Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 51, Number 189, Decatur, Adams County, 12 August 1953 — Page 1

Vol. LI. No. 189.

Quakes Ruin Greek City, Hundreds Die

ATHENS, Greece UP — Shattering new earthquakes demolished an entire city and brought death to hundreds today and frantic) police on the Greek inland of Ce- . phalonia radioed that the island I was “sinking" and "all is crum-*i bling down." ’ Today’s temblors —most* violent! j of a three-day | Argostplios, capital of Cephalonia.! and spread devastation across two adjoining islands. Incomplete reports from the scene said 400 died and hundreds were injured in Tuesday’s devastating quakes. There were no official estimates of the total killed and injured in the latest earth convulsions. . , ■ , The gendarmerie administration on Cephalonia sent this frenzied radio message after today’s most , violent shock: “We are all sinking. Send navy. ] to take off inhabitants. They are maxi with fear. All is crumbling down.” Heavy seas churned up by the quakes were reported breaking his 1, the island’s coast. sailing near Cephalonia reported 'the entire island is “obscured by a towering cloud of dust." • ■ • • town of Luxourion as well . as Argostolios was reported “wiped 1 out.” • The latest earth shocks rockedi the island and the nearby islands of Ithaca and Zante as volunteers j and police clawed through crumbled walls and explored gaping fissures in the earth for survivors and victims of Tuesday s earthquakes. Landslides complicated rescue operations, it was reported. American authorities in Greece said helicopters were being sent to the shaken region to drop food and medical supplies. Athens observatory said the latest earth shocks were the heaviest of the three-days series. The force of the strongest temblor, just before noon 5 a.m. c.s.t. was felt in Athens, 150 miles away. * Unconfirmed reports said more than 300 persons were killed in Tuesday’s devastating earth shocks in Eastern Cephalonia alone, and more than 20 were injured. Two other islands also were hard hit. Ships loaded with rescue workers ..and food supplies rushed from'the Greek mainland to the islands today and British fleet headquarters in Malta said it was. sending aid. The Greek minister of national defense, Panagiotis Kanellopoulos, left Athens to help direct relief operations. U. S. Casualties In Korea Now 142,294 Increase Os 589 Since Last Report WASHINGTON UP — American battle casualties in Korea now total 142.294, an increase of 589 since last week’s'' report, the. Defense Department announced today. The, new figure is not a final toll for the Korean war. It is due ■to climb still higher in the weeks ahead as casualty reports trickle into the Pentagon from the Far East. The new total includes 25,542 deaths, 103,513 wounded, 8.670 missing, 2,835 captured and 1,734 previously reported missing but Since returned to military control. The new weekly figure showed an increase of 108 deaths and 475 wounded over the prior week’s report. r •■IPartly reflecting the exchange of prisoners; there was an increase of 207 in the number of men previously reported missing or captured but returned to military control, a decrease of 35 in the number of missing and a decrease of 166 in the number captured. The 589 increase for the new report compares with increases of more than 1,000 Th the previous three weeks. INDIANA WEATHER Cloudy, shower* south and east portion* tonight, possibly continuing into Thtprsday near the Ohio river. Clearing north and central Thursday and in extreme northwest tonight. Cooler northwest tonight and in east and south Thursday. Low tonight ♦ 60-66. High Thursday low or middle 80’s.

DECATUR DAILS DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY ’ \

Families Os Prisoner Dead To Be Notified Sad Task Begun By Armed Services To - Notify Families WASHINGTON sip — The armed services today began the sad task of notifying 1.022 American families that their sons or husbands died in Korean prison camps. But even Jas the first telegrams' were dispatched tpj next of kin, military officials expressed {serious doubt that the Communist supplied list of American POVV’s who died in captivity was accurate. Combined with previous official fears that the Communists may secretly be holding back up to 3,000 American prisoners was the new fear that hundreds of American soldiers may have died as a result of Red atrocitjies. •• The unreliability of the lied accounting was emphasized in the telegrams to next,of kin. They were told only that the Communists had reported the death aud that it could not be “verified.” The telegrams will go out in installments as rapidly as the military services can check the Communist list against their own information, Publication of the names will be withheld until 24 Hours after tse families have been notified. In addition to the 1,022 'soldiers reported by the Reds to have died in prison camps, telegrams also went to the families rif 147 men said by the Reds to have “escaped." The defense departinent said the army “is exhausting every effort to verify" the Red list by interrogating every repatriated American. The Communists, as ( part of the armistice agreement, turned over during the week-end a list of 447 Ahnericans said to Rave died while prisoners. In. addition, the department disclosed the Communists turned over in December, 1951, the names of 575- Americans said to have died in Red prison camps. Convici Killers Os Marshal Captured Hostage Guard Is Rescued Unharmed ADAIRSVILLE, Ga. (UP)—Two escaped convicts who killed a deputy U. S. marshal Saturday were captured in the woods nejr here today and a prison guard who bad been.. held hostage for four days, was rescued unharmed. First announcement of the captures was made by the federal bureau of investigation in Atlanta. The FBI said national guardsmen, called into the search when the trail freshened Tuesday, flushed the two men in the woods near Adairsville, a few miles from the scene of the escape. The two. convicts were Lewis W. Larson, 31, and Herbert E. Juelich, 25, who. were 1 being transported Saturday to Atlanta federal penitentiary from Nashville. Tenn, to begin serving sentenced for automobile theft. They Were being escorted by deputy U. S. marshal Sam Vaughn and a specially-deputized assistant, George Hightower, son of the turnkey at the Nashville jail. The body of Vaughn, shot five times, was kicked from the carnear here at mid-afternoon Saturday, and nothing had been seen of Larson and Juelich—or Hightower, who was presumed to be their captive; — until they were flushed in the woods today. The FBI sgid the two convicts surrendered without resistance. Hightower was unharmed, the FBI said. The two escaped convicts were armed and described by law enforcement officials as dangerous and vicions. It was not known whether Juelich heard a radio appeal by his mother to surrender. Mrs. Juelich recorded the appeal at her St. Paul, Minn., home and it was iTwi T» Face Six)

Another 100 < Americans Are Freed By Reds Only Eight Remain In Notorious Camp 5 Os Communists PANMUNJOM. Korea (UP) -jOnly eight former inmates of notorious -camp No. 5 remained in Communist captivity today as the Reds freed 100 more Americans. A returning prisoner said the eight men were in nearby Kaesong awaiting repatriation and probably would be among the 75 Amerifransl scheduled to be freed Thursday.’’ . . • . L It was learned today the Communists are holding many American air force officers in a secret compound. ’ Cpl. William 11. Abbott. Jr.. Jerusalem. 0., said air force pilots shot down behind enemy lines were taken to the unlisted camp. Abbott said the secret stockade e»me into existence after the " Communists turned dyer their roster of prisoners to the United Nations command in December, 1951. The young Ohioan said he did not know how many men were being held, but his statements backed up Allied charges that the Communists were withholding prisoners.

Secretary of the army Robert Stevens, who interviewed the former prisoners at nearby Freedom Village, said the United States government would “do everything conceivable" to get back the missing men after the Reds have returned the prisoners they promised to repatriate. The Communists , listed 3,313 Americans for repatriation in Big Switch, but of this number seven were said _to have renounced democracy and embraced Communism. Sgt. Jacques Beaupre. West Depere, Wi«., gave the information about the cleanout of camp 5; He said he saw the final eight at Kaesong before leaving ofr Panmunjom. JA nek camp is supposed to start arriving at Kaesong” today,” Beaupre said. Beaupre said he did not know which camp would be emptied next. The release of the 100 Americans Wednesday brought the number of U. S. soldiers liberated during the first eight days of Operation Big Switch to 748, of which 328 are sailing homeward on a transport and 17 have reach-, ed the United States by plane. Shortly before the Wednesday exchange began, the United Nations command said it would complete repatriation of Chinese Communists Thursday, turning over to the Reds 500 more than originally .'Turn Tn Six) Monmouth School Faculty Complete Two Extra Teachers Added At Monmouth August Selking, Root township trustee, today arinounced completion of the Monmouth school teaching sta'ff for the 1953-54 school year, opening later this month. ■ln listing the fafculty members. Selking stated that two extra teachers have been added, one in the elementary school and one ).■> the high school: , 'Principal of the school, previously announced, will be Loren £. Jones, former teacher at Hoagland. Jones succeeds Gail M. Grabill, who resigned following his elec tion as r Adams bounty superintendent, which office he will assume next Monday. Other new teachers at Monmouth will be Albert G. Smith, of Fort Wayne, manual training; Sue Geliser, of 1 Fort Wayne. ma‘.’>ematics' and science; Geraldine Herderhorst, of Allen county, gins physical education; and Kathryn Dorwin, of Decatur, elementary grades 1 and 2. Other members of the staff are: Agnes Yager, commerce; Eloise Andrews, 'English; Fred P. Meier, vocational agriculture; Charles P Holt, coach; Vera M. Owens, art; Phyllis Houk, home economics - Blythe .Terwilliger, English. French, music; John F. Rosier social studies; Alice R. Martin, elementary grades 4 and 5; Vera Harris, elementary grades 2 and ; Mary Dean Myers, elementary 3; t Mary Dean Myers, elementary grades 5, and 6; Raymond L. Schanding, veterans class.

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, August 12, 1953.

17 Sick Americans Fly Home, Arrive On West Coast This Morning

Two Million French Join In Protest Strike Thousands Os Angry Tourists Stranded j Because Os Strike . PARIS, UP—More than 2.000,"00 workers joined a paralyzing nationwide protest strike against Premier Joseph Laniql’s economic policies today, and thousands of angry tourists Were stranded without hotel rooms; transportation* money or mail. As chaos spread throughput the country, the Socialist party demanded that Laniel abandon his plans as the price for ending the widespread striked. „ More walkouts were called for today and Thursday by Communist, Socialist/ Catholic and independent unions. Mail was undelivered J Telephone and telegraph communications were out. Bused, airliners, trains and subways were motionless. Garbage pijed up. Factories were silent. Mines were empty. 'ln the worst strike crisis In J7 years, Socialist leader Guy.Mollet and a delegation of Socialist deputies presented, to Laniel three demands which.i if accepted.-Wouß} amount to surrender. Laniel declined to comment. (Surprisingly. the average Frenchman seemed to be taking Che increasingly chaotic conditions in stride. But tourists were indignant., They were inconvenienced. They wanted] to. get out of France as /'J ura To P«ire Klxkt) No Evidence Os Red Explosion Os H-Bombs Secretary \Dulles Says United States Has No Evidence WASHINGTON. UP —Secretary of state John Foster Dullds said today the United States has never detected evidence Russia has exploded" a hydrogen bomb, J Therefore, he said, the U. S. views with skepticism . Soviet claims of mastering the H-bomb secret. Asked for comment on' Soviet Premier Georgi Malenkov’s statement the United states no fringe,r has an H-bomb monopoly, Dulles said this nation accepts the claim with some skepticism and it has no independent evidence to sup/ port the Soviet claim. Asked if that meant the United States has detected no evidence the Soviet Uniort has exploded an H-bomb — either before or since Malenkov’s announcement —• Dulles replied yes. He also said if the Communists are withholding some prisoners in Korea on grounds that Wiey have been convicted of crimes, the United States will consider it an open violation of the Korean armstice. “I repeat that tor the Communists to do this would be considered by us to be a violation of the armistice terms,” Dulles said, s Asked if a truce violation would bring resumption of the fighting. Dulles said he supposes so, but he added no one would take Such a course lightly. .j , He then went on to caution that the, U. S. has only meager, unevaluated evidence that the Communists are not returning all prisoners and that there is no reason to believe yet they will withhold some. J; x : Dulles said suspicion oh the prisoner, return stems from the fTwrx Tk rase* Klxkt)

Now He’s An American — to > ffpß 1 J-'-■ • • 4 lbNO LONGER a man without a country. Airman First Class Henrj W. Brady, whose father and grandfather jfought for the U. S., hap pily displays his citizensMp papers after taking his oath of afleg iance. Brady, born in Manila, was thrown into a Japanese concen tration camp at 11. Three years ago he discovered that he was nol a citizen. His,father arid grandfather had falsely beli&ved that theii army service automatically made them Americans.

T~) — T — Germ Warfare i Held Deadlier Than H-Bomb Defense Officials Dispute Statement Made By Scientist L r * ■ WASHINGTON UP — A lead-, ing atomic scientist said today . germ warfare poses a deadlier | threat to mankind than the "hydro-i gen bomb. But defense officials ’! quii kly disputed the statement. f ! - Prof. George Gamow’ of George Washington University), a worldfumlous nuclear physicist., told a reporter that the H-bomb which Russia now claims to possess <is not the weapon to be feared most in the ihodern arsenal of mass killers. “biological warfare would be worse.” he said. “In sheer destructiveness. a little bottle of. germs could do more damage than -an Hjbomb.” Defense department spokesmen said they did. not share Gamow's view, and asserted that this country has “excellent” def ens e s against germ warfare. ? " "Nobody is worried about the possibility of a devastating bacteriological attack,” one Pentagon official said. Officials refused to say how much" information, if any. U. S. in telligembe agencies have been able to obtgin about Russian progress in germ weapons. Nor Would they discuss this country's own j“BW” development program, which ’ is conducted under conditions of extreme secrecy at Camp Detrick. Md. it is U. S. policy to treat ’perm weapons like poison gas—that is. this country will not resort to'them in war unless the eneniy does so first;. But the army evidently feels that the power to retaliate strongly is the best insurance against enemy use of such weapons. From several authoritative sources, the defensive germ warfare picture looks like this: K" The army chemical corps, the public health service and the civil defense administration are ; cooperating on means of detecting and stamping out bacteriological attacks. Basically, germ warfare consists of prodding nature into exerting her. nastier side—encouraging the diseases of man, animals and ! plants. Therefore a primary defense is the good public health system of the United States, plus its high standard of living—its- plumping, good water supplies, its food sanitation and the average American’s personal oteanliness. In addition, the nation normally has a large stock of vaccines and serums, and the ability to turn out more in a hurry. With these precautions, officials say they hope to spot any outbreak <Tm Te Paa* «**▼•>

Ready Schools For September Opening Rural Schools Open Monday, August 31 City and county school officials are - busy making final preparations for the opening of the 195354 school terms. Decatur public schools will open Wednesday, September 9, with regular classes being held that day. Teachers will report September 8. • •County will hold opening day classes Monday, August 31, and then all schools will be dismissed for one day. Labor day. September 7. Gail Grabill, new’ly elected bounty' superintendent of schools, who will take office Monday, stated today that almost all' of the county teaching staffs were completed and ready for school opening. L ’Buildings ate being cleaned and repaired and trustees have ordered all school busses thoroughly inspected and made ready for the task of hauling the pupils to the various schools. Work at the Lincoln school in Decatur is almost completed. Three new rooms have been added by blocking off part of the auditorium. These new rooms have been plastered, made sound proof and the wiring is now- being in-t stalled. The rooms Were hunt in such a manner that the entire stage of the auditorium can still be used and the - Auditorium proper can seat more than 150 persons. The rooms have been built on the north side of the building. New toilets have been installed at Lincoln schlool and a hot water system also has been installed in the toilet rooms. This program has been a “nbust” of the Lincoln parent - teachers association for several years. The high school building also is undergoing a final cleaning-up prior to the Opening of the school term. The teaching staff for all grades and high school of the school system has been completed for several weeks. \ Community Prayer Meeting Thursday A community wide prayer meeti ing w ill be held at the Nuttman Avenue pnited Brethren church Thursday at 8 p, m. in behalf of the Decatuir community teqt meetings, which win open at 7:45 p. m. Sunday. Those attending are asked to bring their Bible. A personal workers class will be conducted by the Rev. E. B. McAllister, pastor of the First Baptist church, for those who wish to serve as personal workers during the meetings. All churches of the community are invited to cooperate in these tent meetings.

Nine Die As Plane I - . ■ Hits Four Houses ' jT- ■ ■ ■ , Canadian Village Scene Os Tragedy VILJxE JACQUES CARTIE.R. Que. UP — Twin investigations were ordered today in the fiery crash of a new jet fighter plane that killed mine persons, including five children, when R roared through four houses in this; St. Lawrence river village. Jittery citizens appealed meanwhile for “some sort of protection" from the screaming aircraft skirting nearby SL Hubert base-, of the Royal Canadian air force. A twin-jet CF-100; Canada's newest fighter, roared earthward <t 300 miles an hour Tuesday night and slammed into the row of houses whiltf 10 feet above the ground. Explosions set the plane and the houses ablaze instantly. Flames roared through the tangle of timber and steel, trapping' the five children and the 1 mother and grandmother of two of them. The fighter's pilot and navigator also died. Air force authorities appointed a board of officers to make an immediate investigation. Preliminary reports indicated the CF-100’s engines had failed shortly after it left the St. Hubert base on a routine flight. Municipal authorities also ordered an investigation. The dead were in two of the houses. Mrs. Emilien Fournier, 57, her daughter. Mrs. Marcel Bourassa, 30, gnd the latter's six-year-old spn, Michel, and two-year-old daughter Jeannette, died in one house. Pierrie Lavoie. 6. his sister Collette. 4, and brother Normand, 2 months, died in another. Four other persons were burned and hospitalized, including Mrs. Omer Lavoie who suffered critical burns in an unsuccessful attempt to rest her three children.

County Highways In Good Condition In Best Condition Os Recent Years Adams county highways, both state and county maintained, are reported to be in the best condition of recent years. Work on state road number 101 from U. S. highway ] 224 south to the Will-shire-Slonroe road has been)completed and is now open to the motoring public. County gravel roads have under gone their annual scraping and grading and almost every mile'is reported to be in top shape. ) The bne road in Adams county which istill is in dire need of re pair is IJ. S. highway 27 and 33. north to Fort Wayne. The larger holes have, been patched several times but tjie road is still rough and in? many places hazardous, it is'reported. ' A year ago the state highway commission placed this stretch o! road in the 1953 rebuilding and widening program but since that time a new commission has takeroyer and the improvement war eliminated from the program, at least temporarily. Many local motorists have been using the Winchester (river road) .road when driving north out of th# city. It is a black-top road, and reported to be in good condition all the way to Fort Wayne. City Streets in Berne and Decatur are reported to be in excellent condition and the main thoroughfares of both cities, which are under state supervision, have recently undergone resurfaping treatment. North Korea Names New Chief Os Staff TOKYO, IUP — Communist Peiping radio revealed today that Gen. Kim Kwang Kap has succeeded Gen. Nam ll—now foreign minister—as chief of staff of the North Korean armed. forces.

Price Five Cents

Three Mental Cases, Rest Are Tubercular Arrive Home After Months In Prison Camps Os Enemy * |‘l ’ •' ■ ‘ I TRAVI'S AIR FORCE Calif. UP — Seventeen «ck Americans freed from Communist prison campsi, returned home from Korea (oday on the firsts freedom i ’fßght singe the armistice. A C-54 military air transport service hospital plane bearing 14 seripusly ill tuberculosis cases and three mental patients touched iTravls air force base 50 miles northeast of San Francisco at a.m. (7:41 a.m. c.s.t.). The mental patients, described by the army as “quite restless.” had Restraining bells around their stretchers and their aims weie strapped to their sides. » The najunes of the three mental patients were not disclosed. ’ but of the other 14, none was rrem the midwest. The - prisoners had bejgun .their 6,ei)o-mile flight in Tokyo Monday night, stripping at Midway Island to refuel and at Honolulu

for a 19-hpur rest. • - i . Their Illnesses were considered so serious that military authorities decided to rush them home by air fw'] innfiediate treatment. Three hun?dred-28 other freed Americans sailpd from Inchon, Korea. Tuesday aboard the troopship Gyn. Nelson K. Walker. All was in readiness \at TraVis . for the arrival of the 17 emaciated ex-prisoners. Ambulances were drawn up near the plane, ready to rush the men to the base hospital for a rest. A staff of doctors and aides were on hand to examine them and send them to hospitals specializing io the treatment they needed. The final destination of the patients was not expected to be made known until after the medical examinations. The 17 looked thin and weak from long months of maltreatment in Communist prison camps. They weie grim and silent as they were carried aboard plane Tuesday, but even so, some showed signa of high spirits. ))' ■ Three of the ex-prisoners wore bright argyle socks under Ahelr army pajamas. 2 \V'. Marine Pfc. ’Alfred J. Graham Jr., Seattle. Wash., when they arrived at Tripier army hospital Monday night, the Red Cross asked what they needed. “Some, loud socks,” Graham said. He apd two others got them today and refused to take them off. “Oh, they feel good," he said, wriggling his does. 2 No Interviews TRAVIS AIR FORCE < BASE. Calif. UP — Col. William DeWRt, commander of Travis Hospital, announced interviews with ex-prison-ers flown here from Korea today would be forbidden “solely on medical grounds?’ > 1 ~ i “Fourteen of these patients are ’ suffering from an infectious and contagious disease, tuberculosis. The other three are patients with a mental condition," DeWitt said in making his announcement. "Under the circumstances and in accordance with good medicalcare and practice, none are available for interviews,’ ’he ruled. He explained that all the men were “very ill” of ailments contracted during months of imprisonment in Communist camps under harsh and trying conditions. DeWitt Said only families will be permitted to visit the) patients and they will be required to wear masks; “as required . under standard medical procedure.” . / From* her&. the ex-POW’s will be flown on regular MATS hospital flights, he announced. Maj. Tom Barbour Travis pub- ->* lie information officer, said it “was possible” some of the patients might leave on a flight tonight with stops scheduled at Denver, St. Louis and San Antonio.