Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 51, Number 142, Decatur, Adams County, 17 June 1953 — Page 1

Vol. LI. No. 142.

Reds Clamp Martial Law On East Berlin Angry East Germans Defying Red Regime, Battle With Police BERLIN UP ?— The Russian army clamped martial law oh East Berlin today as mobs of more than 100,000 angry Elast Germans defied the Communist regime and battled police in the streets. Soviet tanks and troops fired above the heads of the rioters with machine guns and rifles, and Red East Berlin police fired directly at the demonstrators. Witnesses reported several persons were injured by .the gunfire. Others were felled by clubs wielded by reinforced Communist riot police. More than 100.000 persons, mostly workmen on Soviet construction projects, joined in the riots which erupted simultaneously in several sections of East Berlin. They shouted demands for free all-Oerman elec tio ns, chanted “Down with the government,” ripped 'down and burned a Red Communist banner and set fire to a Communist police kiosk. The demonstrators swarmed into the streets in an apparently unanticipated response to an invitation ,< from the Red East German regime for “criticism from below.” Today’s explosive response followed an “inspired” protest demonstration Tuesday in which orderly ranks of workmen protested a Red factory “speed-up” order while Red police watched from the sidelines. \ ■ I Soviet tanks and armored cars and Russian troops armed with submachine guns were hurriedly called out today as the “criticism” demonstrations got out of hand. This correspondent saw a scattering volley of shots fired by East German police besieged by the rioters in Soviet Germany’s government house in central Berlin. ’ > Dennis Fodor, Time Magazine correspondent said he saw Russian tanks, moving in column along Leipziegerstrasse, fire above the heads of the demonstrators at least twice. “Several tanks fired each time,”

he told the United Press, “but I could not be sure how many.” He said at least a dozen tanks were in the column. United Press staff correspondent Werner Stangenberg reported by telephone from Potsdamer Platz, where the U. S.» British and Soviet sectors meet, that shots had. been fired there. He said at least one person, wounded in the head by a bullet, was carried by workers’ into the U. S, sector. A German who claimed to be an eye-witness telephoned the United Press bureau and said: “I saw the Russians fire with sub-machineguns. They fired j above the heads of the crowd with their submachineguns and also fired a heavy machinegun mounted on a tank.” At the height of the rioting, around noon, the crowd in front of government house —seat of the Communist East German government —had swelled more than 50,000 persons. Other mobs of 10,000 or more were reported in other <Twrw To *tx) Plan Democratic Meeting June 30 Democratic Ladies To Sponsor Meeting First of the meetings designed to give * “lift” to the women and the youth of the Democratic party in Adams county will be held June 30 at 7 p.m. at Berne park, according to an announcement by Ad_ams county Democratic chairman, Dr. Harry Hebble, of Decatur. Hebble said the meeting will be run under the auspices of the Adams county women’s Democratic club with the approval of the county central party committee. A pot-luck supper will be featured with all young Democrats Invited as guests. Speaker will be Barbara Seltzer, of Fort Wayne, the national committeewoman for Indiana young Democrats. Hebble said a meeting of this type takes on more importance with the trend in natiofial politics to lower the voting age. He pointed out It the age 4n the states is lowered to 18 years, children now 14 will be casting votes in the next presidential election in 1956. Master of ceremonies will be David O. Macklin, Decatur attorney.

DECATUR DAII.Y DEMOCRAT

Eleventh Hour For Rosenbergs -MMfl II A’ 1 I W I I ■ ■■■■ ——W KJS ■ -J ■ i IL R ■■ a /Sra ■ f - M \ ~ . * JV • WHILE DEFENSE LAWYERS John Finerty and Malcolm Sharp (top), for condemned Julius and Ethel Rosenberg await results of a study of secret papers submitted to Supreme Court Justice Douglas in an effort to head off the execution of their clients, two other pawns in the case arrive at Sing Sing; Accompanied by a third Rosenberg attorney, Emanuel Bloch (below), the two children of the doomed couple. Michael, lb (left) and Robert, 6, arrive to pay what may be their last visit to their parents.

Chinese Seek (i \ j I To Widen Bulge On War Front ' ■ ’ i 11 : Allied Artillery Repulses Attempt To Widen Bulge SEOUL, Korea UP — Allied artillery, today repulsed—pt least for the time being—a-Communist battalion trying to widen the western edge of the bulge on the fogshrouded east-central front, i The Reds launched battalionsized counter attacks this afternoon southeast of Finger Ridge at the western end of the 15-mile salient and at M-l Hill, which holds down the eastern end.

The Allied big guns apparently gave the Reds pause in their efforts to extend the battle. United Press Correspondent Fred Painton reported from the front that only Chinese probing parties were seen in the area at nightfall. At last reports, the fighting in the M-l Hill area was fierce. Painton . reported earlier hearing AineriiAfc advisory officers say from the army stationed to the north had been called into the bulge area. The eighth army did not immediately confirm his front-line report. At exactly 2 p.m.. a Chinese battalion stormed down Finger Ridge in a rainstorm and luriged toward South Koreans south of the crest. * Rain and heavy clouds protected the battalion; of Communists from the devastating Allied air attacks of the past few days as they surged toward RdK-held points known as “The Link” and “The Pivot.” “The Link” and “The Pivot” wrould, with Communist-held Finger Ridge give the Reds control of the eastern end of the arc. About 6,000 troops captured Finger Ridge in a bloody battle Tuesday. South Korean infantrymen took two lesser hill positions at the western end of the 15-mile wide bulge, leading to an erroneous report from the Sth ROK division that Finger Ridge had returned to Allied control. An American officer attached to the ROK Sth said later the South Koreans made no attempt to retake Finger. Elsewhere action fell otf sharply. Allied patrols on the western front made' no contacts, although there were several exchanges of artillery fire during the night. ‘lt was the quietest night we’ve ever hjid/' an “I” Jorps spokesman on the western front said. B-26 light bombers dropped explosives on Red troops on the rain soaked east central front, using radar control as the weather worsened. Nine B-29 Superforts also pounded the Red front with 90 tons of bombs In a three-hour strike. \

Recreation Board Is Appointed By Mayor To Administer New Community Center * A five-man recreation board has been appointed by Mayor John M. Doan to administer the planned Comtnunity Center building, possibly to begin building this fa|ll. Action by the council in adopting an ordinance for the formation of a recreation board was unanimous, but nevertheless reluctant, even to the point where a councilman called it a “white elephant.” Here is how the finances of the building are expected to shape up —how they have to shape up, in the opinion of‘the councilors, to be a success:

Twenty cents is alloted for the recreation fund in the budget; of this 11 cents js already doled to the School city. Ih order to- give the school city, a two-cent “cushion” upon which to fall back in case of some emergency, and the same for the Community Center —no more than five cents on each SIOO of taxables per year may go for the center. On the basis of $lO million assessed valuation, the result is that the center can expect no more than $5,000 a year from the budget. Councilmen said they are plan-ning-hoping—that the center can earn $7,000 yearly through rentals, sales at the snack bar, and other income to meet operating expenses. . I' According to the community center board of directors the plans for the building should be submitted sometime- next month. Following are the members of the recreation board, as appointed by the mayor: Miss Frances Dugan, Republican, former dean of an Eastern girls school, four years; Arthur R. Holthouse, Democrat, member of board of directors, four years; Al K. Beavers, Democrat, city councilman, three years; Harry O. Irwin, Republican, member school board; Robert S. Anderson. Republican, city attorney and school board attorney, one (Tara Tn »»«•— *ix) , Rites Thursday For Mrs. L. D. Jacobs Services will be held at* 2 p.m. Thursday at the Cross Evangelic*! and Reformed church in Berne for Mrs. L. D. Jacobs, former Decatur resident, who died Tuesday at her home in Cleveland. O. Her husband, who preceded her in death, was a former Adams county deputy sheriff. 1 Surviving are the following brothers and sisters: C. E. Christner, Santa Monica, C*Hf., Albert Christener, Twinning, Mich., Mrs. W. G. Purves, Cleveland, 0., Mrs. Dwight Purdy of Midland, Mich., Ida, William, (Rose and Fred Christener, all of near Monroe, and Mary and Matilda Christener of Fort Wayne.

ONLY DAILY "jNEWtPAFER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decotur, Indiana, Wsdnexdoy, June 17, 1953.

Rosenbergs Given New Stay Os Execution On Justice Douglas’ Order

Reports Work Completed On Cease-Fire line

\ Communist Radio Says Agreement On • Cease-Fire Position* BULLETIKI > I * WASHINGTON UP The United Nation* and Coaununiat truce negotiating teamd plan to sign a Korean war armistice ‘‘this week/' reliable -sources •aid today. These sources said the main t problem standing in tne way of a truce Is South Korea'd threat* to ignore it and keep: on fignting alone. V ' i V ■ '/ PANMUNJOM, Korea UP — The Communist Peiping Radio said today work apparently has |>een completed on a cease-fie linje in preparation for an early sighing of a Korean war armistice. j The broadcast said liAisbn officers Tuesday night were’ seen; inspecting jointly What copld be a *ite for the actual armistice signing ceremony next to tl|e conference house. ' | ' "•/ Peiping Radio said staff officers have greatly speeded their work. They worked 11 hours until almost' midnight Tuesday and assistants were seen making tracings, t Jthe broadcast said. Then staff officers came together briefly tofwrite on the maps, presumably them, it said. 1 ■ The Uhinese Communist radio recalled that the last jime ’the truce teams drew a ceasefire line, in November, 195 L they igreed it would change according jo actual battlefront positions if no armistice were signed in 30 days* I" “This time,” it added, rthe fixing of the military demarcation line would mean the agreed line would be a cease-fire line along which fighting will stop 12 hours after the armistice is signed.” Top-level truce negotiators held a mysterious 20-minute )n eating Wednesday and recessed subject to recall by either side. Staff officers resumed their map work immediately afterward. The Peiping broadcast said the immediate resumption of work indicated the staff officers yVer() going ahead with mapping the demilitarized zone. This zope will consist of a no-man’s land 7 a mile and a quarter wide on each side of the cease-fire line. No attempt was madei-by the Red broadcast to tie in its optimism over a quick cease-fire with the heaviest Red attadks since before (Twr« T« Pan Six) Routine 1 I I'l 11; By City Council { Settlement Made For Fire At Plant • \ A portion of last night’s meeting of the city council was devoted to comparatively routine bus&ess in addition to several far-r&acMng •bits at legislation. c The Western - nspection company has notified the city that damage done at {he city light plant fire, (May. I<2, according to 1 insurance estimates, was 01,53d4& the amount settled tor.. Machinery at the plant is -valueJ at 0050,000. | 0 DT. Roland Reppert, retired Decatur physician, has had petition for a water main extension to his property at Bellmont Park approved by the water committee and the water superintendent The property in point iat the park is the site otf the Reppert auction school, which is scheduled to open for it* summer session next month, to 'be operated by Dr. Reppert, according to a previous announcement by him. !,• ||' : \ A three-month contract }exten<Tm T* Pa«e Mx) j

Defense Dept. May Cui Research Funds Research Spending May Be Curtailed !|lj ,• . WASHINGTON UP ||- The defense department is s(lidying the {OSsibility of a new 2$ per cent ut in research "and development sutlays of the army, naky and air force, it was learned today.On orders of secretary Charles E. Wiison, each serviqt has submitted'detailed lists ofDprojec’s it could continue and it would abandon if such cuts * wer-i enforced. .. r The slash amounting th $325,000,000 would come from, * research Spending proposal of sjsoo,ooo,ooo iwhich President Eisedijower has .asked congress to approve for the year starting July 1.. iMr.j Eisenhower’s figure already, [had been cut $300,000,000 under fq|mef President Truntan’s esltanaW research spending in fiscar g l9S4. The defense department study was disclosed after Wllsqp took.another crack at “pure” roselrch at a news conference laM Tuesday and asserted he would abprbve only “fruitfdl” projects that contribute directly to defense, ffe has previously said much “boondoggling” is disguised as .) ■ f On related subjects Wilson said: 1. He is sticking to h& proposal that Truman requests for new air force appropriations be slashed by< >5,090,000,000. His mind was nos changed after “carefully” studying proposals of Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, air. force chief of staff, that $1,435.00(7,000 of the cut be restored to continue a build-up toward 143 wings. 2. Research will be continued on atomic power plants to build an experimental atomic-pow-ered airplane and airdrsity carrier have been set aside be&auge neither is now practical apte'ifeientific data can be gathered by cheaper methods. He said the airgUtie that had been planned woultt be too heavy to fly fast and perTbrm well in combat. INDIANA WEATHER Mostly fair and cooler tonight. Thursday mostly fair and a littte warmer nortn. Low tonight 55-60 north, 58-64 south. High Thursday 78-84 north, 80 \ 88 south. jfl ’ Zoning Variances Granted By Board ■ • it ■ Two Variances Are Granted Last Night The Decatur board of zoning appeals met briefly Tuesday 1 night at city hall and permitted fwo variances to the zoning ordinance, to Roy Runyon, of 228 RugWj street, and Dr. and Mrs. Harold DjiVor, of 506 Studebaker. Runyon asked the board ■to consider a variance which would permit him to build a garage on his property, three feet from’the side lot line. (The ordinance palls for no less than five feet.) /Runyon explained that an alley running adjacent to his property cijts in at an unusual angle, leaving one end of the proposed garage KjO feet from the side lot while tHe other is three feet. This explanation, together with a petition from several neighbors, convinced the board and tfeey acted in favor of the variance unanimously. ■: [ \ . A joint petition from jpr. and Mrs. ; Harold DeVor asked the board to grant a variance, to "enlarge and make modern” A trailer court at 521 South Thirteenth. Dr. DeVor said the area to be used would be cleaned up and/biß description indicated a sizedjjle investment. The enlargement would leave the cpurt arranged in a hdrseshoe shape. Dr. DeVor. did not have a formal petition from neighbors but was given leave.to state orally their u This request was likewhMf jjyant--1 ted with the unanimous dbproval of the board. ~ 'h' i it :*

Eisenhower In Denial Any Tax Cuts Promised News Conterende Is ’ Held At White House By Pres. Eisenhower WASHINGTON UP' — President Elsenhower said today he included the<y*4™nessee Vajley Authority as an ejcaniple of Wnat he referred to in a'speech last week.as “creeping socialism./, However, Mr. Eisenhower told a news conference he would do nothing to destroy this experiment in public power. He said that when a project such as TVA is repeated, he wants greater local partieipa? tion in its control and operation. This, the President said, would be moving toward the middle of the road rather than toward socialistic trends. Briefly, here are the domestic and international highlights of Mr. Eisenhower’s news conference: Domestic 1. He said he did not once in his 1952 election Campaign promise immediate tax reductions, but had held up lower taxes as a goal. 1 2. He expressed high hope* of fulfilling campaign pledges on labor policy, but he said this might take longer than many persons expected or desired. It appears doubtful that congress will make any ch*nges in the Taft-Hartley labor law at this session: 3. He refused to say whether in his Dartmouth College speech attacking “book burners” he was referring to Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy R-Wis. But he said he does not want government funds in any way to propagate Communist beliefs at home or abroad. - 4. Announced a proposed new inrrwr* ?*«• *tx> Approve New Well For City Supplies Warning Is Issued By City Engineer City engineer (Ralph Roop warned the city council Tuesday night that unless the city undertakes to dig * new well immediately. Decatur is in peril of not having an adequate treated water supply for the hot months to come. Roop, in a letter, said the precautions ibeing taken by the city—untreated water in the swimming pool, spring valves on street and park fountain* —are not enough to insure the city a safe margin of treated water for consumption together with water in case of fires. Those precautions, he pointed out. would ordinarily 'be enough to guarantee the average daily use for the city—7so,ooo gallons—but, he declared, during hot, dry days the consumption of treated water goes up to 1,000,000 gallons in 24 hours. This amount, said the city engineer, is sufficient in three consecutive days to make the “reservoir supply dangerously low in case of fire.” (Roop asked all users of water, industrial, private citizens and operators of air conditioners, tc tighten up on consumption. He pointed out that during the height of consumption the city is forced to mix treated water with untreated water and the result is that it turns red and the usefullness of the water softenerwhich turns 65-graln hard into 6grain hard —is destroyed. All thq councilmen agreed it wag imperative that the city >be guaranteed a sufficient supply of water 1 and any measure to do so should be employed. * It was therefore decided that a well should be dug as soon as possible to be paid for out of the five percent that is deposited in the city** depreciation fund for improvements, an amount that should total $5,000 at the next collection period in July.

Approve Boost In Parcel Post Rales Commission Okays 36 Percent Boost ’ * ■ s WASHINGTON UP —The Inter/ state commerce commission today' approved a $153,525,000 a year in/ crease in parcel post rates. The rate increase amounts about 36 per It was asked byl the post office department as one] step, in an effort to cut its heavy; deficit on overall operations—esti-’ jnated to be about $600,000,000 for; the fiscal year A post office department spokes-' mah said the new parcel post: rates probably will go into effect/ Aug. 1. i The ICC took no action on a department request to boost rates on catalogs and other fourth class 1 mail by 4about $7,000,000 a year.' It will hold hearings on this phase of the request on July 20. ; The ICC suid the post ?sffice's total deficit from fourth class mail was estimated at $171,000,000 as y« ar -f , i Local parcel post rates will go? up from 15 to 18 cents on the first pound. In zones one, Jwo and threej they will be boosted from 17 to 23j cents for the first pound. Changed in first pound rates in otlaer zone* are: zone 4. from 19 to 24 cents;; zone 5, from 21 to 26 cents; zone 6, ‘from 23 to 28 cents; tone 7| from 25 to 30 cents; and zone S' from 27 to 32 cents. 1 '• ' 7 I ■i ' 1 Decatur Girl Scouts Enjoy Annual Cdmp« Decatur Girl Scouts—*-125 members from 5 11 troops—are at HannaNuttman park this week enjoying their annual camp. 4 The Scouts engage in virtually all the activities as do the Brownies, whiejh Held their camp last, , week, with The exception that they are, naturally, more advanced. Chairman of The camp is Mrs.: Paul Hancher and the co-chairman is Mrs. Annabelle Smith. The] same directors as wqre announced! last week hold forth with the Girl; Scouts. As usual, the week-long day camp ends with a swimming' party at the city's municipal pool! 1 Saturday. \ ' 4'

Inspection Fee Is Set Up By Council; I Fees Are Set For * Cuts In Streets’* [ Against the objections of»th£ Northern Indiana .Public Service company, the city council last bight -passed an ordinance setting inspection fees for cuts made In th* streets of the city. At long last the ordinance, whic!> hag .been hanging fire for months (because all parties could not be satisfied, was passed. The ordin* ance is a strict one and hafc "teeth” aplenty. The-ordinance says any persoii or company who digs into the streets of the city should pky—if they repair the out themselves—* iss for the first five cuts, and $1 a cut thereafter. If the city of Decatur repairs the cut, however, a charge of $5 per square foot will be charged on improved streets, and $3 pet square foot on unimproved streetsi A fine of SSO for each day oi violation shall be charged against any person who is cited for repairing a cut in a manner not approved by the city’s inspector. The especial strictness of this clause in the ordinance lies in the fact that each day of violation shall draw a fine of an additional SSO. Speaking for < the gas company, Otto Grant, an attorney from Fort| Wayne, said the utility objects'! because in none of the 2?9 cities they serve is an inspection charge levied. Grant said the utility fear-] ed such action would set a precedent that would end up costing the* outfit “$100,000."

Price Five Cente

Justice Dept." Asks Vinson To Call Full Court Astounding Ruling By Douglas Stays! Spies' Execution | WASHINGTON, UP — Supreme court justice William O. Douglas / today granted a stay of execution to ( atom spies Julius and Ifithel Rdsenberg, but it still was|[ not definitely settled whether the condemned couple will escape:- the electric chair Thursday night. . /The justice department announced it will try to /fepntest ■Douglas* “unprecedented action” before an emergency sesslpn of the entire supreme court. Within an hour after Dpuglas made his dramatic ruling, j attorney general Herbert Opwnql|, Jr., said he will ask chief Rustic* Fred M. Vinson later today to convene the full court for a review of Douglas’ action. It will be up to Vinson to decide whether—the full court will be called back into emergency evasion. It recessed Monday for I the summer after turning down ; the Rosenbergs. 11 The government’s hope wak that • it oould get the full court to meet : Thursday and set Douglas* deck nion aside. ‘ Although hopeful, justice department sources later said It is “doubtful” if the court can act in time for the executions to be carried out as scheduled. Douglas' ruling astounded, justice department lawyers. “Thjs is unbelievable,” one of them said of 'Douglas’ ruling that The atomic energy act might apply in. the Rosenberg case. Department lawyers said they were at a loss to explain how i Douglas felt the IM7 atomic law could have affected the Rosenbergs' espionage conspiracy which took place before that law was enacted. The Rcflfenbergs won the dramatic stay 36 hours bdfore they were scheduled to die in the Sing Sing electric chair Thursday night —their 14th wedding anniversary —for passing U. S. atomic secrets to Russia. : Jj Douglas said in an eight-page opinion the stay would be effective indefinitely until one tA the complex legal questions involved in the case can be determined in the lower courts. The big question on which the Rosenbergs won their i reprieve was whether the penalty provision of the 1546 atomic energy Act superseded those of the espionage law under which they were convicted in March, 1551, and sentenced to die by Federal. Judge Irving R. Kaufman of New York. 'Douglas saijd that in the atomic energy aet “congress lowered the level fit penalties” to permit a death sentence only on recommen->. dation of the convicting jury. r Had Douglas refused to intervene, it appeared almost certain the Rosenbergs would have died on schedule for Mr. Eisenhower indicated Tuesday that he would not have granted clemency. He had refused them once before— Feb. 11. ' Douglas, in his ruling, said he did not decide whether the death sentence was properly imposed but merely that there is a “substantial* legal question "which should be decided after full argument and deliberation.* It was not the battery of Rosen* berg lawyers who won the stay, but* two outsiders who had been described earlier in the week by Kaufman as “intruders and inter- •* topers. They are Fyke Farmer, Nashville. Tenn., and Daniel G. Marshall, Los Angeles who represented Irwin Edelman, a Los Angele* resident who had interested himself in the case. It w*s Farmer and Marshall who raised the issue of the atomic energy aet ‘ “Fyke Farmer deserve* sll the iTm t* rave at*)