Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 14 November 1940 — Page 19

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~ THURSDAY, NOV. 14, 1940

The

Hoosier Vagabond

WILKINSBURG, Pa. Nov. 14—Today I've been talking with a couple of young men who make electric fences. They are Norman Agnew and W. P. Place. They are, respectively, Ohio and Indiana farm boys who went to college and got educated in electricity,

and now they are both engineers P

with the big Union Switch & Signal Co. here.

About three years ago, they got to puttering around in Mr. Agnew’s workshop, and eventually they turned up with what apparently is a very superior electric fence. They call themselves the Farmers Engineering & Manufacturing Co. In 1930 there was hardly an electric fence in the land. Today the two biggest companies make 50,000 units each annually, and I understand Sears-Roebuck sells around 2000 a month. At the last check, 117 companies were in the electric fence business. There are two great misconceptions about electric fences: 1. That you just charge an ordinary full-fledged woven wire fence with electricity. 2. That electric fence manufacturers make fence.

Economy Is Cited

Well, as to No. 1, an electric fence is just one lone

. wire, or maybe two, strung around a field. You don’t

need a woven wire fence at all. As for No. 2, electric fence manufacturers don’t make fence. They just make the contraption that controls the electricity that goes through whatever fence you put up. * The point of an electric fence for farmers is simple—it's cheaper. According to some, figures the Agnew-Place boys gave me, it costs $320 to put up a mile of woven wire fence; $120 for a mile of barbed wire, four strands; and only $67.50 for a mile of electric fence, including the Agnew-Place controller, which is one of the highest-priced on the market

2 at alone costs $37.50).

You'd think it would cost a lot to keep electricity going through a fence. But they say it hardly even They claim it costs no more than 10 cents a. month, and the size of your farm doesn’t make much difference. The shock goes through an electric fence about

once a second. When an animal touches the wire and feels the shock, he jumps. They say one shock is usually enough to teach a horse. of flirting with “the greener grass in the next pasture.” But a hog—well a hog is just about what you'd exect. The boys tell me they've seen hogs so determined to get on the other side that they’d back way off from the electric fence, take a run at it, start squealing and jumping five feet before they ever hit the wire, and just plunge right on through, shock or no shock. It's just another proof of what I've always said —that the only thing to do with a hog is eat it. One big bugaboo of electric fences is that weeds grow up against the wire and ground out the electricity. But the Agnew-Place combination of brains stumped onto some kind of a reversible shock (I don’t understand it) that actually kills weeds. The boys have several exhibits worked up, which they show at state fairs. One is an apparatus on which humans can get the same shock as an animal. There is a sign on the machine saying, “Are You Mouse or Man?” . .

He Proves Himself a Man

The first shock is a small one, and if you take that you are a mouse. If you want to quit after the second one, youre rated as a rat. If you can’t go beyond the third, you have to go down in history as a polecat. If you get through the fourth, and have to give up then, you get an official rating as a donkey. But if you’ve got the nerve for the fifth and last shock, then you are a MAN, and consider yourself wonderful. The man-shock is the same an animal gets from an electric fence. Of course the boys had to try it out on me. And, to the surprise and amazement of all, I turned out to be a MAN. A man, I might add, who jumped two feet off the floor. . As we were about to close our discussion, I had a wonderful #¥dea. I said: “Well, if we get into war you ought to do a big ‘business making electric fences for concentration camps. Bet you hadn't thought of that.” : So they just walked over to the other side of the shop, and heré was a two-foot model of a concentration camp, with a high woven-wire fence around it, and on top of this fence a lone Farmers Engineering & Manufacturing Co. wire, full of electricity. It'll work fine unless they try to keep hogs in concentration camps.

Inside Indianapolis (4nd “Our Town”)

- THE THING WORRYING the County Republican organization right now isn’t the possibility of recounts, or of who is to get what job, or anything else

like that. The big fear is what the draft is going to do to the leadership of the organization. It all started when Louis Fietcher, one of County Chairman James Bradford's chief lieutenants,, was mustered into service. A reserve officer, Mr. Fletcher was ordered to aclive duty as a captain the day after election. It served to wake up the boys dreaming pleasant dreams about the improvements they were going to make at the County Court House. A quick rundown the list showed these eligibles: Ralph Tacoma, secretary of the County Committee, a bachelor. Nelson Deranian, manager of the County Committee office, a bachelor. Alex Clark, secretary of the Young Republicans’ organization, a bachelor. : Kelso Elliott, one of the original Bradford strategists, a bachelor, Harold Geisel, head of the Marion County Young G. O. P.,, married, but with no children. Richard Thrall, 11th Ward Chairman and one of the original “heavy duty” boys, married, no children. Dale Brown, 7th Ward Chairman, likewise a “heavy duty” boy, married, no children. “Harry Harmon, Perry Township Republican boss, married and in the age limit. And, worst of all, Sherwood Blue, County Prose-cutor-elect. It seems that Mr. Blue is also a Reserve officer and,

Washington

WASHINGTON, Nov, 14.—It may look like a glorified

leaf-raking job that Roosevelt has thought up to kill

time for Henry Wallace, who won't become Vice President until Jan. 20, but it can well become a most im-

portant mission. Wallace is being sent to Mexico City as personal representative of the President at the inauguration of President-elect Avila Comacho ‘on Dec. 1. A group of Senators and Representatives will be on - hand for the ceremonies. The new President of Mexico is going to be installed with all the eclat that the United States can :contribute to the occasion. Avila Comacho } probably will return the honors by coming to Washington after he is

inaugurated, perhaps early in Jan-.

uary. All of this should strengthen his position in Mexico. These activities are intended to be much more than ceremonial gestures. It is hoped they will further improve relations between Mexico and the United States, which have been up and down in recent years and are now on the mend. Also it is hoped that a

helpful impression will be created throughout the:

Western Hemisphere, one that will be noted abroad.

The Oil Controversy

Axis activities in Mexico have caused some concern here but the chief source of friction has been the prolonged dispute over expropriation of American-owned oil properties by the Mexican Government. Negotiations are continuing. There is ground for expecting

that a settlement is coming up. Not that Mexico will.

return the properties but an adjustment of compensation is likely. "If this can be cleaned up and relations strengthened by an exchange of good-will visits, it will do much toward the movement for hemisphere solidarity. To the north, joint defense work with Canada has prouhgt the United States and Canada into closer relations. Prime Minister Mackenzie King said only this week that the arrangement with the United States

My Day

CHICAGO, Wednesday—I spent two of the pleasantest hours I have ever spent visiting music projects yesterday morning in Detroit. Churches have given space for rehearsal to these WPA units, so it was in the basement of a church that we listened to ) a gypsy band playing dance music, to which it was almost impossible to sit still. The leader has a delightful personality. They told me that when he plays in the schools, he tells the children stories of the gypsy customs. Last Christmas time he kept a group of youngsters enthralled while he told about the gypsy Christmas and played haunting gypsy music.

He was followed by another dance orchestra and, finally, by a : full | symphony - orchestra, the fourth best WPA orchestra in the country. They played two movements in a new symphony by Florence Price, one of the few women to write symphonic music. She is a colored woman and a native of Chicago, who has certainly made a contribution to our music. The orchestra rendered her symphony beau‘tifully and then played a Bach choral which ended the concert, much to my) regret. However, more treats were in store for us. Negro church, we heard a group of spiritual singers who fairly carried us away from our everyday world,

In a

like Mr. Fletcher, ripe for the call at any moment— maybe even before he ever gets to look.inside the Prosecutor’s office. That’s why Mr. Bradford has that worried look.

How About Habeas Corpus?

THEY PLAYED A game of “Defendant, Defendant, Who’s Got The Defendant” in Superior Court Two yesterday. A young woman had brought suit against a garage because she had to walk around a car parked in the garage's driveway and fell against a wall, injuring herself. . Come to find out yesterday, she didn’t know who the car belonged to and neither did the garage. The judge, after due deliberation, gave both parties half an hour to find out who the defendant was —in other words, whose car was it? Neither side could find out. “Case dismissed,” said the judge. If you see the corpus delecti riding around town, let the court know, won't you? ,

The Colonel . . . and the General

COL. ROSCOE TURNER, still suffering from that auto wreck a few months back, showed up at the Boy Scout dinner the other evening on crutches. . . . Downtown pedestrians stared with envy yesterday at the car cruising about the downtown section, a man and woman inside smiling contentedly, and a fullsized doe stretched out on the front bumper. . . . Those of vou who have followed the career of General Bartolommeo Colleoni, the statuesque horseman

.who serves as the frontispiece for the John Herron

Art Museum, will be deeply concerned to learn that both the General and his horse are afflicted with the shingles again. No flowers, please, but if you're handy with a trowel—,

By Raymond Clapper

was no temporary axis but part of the enduring foundation of a new world order based on friendship and good will, He expressed the spirit of what the Roosevelt Administration is trying to do in Latin America. In a reference to Latin American bases, Undersecretary of State Welles has again emphasized that we are not seeking to establish our own bases in the territory of other hemisphere nations but rather to work out with them defense measures of their own in which we can share both burden and use. In all of this, the good-will activities of the next Vice President of the United States can be useful. Much will depend upon how Wallace is able to carry off his part in the show.

Big Job for Wallace

As to that, Democratic’ Party workers think they note development in Wallace. When he began the campaign Walalce, always a shy, self-conscious speaker, was of not much help. He did not seem at home in politics. He got little out of his appearances except the experience. Toward the end of the campaign he seemed to find himself, and political workers were sending in much more favorable reports. There is a big role waiting for Wallace if he is able to fill it. His mission to Mexico City serves as a tryout. Successful handling of it will open up a new field for Wallace as Vice President, because of the unusual importance of Latin American good will and co-operation at this time. Also waiting for Wallace is an opportunity to assist the Administration in working with the Senate. Reltaions have not been too good between the Administration and the Senate as a whole. Frequently there has been resentment at the activities of the Corcoran group in pressing legislation on individual Senators. Wallace, in a different way, can serve as a friendly intermediary between the White House and the Senators. His eight years in the Cabinet have given him much special knowledge that would be useful in a consultative way to the Senators. His personal qualities are such that he should get along with members. Garner was popular and influential among Senators but his usefulness to the Administration was limited because of his personal lack of sympathy with many Administration measures.

By Eleanor Roosevelt

I have never heard a group sing better. Their leader, who was discovered digging ditches, can pride himself on an achievement which must give pleasure to ihnumerable people. He told me that they had sung before almost 100,000 people during the past year. Then, in the Colored Y. building, we heard a band play ‘“The Star-Spangled Banner,” which was a fitting climax to our morning. At a little after 1:00 o'clock I was back at the hotel and my niece and namesake, Eleanor Roosevelt, came in with a friend to lunch with me. The two girls told me they had done much campaigning. Everyone wondered that they were still friends, for they had been on opposite sides of the political fence.

Eleanor added that she had enjoyed it, but had few |q

allies in and dbout the Bloomfield Hills section, where the Cranbrook School is located.

| At 2:30 we drove out to Cranbrook and I very hurriedly obtained an impression of this most beautiful school. The glimpse of the courtyard, as you enter the girls’ school where Mellis’ statue of Diana stands poised on her pedestal, is something not to be forgotten. In fact, these fortunate youngsters are surrounded by beauty of nature, architecture and art on every side. I dined with Mrs. Dorothy Kemp Roosevelt and her mother and my three other nieces who live in Birmingham, Mich. Then I lectured in the evening at the Cranbrook School and took the night train back to Chicago. Here we have had breakfast and a few hours of quiet before we leave for Springfield, Ill

By Ernie Pyle|

Ordinarily three attempts will cure a cow |’

Indian

ritannia Still Rules the Waves

Italy Is Weak In the Air, Battle of Taranto Reveals.

By MAJ. ALEXANDER P. DE : SEVERSKY (Copyright, 1940, by United Press)

HE battle of Taranto was a significant naval- victory, though the blows were delivered from the air, The British Navy was attacking through one of its components, its air arm. This needs to be underlined because false deductions are likely to be made. Taranto demonstrates what advocates of genuine air power have always cone tended—namely, that the modern navy is no longer fully effective without an appropriate aviation arm. The damage inflicted on Italy’s Navy is extremely imMaj. Seversky portant. But no less important, is that the battle disclosed the essential weakness of 1Il Duce’s air forces and organization. Against first-rate aviation, this feat of the British Navy would have been impossible. The extremely small losses to the attackers — apparently caused by anti-aircraft artillery—would indicate that Italian pursuits were not on the job, or inadequate. To attack the harbor of Taran to, a British plane-carrier probably approached within about 150 miles. The configuration of the Gulf of Taranto is such that a ship 150 miles from the harbor, is 100 miles or less from the inner shores ‘of the “instep” of the Italian boot. The carrier thus was an easy target for land-based planes, All the facts point to a weakness in Italian reconnaissance. * The Italians may cite the surprise element of the attack. But that would not explain their failure to locate the carrier-base, once the action had started, and make it costly if not impossible for the planes to return.

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HIS indication of the inadequacy of Italian air defenses may have far-reaching consequences. It may cause the Germans to bring down their air power to the edge of the Mediterranean. ; That is not as simple as it may sound. The task is not merely to fly an Aramada to the arena. The necessary men, supplies, munitions and bases must be brought up, given the type of aviation at Hitler's disposal. It is useful to consider the battle from an economic view too. What the world has witnessed is the destruction of a third to onehalf the capital ship strength of a nation, built through long years at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars, by a handful of aircraft costing several hundred thousand dollars, due to the inadequacy of the protective air power. Translate this fact into the language of a two-ocean navy costing billions of dollars, without adequate land-based air power to shield it through the entire span of its action, and the picture becomes potentially tragic.

CHAPLINE HEAD OF BREWSTER AERO CO.

NEW YORK, Nov. 14 (U. P).— The appointment of George F. Chapline as president and general manager of the Brewster Aeronautical Corp. was announced toay. . The appointment was part of Brewster's reorganization of its executive set-up designed principally. to speed up the company’s production on approximately $100,000~

000 in U. S. Navy defense orders)

and foreign government purchases.

GOLD IMPORTS DECLINE WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 (U. P)). —Gold imports during the week ended Nov. 6 totaled $73,270,991, a decline of $7,793,846 from the previous week, the Commerce Depart-

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OIL FLOW INTO JAPAN LIMITED

Sought Twice as Much as East Indies Will Supply, U. S. Experts Claim.

NEW - YORK, Nov. 14 (U. P.).— The Netherlands East Indies oil agreement just signed in Batavia represents more a compromise than a victory for Japan, in the opinion of informed quarters here. Japan had asked for twice as much oil as the agreement provides. The agreement is for a limited duration—six months is the understanding here—and hence is not likely to mean a serious loss to California oil companies. Japan has been importing some 30,000,000 barrels of oil a year, mostly from this country. It was pointed out that no high octane gas is involved and that the agreement was reached at the request of the Dutch East Indies Government, which has kept the State Department in Washington advised of progress. The agreement provides Japan will receive a total of 1,800,000 tons of oil, a year, of which 1,306,000 tons will be supplied to Japanese oil companies and the remainder distributed in Japan by the Japanese subsidiaries of Royal Dutch and Standard-Vacuum as heretofore.

‘Offer’ Russia Warm Water Port if She Joins Triple Alliance

By WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS Times Foreign Editor

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 —Soviet Russia has been “offered” all or part of British India and a warm-water outlet on the Arabian Sea or Indian Ocean if she will join the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo coalition against “the democracies.” This proposal, it can now be stated on excellent authority, was conveyed to Moscow by Gen. Yoshitsugu Tatekawa, Japan's new Ambassador to Russia. Whether he was speaking with the knowledge and consent of Germany is not clear. Italy, it appears, no longer counts in such matters. The Kremlin's attitude toward the “offer” likewise remains obscure. For, part of the Japanese ‘suggestion” which the General is said to have made was that the Soviet Union should “leave eastern Siberia to Japan,” a proposition which, in the past, Moscow has refused to consider even for a moment.

Dream Up to Now:

Japan traditionally regards the maritime province and Vladivostok

as “a pistol pointed at her head.” And Japanese spokesmen have always said it would eventually lead to war with Russia. Russia, on the other hand, has considered Vladivostok vital to the development of Siberia. Her spokesmen have warned that the slightest threat against that area would lead to war,

- Johnny Gets His

Gun

Draftees Should Leave Fancy Clothes at Home

One of a series taking a draftee into Uncle Sam’s new army.

By MILTON BRONNER Times Special Writer

WASHINGTON, Nov. Q. Citizen, who has been selected in the draft and sent fo an induction center, has successfully withstood all the examinations by the medical officers there and is finally accepted for the Army. row 5 Now comes one of the most :serious moments. in his life. An Army

14 —John

officer administers to ‘him the fol-

lowing oath:

“I, John Q. Citizen, do solemnly swear that I will bear true: faith and allegiance to the United States -of America; that I will serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies whomsoever; and that I will obey the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to the rules and Articles of War.” John is in the Army now. He has parted with his civilian status for a year and is.'a soldier subject to orders which ‘he must obey and to very strict martial law, if he does not obey. * He is now ready to be sent to an Army reception center. If he is well advised, he will ‘have left home with a small valise holding—at the most—a change of undearwear, a shirt, pajamas, toothpaste, shaving cream, razor and shoe polish.- ite io r As it will be a full month before

‘he draws his paycheck for $21, he

If John Q. is smart he won’t take along a dinner jacket, golf clubs and such.

will also be wise if he takes along some pocket money. This will serve him for purchase of things the Army does not supply—tobacco, chewing gum, candy, toothpaste, shaving cream and— beer. - Yes, in his off hours, the soldier may buy beer at the exchange at his Army post. .

, NEXT—Army clothes. : 7 ;

|

sion special use permits,

~ But all that was before the present situation developed. Until now, control of India and access to the Indian Ocean have. been merely a dream—albeit, a dream which the Muscovites have entertained for upward of. a century. Now it is possihle the dream may come true. It depends upon how much ‘Germany and Japan need Russia's help, active or passive, and how much trust Moscow places in the blandishments of Berlin and

Tokyo. Russia Bottled Up

What the Japanese are particularly stressing at Moscow is the futility of attempting to set up a really “new order” in present-day Russia, Most of her territory, it is pointed out, faces on the Arctic. To the East, West and South she is bottled up. Even if Turkey gave the Dardanelles to her as a present, she would still be bottled up. For the Mediterranean is and will continue to be sealed at both ends, regardless of the war's outcome, and the Baltic is closed and so is the Sea of. Japan. Why, then, Russia . is asked, doesn’t she smash her way Southward through British interests to the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean? In that way, Russia's “new order” would be assured because her territory would then extend from the Arctic on down through the temperate to the torrid zone.

Japan Knows What She Wants

Similarly, Tokyo argues, Japan's “new order” in Asia requires room to expand southward to the Tropics. But if she is to be secure in doing so, Russia must neutralize or evacu-

ate the territory east of Lake Baikal—or at least the maritime province, Vladivostok and Saghalin Island—leaving that region to Nippon. That Russia would abandon Vladivostok, however, is extremely doubtful—even for the promise of India. Likely enough, Japan knows she will not; probably Tokyo is horse-trading. What Japan does want, however, and must have before she commits herself to any major enterprise in the South Seas, is Russia’s positive. assurance of non-intervention—either directly or by’ extenive aid to the Chinese. This assurance Japan may get.

TRANSFER OF TITLE IS FOUND DIFFIGULT

LANSING, Mich. Nov. 14 (U, P.). —State officials recently discovered that transferring land titles from one state’ commission to another was more difficult than it appeared. The Mackinac Island Park Commission asked the Conservation Department’s land division to turn over to it 30 parcels of unimproved lands which had reverted to the state through tax = delinquency. The parcels were to be added to present park holdings. In scanning law books, however, the conservation department found no authority for such a transfer. Pending legislative action, the conservation department will retain ownership of the land, granting the Mackinac Island commis

®

Japan Now May, Reconsider Its Pact With Axis.

By REAR ADMIRAL YATES

STIRLING JR. (Written for. the United Press)

HE Axis campaign for control of the Mediterranean has received a major set-back. Apparently, the result will be: " Strengthening of the British blockade. There is evidence that both Germany and Italy already are short of oil, and that one reason for the Mediterranea n drive was to gain control of the Near East fields. Elimination of the Italian fleet as a factor in the war, If British planes can devastate the Italian Navy in its home bas-~ es, where it is protected by Admiral Stirling shore defenses, | it is obvious that these attaks will be continued. A weakening of the Italian Army in Africa, which was to play a leading part in the “Conquest of Egypt.” It must be munitioned from Italy proper, It cannot be munitioned if British sea and air supremacy is definitely -established. : A reaction in the Far East where, in my judgment, Japan will reconsider her ties with the Axis. The Japanese are not going to risk involvement in the Euro=pean conflict if an important part of the British fleet is to be freed for use in Asiatic waters. Had the Italians been supreme in the air, the British attack could not have taken place. It must be remembered, how=ever, that the Italian ships were at anchor when attacked. They were not on the opeh sea whera they could have been maneuvered. Whether Italy ewill choose to send her remaining ships to sea, where they could be maneuvered, during aerial attacks, is a question, If they go to sea they face superior British surface strength. If they remain in port they face néw aerial attacks. .

F. D. R. LINKS ROAD NEEDS TO DEFENSE

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 (U, PJ). President Roosevelt said today in a message to the 38th annual Amere« ican! Automobile Association cone vention that there is “immediate need” for improving the nation's highway system in the interest of national defense. He said the association “can give great assistance in the co-ordination of normal and military highway use.”

TEST YOUR - KNOWLEDGE

1—What is a perfect score in bowls

ing? 2—Which State is called “Keystone S te?” 4

the famous draft riots occur? 4—Another name for the Ten Come niandments in the 20th Chapter of Exodus is . .. ? 5—What does A. W, O. L. mean? 6—Which planet, Venus or Mars, more nearly resembles the earth? T—What is the name for the science of earthquake-phenomena?

Answers

1-300. 2— ylvania. 3—The War Between the States. 4—The Decalogue. 5—Absent without leave. 6—Venus. [1 T—Seismology.

ASK THE TIMES

Inclose a 3-cent stamp for reply when dre g any question of fact or information to The Indianapolis Times Washington Service Bureau, 1013 13th 8t, N. W., Washing=n, D. C. Legal and medical

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advice cannot be given nor can ctended research be under.

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