Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 6 September 1941 — Page 7

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1941

Hoosier Vagabond

TOLEDO, O., Sept. 6.—I. went out to the \. ,.- Overland plant here in Toledo to see how the, ..ake these little “jeep” cars that are getting so lamous in-the Army. : But I found them just between orders, andthe

® “jeep” assembly line was as static as a Siberian radio. So TI said, “What else are you making?” And what do. you think? Gas shells! Yep, gas shells for war. SN ’ Like many another industrial plant, Willys-Overland has been set to making lethal instruments. And during my time out here I § could see how impossible it is to throw an auto plant instantly over into the manufacture of guns or shells or even tanks. « =~ ’ : Willys-Overland has been preparing for shell manufacture since the first of the year. They finally began turning them out a couple - of months ago. And, from the work that’s going on, it looks as though it would be Christmas before they're going full blast. 3 Willys-Overland was in an especially ready position, too, because they had vast factory space that had been standing empty since the company went through reorganization in 1933. Also they had a reservoir of skilled machinists they could call back to work. : We were in one huge hangar-like building which used to house the presses that stamped out hundreds of Willys-Overland fenders an hour. _ But after the 1933 debacle all these great, bulky _ presses were sold to Japan and Russia. Machines that cost $100,000 were sold for the weight value of scrap. The machines were still good, and today are doubtless stamping out tools of war for the. Japanese. + And, where these very machines stood in 1933, today stand brand new American machines sturning out the complicated apparatus for hoisting big shells

By Ernie Pyle

into big American guns—maybe to throw at the

Japanese.

How a Casing Is Made

If you've never seen a shell for a big gun—say a

six-incher—at least you've seen pictures of whole rows Nyt of them. You wouldn’t think there’d be anything} : complicated about making a shell, would you? But T'm telling you that a six-inch shell has to go about the same numberless processes tooling that an airplane crankshaft

through just of meticulous does. When you see how hard it is to make a shell, you wonder how they can bear to blow it up. : The shell comes in as a plain block of steel. Then it is heated red-hot, and stamped into the rough form of a shell. Then it goes to the finishing building, and before it gets through, it becomes as shiny and microscopically fine as a piece of jewelry. It would take a long magazine article to tell the various steps this empty casing goes through . . . the precision grindings, the calibrations, the metal testings, the radio-eye searchings for imperfections, the reheatings and reformings.’ It actually doesn’t seem to a layman there could be any sense to such fanatical precision, but of course there is. When it’s all through, the shell is painted black inside and yellow outside, is stenciled with the word “Empty,” and is put into a boxcar for shipping to a loading point. The shells are stood nose-up on the floor of the boxcar; each shell resting in a niche formed by crossed planks. The nose-cap of each shell (where the fuse will eventually go) is just an eye screwed into the threads, so the shell can be handled by hook and crane. ; Ha : You would never know by looking at them that these are to be gas shells, They look, offhand, like any other six-inch shells. But one of the workmen said to me, “These ‘are chemical shells, you know.” I said, “Chemical shells?” A And he said, “Yes, they'll have chemicals inside of them. And it ain’t perfume. We hope. they never have to be used.”

Inside Indianapolis (4nd “Our Town’)

PROFILE OF THE WEEK: Harry Christian Geisel who while one of the best-liked and most-re-

spected citizens of Indianapolis has been called a “robber” by countless thousands in other cities during his lifetime, and thinks nothing of it. He is, you see, a. veteran baseball umpire—17 years with the American League and quite a few years before that with lesser leagues. The chances are that he may be calling ‘em when the World Series play opens Oct. 1. Harry Geisel is a tall, well-built man who makes an impressive appearance either on or off the diamond. He’s well over 6 feet in height and has a military bearing. Normally he weighs around 200, but when the training season : starts, he works off about 15 pounds. His hair, which used to be dark brown, now is a steely gray, his eyes a.e brown, his chin rather determined appearing and he has pronounced lines from his nose to the corners of his mouth. “He's often described as the best-dressed umpire in baseball. On the playing field he wears the conventional dark blue suit, but you couldn’t get him to wear dark blue off the field for love nor money.

Tossed in River

He’s been interested in baseball since his boyhood days here in Indianapolis. As a youth, he played a bit of semi-pro ball but soon decided umpiring was .his forte. He started with the Illinois-Missouri League in 1910, subsequently worked the Central, Western and International circuits before moving to the American League in 1935. Since then he’s worked three World Series—in 1930, 1934 and 1936. © Many times he’s been injured more .or less seriously. On several occasions he received brain concussions, once from a foul tip, in 1937, and another a little later from a collision with a, player. His wrist was broken in that accident. Once after a game at Beardstown, Ill, some hometowners, angered by his decisions, tossed him in the river. On another occasion, it took half the Springfield (O.) police force and a patrol wagon to get him out of the park safely. Umpire Geisel spends eight months of the year— Starting with training camp in February—away from . home and by the time he gets back in October, he’s ready to settle down and just putter around. He likes to-work in the yard in the summer, enjoys fixing things around the house, taking his pet Boston Bull— Umps—for a walk, chinning with his cronies, and

Open Books

LONDON, Sept. 6.—From several personal conversations with other cabinet ministers I know there is wide willingness in the British Government to cooperate in the open invitation extended by Brendan Bracken, Minister of Information, to members of the American Congress. During the time I have been over here, I have been increasingly impressed that it wo be useful for members of th® House and Senate to come to England and take a look for themselves. Whenever I have discussed the subject here it has met quick and friendly response, : Such visits, if not made by such great numbers that it would leave the British officials no time for work, would be Avorth while to both countries, and espicially to the Senators and Representatives. After all, the United States is pouring out, or expects to pour, many billions into the British war effort. And if IT had ‘the responsibility for voting such enormous public sums as the lend-lease program involves, I should value an opportunity to see for myself the plant into which they are going. * ime 8

MEMBERS OF Congress tay be inclined to shy away from coming over here, feeling that they would ' be brought under the influence of British propaganda. On the contrary, they would have the opportunity to give the British people a better understanding -of the American position. : But those are incidental considerations, and if any Senator or Representative is so uncertain what he thinks that he is afraid his mind might be made up for him by some smoothie over here, then he had better stay home. The real point is that the two Governments are now closely interlocked by American lend-lease expenditures, which in the next year or two will amount

1 NEW YORK CITY, Friday—One never realizes beforehand what a busy day really means! ‘My plane was late in 1%aving’ Washington Yesterday morning for Pittsburgh, Pa. so I was _ the day.” It made me feel like a small dog chasing Si his tail. It was a very pleasant day, however, and I particularly enjoyed my visit to the NYA Resident Center. Two months’ ago, when L first promised to g0 there, they told me that the buildings did not look as though they would ever be finished. The boys were informed of my visit, and . volunteered to give extra time in order to show mg more when I ar-

rived. They did extraordinarily well. The shops were ready and

they were busily at work in them,

: "and they also showed me a Very complete dormitory and mess hall. Their only lack is a recreation building. Each dormitory has some * small space, which can be used by a very few boys at a time for writing letters or ‘a game of table tennis. There is not space The ehlef joy of

resident center ig its location gd this is its locati

of the high k with a beautiful view DI LL y& IA

a little late all through

enough for indoor recreation as yet. .

loafing in his basement social room. During the winter months he reads a lot, particularly enjoys detective story magazines. He seldom misses a word or an ad in a newspaper. t

Loves His Bean Soup

Anything he does has to be “just so.” If he’s hanging a picture, he gets out a yardstick and measures it off down to an eighth of an inch. One of his weaknesses is snow. He's always wishing for snow because he likes to shovel the walks, not only his own, but -the neighbors’ too. His favorite food? That's easy—it’s bean soup. Potato pancakes make his mouth water, and he has never gotten over a liking for hotdogs. It’s nothing for him to top off breakfast with pie and cake, His disposition is cheerful and even-tempered.

.Nothing excites him and he’s moderate in everything.

He doesn’t like to drive a car but when he doés drive he considers 15 to 18 miles a nice comfortable speed; likes to sit there with his elbow out the window and take life easy. Ask him to speed up and he protests that “this is swell; what’s the hurry.” ; His greatest hobby is painting. Right now he’s looking forward to getting home this fall to paint a cabinet built by a carpenter this summer, The family yamed the carpenter not to paint it “or Harry’ll get mad.” AE

What A Fisherman!

For a couple of years he coaxed Mrs. Geisel to let him repaint the bathroom, One day as she was leaving the house, she ‘consented. When she returned, she found Harry using a spray gun. He was covered from head to foot with yellow paint, the bathtub and bathroom fixtures—even the tile walls were yellow. It took a pint of turpentine to get the paint out of hisfhaif, and now he does all his painting in the basement. ; He likes to hunt quail and rabbit, plays an occasional game of 3-cushion billiards, and enjoys fishing but is probably the world’s worst fisherman. For Some reason he can’t explain, he never catches anying. ; One year in California, he went deep sea fishing with his wife, She caught 35—he didn’t get a single fish. He tried it again and still no fish. A couple of years ago he went up to the lakes and fished from morn till night. Finally, he came in one evening grinning from ear to ear, and proudly waving a fish he'd caught. A mean-hearted spectator produced a ruler and measured the fish, Maybe you've guessed. It was undersized. Heartbroken, Harry had to throw it back,

By Raymond Clapper

to as much as the total Federal tax collections and which must come out of the new record-breaking tax pill. A legislative body ought to know something about what it is doing. London and Washington are almost parts of the same capital now. Each has become a kind of suburb of the other. You can find out many things here that you can’t find out in Washington. : 2 » ”

SENATORS AND Representatives owe it to themselves, when appropriating taxpayers’ money in such vast amounts, to know what happens to American airplanes when they arrive here. They owe it to themselves to check up on some of the charges that the British re-export lend-lease materials. They could

. find some of their doubts satisfactorily answered, and |

they could find some things concerning which the British should tighten up. ” ” # AT PRESENT THERE is not a single member of

either House or Senate who can speak with any|

first-hand knowledge of what is going on over here. There. is not a member who has first-hand information that would enable him to question effectively the American Lease-Lend officials. So far as Congress is concerned, it is signing blank checks and calling it a day. 1{ would be a mistake to send over junkets. What would help would be the sending over of a very few responsible key committee members, tepresenting both parties, on a working trip. Already there is a slight tendency toward junketing by American executive officials coming over here. They want to do sightseeing, which only takes up the time of British .officials busy fighting a war. : But everyone here does haye time to see Ameri~ cans who come on legitimate business. One American told mie that, in a few days, he was able to get every piece of information for which he asked—and he asked for everything he could think of that concerned his duties in Washington; The British are in this thing with a clear conscience and with ready-opened 00ks. j ?

By Eleanor Roosevelt

tunity and his answer was! “Indeed I am, and I gained 12 pounds, if that’s any sign of progress.”

Just as we were leaving, the blackest clouds]

gathered and before we reached the housing project,

it was raining in torrents. The ceremony there was|

spoiled by the rain, but some of us gathered :in the high school auditorium and I was able to give. the keys of their houses to a number of people. Mgst of them are young and are starting out in ‘these new homes, which are among the first to be completed in the defense housing program around Pittsburgh. The mills are expanding and they will be able to destroy some of ‘their old slums, so a few people, at. least, will have an opportunity to live under better o We were so late in reaching the reception held by the Democratic: Women, that I just went up on the platform and made a little speech. 1 re-

turned to my hotel with an hour to dress and eat} and forum, which}

dinner before, the evening speech h was being held under the auspices of the Public Affairs Committee, a non-partisan organization interested in education for citizenship. ’ :

~ At 11:37 we reached the airport, only to find that the plane to New York City was canceled because of ‘bad weather. This meant a dash back to the city to the station and a train trip, which landed me in New

away,

them.

admire the British, but. there are too small, their resources

terful dictator that the

German settlement or an I furthermore. do not

extensively regarding the future world order jn the event of a German victory. No one would then take any notice of our .plans. Hitler will have plenty of plans of his own. In fact, if Hitler wins, there will be no peace conference and no peace treaty. The Germans will simply mop up their enemies and set up their rules and regulations for the guidance of sub- - jugated peoples. : Now, on the other hand, there is the possibility of an American victory after a’ very long-drawn struggle. I say American victory because the Americans’ share will continually increase as the war goes on. That is, it will have to if our side is to win. If our share does not increase above what it is now, Hitler will win.

Up to Us—

IN THINKING about the postwar world, after an American victory we must imagine Europe al‘most completely stripped of peacetime production, her peacetime industries shattered, worn out from years of effort without installation of new equipment, and blown to bits by aerial bombs and land artillery. ° The British and German air forces are tearing out the vitals of each other’s industrial fabric. If this sort of thing goes on for several years more until we win, neither the British nor the Germans, nor probably anyone else in Europe, will be ‘equipped to meet the post-war requirements for ordinary needs, let alone the great task of physical reconstruction. Only one great country will pos-

the raw materials, the finances, and the energy to rebuild a postwar world. America alone will have the strength, the resources, and the leadership which are

needed. . - As I see it, it ‘will not be possible—win, lose,” or draw—to return to the old system of private trading and laissez-faire 'econo‘my which was supposed «to “exist up to 1914. ‘This was never really reconstituted after the Frst World War. The impoverished nations after that turned to increased

“business are doing it now. Whether we like it or not, our whole system of comparatively unregulated free enterprise is temporarily in eclipse, and will not return during our lifetime. I do ‘not say that with any satis‘faction—I regret it. But I believe

after the present war, will be a

Choige—

8 CRE ‘

The Great ‘a world economics

‘tion, or regulation. oh A continuance of economic na-

over a continent dominated by the most ruthless, world has ever seen. This leaves us two alternative settlements for a American settlement. feel that it is necessary

sess the mechanical equipment,

point. They will do it again; they.

in facing the fact. The world, world of regulated economic life. | F£

Free Enterprise System ls in Temporary Eclipse, Won't Return in Our Day

This is the last of 12 instalments taken from Douglas Miller's YOU CAN'T DO BUSINESS WITH HITLER. ’ oii By DOUGLAS MILLER ey Author and Former Commercial Attache at Berlin IN SPITE OF THE fact that peace looks very far we should look ahead to the post-war period in order to discuss possible solutions and prepare ourselves for

Every day that. goes by increases the relative impor-

tance of the United States in world what we intend to do, it will be important for the rest of the world. It may even be decisive. : There is no use for us to consider a stalemate or peace. To me that would mean only a short breathing space until

Hitler could make ready for his final is any use in counting on a British victory without our aid. We may are too few of them. Their industries

too widely scattered, to achieve victory

affairs. No matter

a regulated

victory. Nor do I believe there

scientific and masfuture world—a

for us to plan very

likely to happen to suit me. The

passions unleashed by war, the hatreds and fears of a hungry, disillusioned world, create national antagonism and national barriers. A revival and extension of economic nationalism after this war is a certain guarantee of bigger and better wars to come. It will prove that we have learned no more from World War No. 2 than we did from World War No. 1. It will postpone the final coming of peace and order indefinitely. I say with conviction and emphasis that we can never expect to see real, lasting prosperity again until a decent measure of international co-operation is established. ° This is going to cost us a great deal. First of all, it will ‘cost a great deal of money. But we have the money. We have now about 90 per cent of all the gold in the world. Most of it is the property of the United States Government. Our gold and silver can be used as a basis for international currencies, linked to the American ‘dollar and supervised by some sort of international control in which the United States must have a leading voice. If we are unwilling to use our buried stores of precious metals in this way, we might as well throw them away. They serve no other useful pur-

pose. If We Are Wise—

SOME. PEOPLE may say that we have enough government indebtedness already without making larger commitments to finance the outside nations. I say that even if we lost all this money we should be no worse" off than we were before. We must finance our impoverished customers in

poor man.

order to keep busines operating. It is better to lose money occa-

sionally in business than to have

no ‘business at (all. If we. are wise, generous but not. guliihle, enterprising but, not greedy, we can rebuild this wartorn world. We want to give employment to our own people, ‘to maintain our price level, expand our world trade, creste thousands of interesting and- well-paid jobs for Americans in foreign countries; ‘and all’ this will cost -us only one thing—increased cffort. After all, that is: what we want. We Americans like activity and enterprise. We shall have nothing to lose in such a program, and, in very truth, a world to gain. But. this post-war reconstruction leadership by the United States will cost -us more than money .and effort. It will cost us the sacrifice of some of our dearest prejudices and opinions. That will really be painful.: We must grow, up, abandon our old co-lonial-mindedness. We must be pleased to’ see other peoples grow.

. strong and prosperous on account

‘of our - support.

' We must not worry particularly

if the rest of the warld is not as

grateful as we think they should “be. The Tich-and strong man must ‘learn’ not to expect gratitude or . affection. It is enough for him if .the world is: prosperous and’ con- - tented; and he knows that he has

more to gain in the long run from such a state of affairs than the

a wn New Philosophy—- ' WE MUST ADOPT as a nation ‘the philosophy of our successful’ businessmen, They under-

“Only one great country will possess the mechanical equipment, the raw materials, the finances, and the energy to rebuild a post-war world. ‘America alone will have the: strength, the resources, and the

- Jjeadership which are needed.” :

.cut losses, and then forget them. They do not cherish grudges against their dead-beat customers. They write them off “the books, charge it" to profit and loss, and go after more business. ; America is a productive country. Exports from our highly ef‘ficient ‘economy flow naturally to other parts of the world. It is much’ more difficult for us to. balance them by imports which ‘we really. ‘can use. We can export again if we will finance the world in a big way. We shall have losses, but good management can minjmize them. . The bees Work’ busily all summer ‘and. store their hives full of honey. The farmer takes some of the surplus honey and uses .or sells .it; but this does not hurt the bees.” They still have plenty to. live on "through the winter; and they are happy next year, for they have empty hives to fill again. Fy Ley o In the same way .\merica is ‘more happy and prosperous when its industry is humming; everybody has a ‘job, even if some of our exports are consumed by bad debtors. abroad. The main thing ‘is to keep the machinery turning, keep the level of production and consumption . high. Our experience in ‘the inter-war - period should help: us do a more satisfactory job this time. Sd We must not worry lest - some foreign nations may gain -proportilonately more than we do from post-war reconstruction. We must be more interested in the . fact that we gain ourselves, rather than lose. We must not’ worry unduly -about the British peace aims; by the time this war is over, the chief British aim will be their aim to please us. Right now we could undoubtedly secure the British assent. to’ any and’ all peace proposals that we had in mind. .

The niore difficult task-is for us

to make, up our mind what kind of post-war world we wish to see, and ‘how we are going to create _it. No one is going to prevent us; we shall be elected to this task: ‘by an unanimous ballot. We must "perform it—not to save the world,

HOLD EVERYTHING

stand how to take risks, how to

|dent ‘| people. |: -Alth ‘Iknown, Blauvelt said, Field. Mar-

but to save ourselves. : - (THE END)

SHUTS SENDS SEEDS -T0 SAVE DUST BOWL

NEW . YORK, Sept. 6. (U. P).—

A box ‘of seeds which Field Mar-|

shal Jan Smuts, Prime Minister of

the Union of ‘South: Africa, believes|_

may solve . the problems .of the American Dust Bowl, arrived today on the Liner Evangeline.’ i The box was in the custody of Hiram Blauvelt, member of a wealthy Oradell, N. J, family, who said the prime minister had given him the seeds as a present to Presit Roosevelt and “the American though it! .is “not | generally shal Smuts is a first “botanist has long been interested iri ‘the ms - of replenishing. the - dust

~ ‘This can be done, he feels, through |

swift-

AAA FORESEES LITTLE CHANGE

1942 Acreage Allotments Expected to Be About Same-as in 1941.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 (U. PJ, —Agricultural Adjustment Admine istration officials’ said today that no plans have been made for any cone siderable change in cotton, corn and wheat. acreage allotments for 1942, The wheat allotment already hag been established at 55,000,000 acres,

this year. and allotments for corn and cotton will be established dure ing the next few months. oe “There is no plan to change the wheat acreage, which was éstabe lished in accordance With the fore mula set up by the farm act,” AAA officials said. “The reduction from last year was made necessary by the large crop this year and the consequent excessive: supply of wheat.” 1 Corn acreage allotments will bs determined next month after 1941 production is known, officials said,

mined on the basis of the total nae tional supply and is expected to be slightly largér than this year beca of the demand for livestock feed.” ; : : Cotton acreage allotments are exe pected to be determined in Deceme ber or January, after ginning of the 1941 crop is completed. Officials said that cotton production still is too uncertain to forecast the acreage allotment. !

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

1—In measuring horses, each “4 inches is called a ——? 2—Gilbert: Stuart was a famous American _ soldier, artist, or statesman? ! 3—Is Sarggsso Sea in ‘the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean? . 4—What four-letter English nam .for an engine of war corresponds with the German “Schutzene _ graben ver nichtigunspanzers ‘ wagen”? } es , 5—Did New-York or Virginia have the largest population in 1790? 6—Who wrote a letter to the “Galas tians”? 3 3

7—Who was the father of Alice

Longworth? 8—Adolf Hitler visited the United

States in 1928; true or false? : Answers 1—Hand. ’ o-Artist, 3—Atlantic: Ocean. 4—Tank. * ‘ . 5—Virginia.’ 6—St. Paul. © © 7—Theodore Roosevelt,

C0 aa al ARR ASK’ THE TIMES Inclose a 3-cent stamp for

ply when addressing any qu

a reduction of 7,000,000 acres from,

The 1942 corn acreage will be deters