Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 29 March 1941 — Page 8

PAGE $8

The Indianapolis Times

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Give Light and the People Will Pind Thetr Own Way

SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1941

“THINK HARD AND THINK FAST” HERBERT HOOVER last night posed some tough questions for the youth of America. We are pledged to give economic aid and the tools of war to Britain. “Our national duty,” he said, “is to unite in making a good job of it. And to do it with good will.” But are we giving aid merely to assure the independence of Britain and others resisting aggression? Or is it our aim to remake the world? If so, how are we going to seltle the relations of the 20 races in Europe? How establish liberty and democracy among peoples whose deepest instincts and traditions rebel against it? How police the world? How restore prosperity ? Mr. Hoover did not mention Mr. Roosevelt's stated peace aims—the “four freedoms”—but it is clear he had them in mind and doubted their soundness. With history repeating in another and more awful total war, with the “fierce and total emotions” of hate and intolerance, how shall we make sure that history will not also repeat in another insecure and impermanent peace? How shall we dethrone hate when it takes a seat again at the peace table? IHow secure disarmament, and economic co-operation, and provide elbow room and opportunities for growing people. “Peace must come from the prosperity and hearts of men. It cannot be held for long by machine guns.” And in our own country, with our resources more exhausted than the last time, how are we going to demobilize our wartime regimes, how provide our own employment and economic recovery? Mr. Hoover did not try to provide the answers. He focused the lamp of experience on the ghastly failures of the past, and bade youth to “think hard and think fast,” for the answers are vital to their welfare. “They will determine your whole lives.” And the ex-President, a man who has witnessed so much of the world’s suffering, so many of its mistakes, ventured the prayerful hope that our country will not become an active participant in the war—a hope which, if realized, might make the solution of these tough problems less difficult. “If God grants that we become no more deeply involved than we are today we may be able to bring a more constructive and warning voice to the peace table. If our moral reservoirs are not drained by the full passions of war we may bring sanity and compassion. If our economic resources are still partly intact, we may be able to contribute something to restore another and better world.”

A BEACON THROUGH THE BLACKOUT

HE thrill that scurried down the spines of Americans this week at the news out of Jugoslavia was nothing compared to the effect the Belgrade turnaround must have had on Hitler's captive peoples and on those other peoples who are fighting, or may soon be fighting, for their lives. The earlier news, of the Vienna ceremony by which Jugoslavia embraced the tripartite pact, had been just one more mournful striking of the minute bell which has tolled off the deaths of so many free nations. Surely the hearts of Greeks, of Czechs, of Norwegians, must have missed a beat as they listened. And then the bold stroke, the repudiation by the south Slavs of the craven deal. Perhaps the revolutionists were sighing death warrants for themselves and for hundreds of thousands of their countrymen. But they were acting with their eves open; they had weighed the dishonor of surrender against the periol of defiance, and had made their decision. In the huddled villages of France, in the coffeeless coffee houses of Vienna, in the ghettos of Poland, the lumber camps of Norway, the farmhouses of Denmark, tears of joy must have been shed as the word seeped through the censors’ blackout. In those places, good news is rarer today than even butter is. The Jugoslavs, if and when the gauntlet is thrown down, wil! go into battle with the prayers and gratitude of all people everywhere who believe in liberty, and decency, and the dignity of man.

THOUGHTS ON WIRE-TAPPING

HAIRMAN FLY of the Federal Communications Commission is reported to have passed along to the House Judiciary some ideas about wiretapping that should prompt Congress to pause before it legislates, Permitting Federal agents to tap wires, Mr. Fly suggested, might hinder the defense program rather than help it, because responsible Government officials would hesitate to use the telephone for fear vital defense information would fall into the hands of Federal agents who might be careless in passing it on. And business men, he thought, might be over-cautious in telephone conversations, fearful that chance remarks reveal trade secrets or be picked up and used to harass them on income tax matters. And if responsible yovernment officials and businessmen in key industries are forced to rely on slower means of communication, such as personal conferences, there would be a corresponding slowdown in defense production, These challenging thoughts, as well as others Mr, Fly expressed, about how impossible it is to prevent abuses in any system of licensed wire-tapping, appeal to us as sound and deserving of the careful consideration of Congress.

TROUBLE

SHED a tear for Carl Hutzmann of Jamaica, N, Y., who took a job selling hair tonic although his own hairline is receding. He ordered a luxuriant dark brown wig, thinking thus to be a more successful salesman. But the wig, when delivered, didn’t fit and needed adjustment. Mr. Hutzmann had to start work without it. His prospective customers having seen his own thinning locks, he says he now has no use for the wig. So he sued the wig-maker for $25.50

—byt the court dismissed his action,

Fair Enough

By Westbrook Pegler

He's Not Anti-Labor or Anti-Union, But Feels Such Private Societies Have a Responsibility to the Public

EW YORK, March 20.--I am not anti-labor, but pro-labor, and I hold that American workers need deliverance and protection from the extortions, physical brutalities and other persecutions by which even some of our most respected union bosses have obtained their irresponsible and unrestrained power over unwilling victims. Neither am I anti-union. I insist that the workers need organization and mass bargaining power and that unions have a rightful co-operative role in the American community, I do maintain, however, that it

is dangerous and wrong to permit | any private groups to operate as || sub-governments, with no respon- |

sibility whatever to the rest of the community, and that inasmuch a as we have now decided to use Government compulsion indirectly, but irresistibly, to force workers into unions, we must also provide that they shall be treated fairly by the unions. A recent decision of the Supreme Court held, in substance, that a union possesses a special right to commit wrongs and inflict damage on busienss firms —which, incidentally, pay taxes, whereas unions pay

none, and shall be immune to punishment and free |

of liability for damage. ” Ld »

HOLD this to be wrong on the face of it, and it seems to me to need no argument that private, irresponsible organizations should be restrained from rioting, sabotage and vandalism at all times, just as the rest of us are. prevented from closing down plants, whether or not

the plants are engaged in war work, as a means of |

deciding an issue of jurisdiction between one union and another. such disputes between themselves without economic damage to innocent third parties or to workers who are thrown out of time and put to great sacrifice of earnings by such stoppages.

But these comments have no bearing on the valid- | ity of the revelations which have been proved or of | When a prosecution presents a case |

my arguments. of murder before a jury it is no defense to say “he doesn't like the defendant.” In this case it is up to the unions to refute the charges and answer the argu= ments. This has not been done, although many able commentators and reporters in our lay press, with access to as much white paper as I am permitted to use, are strongly biased in favor of the unions as they exist now. The issues are entirely ignored, and recently two publications of the American Federation of Labor, by way of answer to specific, unqualified charges of dishonest, dictatorial conduct by powerful unioneers, tried to deceive the rank and file members by supressing the testimony and resorting to personal scurrility. ” o » OTH publications serve the personal interests of union bosses whose great power and soft living are threatened by the disclosures, and I am now preparing documentary proof that one of them deliberately lied to the workers and placed in the mouth of a prominent Congressional leader statements which he did not utter. We of the lay press often have been accused of serving our masters, but I am going to prove that much of the so-called labor press is dishonest and disloyal to the workers whom it deludes and preys upon and lives by editorial motto “Whose bread I eat, his songs I sing.” I seem to be in distinguished company in condemning the jurisdictional strike, for President Roosevelt himself belatedly deplored it recently. I find also that Mrs. Roosevelt now agrees with me that people should not be compelled to join unions—a declaration which I construe as indorsement of the open shop. I feel rather self-important in stating my position thus, as though I were a public man announcing his platform, because it is my idea that the facts should speak for themselves regardless of the sentiments of those who state them. However, for such importance as they may possess, them is my sentiments.

Business By John T. Flynn

German Rations More Liberal, but British Food Sources Are Larger

EW YORK, March 29.—If the object of Germany is to break the morale of Britain and that of Britain to break the morale of Germany, certainly nothing could be more important than to deprive the respective populations of these countries of the essential foods. It is, of course, quite difficult to ascertain precisely what is the state of the food supplies of these two warring countries. One test might well be the rations in both countries. In the matter of bread, Germany allows her people 8 ounces a week while Britain has not, as yet, made any limitation on bread. Germany, however, allows her population 14 ounces of butter each week, while England allows hers only 8 ounces. : Germany and England both permit 8 ounces of sugar per person. Germany lets her people have 22% ounces of mea’ while Britamn permit only 16%. Coffee and its substitutes are unrationed in bot countries. On the surface, therefore, offer her citizens 2 more generous allowance than England-—more butter and meat, the same amount of sugar, no limitation in either country on coffee. On bread alone is Britain more free. This is not a satisfactory test, however, Germany has set up a scientifically regulated food ration which had been in effect for several years before the war, while Britain has done little rationing save as depleted stocks have made that necessary. » » n ERMANY, with the countries which she has brought into her orbit, is more or less selfsufficient as to food now, provided crops are not injured. England is probably only 40 per cent sufficient at home. But England has access to far larger and more abundant sources of food than Germany. German sources of fats, wheat, meat, are dependent on neighboring supplies which in turn are barely sufficient and then only with drastic rationing. A natural disaster, a bad crop, a severe weather enemy—any of these might further and seriously cut her supplies. England, on the other hand, has endless supplies in overseas sources and has the credits to buy them, Better, the United States has authorized an appropriation of $1,250,000,000 for foods and other commodities. The problem is largely one of getting them to Britain past the German plane, raider and undersea attack. Thus both these countries are more or less at the mercy of elements of chance—the whims of nature in one case, the fortunes of sea war in the other, Germany probably has greater stored up reserves. She has used almost all her external credits for several years to pile up supplies of grain—even dance halls being used as storehouses. Lack of farm laborers in France threatened good crops, since farm laborers were in the army. But Germany has that army and is furloughing French farm laborers from it to work the crops. Thus the balance stands on a delicate keel between the combatants in the matter of food. But if Britain wants to insure herself to the utmost I believe she is going to have to go in for much more drastic rationing.

So They Say—

THE RIGHT to criticize, to commend, and to condemn will always be upheld so long as we have our American form of democratic government.—Rep. Edith Nourse Rogers, Massachusetts, w » -

OUR DIRECTION is the same but the road ad-

| vances and the new problems must be met.—President Avila, of Mexico,

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES The Face at the Window

SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1941

I hold also that they shoulda be |

1 say they should be required to settle |

A

The Hoosier Forum

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

HAILS WILSON'S STAND

ON FOREIGN POLICY By T. B. Deem, Knightstown, Ind. All hail to Congressman Earl Wil son, the energetic Republican from the Ninth Indiana District. His late speech in the House strikes a ree sponsive chord in the opinion of all true Hoosiers. It seems that the heads of both the Republican and Democratic parties had signed an agreement to pass the seven billion dollar bill to help Britain, and Mr. Wilson in a fiery speech protested against it. His remarks will bear repetition, It will arouse a better American sentiment against giving our resources away in the European cone flict. Better put the money in home defense. Great Britain controls nearly one-four of the world's inhabitants, and should shoulder her

Germany semes to |

own afTairs, n ” ” CONTENDS BEEF PRODUCERS OPERATED AT LOSS By Dr. Chas. R. Sowder, 2146 College Ave, I desire to call your attention to an editorial in today’s Times (March 21) entitled “Canned Beef Mentality,” in which you state that fresh beef is too high in this country and object to the banning of canned beef by the Senate, Only a few days age . . . it was agreed by the cattle industry to permit the admission of quantities of Argentine beef. If you will look over the records for the last 10 years you will find that until within the last 10 months the cattle industry has been carried on at a 10ss or just breaking even. This was due to two or three things: First, the livestock industry has not been protected by the New Deal during the last eight years. The price of feed has been increased by loans on corn to farmers so that beef could not be sold on the hoof at prices which had been paid for the past 712 years for cattle fed on this higher priced corn. The chief loss of 15 billion dollars to the American farmers in the eight years of the New Deal compared to the eight years before has been due largely to the low price of live stock and this production has not only been denied to the beef producer but to the pork and lamb producer as well. I know this because I have fed, each year for the last 10 years, from 50 to 100 head of cattle off my own farm and from 200 toc 400 head of hogs. Cattle did not go up in price until last year and this was due to con-

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

views

sumer demand as a result of two billion dollars invested in armament in the United States by Great Britain and not to any effort of our own; and this is now being added to by the tremendous defense spending in this country. . . Under the present beef prices Argentine canned beef is now comsing into New York over the 6 cent tariff wall and is being consumed by the New York people. If you will note the stock market for the last 10 years you will find that the average price today to the farmers for beef in Indiana and other central states is about $2 to $3 under the top price for prime beef, of which there are usually not more than two or three carloads on the Chicago market in any one day. Since pork prices have increased to $8 Canada, in the last 90 days, has increased its exports of cured meats to the United States by more than 300 per cent. No farmer can sell beef at the present prices . . we have added to the price of the bacon and beef that leaves my farm, before ft reaches your table, some 10 times the cost in taxes and if the consuming public rebels at the retail price the packers immediately take this off the farmers’ price—otherwise it is added to the price which you pay. Second, your social security taxes and old-age pensions are all added to the things which the farmer buys. The trucking companies, the stockyards, the commission men, the packers, the delivery men and the grocers must add these taxes to the price of meats which they sell and they are also added to the things which the farmer buys, In this sort of a setup the farmer gets less than 50 cents out of the consumer's dollars. You are probably right in demanding the admission of Argentine beef for the Navy but I do not think you are right in putting forward your other statements in regard to ‘meat prices without fully examing the whole territory. . . . I think your man Flynn is one of

Side Glances=By Galbraith

od ie ithe NC. ‘M, REC

COPR, 194 AR

"I'm sorry, but that's the price—it | had that many kids myself, they'd have to go barefooted,"

A on ;

the best writers on finance that this country has and he should be widely read. Pegler has done a great work in his expose of labor leader tactics. Hugh Johnson blows off a good deal but many of his articles are sound, and your editorfals merit a wide circulation; but please, when it comes to agriculture, be grounded more to facts before you write an editorial like this of today, » oy ” FEARS PENSIONERS DUE

FOR SAD AWAKENING

By Claade Braddick, 507 N. “ Kokomo. Ind, Mutu

Perhaps it is not too soon to evaluate the probable political effect of the gestures made toward the

Legislature, On the one hand, conservative

elements in both parties will be dismayed by the State's abandonment of all attempts to reimburse itself for aid given needy aged; for they hold such aid should be given and accepted as charity, and not as a right; that the State owes nobody a living. Most of them will realize,

scarcely do less in view of the Townsendite strength and the liberal promises made them. The Townsendites themselves, on the other hand, will soon learn that the raising of maximum assistance from $30 to $40 has practically no meaning for the vast majority of them; and there is bound to be

Townsend Plan groups in the last |

however, that the Legislature could |

much bitterness among those who

learn that the State has no intention of giving them back. They will feel, and rightly, that this is an unfair discrimination.

" un Ww FORMER MARINE APPEALS FOR CHANCE TO WORK

To whom it may concern: This isn’t much of a letter to most people, but to my wife and I it could inean lots of happiness. We both have been kicked and knocked about like it were part of our daily habit. I don't know why I can't get a Job here in this town, where my wife and I were both born. I am 37 years old and willing to do anything. I had 12 years with the U. 8S. Marines and with excellent discharges. But it doesn’t matter any more in this town. I suppose if I were to tell them I were from another city I could get a job. I would like just one chance to show everyone I can take it without working in some cafe at $7 or $8 a week and 12 hours a day and 7 days a week, Then I could be home with my wife at least for Sunday dinner and have time to take her to a movie once in a great while, There's plenty more just as I, working as I was in this town. But are like I am, they can't exist on nothing and being idle and continue being afraid to say anything about their working conditions, in fear of being fired. Something should be done to help the people of our town. . . .

CARRYING ON By DANIEL B. STRALEY

They grumble. They stumble, Yet hurriedly go Through the uprooted street And the raid’s ruddy glow; And here a curse and there a laugh Of hate and courage tell but half.

Over rubble and ruin They dash for the goal, A burrow of refuge, A candle-lit hole; And here a laugh and there a curse Declare, “Fate could have dealt us worse.”

DAILY THOUGHT

And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.—Mark 6:51,

GREAT floods have flown from simple sources, and great seas have dried when miracles have by the greatest been denied.—“All's Well

That Ends Well.”

have already given liens when they =

By Albert J. Doane, 808 N. Delaware St. |}

|

Gen. Johnson Says—

Labor Board Has Authority to

Decide Jurisdictional Disputes but Has Been Reluctant to Interfere.

ASHINGTON, March 20-In multiplying its units for mediation and conciliation of labor disputes, iz our Government making the best use of the machinery it already has? Many of the strikes which are most effective in holding up production for defense are of the so-called "jurisdictional” variety. That is, they are not disputes between man agement and labor at all They are fights between rival labor unions as to which shall be the exclusive representative of all the workers for collective bargain= ing for all employees=wheiher all are members of the union or net. Both usually also demand the “closed shop” contract, by which the employer agrees not to employ workers who are not members of . the fighting union or do not join it. Now this rarely presents the usual circumstances for traditional mediation or conciliation. It requires some kind of action to settle the question of what union the workers themselves desire to represent them. How can that be determined by “mediation” between officials of rival labor unions? There is only one just and obvious democratic way to settle that, It is to let the workers vote or otherwise express their choice. After they have done so, there is no reasons able room for any violence or even peaceful strikes on that question at least,

UBLIC demands are growing for laws with teeth in them to stop this kind of interference with national defense. But on this particular question, which is at the heart of most of it, there ix already a law on the Federal statute books-<the boldest and most biting labor law ever enacted. It is called the Wagner Labor Relations Aet, It says, among other things, “representatives designated or selected for the purpose of collective bargaining by the majority of the employees in a unit appropriate for such pure poses shall be the exclusive representative of all the employees in such unit,” Nothing could be plainer than that, It also says, “whenever a question affecting come merce arises concerning the representation of eme ployees, the (National Labor Relations) hoard may investigate such controversy and certify to the parties in writing the name or names of the representatives that have been designated or selected.” There are no strings on that broad authority either After such a selection and certification by the poard “it shall be an unfair labor practice for an employer , , . to refuse to bargain collectively with the representatives of his employees” (chosen by the methods just described in quotations from the law), The law provides adequate penalties for “unfair” labor practices. » " »

ERE certainly is a law with sufficient teeth to deal with the principal trouble. Why doesn't it work? It is a long story. Although there is no restriction whatever on the board's power to investigats a dispute and certify a majority and to do so whens ever or wherever it decides that there is a contro= versy, and although it is plain common sense to say that it could do so at the suggestions of the Govern= ment or the employer or on its own motion, the board has been very reluctant to move in on any controversy except only at the petition of one of the disputing unions and then only when it appears probable that the petitioning union will poll a ma« jority, Right there is the monkey-wrench in this machine. Most of these jurisdictional rows are “organizing” strikes. That is, they occur where neither side is sure of a majority and one is trying by striking and picketing to intimidate the other or unorganized workers into its own membership. Naturally it will not petition for an election until it feels sure that its tactics have heen successful, and that it has forced a majority, Under the hands-off policy of the Labor Board full range is given to this method. The country suffers in defense because the hoard does not perform the precise duty for which it was created by statute.

Fditor's Note: The views expressed by columnists in this newspaper are their own, They are not necessarily those of The Indianapolis Times,

io:

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

EMININE patriotism takes many forms. The lat= est, according to news reports, is red, white and blue fingernails. We hear, also, that while women expect to be busy from now on with national defense they intend to keep abreast of the styles That could he counted a true statement, even if Hitler made it, for we can bet on the American woman's desire to follow fashion fads. And the screwier they are the faster we chase them,

War itself is a crazy business, s0 we may expect sporadic out bursts of wild and woolly behavior, Personally, I am steeling mysell for some extraordinary shocks, Having lived through a number already, one can finally become impervious to surprise and accept the whims of the moment as such without completely losing respect for the laddists. The only thing I feel now I shall not be able to endure is the second public appearance of the feminine knee. It gained complete freedom during the last World War, and what a time it took to get it back where it belongs—behind skirts. Its return to the full light of day would rank among the major martial horrors, and I hope we shall not be called upon to bear ft. The thought of having to contemplate every= where and always such a procession of legs—spindle= shanked, sickle-shaped or piano-proportioned, panics me. I am convinced women have many qualities of leadership and are able to judge momentous matters with calmness and ‘intelligence. But on this question, we certainly lack imagination. Each individual believes that short skirts are becoming to her, al=though they don't look well on Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Brown or the house guest from Centerville, And may Heaven spare us the ordeal of having to eat these words! On second thought, I don’t believe I could live through those old four-minute Liberty Loan speeches again either,

Questions and Answers

(The Indianapolis Times Service Bureau will answer any question of fact or information, not involving extensive ree search. Write your questions clearly, sign name and address, fnclose a three-cent postage stamp, Medical or legal advice cannot be given. Address The Times Washington Service Bureau, 1018 Thirteenth St, Washington, D, C.).

Q—Is President Roosevelt's Hyde Park, N. Y,, ese tate named “Krum Elbow?” A—Some years ago, the President's mother, Mrs, Sara Delano Roosevelt, owner of the Hyde Park estate, publicly corrected the President as to its proper name, The President had frequently referred to it as “Krum Elbow,” a corruption of the Dutch name for a nearby bend in the Hudson River. Mrs. Roosevelt declared that the place was named “Hyde Park,” like the ad« joining village, and that the name “Krum Elbow” belonged to the estate of Howland Spencer, directly across the river. Q—Can Census reports on business reports be used for purposes of taxation? A—They cannot be used for purposes of taxation, regulation or investigation. Acts of Congress make it uniawful for the Bureau of the Census to disclose any facts, including names or identity, from the Census reports. Only sworn Census employees see the statements and the data collected is used solely to prepare statistical information concerning the nation’s population, resources and business activities. Q—What is the weight of the rails used on United States railroads? A—They range from 50 to 152 pounds per yard. On trunk«line railroads, rails weigh 85 90 pounds and upward. b

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