Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 28 March 1939 — Page 10

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Give Light and the People Will Fina Their Own Way

TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 1939 ’

‘MISTAKES GROWN OLD’

HE late Congressman James M. Beck of Philadelphia, eloquent and erudite authority on constitutional law, was fond of quoting legal precedents. But one day he found himself out on a legalistic limb. In the course of a prohibition debate, he had enunciated a fanciful principle of law to bolster a wet argument. Immediately the powdery dry Tom Blanton of Texas challenged Mr. Beck to cite a single precedent to support his view. Mr, Beck was not one to stay long on a limb. Nimbly he climbed down. “Ah, precedents, precedents!” he retorted. “The writer has said: ‘Precedents are mistakes grown old’.” ® ” ” ® 8 " YESTERDAY the United States Supreme Court tied up in a neat package scores of bad precedents, some of which were mistakes a hundred years old, then tossed the bundle out of the window. : . : They were precedents which had embalmed the principle of tax equality, precedents which over the years had evolved the theory that persons on public payrolls were privileged citizens, a finespun legalistic doctrine that it was somehow an unconstitutional burden on the Federal Government for a State Government to attempt to tax a Federal employee’s salary, and vice versa with respect to Federal taxation of state and local government salaries. In two decisions yesterday, the high court clearly classified that doctrine for what it is—just so much bunk. Yesterday’s decisions, giving states the right to tax Federal salaries; followed decisions of a few weeks ago upholding Federal taxation of state and municipal salaries. Thus the way is now cleared for complete reciprocal taxation, under which persons on public payrolls will pay income taxes to both State and Federal Governments, on the same basis’ as private citizens enjoying similar incomes. Indeed, the Court’s new interpretations more than clear the way. For unless Congress and the state legislatures act, many public servants who for years have drawn salaries they believed to be tax-free, may unexpectedly find themselves subjected to retroactive levies.. Paying taxes on salaries long since received and spent would be a bitter dose to take—and, in our opinion, unfair. However, in this instance the lawmakers can be trusted to be alert in legislating against retroactive levies. They have a pocketbook motive, : :

FACTS VS. FANCY

F we would understand what is going on in the world to- ~~ day, we must bear in mind certain fundamentals. For example: ™M*~&: aT aw Europe and the world are now divided into three camps —namely, the Nazi-Fascists, the Communists and the democracies. The democracies desire peace and the status quo. The Nazi-Fascists desire change and apparently are willing to go to war to achieve it. The Communists also seek change but want the other two camps to do their fighting for them. If the Nazi-Fascists and the democracies will only go to war with, and destroy, each other, the Communists are convinced they will inherit the earth. That is why Moscow, while studiously refraining from committing herself, continues to bait both the Fascists and the democracies at .every opportunity. Yesterday, in.line with this policy, the Communist Party newspaper, Pravda, jeered at Britain and France for not taking ‘decisive action,” and characterized Mussolini’s Sunday speech as “an eloquent answer” to these “stimulators of aggressors.” . What Pravda forgot to add, however, was that every mile Herr Hitler advances eastward increases the Nazi menace to Soviet Russia. When the Fuehrer gobbled up Czechoslovakia and strode on across Hungary and Rumania to the Black Sea, he brought Russia’s Ukraine definitely and directly under Germany’s guns. Stopping Hitler, therefore, was more Russia’s job than the job of Britain and France. Yet despite her army of 2,500,000 men, and her air force which she boasts is superior to that of any other country in the world, she backed off. To sift vital facts: from fancy in the ever-changing European situation is difficult. But it is highly important to the anxious and interested people of the United States. For that reason, therefore, we espe€ially commend to our readers the series of articles by Roy W. Howard now appearing in this newspaper.

ONE PROBLEM SOLVED

R years competition by the Bata shoe factories at Zlin, ~~ Czechoslovakia, has bothered the American shoe industry. s : - Because Czechoslovakia was a friendly democracy, we went out of our way in framing our reciprocal trade treaty to make allowances for Bata shoes. The American shoe industry protested that tariff on Czech shoes was too low, and that the competition of Bata’s shoes was too tough. Now that is all over. Hitler solved -one problem he never thought about. For Czechoslovakia is now German. ‘The tariff is already raised a third on Zlin shoes. ~ As an immediate result, New England shoe factories are preparing to increase production by between 4,000,000 and 10,000,000. pairs. Not only is their domestic market more secure, but they now compete in the international market with German shoes, not Czech. There is expected to be considerable sales-resistance toward German shoes, Should Hitler suddenly find a lot of the Zlin shoemak‘ers on relief, he should remember that he asked for it.

WE'RE SPARED THAT TYYNAMITING at the nearby Grand River Dam site dis- "~~ turbed his setting hen, and so Justice of the Peace C. S. Bivens of Disney, Okla, mounted the nest on a shockabsorber improvised of old bedsprings. This experiment, however, was a failure. Only one of the 13 eggs hatched, and perhaps that’s just as well.

it had succeeded, some fiend in humorist form would have en sure to perpetrate a feeble je about Justice Bivens’

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bleats.

Fair Enough By Westbrook Pegler ~~ - Old Man Garner "Don't Say Nothin" * But Many Think He's Rolling Along Toward the Democratic Nomination.

ASHINGTON, March 28.—Old Man Garner, that Old Man Garner, he don't say nothin’ but he keeps on growing in the political consciousness of the national capital and of the nation-at-large as a candidate for the Democratic nomination in 1940, possibly with Jim Farley in the two-spot. ; Now if you ask me the mail address of the political consciousness of the national capital and of the country-at-large I have to say that it is just some-

thing that I made up. But let me ask you if you haven't heard—and perhaps thought—a great deal about Mr. Garner these last few months, and if he hasn’t been impressed on your political consciousness as a conservative Democrat, distinctly on the rugged and picturesque side, an opponent of extravagance, emotionalism and flippancy, and a symbol of Govern=ment by professionals as distinguished from booktaught amateurs of the Ivy League. True, Mr. Farley himself has said that any politician of the Democratic Party who operly seeks the nomination before President Roosevelt has had his say must be out of his mind. But that is just it, Mr. Garner has not openly invited the nomination. That is being done for him, unintentionally, perhaps, through suggestion in the newspaper coverage out of Washington. Mr. Garner is a cactus Cal Coolidge, whose very silence against portions of the New Deal becomes more thunderous each day while other men in open opposition to the Administration waste their effect in small

8 8 =n

LD Man Garner's silence is interpreted as both protest and loyalty to the President and contributes to his growth on both counts. But, of course, while the President is making decisions—and, if you think so, mistakes—for home consumption and for the export trade as well, Old Man Garner, the silent kibitzer, tHion’t say nothin’. But if he don’t say nothin’ how is it known that Old Man Garner is displeased? Well, this is Washington, a great sewing circle in which bad news travels fast, and Mr. Garner isn’t always reserved in off-the-record conversations. That

stuff gets around from man to man and into print as |.

background information and people who think Mr. Garner would make a good President for a change talk it up and pretty soon there is your candidacy. And what has he got besides those eyebrows and a still tongue in his head? : 2 # = : : ELL, he is a country banker with long experience both in business and, in politics. He rocks along with people. He goes to bed after supper and gets up at some awful hour of the morning. He knows plenty about legislation and Government. What else are you wanting, because this just about spells him out and he has come along to the position that he now occupies in the field mainly on orthodoxy, simplicity, silence and, of course, party regularity. After all, it doesn’t take much, you know. Worse men have made it. bo - And why, then, is he being talked up as a Presidential candidate? Maybe you had better ask yourself that, because it is the likes of you who are talking him up. There is no.mechanical boom, but everything about Old Man Garner points an appeal to the businessman, especially the little one, and the homeowning and life insurance types. : i Maybe you wouldn’t care for him: That's all right. I am not trying to sell you a bill. I am just trying to count Mr. Garner up and see why he is coming along without having said aye, yes or no. |

Business

By John T. Flynn 1. ‘Change Urged by Stock Exchanges Would Open Door to Manipulation.

EW YORK, March 28.—The Stock Exchanges of the country have asked the SEC to support certain changes in the law and in its regulations. The reason given is that the present law and regulations are holding back new financing and that this in turn is holding back recovery. A number of changes are urged. And it may be that some of them are reasonable, There is one, however, which, if agreed to would constitute such a blow to the whole scheme of market regulation that the whole Securities Exchange Act would be endangered. Back in the feverish days of the ‘Twenties when everyone lost his shirt in the stock market, the greatest abuse was manipulation of prices. No coriceivable defense can be made of this practice. By this means millions of people were induced to buy stocks at double and treble their values. To remedy that Congress put into the Securities Exchange Act this provision: “No person shall effect alone or with ope or more persons a series of transactions in any security registered on a. national security exchange creating active or apparent active trading in such security or raising or depressing the price of such security for the purpose of inducing the purchase or sale of such security by others.” |

It Sounds Familiar

Can any fair-minded .man object to that? Now the exchanges want to add a little amendment. They would, leave the words just as they are, but they want to add these words: “—in contravention of such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the commission as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors.” | If such an amendment were adopted it would mean in effect, that manipulation is unlawful if it violates such rules as the SEC. may adopt. The first effect, therefore, of the amendment would be to repeal the law against manipulatior.. There would be np more law against it. The amendment would give the commission power to make a rule agains it. And there would be no prohibition until the commission adopted that rule. And some subsequent commission could repeal it or water it down. a The object of this ‘amendment is to permit manipulation. It is not called manipulation. It is called “stabilizing” the price or “sponsoring a stock.” And the exchanges concede in their proposal that this is the object. Stabilizing a price means pegging the price at some point which the’ stabilizers consider proper for their purpose. Keeping. it up, for instance, while they are unloading on the public.

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson it

OTHERS know more about facts of history than fathers. A magazine makes the statement and we've no inclination to argue with it. Indeed, from the housewife’s point of view, it appears we would be better off today if our Mamas had helped with the compiling of history books. = : | When he did turn historian, Papa was too much beguiled with the conquerors to prepare a well-bal-anced record and, as a consequence, most of the stuff handed down to schoolboys gives more prise to tyrants and destroyers than to altruists and builders. It will not be denied that the world’s Pain in the Neck right now is Adolf Hitler. In the 18th Century it was Napoleon Bonaparte, who was vilified by his enemies in almost precisely the same words used to describe the devilments of Adolf. Before that, Charlemagne shadowed Europe, and before him Alexander the Great, weeping for more worlds to conquer, was the most appealing figure to male historians, | The inventor of the wheel—who literally lifted the face from the mud—never got so much as a line of recorded attention, but nobody has been allowed to

forget the ruthless son of Philip of Macedonia. It is

reasonable, then, to suppose that Hitler will get as ‘much notice in future history books as he does in today’s newspapers, and that little boys of the 21st Century will read of his exploits with moist eyes and palpitating hearts. No doubt a good many of them will be moved by a desire to pattern their lives after his, as is always the way of small boys with their heroes. As for that, youll have to travel a long way to find a man who doesn’t think Napoleon was great. | Look at what he did—they declare. He almost conquered Europe. He and Hitler are cut from the same piece of cloth and the pity is that, while the average American

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

COMMENDS STAND . ON PARK PERSONNEL By A Reader I wish to commend you on your article “Children First, Mr. Sallee.” It is high time something is done to protect our children from those employed in our parks. I would feel more safe for my child to be in the jungles of the Congo. Keep at it until you get them to clean out that mess.

#8 8 8 s

OPPOSES LUDLOW

RESOLUTION ON WAR By William Guerin % i

The so-called Ludlow resolution is another of those things that creates doubt as to the usefulness of our national Legislature. The power and duty to declare war has been in the hands of Congress for 150 years and has worked well for the country. In all those vears we have had wise men as Presidents and many in the Legislature, but none ever tried to pass the buck as flagrantly as do the sponsors and backers of the Ludlow resolution. ) Our people don’t want tp make, and are incapable as a whole of making, timely and proper decisions on war any more than on other vital matters of legislation. o 2 2

URGES U. 8. TO TAKE ‘REALISTIC VIEWPOINT

By W..T. ; It is a hard-boiled world. ; Never within the memory of living men have the nations so completely discarded even the mask of principle to stare forth with the naked face of self-interest. . Self-interest has always governed the policies of nations. That is inevitable. But we had come to hope that bare self-interest, in the sense that the tiger is true to his self-in-terest when he springs on his helpless prey, had been subjected to at least some civilized restraint. Never before in history has a bloodless conquest of whole nations been seen. The only reason it is seen now is that all the peoples who bled ina the World War are still gun-shy. They still remember, and they will not fight again except in defense of vital national interests, their very

national lives—and not even then| unless there is a chance to win. It

is not for us to blame them. . When will Britain fight? She will fight when she is convinced that German advances have reached a point ‘where anothér step will endanger the empire.. But she will not fight for abstract democracy. When will France fight? e will

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

fight when a demand is made which, if granted, would mean the end of France as a great nation. But she will not fight for abstract democracy. : When will Russia fight? She will fight when an effort is made to take Russian territory whose loss would endanger the Soviet Union. But she will not fight for abstract democracy. : These countries are realistic, as Germany is realistic. They are thinking in terms of stark, ultimate necessities. The United States must learn to think that way, too, and not merely sway with every “crisis psychology.” ‘We feel, in terms of morality, but the. other countries think, in cold terms of advantage. The British belatedly cry, “Rally to save democracy!” But is it de-

land? : : The French toss even their liberty on the altar of democracy, and cry “See! Can you do less?” But is it

~ STEPPING STONES -

Ls TOGOD = By MAIDA LEAH STECKELMAN

‘Sad Heart that grieveth so ‘For that beloved form—the smile, the touch— Grieve not o’ermuch! : Dear heart, o’erburdened now with shame--~ ’ ‘O’erburdened to the hilt, : Unseen showers of blessings fall Where flowers of spirit wilt! Though life seems filled with hurdles They come to great and small— J Dear heart, faint not—have courage now to overcome them alll Look up! Here is peace and fragrant : * balm to heal each cut and sore! More beauty on the mountain top ' than you have seen before.

DAILY THOUGHT

Be ye strong therefore and let not your hands be weak: for your " work shail be rewarded.—II Chronicles 15:7. :

TRENGTH alone knows conflict; weakness is below even defeat and is born vanquished.—Mad.

mocracy they wish to save, or Eng-|

democracy they wish to save, or France? The Russians, recent converts to the battle-cry of democracy, have ardent partisans who would march beside them at the drop of the hat. But is it democracy they wish to save, or the Soviet Union?

Our. crusade of 1917-1918 has yielded strange fruit, 20 years afterward. Those who took part in it will think twice, three times, before embarking on another. Even those who do not remember it can see before them the unforeseen results. Perhaps Europe may in time endanger America’s self-interest, her liberties, her opportunity to live in the world in the free manner .she loves. When that time comes our self-interest will be affected so plainly that we will recognize it, as European countries recognize theirs. But we owe it to ourselves to go to war another time only for such imperative reasons of self-interest, and not ‘for ‘a slogan, however exalted. 4 : a 8 8s ENCOURAGEMENT FOR BUSINESS IS URGED . By Louis J. Lewis “Appeasement”—what a word for sick business today! The dictionary offers many other words which better fit the situation. But only were the Administration to advance from words, to deeds! Sick: business, crying for a chance to escape the operating room for exercise in fresh air and sunshine, where it usually has thrived, is pleading for something far more effective than words or dope. If Mr. Roosevelt is to save his party and create history his grandchildren will read with pride, he should take advantage of this moment offering an opportunity that may never confront him again. “Encourage” business by switching on the green lights with unmistakable assurance that business may go ahead, safe from further “incisions,” and re-employ the unemployed millions of Americans who prefer jobs to charity. . ’ ® 8 = THINKS MAGAZINES AND PAPERS SPREAD DISEASE By H. P. A : : In regard to the diseases which have been prevalent here this winter much of the trouble can be traced

to the magazines and papers which the children take to school. If this

Swetchine.

practice were stopped there would not be so much sickness.

1 ALITY? Youve OP,

ACCORDING to the Rev. Harry Raymond Fosdick, every one can develop a pleasing personality, by three factors of life— urself

utilizing just first, imagination—picture

PERSONALITY, CA EVERYBODY ACQUIRE A PLEASING PERSON:

LET'S EXPLORE YOUR MIND

HAVE MANY ABI rx ITMAKE IT % CHOOSE

CANON?

Y&'5 OR NO ee

as an inventor, Florence Nightingale as a nurse, etc. Second, use common sense. Don’t try something beyond your abilities; third, cour-

because with these you can use everything life brings you for building a better personality. 8 8 a. THE RECENT CASE where a jury of 12 women rendered & verdict in 1 minute and. 45 sec-

onds would certainly indicate they can make up their minds when they have any facts to go on. One psychologist has studied ‘women jurors and finds they are, on the average, better jurors than men, that they study the evidence more carefully and go over it more carefully in the jury room. Such work is pretty much a case of making up the mind, so it looks as though the women aren’t so bad after all. J ‘sa ws THIS is one of the things that J psychologists who give vocational counsel are finding out. A boy who is good in mechanic##music and writing and also readily grasps chemistry, physics, biology and economics is hard put to it to know just which ability he should cultivate most for a life work. What makes it harder is that if one has good ability in any one line, he is very likely to enjoy work in these felds. So, the boy wi y. abil-

Cen Johnson

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Sa YS Nation Would Benefit Greatly if

Both Business and the New Deal ~ Would Call a Halt to Bickering. s

; ASHINGTON, March 28—The ‘feud between

‘business and the President isn’t edifying on either side. The spiteful side-winders that have sizzleq @ back: and forth between these two vital departments of our national organization are the principal things that have been the matter with us. Every time Administration policy gets a setback, or : there are faint gestures of “appeasement,” strong voices in business have not actually said: “It’s on the run, kick it in the pants,” but what actually has been ° said comes pretty close to amounting to that. And every time that happened the President “got his Dutch up” and socked business on the kisser. The latest display is more of the same. Earlier this

year many forces within the Administration were agreed that something must be done to turn the juice back into the motor of private enterprise. It was broadcast by the more reasonable attitude of TVA toward the utilities, the views expressed by - Harry Hopkins. The sudden shift of the Senate “monopoly”? committee away from its original witch-finding base, the utterances and attitude of the Treasury Departe ment, : ® = 8 : N this case, business voices did not sound the old -ery as loudly as usual but the old atmosphere was there. As usual, “five-point,” “seven-point” and “nine point” programs of reform for the New Deal began to appear from big-shot industrial organizations and most of the “points” involved some unspoken New Deal confession that it has blundered and was back: pedalling. ; : It is pinning no rose on the New Deal to say that this was the usual bad tactics on the part of business, Any Government ought to think more about prosperity than about its own pride. But this one just doesn’t happen to be that way and business ought to have sense enough to see that. The Administration arched its back and began to meow and pfft. > : Mr. Douglas of the SEC cracked down on the Stock Exchange. The President said his mouthful against tax-revision and for continued spending. Mr. Eccles dared Congress to begin to economize and we are right back where we started from. k #2 =n =a : Bn similar things happened after NRA went down, after the “breathing spell” letter to Mr.’ Roy Howard and after the 1936 elections and to much talk about the “era of good feeling.” It is fair for business to complain that it ought not to have to cone duct itself like a theater manager with a temperamens tal and petulant prima donna, but it would be wise

‘| for business to recognize that that’s how it is.

Also, there is this to be said on the other side. The President was selected by a tremendous majority and while he had made no such disclosure of his course as entitled him to claim a “mandate,” it did appreve his course before 1937 and business can’t expect any ree versal of that before another election. Furthermore, business probably never again can dictate as of old to Washington. x Admitting all that, wouldn’t it be swell to see the bearers of these great responsibilities to us all acting more like mature partners and less like game-cocks?

It Seems to Me

By Heywood Broun

Douglas Must Not Be Overlooked As Possible Compromise Choice.

EW YORK, March 28.—President Roosevelt put over g fast one when he named William O. Douglas for the Supreme Court. Political prognosticators would do well to add this young man to the list of possibilities for the 1940 Democratic nomination. Senatorial acceptance has been conceded, and a precedent for stepping down from the high bench has been established by the Chief Justice himself. At his present age of 40 Douglas can well afford to take a chance. The shrewdness of Mr. Roosevelt's strategy lies in the fact that he took most of his critics wholly off their guard. Bill Douglas is well established as a New Dealer, and yet, even in the most conservative quarters, his nomination to the high bench was received not only cheerfully but with enthusiasm. Some of the commentators who applauded the nomination were moved to do so out of a sense of relief. They feared that the President might turn in a selection even more punishing. Senator Schwellenbach was a potential threat and did his part in the play by drawing in the secondaries and making it easy for Mr. Douglas to sneak around the end without any interference whatsoever. :

An Undeviating New Dealer

Mr. Douglas is now in an excellent spot to function as a compromise candidate in the convention, if and when a deadlock comes. The critics who hailed him as sound and wise as bench timber cannot very well cross themselves and argue that he would be a wild man as a candidate for executive honors. And yet, with the exception of Mr. Roosevelt himself and Harry Hopkins, Mr. Douglas has a record of undeviating New . Deal devotion which can match that of any member of the Administration. His background is almost per= fect for a Presidential contest. All the tests are met. Once more there emerges one of Horatio Alger’s herces to prove the maxim that coven the humblest lad may aspire to residence in the White House. Theres is the’ ministerial father, and bang goes the Bible Belt into the support of Mr. Douglas. They say in Washington that even the office boys call him Bill, - and that is no handicap in a campaign. Geographically, Connecticut is not ideal as the home state of a man who aspires to national honors. But that is mitigated by the fact that Bill Douglas was born in Minnesota and got his early education in the State of Washington. On top of that is the fac that he studied law in Columbia and taught it at Yale, He has covered such a wide range of collegiate terri tory that even Harvard men might possibly vote for him without compunctions.. : .

Watching Your Health

By Dr. Morris Fishbein

LTHOUGH gout has been known for more than 100 years as a specific disease, and although it seemed for a while that it was beginning to disappear due to improved habits of diet and living, gout is now diagnosed not infrequently where considerable nume bers of patients come together because of pain in the tissues which they sometimes call rheumatic. Although the typical case of gout involves severs pain in the big toe or in the heel, ankle or instep, there are other symptoms which are not so specific and which the modern physician recognizes as gouty in character. Apparently the disease runs in fame ilies and is to some extent associated with over-indule gence in eating and drinking and with a lack of exe ercise. Sh ! In studying a number of patients in one clinic, the authorities pointed out that frequently attacks of gout occur after overeating associated with the celee bration of Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, and Passover as well as with the celebration of birth days and lodge banquets. Sometimes gout Somes on after excessive exposure and overeating as occurs in association with fishing, hunting and vacation

trips. i Ninety-eight per cent of people suffering with gout are men. The first attack occurs usually in people who are 35 years or more of age and the attacks occur more frequently in spring and fall, although they may occur any time. ta "gl : Moreover, liquors, wines and alcoholics are generally forbidden. The best diet for a person with gout contains milk, cream, cheese, fruits, fresh vege tables and plenty of water. at : he pain is usually ation of

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