Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 47, Number 307, Decatur, Adams County, 31 December 1949 — Page 1

Vol. XLVII. No. 307.

FEAR NEW SOH COAL MINE STRIKE TUESDAY

MacArthur In Report On Gain Os Jap People Declares Japan Has Achieved Internal Peace In Message Tokyo. Dec. SI — (UP) — Gen. Douglas MacArthur said today: that Japan han achieved internal | peace and noon should become a "sturdy and highly respected aiernlier of the society of free! nations." The supreme allied commander re|s>rted the gains of the past year of occupation to the Japanese people in his annual New Year's message. lie said the communist conquest of China had brought the global struggle between communism and democracy close to Japan, but urged the Japanese nation and people not to become involved in it. Furthermore, he said, the Jap anese people could do nothing shout the international procedural conflict delaying the call of a Japanese peace conference. The solution of these problems does not He within Japan's present capabilities, and should not direct. Iy be drawn within the orbit of Japan's internal politics,” MacArthur said. Although Japan is still technical Iy at war. he said, "there are few places on earth more completely at peace. "In keeping with my announced purpose to transfer the authority of government to your chosen representatives Just as rapidly as they demonstrated the will and rapartty to discharge the attending responsibility, the past year has witnessed progressive and far reachlng relaxation of occupa tion controls. "We have, indeed. gone a long way and Internally have virtually arrived at a de facto peace. "Your new leadership, strengthening under the atimulus of responsibility. is rapidly becoming a safe guarantee against either the re-emergence of those institutions, which brought your race to the brink of destruction or the substitution of alien concepts no less provocative of disaster .. . The myth of an unabridgeable gulf between the ways of the east and the ways of the west has been thoroughly exploded by the lesson of experience and no longer dominates man's thinking. For mon now know that human Ity. whatever the origin, race, or cultural environment, is fundamentally the same in the impelling universal desire for higher personal dignity, broader Individaal liberty and a betterment of life ..." $15,000 Fire Loss At Hammond Early Today Hammond. Ind., Dec. 31—(UP) —A (15.000 fire swept the Ham mond Drapery Co. here early today and threatened to spread to other atructurea In the heart of the business district. Several firemen, including chief Del Sargent, were overcome by the dense smoke. An unidentified man. the only occupant of the building, was carried down a ladder from his third floor apartment He was not Injured. • Muncie Man Killed As Auto Hits Train Muncie. Ind.. Dec. SI — (UP) — Merrill Edwin Helm. M. Muncie, was killed today and fyur other per•ons injured when their automobile •truck a train nt the crossing of IM. •? and the Pennsylvania railtoad in Muncie. Police who investigated the acideet said the car apparently was •raveling at a high rate of speed. WEATHER Increased cleudtnees and mild with eccaelenal rale be(kwiieg northwest today. OcPRaAMaI mm Awn COW partly Oiewdy and a little eeider north. Occasional rain •nd mild eeuth. High today « to M north. M to W south. 40 141 44e

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

New Official Richard Lewton. Democrat, will take office Jan. 1 as Adams county treasurer, the only new county off! da) next year. Lewton will succeed Norval Fuhrman. Republican Death Cancels Out Many Movie Stars Wallace Beery Most Famous Star To Die Hollywood. Dec. 31 — (UP) — Death canceled many movie contracts in 1949. All but one of them belonged to men. Madame Maria Ouspenskaya was the only actress who missed seeing the turn of the half centurv. Rhe <li«Ml tragically on Dec. 3 from hums suffered when a lighted cigarette set her bed on fire. The venerable old lady, who gave acting lessons to many of Hollywood's top stars, was 63. Among the male personalities claimed by death during the year were 10 actors, two directors, one producer, one singer, and one dancer.

This took a heavy toll from Hollywood. l-ast year only 1« bigname stars died. In 1947 death claimed only five. But 1949 was conspicuous hy its lack of movie suicides. Last year Carole I-andis shocked the world when she gulped an overdoao of sleeping pills. Most famous name on this year’s death list was Wallace Beery, who died of a heart attack during a quiet evening at home on April Id. He died with a paternity suit still hanging over him The year also brought an end to the fabulous parties tossed by Atwater Kent. The multi-million-aire philanthropist • inventor-party-giver died at 75 on March 4 of v-ancer. leaving behind an estate valued at liO.mw.(HH). Singer Buddy Clark met violent death when a small plane that was flying him home from a gay holiday weekend crashed in a down(Torn T« I’sur Three* K.P. Will Install Officers Thursday Hubert Keller To Be New Head Os Lodge Hubert Keller of (hi* city, new Iy elected chancellor commander of Keklonga lodge number 65. Knights of Pythias will take office at the annual installation of officer* to be held at the 4C. of P. home here next Thursday night, it was announced today. Keller will succeed Ralph Kenworthy as chancellor and Ken worthy will be installed a* mas ter of work* for l>so. Other newly elected oHicer* to be installed will include: Frank Kltson. vice-commander; Francis Andrew*, prelate: Boyd Rayer. master of arm*; Jim Helm. Inner guard; Robert McAlhaney. outer guard; Kenneth Runyon, recording secretary; Fred Kolter. fin anclal secretary; Herman Haugk. trustee; Gerald Rumple, treasurer Following the formal installation and regulnr meeting next Thursday night, refreshment* will be served and a smoker will be held in honor of the new officers Keklonga lodge maintains it* own building on Third street and I* one of the oldest lodge* In the city In addition to club room* and a large lodge ball- Knight* of Pythias also maintain a dining room where the service clubs meet each week Room* siso are leased to organisation* tor other social Inactions.

31,500 Deaths In Traffic In U.S. In 1949 Safety Council In Prediction Os 500 Below 1948 Figure Chicago, Dec 31.—(UP)— The national safety council predicted today that traffic accidents in 1949 will have cost the lives of 31.500 Americans by the time the New Year is rung in at midnight tonight. If the prediction is fulfilled, the 1949 toll will be 500 less than the 32,000 traffic deaths in 1949, the council «aid. But the council warned that its estimate may be boosted unless celebrating motorists use caution in driving tonight. Traffic deaths during the month of November totaled 3.020 and the council has predicted 3.150 for December, Broken down, the figures show that about 100 persons die in traffic accidents throughout the nation every day about one death every 15 minutes. The 11-month total for 1949 was 29,350, the council said. During this period cities showed a decrease of 12 percent in their traffic deaths Rut this improvement was offset bj an Increase in deaths in the rural areas and smaller cities The melonal average came out two percert under the 1949 figure. The couicll said that 73 cities of more th Ki lo.otoi population reported no 'raffle fatalities during the first 11 months of 1949. wifli the largest 61 these Passaic. N. J.. Great Falls. Mont., and Ann Arbor, Mich The -New Ytar's holiday weekend from 6 pm Friday uatH midnight Monday will take 330 lives in traffic accidents, the council has predicted Jobless Pay Claims Decrease In State

lndiana|Mdi*. Dec 31 — (UP) The rerall of industrial worker* In several larger Hoosier cities, including Routh Bend. Evaniville. and New Castle and Connersville resulted in a decline for ui.employment benefit applications ktM w*-< 9. the Indiana Employment Security Division said today. Director Everett L. Gardner said claims for unemploymont romper* satioii dropped more than 12 per cent last week from the previous week. Total claim* last week «l»re 51.376. compared with 59.524 tor the week ending Dec. !"• Burglary Attempt Thwarted At Berne Berne Night Officer Fires At Intruders Burglar* were interrupted in thsir work shortly after midnight tislky In the Berne Lumiwr com pany b* Alfred Zumbrum. night policeman of Berne, when he caught them in the act of attempt ing to open the company safe Zumbrum. making hi* nightly rounds, heard a noise inside the office, flashsff a light through the glass-paneled door, saw two men at the *afe. and fired away at them. He sent five shots into the building, two of them into the safe, the other* into the wall. One of the slug* snagged the leather jacket of one of the burglars and it is belirved that the man might have l»een injured. Zumbrum then dropped down to reload the gun. and the men pre sumahiy left by the rear door, from which they had prevk.usly broken the lock, then entered the building. Stale trooper Walter Schindler and deputy sheriff Boh Hhraluka were called Immediately, and alerted Portland. Hluffton and Decatur police. A youth reported to police officials tbst • csr which passed him on the Tile Mill mad. shortly as ter the time of the shooting in Berne. Bred n shot In bls dlrec tion the chase then led to north Mat of Berne, but Inveetlgation dis< loeed no clues There I* no description of the car available, police stated today

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday, December 31, 1949

Accused Os Mercy Killing ■ ' a® ■ My .A, DR. HERMAN N. SANDER. 40-year-old prominent physician accused of the "mercy killing" of a 59-year-old woman cancer patient, is pictured with his wife during a hearing at Manchester, N. 11. Dr. Hander, whose action caused a local and national furore, is free under 125.000 bond.

United Stales Back Into Egg Business Resumes Buying To Boost Farm Prices Washington. Dec. 31 — (UP) — The government reluctantly headed ba* k Into the egg market today to boost farm prices In the mid ' west. There was no official word on how many egg* it will buy. But hens are laying at a near record rate, and it may l»e necessary to take close to 1,000,000,000 eggs off tlie market duriug the next four or five months. The cost could soar over the 125.000.000 mark. The egg* will l*« adtled to Uncle Sam s price support hoard which still bulges with 2.600.000.000 bought for 190.000.000 in th*- form of powder tinder 1948 and 1949 support programs. Tlie government for month* ba* been trying to *ell what it already has to the British governmental less than half price. Despite the heavy government buying, consumer price* will remain con»ideral*ly lower than they were during early 1919. The sup port price ha* been lowered for 1950 and retail price* may average out eight to 10 cents a doxen cheaper than they did this year. J The more eggs consumers eat. the les* the government will have to buy t’ongresslonal pressure forced the agriculture department to jump back into the egg market yesterday sooner than it thought was necessary. It had hoped to save taxpayer* million* of dollars ky staying out of the market a tew more week*. The department stopped inlying ogy last week, after 20 straight tn<*ths of egg purchases under a nissdatory support program It promised farmers at the time that It wsuld hold farm price* "on a national annual average" at 37, iTwr* T» Paar Three*

Spectacular News Not Prevalent During 1949

The year 1949. In retrospect, was probably not a too spectacular year as far a* the news is concerned. but it was a year of development. a year of building, and a year further from one war and. a* some believe, a year closer to an other one. The idea that man should erect building* for the further study and manifestation of bi* ideal* was probably as noteworthy a* anything else Construction of the United Nations building in New York got started this year; a symbol jutting heavenward to remind men that if they must differ and debate their belief*. It I* best to do it In the spotlight of the world That many believe that the United Nations l» not S success is under standable, perhaps; but it can be just as logically argued that It also is not a complete failure and remains the best medium, despite It* maay weaknesses, to promote the general political welfare of kMla Decstar a concentrated drive got underway to build a Community

Argentina Train Wreck Fatal To 10 Pilar. Argentina. Dec. 31 (UP) At least 10 persons were killed and 75 injured late yesterday when three cars of a seven-car train left : the tracks und plunged into a 15- | foot ravine near here The accident occurred at a bridge crossing the Carabaza river. The derailed cars plunged ' through the bridge abutment and i Into the stream lied, which contained about three feet of water i Case Is Dismissed In Circuit Court Plaintiff Fails To Comply With Order Judge Myles F. Parish, in a move rare in the Adams circuit court, dlsmlaaed a case Thursday iiecause he stated in tlie record, the plain* tiff in tlie action failed to comply j with a court order In an action brougiu l*y t'arl ai d Martha Mies, through their atlor ney. I). Burdette Custer, against ' John Trout. Lewis and Clark Smith and Peter D. Schwarts. |2O.0"O in ■ damages and recovery of real est ■ ! ate were sought. The original complaint bv t , 'he plaintiffs hail been filed in February of this year charging that : SctewartJ bad sold the real estate to them for 113.000. for which they had subsequently paid 13,000 and signed a 110.000 mortgage. They further charged that l.ewis and Clark Smith hail taken possession of part of the land, erected "no trespassing" signs, ami had kept the Mieses from building a home. la-wis and Clark Smith then filed through their attorney Judge Ro* roe Wheat, of Port land, separa.e motions in court to require the i plaintiffs to make lin-ir complaint more definite and specific; they later filed a motion to strike an amended complaint completely from I Turn To !*■■* Tbrrr* I

If building Spurred by the offer of a ’I 575."«(' gift by D W McMillen if I the city could raise double that amount, plans were formulated to 11 build a center In the city. And *: this also had something to do with ideals A group of people felt strongly I' enough in faror of the propo*ltion I to give time and money and a sin II cere effort to bring the Commun , : ity Center to Decatur To date the , I majority of the money has be«n i i ral*ed. but not all of H Yet who can say. as the detractor* of the i United Nations would say. that it ■ still will not be a success; It Isn't i proven a failure And unill someI thing better Is forwarded In action ( rather than word* both the United Nation* building and the Commun • ity Center building will remain the • best possible answer The further evidence of man’s i need of a chapel for his ideal* Is • the fact that so many churcbe*. for example, made plan* in 1949 for i building, remodeling and a general *| overhaul To strengthen a church ,Turu Tu r*s* star

Industry Officials Hear Reports Coal Miners May Not Report At Coal Pits

America Rings Out Old Year Tonight Celebration More Dull Than Ordinary Chicago, Dec. 31. —(UP l America rings out the first half of the 20th century tonight but the New Year's celebration was expected to be somewhat dull compared to previous holidays. City officials ami safety experts hoped celebrants would exercise due restraint so that traffic fatal itles over (lie tliree-day holiday would fall far below the national safety council's prediction that 330 persons would lie killed on highways. A billiard that hit the Pacific northwest today was regarded by the council as "favorable" because it would tend to keep people Indoors and off the pavements. Tlie same applied to a cold wave that swept into Montana and wheeled eastward onto the great i plains To the east, however, only intermittent rains dampened preparations for New Year's parties Tile weather in the east and midwest was mild; Night club and hotel managers i ill most cities reported that they had fewer reservations this year than last. Prices were about the same but many withdrew their usual cover and minimum charges As a new sign of the impact television is having on American life, many families expected to spend the evening at home and * n joy isirties vhariously by watching other Americans celebrate via Video. The safety council announced, meanwhile that by midnight to night. 31.500 Americans will hate been killed in traffic accidents during 1949. That would be 50" less than last year. Statistics kept by the United : Press showed that the six big holidays of the past year claimed j 2.799 lives in all types of accidents New Drug May Be Long Life Answer Apparently Slows Down Age Process New York. De. 1. (UPI scientist reported tislay that the new drug cortisone may lie the answer to long lite The report by Dr Thomas I’ Dougherty, University of Utah. I.r tologist. said that cortisone appear, to slow down the aging processes of man. Dougherty, one of the pioneers ii> the use of cortisone and acth, said that his recent experimental results i indicate that "in all likelihood thereI is n critical period in the course of | infeclous disease, during which the . timely administration of cortisol'* ; may prove to lie a forestalling factor. effective possibly years later when the initial infection gives way , Jo chronic phases " Dougherty disclosed to the American Association for the Advancement of Science that cortisone off ers a "broad new potential In the use of hormones of the adrenal eo r ■ tex to prevent many of mankind's most common and lethal diseases Dougherty has used many handredo of mice to test out his theories on cortisone, and he has found that the hormone, an adrenal nor'ex excretion. causes a stimulation of body mechanisms against infection In other words, he has found that animals develop a higher level of anti-body source* as the result of adrenal cortex sultstances Doughertv cautioned against rrtsIng false hopes'* that drenal ulai.d snhnlancea *(» he « <•••* “ n •* ,-n a core for certain disease* In support of his theory. Dnoglterty discovered that mice, whose adrenal glands had been removed, showed a greater resistance again-« infection when Im* < ulsted with cortisone which under the theory stimulates ths production of anti bodies against infection

Adams County Com Acreage To Be Reduced r 8,850 Acre Slash In Production Os Corn During 1950 Tlie government's placing of con - tmls on tlie 195't corn crop will 1 mean a reduction in acreage In I Adams county of about 9.950 acres. '! based on total seeding of 45.000 - acres, it was estimated by agriml ! lure offices here tislay -! Tlie average yield in Indiana this r j year was 55 bushels to the acre. ■ i which, if applied tu th*- above acre • | age. means a reduction of approx! i malely |.*5,01*0 bushels in tlie 1950 , harvest I The slash in acreage in Indiana I and oilier states in the corn licit is ; 19 7 percent . j With storage blns bulging be cause of a pres* nt record yield secretary *d agriculture Charles F Brannan placed corn under al liitnonts for th*- fir«t time since 1942 as a step to avoid a toheavy surplus. iliHisbr farmers will have tn re r duce their plantings about 923.200 ! acres less than file 4.616,000 acres r seeded this year to qualify for , government price supports. Purdue 1 University officials estimated 1 This means a decrease id nearly 1 so.oOfi.iiiu* bushels of corn produi *-d lj In tlie Hiiosier corn belt which cov its twothird* 'd the stale 1 Purdue specialist* claimed the great corn and wheat surpluses have brought government moves tn get more land into pasture They '(predicted Indiana farmers now will i j tinn to other crops and livestock i Only Blown and Crawford conn ' tie* will not In- subject to flu- crop I' limitations in Indiana Brannan explained that th*- na-; p tlnlial acreage reduction would be i 12'' tier* * nt. bringing th* pio|*>-*d | plantings to the small* «t figure | ' since 1990 But farmers in tlie sprawling Midwest corn belt will absorb most of the rut. or a reduction of 19 7 percent. Nationally, this means a! planting slash of about 1 i. 330 "no . acres in |950 Brannan •aid marketing quotas, a more severe form of controls, ■will not be used next year despite the 1949 teiord output But he said lie would have hud to damp quotas on the l>so crop if this yeai’s yield had been 2 > cent larger <ju*><a- or acreage control* must be imposed whenever supplies i threaten i*> spill over into price de I pressing surplus* * which would re quite extensive price support put | <ha*e» The government expects to tie up • Tara To Fane Tfcerei License Plate Sales Open Here Tuesday 1950 License Plates To Go On Sale Here Preparation* have been pretty j well completed for the expected i I rush for lli ense plate*, according i to Mr* Katherine la«*e. manager of the Decatur auto liren*e bureau. Hhe <aution»d al! thf*»e who ap ply for the llcen*e« to he certain they have registration blank* per-1 sonal and poll tax receipts: otherwh*r the bureau will be unable to Issue a license The black plates with gold »uper Imposed letter* and numeral* will run from I to s.ttm* for Adam* county, with the letters JA desit naiint ftreaiur. JB. Geneva and JC, Berne Many of the lo* number* hav*-: already been requested. Mr* la**e| said t'ounty offkial* committeemen. dfwtoc* and police will be given priority for kw number* Mr* Lose added that the bureau will be open ala 30 in the morning remain open during the lunch hour.j

Price Four Cents

Lewis Unavailable For Comment, Other Union Officials In Refusal To Comment Washington. Dec. .’’.l (UP)--Soft coal industry official* said tie day there are "moutiiing indication-" a new strike may start Tuesday • Th*y said reports from miner* "friendly" to their bosses indicate that most *>f John L I.* wi*' 400,ihh) soft coal diggers may not report for woi k when the mines reopen after the New Year holiday. The miner*, tiny said, reported that word wa* gent out from head--1 quarter* of the united mine worker here that there would be no work after Jan 1 for companies i which have refused to accept Lewis’ I new contract term*. The UMW president was not available for comm* nt and other union official* would not di*cus* the report Jan I Is the date Lewis set some time ago for his new "basic" con'trait to he put into operation. It calls foi 95 cent daily pay raise and an inctease ot 15 cent* a ton in tlie operator contribution to the union welfare fund Ho far. file term* have been ac-cepti-d only by companies producing about B.mstiHui tons of coal a y*ar a «mall fraction of tlie in-do-tty'- production Major priHlueers hav l» > n holding out. claim ing that l-ewj»' price for peace i* .' too high A big bloc of northern and southern operators, who together rept* sent a third of the industry. I* seeking court action to fore*- la-wis to put their mine* back on a fivoday *i*k and "bargain in good faith In almost identical charge* filed with th* national labor relation* luiard. the two group* accused 1., wi- of violating the Taft Hartley law by: 1 1>• mttiding Illegal contract term*, including closed or union • hop employment 2 Unlaw fully coercing and re i straining employ* i- In an effort ho force them to sign a contract , th* y don't want. :: Foil ing * inployer* to discrimiti* i against mm union min* t • by ■ requiring that all miner* must be union me mb* rs They »aid the threeday work week la wi* ordered on Dec 5 was a form of "unlawful c«*ercion " Denies Report* Pittsburgh, Ik-* 31 (I P) John I’ Busarello. president of I nited Mine Worker* district 5, to day denied report* that soft coal miner* will not return to tlie pits after the New Year's Day holiday. "Ho far as I know.” Busare!!** said "the situation will be unchanged as of Tuesday " Busarello said that If an order to stop work hid t*e*-n sent out from I MW headquarter* in Washington he would have heard about it Bequeaths Million To U. of Notre Dame South Bend. In*! Dec 31. ill’* Mr*. Fred J Fisher, widow id the Sounder of the Fisher B**iy Co. ha* given li.mui.mat to the University of Notre Dame. The Rev. John J Cavanaugh, university president, announced the I tieques* yesterday and said |7s®.ih«* would he used for th>- construciion !<>f a dormitory while the remainder I would l*e u*ed for loan* Io student* ! working their way through the uni versity. Den To Be Opened Following Tourney The f»en. Decatur'* youth center will l>e open this afterntsm hut < lo*ed tonight. Monday, the center will be open following the final game of the holiday tourney Word Is Received Os Walter Thimmes Death Word ha* been received here of [the rss-ent sudden death of Wal'*r Thimine* aa hi* borne in Port* month. O. He waa the father o* : Mr* David Kunkel, of Watmah. twmer Decatur resident **