Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 3 November 1938 — Page 20

The Last Word !—sy

PAGE 20.. —— THURSDAY, NOV. Gen. Johnson

~The Indianapolis Times E ! (A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER)

ROY W. HOWARD LUDWELL DENNY MARK FERREE President Editor Business Manager

Feit Enough

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Rlley 5551

Give Light and the People Will Find Their own Way

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1938

"FLYING MADE SAFER

NDIANAPOLIS will see aviation history made when the approved instrument landing system, now being installed at Municipal Airport, goes into operation. It was not so many years ago that mail pilots went winging through the night with no more instruments to

guide them than

They flew, as the older men used to say, by

you could fit into your left hip-pocket.

“the seat of

their pants.” And while great and glamorous stories were told about their feats, there was also a tragic note about many that even superb airmanship could not save. Today the glamour has departed. In its place has come scientific flying, with two-way radio communication, auto- . matic pilots, instruments of every kind, and, only recently, an improved altimeter. These new devices, together with the new “blind” landing equipment, reduce almost every hazard known to air travel except equipment failure and the

dreaded ice conditions.

This city can take pride that the latest aid to aviation was worked out experimentally at the airport here and that it is now the first in the nation to have it installed as a permanent feature of commercial flying.

THE ROAD TO BETTER TIMES

HE world today faces two roads, Secretary of State : Cordell Hull told a national audience Tuesday night, one leading to benefits from peaceful relations between nations, the other to the “final catastrophe of a new world

war.”

Qo. he observed, “we are seeking to bring about a restoration of sound economic conditions as necessary

foundation of durable peace.”

For, he said, “without ex-

pansion of international trade based upon fair dealing and equal treatment for all, there can be no stability and secur-

ity within nations.”

In our judgment, Mr. Hull's trade program is one of the finest and soundest sections of American foreign policy. Yet of late events have exploded upon the world in such rapid succession, and so terrific have been their impact upon its political, social and economic structure, that his altogether desirable objective may now be attainable only by a

long, hard detour.

Only yesterday Japan bluntly informed the world that she now considers Asia her oyster and, that as soon as the

“shooting subsides she intends to proceed with her “im-¢ mutable policy” of Japanizing her conquest.

Which was

just another way of notifying the Western powers, including the United States, that the “open door” to foreign trade

in China is already as good as closed.

2 = 2

” ” »

N Europe, Nazi Germany rapidly and systematically is consolidating her position as the dominant power of the

old world.

Throughout Latin America, from the Rio Grande to the Strait of Magellan, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain, France and the other trading powers are feverishly battling for a foothold or to strengthen such position as they already

may have.

And no holds are barred. They seize upon

whatever weapon comes to hand, from radio propaganda and swarms of drummers, to subsidies and outright

dumping.

Behind this intensive drive for trade is something still more sinister. The nations of the world are arming as they

have never armed before. This year, we are told, $17,500,-

000,000 will be lavished on armaments, or more than four {times what was spent the year preceding the World War. And next year, it is said, the total may reach an astronomical figure between 20 and 30 billions. This means that not only in Europe and Asia, but in the Americas, the threat of aggression may be employed to

achieve economic objectives.

The way out of thisperilous impasse will not be easy

to find. It is a job for the world’s ablest statesmen. But they must find a way or, as Secretary Hull said, we will be

headed toward a “a new world war.”

HAM AND EGGS WAMPUM

SUALLY reliable polls indicate the “ham and eggs” funny money scheme will be defeated in the California election next Tuesday. They indicate also that in other states were variations of this “plan” are being agitated a majority of the voters disapprove. But such schemes have brought grief to this country— though not in our time. And they can do it again. They won’t, however, if we of this generation order our affairs

in the light of mistakes of the past.

For that reason we

think our readers may be interested in the articles by Miss Ruth Finney now apearing in this newspaper. The articles recount briefly a few American experiments in monetary magic—including those with the wampum of the Indians, the currencies of some of the colonies that ended up as wallpaper and the continental dollars that depreciated to two cents coin. The same inexorable laws of economics which killed off

mass-production wampum as a medium of exchange would

speedily do the same to mass-production scrip in California. But there would be this difference—the result would be

much more catastrophic.

In the days of wampum commerce played only a small

= . part in the daily lives of the people. A barter system suf- ~~ ficed for all ordinary needs of trade.

But to the lives of

people in our present complex economic system, a dependable medium of exchange to measure the value of goods and

services is indispensable.

The most popular argument of proponents of the California scrip plan, we are told, is the rhetorical question:

- “How do you know it won't work?”

; ‘We suggest you read Miss Finney’s article today on the greenbacks of Civil War times—and others that will 1 follow. There the answer will be found, the answer of his-

It never has.

A Bit of Liquid Stimulant Helped Many a Football Team Over the Tougher Spots in the Old Days.

tion often makes the difference: between victory and defeat in the final quarter of a big football game I sometimes recall a rebuff by Fielding H. Yost, that stout abstainer and prohibitionist who has walked these many years up to his eyes in incoherent oldgrads and never gnawed a dram. . One afternoon Mr. Yost stood on the football field at Princeton watching a rather indifferent Michigan team at practice and remarked that they lacked the old pepper. Rather brightly I suggested that some fighters, when they went stale, broke training with a crash, preferably on champagne, and when the swelling had abated came back better than ever. “Now, if, instead of that water bucket, you were to send a half-dozen champagne coolers on the field along in the third quarter,” I proposed, “you would see a surprising revival of spirits, or that which you call the old pepper.” : Mr. Yost turned a cold glare on the author and walked away from an evil presence muttering, “Champagne wine! Champagne wine! a drunkard on a team of mine and never will.” ” 8 ELL, it was just an idea, tossed off as casually as that, but from knowledge, nevertheless, that before prohibition some football trainers brought their men along on ale. And even during prohibition one of the most painful social errors of the very elaborate social side of football nearly destroyed a fine old friendship between the business manager and the press agent of a famous team. It was common practice to buy several of those burlap hams of rye from some reliable bootlegger, set it out on the tables in several connecting rooms in a_big hotel and revive college memories far into the night. About 10 o’clock this night the business mane ager phoned and asked if the merrymaking was proceeding without undue bloodshed, and the publicity manager gaily replied: “Oh, yes, sir; yes, sir, indeed, oy indeed, to be sure, yes, and the wine was wunneru Lid © “What wine?” “Why, the champagne wine,” said the publicity man. * “That wine,” the business manager said. bitterly, “was for the team.” > ” 2 » HERE may be others who can match the experience of some who played for Washington & Lee against Virginia Polytechnic Institute about 1915 or 1916, a game which {ragged through two listless quarters and came brilliantly to life in the second half when Washington & Lee left the locker room stepping high and handsome and singing. A sodden, lifeless football team began throwing passes which floated like bubbles. There were shocking violations of all the standard formulas, but Washington & Lee won by a couple of touchdowns from a water-cooled squad whose coach had lacked vision or provision, or both. : My informant, who saw Fordham lose to Pitt last week, said Fordham apparently was just played out in the latter part of the game. “So were we and so was V. P. I. that day,” he added, “but between halves certain persons unknown distributed several bottles of an unknown liquid which bubbled and whispered mischievously as our brave lads held the bottle necks to their innocent lips. I know we won, but I forgot the exact score. As a matter of -fact, I was blind.”

Business

By John T. Flynn

People Do Not Prefer to Stay on WPA, Frequent Roll Changes Show.

EW YORK, Nov. 3.—Here are some facts about relief workers and WPA workers which may surprise many. There is no doubt that the one Federal agency which is most approved and yet least liked is the WPA. There are as many jokes about the WPA shovel-bender as there were about the Fords in their early days. And even an ardent New Deal livingroom company will take delight in telling jokes about WPA workers. One of the commonest of the serious criticisms is that people on the WPA would rather stay there than get a regular job. They are supposed to like the easy hours, the leisurely work and the many days of enforced idleness. : . But of all the criticisms of the WPA workers this is probably the least just. The popular mistake is to suppose that the people on relief constitute a continuing army made up, year in and year out, of the same people. But this is far from the truth. In New York City it is reported 82,049 people on relief quit their relief status during the last 12 months and went into jobs; of these 38,641 went from WPA and 43,208 from home relief. : Their places were, of course, taken by others. And one of the strange features of this is that many people are going on relief now who have not done so up to now. Consider the meaning of this. People who after eight years of depression have managed to hold" on to jobs or have managed to exist against desperate odds cannot be called shiftless or lazy or lacking in self-interest. The truth is that the relief army is a constantly changing army, thousands going out of it every month and new thousands coming in. The people who are on relief or in the WPA today are not the people who were there a year ago or two years ago. Of course there are some lazy and worthless people on the WPA and on relief. But it does not help in approaching the solution of this grave question to dismiss it with the easy comment that they are all a lot of good-for-nothings. One serious aspect of this problem in New York City is that the number of relief recipients who get jobs is larger than the number of WPA workers. It is probable that relief workers are the least skilled and willing to work for far less wages and this may explain this phenomenon.

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

« ETTING along with in-laws” is advertised nowadays as an almost impossible job, and there can be no doubt that multitudes of romantic youngsters are scared into permanent single blessedness by the dirges which are sounded on this subject. Whereas the ancient maiden had a favorite dragon to avoid, the modern one has a mother-in-law, who is pictured as too dangerous for any knight errant to tackle. , Well, if we must be pessimistic, let’s face the whole truth. And right now the whole truth compels us to admit that to the compulsion of -placating the inlaws is added the task of getting along with all the ex’s in the family. I am told it is now considered bad form for a well-bred person to show anything save suave politeness to the former wife of a husband, or the former husband of a wife, or to any ex-mate of their sundry relatives. Consider, as a recent example, the case of Miss Ruth Etting. Her second husband is recovering from a bullet wound inflicted by the first, and her second husband’s first wife is suing her for $150,000 for alienating the affections of her lost love. Unmoved by the turmoil, Miss Etting invites her second husband’s first wife to come right in and visit her wounded ex-mate any time she feels inclined. Later, of course. Miss Etting denied she was married to the wounded man. Anyway, the poise and good nature of everybody concerned after the shooting certainly entitles these people to a place in the Social ‘Register, since, according to reports in our most exclusive circles, ex-husbands and ex-wives remain the dearest of pals and no hostess is expected to remember who has been married to whom. A generation that can manage these complications ought to don’

EW YORK, Nov. 3.—In these days when condi- |.

I have never had |

DON'T

LET EM KID

YOU AGAIN=

WE WOULDN'T

TAKE YOU

AS

A, GIFT!

The Hoosier Forum

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

FAVORS MORE OF THOSE SCARY RADIO DRAMAS By a Reader Why stop all dramatizations of such plays as that presented Sunday night, “The War- of the World”? It is entertainment; shows what could happen. If it

could cause heart failure, the same could happen by seeing an automobile accident or the police arresting a person with a weak heart. Supposing a: criminal has a weak heart. Are the police going to allow his criminal tendencies freedom for fear of causing his death if they put their hands on his shoulder? Disregarding all° other reasons, why couldn’t "all the people who tuned in their program have paid attention to the station announcements that it was only a dramatization, instead of being a bunch of panty-waists and hunting a hole to crawl into? I am for more such programs.

” ” 2 MODERN DICTATORS ACT DIFFERENTLY By a Reader One of the things that makes it hard for Americans to figure out the right kind of foreign policy these days is the fact that they have always been great believers in the old virtue of minding their own busi-

ness. A cardinal point in the American creed is the belief that any people has a right to the kind of government it chooses, even if that government happens to be atrociously bad. So if the Germans, the Russians, the Italians or any other people feel like saddling themselves with governments which look like holdovers from the era of Genghis Khan, we have never felt called upon to do anything about it. : Up to now, that worked fine. For while the world has some fairly brutal and reactionary dictatorships in the old days, they mostly minded their own business too. They did try to grab up such loose bits of Asia and Africa as weren't nailed down, to be sure, but since we had no vital interest in those spots we could afford to be unconcerned. But the picture now is different. The dictatorships are not merely on their muscle; they seem to be doing their very best to create the kind of world in which only dictatorships can survive. First of all, they arm to the teeth —and brandish their arms about as recklessly as so many drunken twogun men in a frontier saloon. They regard neither treaties nor interna-

(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.)

tional law; they openly say they are going to take what they want and that brute force is the only power they respect. Yet that is only a starter. They meddle in the internal affairs of their neighbors—meddle constantly, remorselessly and dangerously. The organize, finance and direct

revolutionary movements inside of countries with which they are at peace. They try to control the activities of descendants of their own emigrants, no matter how far those people may be removed from any actual tie with the homeland. In every conceivable way they seek to implant their own ideas and their own standards on foreign soil, On top of all this, they have introduced a new kind of commercial war to the world. Driving down their own living standards, they defy competition by nations which refuse to reduce their own living standards. They turn international trade into a struggle which creates poverty instead of wealth. They

make their internal policies of low |

wages, long hours and small profits matters which directly affect work-

COMMON SENSE By RUTH SHELTON

A free, old-fashioned quality, But one I would not trade For every coveted degree In every college made.

It stands unawed by mighty wealth, Unshamed by poverty, It is the nursemaid of good health And knows that sophistry

Is but the self-defense veneer Of egotist or fool . . . Good, free, sound, needed common sense, : Untaught by any school!

DAILY THOUGHT

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.—Matthew 10:30.

E are but the instruments of

ers and producers on the other side of the world. : Today’s dictatorships are not in the least like the dictatorships of the past. In the old days we could ignore dictatorships, figuring that the world was large enough to contain repression and freedom side by side.

Today it is extremely hard to take that attitude—and it is getting harder every day. It may be that minding our own business will require us to take a very alert and intelligent interest in the kind of government our neighbors treat themselves to. If they insist on creating the kind of world in which ga free sociey could not survive, they can hardly be surprised if we react accordingly. - 2 ” ® NEUTRALITY TOWARD SPAIN IS URGED By Dr. Harry N. Nagle In regards to the Spanish situation, terrible as we know it to be, our position here in America should be one of strictest neutrality. The Rebels, Right Frontists or Nationalists are composed of Catholics, Clericals, Agrarians, Radicals (not Reds) and Monarchists whose creed and goal is and has been ‘*‘to save Spain from becoming a Russian colony.” The Loyalist or Popular Front is made up of Socialists, Communists, Marxists, left wing Republicans and all other leftist (radical) groups. The records further disclose that the victory at the polls of the latter party was due to the iron discipline of the Socialist Party which threw its strength to the left; 30,000 political prisoners who aroused the sympathies of the women and the co-operation of the Anarchists and Syndicalists. The results to date being a minority has no rights—this being of course the basis of the success of all totalitarian governments but not in line with our own government here in America.

2 = 8 CHANGE URGED IN STATE AUDIT RULES

By A. M. Examiners for the State Board of Accounts should no longer. be allowed to work in their home districts. The weakness of this system is shown in the alleged Floyd County shortage. You might as well send in a close relative to examine the books. I think all books of trustees covering the last 12 years should be reexamined in cases where a local ac-

heaven; our work is not design, but destiny.—Owen Meredith.

countant has functioned.

PRACTICALLY all tests as well as school grades, show higher scores for city children but whether this is due to better environment or natural brightness is not certain. However, a new study is reported in the American Journal

of Sociology by and Clar!

to get along with its mothers-in-law, | Gist

mental school pupils in Kansas rural com-

LET'S EXPLORE YOUR MIND

By DR. ALBERT EDWARD WIGGAM

of [TIS THE BRIGHTEST BOYS AND 36 TE Sh EE Ti ATE ay GAD SMALLER TOWNS GIRLS VER THe aiTIES? YOUR OPINION — 1 ;

© @

16 THE DECLARATION OF

> EPENDENCE INDEP: IN Ozh NG THAT /=) ALL MEN ARE CREATED =~ EQUALP YES ORNO——

[4 IT TRUE THAT A LITTLE

Di ATALLP YES ORNG

COIVRIONT (9DY JO un Diss 8D

munities in 1922. They have recently found that 964, or one-third had migrated to the cities and they are mostly the ones who were in

the higher mental scores in 1922. This would indicate that the form ni

strength or character.

NO, and it never meant to state that men are created equal in intelligence, health, bodily It meant two things, first, that all men should have equal rights before the law and, second, that the Colonists were the equal in all these rights with the citizens of England. Several of the men who signed the Declaration owned slaves and nearly all were aristocrats and they were the last men on earth to believe that men were equals in their natural abilities or character. They did believe that all men should be equal before the law and that every man’s house should be his castle— the things for which we, with all descendants of England, will always fight for. ® x = YES, far more dangerous. If our country is ever destroyed it will be not by its ignoramuses or by its educated people—but by its halfeducated people. They are the most dangerous persons in the world— especially in a democracy where

lthey can actually put their half-

baked ideas into effect. The halfeducated person reads one hook on

|the old laissez-faire economy and

is convinced it is the salvation of the world. Then he reads another book on communism or fascism and, lo! here is humanity’s salvation! He does not know history—especially the history of ideas—sufficiently to see them in proper perspective. He does not know society—he does not 1 enough to be

‘windows, so that a high concentration of vapor fis:

ay

Says— Politics Is Being Injected Into the

Army Through War Industry Plans And Roosevelt Should Call a Halt;

ASHINGTON, Nov. 3—In all plans to mobilize industry for war production, the War Departs ment naturally and properly looks to our experience

in the World War. For years the reports of thaf great effort have been studied by the War College, the War Department Industrial College and the General Staff. : This is as it should be. But there are more thas a few veterans of that effort who might put somé vitality into those dry old records. This year the War Industries Board will celebrate its 20th birthday. Ap= parently more than 100 of those principal leaders are living with, at least, enough pep to attend. : Are they ever consulted in forming our vast new economic defensive plans? Practically not at all ory if they are, it is with an attitude that they are & bunch of old fogies to which it is graciously permitted to blow off a little rapidly cooling steam. : { The Army Industrial College is a get-rich-quick course in which professional Army officers are taught, in a few months, all about running the industries of this country by military instructors, most of whont never even ran a peanut stand. : a I am not knocking its purpose or its personnel i the least. It is highly necessary to have some office: in the Army who have at least a bowing acquaintan with our economic and industrial problems. o 8 ”

B®: business is a profession, like surgery or law. At man isn’t fit to lead in it until he has beer knocked all over the lot by years in the college : kicks in the pants. These eager, young learners are no more equipped to do this leading than I am to perform a surgical operation on the human heart. A I think most of them understand this. But there is now an Assistant Secretary of War who is an in= carnate dynamo—and a most ambitious politician. He’ wants to be Secretary of War and he doesn’t give &; hoot for any development of industrial mobilization, which does not advance that ambition. ° > Under the Defense Act, industrial mobilization is his baby and he isn’t going to have any civilian in= dustrial veterans of the World War butting in who are: not apt to be his economic stooges from the outset. Recent voluminous War Department publicity handouts about present preparedness for economic war are largely pure bunk. - 2 8 = : OODROW WILSON and Newton Baker, for the first time, abolished politics from Army assigne ments and deliberation. It did more for the efficiency: and morals of the Army than anything that has happened. Recently the War Department has been cor< coranized, politicalized and is beginning to be third new dealized and demoralized. : . This kind of stuff seeps out through the whole: corps of officers. It is bad from any angle, With: the world in its present chaos, this is a problem of: first magnitude—to abolish intrigue from the Army: and to prepare our industry to serve our military: needs. It isn’t being solved. : Mr. Roosevelt is a great and experienced naval ade: ministrator. Naval principles apply equally in the; Army. Here is a good place for a Presidential houseer cleaning. :

It Seems to Me

By Heywood Broun :

Joint Debate Appears to Be Back " In Favor for Political Campaigns.

EW YORK, Nov. 3.—All the critics seem to agree. that one of the most exciting scenes of “Abe: Lincoln in Illinois” is the portrayal of the debate with, Douglas. And it is exciting, I believe, because the: audience has an opportunity to hear two good politicall speeches in the same evening. That is better than bogey today. Our national scene is by no means bereft of excellent orators, but as a rule the customers: suffer from bad matchmaking. ‘ It is rare, indeed, to find political adversaries join<ing the issues in spirited fashion from the same platform. Yet there is hope. The joint debate appears to be coming back in favor. South Carolina requires such procedure in primaries. In Ohio Taft and Bulkley have toured that State in company. The newspaper experts seem to think that young Mr. Taft leads on points; Here in New, York Governor Lehman and District Attorney. Dewey® have not met in hand-to-hand conflict, but their speeches have dovetailed into each other in such a} way as to suggest the character of debate. From ang artistic paint of view the result has been disappointing Governor Lehman, in my opinion, is an excellent ¥ Governor, and an indifferent speaker. It would be sound strategy, I believe, for him to make just one speech and no more. It is his right to say, “I am no stranger to you. My record is known to every voter, in this State. I stand by it. Let it speak for me.’® Mr. Dewey, of course, is under legitimate compul 3 sion to campaign constantly. His public appearances

AT

‘have been many and dramatic, and yet no compre<;

hensive picture of the man has as yet been presenteds What is Mr. Dewey for, and what is he against? don’t know. I wonder if he does. 5 :

He Should Speak Out a

It does not seem to me that Mr, Lehman has made: a legitimate point in accusing his opponent of dealing’ in wisecracks. That's all right. It is a part of Ameri=; can tradition. Lincoln did it. : My chief complaint about the political address ofs Thomas Dewey is not based on any objection to the: use of wheezes. If he pulled any they fail to register; with me. What I wish is that he would overcome the! notion that he is playing Marc Antony in a road come pany production of “Julius Caesar.” A Mr. Dewey undoubtedly has many excellent gifts, but as a political orator he is the biggest disappoint« ment New York has heard since the days of William. Sulzer. Mr. Dewey’s advisers’ may have planned it, that way. It is distinctly possible that they think it! good strategy for him to cloak his stand on issues under mere sound and gesture effects. But if so Thoniss Deve) the courageous public servant, should. resent it.

Watching Your Health

By Dr. Morris Fishbein :

I a recent survey of the hazards of dry cleaning to. health, a study was made of the different hazards: involved in cleaning in the home, Usually dry clean; ing operations are conducted in the basement or in. the kitchen. : 2 The clothing may be washed in cleaner’s naphtha.’

SRB LN

4

ee

This substance is, however, explosive and has even’ been ignited by static sparks produced by rubbing: silk garments on each other. ; 2 : The basement room is usually small and without:

.

easily possible. ! is : To some extent, these hazards of dry cleaning may: be lessened by doing the work outdoors on a day: when the humidity is high. This avoids the accumu: lation of the vapors of the cleaning agent in a co fined room and reduces the danger from static spark For home cleaning, there are several substance which are fireproof. Among these is cleaner’s naphtha: to which enough carbon tetrachloride has been addeds to raise the explosive point, beyond the danger zones However, the vapors of such substances as. carbom;

tetrachloride are much more toxic than those of]

Thus the fire hazard is elimi=

by

cleaner’s naphtha. nated, but a new health hazard is brought in. In addition to the hazards that come from fire a from the inhaling of poisonous gases, workers in the! dry cleaning industry are subjected to heat from the machines used for pressing. : : Frequently people who have worked for a. long; time at such devices have developed difficulties of: posture affecting the back and the legs. x When gas.is used as the heat agent, there is secondary possibility of carbon monoxide poiso