Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 47, Number 116, Decatur, Adams County, 17 May 1949 — Page 1

>fy Slogan sic Laws are fety R ules-

VII. No. 116.

IASTERN GERMAN Y VOTERS REBUFF RUSSIA

HixPlant I Entrance Hets Skirmish ■th Plant Police ■Struck Factory ■ send. Ind.. May 17—(UP) Hjnited Auto Worker pickHjging baseball bats skircompany police at the un ,l Bendix Aviation Slant today and blocked to ail employes, answered a radio aHiroadcast by the union and at the plant's gates atrßskirmish. About 400 pick.'Rented office and other per"■from entering the planL Rnipany spokesman estimatj ■ He pickets kept more than Rtfiee. supervisory and engiR personnel from reporting Rk. - ■plant police an d members R early morning picket line Rhed for 15 minutes when ■Ekets tried to keep 20 comRffieers out of the plant. Hesses said there was shovR pushing but no one was Rd injured. Pickets swingRts apparently hit no one. ■prang. chief of the plant's Rsaid 14 of the police got in- ■ plant, but six others were Rby pickets. South Bend Rrescued the six officers. Rhe pickets massed in front Rgates. Fred Allen, president R union’s strike committee, Rlred Roily gets in and nobody gets Rw hours after the skirmish, Rfficials withdrew some 40 Ren who had been sent to Rant, and left only six day ■officers at the scene. ■canion. an attorney for the ■ announced he would file ■s of unfair labor practices ■the national labor relations ■in Chicago today. He said Rarges would be filed against ■x. where 7,500 CIO-UAW Rrs are on strike over an al- ■ speedup, and four auto Racturers who removed or Reking to remove brake dies Rarts from the Bendix plant. R radio announcement calling Rs to the plant was paid for Re union and broadcast by R WHOT. R hourly rated Bendix emR are requested to report to ■ gates at once,” the announce- ■ said. Rtation employe said the anRment was authorized by Ry Ladd, president of BenRai No. 9, at the UAW. it Rad at 6:15 a. m„ 6:45 a. m. ■7:15 a. m. The station emI said it was understood that Rll was issued for a meeting. Rnwhile, acting circuit judge Cook blocked temporarily tho Is of Willys-Overland Co. to ve dies and parts with a writ ! Plevin issued yesterday. Cook ted the union permission to ’one in the suit. okesmen for Willys and tho 1 Motor Co. indicated they d make a token attempt to lve dies and parts sometime t m skirmish apparently stemmrom the fact that many truck- * of parts, materials and brake •Tun T« Ph, Foor) ht-Year-Old Girl ns Safety Award le of ~le first day features of safety campaign being conductthe Decatur Chamber of B ”ce was the awarding of a coupon book to Judy Kay eight year old Decatur < hdy who watches her sixo'd sister at every crossing * ’By to and from school. * l »o girls have been watched b ' Beavers and several other A at ,he Beaver's oil station J" 10 ” « year and the older ” Wer fails to look both ways Permitting her sister to " ,he When Mr. Bear*sked to select a pedes.J* the “ fe,T contest, ft 1 hi. d m . Cnlt for hlm ,0 decMe ’ ,iBB «r would be. Parttv WEATHER tonight and r, ‘ her

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

G. E. Refrigerator Prices Are Reduced Bridgeport, Conn., May 17—(UP) The General Electric company announced price reductions today from $9.25 to $19.25 on its refrigerators. John L Lewis Seeks Parley For Contract United States Steel Subsidiary Asked To Open Negotiations Pittsburgh, May 17 — (UP)— John L. Lewis today asked one of the biggest operators of captive coal mines in the country to open negotiations for a new soft coal contract. The letter from the president of the United Mine Workers was received by the H. C. Frick Coke Co. big coal mining subsidiary of the United States Steel Corp. Harry Moses, Frick Co., president, would not reveal full contents of the communication. "Lewis has offered to meet us for contract negotiations,’’ he said, "but we have not yet replied to his letter." Lewis proposed no date or place for the start of negotiations but left the way open for the corporation to pick May 25. This is the usual 18 days from the date of Lewis' notice and exactly 30 days before the miners begin their annual vacation. Union headquarters at Washington had no immediate comment on the announcement. Spokesmen for Pittsburgh Consolidation Coal Co., the world’s largest domestic producer of coal, said the firm had not received a similar request from the United Mine Workers. Industry • observers commented that if other independents were not Contacted by Lewis, it was a good bet that the UMW chief was using the strategy of splitting the various operators into groups for negotiations on a new soft coal pact to replace the present agreement ending next June 30. Lewis already has agreed to meet the Southern Coal Producers Association for negotiations on southern field contracts at Bluefield, W. Va„ starting May 25. The UMW did not initiate the southern producers’ negotiations, however. Joseph E. Moody, association- president, beat Lewis to the punch and made the first move by requesting that a discussion date be set. Northern operators who direct the bulk of the nation’s soft coal industry, took no such action, however, and apparently decided to wait Lewis out.' Although the northern and southern contracts have been parallel agreements for a number of years, the southern operators have sought separate negotiations in the (Turn Tn Paar Four) Employment Drops Here During April Decatur Payrolls Also On Decrease Employment in the six Decatur industries reporting to the Chamber of Commerce fell to 1.240 in April, the business barometer shows. Compared with April. 1948, this is a reduction of 441 when the employment roster stood at 1.681. In March the six industries reported 1.310 persons on the payroll. The April payroll was given at $282,557 compared with $353,228 in March and $396,768 in April of last year. The largest lay-off of employes has taken place at the General Electric plant during the past few months. The business barometet shows that only two building permits were isued in April, the projects totaling SBOO. compared with three In March. Involving an expenditure of $1,500. Car loadings In and out of Decatur still remained at a high figure. In April the total was 2,240 compared with 2,334 in March and 2,359 in 1948.

G. E. Refrigerator

Defenders Os Shanghai Dig In For Siege Turn City Streets Into Armed Camp To Resist Communists Shanghai, May 17—(UP)— Nat- ( ionalist defenders- of Shanghai dug in for a siege today, turning downtown streets into an armed camp with machinegun pillboxes and sandbag street barricades. However, the steady • roar of gunfire from the north and southwest subsided around noon, indicating a lull in the furious communist assault which has failed so far to break through nationalist city defenses. Shanghai garrison headquarters said furious communist attacks had been beaten back at the northern outskirts, 12 miles from downtown Shanghai, . and in the Hungjao airfield area four miles southwest of the city limits. This official report said the communist armies apparently were regrouping and bringing up reinforcements for a renewed assault on the city. Observers believed the next two or three days should tell whether the communists intend to take Shanghai by storm or camp in their present positions on all sides and demand the city's surrender. Three towering columns of smoke mushroomed during the morning in the Pootung area, across the Whangpoo river only three miles east of the city’s center. but official reports were silent concerning that area. Other reports said communist ! guerrillas had joined the battle in the Pootung area and that regular communist troopa had made a wheeling motion from the southwest that placed them directly east of Shanghai across the ‘ Whangpoo. The Chinese air force claimed that 50 communist junks which attempted to approach Shanghai on the Whangpoo from the southwest ■ had been destroyed by aerial attack at White Dragon harbor, about 15 miles from downtown Shanghai. The sixth day of fighting for con-| trol of the .northern Woosung forts guarding Shanghai's sea exit continued in a steady roar of artillery that lashed throughout the night and morning. Peter Kalisher, United Press correspondent aboard an American destroyer off the mouth of the (Turn Tn Pare T»vn> Kister To Rule On Dredge Dismissal To Rule On Motion To Dismiss Case Special Judge Henry Kister, of Princeton, is expected to write the final entry in the William Fennig drain case, commonly known as the Wabash river dredge, on June 1, when he considers the motion of Ed A. Bosse, Adams county attorney, to dismiss the case that has been on the local court docket for a generation. Judge Kister, presiding in the dredge case, set aside the contract of deal T. Watts, contractor from Mississippi, for construction of the drain. The contract was awarded to Watts in May, 1941. on his bid of $78,547.55. Persons acquainted with the extent of the project said that the riter could not be dredged for twice that amount, based on present day construction costs. Previously, the F. C. Morgan company had a contract for dredging Jhe river and in May. 1940. Judge Kister relieved the company (Tara To I’nxe Four) Louis Scherer Rites Thursday Afternoon Funeral services for Louis Scherer. near Monroeville, who died Monday, will be held at 1:30 p. m. Thursday at the residence and at 2 p. m. in St. Peter's Lutheran church, the Rev. Karl Hofmann officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. The body has ( been returned to the residence* from the Marquart and Painter funeral home. •'

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday, May 17,1949.

Zoom! Right Under The Law .... to • ~ ■ •; 1 I'M ISA sla - ' > - &■ • Ft# "SB BMkW v wp i w », 1 ■' ■'.. b i ' MH o • j 6-YEAR-OLD MOTORCYCLIST Teddy Edwards scoots between legs of his leaping father to give 20,000 ’school safety patrol boys from over the U. S. a thrill at 13th annual parade in Washington. Teddy's father is an Atlanta, Ga., motorcycle policeman.

Zoom! Right Under The Law

Bids Are Awarded By Commissioners Court House Paint - Contract Awarded ■The contract for painting the metal cornice on the court house was awarded by the county commissioners to Debolt & Gantz on their bid of $988.75. Three other proposals were filed with the board. They ranged from $1,120 to $1,915. The contractors will supply all labor and furnish materials and paint all metal work above the brick, with the exception of the clock tower, Mollenkopf and Eiting were awarded the contract for a hay bailer at the county farm on their bid of $2,133. It was the only proposal filed. The commissioners allowed the 1948 claims against the county surveyor’s office. They totaled $2,500 and were carried over,, from last year because of lack of funds. The commissioners approved the transfer of a franchise from the Indiana Gas & Transmission Corp., and the Michigan Gas & Transmission Corp., to the Panhandle & Eastern Pipe Line company. The original franchise was granted in 1936 for the natural gas lines that run through the north half of the county and convey the gas from Texas to distributing companies to Detroit. The commissioners also agreed to furnish the dragline, if the city would furnish the tile, In the miprovement of the Dierkes drain that now empties into the Roy Johnson farm. Herman Moellering, county surveyor, was appointed superintendent of construction on the Peter Weber ditch, following the resignation of Virgil F. Bowers, former county surveyor. Glen Workinger. of Decatur, and John Gage, of Monroe, were named as viewers and ordered to make their report to the commissioners.

Decatur Woman 's Club To Aid In Bond Drive Here

Alt Divisional chairmen of the Decatur Woman's club today inaugur atsd’i’Unique, and what is expected to be an effective campaign, in the sale of U. S. savings bonds in. the opportunity bond drive. The women will solicit arid urge the purchase of opportunity bonds I by telephone. The telephone directory will be divided into six sections and each day the divisional department heads will ask volunteers to call the listed, numbers. The person answering the telephone will be asked if he or she has purchased an opportunity bond. The county's quota In the opportunity drive, which was launched in the nation yesterday, is $153,’733.00 of “E" bonds. Records show that if individuals are asked to buy bonds, that it is

Rent Representative In Decatur Thursday A representative of the area rent office will be at the Decatur post office building from 9 o’clock Thursday morning until 3 o’clock in the afternoon to meet with all Adams county landlords and tenants who have rental problems, it was announced today by John E. Williams, area rent director-attor-ney. General Clay Home To Hero's Welcome Military Governor In Europe Retires Washington. May 17—(UP) — Gen. Lucius D. Clay, the stubborn southerner who led American foi' ces to victory in the cold battle of Berlin, returned home to a hero’s welcome today. The military plane bearing Clay home to retirement touched down at Washington national airport at 8:14 a. m. CST. Three artillery pieces boomed out a 17-gun salute as Clay and his wife, who stayed with him in Berlin throughout the long Russian blockade, stepped off their plane and were swallowed up by the big welcoming delegation. Defense secretary Louis Johnson headed the array of civilian and military brass lined up to meet the retiring military governor of Germany. With them were Clay’s two army sons, Lt. Col. Lucius D. Clay, Jr., of Washington, and Lt. Col. Frank B. Clay, who is stationed at Fort Knox, Ky. The party drove to the White House where President and Mrs. Truman were waiting to honor Clay at a reception on the lawn. Congress, too, planned to pile honors on the man who, as a spec(Tara l'e Paxe Flvrl

one of the most effective means of stimulating bond sales. The department chairmen who have volunteered to help in the . bond drive, and the weeks assigned to their members are: Dramatic—Mrs. Randolph Bran- • dyberry, May IS. Junior Women — Mrs. Jethro ■ Sprunger, May 23. Civic—Mrs. Ray Stingely. May 30. Literature—Mrs. R. C. Hersh. June 6. Music—Mrs James Kocher. Jr.. June 13. Art—Mrs. Lloyd Cowens. June 20. Individuals can help in the telephone campaign hy answering that they will purchase a bond in the i effort to meet the county's quota i by June 20.

Communist Heads Admit Third Os Voters Oppose Slate Backed By Soviet

President Gives Up Fight For Wallgren Withdraws Name At Wallgren Request Washington, May 17—(UP)— President Truman today unhappily abandoned his fight to make his old friend Mon C. Wallgren chairman of the national security resources board. He announced he was withdrawing the nomination nt Wallgren's request. He said he did co “with deepest regret.” He voiced belief that the senate would have approved 4he appointment it it had got a cnance to vote on it. The senate never got that chance. Mr Truman sent the former V,a.--hirigton senate and governor to Capitol Hill more than three months ago. The nomination imn ediately drew heavy fire from Sen Harry P. Cain. It.. Wash., who said Wallgren had no qualification lor.the job of heading one of the country’s most important defense agencies. The board’s job is to see to it that the country is prepared industrially and from the standpoint of strategic resources to defend itself. Cain soughs the nomination in testimony before the senate armed services commi’tee and in a speech more than seven hours long before the senate. When the showdown came in committee, however, it was the President’s No. 1 southern pemocratic enemy—Harry F. Byrd of Virginia—who administered the coup de grace to Wallgren. He sided with six Republican committee members in voting to table the nomination, i. e. not to let it go before the senate. The vote was 7 to 6. But Mr. Truman stuck stubbornly by his guns. At news conference after news conference he said he would not withdraw the nomination. He said he did so today only at Wallgren's insistanee. Even if by fighting it out he should get the job, Wallgren wrote the President, it was obvious that his work would be "impeded by politics" to the "detriment of national security." Mr. Truman did not say who else (Turn To Piute Four) Dawson F. Soman Dies Last Evening funeral Services Thursday Afternoon Dawson F. Suman, 77, retired Decatur merchant, died at 5 o’clock Monday evening at the Adams county memorial hospital after a long illness of carcinoma. He had been ill for seven months and serious for the past three weeks. He was born in Darke county, 0., March 5, 1872, a son of George and Suana Suman, and had lived in Decatur for nearly 40 years. He operated a cigar store here for many years until his retirement. He attended the United BrethI ran church and was a member of 1 tha B. P. O. Elks lodge. His wife, i the former Louisa Losch, preceded him in death. Surviving are four daughters. Mrs. Frank Kitson of near Decatur. Mrs. Harry Crownover of Monroe. Mrs. Ruth Ehrsam of California and Mrs. Daimon Case of Decatur: one son. Wilbur H. Suman of Decatur; 12 grandchildren; three great-gfandchildren. and one brother. O. J. Suman of near Decatur. Two sons, two daughters and 12 brothers and sisters preceded him in death. Funeral services will be held at 1 p m. Thursday at the residence. 261 North Seventh street, and at 2:30 p. m. at the Methodist Antioch church, south of Portland, the Rev. L. A. Middaugh officiating. Burial will be In the church cemetery. The body will be removed from the Gillig & Doan funeral home to the residence, where friends may call after 7 o'clock this evening

Eislerßond Is Forfeited In U. S. Court Federal District Court Judge Orders Bond Be Forfeited Washington, May 17—(UP)— Bond for Gerhart Eisler, Communist leader who fled this country only to be seized in a British port, was forfeited in United States district court today. Federal district judge James W. Morris ordered Eisler's $20,000 bail forfeited because the Communist fled New York as a stowaway on the Polish steamship Batory while awaiting the outcome of his appeal on a perjury conviction. Eisler was taken forcibly from the boat Saturday when it docked at Southhampton, England. Eisler was convicted for failing to reveal his Communist affiliation when applying for a passport to . leave this country. George Marshall, an official of i the left-wing civil rights congress, i posted the bond last year in the i form of United States government i securities. Marshall was not represented In i court today and the entire pro « ceedings lasted only about seven ■ minutes. The government's case ’ was presented by William Hitz, as- ■ sistant United States attorney, and A. B. Caldwell, an attorney of the i justice department. At the same time, Morris signed i an order denying Eisler the privii lege of posting further bail when he is returned to this country. The judge also signed a bench warrant ■ for Eisler’s arrest to be used in ex- ■ tradition proceedings. Inquiries Os Wife London, May 17—(UP)— Gerhart Eisler, top Communist agent ' fighting extradition to the United States, is making urgent inquiries about the welfare of his wife in New York, it was disclosed today. Eisler's attorney, F. Graham Maw, said he had cabled several • inquiries at Eisler's request but had received no reply. (Eisler's wife, Brunhilde, is held at Ellis Island for deportation on grounds she has overstayed her visitor's permit.) Maw said he believed American authorities were interfering with delivery of his messages. He said Eisler's main concern was about his wife, whom he left behind 13 days ago when he jump■<Tura To P»«e Four) Safety Campaign Is Underway In City Autos Are Checked Here Monday Night The two-week safety campaign here got underway with drivers of 75 cars, out of the 300 checked Monday evening at Monroe and Second streets, being tagged with notices warning of safety violations on their vehicles. In spite of the high number of warnings, only one arrest was made by the eight law enforcement officials who inspected condition of lights, windshield wipers, and horns of cars passing the intersection. and asked drivers to show their drivers' license. The one driver. Jimmie T. Bal- , ler. 17. Bluffton, was arrested for improper lights on his car. The inspection was conducted by five state policemen — Walter Schindler. Truman Bierie. Richard Myers, Joe Mendenhall. John Webster—<he sheriffs department, and city police. • Sherman Sprunger. 18. rural route 2. Geneva, was fined $5 and costs Monday in Wabash township J. P. court for reckless driving. He had been arrested Sunday by sheriff Herman Bowman Mrs. Patti Martin. Fort was fined $1 and costs in Decatur J. P. court' for running a stop sign Sheriff Bowman made the arrest earlier.

Safety Slogan Traffic Laws mean YOU.

Price Four Cents

Result Regarded Bitter Rebuke To Soviet, Communist Leaders In Germany Berlin. May 17 - (UP) - Com munist officials conceded today that nearly one-third of the voters of eastern Germany cast their ballots against the single list of Soviet-backed candidates in the week-end election. The results was regarded as a rehuke to Soviet and communist offiicals. The Soviets had counted on an overwhelming victory to strengthen their hand in the forthcoming four-power council of foreign ministers in Paris. Only a single slate of candidates for the German people’s congress was presented, and voters could cast their ballots only for or against the slate. The congress will be charged with drawing up a constitution for all Germany as a reply to the pew west German government sponsored by the western powers. The election results were announced by the Soviet-licensed ADN news agency after a 20-hour delay which western officials said “ reflected Soviet and communist ' disappointment In the voting. The results showed; 1 Number of eligible voters — : 13,533,071. Number v0ting—12,887.234. I Yes-7,943,949. ' No-4.080,272. 1 Invalid-863,013. ' Unofficial polls before the official results were announced indicated that in some districts voters opposing the slate war outnumbered those who east their ballots for it. Western quarters predicted that the results would lead to widespread arrests in the Soviet zone. The official Soviet army newspaper Taegliche Rundschau already has demanded action against “agents of foreign imperialism." Taegliche Rundschau admitted that "without doubt not a few people who are anti-democratic voted against the lists (of unopposed candidates) under the influence of propaganda by the enemies of unity." The western-licensed Berlin press said the communists suffered a "catastrophic” defeat and that announcement of the results was being delayed while the figures were being falsified. But an unofficial poll by newspapermen, plus a communist admission that all votes had been counted without the results being published, indicated the Soviet defeat. Newspapermen checking 12 pre(Turn Tn I'nur Nix) Safety Awards I iv i \' II x MANY A PEDESTRIAN / , WALKS HIMSELF TO DEATH/ (UnOOUUffTVCOWKX Monday's awards: Motorist: Adrian Burke, city councilman and filling station operator. Award made by Sheriff Herman Bowman. Award of $5 cash donated by the Suttles Co. I Pedestrians: Mrs. Florence Baumann. Decatur, route 3. Award made by Bud Anspaugh. Award of $5 in trade coupons r donated by Lane Shoe Store. Judy Kay Rhoades, age 8 years. Decatur. Award made by Al Beaver. Award of $5 ■ I in trade coupons made by . Ziner s Electric Appliance.