Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 22 April 1940 — Page 9

MONDAY, APRIL 22, 1940 |

Hoosier Vagabond = By Ernie Pye

Last night it poured rain. This morning I went out to the car and got out an old rubber poncho from the baggage compartment, and spread it over the engine, underneath the hood. Our car is one of these “flooder-outers” if we don’t cover up the engine. It continued to rain. All day it poured. Late this afternoon it slacked up, and I went out to run an errand in the car. And when I lifted up that rubber poncho—there was a half-grown black frog sitting on the cylinder head, leaning up against a spark plug. He looked up and said, “Well, come in. What-do you want?” . I said, “Excuse me, frog, but I would like to run

v.87. PETERSBURG, a, April 22.—Human nature ‘certainly is queer. Today we were eating lunch in a -small -restéurant where ‘the winter visitors eat. Four, ¢ women, neither young nor old, sat at a nearby table. They ‘haggled a long time over the check, just to. make sure that none paid a cent more than her share. Then they carefully laid out their tips. The poorest looking of the women sat next to us. The poorest looking, . and. the kindest looking. They rose to go. The fat,

healthy looking woman: was -the: last to leave. She fussed around the table after the others, casually: glancing to see that no one spied. And then she snatched - the dime tip her Poor-logkine friend had left, slipped it her pocketbook, and marched forward and out. .5 Yesterday, as we were driving along, I noticed a queer object on the hood of the car. It was light green, and about the size of those souvenir Heinz Pickles kids used to wear.

2 8 8

A Couple of Hitch-hikers

It looked rather soft, as though it were made ‘of putty. And it seemed to have some copper-colored streaks in it. It just stuck solidly on top of the hood.: We studied it for quite a while, and wondered what made it stick on. After awhile we forgot about it. And then late in the afternoon that green spot, so

: immobile for hours, suddenly hopped up in the air,

came back down on the hood again, and stood there facing us. It was a little tree toad! It had ridden 125 miles on the hood. It must have been sleeping all that time. We stopped and I asked the toad if he had come as far as he wanted, and he said, yes, thank you, that he had friends over in a tree near there, so he bowed and jumped off into the weeds and that’s the last we saw of him.

A Challenge!

WE ‘HAVE BEEN FLOODED with wild reports of great fleet engagements, victories and defeats in the Skagerrak and the Kattegat. : I want to point out, as a challenge to American admirals, as well as British, that at no time was the British fleet—a fleet being composed of battleships, cruisers (light and heavy), submarines and destroyers—in the Skagerrak or in. the Kattegat or fighting the German forces therein. On this point I intend to nail the admirals who are telling Congress about the great effi.ciency of seapower. At no time was the British “Fleet” in the Skagerrak—and the British admirals will not send the fleet there, because of German airpower. Unless somebody cracks down on this Situation with the truth, the admirals will start building more wallowing warships. I'd like to hear somebody from the sea-power camp answer the following challenge: No matter how the weapons of sea warfare change, one of the fundamental principles of: naval strategy is to cut the enemy’s line of communications. The Skagerrak presented that excellent opportunity to the British Navy ever since the Norwegian invasion was inaugurated—and ‘that opportunity still exists.

# 2 8

The German Vand forces n Norway must be supplied with food, ammunition, equipment—and reinforcements. The nearer the cutting job is done to

the main base of German supplies, the more effec- : Mr. Anton Scherrer was unable to write a column today because of illness.)

‘Washington

WASHINGTON, April 22.—By creating problems . of overshadowing urgency the war has rather effectively smothered the New Deal for the present, but we are still left with a relief problem which is as large at is was last year. Foreign trade in certain lines has risen sharply because of war. demands, but the general boom which set in last fall has flattened out. Industrial production which rose to an index figure of 128 in December slipped down to 109 in February and probably. will show at about 105 for March. Except for machine tool workers and a few others, the rigors of unemployment are about as menacing as ever. . In a letter to Speaker Bankhead, President Roosevelt asks that the vudzet request for a relief appropriation of $975,000,000 be granted with authority to expend the money during the first eight months of the coming

ary inclusive. That amount is a reduction of about one-third from the $1,447,000,000 appropriated for the full. current fiscal year. But if spent within eight months, the monthly average expenditure would be about the same—namely about $120,000,000 a month.

Caught i in Cross-fire

Present relief rolls average about 2,000,000. With permission to spend the sum by February, 1941, they could be maintained at present figures.’ If the money must ‘be. spread’ over 12 months, then the cut would be severe, probably down to about 1,330,000, Mr. Roosevelt says. In making this recommendation, Mr. Roosevelt stands on the basis adopted for the current year by the economy bloc when it pushed through the relief bill for 1939-1940. Even so he is caught already in a cross-fire,

My Day

HYDE PARK, N. Y. Sunday. —Friday afternoon

was really a big day for receiving people at the White

House. - The Daughters of the American Revolution with ‘all their charming, young, white-clad pages,

made the White House look very gay.

‘We started in with a group of children of the Revolution, but-as some of these were very young there were really more - grown people than children in the group. The tiniest little girl presented me with a basket of lovely flowers, so much higger than ,she was that they completely hid her. I had about a half an hour between the, children’s reception and that ‘given their elders, who also brought me a beautiful old-fashioned bouquet, which later decorated the mantlepiete in the blue room. Afterwards, I took the plane for New York City and arrived a little late because it was a rainy day and planes were somewhat delayed. However, I was in the apartment in time to greet my two dinner guests. ‘Miss Thompson and I took the 10 o'clock ori up here yesterday morning, but the rain still persisted. No of spring, so far as I t certainly

Elly Feplenished, Some of us have almost 4

water supply should be plenti- cottage: orgotien visits in the later spring and summer, © |

downtown.” And he said, “Oh, sure, go ahead. I was Just rest-

ing a bit.” ® 8 8

No Excuses for the Weather And with that. ihe leaped about 10 feet into the

center of a big puddle and disappeared beneath the|

waves, and that’s the last we saw of him. “ If I don’t find a turtle in bed tonight I'll sure’ be disappointed. . . St. Petersburg, like all the rest of Florida, has just finished its biggest year.

They estimate there: were half a million visitors| here this winter. That's nearly 100,000 above last).

year. And they spent plenty of dough, too. There’s one thing I like about the people of Florida —they aren't always frying to excuse the weather.

The winter was terrible in Florida this year, just as| |

it was everywhere else. But the Florida people don’t

try to. deny it. On the contrary, they all talk about|.

it constantly, and gripe about it, and say they almost froze to death. There are many odd things about St. Petersburg,

which is: Florida's heaven for elderly retired people.

from the North. For example: Today we noticed a sidewalk stand where people can walk up, right in the open, and get, their blood pressure taken. I forget whether it costs a dime or a quarter. I didn’t bother to'try it, because the last time I went to a doctor he found I didn’t have any

“blood at all. Poor Pyle.

By Maj. Al Williams

tively isolated are the extended lines of communications beyond. If, according to ancient conception (before airpower), the Germans had attempted an army invasion of Norway, with that water-gap of the Skagerrak behind them and depending upon their own seapower for its protection, the entire British Fleet immediately would have joined action with the German Fleet and decided the control of that vital waterway. But, no matter how the admirals squirm and dodge the issue, the British Fleet proper, and by that I mean a fully-complemented fleet, has not been in the Skagerrak—but. hag been definitely dodging the issue of a knock-down and drag-out fight with airpower. ” » 8

Real Score Unknown

After sifting the. deluge of reports, authentic sources indicate that British seapower invasions of the Skagerrak were conducted by destroyers and submarines. state that the British used their high-speed torpedo boats in this operation, but I feel confident that confirmed estimates of the situation will bring this item to light. Without waiting for definite statements, and relying upon unconfirmed, fragmentary reports, the admirals are claiming that sea-power is supreme and airpower still a myth. I understand their eagerness to make hay while the sun shines, because, as soon as it is shown just how seapower has failed in this particular instance,

., they will have lost theirslast chance to gobble up

major slices of national defense funds. Time will tell, and Congress should wait three or four weeks to. get the full score, and only then make its decision on factual premises.

By Raymond Clapper

Left wingers like Rep. Marcantonio of New York and David Lasser, head of the Workers Alliance, are voicing criticism of Mr. Roosevelt for asking too little. At the same time Republicans are hauling out the charge of “slush fund” and election year padding. The inevitable: Hamilton Fish again is eloquent on the subject. Rep. Taber, ranking Republican member on the House Appropriations Committee, proposes cutting $200,000,000 off the $975,000,000 requested. But after the political sharpshooting is over, the request of the President is likely to be voted because it is within the limits of current relief expenditures which in themselves represented a drastic screwing down of WPA. Republicans, are not likely to take the responsibility for going further than that.

Outlook Not So Good

Actually: Mr. Roosevelt has given them nothing upon which they can justly attack him. He had in-

tended that the $975,000,000 now asked should be stretched over the whole coming fiscal year and that would have represented a further drastic cut in

WPA. But now he has to admit that the economic outlook is not good and he can only hope that conditions will improve next winter. Hence he leaves the further decision to the Administration which will take office next January and to the new Congress which will assemble then. Mr. Roosevelt is passing on a number of problems for the new Administration. The question of increasing the debt limit will have to be faced. New relief appropriations will have to be faced. New taxes will: have to be considered. In all Mr. Roosevelt is leaving to the new Congress a large collection of headaches. Some of these, such as the raising of the debt limit, are passed on to the future rbecause they are embarrassing and difficult to deal with in a campaign year. Others, such as the eight-month relief request, grow out of:the uncertainties created by the war which make it difficult to look very far ahead.

By Eleanor Roosevelt

that we did have a drought in these parts last summer and -everybody was gloomy about filling up the springs last autumn. There is an old tradition that it never freezes really hard until the springs have been replenished, but I saw many shaking heads last autumn. Now they are shaking again because we have too much rain and we shall' never get our planting done. Nature never does perform according to the rule that we mortals like to lay, down for her. There was plenty to do in the house yesterday when I reached here, for there always is when you haven't been home for a long time. There were books which I had sent up to decide on placing, and some new linen to be put away. There are disadvantages in keeping one’s belong-

ings in various places. I have searched high and low.

for certain things which seem to have completely disappeared. It was discouraging to wake up this morning to find the rain still coming down. No riding, and, even though I like to walk in the rain, unless it lets up a little, I doubt if any of us will feel like getting soaked. Well, there is always work to be done and, though I had hoped for some exercise this week-end, I can at least appreciate the green of the young grass on the lawn and the fact that some of the shrubs show |P signs of coming to life. The weather is giving me a

‘chance; too, to find out what has to be done in our

before we really move up for more frequent

" To date, the reports do not definitely

By Dr. George Gallup

PRINCETON, N. J., April 22. ~The first state-by-state “preview” of party strength in the 1940 campaign—just completed by the American Institute of Public

Opinion—shows the Democrats and Republicans more closely.

today than in any Presidential election for 24 years. The Democrats are out "in front as the campaign gets under way, the ‘final state-by-state tabulations show, and if the election were today the indications are that.the Democratic Party would lead in 31 of the 48 states. They would capture 317 out of a total of 531 electoral votes.

eral states is so slim—notably in New York and Minnesota—that a shift of only 1 percentage would completely alter the picture and throw a majority of electoral votes to the G. O. P. Political observers will have to go back to the Wilson-Hughes race of 1916 to find an election where the two parties proved to be so evenly matched in popular strength. Completed tabulation in Indiana show 52 per cent favoring the Democratic Party, 48 per cent the Republicans. Where the two parties will actually - stand next November—or even a month from now—depends on a multitude of factors. Political observers should remember that it is still more than six months until election day, and that the only factor which can be measurdd at present is party strength—as of April. The candidates themselves have not yet been nominated, and it is impossible fo predict how events at home or overseas will influence the opinions of 45 million U. 8. voters. But, though the present survey is not a forecast of the election itself, it does indicate that—from

PLAN SUMMER SAFETY PATROL

City Officials to Use School Traffic System at Playgrounds.

Park Board and School safety directors will set up a plan this week * to extend the school type safety patrol through the summer months at Indianapolis playgrounds. H. W. Middlesworth, City recreation director, and William Evans, School safety director, were to meet at the School Board offices to discuss details of the proposed system.

safety patrol for playgrounds. As the project is now organized'playground supervisors will ‘spend the first week of the season interview‘|ing and observing the older children to choose the patrol personnel. The choice of patrol personnel will ‘be based on the probability of regular- attendance, age and apparent. capacity for assuming responsibility, and qualities of leadership. - Both boys and girls will be asked to serve. The other children who use the playgrounds will be asked to cooperate by keeping regular hours at the playgrounds so that the traffic patrol squad will spend a minimum time at street corners. ‘The patrol also will make daily inspections of equipment to make sure there are no loose bolts or other defects and daily inspections of the grounds to make sure there is no broken glass or other hazards. They also will be charged with

parks.

. INJURY ODD; CITY SUED

SALT LAKE CITY, April 22 (U. .).—Mrs. Walter L. Hansen sued

Pe a a I

matched throughout the country -

‘But the Democratic lead in ove

This will be the first schooll

supervising bicycle traffic within the|

the city for $200 damages for je ama on shor

_ J LEANING DEMOCRATIC--31 LEANING REPUBLICAN --17

the standpoint of party. strength —the Democrats are entering the Presidential campaign with a slight advantage.’ The Institute asked a crosssection of voters in every state: “Which party would you like to see win the Presidential election this year?” Throughout the coun-

try as a whole, the survey shows, -

54 persons in every 100 with definite party choices at present say they favor a Democratic administration in Washington for the next four years, while 46 per cent favor the G. O. P. About one person in seven (14%) is undecided about his party choice. Since the Democrats rolled up - 62% per cent of the vote (major party vote) four years ago, there has been a Republican gain: nationally of about 812 points, ” 2 ” . H=E, is the latest state-by- ; state picture of party strength—as of April—as reflected in the Institute survey: The Republican party is. the

“majority” party today in the six

New England states—Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Just as in 1936, the two most Republican states in the Union are Maine and Vermont. The Democrats are the “majority” party in the South and West.

Every one of the 24 states south

of the Mason-Dixon line and west of the Rocky Mountains must be counted on the Democratic side at the present time. But in the area between New England and the Rockies — in the industrial East, the Great Lakes states and the Farm Belt, in other words — opinion is so evenly divided that anything can

happen. The Republican party is

slightly ahead in this area as a whole. Here, in short, will be the real battleground of the 1940 campaign. Within this ‘area New York, largest and richest of the states in the matter of electoral votes, is leaning to the Democratic side at present by the tiny margin of 51-

‘49, Nearby Pennsylvania, on the other hand, is leaning to the 'G: O. P. by the same slight mar-" gin, latest returns show. Republican strength has increased in both these. states .in the past month.

Leaning Republican by a small margin are New Jersey, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, - Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas. The Democrats are ahead -in Indiana, Minnesota and Missouri. Political obesrvers will

- be. quick to note that—at the

.present time—the change of only a few states would give the Re- - publican party the advantage. Only in the “Solid South” have the Democrats been generally able to hold their party lines as wéll as they did in 1936. Here, in fact, Democratic strength is actually greater today than four years ago. But in the remaining 35 states there have been Republican gains as follows: : : North Dakota, 25 points; Wisconsin, 23; Minnesota and Oregon, 16; Illinois, New Jersey and Idaho, 14; South Dakota, 13; Ohio, Michigan and Washington, 12; Rhode Island and Wyoming, 11; California, Iowa, Kansas and Utah, 10; New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut. and Nebraska, 9; Massa-

chusetts, Montana and Nevada, 8; °

. Maine and New Hampshire, 7; Indiana _and Colorado, 6; New Mexico, 5; West Virginia, Vermont and Arizona, 4; Missouri, 3; Delaware, 2, and Maryland, 1. Some evidence of these Republican gains have been available to political observers before this. .In two Ohip by-elections last month, for instance, the Republican vote was 13 points higher than four years ago. But the Institute survey is the first objective evidence of how widespread these Republican gains have been. .- 8. 8 NE BIG QUESTION that remains is how the political picture -will be altered when the Democrats and Republicans: have met and nominated: their candidates for President and Vice

Final Play Starts in 1940 Central Indiana Chess Meet

Play in the finals of ‘the 1940 Central Indiana chess tournament will begin this week, with winners of seven sections competing against each other. Each will play two games with each of the others. Those participating are C. B. Hicks, C. H. Moore, S. W. Bennett Jr., B. F. Collins, R. B. Kirk, G. S. Southworth Sr. and F. G. Flauding. Mr. Hicks and Mr. Moore are past champions. The winner will be presented with

KIWANIS WILL HOLD

CITIZENSHIP SCHOOL |

BLOOMINGTON, Ind., April 22.— ‘Indiana Kiwanis Clubs will hold

a citizenship leadership training institute Thursday at Indiana. Uni-|

versity.

Each of the 76 ‘clubs in the state.

has been requested by District Governor George Leist of Columbus to send two or more representatives to the one-day institute. “Those trained will conduct the Kiwanis citizenship program designed to reach first voters and unnaturalized residents as well as citizens. Thomas A. Cookson, university registrar and president of thejc Bloomington Kiawanis Club, said speakers would include Prof. Ford P. Hall, Ernest M. Linton and Edward E. Buehrig of the Department of Government and Dr. Roy V. Peel, director of, the University’ s Institute of Politics. : :

PITTSBURGH LACKS HOUSING PITTSBURGH, April 22 (UP.).— Sixty-five per cent of the families in Pittsburgh's sub-standard areas are living in a dwellings,

e is Becoming the entire

‘a prize set of chessmen April 30

at a banquet in the Capitol Avenue Methodist Church. At that time officers will be elected for the next] year. : ; The winning team of the season, The Rooks, will be awarded a trophy won by the Bishops last year. The handicap trophy will be awarded the Engineers as the team showing greatest improvement during the season. Members of the Rooks team will be awarded individual Hophies,

Pays for Baby With 4000 Coins

Times Special GARY, Ind. April 22. —Alex Kristine became the father of a seven-pound two-ounce baby boy. He went to Dr. Joseph ‘Goldstone and said, “That's a fine ‘baby. we : Pave, doctor, and here’s your ee.” He set a glass jar on the: doctor’s desk, containing 4000 pennies. . The. money: S 32

pounds and was the. Tesull of a

year’s: sayings.

M:GUFFEYS T0 HOLD FLAG RITE JUNE 15

The apolis McGuffey So-| ciety wilf sponsor a meeting on June 15—the day after Flag Day—at .one of ‘the. local city parks to demon-

ican: The Soclety will further plans at the next meeting May 11, according to A. E. Rettig, president. J. H. Newlin is chairman of the arrange. ments committee. The Sociéty claims the “ythical state spelling championship because of its victory over the.winners “County contest ; by. an B Apes

Strate oper 1 respect for the Amer- !

Demoorats -- 317 Electoral Votes Republicans 214 Electoral Votes

President.:“ The Institute will conduct: regular checkups at periodic intervals in order to re-assess ‘shifting party lineups. Another great imponderable is the effect of the war in Europe. Much of the interviewing in the present survey was completed before the country had had an opportunity to react to the German invasion of Scandinavia, and even as this story goes to press the final outcome of the German thrust is wholly uncertain. Institutes surveys in the past - 12 months‘ indicate, however, that the Democrats gained stref th immediately after the war broke out and that a majority of voters have approved of President Roosevelt’s handling of national defense and foreign policy questions to date. Finally the reader should remember that some margin of error may be inyolved in every sampling operation, no matter how care-

* fully conducted, due to the size of

the sample itself. In the present survey the statistical probabilities are at least 95 in 100 that the average error per state resulting

. from the size of the sample will

‘not exceed 4 per cent. Actually, in "11 ‘state surveys conducted by the Institute since the election of 1936 the error from all causes (cross-section errors as well as errors due to size of sample) has averaged oly 3.1 per cent. 2 a o ITH most political observers agreed that the farm states will have a erucial importance next November, the current na-tion-wide surveys of the American Institute of Public Opinion indicate that farm voters in the Middle West are predominantly Republican at the present time, This is one big reason why the Republicans, as a matter of fact, are able to count such states as Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Towa, Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas on their side of the fence ‘today, Institute surveys show.

WORKMEN MOVE |

3 MODEL HOMES

Taken to Permanent Sites; 100,000 Set Record At Show.

Workmen today began moving the three model homes: from the Manufacturers’ Building at the Fair Grounds to permanent sites following the close of the 19th annual Home Show last night. As the exposition ended with a final day’s attendance of 10,000, officials announced a record-break-ing attendance of 100,000 for the 10-day exhibit.

day to F. O. Ellis, 3217 Rader St. It will be reconstructed at Spring Lake, near Philadelphia in Hancock County. : “Town House” and “Honeymoon Home,” the other two model homes which formed the centerpiece of the show, were sold previously. In announcing the new attendance record, Merritt Harrison, Indianapolis Home Show president, said the new mark was set for a 10-day show while the previous rec-

was during an 11-day: exposition.

SCOUT DECORATED : , FOR SAVING WOMAN

Times Special HAMMOND, Ind. April 22. — Twenty-one-year-old Joseph - Potraza, Hammond Boy Scout, “today proudly displayed a decoration con-

ferred on him by the Veterans of|.

“Holiday Lodge” was sold -yester- :

Asked: “Which party would you like . to see- win the Presidential election this year?” farm voters in the Middle West answer:

FAVOR REPUBLICANS.... 51% FAVOR DEMOCRATS...... 43%

The Middle West was a tradi» tional Republican stronghold until President Roosevelt came along in 1932 to sweep the entire area, but the indications at present are that the section as a whole has drifted back ‘toward G. O. P, ranks. ‘This is in spite of the fact that most farm voters have been found to approve of New Deal farm ‘measures and of Secretary Henry Wallace in, Institute sure veys. 2 * . CZ VOTERS in the Midwest * and elsewhere are consf.eriy. more Democratic, the 8ur-“veys-show: For fhe‘ country ‘as a Bo the vite 1 ‘non-farm ‘groups is: | . Dem.

Small Towns sesseinee 34% Cities Under 100,000.. 50 Cities, 100,000 ‘to 500,O00: . . vou uaa aliie 5.53 7 Cities Over 0,000 59. 41

There was’ ‘a roughly similar contrast between farm and city voters in the Roosevelt-Landon election four years ago, though few observers noted it in the general surprise over the ‘size of President Roosevelt's majority.

Better than any other available evidence, however, the present figures demonstrate that the geographic center. of gravity of the Democratic |Party continues to be in the larger U. S. cities, as well as in the South, while that of the "G. O. P. is} in the farming areas of the Middle West. ; Income plays an important part in the average :citizen’s . party preferences, too, of course. Recent Institute studies have shown that ‘a majority of voters earning more than $40 a week favor a Republican Administration, while those earning less than hi favor the Democrats. -

LOOK INTELLIGENT, - DETECTIVES TOLD

LOS ANGELES, April 22 (U. P)). —Deputy police chief Homer Cross today ordered his detectives to: “Appear like detectives and dress like detectives at’ all times. “Look intelligent at all times. “Be a gentleman. “Keep feet off desks. “Refrain| from tossing matches and cigaret butts on the floor. “Practice spittoon markmanship. “Keep walls free of calendars. “Keep caricatures of detectives off office ¥ Walls”

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

1—How long is a decade? 2—Name the smallest breed of dog. 3—Are any Confederate veterans buried |in the National Cemetery at Gettysburg? 4—What is the difference between indorse and endorse? 5—Is it easier to swim in shallow water than in deep water? 6—How do you pronounce succinct? 7—Which famous race horse owner invariably gives his horses names beginning ‘with the letter “B”? 8—Must a cow have a. calf before she ‘can produce milk? ; PRY Ed LE

_ Answers

1—Ten years. 2—Mexi Chihuahua. 3—No. | . 4—None; they both mean the same, 5—No. | 6—Suk-sinkt, ‘not, suk’-sink., Cul 1. Edvard R. Bradley. —- es. ‘

Rep.

46% 50

ord of 90,000, established last year,|,

ASK THE TIMES

Incl a 3 camp, for : reply | ‘when add 7 n of fact or inf \ ~ The Indianapolis Times Was . Service Wore.