Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 49, Number 224, Decatur, Adams County, 22 September 1951 — Page 1

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NffWSPARER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Vol. XLIX. No. 224.

GAS BLASTS DEVASTATE 40-BLOCK ABEA

Ridgway Again Delays Answer To Truce Bid Allied Commander Is Still Working On Reply To Reds Tokyo. Sept. 22.—(UP)— Gen. Matthew B' Ridgway tor the second straight day today delayed replying to a . Communist invitation to resume the Korean armistice talks. A UN headquarters spokesman • said the supreme commander Estill • was working on his reply to Gen. Kim II Sung, North Korean premier and commander in chief, and Gen., Peng Teh-Huai, Chinese commander in Korea. ' j The message was believed ;to tftrve v . been completed Friday transmission today, but the. spokesman's report indicated that Ridg.way had decided to . make eotne 11th hour alterations in the text.. A recorded broadcasts of the note by Brig. Gen. Frank Allen. Ridgway’s chief of inforrhation, was ordered held up: -War eastern observers speculated that the delay could mean that, the reply might: > . ’ I ? , I.—Contain more than a flpt acceptance of the Communist pro-, posal Thursday for resumption' of negotiations at Kaesong, i - 2. —Take exception Os the Coin* muriist demand that machinery be set up to deal with alleged UN violations of the Kaesong neutrality zone denied by the UN command. 3—lnsist on a. change of the conference site from Kaesong to a more neutral spot. f Some sources, however, thought Ridgway decided against an immediate acceptance merely to give the Reds a taste of their own medicine—letting them simmer in doubt. The Communists broke off the r ceasefire talks Aug. 23 on the pretext that a UN plane had bombed the Kaesong neutral zone the night before. The UN command denied it and charged that the Reds faked, the evidence. £ The allies also denied nine other ■ subsequent Communist charges of : UN neutrality violations. They admitted two —the accidental strafing, of Kaesong by a night bomber Sept. 10 and the inadvertent crossing into, the neutral zone of a lost South Korean DDT squad on Yorktown Girl Is Junior Miss Indiana Bluffton, -Ind., Sept. 22—(UP) — Janice Burtner. 16, was crowned “junior Miss Indiana” last night at the Bluffton street fair. > Janicp, a blue-eyed blond, captured the title from 13 other contestants. Diann Brickley. 17, Bluffton, was runnerup. The next three? placed were won by Martha Kreider, Union City, Marian Whitesei, Union City, and Patsy Stewart. Indianapolis. £ Democratic Women To Meet Thursday - The first of a series offal( meetings of the Democratic women's club will be held Thursday night j Sept. 27 at Decatur high school at 8 o’clock, it was announced today. The meeting will be held 'in room i 205 hnd Democrat candidates for city offices in the November election will be the speakers. John Stults. candidate for mayor and . ail five councilmanic candidates; Dorphus Drum, Adrian Burke, Al Beavers, Joe Brennan and Ed | Bauer will attend and give short talks. ■ ' T • - T. ; ■ ' Increase Support . Prices On Crops Washington, Sept. 22.—(UP) — An increase of about five percent J in government support priceat on 1952 crops of oats, rye, barley, and grain sorghums has been ordered to encourage t production of , vital livestock feed. 1. The agriculture department said the new support levels are 80 percent of parity as of Aug. 15. Supports this year were held to. .75 percent on Jan. 15 prices. 1 • INDIANA LEATHER,. j Showers south and extreme , eaet tonight Sunday cloudy and cool. Low tonight 45 to 50 north, 50 to 60 south.

Two El Crewmen Killed In Wreck ; Chicago, Sejfe. 22—(UP)— Two men were killed and some passengers were trapped temporarily iq a wrecked car today y when two single-car trains of the Chicago elevated system collided on a groundlevel trdgk near suburban , Maywood. ■ ' . At least four persons were hospitalized with injuries. Dead were motorman Paul Padeja and conductor John O’Keefe of a southbound train. King George Will Undergo Lung Surgery Anxious Londoners Gather At Palace; King Seriously 111 London, Sept. 22—(UP)— Five of Britain’s leading doctors completed arrangements today for a lung operation, on frail,- seriously ill King George VI while anxious crowds gathered outside Buckinghorn Palace. ’ ■ The operation was expected to take place sometime today, but palace Sources’ said it had not been performed up to 12:30 p. m. (5:30 a. m, OST). The doctors, including a specialist in ’ tuberculosis surgery, examined the king and supervised the setting up of operating equipment anti instruments. A truck delivered 12 tanks of oxygen to tjie palace. ' ' < . ' A steady stream of members of the diplomatic corps called at the palace to sign the visitors’ book as an expression of ■Crowds outside the palace gates increased steadily during \ the morning. Some 2,000 had gathered by mid-day. but they dispersed during the lunch hour, presumably to return during the afternoon. Prime Minister Clement R. Attlee said the king's condition was causing “great anxiety.” “It’s very distressing that his majesty, the king, should have to undergo a serious operation,” Attlee said at the start of a political address before the Scottish labor I conference in North Berwick, “We must all hope that it will he completely successful and that l,e will be restored to health.” The king liHil be operated upon in a specially converted room in ’’Buckingham Palace, the same room tn which he underwent surgery for his Jpgs 2l£ years ago and |n which Prihcess Elizabeth gave birth' (o her tw r o children. The qperation was believed scheduled for today, and almost certainly will take place this weeKend. However, no official announcement was" expected until the operation has been completed. There still was no official word on the nature of the king’s illness*, other than it involves “structural changes” In One of fils lungs. I The conservative and authoritative \Times suggested that the operation would be “exploratory” and , designed to remove tin obstruction in the bronchia} tubes.,

Indiana's Violent Death Toll Mounts Week's Toll Grows To At Least Thirty By tlnited Press A baby and two teen-agers—one of them a “hot rod” speeder—were killed last night and today in traffic accidents which raised the week’s violent death toll in Indiana to at least 30S Three- months- old Randall J. Rudy, Floyd Knobs, was killed last bight in an accident which injured his parents critically. Carolyn L. De Mattie, 18, Benton, 111., died in an accident today near Vincennes which injured critically two other persons. ■ William Prater, 16. North Liberty. died when a souped-up auto in which he was racing with another car collided with a freight train near\ South Bernd. Two companions were\hurt critically. Their deaths raised the traffic death toll since last Saturday to 24, Six other persons died violent<T«ra Pa** «tx)

i Summer Winterland * HLI Bl Ji J- ■ Wl V • ■ K . _ acw ’H rksQJg KM B3F ■ ; w ... V ' wjOKBBBBBHBHHBBBSSBBBS MARGARET MARTIN, 11. and her slstet, 7-year-old' Katherine, slosh through the snow in Denver. Colo., on their way to school two days before the last day of summer. Thy snow, heaviest so early in Denver httatrsrv cnanntul troA limhft and fATTIfk on fhp lipplr Os 86 t<Bnif>€mtUr€.

Movement Growing To Dump Gabrielson GOP Chairman On . Spot For Dealings Washington. Sept. 22.—(UP) — A “dump Gabrielson” move gained new supporters in Republican ranks today as GO"P national chairman Guy George Gabrielson squirmed on the same RFC ijpt seat as Democratic national chairman Wil llam M. Boyle Jr. Six Republican speakers spoke out openly in demands that Gabrielson’s dealings with the RFC be investigated fully by a senate subcommittee which had started out to look into JBoyle’s dealings with American , Lithofold Corp., a $645,000 RFC borrower. One- highly-, placed Republican, who would hot be quoted, said that regardless of what the investigation turns up, Gabrielson is “expendable” and “must go.” He said the disclosures, regardless of how they are explained by Gabrielson tend to “nullify” the GOP\’s best campaign item' for 1952 —charges of “corruption and influence” in President Truman’s administration. In fast-breaking developments before the senate’s permanent investigating committee took a weekend breather in its Lithofold in-, vestigatiou: 1. Sen. John J. Williams, R., Del., denounced Gabrielson on the senate tfloor for representing Carthage Hydrocol, Inc.,* at $15,000 a year and working to improve terms of its RFC loans after becoming ,GOP chairman. ' . v ’ , 2. Gabrielson said the charges wer a “misunderstanding’’ and asked—-and was promised—a full hearing by the investigating group. Headed by Sen. Clyde R. Hoey, D., N.C., he asked to be heard today, but Hoey\told him that he will be given a chance as Soon as the committee finishes with other scheduled witnesses. . "W 3. Cecil A. 'Green, Washington representative of Lithofold, was dismissed temporarily from the witness stand yesterday after Sen. Richard M. Nixon. R., Calif., said he was “in no condition to testify. Green said' he had “a martini for junch.” He finished his testimony —much more subdued —after an hour’s lapse while the committee heard apother witness. British Train Wreck Death Toll Now 13 Northamton, Eng., Sept. 22. — (UP)—The death toll in the derailing of the London-to-Liverpool “Breakfast Express” rose to 13 to-‘ day as rail crews ■ searched the wreckage for other victims. One of the dead was identified by police as U.S. army Cpl. Angus N. Buchholz. Railroad officials said .they believed two more bodies still are in the wreckage. Forty-six persons wfere injured seriously. The train jumped the tracks at 65 miles an hour yesterday and 10 coaches plunged down an embankment. s Noon Edition

- ' " "" '■ Decatur; Indiana, Saturday, September 22, 1951

Monroe Waterworks : Bond Issue Sold The Magnus Co., brokerage fkrri of Cincinnati. 0.,\ was low bidder on the Monroe waterworks $96,000 bond issue, bidding in the entire issue at four percent, Homer Winteregg, president of the Monroe town board, stated today. \ The sale of bonds was completed Friday night at Monroe. Work W the hew town water system started some time ago will contjfiue and completion is now assured by the sale of the bonds. WUMtregx saiduthere was considerable interest shown in the sale. The people of Monroe voted for the town-wide water system several months ago. Gene Hike, town clerk, stated that the bonds would be offered to the. public and that any person interested tn purchasing one or more bonds should contact him. '■ -‘H ' ; ' '"T ' U Support Is Urged Os Community Fund Cancer Society. Head Urges Full Support \ "About 22 million - Americans now living will die of cancer, unless a more effective remedy is soon found,” according to statistics gathered by cancer research bureaus. This tact was forwarded by Roy Kalver, president of the Adams county cancer society, one of the cooperating groups in the Annual Community Fund, drive. The statistics are given, Kalver said, in an effort to make the community of the fact that money is needed by the various organizations depending on the Community fund for existence. Cancer is the number two killer in the world today. Approximately 250,000 Americans will die of cancer in, 1951, according to figures released. Cancer, in the form of leukemia, is now the number 1 cause of death of children between the ages of five and 14. While cancer kills six times more persons each year in the United States than tuberculosis, there are only 2,000 beds in pitals for cancer patients compared with more than 101,000 I beds for tubercular patients. About 60,000 cancer patients were cured last year but the authorities of the cancer society point out that 70,000 more could have been saved had they taken, the simple precaution of seeking medical treatment in time. Ninety-eight percent of all skin i cancers can be cured if detected in time and. more than 40 percent of 'other forms of cancer can be cured if found in time. Gno -of the chief aims of cancer societies, county, state and national, is td ipahe the public cancer conscious with a hope that ail persons with , any symptoms will undergo physical examinations; Kalver said that hq believed the people of Adaims county were becoming cancer minded and he urged continued public support of the cancer society in its fightagainst the dread disease.

Senate Meeting In Saturday Session Seek To Speed Up Work On Tax Bill Washington, Sept. 22.—(UP)— The senate met in an unusual Saturday session today in an effort to push ahead with lagging debate on the $5,500,000,000 tax bill. 1 Senate leaders were trying to work out an agreement to limit debate so the bill could ,be put to a final vote by the middle of next week. Since the measure was taken up late Wednesday, not one amendment has yet been ptft to a vote. A whole series of ’amendments com■ing from a group led by Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey. D„ 'Minn., has not yet been,submitted. Despite efforts ot the Humphrey bloc and an appeal from President Truman for a $10,000,000,000 bill, the measure is expected to pass the senate in substantially the form recommended by the finance committee. / ( Sen. Joseph C. O’Mahoney, D., Wyd. announced yesterday that he would sponsor amendments to re.tain house-approved provisions—rejected by the senate committee —to raise about $700,000,000 from heavieT excefcs .profits taxes. O’Mahoney objected to finance) committee recommendations to provide special excess profits treatment for certain types of corpora-, tions considered to be suffering hardships. These relief provisions 'would cost the treasury about $120,000;000 a year. Hazardous Stunts In Air Shows Are Banned Washington, Sept. 22. —(UP) — The civil aeronautics administration has prohibited air shows from staging > “unusual and hazardous” stunts such as delayed parachute jumps, dog fights and intentional .crashes. The CAA also announced late yesterday that board member Joseph P. Adami will attend an investigation of last week’s tragedy at Flagler, Colo., in which a military pilot swerved out of a slow roll and crashed into the crowd, killing himself and 19 spectators. CAA administrator Charles F. Horne, expressing "deep concern”’ over the Flagler accident, said he was not fanning air shows, but would issue permits in the future Only “when it is shown that such action will tontribute directly to ;the advancement of public. confidence in aviation.” Veteran State Trooper Resigns From Force Indianapolis, Sept. 22 —(UP) — State police Supt. Arthur M. Thurston today announced the retirement of Lt. Leo J. Moore of Shelbyville, commanding officer of the Pendleton post. * ' \ Moore, who served more than 18 on the force, will b 4 succeeded Oct. 1 by Ist Sgt. George W. Daugherty, Pendleftm. Moore was transferred to Pendleton in 1945 after serving in posts at Seymour, Bedford and Rushville, the latter two now disbanded. \

Three Persons Killed As Gas Main Explosions Rip 30 Homes Near Rochester

G.O.P. Legislators Stand Pat On Law Oppose Compromise On Welfare Indianapolis, Sept. 22 —(UP) — The Republican majority in the Indiana legislature reasserted today its determination to stand pat on the welfare law which bringijj them into special session. Monday. They opposed any compromise with Democrats on postponing the law»*k ? effeettpeness, a plan advocated by two GOP elected officials. State Auditor Frank T. Millie, who agreed with secretary of state Leland L. £»miih that the law should be set aside until July i 953, admitted most GOP lawmakers were against it. Smith had said Governor Schricker “would not oppose” such legislative action. J “But I concede the concensus of the* legislative majority is- to stand pat on the law,” Millis said after an afternoon-long caucus of Republican lawmakers and the GOi 1 state. committee. " I The legislative leaders, Sen. John W. Van Ness and Rep. W. O. Hughes, led a faction opposing ? th*e ; Millis-Smith proposal. They said , any tampering with the new law baring welfare records — which cost Indiana $20,000,000 in federal aid—would be a "retreat and surrender.” Van Ness believed the special session should concern itself with establishing an independent welfare program for the state and not let thq federal security adininistration “tell the people of Indiana pow they pan spend their money.” "We can assume this burden Ourselves and not increase taxes before 1953.” Van Ness said. “The people and counties are better equipped to handle such an affair. Do we have the guts to do it?” Sen. D. Russell Bontrager, R., Elkhart, a co-author the \ welfare measure, said the real issue is “liberty versus dictatorship.” “If we back up one inch we are not entitled to the liberty -whiqh the youth of our nation have bought with their blood,” Bontrager said. He added that FSA chief Oscar Ewing cut off- federal welfare aid “when he saw the first crack in his bureaucratic regime.” Hughes called Ewing “a peanut dictator.” , ' ' ■ -h’ ‘ . I , I Give Stern Warning On Passing Buses Authorities Warn Violators Os Law Prosecuting Attorney Severin Schurger and sherif? Bob Shraluka today issued a joint statement declaring that “From this point on, those' who violate the law by passing school buses will be prosecuted to th'e fullest extent of the law.” Numerous complaints have been received by these two officers as well as the county superintendent of schools, Hansel Foley. Bus drivers have been ordered to take the license plats number of drivers who violate the law by passing school buses which. are loading or unloading children. Accordingly, those who pass while approaching a stopped school bus are as guilty as those who follow. Prosecutor Schurger indicated that regardless of race, color, politics or creed the line is drawn: "from now on there will be no excuses,” he said, “we’ll simply prosecute and let the violator take the consequences.” Recently Decatur police chief James Borders issued a statement warning motorists that Bob Gay, who operates |he school bus system in Decatur, is also ordered to report any motorists that violates the “no passing” law. The stern measures taken by the police and prosecutor are precautionary, to avoid any serious mishaps to school children.

Allied Forces Seize Hill In Bloody Battle Strategic Height Near Stronghold Os Reds Captured Bth Army Headquarters, Korea, Sept. 22. —(UP) —' United Nations infantry seized a hill less than five miles from the big Communist stronghold of Kumkong early today after a bloody all-night battle with bayonets and hand grenades. To. the west, tanks and foot soldiers from three UN divisions—in "operation cleaver”—the largest armored foreg of .the war —struck north for the second straight diy on hit-run “killer? raids. They Slaughtered nearly 1,000 Reds in forays yesterday. Capture of the strategic height five miles southeast of Kumsong, the Communists’ principal buildup base on the central front, climaxed a bitter thrOe-day struggle. The allies first stormed the hill Wednesday, only tp be thrown back by well-entrenched Chinese and North Koreans'. Subsequent stacks koth Wednesday and Thursday also failed. * The UN forces?- launched their final assault soon after dusk Friday; Grim infantrymen charged up the slope with bared bayonets and a hail of grenades. The Communists fought back but finally were toppled , from the crest. Occupation of the height put the allies within easy artillery range of Kumsong,. where the Communist w;ere believed massing for a possible new offensive strike down the classic invasion route toward Seoul, former capital of South Korea. Kumsong lies 29 miles north of the 38th parallel. One tank-tipped t allied column stabbed Within’ a few miles of Kumsong from the south Imarunl raid Friday on the first day of I "operation cleaver” —designed \.to| disrupt Communist: offensive preparations on the central front and to kill as many .Communists as possible. j \ Another armored column slashed within a short distance of Pyongi gang, at the apex of the old enemy “iron triangle” and 17 miles west, of Kumsong. ; Anti-tank ditches.and minefields’ slowed the tank forges, but did not prevent them from, reaching their objectives. One column alone estimated it killed 550 Communist troops. - ■! 8 7. Mrs. Jennie Baker Is Taken By Death Funeral Services Monday Afternoon Mrs. Jennie E. Baker, 78, died Friday .afternoon at her home in Linn Grove following an extended illness. She was a native iof Wells county but had resided in Adams county for the past 25 years. She was an active member of the Congregational Christian church at Linn Grdve and superintendent of the junior Sunday school, which she- organized. Surviving are a son. William C. Baker of Columbus* three daughters, Miss Justine Baker of Bremen, Mrs. Geraldine Runyon of Logapsport and Mrs. Dorothy Owens of Linn a sister. Miss Cora Markley of Vera Cruz and a halfsister, Mrs: Dwight Fritz of Bluffton. . V Funeral serviced - will be conducted at 2 p. m. Monday at the church |n Linn Grove, with burial iu Six Mile cemeetry. The body will be removed ’ from the Yager funeral home to the residence, where friends may pall after 7 o’clock this evening..

Price Five Cents

* Fashionable Suburb In New York State ? Terrorized In Gds Main Explosions Brighton, N.!Y., Sept. 22 — (UP) —A cordon oU 500 police guarded a devastated 4p-block area of this fashionable Rochester suburb today where a rterids of thunderous gas main explosions ripped aprat 30 homes, killing three persona \ and injuring 22. Police turned all traffic away and set up ah alert watch, to prexent looting of the ruined homes. The explosions boomed, like artillerf salutes at minute intervals yesterday, destroying 30 homes and damaging 50 others white residents fled to the street for safety. I “It is impossible to Imagine anything like it unless you *had seen it,” said Raymond Pitchpr, an .insurance man' calling on clients when the first blast went off. “Explosions every minute,” Pitcher' said. ■ '“Household articles were flying through,' the air. I saw a maid running from a house. Her tegs were bleeding. She was crying hysterically:” Fires in the ruins burned for ■ hours before fire companies from \ . Rochester, four miles away, could bring them under control. , \\> ’ More than 5,000 residents were either made homeless by the blasts or forced into the streets by the threat of more explosions. ’Police said no one was missing , and estimated all the homeless'had found' shelter ,'Vfith friends or in Rochester hotels. , , Known dead were Billy Mdas, y. Jr.. 5, his eight-year-old sister, ■ Mary Ann, and a 77-yearold woman, Mrs. Louise Meyer. The' Maas children .died in their burning home whi|e firemen 'hearing tneir screams tried to reach them. Mrs. Meyer died of a heart attack .as she was i being rescued from her home. f » A Most of the homes burned after exploding. Throughout the night j fires flickered in the ruink and all 16 fire companies from Rochester were kept busy putting out the ; j blazes. . J : ( Long after Che all-clear was sounded, residents retold the hor-ror-filled moments when calamity struck, ; J , Mrs. Anna Krieger, a housewife, was making a Bed when she heard the first explosion. iShe went outside and the house next door blew • up, “practically' in my face.” “I’ll never forget,” she said with a look of fear. "If. I had stayed in the house I would have been cut to ribbons.” One side of her home' was shattered by the blast. A resident of -the area, Eari Milter, saw the Maas home blow apart. “The explosions let go and the house seemed to collapse,” he said. “All I could see was black smoke, and then fire. It was a terrible thing.” | Alexander Beehee, president of the Rochester has and Electric Co., said that ah investigation will be made to determine the cause of the explosions. ; “We know that a regulator failed as the, result of an explosion in the regulator vault and allowed ’.' higher pressures to develop in the area,” he said. “However, the cause of the original explosion baa not been determined yet.” Unofficial estimates of damage ran to more than 11,000,000. '. x 'The first of the explosions off shortly after 1 p. m. EDT. continued until 4 p. m. EDT. New Jobless Pay 8 v Claims Decrease ■ * . ' • Indianapolis, Sept. 22 —(UP) — New claims last week for uneminsurance dropped by 600 from the previous week but were more than offset by a gain in con tinued claims, the Indiana employment security division said today. A two percent, increase in total claims over the previous week brought the volume for the week ending Sept. 15 to 21.077. The number was 87 percent greater than tor the corresponding week in. 1950.