Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 14 January 1939 — Page 10

he Tndisnapolis Times

(A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER)

ROY W. HOWARD LUDWELL DENNY MARK FERREE psident Editor Business Mandger Price in Marion Coun-

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SH @ rus

Give Light and the Beople-¥ will Find Their Own ny, :

a x Chabon da

SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 1939

TRIMMING WPA 4 wg Congressmen who voted yesterday to appropriate $725,000,000-—or $150, 000,000 less than the President asked—for WPA to spend in the next five months displayed,

in our opinion, sound judgment. . If the appropriation now passes the Senate without

increase it will mean, of course, that WPA can give work-

relief jobs to a great many fewer people between now and June. But it seems clear that WPA spending. should be, and can be, fairly reduced more rapidly than the Administration wishes. Since. recovery began last June, according to the Government’s figures, employment in' private industry has in-

creased by more than a million. The WPA, itself, predicts

a further increase of 1,500,000 in private jobs by next June. And the PWA, at last hitting its pace, intends to increase

spending on public works projects by about $120, 000, 000

in the next five months.. So, certainly, there will be more opportunities for WPA workers to take private jobs. And there are great number's now on WPA who should be encouraged, and if necessary more than encouraged, to get off. - Most important, we think one of the greatest emcour-

_agements private industry can have to expand and make

more real jobs at real wages is this evidence that Congress, at last, has taken one step toward bringing Government spending under control.

HAS APPEASEMENT FAILED? HE Chamberlain-Mussolini conversations have come to a close. ‘And now only time can tell whether the conversations were a success or a failure, for the results can only be measured in terms of peace or war. It may be that the conversations were decidedly constructiye. A straw in the wind" tending to confirm this impression was the report that Hitler yesterday counseled his Roman partner to wait atleast a year before demanding fulfillment of Italy's “natural aspirations.” A war postponed may never happen. Reports are that Mr. Chamberlain has dropped his appeasement policy because of Rome, It ‘probably would be nearer the truth to say that, after Munich, hé dréw a line beyond which neither Britain nor France would .retreat but that short of that line he would continue to strive for a friendly readjustment. - “To millions of Britons,” cabled United Press’ Wébb

Miller, “the conference (of Rome) will be a success if it|

ends in complete failure.” We do not doubt the accuracy of that statement. In fact there are many on this side of the Atlantic who feel much the same. But we are not among them. ‘We hope the democracies will arm to the teeth, if necessary, to save themselves from having to retreat before the dictators. We hope they will fight rather than yield on fundamentals. - But it would be tragic indeed if the Chamberlains, the Roosevelts and the other democratic leaders

were now to abandon the road to peace because it is too hard. :

“OLD ICK—HE’S A CARD”

: N° matter how violently you may disagree with Harold

Ickes’ opinions you've got to admit he's a “hot sketch.” His stuff has an earthy, salty tang. Anyone past 40 who has lived in a country town will have no trouble identifying that tang. It has the same ammonia-like aroma as a Bivery stable on a frosty morning. We don’t know where Harold was born and raised. It doesn’t matter. Irrespective of where his corporeal being came to life, Harold is a country man at core... a shrewd sizer-upper of men and things; wise with intuitive knowl-

© edge; a fellow not to be bamboozled by anything he hears,

nor half he sees; voluble and blustery in debate, tolérating no nonsense. He knows when it’s going to rain by the feel of his buaions. The salt of the carth; old Ick. Backbone of the country. And a “card.” : Thursday night he was on the radio . . . wise as an owl, voluble and blustery, not to be bamboozled about the newspaper business by publisher Frank Gannett, or anybody else. Never been a publisher himself, but “you can’t fool an old horsefly. » The newspapers of the country are not “free,” old Ick contended, because they are large enterprises, representing big investments, and they got to have money to live. Well, where do they get the money? From the advertiser, old Ick says, and there you are—the advertiser controls the press. Pretty simple for a smart cookie like old Ick. Now take for instance all the small country papers, old Ick continued. They don’t get much advertising—only

‘maybe a little patent medicine and of course all the legal ~ printin’—and it adds up they're pretty durned independent. ~ Like the fellow who knew'less and less, about more and . more, until he got so he knew nothing at all about every‘thing, old I¢k’s argument finally gets around to the conclusion that the route to absolute freedom of the press is

bankruptcy, no less. Old Ick’s arguments don’t make much sense, but it’s

: fun listening to him.

TURNING TIDE? i AR: AND MRS. JOHN ROGERS of Shepandoah -Ia., are the nonpartisan parents of nine children. One six-year-old boy is Herbert Hoover Depression Rogers. His newest little brother has been named Franklin Delano Roosevelt Recession Rogers. If searching for significant evidence of political dissatisfaction, however, we should pass by Mr. and Mrs. Rogers and give our attention to Mr. and Mrs. John Ehmig of Akron, 0, They have asked the Probate Court for permission to change the name of their son, Franklin Delano Ehmig, to Lincoln Franklin, and of their daugliter, Eleanor

ered by earrier, 12 cents |

-¢éould retain pure government wi

od SA

Term Un-American’ Overy ~ Patriotism Often Used as as Cloa . Selfish Interests, Hi tory

Batting for Westbrook Pegler)

‘quently been used as a cloak for ‘the most selfish berets, The memory of “the bloody shirt” was in= woke for a generation after the Civil War by Republican candidates for public office. Hg

ger. We have the Dies Committee and other organiza tions looking into so-calléd un-American activities.

to! spelibinders movement as old American way of the opén shop. gressmen are declaring that we must put an end 6 such and such “un-American” policies

sound American ways. Su ‘There is an altogether too common Lendency to identify Americanism with the Philosophy of Liery leagus, : # a. ¥ anyone is at all familiar with American history

the ‘most flagrant reaction. Benjamin Franklin cons tended that all true Americans miist stick together in the cause of revolution if they would escape the hangman's noose. Jefferson beligved that no country: Jed frequent revolutions. Alexandér Hamilton ridiculed anybody who would defend formal legality in the face of social necessity. Washington risked his life ahd fortune in behalf of revolution. Abraham Lincoln declared that the right of revolution is “a sacred right” which we must valiantly defend if we are to Preserve democracy. . If we regard the father's as in any sense spokesmen for the spirit of Americanism some of the most “une

have passed laws so that, in over half of our Anierican States today, Thomas Jeflerson eould be thrown into prison if he were to come hack, to life and read the Declaration of Independence in a public square.

8 # ALS to brand anything as “un-American.” Americans "ave espoused a great variéty of policies and practices, all the way from Jeéfférson’s praise of revolution and Lincoln's eulogy of international radicalism to George F. Baeér’s contention that our economic royalists are “those Christian men to whom God in His infinite wisdom has given the control of the property interests of the country.”

It would be pretty hard to find anything which could. be said or done today that has not already been said and done by a considerable number of Americans of highly reputable native birth. It is high timeé t6 drop the “un-American” gag, Programs and policies are desirable or undesirable, sound or unsound. the sound and expose the unsound. But we should let even the spokesmen of the latter have their say. If there is anything which is truly “un-American” it is the spirit of censorship and the suppression of free opinion.

Business By John T. Flynn _

SEC Studies Conralion Director And Should Find Field for Reform.

EW YORK, “Jan. 14.—Commiissioner W. O. Douglas has gotten around to an ‘old and irritating subject—the corporation director. He thinks he ought to be paid. Certainly something ought to be done

The best board of directors—for the corporation itself—was the board of the Standard ot Company in John D.s day ard for some time thereafter. Perhaps it is still true. Every director was the head of some important activity of the company. They met every day and deétially ran the company. John D. himself was never g director of any other company save the U. S. Steel. Now a man may be & director of a dozen, 20, 50 companies. Of course he is not a director since he does riot direct. He cannot possibly know what is go= ing on in the company. And in the end, in most cases,

he is not supposed to. Corporation managers gofficials and directors make far more money out of inside dope or the oppor-" tunities for cutting ih on exploitive adventures than they make out of their salaries. And that ought to be

stopped. Two Boards Suggested

I once suggested that thére should be two boards. One should be a board which actually runs the corporation and has complete control over its buying, selling, administrative problems. It should be composed entirely of the executives of the corporation with representatives of labor on jt. There should be another board named entirely by the stockholders and composed only of men who are actually owners of large amounts of stock, so that they have an i Th the comerstion’s Health. That board shou an au g, Supervise # scrutinizing, es-tion-asking board. it ™ It is worth considering. Order such ciréumstances management and labor would be represented by the operative board and the stockholders would actually be represented by the supervising board. All that would bé needed would be a prohibition against one man being on more than two or {three such stockholders boards.. As for the public, any nation that the public can look for protection from the boards is ridiculous. The public must look out for itself through consumer organizations and public agencies Sieh, ge the Federal Trade Commission, the SEC and e like. But none of these proposals will do very much good until the corporation laws themselves have been overhauled to get out of them the various sawed-off shotguns, blackjacks and other gadgets used to hold up the public and the stockholders.

~~

‘with him.

A Woman’ s Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

JgArReD Of the Nazis sometimes leads Dorothy Thompson into devious and dangerous argu-

Home Journal that war cannot destroy a éivilization;

othér and more worthy to survive. = rT asl i ES SE state of ethics. | pte ie Tor Bate reo oe. Gumiives unfit for the gigantic task before us—the task of

Our own Civil War troyed the finest eiviliza that ever flourished * QestroYed : jhe Anes: Siyilsuen,

laid low its ideals and culture Tt

whole nation. It is true that Southern civilization prospered ‘on tain noble traditions which Rave upon the continent. ‘And we know

never been reborn Today that fia

That war grew out of the industrial supremac EE it only happened involved in the strif ‘War kills men iy éveryth inimical to. clvilization, For,

EW YORK, Jan. 14—Patriotism mat 41Aow. tre |

| The “un-American” gas, which 18 80 ourient amorig | us now, threatens to become almost as great a dan- |

Repeatedly 1 have recently y send over the radio

and : as pubic spending and the Wagner ach and sebum to A

“the .

American” citizens. have been those legislators who'|

an actual matter of fact, it is pretty awkward to |

We should conserve and éncourage |

ments. For example, sie wrote recently in the Ladies |

might so easily have permeated and move the J the crime of slavery, but. from 1b also blossomed cere +{

rt : yas: not the real, but only a minot issue ot Ri

in Amériotn ana alin for Tots to te good al Certain Con- |

it seems a little rash to identify Americanism with | T8

URGES WALKING TESTS FOR: PEDESTRIANS By B. R. The big issue of the day seems to bé the struggle between motorist and pedestrian, If it ever comes

wheel. The weight is on his side.

hicles, sidewalks for persons afoot.

‘| Heavy vehicles traveling even 20

miles an hour can strike with killing force. So let every pedestrian know that when he steps from the) curb he is in the no-man’s land for walkers and it should be his own duty to get across in safety. Yet there aré countless numbers who rély solely upon the quickness of the driver's eye and the quality of his brakes. They cross the street with blinders on, confident that the driver will his utmost to keep the death rate down. Goodness knows, that driving | no play, what with traffic, safety |to zones, intersections, etc., to watch! constantly. The driver realizes that despite these many distractions his greatest job is to avoid injuring the public and knowing that he controls a dangerous weapon, he'll take the biggest share of the responsibility of protecting the lives of passers-by. But, Pedestrian, ca’t you do a litt something to help him try to avoid killing you? I recommend walking tests for pedestrians with a few driving lessons thrown in. A tour through the. downtown -aréea will demonstrate clearly how it feels to hold the life of man on the sole of a foot. The average motorist doesn’t go chasing about the streets with -a| homicidal desire to strike down a hapless victim.

meet him half way—and stay out of his way. ® 2 2 » OBJECTS TO JOHNSON’S CRITICISM OF F. D. R.

By Joseph Seébenéy

Hugh 8S. Johnson is beginning to on the nerves of even halfway Jo Bet minded people. His assertion that the President has to wave the bloody shirt to impress upon. the nation that we are in danger of war in order to have|’ his recommendations accepted by Congress is as vicious and wunfounded as the rest of his argument. Ever since he was ditched from the NRA, Gen. Johnson has had his e in the President and his New Deal. Any idiot can see

to a physical encounter, I'll put my| money on the man behind the)

Streets were made for lafge ve-|_-

He’d like the walking public to}

The Roosevelt baiting of Jou :

"The Hoosier

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

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

that. His’ I methods in that position were more of a disgrace to the Administration than anything that has ocourred since. That there 18 no threat of war is another dream of this great militaty strategist of West Point fame. The mere fact that Japan is planning to close the door in China is a threat of war in itself. The Japanese need not send over their legions to substantiate a threat. The threat of war in Europe (which Mr. Johnson will not deny, I hope) is i threat of war in our direction as Sor uo Siu shall have Lusitanias § and we will want our whet and cotton even n ian ould: be a European war. A military mind like that of Gen. Johnson ought to grasp that much. He said himself that:-an European war will y affect us; too. We shall be drawn in. Isn't that a threat? But as long as he can find a chance to slap the. President on any pretext whatever he will not ‘miss it even if he has to contradiet himself. - > : 4 Ane ee CLAIMS MESSAGE GAVE HIM NEW WORRIES ; By: Fred G. Clark, Now York

President Roosevelt's address before Congress on “The State of the

GOD’S GOODNESS | , -By ROBERT O. LEVELL . Some little effort we can make, Will speed across the way, To bring a joy for others’ sake And make us glad today. Woe we put forth an energy, The day will. be worthwhile; To be 30 glad for you and me To have a happy smile.

DAILY THOUGHT

Therefore jhe Lord was very angry with Isr and removed them from out a his sight: there was none left but the fribe of Judah only. ~II II Kings 17:18.

FEVER forget what & man has said to you when he was angry. If he has charged you with anything, you had better look it

up—H. W. Beecher.

gectimony Showed ‘Hopkin Best—Also ‘Worst in. est the | Blind Loyalty to Boss and Aids.

YORK, Jan. 4~Hany Hoping’ testimony

4 Non how good he will be as Secretary of Come

| merce was different from most of such appearances,

It was. Harry Hopkins whom the committee saw and

| héard. It was all of him—the best and worst of hin

{1 as an executive,

without any false whiskers of bluft, pretense, alibi’ of excuse. It was as his friends ‘have heard him either i “moments of relaxation” of on some other hot spot —able, brilliant, candid, ‘intense, imphilsive, in somé thitigs niptactical dnd - above all things, y

personal! lon. "Pat lye of his own judgment or 85 loyalty runs both to his boss He et blind devotion to the President. . . He. also expressed it to his assistant, Mf. Aubrey Williams, Whom he described as a “great” public servang And & ‘meat man.” RY Te Te Br support o jd] a they tum ouf 10 de. Mr. wag one of the

Hopkins said that iam, ene ii rn indiscrétion in re Dave Toes

: : s ¥ ' T reveals one of Mr. He a op ph ori

er's A union to’ India to keep their friends in power. ‘that 1é has

It was typioal of Mr. Hopkins’ self-ass he said -he now understands business because

+| spent. hindreds of millions of other people’s money .to

| retary of Commerce.

buy from business. Passing the point that much of the ‘buying has been doné by Mr. Morgenthail’s pecs buying in the way the Governtnernt.buys doesn’t

Bi Ea the purchasing agent anything about busine;

Mr. Hopkins not only doesn’t know anything. ADOUS i

| =the. doesn’t even suspect anything.

1, nevertheless, hope that he will make a good Secs I do not base that on thé remark made yesterday that if a papérhanger ean run

| Germany and ah editor can run Italy, a social worker

Nation” has relieved me considerably. To one who has worried as much a8 I have about where the politicians

| were taking us, it is soothing to ind

that all the things which the Administration has done during the last six yedrs have béen done inten-|

tionally to prepare us for war with _| dictator countries. “Never,” says the

Presidént; “have there been six years of such far-flung internal préparedness in our history.” But his remarks are soothing only

in that they have replaced my for-

mer wotries with a. brand new set. Can it be possible that the waste-: ful spending: of public funds has been for the purpose of putting’ our}: financial house in order and make us ready to finance htige. purchases of war materials?

Have the organizéd attacks on business, the ham-stringihg, harassing persecution of industry, been aimed to induce expansion and modernization of facilities in prepatation of war? - Has the planhed economy we have witnessed in- peace time-—the killing | of millions of pigs and plowing under of wheat when many peopie| were starving: the attempt to raise prices on everything we buy when what each and everyone of us want is more for our dollar, not less— have these and: all the rest of the weird programs of the bureaucrats been a dress rehearsal for Government planning in & war emergency? Have the four million foreigners not naturalized'in America beén éncouraged of our great nemployment problem, in the belief that they will make good soldiers—for the United States

|—in time of wat?

I'm just asking: the questions to test my own sanity. . : 2 8»

OPPOSES ABOLITION oF

COUNTY TREASURER POSTS By Voter - Here is a suggestion for some leg-|

isintar looking for a bill to sponsor: Recently I read Som one of our

eountiés outgoing officials abolished

the office of treasurer in two instances and named deputies to function, thus depriving the newly elect | ed treasurers from taking office, Apparently this procedure is entirely legal. But it isn’t fair to the new official. May I suggest the Le of-| an islature make it illegal for any o cials to abolish offices like that of treasurer without the approval of a large percentage of the citizenry or

$hie State's lawmakisig body.

SIO) It seems to me all history proves her wrong there. | pies At least war has destroyed many times the intangible | | quality that makes one civilization superior to an. |

maintaining a semblance of sanity in a mad world. |

LETS. EXPLORE YOUR MIND

—By DR. ALBERT EDWAED ; WIG GAM

outdress her or gét Her man, or make hersélf more beautiful and attractive. The is very strong

{12 oth sith 8nd Ius# Bech & som ~ Jtoree.n. civilisation.

to remain here, it the face

tan run American industry. There is a différerice. of opinion abotit the handiwork of the Italian editor and the Austrian papérhanger., I base it on Harry's tihusual zip, brains, honesty and his intense ‘dévo« tion to whatever he is doing. If they alone were 16

| be considered, I woiild be absolutely certain that i

wil hang up a record. a

UT those qualities do ‘not staid alone. stand with the others already mentioned and also, as clearly revealed in his testimony-—his fanatical personal devotion, regardléss of reason, and his in~ eptitude in selecting what, in NRA, the boys. called “Joes"=meaning execiitive “assistants ts Tf Harry doesn't get him’ some good “Joes” who are wise where He is weak-—in hel tial : needs of busl« ness=he can’t possibly click Furthermore, if the President; yevivés his frequent mood of bitter hostility to busifess—=to. make it- come crawling on its hands and knees to meet not its match, but its master—Mr. Hopkins will have to decide whether he will be blindly loyal or economically efficient. Apparently he has already decided and so whether or not he becomes the greatest Secrétdry of Commerce since Herbert Hoover will depend also. upon the moods of his idol. If he should slip for these reasons you: can't help liking a man who fails from faithfulness to friénds, Mr. Hopkins’ Senate testimony. did more for his popue larity than all She billions he has spent.

It Seems to Me

By Heywood Broun

Congressmen. Should Brush Ube on Good Books, Especially the Bible,

N= YORK: San. 14 ~Everymat in Amerisén ibe lic life shoyld be familiar with the Biblé and’ also have a little a of “Alicé inh Wonderidnd.” Most of the great seriptural quoters have Sepere, Mr. Bryan was always ready with a: text, Huey Long could usé the Good Book for his owr purposes, Both Presidential Roosevelts picked some of their most persuasive lines from Holy Writ. It was the Colonel who coined that fine swinging slogan for the Progressive Party, “We stand at Armagéddon and we battle for the Lord.” occasions in which the Colonel and his fifth cousin turned to lighter literature to score a point.’ Both

ymin

aphorisms. It so happens that the reading passion burns low in many Congressmen, 'Theré are members of the House who feel that they have done their full duty by curling up with the Congressional Record. And so

down from the shelf any book with which they happen to be utifamiliar., © _At the moment there is vast indignation. ‘bécause My. Roosevelt, in his Jackson Day speech, referred to conservatives in either party as tweedledums and tweedledees. Tr is charged he is again hurling “ifi< sulting épithets” at his Spponents, aN

Neo Offense Intended

Now, anybody who knows his “Alice” should ree member that there was nothing particularly dreadful about either Tweedledum or Tweedlédee. * In the original illustrations the gentlemen were hed. as being of the hypo-thyroid type.. Upon the- page they seem Somewhat overweight, lethargic and a trifle

| eros. But the only cardinal sin to either character

is his striking similarity to his fellow. ~ =. After all, this hes not only been said bub pointed to with pride by s:calwarts who stand. divided nothing more than the thickness of a party oh Indeed, some of the Republicans seem to miss come ported that in the national legislature there were shouts from the G. O. P tonal als the House across: the aisle to deserving Democrats inviting - them - to come over and join the Grand Old Party. This was an affirmation of what the President predicted. His Jackson Day speech was a tribute to the: American system of two-party government. In order to have two ies you must have two points of view. There is no opportunity for Slash ahd debate at such time as Republicans and crats serve the same interests and philosophies.

Watching Your Health -

By Dr. Morris Fishbein

R. D is an individual who is weaker than his f men in his emotional development. He has ‘Been able to rely entirely upon himself and he tins

ss] to alcohol as’ the escape from his problems. .f | aleoholic is a person who lives entirely in the |

and takes little thought of the future. =~ ~*~ = Dr. Allen ‘mentions two outstanding types.

| coholics;, both of which are composed of:

personalities: <~ There is the psychopathic 4

pul who is inadequate from youth, who starts’

: while: the other type is the neurotic sl

shows. inadequacies in youn, But who §

mah gue | 20 Pe a Since in recent times a great many ) the alcoholic, the evidence

iy

But there have been political

went through the looking ‘glass in search of apt

they are annoyed and puzzled when a President takes

pletely the point of Roosevelt's reference. It is ree

E. Re tuk ot aeatmm

PS