Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 20 December 1941 — Page 8

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The Indianapolis Times

ROY W. HOWARD RALPH RURKHOLDER MARK FERRER President Editor Business Manager (A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER)

Gee DAME amd the Pecpie Wil Fad Ther On ag

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1041

THE GREAT REGISTRATION ;

R BGISTRATION of America’s manpower under the bill which Congress sent to the Produit yorlgrday wilt be a tremendous job, All men from 18 through 64 will be required to regis. ter, those from 20 through 44 being liable for military service. The President and the War Department asked, and the Senate voted, a lower military age limit of 19, but, the House insisted on a compromise. We regret that, be lieving it would have been better for this country to make it plain at the beginning of our war effort that we are willing to do more than may be necessary rather than risk doing too little.

Fair Enough By Westbrook Pegler

However, from the 20.44 bracket under prevailing | standards of selection a force of 7,000,000 men can be | drafted, and for some time to come the Army and Navy | will hardly be able to train, equip and use anything like | that many. And of course the registration is not immediately likely to mean changes of any kind for more than a fraction of the tens of millions of other men who will register——the 18. year-olds, those between 45 and 64, and those between 20 and 44 who don’t go into military service. » » » . . » HE purpose of the great registration is to provide a comprehensive inventory of the reservoir from which porkers as well as fighters can be drawn as they are needed and plated where they are needed. Men displaced from jobs by priorities may have to be transferred to other local

fties for war production; employed men may have to be | changed from less essential jobs to war industries; many others may be told to stay where they are for the duration. This involves possibilities of personal regimentation to a degree never before known in this country. Most of us will accept it willingly, asking only that the plans be carried | out in an intelligent, orderly way. » » * . . » SENATOR BRIDGES and others consider it “another dangerous consolidation of power.” But the greatest danger now is not in temporary surrender of power by the states, or of freedom by individuals. A much greater danger is that states and individuals will become so dependent upon the central Government that they will lack the stamina to reclaim and use their powers and Ireedomas when peace comes again. So we're gid the President reminded the governors that there is plenty of need for state and local governments to use their own strength—especially by postponing nondefense public works, improving their administrative machinery, decreasing their debts, accumulating cash reserves and preparing plans to meet economic problems after the war.

ONE ERROR STOPPED

RIES of “insult” and “outrage” ar heard on Washington's Capitol Hill. The House has killed a Senate amendment to give each Senator an “executive assistant” at $4500 a year. Well, we can understand the anger in the Senate. It's almost unheard of for one branch of Congress to impose its will on the other. And it's true that even before the war began some Senatora—but by no means all—were seriously overworked and could make good use of extra office help. Yet we think the House showed good judgment. Exec utive assistants for 96 Senators would cost the taxpayers $432,000 a year. But that wouldn't be all. Representatives certainly weuldn't admit that they're less busy or important than Senators. Se, if the Senators got $4500 assistants, House members would have to have the same, and, for 485 Representatives, the cost would be $1,957,500 a year. Congress is going to have to demand heavy sacrifices of work and money from the people. Public confidence in the legislative arm of Government would surely suffer if the members of Congress started out by voting themselves more personal assistance at the peoplé’s expense.

GOOD ORDER

A WISE order by Attorney General Biddle instructs Federal District Attorneys throughout the country to undertake no prosecutions ofspersons accused of seditious utterances without first submitting the facts to the Department of Justice and obtaining its consent.

In wartime it is eagier than ever—and with most of |

us it is always too easy—to get mad at people who say things we don't like and to accuse them of being unpatriotic or even traitorous. But unpopular utterances are not necessarily seditious. They may spring from motives of higher patriotism. They may even be a public service. There is very little danger that delays required in carrying out Mr. Biddle's order will prevent punishment of anyone actually guilty of sedition. There is reason to hope that the order will lessen a very great danger—the danger of unjustly punishing innocent citizens by hasty prosecutions undertaken under pressure of inflamed local sentiment.

MORE NURSES NEEDED

FIFTY THOUSAND student nurses and 100,000 volunteer nurses’ aids are needed. When young men stream to the colors, and the fighting services expand, nurses must volunteer in proportion, and Paul V. McNutt, director of the Defense Health and Welfare Services, is asking that thousands contact their state or district nurses” associations, or the superintendent of nurses in their local hogpitals. The Office of Civilian Defense and the Red Cross are doing fine work in training these volun- , and the ‘whole situation offers one more answer to

ha is heat today mote than any olhiets

with one the almost to neglect of | the mission Ag religion and that was prohibition which |

Was a constant provocation to drink and a source of crime political corruption. Ww er Sv EI Er oe Secon as the § s confi~ dence in the American way of Government and, finally, a3 to evoke the famous but too little read and alDott edad a letter to a boss by Father Lord,

ra oot heh Iecugntoed this encrmity as a special con: Laughed At Old Folks

ing of our liberties duties of citizenship or any need to be pared fight a mad enemy. Fronis, wages, speculation were oy nterests and, in New York, at cu, a Janus wsigeed og Sjeciaiivg: to glamorize peoow Facney in ¢ n dives run oy oy ae under

Woodrow Wilson aed

LONG AGO. Woodrow Wilson, dying froehed o warning that if we rejecied the League of ations this country would have to go armed to the teeth forever in a By of hungry and wolfish Breda tors. We rejected the League and refused to even after travelers irom Europe Bg pack ese tions of the rising might of the Muehrer's dic ship and of a Russian army of 10 million men. We were too busy having a good time until the crash of 1929 after which we were 100 busy with a number of other interests, all selfish or political. At all events, none recognized any danger until Hitler made his war and even der few Americans were willing to admit that he might one day attack us. Or if it was possible, then it would be up to “the Government,” that rich, impersonal power in Washington, and not up to the individual Ro the jam, the same “Government” which n and Senators preyed upon for cash gifts to their constituencies $0 Lo could be Iclediee have apy appreciable number realized that Woodrow was t and, as a nation, we were no more Niten the blow fell then the commanders at Pearl H

t us out of

Labor Speedup By John W. Love

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20.—Faoctory workmen are to be summoned to new achievement in the next few weeks: Like the industrialists, they will be called to do the formerly “impossible” They will be asked to discard old habits ar understandings that have restrict

streaming in here, are being told they must prepare another gigantic plant program for winter and spring, part of a new construction schedule which bulks around four billions, When they wonder where the labor is coming from they are reminded that hundreds of theusands of men will be available from those disemployed by shutdowns of civilian industries. They are also reminded of the plan to register all men up to 64, the plan to employ more women on machines, and last June's grant of power to OPM to call machinists out of consumer industries. When manufacturers say they be! ‘believe their own plants could prodece 10 or 15 per cent more if the men were determined to do their utmost, they are told that appeals are already in the making. One manufacturer Tepid ent was .a ched by could “lft

Workers Must Take Chances

THE WORKMEN will be asked to take chances not unlike those of manufac who are told to double their plants. Both may what they will do after the war. The reply will be that un-

i York, New Jersey, Albany, On and corruption thrived $o a

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SATURDAY, DEC. 20, 1941

1 wholly defend to

“The Hoosier Forum

you say, dut will death your right to say it.— Voltaire,

disagree with what the

VIEWS TIRE SHORTAGE AS GOOD THING FOR U. 8 Ry R. W. Weber, Indianapolis

The Government's tire rationing program undoubtedly will come as a severe shock to thousands of Ine dianapolis citisens. Not buy tires any more if you are in a non-essential civilian occupation? Perhaps be compelled to jack up the old family autemobile when your present tires wear out and leave it jacked up for the “duration?” Unreasonable, is it? No, I don't think so. I am one of those who believes it is one of the healthiest things that could have happened to this country for this reason: There are still thousands upon thousands who be« lieve they can go on doing business as usual, living as usual, making the same profits as usual. They still do not realize that this country is in a life and death struggle for its existence, that if we lose this war we will have lost everything we have ever lived and fought for. Well, if rationing tires and inner tubes will help awaken . people to

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

sonal differences and do what we can to preserve, protect and defend our own constitutional American system. That is my job and yours and every other patriotic Amere joan’s aim now. So let us settle down to the great task before us.

» » WANTS DRAFT AGE LOWERED By BH. HW. Bates, 3200 Park Ave, I cannot understand why Congress persists in keeping the mini mum draft age at 20. The “bot tom" age should be 18.

During the Civil War the following figures governed in the Union

the realization that we are in this| pm,

war for keeps, the better off we'll be. ® 8 =» “LET US SETTLE DOWN TO THE TASK" By Edward F. Maddox, 850 w. 8th St, Socialism is the parent, progenitor and source of all the totalitarian aggressor dictatorships which have sot the world aflame with war madness, hatred, cruelty and inhumanity, Trace this war to its source and you will find a Socialist Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini and those who copy one or the other, socialism, materialism, atheism, brutality, slavery—an evil inhuman system which regards human beings as mere cogs in a war machine to gain world power, About the only difference is that; among the dictators and aggressors, each one wants to be the “big shot” world ruler. So they fight among themselves—Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini—all Socialists of one variety or another. But as patriotic Americans we must rally to our nation's defense and lay aside dur political and per

There were 104,987 who were 13 years of age; 231081 who were 16 years of age; 844981 who were 17 years of age; 1,168,438 who were 18 vears of age; 618,556 who were past 18 years of age. In my unit during the World War we had only four men past 20 years of age out of 250. I was first sergeant in France at 18 years and one month of age. I enlisted at 17 years of age and so did thousands. The Continental Army rolis at Valley Forge show that the average age of the Continentals under Washington was 17 years, 2 months and 3 days. If you will note the recent casual« ty lists you will note that 80 pen cent of our casualties at Pearl Harbor were under 21. “The Marines and Navy recognize that young men are best for modern war. They .accept recruits at 17 and are delighted to get them, The Army gladly accepts volunteers at 18 for combat service and yet our Congressmen claim that 21 must be the minimum for the draft. I is far better to draft our 17

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or 18 year old boys season them for a year and make a real “young” Army than to drag away a lot of settled married men in the 30's and 40's with paunches, flat feet and no wind. Why deprive homes of young fathers in the latter 20's when we have plenty of 18-21 year old men with no family responsibilities? s » . “DON'T WORRY AND KEEP HOME FIRES BURNING” By Arthur 8. Mollinger, 3500 W. 30th St After the experience with the Japs 10 days ago all people are anxious to aid in the war. The first, all important thing is to remain calm. We have the best brains in the world; we have an untold amount of men who are ready and willing to carry on the actual war. 3 Don't worry about bombings around Indianapolis. When such things are imminent, we will be informed. Go about your daily job with a calm mind. If you do worry, you can't add a thing to aid the war. We have plenty of man power, plenty of n\achines, plen‘y of fooil, ete, So go on about your job, buy bonds and stamps; keep the “home fires burning” with a fervor and devotion to preserve our ideals, our morals, and our race. No nation can go down if it takes care of its institutions, chief among which are its homes. Too many American people regard home as only a “fill. ing station.” a 0 a PROTESTS REMOVAL

OF SAFETY ZONES

By Streeter Rider, Indianapolis Why were the safety wones taken out on Maryland St.? As a result, it is almost suicide t6 go out to catch a streetcar on street, Automobile drivers seem to get kick out of trying to run over a person trying to reach a streetcar. I know the streetcar operator loses time in order to wait on passengers to come from curb. Please give us « break, Oity officials. ! ® ". = WANTS MORE. NOT , LN By “Us Periina, ne BEB. Washington st, Apt. 1 “ont po dast” leave out pletures 4 Pape 4 sduis Hiwh sugin Forum-rather more of They're halt the funtt ¥ They're haf ihe fun!

REVOLUTIONS - Like as ves towards the | 80 do our minutes hasten to their | Baer “charg lace" WIth that In sequent toll" contend. i of light, being crown'd,

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WASHINGTON, Dec, 20.—Se¢e retary of War Stimson's ane nouncement- that the

ent. Enlistment in the tinued on Dec. 15, 1917; but and Marine Corps . . . continued u when all voluntary enlistmen

to NOs as i were presented wi of 8 hd tion which had uid its Jnanhowes Samay a ete organization, wy e very urning over the same resources to te withdrawal by the agencies of Yeoruitment. The task of accounting bee came highly difficult; an equitable or efficient ape portionment of manpower between the military and industrial realms was impossible. Recruitment dis turbed every wimpy of the scientific administration of our task ony impaired the efficiency of the whole or«

no earthly use for repeating this basic mistake. ° t selective service syse tem was set up, after years of planning and die gesting our World War successes and failures, to prevent any such repetition,

The Work of an Amateur

YET AT THE first shot fired in anger somebody his rspective and, listening to some amateur “morale ofioer or other quasi-expert on ublic reaction” hud out of the window a most tal element of one of our very few really well worked out mobilization plans. Now, any qualified man, not necessary to war proe duction, can volunteer for immediate induction under’ selective service as it now stands. There is no crimp put in patriotism. It is only provided that a board of his neighbors must decide that he can be spared at the time he chooses to volunteer. A wise-crack I have just heard fits in so well to this picture that I must pass it on'to you tq conclude this piece: The shoulder insignia of these Army officers around Washington is a very pretty blue star (the insignis for a general) in na white fleld all surrounded by a wavy red line, ong Joung officer with perhaps mare wit than respeet, tol this was supposed to re sent “a general, in a fog, surrounded by red-tape. It must have been such a general: who made the decision to continue non-selective recruiting After aC declaration of war.

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

WHAT KIND of men will the soldiers of tomorrow be? I was asked the pointed question: today by a newcomer to my city. Bes cause her complaint touches the core of a great social problem, I hand it on to you, hoping you can find an answer, Hero is what she told me: “My daughter has five boys, the oldest 12. We are a.clean, decent famil$ and have been well brought up, . They can't afford to rent a large house; they only want something comfortable, a place that can be made into a home. I've spent the last three days house-hunting with my daughter, and we simply can't find anyone who will JERS to a couple with that many children. “Today we looked at a four-room shack—that's just about all it was, We considerad it becaiisd we are getting desperate. It was run down and Une bellevably dirty, but the owner refused to consider dur offer because of the boys. “What is to become of people like us? Is. it true that in the United States of America there is no place for growing boys, and if so what abeut the fighters of tomorrow's wars? “I can’t keep from thinking of how much depends upon the young men who are dénlisting today and who will be sent out to defend: the things we ‘love, If they come out of good homes they will make gbod soldiers; if not, it will take a longer time to train them and put them into physical and. moral Sghiisg trim,

HNL \ Naa |

What's the Answer?

“I'M TERRIBLY discouraged. I never realized bes fore how dreadful housing conditions are for the middle~class people with good.sized families, who can't own their homes begause their. jobs. keep. them on the move, af is the case with my son«in-lsw, “And when I see the big beautiful places our city, the lovely gardens and yards, and think my grandsons, who are as fine and: handsome well-behaved boys as ever lived, aren't wanted where and, from the looks of things, won't be able to find a decent place to Piva vel I feel pretty grim.” It seems to me this story is + to; make each of us feel grim. Ii means one. ot

‘put

> Se. Ametical paren brin o and destructive ntaof. . ty on one or both counts? What do .

pir} o peg Genera last. known address and date of enlistment or on, if known, .

HE people of Puerto Hoo, bream vo is the : foi be is 8 rd " reunt 4od on. the coldest winter of ahem wa 0 whi, tre

ru In po. when frost penetrated fice Jardin th ad Tha whol ranean were frozen,

the Mediter-

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