From Army Washington, Aug. I.— (UP)— War mohilizer John W. Snyder was expected today to take a hand In requests for the release of 30,000 miners from the army to avert a threatened coal shortage. Fuel administrator Harold L. Ickes told the senate war investigating committee yesterday that unless the extra help is made available, coal shortages would force industry on a four day week next winter. The committee decided “to wait a few days” in its coal inquiry to see if Snyder and the army could work out some plan for the release of the miners for work by Oct. 1. Ickes and his deputy administrator, C. J. Potter said that by “release” they did not mean “discharge” of soldier-miners because that might lead the men to seek “better jobs” before returning to the coal pits. They said they would rather have the miners >n the services ‘furloughed” for the specific purpose of mining coal. Not counting the proposed shipment of 6,000,000 tons of coal to Europe, Ickes said, the country is faced with a domestic shortage of 37,000,000 tons next winter.

Acute Shortage Harrisburg, Aug. 1. — (UP)— State mines secretary Richard Maize today said that the release of coal miners by the army was needed to rblieve an acute fuel shortage threatening Pennsylvania this winter. “We" are short about 14,000 to 15,000 men in both the anthracite and bituminous fields,” Maize said. “This, coupled with suspensions during wage negotiations and severe snow storms the early part of the year, has cut coal production in the state between 10 and 11 per cent. '“The only way to combat an acute coal shortage,” Maize pointed out, “is by the release of men from the army, by halting additional induction of miners and by the return of miners from other industries.” Maize said that even these steps would fail to bring Pennsylvania’s coal production up to last year’s output, 0 Tire Certificates R-2 Are Removed Indianapolis, Aug. 1 — |UP) — All form R-2 tire certificates were being removed from the rationing system today, it was announced by Joe R. Rimstidt, in charge of tire rationing in the Indiana OPA district. The step was taken because the certificates were easily duplicated and counterfeited, Rimstidt said, consumers had through Aug. 15. 1945, in wnicn to use their R-2 certificates, the announcement said. After that time, all certificates must be form R-2A, identified by a blue stripe down the center and printed on safety paer.

Land-Based Planes, Sub Take Over Bombardment; Japan Concedes Damage

Leahy's Letter To Petain Presented Letter Presented At Treason Trial Paris, Aug. I—(UP)—Admiral William D. Leahy, former U. S. ambassador to Vichy, was quoted today as having said in a letter to Marshal Henri Philippe Petain last June 22 that he was “convinced your principal aim was to protect the French people.” The letter presented at the treason trial of Petain quoted Leahy, now President Truman’s chief of staff, as reminding the old marshal that “your refusal to do anything against the Axis eventually harmed France.” Petain’s defense chief, Fernand Payen, caused a sensation on the ninth day of the trial by announcing that Petain had just received the letter from Leahy. It was dated June 22. and answered one from Petain on June 110. Payen read the letter while Gen. Maxime Keygand was waiting to polish off his main testimony of yesterday. When he finished, Judge Pierre Mongibeaux observed, “so Leahy says your action eventually harmed France?” Payen protested that “apart from that one single line, there are 10 lines of praise.” “Your June 10 letter was given me today by a mutual friend,” the letter said. “I learned of your sad situation. “It is impossible for me to be implicated in an internal French crisis. My knowledge of your personal attitude toward the Axis is limited to the period of January, 1941, to April, 1942. “I then esteemed your devotion. You often told me of your hope that Germany would be annihilated. Sometimes when you did not follow my advice to stiffen against the Axis, you said it was because you feared reprisals against the French people. .‘I am convinced your principal aim was to protect the French people. However, I must remind you that your refusal to do anything against the Axis eventually harmed France.” Court opened today with an (Turn To Page 6. Column 4)

Ex-War Prisoner Is Lions Club Speaker Cpl. Monroe Perry Tells Experiences Cpl. Monroe Perry, of near Monroeville, gave a vivid description of the lot of an American soldier taken prisoner by tho German army, when he spoke to the Decatur Lions club at the weekly meeting of the service club Tuesday evening. Cpl. Perry, who entered army service more than five years ago, was with the tank corps of the First army in Africa when he was taken prisoner. He was first flown to Italy and later was transferred to Austria, making the trip by box car. This trip took four days and tour nights and the prisoners were without food or water for the entire journey. He was later sent to a camp along the Oder river and then, with the Russian army rapidly approaching, the prisoners were marched steadily for eight days, one 24-hour period without rest, to Staiag 3-A. This camp, Cpl. Perry stated, was a model priscyi camp, and the prisoners, all Americans, received good treatment although the food was meager and insufficient. Red Cross parcel were lifesavers for the prisoners, he said, stating that each person received one Red Cross parcel each week for approximately a year. However, these (Turn To Page 2, Column 8)

Conference Os Big Three May

Close Tonight Final Session To Approve Official Final Communique Potsdam, Aug. I—(UP) — The Big Three met in plenary session today and it was believed the conference would end tonight after a final session to approve the official communique. U. S. army spokesman said flatly that the Big Three are meeting tonight for what was expected to be their last session. Shortly before this announcement it was understood that some reports were circulated that the conference was over. Questioned regarding a report published in the United States that the conference had ended, the army spokesman said: “The conference has not ended.” The conference drew to a close with word that the United States has won a number of important concessions from Britain and Russia. Officiate tacitly agreed that the sessions would be over by tomorrow when President Truman is expected at Plymouth to meet briefly with King George VI. It was understood Mr. Truman will waste no time in leaving Potsdam the moment the conference business is concluded. 'Hte stop at Plymouth will be brief, not more than a few hours, as he is eager to hurry back to tihe United States. The communique, It was understood, may not be issued until 24 hours or more after the conference actually breaks up, possibly sometime Friday. The communique will probably be couched in generalities but Mr. Truman Is planning a detailed and specific report to the American people in a radio addresfl shortly after his return. (A London Daily Express dispatch from Berlin speculated that the Big Three communique to be issued following the conference may announce that Russia considers herself at war with Japan.) The nature of the American victories cannot be made public at this time, but President Truman wa<s reported highly satisfied with (Turn To Pago 6, Column 4)

Storm Causes Some Damage Last Night More Than Inch Os Rain Falls In City A high wind, accompanied by a heavy rain, thunder and lightning, did damage to trees, utility wires and laid low the oats and uncut wheat last night in this city and vicinity. Herman Meyer, local weather observer, reported the rainfall at 1.15 inches. The river is rising and stood at 2.10 feet at 8 o’clock this morning. The heaviest damage was to the oats, which farmers have not yet cut. Most of the wheat has been cut and shocked, so the damage to that grain was not so extensive, farmers stated. The corn stood up under the wind and heavy rain and no damage resulted from the storm, farmers declared. In Decatur, limbs were broken from trees and clogged sewers also caused back-up water in many basements. About 100 rural telephones were out of order today and several electric light poles were blown over, representatives of these utilities stated.

' F Buy War Savings Bonds And Stamps

Price Four Cents.

Nimitz Announces 89 More Japanese ' Planes And Eight Ships Are Damaged BULLETIN Guam, Thursday, Aug. 2 — (UP) — Eight hundred superfortresses —the greatest 8.29 fleet ever to raid Japan — dropped upwards of 6,000 tons of incendiaries and two-ton blockbusters on four Honshu cities and a petroleum center early today. Guam, Aug. I—(UP)—American land-based planes and a submarine took over the pre-invasion bombardment of Japan today as the Third Fleet remained under a security blackout ofT the enemy coast for the secnnijfctstra’ight day. At the same time, Japanese Imperial headquarters conceded that American carrier planes and landbased bombers tad .caused “considerable damage" to Japanese cities, factories and shipping in attacks last month. It claimed that damage to air bases and military installations was slight, however, and said that the Japanese army and navy were steadily strengthening their preparations to meet an “enemy invasion.” Radio Tokyo reported that 20 American P-51 Mustangs bombed, rocketed and nijichine-gunned air bases and transportation facilities in title Osaka-Kobe area southwest of Tokyo for 50 minutes beginning at 9 a.m. Another Tokyo broadcast said an Allied submarine boldly surfaced a few miles off the south coast of Hokkaido, northernmost of the Japanese home islands, and shelled the city of Tomakomai sot a half hour about 6 pm., yesterday. Damage was “extremely slight,” the broadcast said. There has been no word from the Third Fleet since it sent destroyers into land-locked Suruga l>ay to shell the city of Schimizu just after Monday midnight. In today's only communique, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz announced that the fleet's carrier planes had destroyed or damaged 89 more Japanese planes and eight more ships in the second half of their attack on Central Honshu Monday.

Swinging southwest utter attacking the Tokyo area Monday morning American and British carrier planes sank six ships, damaged 42 and destroyed or damaged 128 Japanese planes along a 90-mile stretch of the coast from Nagoya to the Maziuru naval base. Most of the damage to shipping occurred at Maizuru on the far side of the Honshu coast on the sea of Japan.

Most of the afternoon targets were attacked by planes originally sent out to attack airfields in the Tokyo area, United Pre-s war correspondent Ernest Hoberech reported from aboard Vice Adm. John S. McCain's flagship. The attack on Maizuru, Hoberecht said, furnished dramatic proof that "no harbor in Japan is safe from the super-accurate pilots of task force 38 and clearly demonstrates the flexibility of our forces." The Japanese have been carrying on larger and more important shipping operations from the Japan sea coast than from the Pacific side, officials pointed out. Swarms of carrier planes also shot up ground installations over a wide area. The four main buildings of the Kanto* special steel company and factories of the Japan international aircraft company, both at Hiratsuka, were set afire. A revised summary of the Third (Fleet's air and sea attacks on the enemy homeland since July 10 revealed that it has destroyed or damaged 1,477 Japanese planes and 957 ships, including 10 warships. Okinawa-based planes added to the destruction. Army bombers and fighter-bombers on Monday sank six enemy ships and damaged 20 others, 14 in Japan’s home waters and in the straits between Japan and Korea.