Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 44, Number 136, Decatur, Adams County, 10 June 1946 — Page 1

IV. No. 136.

6 DEAD, 16 MISSING IN

■Geppert ■■■« * ■Suddenly ■rday Night ■Lally Famous ■Honecr Dies Os ■t Attack Here ColofH I ■K ; „ .'..ui.illy l.llil 9HK' It .itlll '/Hl"' HgK, »: ■ . /'li 'l’l'l f'Himl ■K ■.. .'in (ion* ft m« ■■. !„■ will b<* llt'hl ■K . moraine. .it BHK, .■ , i honif Xoi th |hK ■ I ■ 11. r. pastor ■■ , .itul !!<■ ■■ . !.!,!. Will officiutl th,' of tin- fam to mu I flora! MK". " -Al • IZ.-.I Mi'll a UM|tui k .4 't c> <> < i<><k Sat .>■ his home. Cl 2 lie had io re'ire for the |K'.<" !.. d.HU'hter. Mlxx R. PI" H with whom he I .1 noise ill her lath She stepped into ami found her father the , cs.fiil <aieer of Colan auctioneer MBr.-> .lumorpy leads tike M Allie! sill l ess story, '.lofessioll all I wa HHf»r In- ability as a sales the nation, his extending also to Mexico was Itorn on Un western edge of |M county, on July 7. 1X77. |B"f Fred and Louisa Selle |Mleppert His father was and he tutored his ]■ the art of salesmanship platform technique still in his teens he known as the "boy sue|Mof Indiana." |Bihr' age of 17. he followed profession and SB" 1 ' many of the most famrattle sales in the He also served as am|B at many of the Internalsales in Chicago. 'hfoiiKhoiii the country Br»<- the nor:horn ami borders in the conduct B tin the leadiUK markets, several world records in the highest prices ever B 1 ’ registered cattle, horses A top was the 147,5011 he received for a siAlliiui at a sale in lowa. |B* >’*‘ ar * »«’. The American featured the career of in a success story as livestock auctioneer was the owner of ■*' Park east of the city 15*19 ,-m 1192 P. | )P staged of the Northern Indiana as among the B WrcMsful exhibitions of ■ # ”«ro ever held in the Mr Reppert founded M-hooi of auctioneer- ■ ’hiih attracted students B ti>ry a,at « tn the Union Canadian provinces ■ •mihryonlc stage, many of B/ n! * were developed and B/ 10 ** leaders in their proB* Thp January 1946 class K"' - ’ 1« graduates, the B' n To Pag77rr7,|i77nTi Botur Stores Close 9 tapped Funeral ■ **"" ** chairman of the ■ committee of the Decatur V ' "f Commerce, announced ■ "tores will be closed ■ T'lswlay morning from 10 ■ »m. during the funeral K ‘ for Fred Reppert. promt- ■ M'tloneer. who died SaturEm. AT TH ®*MOMETER E -"nATURe READINGS B m sc HF* "= sh. B »• m ™ I WEATHER ■ ** *•««>•«• tonight. TuesB Warm • n< ’ Kt - h . ,c * l ihunderahowere ®” In afternoon or ■

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Senate Committee Approves Snyder I—!— Wu. hi tigton. June Ju (UP)— The senate finance committee today unanimously approved the nomination of reconversion director John \k. Snyder to is- secretary of the treasury. Snyder will succeed I’red .M. Vinson as secretary of ti.Msmy, Vineon was nominated last w< < k to be chief justice of th- United Stafs. | Warns Nation May Have Meat Famine In Week Bread Rationing Started By Bakers In Some Os Cities By United Preet llak-rx in some cities began rationing bread one loaf to a customer today, and a government agency warned that the nation may have a meat famine within a week. The office of economic stabllration said live .dock growers were holding back cattle and hogs In the hope that congr -m will lift meat price controls July 1. This practice has been increasing steadily for several weeks, an OKS spokesman said, and "if it continues we will have a meat famine a week from now." At Chicago, the American meat in>itltute, spokesman for the packing industry, said that cattle purchases for nearly !<m packing plants throughout the nation were 80 percent leas last week than in the corres|M>nding period of 1941. Bakero in Madison. Wls., and In oorne cities In Southern New York slate were limiting bread sales to one loaf to a customer. Bread lines formed at many bakeries in I .os Angeles. New York City bakers ran c.ut of bread soon after their stores opened. The bread supply in Washington. D. ('.. was expected to remain short for two weeks despite emergency allocutions of flour. At the request of the department of agriculture, larger bakeries promised to lend .tome ts their flour to smaller stores, and a threatened bakers' strlkl Wilt !«-d Faced with a "critical" bread shortage in Salt Lake City, Rep. J. Will Anderson telegraphed secretary of agriculture Clinton p. Anderson for aid in securing emergency wheat stipnllto. Hartford. Conn., was receiving only I<> carloads of grain daily com pared with norma! receipts of 2S to 30 carloads. A meat shortage In New York City whs aggravated by a rapidly dwindling poultry supply. There was little hope that the food situation would ease before the end of the month. Boost Living Costs Washington, June 10.—(UPi— OPA officials estimated today that the recent one-cent-per-qtiart price increase for milk boosted the cost of living >4 of 1 percent. ThU will cost the consumer us (Turn To Page 6, Column 7)

Continue Mandate Suit To June 26 . Suit Is Opened In Circuit Court Here The suit to mandate the county commissioners to Issue bondi for the proposed dredging of the Wabash river is scheduled to be com pleted during summer vacation of court, tho docket in the Adams circuit court disclosed today. The suit. In which the dredge commissioner and others are seeking to force the commissioners to Issue 130.000 In bonds tor the dredghig work, was opened In Adams circuit court Saturday. Karl B. Adams. Decatur attorney. is special judge In the case, having been appointed last year by Governor Ralph M. Gates. The case was not concluded, however, and was set by Special Judge Adams to re-open on Wed nesday, June 26. Filed in 1942 by advocates of the dredging, the suit is an outgrowth of tbs long litigated original Wabash dredge case

Flour Mill's Machinery Idle For lank Os Wheat 1W CTwarn L b j MACHINERY STANDS IDLE on one of the grinding floors of the Pillsbury "A Hour Mill nt Minneapolis. Minn., illustruting Just one of the reasons why that loaf of hrea I Is so hard to get. The plant, closed since May 12. has a capacity of IG.OOO bushels of wheat per day. It Is reported In Washington that discussions are under way on the possibility of rationing wheal, flour and bread.

Seek Deadlock Break On Allied Policies May Serve Virtual Ultimatum To Reds ■ — - Washington, June io — <UPI The United States Is prepared to serve a virtual ultimatum on the Soviet Union at Paris in an effort to break the deadlock over pol-' ides in Germany, it was learned today. If tli»- Russians still refuse to| treat Germany as an economic unit, it may mean a more or lessformal division of Germany Into two parts and the crystallisation' of two worlds instead of one. American officials are convinced that the big four are at a crossroads on German policy ami must choose one of these ways: 1. Begin at once treating Ger many as an economic, unit ax plarm.-d under tin- Fotsd.iin uvt ment, 2. Scrap the economic and reparations section of the Potsdam agreement and proceed with "two Germanies.” The United States already has suspended shipments of reparations to Ritusia from Its gone and has no intention of resuming until the Russians-begin to put the economic clauses of the Potsdam agreement llito effect. The Russians already are aware of the American viewpoint and se< retary of state James F. Byrnes wax said to be prepare,! to a»k the Russians to choose between the two alternatives when the council; of foreign ministers leeonveues in Paris late this week. Byrnes also will arrive In Paris prepared to press tor French and: Russian approval of a German federation plan. It would keep. Get many d<*centralized and grant' maximum autonomy "stale! rights” to Germany's II prov-l Inces, If the Russians still stand adamantly opposed to ifotli the ec- j onomte and federation plan and insist upon keeping Germany div-. ided into four watertight com-1 partments, the next step wouid be for Britain, the United Stales aud Fiance to proceed to make western Germany an economic tin- j it and start a German fi-deration < of the western states. That is the decision Byrnes will have to make at Paris after be sounds out the Russians. His ad-1 visors on Germany will urge him to make such a break, If necessary, with the understanding that i the door is always open for the Russians to bring their zone into both political as well as economic collaboration with the rest of Germany at any time. The U. S. has decided not to proceed to fulfill the reparations sec-| Hons of the Potsdam agreement unless tho Russians agree to ful-1 fill the <*conomlc sections. The' American view Is that If the Russians still obstruct economic unity; then the entire Potsdam agreement *on Germany may become a snap of paper.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Monday, June 10, 1946

Chamber Os Commerce Meeting Here Tonight All members of the Decatur Chamber of Commerce are requested to attend a meeting of the general membership at 7:30 o'clock this evening at the court house. Paul MiFaul, secretary, urged all members to attend, as important bll-lness will Im- discussed. 4 o Uphold Conviction Os Tobacco Firms High Court Upholds Anti-Trust Verdict Washington, June 10.—(UPI— The supreme court today upheld federal anti-trust law c< nvictionx against the tobacco industry's "big three' American. Liggett Myers and It. J. Reynold.} compatika. Justice Harold 11. Burton delivered the court's 6 to 0 opinion. “In the preaent eases, the petitioners have been found to have conspired to establish a monop dy and also to have the power and in teat to (Mtablkdi and maintain the uiono|M>ly," Burton said. “To hold that they (the companies/ do not come within the prohibition of the Sherman Act would destroy the force of the act."

Justices Robert H Jackson and Stanley F. Reed, both formerly associated with the jnstlcs department, took no part In the case. The supreme eonrt heard the case on the single question of whether a monopoly that does not actually bar competitors kt a violation of the Sherman Act, The hearing wax granted the j"blg three” companies on their ! appeal from a sixth circuit court of appeals ruling affirming fines totaling more than 8250,000 a,<sewrnd against them by the U. S. dhtrlct court at Lexingion. Ky. The U 8. government brought the suit, charging that the companies had set up a price monopoly on leaf tobacco and manufactured tobacco products. Before ihe high court, the companies claimed that In view of the intense rivalry In the tobacco industry the government could not say that a monopoly existed which excluded competitors and violated the Sherman Act. Justice Felix Frankfurter said in a separate concurring opinion that he would have br adened the (Turn To Pag* 3, Co| u "mn~C) —— ——0 LaSalle Hotel Death Toll Mounts To 61 • Chicago, June 10—(UP)—The death 101 l in th* LaSallo Hotel fire early Wedneaday reached 61 last night with the death of Jerry Tyler. 45, Niles. Mich., w.io was burned severely about the face and body. The joint city council investigating committee, which meets for the first time today, planned t» Inspect the hotel and io study fire department records. The committee is expected to call tor immediate action agalnxt ffri» ordinance viola tom.

23 Reported Killed In Transport Crash Army Plone Crashes Near Panama City Panama City. June 10 (UPi Sean hers hauling theinwlves up the Jungle-matted slopes to Taboga island on ro|M* Hues today removed 12 unidentified bodies from the wreckage of a U. S. army C-54 transport plane in which 23 persons apparently perished. The hunt for Ihe other 11 perrons aboard the giant airliner ihniugh the tangled tropical trees and underbrush continued. Search parties brought the 12 j bodies found to the Panama mainland for identification. The vlct- ; inis’ names will be announced as soon ax they are established and I relatives notified. The four motored army plane i smashed Into the south slope of the mountain on Taboga Island. In the Pacific ocean 12 miles from i Panama City, at 11:13 a. in. Sunday It was on a routine flight i from Morrison field, West Palin Beach, Fla., to Albrook field in I Panama. Then* were 17 pasavtigi era and a crew of six. Apparently all were killed. (Lt Col. John 8. Owens, deputy commander at Morison field, said ! tho plane exploded when it struck near the mountain top. It had been ! in radio contact Just before the crash, he said I o - • Mary E. Bilderback Is Taken By Death Funeral Services Tuesday Afternoon j Mrs. Mary Klien Bilderback. 62. wife of Fred Bilderback. died Saturday night at 9:3ft o'clock at her ; home In Blue Creek township, one and one-half miles southwest of ■ Willshire, (). Death was caused by ; carcinoma. She had been ailing for i nearly three year* and bedfast since April 26. She wm born in Mercer county 0.. July 4. IMS, the daughter of I Jackson and Lettie Stober-Barga-hlser. She was married to Fred Bilderback January 27. 1900. Surviving. In addition to the husband, are one daughter, Mrs. Katherine Davis of Bryan. ().; one brother, Guy Bargahiser of Toledo. <).. and seven grandchildren, one of whom. Cpl. William Stanton. Is ' with the army In Italy. One daughter and one son are deceimed. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 o'clock Tuesday afternoon ut the home and at 2 o'clock at the Methodist church In Willshire, with the Rev. g. W. Beck and Roberts Officiating. Burial will be in the Wilkihire cemetery. The bmly was removed from the Zwlck funeral home to the residence Sun iday evening.

IOWA HOTEL FIRE

Search For Additional Bodies Delayed As Four Floors Os Hotel Collapse

Marine Union Rejects Plan By Government Refuse Government Plan In Dispute On Hours; Plan Strike Washington. June 10 —(l’P) — A new deadlock In negotiations today chilled hopes for preventing a nationwide CIO maritime strike at midnight Friday. Ship operator-- accepted i but the National Maritime I'nlon rejected a government proposal for M-ttllag a dispute over working hours. The union ordered detailed preparations for the walkout. The proposal rejected by the NMU wouid have given seamen one day off ashore each 14 days spent at sea. The program originally wax suggested by federal mediators. The ship operators tuniel It into a formal offer. The union, however, found the plan "impractical." a labor department spokesman announced early today after prolonged negotiating sessions. He added that r.o other proposals were made. Union-management conversations jesume today. The NMU, headed by Joseph Curran. Is carrying on the negotiations. but six other unions arc prepared to strike if the NMU does not win a satisfactory settlement. The unions with 2<W.(WWI members want the work week reduced from 56 to 44 hours at sea. They originally demanded a 40hour week ashore and at sea. An N.MU statement threatened to extend Its strike call to tank-x-rx and vessels plying the Great Lakes aml-lnfond rivers. As it ordered -it- 90.000 nu m hers to report for strike duty at 12:01 a. m. Saturday, the union denied that political factors were Involved. (’apt. Harry Martin, president of the Masters. Males and Pilots union (AFLt. charged that “the communists, through the waterfront council an l the communist(Turn To Pag* S, Column 6)

Decatur Boy Scouts At Area Camporee Four Local Patrols Win Blue Ribbons Four Decatur Boy Scout patrols wen* among 43 of the Anthony Wayne area awarded blue ribbons for having attained the national scouting xtandardx for camping during the annual area camporee, held at Franke park in Fort Wayne Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. Decatur patrols so honored were Swallow patrol of Rotary troop 61. Kangaroo and Crow patrols of Lions troop 62, and the Indian patrol of American Ix*gion troop 63. The Bear patrol of troop 67, Berne, wax also awarded a blue ribbon. Other Decatur patfols participating were prerenied red ribbons. More than I.oob Scouts from the nine counties comprising the CLuncil area took part in the camporee. with over 6.000 visitors attending the threeday event. Participating Scouts from Decatur. their patrols and leaders, were as follows: Rotary Troop 01 John McConnell, scoutmaster. Swallow patrol, blue ribbon——Neil Thomas, leader: Dan Freeby. Gene Ziner, Gerald Schultz find Dwight Sheets. Cobra patrol, red rihbon — Kenneth Grant, loader; Norman Stlngely. Grover Odle, David Whlttredge and Kenneth Nash. Fox patrol, red rihbon—Dave (Turn To Page 5, Column •)

Dies Suddenly ■w W ■IL rB J -■r Fhml rl Truman Message To Congress Tomorrow Plans Message On Case Strike Bill Washington. June 10 <UP» House speaker Sam Rayburn, Tex., said today that President Truman will send congress a message tomorrow on the Case strike-control bill, but the President did not disclose whether It would be a veto or approval message. Rayburn made the announce ment after Mr, Truman's weekly conference with Ills "big four legislative leaders Rayburn, senate president Kenneth M< Kellar. D.. Tenn., senate Democratic whip Lister Hill. Ala., and House Dem cm rath- leader John W McCormack, Mass. Mr. Truman did not reveal to them whether he would sign or veto the Casa bill When a reporter suggested that "a message of approval was rath er unusual, Rayburn said there was precedent for messages of explanation. latter, Rayburn told a press conference he 'assumed” Mr, Truman now has made* a decision on the Case bill He said that If It Is a veto message the House probably will vote immediately after the message* lx read on whether to override the veto. He said "most of the folks will Im* here tomorrow believing there might be something impor (Turn To Page L Column «>

Three Damage Suits Settled Saturday SIOO Judgments Are Awarded By Judge Three suits arising out of a two-car crash near Magley on May 2. which claimed two lives, were settled In circuit court Saturday. with Judge J. Fred Fruchle awarding |l(»ft judgments in each case. Mrs. Virginia Smltley. who was injured, was awi(-ded damages of 3100 through her next friend and father, Harry O. Worden. In a suit against Dale Ploughe, drive*- of the other car Involved. Mrs. Smltley was driving a car In which her mother and baby daughter were killed. Herbert Smltley, her husband, was awarded a Jlfto Judgment for loss of his wife's services due to the Injuries she received. l<arry Worden, Mrs. Smltley'a younger brother, was also awarded 3100 damages for Ipjurles which he received, in a suit filed, hy his father. Ploughe was Ihe defendant In each case. Nathan C. Nelson represented the plaintiffs and John L. IteVoss the defendant. No suits *wefe filed concerning the two fatalities.

Price Four Centq

Saturday Night Fire Starts In Cocktail Lounge In Dubuque Hotel; Owner Dies Debuque, la. June 10 —(UPI— * Firemen l|olsi»-red the charred walls of the Canfield hotel today to resume* their search for addt* tlonal victims of the Saturday Light fire Whic h killed 16 persons. A check of the hotel register, partly burned and water-soaked, revealed that 16 persons still were* unaccounted for Some of them may have been permanent residents who were away for the week end or who strayed away during the excitement of the* fire. (ted Cross workers said S 6 of the guests have been accounted for as safe, but they delayed releasing their names pending a further check of the register. Thirteen of the* dead have been Identified. Twenty Injured were treated at hospitals. The search for additional bodies was delayed when four floors I*> the center of the hotel collapsed Firemen were bracing the tottering walls so the search could be resumed without endangering rescue workers Mrs William Canfield. Sr. wife of the owner of the hotel, died in a hospital today. She* and her husband were rescued from the fire but her husband died en route to the hospital The* fire* broke out at 11:3d p. m . CST. Saturday, and spread swiftly throughout the 2M room hotel. The flames, starting In a rloxet near the red cocktail lounge* on the ground floor, shot upward to the floors above. Panic-stricken guests trapped by the* smoke and flames leaned out the* windows and screamed cs firemen set up ladders and rigged nets. Fire ('apt. Harold Cosgrove said 30 persons wen* rescued when they leaped into nets, and 27 were carried down ladders. Os those who leaped, however, two nere killed when they missed the nets. Some of those who perished were burned to death and others suffocated in the smoke-filled r oom and corridors. Many escaped by ripping and knotting l»*dsheets into makeshift ladders. About 4l> survivors were Injured. many suffering broken bones jumping from windows. The flames destroyed the fotjrfitnry section of the hotel built in 1891. Damage to a six-story annex built in 1925 was confined mainly to the first floor, although upper story rooms were burned.

Firemen admitted there was a p-isxlbillty that some of the missing had escaped and had failed to report -to authorities, but they feared the worst The hotel’s records were lost *n the fire, but employes believed about 123 persons were registered. The Red Cross, however, placed the number of guests at 145. Red Cross officials accounted for S 3 survivors, of whom 22 were taken to hospitals. The search ‘for bodies wax suspended after the state fire marshal’s office declared the tourstory section unsafe. It was believed that crews would finish placing supports in time to permit renewal of the search late today. One of the heroes of the disaster was patrolman Byrne O'Brletij 2(/D-pouml army veteran vho returned recently from overseas. He was credited with saving at least 20 lives. Groping through (ho blinding i.moke, he led trapped guests to a fire-hatch to the roof Some rurvivors could not see him but heard his voice and followed Its sound as he shouted through the corridors to those who were trapped. Once on the roof O'Brien led them down fire escapes. The flames were discovered by a hotel employe when he opened the door to a small closet In hack of the cocktail lounge, which had been closed for the evening and emptied of guests a short while before. William Canfield, hotel manager. aald the employe ran to him (Turn To Page 3, Column «)