Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 52, Number 1, Decatur, Adams County, 2 January 1954 — Page 1

Vol. Lil. No. 1.

West Accepts Jan. 25 Dale Os Conference American Officials Are Confident Reds Now Put On Spot . WASHINGTON, UP — American official!! were confident toddy they have at last put the Russians on the spot by accepting the Kremlinproposed Jan. 25 date for the Big Four foreign ministers conference in Berlin. Diplomat!? sources were optimistic that the long-sought face-to-face meeting with Soviet foreign minister V. M. Molotov will take place. They said If the Russians now try to back out of the date they suggested, the west will be able to proclaim to the world that the professed Soviet peace desire is a phoney. They said if the Reds do go to the Berlin meeting and refuse to negotiate in good faith, the Allies can claim that the Kermlin has no desire to ease cold war tensions. The United States, Britain and France agreed in identical notes delivered to the Kremlin Friday to hold the meeting in Berlin Jan. gs suggested by the Soviet Union, The west originally asked that the talks start next Monday, but Russia requested a ih ree ‘ weefc postponement. "While regretting that the Soviet government has not accepted the proposed date of Jan. 4,” th* western' note said, "the United States governrtient agrees to the date of Jan. 25 now suggested in the Soviet note.” The west also agreed that the U. 8.. British, French and Russian #igh commissioners in Germany should work out "technical arrangements” for the meeting, including the place for the conference. The west prefers a building formerly used by the Allied control authority in the American sone of Berlin. < -MIE .little., ■ likelihVd that these technical discussions would develop obstacles to delay the conference. The one possibility that most western observers fear might further delay the talks would be a French cabinet crisis after that nation’s new president. Rene Coty, is inaugurated Jan. 17. The Russians could conceivably seize such a crisis as an excuse to ask for postponement of the Big Fdur meeting. Diplomatic sources said, how A ever, they are certain France would find away to be represented at the meeting no matter what kind of cabinet trouble the nation might-be having. — Flying Ace Seeks New Speed Record New Cross-Country Speed Record Sought LOS ANGELES, Calif. IIP" — A World War II flying ace was scheduled to take off for New York in an F-86 Sabre jet today in an attempt to set a new cross-country speed record*" Col. Willard W. Millikan was to leave International Airport at 9:59 a.m EST and head for Mitchell Air Force Base. Long Island, N. Y. He said he was confident he could make the flight in "less than four hours.” The existing record of four hours and 13 minutes was set in 1946 by " Col. William Councill flying a P-80. Millikan’s flight plans included a refuting stop at Offutt air-force Base, Omaha, Neb. ....?_1 The 35-year-od pilot then plans to fly at about 40,000 feet, depending on winds, ta » straight line to Omaha and New York. His plane is a standard model produced by North American AviaHon for fighter pilots. Millikan, who has more than 800 hours of jet flying time, is com- . - mandpr of the 113th Fighter Bomber Wing, District of Columbia Air Nations’ Guard. The flight itself is a kickoff for an Air National Guard recruiting campaign. A good-looking 6-footer, Millikan flew with the Royal Air Force in r-- the ear.ly days of World Wat II and was transferred to the TT. S. Air Force Titter Pearl Harbor. He became a triple ace and xpenta year In a German prison camp after- “ his plane crashed over enemy terri tory in 1944. Now a Washington representative for a rubber company, he resides in Alexandria, Va., with his wife and 9-year-old daughter. He holds the Distinguished Ser-" vice Cross, the Silver Star. The Purple Heart, the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross. ' ' ’ rs .

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWS PAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY ' ' * ’

A Spiritual Emphasis Leaders "

Sb- Ml Rev. George St. Angelo

Union Spiritual Emphasis week services will open at the Zion Evangelical and Reformed church Sunday evening at 7:30 o’clock. Services will be held every bight next week at this church, sponsored by the Associated Churches of Decatur. The final service, Sunday night. Jan. 10, will be held at the Decatur high school auditorium. - ? “ . .AU Rev. St. Angelo, the guest speaker throughout the week. Is pastor of the New York Street Evangelical United Brethren church. Indianapolis. Don Gerig,-music director at the Hartford township high school, will be the song leader at all services, with Mrs. Harold Murphy as the organist and Sherman Nyffler as the pianist.

Ike Confers With Leaders Over Message Top Advisers Meet With Eisenhower On Message To Congress AUGUSTA, Ga., UP —President Eisenhower planned a second working session with his top advisers today on his state of the union message, which must be ready for congress on Jan. 7. The President, hoped to have a fairly complete draft of the important policy speech by the time ’*** - Sunday afternoon from-his vacation retreat at the Augusta National Golf Club. If Mr. Eisenhower follows Friday’s procedure, he and his counsellors will go over the preliminary draft in the President’s crowded office over the club’s golf shop during the morning. The President played golf Friday afternoon. Advisers working with Mr. Eisenhower on the message to congress are Dr. Arthur S. Fleming, director of office bf defense mobilization; Henry Cabot Lodge. Jr., head of the American delegation to the United Nations; Joseph M. Dodge, budget director; Sherman Adams, the assistant to the President, and a group of White House staff members. / Presidential press secretary James C. Hagerty said “quite a lot of progress” Was made Friday during the morning conference and the team at advisers did some re-draftiniry the message in the afternoon. I Hagerty skkl another presidential report —'x radio and television speech he will make to the public on Jan. 4 — was “pretty much in final form.” He said Mr. Eisenhowfer also had gone over with Dodge the "basic material" of a third report, the budget message to congress, but much work remains to be done on this lengthy document. The President named Friday night the three members of an emergency board he had established to-investigate the wage di spute between the American Ex press Co. and the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks. Named to this board, which must report back to the President by Jan. 15, were Justice Fred W. Mesmore of the Nebraska supreme court; Allen Dash, Jr., Philadelphia labor arbitrator, and William E. Grady. Jr.. New' York attorney. The President also reappointed (Continued on Pace Five) Macias Infant Dies Friday At Hospital Fred Macias, - three-month-old son of Mr. and Mi*?. Cecil Mtcias, 831 North Eleventh street, died at 1:30 p.m. Friday at the Adams county memorial hospital after a week’s illness.' The parents are members of St, Mary’s Catholic church. Surviving in addition toi tbfe parents are ; five brothers, Ben, . Cecil, Jr , Paul, Dan and Joseph, all at home; two sisters, Linda, at home, and Mrs. Virginia Allito of Fort Worth Tex. Funeral services wittire held at 1:30 pm. today at.tH" St. Mary's Catholic church, the Very Rev. •MegK J- J. Beimels omtiatiug-BurtalWi-H be in the Catholic cemetery, with the Gillig & Doan funeral home In charge. ' r

■ v H Don Gerig

Predicts U 37 Toll By End Os Holiday New Year Death Toll Less Than Christmas By UNITED PRESS Traffic accidents claimed an average of four Jnvpe an hour, today and safety experts predicted 1,237 persons will die on the highways before the winter holiday period ends Sunday. A United Press survey showed traffic accidents had killed 128 persons since the New Year’s holiday began at 6 p. m. Thursday. Fires killed 22. plane crashes four and miscellaneous accidents 18 for a total of 172. The national safety council has predicted New Year's traffic aceiMm 360 1 persoaClt estimated that 346 persons diefl between the time the Christmas holiday' ended last Sunday and the beginning of the new year period. Those two figures, added to the 532 * persons kilted in traffic crashes during the three-day Christmas holiday, led the safety council to predict an overall 1.237 holiday accident toll. Despite the steadily mounting New Year’s death' rate," it lagged far behind the murderous pace set during Christmas. At one point during the earlier holiday, highway crashes were killing eight persons an hour. Safety council- president Ned H - Dearborn said, “Apparently the shock of the heavy'Christmas holiday traffic toll, plus the incessant emphasis on safety by press, television and radio, has sobered the New Year drivers into better traffic behavior." 714 Babies Born Here During 1953 Seven hundred and fourteen babies were born at Adams county memorial hospital during 1953, a partial annual report from the board reveals. During the year it was necessary to confine a total of 95 patients in the halls at the hospital because of crowded conditions. Several private rooms also were used as wards during the year when the number of patients increased. December was the biggest cash month' in the history of the hospital, the board’s report reveal*. The totaicash income for the last month of 1953 totalled >19,851.30. Personnel at the hospital started 1954 with every room occupied. 'Betty Jane Fund' Is Started In Willshire Willshire, O. ministers art assisting in a public contribution fund called "the Betty Jane fund” to raise money for five-year-old Betty Jane* Wolfe, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elmoe Wolfe, who suffered •severe facial burns, several Weeks ago when she pulled an electric cord from the socket with. her teeth. ; , Betty Jane’s father is employed at Decatur Casting Co. here. The money wiH be used to provide identic sprgery for the girl The father also has been ill for the last several weeks and only recently returned to his work in Decatur. Pastors rtf four Willshire churches are assisting in the drive for funds. -Irene Haverman, Willshire, has been named chairman of the Willshire civic committee to raise the money.

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday, January 2, 1954,

Quiz Second American Leaving Red Compound; Relates Red Promises

Relates Red Hold Prisoners Promised Cash, Cars, High To Bribe Prisoners’ WASHINGTON; UP—The Communists tried to bribe, American war prisoners resisting repatriation in Korea with such lures as Cadillacs, >5,000 ip cash, and promises of high positions if the Reds took over the United States, officials said today, . They eaid reports. -?each lug here from the Far East indicate the Reds also promised the American prisoners free college educations sometime in the future. The reports were at least partially backed up by Pfc. Claude J. Batchelor, one of the 22 balky American prisoners who changed his mind and left the Reds one hour after the new year started. He told newsmen at Panmunjom the Communists promised him "travel, education, almost any- ■ Ulina ” ■ iA «r mwW & South America, Asia, all over the world; have any education or career I wanted in the fight for peace,’ the 23-year old Texan said. White the average GI normally would see such promises for the Dmtaatie thing they are, officials said it is not inconceivably the Americans swallowed them under persistent Communist indoctrination. * j Experts doubt that Communist ideology alone. prompted their decisions to forsake their homeland. Some of the youths are believed to be afraid to come home, fearing punishment flor • their actions in the prison camps by former buddies who have been freed by the Reds. Others may be refusing freedom because of family troubles or other reasons they believe important. -j. Officials believe the Communists found weaknesses in the men and exploited them for the propaganda value. The idea was to cover up the fact that 22.000 anti-Commun-ist prisoners are refusing to return to Red rule. If the Americans pass up their final opportunity for freedom on Jan. 22, they may be transported to China, Ru 3 sia, and Eastern European satellites for further propaganda pur; poses by the Communists. 17 Japanese Are Trampled To Death 50 Others Injured At Palace Grounds TOKYO UP —“Human waves” of Japanese trampled 17 persons to death and injured 50 others today when they stormed into the imperial palace grounds to wish the emperor and empress a happy new year. Hundreds of thousands of Japanese went into the' grounds to sign their names in the imperial register. Tens of thousands were waiting outside when officials tried to close the main entrance. The Japanese, some of whom had come to’Tokyo from different parts of Japan, rushed forward to enter the grounds, trr eak 1n g through police cordons. . Women, children and the aged were trampled as the mob pushed through the gate. After order was restored, police and palace officials found 17 dead. The injured were rushed to hospitals, where some were said to be in critical condition. Some 382,000 persons crowded into the palace grounds during the six-hour open house period.

mu n.iS»i i ■■ ■■ four Under Arrest • For Bank Robbery Youthful feller And Three, Others Held j HOUSTON. Tex. UP—The FBI today that two persons •’ jWirged as accomplices In a $57.I Houston bank robbery were I in N ' ew < ir,eanß ' La - ■ Wjkifchpb *F. Santolana Jr., special 7 ■BS* in charge of the FBl’s Hous- , fit-office*. identified those arrest-■-W^Friday'night as James David • Mitchell, 23. alias James David ‘ Richardson, and Mary Lou Rich- ■ ®Ms®p, .U. alias Brenda Joyce I Smfth.' and Mrs. James Mitchell. I Mitchell and Miss Richard' > dfon were named by Donhy Allen. , | 19-year-old teller at the Houston National Bank, as being among I his four accomplices in the robi bery Thursday. i The FBI said they were arresti ed at the home of Miss Jlichardson’s parents and held at the Or- ■ leans parish prison Tn New. Or- . Jeans. ■ ' Allen benfossed after 10 hours I of questioning that he and four » others planned the robbery. One . of the men he named, Johnny Nai raw, surrendered at Houston and i was held in lieu of 350,000 bond. > . Allen told of his part indite fake dtqldup when, officers caukht, hint k "dfer-epaiM”' >u history. He ; first said he showed a briefcase 1 containing 157,349 through his ...page window. Later he admitted he handed it through a doos, after officers pointed out the case was i too big to go through the teller’s 1 window. t.’. ’ . j The teller, who was taking a r correspondence course in banking, - .said he actually gave the* Briefcase to Nick Mitchell. 45, uncle of t James and the last man at large, in a restroom near the bank’s vault section. He said he waited I for five or .19 minutes after Mit- - ehell left to turn in an alarm. i The FBI said neither the money - nor a two-tone blue 1953 automoi bile, purchased about an hburafr ter the holdup, had been found. i British Leader Dies After Heart Attack Viscount Norwich Dies Aboard Liner \ LONDON UP — Britain today mourned the loss of one of its fore- ■ 'most public figures—the 63-year-old Viscount of Norwich, born Alfred Duff Cooper, who achieved world notice in 1938 by quitting the cabinet in protect against appeasement of Nazi Germany. J \ Norwich died of a heart attack , Friday aboard the French liner Colombie off the Spanish coast. With him at the time was the viscountess, who as Lady Diana Manners was a noted actress and society beauty when they were married in 1919. . • "-“5 Lady Norwich, in ‘‘greatdistress” at her husband’s sudden death, left the ship with his remains at the Spanish port of VigO. The 'body -wilT bB flown backto England for burial. Their only son, 24-year-old foreign office clerk John J. Cooper, inherits the title. Lord and Lady Norwich sailed Wednesday for Jasna#cA," whqie they had planned to vacation on a friend’s estate. Cooper said Friday night that he missed seeing them off because he-krent to the wrong railroad station. - Norwfch'was war secretary from 1931 until 1937. when he was appointed first lord Os the Admiralty —the pdst he resigned a yeir ' later as a protest against prime minister Neville Chamberlain’s ap- . peasement et Gentuiiy tt Munich. He returned to the cabinet as information minister when Wins* > ton Churchill became prtane minister in 1940, and held that and - other -key posts through the itkr s -years. He was ambassador to France from 1944 to 1947.

Reds Stepping Up Activities In Indochina Laotian Capital Is Believed Goal Os 2 Offensive Os Reds IJANCH, Indochina UP — Communist rebels intensified their activity today near the Laotian capital of Laos. Luang Prabang, which the French now believe is the Reds immediate objective. Fighting flared between Red Viet Minh troops and French Union forces at two points significantly hear Luang Praftmng — Muong Khoua. 73 miles due north, and Paksang, 37 miles northeast of the capital The rebels lost five men in a skirmish near Muong Khoua and were beaten off when they Attacked ■ boatload of Loyalist wounded soldiers near Pakseng. Communist commander-in-chief Vo Nguyen Giap’s patrols generally kept French Union forces off balance, making it difficult for French supreme commander Gen. t Henri Navarre to group his troops. r The French were increasingly •oww>erned that Giap’s maneuvers Ta.-the vitiiW'^ 7 -SW>ihen Iss.- . a French Union stronghold in I north west Viet Nam, were simply » a feint to cover Ms real objective- . Luang Prabang. —• ’ 2 t 2 Although the weather was clear, French officials tw that the fog t and chilling January rains in north Laps will aid the Communist ’ cause. • •• < They said bad weather will reduce the efficiency of Navarre's j U. S.-built fighter planes and bombI era, which have pommeled Giap’s . troops since the Red commander opened his winter offensive by slicing across Indochina late in . December. 2._ ... French spokesmen said Loyalist forces alreMy had been plagued by a manpower shortage, and unfavorable weather would hamper reinforcement airlift. . ■ - ■. ■ ja.- ...-.. . :' . INDIANA WEATHER . Cloudy and a little colder ■with enow flurries tonight. Sunday cloudy with rain or snow and a little colder; low tonight 23. ,j. _ . • .■ . .. Delton Passwater Is Taken By Death Funeral Services Sunday Afternoon Oliver Delton Passwater, 73, of 219 North Ninth street, well known Decatur man, died at 2: 30 o'clock Friday morning at the Adams county memorial hospital. He had been in ill ' health for two years het his condition had been critical only the past four days. He had been employed at the Decatur General Electric plant for a number of years until hia retire--rrrentOct.T.TMS. He was born at 0., Aug. 30, 1880, a son of Robert and Elizabeth Major-Passwater, and was married to Clara Ross Dec. 24. 1902. Mr. Passwaier was a member of the First Methodist church in this efty.i Surviving in addition to his wife are a daughter, Mrs. Ira Huber of Willshire, O.; two sons, Forest of Van Nays,. Calif., and Robert of Fort Wayne; four grandchildren,and one brother. A- F. Passwater of Willshire. One brother preceded him in death. , Funeral services will I>e conducted at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Black funeral home, the Rev. Samuel Emerick officiating. Burial wilt; be in the Willshire cemetery,? Friends may call at the funeral home after 2 o’clock this afternoon. ■ Noon Edition

Two Changes Made In County Positions Lewis Worthman To Head County Board ...... Lewis Worthman, Adams county commissioner, representing the first district, was reelected president of the board at the annual organization meeting, held New Year’s day in the auditor’s office. Two changes were made in the annual appointments. Dr. John Terveer was named county physician succeeding Dr. James Burk, and Walter Reppert »was named district highway superintendent in the first district, succeeding thelate Phil Strahrn. Cal E. Peterson, Decatur clothier, was reelected as a member of the -board of Adams county memorial hospital. Peterson’s new term Is for three years. He is a Republican and president of the board at the present time. Frank Singleton, county highway superintendent was reappointed to that post for 1954, and David Macklin, county attorney was renamed to a second one-year term. Miss Marie Felber was reappoint- ■ ed county health nurse and Dr. . Harold Zwick was renamed county . health officer. f Boyd Ray er, co-owner of the ■ in Decatur, was reappointed as the i ;county member on the alcoholic ri/ beverages board. . ' Mrs. Dewey Gallagher was reappointed court house matron and she . was complimented by all county t officials on the way in which she i had done her work during the year. Harold Scherry, Preble township, and Henry Rumple, Jefferson tcwn- . ship, were named as appraisers at i the county home and following the . bnsiness session of the commission- ( ers in the auditor’s office, members, . accompanied by Macklin and com- , ty auditor Frank Kitson, joined the t appraisers at the county home tn assist in the annual Inventory. i . "" ' " Waldo Neal Takes Office As Treasurer ~ Geneva Man k County Treasurer Waldo Neal, 43-year-old Republican from Geneva, today began his four year term as treasurer of Adams county, succeeding Richard D. Lewton -who has held that office since January, 1950. Neal this morning announced the appointment of his wife, Bernice, as deputy treasurer. Mrs. Neal is 42 years old and has been employed as a secretary-bookkeep-er for the Limberloet Canning Co in Geneva for the .past four years. A native of Adams county, Mrs. Neal received all her education here. lEx-treasurer Lewton’s deputy, Miss Barbar Kelly, his aide for the past thrtfe and one-half years, will remain on to work with Mrs. Neal for the time being, stated the new head of the county exchequer. Neal takes office more than a been the Successful candidate tn the 1952 general elections. His taking office at this time is > result of Lewton’s being a? holdover candidate after his reelection in 1951. Neal assumes his duties under the nbw constitutional amendment that was made a part of the 1952 ballot, calling for fotXr-year terms off office in several county departments where formerly there ’ were only two. ' Neal was born in Montpelier and moved here with his family when he was a he received his education herd and was In business for himself in addition to being chief of the Geneva fire department tor several years. He has also written Insurance for the .Equitable Life Insurance Co. of New York City. He and Mrs. Neal have two children, students of Geneva high school. \

Price Five Cents

Seek To Learn If Other Gls Are Coerced Texan Soldier In Sudden Request To Be Returned Home SEOUL, Korea UP —Pfo. Claude Batchelor, second of 23 Americans to leave the Communist prison compound, submitted to intensive questioning today by intelligence officers trying to find out if the other war prisoners had spurned repatriation willingly. * Batchelor, 24, of Kermit, suddenly asked to be returned to the United Nations command only one hour after he and the 21 other Americans had celebrated the new year at a party in their compound. The Texan said his Japanese wife’s tearful “come home” letter made him change his mind about, staying with the Communists, Batchelor said be had refused ♦ go home in last summer’s “Ope tion Big Switch,” the big prlsgt exchange at Panmunjom, becau he wanted to become a “pern fighter” against “American aggression.” * r ’ He also said the Communists has Ypromised the Americans edwatie®; aaA?J*adership the “fight for peace.” . ' J ' “It was understood I woula never have to worry about money,” Batchelor said. " Batchelor said he wanted to return during the 90-day explanations, period that ended Dec. 23 but feared other prisoners would kill • him. He asked for an investigation of the compound by the neutral nations repatriation commis- _ sion. At another point, however, Batchelor said any of the Americans could have been repatriated simply by telling an Indian guard that was his wish. Batchelor’s atory of Communist indoctrination contained severalcontradictions, but he admitted he was “very confused” and that some of the other Americans were “mixed up.” One American began crying, “I want to go home,” at the New Year’s Eve party, Batchelor said, ..but CiiU er men <l uieted him with liquor. _ ’ - , Batchelor told only a part of his story to newsmen and then intelligence officers began questioning him intensively to find out how many more wanted to come home, their names and other information. Batchelor,'who had exchanged his Communist blue-quilted uniform for an American winter green outfit, refused to name any of the meh who might be wavering, but it was obvious he had been instructed by U. S. authorities not to identify the men lest he endanger their lives. He identified himself alternately as ‘‘No. 1 leader” and “No. 2. laadeF’ of the prisoners. When he*. was confronted with statements of South Korean repatriates that Sgt. Richard Gorden of Providence. R. It., was the top man Batchelor said the sergeant waji “one of the leaders.” Lt. Gen. K. S. Thlmayya, Indian chalrmanoftfaerepatriasioncotirmission, dealt with Corden through all the explanation period as the acknowledged American spokesman and dismissed Batchelor’s claim to leadership. Royer Infant Is Apparent Winner Os Baby Contest Apparent winner of the prizet-for the first haby of 1954. born to parents who reside in, thei of Adams county, is Donald'Lon Royer, son of Ralph and Norma Royer, of St. Mary’s township. . The boy was born at 1:44 p.m. Friday at the Adams county memorial hospital and weighed 10 pounds and eight ounces. In event no earlier 1954 births are reported to this office by 10 a.m. Monday, the Royer infant will be declared the winner, • -