Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 21 February 1942 — Page 10

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1942

COMPLACENT? NOT an PEOPLE

NE of the most. inspiring occurrences in American history bas been 1 ing place almost without praise and often in face of ing, unwarranted criticism. We refer to the way the great bulk of the American people haye accepted the dislocations caused by the war. We know, for example, a man who has spent most of his life in the tire business. He is ‘untrained, too old "and physically unfit to go into some defense plant. Yet, _. while he is dazed, he is not complaining. Fo ‘He is| typical of the automobile salesman, the gasoline | dealers, and the millions of others whose businesses have been swept away or are threatened by the restrictions of war, | The automobile industry and the many other foring of business as or indirectly dependent on it have been . almost anpibilaer. This is the greatest group of businesses in the United States. But there has been no outery, no march on Washington, no pressure drive on Congress. It has been a’ "splendid and patriotic demonstration of i the courage and determination of the American people. 2 8

ET, strangely enough, the politicians have been busy ! panni 2 ‘the people for complacency. We have con- | stantly told that we aren’t awake to the gravity of the situation] We have been warned repeatedly that we must go all-out; that we must make more sacrifices; that we must dro our ‘business-as-usual attitude. 10 is demanding business as usual? Not the automobile industry, which has made its last ear and turned its entire capacity over to armaments. Not the refrigerator or radio industries, which are being rapidly wiped out. Not the merchant or the little storekeeper, who daily tells his customers he can’t get the goods they want to buy. - Not the clerks made idle by disappearance of the work they used to do. Not the boys giving up their jobs to t the mechanics thrown out of jobs while their

who have been ots and encouraged by the politicians —don’t want to go along save at their own price. Not | even the income taxpayer. The+big demand for business as usual comes from the politicians. It comes from congressmen who want t] pass a billiondollar rivers and harbors bill, loaded to the brim with pork ~—just ag they have done in, the past. It comes from the ne Uy era from an army of government, press agents, from a whole swarm of socially Conscion reformers, from a bunch of pelitical pressure groups, from public officials. HE » ” » ; | 8 u #

THE oliticians are conducting business as usual, and re- ; sisting every effort to get them on a wartime economy. Ap all the time they keep blaming the people—the only ones who actually jaren’t complacent, the only ones who have demonstrated their willingness to make sacrifices, the ones who have just given such a splendid demonstration . of sacrifice, : Complacent ?. Not Fh

the people. But the politicians.

be i CLEARING THE MILITARY ZONES THE President has promptly and properly delegated to the war department the difficult job of evacuating such defense areas as the west coast, where Japanese are numLocal authorities could not handle the problem, much less chambers of |commerce and clubs. iri the danger is chiefly from oriental aliens,

wages by treachery. As proof that the United States goverment is unwilling ‘to/ indict any group or class ‘of its citizens, the Rooseder does not discriminate. The secretary of war is authorized to prescribe military areas from which “any “or all] persons may be excluded.” That covers not only aliens! but citi ‘not only Japancse- Americans but any : tet Ameritange e he government has not moved too quickly. For many . reasons the west coast is a paradise for sabotage and ‘espionage, second only to Hawaii, where the lesson was learned too late. | - There is no excuse for any evita § or group p of civilang, alien or citizen, yellow or brown or black or white, to insist on ining in any vita | military ea without unimpeachable cause. The goverm cannot. be too careful. about

this. | ational survival n ay: dépend pon it.

BEY 'TER LATE THAN NEVER E British haye an irritating habit of doing things too ate. But they are pretty likely to do the right thing long run which is more than can be hoped from Ger7, Italy and Japan. Ireland is a fair example. It should e been free long ago, one may say. Yet it is free today, d in the face of tremendous’ pres sure from the. and | n aval situation, Britain has not moved to threaten Trish eedom;, though Eire’s neutrality $a tremendous. disadantag to her. So with India. Perhaps India should have been free ago: It is a complicated question. Perhaps the e of dominion Sages, and a # eat on the War Council

in 3 RI Nok Jet. 4s vown;Jesse Juries, SovTSuly Of ome :

CHICAGO, Feb, 31.—I think we will presently adopt some

work at his essential task in the noncombatant industries of war and turn in.an honest day’s work per day after he has been excused R from service as a fighter on the ground that he is one of the in-

If he is a farm laborer he will be required to work reasonably Bard and well, a * on his employer’s, and not permitted to drift down the road

a jook-spot. If he is a machinist he will be made to meet certain rates of production and standards of quslitgan put in his days working, not fishing or loafing. if he is only remotely eligible for military service, or ineligible because of age or physical impairment, he will be placed under some compulsion to deliver.

We'll Have to Make Best of It

THIS PROBABLY IS Hitlerism and may amount to the conscription of labor at union wages so, we shall have to make the best of

and strikes, loafing, stalling and malingering be tolerated. r - Men have been conscripted for fighting and industry and wealth, or capital, which is the aggregate

up. The farm properties and factories are under the

government's command.

Only civilian workers have been excused from this great draft and both the government and the bosses of the union movement have placed themselves on record as recognizing the fact that the labor of the multitudes is essential to victory. Because this work is essential some form of compulsion will be adopted to equalize the burden of duty.

We Might Be Surprised

HITLER AND OUR cherished comrades-in-arms, the Russians, have used compulsion on civilian labor in war industries, including agriculture, for a long time. Hitler rounded up battalions of men and set them to work building his west wall and farm workers were chained to their occupation and shifted about

.as the need for their services came with the seasons.

In our country it might not be necessary to move bodies of ‘civilian workers from place to place, but, again, it might be: If 10,000 more or less skilled men are idle in Detroit, for example, awaiting the conversion of a certain plant, and there is a desperate need of their skill in, say, Cleveland or Chicago, the transfer of these men from idleness to productive work would be no greater problem, in its simplest terms, than the movement of a like number of drafted soldiers from a reserve position to a threatened point on the: front. Morally and politically, of course, such a measure would be very trying and we might have a revolution and kick our own country apart and defeat ourselves from the inside. But we are being collectivized at a fast rate these days and we might be surprised at our own readiness to yield our liberties for the defense of liberty. Oh, we are in for some very interesting changes in our way of doing. This war is going to take every ounce of our energy and that element which by its own boast holds the power to deliver or withhold the tools required for victory will be compelled. to make good like everyone else and no argument,

U.S. Aviation

By Maj. Al Williams

NO ONE COMPLAINS of the billions being spent for the safety . and victory of the navy in the building of more and bigger battleships. © It’s the man hours of skilled labor which we simply cannot afford to waste on this discredited type of naval weapons at this critical stage. Time and ag#in others than myself have pointed out that challenging the good sense or advisability of building more giant battleships is like trying to whistle against a gale To object to constructing huge floating iron forts, which can be sunk by a few planes, is to stand in the way of a speeding express train—the train, in this instance, being the steel, electrical and other heavy industries of the nation. Lobbies representing those industries once boasted of having scrapped naval limitations. Gen. Billy Mitchell told me more than once, with bitter emphasis, that these industries had far more to-do with discrediting his program to arm America adequately in the air than did .the old-line army and navy. This is something the public should know and remember.

Water Over the Dam

ONLY THE OTHER DAY, after being twice blocked in a few weeks by army and navy brass hats, Donald Nelson finally used his authority to give aircraft materials the same top priority rating as that given for battleships and for army equipment other than planes.

Ten thousand first-line fighters and bombers based in England—representing the merest fraction of England’s. expense for armament to date—and there would have been no war, A few thousand Spitfires, Beauforts and Stirlings, and perhaps Flying Fortresses, based in the Philippines and in ‘Sumatra would have stopped the Japs dead in their tracks. I know this is water over the ddm, but after all, humén experience is actually nothing but leavings from that which has passed over the dam. It is fearfully alarming that those who are responsible in this country still will not see the handwriting on the wall—will not build full out airpower first, even if they have to sacrifice battleships and such toys temporarily. Can any fleet prevent air raids against American cities? Look at the record of England’s air raids while her fleet stood idly by. >

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

So They Say—

# It is quite evident that to a considerable extent shoe leather will have to take the place of rubber.— Joseph B. Eastman, Director of Defense Transporiap

| tion.

he = * For nearly a decade, while Germany and Japan armed to the teeth, we kept on making the world’s greatest supply okoumtorts and conveniences.—Floyd

We. oun 4h. ohir mietliarie’ Seatiei afd sel

means of compelling a man to |:

to an easier job, on better pay, frying hamburgers in |

result of work of many individuals, have been called

TRIS

HURTS ME WORSE THAN "In DOES

The Hoosier Forum

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

“SYMPHONY SHOULD BE MUNICIPALLY SUPPORTED” By Robert K. Taylor, 706 Bazil Ave, Final solution of the Indianapolis symphony orchestra's financial straits can only be had by some form of public support. Yes, even in times of war, the orchestra should be a municipally supported one. There is’ no other final answer. Europe ‘has thus supported its music for centuries—$25,000, $50,000 or $100,000 from the city treasury, if it means the prevention of the dissolution of the: orchestra, will be money well spent. No major city can neglect providing great music for its people. # # f J ‘FARMERS PAID IN PATRIOTISM, UNIONS IN HARD CASH’ By James R. ‘Meitzler, Attica : “I do not cross a picket line,” Mrs. Roosevelt announced in her column, virtually declaring she was for the unions, right or weong? ‘When the mediation board de-cided-9 to 2 against John Lewis at the time he determined to subjugate the few remaining free workers in the steel-companies’ coal mines, he claimed the decision unfair and refused to abide by it. The President then appointed a board of three, of which Lewis was one, for that particular case which board upheld the union 2 to 1. The board which ruled against the union was dismissed and a new board appointed. The new board in its first case, C. I. O. against Aluminum Company of America, determined for C. I. O. granting a wage increase. Seven to four for the unions, right or wrong? Bureau of Labor Statistics reported average wages for 1941 had risen 20 per cent, cost of living only 10 per cent. C. I. O. President Murray, who had just urged his union to demand more money, ¢laimed these figures unfair to labor and A. F. of L. George Meany said, “The way that bureau is acting it ought to be called the bureau of anti-labor statistics.” Statistics should be for the unions, right or wrong? The administration’s bill to put ceilings on prices, while with wages the sky was the limit; was amended against the President’s opposition to limit the price administrator's power

(Times readers are invited ts express their views in these columns, religious con« Make

your letters short, so all can

_troversies excluded.

‘have a chance. Letters must

be signed.)

to lower farm prices. Secretary Wickard immediately: dumped government grain on the market and broke grain prices far below the

J 4 creases efficiency. Men fighting for their lives need all the strength they can get. We should not make it easier for them to reduce their abilities. I think that the health of our fighting men would be considerably improved if they were not users of liquor and tobacco. I suggest those

" |sending presents refrain from send-

ing smokes or liquor but send something else they really need. If liquor and tobacco were banned from the Army camps it would be a fine thing. I think to help the

deprive them of anything while

bill's price levels. . Cheap grain means cheap feed for live stock.’ Cheap feed means more live stock and cheap meat for thé unions at’ the grain .growers’ expense. - The agriculture department for the unions, right or wrong? The unions are getting the highest wage in history, yet are demanding a dollar a day more.- The administration is asking agriculture to produce more. Secretary Wickard says the farmers are patriotic and will producé more. They will, if working harder and planting more acres will do it. But if the administration has its way the farmers will take their pay in patriotism, the unions get theirs in hard .cash. Right or wrong? 8 8 2 “PROHIBIT ALL USE OF LIQUOR AND TOBACCO” Ey Robert Gemmer, Acacia House, Bloomington I read recently, I believe in your Forum, a letter from a man urging that our, soldiefs be given their “smokes” tax free. This same man had urged previously free postage. With that I'm agreed. Those who defend us should be entitled to write home free. But I'm not for making. 1; easier, Jor thei 1 ge} tobacco;

I've read many ‘scientific reports, about the harm done by drinking and smoking. Smoking takes the extra energy, the energy needed to go “the second mile,” the energy needed to win in a battle. Smoking decreases the lung capaci and the smoker is' therefore not as able to last as long as the non-smoker (of otherwise equal ability). Likéwise

the use:of alcoholic beverages de-

Side Glances—By Galbraith

of in

keeping the same “luxuries” for our-

(selves; therefore I think we too

should sacrifice for their health and ours by prohibiting the use of "liquor and. tobacco.’ Too, think of how :much more money would be available. for taxes; the sugar shortage would be alleviated, .and thé shortage of manpower for industry would be re-

American home dollar put 5.1 cents

of the money wasted! ! . t J ” » “BEING A GOOD MECHANIC DOESN'T MEAN A THING” By R. R., Columbus 1 am an ex-serviceman war No. 1. My health is fair but I can still work and produce. I am 51 and a good mechanic and I haven't even got a ghost of a chance to work on defense -jobs. Being a good mechanic doesn’t mean a thing.

or do some good in this war. As my job was not a defense job I take a couple of weeks off to help win this war. I apply at all of the factories I knew of that were on defense jobs. The first thing they ask me, how old a man I am. I was out looking again. I went to the state employment office. I was given an interview. I gave this man my reference and experience. I also handed him my honorable discharge from U. 8. army. He just‘said, “Oh that,” and never looked at it but asked me how old I was. ¥ ‘wait 40 Jenow iow & Mar ban raise a family, clothe, feed and educate them and have enough left to retire on at the ripe old age of 45. If you are not going fo let these men work; give them all a pension. If we can give England $1,000,000,-

1000 and hand pensions to men mak-

ing $10,000 a year and giving soft jobs out from $4600 to $8000 a year, why can’t the labor man making what he can get—40c per hour— give this man a pension. He can use it. What are they going. to do with men past 45 years? . Most of these fought to save your

neck once. . ,

* x» ADVICE TO “MR. ATTICA AND MR. MORGANTOWN”

By C. R. Smith. Connersville Can a réader from the eastern part of the state add a small 5 cents’ worth of suggestions to. Mr. Attica and Mr. Morgantown? They. both seem to be gentlemen

with above average intelligence and

both have brought out good points and both of them are correct in their viewpoints.. But we are at war and these two can do a world of good separate

our country’s activities, young men who are now

DAILY THOUGHT Je tov tn got i man ~1 Timothy 1

morale of the soldiers we should not|

duced. Last year the averagej.

into liquor and 2.8 cents into to-| bacco, and only 2.7 into taxes. Think].

I thought perhaps I could help|

Bureau. 1018 oh st. Washington. D

‘in the United States, Spproximptely,

doWnel”

Gen Johnson Says—

: WASHINGTON, Feb. 21.— ‘There are about 40,000 automobile . dealers in the United States. They - gave employment 10 upward. of 200,000 men, They have on hand, as nearly as I can get from the figures, about 300,000 new biles bought in the course. of business ‘before md were any restrictiong—atout Sov half billion’ dollate ‘worth of cars. Now under government regula # Chey: can’t sell them except under impossible. ns. . They. have to store them ‘and pay for it, pay interest on what they owe for them (which can’t go on forever) and of course, eventually give up their . The latter they seem to accept without a whimper, but it is hard to see why the government has any interest in freezing their stocks in such a way as to ruin their whole investment and throw 40,000 men, including only employers, out of business taking the capital with which they might enter new work— besides taking the jobs away from 160,000 more.

No Value To.Government.

THERE ARE NEW CARS with new Hires. They are not going to consume any more rubber or chrom« fum or steel and, “frozen” from sale, are of no value to the government—unless the intention is to scrap them and give the owners 5 per cent of their value, This is only one class of case. I personally know of dozens like it. This column foresaw this develop« ment and raised a squawk about it before many of these restrictions were applied, Shortly afterward a small business” ‘division was set up in Washington under Mr. Odlum. But its pure pose was primarily to get the big production contracts split up into, “bits and pieces” and to give the small manufacturer some work on which to survive. Mostly it was a pitiful flop, although' I do know of cases where manufacturers who were real go-get« ters converted their shops and continued to live. But these ‘were manufacturers. Automobile dealers are merchants. You can no more expect such a merchant to turn his establishment into a machine shop over-night than you can expect a firm of eminent lawyers to hang owt a shingle as’ pariuership, of physicians and surgeons,

Our Boys Are Just Orphans

THIS CASE IS a stinker—government at its worst, The administration ought either to buy these cars at cost and hold them for its many unknown future uses or let them be sold. We make no bones in handing out to almost any good neighbor as many millions as there are but Uncle Sam’s niece is'little Orphan Annie and his nephew is Oliver Twist. If the government doesn’t. want to buy the cars itself, why doesn’t it let these dealers clean out their meager stocks—to the harm of no one? When I think of stupid, dumbbell action like this, I begin to-see why there are so many inexperienced pipe-smoking, tweed-wearing, dirty-finger-nailed “ ‘experts.” They are the real Washington parasites—only the right word is termites and you don’t need to worry about housing for them. Just let them crawl back into the wood-work,

A Woman's Vipint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

THE vioTORY GARDEN way i: thought up in the office of ci« t' villan defense, ‘maybe by Mrs, Roosevelt herself. At any rate, housewives can expect to hear a great deal on the subject very soon. They'll be urged, if not commanded, to start planting, come spring, and we anticipate a hearty response from our women, But ‘wait! Don’t hurry, for de« partment of agriculture spokesmen warn us we must keep in mind the whole big picture of defense, pointing out that, clearly outlined in that picture, stand the. farmer and the truck gardener.

Nothing must be started mow, they say, to: curb the vast agricultural effort already begun, lest our flow of food to the soldiers be stopped. Evidently these men feel that victory gardening on a general scdle would be unwise, So again we find ourselves involved in a typical Washington tiff. One group says this, another says that, while the hapless citizen does the best she can to make sense out of the conflicting commands.

Can't Do Any Harm

THE THRIFTY HOUSEWIFE probably will pay little attention to this®controversy. Instead, ‘she will do what seéms most sensible to her at the moment; and, at this moment, if she has a bit of ground, it is sensible for her to plan a garden, Not that she expects to reap what she sows, liye perience may have teught her that gardens. ‘seldom produce such wonders as the seed catalogs picture,

‘But if nothing comes of her labors except exposure

to fresh air and sunshine and some good clean dirt under her fingernails, it will still be worth the effort, for when you're digging in a garden you can forget

“less pleasant things.

What worries me is that we can’t induce the bosses of the department of agriculture and the office of. ci« villan defense to.do a little work in that line theme selves.” ‘I can think of nothing that would be better for ‘morale than having them get their feet ouf iis under their Qesks and only the ground: wi EES

Questions and An swes nih

(The Indianapolis Times Service Buresn Su answer any auestion of fact or information, mot involving extensive res search. Write vour euestion clearly. sign nsme snd inclose a three-cent postage stamp. ° cannot be given, Address The

ra———

Q—What percentage of the steel produced in the United States in 1940 was exported?

A—Of the total output of finished steel produced 17.7_per cent’ ‘was

Q—How long must privates serve in the Amy. bee

fore their pay is raised from si to $30 ver Wn

A~Four months,

Q-Did Winston Churn ake anu bat 1 Vi fighting during World War 1? : ; A—Yes, in 1916 he was a leutenant Som manding the 6th Royal Scots Fusiliers in

[Was awarded Eifdals SOL ArVY Io aftisn. communities to}

fo am i rl hpi backer he can-