Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 47, Number 123, Decatur, Adams County, 25 May 1949 — Page 1

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Kfil No. 123.

MSSIA REVIVES BERLIN RAIL BLOCKADE

tomm unity Center Favored

■leaders &|Report KilyW ’ ■Community Fund 'KersVote Funds I'Ebiding Mans rH,* long dream of getting v Center focused toa meeting of civic city hall last eveIwEtlF heard the report of arßrio'.! All'll organization. gaRB.-t recreation planners of ©■fck. which cited the need th.- construction SBSSZi uuiidilig ill the city. whuli sparked the ut the 50 persons that H - "'“ticil chair,her, was :.Kj| 0 livor of accepting the Kin principle and a request Kprcatur Community Fund - o Ksmd budget committee, to ur flfiil' tant!s ! “ r Preparation 'fe H.::/) t oi - and architect's i Ktirer of the building. ■trued Allen, of the New H: presented the report. Hr;-.-. '■ cal recreation and . Hailities and the need for ■‘r center, as based on : H..:- obtained in interviews Hjttatiir citizens, was made by fi HrW Pangburn of the same " Hi.:-' sentence in the 25-page Hns definite in stating the Hitti It reads: "Deeatuf un.r.Htuhly needs a community ' 1 Httport continues: "The maHer.' required In the building lc- and small meeting and Him. dining and kitchen EHhh equipment, social and ft Hsti:tal f:,.. . specially for HHI ud exhibit space." iaHXer York recreation and :-C..Z-.'- recommendBB te in cornu c:ion with the HOwr'! east of the Monroe SMg *« bridge, for location of ■Hve Nub-':,nial reasons in the report for their of this site. UH Elt '"' ate '» $234,000 estimate on the Uy constru tie.ii is $234,000, H®''’ ilSO'Hii) fo r the building. Hr* 1 * that the be financed with "Donasubscriptions from pi IgaM ftfCl '' i' l ui'imi foundations, clubs, civic organize ■H c i individuals . Raising HBJ* funds sufficient for concenter appears desirable than borrow|M*UJ form.” organization recomfcH* *’toe-way method of delUp expense of operation. ||H tot of $14,110, the breakmade in the following ||K/' A ten-cent tax levy ■MT Hhe city's assessed K' 1 ' *' 'I. Rentals for “ilding. net income from snack bar. etc. $4,200; Funil ' f°r yyuth activi?HL illfn explained to the atJ 11 * estimates were as t 0 income and .-’ught the estimate on the building was "high ’ ar rant completion i f ' s'meture. reasons for selection ' he rtport states: feafcj,, ‘“<l tax free: no ex ‘ 1!l bt required for site IK/ selection of this site I ,'" ‘“dustrial. commereplo! sil e is ample for SHv “ bui! ding and the park|H|b-. ,* Arable: while off t k * w,t and west d |rec ' wHvs". a PP roi ‘mateiy central. *’ in easy walk ' S* U, of ‘he business cent,ry a " ractiT e ” SOb co ®tr>e n ted. "location 8 bn 'his site would EHr ‘ ’ ’ 5 =P ibtv a place of a number of sue tH %, * hich *ere viewed IHS<Jah ATHER cl °Pdi"ew with a,.*’’«w»rt north I ® l * th. ‘ n * r ’'” n and ® ver t»~.;.,“* te tonight. Not . ' Thur *iay part- * 3rmer ex-

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Greenfield Man Is Automobile Victim Greenfield, Ind., May 25—(UP) —Funeral services were arranged today for George Tindall, 65, who was killed yesterday when he walked into the path of an automobile driven by Charles Clapper, 68, New Palestine, on U. S. 40. Western Big Three To Let Vishinsky Talk Sit-Tight Strategy Adopted, See Soviet Alienating Germany Paris, may 25—(UP)— The west ern big three decided today to sit tight and let Soviet foreign minister Andrei Vishinsky make another "antl-German" statement if he wishes. “If Vishinsky wants to hang himself for German public opinion as he did yesterday, we will give him a chance," one western delegate said. The western delegations met separately early today and decided to permit Vishinsky go on with his talk at the conference of big four foreign ministers. The sit-tight strategy was based on the theory that Vishinsky had harmed Russian prestige in GerMiy with his opening proposal to go back to four power rule of "(fermany, rather than look forward to an early peace treaty, end of the occupation, and creation of an all-German government. Delegates noted that Vishinsky’s proposal even repudiated the Warsaw statement of the eastern European nations which promised the Germans an early end of the occupation. an early peace treaty, and early unification of the state. “The west is not going back on anything," a western delegate said. “If Russia wants a settlement of Germany, she must start from where we are now, with three quarters of Germany organized politically and economically. "In other words, the Russians this time must accept a settlement on our terms, or we will proceed with our west German plans. The western delegates said they expected Vishinsky to start off this conference with propaganda. But they were not prepared for him to deliver what they described as the worst possible kind of propaganda for the Soviet cause in Germany. The west, therefore, decided to pass up the opportunity which wi 1 be open for them at the third mee • ing this afternoon to make a specific proposal. Vishinsky will be chairman of this meeting. He can either open It with another statement or pass !o 5e minister on his left-secre-<Tnrn To S*’e»» Two Young Thieves Put On Probation Blistering Lecture Is Given By Judge I, Ms. W» V p> ™“ h ”; juveniles who burglarize » man s store are going to be par. The juveniles, age i” were brought into the juvenile court here Tuesd' noon, after confessing Herman Bowman last week that they stole cigarettes, candr anj several finger rings and smash'ed a tobacco case in rfenyy _ ; store at Peterson Apri! _ er is an elderly man and b ind. The juveniles are repo ed have entered the court with the same sneering attitude they ha exhibited during questioning . sheriff Bowman last week. The boys especially one of them, o dourly thought the proceedings X’tte’judge, soon them with the gravity < ‘»e hear inn It is said such blistermg Smands as he administered have seldom been >ea court. The cockiness t the (IWra T* f« e K ‘*

UAW Official Is Shot Down In Own Home Union President's Brother Seriously Wounded Last Night Detroit, May 25— (UP) —Police sought a getaway car with “peculiar tail lights" today that reportedly raced away from the home of Victor Reuther, brother of the auto union president, who was shot down while reading a newspaper in the living room of his home. Reuther was blasted with both barrels of a 12-guage shotgun by a lone gunman who sneaked up to his home last night, poked the weapon through a window, and fired at almost point blank range. His brother, Walter, president of the CIO United Auto Workers’ Union, labeled the shooting part of a “campaign of terrorism" carried out by gunmen in the pay of "people opposed to decent, clean, American democratic trade unionism." Reuther, 37, educational director for the UAW, was seated beside his wife, Sophie. She was not hurt by the twin blast. Their three children were asleep upstairs. Police had only meager clues. The murder weapon, dropped in bushes outside Reuther's home, i had no fingerprints on it. Police were making a plaster cast of a “well defined" footprint found where the would-be assassin apparently stood. Neighbors aroused by the blast which rocked the quiet suburban | neighborhood reported seeing a car with “peculiar tail lights" i racing away from the Reuther ■ home. Doctors said that Reuther's, condition was “favorable." Theyi said he would recover, but may, lose the sight of his right eye. Six pea-sized pellets tore into I Reuther's face and shoulder, shat-1 i tering several bones, including his collar bone. He was given four blood transfusions. After the shoo ing, the would-be assas in tossed the shotgun in a clump of bushes near the porch of i the two-story Reuther home and • fled in an automobile. More than 150 police and detectives were assigned to track down (Turn To I’nue Six) Plan Flower Show During Street Fair Local Garden Club Will Sponsor Show The Decatur Garden club will again sponsor a flower show during two days of the Decatur free street fair and agricultural show July 25 to 30, it was announced todav bv Mrs. Hersel Nash, presiI de nt of the group. The annual show was dispensed with during and following the war. but it is now planned to make the show an annual event. An attractive list of entries for both adults and children has been prepared this year by the committee in charge and indications are the show will be one of theJ big features of the fair. The show will be open to the public two day July 28 and 29 and will be held in the auditorium of the library. ruder the rules announced entries can be made on T hursday morning July 28 from 8 oclock to 10 o'clock and cannot be removed t nm the exhibit until 9 o clock Friday night. Three judges will be named later. Commercial growers also wiU be invited to paitidpate In the ex h.b t Cash prizes will be awarded < ..rh class for first and second places in both the adult and children's divisions- . The committee includes: Mn. Heller. Mrs. Amos KetHeDr ‘ Delton Passwater. Miss jgri To 11

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, May 25,1949.

Appear In Atomic Probe H IB ifff jMI TOP MEMBERS of the atomic energy commission (1. to r.) chairman David E. Lilienthal, Sumner Pike and Lewis L. Strauss are shown shortly before they appeared before the senate subcommittee investigating their organization. Strauss testified that he opposed shipment of isotopes to foreign countries for security reasons, but had been overruled by other AEC members.

Railroad Movie Is Shown Lions Club The important role played in ' American life by the nation's railroads was illustrated in a movie entitled “Main Line U. S. A.," presented at the weekly Lions club meeting Tuesday evening. Weldon Bumgerdner was in charge of the program and Robert Holthouse presided. Bryce Thomas operated the ulovie projector. Captains of the two opposing teams in the club's current attendance contest reported a large turnout of members for the event. — Forresfal's Body Is Laid To Rest Full Military Rites For Ex-Secretary J Washington, May 25—(UP)— (The broken body of James For- ; restal. a home front "war casualty," I was laid to rest today among the i nation's battle heroes In Arlington ■ [ National cemetery. President Truman headed a i throng of top government officials, | high military leaders, public and; business figures who paid final i respects to the nation's first secI retary of defense. The rites were I held in the massive marble amphitheater behind the cemetry's tomb of the unknown soldier. Mr Truman and the others represented a nation in mourning the loss of a man who, the President had said, was “as truly a casualty of the war as if he had died on the firing line." Forrestal had cracked up under mounting burdens after nine years . of high service to his country in 1 war and peace. He plunged to his death early Sunday from the 16th ' floor of thd naval hospital al Bethesda. Md.. where he was under treatment for psychoneurotic disThe army. navy, air force, and marines joined to give thtir former 1 chief full military honors, includ(Torn To Pogo Flvvt Bluffton Editor To Be Honored Friday By DePauw Seniors Greencastle. Ind.. May 25 -<Special) — Roger Swaim, editor and publisher of the Bluffton NewsBanner has been chosen as outstanding in his field" by the senior class of DePauw university. Swaim will receive an Old Gold Goblet at a dinner to be given in his honor Friday tUght at « o'clock in Bowman gymnasium at Greencastle Th* award is made annually b. members of the senior class to DePauw graduate considered tne most outstanding in his field and loyal to the University. Robert E. Crouch, alumni secretarv will preside at the banquet and speakers will include Dr. A . w Crandall. DePauw professor: John Hughes, president of the alumni association and W-| Swaim.

Ex-Gang Chieftain Shot From Ambush Big Earl Shelton Fighting For Life Fairfield, 111., May 25—(UP)— Big Earl Shelton, 58, an oldtime gang chieftain, fought to live today after being ambushed in the same way gunmen killed tarn of his brothers in the notorious family which once used tanks and planes to fight a rival mob. An unseen gunner blasted three shots at Shelton while he was playing poker in the Farmer's club, a resort he operated on the town square. Two missed. The third slug ripped into his body, narrowly missing his heart. The gunman scrambled from the garage roof from which he shot made his escape and police said Dr. Donald B. Frankel gave ShelFarmer's club. Then the gangwar ton emergency treatment at the they had "no idea" who he was. into the second story room. He hospital in Evansville, Ind. No veteran was rushed to Deaconess local police guard was requested there for his room. "My shoulder hurts. It hurts a lot," Shelton moaned from a stretcher as he was carried into the hospital. Later, attendants said he was in "satisfactory" condition. Frankel said he expected Shelton to live. Deputy sheriff Elmer (Red) Brown said at 7 ant. (CST) that neither he. the sheriff, nor police had been in the clubroom where Earl was shot since the shooting. "Earl's got the keys," he explain ed. "and we're waiting for little Earl to come back." Police, it appeared, were not called into the shooting until Shelton had been loaded into an ambulance (Turn To I’nire Two! Safety Awards COURT AT TMIWMEL ANDYWtI BE / WHEELED INTO COUfiT/ mnonxt tuftr cowwa ~ J Motorist: Phillip Courtney. 504 Grant street. Decatur. Award made by police officer Robert Hill and donated by Leland Smith Insurance Co. Pedestrians: James Gattshall. Decatur. Award made by Louis Jacoba and donated by Pumphrey Jewelry store. Dorothy Uleman. Decatur Award made by Fred Schulte and do- | nated by Wylie Furniture Co.

1 Reds In Effect ReJmpose Blockade By Withdrawing Workers From Key Posts

Over $300,000 In State Fair Prizes Indianapolis, May 25—(UP)— Indiana state fair officials today announced that more than $300,000 will be offered in prize money this year. That amount is the largest ever offered, they said. The fair will be held Sept. 1-9. Bohm Refuses Any Statement On Party Ties Princeton Prof In Refusal To Discuss Communistic Ties Washington. May 25 — (UP) - David Bohm. Princeton University physics professor who worked on wartime development of the atomic bomb, today refused under oath to say whether he was or was not a member of the communist party. Bohm told the house unAmerican activities committee that an answer might be self-incriminat-ing. Committee chairman John S. Wood, D., Ga., announced that Bohm bad declined at a 35 ; minute closed session to answer the question about communist. party membership. Bohm confirmed the announcement. Wood said that Bohm will return to the witness stand to be heard in open session next Friday. Asked by reporters whether Bohm had answered any questions, Wood said: “Well, he did answer the question as to what was his name." Wood said Bohm had been confronted with a “Mrs. Davis of New York" but said she was unable to identify the physicist. He declined to give any details of Mrs. Davis’ background or to explain why it was thought she could identify Bohm. Bohm, who was stationed at the radiation laboratory of the University of California at Berkeley during the war. was»the first ■ scheduled witness of the day. The committee is investigating charges that a Soviet espionage ring operated at the laboratory. (Turn To Fhrl — — Zoning Ordinance Hearing On June 1 Public Hearing To Be Held On Plans The proposed zoning ordinance submitted by the Decatur plan coin mission to the city council for action several weeks ago will be returned for a public hearing Tuesday night. June 7. at 8:45 o'clock, it was announced today. The hearing will be held In the council rooms of the city hall immediately following the regularly scheduled council meeting. The subject to he discussed by the commission will be what disposition will be made of a tract of land between the residences on Mercer avenue, south of the Erie tracks and the river. The owner of the land has asked that the tract be classified as manufacturing in the zoning ordinance. The hearing will he open to the public and the commission will decide on its recommendation immediately following the hearing so the proposal can be returned to the council or further action soon Col. Lawrence Sheridan. Indianapolis. local planning consultant will preside at the hearing and also will advise with the commission prior to its decision. The tract of land in question ex tends to the city limits from the railroad and at the present time it vacant. One or two other proposals probably will be offered by the commission at the same time, it was learned

Shanghai Falls Io Communists Without Battle Nationalists Give Up Shanghai With Little Resistance Shanghai. May 25 — (UP) Communist troops occupied all of central Shanghai without resistance today but ran into fighting along the city’s billion-dollar Bund, when they tried'to pursue retreating nationalists northward. Nationalist commanders surrendered fabulously wealthy Shanghai, fourth largest city of the world, with only scattered shooting from nationalist stragglers who failed to join the withdrawal northward. The main body of the nationalists slipped north out of Shanghai last night, heading for the Woosung forts at the mouth of the Whangpoo. A fleet of ships has been gathered there for days, apparently for a nationalist escape by sea. The nationalists left a rear guard at three main bridges across Soochow creek, which runs an east-west course marking oft northern Shanghai from the central section of the city. , The rear guard blocked communist pursuit of the main nationalist force and a flurry of street fighting broke out at noon when the communists brought up machine guns and tried to force the bridges. Other groups of nationalist troops took up positions in Broadway Mansions, the city's largest apariment hotel on the north bank of Coochow creek. From there they fired on communists approaching Garden bridge, main span across Soochow creek on the billion-dollar Bund. Up to noon an estimated 5.060 communist troops had entered Shanghai from the west. Most of them lounged in the downtown shopping center, gazing into shuttered shop windows while waiting orders. A small group of foreign correspondents covering Shanghai's fall reached the cable office in the communist-controlled part of the city before the firing started at noon. Communist troops lining Nanking road, the main shopping center, looked and acted not like conquerors but simply tired youths waiting for their next battle orders. There was no pride or elation in (Turn To I‘uar Srvrnl New Coal Contract Talks Are Started Southern Owners' Ranks Badly Split Bluefield. W. Va.. May 25—(1 I I —The Southern Coal Producers Association begins new contract talks with John L Lewis today with its ranks badly split over bargaining strategy The threat of an early collapse of the negotiations was raised by the withdrawal last night of two district associations producing 13 percent of the south s annual coal tonnage. Industry sources were , gloomy over the prospects of avert ing a nationwide strike June 30 by Lewis' United Mine workers Joseph E. Moody, president of the Southern Association, told reporters he expected a serious chai lenge of his credentials from Lewis at the opening of the conference Lewis broke up national wage negotiations on the opening day a year ago by refusing to deal with Moody on the grounds that he did not represent all southern opera tors He bargained with Moody i onlv after ordered to do so by fed | era! judge T. Alan Goidsborough Moody admitted that his bargain (TUI T» PM»

Safety Slogan Accidents Never Take a Vacation.

Price Four Cents

Train Service Again Halted By Russians' Move; U. S. Charges 'Deliberate Action' Berlin, May 25—(UP)—The Russians in effect re-imposed a rail blockade on Berlin tonight by withdrawing workers from the key switches on tracks into the city from west Germany. The train seivice which was restored when the Berlin blockade was lifted 13 days ago was knocked out again by the Soviet action. Only planes and trucks were moving supplies into the city. American authorities charged that the rail tieup was “a deliberate act" on the part of the Russians. Since west Berlin rail workers went on strike last Saturday, trains had operated on a reduced scale between the city and west Germany. L. McCluskey, adviser to Brig. Gen. Frank Howley, the U. S. commandant here, said 29 freight trains from the west were tied up by the Soviet move. A British military train from Bremen also was stalled at Potsdam, McCluskey said. He reported that buses which went to Potsdam to bring the stranded passengers to Berlin were turned back by Russian guards. An American military train which would have left tonight for the west was stalled in the Llchtei’felde station in the U. S. sector of Berlin. The Russian move apparently was in reprisal for the western action last night in evicting eastern i zone railway workers and Soviet soldiers from strikebound elevated railway stations in west Berlin. Earlier today, non Communist strikers blocked an attempt by Soviet officers and east Berlin workers to take over railway yards in the U. S. sector. The futile Soviet attempt came as 16.000 west sector strikers won the first round in their fight to be paid in west German marks, which are worth four times as much as eastern marks. Erwin Kreikemeyer, directorgeneral of the Soviet controlled railway management, announced over the Potsdam radio that he has asked the Russian zone economic commission to grant the demand. The commission is studying his recommendation, he said, and he hoped Soviet authorities would agree to it speedily. Russian officers and Soviet-con-trolled railway police led east German workers to the Priesterweg and Anhalter railway yards In the American sector with the announced intention of restoring "normal traffic.” Pickets stopped them at the Priesterweg gates. A Russian officer told the eastern workers to smash through the fence girdling the yard, but the workers refused and returned to the Soviet sector. Within an hour, the Russian soldiers followed them, leaving the yards completely in the strikers hands. Pickets permitted Soviet officer and some 50 workers to enter the Anhalter railway sheds, but then closed in around them and refused to let them start repair work. Large sections of tracks had been ripped up at both stations and no trains were running Kreik<*ntf.vfr acted on the fit'h Jay of the railway strike, which (T«r« Tn !*•«* ri«btl Annual County C. E. Convention June 5 Plans were started today for the annual Adams county convention of Christian Endeavor societies, which will be held in Decatur Sunday. June 6. The event will be held in the afternoon at a place to be decided on later. The Rer. Lee Jackson, pastor of the Christian church of Peru will be the principal speaker and young people from all churches in Adams county will be invited tn take part The annual even! is being held early this year so it will not conflict with the state convention to l>e held at Berne later in June A comple e program and the place of | the conclave will be announced soon, the committee in charge announcA