Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 46, Number 38, Decatur, Adams County, 14 February 1948 — Page 1

fol. XLVI. No. 38.

CHINESE REDS DEMAND U. S. WITHDRAWAL

4train Trading I >1 f* 1 Shows Signs lOf Steadying SII e^a 'f Prices In J I Grocery Stores I Still Declining BULLETIN Chicago, Feb. 14—(UP) — I ■ Corn and wheat futures gainI ledat the opening of the board I ■of trade session today, with | I May corn up 2% to 6!/ 4 cents bushel from yesterday's I ■ close. II I Chicago. Feb. 14—(UP) —Some I on the Chicago board of ade believed that today would 111 the story of whether grain ices will continue to drop—caring the retail price of food I ong — or whether the sharpest arket break in history has bein to level off. Trading showed signs of stealing in the big grain pits at Chiigo yesterday and several ex>rts said they believed the slump ay be reaching bottom. Other traders, however, believI that the trend still was downard. Retail pirces in corner grocery ores were still going dowm, reacting the influence of the deine which began a week ago liursday. The Safeway stores as New ork announced that butter was ashed today from 92 to 86 centd pound. Print lard dropped om 28 to 25 cents. Flour was it from 49 to 47 cents for a five >und bag and from 93 to 89 cents r 10 pound sacks. The wholesale price cuts an’unced this week by the big lap manufacturers also was issed onto the housewife. Safeay. for example, reduced prices i detergents such as Vel and rest from 34 to 31 cents. Regur soap flakes and chips such as ory Flakes. Super Suds, Oxydol. id Rinso w’ere cut from 38 to 36 nts. Octagon soap went from cents to 9 cents a bar. Bath aps generally were down five rcent. The fact was. retail prices were ■ing down so fast that the buru of labor statistics at Washingn said they were dropping arther and faster” than the ■ commodity markets. »| Officials of the bureau said wer e indications that some )■■ retailers have made “competitive 111 P r ' ce cut s deeper than would be !| | warranted” by the commodity |ES slump. «g Their interest was aroused so 111 greatly that they ordered an 111 extraordinary telegraphic spot, || | check of retail prices next week || Bin 12 major cities —Atlanta, BosIl I * on ' Cleveland, Chicago, Denver St I Detroit, Houston. Kansas City, *| I Los Angeles New York, Philadel--11 I Phia and Washington. The sur- || | '’ey will cover prices on 20 basic I. foods. Most commodity markets were closed today, including those on livestock, butter and eggs. The grain markets were open for the short Saturday sessions. An important member of the trading group said that as result of the big break in prices ‘‘the market looks a lot healthier. “The end of the break,” in "heat at least, may be at hand.” he said. “Hysetria has disappeared and the market is settling down.” He said that as hysteria was eliminated, farmers and elevator men stopped sending large shipments of grain into the cash markets, realizing that a flooded mar--let would send prices down even further. ■ n Rent Representative Here Next Thursday A representative from the area cent office in Fort Wayne will be a t the poet office building in Decatur on Thursday, February 19. to interview people with problems in re gard to rent control. He will be m the post office from 9 ami. to 3 P m. that day. WEATHER Snow flurries and colder 1 today. Clearing and decidedly 1 oolder tonight. Sunday mostly cloudy and quite cold.

WEATHER

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

No Confirmation Os Robert Scott Death The Daily Democrat and United Prese association at a late hour this morning had been unable to confirm a report that Ralph Scott, for mer Decatur young man, had been killed in an auto accident. file United Press reported an Allan Scott, 19, Bryant, lowa, near Clinton, as a victim. It had been reported here that listeners to an iowa radio station newscast heard the report and believed the victim may have been Ralph Allen Scott, son of Mr. and .Mrs. Ernest Scott, former Decatur residents now living at Clinton, lowa. — o Senate Group Approves Four Year Aid Plan I Senate Committee Approves Fund For Initial 12 Months Washington, Feb. 14 — (UP) — Chairman Arthur H. Vandenberg of the senate foreign relations committee headed today for a showdown fight with senate "revisionists” who want to slash Marshall plan spending. From all indications, the impending battle will pit the Michigan Republican squarely against Sen. Robert A. Taft, R., 0., chairman of the powerful GOP policy committee and a presidential hopeful. Vandenberg's committee unanimously approved late yesterday the authorization of $5,300,000,000 for the European recovery program for the 12 months beginning April 1. ERP spending would be at the •same rate as asked by President Truman who had called for $6,800,000,000 for 15 months. The committee also voted to authorize the 51-month program which the administration wanted, though it did nut put any overall price tag on it. This, said Vandenberg, was the trademark of continuity.” Without specifying any figure, the committee recommended “such appropriations through June 30, 1952, as the congress may subsequently decide.” The committee vote represented a major triumph for the president and secretary of state George C. Marshall, who have urged repeatedly that congress enact, an "adequate” long-range aid program. "I am told,” said Marshall in Knoxville, Tenn., “that a good beginning has been made.” However, there were immediate (Turn To Page 3, Column 8) o Only Two Accidents Reported Overnight Decidedly Colder Weather Forecast Mother Nature went on another rampage last night and combined rain with hail, freezing rain and snow tt> add momentarily to the hazardous driving conditions of the past few days. Only two accidents were reported overnight by city and countypolice authorities, however, and rising temperatures coupled with heavy traffic broke up the slip* pery conditions of the streets and highways early today. With decidedly colder weather forecast for the weekend, there is believed to be little likelihood of driving conditions becoming any worse. 'Cars driven by Harold Baker, 31 Decatur, and T. L. Oberle 31, Washington, 111., collided last night about 11:55 o’clock at the intersection of Madison and Second streets, in an accident atti ibnted to the slippery streets. Damage was estimated at S2O by officer Dale Death, who investigated. Cars driven by Robert Haugk, Decatur, 'and Bruce Liechty, Berne, sideswiped three miles south of Monroe on the tile mill road about 10:30 o’clock last night. Damage to the Haugk car was estimated at $l5O. No estimate was made of the damage to tne other vehicle. The accident was reported to sheriff Herein Bowman.

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FIREMEN SEARCH through the ruins of a bedroom in a fire-ravaged dwelling in Utica. N. Y„ where 11 persons in one family were trapped and killed in a flash fire which reduced their home to smouldering debris. Three bodies were removed from the room shown above.

Miss Margene Bauer Is District Winner Decatur Girl Wins Oratorical Contest Miss Margene Bauer, Adams county’s entrant in the district oratorical contest, won first place in the event, held Friday night at American Legion post 47, in Fort Wayne. By virtue of her victory. Miss Bauer will compete in the zone con test, to be held at Huntington February 26 and, if successful there, in the state event at a later date. Miss Bauer, a junior at the Decatur junior-senior high school, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Bauer, of this city. She is a student in the speech class of the school, taught by Deane Dorwin. By winning last night’s contest, Mls.j Bauer makes another move 'pward, in following the footsteps of her predecessor, Miss Karlann Striker, now a senior at the local school, last year who won the school, county, district and zone events, finally placing second in the state contest. Local persons in attendance at the contest last night reported that Muss Bauer was declared the victor by a substantial margin over her nearest opponent. Miss Martha Carnahan, a student at Fort Wayne Central high school. Miss Hilda Studebaker, Ossian, was awarded bird place and Ralph Reder, Orland. fourth. The winner's topic is “The Constitution —Guardian of the People's Rights.” Miss Bauer was accompanied to Fort Wayne by her father, Ed Bauer; James K. Staley, fourth district Legion commander; Charles Morgan, local post 43 Legion commander; Edward Jaberg, Adams county contest chairman, and Robert S. Anderson, Decatur city attorney who served as one of the judges of the contest. (Turn To Pa#e 5. Column 7) 0 Frohnaplel Rites Monday Afternoon Anna Frohnapfel Is Taken By Death Funeral services will be held Monday at 2 o’clock in Fort Wayne for Mrs. Anna Frohnapfel, 57, who lied Thursday at the Lutheran hospital in that city. The deceased had a number of relatives in this community and was well known here. Her husband, George Frohnapfel, a retired Fort Wayne druggist, is a brother of Dr. H. Frohnapfel, of Decatur. The services will be held at the Scheumann-Van Biuskirk funerfal home and burial will be in the Lindenwood cemetery. She was a member of the St. Paul’s Lutheran church, its ladies aid, the American Legion post 47 auxiliary, all in Fort Wayne. Surviving, besides the husband, are a son, George, at Howe Military academy, and a sister. Mrs. Mildred Floyd, Fort Jjayne. The body may be viewed ar the funeral home after 7 o’clock tonight.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday, February 14, 1948

Probe Ruins Where 11 Died In Fire

Bleachers Collapse, No One Is Injured Some two score or more students of the Pleasant Mills high school escaped serious injury Friday night during the Decatur Catholic- Pleasant Mills basketball game when a bleacher collapsed. Occupants of the bleacher section, which filled one half of the school stage, were mostly girl students of the school. Some jumped, while others slid or fell off the bleacher as it collapsed in a slow’ fashion. A check by school officials revealed no one injured, other than for a shaking up and thorough fright, The incident happened during a preliminary game and delayed play for only a short time. The bleachers, used in a temporary way during basketball games, were immediately dismantled. o Rockefeller Scion Married Last Night Ceremony Held In Palm Beach, Fla. Palm Beach, Fla., Feb. 14—(UP) —Winthrop Rockefeller and the blonde beauty queen to whom he gave one of America’s most famous names began a Valentine's day honeymoon today after a midnight marriage that outdid anything this glittering winter social capital has seen in years. The ceremony uniting Rockefeller and the lovely former Mrs. Barbara Sears. 31. daughter of Lithuanian immigrant parents, began on the stroke of midnight. Fourteen minutes later the Rev. Winslow Drummond, pastor of the First Presbyterian church at West Palm Beach, pronounced them man and wife. The couple left immediately by automobile for a 10day wedding trip. On their return they will take up residence at 770 Park Avenue in New York and Rockefeller will go back to his job with the SoconyVacuum Co. Although the reception gave Palm Beach socialites one of their palmiest days since the end of (Turn Tn Pasrp 3. Column 6>

Neatest THedifatuM, (Very Rev. Msgr. J. J. Seimetz, pastor St. Mary’s Church) "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." Mark IV:9) I In the parable of the sower Christ clearly implies the obligation of hearing the Word of God, the obligation of learning the precepts of the Gospel—the truths of religion. These are learned by hearing, for “Faith cometh by hearing.” They must be learned in order to be observed.. All indeed have heard but not all obey the Gospel. Our Saviour points out the obstacles. Both the mind and heart of some are like the hard beaten ground of the wayside. No seed could penetrate it. They have no faith at all, not believing even for a moment. Then there are those who are like the stony ground. The seed would rapidly penetrate and grow quickly but just as rapidly wither away. Quickly aroused, easily moved, but shallow hearted like the soil above the rock, “these have no roots” and "in time of temptation they fall away.” The third class Christ compares to thorny ground. Fairly good ground but weeds and thorns have been permitted to grow in abundance. There was no space for the good seed to grow. These believe for a time but yield no fruit. They go their way choked with the cares, the riches, and the pleasures of life. Hardened ground, stony ground, thorny ground, and finally good ground. May we, by the mercy of God. be part of the good ground, not only hearing the Word of God but keeping it. Not only believing but also obeying. With earnestness and fidelity, bravely persevering amid crosses and contradictions, sorrows and privations. Thus little by little through our little human life ‘on our little transient earth will we be able to bring forth fruit, and then we will never hear “Depart from Me.” . • •

School Girl Admits Slaying Her Mother Killed In Argument Over School Dance Franklin, N. J., Feb. 14—(UP)— A pretty high school girl admitted to police today that she killed her mother in an argument over whether she could attend a Valentine dance. “I hit her with everything I could get my hands on.” police quoted 15-year-old Marion Russo — an only child, described by neighbors as “a sweet kid.” The body of Mrs. Lillian Russo, 4ff, was found in the blood-spat-tered basement of her home last night, lying in the midst, of broken glass and grocery. At first Marion told police that her mother had fallen down the stars and killed herself. But when police found bloodstains in the bathroom, and evidence that she had attempted to wash bloodstained clothes, they questioned the girl further. After an ambulance doctor found welts and bruises on her. the dark-hair-ed girl confessed the slaying, police said. She said she came home about 5:30 p.m. carrying the corsage she planned to wear to the junior class Valentine dance. She went down to the basement to show her mother the flowers. “You can’t go,” Mrs. Russo told her. The girl said she pleaded with her mother. The argument became bitter. “She knocked me down and then began hittings me with a piece of pipe,” Marion said. "Then I fought back. I hit her with everything I could get my hands on.” Police said bottles, crockery and fruit jars had been smashed against the woman's head. Her feet were crammed into a duffle bag, as though an attempt had been made to dispose of the body. Panicky, Marion ran upstairs to the bathroom, tried to wash the blood from her hands and clothes, police said. Then she went to a neighbor's and said her mother had (Turn To Pass 5. Column

Demand Forces Withdraw As Price Os Safety For Four Captured Marines

Has Little Hope Os U. S.-Russ Accord Marshall Abandons Virtually All Hope Washington, Feb. 14 —(UP) — Secretary of state George C. Marshall has abandoned virtually all hope that the Russians and Americans will be able to “do business” on postwar peace settlements in the foreseeable future—maybe as long as five years, it was learned today. Marshall was represented as believing that there will be no basis for negotiation with the Russians on outstanding issues, let alone a settlement, until the Soviet rulers are convinced that the Marshall plan will help Europe to recover. The Marshall plan is a program and is not expected to “stabilize” Europe economically until the end of that period. It was emphasized, however, that early successes might* bring earlier Soviet overtures to negotiate. This was learned in the midst of several days of intriguing rumors that the Russians already have put out “peace feelers” in an effort to end the “cold war.” The state department says it has “nothing on it.” But the man to whom the “feelers” were reported to have been made —ambassador Robert D. Murphy, political adviser in Germany—has refused to confirm or deny them. Marshall personally gave a hint of his outlook on the prospects of American ; Russian settlement in a speech last night delivered by radio from Knoxville, Tenn., where his plane was grounded, to the national farm institute in Des Moines, la. He told the institute that there must be a “decided change” in the world situation before there will be a "basis” for a “genuine settlement with the Soviet Union.” "If a stable and healthy western Europe can be realized," he said, “the Soviet leaders would be much more inclined to reach a settle(Turn To Page 3. Column 6) 0 — Loren Roth Dies At Home This Morning Attribute Death To Year-Old Injuries Loren Roth, 32, of Monroe, died about 4:30 o'clock this morning at his home. Death was attributed to a hemorrhage and was believed indirectly caused by injuries suffered in an auto accident about a year ago. The young man suffered severe head and Internal injuries on February 6. 1947, when his auto plowed into a stalled semt-trailer truck about a mile south of Decatur. He was hospitalized for a lengthy period and had been ailing since that time. He was born in Adams county on June 9, 1915, the son of Jacob and Eliza Liechty-Roth. His father died 10 years ago. Until injured he was employed at the International Harvester company in Fort Wayne. He was never married. f Surviving, besides the mother, with whom he resided, are the following brothers and sisters: Mrs. Dennis Lantz and Mrs. Alva Smith. Bluffton; Mrs. Mary Rich. Berne; Mrs. Aaron Gerber, Monroe; Vilas, Fort Wayne; Walter, Grabill; Edward, Mrs. Martin Welchle. Mrs. Gerald Liby, Mrs. Melvin Welchle, all of Fort Wayne; Dale of Decatur and Harry of Monroe. One sister and two brothers are deceased. The body will be removed from the Yager funeral home to the residence Sunday noon. Services will be held at 2 p. m. Monday at the Evangelical Mewonite church, near Berne, and burial will be in the ehurch cemetery’.

Nation Hit By Tornado, High Water, Storms Weather Man Hurls Book At Citizens Weary Os Winter By United Press The weather man threw’ the book today at winter-weary America—a tornado that killed at least 10 persons, floods that left nearly 10,000 homeless and ice storms which crippled the middle Atlantic states. Torrential rains followed the tornado at Newton, Miss., causing floods in the surrounding dairy farms and cotton-growing lowlands. Rescue crews searched for more victims in the w’recked homes. Uprooted trees blocked many roads to outlying farms where occupants of 15 to 20 flattened houses were missing and feared dead. Thousands of persons were driven from their homes by floods in the Ohio and Tennessee valleys. They shivered today as temperatures in the flood areas dropped below freezing. Rains were less heavy than expected, but snow and sleet in Tennessee brought new’ misery to an estimated 4,000 persons left homeless by rampaging streams in that state. Roads in West Virginia were inundated. Residents along the Tug and Guyandotte rivers stored their belongings in upstairs- rooms and fled to higher land. Sleet and heavy rain moved up through the Ohio valley into Pennsylvania, New York and New England. Snow fell in Maine. Temperatures were slightly higher in the rain area, but the weather bureau said that fuelshort home owners in the mid* west and east could expect another cold blast on the heels of the storm. The Red Cross at Dayton reported nearly 2,000 persons had been evacuated from their homes in the Ohio valley. Warmer weather loosened ice gorges which added to the overflow into low-lying areas along the big river. Many schools in southeastern ( Turn To Pa uro 5. Column 7) 0 Staley Takes Part In Lincoln Rites Legion Head Back From Illinois Trip James K. Staley, of Decatur, fourth district commander of the American Legion, has returned from Springfield, 111., where he participated in the annual Lincoln pilgrimage. Mr. Staley and Arthur Russell. Kendallville, northern vice-com-mander of the fourth district, represented the Indiana department of the American Legion In the pilgrimage and placed the department's wreath on the tomb of Abraham Lincoln. The wreaths were placed as part of the ceremonies held in Springfield In memory of the late president. The local Legion official was accorded the trip by virtue of his district having won the state membership contest, concluded February 5, for the second consecutive year. National and state Legion officials and Illinois state governmental leaders participated in the ceremonies. Springfield post 32 acted as hosts to the Legionnaires talfehg part in the event.

Price Four Cents

Communists Radio Broadcast'Admits One Marine Slain; Fate Up To U. S. Shanghai, Feb. 14—(UP)—The safety and perhaps the lives of four U. S. Marines taken prisoner on a Christmas day hunting expedition were put on the block by Chinese Conimunists today as the price for a complete U. S. withdrawal from China. A Communist radio broadcast admitted that one marine in a hunting party of five, Pvt. Charles J. Brayton, Jr., whose father is a civilian employe at Fort Jay, N. Y„ ■was killed by the Communists. Brayton died of wounds received during his capture, the broadcast said. The broadcast said the surviving four might be given “clemency” if American forces withdrew completely from China. The fate of the marines, the broadcast said, rests fully on U. S. navy western Pacific headquarters and the U. S. government. It said the marines are being held under orders of “military headquarters for East Shantung.” Those held are Cpl. William L. Pollard, Fort Worth, Tex.; Pfc. Cairol W. Dickerson, Olathe, Kan.; Pvt. Robert Hart, Pitts burgh. Pa., and Pfc. Thomas Kapodistria, Buffalo, N. Y. The Communists said they “captured the five marine stooges without their rifles, wounding one of the marines in the process,” while the Americans were “participating in China’s Civil War.” “The five soldiers of the U. S. marine corps were fighting against the people's liberation army at a spot 33 miles from Tsingtao at a time when the spot was on the very firing lines,” the broadcast said. i Navy and marine spokesmen rejected the Communist charge. They said four of the five men were on an official hunting leave when they were captured. The fifth man. they said, was unauthorized leave. The marines were carrying shotguns and not rifles on their hunting expedition, these sources said. The area mentioned in the Communist broadcast checked with the site of the intended hunting expedition, they said. o Approves Increase To Vels In School * Truman Signs Bill Upping Allowances Washington, Feb. 14 — (UP) — President Truman today signed into law a measure to boost the government’s living allowances to veterans in school to a maximum of $l2O a month. The new higher scale of subsistence payments goes into effect April 1. The veterans’ adminisration said first checks at the higher rate, however, will be delivered about the first of May. Veterans getting on-the-job training are not included in the extra allowances. Neither are farm trainees, interns, or parttime students, the veterans’ agency said. A companion bill for the benefit of on-job trainees is expected to reach the White House iu a week or 10 days. Approximately 2,014,000 former servicemen studying full-time under the GI bill of rights, along with most of the 147,000 disabled veterans in training under a vocational rehabilitation act. will benefit from the bill Mr. Trumayt signed today. The measure raises monthly veterans’ administration subsistence checks from $65 to $75 for single veterans: from S9O to $lO5 for those with one dependent; and from S9O to $l2O for those with two or more dependents. Congress "okayed the boosts In response to a rising clamor from GI college students that it no (iTuru To Page 5. Column 8)