Indianapolis Times, Volume 46, Number 173, Indianapolis, Marion County, 29 November 1934 — Page 18

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The Indianapolis Times I* M KIPPB-MOH CD NEWSPAPER* ROT W. Howard PrMlflent TAI.CUTT POWEI.L Editor CARL D. BAKER . BmlntM Uiiiigtr Pbon KIl'T ’' b l

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THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 2L :34 ANOTHER BIDDING MIXUP IT is obvious that the system by which the \ state purcha es equipment needs some overhauling Last week a group of office furniture men laid siege to the offices of Charles McAlpin, state purchasing agent, because they suspected the Indianapolis Office Furniture Company was a favored bidder. Tuesday the NR A code authority on office furniture notified the state library commission that 1.200 filing cases had been purchased at a price below the code for filing cabinet industry. These cases were manufactured by the Burger Manufacturing Company In Canton, O and sold to the state through the Business Office Furniture Company, a local concern. The library commission says that the Business Office Furniture Company furnished an affidavit swearing that the price was within the code. Such a statement, we think, has little force, inasmuch as the alleged violation was by the manufacturer and not the broker. Certainly no state should deliberately violate the NRA in buying supplies. We doubt If the library commission intended to do so. Yet the question of the code violation was rai*d by the other bidders on the job and the commission would have been wiser to await an adjudication of this important question before letting the bid. The theory of purchasing as set forth by Governor McNutt in the last legislature is an excellent one. His subordinates should be careful to avoid carelessness and arrogance In putting it into practice. THE LIQUOR SITUATION ONE hardly would have thought it possible, but we seem to have performed the difficult stunt of repealing the prohibition law and retaining most of the features that made us want to get rid of it. Rodney Dutcher reports from Washington that the bootlegger is still thriving very much H 5 sip did in the old days, that the drinker never can quite be sure that he is getting what he asks for. that illicit stills are running on a big scale, that the famous "rum row" in the Atlantic has revived and that Uncle Sam is losing huge sums through evasion of liquor taxes. Indiana and Indianapolis still have stills and hip-pocket bootleggers. These items, one by one. create a picture that is unpleasantly familiar. It is the kind of picture we were looking at four and five years ago. when people slowly were coming to the belief that knocking out the eighteenth amendment would set practically everything right. In that blit...e hopefulness, apparently, lay our great error. We get just about what we are willing to work for in this world, and to date there is little evidence that we are willing to work very hard for a sane, courageous and efficient method of handling the liquor traffic. We repeal prohibition to beat the bootleggers—and then keep the tax rate on liquor so high that the bootlegger still has a tempting profit margin for his operations. Simultaneously we reduce the coast guard strength to save money, thus permitting rum row to operate freely. On the heels of that, we let a Senator McKellar raid the civil service enforcement agents in such a way that green political employes are replacing experienced men in wholesale lots and the morale of the whole force is shot to blazes. The result of all this Is that we retain most of the drawbacks of prohibition, without having done anything very effective to reduce the age-old evils of the licensed traffic. It would be hard to think of a more effective way of building up trouble for ourselves. Unless we speedily work out a program that will keep the liquor traffic within legal bounds, we are apt to find ourselves in an utterly unendurable situation. WE GIVE THANKS FOR the first time since the dark autumnal days of 1929 Thanksgiving dawns with hope for national recovery based upon something substantial. The election has shown the people united behind their New Deal government. NRA is being reorganized and unproved. The administration is trying to make currency inflation unnecessary. It has helped materially the farmers by production planning. It has promised the unemployed and aged security legislation. The relief program is preventing starvation. The government s revenue is increasing. It* credit is good. Business sentiment is responding. Trade winds stir, and begin to fill the sails of commerce. The federal reserve board announces the first rise in the business curve since last May. with steel, coal, power, building materials and textiles leading. Production and freight shipments are up three points over last year. So is the buying power of farmers and workers advancing. The mage-earners' real monthly income is §430.000 000 better than a year ago. Bank deposits are 29 7 per cent above those of March. 1933. Last month department store sales were 11 per cent better than last year s, chain store purchases 20 6 per cent better. Even foreign trade is starting up. Hope for the lagging heavy Industries Is seen :n the na-tion-wide rehousing movement which, despite high cost*. Is going slowly forward. Still, there will not be even one chicken in the pots of millions of families. Winter is deacending upon the homes of 10.950 000 Jobless workers Between 17.000 000 and 20,000,000 Americans will eat the bread of charity and relief this winter. For the bitter lese-ons we have learned, for the opportunities to make ours a Igid

of social Justice and happiness, for the first sweet taste of better times, we give thanks. THE NAUGHTY NEWSPAPERS \ COMMON political device is the “diplomatic denial." It is used when an official has blundered. By stating that black is white he hop's to get right with his public. This device has been so over-worked for many years, it has become relatively harmless either for good or evil. The public simply discounts the denial. But the White House has developed anew twist to the ancient technique. Not content with a diplomatic denial in the current conflict between Interior Secretary Harold Ickes and Housing Administrator James Moffett, the White House i.s ued a joint statement by these gentlemen which opened and closed as follows: ‘lt seems a pity that either misinterpretation or a desire to stir up trouble where no trouble exists should have given rise to stories which create the impression that there is a divergence of views between the housing admin;. tration and the public works administration . . . "We suspect that there is a disposition in certain quarters to make it appear that there is a difference of opinion between us. We decline to furnish the material for a Roman holiday for those who are trying to create this impression.” So the White House not only denies the facts of a disagreement over housing policy which these two officials have been advertising in public and press statements for so many days, but implies that the whole episode is a wicked plot by enemies of the administration. That is to say, that press reports were not only erroneous but deliberately malicious. But the facts stand. We submit that such tactics are beneath the dignity of the Roosevelt administration and harmful to it. PEACE OF THE WORLD VICE PREMIER STANLEY BALDWIN of England tells a Glasgow audience that Great Britain's fleet never will be used in the armed blockade of any country on earth until the government has first consulted the United States government. Simultaneously, State Secretary Cordell Hull of the United States forecasts close, friendly and active co-opera-tion between this country and England in matters of future naval policy. From these statements it is reasonable to assume that leading men in both governments are coming more and more to the belief that the two great English-speaking nations will stand more or less shoulder to shoulder in international affairs henceforth; and the augury is a good one. A decade ago the two countries seemed to be drifting into a condition of mutual hostility—which would have been a tremendous tragedy. When all is said and done, there are overwhelming reasons for co-operation. If America and England are to stand together, the peace of the world should be measurably safer. LET OUT TO SHOOT—QUAIL! A GREAT deal of the complaint about "coddling prisoners” is stupid and prejudiced. However, the state of Oklahoma has just provided an excellent example of the sort of coddling that is really worth beefing about, by releasing Matt Kimes, notorious bandit and killer, for a six-day quail hunt. Kimes was ordered released without a guard. His attorney said that authorization for tjie release came from Governor Murray, who, he said, felt that Kimes was entitled to a leave of absence because of his excellent conduct while in the penitentiary. It is gratifying of course, to know that a desperado has been behaving himself well while in prison. Still, it is a little bit hard to see just why this entitles him to a vacation. It is worth remembering that this gentleman's good behavior, so far. seems to have been confined to one spot—the interior of the penitentiary. OUR OWN SEA SERPENT LET it not be said that proud America will bow her head to any foreign invasion of sea serpent stories. America will produce her ow n sea serpents and. if necessary, put a tariff on those from Loch Ness and the China sea. Not only that, but American sea serpents will be more up-to-date than Scotch or oriental denizens of the deep. Our pride already has been upheld by California, which reports a creature so fearsome that it took tear gas and a lasso to bring it within the bounds of probability. The capture was participated fittingly in by four named men and a fifth described by the United Press as "a man identified only as Blower.” • The creature cried itself to exhaustion in its lair, an abandoned mine on Mt. Diablo near the ghost town of Somersville. After being yanked out in obvious agony the monster was snake-naped. . . . The corpus can not be located at latest reports. Anyway, we're proud that California has delivered again. Another thing against “You and Machines” is that it sounds too much like sneering at a fellow for the way he drives. National cheese week is over, but the odor Ungers, on. The purchase of the St. Louis Cardinals has been held up for the time being. Dizzy Dean hasn't been heard from. * Postmaster Farley reports a net profit of sl2 000.000 for his department, the first time since 1918. leading the Republicans to believe they were not such good bookkeepers after all. Donald Richberg has formulated anew policy for NRA. only General Johnson having survived the old one. This Kansas City woman who has been tuning all colors must have been told an awful parlor joke. Women of Bermuda refuse to pay their taxes because they're not represented in the assembly, although the United States experience should show them how futile this matter of representation is, a.’vw.

Liberal Viewpoint B\ UK. HARR 1 ELMER BARNES

SHACKLED Diplomacy. By Michael Demiashkevich. Barnes & Noble. $2. World Diary: 1929-1934. By Quincy Howe. Robert M Mcßride & Cos. $3 50. Autopsy.of the Monroe Doctrine. By Gaston Nerval. Macmillan Cos., $3.50. Blackbirds' Field. By Victor Komski. Rae D. Henkle. $3. The Saar Struggle. By Michael T. Fiorinsky. The Macmillan Cos. $2. Sociocratic Escapades. By Francis Neilson. G. P. Putnam's Sons. $2. The tension between Yugoslavia and Hungary, the tightening of the crisis in Fascist countries, and the general world swing toward economic nationalism, all serve to call attention to the impending world crisis. A devastating and perhaps fatal World war is by no means inevitable, but it certainly will be unless the decent people throughout the world realize the danger and unite to avert it. The ideals and methods that have entered in to create the present crisis are very clearly assembled and analyzed by Dr. Demiashkevich. He analyzes the influence of nationalism and political myths in creating the World war, shows the disastrous effects of the spirit of revenge since 1870, portrays the fundamental elements in modern diplomacy and argues for the necessity of instituting some effective type of education in the principles of international co-opera-tion. Whatever the ultimate outcome, few informed persons will question the assertion that the last five years will constitute some type of a turning point in human civilization. Quincy Howe, editor of the Living Age, has written a vivid, penetrating and critical account of these years presented in lucid fashion and well supplied with extremely cogent cartoons. It is an extremely valuable contribution to current history. The reader will not only gain from it much relevant information but will have his perspective cleared and his wits sharpened. a a a IF WE want peace and generosity to prevail, the United States will have to abandon some of its own sacred cows and points of self-inter-est. Os these, none are more important in our national tradition than the Monroe Doctrine. It is well to have this held up to the light so that we can see it as others do. This service is performed in admirable fashion by Gaston Nerval, descendant of a long line of Bolivian diplomats. He exposes with great thoroughness the narrow nationalistic origins and development of the Monroe Doctrine; argues for its speedy abandonment; urges the substitution of a Fan-American doctrine of joint responsibility for the well being of the new’ w’orld; and shows the necessity for a broadminded organization of opinion and machinery to promote peace in the two Americas. The present crisis in the Balkans and eastern Europe set off by the murder of King Alexander of Yugoslavia renders particularly timely Victor Komski’s autobiography. Enlisting as a boy of 16 in the Balkan wars, he remained in uniform until the close of the World war. He was a friend, classmate and associate of the assassin of Franz Ferdinand in 1914. He gives us an illuminating personal impression of the conspirital and nationalistic psychology of the Balkan regions. It is an eytremely vivid book, contains a great deal of incidental information and enables one better to understand the character of the present crisis in the near east. a a a RANKING next to the Yugoslav-Hungarian clash as an immediate potential cause of war, is the Saar plebiscite which is to be held this coming January. All the factors involved in this complicated question are examined and set forth clearly by Dr. Fiorinsky. It is a highly useful and timely book, in spite of the fact that it is not sufficiently critical of the handling of the Saar question at the peace conference and is perhaps somewhat overfriendly to the French side of the case. The Saar issue represents another instance of how Hitler has proved a liability to Germany and the w’orld. Had the German republic persisted, there is little doubt that the people of the Saar would have voted overwhelmingly to return to Germany. Today, many are fearful of joining a despotic and intolerant Fatherland, while Hitler seems determined to get the Saar Basin come what may. Therein lies the danger which may flare up a month hence. Few’ Americans have done more to expose the stupidity and malice of past diplomacy than Francis Neilson. In the present book he ranges over the general field of current problems, both national and international. Those who have little sympathy for his ultraindividualism in economics and politics will, nevertheless, admire his independence of viewpoint and his cultivated manner of expression. If his economic and political views are somewhat archaic, his spirit is as refreshing as ever.

Capital Capers BY GEORGE ABELL PRECEDENCE plays a *tremenduous role in Washington society and official circles. Dolly Gann fought a war about it. Vice-President Garner tries to avoid it, but is forced to succumb. The Roosevelts bow’ to it through their conduct of official receptions and dinners. Latest of- all the precedence problems was the dinner and dance w’hich Sumner Welles, assistant secretary of state, and Mrs. Welles are giving on New Year's. The question was what ambassadors to invite, and how to manage to have Cordell Hull, secretary of state, as guest of honor, when various foreign envoys are to be present. The precedence rule is that when the secretary of state is the guest of honor at some function in an American home and there are foreign ambassadors present, the ambassadors take first place. In a foreign home in Washington, the secretary of state would precede the ambassadors. Mr. and Mrs. Sumner Welles have solved the problem rather neatly. They have invited only one ambassador, elegant, Oxonian-accented Freyre y Santander of Peru, to be their guest at dinner. He will sit at Mrs. Welles’ right. Secretary Hull will sit at Mrs. Welles’ left. As for the other ambassadors—well they will be invited to ccme in later for the dancing! a a a SENOR EDUARDO (RUBIO) VIVOT of the Argentine embassy has started anew fad in the diplomatic corps. He appears at all social functions—teas, cocktail parties, suppers and receptions—clad in a checked coat and riding breeches. Rubio is embarrassing scores of diplomats who ride in the morning and then stable their nags and don morning coats. Just as they arrive at the 'party, Rubio walks in wearing riding breeches. “My dear boy, where is your horse?” an ambassador asked Rubio, the other day. “Why doesn’t he come into have a cocktail also?” The bets were that if the horse came in he would be dressed correctly in a morning coat. Ambassador Felipe Espil of Argentina is upset about Rubio's riding habit. Or should we say, riding habits.) On Satur-day, Rubio appeared at his office at 11 o'clock clad in his habitual checked coat and breeches. <T Ye gods." cried Envoy Espil. “What shall I do? Cable the news to Buenos Aires that my secretary arrives to work in riding breeches?” Rubio is the most equestrian looking diplomat in the entire capital. a a a THE telephone rang yesterday in the home of Gerard Walravens. Belgian diplomat. .After a space, the maid answered. “Is Monsieur Walrsvens at home?” “Sir,” replied the maid, "mv boss has just : walked out of the house with a gun over his shoulder.” The question is—what is Gerard after? A ' Virginia partridge or a personal enemy? 1

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

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The Message Center

(Timet readers are invited to express their views in these oolutnns. Hake your letters short, so all can have a chance. Limit them to £SO words or lest.) a a a UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WILL REACH CONGRESS By H. L. Seerer Unemployment insurance in some form will be urged in the next session of Congress. That unemployment insurance can do anything to prevent depressions is just another fairy tale. The thing that causes unemployment is the accumulating surplus of goods, which can not be sold at a profit. The market lacks buyers who can pay the price of the goods; buying power having failed to equal the price asked for the goods. To analyze this situation, relative to finding the value of unemployment insuraflee, w’e discover that we have about forty-five million persons who depend upon wages and salaries for their means of support. This group supports the other persons not on pay rolls. When the pay rolls do not permit the purchase of the total volume of the goods produced, a surplus is created, which forces a slowing down of product!.n. Wages are reduced, the workers who are laid off competing for the remaining jobs. Those remaining on pay rolls are forced to speed up production for each unit of man power, until the line of unemployed stretches to giant proportions. The process becomes a vicious cycle, destroying capital values, increasing debt obligations, decreasing consumption and employment, and forcing public relief to the victims. Unemployment insurance is to create a fund, from which the workers are to draw a temporary income on a reduced scale while they are unemployed. The absurd feature of this is the hope created, j that this temporary reduced income will supply the added purchasing power which was not in the pay envelope while the worker was em- j ployed. To accomplish the re-employment : of these workers in the line of production, the income of those who are unemployed necessarily would j have to be increased so that they 1 might become buyers of the products which were created but not absorbed. Os course, the intelligence of the employer who cuts wages. 1 when he can not sell his goods, is that of a person committing economic sucide. The absurdity of hoping that the reduced income, received only temporarily by the recipient of unemployed insurance, or from our federal relief dole will increase consumption, is comparable to pumping the water out of the ocean beds. Our modem industrialists do such childish things in economics, while they pretend to be leaders of men. We need national economic kinderphabet to our would-be industrial gartens to teach the economic algiants. We live with “malice” in blunderlahd. a is a OBJECTS TO COMBINATION OF TENSIONS, POOR AID B* J. Wilson White The following was printed in an Indianapolis newspaper Saturday. Nov. 24: “The report said seven coiurty auditors recommended that the old age pensions be administered by a nonpartisan board rather than by the county commissioners. Four thought a state agency should administer the sj sum. Seven said the

TIED HANDS

Civil Service Upheld

By C. J. Schmutte. In reading Monday’s Times, I noticed the following headline on Page 3: “Mayor-elect Kern Unhappy Job Seekers Give Him Little Peace.” Naturally. I read the contents of this article and must confess that I was thoroughly disgusted and convinced what a rotten thing politics really is. These politicians hang on like the proverbial leech, seeking their life blood. This is the day when people are thinking for themselves and don’t forget the reaction on the mind of the average citizen. Our last election proved this very emphatically by the intelligent voting that swept the entire country. My inclinations have been toward the Democratic party, it being the most liberal party of the two, but by no means have I always adhered to the straight Democratic ticket. I do not wish to be interpreted as casting any reflections on Mr. Kern or any of the men mentioned in this article. I believe Mr. Kern’s record shows him to be a capable and honest man. Why must he be pestered by these political leeches?

fifteen-year requirement was unfair. Others suggested lowering the age limit, repealing the law, fixing a minimum pension regardless of need and combining old age pension administration with poor relief administration." Now, why do some w’ant to repeal the law instead of amending it? Fixing a minimum, regardless of need, would make a trifling lowpension. and why do they want to combine the pensions with poor relief to make life uncomfortable and miserable? None of the old people is in favor of such a system. Poor relief means a low, suffering and hungry life. It looks like picking up crumbs on the road to a poor farm. Some poor old woman once suffered to give you birth and some poor old main once struggled to feed you well and make you comfortable to live happy. Why not remember this and do your best to make old people live comfortable and happy in old age regardless of expense? Lower taxes by less expense for young pleasures like state roads, state parks and many other ways. Let us get this pension btfsiness settled early in commencement of the January legislature and not let it linger to the end. What we old people want is a state-wide pension law to be paid like the government pays the soldiers. We don't need so many hands in the pot to investigate. Our old age and financial conditions tells enough and we don't want to be mixed in with any poor relief. That’s what we want a pension for. to keep away from the hands of poor relief who keep themselves fat on bread and give us crumbs. Let the pensioner have his privilege to spend his own money and live free and happy, independent of the poor relief administration. ana PERSONS IN MIDDLE CLASS NEED GOVERNMENT AID Bt Jimmy Cafauras. Many proposals for various and sundry kinds of relief pop up for the consideration and delectation of the government. The very rich dint of his

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

Now’, The Times seems to be the champion of the merit system (personally, I prefer civil service), so why not start a strong campaign along these lines? You could start a private county popular vote of your own. After all, those in office can not ignore popular public opinion. I believe that the city police, city fire department, our penal institutions, state police and all appointive jobs should be put on the civil service basis. This, in a way, would*cast party affiliations to the winds and the best man or woman, mentally and physically, would get the job. Let’s get together and eliminate as much as possible all politics, put the civil service into operation, and keep the appointees on the job so long as their services are satisfactory. With a vigorous campaign on your part, this can be accomplished. The Indianapolis Times has published several stories based on a mail poll of members of the coming legislature. The legislators were asked their opinion of the merit system in police and institutional operations.

! great wealth, may have certain worries, but his bread still is well-but-tered, his chauffeur is still at attention, and his house boasts the very j latest bric-a-brac, and other trash, i The very poor man by admitting his status immediately is aided by a thousand agencies with some food, and others with part-time work and others with coal, most of them issuing from the alphabetical handouts .of the government. But there are certain types of citijzens who constitute the bulk of the I populace. These citizens may live in an ordinary or less than ordinary home. • In it is a hearth, a heart, and its j loves, though the walls be bare and the food scanty, the comforts few and the luxuries absent. Or he may live in a better class home. The value of the home makes little difference. They all still belong to that vast slice of the population—the middle class. There is rent with no money to pay it. The telephone has to be taken out. The light bill is two months over due. The gas bill is delinquent. The grocery bill is paid, but it is a nightmare to do it. The government has taken care oi the admittedly poor man. The rich man has taken care of himself. But the middle-sized man—that man who is clinging to his home with all his strength, in need of assistance but a little too dign'Ted and self-reliant to ask for it—needs help. He needs help badly. The government should help these people. Why manicure an unclothed. freezing man's finger nails? Why buy a starving man a hair cut? Help the average man—the every- ; day, uncomplaining, bulwark of the

Daily Thought

Even so hath the Lord ordained I that they which preach the gospel [should live of the gospel.—l Corin|thians, 9:14. MEN judge things more fully by the eye than by the ear; coni sequent!}’, a minister's practice is as imuch regarded, if not more, than hi* sermons.—Bridges.

NOV. 29, 1931

land the middle-sized man— the forgotten man. COUNTY LINE PROPERTY SUGGESTED FOR PROJECT B.v W. A. Chenault. The subsistence homestead project for Negroes seems to be held up on account of not having found a location. Negro people own large tracts of land on the MarionHendricks county line. I would like to suggest this location for the federal homestead project.

So They Say

Nations, like men, may prefer fighting to starving.—Francis B. Sayre, assistant secretary of state. Fashions change so; I don’t want too many clothes.—Princess Marina of Greece. Lindbergh, with one idea and tw,o sandwiches, laid the foundation for trans-Atlantic aviation. Auviile Eager, New York broker. They say the life of a movie actor is seven years and I’ve been at it eighteen years longer than that, so I'm going to retire.—Charles Murray. Oh, dear! I wanted to land on the White House lawn.—Mrs. Jeanette Piccard, stratosphere flyer. Social legislation has been gaining momentum in England for thirty years. In the United States it is just beginning to be considered seriously. -Commander Stephen King-Hall, British economist.

Thanksgiving

BY THOMAS E. HALSEY On this day let us give our thanks to God, Ah, not that we possess our share of gold— Perhaps no worldly wealth have we to hold, But that we've slowly garnered for ourselves. Far greater things than gold upon our shelves, Real treasures which were often combed about Then for some empty shells that glow'd, cast out; True riches which expel our doubts and fears And give us sustenance in trying years. Much more do we appreciate today Why our forefathers lingered there to pray; For precious gifts unto this land they brought. And for their preservation worked and fought: That we might know a kinder destiny. They handed down these gifts to you and me: Hope, perseverence, charity and love, And simple faith in Him who reigns above! Upon this bond our nation stand* today - And even' thoughful heart 'shall humbly pray That Gods communion with us never cease, Lest we should forfeit liberty and peace!