Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 11 July 1939 — Page 11
TUESDAY, JULY 11, 1939
7
he Indianapolis Times.
Our Town
It is not often that I yield to the philosophical mood, but every now and then something happens that sets me to thinking what a funny thing the human mind is—at any rate, the kind I have. Just
the other day, for instance, I sat in the Circle taking in the Hollywood version of “The Mikado” when, for no reason whatever, I found my mind wandering and wondering about the whereabouts of Hung Dock. Hung Dock was a Chinaman who, 40 years and more ago, made his living running a laundry in Greenfield. He didn’t make money fast enough, however, and so he came to Indianapolis. One version has it that he wanted to get away from Lee Hung, his biggest competitor in Hancock County. The truth of the matter was that Dock had borrowed money from Lee and never paid it back. Lee had been in the habit for a long time of spending his Sundays with old friends in Indianapolis, and so it happened that on one of these trips he ran across Dock—in Fing Wang's N. Delaware St. laundry, to be exact. In the course of playing fan tan that afternoon Lee suggested that, maybe it was time for Dock to do something about liquidating the old debt. He said it in a voice loud enough for everybody to
hear. 2 = n
Was It a Precedent?
Dock, it appears, didn’t like the idea of being dunned in public and, according to evidence given in Police Court next day, proceeded to give Lee a good licking, blacking both eyes, and threatening him with a horrible death if he didn’t keep his mouth shut. For which Dock was fined aplenty. Dock said he didn’t mind being fined for fighting, but he resented the idea of anybody dunning him in public. And so he appealed the case to the Criminal Court and made a cause celebre of it. When the case came up for trial, Judge McCray promptly released Dock. Some said it was because of the dis-
(Ernie Pyle Is
It Seems to Me
NEW YORK, July 11.—A friend of mine is fearful lest Fascism actually come to America. Nightmares haunt his sleep and he tries to tell me about them. All dreams are dull and often I can stop him, but tke other day he caught me unaware and began: “I dreamt last night that it had happened here. Gen. Moseley tried all the cases in court. Mrs. Dilling did all the books and Pegler wrote all the columns.” Quite sharply I called him to order and said: “That will be all. Mrs. Dilling is an acquaintance of mine and Mr. Pegler is a neighbor. I don’t want to hear any more.” “But there isn‘t any more,” protested my friend. “That was the point where I woke myself up screaming, ‘Enough is enough.’ ” And since the dream was shorter than usual I emp! uit as a text in order to convince my friend tha? the dangers he sees are products of his imagination. “ ©»
It’s Just Good Clean Fun
“One day,” I explained, “you’ll find the lads throwing rocks at each other on the printed page, but maybe the next they will be lined up shoulder to shoulder in a receiving line paying their respects to visiting editors in hopes that they may sell their violence. It’s all done in a spirit of good old American give-and-take and friendly competition.” My friend did not seem to be particularly cheered by my short sermon, ever though I had attempted to put the best face possible on the subject. Some factors in the situation are not so good. Eleanor Roosevelt, for instance, is under one distinct handicap in the battle royal. Her manners are too good and
Washington
WASHINGTON, July 11.—In the immediate future much attention on the Democratic side is likely to be directed toward the candidacy of Paul V. McNutt of Indiana, Mr. Roosevelt's choice to head the new Social Security agency. Because of the long-standing feeling of Postmaster General Farley against McNutt, growing out of their differences in the 1932 nominating convention, the estimate of McNutt's chances up to now has been low. He had been put down as an outside candidate, unacceptable to the Administration, and dependent entirely upon Lady Luck. This view of McNutt as an unwelcome interloper was accentuated when he launched his candidacy at a time when . others were holding back and waiting for Mr. Roosevelt to speak regarding a third term. More than a year ago, McNutt gave a “coming out” reception here at the Mayflower Hotel which many Administration loyalists avoided. The move was regarded as something of a defiance of the White House, Nevertheless activity went ahead. McNutt-for-President headquarters were opened in Indianapolis and Indiana's National Committeeman, Frank MecHale, was placed in charge. Whether the Administration liked it or not, the McNutt candidacy was under way. That was the general picture and it left Commissioner McNutt looking like anything but the Administration's fair-haired boy.
” ” 2 Coy a Good Missionary
But the change has been taking place gradually. First, McNutt’s executive assistant, Wayne Coy, came on here from the Philippines some weeks ago to prepare the way for the arrival of the Commissioner.
My Day
HYDE PARK, Monday —Even though it was a warm day, I had a very pleasant ride yesterday afternoon with Capt. Eugene Harrison. It was very en-
joyable to canter over the fields. We returned to a swim and were joined by Miss Mayris Chaney and another friend. Miss Chaney was leaving last night for an engagement on the West Coast at the Mark Hopkins Hotel, San Francisco, and so came up to say goodby. Jimmy stayed with us until he had to leave to drive down to New York to take a night train for Washington. It was delightful to have a chance for a long, leisurely talk and I was particularly glad to have him come when Mr. and Mrs. David Gray were still here. They leave me this afternoon to go to Maine for a few weeks. The purple loose-strife is just beginning to bloom around our pond. It makes the marshes a beautiful . field of color but the reflection in the water, together with the long gray trunks of trees which seem to reach down toward the bottom, makes the whole pond seem like an enchanted garden. Ducks are swimming around occasionally and yesterday a whole family of pheasants followed their mother across the road and seemed not the least disturbed the passe —— =x ’- h
dE) oi
By Anton Scherrer connected evidence. Others, more alert, said it wasn’t anything of the kind and pointed to Hung Dock as having established a precedent which could only mean one thing, namely that from now—in Marion County, at least—dunning had to be done in private and not in public. Weil, some time after the precedent was established, Judge McCray received the following letter: “Judge McCray, you come this night 21 Indiana Ave. You have sprise and be glad.” “HUNG DOCK.” About 7:30 that night, Judge McCray with considerable curiosity and not a little apprehension stepped into Hung Dock’s laundry at 21 Indiana Ave. and was greeted with a low bow and a broad grin by the proprietor. The Judge was ushered back to a rear room where he found himself in the presence of 15 silent Celestials. ” ” ”
‘Sprise’ for the Judge At a signal all drilled in single file around the Judge and shook hands with him. Finally all drew away to a respectful distance and Hung Dock came forward with a couple of packages wrapped in mulberry paper and bearing the cryptic signs of the Orient. Then an interpreter stepped up and said: “Judge McCray, Chinamen velly much likee you. You velly good to poor Chinaman. You heap nice and lettee Chinaman not gettee locked up. Chinaman Hung Dock got heapee good friends. Chinamen send China, gettee you velly nice present. You take samee home this night. You be velly much sprised.” Then the two packages were placed in Judge McCray's hands and, after declining to partake of a banquet, he expressed thanks and made his way home. Upon opening the packages he found that one contained a magnificent embroidered silk shawl, and the other a set of dishes all fancifully and wonderfully decorated. When Lee Hung heard what Hung Dock had pulled off, he vowed he'd never step inside Indianapolis again. What's more, he didn’t. He said he'd stay in Hancock County where they didn’t have fool laws about the propriety of dunning people in public.
On Vacation)
By Heywood Broun
her sense of fairness tco acute. conceded by many that Mrs. Roosevelt is one of the best-informed journalists in the country. For instance, she wrote about the recent American Youth Congress here from the point of view of a spectator and observer. She knows many of the men and women delegates, and of course, she is known to them. Accordingly, what she does in her column is a reportorial contribution and not a clip sheet out of any partisan book written long in advance of the
event. 2 ” ”
Mrs. Dilling’s Disciple
I do not mean to be uncomplimentary to Mrs. Roosevelt in mentioning her manners. She has grown very rapidly in stature as a journalist, and I have every faith that in time she will be able to correct this weakness. It is my notion that she is equipped to go on to something very much more important than the role of “First Lady.” She has a right to cherish the ambition to become the foremost woman journalist of our day. And when that time arrives I would advise some of the boys to put on tin hats or crawl down in the deep dugouts. Peevish persons who set things down in malice will find themselves set down on strikes. You can not bat against facts with any weeping willow wand of prejudice. I doubt if anybody could even bunt against good, fast ball pitching with the mournful little book of J. B. Matthews. In addition to having excellent manners, most of the Roosevelts in all branches of that numerous family are good haters. And at times, I think, I have seen the edge of a dagger in My Day. It had been my impression that the author of The Red Network was the only living American who would seriously advance the theory that Mrs. Roosevelt was a Communist sympathizer, but it seems that Mrs. Dilling has disciples. But though the author of My Day is not a revolutionist she might be nagged into seeing red and dusting off a detractor. That would be too bad. I should hate to see a neighbor knocked senseless.
By Raymond Clapper
Coy is not to be discounted. Slight of stature, a former country newspaper editor in Indiana, associated with the Indiana State Administration of Governor McNutt, and for a time high up in WPA with Harry Hopkins, he is a quiet, tireless, effective worker for his chief. He will become McNutt’s $9000-a-year assistant in the security setup. Coy arrived here at first to attend to budgetary details connected with ,the transfer of the Philippines Administration from the War Department to the Interior Department. But Coy also has been working his way around Washington and selling McNutt in Administration circles, trying to break down the anti-Roosevelt label which tended to stick to McNutt because of the 1932 incident and Farley's resulting hostility toward him. During the last few weeks it has been emphasized around Washington on behalf of McNutt that the candidacy was proceeding on the assumption that Mr. Roosevelt would not be a candidate—a statement which Governor McNutt reiterated immediately upon his arrival here.
2 ® » Roosevelt Backing Sought
It was talked around that McNutt would step aside if Mr. Roosevelt ran, a point which Senator Minton of Indiana later emphasized in a statement. Mr. McNutt is being presented by those working in his behalf as a supporter of the Administration objectives. This does not carry down to blanket approval of every single action of the Administration since 1933, but it does embrace the general purposes. Roughly, McNutt would support most of the reforms in principle but probably would favor tighter management on the fiscal side. Immediately after arriving, Governor McNutt saw President Roosevelt and then General Farley. Whatever occurred in those two conversations, it is interesting that the McNutt campaign activities are to proceed as planned. Mr. McHale will be in charge of organization and will start actively into the field within a few weeks.
By Eleanor Roosevelt
ing car. Two tiny baby rabbits live just at the entrance to the wood road leading over to the big house. They scoot along fluttering their little white tails until they are sware of the “monster” following them, and then they are gone. All these couatry sights delight me. A postcard came in my mail the other day from Atlanta, Ga, and I am going to quote from it: “If we do not teach little children to work, they stand a chance to be regimented as men. Work—how can it be put into the habits of young children? How can schools help children to see tasks to be done at home?” The lady is quite right. Children should acquire work habits. But it seems a little hard to put all this responsibility on the schools. Parents should plan work suited to their children’s age. It should not be such heavy work that the young growing bodies will be injured, but it must give children a sense of being part of the family life and doing something really useful and needed by all those who live together in a family. Schools can not accomplish this, though they can help in educating parents. In some homes the standard of living is so low that no real effort is made to keep the house or the grounds clean, and tidy. In such homes children rarely have tasks assigned to them. The best way to stimulate an understanding of better living conditions is to Place Zn ample where all can see it, nothing impossible eve, but a house which hard work
I think it will be,
BERANE ALR
shown in this new photo working fenses of the Panama Canal.
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Greatest natural enemy of U. Zone defenses is the seven-month ing to a gun position is washed ou
“America’s Lifeline”
(“Is the Panama Canal safe-—plus?” brew abroad. Thomas M. Johnson, war
impregnable ‘‘over night.”)
By Thomas M. Johnson
Former War Correspondent and Expert on (Written for NEA Service).
gathering. the stockade.
Uncle Sam! model tommygun.
Canal safe—plus?” Down here under tropic
work shirts who are laboring “Safe—plus? Today—no. Tomorrow—perhaps. Day after—yes. Now, if only Europe will give us the time
and the States will give us
the money , . .”
Today more has been done to make possible strengthening the
Threatened by both natural and human enemies, U. S. soldiers are
at top speed to complete new de-
S. troops strengthening the Canal rainy season. Above, a road leadt.
Defenses Rushed at Panama Canal
asks an anxious nation as storms of war correspondent and author of books on
military subjects and espionage, in a series of articles, of which this is the first, tells in dramatic detail the story of our stirring struggle to make the Canal
Military Affairs.
NCON, Panama Canal Zone, July 11.—This incalculably valuable strip of America in the tropic is today like a frontier post when word comes that Indians are
With grim efficiency the garrison of the Canal Zone are cleaning their rifles, drilling loopholes and patching
This is our new-type “foreign policy,” started by Hitler at Munich—and by Chamberlain. No umbrellas for What he wants down here is the newest
For anxiously the country is asking: “Is the Panama
sun or drenching rain, men
in buff khaki and sun helmets, white linen or sweat-stained
to make it safe will answer:
Canal itself, than its immediate
defenses. Expert opinions differ as to just what is needed, but all agree that the appropriation of 12 million dollars by this Congress will, when it has all been spent, make the Canal itself “Safe—plus” against the most immediate danger of
-|Dreyfus Rouse, 1241 N. Pennsyl-
10 LOCAL RESERVES ATTENDING FT. KNOX
Ten Indianapolis members of the Officers’ Reserve Corps are among 600 now receiving two weeks training at Ft. Knox, Ky. Officers from the 309th Engineer Reserve Regiment who are attending include Col. Clarence E. Chatfield, 425 W. 44th St.; Capt. Warren E. Cleveland, 412 Ruskin Place; First Lieut. Myron J. Clark, 3913 Graceland Ave.; First Lieut. Jack E. Worner, 6034 College Ave.; Second Lieut. Robert J. Burger, 1126 N. Bosart Ave.; Second Lieut. Victor W. Peterson, 1141 N. Belle Vieu Place, and Second Lieut. Randolph E. Westling, 3546 Balsam Ave. Others attending are First Lieut.
vania St.; Second Lieut. Herman S. Drake Jr., 4421 E. Washington St., and Second Lieut. Samuel S. Springer, 930 E. 44th St. all of the Quartermaster Corps.
TWO ARE NOMINATED FOR TOMATO QUEEN
MARION, Ind. July 11 (U. P). — Gretchen Kiefer of Elwood and Lucille Smith of near Windfall today had been chosen as northern district nominees for queen of the Indiana Tomato Festival at Elwood July 26-28. They will compete on July 18 at Elwood with candidates from district contests at Franklin and Paoli.
UPSTATE YOUTH, 18, IS DROWNED IN LAKE
COLUMBIA CITY, Ind, July 11 (U. P.). — Gerald Marks, 18-year-old son of Mrs. Arloine Marks of Columbia City, drowned yesterday at Cedar Beach, Tri Lakes.
\ ; but
His cries attracted other
He was an inexperienced swimmer,
BUTLER ADDS THREE COURSES IN BOTANY
Three additional courses in botany have been added to the curriculum of the Butler University post-sum-mer session, Prof. George F. Leonard, director, announced today. Prof. Mervin Palmer, of the Butler botany department, will give instruction in courses in Trees, Ferns and Grasses. Classes during the post-summer term will be held six days a week from Aug. 7-26. Courses also will be offered in the departments of education, history, speech and sociology.
MAROTT-AYRES CO. HEARING TO BE HELD
A hearing to determine whether or not a trustee shall be appointed for the Marott-Ayres Realty Co. while it is reorganizing, will be held in Federal Court tomorrow. The firm operates the Railway Exchange Building, 108 E. Washington St., and owes $37,500 in mortgages and $17,850 in notes, both of which are delinquent, according to the bankruptcy petition. George J. Marott and Arthur B. Ayres are holders of the obligations. John K. Ruckelshaus, attorney for the realty company, said the purpose of reorganization is to revise the film's financial structure and to put the building on a better-paying basis.
HANCOCK AUDITOR DEAD
GREENFIELD, Ind. July 11 (U. P.) —Funeral services will be held today for Harold Fletcher, 73, Hancock County Auditor, who died yesterday as he waited in a doctor's office. He was serving his fourth term as auditor.
DROWNS IN GRAVEL PIT
ANDERSON, Ind, July 11 (U. P) —Mrs. Jessie Boner, 64, drownec
DISTANCE SAVED BY PANAMA FROM
7A New York to San Francisco
sevens. 7878 mi.
“| San Francisco to New Orleans. .,, ,.,...88 #1 New York to Boer rer rites 383 oy
1 New Orleans to Melbourne."
secsessssses 4284 mi.
| Liverpool to San Francisco...,,.........56 i 7 New York to Shanghai ; 4 Bi
4 @ Straits of , Magellan
This map dramatically illustrates the Panama Canal’'s importance to the world’s peace-time sea traf-
fic—and why its destruction might be of equal importance to warring powers. York to San Francisco by the Straits of Magellan is 13,135 nautical miles; by the Canal, 5262.
For instance, from New From
Liverpool to San Francisco by the Straits .of Magellan is 13,502 nautical miles; by the Canal, 7836.
Army. planes flying over the Fortified Islands off Balboa at the
Pacific end of the Panama Canal.
Those islands conceal great long
range guns to shell attacking battleships before the vessels’ shells could
reach the Canal.
yesterday in an abandoned gravel pit
sabotage and, it is hoped, against the more serious danger of air attack, Going through the Zone today one can see this work starting, although as secretly as possible, lest spies among the 12,000 foreign laborers find out the best place to plant a bomb.
» ” ”
OME preliminary surveys have also been made for a largerscale . project long contemplated and now, under Governor C. S. Ridley, perfected—taat of building a third set of bypass locks so that even if the present double set were destroyed or out of urder, the canal would still be open. This would take 300 million dollars and six years. But the rainy season has cast a damper on work on those defenses not a part of the canal. Although shipments of more antiaircraft guns have just come, stations for those guns, and roads to those stations must be hewn through the jungle. That work had largely to be called off, just as I arrived, with the coming of the rains that will continue for seven months, Air attack is the most serious threat of permanent damage to the Canal today. Today there is the best authority for saying that we must -never let enemy aircraft even get over the canal. We must not give bombers that chance. But from here it seems doubtful if today we have taken every possible precaution in a matter so vital. To be sure we have established and are establishing new air bases in Puerto Rico and in the Virgin
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
1—0Of which country is King Farouk I the reigning sovereign? 2—What body of water borders Spain on the north? 3—How many inches are in one meter? 4—Who won the recent Metropolitan Amateur Golf championship? 5—From which aviation field did Charles A. Lindbergh start his nonstop flight to to Paris? 6—Name the sickle-shaped peninsula forming the southeastern extremity of Massachusetts.
2 » 8
Answers 1—Egypt. 2—Bay of Biscay. 3—39.317. 4—Frank Strafaci. 5—Roosevelt Field, Long Island, N. Y. 6—Cape Cod.
ASK THE TIMES
Inclose a 8-cent stamp for reply when addressing any question of fact or information to The Indianapolis. Times Washington Service Bureau, 1013 13th St, N. W., Washington, D. C. Legal and medical advice cannot be given nor can
Islands which, with the base at Guantanamo, Cuba, pretty nearly double-lock the Atlantic door to the Canal. : Loan : But, from an air viewpoint, the Pacific side today flaps back and forth like the back door of a house whose owners don't care whether they are burglarized or not. Yet right at hand are two strong locks, waiting for us to fit the keys. Off the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica is the tiny island of Cocos, famous for tales of buried treasure. For us it is a treasure, all right; and so are the Galapagos Islands to the southwest. Admirably these islands cover the Pacific approaches to the Canal and, those here believe, would make splendid bases for our patrolling airplanes, doubling their effective range. But authorization for this vital stitch-in-time is still sadly lacking. The planes here now are inferior to the better types of German or Italian planes. There is not a single Flying Fortress among them. There are some very -good bombing planes, but the total of all types is a fraction of what is needed. Of course reinforcements could be flown quickly from the States, but they just might get here after an air attack on the Canal instead of before. As for ground facilities, Albrook Field has recently been improved, but there is no firstclass air depot and repair shop. A system of air raid alarms is
being worked out and soon the Canal will have its first blackout. Authorities say even a gas and smoke attack on locks or other key-points is not “out” and all lock operators as well as troops have been issued gas masks. s = 2
IFE lately has been one war game after another, for the garrison of this frontier fort. There are 14,500 troops here now; enough under present conditions. But if the Zone is to be ‘“safe—plus”, twice as many would make everyone here breathe easier.
It has been announced that 6500 are coming, and so they are—hut some troops now here are living in barracks dating to the gay nineties; some even in box cars. Troops now here need what bar= racks are being built. The additional barracks this Congress probably will authorize for the 6500 will in ordinary course be finished in two years! In emergency men could live in tents— which in this climate, is not so cool, nor healthful.
The 6500 will be coast artillery —men to man the plentiful big guns and the antiaircraft guns. There are only 4000 infantrymen here; no more are expected. They will scarcely increase the mobile force of 6000 which some would like to see doubled. For the tales that dense jungle makes landings here impossible are only partly true; there are good landing places. eR
To keep off enemy ships, the Army and Navy have rehearsed mining both entrances to the Canal. . From Coco Solo on the Atlantic side the Navy would send submarines and even now its seaplanes scout nearby coasts for dangers by sea or land,
» = »
HE Canal is an investment of over a half billion dollars today; in a few years it will be twice that. It has collected already an equal amount in tolls, and of late years has always shown a neat profit, to say nothing of the tremendous saving to our own shipping and industry, and the world’s. But far. more, it saves us the four billions or more extra for additional warships to defend simultaneously our Atlantic and Pacific seacoasts. Today, thanks to the Canal, a one-ocean fleet can shuttle back and forth here in 36 hours instead of the three to four weeks around the Horn. But—what if this Canal were blocked by sabotage or air bombing, or blockaded or captured by an enemy fléet or army? What if they seized and used. it against us? Without hysteria, those to whom is entrusted the safety of this American lifeline must cone sider gravely such things as possibilities. These are risks if war comes to us; but if war comes to Europe alone there is still a risk. With the Canal neutral, admitting ships of all nations, Britain and France would transport men and supplies to and from their Empires. To stop that the Fascist powers might try to sabotage the Canal.
NEXT — Enemies within the gates of the Canal.
aT ie Asiete. tae ie 0 Pac Olas fas
"Let's not pick out an expensive place to go on vacation, because
n't tell how we'll like it and if there's men.
This Ji