Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 23 December 1940 — Page 13

MONDAY, DEC. 23, 1940

-

Y The Indianapolis

SECOND SECTION

: Hoosier Vagabond

LISBON, Portugal—The most incongruous thing about ‘Lisbon to me is that the three great warring nations all run regular passenger air lines into this city. You can go out every day and see planes take off for Berlin and Rome. And several times a week for England and the U. S. 4 NO doubt it is perfectly logical for these countries to do this. But : it seems to me all the opposing -pilots should at least line up in the Avenida bar each evening and glare at each other. The downtown ticket offices of the English and German lines are next door to each other. In fact we got into the German office by mistake, and naively asked about planes to London. The young man behind the counter didn’t drop dead. In excellent English he courteously directed us to the British Overseas offices next door. . Theoretically, the air line to England is a commercial line. But the British Air Attache here tells them whom to take, and when. And the Air Attache

_gets his orders from the Air Ministry in London.

When you arrive from the States, England-bound, you register in a book at the ticket office of British Overseas Airways. That’s all there is for you to do. That's all you can do. Some afternoon maybe a week later, maybe two months later, the ticket office will call up and tell you to get ready. You go when they get down t you on the list. :

Ernie Gets Priority

Passengers are chosen in the order of their “priority.” Nobody goes without priority. This is ar-

. ranged in London only. The average traveler can't

get priority at all. There are, I understand, seven grades of priority. Highest is for officials traveling on war business— generals, ambassadors, missions and so forth. I have priority. If I didn’t have, I might as well go home. And mine is fairly high priority too, but when it will get me to London is anybody’s guess. All you can do is wait. Simple waiting is one of the greatest tortures ever devised for man. And it is cold waiting in Lisbon. But it will be colder in Lon-

‘ don, if that’s any comfort to me, which it isn’t.

What applies to us, applies to thousands here

awaiting transportation. Trains are crowded. The

Rome plane is booked three weeks ahead. Time is heavy on people’s hands, and as the weeks drag on they draw their financial belts closer and closer. But at cocktail hour the bars are crowded, and you

Inside Indianapolis (4nd “Our Town’)

EVERY NEW DEFENSE INDUSTRY that comes to Indiana adds new wrinkles to the brows of State Highway Commission officials. They have been losing their top engineers at an alarming rate as the armament industry slips into high gear. Of course, under present budget limits, they can’t compete in the matter of salaries. The situation is so serious that some commission members are reported to favor a blanket 10 per cent increase in the salaries of all engineers. This still wouldn't make the State pay close to the offers of private industry, but the Commissioners. feel they would ke able to hold some of their men. No definite figure has been given, but we understand that more : than 25 per cent of the engineering department has resigned for better positions. Speaking of defense, the new Curtiss-Wright plant here makes two new industries in a week, with a total new employment of 6500. Curtiss-Wright will employ about 4000, many of- them women. The new Navy ordnance plant will give jobs to 2500 more— and R. C. A. announced an expansion program just the other day. And there’s still that big Army unit which Governor Townsend went to ‘Washington about the other day.

A Best Seller Already

THE ARTHUR ZINKINS, SR| and Jr., have been in the publishing business only a few months, but they've already turned out a best seller. Time Magazine lists their “Boys and Girls Quiz Book,” as one of

Washington

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23.—American warships were withdrawn from the Lisbon area last September after

the destroyer deal with Great Britain. .

We had two over-age destroyers and an old cruiser on duty there. The destroyers were of the same class : as those traded to England. It was feared that ours might be mistaken for the ones transferred to the British flag and that they might be attacked, causing an ugly incident. So they were taken away and one of the U. S. Treasury’s . Coast Guard cutters was left to represent the Navy. Now Admiral William D. Leahy, new Ambassador to the French Government at Vichy, is crossing on an American cruiser which will carry him as far is Lisbgn, This is not in the combat zone, but it is ‘so close to it that the possibility of an incident was given consideration. It was decided that little risk was involved because Admiral Leahy would use the Tuscaloosa, one of the newer cruisers, which is not easily mistaken for anything else in ‘those waters. The cruiser will fly the American flag and play searchlights at night. That plus the wide publicity given to the trip is counted upon to protect this United States warship’ from any attack through mistaken identity. : Its in another respect that the matter may cause some’ misunderstanding abroad and some apprehension here at home.

Encouragement to Vichy

The reason given officially for sending a cruiser on this mission is that Admiral Leahy and his wife had too much baggage to make the trip by Clipper and that to go by merchant ship would cause several days’ delay in reaching Vichy. A better reason, and probably the peal one, is that President Roosevelt thinks it worth while to work on the Vichy Government, just as Churchill is working on the Italian people to drive a wedge between them and Mussolini. Some groups in this country have

My Day

NEW YORK CITY, Sunday—If only for a very short while, it is grand to be in the country. I arrived in New York City on Friday afternoon, in ample time to attend the annual Christmas party which we give at the Women’s Trade Union League clubhouse. It seemed particularly pleasant to have one of the “little boys,” who started to give this party so many years ago, come back again to take over the work of running it this year. Franklin Jr. and Johnny began to give these parties soon after we moved back to New York City from Washington in 1920, but when they went off to boarding school, I had to carry them on alone. Now Franklin Jr. and his wife are back in New York City

and he took over this particular:

responsibility, so I am sure the children had a much better time in the evening. One of my friends, with whom I always make it a point to have a reunion before Christmas, came to dinner and we spent a happy evening together. On Saturday morning I motored up to my cottage at Hyde Park. There I gathered up all the things which had been sent from Washington® and drove

“man spoken. But there is no way to tell whether

“he sees Santa Claus or not.” . . . Dr. Burgess Boone

“beck, N. Y., and a number of people associated with

By Ernie Pyle

hear a dozen different tongues. Americans mostly gather at the Avenida, and give each other the day's developments—if any—on their fight to get wherever they're going. Even transportation to America is difficult. They say 300 people are sitting here waiting for the Clipper. Seats on the Clipper have been “scalped” for $1000. And then the buyer finds he has bought nothing, for Panair doesn’t permit transfer of reservations. The American Export Line runs a weekly steamer to the States, and it is booked two months ahead. But that sitnation is not as bad as it sounds. A good portion of these bookings are by people who haven't even arrived from their home countries yet. And hundreds have made reservations who will never get their papers to go.

Sentiment Is Pro-British

The say that when the weekly boat sails—carrying out about 200 people—ii pretty well clears out those who are gompletely free to go. What lurks in the back of all minds is that Spain may move into the Axis, carrying Portugal with her, for then the final curtain on free travel from Europe will fall. : : As far as we can tell, sentiment in Portugal is overwhelmingly pro-British. Some friends say they sense a lot of feeling for Germany here, but it doesn’t seem that way to us. True, you dec see an occasional German Army uniform on the streets. And you hear arom Ger-

these latter are fifth columnists or refugees. . Everybody here has been nice to us. The British officials with whom we have dealt have all been friendly. And the Portuguese seem fundamentally pleasant. . I have caught no air of the Portuguese kowtowing to the foreigner and his money while hating him behind his back, as has happened in other countries. They seem to be not especially impressed with you, but accept you as friends and treat you as one of their own, : We have not got along so well with the Portuguese language. In fact we haven't got anywhere at all with it. And you might as well speak Navajo Indian here as Spanish. : I it believe there’s a man in Lisbon who speak Spanish. And very few people in hotels or restaurants speak English. French seems to be the language. George Lait and I have worked out a sort of LaitPyle version of English; some acrobatics and. consid-f erable face-making. The result is such general confusion all around that we can’t even understand each other.

the eight best juvenile works of 1940. It was written by Will and Molly Donaldson, radio artists, for their T-year-old son. Although the Zinkin firm (Musette Publishers) is located in New York, either Sr. or Jr. (or hoth) commutes back here at least once a month.

Ah—Here’s Way to Startle Starlings

THE MUSIC WHICH POURS from the Court House belfry is serving a double purpose. Primarily, it fills; the air with Christmas good-will and cheer. But it also fills the air with starlings. It scares the daylights out of them .. . something all other panaceas fail todo. Every time the bells ring, the starlings zoom out to a quiet zone. During intermission they come back, unnerved but stubborn. That goes on all day.

The only other casualty to date was the gentleman who backed off the curb trying to discover where the music was coming from. In case you don’t know, it’s.played on a phonograph in the Commissioner’s office and piped via the public address system to the belfry.

A New Stand at the Court House

WE TOLD YOU ALL ABOUT the Court House Christmas tree vendors the other day. Here's the newest wrinkle. A fruit stand has been set up on the lawn at Alabama and Washington Sts. and the new peddler is busy distributing holiday oranges. . . . Warning to shoppers: The policeman at Illinois and Washington Sts. is chanting to holiday jaywalkers, “There goes another guy who doesn’t care whether

threw the Methodist Hospital dining room into an uproar the other night when a rice and beef course was served. He excused himself, then returned to the table equipped with chopsticks. He did all right, too.

By Raymond Clapper

hoped | the United States would break relations with Vichy land give it. up for lost as irrevocably tied to Hitler. Apparently Mr. Roosevelt, while recognizing that the Vichy Government and the French people are prisoners of Germany, believes them unwilling prisoners and that gestures of friendship and moral support from here are worth while, Hitler can never be safé so long as the spirit of France is alive, however feeble it may be. We are seeing a studied attempt from here fo nurse that spirit back to its feet. The project of providing milk for the children of unoccupied France is in strong favor here and is not placed in the same category with the Hoover food proposals, which are frowned upon. Mr. Roosevelt ' is playing hopefully upon Marshal Petain, feeling that he, unlike Laval, is an unwilling participant in the sorry humiliations of France since the fall of Paris.

Dangers of the Gesture

These gestures will not be lost upon France, nor upon the people of Britain—nor indeed upon the Nazis.. Their merit is that they help make clear where American sympathies are, and emphasize our interest in the outcome. : The danger of misunderstanding is that the appearance of the American cruiser on this mission may stir hopes among the desperate peoples of Europe that are not likely to be fulfilled. They may read more into the gesture than is warranted. There is danger also that this gesture will aggravate the fears in this country that we are being led slowly by the hand into the war. That fear already acts as a’'brake on measures of aid to England which are short of war. If the American people were certain that what we are doing would not lead us into war, they would throw themselves inte it with much more enthusiasm than at present. They are fearful that we are about to go into convoy work—something that among even the leaders of such groups as the William Allen White Committee is viewed with alarm. This country is a long way from being willing to go into the war. Gestures which suggest the danger of that only arouse misgivings as to everything we are doing and make it harder to supply England with what she needs. :

’

By Eleanor Roosevelt

around this morning and delivered them to all our friends up here. : ? A kind friend gave me a great many toys this year. He took so much trouble in picking them out, that I have had difficulty in tearing myself away from them. I even found one among them which I am going to give to the President of the United States. I am sure that this year, all the children who come’ to our various Christmas parties, are going to have a particularly happy time and I am very grateful to this friend who took so much personal trouble, in addition to being so very generous. Last night, Mr. and Mrs. James Bourne of Rhine-

the social agencies of Dufchess County, joined some of the young people who met with me last summer on two occasions. We sat around my living room fire and discussed what they, through their meetings and various activities, have found to be the needs of’ the young pegs sa our county. : I hope t some” day, out of these meetings, the young people of Dutchess County will participate actively in various county activities. Programs are carried out for both young and old which are intended to improve the social life, as well as the economic conditions of our various towns and villages, and young people should participate in the planning of these programs. I came down to New .York City

Gallup Tests Shed Light on Physical Goal

By Dr. George Gallup

PRINCETON, N. J., Dec. 23.—How “fit” are the American people? With a growing recognition among defense authorities that the strength and safety of the United States are bound up with the nation’s health, that question is taking on major significance today. President Roosevelt in his ine

augural address four years ago referred to a “third of a nation” as ill-fed. Recently Harvard Professor Pitirim Sorokin made headlines across the country with his charge that American youth is lazy, soft and under-exercised. To see wheter the American

about John standards, the American Institute

views of men and women in all parts of the country—including young people and older persons, New Englanders and Southerners, and all other major divisions of the total U. S. population. As a result of this nation-wide checkup these facts emerge: 1. The public is split almost 5050 on the dictum of Prof. Sorokin that American young men are lazy, soft and need to be toughened up. A slight majority (52 per cent) of those with opinions on the question said they thought the Professor was right. Interestingly enough, young people themselves were almost evenly di- . vided on the question, like their , elders, But from many young people came strong objections: “The Professor may be right in what he says about those college boys,” a Middle Westerner replied, “but out here where we still work out-of-doors: we're tough "enough for any Dos 2. President Roosevelt's statement that a third of America is ill-fed finds striking confirmation in the beliefs of those interviewed, however./ The survey found that approximately four families in every ten thought they were going without foods that make for wuetter health—chiefly because they don’t have the money. Obviously the largest number of these families were those of the lowest income group—composed of families earning less than $20 a week. ” ” ”

INCE medical’ authorities trace

diet and physical vigor, perhaps the most significant section of the whole survey is that which deals with dietary deficiencies—as ordinary men and women see those deficiencies themselves. The survey asked: “Would the health of your family be better if you had more money each week to spend on food?” Sixty per cent of those interviewed said “No,” that their diet .was already adequate for health— a figure representing approximately 20 million families out the nation’s total 33 millions.

But 40 per cent (or approximately 13 million families)

a definite relationship between -

Lack Proper

of Public Opinion has sought the _

Lower Income Group YES—70% NO—30%

thought they would be more healthy if they had more money each week to buy food. The replies were: HEALTH NO BETTER HEALTH WOULD BE BET-

. To see whether or not the people’s ideas of healthful foods agreed with well-established dietary standards, the Institute asked the latter individuals: “If you had more money, what foods would you spend it on?” Some nutrition experts may be shocked by a few of the choices, but . here is what the Institute was told: First and foremost on the list of desired foods was “meat.” Next came “vegetables,” “fruits” and dairy products, with milk, butter and cheese listed under the. latter. ” ” ” HE complete replies to the question can be summarized as follows:

WOULD SPEND ON:

“Meat — With beef mentioned first among specific items “Yegetables”—Largely specified, but with potatoes leading the list of - specific items “Fruit”—Including fresh and stewed fruits “Dairy Products” — With milk specified by nearly three-fourths of these listed in this category.... 21 Foods which voters simply classed, without details, as “good, solid food.” This comment came frequently from persons on relief... 16

illions

fini

YY YY YY ARAMA, we TTI I

‘DAIRY PRODUCTS 21% -

FRUIT 27%

(Each symbol = 5% of persons desiring better diet who mentioned item)

>

“Bread and Cereals”—Including “flour” and “cornmeal” Eggs Foods with a large sugar content -—- such as chocolate, pastries, desserts and other “sweets” All Other Answers Since the respondent was not limited to one particular choice, the total percentages add, of course, to more than 100 per cent. In addition one voter .in every ten in this group said he “didn’t know” what foods he would buy. s ” ” MONG men and women earning $20 or more per week, only 20 per cent said their family health would be improved by having more money to spend on food. On the other hand, 70 per cent of those earning less than

EXTRA WING ON PLANE IS HELP

Drops Off as Glider at Proper Altitude; Greater Loads Made Possible.

By Science Service , "© WASHINGTON, Dec. 23—By attaching a glider to an airplane as

it takes off, to provide greater lifting power, and having the glider descend after sufficient altitude is reached, it may be possible for a bomber to carry five tons of bombs 5000 miles at 400 miles per hour speed. \ This is the claim of Noel Pem-berton-Billing, in an article appearing in a recent issue of the British aeronautical weekly, Flight, which has just reached here. A few years ago experiments were made with the Mayo composite aircraft. This consists of a big plane which carries a ‘smaller one aloft on its back. When in the air, they separate, and the smaller plane goes on to its destination. This is done because a great deal more lift is required to get a plane off the gound than to keep it in flight. Mr. Pemberton - Billing admits that this “has proved itself a safe and effective method of assisting take-off;” he says that there is a

component “larger, heavier and more powerful than the aeroplane that is actually to be launched, so that composite production of bomber on this principle would be at a cost out of all proportion to its value.” Additional defect is that it “necessitates lifting a heavy weight into the air and then throwing it upwards instead of the much simpler operation of dropping it.” Another method of obtaining extra lift, cited by the writer, is that known as the “sorap-wing.” With this, the craft starts as a biplane,

wing. Then, of’ course, this is lost, and may even be dangerous to other planes, or to persons and structures on the ground hélow. Another method is to take off with a light load .of fuel, and to refuel in the air, but this, he says, “ean provide only a partial solution to the problem.” ! His new method is called the “slip-wing,” and he says it not only enables one to carry the same load at twice the speed, but also at one-twentieth the cost, a cost that is not so important in actual money

this afternoon and will return to Washington early tomorrow morning. 3

A

as in the priceless man-hours that it represents.

disadvantage in having the lower.

and in- flight, drops off the upper

Marshall Lauds Spirit of Army

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (U. P.). —Gen. George C. Marshall, chief

of staff, in a Christmas message to the Army today thanked the officers and soldiers alike “for the fine spirit” in which they have been contributing “to the tremendous . task of creating a trained and seasoned military force.” ’ “Whatever degree they may be of mechanization and however important the munitions program, all of this will have little value unless the product can be placed in the hands of highly trained, disciplined military teams,” Gen. Marshall said. “For the contributions to this end that is being made by officers and soldiers alike and for the fine spirit in which they have undertaken the task, we are deeply grateful.”

PROCEEDS OF DANCE WILL FILL BASKETS

+ A dance for high school pupils and adults will be given from 9:30 Pp. m. to 12 tonight at Christian Park

by the Indianapolis Recreation De-

partment in co-operation with the Recreation Department of the WPA. Donations of canned goods will be used to fill Christmas baskets and the Mothers’ Club of Christian Park will ‘act as hostesses. Lucille Dalton is in charge of the decorations and Margene Harlan in charge of the program. ~The hall will be decorated with boughs of pine and a Christmas tree.

ARMY TESTING BANTAM CARS

May Replace Cycle Squads; 3000 Three-Man Autos Already Ordered.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (U. P.).— Field tests are being conducted to determine the practicability of replacing motorcycle units of cavalry divisions with the newly-developed quarter-ton “bantam car.” The Army now has on order about 3000 of these vehicles which can carry three men and their fighting equipment. It is a small, low, nar-row-tread, four-wheeled drive car without armor protection. If present tests are satisfactory the cars will be used to furnish ordinary and cross-country. transportation for small rifle units whose normal duties include reconnaissance work and dismounted combat. The War Department said that for tactical use motorcycles with sidecars lack ruggedness and adequate cross country ability. “The newly-developed quarter-ton truck seems to have the answer to some of these deficiencies,” the Department said. “It is relatively quiet. Its light weight permits manhandling. It can be employed to carry either three men or a cargo of weapons or ammunition. Its low silhouette permits concealment.”

YT ELE

FACT

TRENCHES DUG, ACROSS OPEN FIELDS TO OVERTURN ENEMY TRANSPORT PLANES ATTEMPTING TO LAND |

HOW BRITAIN GUARDS AGAINST INVASION

TRENCH DUG NEAR SLOPING GROUND 1S MORE EFFECTIVE

Pe, *

| "The actor

[i

$20 a week said they were con-

. scious of lacks in diet.

Hectionally the greatest lacks were reported in. the South,

where 59 per cent said they negded more for food. The survey included a cross-section of Southern Negroes, generally concecdled to suffer from the lowest living standards of any large group. Persons who said they agreed with Prof. Sorokin that American youth need “toughening up” were asked what they would suggest for this purpose. Interestingly enough, almost none sug-

gested that improved diet might

be a'factor. > Chief suggestion was: “Give them military training”—an attithde which helps to explain some of the majority support found for peace-time conscrip-

tion in the Institute's earlier surveys this year. | Some added that if enough ‘young men can’t be called in America’s peace-time draft, there ought to be special civilian train-. ing centers set up for physical exercise. ’ |

Other suggestions for incireasing civilian stamina were ore manual werk for young ple,” “jobs instead of idleness,” “planned physical exercise” and “hiking and outdoor clubs.” ” ” »

URTHER questions in the Institute survey revealed that only about one adult in four takes regular physical exercise apart from his work, and that a far larger number would like to take part in an exercise program, The answers were:

“Do you happen to take regular physical exercises now?” | Yes—24% No—76%

“It has been suggested that the Federal government organize a national program to interest more people in taking regular exercise to improve the health of the country. Would you approve of such a program?” } Yes—171% No—29%

“Would you ‘be willing to take ‘part in such a program yourself?” Yes—65% No—35%

Three years ago a study conducted in Britain by the Eritish Institute of Public Opinion showed that, in England, the world home of the “constitutional,” apjproximately 44 per cent of those interviewed said they took regula daily exercise, mentioning games, hiking and setting-up exercises chiefly. |

Von Stroheim Unprintably | 3 Sick of Being a Movie Spy

NEW YORK, Dec. 23 (U. P).— Erich von Stroheim would make a good spy. * The masculine Mata Hari of the movies thinks so himself. “I'm over-typed,” the bullethesded, actor-director said here today. “I'm obvious. Everybody would laugh and say: ‘Oh that guy Von Stroheim, he can’t be a spy. he looks too much like one.’ It would be a clever trick, like a feirit-feint in fencing.” Von: Stroheim should know. For 20 years he’s been playing spies and counter-spies and counter-counter-spies in the movies. His “mug” he said, is the reason. His acting ability, he said, is something which only he holds in high esteem. Pepple think he is just playing himself, he said, when really he is such a good actor he could play the role of something nice—a Kindly old uncle, say.

| The Styles Have Changed

Styles in spies have changed a great deal, he continued. After being a lifeguard, a bellhop, a truck driver and a writer, he got his first big chance in the movies when he stitched up a sash for another actor who was playing the role of a German consul. Posing as lan authority on all things German, he became a technical director and from there moved in on the directorial field and then into acting. By now, Von Stroheim said, he is. so unprintably sick of playing German spies that tears come to his eyes when he even thinks of acting some nice sympathetic role. “Nobody even gives me credit for being an actor,” he said. “They get some ugly part which calls for a mug like mine and they say, ‘ah, that’s Von Stroheim. Even off the screen I'm taken for a spy— I was stopped in Bermuda when I returned from Europe. They thought

1 was a spy posing as Von Stro-|,

heim.” They're More Subtle Today ing the part of a: na PC hr A

They no longer wear monocles all the time, but they have a perpetual steelly glint in their eye which takes the place of any actual brutality. One thing hasn’t changed, accords ing to Von Stroheim. A spy always gets caught—in the movies at least —the same way. A womar’s love betrays him. The really successful spy, he suggested, should stay away from women entirely. i My Born in Vienna, Von Sfroheim was a professional soldier until 1909 when he came to America and drifted into the movies. : “you'd think after being an American citizen for 20 years and living here for 31, I'd get just one chance of being an actor—instead of a professional German bogey= man,” he said unhappily. |

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE |

1—How many dimensions does a shadow have? | 2—'Tapioca is obtained from the roots of the snake plant, cassava or guava? Fl 3—Which famous American states man was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr? . 4+—Of which State was Frank O, Lowden formerly the Governor? 5—Where is Yale University? 6—Is the earth's axis slanted toe

when the Northern Hemisphere . is having winter? 7—A fluent speaker is said to have “the gift of—"? Lil 8—What was the given hame of President Wilson? fl Answers 1—Three. 2—Cassava. 3—Alexander Hamilton.

4—TIllinois.' 5—New Haven, Conn

8—“Thomas Woodrow. | | : 2 = .,

ASK THE TIMES

_Inclose a 3-cent stagap for in tion

wards or away from the sun