Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 46, Number 44, Decatur, Adams County, 21 February 1948 — Page 1

I. XLVI. No. 44.

U. S. MILITARY AID ENROUTE TO CHINA

Survey Shows |rice Os Foods Being Reduced I Grocers Deciare | Housewives Keep I Pocketbook Shut ■Chicago, Feb. 21. — (UP) — A labor department survey flowed today that food prices reHiced 3-% percent in the last ■onth, but grocers said housewives had clamped onto their ■jeketbooks tighter than ever. ■ Food dealers said housewives ■jparently were cutting their purKases until prices drop even low»r than sipce the big break in the ■mimodity markets on Feb. 4. ■ Ewan Clague, commissioner of the bureau of labor statistics, anBounced the results of a telegraphic survey of prices on 20 ■bods in 12 large cities. ■He said that between Jan. 13 ■nd Feb. 17, food prices dropped percent but “there has not yet ■een time for a clear trend of reSail prices as a whole to emerge. I He said the largest decline was five percent in Chicago. The least ■fas in Los Angeles, where there was no change reported. | The largest price slashes, he ■aid, were on pork chops, lard, ■aeon,' eggs and lettuce. Prices ■pf onions, potatoes, canned toma■oes, coffee and milk were higher Hast Tuesday than on Jan. 13. He said the retail food drop vould reduce the overall cost of iving index l-% percent but rises n other living costs, such as rent ind clothing, might offset the reiuctiop. Whether these (price cuts) are naintained or extended depends argely on the extent to which the drop in primary market prices is reflected in lower wholesale costs of foods in local markets," he said. Housewives, grateful for the slight help in the task of spreading their husbands’ wages through each week, apparently w'ere determined not to let prices rise again. A Milwaukee food store chain reported that it had to cut butter five cents a pound because homemakers virtually had stopped buying at the higher price. One big Boston chain reported that sales fell off 2-% percent last week even though an increase had been expected in view of dropping prices. The American meat institute said it had surveyed the meat price situation and found "sharp declines” from the mid-January highs. The reductions included a drop of 11-% cents a pound for good grade round steak, eight cents for rib roast, 7-% cents for chuck roast, 16-% cents for sliced and packaged bacon, 11-% cents for whole hams, and 7 cents for lard. The daily weighed price index (Turn To Page 6, Column 2) 0 Heidelberg Choir Here Sunday Night The concert choir of Heidelberg College, Tiffin, Ohio, will present a concert of sacred music at 7:30 pm. Sunday in the Zion Evangelical and Reformed church. The choir is composed of 60 voices and is under the direction of Ferris E. Ohl, professor of voice and chorus in the Heidelberg conservatory of music. This musical organization gave approximately 4ft concerts last year, and received enviable commendation from the press, radio, and pulpit for its excellence In musical attainment. It has appeared in practically every city of size in the east and middle west, as well as in many smaller urban centers, and recently returned from its annual between-semester tour which included cities in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. All music lovers of Decatur and the surrounding community are invited to attend the concert, which is open to the public. There will be no admission charge, but a freewill offering will be recived. 0 WEATHER Partly cloudy north and mostly cloudy south today and tonight with occasional light snow or rain near Ohio river. Somewhat warmer north. Sunday considerable cloudiness and warmer.

_______ * _____ DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

President Begins Tour Os Caribbean Praises Relations With Puerto Rico San Juan, P. R„ Feb. 21— (UP) President Truman began his tour of the Caribbean today with a plea to the world to follow the example of the United States ana Puerto Rico in "the democratic way of collaboration between friendly peoples.” He spoke briefly upon arriving at the Isle Grande airport outside San Juan where he was greeted by Gov. Jesus T. Pinero and a large group of Puerto Rican officials and commanders of American armed force units in this area. The president flew here from Key West, Fla., and planned to spend the day. He will visit St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands tomorrow. and sail Monday to the nearby island of St. Croix for a brief stop before turning back toward Cuba and the U. S._ naval base at Guartanamo Bay. Speaking shortly after he stepped from his personal plane, the Sacred Cow, Mr. Truman reiterated his belief in self-government for Puerto Rico and hailed the appointment of Pinero, the first native governor, as a step in the right direction. Praising the relations between the island people and the government in Washington, the president said this "democratic . . . collaboration” represented "what the American people are trying to encourage in the world at large.” He offered the cooperation between Puerto Rico and this country as an example of the fact that “differing languages and differing cultural backgrounds are not an obstacle to democratic unity.” The president's talk was devoted almost entirely to island problems. stating that cooperation between the federal and insular governments should increase. "It should have the form ot friendly help from the continent,’ he said. “It should also be based on the capability of the people of Puerto Rico to help themselves. The progress made on the island in the past few years demonstrates beyond question your ability to do so.” Probably as important as any other point to the Puerto Ricans was his repeated endorsement of increasing self-government for the island. He did not dwell on this point, but acknowledged the appointment of island-born Pinero as a "significant step” toward self-government. Will Award Bid For Police Radio System Officials To Meet Tuesday Afternoon The city board of public works and safety in conjunction with the Adams county board of commissioners will meet Tuesday to award the contract for the new two-way short wave police radio system here. The meeting will be held Tuesday afternoon at 1 o’clock, probably at the city hall, instead of Monday—because the courthouse will be closed Monday in observance of Washington’s birthday. Two bids are under advisement by the officials, those of the Motorola Mfg. Co. and the Link Radio Corp. • Several officials have made trips to neighboring communities using police radio to inspect equipment furnished by the two companies. The equipment is expected to cost about $5,000. The bld of the Link corporation was lower than that of the Motorola company when submitted, but an error was found in the proposal price. The equippient is to include remote control units for the sheriff's office at the courthouse, the city police office at the city hall, interoffice communication facilities, and mobile units in the city police car, the sheriff’s and deputy sheriff’s cars. • The transmitter will be located in the courthouse clock tower and the antenna on top.

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BRAND NEW triplets, renowned as the second set born to Mr. and Mrs. Michael Walker of Syracuse, N. Y., solve the problem of who’s to hold the new baby for the first set on their arrival at home. Patricia holds Margaret Ann, Paul holds his new brother, Martin Stewart and Peter has Mary Cecelia in charge. The Walkers have three other children.

Urge Vets' Social Courses Eliminated Gl 'Leisure Time' Courses Cost Heavy Washington, Feb. 21. —(UP) — As If it weren’t enough that veterans are learning how to rhumba and ride horseback at the government’s expense, house investigators turned up reports today that they soon may be learning to gamble. A house veterans subcommittee has asked H. V. Stirling, veterans administration education director, to find out whether it’s true. Rep. Robert Tripp Ross, R., N. Y., a member of the subcommittee, said the way he heard it a course in dealing blackjack has been okayed for veterans training in Nevada. The subcommittee is studying a White House proposal that congress wipe out not only "social” courses like ballroom dancing, but flight training as well, except where the course is directly related to some prospect of a job. The budget bureau reported that veterans’ “leisure time” courses, with nothing in view but fun, are costing the taxpayers in the neighborhood of $200,000,000 a year. Budget .director James E. Webb said he doesn’t believe that is what congress had in mind when it agreed to foot the bill for the education that veterans missed while in service. One state has approved a GI course in “applied horsemanship.” What is more, Webb reported, it comes by mail. He said that of the 118,000 Gl’s learning to fly, less than 10 percent have pilot jobs in mind. The administration’s proposal dropped like a bomb in a hearing room full of flight school operators who had come from as far as Texas and California to voice their complaints against the veterans administration. The operators, including speed flier Col. Roscoe Turner, who runs a school in Indianapolis, were protesting an order curtailing flight (Turn Tn Pn3. Column 6) 0 Partial Suspension Os Business Here On Washington Birthday Business will be partially suspended in Decatur Monday in observance of George Washington’s birthday. The post office will be closed all day and only customary holiday business will be transacted, including the delivery of special delivery mail. The bank will be closed, as will all offices in the county courthouse. The birthday of the first president actualy falls on Sunday. February 22, but the legal observance will be staged the following day, Monday. No official commemoration of the event has been reported, but numerous parties, school programs, etc., have been staged for the past several days in conjunction with the celebration.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday, February 21, 1948

Second Set Os Triplets Arrive Home

Firemen Make Run Here This Morning Firemen made a run to the Tom Lambert residence, 408 North Second street, about 10:40 o’clock this morning to extinguish a roof fire. Little damage was done. Milder Weather Is Weekend Forecast Warn Another Cold Spell Headed South By United Press The Yazoo river, six of whose tributaries have surged over 400,000 acres of rich northern Mississippi cotton land, was expected to reach a crest today near the virtually isolated city of Greenwood. Greenwood residents went about their business calmly today, but kept careful watch over the wall of sandbags that was their only protection against the river which rose past the 40-foot mark last night. Weather forecasters, meanwhile, told residents of the northern states that the weather would turn mild during the weekend. They warned, however, that another cold spell was on its way down from Canada. They sajd that temperatures would soar into the 40’s today and tomorrow in the northern plains and Great Lakes states and that the warm air would reach the Atlantic coast by Monday. The coldest spots in the nation early today were Pembina, N. D„ International Falls, Minn., and Land O’Lakes, Wis. The temperature dropped to 20 degrees below zero in all three places. The (Turn To Page 6, Column 8)

lenten UtecUfatiw (Rev. D. H. Pellett, Union Chapel Evangelical United Brethren) “The Treasure and The Pearl” "Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hid in a field; the which when a man found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.” Matt. 13:44. Please read Matt. 13:44-46. The kingdom of Heaven is so great that Jesus used many parables or illustrations to explain its many sides and aspects. In this chapter there are seven such parables, some of which have been discussed in these meditations They start with the seed, which is the Word of God; then the sower: then the t<nv «°ed which prodcced the great tree; the saturating power of the king’ ■dom, like leaveni; the enemy also sows seed, and in the same tie d with the Word; finally he climaxes the series of parables with the treasure hid in the field and the pearl of great price. “The kingdom of Heaven Is like a treasure hid In a field.” Christ is that treasure! There is a whole field of human endeavor where Christ may be found and He can not be separated from that field; to acquire Him we must acquire the field. This treasure is of such great worth that all else may well be sold out to the priceless value of this one! "The kingdom of Heaven is like unto a pearl of great price.” The seeker after goodly pearls understands real values, when he sees them; when he finds one pearl of great price he will sell all of his former pearl possessions and buy that one pearl. Christ is the Pearl of great price. This gem is of such superior worth that we can well afford to sell out all our inferior gems in favor of this one. Jesus advised the rich young man to sell all that he” had and give to the poor, with the assurance that he would find treasures in Heaven. The purchase of the richest, necessitates the selling out of that which is of lesser va’ue, and this is to our advantage, for the cheap will always clash with splendor! Let us remember that the treasure, the pearl of great price, can be had for the asking, if we are willing to sell out that which cheapens the soul in favor ot that which will enrich.

Indiana Republican Editors In Meeting Governor Candidate Os Highest Interest Indianapolis, Feb. 21 — (UP) — Political observers believed today that the GOP gubernatoral waters would be muddier instead of clearer after Indiana Republican editors go. home tonight from their midwinter business meeting. On the surface, the annual oneday get-together of the Indiana Republican editorial association was a routine session to elect 1 officers, shake hands and hear a political speech by Rep. Chapman Revercomb, R., W. Va. But actually it was the first big opportunity since last September’s French Lick outing of the IREA for the GOP leaders to chew the fat about the race for the nomination for governor which is shaping up in preparation for next summer's nominating convention. Campaign headquarters were established for the IREA meeting by Lt. Gov. Richard T. James and house speaker Hobart Creighton, the two announced candidates for governor, and lieutenants of at least two other possible candidates were scurrying around the Claypool hotel sounding out sentiment on the subject. The concensus was that there will be just as many perplexed Republicans tomorrow as they were yesfcrday — people asking the question “who will be the nominee'?? without a hint of an answer. The two unannounced Republicans viewed as possible nominees were Sen. William E. Jenner and Former Sen. Raymond E. Willis. Jenner has been mentioned for months but has evaded efforts to (Turn To Page 5, Column 7)

State Department Tells Congress Some Surplus War Goods Sent Chiang

Ask Rehabilitation Os Youthful Killer Defense Attorney Asks State To Aid Chicago, Feb. 21 —(UP) — Defense and prosecuting attorneys conferred today on tht possibility of “rehabilitating” Howard Lang, 13, on trial for killing a playmate, if he changes his plea to guilty. Samuel Andalman, Lang’s attorney. said he would change the plea if authorities made adequate plans for the care and rehabilitation of Howard. The boy is charged with killing Lonnie Fellick, 7, in a forest preserve last Oct. 18. "I do not want Howard roaming the streets again,” Andalman said, “but on the other hand, I don’t want him thrown among hardened criminals either.” Andalman met with attorneys from the district attorney’s office in the chambers of judge Daniel A. Roberts today in an effort to make necessary arrangements. Joseph Ragen, warden of the Illinois penitentiary, Clarence Farber, director of the prisons and Dr. Roy G. Barrick, prison system psychiatrist, were asked to attend the conference. Andalman made his suggestion for Lang’s rehabilitation after the state introduced two confessions signed by Lang and rested its case. Assistant state’s attorney Alex Napoli indicated at a conference yesterday that the proposal would be aceptable. In making his proposal, Andalman said he is more interested in the sociological aspects of his case than in what happens to Lang individually. Lang, the youngest murder defendent in the history of Illinois, could be given a minimum ,isentence of 14 years if convicted. He would be eligible for parole at the age of 17. Roberts said that attorneys throughout the nation have followed the case closely because of the (Turn ’T'n Paar* 6. Column 5) 0 Motion Filed Here To Reject Contract New Motion Made In Country Club Suit Attorneys for the executor in the estate of Paul Schulte have filed in Adams circuit court a motion to strike out and reject a contract as the latest step in the widely known "Country Club suit.” Hubert R. McClenahan. local attorney and executor of the estate, is plaintiff in the action. Calvin Yost, Burdette Custer, and a long list of other persons and firms are defendants in the suit. In this latest motion, the plaintiff asks the court to strike out and reject the contract sued upon and referred to in defendant's affirmative paragraph of answer, marked exhibit A. The motion asks the rejection for the reason that “it unnecessarily encumbers the record and clouts the issue as the burden is upon the executor to show that at the time of the death of Paul Schulte he was the owner of the real estate in question.” and “That the contract referred to as executed by Calvin Yost of Decatur, as seller and D. Burdette Custer, of Decatur, as the buyer, is purely collateral to the issue.” The motion concludes that “as aforesaid, the burden being upon the executor to show the real estate is subject to the payment of debts, and therefore, that the title was in the deceased at the ime of his death.” In the original action, the suit asks that a purported deed be set aside and declared a mortgage upon a SII,COO loan. The firm of Moran & Abraham filed the motion as attorneys for the plaintiff.

Communists Demand Full Czech Control Communist Leader Charges Western Spies To Blame Prague, Czechoslovakia, Feb. 21 — (UP) —Communist Premier Klement Gottwald charged today that spies from the west were undermining the Czechoslovakian government and supporting anticommunist ministers whose regienations caused a cabinet crisis. Gottwald made his accusation in support of communist demands that they be given full control of the government and be permitted to create an iron curtain police state to prosecute “foreign spies and saboteurs.” He spoke before a communist rally of 80,000 persons in the old town square of Prague. He charged the cabinet crisis, which resulted from yesterday’s resignations, was precipitated by noncommunist ministers who were trying to “destroy the police and armed forces" because they were prosecuting foreign spies. Gottwald is leader of the ninemember communist bloc in the 26man Czechoslovak coalition cabinet which has been ruling the country under an uneasy political truce for 30 months. The non-communist ministers who resigned, he said, represent reactionaries trying to block the government program of socialist reforms and cancel “the accomplishments of the revolution." Gottwald demanded creation of a new government of “progressive elements of all parties and organizations" and the holding of elections within the officially appointed period—the first Sunday before May 26. Gottwald also proposed appointment of "action committees” throughout the country to provide the‘basis of a new national front modelled on the all-party coalition from which the government was formed. The crisis broke into the open (Turii Page 5. Column 7> 0 10 Persons Hurt In Explosion In Cairo Moslem Celebration Is Explosion Target Cairo, Feb. 21—(UP)—At least 10 persons were injured last night when attackers who may have been Zionists blasted a Moslem brotherhood celebration marking departure of 50 volunteer Arab fighters for Palestine. Arab sources immediately charged the attack was a plot against the life of Sheik Hassan Banna, chief of the Moslem Broth arhood, who was scheduled to appear at the celebration but arrived five minutes after the blast The explosion rocked Cairo and shook the walls of houses fully three miles away. It wrecked a house, only 200 yards from headquarters of the brotherhood, where the celebra tion was to have been held. Seven other nearby buildings also were damaged. Five cars out of a 20-car convoy scheduled to carry the Moslem fighters from Egypt to the Palestine battleground were damaged in the blast. The cars were parked in the courtyard of the blasted house. The departure ot the Holy Land fighters was scheduled to be celebrated by a supper at which Sheik Banna was'to preside. However, he was delayed 10 minutes, thereby escaping possible death.

Price Four Cents

Several Contracts Approved To Send Military Aid To Chiang Government Washington, Feb. 21. — (UP) — New American military aid, including planes and ammunition, was on the way today to Chiang Kai-Shek’s antl-Communist forces in China. The state department revealed in a memorandum to the house foreign affairs committee that several contracts have been approved to send the Chinese goverment surplus U. S. war goods. Chiang will be asked to pay only a fraction of what the goods originally were worth.. Some of the supplies, it was said, already are enroute from Pacific island bases. Disclosure of the contracts appeared to be the state department’s answer to congressional critics who have denounced the new $570.000.000 Chinese aid program as “inadequate” because it does not provide for military supplies. Diplomatic sources said a Chinese mission also received assurances recently that the U. S. army will scour the Pacific for additional planes which might be made available to the Nationalist government. China will get the war materials at a small fraction of their original cost. One contract, the house committee was informed, turns over to China goods originally valued at several million dollars. The Chinese will pay only 12% percent of that. Another contract signed last month provides for the transfer of ammunition now located in the Marianas in the Pacific. For this, China will pay but one cent on the dollar. It was learned that 80 fightet planes have been earmarked for the far east under the surplus property program. The foreign affairs committee yesterday postponed action on a move to call for testimony from Gen. Douglas MacArthur, American occupation commander in Japan, and Gen. Claire Chennault, former U. S. air chief in China. Meanwhile, both the house and senate were in recess until Monday, but there were these developments: Party feud—Rep. William M. Colmer of Mississippi, leader of the southern Democratic bloc in the house, said the southerners aren’t out "to make a deal with the party’s high command. They want "satisfaction," he said, that President Truman will withdraw his controversial civil rights program. Reds —The chairman of a house unAmerican activities subcommittee said that if attorney general Tom Clark doesn’t like congressional proposals for curbing Communists, then he ought to come up with one of his own. Rep. Richard M. Nixon. R., Cal., said it is up to Clark “to do something more than merely criticize the bills before us.” Rents —Senators of both parties W'ere taking pot shots at a bill to extend rent controls for 14 months with a few modifications. Sen. Spessard L. Holland, D., Fla., said he’s in favor of pussing a 30-day extension, similar to the cfne under consideration in the house. Sen. Eugene D. Millikin, R., Colo., assailed a provision in the senate bill that would make violators of the rent control law liable to fines and jail sentences. The penal(Turn To Page 5. Column 7) $200,000 Fire Loss In Clinton Building Clinton, Ind., Feb. 21 — (UP)— A fire which destroyed a large business building and threatened an entire block caused damage estimated today at nearly $200,000. Totally destroyed was the White building, housing a drug store, a beauty shop, an electrical store, a doctor’s office and a dentist’s office. A dress shop next door and a department store a short distance away were saved by firemen.