Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 31 May 1939 — Page 12
PAGE 10
The Indianapolis Times'A viation
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Give Light and the People Will Find Thetr Own Way
WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 1939
FLOYD ROBERTS— HERE has been a good deal of maudlin writing in the slick-paper magazines recently about the 500-mile race being a “Roman holiday.” Of crowds seeking vicarious thrills in death and disaster and blood. We don’t believe it. The hush that came over the stands yesterday when smoke began pouring out from the back stretch from the three-car crash that killed Floyd Roberts, 1938 winner and national driving champion, was mute evidence to the contrary. The crowd was there for thrills—thrills, yes—but not thrills that would kill or injure some driver or spectator. If we know people, we believe there wasn't a man or woman in the stands who would not have been more satisfied if the race had been concluded without a single mishap. There is genuine sorrow today that anyone died in that race, and particularly that the victim should have been the modest, kind, and respected Floyd Roberts.
MORE SUBTLE; BUT THE SAME
UST onewear ago Friday, there was enacted in the Senate of the United States as callous a scene as ever has been witnessed in the long history of that body. The issue was the use of relief funds for campaign purposes. A primary was coming on in Kentucky. In a sweaty speech on that hot night “Dear Alben” Barkley led the fight against the Hatch amendment which would have condemned such practice. In a two-wrongs-make-a-right oration Barkley declared that, since state political organizations were prostituting public funds, “WPA or PWA or CCC or the AAA” should not “be tied with a rope to a tree.” The Hatch amendment was defeated by a close ballot. There were many repercussions, and such typical comments as this, from one not unfriendly to the New Deal: “Thus the official floor spokesman for this Administration,” wrote Raymond Clapper, “lays bare as cynical a picture of democracy as Hitler could paint, and makes a mockery of five years of fireside chats.” Barkley escaped the kickback, but many others didn’t.
The brazen “keep your friends in power” philosophy, as
Business
manifested in that Senate vote and by the Aubrey Williams pronouncement a few days later, recoiled in November. Eighteen Republican Governors were elected as against six before; 23 U. S. Senators as compared with a previous 15; and 169 Representatives where there had been but 90. WPA in politics played a major part, along with the ill-starred purge with which it had lived in sin. The Stokes investigation and the Sheppard Committee proved that “prostitution of public funds” was indeed widespread; that a long-suffering and tax-ridden people were paying a bill that was not by any means all in behalf of the underprivileged. Out of that came in the next Congress the Hatch Bill, sponsored by the same Senator whose amendment had been defeated. Its purpose was the same. It was passed unanimously by the Senate, which had learned its lesson. It was sent to the House. But another campaign is in the offing; 1940 ain’t a half-mile off. So now, by a much more subtle system of strangulation the same thing is happening again. The Hatch Bill is being given the works. The House is ponderous. In action it is slow and circuitous. It operates through committees its wonders to perform. . And in the subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee the Hatch Bill is inhaling the chloroform. Its life is ebbing not too slowly. Rep. Arthur Healey (D. Mass.), chairman, is administering. Doctors Rayburn and Bankhead are said to be consultants. If this patient dies as did its twin a year ago we predict that—despite all of the deviousness of its taking off—the repercussions will be the same. And that they will occur in 1940.
A HIDEOUT FOR CAPITAL
HE Monopoly Committee in Washington, at President Roosevelt's request, is trying to find out “why a large part of our vast reservoir of money and savings has remained idle in stagnant pools,” and what are the causes “which pervert the normal flow of savings into nonproductive enterprises.” We hope some witness will discuss the question of taxexempt securities. More than 50 billions of cautious private capital is tied up in Federal, state and local government securities, wholly or partially tax-exempt. Of course, that can’t be described exactly as idle money. But at least it can be called loafing money. For it is capital taking no risks, seeking “a sure thing.” And for the most part it is in “nonproductive enterprises.” Few Government activities produce wealth. It seems pertinent for the committee to inquire why, every time the Federal Treasury, or some state or municipality, offers a new issue of tax-exempt bonds, the offering is immediately snapped up by eager buyers, at low interest rates. And why, at the same time, legitimate private business enterprises, entailing some risks but with prospects of larger profits, go begging for capital. A hint of the answer may be found in the following hypothetical case: A resident of New York, paying taxes in the $150,000 income tax bracket, has $100,000 to invest. He is offered a private business proposition promising a return of 6 per cent. He takes out his pencil and starts figuring: Investment (some risk) $100,000. Gross return, $6000. New York State income tax (8 per cent in his bracket), $480— leaving $5520. Federal income tax (64 per cent in that bracket) $3532.80. Net return, $1987.20. So, actually, what he is offered is not a 6 per cent proposition, but one that will net less than 2 per cent—and no sure thing either, but a private business risk. The same man can take the same $100,000 and shop around for tax-exempt bonds paying 2 or 3 per cent, get 2 larger net return and take no risk whatever. And that’s probably what he will do. In his shoes wouldn't you?
\
MARK FERREE
By Maj. Al Williams
We Have Only One Aeronautical Research Laboratory to Europe's Many, but It's Doing a Good Job.
HAD long promised myself the unique experience of attending an annual inspection of the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics at Langley Field, Va., by making the trip like an aviation Big Shot, on a steamboat. I boarded the Washington-Norfolk boat the other day for the 14th annual N. A. C. A. event. My fellow passengers represented all breeds and brands of the aircraft industry. The association did everybody a lot of good. The engineers, the salesmen and the pilots boiled their opinions in an open cauldron of group debate, and discovered they were all doing something to push the aviation business along. The Aeronautical Research Laboratory is the germ culture test tube where the why and wherefore of high speed, long range and general performance of aircraft is cultivated. ” FTER my successive inspections of the aero research centers of Europe, Farnborough, England DVL, Germany, and Guidonia, Italy, I viewed the N. A. C. A. plant at Langley Field with a well-de-veloped perspective. 1 have repeatedly warned that Germany and Italy were years ahead of us in research methods and results. I was gratified to learn that Col. Lindbergh, also a recent visitor, corroborated my estimate of relative national research. He cut my estimate in half, by naming five years. I still think I am right in holding that we are 10 years behind. It’s rather pitiable, though, to think that a country as rich as ours should have only one little research center, such as the N. A. C. A. at Langley Field. I believe the N. A. C. A. total personnel working on researching amounts to about 400 men. In the German research division of the German Air Force there are about 7500.
. A. C. A. is doing all it can to find the scientific answers for the men building our 3500 air fighters—with the funds and equipment at its disposal. We could build the 3500 ships in one year, if care was taken how the ships and engines should be designed. But I don’t believe we'll get 3500 compelted in many years that will equal the performance of those actually flying in Europe now. There's nothing complicated about this problem. I sat in one group listening to a learned engine expert. He was stabbing a chart whereon were the power, economy and advantages of the Diesel engine versus the gasoline engine. He then pointed to a single cylinder and explained that test work was being conducted on this Diesel cylinder. I immediately harked to the 30 trans-Atlantic flights completed by the Germans last summer in Diesel-engined aircraft, to scores of German airliners (Diesel-engined) flying schedules in Europe and getting 340 hours between engine overhauls. I looked at the single experimental Diesel cylinder again. One cylinder against finished Diesel engines hauling payloads and military loads. In that single angle is the ratio between aeronautical research in this country and in Germany
” ”
(Mr. Pegler did not write a column for today; his column will appear tomorrow.)
By John T. Flynn
F. D. R. Apparently Has Abandoned Heavy Spending as Temporary Policy.
EW YORK, May 31.—Now that everyone has had a fling at the President's speech to the National Retailers Federation, it is time to take a calm and dispassionate view of it. The speech marks a definite change in the attitude of Mr. Roosevelt toward his own policies. It may, indeed, mark a definite turn in his fortunes for the better or it may mean the beginning of the utter crash of his whole adventure in government. The first and the most important part of it has to do with his new position on the subject of private industry and the heavy industries. Before his election he denounced Government borrowing and spending. After his election he changed his position. He adopted the policy of priming the pump. Then in mid-1936 he declared that recovery was now definitely on its way and that the Government could taper off its expenditures and work toward a balanced budget This was followed very quickly in 1937 by a very serious recession. The President then demanded a resumption of Government borrowing and spending. But he still looked toward the resumption of private investment and general recovery so that the merely temporary expedient of Government spending and borrowing could be ended. He called on private bhusinessmen to invest. Only a few weeks ago he demanded that the Monopoly Investigating Committee investigate the causes of the collapse of private investment.
Takes Brand New Position
In this speech he apparently completely breaks with this phase of his philosophy. He now denounces those “economists” and “columnists” who insist on the necessity of investment and the recovery of the heavy industries as a condition of national recovery. He says that experience has shown that those who insist on private investment as the basis of recovery in t. e capitalist system are wrong. And then he launched into a defense of Government debts and deficts. They are the substitute for private investment. Instead of having private investors “gamble.” building things the country does not need and producing machinery it cannot use, the Government by its borrowings will build things that are needed. This is a brand new position for him, never announced before. That is why I say it is important. It is a complete shift from the theory of borrowing and spending temporarily to get things going to the theory that Government borrowing and spending on useful things is “investment” and is, as an economic device, good in itself.
A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson
T is said now that mother love is a matter of glands and vitamins, It seems the body is a kind of large chemical retort and. when the contents fail to bubble at the right moment, it means the ingredients are not properly mixed and then there's no such thing as maternal tenderness.
No doubt it’s true. Only it happens to be one of those sweeping scientific statements that I accept without really believing. To the learned, the earth is a small spheroid whirling dizzily through space, ccmpanioned by suns, stars and comets. My intelligence prompts me to agree, although for me the earth is something wholly different. Instead it is a warm green covered expanse from which spring, for my delight, graceful trees, gay flowers and delicately flavored herbs and vegetables. It pulses with life, is splendid with a beauty no words can describe and, as an intimate, compassionate friend, is ready to fold me to its heart when the time comes. This earth of mine may be hurtling through cold space. It may, in fact, be nothing but a cooling ball of fire, guarding the treasures of many geologic ages. That fact it would be folly for us to dispute. Nevertheless, when the birds sing and the peonies are in bloom, it is quite impossible to accept the definition with all its implications. Just so is it impossible to accept the idea that mother love is merely chemical. Our racial experience disproves the theory. And, if what we used to call maternal affection did not exist at all, as such, but was only the perfect working of a few glands—let it go at that. We shall continue to think of their tenderness as inspired by the spirit and instilled into the mother natures by Divine grace.
THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES Getting Louder '—By Talburt
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The Hoosier Forum
I wholly disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.—Voltaire.
LAUDS CAMPAIGN FOR BETTER PARK PERSONNEL By Subscriber
You certainly are to be congratulated on your wonderful work on cleaning up our parks of those “‘political undesirables.” Jackiel Joseph | says “he is getting tired of receiving complaints about the park employees.” When he receives a complaint why does he not act upon it? |
5 & » INSISTS INVESTMENT RETARDED BY TAXES
By Voice in the Crowd
When Mr. Sprunger claims that taxes do not discourage investment he does not know what he is talking about. Evidently men of Mr.| Morgenthau’s mentality are beginning to recognize that people are] not going to chance investment] without an incentive to do so. |Sprunger knows more about money |than Morgenthau, then Morgenthau ‘has the job that Sprunger should! have. | When it is stated that lack of jobs is due to mechanization, no thought |is given to the fact that the machine | |is producing goods that cannot be {produced without it, and which did {not exist before the machine. {thought is given to the fact that | aside from agriculture, practically | all our jobs depend on the perform- | ance of tasks that did not exist in 1900. Take the machine away and | we go back to the soil to eke out two or three meals a day and per-| haps six hours sleep at night. |
When a man states that there are no more frontiers he is reiterat-| ing claims that were made in 1893, and no doubt as far back as [the great depression of 900 umpty | six B. C. Depressions breed fear. The man with a little money is afraid to invest it, because he is afraid he cannot replace it. That deepens depressions. The politician is afraid he will lose his job, so he tries a lot of reforms that are impractical. He tries to divide the wealth by robbing the consumer to give it to the pro- | ducer, and he robs the thrifty to line up the votes of the indolent, and that deepens depressions. Fear, and not capitalism, brought | about the pell mell selling of stocks | and the runs on our banks that at-| tended the beginning of our depression. It is fear that is causing a people of unified interest to talk in a thousand tongues and forestall recovery. It is fear, and not the capitalistic system, that is leading us to spend our grandchildren’s taxes, that we might have what we believe is security today. It is fear that makes men blieve that if we gave up our liberty for collective, politically administered ownership, |
tic candidate cgn carry the Solid South, a man of Gerner's type would be political suicide in the great industrial states so necessary for victory. In 1936 the New Dealers got the greatest victory in the history of the nation. And they're still in the saddle—and hostile to Garner. What you should have said is that Garner is probably the Republican choice as the candidate easiest to] beat, and then added in simple (fairness that those Republicans that we would be collectively secure. qon't happen to be voting for the There is nothing new about collec- | candidate at the Democratic contive ownership and it has never vention. brought security, and it has never] given the people enough bread. If 2 = = vou don’t believe that, ask some in-| ASKS TEACHERS’ HELP
telligent person that has visited IN PRESERVING GARDENS
(Times readers are invited to express their 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.)
views in
Russia. Br Home Owner
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DOUBTS GARNER IS wish to make an appeal to the
STRONG CANDIDATE teachers. Many of us have flowers, By Warren A. Benedict Jr. fruit, fences, windows—all at the In your editorial of May 26 you | mercy of untrained children. Apcomment with smug satisfaction on pealing to parents or police is
Gallup poll. Before conceding him | °'" their depredations).
; wis Recently-a high school pupil rethe Democratic nomination
You proved for jumping in and out of might consider these facts: 8, Selally tended hedge retorted, : : ,| “How are you going to stop me?” : ID, Orally Tens Jed | Asked if parents condoned such acts silent regarding the number Inter-| q said, “They don't care if I don't viewed for a poll, except to admit do it at home.” it is between three and 50 thou-| Police simply say “We can do sand. (Readers’ Digest, February, | Dothing. while permitting drunken
| disturbers of peace, vulgarity, pro1939, page 24, second column, sec- : p g YL
fanity and the like. One officer ond paragraph.) On that basis be- said if one didn’t like it, move out. tween nine and 140 people in In-
In most cases this comes from dianapolis would be interviewed as{ WPA families on loge on velit Who to their choice, many of them nat- |, - g 8 urally Republicans. Do you honestly
flowers. Their bread comes from think that would indicate the choice the taxpayers while their ambition of the local Democrats? You know
seems to be as filthy, vulgar talkbetter.
ing and destructive as possible, 2. The dumbest of politicians can shouting they vote for certain realize that whereas any Democra=-
parties, have “pull” and “who can GOOD FELLOWSHIP
stop them.” Indeed it seems so. Perhaps our teachers would say By ROBERT O. LEVELL A friend like you who's been so true,
a few words on this subject. We have “Clean Up—Paint Up” campaigns. Let's try to abolish “Tear Has made me glad and free, I'm happy all because of you You mean so much to me,
Up.” y 2 nn SUSPICIOUS OF VISIT BY ROYAL COUPLE By J. WwW,
Now that the King and Queen of Great Britain are soon to come to these United States, it might be well to keep a watchful eye on Washington to see that no open or secret agreements are made with them that will get us into a war to defend British territory and interests, and to see that no war loans are made them. Just as a reminder, their last war loan is still unpaid. It is reasonable to believe that the King and Queen are not making this trip to America for nothing.
Good fellowship has cheered the way A joy with all its might, Has made me so glad today The world has been so bright.
DAILY THOUGHT
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.—~Romans 8:6.
HAT is a man, if his chief good, and market of his time, be but to sleep and feed? a beast, no more. —Shakespeare,
LET'S EXPLORE YOUR MIND
By DR. ALBERT EDWARD WIGGAM
1 PERSONS who are stars at tennis, basketball, football, swimming, etc, do not as a rule rate as high on personality tests as do those who play fairly well or are even dubs at several games. It
MORE - FAIRLY 00D AT
or be so interested in their own stardom they forget to be sociable.
o ” ” NO. It is a great handicap for three reasons. First, persons who spend much time and thought on trying to “get even” with some one are persons of childish emotions. This is just another way of expressing their emotional immaturity. People with grownup, mature, poised outlook on life do not indulge in such adult childishness. The second reason is that -4 |their occupation with anger toward another person robs them of their judgment. Third, they miss the opportunity to co-operate with their supposed enemy-—the best way in the world tc outdo him.
» = EJ YES—more. Groves and Ogburn, two eminent sociologists, say that people marry to secure “a more intense and trustworthy comradeship” and that this is a fundamental craving in human nature. They also point out that nowadays, since the economic urge and necessity is not as great as formerly, young people marry more than ever to satisfy this desire for love and affectionate companionship. Nearly all marriages now are made for love but even a generation
Io IT POSBIBLE TO GET AHEAD one a6 YOU ARE NING GETEVEN" WITH KIM; YOUR OPINION en
| ! TODAY SEEK LOVE AND SOMMNICNEAD BAD Ab MOTHER DID?
3 31)
appears that those who go in for all sorts of sports, even if they do them poorly, are more sociable, better liked and more popular gen- ago, before women had outside emerally than the stars. Stars are|ployment, women married much more likely to get the swell-head ls now to secure a home.
oa
Before the closing of schools I
| | | |
|Jack Garner's popularity, per the Wasted breath (we keep it to sigh |
| |
‘WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 1939 : Gen. Johnson Says—
Stones at Graves of Honored Dead
Black Marks Against Civilization And Memorials to Human Blunders.
ASHINGTON, May 31. — We wish, with poignant fervor, that the tragedy of the Squalus and the heroism of her officers and crew could have been spared us and the saddened families of the dead. But if it had to come, it is well that it came so close to Memorial Day. Somebody, somewhere, made a mistake. That error is to be recorded by 26 tombstones of young and virile men. Every year children or patriotic societies will memorialize that error with 26 little American flags and a few flowers. In our own country, there are hundreds and thousands of such graves. Of the dead in the World War alone, directly or indirectly, there are millions more. In such harvests from all wars, the number is beyond calculation. - Each modest stone marks much more humanagony than the death of a man. They memorialize the suffering of all who loved and depended upon him. They mark the destruction of hope and security for millions, the degradation of nations over years and the unknowable retardations of the march of progress and civilization. We are still suffering, with unbated and even increasing intensity, the backwash of the inconceivable blunder of the World War. ” ” ® URTHERMORE, exactly as the graves of the Squalus dead are to be the memorials of some error somewhere, so every grave left by every war, the stone at the head of it and the untold story of the suffering that survived each death, are simply the punctuation marks of an interminably dreary text of human blunderings. It has rarely been the cold reasoning of men that has salted the earth blue with the bones of soldiers and strewn the bottom of the sea with those of sailors. It has been the headlong blunderings of bone-headed leaders and the heated emotions of people, often deliberately manufactured. It was the zeal of some few or even single hot eyed and self-appointed reformers—the self-assumed infallibility and stubbornness of some powerful and popular political leader—the ambition of some successful adventurar—or the greed of some group that controlled the thoughts and actions of some dumb stuffed-shirt chief magistrate. The millions of war gravestones that dot the earth are also memorials to the astonishing stupidity and incompetence of human leadership.
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HAT is the overwhelming danger of one-man government and dictatorial control. It is emphasized in the very form of military organization absolutely necessary in war. The principal threat to the peace of the world toe day is the dictatorial control of two abnormal men. Democracies can be persuaded and euchred into war. But they can't be bulldozed into war. Democracy may be inefficient in retarding swift governmental action, but if that inefficiency retards war it is abundantly offset. Even dictators must consider the teme per of their people for war before they start it. The closer we get to centralized government, the more we increase the chance of war. The more we decentralize government, the better the chance for peace. In the last six vears, we have centralized ours as never before. It is no harbinger of peace.
It Seems to Me
By Heywood Broun
Girl Guests Visit the Country And Decide to Take in a Movie.
TAMFORD, Conn. May 31.-—It has long been my notion that when Nature puts on a smiling face it should be easy for all of us to snap into the same disposition. The theory advanced by some astronomer that wars and the threats of wars are caused chiefly by sun spots seems to nie a shade too dogmatic. Ihave small knowledge of the nature of sun spots or their effect upon our existence, save for the fact that . they sometimes make it difficult to get Charlie Mc~ Carthy as clear as he should be. But there appears to be much testimony in support of the hypothesis
| that humankind is meaner than usual in bleak or.
humid weather. The breakdown in the moral fiber of the missionary in “Rain” I always attributed to the heavy precipitation rather than to the shallow allure of the character directly identified as the cause of his fall. Tempers grow shorter as the days move in the same direction. and groups snowed in get to snarling at each other.
But concerning yesterday there could be no complaint along this side road. A brisk breeze tempered the friendly sun. The pond was gay with ripples; flowers, the names of which escape me, were sticking their heads up all along the lanes and lawns. :
And we had three young girls of high-school age . as week-end guests. “It will be a pleasure,” I thought. “to see these youngsters who have been immersed all week in their studies get out under the blue sky and frisk like lambs.” But no sooner were they greeted with the tang of country air than all three of them decided that they wanted to go to the movies.
Leading With His Chin
After several hours the young girls got back, and the sun was still glorious, and so they came indoors to listen to the radio. As a parent I am on the easy-going side, and so I did not suggest to my daughter that she and her friends ought to have sense enough to go out in the rare atmosphere. And presently I was overjoyed to find all three in country clothes, and seated on a mossy bank intent upon literature. I had no idea whether the little dears were brushing up on their homework or reading Dickens, Scott, Thackeray or some other improving author for the sheer fun of it. And so quietly stole up on them. “And what are you reading aloud to your dear little friends?” I asked the eldest girl. She blushed prettily, and said, “It's a motion picture magazine.” That should have been enough to warn me, but like any bullheaded inquiring reporter I persisted and said, “And may I ask the nature of the article or essay which holds your rapt attention?” “The thing I'm reading now, sir,” she said, “is called, ‘Has Shearer Grown Afraid of Love?’ There ought to be a law.
Watching Your Health
By Dr. Morris Fishbein
ACCINES to be used for the prevention of the common cold are called “shots.” The usefulness of these so-called shots has been a matter of argument among the medical profession for many years. It occurred recently to Drs. I. J. Hauser and M. J. Hauser to make a study of this matter on students in the University of Michigan. During the years 19351936, there were 10,000 students enrolled. During that same period, 4000 of the students went to the Student Health Service to be treated for coughs and colds on more than 6000 separate occasions. During that same period, 600 students lost a total of nearly 4000 days from their work because of colds and their complica~ tions. The doctors gave one group the ordinary vaccine that are used against colds, making the injection under the skin; another group was given shots, butthe injections were made into the skin instead of under the skin; the third group was given injections of ordinary sterile water. The doctors found the average person does not have a clear conception of how many colds he has during any given year. In the second place, 66 per cent of those who received the sterile water said they had fewer colds after the injections than in the year before; 64 per cent of those who received the vaccine into the skin said they had fewer colds, and 80 per cent of those who had received the vaccine under the skin said they had had fewer colds. The differences between the three groups are sow slight that they are within the limits of what the: statisticians call possible error. Moreover, 80 per cent.’ of those who were injected said they felt so much better they would like to repeat the treatment next year, which obviously casts still further doubt on the value of such shots as a specific means of preventing common colds.