Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 47, Number 219, Decatur, Adams County, 17 September 1949 — Page 1

XLVII. No. 219.

150 PERSONS DIE IN LAKE CRUISER FIRE

|m Nucleus ■Community Inter Drive Advisory Council Keets Last Night, ■o Enlist Workers nucleus of an organization the Decatur Community ■ ,| r ive wan formed laat eveK,, the Masonic hall by '■> persons who accepted ■citation from the Decatur ■prial Foundation to be mem the advisory council <’ Pumphrey, president of was chairtnan of the Chester Smith, fund ,lA counsel, was introduced campaign to raise approxthe Central Soya company ■donate sloo.l'oo toward the ■i unity Center fund. committees were up by Mr Pumphrey, they to B chairmen for eight major ■ons that will direct the local ■raising drive committees were asked ■Ut men or women to head ■ivismns and report next Fri■evening at a "Dutch-treat" I meeting ut the K. of (’. hall •ral chairmen -Colin I. Fin- , Earl C. Fuhrman. E. W. lai gift dblslon—Ward CalE. W. Lankenau, James s'ry division— Henry Bromobert Brandtmiller. Noah merce and professors diviGlen Hili. Noah Bixler. HuIchmttt. Decatur division—Mrs. StewIc.MLlen. James Elberson. I Oelberg jens’ organization division - ;<>y Kai ver, Dorothy Schnepf. xtwell Harper. ih—children division— Joan off. Bryce Thomas. Sylvester irt. lie Information committee — ■d Pruden. Arthur R. HoltJulius Baker. Pumphrey explained to the the steps that lead up to the I of the generous offer from W. McMillen, Sr., founder •arj chairman of the Central ompany. to match Si for By |2 raised locally for the ■er. with a maximum gift of ■."(io. If the community raises ■MO. the company will contrlB 175.(100 to the fund. The Be will extend through Novem ■our presence her-- presages Bess in the campaign." Mr. ■th said to the crowd of volunBs who turned out for the meet■his is your campaign and we ■ester Smith it Associates) are B only to help you. The sueB of the campaign depends on Br enthusiasm and sincerity for B cause. Be should lie enrolled in the Be. This will be the greatest Btnteer effort ever undertaken ■your community and it will he ■ experience of ’once in a life Ba’." Mr. Smith said. Br Gerald H. Jones of the First ihodlst church, gave the Involon The Hey. William C. Fel- i of the Zion Evangelical and ormed church, gave the benelion. headquarter* for the community fe are functioning In the ChaniI of Commerce rooms in the Dear library building itish Jet Falls English Channel ’ellxstowe, Eng. Sept. 17-(VP) I Jet propelled British flying » crashed into the English •"ml a mile and a half off this folk port today. •oats manned by local fishern joined launches from the liistowe air force station In a fek of the area where the gleseater plane was seen to ,B <* Into the channel. WEATHER Partly cloudy today. Cloudy lenlgM with rain beginning •outh. Tomorrow mostly sioudy with occasional rain •«uth and extreme east. Cool- * north tomorrow. High to--70 to 7*. low tonight M to 84.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

12 Atlantic Pact Nations Organize Ready To Endorse Plans For Defense Washington. Sept. 17 (VP) — , Representatives of the 12 Atlantic pact nations, formally organising here today, were reported r»ady to put a fast endorsement on secret plans for joint defense against the threat of aggression by Russia. General twins of the master deI feme plan were expected to be made public following the opeoiug meeting of the 11 foreign minister* and one ambassador who assembled here to put in motion the pact’s military machinery Details of the defense program, drafted here during the past month by military and diplomatic officials. were to be kept secret for security reasons. The plan* reportedly call for organization of res glonal defence groupings The anticommunist statesmen planned first to set themselves up formally as an Atlantic pact council. to act as the pact's top political organization They were then to name a toplevel defense committee and to take np the defense plan which constitutes the heart of the agreement under which the pact nations banded themselves together for common protection As the diplomats assembled for their momentous session the senate foreign relations committee put finishing touches on a report recommending to the senate quick approval of an American arm* aid program to bar k up the pact. Senate debate on the arms plan, already approved by the house, starts Monday Senate leader* were confident it would b» approveTurx T» I’axe sis) Reports Robbery At Teeple Office Leo Ulman, cashier of the Tecpie Trucking Co., reported to police Friday that sometime during the past week someone had stolen from the office money In the amount of 114 77. and some freight bill*, which were in the envelope with the money. Dick Johnson, who works In the office, stated to police that he had put the money either on Ulman's desk or in a safe used to keep | office receipt*. The safe, it was disclosed, has a slot at the top into which anyone could reach and extract the envelope Police found a piece of metal in the furnace which indicates that some silver bad been melted down It might be that the silver in the envelope was thrown into furnace along with the hreight bills, police believe Dividend Formula For Vets Disclosed Payments Range From 60 Cents To $528 Washington. Sept. 17—(UPI — The veterans administration today promised almost 1*1.000.000 ei-Ol's of World War II insurance dividends that will range from 6v cen.s to $528 Check* will start flowing in Jan . uary when the VA begin* cutting a |2.8«(i,000.000 melon resulting from excess premium payment* on national *ervice life insurance The amount each policyholder get* will depend on three factors: hi* age when he applied for the policy, the time he held It. and the amount of money VA has paid out to claimants in hi* age group. The veterans administration, disclosing the dividend formula late yesterday. said the mo*t any veteran ran get would be $528. lowest amount any policy holder who at not more than 40 years of age took out a policy for the maximum amount. lIu.OOO. in late 1940 and kept up his payments through the anniversary date of the policy in IMS Thi* i« based on a refund of 55 cent* per month for each SI,OOO of insurance during the per iod the policy was In force VA source* added today that the olwest amount any policy holder will receive will b» <u cent*. This sum will go to a World V. ar II veteran who was 55 or older when he took out a SI,OOO policy, and who held it for only three month* That dividend I* ba«ed on a refund 'of 20 cent* per month for each SI,OOO of insurance. VA will pay no dividend on policies held less than threo month*

Slight Hope Is Held For Peace In Steel Ranks • Despite Agreement Os Union, Industry To Try Mediation - Pittsburgh, Sep:. 17 il’l’i Ob- • server* held slight hope today for I a steel peace, despie agreement i of the industry and the CIO Unit- • ed Steelworkers to resume uegoi Gallon* in Washington on Monday Only a week was left before a . USW strike deadline for 500,000 i steelworkers. Cyrus S. Ching, federal mediar thin director, intervened yesterday • to call management r< presenta- ■ lives and CIO president Philip Murray together after aix-day* of i word and acrid telegram exchan- > ges between the union leader and ■ U. S. Steel corporation, bellwether ■ of the industry. Both Murray and the leading - steel companies quickly accepted > Citing's request to meet with him i in the capital. Ching called the . sharp "debate by telegraph me*i sage" between company and union r official* ’ deplorable." He said the argument which ha* r kept union and company negotia-, . tor* apart *ince both agreed to an ' I 11-day postponement of the Sept ■ . II strike deadline may be due to . ( misunderstanding of word* rather I than fundamental difference* In views." , Murray has demanded that the , steel companies accept the report i of President Truman's fact finder* . recommending a lu-cent-an-hour Insurance-pension program before opening any negotiations The steel companies, led by U.S Steel president Benjamin F Fairless, have refused. Fairies* charged Murray's demand was "dicta torlal." If an agreement Is not reached by 12:01 Sept 25. Murray has threatened to call out 500.000 basic i ' steel worker*. Another 500.000 ' f in related mill* would follow a* • their contract* expire ! I Hoosier Republicans i »l JI Indianapolis Man J Named Treasurer lndlana|H>lis, Sept. 17 — (UP) — J Hoosier Republicans had their 1950 "I election campaign underway today with plenty of enthusiasm. Issuer and everything else but candidates. A meeting of the state central committee, called to elect a successor to treasurer James W Costin of Indianapolis, got around to that ds-1 tail yesterday after hearing suggestions and word* of encouragement from practically every party leader ■ I but the two U 8. senator* from Ind-1 lana. Edwin Steers. Sr.. Indianapolis, a longtime party wheelhorse and expert on election laws, was elected ’ treasurer by acclamation at the 1 close of a three-hour meeting But tiefore the unanimous ele1 tlon, the committee and its guests heard chairman Cale J. Holder toll ’ of three big party meetings this month and next. Vice-chairman Mabel 8. Fraser of Delphi announced that the newly- . elected national GOP chairman. Guy G. Gabrielson of New Jersey. . would be the principal speaker at a > statewide rally of Republican wo : men here Sept 29. Holder added that "all party lead- ■ ers" would be at the meeting and i said: "We're going to have a reception and dinner, and invite ail the mon- ' eybags from over the state to m-et ' Mr Gabrielson." The second big meeting with a 1 well-known speaker will be "Ind--1 lana Republican day" on Oct. 21. also at Icdianapolis. when former 1 state and national GOP chairman 1 Will Hays of Sullivan will speak The third announcement was of the fall outing of the Indiana Re ’ publh-an Editorial Association IRF.A secretary William Hargraves of J Rockville said the meeting, tradi- ! tionally as much an attraction for politicians as editors, would be held at French Lick either Oct 74 or I 21-29 ! Holder said I REA president James Benham of Terre Haute was . trying to obtain Gen Dwight (ike< , Eisenhower as principal speaker.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday September 17, 1949.

President Approves ‘UN Day* I I s I HA ■■■ MRS. ANNE JOHNSTONE. representing National Citizens Committee for United Nation* Hay. pins miniature UN flag on President Truman's lapel ut White House after the Pre<id< ut gave unqualified approval of celebration* on birthday of UN. Oct I

Report Freighter Aground Off Cuba 30 Crewmen Aboard Grounded Freighter Miami, Fla . Hept 17 (IP)— A Norwegian freighter, with perhaps 30 crewmen aboard, was aground off the southern coast of Cuba to day and radioed it kas "urgently In ner d of assistance.'* Distress signals were picked up here. In Chicago and as far away as Seattle. They gave a location among the tiny islands spotting the Caribbean between Cuba and the Isle of Pines. The stranded vessel Is the H S Brabant, Bated by Lloyds of Lon-1 don as a 2.51kt0n freighter owned by the danger Bolt Co. Oslo. She was reported en route from New Orleans to Antwerp. Belgium/ The coast guard here raid that on the basis of her tonnage, the Brabant probably carried a crew i of 25 «r 3o men. The urgency of the missages. ! and her location among the islands. ' indicated to a coast guard spokesI man that "the ship must be break l I Inc up or they wouldn't have sent I an S-O-S to close to shore.” A tug was sent to her assistance from Jamaica and survey flights to the scene were sent off from Cuban airports at dawn The coast guard stood by to flymedical assistance to the Brabant If it Is needed The first messages from the freighter were garbled by static and exact details of her condition were not told. The first distress signal was ' picked up here at 1:13 am (ESTi Mackay radio in Seattle and the coast guard in Chicago also heard SIKH signal*, and the Chicago operator tried to keep his radio contact. "But they seem to be pretty busy on board the vessel,” he said. Charges Tito With Widespread Spy Use Testimony Given At Treason Trial Budapest. Hungary. Sept 17 —! (I*Pl — Marshall Tito has a Yuan- 1 slav spy ring operating in evety Soviet satellite country and even 'n Moscow itself, a defendant in the Hungarian treason trial testified today. The defendant. Lt. Gen. Gyoriy ■ Palffy. took the stand this morning after the court dismissed Lasxlo Rajk. former Hungarian foreign minister, as having nothing to add to his five hour confession yestc r-; day Palffy. a senior officer who would have headed Hungarian armed forces in case of war pleaded guilty to government charges of sedition and plotting to overthrow the Com munlst regime. Among the agents who spied fur Yugoslavia. Palffy said, was a Hungarian military attahe that he himself as Inspector general of tne Hungarian army had sent to Moscow Palffy testified that Rajk. with the aid of the I'. 8. Tito and the Vatican, planned a coup to assassiiTura To raws Ma) |

BULLETIN Washington. Sept. 17 —(UPi —A special senate committee u p ged approval today for a sl,314.010.CC0 military aid program to help rearm free nations against a "deliberate Rus sign arms race.” Two Italian Fliers Reported Missing Fliers Enroute To U. S. Are Missing New York. Sept 17—(UP)—The coast guard sent out a land, sea and air search alarm today for two j Italian filers en route to the I’nited States on a 2 060-mile flight from the Asores Inlands. The civil aeronautics adminisj tration reported that the fliers. John Brondello. 36-year-old soldier of fortune, ami his co-pllot. CamllIo Bargola. hail not been heard I from for more than nine hours and that they were overdue The CAA said the last radio report from the filers had been re reived at f 40 p m EDT yesterday At that time the filer*. in their single-engine lleechcraft Bonanza, were 300 miles northeast of Boston. Mass. The CAA had estimated the fliers would arrive between 2:30 a m and 3:30 a m EDT. The airport control tower was sending out the fliers' call signal in Eng hh and Italian at io minute Intervals, in hope of contacting the plane. A spokesman for an Italian group sponsoring the flight said they understood the fliers had sufficient fuel aboard to keep aloft until 11 a m EDT today A CAA official said a mild cold front moving across the Atlantic might have generated unexpected headwinds for the fliers reducing their speed. He said static conditions today made radio reception from planes over the Atlantic very difficult The two men had hoped to set a record for the longest non-stop flight for light planes over the Atlantic. The Beechcraft category includes planes wighlng from 2,203 to 3.5&8 pounds 1 However, they had not even hoped to break the record of the late Capt William P. Odom who flew 4.957 miles in a Bee< hcraft Bonanza from Honolulu to Teterboro, N J . last March 9 The flight was the Italians' second attempt to fly the Atlantic on s barnstorming tour to raise 23.000.000 for an Italian boys' town near Turin named in hoonr of Christopher Columbus Mayor William O'Dwyer was scheduled to greet them officially at city hall (Tare T« raw* Railroad Workman Killed In Accident Frankfort. Ind . Sept. I{7—(VPt ■ - Max E. Rimmer. 45. Frankfort, was killed and seven workers in a Nickel Plate railroad crew were injured yesterday whin a ma'.ntea ski car stopped suddenly and threw them off Edward Kelsey. and Ray Alter. 2C. were Injured seriously and taken to Clinton county hospi'a! The others were treated for minor I injuries and released.

Flash Fire Rips Through Luxury Cruiser; Most On Board Are U. S. Tourists

Cites Costliness Os Railway Strike Asks Governors To Seek End Os Strike St. Louis. Sept. 17 - (UP) The week old strike against the- Mlsi sourl-Pacifie railroad ha* cost the line $4,000.00(1 in business and the employe* $l,500,0(M) in wages, a Mopac *poke«man e,timatcd today At the same tim® Gov Sid Me Math of Arkansas warned that "the strike I* causing serious disrupt-. t|on of economic progress in Arkansas" He urgrd Gov. Forrest Smith of Missouri to call a meeting <>t governor* of the II state* affected by the walkout "not later than Mon- , day." Gov. McMuth said the state executives could seek a settlement, or failing that, try to allevfaW- the economic effect* of the strike. Guv Smith said he might decide today whether to call the meeting Meantime, tile line's official* waited replies from the four strik Ing brotherhood* on an appeal to end the strike and put unsettled grievance case* in the hands of a presidential board. The appeal was made by Guy A Thompson, Bdtral trustee <f the road, after he rejected a union offer to wi'.hdraw 83 of the 282 grievance case* and negotiate the remainder before the strike would » end i Two train* of the Cotton Belt i railroad moved ' out of here last night past point* where Mopac : pickets had stopped movement on the line for almost two day* The Cotton Belt run* train* into . here over 110 miles of track leasr ed from the Missouri-Pacific. The • striker* bad picketed movement I on the road, claiming Mopac busiI ties* was being moved by the Cot 1 ton Belt train*. Roy E Davidson, a top union official. ordered the "unauthorized pickqtlng" to stop and report* said i the line* had bet n lifted a* the two train* cleared St Loui< I Two Youths Hurt In Auto-Tractor Crash I i Unlighted Tractor Is Struck By Auto I Two youths were in Adam* county hospital, one with a possible skull fracture, as the resit of an ;»<•■ 1 cideiit Friday on state road 118 ' one and three-fourths miles west nt I Berne, about 7:30 p m. One of the boys, Dallas Neu--n---schwander, 15. route 1, Berne, was driving a tractor not equipped with light*, on the road, and a car driven by Lloyd Neuenschwander. 19. also of route 1. Berne, smashed into the . rear ead of the tractor, wreckin': both the car and the tractor, throwing Dallas from the tractor, and injuring Lloyd Lloyd Neuenschwander claimed , that be was unable to see the true- I , tor until it was too late to avo:d hitting it The front end of the car -caught the left rear wheel of the tractor, greatly damaging both vehicles. and throwing Dallas about 15 feet The youths were then rushed to the hospital where it was believed that Dallas suffered a basal sknil ■ fra< ture. However, the attending ' physician, stated he is awaiting I I further developments before making an offi lai statement Dallas al1 so received *ev«re cut* alxiut *h» , head and bruise* on the l>ody Lloyd received bead and chest cuts Sheriff Herman Bowman, who IJ<Twra T« f*aae slsi S. S. Convention October 23 And 24 The annual Adams county Sunday school convention will be held Sunday and Monday. Oct. 23 and 21. it wa* announced today, with the Rev Charles McDonald, of De troit. a* the speaker The convention location has not been de ( I termined I

Coal Strike Expected To Open Monday See Suspension Os Benefit Payments Signal For Strike Washington. Sept 17. — (I'P) — Soft coal operators said today '.he | suspension of benefit payments by I the United Mine Workers welfare and retirement fund probably will signal the start of a general mine strike Monday The 8,000 I'MW member* in Wyoming and Utah already had laid down their tools, and a high-rank-ing western official of the I'MW said their walkout wa* "the kickoff of a nation-wide strike by UMW members." This official, who asked not to be identified by name, said he could not disclose the date of the *< hedtiled national mine walkout But he told the United Press that "it's coming." John L. Lewis, chief of the I'MW and possibly the only man who knew, was not talking Many operator* believed however that unless Lewis takes some affirmative action to keep his 350,(i0<l soft coal miners on the job, they won't show up for work Monday. The walkout in the far west iiegan yesterday even before Lewi* announ.ed suspension of the welfare payments He said the s!no,000,000 a-year fund i« down to sll.oon.ood Payments won't He resumed. he said, until 'funds ar» available.'' In bls usual Indirect way Lewi* already had threatened to call a strike against some southern coal firms which he accused of "cfefaul*Ing” in their 2<*-rent* per ton parments to the fund, which provides lion a month old-age pension*. sl,- (»•" death benefit*, and medic al < are f<>r miner* and their familie< The fund was depleted both l>e cause of these "defaults" and < ause coal production dropped off aftei l.ewis put all mines east of the .Mississippi on a three-day we.-k when hi* old contract ran out last June 30. Van Horn Quit* Cleveland. S< pt. 17 (UP) Ezra Van Horn said today lie ha* reHigned a* a trustee of the coa) min ers' welfare fund Van Horn, who with John L (Turn Tn Ms) Rev. Schmidtke Head Os Dislrid CROP Friedheim Pastor Named Supervisor The Rev E T Schmidtke. pa* lor of the Zion Lutheran church of Friedheim. has been named district supervisor of the Christian rural overseas program (CROPI. it wa* announced today by O. B Rigg*, state director. Rev Schmidtke will be in charge of organizational work in Wabash. Grant, Huntington. Well* and Adam* countie*. &nd In cooperation with Walter D Crother*. Albion northern regional leader In Indiana. he will lay the groundwork for the 1949 CROP campaign and Indiana CROP week. October 30 to November »l CROP i« a nationwide, churchsponsored project for the collec tlon of farm commodi'le* for distribution oversea* to the <.phan> d. aged. 11l and destitute. La-t year more than 2.392 carloads of food stuff* were contributed by Ameri can farmer* to the needy of 22 nation* of Europe and Asia Approximately 200 carload* of commodities moved from Hoosier farms Adam* county farmer* donated nesr'.y SIO,OOO In cash and grain Church group* affiliated with CROP are Catholic rural life. ' church world service and Lutheran | world relief.

Price Four Cents

Fire Rips Through Cruiser At Dock At Toronto Shortly After Midnight Toronto. Ont . Sept. 17 —(UP) — A flash fire swept the luxary cruiser Noronic, ' Que'-n of the Lakes." with luu-foot flame* early today and hours later estimates of the number dead ran a* high as 150 persons, most of them United State* tourist* The fire, which broke out at 2 a m while the palatial ship bobbed at her dock here with sleeping and merrymaking passenger*, ripped through the excursion boat from stem to stern in 15 minute*. Eight hours later the flame* were brought under control and firemen began bringing out the victim*, wrapped in grey blankets, three and four on a stretcher. Tlie bodies flowed into n temporary morgue on the grounds of ths Canadian National Exposition so fast an accurate count wa* difficult. But Sam Hill, fire department Investigator, aaid "it can be safely estimated that 150 persons lost their lives " Tiie Noronic docked here last night with 540 passengers, most of wiiom boarded it at Detroit and Cleveland, and 190 crewmen. The passenger* reported a gay crossing bf Lake Ontario It had not been determined how many passengers and crew memlM-r* went ashore for the night But s< ore* who stayed aboanr were trapped Some of the survivor* told of grabbing fire extliigni hers from the walls, only to find them empty. Others said there was no pressure in the fire hoses Firemen and police continued to search the 6,000-ton vessel for bodies and boats patrolled the harbor searching for passengers who may have leaped overboard and drowned .Most of those aboard were American and Canadian vacationers The foyer of the palatial Royal York hotel, the large-l hotel in Canada, was < ommandeered by Red Cross workers as an emergency <enter Ambulance men. black-uniform-ed und white belted, brought in dozens of passenger# injured In the panicky crush which occurred when the hundred* aboard the ship dashed for the gangway* at the sound of the *hfp's fire alarm. Two of the victim* died in hospitals of burn* and a third passenger leaped overboard and was drowned Doctor* at St. Michael's hospital identified one of the dead as Mrs. Eunice Bietrich of (1328 \Ve<t 73rd St ) Cleveland, O Hysterical passenger*, moat of them American and Canadian vacationer*. became panicky when the fire broke out. They Jammed the gangway* in their rush to leave the ship. Few escaped with more than their nightclothes. Firemen *ald they would not know If anyone was caught below deck* by the flash fire until they are able to make a s-ur< h of the ship "We won't know until wo can get aboard." fire officials said. "But if there'* anyone aboard they haven't a chance " Some passenger* Mid they attempted to fight th- flame* with shipboard fire fighting equipment, but that they found no water pressure on the line* Fire and police boats began an (Tare Tn Pear Mai Colerick Funeral On Monday Morning Funeral service* for Guy Colerick. 89. well known Fort Wayne attorney, who died Thursday night, will be held Monday morning at 11 o'clock, and burial will be in Lindenwood cemetery at Fort Wayne. Mr Colerick was well known In Decatur and Adam* county. Ix>ng prominent in Democratic political circlet, Mr. Colerick tervid several term* at Allen county attorney but never sought an tie* tire office 'Surviving are the widow and a ton. Ouy. Jr Two sieter* aito survive Frt»nd» may call at the Klaehn funeral home He was a member of the law firm of i Colerick and Corbett.