Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 11 December 1941 — Page 17

\

THURSDAY, DEC. 11, 1941

D SECTION

Inside Indianapolis By Lowell Nussbaum

THIRTY-EIGHTH ST. soon will blossom out with 16 of those new-fangled traffic signals, the kind with the 12 small green lights that blink off, one by one, as the last 12 seconds of the “go” period tick away. The signal was invented by an Indianapolis dentist, Dr. Walter motorists how

many seconds they have before the light turns red. There's been one at West and New York Sts. a couple of years. An improved model was tried at 38th and Northwestern, but developed some “bugs.” The bugs are out now and the City this week bought a total of 26. When they've been installed, the signals all the way across 38th will be synchronized, and will be moved out where the motorist can see them better. It costs from $125 to $150 for each unit, plus installation, and takes from two to four signals for each intersection.

Around the Town

ON THE WEST COAST theyre having blackouts as a result of bombing scares. Here, fortunately, things are different for the moment at least. Instead of blacking out, at least one of our big defense industries is turning on more lights outdoors, the better to see prowlers. . . . Mary Wedding is a waitress employed at the Indianapolis Press Club. . . . Overheard (male voice) at the perfume counter of a department store: “But—er, which one of these two smells the best?” We didn't hear the clerk’s reply. s » » During a boxing match at the South Side

Turners the other night, the announcer was asked to request the audience not to smoke. He did, and there was a rush to extinguish cigarets. Then the announcer sat down and lighted a cigaret.

Patriotic Nails

quite a waiting as fast as one trainee is a applicant immediately is moved training. Edward E. Greene, in charge of the says there's no discipline problem. The men anxious to get the training to waste time.

It Really Happened

promotion: It happened several days ago but we just learned about it, and what do you think? He swore us not to mention it in the paper! Reason: “Well, it would be taking advantage of my contacts with the press to get personal publicity.” Sakes alive, what's this business coming to when publicity men shun publicity? . . . Over the in the Hotel Lincoln tap room came the captain's voice: “Call for Mr. Groggery.” At least, were told, that’s what it sounded like.

Ernie Pyle is on leave of absence because of the illness of his wife.

Washington

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11.—The disaster we have suffered in the Pacific may force far more drastic revisions of our use of materials than anything previously contemplated. Our plans for production, both of war materials and of civilian goods, have taken it for granted that the Pacific would remain open, under our control, so that our ships could move to and from the Far East. We have recently made efforts to accumulate stockpiles, and these are sufficient to cushion us provided severe reductions in civilian consumption are made. But those cuts may need to be quite drastic in some respects. Production officials are rechecking our position on the probability that we may have much difficiulty in getting at these materials. If Japan is to control the Pacific the difficulty will be large. To be on the safe side President Roosevelt is preparing the way for drastic curtaiilment. He warned in his radio address that use of. metals for civilian purposes must be cut in half. We may expect to face a tight situation in rubber as well. Also we will expand our production of war materials, which will further strain the restricted materials.

The Magnitude of the Effort

AS THIS IS WRITTEN JAPAN is making a desperate effort to grab the Philippines. If that succeeds, or if Japan is able to cut our shipping to the Philippines, we are bound to feel the effects back here in our supply of goods, and in war production. We obtain a third of our chromium from the Philippines and from New Caledonia in the Pacific area. All of the Manila fiber, for which there is no substitute in making rope for marine use, comes from the Philippines. : Japan also is driving toward the Burma Road. Over that road we obtain most of our tungsten. OEM lists many other commodities essential to war production which we must obtain from the Far East.

Russia vs. Japan?

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11. —The acid test of the alliance between the Soviet Union, Britain and the United States is at hand, according to high officials, and much depends on Russia’s attitude. The new Soviet ambassador to Washington, Maxim . Litvinov, does not know the answer. He left Kuibyshev before the Japanese-American war broke out. The first bombs fell on Pearl Harbor and Singapore a few hours after his arrival here. And he must hear from Stalin, his boss in Moscow, before he can talk authoritatively with President Roosevelt and Secretary Hull. Russia is the only power immediately in position to launch an all-out, three-dimensi attack against the Japanese—by land, sea and air. True, she possesses few naval units in the Far East, but her land and air forces there are said to be powerful. A land attack against the Japanese in Manchuria and Mongolia, and air attacks on comparatively nearby Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Kobe, and the naval and air bases up and down the principal islands, would give the Japanese scmething to think about. Such attacks would be synchronized with” American, British, Dutch and Chinese moves in southeastern Asia and the Pacific.

She Has as Much to Lose

IT IS NOT A QUESTION of asking Soviet Russia to do her allies a favor by co-operating in the Far East. She has as much to lose by a Japanese victory as any of the others. If the Axis won, Russia would not only be pushed eastward to the Urals, in Europe, but westward to Lake Baikal in Eastern, Siberia. Her outlet to the Pacific would be blocked. What re-

\ . mained of her in Asia would be the poorest part of

| her entire territory, and virtually landlocked.

My Day

SAN DIEGO, Cal, Wednesday.—We arrived in Los Angeles in the rain yesterday morning. The governor of California and the mayor of Los Angeles met us. The governor drove off with Director La Guardia. Mr. Gilbert Harrison and I followed with the mayor. I was astonished to find that, even « now, some people can’t believe our shores actually are a possible target for attack. We went straight to the state Building, and in a very few minutes the state council of defense met in open session. All the seats in the room were filled and people stood in the aisles as the morning wore on. . I felt extremely virtuous, because I had not gone to the hotel to dress, I usually feel that this is essential after a night trip. I

By Raymond Clapper

Most of them are items unfamiliar to the general public but indispensable in industrial processes. Without some of them we could not make hard steel needed for tools and war equipment. Mica comes from India largely. We have cornered the supply. But unless we can bring it across the ocean it will do us no good. Mica is necessary for manufacture of electrical equipment. This is elementary information in industry. But unless the general public understands also, it will not understand some of the restrictions on civilian goods that may be ordered, nor the magnitude of the effort that lies ahead.

Hitler's Aim, Too

IT SEEMED TO ME that in his radio address Mr. Roosevelt was principally trying to warn the country of the size of the job. It looks twice as large as it did Sunday morning. We see that if the Pacific is cut off we will be hard pressed for the things our industry must have, Already we are seeing how unreal was the isolationist idea that we could live shut off from the rest of the world. But we might have to do it in the Pacific for a while if the bad news we already have had becomes much worse. This situation cannot be met by panic and by hand-wringing. It can only be met by cool, hard work and by being willing to give up many peacetime comforts and conveniences. Mr. Roosevelt evidently expects active war from

B

For

tok pan’s head. Long-range ever fair promises the tricky Japanese may give the Russians at present, i i wins this war, she will a Eastern Siberia to her empire, probably as far west as Lake Baikal. She says it is vital to her security. Russia's actual stakes in the Far Eastern conflict, therefore, are colossal. Today she can fight Japan with the active assistance of at least four other coun-

Wm. Philip Simms

she will have to fight Japan alone—that is to say, if Japan comes out on top now.

Shoe on the Other Foot |

ing a major war alone. instrumental in defeating her in the first RussoJapanese war. It would spell her doom in the second —if she had to meet the now rauch better armed Japanese without outside aid. Washington and London are waiting to see what

on|mand of naval officers who

Higher Taxes, Longer Hours And Fewer Frills, but Plenty of Food.

By CHARLES T. LUCEY Times Special Writer WASHINGTON, Dec. 11.—Here's a blueprint for the battle on the home front, as it is seen by economts and experts who are drawing e broad outlines for a long, hard

war: The average American will have to tighten his belt as never. before. taxes will be the highest ever, the Government will appeal for more of his income to for bombers and bullets. longer hours, but costs—despite con-

As Washington is planning it, this is to be everyone's war. With all the belt-tightening, your average American will be better off then people in the Axis

signing up for it. The Government is planning an increase of 8,000,000,000 pounds in milk production; 300,000,000 dozen in egg production; 8,000,000 more slaughtered hogs; 3.000,000 more slaughtered cattle; 70,000,000 more chickens. Wheat production—much of the wheat export market has been lost with the war, of course—is to be cut 7,500,000 bushels.

Seek Better Distribution

In fruit production, which cannot be expanded in a single year’s planting, the emphasis will be on better distribution so that millions of tons of edibles do not rot in fields and orchards. The housewife will be asked to eliminate kitchen waste. But on civilian supplies that come from tke factories, the problem to be met by the average American will be almost the reverse. Piling a war program of 150 billion dollars or more on the industrial structure, the economists agree, means. drastic curtailment of civilian production. Hardly any metal household articles will escape curtailment. And substituting plastics may be difficult for two reasons—plastics will be used increasingly in war goods, and they requifre chemicals which will be needed for munitions.

Less Cocoa and Tea

Scores of small items will be scarce or unobtainable. Interruption of imports from the Pacific may mean less soap, for lack of copra and cocoanut oil; less cold cream, for lack of cocoa butter; less of many products using glycerine; less camphor and other medicines; less spice from the East Indies; less tea from China. Already cuts of 50 per cent in auto production mean the average citizen will make his car last an-

pan [other year, or maybe three or four;

and despite large rubber stockpiles, new tires may be hard to get. The auto owner is likely to have his tires retreaded .

One official said: “It 1sn’t possible to list everything the average citizen is going to find scarce or is going to have to get along without. But I believe we must be extremely pessimistic about it. We've been coasting so far in this war. Hawaii woke us up.”

URGES REMOVAL OF NEGLIGENT OFFICERS

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (U.P). — Senator Styles Bridges (R. N. H) called today for removal from commay have been “negligent” in the sur-

.|prise Japanese attack on Pearl Har-

bor. Senator Bridges, who has supported President Roosevelt's entire

Naval Appropriations Subcommittee. He asked for a thorough investigation. He was expected to raise the issue in the Senate during debate on

y. : : Rep. John D. Dingell (D. Mich.) has demanded a court martial of five commanding admirals and one general at Hawaii.

HIGH COURT DENIES GAS CASE REVIEW

The U. S. Supreme Court has refused to review its recent decision

SHE]

H ii

3. : a

NEW TIRE SALES BANNED 11 DAYS

That's Just a Sample of What’s Ahead in Civilian Goods Curtailment.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (U. P). —The man who tries to buy a new automobile tire today will get a first-hand impression of a nation at war. No new automobile tires may be sold for 11 days under an order issued by OPM Priorities Director Donald M. Nelson and effective last midnight. The order was issued to halt a “buying wave” which started after war was declared on Japan. Violators were threatened with severe penalties. The suspension of new automobile tire sales is but a forerunner of

what is coming in the next few months, officials said. Production

‘of automobiles, light trucks, wash-

ing machines, refrigerators, stoves, furniture, bicycles, coat hangers and “thousands of other items” will be curtailed further or prohibited altogether under plans now being drafted by OPM.

Restrict Processors

Mr. Nelson's order provides that processors may not consume or process any rubber except for A-3 or higher ratings. It stipulates that rubber may not be processed, except for defense orders, at a rate greater than November consumption.

Maintenance of a sufficient supply of rubber to meet Army and Navy needs posed a difficult problem for the Senate Military Affairs Committee. Secretary of Commerce Jesse H. Jones gave a gloomy picture of rubber supplies yesterday, saying that approximately 600,000 tons is now available. That's about one year’s normal supply, but with strict control over distribution it can be made to meet defense needs for two and a half years, Jones believed.

Yank Runs Amok In Jap's Store

SANTIAGO, Chile, Dec. 11 (U, P.) —Eric Davis Mongar, 24-year-old - United States citizen, ran amok in a Japanese-owned store yesterday and broke everything he could lay his hands on. When police detained Mongar he told them: “I did it out of pure patriotism.” The proprietor of the store, whose name is Takayasu, would not press charges against Mongar.

SHADELAND

around Indianapolis.

Credit Victories To Japan's Spies

BERN, Dec. 11 (C.D.N.).— Die Tat of Zurich says that military circles in Berlin credit much of the early Japanese success in the Pacific to the thoroughness of Tokyo's espionage and the United States’ open refusal to resort to these methods. The same sources, the account says, declare that the Japanese placed representatives “everywhere,” even as stokers on American warships. It suggests that special Japanese Envoy Saburo Kurusu was not informed himself concerning the plans of his government.

SEEKS TO ROUT NAZIS IN DONETS

Russia Says Southern Drive Aimed at Recapture of Stalino.

KUIBYSHEV, Russia, Dec. 10.— (Delayed). — (U. P.).— Smashing Russian countér-drives on the Leningrad and Moscow fronts today cleared the way for an all-out Russian offensive in the southeast aimed at routing the Germans from the entire Donets Basin.

While communiques confirmed Soviet recapture of Yelets on the Central Front and the railroad city of Tikhvin in the nor‘h, official reports from the southeust said a reinforced Red Army had launched “heaviest” attacks in the Donets basin to regain German-held Stalino and Makeevka.

It was said unofficially that the second major objective in the southeast will be to recapture the strategic city of Kharkov, 405 miles south of Moscow, Official sources were extremely optimistic in view of recent Soviet successes.

Nineteen thousand Germans were killed and wounded in the Tikhvin and Yelets battles which ended in Nazi routs, the official Russian news agency reported. Gen. K. A. Meretskov’s recapture of Tikhvin was said to have destroyed a “dangerous” German threat to encircle Le com=pletely. Nazi casualties, estimated at 7000, were believed to have weakened the enemy materially, enabling the ReG@ Army to launch a “powerful” northern offensive. Front dispatches indicated the Red Army has regained control of 50 miles of the highway south of Moscow between Tula and Serpukhov. Southeast of Tula heavy German losses were claimed in the Kalinin sector. Reports from the Sea of Azov area said the Germans continued to retreat in the Taganrog sector.

HOLD EVERYTHING

‘ton Ave,

“lorcinary

Here is a sketch of the 60-mile belt-line highway the State Highway Commission has decided to build

PRISON GUARDS ASKS MORE PAY

Heavy Turnover Occurs Because of Better Defense Jobs.

The problem of how to keep guards at the State Prison was back squarely in the lap of the State

Budget Committee today. And the only apparent answer, according to Budget Committee members, seems to be to pay them more money, if they can find any available. The Committee has before it a request from Warden Alfred Dowd for a 10 per cent increase in the salaries of the guards and guard officers.

Boosted Pay Last Summer

Last summer, the Committee thought it had stopped the “wholesale” departure of prison guards for better-paying defense jobs by increasing their pay $10 a month, making the maximum for a prison guard $130 a month. But defense industries kept upping their salaries for guards and the prison guards kept on leaving—27 leaving last month alone, almost an average of one a day, During the last year, according to Warden Dowd, 107 guards have left the prison for better jobs and 106 have been hired to replace them,

75 Yer Cent Turnover

This is a turnover of 75 per cent of the prison’s guard force. The prison employes: 140 guards. Prison guards work 12-and-13 hour shifts, seven days a week, with a day off on alternate weeks. The Budget Committee, which is meeting at the State House this week, will make a final decision before Friday night on whether to set up the Federal food stamp plan mn a state-wide basis. If it decides to adopt the statewide plan, the state would have to set up a revolving fund of an estimated $750,000. The state would mail out the stamps to the township trustees who in turn would reimburse the state for the stamps.

Township Trustees Balk

Several members of the Indiana Township Trustees Association appeared before the Committee to oppose the plan on the grounds that it would mean greater state and Federal control of local affairs. Among the trustees who appeared were Charles Devlin, Brazil; Otto Walls, Knightstown; Mrs. Frank Helman, Gary, and Mrs. Vieune Rehm, Anderson. Officials of the State Welfare Department, which would administer the food stamp plan, appeared before the Committee in favor of its establishment.

RADIO AMATEURS ASKED TO REGISTER

A call to the 300 “hams,” or amateur radio operators, of Marion County to register for emergency duty, has been issued by LeRoy T. Waggoner, WOYMV, 1721 Win-co-ordinator for the

county organization. / Complete registration is desired immediately, Mr. Waggoner said, so that in times of emergency, when channels of communication might be cut off, the operators may be summoned to relay messages for the Red Cross, police officers and other 3 Operators may obtain registration blanks at the central Western Union Office, 18 N. Meridian St., or at the Indianapolis Radio Club offices, St. Clair and Olney Sts. A M———————

REMOVE JAP GOODS

COAST AIR RAID ALARMS CAUSE PLANT DELAYS

Defense Industries Seek Means to Avert BlackOut Shutdowns.

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 11 (U, PJ). —Southern California’s defense ine dustries, including aircraft plgnts building $1,000,000,000 worth of warplanes, sought today to bolster defense precautions to prevent coste ly shutdowns during air raid alarms,

Four aircraft plants were closed last night, their production of vital planes and parts halted, because of a three-hour air raid alarm during which the Army said an enemy plane was overhead. building

Consolidated Aircraft, $750,000,000 worth “of heavy bombe= ers, Ryan Aeronautical and Solar Aircraft, building training planes, Rohr Aircraft, manufacturer of equipment, were told by the Army to order their 17,000 night shift workers home because their plants Woy not be completely blacked out. Shipyards Hampered

Shipyards, where most of the ace tivity is out of doors, also were hampered by the blackouts and production was delayed. The Army said it would co-oper= ate to prevent delays when possible and ordered elimination of 'all practice blackouts. The alert sige nal also will be dispensed with and henceforth warnings will be flashed only when aircraft is approaching and immediate full blackouts are necessitated The alarm last night was spread throughout Southern California from Bakersfield to the border town of Tijuana, Mexico, and the south= ern tip of Nevada where huge Boulder Dam is located, when the Army heard an unidentified plane “over and south of Los Angeles.” Planes of the Interceptor Come mand were sent up, anti-aircraft units were ordered to blast the plane if it were spotted, and the entire area was blacked out. Army searchlights pierced the night, Col. Harry S. Fuller, air raid warning official here, said that “by a process of elimination,” the Army concluded the unidentified plane was an enemy craft.

Blackout Near Perfect

The blackout through the area was “near perfect” with the exception of Los Angeles where it was “spotty,” he said. The Pacific Northwest, from Rose« burg, Ore. to Alaska and west of the Cascade Mountains, underwent its third night of blackout. Radio stations closed down at 9:30 p. m, (Indianapolis Time) although lights were not turned off until 3:30 a. m, in Washington and Oregon. British Columbia, blanketed My a heavy fog, went on a complete blackout basis at dusk. Prodded by Mayor La Guardia of New York, director of civilian defense, Pacific Coast cities began per= fecting their air raid warden systems. He said San Francisco, and all other exposed cities, needed gas masks, more fire fighting equipment, more air raid wardens, more aux= iliary fire fighters, more drills, La Guardia said he was “not sate isfied with civilian defense forces anywhere,” but that the United States, after three days of war, was ahead of Great Britain at a corresponding period of the European war, >

JURORS EXAMINE HITCH GONFESSION

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind, Dee. 11 (U, P.).—The parade of state witnesses continued in the trial of Paul Hitch today as Prosecutor Ralph M. Bounell introduced

further evidence in his effort to obtain a first-degree murder ver= dict for the 39-year-old highway worker accused of slaying Scott Gerald Carver Sept. 13. For the first time, the jury examined the written confession which State Police said was made by Hitch shortly after his arrest. State detective Herman Freed testified for the State yesterday that Hitch confessed the crime and signed the statement at the West Lafayette police barracks. Hitch had previously contended the cone fession had been forced from him by torture.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

1—Name three games besides foote ball in which kicking a ball is an important part. 2—Ceramics is the art of making pottery, rugs, or watches? 3—The author of the novel, “Back Street,” has the initials F, H.; name her. 4—-Who wrote “Hedda Gabler”? 5—~Name the four chambers of the human heart. : 6—There is an ancient Italian pro= verb which says: “All lead to - = = =”; name the city. T—Two silver bars designates which ‘rank in the Army? 8—Who was the third President of the United States.

Answers 1—Soccer, rugby and codeball.

5—Right and left auricles; righ% and left ventricles. 6—Rome. T-Captain, 8—Thomas Jefferson.

8 5 » ASK THE TIMES

¥ Inclose a 3-cent stamp for ree ply when addressing any question of fact or information to The Indianapolis Times Washingto Service Bureau, 1013 13th St.,