Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 13 July 1939 — Page 15

THURSDAY, JULY 13, 1939

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CE ee My

Our Town By Anton Scherrer

Once upon a time, in a reminiscent mood. I told why Indianapolis boys brought up to read the Youth's Companion turned out to be the case-hardened men they are. Today I want to explain why St. Nicholas readers of 30 years ago are the wistful creatures in our midst. It's because of Palmer Cox and his “Brownies.” I guess I was about 8 or thereabouts when by a curious set of circumstances, involving Santa Claus, I found a magazine among my gifts. It was St. Nicholas. I surveyed it critically, I remember, wondering about the propriety of classifying books as Christmas presents when, all of a sudden, toward the end of the magazine—like a surprise sweetmeat at the close of a meal—I ran across the BrownAfter that, life was mostly a matter of waiting ior the next number of St. Nicholas. The Brownies and their antics, as depicted in verse and pictures by Palmer Cox. always seemed to me the most seductive little artisans in the world, the very figuriaes of fun who skipped over the surface of sense with a deftness that made “Alice in Wonderland” look like a piker. Alice, it always struck me, lacked the impishness to play the part. And besides. she was a girl.

An All-Male Cast

The Brownies were. males—every one of them—

CARIBBEAN SEA At first the Brownie figures were more or less. alike. Then the different nationalities began creep- | ing in until finally nearly every country on earth was &y represented. The Irishman, I remember, came first; > Ry then the German; then the Chinaman. The dude, the! : 2p, RN prize of the collection, arrived just at the time when ; £2 i. Dh NN

+ 1 v that word entered the American language. Y A) 0 Solo

Finally, the enthusiasm for Brownies assumed » Coo the proportions of & panic. Brownies appeared in C fi o olonfE) A init \ : France F NN) N NN

the shape of dolls, crackers. pins and souvenir spoons. | ' Cristobal \Y

Their pictures were on handkerchiefs, neckties, car- | ” pets and wal! papers. One could even sleep under Q\ Brownie bed spreads, and for a while, Brownies were served as ice cream with vanilla breeches, chocolate \ Jackets and strawberry heads.

2 = = They Go on the Stage Sometime in the Middle Nineties when Mr. Cox. had 150 stories to his credit, Klaw and Erlanger put! on a show called “The Brownies in Fairvland.” It was, immense. All through the show, the Brownies ran | into one mishap after another trying to rescue Queen | Titania and bring her back to Prince Florimel. At the end of the first act they were shown in midocean with a realistic storm approaching. Suddenly a sea | serpent appeared on the crest of the waves and in|

the excitement the dude feil overboard. Then a colossal sea bird swept down from above, seized him

by his pants and carried him to safety. The rest America’s Lifeline”

of the Brownies effected their escape in a flying ship. |

Ft. DeLesse

N NN \

Nh

Q

ies

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“Hostile wings must not appear over the canal!” U. S. military authorities agree. Their strategy will be to fight an approaching enemy at sea, not over the isthmus.

= =

which had the merit of making their solemn nonsense seem like something very real to boys. At any ‘rate. I remember, that a bound volume of St. Nicholas containing. as it did. a dozen adventures staged by the Brownies more than made up for a rainy Sunday afternoon-—something Alice couldn't possibly do. As near as I recall. Palmer Cox's Browni2s made their debut .in 1883-—in St. Nicholas, of course—with a story called “The Brownies Ride.” Its effect was immediate. Soon as it appeared kids from ali over the country sent in letters asking “Are there such as Brownies?” and “Where can thev be found?” Right away, Mr. Cox knew that he had his hands full. Enough, anvwav, io stop drawing pictures of funnv bears, foxes and the like which, up fo that time, had kept him busy.

Ya iy wines

(Ernie Pyle Is

It Seems to Me

NEW YORK, July 13.—I am curious to know of whom the president of the Bar Association Speaks when he arises to address the august body in convention assembled. If he speaks whollv out of his own personal opinion one may disagree violently with his remarks and yet raise no possible complaint against their utterance. Indeed. if the somewhat surprising tone of Frank .J. Hogan's attack on the United States Supreme Court is typical of the attitude of the group over which he presides it is well within their privilege io make their attitude public. Let's have no cecreis floating around about the inner thoughts of harristers. But I am still uncertain as to whether Mr. Hogan really has the backing c¢f his fellow members in his declaration that everybody on the high bench is out of sten with the exception of Mr. Justice McReynolds and Mr. Justice Pierce Butler Let it be borne in mind that the president of the Bar Association was going far bevond any criticism of appointments made during the New Deal or of the constitutional theories held bv the members of the so-called liberal bloc. Mr. Hogar seems to feel the same horror for the general legalistic interpretations of Chief Justice Hughes as for those rendered bv Black or Felix Frankfurter.

= » #2

It's an Old Story

Probably it is not within the province of a layman to bandy words with a luminary eminent enough to be head man over all the highest paid lawyers in the land. But I think I know men of standing in the profession who feel that there has been more petuiance than coherent vhilosophy in some of the recent dissents of Mr. Justice McReynolds. As far

Washington

WASHINGTON. July 13.—I have indicated tha‘ President Roosevelt probably would denv there was any political significance in his appointment of Paul UV. McNutt as Administrator of the New Deal Security Agency. That was a thoroughly safe forecast because it is part of standard political ritual to make such denials. Nearly everyone in public life carries on the pretense that he is not playing politics. It is one of the accepted proprieties. recognized bv all reporters on political assignments as part of the game. As was thus expected, President Rooseveli devoted considerable time at his press conference to pooh-poohing the political aspect of the McNutt appoiniment. He chided reporters for shallow reporting and warned them against going out on limbs regarding this appointment. He said most of us wouldn't, print it, but he wanted to sav that sometimes in making appointments there were other considerations than polities. He said Mr. McNuit had been selected because of his administrative ability and his experience in public affairs. > 4% 3%

Myr. McHale Goes Ahead

Mr. Roosevelt could very well consider that Mr. MceNutt’'s administrative experience qualified him for ine job. But if he gave no thought to the political aspects of the appointment, then he is unique in Washington. Mr. McNutt certainly wasn’t blind to them. And almost at the very time the White House press conference was going on, Frank McHale. manager of the McNutt Presidential campaign, was an-

~

My Day

HYDF PARK. N.Y. Wednesday—Vesterdar. with creat interest, T read Mrs. Carrie Chapman Carts appeal to the National Federation of Business ang Professional Women's Clubs. It seems to me so obvious that married women should not be discriminated against, that I cannot imagine anyone who would really consider such a proposition.

As I look back, it seems to me, however all this discussion was given impetus by the emergency measure which brought about a rule in the Federal Government during the depression, forbidding two married people to hold Government positions, either the man or the woman had to give up a job. Now that the emergency is over, that rule has been rescinded, but there is. I think, one consideration in Government employment that does not exist in private employment. The Govemment wants to prevent the building up of a family bureaucracy. However. salaries are low in Government positions and there is very littie outside employment to be chtained in the city of Washington. Therefore, even theugh cu mar not want to build up families who work for the ‘Government only, the gquestion*of the

ARS

Honest. The second act was even more hreathtaking. A Parisian novelty called the Flying Ballet, straight from the Folies Bergere, performed in midair. Just when you thought there wasn’t another thing for

them {o do. they turned into birds. beetles and butter- |

flies with a background of the Stars and Stripes as a bewildering finale. A moment later Prince Florimel had Queen Titania in his arms.

The show ran 150 nights in New York. In 1895

it came to Indianapolis and celebrated its 600th per- |

formance here. Palmer Cox turnasd up for the occasion. He was 6 feet 2 incnes tall with biz broad shoulders and a mournful drooping blond mustacha Except for his nice blue eves there wasn't a thing to show he had the blood of Brownies in him. |

On Vacation) | | | | |

By Heywood Broun

as Pierce Butler goes. I am quite ready to admit the consistency of his opinions. Indeed, it seems to me that his point of view has been unvarying to a fault. Not so long ago I was sitting in the press box of the high court next to a reportorial expert who covers all the decision days of that body. Mr. Justice Butler started to clear his throat before delivering his

opinion. and my friend swung suddenly into action : i

and had his whole lead written out before the man in biack had uttered as much as a sentence. Later I asked him how he could possibly be so certain of the way the tide would swing before the learned gentleman began to declare himself. “You forget,” my friend explained, “that I have been ‘covering the court for the last 15 years. I don't need to wait when Mr. Butier begins to speak, because I know his piece. He has said it so many times | already. And I can do more than predict in advance which wav his vote wili go. It is no trick at all to foresee the precise argument which he will make in support of his opinion.” !

® ” 2 The Lesson of History

Tt is my opinion that no legal mind should ever become as completely consistent as all that. I assume! that Charles Evans Hughes is generally regarded as. a person of high legal attainments, but on many im- | portant issues his vote has not been predictable. And the same goes for Mr. Justice Roberts. On several | occasions these two have ruled in a way which was! highly unpopular with liberal forces. Again, they have swung to the other side. And yet I havé not heard it said very much that these variations represented a definite inconsistency of approach to constitutional interpretation. | Frank Hogan to the contrary, law lives and breathes and grows and changes as it keeps step with life. And when law represents no more than. decisions handed down from some ivory tower there is need of new law and new judges. Man, like truth, is mighty and he must prevail.

By Raymond Clapper

nouncing in Indianapolis that the campaign for dele-! gates would go ahead in accordance with the resolution adopted at the Indiana Democratic State Convention a year ago. | Opinion is divided as to what the appointment means, even among people in the Administration. Within an hour I heard two conflicting analyses. One! said that unquestionably Mr. Roosevelt would run again and that Mr. McNutt was now in line for second-place. Another said his guess was that Mr. Roosevelt would not run and that, if Mr. McNutt made good, he would be the obvious heir.

New Deal Ranks Split

Seldom has an appointment so shaken the Administration ranks. Because it is the President's | decision, little protest will be heard but there is no lack of disappointment among some Administiation people. A considerable number of Administration Senators and officials had urged that the appointment go to Oscar Chapman, Assistant Secretary of: the Interior. Probably the chief source of complaint among | those New Deaiers who are unsympathetic with the appointment is that the social security setup and the welfare services grouped with it were pretty well out of politics. The effort has been to keep them clear of the taint which hung over WPA. There is full respect for the force and administrative ability of Mr. McNutt, even among these complaining New Dealers. They do lament that this agency should be headed bv one of the most active candidates for the Presidential nomination. ; The New Dealers are split. Secretary Hopkins is in Mr. McNutt's corner. The conscientious objectors will swallow hard and hope for the best. The political objectors, who are looking for an issue, will hope for: the worst.

Men

Canal Needs More

, Guns, Roads

(Third of a Series)

By Thomas M. Johnson

War Correspondent and Author (Written for NEA Service)

NCON, Panama Canal Zone, July 13.—“Smash that

~~ Canal at any cost! smash it!”

Even if none of you comes back—

Those are the orders (grimly realistic American officials here told me) that an enemy leader would give to the pilots of his bombing planes in the event of war against the United States. In the present vulnerable state of the Panama Canal, a hostile power would think nothing of losing a hundred or two hundred planes in a desperate effort to

seal this vital waterway.

Planes might attack the Canal either in small raiding parties or in vast ar-

madas.

Whence would they come? A startling threatening answer is

Mr. Johnson

given in the words of an American

authority: “We know that Germany has three thousand airplanes that can fly the South Atlantic.” And how could those airplanes or others menace the

Panama Canal?

Perhaps from secret bases or nearby Central and South American coasts. Perhaps from potentially hostile

islands like the Spanish Canaries, or undefended islands like the Portuguese Cape Verdes or Azores; or the many small islands that dot the Caribbean Sea. t 4 = » ND perhaps from airplane carriers. For instance. avoiding the regular Pacific ship lanes, enemy carriers might slip up and arrive some nightfall within 500 miles of the Canal Zone. Steaming all night, they would be close enough by dawn to launch planes. And look! About where that carrier started its final, thrusting dash, 480 miles out, is a dot on the map—Cocos Island, storied treasure-trove of pirate gold. Costa Rica owns it but no one has developed it. and the island lies deserted, inviting the invader. “Come ashore,” it says. “Estahlish your base. Fly over the Canal. Drop your bombs. Come back for more—and back—and back—until the Canal is a ditch full of junk. The Americans didn't want me— now you take me.” “Us, too.” ery out Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, southwest and 875 miles out from Panama. Those tiny isles, keys to the air defense of the Canal, invite the burglar's grasp. The Japanese know that. Their spy fishing boats

have been there, taking observations and soundings. Attention has been called to the islands’ importance and it is hoped Congress will vote to lease or buy either the entire islands or the right to establish there warning stations whence our planes could patrol in great arcs 500 miles farther out to sea. 2 ” ” HE Canal should be impregnable,” said Maj. Gen. G. V. Strong, Chief of the War Plans Division of the General Staff, concurring in the estimate of Maj. Gen. David L. Stone, commanding here. To make it impregnable will take years at the present rate. depending on the money available. Resources here for air defense need strengthening until this is a great aviation base like that just begun at Puerto Rico. The Canal wants 600 first-rate airplanes. As jumping-off places, U. 8S. military planes now have two fields; at the Atlantic end, France Field; at the Pacific end, Albrook Field, whose runway has recently been concreted at a cost of $500.000. And $1,500,000 has been received to begin an air depot. The Pacific side also will get two more fields—one at a yet undisclosed site, the other on 19,000 acres leased from the Republic of Panama at Rio Hato.

PROTEST MEETING

OVER WPA SLATED Sanctuary

The Indianapolis Local of

Workers Alliance of America is to hold a protest meeting tomorrow! night at the Auto Workers Hall, 241 W. Maryland St., to discuss the relief appropriations act. “We are opposed to this act re-. cently passed by Congress because of the inadequacy of the amount appropriated. Because of these in-

|sufficient funds hundreds of thou- | {sands of needy and good American!

[citizens have been laid off and under the new law hundreds of thou-

By Eleanor Roosevelt

amount needed to live on decently must come into consideration. It seems to me that if a generous sum is set, on which an adequate standard of living may be preserved for the average family, that! it might be well, if one member of the family earns. that amount, to bar the employment of any other: member of the family in Government service. If a man and his wife together earn that amount. children who live in the same household should be! barred from Government employment.

Such a rule would not be directed at women particularly, married or single, but, if adopted by! the Federal Government, it should be very carefully considered for the same pattern might easily be followed by State and local governments. I see by the morning papers that the Senate Committee has voted for delay on neutrality. One! vote makes this important decision. These gentlemen must go on the theory that if you delay making | up your mind long enough, perhaps you may never.

have to, tor somebody else may make it up for you.

My own experience is that the things you refuse to meet today always come back at you later on, usually under circumstances which make the de-

cision twice as difficult as it originally was. I:

would not weep over the difficulties of the gentlemen whe made this decision, were it not for the fact that the results of their decision mav not rest on their heads alone. but may affect innocent people

in our country and other countries. 7 :

sands more will feel the ax.” Wil-|

liam Preston, meeting chairman said.

’

“This measure effects a wage cut on every PWA employee by lengthening the hours of labor to 130 and it effects mostly the skilled work-

man who has spent vears learning

his trade,” he said.

‘JALOPPY’ RACES

BRING TWO SUITS

EVANSVILLE, Ind, July 13 (U. diana by the Conservation Depart- |

F.).—Two suits alleging

The suits were filed by WW

jured driver.

“jaloppy” races here were on file to‘day. + dropping, Holtsclaw, a spectator, and an in-'Simmons, Mr. Holtsclaw alleged that he was injured June 25 when ain wheel flew off a racing car and dianapolis area are lower than at

| Caves Offer

From Heat

Looking for a cool spot? The State Conservation Department recommends boat trips into Donaldson and Twin Caves at Spring Mill State Park. Temperatures inside the caves rarely exceed 55 ta 60 degrees while water in the streams flowing through them is even colder, department officials said. Air around the t entrances is several degrees cooler than in other parts of the park.

WELLS PLANNED FOR WATER LEVEL SURVEY

Additional wells are to be placed in the vicinity of Indianapolis as! ‘part of the extension of the water | level survey being conducted in In-|

| {

| | { |

injury at ment and the U. S. Geological

Survey. The survey is to determine the irate at which the water table is. according to Virgil M.| conservation commis- | sioner, | Reports indicate that water levels five observation wells in the In-

struck him. The driver claimed he this time last year, he said. Similar suffered a permanent injury in a reports have been received from |

wreck during the race.

Mr. Holtsclaw’s suit. against Don which large quantities of water are |

C. Onley, Brothers,

the promoter, garage operators.

Pride used for air cooling. and

other sections, particularly those in|

About 80 wells are under obser-|

i

Benjamin and Bernard Trockman, vation in the state and more are;

junk dealers, asked for $1500,

‘to be sunk.

“anal Zone

Canal Zone defenses are illustrated above.

NANNY NAN N\ NW 1H \

ro Mig \ DN for

\

Fortified

Islands Qo

& Sn Mires

On the Caribbean side heavy guns are mounted at Fits.

DeLesseps, Sherman and Randolph. At Fi. Davis is the 14th Infantry Regiment. At Coco Solo the Navy

has a submarine and air base.

At France Field is the Army Air Field for the Atlantic side.

From Colon to Gatun locks a highway parallels the Panama Railway, but from Gatun te Gamboa, 20

miles—there is no highway and troops could be moved only by rail or water—Gatun Lake.

From Gamboa

a highway parallels the railway to the Bay of Panama at Panama City, passing Pedro Miguel and Mira-

flores Locks.

A road also runs from Gamboa to Madden Dam.

The black wavy lines running scuthwest and northeast on the Pacific side are the roads to be improved

and built by the U. S. and Panama together, enabling us to shuttle troops along the coast.

The main

Pacific air field now is Albrook Field. At Ft. Clayton and Corozal are the 33d Infantry and 2d Field Artillery. At Ft. Amador are more of the coast artillery manning heavy guns on the “Fortified Islands” which

protect the Pacific entrance.

The American civil capital is at Balboa-Ancon,

“YF only war doesn't come this summer!” That is the prayer of everyone here, especially of

those in charge of the antiaircraft defense program. The rainy season has stopped construction of roads that lead to a network of recently constructed antiaircraft stations. From these stations bombing airplanes that managed to get near the Canal might be spotted by sound-locators and searchlights and brought down by antiaircraft guns. To help equip these stations, the general staff asked Congress for nearly a half million dollars. The fact is that although the Panama Canal today is better equipped to defend itself against land and sea attack than against air bombing, it is not wellequipped enough to satisfy those who must defend it. Jungle entirely protects only the land sides of the Canal, which is lucky, for bordering and friendly Panama and Costa Rica have no real armies to help defend it. On the Atlantic side and especially on the Pacific, are places where landings might be made. The big guns could almost certainly prevent the Canal or its locks being shelled to pieces by enemy warships. Those guns on shore shoot farther and straighter than they would from a warship; they range 30 miles. But 40 miles beyond that range, is a spot that invites an invader’s foot. For miles along the Pacific shore stretches a beautiful beach called La Venta. It is ideal for landing troops and supplies under favorable conditions. Much of the country is quite onen, and invading troops would be aided by gunfire from ships. This side-door to the Canal is not fortified and today has no good, all-weather road for moving troops up to defend it. If we could not push them back

. —well, plans have been consider-

ed for a sort of gigantic harakiri

| —a sabotage of the Canal by its

own defenders ere it fell into

foreign hands. ” » ” HE mobile force for the whole Zone is now 5000 men. If all

could be rushed by trucks to this one spot, they might be enough—

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

1—What city was the first capital of Illinois? 2-—What is an alloy? 3—Can the U. S. Government be sued in cases involving contracts and claims? 4 Tn dry measure, how many quarts are in one bushel? 5—Name the unit of currency of Chile. 6—Where did the English runner, Sid Wooderson, finish in the mile race at the recent Princeton invitation meet? T—In which state is Rocky Mountain National Park? = ” 5

Answers 1—Vandalia. 2—A mixture of two or more metals. 3—Yes, in the U. 8S. Court of Claims. 4-32. 5—Peso. 6—Fifth (last). T—Colorado.

ASK THE TIMES

Inclose a 3-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 extended research be undertaken.

¥

depending on how many had landed. The lay of the ground favors the defense. But in certain conceivable conditions the mobile force would not be enough of a force, nor would it be mobile enough. Immediately Gen, Stone came here more than two years ago, he saw the importance of making the most of what he had. Instead of a mobile force of 5000. he needs 10,000. And to support them, more pack artillery. Some people think that some armored cars and tanks would help. Roads! They are the worst headache for those who must defend this frontier fort. Rain has washed out all but concrete roads and slowed down work that is absolutely essential to enable the fort's defenders to get about. So bad is the situation that rain or none, work is expected to start on a road along a stretch of the Atlantic coast not fully protected by jungle. But in the inviting gap on the Pacific at La Venta, the situation is different.

Not far from shore runs a road that, after Army trucks have tried it out a little, looks like the slough of despond. The Republic of Panama, in whose territory this road runs, has been unable to do better. but now Congress has voted $1,500,000 if Panama will put up $2,500,000. Whereupon President Arosemena instructed his new Ambassador in Washington to try to borrow the money. n E n UR future relations with the Republic are bound up in a treaty that furthers the “Good Neighbor” policy by renouncing for the United States its present right to make use of any Panamanian territory outside the 500-square-mile Canal Zone that we deem essential to defense. But what if Panama fcr any reason refuses some concession essential to the Canal's defense? Should we take that chance? Evidently the Senate Foreign Relations Committee thinks so, for on June 21 it recommended that the Senate ratify the treaty as Panama has. The same treaty brings up another defense question. There fis now no road clear across the

Isthmus, connecting the Atlantie and Pacific sides. For almost half the distance the sole connection is the U. S. Government-controlled Panama Railroad. Were that railroad put out by air bombing or sabotage, troops could be shuttled back and forth only by boat on Gatun Lake. The road that would change this Panama will build--within 10 years,

The Canal's best defense is, of course, the Fleet, whose shute tle from ocean to ocean it is. But the Fleet might conceivably be occupied elsewhere, might even be beaten. If one believes the Fleet impregnable, then why have any soldiers here at all save airmen and antiairmen? But if in the present situation the Canal must be impregnable, it must be able with its own resources to hold out against two menaces, First, blockade. Suppose that instead of daring the guardian big guns, an enemy fleet should just sit down, beyond their range, and, aided by planes, try to prevent food ships from entering the Canal, » ” » HE second menace is massed attack by fleet and air power, upon the Canal. That might be the first move in a drive by victorious Germany, Italy and Japan, from the Atlantic and the Pacific, to shake down the United States and the Western Hemisphere. What if the Fascist navies were augmented by ships of defeated Britain and France? The Army and Navy cannot afford, in make ing plans, to dismiss that as im=possible, however remote it seems to some. Britain and France won the last war only at the last minute—by our help. How remote—at the rate things happen today? Remote as, for instance, the date when the Canal actually will be made impregnable at the present speed? That speed, which this Congress has set, ‘is good — for peacetime, And of course, there is no open war, though down here the atmosphere is surely less peaceful than at home,

NEXT — The Good Neighbor Policy.

oamagpnt]

Everyday Movies—By Wortman

Wortman

"I must tell you about the most fascinating nightmare

| had last night." ged