Indianapolis Times, Volume 37, Number 197, Indianapolis, Marion County, 18 December 1925 — Page 6

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I The Indianapolis Times I BOY W. HOWARD, President. nr.fr r. BRUNER, JGdlto*. WM - A - MAYBORN, Bus. Mgr. nt h BertDDS-Howsrd newspaper Alliance • • * Client of the United Press and the NEA Service lljßf • • giaK o? the Audit Bur** o! Circulation*. daily except Sunday by Indianapolis Time* Publishing Cos., 214-220 W. Maryland St., Indianapolis * • "*g n b cr 1 ptlon Bate*" Indianapolis— T*n Cents a Week. Elsewhere—Twelve Cent* a Week •• • t^wBprHONB—MA 1c SQMI No law be passed restraining the free interchange of thought and opinion, or re- ■ atricting the right to speak, write, or print freely, on any subject whatever.—Constitution of I Indiana.

Indianapolis Crime j Record I jrrnNDIANAPOLIS is being tamed and civiI J lized. So far this year there have been I only thirty-two homicides in the city, accordI ing to detective bureau records, while in 1924 I there were eighty-two killings. And, comparI ing the two years, traffic fatalities have deI creased an even dozen. I Human life in the city isn’t as short and tempestuous as it was last year. But that’s all that is safer. Burglary, hold-ups, auto thefts —crimes against property not life —all show marked increase over last year. Indianapolis is not yet a rival of the New Jerusalem —peopled only by the righteous. Golden pavements wouldn’t last long here; they would be carried away in a couple of nights, * A few months ago New York authorities started a big advertising campaign in that oity to check crime. Conspicuous posters, depicting oowering criminals in the hands of burly oops and similar devices, were plastered over the eity. “Yon can’t get away with it,’* shrieked the posters. These were supposed to scare potential evil-doers into paths of rectitude. But such advertising is a lie. In New York and elsewhere the criminal does get away with it in a majority of cases. During 1925 in Indianapolis there have been 26 arrests for homicides and 10 convictions, 155 arrests on burglary charges and 94 convictions. 189 arrests for vehicle taking with 99 convictions, 87 9 arrests for miscellaneous felonies and 853 convictions. A total, in those four groups of crimes, of 1,249 arrests and 556 convictions. Does the criminal get away with it? He does. Right there is the answer to the crime problem in this country. Mitchell Found Guilty EHE Mitchell verdict probably surprised no one —the Doughty colonel himself least of any. Having criticised, and made charges against the War and Navy Departments absolutely unprecedented in the history of the krmed services of the Nation he admits he expected arrest at once. * Irrespective of the merits of his case, he dould no more escape punishment than you can stick your finger in a buzz saw and hope to get off without a scratch. You who read these lines, would be fired in a jiffy if ytm publicly tweaked your boss’s nose and branded him as an incompetent no matter how much he liked jlou. So it was with Mitchell. He left the jury no option. He had to be punished. Discipline, Without which the best army in the world would become only a mob, demanded it. , None knew this better than Col. Mitchell himself. Perhaps he even deliberately sacrificed himself to attain the end in view—an independent air service on a par with the Army and the Navy. We have sometimes seen, or fancied that we saw, evidences that this was the case. .If so, his sacrifice will not have been in vain. Although the spectacular colonel did not prove all his case, and though he had to admit that much of what he said in his charges was merely is own personal opinion, the hullabaloo he raised will ultimately work for the good of our national defense. Expert opinion is against his project for the present, at least, but the row has done much to awaken this country to the vital importance of aviation. The echo of the Ujltichellesque blasts will far outlive his fiveyear suspension. If you started this item prepared to shed a tear for the colonel, save it. He doesn’t want it or need it. He is probably qpite happy over what he has done. He is reported to be well to do and his Army salary means very little in his young life. As for the honors he is missing, he has had most of them already. While as for the future—why he is probably the moat popular America hero in the public eye today—the future will take care of itself. Never fear. For unless we miss our guess, if you will pardon the slang, Billy Mitchell has really just begun to mitch. That World Court Vote MERICAN editors have just been painstakingly polled by Edward W. Bok’s peace foundation to find out how they line up on the world court. They voted 80 per cent in favor of joining. This seems to have come as quite a blow tp the antis. They realize it indicates that the country at large favors adherence by approximately the same majority. The fact seems to have left them groggy, that is if one can judge by their groping for a come-back. \ One very much depressed Washington paper, for example, says it is obvious the\

question has not received the close study it deserves. The ludicrous thing about this paper is that it has been harping for years on the deep insight the public showed in 1920 when the complex League of Nations was a brand new issue. But today—five long years later, and after the much simpler question of the world court has been debated across the length and breadth of the land, over and over again—it would have you think that those same people can’t understand it. If that is logic then Plato was the principal exponent of his time of the gentle art of the Charleston. It is human rather than good sense: The intelligent are those who agree with you. Still and all 'it is quite on a par with the rest of the argument. The same paper opposes the world court on the ground that it is a “league court” rather than a world court. The country’s best minds have agreed that the court is about as independent a body as it is humanly possible to make it. But pass tha? by. Suppose, for the sake of the argument, that it is a league court, as charged. Wh.tt is the league? The league—good, bad or indifferent, as it is—is the world banded together in one society. That is, it is the world minus the United States, Russia and Turkey. It is the whole world, minus ourselves and a country or two we refuse to recognize. So if the present world court is not a world court, let’s frankly acknowledge Mars as our God and have done with it. For, in that case, there can never be a world court.

For Whom Are They Working? v vt HEN Congress ordered a power survey on W the Tennessee River, at a cost of $500,000 to the people, was Congress acting solely for the benefit of private power interests? The Federal power commission seems to have thought so. The survey was made and the information obtained was, according to Senator McKellar, turned over to the power interests without any notification to Congress that the work was even completed. Congress, in fact, was not advised until after hearing of petitions for the most valuable power dam sites had already been held in Chattanooga. McKellar probably will contest the validity of the hearings before the Federal power commission finally acts on the petitions. But even if he protects the people’s interests along the Tennessee River he will be touching only the edge of the water power problem. This paper has pointed out how private power corporations, without paying a cent to the Government, are obtaining options on every available dam site of any value from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It is to be hoped the Tennessee River incident will cause such a congressional row that the Federal power commission will finally realize it is working for the people and not for the private power corporations. The commission is composed of the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture. O. C. Merrill is executive secretary.

Better Business “jnFl HE first step toward the establishment I * I of systematic self-government of business.” This is the language of the United States Chamber of Commerce in describing a conference just held under its auspices. The conference decided to create a committee that will “act as a clearing house for business and set up standards of ethical and economical business practice.” Whether this “first step” is a step forward or a step backward depends on the spirit which moves the men taking it. If by self-government of business they mean to so regulate business as to protect the public against unfair practices and unfair prices, thue making any other control of business unnecessary, they are moving in the right direction. If, on the other hand, they -aim to set themselves above any government control, whether or not the interests of the public require such control, they are heading for eventual disaster. An examination of the minds of the men composing the conference doubtless would reveal members of both schools. But there is reason to believe that those having the public interest at heart actually outnumber the others. Recent years have shown them that the path to permanent prosperity does not lie in reckless exploitation of the public. Even the most unenlightened of them is beginning to see that he must help curb other exploiters, even if he, himself, doesn’t stop exploiting. So, concretely, the conference agreed to attempt to reduce the number of middlemen between the producer and the consumer. The public has reason to cheer this purpose.

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

RIGHT HERE IN INDIANA By GAYLORD NELSON

BOYS!PAGE MR. HOUDINI -T-| PUZZLED and indignant A Hoosier sends RIGHT HERE IN INDIANA the following plaint: “R. H. I. I.: Notice on back of wrapper in which 1926 automobile licenses are sent out reads: “ ‘Rear license tag must be placed next to lamp so constructed and placed as to throw a white light on the plate and render the numerals thereon visible for at least sixty feet In the direction from which the vehicle Is proceeding.’ “F’rinstance, the direction from which the vehicle is proceeding is the east; car traveling west. Looking east howlnyell Is a feller going to see the rear license tag, especially in bad weather. Howze going to tell whether he has a rear license tag or no—’at’s what I’d like to know.” The answer Is beyond us. All we know the Statutes of Indiana prjscrlbe the rear license tags must be visible for at least sixty feet in the direction from which the vehicle is proceeding. Apparently Hoosier solons expect pedestrians will develop long, limber necks or the license plates must be more agile than usual. It will take magic as well as profanity to affix the rear plate In accordance with instructions. Boy! page Mr. Houdlni. We have a sleight-of-hand Job for him. MILLIONS IN IT IEOROE REMUS, de luxe bootlegger of Cincinnati. i___| testifying In Indianapolis Federal Court Wednesday In the St. Louis liquor ring case, admitted that he had banked nearly t $3,000,000 in a Cincinnati bank in eleven months from his bootlegging operations. Shortly after the prohibition law weqt Into effect he quit the practice of law In which he had been previously engaged and went into the booze business. Since then he has piled up a fortune, reputed to be a multimillionaire, bought a half dozen distilleries, and has done business on a big scale. Regular Horatio Alger stuff. From rags to riches in live years. All out of the profits of illicit booze. And In that career of five years was an enforced vacation of twenty months, during which he was out of business serving a sentence in the Federal Prison at Atlanta. The sentence has been served, but he still has the fortune accumulated by lawbreaking. No wonder the booze business won't quietly die just because It is contrary to law. There’s millions In .t

INTEREST REVIVED BY 40 AND 8

The Forty and Eight, famous funmaking society of the American Legion, is in the mirst of a revival in membership and interest, it appears. The Times acknowledges gratefully the following words from V. M. Armstron, chef de gare: “The writer has noticed with a great deal of pleasure that you have .mrfTlPi. * been giving the American Legion riom ® publicity. Hommes et 8 Chevaux are for the betterment of the community, State and Nation, and your kindness in helping us is deeply appreciated. On behalf of the Locale Voiture of La Societe we want to thank you sincerely.” All veterans may attend weekly Forty and Eight luncheons Tuesday at the Board of Trade. The annual election of officers for the Forty and Eight will be held tonight at the Chamber of Commerce. Two strong tickets will be in the field under direction of the party chairmen, Neal Grider and H. E. Sutherland. Nominees are: Chef de gare, H. C. King and Joe R. Beckett; chef de train, A. D. Dittrich and J. A. Langan; correspondent, Ben A. Wieneke on both tickets; commlssaire intendant, E. S. Barnhill and H. E. Sutherland; garde de la porte, E. S. Teaford and G. I. Seybert; inner guard, M. G. Henley and H. B. Pike; conducteur, Sam E. Becker and P. E. Clements; guard de prisonaire, C. L. Lamb, Roy L. Bailey, L. J. Koster; C. L. Lamb, Roy Bailey and W. H. Maxwell; cherninots, M. F. Hinkle, Alvin Hall, Danville: Lisle Kays, Greenwood; B. W. Breedlove, K. W. Hadley, G. I. Seybert and Judge Delbert O. Wilmeth, K. W. Hadley, S. C. Vanderheid, H. K. Bachelder, L. J. Kostef and Dr. J. H. Grimes, Danville. Tipton Post has assumed the lead in the 1926 membership contest; with a percentage of 2.733. Bedford is second with 2.384, topping Huntington, who led last week, with 1.883. Other posts mounting the "top” are Akron, 1.357. Rockville, 1.210; Portland, 1.108; Warsaw, 1.043; Jasonville and Michigan City, new posts, 1.000 each. In Indianapolis, Hayward Barcus fell by the wayside as an early mem-bership-getter and yielded to John H. Holliday Jr., with .510, a little more than half of this year’s total. Other local posts in the running are: Bruce Robinson, .3C3; McllvaineKothe, .300; Hayward-Barcus, .208, and Paul Coble, .011. The longest and most complicated claim for the Insurance of a dei ceased world war veteran ever pre- | sented and one of the longest in insurance history’ has just N been settled by the United States Veterans

WHAT WILL PEOPLE THINK? WO young men—with homes In Brownsburg and Cler- - mont—were arrested by police the other night after holding up an Indianapolis filling station. They confessed the job and another a few nights before. Neither man had a previous police record. They worked but were dissatisfied with their work and dabbled in banditry because they “wanted to do something different.’’ Their chief concern when arrested was over what the home town folks would say. What will people think? It is easy to jeer at the power of public opinion. But the desire to impress neighbors and hometown folks is the motive for some glittering successes in the world. Likewise fear of what people will think restrains many from following their Inclinations to elope with the cook or abscond with the bank’s assets. It’s too bad the two young filling station bandits didn't worry about Main street’s opinion sooner. CITY GAS RATE CUT SHE Citizens Gas Company has announced a voluntary reduction in Indianapolis gas rates. It is expected that the cut will amount to an annual saving of $168,000 to gas users. The announcement will fall pleasantly on the ear of old Ultimate Consumer, who generally gets the gaff from public utilities. This is the second time since Jan. 1, 1924, that the gas company has made a voluntary reduction in rates. During the same period other public utilities serving Indianapolis have continually sobbed on the bosom of the public service commission and begger for larger slices of pie. Notably the Indianapolis Water Company and the Indiana Bell Telephone Company. Perhaps It is Just a coincidence, but the only public utility in Indianapolis that has lowered rates of Its own volition is owned and controlled by local men, who live, move and have their being in Indianapolis, and who are primarily interested in the growth and development of the city. The water company Is directed from Philadelphia. The telephone business of the Hoosier metropolis is owned body and soul by an out-of-State corporation. The only Interest of such foreign corporations In the Indianapolis consumer Is to squeeze dividends out of him. To them the city only means profit. Tho action of the gas company Is a pretty fair argument for local ownership of local utilities, and even for municipal ownership of such vitally important service as water supply. A home-bred monopoly Isn’t likely to get rough.

I Bureau, according to word received by the American Legion Rehabilitation Service, which assisted in the claim. Eighty four relatives were within the permitted class of beneficiaries. The list of their names, ages and addresses was five feet long. Included on It were nine brothers, six sisters, six uncles, six aunts, twenty-thre nephews, nineteen nieces, six brothers-in-law, eight sis ters-in-law and a stepmother. The stepmother and the fifteen brothers and sisters each will get monthly payments of $1.92 for twenty years. With Clarence E. Martin, attorney, at the helm of Indianapolis Post 4, fast progress Is expected during 1926. Martin plans a strong membership campaign. Eighteen new memhers were reported at the pf post'* last meet“ls there a Santa Claus?” J State Commander jJB is writing the posts. Hk phans of vetsKkj<XL: erans in the Knightsto wn Martin home, want to know. They’ve been told there Is, and for several years past the Indiana department has been helping the Auxiliary prove it. Funds from the Legion, Auxiliary, G. A. R. and United Spanish War Veterans are pooled and each child receives a gift. “Let’s see to It that St. Nick arrives.” State Commamdor-elect Clarence E. Jackson has expressed satisfaction with the high type of leaders re-enlisted for active service In the membership campaign In Indian apolls. BIBLE HEIRLOOM GONE Book, 300 Years Old, Stolen From Evansville Office. Bm United Press EVANSVILLE, Ind., Dec. 18.—An old Bible, said to be more than 300 years old, was missing today from the office of C. B. Kolker, In whose family It had been kept as an heirloom tor generations. Police are searching for the thief. NEW PASSENGER AGENT T. P. Hinchcllff, former assistant general 'passenger agent of the C. B. & Q. Railroad, has been named general passenger agent of the St. Louis district, which includes Indianapolis. He succeeds C. J. Rohwitz, assigned to the Omaha office Jan. 1.

Beer Sans Rowdyism in Vancouver

Editor’* Note: This Is the thirteenth of a series of article* by Mr. Gardner reportnltr the operation of liquor law* in the various provinces of Canada. By Gilson Gardner OANCOUVER, B. C., Canada (by mail). —Ever since October, 1920, British Columbia has had the “government stores” plan of liquor control. This year in April It adopted also the “‘beer-by-the-glass” plan in operation in Alberta. There are “taverns” In connection with hotels—about seven, ty-eight in Vancouver —where beer by the glass or bottle Is served at a table, without bar and without food or music. This ' differentiates the "tavern” from the old-fashioned bar. Beer is the only thing sold and there Is nothing added to increase the consumption. It is a very sober operation—this drinking of beer at a “tavern.” Very matter of business and unstimulati.ng; shades of Pepys and Dr. Johnson! What would they have thought of it? No loosening of personal confidences! No meat pie or firkin of oysters! No rare anecdote! No loud laughter! No roystering! None of the addenda that were associated in ancient days with that word “tavern.”

Seven Beers Limit There is a cold punctilous observance of proprieties at all the “taverns” I have visited, and I have tried to be fair to the investigation. The proprietors are so in fear of their licenses that a “seven beer jagg” is verging on the ultimate. By that time the censor is liable to suggest retirement. He is authorized at any time to refuse sale and is addicted to the habit of quietly putting them out. In Quebec they have the “tavern” too, but in Quebec one may have beer or wine with meals. It is the one province where this may be done legally in public places. Vancouver has the personal “permit” system for the purchase of liquors and wines, or beer by the case. The permit costs $2 a year and carries a number. All purchases are supposed to be credited on the back. There Is no limit to what a permit holder may buy except the discretion of the commission. No Transient Permits Recently the commission abolished the "temporary” permit which was intended to enable the transient, on payment of 50 cents, to satisfy his passing requirements in the way of gin or whisky. The commission felt that it was being abused. So now the transient must stand at the counter of the liquor store and wait for some local permit holder to have the kindness to credit on his permit what the transient wishes to buy. This method, which I found successful, was suggested by one of the managers of a Vancouver store. This province has followed the lead of Alberta In reducing the commission to one instead of three members. There is a great advantage in a commission of one. It cuts off superfluous salaries, It definitely places responsibility and it

Special low Christmas terms have been established as an additional incentive for you to make this a Musical Christmas. Below we have listed three Christmas specials. They are but an indication of the many attractive offerings we are making right now before the Holidays. Come in and look over our stock—it is the most complete in the city. Wellington Modern Kingsbury Upright Player Piano Baby Grand Honestly built and beau- A Player of finest quality You will find this dainty tifully finished. There is from top to caster. The B aby Grand possesses no compromise In quality, case is of the most mod- _ .. .. . Thoroughly built In the ern design and finish— more than ordinary tone gTeat Oablo factories It straight, cleaft-cut lines, qualities—more than ordtwlll give you everything The tone is clear and true, nary durability and that it you could expect of a fine the player mechanism un- will give you more than Piano. excelled. ordinary satisfaction. $350 $490 $750 OTHER HOLIDAY SPECIALS Violin Outfits, largest stock in the State, All Leather Music Rags, two fold; $3.00 $14.00 Up. value, specially priced at $2.00. Tenor Banjos, beginners’ and professional Ludwig Drum Outfits, instruments, $15.00 to S3OO. $32.50 Up, Saxophones, Melody s ~Alto, complete wV* Trumpet*, silver plated, gold bell; specially Vloll ?_ priced, $30.00. , , _ , , . . v v Musical Toys, clarinets, tubephones, song Guitars, * ***** assortment, whistles, harmonicas, Jewsharps, kazoos, $..00 up, pianos, all kinds of musical toy*, 10c, 25c Slide Trombones, and up. $15.00 Up. Player Rolls, Christmas number* and lata Gibson Ranjo Ukes, special popular songs, holiday packages. 75c up. value, SIO.OO. New Edison Phonographs, upright and Ukuleles, regular $2.50 value, console models, SIOO up. $1.98. Edison anil Columbia Records, make Ideal Roy Scout Rngle, heavy Imported presents, 76c, SI.OO, $1.60 and $2.00. instruments, $5.00. Radio Sets, such famous and well-known Mnstc Rags makes as Atwater Kent and Zenith. $1.50 Up. Prlcea range from S6O up to SSOO. “INDIANA’S MOST COMPLETE MUSIC HOUSE” Carlin Music Cos. 143 EAST WASHINGTON STREET

assures a clear working majority on all occasions. How about bootlegging? The big. overweening, flourishing and corrupting industry of bootlegging, such as we have in the United States, Is not to be found here. There is the “sun down” bootlegger, as in some of the other provinces. He deals in the wares of the liquor commission and caters to the suddenly thirsty who want to buy after the “stores’* have closed. Truth to tell, there is also another bootlegging interest in this province getting stronger all the time, namely, the man who withdraws liquor from the bonded warehouses on the pretense that he is to reship to some foregn destination. If the liquor were really destined to a foreign port, it would legally go out without paving excise tax. The withdrawal Is not really for a foreign port, and by fraud and trickery it gets diverted to the cellar of the bootlegger, who can then make money selling it In direct competition with the provincial "stores.” All that lSj necessary is the official label, over tfre cork, and this is had either by counterfeiting or by a bribed pvrehase of the genuine ones. One outgrowth of the system here

The Philippine Purchase

You can get an answer to any question of fact or information by writing to The Indianapolis Times Washington Bureau. 1323 New York Ave„ Washington. D. C.. inclosing 2 cents in stamps for reply Medical, legal and martial advice cannot be given nor can extended research be undertaken. All other quest'ons will received a personal reply. Unsigned requests cannot he answered. All letters are confidential.—Editor. How much did the United States Government pay for the Philippine Islands. Did this Government ever promise the Islands independence? The Philippine Islands were ceded by Spain to the United States by the .treaty of peace concluded between the United States and Spain on April 11,1899. The United tSates paid $20,000,000 to Spain. In the act of Aug. 29, 1916, the United States Congress declared that it was * the purpose of the people of the United States to withdraw their sovereignty over the Philippine Islands and to recognize their independence as soor as a stable government can be established therein.” To how many years of shore duty is an enlisted man in the Navy entitled? They are entitled to two years shore duty at the end of every six years. There are, however, so many men of long service in the Navy and so few shore jobs, compared to the number of men, that It Is necessary that the men’s names be placed on a waiting list and they are given shore duty whenever there is a vacancy and in their turn. They are not, however, allowed to take more than two years shore duty at any one time. Who is Mrs. Zachary Lanadowne, who is being tried before an Army investigating board? Mrs. Lansdowne is the widow of the commander of the dirigible air-

FRIDAY, DEC. 18, 1925

Is the “club." These clubs are mosh ly “veterans of the war" organlza tions and are about six in number. The member deposits his “permit” with the club and in theory has his liquor kept In a locker. When lie stands up at the club bar aqd calls for a drink and gets It, he is supposed to pay the bartender for "service.” If it happens that the charge for the service is enough to cover the cost of the liquor also, that is not a matter which can be inquired Into under the law. It is the general testimony here that the Act has not increased drunkenness or restored the wellknown evils of the "corner saloon.” It has, Instead, wiped out the glai ing evils of the illicit days of socalled prohibition. H. A. Stein, managing editor of Vancouver’s leading newspaper voiced this opinion: “It seems,” said he, “to be largely a matter of psychology. Given the opportunity to get drink, It loses the Interest It had when forbidden. We have ceased to make liquor and bootlegging our principal topic of conversation. It has settled Into Its proper place and we are free to give attention to other things.”

ship Shenandoah that was destroyed by a storm while flying over Ohio. She is Is not being tried, but has appeared as a witness before the military courts. She was a witness before the Army court that is trying Col. William Mitchell and testified in his behalf. She also testified In the Navy Court of Inquiry that Is trying to fix the blame for the Shenandoah accident. What is the official name of the ruler of Hungary and what Is the religion of the majority of its Inhabitants? Hungary is one of the statee of southern Europe formed out of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire. The head of the country Is styled officially “Protector of the May gar State,” or "Regent." The state Is classified as a monarchy. In religion 63 per cent of the population is Roman Catholic, 21 per cent is Helvetian .Evangelical and the remainder is divided among a numbei of other sects. What became of tho U. S. Cruiser Memphit? The armoured cruiser Memphis: was launched Dec. 3, 1904, at Phila delphia. It was originally named Tennessee. It was commissioned In 1906. In 1916 it was made the flag ship of the cruiser force in tho West Indies. On Aug. 29, 1916, while ly ing off the city of Santo Domingo, it was driven ashore by a tidal wave and completely wrecked. It was stricken frem the Navy list Dec. 191?. Is there a pistol which fires an illuminating rocket? There is a pistol called the “Very" pistol that fires an illuminating rocket.