Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 30 August 1941 — Page 11

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. the proposed new tax rates:

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(A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER) ‘ROY WwW. HOWARD RALPH BURKHOLDER Jia ~ President Editor

FERREE ess- Manager

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 1941

‘BE CAREFUL THIS WEEK-END

THE Labor Day holiday this year, like Memorial Day and ;

the Fourth of July, will be the occasion for three full days of pleasure and relaxation for many Indianapolis residents. ‘Also for tragedy, if the experience of other extended holidays is repeated. -Indianapolis has been enjoying pleasant, coolish weather. If this continues, tens of thousands will take to the highways this week-end. To avert needless tragedies, it will pay these motorists to start early, take it easy and play it safe.

LATERAL TO THE TAX BOARD ERE is the tax picture that will be laid before the tax adjustment board when it meets Sept. 8 to review

“

1942 $1.46 96 45 30 15 $3.21 $3.32 In other words, the schools have cut back to their old rate, the County has held its increase to a modest two cents, and poor relief has been cut a full 11 cents. - The City stands alone in asking for a substantial rate ‘increase—20 cents higher than the present rate. It is generally conceded that the City got itself in too tight a financial straight-jacket when it tried to operate this year on a tax rate of $1.26. That rate was definietly too low. os | | It seemed equally obvious that, in trying to rectify past mistakes, it swung to the opposite extreme and got its rate too high. But in eight days of budget discussions, it showed little inclination to pare out a reasonable amount of fat. It skinned off three cents and said, in effect: “If there's going to be any more cutting, let the tax adjusiment board take the responsibility.” And there the matter rests.

: 1941 Civil City vv vveenesornssmees $1.26 - School City ..oevsveveeroncasee. 96 County 43

Poor relief ceeesesaniiieiniaanes 41 15

cs 00000000000000°% 00000

We know the City has

* problems. We know tha#its costs will be somewhat greater

than last year. We know also that it will be the beneficiary of more revenue than before. So, while it may be politically expedient to toss the problem in the lap of the tax board, it is not a spectacle to inspire confidence.

MAY IT WORK WELL!

WE wish great success for President Roosevelt's latest defense reorganization. By and large, the program will continue in the hands of the same men who have been identified with this gigantic effort from its beginning. The wholesale reshuffling of agencies, duties, titles and personalities—and the bringing of them together under the loose supervision of the newly ‘created seven-man Supply Priorities and Allocations Board —may help to eliminate some of the cross currents of administration. We hope so. For it has seemed to us that the failure of our arms-piroducing program to reach a satisfying scale has been due, in a large degree, to the-obvious confusion at the top. The members of the new SPAB—Stimson, Knox, Kund-

sen, Hillman, Henderson, Wallace, Hopkins—are all capable

.-men, of course with varying capabilities in their varying

lines of endeavor.

# ” 8 ° ¥ s 00D men, also, are Edward Stettinius, who yield the priorities job to become lend-lease administrator, under Hopkins, ‘and ohn D. Biggers, who stops bding Mr. Knudsen’s right-hand man in production and becomes Minister to England—mMuch to the satisfaction of some leftwingers who have worked long and hard to blot Mr. Biggers off the Washington scene, and also much to the gratification of Mr. Biggers, himself, who doubtless is happy to be, momentarily at least, out of ‘the line of fire. One man who seems to move a notch higher in each

reorganization is Donald Nelson, lately in char®e of pur-

8 os

_ chases, who now becomes the executive’ director of the

FF 3

SPAB and the chief priorities officer. He seems to be a man who understands what makes our industrial system tick, one who keeps his feet on the ground and grinds no axes. Such men usually go far. To change a country as large as ours from a peace to a war economy is a major and painful operation. Probably no means that could have been employed would have been wholly satisfactory. Certainly there is none that could have escaped vigorous criticism. But it has seemed to us that Mr. Roosevelt, while vehemently exhorting the people to an all-out effort for defense and aid to Britain, has proceeded rather leisurely in organizing his administrative direction toward his objective. o » ” ” ” 2 IRST there was the Defense Advisory Commission, with no powers and ill-defined responsibilities. Then there were the Office of Production Management and the Office of Price Administration and Civilian Supply, with limited authority and divided responsibilities. Now we are to have the SPAB—in a way superimposed over, but in another way as a co-ordinator for, the OPM and OPACS—with some more powers, but with the responsibility spread rather thinly over this seven-man board. We may be wrong, but we have a pet ‘theory that, when action is called for, it is better to give one man—rather than several men—the authority to do the job and to hold him responsible for getting it done. . We think President Roosevelt, try though he may to avoid it, is moving inescapably toward the same formula. We have-no nomination for the job of providing more tanks,

~ guns and planes—but we hope that the man Mr. Roosetelt

Srouualy chooses will not be too little, and that the President will not be too late.

Fair Frosh

By Westbrook Pegler

He's Wondering if Senator Ellender's

District Attorney Will be Tough on Noe if Latter Decides Not to Run.

EW YORK, Aug. 30.—As these dispatches inti- |

mated last week, something certainly is doing in New Orleans involving the Federal Department of Justice and the political interests of the two United States Senators from Louisiana, both of whom were members of the old Huey Long

mob. The Senators are Ailen El- | Ji

lender, who was Huey’s obedient and shameless dummy in the speaker’s chair of the lower house of the Legislature in the sessions

which ratified the dictatorship, |

and John Overton. y James A. Noe, who was a powerful member of the mob in Huey’s

day, was to have gone to trial in.

Federal Court on Aug. 11 on a charge of defrauding the Government of $28,058.69 in income taxes and $4358 in excess profits taxes on the earnings for 1935 of the Win Or Lose Corp., a minor-league Teapot Dome which Huey organized as a means of stealing oil from the state reserve. Before that date, however, Noe, who appears to retain some political ‘strength or nuisance value in the role of an unreconstructed Longster, intimated that he intended to run for Ellender’s seat in 1942. On May 11 the term of Rene Viosca, the incumbent District Attorney in New Orleans, expired and he has not yet been reappointed or succeeded and is not serving, although he has not formally resigned.

8 8 2

LLENDER, under the ancient customs of the Senate, has the right to select the next D. A. who would be the man to prosecute Noe in the ordinary course of events and there arises from that fact the interesting possibility that Ellender could make a dea] with Noe to stand aside from the Senatorial contest in return for politically enlightened treatment

from the new prosecutor, whoever that might be.

Of course, the Department of. Justice could take cognizance of the rivalry and name a disinterested man as special prosecutor. But, before we believe that the special prosecutor, if any, would be honestly

disinterested, we have to know whether the national

Administration and the Department of Justice are honestly disinterested. Mr. Noe, a regular member of the old Long mob, served a short term as Governor from January to May, 1936, and split with the main body of the gang in the fight for office, power and profit thereafter. Dick Leche;“who succeeded Noe as Governor, and Seymour Weiss, who "had been Huey’s political treasurer, took charge, and went in for thieving on a stupendous scale, along with.Jim Smith, who was president of Huey’s state university, Noe went his own political way muttering that these others were defying providence, living in gilded mansions in plain view of the ragged acorn-eaters who had been Huey’s idolators. He became their enemy. 8 8 8 N fact, your correspondent once received a letter from Mf. Noe offering a batch of incriminating affidavits against Leche, Weiss, Smith and others and your correspondent flippantly asked Mr. Noe to tell him first how he was doing in the Win or Lose Corp. Thereupon Mr. Noe's feelings got hurt and he turned his material over to Pearson and Allen of the Washington Merry-Go-Round with the eventual-result that

several of the scoundrels mentioned in his material

went to prison.

Noe was president of the Win or Lose Corp. and Weiss was vice president and these two signed the tax returns on which the present prosecution of Noe is baséd. It is charged that they kept a fake set of books to conceal the profits which were loot from the state domain and faked payments to themselves of $92,396 each in salaries and commisgions in order to run up the business expenses of -the corporation and reduce its taxes. Weiss pleaded guilty and got a sentence which is running concurrently with his other sentence for using the mails to defraud in the sale to the state of property which it had already bought from him and paid for. But Noe got his continuance on his representation that a witness who is currently engaged in having a baby will testify that he didn’t even read the tax returns but signed them hurriedly at the close of a busy day as Governor. I think I will continue this tomorrow. It really is very bizarre,

The Free French

By EDGAR ANSEL MOWRER

ASHINGTON, Aug. 30.—President Franklin D. Roosevelt, it was learned today, decided. about

‘a week ago not to extend any sort of public recogni-

tion to Gen. Charles de Gaulle, to the Free French movement which, the general captains, or to the separate regions, such as French Equatorial Africa that are the only remnants of the once proud French empire remaining on the side of freedom. The President had been pressed by emissaries of the general and by many Americans to give public support to the de Gaulle movement. Many officials felt that the movement had come to give recognition, if not to Gen. de Gaulle, then to French territories resisting aggression. When, however, the question was brought to the President, he decided against giving such support, lending credence to the stand of United States Ambassador William D. Leahy at Vichy and Embassy Counselor Robert Murphy at Rabat, Morocco, that to do so would be to alienate the Vichy Government and French authorities in Africa. Opinion is divided as to the utility to this country of Vichy's good Will. But the President decided that it was still worth more than encouraging the mass of the French people by. offering public support to the Free French movement. ; 2 a = EOPLE here surmise that it was upon learning of the President's refusal to aid him publicly—the Free French movement is receiving help from this country through the British—that Gen. de Gaulle at Brazzaville gave. to George Weller the interview in which he stated candidly that he had offered the use of Free French bases in French West Africa to the United States. ‘Denial of any such offer by Secretary of State Cordell Hull is thought to be a “technical denial.” Apparently it is good diplomacy to say that since the American government does. not recognize the Free Frenche or Gen. de Gaulle, it could not have received any sort of offer from either of them. In point of fact, this writer knows that de Gaulle emissaries have discussed the question of bases with various members of the American Administration, though whether or not a formal “offer” was made or attempted to be made, has not been revealed. Many here are predicting that within three months from this writing the American President will be thdnking his lucky stars that central Africa is in charge of the Free French and the American State Department will be tumbling all over itself to accord recognition to the de facto government of French Equatorial Africa.

Editor’s Note: The views expre - | by columnists in this newspaper are their own. They are not necessarily those of The 1ndinus sly Times.

% They Say—

IF CHILDREN are to be good, using the term good in its broadest sense, it is necessary for the parents to grow with the children.—Judge Jacob | Punken, New York Domestic Relations Court. N\

~ * * ® -

THE BEST definition of democracy I know is: Democracy is liberty plus Broceries ~Max Lerner; teacher and author. * $$ 8 IP WE fail, all fail; if we fall, all fall ~Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister. * s&s 8 ) FOOD IS STRENGTH, and our objective is food for ‘all defenders of freedom.—Secre of Agriculture . Claude R.. Wickard. :

{cases of tiny

i. THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES °

‘Something Else to Worry About

~The Hoosier Forum

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

EAST SIDER COMPLAINS ABOUT PLANT ODORS

By Mrs. Irma M. Gebhard, 1028 N. Oxford St.

I am just one of the East Side

‘folks who is sick of the obnoxious

smell that comes from the rubber plant out on E. 20th St. I hear all my neighbors complaining but no one seems to do anything about it. We come home .from working to spend a pleasant evening out in the yard and then it’s spoiled. by this terrible stink. Why we have to put up with this terrible smell?

~~" fn ui 4 RAT EXTERMINATION VITAL, CITY COUNCIL ADVISED By D. M., Indianapolis “Shear $100,000 Off City Budget,” says The Times headline. While many of these reductions no doubt are desirable, it is worse than shameful when the City Council in-

$4500 for rat extermination. Surely if a loss of some $3,000,000 annually in Indiana because of rats wouldn't touch the hearts of the City Fathers, a visit to City Hospital would. There have been numerous children—too small to even defend themselves—being scarred and wounded horribly by rats almost as large as cats. One tiny tot's face was so terribly eaten that plastic surgery. was needed to save her features. When such horrors as that go on in what we like to call “The City of Homes,” $4500 is an insignificant amount for rat eradication. Visitors are welcome at City Hospital, gentlemen! 2 8 8 A LOCAL VOICE ON OUR STREET PAVING PROBLEM By A Steady Taxpayer, Indianapolis

I have just noticed in the Forum a letter from a Chicago visitor criticising our city streets and suggesting that we do something about paving them. I can assure this particular Chicagoan and the thousands of other visitors who pass through here in a year that we who live here are thoroughly ashamed of our city officials’ casual handling of this problem: for the past 10 years. They keep pointing to big re-pav-ing jobs like S. East St. and Central Avenue, but when you put it all together and consider the size of this town, it's like one peanut to an elephant. I've gone touring. ‘too, and I haven't failed to notice how many

cludes in such a total the item of]

(Times readers are invited to express their views in these columns, religious controversies excluded. Make Your letters short, so ali can have a chance. Letters must be signed.)

American cities have beautiful and re-paved bad streets (Chicago is a perfect example) with Hederal aid. The Federal Government may have spent a great deal of money like water all over the country, something of . which I disapprove incidentally, but one of the brighter sides ‘to it is the great good it has done a large number of communities. But ours, No! We'll probably start paving streets after the Federal Government has

quit helping. ; 8 82 #8 pe MORE ABOUT OUR ENTRY INTO WORLD WAR I

By Harry Clay, Brightwood ' In reply to my recent article in

the Forum claiming that a - vast majority of the people were against entering the first world war, Mr. Adair says that a majority were actually for entering and bases his assertion on the foolish idea that

because the election was close it also was proof that the sentiment of the people for or againsv war was equally close. He doesn’t take into consideration the fact that while a vast majority who voted for Wilson were against war, a vast majority who voted for Hughes were also against war and were not fooled by Wilson’s promise to keep us out. Mr. Adair then trots out that old moth eaten alibi that when Wilson took his seat he found that the Germans were committing all kinds of indecencies and had no other course but to declare war. Yet these indecencies were happening right while he was promising to keep us out of war. My encyclopedia says that | the sinking of the Lusitania with 114 Americans was the large issue in causing the U. S. to enter the war. But that sinking occurred in May, 1915, or almost two’ years before ‘Wilson asked for war. . . . Mr. Adair says I am wrong in claiming that 90 per cent of the people are against war. He says that 100 per cent are against war, also measles, accidents and floods. Yes, Mr. Adair, the people are |also

Side Glances—By Galbraith

war bulletin

COPR. 1941 BY NEA SERVICE. INC. T. M. REG. U. 8. PAT. OFF. _

"How's that for peace and contentient? Probably never read a

in her life!

against candidates making promises)

then breaking them. I agree with Mr. Adair that the German war tactics were indecent, in fact most wars are indecent. It «vas indecent for Britain to slaughter our forefathers when all they wanted was liberty and democracy. It was indecent when Britain went into South Africa and killed the Boers and took their rich lands from them. It was indecent when Britain charged the U. S. $81.75 per soldier in the world war to transport them across to save the British empire|. (She actually tried to get $150 per man.) Now Mr. Adair, you claimed that Congress would never declare war against the wishes ot the people but the fact remains that Wilson and his party were elected on a promise to keep us out of war, then broke that promise and declared war about a month after the inauguration. If the people would have wanted war they would not have elected Wilson, for he promised to keep us out. . i 2 8 8 FEELS U. S., BRITAIN SHOULD MAKE PEACE WITH NAZIS By Harrison White, 1135 Broadway.

“Every day war propaganda creates a’ new paradox, so the people of America back farther away from this war. Douglas Miller, author and former commercial attache in Berlin, writing in The Times of Aug. 28, 1941

experience of the last few years shows that economic planning and a system of free enterprise can not permanently endure, side by side in the same nation” and claims because of it “The United States would be at the mercy of bande if the Nazis win.” If this be true why does the present administration at Washigton persist in perfecting the same economic planning in this country and at the same time ask us to go to war to prevent such a catastrophe for ‘the continent of Europe and ourselves? I believe the United States and England should make friends with Germany, for they could all go in on common grounds against communism. » , I do not believe the administration is coping with the cunning diplomacy of the Jap. It is my opinion that behind all the diplomatic advances of Japan lies the fact that Hitler has already told Japan “Let everything through for Russia the United States sends for we need it;” because after the United States is quieted with the outcome of the “Freedom of the

lies the fact, Japan can 'tear up or cut that Russian Siberian railroad within 24 hours and whatever we send to Russia, will never get there; so I say send all to Britain, that the English speaking world may finally make a real peace with the rest of isd world. I claim the moment we filer to make peace with the continent of Europe, not for the continent of Europe, the offer would be accepted and the war would end.

WINGS CAN FLY

By MARY WARD The sparrow sits alone on the housetop And current winds are high, But in the morning, light falls the dewdrop And small brown wings can fly.

Perhaps a lonely heart bows down in sadness, And’ drifting clouds send - rain, But there are pinions free of joy and gladness Hor faith is not in vain.

DAILY THOUGHT

Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chesteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee.— Deuteronomy "8:5.

THOUGH the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small; though with patience He stands waiting, / with exactness

grinds He all ~—Friedrich von Logau.

under the heading, “You Can't Dej# Business With Hitler,” states “The |}

Seas” sideshow as created by Japan,

SATURDAY, ATG. 30,719

_|Gen. Johnson | Says—

Small Business Faces Destruction a The Result of Present Government Acts and Monopoly Is Coming E

ASHINGTON, Aug. 30.—Trust Buster Thurm Arnold must beyhaving a continuous headacl these days and ‘I* worider about Senator O’Mahgney joint anti-monopoly committee. Both of these abid

business into smaller units and opponents of the creation of great industrial empires. They have worked hard at their jobs and Mr, Arnold had built up the largest and most efficient organization for doing this that the country’ has yet seen. But all they have accomplished is a drop in the bucket to. what other efforts of the Government have done to ‘reverse the trend: they seek and to accelerate the

never imagined—and: the. p is only just beginning, Little business in’ this € is on its way out. : ¥ In July it was reliably reported that of Army iL Navy defense business six great companies had. ; ceived 31 per cent of all and 56 companies” 75.per That is a matter of billions and is, of itself, a gigi dislocation, but it doesn’t tell a fraction of Hey i » f J F SMALLER enterprises ore left ties to take one defense business they could keep their heads above water. But such is not to.be permitted for several reasons. One is that the priorities system is going to cut off .their supplies of materials; power and frans= portation. Another is that: governmental tax and credit-controt policies are deliberately designed to deprive their customers of purchasing power. + - It is a complex which is difficult to explore. Some of it is unavoidable. Some of it is a result of head= long, unplanned action. Some of it is new tinkering with unproved theories of inflation control and all of it is a mess which could bring catastrophe; ° . It is unfair cavalierly to criticize individuals. Yet it is a fact that the men who guided the placing.-of this vast defense business with a few great corpora tions were products of those corporations, many of whom did not sever all their financial relations with the mother hen. In a sense, they were dealing with themselves. On the other hand, they had a responsi« bility for quick production and went where speed was mgsi#likely. e trouble was that the vast aggregation of sméller companies was not properly organized, and these companies are still not properly organized, either. . to get a hearing in that headlong rush, or so. to pool their resuorces and facilities as to insure performance if they had been offered a chance. ” t 4 » HE present theoretical approach to their further destruction by cutting consumer purchasing power is to prevent inflation by high taxes and by advising people to get out of present debt and to ‘iz ho new debt. This I can’t understand at all. Inflation is simply high, or at its worst, runaway prices. For. the first; time in my contact with the problem we’ hear that highér taxes make lower prices. Most taxes find their way into costs and prices. The principal author. ity on that is Franklin D. Roosevelt. Unless absolute direct controls on prices are. applied —and they are not going to be—considerably higher prices are as certain as sunrise. The process of Tais< ing them is going on all around us. Also it is almost, axiomatic, bad as it may sound, that-a period of be. ginning inflation is a time_not to get out of debt, but to get into it. * There is no space to discuss these divergent policies and theories here, further than to say that every sini gle one of them tends toward the greatest increase monopoly and destruction of small business in history. If the little fellows do not organize to § their own battle for existence they can be very that no one else is going to do it for them.

A Woman’ s- Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

“Wi a wonderful time ‘you'll have!” was the chorus speeding the departure of three women

knew that only one of those women would have a wonderful time—the two others couldn't. They! 4] ; not conditioned to experience amusemént or pleasure. Poor things, no matter how far they

from their own sour dispositions —so they might as well stay home, They will never find a hotel or

tourist camp, a restaurant or fill« ing station, that suits them. They'll

i travel they'll never get a vecation

they are. Their beds won't. be right; the traffic will be badly

will be impudent or shiftless, won't enjoy the scenery becal they can’t see it. Such individuals are born blind deaf, although they have good eyes and ears. al. simply aren't able to appreciate beauty in any of 1ts forms, and people only exist to annoy them. Why do they go on vacations? You tell me.- I've never been able to figure it out. The third member of the party, however, is a dif= ferent sort of being, Life for her is one long pleasures jaunt. She knows how to drain each day of its full measure of joy—therefore vacations are interludes of sheer delight. She gets up in the morning anticipat= ing happindss. Beauty walks by her side wherever she goes. It doesn’t take the Grand Canyon to'exeite her;*a fern-lined grotto or a grassy. knoll can. turn the trick. And she gets a kick out of people. Nobody is uti= interesting or tiresome. She is never bored, ‘because

worth-while—enthusiasm. Her spirit walks to music, She recognizes in humanity what I like to believe God sees there—infinite possibilities of power and goodness, No matter what happens to her, she will always “have a wonderful time. iz

Questions and Answers

(The Indianapolis Times Service Bureau will an question of fact or information, not_ involving exten search. Write vour questions clearly. sign name snd a inclose a three-cent postage stamp. Medical or legal cannot be given. Address The Times Washington Bureau. 1013 Thirteenth St. Washington D. C.). :

| Q—1Is it correct to say “fourteen and two. sixteen” or “fourteen and two is sixteen”? A—Either is correct. When are is used, separate things are meant. When is is used, teen and two are /thought of as a sum. Q—How cdn moss be eradicated from a ston A—Wet the surface well with water to w been added 2 per cent by volume of carboli¢ Wait an hour or so and then scrub off the mo a stiff brush and clear water. If some of should still adhere, repeat the operation. ‘@—When did Robert H. Jackson, recently ed Associate Justice of the United States: Supt Court, first enter the service of the Federal Gover ment? LE A—Feb. 1, 1934, when he was appointed counsel of . the Bureau of Internal Reven years later, Feb. 26, 1936, he was appointed Attorney General in charge of the Tax Divisi /Department of Justice, and he became Attorn era] Jan. 18, 1940. 3 Bd much oxygen is usually carried in.

marine #0 2%. present it is customary for U. 8. sub to carry enough to last a crew of 4 to hours. ‘Q—Where is the Island of Maltinique g Sous itgbelong? t is one of the Windwaggd Islands in

; ne and has been a possession of France si

Q—Where can I get infornfation about able in defense industries? —Go to the nearest office of your State ment Service. If there is no local office, wri State Employment Service at your State - Q—On what date was the first group | A

the . Ary. Sader ig Conscription Act? %

growth of monopoly to an extent

on a vacation trip. While I parroted the words, I

managed; the waiters and maids :

she carries with her the one quality which makes life

be too hot or too cold wherever =