Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 16 March 1940 — Page 8

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SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 1940

TAKES PERMANENT JOB | HE “Make Europe Pay War Debts Committee,” headed by Senator Lundeen of Minnesota, announces that Governor Carville of Nevada has accepted appointment as its vice-chairman. :

BARKLEY COMES THROUGH SEN ATOR BARKLEY of Kentucky has taken some heavy ribbing from a few of his Democratic colleagues in the course of the long and often bitter debate on the new Hatch bill. It has been repeatedly charged, and not without point, that had it not been for the conduct of Senator Barkley’s campaign for re-election in 1938 there might never have been any such thing as either the Hatch Act of 1989, forbidding Federal employees to take®active part in politics, or the pending Hatch bill, which applies the same rules to state employees paid with U. S. funds. : That may be true. Certainly the Barkley-Chandler campaign of ’38, in which the Federal pay-roll machine. in ~ Kentucky locked horns with the state pay-roll machine, was the one contest which above all others dramatized the great need for putting strings on the public tax purse. Mr, Barkley has been no special hero of ours. did not spare him in 1938. Nevertheless, there is no grudging in the tribute we pay him for his performance

in 1940. If he is by two years a wiser man, that is more

than can be said for some of his colleagues who have been ridiculing him through the two week§ in which he has patiently and successfully advanced the new Hatch bill to * a final Senate vote. In championing this reform which his own experience has shown to be the right thing to do, which the people have demonstrated they want, and which his own President has approved, Mr. Barkley has performed a notable service for the Democratic Party and the country. The Senate will pass the bill Monday. And that final vote will be a monument to Alben Barkley’s persistence and parliamentary skill.

AFTER 10 YEARS

F your bout with the income tax blanks has left you any appetite for arithmetic, you might work out on the ' unemployment figures now being debated among certain eminent columnists.

One school contends that the usual “estimates are |

grossly exaggerated. Miss Dorothy Thompson, basing her researches on Government statistics, suggests that actual unemployment 48 only two or three million, not nine or 10 -or 11 million. Mr. Arthur Krock of The New York Times, having consulted private industrial economists, reaches a similar conclusion. He thinks that the Administrafion and its opponents may be ignoring hopeful facts—the Administration because it doesn’t want to admit that relief money is being needlessly and politically squandered; the opposition

because it doesn’t want to admit that President Roosevelt |.

has produced recovery. : But Mr. Ernest Lindley, a writer who is friendly to the New Deal, takes the same statistics used by Miss ‘Thompson and demonstrates that the estimates of nine to 11 million unemployed are, if anything, too conservative. It is all pretty deep stuff and its chief significance, we suspect, is that it shows what a great deal this country does not know about the problem of unemployment after 10 years of struggle with it. No one really knows how big that problem is. The proof is that intelligent people, having access to every statistic on the subject, arrive at totally different opinions as to its size. No one really knows how to find out how big it is. The most ambitious effort ever made, the Biggers special census in 1987, provided no basis for general agreement. And no bne—which is hardly surprising, in view of the ignorance about its fundamentsl aspects—really knows what would be the best way of caring for its victims, let alone how to solve it.

A VICTORY FOR REAPPORTIONMENT EP. JOHN RANKIN of Mississippi did his best to nullify the | Constitution, but the House Census Committee voted him down and reported out a bill providing for automatic reapportionment of the 435 House seats among the states, after the 1940 census and after each decennial census thereafter. ‘ :

The Senate has already passed such a bill, sponsored

by Senator Vandenberg. President Roosevelt has indorsed it. = But Mr. Rankin and seven other members of the House Census Committee voted nay. He, and others, are afraid that the shift of populations which will inevitably be revealed by census will force a cut in the number of House seats in their states—notably some of the Southern states. After the census of 1920, Congress defied the Constitution and skipped the reapportionment which that charter demands. Again in 1929 Congress passed a law providing for automatic reapportionment after each census. But that law, which functioned all right after the 1930 census, is now inoperative because of a technicality arising from the 20th Amendment, which changed the dates of Congressional sessions, : ; So a new law must be had, over the undemocratic and unconstitutional objections of such defenders of the rottonborough system as Mr. Rankin.

TOO BAD

QUR hearts are breaking for those fugitives who ran away from Wall Street to bask in taxless languor on the sands of the Bahamas. It seems there is a war, and the Bahamas are British, and the Americans who embraced British citizenship are now in danger of being conscripted— to say nothing of what may happen to them in the way of taxes and the commandeering of securities. Jeeves, brush _ that crocodile tear off our cheek! Be Se

We.

_him.

The Far East

By William Philip Simms

‘Setting Up of Puppet Chinese Government Sponsored by Japan|

May Have Repercussions in U. S.

rASHINGTON, March 16. — Spellbound by. Europe’s tragedy, Americans seem almost oblivie ous to the changes now taking place in the F4r East—

changes which may vet influence their daily lives as| :

much as anything that is happening across the At-

lantic. : Japan, reports indicate, is now on the point of

setting up in China the long-expected puppet regime|

of Wang Ching-wei, splitting that land of 450,000,000

inhabitants in two. Supported by Japan, Wang will| take up Nippon’s war against the Government of]

Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, who thereafter will be regarded as “a mere provincial war lord” in revolt

-| against the Central Government.

The effect will be to transform the Sino-Japanese war into a civil war between Wang and Chiang. By doing this, the Japanese hope to alter the aspect of the conflict entirely. As always, there are numerous native war lords in control of this province or that,

some of whom might agree to sell out to Wang when

they would not sell out-to the Japanese. ® » »

OLITICALLY or economically, every major power in the world is vitally concerned with the outcome. Russo-Japanese relations—even peace or war—hinge upon what happens. There: are rumors of troop ‘movements on both sides of the Siberian border. ‘Other complications are inevitable. Italy has promised tp recognize the Wang Government. Germany has indicated a willingness to do the same. But the Soviet Union is on the other side. She has been, and still is, backing the Generalissimo. The Chinese Communist army which has made common cause with Chiang takes orders from Moscow. Vladivostok, the Japanese say. is “a pistol pointed at Japan’s head.” And a Japan-dominated, anti-

Communist China is just as patently a gun pointed at] °

Russia’s heart. Already thousands of Japanese and Soviet soldiers have been killed in border skirmishes,

‘and but for one thing these clashes would have Jed to

real war long ago. That one thing was that neéither side was ready. Japan had China on her hands, and Russia feared that she might become involved in Europe. 2 » 8 ‘HE moment either one—Russia or Japan—reaches the place where she feels she can safely attack the other, trouble is likely. So the fates of China, Japan and Russia are in the balance. So also—less immediately, perhaps, but eventually—are the fates of India, the East Indies, the Philippines, Ausfralasia and the qutlying possessions of the British, French and Dutch Empires. More than half the population of the globe is congregated in that area. 2 America’s stake is mostly economic. And it is more potential than actual. e future of the Philippines is causing much uneasiness, but the Filipinos have demanded their freedom. They are to become a republic in 1946. Should the totalitarian or communistic dictators shut the United States out of this huge market, as they are already tending to do more and more elsewhere in the world, it would darken our whole future and lower our general standard of living.

(Westbrook Pegler is on vacation.)

Inside Indianapolis John White, Whose 87 Years-Have

Been Spent Fighting for Public Good

OFILE of the week: John Franklin White, who has fought all his life for what he has thought right and who, at 87, is still fighting for a better Indianapolis. If John White had devoted the same conscientious service to his personal interests that he has in public service, he would be a rich man. John White is rich. however, in the thoughts of the hundreds of men and women who have worked with

His ~hair is now: solid. white. Slightly below medium - height, he still stands sturdily erect, his blue eyes still as piercing and interesting as ever. As neat as the proverbial pin, Mr. White is always dignified, modest, sincere. : - He has held a score of public positions. He was a member of the first City Council under the present charter back in 1892 and '93. He served on the Safety Board when Caleb Denny was mayor. He was in the Legislature for several terms. He was a member of the County Tax Adjustment Board. Now he is a member of the School Board. He.is employed as an inspector by the State Labor Department. He was paid his first formal civic “Thank You” last year when the Chamber of Commerce appointed him to the Staff of Honor. The citation told the truth: “In a life crowded full of varied activities, he has always found time to devote himself not only to the service of his own immediate community (the South Side) but to the common welfare of the whole city.” Li #2 # = ” JOHN WHITE HAS IN many ways been the Justice Holmes of Indianapolis. When he has thought a cause right, nothing has stood in his way of speaking his mind. He reads books that way. - When he gets to a part he disagrees with he underlines it and then in the margin writes his own opinion. Some years ago he read a famed economist’s book. He disagreed and wrote the economist. His letter delighted the author and from it sprang a longstanding correspondence. He talks in a quiet, low voice, but so full of sincerity and enthusiasm that you can't help but listen. = a” ”

» HE DOESN'T SMOKE OR drink and he is still extraordinarily active for a raan his age. He has only two known hobbies. One is reading, the other working on a civic cause. : He is probably one of the most widely read men in all Indiana. Just recently he spotted two weighty biographies in a friend’s bookshelf. He went off with them to spenc a nice evening. Since his wife's death

.a& few years ago he has lived on the North Side with

one of his daughters. : He is probably listed as a Democrat. But no less an authority than Hizzoner the Mayor recalls that John Franklin White was too independent to be an organization man. The organization, however, always Fuspucsed him even when he bucked it—which was often. :

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

Te @ 12> Vere de Vere and Lord High and Mighty

are rot gone.. No, indeedy! They have merely moved from their baronial castles into the various public offices, county, city, state and Federal, where they carry on in the usual manner—with rude condescension. . You can be sure of meeting several of their kind whenever you register to vote, or buy some sort of license, or pay some kind of tax, or have dealings in the sanctum sanctorum of Jim Farley's department.

The nose of the haughty Miss sitting behind the|

public information desk almost brushes the ceiling. She lets us understand at once that she is bored beyond words to be dickering with us. : And our Lords High and Mighty pursue the error of their ways in the positions of janitor on up to general manager, provided, of course, they happen to represent “the Government.” Private business could not exist a minute if it insulted its customers the way our public servants insult us—the hardridden taxpayers. > Banks, for example, close their doors at 12 sharp on Saturday. But not so sharply that they fail to attend to the patrons inside the building at closing time. Workers who failed in politeness would soon have no work to do. But try te beg some of the subordinates in public office to linger longer over your pressing problem. The windows are .slammed shut, and with no apologies. : While we ought to maintain decent respset and consideration for all who represent “the law” or the Government, I see no reason why we should submit to being shoved around by them. Surly faces, rude manners and the “I don’t give a damn abou

t r business” pose are becoming almost intolerable. Alot

- Honest, Mister—

THERE'S NOBODY HERE BUT US CHICKENS

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

DENIES HITLER FOLLOWS MONROE DOCTRINE IDEA By R. A. D. With the insufferable impudence which not only has been his outstanding characteristic but which has brought him an unbelievable measure of success, Adolf Hitler presumes to liken his course to that of America under the Monroe Doctrine. If we have not always misunderstood the Monroe Doctrine, its provisions have included our pledge to protect other North and South Americans against foreign aggression. If Hitler has protected Central Europe’s small nations from anything it is from the decencies, the civilized amenities, the freedom which the strength of England and France has guaranteed to them before the treachery which is naziism broke loose on a gullible world. If' America had followed Herr Hitler's conception of the Monroe Doctrine Mexico would have been a shambles long ago; Cuban and South American countries would have had a political boss from Washington tyrannizing every state and the grass of the pampas would have been stained with the. blood of thousands of dispossessed and tortured Latin Americans. . But the great danger is that the counterfeit mouthings of this arch enemy of human decency will find suckers in this country unsophisticated enough to swallow them. His propaganda has fooled a lot of people in this world.

9 2 8 = FAVORS U. 8. TAKING BEST BRITISH COLONIES By H. C. A.

It seems to me that in our blind eagerness to help Britain we are completely disregarding the best interests of America. It should be fairly clear that this country, lacking the much needed markets for both our industrial and agricultural production, of necessity must begin to look around for colonies. As we all know, without her colonies Great Britain could not have been so great. She probably "would have folded up long ago.

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

Neither can we Americans keep up our high standard of living any more without outlets for our exportable surplus. Britain, who got her share of the world’s territory early and when the other powers were weak, picked so much that the sun never sets on British land. That has kept her prosperous ever since. But from now on it is our business to acquire colonies. Unfortunately, there are none worth having except those now owned by Great Britain. If we help her in this war to such an extent that she wins it, the British Empire would be left stronger than ever, and we would remain outside, looking for someone to trade with, It becomes more and more evident that the world is not big enough for both Great Britain and the U. S. A. What then should our policy be in the present conflict? Just this: Let Germany defeat Britain without interference. from us. When time comes for the peace conference Uncle Sam will announce his desire to be present. The rest is easy. We take over the best col-

"{onies and let Germany have what

we ‘don’t need. Such procedure would have its roots in the best of Anglo-Saxon traditions. For the time being, we should stay out of the whole mess, and send the following message to. Mr. Chamberlain: “The Yanks are not coming. Let God save the King.”

” ” ” RACE DISCRIMINATION INCREASING, IS CLAIM By Veanie Moore ;

Race discrimination, prejudice and hatred are steadily increasing.

Is there no solution for this unfair-

of Uncle Sam’s help could do with a few courses in

Side Glances—By Galbraith

Jcorn. 1940 BY NEA SERVICE. IRR. 7. M. REC. U. 8. PAT. OFF.

"Can't you do something about Father? Every. time some. boy friend calls on me, Dad puts him to work!"

ness? Must Negro citizens forever suffer this biased treatment? The Negro has been tried and proved loyal and true to every trust, yet

equally. Negro taxpayers whose money helps to support public insti-

regardless of the nature or type, while aliens unable to speak one word of the English language enjoy privileges that are rightfully ours. The Negro wants a chance, an equal chance. . We are hoping for a day when no man will be judged by his color but by what he really is. > ® 8 & FEARS DESTRUCTION OF INDIANA TURTLES By Allyn L. Wood 8 I have been following with concern the articles in your paper about the commercial destruction which is in prospect for the Indiana turtles this spring. I am glad that you stressed the fact that the turtle species are not those which bring ~ high: market prices anywhere and which are not valued at all commercially in the East, I hope that that paragraph was read by all the prospective turtle trappers. Considering the ignorance of the average person about reptilia, it is likely that there will be trapping of financially useless turtles which, however, would be far from useless if left alone in their native habitat. ’ In several states, where similar turtle rushes or steady depopulation has occurred, there are laws to keep certain species from becoming scarce again, and turtle farms for the purpose of increasing the number and distributing them as before among the streams. We do not wish to find ourselves with the necessity for restoration in Indiana. Laws should be prepared now and the people educated. . Consider, too, © the enjoyment which these delightful animals bring to us. Our countryside would not be the same without them. By proclamation of the President, the week of March 17 to 23 has been set aside as National Wildlife Restoration Week, and I think it fitting that our turtle situation should be seriously discussed during that time. ’ :

PIGEONS By ELEEZA HADIAN

Where there is one, Will be found two. They rise with sudden Ecstacy— Swish of their wings Slashing sharp, the evening's blue. An instant gleaming bodies Embroider silver beauty Against the skies— Then they are gone : Into their own secret place. .

I sit alone Wrapping the dark . About ‘my heart, x Covey of thoughts circle and race Through the depthless purple space; Flashing silver / They rise, quiver— , : They cross the earth bound bars But, to be claimed by hungry stars.

DAILY THOUGHT

For whosover shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and my mother.— St. Mark 3:35. ! :

IF WE LOOK CLOSELY at this

"| world, where God seems to be utter-

ly forgotten, we shall find that it is He, who, after all, commands the most fidelity and the most love.— Madame Swetchine,

|.particular study mentioned?

he’s denied the right to share |

tutions the same as the white tax-{" “|payers, are segregated in all institutions whether private or public|

1);

"Gen ;

ohnson

Says— | 2 Columnists May Differ on Total of

Unemployed, but There !s No Doubt Existing System. I Incompetent.

VV AsumaTon, ‘March 16.—There is a big tirade

in the columnists parade. . Are there 10.000,000 unemployed—or only about 2,000,000? Dorothy Thomp~ son led off with-the latter figure. She says the grouse made it with a pencil on a tablecloth. Except for a bird, I don’t know what a grouse is, but since this one appears also to_be a grouch and is always eating breakfast with her, I suppose he is her honored fic tioneer husband. Except, perhaps, for Mrs. Roose= velt, Dorothy is our foremost female. publicist. The very next morning Arthur Krock came in late with the answer. distinguished support. Maybe it was all just remark able coincidence, but .I heard about this astonishing discovéry two weeks ago. ~ My informant. offered to get me a copy. He didn’t say it had been done by the grouse on. a table-cloth two weeks later but by soms figure-shark in the employ of a du Pont or the du Ponts--I didn’t get it quite clearly, because I wasn't interested. Anybody can take the snide ine formation on which these results are based and make. ‘it say anything. But why wasnt the source of this

” 2 2 T isn’t necessarily a case of “figures. don’t lie-= liars figure,” but of assumption which you apply to get your result. That is a question of judgment, and here the wish is often father to the thought and difference in wish and thought can make differences of millions in result. : : Why dyes the Federal Government want to know? Principally to measure the problem of relief. That is both an intricate and an intimate problem, It is far too large and too much affected by local complexities to be approached or administered on a national scale. But there isn’é a town or community in this country that cannot gauge its problem of adequate local relief with far more equity, humanity and accuracy than these self-serving estimates of Washe ington pump primers—or of their opponents.

os #8 2 YT is objected to the local approach that the local

The grouse gloated to find such

authorities will exaggerate their need for the sake y

of larger handouts. If they could do that more ex« pertly than the Federal authorities have done it for the sake of a larger patronage and power for the purse to control local affairs, they would have to be good. But there is a complete offset to that. If the localities had to carry on half the load themselves, it would be . a remarkable clog on that tendency. And if the bure den were on them to prove before an impartial Federal tribunal against random Federal checks, the need for any Federal aid at all, we would have a much fairer system than anything we have yet tried. 2 Our past system of relief has been extravagant, and incompetent if not impudent political trifling with one of our greatest humanitarian and fiscal prob~ lems. The very absurdity of the difference between Federal figures on unemployment and those of the grouse table-cloth system is proof enough that we are Spending billions on wishful guessing. But what is a billion or two between a couple of pump-primers?

Yi ily “Union Now By Bruce Catton

Totalitarian Victories Strengthen Plan for Merger of Democracies.

: ASHINGTON, March 16.—~The peace forced upon- Finland, which will reduce" her to zero as

a. future military factor in Europe, forces on the demos - . cratic nations renewed consideration of Clarence K. Streit’s “Union Now” plan.

More than a year ago, Streit proposed his plan

for a union of democratic countries, the peoples of which were to be bound together by a common citie -zenship, a common mongy and postal system, a come mon defensive force, and free trade among themselves, As each free country goes down Streit and his plan get increased attention. ’ Streit started out as a man with an idea and a lot of pertinacity. He still has both, but in addition he has acquired a following. . The “idea has taken hold, both in the United States and abroad. One of the big public-upinion-testers recently told Streit he estimated that bee tween two and five million Americans now favor. the plan. The formal organization which is boosting the plan, the Inter-Democracy Federal Unionists, nume bers 140-odd separate local committees scattered, over the country. : The nations Streit proposes to group in this union would include the United States, England, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Fins land, France, Switzerland, Canada, the Union of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Any other nation could join, provided it established democracy by giving its people a bill of rights. similar to that of

the United States. : #2 8 =

A Congress Would Rule pes Union would be governed by, a two-chamber congress with a certain number ‘of senators from each nation and representatives chosen, say, on & basis of one for each million of population in the country represented. That would give:the United States a greater representation than any other country. ; j : . 5 All the colonics and possessions owned by the meme ber nations would become prover of the union.

Streit figures there'd be no more war, with such a nation, because nobody would be strong enough to fight it; besides, any nation that wished could join easily enough and thus get in on the prosperity he figures would be the joint heritage of all members. Streit’s organization isn’t doing any lobbying for the plan in Washington. The idea is that if the movement is to succeed, it must do so in grass-roots style, by its appeal to the people; if enough of them go for it, Congresé will get in step, and if they don't there's no use wasting time on lobbying. T

Watch Your Health

By Jane Stafford

ou can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day not only by “the wearing o’ the green,” but by eating it too;

with ' considerable benefit, to your health. . Not that

shamrock leaves are particularly to be recommended as food, altheugh oxalis leaves, which are one kind of shamrock, are said to be tasty. Green leafy vegetables, however, are very much to be recommended because of the vitamins and min= erals they contain. Spinach has recently come une der a cloud because: of reports that it€ iron and calcium are not in such. form that the body can use them. It does contain large supplies of vitamins,

- however. Chard, kale, dandelion greens, turnip greens,

beet tops, Brussels sprouts, lettuce and cabbage are examples of green leafy vegetables that contain calcium, iron, phosphorus and vitamins. Remember that the greener the cabbage an lettuce, the richer its Supply of Wiese essential fi 4 substaness. Bi If you add these green foods tatoes and traditional St. Patrick’s Day food, You and hn that is appropriate to the day and healthful as well. Butter or some other form of fat, of course, should be added, as well as the daily ration of milk and whole grain cereal or bread. ' i adi Jt For dessert you will ‘probably want cake with a green icing. or gelatin pudding tinged en ice cream. Your grandmother may have whéther the dyes used to color foods.

dye to give the food the desired shade new Food and Drug Act, however, all used ih foods, drugs or cosmetics must being non-injurious. So - Gi

‘using them for St. Pa