Indianapolis Times, Volume 40, Number 247, Indianapolis, Marion County, 5 March 1929 — Page 4

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Hiding the Shells Efforts on the part of the legislature to find a painless way of taking money from the citizens of this state would be humorous if they were not serious. For years the maehine politicians have been telling the people that the policies of the bosses had resulted in a very economical government, that the treasury was filled with gold, that government or nothing. Now it is revealed that these were exaggerations and that the machine rule has been costly and not very satisfactory. • Instead of the simple expedient of spending less money, the legislature is contemplating levying special taxes on business and industry. Just hov the money is raised is perhaps not very important, except that the method may be .so stupid as to place industries in this state under a handicap when competing with those from other states. The lawmakers may make it difficult to bring in new enterprises or hold the present ones. | Os course, in the end the money must come from those who work and produce wealth. They pay and special taxes will make their life just a little more difficult. Raising funds by special taxes instead of increasing the general levy fools very few people. The u’timate consumer is the final victim, no matter what the scheme. The only way to reduce taxation is to spend Less. That has apparently not occurred to the lawmakers. They prefer to suck eggs and then frantically try to hide the shells.

Hoover’s Inaugural It is the custom for Presidents to limit theninaugural address to statements of general principles. Few have departed from that custom. Herbert Hoover repeated in the main his general lines of policy laid down during the campaign, and left to the future the definite solutions of the problems which confront him. This is typical of the man. He is less famous foi his professions than for his practices. He has been accustomed to doing things first, and talking about them later —if at all. Hoover's chief concern in his inaugural was what he called “the failure of our system of criminal justice,” particularly prohibition enforcement. The country shares his concern. And what a commentary on the prohibition law, that a decade after enactment it has created such a host of new problems threatening good government! The new President touched the heart of the prohibition enforcement failure when he said, "A large responsibility rests directly upon our citizens. There would be little traffic in illegal liquor if only criminals patronized it.” Such being the case, there does not seem to us to be much hope for the “experiment.” The most perfect machinery cannot enforce a law which is resented and disobeyed by such “large number of law-abiding citizens.” The answer, in our judgment, can be found only in modification of the law-. Meanwhile, a fair trial should be given the law by improving tire enforcement machinery and by a scientific study of its social and political consequences. HooVer proposes to do both. That is as much as could be expected of any President at this time. The second thing on Hoover’s mind is the relavtion of government to business. He reiterated his belief “that regulation of private enterprise and not government ownership or operation is the course rightly to be pursued.” But that, of course, merely states the question, without answering it. The proof of the regulation is in the regulation. Government regulation in the past has not solved the problems of sick industries, such as coal, and it has not protected adequately the public from such industries as power and public utilities. Ihe American people as a whole have Hoover's distate for government ownership and operation of business, but they also are tired of being exploited by certain business groups. Unless Hoover is more successful than past Presidents have been in making government regulation actually effective, the people probably will turn to limited government operation or control in electric pow-er and certain other industries as the alternative.

I Several national problems of great importance : were not discussed in the address. These problems include: A tendency toward executive usurpation of legislative authority, and control ot the nominally independent federal commissions on tariff, trade and interstate commerce; the growth ot bigotry and interference in government by partisan groups; the increasing violation by officials, injunction judges, employers, and police of civil liberties guaranteed by the constitution; and unemployment. These issues in part will test the new administration. The high point of the inaugural was Hoover’s declaration. “I covet for this administration a record of further having contributed to advancing the cause of peace." • • : He added: ‘‘Peace can be promoted by the limitavion of arms and by creation of -the instrumentalities for peaceful settlement of controversies. But It will become a reality only through self-restraint and active effort in friendliness and helpfulness.” Specifically, he advised adherence to the world court and invited the world on the basis of the Kellogg anti-war treaty to undertake “greater limitation of armament.” It l" as a leader toward international peace and Justice ,'hat the United States and the rest of the world h.we most faith in Herbert Hoover, j 1 Mr. Creager It. B. Creager. Republican national committeeman from Texas, may run the party organization in his state, but he is not running the senate patronage investigation. Senator Brookhart, chairman of the senate committee, has told Creager as much and that Is quite sufficient for anyone who knows Brookhart. Creager appeared before the committee in a de-

The Indianapolis Times (A SCKIPPS-UOWAKW NEWSPAPER) Ovned and published dally (except Sunday) by The Indianapolis Times Publishing Cos., 214-220 W. Maryland Street. Indianapolis. Ind Price in Marion County 2 cents—lo cents a week: elsewhere, 3 cents—l 2 cents a week. BOXD~ BOY W. HOWARD. FRANK G. MORRISON. Editor. President. Business Manager. PHONE— RILEY 5551. TUESDAY. MARCH 5, 1929. Member of United Press, Scripps Howard Newspaper Alliance, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Newspaper Information Service and Audit Bureau of Circulations. “Givu Light and the People Find. Their Own Way.”

fiant mood and informed Brookhart that the committee must keep its hands off Republican affairs *in Texas. Brookhart wasn’t frightened and neither was anyone else. If Creager’s organization is as pure as he claims it to be, investigation can do no harm. If he is as eager as he says he is to put the Republican party on a high level in his state, he ought to assist Brookhart’s committee. We quite agree with Brookhart that machine politics must go, from Texas or any other state, and whether Democratic or Republican machines. The Brookhart committee has the right idea. We hope it succeeds in its purposes. Mrs. Coolidge A gracious lady has left the White House. The homage of i, grateful people goes to Mrs. Coolidge for giving to the last administration that touch of humanness and friendliness that was needed to offset the austerity of the President. Once it was said that Mrs. Coolidge was worth $1,000,000 to the Republican party. The amount was placed too low. She was a priceless asset. Mrs. Coolidge is a remarkably capable woman. She is human. She is tactful. She has poise and personality. Her naturalness made her a great first lady. Grace Coolidge is secure in the affections of America. The Real Need That many public utility corporations of the state have been greedy and ruthless in their methods is an almost universal opinion. The fact that they send a group of lobbyists to each session of the legislature to consort and play with members of the legislature, is evidence that there is something wrong. Os course, it is possible that members of the legislature who come back to session after session may be responsible. It is not beyond the realms of reason that these members, apparently not concerned with the small salary of lawmakers, may make demands that threaten the orderly conduct of business. The whole theory of regulation suggested that the utilities be put out of politics. They seem to be in politics more than ever, either for self-protec-tion or for greater grabs. There will always be criticism and dissatisfaction as long as the utility commission is under suspicion of being controlled and influenced by the utilities. During the past four years, this estimate of the commission has been very general. The method by which its membership was changed just in advance of a merger did not add to public confidence. Theoretically, ohe commission investigates and checks the annua! reports of every utility. It’s doubtful whether any of these reports are given such careful check. There have been rumors that efficient .employes of the commission soon disappear frop the payrolls. The actions of the legislature in placing the selection of a lawyer for the commission under the Governor should be resented by him. The people elected a legal officer and legal matters should be under his charge, just as executive powers should be under the Governor instead of the secretary of state. The real need, not only of the people but of any utility that desires to deal fairly and honestly with its customers, is a commission composed of men who hold public confidence and are not known as the close friends of the utility lobbyists who infest the statehouse.

A Turk 154 years old wants to come to Canada, remarry and raise a'family. Nothing like a fresh start. In the recent election in Chicago six sitting aidermen were defeated. Moral: Even an alderman should learn to stand up once in a while. A notary public in Omaha committed a woman to jail for refusal to talk. What's wrong with this story?

________ David Dietz on Science New View of Universe No. 295

THE latest theory of Professor Albert Einstein, which offers an explanation of the nature of gravity, grew naturally out of his theory of relativity. The subject of gravity is dealt with in his generalized theory of relativity and it became evident to the scientific world shortly after the announcement of rel-

A PHV.SICS IABORATCRV-

was going over to the continent at frequent intervals for conferences with Einstein on the subject of gravitation. In approaching the new Einstein theory, we must keep in mind some of the things which characterized relativity. To begin with, we must not look for a simple categorical answer. It will not do to expect an answer of two or three words like “Gravitation is such and such." Answers of that kind are not only contrary to Einstein, but they are contrary to the whole spirit of modern physics of which Einstein is perhaps the outstanding apostle. For modern physics and particularly Einstein, deal with the universe aj a whole. The old hard and fast concepts of space, time, matter, energy, electricity, gravity and so on begin to fade and merge in this new way of looking the universe. The modern physicist finds that he can only describe this way things happen in the universe. Reality becomes something almost unreal in this new universe, and we are almost tempted to agree with Shakespeare's assertion that we are the stuff that dreams are made of. We shall see. therefore, that Einstein's theory of gravitation is really an explanation of how things happen in the universe. , The similarity of electro-magnetic phenomena and gravitational phenomena has long made scientists suspect a fundamental relationship. However, as we shall see, it required tse genius of an Einstein to point it out.

M. E. TRACY SAYS: “To the People of Mexico, Government Is Still a Power From Above; Power in Which They Feel No Shaw.”

"\\ THERE there is no vision, the W people cast off restraint; but he that keepeth the law, he is happy.” So runs the verse that President Hoover kissed when he took the oath of office. Its wisdom was bom out by the news from Mexico. Leadership is the first essential of political order. This country has been blessed with the right kind of leadership since its beginning—leadership of vision, leadership of courage, leadership that commanded respect. No one can deny that Democratic institutions had much to do with maintaining the supply. Whatever else may be said of it, democracy possesses tfie advantage ’of stimulating men to take interest in public affairs not only by offering jobs, but by providing ways to get rid of them if they fail to make good.

a a tt Democracy Training THE great difference between democracy as practiced in the United States and Mexico is this— We got ours from the bottom, while Mexico got hers from the top. But for the two hundred years of experience and training which our colonial forbears received in town meeting, church vestry, county court and legislative assembly, we would have had far more trouble in setting up a workable democracy. So far as local government went, this nation was a republic long before it declared independence. So far as local government in Mexico is concerned, it was never republican, and is not to this day. Mexico has a constitution, a president, congress and all the rest of the superstructure. What she lacks is the habit and experience down below. a a a Staying a Revolt . WHAT would we think if, three months hence, the Governor of California and three or four prominent generals were to stage a revolt, seize Buffalo on the Canadian border, Norfolk on the Atlantic coast and a city or two on the Pacific, broadcast that fifteen states had joined them, and calmly go about the business of setting up anew government for the country? Whatever we might think it would not be a circumstance to what we would do. The fracas never would reach a point to justify the word “revolution.” We have had, civil war, and could do it again, but not without an issue, not without long and heated debate, not without ample warning. a a tt Power From Above IN Mexico it is different, there, no issue is needed. The people have not been trained to govern themselves in city, town and hamlet. Democracy has never touched them close at home. To the people of Mexico, government still is power from above, power in which they feel no share, power by force of arms. They have learned to respect it as such, and to defy it. The advent of some strong man, with a supply of rifles and some cash, is enough to start trouble . But let us not be too patronizing. We would be doing likewise, had we been trained in the same way. And let us not be too pessimistic about the outcome of this latest upheaval, well organized and formidable though it seems. If there are strong men ready to lead revolt, there are other strong men ready to uphold the government, not only to protect their jobs, but because education has progressed far enough in Mexico to have developed a national consciousness among her more wide awake citizens.

nut* A Nation Growing Up SO there rises a Calles to match a Manzo. even if Portes Gil does appear to be quite at sea, and there come thousands of good citizens to his support dominated by something better than partisanship. What is it all about? What would the revolutionists do differently if they won? What is the issue that has so suddenly arisen, if any? Away with such trivialities. Here is a nation growing up. just as England grew up. just as this country w-ould have grown up, if the old world had not given its founders a lot of valuable schooling, while the new world offered them an easy chance to exploit their ideas. Hoover’s First problem NEITHER should we forget our own responsibilities in the matter. To a measurable extent, the success or failure of revolt in Mexico depends on the attitude of the United States. If that attitude happens to be j tolerant with respect to money, men and munitions, if it permits m.llionaires to “assist” for the sake of concessions, or is kindly disposed toward gun-running, as has been the case several times in the past then the rebels have a bettei chance If on the other hand, the attitude becomes hard-boiled, looks with disfavor on the fortune-hupters doubles the border patrol and catches those who would make wai medicine on United States territory revolt stands a far poorer show. President Hoover is confrontec w-ith his first problem. What salaries are received by the President of the United States, cabinet members and representatives in congress? The salary of the President is I $75,000 per year, with a $25,000 allowance for traveling and entertainment. The Vice-President receives $15,000; members of the cabinet $15,000 and representatives $lO,000. Representatives also have allowances for mileage, clerk hire, stationery, etc.

ativity that it would lellff to further work in the field of gravitation. The problem was attacked by Professor A. S. Edd'ngton of Camb. .dge, England, who called his book on relativity. "Space, Time and Gravitation.” When I was in Cambridge in 1923, Eddington told me that he

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

Editor Journa. of the American Medical Association and of Hyfreia, the Health Magazine. a S recently pointed out by Dr. ■**- Haven Emerson, in 1921 tuberculosis was costing the people of the United States $7.96 each annually. The cost per patient was $1,262 annually and the total loss due to

tuberculosis for one generation was more than $27,000,000,000. The overwhelming majority of men in the United States are near to the $2,500-a-year income class.

=hdoAyr(B|THj£“= Will AMEpAIIY THE BOSTON MASSACRE March 5 A BRIGHT moon was shining on a fresh blanket of snow In Boston 159 years ago this evening, so that a disturbance as conspicuous as the “Boston massacre” should have been clearly visible to every one in the neighborhood. For some reason, however, practically all the witnesses described it differently. To some it was a brawl between a few British soldiers and a group of heckling Boston vagabonds. To others it was a cold-blooded massacre of respectable citizens by a regiment oi domineering Redcoats. At all events, the affair was of sufficient importance to hasten the devolution. It same as a climax to the lodging of two regiments of British troops in Boston. Their presence >n the city was offensive to the majority of the citizenry and undoubtedly, the soldiers were heckled •occasionally. Following the “massacre,” which resulted in the killing of three persons and the wounding of eight others, the troops were removed, argely due to the efforts of Samlal Adams Os those killed, only one, Crispus Attucks, a mulatto, had taken any part in the disturbance which preceded the firing.

All Right, Now Let’s See How It Works!

[ the V/HIT£HOUSeT 1\ ! mr u tlip -i | 'M'ilfofsfr

Reason

LINDBERGH is between two fires. Ke must be careful, since the mishaps of the last few weeks, any one of which would have ended everything on that flight to Paris, warn him that he has little left in the bank of good luck. Still he must continue to be a hero and to do this, he must continue to fly; he would soon become very commonplace in carpet slippers, even though he sat in a winged chair. a a a In New York City the Trotskites and the anti-Trotskites had a riot after a meeting called to protest against Trotski’s banishment from Russia. ‘Think of Uncle Sam’s being compelled to digest such human hash! And yet the alien influence in congress was strong enough to defeat the bill to deport alien criminals! Whose government is this? tt tt a We are not an engineer—not even a fireman, but as between the St. Lawrence canal, a joint affair with Canada, and an All-American canal through the state of New York, the latter sounds good to us.

Heart Disease Exacts Huge Cost

q.—is eating meat a eause of cancer or tuberculosis? A. —There is no scientific evidence to indicate that eating meat has anything to do with causing cancer or tuberculosis.

lEs. A

By m m Frederick LANDIS

PRESIDENT COOLIDGE naturally does not want to give up his three dogs, but if he keeps them and takes them all for a walk, he will have no time left in which to do his contemplated writing. a a a It’s all right now for Curtis to take his vice-presidential oath on that German Bible, but it would have killed h'im politically had he done it just after the war. # a a a As soon as they hear about it, the pacifists in our great universities will hold a meeting and denounce the sending of ladybugs from Colorado to Texas to fight the bugs that kill the young onions. a a a Morgan, the greatest advocate of an inter-oceanic canal, always stood for Nicaragua and was heart-broken when the Panama route was chosen.

DAILY HEALTH SERVICE

With this fact in mind, Dr. Emerson has attempted to estimate the cost to this country of heart disease, which is among the leading causes of death among our people. The deaths from heart disease in 1928 are estimated about 221,809. The value of these lives would then be more tnan $1,000,000,000 and the cost to the people of the country is represented at $12.65 per capita. It is estimated that in 1928 heart disease caused a reduction in the average length of life at 1.66 years i'or men and two years for women. Figuring on the basis of the complete lives of such people and loss to the country, the cost is estimated at $22,000,000,000. Thus heart disease is more expensive than cancer, although less expensive than tuberculosis. In 1922, the annual cost of tuberculous patients was about $3.15 per capita and the cost for heart disease 75 cents per capita.

Times Readers Voice Views

The soldiers’ bonus bill having been killed in the legislature, no further letters on this subject will be printed at this time. Editor Times—Of all the silly and far-fetched measures introduced at the present session of the legislature, the bill sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution, requiring school teachers to take an oath of allegiance to the United States flag and the Constitution, surely was entitled to the booby prize. As a rare, unmatched example of 100 per cent maudlinism gone to seeed, this stupid atrocity certainly is a humdinger. If things have reached such an awful pass that the constitutional liberties of our citizenry or the perpetuity ot our free institutions are being jeopardized by the intentional contumacies of our unfettered and unsworn pedagogs, then this enactment should be amended to compel all instructors in the public schools to wear red, white and blue uniforms while on duty, smoke a certain brand of cigar - ets so highly recommended by our senior United States! senator, and sit in sackcloth and ashes on Washington's birthday and the Fourth of July. Such a comprehensive measure surely would instill oodles of patriotic fervor into the whole teaching fraternity, an* lift an awful burden of anxiety from the shoulders of

BETWEEN TWO FIRES am* SUCH TERRIBLE HASH a a tt IT WOULD END WAR

THIS man. Mitchell of Minnesota, whom Hoover has selected for attorney-general, is not only a Democrat, but he has voted the straight Republican ticket the last three times, which makes him a regular Democrat. a a a Now that the all-important Shar-key-Stribling crisis has passed, let us turn to the relatively frivolous matter of the presidential inauguration, a a a The senate’s adoption of a resolution to survey a canal through Nicaragua will delight the spirit of the late Senator Morgan of Alabama when the news is flashed to the star he now inhabits. a a a The national treasury’s estimate that 14,000 millionaires will be represented in the income tax returns suggests the only practical method for ending war—let every nation make shock troops of its millionaires. Let this be done and the dove of peace will hatch its young in the whiskers of the god of war.

The difference in these costs is due to the fact that there is a greater adequacy of provision for the care of the tuberculous because of the infectious nature of their disorder and sanitary supervision, which are not required for heart disease. However, the burden of heart disease falls more heavily on the people in terms of loss of livelihood. Because of its duration heart disease constitutes a heavier burden on the wage-earners than any other disease, except tuberculosis, mental diseases and certain forms of chronic rheumatism. These facts should cause increasing attention to problems of heart disease and a greater willingness to aid in those steps in early life that are known to be efficient in preventing heart disease; namely, proper care of acute infectious diseases and the removal of infections of nose, throat and teeth.

those timid and artless souls who are unable to sleep nights lest the terrifying spectre of radicalism destroy the whole body politic at one fell swoop. It is somewhat reassuring, however, to reflect that our public school system has functioned with a considerable degree of success for something like 100 years, and during all of that time few if any school teachers have been convicted of treason or sabotage, and, so far as the record shows, not one ever has found it necessary to plead the statute of limitations to keep out of jail. Now if the sisters of the D. A. R. must have some outlet for "heir patriotic zeal, they might use up some of their surplus energy leading to the mourners’ bench some of those public officials—and exofficials—who subscribed to an ironclad oath when they were inducted into office, and then straightway forgot all about that rivial formally. JOE SAUNDERS. 1022 North Alabama street. Editor Times—Gillioms spite and the offended dignity of a judge have at last succeeded in sending the Rev. Shumaker to the penal farm for contempt of court. Now what are they going to do about the contempt of the public? A READER.

.MARCH 5,1929

IT SEEMS TO ME • a By HEYWOOD BROUN

Iden * opinions *!• pressed is tfcts column ft t • those oi one of A m erica's most interestin* writer* and are presented w i t hout re*ard to their agreement with the editorial attitude of this paper. The Editor.

THERE are two ways in which to write biography. You can pick a man whom you adore or a subject whose very existence is deplorable in your sight. Modern biography has leaned to the latter method. Writers go about saying to themselves, "let me see — whom do I hate sufficiently to do his life?” Indeed, biography has become a form of assault. Some entertaining and valuable books have been written by the haters. As one who assisted in an attack upon Anthony Comstock, I am in no position to say that all antagonistic portraiture should be discouraged. Yet, it is well to remember that there still remains utility and literary value in adoration. Boswell did Johnson on his knees and his book is still the top of the heap. This classic reverence comes tb my mind because I have just been reading “Presidents I’ve Known and Two Near Presidents,” by Charles Wills Thompson. The longest and best sketch in the book concerns the man whom Thompson liked best. Like is too mild a word. Thompson’s study of Theodore Roosevelt is pure panegyric. And the author's wealth of passionate regard for the dead PresiI dent in no way detracts from the fascinating nature of his picture.

Not So Free THE colonel can hardly have been so completely free of all imperfection. Not in our time has there been such a spotless one. There is not a trace of shadow in the character as drawn, by Charles Willis Thompson and yet it Is a sketch made by a man who knew Roosevelt extremely well. Circumstances generally considered trying. Thompson was a correspondent with him during the fiercely fought Bull Moose campaign. Possibly the complete T. R. will have to be written by some man who never saw him. His glamor seems to have blinded all who came Into any intimate contact. But I would not class Thompson as blind, although he squints a little in regarding his hero. For instance, I refuse to accept literally the author’s flat statement, “He never compromised a conviction for a vote.” I never expect to see any politician attain the White House by walking up on the water. Fortunately, Thompson’s transports of admiration are tempered with his news sense.

Reporter A GREAT reporter he remains—an author with a keen eye for incident. His book is filled with a vast wealth of little things that Theodore said and did behind the scenes. For Roqsevelt, although so much reported, never got completely into the papers. The men who were w-ith him seem to have been animated upon many occasions by the sole thought, “Will this story of mine help or hurt the colonel?” Indeed, Thompson reports one incident in which the correspondent of the Associated Press decided not to send out a legitimate piece of news w-holly because he felt that it might be harmful to Roosej velt’s campaign. i Charles Willis • Thompson sees ! nothing out of the way in this. In | fact, he points with pride to the | fact that Roosevelt was fond of giv- | ing the reporters vast quantities of j information upon the understanding that none of this must ever be printed as coming from him. I think it is an unfortunate system. The colonel was able to use the press for his own purposes. The papers served him rather than the public. Also he saved correspondents a great deal of trouble. As Thompson explains, the colonel w-ould tell the reporters in advance w-hether his speech was to be hot or cold. “He abolished unnecessary work for us,” writes Thompson. “Whenever he returned to the car after a speech he would found us up and say: “‘Now the next stop will be at Blankville. You don't have to bother about that, I’m going to get off the usual thing.’ “Or, ‘At Dashtown, where w-e stop next, you’d better be on the job. I’ll have some new stuff there." No wonder they loved him. But I still hold that the relationship between public man and reporter should never be too close and confidential. The correspondent should be neither friend nor foe. The enforced reticence of high regard may cost the public information which it has a right to know. Toward William Jennings Bryan, Thompson had no love such as he bore Roosevelt and yet he seems to have protected him upon occasion. The Bryan chapters contain one incident so damaging that it might .have been sufficient to drive him out of his post as secretary of state before he had a chance to make so many costly blunders. “The secretary’s dealings with diplomats were unconventional,'' writes Thompson. “Once Takahira, the Japanese ambassador, came to the department to meet him. but another diplomat was in conference at the time and Takahira had to wait. , "When the other diplomat was ushered out, Bryan, handkerchief in collar, opened the door and bawled out to Eddie Savoy, the colored doorkeeper, who had served such dignified as John Hay, ‘Eddie, show the Jap in.’ Not a quiver of a muscle showed that Takahira heard. If he did, his face was as impassive as that of the long-suff-ring Eddie. I could vis) that Charles Willis Thompson had told this story sooner. I think I would have been better to protect the state department than to protect Bryan. (Copyright. 1929. for The Time*)