Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 43, Number 202, Decatur, Adams County, 27 August 1945 — Page 1

till. No. 202

HIRD FLEET READY FOR JAP OCCUPATION

&ged Farmer Is Killed By Auto

St Township Bls Killed flurday Night Bdestrian Struck ■ Street Crossing Kte Saturday Night 2 - (•les H. Root township farm or, ..-Btaiiy in j ured late Sa,uri,a y I'H he was struck by an , ?l Kbile while walking across street, at. the intersection street. Till victim of the accident, Ahtirl occurred at 11:25 p. in. sj.‘B ay - about midnight at .SB.,ms county memorial bos pitKhortly after being admitted. :i Kh Vannette, 23, of North street, driver of the ear struck the aged farmer, as H held by city police, who and Robert Zwick. 4f county coroner, indicated /Korning after further investhat he would return a ; of accidental death. vKenberger was walking west Second street and was eight feet from the vpKid.' of the street when the ’iElßfront fender of the auto strM him, dragging the victim torKout 40 feet. lie was tincwßous when picked up and riieKb the hospital without reconsciousness. ImmedhdMause of death was given as stuH The victim also sustained a right arm, a compound ircßre of the right leg,, just beItnHhe knee, and a fractured when questioned by iwßia and the coroner, stated he diJKot see the pedestrian until striking him. The i>t)®q>parently was not traveling st Hfast rate, as tire tracks •'’•BBd the car was stopped with■troximately 50 feet from the tiaObrakes were applied. /HHnette was accompanied by Silßife, Julia, and by Mrs. Dort>lt®Wartinez, of Portland, owner car. and her sister-in-law, Martinez. H Longenberger was walking site where his son. Floyd. Wi«whom 110 live(l ' bad Packed »'sjpto. The son arrived at the "’B shortly after the accident. -■JB Funeral Tuesday ■K Longenberger was born in Ttßbull county, 0., June 16, KSBthe s °n of Gideon and Louise , SM'Longenberger. His wife, **s®rly Frances Lautzenheiser, "ftffiiad resided three and onehtflfciiles northwest of Decatur, %Bot township, since 1917. .W was a member of the Mt. ; -’-Bant church, northwest of 1 l-’Shr. < Byiving are two daughters. wLola Huizler of South Mani “■•Mich., and Miss Margaret ■ of Chicago; two "'“•Floyd of Root township and “•®t of Kirkland township; two ”‘®P rs , Steve of Pleasant Mills •““Klohi' of Toledo, O.; seven p Bchildren and two great-3-Suchildren. One son, one Bum To Pag® 2 Column 3) •te's War Fund wl Is Unchanged Wtanapolis, Aug. 27— (UP) — Bndiana war fund planned to■n October campaign for the Bmd-raising drive for the warB r <-lief organization. i •‘cnee W. Gories, Gary, state ! "®ent, announced (bat a state s2,Bs4,o99—identical with ' 1944— would be sought as a $115,000,000 national war "■goal. •~ — o •JOCRAT THERMOMETER iWr MPERAT URE READING ggBOO a. m 56 JI 00 a- m 68 ft 0 " 74 ® OO P- m 84 WEATHER ,Bf Bn d warmer tonight. Tues- . B? art ' y cle -dy, warmer southjextr®me south portions. ■IM. '

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Indiana Death Toll In War Over 9,000 Indianapolis, Aug. 27—(UP)—An official compilation by the Indiana historical bureau today showed that between 9,000 and 10,000 Indiana servicemen and women lost their lives in World War 11. Howard H. Peckham, state historian, said the list was not yet complete. Compilation has been made of army and navy casualty lists and newspaper records. ——: O China's Civil War Threat Is Believed Eased Chinese Communist Newspaper Supports Sino-Russian Pact Chungking. Aug. 27 — (UP) — Threat of civil war in China apparently eased today as the Chinese communist newspaper Ne.w China Daily expressed full support of the Sino-Russian treaty. “We need a united democratic China through hard-working people and a dignified government,” the newspaper said. Release of the text of the Chin-ese-Russian treaty last night re vealed that Russia has pledged her entire material and moral support to the Chungking government, thus depriving the hostile communist regime at Yenan of what might have been its strongest foreign ally. Only a few hours before the text was announced —and perhaps because of it —communist leader Mao Tze Tung finally agreed to go to Chungking in the “immediate future.” Twice before he had refused Generalissimo Chiang KaiShek’s invitations. American ambassador Patrick J. Hurley has left for Yenan to accompany Mao back to Chungking. Before he left, Hurley said, “I am going to Yenan with the consent and full approval of the generalissimo and on the invitation of Mao Tze Tung. I shall accompany Mao Tze Tung and his party to Chungking where they will enter direct negotiations with the generalissimo and the national government. “I am happy to return to Yenan. We have worked continuously for more than a year to help the (Turn To Page 2. Column 5) George W. Ogg Dies Here Sunday Morning Funeral Services To Be Held Wednesday George W. Ogg, 85, a retired carpenter. died at 16:30 o’clock Sunday morning at his home, 30< South Seventh street, following a year’s illness of carcinoma. He was born in Bluffton January 30, 1860, the son of Jonathan and Susan Conner-Ogg. He was married to Mrs. Ida Womack in Kentucky August 20. 1994. They had resided in Decatur for the past 26 years, and celebrated their golden wedding anniversary last August. He was a member of the First Baptist church. Surviving are the wife, three daughters, Mns. Rufus Roop and Mrs. Lawrence Kohne, both of Decatur, and Mrs. Lawrence Potts of Fort Wayne; one son, Woodson Ogg of Decatur, 18 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. One daughter, two eons and one sister are deceased. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the home and at 2:30 o'clock at the First Baptist church, with the Rev. Albert Swenson of Wren, 0., officiating. Burial will be in the Decatur cemetery. The body will be removed from the Black funeral home to the residence this afternoon and friends may call after i Pm.

Continuation Os Draft Is Urged By President Asks Congress Keep Selective Service; Two Years Service Washington, Aug. 27 — (UP) — President Truman urged Congress today to continue selective service inductions of men 18 through 25, but with a two-year limit on their period of service. Mr. Truman eaid “the situation in the Pacific continues to have many elements of danger" and emphasized the danger in “a too early unqualified formal termination” of the war emergency. “Tragic conditions would result if we were to allow the period of military service to expire by operation of law while a substantial portion of our forces has not yet been returned from overseas,” he said. “I am confident that the Congress will take no action which would place the armed forces in such a position.” The President set fdrth his views on continued selective service in identical letters to chairman Elbert D. Thomas, D., Utah, of the Senate Committee of Military Affairs and chairman Andrew J. May, D„ Ky., of the House Military Affairs committee. On the day he announced Japan’s agreement to surrender, Mr. Truman eaid that some 50,600 men a month would be drafted for the army indefinitely, primarily as replacements for veterans who have seen long service. The President suggested that Congrees take additional steps to furnish inducements which will stimulate voluntary enlistments. The number of inductions will depend on the number of volunteers, he indicated. The President said he wished it were possible for him to recommend the immediate cessation of the draft. He could not, he said, because he shared “the deep feeling of our people” that battle veterans should be returned to their homes with all possible speed. In pointing out that world conditions will require during the (Turn To Page 4, Column 4) Tells Jap People Repent For Ads Says Atomic Bomb Made Japs Surrender San Francisco, Aug. 27 —(UP) — Premier Gen. Prince Naruhiko Hi-gashi-Kuni tohi his cabinet and members of the lower house of the Japanese diet today it was the atomic bomb, and the Emperor’s “love of the people,” that made Japan surrender. The statement was made at a roundtable conference in the Premier’s residence, Domei news agency said in a dispatch recorded by the FCC. Tomorrow Higashi-Kuni is scheduled to hold a similar conference with members of the House of Peers. HigashbKuni declared that one purpose for convening the diet on Sept. 4 was to * clarify frankly” the reason for Japan’s capitulation. At the same time the Japanese press bluntly warned Tokyo’s people that the time has come to realize that they lost a fight for survival, and that they must repent their bullying ways. The newspaper Asahi Shimbun, in an editorial quoted by radio Tokyo, said: “With the landing of the Allied occupation forces only a day off the most important thing for the Japanese people to do now is to concentrate on repentance.” Maincbi Shimbun pointed that one of the outstanding Japanese national characteristics was a talent for bullying the weaker and (Turn To Pagre 4, Column 6)

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decaur, Indiana, Mon day. August 27,1945.

‘l’ll Take The One On The End’

jet* IM * \ - U -JEW r ~ V jpu wife- iL

YES, LADY — you’re seeing straight—those ARE washing machines. And they’re coming off the assembly line at the General Electric plant in Bridgeport, Conn. It’s a welcome reconversion change from the war material- previously turned out at the plant.

U. S. Subs Sank Over Half Os Japan Navy American Losses In Submarines Are Low Washington, Aug. 27 —(UP) — American submarines destroyed over 3,500,000 tons of Japanese shipping during the war at. a cost of 52 U. S. underseacraft and upwards of 3,500 men, a war-end survey showed today. Japan suffered the worst naval defeat of any country in the history of the world and U. S. submarines destroyed more than half of the total. American submarine operations were among the most successful ever waged by any nation, con sidering the total damage done in comparison with losses. Germany inflicted heavy damage on Allied shipping in the early day>3. of the war. yet loet oyer 700 submarines in the venture. Japan, which has done very little damage to American shipping lost about 130 submarines — nearly three times American combat losses. Os the 52 submarines lost from ail causes in this war 43 were overdue from patrol and presumed lost; one was sunk by enemy action and three lost operationally; two were destroyed to prevent capture; and three were stricken from the navy register due to loss or damage either as the result of enemy action or perils of (Turn To Page 2. Column 4) To Return Ward Co. Property To Owners Wartime Seizure Test Frustrated Washington, Aug. 27 — (UP) — Government lawyers said today that the only attempt to test the President’s wartime seizure powers probably would be frustrated by return to private ownership of Montgomery Ward & Co. properties in seven cities. Federal agencies operating approximately 200 private establishments were to start returning the propeties today under terms of a weekend executive order issued by President Truman. The order covered all properties taken since 1942 to halt strikes or force compliance with war labor board directives and up until last July 30. It did not include the Illinois Central railroad taken over last week by the office of defense transportation to halt a walkout of enginemen and firemen. Most of the property in government possession is tentatively scheduled for release by the end of this week but the process may be slowed depending upon circumstances. All releases must be approved by stabilization director William H. Davis who in his pre(Turn To Pag® 4, Column 8)

Sharp Earthquake In San Francisco Area San Francisco, Aug. 27—(UP) — The San Francisco bay area was shaken early today by a sharp earthquake that apparently did no damage. Residents said they felt two shocks which came at approximately 4:14 a.m. (CWT). They were severe enough to cause windows to shake and to wake sleepers. The quakes were felt in San Francisco and in Marin county on the north. Aircraft Carrier Enterprise Is Hit Reveal Damage By Jap Suicide Plane Washington, Aug 27 — (UP) — The navy revealed today that the aircraft carrier Enterprise, damaged 15 times by enemy hits and near misses, wae hit by a Japanese suicide plane last May 14. The last action forced Vice Adm. Marc A. Mitscher, then commander of Task Force 58, to move his staff a second time inside of a few days. His first flagehip, the Bunker Hill, was damaged just before the Enterprise received the hit that sent her back for repairs. The attack killed 3 crew members and wounded another 67. The skipper of the ship, Capt. G. B. H. Hall, of Annapolis, Md„ said the ship could have stayed land operated at 80 percent effiI eieriicy, but “were were due for overhaul and the fleet didn’t need ms, so we came back.” The attack took place during a raid on Kyushu, Japanese home isI land. the .morning of .May 14. The ■ ship had suffered several near misses in the previous days’ attacks. and she had shot down three would-be suicidfl’B. Then a fourth Japanese came out of the clouds into the teeth of the American guns. It appeared certain that the Japanese would miss his mark when he flipped his plane over on its back and plunged into the forward part of the flight deck. His bomb exploded under the forward eleva(Turn To Page 4, Column 3) 15,000 Air Force Troops Start Home Southampton, Aug. 27—(UP) — Over 15,000 American Air Force troops left Southampton yesterday on the Queen Elizabeth, bound for home. Among them was the film star and Liberator group commander, Col. James Stewart. Troop units included the First, Second and l'4th bomb wings; 114th, 192nd, 297th general hospital units; the 827th convalescent center. Added to these were 2,000 lowpoint Eighth and 104th Division infantrymen and five quartermaster truck 1 companies.

Halsey Flagship Leads 100-Mile Procession Os Ships Into Sagami Bay

Predicts 20 Percent Cut In Income Taxes Rep. Knutson Sees Slash By January 1 Washington, Aug. 27—(UP) — Rep. Harold Knutson, of Minnesota, ranking Republican member of the house ways and means committee, predicted today that congress would cut next year’s individual income taxes about 20 percent. Knutson told reporters it was “his guess" that a 20 percent reduction “across the board” in present tax rates would be made effective Jan. 1. He believed that the government should be able to hold the national debt, now approximately $263,000,000,000, below the present ceiling of $300,000,000,000. He said, however, that he thought it would be necessary to keep prices and wages up near present levels to avoid deficit financing in the postwar period. Knutson said the excess profits tax on corporations should end by next Jan. 1 He also issued a statement expressing hope that the ways and means committee would "recognize that the payments to be made in 1946 — that means thp payment of 1945 corporation taxes and payments on 1946 income for individuals under our pay-as-you-go program—can speed up or retard the return of a prosperous peacetime economy.” That statement suggested Knutson might favor retroactive tax relief for business on 1945 taxes payable next year, Knutson expected the government’s peacetime budget to total approximately $26,009,000,000 — about $6,000,000,000 each for debt service, veterans’ benefits and national defense, and about SB,000,000,000 for other functions. o Local Industry Is Seeking More Help Advertise For Men In Peace Production Employment in Decatur in the second week of reconversion still remains near war-time level and the paradox of one of leading industry advertising for help so that peace-time goods can be produced. The Decatur Casting company, which produced many war-time produe'e, has already reconverted and is in the.market for molders and laborers, Henry Bromer, local plant manager, stated. “We could use up to 100 men.’ Mr. Bromer said. The company has been advertising for help in thia newspaper, in Fort Wayne and other northern Indiana papers. The company manufactures gray iron castings in its modern plant on Dayton l avenue and during the paet year produced a casting that was used in the bomb-bay equipment on a B-29. A display of the sand molds, castings and finished products mads by the company is located in the (Turn To Page 4, Column 5) Steury Locker Plant Is Slightly Damaged The local fire department made a neighborly call at about 9 o’clock last evening, being summoned to the Steury lacker plant on Jefferson street, a half block distant from the engine house. The roof of the building had caught fire around the chimney. The department used water in extinguishing the blaze,•which caused only slight damage. The loss was estimated under SIOO. The boiler was being fired to heat water for butchering purposes at the locker plant, the overheated chimney causing the roof to ignite.

Hurricane Is Lashing Gulf Area Os Texas At Least Six Dead, Uncounted Property Damage Being Done Houston, Tex.. Aug. 27 —(UP) — The U. S. Weather Bureau reported at 12:30 p.m. today that the tropical hurricane lashing the Texas Gulf coast area was centered about 20 miles south of Palacios, and moving slowly northeastward. The storm, which already had cost at least six lives and uncounted thousands of dollars of property damage, between Port Isabel and Corpus Christi, was attended by winds upwards of 100 miles per hour over an area 80 miles wide near the center. Reports of wind velocity of more than 100 miles an hour were received from Corpus Christi and Palacios. Tides ten feet above normal were causing great property damage all along the central coastal area. All interests north of Galveston to Lake Charles, La., were warned to take every precaution. Weather Bureau officials pointed ed the storm had lost none of its fury since it was just off shore and not moving inland. Port Lavaca reported winds between 75 and 110 miles an lionr with tides rising seven feet above normal and still mounting. Reports from Seadrift, 20 miles east of Port O’Connor, told of 135 miles per hour winds with several houses blown down. At Houston, utilities companies were making all necessary precautions as the storm seemed headed for the thickly populated sector in the vicinity of Texas’ largest ci’ies. At Corpus Christ, winds were reported subsiding and it appeared the worst of the storm was over there. Communications lines were down throughout the storm area and detailed reports on damage and loss of life Were not available. Identified dead included Mr. and Mrs. Charles Reeves of San Antonio and their two children, John Michael, 3, and Charles. Jr. 6, who were killed in a head-on collision near Corpus Christi yesterday. Police said the accident was caused (Turn To Page 2, Column 4) o Nazi Plants Lagged Behind Scientists Inventive Genius Os Science Shown Washington, August 27—(UP) — Daring Anglo-American agents discovered that Germany’s productive capacity lagged behind her inventive genius when they seized many top Nazi war secrets, the office of war information disclosed today. Specially trained British and American teams went into Germany with invading spearheads to ferret out everything they could of Germany's secret arms developments. They found that German scientists: 1. Had made “significant progress” on the atomic bomb before the Nazis surrendered. 2. .Had drawn specifications for a piloted missle with a 3.000-mile range for a 17-minute Atlantic crossing. 3. Were working on formulas for new war gases “more deadly than any chemical agent yet developed." 4. Had developed a system of an-ti-radar coatings and coverings for submarines and other weapons. 5. Had completed plans for sup-er-warships including mibmarines (Turn To Page 5, Column 5)

Price Four Cents.

Wait Minesweepers Clearing Os Channel Into Tokyo Bay As Occupation Prelude Manila, Aug. 27—(UP)—Admiral William F. (Bull) Halsey’s mighty flagship Missouri, leading a 100-mile long procession of Allied warships, anchored in the shadow of Fujiyama . today and waited impatiently for minesweepers to clear a channel into Tokyo bay. A dispatch from the 53,000-ton Missouri said Japanese could be seen through field-glasses jammed shoulder to shoulder along the beaches two miles aMay as the big battleship dropped anchor in. Sagami bay at 1:30 p. m. (11:30 p. m. CWT). Factories, barracks and other buildings clearly were visible behind the shining beaches, and not far away rose the quiescent volcano Fujiyama, snowless and smoky blue. Sometimes tonight or tomorrow —depending on the progress of the minesweeping—Halsey's warships will sail through the narrow Uraga Suidu straits into Tokyo bay in fulfillment of his longdreamed goal. Gen. Douglas MacArthur's headquarters announced that the first, landings of occupation troops at Atsugi tomorrow and Yokusuka Thursday would be followed Saturday by additional landings at Yokohama and Tateyama. Tateyaina lies on the eastern arm of Sagami bay, just outside Tokyo bay. More than 400 Allied warships and supply vessels were arrayed off Japan under Halsey's command, but how many of them will enter Sagami and Tokyo bays was problematical. The Missouri’s sister-battleship lowa, along with the British battlewagon. Duke of York, anchored beside the flagship at a point some 45 miles south of Tokyo itself. N<> incidents were reported. More than 1,200 carrier planes thundered overhead as the Mis souri steamed into Sagami bay at 10:32 a. m. (8:32 p. m. Sunday. CWT) and took aboard 21 grimfaced Japanese envoys. The enemy emissaries were given detailed instructions to prepare for the passage of third fleet, units into Tokyo bay and for the landing of American occupation troops at Yokosuka naval base, 21 miles south of Tokyo, at 10 a. m. Thursday (8 p. m. Wednesday, CWT). Rear Admiral Oscar Badger, who will command the first task force to move through the narrow straits into Tokyo bay, told newsmen with the third fleet that American commanders were taking no chances on possible Japanese treachery. “Any violence will be met with definite and drastic steps,” he said. "I will deem any such act mutinous and against the will of the emperor as well as contrary to the interests of the Allied (Turn To Page 2 Column 8) 0 Late Bulletins With the 32nd Division, Northern Luzon, Aug. 27— —(UP) —Lt. Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita, commander of the Japanese forces in the Philippines, opened formal negotiations today for surrendering his forces in northern Luzon. In a letter to Maj. Gen. William H. Gill, commander of the 32nd division, Yamashita, who once boasted he would dictate peace terms to Gen. Douglas MacArthur, said he had received an order from Tokyo to cease hostilities and would be ready to negotiate as soon as authorized. In a Helldiver Over Tokyo, A|ug. 27—(UP) —American prisoners of war, frenzied with happiness, jigged a war dance in their Japanese internment enclosure today as U. S. navy planes skimmed low overhead.