Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 14 December 1938 — Page 16

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Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1938

‘WHERE THE NEW DEAL CLICKS.

pUssUING. the theme of Roosevelt and the: consolidating of gains in the two years ahead, we'd like to talk now {about a few of the New Deal agencies which, in our opinion, are “getting the job done.” First, we'll mention the Social Security Board. It is “only at the beginning of its gigantic undertaking, But the: Board, first under Chairman Winant and later under Chair‘man Altmyer, has given evidence that it appreciates its great public responsibility, has striven to keep its affairs free of politics, has approached its problems with a humility - befitting their magnitude. We can’t help contrasting this Board with the National Labor Relations Board. We've never heard any member of the Social Security Board con1 tend that the law it is administering is letter perfect, or } “that all its rules and regulations and decisions are above “reproach. To the contrary, it co-operates with its critics in .-efforts to improve both the law and its administration. : Another agency “getting the job done” is the Securities , ~ & Exchange Commission. Three complex and difficult laws have been intrusted to the SEC—the Truth-in-Securities Act, the Stock-Exchange Control Law and the Utility Hold“ing Company Act. They are measures requiring intimate _ supervision of the country’s delicate financial and industrial .aechanism. Yet they have been so wisely administered ‘that there now appears to be no public sentiment for repeal _of any one of them. £ President Roosevelt has appointed only men of high ability to the SEC, and they in turn have followed a rule of picking competent subordinates. 2

” ” ® 2 N our opinion, if men of the same caliber had been appointed to the Labor Relations Board, the principles of the Wagner Act likewise would long since have won nationwide acceptance. SEC Chairmen Kennedy, Landis and Douglas—all have proved themselves able administrators, practical idealists. We venture to say that had any one of the three been in charge of WPA, it wouldn’t be in the mess it is in today. There are other New Deal reforms that are working, other administrators who are plowing the furrows Congress marked and not straying afield. The public is sold on the soil conservation program and the Civilian Conservation Corps. .The banking laws administered by the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. are far from perfect, but at least they are withstanding the strain of the serious second depression. And let's not forget the monumental progress of the reciprocal trade program and the Good Neighbor policy under Ssersiny | Cordell Hull. We hope that in the next two years President Roosey 1t will place more of his measures and agencies in the hands of able administrators. To the extent that he does, more of the New Deal will live after him.

LET'S AIR IT NOW

OT long ago Governor Townsend promised an “intensive” investigation of the Indiana Liquor Law and indicated that the results of this study would be submitted to the] 1939 Legislature for action. We're for such an investigation. And we're all for overhauling the law, weeding out the defects, abolishing the beer import licensing system and meeting the other objections raised by competent critics. But we believe Hoosiers would like to have a look at some of these proposed reforms before the Legislature gets into session—not after. For the gossip from the political listening posts indieates too much of this preliminary planning is being done behind the scenes by people who have their own rather than the people's interests at heart. Too much is being held back until such a time as it can be lost in the confusion of a legislative session. These proposals should be brought out in the on and debated now as publicly - as possible to protect the people later from tricky legislation.

EVERY CITY CAN WIN®

“LETS Beat Memphis?” exhorts an editorial heading in the Knoxville News-Sentinel. Rivalry between cities is nothing new. Often it takes the form of competition for supremacy in size, industrial activity, commercial importance. There have been many exciting battles for bigness, with results not always wholly beneficial. But, reading further, we find that Knoxville’ s ambition is to beat Memphis for the title of America’s Safest Traffic City. Last year Memphis won it. This year, so far, Knoxville has had only 17 traffic deaths and its record, on the basis. of relative populations, is almost as good as that -of Memphis. : And all over the country other cities, including Indianapolis, are trying to beat both Memphis and Knoxville. That is one of the reasons why almost 7500 fewer Americans have-died in traffic accidents in the first 11 months of 1938 than | in the same months last year. + We applaud this new form of municipal rivalry, which Produces no unhealthy booms and creates no bitterness— fir which only one city can win the national title but every “%¢ity has an equal chance to win many victories over death, suffering and sorrow.

NO PLACE FOR SHORT CUTS

IT is good news that the War Department is dead set against any “speedup” in the training of aviators to man the thousands of new planes that are apparently contemplated in the President’s national-defense program. America isn’t England. We aren’t in any immediate danger of attack from overseas. Certainly it is wise to prepare now against future perils, but those perils aren’t imminent as to justify wasting the lives of young men in a hysterical rush to turn out “pilots” whether competertt

Business

For Erouch 2

8y Weslook Pht. LR “f

He. Puts. Himself. on the: Side. of

Those Urging Jobs for Men by Firing |

‘Women Whe Don't, Need ‘Work.

‘about’ this: by law, but: the ‘einployers of this ‘country snd the politicians who control ap-

-pointive positions could spread the available work to | ‘much greater advantage if they would make a prac- | |= tice of refusing to hire women who do not actually

need the work and would gradually eliminate such women from their payrélls. This’ would affect married women whose hsbasids”

are able to support them in reasonable security and’ ‘comfort and a great number of single women who take

jobs merely to have something to do until they marry | Ls

and, having married, after a few 's, retain their. positions in competition with n have dependent families. Certa mn “Individual

clients also would be included.

Of course, each case would have to. be “fudged on | “would.

its particular merits, and labor unions intervene in some-cases to protect the: jobs of dues-

paying members selected for dismissal ig favor of men. |

It is an explosive topic, as anyone may learn:by in--troducing it in private conversation in‘mixed conipany, but the fact cannot be denied that many family units

have more jobs than they need while many others |

have none, and thus enjoy luxuries while the others lack bare necessities.

= 2 8

TT proposal is no stranger in Washington, where, on being presented a few years ago, it was denouncedr as vicious on the ground that virtuous citizens of both sexes in the Government employ would be compelled to forego matrimony and live In a . state of sin to avoid economic injustice.

Nevertheless, there are in Washington, as well as

in most other centers of the public service down to the county court houses and town halls, many married women, the wives of able and steady providers, who hold jobs that might otherwise be given to heads of families with: no injustice or impairment of the public service.

From the time that women first entered business

in considerable numbers they have had a depressing |: Employers first: engaged them as a |

effect on wages. type of coolie labor—widows left! penniless and the daughters of poor families, paying them wages which they had to accept because they were in want. The young modern-woman type came next. 3 8 = »

O in time it came to be said, and with truth, too, ‘that young men were not able to propose marriage and undertake family responsibilities because they: couldn’t make enough money. Obviously if a young woman does not need work for her actual support, but takes a job only to supply herself with luxuries and spending money, she need not hold out for a salary suitable to the work, and it certainly ‘is no secret that employers take advantage of the fact that an applicant lives at home and is not the provider for the family. Generally speaking, this proposal would eliminate no woman or girl in actual need of her wages, although it would be construed to that effect. It would, however, ease out of the employment market a vast number of more or less dilettante workers and make room for unemployed men with responsibilities.

By John T. Flynn

Business Certain o “Benefit by Revised Stand of Manufacturers.

EW YORK, Dec. 14 ~From: the National Manufacturers’ Association which ended its labors: in New York last week came the first breath of sanity which has emanated from a powerful organized busi‘ness group since hatred of Roosevelt id “their thinking processes.

They issued to the American people a dovtiment noted for its calm, sane, informed proposals for business. You do not have to agree with this document, but you do have to respect it. If will do more for business than all the furious denunciation of the last four years. One of the strangest episodes in public relations and business statesmanship in the last half century has been the attitude of business toward the Roosevelt Administration. When the President came into power business was flat on its back and businessmen—bankers, utility executives, investment bankers, promoters—were in a state of disgrace. The public naturally supposed that Mr. Roosevelt would turn upon them with unexampled vigor and enmity. The President, of course, in speeches and addresses did attack business abuses. Who would not have done so? But the moment he was inaugurated he invited the businessmen of the nation to Washington and literally turned things over to them. A prominent big business executive was named Secretary of the Treasury. A vice president, later president, of the American. Bankers Association was made assistant secretary and a member of one of the biggest business law firms was made Undersecretary.

Took Charge of NRA

The NRA was headed by a group of men consisting of the chairman of the board of the Union Pacific Railroad, and head of one of the greatest Wall Street banking "houses and by the representatives of the tobacco interests, one of the biggest business interests in the country. The Secretary of Commerce, with Presidential approval, invited about 20 of the biggest businessmen to. Washington as the Administration's Industrial Ad= visory Council “to chart the future course of American economic life.”

Is it not strange that with all this powerful inside |.

grip on the machinery of the First New Deal business let the President slip out of their hands? Why? Because they permitted the hatreds and fury of .a few men who had a quarrel with the President to poison their whole relationship with him. He was theirs. He was in their hands. And they threw him away. Since then they have done more by their attacks to build him into a great popular figure than all the propaganda of the so-called New Deal publicity agents put together. At last they seem to have recovered their reason. ; .

A Woman's Viewpari, i

By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

A BRITTAIN says that resignation: should be: listed as the de of the seven deadly sins: Although during my dhood it was regarded as: the noblest of the virtues, I quite agree with her: Being resigned to one’s lot often means that the: individual lacks the spunk to change it. And I never:

could see any sense in defending the rights of people; . who aren’t sufficiently concerned to do semething in|

their own behalf—unless, of course, they happen to be: children or idiots. This feeling causes me to be less sorry for the citizens of dictator countries than many of my friends who are eager and anxious to bestow democracy upon

them, whether they want it or not. From their gen-| So},

eral behavior, we gather they don’t care for it. long as millions of Germans can shout “Heil, Hitler!” one must believe they like Nazi domination; otherwise, in time wouldn't they make some effort to rid themselves of the tyrants?

Perhaps they resemble certain kinds of women who | prefer to be submissive and safe, rather than to live

in peril while eating the bread of independence. In-, dividuals of ‘this type enjoy being bullied and knocked about, because they can then feel all dressed up in a martyr's halo.

Marriage seems to foster this particular kind of

resignation and its resultant humble attitude: With a:| A

Sood anany of our sex, i may be @ Hangover trols the orgy of meekness which plagued the At any. rate, plenty of WOMEN seen to Felisis the Jife) of petty martyrdom. | Humility breeds dictators as rainwater ‘breeds mos: | quitoes, and if we believe that resignation, like other traits, is the result of home training, it seems perfectly natural that generations of servile produce na-

YORK, . De. 14.—Probably ‘nothing. could be |

by VE x

males who alimony 1

ldence ‘in its other promises for

Victorian era. |

or =. HN » : 2 1 2 : i ; 3 ”

: Careless! Drawn Program and Bill + Destroying. Profits Cited as Perils . To Hasty Drafting of Defense Plan.

ASHINGTON, Dec. 14.—In all this rearmament business there are two probable tragic tenden-

cles. The first is a slam-bang, unplanned or even

— I~ i - : A us, => are wee © HERE IT COMES, FOLKS — FINLAND'S DEBT INSTALLMENT!

SECRETARY MORGENTHAU IS

ABOUT TO DELIVER A SPEECH OF WELCOME »= THE.

CROWD

IS. CHEERING =

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

INSISTS RANK AND FILE WANT MERIT SYSTEM

By Taxpayer There may be a. New Deal in Wi J , but woliticians and “trench” Democratic Party are loud in their demands that there be none for the

party itself. The spoils system must

go on. Workers must be rewarded. |- 1*Kill the Merit Plan” is the edict.

That edict makes out the party as hypocritical and undermines confi-

progress. The government, it seems, must be run entirely for the benefit of the winning party. Evidently the taxpaying voter who wants only to be sure“of fair government and the most: for his taxpaying dollar has nothing to say. le don’t work for the party, it’ is: said, unless they are. rewarded with jobs. That's putting government ‘on -a very low plane indeed, and making peoplé out pretty selfish and greedy as well as lacking in vision to see the long term benefits that would result from unselfishly serving an ideal of government.

I have a sister and several sisters-in-law who held poll books, challenged, and so forth, in the last election; they tell me they would much rather ‘have the whole thing

the system and until a: leader comes’ along to change it they’ll just have to muddle along in the old way. Even locally the rewards are passed out to ward heelers and political favorites who will also do the “dirty work” for the. local boss. As I.see: it the only ones who protest against the installation of a tomplete merit system in the State are the bosses so they can continue to count on “delivering” a district and get political rewards from the administration. And these political plums, like the beer-import Ilicenses, are more often than not against the very interests of the workers themselves. The setup is tantamount to a betrayal of the workers and their best interests, and many of them do realize it. So make no mistake about it: The rank} and. file of workers as well as voters and taxpayers want a merit system. There would still be enough material left to maintain party cohesion in the county and township jobs and the policy making positions.

as s & = ALL POLITICIANS ARE ALIKE, Is VIEW By Voice in the Crowd

I have never been able to understand why Hiram Lackey, who is so tolerant and liberal in his views, is so intolerant with Republicans.

workers of the Indiana}

on a nonpartisan basis but this isj:

(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.)

all parties are of the same class. Professional politicians, as any pro-

fessional men, are in the business to

make their livelihood, and as a mark of high professional distinction to get quite a little more. And that is why we need bigger and better taxpayers. That also is the reason why the poor devil gets 4 cents worth of * cigarets and pays 6 cents tax with a dime and the more fortunate get 19 cents worth of cigarets out of a 25-cent pack. ” Party platforms are constructed by a professional feeling of the public pulse. If. the pulse is weak— promise everything that the patient thinks he can pay for. If the pulse is strong—promise to repeal everything, cut: expenses—the thing is to get the votes. History, and

late history at that, proves that the] «

platform can be torn up as soon as

MEDITATION By ALBERTA DUNCAN STIER

Silently, outside the falling snow Brings its story of Christmas near; Beside a cheery fire: I know Once again God is here,

Walking along roads that lead To SOITOWS, persecutions, seeing

again Man He died to save—his greed His grasping, petty aims.

He must be weary and often sighs, It seems He died in vain. Man’s brutal soul destroying cry To Him must bring eternal pain.

When we complain if we but knew, How small our troubles really are; How insignificant, fading out of sight, Compared to the cross He bore sO far. ;

DAILY THOUGHT For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.—Romans 5:19.

SHAT men so universally disobey God bespeaks alienation and canis of mind, for as obedience

It cannot be called class hatred, because professions) politicians of

proceeds from Jove so disobedience proceeds from enmity. Jom Howe.

"IFAVOR OWN SHIPS

the people go to sleep on election night. The “ins” to stay in condemn the “outs.” The “outs” to get in condemn the “ins” and it is all in a professional manner.

So far as the party voters are concerned, they are all of the same class. The honest voter is for the man or the pa®ty that he feels will serve best and will uphold the office for which he takes oath. Half the time he is fooled.

Anyone knows that there were not enough . Democrats to give Mr. Roosevelt his majority in 46 states. Some Republicans voted for him. If Mr. Roosevelt should try to break | the third-term precedent it would | not be surprising to see his own’ party vote Republican, to a very large degree.

All of this is to say that politicians are professionally alike and that the common people are generally honest and vote the way they understand the issue. We have had so much foolish and costly class hatred that we should not now start hating constitutionally preserved political views. If we wish to hate, let’s start hating the animals, Our purpose Will be served and the animals won't mind it; they are patient and understanding. 8 4 8

URGES AMERICANS

By William P. Lambert.

John T. Flynn, in discussing the German barter system, says: “In certain countries: Germany will not buy goods unless there is an agreement to ship them in German bottoms. As a result in Ecuador, for instance, Germany gets 43 per cent

.|of the shipping trade.”

Why go to Ecuador? Why not stick to New York or any other American port? If our American shippers were as. patriotic as the Germans we would have a better merchant marine. Even our diplomats travel on French and German or British ships to and from Europe. Most of our “Who’s Who” does also, notwithstanding they pay taxes to help build our merchant fleet. You cannot blame the Germans for ordering merchandise they buy to be shipped in German ships. We should do the same. The buyer, even when shipping by rail in the United States, could and does have in most cases his preference of carrier. 5 I recollect, some years ago, when connected with the shipping business, we had an order to buy some cotton fcr a German concern and to ship by German ship, giving the name. One of our owners happened to be interested in the cotton brokerage concern and cabled he had purchased and was shipping by American ship, giving name. He promptly

received a cable to cancel the order.

‘NO. Several psychologists have studied this proklem and all conclude that persons of high musical or- artistic abilities have more than average common sense, because no

LET'S EXPLORE YOUR MIND

By DR. ALBERYL EDWARD WIGGAM7 almost eviryititg an exranidl-

or artist without a \ Tot of a and you can’t have a lot of brains}.

without a good deal of sense. ‘True, persens of genius ten do things that avera shows. lack of

88 cha 6 an Jperians Msicianlval

nary person does is out of the or-

‘|dinary, so, often, when we crticize

them as lacking good sense we only | show our own lack of it. A few geniuses are fools, but they are

(oust. less Likely: to be 50 than us

common mortals. 2 nn =»

NO. It merely indicates that every one knows who will stop and think that it is much harder to care for a feeble-minded boy or man in the home than a. feeble-minded girl. There is some evidence—not

3 pr 2 2 -.

-kind of attack? | Planning and preparation have been delayed five years

1 of the best in the world. But they are soldiers.

| hysterical rush to spend much money in the shortest time possible with little regard for what we actually | need and when and where we need it. The second is | the danger that, in the enthusiasm or panic of some

such sloganeering .ballyhoo as “Industrial Mobiliza-

1 tion” or “Taking the Profits Out of War,” we will

enact legislation that will put our democracy and

{| economy under a “temporary” dictatorship with very

large confiscation of ‘nearly all profits. I have written about. this often enough lately to scare up a charge that I am opposed to adequate armament and in favor of war profiteering. In the World War, as deputy provost marshall general mobilizing

| millions of men and later as chief of army purchase

and supply, I had parts in the greatest of armaments and mobilizations. Nearly 20 years ago I prepared some of the earliest studies advocating “taking the profit out of war.” In the original (1933) Recovery Act, I helped to have authority inserted for the Presi dent to use any part of the $3,300,000,000 for naval and military armament. On that record isn’t it silly to say that I am “anti” either of these things? But on that experience, I feel competent to discuss both.

A 8 & =»

PANICKY production program can cost many times as much as a planned program and bog down more easily. worse than useless.

A program not in balance can be We learned that in the war when unplanned haste wasted billions with no military result. An army can’t be just partly equipped. It must be ready “to the last shoelatch.” Similarly, a defensive system is weak if it is geared to only one kind of attack.’ * Where are_we to fight defensively? Against what How are we going to get there?

since the great and Unused appropriation of 1933. But that.is no reason to rush pell-mell into an unplanned program now. We have the best chief of staff and deputy and general staff thay we have ever had—one The plan as they are told to plan. They can’t talk to any body except a committee of Congress.

5 » ” OF danger No. 2, there are already proposed bills which, in “emergency,” would deliver our whole economic’ system——agriculture, industry, transport and finance—to absolutely dictatorial executive’ control and practically to profitless production. Such dictatorship conceivably could become necessary in some kinds of extremes: but let’s see what the emergency is before we stick out our necks. Nearly all extraordinary powers granted the Executive since 1939 were on the ground of emergency. None that I recall has been surrendered willingly. The emergency now seems chronic. It is necessary for Government to take “the profit due to war.” But “in war to take all profits” would paralyze production. There is real and threatening danger on all these points. If we have the inefficiency of a panic program, economic dictatorship and profitless production, you: couldn't tell the difference beIween us and what Trotsky ‘wanted to make out of ussia.,

It Seems to Me By Heywood Broun

Sometimes Even Such a Fine Thing As Free Speech Can Go Too Far.

EW YORK, Dec. 14—May I say in a small voice - that I am for tolerance, free speech and Americanism? But I would like to-add that I am not ready to accept some of the definitions which are being offered for these imposing words. My tolerance does not go to the extent of swallowing Poison dressed up in the guise of patriotism,

There are those who pretend to tolerance and democratic devotion who are prepared to knock the block off anyone who does not agree with their own definition of what. constitutes a good American. Much has been said recently about radio and free speech. I am of the opinion that there are cases in

| which the radio is less than fair in what it takes and

what it rejects. But the problem is complicated by the fact that the waves of the air are limited. Every man has a right to his own particular soapbox, but there just isn’t room enough - for all to appear before the microphone. And so I am not wholly Sympathetic with the pit« eous cries of Martin Dies that .discrimination.is being’ used against him when he fails to find a free hookup for each speech he delivers. Inevitably a crusader like the gentleman from Texas is animated: by the convic= tion that every word he speaks is precious. But so is time in a world which happens to be fleeting. It isn't as if Mr. Dies had been shoved off into an obscure corner. The headlines have been not only generous but kind, and dn numerous occasions the listener has peen permitted to hear his words of charity and good cheer.

Strange as It Seems

Congress knows a device: called cloture. It ‘should not be denied to radio. Enough is enough, and I have never believed that free speech carried with it the right to unending repetition. A recent speech of Mr. Dies did hot find haven on the air because the statjons sald that since it was ‘controversial matter it could not be allowed unless provision was made for a speaker from the other side.

The gentleman from Texas answered that he pur=-

posed to speak on “Americanism,” on which there could be no possible controversy. But when his talk was printed it contained a severe attack on Mr. Ickes and Miss Perkins. Mr. Dies may be incredulous, but I can assure him that there are those who find the Americanism of these two Cabinet members far more inspiring and genuine than the brand he offers. The first and the last word on the subject are not the exclusive property of the great inquisitor. Ameri= canism is not a trinket. No man has the right to assume that he has seized upon it entire and is privileged to let it jingle solely in his own vest pocket.

|Watching Your Health

By Dr. Morris Fishbein

“HE pneumonia season is before us. Today physi= cians confront the disease with far more confidence than ever before in the history of medicine. The attack on pneumonia was once limited to rest in bed, support of the heart, and the use of a few remedies for securing rest. Today the attack is scientific and thousands of lives are saved by new methods. In the old days it was said that nursing was the most important part of care in pneumonia. 'Today the remedies used include oxygen, special serums which have been developed for various forms of pheu= monia germs, and chemical remedies which in some instances are specific for certain forms of the boeus monia germ. The number of types of pneumonia include at least 28 due to different forms of the pneumonia germ, as well as pneumonia caused by other organisms. In general, one out of every four people with pneumonia dies of the disease. It is high on the Jist of causes of death. “pneumonia develops, the. chief Erion

of material which is tinged with blood. Usually the ‘person who has pneumonia has been exhaust d from overwork and exposure or is perering some illness which tends to

Ldude fever, and | breathing, pain in the chest, and the expectoration