Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 13 August 1941 — Page 12

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The Indianapolis Times

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«9 RILEY 851

Give Light and the People Will Pind Their Own Way

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1941

THE HARD CHOICE

HE Congressmen who voted by a whisker to extend Army service will have a hard time explaining to the families of soldiers back in the home districts. ‘It may well be that some of the Representatives have risked their political lives. They could have taken an easy way out. They could have voted to let the young men go home—and saved themselves the political anguish of explaining. But they knew that the easy thing to do was not the right thing to do. They had listened to the testimony of the Army’s Chief of Staff. Gen. Marshall, that demobilization might prove a “national disaster.” They had heard him say that at the end of a vear in service the men would still be only partly trained. They knew that if these partly trained men were sent home they would be placed in the reserves, immediate call if America became involved in war. knew that while our entry into war is not inevitable, it is possible. And they knew, what all military experience has demonstrated, that when untrained or partly trained men are sent into modern warfare they are killed off like flies. The Congressmen mdy have risked their political lives by voting to require the young men to complete their military training. That was far better than casting a vote which might have meant needlessly risking the physical lives of these same young Americans.

IS IT POSSIBLE?

underrate the funny man with the squeaky voice and the trick mustache has proved the most fatal mistake of this generation. The German Republic that did it is dead, and so are competing N 2 Vazi leaders who tried it. And of all the European governments which did it, Britain is almost the only one left to regret. So the thing that the Churchills fear most today is the easy optimism that Hitler is about ready to crack up and the German people on the verge of revolt. Certainly it would be folly to assume that the end is in sight simply because the blitz seems to be behind schedule in Russia. But perhaps even the worst pessimist will welcome these first furtive official Nazi revelations that all is not well on the home front: Fear is so widespread in Germany that the govern-

ment is going to confiscate all savings, the Finance Minis- | the principle is right. If churches are legally obli-

try has been forced to issue a denial and a warning that those repeating the rumors will be punished. The German Army communique, which Hitler issued to play up Russian losses and minimize German casualties, confessed that its purpose was “to calm the admitted spread of apprehension and rumors among the German people.” What kind of superman superior race double-talk is this? Can it be that somebody is getting plain scared? Maybe another shot of the old reliable Mein Kampf cure-all will stop the shakes. Or is it possible—we “only whisper the thought—that the medicine nman is beginning to lose his power, just a little bit?

THE WPA “OVERHEAD”

E quote from a letter from a newspaper friend who, in company with several other editors, recently made a tour of defense industries, starting from Washington and covering key spots in the East and Middle West: “We were very much amused by the efforts of the WPA to convince us that continuation of WPA is essential to defense . .. “All of this effort was merely confirmation of what we have been noticing locally—that is, that the executive end of WPA has become a high-pressure organization seeking to perpetuate its jobs and fearful lest the increase in defense employment will bring about the end of WPA. “Throughout our trip we heard constant stories about shortages of labor, and a lot of work we saw being done was certainly of the kind which could be learned quickly by even the most inexperienced worker. Yet, despite this situation, WPA goes on and its administrative force is apparently doing everything possible to make it a permanent institution.” What the letter describes is a natural working of a bureaucracy, WPA or any other. Bureaucracies, like human beings, react to the first law of men, which is self-preserva-tion. What the letter deals with is the “overhead,” not the WPA worker as such. Whenever a governmental agency is set up it has to have management. That's the overhead. Once entrenched it will fight for its life. With billions going out, and with all the re-employment going on, there must come a time soon when Congress, which votes the money, and which up to now has shown a yawning apathy toward saving anything, will have to do something about this particular pressure group.

RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT

those Congressmen who voted 47 billions for armaments and hesitated to hold the selectees in camp long enough for them to learn how to handle these expensive mechanisms of modern warfare, we recommend an excerpt from the annual report of the president of St. John's College at Annapolis, Md.: “Responsible government is responsible not merely in the ordinary sense, that those entrusted with political power are ‘responsible to the people,’ by way of lobby, petition, Western Union or merely Gallup. “The art of responsible government does not consist in how to please voters, how to ‘sell’ them this political action or that. “Voters, under a truly responsible government, are not customers to be sold anything, and only a nation which had largely sold out to salesmanship would suppose they were. “A genuinely responsible government is answerable to truth and reason: and to that reason both leader and follower are equally answerable.”

Price In Marion Coun- | ty. 8 cents a copy; deliv- | ered by carrier, 12 cents

Mail subscription rates

| of L. and the C. I. O, have warned me that I am

subject to | They |

| poses should be matched, dollar for dollar,

“Wrong John’s subjectsedon’t want him to have the

| time I checked up, unions were exempt even from

I’ does seem careless of a Government to exempt

Fair Enough

By Westbrook Pegler

Offering a Helpful Suggestion, He | Urges a 100% Tax on Donations | By Unions to Political Parties.

EW YORK, Aug. 13.—Some of my legion of wellwishers in the two big unions, namely the A. F.

becoming a bit of a nag on the subject of racketeering and anti-American or Communist activity in the mysterious edifice known as the house of labor. That being so, if it is so, I am glad to offer today some remedial, constructive suggestions which I have reason to believe will evoke cheers from the common man. First, inasmuch as a new income tax bill is being hammered into shape, I would include in the final draft a provision that all unions, local as well as national, be forbidden to contribute or lend as much as a dime of their funds to any campaign fund, whether for the candidacy of an individual or of a ticket. Church, or religious, organizations are forbidden to do this now. They enjoy tax exemption only on the proviso that they lose it if a “substantial part” of their activities consists of carrying on propaganda or otherwise trying to influence legislation. In practice, this proviso is waived because no national government as yet has had the temerity to try to enforce it. Moreover, the income of religious organizations consists largely of gifts in small sums which are not taxable as income.

But union income is not made up of gifts. It is obtained largely under pressure in the guise of dues, fees and assessments and thus would be taxable if Congress cared to ease a few little words into the new hill. I would tax all union income at fair rates, but I would provide also that any contribution, loan or expenditure of union money for political purwith a special tax. » $ & 8 FP\HUS, if Wrong John Lewis, in his autocratic way, were to toss $500,000 to the campaign fund of some political party, whether as a gift or loan, the National Treasury would move in and take another $500,000 for the Government. If Wrong John wants to give his own money or lend it, that is his business, but I have a distinct feeling that he would be less generous ‘with his own than with the hard-earned funds of his subjects. I know positively that many of

privilege of throwing their money around and would thank Congress to make it impossible for him to do so. inasmuch as they have no voice in the matter themselves. Very few Americans know that until very recently. at least, the Internal Revenue didn’t even bother to examine the books of unions. Possibly that custom of the Bureau has been changed lately, but the last

inspection. The Internal Revenue might examine individtial returns, but inasmuch as the agents were not checking the union accounts, they had no way of knowing whether he was reporting the entire amount. I would change that by compelling all unions to submit to the same inspection that is imposed on honest citizens and business firms. & & #5 3

unions, even from inspection, to say nothing of income taxes, when you consider that the existing act provides a right to inspect and tax if any part of the income inures to the benefit of an individual.

The total union income is up around a billion dollars a year and it is worth taxing, particularly in a year when they have been shaking down working men openly and defiantly for the right to put in a few licks on Government war projects, and anyway,

gated to refrain from political activity, or pay. then unions should be similarly bound and the effect of inspection and taxation would be good for the union members and the whole community. Of course, I would make the unions incorporate, but I doubt that that would work the miracle that some people seem to expect. Only recently I told you of the clever little scheme whereby Tom Girdler, on a salary of $176,000 a year, got the stockholders of Republic Steel to buy him social security at the rate of $3000 a month for life, even if he had been fired.

Business By John T. Flynn

Merchant Explains Why He Boosted Price of Stockings Against His Will.

EW YORK, Aug. 12.—Prices have risen in the retail stores. They have gone up particularly on silk stockings. This has brought a blast from Leon Henderson, who is supposed to control prices and who isn't doing it. There is no doubt that many, if not most, retail stores have marked up the price of silk stockings in the face of the sudden demand from the public following the embargo on Japanese silk. The price rise did not come wholly from producers or jobbers. It was hiked up by the retailers.

Of course, a very simple explanation of this is that the retailer is ¢ profiteer and is actuated by nothing in the world but an appetite for profits. There are plenty of such retailers. And there is certainly nothing new about merchants—and everybody else for that matter —permitting a rising demand against a declining supply to put up the price of his goods. But unfortunately this is not a very simple world and very simple explanations do not always explain. Here is an explanation which comes from a retailer, As he is an honest man. perhaps we can believe him. And perhaps we can see why it is that voluntary price control is not possible. “When the stocking order came,” he said, a good supply of stockings in my store. I knew there would be a quick demand for stockings. My first decision was to leave the price as it was and let the stockings go. I do not want to profiteer on the war situation. And while I knew I could get a higher price for these goods I just didn't want it.

= = =

OWEVER. as I thought it over I foresaw that if the price remained unchanged my store would be very quickly cleaned out of stockings. And there would be no more. I alsc saw that my competitors would put the price up—many at least would— and that with my low prices and their high prices my stock would go and theirs would not.

“It didn’t take me long te see that it would be very poor busines for me to be without any silk stockings in stock. If customers knew I had none, but knhew also that they could go down the street a month from now and get a pair—even though at a high price— ‘they would go there, and they would take their trade with them. It means a good deal for a merchant to keep his customers coming inte his store. “Therefore I decided on maturer thought to raise the price on my stockings—to raise it as high as I dared without offending customers—not to sell the stockings at a great profit but to discourage the sale of them. I didn’t want in hunters and hoarders rushing into my place ahd grabbing all the stockings I had. I wanted to discourage that very thing. I knew it was good business not te sell to these frantic buyers but to keep my stock on hand so that my customers would keep coming to my store as long as possible, knowing that we would have some hosiery in stock.” All of which proves that there are almost always several sides to every question.

“I had

So They Say—

WE DO NOT often think attendance at a religious service will change social, economic and industrial conditions. Yet it does—Dr. W. W. T. Duncan,

generation and that {hundreds of billions of dollars, he

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 13, 1941.

Bringing Back the Ukraine Harvest

The Hoosier Forum

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

CLAIMS WILLKIE DECEIVED SUPPORTERS By H. C. Wallace, Crawfordsville The strongest of the supports of a democracy is a free election with the issues well defined. One who campaigns, saying certain things but meaning differently is beneath comment. His actions destroy the effect of elections, and weaken democracy. Mr. Willkie has himself confessed that his words were but campaign speeches. His campgign had absolutely bogged down until he began attacking the Democratic Party as the war party. “If Roosevelt is elected,” he cried, “we will be in war in three months.” And so he won the support of such of us as believe that the destiny of America should be American. Does he believe that he still has our support? He has nothing but our contempt, for he has blackened the spirit of elections; and withal he boasts of it. 2 2 2 INSISTS FOREIGNERS

RUN OUR FOREIGN POLICY By Edward F. Maddox, 959 W. 28th St.

It has comme to pass that our American foreign policy is being controlled and directed, to a great extent, by foreigners. If we listen to the pleas and propaganda. and are unduly moved, or influenced by the shifting war maneuvers in Europe and Asia we are certain to be drawn into the war. Why not formulate our own American foreign policy toward the war and not be blown about by “every kind of doctrine,” or every new switch by double-crossing war makers? If our enemies have broken their “sacred pact” and have begun to fight each other, we can accept that as a great relief and recognize it as giving us and England valuable time to build up our own defense. We have some few hot-headed interventionists, like Senator Pepper, who would soon convert the United States into another bloodthirsty aggressor nation, if we listen to his advice. When the Senator shouts: “We are approaching Armageddon,” and adds that our soldiers will be in the Army for a it will cost

speaks with the knowledge that if he and his fellow warmakers control our foreign policy and set out to carry into effect the programs, in both Europe and Asia, which Senator Pepper's crowd advocates,

(Times readers are invited to express their views in these columns, religious con. troversies excluded. Make your letters short, so all can have a chance. Letters must

be signed.)

he has not overestimated the cost or the result. It would indeed be “Armageddon.” Senator Pepper speaks of “Crushing,” “Wiping off the earth” and “Making a shambles” of whole nations and great cities. He has lost his head. Hate and lust for revenge have unbalanced his reasoning powers. He would lead us to Armageddon! The world needs some cool, wise and prudent statesmanship—right now! . . . ” 2 2 WANTS SOMETHING DONE FOR DEFENSE WORKERS By L. J. Smith, 967 W. 35th St. I notice that a lot is being done to make life in the Army and Navy more pleasant for our armed forces. I am for it 100 per cent, as I myself have been lonely while in the armed

forces of these United States. But don’t you think it is time the public woke up to the fact that our young men in the defense factories were given a little consideration? Did you ever pick up the paper and see where there was a circus starting its shows after midnight? Or a ball game that you could go see after midnight? What time do vour picture shows start? Do you think you could work until midnight, go home, clean up and go to a place in your city and spend two or three hours in a place of amusement? I think the USO is the thing this country needs for our armed forces and I also think something should be done for the defense workers who work nights.

” 2 a2 PROTESTS RENTS IN STORE BUILDINGS By Mrs. James Johnson, Indianapolis We all know there is a house shortage in the city. What I want to know is why rents are raised in

the old store buildings that some families are forced to live in, where

living conditions are very insani-|

tary at the best. Large families living in one room; no sewer, only

Side Glances = By Galbraith

"It looks like you had a good time at the convention, J. Bie

Lakewood Methodist Church, Cleveland, 2 Y

and brought back the Visual number of ideas that won't work]

one outside toilet for four or more families to use; no water. The only modern thing in most of these places are the lights. Kids play in the streets and rats play in the building. All of these old store buildings are infested with rats. The owners are getting proportionately more in rents than North Side houses rent for. Where is the Board of Health or does no one care if people live like this? If they are allowed to collect large rentals, why not force them to clean these places up or tear them down as they are an eyesore? ” os DEPLORES ‘BLITZ’ ON SILK STOCKING COUNTERS By Rosalind J. McKenney, Shelbyville Should not the women of the United States, currently engaged in orgies of silk stocking buying, stop to analyze the motive behind their act? Do they not realize they are manifesting the same greedy, “I'm going to take all I can get whether or not there is any left for others” attitude that is the basic cause cf war itself? In other words, they are blaming war for the shortage of silk and then turning around and contributing to the cause of war, And considering the thousands of women guilty of this act, it is no slight contribution. I am a girl who appreciates the beauty and flattery of silk hose as much as the next one, but the present supply can last just so long anyway, and all of us should know the American manufacturer well enough to realize when he can't give us exactly what we want, he has never failed to produce a darn good substitute. If the women of the rest of ‘he world are being deprfved of their whole wardrobes, their homes, their families and liberty itself, surely the women of America can be big enough to give up their favorite leg covering without going all selffish and ,greedy—though probably most of them have not thought of it in that light. J 0» CONTENDS 7). S. WASN'T READY IN LAST WAR By E. R. Egan, St. Croix Falls, Wis.

When has this country ever been ready for any war it has ever been involved in? It was not ready in the last war yet went in and it was won in a few months—from June to Nov. 11. With Japan “protecting” Siberia and South American ports and the Axis pressing Vichy for Dakar, practically at our doors, we should take advantage of the pre-occupation of the Axis at present, to put Japan out of commission which could be done with one bombing air squadron. That should be done at once. The propagandists, together with the naive and timid counsel holding off until they get set in Siberia or wherever they are planning their negt field of operation. If this should be allowed to proceed along its logical course those responsible for it will have to resort to the policy of Rudolph Hess for protection. We know Germany cannot win this war of aggression if intelligent application of resources — arms, navy, air military might—is brought to bear against her at the right time, and that delay is her strongest ally, and our most expensive item of defense or offense. If this war drags along until the resources of all nations are exhausted we will have to feed and clothe victor and vanquished alike. Participation now would save us billions of dollars... .

TODAY

By MARY WARD Today is a day to remember A breeze from Samarkand, Skies blue as June and September And bloom throughout the land.

A day, a day to remember As every day, my dear, God's glory, May and December, The green leaf and the sere. i ——————————

DAILY THOUGHT

As water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up. —II Samuel 14:14.

GLORY IS LIKE a circle in the{ \ ~Shakespeare, .

Gen. Johnson Says—

Leon Henderson Unfair in Blaming Industry for Shortages That May Close 5000 Little Business Plants

ASHINGTON, Aug. 13.—So0, now Leon Hendeg= son thinks that shortages in strategic materials may result, as this column has insisted for a long time, in at least a temporary unemployment of possibly 2.= 000,000 men and, as I understand the press despatches, a closing up of 4000 to 5000 estab=

lishments of little businessmen,

I didn’t hear the actual come ment. I am merely quoting the news. But you ain’t heard the half of it. According to Mr. Henderson, as I read the news, this catastroe phe was due to the short-sighted= ness of industrial management. All along the New Dealers, of which he seems to dramatize himself as one, knew it was coming and sought to guard against it. Horsefeathers! In war, milie tary policy becomes the deciding point of industrial policy. What is our military policy? Up to three months ago, anybody who had advocated that as the *‘arsenal of democracy” we should undertake to supply the bloody military tyranny of Soviet Russia would have been laughed out of court. Now we are to send them 2,000,000 pounds of aluminum which is greater than the voluntary sacrifice of all our kitchen-ware. We are to send them plenty of oier things but this is one example.

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ESIDE being a singularly reticent witness, Mr, Henderson, in attempting to put the‘blame on others for this situation is simply not stating all the facts—to put it mildly. It is a glib phrase to say “we are the arsenal of democracy”—including Soviet Russia. But who knows what it means? If it means that we are to supply the whole anti-Axis world with arms, O. K., but who told us that in February, when this question of expansion was hot? If we had started then to expand steel proe duction, for example, we would still be a year and a half away from any result. In such an effort, do we give no consideration to the needs of our own civilian population and the dan= gers of inflation through shortage, or are we to suffer three and four times the cost of such contributions and four or five times the burden through having nothing with which to supply our own people? In the scramble for supplies, who represents the daily needs and lives of the American people? Long ago and over and over again this column has pressed this point. It is like pouring water on g duck’s back. There isn’t a question in experience or history that; the greatest hoarders and hoggers are the military, naval and maritime supply services. Who checks their requirements? What effort has there been to “cut our coat to suit our cloth” both in not undertaking to deliver to more customers than we can supply—the whole cock-eyed world—and in curtailing deferabls uses at home? Where has there been any restriction on non-war construction? On the contrary, the new Rivers and Harbors Bill includes the -great demands on materials and labor of the St. Lawrence waterway and the Florida ship canal. -

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ROM a wealth of experience, I am willing to say that, with a proper conservation and regulation of use, there is no great shortage of either steel or pe troleum in this country. We had exactly the same controversy in the World War and, as post-war fige ures proved, there had been no real shortage. When did such New Dealers, as Mr. Henderson suge gests, take a stand to foresee and prevent these dise astrous effects? This column did over many years. When they should have been providing valuable stock= piles of rubber, tin, silk and manganese, they bought useless silver and too much gold. Mr. Henderson's timid attempt to get authority to put ceilings over some prices and not over all prices condemns his thinking just as does his testimony that control of wages should be divorced from control of prices. His use of Mr. Baruch’s name for this phile osophy is not frank. Mr, Baruch himself will probe ably be called before one or the other of these committees. When he is, we shall at least hear a voice of experience which has proved to be right at least most of the time,

Editor'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

y HAT this country needs is a good housewives’ bloc in Congress,’ says an editorial. Doesn't the suggestion deserve wholehearted indorsement? I think so. Washington is so overgrown with “fixers” of one kind and another that its seams are bursting. They say lobbyists are washed up in the gutters after every big rain. There isn't an industry you can name that fails to keep someone stationed there, with a big expense account, to pry extra money out of the Treasury or spe=cial favors out of Congress. “Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief, doctor, lawyer, merchant chief”—they’re all there as the old rhyme lists them, all except the individual who keeps the country running — Uncle Sam’s wife, the American housekeeper. FPeing a naive soul, unwise in political ways, she has stayed on at home attending to what she considered an important mafter—her private business. And look where such exemplary behavior has put her—spang into the jaws of the wolf. It’s plain to be seen she won't save any money out of her housekeeping allowance from this time on. Every trip to the grocery rams that fact deeper into her brain. Having never had a salary, she doesn’t expect a raise, but what with the tax collector and the H. C. of L., she knows what's ahead of her. She’s the old girl who will be asked to buy cheaper cuts of meat yet serve the same palatable meals, who will be advised to cut her dress expenditures but ree main charmingly groomed, who will be urged to reno= vate her house without spending anything but energy, Farmers are clamoring for higher prices, labor

unions yell constantly for better wages, big business -

is out after fatter contracts, and as for the Army— the sky’s the limit. Only the Little Woman, for whose security and welfare all these vast expenditures are said to be made, is left high, dry and broke. This country does need a housewives’ bloc in Cone gress and I'm in favor of arming it with rolling pins,

Questions and Answers

(The Indianapolis Times Service Bureau will answer any question of fact or information, not involving extensive vee 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—When was Hamilton Fish Secretary of State? A~—Hamilton Fish, father of the present member of Congress, was Secretary of State under President Grant. He died in Garrison, N. Y., Sept. 7, 1893, and was buried in St. Philip's Cemetery. Q—Is the Suez Canal in Asia or Africa? A—The canal intersects the Isthmus of Suez, which unites Asia and Africa. The isthmus is politically a part of Egypt, and therefore can logically be ®onsidered a part of Africa. Q—What was the final vote of the National Labor Relations Board election ‘in the River Rouge plant <f the Ford Motor Co.? A—United Automobile Workers-C. I. O. 51,866; A. F. of L., 20,364; neither union, 1958; challenged bale lots, 3492; void and blank ballots, 143. Q—What is the relation of the length of the Flag to its width? A—As 19 is to 1.0, according to the Executive Order of President Taft, issued Cct. 29, 1912. Come mercial American flags are made in somewhat dife ferent proportions, however. Q—When was the late German Kaiser's daughter, Victoria Louise, married? A—On Nov. 1, 1913, she married Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick, and became the Duchess of the time, She was considered a great beauty ab

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