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Newspaper
Decatur Daily
Location
Decatur, Alabama, United States of America
Date
May 09, 1944
Page
1
Partly cloudy tonight and Wednesday, warmer tonight except in the Southeast. Local bureau shows a high of 75 and low of 55. Cotton prices paid: strict middling 20.85 middling 20.70 strict low 18.75 low 16.85. War Dept reports Cpl Desmond L. Davis wounded in the Mediterranean. Various local rosters note family updates and church events with a decoration day May 14 at Mount Vernon and a ninth grade graduation May 12 at Chalybeate Hillsboro.
The Morgan County Farm Bureau bets August 4 for its annual meeting and a dairy and beef cattle show, with Governor Sparks potentially attending. The Decatur Chamber of Commerce also plans a successor for J Emmett McClary, discusses state aid for agriculture, highway improvements, and boosting the Alabama State Guard unit to prevent losses to Decatur. Housing shortages prompt calls for temporary units to house workers as industry grows.
Attorney General McQueen clarifies that mayoral and aldermanic candidates may qualify anytime within twenty days before the September 18 election. A petition with at least 25 legally qualified Decatur voters must be filed with the city clerk, with no filing fee required.
Attorney General Biddle said a federal grand jury in Denver returned an indictment charging three American born sisters of Japanese ancestry with treason by aiding two German soldiers to escape from a Trinidad Colorado prisoner of war camp on October 16. The defendants are Tasuruko Wallace Florence Shioze Otani and Billie Shitara Taniyoshi former California residents sent after Pearl Harbor to a Granada Colorado relocation camp.
Frank Sinatra, radio and screen singing star, is in a comfortable condition at Mount Sinai hospital after being removed from his hotel on Sunday. He is reported to be suffering from a throat infection and fever.
ERNIE PYLE recounts traveling across Africa with Lieut. Col. Colin Linton and Lieut. Col. Jack Donaldson. The Scot Linton is a Sandhurst graduate in his twenties. Donaldson, a former social worker in his late thirties, married to a farmer who wrote a book about it. The trio, after Casablanca, fly in a bomber with military passengers from several nationalities.
Passengers include three captured U-boat crewmen and a British captain. The group, described as young and strong, was flown to England with high priority. The trip featured blackout windows and padded interior, with no smoking allowed, while most passengers slept in their seats.
Six sailors were killed when their car crashed into a building and burned in Jacksonville Florida today. Police removed badly burned bodies after firemen extinguished the flames and the names were withheld pending next of kin notification. An eyewitness Lt Higginbotham said the car went by at terrific speed and failed to take a curve before hitting a liquor store building.
Rep. Miller of Connecticut argues against amendments to curb TVA power and demands Congress evaluate how to maximize return on the more than eight hundred million dollars invested in TVA. He criticizes using TVA rates as a standard for private power and opposes proposals for TVA profits and annual funding.
Maple Grove school will present its 6th grade exercises with two one act comedies Wildcat Willie featuring W L Blankenship and Susie’s Debut starring Margie Lee Hawkins at 8 00 p m May 10. The program includes other plays and the community is invited.
Allied reports say German troops pulled back from the Letto Palena area near Palena in central Italy. The retreat involved destruction of bridges and a tunnel, with civilians evacuated 20 miles deep as Allied artillery hit movements in the Gari gliano valley and near Cassino.
Second Lieutenant Carl F. Conley, bombardier on a Flying Fortress, is missing in action since April 22 over Germany. The War Department telegram to his parents Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Conley expresses deep regret and promises prompt notice if further information is received.
Telegram from the War Department reports Staff Sergeant Robert Atkinson missing in action since April 24 over Germany. He served fourteen months with overseas only three weeks. his mother Mrs. Lillie Shelton of 526 East Church Street was notified.
An American air force based in Britain hurled nearly 2,000 planes in a 25th day of non stop pre invasion operations across France Belgium and Luxembourg targeting rail yards airfields and installations. Marauder bombers and Flying Fortresses struck ten targets while RAF heavy bombers pounded railways and airfields in France Belgium and Germany. Today's operations followed a night raid that dropped thousands of tons of explosives on railway targets and air fields as Allied forces press toward the invasion.
C T Hammett of Hartselle asks for a public bus service extension to serve war plant workers in Decatur. A hearing is set for Wednesday before the Alabama Public Service Commission in Montgomery. The plan, presented by Decatur attorney John H Peach, aims to extend service from Hartselle through Decatur to Cullman and intermediate points.
Washington May 9 Lt Col Heber H Rice retired head attorney for the Federal Home Loan Bank Administration credited by an Alabama minister with influencing a shift in the Methodist church toward supporting the war The Alabama minister cited a telegram about Rice March 3 commencement address at Athens College Alabama Rice formerly staff judge advocate Huntsville Arsenal and now active in federal bar affairs is a Paintsville Kentucky native with residence in Huntington West Virginia
Decatur merchants vote to close all businesses for two hours on Invasion Day and promote a one hour church prayer, with clerks employers and customers urged to attend services. Charles Ed Howell named retail division chair as Loyd steps down.
Opinion in the Allied nations debates whether Germany should bear collective punishment for the Nazi era. Leaders like William Green and Masaryk argue not all Germans are responsible, but many say the German people enabled Hitler and must pay. The Philadelphia labor conference hosts heated discussion on this policy.
Soviet communique reports two air supported Russian armies breached Sevastopol main defense belt and captured hills threatening the besieged port. German losses exceed 4,000 in one sector as Red Army closes the ring from south east and north east. Soviet planes sink 12 Axis vessels as Tolbukhin and Yereminko commands push toward full liberation of the Crimea.
Russian storm troops pressed the siege of Sevastopol in Crimea as artillery pounded German positions. Red Army forces broke through fortifications and closed in from multiple approaches while a German communique claimed heavy fighting and losses.
Two Army air field student officers were killed when their trainer plane crashed at Muscle Shoals Alabama during a combat training mission. Lieut Hitzeman and Lieut Ernest N Quinanns Pa. were named in the crash report. Col Walter W Gross announced the deaths.
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