Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 2 February 1938 — Page 10

PAGE 10

ROY W. HOWARD President

Owned and published daily (except Sunday) by The Indianapolis Times Publishing Co.,, 214 W. Maryland St.

Member of United Press, Scripps = Howard Newspaper Alliance, NEA Service,’ and Audit Bureau of Circulations.

emphasis will be put little businesses.

being made. Big business, as

way deeper in.

ment,

list of subjects for discussion. President Roosevelt said yesterday preliminary studies are

crying for Government loans. scale, spokesmen for the unemployed are demanding that the Government borrow more billions to spend on relief. Government borrowing and Government lending, at times, may be justified. But that is no way out. Itis a

The Indianapolis Times

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' MARK FERREE Business Manager

LUDWELL DENNY Editor

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Eo Rlley 5551

Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 2, 1938

IT’S NO SOLUTION JE VERYONE must hope, of course, that great good will come out of the conference of small businessmen which meets today in Washington. The advance publicity, however, indicates that chief

on demands for Government loans to

That is item No.'1l on Secretary Roper’s

It is the topic on which

represented by the railroads, also is From the other end of the

There is abundant private capital in the country, lying idle or invested in Government bonds. get that private capital into business, small and large. It will go into business when its owners feel that the prospects of gain outweigh the chances of loss. Everybody seems to want Government help. But this country is not going to be rescued from economic disaster by making more and more people dependent on the Govern-

The way out is to

THREE QUEENS FOR BERNHARD “PRINCESS JULIANA obtained her wish—a girl. Prifice Bernhard had hoped for a boy.” So says the United Press report of the blessed event

in Holland. We do not doubt that Papa Bernhard is passing out cigars, or whatever princes do distribute on such occasions, with every evidence of joy and pride. And yet— He had hoped for a boy. Well, no wonder, We can see why the poor man would crave a little male company around

the palace. Ilis mother-in-law is a queen,

training to be a queen. And what is he?

for the throne.

Ilis wife is in Now his daughter is next in line

He's only the prince consort—a mere man in a family

of feminine big shots.

He married into a matriarchy which

now seems destined to continue for a third generation. Yes, we can well understand why Bernhard was just a wee bit disappointed when the royal physicians announced, “It’s

a girl.”

SAVE THE BUFFALO NICKEL

“JR UFFALO nickels” have been in use for 25 years, so the

law permits a new design for the 5-cent coin.

The

Treasury has announced a $1000 competition among American sculptors for the design of a “Jefferson nickel,” with Thomas Jefferson's portrait on one side and a representation of his Monticello home on the other. . We are sorry. The idea of a Jefferson coin is fine, but the plan to stop making buffalo nickels is not. The 5-cent

piece with the shaggy bison and the plain Indian’s head is not only a handsome work of art. It is the one among

all our coins that is authentically and unmistakably North American. It is much too fine to let pass out of circulation.

Besides that, Thomas Jefferson never saw, a nickel.

Nickel coinage didn’t start until 1866. would be an appropriate coin for him.

pieces by that name

The dime, now, The first 10-cent were minted in 1796, and he spent

many a dime when he was President.

And the current

dime would be no loss. Its conven-

tional Liberty head and its fasces are Roman in motive,

not American. That

hatchet tied up in a bundle of sticks

always makes us think of Mussolini, although we've been : using the present dime since 1916—years before Italy went

Fascist.

In three more years it will be lawful to adopt a new design for the 10-cent coin. And surely Thomas Jefferson, having waited thus long for a place on a coin, could wait

J that much longer. Jefferson dime, and buffalo nickel.

Then we could have a truly American

we could keep our truly American

LOGICAL, BUT WRONG

A FEDERAL Office

of Moving Pictures would be estab-

lished in the Government Printing Office under a bill

introduced by Senator Thomas of Oklahoma.

supervise production

The proposal isn’t good, but it’s logical.

Government agencies

It would of movies for Government agencies. That is, if must make movies the job could be

done better and cheaper by full-time experts.

But the completely logical thing would be a Federal Bureau of Propaganda to supervise production not only of movies but also of booklets, magazines and all the other material through which Government agencies undertake to “sell” themselves to the public.

Senator Thomas’

bill isn’t likely to pass, but it may at

least serve the useful purpose of making many people ask

this question: Why

movies ?

should Government agencies produce

-

‘WELL DONE’

HAWAIIANS still chant of the exploits of the great Kamehameha, the Polynesian Garibaldi who only 143

years ago set out with his fleet of war canoes from the

island of Hawaii, landed on Oahu, fought the Oahu army and drove it over the pali near Honolulu, What must have been their feelings the other day when the U. S. Navy's 18 patrol planes landed in Pearl Harbor after a record flight from San Diego? These planes, flying

in formation through

bad weather, had made the journey

of 2570 miles in 20 hours-and 12 minutes.

Secretary Swanson’s laconic comment, “Well done,” this flight was only routine to those

was mild praise. But

v Who ride the 20th Cen

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

If It Isn’t One Thing, It’s Another—By Kirby

Fair Enough

By Westbrook Pegler

Louisiana and Its Governor Hope That a Good Press Agent Can Get Lots of Results With $100,000.

NEW YORK, Feb. 2.—Two interesting documents come to hand from the mimeograph of Carl Byoir and associates, the New York publicity and propaganda firm. Both are issued on behalf of the Louisiana

State Board of Commerce and Industry. This body was established after the death of Huey Long and the touching reconciliation between the political heirs of the Kingfish and the National Administration

which has come to be known as the second Louisiana purchase. The Board of Industry and Commerce has an appropriation of $100,000 of the taxpayers’ money for its operating expenses and for the purpose of advertising Louisiana and allaying the fears of industry, which, during the ter- Si ror in Baton Rouge, learned to Ko : regard Louisiana as dangerous : ground. oA we'd But $100,000, minus the operat- Ais ; ing expense of the board, obvi- 2 SKE) ously would not buy much national advertising. lineage, so it Mr. Pegler is not strange that Mr. Byoir's firm is engaged to disseminate propaganda as news. Mr. Byoir is an able propagandist with experience in European and American affairs who has clippings to prove to a prospective client that a given amount of money invested in his services can produce more results in the guise of pure reading matter than a like amount spent over the counter can buy as advertising space.

» ” #

HIS fact irritates our publishers of newspapers and magazines and drives the Editor and Publisher, the trade journal of our press, practically wild. A remarkable quality of the two documents on Louisiana from the Byoir firm is that they give large and favorable prominence to Governor Richard Leche, who was a minor protege of Huey Long at the time of the assassination, but he seems to be his principal heir now. He recently was mentioned for an appointment to the Federal District Court, a suggestion which is not at all unthinkable, since the memorable “change of atmosphere” in Louisiana,

» # td

NE of the Byoir releases is headed: “No recession in Louisiana, says Governor Leche.” The other, headed “Louisiana booms with $47,000,000 in new factories,” is in the form of an article purporting to have been written by Richard W. Leche, the Governor. In both releases Governor Leche is treated with greater dignity than is popularly accorded him in Louisiana or Washington and is put forward so prominently that the casual, or even the studious reader, is given to wonder whether the taxpayers’ money was appropriated to extol Governor Leche or the state. Inquiry into the common practice of propaganda agencies reveals, however, that 28 states now spend their taxpayers’ money for advertisement, and that the propaganda companies regard it as no more than a proper courtesy to treet with grave respect the Governors from whom these contracts flow. In the present instance it would seem that Governor Leche him=self, by any honest apportionment of the benefits, should kick back to the taxpayers of Louisiana at least half of the amount spent with Mr. Byoir, for he shares top billing with the commonwealth and with no disquieting reminiscenses of his part in the late dictatorship or to the political negotiations which caused the “change of atmosphere.”

The Hoosier Forum

I wholly disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.—Voltaire.

HANDICAPS KEEP HIM JOBLESS, READER SAYS

By O. S.

I have been out of employment for the past eight years. I've been turned down repeatedly by private industry because of an eye injury. I can still see as well as any average person that is employed. I also have a defect in my hearing. I have passed the physical examinations required by insurance laws in all factories where I have been examined concerning my hearing, but have failed in the eye test. Recently I have been informed that I can not be accepted on a WPA job because of my hearing. I have been on relief for quite some time. I would much rather work for what I get. I think there is something radically wrong with the setup somewhere, when a person no more handicapped than I am gets turned down on a WPA job. I am

satisfied that private industry has

to abide by their insurance laws, but as I understand it, WPA work was meant for those unable to compete in private industry. ; I feel that if I am eligible for relief I am also eligible for WPA work, as I am physically able in every way to do this kind of work. I am a very proficient machinist, but seeing I am ruled out of private industry through the slight handicaps with which I am now afflicted, I must resort to common labor, but there still seems to be no place in society for anyone like me. I am only 32 years old. I can do the very hardest of labor. I personally know of several cases where people work on WPA jobs that are three times as badly handicapped as I am, both in age and capability. .

Editor's Note—Following is the comment by an official at WPA headquarters: “In all probability the writer of this letter is eligible for WPA work, but we are unable to give jobs to everyone who is eligible. “Since there is a limit to the number of jobs, naturally we must select the best qualified workers from the eligible list. Limited funds prevent us from giving jobs to all eligible workers. “However, if the applicant was totally deaf, he probably was turned down. In most of the WPA jobs it is almost impossible to use totally deaf persons.

” ” ” THREE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS UNSOLVED, READER SAYS By R. T.

Open letter to Chief Morrissey: Congratulations, Chief Morrissey, for your kind thoughtfulness of us streetcar and bus riders. I think several thousand riders should boost Indianapolis for its fine transportation system and the splendid operators who are helping cut down the accident fatalities. There are just three things you have not overcome. One is the

Business—By John T. Flynn

Glass-Steagall Act Could Have Gone Further in the Reform of Bank Holding Companies With the Support of the Administration.

EW YORK, Feb. 2—Senator Glass’ proposal to outlaw bank holding companies recalls one of the least understood episodes of the early days of the Roosevelt Administration. In the period preceding the 1933 crash, there had been an appelling history of defaults and betrayals by banks under holding company control. mous Wall Street investigation got around to that subject early in its labors. In fact long before the Roosevelt Administration came into power Ferdinang Pecora had started his investigation of bank affiliates and holding companies. His famous expose of the National City Company's activities under Charles Mitchell was made several months before Roosevelt took office. One of the strange features of the early days of the President's Administration was his refusal to consider any legislation to correct the bad bank practices of the branch banks, bank affiliates and bank holding companies. Senator Glass and Congressman Steagall had introduced a bill to ban holding companies, to outlaw bank affiliates, to put an end to private banking. But while all sorts of strange bills for all surts of reforms were being put down on what was called ‘the President's “must” list, he refused to do anything to aid the passage of the Glass bill, ~ 8 = =» UT the exposes of the Pecora investigation went on all through

(Times readers are invited to express their views in these columns, religious controversies excluded. Make your letter short, so all can have a chance. Letters must be signed, but names will be withheld on request.)

safety zone chiselers who during rush hours are sent through the safety zones by our police officers.

At Capitol Ave. and Washington St.

between 4:30 and 6 p. m. you will see pedestrians dodging and knocking into each other trying to get across the street. Second, what has become of our paint gang? The safety zones on

Massachusetts Ave. north of St. Clair St. are no more, because the paving gang covered them up, and it is almost impossible to get off the

trackless trolley without some auto

speeding by. Third, why not pick out several fast traffic officers and put them on the three-way corners that have the volume of traffic. Try some new officers. .

MORRISSEY REPLIES TO QUESTIONS By Chief Morrissey

Two lanes of traffic, ohe on each side of safety zones at Capitol Ave. and Washington St. are necessary during rush hours to expedite movement of traffic, However, cars are not permitted to drive through safety zones. Perhaps the confusion referred to is due to pedestrians trying to cross

the intersection against the move-’ ment of traffic, instead of with the’

MELODY By JOSEPHINE MOTLEY

Come, play me a tune on the strings of life Like a song on a violin; For always I love melody—not strife, Where discord must ever begin.

Draw the bow of experience softly, dear, Let the touch be both firm and true; And I shall love life forever and aye, Because it reminds me of you.

DAILY THOUGHT

And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine: Spall consume the land.—Genesis

OD’S mill grinds slow but sure. —Herbert,

green light, as we are trying to get them to do. Due to unfavorable winter weather conditions, it is impossible to repaint safety zone and other traffic lines at this time of year. Citizens are urged to report the license numbers of autos or trucks which pass streetcars, trackless trolleys or busses when they are unloading or receiving passengers away from the curb. The Police Department will

follow up such cases. ” ” ”

CLAIMS AMERICANS DID GOOD WORK IN SPAIN By Agapito Rey, Bloomington

Our newspapers recently have expressed concern for the Americans fighting with the Loyalists in Spain. The Rebels announced they had “wiped out” the American unit, but like many other Rebel war reports, this one was utterly false. It was issued to keep up the morale behind the lines. The Lincoln-Washington battalion fighting for democracy and liberty in Spain comprises at present some 3200 men. This unit is composed of Americans with a sprinkling of Cubans and other Spanish-Amer-ican volunteers. There are in this battalion some veterans of the battles of 1937, but the majority of them saw their first fighting a few weeks ago in the mountains north of Teruel. The Rebels have launched a vicious counter attack to recapture this city from the Loyalists, but after a month of terrific fighting all they have to show for their effort and staggering losses are a few hills northwest of the city. One of these hills, the Muleton, was held by the Americans for several days until they withdrew to fortified trenches. The Americans have done excellent work in Spain, both at the front and behind the lines. ... .One hundred sixty American veterans who have returned from Spain, some of them disabled, have just addressed a letter to President Roosevelt ptotesting against a neutrality law which enables Italy and Germany to acquire bombs in this country with which to murder helpless women - and children in Spain. These veterans will assemble in Washington on Feb. 12, Lincoln's birthday. : . » ” ” SEES SAME PROBLEM WITH NEW NICKELS By B. C.

Another old friend is leaving us— the buffalo nickel. He is 25 years old, with his wellworn design of an Indian head on one side and a bison on the other. The law permits changing coins every 25 years, and so, just for variety or something, we will have a new kind of nickel this spring, with Jefferson on one side and his old home, Monticello, on the other. The design will be different, but the central problem will be the same, whether it is the buffalo or the Jefferson nickel—how to get more of them.

State Dinners Are

Inevitable Functions in

Gen. Johnson Says—

A Statute Prohibiting Any Profif

During a Time of War Would Be as Dangerous as No Measure at All,

ASHINGTON, Feb. 2.—In the President’s armament message, he observed that “the time has come for the Congress to enact legislation aimed at the prevention of profiteering in time of war.” One of the worst aspects of war is price inflation. War creates instantaneous shortages of almost everything. That results in panicky bidding for the scant supply and sends prices soaring. This process is intensified by the effect of war on money and credit. The country is plunging headlong into debt. Its existence is threatened, The value of its money is therefore in doubt. It takes more and more money to buy everything, whether there is a shortage or not. This may be more dangerous than the loss of many battles. It ruins the morale of both the milie tary and the civilian population. The great bulk of us who live on wages or salaries or other forms of fixed income, are the first and heaviest sufferers. Our income does not go up in step with prices. Very soon the whole civilian population is suffering privae tion. This is particularly true of families of men at the front. Necessarily living on low incomes themselves, they hear of the sufferings of their own people and of the fortunes made by receivers of high prices. The inevitable resul is hot resentment at the Government.

Hugh Johnson

» ” 8 UCH runaway rises in price (depreciation of the value of money) have another military effect. Modern war requires such vast expenditures for material, much of which has to be bought abroad, that the mountainous prices and the vanishing credit of the country sometimes make it impossible to support the sheer money cost of the war. The President is right. We must avoid war profiteering and inflation. The way to do that is to put a ceiling over prices as soon as war is imminent, and to confiscate all profits due to war by a 100 per cent tax on all profits in excess of the average of the past three years’ profits in peace. But that is not what the proposed Connally Bill would do. It goes further than taking all profits due to war or eliminating profiteering. Though not quite as drastic as the old Nye proposals, it is cut from the same cloth. The idea in both suggestions is, “when war comes, abolish the profits system’-—not “to take all the profits due to war,” but “in war, to take all profits.” ” ” ” HERE is a distinction as wide as the difference between victory and defeat and any such meas< ure would be as dangerous to victory as no measure at all. . Ours is still a profits economy, It persuades men to work, effort and production by the hope of gain. The alternative is the Fascist or Communist idea of compelling effort and production by the fear of punishment. Our profits incentive has worked to the greatest result of production in history. - The compulsion idea is an unproved experiment. War demands not less production than peace, but immeasurably greater production. It seems an act of madness to attempt to compel an abandonment in war of our proved system of production for an unproved theory. It would wreck our Sropome pattern and probably legislate defeat and aster.

According to Heywood Broun—

Our National Life,

But One Should Be Able to Refuse an Invitation to the White House.

The fa-.

1933. The doings of the Chase

of the exposes. The President still held aloof from aiding such legislation. But toward the end of the session Senator Glass, who singularly had been very unfriendly to the investigation, seized upon the opportunity created by public indignation over the Pecora exposures, to get a vote on the Glass-Steagall bill and to pass it. This was done without a word of help from the President. In fact when he was signing the bill the President chaffed Senator Glass over the manner in which he had pushed his bill forward. This was a good bill and it is the only bank reform bill passed by this Administration. The bank deposit guarantee and some other bank bills were passedy but they were emergency measures and did not effect substantial bank reforms. Glass’ bill alone did that. a / » » # UT unfortunately that bill did not go as far as it could have gone on the holding company front if the Administration had given its support. It is not surprising now to see the old Senator from Virginia come forward again with his attack on the holding company. And it is fortunate that he-has done so, for no one can call him either a bolshevist or an amateur tinkerer. This is not an attack on branch banking. Branch banking is an entirely different subject. This is an

attack upon the extension to the banking field of the bad which so much trouble in the

5 % Tabi MAR

pd

EW YORK, Feb. 2.—“Between the Devil” recently hiked down to Washington to give what was advertised as a “command performance.” In reading the accounts of the expedition I couldn't quite figure out just who had issued the imperative order. The show is entertaining, and the producers seemed not at all loath. to be commanded. Everybody concerned had a good time, and so there is small cause for complaint. And yet I am minded to hiss gently, or at the very least, ask for information. The phrase “command performance” does not cet well in a democracy. Indeed, I think that some social secretary in some administration should emulate Emily Post, and issue a book or leaflet defining. the rules of conduct which commoners should follow in their relations with the White House. I am not thinking of leaders who are summoned for conferences. That is quite a different proposition. The theme I have in mind concerns only the compulsion, if any, put on those who are bidden to drop in and share a herring. # ” » HERE seems to be an unwritten law that even the most casual invitation from any White Eouse resident constitutes a command. This custom, as far as I know, has prevailed during all administrations since the memory of man. My scouts inform me that the current Roosevelts are probably less formal than any of their immediate pradecessors, and yet the ancient rule appears to stand fast. A young friend of mine who is an enthusiast for engraved. card inviting him to at’ a “White ‘House dinner

£5)

prospect did not thrill him. Indeed, the feast was set for a day on which he had made = date to go to Canada and roll in the snow with congenial friends. And after the skiing there was to be a party lasting far into the night at which he and his bude dies could sing war songs and college ditties. In his simple way my friend was about to send a cheerful letter of regret to Washington pleading a previous engagement. But his father, upon hearing of this plan, was horrified. “Bill,” he said, ‘you can’ do that. Nothing short of serious illness "ermits a good American to refuse a White House invitation.” 8, 8. 8

ILL, although an ardent New Dealer, is still a little bitter. He growled at me when I asked him whether he enjoyed himself at the party. “What do you mean ‘party’ ”? he asked. “The soup was cold, the steak was tough and I took in a rear admiral’s sister.”

“What happened after dinner?” I persisted with

my nose pressed against the window pane. “There was singing,” he replied, gloomily. “And that,” I suggested, “was when the fun began?”

“The singing,” he continued, without heeding the .

interruption, “was done entirely by a man and a woman. One was a tenor and the other a soprano, They sang arias. I didn't get a chance to do even e still wish I'd gone skiing.”

State dinners are inevitable functions in our nae

tional life, but I think that in this country

first verse of ‘Hinkey-Dinkey Parlez-Vous. I =