Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 53, Number 107, Decatur, Adams County, 6 May 1955 — Page 1

Vol. LIU. No. 107.

LONG DELAYED A-BLAST BIGGEST YET ' ■ ** ’X.w 4- MT ; t * * ■ -I ?oSwwil®k iMHEfIEHiI ■l J|| K Hife ih ’ "' % -X ' EXCEPTIONAL PHOTOGRAPH of the huge fireball arising from Thursday morning’s atomic test at Yucca Flats. Nevada. a 40-inch lens from the observation area, the picture shows the phase just before the shock-wave hit "Doom Town" which can be seen below and to the right of the churning reaction.

Damage From A-Test Less Than Expected Offer Citizens Hope Os Survival During Nuclear Age War ...r DOOM TOWN. Nev. (INS) — The shattered homes and grotesquely twisted manneqdin victims of an atomic tragedy in Doom Town today offered genuine American communities new hope for survival in a nuclear age war. Although two of Doom Town’s desert homes were smashed into jackstraw-like piles or rubble and many of its store dummy “residents” crushed and' battered when an atoihß7 detonatnff roared at the mock town Thursday, from the remains of the scarred city came proof that a real town could take an atomic Sunday punch and live. Most of the condemned community's homes escaped without serious structural damage, and its essential services — gas electricity and telephones — came through the 35-kiloton shock either virtually unscathed or in quickly repairable condition. Most of the damage in Doom Town was in the line of buildings nearest the 500-foot tower from which the atom bomb sent its almost irresistible blow bellowing across 1,560 yards of desert on Yucca Flat. The first observers to brave the dust and lingering radioactivity in Doom Town’s atom-scarred streets reported that two completely furnished, dummy inhabited homes were utterly demolished. These were a two-story brick and dinder block home with basement bomb shelters and a onestory frame rambler-type home with a reinforced bathroom shelter. Hut two other homes at the same distance from the tower, a onestory precast concrete house and a one-story reinforced masonry block home, remained standing, although their windows were crushed into deadly needles of flying glass and their fronts and roofs showed the searing effects of the bomb's gigantic fireball. The first observers to venture hesitantly into the ghostly town did not enter the houses to learn the fate of its mannequin inhabitants. but even, from outside the leveled homes it could be seen that they “died" or were critically "wounded" where they were silting when the bomb struck. Yet civil defense inspectors reported that the town's liquified petroleum gas system suffered only superficial damage, that many of its industrial-type buildings survived. that one of its two electrical substations enterged still in operable condition and that its tele phone system suffered little damage. Newsmen and civil defense ob servers were to give the town a closer going over today. The initial inspection revealed no broken vacuum tubes or television picture tubes in communications equipment housed in Doom Town. — • - bulletin WASHINGTON (INS) — The United States government gave the Vietnamese people today the green n o ht t 0 de ’ pose their absentee playboy emperor, Bao Dal.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Shift Emphasis To Asian Foreign Aid Red Pressure Now Greatest On Asia WASHINGTON (INS) — Harold E. Stassen said today emphasis in the foreign aid program has been shifted to Asia because that is where the "most Immediate threats to world security are centered.” The foreign aid chief told the senate foreign relations committed that the focal point of Communist pressure now is in Asia, where the swing towards Communism or freedom will be “crucial” in the cold war. Consequently. Stassen testified one billion 451 million dollars in non-milltary aid is earmarked for Asia. The administration is asking a worldwide' program of three and one-half billion dollars. Stassen declared that the Communist threat is not confined to military aggression. He said the threat of the Reds taking over a country through subversion “which feeds on economic weakness and resultant political instability." is equally perilous. He said that military strength in the free world must rest on a sound economic base. He added that many important nations in the mutual defense effort “lack such a base.” Stassen said that the basic shift of emphasis in the new program is “away from the highly developed and industrialized areas of the world towards other critical areas.” Rules Legion Post Liable For Taxes 4 To Pay Additional On Wagering Taxes INDIANAPOLIS (INS)—Federal Judge William E. Stockler ruled Thursday that gamblers who hide behind fraternal groups cannot avoid tax penalties. The judge held that Carl L. Woodard, confessed gambler, and the Celtic American Legion Post 372 of Indianapolis operated a 3723,000 baseball pool project as a joint lottery. The ruling means that the attempt of Woodard and the Legion post to regain $7,258.83 “illegally and erroneusly collected” in wagering taxes failed and also that the gambler and the post are liable for payment of an additional $72,387 in excise wagering taxes. For many years it was common proctice for Legion posts and other groups to contract with gamblers in lottery enterprises to finance new clubrooms and other enterprises. Judge Steckler Commented that one witness in the case had given perjurious testimony. He was Nicholas gcollard. former post commander and onetime Boston Ya.nks’ professional football star. Scollard allegedly said the post was to receive five percent only of the gaming gross take. But later he repudiated this statement on the witness stand. Increase Expected In Gasoline Prices City gasoline prices are due for an Increase in the near future. The truck price has been raised by the major gasoline companies and the service station operators are forced to go along with the increase. The new prices are expected to be about 29.9 cents for regular and 32.9 for ethyl.

Warn Congress On Growth Os Russian Navy Navy Report Shows Russia Now Second Only To America's WASHINGTON (INS) —The navy warned today that missilefiring Russian vessels may reach American ports in the "not too distant” future unless the U. S. keeps pace with Soviet shipbuilding. A report filed with congress said that, although the Soviet fleet still has no aircraft carriers, Russian naval strength can now be rated ahead of.Bj’itain and second only to that of the U.-K-The report said the Soviet fleet is built around three battleships, 26 cruisers and 375 submarines, and that it includes 825.000 men — approximately the combined strength of the LT. S. navy and marine corps. The navy summary lidded: “The outstanding fact to emerge from these figures is the startling strength of the Soviet navy. “If this nation fails to keep pace with the growing power of the Red . fleet, the day may not be too far distant when we shall find Soviet warships freely cruising every ocean, bringing the Red flag to every port and lying with their guns and guided missiles off our very shores.” Chief of naval operations Adm. Robert B. Carney has testified, however, that the U. S. still has an “edge" over Russia even in submarines. Carney said only 40 of the Red subs are long-range types of recent construction. The navy statement was Included in the defense department’s semi-annual report to congress. No attempt was made to summarize Russian ground and air strength. Defense secretary Charles E. Wilson said U. S. military spending will remain at about 35 billion dollars a year. The air force said it is well advanced with a program for delivering the hydrogen super bomb and other new types of nuclear weapons. The army reported that it is reorganizing into smaller, more independent combat units. The navy estimated that two billion dollars a year will be needed for ship construction and conversion to modernize the U. 8. fleet. The construction is being held to $1,300,000,000 next year, partly because new ship designs are still under study and atomic power for surface vessels is believed just around the corner. Funeral Saturday For Andres Child Michelle Denis Andres, four-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Andres of Berne, died at 9:55 p.m. Wednesday at the Lutheran hospital, Fort Wayne, of a brain tumor. Surviving are her parents; a sister, Cheri Lane, at home; the grandparents. Mr. and Mrs. William Andres and Mr. and Mrs. Menno Biberstein of Hartford township, and a great-grkndmoth-er, Mrs. Anna McCune of Berne. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Yager funeral home, with burial in the MRE cemetery.

Decatur, Indiana, Friday, May 6, 1955.

Governmemt May Test Every Batch Os Polio I ... Vaccine Manufactured

Nine Men Die In Hofei Fire On Skid Row Skid Row Flophouse Near Chicago Loop Is Guttld By Fire CHICAGO (INS) — The Comfort Hotel on Chicago’s skid row became a funeral pyre today for at least nine men who perished in a fast-spreadihg fire. ' Some 12 to 15 other residents were injured in the four-story formen —only flophouse in the heart of skid row on the edge of Chicago’s Loop. Two of them were reported in critical condition. Fire officials, who gloomily recalled the tragic Barton Hotel fire a few blocks away in which 29 “forgotten men” were killed earlier this year, feared that other, bodies may be found in the gutted Comfort Hotel. Some 75 men were believed tohave been in the 112-room hotel when the blaze broke out at 2:20 a.m. EDT. Half an hour later, nine bodies were taken from the gutten remains. Sheets of flame ate at the roof, leaping into the night sky. A thou<«snd spectators were at the scene Many escaped through the rear fire escape. There was no fire escape In the front of the structure. The stairway leading to Madison St. was blocked by a mass of flames. Albert Reese, 50, the room clerk, said the fire started in a second floor fdur-by-six foot cubicle. He rang the alarm for hotel occupants and called the telephone operator to summon firemen. Then he ran through the blazing building trying to awaken the residents. He added: “Men started screaming and shouting. Most of them got "out through the back fire escape. It was horrible.” The tiny cubicles that served as rooms were separated by chicken coop wire. Each “room” contained only a cot and cost 70 cents a day. Walter Stanko, an elderly pensioner who fled from the top floor, said he heard no alarm, only the cries of “fire.” Reese said he tried to kick open the door of the cubicle where the fire started but was unsuccessful. (Continued on Page Eight) Send Applications For Aid To Schools Applications For Share Os Funds INDIANAPOLIS (INS) — Applications for a share of Indiana's newly-created $5-million memorial school building fund were sent today to all city-county and township schools. They must be returned as of June 30th to the superintendent of public instruction Wilbur Young for processing on a priority basis as of July 1. Young estimated more than 100 schools will apply for money from the fund which limits a single school to $250,00 on the basis of $20,000 for each new classroom, SIO,OOO for additional rooms on existing structures and $5,000 for remodeling and repairing. Loans will o be repaid at one per cent interest through deductions from the school’s semi-annual state tuition support. Money repaid will be returned to the revolving fund and lent to other units. Young said the fund is so small that all applicants can not be satisfied but that the school’s pressing classroom needs for the next two. years will be taken care of by the first loans. Another $7-milllon is expected to be added to the fund —that amount representing anticipated surplus from the Korean war bonus pay-, merits.

Baccalaureate Rites On Sunday, May 22 Rev. Virgil Sexton To Deliver Sermon The Rev. Virgil W. Sexton, pastor of the First Methodist church x>f Decatur, will deliver the Decatur high school baccalaureate message Sunday evening, May 22, .at 7:30 o’clock at Decatur high 'school auditorium, it was announced today by school officials. Title of ißex. Sexton’s message will be “It's Your Move Next". The annual baccalaureate services precede commencement exercises and the graduating class and faculty of the school are the honored guests. Following Is a complete program as announced today: processional — "Praise To Joy." Call to Worship. Invocation — Rev. William Feller, Zion Evangelical and Reformed church. Hymn — “Come Thou Almighty King.” : ???■• Scripture Reading — Rev. Ray J. Walther, First Presbyterian church. Solo — “The Lord Is My Shephard," Robert Sprague. Prayer — Rev. John Chambers, Trinity Evangelical United Brethren church. Anthem — “Glory To God,” high school choir. . _ i Sermon: “It’s YonrWove Next". 'Rev. Sextom Hymn — “Are Ye Able.” Benediction — Rev. Benjamin Thomas, Bethany Evangelical United Brethren church. Processional — “March From Sixth Symphony?' The music for the services will be under the direction of Miss Helen Haubold, supervisor of music, Decatur public schools. Public Square Dance To Close Dedication Closing Event For Center Dedication Dedication week, June 19 to 25, for Decatur’s new Youth and Community center, will close Saturday, June 25. with a public square dance, to which the entire citizenry, both old and young, will be invited. Julius Baker, personnel department of General Electric, will be chairman of the event and a well known square dance hand will be selected to furnish the music for the closing event of the w-eek of entertainment and dedication. Glenn Hill, general chairman for the event, has completed the naming of all events chairmen and cochairmen and he will call a meeting of all chairmen in the next few days, he stated today. Committee chairmen will announce their assistants next week and the hard work of planning daily events will get underway. Several chairmen already have started the task of planning a daily program and indications are that the dedication, week will be one of the greatest events ever held in Decatur. The following additional contributions in cash from $5 to SSO have been received this week, it was announced by Theodore Graliker, treasurer: Mr. and Mrs. E. D. Engeler, Dr. and Mrs. R. E. Allison and family; Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Vizard, and Charles Lose. Contributions of cash and furnishings are being received almost daily, the committee slated, and they will continue to be accepted until the building is opened to the public following the dedication. INDIANA WEATHER Mostly cloudy tonight and Saturday. Showers and thunderstorms north portion tonight. Warmer tonight. Saturday showers and thunderstorms. Cooler north portion Saturday. Low tonight 57-62 north, 72-67 south. High Saturday 70-75 north, 75-85 south.

Three Men Die In Flames At Columbia City Whitley Products Plant Is Scene Os Fatal Fire Thursday COLUMBIA CITY, Ind. (INS) — Three employes of the Whitley Products Company were burned to death Thursday in a flash fire which caused more than one million dollars damage. The dead were Paul B. Walker, 21. Paul Sherwin. 54. and Homer Bowlby, 55. all of Columbia City. Walker, a bridegroom of three Weeks, escaped -to safety through a window but died in the flames when he returned to rescue the two others. Seven other workers were injured as the high winds whipped the flames .and sent clouds of smoke billowing over the town. Onehundred workers fled the flames. Nine fire companies fought the blaze for more than three hours before bringing it under control. President James D. Adams said damage to the 15-year-old firm would run to sl-million. Workmen said they were trapped by -toe smoke uud had to grope around until they foi&d an exit. Heavy Damage HAMMOND, Idd. (INS) Flames which soared 300 feet in the air and explosions of solvents and paints caused damage estimated in the millions to a block square warehouse in Hammond. Ind. Throe firemen suffered eye injuries when the combustionable material exploded Thursday and sent cinders and ashes into the air. Another fireman was overcome by smoke and was taken to St. Margaret’s hospital. Hammond. Fire chief William Tamm, of Hammond, said a rubbish fire spread to the three-story •Great Lakes Warehouse company. Firemen said they were hampered by heavy winds which spread the blaze to other nearby companies in the industrial section, causing heavy damage. • School Gym Damaged NORTH WEBSTER, Ind. (INS) —fire of undetermined origin (Continued on Page Eight) Ike Still Opposes Fixed Farm Support 7 Reiterates Stand After House Vote WASHINGTON (INS) — President Eisenhower reiterated his opposition today to a house-passed bill to subatltute fixed farm price supports for the administration's flexiblesystem. The White House said Mr. Eisenhower had no direct comment on the house action, but hie position that the flexible program should be given a trial has not changed. Acting news secretary Murray Snyder said the President “concurs generally” with agriculture secretary Ezra Taft Benson that the administration would oppose every effort "to continue a program counter" to the long-term interest at American farmers." , Chances are that the house - approved measure will die in the senate this year. Congressional" leaders of both parties agreed, however, that the situation is likely to change in 1956 when Democrats will seek to makt political capital out of the farfn issue for the presidential campaign. By a razor-thin margin of 206 to 201, the Democrats succeeded in winning house approval of their measure to restore high, fixed supports at 90 per cent of parity under wheat, cotton, corn, rice and peanuts.

Striking Railroader Is Fatally Wounded Halt Negotiations On Ending Strike MOUNT PLEASANT, Tenn. — (I£»'6)-— The fatal shooting of a striking employe of the Louisville and Nashville railroad has disrupted negotiations aimed at settling the dispute in Washington. Union representatives walked out of the Washington parley Thursday night shortly after learning that Charles Wright, the striking railroad employe, was shot to death in a highway incident near Mount Pleasant, Tenn. George Leighty, chairman of the union negotiating committee, told newsmen in Washington: “The L. & N. Railroad is directly responsible for the murder of Charles Wright." Hugh T. Shelton, Columbia, Tenn., a legal representative of the strike-bound railroad, said tour men were arrested in the case. He said they were not armed guards as union spokesmen claimed. Shelton said the men “were nonstriking railroad employes going to work. Their truck was pursued and wrecked . . it is a very regrettable situation . . They were not ‘guards', and we don't know yet just what happened.” Wright was found shot in , the back of the head. Sff' toet frota &s car shortly after an L. A N. truck and a private car were wrecked about a mile from Mount Pleasant and about a half mile from the nearest railway property. Langley Is Speaker At Rotary Meeting Starr Commonwealth Director Is Speaker Gordon- Langley, director of the Ohio branch of the Starr Commanwealth for boys; in Van Wert. 0.. was the guest' speaker •at the weekly meeting of the Decatur Rotary club Thursday evening. In addition to his discussion of the licensed, private, nonprofit charity for boys, principally from broken homes, Langley showed the colored film, "Little Mack,” which portrays the prbglems of a delinquent boy and his adjustment under the Starr Commonwealth’s influence. The organization was founded nearly 42 years ago in Albion. Mich., by Floyd Starr, on the promise. "There is no such thing ’as a bad boy." — Langley, who is a graduate of Starr Commonwealth, was selected to direct the Ohio branch of the Commonwealth wheft it was established nearly throe years ago. The Ohio branch is exclusively for Ohio boys and is supported and maintained by voluntary gifts from friends in Ohio. It is located on the. 40-acre Beckman .estate three miles east of Van Wert on U. S. highway 30. Nineteen Ohio boys live in two modern ranch-style cottages in 18 acres of woods, and future plans call for the addition of eight additional cottages, a school building and chapel. The Starr Commonwealth is non-denominational and non-sectarian. It is always open to the public and visitors are (.Continued on Page Eight) Gas Station Worker Wounded In Holdup INDIANAfPOLrS (INS) —A 27-year-old Indianapolis gas station attendent was phot and wounded when he tried to trike a pistol from one of two holdup men. Gerald Greene, who was treated at’ General hospital and released, said the flrat bandit fired as he grabbed for the pistol. Almost at the same time a second bandit appeared and slugged Greene. The bullet passed through a shoulder arid fell to the ground after striking tile ■jsrall... The two holdup men got $l5O. J"

Five Cents

Scheele Says Decision May Be Made Soon Surgeon General Os U. S. Confident Os Continued Program BULLETIN WASHINGTON (INS) — Surgeon general Leonard A. Scheele * said today government approval of Salk polio vaccine has been halted pending a decision oh whether additional safeguards are necessary. The government's top medical man said scientists are now setting up standards for production of the anti-polio drug and for testing it Scheele added: “Until the results of these studies are known we are not releasing. the vaccine for distribution to children.” » He emphasised, however: “We have every hope that the recommendations will be favorable and that the inoculation program will go on.” Scheele also said that the government may decide within the next few days to test “every .tot" of Salk pelie vaccine produced. He said that a panel of experts in the medical field Is currently at work to determine whether the government should take over the testing procedures on the vaccine. WASHINGTON (INS) — Surgeon general Leonard Scheele said today he-is confident that medical experts will find that the Salk polio -vaccine program should go ahead. Dr. Scheele, testifying before the house banking committee, noted that the health experts are meeting at Bethesda. Md.. to study the entire question of inoculating children. He said that the 44 cases of paralytic polio among persons already vaccinated "does not necessarily mean that the vaccine was causing the polio.” The banking committee called Scheele to testify about the vaccine. The group is considering a score of measures calling tor government controls on the allocation of the vaccine. Scheele said he believes that the experts meeting at Bethesda will be able to complete their work later today. He added: “I am confident they will be able to announce that the program should go on.” Committee chairman Brent Spence (D Ky.), said the hearings were called because he believes congress is "greatly interested” in seeing that no child is denied the privilege of being vaccinated. Spence told Scheele that congress wants to give the government powers to channel the vac- — cine to the areas where it is most needed and to inspect the product to make sure all manufacturers conform to top standards. Scheele said the vaccine is not perfect but is "very useful.” He declared: Tn our opinion, the pro- > gram should go on.” He said the 44 cases of polio that have broken out in those already inoculated “is a small number in view of the fact that from four to six million children have been vaccinated.” Scheele hud originally expressed a preference to the bouse banking committee that his testimony be taken behind closed doors. According to committee chairman Brent Spence (D Ky.), he felt he could then ‘ J speak more freely.” Spence at first granted his request. But newsmen protested and the chairman decided a closed session "would not serve the public interest.” He advised Scheele of his intention to hold an open hearing, and the surgeon general agreed. Spence said, the meeting was (Contluuva on Page Sight)