Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 9 January 1942 — Page 16

PAGE 16

The Indianapolis Times

ROY W. HOWARD RALPH BURKHOLDER MARK FERREE President Editor Business Manager

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 1942

IF THEY’D HAD THE TOOLS T is now revealed that the Japanese lost seven warships — one cruiser, four destroyers, a submarine and a gun-

boat—in the Wake Island action. If our Marines had had four more airplanes, they'd

probably have sunk the whole Jap navy.

NEGLECTED NINCOMPOOPS

HE British, having been at war longer, are even more impatient than Americans-over the poor showing in the Far East. In the press, in parliament, and among high government officials, there are shouted criticisms which are only whispered in this country. As usual in such a mood, there is a hunt for scapegoats. In London yesterday one high official got so unBritishly hot under the collar that he had this to say about the late commander-in-chief of all imperial forces in the Far East, Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham: “The only comfort I have, and I do not apologize for my language, is that I am glad a nincompoop of that kind was promptly replaced by Gen. Sir Archibald Wavell.” When the proud, clannish and calm British brass hats take to calling each other nincompoops, that is bigger news than some cocky Communist editor in Moscow calling the fichtingest American in the Army—Gen. MacArthur—a ladybug. We have not had the pleasure of the acquaintance of Brooke-Popham, and have no interest in defending him from just criticism. But we are concerned with the tendency in Britain to make goats of commanders, because that disposition is also rife in America, The trouble with this goat business, apart from personal injustice, is that it always covers up bigger mistakes. =

# #”

” 2 = ASSUME that Brooke-Popham was a nincompoop and worse, his dismissal still leaves larger questions. Who picked such an incompetent? The two worst failures in Malaya resulted from lack of plane protection for H. M. S. Prince of Wales and Repulse and for the peninsular air fields. As an air officer who believed in the superiority of the bomber over battleships, and who built the chain of Malayan airfields which his predecessor did not provide, is it reasonable to suppose that Brooke-Popham would have forgotten to use planes to protect them if he had had planes to use? It is obvious that Brooke-Popham, good or bad, was not responsible for the dangerous shortage of bombers and pursuit planes at Singapore. It is obvious because the Australians for many weeks had been demanding major air reinforcements of Singapore, and were refused by London. The frankest official statement we have seen on this whole tragic problem is that of the British foreign minister. Replying yesterday to charges in parliament of government “neglect” in Far Eastern preparedness, Mr. Eden said: “If we were wrong, it was a deliberate decision and not one based on neglect.” = ” ® 2 = 5 E believe that is true of both the London and Washington Governments. They faced the hard alternative of shorting one area, and they decided to pass up the Pacific while concentrating on the Atlantic, England, Iceland, Africa, Russia and the Middle East. That costly miscalculation regarding Japan cannot be corrected by making goats of front commanders, or by blaming Churchill and Roosevelt for taking sour tips from policy advisers. It can be partly corrected now only by getting to the Far East, very quickly, all the equipment which should have been there before Dec. 7. Unless that is done, we may vet make goats of Wavell, Brett, Hart and MacArthur, but we will not stop the Japs.

OLD TIRES AND SAFETY IRE rationing brings with it a pressing problem of safety. Many, many of us are going to drive on old tires. They have a lot more miles in them, and with care can render long service. But remember that slick tires are dangerous at high speeds. Even retreaded tires cannot be expected to hold up like new ones. There will be more blowouts on the highways as . aging rubber and fabric give way. If you are traveling fast when the blowout happens, it may be just too bad for you and your family. Make those tires last, but don’t expect the same of old tires as you expect of new ones. Even if your tires aren’t worn to the danger point, drive slower anyway. The tires will last longer. Sudden stops and speed on curves wear out rubber much sooner than does easy driving.

THE FREEDOM OF THE WHEEZE

NE of the jokes that killed vaudeville was the one about how married men don’t really live longer than single men—it just seems longer. It wasn't a very good joke at best, and now comes the awful revelation that it wasn’t even true. A life insurance firm has just completed a study which demonstrates that married men actually do Mve longer. They are also less likely to commit suicide, drink themselves to death, and get themselves killed in accidents.

The statisticians came to the conclusion that the favor- |

able balance toward longevity came from living “a normal family life,” which anybody could have told them anyway. Little by little science is creeping up on common folk knowledge, and one of these days we'll have chapter and

[

a

Fair Enough

By Westbrook Pegler

NEW YORK, Jan. 9.—This will be an account of a notable contribution to the cause of unity by Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt.

Tuesday night Mrs. Roosevelt and two friends, one of them being her protege, that veteran and inveterate professional youth, Joe Lash, late of the Communist front, approached the Mansfield Theater with tickets for a play called “In Time to Come,” which is a story of President Wilson’s War Administration. Observing two pickets from Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians blocking the place, Mrs. Roosevelt refused to enter and got her money back. Otto Preminger, the producer of the play, reports that Mrs. Roosevelt said, “I can’t cross a picket line— fair or unfair,” and Local 802 states that the New York Times account of the incident in which she was so quoted is “substantially correct.” “In Time to Come,” is an all-union show, employing 66 persons, including a pancake turner which is a man who plays a phonograph record. Any child can play a phonograph record, but under unionism this is a high-salaried trade. Preminger says the pancake in question is played less than two minutes. The union claims it is played longer, but will not say how long. Incidentally, the record was made by union musicians in a union factory.

Promoter Balks at Racket

THE UNION demanded that Preminger hire four musicians to do nothing at $337.50 a week.. He said his box office couldn’t bear that overload, but said he would accept one first musician at $112.50 a week to do nothing and when that offer was refused he proposed to post $337.50 a week in escrow and submit the dispute to any public agency having jurisdiction. This was rejected also and the pickets showed up 10 minutes before Mrs. Roosevelt and her party appeared. Aside from the unmistakably Hitlerian attitude toward the art of the drama, which is revealed in this conduct, Mrs. Roosevelt here gave support to a plain, undisguised racket. There is no dispute here between an employer and any worker. Preminger employs no musicians whatever and has no use for any and the union is simply trying to shake down a businessman at the rate of $337.50 a week as the price of forbearance. No employees are on strike and the same union itself crossed a picket line some months ago when a teamsters’ outfit tried to make a musician pay a teamster to convey to a theater a piccolo about the size of a pencil which he carried in his pocket.

Word About the Leader

THE INTERNATIONAL president of the union is Jimmy Petrillo of Chicago, who is also president of the Chicago local and draws combined salaries, expenses, perquisites and allowances of about $80,000 a year. The president of Local 802 is Jacob Rosenberg, who was himself charged some time ago with patronizing with his family a summer resort at which a nonunion orchestra was employed, but beat the rap. Petrillo says, “there was nothing to it,” the scandal was silenced. Rosenberg also turns out a union publication at the expense of the members in which he heaps praise on himself and last fall, when he ran for the New York City Council, he used this journal to baliyhoo his ambition and had the gall to announce that he would “look forward eagerly to the support of our members,” most of whom undoubtedly took rapturous joy in slitting his throat at the public polls. He was slaughtered on election day, but he had gained a little personal advertising and herewith gets some more. Incidentally, Lash, whose nerve equals and resembles Rosenbergs, put in for a commission as Lieytenant, J. G, in the Naval Intelligence some time back, but an informant reports that not even Mrs, Roosevelt's influence could put that one OVer,

War Profits

By Thomas L. Stokes

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 —Handsome profits for defense industries are shown in OPM and Congressional reports, to be published soon, which will become the basis of proposed legislation to limit war-industry profits. Administration leaders recognize

the disturbing effect of tremendous war profits upon rank-and-file labor, particularly with taxes and costs of living going up. Therefore, they see the necessity of putting a limit on profits in order to demonstrate an effort to distribute the burdens of war as equitably as possible. President Roosevelt stated the Administration position in his budget message, when he said: “Excessive profits undermine unity and should be recaptured.” Preliminary reports indicate profits, above taxes, of 57 per cent for airplane companies for 1940, with 41 per cent for the first six months of 1941 on the basis of investment. Large profits also are shown for shipbuilding. In the next few days the special House Naval Investigating Committee, headed by Rep. Vinson (D. Ga.), will publish the first of its reports on shipbuilding profits.

Hope to Regain $100,000,000

A LARGE STAFF directed by Edmund M, Toland, chief counsel, has combed through thousands of contracts covering all phases of naval shipbuilding, and will present a breakdown of this business which may open some eyes. Already, as a result of the investigation, $25,000,000 has been turned back by contractors. Rep. Vinson said he hoped ultimately to get back $100,000,000. Revelation of the fancy profits of defense industries is expected also to increase public interest in the investigations, both in House and Senate, into all phases of the defense program, particularly the high fees and commissions paid, in some cases, for infiu-

ence by ex-Government officials and to so-called ‘‘de-

fense brokers.” The town may become too hot for these professions.

So They Say—

IF THERE is no referee at a prize fight, the man who puts on brass knuckles will win. And the same is true in the indugtrial game.—Thurman Arnold, assistant attorney-general. * - * A TREACHEROUS :ttack by Japan has given her forces an initial advantage. This is the advantage which the murderer, thief, or cheat can always gain against the unsuspecting, ordinary and decent citizen. —Gen. Wavell, allied commander in the Far East,

® * ®

ALL GREAT revivals in history, both religious and political, have been preceded by periods of oppression, disaster and defeat.—The Rev. Dr. Allen E. Claxton, Broadway Temple Methodist Church, New York. * * ® The armed forces were not on the alert at Pearl Harbor, but neither were the American people on the alert.—Capt. Howard IL. Vickery, U. 8. Navy.

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

We Can Take

FRIDAY, JAN. 9, 1942

[t—and How!

‘The Hoosier Forum

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

“THIS CLOSES THIS PARTICULAR DISCUSSION”

By H. W. Daacke, 736 S. Noble St. In your Hoosier Forum of Jan. 3, 1942, in about 200 words, about 160 of ‘which are irrelative to the discussion, the gentleman from 28th St. denies his consistency. Since approximately the first 40 words, stated in a previous article, and reiterated in these 40 words are the crux of the discussion, he can establish his «claim to consistency, only, by abiding by them for the duration. I want to call his attention to the fact that he established these restrictions himself, and whether he abides by them or not, while immaterial to myself, denotes the difference between his consistency or inconsistency. For myself, this closes this particular discussion, although new subjects, or new angles to old subjects are always welcome. This also prevents the possibility of a monopoly of Hoosier Forum space by a few individuals.

2 » 2 SCHOOLS CO-OPERATING IN DEFENSE PREPARATIONS By Virginia Vornehm, R. R. 7 In preparation for possible sabotage, fires, or air raids the schools are co-operating with the Government by stressing the need for preparedness. By scheduling fire drills, even in the coldest weather, the students are learning that the war doesn’t wait for warm weather.

Another manner in which the schools are co-operating is by the sale of defense stamps. Just about all the schools are offering this service to their students. The students are showing their patriotic spirit in this way more each day. Still another way of bringing the defense program to the young people is by the school club’s representatives engaging speakers to tell the members just how the subject can help them in defense work. The faculty members are helping too. In the Art Department the directors are encouraging the stu-

(Times readers are invited their these columns, religious con-

Make

your letters short, so all can

to express views in

excluded.

troversies

have a chance. Letters must

be signed.)

dents to paint patriotic themes in their work. In the music world of the schools —band directors are presenting patriotic themes in their concerts and public appearances, as well as in classes.

Heads of the schools are offering more convocations along the patri-

otic path.

To sum up the situation: In the present emergency the people are closer to each other than ever before. Government.

With a feeling such as this we

can continue to laugh in certain unscrupulous characters’ faces.

” ” 2 “WALLY WINDSOR? GOODIE, WE KNOW WHO SHE IS!” By Estella R. Dodson, Bloomington Who is Franklin D. Rooseveit? Why, he's—us—he’s a lecturer, isn't he? Who is Wendell I. Willkie? I think he’s an actor or something. Who is Winston Churchill? Oh, he’s an author in France or Spain or somewhere. Who is Wally Windsor? Oh, goodie, here's one I know. Wally Windsor is the best dressed woman in the world. Now, that really is achievement of a very important and worthy ambition. And when we think of the noble, self-sacrific-ing character it has taken to accomplish such an aim, we must all stand in awe and admiration of the fine, wonderful woman who puts her whole heart and mind to this one task. Think of it, wives and mothers. Think of the saving and planning and skimping it has taken, Some-

Side Glances=By Galbraith

They also feel closer to their

| ye shall be judged: - what measure ye mete, it shall

| —Matthew 7:2.

times she had only $10,000 to spend on a diamond zipper. Could you do it for less? You could not.

From now on, we want to hear less complaining from you women who are taking care of four or five children on $40 or $50 per month. If you were in Wally Windsor's shoes, vou would learn the true meaning of the word economy.

% 2

“IS THIS TO BE A WAR OF WORDS?”

By Claude Braddick, Kokomo ~ Is this to be a war of words against Russia, or a war of united strength against the Axis powers? Are our feelings so tender that we must stop to pout when someone ventures a bit of unflattering criticism—especially when that someone has been consistently the victim of the most openly expressed distrust, and the most shameful accusations of treachery and cowardice? A common foe makes Russia our Ally. If she speaks of bravery, remember she speaks with a newfound authority, and may be pardoned a bit of pride. Let us concentrate against the common enemy. Let Russia herself decide what part she will play in the Far East—just as we in her place would insist upon doing—secure in the knowledge that self-interest will eventually dictate her collaboration there.

What we need today is some organization genius—more of that spirit of getting things done in spite of hell and high water that characterized the late New Deal— and less of that endless talk of getting things done that has always characterized the New Deal's opponents.

”

2 2 2

“SO I, TOO, AM READY TO GO BACK EAST”

By A. 8S. W., Indianapolis Like many others who have been sent here on defense from the East, I am very much disappointed with the dirty town and the way it is being run. The furnished apartments are deplorable. Many have given up and returned to the Bast and many more will follow unless something is built for their comfort like every other city has and the Government is begging for help. . . . This town shows who is behind it. All you have to do is look around you. . . I think the Government or someone should clean out the grafters and clean up the town and keep people from filling up a room or two with discarded furniture réady for HArewood and renting it out without even having permission or inspected. . . . So I, too, am ready to go back Bast where you can at least get a clean breath.

WISDOM

A wise man holds himself in check, But fools ang poets run ahead. | One must be credulous or sit Forever with the living dead.

The wise man shuts his door at | night | And pulls and bolts and drops i the bars. {One must go trustful through the dark To earn the friendship of the stars. Scudder Middleton (1888).

DAILY THOUGHT With what judgment ve judge, and with

be measured to you again—

without in=

Gen. Johnson Says—

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9.— For what it was intended—an inspira= tional appeal and an expression of dogged determination — the President’s speech on the state of the union was excellent. Most people expected a little more than that—some idea of our present military and naval situa« tion, at least the general prine ciples of our new world strategy and a little more about actual progress in equipping our troops with modern arms. The only thing said not clearly evident for some time had to do with a determination to send not only our Navy and Air Force, but also our Army to fight anywhere in the world. The time to debate that decision has long passed. We have made the President clearly responsible for the conduct of our nation through war to victory, He should no more be limited in the exercise of our war powers where such a question as strategy is ine volved than should the commander of a field army in contact with the enemy. It is hard to see why we should send Army troops to Great Britain when there are so many other areas too scantily manned and armed and when the British are believed to have built up a stronger Army than our own. But that, too, is not debatable.

"Too Much Tall Talk"

RECITALS of just how many planes, guns, ships and tanks we are going to produce within a given time are confusing and almost meaningless. Also boasts of what any man is “gonna” do are not half so convincing as statements of what he Has already actually done. There has been too much tall talk and small performance in this war already. Perhaps the President's recitation went as far into detail as it was wise to go. It was at least frank in acknowledging defeats and in not minimizing bure dens and hardships yet to come. These our people have been told about to reple« tion, but have so far suffered little. They have not complained. On the programs laid down they are going to feel some of them very bitterly and that time is only a few weeks away. Even then, I think they will not complain if they are shown why individual sacrifices hitting some, but not all, are necessary and if they are assured by careful explanations that their own needs have had every consideration ang that there is no other way except for them to take the gaff.

Let's Not Forget Morale

THIS CERTAINLY has not been done. Such an instance as Mr. Ickes’ headlong oil rationing suggents, on the contrary, that these things can be done with little study or consideration. Some publicists overlook this point entirely. It is not good strategy for public morale. If later on it is proved that some great dilocations were unnecessary, it will be very much worse for that morale and the unity on which it must he based, In the present mad rush te “get thines started” nobedy seems to be giving much thought to this very important angle of the war picture. It is true that the “time is short.” But let us hope that, in our haste to appropriate money and get “something on paper” we do not do a panicky, slip-shod production job that will waste more money, time and effort than it conserves and may lay the eggs for the worst kind of future troubles,

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

FRANZ WERFEL, a Jew from Burope and one of the greatest writers of our time, is talking to the people of the United States in a series of lectures. His topic is an old one—the need for a revival of spirituality. Since that long ago day when John the Baptist came crying out of the wilderness, at intervals in many lands men have emerged from the masses preaching the same doctrine. It has been translated into scores of tengues and used by hundreds of different cults. The compulsion to worship is ageless. “Civilized man has lost God,” is the message of Franz Werfel, and who will dare to call him wrong? It matters not what creeds we follow, the fact that our concept of civilization is erected upon certain spiritual foundations is the thing to be remembered, And without those foundations the building is doomed to crumble,

The Greatest Discovery

WE KNOW THAT worn-out civilizations, pagan ag well as Christian, were held together by somes thing more than material substance. The barbarians did not worship our God, but to those they possessed they gave complete fealty.

In our lifetime we've watched the populace in this country worshipping many gods—8uccess, Glamour, Power, Luxury, Headlines, Machinery, the Body, the Intellect—and all these gods have failed us. Today we endure punishment for our moral cone fusions and sins. Yet we still know in our hearts that there is something stronger than hate, and that is love. We know we shall never build a new order une less within us God stirs, as in-the body He walked upon the waters of Galilee to reassure his disciples, To put all our trust in physical might will only plunge us deeper into disaster. I believe with Franz Werfel that the greatest intellectual discovery of the next decades will be God. Unless we make that discovery, all is lost anyway.

Editor's Note: The views expressed by columnists in this newspaper are their own. They are not necessarily those of THe Indianapolis Times,

Questions and Answers

(The indianapolis Times Service Bureau will answer any guestion of fact or information, not involving extensive ree search. Write your question clearly, sign name and address, inclose a three-cent postage stamp, Medical or legal Advice

cannot be given, Address The Times Washington Service Bureau. 1018 Thirteenth St, Washington. D. O.)

@Q—Some time duting the World War I, a U. 8 Senator was killed while hunting. Can you tell me who the Senator was, who shot him and when and where the accident occurred? A—Benator Paul O. Husting of Wisconsin was accie« dentally shot and killed by his brother, Gustave Husting, while on a hunting expedition at Rush Lake, Wis, on Oet. 21, 1917.

Q—=Did George Washington or Thomas Jefferson decline nomination for a third term as President to set a precedent? : A—Judging from his own statement Jefferson gave the eredit to Washington, for, in a letter to John Tyler in 1805, he wrote: “George Washington set the example of voluntary retirement after eight years, I shall follow it, and a few more precedents will oppose the obstacle of habit to anyone who shall endeavor to extend his term.”

=Is there an engine oll that will not freeze?

utmost that]

A not “reese,” but there is no oil which $e op to remain fluid the ordinary