Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 24 December 1941 — Page 10

PAGE 19

The Indianapolis Times

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1941

TOO SOON TO CROW

HE German army is falling back. American corregpondents at the Russian front confirm that enormous quantities of equipment are being left behind in the snow, which suggests more than an orderly strategic retreat. But it ie also true that the territory lost by the Nazis is insignificant compared with the vast Russian areas, important industrial cities, and vital communication lines they still hold. The Germans are running backward fast in Libya. But it is also true that they are heavily outnumbered in men, tanks, planes, and supply lines; that they held out several weeks longer than seemed possible to Auckinleck and Churchill: that they have forced the costly diversion of American planes needed in the Pacific. From the established facts it seems safe to conclude that Hitler over-extended his Russian lines in his almost successful race to reach Moscow before winter. It also seems clear that the panzer is a machine which runs better in high gear than in reverse; it can go places but, unlike humbler conveyances, it can’t always come back. All of which ean be embarrassing—especially to a leader who pledged victory by a given date, now long past —but not necessarily fatal. r ® r s = ” S for the purge of the army leadership, certainly there is nothing new in dictators making scapegoats of generals or getting rid of those in the way. Von Brauchitsch merely follows Von Blomberg, Von Fritsch, Von Schleicher, Von Seeckt and others. Before any American assumes that this means Germany is breaking up, or that Hitler henceforth will lack expert military advice, he should recall how often similar “proof” has been offered that Hitler was through—or, for that matter, that the Red army could not fight because Stalin pur its high officers. Germany still has the biggest and most experienced mechanized army in the world, backed by the resources of all Europe and by the highest production of war materials, plug interior supply lines which enable her to strike easily and quickly in any direction or in several directions at once.

THE LABOR AGREEMENT

HE general points of agreement by the President’s laborindustry conference are stated in 29 words: “There shall be no strikes or lockouts. All disputes shall be settled by peaceful means. The President shall set up a proper War Labor Board to handle these disputes.” It may be that in weeks to come millions of words will be written and spoken in debate over the precise meaning of those general pointg For the test of this agreement, as of any other, will be in its enforcement—in the personnel of the board which the President is to appoint and in the decisions of that board on particular disputes. We hope it will meet every test with great success. Yet it would be naive to ignore the fact that on one issue the representatives of industry do not agree with the representatives of labor. The industrialists contend—and we think their reasons are sound—that the new war labor board should not undertake to settle disputes over demands for the closed shop. The President, however, apparently takes a different view. The handling of this highly controversial question involves great difficulties—difficulties, however, which may be less than many now fear if events justify Mr. Roosevelt's profession of “full faith that no group in our national life will take undue advantage while we are faced by common enemies.” The extent to which necessity for labor legislation by Congress has been lessened remains to be seen. In industrial relations, as in many other fields, war is compelling increasing resort to government by men rather than government by laws. But if the methods now to be tried do no insure non-stop production it is certain that laws designed to serve that purpose will come fast.

FRONT LINE TROOPS (From Army Times) NAZL GENERAL RAVENSTEIN, captured in Libya, said, “The war in Libya is a paradise for a tactician, but hell for the quartermasters.” The whole war of movement which the Nazis have launched upon a startled but not demoralized world has been “hell for the quartermasters.” Once upon a time, when wars were gentlemanly and érderly, songs were sung about the SOS (Service of Supply). They were not too compliméntary songs which implied that guartermasters were 'way back somewhere with the genérals out of reach of the enemy. This is no longer true for gither generals or quartermasters. Both have now become front line troops, or would be if in the melee of 1941 war a front line could be located. It 160ks now as if the quartermasters will have to be classed as combat troops, fighting their way overland to the men supplied, dropping supplies by parachute to units which eannot be reached overland. What a headache the Nazi “quartermeisters” must be enduring in their efforts to supply Gen. Rommel’s surrounded tank units! And if they do not succeed, the Nazis cannot last! The vast Atlantic struggle is really a struggle to get supplies through to beleaguered Britain and Rustia and therefore a quartermaster problem. So is the Burma Road trouble involving supplies to China. In fact, as the arsenal of democracy, America itself has become a huge quartermaster depot. Tough guys, these quartermasters—fighting men!

IN THE MIDDLE

Fair Enough By Westbrook Pegler

NEW YORK, Dec. M.—I just don’t believe that any considerable number of American citizens would chject to legislation which would relieve them of the obliga tion to quit their jobs in war ine dustries at the command of union bosses and compel the bosses to observe the requirements of ordinary honesty and business practice in the administratio

I am convinced that the overof the people of the United Shales Wound eicome uu

Labor could not suffer in any imaginable way from such enactments and the benefit to the nation in the prosecution of the war would be so obvious that it need not be explained. all course, of these by the of

selfish in are surly dictators, could be brushed back of the Presi the rights of the

into retirement tomorrow dent's hand, with no miners.

Treat Capital, Labor Alike

OTHERS ARE JUST dumb, ignorant union polis ticians who haven't the faintest appreciation of the idealism which should animate the union movement and are no more fit for national authority over big groups of workers than a stupid alderman is to serve in time of war as President of the United States. Of this latter and larger group most undoubtedly feel that they are patriotic, but simply lack the ine telligence and imagination to appreciate their responsibilities and to perceive that the old union customs are now publicly discovered for the first time and discredited. The argument that strikes must on no account be forbidden, even in {ime of deadly national peril and in the interests of national security against an enemy who would abolish unionism from the face of the earth, is based on the freedom of men to work or not. However, the same people who angrily present this argument contradict themselves in demanding the right to exclude men from employment who refuse to join their union. And, moreover, capital, which it now being drafted right and left and restricted in its activities in the interest of national security, is itself labor in the very real sense that it is the product of the toil of individual men and women. A worker's wages are the reward of his labor and when they are invested in the stock of a corporation they are still the reward of his toil but, in this phase, by some superstition are widely regarded as an evil power and may be commandeered without any protest from the workers themselves or the unioneers. This is commandeering labor after it is done. \

Time to Break Labor's Bonds

NO TIME IS a right time to clamp chains on the workers to bind them in slave groups under the rule of union bosses, but this has been done both by omgrest Ean the Shaciment ot the Wagner Act, and 3 preme Courts o e nation veral individual states. Ne. But any time is the right time to break th bonds and no time is more appropriate than this hour when the whole American people are fighting a hideous and utterly ruthless enemy who must be conquered lest he impose on all Amricans the same slavery that he has imposed on the Poles, Czechs, French, Danes, Norwegians and Dutch. ; The vicious crooks who infest the New York waterfront are not labor leaders but union bosses and betrayers of labor and inasmuch as union customs and laws do not empower the workers to throw them out, the Government, which performs this obvious guts, hy) not oy EN. he national interest but m © Qee ratitude of the N thi rotten 2 gr 0 dumb, scared slaves of uch laws would not be punitive laws. Th be laws of emancipation and the workers would ould those who fought them through to adoption,

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Aviation By Maj. Al Williams

THE BACKBONE of seapower, as we knew it, has been broken. American, British, and Japanese warships have been sunk by Air bombs in Asiatic waters Those are facts which we had to learn the hard way, and now we should never forget them. It is evident that planes can do their job without warships—and that warships can't stay afloat without planes. The other World War was the last war that could be “muddled through.” We have to think and plan our way realistically and with fierce zeal through this one. Analysis supports the conclusion that the “muddling” in other wars was merely another name for the period during which the peacetime and leadership were

tion . demonstrating their inability to meet war conditions:

The British have been cleaning house by getting rid of their over-age admirals and generals. British newspapers have aided by publishing the ages of each British admiral and general.

A Young Man's War

This is a young man’s war. In every war young men must do the actual fighting. But modern war demands young men for successful leadership. Young men on the way up will dare and challenge new cone

ditions with new ideas, whereas oldsters who have arrived at high rank are inevitably inclined to avoid

taking risks and to hold oh to what they already |

have. We'll have to find new ideas to win this war, and new ideas mean new men. Individuals who come manded forces in the Pacific should be blamed for the “napping” at Pearl Harbor, but the deeper blame is higher up. It's one thing to charge a ballplayér with an error, but losing ball teams are eventually and rightly charged up to lack of managerial ability, The men who fought and died in Hawaii and the Philippines t with what they had at hand. The men who failed to givé them more of the right kind of tools are elsewhere,

So They Say—

One of the beautiful qualities about America i$ that oné can be among her devoted children and still retain in one's héart & love for the land of one’s birth, There is no disloyalty there—Henri Bernstein French playwright, now seeking American

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a we

ITY. the poor neon light saesmen—it the priorities don't ged "4

AME INDIANAPOLIS 1 ‘We Did Better From the Back’

one 8 | te LACIE.

The Hoosier Forum

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

RAISE DOLLAR GOLD VALUE TO CHECK INFLATION By Ralph L. Dombrower Why is any additional legislation necessary to curb inflation? Could not President Roosevelt bring hysterical hoarding to an immediate halt by reising the gold content of the dollar 10 to 15 per cent? Since Canada and Great Britain have objectives identical to those of our country, would they not also find it convenient to adjust their curréency to that of the United States? The President has the power to raise the gold content of the dollar, and he could raise it as much as 100 per cent or even 120 per cent if he saw reason to do so. Certainly if there was a good reason to lower the content of the dollar, there is now sound reason to raise it. This, it seems to me, is the simplest, most effective method of halting hoarding and preventing inflation. ® = @ A COMPROMISE THAT WORKED By H. W. Daacke, 738 8. Noble Et. I often wonder how some individuals become obsessed with an idea and keep on repeating it regard less of the historical evidence to the contrary, notwithstanding. Hitler destroyed the Social-Demo-cratic Party in Germany. Stalin assigned all of that faith to the firing squad, or to confinement in Siberian mines. Mussolini did likewise in Italy, even going beyond the territorial boundaries of the country, to achieve his purpose. The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden did have, previous to the present war, more social security, less un« employment and better working conditions, comparatively, than most countries of the world. All based on a compromise between the Socialist and Capitalist proponents, to the benefit of all the peoples of their respective countries. There is no doubt that the task of waging to a successful conclusion a war thrust upon us, is the objective of all Americans, but political or personal differences definitely do not enter into the picture, and it is therefore not exactly cricket, as the

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

Englishman expresses it, to use that

‘as a subterfuge to evade a clear

issue, & 4 &

GIVE LOCAL MEN A BREAK, HE ASKS

By An Indianapolis Booster It is a known fact that the industries of Indianapolis are hiring out of town help and plenty of it while the home town boys must be content to work on the WPA. These out of town men do not pay taxes here and they spend very little of their salary here, Did it ever occur to the businessmen that they oould be doing at least 30 per cent more business if the local men were taken from the WPA rolls and put to work in the shops? ® 8 = ARREST OF BOYS AROUSES HIS IRE By Fredrick Miessen, 704 Devon St. As T was going down Washington St. last Saturday morning I passed a policeman leading a girl 10 years and a boy 14 years old to the Police Station. It made me very angry as I realized that they were being taken in for selling paper shopping bags without a license. So I followed them to juvenile headquarters and listened to what went on. Their names and addresses and age were taken, bags counted and taken away. The offi« cer asked if they would be returned and was told by the matron that they would not. He sald that was a shame, and that the men at City Market ought to be arrested for selling the bags to children knowing it was a violation of the law. The matron said they won't stop that because they are in with the “big shots.” From there I went over to see the

Side Glances=By Galbraith

“

Chief of Police. He was out and I told my story to the man in charge. He said they were violating the law and that the merchants were complaining so the Chief had given orders to bring them in. My next move was to head for The Times. After I told my story, I went back to Washington St. and warned some more boys and told them to take the bugs to Oity Market and get their money back. They said they couldn't get it so I told them I would go back with them and see what we could do. We got it back but the man said, “Why they have been arresting kids for four or five weeks. Take them in, feed them, turn them loose and the next day they are selling bags again, Now I would like to know does that create respect for the law? My idea would be to give orders to the men who sell these bags to stop and that would stop it at its source. Although I will concede it is a violation of the law of man but I can’t forget the law of God: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. The police of this city can find plenty of real law violation without staring on poor children who are trying to make a little money. Well, I'm not a rich man and can't do a whole lot for people who are worse off than myself, yet I have the joy and consolation in my heart that I saved seven boys from being locked up. That makes a merry Christmas for me,

Ee AIR ARMADA URGED INSTEAD OF A, E F.

By Ray Davoli During this most widespread war «in reality, I would say, the first world war the inhabitants of this planet have witnessed--loss of human life can be greatly reduced by refraining from the ude of American Expeditionary Fortes. Instead a gigantic air force, a huge armada, and enough manpower tb man these machines of war will solve the problem and win the war. Armor plate sheds no blood humans do!

® & = “A GRAND PERSON AND A GREAT WRITER”

By Myra Carey Bellea Tu. 0

Christmas so near, the best gift I could ever hope to have is to see our Ernie Pyle back in the pages of The Times. I have a scrap book of all of his articles for several years. Besides being very interesting, his writings have been a great help to me in my hobby writing. Words cannot express my admiration for a grand person and a great writer,

TO CELIA

Drink to me only with thine eyes, And I will pledge with mine; Or leave a kiss but in the cup And T'll not look' for Wine. The thirst that from the soul rise Doth ask a drink divine; But might I of Jove's nectar sup, I would not change for thine,

I sent thee late a rosy wreath, Not so much honouring thee As giving it & hope that there It could not wither'd be; But thou theron didst only breathe And sent'st it back to me; : Since when it grows, and smells, ‘I swear, Not of itself but thee! «Ben Jonson (1574-1687)

DAILY THOUGHT

Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth de fileth fileth

doth

& man; but that which cometh

4

i hy 18:10-11,

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 2, 1

Gen. Johnson

Says— ‘

WASHINGTON, Deo. 24. There's a lot of talk about “streamlining” the, civilian side of the war production effort by some centralized overall authority to: co-ordinate the hodge-podge of alphabetical “defense” monstrosities which have grown up through political monkey-business and pus sy-footing with personalities dure ing the past two years. gue srouble | with most of these eas a ey presuppose the existence of another Barney Baruch. I can see no one of that gentleman's peculiar talents—with the vigor he had in 1917—on the Washington scene. Barney Baruch had no statutory authority, nor was he granted detailed or extensive authority in any high-sounding executive order, : He had a personal letter from the War Presiden telling him to do the job. This he did by the sim force of his personality and by assuming the necei

authority whenever he had to use it—which “Was mor. with people whose Vreat

very rarely. He dealt man to man only desire was to get the job done bo There was practically no pride of -office, j tional jealousy or bureaucratic red tape impeding efforts. In the rare instances where such obstacles oa nis, those responsible for the obstructions were oved.

There could be a lot of such removals right now,

‘The relief from command of the generals and ade

miral holding the responsibility for the Pacific flasco was universally approved.

Reporting to Two Masters

NO MATTER WHO else was responsible for that disaster they held the positions of responsibility and therefore they had to go. But why should we cone fine this head-chopping to the military and naval authorities?

Our production effort is far more important at present, both to us and to our Allies, than any mili-, tary effort we might make at this time. I have heard no one, whose opinion merits consideration, express ary Setwes of satisfaction with our production effort Since this is the case, why don’t some civilian heads roll? What is the difference between a general of the Army and a general of production? Evidently the OPM has heard the whetting of the headman’s sword. They have just published an administrative order which purports to “streamline” their mess. As far as one can make out from the almost ine coherent wording of the order, it provides that those “industrial branches” which hitherto reported to the Division of Civilian Supply (that is, Mr. Leon Hene derson) will now report directly to the Director Gene eral and the Associate Director General. Without stressing the obvious fact that no one can report suce cessfully to two masters, this order, apparently, de-= tracts from the authority of the only man in this whole picture who even vaguely approaches the stature of Mr, Baruch. If it doesn’t, it is mere eyewash.

He Runs With the Ball .

I KNOW LEON HENDERSON well and diskgree with him on many points. But there is one thing that you've got to admire about this guy. He takes the ball and runs with it. With far less authority than the grandiose Knudsen-Hillman order provides, for Mr, Hillman and Mr. Knudsen, he has accomplished ‘far more than they. Undoubtedly he gets into the hides of a lot of his associates. Either his head or theirs should drop in the basket. Doubtless the heads of some of Mr. Henderson's associates should go, too. But Leon is an able, young technician with brains. His better men are the boys that are going to win the war on the industrial as well as on the military side. As in the case of Pacific commanders, the doers must replace those who have had the industrial ball for over a year and have been fumbling it—and sometimes running backwards.

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

CHILDREN, SANTA CLAUS and trees. Add them up and the answer is Christmas. This week, millions of women will trim little evergreens and put them into wine» dows where lighted candles will » make a gleaming over the land, It is our poor, fumbling, human way of reasserting our bellef in the Star of Bethlehem. In the beginning people felt very close to the trees. Maybe that is the reason for the present Yuletide anachronism, when forests are uprooted and transplanted in cities where many little boys and girls have never known what it means to live among trees, I can never cease feeling sorry for those children. Since the sweetest memories of my own infancy hold a remembrance of the arch of sheltering boughs; and my favorite playhouses were built among the gnarled roots of giant oaks, the thought of toddlers without these delights saddens my heart. I've often looked with a shudder at city schopl grounds—bare cement courts, hard brick walls, cal corridors, Happily, some of the youngstesr can go home to trees, but many others can’t. Of that come panionship they are wholly bereft,

Never Lonely With a Tree

THEY HAVE PUPPIES, perhaps, and toys, and mechanized play grounds, and sanitary living quarters. But they do not own a living tree, and I am one who believes that, to be really happy, every child needs a tree as well as a dog. There is a form of kinship between Nature and ourselves that cannot be put into words. It is intan--gible and evanescent—yet stronger and more sube stantial than snything we can see or touch. When I was a little girl our parents kept up & peautiful old custom. Each time a baby was born, a tree was planted to celebrate the event. ‘And so all the village children had gréen mansions of their own. The trees sheltered us in play; they soothed our tired. ness with leafy lullabys; they curtained our windows for the night's rest. And when one among us died we let him sleep where the trees grew thickest, so he would not be lonesome, We felt then, though we could not prove it with words, that a man is never lonely if he has 8 tree for a companion and friend. £ Editor's Noter The views expressed by soluminists in this”

newspaper are their own, They are not necessarily these of The Indianapolis Times.

Questions and Answers

(The, Indianapolis Times Sérvite Buress will Answer any question of fact or information, not involving extédsive ree search. Write your question clearly, sign name and address, inclose a three-cent postage stamp, Medical or legal advice ocAnfot be given, Address The Times Washington Service Bureau. 1013 Thirteenth St... Washington. DB. OC.)

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Q—How much has the stren ot the Royal Canadian Air Force been eth the Roi

ning of the war? : A—Its pre-war strength was 4500 men com with about. 63,000 on Oct. 1, 1041, : pad Q-Are William 8. Knudsen and ey paid $1 a year by the Government as Director Gene eral and Associate Director General of the OPM? A«-No; they both sérve without compensation, Q-—-How large are the ocean telegraph cables? sea

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