Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 49, Number 104, Decatur, Adams County, 2 May 1951 — Page 1

Vol. XLIX. No. 104.

NEW RED OFFENSIVE EXPECTED SHORTLY

—i : ' ■/ Joseph Martin Demands House Probe Ouster House Republican - Leader In Demand For Public Hearing . * Washington, May 2 — (UP) — House Republican leader Joseph W. Martin, Jr.\ demanded today ' that two house committees make a public investigation of Gen. > Douglas MacArthur’S dismissal so “the house and the American people shaH have the facts to which \ they are entitled.” In letters ito the Chairmen of the house armed services and foreign affairs• committees, Martin took a swipe at the senate armed services and foreign relations committees for deciding to hold their inquiry behind closed doors. The senate investigation begins tomorrow, with MacArthur as first witness. “Obviously," Martin wrote, '“if the~ senate Apommittees intend to reserve unto themselves certain pertinent - and vita) information, the house cannot fulfill its duty." Chairman Carl Vinson. D.* ,Ga„ of the house armed services committee, replying to Martin’s letter, said the house should not ,\undertakq hearings while, the aen--7 ate is-holding its inquiry. But Vinson left open the possibility 7> that house hearings might be held later on the MacArthur ouster. “Let the senate conclude its hearings, and then is the approL priate time for (he armed services a committee to reach a decision as " to what Jt desires to do about the MacAl'Chur matter,’* Vinson told Martin. Martin said he has not talked to MacArthur or the general’s adviser, Maj. -Gen. Courtney Whit- ■ ney f about the hearings pr about anything else recently. \ ■ J The senate committees had said they would dpen their.hearings to - the -public K MacArthur so re- \ quested. But MacArthur said in New York yesterday that he would leave that question up to ■ the senators. j 1 r■: Martin’s were made public amid a disclosure that MacArthur has informed . confidants he holds secretary of state Dean Acheson primarily responsible for bis discharge. * j ;■ Persons who have talked with the general recently say W has neither the wish nor the intentioii of , putting the finger on Achesori when he testifies before«the sen-1 atdittvestigators .tomorrow. Martin has played a leading role in the Mae Arthur controversy. It was to Martin that MacArthur addressed the latter which was a major factor in President Truman’s decision to fire the gen"y eral. And it was Martin who, as- /' 7 ter the dismissal, demanded a l joint meeting of congress to hear MacArthur’s view. -J. In letters to chairman John Kee, Va„ ot the house foreign affairs committee and Carl Vinson, D., Ga., of the house armed services committee* Martin said MacArthur’s dlsmissial posed • “fundamental”’ ' questions affecting the security and peace of the world. A ; < • "Therefore, I feel compelled to urge that the house armed servJ ices and affairs committee join in an open inquiry into our 7 foreign and military policies so . that the house and the American ’ people shall have the facts to which they are entitled.” Martin said house members could not adequately fulfill their functions of originating appropria- \ tione and tax bills without full information of American “foreign and military policies?’ \ Heart Attack Fatal f To Rev. W. B. Fallis The Rev. Wilfred B. Fallis, 75, retired Methodist minister and ' a former pastor of the Geneva Methediat church, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon at his home in Orland after a heart attack. He had retired in 1946. Surviving are his wife, Ruth, and a brother, Harry, of Toronto, Can. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at the Orland Methedist Church, with Dr. A. Wesley Pugh, district Methodist superintendent, officiating. Burial will be at Vicksburg, Mich. ' ■ ' 1 ‘ H- , . '

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

BULLETIN New York. May 2.r-(UP)— Irving Sherman, branded by the FBI as one of the nation's top criminals, will accept a subpoena ‘and ’’cooperate fully” j«.with the senate crime Investigating committee probing links between j New York politicos • and Frank Costello’s underworld, his attorney announced today. Urges Truman Order Recall Os O’Dwyer Republican Senator Asks Recall Because / Os Crime Findings Washington, May 2. —(UP) — Sen. H. Alexander Smith. R-, N.Jsaid today that President Trumap should recall ambassador William O’Dwyer at ohce because of senate crime committee\ charges that he helped the New York underworld. But the White - House said it knew of no plans for reAlling the former New York mayor, and secretary of state Dean Acheson said he saw no evidence that, the furor over O’Dwyer had impaired relations between the United States and Mexico. Asked at his news conference if he intends to consult the ambassador about the charges against him, Acheson said he had nothing in mind along those lines. The crime , committee charged that while O’DwYvr yas Kings county (Brooklyn) district attorney and New York mayor, he contributed to the growth of organized crime, racketeering, and gangsterism in the metropolis. Smith, a member of the senate foreign relations committee, said it is “perfectly obvious” that the former New York should be recalled from Mexico /‘immediately.’’ ’ “It is contrary to every good principle of democracy and diplomacy for us to be represented in Mexico by > man whose political activities in this country have been, at the very lehst, open to senops questions,” Smith said. ( Democrats for the ’ most part were silent. O’Dw’yer in Mexico City that he might, have something to say later. 1 At Acheson’s news conference, a reporter asked whether it' is normal procedure for the secretary of -W| (Turn To Page Six) I - Silver Anniversary Observed By Lions Harold P. Nutter Principal Speaker ; Harold P. Nutter, first vice-presi-dent of Lions International, and principal speaker at the silver anniversary banquet Tuesday evening elaborated on ' the tremendous growth of the international organization in the past quarter century. He emphasized that this past expansion will be equalled by future growth, to other peoples, to other countries. , And in tribute of the Decatur Lions club pwn growth since its founding 25 years ago, more than 300 members and guests attended the event at the Decatur high school gymnasium. <, . Numerically, (he Lions club has expanded from 18 charter members —four of whom, Dr. N. A. Bixler, karry Knapp, Walter Krick and Roy Mumma are still members -and were signally honored —to the preserit day enrollment of 66 men. During that time the club’s projects have Increased Including its sponsorship of one of the city’s four Boy Scout troops. I These things were mentioned and Stressed at the Tuesday fete, which was climaxed by the General Electric Aeolian choir's program. Herman*Krueckeberg was toastmaster for the program. take part include the Rev. Robert McDanel,\ state Lions chaplain, who offered the invocation; Walter Sittman. song leader accompanied by Lion pianist Robert Durham. Mrs. Earl Chase provided music during dinner; Mayor Doan extended the welcome to all guests which included representative? from Mons clubs from Auburn, Garrett,! Elkhart. Wabash. Huntington, Etna' Green, Geneva, Andrews, (Turn To P«*O Six)

. . ./A- -i .... j.f .■■■» ....... ' . ■ .i ■■■■■—• No Sidewalks* So Parents Block Bridge Opening -I j i Ji Ji u H 11 aBEKSPriS Sw® ■Bg | lWt . 7--- - ANGRY RESIDENTS of Whitaker, Pa./near Pittsburgh, form a hminbarricade, with chairs for comfort to prevent-opening of new Rankin Memorial Bridge. The ‘ sttAkwh stems from fact there are no Sidewalks on the bridge’s approach. Mothers declaie they.sreaX jolH to have the bridge open to traffic “and have our children killed.” The road was cV» Bed for **> construction ot the span.

County Councilmen Cut Highway Funds \ Other Appropriations Untouched By Board Members of the \Adarps county council Tuesday reduced the amount of three items in» the highway department’s appropriations add left the county appropriations intact. f In the latter instance, they were mandated 'by the 1951 legislature to grant sudiLexpenditures which substantially ~-sfre for per diem and salary of 'county officials.. The reduced the appropriations fOTs .truck divers' from a total of $12,000 sought by the department to >7.000: the single hands' appropriation was reduced from $3,000 to $1,500, and the amount sought for the repair of trucks and machinery was reduced from $2,509 |o $2,000. The members' that they were unable to foretell future gasoline ta.. and license fee distribution checks, consequently would not project any / appropriations beyond what they were certain would be obtainable, They went on to say that the board would have meetings later in the year, and if the highway department's funds are replenished by sufficient amounts from the state, then the requested appropriations could be fulfilled. The two gasoline and license fee checks received so far this year,’one id January and one in April, have been slightly more than any previous Checks. Councilmen could' not envisage whether this would prevail on payment of the final two 1951 checks. Councilmen also, at their special two day meeting, appointed ohar-. les J. Jones, of Blue Creek township, 1 to serve as that body’s representative on the county tax adjustment board which will meet next fall. (Mayor John Doan, as mayor of the county’s largest city; serves on this board, and other members are appointed by Judge 1 Myles F. Parrish. The group reviews all tax; rates of different units within the county. William Gearhart Is Taken By Death Funeral Services Friday Afternoon William F. Gearhart, 75, of Kingsland, died" Tuesday afternoon at, the Clinic hospital in Bluffton following an extended illness. He had ’ been hospitalised seven weeks. \ Surviving are a son, Herman Gearhart of Lancaster township, Wells county; three daughters, Mrs. Edward Hesher* of Decattar. Mrs. Carrie Harris of Kingsland and Mrs. Garlan Harris of Montpelier; nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p. m. Friday at the Kingsland Methodist church, the Rev. Homer Studebaker and the Rev. F. p. Kise officiating. Burial will be in Oak Lawn [cemetery at Ossian. The body will be removed from the Elzey & Son funeral home to the residence, where friends may call after 7 o’clock this evening, d' ’ 'i' ' i •' "i' • • /• ■ ‘1 * ' ' -j

| ..-k \ ' r At .■ -' .I * only; daily nbwspafer IN ADAMS county . ? ‘ - — —A— — 1—

, > i lu ij ii. h —> ■ 1 * r — 1 ' Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, May 2,1951.

Fprt Wayne Worker Is Shocked Fatally Fort Wayne, Ind.. May 2 —(UP)— Lewis McMahan, 127, Fort. Wayne, was shocked fatally when he picked up a'2.3of-volt wire he be-; lieved was dead yesterday. McMahan, K Pennsylvania railroad lineman, was splicing wires at the railroad’* roundhouse here when the accident occurred. -—I—E ■ ■ Two More Juveniles Taken Into Custody Admit Bn rgliriziig p'l Os Decatur Theater Two more yot ths Who admitted to one breakin and entry charge were apprehended late Tuesday by city and county? police officials. This raises to seven tjhe total number of juveniles Who have been arrested within the past three days. The last two tt> bedome involved in the current round-up admitted breaking Into the <!ort theatef October 18 and burglarizing the front office and cash box of S3O, of it In bills» the [other half in coins. " j ■ The youths arc 10 and 12 years of age. ; - -j ■ ‘ Sheriff Bob Shraluka and deputy Jim Cochran andi city police chief James' Borders today were continuing their investigations into the juvenile “crime iwaye” in an effort to; close several cases on their books. ! Many such breakin and entry charges were sdlved 'Tuesday when the five boys who wete first apprehended, admitted to entering nine establishments ih or near Decatur. id The police Official* today were busily listing a|l itemjs looted from the different places, from air rifles and ammunition to work gloves. The pile wa< constantly increasing when police would forage at the youths’ homes where they hid much of the stuff in/ garages; there were other hiding places that divulged the loot that, had been gathered Over the past Several months. Once the total has been listed, as much of the property as possible wilt be return-d to the owners. The investigation began when Dan Zeser notified sheriff Shraluka that the Sunset Park pavilion bad been burglarised Monday before opening time. . Three'of thej youths were nabbed at the Decatu r Drive-in that same evening; two (others were arrested (Tank To Page Six) Young Girl Killed By Father's Auto /'Portland, Ind., May 2—(UP) — SiXryear-old Vickie Sue Weaver was injured fhtaily by her father’s automobile today as she prepared to go to het great grandmother’s funeral. The father, Harry Weaver, backed his car out of the family garage. Vickie fine dlmbed on the! rear bumped and fell off under the wheels. She died in Jay county hospital. \ Weaver was preparing to take Vickie Sue and other children to school. This they planned to kttend services for Mrs. Christens Steen, 98. p, / INDIANA WEATHER ? 4 Fair tonight and Thursday, not much (change. In temperature, low tonight 5g to 64, high , —— s

Heavy fains Bring ■ • Jr " 3; ' Addedflood Threal Mississippi Swelled ( By New Downpours By United Preps i; Heavy rains poured ohto the upper Mississippi river valley today bringing threats of new floods to parts of Water-soaked lowa while several smWll rivers in Kansas and Missouri 1 erepf past flood stage. The Mississippi held steady at 20.6 feet at Muscatine, la., where police reported the saturated levees “took a terrific beating’’ from wind and waves. ; Forty additional national guards- - men . were assigned to work with 1 375 already on the scene petroling • thejevees and repairing break--1 th roughs. A The weather' bureau at Chicago ' said heavy thundershowers extend--1 ed in a belt along the upper Missis- • sippi river. Streams in the interior 1 of'lowa rose steadily. I 1 The DesMqines river was expect r ed to produce a' “considerable over 5 flow” at Moines. • Property damage thus far wap 1 small in Kansas and Missouri, and there were reports of only a few < evacuations. However, round-the-clock patrols were established ’ along the levees at Atch'ison, Ottar f wa, MarysvillX Arkansas City, and • Wamego/ Kin, and at Waverly, » Mo., to Watch for any sudden rise 1 in the water. 1 At Atchison the Missouri river already stood at L7 feet aboVe its 1 20-foot flood stage. Nearby low--1 lands were flooded. / * The Little Arkansas' river at > Wichita was up to the edge of Its ’ banks and was expected to spill over momentarily. < > I Most pf the rivers in ‘ should Crest today or tomorrow, 1 authorities said. \ At Oakville, la., about 20 miles ’ south, of flood-menaeed Muscatine, 5 the Mississippi broke through a 1 levee and national guardsmen were ? rushed to the scene to plug the 1 leak. The community of 400 were 1 reported safe after the dike was repaired. ; J . • In South Muscatine, about 800 ! residents whose homes were considered unsafe because of the pres1 sure, on the levee nearby, stubborn--1 ly ffused to Join 1.200 other per--1 sons evacuated from the area. > g i •. - ■ i • —* t Parties To Select r [Convention Dates j 1 Washington May £—(UP)— Democrats will stage a three-dav meeting at Denver May 23-25 climaxed by selections of the time and place for the party’s 1952 national convention. The Republican national com- • mlttee will meet at Tulsa, Okla., i May .11-12 to [pick the time and I place for its 1952 presidential nom- > Itiating convention. 105 Physicians To Army During June • Washington, May 2. —(UP)The army plans to order 105 more ( reserve physicians to active duty , in June, bringing the total call-up , to 2,304 since the outbreak of the Korean war. ' The army said that all of the physicians to be called in June are "“priority I”—men who were deferred from military service duing World War II to pursue a medical education and served less r han 90 days. | .

Commander Os Sth Army Declares First Phase Great Victory For UN

Make Prepayment On Diesel Engine Ordinance Passed By City Council City councifmen adopted an ordinance taking money out .of the bank and applying it as a prepayment to a contracted debt —wnich will be just like having money in the bankMBut the money in the bank that wag used was, by its very nature, non-interest bearing. Applied as a hoover, will reduce -the ultimate cost of the diesel engine for the new power plant by 1833.33 a month. \ The ordinance provided that the light company pay the Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton company f419,1?5. 75. or 85 percent of the >493,175 cost of . the engine which |s to be installed the latter part of the year. In agreement -with a' proposal, and by making the prepayment, the city. will be given two and onehalf percent Interest which means almost >9OO monthly. t This sum will be deducted from the total engine cost at the time of the final paymentThe auxiliary plant whs originally scheduled for erection for next ’ fall. To date there has been nothing to upset this schedule and light and power plant officials believe that the diesel auxiliary plant will be in operation before the year’s 1 end. ; The sum pail to the jßadwln-Li-ma-Hamiiton Is derived from the electric utility revenue bonds which were recently sold; they are not interest-drawing bonds which were recently sold; they are not ihterest-drawing -bonds when deposited in a bank. Councilmen also passed one oth-1 er ordinance at their regular meet-1 ing Tuesday, as well as a motion { to have clerk-treasurer H. Vernon Aurand contact the board of >ty us ' tees of , the stale social security division ito request a purvey of the city’s units’ possible acceptance of social security for employes. Such is granted under (Tara Ta Page Foar) \ — X’ I • ■ •J . t Directory { Canvass Nears Completion City Directory/To Be Issued In Fall The door-to-door canvass for the new Decatur city directory is nearing completion with the near downtown section being 'called on this week, it was stated today by Wendell A. Guldin, field superintendent; of the R. L. Polk Co. publishers of the Decatur directory. The canvass has been extended in many instances to include suburban sections closely adjacent to the city limits^—including Bellmont Park suburban section, which is yet to be canvassed. Due to the fact that the life of the directory is about four years, persons building new homes for occupancy by the latter part ot 1951 should be listed at the address to be. Compilation ot the directory generally covers an indeterminable time, but it is estimated that the deadline tor sending in information to, be included |n the forthcoming directory would be around the latter part of May ; (hough all ’available information should be in before the close of the canvass. Blank yellow-slip forms have been left at all homes where full information is not immediately available, and cards are being sent for more full information in several instances. List forms, for the nsmes of employes, have been sent to the larger manufacturing concerns for their convenience In providing the names of their «nb ployes, occupations and addresses for recheck purposes. The employe information is used merely * (Tur* Te Page ; I r ' .-7

Says MacArthur Never Shown Korean Report Wedemeyer Report * Never Discussed, {' MacArthur Aide New York, May 2 —(UP — Gen. Douglas MacAnthur’e chief aide said today that MacArthur had “never seen” the 1947 report by Lt. Gen. Albert C- Wedemeyer on Korea and that “it was never discussed with him.” Answering questions put to him by reporters on the eve of General MacArthur’s appearance before a congressional investigating committee. Maj. Gen. Courtney Whithey said MacArthur was taking “no document” to Washington with him. v MacArthur “is going to answer such quesions as the committee may ask,” Whitney said. “He is throughly competent to answer questions about the far east without any supporting documentation at the time.” The Wedmeyer report had been top secret until yesterday, when the congressional commiUee Mbllshed it. . ' ■ F , At the time the report wag submitted, Whitney said, Korea was under MacArthur’s command “in a strategic I sense.” , “The 24th corps was still in Korea at that time,” Whitney said, “adminisratively it(the dealt directly with Washington, vftth the war department on liiliitary matters and with the State de parment on civil matters.’’ I Asked whether General MacArI thur felt he should have been sent ! a copy ot the report, Whitney said he did not”, care to express myiyelf on that point.” He added that s|acArthur “never was consulted #ith respect to it apd never was furnished a copy of it” { ’’’ Whitney said that he never had heard an expression from MacArthur blanking any particular person for President Truman’s action in relieving him of the far; east command. Told that there had been a dispatch from Washington saying “intimates” of the general had asserted.: he blamed secretary of state Dean Acheson. Whitney . replied: i | “I would be inclined to discount that statement completely because I’ve heard no such expression from (Tarn To Paa* Fowr) ■ ' y—— American Casually Total Now 62,799 Increase Os 1,055 k Over Previous .Week ■ ' 7 ' ' 7\ ■ ■■■ -'f ' ■ Washington, May 2 —(UP) — the defense department today reported a new total of 62,799 American casualties in the Korean war. This is an increase of 1,055 over the total reported a week ago. The new figure represents casualties whose next of kin have been notiffed through last Saturday, The actual number is higher since there is a time lag of one to three weeks in notifying next of 1 \ i ' L Today’s total Includes 52,305 army casualties. 668 navy, 9,278 marine corps, and 548 air force. Included in the new total are 10,813 deaths, 417,136 wounded,; 571 missing, 113 captured Snd .1,166 previously reported mlssing teturned to military control. A breakdown by services showed:? I pi' 1 Army—B,993 deaths. 33444 wounded, 8,925 missing, 110 captured, and 1,133 previously reported missing but returned to milltar/ controlNavy—lo 6 deaths. 497 wounded. (Tara Te Page Six) l/N-'A 7 ' 47?

Price Five Cents

Initial Round Os Offensive Costly To Reds As 70,000 Casualties Revealed Tokyo, yMay 2 —(UP)— The first phase of the Communist spring offensive in Kprea has ended in a “great victory for the United Nations,” Lt. Gen James A Van Fleet said today. f Van Fleet, commander of (he Bth army, spoke as UN ‘task forces probed as milch as five miles ahead of the main allied line seeking contact with the elusive Red armies. The Communists, bloodied by the loss of 70,000 men in the first round of their offensive, have pulled back up to 20 miles in some sectors to regroup for the second round. They are expected to Resume the attack in three to five days "We have punished the Communist forces severely,” Van Fleet told newsmen in Korea after paying a flying visit to 10th coYgts advance headquarters. “The enemy has failed in the first phase of his offensive. He has paid a heavy price. "The first part of the battle has ended in a great victory for the , United Nations.” Van Fleet said he believed the Red offensive was designed to gain a quick military decision in Korea. t “Certainly it is part of his an- , nounced plan to destrqy ns or force ’• us into the sea,” he said. A big UN tank task force stsbbihgideep into no-man’e-land north of Seoul, finally, stirred up a Com--1 munist battalion—some 800 men—--1 encamped in and around Uijongbu, 11 miles above the former capital and about five miles in front of the main allied line. The tanks came under heavy fire along the road, but emerged unscathed. They knocked out several Communist guns. On the eastern front,. another Communist battalion attacked UN forces east and southeast of Inje, five miles north of the 38th parallel. Two more enemy companies attacked UN forces east of Inje. UN troops on the central front repulsed a light Communist probing attacking north of Hongchon in the predawn darkness early today. But an 9th army communique reported that allied patrols striking out ahead of the main forces In day- ? light met no opposition. behind the central front that the Reds appear to be/massing for the next phase of their offensive. Reconnaissance pishes reported the central Korean hills around Hwachon, 20 miles north of the UN line, “alive with enemy movement.” U.S. navy torpedo planes sought to disrupt the enemy plans with a daring raid; yesterday on the huge Hwachon dam just east of Hwajchon itself and seven'miles north of the 38th parallel. An undisclosed number of Douglas Skyraiders from the carrier Princeton destroyed one flood gate of the dam and blasted a 10-foot hole extending below the waterline in another, loosing millions of gallons of water into the Pukhan and Han rivers. | i • '-The Reds had closed the flood- 4 3;es in an attempt to dry up the ers and mahe them easily forde in the second round of | their offensive. 1 '■, ■ - Farmer Is Injured ( When Kicked By Horse, Christian E. Schwartz, of northeast of Berne, was brought.-to the Adems county memorial hospital Tuesday after he had siyz*. : tained’ severe .facial injuries after being kicked by a horse. The accident, his wife said, occurred while Schwartz wais working alone in the bam. , Mrs. Schwartz said that she was working in a nearby garden, heard the noise made when the , horse kicked Schwartz, and rush- f ed to his aid. r 7 A Berne physician was called who gave Schwartz emergency treatment then brought him to the 5 hospital where doctors today J were fearful that the 24-year-old Amish farmer lose the sight of his left eye. ?7 ■ a '■ • ' 7 ■' '