Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 4 February 1941 — Page 12

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Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1941

YF Indiana citizens become a little cynical about the pros- ~ * pects for good state government, Republicans and Democrats alike have no one to blame save themselves. "The Democrats had their turn, of course, in 1933 with a program of control so ruthless that the valuable features of their reorganization program were obscured by the grab for power and plunder. Now, with Republicans controlling every important state office save that of Governor, they in turn are starting ~ on a program of the same objectives just as ruthlessly. The real objectives are apparent despite the desperate efforts of such spokesmen as Rep. Frank T. Mills, Republican floor leader, to identify the current reorganization program with “the mandate of the people as expressed in the general election last November.” If last, November's vote was a * mandate, which we doubt, it was not for the sorry program now being enacted. : The truth of the matter is that much of the reorganization program was so hastily and so ill-drawn that no one is yet sure that it is in trustworthy shape. Hardly a day passes that some new “boner” is not discovered. If the Lord doesn’t send the Indiana Republicans a leader, and send him quickly, it will be a sad day for Indiana.

HORRORS OF WAR #5% ™ % THE fall of France having cut off the chief source of gold “* braid, the Royal Canadian Navy is preparing to substitute yellow silk lace, made in Canada, for ornamenting the cuffs of its officers. “It may not be so fancy,” an official gays, “but it will be every bit as effective, and it may be a worth-while economy.” :

TWO LABOR DECISIONS HE Federal Wage-Hour Law has been upheld by a unanimous decision of the U. S. Supreme Court. Having ~ fought for the passage of this law, and for its enforcement, we're happy to have so decisive an affirmative of the Fed-

. eral Government’s right to place a floor under wages and a

ceiling over hours for industries in interstate commerce. The opinion by Mr. Justice Stone specifically overrules a famous 5-to-4 decision by the Supreme Court 23 years ago, holding a Federal Child-Labor Law unconstitutional. The entire court now agrees with what the great Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said for a minority in 1918—that Congress has the right to forbid any interstate commerce it sees fit to forbid. So the way is clear for Congress to re-enact that Child-

—.. Labor Law. The Wage-Hour Law has done much to correct

the evils of child labor in such industries as it covers. But . especially in the field of industrialized agriculture far too many young children are employed in factory-like work for long hours at low wages. : : ‘After the 1918 decision a fight began for a constitutional amendment to outlaw child labor. The amendment has been ratified by the legislatures of 28 states—not enough to put it into the Constitution, but surely enough to indicate that a majority of the American people favor its

~ objective. Congress can now attain the larger part of that

objective without an

amendment to the Constitution and we hope it will, ;

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» o 8 ‘ About another important Supreme Court decision we're not so happy. This one, adopted 5-to-2, holds that the Department of Justice can’t employ the Federal Anti-Trust laws to prosecute unions which interfere with interstate: - commerce by fighting with other unions. “Mr. Justice Frankfurter, who wrote the majority opins _ fon, said some stern things about jurisdictional disputes between unions and their evil effect on industry. He maintained however, that the right of labor to engage in such

|. disputes is protected by law, Mr. Justice Roberts and Chief ~ Justice Hughes disagreed with him.

‘In the case thus decided, the Justice Department had

charged officials of an A. F. of L. carpenters union with

using strikes, picketing and boycotts in a nation-wide effort

to hurt the business of a St. Louis brewery. This because the brewery employed members of an A. F. of L. machinists _ union to do work which the carpenters wanted to do. Here "was an example of the jurisdictional dispute at its worst. ~The Congress which, according to Mr. Justice Frankfurter, ~ has granted anti-trust law immunity to unions guilty of _ * such conduct can certainly withdraw the immunity.

It is likely to do just that, especially if jurisdictional fights between unions interfere with the national defense program, The decision is a setback to Thurman Arnold’s camspaign against unjustified interference with commerce by unions, but a minor setback. The great majority of Mr. Arnold’s cases attack conspiracies of a different sort—agireements between unions and business groups to fix prices. ~The Supreme Court has not held that unions are im‘mune to anti-trust prosecution for engaging in such con- . spiracies. We venture to believe that it will not. The mejor ~ phase of Mr. Arnold's battle, which already has saved the public many millions of dollars, can and should continue with unchecked vigor.

DEFENSE NOTE RUSINESSMEN are thronging the baffling marble corridors of Washington in such numbers that the Departt of Commerce has established for their guidancz a

ecial information service, headed by an ex-Congressman

from Texas who gets $5600 a year. Escorts are provided to put visitors on business missions “in direct touch with e official whe can best give consideration to the particur problem presented.” ; 2s :

ERS FOR BOBBITT E notice by the papers that Arch N. Bobbitt, State Republican Chairman, is being considered for the onal chairmanship. There wouldn't be any Hoosier

publicans rooting for that change, would therel

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Price in Marion Coun- | ty. 3 cents a copy; deliv- |

Camouflage By Maj. Al' Williams

British and Nazi Fliers Often Play Jokes on One Another in Their

HA™e the enemy is wartime routine, but it takes a curious turn in the air. An air battle is more like a game in which the penalty is stiff for the loser, but in which skill, craftiness and sometimes humor are the motivating factors—not just hate.

British and German airmen in the present titanic struggle do not hate each other as loudly as their politicians back home. Take the matter of camoufiaging an airdrome. No matter what the artist does, he cannot completely eradicate the tell-tale wheel tracks on the grass or open ground. Then, too, hangars and all the fittings of a military airdrome are fairly well standardized, mostly because they are essential. Both England and Germany have done their utmost to hide these roosts of war birds. The discovery of such a vital concentration of enemy aircraft means a quick dose of bombing. In 1938 I saw one European airdrome which was sown with several different types of grass seed, each patch laid out in sections quite as a farm is arranged. From my own ship in the air I could only suspect that it was an airfield. Adjoining fields were marked by different shades of growing crops, and the various types of grass gave the suspect field sections the same varying shades.

” ” 2 N the south of England, Royal Air Force fields had

taken a heavy drubbing because they. were within easy range of German air bases. The punishment had been so heavy, in fact, that no squadron landed at the airfield it departed from. In one instance the British pilots went to work with a bit of camouflage prompted by little more than humor rather than military advantage. : Within easy range of a field they wanted to maintain, they piled a lot of engine crates in such a fashion as to simulate hangars. Around each such fake hangar they piled loads of hay. From a nearby high tree they strung a few lengths of cloth, substitutes for the wind sock. They drove a farm wagon back and forth across this field to make the wheel tracks like those made by airplanes landing and taking off. In a far corner they planted an ordinary pole with a few guide wires, resembling a radio mast. Then came the real hoax, in the form of genuine but camouflaged anti-aircraft guns—a whole bunch of these stingers. Talk about a “baited field”! The lads were all agog, waiting for the show. Sure enough, shortly after dawn several layers of Messerschmitts came over and were immediately engaged by Hurricanes and Spitfires. While this row was going on, a single Heinkel single-seater flew low and fast over the fake airdrome. He made a few passes at the field, was greeted with a cloud of anti-aircraft shells, and departed at tree-top height.

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HAT afternoon, as expected, and while another big show was taking place aloft, over came nine single-seaters for a dive-bombing attacking on the trap airdrome. None of the bombs dropped exploded. A few duds might have been expected, but all duds tipped the RAF that something was screwy. The bombs were dummies. Something must have been wrong with the camouflage, and the Germans, taking the cue, had retaliated in kind. The same story works the other way around. A British magazine reports that the Germans recently and laboriously constructed a wooden airport—shell buildings, hangars, painted runways, etc.—in Holland to lure English fliers away from active fields in that sector. The RAF lads waited patiently until the last nail was driven and the. paint all dry on the fake airport. And then a lone British pilot swished over the wooden airport and dropped a lone bomb—a wooden bomb. ;

Business By John T. Flynn

45 More Shipways Are Needed Before “#8 Work Can Start on New Ships

» EW YORK, Feb. 4—As the events of the last : few days leave little doubt that America has been brought to the very edge of war, attention cen-. ters upon our shipping facilities. The President has persuaded Congress to authorize the building of 200 new cargo ships. These are desperately needed because last year we sold to Britain and her allies 186 cargo ships. The 200 new ones would just about make good that loss. But the question arises—where are they to be built? And when? Shipping men inform me that every shipyard in America, and every shipway in every shipyard, is now filled and working to capacity. Before another ship can be built more shipways have to be built. And this takes time. We can decide to build 200 new ships. But it takes time to build an ocean-going ship, and few of these can be even begun until shipyards are established to build them, At present we are building in our shipyards 243 ships of over 2000 tons and suitable for ocean-going service. Many of these will not be finished until some time in 1942. Of these 243 ships, 60 are being built for Britain, so that America’s share is only 183, or just about what we sold last year to Britain and ‘her allies. : Shippers estimate that we cannot complete nearly ‘as much tonnage for America as we sold last year, so that at the beginning of 1942 America will actually have less ocean tonnage than she had when the war began. And, of course, if we lend or give away any of these ships to Britain our résources for handling our ‘trade and servicing the Navy will be dangerously below our needs. Salt

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: » ® ® LL this has a two-fold importance. First of all, American vessels have always had a difficult time maintaining their place in trade routes in competition with the ships of England. Britain can operate her ships so much cheaper, because of lower wages, that American shippers are handicapped before they start. The result has been a growing deficit of American ships carrying American cargoes. Every ship which we sell to Britain or lend to her or give her is taken away from these trade routes and constitutes another blow at American shipping— a blow which may never be repaired. The second reason for alarm over giving away or selling or lending any more ships is the extent to whih this will strip the Navy of its auxiliary service vessels. ' Admiral Land says we need 643 more ships and about 170 more tankers. We are not building even a respectable fraction of these ships and tankers. Yet it is proposed to give this small fraction away or to “lend’ ‘it to Britain under the terms of the lendlease bill. : / Of course this is an assumption. Just what the Government will do under that bill has not been revealed. But as Britain's greatest need is ships, it is assumed that our merchant ships will be among the first things we will hand over to her.

So They Say—

I'M ONLY A VISITOR here, but I came on my ‘visit in 1884, and I have been here ever since.—Alien registrant at the Wilmington, Del, registration bureau. : ' : » W *

THE HUMANIST gave way to the political soldier. —Walter Jessup, president, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancément of Teaching, summing up 20 years in Germany since 1920. #®

* * IT IS TO BE regretted that neither of our major parties found space in its platform for a plank proposing an amendment in the Constitution whereby every adult citizen would be guaranteed employment at living wages. —Prof. Robert C. Brooks, Swarth-

more College,

Efforts to Disguise Landing Fields

The Hoosier Forum

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

CHARGES UNFAIRNESS IN OLD-AGE PENSIONS By V. LeFeber What is justice? Indiana claims to pay old-age pensions but let's see if they do. If you take your life savings to get you a little place to live in and pay taxes all your life and have a little insurance to bury you, you have to give it all to them to get about half enough to live on. But if you have spent or drank up what you made and not paid any taxes and beat all the bills you could and had the county keep you most of your life and paid your rent and furnished your coal, you can get as much pension as the one that has tried to live decently and to have some place to stay. So I say what is the use of trying to have a home or save anything? You can take the money that you would have to pay for taxes and a home and have a good time and if you get old they will give you a pension because you spent everything you got hold of for a good time and didn’t even help share any of the burden of the taxpayer who pays you your pension. Is this justice? 2 2 2

URGING MODIFICATION OF LEND-LEASE BILL

By Francis T. Haag, Greenfield, Ind.

Ordinarily I am not the guy that goes around putting his nose into something unless it concerns me— and surely this lease-lend project of the President concerns 16 million other young fellows as well as myself. I want to use my privilege of freedom of speech (while there’s a little left) by stating a few facts with the hope that others will take up the cry of “Modify the LeaseLend Bill.” Now don’t get me wrong and call me a pacific, a fifth columnit or a progressive Red. I am not. However, I just want to see a little horse sense injected into the plan for gid to the British. If we are to give her loans (or gifts as the Fireside Chatter suggests) wouldn't it be) beter to get something as security? Surely not her word to pay us back as soon as this emergency blows over. We know from experience that her promise is not worth a continental. A clear title to the leased bases in the Atlantic should be worth a few billion dollars. By so doing we wili be better able to fortify these islands than we can at the present time

[Times readers cre 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.)

Now in the same bill there is an article about convoying British supply and transport boats with our own ships. This is downright foolhardy and we all know it—or do we? Maybe it’s just some smooth English propaganda to make sure of our entry into the present conflict. Wasn't it the sinking of one of our own merchant ships during the last war that paved the final “mile” to our entanglement? I say, “Keep our “ships out of the war zone, keep our ships off the ocean, so that in our own favor we may keep out of war.” :

- 8 a» = A WORD OF PRAISE FOR ONE OF OUR POETS By Seedy:

Generated by a confusing whirlwind of rejected contributions, the storm of my indignation having spent itself harmlessly against the bulwarks of your stronghold of fortitude—certainly. it must be courage of the highest order which inspires your repeated counter attacks on a long-suffering public, using as ammunition the putrid stuff which you and some of your contributors are pleased to call poetry, same projecting upon us with machine-gun-like reiteration such words as glory, bright, shine; the latter six times in fourteen lines last Friday—I feel sufficiently calmed to offer contritely my sincere congratulations to The Times upon the occasion of the discovery of Eleeza Hadian, a bard after me own heart. This artist’s work is really deserving of every inch of space which it requires. Would you piease do me this one favor, convey to Hadian my sincere expression of my appreciation of real talent.

2 » 2 LINKS MAYOR OF INDIANA CITY TO GAMBLING By J. A. Anderws, Greencastle, Ind. A recent contributor to the

under present ownership. So much for the money angle.

Forum advocated that the Legis-

Side Glances—By Galbraith

COPR. 1941 BY NEA SERVICE, INC. 7. M. REC. U. 8. PAT.

"Grandma wants us to wait while

3 wear—she's afraid the

she changes into her new undersleigh might tip overl"

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| | should be ferreted out and punished ‘| time-wasting

| the people of Indiana. The spectacle

‘|Regard him as you would your own, i|And carry on the work I have begun. ‘| Be worthy of his faith in you, ‘|For he is strong, clean-minded, See that you keep him so— Whatever your command,

Since time began,

So weigh each action well. No man

i |Or let rash deeds bring war upon

lature legalize gambling and this is a suggestion that is logical and sound in the face of gambling conditions in a certain Indiana city. The mayor of a west central Indiana city in a published statement said that he was stopping gambling because the gamblers had violated his regulations, yet the next day the gambling houses reopened and are now in full operation, and it is a common occurrence to see the Chief of Police and other city police visit these places and look on the games. No arrests for gambling are ever made and no taxpayer ever heard of any law authorizing any mayor to give permission to gamble. Any intelligent citizen can see the connection between the gamblers, the chief and the mayor. Two members of the present Legislature intend to bring this incident to the floors of both houses of the Legislature, for the purpose of either enacting laws legalizing gambling, or to place such city officials where they rightfully belong. #88 NO WILLKIE IN ’42, REPUBLICANS WARNED

By Claude Braddick, Kokomo, Ind.

eager for power and patronage as

to consolidate their present precarious position through wise and equitable legislation, rather than in expending their whole energy in a disgusting “whole-hog-or-none” invasion of the rights and prerogatives of duly elected officials who happen to be Democrats. A two or three thousand majority is not exactly a “mandate,” and no virile Hoosier will be running for President on their ticket in 1942, nor probably in ’44. They will be required to stand upon the record they are making now. ~ Oh, we expect a little politics playing. We are not babes in the wood. But in deference to our pride, we expect the machinery to be at least partially hidden. Bald and brazen attempts, like that of the person who proposed to double the salaries of Supreme Court justices, insult our intelligence, for most of us read into it a cynical effort to influence that court in its coming review of “ripper” legislation. What if the justices interpret it the same way? Violations of law and public trust

wherever found. But expensive and “probes,” and the making of mountains out of molehills for purely partisan ends, will not be looked upon with favor by

of pots calling kettles black has long since lost its freshness.

THE CHARGE By JANE SIGLER

This is my son. I place him in your hands.

brave today—

he will obey.

The world has battled hate and

greed And thirst for power. These still remain.

Should dare to move incautiously,

head. i If you remember this, Then fewer may be numbered with tae dead.

DAILY THOUGHT

So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month.—Samuel 20:34. ;

ANGER is one of the

If Indiana Republicans are as| §&

their ‘actions indicate, then it seems] | to me it would be the part of wisdom | |

| service. The greatest recent growth in

sinews of |.

Gen. John Says—

British Navy Owes a Duty to thé Empire and Its Surrender in Event England Falls Seems Inconceivable

ASHINGTON, Feb. 4+The British Isles are not the British Empire. England alone provides much. of the British fleet, but the British Empire provides the British Isles. Churchill, himself, has been reported to have said: “Two out of every 10 Englishmen are supported by India”—which is only part of the British domain on which the “sun never sets.” . Official’ American testimony befor Congressional committees, assumes—our tountry is thus power: fully led to assume—that if Hitler should successfully assault. the English Channel, the British Navy, which commands all oceans, wil) - be scuttled, destroyed or surren- ~ dered. : That certainly is a questionable assumption. What would Canada fhink of that kind of abandonment of her more than a centuryrand-a-half of loyalty~ or India, or Australia, or New Zealand, or most of Africa? They have made the British Navy possible. Or, for that matter, what would Scotland or Ireland

| think? They have furnished the British regiments a

great deal of their topside wartime leadership and considerably more of the indominitable: wartime tradition and morale of their incomparable men-at-arms on land and seas.

2 8 » , 1= suggestion that the British Navy must fall if the island is invaded, isn’t very complimentary to the British Empire and the entire race of Britons. It is inconsistent with the history and temper of the British people, and especially to Mr. Churchill who is, by blood, as much American as he is British—a fact of which we should be very proud.

In addition to his inspiring defiance aftér Dunkirk —that the British would fight on the channel, on the beaches, at every village and hill of “this England”— he has said that British Navy would not be surrenered. : ey .

Anybody who knows Churchill must be convinced that he is like the Spanish heroes—El Cid and the rest—who were driven foot by contested foot, to the mountains of thé Asturias and who carried on the fight against the Moors for centuries to eventual victory. He wouldn't, on even a great setback, belch up the British Navy to Xjler-ang leave the empire children nations in the lurch History has not clearly enough recorded it, and few modern military experts mention it, but this danger is not new. When in March, 1918, the Germans seemed to be in reach of the channel ports, exactly this problem arose. If these ports had been taken, then the war would have been over in Europe, because the only remaining ports in the south were not sufficient to supply any more than the American troops. We had to rebuild them completely,

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HAT was when we, who had been taught to be-* lieve that we would never be called upon for men, except “token troops,” were importuned to send “men in'their undershirts,” which we did by the hundreds of thousands monthly. : : The question of the fate of the British Navy then’ arose more poignantly than now. I was a general on our general staff at that time, and I can testify. that’ the unquestioned assumption in American and Allied circles was that, if worse came to worse, part of that fleet with all of ours would retire to base on North America and defend the empire and the Americas. Why shouldn’t it? The military and naval responsibility of the island of England and the British Navy to that world-wide domain is absolute. The kind of dogged defense that England and the Empire is putting up now suggests that, before “England falls,” what is left of either British or German striking force will be, for us, neither much potential aid on the one hand, or much probable threat on the other. Let’s aid Britain to the precise extent that we defend America, and no further. But let's not be .emoted, stampeded or bum’s-rushed into. taking any kind of decision by improbable bugaboo. © . ..

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson ip

H°¥ much authority do the family, the school and the church exercise upon American chil« dren? Practically none, says Doris Drucker, ‘report ing for the National Research Bureau, which’ has Just concluded a long study of the question. Miss Drucker charges that all three powers have abdicated, that only the Roman Catholics are still trying to maintain authority and ‘that even they are losing ground. Surprisingly enough, the youngsters do not like having their own way as much as we think. Miss Drucker not only says, but proves through questionnaires, - what we have long suspected; to= day’s boy .and girl hanker for safety instead of freedom. In fact, they are a little sick of so much individual liberty. Half the’ stiudents questioned thought the main function of the family should be to give the child emotional security. ~—which throws a monkey wrench into the divorce business. To quote Miss Drucker, “Adolescents want guidance, the security of firm ground under their feet, the knowledge of right and wrong. They want a home that is more than a provider of shelter and clothing—a place that has absolute standards and definite authority.” : One dreadful fact is also disclosed. Fathers and mothers take no notice at all of the bad influénce of certain radio programs, movies and ‘comic strips upon their youngsters. Ninety per: cent of the students questioned: reported that they had never’ been fore bidden to listen to questionable air shows, and 93 per cent said the same thing of the movies. : Even without these reports it should be clear: to any casual observer of the American scene that par=ents are giving little thought to ruling their children —and when that happens the family is a useless institution. : : The first abdicators were men. The pressure of modern business makes it more and more difficult for them to function as heads of households, and their gradual withdrawal from that position is responsible for the present: chaotic state of society. Because the average woman is not strong-minded, the job of bringing up children is badly done or not, done at all, And we may as well out with it. Wives want and need bossing, too. The happiest women are those whose husbands assume authority for family standards and discipline. :

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Questions and Answers

(The Indianapolis Times Service Bureau will answer “ny question of fact or information, not involving extensive research. Write your questions clearly, sign name and address, inclose a three-cent postage stamp. Medical or legal advice cannot be given. Address The Times Washington Service Bureau, 1013 Thirteenth St, Washington, D, C.),

~ Q—1Is the merit system, or Civil Service increasing or decreasing in State and local governments? . A—More than 1100 State, city and other jurisdictions now have at least some employees under civil ¢ : n the. use of the merit system has been in municipalities. The number of systems in such jurisdictions increase from slightly less than 400 in, 1930 to nearly 900 in 1940. States with merit. systems increased from nine to 18 in the same period. .:. Q—How may whitewash be removed from. 4 wall? A—Wash it with a solution of four, ounces, of washing soda in six quarts of warm water. Scrub with a wide brush or sponge, and scrape those portions that do not come off with washing. se well, and let the wall dry before recoating. =~. .'.. Q—What is the purpose of the Walsh-Healéy Act? A—It requires that Government supply contracts must contain certain maximum hour, um wage, child labor, safety, and health stipulations, and w designed primarily to improve working conditions

by requiring employers receiving Government , cong

tracts to pay fair minimum wages, plus a penalty. for overtime beyond certain maximuni. hours thereby tending to spread employment. ca ALAN fg Q—How is Anne Boleyn pronounced?

the soul.—Fuller. 9%

A—Ann bool'in, with oo as in. foot.