Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 51, Number 283, Decatur, Adams County, 2 December 1953 — Page 1

Vol. LI. No. 283.

Gen. Ridgway Lays Atrocities To Communists

WASHINGTON, UP — Ges, ?.latthew B. Ridgway charged to* day that the Communists in Korea failed, to return 8.608 American prisoners known to have been vidtims of Red atrocities. The army chief of staff told a senate investigating subcommittee? that defense department figures .‘how 131249 soldiers, sailors, airmen and' marines were subjected to “inhufnhn” treatment. Os these he said, only 4,631 have been repatriated. \ f This “tragic void,” ‘Ridgway said! solemnly, “can be directly attriiibted to Communist mistreatment of prisoners.” ?, Ridgway was first witness in a three-day series of hearings that will include Gls’ eyewitness accounts and first hand descriptions of atrocities. Although several television cameras recorded the testimony, there was no "live” TV as originally v announced The former United Nations supreme commander read to the subheaded by Sen. Charles E. Potter (R-Mich.), a “staggering list” of atrocities he said were proved beyond question. It included: | 1 shooting” of wounded. prisoners because they (Wouldn’t march fast enough, “brutal mutjiatioh” of dead and wounded, kernel tortures for minor infrat? tions of 'prison rules,” and the serving of “maggoty food” which the Reds knew would bring nines* . or death. ■ ’ s That more Americans did nqt , perish from this "barbaric treat- j meut" he attributed to the “native ( courage of our gallant men.” Ani| he noted the “awesome fact” that “in hundreds of instances, death j would have been welcomed'.L by ( the victims of atrocities. Ridgway said it can now be proV- j ed that the Communists “violated ..every recognized rule of humanity , and decency.” He said the only reason the Reds ever "curbed maltreatment of prisoners was their realization that some “living prisoners” would be "valuable" during peace negotiations. Col. Claudius O. Wolfe, who led the on-the-spot investigation bf atrocities in Korea, described to the subcommittee how his staff went about documenting the atrocity charges. He said most of the cases were based on confessions of Communist prisoners.. Wolfe, said a total of 20,00 ff cases bf atrocities committed against U. N, troops and 35,000 against ’civilians in Korea were Investigated. Investigators “verified” 11,622 military and 17.354 civilian cases, he said. Potter said Soviet 11. N. delegate Andrei Vishinsky lied in the U. N. Tuesday when he replied to the Tarn To Paae Klicht INDIANA WEATHER Cloudy and warmer tonight ? and Thursday with occasional rain. Low tonight 4046. L j High Thursday 54-60 north; 60-70 south. James Bain Dies At Home This Morning Funeral Services Friday Afternoon James Bain. 90, well known Dez catur resident, and a retired meat cutter, died at 1 o'clock this morning at his home. 310 North Third street, of complications. He had been In falling health for three years and serious for the past four weeks. - , 'i He was born at 'Mt. Etna Dec. 18, 1862, a son of Charles and Ruth E. Bain. His wife, Florence, died Sept. 3, 1948. Mr. Balo was a member of the First Presbyterian church and a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge hef® for the past 68 years. Only survivors are two brothers. Fred; Bain of Troy. 0.. and Bain of Decatur. One broth- * er and two sisters preceded him „ in death. i Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p. m. Friday at the Glllig & Doan funeral home, the Rev. Ray J. Walther officiating. Burial will be in the Decatur cemeteipr. Friends may call at the funeral home after 7 o’clock this evening until time of the services. Friends are asked to omit flowers. 4 ■ . I ■ ' . .i 1 ’ -

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Burk Elevator Sale Is Announced Today Monroe Elevator Sale Is Announced The Burk Elevator at Monroe, a business and agriculture landmark in this county for more than half a century, has been sold to Carl Kipter. of this city, Martin Kipfer of French township and Howard Habegger of Washington, Pa., formerly of this city, it was announced today. , ■ Possession of the business, which includes the elevator and real estate on the east side of the Pennsylvania railroad tracks onInd. highway 124, will be transferred to the new ownersVJan. 1, 1954, Avon Burk, senior meniber of the Burk Elevator Co., announced. Sim Burk, a member of the firm, has managed the business since 1914. The late C. T, Burk, a pioneer in tRe feed and elevator business in this area, purchased the plant in 1906. Besides the general elevator business, the company is a dealer for coal, fertilizer, feed and operates a large feed mill within the elevator. Habegger New Manager Carl Kipfer stated that Howard Habegger would be the new manager of the business. The three purchasers will incorporate and a name for the business will be determined as quickly as legal details can be completed, Kipfer said. Corporation officers will be elected. A native of Blue Creek township, Habegger, a brother of Ralph Habegger, Decatur merchant, is widely experienced in the elevator and feed business. A , ? v \ Currently he Is superintendent of the Harper Feed Co., an elevator and feed enterprise in Washington. He is a former superintendent of the McMillen Feed Mill in Memphis, Tenn., and prior to that time was elevator superintendent of the McMillen Feed Mills in Gibson, City, 111., and Marion, Ohio. He. is a former assistant elevator superintendent of McMillen Feed Mills in this city. Carl Kipfer is manager of the farm supply department \of McMillen Feed Mills. His brother, Martin, operates a farm in French township. " Four railroad switch tracks serve the Monroe elevator. The elevator is one of the principal places of business in the town. Besides the extensive elevator and feed business in this city, the Burk Elevator company also owns an elevator aF'Peterson, which is operated by Glen Baumgartner. (Turn To Groups Leave Under Selective Service - j \ Two New Members Appointed To Board Two contingents, one for active induction into army the other for physical examinations, left for Indianapolis this morning, the Adams county selective service board announced today. Five young men who were to be inducted into service were: Albert Teeple, Jr., Richard Lee Zeigler, VErnest Ray Liechty, Daniel Robert Freeby, an enlistee, and Allen Lowell Walker, transferred from local board 27, Noblesville. A sixth youth, Leonard Marion Wagley. Jr., was transferred to the jurisdiction of local board 120, Van Wert, O. - \' v Eight young meh who were sent for physical, examinations were: Charles Frederick Crosby, George Junior Geyer, Allen .Christian Zurcher, Richard Eugene Martin, Paul David Blackburn. Robert Harold Shaw, Norman Edward Pollock and Richard Herman Hirschy. The local board also announced two new appointments to the board, increasing the membership to five. The new members, whose appointments have t>een approved by President Eisenhower, are Robert Ashbaucher, of Decatur, and Donald C. Sweeney, of Berne. Both are veterans of World War 11. Other members of the board are James K. Staley, chairman. Hugh J. Andrews and Ralph E. Roop.

Challenge Reds Permit Probe Os Atrocities Great Britain Adds Voice To Challenge By United States UNITED NATIONS, N. Y., UP —Britain told the Communists today that if they want definite proof of American charges of Korean atrocities, they need only accept the United States' challenge to permit an impartial investigation in Korea and China. British delegate Sir Gladwyn Jebb told the United Nations general assembly again that according to information reaching London. "there appears to be no doubt that atrocities against U. N. ' troops and Korean civilians hate been committed.” After advising the Communists to accept the American challenge. Jebb, in the same “gloves-off” manner used by Australian artlbassador Sir Percy Spender Tuesday, denounced Russia’s Andrei Y. Vishinsky for saying that Britain was responsible for World War II and had sought before the war to isolate Russia so that Germany could attack it, The United States awaited Vishlnsky’s reply to the challenge laid down by Ambassador \Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. to let impartial investigators travel with full freedom through Korea and China. Lodge issued the challenge in a statement to the press after Vishinsky had told the general assembly that American charges that 38.000 V. N. troops and civilians — 10.000 of them Gls- had suffered brutal atrocities at the hands of the North Korean and Chinese Communists were “flagrantly concocted falsifications." “If Mr. Vishinsky wants further light on war atrocities,” Lodge said, “1 offer him this challenge: “If he will agree to support an Impartial cotgmissibn ft inquiry, free to travels ail-of Korea end China, free to go wherever the world bears the scars of war, to ascertain the facts on these atrocities, the tnited States will offer an amendment to this western resolution, providing for such a commission.” There was no immediate reaction from Vishinsky or other Russian quarters. Some quarters believed that since Lodge had no thrown down his challenge in the assembly, but had issued It in a press statement, Vishinsky would not feel obliged (Turn To P»«» Klcht) Change Order Plea Made By Builder Two Os Councilmen Cast Protest Vote A contract, change-order request by the Yost Construction Co..' builders of the new diesel plant building, Seventh and Dayton streets. Tuesday night resulted in the first split vote in the city council in the past 18 months. The disagreement came from cbuncllmen Adolph Kolter and Ed Bauer who agreed that workmanship on glazed tile work done by Yost was unsatisfactory? The change order called for ad‘ ditions to drainage, equipment, conduit work. The amount called for by Yost was 31,597.88. Yost, however, was willing to credit the \ city with >1,139.34 for certain items, resulting in a cost -to the city of $448.84, including all the improvements and extra installations. Kolter and Bauer, when the time came for a vote on the order, remeged, Bauer remarking on the space between the joints of glazed tile, saying: “I can even get my finger in them.” _ • / *’- Cal Yost, present at the meeting, retorted: “'I doubt that very much.” \ i " ’ Kolter said he thought it was the engineer’s faplt. | Mayor John Doan said “I’m disappointed.” V On the first vote — three are necessary, with an affirmative vote to suspend the rules—Kolter and Bauer said no. On the second reading s Kolter changed his vote but Bauer remained firm. The matter was held over to the next meeting when, on a roll call vote to suspend rules which would permit the third reading, Kolter and Bauer said no again. If the third reading had been permitted, it is believed, the order .would have been passed because of a simple majority being all that is needed. Bauer is reneging beTan T® Page Eight*

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

— . , — ■ Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, December 2, 1953.

Eisenhower Backs Up Dulles For Criticism Os Senator McCarthy

No Discussion Os Red China s UN Admission Eisenhower Rules Out Negotiations For UN Admission !\ WASHINGTON UP — President (Eisenhower, on the eve of the Big Three conference in Bermuda, said today the question, of admitting Red China to the United, Nations is not a question open to negolation with anybody at ' the present time. Mr. Elsenhower, at his hews conference, refused to make any commitment on whether the United States regards the latest Russian jioe as a suitable basis for a Rig Four meeting with the Sov lets. i He said there are points which need study and if this government feels indispensable conditions are met it wfl lagree to .the meeting which it has sought for many months. ' Mr. Elsenhower pledged that any cuts in American troop strength made possible through economics to hostile positions*-Hu saidjmeh a reduction troops could only he attained when political considerations make the.-i possible. The Preside.it was asked whether the entry of Communist China into the United Nations “would be a subject for negotiation at the (Bermuda meeting” with British Prime Miniser Sir Winston Churchill and French Premier Joseph •Laniel. The President replied that nrand his associates agree that under present . Circumstances that question is not open to negotiation with anybody. \ The President’s firm reply ”e toed the prospect of any move ci. Red China, either its entry to the U.N. or diplomatic recognition, in his discussions with Churchill. The President said he looked to ward the Bermuda meeting as an opportunity to prevent misunderstandings by reaching positive and' cooperative basis of agree men. wherever possible. He said the meeting would seek to coordina’ - Allied actions on a fair basis arc. to avoid clashes. j Os Russia’s Thanksgiving Day offer of a I}ig Four foreign ministers meeting in Berlin, the President said he thought a lot of study had to be given to the matter. He said he wouldn’t want to make (Ton Tn Fltn Robert Mcßeth Dies Early This Morning Funeral Services Saturday Morning Robert Mcpeth. 73. Decatur stock buyer, died at 3:15 o’clock this 'morning at his home. 221 North Fourth street, following a 60-day illness of complications. He was born in Detroit, MichMarch 1, 1880, a son of Robert and Margaret Wallace-Mcßeth, but had lived in Decatur for many years, 'i Mr. Mcßeth was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic church and the Holy Name society. Surviving are his wife, Agnes; two children, Joe Weber and Margaret Mcßeth, both at home, and thrpe sisters, Miss Katie Mcßeth of Detroit, Mich., Mrs. Charles Speak of Mt. Clement, Mich., and Mrs. Clyde Vaudecar, also of Mt. Clement. Funeral services will be conducted at 9 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary’s Catholic church, the Very Rev. Msgr. J. J. Seimetx officiating. Burial will be In the Catholic cemetery. The body waa removed to\ the Gilllg & Doan funeral home, where friends may call after 6 p.m. Thursday until time of the services. The Holy Name society vgill recite the rosary at 8 p.m. Friday.

Martiih, Webb, O’Connor TV Winners k?* ■ > ft ' J t wft A ’ JACK WEBB, Mary Martin and Donald O’Connor (1. to r.), admire the awards them for .television achievement in 1953. Webb was honored for his law enforcement show “Dragnet." Miss Martin as an outstanding individual performer and O’Connor as the most versatile performer,.

Churchill In Bermuda For i Big Three Meet ’J\ Prime Minister Os \ Britain Arrives In Bermuda For Parley \ * TUCKERS TOWN. Bermuda UP — Prime minister Winston Churchill arrived from Ixmdori to day for a Big Three conference which Anglo-American diplomatic quarters believe may make or break the European defense community. The 79-year-old prime minister's tig silver Stratocruiser Canopus came down from an overcast into a sunny Bermuda after flying through an Atlantic gale on its way from Gander. Newfoundland. Troops of the crack British Royal Welch Fusiliers and air force arid navy nien of the United States provided a guard of honor at the airport when the plane landed. French premier Joseph Laniel Will follow Churchill Thursday and President Eisenhower is to arrive ! Friday for the momentous conference which opens , formally Friday afternoon. Bermuda’s governor. Lt. Gen Sir Alexander Hood, and a crowd of about 400 welcomed Churchill When he stepped from his plane. Conference officials emphasized the vital importance of the Big Three conference to the future of the European defense community. It was understood that President Eisenhower is ready to tell Lhniel that the United States will main'tain present American troop strength in Europe if France rati fies theEDC treaty which is to bring, German troops into the North Atlantic Treaty Organiza tion armies. ‘ Churchill’s plane made an unscheduled stop at Shdnnon Airport Ireland, because of pressurization trouble, and made a 61 - minute stop at Gander Airport in Newfoundland. , i It left Gander at 7:15 a.m. EDT for a flight of about five hours to Bermuda. Laniel arrives here at 10 am. Bermuda time (9 a.m. EST) Thursday aboard an Air France Super Constellation. President Eisenhower is flying In about noon Friday | aboard the White House plane, the Constellation Columbine. Tight security measures to protect the three principals went into effect late Tuesday. ■Welch Fusiliers imported from the British Jamaica garrison patrolled the grounds of the plush Mid-Ocean club where the principals will live as rain storms and squally winds lashed the island. The guards will maintain an around-the-clock watch in the hallways outside the ' Eisenhower, .Tara To Pace Eicitt

Petition Filed For . Platting Addition 16-Lot Addition Is Proposed To Council Platting of a 16-iot addition, already within the corporation limits of . Decatur, was the purpose of a petition presented to the council Tuesday night by Herold E. Kirsch. \ The petition was approved insofar as it was referred to the city plan» commission. The addition. Jo be called the Herold E. Kirsch addition, is located on the north side of Monroe street where West Seventeenth street would be should the plattihg be approved all the way through. Kirsch, who was present at the meeting, calls for the? proposed addition to be placed under city covenants until Jan. 1. 1973. to be extended under cjity coVenants for successive 10-yeay periods thereafter. Kirsch laid down the following restriction* as applied to the lots: 1. No other structure but sin gle-family dwellings. 2. Front lot line to be consist ent with set-back regulations set out in a Decatur 1949 zoning ordinance. 3. No structure to be erected on less than 8,000 square feet. 4. Minimum ground floor,, ex eluding ope® porches, fterracet and attached garages, shall be 90f square feet in a one-story house but 800 square feet in a one and one-half or two-story house. 5. Buildings to be used as resi dences only, except garages and outbuildings to be used as garden (Turn To P«<e Kl*ht» Leo Child Funeral Thursday Afternoon Funeral services for -Leo Child Findlay, 0., industrialist and executive of the Krick-Tyndall Co. of this city, who died early Tuesday morning of a heart attack in Columbus, 0., will be held at Findlay. 0.. Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock. Burial will be in a Findlay cemetery. Several officials of the KrickTyndall plant will attend the services, Including Virgil Krick and Dan Tyndall. •

z ' ■- fIgISMOPPINa faB6)OAYS LEFT Rawr.Tß' W* w|

Contracts Awarded For Sewer Laterals J Three Contracts To Baker-Schultz Firm In an executive session, the Decatur city council Tuesday night awarded three contracts for the constructios of three laterals to the Porter-Homewood sewer to Baker & Schultz, local construction firm. •The following contracts and prices were approved unanimously by the cotmcil: Price Roop lateral. |5774; Decatur Casting Co. lateral. )$40,629.30; Giles V. Porter Lateral $12,258. All. three contracts were being held up because of a disagreement which arose in the council over a concrete. vs vitrified tile bid of Baker & Schultz and the Yost Construction Co., the unsuccessful bidder on all three jobs. It was agreed that Baker & Schult? had won out on the Roop and . Porter laterals but Yost’s concrete bid on the Casting Co. lateral was lower than the other. However, the General Electric Co. entered into the matter when they indicated they wanted vilified tile installed liecause of the hazards of dumping acidulous material into a concrete drain. To add to the dilemma, making it an immediately serious master. . Clark Smith, distributor at Gunni- . son Homes for Adams, Wells and Jay now has a negotia- > tlon pending with a mortgage coU I poration which has agreed to provide about $200,000 for a G. I. loan . for the obstruction of approximately 36 homes that would need to be serviced by the Giles Porter , lateral. Smith had to show a sew- , er was to be built; he was directed to give this Information within . the next few days, and time was I running out for him. It was revealed that the Yost , low bid on concrete for the Cast- [ ing sewer was bypassed at the recommendation of city engine-'r Ralph Roop, who advised the coun- . cil to accept Baker & Schultz’s low . bid on vitrified so that there could . be t no complaints by General Elec- , trie in the future. The successful local firm has indicated they intend to begin excavation as soon as possible. AP contracts have been signed, sealed and delivered. z' — Grand Jury Opens Session Here Today v Grand Jury Opens \ Session In Court The Adams county grand jury was charged with its duties this morning by Judge Myles F. Pa'D rish and went into traditional secret session with tke prosecuting attorney, Lewis L. Smith, for the balance of the ,morning. Prosecutor Smith said he believed the jury would make a report of its activity in four days. Smith said it wa { s also left to the jury to decide when the inspections should take place of the county jail, court house &nd infirmary, being part of lheir statutory, duties. Memberk of the grand jury are Hazel D. Schaffer, John Welch. Martha E. Ziegler, Myron F. Frank. Donald A. Heiman and Avon "Zimmerman. It was believed the grand jury wjould be asked to dispose of the Peter L. Schwartz incest case. Schwartz served three years of a two to 21-year prison term following his conviction in the Adams circuit court. A writ of error coram nobis was issued by Judge Homer J. Byrd, of Wells circuit epurt, and Schwartz was freed on bond.i The writ amounts to a new trial for Schwartz, provided the prosecutor follows the steps customary in a criminal proceding as If the first trial never occurred. Belief is that witnesses who appeared against Schwartz would now be unwilling to do so.

Price Five Cents

ike Disputes McCarthy On Major Points Firmly Backs His Secretary Os State On McCarthy Issue WASHINGTON, UP—President Eisenhower firmly disputed Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, R-Wis., on two points today—Communism-in-government as a 1954 political Issue and the conduct of U. S. foreign policy. 4 On the first point, Mr. Eisenhower firmly reiterated his previously expressed contention that his administration’s record will be the political issue next year, not Communists in the government. On the second, he announced his "full accord” with secretary ot state John Foster Dulles’ criticism of McCarthy for his attack on the .administration’s foreign policy. The President read his news conference a prepared statement saying: “I repeat my previously expressed conviction that fear of Communists actively undermining our government will not be an issue in the 1954 elections. “Ijong before then this administration will have made speh progress in routing them out under the security program developed by Atty. Gen. Herbert Brownell ihat this can no longer be considered u serious menace.” The President had said approximately the same thing two weeks ago when asked to assess the po* litieal impact of the Harry Dexter White “spy” case. But McCarthy in a nationwide radio-TV speech last week criticized the administration’s foreign policy and. in tit apparent challenge to Mr. Eisenhower’s position on subversives hi government as a 1954 issue, declared : k “The raw. harsh unpleasant fact is that Communism is an isbue and will be an Issue in 1954.” McCarthy withheld comment on Mr. Eisenhower’s statement. He told newsmen. "1 think I’ll perhaps wait and give out a statement tomorrow morning. I want to go ever this (Mr. Eisenhower’s! statement carefully and go over the Dujles statement.” _-! Mr. Eisenhower said he believed the 1954 congressional elections will hinge on his administration’s record and-whether congress en(Tara t® p® <e Reve®> Confracts Are Let By Commissioners, Printing, Highway Contracts Are Let All printing contract and several . county highway contract awards were announced today by Adams county commissioners. All five classes of printing for the county for 1954 were again awarded to the Haywood Publishing Co.. Lafayette, faced for the first time x ia many years with competition by two other bidders. Unsuccessful in; their bidding were the Commercial Print Shop. Decatur, and Didier A ‘§on. Fort Eoilowing were the highway and material contracts announced: tires. Goodyear Tire Co.. Decatur; bridge plank and post material, Anderson Sawmill. Chattanooga. sewer pipe split three ways—Armco Drainage Co., South Bend, American Steel Co..' Fort Wayne, Lafayette Metal Culvert Ob., Lafayette; Stone split two ways ~ Meshberger Bros. Linn Grove, Karsch. Geneva; gravel and brick split three ways — Frank Nussbaum. Berne, Yost. Decatur, Lybarger Gravel Co.. Geneva. Commissioners announced they have appointed the following two men to carry out the annual appraisal of the county home on Jan. 1 Harold Scherry, Preble township, Henry Rumple, Jefferson township.