Indianapolis Times, Volume 41, Number 42, Indianapolis, Marion County, 29 June 1929 — Page 4

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Political Pardons When the chairman of the political party in p<v.<-er becomes interested in the liberty of a < i rago gunman, holdup and thug, his value to ; ; s part}' should be drawing to a close. There are generally other reasons than the warm glow of charity and human brotherhood that excites activity on the part of politicians in b< half of visiting gunmen. The pardoning power has, very often, been a ver.' fertile field of operations for politicians, especially if a susceptible governor could be persuaded to give clemency in a wholesale manner. Last night at a meeting of the pardon board, the members denounced the “high pressure” methods used to obtain freedom for a man who is serving a sentence for the robbery of a local department store. The crime was desperate. Kver since his sentence, powerful persnnhave enlisted themselves in, his behalf. High priced and very respectable law firms have been busy. Especially active have been iav firms with politicians as members. It was openly stated that one of the lawyers now interested and presumably using the “high pressure” methods is the present state chairman of the Republican party. Whenever a convict seeking a pardon hires ether than the lawyer wlxr. defended him, there is a reason. And the reason for hiring lawyers prominent in politics is presumably their grip on official', rather than their knowledge of law or ability as pleaders. It will be remembered that a previous state chairman, no longer at liberty, interested himself in pardons and was quite successful in selling stock to relatives of those whom he set free. When chairmen of parties are lawyers, it is perfectly ethical to take fees. As loug as the pardon hoard of the Governor refuse to listen to please for political pardons, there is no danger. Especially is there little danger when the board members openly point to the political character of the pleaders for clemency. It might he a very good thing if it became generally known that any convict who hires a lawyer to plead his ease, would be very closely scrutinized. Theoretically, no convict needs a lawyer Ts he is worthy, the hoard should know. If unworthy, it has the facts. Other states have had grave scandals over the pardoning power. This state has had too many other scandals to afford one from that cause. Senate Investigations Senate investigations cost more or less money and the senate should consider the cost before undertaking them. This, notwithstanding the fact that the total cost of all such investigations in recent years really is insignificant compared to the money they have saved, or regained, for the government. Complaints that the senate lias become an investigating body instead of a legislature should be disregarded. Intelligent legislation requires investigation. Those who would head off any investigation of the textile industry say the inquiry should be referred to the federal trade commission because the senate is not equipped to make the kind of study that is necessary. By equipment is meant paid agents, accountants and other experts. Congress is in danger of transferring too much of Its authority to executive bureaus and commissions. One thing it must keep is its investigating power. An Amazing Admission When William S. Culbertson, member of the United States tariff commission, was named minister to Rumania by President Coolidee four years ago it freely was charged that the purpose was to get him off the commission, where his activities had not been pleasing to certain influential persons interested in high tariffs. The charge was denied. But now it. develops that it was true. We are indebted to Senator James E. Watson for verification. “I recommended to get rid of him.’’ Watson said at &. public committee meeting. "I recommended him for foreign service, the foreigner the better.” This is an amazing admission not because of Watson's recommendation of Coolidge's appointment, but because of Watson's effrontery in telling it at a time when the worst tariff holdup in history is being attempted. ‘ Scrapped at 65” Old age pension surveys in a number of states reveal that of the 4.000.000 people over 65 years old one of every three will become dependent either upon charities or relatives, while one of every five will incur the stigma of pauperism. What of these hundreds of thousands of our aged pcor? What of these 20 out of every 100 who. through no fault of their own. reach the afternoon of life, only to pass into some crowded, insanitary, pride-killing poor farm? Their number will increase, for while science is lengthening life, industry is making it cheaper. ‘'Scrapped at 65” is an all-too-familiar axiom of American industry, which requires the swift and steady hand of youth to run its machines and requires it more exactingly each year. Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Barrett Browning voiced the “cry of the children" that loosed the shackles of child labor from the hands of the little pnes . No one is here to voice a still more pitiable cry from the aged folks whom sickness, ill-luck, and | demands of speeded-up machines are sending to nduatrial scrap heap. This country, now the wealthiest in the Jtarid.

The Indianapolis Times (A SCRIPPS-HOWABD NEWSPAPER) O*r.B'l *n<i published d*!ly <*xr* pt Sunday) by The Indianapolis Tim** F'ihli*hing Cos., 214-220 w Maryland Street, Indianapolii. Ind in Marion County 2 cent*—lo cents a w*k : *l*ewh*r*. 3 cent*— l2 cents a week BOYD OCR LET, ROY W. HOWARD. FRANK G. MORRISON, Editor President Business Manager PHONE—Riley 6631 SATURDAY. JUNE 29. 1929. Member .-.f United Pres.*, Scrip]' Howard Newspaper Alliance, Newspaper Enterprise Asaoeiation. Newspaper Information Service and Audit Bureau of Circulation*. “Give Light, and the People Will Find Their Own Way.”

civilized land without a national old age pension system of some sort, and in China old age is as consecrated as here it is neglected. After three centuries of every other sort of progress, the United States still is satisfied with the Elizabethan poor law system of 1601. The legislative season just closed has added four new states, including California, to the valiant little band of commonwealths flying the new old age pension banner. Yet while these four adopted pension laws, twenty-two legislatures rejected them. Isn’t it about time Uncle Sam took the lead in pointing the way to a really civilized national policy toward the problem of the aged poor? The Restricted Farm Board President Hoover has hit upon a wise method for selecting the new federal farm board, which is the administration's contribution to solution of agricultural depression. Instead of picking academic experts or farm politicians, or both, the President is choosing officials of farmers' associations. At any rate such are the first three names announced by the White House: James C. Stone, president of the Burley Tobacco Growers’ Association: C. B. Denman, president of the National Live Stock Producers' Association, and Carl Williams, vice-chair-man of the National Council of Farmers' Cooperative Marketing Association. This is a democrats method of selection, in addition to being politically expedient. It is democratic because these men already had been elected by the farmers themselves as most representative and presumably most able to conduct the business of their respective organizations. It is politically expedient because, if the farm board fails to bring in the millennium which some expect, the farmers can hardly blame the President for the failure of their own officials. That the farm board, which is to administer the $500,000,000 federal revolving loan fund through cooperatives and stabilization corporations, has an opportunity to eliminate some of the credit and marketing problems in that chaotic industry, few will doubt. But that such machinery can get at the root evils is doubted by many competent to judge. Worrying a Busy Man A President has so many things to do of importance. it’s a pity that he has to stop ever so often to mend the pottery broken by the little boys in his own party. There was a day when the Republican administration—and Democratic, too —could be forced into making a fool of itself fighting red bogies. But that particular brand of inanity went out of fashion some years ago. Now whenever a political group starts a drive against the nonexisting red menace, the public at once assumes that there must be some dirty work afoot or those politicians would not be intent on throwing dust in its eyes. That was the situation when the backers of a Republican organ, the National Republic, announced recently a campaign for funds to fight the alleged red menace—and. of course, to finance their magazine. These politicians used the names of such leaders as Dr. Herbert Work and Senator James Watson, who now deny any connection with the campaign. But the Democrats were quick to pick up the absurdity and reply to it, charging that it was a ruse of the Republican old guard to obscure the high tariff battle. So President Hoover, who naturally has no sympathy with the red bogey creators, now is doing his best to dissociate himself and his party from all responsibility for the foolishness of some misguided politicians who happen to bear the Republican name. The telegraph companies are trying to “humanize” their service. But haven’t the wires been full of human touches for years? An Englishman writes from New Zealand to claim he discovered the saxophone. That’s like calling somebody names over the telephone.

.David Dietz on Science

Physical Basis of Life

THE flowers that grow in your garden have so many points of similarity with your own body that biologists today feel justified in considering all living things as being constructed out of the same stuff. Its technical name is protoplasm. Huxley, the great English scientist and popularizer of science, called it “the physical basis of life.” This does not minimize the difference between organisms. It doesn't take a scientist to observe

T fV*

croscopic structure of organisms. The microscope reveals that all organisms, both plants and animals, are built up out of little units or building blocks known technically as cells. These cells differ in size, shape, and general appearance, but nevertheless, they have so many features in common that it is apparent they are fundamentally pretty much alike. When we turn to the chemical analysis of the cells, j we find that they differ to a very considerable extent.; not only between organisms, but between different! kinds of cells in the same organism. But again, we find the differences are of degree and not of kind. Fundamentally, the similarity is sufficient to justify, the biologist in considering all organisms as being formed from the same chemical mixture and in giving a single name to all living material. We find a third point of resemblance between all living material in the matter of functions. Tliere are certain functions, growth, reproduction, metabolism, response to stimuli, and so on, which characterizes all living material The reader may feel that at this point, perhaps, ?e •hauldjdeflna ••life.'' That. alas, no one is able t© do. tilt gag ' can find no adequate defi'nlyyo describe the ap-

No. 395 -

that there are tremen and o u s differences between a human being, a frog, and a head of cabbage. And no scientist tries to minimize these differences. But science has showm + hat these differences are •in many ways, differences of degree rather than differences of kind. This i* particularly true when we get to the mi-

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

M. E. Tracy

SAYS:

.4 New Alignment I* Developing Against French Aggressiveness. England. Germany and France Are Being Driven Closer Together. r T"HE tenth anniversary of peace finds Germany denouncing the treaty of Versailles, denying responsibility for the war and refusing to continue a law which forbids the kaiser to come back. The Echo de Paris, influential French journal, blames the British labor victory for such an attitude. “The French government of today and the French governments to follow,” says this newspaper, “will be obliged to unite against those who wish to overthrow all the conservative forces on the continent.” One need not be a prophet to realize that anew alignment is developing with French aggressiveness as the motivating force. Slowly, but inevitably. England, Germany and Russia are being driven closer together, in spite of their divergent aims and clashing theories. it a a We Still Are Human BUT who cares to speculate on such a situation, with Ambassador Dawes declining to array himself in knee pants and a Scotch golf club trying to get Ramsay MacDonald back on its roster. Whether we have gone sex mad. as Rabindranath Tagore declares, we still prefer human interest stories to the problems of statecraft. For one thing, they are much easier to understand. For another, we are human. tt . u tt The News of Interest BISHOP CANNON is found to have made a stock transaction recorded on Sunday: Czechoslovakia is in a row over the teaching of evolution: a New York theater doorman is arrested for making announcements on the sidewalk: a New Jersey mother of six will ask the court to impose birth control on her husband by injunction; the Republicans in Maine are in a turmoil over the wetness of Senator Gould; all of which is mighty interesting, and not without reason. Such items come close home, they get right down where we live. And what is better than all else, they require little study or thinking. ft tt tt Stunts Go Good NOT that we are opposed to study or thinking, but that most of us have enough of it in connection with our own personal affairs. Unless the news touches our personal affairs, we prefer what is interesting to what is serious. That is one reason why we pay more attention to stunt flying than to the constructive side of aviation, why we had rather read about a trans-Atlantic hop than a merger of airplane manufacturers. tt tt a Enthralled by Drama THREE men dive to their death in Egg Harbor, Viola Gentry is injured, while her co-pilot is killed, and Captain Hawks flies from New York to Los Angeles in nineteen hours and back in seventeen hours. The drama of it enthralls us, the dare-devil spirit, the gamble with fate. The bigger, surer play of engineer, efficiency sharp and capitalist seems not only tame by comparison, but too complex and involved. tt an Speeding Up Travel WRIGHT and Curtiss combine, taking in eight other companies by way of good measure, forming a $70,000,000 concern and giving aviation the benefit of organized, scientific management. Railroads and airplane companies working in conjunction have already started on transcontinental service. Two more will be started within ten days. The man in a hurry can now go from coast to coast in forty-eight hours. ’Ere long the time will be reduced to thirty-six. When the railroads are eliminated, as they will be. and an all-air route is established, it will be reduced to twenty-four, if not less. tt a tt Where Will It End? ONE wonders where the craze for speed and power will end. Apparently, each new device calls for a greater degree of mechanized life, and in that lies the real danger. For the last few years, we have tried to imagine that flying was a matter of individual effort, courage and skill, that all it needed was a race of Lindberghs. That, more than anything else, is what has held it back. Aviation, like the auto, demands organized production. organized distribution. Unlike the auto, it seems to demand organized operation. a tt Personal Liberty SOCIETY, politics, even government itself, are becoming subordinate to mechanical power. Men are being swept into one kind of organization or another, whether or no. Where we used to regard personal liberty as a matter of law. we now behold it as a matter of industry, of factory whistles, boards of directors, trade unions and time tables. At present, we can see little but the advantage of system and discipline. Tomorrow, or the day after, we shall face their tyranny. 300 AT WET CONGRESS World Ar.ti-Prohibition Delegates Drink Toasts With Wines. Bv Vnitrd I’re** COPENHAGEN. June 29.—Drinking their toasts with eleven different wines. 300 delegates to the International Anti-Prohibition congress reaffirmed their conviction that prohibition legislation is harmful and adjourned their three-day

Be Sure Swimming Fools Are Sanitary

B\' DR. MORRIS FISHBEIN. Editor Journal of the American Medical Association and of Hvgeia, the Health Magazine. THERE are in the United States at least 5.000 indoor swimming pools and no one knows how many beaches there are along the shore of lakes, rivers and the oceans. In 1900 there were said to be only sixty-seven swimming pools in the country. This has brought about problems of sanitation of these places, since the human contacts take place tend to spread bacteria from one person to another, and in this way to spread disease. Some swimming pools are merely refilled from streams near which they are located and the water which is let into the pool is muddy and contains sewage. In others, pure water is let in, but it is used over and over again because of the expense of control and eventually becomes exceedingly foul. The bather who wants to be safe

IT SEEMS TO ME

WHEN one considers humanity in the mass there is probably no question that the telephone is a beneficent invention. Our forefathers could not call up the delicatessen store to say, “please send half a dozen ginger ales and a cake of ice.” Only 100 years ago the man or woman who made an engagement had to keep it, since it was impossible to telephone at the last minute hoarsely, “I'm so sorry, but the doctor thinks it looks like tonsilitis.” Vital things like courtship and marriage have been aided and abetted by the phone. The whole theory that long engagements are necessarily bad was only true in the days before wires were laid. When a man had to go and see his girl every night it was inevitable that they should grow sick to death of each other. But surely it is no trouble at all to jiggle a hook and remark tenderly. “How are you baby?” and with this slight service the average swain manages to retain the franchise. tt tt tt Excuses ONE of the reasons why I fail to get out a better column is the amount of time I give over to debating with people as to whether or not I'm out and when I will be in. Naturally there is no intention to suggest that the world is beating a pathway to this door as if it housed a mousetrap-maker. Three or four calls in an afternoon are plenty to frazzle the nerves of a sensitive soul who has work to do and is three hours late in getting at it. Bootleggers, bond salesmen and charity workers are all telephone addicts and the strain of saying “no gin.” “no public utilities" and “no contribution.” takes a lot of energy out of any creative artist or column conductor. Persistent are the folks who use the wire. It never is enough to say, “he isn't in.” They always want to know, “when will he be home?” I don't see why I should be supposed to know that. I mean after I've explained, “this is the butler.” Possibly I might be more ruthless over the phone if I could master

Quotations of Notables

1T is pretty generally Known among those who have paid any sort of attention to banking conditions in the United States that the country banks are having a hard time to earn a living. * There may not be a general agreement upon the cause of this difficulty, but the fact remains to challenge our attention. —Representative MeFadden

What! Another One?

HEALTH IN HOT WEATHER-

will find out just how the water that comes into the pool is secured and what is done to keep it safe. Recently, I. M. Glace, district engineer of the Pennsylvania state department of health, has surveyed conditions relating to pools in various places and has called attention to the excellent regulations which govern the situation in Pennsylvania. The chief diseases that are transmitted through swimming pools are inflammations of the eye, boils and infections in the ear, chronic inflammations of the nose and sinuses, sore throat, various skin infections and infections of the intestines with dysentary. It is important, in the prevention of such diseases, that all swimmers be free from visible acute diseases at the time they enter the pool, that there be a shower liath for each forty bathers, and adequate comfort facilities for men and women, and that it be insisted that the

[ some dialect, “Regorra rue no ban spika zee English” might serve to S stop them. | The trouble is that I never can j keep the conversation all in the [ same dialect. My German accent fades into cockney and after that a bit of Scotch creeps in. This merely serves to arouse the curiosity of the party on the other end of the line. He gets the impression that} a whole staff of servants is on the j wire and that some of them must j have information and intelligence. a tt a Curiosity OF course, one good way to avoid telephone interruptions when pressed for time upon the job is to I sit tight and let the blame thing | ring. This is far beyond my capacity. ! The very “clang, riang.” of the bell wears down my sales resistance af- j ter a few minutes. More than that, an overwhelming curiosity draws me to find out who it is that's calling. Always the message fails to bring about any complete wish fulfillment. The man on the other end of the line actually wants Gils drug store. Or somebody says that the bill is already overdue. And yet there is a romantic potentiality about every phone call so that its insistent nudge may i never be denied. This may be opportunity itself which comes rap. rap and buckety.| I through the stillness. There is one ! particular fantasy in my mind j which makes it wholly impossible for me ever to neglect a telephone call. I've acted it over in my mind j a score of times. “Heywood Broun?” “This is Broun.” ‘Mr. Broun. I am Charles Linick jof the firm of Liniek Flushing. ! We are the legal representatives of Mr. Horace Tumpkin of whose death I you may have read in the paper last Wednesday.” ‘I didn't happen to see it.” “Never mind. That's of no conse- ' quence. Mr. Tumpkin. who was our i client, until last Wednesday, was a man of considerable wealth. But eccentric. Oh. very eccentric. We've just had his will probated, or whatever you call it. and it seems that i he has left you $10,000,000.”

We do not inherit our character, temperament, and special abilities. The are forced upon us by our parents. —John B. Watson. (Liberty.) ana When laws are just and wise, they ought to be obeyed and are likely to be: but when they are not, they open very gVnuine problems in ethics for the decent citizen—James - '■■jitsin, ' f

showers and other facilities be used regularly by those who patronize the pool. There must be adequate dressing rooms, guard rails, life guards, bathing suits and provisions for boiling them. The drinking water must be controlled and bathers must co-oper-ate thoroughly in observing the regulations. The common use of all drinking cups, towels, combs, hair brushes and other toilet articles should be strictly prohibited. It is most important that the water be clear, comparatively colorless and odorless and that chemical or other disinfecting methods be constantly maintained to be sure that the water in the pool is safe. If the swimming pool happens to be in a free flowing stream not contaminated or in a beach in which the water changes regularly, chemical disinfection may not be as important as under wholly artificial conditions.

HEY WOOD BROUN

“There must be some mistake. I never knew any Mr. Tumpkin.” “No. he explains that in his will. He says that he saw your picture in the paper and that he never wanted to meet you. “But the eccentric old gentleman says that once you wrote a column which interested him and he wanted to make some little return. It is not impossible that the will might be broken on account cf Mr. Tumpkin's mental condition, but so far we have been unable to locate any relative whatsoever. “Would you like to have your legacy in a check or in SIO,OOO bills?” B tt tt Another Message Tv TOR is this the only fortunate message which could come in over the wires. The voice at the other end might say, “I am very sorry to tell you that the newspaper office burned 'to the ground this afternoon and so there's no point in your writing any stuff for tomorrow.” Or it could bp. ' I'll meet you, there at midnieht. at the One Hundred and Twenty-eighth wt subway station. You'll kno- by the big red hat and the yoi rose.” While still again someone mightsay. “We start at 8 and the last three rounds begin positively at midnierlu.” From that thin disc imbedded in hard rubber may come some word of wealth, romance, adventure. And so I always run to answer on the instant, even though it never is the attorney for Mr. Tumpkin. but just another “Excuse m*. please.” iCoDvneht. 1929. by The Times)

Office Space— In the Following Buildings: ARCHITECTS AND BUILDERS BUILDING BIG FOUR BLDG. KAHN CIRCLE TOWER KRESGE CONSOLIDATED MEYER-KISER CONTINENTAL ROOSEVELT GUARANTY STEWART BLOCK And a Complex List of Retail Locations KLEIN & KUHN, Inc. PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 796 Guaranty Bldg. Lincoln 3645

Ideals and opinions expressed in this column are those of one of America’s most interesting writers, and are presented without regard to their agreement or disagreement with the editorial attitude ot this naper.—The Editor.

.TT'XE 29.

REASON

Ky Frederick l^andis

The, Fellow IV ho Call eh “Near-Ben-" Is a twA ! Poor Judge of Distancm THIS Chicago gentleman laughed so hard at a joke ■ he fell off his porch and fracts his skull, probably was laughinra this proposition to help the far§ by increasing the duties on hunt cement and window glass. tt tt o Strongheart. famous police dog i motion pictures is dead. He was a great performer, but m fame rested on the fact that he w| the only screen artist who never h# been divorced. a tt tt Yale university made a perfects horrible mistake the other day whefe it, conferred the degree of doctor c 4 laws on Attorney-General MitcheLß who knows something about law’. 1 aa s J President Hoover shook hands! with 1.176 visiting ladies and gen-| tlemen the other day. Mr. Hoover is in luck that we do not greet each other by rubbing*, noses as they do in the islands of the sea. tr a a The people of lowa are excited so fear near-beer will be taken awa from them, but the fellow that call it “near-beer” is a very poor ju<f of distance. a tt a '■y'HE insanity experts and J gland feelers are getting res to festoon the court room at Colu bus. O, with Latin phrases wT the Snook murder case opens. | One good vigilence committee worth more than all the crimff. courts in America! tt a a What the farmer really needs not a higher tariff, nor a market! system, but a law which will comif all automobiles to eat corn. a tt tt In his last magazine article. ME, Coolidge says that the duties of tl| presidency are appalling, but accortl ing to reports, he hopes to be ara palled again in 1932. The United States senate shoull have waited to install this machin ery to reduce the amount of hot airs for it may not be necessary. Tom Heflin may not be renoml nated. A1 Shaw of Chicago was fine $ for driving through Gary at the rate: of fifteen miles an hour. If he had gone through that slowly on election day they would have, voted him fifteen or twenty times.

“'TODAY'!£■ THE 1 AhWVMtySAkY *; S=sLeS *mA

MAGNA CHARTA June 29.

THE Magna Charta. or the Great Charter, the name of the famous charter of liberties granted by King John to the English people, was signed 714 years ago today, June 29. 1215. The causes which led to the grant, briefly, are to be found in the conditions of the times, the increasing insularity of the English barons, the substitution of an unpopular for a popular king and the unprecedented demands for money, coupled with defeats of the English army abroad. Smarting under King John’s enormous demands for money, the northern English barons renounced their allegiance to the king and marched toward London. After several futile attempts to delay the crisis the king, promising to assent to the barons’ demands, agreed to meet them in a meadow between Staines and Windsor, called Runnimede. The malcontents presented their demands in a document of fortyeight articles. The articles were converted into a charter and signed by King John, providing for various civil and religious liberties and aimed to eliminate the king’s cheating and oppression of the English people. Although in later years its imporportance enormously was magnified,* the charter differed only in degree.| not in kind, from other charters! cranted by the Norman and early! Piantagenpt kings. REALTY PICNIC JULY U Annual Outing of City Board to R Held at Walnut, Gardens. Annual picnic of the Indianapo' Real Estate Board will be he Wednesday afternoon and nigl July 10. at Walnut Gardens. Frai i F. Woolling. social affairs chairma has announced. Sports and co' tests in the afternoon will be fc ; ■ lowed by a chicken dinner ai dancing in the evening. Picnic subcommittees are: R | freshm nts. Woolling and A. H : Graves: outdoor sports. Edson V Wood and Robert Allison: childreljr entertainment, Lacey Hearn a$ John Robbins, and "-omen's ert : i tainment. Mrs J. Edward Ro'ci v Mrs. T. E. Grinslade. Mrs. Thor®, F. Carson and Mrs. Joseph J. Ar*y>