Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 31 March 1941 — Page 8

PAGE 8

The Indianapolis Times

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MONDAY, MARCH 31, 1941

THE TIDE AGAINST LABOR RGANIZED labor in America is in its most precarious position since the depression of the early 30s decimated its ranks of employed and dues-paying members. Great strides in the last eight years have made our unions today numerically the strongest in history and given them many strong pro-union laws. The boom in defense industries, adding millions to industrial payrolls and challenging organized labor to do its part in building national security, would seem to offer unions a marvelous opportunity further to expand their membership and win absolute public acceptance. However, the mistakes of a few labor leaders, their failure to sense the temper of the times, threatens not only to stall union progress but to wipe out the spectacular gains of nearly a decade. ; In the last few weeks there has been an alarming shift of public opinion against unions. Rather, it is against present union leadership—but organized labor as a whole suffers. We say “alarming,” for this newspaper has fought hard to establish the union principle; to legalize the right of collective bargaining, as represented in the Wagner Act; to give protection to that group of Amercian workers who need the most protection, through a law fixing minimum

wages and maximum hours. ” ® » ” » 5

We have long believed, and still do, that in our industrial civilization strong and responsible unions are absolutely essential for safeguarding human rights and assuring an equitable division of the fruits of mass-production. We can have no free society unless all men are free; no real prosperity unless all prosper according to their deserts. The shift in public sentiment is manifesting itself in many ways. State legislatures, notorious barometers of popular opinion, are acting upon some extreme and dangerous measures: The Texas House of Representatives, by 7 to 1, voted a measure making strike violence a felony if committed by a union picket, a misdemeanor if committed by a strikebreaker. The Oklahoma Senate, by 3 to 1, voted to make it a felony for anyone to try to persuade a worker on a defense project to join a union. The Georgia legislature passed a measure forbidding initiation fees on defense projects, and it failed to become law only because the Governor vetoed it after Georgia unions had promised to maintain an open-shop

rule. 2 ” ”

2 o ” Public opinion polls indicate an overwhelming majority of American citizens would require unions to submit their complaints to a National Mediation Board before striking, and even forbid strikes entirely in defense industries. And, rightly or wrongly, preponderant public opinion blames union leaders more than management for the slowdown in defense production. All this is substantiated by the flood of mail Congressmen in Washington are getting from their oonstituents back home. This newspaper still believes that the unions’ right to strike should be maintained, that a prohibition against strikes would be a great mistake. But we are in a minority that is growing smaller. And with even some rank-and-file union members swinging to the other side, we recognize that there is a real danger of violently restrictive legislation, despite all the pro-labor Roosevelt Administration can do to forestall it, unless somehow, some way, responsible labor leaders find a means of settling disputes while keeping the defense production lines open. Very clearly the American public is in no mood to tolerate much more stoppage in the manufacture of the vital weapons of defense.

GIVE US MORE AND BETTER DEMOCRACY!. MERTCA was profoundly affected by the French Revolution with its teachings of liberty, equality and fraternity, its destruction of ancient feudalism. The effect was a deepening and broadening of our democracy under Jefferson. We shall be affected also by the totalitarian revolution which has overrun Europe and is hammering at the gates of England. What shall this effect be? Stalin, Mussolini and Hitler say that democracy is old and rotten, doomed to pass. They say freedom such as Denmark, Norway, Holland, Belgium and France enjoyed is weakness, doomed to be overcome by nations under dictators. There are those in this country—fortunately only a few —who say that maybe the dictators are right, and that

America should become a dictatorship. on on ” » 2

” Our need is not to get rid of democracy, but of those things which keep democracy from functioning efficiently. “Politics,” in the bad sense in which we usually use it, is not democracy. We do not need the politics which distorts and exploits issues for the selfish advantage of parties or men. We do not need the politics that makes public jobs the reward of the political hacks rather than the persons competent to fill them. That you can have democracy, and a better democracy, by getting rid of politics and political machines has been proved by the 500 cities which have adopted non-political city manager government in the United States. The government is centralized in the hands of one man, the city manager. That makes for efficiency, for the people know where to place responsibility. But that man is under the control of a council elected by a free people, so there is no dictatorship.

” ” ” » » » Who shall say that it takes longer for the people to consult with each other about their national policies than it takes a dictator to commune with himself ? It is not true that despots and dictators can arrive at wiser decisions or act more decisively than the responsible heads of democracies. We need not less liberty, but a more responsible liberty. We need not less democracy, but better control by the people of their own destiny,

Fair Enough

By Westbrook Pegler

Mr. Spelvin's Loose Jaws Get Him Into a Jam With the Courts but Chances Are the Lesson Was Lost

EW YORK, March 31.—George Spelvin, American, wears his chin on a loose hinge, and his ever-loving War Department has warned him for years to keep a still tongue in his face unless he is sure of his knowledge. But he won't take a very long lead off base for some. time to come, after an experience that befell him last week. Nothing will ever make ga sure-footed fact man of George Spelvin, American, but he got a good scare,” and he won't prattle out of turn for awhile. It came about in the most innocent way. One afternoon recently word went out that a friend of Mr. Spelvin was fixing to pour some drams for the beauty and chivalry from 5 o'clock on, so he gave his tie a jerk along about quitting time, phoned the mamma that he wouldn't be home for dinner and went over for the rejoicing. Ang after, maybe, six of these he finds himself talking to a stranger and, after touching up a couple of topics of

on in Federal Court. Well, at that, our friend gives a wise laugh and says, “Oh, but that's a waste of time and the taxpayers’ dough, because if there ever was a fix this is it.” “No kidding?” the stranger said.

” Ld

“ H, sure,” Mr. Spelvin said. “It is a dead fix. Why, the mug is as good as out of it now, with that crooked lawyer and those connections and all the monkey business that has been going on. a dead sure fix, all right.”

ple of days later he got a call from Judge Fuss, down

And when George got to the judge's chambers, well, how do you do, and who de you think was in there with Judge Fuss but the guy Mr. Spelvin had shot off his face to at the dramming that afternoon. Also

politely. “Of course, you have met Mr. Klink here,” the judge said. ney, and he felt that it was his duty to inform me that you had information that this case was fixed. “And this gentleman here,” turning to the nasty looking little squirt, “is Mr. Haggle, counsel for the defense, jeopardized. And, of course, as a judge I have to in-

glad to help.” “Well, now, judge,” Mr. Spelvin said, weakly, “You

you know the way people get talking, so, of course, it makes a difference’— At this the nasty little guy lets go a snarl at our George that nearly sent him out the window, “Facts! Facts! I demand the facts,” he yelped. “Did you or did you not say this case was fixed?” “Well, what I said was, I mean ., .. you know how you hear things around town, and anyway, I didn’t know this man was the law, so I just said it was all over town like common knowledge, you might say, so all I said was"— E-4 ” ” YY said it was a dead fix,” Mr. Klink put in. wrote down your exact words,” “This is a serious matter,” old Judge Fuss said. ‘The court takes a very serious view.” “But, judge,” Mr. Spelvin said, ‘it is all over town,

“1

you hear this and that around town and”’— “Facts! Facts!” the nasty little guy screamed, and our George was thinking of contempt and a long spell in the old boob and the job kissed away and the old lady saying she told him so, when the judge piped up again. “Spelvin,” he says, ‘I ain't going to slough you for this because you are just a dope and a loud face, but you better put a zipper on that bazzoo of yours, because otherwise you might talk yourself into the can for six months. Now, get out of here!” Boy, you should have seen our George lam out of that courthouse. But it won't last. Six months from now you mention some movie queen that he never even saw and George will say positively that she is the worst tramp in Hollywood, drunk all the time and an absolute, rank bum. You can't cure George Spelvin, American,

Business By John T. Flynn

Rumania Rich Oil Source for Nazis; Sea War Imperils British Supplies

EW YORK, March 31.—After food the next greatest problem for both Britain and Germany on the economic front is oil. Oil is the fundamental necessity for ships, planes, military equipment of every sort, but above all for the ships for England and the planes for both England and Germany. Neither of these countries has within its borders an adequate supply of oil. Germany, of course, has far more than England, hut not in any sense enough. Germany can produce from within the Reich abou‘ 750,000 barrsls of oil a month. She can also manufacture about three times as much synthetic oil— about 3,000,000 barrels a month. The remainder of her supplies she must get from Rumania. She has been getting an average of 1,200.000 barrels a month. But she needs more than that. Rumania can supply her with from two to three times as much and maybe more if necessary. But the means of transportation are inadequate —by the Danube, which is frozen for several months of the year. This difficulty will be presently overcome when pipe lines from Rumania to Germany have been completed, perhaps in four or five weeks. Then Germany will be able to get about 2,500,000 barrels a month. Rumors have been printed that Russia has cut off Germany's oil supply since March 1 because of Germany's entrance into Bulgaria. But Russia has not been a very large contributor to Germany's oil resources. ® % =

I ansronnsa oil from Russia to Germany is an awkward process. And while some oil has passed over these routes—mostly by barges to the Baltic and then by small tankers—it is not crucial. Moreover Germany is supposed to have enormous reserves in storage. She has claimed as much as two years’ supply, which is probably a boastful exaggeration. But the supply is doubtless large. Unless Rumania can be cut off some way, therefore, we need not count on Germany cracking up because of lack of oil. Britain has access, of course, to enormous oil supplies, not only her own but America’s. However, the large part of them which had to come to her through the Mediterranean has been curtailed because of the German and Italian air attacks. This will not prevent her from getting all the oil she needs unless Germany can make its sea attack effec tive. England has tankers with about five miliion tonnage capacity despite bombings. Their efficiency has been cut because of slow travel, convoys and the destruction of many ports. But it is still adequate. However, Germany is concentrating on the sea war and she may be able to so cripple Britain's tanker fleet that trouble would ensue. But that will take time.

So They Say—

FOR all of us, the democrats of the world, you are our country—Mark Aldanov, refugee who has seen five revolutions. » * * - MODERN marriage is handicapped at the outset ky modern living.—Judge Joseph Sabath of Chicago,

| hearing his 52,679the divorce case,

the day, the stranger mentioned a trial that was going i

whose standing before the bar has been |

vestigate this matter, and I know that you will be |

see, judge, I mean, I was just talking informally, and |

and that is all I know, because you take yourself and |

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

‘Gosh! Was That Me?’

/

J

Sure, it is | Mr. Spelvin thought no more about it until a cou- |

at Federal Court, who sald he wanted to see him. |

present was a sour, mean-looking sort of little guy, | and Judge Fuss introduced Mr. Spelvin around very |

“He is an assistant to the District Attor- |

The Hoosier Forum

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

|EARLY RISER BALKS AT DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME By James J. Cullings, 20 E. 9th St.

I am opposed to daylight saving (time. I must get up at 5:15 to get {to work. I do not care to get up in [the middle of the night to go to work, especially when the nights are hot and sultry. It is against a per(son's health and well-being. I think the only reason some or{ganizations want daylight saving is {to have an hour more of daylight {to try to sell their over-high-priced (real estate that the realty companies (have on hand. The Chamber of Commerce wants to play golf after sitting on a chair all day resting at the expense of the defense workers who work hard and sweat and toil. 2 ” 2 UPHOLDS WORKERS IN

ALLIS-CHALMERS STRIKE By William M. Taylor, Box 109, Morgantown, Ind.

It was a pleasure to read your paper of Thursday. For the first

time (to my knowledge) you have printed some facts regarding labor's side of the story. Pray tell me why you did not inform your readers that the Allis-Chalmers strikers accepted the proposal of Mr. Knudsen on March 7 and the Corporation said no, the Government can go jump in the lake. Union labor as a whole would be most grateful, if the press would investigate all strikes thoroughly and inform the public of the actual truth, both pro and con. Of all strikers that I have had the privilege to talk with, I get the same answer which is, we will gladly lay the cards on the public's table. We are told how Hitler does the union members in Germany. It is done here in Indiana, too. Times headlines in feature column, 100 strikers taken from union hall and put in jail. The blood that is shed by strikers (caused by police clubs) will ever De a blot on history pages. Why? Because unscrupulous manufacturers are trying to force the workers to be like Chinese coolies Enforcement by State Police whose wages come from taxes paid by these same workers. All under a false ery of patriotism. ’ Many people are hoping the Government will take over industry. My reasoning says it would be violating private enterprise. However, labor would prefer working for the Government than to work under such conditions as imposed by Ford, Bethlehem Steel and some others. Labor wants decent wages in line with the cost of living. Decent work=ing conditions and fair bargaining

(Times readers are invited to express their 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.)

views

to rectify any wrongs it suffers. Grant labor these things and no strikes are righteous thereafter.

” ” ” ARGENTINE DEPLORES SENATE ACTION By Carlos F. Milberg As an Argentine I cannot hide my disappointment and sorrow for

the action taken by the Senate in| content.

connection with the canned beef

for the American Navy. Our situation is getting to be terrible, and we certainly need the help of the Americans if we do not want to get into one of the most tremendous crises we have ever known. I wish something could be done, and I do hope it is soon.

> % =» URGES LABOR LEADERS TO VISIT BRITAIN

By T. K. J. The British Trade Union Congress is extending an invitation to American labor leaders to visit London and study at first hand the working arrangements between British labor and the Government in the crisis. We hope they will go, and we wish that with them would go a delegation of American manufacturers, to study similar problems as they affect employers. Britain, fighting a back-to-the-wall fight, has managed to carry it on thus far without infringing on fundamental freedoms. It should not be necessary to learn every lesson from bitter experience, though too often that seems the most effective way. We have military observers in all European war zones, striving to learn vital lessons in the least costly way. Ought we not to take as much trouble to learn all we can in every other field?

® » = NOTES STEEL WORKERS

GETTING LARGER SHARE By Frank Lee The vast U. S. Steel Corporation had almost the same number of employees in 1940 that it had in 1929. It sold goods and services which brought in about $13,000,000 less. But it paid out in wages and

AR

Side Glances=By Galbraith

3-3¢

| "School lets out early every time that young salesman comes byl"

salaries $439,000,000 as compared with $420,000,000 in 1929, and paid out $30,000,000 more in taxes. Apparently the wage and salary increase paid during the year in salaries of $10,000 and over was less than 1.5 per cent of the total payroll. If these figures, taken from the annual report of U. S. Steel, are correctly interpreted, it means that a greater percentage of the income of this giant concern is going to those who actually do the work, for the amount paid out in dividends to holders of common stock was roughly cut in half. This tendency is a rising one throughout industry—to afford actual producers a larger share in the business income, and further, to make reports which clearly and simply show what is being done. Employees who understand these things are the most likely to be

4 u ” CONTENDS CHINESE WALL BEATS COULEE DAM By J. C. Clark I have noted recently in your paper two articles about the Grand Coulee Dam and each of them mentioned the fact that it was the greatest mass of material ever assembled in any human engineering feat. This, I think, is not correct. China’s Great Wall contained at least 10 times the mass of the

Grand Coulee Dam and was built without machinery. It was therefore a much greater human accomplishment than the Grand Coulee Dam. I think any encyclopedia will give you the information, but I got the following information from a comprehensive geography of the Chi-

nese Empire, published in Shanghai | §

in 1908 and edited by L. Richards: The wall is 1500 miles long, from 15 to 30 feet high, from 12 to 20 feet thick, and every 600 feet there is a tower 40 feet high, in which there were accommodations for soldiers and guards to live. Most of the way the wall was faced on both sides with stone cut out of the mountains and filled in with dirt between and paved with stone on top. At least it was that way where I saw it.

” 2 5 GLAD TO PAY HIS SHARE OF FEDERAL TAX By a Hoosier If youre an average American, $109 was your share of the $14,300,000,000 paid in taxes in the year ended June 30, 1940. If you paid more, the chances are that it was because you received more benefits than the average; certainly it means that under the conditions maintained by our institutions, you have prospered beyond the average. Americans never paid taxes more cheerfully than they pay them this year. Never before has it been quite so clear that what we get for our tax money, namely, support of those institutions which make the American way of life possible, is precious beyond price.

THE OPEN ROAD

By DANIEL B. STRALEY What think you? What say you? Shall patience sit still As the plague chokes the flow From workshop and mill, And preparedness falters, Collapses, expires And the legions of treachery Mock the graves of our sires?

Must the voices of freedom Ever silent remain While the powers of evil Clamp on us their chain, Or shall we, united, In flood tide of wrath For God and for country Blaze the untrammeled path?

DAILY THOUGHT

Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh My life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.—Samuel 22:23.

EVERYONE. wishes. that the man

whom he fears would perish.—Ovid.

MONDAY, MARCH 31, 1941

Gen. Johnson Says—

We Have Come a Long Way From

The "Short of War" Idea and Are Being Let Into a New Utopian Drive.

ASHINGTON, March 31.—Quite properly and intelligently England doesn’t state any hard and fast war aims—except to defeat Hitler. But in a more general way both Churchill and Mr. Roosevelt have stated aspirations which might be called war aims— even for us who are not supposed to be at war, Mr. Roosevelt's aims are to insure the whole world the ‘four freedoms” (1) Of expression, (2) Of worship, (3) From want, (4) From fear and hints that we shall take part in this reconstruction of the state of mankind at “no distant millennium” but “within our own time and generation.” Mr. Churchill has promised us a part in this great reform; “and the day will come when the British Empire and the United States will share together the solemn and splendid duties which are the crown of victory.” More and more emphasis is being placed on this high endeavor by those who from the beginning of this European conflict have wished us on toward war. They started out insisting on “measures short of war” to help England because to help her was not “to get us into war but to keep us out—to keep the war from our shores.” Now louder and louder that chorus cries that we shall fight to remake a sorry world,

2 » ”

ORTUNE MAGAZINE conducted recently an instructive round table debate on discussion by “experts” the result of which is published in the current issue. It is true that the conference was rather heavily weighted with American interventionists and intellectuals who were participants from countries now involved in or conquered by this war but the debate was free and fairly reported. The “majority” concluded that, at the end of the war, a new order can be created if, “for its own best interests,” the United States agrees “at once to assume a large share of responsibility for reconstruction of the post-war world’—which means, of course, get in the war and get ready to pay the bills at the end of it, They don’t exactly propose “union now with Britain” but they want Britain and us to create “at once a superior military and naval nucleus around which the other peoples can gradually be rallied.” That doesn’t sound much like “aid to Britain only to keep us out of war.” Mr, Churchill, whose ear is properly and accurately attuned to what goes on here, expressed somewhat the same thought in his latest report on the conduct of the war. “Britain could, I believe, save herself for the time being, but it will take the combined efforts of the whole English speaking world to save mankind and Europe from the menace of Hitlerism and open the paths of progress to the people.” ”

o u

T is pretty hard to reconcile all this with the former slogans about our having to put out to save England, not as an alliance with her, but in order to keep our boys away from European battlefields and about this being a war of machines and not of men and Britain doesn’t need or want our troops on the other side. More and more boldly all the wraps are being dropped away and it is becoming clearer, as this column has long urged, that we are being nudged, goaded, cozened and shoved—as one or the other method seems at the time most appropriate—into a new utopian adventure to make the whole world safe for something or other, largely at our expense and in some kind of partnership with the British Empire in a2 military, naval and air alliance to dominate the globe, O. K. If that is what our people want, but that is very far beyond what they have been told until very recently. It is the precise reverse of what they have been told. It is true that it is impossible to state war aims precisely but it is not impossible to state frankly.general war principle$ and policies. After all, it is too early to get all hot and bothered about this. The ancient recipe for rabbit soup is “first catch your rabbit.” You can't reconstruct the world until you have conquered it. A lot of blood and treasure must run down the spillway before we really face those problems.

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

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

LARGE department store in Ft. Worth, Tex., has thrown away its time clocks and started a new kind of “honor system.” Thus 500 workers have been released from that cog-in-the-machine feeling which is so inimical to the democratic ideal. If we believe in freedom for the individual and the dignity of labor, we must believe this innovation will be a so=cial benefit. In the first place, it tells each worker that he: is trusted, and being trusted, men always do their best. The most damning handicap to American progress nowadays is the general lack of friendly contact between employers and em=ployees. This cannot be attributed entirely to the boss, either, since union labor rules and Fed=eral regulations have dug wide chasms on the industrial front. Some are so wide no hands can reach to clasp across them. Therefore a man can work himself into a shoe=string; he can be faithful, industrious, eager to please and willing to offer all his talents and his dreams to a corporation, and perhaps never receive anything in return more warming than a pay envelope. And no matter how much we like money we do not work just for pay envelopes. Because we are human beings with human desires, and not machines, we want a pat on the back for a well-done job, a little praise for long years of service. Yet a great many good workers in this country never get so much as a thank you or a smile from the big shots whose fortunes they have dedicated their lives to maintain and increase. They get no encouragement, mental or spiritual. Is it any wonder they slump or, in sheer dejection, take to the many “jsms” offered to them in alluring wrappings? Since we have now decided upon an all-out effort to restore freedom and dignity to people all over the world, we might as well start the good work at home, The group idea is the chief national affliction. Everybody is pigeonholed. We have bosses, foremen, dee partmental heads, vice presidents and workers. But where have the “folks” gone? What has beecome of the friendliness of yesteryear?

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, 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—Why is St. Martin of Tours noted for charity? A—The famous legend is that St. Martin divided his cloak with a poor man whom he met at the gates of Amiens. The following night Christ appeared to him in a vision, wearing the portion of the garment Martin had given away. Q—Is it the duty of a registrant to keep his local draft board advised at all times of changes in the address where mail will reach him? A—Yes. Q—Who wrote the song “I've Got a Pain in My Sawdust”? A—The words are by Harry Edward Warner, the music by Herman Avery Wade, It was published in 1909. Q@—Which Cabinet officer ranks third in the order of precedence and what is the rank of the Secretary of the Interior? : A—Secretary of War ranks third; Secretary of the Interioreranks seventh.