Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 62, Number 273, Decatur, Adams County, 18 November 1964 — Page 1

VOL. LXII. NO. 273.

United States Air Force Jet Plane Shot Down In Laos; Bomb Saigon Case

■Kmi . "'IA SMILING PRESIDENT and Mrs. Johnson pose for photographers in the blue room of the White House Tuesday on their 30th wedding anniversary.—(UPl Telephoto)

U. S. To Close I 95 Os Bases 1

WASHINGTON (UPI) — Defense Secretary Robert C. McNamara today announced a decision to close 95 bases and military facilities including an unspecified number- of shipyards. McNamara said the sweeping actions will save SSOO million a year and will eliminate 63,000 jobs. The saving amounts to almost as much as all previous military closings since early 1961. 6 McNamara withheld identification of the bases and facilities until Thursday to give advance notice to the communities involved. He declined to say how many shipyards will be closed. g The Pentagon chief told a news conference that he realized his decision would come as Mondale To Succeed Humphrey In Senate ST. PAUL, Minn. (UPI) — Walter F. (Fritz) Mondale, 36, Minnesota’s energetic attorney general, will succeed Vice Pres-ident-elect Hubert Humphrey in the U.S. Senate. Democratic Gov. Karl F. Rolvaag announced late Tuesday he was giving the appointment slender, dark - haired Democrat—a rising young star in Minnesota’s Democratic-farmer-labcr party. Mondale will become senator as soon as Humphrey resigns and serve the remaining- two years of Humphrey’s term. “I don’t know yet what day Senator Humphrey will resign,” Rolvaag said. But it is expected to come before the next Congress convenes to give Mondale a seniority jump on other new senators. The governor chose Mondale from a field of several Minnesota Democratic - farmer-labor party leaders, including himself, U.S Secretary of Agriculture and former Gov. Orville L. Freeman, Rep. John Blatpik, and Robert Short, Minneapolis, owner of the Los Angeles Lakers. There were reports that Mondale was Humphrey’s choice. But Rolvaag said he made the selection on his own and that Humphrey had suggested only that he make the choice as soon as possible after the election. •

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

‘‘bad news” to many but added: “The Department of Defense, and indeed the entire government, must operate its affairs in the most efficient and effective way possible. “In order to achieve the goal of the Great Society that President Johnson has set for us, we can do no less.” McNamara said most of the closings will be carried out over an 18 month period and that persons losing jobs will be given opportunity to qualify for new positions. A total of , 377,000 acres of land, almost 600 square miles, will be sold or released for nondefense government use, he reported. McNamara said the shutdowns will be accomplished “without degrading our military capability." Some of the bases and facilities are located in five foreign countries in Europe and the Western Hemisphere. A total of 577 bases and facilities have been closed since early 1961. They eliminated 85,000 jobs, an average much smaller than those to be announced Thursday. The saving on previous closings was estimated at $577 million, an average of $1 million each. Those to be announced Thursday will average more than $5 million each. The Navy’s II shipyards are among .the largest military installations in the country and employ from 5,000 to more than 10,000 persons each. The Philadelphia and San Francisco shipyards are considered the most likely to be closed. Boston and Brooklyn also have figured in possible economy speculation. Replying to questions, McNamara said he has not informed either senator - elect Robert Kennedy of New York or Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts of his decisions regarding Boston and Brooklyn. The secretary dropped a strong hint that the shipyards he has not visited will be kept in operation. He referred to these as “hard core” yards, implying that it was unnecessary for him to visit them during his economy because they were certain to be retained. McNamara himself did not name the yards, but records in the Pentagon information office show he visited Philadelphia, Portsmouth, N.H., San Francisco, Mare Island and Boston among others.

10 Jurors Chosen For Damage Suit Ten jurors were seated as the Adams circuit court reconvened at 1 o’clock this afternoon in the case of Ida Chaney vs. the city of Fort Wayne. Fourteen of the 2t prospective petit jury members drawn last week were called during the morning session, with four dismissed and the other 10 seated. Seated were Paul Hilyard, Decatur; Forest Beer, Geneva; Norb Aumann, Decatur, William Journay, Root twp.; Leroy Bollenbacher, Blue Creek; Clarence Amstutz, Wabash twp.; Glen A. Rupert, Monroe; Glen Manley, Blue Creek; Marvin Hart, Geneva; and Warren W. Harden, Union twp. Dismissed for various reasons during the morning court session were Hubert F. Gilpin, Walter Hildebrand, Don Moser and Wilson Weiland. In addition, two other persons from the original list of 24 prospective petit jury members were excused before the impaneling began today. They were Lawrence Anspaugh, Robert K. Ehrman. Drop Two More As the impaneling resumed at 1 o’clock this afternoon, Merle L. Foor of Blue Creek township and Dorsey Bisel of Wabash township were excused. Still to be called yet this afternoon to fill the two vacant i'irv seats were John Walters, Union twp.; Glen W. Adams, Jefferson twp.; Daniel Habegger, Monroe; Gerald Tullis, of near Monroe; Ivan Hakes, Root twp.; and Ward Houser, Geneva. Once the 12 person jury is completed, the damage suit against the city of Fort Wayne will open. Asks $15,009 The Fort Wayne lady is asking $15,000 from the city for injuries suffered in a fall while walking along a p”b’ic sidewalk on February 29, 1963. In her suit she claims the city was negligent in maintaining and repairing its public sidewaliks. The case was venued here from Fort Wayne. Ladv Bird Launches 1964 Seal Campaign WASHINGTON (UPI) _ Mrs. Lvndon B. Johnson opens the 1964 Christmas Seal campaign today in brief ceremonies at the White House. The First Lady was to be presented a sheet of seals by television personality r Betsy Palmer, honorary chairman of the Christmas Seal campaign, and Dr. William L. Cooke, president of the National Tuberculosis Association.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, 46733, Wednesday, November 18, 1964.

WASHINGTON (UPI)—A U.S. Air Force FIOO Super Sabre jet plane was shot down in central Laos at about midnight, Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara announced today. McNamara said that rescue operations were underway in an effort to locate the pilot. He told a news conference that the airplane was brought down by gunfire while escorting a photo reconnaissance RFIOI jet. McNamara said that escorting FlOOs took retaliatory action in an effort to knock out the guns. The secretary said there were two Super Sabres and one RFIOI Voodoo on the reconnaissance mission in which the single plane was knocked down. The secretary asserted that the photo missions over Laos “will continue as required." Their purpose, he said, was to gather information on the infiltration of North Vietnamese troops and material into Laos “in violation of the Geneva accords of 1962.” The accord established that Laos was a neutral country. The reconnaissance missions, beginning last May, have been conducted “with. the concur-" rence” of the Laotian government. .. Shortly after the reconnaissance flights began, a U. S. Navy pilot was shot down over Laos and on another occasion a Navy reconnaissance plane was struck by gunfire but returned to its carrier. niereafter, in an action never officially announced, the U.S. Air Force was turned loose on a retaliatory mission to blow up the installations which had shot down the Navy plane. Today's incident was the first announced since then. McNamara said he had received his information "just a few minutes ago” and said he had few details. He said he was assured that gunfire rather than missiles brought down the U.S. plane. But he was unable to say how the American pilot got out of his plane—but parachuting or by ejection or whether he rode it down. Rescuers were trying to locate the pilot, McNamara said. He did not specify but presumably the rescue operation involved helicopters and fighter planes. McNamara said that there was some evidence that North Vietnamese infiltration of Laos had increased recently with the return of the dry season. The scene of the incident was identified only as south- south central Laos, which would be the panhandle region through which North Vietnamese infiltration of South Viet Nam goes on.

Ask Air - Conditioning Os Center

A delegation from the Decatur Memorial Foundation, the organization which built the Decatur Youth and Community Center, attended Tuesday night’s city council meeting to present the council with a petition for the city to air condition the center. The petition was presented by Louis Jacobs, Lowell Harper and Dick D. Hello-, Jr. It contained nearly 1,000 signatures of high school students and members of service clubs and women’s groups. Jacobs told the council that the foundation had, for the past several years, been seeking the means to air condition the center. He said that they had hot met with any great degree of success. Harper told .the council that the foundation two years ago had received a $13,000 estimate for a three unit installation which would cool the lobby and the auditorium. He said that the foundation was told at that time

Case Bombed SAIGON, South Viet Nam (UPI)—A Communist terrorist bomb exploded in a case filled with American servicemen at Saigon’s Tan Son Nhut Airport today, injuring 18 Americans and two Vietnamese. An American spokesman said 10 Americans were hospitalized, along with one of the Vietnamese. The latter was the snack bar concessionaire. All were reported in good condition. The bomb blast took place as the Vietnamese army backed by 115 American helicopters carried out the largest and most expensive single heliborne operation of the war. 1116 terrorist bomb went off at noon, as the Americans were catching a quick lunch. The explosion wrecked the snack bar inside the bluepainted case, which is located less than 100 yards from the Saigon International Airport. The bomb, secreted on a. concrete overhead beam, went off at a spot where American military advisers congregate every day; The blast rocked the building and shattered the case. But the full force of the explosion was deflected by the concrete beam, apparently saving many lives.

Two Are Sentenced In City Court Today Judge John B. Stults sentenced two persons to 30 days each one in the Adams county jail and the other at the state penal farm, this morning. Elvin L. Adkins, 22-year-old former local resident now living in Winchester, was found guilty on a charge of assault and battery, fined $25 and costs, totaling $45, and sentenced to a term of 30 days in the county jail. In addition to the sentence, Adkins did not pay his fine and if he does not pay it later, will have to “lay out” another nine days in jail, one day for each $5 of the fine. Adkins, before leaving the court room to begin his sentence, was served a warrant by the city police from justice of the peace court, where he is charged with reckless driving, but has failed to appear on the charge. Appear Later The warrant was on a charge of reckless driving filed in the J.P. court in July. After serving his city court sentence, Adkins will be brought to the J.P. court to stand trial on that charge. The assault and battery charge was brought by Adkins’ former wife, Jane, who testified in city

that it would require another 14,000 to air condition the rest of the building. Harper added that previous offers involving used air conditioning units had been studied and found unworkable. He urged the council to give the problem serious consideration. The council voted to take the question under advisement. Snow Blower City street commissioner Bernard Clark reported that the street department has taken delivery on the snow blower machine which will be used to clear city streets. He added that the department has nearly completed the task of moving all city playground equipment indoors for the winter. City councilman Dr. R. E. Allison reported that the water commission bad studied a request submitted by Victor, Porter and Thomas Miller. Porter and Miller had previously asked for city water service to homes they are

Healthcare Top Priority For Congress WASHINGTON (UPI) — It will be health care first and a tax cut second for the 89th Congress, which convenes on Jan. 4. President Johnson spelled out the priority Tuesday in urging House Democratic leaders to meet with committee chairmen and seek “quick action” in the new Congress on important leftover measures, while he works on new legislative proposals. Included among the left-overs is the controversial hospital care plan for the aged financed by higher Social Security taxes. It failed to get through the House in the last session. The House Ways & Means Committee, which will handle both health care and Johnson’s already announced plan to cut or eliminate some federal excise taxes, hadn’t decided which to take up first. Chairman Wilbur D. Mills, DArk., a health care opponent, had said he would leave the decision up to the President. Johnson made it clear Tuesday he wanted priority to go to the health care measure. The Chief Executive, who met with Speaker John W. McCormack, D-Mass., and House Democratic Leader Carl Albert, Okla., also put the Appalachia bill among the legislation he wants enacted quickly. The bill to set up a $1 billion program to help rejuvenate the poverty-stricken 11-state Appalachia area was sidetracked in the congressional rush for adjournment this year. Backers of the health plan are optimistic about its chances for passage next year because of the big Democratic gains in Co ngre ss. The Democrats picked up 38 bouse seats in the Nov. 3 election. Albert noted that it usually takes five or six weeks to get a new Congress organized. Hearings then will be rdejuired on new legislative proposals in the President’s program. But extensive hearings already have been held on the Health care and Appalachia measures.

court this morning. Adkins had pleaded not guilty to the charge Monday morning, and acted as his own counsel today. After his ex-wife and he had testified, Judge Stults found him guilty of the charge. Second Sentence Judge Stults also sentenced a Geneva man, 42-year-old Elmer Mann, to a term of six months at the state penal farm. Actually, the judge revoked a suspended sentence given to Mann in the same court on October 13, and he serves six months, beginning with that date. This was on a public intoxication charge, to which Mann pleaded guilty. In addition, he was found guilty of a charge of driving while under the influence of intoxicating beverages, and fined SSO and costs, and had his driving privilages suspended for a period of one year by Judge Stults. Mann had pleaded not guilty to this charge.

The Geneva resident was arrested in that city on Saturday afternoon of last week by the sheriff’s department and town marshal Preston Pyle. He was found guilty of public intoxication in the city court here twice previously in the past three months.

building. Allison said that the water commission Recommended that the council approve the request. The approval was given. A proposed ordinance for regulation of bicycles in the city was submitted to the council members for their study. Mayor Carl Gerber and city attorney John DeVoss would not release a copy of the ordinance to local newspaper and radio representatives present at the meeting. The council approved a temporary transfer of funds from the sewage works bond redemption fund of 1960 to the park department fund. Die money will be returned to the sewage bond fund after the city receives its December tax revenue from the state. Several other end-of-the-year interdepartment fund transfers were approved. The council aslo approved an ordinance* rezoning land owned by the Gage Tool and Engineering company. The land was rezoned from residential to industrial.

REDDY FEATHER SAYS: "TODAY'S DECATUR AMERICAN FIELD SERVICE COMMUNITY FUND B OY SCOUT S TOTAL IS y $23 837 78 W G,RL SCOUTS TU r I ** CRIPPLED CHILDREN SOC. ine Goal Is jMHk little & pony leagues $29,834 Ml U. s. o. your Igopl salvation army Community Fund MENTAL HEALTH Still Needs COMMUNITY CENTER $5,996.22 I L AMERICAN RED CROSS Give The United Way

10 Men Killed In Navy Plane Crash

ARGENTIA, Nfld. (UPI) — A U.S. Navy patrol plane plunged into the Atlantic and exploded in flames near this American naval air station Tuesday night, killing all 10 men aboard. The U.S. Navy said an extensive surface and aerial search of the crash site showed there were no survivors. The fourengined P3A Orion aircraft went down in Placentia Bay while attempting a landing. Searchers early this morning began gathering debris floating in choppy waters some four miles southwest of the airstrip. The wreckage was t positively identified as that of the big Orion aircraft.

Jail Repair Bill Reported Adjusted The Adams county commissioners reported this morning that they had met with Al Anderson, proprietor of Anderson Industries, to discuss a bill which the commissioners had questioned at their satisfaction. In their Monday meeting the commissioners expressed the opinion that the bill, submitted for a remodeling project which the Anderson firm had done at the county jail, was excessive in view of the size of the job and the quantity of the materials which the job should have required. Anderson’s total bill for the project was derived from a series of individual bills. He told the commissioners this morning that he had made an error and submitted one bill twice. The commissioners said this morning that the total bill would be reduced although they were not sure how much. The original total figure submitted by Anderson was $845.96.

Branigin Shaping State’s Policies

INDIANAPOLIS (UPD—Gov.elect Roger D. Branigin and a skeleton staff of seven aides knuckled down today to the task of shaping a state administration to take over from retiring Governor Welsh’s next Jan. 11. Branigin and his associates operated from three downtown hotels, ignoring an offer of space in the Statehouse or State Office Building, and there were indications some announcements about the new chief executive’s future plans may be forthcoming later this week. • Branigin has expressed an intent to be slow about making appointive changes and has turned some attention already toward the 1965-67 budget. Branigin has been provided with available information on the proposed budget, which was prepared under the direction of outgoing » Gov. Mitthew E. Welsh and his staff. The Indiana Budget Committee completed work on the biennial budget but has not yet made public the results. Unofficially, the total spending program, including both general and dedicated funds, is understood to be in the neighborhood of $1.75 billion. Although great hunks of this are beyond gubernatorial power to change, Branigin has said he intends to “take another look” to see if any economics can be effected. Gordon St. Angelo, Fred Garver, Richard Vandivier, and Charles Miller, plus three clerical workers, remain with Branigin from the big pre-election campaign staff which helped

SEVEN CENTS

The turbo-prop aircraft plunged from the darkened sky shortly after 6:55 p.m. local time, crashed into the Atlantic and exploded. The explosion could be seen clearly four miles away. The navy said the plane disappeared from radar screens at exactly 6:55 p.m. during the final phase of an instrument landing known as Ground Control Approach (GCA). Radar landings are standard operating procedure here at night and in bad weather. The patrol plane was returning from a six-hour training mission in the Argentia area. The Navy said it was not armed with weapons normally carried on anti-submarine assignment. The plane and its crew were attached to a small detachment of anti-submarine Orions that belong to the Navy’s VP-45 squadron which has its headquarters at Jacksonville, Fla. There are “about six Orions based here that fly daily patrols over the North Atlantic. There was no speculation about what had caused the crash. There was no voice report from the plane on what went wrong. A investigation was started immediately.

INDIANA WEATHER Partly cloudy tonight. Thursday fair north, partly cloudy central and south. Not much temperature change. Low tonight 28 to 35 north, 35 to 43 south. High Thursday mostly in the 40s. Sunset today 5:27 p.m. Sunrise Thursday 7:34 a.m. Outlook for Friday: Increasing cloudiness and cold with snow north and rain south. Lows mid to upper 20s north to upper 30s south. Highs low 30s north to mid 40s south.

him achieve the highest elective office in the state. If they know what the future has for them, employment-wise, they are not saying. Even St. Angelo, Huntingburg, the Bth District Democratic chairman who is Branigin’s chief assistant, will not confirm or deny that he may become the next Democratic state chairman, succeeding Manfred Core. “I am .. willing to serve in any capacity the governor - elect wishes,” St. Angelo said. Core and his public relations director, Don Radler, both have announced their resignations effective when Welsh leaves office, or whenever successors are named. Newsmen who observed Branigin conferring with William Fortune, former Indiana state treasurer who also worked in Branigin’s campaign, have queried whether he is to become the next Department of Revenue commissioner. So far they have gotten indefinite answers. Observers speculated that the unspoken reason back of Branigin’s rejection of the public space was just that—it was too public. The governor-elect indicated that he might locate his pre-inaugural headquarters in a downtown office building later. Branigin is to be inaugurated Jan. 11 as Indiana’s next governor but the line already is forming to request him as a speaker for various groups. This line gets mixed 4 up with the people trying to see the gover-nor-elect about a job or a cause.