Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 54, Number 74, Decatur, Adams County, 28 March 1956 — Page 1

Vol. LIV. No. 74.

TREASURY AGENTS SEIZE COMMUNIST OFFICES — f’’ KwH|MMr*.lf ▼ |•: w." r 1 'fl® \\ * wj2jK® |£|igk \ . LJ* aMMBB > vs &„■■■■■■■■■«. fc-.aiM-.—.Mv.. - ... FROM COAST TO COAST, scenes like those above were enacted as Treasury agents padlocked offices of the official Communist party publication. Daily Worker, for non-payment of taxes. Other teams of T-men seized Communist party offices in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, and N'. J. In New York (left), police were called when editorial employes refused to „• leave, but in other cities, such as Chicago (right) T-men met no resistance as they sealed the doors.

Good Neighbor Parley Hailed Great Success Three Governments Hail Conference As A Great Success WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS. W. Va. (INS) —President Eisenhower left White Sulphur Springs by train for Washington a( 9:08 j a m. EST today at the end of the “good neighbor" conference which! wound up on a note of complete harmony among theFU7 _ S;’, Can-; adian and Mexican leaders. The three governments hailed the : meeting as a great success. Canadian prime minister Louis St. Laurent and Mexican president Adolfo .Ruiz Cortihes paid bripf farewell’cfilT* oft Mr. Elsenhower before leaving for their home capitals. V_ * The conversations ranged from plans for winning new'friends for democracy in the cold war against Communism to measures for halting poaching by American fishermen in Mexican waters. No _pacts were signed and no formal decisions reached. But the bonds of friendship among the three countries were strengthened by a new confidence that there are no common problems which can’t be wroked out by men of good faith. President Eisenhower said the meeting had resulted in exactly what he had intended by giving the three chiefs of state an oppor-j tunity to get to know each other! better. . Cortines declared it had ushered in a "new era” of friendship and cooperation among the heads, of the three governments. St. Laurent praised the informal talks as "something entirely new" in .North American diplomacy and expressed nope they would lead to closer relations between his country and Mexico. Cortines was particularly pleased by a pledge from Mr. Eisenhower that the U.S. will not dispose of its surplus agricultural commodities in away which would hurt Mexico. He said in a statement last night that the President also promised the U.S. would continue to help Mexcio develop through the ExportImport hank. Canada failed to shake the U.S. from has position against admitting Communist China to' membership in the United Nations', but did not press the issue. Mr. Eisenhower met separately with both Cortines and St. Laurent earlier to take up maters of special inerest to each country. The president’s younger brother. Dr. Milton Eisenhower, sat in on most of the discussions. Milton, president of Pennsylvania State university, often advises his older brother on Latin-American problems. The President’s special train was due in Washington at 3:30 p. m. (EST). He is rettyning on. the same private car he occupied on the trip to White Sulphur Springs Sunday night. Secret service agents still are investigating the possibility that ••poisoned" ginger ale was served (Continued °n. Pare Five) INDIANA WEATHER Partly cloudy and somewhat colder south, mostly cloudy north toniflht. Thursday partly cloudy and a little colder north. Low toniflht 30-35 north, 35-44 south. High Thursday 38-45 north, 45-55 south.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Democrats Planning Pre-Primary Dinner Reception, Dinner Planned On May 1 Plans were announced today ter a Democrat pre-primary dinner to be held Tuesday, May 1. at the Decatur Youth and Community Center. Sheriff Merle Affolder has been named general chairman of the affair. • It will •be a get-to-know-your-candidates affair and will include a reception in the afternoon at the American Legion home and the banquet beginning at 7 p. m. In addition to the local candidates. guests will include Claude Wickard, Democrat candidate from Indiana for the U. S. Senate, and most of the Democrat candidates for governor of the state. The general committee assisting Affolder includes Mrs. Karl Sprunger of Berne, Mrs. William Hunter, Miss Rosemary Spangler", Miss Rose Nesswald. Miss Marlene Laurent, Miss Rheta Butcher and Miss Diana Linn, all of Decatur. In charge of ticket sales will be Art Muselman and Grover Moser, Jr., at Berne; Miss Rose Nesewald and Miss Rosemary Spangler a tDecatur, and Ray Umpleby and Stanley Baumgartner at Geneva. These will be assisted by precinct committeemen of the county. Letters are being sent to many well-known area Democrate. , \ln charge of the program will be Mrs. Elmer Beer of Berne route one. Mrs. Clarence Buckingham of Geneva. Mrs. Gerald Ross of Decatur. Mrs. Dwight Schnepp of Monroe route one. Mrs. Louis Reinking of Preble. Mrs. Phil Macklin of Decatur. Mrs. Walter Butcher of Decatur. The table committee will be Mrs. Louis Smitley of Decatur. Mrs. Bessie Koos of Decatur, route three. Mrs. Austin Merriman of Monroe route ofte. Mrs. Earl Sipe of Berne route two, Mrs. Gale Runyon of Geneva route two. Mrs. Ralph Bollenbacher of Geneva route two, Mrs. Jerome Braun of Decatur, route four and Mrs. James Brown of Decatur route four. —- —7- b"7'. ; — The reception committee will be composed of Mrs. Niland Och(Continued On Page Five)

Some Utility Lines Damaged By Storm Telephone, Power Lines Are Damaged A wind storm which brought rain and hail did some damage last night to utility poles, and lines in the surrounding area. ' Among the telephone lines which were put out of commission as a result of the storm was the line to Fort Wayne, This line has been restored, however, and telephone traffic to Fort Wayne has been resumed. Also broken temporarily by the storm were 10 rural telephone lines but these are being repaired by telephone company y crews today and are expected to be back in operation by the end „of the day. One telephone pole was damaged as a result of the storm. L. C. Pettibone, superintendent of the city light and power department. reported that about eight or 10 poles were broken or damaged in Union and Root townships and that one line was down in Root township. He said that these are being repaired as quipkly as possible.

Senate Leader Is Involved In Fight In Texas Democratic State Chairman Os Texas Opposed To Johnson WASHINGTON (INS) - Senate Democratic leader Lyndon B. Johnson and house speaker Sam Rayburn fired back today at Gov. Allan Shivers in the fight for control of the Texas delegation to the Democratic convention: Johnson, answering Shivers’ charge that he is being “used” by liberal groups, indicated his willingness to head a “united. delegatlon to the Democratic convention next August." Rayburn, who Has ’ proposed Johnson as a “favorite son" presidential candidate from Texas, said he may break a long silence and .|ssue a statement regarding Shivers. : The speaker said: “I’ve never mentioned name in a public speech or interview, but the time has arrived when 1 may have to do so." Johnson, in an apparent reference to Shivefs’ bolt to the GOP in 1952, stressed that he has "never been the errand boy of reactionary big business 0 for the Republican party." Democratic state chairman George Sandlin confirmed earlier battle warnings when he declared in Houston he is opposed to mak ing Johnson Texas’ “favorite son" presidential candidate and chair man of the delegation. Sandlin was believed to be rep resenting the views of Gov. Allan Shivers, who indicated last Sunday he is cool to the idea of a John son - controlled convention delega tion. The Texas upheaval was but one facet of the rapidly shifting Demo cratic presidential situation, put in motion by Sen. Estes Kefauver’e Minnesota primary defeat of Adla E. Stevenson one week ago. There were these other develop ments: 1. Former President Harry S Truman tried to kill reports thai he is under consideration by some Democrats as a possible “compro mise" nominee if that became nec essary at the August convention Truman said "30 years of public office is enough." The ex-president confirmed an International News Service account in which former Democratic chairman Frank McKinney said Truman asked him to "spike any movement" that might develop to nominate him. 2. In California, Sen.’ Hubert Humphrey (D Minn.), a Stevenson leader, predicted that any Democrat ’can and will defeat president Eisenhower.” But Humphrey, who shared in Stevenson’s Minnesota setback, declared that the 1952 presidential nominee must win in California’s June 5 primary or his chances of getting the nomination are remote. 3. Georgia Gov. Marvin Griffin said Stevenson would likely carry Georgia if nominated by the Democratic convention. Griffin said he did not believe Stevenson’s chances were seriously hurt by hia upset loss to Kefauver in Minnesota. 4. Johnson denied that be is either a presidential candidate or one who is interested in “stopping anybody” from getting the Democratic nominat|on.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, March 28, 1956.

Communists Agree To Open All Party Safes To U.S. Investigators

Sen. Kefauver To Seek State Primary Vote Kefauver's Name To Be Entered In State Democratic Primary INDIANAPOLIS (INS) — Sen, Estes Kefauver’s name will be entered Thursday in the Indiana Democratic presidential primary set for May 10. Andrew Jacobs, former Democratic congressman from Indiana, announced Tuesday night that he had received a telegram from the Tennessee senator authorizing the action. Jacobs said that Kefauver Informed hlm be would like to enter the Indiana primary to give the people a choice and pledged he would wage an energetic campaign in the Hoosier state. He added that he expects to receive written, confirmation from Kefauver- -today ot— the wired- authorization. ' ■ ' - . ’ ■ ’ . Kefauver is likely to be the only Democrat entered in the Indiana presidential primary because Adlai Stevenson, the 1952 party standard bearer, has indicated hr w|ll not enter the race. ~M President Eisenhower’s name already is entered in the Hoosier Republican primary. Kefauver’s entry in the Indiana primary will.widen the split among Hoosier Democrats. Frank E. McKinney, former Democratic national chairman, has declared he favors New York Gov. Averell Harriman, if he runs. (Continued on Pare Klornt) Rotarians To Meet Earlier Thursday The Decatur Rotary club will meet at 6:15 o’clock Thursday evening, 15 minutes earlier than usual, for their weekly dinner meeting at the Youth and Community Center. Meeting time was advanced for this week in order that members may attend church services Thursday night. This will he the annual: election of officers and all club: members are urged to. attend. Murphree Appointed Czar Over Missiles Secretary Wilson Appoints Murphree WASHINGTON (INS) — A sci-entist-executive who urged the $2,000,000,009 gamble that produced the atomic bdmb will act as “czar” over America’s effort to build oc-ean-spanning rocket missiles—. , Eger V. Murphree. 57, president of the Esso Research and Engineering Co., of Summit, N.J., was named to the post Tuesday. Murphree was a member Os the original committee that organized the Manhattan A-bomb project and still sits on the atomic energy commission’s general advisory -committee. Defense secretary Charles E. Wilson announced that Murphree will come to the Pentagon about April 3. as special assistant “responsible for the direction and coordination of all activity” involving missiles other than those already in combat units. Murphree will serve without pay. He has been granted leave of absence from Esso for at’least a year. Wilson said “that’s right’’ when asked if his appointee will have “whatever authority is necessary to do the job.’" The defense chief’s announcement came after months of search for a top executive to coordinate the several missile projects that were accelerated last year when the nation’s top scientists determined that space-traveling rockets could carry H-bomb warheads.

Communist Leader Seized In Chicago Top Party Official Is Nabbed By FBI CHICAGO (INS) -- Emanuel I Blum, 52, described by the FBI jas a “top Communist party offi- ] cial” and a Red underground leadj er, was held in Chicago today on I a federal charge. . . Blum was arrested on the south side by FBI agents Tuesday. D. S. Hostetter, head of the Chicago FBI office, said Blum offered no resistance. He was picked up on a warrant issued in Indianapolis charging him with being a member of the Communist party while “knowing its aim to be the overthrow of the ' U. S. government by force and violence.” Blum was brought before U. S. -commissioner C. S. Bentley Pike and jailed in lieu of $20,000 bond. Pike continued the case to April 4. i The arrest was first announced in Washington by FBI director J. Edgar .Hopyer. -who. reported. that Blum was active in Communist party activities in Massachusetts and Indiana, often posing as a toy salesman or lecturer. The FBI said Blum, a native New Yorker, was employed by the Communist party as early as 1942. He was executive secretary of the" New York State Communist party in 1943 and In 1945 was named president of the Communist party in Massachusetts. He also ha<served as chairman of the. New England Communist party. The bureau said Blum arrived in Indianapolis in early 1951 as organ izerfort he Communist party in Indiana. It added: “He has continued his organizing efforts in Indiana, traveling extensively, but since late 1951, he has maintained several residences in the Chicago area.” Over Thousand Eggs On Tree At Library Library's Egg Tree Is Now On Display The annual egg tree featured every Easter season at the Decatur public library is “in bloom” again and more than 1.009 colorful eggs, ranging from the humorous to the exquisite, are on display on the tree. Miss Bertha Heller, librarian, i who started the "egg tree project : several years ago, stated that she expects added growth of the tree j this year since many persons ■ plan to decorate eggs for the tree. The tree features eggs from Alaska. California, Illinois, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Michigan aS well as from all over Indiana. Represented are several authors— Esther Meeks, Clara Ingram Judson, Lillian Budd. Sigrid Sittig and Katherine Milhous. Also featured is an egg from Louis J. Jay. nationally known hobbyist who specializes in egg coloring. Again this year the most unusual feature of the egg tree is the great variety of eggs displayed. They have been given to the library by persons of every age and. of every stage of artistic talent. Some depict favorite childhood stories, some show beautiful scenes or still life pictures, and still others are decorated with geometric designs. Most of the eggs are chicken eggs but there are also robin eggs, glass eggs and even parakeet eggs. Some are highly elaborate, others are simple, but all are colorful. This year the egg tree custom is beginning to spread. Trees are also featured at the Lincoln grade school, at the Berne school and at the Mennonite Book Concern in Berne. Miss Heller has issued an invitation to the public to visit the library and see the egg tree which will not be taken down until affContinutd on FMT* Five)

Official Red Organ Lashes < Stalin Policy Pravda Breaks Long Silence On Attacks On Stalin Policies MOSCOW (INS) — Pravda, the official organ of the Soviet Communist party, broke a month-long Silence today on the late Joseph Stalin by printing a lengthy denunciation of his iron-handed dictatorship. The unsigned article, also broadcast by Moscow radio and carried by the Soviet news agency Tass, bore down heavily on Stalin for his encouragement of Caesar worship. It said that as time went on the glorification of the dictator “assumed more monstrous forms and did serious harm to the cause.” Pravda charged that Stalin's monomania led to personal dicta'torsElp'enforced by a police system. < - - - - - - 7 — -- - --- - It attacked the late dictator’s a military genius and warned heretofore sacrosanct position as that Soviet accounts of World War ll* had been loaded "primarily with exaggeration of Stalin’s role." The newspaper said credit for the victory over Germany should go to “our army and people.” The Pravda attack did not mention the secret speech at the party congress by first secretary Nikita Khrushchev which touched the current re-evaluation of Stalin. It was published as an extension of a published congress report calling for liquidation of the “cult of personality,” which is Sovietese for giving adulation to everything Stalin ever did or said. Leveled against Stalin in the article ‘ were serious charges, all of which it said were caused by his failure to acknowledge the principle of collective leadership. The articles said the cult of personality had caused bad methods in all sections of public life, con(Continued sa Page Sight) Electoral Measure Shelved By Senate * System Os Choosing President Unchanged WASHINGTON (INS) —The system of choosing U.S. presidents by electoral rather than popular vote was left as it is today by the senate's failure to agree'on away to change it. The whole question of how to give the people a more direct voice in electing their presidents was shelved by thc -Senate Tuesday night when supporters of one possible method realized they could not get the two-thirds approval necessary for a constitutional amendment. ’ Their plan would have ended the present “wlnner-take-all” system of giving all of a state’s electoral ballots to whichever candidate won most of its popular votes. Instead, a state would have been allowed to divide its electoral votes among the top three presidential candidates in proportion to their popular votes, or it could have picked Jtr electors as it does its u. S._ senators and representatives, i The senate approved this idea, I 48 to 37. but that was far shy of the margin necessary. With 85 sen- I ators answering the roll-call, 57 I would have had to vote in the as- i firmative for the amendment to pass. ' 1 Sen. Price Daniel (D Tex ), au- • tbor of the amendment., moved to i have It sent back to the senate 1 judiciary gommittee in hopes a i new draft could be worked out i Khieh would have,the necessity i support.

Candidate Otto Hoffman

Hoffman Candidate For Commissioner Seeks Democratic Nomination In May Another race in the Democrat primary developed Tuesday with the filing of a declaration of candidacy by Otto Hoffman, well known Washington township farmer, who will seek nomination to the rost of commissioner of the tieccnd district. Hoffman, who has previously served two terms as county commissioner, will oppose John Kintz in the Democrat primary May 8. He was not a candidate in the last election of a second district commissioner. The latest candidate to file is a native of Adams county and a graduate of pecatur high school. He has been active in Democrat politics for many year*,--Other races in the Democrat primary include the three-way contest for county coroner betwene Harmon Gillig. Elmer Winteregg and Richard Linn, and the three-way race for first district commissioner between Lewis Worthman, Richard Bleeke and Lewis Sapp. Four other Democrats have filed declarations of candidacy for !»recinct committeemen They Include Austin R. Merriman, North Blue Creek; . Frank E. Bohnke. Decntur 2-C; Richard Meshberger, North Hartford, and Wilbur H. Blakey, West Union. Evan E. Yake has filed a declaration as Republican Kirkland township member of the Adams county Central Consolidated (Continued on Page Six) Andrews Man Killed InTwo-Car Collision HUNTINGTON, Ind. (INS) — Robert J. Helvie. 23, of Andrews, Ind., was killed Tuesday in a twocar crash west of Huntington on U. S. 24. - Taken to the Huntington county hospital was Jack L. Lass, 21, of Bell, Calif. He has been charged with recldess homicide. Annual Easter Egg Hunt Easter Sunday On Elks Lodge Lawn Youngsters of. Decatur and community are reminded of the,annual Easter egg hunt, sponsored for many years .by the Decatur Elks lodge, which will be held on the , spacious lawn of Ihe lodge home Sunday afternoon at 2:39 o’clock. The annual event, one of the features of the Easter season, is i for all children up to and including . nine years of age. There will be live labbits for special prizes, 75 Easter baskets i especially prepared for babes in i arms and toddlers, plenty o' 1 brightly colored eggs for the child- > ten to hunt, candy eggs, etc. I men, firemen and Boy Scouts will aid lodge members tn directing i traffic and patroling the grounds..

Five Cents

Red Party Is • •' 1 Reeling Under U. S. Seizure Treasury Men Raid Communist Offices Throughout Nation NEW YORK (INS)—The Communist party, reeling under the' government’s seizure of its records, assets and newspaper offices, agreed today to open all its safes to treasure investigators. The first of the nationwide “operation safe opening” activities took place at the New York office of the Daily W’orker in the presence of attorney Harry Sacher. T-Men, who Tuesday padlocked party headquarters SBd Offices from coast to coast for non-pay-ment of taxes, began an “audit end inventory” of the closelyguarded records. The study is expected to give the government its first fulbawlb “inside Tpok” at the party’s propaganda and other functions in the U. S. - Meanwhile, attorneys for the party and the worker, which continued® to publish, met to figure out what, if any. legal steps they can take to void the foreclosing actions over alleged tax evasion of over $435,000. The internal revenue department refused to discuss the agreement to open all safes, insisting it was a “private matter between us and the taxpayer.” But. a top spokesman for -the Communist party told International News Service thet treasury agents were being allowed to examine all the hitherto secret membership lists, financial records and other documents. I f the party had refused to open the safes, legally, the treasury department could not have opened them without a court order. T-Men manned the switchboards of the national and state headquarters of the party in New York and the main offices of ,the Worker. A spokesman for Eugene Dennis. general secretary of the party, said "a good question” now is where the party functionaries will operate. They have been dispossessed from their offices in New York. San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago. Philadelphia and Detroit. _ Joseph Clark, foreign editor of the Worker, said the staff is “carrying on as usual under considerable difficulty.” they have taken ?ome rooms two floors below their padlocked newsroom to continue putting out the paper. The government’s action was considered the most severe blow to hit the party in its 37-year history in the U. S.—affecting not only its whole movement but also its inner workings. All readily available -funds —for propaganda, party workers and court actions involving party leaders — were tied up by the seizure. The party records and Worker subscription list were expected to lead the government to “front” organizations and hidden backers. It was learned that the government still is looking for further assets which may be hidden behind such “fronts.” Padlocking of party headquarters in New York. San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit and Newark. N. J„ left the party with no official headquarters. “ No action was taken against the many separate corporations which are known to be Communist fronts. Whether the reds might’seek a federal court injunction allowing the party and Worker offices to bo reopened and whether they might try to obtain relief through the U. S. tax court was uncertain. The Daily Worker, which currently is seeking ! $64 999 for con(CouUaum on Paco IM>)