Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 47, Number 15, Decatur, Adams County, 19 January 1949 — Page 1

,|. XLVII. No. 15.

NATIONALIST CHINA MAKES NEW PEACE BID

U. S. To 1 Welcome Offer from Russians ■ Any Constructive ■ Cooperative From fl Russia Welcome Jan. 19.—(UP)—I i secretary of state Robert A. said today the United States XiM welcome any constructive from Russia to prove j K sincerity of the so-called Soviet! offensive.” Hint Lovett noted that there has! Kn no direct communications Bin any government on the mat- ■, and that it was apparent at Bs stage that comments were only Bning from individuals. Bje said in response to questions i ■ a news conference that this) Hrernment naturally is very much ■erested in recent communist Btements that better relations possible between the east and BjOVett said events and actions on ■ part of the Soviets would of be regarded as a welcome of the good faith underlying communist comments. speeches were made the week-end by French and communist leaders. Bn addition an article in the 1 “information bulletin” of Soviet embassy here said that bitter relations could be establishbetween the United States and Blean G. Acheson takes office as Wretary of state tomorrow. Lovett to stay around until his budget director James ■ebb is confirmed by the senate next week. BAclieson was confirmed yesterBfhe veteran diplomat, whose Mmination finally was approved by the senate yesterday S 3 to 6. has blen briefed on recent foreign policy developments by acting secreof state Robert A. Lovett. Bn addition, state department offilials have drawn up reports for dealing with virtually every nAjor foreign affairs problem conthe United States. ■Acheson's associates said the |Hw secretary would weigh recent “peace feelers" carefully against Shviet actions in Berlin and other of east-west tension. Bfalk of a Russian “peace often’■te stems from conciliatory by French and Italian Communist leaders during the and from an article in the current "information bulletin" the Soviet embassy in WashingBl’he honeyed words were receivH with cautious interest in diplocircles here. But officials Htphasized that so far this country has had no direct “peace" bid Bm Moscow. BSonie state department experts Soviet affairs believe the feelmay be motivated by a desire head off the proposed north At- j Wtic security pact. That agree-] now under negotiation tn’ would bind the United Bates and some western European Mtions in an alliance against ag■These experts also feel the Krem may be resorting to soft talk in (Turn To l , .nrc F.luht* leadership School To Close Thursday Bnclement weather kept three of th> instructors of th® leadership training school being held the last Wfe weeks at the First Presbyter church here from Heine presen' night and the school seswas postponed. final session of the three’"ks course will be neld Thurs lay and will be featured by a Bok review by Mrs Helen How Bd- well-known Fort Wayne woBn. which is open to the public. Bis part of the program will start ■ " 45 o'clock and will he held in Be auditorium of the Presbyt ■tian ] of a Biblical pi ture will Blbiw the book review, the Rev [ B H Willard, dean of the si hool B>d. and then the final class sesB*ns will be held. | WEATHER ill Cold wave tonight with tern- ■ pe-atures falling to 5 below ■ zero in the north and 5 above ■in the south. Fair tonight and ■ Thursday. Continued cold I I Thursday and Thursday night.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Gigantic Search For Plane Is Continued Hamilton. Bermuda, Jan. 19 — (UP)—The gigantic air-sea search of 750,000 square miles of Atlantic ocean between Bermuda and Jamaica was pressed for the third day today for the British airliner "Star Ariel" missing with 20 persons aboard. More than 80 airplanes and 26 ships scoured the area in the ’tope that survivors found safety in life preservers or life rafts when the plane presumably crashed Monday morning on a flight from here to Kingston. Jamaica. No Americans were aboard. 10 Seamen Die, Eight Hissing After Collision 19 Os Coastguard Icebreaker Crew Injured In Crash New York. Jan. 19 — (UP) —The coastguard icebreaker Eastwind, swept by fire after colliding “Ith an oil tanker in a pre-dawn fog, i was abandoned in the Atlantic ocean today with 10 of its crewmen i dead, 19 injured and at h ast eight missing. Ships arriving at the scene 98 miles southeast of New York off i Cape May. N. J„ picked up 92 stir- | vivors from the East wind, which carried between 110 and 120 crewI men. No victims were reported from the tanker, the S. S. Gulfstream, whose bow was stove in when it struck the Eastwind amidship near the chief petty officers quarters in the dense fog. Seventeen of the injured were aboard the freighter S. S. Suzanne, which left .for New York where it was expected about 3:30 pin. Two suffered third degree burns and the other 15 lesser burns. The S. S. Junior, operated by the ' United Fruit company, started for New York la'er with 75 survivors, two of whom were suffering from I burns. Two coast guard planes circled I the area looking for more surviv- ; ors. The coast guard was short of search planes because of the large number sent to the Caribbean to hunt for a British South American Airways plane missing with 20 aboard on a flight from Bermuda to Jamaica. Scores of ships hastened to the area. The coast guard denied earlier reports that amateur radio operators had jammed channels while ships were trying to communicate with each other on the Eastwind's distress calls. The Eastwind was built at San Pedro. Calif., in 1941 for war duty. Its nose was filled with concrete to (Turn To I’nirr I’luhd Employment Shows Drop In This City Payrolls Also Show Decrease In Month Employment in Decatur s six major industries during December was 4.8 percent lower than the previous month, according to the monthly business barometer of the Chamber of Commerce, distributed today. The December figure was 1,418. contrasted with 1.480 in November and 1.708 a year before. The industrial payroll in these industries was 8 4 percent lower than the | previous month and 16.1 percent below the December. 194,. figure. Births outnumbsred deaths 51 to 6 during the month and railway express shipments registered a 221 percent gain over November. Other figures in the report, including a comparison with the previous month: Electric meters. 4.175, gain of 1 percent: gas meters. 1.967. gain of .6 percent; water meters. 2.161. gain of •’> percent; telephones in service (including ruraD. 4.817. gain of .08 percent; cases of poor ! re let 16. gain of 25 percen': car ; loadings in. 874. loss of 5L7 per cent; carloadings out. 1.188. loss of 6.2 percent; postal receipts. $8,987. loss of 35.9 percent; building permits issued, three; value. 115.550.

Truman Makes Peace Keynote For Inaugural Festive Crowds At Nation Capital For Truman Inaugural Washington, Jan. 19. —(UP)— President Truman made peace and a strong party organization the catchwords of his inaugural celebration as the Democra'ic faithful gathered here today for one of the greatest political occasions of our times. Mr. Truman will be sworn in offic e for a four-year term at 11 a.m. CST tomorrow. Right now he is in the midst of an hour-by-hour program of breakfast, luncheons, dinners, receptions and handshakings. The three-day presidential schedule would wilt many younger men. Mr. Truman loves it. Tomorrow he leads the parade. The big doings began last night at a sls-a-plate Truman-Barkley club dinner at the Mayflower hotel. Mrs. Truman, daughter Margaret and some 2.000 of the 10,000 who would have liked to have gotten in. heard the president call for a 1 vigorously active Democra'ic par|tv organization. He pleaded also for unity of all Democratic fac- | lions "to get things done, to get the peace in this world and that we are going to have.” The banquet was as happy as a circus full of kids. Most of the | whooping cheering audience of men and women were in Mr. Truman’s corner when the chances | of victory looked slimmest. Vice president-elect Alben W. Barkley spok e first. “Some (people feel that a political platform is something to get in on but not to stand on.” he ' said, “But neither the president i nor I can take such a supercilious view. . ." Barkley came to the dinner fresh from his last chore as senate Democratic leader and it had been an embarrassing thing. Half a dozen southern and border-state Dem- ! ocrats joined with senate Renubj Hears to refuse exemption of tickets to various Truman-Barkley in- ' augural functions from the 20 nercun' federal amusement tax. That incident clouded inaugural week good feeling. It reminded all hands that there are political battles to come. Mr. Truman spoke off the cuff. $ Turn Tn I’ntre 9»w»ll)

Stratton Residents Seek Street Lights Petition Is Filed With City Council Twen'y residents of the Stratton place addition have petitioned the city council for the installation of street lighting. The petition, signed by Charles C. Langston and others. was submitted to the council at its regular meeting Tuesday night and referred to the electric light committee in conjunction with the light superintendent. Also referred to the committee was a petition for rural line extension submitted by William L. Frisinger, of Root township. The council approved two agree ments between the city and rural property owners for line extension. The contracting parties are Homer Liby. of Root township, and James and Laura Huddleson. cf Washing ton township. Fire chief Cedric Fisher appear Hum a<» ruur Five) — Mrs. Sadie Garard Dies At Hammond Word has been received here of the death last week of Mrs. Sadie Garard. 74. at her home in Ham mond. where funeral services and burial were held Saturday. Her husband. James Garard. died several years ago while the family resided in Chicago. They were former residents of Decatur, an I Mrs. Garard was born in Pleasant Mills. Survivors include two brothers. Joseph Roop of Hammond and H. IG. Roop of New York, and two sis- ' ters. Lula Cordua of Hammond and Bertha Cordua of Tinley Park. Robert Garard of this city is a 1 nephew.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, January 19,1949

Former Truman Partner Attends wr” - fc .iff - EDWARD JACOBSON, former haberdashery partner of President Truman, and his wife and daughter Gloria leave St. Loui , Mo., to at end presidential inauguration in Washington.

Worst Cold WueOl Si o !™"’™’

Wider Hits Nation Sends Temperatures Falling Below Zero By United Press The winter’s worst cold wave sent temperatures plunging below zero from Washington state to the Great Lakes today. Temperatures sank to 39 below zero in some sections as the cold wave swept eastward on the heels of a storm center that kicked up a tornado in Mississippi, a blizzard in the northern plains, and covered wide areas with dangerous sleet. Today, the storm center lashed across Michigan, heading northnortheastward. Winds up to 60 miles an hour were docked at Flint. Mich. The mercury was below or near zero as far south as Arkansas. The fast-moving cold front caused a three-minute tornado to whip through the farming community of Caledonia. Miss. The twister killed one person and injured 13 others, two critically, as it ripped through the town of 1,900 population. Twelve inches of snow fell in parts of Missouri, Kansas and lowa, crippling communications throughout the area. Half of Springfield. Mo., was darkened when the weight of sleet and snow broke power Hnes. In the St. Louis area. 5,000 homes were cut off from electric service for a time and a sheath of ice stopped all streetcars for 40 minutes. The sleet and icing conditions extended from Oklahoma, southern Kansas and Missouri through Illinois and Indiana. Southwestern Bell Telephone, still trying to repair 231 long distance Hnes torn down by a storm last week, said the new load of sleet and ice slashed 151 additional lines and caused (Turn I'o I'nijr Two I Scouters Plan For Annual Seoul Week Me2t Thursday To Plan Observance Adams county Scouters will make final plans Thursday night at 7.3'» o'clock at Decatur high school for Boy Scout week in Decatur February 6 to 12. Clarence Ziner, Adams county district chairman, announced today. Mr. Ziner. district commissioner Steve Everhart and Scoutmaster Lowell Smith will have charge of Thursday's meeting. Preliminary plans already announced call for the opening of the week's observvance with all Decatur Scouts attending church in a body. The local Scouts will be guests Sunday morning. February 6. at the First Presbyteriin church, with the Rev. A. C. E. Gillander delivering the sermon. Another activity scheduled for the week will be a joint meeting at the Masonic hall Tuesday night. February 8. at which time the Lions and Rotary clubs and the American Legh n will be joint hosts to the Scouts. Other plans for the week, which I will include all troops of the county ’ will be made at the Thursday night meeting, it was announced

Lawrence Anspaugb. local photographer, had charge of the Lions club program Tuesday night, showing a film on present day China and that coun ry's participation in World War 11. Following the presentation, a district meeting of the Lions chib was held, attended by officials of other groups in the area. Congress In Recess Pending Inaugural Seek Showdown On Taft-Hartley Repeal Washington, Jan. 19 — (UP) - Congress marked time today pending the inauguration of President Truman tomorrow. The senate and house were in adjournment but the members were busy, nevertheless, receiving inaugural visitors from their home states. One of the new developments on capitol hill was a statement by chairman Tom Connally that the nomination of James E. Webb to be under-secretary of state probably will be considered by his senate foreign relations committee next Tuesday. Webb is now budget director. Meanwhile. Sen. Claude Pepper. D. Fla., said he would seek an early phowdown within the senate labor committee on the Taft-Hart-ley repealer. He told his colleagues he is prepared to move Friday for approval of a bill which would repeal the present law and re-enact the old Wagner labor relations act. But Sen. Robert A. Taft. R.. O. immediately served notice that he is ready to block any attempt by Democrats to bring out a new labor bill without holding committee hearings. He told committee members 'hat if Pepper goes through with his plan, he himself will offer a long list of amendments to the repealer. This, he said, will prevent the committee from taking premature action on it. In other congressional develop ments: Minimum wage— House Democratic leaders said that legislation to increase the national minimum wage from 40 to 75 cents an hour may be one of the major bills to pass the house this session. Chair man John Lesinski. D.. Mich., o! the house labor committee wi 1 introduce such a bill later this week. He said the committee probably will act on it next week. Espionage — Chairman Pat M<Carran. D.. Nev., said his senate judiciary commit'ee will go slow on approving legislation to auth orize wire-tapping by U. S. intel ligenep agents. He said he wants lo lie sure the 'exceedingly sacred' rights of I’. S. citizens won't be hurt. The wiretapping au'horiza tion is part of a sweeping new hi!' de-iened to plug loopholes in th? present espionage laws It was in traduced by McCarran yesterday on the recommendation of at:or ney general Tom C. Clark.

Asks Communists For Immediate Cease-Fire And Peace Conference

Temperatures Drop Sharply Here Today Only Slight Damage Reported In Storm The temperature dipped into the twenties today as Decatur and much of the state recoiled from Tuesday night's fierce wind and rain storm. Winds, which subsided greatly in the early morning hour - - '■•'■ci - tered gusts up to 85 miles pe: h u in parts of Indiana, and trees and utility poles in Adams county cracked under the strain. Electric circuits in Root and Union townships were knocked out by the storm at the height of its fury, but the city light and power company said all was under con trol by noon. Scattered cases of telephone failures were reported to the Citi zens Telephone company here, mostly caused by the wind sever ing wires leading to individual homes. A telephone company spokesman said repair work would probably be in progress all day and possibly extend into the night. Damage to communications was described as “nothing unusually serious," and it was reported that no one area was hardest hit. Branches and entire trees fell be fore the wintry gusts within the city and in rural areas. A fallen tree blocked the Bellmont road for some time late last night, but the sheriff and volunteer workers were able to drag it out of the way. The St. Mary’s river was more than two feet above flood stage to day. reaching a level of 15.1 feet. Local weather observer Herman Meyer said precipitation for the 24 hour period ending at 8 a.m today was 1.32 inches. Wind was blamed for a power failure which caused a $250,000 fire and minor explosions in a pumping station of the Big Inch pipeline near Batesville. Several windows were blown out of St. Francis hospital at Beech Grove, forcing the removal of several patients to other quarters. The weather bureau at Indiana polis warned that the mercury would skid to zero in Northern In Murder Conviction Os Boy Set Aside New Trial Ordered For 13-Yeor-Old Lad Springfield, 111.. Jan. 19—11'1’1— The Illinois supreme court today set aside the murder conviction of Howard Lang. 13. Chicago’s young est confessed murderer, and order ed a new trial. Lang, who pleaded guilty to kill lug his seven-year-old playmate Lonnie Fellick, in a forest pre serve outside Chicago, was sen enced to 22 years in the stati penitentiary. The supreme court questioned the boy's ability to know “good from evil." and said there was ’considerable nusunderstaniiine' at the trial. “We find here a hoy of •' of 12 years charged with '< offense, whose competenee ' • un lerstand the nature of the charge was never adequately established, whose capacity to commit the •rime was not established . . . ind who had a defense worthy of consideration by a jury. “Under such circumstances, it seems the better way would have been to submit the case to a jury.” he court said. Lang confessed on Nov. 2. 1917. ifler a newsboy told police that Larg asked him to save clippings about Fellick's slaying. His play mate's body was found in a clump >f bushes outside Chicago in October. 1947. He had been stabbed m.l his head and chest were cut with a slab of concrete. Lang told police he killed Fel’irk after he and a third boy had indulged in sexual perversions In court. Lang at first pleaded innocent but later his attorney. Samueal Andalman. pleaded guilty (Tara Ta Page Flset

Doubt Indiana Assembly Vi Pass Vet Bonus Legislature Asked To Extend Closing Hour For Taverns Indianapolis, Jan. 19 — (UP) — The Indiana legislature was asked i oday to extend the midnight dos-; ing hour for taverns so Hoo iers could drink into the early morn-’ ing hours. Reps. Harold Korn. IL, Fort Wayne, ami James S. Hunter, D., East Chicago, proposed in a house bill that the closing hour be 1 a.m. on week-days and 2 a. m. on Sundays ami holidays except election day. The bill was introduced amid pessimistic reports from Sen. Walter Vermillion, leader of the senate Democrats, that he was “afraid” the legislature might end its session without enacting a sol dier bonus bill. Among other new measures introduced today were a new legisla'ive reapportionment plan, a proposal to let state employes join unions and bargain collectively, and another to outlaw cap pistols. An expected battle on the time standardization issue failed to materialize in the senate when Sen. O. Bruce Lane. R , Bainbridge. author of a central standard time measure, asked for a delay nil'll Friday of arguments on the bill. It had been called for a special order of business I hi’ morning. Sen. Milford E. Anness, R.. Metamora. introduced a reapportioninent resolution which he termed “a compromise between the plans suggested by the cities anil the counties." It would establish a Iti-member senate, with each mem her representing two counties The house would be comprised of |(»0 members, as at present, with representation based on population census of both men and women. Reps. Henry A. Kreft. R.. Michi can iCty. and Howard S. Steele. 11. Knox, offered a hill to amend 'he 1939 anti fireworks law to include cap guns. Author of the bill to allow state employes to organize was Sen Edmund F. Makowski. D.. East Chicago. But the bonus issue s'ill was the most talked about in the assent Idy. While Vermillion expressed pessimism of the chances of a bonus ll'urtt To Pfieo Mrs. Nora E. Gilpen Is Taken By Death Funeral Services Here On Thursday Funeral services will he held a 1 •he First Methodist church in thi--Vy Thursday afternoon for Mrs Norn Esther Gilpen. 73. f inner resi dent of Decatur, who died unex nectedly Monday at her home in Muncie. She was born in Dee-itur Jun“ 2 1875. a daughter of Mr and Mrs Harlow Mann She was married to Franklin M Gilpen. who preced rd her in death. Surviving are two sons. Dr Gnv Gilnen of Mun-ie and Merekn Gil non of Phoenix. \riz ■ f »nr •ors Mrs Dewei Neidic’i of Will shire. 0.. Mrs Gilmontl Hart ofl Co’nnibns. O . Miss Gladys Gilnen "f Evan-vi”e and Mrs Forest | Marks of Albany; 1? erandehildnn: and one ere.at-erandehiM Fnn‘”al services will he h-ld a‘ * n.»n Thursday a’ the Firs’ M*lbo dlst cbn’ch here. D- Gerald H r-ncs cffi-iaHne. a«M»ted by the t!w. L E Davie Os Wlßshlre Burial «-iP b- in ”•» Drcatn’ c r m<> •cry. The hodv will lie in s'a’e at the cbnrch af'er 1 pm Thursday until time of the services.

Price Four Cents

China Government Announces Move From Nanking To Canton As Capital Nanking. Jan. 19 - I UP) — Nationalist China today asked the Communists for an immediate cease fire and a peace conference. The Nationalist government decided on the new approach to the Communists at its regular mee'ing under premier Dr. Sun Fo today. A formal communique said: “The executive Yuan, at its regular meeting this morning, resolved to make the following stateI men': "The government, in deference to the general wishes of the people for early realization of peace, hereby makes known its desire for both the government and the Communist forces to cease fire unconditionally itnmedla'ely and for both sides to appoint delegates to start peace ne- , gotiations.” The proposals constituted the Na[tionalist government's reply to the eight conditions for peace proposed !by Communist leaders Mao Tze ‘Tung and broadcast by the Com- , munist radio. The Communist conditions included the punishment of "war criini Inals." presumably including gener- ' i alissimo Chiang Kai-Shek, repeal ' of the Na'ionalist government’s 1 1Chinese (-(institution and confisca- ’ tion of "bureaucratic capital." In effect they would deliver China t over to the Communists The Nationalist gov<unment re--11 ply. while proposin’ an immediate peace conference, did not formally reiect the Communist proposals. The Nationalist government earlier today was disclosed to have ani nounced to all focemn embassies and legations in Nanking that it intends to move to Canton because of the increasing Communist threat to Hie present capital. It asked the foreign embassies ••nd legations also to move to Canton immediately. The government's decision to ask a peace conference almost certainly foreshadows the resignation of Chiang as president and his re'irement from the leadership of China. Chiang, who adamantly has refused to bargain with the Communist except on his own terms, already has sent his ear and a number cf other personal possessions to Formosa, where he is expee'ed to retire Announcement of the government's decision to go to Cantor, was made to foreign embassies verbally, with promises that formal written notUi'-ation would follow soon, authoritative sources said Other foreign news Included: Rhodes — An infor ied sour e said Britain has pro" i-ed to supply arms to Egypt shoi.l-l the IsraeliEgyptian peace talks break down. Egyptian and Israeli representatives were trying to fix boundary Hnes in the Negev area of southern Palestine. London — A new British approach to the over-all Palestine problem was reported to have been submitted to the United States It is said to envisage Br’iish recoaniion of Israel. Anthens — Aged, ailing Theniistncles Sophoulis tried to form his fourth government since the end >f the war He was given the royal «Twrn Tn Pnur File) Utility House At Trailer Sales Gutted Fire caused by a defective oil heater gutted the inteHor of the utility house at the Adams county ‘riiler sab s. on Merc-’r avenue, at 11:15 o'clock Tuesd. y night. I The Decatur fire (lenartnient. which extinguished the blaze he- ! 'ore it cot ont of control, said ini terior damage in th? lanndrv and toilet rooms ns- d by trailer camp natrons was hearv. The trailer camp was wit no"t electrtc’tv last n’cht .and thia mnmine becense th* rain nower 'ines couifr* from the i-tiM'v bnnse , were burned away. T’'e budding ( . and contents were fully covered | by insurance, it was leported.