Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 14 October 1940 — Page 12

PAGE 12

The Indianapolis Times

ROY W. HOWARD President

RALPH BURKHOLDER Editor

MARK FERREE Business Manager

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RI LEY 5551

"Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way

MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1940

THE THIRD-TERM

HE Presidency of the United States is no static institution. It shares with the Constitution an ability to adjust itself to the temper of the times and of the people. Its duties and its powers and its restraints fluctuate with the times. : The enormous elasticity of the Presidential powers is empaasized in a series of articles by Ludwell Denny published in this newspaper. Mr. Denny drew upon history, of course, and did not pretend to prophesy. He did not attempt to estimate the probable effects of a third term on the further development of the Presidential institution. ‘But he did make this point: “Certainly in these totalitarian times a third term would gamble democracy—as depression and war and corruption have risked democracy in the past. But just as | certainly the essence of American democracy is the people’s right to take the third-term gamble if they wish.” That is undeniably true. Whether the people will choose to exercise that right— to depart so sharply from a tradition which is no rusty heirloom but a living, though unwritten law, and to *~ke the gamble in these times when the tide of one-man rule js running high—is another question. We suspect that many of those who do vote for Mr.

Roosevelt on Nov. 5 will do so hesitantly, conscious that they are participating in a historic gamble, in which the stakes are beyond counting.

“HELLO SUCKERS!”

HAT is this nation’s sum total—of credulity? Just ° how much kidding can it take? To what extent can its intelligence be insulted without a backfire of resentment? How many people can be fooled not only some of the time but all of the time? The exact answers will never be known although the questions, we predict, will play a large part in the voting Nov. 5. : . ~ Never was there a more striking test than that socalled non-political defense-inspection trip into Pennsylvania and Ohio by Franklin D. Roosevelt, candidate for the thirdterm Presidency of the United States. The trip was at taxpayer expense. - Under guise of Government business it got around the Hatch Act, as did other similar jaunts during the campaign. As an inspection tour it was about as thorotigh as inspecting the works of a watch from an airplane. As for avoidance of politics, the costly special train reeked with politicians and political conferences.

THE GRASP FOR POWER—HI

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT'S plan to control the Supreme Court had two companions which also appeared soon after his second election. One, urged in efficiency’s name as was the court-pack-ing scheme, would have given the President complete power over the machinery of Government and greatly increased power over the public purse. It was a plan to reorganize the executive branch. Three men, selected by Roosevelt, drew up this plan and handed a committee of Congress the ready-made draft of a bill to put what the President wanted into effect. Let's examine this original draft. One section would have given the President blanket authority, subject to no check, to make any changes he might wish .among Government agencies—the departments, commissions and bureaus. He might transfer all or any part of any agency, or its functions, to any other. He might abolish any agency or its functions, or change its name. He might create new agencies and Federal corporations to take over the functions of older ones. His authority was to cover the “independent” commissions—Federal Trade, Interstate Commerce, Securities and Exchange and others—which are agents of Congress to enforce laws passed by Congress. By specific definition, it was to cover the office of President itself. Thus the President was to have power to make independent commissions dependent on his will. He might put them under control of his Cabinet members. He might abolish them and the functions Congress had assigned them. He might even abolish his own office and set up a new one, with additional functions, under a different name. He was, in short, to become master of the whole huge Federal bureaucracy, with all its patronage, all its possibilities for political manipulation, and all its jurisdiction over the people’s rights. : ® ” ; o n 2 8 Another section of the original draft would have abolished the office of Comptroller General, which had said “no” to certain New Deal spending plans. 7 The Constitution orders Congress to see that taxpayers’ money is spent only for purposes authorized by law. Congress had created the office of Comptroller General as its Treasury watchdog, had made the Comptroller independent by providing that the President could not fire him, and had told him to say “no” to illegal spending plans. Mr. Roosevelt, already given more blank-check spending power than any other President has had, wanted to “abolish the watchdog. He wanted to have proposed spending approved by a Budget Director, whose job depends on the President’s favor—and to let Congress audit the books only after the money had been spent. 3 » » 8 2 2 This original draft was sharply modified before the bill was introduced in Congress, and defeated in 1938 after a pitter fight. The law finally enacted in 1939 was still further trimmed down. It did not affect the independent commissions or the office of President, did not touch the Comptroller General, and saved to Congress a right to overrule changes ordered by the President. Mr. Roosevelt got no such power as he sought over the agencies and expenditures of Government. Nor did he get all the power over business and industry for. which he grasped in another measure. That we will discuss later.

2

Shaanti,

-American investments in South America are also good

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Fair Enough By Westbrook Pegler

Union Labor May Be Heading for a Smashup Unless Its Friends Purge Ranks of Those Who Prey on Workers

EW YORK, Oct. 14—My inquiries and a huge flow of letters from rank-and-file workers within the past year have convinced me that the honest men and women among our left-wing intellectuals and most of our practical politicians know very little about the aetual relations between labor unions and the working people of the United States. : The fact that most of those who demurely call themselves intellectuals and most politicians resent such charges and hit back with the old accusation of “labor baiting” indicates to me that they have been dozing on the job and know union affairs only by hearsay. The facts give warning that labor organization is heading toward a smashup and Government control, as strict and officious as that of S. E. C,, and can be saved only by an honest and ruthless reform from within. The American Federation of Labor must be purged all the way from the executive council down to the

management of the most obscure federated local. And |

the C. I. O. simply ‘will have to break the power of the Communists and get rid of its crooks, as well. The C. I. O. is less plagued than the A. F. of L., but it

has a share, nevertheless. ” 1 never was the intention of the American people that private organizations, admitting no responsibility to the Government or the public, should exercise such harsh and punishing controls over vast numbers of the citizens. The leaders in their zeal to ac-

2 2

‘quire members and power, have become oppressors

rather than champions of the workers and have lost the trust and friendship of the rank and file. These people have a right to Government protection, and they will find a way to make their distress known,

It is my helief that comparatively few individuals, even among the members of the unions, know how union charters are acquired. Certainly any honest intellectual who examines the facts must realize that the procedure of the A. F. of L. is. so slack as to permit the acquisition of local and international charters by some men who are notorious criminals and should be known to be such by any intelligent national leader. William Green's indorsement of criminal leadership in two international unions simply cannot be ignored or explained away on the ground that he was not thoroughly informed. He should be informed. That is what he is paid for, and I personally think too well of his intelligence to believe that he was duped. I am convinced that he was derelict in his responsibility to protect American working people from exploitation.

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HE unions collect more than a billion dollars a year in fees, assessments and dues. Only recently and timidly has the Treasury begun to take an interest in union income, hdving hitherto given immunity under an old superstition that such bodies must be honest just because they were unions, thus avoiding political trouble with the labor movement. This policy has protected crooks in their looting and, incidentally, has provided a disgraceful rakeoff for that unspeakable parasite—the shyster union lawyer —who charges exorbitant fees for drawing up constitutions from standardized forms. My own astonishment grows day by day as the negligence of labor leadership is further revealed bit by bit in letters from rank-and-file victims and in examinations of pclice records. But I am a singledhanded plodding investigator, working without official authority, and my results are petty by comparison with the revelations which certainly would come of an orderly inquiry by an impartial, efficient and courageous Congressional committee or ‘a Government agency. The crooks have everything to lose by such an investigation, including their liberty; the victims can lose nothing but their chains. :

Business By John T. Flynn Latest of Mad Schemes Urges U. S.

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THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES °

Uh-Huh! YouToldUsT

*

JUST GIVE US

AATCH ouT

BIG

FOUR MORE YEARS "AND I'LL |

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SOMETHING

hat Last Time! |

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1 wholly

Insure Latin-American Investments |

EW YORK, Oct. 14—This i s the season of many madnesses. No one need be surprised at any proposals that pour upon us. One of the latest, from the head of a large shipping company, is that the United States should insure American investments in Latin America. Bad as this is, we will do it if the Government in Washington gets around to the idea for a few fleeting moments some weary afternoon. - It all prompts us to suggest that some group of men, men who understand foreign trade and political values and who cherish and honor the American way of life, would do w 1 to meet and consider in calmuess this whole South American problem. As matters stand, it is being kicked around one day by some group with a money stake involved, and on the next day by politicians in Washington with some other stake and, on every other day by foreign propagandists who are‘using this subject as a sounding board to inflame American minds and whip us up to war madness. American producers and merchants are at liberty now to trade with South America. We want that trade. It is profitable when it is obtained soundly. It helps us, when carried on decently, to cultivate more intimate relations with our neighbors. But trade with South America and American investments in South America are two different things.

things, when decently and wisely made and managed. But, while some have been thus made, a great number have not. No one thing has brought more ill-will in South America upon our heads than the exploitive adventure of American promoters who have bought up South American resources and worked them in conjunction with corrupt South American politicians and dictators. 2 #" 2 ;

4 du idea that individuals can go down there into all sorts of investments, buying up the natural resources of “those countries, backed by the money zuarantees of this Government, is the most fantastic that has ever been proposed. The very guarantee would give a semi-official sanction to what these promoters do. The only way a guarantor can protect himself against the default of the one he guarantees is to take over the assets of the defaulters. Do we want the United States Government coming into possession of business enterprises of Americans in South America? The whole South American problem was pushed up into the fever stage in the early days of the effort to embroil America in the European war. It does not seem so important now to the propagandists because now we are off on a new tangent to plunge into Asia, to save Indo-China with its 20 million people for France, and the Dutch East Indies with its vast population for Holland, and Singapore for Britain—all in the name of democracy—although all of these places were seized by France, Holland and Britain just as Germany has seized Poland and Italy has seized Ethiopia and Japan has seized China. This might be a good interlude in which to bring the discussion of our problems in South America back to the plane of sanity.

So They Say—

THERE IS no country that is not looking for its man of destiny, no people who are not clamoring for a Caesar.—Francisco Campos, Brazilian minister of government. . - LJ 7 IT 1S POSSIBLE that adequate national defense can be a by-product of a triumphant prosperity, but neither prosperity nor democracy can ever be a byproduct of a¥mament economics and imperialism.—

The Hoosier Forum

disagree with what you say,

defend to the death your right to say it.—Voltaire.

but will

PREDICTS 295 TO 310

VOTES FOR WILLKIE By A Dopester : Willkie will win the following states: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsyivania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, California and two out of the -following states, Missouri, Oregon, Connecticut, Idaho, Wyoming and Minnesota. May win two Southern states. His total electoral votes will run between 295 to 310. His popular vote will be between 50.75 and 51.50 per cent.

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‘40, WELL EDUCATED, ‘BUT CAN'T FIND JOB

By C. D. A. Will you please print this in your column for -:me, maybe I'll learn something. There is one thing I would like to. know the answer to, and I suspect that thousands of others in the same position would, too. I am 40 years old, have a good education and 20 years’ experience

| behind me in general accounting

and have held some pretty responsible positions and now through no fault of my own am out of work, have been for over two years and I'm not getting any younger. But now when I go out and ask for work, any kind of work, they tell me I'm too old. I can’t get in the Army for they tell me I'm too old, and I say I'm too young to die and want to live, but the question is how, ?

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LAUDS LINDLEY ARTICLE ON ELLIOTT ROOSEVELT

By Alta B. Sembower, Bloomington, Ind.

Old readers of The Times were pleased to see in your issue of Oct. 8 an unprejudiced and convincing article concerning Elliott Roosevelt's commission written by the nationally known columnist, Ernest K. Lindley. Mr. Lindley’s defense of young Roosevelt will be accepted by all clear thinking men and women as the last word. Mr. Lindley, besides being in a position to know in this case, is recognized as one of the most sagacious and impartial observers in the journalistic field. He confirms Elliott's own statement that the young man offered

(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.)

his services to the Air Corps for] whatever use they could make of him. No one could doubt the Lindley statement that Elliott is a “twofisted young man,” and would prefer action to a desk chair. One is reminded of Teddy Roosevelt and his impulsive determination to raise an independent regiment in the World War. The Republican party which is now professing admiration for the earlier Roosevelt who “walked softly but carried a big stick” should understand his young relative who “wanted to be a buck private but was too old.” 2 ” ” RAPS MRS. FERGUSON'S COLUMN ON FIRST LADY By Ruth Shelton ? One of the cheapest and cattiest

things I have ever seen in journal-

ism was the column in The Times, by Mrs. Walter Ferguson, in which

she so subtly placed Mrs. Roosevelt in an unfavorable light. Mrs. Ferguson said she could not help but wish that “Eleanor” would succumb, now and then, to “purely feminine temptations . . . play a little bridge, indulge in a little juicy gossip . . . anything to relieve us of the necessity of forever being high minded and noble and concerned with major social problems.” : : The column is so unfair and so entirely unjustified that I would like the opportunity of answering Mrs. Ferguson. I would say to her that this country is so full, now, of women whose eyes never see beyond the four edges of a bridge table and whose minds never burden themselves with thoughts of anything other than ‘a routine of social inanities” that a woman with the sound judgment, the calm courage, the dignity, and the. ability for social drudgery possessed by Mrs. Roosevelt, stands out among them like a white lily among the tin cans of a city dump!

Mrs. Ferguson may be weary of

Side Glances—By Galbraith

COPR: 1940 BY NEA SERVICE, INC. T. M. REG. U, &. PAT. OFF.

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" ‘Mr. President,’ I'd say to him, "you may know all about these European affairs, but where was you when the levee

Norman Thomas, Socialist candidate for President,

i

busted and my hogs ,had cholera?"

Mrs. Roosevelt's well doing, but there are thousands upon thousands of women in this country, who - thank. God every day that a woman of the caliber of Eleanor Roosevelt is in the White House. .. . ” 3 ” MANY REPUBLICANS Not FOR WILLKIE, IS CLAIM By E. S. Brown This letter is written upon the subject of your declaration that The Times is supporting candidate Willkie for the U. S. Presidency because of the third-term issue, an issue sponsored by the Old Guard Republicans. .. ,.. | I am not supporting! the . Old Guard candidate at all for what I consider very sound reasons. Many Republicans do not look with favor upon candidate Willkie. . . Mr. Willkie is coarse in his general makeup and the greatest liability he has piled up against himself and the Republican Party is that he at one time. was Samuel Insull’s attorney, again as a lobbyist against the anti-holding company act, a member of an often time discredited political machine Tammany Hall which membership he has ‘denied and affirmed according to press items in The Indianapolis Times. Again he said he indorsed the New Deal policies. Now he has repudiated them. , . . ]

I cannot see him as a safe person, .

#2 = un HE’S AFRAID OF A FIRST TERM NOW

By M. E. Clark, Noblesville, Ird. It seems that everybody is afraid these days except the Republicans. They oppose a third term because they are Republicans. Most of the voters who are afraid of a third term are 100 per cent Democrats. Maybe my pedigree isn’t so good, for I was raised from Republican parents but I got the habit of voting for Bryan every four years and didn’t feel afraid, and we always had good times then. Then I got the habit of voting for Roosevelt without being afraid. But since Hitler began kicking and scaring everybody in Europe—‘the old mean bully”’—maybe I'm. not immune either. For now I'm afraid of a first term.

WH 8. TERMS BRITISH HELP INSURANCE FOR U. S. By Wm. G. Green

Just who still opposes aid to Brit-

American realizes that our own security rests upon the balance of a

British victory or defeat, that our feverish defense plans are necessi-

| tated by the possibility of a Ger- | man victory—and nothing else. And | that whatever aid we now give

toward assurance of Britain's success will be cheap insurance against the staggering burden of defense a German victory would impose upon us, if we are to survive as an independent nation. Britain’s success in stopping the German juggernaut is so unquestionably essential to our own wel(Continued on Page 13)

ees

STARS OF OCTOBER By MARY P. DENNY

Shine out in light. Shine in your flight. Stars of October Stars of October Venus and Neptune, Mercury and Mars, Shine one grand tune Of beauty and glory, Beyond all ancient story, Ringing the anthem Of spheres in their flight, Stars of October, Shine out your light’ From the great shining height.

DAILY THOUGHT

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.—Genesis 1:11,

/ NATURE 1S BUT a name for an effect whose cause is God. Cowper.

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ain? By this time every intelligent]

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MONDAY, OCT. 14, 1940

Gen. Johnson

Says—

'Community Chest Drives the Most Sensible and Scientific Method for Practical Charity Ever Developed

ITTSBURGH, Pa., Oct. 14.—In these critical days, there is so much hot stuff in war and politics to write columns about, that cne is tempted to neglect things less dramatic, but at least of importance to America equal to the clash of empires and the fall of states.

The national Community Chest ’

drive is now opening all over tinis country. It is the most sensible and scientific method for practical charity ever developed. There was ‘a time when this country went drive-crazy. Well-meaning peo.ple, whether they were simply riding a worthy hobby cor backing a far worthier cause, could always drum up a house-to-nouse gimme campaign, or post pretty girls rat‘tling dime-in-the-slot cans on. ‘every -street corner. = The average American is always willing to give something if he has it. By the old helter-skelter methed, he couldn't know exactly for what he was . giving, how the money would be used, or whether. there were not far better uses for his contribution. Also, these “drives” became so frequent that many people either were fed up with the constantly repeated annoyance of solicitation. or simply couldn’t afford to give any more. The ealier bird got the dough regardless of its merits. - :

2 ” ”

HE Community Chest idea was an answer to most ot these probiems. In many cities it is the only “drive” permitted. In nearly all cities it at leash combines in one, all “drives” for the worthiest estab=lished charities. It is conducted under the most responsible sponsorships there are. This year both the President and Mr. Willkie will start the etfort, The funds collected will be divided by the best in= formed authorities among the institutions where they are most needed, and will go the furthest to meet human needs. It is, of course, more heart warming to give directly - to some person or group whose suffering you can see, but none of us can give enough to meet all the needs of our neighbors. None of us separately can judge ° relative needs. Few of us have the time or training to manage and regulate our giving. For these reasons, indiscriminate giving is always wasteful and some- : times far from fair. The Community Chest method cures all these faults and shortcomings in the best way. 2 > The tremendous sums of public money. being expended for relief and charity greatly restrict the flow of gifts for two reasons. The tax burdens necessary: to support them reduce the incomes of potential givers. The billions spent by Government make some" people believe that there is no longer necessity for private giving. ” ” ” r FINHE fact is that the necessity is greater than ever. Low interest rates have cut the revenue of many . endowed charities in half or worse. Public doles can. . never cover the area of need. Finally, no warmhearted American can ever feel quite satisfied with charity enforced, or to leave his humanitarian im-: - pulses to acts of Congress. If there had been tar more voluntary sharing through past years, there would he less regimental sharing today—with all the -~ political evils that entails. The demands upon us all are great and the woes of the world will greatly increase them. It will be well for us to remember that there are still great woes in our own country and that there is nothing * in the least selfish in the motto: ‘Charity begins at home.” Starvation of women and children, malnutrition, disease and even .death to the weak, the helpless and the aged have become deliberate weapons of war. We can't help that, but we don’t want to become a party to it. Certainly we shall not let these evils in upon our own people by diverting our help from them unti} we have insured that every needy case has been. attended to the limit of our power to give. :

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson ;

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‘ ¥

FASCINATING new hook is “Diplomatically - « °

Speaking” by Lloyd C. Griscom (Little, Brown) because it {urns back the .pages of our history and" gives interesting sidelights on famous personalities. There are many amusing incidents, and some which are disconcerting—notably, the accounts of the petty quarrels ° which went on in high society; diplomatic circles and among theEuropean leaders of the last war, * some of whom are now engaged in running this one. ; :

Their differences sound child-

>

ish when set down in print, buf ~ _

50, I suppose, would all our dis- = agreements seem when we get far enough away to look at them in’ perspective. 2

The author journeyed on many

official errands. One of them took him to Messina, Italy, during its rehabilitation - after the terrible earthquake of 1908. He says of the occasion: i “By June the last nails had been hammered. the - last bricks laid at Messina, and the American work - was done. the givers of the world. Italians had contributed to the limit but after all this was to be expected—it- - was their earthquake. The Lord Mayor of London: had raised a sizable fund, but it was not available for use until the day we dissolved our committee. Germany had supplied a. small amount; France a sum hardly worth mentioning, and the other countries little beyond sympathy. The United States had donated more than all the rest put together.” Good Old United States! Always on hand when the hat is passed. Always digging into her jeans to help others. Always a Big Brother to the world’s unfortunates. Whatever may be her faults stinginess: . is not among them. z

bigheartedness is really appreciated. Today the same Messina into which we poured millions in 1908 is being prepared to war against us. Maybe our openhanded U. S. is Uncle Sucker instead of Uncle Sam in the estimation of a good many countries, re

Watching Your Health -

By Jane Stafford

One wonders sometimes, however, how much this .

?

"

This disaster had shown clearly who were -

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ONDONERS and Berliners are being forcéd by : .

nightly air raids to hang up some spectacular 2 records on the length of time one can go without ° adequate sleep. As a result of this new experience in

enforced sléeplessness, scientists may learn new facts Co. . about the effect of lack of sleep on human minds and

bodies. : : They already know that efficiency and resistance ° are lowered and dispostions are soured. Many of the studies have been made on students and psychologists themselves who went without any sleep at all for long periods—up to 114 hours in one study. This is not the same, however, as losing a little sleep every night for long periods, which, in addition to fear and appre=

o

hension, is what Londoners and Berliners are sures

| fering.

The effect of a little sleep loss every night, in other

words, how much we can condense our sleeping time to leave more time for play or work or' study, is what most of us want to know. The answer, so far, has always worked out to the familiar eight hours which, scientists say we should sleep to keep in good cone dition. oe 5 The eight hours of sleep should be taken every, night, it is. emphasized. Many people think they can

’

stay up very late one night and make up for it by an": |

extra hour of sleep the next day, or on Sunday morning. Ifyou must lose sleep, by all means make it up as soon as you can, but do not think this can be done oy ashort extra nap. Experiments of one psychologist showed that you cannot catch up on sleep in a single. } night. Even a 10-hour period of sleep failed to make / up for the effects of: four hours of sleep the nigh* before, aml eight hours on the third night still ; the person not entirely recovered.

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