Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 18 December 1940 — Page 20

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The Indianapolis Times

(A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER)

ROY W. HOWARD RALPH BURKHOLDER MARK FERREE ~ President Business Manager

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cents a month. > RILEY 5551 : % Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way : WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1040 -

LET’S NOT DO THAT AGAIN NE of the hardest things in life is to benefit from experience. That's the reason the farmer said, “I'm going to town to get drunk and God, how I dread-it.” The same, for war. Which explains why 84 Princeton educators, including members of the Theological Seminary, are whooping it up with language like this—*our effort must be comparable to that of 1917-18 . . . we must seize and keep the initiative. Should events require naval assistance in keeping open the North Atlantic seaways we must be ready to give it by reasserting the historic American principle of freedom of the seas.” ~ “That man again,” That old man of the seas. He has caused more war for us than any other figure in our history.. But he is a phony. And if we ever go to bat again under his banner we should do so with our eyes open, understanding that. He principle.”

» 2 2 A » 8 Ca = ‘We would be in the war now; if the Neutrality Act hadn’t kept our ships and our citizens out of belligerent waters. It would have been the same old tragic story of overt acts, State Department notes, sinking ships, women, children and men screaming as they went down——and our nation seeing red. Ay : ; President Roosevelt said a month and a half ago in Cleveland: “The first purpose of our foreign policy is to keep our country out of war.” The most potent factor in implementing that pledge is to stand pat on that part of the Neutrality Act which prevents our ships and our people from getting into the line of fire. : : To reinforce ourselves in our resolve not to burn our fingers on the same old stove, some rereading of history is in order—going back to various “incidents”efrom 1915 to April 1917; the sinking of the Falaba, the torpedoing of the Gulflight, the Arabic, the Sussex and the Lusitania, all with American casualties; all generating what we, thank Heaven, haven't seen generated this time. Col. House in his diary tells of strolling in Kew Gardens with Sir Edward Grey on the morning before the Lusitania was sunk. “We spoke,” said Mr. House, “of the possibility of an ocean liner being sunk, and I told him if this were done a flame of indignation would sweep across America which would in itself probably carry us into the war.” _ Do we want to go that route again? Not, we say, even for dear old Princeton.

2 8 = : ® 8 = In this connection we are glad to see that the President has not deserted .that phase of the Neutrality Act. His plan, just announced, to lease war equipment seems to have certain Rube Goldbergian aspects. Leasing war equipment with nothing else but the equipment for collateral seems like leasing a firecracker or a custard pie. - But Mr. Roosevelt, in his discussion of the new scheme, did say that it was not necessary to send American ships and crews into war zones. For that, at least, we can all be grateful.

LET'S TRY PARKING METERS

A PPROVAL of City Council is all that is required for a trial of parking meters in Indianapolis’ downtown business district. For our part, we want the experiment tried. We believe parking meters, or nickel “hitching posts” as they are sometimes called, will ease traffic congestion in the downtown area. We believe it will enable more people to park than are now able to do so. And we believe that it will produce revenue so that the city will be able to hire a competent traffic engineer and finance other sorely needed traffic improvements which have been allowed to lanquish for lack of funds. : There have been some headaches with parking meters to be sure, but by and large their installation has been surprisingly successful in nearly all the cities where they have been tried. More than 100 cities, ranging in size from Clearwater, Fla., with 7600 population to Cleveland, O., with nedrly a million population, have installed them in their business districts. : ‘The experiences of Toledo and Dallas are perhaps typical of medium size cities. Toledo installed 1000 meters in the central business area, the meters being set for 80 and 60-minute parking periods. They produced an average income of about 35 cents per meter per day, with a total revenue of $109,140 in 1937. In Dallas, where 1500 meters are in operation, the gross receipts in 1937 améunted to $147,582. The cost of operation was reported as about $12,000. Both cities now are ardent enthusiasts. Although the revenue obtained is substantial, the general improvement in traffic handling is the more important benefit.” Dallas ‘claims four times as many cars now find parking space as before the installation of meters. Ft. Worth asserts the meters rid the streets of all-day parkers, eliminate double parking and provided more space for parking. Paterson, N. J. reported that the meters relieved double parking and speeded up traffic. measurably. An Ohio city said that a study showed that where 4800 cars were ked in a given area the day before the meters were installed 8500 to 15,000 found space to park per day after their installation. Oklahoma City—first city in the country to try the installation—claims the object of the meters, ' namely traffic turnover, has been fully attained. : That, in brief, seems to have been the general experience in all cities where the system has been intelligently tried. We. see no reason why Indianapolis should not share the same benefits. Chm

INO CLASS DISTINCTION DUCE'S generals may not be as smart as some at winping wars, but you've got to admit that they don’t sit _gafely at the rear while exhorting their troops from a distance to get in there and pitch. No sir, the generals are

right up in cle privates.

in Indiana, $3 a year;. outside of Indiana, 65 |

is a catch-phrase—not an {American |

Fair Enough =

By Westbrook Pegler

~ A

Remember France! Is ‘His Retort ; To Ickes’ Suggestion That “U. S.|

Find a Haven for Political Refugees.

YEW YORK, Dec. 18—Our old friend Harold I. (for Lovable) Ickes has been sounding a. note

which no artist can harmonize with any chorus of

national unity. Tet nt Speaking at the déplorable non-union dinner of : The Nation and the New Republic the other evening, Mr. Ickes proposed that “under proper safeguards,” but without visas or diplomatic formality, asylum be offered in the Virgin Islands for “men and women of intellectual

achievement a n d democratic

thought who are now in danger _ of the firing squad.” e “My own department,” he said, “is doing what lies within its power to open the way, We are : : urging the hospitable reception of all for whom there may be room and that they be allowed to stay in the Virgin Islands until they are otherwise provided for.” Like the experiment of prohibition, Mr. Ickes’ proposal may be noble in purpose but, again like prohibition, it is charged with disastrous, possibilities, as the people of France could warn us. Most of these refugees are anti-Fascist, although there will surely be among them some Nazi and Fascist agents. But it stands to reason that a greater proportion of them will be Communists who fled over the border into Prance after the Spanish Civil War and other Communists who, earlier in the general European revolution now in full eruption, escaped from Italy and Germany. 2 . ; : ‘#2 8. = RANCE opened her doors to political pariahs® of all varieties, and her hospitality was wickedly

abused by a great horde ot parasitic ingratés, but |.

the Communists ‘came to outnumber the others, and they certainly contributed: to the fall of the nation. The Communist, of whatever national origin, feels no gratitude to anyone and only contempt, in addition to his normal hatred, for any economically comfortable nation which is fool enough to save his life. Again, it can e refugees from Italy and Germany are not Communists, but still it is ‘dangerous to take the individual's word. It is hard enough to identify under-cover

y be agreed that many of the

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

‘Lookin

1-just one thing, authorized and ies * | ment and leadership in’ the Government itself. That

| hear of any determined

WEDNESDAY, DEC.

18, 1040

“|Gen. Johnson

Says— 1 Ih Gobfe-Stepping Legislation Won't "Be Needed If We Give Our Defense Production an Efficient Leadership.

ASHINGTON, Dec. 18.—Our small pase arms ¥ Vproduction doesn’t need any declaration of an emergency: or new legislation to speed it, up. It needs . ble marge"

seems so plain as not to need § argument. : i, : This is the bigest industrial effort in history. -It never has had authorized and responsible leadership and management and hasn't got it now. The absence of that alone is enough to account for the delays, Isn't it, therefore, clear that we ought to try that before we begin to experiment with new. strait-jacket or goose-stepping legislation declarations or decrees? ‘Mr. Knudsen says that the pubHe is “sold” to the necessity for

- speed and production but that industry and labor are

asleep. Almost at the moment he was saying that, another member of the commission, Mr. Nelson, was tell ing us that the rouble is that the public is apathetic,

- asleep. .

. #8 : HIS is not to criticize these gentlemen. They ¢ have done marvelous jobs of making without straw such bricks as we have manufactured. The “straw” that management of a great effort needs is authority. They haven't got it. But did anybody ever effort on their part to get it? It is well known that there has been none. In the absence of .such an effort, perhaps we should 160k twice at these indictments of the public, of labor and of industry—especially when one of these authorities

| says that the -public is to blame while the other feels

that the public attiude is satisfactory but that indusry and labor are the goats. ° : . Whenever a man, or a group of men; step into the driver's seat, there is only one goat when the bus dosn’t run, it is the man at the controls, If he didn't get the right gasoline or has accepted a faulty accel erator, it doesn’t lie in his mouth to blame either the

| passengers or the rest of the crew

Communists here at home, for they will deny their principles for convenience, and their political faith permits them to do so. : : The danger of permitting a mass of refugees inevitably: including a heavy proportion of Communists, and, inevitably, some Nazi and Fascist spies and saboteurs, to settle in an outpost of the American Atlantic defense needs no detailed explanation. And certainly Mr. Ickes’ notion of “proper safeguards” need not be accepted, at least until he explains just what he has in mind. It might be remembered that

the safeguards which were considered proper in the

were not safe enough. : 8 8 : : N this subject it should be observed that there is in progress in New York and Hollywood a campaign to ‘import a lot of Europeans who are described as intellectuals and writers. But at a recent dinner on behalf of this movement in Hollywood the committee in charge included most of the anti-American, native Communist film writers and fellow travelers, and the character of this sponsorship naturally creates suspicion. Communists are interested only in importing reinforcements. Does this propose, then, that refugees should be excluded for their political belief? But yes, of course. When this country was welcoming swarms of oppressed Europeans in the days of mass immigration, most of them joyously embraced American ideals. But in this case the nation is on notice that much of the refugee element is devoted to the task of destroying free government. Mr. Ickes needs watching. Here he seems to he: shoving into matters which are the business of the Departments of State and Justice and involve the safety of the whole country. ’ ~. 8 There was France! :

Business By John T. Flynn

~ Advice to Borrow From Public Clever Strategy to Spur War Sentiment

EW YORK, Dec. 18. Winthrop Aldrich, head of America’s biggest bank, offers some financial advice to the Government. 1f you must borrow to pay for your war efforts, says Mr. Aldrich to Uncle Sam, do not borrow from - the banks. = Borrow from the citizens. That is the wisest advice that could be given. But unfortunately it is hard to make it stick. - Here i8 why it is good advice. And here also is why it probably won’t work. : If the Government borrows from the citizen, the citizen gives thé Government the money—the cash. After that the Government has the cash and the citizen hasn't. oy the Government can spen e.money. But if the Government borrows from the banks, the process is different. The bank does not hand over cash, It lends the Government a “deposit.” That is, if the bank has a billion in deposits and it lends the Government $100,000,000, it lends the Government $100,000,000 in “deposits”—gives it a credit on its books. After the loan the bank has $1,100,000,000 in deposits. Then even if the Government draws the deposit out —which it will do—after:it has done so the bank still has the billion in deposits it started with. . In other words, bank loans by the Government or ahyone else increase the amount of bank deposits or bank money. ‘ Therefore loans by the Government from banks are inflationary while loans from individuals are not. And therefore Mr. Aldrich wisely says to Uncle Sam—do not borrow from the banks. The Government has done so much of that already that the banks are swollen with uniisable deposits.

Cars wey this is wise advice. But here is why : it won't stick. If the Government starts lending to individuals, it will put on a campaign—a drive with a lot of ballyhoo. People who can lend the Government $100 will be induced to lend it $200 or $500 or more. They will then use the bonds they buy as collateral to borrow at the banks. In other

case of Harry Bridges

words they will buy the bonds with bank credit. And |.

the result wili be practically the same as if the bank had made the loan in the first place—the banks will lend the “deposits” to the individuals ihstead of to the Government, That's what happened in the last war. There is another side to this. The demand for Government loans from individuals is coming very industriously from the leaders of the “get into the war” movement. The reason is obvious. Government starts to sell bonds to the people, there will be a great campaign. Bands will play, parades will be held. Men will make speeches on street corners, in the theaters between acts, at concerts, in churches, in the movies exhorting people to “buy bonds”—to buy “défense.” The dangers of Hitler coming here, the need of aid to Britain, the whole

. propaganda drive for getting deeper into the war

will be turned loose everywhere on a gigantic scale and under the direction of the Government itself, It is a clever stratagem.

So They Say—

WE DO NOT intend tor stop progress. If we were to stop progress, what need would there be for any national defense program?—Mayor La Guardia of New York. : ; ® % *

ULTIMATELY it rests with

front, surrendering democratically alongside

Jabor, what path we shall follow—voluntary collectiv bargaining 8 means of industrial fascism.

{we little meek,

If the |

industry, as well as |

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

SOME FREE SUGGESTIONS ON THE TRAFFIC PROBLEM By Howard Spaulding

are a few free suggestions: 1. Let's have stop-and-go’ lights all over the city just like the one

at New York and West Sts. It is tops; everyone will agree. 2. Have all streetcars make their turns on the red”light and arrest them if they turn on the green light. : 3. Stop all taxi cabs from driving around three and four in a line looking for passengers. : 4. Take away half of the: driveway space that is now .allowed to garages and filling stations as it would provide a lot of parking space where it is now lying idle, and cars drive around the ‘streets looking for a place to park. : Just ask the motorists for some of Jheir ideas. I am sure it would help. Lay

” a - 8 CONTENDS MINISTERS SEEKING THE HEADLINES By Miss Lillian Williams I see in your paper where the ministers throw up their hands in holy horror at the “disgraceful vice condition.” . . - - What I think might not interest the gentlemen, or anyone else, but what I read and hear many, many others saying about their ridiculous stand might be of interest. That the headline seeking was a bid for notoriety is so obvious, it all but deranges one’s olfactory nervous system. . . . From what 1 can hear, I fear the table has turned on these ‘men. They sought the praise of men and won &neers. . « . They say, “Don’t play bridge— don't play ball—don’t go to the show—don’t smoke—don’t dance— don’t even smell of a drink”! Even innocent, eager disciples in the pew know more pedagogy than that. Forgive us for it being so. As a result, when our friends come, we have to play bridge, etc., or have them think we are crazy. So we turn hypocrite also, pull down the blinds and play and dance. Bingo! Well, we do know a lot of churches that tried it, failed at it, then condemned everyone else who had it. Sometimes, I prefer to take 50 cents and entertain myself at a movie; sometimes, I choose to take my 50 cents and entertain myself

Why hire a traffic expert? Here|

Side Glances—By Galbraith

(Times readers are. invited to express “their views in . these columns, religious controversies excluded. Make your letters short, so all can have a chance. Lstters must be signed, but names will bq - withheld on request.)

at a bingo game. From the faces I see at dances and bingo parties, I adjudge the preachers have lost

control over their members. The descrying = of “disgraceful” bingo gambling may be prompted by jealousy over the success of others, Jealousy, you know, is one of the Christian virtues. k I see our ministers are beginning to be. shocked at the thought that they themselves should ever dabble in politics. It’s refreshing to observe signs of repentance. And they want prohibition back. After that dang thing almost ruined our nation? After the First World War? And the ministers do not see the demoralizing influence brought in universal disregard of all law by prohibition? Yes, the blind cannot lead ‘the blind. Still true, isn’t it? Our nation has external and internal enemies. This time, it's internal. Dear Mr. Dies Committee, do you havé time and money to take on just one more investigation job? 2 2 ” HAPPY MOTHER THANKS CLOTHE-A-CHILD By Happy Mother To the Clothe-A-Child editor: I would like to tell the. people of Indianapolis what your Clothe-A-Child campaign is doing to make needy people happy, not only children but parents as well, - I was at Clothe-A«Child headquarters a few days ago and talked to some of the parents who were waiting for their children to get back from a shopping tour down town with some kind-hearted person. Mothers who could tell: of ‘long weeks and even months without work, of skimping and saving to make WPA checks pay for shelter, fuel and food for large families, of mending and making over to keep their children warm enough to go to school. ' And some with small ghildren at home to be clothed and

cared for. Some mothers who them selves are in poor health and carry. a heartache because they cannot do the things. they would like to do for their children.

And when the children cameq

marching in with shiny new ‘shoes, warm coats and caps, with happy smiles on their faces, some of them with their first complete new. outfit, it made me wish I could’ clothe every needy child in Indianapolis. The parents were as happy as the children. When your task of clothing a child iu done, you've made several hearts happy with gifts for one. Thanking everyone who takes part in this great work, I am one of the happy mothers. s » s ” FORGET THE PARKER, BUT NAB THAT SPEEDER! By L. E. W. i - : «+» «-The slogan “Waste a minute and save a life” is still frequently heard but the deaf ear of irresponsible motorists is almost incurable. Why? To me the answer is obvious: Because the law enforcing agency pays too much attention to the overtime-parked car which can do no damage to anyone and too little attention to the speed maniac who races down the street at 40 to 60 miles per hour, endangering life and property.

Too little attentiog is given to the

smart driver who when approaching a corner, steps on the gas; too little attention to the stupid motorist who fails -to give pedestrians the right of way; too little attention to the “horn-tooting” lothario; et sic de similibus. ° There is no use finding fault with motorists, the fault is with the- law enfore ing the buck. ... Parents should be brought to account for permitting boys of immature age to drive a motor vehicle. A goodly percentage of accidents are caused by this sort of driver. To me a.motor car in the hands of an irresponsible driver is just as dangerous as a loaded gun in the hands of a maniac. CW) »

8 8 » DENIES ‘TRICK’ PLAYED BY WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE By Julius Birge ; ; William Allen White, head of the Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies, recently made an informal after-dinner speech in New York City which was rather widely misunderstood (in the main, perhaps, by those who have no love

-| for. the White organization).

Mr. White did not say that he had played a trick, nor did he say anything else, being the kind of man he is, that evidenced any activity on the part of his Committee which has not been open and above

‘board. Three times he declared that

the Committee had not made converts, but had merely crystalized public opinion and implemented it to influence the Government in the

Committee's aims to defend America by aiding the Allies.

~ Iam quite certain that Mr. White

and his. associates feel that if any|.

persons deserve credit for the enlightenment of public opinion on foreign issues it is the foreign cor-

‘respondents, the columnists and the

fadio COIEAOIL WHO have given e American people the 8; Be EUs which little ae of opinion i possible. -

agencies, experts in pass-|§

Mr. Knudson is right about the public attitude. The public has been far ahead of Government for defense from the very start, ahead of both congress and the executive department. It balked at nothing. It 1s. ready or any sacrifice. : 0. 8 8 8 a : 8 for labor and industry, they are the public. Their response at such a time depends entirely upon Government leaaership of them. They are the lead, swing and wheel horses of this team. They can haul the load and put every ounce of their weight on the traces. But they can’t set the pace and direction without a guiding intelligence and inspiration to spark the effort. There is no hanging back on the industral side. It has never been more willing and eager since World War I. All kinds of spectacular substitutes for this simple horse-sense, proved by experience in 1918, are being discussed here in Washington—all the way. from a declaration of war “to awaken the people and industry,” down to lesser paper action such as “declaration of a major emergency” and the immediate granting of full war powers. We are in a fair way of getting 2 totalitarian government io save the world, and ourselves, from totalitarians. We are getting closer to & wholly unnecessary state of war, The solution of our problem doesn’t reside in words and gestures and laws and new, strange and unAmerican devices. It resides in work and common . sense and competent leadership. All the parts of our incomparable machine for {remendous effort are here plus plenty of the gas of patriotic enthusiasm to make it go. It doesn’t and any more parts or any more or different fuel. All it needs is an engineer who knows how to put it to-

‘gether and has the authority to do so. a : ! ’/ . °’ A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson lS

SoMER ODY has figured out that by 1945 women will outnumber men in the United States. To all appearances they already seem to be the majority sex, since the paramount feminine project of our time is the manhunt. The main objective of our . luxury industries is the manufac- . ture of glamour which will enable the girls to trap the boys. Ib often seems as if the real motivating force of the 20th Century is the desire of women to procure suitable husbands, or get rid of unsuitable ones and join the hunt again. Thy However, it's not so bad as all that. For marrying has been the chief concern of men and women Jj since the dawn of eivilization. _ The ease or difficulty of the busi- - ness has. fluctuated according to the population balance. In pioneer days wives were an asset, even a necessity, Also women were scarce on the frontier. Even the least alluring was sure to get some kind of man. When the shift toward urban culture began, there was a marked increase of females over males in most cities, where women -seem to thrive. Men are hardier and live longer in the country. : : Still another reason exists for the matrimonial marathons of our time. Nowadays women aren't satisfied with one or two husbands; they're up and after ‘em so long as they can stay out of wheelchairs. Mothers, grandmothers, maiden aunts and especially widows give chase, and this limits the field for the girls who were once accorded the inside track due to some unwritten law of feminine politeness. Today there is no such thing, The race is cone ducted without ethical régulations. Husband snatch-ing-is a popular pastime and is not punished by law. This makes wifehood & precarious career. No wonder the girls are taking up other occupations.

Today's Science By science Service rl : he EL i X ASHINGTON, Dec. 18—Ten big science stories - of 1940, selected by Watson Davis; director of Science Service, are as follows: = 1. Isolation of a' minute quantity of uranium 235, bringing a stepicloser the release of power from the atom. : : 2. Development ‘of an ‘American-made electron microscope, enabling scientists to study the intimate structure of germs and even the molecules of matter. 3. Successful trial of a new measles vaccine for youth: exposed to this disease in the new army. £ = a g th | 4, Development of a vaccine against one of the 18, ‘of Cunningham's comet, visible to the naked eye and the brightest since Halley's in 1010.

protection of America’s children, and