Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 51, Number 133, Decatur, Adams County, 6 June 1953 — Page 1

Vol. LI. No. 133. (

Strato jet A-Bombers On Historic Flight ~ -i ■gr.. * ■ ■ "JU® i -. r- * I t' ~ d , „ J 0N a _ h,STOR Y-MAKING FLIGHT from MacDili Air Force Base, Florida, to Fairford. England, a flight of B-4, Stratojet bombers of the U. S. 306th medium 'bombardment wing. Strategic Air command, checks in at Limestone Air Base, Maine. The bombers were designed specially to carry atomic bombs Official U. S. Air Force photo.

Tankers Collide In River, Two Men Are Killed ' , One Other Missing; _' 83 Crewmen Saved Following Collision WILMINGTON. Del. UP — Two large tankers, one fully loaded with a cargo of gasoline, collided in the Delaware River near here early today and burst into flames in a series of explosions. Two men were Known dead and one was missing. Eighty-three of the S 6 men aboard the two vessels were safe. Some swam to the marshy shores of New jersey and Delaware. Others were picked up in small boats manned by resideftts of communities lining the river banks. J j Involved in the collision were the 11.000-ton supertanker, Pan-Massa-chusetts, carrying 160,000 barrels of gasoline from Texas City, Tex., to Marcus Hook, Pa., and the empty. outbound Phoenix, a 14,000-ton supertanker that_is the second largest afloat. C It was the 4iihpty Phoenix, capable of carrying 265.000 barrels, which was rocked»by explosions touched off by ignited gas fumes in her huge holds. The Red Cross at Wilmington said 70 crewmen of the tankers were being cared for at its shelter. Six were in Salem, N. J., hospital and seven others in three Wilmington hospitals. The dead and missing were from the crew of the Phoenix, whose master. Capt. Gustav Jaspen, Langhorne, Pa., was burned seriously. Capt. Reginald Gross, Houston, Tex., of the Pan-Massachusetts, said all 41 members of his crew were accounted for and safe. Both vessels were owned by the National Bulk Carriers, Inc., of Delaware. The dead and the missing were not identified immediately. The coast guard said it would take some time to sift conflicting reports and determine how the collision occurred. \Creymen of the' Pan-Massachu-setts i,said the Phoenix, moving downstream, signaled with a whistle blast that it wanted to pass the sister tanker. Al the last moment, the ’ crewmen said, the Phoenix changed its course without signalling and cut across the bow of the Pan-Massachusetts, which could hot avoid ramming it. New Jersey state policeman William Wilds said he was given an--1 other version by river pilot David Higbee, who was aboard the Phoenix and was injured seriously. Wilds said Higbee told him he saw the Pan-Massachusetts and signaled to pass on its left. He received a return signal to pass on the right and ad the Phoenix did so it was rammed at a spot about 90 feet from the stern.

Senate Committee Okays Money Bill WASHINGTON. UP — The senate appropriations committee has ’ approved a $3,444,150,000 money tiH for the treasury and post office i departments. It was the same amount passed by the house. The house appropriations com.mittee cut the 'bill $127,983,000 below former President Truman s budget estimates. - The measure is expected to come>-up for senate passage next week. It carries $611,885,000 to operate the treasury for the fiscal year beginning June 30, and $2,832,250.000 for the post office department

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRA T

Graduation Rites I . ' ( Held Last Evening * Catholic School ■l/ ; , Exercises Held 1 ■ . ■ Speaking to the 29 graduates of Decatur Catholic high school , at the annual commenceinent exercises in St. Mary’s church last evening, the Most Rev. Leo A. Pursley, auxiliary bishop of Fort Wayne, outlined tenets for building a successful and satisfactory life. Philosophically, Bishop Pursley developed his three principles for success under the heading of “Sense.” “Above and beyond the five senses that God gave you, there are three senses which you should have. They are the sense 6f humor, common sense and the sense of beauty.” he said. “A sense of humor is necessary, for you should not take yourself too seriously. A sense of humor is like holiness, lor it will develop humility. Every Saint had a sense of humor, so don’t get in your own light.” ' 4 , Bishop Pursley explained that common sense was needed by everyone. “It is sanity in action and seeing things as they are. There is too much misrepresentation in the world and common sense will aid you to evaluate the good and sift out the bad. Common sense will enable you to overcome the philosophy of deceit and strengthen you to be honest with yourself.’ The third sense “is a sense of beauty. It might be called a sense of honor or responsibility and character-building. A sense of beauty will govern your life honestly and aid you to shun greed. It w’ill give you character and appreciation for the principles that the world should admire in the worthy citizen.” Diplomas were distributed by the Very Rev. Msgr. J. J. Seimetz. pastor, to the high school graduates. Bishop Pursley presented the diplomas to each graduate, as they genuflected and kissed the bishop’s ring. , i . , Certificates were awarded to 23 pupils who completed the eighth grade. < The graduates assembled before the statue of the Blessed Virgin for consecration to the Holy Mother. Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was given by the Rev. Simeon Schmitt of Huntington. The religious, service closed with the singing of “Holy God We • Praise Thy Name.”

Additional Awards Announced Awards and scholarships won by the graduating class were reed by Msgr. Seimetz. Announced were the one-year scholarships to the Catholic high school and won by Michael Murphy and Elizabeth Miller. The scholarships are given by the Delta Theta Tau sorority and the Holy K’ame Society. Margaret Schmitt, Barbara Voglewede, William Bowers and Jerry Laurent, were awarded pins by the Catholic school press association for outstanding journalistic work during the school year. Scholastic honors were awarded Jo Margaret Schmitt and Joseph Costello. Perfect attendance awards went to Donald Gillig, Marjorie Heiman, Robert Meyer, Margaret Schmitt and Barbara Voglewede. _■ , . — INDIANA WEATHER Partly cloudy extreme north* cooler tonight. Sunday cloudy with showers and thunderstorm* and cooler extreme south. Partly cloudy north and central. Low tonight 5058 north, 58-63 south.

Major Fight On Defense Cut In Event Os Truce Major Fight Shapes In Congress; GOP Heads In Warning WA’SHENIDTON VP —A major fight shaped up in congress today over whether a truce in Korea would justify hefty new’ slashes in the nation's defense budget, Optimism over the chances for an early armistice led some econ-omy-minded lawmakers to renew their demands that military spending be cut even more than President Eisenhower has recommended. Administration leaders, on the other hand, acted quickly to head off the move, warning that even with peace in Korea there should be no letup in the defense program. The new wrangle came As the ifunious debate over the wisdom of administration cutis in the air force budget continued unabated. These were the major developments: 1. Sen. Russell B. Long D-La said in a radio broadcast Friday night that the administration’s defense budget could be cut by $3,000,000,000 to $5,000,000,000 in case of a truce, mainly by pulling troops out of Korea and trimming personnel. Even if], there' were no armistice, he thought spending could be cut some. 2. Defense secretary Charles E. Wilson told a Sioux City, Ia„ audience Friday night there should be no letdown in the defense pro.gram if peace comes in Korea. 3. Wilson said the air force is the “strongest” in the world but revealed production of combat planes had lagged 22 percent behind estimates of last October and that adrerarft output as a whole had fallen 12 percent behind. 4. Informed sources revealed the air force will formally tell \ congress next week that about $3,500,000,000 of the $5,090,000,000 administration cut iq the air force appropriation request for fiscal 1954 should be restored. 5. The influential American Legion threw its support behind the President’s defense budget cuts and called his program a “sound composition of the nation's defense and fiscal needs.”

Hosey Ray Funeral Sunday Afternoon Funeral services for Hosey (Ray, who died Friday morhing, will be held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Monroe Friends church. Burial will be in the MRE cemetery at Berne. Concordia Planning New Senior College FORT WAYNE, Ind. UP — Missouri Synod Lutherans may build a new four-year senior college here. The synod will be asked at an annual convention in Houston, June 17-27- to accept the recommendation of the synod’s higher education board that Concordia College here be sold and a new campus and school be established. Dr. Martin Neeb, executive secretary of the board, said Friday that Indiana Technical College here is studying a plan to buy the Concordia facilities and expand its program. Noon Edition

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday, June 6, 1953.

U. N. Proposes Minor Changes In Latest Red Proposal On War Truce

EisenhoweisAnd I High Officials | Discuss Truce President Meets With Dulles And Defense Officials WASHINGTON, UP —President Eisenhower conferred today with secretary of siate John Foster Dulles and high defense officials on the truce situation in Korea. \ Conferees besides Dulles were assistant defense secretary Frank C. Nash and Gen. J. l>awton Collins. army chief of staff. - The conference apparently w r as ■ called suddenly this morning. The White House had said Friday, night that President Eisenhower would have no official visitors today. American officials meanwhile were hopeful they would be able to overcome South Korean’s violent opposition so the Allies can present a united front if the Communists agree to a 'truce. , But they made it clear the United States would sign an honorable armistice whether South Korean President Syngman Rhee likes it or not. The peace fever was running high throughout the capital, both in administration and congressional (circles. The argument over whether a truce would justify additional defense cuts already was underway. The White House said President Eisenhower was watching developments “very closely.” He banned, any appointments todays so he could get in some hard work at his desk in the morning, before relaxing on the golf course this , afternoon. The tide of statements flowing from Rhee and his spokesmen ? topped by his counter truce proposals Friday night—has created considerable confusion about where he really stands. In his counter plan—submitted to Mr. Eisenhower this week and made public here Friday night—• Rhee demanded: 1. Simultaneous withdrawal of Communist Chinese and United Nations troops with a truce; 2. A mutual defense pact with the United States; ( 3- The right to act independently to unify Korea. The administration has been reluctant to agree to a defense pact on the grounds South Korea’s pro<T«r» Tn F«ir» Six)

Four Slightly Hurt As Trucks Collide Vehicles Collide Near Berne Friday A near head-on collision of ’two trucks on state road 118 east of Berne Friday afternoon at 1 o’clock resulted in minor injuries and the total wrecking of one of the vehicles. Injured were: A driver of a halfton pickup, Rolandes Liechty, 45, of Berne, with a cut over on of his eyes; a 15-year-old passenger of Bryant, Arthur Heer, with an injured left elbow and bruised left leg; and Liechty’s son, Greg David, 9, with a broken tooth and injured right elbow. All were in the same truck. Driver of the other vehicle, a ton and a half truck loaded with limestone, was Jerry Price, 17, of route 6, who suffered several fractured ribs. T . :J State trooper Walter Schindler said the Price car was going west on the state road and the load caused it to bounce heavily after going over a hump in the road. Coming from the other direction was the truck driven by Liechty, and the trucks collided, left front ’ to left front. Damage to the Price, truck was conservatively estimated by Sphindler- as ssoo—the front wheel and axle were sheared oft their supports — while Liechty’s truck was considered a total loss. The injured were treated by a. Geneva doctor.

I Valuable Outpost | Is Taken By Reds Battle Continues On Eastern Front , : !> !' . ■ ft . SEOUL. Kprtea, UP —A battalion of North Koreans swarmed down from the crest of Lulce the Gook’si Qasrtle today to hit two Allied outposts and penetrate the mairi Allied defense line. The 700 Communist troops ran head-on into a force of Sopth Koreans who engaged them in Mand-to-hand fighting which /lasted until dawn. - ' j When the sun came up. 1 Red reinforcements rushed into the tnain line fighting, which ebn! tlnutod ( through the morning]. tit was the 11th straight day pi thtfng on the blazing eastern ont. The Communists slowly but steadily were pushing back their former countrymen from tbej south. The greatest accomplishment pt the Red offensive was the capture Os Luke’s Castle, an outposf whicH commands a view down two valleys deep into Allied lines and also offers good observation into Communist-held territory. Heavy fighting again was re T ported at Bloody Ridge, Where a battalion of Chinese Communists assaulted outposts in the arek’ Wwy were tberwn back by Boup> Koreans in bloody hand-to-hanci fighting. Nineteen . Superforts f r o ni Okinawa roared over -the enemy battle line, 15 of them concern trating on tfoe Communist “Iron Triangle" for the fourth titpe with 190 tons of high explosives; and air-bursting bomhs.

AFI, CIO Blast Eisenhower Record Union Leaders Hit At Ike's Policies | WASHINGTON, UP — Republican chances of wooing labor away from the Democrats looked darker than ever today as the AFL and CIO fired twin blasts at-President Eisenhower. • For the first time since the GOP took over last January, the b|g unions sharply and directly criticized Mr. Eisenhower’s stewardship of the government. In rapidfire order Friday: I AFL President George Meany accused Mr. Eisenhower of» failure to “carry out his responsibility by not proposing specific changes to the Taft-Hartley law. The CIO, led by President Waiter P. Reuther, attacked the President for his policies on > taxes, housing, social security and foreign policy. Until now, both giant labor organizations have been content to criticize congress and other administrative officials. They have pointedly duckedX mentioning the President in their». attacks on Republican policy, jnhe change indicated President Eisenhower’s 'hopes of winning over labor may never be realized. In assuming the nation’s top post, Mr. Eisenhower appointed Martin P. Durkin, former head pt the AFL plumber’s union, to be secretary of labor. This was interpreted as a frank bid for labor’s support. Durkin is now involved in attempting to draw up joint amendments to Taft-Hartley with secretary of commerce Sinclair Weeks. These amendments were to be turned over to the White House for submission to congress blit 'Durldn and Weeks have been reported to be unable to reach agreement on most of the major In' this connection, Meany said the President had caNed for revision of the law to merit “the respect and support of labor and management.*’ “Is President Elsenhower going to keep his pledge to labor? Wp do not feel he has carried out hie responsibility in this vital matter (Tens To Pace Six)

Four Killed, 83 Injured In Blast In Texas Fireworks Plant, j Blast Devastates Four Square Blocks HOUSTON, Tex. UP — Two hundred men, working around the clock, searched grimly tor more victims today In the rubble of a $3,000,000 fireworks plant explosion which killed four, injured at least S 3 and devastated four square blocks. However, officials believed 'j»o more bodies would be found in tfee Wreckage left by a searing explosion that , blew apart the ALCO fireworks and Specialty Co. officewarehouse late Friday. i Polich Lt. Joe Clark said the blast was touched off as ALGO’s general manager Kenneth Williams, 35, nailed some fireworks to an elaborate fourth of July display. “I don’t know how it happened." Williams said. “I either hit the nail and bounced off and hit the firecracker. or {he spark from the nail ignited it. I tried to put the firecracker out by grabbing it, but it was- too hot for me. When It Started to spray sparks all over the room, I just dropped it and ran as hard as I could.” Williams and another ALCO employe, O. C. Parrish, 43, apparently were the only ones in the building. Both escaped. The four dead all were residents of an apartment house a block from the plant. They were identified as Mrs. Elva Walton. 26; her children, five-year-old Katie and two-year-old John, and Mrs. Gurnade M. Barziza, 22. \ The first gigantic explosion was followed by blast after blast as the fire spread to 40,000 pounds of fireworks stored by ALCO, which fashions the bulk fireworks into elaborate displays. Houston citizens called to liollce to, report “either an. air. rafd or an atom bomb attack.” Police inspector Carl Schuptrine estimated damage as high as $3,0.00,000 after working at the scene throughout the afternoon and night. Twelve of 18 small houses immediately behind the fireworks warehouse were reduced to rubble. Four square blocks were in near, ruin. Officers said it was a miracle no more persons died. Two wounded pdlicemen, highway patrolmen, sheriff’s deputies and officers from all of Houston's suburbs worked all night under floodlights sifting through debris. It was 01mbst impossible to estimate the total number of injured, but a ynited Press check of Hous<Twrw Tn Face Six)

Decatur Boy Scouts At Area Camporee Annual Camporee Is Held At Fort Wayne Fifty Decatur Boy Scoots and their scoutmasters are attending the Anthony Wayne council’s scout camporee in Franko Park, Fort Wayne, this weekend. The tented city was pitched last evening, and will ibe in action until Sunday afternoon. Approximately 2,000 Scouts are expected at the camporee. The Decatur troops are the Rotary, Lions and American Legion, headed by ®d DeLong, Marion Robinson and Niland Ochsenrider. Five Berne Scouts and their scoutmaster, Karl Hlity, hiked the 34 miles to Franke park yesterday. The hiking explorers are, Otto Schug, Gerry Hilty, Paul Bixler, Bonny Myers and Ned Bixler. ■Parents will join Hie scouts \ for a basket dinner Sunday noon and officials expect 15,00 persons! at th? mass gathering. Special church services have arranged for the Scouts for Sunday morning. \ f

Some Solons Oppose Tass Alliance Plan Say Eastern Nations Should Be Included WASHINGTON, UP —Some senators warned today that Sen. Robert A. Taft’s idea of an AngloAmerican military alliance in Asia smacks too much of western imperialism. Both Sens. Alexander Wiley (R-* Wls.) and Hubert H. Humphrey (D-Minn.) and Indian, Pakistan, and the other free nations in the Far «East should be included in any defense arrangement in that troubled area of the world. In a statement (clarifying one aspect of his now-famous "forget the United Nations” speech, Taft said Friday it was for nations like India to claim neutrality in the Korean fight and yet to have a voice in U. N. conduct of ithe campaign. Instead, he proposed: “If we are able to disentangle ourselvesi from the United Nations we already have treaties with Australia and New Zealand, with Japan and the and a very definite understanding With the French in Indochina. I**l think -we should have a free hand to form an alliance with the British if we possibly can so as to how Far Eastern affairs should be conducted. An alliance has the advantage over the U. N., that each member can express his views and no other member can veto his action, as the U. N. or secretary Acheson, former secretary of state Dean Acheson, vetoed the hot pursuit by our air-' planes in Manchuria. I believe we should try to .work with Britain in a military ahiance in the East, but not one in which they possess any final veto against our policies.” v, Wiley said in an interview that if Taft is talking about a Far Eastern counterpart of the North Atlantic treaty organization, he is all for it — “providing the people of the Far East themselves take 1 the lead.” Humphrey said any Far Eastern alliance “must have broad ipartici- 1 pation of the Asiatic nations; it 1 wouldn’t do to have a treaty with ’ Britain and France without Asiatic patricipation because that would ' smack too much of the old west(Tara Tn Six) ]

One Motorist Hurt In Auto Accident Drunken Driving Charged To One After rolling over five or six times, according to witnesses who saw the wreck, and ending up in t a wheat field 200 feet off U. S. highway 27* Friday afternoon. Clayton E. Belford. 72, of Richr mond, calmly stepped- from his car and announced he would like to go home. He was treated at the Adams county memorial hospital Cor fractures of the shoulder and ribs. Belford was involved in a freak wreck yesterday shortly after 2 p. m... about 13 miles north of Decatur as he drove his car south on the big federal highway followed by a car driven by Glenn Mankey, 27, of 910 South Thirteenth. Mankey was later charged with driving while intoxicated. Information pieced together from police and reports of witnesses reveals that Mankey attempted to pass the Belford car but changed his mind in the process and tried to get back behind’ Belford’s auto. In doing this Mankey apparently misjudged distances and hooked his right front bumper in Belford’s left rear. Belford’s car went out of control and began rolling, first down the road and then info a wheat field. State troopers Robert Endres and Don Turner, of the Baer Field post, investigated. Ip- ; Belford’s auto ended off in a wheat field while Mankey’s car stepped on the east side Os the road. Mankey was not reported hurt. i I\ ! > p J. .. ./j. . -I. \ i r

Price Five Cental

Reds Call 24 Hour Recess To Study Changes t s ] ’ Allies Press For Agreement Despite South Korea Stand PANMUNJOM, Korea, UP — American negotiators proposed “minor'modifications” to the Communists’ latest trutee plan today and the Reds called a 24-hour recess to think it over. An informed source said the Americana suggested the minor changes during a 19-minute meeting of truefe -negotiators, the 22nd ■ held here since the talks were reopened last Ajiril 26. The United Nations* delegation was an all-American group because the session again was boycotted by the South Korean delegate, whose government threatens to ignore a ceasefire which would leave Korea divided and allow Chinese Communists to remain on Korean soil. ‘ , ■Even in the face of adamant South Korean opposition to the , current truce pattern, the Allies ( pressed on toward agreement with > the Combiunlsts off Hie lasfdetails of an armistice. The informed source’s statement that the changes suggested by Ls. Gen. William K. Harrjson, chief U. N. truce negotiator, and his assistants gave weight to reports leaking through the curtain of secrecy that an agreement ending the fighting may be only days away. After hearing the. Allied answer to the counterproposal which thd Communists had given to a May 25 U. N. formula, North Korean Gen. Nam 11, head of the (Red teain cautiously called a recess until 10 p.m. e.d.t. Saturday. Apparently Nam was .not empowered to make impromptu comments. The secret sessions concern lelaborate plans for settling the fate of some 48,000 North Korean and Chinese captives who do not want to return to Communism. Their plight has been the only obstacle to a truce in Korea. The United Nations has promised to protect them from forcible return, while the Communists have insisted they have nothing to fear. South Korean President Syngman Rhee made public kn alternative truce plan he had submitted early this week to President Eisenhower. . It proposes simultaneous withdrawal of Chinese and United Nations troops as a basic condition > for an armistice but exempts U. S. air force and naval units from the joint withdrawal. It also requires an American promise to furnish military aid and furnish ground troops when needed. Rhee's acting premier, Pyun Yung Tae, has warned the tough South Korean, army would ignore a truce and fight on, but some of Rhee’s most recent statements indicate he is not finally committed to carrying on the war alone. 1

Adams County Farmer Reports Cut-Worms Leland Ripley, _ an insurance man, and Blue Creek township farmer, reported to county agricultural agent L. E. Archbold today the . presence of “brown worms,’’ thought to -be cut-worms, that have devoured four or five acres of field corn in the last couple of days; Ripley said the worm* travel iir a straight line and are about oneeighth of an inch long and are black when they hatch. He said they lie dormant by day and move from stalk to stalk at night. Ripley said he intends to set out poison bran for the creatures and then replant the field.- Archbold said the worms are not army worms that have been ravaging southern states and many counties in Indiana. No other farmers have made similar reports to Ripley.