Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 54, Number 75, Decatur, Adams County, 29 March 1956 — Page 1

Vol. LIV. No. 75.

THRESH OUT FARM PROBLEM I ■ me < ffli ■-■• ■ IN EARNEST CONVERSATION in an effort to iron out differences on the Farm bill prior to a scheduled house-senate conference. Sen. Allen Ellender (D), La., (left)'and Sen. George Aiken (R) of Vermont head for discussion of the important farm legislation. Any result Os their talk vanished until after April 9 when the legislators decided to take their 10-day Easter vacation. _ _ ■ - I. ■ ■ ' 11 '■—■

Three Missing After Blasts In Warehouse Huge Warehouse In Philadelphia Razed In Big Explosions PHILADELPHIA (INS) —Firemen continued to wet down a block-long pile of steaming debris today as rescue workers hunted for three persons miss.ng in a bomb-like explosion that demolished a huge grain warehouse in midtown Philadelphia. - Fire marshal Wllllatn Eccles said the blast which sent underground shock waves that were felt like an earthquake some 35 miles away caused damage estimated at more than |3,000,000. More than 60 persons were hos-pitallzgd-some in critical condition —and scores of others were dated and shaken from the explosion. Two other persons who had been reported missing earlier were later found in hospitals. Eccles Identified the three men officially listed as missing and presumed dead as Ed Johnson, a laborer for the granary company, and two of the firm s truck drivers, Byron Weldon, of Millville, N. J„ and Arthur Harre.l, of near Vineland. N. J. Granary superintendent Samuel Purdy said the explosion occurred as he was trying t 6 ignite a pilot light in a drying bin. He advised firemen to work with caution because a second grain elevator might explode. In addition, authorities feared electric wires ripped by the blast could cause new fires. They also believed some of the jarred buildings might collapse. The wrecked building, owned by the Tidewater Mill and Elevator Co., was six stories high and nearly a block long. After the explosion at 8 p. m. (EOT) ’police received distress calls Hom scores of persons throughout the city. The blast was so intense that it blew out every window on the Market Street side of the new Philadelphia Bulletin building and paused widespread dam age throughout the plant. Scores of buildings on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania were rocked. More than a dozen students attending night classes at the Drexel Institute of Technology were injured. Debris was hurled over a twoblock area and six alarms were turned in on the blaze. Five hundred policemen were ordered to the scene to maintain order and prevent looting. j Walter Kokal, 24, who was working on the 11th floor of the Pennsylvania Railroad building a block away described'the blast in these words: "The explosion threw me against several of. the others and dumped us all on the floor in a heap. We wire not injured but it was several minutes before we had any idea what happened. “I never saw anything like it — and I never expect to again. "Everything was chaos. People just ran around, not knowing what (Continued on Page Three) F

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Over 130,000 Use Center Facilities Report Activities At Decatur Center Decatur Youth and Community Center, since it was opened to the public last summer, has catered to more than 130,W0 persoiA, according to a bulletin issued by d. M, McGeath. director, One hundred sixty-eight organizations have used the dining and meeting facilities of the Center during the nine-month period, the records show. In aduit activities, McGeath reported. 33 men and women have completed the ten-week Red Cross first aid course sponsored jointly by the local Red Cross chapter and the Center. The square danee dub has more than 100 members and the group meets every two weeks, according to the report. An oil painting class with. 10 members is being conducted by Harry Brown. Archery, sewing and photography are among other adult activities either now- in progress or to start soon. / Among youth activities are the Friday night dances. Thirty-eight young people also \attended the dancing class supervised by Mrs. Barney Brooks. • . . Pool and ping-pong toqrneys are held monthly under the guidance of the teenage council. The eight members of the teen age council, which includes the class presidents of the four Decatur Catholic and Decatur high school classes and Mrs. James Burk, Mrs. Roy Kalver, Mr. and Mrs. Steve Everhart and Mr. and Mrs. McGeath, will attend the conference on youth education to be held at Indianapolis April 16, the report stated. Two Decatur young men, Wayne Agler and Bill Beal, have been nominated for offices in the state youth recreation association. Mrs. Anna Morrison Is Taken By Death Funeral Services Saturday Afternoon Mrs. Anna Hurless Morrison, 78. Willshire, 0., lifelong resident of Van Wert county, died suddenly of a heart attack at her home in Willshire. at 10 o’clock Wednesday night.* Mrs. Morrison had resided in Willshire the last six years and prior to that had spent her entire life near Wren, O. She was born in Van Wert county, Ohio, April 20, 1877, a daughter of Mr. and and Mrs. Martin Snyder, both of whom are deceased. ’■ Mrs. Morrison was married to Ira Hurless in 1903 and he died in 19441. She was married to William H. Morrison, September 7, 1955. Mr. Morrison survjves. A brother, Martin Snyder, Willshire, and a sister, Mrs. Pearl Troutner. Fort Wayne, also survive. She was a member of Evangelical United Brethren church at Wren. The body was taken to the Cowan and Son funeral home at Van Wert where friends may call until 11 o’clock Saturday morning. Funeral services will be held Saturday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the Willshire United Brethren church and burial will be at the Wren mausoleum.

To Query Top Officials On China Trade Storm Kicked Up By Trade Between Red, Nationalist China WASHINGTON (INS) — A report of trade between Chinese Nationalists and Communists kicked up a new storm today between the administration and senators investigating allied business dealings with the reds. Members of the senate investigations subcommittee told newsmen they would question top officials about it at a closed session where long-withheld details about East-West trade were to be produced. Scheduled to with the senate group were under secretary of state Herbert Hoover Jr., commerce secretary Sinclair Weeks and foreign aid chief John B. Hollister. _ At a lively public hearing Monday where the same officials renewed their refusal to make the data public, they agreed to give the senators the information they sought behind closed doors. The subcommittee, headed by Sen John L. McClellan (D-Ark.) has demanded lists of strategic materials being sent to the Soviet bloc with U.S. acquiescence. American officials agreed to the ‘‘decontrol” of numerous strategic items at a 15-nation meeting in Paris in 1954. In asserting the administration’s position Monday, Hoover said that the Nationalists and Communists are trading "quite a number of millions of dollars worth of goods every year.” The Chinese embassy in Washington, in a statement issued Wednesday night, emphasized that direct trade of any kind between Formosa and the Communist mainland is forbidden and violators are subject to severe punishment. However, the Nationalists admitted there is "some trade” in nonstrategic goods between Formosa and H&ng Kong. The embassy added: “But as Hong Kong is a British colony, trade in. whatever goods there, is beyond the control of the Republic of China.” Wayne Schnepf Suffers From Heart Attack Wayne Schnepf, well-known Root township farmer, suffered a heart attack while at work on his farm Wednesday. He was taken . to the Adams county memorial hospital after, lie fell unconscious from a wagon. He is being held at the hospital for treatment and observation. William H. Ehrman Dies As Hospital Funeral Services Saturday Afternoon William H. Ehrman. 80, well known Kirkland township farmer, died at 10:30 o’clock Wednesday night at the Adams county memorial hospital following an illness of two weeks. A lifelong resident township, he was born Oct. 5, 1875, a son of Nathan and Elizabeth Fuhrman-Ehrman. and was married June 28, 1931, to Catherine Leimenstoll. who survives. Surviving in addition to his wife are a daughter, Mrs. Dortha Shady, two sons, Floyd W. and Robert Ehrman. all of Kirkland township; four grandchildren; nine greatgrandchildren. and one sister, Mrs. Katie of Fort Wayne. One son, three brothers and one sister are deceased. Funeral services will be conducted at the residence, one-third of a mile north of the old Kirkland high school, at 1:30 p.m. Saturday and at 2 p.m. at the Pleasant Dale Church of the Brethren, the Rev. John D. Mishler officiating. Burial will be in the Pleasant Dale cemetery. The body was removed to the Zwick funeral home and will be taken to the residence, where friends may call after 7 o’clock this evening. BULLETIN WALLINGFORD, Conn. (INS) —An explosion followed by a fire swept .the M. Backes & Son fireworks plant before noon today. Authorities summoned assistance from policy and fire departments in nearby Connecticut communities. There was no immediate word on casualties, if any.

Decatur, Indiana, Thurs day, March 29, 1956.

Mexican Ship Carrying 50 Persons Reported To Have Burned, Sunk

Ike Launches -J/. ..X-XJ Reorganization At White House Political Matters And Other Details Not Handled By Ike By RUTH MONTGOMERY (I.N.S. Special Correspondent) WASHINGTON (INS) —A revolution Is quietly underway at the White House. President Eisenhower, instead of waiting until the beginning of his hoped-for second term, has already launched a reorganization of the executive, department that can leave him free to become "the President of all the American people.” A top White House adviser told this correspondent today: "Few people realize the enormous transit Hon that is now taking place here in the executive branch. Ike is determined to be remembered as a 'statesman President,’ Consequently, he is turning over ail political matters to the pros and clearing his own desk for the presidential' duties that really count.” With little public fanfare. Ike has recently brought in a whole new set of “special assistants” who concentrate on the run -of - the - milk chores that once cluttered the President’s work day. The aide said Eisenhower is now “holding himself aloff from details, but shaping the policies.” Claiming that he can “count on my two hands” the number of politicians who have been able to get past Eisenhower’s door since his September heart attack, he explained' •The senators, representatives and GOP national committeemen who used to crowd the President’s daily list must now content hemselves with assistant president Sherman Adams, or presidential secretary Bernard M. Shanley. Heads of such national organizations as the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars see Adams, Shanley, Vice President Richard Nixon, or Mrs. Eisenhower — but not the President. Most of the new assistants are leaders in their respective fields who work without compensation on specific presidential tasks. Among the newcomers are William H. Jackson, who is charged with coordinating foreign policy between overlapping departments and agencies; Edward P. Curtis, whose field is air transport facilities; F. Moran McConihe, special consultant on Columbia building facilities; Meyer Kestnbaum, charged with—lmplementation of the Hoover commission reports and intergovernmental relations; Dillon Anderson, coordinator for the national security (Continued on Page Three) ” j

Lenten Meditation (By Rev. Edgar Pz Schmidt, Zion Lutheran Church) A GLORIOUS EXPERIENCE J “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” — Psalm 32, 1. The most blessed experience—so King David confesses —came to him when he learned that h|s sins were forgiven. At peace with God, he had peace in his own soul He knew that he need not be afraid of God nor the days that lay in the future. God is also our reconciled Father in Christ Jesus. We, too, can experience one day after another the blessedness of forgiveness. God opens His heart and invites us to come to Him and in His forgiving love to find rest for our souls. This puts our mind at ease and removes the worries and anxieties of the day. Even though we are in pain and vexed with many irritations, we can calm our troubled spirit with the assurance that God has blotted out all our sins and remembers them no more. Our sins are no lohger counted against us as we come to the Cross trusting in Christ Jesus. He gave His life that we might be saved. As God looks at us through the Cross of Calvary. He no logger sees our many sins. We are made clean through .faith in Christ's precious blood. We can rest assured that God will be with us as a close friend j ft throughout the whole day and give us each hour Just the encouragement we need. So I can relax and be at rest, for the Lord is my forgiving Father, the Keeper of my body and the Lover of my soul. PRAYER: Divine and gracious Savior, who hast died for me, look on me with Thy forgiving grace, and lift from me the burdens of this day. Amen. JL

Consider Governor's Request For Debate j Democrat ChairmanStudying Request INDIANAPOLIS (INS) — Demo-1 cratic state chairman Charles E. Skillen today considered lhe debate request of Governor George N. Craig. Republican state 6 chairman Alvin C. Cast forwarded the governor’s challenge to debate the eight Democratic aspirants for governor to Skillen in a letter which said: “The debate possibly could be carried on a state-widetelevision ! network, the expenses to be shared by our two parties. “Since feocn oi the Democratic candidates recently has sought to cr'ffirize the present progressive and forward-looking state administration, the debate will give them ample opportunity to express their views and attempt, if they can, to substantiate their statements.” . One of the Democratic candidates, Nelson Grills, Maricn county chairman, denounced Cast’s letter as “vague and weak and com- . pletely unacceptable. ’ (Grills added: “Only one candidate should face the governor and -he should be our best qualified man. The best way to select our representative would” be to have a series of five meetings anywhere in the state f With earl) candidate aisured of a • half hour to present his views. t The one who does so most satistactortly could be determined by . an applause meter, by the party leadership or preferably, by the i precinct committeemen and women i of the' state. We must not take this : challenge lightly. Craig is an ex- • tremely capable public speaker.” Meanwhile, former Mayor John I A. Scott of South Bend partly con- > firmed reports he soon will enter ' the Republican gubernatorial coni test, saying: i “I am not able to say when I ’ will enter the contest. I want to travel around the state a little more to get a better sense of how I things are going.” > Scott has taken some “heat” be- ; cause labor violence occurred in ■ South Bend during the 1954 telephone strike while he was mayor, i but this criticism was allayed when i he was elected president of the South Bend Chamber of Commerce ; last month. — — Also, Republican Congressman Charles B. Brownson of Indianapi oils said Republican Senator Homer E. Capehart told him he and Republican Senator William E. Jenner had given attorney general i Brownell seven names from which • to choose a new U. S. circuit court -of appeals judge. Brownson said ■ he recalled only the names of the following: John S. Hastings, Washington attorney; Lloyd Hartzler, of Fort (Continued on Page Three)

Secy. McKay Quits Post To I Run For Senate Interior Secretary J Seeks Senate Seat Now Held By Morse WASHINGTON (INS) — Interior secretary Douglas MsKay resigned from President Eisenhower’s cabinet today, effective April 15, to run for the senate in Oregon. The resignation, announced at the White House in an exchange of letters between McKay and the President, was accepted by Mr. Eisenhower with an expression of "profound personal regret.” McKay told the President that he believed “I can best serve the nation and you at the present timeby returning to Oregon and other two phases or whether all carrying to the people of my state certain issues and principles in which we both oelitve.” A former governor of Oregon. McKay seeks the Republican nomination to oppose Democratic Sen. Wayne Morse, a sharp critic of the administration, in next November's election. The White House would make no comment on McKay’s succea- , sor in the cabinet other than to say the appointment probably will not be made until McKay leaves office. Mr. Eisenhower, however, may indicate his choice prior to that time. The President told McKay: ’ z “While I am reluctant to forego your valuable assistance as a ■ member of the cabinet. I understand your purpose and I salute your determination to bring the facts pertaining to this administration before your fellow citizens of Oregon to assure order--1 ly development and wise use of ‘ our natural resources, in accord with sound conservation princi- ■ pies. “Our mission has not been com--1 pleted. While we have made significant progress in the past three years, much remains to be done before the aims of this ad- ! ministration will have been fully ’ I met." .1 ■ - -- ■ ~~y —• .1 Former Decafur Man Dies At Foil Wayne Frank M. Trim Dies After Long Illness Frank M. Trim, 77, native of Pleasant Mills and a former resi- , dent of Decatur, died Wednesday at his home in Fort Wayne after anTTlness of six years. He had Resided in that city for the past 50 years. for the Pennsylvania railroad 36 Mr. Trim was a yard conductor years until retiring in 1944. He was a member of the United Brethren church and the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen. Surviving are his widow, Sadie M.; four sons, Don V., Victor V., and Leo R. Trim, all of Fort Wayne, ! and Edgar V. Trim of Elkhart: four daughters, Mrs. Mildred Patten of Fort Wayne, Mrs. Eddice Buelow of Wilmington.' Dell, Mrs. Flora May McCallister of Kentland, and Miss Marcella Trim of Chicago: two stepsons, Orla and Ralph Heminger, both of Fort Wayne; a stepdaughter. Mrs. Ethel Rice of Fort Wayne;-a brother, Thomas Trim of Sturgis, Mich.: 22 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren, and 33 step-great-grandchildren. Frank, and Tom Fisher of this city are broth-ers-in-law. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday in the C. M. Sloan 4 Sons funeral home, the Rev. R. E. Vance officiating. Burial will be in the Decatur cemetery. Friends may cgll at the funeral home after 7 o'clock this evening.

Church Services To Mark Good Friday Suspend Business During Three Hours Decatur residents will join the Christian world in commemorating the death of Jesus Christ on the cross in special church services on Good Friday. • Business generally will be suspended from 12 noon until 3 p.m. • Friday, with practically all retail stores, private and public offices ■ closed for the three-hour period. I County offices will be closed all. day. Union Protestant services, conducted by the Associated Churches of Decatur, will be held at the First Methodist church during the three hours. Speaker during the i first and third hours will be Dr. S-. ’ Marion Smith, Butler University professor, and the Music department of the Decatur Woman’s club will sing the Lenten cantata, “Penitence, Pardon and Peace,” during the second hour. The Zion Lutheran church will hold services from 12:30 to 2 p.m., and will also conduct the closing Lenten service at 7:30 p.m. j Veneration of the cross and services will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic church, opening at 5 p.tn. Many of the city’s churches will also hold special services Good Friday evening, s The Easter maw will be paid at > , the St. Mary’s church at midnight I Saturday night, and all churches will hold special services Easter Sunday. * s An Easter sunrise service, conducted by the young people, will be a joint service at the First j Methodist church at 6 o’clock Sun- ( day morning. A union Good Friday service will s be held at the Monroe Methodist . church from 2 to 3 p.m. Friday. The Daily Democrat will publish , at noon both Friday and Saturday. r. ■ - * Final Appeal Issued On Red Cross Drive t Urges Solicitors r Complete Campaign A final appeal was made today by Carl Braun, general chairman of the 1956 Red Cross Fund Drive, that all solicitors make an effort to complete their contacts and turn in reports this week. Braun said that reports brought into the office to date have pushed the amount collected to only about half of ■ the SII,OOO goal for the county this year. He said that probably many persons in the county have not yet been contacted and he urged that solicitors call on these persons as soon as possible. It was also stated that any person who has not been contacted by a solicitor may still enroll in Red Cross membership by sending 31 or more to the Red Cross office. Membership cards will then be sent to them. Braun added that it is the goal of the local Red Cross organization to enroll every adult resident of the county in the membership. By doing this, he explained, the campaign goal can be easily reached. - Funds collected during the drive will finance local Red Cross projects for the coming year including emergency aid to families, aid to servicemen and the important blood program. A part of the money collected is sent to national headquarters. This phase is especially important this year because of the vast amounts needed for the relief of flood victims. INDIANA WEATHER Partly cloudy and cold tonight with anow flurries north portion. Friday partly cloudy, a few snow flurries near Lake Michigan in forenoon. Low tonight 20-30. High Friday upper 30s extreme northeast to the low 50c extreme southwest.

Five Cents

Huge Sea And Air Search Is Launched Today Motor Ship Burns And Sinks, Report 50 Persons Aboard BULLETIN NEW ORLEANS (INS) — Survivors from the burned and sunken Mexican motorship Matul have been picked up by the Mexican coast guard, a U. S. coast guard search plane said today. i NEW ORLEANS (INS)—A life raft and a fuel tank which might . I have been from a Mexican passenger ship reported to have sunk in the Bay of Campeche were found today as a large sea and air armada — sought a clue to the fate of 50 persons believed aboard the ship. The Mexican motor ship Matul was said to have burned and sunk some 60 miles from Campeche. A coast guard plane from Corpus Christi, Tex., radioed today that a large fuel tank and an inflatable life raft had been located by the fishing boat Captain Remus, some 40 miles west of Ceiestun light. This is only a few miles from the last reported position of i the Matul Tuesday morning, when I the vessel was reported "afire and sinking.” , The Matul was not listed in Lloyds register. Mexican sources said the ship carried passengers between Campeche, on the Yucatan Peninsula, and Vera Cruz. Mexico, a 360 mile joitrney across the Gulf of Campeche. The “afire and sinking” report came from the fishing boats San Joaquin and Don Jaucho. Then contact with the Matul was lost some two hours later. With daylight today, the search for signs of the Matul and for possible survivors was intensified. A coast guard plan® from Corpus Christi, the U. S. coast guard cutter Dione, some dozen American fishing vessels and a number of Mexican ships along with three merchant vessels were in the area. A Mexican seaplane, sent to search for the Matul after the ship sent put 80S signals, made a forced landing 20 miles away, and was later taken in tow early today by a Mexican gunboat „ The U. S. fishing boat Neverly radioed that the seaplane’s navigational lights were burning, and that good weather conditions prevailed in the area when the gunboat reached the downed plane, indicating the"plane’s - crew was probably safe. The U. S. coast guard cutter Dione, of Freeport, Tex., relayed the radio report that the Matul was carrying 50 persons. The passenger ship was en route from Campeche, on the Yucatan Peninsula, to Vera Cruz. 360 miles across the Gulf of Campeche on the east coast of Mexico. Radio messages from some of the dozen American fishing ships, three merchant vessels and a number of Mexican boats in the area reported the Matul’s sinking after a fire. The Dione reached the area early today and was standing by to join - with other surface and aircraft in a search for possible survivors at dawn. A coast guard plane from Corpus Christi flew to Merida, Mexico Wednesday night, to take off (Continued on Page Three) Weesner Appointed Judge At Wabash INDIANAPOLIS (INS) The Republican candidate for Wabash county circuit court judge has an interim appointment as judge of the court that will last until January. Governor George N. Craig named Eugene M. Weesner, a Wabash attorney, to fill the vacancy caused by resignation of Judge Bryon C. Kennedy. of the Wabash circuit court. "* •'