Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 14 December 1940 — Page 7
‘SATURDAY, DEC. 14,
940
The Generals
5 WASHINGTON, Dec. 14—Don’t worry too mucin about those five Italian generals who were taken
_ prisoner by the British in Egypt. The rules of warfare give generals all the breaks, and Sig. Mussolini's capiured oficers probably will be able to live in all . the style to which they are accustomed. : The rules of land warfare, which usually apply in such matters, provide in the matter of pay, ~ for instance, that officers taken prisoner shall receive the same pay as officers of the corresponding rank in the country in which they are detained. The Italian government, of course, would be expected to geimE burse the British after the war. In .order to assure service in Gen. Wilson camps where officers are held, the rules provide that soldiers of the same army who are prisoners of war, and who speak the same language, shall be assigned to these officers. The officers’ rank and age is to be considered, and "80, In the case of generals, this would seem to command a goodly number of lackeys.
They Eat Well, Too
No ordinary table must be set for the generals, cither. The rules here stipulate that management of the mess by the officers themselves shotild be faciliated in every way. Even if officers’ conduct during imprisonment de‘mands disciplinary action, they're not to be pushed about as ordinary fighting men. If such disciplinary action involves - deprivation of liberty, officers must not be tossed into the same quairters with non-com-missioried ‘men or privates.
(Ernie Pyle has reached Lisbon on his way to London.)
Inside Indianapolis (And “Our Town")
PROFILE OF THE WEEK: Michael Francis Morrissey, this: town’s No. 1 policeman, (who in 1942) will complete 20 years’ service on the force and could then, if he wants to, retire on penison at the ripe old age of 44. There has been a lot said and written about Police Chief Mike - Morrissey, pro and con, but not all of it accurate. Mike Morrissey is 5 feet, 9'; sjnches tall (on the record), weighs about 160, and keeps in good physical trim, despite some trouble:a couple of years back with stomach ulcers. ? He has a fair complexion and freckles. He has blue eyes that look directly at you when he is talking with you. His hair is a sandy-red and it is growing awfully thin on top. And this happens to be a sensitive topic to the “red head.”. He became chief after he had been on the force only nine years. He has held the job nine years and that’s another record—ifor longevity in that job.
Staged One-Man Raids
CHIEF MORRISSEY is an aggressive, energetic young man with a forceful personality and it has made him his share of both friends and enemies. His career as a policeman has been a sensational one. Originally a Big Four switchman, he joined the police force after being idle because of a strike. He started out as a garage mechanic's helper and then moved into traffic. As a motorcycle cop, he drove with a daring he probably would not countenance in any of his officers today. In 1930, when Mayor Sullivan first took office Jerry Kinney became chief and Mike Morrissey a lieutenant in charge of the gambling squad. Mike won a lot of commendation for the raids he staged, some of them spectacular one-man affairs.
Washington
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14.—Some of the things Lord Lothian said in his final address ought not be dismissed as British propaganda. His diagnosis of the situation of the United States is quite similar to that Which our own officials make, but which they hesitate to spell out publicly, aithough they may feel it advisable to do so shortly. The necessity may arise because defense is lagging and because there is no sense of emergency in the country. A businessman from the Middle West is alarmed at the complacent attitude which he finds, with defense plants working only five days a week, leaving machinery idle the other two days. One plant closed down so everyone could go hunting at the opening of the deer season. This while some high officials here are pri- - vately urging that defense be pushed at war speed because of the attempt Hitler is expected to make to knock Britain out about three months from now. Lothian, who was in favor of appeasing Hitler until after Munich, said that if Hitler can destroy Brittain he will have won the basis of world domination. He was one of those who thought that Hitler would be reasonable and that Britain had nothing to fear {from him. But in his last public statement he warned that the danger of a Hitler victory concerns the United States almost as much ‘as it does Britain.
Defenseless South America
“Your security no less than ours depends upon our holding the Atlantic impregnably and you the Pacific, If one of the two navies fails, the unity of the Brit ish Commonwealth begins to disappear, control of the trade routes begins to pass to the Axis powers and those controlling bastions of sea power which now keep war away from America become the jumping-off points from which it can be menaced.” . American officials do not think in terms of military attack upon the United States, but of attempts to dominate South America, which one of them said was as defenseless as a baby, and of attempts oy Japan to take complete contrel throughout the western Pacific.
My Day
WASHINGTON, Friday.—On reaching the sale for the blind yesterday, it was a shock to learn of Lord Lothian’s ‘death. As an Ambassador he has had a peculiarly difficult position in a very trying time and ‘ it is no wonder that his health suffered. It is sad that at the present time his services should be taken from his country. A raffia doll, which was to be presented to me at the sale for the blind by the English consul, was given to me instead by Mrs. Straus. I was interested in this new idea, which seems to be something every gardener will enjoy. I thought there were a number of new ideas for gifts. The blind workers who were plying their trades were interesting to watch. I was fascinated by the worker ; who was dipping bayberry candles. His hands moved with such precision and the work progressed so rapidly. +-I went from there to see Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Knopf, who published my:little Christmas story, and I - enjoyed so much seeing many of their fine books. . The rest of the day was one of complete personal self-indulgence. Perhaps it was somewhat of an orgy, for I certainly crammed many things into a short time! . In the afternoon I went to hear “Tristan and Isolde,” sung: by Madame Flagstad and Mr. Lauritz
By Charles T. Lucey}
‘The accepted codes provide ihe state may utilize the labor by prisoners of war according to their rank and aptitude—but again, officers excepted. If a general should get bored and request work, “It shall be secured for him so far as is possible.” Non-commissioned officers shall only be required to do supervisory work, unless they “especially request a remunerative occupation.”
Rate of "Exchange
The value of generals as prisoners long has been ‘recognized by nations at war. In the cartel of ex.change agreed to between the United States-and the Confederacy during the Civil War, for example, it was stipulated ghat the. exchange price for an admiral or general would be another admiral or general “or 60 privates or common seamen.’ A captain appeared to be worth six privates; a lieutenant, four. It was pfficer for officer, not man for man. In the Revoluntionary War, when the British proposed to treat Maj. Gen. Charles Lee, whom they had taken prisoner, as a deserter from their own army, Congress caused a lieutenant-colonel of the British army and five Hessian field officers, prisoners of the U. S., to be placed in close confinement pending the outcome of the case. At another time, a group of British captains held by the U. S. were forced to draw lots to select a subject for retaliation for the unlawful Killing of an American captain. “Host” to the five captured Italian generals is Lieut.-Gen. Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, 59, commander in chief of the British troops in Egypt. He organized the swift strikine, mechanized units that have recaptured Sidi Barrani and are reported pursuing the Italians into a possible death trap near the Libyan frontier.
>
He became chief in 1931 when Mr. Kinney died. As chief, his administration has been marked by a contsant modernization program on all fronts—training, equipment, technique, etc.
A Real Baseball Fan
MIKE MORRISSEY is a bachelor and lives with his father and sister at 1416 E. Market St. He loves sports. He occasionally tries his hand at golf but he is not much good at it. He is a pretty fair bowler and bowls with various teams. He enjoys football, particularly where Notre Dame is concerned, but he reserves his real affection for baseball, As a boy, he played a lot of scrub ball - and fancies himself an expert on the game. Always a close friend of Ownie Bush, he has followed Ownie’s teams to the very end. He rarely misses a World's Series and takes in every local game he can find time to attend.
Strong on Efficiency
ALTHOUGH HE HAS a lively sense of humor, it doesn’t operate where the police department is concerned. His friends recognize that he looks at life through the eyes of a good policeman and they say that 1f they were to ask a favor they would be turned down quicker than’a stranger. The Chief puts in an amazing number of hours, testimony to the simple fact that he is completely wrapped up in his job. He is strong for efficiency aiid considers a week wasted if he hasn't conjured up some new method of promoting efficiency. He is a close student of police methods and if he sees something *in another city that attracts him he will put it into effect here immediately. He remains the despair of night-time police squads. He loves to ride about town in his radioequipped car and gets a huge kick out of rushing to the scene of a crime ahead of the squad so that he is able to greet them when they arrive with a cool: “Good evening, gentlemen.”
By Raymond Clapper
It is difficult to spell out the dangers because they are remote geographically. Suez is a long way from England, but the British people know that if they lose it, the blow reaches all the way home to them. They have lived by sea power so long that wherever it may be threatened around the face of the globe, they know it is a direct threat to them on their little island off one corner of Europe. With us, we have our huge inland empire remote from the seas and we have the two. broad oceans to give us a sense of seeurity. It is hard for us to realize that an enemy, based at, Dakar on the west coast of Africa, is closer to Brazil than our forces at Panama are. It is hard for us to imagine what it would mean to our economy to have the opposite sides of both oceans and the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa under control of an Axis combination, playing as a team, using economic and political warfare and behind that the pressure of their combined military strength, to impose. terms upon. all exports from the United States and Latin America.
It Seems Incredible We become excited about the danger cf an unbalanced budget, the danger of excessive debt to our grandchildren, but we are as yet unable to visualize the hurdens that would come of being surrounded by totalitarian neighbors. We are unable to visualize the enormous defense that would be required indefinitely, permanent conscription, permanent rationing of industry, price-fixing and taxes aplenty. There would scarcely be a yacht left in private hands. I know how hard it is to visualize all of this as
anything that might becorne real because half of the|
time it seerns ‘incredible to me. Yet I don’t know any informed official in Washington who does not believe these things. I recall one official forecasting at the time that Mussolini went into Ethiopia that Germany, Italy and Japan were playing a three-way combination to achieve world control. I recall one official who, while Chambetiain was saying that Munich meant peace in our time, said it ‘meant war within a year or two and that if the Axis .won it, the United States would have to do all of its foreign business through Berlin and Tokyo. Because these officials have been so right about what has happened, I cannot Lut have a goot deal of respect for their judgment as to the dangers ahead.
By Eleanor Roosevelt
Melchior, ably supported by a remarkable group of other singers. If was, as it always is to me, a tremendously moving experience. I can never listen to the last act without finding something deep down inside of me responding to the emotion of the music and the voices. Afterward, I went to see my aunt, Mrs. Stanley Mortimer, and later to dine with Mrs. Grenville Emmet; her daughter, Pauline, and Franklin Jr. and Ethel. Mrs. Emmet and I left the young people and went to see Ethel Barrymore in “The Corn Is Green” after dinner.’ I think Miss Barrymore does a beautiful piece of acting, for it seems so real. The last scene is beautifully acted and has an emotional quality which one cannot resist. : We found Franklin Jr. waiting for us as we came out.. He hac made up his mind that he was going to give two old ladies like ourselves a whirl by taking them to “Cafe. Society” to hear some really very excellent musicians. We spent an enjoyable hour and a half there, but I will acknowledge that when I reached my apartment I closed the door with a feeling that I had run the gamut of various kinds of emotions and that a little calm and quiet would be a good thing for an old lady. I flew back to Washington this morning and had a pleasant time on the way down with Mr. Roy Howard, who like: many other people, is arriving in the city for
British Hope Of More Aid
the Gridiron Club dinner tomorrow hight.
Held Futile
- This is the last in a series of articles by Ludwell Denny in’ which he challenges the contention that America is headed inexorably down the road to war. In
this article he reveals why Eng- 7
land apparently is cherishing false hopes in gambling that America
will increase the present scepe of }
its assistance and ultimately go to war against Germany.
VV ASHINGTON, Dec. 14. . —Britain now is taking a long gamble on a knockout war. She is doing this in the belief that we will save ‘her by speedier production ‘on credit, by transfer of our Army and Navy planes and destroyers, merchant ships with naval convoys—and eventually by an all-out A. E. F. invasion
of Europe.
Why Britain thinEs the United States will risk war involvement by granting her immediate requests—much less a later A.'E. F. —is not clear. The President has just won an election on a keep-out-of-war pledge. He has denied frequent charges that he has made secret promises to Britain. Still the hope grows in Eng--land, and the. fear in America, that our participation is “inevitable.” Especially if the war drags on. Doubtless this superstition of the “inevitable” is fed by memories;: That Woodrow Wilson's keep-out-of-war election "in 1916 did not keep us out in April, 1917, when England’s® danger was like the present. That, step by step, we are following the old road again. Regardless of pledges, or hopes, or superstitions, if Britain is allowed to gamble all on the belief that we will risk war, this creates a moral obligation for us to do so. The President, of course, could if he chose make it clear to the British people as well as to their government that we will not go beyond our “short of war” limit.
2 8 uw
HETHER the British continue to reject a negotiated peace or truce—which reliable British sources say has been offered them—is their decision and not ours, We share in the decision only if we risk war, or if we allow them to believe we will enter. Thanks. to British heroism, and partly to our aid, England has not
ASSESSORS EYE |
AUTO TAG SALE]
Seek to Abolish State Branches, With Fees To Aid Counties.
By NOBLE REED Legislation to abolish automobile
license offices and place the sale of
the tags in the county assessors offices will be sought by the Indiana County Assessors Association. This was one of several resolutions adopted by the association at its annual conference with the State Tax Board, ending yesterday. The license resolution proposed that part of the $300,000 annual fees be used to pay the assessors’ salaries with a large per cent of them going into the county treasuries.
Urge Review Changes
Other resolutions urged legislation providing for: 1. Revamping of the county tax review boards, auditors and county treasurers from membership on the boards ‘and re-
placing them witly property owners|
appointed by circuit court judges. 2. Laws to require strip mine owners to reforest the lands they strip in mining operations. 3. A law requiring property owners to notify county assessors of any proposed new buildings or improvements. 4. Adoption of the “red book” for appraisal of automobiles for taxation. Governor M. Clifford Townsend, in a brief address to the assessors, urged them to approach the appraisal of property next year “in a scientific way.”
Willing to Co-operate
“I will be willing to co-operate with the Legislature in establishing a scientific basis for’ property evaluation,” he said. “I am in favor of eliminating Dolitics from tax assessment work.” The assessors, Thursday, votéd to
sponsor bills in the Legislature to}:
adopt a manual for uniform appraisal ‘of real estate and urged legislators to order a reassessment of property next year, the first time since 1932.
SIR WALTER CITRINE TO SPEAK AT KEITH'S
Sir Walter Citrine, “general sec= retary of British Trades Union Con-
gress, Will speak ‘tonight at 7:30)
o'clock at B. F. Keith's Theater. . In Indianapolis on a tour of ptincipal cities of the country, the British labor leader will discuss many phases of the war in addition. to labor problems.
by the use of our .
- and London
eliminating county].
Mrs. Lionel F. Artis,
i a
RS
William S. Knudsen, production co-ordinator of the National Defense Commission, and’ Maj. Gen. H. H. Ariold, chief of the Army Air Corps (in uniform), inspect a Curtiss P-40 being built for England at the Curtiss company’s Buffalo plant. ‘This ship is powered by an Allison motor, made in Indianapolis.
gone the way of France and may not do so. With her navy and. empire intact, she is still powerful enough to earn from Hitler the reliably reported offer of “peace”
lines. Such .a truce would be as danger ous as it would be disappointing *
to the earlier hopes of decisive
democratic victory. But it would be much less dangerous and disappointing to British and world . democracy than the destruction of England, Nazi control of the seas converted into a Vichy. “Only if ‘Britain can conquer totalitarian ‘Europe suming that the United States has neither the will nor the power to
do the job—will she gain by re-
jecting now a negotiated peace leaving her navy and empire intact. Admittedly that is a very long ‘shot.
Evergreen Is College Theme
NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. Dec. 14 (U. P.).—A sprig of evergreen, tied with a red ribbon, will be the dominant floral note at the Manchester College = Christmas banquet tonight. A majority of the men voted: not to send corsages to their dates for the party. Instead, the corsage money will be deposited in a glass jar in front of-the campus Christmas tree. The money: col-
lected, will be turned over to the
World Student Service Fund for use by students in warring . Europe. * Bach: donor may have asprig of evergreen tied with the red rib- * bon delivered to his date just before ‘the banquet. The evergreen. will signify his gift to the fund. a . __—.—._.h-S
HOKE TO SPEAK AT FLANNER MEETING
_Fred Hoke, Indianapolis civic and business leader, will speak at the anhwual Founders’ Day meeting of the Flanner House Monday at 6:30 p. m. at the Central Y.-M C.:A, Others: on the program “will be Frank B. Flanner, president of Flanner -House; F. B. Ransom, vice president,” and Cleo W. Blackburn, executive secretary. Francis W. Dunn is chairman of the Founders’ Day Committee which
also includes - W. Rowland Allen, William H. Book, Mrs. O. A. Johnson, Wallace O. Lee, Mrs. Thomas D. Sheerin
ond Mrs. Harold B. West.
‘alone—as-
BVIOUSLY no man can be 7 cértain "of the result. It is Britain's right to play it “all or
nothing.” But for her to. risk all son. the myth of decisive Ameron approximately existing empire '
can help in eapturing Europe: is’ another matter. Such’ deéisive American aid’ is ‘a cruel:myth unless the President is to betray his covenant with the electorate. : America’s production of combat planes already is-going mostly to ‘Britain: — not 50 per cent but
io nearer 80 per cent to 90 per. cent. : ~Preduction is being speed of dabe With which oe
up at
I is famil st, Cpernmeg, is 1 mA all ‘kinds from us, with: 500 pos‘sible ‘next month. The -President has sdid there is no way ‘of mawterially increasing that progressive production rate. Even if industry ‘were put og, a so-called war footing, the immediate result
DELAY JUVENILE HOME DECISION
Commissioners | say They “Plan No Action Until Suit Is Completed.
County Commissioners aid today they would take no action in the proposal to move the Marion County Detention Home to Irvington until action is completed on an injunction suit ‘brought by Irvington residents. The attitude was revealed after a
|letter from the Irvington Union of
Clubs reiterated the organization’s stand against the move. The Irvington Union's letter sug-
: gested two alternatives to the pro-
posed move from the Detention | |Home’s present site on W. New York St. to 5751 University Ave, Children’s Guardian Home. They were (1) that the building be sold at a fair price to a real estate concern to be converted into a modern apartment building, or (2) that it be sold to a church or fraternal organization for the estab-
lishment of -a “much-needed East|
Side hospital.” It was understood that the estab-
;lishment of a convalescent home for
children who had received treatment. at Riley Hospital was also under consideration.
‘PLAN STATUE TO LONG WASHINGTON, Dec. i4 (U. P.). —Members of the Louisiana congressional delegation are planning a formal ceremony next January to
unveil ‘a, two-ton $15,000 bronze|"
statue of Senator Huey P. Long; who was assassinated in 1935.
"Flu Cases Triple i in Week,
But Remain i in Coast Area
WASHINGTON, “Dec. 14 ~The number of influenza cases for the entire. nation reported to the U. S. Public Health . Service here have tripled in the week since the last official: report. The total for -the week ending Dec. 7 was 9663, compared with 3014 the previous week. ‘Most of the cases, 6772, were reported from California. Of these, Los Angeles reported 1625 ~with seven deaths. Sacramento reported 143 cases. No report was received from San Francisco. Reports from other states show little sign of the spread-of the Cali-
fornia: epidemic. Next highest offi-.
eial figure was 471. cases reported from. Arizona. In the state of to| Washington the official total was 95,
which does not bear -out earlier un-
official. reports that the California epidemic had ‘spread .as far north as Seattle. ‘The epidemic is certainly : not spreading very fast, if it is spreading at all, Federal health officials here commented. The slowness of the expected: extension of the, peidemic makes them feel that it may remain localized. Other states reporting increased cases of influenza for the first week of December are: South Carolina, 301; Georgia, 133; Oklahoma, 288; Arkansas, 83; Texas, 370; ‘Utah, 243 Oregon, 368. - Reported increases in states near California, and perhaps elsewhere; may be due to the fact that because there is an epidemic
in California, floctors Aare more acs | 8
the :
would be confusion and less production. : The net gain would not show for many months. No prayers, no credits, * change that fact.
If the British are accurate in saying that our present aid is not enough, there is no way of really helping ‘them enough. No way, that is, unless we go beyond the “short of war” limit. Of course we have no army to send now, even if it had a place to land. It is even dgubtful whether stripping our Armiy and Navy .of : their. few big bombers, further . weakening .our Navy. by transferring more déstroyers, and risking war by- ‘providing convoys, - would be “enough aid)”:
®
B* THUS inviting Japan to strike in the Pacific, thereby ‘diverting American | production and force to another war, we
LAMBA CHI ALPHA CHAPTER TO BANQUET
The silver anniversary of the But-
can
2 a
Chi Alpha , Fraternity will | be observed with a banquet at 6:30 p. m. Tuesday in the Columbia Club. "Included on the program will be a ceremony of lighting the birthday cake, and presentation of a crested silver service set to the chapter Mothers’ Club. Karl J. Stipher, Indianapolis attorney, will
be toastmaster. h-- J Special guests will| include - Dr. Daniel S. Robinson, Butler president; Bruce H. McIntosh, administrative secretary of the fraternity’'s
. {national offices, and Lloyd D. Clay-
combe, past grand president. The. arrangements committee includes Robert Purkhister, chapter president; Robert Tews, John Ra-
Robert Claycombe and Keil Fire~ poss, alumni adviser. |
TEST YO UR" - KNOWLEDGE
1--The glider distance record is ,more than 200, 300, or 400: niiles? 2_Name the President of France at the time, of the First World War. S—Whigh former United States Sen-
ator is an ‘apostle of the Mormon Church?
4-—Is the weight of the sun 100 ,000, 200.000 .or 300,000 pirmes that of the earth?
5—The expression “The ward must be . safe for democracy” was coined by Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln | or Woodrow | Wilson?
6—Was Edgar ‘Allan| Poe born in Boston or. Baltimore? 7—Which newly elected high government official speaks Spanish fluently? .
8—In which century did Genghis Khan fight?"
Answers 1—More than 400 miles. 2—Raymond Poincare. 3—Reed Smoot. | 4—More than 300,000 times. 5—Woodrow Wilson. | 6—Boston. a ]
7—Vice President-elect Hey. Wallace.
8—The Thirteently ss '@®
ASK THE TIMES *
Inclose a 3- -cent stamp for reply | when. addressing any question of fact or information to, The [ndianap Times |
ashington 1013 La Bb,
ler. University chapter. of Lambda |
bold, DeFord Hite, James Wells, |
| up their guns on the
might be compelled: to ‘send Britain less ‘help than she’ is getting now. That, again, is one of the uncertainties inherent in ‘war. _ But amid all the uneertainitios. whether Britain can survive with our present .aid short of war, whether Hitler will collapse unexpectedly, whether Britain should save herself and her empire by a ; negotiated peace now or gamble’ all an improbable knockout, ani President Roosevelt will go the way of Woodrow Wilson— there are at least. two certainties ‘today: - First, thabithe Amierioan people, in their almost unanimous symthy for Britain, are overwhelmngly opposed fo any form of aid which risks American involve= ment outside this hemisphere, Second, that the United States is not prepared for war.
BRITISH STIFFEN "WAR ATTITUDE
ol .
| Majority Now Regard. Al of
Reich as Enemies, Want ‘More Severe’ Treaty.
By DR. GEORGE GALLUP. American Institute ‘of Public Opinion Director, " PRINCETON, N. J., Dec. 14. —~Two major indications. of a stiffening : combative spirit: among the British ° people since the early days.of the war are revealed in new studies just completed by ‘the British Ine stitute of ‘Public Opinion. In the sally. gays of .the war most Britons. tended * to regard merely “Adolph Hitler and. the Nazi regime as their . enemies, and - many of them cal "persisted in. the
: ‘belief ‘that the pUsLIC: OPINION |
German: people would not long support Hitler's adventures. X The first. of :the new. British Ine stitute studies shows that. as the German people as’ a’ whole cone tinue ‘to ‘support Hitler, a growing number of Britons have come to regard them—as well as the ‘Nazi regime—as the enemy. “Do you think our enemy is the German people or only the Nazi vernment?” * British ‘voters were asked. The replies were:
~
‘Less than 1; per. cent. of those interviewed were without . opinions on ‘the question. “It’s a pity,” say typical - ‘Britons; “but we can’t beat
Hitler without beating the German people, : too, apparently.” . -
Germans had smashed their. way through the Maginot Line’ and set Channel, the British Institute found 41
:| per cent naming the German people
as the enemy, 56 per cent - out. the : Nazi - ‘Government, and 3 per cent undecided or ‘without opinions. Eas } Field intervi nterviewers for ‘the British Institute; who ‘have carted on their
also asked British voters “if we win the war, should we impose on’ Gere many ferms which -are less severe or more’ severe than those. which
Seven months ago, before ‘the