Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 49, Number 127, Decatur, Adams County, 29 May 1951 — Page 1

Vol. XLIX. No; 127.

79 BRITISH MINERS TRAPPED BY EXPLOSION

South Korean Army 26 Miles North Os 38th Strengthened Red Resistance Shown tn Some Sectors Tokyo Wednesday, May 30. — (UP) —- Allied forces smashed through mounting Communist resistance in Korea Tuesday, advanc : ing six to 12 miles over rugged terrain. . / • South Korean troops spearheaded the United Nations drive by plunging 12 miles up the east coast to Capture the key road junction? of Kansong, 26 miles north of the 38th parallel The ROKS ran into little or no resistance as they raced up the /‘same route they took before being driven back by the Chinese. Communist offensive last winter. > On other fronts, "however, the allies were meeting with new resistance from the army they chased \ out of South Korea <ast week. Hand-tp-hand fighting wks reported in some areas and convoys of Red supply trucks began streaming southward again to main Communist assembly areas. On the central front, North Koreans holding open the last escape route for Red* trapped below the \ Hwachon reservoir battled against American units driving, tb ? seal off a mountain trail around the eastern end of the lake. Hand-to-hand fighting raged over miles of wooded mountain country south of Yanggu, on the eastern end 1 of the 12-mile-long reservoir. The North Koreans counterattacked at 4 a.tn. Tuesday and the fight still was going on undier a broiling sun at I’3o p.m. The North Koreans were resisting more bitterly than, the Chinese who have fought in this sector. J . “Those Koreans stick in their hole* and fight a lot longer than the Chinese” one officer said. “We’ve been throwing grenades back and fourth at each other all day.” .•/’”! The South Korean seizure of Kansong gave the allies control of the end of the road from inje to the east icoast. UN troops to the west of the ROKS advanced as much as 4,500 yards below Yanggu, against stiff opposition. Eighth army spearheads struck north all along the 120-mile front, gathering up scores more prisoners as they went. They hdd won back nearly all the territory lost to the Reds during the enemy’s abortive spring offensive. The Chinese and North Koreans made frantic efforts to restore their line. They rushed reinforcements south and threw counter-attacks against the advancing allies in J some, sectors. \ \ !■ '-j I ~ The heaviest resistance was on ; the approaches to Yanggtl; at the "eastern end of the Hwachon reservoir seven miles north” of the 38th parallel. An estimated Communist regiment contested an American advance there. UN task forces scored the day’s biggest gains on the western and west-central fronts above the 38th parallel. They overwhelmed Red rear guards and swept ahead 3,000 to 9,000 yards on the Seoul-Chorwon road and in the Yongpyong and Yongohg sectors. ;■ Fatper east, they overwhelmed and captured 80 enemy rear guards southwest of allied-held Hwachon. Another 100 Reds, by-passed in the swift allied advance earlier ’this week, surrendered northwest of Chunchon. It was in this same Chunchon sectm- that the Bth army/ wiped out two by-passed Chinese divisions during the previous three days. The allies* captured a record 5,028 prisoners and killed or wounded 12,974 other Chinese in the campaign. , • -— \ Legion Auxiliary To Assist In Services All members of the American Legion auxiliary are asked to meet at the VFW home at 9 *.m, Wednesday to attend/ the Memorials Day/services at the cemetery. The auxiliary will also participate in the parade and services at the. Monroe street bridge and the Peace monument at the court house. Members Who have uniforms are requested io wear them.

DECATUR DAI LY DEMOCRAT • ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY \ . .

To Retain Charge — 1 1 '■ I I Rev? Herald J. Welty. A. Rev. Welty Stays As • i Missionary Pastor Accepts Thres-Year Congregation Call \ I The Rev. Herald J. completing his fourth ypar'as pastor of the fDecatur Missionary church, has accepted a call extend church, accepted a call extended by the local church for another three years, it was announced today by church The three-year call wjis extended by unanimous vote of;(he cjiurch congregation and‘was immediately accepted by Rev. Welty.ywho bamc to Decatur four years ago from Cauifornia- ; »- The -church i« located At the of Dayton and Ten*h Streets, and} was constricted 'sou’.e five or .six ypars ago. In addition to extending the call to Rey. Welty, the congregation also determined to proceed with for building a second floor to the present structmje. i Thte church edtcice; was built originally aS a semi-bahdment type with the purpose of enlargement. With all tigainst the church now cleared, plans are going ahead jfor the superstructure, which wills be used hrfrnarily for church services, with? the present quarters to- be used In jthe future mainly as Sunday school rooms. It is planned to start/ the building program withinj the next 3J days, if at all possible. The church recently . purchased an additional lot adjacent to , the church, giving it an jSO-toot sqpai-e corner property to assure future expansion requirement's-; The Missionary • congregation, started op a small scale here a number of years ago, has enjoyed a steady growth under RCv. Welty’s pastorate; with an average Sunday school, attendance how of 125 persons, as contrasted to about j3O three years ago. . >

Police Chief Urges Caution In Driving " Holidays To Jam Highway Traffic Emphasizing the wholehearted stippprt of the pojice. force in minimizing holiday accidents, chief of police James Borders today nevertheless cautioned all motorists to drive with extreme care. He made the point concerning Memorial Day, apd noted that Jn • few short weeks the busy Fourth of July holiday will again jam the 1 ighways. I .? While allmittibjg that Decatur and Adams county were free of traffic fatalities last ’Fourth of July, chief” Borders dug into the files and showed that nation-wide there were 491 who died in' traffic accidents last yean “Apd unless we show extreme when the highways are with holiday motorists, therp’s no reapon some of those fatalities can’t \ happen here.” Chief Borders enumerated some vital steps to be taken by the holiday motorists, pointing at both Memorial Day L and the fourth: start early if plan an all-day trip. there will be no need to hurry; slow down at sundown and be patient tn heavy traffic; “don’t ICt annoyancq make you take chances with ybur own or someone (Tan To Page Fire)

Compromise Is Reached On New Draft Measure Drops Age Limit To IS’/i; To Lengthen Period Os Service Washington, May 29 — .(UP) — Sponsors of a compromise xlraft arid universal military training bill predicted today quick final action by congress to send It to the White House. \ The measure would lower; the bottom draft age from 19 to 18*4 (WRh meh 19 through 25 to go first), lengthen draft service from 21 to 24 months, and set up the framework of a post-emergency UMT program. ' | | congress would have to UMT could\go into effect. However, congressional military leaders predicted congress would do this within six months. Anyway, they said, the watered-down UMT plan was the best that could be put across at this time. The army meantime - cut its draft call for July to only 15.000 men, the lowest monthly quota since Korea. It asked for only 22,000 in August. (January, February and March calls were for 50,000 men each.) \ The reduced calls were credited by the Pentagon to lighter casualties than expected and -to steppedup voluntee/ing. compromise draft and UMT measure was approved late yesterday by a house-Senate conference committee which bad wrangled on and off for a month to iron out differences between separate versions passed by house and senate. Chairman Richard B. Russell of the senate armed services committee said he would call the pleasure up for a finak,okay |n the senate late this week. Chairman Carl Vinson of the house armed services committee promised a vote in the house as soon as possible thereafter, probably early next week. Both committee chairmen pronounced the compromise a sound one. / ‘ The bill was a far cry from the draft and UMT measure sent to capitol hill by the defense depart(Turn To Page Five) Final Preparations Made For Camporee ' ’ Il ■’ Scout Camporee In Decatur June 8-10 While the 20th annual Anthony Wayne council Boy Scout camporee, which is to be held this year in Hanna-Nuttman park, is less than two weeks away, final preparar tions have been completed for the campsite, it was reported after a meeting of committee chairmen Monday. . Much of the preliminary work &as already been completed, according to district camping and activities chairman George Bair, and the time-table set up by the committees “assures? us of having everything ready.” \ Such arrangements that have been completed include the assurance of a water supply, one with adequate outlets “to supply 1,600 people;” telephones for headquarters. loud speaker system, and a lighting network. j ■ I These arrangements have bejtn cared for by the* committee On facilities, headed by Mayor John Doan. \ At the same time, the committee on campsite layout, headed by chairman Ralph Roop and assisted by Bob Helm and Sherm Stucky, are preparing maps of the campsite, laying out and staking the pampsite area and preparing pertinent signs to be throughout the camporee grounds. Following the Monday meeting, all officials expressed pleasure at the “way things were and general chairman Clarence Ziner repeated the statement that “this would be the best camporee of them all.” Other committee chairmen who reported progress on the work accomplished to date were also certain that “everything-would be Ih readiness for the event” that will be held three days, June 8 through 10.

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday, May 29, 1951.

Remembering Our Hallowed Dead II I ■ THE REVERED StißlNfe in the /nation’s observance of Memorial Day is the Tdmb of Unknown Soldier in the Arlington National Cemetery. This Virginia symbol of American World War dead has particular meaning in 1951 as casualty lists increase from the anti-Cpmmuniat crusade' in Rdrea. S. Army-Defense Department Photo from International)

Britain Agrees To Oil Nationalization ? Reverses Stand On Decision By Iran London, Mav 29,-r-(UP)—Britain agreed to accept “some form” of nationalization of Iran’s oil inf dustry but zuied out any uni lateral action by that country. This was'/disclosed to the house of commons by foreign secretary Herbert’ Morrison as the jrovernment mapped a'program of drastic gasoline rationing if Iran seines the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. Morrison read an official statement which in effect bowdd to .the fact that Irak has decided to take over the middle east’s greatest! oil fields. : Morrison insisted that Iran pannot nationalize her pil Industry unilaterally. But it Was now clehr Britain had backed down from her stand of a month ago when she denounced nationalization as “expropriation,’’ Morrison assured commons that Britain would take “appropriate steps,” if necessary,’to protect British er Winston Churchill endorsed this stand and promised complete support. “His hlajesty's government is still anxious to see this dispute fettled py negotiation," Morrison said, “and thklr offer to send a special mission, it that would help, sjtlll stands. “Moreover, as his majesty’s ambassador in Tehran has informed the Iranian government, while his majesty’t > government cannot accept the right of the Iranian goveminent? to repudiate contracts, they are prepared to consider a settlement j which would involve some form?of nationalisation, provided it >rere satisfactory in other ' ' I / The foreign secretary referred th, the fact Britain had submitted the oil dispute? to the international court of justice at the Hague, but he made it: clear Britain preferred to negotiate directly with Iran, i The proposed gasoline rationing would b’e under an emergency pro(TaVa Ta Page Six) ?j — No Release Os Bids On St Mary's Church No release of bids for the general construction and auxiliary contracts on the proposed St. Mary’s Catholic church will be made for several it was announced today by the Very Rejr., .1. J. Selmetz, pastor. 1 \ » Proposals were submitted to Msgr, Selmetz by Edward Schulte, architect of Cincinnati. \ INDIANA WEATHER Parily cloudy tonight and Wednesday. Scattered thundershowers extreme southwest Not so cOol north portions tonight. Otherwise little change In temperature. Low tonight 54 to 58. High Wednesday 74 to 78. '

i BULLETIN Los Angeles, May 29. —(UP) —Fanny Brice, stage, screen and radio comedienne who made famous “My Man” and “Baby Snooks,” died today at the age Os 59. „■ . Hearing Conducted On Purchase Os Land Crowd At Hearing For School \ An overflow crowd jammed the commissioners’ room of the county court house today when a special hearing was conducted for the additional appropriation of money to purchase land for the Adams Central Consolidated school site at the edge Monroe. The matter will be forwarded to the state tax commission for final action. ’ , Estimates of upwards of 100 persons crammed the room and overflowed into the auditor’s office to hear the proceedings conducted by George Gable, a field representative of the Indiana state board of tax commissioners. / Thb total appropriation sought amounts to approximately >11,500. This is to be levied from an already obtained sum of approximately >120,000 collected from the now void but hotly debated 75cent building tax. As designated by legal ,adv A- - money is to be used In this manner: >4,200 for the purchase of 20 acres of land at the northwest edge of Monroe as a site for the consolidated school; >3OO for driveways, and >7,000' for the erection of buildings. This latter Item includes for thk most part the erection of housing for the school btises. During the more than hour-long proceedings, a petition favoring the appropriation and containing 800 - names was presented to the tax representative. At the same time, a remonstrance opposing the grant of such use of funds was presented -with approximately 250 names on it. < C. W. R. Schwartz served as spokesman for those favoring the approval of the appropriation and presented the 800-name petition to the representative. Other remarks favoring the purchase of the land and the ultimate erection of the Adams Central school building were Torwarddd by Mrs. Elmer Ehrsam who, “as a mother of children patronizing the school,” believed there should 'be no question of the approval. William Kruse represented the remonstrators who are known as Adams county freeholders. ley Jones, another opponent of the school, also spoke for the remonstrators. Jy / The matter was merely heard by Gable. It will now be referred to the state board of tax commissioners who should, Gable skid, “act upon this question within the next 10 days.” Other . matters concerning the (Tara To P«ie Six) 1

Bianch Tunnel In Coal Mine Collapses Under Shattering

Four New Teachers Added To Faculty Changes In Public Schools Announced Decatur public school superintendent Walter J. \Krick today announced the resignations and replacements in the staffs of the. Decatur high school and the Lincoln school building. One of the replacements is for Albert Sellemeyer, who recently announced his retirement after 26 teaching, 18 of them as director of the Decatur high school band. The other additions to the staff are in the Lincoln school building. where three teachers announced their resignations. . r Clint E. Reed, a niember of the Fort Wayne philharmonic symphony orchestra and last year an instructor in Wabash county, has been named to succeed the retiring Sellemeyer. , \ A 1942 graduate of Murray State Teachers college With a bachelor of music degree, Reed served almost four years in the armed forces during Worid War 11. He received his master of arts degree from Columbia University in 1947 and jrince ihat time has been an instructor at the Jordan College of lyusic, Indianapolis, as well as Wabash cobnty instructor. He is married an/1 the father of one son; . r . Other resignations announced by Krick include Misses Mary Robinson. Janet Goldner and Pat Johnson, all of the Lincoln school. Miss Robinson stated in her resignation she has secured a position in Middleton tp be near her father, who is in ill health. Miss Goldner stated she desired to get into speech and hearing studies, in which she specialized |n college. Miss Johnson desired to return to her home in Connecticut and return to school next fal|. Additions to the Lincoln school staff include' first grade instructor Miss Betty Simonson, of Yorktowtf, Who taught last *year at New Haven and is a 1942 graduate of Ball State Teachers college. She has four years’ experience and will complete work this summer for her elementary certificate. Miss Gladys Zimmerman, of Canway, Kan., will replace Miss Robinson as second grade instruc(Tura To Paa* Five) ' --4-sa r— : ' I_ : ■ I ’ S. | Three Persons Bum To Death In Crash Five Others Injured In Three-Car Crash Anderson, Ind., May 29— (UP)-r; Three persons were burned to death and five others injured last night in a three car crash on Ind. 67 At the entrance to Memorial cemetery about six miles south of litre. State police said the victims were Orville Nuerman, 21, and his wife, Peggy, 20. and Lytle McConnaughey, 29, all of Muncie, j All three were riding with Samuel Howard, 36, also of Muncie, in a car pulling a hard-top racer, police said. Howard’s auto ran off the road and the racer broke loose. As the auto swerved back and forth it was’hit from both sides by two cars and the wreckage burst in(l> flames police said. Howard was thrown clear of the wreck, but the Nuermans and McConnaughey were trapped. injured. in the accident were Howard./ Charles E. Tolodky, 19, Wilkerson, driver of one of the other cars; Myron Thomas, 23^ Anderson; his passenger; Raymond Corey, Anderson, driver of the third car, and Robert Kephart, Pendleton, his passenger. They were taken to St. John’s hospital here. State police said the flames and ambulance sirens attracted motorists and residents from miles around.

G.O.P. Senator Tells Air Force Chief To Quit Vandenberg Answers ' Senator Hickenlooper At Ouster Hearing rv- ; . v. . '■? ' ! J ; Washington, May 29 — (UP) — A Republican senator told Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg today that he should resign, or be recalled as Gen. Douglas MacArthur was, for criticizing the. ban on U. S. blows against the Chinese Reds’ supply “sanctuary.” The air chief of staff retorted that he imd not criticized but had merely the ban. He rejected the suggestion by Sen. Bourke B. Hickenlooper, R., la., that he quit. The exchange took place at the senate investigation of MacArthur's dismissal of supreme commander in thq Far East. The administration has said MadArthuK Was fired for pt»blicly denouncing official Korean war policy, including the ban on air blows against Chinese Communist bases in Manchuria. MacArthur has said the ban tied his hands and that removing it would insure early victory in Korea. Vandenberg testified yesterday that the U. S. strategic air force would have to be doubled to carry out MacArthur’s proposals. He added that losses suffered in such operations Would strip the country’s air power. f j Hickenlooper i cross - examined Vandenberg on the air chiefs published statemeats that the ben on Manchurian made American airpdWer in Korea “practically inoperative.” J Hickenlooper cited articles by Vandenberg in the Saturday Evening Post and the magazine Air Force. He quoted the 4 lr chief as saying that isolation of the battlefield from reinforcements is a “prime function” of taqtical air and that “air power was rendered practically inoperative \when the United Nations in an effort to avoid a diplomatic rupture with the Chinese communists halted offensive action-at the Yalu river.” Vandenberg told Hickenlooper that, unlike MacArthur, he had not “disagreed” with established policy. /“I was explaining a result from military action. I not advocating, it,” Vandenberg said. > / He’ said his statement was “factual” when made because at (Twr» T» Pa*e »Im) It■ : , ; Dismisses Motions To Bar Executions j Appeal Planned For . Nazi War Criminals Washington, May 29.—(UP)— Federal judge. Walter M. Bastian today dismissed two motions which would have barred the execution of seven Nazi war criminals because the German outlaws capital punishment. Bastian staged the executions of the Nazis at Landsberg, Germany, last week and yesterday extended the ktay until June 5.! Warren MaGee, counsel for the condemned War criminals, asked Bastian to void the death sentences bedmse the hew German constitution, forbids capital punishment. He argued that the men cannot be executed because there has been a change in U.S.-German diplomatic relations. Bastian dismissed MaGee’s motions for cancellation of the executions, but said he believed the court of appeals should be permitted to review his decisions. MaGee sal<| he would appeal. The supreme court twice has rejected appesls by the doomed men.

Price Five Cento

Only One Survivor j Known Among 79 In « Tunnel, Including Officials Os Mine Easington, England. May 29 «— (UP)—A shattering explosion 900 feet underground collapsed a branch tunnel in the Great Easington coal mihe early today, anid at least 79 were trapped by falling debris and choking black gas. ■ .. •, ’ The explosion rocked the countryside at 4 fa} m. (8 p, m. CST) last night. Forty-three miners who in another section of the mine rushed to the rescue and eight hours later six bodies. ■ There was only one known survivor among the 79, who included three mine officials and three deputy supervisors. The blast occurred during a shift change. JMore than 1,000 relatives and - friends of the tentombed men prayed for hours for the safety of the miners. They watched in silence when the first Manket-draped bodies were broiight to the surface and carried to a temporary morgue. Some wdpt when rescue workers, staggered to the surface, choking from the dread ga>- '\ Official bulletins were issued every three hours at the mine entrance on the progress of the rescue work. Mtoers on other shifts were awakened and called to help. Rescue equipment was rushed from other mining areas. El H. /Skinner, chairman of the Durham area of the national coal board, said it had been established officially that 79 of the total 2,200 men employed in the mine werfe trapped when the explosion occurfed about 1% miles from the pithead*. “We do not know whether the others are safe or whether they are dead or alive/* Skinner said. Rescue workers were encountering “thei difficulties,” he added. Rescuers had to wear oxggen masks because of the bad air below. The first survivor brought oilt was 19-year-old Matt William. Hia twin brother. George, was one of- - 43 miners who were in a part of the\ mine not affected by the tyast. He stayed below to help rescuers. “I wanted to find Matt,” George said whan he finally staggered to the surface, choking from the gas.. Ha cloud of black gas came along the shaft toward us."* George said that right after the blast, he and two other miners started looking for stretcher*. They knew, he said, that some miners must have been injured. Sam Watson, Durham area inine workers union secretary,? pleaded with / the anxious families, to return ! £o-their homes and wait for * official reports on rescue operaitions. 1 He read out the names of the 43 whoi had remained below to dig. ‘They stayed down to assist in . ■ the rescue work in the typical tradition of the Durham miner.” I’Ynel Easington colliery is on the . (Tara Ta Pace Six) 'Horses Os Troy' To Be Presented Tonight “Horses of Troy,” depicting the threat of Communism to Americd, presented by Adams ' 43, American Legion, and . written by the Rev. A.C.E. Gillander, First Presbyterian church pastor, will be presented at the Decatur high L school at 8 o’clock this evening. Among Legion officials planning to attend are: Emery Boyd, An- A fourth district commander; Alva Miller, Churubusco, candidate for district commander; Roy Amos. Goshen, candidate for state commander; Gilbert Bates, Warsaw, also a candidate for state commander. Legionnaires have - also been invited from Bluffton, Huntington, Columbia City, Kendallville, Fort Wayne • and New..,--Haven. Also planning to attend hM /he Rev. Charles Martz, pastor ot the First Presbyterian church of Van Wert, O. \ *■ . L ‘AI ■