Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 52, Number 166, Decatur, Adams County, 16 July 1954 — Page 1

Vol. Ul. No. 166.

— — '—■— ■ — - —■" -- ■ |-ri- -r- rnr nr - n iji . ii.iuin ,t..i Plan Concrete Reconstruction Os Highway 27

INDIANAPOLIS (Special) -Jndlima state highway engineers disclosed today that specifications are being prepared for improvement on U. 8. highway 27 between Decatur and Fort Wayne. However, no date has as yet been set tor advertising for bids far the . improvement work, and no definite date set for the start of construction. Under the plana, the highway would be rebuilt from a point two mile* north of Decatur to a point -approximately two and one-half miles souths* Fort w »yne. This rebuilding, a spokesman said, would 'be on a concrete basis. -This rebuilding would be a dual lane highway, the same ad the road now Is. As as revealed several months ago, the federal highway will also be Relocated for a stretch of approximately two and one-half miles south of Fort Wayne. This short stretch will be a divided four-lane ' highway, with limited access. The highway office also stated that plans for the future include the purchase of right of way for a 50-foot grass strip and the eventual construction of a four-lane divided highway between Decatur and Fort Wayne. This plan, however, apparently is for well into the future, or when the fedurat highway would next need reconstruction. . Warn Congress Soviet Threat Is Increased - Senate Committee Urges Approval Os Foreign Aid Bill WASHINGTON (IN) —The senate armed services committee unanimously approved the three billion. 100 million dollar foreign aid bill today but reserved the right of its members to offer amendment to the measure on the sen ate floor. Committee approval was announced by chairman Leverett Sal tons tall (R Alas.*.,) after the senate foreign -relations committee. which has also approved the legislation, warned of an increase ’in the Soviet threat in the past year. The foreign policy leaders also declared In a 115-page report on the foreign aid bill that any "cease-fire" In Indo-Oiina will not lessen the Red danger in Asia. Saltonstall said that some armed services committeemen may offer amendments to change a pro vision in the legislation that would abolish the foreign operations administration next June and let the state and defense departments take over the foreign aid program. Sen. Henry 7m. Jackson <D Wash..) said it is likely other aiuendmentfcxjfcill be offered to cut the size of the bill and perhaps toughen the pressure -on France and Italy to ratify the European defense treaty. — Its release coincided with opening of senate hearings on appropriations for tire program, with Geu. Alfred M. Gruenther, NATO chief, and Adm. Arthur W. Radford, chairman of the Joint chiefs of staff, as witnesses .Radford also was appearing before the armed services committee, now considering the aid bill as reported by the foreign relations group. Sen. Alexander Wiley (R-Wls.). foreign relations chairman, predicted the big security bill will pass the seuate "substantially as It Is." He said he did not expect revision of the modified provision aimed at urging France and Italy to ratify the European army pact: The apparently anticipated the settlement being framed at Geneva. It conceded \ "It le beyond question that Indo-China would have fallen to the' Comiminiet forces some time ago If it had not been for the assistance that went to the French and to the Associated States under our military asssltance program. "The dangers that now exist are not to be met by withdrawal but by firmly pressing on with a policy ICMtlwil Oe Page Right)

DECATUR DAIEY DEMOCRAT W ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

—rAdmits Token Gills Made To FHA Employes Builder Reports Token Gifts Are " Common* Practice ,* • « WASHINGTON ONS) — Senate investigators were told today' that If was common pradtiee for buljders receiving millions of dollars In government-insured housing loans to give “ioketo gifts” to federal housing administration employes.' The testimony came from Bertram Bonner, who admitted spending an average of ID to 12 percent less than he received In FHAapproved multi-million dollar loans for seven apartment projects In New York and Virginia. He also disclosed Under questioning by -senate banking committee chairman Homer Capehart (R-fnd.), that ousted assistant FHA commissioner Clyde L. Powell had visited him at his home on several occasions. Capehart, who complained, that it was “like pulling teeth" to get details out of Bonner, asked the builder if he ever gave an FHA official or employe "anything of value." Bonner replied: "not of value ... token gifts.’ ’ , While contending he could not pin down the value of the gifts to "various employes” of the fHA, Bonner said they might range around 50 dollars and were gener-«-aßjf of ihe order of Christmas presents. ' V " " Asked by CapeMtrt if it was "common practice for builders to give gifts of this type at Christmas time." Bonner said yes. Capehart commented that “it would amount to considerable if they all glv§ at Christmas time’ and Bonner Said: "Yes, sir." At first. Bonner insisted that he knew Powell "only from a business standpoint" and "never associated with him socially.” But be conceded finally that he had lunched and dined with the official and that Powell had "dropped by to pay his respects" at hia home several times. Powell, fired by the FHA in April, Invoked the fifth amendment and refused to testify on grounds of possible self-iucrim[na-tion in two appearances before Capehart’s committee. The committee read into the record a list of criminal charges that had been lodged against Powell before he went to work for the FHA but yhith he did not mention on his job application. Asked If he ever telephoned Powell from FHA offices in Wilmington, Del., where he was planuing a housing project, Bonner said no. but he added that he talked to Powell when the state directoi placed the call. Capehart scolded him for being -so technical. Asked by committee counsel William Simon if he requested Powell to intercede in hts behalf, Bonner said no and testified that he merely reported that there was a delay In his project. Bonner said under Capehart’s questioning tliat.no .FHA official told him it was proper or Improper to receive more money In federal ly Insured mortgages than he put out fur actual construction, but he admitted doing it. . Asked by Capehart if an FHA employe told him "it was all right to use five percent in architect fees” as an estimate but only pay out on? percent, Bonner said he was never told this either although he again admitted doing It. . ■■■!—""l— I Dr. L. P. Harshman Is Rotary Speaker Dr. L. P. Harshman, of the Veterans hospital, Fort Wayne, was the guest speaker at the weekly meeting of thg Decatur Rotary ctub Thursday evening. Dy Harshman, a phyeclatrist of maii’y years of experience, spoke on "Modern physlatrlc treatment," discussing the history of the treatment of mental patlants and the many changas In such treatment over the yeere. Leo klrtch war chairman of the program.

U. S. To Reject Soviet Demand On Guarantees Smith Ordered to Reject Guarantee On Territorial Gains WASHINGTON, (INS) — Under secretary of state Walter Bedell Smith files to Geneva today under order* to reject Russia's demand for U.B. guarantees of Communist territorial gains In Indo-China. Shortly before Smith’s scheduled 12:30 p. m. (EST) departure flme, high U.S. officials said she under secretary has been given these instructions by President Eisenhower and secretary of state John Foster Dulles: V•■. /■ - ’ L The U.S. wiU accept the fact of an Indo-China truce If It Is arranged between France and the Communists on terms In keeping With the hgffeftnent Dulles, French premier Mfeftdfcs-Frifnce- and British "foreign secretary Anthony Eden worked’out.lji.Paris earlier this week. 2. The U.S., however, will neither approve in principle the expected partition of Vietnam, nor guarantee the effectiveness of a ceasefire. Disclosure of SmithV Instructions came as the Soviets at Geneva opened a diplomatic offensive aimed at forcing the U»S. to guarantee the Communist conquest of northern Indo-China. The Kremlin’s maneuver carried a threat to success of* next week's showdown talks. A 1 The under secretary begins his mission against the background of a new U. S. policy statement announced Thursday. This declaration, made by secretary of state John Foster Dulles to the British and French at the recent Paris conference, says flatly that the U. S. will not intervene alone to nave Indo-China from the Reds, and that unless a cease-fire is reached soon in Indo-China collective military action may be necessary again stop the Communists in Southeast Asia.: 1 y In the light of this pew policy, mm Is prepgffed lb give U. $. moral backing to French premier Pierre Mendes-Fraoce in his efforts to reach some sort of honorable truce with the Red rebels. The U. S. is even prepared to accept — reluctantly —a FrenchVlettninh settlement on the heals of partitioning Indo-China Into Communist and non-Communlst states. • While the French terms for a cease-fire agreement with the Communist are faT less than the Eisenhower administration hoped for. Dulles and the President have decided on s realistic approach to the problem—to accept, but not approve or guarantee, a settlement similar to that reached In Korea and Germany. Smith was expected to leave by plane for Geneva early this afternoon to attend sessions next week working toward an agreement with the Comfhuniets. The deadline for a cease-fire agreement has been set by the French premier as midnight next Tuesday. He said that if an agreement was not reached by then he <r*a«lßard Oa l*a*«■ rive) - Asks Witnesses Be Cited For Contempt Request Is Made By Senator McCarthy WASHINGTON (INS) — Sen Joseph R. McCarthy (R-Wis). asked the senate today to dte fpr contempt three witnesses who refused to answer questions before his Investigations subcommittee. in his first appearance on the senate floor since the McCarthyarmy hearings ended June 17. McCarthy filed reposts from his governments operatlcms committee recommending contempt citations against: 1. Wealthy writer and educator Corliss Lamont of New York, who refused to answer questions last Sept. 28 about “Communist Infiltration In the army” on the grounds that McCarthy's subcommittee did not have Jurisdiction for the investigation. 2. Albert Shadowltx of Nutley, N. J., who declined last Dec. 1« to reply to questions connected with the search for subversion In the army signal corps, stating that he was advised not to answer by Dr. Albert Elnatelh. * - 3. Abraham Unggr, New York attorney, who refused last Sept. 17 ft answer questions about ak leged American Reds employed by the United Nations and Instead conducted what "McCarthy referred to as a “filibuster."

Decatur, Indiana, Friday, July 16, 1954.

. , , ~ «,; I r 1 ’ — — — — - ■ — Explosives Plant Blows Up lit Maryland; Many Workers Feared Dead

-- ' - ■■ ■ ■■■■fcyypa.) ...efts French Troops Hil Back At , Rebel Forces Assaults Aimed At Breaking Sieges Os French Positions HANOI ONS) Ten French Union troops supported by planes, tanks and artillery struck back today at the Communist V letin iuh forces pressing against two key Red River Delta defense mmtions In northern Indo-China. ~ S Twin French assaults, launched Thursday and continuing today against heavy resistance, weye aimed at breaking Vietmtnh sieges of Sontay, 31 miles northwest of Hanoi, and Luc Nam, 37 miles northeast of Hanoi. N , The offensives, announced by a French military spokesman in Hanoi, were in the first major attacks by the French Union forces since they withdrew to the small defense perimeter around Hanoi and Haiphong. , Fighters and bombers of the French air force softened up the rebel positions with an almost continuous string of sorties. The strafing and bombing attacks were followed by artlll<§y barrages. Armored units led t% ground troops into battle. The army spokesman said the offensives were developing "very favorably.” At the same time, however, the French spokesman announced the abandonment of the fortified camp in Erulin, 43 miles northeast of this north Indo-China capital. The 80-man Franao-Vletnamese garrison withdrew' Thursday night following tour days and nights of steady attack by the Viflminh. The garrison joined up safely wtth a relief column Bent up to cover the evacuation. Le Clair Foiled In Jail Break Attempt Alert Jailers Foil Lunch Hour Bandit SOUTH BEND (4NS) —Bernard Le Clair, 32, the notorious bankrobbing "lunch hour bandit," was foiled in a daring escape attempt Thursday night by two alert Jailers. - LeClair. sentenced July 7 to S years In prison, is being held In the St. Joseph county jail at South Bend pending transfer to a federal prison. Police said the bandit 'robbed nine banks In Massachusetts, Ohio and Indiana of $160,000. Jail officials said the break, in which LeClair brandished a fake shotgun, started when two prisoners involved in the escape attempt begun’ a pre-arranged "fight.” Assistant deputy sheriff Klsworth Hartz and guard Joseph Lonie went up to the second floor "bullpen" where Le Clair and 13 other prisoners were lodged. As Hartz entered the bullpen, Le Clair .Jammed into the jailer's ribs the hand-fashioned "shotgun” made of a 14-inch pipe, adhesive tape and scrap leather and coated (Tara Tm P»r SU> Swimming Classes To Begin On Saturday The Red Cross sponsored swimming lessons wrUl begin with a class Saturday at 3:30 p. m. at the city swimming pool. Classes will take place each (Monday through Saturday for the rest of the summer. Monday through Friday lessons will be given at 7:15 p. m. Registrants are asked to report for instructions on the day Indicated In an article which appeared In this paper earlier. Riohard Gaskill and Kemjefh Harr wiH he Instructors.

Reports “Allied Unity” :' ■ s§£§ - Wm •' S ■ m I ■M H | Bv if -*• ■■ - PRESIDENT EISENHOWER receives his Secretary of State. John Poster Dulles at the White House upon the latter’s return from Paris i where he conferred on the Indochina situation with Britain’s Eden atid France’s Mendee-France. Mr. Dulles reported that the three hod t achieved “a formula for constructive Allied unity."

i < ; i House Group Cuts Military Fund Measure Money Bill Sloshed % 3? Percent By House Committee Action WASHINGTON (INS) — The house appropriations committee slashed an administration money bill by 39 percent today, cutting in hall funds requested for military construction and civil defense. The committee approved a sl,194,188,079 supplemental appropriations bill for a score of government agencies for the current ft* cal year. This was $765,770,188 below the amount asked by the administration. * Two-thirds of the total cut was made in funds for military' construction. The committee slashed 528 million dollars from these Projects and voted 571 millions. Civil defense activities were voted 43 foillion dollars, compared with a request for more than 85 millions. The reduction included a 35 million dollar cut in money for emergency supplies. The house group eliminated the entire 35 million dollars asked for President Eisenhower's hospital construction program and all of the 25 millions proposed for a new social security building. However, the committee granted two million dollars for states to survey the hospital program Members said they were ifot out of sympathy with the hospital construction program but plans were too sketchy. The committee attnwed only 11 millions of the 82 mfnibns requested for maritime construction and earmarked all of the money for experimental modernization of four Liberty ships. Another big cut was a 38 million dollar slash in federal grants to states for unemployment compensation. Thte committee allowed the entire 88 millions asked, for unemployment compensation for veterans. On the other hand, the house group approved all three millions requested to enlarge the border patrol to apprehend Mexican "Wetbacks” and nine of the 10 mil lions proposed to hire an additional 1,400 Internal revenue agents. BULLETIN WASHINGTON (INS) — House and senate conferees on the administration’s omnibus tax revision today approved a proviaion permitting working wives, widows and widowerp to deduct up to~~ S6OO for child ears. The oonference oommittee adopted the senate provlelon of the bill on thle subject. It Is more liberal than that voted by the house.

More State Budget Requests Announced 18 New Armories Sofight in Indiana INDIANAPOLIS (IN) director Dpn Clark UHLy em-. barked oil a policy of announcing budget requests for state departments and divisions as they are filed with him, rather than waiting until the general assembly meets. Clark noted that by the immediate release, money requests coming before the genei-al assembly will be known far enough in advance to focus greater attention on each item than was possible when the budgets were made public en masse after the legislators began deliberations. The director inaugurated the policy by announcing a state police department budget request for construction and repair of $354,815 late Thursday. Then today Clark announced the budget requests of the adjutant general’s office for armory conatruction. of the Indiana State Soldiers Home of Lafayette for a new hospital and Other buildings, and of the Northern Indiana Children’s Hospital, South Bend, for maintenance and repair work. ’ Maj. John 'M. Keller, fiscal officer of the state adjutant office, noted that the request for $1,044,240 for the next two years to build IS armories and six storage buildings represents a chance to save the state considerable money, he said; "It is Imperative that consideration be given to each and every project due to the fact that the national gilar<l bureau in Washington D. C. has a total of fifty million dollars available at the present time to pay their share of 75 per cent of all armory construction. However this has not been allocated to the various, states in any definite amounts. They will handle ft on a ‘first come-first served’ basis only and unused monies will be reverted In June, 1957." 51 .Major Keller also noted that the Indiana guard now Is renting some office and drill space, but that if the new armories were built, coiild save this rent and also derive some rental of theli&own from the new structures. The. nbw- armories sought are at Angola, Rockville, f ‘ Washington, New Albany, Greenfield, Seymour, Vincennes, Hartford city, Kempton, Warsaw, Remington, 'Martinsville, Peru, Plymouth, AndenSon. Delphi,; Linton, and Boswell The proposed new storage buildings ore at Bluffton, Huntington, Remington, Seymour, Shelbyvllle and Washington. The new hospital aougnt for the Soldier’s Home at Lafayette Is estimated to coot $1,995,000. Also sought Is a new motel type employes’ building at $126,900, and housing units fbr married couples (Tara Ta ran >la>

Promotions Listed By Central Soya Co. Personnel Changes^ Announced Today Four promotions to managerial ; positions in Central Soya coinpa--1 ny, were announced today by cotns -pany officials. George R. “Dick" Walter, 1140 Master drive, since 1951 assistant manager of the Decatur platlt, will succeed Wayne Zerkel as manager of the company’s plant in- Memphis, Tenn. Joining Central Soya Co., January 27, 1935, Zerkel has been named to a new position of production engnieer with company-wide responsibilities. A son of Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Zerkel, 607 W. Monroe St., Wayne has been manager of the Memphis operation since 1949. Wendell “Sonny” Mann, for the past' J ?$lo years assistant manager of the company's Gibson City (Ill.) plant, has been named manager of the Marion, Ohio, plant. Mann succeeds Robert Fay, formerly of this city, who has been appointed manager of the company’s new $6,000,00(1 soybean processing and feed mixing plant in Chattanoogtf, Tenn. Prior to going to Marion, he was superintendent of the solvent plant in this city. Walter joined the company in April, 1947 in the capacity of su- : perintendent of maintenance and '• rapair at-, the Pa., [ plant. In September, VStt TW ♦as ' transferred to fteeatur as area superintendent of the MAR department, and In 1951 was named assistant to C. I. Finlayson, Decatur plant manager. A graduate of Purdue University with a degree in mechanical engineering, Walter was a lieutenant colonel in the army air force in World War 11, serving as chief of .aircraft maintenance for the third tactical air command at Langley Field, Va. His wife, Gere, and their three children Krill move to Memphis in the near future. Mann is a graduate of Decatur high school and Purdue University where he was awarded a degree in mechanical engineering. His wife is the former Patrica Moser, daughter.of Mrs. Walter Krtck of this city. The promotions come with the expanded Operations of Central Soya Co., and the construction of the Chattanooga plant, which is expected to he ready for full scale operation by next April. Tom Allweln, formerly of thtt city, son of Mrs. Grace Allweln, is manager of the Gibson City plant. Decatur Youth Is Released On Bond Johnson Released Under SSOO Bond Charleß R. Johnson, 22-year-old Decatur young man who has admitted taking part in an auto tbeft July 8, has been released on a SSOO > bond, according to his attorney, D. Burdette Custer. „ Johnson, with Robert E. Grimm of route six and Paul Taylor of Monroeville, have been charged In federal court with stealing an automobile in Fort Wayne and taking it to Ohio in violation of the Dyer act. Grimm, 20 years old. was arrested earlier this week with two ( Juveniles In connection with other robberies. One of the Juveniles reported being Involved In the car theft, Johnson, Grimm and Taylor will be arraigned either July 23 or in September; Punishment under the ( Dyer act which they are alleged ( to have violated Is $6,000 fine, five . years In prison or both. , i INDIANA WEATHER Partly cloudy and pleasant tonight. Saturday partly cloudy and warmer. Scattered showers southwest and ox- { trome west Saturday. Low tonight M-64 north, 62-66 south. ( High Saturday 84-90 north, 88- | 94 south.

Price Five Centi

10 Buildings Are Reported As Set Afire Most»Of Employes At Plant Women; 40 Are Injured BULLETIN CHESTERTOWN, Md. (INS) —- Nino persons are known to have perished and at loaat 50 wore Injured today when a eerie* of horrifying, “atomic-like" explosions demolished a 40acre munitions plant In Chettertown. CHESTERTOWN, Md. (IN) —An explosives plant employing 300 persons, most of them women, blew up at Cheatertown today and there were at least 40 injured. Whether there were any dead ccfuld not be told, since rescue workers were unable to enter the flame-racked ruins of the Kent Manufacturing Co. plant. Forty persons were hospitalized about an hour after a series of six tremendous explosions rocked the area on Maryland's eastern shore, breaking windows half a mile away. iMore casualties were expected, to* all ambulance*, even from as tmr awaa-aa iftmrar, Bel., raced* to the scene. The entire town of Chestertown was in a state of terror, since the Kent plant Is the largest in the town of 3,000. Residents rushed tram their homes when they heard the explosions, but were unable to get near the scene. A column of smoke estimated to be 1,000 feet tall roared above the plant. - The entire civil defense organization of Kent county went into action, hut, so far, the only known survivors were those who had managed to walk out of the holocaust by themselves. The Red Cross dispatched ambulances and first aid teams from Wilmington, Del., Baltimore and Washington, D. C. Chestertowu la about 85 miles northeast of Washington and about 65 miles east of Baltimore. The army ordered a team of doctors and nurses and a fleet of ambulances to Chestertowu from its proving ground baßs at Aberdeen,. Md., about 16 miles away. Some of the employee at the explosives plant are the wires of soldiers stationed at Aberdeen. The Injured were rushed to the Kent and Queen Anne’s General hospital at Chestertowu. A (tremendous fire raged, and Ohestertown’s entire fire department fought the blaze. Firefighters from nearby towns were called out, as were all available ambulances In the area The Kent plant, which takes up 20 acres on the western edge of Chestertown, fabricates fireworks and explosives for the navy. The series of blast broke windows In the business section half s mils away. Windows were also shattered in the residential sections of the town, whose population Is about 3,000. Tbs explosives plant is composed of several large brick and frame buildings, plus a number of smaller ones. The large structures were among those which h l *" up. Buildings On FTr# SILVER SPRINGS, Md.. (IN8) —Aerial observers were quoted today as saying that at least 10 buildings were set ablaze In the explosion and fire which gutted a Chestertown, Md.. explosives factory. The report was relayed by George J. Pasquale, Silver Spring amateur radio operator, who was In communication with the airport tower the Aberdeen, Md., proving grounds, soma 16 mlloa from Chaatartyjrn, i , Pasquale said hit Aberdeen radio contact. Chariot CroßftU. told him; "1 can see from the tower (Ceatlaae* Oa Pa«e Fixe)