Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 18 November 1937 — Page 20
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The Indianapolis Times
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THURSDAY, NOV. 18, 1937
NOW! ONGRESS is in Washington wondering why it is there. Two things contribute to this confusion. One is that the “emergency” program, for which it was summoned into extraordinary session, is not ready for action. The other is that the serious business recession of the last few weeks has so completely overshadowed all else that, by comparison, the emergency measures Seem nebulous and long-range. Granted that next year’s farm crops should be regulated, granted that Government departments should be reorganized, granted that wage-and-hour standards are needed to stop sweatshop exploitation and spread employment, and granted that “seven TVAs” eventually would make ours a better country—yet not one, nor even all those measures on the original special-session agenda, could get in its work quick enough to halt the present business downslide. And if that downslide is not halted, the whole New Deal will go to pot. This latter—and in our opinion all-important—fact should bring speedily to an end the Donnybrook Fair of political wrangling that has characterized the special session’s opening. For Congress has plenty to do—and not too much time. The reason why business has hit the downslide, it seems to be generally agreed, is that capital has gone into hiding. So the first chore of Congress should be to coax capital back into harness, in order that business may be pulled off the downcurve and onto an upcurve, One reason capital is in hiding is the lack of confidence that it can earn and hold profits under our tax system. Yet certain powerful Congressional leaders urge delay on any tax action. But why not now? Business needs stimulation—now. Better far that the tax-revision job be done piecemeal than that the downslide continue uninterrupted. Tax changes promptly made would help check a recession, but the most perfect of all tax bills could not lift the country out of another major depression.
MRS. LOIS GROSVENOR HUFFORD
HE death of Mrs. Lois Grosvenor Hufford closes one of those careers of service that is a lasting good and inspiration to the community in which she lived. The major part of her life of 92 years was devoted to the educational interests of Indianapolis. As head of the English department of Shortridge High School for 16 years, beginning in 1884, her work extended beyond the class room. She founded the Debating Club, the school yearbook, and the country’s first high school daily paper, the Echo. Perhaps Mrs. Hufford’s largest service was in the founding of the Indianapolis Free Kindergarten Association
and the Children’s Aid Society, nucleus of the later Teach- |
In this latter institution, now a unit of But- | SG . ‘ ‘ : | i se i ing. ler University, Mrs. Hufford taught English for 24 years. | RE
| was an outrageous profanation of the Sabbath. It
ers’ College.
Mrs. Hufford was a pioneer in women’s work in educa-
tion. She received two degrees from Antioch College when |
that institution was one of three in the United States open to women. Then coming to Indiana she entered on her more than half a century teaching service in this state. She attained distinction as a Shakespearean scholar. She treasured the esteem expressed by one of her own pupils: “You were our friend as well as our teacher.”
HIGH COST OF GLAMOUR
poor crawling creatures, who look with envy on their luminous lives. We were wrong, for it seems that good and going Hollywood headliners consider their yachts and trans-Atlantic tours, their valets and maids, their wardrobes, gowns and jewels all legitimate and necessary to the upkeep of the glamour business. Files of the U. S. Board of Tax Appeals reveal that-— John Barrymore wanted a $2000 income-tax deduction for yacht trips to the Galapagos Islands and Alaska be-
cause he must “suggest to people that he is an interesting |
and glamorous character.”
Elissa Landi wanted the tax collectors to consider her |
nerves in connection with the cost of a maid. An actress musn’t “become upset while working.” Adolph Menjou’s lawyers told the board that he ought to have $1119 in suit-cleaning bills deducted because “for years he has been listed among the best-dressed men in the world,” and more than 50 per cent of his engagements have come through that reputation. Bing Crosby, Ltd. wanted offsets of $707.02 for Bing’s wardrobe and $792 for publicity. : Others wanted deduction for publicity, tips and whatnot. Most of these claims were turned down by beady-eyed Uncle Sam. Being just a mundane fellow he doesn’t underSan the fourth-dimensional ways of moviedom’s starry estate.
THE TROUBLE-MAKER
R 15 years there has been agitation in Congress for an antilynching law, empowering the Federal Government to deal with communities that fail to protect their citizens against lawless mobs. Twice such a law has passed
-the House—once in 1922, and again last April, 277 to 119.
Action has been blocked by Southern Senators. Now the Wagner-VanNuys bill, as passed by the House, is before the Senate, with filibustering from Southern irreconcilables. The nation’s sentiment for such a measure seems overwhelming. Eventually Congress will pass a law to attack lynching as the Lindbergh Law has attacked kidnaping. The shame of lynching is on America’s conscience. That is why this issue will be a trouble-maker until it is
| out of Galpin’s lake.
THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES No Matter What He Calls
It, There She I
(Ge
i Yevaem
THURSDAY, NOV. 18, 1937
Recovery Road !—By Talburt
Fair Enough
By Westbrook Pegler
Local Option Day Memories Prompt Pegler to Old Barroom Anecdotes; He Tells Why Drys Won Election.
EW YORK, Nov. 18.—You may think I am trying to be homespun, but I can remember where and when a child whose father or mother got drunk, or even kept a case of beer in the cellar or a jug of rye in
the cupboard, was disgraced and was apart from the rest of the kids at school. The circumstances may have been rather special, because the churches in town were running a local
option campaign against the saloons. One was kept by a quiet, respectable German, who catered to the family trade, serving mostly nickel beers and liverwurst-on-rye. Another ‘was attached to a hotel and was cited by the local preachers and the guest orators brought in by the W. C. T. U. as the living counterpart of the Sickle and Sheaf in “Ten Nights in a Barroom.” The third, run by a man named : Hawkins, was the place where ue Gi sporting blood congregated a glen right Br, Hawkins’ free lunch Mr. P
| was the best in town, and there was a superstition that
his Negro chef, who wore one of those mufflin-shaped white hats, would pay a kid two bits for soup turtles I never checked on the rumor, because I never caught one that was soup size, As the dry campaign warmed up there came a great scandal in our town. A couple of boys, 18 or 19 years old, got into an argument, and one of the sports bought a barrel of beer and set it up in a quiet place of a Sunday afternoon, rallied the high-rollers, and
There was a Sunday closing law, and this incident
was just £0 much worse because it was claimed that the two young gladiators were plied with beer after the fight—their first false step, it was said, and opportune proof that the perfidious brewers lost no opportunity to enslave and debauch the youth of our fair community. ” ” » HE news spread around town that this one and that one—fathers, uncles and big brothers of some of the kids in school—had been suppeeniated to the county seat, and, though none of us quite knew what suppeeniation meant, we knew it was real bad. The drys had all the luck that campaign. Their campaign stuff was exciting and played to big crowds, because the only regular amusement—if you could call
singers and card trick magicians who would open the town hall maybe once a month and do their stuff for 25 cents a head, children 15 cents. : The drys, however, gave us singers and magic lantern shows two or three nights a week for about a month. The songs were such as “Where Is My Wandering Boy Tonight?” with slides showing a whitehaired mother alone gazing at a baby shoe and a dissipated youth slumped over a table in a big-city hellhole. N o ” HEY were a cinch to win the election. Just a couple of days before the vote some poor bum from down around the water tank, where the harvest hands waited for the freights, got locked up in the town jug for being drunk, set fire to the mattress, and strangled on the smoke. There was no attendant at the lockup, no faucet, or anything, and it was a terrible place to wake up with a hangover. But this poor man couldn't even get out of his cell to open a window. By the time some one noticed the smoke around the eaves he was
all done.
The Liberal View
The Hoosier Forum
I wholly disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.=Voltaire.
OUTLINES AUTO SAFETY PROGRAM TO COUNCIL By W. Austin Bruce
(Following are extracts from an| open letter by Mr. Bruce to the City | Council.) This letter is written in the hope | it may be instrumental in reducing in some measure the traffic toll so much deplored by all of us. My first and principal suggestion is that the full responsibility for | city traffic be vested and centralized | in one individual, whom we might call City Traffic Engineer. May I take you for a drive to inspect present conditions up N. Pennsylvania St.? We pass the traffic light at New York St. At the southwest corner of the Ver-| mont St. intersection, the Archi-| tects and Builders Building is flush | with fhe sidewalks on both streets, making a totally blind corner. Ver-|
| mont, too, is fairly wide and smooth, land in the block west of Pennsyl- | | vania St. is open and inviting. Sup- | pose another driver is coming west |
on Vermont as we approach from the south. He has ho warning of | any kind. Must he stop for the more prominent thoroughfare when we suddenly see each other's cars? Unless I am mistaken this driver | approaching on our right has, by| law, the right of way in spite of the fact that the importance of Ver-' mont St, judged by the amount of traffic carried, is int no way com-| parable to that of Pennsylvania St We drive a block further north. | Michigan is another prominent cross street, and there the Under-| writers Building presents exactly the same problem.
Criticizes Slow Sign
Now we drive north to 13th St. As we approach the corner, large letters on the pavement order “Slo 10 Mi. Hr.” There is no reason why the cars| should slow down to less than 25. Thirteenth isn’t even a cross street. It dead-ends at Pennsylvania. This sigh and many others like it can accomplish just one result, |
(Times readers are invited their these columns, religious con. troversies excluded. Make your letter short, so all can have a chance. Letters must be signed, but names will be withheld on request.)
to express views in
ment of these with flashers.
5. Headlight Control — Educate Marion County drivers to the use| money-changer friends, will of their courtesy lights in the City |
on the road.
6. Turns From Proper Lanes—A |
| | | |
ing all arguments to the contrary |
by either individuals or groups now
| opposing him. Mark now-—that Mr.
Roosevelt will again receive in-
dorsement by another large ma- |
jority should he choose to ask for a third term in order to carry through his program in behalf of the ignored masses of this country
| | | i |
His decision will rest entirely on |
his judgment of hi ress to- : judgm 3 Popes | Science,
ward that end
As should be expected by just | Lives could be saved by the replace- | ordinary voters, jealous politicians
aided their
within all political parties, by and at the behest: of
con- |
tinue discrediting the President by | and when approaching other ears | opposing his program whenever, in |
their opinion, their own political or other ambitions will not be
right turn from the right lane and| damaged.
a left turn from the left lane. |
It would be most interesting 'o
7. Bicycles—Would it not be well | gnaw for cyclists, like rural pedestrians | now the TE Rha
to use the left side of the pave-
ment? |
8. Shrubbery-~Many eorners are unnecessarily hazardous by shrubbery blocking the view. 9. Courtesy of Bus and Trolley Drivers—Frequently the driver of the trackless trolley leaves a five or six-foot lane between his vehicle and the cars parked at the curb, and blocks both the north=bound | lanes, and to pass him we are] forced to break the law by driving | beyond the middle of the street.
Bw. % ROOSEVELT BELIEVED HOLDING POPULARITY
| By “Patient”
We can’t help but glance back=- | ward as we look forward into the | changing social, political, and eco- |
cause the particular qualifications of the candidate, and how many voted for candidates becase they were of the same political party as the President, or had expressed | themselves publicly as approving of | the President's program. My guess | would be that only a small minority | paid any attention to the candidate | for Congress or many other offices | excepting to be sure that he prom- | ised or indicated support of the President,
We the faultfinding and skeptical | public now listen to those who wouid criticise the President because he did not and could not do all manner of things each of the small | groups and individuals wanted who | so loudly proclaim and attach | credit to themselves for the Presi- | dent having a ¢hanee to popularize |
nomical conditions of this country. | himself with the American public.
After all, we must sum up the totals on both sides of our mythical ledgers if we are to be guided by the balance sheet. And I think first of the human balance sheet, President Roosevelt has twice been commissioned by large majorities in this country to change the social and economical parity of
| blame him for.
We have trusted Roosevelt twice | with no disappointments we can Let's not listen to self-seeking people.
» % WB DECLARES COMMUNISTS ENDANGER AMERICA By James Dugan
They will not be obeyed because the underprivileged-—notwithstand-
Westbrook Pegler certainly hit the |
they are unreasonable and unjust, offer the following additional 8 fic suggestions: 1. Stop Signs—Any street that carries sufficient traffic to justify the erection of an electric signal where it crosses another prominent street certainly must for the same reason be sufficiently prominent to justify being made preferential at its intersections with lesser streets. 2. Parking—On all preferential streets which are narrow, restrict parking to one side. 3. Traffic Lights—If they run al night they invite holdups; if they are turned off they invite accident. Why not wire them with a cutofl which makes them flashers during the late hours, continuously showing an intermitient red (stop) light on one street and an amber (caution) on the other? And require a stop. |
Urges Better Signs 4. Improved Stop
present stop signs at preferential ever reach heaven; night. | has need to be forgiven.—Herbert,
streets are inadequate at
Present Congress May See Intensification of Struggle Between F. D. R. And Foes on Issue of Liberalized Social and Economic Legislation.
By Dr. Harry Elmer Barnes
EW YORK, Nov. 18.—One should be on his guard N against lapsing into the melodramatic in dis-
cussing the import involved in the conflict between President Roosevelt and his opponents over social and economic liberalism. Yet it is no exaggeration to
say that that conflict if it divides the present special session of Congress may be far-reaching. Let us look at some of the relevant facts. Few except the economic royalists and some reactionary Republicans doubt that our economic system had come to a very desperate crisis by March, 1833. Two basic problems were involved in the crisis of 1033. One was to check further disintegration, and the other was to bring about sufficiently sweeping reforms so that a similar crisis would not reappear in anything like the immediate future. Any honest and fair observer will accord Mr. Roosevelt the highest praise for distinguished achievements in meeting the first problem. He checked collapse, bolstered the tottering economy and restored a certain degree of confidence, But it is hard for even a friendly commentator, if he is candid and informed, to concede that very much has been done to reconstruct the American economy.
» » ” NEW humanitarianism has been introduced. It is no longer more difficult to get relief for man than for a mule. We take care of the wreckage cre-
a
trol of the economic order and will continue to turn out as much economic and human wreckage as before. Most of the New Deal, perhaps, has gone by the board, thanks to the Supreme Court. Something far more drastic than the NRA, the AAA and other New Deal legislation must be introdueed if capitalism is to survive. Such legislation, if passed, may get by the Supreme Court by a narrow margin. But it now begins to look doubtful if such legisiation can he passed. The reactionaries in Congress are less interested in saving the Constitution and the Court than they were in protecting the old economic order from effective control in the interests of the public, " . »
HE Court issue was a God-given opportunity which enabled them to cloak their fundamentally antisocial aims under an ostensible devotion to high idealism. They now feel their oats and have tasted victory. It will be difficult to get by them with legislation as far-reaching as the original New Deal, to say nothing of the more sweeping laws necessary to save the present economic order. No doubt some honest liberals have been afraid of the Court packing issue and have been quite sincere in opposing the Court bill on this ground. In the light of the alternatives, however, this fear of packing the Court in the future seems to me much
4
IN WAITING By VIRGINIA KIDWELL I wateh you, my heart, I stand back far away Like a mentor, apart, And 1 faint with dismay. At your utter disdain Of the fine things that come To so few and again With despair, I am numb. As TI watch your mistakes I stand by through the years To comfort you, heart, When you come home in tears.
DAILY THOUGHT
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will It also forgive you.—Matt, 6:14,
HE that cannot forgive others, | breaks the bridge over which Signs—Our | he himself must pass if he would
nail on the head in a recent issue | of The Times. He pointed out how ridiculous the Russians ean make themselves when they complain | against Nazi meddling in the Soviet | Government while Russia is her- | self busily meddling in the United | States. | The average American citizen | says nothing about the ever-spread- | ing menace of communism, becomsing daily mors dangerous to the | American home and family. This | refusal to face the facts is leading | to the destruction of American democracy. can't happen here? The | chances are that the Spanish peo- | ple said the same thing untii they | awoke to find communism’s iron heel on their heads. America has | room only for Americanism and not communism, fascism, Naziism or any other kind of “ism.”
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It Seems to Me
By Heywood Broun
Broun Sees in Morgenthau's Speech Proof That New Deal Faces Crisis; Hopes F. D. R. Will Say ‘No Retreat.’
NEW YORK, Nov. 18.=] liked the President's message to Congress a good deal better than 1 liked Secretary Morgenthau's speech before the Academy of Political They did not differ enormously in principle, but in phrase and manner the Secretary of the Treasury suggested a man in full retreat, while Mr. Roosevelt still had his hands up There seems to be every indication the New Deal is going to be under heavy pressure during the special session, and many of its most dangerous foes are Democrats. Conservative forces in this country are much better organized than they wete last year. It is useful in a democracy to have an intelligent and articulate opposition Antiadministration forces are now articulate, but it remains to be seen whether they are intelligent There is a good deal of Bamson psychology in the opposition. Bome of the men in Congress and some of the groups which they represent ate prepared to pull everything to pieces and are quite ready to let the rafters fall on their own heads if only they can get Roosevelt in the process. The legion of death does not really want recov. ery to proceed at the present time. They want an izsue for the Congressional election of 1838 and are even prepared to run the risk of hard times right up to the national election of 1940, if only that weapon will put a crusher on all progressive policies ih this country.
” # # UCH a course takes nerve, but it is just as well not to exaggerate the courage of the Old Guard. Th spite of the moaning across the bar the boys in the higher brackets do not actually suffer as much as the underprivileged during depression years. Much has been maid in eriticism of Franklin D. Roosevelt as a mah who has created class-consciousness in this coun try, but surely some of the financial and industrial leaders have ridden off to these wars with a good deal of whoops and hallooing,
At such times as the dove of peace has been loosed at the Whie House the bird has fluttered back to its nest all riddled with buckshot. To my ear the mess sage which Secretary Morgenthau delivered to the diners of the Academy of Political Beience was at least more than 50 per cent conciliatory, Indeed, it seemed to me that the Cabinet member was tossing sops around like confetti at a New Year's Eve celebration. On two occasions his speech was interrupted by loud, raucous and mocking laughter, with a few boos thrown in, At one point he was moved to depart from his script into a bit of ad lib defeatism when he said, “All right, you try it’ ¥ B® HE great heart of the assembly went out to the pure Bourbonism of Senator Byrd of Virginia, There should be no disposition on the part of Administration leaders to say, “All right, you try it.” The Hoover clique had it: chance to deal with a depression. There reems to be No reason 10 believe that the painful record made then ean be bettered by
Mr. Broun
| any second administration of the same philosophy.
1 am not contending that no concessions should be made and that every suggestion from a conservative source is inevitably without merit, But I do hope and believe that in the contest to come President Roose= veit will be shrewd enough not to give a single inch, if that particular bargain is going fo be used to snatch away from America every pillar of progressive policies,
The Washington Merry-Go-Round
Morgenthau Meckled by Hostile Audience at Recent Budget Speech; Roosevelt Displeased With Cummings’ Action on Antimonopoly Suits,
By Drew Pearson and Robert S. Allen ASHINGTON, Nov. 18-—The delivery of Henry Morgenthau's speech before the Academy of Political Science was an embarrassing experience for the Secretary of the Treasury. His audience was definitely hostile. Also, it was inclined to treat with vocal and sometimes raucous levity the most serious and important remarks Mr. Morgenthau made. Promises that the Administration was anxious to co-operate with business brought an audible chorus of “Oh yeahs.” The pledge that Mr. Roosevelt wanted to revise inequitable taxes brought one or two Bronx cheers. Secretary Morgenthau persevered and finally got to the most important part of his speech, the promise of a “determined” move toward balancing the budget. This brought more feers and “Oh yeahs” Where upon, the irked Mr. Morgenthau shot back: “All right, you try it yourself.”
Note—Despite Mr. Morgenthau's good intentions, it ean be stated categorically the budget is not going to be balanced this year, Plans to balance it have been abandoned by some of the President's close and conservative advisers, who say the effect on business would be disastrous. Even businessmen are now reversing themselves and arguing that the too sudden s e of Govern-
ment spending is causing the slump in ess, and he Government will have 10'go back to a larger
M* ROOBEVELT and his Attorney General are not on the best terms these days. In fact, they may be parting company. Both will deny it, but nevertheless it is a fact that Attorney General Cummings is dragging anchor on the President's antimonopoly drive. The President is eager to get under way with the monopoly move. He believes vigorous action at this time would produce far-reaching results in forcing down prices, thereby energizing lagging consumer buy ing, one of the primary causes of the business recess sion. Several weeks ago he directed Assistant Attors ney General Rober Jackson, of the antitrust division, to make a study of price-fixing and to institute suits against certain manufacturers accused of collusive bidding by Government departments, Under cover, Mr. Cummings has been throwing obstacles in Jackson's way. He poo-poohed the value of the survey and has thrown cold water on the ahi monopoly campaign in general.
R. CUMMINGS’ failure to tackle the monopoly problem is laid at the doors of his friend Bruce Kremer, one-time Montana ratic Na. tional Committeeman and since 1933 a bigtime lawyer, Benator Wheeler, bitter eritic of Mr. Cummings and Mr. Kremer, has told friends he plans to demand an investigation of both, Mr. Roosevelt has been trying to ease out Mr, Cummings for a year. Reason he is still hanging on Is the President hasn't been able to find another job Mr. Cummings would accept. And the Attorney eral haous both AblG $0 get tiie Mith OF rivals Sr »
| he wants.