Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 4 March 1940 — Page 10

AGE 10

‘The Indianapolis Times

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Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way

" MONDAY, MARCH 4, 1940

ANNIVERSARY NTO the potpourri that is called the Now Deal have gone the AAA, the NRA, the CCC, the WPA, the TVA, the FDIC, the SEC, the NLRB, Social Security, gold devaluation, deficits and other substances and condiments. It has been stirred by political purges, court-packing, wars abroad and breathing spells. It is a dish that, comparatively speaking, has provided seven fat years for bank depositors whose accounts are insured, for five or six million workers who have found jobs again, for farmers who have cashed in on better prices and subsidies, for farm and home owners who have found Uncle Sam to be a more merciful mortgagee. | But it has furnished seven lean years to some nine million workers who still pound the pavements looking for jobs, to taxpayers burdened with a Federal debt fast approaching 45 billion dollars. - The years ahead will be fatter years for all of us if they bring peace, tolerance and good will abroad and at home. Otherwise, they may be leaner years for all of us.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

HE commotion over the census questionnaire is a not ~ unhealthy sign that many Americans are fed up with what they regard as too much Government prying into their personal affairs. Yet in this particular protest, it must be admitted, there is more of symbolism than sense. In other years— when past abuses had not made people touchy—the questions complained of would scarcely have caused a ripple. A good case can be made for the 1940 census on the ground that it provides one big questionnaire which, for a time at least, should end questionnaires. For one thing it undertakes to obtain accurate information from the whole population on matters of income distribution and living costs wihch have been sought in countless official and unofficial sample polls. For another, it undertakes to obtain for the first time, and on a nation-wide scale, precise statistics on unemployment—lacking which the country has groped blindly for a solution of its biggest problem. The questions that have aroused the most resentment, strangely, are questions which every citizen who files a Federal income-tax return answers annually in a routine manner and in more detail. The Government needs that information from all citizens if it is to act intelligently on measures intended primarily to improve the social and economic welfare of people who don’t pay income tax. Under the law all information given te census takers is confidential; it can be seen only by Census Bureau employees and can be used only for statistical purposes. And any census employee who divulges information he gets from the census files is subject to penalties up to a $2000 fine and five years in prison. Coming at this time, the public protest should serve one good purpose in that it puts the census employees on notice.

COTTON STAMPS

(GOVERNMENT printing: presses in Washington are turning out green and brown stamps to be used by the Department of Agriculture in its newly announced cotton stamp program. Like the food stamp plan, now operating in about 30 cities, the cotton stamp plan is an attack on the dual problem of want and plenty. This country has an immense surplus of cotton.” It also has millions of families in dire need of cotton clothing, sheets and mattresses but too. poor to buy them in sufficient quantities. The cotton stamp plan, operated through the machinery established for food stamps, will in effect double the cotton-buying power of families on relief. A family buying a dollar’s worth of green stamps will receive free a dollar’s worth of brown stamps. Using both green and brown stamps, it can then buy two dollars’ worth of cotton goods in the stores, at regular prices, and the stores can collect the face value of the stamps from the Government. Meanwhile, the Government, the cotton manufacturers and the merchants are trying to work out various plans to make cotton clothing more popular and to encourage its use by families not on relief. We think the stamp plan represents about the most intelligent of all the many schemes that have been tried since the problem of huge farm surpluses became acute.

ARNOLD AND THE A. F. OF L.

EADERS of the A. F. of L. building-trades unions are meeting in Washington today and tomorrow to map a campaign of resistance against prosecutions under the anti-trust laws. Thurman W. Arnold, who as Assistant Attorney General is directing those prosecutions, has suggested that he be invited to sit in for a conference. ~ We admire Mr. Arnold’s courage. But just what could he hope to accomplish at such a parley? The union leaders involved know well enough, without any explanations by him, just what he is trying to do, and ~ why. : He is trying to break up illegal combinations between union leaders and .employers, whereby the unions serve as

- constables to help the employers freeze out competition.

The result of that system, as everybody knows by now, is to maintain artificially high prices for construction, and ‘hence to restrict the amount of building that is done. That paturally means fewer jobs for building labor, although it oesn’t interfere with the large salaries and ‘Perquisites of e union leaders. Mr, Arnold is fighting to open up jobs for the union k and file. The union leaders are fighting to maintain mfortable status quo. They have nothing in common,

MARK FERRE |

Fair Enough By Westbrook Pegler

F. B. Files Hold Unflattering Data on Thousands and Probe Probably Would Shock Country.

EW YORK, March 4.—The proposed investigation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation would be an investigation to investigate investigations. It would shock most of us,: ‘but it would subdue our inquisitiveness, because it would smear so many of us. The F. B. I. has more dirt on more -Americans than the foulest whelp of an open-air grand jury bred to a commercial blackmailer of the press, radio and screen could reefer up in a thousand and .one nights under the goofy spell of the toxic weed. The files of the PF. B. I. in Washington contain legal proof of perfidy by hundreds of thousands of Americans—a majority. of whom, it may be hoped, erred once and forever after obeyed the laws. These records, suddenly released, would humiliate other Americans in geometrical proportion, and let it not be thought that only Wall Street bankers and boss politicians would be so embarrassed. The files include not merely confirmed criminal data but a vast amount of background on individuals who have never been formally accused of any crime. ” 8 »

HE F. B. I. co-operates with local police departments and with the Treasury end other departments of the Government. Its tickler-files and uncon~ firmed data, if disclosed for publication as privileged matter by a Congressional committee investigating the F. B. 1. would louse up some of the families of this republic. The F. B. I. co-operates with police departments which tap wires of family telephones and even, in one incredible case of which I am positively aware, took phonograph records and moving pictures, on suspicion, of conversations and scenes within the bedroom of husband and wife. That happened in Los Angeles. And how do you like that? But the F. B. I. is no worse than the U. S. Congress, for Congress not only gave this bureau its OGPU authority but, since then, has dug preferred dirt out of its files for particular purposes. The

whole Government has become one great gossip and] .

scandalmonger. Most Congressional investigations have no object but to smear people and throw the fear of scandal into the individuals.

» » ®

HE F. B. I. is the greatest deposit of personal dirt ever amassed, and it is an even question

whether the forces of law and order would lose more or personal liberty and privilege would gain more by the total destruction of all its files, including contributions from the military departments and the Treasury.

The head of the F. B. I, whoever he may be at any given time, should remember to be a cop and not a night-club celebrity or tipster. And Congress should remember that grand juries are supposed to conduct their investigations in private. It does a victim no good to report no bill after he has been defamed in violation of his constitutional rights by all his enemies under the protection of Congressional immunity. So let’s have an investigation of the F. B. I, but let’s make it a party, and dish out all the tons of dirt about all the hundreds of thousands of convicts and their relatives and the suspects and the nearcriminals and grafters. But let's not exclude the chiseling, sanctimonious gyps who have exploited their relationship to persons in high office.

Inside Indianapolis The McNutt-for-Governor Rumors And His Fortunes in Washington

HE rumors that Paul McNutt may run again for Governor seem to coincide with reports reaching

here that he is definitely not on top of the pile in Washington. = The McNutt fortunes seemed to be down when the rumor was first heard several weeks ago and such is apparently the case now. From all we can learn, Paul has been getting a

rough ride in Washington. Some of the New Dealers have been more than passably cold with him and his plaintive complaint about not knowing what the “quarterback” wanted is said not to have set very well. But the worst blow was the Treasury Department investigation of the chief McNutt lieutenants in this state. It focused attention all over again on the Two Per Cent Club. The Honorable Sherman Minton’s knifing at the Hatch Act fails to do Mr. McNutt any great amount of good either. * Paul V. may come out all right but it certainly proves that the road of a Presidential aspirant is definitely a rocky one. #2 8 8

ADVERTISEMENT IN a small local newspaper: “Young man, 26, wants to meet young lady of same age or younger. Purpose: matrimony. Girl must be able to establish him in business.” . . . Nothing like asking. . . . Juvenile Court is being painted. . . . Light cream with venetian blinds. . . . There were a tense few minutes in the Indianapolis high school basketball tournament Saturday afternoon while Manual and Shortridge were playing. . . . It looked suspiciously close to a fist fight between the rival rooters. .. . A teacher broke it up. . .. Hal Kemp, currently at the Lyric, is sort of nervous these days. . . . About to become a proud papa. ” ” ” PITY THE POOR School Board with proposals from all sides for new gymnasiums, . All they have to do is hand out one and watch the storm break. . Yes, there is a movement afoot ta build a ‘municipal auditorium here. . . . The proposal is for private building with the Cify leasing the coliseum part of the structure for a long term. . . . The frequent tieups of traffic improvement proposals by Safety Board red tape merely are increasing sentiment in some sources for a full-time traffic engineer. : 2 #2 = NEW YORK CITY wants Butler's basketball team for another big game next winter. . . . They made quite a hit in the big town. , . . Speaking of basketball, Indiana’s double beating of Purdue has brought out the wise men, . . . They say ‘the reason Purdue couldn’t turn the trick on the Hoosiers is that the Boilermakers didn’t get rough enough. . . . "Tis said that roughing throws the I. U. boys off stride. . . . That’s what we hear.

A Woman's Viewpoint: By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

F one lives at home, and has everyday contacts with |

its various problems, there is ro little humor to be found in the admonitions the housewife gets from those who are on the outside looking in. This is true in the matter of bringing up children, managing recalcitrant husbands, dealing with servants, keeping budgets, or building social fences. The theories on these subjects are simply lovely— only they seldom work. Career women are constantly advising girls that homemaking is the safest, dearest and noblest profession. Theoretically speaking, it is. Yet the girls are bound to be suspicious since nearly all those who so loudly sound its praises have either left it flat or show no evidence of warting to abandon what little careers they may have, for home work. Talking to the housewife herself, you get a new point of view. Certainly she realizes that her job is important; in most cases she loves it, too. But she’s a little tired of hearing the old line, “You be good and I'll be clever.” Also she’s realist enough to know that while homemaking is a noble profession there are times when it retards mental development. Moreover she understands very well that in our present society it is -economically safe only so long as there's a husband with a superior earning power. Isn't it time to be honest about the question? When talented intelligent women are willing to forego careers in order to make homes, then only can we justly ask our girls to believe their virtuous utterances on the subject. All women share with men certain human frailties; to expect them to be noble all the time at the expense of their individual wellbeing is wishful on 3 national 8c0,

MONDAY, MARCH

The Hoosier Forum 1 wholly disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.—V oltaire.

HOLDS FREEDOM MUST BE GUARANTEED TO ALL By Voice in the Crowd

I would remind Mr. Maddox that nowhere in the Bill of Rights is it

‘said that one man or one race or

creed is permitted the freedom of speech or that it is denied to any other. ' If we would see’ freedom stand and justice prevail we dare not tamper with the principle of equal rights to all. Our form of government is based on the theory that men can tolerate each other and govern themselves by representation of their own choosing. That form of government

has stood the test of turmoil and a

civil war, and it will glorify itself before the eyes of the world in its present crisis. The swing of the pendulum is already towards the right. We must not forget that there are many good people among us who would have greater faith if they only had jobs. This will be possible when initiative is permitted to function without political persecution. We can lose our freedom to centralized power politics or we can become enslaved to public debt, but we will never save freedom by denying any part of it to all native or naturalized Americans.

8 » = PRICE STABILIZATION HELD URGENT NEED By Edward F. Maddox

Some of my fellow workers insist that I answer Robert Luke’s challenge that I furnish a solution for our economic problems. First, 1 want to say that a 100. per cent American can be an Indian, a Chinese, Irish, English, German, of any race or color, so long as he is a patriotic citizen of the United States and is not poisoned by the theories and doctrines of alien isms. Next I want to state that I have been a farmer and laborer all my life- so my personal interests require that I take an active interest in the welfare and economic problems of the workers. From about 1922, for several years, I wrote many articles advocating governmental regulation of farm prices, wages and profits. For that I was called a “vicious reformer and agitator,” but we all see now the need of such regulation. Our economic system must be stabilized and regulated or we will never know what constitutes a living wage and must constantly shift our standard of living to suit our income. Some of us have learned

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

‘that lesson by bitter experience through this depression. 2 #2 = DISPUTES MEITZLER'S THEORY ON CAPITALISM By Earl G. Haupt I have been intending to answer some of Mr. Meitzler’s writings for sonie time. He says it is the individual workman who creates the wealth; which is analogous to the bees—the worker makes all the honey, but the rest, even those who do not work, eat it. Mr. Meitzler [says A represents the first workman who uses: up all he earns. In these days what worker doesn’t? | And if he didn’t spend it all we would return to those bad times called depressions. Then he says B represents the other worker who saves part of his and becomes a capitalist. Doesn't he know that the best paid wage earner or worker as he calls them could not save a million dollars in a lifetime? Also that capitalists of today are not millionaires but billionaires? The way that B acquired his wealth was by saving a little money and then taking over some more work. He could not do this extra work himself so he hired men to do

it. He then made a little from each of the men who worked for him.

Soon he had a machine that would do the work and then he realized the profit of practically all -their wages. Yet he will still take from those men that he needs to run the machine all that he dares. By this time he doesn’t work -himself and spends his time searching for investments to make more profit from his money. I have been in business myself | for 20 years and have earned a good living and saved a little as I went along. I have paid my taxes and done my part to keep this country going. Yet I have never called any man who is doing the best he can a louse.

= ” » SAYS MUSICIANS BARRED BAND AT DEDICATION By Arthur S. Mellinger . This new episode concerning the Knot Hole Band brings to my mind

another incident that happened last summer concerning the dedication of Eagle Creek Park. I was on the committee. A number of us West Siders spent our time and money to do the best we could to entertain the public. We all have limited means so most of the work was done wholeheartedly, trying to make the West Side a better place in which to live. We invited the Newsboys’ Band (of which Indianapolis has always been proud) to play on the occasion, but were informed that the union forbade them to play without being paid. Of course we could not pay them and it was a distinct shock to us that the union had: stooped so low. Nothing was said at the time. We just let it pass, but owing to the recent Knot Hole Band episode, I had to say something. - If the union wants public support

it had better set its house in order |

with American principles.

New Books at the Library

ERHAPS it is because each one of us, living our own special variety of difficult life, cries. out

occasionally in desperate supplica- |:

tion, “Courage, oh Heaven!” that Alice Bretz's .“I Begin Again” (Whittlesey House) is of such, particular appeal. | An exemplification of courage in its highest form is this book, for

the tragedy which befell the author

Side Glances—By Galbraith

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COPR. 1940 BY NEA INC. T. M.

J. 8. PAT.

“Can't you jus 40 into the boss's . without going through

is one from which the mind recoils, refusing in its busy normality to approach such an eventuality. . For irrevocably, finally, Alice Bretz was stricken blind! A During weary months, sick, weak, bandaged, she prayed for that one boon—courage—both within and without— “God give me a singing soul.” This testament is the story of how that gift came, and of the building of the new and satisfying

| existence of the author who used

this grace to create again a good life under almost overwhelming handicaps. ' Loving, people, hospitality, color, enjoying literature, music, flowers, conversation, travel, she somehow managed by meticulous’ planning and a happy-never-say-die attitude to have many of these pleasures in that new and. difficult world in which blindness might never, for one moment be forgotten. Gaily, humorously, unselfishly, obstacles were surmounted, although situations unimagined by the seeing person confronted her. We applaud each new venture, cognizant the

‘| while of the effort it cost, rejoice

over the successes, mourn with the failures. . For those who have contact with the blind the book will be a revelation. For all it will serve as a source of inspiration: For in it one is allowed to glimpse, without resort to sentimentality or a bid for sympathy, the indomitable quality of the human soul.

INTERROGATION ‘By VERNE S. MOORE

0, what is the genius of man

"And where are its hidden fires? Whose hand is it feeds the flame With zeal that never tires?

DAILY THOUGHT Behold how good “and how pleasant it is for brethren to

dwell together in unity.—Psalm 133:1.

UNION does everything when it is perfect. It satisfies desires, simplifies - needs, foresees the wishes, fortune.—

ahd :becomes. a constant,

‘| mysterious powers were.

this C Jus. this, oes mea en d bd

Gen. Johnson Says—

‘President's Power 0 ver Could Lose War _ for Britain if Occasion Arose to Exercise If.

EORGETOWN, S. C., March. 4—During his teste mony on the Hull reciprocal trade treaties, Sec retary Wallace said with some mystery that, without any additional legislation, the Administration has ample powers to deal with any situation that may grow out of restrictions that any power may. put on its trade with us. The reference is a little ciscure, but this states ment came during a discussion of what we ought to do about the British. buying munitions from. us, if they refuse to buy our agricultural produce or unduly favor other nations in buying farm products. Senator La Follette wanted to know what these Mr. Wallace said that he preferred not to state them for the record. That was probably a wise position for a Cabinet officer to take, but at least some of them are so plain and simple that they gertainly are not state secrets. ;

Gold

# # »

R one thing, we are buying gold as fast as the . British can produce it—chiefly in Africa. It is quite certain that none of it costs as much as $22 -an ounce to produce. Much of it costs much less. We are paying $35 an ounce for it. Every ounce we buy ‘creates a credit for Great Britain to the full amount of the price. At least to the extent of $15 an ounce’ we are subsidizing British purchases in America— free gratis. The President has the power to pay a little more but he also has the power to pay mich less

. —down to $20 an ounce. If hé paid less it would ine

crease the value of the dollar as compared with English money. This would have a triple effect. It would stop’ or lesson our outright subsidy or: payment of tribute to England in exactly the proportion that we reduced the price of gold. It would reduce the profit from the high cost mines to a point where they probably could not operate. This would cut off the volume of gold that could be sold here at any price to increase the British credit. Finally, it would act in the reverse direction of a high protective tariff to restrict any British buying here at sll. ; 2 = H1S restrictive pi would happen because, if we reduced the price of gold, the effect to ‘make the dollar more valuable in terms of the pound ster« ling would mean that it would take just so much more pounds, shillings and pence to buy a dollar’s worth of goods, or pay a dollar's worth of debt. The Presie also has power to increase certain tariffs within limits and still further shut off British purchasing power, Under the Neutrality Act he has considerable latitude in designating areas in which American ships and goods can move freely. Put all these powers together and you have a de= vastating economic weapon in the present war situae tion of Great Britain. There are probably other powers that do not come promptly to mind, but these are enough amply to justify Mr. Wallace's statement. They are probably enough to lose the war for England. That this nation has such fatal powers without even being a belligerent is startling. But it isn’t half as startling as the fact that a single individual Amer< ican, the President, has such power to wield in his own complete discretion. He couldn’ declare a wah but he could decide one. !

Reap ortionment

By Bruce Cajton

Congressmen Like Their Jobs, Have Ignored Constitution Since - 1920.

ASHINGTON, March 4.-~The Constitution says we take a census to find out how many Cone gressional seats each state ought to have. It orders Congress to reapportion seats: after each census. But whatever interesting data the coming census reveals, it probably won't result in any reapportiomment. Congress hates reapportionment. It means that some members are likely to vote themselves out of jobs. Recognizing its own" frailty, it passed .in 1929 a law making reapportionment automatic. According to the present law the President should have given Congress the census figures the. first week of last January. But the census isn’t even started yet. That’s because the Lame Duck Amendment shifted

dates around since the law was passed.

It may make the law inoperative this year. ‘Cone gress had plenty of warning, of course. Last year

‘Senator Vandenberg got through the Senate a bill to

set the dates right. But the House committee tabled it. Early this winter President Roosevelt got Rep, Matthew Dunn of Pennsylvania to bring the bill out again, but it’s still in committee, and the committee is unfavorable. The bill's chances are not rosy. Of course the next Congress can take the 1940 census figures and ree apportion on that basis. “They could —but would they?” asks Dunn grimly. He favors it. Up to 1920, Congress always obeyed the Constitue

tion and reapportioned every 10 years. But it did

it simply by increasing the number of Congressmen. To have done that -in 1920 would have created a House of 520 members—too big.So, since 1920 Congress has just forgotten about. the Constitution. Even if the belated Vandenberg: proposal is acted on now; reapportionment would not be effective until 1944—the ‘amendment gives the states that long to do the necessary re-districting,

» 2 » Direct Primary Dying Out

The direct primary is rapidly becoming a dead letter. - Once praised as a great reform that would let the rank and file have a say on Presidential candidates: instead of the party bosses, the direct primary is side tracked. Not half a dozen geniine Presidential Prie mary fights are in sight in both parties. In Wisconsin voters get a choice between Dewey and Vandenberg; in Illinois Dewey is all alone and there’s Garner and a vague Roosevelt entry; New York, Dewey and Gannet, and New Jersey and Ohio : may have a choice. That’s. spout all,

Watch Your Health

By Jane Stafford

HE vitamin B1 rating of 100 common foods, from “apples to wheat, has recently been determined by scientists of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. This vitamin has been synthesized in the chemical labora~ tory and is known by the name of thiamin. Such serious diseases as polyneuritis and beriberi resul when a person fails to get enough of this vitamin, Lack of appetite, intestinal disturbances and retarded growth are other symptoms that appear when a diet deficient in vitamin Bl or thiamin is eaten. The growth-retarding symptom was used by- the Government scientists in their rating of the vitamin Bl content of foods. Rats were fed a diet complete in every way, except for the vitamin. One group got in addition a measured dose of the pure vitamin, Other groups got measured amounts of the different foods. The gain in weight of animals in the vazious groups were compared and from this the vitamin rate ing of the foods determined. “Excellent” is the rating for dried lima beans, dried cowpeas, rolled oats and. “quick cooking” oate meal, peanuts, the lean portion of pork chops, the lean portion of smoked ham, and soybeans—fresh, green or dried. This means that from these foods you can get a large amount of vitamin Bl or thiamip, - The rating “ » was given to green lima beans, dried navy beans, white corn meal, egg yolk, skim milk powder, whole milk powder, green peas, Whole rye. English walnuts and whole meat. Roasted peanuts, shredded wheat, yellow com meal, potatoes, beef, lamb, dark meat of chicken,

»

‘pineapple, dried prunes, spinach, mustard and turnip

greens, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli, kale, okra, sweet potatoes, asparagus and sweet: corn got a “fair” rating as sources of min:B1. The rest of the 100 f tested rated “Door” in you should n )