davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-03-17


In Washington state department
officials refused to confirm or den,
the story, but told the Associate,
Press however that the policy state
ment issued in January on the sub
ject embargoed only tanker ship
ments from Caribbean ports t,
Spain.
We know that shipment of 250,00l
gallons of our nations finest lubrica
ton oil goes direct to Germany.
We also know that is not the frs
shipment, and won't be the last unless
our senators in Washington wake up
or maybe they know all about these
shipments of oil and whatnots to the
Axis nations; but like the soldier vote
question, Are not interested"
Talk about being double crossed.
guess we American people are sure
| getting it,
Ever since Pearl Harbor, we have
had the different governmental de
partments after us in various ways to
ICOiioOl fC gnu hCCp oil Oll III
the distribution line. Oil companies
are always reminding farmers, to get
in those empty oil drums. We have
been and are being told to rush in our
scrap iron, Uncle Samie needs it to
make the articles of war. We find
that shipment of 100000 gallons of
oil in SIS gallon drums, sends to Ger
many 4,545 oil drums, or some 100000
lbs of our much needed iron.
1t don't seem to me that the poorest
constructed airoplane should use over
u gallon of fabrication oil per hour,
if so, we furnish fabrication oil for
100000 hours of Axis planes flying
time and some 125 tons of iron ma
terial, with which to make bombs.
It's no wonder, our boys are having
such tough time in southern Italy.
Those responsible for such ship
ments and other shipments of like
kind = should be condemned to the
front line of battle, without training
in disregard to age, or political or fl
nancial position
Our halls of congress should be
cleaned of men who haven't the well
fare of the American citizen at heart.
If the State department officials,
have been so lax, in administering the
war effort welfare, as the clipping
indicates, particularly the last para
graph, they too should be condemned
to the battle front also.
War rackets, greed and graft, could
have been kept under control, had our
congress drafted money, to the war
effort, at the time of drafting man.
power.
1t has been estimated that the in
vasion of Germany may cost the
United States some 615 million, cas-
ualities.
Money GRADERS of this nation, seem
anxious to keep the Axis equipment,
well fabricated, so the casualties will
be high.
c. S. HORTON.
Custer, Mont. |
Editor, Peoples Voice:
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-03-17

Any enlisted man in the armed
forces may study for college degree
from any one of SO colleges or uni
versities cooperating with the Armed
Forces Institute. There are more than
800 subjects from which to choose.
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-03-17

On an island in the Solomons area,
the Seabees carved an air strip out
of the dense jungle in 10 days, during
which 16 u inches of rain fell-equal
to six months precipitation in most
middle western states.
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-03-17
OPINIONS OF READERS

dsagrees with the opinions Letters
should be brief subject
least effectively Anonymous letters will
publication Names will withheld
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-03-17

Editor, Peoples Voice:
have been reading where the
Baruch plan means the capitalist sys-
tenn will control the postwar setup.
Our present national administration
should operate all the government
owned factories and plants and COM
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-02-17
Births

Rev. and Mrs. Robert Diller of
Alliance are the parents of a
daughter born at the City hospital
in that city. Rev. Diller is pastor
of Immanuel's Reformed church at
that place.
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr.. and Mrs. Raymond Long of
Ada, a daughter, Sharon Raye,
Thursday. Mrs. Long is the former
Donna Shrider, daughter of Mr.. and
Mrs. Harry Shrider of this place.
Mr.. and Mrs. Leo Traucht of
Williamstown, a daughter, Saturday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Willis Crawford of
Bluffton, son, Dwain Eugene, Sat-
urday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Norman Basinger of
Columbus Grove, a son, Ronald Gale,
Saturday.
Mr.. and Mrs. ROLAND Etter of
Ottawa, a son, Paul Allan, Sunday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Lewis Parys of Co
lumbus Grove, a son, James Thomas,
Monday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Alvin Lamb Of CO.
lumbus Grove, a daughter, Monday.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-02-17
Naval Hero Is Buriad
With HOnOrs Tuesday


Lieut.. Commands Harlan Dickson,
30, of the Navy, son of Colonel and
Mrs. Rene Studler of Washington,
d. c., who was killed in an airplane
crash was buried with military hon
ors in Arlington National cemetery,
Virginia, Tuesday afternoon.
Funeral services We're held in the
chapel at the cemetery with his
classmates from the U. S. Naval
Academy at Annapolis serving as
pallbearers and honor guards.
Lieut.. Commander Dickson, sta
toned at the Alameda, California,
airfield met his death when a navy
dive bomber crashed near San Luis
Obispo, Calf, February 5.
Funeral services which had been
announced previously for last Satur-
day were postponed until Tuesday
because of delay in arrival of the
body.
The naval f1ier was a student in
Bluffton high school in 1929 and was
graduated from the Naval Academy
in 1886. Since the beginning of the
present war he was twice decorated
with navy crosses for bravery in
action in the Coral sea engagement
and in the battle of Midway.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-02-17
Conditions Resemble Real War
fare as Nearly as Possible,
Says Sergeant
Men Gulp Raisins Instead of
Pills and Duck for Shelter
as Planes Pass

Even the deadly seriousness of
army maneuvers has its humor-
ous highlights, some of which
acere caught By STAFF Sgt. Paul
Soldner IN the folloaoing letter.
Sgt. Soldner, stationed at Camp
Cooke, Calif., is the son of G. T.
Soldner of Cherry street. EDITOR
To start with, am medic. In
our fathers day, they were known
as "pill-rollers". Our medical de-
tachment is attached to one of the
roughest outfits in the army, an
Armored Division. What with the
rumbling tanks, halftracks, armored
field artillery, and assault guns,
we've been aptly dubbed the "dust-
eaters of the army" To show you
what | mean, just last night ton a
maneuver blackout drive thru the
California desert) the dust was so
thick at times, had to command
my halftrack ambulance by ear! BY
listening to the vehicle just 80 feet
in front, we were able to keep in the
column.
Everything we do is simulated. AS
close to actual battle conditions as
possible. Simulated air raids, simu-
lated malaria, simulated casualties,
simulated gas. They have even gone
SO far as to pour "corn syrup" from
airplanes to represent mustard gas!
This is off the record, but | heard
over the grapevine yesterday, that
next week they are going to simulate
rain and every soldier will have to
wear his rain coat for a week.
If any normal civilian could
watch the antics of the brass-hats
(officers) during tactical phase of
maneuver, he would possibly GO
quite berserk for months to come
For instance, when an airplane
passes overhead, frantic cry of "air
raid is sounded. And according to
the soldiers field manual, he should
drop his chow or whatever he's doing
and take a flying skid into his fox
hole. If, as often is the case, the
bivouac area happens to be adjacent
to an airport, the resulting melee
is comparable to a football game.
Or fancy a thousand men lineo
up before mess to gulp down one
measly dried up raisin under the
strict supervision of an officer. Why
Because they are in a simulated
malarious country and therefore
must take a simulated does of alta
brine daily. According to the rules
Continued on page 81
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-02-17
Funeral Services
For Marjorie Clark

Funeral services for Marjorie
Ellen Clark, 16, daughter of Mr.. and
Mrs. Paul Clark were held at the
Church of Christ, Tuesday afternoon.
She died at the home of her par
ents on Grove street Saturday after
noon.
Afflicted with a heart ailment for
five years she was seriously i'll for
the past two weeks.
Because of her illness she attend
ed school only four months since the
sixth grade but with assistance of
a tutor kept up in her studies and
was a junior in high school at the
time of her death. She was asso-
ciated with the Church of Christ and
regular attendant at Sunday
school.
Surviving are her parents, two
sisters, Mrs. Wade Shook of Sum-
merville, Mass, and Joan, at home ;
two brothers Jack Clark, pharma-
cist's mate, at the naval base,
Quantico, Va, and James at home,
and her maternal grandmother, Mrs.
Julia Bushong of Columbus Grove.
Rev. L. ]. Penhorwood of Lima
former pastor of the Bluffton
Church of Christ officiated at the
funeral services assisted by Rev. E
N. Bigelow of the Presbyterian
church. Burial was in Maple Grove
cemetery.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-02-17
FOURTH WAR LOAN
DRIVE GOES over.
TOP IN BLuFFToN
Sales Here Aggregate S101, 900;
Quota For The Town Set
At 100000
Individual Purchases, Repre-
senting Only $3.50 Can Be
Bettered

Buttons Fourth War Loan drive
went over the top this week, with
sales at the close of active cam
paigning Tuesday showing an aggre-
gate of s101,O00.
Heavy buying in the closing days
of the drive, plus the inclusion of
payroll deduction figures from local
industries for January and the first
half of February added nearly
$4,000 toward the towns goal of
100000 this week.
Purchases by individuals, however,
were a disappointment during the
campaign, and those heading the
Bluffton War Loan committee an
nounced that residents of the town
will have an opportunity to improve
their showing in an extension of
buying that will cover the last half
of February. Individual buying has
represented only about % per cent
of the total obtained here.
Drive Extended
Bonds of C, E, F and G classified
tions bought during February will be
credited in the Fourth War Loan
campaign, an extension which has
been authorized on a nationwide
basis, it was announced Tuesday by
Norman A. Triplett, chairman of the
Bluffton war loan committee.
AS result, individuals have a
chance to better the towns record
by making purchases of bonds of
those classifcations before the end
of the month.
Allen county also has passed its
goal in the Fourth War Loan drive
with Tuesdays figures showing a
total of S5,133,4 ,427.56 in sales, as
compared with the county's quota of
$4,640,000.
Area Record Is Good
Nine of the 90 counties in this
area have gone over the top, includ-
ing Allen, Putnam, Hancock and
Hardin. Hancock county has the best
record of the four, with sales that
are 1872 per cent of the quota.
House-to-house canvassers in the
10 zones of Bluffton completed their
soliciting last week, and final reports
were turned in by zone captains the
first part Of this week.
Heading the 101 solicitors were
Zone Captains Woodrow Little, Gene
Benroth, Charles Alderman, Mayor
w. A. Howe, C. F. Niswander
Charles Gazette, Gail Mumma
Charles Coburn, Jesse Yoakam and
Silas Diller.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-02-17
SERIOUS SHORTAGE
OF MANPOWER IN
FARMING AREA HERE
Production of Crops Dependent
On How School Pupils
Will Cooperate
Release of More Machinery And
Return of Some War Plant
Workers May Help

With farmers of the area facing
the necessity of starting their spring
work within the next month, farm
manpower problems are more acute
than ever, and loom as the largest
obstacle to be overcome in endeavor-
ing to produce another record yield
of grain and forage crops.
Agricultural observers believe this
year will be more of a touch-and-g -go
proposition than ever in whether an
approximate balance can be achieved
between the demand and supply of
farm workers.
Whether intensive cultivation of
farm. crops can assure maximum
yield will depend largely on youth
power this year--or how school
boys and girls make themselves
available for vital farm work.
Draft Deferments Tighter
Help of students will be more
essential than ever, inasmuch as
many farm youths deferred last year
were taken into the army last fall
and the early part of this winter,
and others are being taken under
revised selective service procedure
that makes it practically impossible
for a youth under % years of age
to obtain a deferment.
One hopeful factor, however, is
represented by substantially in
creased output of new farm ma
chinery, which many hope will Offset
serious inroads the military draft
has made on farm workers.
In other cases there have been
reports of migration back to the
farm by farm-bred men who are laid
off at war plants because of cut
backs, or who hope to get &c
deferment because it is thot better
rating than most deferments in
industrial plants.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-02-17
BLUFFTON BOY ON
SHIP THAT WIPED
OUT JAP CONVOY
Four Enemy Vessels Sunk by
u. S. Destroyer Burns,
Navy Reports
Richard Balmer Has Been Pay
roll Clerk On Vessel For
Eight Months

Richard Balmer,a son of Mr.. and
Mrs. James Balmer of South Main
street, is a first class seaman aboard
the United States Destroyer Burns.
which wiped out an entire convoy of
four Japanese ships when American
forces swarmed into the Marshall is
lands on January 81, it was learned
here.
Temporarily separated from a car
rier task force while she picked up
Navy fliers who had been forced
down at sea, the Burns was returning
to her assigned station when she
sighted the Japanese vessels.
Opening up with her five inch guns
she sent the four vessels beneath the
waves. In the Jap convoy were a
tanker, one medium cargo vessel and
two smaller craft.
The action was announced by the
Navy department as ''in the Marshall
islands area"
The 21000-ton Burns was launched
in the fall of 1912 at Charleston, S. C.
1t is commanded by 3s-year-old Com
mander Donald T. Eller, of Peters
burg, Va.
Balmer, who graduated from Bluff
ton High school in the class of 1912,
has been on the Burns for the last
eight months. He Is engaged in office
work on the warship as payroll clerk
and assists in loading the guns.
On one occasion his ship was in
port at the New Hebrides islands, To-
Gated only 500 miles from Toxic.
For a large part of the time the
Burns has been stationed at Hawaii.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-02-17
Masonic Patterson
Banquet Next Week

Sons and friends of members will
be guests at Masonic George Wash
ington birthday banquet in the Bluff
ton lodge hall, next Thursday night,
February "a.
Dwight Hunter, of Findlay, a
prominent Mason and well known
speaker, will give the address of the
evening. Other features on the pro-
gram include special music and a
war film.
The banquet, honoring the men,
ory of George Washington, Ameri-
cas- most distinguished Mason, will
be served by the Eastern Star order.
Donavin B. Conrad, master of the
Bluffton lodge, is directing arrange
ments for the banquet, assisted by
committee consisting of Henry
Hilty, Harold Wenger, Ben Whis-
ler, Bertrand Swank, Charles Co
burn, Dell McGinnis and Arden
Baker.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-02-17
Bluffton Area Still Digging Out
From This Winters Worst Assault

Bluffton Wednesday still was
struggling to recover from the eff
fects of this winters worst weather,
five-day assault starting last
Thursday night that brought a
seven-inch snow storm, sub-zero
weather, gale-like winds and drifted
roads.
Heavy snowfall blocked many
sideroads last Friday and Saturday,
and because of the treacherous
travelling conditions Bluffton schools
were dismissed an hour early on
Friday.
Adding to the inconvenience of the
wintry assault, the seasons coldest
weather came Sunday morning when
the mercury dipped to a mark of
four below zero. Temperatures re-
mained near zero thruout the day,
but began climbing during the night.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-02-17
Lions Celebrate
10th Anniversary

Gala celebration of the 10th ass-
niversary of founding of the Bluff
ton Lions club marked ladies
night dinner meeting at the Walnut
Grill, Tuesday night.
Roy Evans, of Findlay, district
Lions governor, was the speaker at
the meeting, with Guy Brentlinger,
of Lima, who was district governor
when the Bluffton club was formed,
acting as POSTMASTER.
Other features included the in
stallation of new members by Past
District Governor Forrest Steinman;
presentation of 10-year membership
chevrons and 10-year perfect at
tendance pin to l. B. Beeshy.
A neurology service for DIR. J. 5.
Steiner was conducted by Mayor
Wilbur A. Howe.
Eleven charter members of the
club remain active on the member
ship roster. They are l. B. Beeshy,
III. HOiuOu hlACi, Ii. aiioN't As'
Bixel, N. E. Byers, Eli Deppler, E.
S. Lape, A. E. Lichtenwalter, Rus
sell Lantz, A. j. B. Longsdorf, T.
w. Stauffer and Forrest Steinman.
Presidents of the club over the
10-year period have been N. E.
Byers, A. j. B. Longsdorf, Forrest
Steinman, A. E. Lichtenwalter, A.
H. Hauenstein, G. r. Bogart, Fred
Gettles, P. w. Stauffer, Homer S.
Gratz, I b. Beeshy and E. S. Lape,
who now is in office.
At present the club has Al active
members.
The only thing to mar the even
ing's program was cancellation of
the appearance of District Deputy
Governor FLOYD B. Griffin, Allen
county auditor, who Monday was no.
titled that his son, Second Lieut..
Claude X. Griffin, %, pilot of a
fighting plane, is missing in action
over Italy.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-02-17
us men CALLED
BY BOARD 3 FOR
PHYSICAL exam S
Mounting Tempo of Inductions
Indicated AS 670 Men Go
From The County
Induction Notices Are In the
Mail For Group To Be
Taken Thurs, Feb. "a

Indication of the mounting tempo
of Selective Service inductions was
seen this week in announcement that
Allen County Board No. 3, which in
cludes Bluffton and Richland town.
ship, sent ITS men to Toledo for pre-
induction physical examinations on
Wednesday.
Those who pass the examination
will be subject to induction calls in
March and April, which board Off
cials say will be the largest since the
start of the war.
Few if any pre-Pear Harbor faith
ers were included in the group, and
board representatives said it was
made up for the most part of single
farm youths, who had been deferred
thru last falPs harvest season, and
married men without children, many
of whom had essential jobs in indus
try.
In February's stepped-up induction
schedule Allen county is sending a
total of 670 men to Toledo for their
physical examinations. Board No.
called $50 registrants on Monday, and
Board No. 2 sent 240 on Tuesday.
Both groups included pre-Pearl Har-
Dor fathers.
Induction notices from Board No. 3
also are in the mail this week, and a
large number of men, including reg
istrants from Bluffton, will be taken
into the army at Fort Hayes, Column
bus, next Tuesday.
Three men from the board were in
Quoted into the Navy, Tuesday, one
of whom was Bluffton man, Leroy
Lugibihl, of Bluffton Route 2.
Those who pass their examinations
at Toledo on Wednesday will return
home to await call for induction. I'm
der the new procedure they will have
q days to three months before being
called.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-02-17
RepOrt Wounded Man
In Georgia Hospital

Marvin Crawford, son of Mr.. and
Mrs. Ray Crawford of Orange town
ship who was wounded in action IN
the southwest Pacific war area last
spring is in an army hospital at
Rome, Georgia, it was reported here.
Crawford, returned to this coun-
try for medical treatment, was land
ed in San Francisco and made the
trip overland to Georgia in hos
pital train, according to reports re-
ceived here. Nature and extent of
his injuries have not been learned
by his parents.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-02-17
New Token Plan OF OPA To Be
Put Into Effect February q
Tokens, Red and Blue Discs Will
Become Part of Ration
System
Will Be Made of Fibre-bOard
and Slightly Smaller Than
Dime

Under OPA's new ration token plan
which goes into effect on Feb. 27, the
housewife will be able to buy about
the same amounts of rationed meats
and processed foods she now is obtain
ing, it was announced this week.
Ration buying power will be kept
on par with the present schedule by
slight adjustment in point values
when the new plan goes into effect.
The result will be that the house
wife's monthly allotment of about so
points of meat stamps will buy about
the same amount as the present Sd
points a month. Likewise the so
points she will be allowed monthly for
processed foods will buy an amount
equal to the AZ points now allowed.
Under the present system each
strip of stamps is worth Is points on
weekly basis. When stamps in
Book are used under the token plan
all stamps will have uniform value
of 10 points, regardless of the num-
Der printed on them.
Tokens will have a value of one
point each, and there will be no ex-
piration date. Blue tokens will be val
i'd for processed food purchases, and
red tokens are to be used for meats,
cheese, fats, etc.
Under the token plan, 80 points, or
three stamps, will become valid at the
beginning of each two weeks period
for total of approximately go points
each month. Processed food points,
totalling so, will become usable the
first of each month.
Tokens for Simphcifcation
Adoption of the token system has
been decided upon by OPA as sim
plification move that will reduce the
number of stamps in circulation by 60
per cent, and save $1,500,000 on every
issue of a ration book.
Fibre board tokens will be used, to
conserve scarce metals. They will be
round in shape, .05 of an inch in
thickness and slightly smaller than a
dime in size.
Counterfeiting would be difficult
and expensive job, inasmuch as the
government rigidly controls all fibre
board allotments and there is very
little available on the market.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-02-17
League B0Uling Is
Started At Center

League bowling was started this
week at the recreation center in the
Stratton building sponsored by en-
ployes of The Triplett Electrical In
strument Co.
On league nights two of the alleys
are taken over by competing teams,
with the third alley open for others
who care to bowl.
With the center open to wives and
friends of employees of the company,
it has proved popular gathering
place the last two weeks, and more
interest is expected with the start
of organized bowling.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-02-17
OHIO FOOD OUTPUT
EXPECTED TO HIT
YEAR LOW
Volume of Products from Farms
of State to be Sharply
Curtailed
Drought, Equipment and Labor
Shortages Combine to Cut
Production

This years food output on Ohio
farms likely will be the lowest of the
past three years, it was predicted
last week by officials of the state ag-
riculture experiment stations.
Last falls drought, farm machine
and labor shortages, ever increasing
number of farm sales, less feeder and
breeding stock, and low stock prices
are attributed as the principal causes
of the gloomy forecast.
Altho not generally realized, 1943
was one of the five driest years of the
last Sc, and the drought of last fall
and this winter have aggravated the
situation, it was pointed out. Snow
fall of the past week, altho affording
temporary relief, is not sufficient to
change the long range prospect.
Need Heavy Spring Rains
Unless there is substantial relief in
the way of extensive rainfall this
spring, 1914 crop production will suf-
fer, the state officials declare. The
wheat crop already is in very bad con-
dition because of the shortage of
moisture, and it can be helped only
by extremely favorable weather from
now until late spring.
A March like last year with re-
peated thawing and freezing would
result in the poorest wheat harvest in
years despite increased acreage seed
ed to the crop in Ohio. Favorable
weather, however, can save the crop
and crop output, and since no one can
predict the weather we must wait to
see what the outcome will be.
1t also was pointed out that the
governments uncertainty in price pol
icy has resulted in sharp curtail-
ment in livestock feeding, a cut In
breeder stock, all of WHICH indicates
less meat production in l944.