Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 43, Number 294, Decatur, Adams County, 14 December 1945 — Page 1

MXLIII No 294

KARL HARBOR PROBE LEGAL STAFF QUITS

Way Study Os Ibor Bill To Iler Holiday ■lO Picket Lincs Khtly Relaxed ■,Q M Factories By United Pne»« ■M • ~ i \ ii<> W.-rker*- j»lc MB 1 ■ iu officer -* „ G.neril Motor* :*•> I >•• ■B ...*:*o'l* I * *>n»ider- ’ - T tmun's pre- ■■ , . I.i-ion until after relaxed for ■Vr..' -in* «■ th- etart of b- Ponlla*. ||W . Wi- l.imfon. X i., ]■■ ... . 0.1 minion pleafok s Day rul«‘d that |K,. T,. .1 II ’ Hi" i pl< k-ling SW I,M Fl-a. I h'tly Plant, almt ■ .I'l III* >■- to re op-n <• i|*i . iseioll of P i'<-*l*lem . in M-t up fai t find ■■ .. to prob.- lalxir dis--!t the legislaChrUimgu. |M, -til’ under conxiil ~. ;h. florae Laboi coni thiii inard CIO Pre*l 1’:. io.<y * all th*- Pres! |H ■ ■ tir ti day co >1 iwfore strikes tu iioitr.. and aimless. r I ,m’*-.1 Electrical. H i |M ... A I k.. nil.l*o .111 • a k*-, ■* '.*d ioted ■ *'.-M;., to strike if lie. demands for a ■W Uy Al-' boiat. The Htrike j!f-* * smile 2'ttt.oo * work gM : of the General Eh * We-tnehouH.* Electric gW >ml i i-l-* trie division *»f a! Minn.x in 16 states. gH-' uoft ■ i.il o-tiirns showed gMt !!! **;*• otters favored the and **|; opposed it gßh-rr.’n* labor'.* demand** for j... h. . iy to i nsliion Hie ' rti ».t.time ei.niiigs k pt I S woikers away fr* m |^B'. ••* .*:.*! * omplii-au-.l tin- ipn S ram. |W O '.*.-'. I mt.ait demands of |B B;oth*-rhoo<i of Imcomotive |M'*i •*■ « Hid the Brotherhood *>! |W--.'l Tr.i imen had stalled the lalmr agreement n- gotia10 history. >n of the National Kall Mnlialinii Iwiard was awked by |W" '*'•*' ■*■* of the It; t toll H Ilia ci systems, actinic under an 'ln- Hallway laihor act. spokesmen said the A- k negotiations were staleMH'Turn Tu Page j. Column !> O ®t/s Christmas J eights Turned On J Thursday Evening Chrhtinr - lights which the ■f Siiiiiy sire « nr t the ornamen Mhgnt posts were lighted for the time last sH-ht and were ap hy the public. Waster !>i*il)one, plant auperin stated that the decora »>rc the best possible that gB dty canid provide this yea-. gP' u> the shortage ot insulated *M light bulbs, lip to a few B*‘» ago Mr Pettibone did not 11 any material could be ob- '* for the holiday lighting esJ“" lights a r ,. strung on Second. r '* and Madison atruets in the district and will be on '■rming during the holiday 7’" X*»t year .Mr. Pettibone so carry out a more elaboiat * lll(i ’ ft J ,r, '« ram * providing are obialnabk*. MRATURI "KAOINGt ./* *• « 22 JJ * "• - 22 am i:(0 - 22 ’• m - - 24 , WKATHSR tea j* ~urri* a and colder tonight tons Moderate snow at tev. U ■ ,, • Michl#*"- Cold "Wieated Saturday night. I •“"day five be- •"« L. ve ,b ® v * 80,,,h pc rtio "»* 10 above south por-

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Cold Wave Predicted For Saturday Night Indianapolis, Dec. H — (TP) — The Indianapolis weather bureau issued a warning today that temperatures were expel ted to tumble In Indiana as low ax five degrees below zero hy Sunilay morning. The forecast said that a cold wave was indicated for Saturday night, with the lowest temperature Sunday morning expected to be live below to five above in the north portion of the state, and five tu 15 alxive in the south portion. Testifies 330 Men Trapped In Sunken Cruiser Ensign On Sunken Indianapolis Says Men Lost With Ship Washington. Dec. 14 — (TP) — A survivor of the cruiser Indianapolis said today thut at least 130 officers and men were trapped in the warship when it was sunk liy a Japanese submarine in the Philippine sea last July 30. Ensign John Wollston of Seattle, Wash. a memln-r of the cruiser's damage control division, testified at the court martial of Cap!. Charles II McVay 111, the ship’s skipper, that at least 250 officers and men wers asleep in compartments where the torpedoes struck Additional men standing watch and on duty In the area would bring the number to 330, he estimated. Woolston told the court he baaed his estimate on the number of men who went down with the ship on an Inspection tour he made of the comparttn"tits shortly before the »hip was damaged McVay is charged with inefficiency and neg|e< t in connection with the sinking and the subsequent loss of Sso men and officers. Woolston said that the bow was still on the cruiser when she went down He added that the ship maintained some speed at the time she rolled over on her side and sank. Meanwhile. Capt. Thomas J. Ityan. Jr., said he believed the prosecution would complete Its case today His prediction was based on the hope that some highly classified documents would Im* declassified by the navy today McVay's defense counsel, Capt. John P. Cady, will start calling (Turn T«» Pag® J. Column O 11 Nazi Criminals Hanged Thursday Belsen Horror Camp Officials Executed British Headquarters, Germany, Dec 14 (CPI- Joseph Kramer, beetle-browed czar of the Belsen concentration camp, and lb other Belsen official* Including three women were hanged in the red brick prison of Hamelin yester jgv. it was disclosed officially today. For more than six houm the |l marched In turn to the gallows and were executed for committing mass murders and atrocities In the camp where thousands of Jews, Poles and other inmates dl»-d in the months before British troops reached it. Kramer and Dr. Fritz Klein. 8? doctor who picked the •.ictlins for the Owwiecim gas chambers, swung to their deaths simultaneously at 12-11 pm., the announcement util. First to die was Elizabeth Vol kenrath. 2«yearold so-mer hair dresser who led the SS women at Belsen. She was hanged at »:30 a m half an hour later Irma Grese. blonde ‘queen" of the c-mp. went to the gallows. There wax no explanation why Kramer and Dr Klein were hanged simultaneously. All 11 were sentenced by a Bri.tish military court at Lueneherg on Nov. 17 afttr • trial lasting nine weeks. Field Maiuhal Sir Bernard L Montgomety rejected the'r (jTurn.Te Page I, Column •)

Will Investigate General Motors Strike |h |R ! 4 J n i & X jEH B ISk Bl THESE THREE MEN have been appointed by President Truman to serve on the labor fact-finding Itoard that will Investigate the strike of the General Motors company workers. They are. left to right, Judge Walter Parker Stacy, who presided over*tbe recent labor management conference. Lloyd M (•an Ison, (hairman of the War ladmr Itoard. and Milton H. Elsenhower, brother of the famous Gen. Dwight D Elsenhower and president of Kansas state college.

City Petitions For J Mandate Extension * Extension Asked Os State Health Board The Indiana state hoard of | health in expected to act today on | the city's petition for an extension ( to (htober 1, 1946 to complete the , sewage disposal project, .Mayor j John ii. Mtuits announced. , City attorney Henry B. Heller presented the clty’a cause Itefore I the stream pollution control board yesterday, and asked that the stale's mandate in regards to abating the pollution of the St. Mary's river with Decatur's sewage be extended a year from the original date. In October. 1944. the state po! lution board ordered the city to correct the pollution of the river by October 1, 1945. In the meantime several hearings were given city officials and a verbal agreement was reached that if steps were taken to treat the sewage before it was dumped into the ’ stream, that the mandate would be extended Copies of the action taken by the city administration wefe taken to Indianapolis by .Mr. Heller. It was shown that the city had employed Conscer, Townsend and Associates, consulting engineers of Chicago, to make a survey and preliminary plans for storm sewers and a sewage disposal plant. The engineer's plans will not be ready until sometime in January and .Mayor Htults stated that blds on the project could not be received before next spring. Even if work is started next spring, it is not likely that the jolt can be completed by October, but if the work Is underway there (Turn T<> Cage 5, Column ?> o , Heavy Snowfall Is Experienced Here Ail County Roads Reported Passable Decatur was draped In a mantel of white today, following yesterday's heavy snow, estimated at six Inches d» p by city officials. The sidewalks In the city were cleared of the snow lust evening by Phil Sauer. stre> t commissioner, who attached the old V-shape plow to the new tractor purchased last summer. The new plow has not yet arrived, but Mr. Sauer was able to do a good job with the Improvised plow and hopes that the new equipment will arrive before the next heavy snow. All county roads are open d. Herman Haugk. highway supervisor announced. No reports ot drifts or blocked roads had come to the local highway office up to 10 o'clock this morning and all school buses were operating over th.- regular routes. Mr. Haugk stated. Yesterday's snow started to fsll thortly after noon and continued up to nearly X o’clock last ow ning. It was an unusually heavy snow for the Bret of the season

ONLY. DAILY, NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTYj Decatur, Indiana, Friday , December 14, 1945.

Prison Official Is Speaker At Rotary John Martin, assistant deputy warden of the Southern Michigan state prison at Jackson. Mich., wax the guest speaker at the weekly I meeting of the Decatur notary dub | Thursday evening The speaker showed several me- j tion pictures, in technicolor, of the life and work of Hie inmates of the institution. A. Il Ashliaucher.: unde of the speaker, was chair-i man of the program Jam** Murphy. Jr., a former president of the dull, resumed active memiieiwhlp ’in tlie dill*. Patton Pronounced As Out Os Danger Injured General Steadily Improves HeidellMTg. Dec. 14— tl'Pi — Gen. George 8. Patton today was pronounced by his physicians out of danger,” barring unforeseen complications." Col. It. tl. Bhurley. Louixville, Ky.. Patton's physician, added, however, that Patton still faced the possibility ot partial paralysis for the remainder of his life. "Barring unforeseen complications." he said. "Patton is out of danger at tihs moment. But the general is not out of danger of partial paralysis for the rest of his life.'* Patton Is not yet aide to more . either his hands or his legs but has regained control of his right shoulder. This report followed a 9 a. m. bulletin which chars*terized th* (Turn To Fags S. I'oliinin 51

(Itltll ill I _ 70- Voice G. E. Acelian Choir To Give Three Concerts Here

Three of the < ijcht ee.iedulcd ap-1 pearance of the 'l’-wife Aeolian choir of the Decatur General Electric work*, will Im> made in this city, R. ». Striker, choir business manager, announced today. Two of the presentations will he before local industrial employ group* next week, highlighting their Christmas programs. A public concert will be given next April. The choir will sing on December 22 at the Central Soya company’s party and again on Sunday aftermuni. December 23, at the Genera! Electric company’s holiday gathering for employes and their families. Both programs will lie at the Junior-senior high school auditorium. The chorus, which was flryt organized in 1943. and made its initial public appearance last year in : a formal concert at the Catholic | high school auditorium, will appear in Tort Wayne, Portland. Berne and at Monmputh during the present concert season, the third of its existence. Engagements, other than thoa** in this city, Include program.* be fora the G. E. bupervisor’s and Elax Clubs in Fort Wayne, on February 8 and April |5. During I

Christmas Parties Feature Next Week Numerous Parties * Planned For City Christmas (lartles and entertainmenu for children and grown-ups will headline activities In Decatur nil next week Local stores will remain ojv n each night until 9 o'’clock for Christmas shoppers and the Christmas lights, erected in the business district by city ernI ployes. will lie turned on each night. There will h- no community pre Christmas celebration this year, but most of the churches are planning special Christinas musicals and services for their own members. Santa Claus will b- here for a ' number of children’s parties next week and he will distribute gifts candy to those attending the several parties. Tit ■ Good Fellows club, sponsored by the Delta Theta Tati sorority, will distribute food to the needy this year. Delta Theta Tan has sponsored the food distribution for several years. Adams post. Ameilcan Mgi m will hold its annual Christmas parly for members’ children and guests Tuesday night. December IN. at N o’« lock Each memli r is asked to bring a young guest. A musical program will he held ami refreshments will be served. The party will be at the L-gion Home. Adams lodge 1311, laiyal Order of Moose, will hold a Christmas for children of members Wednesday night, December 19, at S o'clock at Decatur Catholic high M'hool auditorium. Santa Claus I 1 (Turn T** Page •'*. <'**luniti 4)

March, the choir will appear In Portland and the Moiimoutli high school. Th<- dales for the Berne and Decatur concerts in April, have not yet been ot-fiiiiialy de termiued. " , The choristers, directed by David C. Kmbler. famous musician and director, who has met with great aucceso In organising and developing the local organization, composed of General Electric em ployes, members of their immediate families and a few selected voices from the Decatur and Catholic high school choirs. .Music lovers not only appreciate the. excellent- • of the choir. liut prospective members now vie for affiliation with the organization. Last year there were only ."> membent. increased now to 70 and following lln- T < <>inp<-tit.v<- liy->nt.-> lias! September and October, 14 j persons were placed on the reserve list. There are 30 male and 40 fe male voices in the choir, each ensemble being available as separate or combined choruses for private programs. Director Ernhler is appreciative of the recoption given the chorus and of the intercut -hown by members "Decatur has as much (Turn To Page 2, Column 4)

Resigns With Charge Os Time-Wasting, Chairman Also Threatens To Quit

G. E. Workers Vole II In Favor Os Strike | No Announcement Os * Actual Decatur Vote Decatur and Fort Wayne General Electric company employes, nu-mbers of the I'nited Electrical. Radio and Machine Workers of America (CIO), voted oVerwelm insly Thursday to authorize a strike under the Sn>;th-<'o*inally act. Ballot.* of the Decatur and Fort ( Wayne works wen* counted to- < gel her Thursday night, and the i vote was 6.8R5 In favor ot a strike, i and 1.2»7 against Decatur votes * were not counted separately and no announcement was available on < the local balloting. The Wabash and K*>k*»mo plants of the G. E.. also a part of the Fort Wayne works, alao were counted together, with .505 voting for a strike and 115 in opposition Decatur vote* were cast at the Lincoln school building fr* in l:3o to 5:30 o'clock Thursday afternoon laatest returns on the nationwide strike vote, conducted in General Electric, Westinghouse and electric division of Gen-ral Motors •ilants in I’* atates, show* I an over--whelming vote of 111 * fit) fir a strike and 23,x|" against ouch action. Inclement weather prevented some of the workers fium casting ballots. o Cold Wave Tightens Its Grip On Midwest By United Press A cold wave which already has claimed at least 33 lives tightened its grip on the midwest today. Bitter weather pushed into East ern Montana and North and South Dakota The mercury dipped to 15 degree* la-low zero at Minot, N D.. eight below al Di* kuson. N I) and four bejow a) Winnipeg. Mani toba. The I". S: Weather Bureau pre dieted increasing cold ami "inron sequential' snow flurrl* s for th** Great laikex region and the corn belt. No relief can h- expected until early next week, the Bureau warn -d. Collect Canned Food For Victims Os War Decatur Girl Scouts Sponsor Drive Here Decatur Girl KcOttlS ate sponsoring. In this city, the victory collection of canned fo***l. conducted hy the community canning program for overseas relief, with all food received in the drive shlppe<| to war devastated areas of foreign countries, where millions fact- privation and itoxsilde starvation. 4Z*W The campaign in Decatur wax launched Thursday and will continue through Saturday. Dec. 22. Boxes have been placed in all grocery stores in the city where donations may he placed. Also in each store is a small counter display for any cash donations which Iterator citizens may wish to make. • *Hr*BnSS Only foot! In cans wiil be acceptable. leaders of the campaign emphasized. Itecause of shipping and transportation difficulties in handling glass. Number 2 cens are preferred, although other sizes will be accepted. The money derived in cash donations will be used to purchase canned food to swell the actual food contributions. in addition to the cooperating groceries, all schools in the city are also aiding In the campaign. Ail types and varieties of cann ed foods will Ire accepted, such ax (Turn To Fags S, Column ?)

Murray Warns Nation Heads For Disaster I CIO Head Bitterly Opposes Truman's I I Cooling Off Plans Washington, Dec. 14 d'l’i CIO president Philip Murray de dared today that the nation I* rushing toward an econoinh- dis aster mote <atastrophlc titan the crash of I!t2!>. He said that a ilecllne in work<r»' take-hom** pay combined with corporate profit hoarding could lead only to a depression far more severe than ‘The havoc which followed th*- crash of 193*." Murray appear*'*! hefor tho house labor committee in opposition to President Truman's ptopos- * al for a jn-day cooling-off period before strike action i*> permit study of labor disputes by fact-finding commit! es. He called th*' I’reiident's proposal futile, deceptive and aimlesslie charged that the Presiil-sit had backed down from his original program of maintaining liigh wages and regietted what he termed Mr. Truman s' lack of "fortright and courageon* action " As Murray spoke members pre(Hired to go into exectuive session to consider two alternative proposals. They are (It shelving of the I’resid nt's r*-'|ur-st for enactment of his anti-strike program, ami •2» limitation of committee hearings in an effort to i-omply witli administration requests for passage of the measure before tli Christmas recess. Murray declared tltat the strike situation requires neith- r coolingoff periods nor fact-finding committees. He chad slaiizticx prepared by the office of war mobilization and the labor deparfm nt which he claimed showed industry well able to sup|MH't increased wages without Increased prices. He declar *1 that voluminous price data, prepared l»y the commerce department and the OPA but n ver released publicly. pre< iuded the need for further boards to tin*) facts. Regardiiig coiditig-off periods he said that workers in the oil. steel and automobib- industry have l>een "cooled off until they have l>et*n almost frozen mil As the picture.” • Turn T<> I’m,- s, Column *'•* Enforce Priorities On Home Building Halt Diversion Os Riiilzfirtzs KAzsFzsrtrs IriT*v(si*wi* Washington De* It (Ci*) The civilian production administration intends to <-raek down hard on any builders who attempt to divert priorities materials into highpriced home construction. A high ranking CPA off!* ial said today that ther* will he strict enrorceinent or a forthcoming regulation which will set up priorities on building materials The regulation. designed to channel the How or building materials into homes costing Sin.oiM) or Pas. probably will be announced next Monday or Tuesday Enforcement will be carried out by the CPA's compliance division and by officials in the field offl<-es or foderal housing ag-ncles. The CPA official said that the regulation will he "rather complex" and that it will delegate part of the administrative responsibilities to other government agencies and particularly to field offices. Thia, it was felt, would provide for decentralization and better admin(Turn To Page 4, Column 7)

Piic« Four Centis

Chief Counsel Says Pertinent Evidence Prepared By Staff Is Not Considered Washington. De* it d'l’i — The Pearl Harbor committee* legal staff resign*-*! !*»<l»y with a, charge of time-wasting ami chairman AU>en W Barkley, D-. Ky.» threatened to resign. chief counsel William D Mitchell fold the house-aenate Investigating committee (hat he ami hl* three coiieagU’-a w*>ul*l quit a* soon as they could !><• replaced. ll*' said the hearings wen- dragging on much longer that) h<* lia<t expected them •<• and (bat !(*■ and his staff had not yet lieen permitted io present new data hitherto )>•■*'«•) made public. Barkley expressed regret at th** legal staff's decision. He added, however, that the Him- also had com** when he must determine whether his duties <>n «hc ”'»»• mm mt weigh bls responsibilities as Democratic leader of th** senate. •If I must < **in hide that my duties in th.* s.nat*- outweigh my duties hen- I shall thereupon resign from th*- cominitl*-*, BarkIvy announced Mitchell notified th** committee at the start <>f today's session that th** hearings have reached a jminr where "a complete n-placein**nr of th*- con>tnittee's iegai staff is necessary." 11.- said th*' legal staff has worked day ami night ami Humlays for two ami a half months preparing pvrtlmnt evidence that has never been pr*Mlii<*'*l at any previous inquiry alaiut Pearl Harboi "We are all depressed." he said, "that Iwiaiisv of the course of the proceedings we hav.- not been able to present It Th*- resignations will bwont*’ effective ,'IS Mult) MS the eommitten • an get new counsel. Chief counsel William D Mitch>ll, speaking for himself ami his colleagues, sail! th*' legal staff wax quitting beiatise it seems certain (hill several ifiiirv Itiolilhs of livgrIngs will tiecessdry." When ))>■ look the job. Mitchell said, lie thought til*' committee Intended to present facis which would permit "a final answer” by Jan -I Jo the question: "Who is responsible for final fiiilui*- of our forces at Hawaii to l»»* on alert (again*, (he Japanese siiipi;-*- attaek *>r Dae. T, !94i?F* But. in- continued, the commit* te*- in i month of hearings lias beard only eight witnesses and still has at least (><* more to hear, including "many quite ax crucial*’ ax those will! have already testified Mitchell charged that his stbff had not yet liven permitted to make public important new evidence. "The entire staff.” he said, ‘ lias worked days, nights, and Sunday* for two months ami a half, and has uncovered data never before produced publicly ' W*' are all depressed that hecause of the conn**- <>f tin* procvvdings ha**- not J aide* to present it." Th* legal staff's resignation cairn- ax new doubts were raised before th** committee that Japan ever sent a mysterious "winds” broadcast before the Pearl HarImr attack Naval evidence submitted to *'l*irn l*. Psge ». Column I) Buys Health Bond The Historical club ha* voted purchase of a *5 health

bond, officials of i the Christmas sea! • campaign ia > Adams county an- ; nouncFd today. All ; proceeds from the ; annua) Christmas 1 seal sales are used tin the fight on [ tuberculosis and tn provide free clinics and other-

Prevent TB Bey Cbrktmez Seuh

wise carry on the fight against the "white plague.” The sale is conducted hy the Adams county tuberculosis association.