Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 3 September 1938 — Page 1

FORECAST: Fair tonight, Sunday and probably Monday; not much change

FINAL

HOME

SCRIPPS = HOWARD

VOLUME 50—NUMBER 151

| GERMAN TROOPS A

* THRONGS TOP FORECASTS AT FAIR OPENING

22,000 Estimate Put on First Day Crowd; New Record in Prospect.

(Photos Bottom of Page and Page Two; Editorial, Page Eight)

By JOE COLLIER

With an attendance that exceeded even the most optimistic expectations of officials, the Indaina State Fair this afternoon was in full swing under a bright sky. Levi Moore, Fair publicity manager, estimated that 22,000 would pay their way into the grounds today in adidtion to 9000 4-H Club members who had won free tickets. This would establish a new opening day record. If Weather Bureau predictions of fair skies for tomorrow and Monday come true, Mr. Moore said there will be a total attendance for the three days of 182,000. This would exceed by nearly.10,000 the first three days attendance of last year which set a record. A large portion of the crowd was attracted this afternoon to the first of the harness races and to the judging of 4-H club exhibits. Fair officials said that this year’s collection of animals reared by 46,000 Indiana 4-H Club members appeared to be the best ever shown. Tonight the principal attraction is the WLS Barn Dance which is to be broadcast over a nation-wide hookup from the grounds. _ Tomorrow an even larger attendance is expected to see the Lucky Teter show in front of the grandstand in the afternoon.

Prizes Are Awarded =

- Robert McKee, Lafayette, took first prize with his entry in the Yorkshire gilts class in the swine exhibition. First prze in the Spotted Poland China gilt class went to Robert Gillespie of Wabash. = *~ Manford Stewart, Crawfordsville, won in the Hampshire gilts class with his entry. The Berkshire class was won by Ermel Fogg of Cory. . The Chester White Barrow-Cham- ; pionship award went to the entry of Robert Daniels of Rensselaer and runnerup was the entry of Gilbert Scmaus of Brazil. The champion Berkshire Barrow award went to the entry of Raymond Hobson of Monrovia. Runnerup honor went to Ralph Smitht of Morgantown. The 4-H Clubs are under direct supervision of the Purdue University Extension Department and the State = Agricultural Department. Some of the exhibitors are only 10 years old, and they have been taking care of their livestock for nearly a year, keeping cost accounts of feed, hours of iabor, weights and figuring their profits. Most of the boys exhibiting livestock slept last night and the night before in the feed troughs near their cattle or pigs. Their orbit of activity for the two (Continued on Page Two)

TIMES FEATURES ON INSIDE PAGES

Books sete Broun ....... Churches .... . Clapper .....

eve Hl Curious World 14 Editorials .... 8 Fashions .... 5 Financial .... 13 Flyjmm........ 8 Forum 8 Grin, Bear It. 14 In Indianapolis 3

Jane Jordan.. 17

Mrs. Ferguson

Music 13

Mrs. Roosevelt 7 Serial Story.. 14 Society Sports “i

a

Using Boy, 2, as Job Lure Brings Kidnap. Charge

NEW YORK, Sept: 3 (U. P)— Vivian Platte, 19, of Rhinelander, Wis., who disappeared with 2-year-old Robert Daley last Thursday and was found last night, was arraigned today in Magistrate’s Court on a charge of kidnaping. The case was adjourned until Sept. 8 and Miss Platte was taken

to. the women’s House of Detention in lieu of $2500, bail. - Police said Miss Platte had displayed the child as her own to arouse sympathy in her search for a job.

VOTE PROBE JURY HEARS VANDIVIER

G. 0. P. Leader Testifies 2 Hours; Decisions Likely Next Week.

Carl Vandivier. Republican County chairman, today testified for two hours before the Grand Jury which

yesterday was ordered by Criminal Court Judge Frank P. Baker to speed its investigation of the primary election. No other witness appeared before the jury today, Oscar Hagemeier, chief deputy prosecutor, said. The election jury is to resume its hearings Tuesday morning. It was believed the jury would vote on indictments early next week. Judge Baker yesterday instructed jurors to “return to their room and vote on the question of indictments from evidence already heard.” He ordered the jurors to take votes

"on evidence as fast as the investiga-

tion of each precinct was finished and to complete the entire probe within’ 30 days.

Terms System ‘Bad’

Prosecutor Herbert M. Spencer declined to comment on the probable time the jury would make a report to Criminal Court. Following his testimony, Vandivier said: ° “I am still of the opinion the primary vote investigation should have been carried on by disinterested attorneys, rather than by Prosecutor Spencer and his staff, since the Prosecutor and some members of his staff were candidates in the Primary. “The system is bad. I favor, as our Republican platform pledges, a central tabulation of ballots so the public can see what is going on at all times.”

WPA APPROVES FOUR PROJECTS IN COUNTY

Two Schools and Hospital To Be Improved.

Mr.

The aproval of four Marion County WPA projects costing $62,448 was announced today by State Administrator John K. Jennings. The allotments were part of a $2,961,699 for the State. The largest grant was $528,964 for the improvement of the Ft. Wayne parks system. The Marion County projects were: Improvement of Center Township school buildings, $5110; improvement of the Central State Hospital for the Insane, $13,282; improvement of Indianapolis Public School 86, $8804, and. development of a municipal park in the west section of Speedway City, $35,252.

PRETTY FAIR JOBATTHEFAIR . . . . ..,

Whatta job!

Mrs. Funk Kip, Frankfort, is one of

ORDERS POLICE FROM KIDNAP VICTIM'S HOME

Chief Seeks to Clear Way For Contact With Coast . Woman’s Abductors.

MARYSVILLE, Cal, Sept. 3 (U. P.) —Inspector W. A. White of .the State Highway Patrol early today ordered all law enforcement officers to retire from the neighborhood of the W. R. Meeks home, presumably

to give kidnapers of Mrs. Norma |

Meeks an opportunity to contact her husband. Inspector White told the. officers to “get away and stay away—not hide around some nearby corner.” He did not indicate how long they were to remain away. The inspector’s instructions came after the Federal Bureau of Investigation had withdrawn from the case “for the present,” and members of the San Francisco office of the G-Men had returned to their headquarters. They had found no evidence indicating their had been a violation of Federal kidnaping laws. The kidnapers issued their only instructions regarding payment of $15,000 ransom early yesterday when they entered the Meeks’ home and forced Mrs. Meeks to accompany them. As they were leaving, one of the two men shouted to Meeks, who was lying on the floor, his legs and arms bound and his mouth closed by adhesive tape: “You'll get your wife back when we get $15,000. We know all about the electric chair. We’ll contact you in a couple of days.” ‘The kidnapers paused for a moment, then added:

Sets Midnight as Deadline

“Leave the $15,000 on the loading platform on Highway 99 between Sheridan , and Wheatland if you want to. get your wife back alive. Put it there before midnight next Saturday. We'll give you more instructions later.” Inspector White's orders were based on the assumption that if the officers withdrew other instructions might be delivered. Even before the officers . were withdrawn grave fears were expressed for the 55-year-old woman’s safety. Almost foot by foot 500 searchers covered the 13 miles between the Meeks’ home and Marysville, where the kidnapers abandoned an automobile four hours after they left the home. Searching parties beat inetd way through the b ked under culverts, in ditches and orchards. “We are hoping against hope that our search does not yield the hody of Mrs. Meeks,”\ Sheriff Bert Ullrey had said. “But \there is a distinct possibility it may. hands of desperate .men.”

Buried Clothing Found

The sheriff's words seemed to be an expression of the entire group of private citizens, National Guardsmen and FBI agents who had aided in the search. They knew that at any moment they might find the

55-year-old woman’s body, but they

hoped . the kidnapers had been less heartless. A guardsman found bits of a blood-stained pillow case and burned clothing. Authorities doubted that they were clues to the i1ate of Mrs. Meeks, although when she and her husband were bound by the kidnapers early yesterday they were tied with rope and bits of clothing the men had Obtained in ransacking the house. If there were any clues as to-what had become of the kidnapers and their victim after they Meeks’ automobile in arysville officers did not reveal them. They (Continued on Page Three)

TRICK I. U. MACHINE POPULAR . . . . .

®

rked the.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1938

’

German Troops , . » on the march again.

Entered

as Second-Class Matter at Postoffice, Indianapolis, Ind.

PRICE THREE CENTS -

NCH

State Payrolls Advance; 1200 Rehired by Big 4

Capacity Operations at

Beech Grove Division ‘Are Forecast.

(Photos, Page Nine)

Resumption of capacity operations in the Beech Grove shops of the Big Four Railroad was forecast today with the re-employment, effective Sept. 7, of an estimated 1200 men in two departments. It also was reported that many others might be called back in a third department. : Officials said the men who were recalled would earn an average of about $6 a day. Ferdinand Bauer, locomotive repair * department superintendent, said the addition of. 750 men, who

return to work Wednesday, - would bring employment in the depart]

ment up to capacity. About 150 men have been kept on there in small scale operations. Indications of further re-employ- - (Continued on Page Two)

COCHRAN LEADING IN , BENDIX AIR DERBY

Woman Speeding Nonstop Toward Cleveland.

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Sept. 3 (U. P.). — Jacqueline Cochran, only woman contestant in the Bendix Air Derby from Los Angeles to Cleveland, today apparently wae leading her eight male opponents mn the mad dash across the country in their tiny racing planes. Miss Cochran, miles non-stop, last was reported passing over St. Louis. That was at 11:38 a. m. (Indianapolis Time), six hours and 25 minutes after she left the Burbank airport. She was flying a Seversky pursuiter, identical with the pr»ne used by Frank Fuller, the record holder for the distance. Mr. Fuller, however, broke his dash today with a landing at Wichita, where he took on 299 gallons of gasoline.

DENIES BRIDGES IN PARTY

PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 3 (U.P). —Earl Browder, national executive secretary of the Communist Party, said today that Harry Bridges, West Coast C. I. O, leader, is not a member of the Communist ‘Party.

¥

trying the 2042}

D 518 Local Establishments

Report Gains; More Upturns Seen.

An upturn in Indiana industry brought employment and payroll increases of 3.6 and 6.7 per cent, respectively, from mid-July to midAugust, the State Employment Service’s monthly survey showed today. In Indianapolis, 518 establishments reported employment gains of 1.9 per cent and payroll increases of 3.5 per cent. \ “This was the first definite upward movement since last September,” Martin F. Carpenter, director of the service, said. The increases were

‘based ‘on. a: preliminary tabulation of reports from tii establishments.

throughout the: roushont the Sate gaing are Histired when data from 600 additional establishments are available,” Mr. +} Carpenter said. While manufacturing activity still was below the level of the corresponding period a year ago, reports from 891 factories showed an expansion of 5.2 per cent in employment and 9.6 per cent in payrolls from mid-July to mid-August. “Only a small part of this advance was considered seasonal,” Mr. Cédrpenter said. “The seasonal manufacturing inersase is about .5 per cent,” he said. Industrial activity, he added, still

is 33.2 per cent below a year ago in

employment and 428 per cent in

payrolls. Increases in the durable goods

- group of manufacturies cmounted

; (Continued on Page Two)

A. F. OF L. REPORTS BUSINESS INCREASE

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3 (U. P). —The American Federation of Labor announced today that its monthly survey of business showed substantial gains in all important basic industries. The current upward trend plus the added impetus expected when the new Federal building program gets into full swing may give business such a stimulant that increases will reach boom proportions, the A.-F. of L. said. - The survey showed production gains in steel, lumber, cotton tex-

tiles, automobiles and electric pow- |-

er and concluded that “if increasing production in capital goods continues to keep pace with rising consumer and government spending

‘recovery will be rapid.”

.' DRUMMING UP BUSINESS . .

‘apparently would necessitate

SUIT FILED IN

TRACK PROJECT

Pennsylvania Asks Board’s Elevation Order Se Set Aside.

The South Side track elevation project was in litigation today. The Pennsylvania Railroad has asked the Circuit Court to set aside a Works Board order ‘to elevate its tracks from Terrace Ave. to the southern city corporation line. Mayor Boetcher, City Engineer Henry Steeg, the Works Board and railroad officials and attorneys declined to comment on the suit or on any phase of the project. The Works Board in a letter yesterday: ordered the Indianapolis Union (Belt) Railroad to elevate

[its tracks at Madison Ave., S. East .8t. and Singleton St. in accordance

with an agreement between the

City ‘and the Bélt signed Aug. 19,

1025. . Mr, Steeg said the Belt elevation would cost an estimated $1,000,000. Under the law the City would pay 34 per cent of the construction costs, the County 16 per cent, and the railroads 50 per cent of any track elevation: project. The elevation of the Belt {racks the separation of Belt -and Pennsylvania tracks where they now cross. Claim Change Unneccessary City officials said today that the Belt tracks can be elevated without altering Pennsylvania tracks. Soon. after the letter was made public, the Pennsylvania filed its court petition. It was said that the petition had no direct bearing on the Belt project. The railroad contended that there

| was “no public necessity” for the

proposed elevation from Terrace Ave. to the City limits, that the cost of the work would place “undue and unreasonable financial burdens” on the railroad and that the work wiil result in depriving the company of property without due process of law.

SOUTHERNER NAMED TO ENFORCE PAY BILL

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3 (U, P.).— Arthur 1. Fletcher, State Labor Commissioner of North Carolina since 1933, today was given the important task of enforcing the new wage-hour law. - His appointment as assistant administrator in'charge of compliance was announced by Wage-Hour Administrator Elmer F. Andrews. Mr. Fletcher will begin his duties Sept. 15.

30.000 MARCH;

NEW NAZI NAVAL MOVE REPORTED

IN EUROPE STRASBOURG—Nazi troops massed on frontier. PARIS—“Invasion” frustrated in war games. LONDON—Fleet completes maneuver preparations. PRAHA —Benes studies new Sudeten proposals. BERLIN—Hitler reported awaiting Praha move. ROME—Foreign Jews unable to obtain visas. HENDAYE—Bad weather curbs war on all fronts.

IN THE FAR EAST SHANGHAI—Japanese claim gains toward Hankow.

4 LONDON, Sept. 3 (U. P.).— Germany has notified Great Britain that its rebuilt Navy will hold maneuvers in the North Sea coinci-

dent with those of the British Navy, |

it was learned today.

The German fleet selected for its area the waters off the Norwegian and Danish coasts, extending down to the Netherlands. Thus there will be the interesting picture of a German battle fleet holding war games at the eastern side of the North Sea while the British Home Fleet holds its games at the western side during the climactic phase of the Czechoslovakjan crisis. Forty-two ships of the British fleet completed preparations at home stations to sail Tuesday for Invergordon, Scotland, and Scapa Flow, in the Orkneys Islands to the north, for their maneuvers. It was significant perhaps that Admiralty officials took occasion to minimize in every possible way both the British and German maneuvers.

Considered Disappointing

There were indications here that Great Britain intended sobn to put on Czechosloy: the limit in offering concessions to

its German minority in the interest | :

of peace. A new minority offer by the Czechoslovak Government as showing a conciliatory attitude was believed today to be considered disappointing. Hence, it appeared that Czechoslovakia would be expected to go farther. This did not mean that the Government necessarily had decided to sacrifice Czechoslovakia in the interest of peace. There is and always has been here a considerable feeling that the German and other minorities in Czechoslovakia had many just complaints. Also, there seemed no doubt that Germany now understood that Great Britain would be definitely against = her, however unwillingly, in any European war.

TEN ARE KILLED IN

2 AUTO COLLISIONS |

Accidents Near Dayton, O., Leave 5 Seriously Injured.

(Other traffic stories, Page Three.)

DAYTON, O., Sept. 3 (U. P.)— Two auto collisions near Dayton last night left 10 persons dead and five seriously injured today. Six were killed in one accident in Warren County, 13 miles south of here, and four died in the other on Springfield Pike, near Wright

Aviation Field.

TEMPERATURES cee 65 10 2. m.... ... 66 11 a. m.... ... 68 12 (Noon). . 3 1pm...

76 7 78 78

TIME OUT FOR REST .

to go |

2

BULLETINS BERLIN, Sept. 3 (U. P.)=— A ‘spokesman for the War Ministry admitted today that t¥oop movements are in progress on the German side of hine in the region oppoStrasbourg. Te movements, he declared, are part of the regular Army maneuvers.

WARSAW, Poland, Sept. 3 (U. P.).—Violent anti-Ger-man demonstrations broke out last night in the town of Bielsko, Silesia, advices received today said. A crowd of 1000 stormed a German bookstore and burned many volumes, including copies of Hitler's “Mein Kampf.” The crowd smashed the windows of the local German newspaper as wel las those of private homes, according to the advices. -

LONDON, Sept. 3 (U. P.).— King George VI, emulating his grandfather, Edward VII, may send a personal letter to Adolf . Hitler if other. ean; of easing it was intimated tonight.

STRASBOURG, France,’ Sept. 8 (U. P.) —Strong German reinforce= ments moved into: positions on the right bank of the Rhine in the last 24 hours in the Kehl and Offene burg regions. Mechanized units, including Tight artillery batteries and heavy machine guns, occupied the garrisons. The troops billeted among the peasants. The Kehl bridge leading to Strase bourg remained open. No counteére measures were visible on the French side this afternoon. A high military officer assured the United Press correspondent that no special steps had been considered and no move made as yet to cancel

| week-end leaves of the French

troops. According to estimates reaching here, approximately two divisions, or more than 30,000 men, have ar= rived in the Kehl and Offenburg regions since Friday night.

Border Control Stringent

Travelers reported that only skelee ton units were in that region bee fore Friday. The new divisions were composed of infantry, motorized cavalry columns, motorized artillery and specialized troops. It was believed the troops mere= ly were occupying newly-completed fortifications in that region as part of the current maneuvers. ; The Kehl and Offenburg regions represent a depth of 9 to 12 miles. Since the arrival of troops on the German frontier, control has been most stringent and German and French travelers crossing the bridges are subjected to severe examination. French military quarters here ine sisted no special precautions are being taken because the Maginot (Continued on Page Two)