Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 23 July 1938 — Page 10

PAGE 10 = —— The Indianapolis Times So . (A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER) ROY W. HOWARD LUDWELL DENNY MARK FERREE - President Editor Business Manager ‘Owned and published’ Price tn Marion Coundaily (except Sunday) by ty, 3 cents a copy; delivThe Indianapolis Times ered by carrier, 12 cents

Publishing Co., 214 W. .a week. Maryland St.

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Riley 5551

Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way.

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

» SATURDAY, JULY 23, 1938

NEIGHBORHOOD RIGHTS i MAN who permitted an aggressive neighbor to tear the - pickets off his fence, and kill and eat all of his chickens that strayed outside, would not be considered much of personage in his neighborhood, would he? Indeed, other neighbors, not guilty of the depredations, ~ would be justified in holding such a man in contempt as a ‘timid soul and sucker, and also as derelict in his duty toward the community. For in failing to defend his rights and his property, the victimized person would be encouraging offenses and thereby jeopardizing the rights and property of the whole neighborhood. Such seems to be the dilemma facing the United States in its relations with ‘Mexico. And Secretary of State Cor"dell Hull, after demonstrating great patience, has transmitted to the Mexican Government a note clearly setting forth the rights and obligations of neighbor nations.

" Mexican expropriation of lands belonging to United States citizens started more than 20 years ago, yet despite repeated pressing of claims none of these seized propophies has been paid for. Fain Our Government, Mr. Hull states, does not question the legality of the expropriations. As a sovereign state, Mexico has the same right to take possession of land within her borders 4s our own Government asserts in respect to privately owned land in the United States. It is almost a * daily occurrence for our Government to take over private property—for conservation of soil or natural resources, for reforestation or parks; for slum clearance and rehousing— yet our Government compensates dispossessed owners, both citizens and foreigners, immediately and in cash. Mr. Hull insists, as a matter of right and equity and in accordance with established Ra ey Mexico pay United States citizens a fair prife for their properties taken. : : { Implementing this policy, Mr. Hull calls upon the Mexican Government to submit the claims to arbitration, under | terms of the inter-American arbitration treaty which both Governments signed in 1929. It is hard to see how the administration of President Cardenas can refuse this logical and eminently fair proposal., To do so would be to indicate that Mexico does not reciprocate in the policy of the good neighbor, that Mexico considers herself not bound by the rules of international conduct. \- | Mr. Hull's note does not mention the recently expropriated oil properties. But it is clear that the policy he has * laid down in respect to land seizures is one which our Gov- . ernment intends to follow in regard to all expropriation of properties belonging to American nationals, by Mexico or by any other government. i oo gu Naturally, as Americans, we, applaud this firm and forthright policy. Yet the citizens of Mexico and of all other nations on the globe have a stake in its success. The \issue is fundamental. One paragraph in Mr. Hull's note | spells out the implications: : ' “The whole structure of friendly intercourse, of international trade and commerce, and many other vital and mutually desirable relations between nations indispensable to their progress rest upon the single and hitherto solid foundation of respect on the part of governments and of

people for each other’s rights under international justice.”

JOHN L.LEWIS ON FREEDOM

1 MAN named Max Banks was arrested in New York for peddling a pamphlet without obtaining a permit. The pamphlet, published by the Socialist Labor Party, is entitled “John L. Lewis Exposed.” It says some pretty tough things about the C. I. O. leader, denouncing him as a labor faker and a capitalist tool. Max Banks was taken before Magistrate Morris Roth- " enberg, who dismissed the charge, holding that to require a permit for the sale or distribution of printed literature ~ would violate the constitutional guarantee of free press. We applaud. the magistrate’s decision. But the best part of the story is what John L. Lewis said when he heard ~ about it? rod + “T am glad there will be no further restrictions on the right to peddle this pamphlet. The American people have the right to distribute and read dissenting views, no matter how distorted and prejudiced they may be. The magistrate’s ruling is an enlightened one, in accord with our best traditions. I hope the members of the C, I. O. may have as much freedom to distribute their handbills and sell their publications as the C. I. O. is willing to accord to its enemies.” : " A fine statement, Mr. Lewis, making clear three tremendously important points: » 1. That freedom of the press is not a special privilege for owners of newspapers and magazines, but 4 right extended to the humblest citizen who wants to print handbills or peddle pamphlets. | : 2. That it includes even the right to express distorted ‘and prejudiced views. ~ 8. That those who want freedom to express their own opinions should defend the right of others to express contrary opinions.

OFF TO A GOOD START in

HE Congressional investigators of TVA are proceeding, we think, as investigators should. 1 a single day they removed the muzzles from all TVA employees, and brought out into the open the deletion-of-minutes issue. Much is at stake in the vast TVA experiment— - public millions already spent, and milliohs more to be spent. For an investigation to leave anything in the nature of doubt as to the merits of the controversy which brought the investigation on might prove fatal in terms of public confidence, without which such a tremendous enterprise could not go on. No Cougasssionsl inquiry was ever more .important., Clear-cut findings are the imperative need. We are glad to see the skillful technique that is characterizing the opening scene and hope it lasts till the end of the

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Fair Enough By Westbrook Pegler Press Would Be Better OF Today If the Publishers Didn't Treat One Another With Such Courtesy.

EW YORK, July 23—It pains me to say so, but it occurs to me that’ the.press of our country,

alert and diligent as it always has been to investigate other elements of the community almost never investigates itself. We investigate and expose and often reform evils in politics and business, we unmask plotters gBainst the peace and purse of the people,

and we supplement the police in the pursuit of mur-

derers and scoundrels of other kinds. We have

goaded bashful prosecutors and Governors to their duty, broken up gangs, and with a fairly accurate instinet for the jugular,” have denounced cunning and complicated frauds on the taxpayers. sin But all this time there has existed among the publishers, with exceptions too trivial to mention, a sort of unspoken understanding or gentlemen’s agr ent to refrain from investigating rival newspapers or pubg matters of news interest too well known to require. investigation. I do not refer to incidents in the private lives of the proprietors. “oh

8 8 8 mind is something on the order

of the fearless denunciation of the hypocritical or venal political boss 0! .

small example, when a paper.gupports a certain polit- |

ical ticket with the understan that it will receive position paper should holler “copper! The hypothetical cases which could be basis of known performance are many and’ variety, but all the time, certainly always since tered the business, there has been a taboo on suc stories. : : If publishers did not treat one another so courteously, the press would be better off today, because the papers would have kept one another in line by the threat of the same kind of publicity that politicians fear. I hope I do not give the impression that pub-

lishers are rascals by trade; but in a press as large as

ours in this country, with ownership or control open to any person or interest with sufficient money, regardless of character or motives, chicanery is inevita= ble. And the square publishers should treat misconduct, hypocrisy and false motives in the press the same as they treat such doings in other lines. Failing to do this—and they do fail—they shirk a portion of the duty which accompanies the privilege of a free press. 2 » 8

THINK the papers ought to take picks on one another in their editorial columns, as editors did in a day before my time, and launder their linen as they go along instead of permitting a whole hamper of stuff to accumulate, to be put through the wringer and perhaps torn into shreds by some Congressional committee. I think they ought to abandon the clubby mutual forbearance which makes such a rarity of a newspaper story or editorial about another newspaper. In this connection I would say that the story of the bitter fight between the Newspaper Guild and many publishers should have been treated not as a private family row, but as public news all along. The press is one “of the greatest investigating

“bodies in the country. Lacking official authority, we

are hampered in our delving, but it is more than strange that our zeal for investigation and challenge so rarely extends to our own interesting affairs.

Business By John T. Flynn

&

Home Owners Haven't Right to Ask’

Rest of Nation to Pay Their Bills.

EW YORK, July 23.—The inevitable movement N now gathers force.’ This is the clamor of Congressmen to save our “home owners.” Saving them consists in preventing the Home ‘Owners’ Loan Corp. (HOLC) from foreclosing on mortgages, collecting principal or charging an interest sufficient to pay its way. Generally it will doubtless take the form of a.demand for a moratorium on foreclosures.

One of the most revered of sentiments among Americans is that one which twines around the name of home. It is composed of those warm and tender memories and ties which cluster around the hearthstone. And so these sacred and gentle sentiments are made the basis of the latest phase of the HOLC episode.

The first phase was that one in which the adventure was launched. The air reeked at that time with oratory about the home. But the proposal was launched, not by the home owners, but by the agents of the gentlemen who held the mortgages and knew they could never collect. : The people who held the mortgages are ah bailed out. Now the next thing is to bail out the unfortunate families who: bought jerry-built houses for twice their price. i : Most of these houses are not worth the amount of the mortgage. Some are not worth half that sum. Most of the owners had lived in them for but a vear or two or half a dozen at most when the disaster engulfed us all. Loaded with mortgages beyond their value or means the houses are a drag on’ them, a chain around their, necks. fo = §

HOLC a Mistake From Start

Every man has a right to buy a house~ He has the right to pay twice its value. ‘He has the Tight to struggle to pay for it. And th mortgage lender has the right to lend him the money and collect as big an interest and bonus as the) law and man’s credulity will allow. But neither done of them has the right to logk to other Americans to pay their bills for them. The rest of the population is sufficiently burdened under its own despérate struggle to get along. Whatever its troubles it must be made’ to shoulder the needs of those unfortunate families who cannot find work and who face want. But it ought not to be made to assume the mortgage obligations of people who want to live in better homes than those who are asked to pay the bills. The Home Owners’ Loan Corp. was a profound mistake from the beginning. This is not a popular thing to-say. But it is true. And sooner or later the Government is going to fifd itself holding most of this vast bag. :

A Woman's Viewpoi omans Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson 3 Vy =n have acquired a reputation for vanity. | This is strange too, since, as far back as mem- |

ory runs, man has been the parader and the strutter, | And ‘still is, girls. Make no mistake about that.

Outside of the movies he may be comparatively modest about his personal adornment and charms,

but nothing can equal his pride and joy when he con-:

templates what he believes to be his native ability and his colossal intelligence, The full flowering of his ego occurs in election years. : Then, indeed, we see the mediocre male at his vainest—and what a sight he is! The boys who run for office—there are thousands in every state—sing their own praises until the air resounds with their clamor. Not one seems to have the slightest doubt that he could solve all economic woes and bring prosperity and happiness to every citizen. 2 ’ I've met proud ladies, I grant you. But I've never seen one who could spend two hours before an audience describing her virtues and her capacity for great achievements, : : Women may preen before their mirrors, they may be’ obnoxiously self-centered, but they've not yet reached the peak where the proud male prances when he solicits votes. And it’s my guess they never will, because our sex has enough gumption left to know that self-praise is the essence of bad manners. Every time we go through a campaign I wonder that democracy survives. It's a sure bet this year's

- campaigns won't bring many better officials, but they. more that in the political arena the and that his vanity is |

will prove once male has no sg

ise. of humo

LUGE.

“1 > ° The Hoosier Forum I wholly disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.—Voltaire.

RECOUNTS TALE OF TOTALITARIAN ‘EFFICIENCY’ By B. C. ; The big brag of the totalitarian state is that it is efficient. It may be a bit repressive and hard to live with, but it gets things done; slipshod old democracy just mud-

dles along. Okay. Let’s look, as they say, at the record. . Until recently the New York Times maintained its central European bureau in Vienna. The Anschluss- made it necessary for the bureau to be moved to Praha. The bureau consisted of four smal rooms; the stuff to be moved included a small amount of furniture, a few typewriters, and some files. The Times people blithely notified the authorities, called the movers, and prepared to get going. At this point German efficiency stepped in—with the result that it took two mortal months to get one vanload of possessions moved from Vienna to Praha. Inspectors of high and low degree came to call. Innumerable documents had to be filled out, books had to be examined, appeals taken, signatures of various functionaries obtained. All of this took three weeks. Ti Then the efficient Teutons had to go over all of the things that were to be moved—and go over them they did, with a-super-efficient fine-tooth comb. By the time all this was done, the

expired. These had to be renewed, which meant ‘more delay. So,’what with one thing and another, the Times people got moved —in two months. > All very efficient, certainly, but efficient for what? Efficient in the sense that German officialdom knows, to the last paper clip, exactly what the Times people took:out of Vienna; staggeringly, unbelievably inefficient and bunglesome from every other viewpoint. : It’s less of a strain on the nerves to muddle through with slipshod old Miss Democracy—don’'t you think?

: x un, DEPRESSION HAS TAUGHT MASSES LITTLE, IS VIEW By E. S.

I agree with W. P, Groves that if the people had voted like the Socialists 30 years ago we would have a paradise to live in now. We could have a good standard of living® and have all the needs for

bare existence we have. In my opinion .the great mass of people have not learned very much during this depression. That is the reason they dre still voting for the capitalistic system-—namely, the Democratic and Republican Parties. Capital, as everyone should know, is that part which labor earned and

tax permits previously obtained had |

the mass of people rather than the |.

(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.)

produced but did not get. The workers should wake up and vote for their own interests,

A READER ATTACKS HOLC PROCEDURE By A. E. :

Before me is an article defending the HOLC procedure by Fahey. I notice some representatives from New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts protested. I wonder what is the matter with the 45 remaining states’ representatives. Here is exactly what happened in our particular case, and I can se= no reason why we should have pe‘n an exception. In fact, I know of several others who had the same experience at the same time. The money was loaned with the technical understanding that the borrower was to keep up repairs, pay taxes and pay interest at 5 per cent on the principal for three years, after which we were to pay the required amount on the principal each month. In exactly 18 months after

MEMORIES OF A TREE

By DOROTHY BUERGER I dream tonight of a low-branched

tree, Tucked away from lavish view; Of costly flower and shrub display, In the back of our yard it “just grew.” :

The neighbors’ children gathered

ere To hunt the big brown bear, Or variations—sometimes we Were Indians waiting in lair.

When life and love were new, dream tree, or ; You held a sweet allure, To nestle calm within your bough And dream of my amour!

I'm grateful for having wandered tonight | Where the past is still the past; And I, a little child again, O dream too lovely to last!

DAILY THOUGHT

Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. —St. Mark 13:31.

FFLICTION is not sent in vain from the good God who chastens those that He loves.— Southey.

the loan was made, they demanded the full required monthly payment with the addition of $3 extra each month. It was impossible for us to meet these demands at that time, and we made appeal after appeal, giving detailed information why it was impossible to meet those demands. We did live in the home about 16 months without paying, but that

-| was due to their lax method of do-

ing business, not th#ough any generous impulses. There could be no complaint against most of the men in the local department—they were only working under orders. But I went farther than the local offices—I wrote the Detroit department, without result: At the time we were supposed to vacate, there were no empty houses in town. They became hostile. At least 10 men made .the 20-mile trip demanding us to move. We offered to pay rent, but they insisted upon “having the property. They were going to recondition it right away. That was four months ago. The house is still in the same condition and still vacant. There is very little consideration for the institutions of homes in comparison with the ‘institutiens of high finance. be

8 = = URGES SPECIAL SESSION ELECTION REFORM ACTION

By E. F. M.

Every honest citizen of this State ought to agree with me when I say we need an amendment to our election laws. Politicians have grown so corrupt that we can no longer trust most of them to give us a fair count of our ballots. : This political corruption is not

and disgrace. Vote stealing, mutilating ballots and coercion of voters by ‘election officials should be stopped. I suggest that citizens’ committees be appointed to inspect ballot boxes and machines one hour before voting begins and that two guards stand watch at each polling place until the polls are closed, at which time special committees of counters should take charge of the ballots and a new guard of two should watch over the counting. All ballots should be placed in sealed bags and kept safe from disturbance until the election is legally decided. I suggest that every election official or worker who is found guilty of fraud, coercion of voters, or in any manner falsifies his count of votes or mutilates ballots, shall be- fined $500 for each separfite offense and be made to serve six months in jail and be disfranchised for five years. The special session would do this State a great service if it passed a law like this: Democracy is: lost

‘unless we can have a fair count of votes. .

TO NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS, BUT HAS LITTLE LEFT FOR HIS WIFE AND FAM

1

NO. He has three outstanding characteristics—egotism, ‘stingi i:

|S]

neighbors and friends:

45 THE MAN WHO |S GENEROUS wy,

GENEROYERIEN ercon?

ness and selfishness. He gives to his of his

LET'S EXPLORE YOUR MIND

By DR. ALBERT EDWARD WIGGAM —p—

| ING LIGHTNIN CAUGE THUNDER?

i) | 3 5 anie

Anp Arbor psychologist, indicates low intelligence. He feels -inferior

to them but tries to stand in with : ¥ egotisti free-handed

manifest these qualities to his family without losing prestige and importance. . ” # s A RECENT SURVEY shows they much prefer the newspaper even though they listen to the news commentators and reporters. There is some so solid and dependable about the good old family paper that makes its news a living, throbbing part of everyone's daily life; which the radio can never replace. Then, too, many people like to go back over an article; you can’t do that with a radio report. ' Grandfather read, lived, voted and died by his newspaper. Dad will do the

i| same and the children will carry on | ‘| the tradition, in spite of radio or | even television.

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« = = ALTHOUGH . this is a fact question, it is worth while spreading the fact brought out by the Scientific American from the work ‘of Dr. K. B, McEachron of the General Electric, that lightning often occurs without thunder. He says if. the current be built up very rapidly—in millionths of a second— we hear thunder due to the sudden expansion of the air. But often the currents are built up slowly, in one or two tenths of a second, and.

- nothing could prevent him.

only a state, but a national racket

‘behind Wheeler and all his works.

Gen. Joh nson Says—

* ‘Only the Fear That He Might Lose Will Stop Roosevelt From Running For the Presidency’ Again in 1940, EW YORK, July 23—Will Mr, Roosevelt be a candidate for a third term in 1940? - Almost

every commentator has written on this recently—so I'll take a try. It is the most frequently discussed

‘subject wherever two or three are gathered ‘together,

Yet it is foolish question No. 3,000,000,000. The answer is perfectly obvious. “If, as the time approaches, he is absolutely certain that he can get away with it— If there is an even

chance that he may be beaten—nothing could pere suade him.” ; What have been the reasons why no President has had a third term? There are only four. First, a real conviction that it is bad for democratic institutions— Washington, Jefferson and T. R. (in 1908). Second, weariness or; illness—Jackson and Coolidge. - Third, the chnturyrand-a-half-old precedent—in part, all Presidents save Washington. Fourth, a fear of defeat —Grant and Wilson, i ] As to the first reason, if Mr. Roosevelt ever had a conviction that a third term for himself would be bad for democracy, he has never expressed it. On the: confrary he has hinted something to the effect that the recently immensely increased powers of the President would be dangerous to democracy in any other hands. Nobody who knows the President well doubts that, in some respects, he sincerely regards himself as one to lead suffering humanity into the green pastures. 2 » » HY shouldn't he think so? He is exclusively surrounded by a kind of official hallelujah chorus. His immense personal popularity, and the adoring multitudes that follow his progress through ° the land, inspire such thinking. Finally, there is the intellectual bankruptcy of his opposition and the complete absence on. the horizon, in any party, including his own, of a figure approaching him in glamour, With all this, he would\be less than human if he thought his re-election would be bad for democracy, There is no weariness, illness or disillusionment about F. D. R. No other President so revelled in his job—or made it pay him better. It has increased the wealth, precedence and security of his whole family, His sons have married riches or othe been advanced to affluence. He delights riotoysly in all this and is having the time of his life. eariness as a cause for his retirement is out.

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REseEST for the precedents of Washington, Jeffere son, Jackson and Wilson? If there is one pucke

-ish caper in which Mr. Roosevelt glories, it is in break-

ing precedents. He seems to go out of his way to find them to shatter. This chance to break the biggest precedent of all would start rather than stop a third-term attempt. _ i : : There remains only one barrier. Mr. Roosevelt wants, above all things, to go down in history as a great President.. That honor would be hurt if he tried to do what the other great Presidents condemned—and failed. The fear of that alone could possibly stop ‘the attempt. He is one of the ablest politicians in history. It is far too early for him to put his - unprecedented political judgment to work on that hazard. When he does, and if he decides he can surely make it, he will run—and be elected, because if it is not a cinch, he will not run,

lt Seems to Me By Heywood Broun

Wheeler Now Is Good Old Burt’ to Those Once Calling Him a Radical.

EW YORK, July 23.—It seems to me that Proe gressives should be pleased by the victory of Jerry O'Connell. The district in which he won renomination for Congress in a Democratic primary is not populous, nor was his margin great, but at the moment Montana looms large in the national political picture. It assumes importance because it happens to be the home state of Burton K. Wheeler, one of

nme

| the most active Presidential candidates in the anti»

Roosevelt. ranks. O'Connell has announced himself as purposing ‘to battle Wheeler for the Senatorial nomination in 1940. Indeed, he informed the voters that he had the President’s blessing in this plan. Since there has been no White House denial as yet, this seems to be authentic. It would hardly be surprising in even the mildest kind of purge to find Wheeler's name in the black book of Franklin Roosevelt. Wheeler’s opposition to the Roosevelt program has been extensive, and it is not confined to his’ voting record. In his quiet way Wheeler has done a great deal of hobnobbing with Republican stalwarts, as well as anti-New Deal Democrats. * For the sake of the record I might as well admit that I have a financial stake in the discomfiture of Wheeler. I believe that his defeat, even though indie rect, has saved me $20 and won me $2. Some months ago I was in the company of an extremely astute political pbserver. He expressed the opinion that in 1840 the Republicans would nominate an anti-Roosevelt Democrat for the Presidency. He mentioned Wheeler as the likely beneficiary of . this generous gesture. And when I scoffed he said, as is his custom, “Do you want tg bet?” ,

A Circumstantial Straw

I was amazed to. find that he would be content with odds of 10. He refused to let me lay against as little as a single dollar just for the principle of the thing, and so I went away committed to give 20 if the Republicans adopt B. K. Wheeler. : This transaction is cited merely as a circumstane tial straw in the curious realignment of certain forces It is not to be denied that the gentleman from Montana has an ime posing record as a stanch fighter for liberal causes, Something has happened in the last two years. It may be that Wheeler has not drifted even so much as an inch to the right. Possibly some of the cone servatives have seen the light and are now all ardent and eager for progressive legislation. But beyond the field of conjecture is the palpable fact that certain gentlemen who once never mentioned Wheeler's name without adding “the dirty radical’ now refer to him as “good old Burt,” :

‘Watching Your Healt

By Dr. Morris Fishbein

TT work that men do and the conditions under which they work, as well as the pay that they receive for their work, have a great deal to do with how long they live. People who work for small wages are likely to have poor living conditions at home. Experts have found that ministers live long and, indeed, most professional and white-collar workers tend to live longer than miners and unskilled ‘workers, The hazard of. an occupation is, of course, important in determining the length of life, but equally ims portant is the scale of living of the worker. | ‘Doctors tend to be about a fraction of a year better in their life expectancy than the rest of the popula tion. One would think that with their knowledge of hygiene and health, they would have & much better record, but they are constantly exposed to infection, to emergency calls at night and in all sorts of weather. Nurses, on expectancy. Lawyers, who do most of their work in their offices or in the courts, are free from any Soeugetional hazard and their death rate is well below t of the doctors. ae _ There is an old saying that hard work never killed

the other hand, have a very good life

- anybody. This happens to be ene of those old sayings

that does not ‘stand .up before the facts. ' Hard work definitely shortens the life of any man who has passed the age of 40. | sea Among the most hazardous of the occupations are those in which the worker comes in contact with dusts, poisons, and similar dangers. Moreover, there are hazards in industry

the LI'8 NSE or