Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 52, Number 124, Decatur, Adams County, 26 May 1954 — Page 1

Vol. Lil. No. 124.

100 Die In Aircraft Carrier Fire

Terrorist Victim Back On Job IFjfl- 'I JoJVltftS r 4*l * V JjhjaPjq- HKm Sk o 111 g Mt W-iF | pig < •. >■ ■ <,;■* E* ■■ 1 f So|" te.? Ml Hfe 5“- ® ; '' ■■ -Sjjz.WSr,' .’■ i aMS f.Mw ■< W REP. KENNETH ROBERTS (D), Alabama (right), who suffered a leg wound March 1 In the House of Representatives in the attempted ’massacre” by Puerto Rican terrorists, js back on the job in Washington, riding Krom House Office, building to the Capitol in a battery-powered conveyance. Riding-with him is his administrative assistant, E. E. Cox. Policeman is William Basquil.

Jesse A. Ray Fatally Hurt This Morning

. . Defatur route four, died this morning at 10:30 in Adams county memorial'hospital of injuries received as the result of an automobile accident at 7:10 a. m. today* ’ The accident occurred one mile south of Monroe on the Tile Mill road at a county road intersection. Ray’s car was traveling south and was struck broadside by a westbound milk truck-driven by- James Hall, 24,- of Ossian route one. . Both vehicles went over a ditch into a field at the southwest edge of the intersection. The body of the milk truck was snapped off but Hall escaped injury. The Ray automobile was completely demolished. Ray was taken to the hospital suffering from chest injuries, head lacerations and shock. Internal injuries caused his death. Sheriff Robert Shraluka, state trooper Gene Rash and deputy * sheriff Merle Affolder, investigated the accident. Mr: Ray. well known retired farmer, resided in Blue Creek township, four miles east of Monroe. Lifelong Resident He was born in Monroe township Jan. 1/1870. a son of Cyrus W. and Mary Jane HendricksRay, and was a lifelong resident of Adams county. He was married to Luctrecia Smith April 22, 1892. and she died Feb. 27, 1903. Mr. Ray was later married March 16.-1908, -to Edith Beaber. who survives. - Surviving in addition to his wife a-e five sons, Grover Ray of HoL landsburg, 0., Burman C- Ray of Ypsilanti, Mich., Gerald A. Ray of Decatur, Oscar T. and Junior F. Ray. both of near Monroe: two daughters, Mrs. Fred Foster of Fort Wayne and Mrs. Paul Erp of near Monroe; 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Two sons, four brothers and one sisteiare deceased. Funeral Services will be conducted at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Zwick funeral home, the Rev. Vernon Riley officiating. Burial will be in the MRE cemetery at Berne. Friends may call at the funeral home after 7 p m. Thursday until time of the services. INDIANA WEATHER Mostly cloudy tonight and Thursday, widely scattered showers Thursday and over southwest tonight. Warmer extreme north tonight and south and., west Thursday. Low tonight 52-58 north, 58-64 south. High Thursday 70-75 north, south.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Reds Explode In Full Scale 1 Assault Today 1 Launch Assault On l One Os Key Posts ■ To Hanoi Defense r HANOI, Indochina. UP — Elements of two divisions of Comma- ‘ nist Viet Minh troops today exploded a full scale assault on Yen 1 Phu, one of the keys to the south1 ern defenses of -Hanoi. 1 The Red assault promised to become the most serious Red threat ’ fall of Dien Bien Phu. > The French garrison at Yen Phu recently was reinforced by “several thousand” paratroopers who jumped in secret into the menaced ' stronghold. The battle is looked upon as vital in the developing Communist threat to the Red River delta and i Hanoi. If Yen Phu should fall, the Communists would have cleared the southern flank of iPhu Ly, an imi portant communications center i some 35 miles south of Hnnoi. That would put them in a good -■ position- to cwt- tho French eommunications between the northern - delta command at Hanoi and the ■ southern command, at Nam Dinh. Tuesday night the French de- ’ fenders of Yen Phu threw back swarms of Communist Viet Minh 1 troops attacking with grenades, ■ machine guns and mortars. The 1 battle was fought in ankle deep mud and water. . 1 A -major air supply drop also • w-a-s accomplished Tuesday. With the development of the battle, the French revealed for the . first time that “several thousand” men had been parachuted into the position to bolster its defenses. j. .But even with the reinforcements the defenders of Yen Phu are believed to be heavily outnumbered by the Red attackers. French officers said today the Red force has now begun an allout drive to make Yen Phu a “little Dien Bien Phu.” French warplanes earlier today blasted the Red concentrations in the limestone hills. The aerial strike with bombs and flaming napalm came as, French Union troops began pulling back toward -Hanoi from isolated (Turn To Pace Four)

McCarthy In Brief Walkout Over Hearings Leaves Hearing In Protest As Schine Commander Talks BULLETIN WASHINGTON, UP —Army secretary Robert T. Stevens and army counselor John G. Adams today agreed to publication of transcripts of their monitored telephone calls dealing with the army-Mc-Carthy dispute. WASHINGTON, UP — Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy took an angry but brief “walkout" on. the armyMcCarthy hearings today while Pvt. G. David Sehine’a former company commander was testifying. McCarthy left the televised hearings for about 15 minutes in protect against what he called “drivel” and “irrelevant testimony" by Capt. Joseph J. M. Miller. The senator had threatened to stay out until Miller completed his story about Schine’s behavior in basic training at Ft. Dix. N. J. But the captain- was still on the stand when McCarthy returned unceremoniously and seated himself again beside his aides *— Roy M. Cohn and Francis P. Carr —who did not take the walk with him. Miller, commander Os Ft. Dix Co. K, 272nd infantry, testified that: 1. scmne, on his first day with the company, made an offer of “personal assistance'’“help on a trip to Florida—which the captain considered improper. | z 2. Schiae got both* Christmas end New Year’s holidays off. although the company policy was to allow each. trainee but one holiday.. " 5.’ He once found Schine in a truck cab, during a driving rain, while others in the company were practicing on the rifle range. He said Schine explained he was “studying logistics." Miller said he ordered Schine to ths range. ■ 4. Schine once “told me it was his purpose to remodel the army establishment along modern lines.’’ McCarthy’s walkout came after both he and Cohn, chief counsel for McCarthy’s investigating subcommittee, had protested frequently during Miller’s narrative. McCarthy at one point threatened to call other army officers to establish "animosity” between Miller and Schine, a wealthy New Yorker who was an unpaid con('iTlrl To Pone Six) Stockholders Vote t . 7 On Railroad Control New York Central Voting Underway ALBANY, N.Y. UP — Stockholders of the New York Central Railroad vote today whether the nation’s second largest railroad remains under control of its present management or passes to a new board of directors. Today’s voting for control of the $2,300,4)00,0*0 rail system climaxes a blffiar battle between President - William White, representing the present management, and financier Robert R. Young, representing a strong faction of stockholders. Both sides predicted victory and White said he would resign if Young’s win. The two men have indicated mounting tension aiid strong feeling in their struggle . for control of the financial giant. They met Sunday on a television program and 'refused to speak. White renjnded reporters this was “no pink tea" party when they were asked to shake hands for pictures. They took separate trains today to the annual meeting which will decide which of them controls the railroad. A representative group of about 600 stockholders shared the two special trains which brought White and Young here from New York for the meeting. Results of their vote, however, may not become known for several days. Tabulation of the proxy votes starts Thursday. A spokesman suggested the final vote may be announced next Tuesday when to(Tura To Page Six)

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAME COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, May 26, 1954.

Carrier Bennington Is Turned Into Inferno By Blast-Punctuated Fire - - r ~ - , -' _— v

U. S. Opposes Reds Proposal Os Cease-Fire Warns Britain And France Acceptance Dishonorable Peace ■ GENEVA UP — The United States warned Britain and France today that acceptance ot new Communist cease-fire terms for Indochina would mean a “dishonorable peace.” U. S. undersecretary of state Walter Bedell Smith stressed his country’s opposition to the Red) plan at a morning meeting with British foreign secretary Anthony Eden and French ambassador t<? Switzerland Jean Chauvel. The United States strongly opposed the Communist formula because it would lead eventually to a Red takeover of all Indochina. Chauvel represented France at the meeting with Smith because French foreign minister GetJhte* Bidault had flown back to Paris to show the government the plan, which would slice up all three Indochinese states. •— France has been striving for any kind of honorable peace in. Indochina and Bidault's flight to Pariswas expected. But the U.S. delegation was dis‘turbed by the possibility that Britain might back a deal that would partition Laos and Cambodia as well as Viet Nam. Eden suggested Tuesday, after Communist Indochinese acting foreign minister Pham Van Dong had presented the plan, that emissaries of both sides be called to Geneva to draw cease fire lines. For the first time Eden did not make any distinction between the loyal ¥iet Nam government and the Communist Viet Minh regime. Bidault was reported to have accepted Eden’s Suggestion. Informed sources said the Red plan called for: 1. Readjustment- of zones in all three states and exchange of territory in accordance with the following principle: Territories exchanged should be of equal value in size, population, strategic importance and economic resources. 2. In the transfer of territories, armed forces should have free pas(Tiirn To Powe Six) Bundle Questioned At Loyalty Hearing Secret Inquiry By . Government Board UNITED NATIONS, N.Y., (UP) —Dr. Ralph J. Bunche. principal director of the United Nations trusteeship department, was confronted Tuesday by two former Communist leaders at al secret 12hour inquiry bjr a U. S. govern’irfient loyalty board. A close associate of the Negro U, N. administrator said Quache the chance to clear himself.” Pierce J. Geretty, chairman of , the six-man international organization’s employes loyalty board, questioned Bunche in the presence of former Negro'Communists Manning Johnson and Leonard Patterson whq have given information to several congressional investigating committees concerning Comrc.uniet infiltration in labor unions, schools. Neither Bunche. who won the Nobel peace prize for his role as peacemaker in the Israel-Arab conflict, nor Gerety would comment on the inquiry. Gerety said, however.that “no inference should be drawn from the fact that he (Tar* To Face Foor)

Approve Route Os North-South Road Engineering Survey Report Is Approved k INDIANAPOLIS. UF*-The Indiana toll road commission today unanimously approved a 141-mile-h.ng north -south superhighway stretching from Hammond to a point 15 miles west of Indianapolis. The commission took the wraps off an. engineering survey which recommended the road he built through Lake, Newton. Jasper. Benton. White, Tippecanoe, Montgomery, Boone and Hendricks counties at a cost estimated at about 225 million dollars. Governor Craig will be given the report for final approval. The commission said it wants to get started as soon as possible on the project. The route, which may be subject *o minor changes, includes eight interchanges at unspecified locations. y It would start at Cline St. in Hammond and end at U. S. 40 about three miles of Plainfield. The survey showed the commission can expect a volume of 8.500 vehicles per day. Jt showed that’ should the road he extended to Louisville, the volume would be only about 5,800 vehicles a day in the upper portion of the southern section and 4,700 a day at the Ohio River terminus. The southern section recently was ruled out. at least for the present, as not feasible on the basis of the volume expectancy reports which indicated the road would pay for itself up north but be a losing proposition south. The proposed route *" for the torthern section curves slightly to the west of-, a straight line from (Turn To Pnice Six) Survey Shows City Is Robust Market City's Business At High Level In 1953 (Special to the Democrat) NEW YORK —■ Better incomes and freer spending on the part of residents of- Decatur during the past year stamped the city a highpowered market. This is shown in a copyrighted survey of buying power, covering the entire country. just completed by Sales Management. Business activity in Decatur was at a high level in the year, with retail stores chalking up a volume 0fJT3,735,000 1n antes, an increase over the 1952 figure of 113,147,000. This amount, representing .0080 percent of the nation’s business, was considerably more than the volume to be expected on the basis of population. Decatur’s population is only .0049 percent of the national. The chief factor in the bigger spending in 1953 was better earnings per family. The data shows that the 2,500 local families had a net disposable income. after state and federal taxes, of 111,076,000. This figure of earnings, divided iby the number of families, shows a net income of $4,670 per family in Decatur. The fact that the volume of spending was in excess of total earnings locally shows that the city is the trading center for the surrounding artea. This improvement in the earnings picture has made possible more leeway in the budget and in the ability to save money. Locally, much of the available cash was put aside in savings and investments and represents purchasing power for the future. A guide to the relative economic (Turn To Page Six)

11 Leaders Os Puerto Rican Party Seized Charges Plotting On Overthrow Os U. S. Government WASHINGTON UP — The FBI today seised 11 leaders of the fanatical Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, including the wife of assassin Oscar Collazo, on charges of plotting the overthrow of the U.S. government. FBI Director J, Edgar Hoover and Atty. Gen. Herbert Brownell Jr. announced that six of the arrests were made in Chicago, four in New York and one in Puerto Rico. Sedition charges simultaneously were lodged against six Other Puerto Rican Nationalists already in custqdy, including the four who sprayed the house of representatives with bullets on MarcMJ atSd wounded five congressmen. One of those arrested in New ’ York "vias Mrs. RoYA Collazo, 43'- 1 year-old wife of Oscar Collazo, who now Is serving a life sentence for his part in the attempted assassination of President Truman on Nov. 1, 1950. A White House policeman, Leslie Coffelt, was killed when Collazo and another Puerto Rican tried to shoot their way into Blair House where Mr. Truman was taking a uap. The Other assassin, Griselio Torresola, was killed in the gun battle. The roundup of Nationalist leaders climaxed by today’s arrests began shortly after the attack on. the house chamber March 1. Police in San Juan, Puerto Rico, arrested Pedro Albizu .Campos, 62-year-old chief of the Nationalist party, on March 6 after a two-hour gun battle with his die-hard supporters at his barricaded headquarters. Early in March, the United Press received private advices from San Juan reporting that the shooting of the five congressmen was part of a plot -to overthrow the U. S government by wholesale assassination of its leaders. If convicted on the charges of seditious conspiracy lodged against them today, the Nationalist leacTers would face a maximum penalty of six years* imprisonment and $5,000 sing, (Turn To Page Five) Methodist Addition Is Near Completion Two-Story Addition To Decatur Church Final work ft now being completed on the new structural addition to the First Methodist church. It ft expected that the total effort will be completed within the next week and ope\i house is planned soon after completion. The building Is a two story structure of’Colonial design. The main floor will include a panejed vestibule, a memorial chapel of Colonial furnishing, a parlor area equipl>ed with kitchenette, and a ladies' washroom. > - . .. The ground floor will provide a large recreation hall equipped by the young people and other classes, an adjacent classroom, and heating room. The entire area will provide much needed church school facilities as well as a unit of great utilitarian value for weekday activities. It is expected that the new church school class location plan wilj go into'effect Sunday, June 6.

Atomic Commission Planning New Tests New A-Bomb Tests ‘ ’ Planned In Nevada WASHINGTON, UP—The atomic energy commission is planning new- A-bomb tests at its Nevada proving ground. The commission refused to say when the tests will be held. Other sources indicated, however, that they will be next spring. Tests require months of preparation. That new continental tests are in the works was disclosed by the fact that the AEC has asked the public health service to recruit radiological health and safety monitors for them. Meanwhile, new H-bomb tests also were forecast. Chairman W, Sterling Cole (IR-N.Y.) of the house-senate atomic energy committee predicted further hydrogen explosions after a secret briefing given his group Tuesday on the recent H-bomb tests at the Eniwe-tok-Bikini proving ground in the Pacific. The AEC used sites at Frenchman and Yucca .Flat near Las' Vegas, Nev., for testing its sipajler weapons—such as the atomic artillery shell fired there last spring. The Pacific proving ground ft used for mammoth weapons — H-bombs and giant A-bombs ~ which could not be safely tested in the United States. Cole said the spring H-bomb tests improved the country’s “weapons position.” He did not forecast additional experimental explosions in the immediate future, but said “it is expected that tests will be a recurring activity of the commission.” Meanwhile, the AEC confirmed that it and the public health service are making plans for offside • radiological monitoring 300 miles from the proving area In all directions. This has been done during the four previous test series in Nevada. Thailand Planning For Appeal To UN Ask Investigating Mission For Asia WASHINGTON UP — Thailand today was reported preparing an early appeal to the United Nations to dispatch a special investigation mission to Southeast Asia to determine whether the Indochina War threatens world peace and security. Last-minute details on the Thai move were said by diplomatic informants -to be under urgent - study" in Allied capitals. There were official forecasts that -action would de velop “very soon.” Thailand’s bid may follow the arrival in New York on Friday of Thanat Khoman, deputy Thai representative to the U.N. He has been in Geneva where the groundwork for a U.N. appeal has been considered carefully in behind-the-scenes talks between Allied dlplo-. mats. - Secretary of state John . Foster Dulles said Tuesday that U.N. action is an important prerequisite of American intervention in. Indochina. He said "we go in where the United Nations give moral sanction to our action." This com dition would be met if the investigating team found that the war threatens peace. Dulles said, “the prospects look somewhat better than they ,-have recently" for possible U.N. consideration of the Indochina War. He said the United States would support an appeal foj creation of a U.N. peace observation mission for Southeast Asia. The United States and Britain meanwhile are reported threshing cut the membership of military (Continued on Page Fonr)

Price Five Cents

Fire Started ’ By Explosion In Generator 125 Others Injured By Explosion, Fire Aboard Big Carrier QUONSETJ’OINT, R.l. UP — Approximately 100 men were killed and 125 injured early today in a blast-punctuated fire that turned the inside of the big aircraft carrier Bennington into an inferno. Casualties were placed at those figures early this afternoon by Capt. William F. Rayburn, commander of the Bennington, after he brought his fire-scared ship to port here. Rayburn said 25 or 30 of those hurt have more than minor injuries. There was no indication as to when the .navy would release the names of the dead and injured. The' fire, which raged out of control for four hours, was touched Off by a steam torbinfc generator explosion that rocked the mighty warship while it was sailing off the Eastern coast toward this, home port. Veritable Death Ship The engine room “looked like hell," said aviation electricians mate third class Francis Toth of Phoenixville, Pa. “Everyone I pulled out was dead.” The carrier, affectionately dubbed “Big Ben” by its 2,300 officers and crew, docked here about seven hours after the fire — a' veritable death ship. •, The disastrous blaze broke out at 6 a.m., chow time for many of the men. It roared through the portside forward section, trapping scores of ship personnel. At the time of the fire the Bennington was 75 miles south of Newport, R. I, The disaster shocked the nation. President Offers Sympathy In Washington, President Eisenhower offered his sympathy to families of those who were killed or injured. The President said a ~ navy inquiry into the disaster - would begin immediately. Rayburn praised his crew. He said they reacted with remarkable feats of heroism. One seaman, Bruno Costantlni, Detroit, Mich., said many of the men were in their bunks when the fire started. Oostantini Bald he raced to the hangar deck and helped pull out 10 of his shipmates. It was the worst peacetime naval disaster since April 26, 1952, when - the carrier Wasp and destroyer Hobson enWd< with lom -oL iU-. lives. The navy announced those casualty figures shortly after 10 a.m. CST. It was announced secretary of navy Charles 8. Thomas was flying from Washington to investigate the tragedy. Names of the dead and injured were withheld temporarily. A big emergency corps of doctors and nurses was on hand as the stricken carrier arrived here » after what was to have been a routine training'<4bise from Norfolk. Va. Some of the more seriously injured had been removed from the Bennington at sea and flown by ■ helicopter to Newport, R. 1., for hospitalization. There were 2,300 meh aboard the Bennington at the time of the disaster. Norfolk to Quonset The Bennington, a 10-year-old warship displacing 33,100 tons and 899 test long, was en route from Norfolk, Va., to Quonset when the disaster occurred. .Cause of the fire was notdftclosed in meager reports released by the navy here. (Tera To Page Foor)