Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 45, Number 99, Decatur, Adams County, 26 April 1947 — Page 1

WxiV. No. 99.

MARSHALL RETURNS FROM MOSCOW PARLEY

Inion Bid To (nd Telephone Hrike Denied I Company Declines 9 Union Proposal To H Hol*e Wage Demand g9l — 9 tfjiw nn - Aprii ■Lament conciliators were re■L trying today American T-1.-l'tome * TeleKL Co to offer striking telecorkers a »'if Increase of n " indication ,h ’’ ■ogjanv would comply; nor was ■L any -'ld-tv- '»••' National ■L,r lltl ,n of T' l-piiori- Workers K accept 11 even if offered BVg'jt that some of the telephone would om>;d»-r an increase K(>m than $« a week watt seen In from Chicago. Vnlon ■trikm off-red to return to work ■t the Illinois ,W1 Telephone Co. ■ r a on-tent hourly increase anil the rest up to $6 weekly UTh» company turned it down. aid it would still arbitrate entire wage demands 9 a union bid to end the walkout, ■ot in its 20th day. was turned flatly at a two-hr Air bargainconference at the labor deKartnent last mrht Halving Its wage demand of sl2 a the union offered to settle |( but a company spokesman the offer was rejected with itrinn attached.” SB Government conciliators were ■aid to feel that a company counin almost any amount be a step toward settle■iNSt, hut the A T AT wni out for arbitration of dis i«u»s on a .ommunity basis. |®iFTW president Joseph A. Reirne the anion still w anted no par t arbitration. H Conciliation officials will have opportunity to present the $3 conference- resume at the department at 10 am. ■uht" conference was between of the AT&T long division and the long lines 9 The negotiations will lie MjMnt today by representatives ■** th- Southwestern Hell Tele--9 '« Co and the Western ElecMtor Co. manufacturing unit of ■* Rell System. 9 John J Morgan, chief of the Mk*C Unaa union, said last night's ■»*f-'ii'.onc had made little proBHF’” Belrnp said he could not ■wribnij- why the company the union's $«; a week 88/I*<>uld think they would Rive ■WJHwation to any offer." he 9®**** s Bring, assistant vice ■J*?' of ,h »' A T A T long BBT* 1 said thes6 figure 'mcceptahh •' to the com91n?\ r^*<! * <1 the ’'"ton's *ase 9. ?’ ,l,h Do •trings attached. ’ 9u- " The AT 4 T 1" »HH ■ ‘ n "‘ to arbitrate. " 9«J*a2 11 * t * We were ,he * e \TTW announced that 9kJ'*7.* a * ,rlke fun 'l c°n--9sUk °f llO.noo from president 9«m Obln ftf th * Team9. Tnbln ‘fid Beirne the 3' 'inn' m, ' ch the con!wo w,M ‘ k " if th * ■ “continued. 1 ll “" TU,I *“C« flared 9*M . 7°' Fl,t « flew »» d 3 14 " di,’ l L^° rI(,M down when 9* "nk.rT r ** d “ n,a ** meeting 9'“* Hmitin? ro , t **' ,n < an tnjunc--91 On * 9* ,r ' l «i: tei.ns five 9*l the onions broke 3~ — _ leadership and 9 ~-- P ’*J; *• e °iumn 1) T° M °nte Marbach 3*pfor' l ft tt * diversity scholaris. ...Ur. 71" J ded to Mon ’* Gpnp 9 N °J. Mr ,nd Mr »- 9. <■' , n,on ‘ownship 9J* ‘he n- glll be graduated ’< , hon| ■ a, " r Jun,or senior '« -nt Jl' T n ’ h ’’X ln - H nMt f a, lH * ‘HI F<,l ’ > ||9 *** Tomorrow w *nn,

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

To Speak Here

9b V’

Lt. James Whittaker, one of the survivors of the Eddie Rick- • nbacker plane crash in the Pacific, will speak at the Decatur junior-senior high school Wednesday morning at 8:13 o'clock.

Rickenbacker Aide Here On Wednesday Crash Survivor Is Speaker At School A highlight in local entertainment will be the appearance here Wednesday morning at 8:16 o'clock at the Decatur junior-senior high school of Lt. James C. Whittaker, of Capt. Eddie Rickcnbacker's raft fame and author of the book. "We Thought We Heard the Angels Sing." Lt. Whittaker, who lived through one of the greatest experiences ever granted to man, comes to Decatur at the invitation of the high school's commercial club, and his talk is presented as one of the feature numbers of the school's assembly programs. W. Ouy Brown, school principal. announced that the public is invited to hear the noted flier and author. No admission will be charged Seven of the eight men who went down in the Pacific were rescued including Capt. Rickenbacker. It was on October IS. H»42. that their plane failed and for the next 21 days they drifted tinder the boiling sun. From his salt-encrusted diary. Lt. Whittaker wrote his famous book. it is a story of men against the sea. of strong tnen turning helplessly to God, and of the miracles God wrought in answer to their prayers. For three weeks thirst, hunger, sharks and the ever-pre-sent shadow of death were their constant companions. Their days were a blinding agony of merciless heat which burned and blistered their tortured bodies. Al night (Turn To Page « Column S> 0 Arrest Youths For Recent Robberies Full Confessions Are Reported By Sheriff Two Berne boys are in custody and an arrest of a third wgs expected to be made today by Sheriff Herman Bowman in clearing up a series of recent robberies. Lynn Sprunger. 20. of east of Berne, and Gordon Farlow. 19. of the same community, are the two apprehended last night and lodged In jail here. Sheriff Bowman said that full confessions had been signed by both boys. The third youth--also a Berne resident —is expectetl to be arrested today, the sheriff stated. Sprunger admitted his part in stealing chickens valued at S2B from the Mrs. C. P. Sprunger home, near Berne: 116 worth of chickens from the John Boice farm, four miles east of Geneva: an auto tire and tools valued at 8100 from Bryant: two rear vision mirrors off an auto in Geneva. He implicated the youth still at large in all of the thefts. Farlow admitted participating in the theft at the Boice farm. Sheriff Bowman said. The chickens were sold to William Cassert at Port land. Sheriff Bowman said he would ask prosecutor Myles F. Parrish to charge Sprunger with grand larceny and Farlow with petty lar ceny, and a grand larceny const (Turn To Page », Column «)

Government Checks Contracts Profits Gambling King Is Being Investigated Washington, April 20 -<<JPl—-—-everal government d-rurtmeats were assembling information today for two congressional committees which are keenly interested in whether Frank Costello and other big time gamblers have been making nice profits out of government contracts. The justice, treasury and navy departments and the maritime commission were checking their records for data on the Aerodynamics llesearch Corp, and its subsidiaries Aerodynamics was chartered here in 1941 as a nonprofit organization working in tiehalf of scientists and chemists. But it turned out that Aerodynamics was the parent company of a group of subsidiaries which were getting fat returns from government contracts. The congressional groups interested In Aerodynamics and its affiliates are the house merchant marine committee and the senate war investigating committee. The merchant marine committee wants to find out why the maritime commission awarded a ship repair contract to the Kensington Shipbuilding A Drydock Co., of Philadelphia, an Aerodynamics subsidiary. without determining whether Kensington was a responsible company. Kensington has been unable to fulfill its contract. The senate war investigating committee lias asked the navy for information on its contracts with Air Tra« k Mfg. Co , College Park. Md., another Aerodynamics subsidiary. The bureau of internal rev eneue has a $2,113,199 tax lien suit pending against Aerodynamics and a $2.(115.927.82 stilt against Air Ttack. George Meader, counsel for the senate committee, said a Washington Times-Herald reporter who firwt reported the activities of Aerodynamics had turned over all his material to the committee. Costello. New York gambler and slot machine king, vigorously denied that he was "top man' in Aerodynamics. He said in a telegram to vice admiral William W. (Turn T<> Page «. Column *) O — Rev. Louis Dornseil Dies Friday Evening Retired Minister Is Taken By Death ■ ■ • The Rev. Louis J. Dornseif. 55, former pastor of tin- St. Peter's Lutheran church east of this city, died at 8:15 o’clock Friday evening at his home in Allen county, four miles southwest of Monroeville. Death was caused by cerebral hemorrhage following a six months illness. Rev. Dornseif served as pastor of the St. Peter’s church from 1927 to 1942. when ill health forced his retirement. He was born in St. Louis November 27. 1891. a son of Ludwig W. and Clara Kunz-Dornself. the family moving to Root township shortly after his birth. He attended Root township grade school and graduated from Concordia college in Fort Wayne in 1912. In 1915 he was graduated from and ordained at St. Tx»uis. Mo.. Seminary. His first charge was at Eagle. Neb., following which he served churches in Cleveland. 0.. Mt. Hope. 0., and Edgerton 0., before coming to St. Peter’s church in 1925. He was married to Selma Christianer September 12. 1920. Surviving are his wife, four children: Mrs. Leona Overton of Birmingham, Ala.. Christiana. Ixtuis B. and Regina, all at home; two brothers. Walter and Edwin Dornseif, both of Fort Wayne: and two sisters, Mrs. E. Witte and Miss Lydia Dornseif. of Kingston. N. Y, Funeral services will be held at 2 p. m. Sunday at the home and at B:3® o'clock at St- Peter's Lutheran church, with the Revs. Karl Hoffman and E E Foelber officiating. Burial will be In the church cemetery. The body will be removed from the Zwlck funeral home to the residence this afternoon.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday, April 26, 1947

Price-Cutting Plan Spreads

J Up 1 x w

PRICE-CUTTING FEVER originating in Newburyport, Mass., when merchants decided to cut ten percent off retail prices. Is spreading to other communities. Here, the mayor of Newburyport. John M. Kelliher (right >, outlines the plan to Boston's Mayor James M. Curley.

Conservatives Win Japanese Election Election Is Severe Blow To Communists Tokyo, April 26 —(UP)— Conservative parlies won a landslide victory in the Japanese national election today as middle-to-right candidates swept into more than 370 of the 466 seats in the Japanese house of represe'itatives. While the tabulation of votes was still in progress late today, it already war. apparent that the Japanese people had returned an overwhelming vote of confidence In the right-of-cepte.* cabinet of premier Sbigeru Yoshida. The premier himself won the highest number of votes tallied so far. with nine of his cabinet colleagues, including vice-premier Kijuro Sliidehara, appearing virtually certain of reelection. Only two other memlters of the present cabinet appeared uncertain of reelection. Communist party candidates faired badly, with only five seats assured. The Kyodo news agency reported that the election returns were a "severe blow to the Communists.” The defeat of Yoshio Shiga, leader of the Communist party and one of the first Communists to hold a diet seat, was a major blow to the (Tarn To Page *. Column 4) A Agreement Reported Near With Chrysler Extended Contract To Expire Tonight Detroit, Apr. 26— (l’Pi-*Chrys-ler corporation and the CIO Auto Workers Union, racing to beat a contract expiration deadline, were reported near agreement today on a 15-cent hourly pay hike for Chrysler's 70.000 production workers. Chrysler, smallest of the "big three" auto makers and the only one facing 30-dav strike notice, began to negotiate In earnest when giant General Motors and the UAW reached the first 1947 wage agreement In the auto Industry Thursday night. The thrice-extended 1946 Chrysler contract expires a! midnight tonight. Negotiators were ck tet-: ed all day yesterday In uninterrupted talks until 1 a. m. this morning and scheduled two bar gaining sessions today. Chrysler negotiations started last October but remained fruitless as both sides awaited setting of the 1947 wage formula In mass | production Industries. The 15-cent pattern emerged as a flat 11’4 h,k< * and < ’ M ”* In holiday pay and other “fringe concessions" during the past month. Agreement I>etween the CIO United Steel Workers and Big Steel last week at 15 rente (Turn To Page 6, Column 7)

John Pickering Dies At Home In Monroe John Pickering, 69, a resident of Monroe for the past 17 years, died at 8:45 o'clock this morning at his home. He wan manager of the White Rose service station in that town. The body was taken to the Lobenstein funeral home. Funeral arrangements have not ’. been completed ' Charge May's Firm ; Cloak For Bribes * ———» Former Partner Os May Gives Evidence Washington. Apr. 26— (UP> — 1 1 A Kentuckian’s disclosure that he broke up a partnership with Anr drew J. May liecause he thought there was "something wrong" set the stage today for prosecution ( attempts to prove the partnership was organized as a cloak for biilx-s paid the ex-congressman. The testimony in the fraudulent conspiracy and bribery trial of i May and three key figures in the Garsson munitions combine war from gaunt, weather-tanned L»--roy Wilson Fields, Sr.. 70. Whitesburg. Ky t It highlighted the end of the first week of the trial which had been proceeding at slow pace j while the government introduced ' a series of (tank ledgers, checks. ' and other papers as foundation : for its case The trial will resume Monday. Fields was the eighth witness called by the government. His testimony that there was "something wrong" in his dealings with May came as he described a partnership growing out of an oral agreement in early 1943. The 1 partnership was formed for the I purchase of a 2.100-acro tract of timberland at $lO an acre, which 1 [ they proposed to cut for milling. The defense has told the jury it would prove that the lumber 1 deal, instead of being a cloak for bribing May, was a legitimate enterprise formed and owned by the Garsson combine. They con-’ tend May was merely the fiscal agent for the outfit. On trial with May are Dr. Henry M. Garsson and his brother Murray, and Joseph F. Freeman, who was head of their field office here. Fields said he never knew anyCT urn To P»s» «. Column 51 Mail Carriers To Meet This Evening Approximately 10® members of the Northeastern Indiana association of letter carriers and the ladles auxiliary are expected to be lin Decatur this evening for the banquet meeting at the Masonic home. A discussion period at 4:30 p.m. will open the followed by the banquet at 6:B® o’clock Members of the local branch, city and rural mall carriers of the De-; calur post office, will be hosts to I the group |

President Truman Greets Secretary; To Report To Nation By Radio Monday

Chinese Communists Free Two Officers Narrowly Escaped Espionage Trial Nanking. April 28—<VP»-Maj. | Robert Rigg and Capt. John Col-1 llns, I'nited States assistant mill-1 tary attaches released by the Chinese Communists yesterday after 55 days of captivity, revealed to ' day that they barely escaped trial for espionage by a "people's I court.” At a news conference, the two men said they were saved from trial on a charge which would carry the death penalty only by the Intervention of Chit Teh, Communist commander in chief. Chit balked the plans of LiLi-San Moscow-trained political advisor to the Communist Manchurian commander, when he ordered that the Americans be released. Rigg and Collins said they were held Tn solitary confinement for 34 days and were repeatedly threatened with torture in an effort to make them confess that they were operating us Kuomintang spies.” Both men said they were given numerous "hearings" before the sot-ailed "tribunal" and that they were repeatedly called liars when they denied the Communist charges. After Chit Teb ordered their release, they were given better treatment. They were even taken on a sight seeing tour of Harbi. • Rigg said the Communists told both he and Collins that they were held as "prisoners of war" pud Insisted that "torture was per mitted under international law" Rigg said that he and Collins were not permitted to communicate with each other. During four individual appearances before the; “tribunal" the Communists "tried to play us against each other.” he said. Rigg said he and Collins, accompanied by an interpreter anti a Chinese driver, moved toward the (Turn To Page S. Column 7) o SIO,OOO In Damages Is Asked In Suit Sues For Death On Railroad Crossing A SIO,OOO damage suit has been filed in Adams circuit court here as result of an autotrain crash January 12. 1948 which claimed the life of Homer Fisher, of this city. D Burdette Custer, as attorney! for Rom l,et*. administtutor of the estate of Homer K. Fisher, filed the action, which names Arthur B. Miller as defendant. The suit avers that Fisher was riding an auto, driven by Miller, over the Pennsylvania railroad tracks at Adams afreet on the date mentioned. It chatges that the defendant wantonly and wilfully drove his Vehicle through the lowered southeast gate Into the path of the engine approaching from the north. It avers that the weather was clear; that the view to the north was unobstructed and that all four of the gates had been lowered to warn motorists of the approaching engine It sets out that Fisher was instantly killed. Suffering a fractured skull, crushed chest and having both arms badly mangled and severed The suit sets out that Fisher left his widow, Agnes und bls children, William. 21. Wayne Sylvester, 19; Catharine Ann. 16; Rcwemary. 12; Sharon Marlene, 9; Carolyn Kay. 8 and Charles Allen. 2, who were dependent upon him for maintenance and support. The suit declares that Fisher was an able-bodied man. who was supporting his family by regular employment and worked at the Wemhoff (Turn To Page 6, Column 6)

Price Cutting Is Spreading To New Cities Signs Pointing To General Levelling OH Os High Prices — By United Press The retail merchants' campaign to overcome buyer resistance by cutting prices spread to new communities Including metropolitan New York today amid signs of a general levelling off of prices. Seven stores in Jackson Heights, a Queens Borough residential sec tion. announced a in percent price reduction effective today. In the east New York section of Brooklyn. 160 stores planned similar price slashes next Tuesday Seveni ty-fivc White Plains merchants ! endorsed the "Newburyport plan" and urged other merchants to join them. More communities from coast to coast adopted the price cut plan ; originated by merchants at New . buryport. Mass., who slashed prices lit percent on a Iti-day trial basis. The newest recruits included Medford and Old Town. Me., and Idaho Falls. Ida. The price cut on a retail level still was criticized by the I'nited States Chamber of Commerce and ! spokesmen for manufacturers and wholesalers association as eco- | nominally unsound However, small cracks were beI ginning to appear in prices at the manufacturing level. The picture included Steel - The New York State Steel Fabricators' Association an- | nounced at Rochester that it ! would seek contract revision with ' big steel producers that might result In a five to in percent price cut to consumers on steel products, including construction materials The association said it would seek quarterly price quotations to replace escalator clauses in present contracts. Household furnishings—Wilbur Norton, president of Montgomery. Ward. A Co., told a stockholders meeting in Chicago that suppliers were offering price cuts in textiles, home furnishings and some durable goods. Radios Some New York c hains slashed prices of small table model radios as much as 40 percent. One (Turn To I‘aae ■: Column fii — o Rector Scholarship To Decatur Student Charles W. Freeby Given Scholarship Charles William Freeby. son of Mr and Mrs. Robert Freeby. of this city, has been awarded a Rector scholarship at DePauw uni- ■ versify, it was made known here today. Freeby. a senior at Decatur' junior-senior high school, is one of 55 winners of the famed scholarship from Indiana. Illinois, lowa. New York. Wisconsin, Michigan, Oklahoma, Nebraska. Maryland and Ohio. The schedarships are valued at $1,400 each for four years at De Pauw and are based on attainment in high school, with special consideration given to character, lead I ership and scholarship. Freeby has been an "A" student at the local school, In addition to participating in a number of extra curricular activities. The $2.250.0«P Rector founds tion is one of the largest singly endowed scholarship grants in the United States. It was established at DePauw in 1919 by ths late Ed ward Rector and Mrs Rector of Chicago.

Price Four Cents

Marshall To Make Report To People By Radio Monday On Moscow Parley Washington. Apr 2«— (I'PI President Truman today greeted secretary of state George Marshall on his return from Moscow and told him he was "well pleased ’ with Marshall's work at the big four foreign ministers conference. "I know that when you make your report to the people," the president said, "they will be well pleased also.” The president cut short a cruise on the Potomac to go out to national airport to greet the returning secretary when his four-engin-ed plane landed here. Marshall told the president h* was "profoundly Impressed” by the president's greeting and by the tremendous crowd at the air transport command terminal i which welcomed hitn home, Marshall said lie took it as a tribute to the efforts he and his associates have been making to carry out the nation's policies. Marshall will make his report to ■ the people in a radio broadcast Monday night at 8:30 p m The broadcast will be carried over all major radio networks except Columbia Broadcasting system As Marshal stepped out of hh plane and looked at the 1.-irgr crowd, he said: "I become more favorably Im p'e-<«f.-d with America all the time. "1 and my associates had an important mission We attempted to do our best in the interests nf the I'nited States and the worl I so people can have the peace of mind and comforts ot life to which they are entitled as soon as possilde ” At the airport with Mr. Truman to greet Marshall were undersecretary of state Dean Acheson: Sen. Tom Connally. D . Tex . ami secretary of commerce W Avet- > ell Harriman. i Marshall said he would confer . briefly with Acheson at the state department and then would leave by ATC plane for Pinehurl. N <’ where his wife is staying at their ; lodge John Foster Dulles. Marshall's Republican advi-er on foreign policy, returned with Marshall He planned to make a ratlin broadcast Tuesday night, probably from New York Dulles declined to comment on the conference He wanted to discuss the trip home He said he thought the big ATC plane set some kind of a record. The plane left Moscow at about 1 p. m . EST. Fritlay and arrived j in Washington at 10-39 a m EST Imlay. The plane stopped in Beri tin. Iceland and Stephensville, Newfoundland. Others on the plane were Benjamin Cohen, state department counsel; II Freeman Matthews. i director of European affairs for the state department. Col. Mar- ' shall Carter. Marshall’s able, and Charles E Bohlen, a foreign service officer. Marshall’s radio report to the people Monday night will last 30 minutes Only CBS declined to carry It. CBS announced in New York that it would not carry the Marshall address, but would .broadcast Its regularly scheduled radio theater, a sponsored program A CBS spokesman said: "The state department set the time without consulting any of the (Turn To P»g>- 6. 'olumn <) St Mary’s River Above Flood Stage Th« St .Mary's river reaches! its greatest depth of the year this morning. Herman Moyer. local river and precipitation observer reported today. The river measured 13 26 Inches at 7 a. m. today. md had broken into neighImrini fields. Flood stage of the river ts It feet. The river waa expected to crey today.