Indianapolis Times, Volume 42, Number 256, Indianapolis, Marion County, 5 March 1931 — Page 5

MARCH 5,1931

CATCH PHRASES HAVE REPLACED SOVIET THOUGHT Years of Propaganda Make All Russian Communists Think Aiike. ThU l the tenth of aerlea of ftrtletea J)t Eocene Lyons. United Press Staff Correspondent In Moscow, after a residence there of thirty-six months. BY EUGENE LYONS United Press Staff Correspondent MOSCOW, March s.—ls the quality of life under the Soviets will ever be conveyed to readers outside it will be done not by economists, or Journalists, but by artists. The things which give that life its special flavor, its deep tang, are not alone in the concrete facts. They are in overtones, in new attitudes and new prejudices not easily caught in words. Not even the United States, with its reputation for standardized thinking and well-advertised catchwords, is as thoroughgoing In these respects as the Soviet Union. Thirteen years of undisguised propaganda for a set of ideas have produced a mental uniformity rarely matched in history. Germany or France in the midst of their death grapple scarcely developed such uniform opinion as has the land of Soviets. “Slogans” Replace Thought For that active fraction of the population which takes the trouble to have a well-defined viewpoint at all, stock phrases too often take the place of thought. “Slogans” they are called here. Because of the exceptional strain and sacrifices imposed on the nation by the present policies, there is no room left for independent views. The prime political virture is orthodox.

Personal journalism, for Instance, practically has been eliminated. Whether in “stories” or editorials the Soviet writer sticks to texts, stereotyped phrases, the path of safety. Like the orthodoxies of older religions, Communist orthodoxy finds expression in unthinking and irrational taboos. Foreigners Are Isolated Anything which smacks of “bourgeois comfort”—even too many cushions on the divan in the living room—is per se shameful. The principal taboo, of course, is against the non-Communist foreigner. The foreign correspondents, the Invited engineers and specialists are as nearly isolated as they can be short of actual imprisonmnent in their rooms. The Russians who see them outside of official duty do so with a deep sense of tasting forbidden fruit and flirting with danger. The foreigners are given special privileges in the matter of food, priority in a hundred things. Foreigners Under Watch But they are denied—not by law but by the force of custom—any real contact with Russians, especially with pro-Soviet Russians. Already a fact when I arrived three years ago, the isolation of the foreigner has become increasingly stringent in the last eighteen months. The 100 per cent Communist shrinks from the bourgeois representative through a real distate for contact with anything “unclean.” The rest, especially in the large centers, steer shy out of ordinary fear. It may be legal, they figure, but it is not safe. It is an open secret that all foreigners are under constant surveillance and few Russians, however clear their consciences, care to step into the circle of observation. Next Possession of private property abolished.

Spring f ] _ : ij 1 gp.9s_so.9si| mmd pin (TX Why '■-AM J Pay (I Main Store—Merchants Bank Bldg. (Downstairs). Corner Wash, and Meridian Sts. 930 S. Meridian St. jrjgfc 1108 Shelby (Fountain Square) 2630 Northwestern Are. 342 Virginia Are.

FRED LIGHTNER HAS TWO PAIRS OF EARS Comedian Gets a Bunch of Laughs by Dolling Himself Up in a Strange Manner at the Indiana. BY WALTER D. HICKMAN Ever hear of a fellow having two pairs of ears? Never did until I ran across Fred Llghtner, comedian. I have had the reputation of possessing about the biggest pair of ears in captivity, but Fred goes to the head of the class. Must explain that one pair of Fred’s ears is Just a fake. They are his comedy ears and he wears them over his real ones when he makes his entrance. When I was talking to Lightner the other night, I intended to ask him how he got hold of this unique comedy idea, ;ut I forgot to ask the question.

Lightner is tremendously interesting and he knows a lot about show business. I think the last time he was here, he was with a successful musical comedy at English’s. Fred is the brother of Winnie Lightner who went skyrocketing to fame and money on the talking screen. This may seem funny but the most serious business in the world Is the business of being funny. There is a definite comedy touch about everything that Lightner is doing this week at the Indiana. There is more to this fake ear stunt of Fred’s than it appears on the surface. The fake ears are really the index to the mood of the audience. “The second that the audience lamps my fake ears, I can tell in a second whether they are going to be with me or against me," Fred said. And that is sound logic because all men and women of the stage who know their business have an “index” by which they can judge the audience. Once when Donald MacDonald was playing at English’s in “Strange Interlude,” he told me that the opening speech of poor Charles Marsden about his sex complex was the index to the way the play was going to go. “If the audience laughed out loud

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at the serious remarks of poor Charlie, we of the cast knew that we were going to have a tough time because the laughs were coming at the wrong time.” And Fred Lightner, who has seriously studied the art of causing people to laugh, knows the verdict of his audience by the way they receive his fake ears. Lightner Is really serious about this business of being funny. .And I believe that he is one of the hardest workers in the business. I found out that this man who causes hundreds of people to laugh daily, loves great music. When I was with him, he sat by the hour listening to a pianist play both great and modem music. It has been pleasant to meet Fred Lightner, a comedian who knows whafr-it is all about. He closes his engagement tonight at the Indiana. k n Indianapolis theaters today offer: “Scandal Sheet” at the Circle, “Millie” at the Indiana, “Body and Soul” at the Lyric, “Reaching for the Moon” at the Palace, “ExFlame” at the Ohio, “My Past” at the Apollo, movies at the Colonial, and burlesque at the Mutual.

reports, all trace of the cold was gone. Notes Other cases reported dailyall certified by attending physician. Just a few pleasant spoonfuls of Ayer’s Pectoral now and you, too, will feel like a different person tomorrow. At all druggists 60c; or twice as much in SI.OO hospital size.

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

DOWNSTAIRS AYRES tmatDAm merchandise amirs shwicb : low- pmqbs Tomorrov) We Continue Our * March SALE of JLJL JL ks <ljj| X m Again tomorrow we present an opportunity to I I\ \ l 0 ° 0 o * V LSnYlt-fliK i I save money on these beautiful spring dresses. 'FtCX?! I \ A mSUlmlf il I They are brand new, and are so attractive you’d (fin-F- 7*? -I k Al?-. 2 <, c °° °J FffPlmi J fMfl I never suspect they were priced so low. Fine' \ J / \ \ LJji rWßF'.ri WSg&gJafW L rayon printed crepes and printed silks are the 11/ \ \ \ \ I \ \ JHBffiUxjnlraS kTw materials—in a beautiful assortment of wanted — 1 L ” : A — “ are utterly charming. Sizes TS Fash “" B j Extra Value Is Built Into A/*o a Group of Better Frocks These Exceptionally Youthful Reduced to $5.95 II ■ V* 5 Lookneet Frocks For sporta, ^ to come tomorrow!' A tremendous WHEN YOU BUY SUBSTANDARDS of REAL SILK HttSE :r s r~ s , You Buy QUALITY as Well as Beauty A _ —narrow french heel Don’t let the term * Substandard” frighten you away from these mar—garterproof hems velous stockings! Remember, they are not merely substandards, but ||| IK —permanently dull “REAL SILK” substandards ... every pair carefully inspected at the Wit&M—cradle soles mill and in our store . . . and fully GUARANTEED to give complete Up?, —PICOT EDGE satisfaction. Sizes BV2 to 10, in smart spi'ing colors! Obtainable Only j hJH pg —42 and 45-gauge Downstairs at Ayres. w||w • v

March SALE! 81x99-!nch “Truth” SHEETS One of the Finest Values Obtainable —Very Specially Priced! By all means attend this great sale of sheets tomor- jmm fin*. “Qnoriftl” Qhaotc row—or if you can’t come, order by MAIL or TELEUUf special directs PHONE! We’ve just added “Truth” Sheets to our flfl At Lou) Sale Price* stocks, and Friday we offer them at this very SPECIAL Ml At PRICE! They are full 64x64 construction; are bleached lj| Hs |UU own £ry°fl£ snow whitej are NOT “filled” with any foreign subny Bt iow priced” and bleached pnre whlt ® ! UnnßU * stance; and are a big generous size. ||B 81x108 91.15 81x90 89<* 81x99 * io ° 72x99 89 * Also a Sale of “Snarta” Sheets mm fapii 63x99 81x90 /{*' 81x99 7A 1111 J ‘ - Inches UJC Inches IV C SALE! FineTurkishTowels _, _ v , Generous Big Size— 2ox4o Inch jn mmvs Fine Cannon Towels mm Because these big, husky towels are slightly ill mg n JA|4 QD a imperfect we offer them in a sale tomorrow at a HP jMMk w w tremendous saving. They are pure white with ■■ M^M| These ?xe genuine “Cannon” Turkish attractive colored borders. Imperfections will raft a i. fl ch ifUile "JSS not impair their wearing qualities! Suitable for H Mg/ borders—Blue, gold, peach, green, lavender. face Or bath. MSm Downstair* at AyTCS. jKmOBI March Sale! 1,500 Prs. WWW New Curtains |jl§ At an Exceptionally Low Price \ This is a very fortu- Incinded are the three j( jJ* , nate special purchase of most popular styles: jjjLr w la % i w very much higher priced M MM 0% -Criss-cross ffff&t M l curtains which we are MM |_ -Tailored I1 5 § sm*r fl f f | able to Friday at |M| —Priscilla ’{% || | |j;W f Begin planning NOW All are well made of %4sf JP p ijw * g iZA / for housecleaning time EBB 9V fine French marquisette f f jfaP Car- “■gggE&f y. {■ 1 7: , # — bny tor V°ur entire a French ecru color. jg A f j

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