Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 5 June 1939 — Page 9

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MONDAY, JUNE 5, 1939

The Indianapolis Times

Nii i a

SECOND SECTION

Hoosier Vagabond

EW YORK. June 5—What does a man do With himself who has found a new freedom in America after 15 years of wasted, tortured life in the prisons of Devil's Island? Well, I know of only one such man. and he is Rene Belbenoit, who escaped from the famous penal colony and wrote that moving story of his experience, “Dry Guillotine.” Belbenoit never has an idle moment for brooding. He has just finished a second book and is starting on a third. He has small business ventures under way. His second book will be out this fall. It is to be a recital of the corruption in the prison colony administration in French Guiana. Belbenoit says France will almost have to do something about eliminating the colony after this book. His third book will be a detailed account of his escape, and the years it took him to work his way to the United States. Belbenoit has many plans, many irons in the fire, and they all sound sensible and good. The first thing is his butterfly wings. Out of the earnings from his book, he recently sent a friend (an Americanized Frenchman) on a trip to French Guiana. This friend bought 30.000 butterfly wings from the Negroes and convicts in the jungle, and is on his way back to New York with them. Belbenoit will turn his sitting-room into a butterflv-wing workshop and make hundreds of ornaments to seil.

t- 4 » t-4 Takes Success in Stride

He wants to spend much time traveling in the future. But not just as a tourist gad-about. He knows the jungle so well. its solitude and its dangers. and I think he probably loves it a little. too—he plans most of his traveling in the form of jungle expeditions. Once he can feel the warm security of an Amer1can passport in his pocket, he can go anywhere in the world except on French soil. He would like, each vear, to take a group of college students on a paid expedi-

Our Town

By Ernie Ele

tion into the jungles of Brazil or Panama, just living | off the country for a couple of weeks, as the animals live. Belbenoit can do it. If it weren't for the snakes, | 1'd like to go with him. I asked Belbenoit if he would be arrested if he went | to the French Consulate here in New York. He said: “Oh, no. I go there every couple of weeks for infor- | mation. They don't like me, but I have to go anyway.” ! I gathered that the French people he meets in New | York do not treat him very well. But he accepts that, | and passes it off. Despite his success, he isn’t making a fad of him-| self. He hasn't taken up any “causes”; he is no| darling of the literary teas. He likes to spend much | time alone. He takes long walks every day for exer- | cise. One of Belbenoit’'s best friends, ironically, is] New York's Commissioner of Prisons McCormick. | Belbenoit has visited Sing Sing and Welfare Island | prisons, and says they are wonderful. - = =

Mother Still Living

Belbenoit’s mother still lives in France, and he corresponds with her. He probably will never see her | again. She is too old to come to the States, and she | won't hear of him trying to go back to France. It would be too dangerous. He says, “I am president of a church, too.” What | he means is that he is the leader and teacher of a voung people's group in All Soul's Universalist Church. He come frequently down to the Times Square section, and goes to quite a few movies. I wonder what he must feel when he mingles at night on Broad-! way, so anonymously, with the crushing throngs of | New Yorkers . . . him just a little fellow who knows so much they've never dreamed of, and been through so much, and he walks along so ordinary-like, this man from a worid that is only a name to the rest ofl us. .... No. two vears of America's great freedom have not spoiled Rene Belbenoit. He is self-assured, but | humble. Liberty. and money in his pocket, have not | gone to his head. { He is happy, but he is serious, and plans ahead with soberness and purpose. He has apparently heard | of Prof. Pitkin, for he says, “Why, I'm 40 now, and my life is just beginning.”

By Anton Scherrer

| how the voters are summing

The Gallup Poll

By Dr. George Gallup

Director, Institute of Public Opinion

EW YORK, June 5.—As President Roosevelt plans a cross-continental tour to

6 Policies Most Approved

Relief Program . 28% Bank Reforms ... 21 The C.C.C. ........11 Social Security ., 7 Farm Program .. 5 Labor Policy ...,.. 4

% Saying

test public sentiment in the next few weeks, a nationwide American Institute of Public Opinion survey shows

up the faults and accomplishments of the Roosevelt Administration after six years of the New Deal. Men and women in all walks of life and every state in the union—from Maine and Florida to the Pacific Coast—have been asked to name what they regard as the greatest accomplishments of the Roosevelt Administration, and what they regard as its greatest blunders. Today, after more than six vears of Roosevelt in the White House and after a continuous

Democratic majority in both houses of Congress, the verdicts of the

6 Policies Most Criticized % Saying Relief Program ..23% Spending Policy..16 Farm Program ,.12 Foreign Policy .. 6 Labor Policy ...... 6

‘Interference’ With Business.. 5

President Roosevelt, above, and the results of a nation-wide survey.

and farms and cities show a widespread belief that relief administration has suffered from inefliciency and ‘‘politics.”

American public shape up like this: : 1. The New Deal's experiment with Federal reliel stants out as the most important and most controversial issue In the whole field of New Deal policy. It is named as “the greatest accomplishment” of the Roosevelt Administration

. ’ . SY¥3¢ ; t is by more people than name any other measure. And 1 : ; : ‘ " : . Among farmers, however, the AAA is mentioned also named “the worst thing the Roosevelt Administration g in

has done” by more than any other, more often as an “accomplishment.” The New Deal's 2. For the second best thing the New Deal has done the three leading accomplishments, as seen by these voters, voters of both parties go back six vears to the banking (23 per cent), relief and WPA holiday of 1933 and praise Roosevelt's banking and credit (19 per cent). measures during the memorable “Hundred Days” following his first inauguration.

3. Sharing the chief blame are the “spending policy,” “crop control” and “Roosevelt's ‘meddling’ foreign policy.

those on relief—generally applaud the New Deal's handling of relief and express their sharpest criticism over the destruction of livestock and “plowing under” of crops under the farm program. Persons on relief have the keenest objections to the crop control features of the AAA.

sundry groans and internal rumblings as the little beasts strained at the collars.” Mr. Cottman leaves no doubt as to where Mr. Ford got his idea for the Model T. Indeed, he comes right out and savs so. Both Mr. Burns and Mr. Cottman agree that the cars were of the “dinky” or “hobtailed” variety with an omnibus-like step instead of a platform. There was no inclosed front platform to protect the drivers It required a pair of mules to pull a car and a crew of one to operate it. As far as operation goes, the! streetcar people are still of the same opinion. The oldtime crew of one had as much to do as it has today, and maybe more when vou consider the matter of collections. At first, each passenger was expected to deposit his fare in a glass hox at the side of the front door. Change was furnished passenSo in little sealed envelopes through a hole in the oor.

I have Lee Burns’ word for it that back in 1875 streetcar tracks ran to the old Fair Grounds on 19th St.. then called Exposition Ave. The little muledrawn cars, however, ran to the end of the line only when the Fair was in progress. During the rest of the vear the cars were turned on a turntable at Tinker (now 16th) and Pennsylvania Sts. and the mules trotted back to town. And to listen to George Cottman, the first way of getting to Irvington on a mule car was by way of English Ave. That was in 1876. The car, says Mr. Cottman, ‘sneaked through an obscure section of the city until it found English Ave. Along this roadway it took a straight shoot to a point on the eastern horizon: thence, three or four miles, more or less, to a point south of Butler College where it dodged around the corner of the campus to make its way slaunch-wise through a weedgrown community till it found Irvington.” It came back the same way. In the course of time, the back-door route was changed to a more direct one by way of Washington St., crossing State Ave. It cut off a lot of mileage. The fare remained the same, however.

From the point of view of political strategy, the most interesting part of today’s survey may be the separate replies of Democrats and Republicans. the first place, almost one Republican in every three says that he is unable to name “the greatest accome plishment” of the Administration. Many told the intere viewers they couldn't think of “anything good” the New Deal has done. The chief measures named by the remain= ing G. O. P. voters are:

REPUBLICANS

“Greatest Accomplishments”

are banking reforms (22 per cent) and the farm program The three “worst things the Administration has donc” are relief and WPA (29 per cent), the spending pro-

(11 per

NAMING “Worst Things Done”

gram (22 per cent) and the farm program

cent). = ” ”n

Some Complications Recalled

Later when Tom Johnson had charge of the svstem, Indianapolis streetcars were provided with flat inclined tubes in which each passenger would deposit a nickel. The coin was supposed to roil and reach the cash box by the front door. If it didn't. the driver stopped the mules to find out why. The tares to Irvington were paid in two instailments—when vou |

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away, today’s Institute survey probably spotlights some F there was ever any doubt about it, today's survey clearly indicates that Franklin D. Roosevelt's Administration is most vulnerable on two counts (1) the way relief has been administered and (2) the mounting public debt. In spite of the fact that a majority of American voters approve of the principle of Government relief and approve the WPA in principle, the comments of voters in towns

Since the 1940 Presidential campaign is only a year Per Cent . Spending Policy 24 . Relief and the WPA 23 3. “Interference” with Business . Labor Policy

. Banking Reforms 2. Civilian Conservation Corps. .............. 1B . Relief and the WPA 12 . Social Security 5. Foreign Policy

of the most vital issues of the coming election fight, The Institute asked a representative cross-section of Democrats, Republicans and third party voters in all parts

of the country these two questions:

“What do you think is the greatest ac- 5. Farm Program .....

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Forerunner of the Crank The mules used in Indianapolis at the time were of one breed. Of a hundred temperaments, however [o hear Mr. Cottman tell it, they were “attentuated mules equipped with little whisk-broom tails and long waving ears.” Mr. Cottman can't account for he ears, but he has a theory concerning the tails He believes they served the same purpose as a crank on an automobile because they set up the same rotary motion when it was time to ‘generating

Washington

ASHINGTON,

June 5 —How afternoon in June,

Senators. on a warm aon’'t practice economy — Rivers and harbors appropriations are up. They arrived in the Senate after this history: The Army Chief of Engineers, on ‘he theory that you don’t get anything unless you ask for it. requested $103,000,000 for rivers and harbors. The Budget Bureau cut it to $30,000.00). The Army Engineers asked for $195 - 000.000 for flood control. The Budget Bureau cut that to $110.000000. The House Committee stood by the White House budget cuts and recommended their adoption. But the House memi bers, ever alert to the scent of pork, boosted the two items $25.000,000 each, or by a {otal of $50.000.000.

When the bill reachea the Senate, the appropriations subcommittee whacked off the $50.000,000 which the House added to the budget estimates and reported the bill to the Senate pared down to the White House recommendation, n » un

Suggestion by Rooserell

the battle to add lobby organization, the National hors Congress, which has among many businessmen who want both local spending, began drumming protest to Senators calling upon them to restore the $£50.600.000 cut Chambers of Commerce wired in urging Senators not to stand for the cut. Senate Leader Barkley reported ithe pressure to the White House. Mr. Roosevelt told him to sav that he would undertake to see that, out of the new relief appropriations, $£50.000.000 would be earmarked for river and harbor improvements so that irom funds that are to be appropriated anyway the most urgent projects would be taken care of,

My Day

YDE PARK, N. Y., Mondayv.—I flew back to New York Friday night from Boston, feeling that my two young people would be better without an extra person to think about. Anne's mother is with her and there is nothing more I could do. It was very pleasant to slip into my own bed at Hyde Park late at niqht and to wake un to a very beautiful world Saturday morning Immediately after breakfast on Saturday morning, I went over to see my mother-in-law and to talk over certain things about her preparations for nex! week's royal visit Sometimes I cannot help wondering whether roval visitors ever have the same kind cf qualms about the people with winomm they are going to stay, that we ordinary mortals have. The young royalties, however, must realize by now Low anxious everybedy is to see them. The Queen has won the hearts of her Canadian subjects and menay Americans by what they consider her courage and informality. The fact that she steps down into the crowds and that the King goes with her has, I think, made a tremendous impression.

the $50,000.000. A Rivers and Harits membership economy and up a telegraphic

I'hen came

got on. and at a point halfway out—and that complicated the svstem some more. Another complication that worried the drivers no end, savs Mr. Burns. was the prominent sign in each car, stating that the charge for small wash baskets was five cents and for large ones ten cents, No one seemed to know, savs Mr. Burns. Just how large a five-cent basket could be. and how the driver could tell when one was indisputably “large” and chargeable with the ten-cent rate. The disputes resulting! on account of it slowed up the streetcar schedules like everything, says Mr. Burns.

| | | { |

By Raymond Clapper

But that didn't ease the pressure. Instead. Senators argued, if Mr. Roosevelt was prepared to spend the money out of relief funds, why not appropriate the extra $50,000.000 now? Only two Senators, Adams of Colorado and Byrnes of South Carolina, fought to held the cut. Byrnes put it straight to Senator Hiram Johnson of California: “If we appropriate this $50,000,000 now, will the Senator from California vote to reduce the relief bill by $50,000,0009" » = =

What Price Economy?

“Not necessarily,” replied Senator Johnson. That seemed to be the attitude of a majority of the Senators. Furthermore, they refused to go on record and slipped the increase through without a roll-call. Senator Adams demanded a roll-call. But one-fifth of those present must second the request and only four or five hands went up. So there was no roll-call. ~ One Republican Presidential aspirant, Vandenberg! of Michigan, was present—or at least he answered to his name just before the Rivers and Harbors Approbriation was taken up. He took no part in the debate. Neither did Senator Byrd of Virginia who talks a good deal about economy. As was the case in the recent consideration of the Agricuitural Appropriation Bill, Senators demonstrated again that they were quicker to talk economy in general than to practice it in particular. Thev are anxious to make a political issue against Mr. Roose- | Veit on spending but they show by their action that they are no more willing than he is to make a fight for it. In both of these recent instances they have actually either voted or given silent acquiescence in behalf of the boosting of routine appropriations above the Administration figures. That record, plus the shabby cultivation of the Townsendites by some of the professional economy talkers, does not tend to inspire much confidence in the attacks on President Roosevelt as a dangerous spender,

By Eleanor Roosevelt

I don’t doubt that those in charge of the safety of these two wish that they were easier to handle, but | their actions are certainly making them very popular. | I could not help feeling very sorry for them as I read of the Queen Mother's accident. It must have been such a shock. Their anxiety as to how she will recover from it must still be great, but royalties are not expected to allow their feelings to interfere with their duties. These long journeys when children are left behind must have many moments of anxiety. I can well remember when the President was As-| sistant Secretary of the Navy and we used to 20 | on trips to various navy vards, how on the last few nights before we reached home, I always used to imagine everything in the world had happened to the children, even though I knew perfect care had been taken of them. Perhaps even a Queen may have the same worries, Everyone has asked me whether all the arrangements are complete. I am glad to be able to say that when I leave here Tuesday morning, I think all 1 can do for the comfort of our guests will have been done. Of course. an old house cannot be changed and my mother-in-law does not often entertain so many guests in her home, but she is enjoying her preparations very much, We hope everyone will be comfortable and happy. ¥

complishment of the Roosevelt Administration during the six years it has been in office?” “What do you think is the worst thing the Roosevelt Administration hag done in the last six years?”

” » ~

HE answers, given spontaneously and without any lists or suggestions from the interviewers, are listed below

with the percentage of persons naming them:

“Worst Things Done”

“Grealesl Accomplishments” Per Cent . Relief and the WFPA 28 . Banking Reform§& ... 21 . Civilian Conservation Corps .............. HM 4. Social Security Legislation 5. Farm Program . Labor Policy . Repeal of Prohibition . Foreign Policy . Public Works struction

. Relief and the WPA . Spending Policy 3. Farm Program . Foreign Policy >. Labor Policy . “Interference” with Business 7. Supreme Court . NRA

. Raising Taxes All Others AR Others ..... .

The survey shows a wide divergence between “haves” and the “have-nots.” Persons in the upper

come group give Roosevelt credit for his steps to hall

banking crisis of March, 1933, but blame him for (1) the New Deal spending policy and (2) the handling of Federal

relief.

Voters in the lower income groups—and

Per Cent

Plan

. Repeal of Prohibition

especially

9 rh

4 3 2

the in-

the

TEST YOUR | Side Glances—By Galbraith

Possible Slogan Material For 1940 Election

some of the

comments in the Institute's national survey

Following are typical

of New Deal “accomplishments” and *“mis-

takes”:

“Greatest Accomplishments”

“Roosevelt did away with the breadlines and gave the common man a chance to get on his feet.” “I don’t know what we poor people would have done without the WPA.” “The New Deal took care of the unemployed and prevented a first-class revolution.” “Roosevelt's keeping us out of war.” “He saved the country’s morale.” “Straightening out the banking mess in his first year in office.”

“Worst Things” “Made the people lazy and dependent on relief -—don't want 10 work.” “Too much \alking and scolding of business.” “Letting John BE. Lewis dictate to him.” “Throwing money around like wild Indians.” “Meddling in Europe's war politics.” “Killing pigs and plowing under crops.” “The idea you can spend your way out of debt.”

Persons who say they have shifted from Roosevelt to the G. O. P. since 1936 complain first of all about the New Deal's relief administration and then mention the Governement's policy. It is interesting to note thaf™ Republican voters are far from united on the question of relief, and that such once-burning questions as prohibition, the Supreme Court plan and the Reorganization bill are no longer occupying front positions in the voters’ minds today.

u u ”

N defense, the Democrats offer list of

achievements and ntistakes:

DEMOCRATS NAMING “Greatest “Worst Things Accomplishments” Done” Per Cent 1. Relief and the WPA 35 2. Banking Reforms... 19 3. Civilian Conservation Corps 4. Farm Program 3. Social Security

the following

Per Cent . Relief and the WPA 20 2. Farm Program 8 | 3. Spending Policy .... 12 4. Labor Policy 6 | 35. Supreme Court Plan. 7 About four Democrats in every 10 say they cannot name any particularly bad New Deal measures. Less than 7 per cent criticize the President's foreign policy, which many Republicans characterize as “meddling in the affairs of Europe.” While today's survey is not a vote on the popularity of individual Roosevelt measures, it is significant that twice as many Democrats mention the farm program as a liability as say it has been an achievement. A year from now, when the Presidential campaign bee gins to pick up speed, these verdicts may have to be re= vised: but today they give a picture of the way the man in the street is assessing six years of Roosevelt,

Everyday Movies—By Wortman

KNOWLEDGE |

1—What is cryptography? 2-—-Name the longest river in Africa. 3—Do qysters water? 4—_Name the Foreign Minister of Norway. 5—Is a man deprived of his American citizenship because he receives a dishonorable discharge from the Army or Navy? 6—In which South American country is the city of Coquimbo? 7—What is faro? » » ”

Answers

1—Writing in cipher. 2—The Nile. 3—No. 4—Dr. Halvdan Koht. 5—No. 6—Chile. 7—A gambling card game.

live in fresh

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——

WorTwmean

“Listen, Henry. Before we take another step, let's decide on a

place to meet if we get lost." *