Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 27 December 1940 — Page 15

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«Po RILEY 5551 5 Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1940

THE BALKAN MYSTERY T LOOKS as if we're about due for another Eeoprapliy lesson, Spokesmen in Berlin profess to laugh at the reports, but it seems pretty well substantiated that Nazi troop trains in large numbers are crossing Hungary into Rumania. Dispatches from various centers agree that the movement involves several hundred thousand men. What is their mission? The idea that naturally pops into the mind first is that the Fuehrer is fixing to bail the Duce out of the mess he wished onto himself in Albania. But there are strings to that one, and wheels within wheels. German troops cannot reacn Albania or Greece from Rumania without traversing Yugoslavia or Bulgaria. The latter nations are not yet German puppets, although they are economically dependent on Berlin. Also, these two nations are Slavic; Bulgaria in particular is wont to look on Russia as a protector, as “Uncle Ivan.” Bulgaria, furthermore, straddles the road from Berlin to the strategic Dardanelles and the oil-rich Middle East . And Red Russia, like Czarist Russia, would not relish German control of the Dardanelles. ‘ Russia, incidentally, has been snuggling up to Turkey again in recent months, after a period of some standoffishness. And Turkey served notice long ago that if Bulgaria permits the passage of German troops to attack Greece, she (Turkey) will march. Russia also has been crying bloody murder against the Nazi-manipulated Government of Rumania, because of anti-Communist manifestations. And Russia has deadlocked a conference on the Danubian problem by standing pat for Soviet control of that river's multiple mouths, in the face of Axis demands. Adding up all those complications, and others, it looks as if a German hands-across-the-Balkans gesture to Mussolini might run up against the buzz-saw of the Red Army. And that would scarcely fit into the Fuehrer’s plan to invade England. He has promised the German people he’ll never expose them to a war on two fronts at once. Maybe, as one dispatch suggests, all this reported troop movement is a feint. Hitler might be cooking up a Spanish adventure—an expedition, with or without Spanish consent, to assault Gibraltar. Maybe he is pondéring the seizure of Eire, which would provide some choice bases far his U-boats and bombers. Or maybe the invasion of England is still tops on hig calendar. Frankly, we don’t know the answer. Adolf hasnt slipped us any inside stuff. But we offer one tip: Keep the Atlas handy.

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WHEN $1 IS WORTH $4.76

ROM the testimony of Former Undersecretary of the Treasury John W. Hanes before the House Ways and Means Committee in June, 1939: “The Federal Government and most state governments have progressive income-tax rates which increase as the amount of taxable income increases. As a result, tax-exempt securities, of course, afford a greater tax saving to persons with large incomes than to persons with small ig€omes. “Considering the Federal income tax alone, in the case of the man with $2000 or $3000 of taxable income a dollar of wholly tax-exempt interest would give the same net return as $1.04 of taxable interest, since the taxable interest is subject only to the 4 per cent normal tax. In the hands of a taxpayer with $50,000 of taxable income, however, that same dollar of tax-exempt interest is worth $1.45 of taxable interest since the taxable interest would

be subject to 4 per cent normal tax and a 2 per cent surtax. |

The value of tax exemption continues to increase with the size of the income of the person receiving it. For an individual with $100,000 of taxable income a dollar of taxexempt interest is the equivalent of $2.44 of taxable interest. At the top of the rate scale ($5,000,000) a dollar of tax-exempt interest is the equivalent of $4.76 of taxable interest. The effect of taxes imposed by the states is to increase further the differences in tax savings. “Tax savings of this character are cbviously inconsistent with the purpose of progressive income taxation, that is, to impose taxes in accordance with the principle of ability

to pay.”

2 # 2

yi » ” Since Mr. Hanes gave that testimony, the Federal income tax base has been broadened, the surtax rates stiffened, and a 10 per cent supertax (tax on tax) has been added—making $1 of tax-exempt incoge worth even more

to upper‘bracket citizens.

DANIEL FROHMAN AT the ripe age of nearly four-score-and- ten the last member of the great Frchman stage dynasty is dead. His career spanned eras from Modjeska to the movies, and his famous Lyceum Theater remains a glamorous memory for an older generation of New York theatergoers: The names of a long line of noted playwrights and stage artists take their places in a tribute to Daniel Frohman. A host of his living friends, authors, musicians and plain folk, will miss his mellowed liveliness and humor. But nowhere will he be more deeply mourned than in the actors’ home at Englewood, N. J., where he was protector, friend and entertainer and where his frequent visits were bright spots in lives dimmer now than in the footlight past. He never forgot nor failed them.

THOUGHT FOR MUSSOLINI HE worth of a state, in the long run, is the worth of the individuals composing it; . . . a state which dwarfs its men, in order that they may be more docile instruments in its hands even for beneficial purposes—will find that

€6,

with small men no great thing can really be accomplished ;.

and that the perfection of machinery to which it has sacrificed everything will in the end avail it nothing, for want of the vital power which, in order that the machine might work more smoothly, it has preferred to banish.”—John Stuart Mill, English philosophet (1806-73).

ton

Fair Enough By Westbrook Pegler It Seems Obvious Now. That Those

‘Brats Fitzgerald Wrote About Were |

Few in Number and Unimportant

EW YORK, Dec. 27.—The death of Scott Fitzgerald recalls memories of a queer brand of undisciplined and self-indulgent brats who were determined not to pull their weight in the boat and

wanteq the world to drop everything and sit down |

and bawl with them. A kick in the pants and a clout over the scalp were more like their needing, but all of us were more or less goofy then, so they enjoyed a very tolerant public whose sympathy and attempts to. stand only’ encouraged them to eat more live goldfish out of the hotel fountains and whine all the louder. . The sensitive young things of whom Fitzgerald wrote and with

whom he ran to. fires not only |

because he could exploit them as material for profit in print but because he found them congenial were fond of a belief that they had been betrayed by some impersonal mass-rogue called their elders who had wantonly caused an awful war and the ensuing upsetment and- that they, most of all, were the victims of this villainy. Some were veterans of the war, but more were of the group who came of age just after the peace, but we were not taking polls in those days, so we never knew how many they were all told and many insist, if we like, that the noise they made was far. out of proportion to their numbers.

FTER all, there are living among us millions of men and women in their high 40's and late 30’s who were members of that age group and who settled down to work and the responsibilities of life and do not concede that they ever lost their souls. The persons of that age in the European countries ud suffer from confusion and lack of opportunity, the despair of their elders is a much different on osition. Here, "after a very brief pause, life picked up and opportunity not merely beckoned but just about ganged the young. As to the kind of opportunity, whether to serve mankind in some large, permanent altruistic way or merely to prosper eco-

nomically and pursue in reasonable security and.

comfort the devious but inevitable path from the cradle to the grave it is not pertinent to ask in a discussion of Fitzgerald's lost generation. He dealt with a group who were not noticeably concerned with noble service but merely petulant, because no one had invented a gin that didn’t cause hangover—another grievous failure of the wicked and shiftless elders. ” ” 8 T this distance from Fitzgerald’s day there are signs ‘that, just as saloon society is exaggerated and overpublicized so then the number, importance and plight of his subjects were vastly . magnified. Where are they now, those flappers male and female, whose problem never was hunger or lack of a job, or rather luxurious comforts, but just a yearning ' and churning such as every youth is troubled by, but in their great self-pity thought all this was something new? They are not next door, because there were not enough of them to provide neighbors for us all, even discounting the mortality of almost two decades, Whoever sees one now or knows of one who wouldn't have been a malignering flop and whiner in any generation? } At this point it may be observed that today any legitimate, conscientious effort to regard youth as a section of society and to give special encouragement and aid is certain to be exploited by a relatively small element of youth who will turn pro, so to speak, and either sit down on the curb. and quit cold or hop up on a ladder-box and damn the only system under which they are permitted to do so. The majority are minding their business, preserving their self-respect and their individuality as.the majority did when Scott Fitzgerald’s few were ghawing gin in dyer Stabs and sniffing about the sham and tinsel of it all.

Business By John T. Flynn

Having Britain Repay Us in Goods

After the War Sure to Raise Storm EW YORK, Dec. 27—The proposal of the Presi-

dent to buy war materials for Britain, pay for them in cash and then lend them to Britain, will have to, be carefully examined before Congress deals with it. \This is a two-phase proposition. And both phases have to be looked at. The first phase has to do with deliver= ing the goods to England. The United States buys a destroyer or a merchant ship or a machine gun or a ton of explosives and pays for them. It then “rents” this material to England. England agrees to pay rental and return the material at the end of the war. Now in essence this war dotion boils down to this: If the United States Government loaned the ‘money to England, the money would not leave the country. The money would be used by England to pay for the materials. The difference in the transactions—that is between lending the money and lending the materials—is negligible in one sense and overwhelming in another sense. Whether we lend the money or the goods, the only thing that would leave America would be the goods. If we lend the money to England, here is how the transaction would stand as the goods left America. England would owe the money to the United States and the United States would owe to its people the money which it, in turn, would have to borrow. The goods would belong to England. If we lend the goods to England instead of the money, then the United States will owe the cost to its people from whom it will borrow it. England will owe the United States no money, but a reasonable “rental” and the goods will belong to the United States Government as they leave our shore and become engaged in a war abroad,

8 » 2

T the end of the war England will be obliged to return the materials. Destroyers, of course, or merchant ships, she can return, unless they are sunk, and of course some, if indeed not many, will be sunk. We may count on many planes being destroyed. Machine guns and other arms will also suffer a considerable destruction. As for explosives, ete. they will be gone. suchh materials as have survived the war. But the rest she will be obliged to return in kind. That is, she will have to return new planes, new ships, new machine guns for those that are knocked over in the war. Also she must return in kind other materials—such as munitions, oils, cotton, wool, etc.—which we may lend her and which will be worn out. Now the question arises—what will our airplane manufacturers say when England begins making planes and sending them here? What will all the other manufacturers say when England's machine shops go to work sending war materials to us instead of producing them here? There is not the slightest doubt that there will be a wild outcry against paying America in goods. England and France could have paid a lot of the money debt they owed us from the last war. But we would never peje them to pay in “goods.” And we won't permit them to do

| it this time. We might as well face this Piste with-

out kidding ourselves.

So They Say—

I'M NOT THE country’s No. 1 golfer, and I'm glad of it. After a golfer gets to the top there is only one way he can go from there—and that’s down.—

Ben Hogan, chief money-winning golfer in the U, 8. - - -

HOW CAN WE engender loyalty? The law of loyalty is simpler than the law of gravitation. It is this: We love not those who do most for us, but those for whom we Jn Jos resin George Bar-

England can hand back to us |}. ;

_ THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

The Chance of a Lifetime!

FRIDAY, DEC. 27, 1940

El | : o The Hoosier Forum 1 wholly disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.—Voltaire.

GIVES THANKS FOR LIVING IN AMERICA By Myra Carey Morgan Many, many hew - years lave rolled around, and year after year we have said “Happy New Year” to our friends. But this New Years there is more reason to say Happy

we greet this new year of 1941. Thankful we live in America ... a land of peace; our children are safe from bombs and ... war, thankful for the abundance of food and clothing, for the homes we live. in. 1941 may find us with a small portion of this world’s goods, but still be thankful.

2 a = WARNS OF PERIL IN

|HASTY OPINIONS

By Claude Braddick, Kokomo, Ind. How wrong we can be sometimes in judging people by appearances! When I was a boy there was a big, raw-boned woman in our town, hard-eyed and never smiling, who had the reputation of being a “kid hater.” Big Foot Mary, everyone ~glled her. I never knew what her real name was—assuming she had one. We used to tease her a.lot whenever she came to town, and Mary, of course, had to defend herself. I can see that now. She'd had a child of her own

townspeople had taken it away from her. ried, so far as anyone knew, and I guess they figured she wasn’t fit to raise it. Anyway, it didn’t live very long; so that was that. They said she was rich, too—lousy

and many a night we watched her through the window, bending over

ing her money, we thought. can imagine the bitter life she lead with that kind of reputation—a mean stingy miser, and a “kid hater” to boot!

either, until after Mary was dead. They pried the lid off that black tin box (she always kept it locked), figuring to give her at least a decent burial. But the box contained no money., Mary's treasure was a little knitted undershirt, and a pair of bahy shoes!

New Year with a different mean-|’ ing—we must be more thankful, as:

once, too; a long time ago; and the

She’d never been mar-|

it with only her lips moving. Count You

We didn’t find out different,

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

CLAIMS CHRISTIAN NATIONS TRICKED INTO WAR : By Edward F. Maddox - “Peace on earth, good will toward men.” A 24-hour truce for the Prince of Peace! The man of des-

(tiny, the man of the hour, is the

man who can call the Christian nations who are fighting each other to peace. Christian nations must. cease making war on each other or they will “consume one another.” Certain anti-Christ elements in the world want just that to. happen. Their strategy is to “divide and conquer” Christian nations by agitating and duping them into making war on each other. Christian nations must unite in peace or be destroyed by their own folly. Germany, England, Italy, Greece, the United States and the conquered nations of Europe—Poland, Belgium, Holland, France, Denmark and Norway—are all Christian nations. What a world tragedy! What senseless and useless slaughter! Christian nations must take a stand for peace and righteousness or perish. . .. Hitler, Mussolini, Churchill and all other heads of Christian nations should be forced t6 declare whether

: to Christian principles, rich—though she lived on crusts of they adhere to P

bread. She had a black tin box,]

and are willing to make peace on Christian terms. These are the solid grounds on which real peace can be made. Our President is pledged to “work for peace.” Those who ‘refuse to listen to reason, or to comply with the principles of the Prince of Peace are world pariahs, war-mongers, or insatiable world revolutionists.

2 8 8 2 URGING A NEW LOOK AT THE FOREIGN PICTURE By George F. Kelfer fi In the midst of growing hysteria

and reaction ‘to selfish groups, Washington has heard two voices

Side Glances—By Galbraith

"Hello, Bentley Toy Stop? i Soh we 2grongy 8 a drum you could. guatinien would bres

crying from the wilderness recently. In spite of the wild emotionalism under which we are gradually being carried away from foreign policies that were sound during calmer days, two courageous statesmen, Senators Tytlings and Wheeler, have had the audacity to call a halt for a moment of thought toward formulating a plan for world peace. The time has come for all isolationists like myself and others as well who realize that we have either wittingly or otherwise allowed ourselves to become involved in the future of Europe to cease standing by idly and refuse to permit ambitious nations to formulate selfish world orders under which we and our children will have to live. We not only have a right to know the propsed solutions to be followed in solving the present world problems in the event the Allies win but we should foster future policies necessary for world law and order. Are we going to plunge ourselves waist deep in debt so that a victorious Britain might impose a treaty of peace more severe than the last one? Are we sending aid to destroy a Hitler so that our children may be faced with a more unscrupulous leader of a more embittered Germany? To shun the responsibilities of taking part in the creation of a peaceful constructive world today would be to forsake our children tomorrow. . . .

. 2 f f 4 : DEPLORING DISMISSALS AT THE TRUSTEES OFFICE By A Loyal Democrat

After “the investigation of the Center Township Trustee’s office a year. ago, the newly appointed Trustee dismissed many employees who had served faithfully, conscientiously and efficiently for many ears, in order to make way for others who had no knowledge or experience whatever in relief work. No thought was given to the sorrow and distress to be caused by the ones released who had been loyal during. the most trying and disgraceful circumstances. . . .

It is regrettable that there are not more citizens like our fine and understanding Congressman from the Twelfth District, the Hon. Louis Ludlow, who leaves nothing undone to alleviate unemployment and distress among his constituents. I, and many others I know, share the hope that he may continue to serve the people for many years to come. °

® 2 8 OPPOSES RENTING WAR MATERIAL TO ENGLAND By Frank Lee. ; It strikes me that this proposal

of “renting” our war material to England is sheer bunk. I am not satisfied that England is so far broke that she can’t buy the things that she needs to hold off - Hitler. But if so, it would be much better to give the material to England outright wii; no strings attached.

DECEMBER RADIO

By MARY P. DENNY

The wind is sounding over the tree A voice of winter full and free.

| Far on the breeze the dry leaves fly

And onward go toward the sky.

| The blackbirds chatter from the

beech ~ ° And far above the sparrows reach. A sound of life is in the air. A song of joy sounds everywhere Through radio of earth and skies. And from the height the snow flakes flies. All glory of the short winter day Through OW Siew. 2 paths . ot

Gen. Johnson

Says— 4 et

Answering Some Sales Resistance «-, in the Fond Hope That This Year's Paralysis Drive Will Be the Best Yet

ASHINGITON, Dec. 27.—The annual drive for funds to fight infantile paralysis is about to begin. It culininates in President’s Birthday Balls in all parts of the country. Having conducted this effort in New ork City two years ago, I have been : asked to help again in a small way. T takes some repetition to make this project clear, but having seen at close range some of the “sales resistance” to this worthy purpose, I think the repetition is justified, because most of , that resistance is due-to error or unwarranted prejudice. Infantile paralysis is one of the few remaining ravages of the human race which medical science hasn't yet tracked to its lair, Great good has been done. If the disease is disgnosed quickly enough, there are methods to prevenl its ravages from leaving little children with twisted, tortured, and sometimes useless limbs. and bodies. There are many cases of complete cure. These bengfits and cures take long and expensive treatment, with special costly equipment which is not yet available at all in some communities, For these reasons, the ilisease bears most heavily on the chil= dren of the poor, who have even more need to be sound of limb than others more fortunate. For these reasons also, it is to the interest of the , whole community that gifts in this drive be generous; first, for the fight to learn how to prevent this plague, and second, and in the meantime, to soften or avoid. its crippling effects.

££ 2

NE of the greatest resistances I found was among the Roasevelt haters. They said that the drive is a Presidential publicity stunt, that it is political and even vensl, that the President has some financial interest in the Warm Springs Hospital, that too much of the money goes there and that there is never any - adequate accounting of receipts and disbursements. - This ig prétty dirty pool. Infantile paralysis strikes regardless of politics. The President was at first very: reluctant to have his name used at all. He did so only when convinced of the great good it would do, He has nevey made a virtue out of his infirmity except as his courageous, cheerful conquest of it to such great deeds has been a light to all who sit in dark«ness, and as| great an encouragement of all the suffering and handicapped as any example ever set by any man. : As to the rest of these slanders, I had occasion carefully to investigate every one of them. They simply are n@t true. The. money is collected and dis=< bursed under the .guidance and on the responsibility . of a foundation composed of distinguished. citizens of both parties. It is distributed after careful study under the most expert medical advice with absolute fairness, where the need is greatest and where it will do the most [good in research, prevention and treatment. 8 ” »

W JARM SPRINGS is only one of many “centers for, this work. Apart from sentiment, the President has no interest and Warm Springs is not favored above others, Half of all contributions are distribe uted directly in the localities from which they. cOme, Most of them get much more than that by sharing in the other half and all benefit by the good work in the country at large. Infantile paralysis, being an obscure disease of terrible but not general incidence, the fight against it does not rective as much support from public funds, endowments and popular subscription u$ed against some other plagues that affect more people, sometimes less terribly. If the President had not spon sored this aiinual effort, thousands more lives would have been darkened—not to mention what we hope, through research, to do for future generations through this enterprise. These false resistances have not prevented generous. contributions, but their erasure should greatly increase the needed aid. Let's forget all small meanness in this gracious season and deal generously with those who heed help most.

A Woman’ S Viewpoint

By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

ASN'T this been a terrible year?” t The sentence was one of those offshoots. ote a general conversation which stick in the mind. After I got home, it stayed with me. Poor old 1940, I « thought; in; {history it will bear the blame for the evil deeds of men! Feeling a lite tle sorry for it, I decided to check back through the months of this terrible year. Surprisingly, it has been a kind year to me. And that it true perhaps for a good many others. 4 I took the trouble to make a list of the gifts 1940 has bestowed on me. Making a list always seems to fix things more firmly in mind, and certainly these days we need to remember our blessings. . I have made two new friends I "in the past’ 12 months, and except by death have not lost any old ones. And one doesn’t lose friends by death, which only takes them away for a safekeeping against some future day of reunion. When I ay new friends I don’t mean that I met a couple of nice peaple. There have been scores of that sort. 1 mean instead that two individuals whose: spirits are attuned to mine have come along and fitted themselves into my affection. Almost from the, first meeting we were able to cast aside the barriers of strangeness which see to divide us from many. Tastes and {houghts ran along the same channels, and our groping hands met. Better still, life, the whimsical Jot, reunited me with an oli friend from which I had been: sepa-. 3 rated nearly 20 years. We had been college chums, had corresponded at first in a desultory fashion, and later heard from one another in roundabout ways, but as the years passed we seemed %p grow farther apart and there was noth’ ing to prophesy a meeting. Then God's hand’ shifted this mortal kaleidoscope and suddenly we: found our paths merging again. Then came the proof that we were friends indeed. For we took. up our conversatioii where chance had cut it short. Life had ° moved us forward on a parallel plane, and now that we are together our communion is as vibrant and as sweet as ever. | So, you See, 1940 has been kind to me.

Watching Your Health

By Jane Stafford

NORING is said to be one of the most irritating of minor annoyances the English must put up, with in air raid shelters. Anyoné who has tried des-. perately to get to sleep in spite of the noise of ‘a really vigorous snorer can sympa with the ha-. ° rassed Britishers trying to get some rest and oblivion from war liorror in the midst of a chorus of snorers. Snoring was not a problem in U. S. Army barracks. during the war in 1917-1918, one medical authority stated on lis own experience, which led him to wonder if repiirts on snoring in England now had not been gagyoraied. When people are tired out, they" I ate Sleep through any amount of snoring, e lout. When snyone, young or old, male or female, sleeps on his or: her back, the mouth falls open and the palate gets into such a position that 3 oh 8 encis, or an acute inf ch swells th ¢ membranes of nose and