Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 51, Number 95, Decatur, Adams County, 22 April 1953 — Page 1

Vol. LI. No. 95.

Released Prisoners Tell Their Stories > —IIIUJK-• • A I *,l.■ A. . .._ .to, ..1 - fflHr jH z '. .| - ' J ' • : '■ ■' ■ W< IKu J 1W mb MMPBewIm khi ‘ JMB t ,? ■ --> .4 v ' »ir] ■ ■■ EX-PRISONERS OF WAR, Pfc. John D. Martin, of Tufe Lake. Calif., (1.1, and James Li Ball, of Bellburn, W. Va„ are shown being interviewed by Dave. Jones (ir.), of the San Francisco Call-Bulletin at Freedom Village. Korea. From the t released POW s canie stories of death marches that cost hundreds of American liVes. . : *

Allied Planes Shower Bombs On Battlefront ri a* '• ' - ■' 1 Concerted Effort To Keep Communist i Forces Off Balance SEOUL, Korea UP — United Nations fighter-tbombers showered the Korean battlefront with bombs ‘and bullets today in a concerted effort to keep the Communist war machine off balance. The gfrdnnd war eputtered with only one sizeable battle reported up to 6 p.m. South Korean troops killed or wounded an estimated 50 Chinbee in the Chorwon Valley, while elsewhere only minor patrol contacts and two email Red probes were reported. An evening , communique from the eighth aruny, said “action continued light across the eighth army front Wednesday morning.’ It reported only 10 contacts along the front and said earlier information albout an attack south of the Panmunjom truce village, was erroneous. U; .NL fighter-bombers flew 182 sorties at Communist- 'frontline targets. Their bombs and rodkets wrecked 77 gun positions. 30 bunkers, 32 oaves and a large n.Qmlber of buildings and personnel shelters. •Other warplanes hit deeper into North Korea in attacks on five troop and supply buildings. They brought the day’s toll t0:56 buildings and 48 vehicles destroyed. , Near Jackson Heights in the Chonwon Valley, South Korean raiders encountered a Chinese forced in “nd-man's-iand’ shortly before midnight and routed the enemy with .grenades' and rifle fire. American F-86 Sabrejets fought j three duels with Communist MIG15’s before noon but blade no claims. 4 Bomb-carrying Saibrejets continued their attacks against Red targets, destroying 20 buildingson the Hteeju Peninsula 10 miles northwest of Sariwon cn “Freedom Rpad.”

Shell Explodes Near Freedom Gate Bridge MUNSANj Korea, UP —An artillery shell exploded near “freedom gate” bridge on the road to Pan- • munjoin today just as a convoy of ambulances taking Communist prisoners to the exchange area approached! , The (Eighth army announcement said the ambulance convoy was a < Sffe- distance from the blast but a hiece of shrapnel landed only five \ feet from' an American military policeman at the bridge. ■ V ' • ' ■■ ’ ■ Brother Os Decatur Residents Is Dead Ray Lawson, 63, of Rockford, 3. 0., died \Monday in the Gibbons hospital in Celina. 0., following a long illpess. Surviving are his wife, Thelma: a brother, Ralph Lawson, and a sister, Mrs. Beatrice Homan, both of Decatur. i Funeral services will be conducted at 2:30, p.m., e.s.t., Thursday at the Evangelical United Brethren church in Rockford, the Rev. R. E. WHltman officiating. Friends may call at the home until time of tty servlopj.

DECATUR DAILY

Reject Resolution On Monroe Parking \ State Resolution * Rejected By City Councilmen last night rejected a resolution by the state highway commission and called for a revision Before acceptance by the city. The 1 * dedicated the new' Stratton addition section B and once more broached A subject tliju has provided a headache or two since last summer. P The rejected resolution from the state commission had to jio with the action taken by the council two months age banning parking in front of tne Lutheran 'church and parish hall, in addition to certain restrictions on the side street adjoining. Before the city could properly enforce a prohibition of parking oil a federal highway, which Monroe street is, permission was asked from the commission. The commission, howeyer, went farther anti approved no parking fr6m Tenth to Eleventh street on the inorth side of U, S. 224 City attorney Robers S. Anderson was directed Ito send back th eresoiution and per changes to be rnadle. Fifty-four lots of the 1 ; siratton addition section B were dedicated last night and the city will assume that section as a regular part of the city. The dedication entitles the section to the protective covenants of the city, notes the easements ’and makes it liable for certain limitations an<l restrictions laid dowh. Peter D. Schwartz, ia local real estate agent, asked the l council to consider purchasing tho lot on First street and Madison belonging to Adrian Baker and now being unofficially used ,as a parking lot. He said Baker had listed the property with him and he said he would like to see the city get it. The price: $2,000. l lf was also quoted at that 'figure last summer and the council rejected it as too high. Schwartz inferred that the figure is to the city only and somewhat lbwer to private individuals.

Petitions Are Filed With City Council ..mv. '■ City Councilmen Receive Petitions City councilmen Tuesday! night roceiyed petitions for a sewer laterals, a tyater connection, and two requests < tor rural light arid power extension. Action was also taken on the city’s requested additional aippropriaitioh. 'The > first two petitions came from Giles V. Porter for service on the same piece of property on North Tenth street. These Were referred to their proper committees and their respective superintendents. Petitions for electric service came from two Adams] county residents. Martha Smith; and Thomas S'. Ulman and Marjr Alice Ulman, and were. referred to the eleefric light committee and the superintendent. Another , request for] a lateral sewer wai received from head petitioner Harold Rynard and 27 petitioners, from the Homewxmd addition to the city. This was referred to the street an<| sewer committee and the street superinten(Toya Te Page Klatt)

Taft Schedules Test Vole On Oil Measure 1 i' b' Senate GOP Leader Has Scheduled For Test Vote Tonight WASHINGTON (UP) — Senate Republican leader Robert A Taft scheduled a test vote on the controversial tidelands .bill tonight and predicted its opponents will be defeated by at least 20 votes. Taft told the senate .he • will move, at T:3O p. m., to table substitute for the administrationbacked pending bill. Taft eaid “the only purpose is to obtain a test vote at this time.” u ; The substitute, by Sen. Clinton P. Anderson. D-N. (M., would retain federal control but give coaststates 371£ percent of the royalties derived. The proposal is 'a substitute for the administrationbacked pending bill, sponsored by Sen. Spessard Holland, D-Fla., and 39 other senators, to give coastal states title to the lands. Ask Clear Stand \ 1 WASHINGTON (UP) — House Democrats supporting an administration request for more public housing urged President Eisehhower to take a “clear” stand today against a drive, to halt the program; ‘ Public housing was: the major issue as the house was called into session to begin voting on congress’ first money bill for the 1954 fiscal year which begins July 1. A showdown vote was expected by mid-afternoon on a Republican hacked rider to prohibit any new federal commitments to subsidize low-cost housing after June 30. ' House Democratic whip John W. McCormack said the President before the vote should .pqbliciy disavow—or admit —assertions by several GOP economy advocates that he would not be Offended if tliy program wfere killed. Refuses Hearings WASHINGTON (UP)—Sen. Ed ward J. Thye today turned down inventor JesS M. Ritchie’s for immediate hearings on the pepgiving merity of his controversial battery chemical, AD-X-2. The Minnesota Republican, chalripan of the senate sinall business Committee, said “I still can see no good in holding committee hearings at this tiine.” They postponed the planned hearings last Saturday after commerce secretary Sinclair Weeks decided to keep Dr. Allen V. Astin on for a while as director of the bureau of standards. ' Weeks had fired A.stin because; the bpreau had allegedly been upobjeetive in testing AD-X-2. Thye said thetre is no point in holding hearings until the committee gels the reports of two groups of pon-goverpment scientists Weekk named to investigate AD-X-2 and the^ bureau. INDIANA WEATHER Psrtly cloudy north, mostly cloudy with occasional showers south tonight and Thursday. -A little warmer east tonight Somewhat cooler entire state Thursday. Low tonight 42-50 north, 45-54 south. High Thursday 58-64 north, 80-66 66 oouth.

ONLY DAILY ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, April 22, 1953.

Freed Allied Prisoners Tell Os Communists’ Korean Death Marches

Senate Group Asks Report On Red Atrocities Congressmen Show \ Concern On Stories Os Red Atrocities WASHINGTON UP — The Senate appropriations committee summoned acting secretary of state Walter Bedell Smith to Cap> tol Hill for a secret report today on Communist atrocities against American wkr prisoners. Chairman Styles Bridges RN. H. dalled Smith for a, private report this afternoon. The committee also summoned defense department officials , for an hour later. The defense officials were not named, but Bridges’ committee staff was said to be seeking testimony by Col. James M. Hanley.. In 1951 Hanley, on duty with tfie 1 judge advocate general’s section of, the eighth army in Korea, charged the Communists had slaughtered 6.000 United Nations prisoners. ' In Korea the U. N. called on the Communists for a conference of liaison officers on "matters in counectiun with the currenrrepatrlation operation.” It appeared likely that the U. N. command will ask the Reds to live up to their promise to return all Allied sick and wounded prisoners. ’ News reports the Reds wete welshing evoked congressional demands for a delay in truce talks. Congressional ire also was aroused by reports of atrocities against U. N., prisoners. Interest of the senate appropriations committee in these Issues was explained by the fact this is the season for studying money - requests from the executive agencies, including the state and defence departments. members' consider that their responsibilities in this field entitle them to go after, any information they want involving any agency. , In calling Smith and defense officials, Bridges, said “kre want all available information both as to what has happened in the past and what We are doing about it now.” He said he will try to find .out “why we are not getting more people out of the Korean Communist prison camps.” Bridges said the inquiry,!- at least (Turn Ts paav Business Women To Grant Scholarships Two Girl Graduates To Receive Awards Fifty-dollar* scholarships will be given to a girl graduate of each of the Decatur high school and Decatur Catholic high school by the Decatur chapter of the business and Professional women’s club, it .was announced today by 1 Decatur high principal Hugh J. Andrews, who received the scholarship notices this morning. Following are the requirements: In order to be Eligible for the awards, each of the girls must be graduating this year and is planning to further her education, either in a school, business college or state university. A composition must be submitted of 200 words or less stating the chosen pursuit and the reason for cboosihg it.T V A scholastic record for the first semester of the current school year must accompany the composition as well as a letter of -recommendation from a\ teacher. Regular typing paper must be used for the compositions and double-spaced. Judges of the competition are members of the Fort Wayne business and professional women’s club. Members of the local scholarship committee are Mrs. John Bayles and Miss Grace Lichtehsteiger who should be contacted if are any questions. Dead- 1 HUI# Oil! is Tuesday, May 5. I ■ ■

NATO Minister To Open Meet Thursday Dulles Arrives In i Paris For Meeting . . I PARIS (UP) —Secretary of state |lohn Foster 1 Dulles arrived today jfor the first Nor|h Atlantic treaty of ministers’ meeting since Red “peace’l oftensyve. beghn. ** *The group’s llith meeting opens .here Thursday with foreign,- detase and financial experts of all 114 member natiojis. attending. , Dulles arrived- by plane from witli mutual security director Harold Stassen, secretary tof the treasury jGeorge M. |H.um|>hrey, Carl] W. McCardle, assistant secretary of] state for public affairs and methbers of Dulles’ staff. j Conference ; sources indicated the most important declaration of ! the meeting will be a reemphasiz-[Kg-'of President Eisenhower’s statement iaet\ week that the west ■ ’cannot afford \toj stand still because of the olive-branch waving in Mtosio|w. Most of the foreign ministers will meet Dulles for the first time I since he “succeeded Dean Acheson ;as head loathe U. fi. state department. 1 \ 1 They will want to know what the United States considering in the Way of negotiations or a political settlement following the conclusion <*f an armistice In Koren. ‘ High diplomatic sources saids the meeting will give the NATO ministers an opportunity to construct a joint policy to meet the 'Kremlin’s mounting “peace” offensive with a united front. For the first time since the formation‘of NATO I to muscle up against any threat of Communist fTnm To Pace Klcht) • ■ ' """ Continue Discussion On Inspection Fee Cutting Into City Streets Discussed Discussion continued in the citz council Inst night on the inspection fee that should be charged for cuts in the city streets made by private parties and utilities. At the close of the discussion it appeared that a solution of the month-lang problem may he imminent. An ordinance was drawn up, last month revising the regulations on breaking into the streets of the city and was accepted as satisfactory with the exception of the inspection fee. Councilmen were pretty much in favor of a |5 flat charge at the beginning !but representatives Os the Gas Company complained that the volume oircuts they make in a year would work a hardship on them, it |5 were to be charged for eaoh cut. Up until last night’s meeting no solution seemed acceptable either to the city of the utility. The City’s aim was Jo hold private Parties to the responsibility o)f fixing their cuts and taking care of them, it having been pointed out that there have been some poor experiences regarding the tending dt cuts to tihe satisfaction of the city. * It wa« suggested last night that the fees be put on a deposit basis —an arbitrary figure of $250 for t;iie year named—and if the cuts wer® restored to the final satisfaction of the city the whole amount would be turned back to the depositor. On the other hand, if there was so much aa one inspection required by the City, a five-dolter Charge would be levied and five for each inspection thereafter. This met with some approval by the company representatives present, M. J. Pryor, local manager, Robert Kaade, Fort Wayne district manager, and Otto Grant, attorney for the utility. x ;!Cbarles Ehinger, president of the Citizens Telephone company In DecAtur, and Ivan Hears, wire chief for the local utility, ateo expressed ap iroval over the tentative plan. '.I k' t, '

U N. Demands Reds Sit Down To Conference 1 ‘ i ‘ ' May Be Asked To Answer To Charges Made By Prisoners Korea, Thursday I UP — The I United Nations clalled on the Reds to sit down today in i a conference of liaspn 4 ‘to ■ discuss matters! in connection with ■ the current repatriation opera- - tion.” > *' j The unexpected U. N. demand ■ touched oft immediate speculation ’ the Communists may be asked to answer charges by returning Allied 1 prisoners that the Reds are not living up to agreement to - return all Allied and wounded ; war prisoners during the present t exchange. High United Nations officials r gave no hint .of the reason for calling the urgent meeting, ijtome ? sources doubted the U. N, is yet » ready to takq official action on the j statements of' prisoners. | passible, they said, that the meeting might have been callt ed to discuss tne exploding of a i stray artillery shell near “ftwMtoni - gate” bridge on the Pantnunjom » road just before a convoy of ami bulances carrying Red prisoners to the exchange area approached l: the bridge. > In Washington, the administra- ■ tion advised .patience as tempers ! mounted with the growing reports of atrocities and! failure of the,Reds to 'return all pick and wounded pri4>ners. Officials pointed out that sound evaluation of t£e reports is impossible until all prisoners have been formally interviewed and theif 1 stories evaluated. Col. Edward L. Austin, U. N. exchange control officer called for the meeting The U. N. would say only that the meeting was’requested “to discuss matters In connection with the current repatriation operations.” Austin acted after returning POW’s said men more seriously wounded, more critically ill than those released were still held in Red prjson camps and prison hos- \ . <Twr« T« Puce SIxJ To Enforcelaw On Disposal Os Rubbish \ Heavy Penalties In New Indiana Law State, county and city officials are fqrmln'g plans to enforce the new state law concerning the disposal of cans and rubbish on roadways and alleys, violation of the statute carries, a heavy fine. The new law will change the practice of many Decatur residents have been storing and burning their rubbish on state highwayright of ways and in alleys in the city. This practice now falls under the restrictions of the new law. State highway employes ‘ hate been working the last week cleans Ing up the of ways and collecting all the cans, bottles and other rubbish from the berms. An extra effort will be made by the department employes, it was learned, to beautify the right of ways-through-out the state. v Officials are planning on notifying immediately residents at the edges Os Decatur that l they] must move their trash containers off of road right bf ways back into their own yards. For many years it has been the practice of many property owners at the outskirts of the city to plqce their trash cans in These locations and burn the contents when the cans become filled. The Burning will have to be done within the owners’ property lines mow, it was pointed out. |. The penalty for throwing rubbish or cans or bottles on a highway or highway right of way is $25 on conviction under the 1953 statute,] to which be added a jail sentence for continued violations. • v 1 -" J 1 ,

Slight Living Cost ' Increase In March Reverses Recent , Downward Trend - WASHINGTON (UP)—The government today reported the cost bf living rose slightly in March, reversing a three month downward trend. Food prices Incfeasi ed for the first time since last lAugust. Th4 bureau of labof statistics reported, a 0.2 bf 1 percent increase in all retail goods between mid-February and mid-March to put the new irfdex at 113.6 percent, of 19(47-49 prices. This was about one-half of 1 percent under the all time record set in November . The bureau reported a fractional rise in overall food prices, led by a 6 percent increase iff egg prices. Food prices had been falk ing steadily since August, the report showed, and now were 3.2 percent under the November peak. 1 Sharpest price rise in March — a 1.5 percent increase — was in 1 the “other goods and services” L category, due mainly tq an in- ■ crease in clgaret prices following their decontrol Feb. 25. - 1 Increases of 0.2 of 1 percent w-ere reported for food, housing 1 and transjtortation. 1 The overall increase boosted 1 the March index to 1.1 percent ‘ above a year ago. i l > - ' I. —-- Wimmer Speaker At Lions Club Meeting t Free Enterprise Is Urged By Speaker Decatur Lions Tuesday night heard Ed Wimmer, president of the National Federation bf Independent Business, Ipc., talk on some of the aims of the Eisenhower administration with regard to independent control over farms, The title of his address wak “The Eisenhower administration and free enterprise,” and he urged that, "widespread, independent ow-nership of farm, home and business enterprise, wherever practical and possible, with local controlj over local affairs, is the only basis upon which a truly capitalistic system can be established and maintained.” Wimmer told the local service club that the growth and stability of America has been greater than any other nation because of the opportunity given ta > participate as independent individuals in the production and distribution o' goods and services. “Despite known abuses,” said Wimmer, “ ... the capitalistic system offers more freedom to the individual than any system \ tried.” And he added that any break from this idea is a step toward "pionopoly and the all-pow-erful state.” Wimmer claimed that “serious trouble Is ahead if we do not reverse our course by enforcing antitrust laws, and bring Up whatever legislation that is heeded to wring monopoly power out of labor. industry and finance.’’ Wimmer told the Lions that big business is needed in the country and is here to stay. “But what we hayb been getting is ’monster' business which has brought us monster labor unions and monster government” , “All the small businessman es this nation want is a square They want a chance tb compete in a market place governed by the same rules as those which govern the fighj ring, the football field or the baseball diamond. They believe It is just; as \lm portant that young people be protected from predatory business interests as it is important that we protect bur wild life from predatory hunters. freedom of opportunity there can be no political freedpm, and who will say that the veterans of our wars are not entitled to a chance to make their

Price Five Cents

Freed Gl’s Say Hundreds Os POW’s Died : . ' 'j i l Tell How American Prisoners Pushed Off Cliffs To Die . TOKYO, UP -4 Liberated American soldiers told today of seeing war prisoners “pushed off a cliff and left there to dip” . during a horror-filled Korean death-march, and how others were deliberately bayonetted by Chinese guards in a Red prison.camp. One said ?‘there were so many who died” in the camps and on. forced marches he could not guess the number. The United Nations today de- ! manded an urgent meeting of • liaison officers who arranged- the exchange of sick and wounded "to 1 discuss matters in connection with, the current repatriation i opera- - tions.” 5 It was believed here the liaison I officers would demand an explana* tion from the Reds of persistent reports of returning Allied prisoners that the Communists are not d releasing all sick and wounded t from their camps as promised. The atrocities—most of which occurred Jong before the prisoner exchange was under discussion—also may figure in Thursday’s Panmunjom meeting. Released Allied war prisoners have told of the deaths of mor© than 1,170 United Nations POW’s on forced marches or through brutality and neglect in ist prison camps. ■’ saw a lot of men just lie down and die of dysentery,” said Sgt. Odie Lawley, 45-year-old regular from Medicine Park. Okla. It was Lawley who alsb reported seeing prisoners ‘‘pushed off a cliff.” J. > Lawley said he saw several men, too weak tb continue the march, pushed over the edge of a ravine or cliff. t ' \/“It was a sort of cliff,” he said,’ “too high to jump from even it' you were feeling good.” Lawley and other exchanged Americans heaped up details of Communist atrocities in their first formal interviews in army hospitals in Tokyo. Cpl. Donald K. Legay. Leominster, Mass., said “jumpy” Chinese Communist guards jabbed two or three American prisoners with bayonets when they refused to cooperate and walked out of a Communist movie theater. . v Legay. who was with the 24th division and was captured Nov. 4, 1960, said "a lot didn’t make it on forced marches to* p r I s o n camps.” \ li The accounts told of men who marched on frozen feet, their battle wounds untended. Some of the victims were clubbed by their Communist guards. Others lay down to sleep and simply did not awaken. Others died of wounds. Others of tuberculosis. Allied officers refused to comment on the disclosures, nor would they say what effect they might have on resumption of truce talks/ It was certain the stories of the returned prisoners, coupled With the violent attacks on the U. N. by the Red China Peiping radio, had abolished any good will which L might have resulted from the sick and wounded exchange. The Reds have charged the U.N. with returning emaciated “ghosts” and cripples with arms and legs "hacked pff.” Allied screening officers have not yet revealed their own compilation of Comimunipt victims. But it seemed certain there would be heavy duplication of figures in the survivors’ stories. A report in. November, 1951, by Col. James Hanley, eighth army judge advocate in Korea, said that 2,500 American prisoners of war . were killed by Chinese Communists and an additional 3,«0O Gs prisoners murdered by North Ko- ( rean troops before the Chinese /Tun Te Ki*ht)