The Newport Daily Express from Newport, Vermont • 1

NEWPORT VERMONT FRIDAY DECEMBER 14 1945 VOL 10 (OLD 73) NO 222 Truman Appoints Fact-Finding Board SINGLE COPIES THREE CENTS Barkley May Quit Pearl Harbor Quiz Entire Legal Staff Asks To Be Excused From Further Participation In Inquiry WASHINGTON Dec 14 Fact-Finding Bill Hearings Are Ended Senate Labor Committee Not To Resume Hearings Until After The Christmas Holidays I Belsen Gang Hanged For Their Atrocities Josef Kramer And Ten Others Executed By The British Yesterday HAMBURG Germany Dec 14 (A1) Field Marshal Montgomery's headquarters announced today that Joseph Kramer the of and ten others of the Belsen gang including blonde Irma Grese were hanged yesterday for committing crimes at the notorious concentration camp The executions were carried out at the Hamelin by Pierrepont official British hangman The 11 condemned to death were moved from Jail to the ancient prison on the banks of the Wesser river at Hamelin five days ago The gallows were built by the royal engineers Marshal Montgomery denied all appeals Saturday The eight men and three women hanged were condemned to death by a British military court No 17 for atrocities committed at the Belsen and Oswleclm concentration camps Nineteen other persons drew prison terms Three of the condemned accepted the verdict -without appeal They were Elizabeth Volkenrath 26 head supervisor for the (Elite Guard) Juana Borman 42 a fanatic who gave up missionary work to join the and Franz Hoeszler 34-year-old member (Continued on Page 3) President Truman has appointed a fact-finding board to investigate the General Motors auto strike and he said he expected both labor and management to cooperate with the group Members of the board are left to right: Milton Eisenhower president of Kansas State College Judge Walter Stacy chairman of the recent labor-management conference and Lloyd Garrison chairman of the War Labor Board To Discuss Program Veterans Asked To Meet At Armory Monday Night To Talk About Facilities Is there a general demand for additional sports program and recreational facilities for war veterans in Newport? Some think there is and Poly Mayo has called a meeting for all veterans to convene at the Armors next Monday evening at 7:30 to discuss the matter Mr Mayo states that all veterans are invited to this meeting and not merely members of the American Legion Veterans of Foreign Wars etc It is expected that if sufficient interest develops at Monday meeting that a program will be drawn up Just what facilities for sports like basketball are available now that the high school teams and public schools are busy with a long schedule of winter practices and games is not known yet: Veterans may think that recreational facilities other than basketball may be desirable If so the evening will provide an opportunity for such to express their opinion The meeting will be open for all veterans to speak their mind arid Mayo says he has done a little thinking and investigating on the matter himself For instance should any kind of winter sport program be instituted on Sundays Poly asks and if so what and where? Adna Cobleigh To Retire At The End Of The Year Seasonal Decline In Milk Production More Than Normal WASHINGTON Dec 14 (JP) The: Senate labor committee decided to end hearings of the fact-finding labor disputes bill after today and not to resume until after the first of the year This means that President Truman will not get his wish that such legislation be passed before the Christmas holidays Chairman Murray D-Mont) of the Senate group said: was the judgment of the committee that it would be absolutely impossible to conclude reasonable hearings arid get Senate action on he Ellender bill before Murray said hearings would be resumed after Congress reconvenes following the holidays and would last another month A list of 100 or more witnesses he added have asked to be heard on the pending bill and other labor measures CIO President Philip Murray earlier had described the industrial picture as Testifying before the House labor committee in opposition to President Truman's request for fact-finding and cooling off legislation as an approach to labor peace Murray said in a prepared statement: is not facts that we lack It is not cooling off that we lack What is needed is a willingness on the part of the administration to face the Asserting that situations in major industries critical and the CIO head added: is not only true of the particular industries The entire national industrial picture is explosive The situation is so thoroughly fraught with danger for our future well-being that we cannot afford now to tolerate the kind of stupidity and bungling that characterized the rush to enact such bills as the Smith-Connally law of Murray said fact-finding boards in labor disputes are unnecessary because the already are known to various government Has Been District Highway Commissioner In This Part Of State Since 1917 MONTPELIER Dec 14 (Special) The commissioner of highways today announced the retirement at the end of the year of Adna Cobleigh of Newport district highway commissioner in the northeastern part of the state since 1917 and the engineer with the longest service in the highway department Mr Cobleigh commenced working Chairman Barkley (D-Ky) announced today he may resign from the Pearl Harbor committee His statement came after the entire legal staff asked to be excused from further participation in the inquiry Barkley told his colleagues that during the next few days before reaching a final decision he would weight his "relative to the committee and to the Senate where he is majority leader I conclude that my obligations are greater to the Senate I shall re-'sign as a member of the he added Previously William Mitchell committee counsel and his entire staff asked to be relieved of duty Barkley called tills move by the staff a Mitchell said he and his aides would continue to present testimony this month but Barkley said it would be difficult for the committee to find other counsel Mitchell asserted to his statement that of my staff accepted their places on my expectations and assurances that they would not be held up for any considerable time after January first My own obligations and responsibilities put me in the same Mitchell said when he accepted the post weeks ago that he wanted to be relieved of duty by the first of the year Barkley noted that Mitchell and some of his assistants had said they desired to serve without compensa--tion Both the counsel staff and Barkley protested that the hearings were ranging over such a wide field and witnesses were being questioned at such length that the investigation would go on for months The chairman said that he had not wanted to serve on the committee in the first place because as majority leader he had any one human ought to be asked to do" Since the hearings started Barkley added he had been forced in effect to give up his work as majority leader almost as It now had become apparent Barkley said that the investigation could not be concluded by Jan 3 as Congress had stipulated in its enabling resolution the rate of progress he said would be difficult to prophesy how many months may be required to complete the In announcing the legal desire to withdraw Mitchell read to the committee a statement noting that although the inquiry had been in progress since Nov 13 the examination of only eight witnesses had been completed remain at least he (Continued on Page 7) Davis Tells About Experiences In West After Dinner Meeting Of The Memphremagog Saddle Club Last Night The Mempmernagog Saddle Club members of their families and invited guests numbering 35 motored to Barton Thursday evening when they were served a steak dinner at the Park Restaurant Menard proprietor The club was given the i private diningroom and proprietor served a most delightful menu Following the dinner President John Bradley welcomed he members and guests and expressed appreciation for tne large turnout Several guests expressed their gratefulness for being included in the party and wished the club a successful future Payson Davis was called on to relate some of his experiences in Ok-j lahoma while serving his country in the Army Air Forces Davis confined his talk to the customs and living conditions of the Indians of whom several tribes are located in that vicinity He said that several tribes from New York state had been sent into Oklahoma and provided land by the government Each tribe has a separate language understood only by the chiefs of each tribe Mr Davis attended many of their functions and described their manner of dress One of the interesting ceremonials he witnessed was a pow-wow at which their dances would continue all night The participants wTere not allowed to stop dancing while the fire burns Many of the women who danced were 90 to 95 years of age The speaker also described their customs at the time of death He stated they were amply provided for by the government each young man receiving such sums of money that many were losing all interest in acquiring an education They ride in the highest priced automobiles Packards and other expensive makes being commonly used and parked in the streets of the village? with the rear compartment occupied by pigs and hens brought in from the ranch He told of the corn dance a ceremonial to give thanks for an abundant harvest On such occasions those who grow coin bring in a truckload for the festivities while others who raise livestock donate two or three animals from their herds Mr Bradley thanked Mr Davis for his interesting talk which was much appreciated by those present The banquet was financed from the club treasury The club membership now totals 21 includmg several ladies The mild w'eather this fall and early winter has made possible the Sunday afternoon rides which add greatly to the interest and enthusiasm of members A route is usually planned over back roads away from traffic thereby eliminating traffic accidents Several people have expressed a desire to join the club at such time as saddle horses can be procured The club feels certain that the number of members will be largely increased by another season and plans are underway for tinued riding during the winter JAY MEETS VICTORY LOAN QUOTA TODAY John Jay first chief justice of the Supreme Court original grantee of all the lands in the present town of Jay would be highly satisfied with the results of the Victory Loan in the town named after him Jay has met its quota it was announced this morning Graham Lucier was chairman The minimum goal was 81500 CREAMERY SPONSORS IRASBURG BANQUET IRASBURG Dec 14 Special) One hundred fifty men and women were served supper in Irasburg United Church Wednesday evening as guests of the Vermont Cooperative Creamery organization Ji splendid supper was served by the ladies of the church Following the dinner John Hancock of East Hardwick president of the Vermont Cooperative Creamery organization called the meeting to order and presided over the pro-gram which included a talk by A Beebe manager of the Vermont Cooperative who explained the plan and program of operation Former Commissioner of Agriculture in Vermont Jones presented the principal address keeping the audience in good humor with pertinent stories while driving home his points about milk production and milk marketing The greater part of his lecture concerned the Class I milk publicity program of the New England Dairy Council The plan proposes the pooling of one-half cent per 100 pounds of milk coming from the producer and an equal amount from distributors The program is to go into operation when 50 per cent of the milk has been pledged to the program An encouraging start has been made through several co-operative milk organizations and proprietory milk concerns which are deeply interested Following this program an Irasburg unit of the Vermont Cooperative Creamery was formed with A Lanou of Irasburg made a director of the central organization and Forand of Barton a delegate The organization expects to complete its Irasburg plant early in Producers To Receive $364 Per Hundredweight For November Milk BOSTON Dec 14 (Special) 1 Producers in the Boston milkshed will receive a price of $3G4 per hundredweight for milk delivered during November at plants in the 191-200 mile zone according to Samuel Tator fedeial market administrator This price for 37 per cent milk is 4 cents above the October price and 6 cents above the No- vember price a year ago The addi- 1 tion of the 70-cent subsidy rate pay- able by the federal government re- suits in a total return per hundredweight of $434 This ha? been ex- ceeded only in November of last year when there was added to the 70-cent subsidy rate a special drouth payment rate of 10 cents per hun- dredweight For the third consecutive month the seasonal decline in production for the Boston market was greater than normal November receipts fell off 16 per cent from the previous month as compared with a normal drop of 11 per cent Similarly at the time of the 1943 milk shortage there was an abnormally steep decline of 18 per cent The November slump forced receipts down to a level about 11 per cent below that of last year Only three months ago production in the Boston milkshed was running 6 per cent ahead of last year Of the 77 million pounds of milk received by Boston handlers from producers in November 72 million pounds or about 93 Vi per cent were sold as Class I milk in Boston and smaller markets of New England It is estimated that an additional 15 (Continued on Page 7) A Cobleigh ORLEANS MOTHERS IN CHRISTMAS MEETING The Orleans Club held its Christmas meeting at the Congregational chapel on Monday evening December 10th with 34 members and nine guests present A business meeting was conducted by the president Mrs Mae Golden after which the following program was presented by a commi-tee of Mrs Ellen Marie Wightman Mrs Mary Graham and Mrs Lillian Hoyt Mrs Gladys Fillier read Three Wise a story from the Digest after which everyone sang Roland Mason Douglas Wightman and Murray Stevens sang two numbers Three Kings of the Orient and Janice Bowman and Mary Carlene Dawson sang a and Long Miss Lorraine Carl sang Little and Christmas Gifts from a beautifully decorated tree were distributed by Santa Claus impersonated by Johnny Webster A nice lunch of sandwiches tea coffee and gingerbread with whipped cream was served by Mrs Grace Barney Mrs Helen- Dorman Mrs Lucy Wells Mrs Myra Hennessey Mrs Elaine Hemenway and Mrs Laura Collette FRIENDLY CLUB CHRISTMAS PARTY The annual Christmas party of the Friendly Club of the Main Street Baptist Church was held yesterday afternoon in the vestry of the church with an attendance of 28 adults and 24 children Mrs Vincent led the devotional period opening wirh the carol Shepherds Watched Their by the group The Scripture reading was taken from the 2d Chapter of Luke She then read an article and Marching from the Bible Society Record followed by a poem Are The Wise Devotions were closed with prayer followed by the Prayer Reports of the secretary and treasurer were read at the business meeting presided over by Mrs Ann Briggs The sum of $500 was voted to the World Mission Crusade It was also voted to send a basket of fruit to a shut-in The club prayer concluded the business meeting Hie program was in charge of Mrs Lucille Mooney and Mrs Thelma Leithead Two Christmas stories were read to the little people by Mrs Doris Renfrew after which Santa Claus appeared in costume passing bean bags and candies to the children The older ones exchanged gifts Jean Austin recited Christmas Giving: Silent Night a piano solo was given by Jean Pelle-rin vocal solo Lead the World to Jesus by Jean Bernard- Santa a recitation by Gwendolyn Gardner Miss Carolyn Corliss played two piano solos Cradle Song and Silent Night Pauline Vincent and Pauline Bernard sang a duet Long Years Ago in Bethlehem a vocal solo Message of the Angels by Mrs Elaine Corliss seven girls of the junior choir Pauline Bernard Pauline Vincent Jean Bernard Jean Austin Gwendolyn Gardner Marilyn Currier and Carolyn Corliss sang Little Town of Bethlehem Mrs Lucille Hunt was the pianist for the vocal numbers Mrs Ruth Austin chairman assisted by Mrs Hazel Day Mrs Marjorie Stephens Mrs Marjorie Revoir and Mrs Mildred Bean served sandwiches cocoa and coffee MORE oNOW BLANKETS NATION By The Associated Press A blanket of snow covered a wide section of the nation today freezing rains chilled parts of the South and falling temperatures in the Midwest made the winter setting in that region more realistic The best weather in the land in some sections tb txisc i Snow to a depth of from 3 to 7 inches extended from eastern Nebraska and eastern Kansas to the upper Ohio valley The snow storm moved eastward from the upper Mississippi valley into the North Atlantic states and headed for New7 England today after heavy falls throughout the Midwest area in the last 48 hours The heaviest falls were 7 inches at Erie Pa and six inches in Cleveland Freezing rains were reported in Virginia the Carolinas and in Washington while rain fell over parts of Georgia Pueblo Colo shivered in seven degrees below zero while in Brownsville rrexas the weather was clear and the mercury touched a peak of 82 the highest reported yesterday The top reading in Miami Fla was 80 Federal forecasters in Chicago said the temperatures in Fort Smith Alberta were around the 40 below mark today and said a new mass of cold air was moving into the Midwest region from central Canada Temperatures of from 25 to 30 below zero in Minnesota and eastern Dakotas were forecast over the weekend while sub-zero readings were predicted for most of the Midwest area Temperatures of zero were reported in western Iowa today 3 above at Omaha 12 above at Kansas City and near the zero mark at Duluth Minn DRAFT BOARD MEN TO GET MEDALS According to the provisions of an act of the Congress all uncompensated local board members of the Selective Service who have served for two or more years are to receive special medals In Orleans county i every member of the Selective Serv-: ice board is entitled to this public appreciation for a difficult job loyally and consistently performed: John Bradley chairman of Newport A Keeler Craftsbury John Beebe Newport and John Barrington Greensboro Tire late John Colton of Orleans was also a member of the board when it was first instituted and served well until his last illness Both Mr Bradley and Mr Keeler are five-year members of the local board The medal includes a ribbon of gold and blue and a lapel button At the present time the local selective service office the local board members and chief clerk Mrs Richard Mosher are actively engaged in carrying out the assistance program rendering aid to veterans seeking re-employment and information as to their legal rights and means of securing them for the state on a part time basis in 1 1910 In 1915 he became assistant to i the late Stoddard Bates who then was Orleans county road commissioner With the establishment of highway districts in 1917 Mr Cobleigh was appointed district commissioner for Orleans and part of Essex counties a position he has filled with credit ever since I Officials and employes of the highway department gave Mr Cob- leigh a testimonial dinner at the Montpelier Tavern last evening in (Continued on Page 4) IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE Horror Tale Of Warsaw Ghettos Is Unfolded AWARDED BRONZE STAR POSTHUMOUSLY LOWELL Dec 14 (Special) The bronze star medal was awarded posthumously recently to 1st Lt Victor Comtois a native of this village during special ceremonies held at the Army Recruiting station at Hartford Conn The medal was presented to the late Lt Comtois wife Mrs Marie Camille comtois and baby Francine Comtois now of Glastonbury Conn by Major Elmer Newman The citation accompanying the medal as read at the Hartford ceremonies Is as follows Bronze Star Medal heroic service In during the period 5 September 1944 to 15 December 1944 in connection with military operations against an enemy of the United States During the period 5 September 1944 to 15 December 1944 Lieutenant Comtois distinguished himself in performing his duties as Executive Officer of an infantry company in an outstandingly superior manner On many occasions he assumed command of platoons within the company and successfully led them into battle and also directed the company in the absence of the commanding officer His organizational ability was directly responsible for the superior administration of the company and relieved his commander of all burdensome details The leadership courage and zealous devotion to duty displayed by Lieutenant Comtois exemplify the finest traditions of the Armed Forces of the United BUTTER SCARCER NOW THAN DURING WAR Visions which housewives had a few short weeks ago that the relaxing of rationing of butter would result in plenty of that favorite bread-spread have been rudely shattered In most places in northeastern Vermont butter is scarcer now than during the most stringent of war time days Newport stores which have buying connections as good as any in this section of the state report they are unable to obtain butter for their customers Merchants are told by their customary sources of butter supply that the reason that commodity is scarce is that a larger percentage of the total milk supply is being sold as fluid milk or cream The net result has been in Orleans county at least that housewives have been compelled to resort to butter substitute to which they have become more or less accustomed during the war Farmers increasingly have been making enough butter for their own home consumption but grocers still point out that rural folk are the largest purchasers of margarine With scant supplies coming in butter is being rationed from undercounter stocks by some grocers otherwise a few would gobble up all in sight and others would have to use substitutes or go without No relief in the butter shortage in the next several weeks could be forecast by Newport merchants today although the government is releasing war held stocks for civilian use GIRLS RECOVER FROM ICY RIVER PLUNGE MARLBORO Dec 14 Two seven-year-old Marlboro girls were recovering today from a near-tragic plunge into the icy Minnehaha River yesterday afternoon The pair Laura Hooper and Mildred Menter plunged through thin ice not far from the river bank as they attempted to cross on their way home from second grade classes Ralph Wheeler 13 heard their cries and gave the alarm The Hooper girl grasped an overhanging bush and pulled herself to safety but Mildred was farther from shore She was rescued by Ted Ogil- 1 vie a service station attendant i Ogilvie leaped into the river and seized the child The current was so swift however that Clifford Harper of Keene and Harry Wilson of Marlboro had to give him a hand in helping the girl ashore The children were treated by Dr 1 George Provost of Keene COMMONS APPROVES LOAN TERMS LONDON Dec 14 The House of Commons today gave final ratification to the Bretton Woods monelary stabilization pact approval of which was one of the conditions laid down by the United States for a loan of $4400000000 to Britain The measure was passed without dissent on its third and last reading and went at once to the House of Lords The action came barely 14 hours after Commons had approved the terms of the loan by a vote of 345 to 98 The Bretton Woods bill was rushed through its second reading last night by a vote of 314 to 50 Under British Parliamentary procedure the second reading generally determines whether a bill will pass The third reading is committed to the consideration of possible amendments preparatory to sending the measure to the Lords A sharp debate punctuated by personal clashes between Labor and Conservative leaders preceded the vote on the loan terms Gestapo chief Heinrich Himmler thought Eichman total was too low affidavit revealed But Hoettl added that Eichman was the best informed official on Jewish executions Thousands were killed when SS 1 troops wiped out the Warsaw Ghetto in a 29 -day massacre in 1943 accord-j ing to records submitted by Major Frank Walsh of New7 York City as- sistant prosecutor Details of the mass murder in Warsaw were read from the reports of the SS police chief of the city who wrote that he ordered troops destroy the entire Jewish residential area by setting every block on The reports showed that the (chief a Maj Gen Stroop directed the annihilation campaign from April 17 to May 16 1943 and that he boasted he had killed 7000 Jews i in battle 5000 to 6000 by explosions and fires and collected 49000 others extermination in camps can (Continued on Page 6) NUERNBERG Dec 14 Six million European Jews were ruthless- ly slaughtered in the Nazi campaign of extermination said German se-i cret police estimates placed today before the international military tribunal trying 21 of top leaders on war crimes charges American prosecutors filed an affidavit by Dr Wilhelm Hoettl right hand man to defendant Ernst Kal-tenb runner in the secret police giv-j ing the estimate 4000000 Jews had been killed in the various extermination camps while an additional 2-000000 met death in other ways the major part of which were shot by operational squads of security police during the campaign against Hoettl said in his affidavit Hoettl attributed his figure to Adolf Eichman chief in the secret police He said Eichman confessed it to him in August 1944 in expressing the conviction that he would have to pay for millions of Jewish lives on his i BOSTON Dec 14 (UP) Moderating seas came to the rescue today of five vessels which had been reported in distress in the North Atlantic in the past 48 hours and Coast Guard spokesmen said it now appeared all the crews would be brought safely to land Twenty-seven merchant seamen of the Venezuelan freighter Independencia which ran aground off Nantucket were brought to Vineyard Haven today aboard the Coast Guard tug Spar with a tale of the foundering of a sister ship in Gaspe Bay Quebec The Coast Guard identified the other craft as the K-148 In Grecian drama queens wore purple and white other ladies were allowed to wear only saffron or frog green Great flocks of usually sedentary birds in the Pacific sometimes make to islands as far as 2000 miles away.