Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 31 December 1940 — Page 10

PAGE 10 __ ii The Indianapolis Times

(A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER)

ROY WwW. HOWARD RALPH BURKHOLDER ~ MARK FERREE President: : Business Manager

Owned and published - @aily (except Sunday) by The Indianapolis Times Publishing Co., 214 W. Maryland St.

Member of United Press, Scripps-Howard Newspaper Alliance, NEA Service, and Audit Bu_zeau of Circulation.

ty, 3 cents a copy; deliv. ered by carrier, 12 cents a week. -

Mail subscription rates in Indiana, $3 § year; outskde of Indiana, 65 cents a month,

«E> RILEY 5551

Give Light and the People Will Fina Their Own Way TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1940

ERNIE’S BAPTISM OF FIRE TF RNIE PYLE had seen about everything there was to see : in this country, and he had seen most of the wonders of Alaska and Canada and the Hawaiian Islands and Latin America. But he wasn’t satisfied. ‘He wanted to see London under fire. : . - So, he was told to go ahead. It took him a long time to get there, transportation in that’ direction being what it is these days. And as soon as he got there, the bombers took a recess. London was as quiet and peaceful as coyld be. We can imagine Ernie torn between relief and regret.

But the peace didn’t last. He got his baptism of bomb-

ing. And we recommend to you the piece he sent us about

it today, in which he describes “the most hateful, most beautiful single scene” he has ever known. = ; Incidentally, Ernie got a grand puff from Mrs. Roosevelt. She has read everything he has written since he left for England, she wrote in “My Day.” So have we—and so, we hope, have you.

ASCAP: ‘ANOTHER VIEW A READER comments on our expressed wish that : ASCAP, which controls most of the copyrighted music and the radio chains get together. He writes: : “I agree that it is desirable that they settle their dispute, but I am hoping they won't settle it too soon. “Cutting off the familiar music would give radio some- ~ thing it sadly needs—something new. Granted that the American popular music contained in the libraries of ASCAP is very fine, it is also true that we have been surfeited with riches. This good music has been played to death. To be really appreciated by the public it should be absent for a while. : : “Radio programs will be more interesting for a complete change of fare. The public will watch to see how much ingenuity the chains can muster in digging up old music and inventing new. We'll enjoy praising and squawking. “Tt will be quite a show. Don’t let any meddling peacemakers keep it Trom going on. “The radio chains will be all the better for having had to do some experimenting, and the gems of ASCAP will shine with a new luster after being put aside for a time.”

CORDELL HULL

DENYING reports of differences between the two, Sumner Welles, Undersecretary of State, says of Cordell Hull: “I think it would be impossible for any man in my position, who has had the opportunity of being associated with a man of his extraordinary moral courage and consistency, and I think an almost unique intellectual integrity, to have anything except very deep devotion for him.” A fine tribute—and richly deserved. : Devotion is the word, it seems to us, that expresses the whole American public’s attitude toward Secretary Hull. There is something so confidence-inspiring about this man from Tennessee that even if you don’t agree with him, on this or that, you feel devotion nevertheless, because of that almost unique intellectual integrity of which Mr. Welles speaks. So as the years have gone on, Mr. Hull has become a symbol of sincerity; of that complete honesty which begets confidence even among those who can’t go along with all of his policies. He is a rock on which to cling in a world of intrigue and double-talk. His asset value to the nation can never be fully described because it is composed of those many intangibles which go to make up truly great character. But we all may give thanks that he is with us, where he is—as our Secretary of State—in times like these.

HOW TAX-EXEMPTS WORK

HE article by Marshall McNeil on the preceding page is worth your reading. So will be other articles which he is to write, citing other examples of wealthy citizens who avoid the payment of equitable income taxes through .the convenient process of investing their surplus capital in .. tax-exempt bonds. : It would not be fair to blame the rich for buying taxfree securities; the law invites them to do so. Our governments—Federal, State and local—have to borrow money to meet emergencies, and sometimes to finance ordinary expenditures. Capital invested in public securities should not be called “slacker money” when Government itself fixes the terms of the investment. But it is unwise, we think, for our governments, which are supported by taxes, to continue in effect a set of laws which wield the ax on one class of investors and confers immunity on another. The fairest tax is one assessed in proportion to ability to pay. That is what the graduated income tax attempts to do. But it fails of its purpose in respect to persons who derive all or part of their income from tax-free securities. The example Mr. McNeil cites today is of a New Yorker who has a taxable income (from private business sources) of $224,441, plus a tax-free income of $880,408—making a total net income of $1,184,849. On that the man pays an income-tax bill of $134,027 to New York State and the Federal Government. If all his income were taxable, his income-tax bill would be $818,386. President Roosevelt and Secretary of the Treasury Morgenthau are asking the next Congress to enact a law making all future issues of Governmental securities subject to the same income taxes that are applied to the securities of private industries. We think this program deserves support for many reasons. For one, it would make the phrase “ability to pay” mean what it says. For another, it would take away the premium which the Government now offers to capital seeking & suré return without risk—and it would encourage investments in private enterprises that provide real jobs at

Price in Marion Coun-

Fair Enough. By Westbrook Pegler

Rigid Individualism Which Marked Liberalism of the '20s Gives Way to Belief in Goose-Stepping Policy

EW YORK, Dec 31.—Back there in the early '20s when Scott Fitzgerald's cult of adolescent cry-ing-drunks were bawling that they had lost their souls, liberalism, as we understood it in this country, was first of all opposed to discipline or regimentation.

Just for extra, and to make discipline or regimentation particularly odious to free people, it wag called goose-stepping, a happy "invention of our liberal epitheticians, which brought to mind in a word the detestable arrogance and brutality of the German Kaiser and his government. The Kaiser had just been slapped down and millions of men on the vice torious side were breaking ranks and enjoying their release: from restraints and compulsions of ; military‘ life. Behind them, millions of civilians, women as well as men, also were breaking ranks, so to speak, with the relaxation of the wartime restraints. The lights came on in the streets at night, it was no longer an offense not to draw the blinds after dark, you could criticize the Government and books

of the now-it-can-be-told series began to tumble: off

the presses in many languages. o 2 2

N the United States, prohibition appeared as a little red blotch, later to develop into a horrible

corruption, which has left permanent damage in contempt for law and suspicion of public officers long after repeal cured the disease itself, and great was the resentment against prohibition on the ground that a few politico-religious organizations and rich industrialists were trying to force most of the people to abide by the rule and conform to the tastes and an extreme moral verboten of a few. Of course, there was much more to liberalism, but the kernel of it was individual rights and rebellion against compulsion beyond the minimum restraints necessary for the regulation of traffic. : But, of course, this liberalism did not extend to industry, commerce and finance. These were not personal or individual matters but issues, and the rights of the individual could be protected only by the adoption and indorsement of restraints. ; Little did we think then that liberalism would curl up its tail and sting itself full of poison in its angry threshing before two decades had passed, but now ain't it the truth? i For today the surviving members of the group who fought most angrily against goose-stepping in the early 20s are almost all to be found in that element who hold that collective action is the only hope of the worker, and that any worker who prefers to remain a loner, or individual, is a pathetic coward, afraid of his boss, a dirty traitor to his fellowmen, in receipt of secret pay from his boss, a mulish and selfish parasite, enjoying the benefit of other men’s struggle and peril or a Fascist.

’

2 2 "-

HATEVER he is, he had no right as an individual to conduct himself as an individual, and by trying to do so he exiles himself from human society. sets himself against his fellowmen and deserves any harm that befalls him in a contest of his own choosing. If he is thrown out of his job, in which it has been contended. by the liberals that he has a property right, that is his own fault. The day came when liberels who had fiercely hated the goose-step, goose-stepped in' a sort of prisoners’ march before premises struck by minority vote to revile individual men, stone them and beat them, for their refusal to submit to regimentation and discipline. And men who had insisted that they placed truth above all things so far abandoned their liberalism that they plainly admitted that they preferred to suppress, ignore or deny truths about corruption and a thousand forms of oppression in labor unions rather than hurt their new cause of regimentation or goosestepping. 2 The ball-bat and tire-iron, the meat-hook and the brick are effective weapons for organization, but they do not appeal to reason.

Business

By John T. Flynn

Has $50,000 to Invest But Taxes Would Make Return Not Worth Risk

EW YORK, Dec. 31.—The following letter came to me in the Christmas mail—and it’s not very Christmasy. “I have read your statement made half a dozen times that the war effort should be supported by taxes instead of borrowing. I would like you to answer one question—and if you can answer this I will shut up. I happen to be one of those people who has a pretty good income. I make no apologies for it. I don’t think I am ‘harming anyone. I have a business. I give employment to people and I make a profit. And I have one of those concerns. that's made a profit all through the depression. I've made enough money to live and have some to spend. I have some money right now which I would like to invest. I don’t suppose that is any crime. ; : “Now what I would like you to answer me is this one: I have a chance to put about $50,000 into a small business. Some business friends of mine think they see a spot now to open a small factory and manufacture an article that seems to be coming into the market with good promises. Such a factory would put about 20 people to work. But it's a new business. It takes time to build it up. If it turns out all right we'll make some pretty good money. But then again maybe it won't turn out all right. In other words, like most new business deals, it’s a gamble. And right here is my problem. If I put $50,000 into this business and it makes a profit I will have to pay income tax on it to Uncle Sam and to the state treasury. I have an income now of something over $40,000 a year —half of it salary and the other half on my investments. I figure that I will have to pay about $12,000 income taxes. ” # 8 1° OW suppose this investment turns out O. K. It’s a risk and I ought to look for at least 10 per cent profit to balance the possibility of-loss. But suppose I should make 8 per cent. That isn’t much on a real risky enterprise. How much profit do you think I'll have for my risk and my money? 1 figure, with the Federal and State income taxes out, that I'll have 3.60 per cent profit. And a good chance to take a loss. “Did you ever hear of a man going into a new industry with a big risk attached, maybe two or three years of losses before a profit shows up and a chance for a bust all around, and a hope of only 3.60 per cent interest? So the question is: If the Government taxes any more to prepare this country for war or for any other purpose—do you think you will ever get anybody to invest his money? And if nobody will invest any money what is going to happen to our so-called capitalist system?” I do not have any answer to this. This is pretty much what I have been saying. I think somebody else ought to be asked to answer this one. You cannot eat your cake and have it. Vast Government outlays have got to be paid for some way. Either by taxes or by loans. Taxes will do just what this correspondent says they will do. You have got to make up your mind that peacetime business will just about go to pieces during vast war expenditures, But when the war effort ends perhaps we can resume. But if we pay for it by borrowing we may ruin everything definitely.

So They Say—

THE DISTRIBUTION of intelligence is not markedly variable in any large group taken at random throughout the civilized world.—Prof. F. C. Bartlett, Cambridge.

- * ®

FEW REALIZE either how much has been done,

! Marshall, chief of staff, on the Yefense

or how much remains to be done—Gen. George C.; situation,

A

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES .

W.e Thou

Gen: Johnson

——_ TUESDAY, DEC. 31, 1940.

Says—

Something Akin to War Industries : Board of 'I8 May Be Revived, But '

He Fears Trouble in Labor Sphere.

ASHINGTON, Dec. 31.—There is about to issue = from Washington, an executive order recreat- = | ing something very close, in form at least, to the War . Industries Board of 1918. CT. While it will not disturb the recent quadumvirate “%, of Stimson for the Army, Kuua | for the Navy, Knudseir Xe tages; 2 try and Hillman for : labor, Knudsen will be the actual)’ @ ‘working member and the show .f" HI will center around him. Like the ° +. 1918 .organization, there will be _ departments for priorities, com- “¥ mandeering and price control ':"y, # Some of the latter will not be the central organization. Neither = were they all there in World We prics-tixin ommission . e price- g GC ht was then a separate organization, |v:

| housed with the War Industries Board, the chairman

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

SHOPPING DAY FoR MEN ONLY URGED

By a Reader

a business inan’s shopping day, a day where the ladies will be asked to refrain from coming to town to shop. That means the sales girls could spend all their time helping the men buy what they want. Most men don’t like big crowds and they wish to get waited on quickly. These things would be granted on the business man’s shopping day. a 0 8 URGES STIFFER PENALTIES IN AVENUE SLAYINGS By Louis J. Hockett People are asking is there a way to stop these murders which occur on Indiana Ave. and in other Negro communities. Most people lay the blame on the tavern and tavern owners. Of course the owners do sell liquor after hours. This is

against the law. He should be punished for this. But blame for the murders which occur in their places of business, should be placed on those who pass sentence on these slayers. In other words the court should bear the blame. : Of all the murders involving Negroes that occurred in the last two years or so, there hasn't been one that served more than two years or eighteen months. That's what causes these slayings. They know how much time they are going to get before they commit a murder. Some even brag about it. When a Negro kills a white man he receives life in prison or the electric chair. Why not apply this same sentence when a Negro kills a Negro? Just a few days ago a fellow was sentenced for a slaying which occurred in an Indiana Ave. tavern. This slaying caused a tavern owner to lose his license. The slaying was the talk of the town. Everyone just knew the slayer was going to be put up for a long time, but in the ar he walked out with the usual 2-21. Is that all the time a Negro is to get for the murder of another

I propose that next year we have]

(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.)

Negro? Maybe if some were sentenced to life or maybe the electric chair or given long-term sentences it would stop so many murders. Why not try it? 8 8 8 CEPLORES RADIO BAN ON FAVORITE SONGS By Mrs. Chauncey Olcott, New York

What monopoly is this—I believe the name is CBS, NBC or MBS— meaning initially to me and the general public certain barons of the air, and we, the public, owning radios, will be denied the right to hear our favorite composers on the air—Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” Oley Speaks’ “Sylvia,” the world’s most honored song—every girl learning to sing considers this her masterpiece; Carrie Jacobs Bond's “The End of a Perfect Day,” “I Love You Truly,” Irving Berlin, Victor Herbert, Cadman’s “At Dawning,” Ethel-

bert Nevins’ “Rosary.” I am not intrinsically interested, but personally should hate to be denied the voice of Richard Crooks singing “My Wild Irish Rose” or Lanny Ross singing “Mother Machree.” This may seem I am selfish. I am in no way advertising Chauncey Olcott’s songs. Were he here today he would say it is the survival of ‘the fittest—I would agree with him. When the new composers earn their spurs I say o. k. But I would hate to wade through all their efforts on the radio. > Chauncey Olcott once said a song in the archives of the publishers’ bureaus was hot worth a cent. Songs have to be sung and popularized by great singers, and imagine not being able to hear on lonely nights when hearts are saddened the beau-

tiful “Lord’s Prayer,” sung by John Charles Thomas!

Side Glances=By Galbraith

ADMIRER TELLS WHY LONDON CAN TAKE IT By H. V. D. As a visitor to both London and Paris many times, the ‘writer is proud of London and Londoners. It would seem from what has happened and what is happening that the Parisian stays himself upon his monuments—the sites and visible beauties of his capital; a devastating bombardment of Paris would shatter the supports of his devotion. Maybe this is why Paris would not defend itself. : But the soul of London and Londoners does not lie in stones, however~ beautiful or venerable. The Londoner, like the New Yorker, can quickly acquire a garment of sentiment for the new. Big Ben, or the Herald block in Greely Square are as venerable to them as the Invalides, Notre Dame or the Arce de Triomphe. London, like New York, is a community of spirit; not a collection of buildingse Probably Germany doesn’t understand this. ,She may continue ‘her battering as long as she dare. Not one of her blows can reach the essential London. Hats off to London and the Londoners! :

8 tJ 8 OPPOSES LETTING BRITAIN HAVE FOREIGN SHIPS By H. kK. F. «+++ 1am hoping that President Roosevelt stands firm as ever against propaganda pressure. We all want to see Britain saved, but our first law, the same as theirs, is self-pres-ervatién. To tamper with any of those foreign boats will touch off the fireworks. Every ship we send and lose is a nail in our coffin. The gamble is against us, fighting up their alley. At home they are worth twice as much, and military authorities say we need them all. We might stave off the devouring wolves all about us until better prepared. As I see it, we face a critical period, and may the sound, sober judgment of our people prevail. : ‘won 8 ANOTHER WASHINGTON TERMED U. S. NEED

By J. K. G. . Are we mice or men? Two of my ancestors fought English domination in 1776. What American ever thought he would live to see the day when our foreign policy would be determined by the needs of British imperialism. What other nation in the world would owe us over five billion dollars, but imperialistic as ever, refuse to cede an inch of soil in payment? What other nation would be so bold as to ask us to turn over ships - belonging to nations with which we are at peace? What we need is another Washington to throw off this English yoke to which the stooges in our foreign department bow with such joy. Wake up America before it is too late! .

TRUE By MARY WARD

There is a resolution true, And one which has been proven

good, » As when an oak tree grew and grew, Storms, vicissitudes it withstood— And gloriously above this sphere. Heaven bends in tenderness, And prayer shall gver bring its cheer And leave no suppliant comfortless.

DAILY THOUGHT

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and shall have more abundance whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.—Matthew 13:12,

“ONE SOWETH and another reapeth,” is a verity that

evil as

applies to,

of which was a member. But the commission itself was headed by a chairman, Robert Brookings, and . reported directly to the President. yp The commandeering section was composed of offi «i. cials of the various purchasing departments and, &, while its orders had all to be signed by the chairman & of the big board, its organization was separate gr : . a's aby F these three key departments, only the priorities 0 commission was an integral part of the big 3, board. In practice it made no difference. They all.’ worked in perfect harmony. : b This is the general pattern of the new proposal with Mr. Stettinius probably at the head of the priori- x; ties division, Sidney Hillman conducting labor rela-::s tions and Leon Henderson presiding over prices. If this happens, priorities and price control will both be- : outside the production office of the four-man control; and in the advisory commission. Nn RE That need not necessarily make any difference if ., . these turn out to be the right men and there are no "= inherent weaknesses, stresses and strains. It is not. 3 altogether clear that this is so. Mr. Hillman is a good. og man, but is only barely tolerated by the American Federation of Labor and is no object of affection to 34 | John Lewis. In the continuing conflict between ine oe dustry and labor, and whether they so intend or not, _. Mr. Knudsen represents management and Mr. Hill-<dl | man is labor's man. : al If there is a disagreement between these two, the!& Army and Navy Secretaries will have the deciding = & votes. 0

1] 7 | 4 ha M b

RE 3

2 8» »

HIS is unfortunate. These gentlemen want ever: increasing production and are bound to be im=ix § patient with delay. The most obvious delays will be. i+ “3 labor strikes and disputes. If the Army and Navy... {0 side with industry (Mr. Knudsen) the welkin will ring = 1 with complaints not only from labor but from every.; # radical element in Washington, none of which like this arrangement anyway, and all of whom a | businessmen should not be in. . oo So the armed services will come in for a hail of epithets—reactionary, tory, brass-hat, martinets, dic- 9 a

2% |

tatorial and even Nazis and Fascists a This is too bad. Neither the Army nor the Navy*' & should be put in a position of having to decide such _ § disputes. Some wholly impartial agency should do * that and this organization does not provide such acl # tribunal. THe split in the ranks of labor ¥ makes Mr. Hillman’s position doubly difficult. DH. This situation requires vastly increased That can come only from unity and a driving force ; amounting to fiery inspiration. Maybe patience, «'] patriotism ar co-operation will overcome appar- .: ent weakness and spark us out of our present lethargy, —but it is not doing it now and there are few signs of such improvement. :

A Woman's Viewpoint)

%

By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

EFORE Christmas we live in a whirl; there’s no q time to savor its incidents. But afterward cer- *, § tain moments stand out against the moving pageant of the days, take form, and become a part of our. permanent memories. When Mrs. Covington’s voice came over the wire reminding me: 2 that I was to be her guest for the~y "I Christmas - party of the Farm: § Home Demonstration Clubs, my reactions were normal—“Heavens, ¢ there's another day wasted”— . ( which goes to show how wrongs, your reactions can be. i I have great respect for the

’

ENE

work of the Home Demonstration groups, whose membership is ' | made up of farm women. They , | defend America and € 3 ; democracy 365 days of every year | | : by improving their own living 13 conditions and helping their near neighbors to do ° likewise. Then, too, I esteem country women because = & they deal with fundamentals and are less addicted * § to flubdub than the rest of us. 1 Ta Every detail of this particular festival was carried } ru! out by the members themselves, many of whom had , / babies parked across the hall in the church nursery. 4 { They put on the pageant, they acted the parts in:i § the play, they cooked the dinner which was served | | later, and they had previously raised the turkeys:s = from chickhood, and planted and canned the vege-.' & | tables. Jia TEC In the darkened room, whose only light shone upon the figures of the Madonna and Child, these'f'; women, representing the Magi of old, walked down the church aisles.two by two, bearing their gifts. ‘Not gold, frankincense and myrrh, but enormous baskets overflowing with food which would spread cheer in: various poor homes. : Lb « The play was fantasy, but when it had en the , #& 22 baskets were still there, offering material e I Ry of the good will which abides with us even in da Ty weather. OR

Watching Your Hea By Jane Stafford Si

ITH all the clamor for scientists to cines against influenza and paralysis, one not forget the importance of using those against disease which. are already available proved of value. rr Oldest of the tried and true among vacc which gives protection against smallpox. in this age and this country have seen smallpox or even a patient who has re shows the ravages of the disease in a skin. This is because so many persons ha cinated against the disease. soda In those parts of the United States vaccination is required for school | where this requirement has been in ber of years, the disease has practic: It has practically vanished in the East ) nation. In the last decade those cases been reported have largely occurred ir Central and Northwestern sections Nearly all the cases “eported in

tening malady. 1000 to 1919 inclusive, it killed 11,435 ° United States. From 1020 to 1930 smallpox deaths fell to 5335. Of thes C. Dauer, epidemiologist of the Health Department, 90 per t occu to 1926. The decrease in ; years is partly due to a change In © during thé last 40 years, a change fc portion of severe cases with a relative of deaths to a greater percentage of U very few deaths. 12 Aa While this change in the decrease in deaths is gratifyin one can be careless a against the disease. will not € appear

Avena: