Indianapolis Times, Volume 46, Number 169, Indianapolis, Marion County, 24 November 1934 — Page 6

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SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21 1234 WANTED: A HOUSING PROGRAM IITHILE President Roosevelt is trying to Springs, two of his New Dealers in Washington are doing an expert job of befudd.mg the public about the administrations housing program Were it not so serious, the debate between between Janms H Moffett, federal housing administrator and Secretary Harold Ickes, in charge of public works administration, might be passed off as an interesting conflict of opinions and personalities. But a successful natio: | program is so utal to recovery that either the President or his co-ordma-tor, Donald Richberg, should step in and settle the controversy. Until it is settled, the people will not know in which direction they are going, and may suspect, rightly that they are traveling in circles. One day Mr. it kr s declares private initiative will not do the job, and says the government must get ready to spend a few more billions on public works and low-cost housing. He says private money rates are too high, and asserts the government can finance mortages at 3 per cent. He says building labor rates and building material prices are too high, and indicates agreements will be sought to bung about a reduction. The next day Mr. Ickes says he had not intended to discourage private capital and urges it to “expand to the limit of its ability.” Mr. Moffett counters, saying that private enterprise already has started to do the housing job on a grand scale. The only trouble, says Mr. Moffett, is that the FHA needs tune to coax tinud capital back into the building and mortgage field. That can not be done, he says, so long as Mr. Ickes holds over private capital the threat of government competition j in low-cost housing construction. Private j money rates under the FHA plan of a 5 per cent ba.-uc maximum, are not too high, says Mr, Moffett. Neither are building prices too high, he says, nor wage rates. Then, in the same press conference, he gives an illustration to show how it is impossible for a low-income family to build a house and pay the existing i hourly wage scale. Two fiddlers play different tunes while ten j million jobless await administration teamwork. I Unless Mr. Ickes and Mr. Moffett are har- j nessed to a co-ordinated program, the task of providing for the unemployed may have to be abandoned to Harry Hopkins, relict administrator. He is demonstrating how houses can be built cheaply, but his is a plan of relief wages for relief workers. And it leads to a rising relief bind* n. and a lowering of wage and living standards. Neither Mr. Ickes. nor Mr. Moffett, nor Mr. Hopkins, nor any one else, wants that alternative. ON SECOND THOUGHT SIR JOHN SIMON'S reversal of position on a British munitions inquiry is encouraging. First, because it promises to contribute materially to the world effort to curb the arms tratlic. and second, because it demonstrates that world opinion can sway quickly even a government as mighty as great Britain's. Only two weeks ago. Sir John spoke contemptuously of the United States senate's “roving inquiry” into the munitions business, describing some of the "hearsay evidence” accepted at Washington as too grotesque” for consideration. But Sir John arose in parliament Thursday and said ho did not mean to say what he was understood to have said; and he promised a British arms investigation along the lines of the senate inquiry’- Sir John also said his mind was not, as had been supposed, closed to consideration of a government arms monopoly. The British press and public opinion helped the foreign secretary change his mind. The senate committee's proof that munitions peddlers encouraged armament races, made fortunes out of wars and war scares, and wrote their own foreign policies proved as revolting to Britons as to other peoples. They insisted that their government accept its responsibilities in the family of nations. Sir John was right when he said in his first speech that the arms traffic can be regulated only by international compact. But an international agreement would be futile unless signed by governments prepared to enforce it with firm national control of arms factories within their own borders. N W \ IS SUFFICIENT endless conversations at London A *>em to be bringing the naval disarmament conference up to a point at which the Amen*.an people will ha\e to make some defiir.ite. reasoned decision as to their future naval policy. Japans spokesmen say that they are going to haie naval equality, if America and England do not consent, they will ha\e it anyway. The famous Washington treaty seems headed straight for the pallbearers. That being the case, what do we do about it? Set out to outbuild the Japanese, regardless? In an uncertain world we can be sure of this—that would be a sure road to trouble. Before we decide, we should stop to figure out just what we want a navy for. Admiral Sir Herbert Richmond of England recently wrote a book called “Sea Power in the Modern World.” In it he pointed out the reasons for the existence of navies, and in this crisis his remarks are worth listening to. A nation builds a navy, he says, to protect Its shores from invasion, to keep itself from being starved by interruption of its sea-borne commerce, to protect its merchant ships and colonies, or to implement some overseas policy. A navy capable of doing these things>s an

adequate navy, regardless of the strength of other navies. Cert in things are immediately obvious. A smaller fleet than we have now would keep us safe from invasion. Furthermore, we can not be starved into defeat, because we are so nearly self-sufficient. And Admiral Richmond points out that the greatest fleet ever built will not protect a nations merchant ships in all parts of the globe unless that nation has a wealth of distant naval bases—which we assuredly have not. What remains, then? Colonies? Hawaii. Alaska, the Caribbean islands, the Canal Zone; World war experience indicates that it would take a fleet ever so much stronger than ours to wrest those from us. One thing is left; overseas policy. We oppo. e Japan s course in China and Manchuria. But if we are preparing to fight to checkmate that policy, even our present margin of superiority is not enough. All naval strategists agree that we could not fight successfully in Japanese waters without a much greater margin than we have under the existing treaty. These are things to be weighed thoughtfully before we decide on our future course. They mignt, conceivably, convince us that all is not lost even if Japan does make good her claim to equality. \ HITLER RAISES FEAR IN SAAR /"\N Jan. 13, a plebiscite will be held in the Saar basin to determine whether the inhabitants of that rich mining area wish to become part of Germany, part of France, or an autonomous area under protection of the League of Nations. Hitler s Nazis have the return of the Saar a cardinal point in their foreign policy. But now it develops that their very determmation to get it bacK may prove the chief stumbling block in their path. Dr. Michael T. Florinsky, professor of economics at Columbia university, who spent the summer in the Saar, investigating conditions there, reports that the inhabitants have almost no desire for annexation to France. They are German by birth and culture; normally, they would vote overwhelmingly for reunion with the fatherland. But they are beginning to be afraid of Hitler. The benefits of Nazi rule are not as apparent to them as they might be. So there is a good chance that they will vote for autonomy under the league. Hitler s noisy determination to regain the Saar may prove the one factor that will keep the Saar out of Germany.

THE OLD FOLKS /'NNCE again President Roosevelt has proved himself big enough to change his mind. Addressing social security workers last week he doubted that this is the tune to consider old age security. Thursday, in his message to the Chicago conference of mayors, he definitely included old age pensions on the congressional program. “It is undoubtedly true,” he wrote, “that the coming session of congress will give further attention to proposals involving unemployment relief, public works, unemployment insurance, old age pensions and housing, all of which vitally affect the city governments. “I can not say what final action congress will take with reference to these subjects, but I assure you the federal government is anxious to work effectively and co-operatively on all of these common problems.” Whether this change was wrought by the President's own more thorough study of the subject, or by the advice of others, or by the popular outcry over his earlier utterance does not matter. The important fact is that he changed this policy. His mind is not small enough to stop for hobgoblin consistency. We believe the administration will make a great mistake if it does not push old age pensions along with unemployment insurance. A bill at least as generous of federal aid as the Diil-Connery bill should be on its security program. The old age pension principle is economically sound. By supplying one-third of costs to the states, the federal government can standardize pension relief, bring the states into the pension picture, save money for the counties and remove from relief rolls all indigents past 65 years. This can be done with an estimated federal expenditure of $40,'000,000 a year or less. It is politically wise. The nation is being stirred by demagogic demands for old age pensions of an extreme and unworkable type. A sound measure is needed as a backfire. It is morally right. For it would include the really forgotten men and women of this rich country, some 500.000 old folks to whom the late afternoon of life now is too often a nightmare.

YAUNTETH NOT ITSELF THE challenge of young Mrs. John D. Rockclellei 111 to empty society chanties and publicity-seeking givers is in order. They react against genuine relief. "It is a fine thing.” she told delegates to a conference of the Family Welfare Association of New York, “to be known as a pubhespirited citizen, and it is pleasant to read of one's activities in the paper. It is also much easier for some people to lend their names and subscribe a few dollars for tickets than to Lave to give time or thought. Social work can not be done in that spirit.” The sham philanthropy that this young woman Jjates is not new. The apostle Paul warned the people of Corinth against it: ■ Charity suffereth long and is kind; charity envieth not: charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.” President Roosevelt's constant smile is due perhaps to his amusement at the way people try to figure out what he means by what he says. Germany must bake only one kind of bread except by special permission. If it's white bread, what will people have for their limburger? And if it’s rye, what will they do for toast? United States has been increasing its sales of scrap iron to Japan, which is good enough so long as it remains iron. Paymg for surgical operations on the installment plan is anew idea in Boston. And if the patient stops paying, the appendix will be put back.

The Center Road BY LYLE C. WILSON INDUSTRIALISTS who are trying to decide whether President Roosevelt is becoming more or less radical should look at the record in recent months. The New Deal will be found generally following a middle course in which radical moves are offset by conservative trends. Most pronounced of the left or radical movement is the drive against public utilities. Here are some developments on both sides which tend to counteract each other so far as general policy is concerned: RADICAL 1. Mariner S. Eccles appointed reserve board governor. 2. New Deal election sweep. 3. Secretary Ickes’ new PWA spending plans. 4. Lew;is Douglas’ resignation as budget director in protest against a continued unbalanced budget. 5. The health-old age-unemployment insurance plan announced last June. 6. Mr. Roosevelt's August speech in Wisconsin interpreted as blessing the northwest radical political movement. 7. Electrical power policies. 8. Appointment of Miss Josephine Roach as assistant secretary of treasury. 9. Support of Federal Reief Administrator Harry L. Hopkins against bitter banking criticism. 10. Preparations for investigation of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company—this country's biggest business. a a a AGAINST the forgoing typical instances of movement in one direction should be placed the following instances of a conservative trend: 1. The turn away from further dollar juggling. 2. Possible curtailment of the June social insurance plan. 3. The Moley-Baruch business conferences in New York designed to win industrial sympathy for the New’ Deal. 4 Substitution of S. Clay Williams, representing big business, for Hugh S. Johnson in NRA. 5. Co-ordination of government lending agencies in the interest of economy looking toward ultimate budget balancing. 6. Opposition to the veterans’ cash bonus and laboi’s thirty-hour work week 7. Extension of the automobile labor agreement unchanged to which labor objected but upon which the industry insisted. 8. New’ Deal encouragement of bankers and business to join in recovery efforts. 9. Opposition to additional silver legislation. Many other factors could be cited. The New Deal is distinctly more radical than the administrations which preceded it. But having adopted new political and social thought, it appears that the leftward trend now is being checked. The indications are that Mr. Roosevelt has gone about as liberal as he intends to go. He wall carry out his anounced advance program if possible but is not expected to go far beyond it.

Capital Capers BY GEORGE ABELL NEW DEALERS are very much in the diplomatic whirl here, since British Ambassador Sir Ronald Lindsay began entertaining the economists at a series of dinner parties. Following the lead of bulky (and somewhat shrewd, if slow-moving) Sir Ronald, w’ho is dean of the diplomatic corps, other envoys are lionizing cabinet members, progressive senators and representatives, agricultural experts and all the other experts they can lay their hands on. Among the smiled-at figures who now stroll through diplomatic salons, smiling in turn, one notes trim, dapper Rex Tugwell, undersecretary of agriculture and “brain-truster” extraordinary. Since his return from Europe a few days ago, Rex has been more or less secluded and exclusive. But he is on virtually every embassy and legation list, and invitations are piling up on his desk. Two dowagers were discussing the handsome Rex at a cocktail party yesterday. "I just love the beautiful way his nails are manicured,” said one. “And the cut of his clothes.” said the other. “Although,” she added as an afterthought, “they are just a bit overdone.” Neither lady gave any opinion about Tugwell’s political views. But the political views of Dr. Tugwell and all the other New Dealers and brain-trusters are being very carefully studied by diplomats who invite them to their soirees. Political prestige has a curious lot to do with dinner invitations in Washington. a a a THIS week, cabinet members, New Dealers, etc. . . . glittered (or failed to glitter) at numerous diplomatic parties. Commerce Secretary Roper was a busy man at the royal Egyptian fete, smiling on every side like a nabob who accords favors where he wills. Yesterday, Roper appeared at a luncheon given by Alexei Nevmann, charge d'affaires of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, in honor of Peter Bogdanov, retiring chairman of the board of the Amtorg Trading Corporation. Another guest at the Soviet luncheon was young Elliott Roosevelt, vice-president of the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce. Agriculture Secretary Wallace and Herbert Feis, economic adviser of the state department, were guests at a b’g diplomatic reception. And there were scores of others—not only at formal functions, but at little diplomatic teas and cocktail parties. There is nothing remarkable or wrong in their being present. It is merely interesting. a a a SILVER-HAIRED, slim-waisted Charles Davila, minister of Rumania, failed even to flick his eyelashes yesterday at strange reports from the Balkans. The reports were two: 1. That King Carol of Rumania is peeved because King George and Queen Mary of England have snubbed him by not inviting him to the wedding of Princess Marina and Prince George. 2. That Dowager Queen Marie of Rumania again may visit the United States. Eleeant Envoy Charles (when he is not in New York or Newport) invariably is to be found at a cocktail parly or a reception. And he was at a party when the rumors began buzzing across the Atlantic. In fact, he still is at a party while this is being written. According to a telephor e message, he has not yet flicked an eyelash. So much for King Carol and Queen Marie! a a a THE state department was interested in a cable from Stockholm to the effect that Secretary of State Hull may be awarded the Nobel peace prize by the Norwegian parliament on Dec..lo. But neither the Norwegians nor the department. nor. in fact. Mr. Hull himself, knows anything about it. The department naturally would be pleased if its chief were to be awarded the prize, it was hinted unofficially. The W. C. T. U. calls for organization of anew dry political party. At least the speeches would be, you may be sure of that. As for naval armaments, the Japanese seem to have knocked the “1" out of limitations. They insist on imitation instead. Those superpatriots who asked General Smedley Butler to become dictator of the United States probably are not impressed by Huey Long's success in Louisiana. A Harvard astronomer moved his Instruments nearer Hollywood and discovered millions of new stars. Any exaggeration can be olamed on the press agents.

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

• i 3 i . , k - v , i A _-Ro3eg&-

The Message Center

(Times readers are invited to express their views in these oolumns. Make your letters short, so alt can have a chance. Limit them to 150 words or less.) a a a TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT’S EFFORTS ARE DEFENDED By B. B. B. I am a daily reader of the Indianapolis Times and especially the Message Center. I have enjoyed the many views and debates on different subjects. . However, I did not expect to answer any of these articles until I read the article of J. R.’s on our Indianapolis traffic system. J. R. you sound like one of those people who waits for someone to start things and then looks around for fault. To begin with the traffic department does not have its full quota of men. thanks to the taxpayers who always want tax reductions. Now about the friend from California who wanted to turn left at Meridian and Washington streets. In the first place there are signs designation no left turn at this corner. You said, however, he altered his course east on Washington street after hearing the officer blow his whistle. That gives me the opinion that this party either thought he could get by with a left turn or couldn’t read. This language that the officer used can be heard at nearly all of our street corners where men with ! your ideas stop to gripe with another about taxpayer rights, etc. You know, J. R„ there are a lot of taxpayers that think they can run over fire hoses and do anything their big enough to do. And let me tell you this, they aren’t all from California. a a a POETICAL PHILOSOPHY JUDGED IN THEME By a Reader Mr. Dupre is a little too hasty and enthusiastic in his criticism. He is not discussing the theme of the poems printed in The Times: he is discussing their expression. Applied to certain individuals, his attack on the purely personal and on the romantic is justified. But he is confused in his relating subject matter to the final work. Asa matter of fact, the American poets mentioned by Mr. Dupre have written, as he knows, some very personal poetry: Eliot in the Prufrock ; poems. MacLeish in many lyrics and Hart Crane in almost all his work. The diffeience between them and ; the local poets referred to by Mr. Dupre, is that the personal feelings' of the masters are more intense, more deeply and sharply expressed, and more significant than those of the latter. It hardly is fair to condemn an artist for not having reached his growth. The poem about the old woman waiting on the porch, for example, is not at all bad in itself. Written by El;ot, it would have been a symbol for civilization, tired and hopeless. expecting its collapse. Hart Crane might have introduced an historical and metaphysical strain, making it more agonizing and more complete. MacLeish would have been more lyrical. As it is, the poem is descriptive of the scene and of its effect on the poet. And that, with a better choice of words, a more beautiful imagery and. especially, a more powerful emotion, is, I insist, capable of growing into a fine piece of work. If Mr. Dupre would remember that literary and social criticism can not be mingled fairly, he would not fall into the error of

‘FOR WHOM ARE YOU WORKING?’

Utilities and the Depression

By P. E. D. So many taxpayers have written in their disapproval of the city buying the “gas woiks’’ that it would not seem necessary to add anything else to it. Yet with all this the report from Washington that our new mayor was in Washington to see the President to help the loan along to buy the ‘gas woiks.” Nine million dollars is too much money to squander in this fashion. In ten years, gas will be as obsolete as the horse and buggy. Electric power will replace gas, and the handwriting is on the wall. The Tennessee Valley Authority was making too much money and had to reduce its prices 20 per cent. TV A rates: K. W. H. , Per K. W. H. First 50 3c Next 150 2c Next 200 lc Next 1,000 4 mills Local rates: First 100 5"iC Next 100 5c Balance 4c And the industrial rate of TVA starts at 1 cent and goes as low as 2.5 mills. If you analyze the residential rates you will find how low the price really is. If a home would use 1,400 k. w. h. it would cost $10.50, or less than 3 i cent per k. w. h., and these utility hogs told us it cost 1 to 1 1 2 cents to produce. One thousand four hundred k. w. h. in Indianapolis would cost $58.75

condemning melancholy in one poem and praising it, by implication, in another. What matters is: What has the poet tried to say, and how well has he said it? Literary criticism belongs to the expression, and it is only society or the philosophy of the poet that we can judge in his theme. True, most of us think too mucli of ourselves, cling to a romantic dream that brings but frustration in the machine age, weep—like Minever Cheevy—for what is not. We need to think of our institutions, of our common purposes. But poetry can not be made to blame for our fail- s ures. What Mr. Dupre meant, and did not say, is that some poets are j good romantics and some are poor ones. I should like to see some of | the poets in question asnwer that. a a a “ISMS” MAY BE NATION'S SALVATION Bv \V. M. Knox. May I discuss Comrade Belgrano, the national commander of the ! American Legion, who is quoted in the press today? He say? that as a business man, he is concerned about the apathetic attitude of citizens toward alien “isms” by which he means Socialism and Communism. He savs that they are un-American and that in the legion, there is only one "ism.” That is Americanism. The humble writer of these few lines was born and has always lived in America, as also is true of his parents and ancestors as far back as they can be traced. lam a veteran and legionnaire. To me, Americanism very well can mean Socialism, if it will make our great country happier. Communism is harmonious with Americanism if it can overthrow imperialism and restore America to Americans. Im-

[l wholly disapprove of what you say and will defend to the death your right to say it. — Voltaire.

compared with $10.50 TVA rates, or a saving of $48.25. The average family could cook, heat and light their homes on this, and all this at the turn of a switch. No gas company can be compared with this or a privately owned electric company. For example, a smali town with low rates was making too much money, so they canceled all November bills (this month) for gas and electric power. Ever see a privately owned corporation do that? Indianapolis should take a tip from Memphis, Tenn. The people voted $9,000,000 bond issue by the biggest majority ever known to install their own electric system, buying power from the TVA. The power company in Memphis is of the same type we have here. They would sell, but for a price about four or five times what the plant was worth. Somehow or other, the politicians there may be of a higher type than we are able to get in office here. Our newspapers should investigate this before it is too late and not let the gas works be dumped on the taxpayers. Instead, let’s all get together and have our own TVA, and $9,000,000 will do the trick. It might be that White river could be used. It may take four or five dams. The federal government sooner or later will dam the Ohio and Wabash rivers. Then we will have more power than we can use, and at the right price. Cheap power will help to break the depression quicker than anything else.

perialists are partly alien, but exploit American citizens. Read the Declaration of Independence and note that the basic spirit of Americanism is revolution, which moans new government, or transferring power to a new’ class.i Today, real Americanism very probably may mean Socialism or Communism; it may mean revolution, new American government, workers’ government. Communist government, overthrow of, imperialism or finance capital; it may come to mean power and happiness for the great masses of Americans who live in America, even if that is alien “ism.” a a a SEEKS INCREASE IN OLD AGE PENSIONS Bv William Kupert. We, as a people, believe in equality and a square deal, but the old age pension law is not comparing it to kindred laws. The soldier's pension, teacher's pension, preacher's pension, disability pensions are state-wide and amount uniform, but the old age pension law is only county-wide and the amount of pension not uniform. The state law says an entirely helpless, needy one more than 70 may be granted sls a month, but in some counties only about $7 a month, or sl4 a family. Now, no j Daily Thought I pray not that thou shouMest take them out of the word, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.—St. John, 17:15. THERE are times when it would seem as if God fished with a line, and the devil with a net.— Madame Sweicixme.

NOV. 24, 1934

family can live comfortably or decently on sl4 a month and pay rent, buy food. fuel. etc. Better raise the maximum to S2O a month and the minimum to $lO a month and make it state-wide, so the aged poor all over the state will get rights. Won’t you who are getting state pensions help us to get state rights also, for we are weak, and poor and have no money to hire lobbyists? Let's do our part on an equality basis.

So They Say

The good fortune of Mississipians is attributed to the fact that the mighty father of w’aters, the Mississippi river, separates Mississippi from Louisiana. Senator-elect Theodore G. Bilbo. The human species is the only one where the male doesn't do all the strutting, crowing, and wearing of finery.—Earl N. Kurtz, president of newly-formed He-Man’s Association. Because I am down for the moment, some people are trying to buy my talents for paltry sums. It can't be done. I'm still the Paul Poiret of old.—Paul Poiret, famous I designer. , It is not necessary for any of us to live, but it is necessary for Germany to live.—Adolf Hitler. Peace will not come to the world by warships, but by friendships.— Mrs. Ella Boole, president of the international W. C. T. U. A flower makes an appeal to the esthetic sense powerful enough to smother the uicide impulse.—Professor Hugh Fincuay, Columbia university botanist. ODORS ' BY M. C. W. Odors of cedar and lonely pine That go to the head the same as wine, Burning leaves in hazy autumn's eve Bringing memories gay, a few that grieve. i The new-mown grass, rich scented and sweet I Remindful of hens’ nests fresh and neat, Farther on down is the pasture lot—- ; Smell of warm milk soothing, ne’er forgot— From patient cows content, standing still — I recall, silent, reverent thrill! Down in the apple orchard close by Sweet, luscious odors—tempting, sly. The spicy tang from the cider press iOf amber juice with white foam head dress. Then by the hedge are the rabbit sheds — You know, the odor one most always dreads. ■Up in the garden the mint bed spreads Fresh, heady fragrance where’er one treads. From the kitchen’s open door j Templing, mingling odors wafting o'er—--5 Pumpkin pie and luscious mincemeat's taste. Jellies cooking, fruitcake—we must haste! Smell frying chicken and fresh made bread. Thankful for all gifts, we bow our head.