Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 21 October 1941 — Page 12

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Give Light and the People ‘Will Find Their Own Way

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1941

: WILLKIE TODAY

S° completely has Wendell Willkie become identified with President Roosevelt's foreign policy—and so dominant have been foreign affairs—that Mr.: Willkie as oné who does his own thinking has appeared of late to be vangiderably gubmerged. : It is therefore extremely interesting to read an article in the current Look, in which Mr. Willkie gets into the domestic scene. No love feast is going on there. For - example, responding to a question—“Do you believe that American business and labor are, under the guise of a

"national emergency, being exploited by extrémists in the’

.. Government ?”’—he replies: “It is true that a group of bright boys in. Washington, ~ . wholly devoid of practical experience, highly skilled in in- : Itellectual dialectic, largely failures in private endeavor, seek

on every occasion behind the blind of national defense to

‘jimmy the works’ as far as private enterprise is concerned “and are presently seeking to make labor leaders and unions responsible to their wills and schemes. I think it is time ‘that the intelligent leaders of unionism and the intelligent leaders of industry—and there are many of both-—join in the effort to eliminate these saboteurs from their positions 5 of influence.” 2 Ea ® 8 » wie Iw E 5 J MPHASIZING his opinion that it’s no excuse for holding 5 back on Mr. Roosevelt’s foreign policy just because one ‘may not like his domestic policies,” Mr. Willkie takes this not too sly poke at his former opponent— “I doubt if any Frenchman living in poverty, degrada‘tion and slavery today can find much satisfaction in the ithought that he held back because he did not trust M. Blum.” And—“The Administration makes men suspicious : even of the national emergency by using it as a cover for ia special New Deal brand of economic revolution.” 3 One part of the article is self-analytical, answering ++ another question: By “Independence is almost a religion with me. . . . Whena Lever I have thought that anyone was in the slightest degree {seeking to control my ideas I have ceased to regard his ; ‘opinion seriously and in many cases have severed relations. . ~s..I have never taken compensation or even traveling exima for any talk I have ever made. . . . 1 do not believe : i that those in public life or active in political leadership “should make a profit on such advocacy.” All of which, in our opinion, constitutes an accurate

8 8 =

gize-up of Mr. Wendell Willkie today, yesterday and from |

‘now on. in Whatever else you may think about him, he’s entitled to at least one presidency—that of the No Man’s Collar Club.

TOWARDS MORE SAFETY

“We can all make the first contribution toward improving our safety records if we will resolutely determine that we will not, our selves, ask for special favors nor tolerate them on behalt of anybody.” : x ‘HAT significant sentence is contained in a motion «adopted the other day by the board of directors of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce. We think it important that the Chamber has decided to set an example for all citi- . gens in the handling of our traffic problem. “Let us strive always,” said the resolution, “to obey every traffic regulation, to accept willingly whatever just penalty may be assessed for ahy traffic infraction and let us extend to the police and the courts our full co-operation in the elimination of all favoritism, of whatever kind, in the administration of justice.” Well done!

LESSON FROM CANADA

; SINCE the war began the cost of living has risen more than 13 per cent in Canada, about 9 per cent in the * United States. In both countries it has been going up faster and faster in recent months. Canada is now adopting a drastic, all-inclusive pricecontrol measure. Prime Minister Mackenzie King says it will call for new and complicated administrative machinery, interfere with established business methods, and impose irksome restrictions. But piecemeal controls have not worked.” More stringent methods are deemed necessary to prevent ruinous inflation now and ruinous deflation later. The Canadian plan resembles the one advocated for this country by Bernard M. Baruch. .It will put a ceiling over ractically all prices, including rents, farm products and ages. “Wages,” says Mr, ‘Mackenzie King, “are a large eleent in the cost of producing the manufactured goods required by consumers. That is why the cost of living can not be controlled unless wages also are stabilized.” That is just as true in the United States as it is in anada. The danger of inflation is growing here as ere. The need for courage in combating this danger is as pat here as there. But here the Administration and

ong

It can’t be done.

| 1

MI G

ANCHO VILLA is aid to have silt off a battle, on the

advice of American newspapermen, until the World

§ was over—so. he would be sure of getting on Page 1. : Such a sense of timing is unhappily lacking at the

ce Department, which has just obtained an indictment ga monopolistic avhppiracy in the Srasherty ate

Expat

3 are wasting precious time on efforts to prove that Eh ontrol ‘law can be made effective without touching hose two political powers, the farm bloc and the labor lobby. :

‘| the other groups which,

§ foe

bratt of which the following display is typical, if nd worse. . Today I should like to

other persons dealing in : ! Expression, such as radio editorialists and o¢cupants ‘of or Can for Public: office, that theterm “labor leader” is inacc and misleadin when applied to most of the profe Be a unioneers o both big camps and that the term “labor” is equally deceptive as applied to the unions.” In both .cases, the word “labor” confers on these power’ politicians in advantage which: they do not deserve because “labor” means to all of us the rank and file worker with whom they have no relation other than that of boss and subject or victim. “Labor” also includes millions of American workers who are not members of any union and millions who are members of -unions only because they were anschlussed into the two Tival empires by threats | and. pressure. As to many of them this pressure was exerted by the Roosevelt Administration through the Labor Relations Board and countless others have been driven into the compounds in the last 18 months by Government agencies which gave them their choice of “joining up and paying up or going without work on war projects.

He Led Once—Not Anymare

WHEN YOU SPEAK or write of such a man as Wrong John Lewis, for example, as a “labor leader”

+ you are: suggesting ‘that he is a popular leader of vol- { untary followers which certainly is an incorrect pic-

ture ‘of Wrong John and one that does injustice to the mine workers. Lewis is not their leader. He may have been a ! popular leader once but he is now their boss and a rough and ruthless boss at that who doesn’t consult their wishes but sends them:orders. “William Green is evén remoter from the toilers

but the executive head of a powerful band of professional union bosses. The ordinary carpenter or waitress, for example, has no more voice in the proceedings of the American Federation of Labor than

' the holder of a single share of stock has in the affairs ' of Republic Steel and Tom Girdler is no more aloof | to the single-share investor than Green to the in-

dividual worker.

The Investor Can Sell Out IN FACT THE single-share investor is better off

_because he can sell his share and get out if he doesn’t

like the way things are running whereas the union worker can’t quit his union without losing his livelihood and he may be tossed out anyway, for lese

.majeste in appealing to the August president of the

national body : for redress of - some wrong. however

‘outrageous, without first exhausting all the appeals

which are supposed to be provided but actually do not exist within his local union. The local union bosses may exhaust him with a chair leg before he gets a chance to exhaust his illusory remedies but that is something that he is forbidden to mention to Mr, Green. Although the workers are “labor” the unioneers are not labor leaders. They do not speak for “labor” but for political organizations and they are not leaders but bosses and, most of them, dictators. No honest man would say today, in view of all that we have learned about unions in the last few years, that an attack on a union was necessarily an attack on “labor” and by the same rule it Should be recognized now and kept in mind that the union bosses may be and, in the absence of knowledge to the contrary, should be presumed to be, a boss if not an oppressor and exploiter of “labor.”

Price Fixing By Thomas L. Stokes

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21.— While the cost of living continues to mount, Congress dawdles with price-fixing legislation designed to stabilize it and to protect the fixed-salary groups which are beginning to feel the pinch. Rep. Steagali, House Banking and ' Currency Committee chair man, introduced the Administration’s price-fixing bill Aug. 1. Two months and a half later the bill is still before that committee, imbedded in conflicts among farm and labor groups and white-collar workers, diverse economic philosophies, and fears of its political effects in next year’s elections. Predictions are being made that it will not become law until after Christmas, unless President Roosevelt uses his influence. The general cost-of-living index advanced 1.8 per cent in the month ending Sept. 15, the Labor Department announced today. It has risen 3.3 per cent since June, and 9.6 per cent since war was declared in September, 1939. Biggest items of increase are food, clothing and house furnishings.

Two Groups Using Influence

TWO WELL-ORGANIZED, politically potent groups are making their influence felt. Labor is fighting any ceiling on wages, while farmers are resisting a limit on prices, or insisting upon the 110 per cent-of -parity prices proposed in the Steagall Admin. istration bill, if any limit is fixed. The Steagall bill carries no ceiling on wages. : . Farmers and other interests want a limit on wage increases, while labor wants a curb on runaway food prices. The ‘conflicting viewpoints are not easily reconciled. . Before the committee. also is a bill by Rep. Gore, which would fix wages at their level in each individual plant as of a fixed date. As to prices, the Gore bill would fix an over-all ceiling, as advocated by Bernard M. but would delegate power to the price-fixing authority to exempt certain commodities which are inconsequential in the general price structure so as to avoid nuisances.

~The Administration bill as is stands provides for fixing prices of basic commodities, without an over-: all ceiling, and Price Administrator Leon Henderson

‘says he can maintain ‘a stabilized price structure by regulating 100 to 200 basic commodities.

Good Reason for Headache

ISADOR LUBIN, Commissioner of Labor Statistics, argued ‘to the committee, in opposing wage-fixing by statute, that fixing the prices of basic commodities also .would operate to control wages. “When you fix the ‘price of copper,” he said, oo fix the amount that the employer can afford to pay for

1- his worker. When you fix the price of cotton you

‘the amount that the tenant farmer cin get.” _ Committee members are. seriously concerned over the reaction on the great mass of workers whose wages and salaries have remained tionary, of Talis to put ceiling on wages for the smaller yet. mare active grolips of organized workers who al have had large pay increases. Continued pay increases for the organised, is feared, would create Widespread Jeseplamient

ch, though not Politien) action, nevertheless, have votes—and ‘ more. v

~but delay will only aggravate it.

STE

So They Say—

NEW YORK, Oct. 3}.—Every | How and again 1 have occasion 10 1

: newspaper editors who génetally 1 take this’ “impudence very kindly | and thus encourage me to further |

point | out to them and to a Yaniety of | pub he:

|

|

and is in no''sense of the word a leader of “labor” !

iE Next SHIPYARD FO :

The ‘Hoosier Forum

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

29S auude uembet of Contre Save Bendathe : "

WANTS INTERVENTIONISTS’ SIDE OF ARGUMENT By R. L. : After hearing Mr. Lindbergh and other isolationist “patriots” raise false issues for so many months, it seems to me it is time that the folks of interventionist persuasion have their say. As a Hoosier and an American, I like to hear both sides of a question. ‘And there is no more important question facing our nation today. Why has the Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies and other pro-intervention groups ad ‘silent all this time? How is Hoosier public opinion to be formed clearly unless this other important point of view becomes vocal, I for one would like to hear the interventionists’ side of the arguent “8 straight from’ the plat-

» ss GIFFORD PINCHOT URGES SUPPORT OF PRESIDENT

By Gifford Pinchot, Milford, Pa. I am a Republican, but I am an American first. (Not, however, an American Firster.)’ As a Republican American I would like to submit a few remarks in support of the President’s position on the Neutrality Bill, The present situation is too serious to fool with. We are part of a world at war. This is no time to play politics with the future of the United States. : Recent history.is one long 'succession of peace pledges broken by Hitler, and of peace prophecies proved false. Too many of us are betting our national safety against their guess that Hitler can’t win. Too many of us are gambling that, if he does win, it will make no difference. Too many openly deny what. in their consciences they know, that in these days of savage conquest every nation is in peril, including our own. Our greatest danger is not Hitler, but the failure of our people to realize their danger. And after that comes “Business as Usual.” Until we recognize what a Hitler victory would mean to us, and act accord ingly, we cannot be safe. A good many persons are putting in their time opposing whatever Franklin Roosevelt is for just because he is for it. That is their privilege. But when it goes fo the length of sal ‘the Government of the United States) in the

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

face of a foreign enemy, that is a horse of another color. : Suppose an epidemic threatened your town. And suppose you chose a doctor to deal with it. Would you charge him with being a diseasemonger because he took vigorous measures to protect your safety? But that is exactly what the isolationists are doing about the war. Playing politics with this war is about the worst sin an American citizen can commit. ‘And there is too much of it. There is too much of it in the Congress of the United States. : If we are going to be strong against enemies. from abroad, our domestic quarrels must end at the water's edge. | : The Allies are fighting our fight. While they fight, it is cur business to supply weapons and food. Weap8ons and food will do nobody any good if Hitler sinks them in the sea. United States merchant ships have often been armed against pirates before this, Why not now? Out of deep conviction, I urge every American to support the President in demanding modification of the Neutrality Law, for the safety and welfare of our country and the world.

” ” o ‘WHERE IS FAIR RENT COMMITTEE HIDING? By Edward F. Maddox, 950 W. 28th St. My sympathy goes to Mr. and Mrs, ‘Montgomery and other poor people who are victims of injustice and high handed legal procedure because of the insufferable rent situation. For the last 8 or 10 years house after house which, with a few repairs, could have béen made com= fortable, if not luxurious, ‘have been wrecked in this city. - And in my opinion many houses have been condemned as unfit ‘for human habitation which: would have been considered good homes by many poor but

Side lances —By Galbraith

It 1 over have 8 son he'l not 4 in the mud. elt he EEE

hl ne

respectable and honest people. Abraham Lincoln lived in:a lot worse

houses!

.THere is not the least doubt but that the rental agencies are putting the pressure on tenants right now. Recently there is a mevemnt on foot | to force discontinuance of bi-month= ly payment: of rent. That is another

_- | hardship to be saddled on the ‘poor.

And in this great free democracy there seems to be no legal protection from .unjust coercion, intimidation and spurious and questionable arrest and fingerprinting of helpless, honest poor people. The officials of this city, state and nation had better wake up to the fact that a large portion of working people cannot afford to pay more than $10 to $15 rent per month and prepare to provide some means to take care of the situation. All WPA workers, old age pensioners and others whose incomes do not exceed $20 -per week can’t pay over $15 or $16 per month for rent. Poer people have to eat, too! Where is the fair rent committee

terrorized by being. arrested and fingerprinted? Where are the friends of the poor forgotten men? They are too busy now pouring billions into foreign wars to see the needs of their own people. The law should not be used to oppress and harass helpless honest poor people. Some way must be found to protest the poor. , "= » CURIOUS AS TO COUNTY'S WELFARE DEFICIT By Mrs. M. C. 8., napolis. Several weeks ago true facts ap-

‘| peared. in this column about an old

lady 83 years old, almost blind, with’ absolutely no means of her own, having hter small pension taken away from her. Several appeals have been made for help for her but nof so -much as an investigator has ap-

been living for the past year with a widow woman. Now a deficit of $100,000 is facing the county welfare because’ people who have property will become pensioners. -Just how could this Possibly happen with such éficient, high salaried investigators who seek every possible excuse for not giving these needy elderly people a dollar théy: might

|irk but an existance without?

REMEMBRANCE When ‘the sessions. of sweet silent thought r gion’ 4B. basen iat 1 sigh the lack of many a thing 1|

sought, And with old woes new wall my| dear time's waste:

|Then can 1 drown an eye, unused

precious friends ‘hid in death's dateleds night, ihiresh lve’ long-siness

hiding? Doesn't it take any interest| in the heart-breaking sorrows and|' troubles of these poor persecuted and |: prosecuted tenants who .are being].

peared at the address where she has| f

EEF eve il

Oct. 21.

that family. Children grandchildren came from half dozen states of the union=—as far west as the Mississippi.

Just at the height of the festivities, a caretaker on a neigh- ¥ boring place pounded nn the door and told them roughly and rudely to put out all their lights. The host was bewildered.. He hadn't heard about the blackout. He was told that it was on. “Why?” An air raid. “When? By whom?” I don’t know, but if you don’t put out those lights, I'll call the State cops. “O K. Call them.” So the cops came. They didn’t know what it was all about either, but those lights had to go out. By this time the outraged householder had his American"ism up. ' “Who says so?" We say so. “Well you can Just go to hell.” 5

‘My Duty to Kill You!

IN ANOTHER SIMILAR case one burly cop started to push past the door with a remark: “If you don’t put ’em out, I'll put ‘em out.” The householder asked him to consider and said: “If Jou break into this house without a . warrant, it will be my right and duty to kill you.” :

“Ah-ha, so you've got a. gun, have you?” Here

, seemed to be something final on the “Village Hamp-

-den” and the copper triugnphantly queried: “Got a permit?” The answer was simple and. sufficient: “Yes.” There was an official retreat, but with a parting threat: “0. K., buddie, but you will probably be ‘reported to the ‘FBI as un-American, probably a Nazi sympathizer and possibly a fifth columnist. > Considering the man’s standing this was perfectly ludicrous. In the meantime, the blinkers of the highway lights were going like mad and ladies in “attractive uniforms” were dashing up and down the roads in fire trucks and other vehicles fully lighted, caring for the synthetic ¢asualties.

‘Deliberate War Hysteria’

MAYBE 1 DON'T understand it all, but this sort of illegal, unauthorized and unnecessary trifling with privacy seems to be utter nonsense. There isn't any more likelihood of a (German air raid in any such proportions as would justify this than there is of the collapse of the solar system. If there were, there would be nobody who would fail to co-operate. Since there isn’t, what appraisal can be made of this sort of monkey business other than that it is a deliberate attempt to scare up a war-hysteria on the basis of fiction rather than fact. % -Mayor La Guardia seems to have been in this questionable service. It would be a lot be if they got Orson Welles. He demonstrated to country what really could be done in sending people into an emotional and panic-stricken Bt.

'Mrs. Roosevelt's Bomb Next?" vi

THIS KIND OF THING is not merely &n uns authorized official bulldozing of private citizens. It interferes with the normal functioning of our economic ‘system so necessary to ‘our real defense effort, not to mention its attempt to scare people out of their unvexed reasoning on the awful question of war or peace. It adds nothing to the essentials of sound national defense and, considering stupendous failures in the organization and execution of that hard, slow work-a~-day jeb, it raises some question whether it is not a spectacular attempt to divert critical attention away from it, and toward the opposite side of the stage. Mrs. Roosevelt is reported to have said that, while She Jose's oust o desire it, Just a little actual m stir people out of their “a; » We might even get that next. pay.

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

DR. GALLUP'S POLL says that a final checkup on Président Roosevelt's “shoot at sight” order indicates that its sentiment is widely approved by the American “people. ‘If that's the case, I say. we should do the honorable thing and let war be voted by Congress as well as by Dr. Gallup. One ~ Loy favorite publica tions, ew Republic, with Shick oy I often violently disis positively yowling ‘for battle. (It's te to notice how much louder its yowls, gnd those of other leftish papers, have become since Russia. is involved.) | And a great many thinkers and leaders. are doing the same. We must ‘be convinced that the time for a showdown has come, There should be no serious objection to a Congressional vote on “shoot at sight,” and for the sake of “unity it ought to be taken. By clarifying the atmosphere, those citizens—and I am proud to be one of them—who still oppose involvement in foreign: wars would be relieved of a burden. When the will of the people is made known by constitutional methods, we can pitch in to help the iy without ae our principles.

Taking in a Lot of Territory

AND ' WHAT RELIEF it would be to find whether our belligerent commentators are really ine allible. The people who are for war speak now with voices that are like drums. Everything is silenced by their booming—questions, reasoning, ways and means,

respect—they the whole world and they When, for Ssample. Miss 1

Editor's Note: The views ex newspaper are their own. of The Indianapolis Times.

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