Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 14 November 1940 — Page 20

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> RILEY 5551

Give Light ond the People Will Find Thelr Own Way THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1040

Maryland St.

Member of United Press, Scripps-Howard Newspaper Alliance, A Service, and Audit Bureau of Circulation.

i MEMO TO THE G. O. P.. ee REPUBLICANS in this state face a very great temptation and a very great danger. They can, through control of the Legislature, strip the Governor of many of the powers given him under the Reorganization Act. They can rip the Act apart and lay hands on all manner of patronage, a procedure which would be cheered by a great body of job-starved Republicans. They can gut the Merit System up to a certain point, but probably not completely because of Federal requirements in those departments receiving partial aid from the government. The temptation to do some or all of these things will be great, The pressure for jobs will be terrific. The situation is much the same as! turning a shiny, new 165-horsepower . automobile over to a youngster on a four-lane highway and . cautioning him not to go over 20 m. p. h. But if the Republicans have any concern over the future of the party, they will be wise to put a governor on their natural impulses. If they don’t they can kiss their "hopes for 1944 goodbye. If they demonstrate they can manage state affairs creditably, they can enhance their

reputations. |

THE MYSTERY OF MOLOTOV N unremarkable little Russian with pinch-nose glasses and a careless mustache, a man whose monotonous voice is disfigured by a vdney to stammer, has been talking in Berlin with Adolf Hitler. : : This is Vyacheslav M. Molotov (born Scriabin), Prime Minister and Foreign Commissar of Soviet Russia. If he were to apply in Hollywood for the role of a revolutionary, or of a master at power politics, or of understudy to such a dictator as Stalin, he wouldn’t get past the casting director’s fourth assistant. But Berlin isn’t Hollywood. There is no telling when we will learn what Molotov’s errand was, or what its outcome. But it isn’t likely that ‘he and his entourage of 32 went to Germany for a rest cure. But what did they talk about? : An exchange of goods, perhaps? That would hardly have required Mr. Molotov’s unaccustomed pilgrimage. A Russo-Japanese agreement, to safeguard Japan's back door in northern | Asia and release her energies fully for enterprises in the|South Seas? be a remarkable piece of paper indeed that dissipates the ancient distrust between Moscow and Tokyo. The Balkans? Here is a problem worthy of the mettle of two such modern Machiavellis as met in Berlin. Germany wants the Balkans for herself. Her partner, Italy, wants at least a share of them. Russia, which helped to liberate the Balkans from the Sultans, and which is bound by Slavic kinship to the peoples of Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, would find it difficult to throw them to the wolves. : Perhaps the Kremlin might be willing to rise above sentiment, but there are more practical considerations:

Hitler, like the Kaiser before him, wants the Darda- |

nelles—the way station jon the Berlin-to-Bagdad path of empire. Would Russia, which also has always coveted the Dardanelles, amiably permit Germany to overrun the Balkans and plant her legions at the gate of Turkey? The idea seems fantastic. : But then, after what happened at Brest-Litovsk in 1918, and at Moscow in August, 1939, the fantastic cannot be ruled out entirely. i"

| 1 I |

LABOR’S OPPORTYNITY

HERE has never been a more opportune time for organized labor to consolidate its gains, and indications are that responsible labor leaders are preparing to make the most of it. : At the New Qreint meeting of the A. F. of L., David Dubinsky of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers will lead a fight to expel racketeers and other criminals from affiliated unions, and his chances for success are reported to be i good. At the C. I. O. convention in Atlantic City next week - John L. Lewis is scheduled to step down from the leadership. No one who knows him doubts that Mr. Lewis will carry through on his pre-election promise. He has been a strong and honest leader, but it is no secret that his abdication will immeasurably improve the prospects for peace between the A. F. of L. and the C. I. O. In the flush of an election victory and with the accelerated tempo of re-employment accompanying industry’s armament drive, organized labor has an opportunity which it surely will not fumble—an opportunity to clean out the

racketeering minority, to reorganize, to reunite.

HELPING TO UNITE THE AMERICAS

WORLD events more than ever accent the importance and purpose of the Maria Moors ‘Cabot prizes, gold medals and honorariums of $1000 each, awarded by Columbia University on the nomination of its Graduate School of Journalism for distinguished journalistic services in advancing “sympathetic understaj ding among the peoples of South, Central and North America.” : This year’s four awards, announced this week, go to Agustin Edwards, publisher of El Mercurio of Santiago, Chile; James I. Miller, vice president of the United Press, in charge of South ry ; Enrique Santos of the editorial staff of El Tiémpo, leading newspaper in Bogota, Colombia, and Rafael Heliodoro Valle, Mexican journalist and professor. The donor of these prizes, Dr. Godfrey Lowell Cabot of Boston, must have been gifted with special foresight when he arranged in 1938 to have the awards begin in 1939. No

less wise than generous is his promise to renew them for

a third year, Freedom in the Western Hemisphere can have no big- - ger, better defender than a free press mobilizing public opinion all over the Americas in the service of the same jdeals and the same never-to-be sugrendered liberties.

Perhaps—but it will |

a asia

Fair Enough By Westbrook Pegler

Some Reflections On the Queer Mixture of Alliances That Existed ~ On Both Sides During the Campaign.

EW YORK, Nov. 14.—The collaboration eof Harold Ickes and Harry Hopkins with Kelly and Hague in the late campaign of the party of humanity has been noted and approved by a slight plurality, along with the mutuality of Fiorella La Guardia and the ence abhorrent Mr. Flynn. These associations were equally embarrassing to all concerned, and the Little Flower's shame was such that in a moment of angry self-tveproach he snatched his own conscience by the neck-tie and tried to throttle the small, still voice. Yet, for the record, it should be noted that there were other alliances hardly less incongruous and that we seem to be developing here, in our two-party system, a condition somewhat like that which existed in France until Hitler came along and “unified” that race. . Of those who favored the candidacy of Wendell Willkie this voter, at least, has come to realize since the campaign ended that he found himself yanking at the covers in the company of some types with

. whom he would not be found dead, much less in

bed. It was unpleasant to receive letters of encouragement from smug and stuffy individuals who obviously never did a lick of work in their lives and have strong ideas about the lower classes, indorsing my work “against unions.” : # s # NE crazy man who reads Hitler and Streicher, and doubtless sleeps with a gun under his pllow, wrote to warn me of some foul international plot against my life and to assure me that my assassination would be avenged by the knights of some secret order. I had given no indication of any sympathy with his hallucinations, but he was against Roosevelt as a “tool” of the devils who dance in his own head, and therefore favored Roosevelt's opponents, including me. . But the lines crossed a £ in a great tangle of confused gnimosities d purposes which must have placed many others in very uncomfortable society. : « Several Cgtholic clergymen came out for Willkie, and thus found themselves on the same side with John L. Lewis, who, unquestionably, now, as before, has the support of the Communist element in the C. I. O. If the Communists voted for Willkie th were ingrates, for they owed much to the New Deal, and if they didn’t they let down the man who is and has been their man in the American labor movement, although he is not a Communist but only a free-style dictator himself.

oO" the Roosevelt side there were strong supporters who had defended Lewis against the charge of dictatorship and association with the Boles, but now denounced him and hollered loud that the Communists were for Willkie because Lewis was. It was not pleasant to be on John L. Lewis’ side, for my suspicions have been confirmed since, namely, that he had to go with the Communists who are his strength, who were quitting Roosevelt because the President armed for war or defense, contrary to the party line from Moscow. Then, in New York, we discovered on the platform at one of the President’s rallies Mr. Generoso Pope, the publisher of the ripest and most profitable Italian press in the United States, a political padrone of the Italian Duce over thousands of Americans of Italian descent, and one who has worn with juvenile pride the honors received from the commander in chief of the fearless invincibles of Guadalajara and Greece. Mr. Pope is a Tammany man, as well as a Mussolini man, and in a terrible hour he found it necessary to indorse for a third term the man who accused his Duce of stabbing a stricken neighbor in the back. Su is going to take some time to comb ourselves out.

Business

By John T. Flynn

Can Inflation Be Stopped? Yes, Says Morgenthau, But Wall St. Disagrees.

EW YORK, Nov. 14 —The Secretary of the Treasury thinks the Government can prevent tion even with another huge boost te the program. Wall Street seems to think otherwise. This is the explanation of the stock rise. It is not so much an expectation of higher profit as of a rush into equities and a rush of speculators to buy now and sell later. The question, then, is which of these authorities is right—Mr. Morgenthau or Wall Street? Mr. Morgenthau thinks the inflation can be restrained by taxing profits and by Government control of prices. He thinks that as business rises under the impact of the war program we can reduce the borrowing. Later he thinks : we can begin to pay off the debt. First, let me repeat what I have said so often here. Inflation has been inevitable since we got well into the borrowing program. Many seem to think that the predictions of inflation have failed. This is because they misunderstand the meaning of the word inflation. They are unwilling to apply the word ta any condition less than an orgy such as occurred in Germany. We have price levels now which, while not very high, are nevertheless artificial, maintained by inflation, a mild inflation created by Government creation of purchasing power.

What speculators look to see is more of this inflation—not crazy, insane, runaway inflation, but a more marked expansion of purchasing power and price increases as a result of the huge defense program. It is a mistake to suppose that the inflation consists in price increases. That is not inflation; that is one of the inevitable consequences of inflation. That is why it is a mistake to suppose that we can inflate and keep prices down or that we can prevent inflation by keeping prices down. The inflation consists in the creation of artificial purchasing power, either by vast government issuance of money or vast government borrowing.

8 . »

ad we put the purchasing power in the hands of the people, that purchasing power will dp its work on prices. And no democratic government can effectively check it. To check price rises requires a dictatorial, inquisitive and ruthless government. And we do not have such a government. The pressures on. price rises exert themselves in many places, and as soon as they affect one commodity or one kind of labor, like pressure of one drop of water in a bucket, the pressure is communicated ot eevry other commodity and worker. Mr. Morgenthau cannot control prices. They can be controlled somewhat, but only somewhat, when Inaauionary purchasing power is being exerted against em. This control will be made all the more difficult if the Government takes us into a war which is not called a war; if we do all the things in the way of preparation and aid to England which we would do if we went to war, yet actually, by not sending an army at once, maintain that we are not at war. The psychological basis for exerting drastic controls will be missing. Speculators believe this—and they are right. That is what has sent them inte the market after stocks.

So They Say—

IF CAPITALISM, even under strain, leaves education in the lurch, it loses one of its own credits and increases its own danger.—Dr. Dixon Ryan Fox, president, Union College, urging greater endewments. ® » *

WE'VE GOT TO say where we stand in the world. About all we have in common now is our desire for comfort.—Herbert Agar, editor, Louisville CourierJournali ei. -

you : WOULDN'T LET PAL DOWN AT ATIME Like Q Pas wous OE \

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The Hoosier Forum:

I wholly disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.—Voltaire.

HOPE OF DEMOCRACY RESTS IN EDUCATION By Curious

I wrote this before the election of Nov. 5th. .The continued democracy of this country does not depend on the coming national election, or any after it. It is only through the education of the masses of the people that democratic government can be successful. We must cultivate intellectual curiosity, demand freedom of investigation and debate in truth and grow through experience. This Latin phrase on the seal of Indiana University is and will continue to be well known to Wendell L. Willkie, the leader of the cooperative and constructive - opposition: Lux et Veritas — Light and Truth. o ”

TAKES A SLAM AT BOOK ON CAPITALISM By W. H. Edwards, Spencer, Ind. Now that the election is over and many people are getting back their sanity, possibly some comments may be in order from one who puts the national welfare above party fanaticism. Aside from the bitterness stirred up, this campaign has been a liberal education to many people whose minds were seeking the grains of truth out of the mass of chaff that flooded the country. One of the candidates referred several times to a book, “Capitalism, the Creator.” Few people knew anything about the contents of that book until near the close of the campaign. But the sales of that book must have jumped rapidly near the first days of November, How any man or woman with any leanings at. all toward so-called liberalism could brag on the text proclaimed therein is more than I can understand. . The author of that book proclaims the view that only by the concentration of capital in the hands of the few can there be any hopes of continued prosperity, and he seemingly pretends that the powerful ones who have control of capital should have a free rein, without hindrance of government.

This writer is opposed to the

(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.)

destruction of our capital structure, but holds the view that capitalism should be the servant, not the master of the people. It is true that capitalism can be a creator of employment and presperity, It is also true that, wrongly managed, as it has been in much of the past, it can be destruetive of enterprise, of hope, of employment. Much that has been attained toward the American way of life had its foundation in the Constitution of the United States, yet one of that document’s most vital provisions, the one about money, is ignored by both of the leading parties. Why? It would dethrone the money trust and clear the highway of progress of all obstructions. ; :

” 2 » HOPES THE UNEMPLOYED WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN By Ernest Morton, General Secretary, Indianapolis Lecal G-440, Workers Alliance of America > : The 1940 political campaign is over. For some four months we have discussed local, state and national issues both pro and con. Some have displayed strong and bitter partisanship. We have voted for those candidates whom we thought best qualified as leaders. Some of us have lost our votes and some have not. We voted as we thought best. a : The principal issue concerned. the preservation of American democracy which means rule by majority. We urge that we now all work together with and for the newly elected officials that America may truly be a democracy for all Americans in truth as well as in name. In doing

Side Glances—By Galbraith

“Il don't care if he is only three months old—no son of mine is goipg to wear dresses!" :

so let’s not forget the 10 million unemployed workers. They are the potential breadearners for 45 million people, who are Americans in every sense. They have for 10 years been denied the right to employ their physical and mental talents to the end that they hight achieve an American standard of living, which is a direct violation of all civil rights. Let's all work together, looking forward to the time when these conditions will have ended and that our free America will be a country for all Americans.

5 8 ® ‘LEAVES ME COLD, HE SAYS OF WILLKIE'S TALK By Bolting Back To me Mr, Willkie's speech was neither fish, nor flesh nor good red herring. I do not confess to more than average intelligence and yet the leader

“loyal opposition” to do. ident of all the people.

its historic role of opposition. Well, I supported Willkie and was sorry he got licked but to me being in opposition can only mean more of the same sort of thing that’s been going on in this country for the last seven years without doing any of us any good. . I wish Mr.| Willkie could have been more specific. :

» ” ” DOUBTS MR. WILLKIE’S DESIRE FOR HARMONY By Disappointed I am woefully disappointed that Mr. ‘Willkie did not indicate that he would be willing to take a place in the Roosevelt government. , , . Only that way could we truly have the kind of unity that he urges and yet, apparently, is not willing te do anything to accomplish. ” ~ o ‘WEASEL WORDS,’ HE TERMS WILLKIE SPEECH By New Dealer Windy Willkie has shown himself in his true colors. His speech the other night plainly ‘shows that “he can’t take it.” He got_defeated in a fair fight but instead of accepting the verdict like a real American he gets off a lot of weasel words that showed very plainly that he iseg@ing to be “agin” everything that Roosevelt tries and expects his followers to do likewise. It would have been better for him if he had never spoken.

FRIENDS AND FLOWERS By ANNA E. YOUNG

Friends and flowers are kindred things Richness in possession each one brings, Some by their fragrance—ease all care “ Others so refreshing—by just—being there!

The world would be desolate

with- | out any flowers :

.|To cheer weary souls and banish

dark hours ’ But what of a, world—the Sage contends i :

n What could it be—devoid of friends!

DAILY THOUGHT

How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!—II Samuel 1:27. :

A GREAT WAR leaves the country with three armies—an army of cripples, an army of mourners and

of the Republican Party leaves me| cold as to what he expects the|:

THURSDAY, NOV. 14, 1640 | Gen. Johnson Says— LL

Inflation Starts in Items in Which We Have a Shortage and Can Be

Checked by a System of Priorities

ASHINGTON, Nov, 14.—Perhaps this is again twanging the harp with one string, but here goes a third piece on inflation, high prices due to the nearness of war and this Government's gigantic rearmament, If the upward price swing usual in such cases is permitted, it could double or treble the cost of the war to the Government. Consid‘ering the very high debt with

which we start, that cduld bank-

rupt the United States. I don’t like to clutter up a column with figures, but it is absolutely necessary that our people understand this subject, The fol lowing "little table shows exactly what inflation did to war costs to “all belligerents in the World Wat. It compares what; the war would have cost all if the 1913 purchasing power of the dol-

i| lar had remained unchanged, or exactly how inflatioh '| worked to multiply war costs. Sed

Direct Cost Direet Cost = Ratio Country in Currency in “1913” ‘Per Cent United States. .$26,593,000,000 $12,212,000,000 -* «217 Associated Or Powers except YU. 8..0nie 78,528,000,000 Central Powers 41,774,000,000 Total for all Belligerents 146,895,000,000

21,269,000,000 369 12,428,000,000 336 .45,899,000,000 = 320

| TH: is the evil we must avoid this time, Nothing

Government can do in raising taxes or cutting expenses can have a fraction of the effect to “pay as we go” and reducg the burden of war on everybody ‘compared to what"it can do to prevent this curse. Remember, I am-talking not merely about the ine ‘creased cost of raising the armed forces. Many times more billions of increased cost may have to be paid by Americans for the necessities of life. How can it be prevented? There are several irie direct aids and one very direct control. Inflation starts with the development of shortages in various flelds. In war, price is no deterrent. Defense ma terial must be had. So frantic.bidding begins. It must be stopped before it starts, or not at all,

Since shortage in the face of desperate needs is the

cause, that is where the cure lies, The first aid is a system of “priorities.” This means simply that some steering committee lists the most urgent needs and says to all suppliers: “These needs come first. Regarde less of any higher price offered, you mustn't supply anybody else until these are satisfied, except with our consent in case of hardship.” - This goes far to pre vent inflationary bidding.

SECOND aid is increased production of the shorte age items, even at the expense of less necessitous

demands, such things as shifting plants, supplies, mae °

chine tools and other machinery, and subsidizing high-cost domestic production of shortage items such as chromium and other alloys.

A third aid is “substitution,” such as the use of -

glass and black sheets instead of tin for containers, A fourth is “conservation”—standardization of types and designs, prevention of all kinds of waste, salvage and restriction of civilian use of shortage items except where absolutely necesary . A fifth is voluntary ree duction of civilian consumption by frugality drives, which can be very effective. . Finally, if necessary, it is quite practicable simply to make it unlawful for prices to rise above those ot some certain day except, in particular cases of hardship, with the consent of a price stabilizing commission. This is an extreme measure, but we should not shrink from it if this deadly spiral ever starts. I do not mean to suggest that we yet need to do any of these things. But we must all understand the disease and be prepared loyally to support these proved cures if ever the necessity arises.

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

ERNARD DE VOTO, the Easy Chalr editor of

Harper's magazine, sounds as if he were sitting on a hot spot. By no strength of imagination can we, surmise that the Easy Chair is easy, if his No-

vember diatribe offers any proof. Mr. De Voto ace

cuses a certain Michigan critic of being sunk in a coma of fear. How does he arrive at this conclusion? Because the critic says he is a little tired of the stream of hyse terical outbursts emanating from the regions where Mr. De Voto resides. And this, it seems, is the crime of the century. When an Amer= ican living outside of New York, Washington, Boston, or Norfolk, suggests that maybe things won't be as bad as Mr. Lippmann and Miss Thompson, and prophesy, the hair fairly flies. spoken, and who are we to question them? ° Mr. De Voto screams that the world is on fire. He says we ought to have little slogans of warming put up at intervals on every highway. Every radio program should hammer alarms into our ears; they

should leap at us from billboards and blare at us -

from sound trucks. He sums it all up in these words: “What ought they to.say? . Simple, elementary, readily understandable things, “The things you dread most (to hear and deny most vehemently, - Just that the world is on fire. That America will be burned up unless you come awake and do something. That time is passing. That the quiet of your home town is the quiet of a slumber that is settling toward the .quiet of death.” Eid Eloquent, isn’t it? But Mr. D@: Voto fails to tell us what we shall do. He refrains from sétting down the simple, elementary things. Yet he could have expressed in one sentence what it:took him three and a half pages to say if he had been as forthright his critie. He would then have written: “We mus¥Wimmediately declare war against Germany.” | Those are simple words, and readily understand able. For this is the meaning behind all such verbal

” .

‘outbursts. American troops must fight again on the continent of Europe. ] “There's a great fire raging.” Get in or we perish. If the Easy Chair editor had himself spoken in simple, truthful terms, those are>the words he would have set down. And those plain words would receive from the American people a plain reply—“Yes or No.” ® | Watching Your Health By Jane Stafford WORLD-WIDE epidemic of influenza this winter A." is expected by many eminent health and medical authorities. Some Have gone so far as set the date, in off-the-record conversation, for bruary, 1941, Influenza epidemics seem to travel in cycles and since the end of the last century, the| big epidemics. have come in 25-year cycles, it is pointed out. The last of these big epidemics was in 1918, during the close of the world war then raging. 22 years ago and most of the world is again at war. With the stage setting of war and the sslendar both pointing to a major epidemic this win one is naturally asking, What can be done to control the epidemic? . . . :

When you ask that question of any doctor or public health authority, he shakes his head sadly and glumly answers something like the following: “We are in no better position now than in: 1918 to stop the spread of influenza. Influenza spreads directly from person to person, probably in the droplets of molsure exhaled with the breath, so during an epidemic it is wise to avold crowds: * If you get influenza, stay at home in bed until your doctor says you are fully recovered. Influenza paves the way for other respiratory infections, notably pneumania. It was pneumonia that did most of the killing in the 1918 epidemic.” , Then the doctor's face brightens, Pneum no longer the dreaded killer that it was in 191 pneumonia serums and the chemical remedie § are

nia 1s Anti

an army of thieves—German Pro-|

pyridine and sulfathiazole

, De Voto The oracles have

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