Indianapolis Times, Volume 39, Number 169, Indianapolis, Marion County, 23 November 1927 — Page 4

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SCRI PPS - H OW+JID

Speedy Trials . It woultj be a very Happy New Year for this city and for the State if 1928 could be ushered in with the dockets of the criminal courts free from any indictments of public officials. The Constitution guarantees all persons accused of crime the right to a speedy trial. The usefulness of any official is inevitably impaired if there hangs over him an indictment in the Criminal Court which must occupy some of his attention and just' as inevitably influence his official acts. While the accused is so guaranteed, the technicality of legal procedure offers little chance for the people, as represented by prosecutors, to force such speed in trials as is obtainable in Great Britain and in some of the which are piore happily circumstanced. Six of the present city councilmen are unjler indictments for crimes. Their acts as the board of directors of the city take on a certain measure of suspicion because of this fact. The Governor of this State is under indictment and the whole State is interested in having that matter officially determined at the Earliest possible moment. It is true that one public official struck a bather high note in this regard when .Virgil Vandagrifft put the case very clearly by resigning, admitting no guilt, but declaring that the minds of officials should be free to completely serve the public and that na man can do this while standing in the shadows. That may not be the method. Every man has a right to his day in court. Every official has a right to vindication if he is innocent. It would be a very happy State if every one bf its accused officials should rigidly insist upon that prompt trial which is guaranteed under the Constitution. They would gain much in public confidence and respect if they should insist on such trials. Next year should be a very wonderful year in Indiana. There is every prospect of greater prosperity. There is every evidence that the people are in that frame of mind which is bent on building. These accused officials could do much to add to that fine foundation.for happier days if they should insist on starting the year free from shadows. The prosecuting officers who put any obstaclesdn their way of any vindication they might seek would invite only criticism. It is entirely possible to get away to a clear start. A Place for Pardon In these days, when clemency by pardoning powers is not entirely unknown, it might be suggested that President, Coolidge could in good taste free the two labor organizers sent to jail by Judge Robert C. Baltzell for contempt of his court. The conduct of the street railway strike a year ago has aspects which were at least suspicious.' The fact that the president of the union which was organized was in the pay of the Street Railway Company at the same time he was urging violence has some significance, to say the least. But more than that,, the treatment of these two men by the local police was not such as to encourage any great faith in law and order. The records show repeated arrests on charges of suspicion and release on bonds without trial. They also achieved the unusual distinction of being the only guests of the largest hotel whose room was searched for liquor under the exceptional dry law of the State. Just why they, among the thousands who register there each year, should have had their suit cases searched for illicit booze is one of the unexplained events. Industrial peace is not benefited by such methods and tactics. Social justice does not seem likely to be advanced by jail sentences. The President could act, if he desired, and probably assist greatly in creating an atmosphere of better feeling all the way round. The Moscow Rebellion What Is going on in that dark shuttered room which we call soviet Russia? Mysterious happenings, we know, but only an infinitesimal fraction of the story ever leaks past her tightly sealed frontier. ' But of one thing observers have all been sure for the past year and that is conimunism is undergoing a feverish crisis as a result of a serious rebellion within the party ranks. The tiny group which holds in its hands the destiny of 145,000,000 people is divided against itself. Slowly it has percolated past the Russian border that Leon Trotsky, political twin of the late Nikolai Lenin, is completely at odds with the present governing group headed by Stalin. Also it Is known that after several dog falls, Trotsky was" just the other day fired bodily from the communist party. Why? That was the great mystery. Numerous hazy attempts at clarification have been made, but none has been wholly satisfying. Now, however, perhaps some light can be thrown upon the Stalin-Trotsky duel. European dispatches tell of a secret report of seventy-odd pages being smuggled across the well-nigh inviolable soviet frontier, a report in which Trotsky pitilessly analyzes the Russia of today, presents many damaging facts and recommends that Moscow change its policy to conform. Instead of following Trotsky’s advice, it is alleged, the government brought about his expulsion from the party and ordered thp report squelched for urgent reasons of state. And small wonder. If genuine, Trotsky’s report skins the present soviet regime alive and rubs coafse brine into its quivering carcass. Some 80 per cent of the Russian population is peasant. The lot of these people today, Trotsky de* Clares In the alleged secret report, is worse than it

The Indianapolis Times ' <A SCRIPPS-HOWABD NEWSPAPER) Owned and published dally, (except Sunday) by The Indianapolis Times Publishing; Cos., 214-230 W. Maryland Street, .Indianapolis, Ind. Price In Marlon County. 2 cents —lO cents a week; elsewhere, 3 cents—l 2 a week. no Y ° GURLEY. ROY W. HOWARD. W. A. MAYBORN. Editor. President. Business Manager. PHONE—MAIN 3500. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 23. 1927. Member ol United Press. Scripps-Howard Newspaper Alliance. Newspaper Enterprise Association. Newspaper Information Service and Audit Bureau of Circulations. “Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way.”— Dante.

was under the czar. They must pay 250 per cent more for the things they need than before the revolution, while for the things they sell they receive only 25 per cent more. City workers, Trotsky points out, are no better off than the farmers. Nominally they are supposed to work ten hours a day, but in reality work much longer, while their wages, in terms of purchasing power, are lower today than under the czars. Factories are badly mismanaged, he charges, resulting in an appalling accident rate—in fact almost one total disability out of every ten workmen every year. Continuing in this strain, Trotsky complains that unemployment abounds in Russia and those out of work receive less than 65 cents a week by way of dole. Strikes, he says, are growing in frequency, and their settlement is compulsory rather than conciliatory. And so forth and so on in a way not calculated to make pleasant reading for those in power in Moscow. If the authenticity of the report is established, Trotsky will likely bid a long farewell to the world. War-time spies were given short shrift by the contending forces and Russia today would seem to be dealing with “economic spies” in much the same fashion. Covering up sora with silk never does them any good. Russia is trying to work out one of the greatest experiments in human history, and concealment of ugly facts, not only from the world but from herself, hurts far more than it helps. In Russia as well as elsewhere politicians who deliberately bunk the mass of the people are playing with fire. At the White House Except as a gesture to invite national attention to a tragic industrial situation, the White House coal strike conference accomplished nothing. Before the organized labor leaders called on the President it was reasonably certain *hat he would not be inclined to involve himself in the matter if there Were any possible way to avoid it. This way was provided by those representing the miners’ cause when they made requests which the President could comfortably ignore. They charged a giant conspiracy of the railroads to beat down the price of coal, and thus break the miners’ union. They asked the President to urge a congressional investigation. The President is reported to have suggested, and not unreasonably, that the place to institute such charges is the Interstate Commerce Commission or the Department of Justice. The labor leaders also asked the President to call a conference of miners and operators for the purpose of putting an end to the prevailing chaos in the soft coal fields. With the operators ill disposed to such a meeting, and with the public more or less indifferent because there is a plentiful supply of coal, there is no compelling reason why the President should call such a conference, and he knows it. In the present coal strike, however, there is one Issue which the President could not well ignore if it were forcibly called to his attention. That Is the issue of constitutional rights. The miners charge, and have facts to support their charges, that they are deprived of the rights of free speech and assembly in the Pennsylvania coal fields. The President of the United States is the officer - specifically charged with the duty of enforcing the provisions of the Federal Constitution which guarantees those rights. In past industrial disputes Federal troops have been sent into the strike area to uphold the Constitution. They have almost invariably been sent at the request of mine operators, but there is no reason why they shouldn’t be sent, if necessary, to protect rights guaranteed by the Federal Constitution to all citizens, including striking miners. In appeal to the President the labor delegation asked for favors, and favors easily denied. They ought to call again and ask for their rights. Ruth Elder’s Husband One of the most interesting stories concerning Ruth Elder since she was caught up in a whirlwind of notoriety and fame was the story of the departure of her husband for Panama. As the Telegram reporter told it, Ruth went down to the steamship pier to see Lyle Womack, the husband, off on his ship. “For one brief, pathetic moment,” so the story runs, “hidden by a bend in the stairs at the Panama Steamship Company’s pier, they kissed and the tall blond boy whispered a few words to the woman whose fame had outstripped him so unbelievably. “Then Harry Reichenbach, the press agent, grabbed the pretty aviatrix by the arm. ‘Come on, Ruth,’ he commanded brusquely, ‘this is no time to dawdle. Come on! Hurry up! We’ve gotta go uptown and sign those contracts!’” Then the story goes on to tell how the press agent hustled them apart, rushed Ruth away from the pier in a big limousine, and Womack, “with the ™rt expression of a little boy, fiddled his scant baggage and finally went aboard.” There was more to the story, some of it portraying Lyle Womack’s pathetic faith in his venturesome and now famous wife, and some indicating an inferiority complex evidently developed by his wife’s fame and the big fuss made over her. “I’m nobody; she’s famous,” he said. Being a reporter’s fact story, it had to end according to the facts. Had it been a fiction story it could have ended much better. For instance, when the press agent grabbed Ruth and told her to come on and that it was no time to dawdle, the tall blond husband could have hauled off and smashed the press agent good and plenty right in the nose, and then to bring the thing to a proper climax he could have lifted the press agent from the pier by the collar, turned him around and given him a good swift kick. when the story had been told the world would have applauded the tall blond husband. This is onp case in which fiction would have been more human than fact. But we still think the press agent has that kick coming to him. A'headline says; “California Girl Runs 26 Miles.” But the story doesn’t tell whether the man got away. Why is it that you never see two prize fighters evenly matched— dollar for dollar?

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

M. E. TRACY SAYS: “We Build More Air Castles and Tell More Fairy Tales Than Any Age in History; We Translate Them Into Inventions and Improvements

Men call this a materialist age as though it lacked romance and imagination. It has become fashionable with a certain gfoup of high-brows to sing requiems over the supposed corpse of culture. Because jazz has. become more common than classical music, because painting shows the effect of cubist and other primitive influences, because Shakespeare is not as popular as he was fifty years ago and, because no one writes epic poetry, they tell you that those majestic dreamers who once furnished so much solace and comfort to mankind are disappearing. man Make Dreams Come True We build more air castles and tell more fairy tales than any age in human history, but instead of putting them on carving them in marble or writing them in books, we translate them into inventions and improvements that are not only fascinating, but useful. The fact that we can make so many of our dreams come true and that so many of the dreamers get rich instead of starving to death, proves nothing so distinctly as that we have awakened to the value of both. Neither are we more commercial •in our attitude toward life, because we pay well who project their vision into the future, # u Never Willing Martyrs Painters and poets of old did not become martyrs to their art through desire. Asa matter of record, they hoped to make something out of it, and as a matter of record, many of them did. Artists like Michael Angelo and Davinci as well as those of earlier times hoped to win fame and some revenue, no matter how devotedly they loved their work. Essei?tially, they were no different than the great engineers, architects and developers of the twentieth century. an n Force Desert to Bloom Where the people of Greece were satisfied with a Venus de Milo, we aspire to a second Isthmian Canal; where Rome gloried in the tomb of Hadrian, we want the Mississippi Valley reclaimed, and where the Renaissance conceived St. Peter’s as the greatest monument of human handicraft, this generation speculates as to the possibility of flooding the Sahara Desert. a u u 'Miracles’ Are Common Everywhere one turns, gigantic 'projects are in the makingprojects in the dream stage, that would have been considered preposterous yesterday, but that may be carried out tomorrow. A bridge not only across the Golden Gate, but over San Francisco Bay; a Moffat tunnel to bring Denver 100 miles nearer its coal supply; a series of great floats anchored 200 miles apart across the Atlantic Oceqan to make flying between Europe and America safe; a river carried through sheer mountain walls for a distance of seventeen miles to increase the adequacy of New York’s water supply; a dam in the Colorado Canyon to furnish water and electricity for California downs 250 miles away—these make up the twentieth century “Mother Goose.” n n Wants to Fill Harbor Comes T. Kennard Thompson, who thinks he is an engineer but who is really a romancer, proposing to fill the upper harbor of New York, leaving channels for the Hudson and East rivers on either side; to create nine square miles of land which could be hitched on to lower Manhattan and which would be worth, according to present values of real estate, $3,750,000,000; to cover this, with the most modem city ever built and then let its earning power not only wipe out the public debt of the States of New York and New Jersey, but that of New York City as well, and afterward become a continuous source of revenue to them. u u * Most Modern City Mr. Thompson estimates the cost of reclaiming this land at $200,000,000, but in order to be perfectly safe he doubles it. His idea is to spread the project of twenty-five years, which at this double cost would involve an annual outlay of $16,000,000. The land would be brought to a level of two feet above maximum high water. Then it would be • coverecf with a layer of concrete, upon which would be laid sewer pipes, water mains, subway tracks and all other underground accessories. Above these would be constructed modern skyscrapers with roof gardens and airplane landings,' so arranged as to make for the greatest possible economy and convenience. Multiple street levels would make life not only safe and enjoyable for pedestrians, but speed up vehicular traffic. * u u Romance in Work Mr. Thompson has spent several years and $150,000 working out this plan in every detail, not only from an engineering but from a legal standpoint. If that is not romance and imagination, what is it?

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(Muncie Press) (Republican) If any Indiana’s State or other public officers are to escape punishment for malfeasance in office because the statute of limitations operates in their favor, that is equivalent to a verdict of “guilty, but unpunishable,” and is not the kind of “vindication” for which honest men are looking. However we may regard Senator Arthur Robinson, he is to be commended for openly admitting his one-time friendship for Stephenson—a friendship which, he says, led to an exchange of Christmas gifts—and for his statement that he wishes all the contents of Stephenson’s two “black boxes” revealed to the public. While, of course, the friendship of any public officer for “The Old Man” at a time the latter was virtually the dictator of the State government and of the Republican party through machinations that were reprehensible, is at the least questionable, such a friendship can not be considered criminal else about half of our prominent public officers in both parties are criminals. But some of the names of those intertwined with “Steve’s” political record are not so anxious, apparently, to have the contents of the “black boxes” made known and are sturdily pleading that whatever they may have done to break the law, they can not now be penalized since these infractions took place two years before the Marion County grand Jury was called to indict them. But if the law can not get at the

WIOIRIK' rlelslt

The Rules 1. The idea of letter golf is to change one Word to another and do it in par, a given number of strokes. Thus, to change COW to HEN, in three strokes, COW, HOW, HEW, HEN. 2. You can change only one letter at a time. 3. You must have a complete word, of common usage, for each jump. Slang words and abbreviations don’t count. 4. The order of letters cannot be changed.

CIHIEICIK _C JIJL_C _K C._H_L_N J< CjiiM c o i .nTs C 0 R~NU~S C_OJLjL_S C 0 Nits H o._n JLJL H.OJIE.Y mlolnlely

Well Served

What Other Editors Think

guilty ones, the people still have the power to dethrone them from political leadership and, we may not doubt, that is what will happen. (Rnshrille Republican) (Republican) The elections aeld last week, especially in the municipalities throughout the country, are interesting inasmuch as they indicate that we have ceased electing freak candidates for municipal and State offices. There was a time not so very long ago when the American public in its municipal political activities had quite a penchant for selecting and electing policemen, scavengers and similar persons to the chief executive positions. American mayoralty elections were being decided on the throw of a political dice, and intrustion of a worthy and trained candidate was generally marked by a crushed defeat. In some quite important cities men were elected because of chance happy phrases, or their ability to either wear fancy neckties with distinction or do without them entirely. In this last election, however, the signs of a change were in evidence. John W. Smith, mayor of Detroit, candidate for re-election; was undoutbedly defeated because in the heat of the campaign he lost his head and virtually promised a legally wet city to the people. A young woman telephone operator in New Hampshire,'who was given pages of newspaper publicity (and whose election was being seriously considered as a possibility) ran at the bottom of the list in the field of candidates. And even the small group of policemen mayoralty candidates was routed. This is a healthy sign. It may be that if we finally succeed in attracting the serious attention of the sober people to their candidates for town council and executives, that the day may come when the best citizens may be willing to give at least a few days to consideration of the presidential candidates.

You can get an answer to any quesI lon of fact or Information by writing to The Indianapolis Times Washington Bureau. 1322 New York Ave.” Washington. D. C., inclosing 2 cents in stamps tO J . tep,y - Medical, legal and marital advice cannot be given nor can extended research be undertaken. AH other questions will receive a personal reply. Unsigned requests cannot be answered. AU letters are confldential.—Editor. How many miles Is It across Bering Strait from Alaska to Siberia? About fifty miles. What is the address of the Society of Mayflower Descendants? Room 604 44E. ’Twenty-Third St., New York. How old are Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth? Gehrig was born June 19, 1903, and Ruth Teb. 7, 1894. Were there as many marriages in the United States in 1925 as in 1924? According to the returns compiled by the United States census bureau there were 1,181,838 marriages performed in the United States in 1925 compared with 1,178,318 in 1924. —■i - \ How did the island'bf Sicily get its name? From the earliest inhabitants in historic times, the Siculi, who, according to tradition, crossed over to the isuand from the mainland of Italy about the dawn of history. They were members of the great Latino-Italien family. How did the word Dutch originate and to whom does it refer? The word is Teutonic in origin and means literally “belonging to •the people,” "popular” or “national.” It is the English form corresponding to “Deutch,” which by the Germans is used specifically for German and in a wider sense is applied to all things belonging to the Teutonic stock. The terms Dutch and 'Dutchman are frequently, used for

(Marlon Leader Tribune) (Democratic) Will the Indiana political mess ever be cleaned up? It will. The people of the State may be proud of the fact that no stone is being left unturned to bring the good name of the State back to its proper place, and to wipe the slate clean of the black marks on its shield of honor. Indiana is one of the best States in the Union. The recent years have witnessed a display of conduct which has given a wrong impression among the States of the Union. The impression has gone out that Indiana is wrong at heart, but this is most untrue. There is no finer people in the world that those found right in Indiana. We have made mistakes, it is true, and some of those whom we have trusted have been unfaithful to their trust. But the day Is coming when Indiana can once more hold its head proudly, and look back at these times as an unsavory and undesirable chapter of its history. One which is not to be be repeated. (Bluffton Banner) (Democratic) The Kiwanis Club of Indianapolis has taken the initiative and now who will follow up? The club has passed a resolution at their meeting early in the week pledging their membership to serve on juries, especially criminal cases, whenever asked by the court to do so. The action by the club came, no doubt, as a result of the rottenness in Indianapolis, the main reason for which is the trouble in getting jurors who have the honesty and the courage to do their full duty. The grand jury that has spent valuable time in the probe of conditions in that city was made up of men who stand high in the estimation of the people. They have given valuable time for their city and State. Preceding juries had faltered and failed. The example set by these six men has been a stimulus for Others and with the ball set rolling by the capital city Kiwanis Club other organizations may be expected to line up for jury duty.

Questions and Answers *

Germans in the United States. The best modern usage, however, restricts Dutch to the people and language of the Netherlands. What is pewter? Why is it no longer used to make dishes? It is an alloy of tin with lead, antimony or bismuth. Formerly it was used extensively in making plates, teapots and other domestic utensils, but because lead is poisonous it ha; been prohibited in several countries and other alloys are now used in place of it. Old pewter is highly prized by collectors of antiques. Is bisque the same as porcelain? It is a variety of unglazed white porcelain used for statuettes and other small figures. When did Halley’s comet appear last? It was last seen telescopically in April or May, 1911, and was photographed as late as June 1, 1911. At this time it was receding from the sun, having passed perihelion April 20, 1910. On this, the most recent return of Halley’s comet, it was first photographed Sept. 11, 1909, and detected visually Sept. 16, 1909. Can one write a photoplay scenario from any book without permission from the author of the book? Permissiion from the author or the owner of the copyright must be obtained unless the copyright has expired and has not been renewed. An author, if he desires, can sell the screen rights of his story to a producer. When, by whom, and under what conditions was the Statue of Liberty presented to the United States? The Statue of Liberty is a huge bronze statue presented to the people of the United States by the people of France. .The gift was de-

NOV. 23, 1927

Times Readers Voice Views

The name and address of the author must accompany every contribution, but on request will not be published. Letters not i exceeding 200 words will receive preference. To the Editor; I see in the papers that our well known Senator Watson has repudiated the Reverend Shumaker. That sure is tough on the reverend, that he of all men would have to serve a term, after all the people that he and his organization helped make miserable. Some cases were relentlessly pressed by Anti attorney to obtain conviction. If a line in the Bible reads against his intolerant ideas, he is quick to belittle it, but he wasn’t so slow to try to exercise a pull when he faced court proceedings that were against him. Now in B. p. (before prohibition) terms, the rum runner, hi-Jacker and the gunmen were unknown. But now there are very few conversations without some references being made to the subject. One year around the Christmas holidays over a score of people in one city suffered capital punishment for their law violations. The Government poisoned their booze. A great army of men, making big inroads in the Nation’s pocketbook, are combing the wide country, many of them committing coldblooded murder, deliberately, and relentlessly destroying rights of home and privileges of personal freedom. I am not a rabid maniac for the return of the saloons, nor am Ia hard bitten drunkard. I work hard every day, conscientiously, and from month to month never even smell anything of alcoholic contents, but I am not a total abstainer. Many nights after a good, honest hard day’s work on a high speed production chain line, a small drink helps relieve the tired nerves. If this Government really wanted to stop the liquor traffic it could easily indorse a system similar to that of Canada. Let the people retain their rights and - privileges of home, get financial returns legally, lay off this vast army of gun-toting legalized murderers and clean up politics, and let churches return to their place as a house of worship. Then men elected to various of-, flees might go into work unhindered by the constant threat of dictators that if crossed would kill all chances of continued public service. HARVEY STACEY. To the Editor: Would call your attention to the fact that when United States Senator Arthur R. Robinson spoke In the court house here he declared: “A vote for the Democratic ticket is a vote for the League of Nations.” Wayne B. Wheeler, of Anti-Sa-loon League fame, now deceased, testified before a Senate Committee that Robinson took prohibition money in making dry speeches. DANIEL N. B. S. KNIGHT, Muncie, Ind.

Old Masters

The gray sea and the long black land; And the yellow half-moon, large and low; And the startled little waves that leap In fiery ringlets from their sleep, As I gain the cove with pushing prow, And quench its speed in the slushy sand. Then a mile of warm sea-scented beach; Three fields to cross till a farm appears; A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch And blue spirt of a lighted match, And a voice less loud, thro ihguts And a voice less loud, through Its joys and fears, Than the two hearts, beating each to each! —Robert Browning: Meeting at Night.

signed to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of American independence. The United States Congress. Feb. 22, 1877, authorized President Hayes to set apart a site on the island which Frederick Bartholdi, sculptor, on a visit, had suggested. The statue was finished in 1883; the cornerstone of the pedestal was laid on Bedloe’s Island, late in June, 1885; the work of putting the statue together was began in May, 1886, and the statue was unveiled on Oct. 28, 1886. What is the address of Conway Tearle, the motion picture actor? 1784 Orange Dr., Los Angeles, Cal. What actress starred in the motion picture “Kiki”? Norma Talmadge. What is the Congressional Record? The Congressional Record Is published by the United States Government printing office and contains the proceedings of Congress. It is published daily while Congress is in cession. One cam obtain copies of it or subscribe for it from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. Is a veteran who served three months in the World War, between the years 1917 and 1929 entitled to a bonus? If so, how much? Yes, a thirty-day bonus, amounting to S3O. Are kilts worn by all Scotchmen? They are .worn only by Highlanders, none by Lowlanders. How many pupils attend the Lafayette High School? What aro the colors of the school? Nine hundred. Colors are red and black.