Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 50, Number 81, Decatur, Adams County, 4 April 1952 — Page 1

bl. L. No. 81.

Communication ‘ 4 Blackout Threat To United States ' ' I'. . i ij■ r : \j

BULLETIN Washington, April 4.—(UP) — Acting, defense mobiiizer John R. Steelman today asked CIO president Philip Murray and steel industry representa- . tives to “stand by" at Ne#r% York for further negotiations on the wage dispute that threltt- ’ - ens to develop into a crippling strike. -~ 4 - Steelman said both sides agreed to his request, which paved the way for resumption of the negotiations after their collapse yesterday. r By United Press A nationwide communications blackout was threatened today, by a scheduled telephone strike coming on the heels of a system-wide Western .Union walkout, while a crippling steel strike seemed inevitable. ’ Z i A. simultaneous " walkout by 41.000 members of the CIO communications workers union in Michigan, Ohio and northern California along with 15,000 Western I’iectric installers and distributors in 43 states was set for 6 a. m. (local time) Monday. And both threatened strikes hinged on a settlement of the steel dispute, a union spokesman said, which brought Jittle. hope, that they could be averted now that the steel talks had collapsed. Western Union, meanwhile, said it would re-open offices for a 12hour day in 40 key cities. The strike by 30.00 Q Western Union seeking a 50-cent hour package wage increase closed 2.Q00 main offices and 1.000 bran- < het. " • But looming largest of all on the nation’s dkrk labor horizon was the economy-disrupting steel walkout scheduled for next Wednesday at 12:011b.! m. Industry spokesman said the vast shutting-down process of Besshmer converters would begin today after the wage talks collapsed when the CIO United Steel Works ers turned down a 16-cent hourly wage hike offer. . ! v -'“l' am quite pessimistic and believe now' that a strike will definitely take place,” said Philip Murray,' president of the steelworkers! union and the 010. The wage stabilization board recommended a 26-cent hourly increase, . but the industry ; said, it couldn’t pay any such hike withuot a substantial increase in the allowed selling price of steel. V • > \ Government price controllers set the limit at $2 a ton. The industry sought |l2. But the 16-cent offer by the companies indicated that the government might go along with a slightly larger hike. The only hope of averting the of President Truman — either strike now appeared in the hands thrqugh a Taft-Hartley law nijunc* (Turn Tn Pun Six) . ■ .. Lions Zone Meeting j Is Held At Geneva Lions clubs of Decatur, Geneva, Monroeville, Huntington, Bippus and\ Bluffton joined in a zone meeting held at Geeva Lions club. Roy Price, Washington township farmer and zone chairman of Lions “international, presided at. the meeting. District governor Charles Casper, Wolcottville,, was the principal speaker and several other state officers of the organization were present. \ ' Earl Davrald. Geneva attorney, gave a historic talk concerning the Lim-berlost area. The program was recorded by a Portland radio station and was rebroadcast this afternoon. Those from Decatur who attended were Price, Glen Manlier, president of the Decatur dub, and Thurman Drew. _r,.•_ ; ■ ' ' Starting Tomorrow, . this newspaper will publish a series of strips, illustrated by Alfred J. Buescher, telling the story of the events leading up to- the Crucifixion and Resurrection. Watch for this dramatic portrayal of Christ's last days on earth.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT < : r J ’< \ ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY ! \ — ——— < j ■ .. - ~ • , , 1 ■ . . ■ ■ 11 . . ■ .....

Four Billions ’ Slashed From Defense Budget House Group Makes \ Slash In Truman's i 50-Billion Budget Washington, Apr. 4 — (UP) — The house’’appropriations committee today whacked $4,240,638,500 off President Truman’s $50,921,022,770 defense budget for the 12 months starting July 1. i Among other economies, it (1) scuttled navy plans to build a second 60,000-ton super aircraft cartier; (2) ordered withdrawal of military aides assigned :to Gen. Douglas MacArthur and other top officers on inactive duty; and (3) imposed a heavy cut ion military publicity staffs. The committee approved a $46,680.3.84,270 military spending bill as recommended by a subcommittee whose chairman, Rep. George 11. Mahon (D-Tex.), pronounced the world stiuation a little less' “explosive” than it was a year ago. Mahon called on the services to absorb the 8.3' percent cut by eliminating waste, and buying more intelligently. He said the reduction would not. impair national defense, although conceding it involved a calculated risk. ' i “Despite ominous cloudsi on the horizon,” Mahon told reporters, “the world picture doesn’t J seem as explosive as it did when the defense appropriation was before congress last year.” \L ' The reduction hit almost across the board. It whacked army (by $1,680,000,000), navy (by $1,006.384,000,) and air force 200,000), as well as the parent defense department and miscellaneous defense agencies. An army procurement request for $3,684,520,000 was hit .with a cut of $918,520,000. Rep, Robert L. F. Sikes (D-Fla.) said; the cut was impsoed on purchases of “long lead” items — tanks, trucks, electronics and other equipment on which there is a long time gap between orders and delivery. In response to complaints that the pentagon has become too top heavy in brass, the committee slapped specific percentage limitations on the number of officers of ell ranks from captain through the. !ive-star rank of general of the army. .-Pit' Mahon said the effect of the limitation is tp “freee” officer strength at present levels. He denied reports it would reduce pres-’ ent strength and force widespread demotions. ; ° J ! Although plane buying funds nared somewhat, Mahon said little or no slow down would be imposed on the buildup of air power. He noted that the services now have on hand $70,00(1,600,600. of unspent funds, and said “they (Turn To Pace Klcht) Elks Officers Are Installed Thursday ' ' ’ George F. Laurent New Exalted Ruler Three appointive offices were named' by George Laurent, newly installed exalted ruler of Decatur 993 8.P.0. Elks... at installation ceremonies last evening. The appointments are: Carl Baxter, esquire; Hugh Holthouse, inner guard; George Alton, chaplain. Florian Keßer. as a past exalted ruler and Albert Colchin. esquire, installed the new officers in ceremonies held in th6 lodge room of the Elks home. 1 \ : h The other officers are: Dr. H. R. Frey, leading knight; Richard Macklin, loyal knight; Bernard Hain, lecturing knight; Nathan Gurtner, secretary; Walter Gilliom, treasurer; J. K. Eady, trustee for three years. Members of the bouse committee are Leon Vennum. Clark Mayclin and Fred Bashara.

• Surprise Triple Play ' if ■ 7i r ■« Hk ■ BL H ' 'I 7; Ip ' z 5, .. . aEka - CO- - will JI B ' z THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT provided Thursday’s fireworks in Washington with. Attorney General J. Howard McGrath (right) summarily firing corruption prober Newbold Morris (center), only to be fired himself, within four hours, by President Truman. Mr. Truman made It clear that; although McGrath had actually “resigned.” the Chief Executive had asked him to retire from the cabinet. Mr. Truman then promptly named Federal Judge James P. McGranery (left) of Philadelphia, to succeed McGrath and to take over Morris’ anti-corruption probe. ' ” “ '■

McGrath Fired Shortly After Morris Ousted Judge McGranery Is Appointed As New Attorney General Washington, April 4—(UP) — President Truman called in a new attorney general today to salvage the corruption purge that was all but wrecked by a violent feud which blasted J. Howard McGrath and. Newbold Morris out of the government. Mr. Truman assigned the monomental task to federal judge James P. McGranery of Philadelphia after firing McGrath out of the cabinet. McGrath had disposed of Morris as corruption cleanup chief less than four hours before. _ McGranery was expected to go to the White House today with advance assurances that the president will give him a free hand in ridding the government of wrong-doers. But Republicans and some democrats in congress were dpenly skeptical that the clean-up drive will get any further under McGranery than it has moved in the four months since Mr. Truman hastened back from a Key West, Fla., vacation to take “drastic action.” They said the ouster of Morris, who had tried to circulate financial questionnaires to ' McGrath and other top officials, showed that the anti-corruption program was never anything more than a “sham.” Mr. Truman left it up to the incoming attorney general whether to“re-hire” Morris. McGranery indicated that he had no intention of doing so. McGranery said he had “no. plan of action” yet. He said “there probably is some corruption” in Washington “but I do not it is as widespread as many people say.” As thLs dazed capital counted the casualties from yesterday’s erujP tion, there were rumblings of fui> ther blow-off-hints that both McGrath and Morris would open up and tell all. Associates of McGrath said the deposed attorney general feels he has been made a “whipping boy” for the administration and that he will have something to say—perhaps next week. They called attention to a recent speech in which McGriath said that “when the clouds have passed.\l shall have something to say that will shake this country as it never has been before.” Morris, bitter' at being bounced by the same man who hired him only two months ago, charged that “official Washington doesn’t want to be investigated.” He suggested that McGrath was “covering up.” “If w.e have done nothing else,” the towering New York lawyer said, “we got rid of Howard McGrath from the government. It took only two months. Given six months, we would have gotten rid of some more.” «» Morris promised to keep a speaking engagement here next week and lay down his recommendations and suggestions for a government cleanup - i ; ' - • INDIANA WEATHER Cloudy and windy tonight with rain ending by late night. Colder south portion. Mostly cloudy Saturday, colder ex- ' treme south. Low tonight 3438 north, 38-42 south. High Saturday lower 40’s north, upper 40’s south.

Decatur, Indiana, Frida

School Will Unveil Walter Krick Plaque A special assembly program trill be held at the Decatur high school at 8:30 o’clock Monday morning for unveiling of the plaque in honor of the Ute Walter J. Krick, former superintendent of the Decatur schools, who died suddenly last, summer in Michigan while enroute home from a vacation trip. The plaque was erected through contributions from students, faculty members and friends. e The public is invited to attend the ceremony. .J , ; Group Rotary Meet Held Last Evening Decatur Cfiib Wbst F " For Group Meeting The Decatur Rotary club was. host to members of Rotary clubs from BernA Bluffton, Churubusco. Columbia City and Fort Wayne, at a group dinner meeting Thursday evening at the Masonic hall in this city. The meeting opened with prayer by the Rev. William C. Feller,. pastor of the Zion Reformed and Evangelical church, followed by the singing of “America.” While the dinner was served by the ladies of the Eastern Star, music was played on the vibraharp by Mrs. James Kocher, Jr. Several numbers sung by the Berne Rotary quartet, Carl Luginbill. Cafl Habegger, Arley Habegger and Jack Purvis. Following the dinner, John F. Welch, president of the Decatur club, officially welcomed the visiting Rotarians, and group singing was led by Leo Kirsch of the host club, accompanied at the piano byAlbert Sellemeyer. > i - - Glenn O’Laverty, of Bluffton, group representative, was toastmaster. A gavel,i for the highest attendance by a visiting club, was presented by O'Laverty to the Berne club. The chairman then introduced presidents of the visiting clubs, and Hermon Phillips, of Angola, district Rotary governor, William Rastetter, Jr., Fort Wayne, former district governor and director of Rotary International, and Louis Rastetter, Fort Wayne, former district governori). An interesting “fine session” was then com ducted by Deane Reynolds, Bluffton. sergeant-at-arms. Cleve Luce, of Bluffton, program (Tara To Pace

(Rev. Robert H. Hamrriond, First Baptist Church) THE SELF-POSSESSED ; 1 ■■ J Luke 21:19 —In your patience possess ye your souls. The patient perseverance of those who follow Christ has marked the course of Christianity through-the centuries. Men have borne patiently the persecutions of unrighteous and self-seeking governments and systems of thought different from their own. Even the freedom we enjoy to wprhip God as we please today is a recent thing, and often stands in jeopardy either through ignorance or Intent on the part of those who seek power and human authority. The Christian’s patient faith is such that he must - teontinue to believe and. to make himself willing to out-think, out-pray. out-live, and. |f need be, out-die his non-Christian competitor. Life’s deepest meaning comes as we, in simple faith, yield ourselves to tht Christ and the ideals of Hi life and the merits of His atonement. In Him we have an example of the completely selfpossessed- since He was God. In outselves we find that the form of self-posseesion which makes faith triumph over all obstacles and persecutions is that of being so filled with the Spirit of Christ, that there is only an overflow of blessing to others, never a hunger that yearns to be satisfied through things the world. We are aelfposaessed with the possession that fulfills our sbul’s deepest meaning when Christ possesses «s—and we become one with Him.

!, April 4,1952.

Bring War Refugee Family To County Emmanuel Church To Be Family Sponsor The Emanuel Lutheran church, northeast’ of Decatur, sponsoring the bringing jof , a war refugee couple and tiieir two-year old son to this community, it was announced today by the Rev. W. C. Vetter. pastor. The man, age 24. will be employed by Ferd Klenk iri Klenk’s store on Madison street. He is a skilled mechanic and electrician. A home will be furnished by the Emanuel congregation, the Rev. Vetter explained. Their home Wilf > uh* on the Max Thieme farm. The ladies aid society of the church has obtained furniture and bedding for the home and will stock it with groceries prior to the arrival of the family, the pastor said. The nationality of the couple is not known. His name is; Waldemar Lehr and the son’s name is Hans. They were residents in one of the eastern countries, probably Poland, Latvia or Lithuania, when the Communists overran their country. They fled to Germany and were residents of when arrangements were made for immigration to the United States. The Rev. Vetter has been advised thsjt the displaced family will arrive in New York prior to ' April 20. They may be aboard ship now, Ferd Klenk' commented. Lutheran churches aresponsoring 500 families to the United (Tara T« Pace Efaht) • Paul Stoutenberry Dies Thursday Night Paul Stoutenberry, 76, of Bluffton. a former Adams county resident, djed at 11:10 o’clock Thursday night at the St. Joseph hospital in Fort Wayne.' Siirvivors include one son, Vernon Stoutenberry of .Decatur; four daughters Mrs. Velma Harris and Mrs. Winifred Yarger of Bluffton. Mrs. Georgia Crites of Lima, O„ and Miss Gretchen Stoutenberry of Fort "Wayne; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Jahn funeral home in Bluffton, with burial in Zion cemetery at Honduras.

Six Are Killed By Tornadoes In Three States

Ridgway Sees Some Progress In Truce Talks Says Concessions From Both Sides Could End Deadlock Panmunjom, Korea’; Apr. 4 — (UP) —Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway said today he believed progress was being made in the truce talks and that concessions by both sides could break the deadlocks that are holding up an armistice In Korea. Communist negotiators also hinted at compromise on the stalled issues of prisoner exchange, truce supervision and North Korean airfield construction. Allied and Communist, staff officers recessed the prisoner talks today to giye both sides a chance to confer at higher levels. . In his most optimistic statement since negotiations began last July Ridgway said: “I think we’re making progress in the truce talks.” He said the deadlocks could be broken by concessions on both sides but added. ”1 think there is little probability of either side conceding on all of them.” Ridgway's statement was made at a press conference during his visit to the truce base camp at Mufson. ji * ' i Tlhe recess in the prisoner talks was called- "indefinite” and there was speculation an agreement might be near requiring decisions in Washington and Moscow. Brig. Gen. William P. Nucfcols, official U. S. spokesman, told newsmen the break, was called “for constructive reasons.” “This is not in the nature of a hreak-off r ” he said, “it was mutually agreed.” was belief among correspondents here that Chinese Maj. Gen. Hsieh Fang would withdraw the Communist nomination of Russia as a neutral inspector nation if the allies dropped demands for a ban on reconstruction of Red airfields. The Chinese general said, “in other to make progress in these conferences our side considers 'hat your side must first withdraw your depiand to interfere in our internal affairs.” “Interference in internal affairs” is the label the Reds have put on the allies’ airfield demand. In the prisoner deadlock the major issues are voluntary versus forced repatriation, and disposition of 97,000 unreported prisoners from both sides. Col. George W. Hickman, allied negotiator, w-ould not comment when asked if the U. N. made a new prisoner proposal. "I cannot say," he replied. Decatur To Receive 3 $12,191.04 Gas Tax Record Distribution Is Made By State Indianapolis, t April (UP) — Shares of cities and towns in the largest quarterly gasoline tax dis-| tribution in Indiana history were apportioned today by Indiana auditor Frank T. Millis. \ The total fund was $28,365,296.90, 8.8 percent above last year’s record first quarter distribution. Os that, 53 percent went to the state highway department and 32 percent to counties. Cities and towns split the remaining 15 percent, $4,254,794.53. The distribution by cities and town« included: Bluffton $10,187.42, Brazil $14.141, Columbia City $7,955.78, Decatur $12,191.04, Fort Wayne $324,014.38, Hartford City $12,160.86, Huntington $25,232.45, Kendallville $10,259.52, Wabash $17,807.88, Warsaw $11,107.91, Auburn $9,857.12, Portland $11,843.97.

Foreman Os Costello Jury Is Dismissed ' Report Bribe Offer To Woman Foreman New York, Aprii 4—(UP)— Federal judge Sylvester Ryan dismissed the woman foreman of the jury hearing the contempt of congress trial of underworld boss Frank Costello today because he had been told that she was offered a bribeRyan also dismissed a male member of the jury but offeree) no immediate explanation. ’ Thie jury foreman, Mrs. Helen Louise Mason, a housewife, denied that she (had been offered a bribe. “Ridiculous,” she said. “This is very- embarrassing.” The jury of nine men and three women was scheduled to begin deligerations this morning on 10 conteriipt charges’ against the underworld, leader who walked out of the senate crime committee hearings here a year ago. It was the second time that Costello has been tried on the contempt charges. His first last fall ended in a hung jury when one juror held out for acquittal. After dismissing Mrs. Mason and Julius A. Fox from the jury, Ryan learned that a third juryman, Joseph Monsky, a real estate manager had reported 111 this morning and was under doctor’s orders* to remain in bed. Ryan immediately recessed the trial until 1:40 p.m. and ordered a qourt appointed attorney to go to Monsky's home and verify his illness. Ryan told Mrs.; Mason that he had learned she had been approached and bad been asked to accept mopey. y ■'h As she left the court room Mrs. Mason told reporters that the judge had called her into his chambers. She-, told him, she' said, that she had not been approached nt anybody. ' Costello denied knowing, anything about attempted bribery. 1 j ,7 “I’ll be darned if I know what it’s all about,” he said. / The millionaire gambler’s Attorneys refused comment -as did the government attorneys prosecuting Costello, / ’ J ~7 ' I — / v/ ’ - Orval P. Whitacre Dies This Morning Funeral Services Sunday Afternoon Orval P. Whitacre, 50, of one mile north of Middlebury. 0., died shortly before noon today at St. Eita’s hospital at Lima, O. 1 He had been ailing since last October and. bedfast for the past three weeks. . ! He was born in Van Wert county, 0., July 31, 1901, a son of William and Ida Llewellyn-Whit-acre, and was married to Esta Brittsan June 20. -925.. He was employed as a car repairman at the Pennsylvania railroad shops in Fort Wayne. Surviving are his wife; his mother; three daughters, Mrs. Maurice Teeple of Decatur, Mrs. Graydon Thatcher of Willshire township and Miss Thelma Whitacre, at home; one son, Carl Whitacre of Van Wert ;_ two brothers, Llewellyp Whitacre of Scott, 0., and William Loyal Whitacre of\ Ypsilanti, Mich.; one sister, Mrs. Charles DeVenny of Fort Wayne, and three .grandchildren. Three brothers and one sister are deceased. Funeral services will be conducted at 2:30 p. m. (EST) Sunday at the Zwick funeral home, the Rev. Albert Straley officiating. Burial will be in Woodlawn cemetery at Van Wert. Friends may call at the funeral home after 2 p. m. Saturday.

Price Five Cents i

Three Southern States Are Hit By Tornadoes Scores Injured As ■ Storms Hedge-Hop Over Three States New Orleans. April 4;—((UP) — ■At least six persons were killed and score# were injured today by tornadoes ;that hedge-hopped over southern Louisiana and Alabama and northwest Florida. Four members of one family killed when a twister ripped (nto (he liftle town of Arnaudville, La., 20 miles north La. They were Alexis Olivier, Jr., his wife and two daughters, Shirley, 15, and Pearl, 10. Their home qol-i lapsed on them. I Three other children in the house escaped wfth cuts and bruises and ran acrost -a plowed field at the height of the mighty storiff to summon help. ; Another family living in the Arnaudville area was in a house that was shaken from its foundation, lifted into the roaring cone of destruction and hurled 100 feet through the air info a telephone pole. They escaped serious injuries. The twisters, spawned at the rim of a massive cold sir front, developed within hours of each other in *the three states. The wehther bureau had accurately forecast there might be scattered tornadoes —of a local nature as are most twisters—in Alabama. Florida and Georgia today. The weather bureau had no mqre than issued its forecast than a small twister also struck Panama City—in northwest Florida. No injuries were reported there bitt one beach cottage was demolished and five others were ripped from their foundations and damaged. - The dead and all but two of the injured wdre in, Louisiana where the tyvisters hlt uptown New Orleans and adjacent communities and struck in the New Iberia area 100 miles to the west. I . ’ The Louisiana twisters ripped houses from their foundations and hurled a 15-year-old girl 100 feet through the air. She was caught by her father "like, she was a baseball” The Alabama tornado shook an empty school building from its foundation and reduced it to a pile of brick and twislted timbers. Two persons were severely njured. They had sought behind the building. ■ ' 1 ' Verpon Dykes £ave a graphic account of the onrushing tornado that knocked 'dibwn the Mobile school building. He and his wife were walking along a road when it carpe. “It looked like a cone-shaped fog and sounded like a dozen ajin planes," he said. “We jumped behind one of the concrete and brick columns which t is at the entrance of the school yard. -1 “The roaring got louder and tjie wind began to whip around Jie post faster end faster. I heard oie school building being ripped apah. He and hte wife were injured bY falling brick; A possible major disaster was (Turn To Pare Kiukt) jf —T- 1 - School Operetta's | Final Performance Here This Evening The final performance of “Tu||ip Time,” operetta presented annually by the Decatur high school, will be given at'the school auditorium tonight at 8 o’clock. \The crowd which attended Thursday’s opening performances were highly pleased with the attraction presented by some |7O students of the school, under the generaJ direction of Miss Helen Tlaubold, supervisor of music, in the public schools. “Tulip Time,” a Dutch musical comedy in two acts, is filled with tuneful music, attractive costumps and typical Dutch dances.