Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 51, Number 267, Decatur, Adams County, 12 November 1953 — Page 1

Vol. LI. No. 267

j Where The Big Three Will Meet In December iwf • u "■ ‘' RJiWI 1 • 1 MMMBflj THE MID-OCEAN CLUB (above), eigbt miles from Hamilton, Bermuda, is reportedly the site of the coming Big Three meeting—Eisenhower. Churchill, Laniel —in December. « :

Sen. McCarthy Opens Hearing At G.E. Plant Probes Communist infiltration At Schenectady Plant i ALBANY O’ — Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy began closed-door hearings today into possible Communist infiltration at the General Electric Co. Schenectady work* with “close to 30” witnesses scheduled to appear. . f x An aide. George Anastos, said 17 would be called during the da/, and the rest Friday. (McCarthy, who arrived at tW hearing chamber with three mofe aides, also said “the top securityofficer of General Electric can attend it he wants to.” The defense department, it was learned, assigned Cimjr. o. P. Otteson, navy security officer at the planjt. to in ou the hearings as an observer. While McCarthy said he would not name aby of the witnesses, two Identified themselves to news-, men. S. M. Vottls, now a pipe shop operator, said he was a former Communist 4 party member, had worked for GE up to 1935, and tfas financial secretary of the United Electrical Workers Ixx-al 301 fro in 193 S to 1944. Vottis, who testified in\ recent years in two house un-American activities „ investigations, said he was “asked” to appear at the McCarthy hearing. Also giving his name to reporters was Sidney Friedlander, who said he was a UE member and had been subpenaed by .McCarthy ''McCarthy, who posed briefly for photographers before shutting himself in the hearing room, said a 'vast number of witnesses will c called.” In reply to a question about any difference between invited and subpenaed witnesses, the Wisconsin Republican said flatly i “A 'phoned’ invitation is the (Tara To Pace Kl<ht> Wildcat Strike At ; \ I East Chicago Ends EAST CHICAGO, Ind. UP — A company-union meeting to iron out a dispute over manning of new machines was scheduled today after 90 CIO Steelworkers ended a week-long wildcat strike at the Metal and Themite Co. The steelworkers’ return to work Wednesday cleared the Lake . County area of strikes. Earlier 470 AFL Blacksmiths ended a week-long strike over incentive pay at the Taylor Forge and Pipe Works in Gary. t Indiana Fraternity Put On Probation BLOOMINGTON, Ind. UP The judicial board of Indiana University's interfraternity council today placed Sigma Pi on 30 days probation fpr a pre-initla-tion rules infraction. The fraternity was accused of taking its pledges on a country “road trip" late at night and forcing them to walk home. The In* cident occurred Oct. 16. 'Sigma Pi was the third Greek letter group penalized recently. 0 1 12 PAGES

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ' ' ' * 't:. V> .

Mobile Radio Unit Arrives For Police Two Police Cars To Be Used Next Year Soon after the first of the year Decatur will have a more efficient police department than ever before. Delivery was made today of a complete mobile radio unit for use in a hew patrol car next year, the old one to be used by police chief James for special investigations and for standby oa traffic duty. A. The city council, realizing what the increase in population and steady Increase OL traffic through the citywaa doing to the efficiency ot the police, appropriated Jfcentiy for radio equtpTneSrt hid T hew ‘ eair. ’ Now, when police are assigned a funeral detail or traffic duty, the city's only police car must be .taken off the more vigorious type of law enforcement — chasing speedsters, making investigation*. In addition to a mobile unit to add to the city’s protection, prosecuting attorney Lewis L. Smith’s department will have a radio bringing the number of fully mobile units equipped with radio to a higher number than it’s ever b?(*n in Adams county’s history. Including state police assigned here, and the sheriff*: department Adams county will have around the first of the year six units equipped with radio, and it is understood from a reliable source that the county conservation officer, Jack Hirsch, is also considering install ing a radio in his car. ' j The new equipment for the Decatur police was secured through Emergency Radio Service, Ligonier, the same people who repair’ local mobile and stationary units. Elizabeth Schrock > Dies This Morning Funeral Services Saturday Afternoon Miss Elizabeth M. Schrock, a native ot Decatur, died at 5 o’clock this morning at the Union City hospital. She had been in failing health since suffering a broken hip last June. Miss Schrock was born in Decatur, a daughter ot Dr. W. H. and Nettie M. Patterson-Schrock. She was a graduate of the Decatur high school. Northwestern University and the Detroit Conservatory of Music. A termer resident of Indianapolis, she had resided at Union City the past five years with a sister. . s ) Miss Schrock was a member of the First Presbyterian church in this city. Surviving are two brothers, W. P. Schrock of this city and Dr. Robert D. Schrock ot Omaha, Neb., and one sister, Mrs. G. H. Myers of Union City. Two sisters preceded her in death. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Zwick funeral home, the Rev. Ray J. Walther officiating. Burial will be in the Decatur cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 7 p.m. Friday and are asked to omit flowers. INDIANA WEATHER Partly cloudy tonight and Friday; somewhat colder north tonight; warmer entire stats Friday. Low tonight 26-34. Hign . Friday 5248. .

Showdown Near On Talks For Korea Parley Expect Showdown Within 48 Hours From Secret Talks PANMUNJOM, Korea (UP) — Informed sources said today there will be a showdown “within 48 hours” in the secret talks between Allied and Communist staff advisors on arrangements for a Korean peace conference. The advisors mot Thursday for only 55 minutes. It was their ’fifth and. shortest session, but thgy scheduled another meeting for Friday at 11 a. m. (8 p. m. CSt Thursday.) Tbe session again was described by a spokesman as "very.businesslike," but he refused further comment. Informed sources said the United Nations had promised a “public statement” on the talks if they had not made any progress "by tbe middle of the week." Mail To Prisoners PANMUNJOM, Korea (UP) — Tbe United Nations turned over a new batch of , mall for “pro* Communist’’ American prisoners today In what might be a test of their determination to stay with the Reds. ?Mall for all 22 of the Americans still in Indian custody was given to the Indian custodial force today by the U. S. army mail officer, LA. Robert C. Harbert, Macomb, 111. Three “leaders" of the 332 South Korean, American and one British prisoner alleged by the Reds to prefer Communism to freedom protested that the last bpndle of may contained material intended to “coerce” them to return to democracy. They demanded that the Indians stop giving them “propaganda;” mail. Today's'mail will be offered to the men individually. The U. N. said it was anxious to learn which prisoners accept their mall and which do not to determin? which will be more susceptible to Allied “come home" Other operations of tbe neutral repatriation commission were at a standstill. Interviews between anti-Communists and Red political officers were cancelled again. Committee Delays Detroit Hearings . • j WASHINGTON UP — Rep. Kit Clardy R-Mlch. said .today bearings scheduled to be held by house un-American activities subcommittee in Detroit Nov. 30 hi'.* been postponed indefinitely. A Clardy la chairman ot the subcommittee appointed to study communism in the Detroit ar*a. He said the hearings probably wil not be held until after Jan. 1 because of other pressing matters before the full committee, including tbe inquiry Into the Harr/ Dexter White Case. Tri-State Student Is Accident Victim ANGOLA, Ind. UP — Vlrglllo G. Cordova, 31, Bayamon, Puerto Rico, died Wednesday of Injurlaa suffered three days earlier In a traffic accident Cordova was a student at Tri-State College here.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday, November 12, 1953

Harry Truman Refuses To Comply With House Committee’s Subpena

James Byrnes J Gives Answer On White Case Sends Sen. Jenner . / Answer On Adverse Report From FBI COLUMBIA, S. C. UP .— Gov. James F. Byrnes said today he U confident that then .President Truman would have halted the nomination of Harry Dexter White as executive director of the international monetary fund on Feb 8, 1946, had the senate not already acted\on it. Byrnes refused a subpena from the house un-American activities committee to tell what he knows about the White spy case. But be offered to answer in Columbia or by ma,il any questions the group might want to ask. Tiday he sent to Sen. William E. Jenner, chairman of a senate internal security subcommittee answers to one of two questions previously posed by Jenner concerning what Byrne« said was his effort to acquaint Mr. Truman with an adverse FBI report on White. The South Carolina governor who was secretary of state durl n the Truman gavecopies of his answer to Jenner to* reporters about an hour before the senate subcommittee was to rv convene in Washington on the White investigation. The purpose of Byrnes* today was to throw more light on his previously-published statement that he discussed an FBI report on White with Mr. Truman. Byrnes said he could not recall who in the White House handled a telephone call from the President to Leslie Biffle, secretary of the senate. In which the chief executive asked Biffle for informatlon as to the status of the White cas-*. “It is my recollection the President's desk phone was connected with all the offices in the White House,” Byrnes said. “Whether the person to whom he spoke was a White House telephone operator or some other member of his staff, I do not know. “There was no reason why he should tell me and no reason why 1 should pay any attention to who was handling his (the call.” Byrnes said he decided to te 1 about his conversation with the President .only after he learned from news reports that Atty. Gen. Herbert BrOwnell had mentioned him as on? of several cabinet members who received a copy of the report by FBI chief J. Edgar <Tura To Fave g*«mr»

Former Aide To Truman Gives Version Os Case

By MERRIMAN SMITH ‘ (United Frees White House Writer) WASHINGTON UP —A former White House aide of Harry S. Truman scanned the headline tempest over the Harry Doxter White case today and came up with this evaluation of the ex-Presideut: “He was a clean guy }who grew up In a dirty crowd." The ex-assistant is now in private business > and does not want to be drawn Into the controversy over GOP charges that Mr. Truman promoted White in the face of FBI warnings that he was a spy. Consequently, the aide cannot be identified by name. But he was in an excellent position to watch the ex-President, sometimes literally over his shoulder, during the days which now figure in the GOP investigations. The United Press asked him to describe the atmosphere at the White House in late Mr. Truman, according to Atty. Gen. Herbert Brownell Jr., first received a danger signal from the FBI about White. “You must remember,” ba said, “that these things happened tn the pre-Whittaker Chambers period and just when Elisabeth Bentley

Overproduction Is Blamed By Benson Secretary Suggests . Voluntary Controls COLUMBUS, Ohio UP —Secretary of agriculture Ezra Taft Benson today blamed overproduction for the drop in farm prices and suggested voluntary controls and the findlpg of new markets to (check the decline. Benson said the country was now getting a "very clear picture" that past farm policies would not work without unusual demands for more production such as were brought on by war and foreign' aid programs. Past programs worked “quite well” but had run into trouble as »tbe demand for American farm products declined, the agriculture secretary said. He said the sharp drop in exports were a “major factor** in this year’s price declines. \ I • • i \ Benson said there was “room for belief" that the Truman administration “misled" farmers as to the demand required of the cold war. He also said the Truman administration failed to impose controls required by existing legisla; tlon. \ "The only reasonable thing to do is to adjust to the situation that actually confront us." Benson said to A speech prepared for delivery before the closing session of the convention of association of land grant colleges and universities. Benson shared the speaker's rostrum with foreign operations director Harold E. Stassen. “The plain truth is that our farm production this year is larger than our markets —domestic and export —will take at prices that are fair to the producer" Benson said. The “immediate task” Benson said, is to expand markets at home and abroad and to bring production in line with prospective demands. At the same time, he said, there would be “direct and indirect price supports, wherever practical’’ to cushion price declines. But for the long range program, , (Twin To Pose Six) 20 Reported Killed In Airplane Crash VILLA MUGETTA, Argentina UP —Police Reported 20 persons were believed killed today when a Tour-moi;oVed civilian transport plane collided in the air with a smaller aircraft. ' - The crash occurred between this village and Maizales at mid-mbrn-Ing, the police report said. ’ ! The larger plane was said to have burned after plowing into the earth.

was beginning to talk. As a matter of fact, rumors about White had been floating pretty freely around the government since 1942 or 1943 but there was no proof of anything. “It is entirely conceivable to me,” he went on "that Mr. Truman could have paid little attention to the first report on White. The second report was a different haatter —I understand the FBI hasn't released that one. “At any rate, this was a complicated and bewildering period for Mr. ,Trnman. \He was a clean guy who grew up' in a dirty crowd. He had sort of a code duello—he didn’t want to crack down on a guy just because somebody said something bad against him. “As' I understand it, the first FBI report on White was based almost entirely on Bentley information. The President never told me, but 1 got the idea he felt that hare was a woman that nobody ever heard of and to put it mildly, was just a bit eccentric. "Mr. Truman's attitude then and later was "don’t lift a finger until these things are thoroughly looked over? Whan the New York grand To PBOO Five* \ -

UN Agreement Is Sought On Disarmament Compromise Plan On Disarmament \ Submitted To UN UNITED NATIONS, N.Y. UP — The United Nations studied a compromise disarmament plan today in' a new attempt to end an eight year east-west deadlock. The new western proposal suggests that the commission establish a subcommittee of representatives from the principal powers involved to consider a mutually agreeable disarmament plan. The effort for agreement on elimination of weapons of mass destruction moved forward early today?, An afternoon meeting of the security council will deal with border incidents in the Holy land. Israel is scheduled to present its side of the case primarily invplvingk the Israeli raid on the Jordanian village of Kibva, in which 53 persons were killed. The United States, Britain and France, which brought the Israeli matter before the .-security council, were reported prepared to offer a Xolution after the Israeli case is sented by ambassador Abba Eban. Tbe western proposal bn disarmament called for “elimination altogether’’ of weapons of mass destruction, including atomic and hydrogen weapons and bacterial and chemical 'warfare. The new proposal for disarmament was designed to meet Indian suggestions for an arms reduction and Latin-American objections to tbe earlier plan for creating a fund for international development from savings effected by disarmament. James Baker Rites Friday Afternoon James (Tip) Baker, 74, of Convoy, 0., retired telephone lineman, died Tuesday night at the Van Wert, 0., county hospital after a tbree-mohth illness. Surviving are his wife, Ora, and a son, James Baker of Decatur. , Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. EST Friday, at the H. B. Smith funeral home in Convoy, with burial in the Convoy IOOF cemetery. * Plan Art Exhibit Here November 24 Exhibit Is Open To Decatur Residents The Color Wheel, art club or Decatur high school under sponsorship of art instructor Miss Kathryn Kauffman, will hold the first annual all-Decatur art exhibit at Decatur high school Tuesday, November 24, tt was announced today.. The public is invited to attend the show and hours will be from 2 o’clock until 4 o’clock in the afternoon and from 8 o’clock until 9:30 o’clock at night. Any bona tide resident ot Decatur may enter paintings in the exhibit it was pointed out. The show will be limited to pantlngs and each person visiting the exhibit will be entitled to vote in tbe various classes. . ; A No prizes will be given this year, it was said, but first, second and third awards will be made -following the counting of votes. There Is no age limit for participants and no entry charge will be made and there will be no charge for visitors to tbe show. Those in charge pointed out that there are several talented painters in Decatur who do the work .as a hobby. Thia show will give all of those hobbyists an opportunity to show the public their work.

Cancel Plans For Explosives Plant Announcement From Atom Commission CHICAGO UP — The atomic energy commission today cancelled plans for const-action ot the 26-million-dollar Spoon River atomic explosives plant started near Macomb, 111. \ J. The AEC said that the project was abandoned because of "technical developments which will considerably enlarge output of already existing plants turning out th* same produet as would have come from the projected new plant.” Although the commission never has publicly announced specifically what the Spoon River plant would have produced, it believed to be processed radioactive materials for nuclear explosives. “Futbre requirements of ths atomic enrgy program in this line can be supplied, it has been es tablished, by the present plants, hence the construction and operating expenses for the planned Spoon River plant may be saved, ’ the AiEtC said. “The net saving in construction and engineering cost is some 26million dollars. 11l addition, about four million dollars In startup costs and three million dollars a year in Recurring operating costs will besaved.” The commission said that payment for work already done and th? cost of termination of contracts wil lamount to two million dollars. Rensselaer Man Suicide Victim RENSSELAER, Ind. UP — Emmett Erwin secretary of the 1953 Indiana senate and a leading figure in Jasper county Republican circles, died Wednesday of a bpllet wound in the ‘heart. Coroner Leon Kresler ruled suicide. Erwin, who served as Jasper county council chairman, was found in his apartment home by his wife, Frences, when she returned from teaching at a local elementary school. Sound Level Tests Made Near Plant Test Is Conducted By Six Engineers Six engineers who had a.hand in the construction of the new diesel plant and engine at Seventh and Dayton streets, yesterday carried out a thorough inspection of two houses whose occupants have complained about rioise and vibration. Accompanied by city officials, the engineers, representing tbe Toledo. 0., firm of Emery, Marker A Emery and tbe Lima-Hamilton Corp., carried out sound level tests at the homes of Alva Buffenbarger, 627 North Seventh, and Joseph E. Kitson. 704 Dierkes street. While no results wer? announced by the engineers, rated by Mayor John Doan as the “top professional engineers” in the country, a general observation seemed to show that the sound level with the engine running is raised only a few decibels. L. C. Pettibone, city light and power chief, explained that the engineers were testing only noises transmitted through the air.- Pettibone, elaborating, said only noise coming from the stack on the west side of the building was being considered. Significant to blpth the engineers and city officials was the fact that regular noise customary to that neighborhood provides an average level just a few points lower than with the engine running, and lln many cases—when diesel engines on railroad tracks nearby are backing, cars racing by—many points higher than the engine. Tbe instruments used, according to Pettibone, were sensitive enough to pick up the sound of a man’s (Tern Te Pace Five;

Price Five Cents

Defies Order By Committee In White Case •’ - l Asserts Group Has No Power To Issue * Subpena In Case WASHINGTON UP — Former President Truman today refused to comply with a house un-American activities committee subpena in the Harry Dexter White case with the declaration that the committee had no power to issue it. Mr. Truman notified the committee of his defiance shortly after chairman Harold H. Velde R-Ul. had postponed indefinitely Friday's scheduled quizzing of the former chief executive. { Velde described Mr. Truman’s action as “very unfortunate." Ho said be wpuld take it up with the full committee but would not say when. Later, Velde called a committee meeting for 3 p.m. CST to discuss Mr. Tiuman’s letter. The committee subpenaed Mr. Truman to answer charges by Atty. Gen. Herbert Brownell Jr. that he promoted White despite two FBI warnings that White, then assistant secretary ot treasury, was a Soviet spy. A member of the senate internat security subcommittee, also investigating the White charges, moved to take the ball away from the house group in view of Mr. Truman's action. The senator, Robert C. Hendrickson R-N.J., proposed that the form'er President be “invited” to appear before tbe security subcommittee to “complete the record” in the case. If subcommittee chairman WilJia ni E. Jenner R-Ind. doesn’t propose such an Invitation, Hendrickson said. “I probably shall." In refusing to answer the subpena. Mr. Truman told Velde he did so “inspite of a personal willingness to cooperate with your committee.” But he said it was his “duty to the people of the United States” to follow “a long line of precedents commending with George Washington himself in 1796." t The precedents he cited dealt with actions by Presidents in office, not ex-presidents. But Mr. Truman said they were applicable because he assumed from reading newspapers that the committee wanted to question him “with j-e---spect to matters. which occurred during my tenure.? He declared that “in maintaining his rights against *a trespassing congress' the President represents not himself byt the people." Whatever the legal merits of Mr. Truman’s argument —no other ex-PresMent ever found-himself in. a similar position—it appeared certain that the “postponed” hearing is' now definitely off. Technically the subpena is still in force. It merely has been “continued.” But In view of considerable Republican opposition to tbe committee’s original action, it seemed unlikely that any effort will be made either to compel the former President's presence or punish him for today’s action. A rdj>orter asked Velde if there is any possibility the committee might try to cite Mr. Truman for contempt for refusing to comply with the subpena. “I presume that question will be discussed when the full committee meets,” Velde said. He declined to elaborate. Mr. Truman emphasized that he has no objection to congressional investigation of any of his acts 'as a private citisen. But he said In the present instance he must defend the doctrine of separation . of powers and the independence of tbe presidency. J If this doctrine were to be destroyed. he said, a President would become “a mere arm of the legislative branch” and “would feel during his term of office that bls every act might b esubject to official inquiry and possible distortion for (Tub Te Face rtve>