Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 15 March 1939 — Page 14

“The Yndianap olis Times

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RILEY 5551 = Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way

- WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 1939

BOMB IN HAND

Ess than. six: months from the time of her dismemberment at Munich, hat was left of Czechoslovakia was erased: yestérday from the map. The piecés——Bohemia, Slovakia and Ruthenia (Car-patho-Ukraine). —will be mere provinces of Greater Germany, The historical meaning of all this, of course, rernains "to be seen. All that can be said now is that Europe and

disappearance of the little war-born republic of Masaryk and Benes is but the prelude to other and even more tragic things to come. v Despite the fact that years ago Hitler told the world exactly what he plans to do, and is now engaged in doing just that, he is one of the most unpredictable of men. A mystic, he acts as and when the spirit moves, ~_ Which is why practically the entire world today is anxiously waiting for his next move, hoping and praying it will not be to toss into the ranks of civilization the sputtering bomb which he holds in his hand. |

' 20 YEARS OF GASOLINE TAXES JUST 20 years ago the Oregon Legislature conceived the

‘bright idea that a tax of 1 cent a gallon on gasoline

ion provide some greatly neéded money to improve state — highways. Few ideas ever caught on faster or bloomed'to ‘greater proportions. ; Since 1919, Oregon has collected $94,000,000 in gasoline ‘taxes and has raised the rate to 5 cents a gallon. Every ‘<other state has followed suit, and so has the Federal Govern“ment, which gets about $200,000,000 a year from this source ‘through a 1-cent levy. Missouri and the District of Colum, “bia tax gasoline only 2 cents a gallon. The rate is 3 cen in 10 states; 4 cents in 18 states, including Indiana; 5 cents or higher in the rest, with motorists in Florida, Louisiana and Texas paying 7 cents in tax on every gallon of “gas” “they buy. : : Gasoline taxes have given this: country the world’s greatest and best system of highways. But the ease with which they are collected has tempted many states to increase the rates far beyond the actual needs of road construction and maintenance, thus getting money for many . other activities of government. One state-—Nebraska—got more than half: of its total “revenue through “gas” taxes last year. Georgia, Florida ard Tennessee depended on this tax for nearly half of all

the money they spent. Only six states—California, Massa-|"

‘chusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York and Pennsylvania — “obtained less than 20% of their revenue in | this’ way. “Country-wide, motorists and {ruck ownérs paid more than ‘a fourth of the total cost of the state governments at the “pumps of the nation’s filling stations. i

ECONOMY’ IN WPA

LL possible economies in administration and operation are being sought and will be constantly checked . . .”—from President Roogevelt’s message yesterday, renewing the request for $150,000,000 more for WPA.

¢{ That is the crux of the matter. If “all possible econ;omies” are, indeed, being sought and made effective, then igreat good has resulted from the decision of Congress to ‘withhold a part of the deficiency relief appropriation for :Which the President asked in January, * His request, then, was for $875,000,000 to keep WPA ‘going for the five months from February through Jure. Congress voted $725,000,000. This was not because Cone - gress had hardened its heart against the needs of the unemployed. It was because Congress believed that WPA had acquired habits of wasteful, extravagant, foolish and needless spending—habits which should be broken and :which WPA might be encouraged to break if given, for -once, something less than the full amount it defanded. There were abundant grounds for this belief, With the $725,000,000 voted in January, WPA has ‘received $2,150,000,000 for the current fiscal year-—fior ‘more money than in any previous year. Yet business hos “been improving for the last eight months. Private employment has gained. Unemployment insurance payments and “other social security benefits have increased hugely. Ard the Federal public works and housing programs are now reaching their job-making peaks. 8 8 ” : 8 8 8 UT if WPA is seeking “all possible economies,” how ; explain such things as its expenditure, just revealed, of : $250,000 of relief money for a building to house its exhibit ‘at the New York World's Fair? : Congress appropriated $3,000,000 for a Federal exhibi® at the Fair. Congress did not authorize WPA to have 2 -separate exhibit and undoubtedly would have refused such ‘authority if it had been asked. But WPA has gone ahead “on its own and squandered a quarter of a million dollars on ‘a display intended to “sell” its program to the citizens, who ‘thus will be propagandized at their own expense. And, if :you think $250,000 is chicken-feed, consider this: It would “have kept 1388 workers on WPA payrolls for the next «three months. Or, today being income tax day, consider ‘this: It will take the taxes on 5208 incomes of $5000 Zeach to pay for that WPA exhibit. : The truth, we believe, | is that WPA .is not secking “all “possible economies”—that Congress has succeeded in very “small degree, if at all, in encouraging WPA to bresk its bad ‘habits of foolish and wasteful spending. To save the needy from suffering for the extravagance of WPA, Con-

“gress may find it necessary to vote at least part of the

+$150,000,000 more now asked by the President.

% But, more clearly than ever before, it is the duty of

-Congress to find out all about what WPA does with its millions and ita \ billions, to expose the waste and folly that » are f 1 f

| MARK YERRIE.

Price in Mario Coun-

the world are once again torn with anxiety.! All fear the

Fair Enough

By Westbrook Pegler

‘Having Put Singers in Their Places. He Considers the Writers and Finds ‘That Some of Them Are Pretty Silly.

EW YORK, March 15.—~Withdrawing nothing of

what I recently said about the vanity of singers, |

I may add that writers, as a class and always saving the éxceptions, have the same faults and a few others besides. There is something about fame or mere publicity— which is momentary fame—which often has an upsetting effect on the poise, morals and modesty of

pecple who work in words. Saving the exceptions again, writers think they are not bound by conventional politeness of manners and speech. Some of them come to think that they are very superior ‘to

businessmen, and affect a lofty mannér toward better |

persons who are not in the writing business. . Literary agents and magazine editors-could tell you a lot about the inconsiderateness and irresponsibility of writers, because they are always having to hold their hands, clean up their bills and alimony problems and stake them to living money between stories and often have to step in and settle family rows or arrange

# #4 =

OME writers can co the tenderest and loveliest pieces imaginable about deep, honest love but can’t stay hitched to one wifg or husband long enough to last out a short-term sublease on an apartment, and their marriages in many cases break up for very petty causes. They cultivate hangouts in restaurants and saloons not only for the purpose of getting together and talking shop but also to be gazed at by the tourist trade and —sometimes—asked for their autographs. They have done this in Paris, London and New York, and there never was a time in New York when literary celebrity was so widespread or the celebrities so conspicuous in the night life. Most writers are former aewspaper reporters and should have a pretty level sense of the true worth of publicity, which is macle by running sheets of paper over inked cylinders and generally doesn’t mean a thing, but it doesn’t work out that way. It gets them just as it gets singers, actors. and some types of politicians.

J divorces.

2 8 = ! writer whose stories get into the magazines is rated a celebrity, regardless of what the st.ries are about or how good they are, and the papers themselves used to build up this illusion of distinetion by hiring old grads of the city room to cover stich events as political conventions or World’s Series

‘games and billing them on the wagons as “famous

magazine writer.” The regular hands would do the journeyman copy, and the seal would write what the event meant to posterity or something like that for a check equal to six months’ pay for a city side man. That isn’t done any more. The regular newspaper people give better coverage, and the only outstanding job of this kind by a name-writer in recent years was Edna Ferber’s story about the Park Ave. saloon society dolls at the Hauptmann trial. That one drew blood, but Edna Ferber is a writing writer and you never see her around. I guess old George Bernard Shaw has done more posturing and grimacing than any other ccntemporary writer, but not in a scandalous or cirty way, and, anyway, the old boy is there. He has a right to act funny, but others who are always breaking into print with disorder or monkey business or being eccentric are just being coarse for fear they will not be noticed.

Business By John T. Flynn

Douglas Would Fill Court's Need of A Liberal Familiar With Economics.

TEW. YORK, March 16.—Interest in the approaching appointment to the Supreme Court to fill he vacancy caused by Justice Brandeis’ resignation § keen in financial circles in New York. It is keenest among those close to Wall Street who are numbered among the financial reformers. For, strange though it may seem, there are a good many men in what Is called high finance who have been y at critics of the old order here. What: concerns such men is the absence from the bench of judges with a liberal background who understand the devious turnings of . corporation finance. They recall the late Justice Holmes, who was such a great liberal luminary on the bench, but whose learning did not extend very far into the field of finance and who, while such a sound liberal on all the great questions involving human rights, was never greatly disturbed by the activities of corporate bodies. His interests were in the humanities so that he was not keenly alive to the grave abuses of the corporate promoter. Justice Brandeis’ peculiar contribution to the work of the Court was in this very field. He had been a

great corporation lawyer who had early in his career

decided to put himself on the side of the public as against the railroads and utilities and tne many industrial promoters who were active in his day at the bar. When he ascended the bench he brought to it a ripe experience in this intricate field.

Wall St. Opinion Mixed

There are other men on the bench who know this subject well but they spent their lives on the side of the great corporations. Justice Hughes is learned in this field of law and, within reasonable limits, he is a liberal. But it is not wholly a matter of law. 15 is a matter of economics and finance. Among the able lawyers of Supreme Court caliber who know high finance inside out and who, perhaps alone among liberals, is capable, for this reason, of filling the place left vacant by Justice Brandeis, {= William O. Douglas, now head of the SEC. Mr. Douglas was a practicing attorney in one of the biggest of corporation law offices and saw corporation practice and particularly reorganization practice at close range. Opinion of him in Wall Street is mixed. He enjoys the respect of Wall Street far more than either of his SEC predecessors. There are many Wall Street reformers who would hate to see him go from the SEC. The old guard, of cuurse, would love to se2 him in the Supreme Court or in the Army or anywhere in the world rather than in the SEC.

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

country? Signs from several quarters make it look that way. For example, the trend to forbid women to be both wage-earners and wives. Oklahoma legislators have gone so far as to present a bill stipulating the amount which, when earned by the husband, would automatically remove his ‘wife from all State, County, municipal and school-district employment. No doubt they have been encouraged in the idea by the arguments they have read on the subject from the pens of such eminent columnists as Westbrook Pegler. Now let us grant that such a law would be a good thing, economically speaking. If that is true,

, why not allow reason to continue on its progressive

way by forcing every single man earning the stipulated sum to get married? The unemployment problem: is of paramount importance. the right of married women to work must hinge upon depressions and prosperity. But are we to sup-

pose that men are not also ready to make an equal |

sacrifice for the common good? Forcing women to relinquish matrimony, withoui at the same time forcing men to assume its responsibilities whenever possible, is an odd interpretation of citizenship rights, don’t you think? ‘But,” I hear you cry, “marriage is sacred. No state has the power to meddle with the individual desires where it is concerned.” Oh, yes it has, my friend. Even in the most perfect democracy, the welfare of the majority is placed above the welfare of the individual. Or at least that’s what I've been told. Indeed is it not for the good of the whole people that we are now asking married women to give up their jobs? Very well then, for the the whole us also demand that

ILL the rights of the state become paramount to the rights of the individual in our own.

Therefore, we are told |

[startin g A

—By Talburt _

‘The Hoosier Forum

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

LAUDS GOOD SENSE.

IN GALLUP POLL By One Who Fought Over There The Gallup poll on our attitude toward war was very interesting, as are all the Gallup polls. Of prime interest, of course, is the result of the poll as the figures show it, but of almost equ importance are those little rejoinders of those interviewed such as “We should sell only for cash.” |. What wisdom! While we can do nothing but line up with sister democracies, let’s not let the propagandists obscure the fact that these same democracies put. us in the hooks many millions before. And currently, as budgets are drawn up, the formal announcement runs “No provision for payment-of interest,

If the test comes again, I hope America won't let hysteria dominate good sense. . » a THINKS OUR LIBERTIES ARE WORTH GUARDING By C. H. Smith It is encouraging to see an editorial such as appeared in the March 1 Times entitled, “Protecting the Idiots.” |

Too much imp rtance cannot be attached to safeguarding the liberties which we have enjoyed in this land of liberty. That there are sinister forces at work in the world no one can doubt. Amidst these dangers, we need more articles devoted to maintaining our civil and religious freedom. 8 2 =

SEES DANGER IN SALE OF WAR MATERIALS By Edward F. Maddox

Our present Neutrality Law shuts off the sales of war materials to both sides in case of war. That is neutrality, But if ib is changed so that we may isell to ore side an not to both, that is taking sides.

Now we Snow by experience that such tactics lead to war, so if we are determined to engage in the bloody business | of! supplying bombs, planes, guns and shells to blow other people’s legs and heads

off, let us cease carping about other

nations which do the same. If we get into another Europesn or Asiatic war it will be because we are tricked into it by a few war mengers. The people are opposed Maybe that is why the war referendum is so bitterly opposed. a # @ ONE IN EVERY NINE ON GOVERNMENT PAYROLL:

By Observer

A Census Best analysis indicates that of every nine people employed, one is on a Government payroll. And they draw about oneeighth of all Salaries and wages in the country. ; About a third of this army of public employees are = ithe Federal pay-

(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.)

roll (work relic not included). Another third are in schools or educational systems, and the other third is divided among state, county and municipal jobs. The easy. thing is to deplore all this, and wonder “whither are we drifting.” But the scientific thing would be|. for. somebody to find out how many functions, . how much work, is now being “done by governments which people used to do for themselves. If the amount of work is about in proportion to the people employed, the whole thing becomes inevitable. Obviously, however, there comes a point in this trend when those not on the public payroll become utterly unable to support those who are on it. : And the only way to fend off that unhappy development is to begin making some of our government services pay their own way just as any private enterprise does. 2 = 8 VISIONS STREETS DESERTED UNDER SPEED BAN By G. S. I see where Judge Karabell is going to revoke licenses of motorists driving 40 miles an hour. ‘If he takes licenses from all those, there will be a lot of filling stations go out of business and the State is going to lose a lot. of gasoline tax, as there will not be many left driving

BEFORE AND AFTER By VIRGINIA POTTER

Before his kisses thrilled her— Now his whiskers hurt her face; Before he danced divinely— Now he hasn't any grace.

Before he brought her candy And always dressed so neat— Now he never spends a nickel; Leaves his clothes all in a heap.

Before marriage it was different— After marriage it's a fact That she had never realized The many things he lacked.

DAILY THOUGHT

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.—Matthew 2:11.

IRST worship God; he that forgets to pray, bids not himself good-morrow or good-day.—T. Randolph.

DOUBTS HITLER'S CONCERN | EVEN FOR ARYANS By Gertrude Goldman In analyzing, from one of many points of view, the cartoon “Dogging Their Footsteps” I take it that Hitler is rather hesitant in pursuing the axis road becalise of the bad economic conditions in the Reich. 1s not Mr. Kirby rather flattering in his inference that the German leader is concerned about the miserable conditions of the ‘*‘Aryans”? For if this were the case, surely there are many things Herr Hitler could do that would alleviate the suffering of his “superior race.” For instance, he could call a halt to the suicidal rearmament program; he could show some gesture of decency to the helpless and innocent minorities whom he has so outrageously tortured and persecuted. tJ f J 8

DEPLORES HISSING OF MR. ROOSEVELT

By Mrs. M. J. ; An article in a recent current magazine gave a vivid picture of the nightmarish life in Europe. When I finished reading it, I thought how thankful we should be to live under a government of freedom like ours. Later the same day I read, in the Hoosier Forum, an article by S. S. of how that person had heard hisses by well-dressed people in a theater

‘when pictures of our President were

thrown on the screen. Why would they want to hiss a man who is giving every ‘ounce of his strength and courage that the underprivileged may live and enjoy this freedom we have? Do we not owe the President the courtesy due a gentleman? People of that type should be sent to Europe to live and breathe as a dictator would wish. Let's have more patriotism and less politics.

2 8 =

|OUR STAND APPROVED

ON CIVIL LIBERTIES By Mrs. Ora Leigh Shepherd

I want to express my appreciation for two editorials which have appeared recently on the issues of racial discrimination and civil liberties. One referred to Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt’s resignation from the Daughters of the American Revolution in protest of their action in barring Marian Anderson from appearing in Constitution Hall because of her race. The other dealt with the meeting in New York City of the Nazi Bund and was in support of freedom of assembly and speech notwithstanding total disagreement with the purpose and philosophy of the group involved. Thank you for your expressed recognition: that these two issues, racial justice and freedom of speech, are fundamental elements in de-

mocracy.

a IN

TAT AGE ARE IN GIRLS YOUR GOIN.

1 JUDGING trom the hosts of letters I receive from young women on the boy question, and the few from young men

HER TEENS AS MUCH HE BOYS AS BOYS OF

LETS EXPLORE YOUR MIND

By DR. ALBERT EDWARD WIGGAM

PON TY?

CONN meme [3

the boy problem than boys in the girl problem. Boys are considerably freer to browse around and pick eir dates whereas girls still have “stand and wait.” ina sense

great many boys do not get much

past 21, but practically all girls feel this interest very deeply long before 21. i 8 = HE CANNOT change it so completely that his friends won't

‘|know him, but he can pretty nearly

do so if he will go at it right. Dr. Sadie Meyers Shellow, psychologist, says that you should go at this improvement like you go at untangling a knotted bundle of string—you cannot untie all the knots at once, you have to untie them one at a time. However, as the work proceeds, many of the kinks and knots almost untie themselves. - : 8 8 8 OBVIOUSLY the first one bee cause it will take the oldest, youngest and weakest, and there will be a sort of “survival of the fittest.” This has very wide results for public health because it has been

' |found that where we save most infants by wise care we increase the|

death rate of children between 2 and 10 because we save a good many for 2 years who cannot survive .to

This pauls age. It all pays pois is

interested in girls until they are}

sllage: Commended for Trying Surplus Plan in‘ Limited = Area; Idea Squares With Our Economics.

FAS INGTON, ‘March 15: Secretary of Agricul ture Wallace is playing with a new plan; to: dis=

‘pose of son e surplus products which seems to: be an ‘improvement—especially in the way he proposes 10 go ‘about it,

I is not be slapped town on our econe

omy all at once, like a lid on & kettle, as some other

‘New Deal experiments have been. It will fitat be fried ‘out ih four or five localities to see whether it Works or

how it can|be improved.

The Surplus Commodity Cotp. Ting been a buying up price-drepressing surpluses of butter, eggs and: perishables, like fruit and vegetables. These it has been giving away free to people on relief. This i8 a haphazard method. It has been driticized by retailers: be cause it by-passes them and puts: Government into competition’ with them. The Administration of it has been panned as careless and wasteful. 3

Government studies of WPA wages have shiown that, while the amount available for food for a family of four, for example, is enough to prevent starvation, it is not enough to provide a minimum balanced: diet, especially for children, in some of the foods of. which there is a surplus—dairy proghety eges, fruit and vegetables. : 8 ” ” : He, : R. WALLACE'S new plan is aimed at all these criticisms and difficulties. Instead of having the Surplus Commodity Corp. buy these products and give them away, he proposes to use that money to increase WPA and other relief benefits by practically the amount per person in each family by which the present wage fails to provide a balanced diet. But this money is not to be paid in cash. The part now being paid, which studies show is available for food after rent and other expenses, is to be paid in a stamp colored, say, orange. These stamps will be good at any store at their face value for any food but not for liquor. The amount added to build up a balanced diet will

‘be paid in blue stamps. These also pass at face value

in any grocery but only for commodities declared by the Department of Agriculture to be Supis-butter,

eggs, fruit, vegetables and so forth. The grocer, as

he finds convenient, cashes them at a bank for: face value. : 8 = . rpear is all there is to it. Like all untried rans, it is probably full nf holes and bugs. It certainly adds the profits of private distribution: to the cost to the Government of getting this surplus consumed. Mr, Wallace told me, however, that he believed that this method would prove as cheap as the present one. However that may be, this plan approaches the surplus problem. in a new way which is: much closer than the present practice to, the principles ‘our economic system. It takes Government ‘¢léar put of this department of business. It appears to nnel Federal money spent to solve one great problém-—un-employment—more directly toward the solution; of another—farm surplus. It also seems to avoid many abuses arid rit feisms of the present method. Whether it actually, will do all these things or not—especially the lattet—remaths to be seen. But it is all to the good to try that question out in the relatively limited field of a few: pears cities at no expense or risk. : F

It Seems to Me

By Heywood Broun

Fresh Kids Spoil His Sun Bath, But He Finds Solace in the Bible.

TAMI, March 15.—Recently the suggestion was made here that tiny tots should: Tide only in the baggage car on railroads. : Now I also would like to bar the little ones from beaches, except during some special children’s hour, Possibly this is written out of some personal ‘animus, because yesterday I was razzed and reviled by the . younger generation. Af the height of the ‘bathing hour I appeared conventionally attired in a red polo shirt, white pants and black patent leather shaes. There was nothing in the ensemble calculated to

attract attention. But suddenly four assorted tots spled me, and the elder member of the gang piped up and said, “Look at the funny fat man. What is the funny fat man going to do?” Since there was no jagged rocks, pieces ‘of broken

‘glass, or she bears available the furmy fat man merely

gave the tots a dirty look and went decorously on his way. Behind -a bathhouse he pulled off the red polo shirt in order to let the violet . rays play on his bronchial tubes and relieve a heavy cough. He still retained long: white pants and shoes, and was probably the most overdressed man there. Nevertheless, one of the cute| little kiddies set up a caterwauling, “Look at the funny fat man. He's taking off all his clothes.” That was|a bare-faced lie, but grownups, guardians of the peace and innocent .bystanders began to stare in my fie oa In spite of the long, flapping trousers I felt like old man Adam.

A Hasty Retreat

Hastily I pulled on my red polo shirt and 1 Tee entered the class of the fully clad and the respecte able. Resentment still rankled. Since everybody was looking in my direction it was not possible for me to maim any of the children quietly and let it go at that. Instead I slunk away to my hotel room ta seek consolation in the scriptures. : Fortunately the Gideon| Bible opened at precisely the teht place. It was the vivia narrative of the encounter between Elisha and certain brash tots in Israel many centuries ago. You may remember that the children plagued the prophét. They made no criticism of his figure but they did cry out, “Go up bald-head.” Anda after their frivolous fun had gone on for a little while wild animals came out of the forest and “tore” every last one of the little brats. In my youth this was a portion of the Old Testament which puzzled and disturbed me.. But now I understand better the fine, even-handed justice of it all. Funny fat man, indeed! She bears are much too good for = and now I think that

the account of the fate which came to the persecutors of Elisha is probably th sweetest story ever toe,

Watching Your Health

By Dr. Morris Fishbein = =~. ¢

MONG all the letters which pass across’ ‘the: desks ‘ue

of those who offer medical advice to the public, the most difficult for which to frame a satisfactory reply are those which concern conditions that are largely mental rather than physical. : It might be thought that such would be easter to answer, but in most cases, only a complete and thorough investigation of the life of the person concerned, from the very Ye of birth, would yield useful information. Here, for instance, is a part of a letter which ine dicates how a pec fear may harass LQ person throughout a long life of usefulness. : “Dear Doctor—I am 70 years old, a retired Yailioad engineer, with 40 years of service. I have passed examinations every year, but for years if an§body looked at me when I went to sign my name, my hand would shake so that I could hardly writé at all. And my heart would thump. I would try to sign when the doctor was not looking. Now yesterday I had to sign my name in the courthouse. My hand shook so that I could hardly dip my pen in the ink-bottle and my heart shumped against my ribs, because I felt so ashamed. I do not think I would be afraid of any man in the courthouse if it came to a fight. Is there anything I can do to ove! e this fear, or this complex if: that is what you wll wr gpa

The letter was witiien in an excellent bandwiting, firm and neat, which shows that the difficulty is not related to physical problem of: writing, but tosome - wholly mental factor. Many of the leadipg investiga~ | soem of meokiems ot this type are convinced that fome