Indianapolis Times, Volume 45, Number 258, Indianapolis, Marion County, 8 March 1934 — Page 16

PAGE 16

The Indianapolis Times <A SCRIrPS-HOWAKO NEWSPAPER) ROT W. HOWARD President TALCOTT POWELL Editor EARL D, BAKER Business Manager Phone —Riley Kjl

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<54 r ZAffAt and t/ia People Will Find Their Otcn Way

THURSDAY. MARCH 8. 1834. THE AIR MAIL EXPERIMENT / T"'HE President has decided to return to the system of commercial air mail contracts. Experience shows that the army air corps at present is neither trained nor equipped to carry the mails safely and adequately. Os course, no one doubts the willingness ana abil--1 \ of the army air corps to fly the maii, or of a government postal air corps to do the job well, after a preparatory period sufficient to acquire proper equipment and training. But meanwhile, there is the Immediate problem to be solved at a time y, ien the federal government is very busy with other matters of vast importance. So the President must try to unload f his problem which was visited on him by the sins of the Hoover administration and selfish contractors. Before the President's critics rejoice too loudly over the proposed return of the air mail to private companies they should study the sweeping restrictions which he asks congress to write into the new legislation. These restrictions include: Contracts to be let for not more than three years, after open competitive bidding, at a limited compensation rate, with rigid specifications for equipment and safety. Any combinations or understandings intended s o prevent competitive bidding shall be a basis for contract cancellation. Mo contract shal’ be given to any company having any connections with holding or subsidiary companies directly or indirectly in operating competition or in the manufacture of planes or accessories. No contract shall be made with any company whose officers were party to former contracts obtained in circumstances “clearly contrary to good faith and public policy.” Pilots shall be protected by maximum hour, minimum wage and annuity provisions. Stockholders shall be protected against excessive company salaries and unearned bonuses, finally, six months before expiration of these contracts, the Interstate Commerce Commission shall "pass upon the question of public convenience and necessity of air mail routes, and thereafter fix a maximum rate of air mail pay on the routes designated, subject, of course, to equipment specifications to be laid down.” In other words, the President’s policy is private operation under exceedingly strict government regulation. Whether this is the best possible permanent system, we do not know. Can a strong private commercial aviation industry develop under the proposed restrictions which seem to be loaded in favor of small so-called independents? Might government operation °ventually provide better results for mail and for national defense? These are some of the questions which must be answered before a permanent policy can be fixed intelligently. Perhaps we shall know some of the answers only after the proposed Roosevelt experiment is tried. ANOTHER LAUGH IF you feel that something drastic ought to be done about saving the republic, and if you also like to wear nice uniforms and have a feeling of vague supernaturalism, then you surely will want to know about the Silver Shirts. This seems to be a Fascist sort of outfit now being organized in the middle west. Its leader is a man who says that he once died and then returned to earth, endowed with supernatural powers. Asa result, it seems, he possesses “psychic antennae. - with which he is able to perform such prodigies as to make forecasts according to the dates which are inscribed m stone on the great pyramid of Gizeh. It should be added, perhaps, that the gentleman once was employed as a scenario writer in Hollywood. Some time between now and 1936. the Silver Shirts plan to seize the reins of governmen in the United States. They are opposed violently to all Jews, asserting that the Jews control both international finance and the United States administration. You can join this ineffable outfit for sl, which brings you a neat uniform consisting of campaign hat. silver shirt, blue corduroy pants, leggings and tie. Presumably, also, you are put in touch with the leaders mystic revelations from beyond the void. Now all this—which must be taken seriously by at least enough people to give the leader a living—really represents a lucky break for America. The contagion of Fascism, which afflicts European countries very badly at this writing, seems to break out in this country only In symptoms which are laughable. Some months ago there was the fiasco of the Khaki Shirts at Philadelphia. Now there is this woozy business of the Silver Shirts; and the result is a sort of reductio ad absurdum of the whole idea of Fascism. It is being presented to us. not as a movement which can enlist the sympathies of determined men. but as a supremely dizzy aberration at which we only can chuckle. That, to repeat, is a lucky break. Once let an idea get a humorous association in the minds of the American people and they never will take it seriously. If we are being introduced to Fascism in Its most ludicrous guise, there is small chance that we ever shall commit the blunder of falling for it. UPHOLDING OUR FAITH A FAIR sample of the queer things that are done in the name of censorship was provided the other day by the Ohio board of movie censors. These functionaries had to pass on a movie in which a district attorney quashes

Hands Off the State Police AN EDITORIAI ■

WE can not agree with Governor McNutt that Safety Commissioner A1 Feeney’s criticism of political influence in the state police force is “unwarranted’’ and “inopportune." In fact, we heartily agree with Commissioner Feeney and believe that his caustic comments are entirely warranted and most opportune. The commissioner charged that his state policemen had been tampered with by “unauthorized” persons. He meant, of course, Pleas Greenlee, the Governor’s secretary. Mr. Greenlee promptly denied the accusation, but in the next breath he said: “All I worry about is their political qualifications.” What political qualifications. Mr. Greenlee? Can a Democrat shoot straighter or hit harder than a Republican? Decent people realize now the awful price Indiana is paying for political police. They are demanding a cleanup. They agree with Commissioner Feeney. Jacob Weiss, state senator, has promised publicly that he will introduce a bill at the next session of the legislature which will overhaul the entire law enforcement machinery of the state and place it under civil service. That is splendid, but meanwhile reform must come NOW. Governor McNutt has sufficient power to give the citizens the sort of police force they must have. He can not do it if he listens to the threadbare and obsolete political philosophy of Mr. Greenlee, who obviously is trying to build a Tammany machine in Indiana. Let the Governor’s secretary tell his own story of his interference with the police: Mr. Greenlee admitted he had instructed officers Dozier and Hamilton to work for the administration in Sullivan. He said “Hamilton worked for us and Dozier against us.” “I instructed Mr. Feeney to discharge Do-

a murder charge against a sweet young thing who shot her boy friend. The district attorney, it seems, took this step because he personally was interested in the sweet young thing. The censors deliberated earnestly, and then decided that it was against public pollicy to permit the showing of a film which cast such aspersions on a government official. So the thing is out, as far as Ohio is concerned —and the confidence of Ohio citizens in their elected officials, one presumes, is saved. It would be hard to find a case in which the ridiculous nature of censorship is illustrated more clearly. THE MILK DECISION IN a second ringing decision that should quiet the legalistic minds and bolster public confidence generally in the recovery program, the United States supreme court has recognized that in an emergency the government is entirely within the Constitution when it takes extraordinary steps to protect the public interest. The court upheld the milk regulation law of New York state. Its decision reaches farther than a single case or a single law. Justice Roberts, joined by Chief Justice Hughes and Justices Cardoza, Stone and Brandeis, handed down a decree that will affect the whole recovery program. Written almost as if aimed directly at legalistic critics of NR A, the decision said: “The law-making bodies have in the past endeavored to promote free competition by laws aimed at trusts and monopolies. The consequent interference with private property and freedom of contract has not availed with the courts to set these enactments aside as denying due process. Where the public interest was deemed to require the fixing of minimum prices, that expedient has been sustained. “If the law-making body w’ithin its sphere of government concludes that the conditions or practices in an industry make unrestricted competition an inadequate safeguard of the consumer's interest, produce waste harmful to the public, threaten ultimately to cut off the supply of a commodity needed by the public, or portend the destruction of the industry itself, appropriate statutes passed in an honest effort to correct the threatened consequences may not be set aside because the regulation adopted fixes prices reasonably deemed by the legislature to be fair to those engaged in the industry and to the consuming public. “The Constitution does not secure to any one liberty to conduct his business in such fashion as to inflict injury upon the public at large, or upon any substantial group of the people.” The relation of this to NRA is obvious. The chief purpose of NRA is to prevent the conduct of business in such a way as to inflict injury on substantial groups of the people through sweatshops, child labor, unfair competition, low wages, unequal bargaining and inadequate mass purchasing power. It is futile for selfish interests to try to use the Constitution as a cover for such abuses of industrial power. RELIEF FOR ROYALTY ONE of the pleasant little oddities in the day's news is the story from Bucharest, capitol of Rumania, telling how a former Russian prince finally has won “promotion" to a full-time job as cleaner of the city's streets. This titled white wing. Prince Sergei Vladimirovich, escaped from his homeland when the revolution broke, wandered into Rumania, and for a long time was right on his uppers. Finally he got a part-time job as street cleaner. The other day he was at work near a railway station when he heard a foreign tourist vainly trying to make a policeman understand him. He intervened courteously, translated the tourist's remarks, and set the matter right. So now, as a reward, he has a full-time Job as a street cleaner. This gives rise to anumber of satisfying reflections, not least of which is the thought that here, if nowhere else on earth, is a prince who actually is employed on a useful job. A thorough scientific study at least reveals the fact that men are the weaker sea—as though women never knew iW *

zier for disloyalty, but Dozier is still on the pay roll.” By what legal authority does the Governor's secretary presume to “instruct” the head of the state police? Do the taxpayers hold Mr. Greenlee responsible for the efficiency of the force? Mr. Greenlee is an honest, efficient and loyal secretary, but he is taking in entirely too much territory. He is assuming power without having the public responsibility. The Governor is the man who was elected by the people to give instructions to heads of state departments. The McNutt administration rapidly is approaching a cross roads. In one year it has established a remarkable record on utility regulation, reorganization of the state government and economy. If it continues along this road it will make a record unsurpassed in any state. If it digresses along the other path of selfseeking political ambition it is marching straight for national oblivion. It is an open secret that Mr. Greenlee believes Governor McNutt some day may be President. That is wholly laudable. Indiana would be proud to give a President to the nation, but the place for the Governor to make a record is in his home state, from which he has; been absent too frequently. And a good place to start that record is in building up an efficient, nonpolitical system of law enforcement. Indiana often has been in the clutches of tawdry, selfish and illiterate cliques. People are beginning to wonder now whether their state is drifting into the control of pseudo-leaders, picnic opportunists, who can not meet emergencies, who understand nothing but maneuvering for position, inflated prestige and the petty rewards of temporary power.

Liberal Viewpoint DR. lIARRY ELMER BARNES ---==> THE culmination of the century following the Battle of Waterloo was the disastrous World war of 1914 to 1918. One generation may show even greater speed. It is possible that within twenty years after the defeat of Germany we may find ourselves in the midst of another World war more horrible than the one that broke out twenty years ago. We certainly shall, unless we come to grips with the realities which now' face us. Perhaps we can learn something from the lessons of the past, though no other generation seems to have been able to do so. We have no end of good histories of Europe since 1815, but few, if any, have so well combined brevity, lucidity, adequacy and intelligence as the excellent work by Professors Palm and Graham ("Europe Since Napoleon. By Franklin Charles Palm, assisted by Frederick E. Graham. Ginn, $3). While designed for academic work, it is also admirable for the general reader. It explains fully how the old European system headed straight for a fatal world war, and makes it equally plain how the settlement of that conflict started us with plenty of momentum toward the one which may lie ahead. Mr. Spender’s volume furnishes us with striking evidence of the great difficulty which many persons have of learning from the past (Fifty Years of Europe. A Study of Pre-War Documents. By J. A. Spender. Stokes, $5). As the subtly bellicose editor of the Westminster Gazette, Mr. Spender was, perhaps, the most dangerous journalistic figure in England before 1914. Readers discounted Northcliffe’s philippics, but they took Spender’s suspicion mongering seriously because he was a Liberal and thought to be on the side of truth and peace. After the war Spender helped Lord Grey to prepare his evasive and contemptible memoirs. a a a NOW he has written a volume himself on Europe since 1871, designed primarly to whitewash Great Britain and to prove that her course in 1914 was noble and inevitable. England never will become an effective force for peace until it is understood that neutrality was her only sensible course in 1914 ana that if she had remained neutral there is little probability that there would have been any World war in 1914. Mr. Knapp-Fisher has written an admirable popular survey of the world today, including a review of conditions in Australasia and the far east (The Modern World. A Pageant of Today. By H. C. Knapp-Fisher. Dutton, $2.50). He treats of political, economic and international affairs. The book culminates in the chapter on war and peace, in which he points out that “nobody in any country can go through a single day without being helped by the work of people in every other land.” At the same time, our simian intelligence permits us to face this situation by spending nearly four billion dollars annually to get ready to cut each other’s throats. Friends of peace would do well to reprint this chapter and spread it broadcast. Messrs. Lippman and Scroggs continue with their excellent annual volume on world affairs during the preceding twelve months (The United States in World Affairs of 1933. By William O. Scroggs. Edited by Walter Lippman. Harpers, $3). They have been assisted this year by Mr. Charles Merz. While the information contained is of a rather conventional character, there is no better volume in which one can acquire speedily and satisfactorily a knowledge of the external events of the year 1933. ss tt tt MISS MAYO attacks bitterly the bonus and indiscriminate veteran relief in the United States, but she has sense enough to call attention to our inadequate care of the actually dead and disabled among the veterans (Soldiers, What Next! By Katherine Mayor. Houghton Mifflin, $3). She contrasts our expediences with the more discriminating procedure in Europe A The clear lesson to be drawn is thst if we wish to avoid these problems, the way out is to keep out of war in the first place. Mr. Nickerson presents a realistic survey of the operation of organized farce in the past and discounts many of the obstacles to war which are trusted to different groups of pacifists su , ' v > as democracy, socialism, increasing frightfulness and the like (Can We Limit War? By aouman Nickerson. Stokes. 52.75). In the end he suggests that probably the only effective safeguard against war is a reunited Christian church which would preserve and transcend all that is desirable in local loyalties. Evidently he did not read Kirby Page’s analysis of the war record of the Christian church before 1500. Dr. Charles A. Beard is known best as a student of American history and politics, but those who have been acquainted with him recognize that of late he has developed a deep interest in international affairs. In one of his most thoughtful and informing books he now marshals his wide information and eminent common sense in a devastating exposure of the American tradition of “national interest,” in distinction from wise participation in world affairs (The Idea of National Interest, by Charles A. Beard. Macmiilen, $3.75). Above all. he pulverizes the notion that noble formulas will suffice to control international relationships—whether these be phrases of the fathers or those of our contemporary' rhetorical internationalists. Those who wish to bite their teeth into fundamental issues involved in the reconstruction of our foreign policy wiil do well to acquire Dr, -Aeard’s latest volume, j

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

aovs \ FeR l v -• : -'R-O.KR.Cr'i

The Message Center

(Times readers are invited to express their views in these columns. Make your letters short, so all can have a chance. Limit them to ZSO words or less.) tt tt ft TRACES HISTORY OF JURY SYSTEM By F. A. B. Apropos the editorial captioned, “Dangerous Precedent,” appearing in The Times Feb. 2, and concerning the judge who withheld the pay of the jury in a case where its verdict was displeasing to him, it might be generally interesting to give a brief history of the bases and development of our present jury system. The earliest information concerning the right to appeal to the people irrespective of the juridical powers of the courts dates back to the Romantic juridicus. Perhaps the trial of Jesus is the first Historical event relative to this subject. It will be remembered by readers of the Bible that the Master was brought before Pilate, - the judge, who, upon examination of those who brought testimony, asked “Why, what evil hath he done?” And he took water and washed his hands, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just person.” But, according to the law and the custom of that day, there was another court to satisfy, the court of the mob. Although by the law of the courts the accused was found not guilty as cnarged, yet by the rule, undoubtedly a law’ful one, of the mob He was made to suffer the penalty, not jurisdictionally adjudged, but the penalty of mob hatred. Succeeding Roman events show that the mob spirit was catered to even by the law judges. As one step beyond the general mob rule, which had become so out of bounds in its power as to threaten the courts, the courts created a council of ten citizens to represent the mob, these selected ones were called “decemvirs” and were clothed merely with the power of fact finding, and upon the representation of facts as found by them to the court the law was applied by the court. In early English history we find that the church was a co-adminis-trator of the law with the state, the canons of the church having to do with all matters concerning persons while the state controlled questions relating to property. With the granting of the magna charter the power of the church was greatly curtailed and the people were again permitted to join with the courts in the administration of justice. Then came the jurata of twelve men, which was established to take the place of the old form of the Decembers, the Decemivers being continued as petty judges assisa. This number twelve was chosen as a bit of sop to the church which bitterly resented its loss of power, and the twelve were representative of the twelve apostles in whom, under the church teachings, rested the wisdom of divine revelation. In view of this brief history of the mob idea being developed to uur present jury system, and such development being merely to the effort of keeping our courts to the people, why all this pother about “mob rule?” When we lawfully submit our causes to the twelve theoretical apostles sitting in solemn judgment and find that after all the mob spirit, being stronger than the apostolic one, the cry of “crucify him” prevails, even w’hen the astute judge “takes water and washes his hands before the multitude.” Also, while it ill becomes the modern Pilate to censor the twelve representatives when they demand, “ftefcase &to us Barabtaw*

THE NEXT STEP

By Leßoy S. Moore, Bedford. Once again “we, the people,” are about to be visited by another election campaign. On all sides we see and hear potential candidates confiding their ambitions to friends who sometimes indulge in a doubtful smile as they walk away. Present office holders once more are bowing to the ladies with a prolonged lift of the hat and chucking the chin of every mother’s small son and daughter. Yet withal, the chief interest, lies in the senatorial race, and as it is the habit of all interested voters to champion their favorites, and as the man whom I consider the most logical for this office has not as yet been mentioned in these columns, I would like to offer the name of Clarence Manion, professor of law at Notre Dame university. In view of Professor Manion’s great knowledge and achievements it would appear that he is thoroughly equipped to take over

jura summi imperii, the rights of the sovereign people, must in all matters prevail. tt a tt “WAKE UP” IS PLEA TO AMERICAN PEOPLE By Mary F. Wright Do you know the facts? The Congressional Record for June 10, 1932, quoting Congressman Louis T. McFadden before the house, says: “Some people think the federal reserve banks are Uhited States government institutions. They are not government institutions. They are private credit monopolies which prey upon the people of the United States for the benefit of themselves and their foreign customers, foreign and domestic speculators and swindlers, and rich and predatory money lenders. “In that dark crew of financial pirates there are those who would cut a man’s throat to get a dollar out of his pocket. There are those who send money into states to buy votes to control our legislation, and there are those who maintain an international propaganda for the purpose of deceiving us and of wheedling us into the granting of new concessions which will permit them to cover up their past misdeeds and set again in motion their gigantic train of crime.” Get these speeches, and it will open your eyes, and then you can teach facts and not do your thinkink with the press that has its blind paid writers to keep the American people fighting capital and labor and the financier robs them of all their labor and wealth they produce. Wake up, American people. tt a a AMERICAN LEGION SCORED ON TACTICS By B. A. Mann, a Veteran It looks very much as though the American Legion is trying to get some cheap advertising through your Message Center. It is to be hoped that ex-service men have too much respect for themselves and the services they gave their country when it called them to its colors to wear the button of an organization whose members run around bragging how he served in time of war and are still serving, while in the same breath they try knocking other organizations and cry about dirty deals and oncoming revolutions. It is hoped that they still will have common horse sense enough not to be taken in again by the bunch of rats who sold them out for beer in 1931 to Hoover, but who didn’t get the beer

1 wholly disapprove of what you say and will 1 _ defend to the death your right to say it — Voltaire. J

He's for Manion

the duties of this office. He is a recognized authority on the United States Constitution and is the author of books on both politics, law and history. Professor Manion is a comparatively young man; he enlisted in the army during the World war and served eighteen months in France. He is also a brilliant orator, an orator minus the usual meaningless ana insincere generalities, platitudes and beatitudes that most speakers carry as part of the pharmacopeia of persuasion. None cf the wishy-washy fawning sycophant is Ciarence Manion. He has neither milk in his veins nor water on the brain, as any one can attest who had the pleasure of hearing him deliver the keynote address of the last Democratic state convention. Furthermore, he is an orator who, when delivering a speech before the senate, our people would be proud to say: “Another | gentleman from Indiana.”

who cry, “what are we going to do,” but can’t show where they have done anything. When the American Legion quits selling out the members for a few smiles from the White House and faces Washington instead of the west, and demands a reckoning of the balance we earned in 1918 and that it,, be paid, looks after and aids our buddies who are disabled and down and out, and quits trying to steal the credit due other organizations, as they have stolen everything else, they won’t need to advertise in the Message Center—and we will be proud to join and wear the emblem of the American Legion, a a a PRESIDENT'S GOLD MOVE RECALLS SPARTAN DAYS By Mrs. Minnie E. Thompson History repeats itself. The recent calling in of all gold by our President brings to our mind another happening which made history. We are told by Plutarch that Lycurgus, the great lawgiver of Sparta, who lived in the Ninth century B. C„ in order that there might be no odious distinction or inequality among his people, commanded that all gold and silver be called in and a sort of iron, a great weight and quantity of which was of very little worth, so that to pay up twenty or thirty pounds required a large closet, be issued. This banished at once a number of vices: Hoarding, robbery, bribery, etc. Also, as this money was ridiculed among the other Greeks, there was no means of purchasing foreign goods, so that luxury wasted and died away. The rich had no advantage over the poor, as their wealth | had no road to come abroad by, but was shut up at home. And, in this way, they became excellent artists in common necessary things: Bedsteads, chairs, tables and staple utensils in a family were admirably made there. And, whatever tends to increase our permanent bodily comfort, either in the way of food, clothing or shelter, or to satisfy the intimate longings of the mind, whether it be the ambition to excel in art or amusements, etc., all tends to elevate the intellectual faculty of man and is regarded as widening the gap which exists between the highest and the lowest races of man. nun WAR PROFITEERS CONDEMNED FOR ATTITUDE B? W. H. Richards. What is the matter with this cock-eyed world? Has everybody gone crazy, or have all nations only selected the worst nuts tq rule? AQ&a&g gttfetag Dm sm

MARCH 8, 1934

1 idiot knows that with modern death-dealing methods a war would wipe civilization off the earth, yet a dozen nations seemingly are seeking some flimsy excuse to send their best and noblest young men to murder the best and noblest of some other nation. . Surely there could be no quarrel arise between the rulers of nations that would justify such wholesale slaughter of innocent men, women and children, and the only people who want war are the greedy skunks who would remain far from the danger zone and rake in profits from it. Munition plants furnish arms and death dealing poison gas bombs to any nation that will buy them, even if there is the greate.v evidence that they will be against thir own country. In the Boxer war, Chinese shot Englishmen with English-made rifles; in the World war, Russians killed Germans with German-made guns. Even now, American manufacturers are selling munitions to Japan and other nations. A world war, worse by far than the one that was fought to end war, is ready to break out any minute. Europe is a keg of powder surrounded by monkeys playing with matches. They have nothing to fight with, but there will probably be an. excuse of some kind, if it is only that they must fight in defense c-f ‘‘national honor.” National honor, indeed! How can a nation that sends its young men to murder and ruin other nations talk of honor? Let us hope that America will proclaim to the world that we have too much honor to be led into war for the enrichment of the few who think more of dollars than they do of human life. a a a PROHIBITION PARTY SEEKS UNCOMPROMISING DRYNESS By H. S. Bonsib I predict that both old parties will in this platform do one of three things. Declare wet, straddle or be mum or dumb on the legion Question. In either case it will be to the Prohibition party’s good which will declare for uncompromising prohibition.

A Good Man

BY HARRIET SCOTT OLIXICK He is a man who never had done wrong; Whose every breath has been a pious one, Pilled with the smug caress of things well done. His face is strong with creed and forever long With his prayers for all the sinful throng Who will need his saintly aid when the end has come; When the last dusk swallows up the last sun And just puts an end to their revelry ?nd song. He wears white socks and trims his nails, And goes to church on Bunday mom and night; And does his righteous part in the choir with nasal wails, And drops into the plate his silver, polished bright. What then, if he dies, God should choose, and well To grant him the role of pious influence over those in Hell? DAILY THOUGHT But the tongue can no man tame;\ It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.—James 3:8. WE are disgusted bjr gossip, yet It is of Importance to keep the angels in their proprieties.—