Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 45, Number 93, Decatur, Adams County, 19 April 1947 — Page 1

I XLV. No. 93.

FBIG STEEL” OFFERS INCREASE IN WAGES

kune Search |r Bodies In [plosion Area led Cross Figures list 580 Dead In ■ exas City Blast ■ *' ** Lan City. T«x- Apr. 19 ■l-R.*<iv<ry *quad» equipped ■ glows and gas mask* return L tbe ruin* of th** Texa* City Efront today and th«« Red L announced sf»O Identified j had been counted alnce flrstf explosions |h shattered this little port Kmnity ■abulation by tbe United L including a detailed check I morgue attendants and a L watch on collection pointe. Eel that only 335 Irodica had I reported in Texan City and ■Hinding communities.) Er Red ernes »ald 33ft Injured I were in hospitals throughout ■ Galveston bay area. le count of identified dead I prepared by Texan City oflI and Red Cross workers said L possibly were duplications |that the tally remained subIm revision. Er the second successive day Eecovery squads directed their Ets at the ruins of the MonL> chemical company's huge E where it was Irelieved many ■tonal victims would be found Er to add to the 57 bodies Ed up there and in the dock I Friday. Resident William Rand ot Ldiito said 449 persons were ■he plant at t>e time of the E said that 43 of the comE's employes had been idciitlI among the dead and that anhr 79 were believed killed. It bodies probably buried someire beneath the huge pile of ble which now marks the Monio plant location. ■other 115 were hospitalized I 122 unreported but believeu I. Ninety Monsanto workers ■ped injury. Rand said. ■ the teams of cutters, weldI construction crews, lardy Iters and medical assistants led into the dock area again ly Saturday Texas City itself lly was regaining some semle Is of normalcy. br the first time since Tues- | people within the town’s limIhad been able to sleep undisled by the threat of additional losions. hi* smoke of two dying oil I still hung over the devastatarea but authorities said the ■er of further blasts was IreH past, a skeleton crew of lighters kept watch along the brfront last night after • tbe b had Ireen sealed off to all la few rescue workers and rds. P* r " was no accurate estimate Ike missing in Wednesday a I Thursday's explosions, but h Wesellus, assistant director [be Red Cross here, said the Wization had received approxlely 1.000 messages of Inquiry h all over the country * laanwhiie authorities liegart restrictions on the Wment of traffic Into Texas tokades were strengthened IfWicials said they feared a png flow of sightseers would '■ Into uncontrollable proporr\? r * r ,he weekend unless r° sets of credentials today r necessary to piovc within P® WB and blast area. r* Pass was Issued by the “ " f *Vor J C. Trahan and ! ® h»r bore the stamp of the * department of public safeM^' i> Were being checked hy Ran ** rg "WR were . ,t 0 have encountered a months with forged and Tl * -.l° Pat * »• Col im i) WEATHER ’’•iderable cloudiness to- » *"d tonight, with sees- * * how,r * ov * r mo<rt ® f spinning early tonight brnv*J ln * ssrly tomorrow C * W,r " orth ' ‘•dey and tonight.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

King Os Denmark Is Reported Unchanged Copenhagen. April 19.—(UP)— King Christian remained near death today after gradually losing ground for several days A but letln this morning said "his majesty slept rather well. His condition is unchanged,'* The 76-yearold king suffered a heart attack on Easter and coin plications developed. Urges Senate ! Accept Milder ! Labor Control I Senator Ellender Warns Congress Os Presidential Veto Washington. April 19.-(UP»— Sen. Allen J. Ellender. D., La., warned congress today that It, would risk a presidential veto by I passing a tougher labor control I bill than the one approved by the senate labor committee. Ellender. who originally support ed more restrictive legislation 1 than the committee approved, said he now hoped the senate would ac-. cept the milder committee version I without change. He feared a tougher bill might prompt a presi-, -dentlal veto which could not be overridden. Similar views were expressed by Sen. George 0. Aiken. Vt.. the committee's second ranking He ' publican. Aiken, who has favored a mild measure from the start, said he did not think the committee Mil would lie "entirely satisfactory with the labor unions, hut -President Truman will have no ex j cutie to veto It." With both the sellite and house in weekend recess there were these other congressional develop ments: Foreign policy—The state de-1 partment was accused in the sen ate of moving at cross purposes to the administration's drive to halt Communism in the near east. , Chairman Styles Bridges of the senate appropriations committee denounced the department for urging fulfillment of a postwar lend-lease contract under which Russia would get 1t7,#00.000 of U. S. oil refining machinery and I other industrial equipment. Other senators also thought the department's stand was inconsistent with the stop-Communlsm campaign. Oil—The senate war Invest!-1 gating committee scheduled a closed-door session to hear a report from former Sen. Burton K. (Turn To Page S. Column 2) Agreement Averts Scheduled Strike Western Union And Union In Agreement New York. Apr 19— (UP)—The Western Union Telegraph com patty and the Commercial Telegraphers Union (AFLi reached a contract agreement early today providing a five-eent hourly wage increase and other benefits for SO.Oftft employes outside of New York City. The settlement averted a strike scheduled by the union for May 7. The contract also provided for Increased social rkcurlty benefits, a due* check-off plan under which non-union members also would pay dues, a continuation of maintenance of membership, and a 13-week sick leave. The contract was retroactive to April 1 and will run for one year, except for the pay provisions which may be reopened in six months. Most of the contract provisions merely were carried forward from the old agreement. The union sought s 25-cent-an-hour increase, and the company replied that it could pay no more than five cents and stay out of the red. Western Union employes In the New York metropolitan area are represented by the American Communications Association* (CTO), which had no dispute with the company. ,

Reynolds’ Global Crew Gets Truman Handshake ■

Reynolds’ Global Crew Gets Truman Handshake

CREW OF THE "REYNOLDS BOMBSHELL" receive* President Truman's congratulations for recordbreaking round-the-world flight. From left, the handshaking party ,include* Co-Pilot Carroll "Tex” Sallee, Pilot William Odom. President Truman and Mil.on Reynold*, millionaire pen man

UN Council Backs Truman Aid Plans Not To Intervene In Aid To Nations Lake Success. N. Y.. Apr. 19 — (UPI — President Truman's stopcommunism program emerged from Ils first big test today with the decisive endorsement of the United Nations security council. The UN’s peace-keeping agency stamped its approval on the IMO.000,000 Greek-Turkish aid program last night in unmistakable ilf backward fashion. It voted not i to Intervene in the Truman program. Il also voted to keep a temporary I’N border patrol along -the (.orders of northern Greece as requested by the United States until it decides on a permanent solu tlon for the border strife there. The council handed the United States Its major diplomatic victory by rejecting a Russian plan to strip the Truman program of Its military features and give the UN supervision of American aid Ito Greece. Adoption of the proI posal would have been in effect a ' security council condemnation of I the president's aid plan. But only Russia and Poland voted "yes" when Soviet delegate Andrei Gromyko demanded a vote. The I’nlted States, AusI traiia. and Syria had proposed I hat he table his plan, at least until congress acts on the GreekTurkish aid legislation. A motion needs seven supporters to pass. I Great Britain. Brazil. Australia I and Belgium voted against Groj <Turn To Page <•. Column 2» 0 Mrs. Lydia A. Bodie Dies Friday Night Funeral Services Monday Afternoon Mrs. Lydia A. Bodie. 92. died at St o’clock Friday night at her home. 1021 Line street. She had be»n ill for many years and serious for the past two months. She was l>orn in Deerfield, 0., November 1. 18<M. the daughter of Jonas and Lavena Albright, and had lived in Decatur and Adams county for the past 60 years. Her husband. Abraham Bodie, preceded her in death. She was a member of the Church of God. Only near surviving relative is a foster daughter. Mrs. Ona Sprunger of Dayton.O. Two sone. Fred and Rufus, and four brothers and sisters preceded her in death. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p. m. .Monday at the residence and at 2 o'clock at the Church of God. with the Rev. Dwight McCurdy officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Hope cemetery In Blue Creek township. The body will be removed form the Gilllg & Doan funeral home to the residence, where friends may call after 8 o'clock this evening.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday, April 19, 1947

' BULLETIN Champaign. HI.. Apr. I«>_(tT|»>_The City of Miami, crack Floridabound Illinois Central passenger train, was derailed here today. First reports said all the cars left the tracks on the north edge of the Illinois Central yards. , S. F. Lynch, general , manager of the Illinois s Centra! at Chicago, said five rear cars of the train were derailed but • that all remained upright. The train had 1 slowed down for the ' yard limits. Lynch said, and for that reason he doubted that there were serious casualties. 0 Famed Negro Singer Barred From Peoria ; Mayor Takes Action To Avoid Bloodshed r >■ Peoria. 111. April 19 —(UP)— , Mayor Carl O. Triebel said today ' I that Paul Robeson, famed negro ( baritone, wax barred from a public api>earan<e in Peoria last night , - "to prevent bloodshed " Robeson charged city authorities with "Fascism” comparable to Franco Spain and Nazi Germany. Interviewed in a -mail frame house 1 on the south aide of town, where he upent the night. Robesop said: "I have been all over the world and the only time 1 have aeen hysteria reach these heights was In Spain under Franco and Germany under Hitler.” Robeson said he would return and other prominent people would come to Peoria roon to giVe the city council "another chance” to "take similar actions.” He referred to a recent city council reSolution oplHKing the apnearalice of “any speaker or artist who is an avowed or active propagandist for un-Amer-ican ideology." Told of Robeson's statements about Fascism, mayor Triebel said: "Well, I guecx Robeson is a pretty smart boy and he knows about those things. AH the council and I were trying to do was to prevent riots I did what I did to prevent bloodshed I bdlieve that trouble would occur If Robeson made an appearance. It was only common sense to prohibit hie appearance. It certainly was not Fascist ic." Crowds of curious people gathered at the city hall last night In the mistaken belief that Robeson would appear as scheduled despite the mayor’s pronouncement banning him from a public appearance in any public building. Uniformed police mingled with the crowd. Police chief Victor Klarich bad ordered all police on duty Persons in the crowd said they neither were "for or against" Robeson, but had come to see what would happen. Originally Robeson was to have •ung fn a hall seating more than (Turn To Psge 6, Column 7J

Court Action Taken In Several Cases — Divorce Cases Lead In Circuit Court The first week of the April term of the Adams circuit court closed today in a flurry of court action, with several entries expected to be made liefore the close of the day. Among other court actions late Friday and today: Gerald W. Vizard was awarded a judgment of 160.40 by Judge J. Fred Fruchte on his claim against the estate of the late Austin Acker. Appearance for the defendant was entered by Wayne L. Miller jln the divorce case of Blanche against Frederick Courtney Janet Gephart was awarded a divorce from Victor Gephart by Judge Fruchte. The plaintiff was represented by H. R. McClanahan, and Myles F. Parrish, as prosecutor, appeared for the defendant after he had been called and defaulted In the divorce case of George against Velma Reber, the defendant filed a cross-complaint. She charges he cursed her. called her vile names, is a constant user of alcoholic I beverages to excess and falsely accused her of associating with other men. She asks |6off alimony. Dorothy High filed a complaint for divorce from Robert High and asks 12.000 alimony as well as the custody of two children, aged three and one and one-half years. H. R. McClenahan represents the plaintiff. In the divorce case of Bonnie against James Manning, a citation was ordered issued, returnable April 23. In the damage suit of Eugene Melchi against the Decatur city school board, an affidavit for a change of venue from the Judge was filed and by agreement of parties. Burr H. Glenn of Huntington was named special Jurist. 0 Limberlosf Post To Install New Officers Hold Installation Exercises Monday Officers-elect of Llmberlost post 6236. Veterans of Foreign Wars, will be installed Monday night durin the regular meeting at the post home on North Second street. Dr. Harold V. DeVor. local dentist and World War II veteran, will assume the post of commander, | succeeding Harry Martz. War I veteran of Pleasant Mills. The meeting had been original-1 ly scheduled for last month, but was postponed until Monday. All other elective officers will assume their posts Monday night, excepting Bruce Decker, who had previously begun his duties as quartermaster, succeeding Carl Gattschali. Lunch and refreshments will he served following the business session and Installation, which will begin at S pm.

Amount Undisclosed But Union Reports Offer Is In Excess Os 11 ’A Cents I ———■ —

Big Four Priority To Austrian Treaty Marshall Seeking Russian Position Moscow. Apr. 19 —(UP)—The big four gave priority today to reparations and territorial claim* against Austria In a move which may show at once whether a treaty with Austria can be completed at the Moscow conference The council of foreign ministers argued ineffectively at a morning sesHion devote! to the Austrian treaty. They were meHing again In the evening. Secretary of state George <’. Marshall got a council agreement to consider the frontier and reparations issues at the second meeting A final decision on completion or abandonment of the Austrian treaty at this meeting was believe<l to depend on Russia's ; stand on a Yugoslav demand for I the Austrian province of Carinthia and $15ft.000.000 In reparation* . from Austria. Marshall app<-ared to be seek- ’ Ing to determine the Soviet posiJ Hon on the crucial Issues—a postI lion which would have to he made known before plans for dosing out the conference. I Authoritative sources have said there could be no hope for comI pletlng the Austrian treaty here If Russia decided to support the I Yugoslav demands. r Informants reported that the ( I'nlted States and Great Britain ! would intensify their efforts for , ' effective merger of their occupa- , tlon zones in Germany as a result i of the big four deadlock. The Anglo-Americans would ' like to have the French join them I and make an economic unit of the three western zones. Prospect* for French participation are lim > I Aged Man Found Near r l • i Geneva Friday Night i 81-Year-Old Man Is i In Dazed Condition i I County police authorities today were attempting to locate relatives t of an 81-year-old man. found crawling on his hands and knee* last ' night near Geneva In an apparently - dazed condition. The man gave his name as C E DavU and said that he was enroute j i to see a sister at Brimfield and ' that he had come from Jacksonville. Fla. However, he was incoherent and ’ confused as to his method of travel] from the Florida city, being unable Ito recall whether he had come by j bus, train or auto A social security card, a < ard de-1 {noting membership in the Town-* i send "old age" club and other papers corrolmrated hi* identity. A baggage check for a trunk also vei tried the fact that he was enroute from Florida to Brimfield. He was unable to explain why he was In the vicinity of Geneva. Residents of near tha> town called Mherlff Herman Bowman and deputy Sam Bentz when they saw Ha via crawling along state road 116. five miles west of Geneva about 9 pm. Friday. Davis was clean and well-dressed and had About |6u in his pocket, the sheriff department's Investigation revealed Davis aaid that It was the first ! time he had ever been "picked I (Turn To Paa* 3. Column 7) 0 Fort Wayne Youth Killed In Accident Fort Wayne. Ind. April 19.— (UP)- David L. Firestine. 20. Fort Wayne, was killed early today when his automobile collided with a semi trailer near here. Charles Betts. 30. Columbus, 0.. driver of the truck, was uninjured.

Struck Phone Workers Seek Truman's Aid Resume Os Demands Sent To President And Congress Today i Washington. April 19. —(UPI striking telephone workers went after White House and congressional support today In their demand* for higher pay from the American Telephone & Telegraph Co. and its Bell System »üb*idiar t les. As the nationwide telephone strike went into Its 13th day with still no sign of settlement, the National Federation of Telephone Workers (IND.) sent a "resume" I of its demand* to President Truman and members of congress. "We want to make sure they understand our position." a spoke* min for the union said "We feel reasonably sure that the companies have long since presented their side to the President and member* of congress." The spokesman denied that the union was trying to build up a case for the government to take over the telephone system "We don’t wmt any part of seizure." he said. While tbe union has been de manding a SI2 weekly wage Increase, there hade been hint* that the worker* would settle for les*. NFTW president Joseph Beirne and his aide* have been privately hoping the telephone compjnies would follow the lead of the heavy-Industry corporation* and offer a 15 s ent* an hour, or !•’. a week, increase This, they feel, would offer a basis for Mettle i inent and Bend the 335.ftftO tele phone worker* back to their jobs But the companies thus far b»ve ! offered no Increase whatsoever I Union official* were reported to be concerned about the possibility of a large-scale back-to-work move ment next week The union's strikifund I* not large enough to weather i long walkout. Arrest Drivers For Overloading Trucks Indianapolis. April 19 -il'Pl— State police said today that they had arrested 75 trucker* this week on chargtv of operating overloaded trucks. They said the purpose was to prevent highway* from damage by { vehicles loaded beyond the maxi-] mum weight allowed by state law ' County Eighth Grade Exercises Planned Geneva Is Site Os Exercises In May Approximately 23ft eighth grade students of the various rural , school* in Adams county will parti clpate In annual commencement I exercise* next month. Lytnan L. Hann, county school suiterintendant, said today that a definite date for the event h.m not been set, but it will likely be held either on May 17 or 24 Geneva ha* fu-en Mlected a* site of the annual exercise*. The speaker, tho date and other detail* of the event gt® expected to lie announced soon. Mr. Hann also stated today that he had not called a trustee's meeting as yet for the purpose of finally de< iding upon the proposal to form a county school coporation The regular monthly meeting of the trustees will lie held at the county school * superintendent a office in the courthouse on May I.

Price Four Cents

Union Executive Board Will Study Company Offer Os A New Contract BULLETIN New York. April 19.—(UP) —United States stdel common stock ran up $2 and the general list improved with It today on trade reports that a wage agreement had been reached between the corporation and the United Steel Workers. Pittsburgh. April 19 —(UP) — CIO president Philip Murray can-celh-d an exer utlve board meeting of the United Steelworkers today to attend a hastily summoned conference with U S. Steel Corp .representatives on a proposed settlement of 1947 wage demand*. CIO general counsel Lee A. PressI man reported drawing tentative draft of a nqw contract for submission to the negotiators. The eteel union * exe< utive board will meet tomorrow to consider results ot the conference The amouftt of the "big steel” offer was until*' 10-ed But union sources said it exceeded the ll‘» cenijt an hour pay boost accepted by the CIO Electrical Workers from Westinghouse Electrical Corp anti General Motors Corp However, it Was reported, the offer may a|>proximate tin over-all .electrical settlement. Equivalent of an additional 3‘c cents an hour was given t'E member* in six paid holiday* ami Increased vacations. The eteel union executive Itoard will study the offer for two day* ami then fiiake it* rctommendatlon to Hie general wage policy committee of the union final uuthoilty Monday "Packaging" of the offer —th» division between the amount allocated to direct wage* and that granted in other concession* reportedly was the immediate issue before the union President Walter P Reuther of the United Automobile Workers Interrupted a "coordinating” confereuce with Mu ray and steel union oficials yesterday to reject | a 15-cent offer by General Motors. But he *aid he would have further after iie had examined "how it wa* packaged." On non-economic demands, such a* health and welfare insurance, the steel union reportedly wa* ready to accept the termo granted the UE by Westinghouse continued discussion* throughout the "contract year." — — O — —’ — —— Urges Vaccination Against Smallpox Indianapolis. April 19 (UP)— The Indiana state board of health today urged Hoosiers to l>e vaccinated against emall|M>x Dr George M Brother, director iof the board'* bureau of preventive medicine, said the U. S. public health service had warned of an ! outbreak of the disease in New i York City. "This I* another indication of the ' necessity for everyone to avail himself of protn-tlon against title disease by vaccination," Brother «aid. ‘ All healthy infants should Ire vaccinated before one year of age and revaccinated before enter'lug school Revaccination at approximately seven-year interval* and during epidemic* -hould Ineure adequate protection.” Terre Hqute Couple Faces Murder Trial Terre Haute. Ind . Apr. 19 — ft’Pl — Trial of a Terre Haute couple charged with second-de-gree murder in the death ot a three-year-old child they admitted beating and shaking wax set today for June 9. Judge H Dewitt Owen set the date for the trial of Mr*. Ella. Mobley. 21. mother of the dead child, and John Fagan. 23. her lover. r The child. Alice Mobley, died last month of what coroner J. V. Richart said was “external violence." A grand jury indicted tbe couple a week later.