Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 12 December 1940 — Page 17

THURSDAY, DEC.

940

- Friend or Foe?

A NOTEWORTHY ITEM in the Battle of Britain is the extensive training required for identification of aircraft. Anti-aircraft gunners at first fired on everything that flew overhead. This, I suspect, is a hold= over from the peyerdlogiel complex of the little boy with a snowball sighting a high hat. But the humor, if any, in shooting and looking later is grim, Many flying men on both sides have been shot down by their own gunners. - The silhouet of aircraft is readily identifiable by the trained eye. But air eyes are- scarce in wartime. What there are of them ~ are working full time in the air forces. Then too, there is the nervous aerial gun trigger and the fiddling bomb-release fingers that

operate almost subsconsciously.

with the appearance of anything that looks- like a target. Single-seater fighting planes have shot down their own bombing planes, and bombers have fired in panicky haste on single-seaters assigned as their escorts. All these difficulties hinge on the fact that terrific speeds of modern airplanes have shortened the time interval between sighting, identification, and ac- * tion to an approximate flash operation, Furious clashes constantly occur between the airmen and their trigger-fingered anti-aircraft gunners, =

The Hearkers Club

One ‘attempt to solve this costly problem was to assign trained observers with each anti-aircraft battery. But the supply of peacetime- -trained observers was woefully deficient. . Civilians were therefore recruited and national instruction instituted, along with competitions in identifying various types of aircraft, friendly as well as hostile, Thus was created the Hearkers Clubs of England. “The clubs issue a first-rate certificate to the member who can correctly identify 100 silhouets of a total of 125 exhibited. A second-grade certificate is issued

Inside Indianapolis (4nd “Our Town’)

1T SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME YOU pick up the paper any more Indiana is getting a new defense project. Today’s hottest tip is that Indianapolis may get a new Navy bombsight plant. A special board already has looked over sites here, but just where the plant would be located is conjectural. Some insiders say it probably would be several miles from town and.not too close to the Allison motor plant. The estimated cost of the plant, according to our reports, is $10,000,000. . The Navy Board set up to recommend locations for five bombsight plants has made its report but the only person who can re- - lease it is President Roosevelt. In .a partial report some time back, : Macon, Ga., and Louisville, Ky. were recommended for plants. The other three locations still are. a mystery But our informants point out that with ammunition manufacturing plants, loading platforms, munitions dumps and a target range all around us in Indiana, this would be an ideal spot to make and test bombsights.

One Way to Cut Your Tax Rate

“IT MAY SOUND A LITTLE UNORTHODOX to you, but City officials. claim we can reduce the tax © load by saving cooking grease for the City garbage collector and no# burning cur garbage. It’s simple, just like this: The City operates a $2,000,000° disposal plant where’ garbage is converted into grease, vegetable oils, feed and fertilizer tankage. These commodities are sold at a fancy profit. So, the more garbage, particularly such as bacon fat, the more profit. And the more profit, the less taxes. Officials . have estimated that if the Collection Department got all the garbage which is burned or otherwise dis-

Washington

air after their third successive Presidential defeat, Republicans are asking each other what is wrong

with their party. Senator Vandenberg suggests that the party set up a group of experts to advise it. Maybe what the party needs is a brain trust. During the eight years of Roosevelt the Republicans have seemed, most of the time, to have more money than. brains. The Pittsburgh Press has been looking into this ’situation in + Pennsylvania. Republican state and local organizations and the campaign committees and volunteer clubs supporting the Republican candiates spent, according B to this survey, about $2,500,000 for , their ticket, which took .a rough : beating. paki, the Hatch Act. provides that a political party shall not spend more than $3,000,000 on a . Presidential campaign. Candidate Willkie didn’t even ‘want to run around this limit and spend more by feeding it through local groups. The Pennsylvania Democrats spent about $500,000, mostly in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. . Although the Pemoocrats were badly outspent by the Republicans, they ran away with the election, even returning Senator Joe Guffey, who was thought: to be in a shaky spot. 5

Pew Family Generous

It: wasn't that the rich Republicans didn’t do their duty. The . Pittsburgh Press compilation was that Joseph Pew, the party angel of Pennsylvania, and members of his family gave a total of $103,500 to 15 different political committees and in addition made loans aggregating $31,146 3liopether a tidy sum for the party cause, ' ‘In spite of the talk about curbing politic - penses, the total outlay in ns ig the Pittsburgh area, set a new. high record. About the time the Pittsburgh Press was adding

My Day

NEW YORK, Wednesday.—~We held a meeting yesterday of the committee for the national achieve“ment award of the Chi Omega. In the afternoon, I * hada Small tea for various people who have come

to Washington for one reason or another, and whom § I had not had an opportunity to see. . In the evening, I attended the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra concert which was, as always, refreshing to the soul. After that, I took the night train to New York City, so that I might have a full day here. My first official appearance will be at the sale for the , blind at 11 o’clock this morning. While I am talking about She sale for the blind, I think I might : mention an appeal which has : come to me from Helen Keller on “behalf of the American Rescue Ship Committee. This ship is to bring refugees from Lisbon, Portugal, to various safe ports on this side of the ocean. More directly in line with her work for the blind is a second appeal from Miss Keller, asking for. help for the institution for the Chinese blind. They, are trying to reoccupy- their school in Shanghal, Which

je (Ernie Pyle is en route to London),

To get a basis of com-

Led 1 Shik you it: like ¥pe one MEh at the beginning

‘By Maj. Al Williams

for for identification of 50 out-of a total of 63 silhouets. Third-grade rating is earned on identifying 25 of 31. The grading is reckoned on:a point system, and the silhouets, each shown on the screen for 20 seconds, are exhibited head-on, side view, and plain form (viewed from underneath). That's simple enough, with models and silhouets. But when it comes to distinguishing by sound between enemy planes and friefidly warcraft, then each man and woman becomes an expert in guessing—and sad to relate, is stubbornly convinced of the correctness of the guess. All aircraft set up their own distinctive noises as they. speed overhead. There's one sound for the engine and another for the propeller, and still another for the cases of some planes themselves.

Propeller Sounds

The experienced air ear can, I believe, identify familiar types by sound. Since,all modern aircraft use geared-down propellers (propellers turning slower than the engine to increase prop efficiency), the prop noises are reduced to hums, There are all sorts of complications. For instance, a .twin-engined plane with both props turning at the same speed: sets up a steady hum or pulsation. Let one of those props fall out of synchronization, and the pulsation sounds like an off beat. This same off beat can be effected by two or more single-engined planes whose props are turning nearly, but not quite at the same speed. From evidence unwittingly supplied by the British, it is evident that the German twin-engined bombers are deliberately setting their props at slightly varying speeds to create the impression that the hidden off beat is being made by two or more single-engined jobs. Undoubtedly the British have long since resorted to this simple trick when bombing German

targets. In 1938 the British Spitfire I saw being tested at Eastleigh Airport set up a sound very much like a factory whistle. (This is by no means a secret.) ‘And no matter whether one could see the plane or not, its identity was unmistakeable. The British at: that time were trying to eliminate the curious giveaway.

posed of in Indianapolis, the Sanitation Plant revenue would jump $50,000 a year. To show how much garbage is privately burned, winter collections when furnaces are going are just about one-fourth of summer collections. In the opinion of officials, it all boils down to more garbage, less taxes—and vice-versa,

So He Will Pay the Damages

A WELL-KNOWN contractor was driving down the street the other day. He stopped for a traffic sign. There was a loud crash as another car rammed

into the rear of his. He climbed out and learned that the other car was the property of a high State official. A slight argument developed over who was to pay the damages—and it ended in a draw. A few days later, contracts were awarded on a State bridge—and our hero was given the job. He has decided to drop the little matter of $78 damage.

About This and That—

SEEN AND HEARD AROUND TOWN: Ben Lawrence, Indianapolis Star general manager, on the Circle, agile despite serious injuries received in a recent auto accident but still using a cane. . . . Ben Claypool, the real estate man, leaving for southern Indiana, where he will represent the Government in acquiring 60,000 acres of land which the U. S. will use for a target range. . . . Jose Marchini of the Mexican Travel Bureau, explaining to Horace ¥. Hill III and W. A. Bunker that there is no reason why United States citizens shouldn't vacation in Mexico. All the revolution talk is the bunk, he says, bemoaning the fact basi | “bad publicity” has cut heavily into the trade. . . W. Palise, Claypool catering manager, opining that one more year of war will just about cut off the supply of foreign wines, and won't it be awful. . . . If you are a railroad fan and want to see the latest in streamlined trains, be down around the Union Station about 10 a. m. tomorrow. It's not supposed to be known, but the nation’s newest and reportedly fastest will be there,

By Riymond Clapper

up these political campaign contribution figures, thé Community Chest drive was falling far short. The Press makes rather sharp comment on the apathy of contributors. “There is no doubt,” says the Press, “that some citizens well able to subscribe are showing far less enthusiasm toward the Community Fund than they did when the political campaign contributions were being solicited. Those best able to help the Community Fund are also the ones who have been loudest in their demands that relief be turned back to local communities and that the Government cease infringing in what they construe to be local problems.”

Willkie Amateurs to Meet

A Pittsburgh friend sends in this bitter comment: “The politicians spent a half-million dollars in this county alone. .The Pew family gave over $100,000 to the G. O. P. campaign in the State. The Hatch: Act broke into a thousand pieces in this State. At the same time these big political donations were being reported the Community Fund drive fell down— partly because some rich Republicans wouldn’t give to the poor who elected Roosevelt. I think these circumstances throw some light on why Pennsylvania continues, Democratic.” Republicans are now talking over their troubles and the Willkie amateurs are meeting in New York this week to consider what they can do politically in the future. Let them look around and see what is going on. Hitler is butiering labor—let the Republicans read his speech to his workers this week. In England labor is advancing toward control at the next turn of the wheel. Roosevelt has made it his business throughout to cater to the mass voter. Only the Republican Party has failed te discover what was going on across the railroad tracks everywhere. It lost nearly every large city. in the country. While Roosevelt has gone out and lined up the help, the Republicans have made their the party of the boss in the front office. Rooseevlt was quite willing to, give the railroad president of the Republicans while he took the men who work for the railroad president. The Republicans let Roosevelt play them for a crowd of suckers.

This is the second in a series of articles : by Ludwell Denny in which he challenges the spreading conviction that we are once more headed inexorably down the road to war, In today’s installmen he tells of ‘the risks we run in creasing our aid to Britain,

VW ASHINGTON, Dec. 12. . —Whether we get in the war or stay out depends not on inevitable fate, but chiefly on decisions the

President is about to make.

Not that he, will deliberately decree war or no war. But he will take the next steps that lead to one or the other. As he once explained: “We can keep out of war if those who watch and decide have a sufficiently detailed understanding of international affairs to make certain that the small decisions

war.” Now that we are closer to war the decisions are larger, but it is still a step-by-step process. Britain is pleading with him, with us. Our “aid short of war” has not been sufficient for Britain to hold her own in the last two months, much less to overcome German air and under-sea superiority. So Britain begs not only for more’ and faster production, but

and Navy combat planes and de-

and navy convoys. This involves shorting our own unprepared fighting forces. It also involves sending our merchantmen and warships into possible action against Nazi hombers and subma-. rines. That Is what convoy means,

HE British argument in favor of such fateful steps by us is almost as well known to the American public as to Washington officials. It has been given wide publicity by certain American organizations and by many British speakers and writers.

According to that argument Britain is fighting our war. Therefore we must give her all aid required. It is to our selfish ade vantage to keep the actual fighting away from our shores. As long as she holds out we can sell or give her our Army and Navy planes and ships without real sacrifice, because thereby we are purchasing time—time in which to make America invulnerable.

Since Britain uses it against Hitler we can well afford to sell or give her our entire aviation and armament output, if necessary. For thus our war is waged sec-ond-hand and far away, while we build up productive capacity for eventual self-armament with more modern equipment. Although Britain may lose without the help she now requests of us, the argumenf continues, she cannot lose with -it. Even on the

FDR Weighs Risks in More Aid to British -

of each day do not lead toward !

for more of our existing Army"

stroyers, and for merchant ships.

off chance that she loses despite

such help, she will have slowed .

down. the Nazi aggressor sufciently to enable us to rearm with our expanded industry before we can be attacked across our ocean barrier.

HE dentocracies” cannot survive unless they stand together, we are warned. If the European democracies had moved together and in time, they could have defeated Hitler easily. Now that France is gone, Britain is alone. If we allow her to stand alone much longer Hitler will finish -her, Then it will be our turn. : .

U. 3. DEALS ON LAND OPTIONS

Negotiations Opened With Owners at Site for Arms Testing Grounds.

MADISON, Ind, Dec. 12 (U. P.). —Government agents today began taking options on‘farmland in the southernmost section of the 60,000 acre tract that will be the site of an army ordnance proving ground. The project site is 17 miles long and three to seven miles wide and spreads over Jefferson, and Ripley Counties. Within it are a dozen towns, a half dozen churches and schools and nearly 500 occupied farms. After construction of an airport, storage quarters and an administration building, the Government plans to use’ the tract for testing tanks, big guns and ammunition.

terday to deal with land owners: Options will be forwarded to Washington for approval. Farmers will have 30 days to vacate their property after approval of the options. In Madison it was reported that a few local men had been given

“| positions for preliminary work on

. By Eleanor Roosevelt

war conditions. If you can send something through Miss Keller, she will be grateful for a contribution to either or both of these interests. I have just received a notice about the Christmas cards being sold by Parents’ Magazine. Eight-five per cent of the costiof these cards goes into a fund for needy children, sponsored by the magazine. This fund distributes the money thus raised to charitable organizations throughout the country and renders outstanding service to children in need. ‘This is a way in which you can buy something almost all of us need and, at the same time, do something for unfortunate little children at this time of the year, when they should be uppermost in our minds. Christmas is the feast for little children, instituted because of the birth of a little child many years ago. More in sorrow than in anger, someone called 2 my attention the fact that I had said a great d about a book called “Happy Days in Czechoslovakia,” but had never mentioned another book called “Jenik and Marenka” by Zdena Trinka. I hastened to acquire the book and I hope that many other people will do likewise, for it is delightful reading. I think children will enjoy it ally. The {llustrations are not quite as attractive or as distinctive as are those dor.e by Mr. Yurka Bures in the other book,

the project. The Army announced earlier that some 800 civilians would be employed in construction of the proving ground.

Bandit Routed By Brave Front " SPRINGFIELD, Mo, (U. P)—A bandit walked into

R. W. Puggitt’s filling station, pointed a gun at Puggitt and his

of the cash register. Fuggitt puffed his pipe and shook his head. The handit repeated his demand, and accented Rah 5 Shot from the gun, The bullet’ was imbedded in the counter near Fuggitt, but the filling station operator showed no

concern. : Instead he mentioned easually that a state highway patrol car “Was a into the driveway. The bandit fled, although there wasn't a car in sight. admitted

Jennings ]

Agents moved into the field yes-|.

Dec. 12 |

wife and demanded the contents |

sg

It's Slightly Daffy—T his Christmas Shopping Rush

By JOE COLLIER

IN ‘GENERAL and by and large—also, in round numbers— you- can put it down that all the

Indianapolis Christmas shoppers, and clerks; add up to one vast,

collective screwball. This was learned from usually suthoritative. sources today, and is documented, to wit: a & 0» A new‘elerk in a downtown det store kept going to the cash register when she apparently was not busy at the moment, and ringing up “No Sale.” She did this off and on for the better part of her first day when some. one in authority noticed it and asked her, politely, what in the name of heaven she was doing. Why; » she said, a trifle wideeyed, “I'm ringing up when I don’t sell a customer.” 2 = 8

A WOMAN CALLED, rather breathlessly, the bridal bureau of

_ one of the stores and said:

“I've made up my mind to get married during the holidays. A Christmas wedding, you. know. ‘Now what I want to ask about is this. Would it be proper for my son to give me away?”

cided they would go first to the second floor of a store, and then did about the worst thing they could have done to further their plans. They chose down escalator. .

ALL WOMEN, it seems fo “the

gents’ furnishing people, believe |

their menfolk the athletic Be mama, for instance, cided to buy a new suit for (sight unseen to papa), she

about the department and selects

a- tall and handsome clerk. He's “about that gize,” she will |

partment was having an exasper-

«took her job in her hands.

Gifts on Way to

America: about Jan. 20 and was]

the crew.

: we President Roosevelt vos ponders fateful desisions,

‘There, is Mo real choice: eter war ‘and peace, the argument continues.’ The only choice js between , fighting Hitler now through Britain, or fighting him

after. he ‘has defeated : Britain— and taken ‘over her .sea power. Thus the danger of our involvement is ‘not in acting but in waiting. If we give Britain our planes, destroyers, - merchant ships and convoys now, we shall not need to be drawn in. But if we wait, we run the risk of getting in after it is too late. Such is the contention of the British.

weighs 110 pounds and is a foot shorter. This bottle neck was cured the other day. A clerk, who was five feet eight inches tall and weighed 144 pounds, was talking to a woman customer. “ll try it on,” he said, “and you can get an idea.” “Why,” she said, my husband is six feet tall.” “So am I,” he said. “But he weighs 210 pounds.” “Funny thing,” he said, weigh 211 pounds.” The sale was made and the woman reported later it was a perfect fit.

“1

” : » 2 A saleswoman in the hat de-

ating time with a customer who was not only trying on a lot of

hats, but who also was unpleasant about it. In a particularly nasty tone she held out one hat and said: i “I wouldn't wear THAT fo a

dog fight.” The clerk was wild by then and

“Oh. I'll see what I have. I didn’t know you wanted it for a dog fight.”

Pole Explorers

SEATTLE, Dec. 12 (U, P.). — The motorship North Star is en route to Little America to deliver mail and Christmas gifts and pick: up’ 58 members of Admiral Riche" ard E. Byrd's South Polar expedition. - Capt. Isak Lystad said the ves-

sel, property of the Bureau of In dian Affairs, will arrive in Little )

expected to return about April 1. Extra precautions were taken to insure a safe voyage. Capt. E. L. Bush, a Bureau of Indian Affairs veteran, will serve as ice pilot. Twenty other seamen comprised

Et i te

> lie

Honolulu to refuel. From there Fiji

UT the President is’ not {move ing as fast as they had ex-

pected, and as they still hope. For many reasons Mr. Roosevelt

hesitates, despite his proved loy-

alty to the British and his. hatred of Hitler, As President of the United States— He thinks first of America, as Prime Minister Churchill thinks first of Britain. He holds third-term office on repeated election pledges that he will keep us out of war unless we are attacked. : e knows better than the pubhat our danger is greater in

FOES OF BRIDGE SCANNEXT STEP

Motor Club, C. of C. and Farm Bureau to. Decide Whether to Drop Suit.

Opponents of the purchase of the New Harmony toll bridge by the Indiana Toll Bridge Commission will make a decision next week on whether to drop or carry out the

suit filed in Superior Court here|’

against the transaction. Members of the Bridge Commission yesterday asked William Book, vice president of the Chamber, of Commerce, and Todd Stoops, secre-

tary of the Hoosier Motor Club, two |

of the sponsors of the suit, to with-

draw it. They contended that the bridge purchase price of $945,000 was fair and that the suit was unjustified Mr. Book and Mr. Stoops said they would make a decision on the matter as soon as Anson Thomas, legislative representative of the Indiana Farm Bureau, the third backer of the suit, returned from the American Farm Bureau meeting in Washington. Commission members were informed yesterday by representatives of two Chic#go bonding firms, which were scheduled to buy a $1,050,000 bond issue to provide funds for purchase of the bridge, that they would not go through with the transaction as long as the suit was pend-

ing. They gave the commission un-| . til Dec. 24 to get the matter “cleared

If the suit is not withdrawn, commission members will seek an early hearing on tne case in an effort to get a decision before the deadline. of the suit contend that

the purchase price is excessive since |:

out of 407000. Those. Tevoring

since th of over een yom for itself in 10. years.

MEDICAL SCHOOLS DI:CREASE

AMEN

C3 »

the Pacific than in Europe.

¢# He knows how unprepared we

are to risk war now.

He knows that Britain, though desperate, still has Suough power for a negotiated pea He knows that ith or without such limited aid as we have to give, a British gamble on a knockout may destroy Britain Anstesd of Hitler. He knows that false hopes o decisive American aid may lead . Britain to her doom and endanger * us.

NEXT—The President - Looks Beford He Leaps.

Sahm Bequech: : Exceed $173,000

THE WILL of Albert Sahm, former Indianapolis postmagiet who died Dec. 4, was filed in Probate Court yesterday and dL Sed . bequests in excess of $173,000

A life interest in the residence ‘at 3725 N. Delaware St.; life insur= ance and $43,250 was left to his his daughter, Miss Josephine I Sahm. Three other children, Roy Sahm, Mrs. A. L. Marshall and Mrs. A, A. Smock, all of Indianapolis, eati} received. bequests of $43,250 and equal” shares in the residence’ 2d they survive Miss Sahm 1 The will also provided: for - ment of inheritance taxes and: insurance payments on. 20-y ; endowments for each ‘of grandchildren. 3

1—What are goober peas? : ; 2—Germany, Great Britain Jon France lost the largest number a naval vessels during World 1 3—What was the real name: of it “author who used the penAnatole France? i 4—What system of weights - measures is used in’ France : 5—Did Delilah cut Samson's | 1 herself? : 6—President ‘Theodore R 0 coined a phrase to charac radical reformers and {fa who sulked, or voted for oe position when they failed to get the whole reform for Whit 8

BA i a EE Bl SL es a