Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 13 January 1940 — Page 8

The Indianapolis “Times |Fajr Enough’

la SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER)

MARK FERREE

ROY Ww. "HOWARD RALPH BURKHOLDER F i Business Mapager

President

Price in: Marion. County. 3 cents a copy: delivered by carrier, 12 cents a week.

‘Owned ‘and published daily (except Sunday) by | The Indianapolis Times E . 214 R

$3 a year; 65

in Indiana. outside of Indiana, cents a month.

RILEY 5551

paper Alliance, NEA Service, and ‘Audit Bureau of Circulation. :

Give LAght and the People Will Find Their Own Way

' SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 1940

FIFTY-YEAR CLUB : : o ; / GOOD many people must have been astonished to discover there are some 180 firms in this city that have been i in business continuously for 50 years or longer, That would be a large list in any community, and certainly one worthy of such a celebration as the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce proposes on Jan. 26. There is no way of appraising how much these substantial old enterprises, many with records far longer than a half century, have contributed to the growth and stability | “of the. city. But their contribution has been very great. They have poured life and vitality steadily into the business stream. They have been a stabilizing influence. They have, in turn{ attracted other enterprises. In short, they , have been the very backbone of the business and industrial 5 community. :

| Any recognition that the Chamber extends in fs coming celebration will be wholly deserved.

MORE DIGGING WON'T HURT PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT loses no love for Rep. Martin Dies or his committee on un-American activities. He cannot forget the committee’s part in facilitating a dirty attack on Frank Murphy, in 1938. Last week some thought they saw a crack at Mr. Dies in the President’s annual message, which deplored “selfish and partisan groups at home who wrap themselves in a false mantle of Americanism to promote their own advantage.” £ Anyway, Franklin doesn’t love Martin. So it v was not surprising that Chairman Sabath of the House Rules Committee, a hundred per cent New Dealer, should use. the White House doorstep this week as a rostrum on | which to tweak Mr, Dies’ ear. :

“I think a further appropriation for the committee. will be money thrown away,” he said after seeing the President. “After all, Dies ‘has had enough publicity for any and all purposes.” He suggested that the G-Men could investigate subversive activities better than the Dies Committee. But Mr. Roosevelt himself later told the press that he was taking no interest in the matter at all; that it was entirely up to the House whether to let the committee die or resume its work. Which is fair enough, if his tongue was not in his cheek. : The Dies committee, despite its faults, has Proved useful in illumi ing the dark crevices of the political underworld where the Kuhns, Browders and Pelleys pursue their mysterious mission. : It has likewise mended some of its early ways. Its “report to Congress, last week was a model of moderation. Yes, the committee still has work to ‘do.

GUARANTEE TO CURE OR KILL

OF all the fake political nostrums ever peddled the American farmer the protective tariff is doubtless the phoniest.

After that last big war, the farm-the-farmer lobbyists and politicians sold the’ Fordney-McCumber tariff as the sure cure for all rural aches and pains. - The result was that | foreign countries which had been buying our cotton, wh af, corn, hogs, cattle, etc., started growing their own and buy‘ing elsewhere. They had to, because, their sales in our markets having been restricted by the higher tariff ra es, they couldn't get the dollars to buy as many American farm products. And, incidéntally, they couldn’t get enough dollars to pay the debts 8} inoy owed | to and in the United States. An effort was made to Foriady. that iby lending more - dollars abroad, which was a good racket while it lasted. The Twenties boomed along, farmers sold more to borrowercustomers abroad, and farm prices here rose to a point where—while by no means on a parity with industrial prices—they were at least attractive enough to induce foreign farm products to start scaling our tariff walls. In 1929, about 10 per| cent of the farm products sold in this country were imported.

So the lobbyists and politicians started their medicine show again. Their new concoction bore the label of SmootHawley, and was guaranteed to cure the tuberculosis, can- _ cer, lumbago and gout of the Farm Belt, and give American farmers a monopoly on the American market. It almost made good on that |latter claim, but in so doing it knocked in the head the farmer's foreign markets, far more important to him than a domestic monopoly. Though by "1932 there was scarcely a trickle of farm imports, that fact did little good for our farmers who got 5 cents for their cotton, 10 cents for corn and two-bits for wheat.

* x 2.»

Came then F, D. R. and the New Deal, Cordell Hull and the reciprocal trade agreements, each year recapturing a little more of those lost foreign markets. And farm prices rising to a point where—while still not up to parity—they are attractive enough to have “caused farm imports to rise from a trickle to a small stream. Qf course most of our so-called farm imports consist of such products as bananas, rubber, coffee, tea, raw silk, cocoa beans and babassu nuts—but' you can’t expect politicians to mention ~ that, at least not in an election year. They will talk about the 10 million acres ‘which could be cultivated, replacing the imports. They won't mention the 40 million acres that would be put out of production if we lost our exports.

Once again the farmers of farmers, who pitch their medicine tents in the lobbies of Washington, are crying out > the old quack ture. They want to abolish the Hull reciprocal trade treatment and persuade the patient to take a suck out of the same old protective tariff bottle. Is there a farmer in the audience who, having taken that “cure” twice, still has enough Sirength to 0 Step forward and give. a testi_monial?

tail subscription rates

‘the |

“empty-handed. .

ception coming in fine. Stop.”

‘them if the marriage is to

conditio

By Westbrook Pegler

Big Organizations Err in Guaranteeing Free Discussion in Meetings of Some Unions.

EW YORK, Jan. 13.—A big meeting of the union

of variety artists was momentarily upset by cries of “Throw him out!” evoked by a simple request by a member for an accounting, Chairs were pushed back, and, according to one account, “a brawl seemed imminent” until a union officer, sighting a microphone which was not in use at the moment, cried, “Nobody is going to be thrown out,” and calmed the storm.

Just how it happined that there was an unoccupied |

microphone in a congress of crooners, moaners and masters of ceremonies, the story did not explain. Probably it will just have to be set down as a miracle. It would not happen more than once’ in a thousand years. - However, the faet that a meeting of night glub entertainers—a rather mild group of toilers—was saved from riotous disorder only by a miracle points to a serious weakness in organized labor in both of the big houses. The C. I. O. as well as the A. F. of I. actors are remarkably intelligent. They can be ‘taught to perform amazingly difficult tricks. There is a school of

‘| thought which holds that mere instinct, rather than intelligence, accounts for all this, pointing out that

be actor gets food, raiment and applause for per-

ing well, but the same type of argument could

be applied to furriers and teamsters, ” » » : 4 8 I" fact, the only human ‘creatures who do get paid, fed, clothed and applauded for performing badly

are politicians. It would be a’ sorry thing to admit

that politicians are the only beings whose actions

are guided by intelligence rather than instinct. But, whether they have intelligence or not, actors are gentle and well behaved, by comparison with most other types, and still their union meeting almost reached

rawling point When a member asked for an accounting.: ) In a day when more and more groups of workers, unfamiliar with union procedure, are being organized under pressure of the bitter competition between the C. 1.|O. and the A. F. of L., intimdation of the rank and file and assumption of power by enterprising leaders present a serious peril to the freedom of the workers, individyally and in the mass. Most ordinary citizens are bashful and timid in meetings. Union meetings are supposed to be parliaments, but in some unions discipline and charagter are such that individuals, arising to speak in opposition are put in fear of humiliation, at. least an injury or expulsion in others. : ; : BBs ; : HE pattern closely resembles -that of- our civil government and politics, with the important difference, however, that the big unions have nothing corresponding to the Department of Justice, the police or even the county prosecutors to preserve the: purity of the ballot and the rights of the members. The union system .creates great power .but provides no means to prevent or punish abuse of power. * Inexperienced, unacquainted and, to use the proper word, bashful thousands of newly organized workers invited exploitation by predatory unioneers as ‘harmful as exploitation by the most brutal employers and. violence no different from that.inflicted in the bad old days by the mercenary agency. guards and strike« breakers. If the big union organizations can’t protect the members from their own unions there is a Power that can and sveniuafly will be forced to.

Inside indianapolis

The Rumors About the Tax Scandals

"And What's Actually Known Here

asTiaanion here of the rumors that an income tax scandal is about to break in connection with

the McNutt political : ‘organization in Indiana today |

discloses only that: 1. The special corps of investigators we ‘referred to the other day is investigating, it is believed, the income tax returns of McNutt organization - leaders. 2. This staff is under the personal direction of the assistant to the Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Bureau. 3. There have been no disclosures, even by indirection, as to what has been learned from the investigation: The rumors: attained national ‘currency after their publication in a widely syndicated Washington column. The rumors will go on and build up. Time alone will tell the real story. It may be true that the investigation may lead to ‘serious scandals. But it also may be, on the other hand, a subtle smear. : True. or false, the story is bound to do Mr. McNutt ‘no greai good. : 2 8 ” JOHN NEWHOUSE, the County Commissioner. used to boast that he hadn't taken a day off in three years. . . . The other: day he decided to take himself a big. holiday and go. hunting. . . . He came back . There are some. folks who enjoy cold weather. ... It you've been out, by Lake Sullivan you'll know. . . . While the ice was good and strong, there were hundreds enjoying.themselves. . . . Bonfires on the banks, autos lined up. by the scores, ducks quacking in the .pond next door. . . . Practically the entire. O’Hara clan. will be -at South Bend Monday for the consecration of the Rt. Rev. John O’Hara as Bishop of Milasa. . . . If you. have any doubts left about the quality of. our soot look at the white flag on the Circle. . . . It was brand new two or three weeks ago. : { ” ” » : THE JOSEPH J. COLES at 49th and Meridian had their long driveway surfaced with cement some time ago so that their children would have a safe place for roller skating and bicycling. . . . Now Mr, Cole has had the driveway sprayed with water and frozen so they can skate. . , . Best part is that Mr. Cole skates far better than his youngsters. . . . Postmaster | Seidensticker is laid up with a bad cold. . . . We can’t refrain from telling you about Tom Ochiltree’s broadcast the other night over WIRE. . . . One of the boys sent him a wire. . . , It simply said:

A Woman's Viewpoint

By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

WE see that Nobel Prize Winner Pearl Buck is to

begin a new novel in a popular magazine, which. will attempt to answer the question: “When a man:

says to the girl he marries, “Stay as you are,” does he mean it?

We do not wish to minimize Mrs. Buck's talents i

as an understander of. human hearts, when we an-

nounce that any woman with ordinary horse sense |

already ‘knows the answer. You don’t have to win a Nobel Prize to be smart: enough to guess it. The cutest chickadee of a girl, without anything but g

third-grade education, is a regular John Kieran when |

it comes to that sort of knowledge. She may not know literature but she knows men—and that being true- ier answer will be “No.”

The ‘day a man gets married he goes on a diet—-

he has to eat his words. If he happens to get tied up to a cutie who is dimpled and domestic, he is certain to come to a time when he'd like to trade her for some sleek sophisticated dame who knows the art of pairing off people at a dinner party. If he falls in love with a walking advertisement for a beauty shop, ‘eventually he’ll want her to settle down the wren type, simple and unassuming, He'll expect his wife to change, not because he is an inconsiderate and unpredictable being but because he himself changes. Therefore the woman who suits today’s needs will not be adequate for tomorrow's demands. Men grow—and their wives must grow along with succeed. Wives do not alter their ways or their thoughts merely to please husbands, either. man beings, they can no more remain in a static than water can cease to be fluid, Nobody, except the congenial idiot, can ever “stay as you" her edi;

could imagine anybody woulg. think

‘otherwise. {

Not |

“Re-

and become:

They change because, being hu- |

or e’—and I'm surprised that Mrs. Buck or rs

The Hoosier Forum

1 wholly disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death: your right to say it, —Voliaire.

|] legitimate grievance.

SAYS MOST RELIEFERS WORTHY OF HELP By Viola Nash

I read the article James R. Meitzler of Attica: ‘wrote in the Forum Jan. 8. ..,I hate to think that anyone can take such an attitude against his own’ people. Maybe James Meitzler has never been on relief but is’ that dny reason he won't be? I quite agree ‘that ‘the Finns deserve everything Mr. Meitzler says about ther and I believe most Americans will do-the same. .I also agree there are people on relief who are’ chiseling. Of all the people I know who are getting relief, most are or would be hard working, honest | people. It is through no fault of their own that they have to accept relief. Maybe Mr. Meitzler can solve the unemployment problem and: put. all the chiselers to work. It certainly would be a money saver in more ways than one. After all, I'm sure the reliefers would do the same as the Finns are doing if this country were attacked. . . I for one certainly do not approve of sending money to any foreign country as one as people need it so badly here. . # 2.2

BLAMES LACK OF TRADE FOR RELIEFERS’ PLIGHT ‘By W. Scott: Taylor. : ae

Mr. James -R..Meitzler of Attica, Ind., says the man on relief is a louse and a parasite not to be mentioned in the same breath with a

foreigner like a ‘Finn. He says that |-

Mr. Hoover's. bread and soup line was good enough in Hoover's time and it is good enough now.

trine but it should be kept in mind that when. any great exporting country is face to face with a grave shortage of ~foreign. consumers, . it only makes . matters worse to destroy consumers at home. Until the free exchange of goods between nations can be ‘restored by international agreement, no well-informed banker .or -nonpartisan economist will predict more than a temporary partial recovery—beyond a year, or at the ‘most two years, he will not say. He leaves the wild promises of permanent prosperity as a result

{of anything this nation can do,

alone, to the ignorant or unscrupylous politician, Until then—who are we to say to a man that he is a louse and a parasite, and to say to a woman that she loved the wrong man, and say to the child that it chose the wrong father? :

This is excellent Republican doc-

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

RELIEF ACCEPTED AS LAST RESORT, J IS’ cLAIM By P. JM.

« « + Mr. Meitzler states “re~ liefers” sit on their “hunkers” and expect to be clothed, warmed and fed and give nothing in return. He speaks of them as a whole and as for myself, I know a few cases such as"he describes. The ones who have drawn my attention are the ones that walk blisters on their feet going from place to place looking for work and a decent living. They are accepting relief as a last resort.

His eyes seem to be trained on the other kind and we have had them since the ‘beginning of time and they will always be with us. . . . If they are as bad as he tries to make out, why give. them anything? Give them nothing, and let time take care of the rest. But things of that kind are not done in America. Theories like Mr. Meitzler’s are used in’ Russia, ‘Germany and some of the other God-forsaken countries. If they were, America would be in the same predicament they. are in.

Rk. ‘= CRITICIZES A. F. OF L. FOR ACTIONS aT FAIR By: Citizen Jen A

According’ to Charles Stevenson, writing in the January Atlantic an article entitled “Labar Takes in the

Fair,” some A. F. of L. unions exhibited modern racketeer methods de luxe in New York City. One exhibitor had to hire a crew of three at a cost of $8.81 to- replace .one burned out light bulb. Another exhibitor paid $750 for the hire of three trucks for five days. Did the A. F. of L. leaders stop this extortion? No indeed. How. can they clean their - own house when the real job is to fight the C. I oO. Now after the Supreme Court has decided in favor of a C. I. O. union, the A. F. of L. still fights through lawyers. How the rank and file dues paying members must rejoice to see their precious money being lavishly spent to fight against other dues

paying labor members.

nw 8 SUGGESTS PLATFORM FOR MINORITY CANDIDATES : By Raymond H. Stone Here is the center of the minority platform upon which ita candidates should stand: os 1. The Fesimplion: ‘of specie payment. 2. Forty-five dollars a month to every citizen over 60 who is nativeborn or fully naturalized; less any net cash’ income from any other source. Simple income statement with penalty of fine and prison for

false affidavits. Fifty-fifty Federal and State funds. - 3. Ten" dollars a month to World War veterans past 45." Reduction of disability ratings to just three grades, A, B and C. 4, Compulsory. -incorporation of

labor unions with financial respon-

sibility for fulfilling collective bargaining contracts. . . 5. Liquidation of . . the Progress Administration.

“Works

New Books at the library

phrase “A Journey to Norway,” which appears: as the subtitle of Joran Birkeland’s book, “Birchland” (Dutton), describes the intimate and personal nature of the book and gives us a cue to the heritage’ of the author. Born in America of Norwegian parents, she felt impelled, upon the death of her mother and father, to take the journey to Norway in the effort to find something of -home and family in the relatives whom she had never

Side Glances—By Galbraith

, INC. T. M.

“I wish we could find a maid that dot sn't ‘have a yen for fried chicken!” 5

»

seen and who had never even invited her to visit them. . Her task was not an easy one. These sturdy people she found to be reserved, suspicious of “outsiders”; and it was only the utmost tact which enabled her to break through this rather crusty exterior to find the generosity and sincerity which characterize this unique people. She succeeded, however; and the book which she has written about them is an intimate, personal picture of the Norway which she saw and grew to understand. Not sufficiently pretentious or inclusive to serye as a guidebook, it furnishes a personal approach to a people who do not wear their hearts on their sleeves.

With Mrs. Birkeland we visit her Aunt Signy, who lives in an old ladies’ home; her uncle, who is

archdeacon in the church at Lille- ‘| hammer;

another uncle, a rich businesman of Trondheim, who had spent many years in America. We learn the rhythm of their days; through. her long conversations with her. aunts ‘and uncles and ‘cousins we become familiar with the fabric of their soceity and the frugal comfort of their lives. Her account of her “journey home” is one which few travelers would have the privilege of 7 writing, :

1940 CALENDAR By MAUD COURTNEY WADDELL

I gaze upon Only a page filled with the dare Of this year— Another twelve months— One year.

A tremor of tear. Loosens my fingers, Wondering at all I hold Within these neat numbered rows.

* How much of sorrow, Tragedy, happiness. I pause— Then whisper, “What else Waits here?”

DAILY THOUGHT

The Lord shall reward the doer: of evil according to his wickedness.—II Samuel uel 3: 39.

OD'S mill winds slow but sure. Herbert,

- Gen. Johnson 8 Says—

President to Continue Silence on His Candidacy, but He Probably

Will Be Nominated by Acclamation,

ASHINGTON, D. ¢, Jan. 13 “Why should President Roosevelt become the one man in all public life now committed to accept or not accept a

. These are questions our new Attorney General Robert Jackson asked at ‘a hot partisan Democratic political shindy on Jacksoh Day in Cleveland. It was the keynote of his harangue. If was presse

agented as the most significant public utterance of the day and I think it was—not because of any

‘| particular sense in what it said, but because it cere t of the words and music come .

tainly was a try“posed by the tin pan alley boys of the White House guild for popular Jazz music in the song hit of the . 1940 campaign. . Of course, the answer to his impudent question _ about why Mr. Roosevelt should be put in a. class other than other possible candidates is that. he al

ready has had. two. terms and no other possible . | candidate has. whom Democrats were met to celebrate and all .

Another answer is that the Jackson . other deities of the Democratic Party regarded third:

1 terms as threats to our form of Government.

rn ” Sg HE real theme of the song hit of 1940 as’ pre-:

viewed in Robert's speech was exactly what was :

to have been ‘expected.

Mr. Roosevelt, according to Mr, Jackson, is the

President of the “Humble Home,” the “Average Man.”

7 On the same day the President said that

hall+ mark of our great nien in public life was int “votion to the whole" “country and (presumably) ob. to any class.

The President in the rarefied atmosphere in ‘which - hy | he moves can say that and even reincarnate hime"

self as he frequently does as Lincoln, Jackson and - ‘Washington, which he did again as to. Lincoln and Jackson on Jackson Day. It detracts nothing from

| his proletarian strength for outriders like Bob Jack-

son, Harold Ickes and Paul McNutt to discard his protest that he is President of all the people and intimate, if not say outright, that he really is: President principally of all those- who get Federal handouts at the expense of all those who pay taxes, 2 = o Tar was of course not sfated in any such spect, But this was clearly stated by Mr. Jackson: liberal attitude must always be dealt with on ity

Differently stated, we had to institute a system of.

tion of incompetency or face a Red revolt. The other certain theme is that the international situation may get so bad that only Mr. Roosevelt can’ handle it. Bob gave us that also. This piece is not intended. particularly to criticize

things in politics you have to guess about. You dons have to guess ahout this. © Mr. Roosevelt will be silent about his candidacy or even abjure it. His bush beaters will whoop it up. He . will not appear in the primaries. He will be proposed

sure as the sun rises.

McNutt ard Labor -

By Bruce Catton

7ASHINGTON, ‘Jan, 13.—Since the Terre Haute general ‘strike when he declared martial law it has been the fashion in"some ultra-liberal circles to brand -Mr. McNutt as anti-labor. 4 I sat in Mr. McNutt’s office in the Federal Security

Terre Haute strike,

© “I am perfectly willing,” said Mr. ‘McNutt, “to

about. done, and that what was done was the. ony thing : that could be done.” How about labor generally; as of today? : “I've been very friendly: to labor-in its: legitimate : aspirations. I never made any decisions ‘on any policy affecting labor without: calling in the labor -

in Indiana than ever before or since.” - © All very well; but just what are labor’s “legitimate” aspirations? “The legitimate desire of labor,” says Mr. McNutt,

‘| “is: to ‘be placed on an equal basis with -those who

employ labor, so: that a bi-lateral agreement can be reached by across~the-table discussion.

to collective bargaining? * “Certainly.” ---

Backed by Conciliation Aid

How about that right? Does he believe that- we ought to. be protected by Federal lav, as In he Wager Act? ” “If it isn’t a legal right it isn’t worth much, » Tee

plies Mr. McNutt. “How else are you going. to proe . vide for it except by law?” In that connection, you might note that an ofe - ficial of the’ Conciliation Service of the Labor Dee partment, who was in close touch with things during the Terre Haute strike, is on record to the effect that as soon as the general strike ended—it lasted 36 hours

and remove the troops, and was unable to do so sponsibility.

ficial adds, a friend of labor was installed as come mandant of the troops.

Watching Your Health

By Jane Stafford

concerned with a national health program. In Jugoslavia the chief of the Department of Publis: Hygiene, Dr. Andriya Stampar, has. drawn up ‘the - following , health . platform, which was - - brought. ‘to = the attention of American health ‘workers in. the American Journal of Public. Health. “1. The education of the people is more tmiportiny

than laws, and for this reason our work (in Suge. h

slavia) is based upon three small laws only. “2. It is most important to prepare a correct ate titude of society towards. questions of public health, “3. The question of public health and of work done for its advancement is not a monopoly of the doctors; but everyone, without distinction, should ‘take parg : in it. It is only by means of this universal co-opera< tion that public health can. Improve: hia) “4, A doctor should be mainly a he cannot go far with individual ‘therapy alone— social therapy provides the means that can lead hm to real achievement. “5. A doctor should not be economically. dey on his patients because such dependence icpend hing in the most fundamental of his tasks. . “6. In respect to public health no distinction should be made between the rich and the poor. : “7. It is necessary to create a health organization in which the doctor shall seek out the patient, and not the patient the doctor, for it is only by so doing ° that the ever-increasing num of those whose

“8. A doctor should be a teacher of the people. “9. The question of public health has more of economic than ‘a humanitarian

‘the people—the not in laboratori

nomination? What public good would be served by - binding him when all others remain free?”

Under such a program. dise . satisfaction might be noisy. but never dangerous.” .

“share our wealth” and the indiscriminate subsidiza« . .

this whole selling talk. ‘That.can wait, Here we .go = no further than to discuss it as an overture. . Some

in the convention and. nominated by scclamation=ay :

Agency here and asked him about labor and the - :

stand on the opinion of . recognized labor. leaders.

who were there at the time and knew what it was all - | They recognized that something had to be -

leaders to discuss it freely and: fully. They got more : favorable labor legislation during ‘my administration :

Does Mr. ‘McNutt, then, believe in labor's Hghy :

—Governor McNutt was anxious to lift martial law : because local officials were unwilling to. assume Tes

When martial law had to be continued, this of« .

MERICANS are not, as you know, the only people

social worker;

chief place for a Qociors work is.in he ivelings ‘of . 1 laces wh re m live a.

health we should protect can be included in our care, =

[3 Pie A SR RRS OR Se pl EI en 3 ST in

3 il

ad

Defends Terre Haute Strike Action; . . Sees. Bargaining as: ‘Legal Right, -

Eo

Sa