Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 50, Number 44, Decatur, Adams County, 21 February 1952 — Page 1

Vol. L. No. 44.

NATIONWIDE OIL STRIKE SET FOR MARCH 3 - —- -X _ ■■‘■■■an x. t •-1 ■

Sectional Draw Is Announced

\ t fl Decatur Meet I Opens Tuesday At Local Gym Berne And Hartford Clash In Opener Os J Annual Sectional (Schedule on page 7) Pairings for the Decatur sectional tourney, which will open next Tuesday night at the Decatur gym, were released this morning by the Indiana high schopl athletic association. The local sectional, for the first time. will be played as a twobracket meet, affording more fans an opportunity to see their own ■ team in action. The Berne Bears and, Hartford Gorillas will open activities in the tourney, clashing at 7:30 o'clock Tuesday evening, the only game of the opening night. , Two games will be played Wednesday night, the Geneva Cardinals meeting the Monmouth Eagles at 7 o’clock} 1 The Decatur Yellow Jackets, winners of the tourney the last three years, will winner of the Berne-Hartford game at 8:15 p.m. Wednesday. The other four teams were drawn in the Thursday night bracket. The Decatur' Commodores will tangle with the Pleasant Mils Spartans at 7 o’clock, followed by the Adams Central Greyhounds and the Jefferson Warriors at 8:15. v There will be no games Friday. Wednesday night’s winners will clash in the first semi-final at 1 p.m. Saturday, with the Thursday night victors meeting at 2:15. The championship game will be held at 8:15 p.m. Saturday. ,■* Officials for the tourney, assigned by ihe’.IHSAA, are Verlin Jackson of Columbia City and Charles Bobilya of Fort Wayne. \ Tourney tickets prill be sold in three Tickets for the Tuesday and Wednesday sessions ..will go to the schools competing in that bracket, and tickets for the Thursday session will go to schools participating in that bracket. The four teams left in the running will share in the ticket distribution for the semi-finals and finals. Prices will be 80 cents for the Tuesday and Wednesday sessions, 60 cents for the Thursday session, and $1 for the semi-finals and finals. I, The winner of the Decatur sectional will compete in the Fort Wayne regional Saturday, March 8. Winners at Fort Wayne and Garrett will meet in the first regional tilt at 1 io’elock, followed by the Decatur and Kendallville winners at 2:15. The regional final will be played at 8:15 p.m. Pairings for nearby sectionaid: FORT WAYNE J Wednesday (North Side) 9a.m. —-Harlan and Woodburn. 10:15 a.m. —Leo and South Side. 1:30 p.m.—Huntertown and Elmhurist. ’ 2:45 p.m. —New Haven and North Side. } Second round games Wednesday night. (South Side) 9 a.QT. —Lafayette Ceptral and Hoagland ~ » 5 10:15 a.m. —Coesse and Monroeville. 1:30 p.m.—Arcola and Central Catholic. 2:'45 p.m.—Concordia and Central. . . Second round games Wednesday night. ' Semi-finals and final at North Side Saturday. BLUFFTON , Tuesday 7:30 p.m.—Union Center and Bluffton. Wednesday 7 p.m.—Lancaster Central and Liberty Center. 8:15 p.m.—Rockcreek and winner of Union-Bluffton. Thursday 7 p.m.—Ossian and Chester Center. 8:15 p.m.—Petroleum and Jackson. Semi-finals and final Saturday. HARTFORD CITY Thursday 7 p.m.—Pennville and Ridgeville. (Turn Ta Page Seven) ; ' VJ- ■ J

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Ticket Data Ticket allotments for the twobracket sectional tourney 1 ; nqxt week were announced today bjF Hugh J. Andrews, Decatur high school principal and tourney manager. The allotments are mgde on the enrollment basis set up by tfie IHSAA. After deduction of complimentary tickets for team mem bars.-coaches, student managers and the press, and radio, as det up IHSAA. there remain 1,998 tickets for sale. Each of the schools is then allotted 25 tickets for sessions in which their teams ate not competing. • A 10 percent pro rata distribution of tickets is first made, fpr the bracket |3B, for the Thursday bracket 47. 'the remaining 90 percent are distributed on the enrollment basis. This results in the following total tickets for sale for each school: •’Tuesday-Wednesday—Berne 463, Hartford 152, Geneva 323, NJonmouth 341, Decatur 619. Thursday —Decatur Catholic 524, Pleasant Mills 472, Adains Central 631. Jefferson (246. .. !>'■? All (principals . will meet with Andrews Friday morning to obtain their tickets, with each school arranging its own ticket sale. A drawing was held at the Decatur high school Wednesday, With persons whose names were drawn fpr tickets being notified by mail, j A third distribution will be mqde Friday, Feb. 29, for the four Schools left In the running for thbHttle. These figures cannot be determined until after the Thursday night Session. ■ J " Mrs. Emma Melcher Dies last Evening} Funeral Services Saturday Afternoon Mrs. Emma Melcher, 66, wife of Gottlieb F. Melcher, residing 10 miles north of Decatur on federal highway 27 in Allen county, died at 7 o’clock Wednesday evening at the Lutheran hospital in Fort:Wayne following a cerebral hemorrhage suffered Monday night. : .She was born in Preble township July 30, 1885, a daughter, of Daniel and Marie Bley-Hoffman, and was married April 1, 1007. The family lived east of Hoagland until 1937, when they (moved t<i> Ration township. _ ' Mrs. Melcher was a member of the St. John’s Lutheran church and its ladies aid society. , } j , Surviving are her husband;' one json, Harold Meiciter of near Hoagland; three daughters, Mrs. Frieda Thiele of Allen county, ,Mrs. Della Bulmahn of Root township and Mrs. Edna Marhenke>: of Fort Wayne; 14 grandchildren; one great-grandchild, and three sisters, Mrs. William Melcher of (Hoagland, Mrs. Fred Hegerfeld of Fort Wayne and Mrs. John kraus Os York. Neb. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Zwick funeral home ind at 2 o’clock at St. John's Lutheran church, the Rev. W. G. Schjwehn officiating. Burial will be in (the church cemetery. Friends may call at the .funeral home after 7 o'clock this evening. The casket will not be opened at the church. Workman Killed In Fall From Scaffold ( East Chicago, Ind., Feb. 21 — (UP) —Robert Shipman, 56, East Chicago, died in a hospital, yesterday after falling 60 feet from a scaffold at the Graver Tank Mfg. Co. — David Hughes Rites Saturday Morning Funeral services for David W. Hyghes, 72, who died Wednesday at Methodist hospital, will be held Saturday at 1.9 a.m. from St. Patrick’s church, Fort Wayne, A native of Decatur, Mr. Hughes moved to Fort Wayne 40 years ago. He was a veteran Of* the Spahish-American war. Surviving are his'Wife, Margaret Colchin Hughes; one •son. Daniel of Fort Wayne; three brothers, James, Andrews; Richard, Huntington; and Grant, Centerville, Mich.; one sister, Mrs. Ida Stout of Marion. • ♦ / ■...!. 'd ‘ ' ■

Truman Denies Secret Pacts Wifhßritam No Agreement To J Send Additional Troops Anywhere Washington, Feb. 21—(UP)— House Republicans said today th(*y are satisfied with President Truman’s assurance that he has made no secret agreements with Britain to send additional American troops anywhere iu the world. But administration officials and Democratic leaders said it was too bad the president was compelled by circumstances to reveal a, fact which may be of great interest to Russia. Mr. Truman made the no-commit-ments statement late yesterday, shortly after the house, passed a GOP resolution remanding a full report on any secret deals made at his meetings with prime -minister Winston Churchill last month. Officials said he spoke out—even though the resolution was not binding on him —-Because he feared continued silencb might deepen the suspicion that he had something Joj hide. That suspicion has been har* bored I>jy some congressional Republicans ever since the Churchill visit. _ - I ' In hii address to Churhill said Britain would like Jo see the United, States sfnd at least token f >rcos to the embattled Suez Canal tone. Rep. E. Y. Berry (R-S.D.) suspected this might be a hint that Mr. Truman made, some military commitment during the* talks. He introduced a resolution demanding the facts from the state department. At the time of the Churchill speech; department officials ; said privately that no military commitments had been made. But they did not comment publicly. 1 I I Later the department sent the house foreign affairs committee a letter kaj-ing there were “no final and binding decisions” at the talks. But it evaded a direct answer' to the question of military committments.; According to reliable sourcels, department officials told committee members that there were in fact no commitlments but that it seemed unwise to say so publicly betause of the possible advantage to Russia. Little Theater Is Organized In City} First Tryouts For Ploy February 29 4nen and women of Decatur attended the meeting held Wednesday night at city hall for the purpose of organizing a little theater group, in this city Under the sponsorship of the Dramatic section of the Woman’s club. It was decided to hold try-outs foY the play .“January ihaw” Friday, February 29, in the council chambers of the city hall from 8 to 10 y. m. ‘ This play is a well known corned} and has a cast of 13 people ranging in ages from six to 60. Committees will be formed at the tryouts to take care of all phases of the first presentation including. stage setting, sound, props, make-up and other phases necessary to present the shpw. ' The Dramatic section members have urged all people who are interested to attend the next meeting and take part in the new ente; prise. Those who do not care to actually take part in the play, will be assigned to other committees. i Persons who desire to take part in the project and will be unable to attend the February 29 meeting are asked to call either Mrs. Glen Dickerson, phone $-3073 or Mrs. Robert Theobald, phone 3-2094. p

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAME COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Thursifay, February 21,1952. - ,

— * —,—L- ‘ A Question Os §ubpoena Power : sir’' :. s - I' NEDBOLD MORRIS (left).} epdcial 'presidential cleanup chieftain, I meets with House judiciary subcbmmfttee members in Washington in discussion of the President’s request lhat he be given power to subpoena witnesses and documents.; Froin left (seated) are Reps. Louis E. Graham (R). Pennsylvania; Chtuncey M Reed (R), Illinois; Frank L. Chelf (D). Kentucky: Chairman Emanuel Ceiler (D), New York. Farlier the committee voted unanimously to deny him power to grant immunity to witnesses. I . ■ L JII 1 4 1 ' ~ " '- 1 .' 1 ' v " 1 "" ' '■ "'""j

Await Schricker's Ty i Word for Shakeup ! | Indiana Democrats | Ready For Shakeup » Indianapolis, Feb. 21—-(UP)—• Indiana Democrats are ready to . ijfcakfe w tbft p®?ty’a top command if Governor Schricker gives them the word, one of their top headers predicted today. i The “rebellion,” expressing dissatisfaction. with the leaders' accomplishments and deeds, would remove national committeeman Frank McHale from office and replace him with Schricker and possibly'. also kick out state chairman, Ira Haymaker. \ State Sen. Leo J. Stemle of Jasper said 5n an interview the answer of whether this will be done 'lies with Schricker.” j **Thd governor has all thd power,, just like he* had four years ago,” Stemle said. “All he has to do is assert himself.” . , The fireworks probably will come May> 17, when the party’s state committee is reorganized. But it could be sooner, Stemle indicated, if McHale chooses to withdraw rather than "face the test.” Haymaker—who Stemle said faces loss of his job because of patronage differences with Schricker—has said there is "speculation” McHale will resign to avoid a showdown battle for his national pj>st. A party faction criticizes? both Haymaker adn McHale for Demorecent election losses, and McHale also is under fire fpr jthe linking of his name with financial deals. Stemle, a potential candidate sot governor or U.S. senator, denied aspirations for a place on the 1952 Democratic ticket but said he is measuring support. He Added tjhatp Democrats unsuccessful in convinc-S ing Schricker he should ruh for the" senate are pressuring the governor to take over McHale’s job. I "Many persons have asked him to take it for the good of the party," Stemle said, “and Schricker is not as emphatic about whether he wants to be national committeeman as he is about not wishing to run for the senate.” He said national chairman Frank McKinney alstf was mentioned for! the McHale job but that possibility is weakened because the public associates McKinney as a “bed-fel-low” of McHale. Little change in meritbership is expected when district chairmen, who comprise the state committee, are elected May 14, Stemle said! And only last Friday, the present committee changed rules to advance from late June to May 17 the date | for selecting a national committeeman. INDIANA WEATHER Partly cloudy and a little colder tonight, enow flurries northeast and extreme north portions. Friday partly cloudy/ a few snow flurries near Lake Michigan. Low tonight 15-20 north, 20-25 south. High Friday 25-30 north, 30-35 south.

’ BULLETIN . Chicago, Feb. 21.—(VP)X Frederlck P. Wall, secretary to U.S. Rep. William L. Dhwson (D-lll.), and three other perSone were ihdicted by a federal grand Jury today on charges of conspiracy to sell postoffice Jobs ; ; ;. 1 —“— = Serious Outbreaks In Midwest, South » : ' I ’. I • W Influenza, Other Virus Infections f 1 * ' ■| ~i ; V | ’< ■ ♦ By United Press Serious and widespread loutbreaks of influenza and other virus infections were reported today ’in the ! midwest and south while Pennsylvania cracked down to prevent the spread of rabies. Schools were closed in Illinois apd Indiana-and absenteeism ran as high as 40 percent in Richmond, Va., where churches also canceled services. The midwestern variety had the symptoms of bodily aches, sore throat, fever and in most easels an ujiset stomach. The southern type was described as "something between a severe cold and Influenza.” ; t Rabies-infected foxes wjere blamed for the spread of the disease in Pennsylvania where several persons! have been bitten by rabid animals and one woman died Os rabies. s Health officials in Indiana were concerned that the virus diseases there might take on epidemic proportions. They made plans to have vaccines available should an epidemic break'out. .. The most serious outbreaks 'were reported in Marion, Sullivan, Johnsbn. Wabash and Elkhart counties. J The number of cases in Goshen, Jnd.. brought the situatl6n to a ‘‘near epidemic,” health ofifcials said. A medtihg was called to determine whether the schools should be closed. i* Out of a school population of 2,500 authorities said, 754 pupils were absent yesterday because of sickness. At Anderson, Ind., about 1,3150 of the <hOOO students in the j citv schools stayed home. ? For the second time in a week, the Laketon township high school in Wabash county was closed When 97 of the 370 students failed to show up for classes. 3 'the Pinckneyville community high school in Perry county! Hl. was shut down and many students were absent in nearby Du Quoin township high school. A school’board member said the Pinckneyville school would he closed down for “at leapt” the remainder of! the week. Os 500- students at the school, 112 were absent Tuesday due to sidknessi The grippe-like virus In Virginia struck "thousands," the State health department said. With < VurM Ts Pass Six) if ; '■ I 4; i .

Nationwide Strike Set To Back Union Demands For $2 Daily Increase -• — i M — i (J “i

Rides And Free Ads Are Booked For Fair Decatur Free Fair ; July 28 To Aug. 2 ■ Progress in plans for Decatur’s free fair, to be held July 28 to August 2 this yeai* at Hanna-Nutt-« man park, was announced this week by Roy Price, general chairman of the big event. The Floyd Gooding Amusement Co., biggest rides operator in the world, will have the midway this year and the Gus Sun booking asMMhdibn will furnish the.’free attructions. i|ie midway contract was signed by Price and Waiter Ford, executive secretary of the fair association, and the free acts were contracted for by Herman Krueckeberg and Dick Heller, members of the free act committee. I Robert Shaw, Veteran midwest manager of the Gus Sun Co. of Springfield, 0., was in Decatur this week and completed arrangements to bring several new’ 1 -free attractions to Decatur. i | Among the big platform features for the 1952 fair, first event to be held at Hanna-Nuttman park, will be:. Jacqueline Teeter, high wire act, said to be on« of the finest of its kind on the road. Capt. Eddie Kuhn’s wild animal -company, featuring lions and other wild animals. Capt. Kuhn and his 6on enter the cages and lead the animals through a series of tricks. Danny Daniels, famous comedian, who has been in Decatur on other occasions, and always draws the applause of the audience. Steele's dog which includes 15 trained canines that go through a series of famous performances. The acts will be staged twice a day, afternoon and night, and will be held at various places on the fair ground. There will be a complete change of free attraction program, with the exception of the high act, at mid-week of the fair, j Price said today that other' plans were progressing and tentative complete plans would tfe ready soop. Wayne Coy Resigns Federal Position Hoosier Quits As y Chairman Os FCC Washington, Feb. 21 — (UP) — Wayne Coy resigned today |as chairman of the federal, communications commission. Coy called at the White House today and personally delivered his resignation to President Truman. The resignation will 4>e effective immediately.' Coy, 4 8-year-old native of Delphi, Ind., has been chairman of the FCC for for years. He told reporters that tje is quitting "so I can negotiate for a 10b in private, life.” He had not yet lined up a job but had “a good idea” of what he would do. The FCC. chairmanship pays 315,000< a year, but Coy said that, with one child in college and another in prep school, he had to leave the “for economic reasons.” “Fve , got kids that cost a lot of money to educate,” he said.} Coy during World War II served in a number of government and at one time was assistant director of the budget bureau and a special assistant to ►he late President Roosevelt. After W War 11, he became assistant to Eugenp Meyer, then publisher of the Washington Post , and now chairman of the newspa- < per’s board, and manager of radio station WINX here which was. then owned by the Post. Mr. Truman 'appointed him tp the FCfc In December, 1947. i Coy said his official duties would cease at the dose of business today. \ ' i n , \

Truce Parley Deadlocked On >i. ''■ ■ H Russian Part . ( H , ; i |• UN Vetoes Soviet Participation On Truce Commission Paijmunjom, Korea, Feb. 21 > — (U^)[—The United Nations said today it had vetoed Soyiet membership on a truce supervision elope geographically to Korea and commission because Russia is too has a record of “pjast participation” jin the country. Communist staff Officers refused to accept the U. N. delegation’s explanation, howeyer, and the deadlock over Russia’s eligibility tor the sixqxiwer neutral commission stretched into its seventh day. ; In (another conference tent, a second group of staff officers reached final agreement on paragraphs five through nine of a war prisoner exchange formula. All five paragraphs w?re qf a technical; nature. Bo|h sides also agreed to a definition of “repatriation,” but not on Whether the repatriation of prisoners should be voluntary, as demanded by the allies, or compulsory. Thiere also were two developments outside the Conference tents touebihg indirectly pn the truce delegations: 1.-f-A plane tentatively identified* jas an American F-80 Shooting Star jet straddled “Freedom Gate; Bridge,” on the ! American delegation's route from Munsan to Panrhunjom, with two bombs three hourp before the trues talks. No one jwas 'hurt. Both sides bad pronjlsed not to attack each othei’s j?oule to Panmunjom. " , 2 -”rT lle Chinese Communist radio I; to Peiping qharged that ‘ enemy”—presumably American—plants had “barbarously” bombed and strafed northeast China on 40 different days since Jan. 1; Thfe Chnfese may bring up the charge in the truce talks later. I Down Two Migs Bto Army Headquarters, Korea, Feb.; 21r-(UP) — American sabrejets (shot down two Mlgs today to run up this week’s bag of Conimunlst fighter planes to 19 destroyed, probably destroyed and damaged- I Enjoying a numerical advantage for a change, 26 F-86 sabres battled; 20 Mig's from a formation of 80 j>f the Russian-built fighters observed northeast of Sinanju in | i (T*”" Ta> Fsa* Bight) Funeral Saturday For Earl Peters. ! To Return Body To Ft. Wayne For Rites Services for R. Earl Peters, former; Indiana FHA director, will be held; at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Klaqhn funeral home in Fort Wayne. Burial will be in Lindenwood cemetery. Mj*. Peters’ death occurred Monday ;in Coral Gables, Fla., from a hearjt ailment. The body, accompanied by Mrs. Peters, his daughter and;son-in-law, will arrive in Fort Wayne Friday and be taken directly tp the funeral home. Resolutions honoring Mr. Peters’ memory, were prepared today by the Adams County Bar Association, by. a committee named by D. Burdette Custer, president. Attorney G. Remy Bierly was chairman of the \ Although he had jnot practicedlaw < for several years, Mr. Peters wasj an active member of the Allen county bar association, which met this; morning to honor his memory. Decatur attorneys attended the service.

Price Five Cents

275,000 Workers Threaten Strike * If Demands Unmet By Oil Industry . Denver, Colo., Ifdh. 21—(UP)— An oil industry Spokesman said today that Within three weeks many of the nation’s motorists will be “dfoot” if 275,000 oil workers make good their threatened strike. epresentatives qf the workers announced after a joint co-ordinat-ing meeting last night that j a na« tlpnwide strike would be jcalled March 3 to back up 4he union’a demands for a straight |2 a day z wage increase,; j : r The industry spokesman said speh a strike would have motorists “afoot Within 10 days” after It was called. For the first timp in history, 22 CIO, AFL and independent union-, joined in a common effort to force the industry to accept their demands. ; , The strike—if it comes ofif —will hit refineries, pipelines, production plants, sa)eß forces and in some instances, chemical plants. The deadline ,'of 12:01 a. m. March 3 was chosen to pernjiit the AFL union to complete the stride vote now in progress. The CIO union completed its strike ballot of 300 * bargaining units, and a spokesman spid 90 percent of s the membership favored a strike. ’ Not all of the 275,000 ol} work- . ers represented fortll walk out in the strike. Instead, key workers Will strike in a mote “aimed at the hegrt of the indus- , tky-” I Members of the committee meeting here refused to disclose the location of the plants that will be picketed. “We’re not going to tell the oil companies whose plants aro going tlo be shut down,” said O. A. Knight, president of the QTO Oil Workers International unioh. “We’re going tq keep’ them on -*4ihe hot seat,” he said. “They’ll know which plants we’re striking when we go out, and thep we’ll tell the press which ones will be struck.” ' ( Principal areas that wi|l bear the brunt of all-out union] effort will be the gulf coast of Testas and the rim of the Great Lakes. “Companies in which wg have the most signifeiant membership Are Sinclair, the Texas Co., Shell, Tidewater Associated, Gulf, apd Socony-VacUumKnight said. Members of the negotiating comm’ttee that set the deadline included V. O. Cottengim of Covington, Ky., and O. V. Clover of East St. Louis, 111., AFL; J. J- McKenna of Whiting, Ind., (independent; and Knight of the CIO group. , The unparalleled unification of the big two oil unions and the Independents came about at a meeting of the ; CIO gruop's policy committee recently in Kansas City. The policy-making group ordered Knight then to take a strike vote of the union as negotiations bogged down. The vote carried by, more than 90 percent, a union\ spokesman said. . Local Man's Mother Dies At Bluffton Mrs. Jofih (Cowens (Amarilla Sours) 84, mother of Lloyd Cowens of Decatur; died this morning at / the home of a daughter, Mrs. Earl Rose in Bluffton. ; Funeral services will be an- j nounced Uter. Mrs. Cowens had been in failing health the last feW weeks. Snow Flurries In Decatur Today Snow x flurrles ruled in Adams county' today and while no heavy snow -was on the , weather forecaster’s menu, parts of the midwest had sevetal inches of snow. 1 Roads were reported in fairly good condition at noon today and a wind which accompanied the snow flurries kept most of the rural roads clean. • ■