Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 52, Number 8, Decatur, Adams County, 11 January 1954 — Page 1

Vol. Lil. No., 8.

Jet Airliner Crashes, 35 Persons Dead Airliner Plunges Into Mediterranean During Calm Sunday PORTO AZZURRO, Island of Elba, UP — Investigating: teams rushed to this island at Napoleon’s exile today to find out whether saboteurs caused the mysterious crash of a Comet Jet airliner that killed all 35 persons aboard, including two Americans. The sleek airliner, the first plane used in the inauguration of Jet passenger service almost It; months ago, plummeted into the calm mediterranean Sea Sunday in perfect weather between Elba and Monte Cristo, immortalized in - fiction by Alexandre Dumas. British Overseas Airway Corp, officials in London identified the two American as MrsDorothy and ‘ft. E. Schuchmann of the MacMillan Co. of New York. —Mrs. Baker and Schuchmann boarded the airliner when it stopped at Karachi, scene of another Comet crash in 1952, on its flight from Singapore to London. In addition to Mrs. Baker and Schuchmann, 27 other passengers, including six children, and all six crewmen lost their lives when the plane crashed and disintegrated. The Comet arrived late at 'Rome' on Its non scheduled trip but there was no advance indication that the crew was experiencing trouble after the plane’s takeoff on the last lap of its flight. “We don’t rule out the possibility of sabotage," a BOAC spokesman said in London. The weeping wives of fishermen combed the hair of four children whose bodies were among the 15 recovered, and entwined their damp locks with flowers. j -Ships and planes continued to criss-cross the disaster area searching for more bodies and some due "to the mysterious death plunge. Hearses took the bodies to a little' cemetery on the edge, of the ... village and almost the entire population followed the funeral cortege. Among the 29 passengers aboard the 500-mile-an-hour plane was Chester Wilmot, famed Australianborn journalist, writer and war correspondent. He had boarded the ill-fated Comet at Rangoon after completing filmed interview’s with Britain's Southeast Asia high commissioner Malcolm MacDonald and Malayan Commissioner Sir Gerald Templet. The crash was the fourth involving a Comet since BOAC started providing the fastest passenger flying service in the world. The first crash took place at Rome’s Ciamplno Airport, from which the latest doomed plan? took off, on Oct. 26, 1952. A Comet operated' by Canadian Pacific crashed at Karachi, Pakistan Dec. 81, 1952, killing all 11 per,-, sons aboard. Another Comet crashed shortly after leaving Calcutta Airport last May 2, killing 43 persons. - BOAC officials said the series of crashes would not halt its jet airliner program or slow plans to span the Atlantic this year with (Turn To Pace Six) Mme. Pandit Urges UN Assembly Called — Asks Members Be ___ Polled On Meeting UNITED NATIONS, N. Y. UP — Mme. Vtjaya Lakshmi Pandit of India, president of the United Natlons general assembly, urged today that the assembly be reconvened Feb. 9 because of what an Indian spokesman described as “general concern over events id Korea.” Mme. Pandit, in a. cablegram to secretary general Dag Hammarskjold from her home in New Delhi, called for a poll of the 60 member states on whether they favor calling the assembly back into session to consider the deteriorating situation in Korea. A showdown between the U. N. command and the Communists in Korea is expected before Jan. 23 when, under terms of the Korean armistice, all non-repatriated war ’prisoners are scheduled to be freed. The U. N. date must be observed. The Red command has “ demanded that non-repatriated prisoners be held until a Korean peace conference has been arranged. There was no Indication in Mme. Pandit’s message of the slgnifl- ■ cance of the Feb. 9th date, .' Observers here said it might in(T«ri To Pue Six)

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT w

Marines Battle Germs In Korea ‘ JBhlhp Wb X

AS THE BATTLE AGAINST typhoid and smallpox replaces the shooting war in Korea, this native lad surrenders under protest to a Marine Corps doctor who Is giving the boy a serum injection. Some 2,000 refugees a day were inoculated in Southern Korean viUagee in a drive to check the possible outbreak of an epidemic. ■ — ■——- —— • « ■ 'w y

Airlines Head One Os Eleven Crash Victims Private Amphibious Plane Falls Sunday; T. E. Braniff Killed SHREVEPORT, La. (UP) — A private amphibious plane, forced down by ice, crashed on the shore of a wooded lake south of here Sunday night, kiting Braniff Airlines president T. E. Braniff, nine duck hunting partners and two pilots. Ironically, Braniff's airline, which has flown 2,500,000,000 passengers miles without a fatality, received its 21st annual safety award only 10 days ago. Braniff and the other hunters, all prominent businessmen, were guests of the United Gaa Co., which owned the ill-fated Grumman Mallard. v The plane was caught in a snow and sleet storm that coated it with Iceand forced Pilot W. C. (Buddy) Huddleston, 30, of Gilliam, La., to attempt an emergency landing on the north shore of Lake Wallace. 10 miles south of Shreveport. The plane slammed through the tops of trees into a small fishing camp shack and burned. The bodies of the victims were badly chaffed. A A ■

Besides Braniff and Huddleston the dead included: R. H. Hargrove, 57, Shreveport, president of TeXaSrEastern Trairsmission Corp., g_ne_of. the nation’s largest pipeline companies. Chris Abbot. 72, wealthy Hyannis. Neb., rancher and banker. World War I “Hat in Ring” squadron ace Edgar Tobin, now president of Tobin Aerial Survey Co. of San Aptonio, Tex. E. Bernard Weiss, 55, Shreveport retail executive. His brother, Milton Weiss of Dallas, department store executive. J. P. Evans Sr., Shreveport oilman. , "V” John B. , Atkins, Sr., 55, president of ftighland Oil Co., and chatrman of the hoard of Atlas Processing Co. of Shreveport. Justin R. Querbes, Sr.. Shreveport insurance man and bank director. Randolph Querbes, Justin’s brother and president of Interstate Electric Corp. Louis R. Behexnaydre, United Gas Co., co-pilot. The Mallard was one of two planes returning a party of businessmen from a duck hunt, in southern Louisiana. The other plane, a twin-engine Lockheed, landed safely at Greater Shreveport international Airport, destination of both the United Gas Aircraft, about 36 minutes before the amphibian crashed. Five men, including N. C. McGowen, president of United Gas, were aboard the Lockheed. The amphibian crashed shortly after Huddleston radioed the Shreveport airport tower that the plane was icing badly. Ivey Poo|, night manager of the airport, said "the pilot told the tower he would try to make an emeryenscy landing oh the lake, (Continued on Pace Five)

Conservancy Plan Is Debated Today Debated At Meeting Os C. C. Division s Two teams, from Adams and Allen comities, this noon presented the pros and cons of the proposed Maumee valley conservancy district which consisted of a gathering of opinions heard over a period of the past trio years. The debate took place at the I Moose home at a meeting of the j industrial division of the Decatur ( Chamber of Commerce, with sdme . 30 members and guests ia attend- , ance. > Representing Adams county were Mayot John Doan, head of an Adams county study group which has ’ been against the methods of formation of the district from the start; ’ L. E. Archbold, county agent, also an opponent. Officials present from the county were the Adams county J commissioners, Otto Hoffman, Lewis Worthman and Harley Reef, and ’ county attorney David A. Macklin. Proponents of the district plaii were Thomas P. Riddle, Jr., executive secretary of the Fort Wayne citizen's civic association, Clifford Matson, president of that group, ' and Ezra Shanebeck of Woodburn. 1 Mayor Doan, opening the debate, said: “We feel the laws governing the formation of the district are undemocratic because 500 names are all that is required to bring the plan into the courts. “Mr. Riddle says you can file a remonstrance to the petition, but the law says the remonstratoife must confine the remonstrance to the things set out in the petition. I feel the district sets up a new unit of government and ther should be an adequate representation from the six counties involved in the district (Adams, Wells; Allen, Steuben, DeKalb and Noble counties). The mayor said he believes the district proposes tp do a job which is already being done h)' other bureaus of the state and federal government. ' ... ■

He sajd he was against the district being enabled to tax real estate in order to float bonds for improvements, in additions to the five cents per hundred of evaluation which it may tax for the first two years of the district. County agent Archbold, taking the floor in opposition to the district, bore the main load ot the Adams county argument. Archbold lauded the Fort Wayne civic group on the good Job they have done in public relations i!n Allen county, but he scored that group for what he called their "poor public relations” job outside of Allen county. ‘ The county agent named three Ohio watershed districts —Scioto, Muskingum and Maumee —as having been troubled in the past with having various programs executed. He implied this was because of public opinion. Archbold’s main point was that (Continued on Pace Six) BULLETIN INDIANAPOLIS, UP — William Wllklnaon resigned today as director of atate bureau of motor vehicle*. The Kokomo man was appointed to th® po«t at the start of Governor Craig’s administration. He had said then he did not believe he could devote more than a year to the job.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Monday, January 11, 1954.

Eisenhower Farm Plan, Taft-Hartley Changes Outlined To Congress

Asks Vole Be Held Before Strike Call Urges Government Supervise Vpting Before Strike Call WASHINGTON, (UP) — President Eisenhower proposed today that unions be required to hold secret government - conducted ■strike votes among their methbere before a strike may be called. This proposal stood out among I’4 changes he asked congress to 'make in the Taft-Hartley law. Mr. Eisenhower spelled ouUhis long-awaited labor law recommendations in a 2,000 word message to congress. The recommendations included some asked* by labor and some by management, tt was certain neither would be completely satisfied. The President said so much progress had been made in labormanagement relations that “no drastic legislative innovations in this field are . . . desirable or required at this time.” He said his recommendations were in the interests of workers and employers and, “in a broader sense, they are in the interests of all our people. ...” His recommendation for conducting strike votes under government auspices was phrased this way: “In the employer-employe relationship there is nothing which so vitally affects the individual employe as the loss of his pay when he is called on strike. In such an Important decision he should have )an opportunity to express his free choice by secret ballot held under government auspices.” The strike vote provision appeared to be the only entirely new recommendation by the President. The other points had been largely covered in labor department recommendations dating back to a program submitted by former secretary of labor Martin P. Durkin who quit last summer in a dispute over the extent of the proposed changes in the labor law. Mr. Eisenhower's proposals would liberate greatly present provisions of the law covering Injunctions and secondary boycotts. These two recommendations have been pushed by organized labor, particularly the American Federation of Labor. Present lari requires the general counsel of the national labor relations board to seek an antistrike court order in the case of secondary boycotts. Mr. Eisenhower proposed, however, that this injunctive process tn secondary boycotts be discretionary, rather than mandatory. Mr, Eisenhower also recommended that when an injunction is issued under the national labor (Continued on Pane Five)

Mayor Backing Drive On Polio Prevention

Pledging 100 percent support to the 1954 March of Dimes, Mayor lohn M. Doan today called on all citizens to open their hearts and their pocketbooks and give genev oußly. "The year 1954 may well be the turning point in the fight against polio. We all must help in the battle to banish the crippling disease from our city and our nation,” he said. — "The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis has embarked on a large testing program of a trial vaccine that may some day spare our children the dread effects of polio. ... I GG Program Expanded “Tn addition, the National Foundation is preparing to provide for an expanded program of mass gamma globulin inoculations in 1954; in order to give every possible protection while waiting for the results of the vaccine tests.

— Labor Driving For Unemployment Hall Union Leaders Ask Government Action WASH INCTON UP — Unl o n officials said today that labor is punching an all-out drive to get the administration and congress to halt rising unemployment. Government experts estimate that the number of jobless may pass the 2,000,600 mark by several hundred thousand this month. This would be higher than January in 1953 and 1952, about the same as 1951, and about half the 1949-50 tjpak. But the CIO and, tn a more moderate tone, the AFL, last week contended that the job situation actually is worse than the government figures show. Census bureau experts who draw up the figures conceded that there may be a "little” hidden unemployment in them. But they said the ClO's arguments, M least, were "exaggerations.” Union officials said that they are worried not only about the “rapid” rise in unemployment this winter from record low levels last fall but also kbout the drop in over rime work and the rash of tem"ikirary lay-offs in the apto and transportation industries. All these factors affect buying power, they pointed out, and the demand for goods. A ranking house Republican, Rep. Richard M. Simpson R-Pa. conceded Sunday that the nation ' is in a business “recession” but called it only a “transition period." House Democratic whip John W. McCormack Mass charged, 1 however, that the recession was ' “deliberately” caused by u Eisenhower administration policies. January and February are norm- ‘ ally the months of highest unemployment because of seasonal halts in the construction and other industries due to bad weather, the postChristmas lull, inventory adjustments, and the annual lull in hirIng. But the labor department last Friday noted that unemployment insurance claims have been rising faster than usual this fall and winter. Their figures indicated that unemployment may have passed the 2,000,000 mark at the turn of the year. A’ .The department reported 1,589,125 unemployment insurance claims in the week ended Dec. 26 and ,413,000 new claims in the week ended Jan. 2, the largest weekly volume of new claims in four years. INDIANA WEATHER Partly cloudy and ©older tonight with snow squalls continuing extreme north, Tuesday fair, and cold except snow flurries near Lake Michigan. Low tonlgnt 5-10 above. High Tuesday 10-15 north, 15-22 south.

"This polio prevention program is tremendously expensive and it will require more dimes than ever. But these dimes and dollars are the best investment we can make for the future security of our most precious assets —our children. “With our contributions we also guarantee the very victim of polio —past or present—will get the best available medical care regardless of financial status. Our Adams county chapter of the NFIP stands ready with a helping hand for all polio victims. Today there are more polio patients requiring aid than ever before. "Until this, dread scourge is defeated, we cannot relax our vab iant fight. Our dimes and dollars provide the ammunition needed to gain an eventual, glorious victory. Let there be nd shortage of ammu nition in our city. _ "I officially declare January to be March of Dimes month. Let us all march together to victory.”

GOP Solons Divided Over Farm Program John Lewis Derides 'Trvposei Changes In Labor Measure WASHINGTON, UP — Republicans in congress divided sharply today over President Eisenhower’s new farm program. Some hailed it 4s a sound and effective solution for the problems of overproduction and falling prices. A few openly opposed the key administration proposal to shift fjW rigid high price supports to flexible and generally lower supports. Many of the most influential congressional leaders, including chairmen Clifford E. Hope, RKan„ and George D. Aiken, R-Vt., of .the house and senate agriculture committees, were non-com-mittal. Hope said there are “wide dlfierences of opinion among farmers as wall aj members of congress" on the propbitals submitted by the that his committee will hold ! '‘Sxtensive hearings" as ■ soon as possible. Aiken said the President’# message "provides a basis on which congress can develop a good and workable program that will be satisfactory to farm people and the country as a whole." House Republican leader Charles A. Halleck, Ind., said the Eisenhower approach would give farmers "their best chance to obtain for the immediate future, as well as for the long pull, not 90 percent of parity but 100 percent of parity in the market place." But Rep. Ben F. Jensen, R-Va., said American farmers are “entitled" to continued government support of basic crops at 90 percent of parity "and I think congress will continue to provide it.” Opposed By Lewis WASHINGTON, (UP)—John L. Lewis, president Os the United Mine Workers, said today the "few piddling amendments" President Eisenhower proposed in the TaftHartley law “will not make it wholesome or acceptable” to organized labor. Decatur Man Admits

Robbery At Garage January 3 Robbery Here Is Admitted Ks >. ■ • - r A 23-year-old Decatur man, plagued by conscience, walked Into the Decatur police department Saturday and admitted he broke into the Fritz Ellsworth Garage at 1013 North Second street Jan. 3, and stole a quantity of tobacco products. Howard W. Martin, of 706 North Second, was being held in the county jail pending arraignment on ~a breaking and entering charge-in the Adam® circuit court, according to' prosecuting attorney Lewis L. Smith. In a signed statement, Martin said he took 31 clgafs and a number of cartons of cigarettes after he failed to get the cash register open. ! Th# garkge was broken into sometime after midnight Jan. 3, when a large window on the north side of the building was smashed In, police reports said. ~ — Martin, who was reported by police to have been seen In the area of the garage before the thefts, was questioned Jay city policeman Dale Death last Thursday. In his statement. Martin said he told. Death he was visiting a girl who lived on Washington street. Martin related that he had lied to Death and could not sleep for two nights following the questioning, following which he turned himself in. Witnessing the statement were officers Death and Maurice Teeple.

Candidate ■ Wk jOHKb G. Remy Bierly L Bierly Announces As Judge Candidate Seeks Democratic Nomination In May G. Remy Bierly, Decatur attorney, today announced his candidacy for judge of the Adams circuit court (twenty-sixth judicial district) subject to the decision of voters in the Democrat primary election" next May. Bierly is the first candidate for judge to announce his intentions. « Stating that he would seek only one term if successful, Bierly continued that he would make an active campaign for the post and would “do atttirhis power to carry out the functions of this important post with fairness to all. the people.” Born in Harrison county, Indiana, Bierly was graduated from Marion Normal college in 1911 and Indiana State Normal College, Terre Haute in 1913. <81915 he a degree from Indiana University and returned to his native Harrison county where he taught school. He served in the Indiana general assembly from his native county and then moved to Jay county. He came to Hartford townshlp.Adams county and later taught iff Jay and Wells county schools. During his tenure as a school teacher he served as vice-president oL the Indiana state teachers association? In 1936 Bierly was ejected Adams county clerk and he served in that capacity until 1940. He started the practice of law shortly after retiring from the clerk’s office and also served two terms as Democrat county chairman. In 1945 he was elected prosecuting attorney and in 1951 he was elected joint state representative from Adams and Wells counties.

He is a member of the Adams county and Indiana state bar associations and has been active in northern Indiana legal circles for many years. He was admitted to practice law in Adams circuit court in 1938 andthe’indianaappellate and supreme courts in 1941. , He is a member of St. Mary’s Catholic church; Loyal Order of Moose; Elba; Knights of Columbus in Decatur. Mr. and Mfs. Bierly reside on Third street in this city J They have the following children: -wMrs. Florence Mayle Brice, Louisville, Ky.; Mrs. Fern E. Wait, Fort Wayne; Dr. George R. Bierly, Louisville, Ky.; Frederick E. Bierly, Louisville, Ky., and Mrs. Joan Louise Terser, Alliance, O. Bierly said that if successful in his campaign for the judgeship, he would seek only one term. He said he planned to make an active campaign and he promised, if elected, to treat, all persons of the community with equal justice and favor. —-V Serial Story «Thw <lueat”, a love ztory Written by Elsie Mack, will etart as a serial in Tuesday's Dally Democrat. The story unfolds the theory bf Dale Fras er, a pretty young widow, concerning love and life. First chapter will appear Tuesday.

Price Five Cents

| Flexible And Lowered Price Support Asked Halt Overproduction Os Basic Crops, End ’ Arbitrary Controls WASHINGTON, UP —President Eisenhower asked congress today to approve flexible and generally lower farm price supports to halt overproduction of basic crops and spare farmers from “arbitrary government control.' Ha outlined the administration's long-awaited new farm program tn a 7,000-word special message in which he emphasized that the transition to lower price supports would be “acomplished gradually” beginning with 1955 crops. Farm state congressmen of both parties are leery of electioh-year tampering with the present farm law which requires rigid high price supports on basic crops Advance indications were that Mr. Eisenhower’s proposals would get a cool reception. But the President said the present farm law, intended to stimulate production for wartime, is n demonstrably unworkable tn peacetime.” He said it is piling up vast surpluses in government warehouses and pricing farmers out of both domestic and .foreign markets. A key point in his farm Plan called for disposing of some of these surpluses by transferring about 3% billion dollars worth of government-owned wheat, cotton, vegetable oils and perhaps dairy products into a “frozen*' reserve to be used for school iunch pro--rams or foreign aid, or stockpiled for use only in national emergency. Mr. Eisenhower said his program would open 1 new markets for American farmers “both at home and abroad, not only for current supplies but for future production.*' “Year in and year out, it will provide the best prospects for the stability and growth of fj>rm income,” he said. “It will help the farmer attain full parity in the market. It will avoid creating bur- - densonie surpluses. It will prevent irbitrary government control and f afford the greatest freedom to the ndividual farmer.” He said his recommendations ,rew out of “the moht thorough and comprehensive study ever nade of the farm problem and of governmental farm programs.” In a message of 6,00(? to 7,000 words, the President made detailad recommendations for virtually a very crop for which the government has a price support program. Six basic crops—wheat, corn, cotton, peanuts, tobacco, and rice —now* are supported by law at/ 90 percent of parity. That law expires at the end of the present crop year. Unless congress enacts new legislation, a permanent farm law Written In -IMS -and modified in — 1949, would go Into force. It provides a flexible price support scale ranging from 75 to 99 percentof parity. Mr. Eisenhower with some modi(Turn To Posse Six* 15 New Members Os Red Cross Gallon Club Fifteen persons becaip® members of the Red Cross gallon club Friday, each having made the eighth contribution of blood that made them eligible for member- • ship, Mrs. Joseph Oelberg, executive secretary, announced today. The bloodmobile was stationed here Fridayand 182 volunteers contributed 164 pints of blood. ■ The Gallon Club members are: Robert K. Worthman, Wilson J. Mann, William Lose, Jr., Mrs. Arnold Ostermeyer, Mrs. Joe Kortenber, Ferris Bower, Robert J. Gage, Mrs. Joe Kitson, Mbs, John Rowland, Leland J. Ripley, Don F. Gage, Mrs. Charles Magley, Thomas E. Lambert, Mekkenth S. Jackson and Jerry J. Leitz. Cards will _• be issued to the members by the Red Cross.