Indianapolis Times, Volume 46, Number 131, Indianapolis, Marion County, 11 October 1934 — Page 16

PAGE 16

rhe Indianapolis Times tA SCRIFPS-HOWABD XSWSPAPCRt ROI W. HOWARD Pr#*M*nt TALCOTT POWELL Editor CARL D. BARER Bt>ilnea Manager Phone Riley MBl

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Oivt Light and tht Peog l Will rind ThHr Ovn Way

THURSDAY. OCT 11. 134

KING PETER II OP the few surviving kings of the earth, pity mast King Peter II of Yugoslavia. This lad of 11 went to bed on Tuesday night thinking himself a boy among boys at an English school In Surrey. He awoke yesterday morning to find himself “ruler ’ over 14,000,000 turbulent 3alkan subjects and a land known as Europe’s powder keg. By a bullet that had slain his father, little Peter had become "Your Majesty." As he left England for his precarious throne he said good-by not only to his playmates and fellow Boy Scouts, but to boyhood and equality. No wonder his face was pinched and white as he was led away under guard to become a prisoner in a castle, the pawn of dictators and diplomats Os all the figures in the somber drama being acted this week in southern Europe, the most pathetic is that of the little Serb monarch who rather would be playing rugby or badminton in England. Every boy will wish him what happindss he can snatch from a life that seems to hold small promise of anything but tragedy. HOW LONG WILL IT LAST? MAINTAINING their continued desire to depart from the confines of Indiana penal institutions, five prisoners this week having strolled away from their legally appointed residences. If we don't watch out in Indiana there will be no real companionship for the prisoners who haven't had time to prepare their goingaway trousseau. This week the Indiana state prison lost two of its faithless inhabitants and yesterday the Indiana state penal farm found the list of occupants reduced by three. The Indianapolis Times has recommended, over a period of weeks, the solution of this situation. That solution is based on the institution of civil service and the merit system in all penal institutions and the state police force. The legislators of Indiana will find the task up to them shortly after the first of the new year. Unless they are capable of handling such a grave problem, the voters of the state should see that certain candidates for the legislature remain at home. Until men of ability are placed in the state’s general assembly the prison conditions will continue to perplex honest citizens. How’ long will it last? Certainly the legislators know the answer. FIRE PREVENTION VALUABLE lessons are to be learned by the people of Indianapolis this week during the observance of Fire Prevention Week. In schools and in public meetings, officials of the fire prevention department and civicminded citizens are stressing the need for safety. Prevention of fires will save more lives and money than fire apparatus. The loss of life is terrific. Last year 10,000 men, women and children were burned to death in this country and the nation’s property loss was $300,000,000. The purpose of the teachings this week is to impress upon the people the vast cost of failure in preventing fires. Indianapolis will do well to listen intently to these instructions and warnings. FEWER LAWS, MORE NORRISES OENATOR GEORGE W. NORRIS seems never weary of political well-doing. He is 73. and could have rested through the terrific Nebraska summer's heat. Instead, he has been spending his own time and money urging the voters to support an amendment changing Nebraska's two-chamber legislature into a small, unicameral body of well-paid lawmakers who would sit until their work is finished. He says the present system of two chambers is intricate, scatters responsibility, permits selfish interests to dominate by control of committees and conference "third houses.” One house, he argues, would be more efficient and more responsible. He is probably right, as usual. But are not the mechanics of government less important than the personnel? This country’ needs not reforms 'in methods so much as more Senator Norrises. A BILLION DOLLAR MARKET BUSINESS men of both the United States and Canada are eager to resume normal trade relations. A joint committee of the Canadian National Chamber and the United States Chamber of Commerce has recommended early negotiations looking to a reciprocal trade treaty under the tariff act of 1934. ’The widespread interest in both countries,” wrote Chairman William Butterworth of the United Slates section of this committee to State Secretary Cordell Hull, "in restoring their trade with each other has found its origin. in no small part, in the facilities now afforded for reciprocal trade negotiations ’* To this proposal the two great Anglo-Saxon civilizations of the new world will echo a fervent amen. But let them not expect quick and wholesale trade resumption. First they laboriously must untie the tangled knot left from the days of Grundyism. In what Agriculture Secretary Henry Wallace calls “the insane spectacle of tariffs” no picture is more disheartening than the mess we have made of our trade with our second largest customer. In 1929 we sold to Canadians nearly <1,000.000.000 in goods, and they sold us a little more than half of that. Then came the Hawlev-Smoot act and Canada's reply in the form of four tariff raises •gainst us and the 1932 Ottawa imperial preference agreements. Last year this once-thriv-

ing trade, so much In our favor, had dropped so pitifully that we sold Canada only <210.000,000 In goods and bought only <185,000.000 worth. Tariffs also had helped to drive across the border Into Canada more than $2,000,000,000 of American investments in branch factories, mines and other plants. To break down these unnatural walls will take time and patienae. The Ottawa imperial agreements, covering 220 trade items, do not expire until 1937, and normal commerce must await that date. But meanwhile many mutually advantageous concessions can be made. Canada has lumber, fish and minerals and other products. We have manufactured goods, especially textiles, anthracite coal, fresh, canned and dried fruit and other things to sell across the border, A seasonal ebb and flow of goods would help both nations. “The mutilation of the billion-dollar market that was Canada may be regarded as the most deplorable and most costly single fruit of the Hawley-Smoot tariff,” wrote Joseph M. Jones Jr., in his book “Tariff Retaliation." We can not begin too soon to repair the damage of that mistake. AMERICA’S HEROES /~VNCE in a blue moon the grand old game of baseball tosses to the top a character so typically American that the public takes him to its heart and makes a national hero of him. This happened years ago with Ty Cobb; it happened a little later w-ith Babe Ruth; it seems to have happened again this fall with Dizzy Dean. All these men exemplify to perfection the kind of spirit that makes baseball such a definitely and everlastingly American form of sport. Cobb represented the flaming, unendingly competitive young athlete who was out to win at all costs. There was an aura of rowdyism about him, which was as it should be—for baseball, fundamentally, has a streak of rowdyism Itself. Ruth was the big, burly, bruiser type; the physical giant whase natural gifts are coupled with an Intense, juvenile joy in life. And Dean, in turn, is the braggart who is forever making good his boasts. Every small town, every big city neighborhood, has seen these men in miniature, over and over again. And that is why they became national figures. THE NAVY TAKES CHARGE r ¥~'HE navy department is going to help the American merchant marine insure the safety of ships and passengers on the high seas. Senior naval officers will be detailed to make voyages on ships over which the department of commerce has jurisdiction, according to arrangements recently concluded between the commerce and navy departments. They will inspect thoroughly the personnel and equipment of the ships. From their reports will come new’ systems of regulation. It is reported that new methods of disciplining and training merchant ships’ crews will be one product of this innovation. It looks like an exceedingly sensible move. The watchful eyes of trained naval men can be depended upon to detect any flaws in equipment or construction. And a taste of discipline after the naval manner might not hurt crews that tend to get confused and panicky in time of crisis. THE INDUSTRIAL JAM A N administration that came into office to the tune of a nation-wide banking collapse and the almost complete stagnation of trade and industry, is being forced by the irresistible logic of circumstances to discover in unemployment the key log of the entire jam. The banks have been put on their feet, and trade and industry are being stimulated; but 8,000.000 unemployed men can cast a longer shadow than closed banks and unbalanced profit ledgers, and if their condition can not be improved the improvements that are made in other quarters are not likely to be permanent. It is this factor in the situation which is more and more coming to occupy the center of the administration's attention. It is reflected in the President’s recent assertion that he “will not accept as a necessary condition of our future a permanent army of unemployed”; a id it bids fair to give the administration an extraordinarily complex problem. It is interesting to analyze the unemployment army. A few’ months ago Isador Lubin, United States commissioner of labor statistics, made such an analysis. He found that factories making consumers’ goods—food, clothing, luxuries, shoes, and so on—are now employing only 400,000 fewer persons than they employed in 1929. The durable goods industries—those which produce things used in the making of other things—are. on the other hand, now employing 1,500.000 fewer persons than they employed in 1929. Employment in the railroad, mining and "service” industries is about 2.000.000 below the 1929 level. Thus, in these great industrial and business groups, a complete return to the 1929 level would result in re-employment of only 4.000,000 men. And more than twice that number, by the most conservative figures, are now idle! Where do we turn, then? Most of the remaining jobless, says Mr. Lubin, originally worked in building construction, on the farms, and in professional and domestic sendee. The new housing program may restore jobs to those m the first group; improvement in the farm situation is the key to the second group; and only a general, all-round business rerival will take care of the third. Analyzed in this way. it is obvious that the unemployment problem is far from simple. No one program, by itself, will come close to solving it. There must be a broad attack on many fronts. Hitler offers to pledge Mussolini his respect for Austria's independence. These two dictators certainly are big-hearted about other people's affairs. Scobey. Mont., reports the birth of a turkey with two necks, but what every youngster wants to see is one with four drumsticks. General Smedley Butler was cut off the radio in the middle of a broadcasting speech, or Just before he would have burned out the tubes.

Liberal Viewpoint BY DR. HARRY ELMER BARNES —

NOW that General Johnson has retired as the administrator of the national recovery act. Donald Richberg becomes the outstanding personality in handling this important item of New Deal legislation. In an article on the future of the NRA in the current' number of Fortune.’ Mr. Richberg proceeds to expound and defend the act. He is extremely effective in answering the business men .and the reactionary newspaper columnists who accuse the NRA of being a bureaucratic instrument for the fatal regimentation of American business. He shows how the recovery act originally was designed to increase employment and mass purchasing power, thus producing a notable stimulation of the prostrate business life of America. From the standpoint of regulation of business, the act was very largely designed to encourage industrial self-government and end the intolerable practices associated with unfair competition. a b b NOT only did it follow the suggestion of the leading American business men, but its enforcement was left mainly in their hands. “This is the process of industrial self-gov-ernment that was devised for the wholly desirable purposes which have been summarized. And this is the process that has been strangely characterized by an opposition, sometimes purely political and sometimes simply ignorant, as a 'destruction of liberty,’ a ‘stifling of private initiative,’ and a ‘dictatorial invasion of constitutional rights.’ ” Mr. Richberg inserts a deadly reminder that mast of the so-called interference with business in the NRA was inserted at the behest of the very groups who are now criticising the alleged regimentation produced by the act. “It must be remembered that the NRA w r as seeking to give trade and industry a genuine opportunity for self-government; and it should be recognized that practically every error and ‘interference with private was written into a code at the demand of some ‘truly representative’ association of industrialists, and frequently over the protests of alleged ‘government bureaucracy’ of ‘theorists’ who are now being criticised for the mistakes and economic heresies of the acknowledged leaders of industry.” Mr. Richberg also points, out that immediately after the NRA was put into application a considerable part of the business world was so enthusiastic that it almost seemed as though it had ‘‘got religion.” Incidentally, Mr. Richberg does not remind his readers that at the time he appeared to believe in the reality of this conversion. b a tt TT certainly may be conceded that Mr. Richberg makes a sorry spectacle out of reactionary critics of the New Deal. But he is far less successful in meeting the objections of progressive critics. Indeed, he seems to fear even to mention their arguments. This accounts for his failure to make it at all clear just why business turned against the NRA. From his article one would glean the impression that business went sour on the NRA because of its “interference” with the freedom of business. Mr. Richberg knows as well as anybody possibly could that the one thing which business resents in the NRA is clause 7A which guarantees collective bargaining. The record of the government in this phase of ?JRA administration is nothing for Mr. Richberg to be proud of and we need not be surprised to see him shy off from it. John T. Flynn has presented cogent evidence to indicate that when the act was being formulated, Mr. Richberg was willing to betray labor by winking at the company union hoax. Next, the government allowed the steel trust to bluff it on any enforcement of collective bargaining. Next, the administrator of the NRA himself said the word that led to the breaking up of the San Francisco strike. The government has failed to keep its word with labor and in doing this has also undermined its basic effort to increase mass purchasing power. Mr. Richberg scarcely needs to waste his energy in defending the recovery act against the Bourbons. All sensible men are with him in this controversy. What we should like to see him do would be to meet honestly and head-on such a sincere and forceful criticism from progressives as that contained in the serious and impressive symposium edited by Alfred Bingham and Selden Rodman, “Challenge to the New Deal.” (Falcon Press.)

Capital Capers BY GEORGE ABELL

TTT HITE-HAIR ED Ambassador Trucco of ’ ’ Chile, elegantly atired in pinstripe trousers and a black coat with peaked shoulders, minced into the White House to see President Roosevelt. At the heels of his excellency strode spectacled, chubby-faced Mario Rodriguez, embassy secretary, looking like the winner of the Kentucky Derby. Only Julius, erstwhile chauffeur of Chilean ambassadors, was missing from the picture. Anew chauffeur opened the car door. Still walking on his toes (there is a general belief in diplomatic circles that Envoy Trucco thinks he is treading a political tight rope), the Chilean ambassador arrived in the Rooseveltian presence. After a cordial handshake, Trucco bowed courteously, took a deep breath and declaimed: ‘•Mr. President, I desire to thank you on behalf of Chile for the book written by your distinguished ancestor, Amasa Delano, and presented by your excellency to the University of Santiago. “This book has proved an inspiration to the boys and girls of Chile and. as a result of this inspiration, the university has offered a competition prize of 2,000 pesos to the boy or girl ior both, who writes the best essay on what North Americans did for the building up of the republic of Chile in the early days of our country.” Pleased by the tribute, President Roosevelt responded with the smile which has become better known than the Teddy Roosevelt grin, pressed Trucco’s hand, declared he was glad the book had been accorded so favorable a reception. Out of the White House, immensely satisfied with his mission, marched Ambassador Trucco. Followed by ever-faithful Mario, he hastened home to send a dispatch to Chile about his White House interview-one of the few dispatches his country receives nowadays from Washington, and about as important as any of these. u * tt Note—Not only Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s ancestors, but relatives of Aaron Burr, the Thomas Nelson Page family of Virginia (there are many Pages still living in Chile) and members of Martin Van Buren’s family helped to develop the South American republic. a a a A HIGH government official, entering the state department, observed a big. broadshouldered, heavy-mustached man lounging outside one of the doors of the building. There was nothing unusual about t>jis, but a familiar white carnation in the lounger’s coat lapel, and the glint of his glossy mustache seemed familiar. “Why, that’s Grover Whalen of New York!” the official suddenly commented. “I thought I recognized him.” Several minutes later the official was strolling down the checkered state department halls. Another man strode toward him. There was no mistaking him. It was alert Representative Ham Fish of New York, known as the “Red baiter” of an indifferent congress. “Well,” mused the government official. “This is a coincidence or else...” Or else? That's what all the state department was agog over. Ham Fish and Grover Whalen both at the department at the same time. Did it portend another big “Red” scare? Figuratively, the state department boys glanced under their desks for a head of lettuce. That’s what Grover and Ham found in Baltimore the last time they combined on their famous "red herring” hunt!

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

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(Times readers are invited to express their views in these columns. Make pour letters short, so all can have a chance. Limit them to 250 words or less.) ana MERIT SYSTEM FOR POLICE PROPOSED By A. Warren Jacobson. Your editorials have brought to my mind, and that very forcibly, need of the merit system in prisons. America must put that system in operation and immediately. But why can we not put the, whole police system under federal control? Then applications for police work would be the same as those for mail carrier or any other federal work, the examinations being made in federal buildings. This would put the merit system in effect over the entire nation. We would get better men and the police system would be greatly improved. The minds of local political leaders are not as keen and experienced as those of the federal government; hence through strict questioning of one’s ability, such as the federal government gives, the best of men would be put on the police force. This would apply to the smallest town and to the largest city with its great difficulties. Did someone say it can’t be done? But I say it can be done. The group of men now in power are bringing the nation from mud to cement, and, by the way, the grass hasn’t grown on the cement yet. And when this can be done, I feel the President and his aids can put the merit system in force everywhere. a a a POOR RELIEF UNDER TWO REGIMES By Frank Britton. In answer so William Lemon, concerning Center township trustee, it is true that when the Republican party was in office one had to have a card signed to show that you were trying to get work and then you got a basket of food, but when the Democrats got in they would work you two days a week and then you would spend the four days trying to get a basket of food. Regarding investigators, you can report that you need help badly the first of the week and maybe they will get out to see you that week or the next. a a a VOTER REGISTRATION CHANGE OFFERED By a Citizen. i For the benefit of those who would blame private business for shortcomings and who attribute to public officials the ability to give nice New Deals, I point to the voters’ registration foolishness. In a given precinct of say 500 homes, nearly 500 voters, just half, are registered, and an expensive metal plate record is kept in the courthouse for each registered voter. Duplicating these records, each major political party has made a canvass and has each voter, registered or not, in a directory. This is check enough on voter residence. Then there is the city directory, compiled yearly, also a local ordinance, generally ignored, requiring all removals to be reported. Credit associations, too, make an effort to keep track of removals. It is too bad all these futile, scattered directory efforts can not be pooled. Why cot pass this law;

‘AH—I LIKE THIS*

Challenge Issued for Merit System Pledge

By Taxpayer. The approaching election of city officials reminds one of the difference between elections along partisan lines, with the spoils system as the basis, and the election of officials under such a system as Cincinnati has adopted. The taxpayers are entitled to the utmost efficiency in the personnel employed, regardless of politics, and the selection of public service employes should be on a civil service basis. Will either of the major parties, through their nominees, pledge their party to select only those most competent to fill the places? Or will they give us another dose of political

"No voter can cast a vote unless his latest address is on file with the county clerk. The county clerk can, however, by proclamation, make the latest issue of any city or county directory a part of his files, and may purchase as many copies thereof as necessary for each voting place to have one for reference. In such cases, voters not listed therein must file affidavit of residence in order to vote.” To co-operate, the directory company would likely print a “thirty-day-before-election” edition, by street and number, at a rather high price a copy. Each political party would purchase a set for all the precincts and the net effect would be a better revised city directory. It looks like this is a job of service and salesmanship for the directory people. Let one of their officials comment on this idea. a a a PROPOSES SUPPRESSION OF RADICAL GROUPS. Br a Time* Reader. The quickest way to bring recovery to the United States along economic and political lines, is to strike the death blow to the main source of natronal disorder, to outlaw, disfranchise and completely suppress the Socialist and Communist parties. This nation is suffering from socialitis, an affliction of the brain, which causes persons to imagine all sorts of easy ways to live without w’orkmg very much. The Socialist and Communist parties are organizing rebellion and insurrection against the United States government. Socialism and Communism are foreign systems of government trying to extend their power to this nation. Ninety-nine attacks out of every hundred made against the Constitution are made by Socialists. So I repeat, the first dose of medicine which Uncle Sam needs is a law to purge this nation of Socialism. a a a MORE ABOUT THAT STATEHOUSE FLAG By OliTer Townsley. I read in one of your recent editions a suggestion that the Message Center, which is on the editorial page now, be placed on front page. I heartily and readily second the motion. It is quite a clever suggestion, as I aeree with the writer that many persons who really should read some of these public sentiments are deprived, not through any fault of The Times, however, but through haste to scan the paper and their immaterial attitude toward general public opinion. For instance, take the letter on

I" 7 wholly disapprove of what you say and will

appointments based on vote rustling. Now is the time for all good parties to come to the aid of the taxpayer. The hungry hordes of organization workers ought not to be fastened on to the public pay roll without selecting public servants from the most competent help obtainable. The standards for public service ought to be higher even than for private employment. If neither of the two major parties will give us this grade of service, perhaps the minor parties will come to the front with such a proposal. Speak up. Mr. Kern and Mr. Pritchard.

Sept. 20, concerning the “day and night flag” on the statehouse. Governor McNutt compared liberty, honor and reverence, the principles for which our flag braves the weather, to money, of which in this country there is an abundance, and chooses not to save the flag, but to save the money. True, more flags can be had, but it isn’t that: it’s the principle. The Governor should be willing as a patriot to finance from his own personal allowances the erection of a device that would remedy the circumstances and revere the flag according to custom. u n n OBJECTS TO POLICY OF POOR RELIEF By E. C. L. It seems to me that William Lemon must have a good political job, otherwise he would not take up so much space in the Message Center, three or four times a week. I, for one, get tired of reading his everyday campaign speech. A man told me if I wanted a job I would have to be married and have a family. I went to Miss Hannah Noone for a job. All I can say is by the time I was through chasing from one person to the other, that it wore a good deal of shoe leather off my shoes and it all ended when I was told that I could not get on relief because I never worked for a basket. I suppose because I was out of a job my family was not supposed to eat. BBS BOSS BRAND PUT ON TWO CANDIDATES By Mr*. W. A. Collin*. Monday’s cartoon was so offensive it stinks. Place Kern where Pritchard stood and put McNutt in Coffin's place and you have the real menace of Indianapolis. McNutt said he would pick the next Indianapolis mayor. John Kern is that man. Decent Democrats in the Tenth ward quit the party long ago. The party is so hard up for workers the chairman picked his minor daughter for a precinct committeewoman. Once, I, too, was a Democrat.

Daily Thought

Therefore, pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.—Psalms. 73 :8 PRIDE is a vice not only dreadfully mischievous in human society, but perhaps of all others, the most Insuperable bar to real inward improvement.—Mrs. Z. Carter.

OCT. 11,1934

They took me for a ride when I demanded work I had earned. A big time Democrat told me I wouldn’t starve to death. I didn't starve or go to charity, or go home in the proverbial barrel because Republicans gave me work so I could keep my self-respect. If good workers were taken for a ride, and there are many of them, do you intelligent voters think you have a chance with that 2 per cent gang? Watch your step, thinking voters. Kern is the handy man of the twins, Pleas and Paul.

Sc They Say

Perhaps you will say that when our money has been devalued we can bring it up again. That is impossible once it has no longer any value. You can not revive the dead. —Gaston Doumergue, premier of France. Decentralization does not mean that industry will move from Chicago to the Tennessee valley or from New England to California. It does mean that the workers will be gradually taken from the tenements in the crow’ded sections of the city and moved to the periphery of metropolitan areas. Henry R. Harriman, president United States Chamber of Commerce. He called me a name and ha didn’t smile. There was nothing else I could do but hit him. I'm very fond of Mr. (Herbert) Marshall and I'm sorry I had to do it.—John Monk Saunders, film writer. Is is a business—a great thriving business—and we in England who sail yachts because we love sailing can never w r in the America’s cup until we make it a business, too.— Captain T. O. M. Sopwith. After all, it isn’t fair to ask even such a man as mine to pitch every day.—Mrs. Jerome (Dizzy j Dean. So far as corporations are concerned, they all exist as creatures of the states.—Mark Graves, president, New York state tax commission. In the end. a hard skull and a strong will must conquer.—Chancellor Adolf Hitler of Germnay.

EPITAPH

BY MORRIS HOYT KING Do not toast me with sparkling wine; Let no fond mem'ries merge with mine. For here I lie ‘neath this cold sod, With joined hands in prayer to God; My death a boon to those I’ve robbed. For many years I wielded might, Cared not though others were aright; No heed gave I to all their woe. But trampled over friend a~d foe, Dreading not what I now know*. If only I could live once more, And be again the monarch o’er Those poor souls felt my power. How kmd I'd be toward ev'ry one; I’d be their staff to lean upon. But with the running sands of time. There came an hour when all called mine, Wealth, powr—was left behind; A sinner in my maker’s eyes, X see my past ’s all filled with Ilea.