Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 3 March 1942 — Page 12

e Indianapolis Times

MARK FERREE ; Business Manager HOV NEWSPAPER)

‘W. HOWARD RALPH BURESOLBER President (A SC

Price in Marion County, 3 cents a copy; deliv ‘éred by carrier; 1 17 cents a week.

Mail subscription rates in Indiana, $7 outside of 1 cents a month.

«i RUE

the -Boopte ya Pind Tholr Oton. Wey

daily (except Sunday) I'he Indianapolis Tim blishing Co. 214 and St.

| Mernber of United « Howard N D per Alliance, Service, and Audit Bl réau of Circulations. il ]

RSDAY, MARCH 3, 194

His executive order scraps old divisions between sepate chiefs of infantry, cavalry, field artillery dnd coast By in fayor of an army ground force under one commander. Ranking with [this ground force commander is to be a ingle army air force commander, combining functions of the existing air force command and the chief of air corps. ‘The other member of the “big three” is to be a service of ‘supply under one commander. J These three basic commands will control virtually all military operations, and will be accountable. directly to the chief of staff. Secretary of War Stimson is not exaggerating when he described these structural changes as a “striking revitalization” to eliminate cumbersome and inefficient army pro-

cedure. : ) Presumably ne navy department is next on the list for streamlining treatment of barnacled bureaucracy. We : hope so.

AS A FARMER SEES IT

FARMER friend writes: “Your paper is supporting Roosevelt in his effort hold farm prices down by marketing government-held ‘pluses. You and the president ought to understand ‘many farmers feel they are being treated unjustly. j “It is largely because Mr. Roosevelt continues pamper organized labor as if it were a spoiled child. | “Higher farm prices would mean higher cbst of food. “That's true. But higher wages paid add to the cost of “everything, including machinery and fertilizer, that farmers ‘must buy. ; “Yet the government's policy seems to be that unions "must get wage increases whenever they make demands, as ‘the price of nof striking against national safety. 1. “Mr. Roosevelt does not fight for stabilization of wages, ‘even for highly paid workers in war industries who already ‘have far more ‘parity’ than the farmers ever hope to get. ] . 8 s s # i»

“THE farmer, has no 40-hour-week law. He must put in 3 longer, harder hours than ever because his sons are | being drafted and his hired men are being lured away to f easier, better-paid jobs in war plants. He'll do the best he ' can to produce food and fiber to win the war, and hie won't - ask premium pay for overtime. “You ma it’s true, that the government acquired the surpluses tp help agriculture out of depression. But isn’t the same thing true of labor's 40-hour-week laws? They . were a depression measure, too, designed to rake jobs for surplus workers. “If agriculture must give up a prop for ils prices, now that times have changed, why: should labor keep a similar prop? “But Mr. | Roosevelt seems to think that labor must have the 40-hour week right through the war, even though workers instead of jobs are getting scarce row, and even : though time-and-a-half pay for work beyond 40 hours a “week speeds up the growth of the war bill which all of us, farmers Botnet will have to pay. : “Automobile-plant labor is even demanding time-and-a-half wages for Saturdays and double time for Sundays, : when work on those days is part of a 40-hour week. - And : Mr. Roosevelt's war labor board apparently ig afraid to rule “that such a demand is just plain damn nonsense, which is how it looks fo farmers.

:“T DON'T h te bir, I understand that farmers and city > workers must prosper together. I don't want to see : farmers as a class turned against labor as a class. But I'm ~ afraid that is bound to be the result of the government's : present policy. 2 “This is a time, the president says, when everybody must stop demanding special advantages. Hurrah for that! But we farmers don’t like the idea that his words apply only to us, and not to labor. “Mr. Roosevelt's troubles with the so-called farm bloc would end in a hurry if he would be equally firm with the labor bloc, and if he would make it plain that he expects union members to do their fair share of the sacrificing.” : Our farmer friend, it seems to us, has gaid a mouthful.

THE DEADLY SERIOUS QUESTION nN a fighting speech last night Donald M. Nelson chal- | lenged free American management and free American

labor to outproduce the forced management and the forced |

labor of Germany and Japan. And not in 1948 or 1944, but in the less than 10 remaining months of this year, starting today. Because “the arms we produce tomorrow, next month or next year are not going to the men who need them today, and need them desperately today.” » The new plans announced by the war production board : chai the joint management-labor coramittees, the production quotas and scoreboards, the plant competitions, the machinery | for passing suggestions up from the ranks, the merit Swardy-all are welcome and all can play a valu‘able part. But Sindamentally the success of the great drive will pend upon whether enough men in labor and management re willing to stop buck-passing, quit slowing down work e they argue and fight over internal differences, and give an honest “yes” in daily answer to Mr, Nelson's “deadly erious” question:

“Are | you doing today everything within your individ-

¢ that the planes, the tanks, the guns and

tion and squipumgnt our. boys. need desper- »] —

a year, , 85 |:

to

Back From Bali

Propaganda B: Ned Brooks

WASHINGTON, March 3 — Whatever its outcome, the trial of George Sylvester Viereck, author and publicist for Gérmany in this country, is exposing the ingenious methods by which thé Nazi propaganda machine circulated its ma-terial—-and made the United States government foot part of the bill. The Viereck trial, now in its third week, has brought to light the story of how the Geérman agent, operating through intermediaries but keeping himself in the background, “planted” his propaganda in the Congressional Récord and then arranged for the circulation of millions of reprints at government expense under the congressional frée mailing privilege. Viereck’s chief lieutenants, government prosecutors have ‘brought out, were Préscott Dennétt, former head of the “committee to make Europe Pay its War Debts,” and George Hill, secretary of Representative Hamilton Fish (R. N. Y.).

How Viereck Worked

DENNETT, AFTER FIVE months of évasion, went before a federal grand jury here last week to tell the whole story of his relations with Viereck. Earlier he had refused to answer questions at the Viéreck trial. "Hill has already béen found guilty of perjury before the grand jury in testimony on his dealings with the propagandist. Viereck is on trial for alleged failure to make full disclosures in his registration with the state department under the foreign agents act. The government's evidence showed that Viereck maintained close contact with one of his capitol collaborators, the late Senator Ernést Lundeen (F. L. Minn.), but more often used Dénnett for his contacts with Hill and thé members of congress who unwittingly assisted his plans. Through these channels, according to the government, Viereck was able to pour a stream of antiBritish and isolationist material into the official prints of the Congressional Record.

Mailed Out Postage Free

DENNETT, SHOWN BY the evidencé to have been in Viereck’s pay, supplied Hill with propaganda manuscripts and the latter arranged with members of congress to get them inserted in thé record. Then, using his position as a secretary, Hill orderéd large numbers of reprints which were mailed out from Dengelis headquarters, postage free, as official documents.

The prosecutors charge that Bennett, whén he was summoned before the grand jury, disposed of a ton or more of printed material which he had dccumulated for mailing. Eight mailbags of the literature, contained in envelopés bearing the frank of various members of Congress, were finally traced by investigators to a house office building storage space asignéd to Rep. Fish. . The congressmén have explained that they permittéd Dennett to circulate their speeches-and other material insértéd in the record in good faith and without knowing of his relations with Viereck.

Dennett's decision to “tell all” before the grand Jury followed his recent detention as a material witness and his denunciation by Justice PF. Dickinson Letts as a “willful obstructionist.”

Westbrook Pegler is on Vacation

By George Weller

BANJOEWANGI, OPPOSITE BALI, March 3.—As dawn broke over the mountains of Jap-occu-pied Bali one morning last week Dutch patrols watching the twomile strip of water separating the Japs from Java caught sight of a small outrigger canoe with two paddlers and two “coolies” sitting in the bottom. After a struggle with the currents that rush through the passage connecting thé Indian océan with the Javanése sea, the canoe grounded and was met by a patrol. The paddlers were Balinesé fishermen, the “cool ies” were two American dive-bombér pilots just returned from g visit with death.

They are Lt. Richard H. Launder of Los Angeles, and Sgt. Gunner I. A. Lnenicha of Seattle. Launder is 21, Lnenicha a year older. They were reported lost after a dive-bomber attack on a Jap convoy to Bali. They saved themselves from death and capture by miracles.

“Our dive was perfect,” said Launder. “We dropped from 14,000 feet directly upon a Jap cruiser. Our approach was sideways but our 600-pound pomb hit exactly upon the bow blowing it completely off. We flattenéd out at 1,500 feet. Our smaller bombs hit each side of the bow, making a perfect straddle. But as we flattened out over the water suddenly black oil covered our entire field of vision on the windshield. Our oil line had burst. Wé sank down slipping toward shore and crosséd directly over the airfield at Den Pasar. “The Japs probably thought we were goners. We skimmed along over the waves sinking continually lower, aiming for thé breakers. When we hit we managed somehow to stay uninjured and climbed out and made for the shore of the jungle.”

'We Got Our Cruiser’ /

“THERE WAS NO one on the beach,” he went on. - “We took the first path toward the mountain. We climbed the jungle path to the village of Taban- | nan.

“The natives gave us bananas and coconuts. One '

native chief gave each of us 25 Dutch cents, about

| 15 cents in American money. He warned us that two

Japs who had been sent as adminstrators to Taban- | nan were outside. We pushed on and spent two days | and nights walking until we reached a beach not far | from the Javanese channel. “Then we found a boy in a prau but he wanted 100 guilders (about $50) to take us across. Having only 6 guilders between us we were debating whether to threaten the profiteer with our watersoaked Colt when suddenly another friendly Balinese chief ap-’ peared. Speaking broken English he gave us 756 Dutch cents each and two coolie hats for camouflage and ordered the boy to take us across gratis. “Jap reconnaissance planes were overhead constantly and we expected every minute to be captured. But we finally entered the prau at sunset and after paddling for 13 hours we're here. So tell the folks at home there was only one and not two dive-bomber crews lost. And we got our cruiser.”

Editor's Noté: The views armed by columnists in this newspapér are their own, They are not necessarily those of The Indianapolis Times,

So They Say—

We bureaucrats, chained to desks in Washington, have too little opportunity to get out in the country and catch up with what people are feeling and thinking.—Price Administrator Leon Henderson.

* 8 es

Those in a position to indulge themselves should indulgence. snd those not i such a position

a

The ‘Hoosier Forum

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

“DON'T TAKE CIGARETS FROM OUR BOYS”

By B. E. Altum, 1027 S. West st. I have been waiting for some one better able to answer the letter in the Forum by a Robert Gemmer of Bloomington concerning taking the smokes and whisky from our boys in the service. I can’t think of anything more pitiful than a regiment of soldier boys who have always had their cigarets to be deprived“of them now of all times. I have a son in the navy and I know what it would mean to him. I'l be willing to go without sugar for coffee, yes, or rubber in my corset, but don't take the ciga-

|rets from our boys.

“ARE UNIONS GIVING JOBS TO. INCOMPETENTS?” By H. E. Marshall, 306 E. St. Joseph st.

The working men in the defense plants object now to the supervision of the plant owner's foreman. They go out on a strike because they are called down for some of the mistakes they make. Have we come to a place where an owner can't appoint a superintendent to look out for the interest of his own production and in doing so insure the government of getting safe materials to be used in our war. machinery? Or are the unions just placing any kind of labor in our factories wnether competent or not, and protecting them’ against being discharged as long as they pay union dues regardless of the kind of work put ous?

Are our government officials sO weak-kneed that they are going to continue a policy of appeasement to these men?

It sure is a good thing I am not secretary of labor instead of Madam Perkins. I would go to bat against these slackers and see that they either produced or they would pe in the front line trenches. I would make it compulsory for every factory to have competent inspectors on each part going into our airplanes so that we would not have thém falling all over the country and killing our pilots before they

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

troversies

even have a chance at Hitler or the Japs. This deporable condition can and should be remedied. After our new planes are produced, you, the public, would be surprised how accessible to: sabotage they are. No care taken to see that the motors are thoroughly tested and guarded

‘ |after test and assembly in plane.

Any saboteur or disgruntled workman can and does cause most of our plane disasters... , If you would be allowed to visit some of these plane factories you would see part of the cause, even meet some of it face to face. You would see your old grocery delivery boy or the drug clerk you used to see in the corner drug store or even some of the drug store cowboys, as the “hangers on” were called, never worked as mechanics or knew anything about a motor or for that matter, about work. Then look around at the ruined materials and you have a picture of what we are up against. Now these boys joined the union and do not have to know anything as long as they pay their dues and go out on a strike whenever they are told to do so. They think it is smart to strike because some union head that had an official look and talk told them that they were being abused. , . . On the other hand there are thousands of thoroughly competent mechanics hunting jobs who are good, willing workers but| can’t get jobs because they are over 40 years old or are not willing to join a union because they really want to give a full day's work for every dollar they receive. No, for some reason our officials turn a deaf ear. I wonder if it could be politics,

Side Glances=By Galbraith

maybe.

H

rier

FROM PINS TO

18,

i i

tired of them playing politics, with our safety and insist that a law be passed to either work or ® nett and eliminate union controlled labor at least until aftéer the war, and allow any and all compétent men regardless of age to work? ... What do you say, 40 to 60s, you can carry the load if the young ones will unload it on the Japs and Hitlér, can’t you? 2 2 ” {EXPLAINS PROBLEMS

OF NURSING HOMES By Margaret Colvin, 1828 N. Illinois st. I, as a nursing home operator, appreciate my position and: am happy to help some people solve their problems. If you have not had elderly people in your home you will not understand. The people here live better than when they had their own homes and families—servants to bathe, shampoo, trim their finger and toe nails, cut their hair, shave them—all they have to do is eat and sleep. My rule is they impose on no one

but themselves. They aré cared for when sick, given proper diet, chick-

per month, hot biscuits every week, bacon every morning with other food for breakfast. I get my people from recommendations from people I worked for before. Numerous cases have been sent to me almost hopeless, needing care from every angle, results have beén remarkable, course we lose cases and are unduly criticized the same as hospitals and doctors. Work with me for three weeks day by day and I'll accept any criticism you have to offer. I am sure you want to help us, and if so, you would have to know our problems, then lend us your assistance. » » o “WATCH FOR COWARDS WHO REFUSE TO SALUTE FLAG” By M. S. Ittner, 2703'2 College ave. Commander Mathews of the navy recruiting station here was heard today to say that during the navy parade several men were seen to turn their backs rather than take off their hats when our flag went by. He said he hoped our citizens would take care of them and if we had to, he would have men with bayonets to prod them in the next parade. As an ex-sailor of the last world war and a member of V. F. W. and American Legion, I urge all citizens to watch for these cowards who refuse to uncover for our flag and turn them in that they be made to go into the army and fight for our country where they are enjoying the freedom they have ...

8 wn 8

PROPELLORS

By A Subscriber, Indianapolis. The thing that sickens me during this terrible crisis is the fact that

bodied, to stand in stores and sell baby pins and other silly bits of

them in defense plants at least until

i

4

oi

and when the public is going to get|

en every Sunday, meat three times

of |

we allow big, fat, well fed men, able |

jewelry and furs to women. Put]

i

Rr Ranger. an To og GRAPHS, by 5 {5 Bases. of oseiph * Buell n, 124 nite.

New Books By Stephen Ellis

THE TITLE 18 Square.” Englisiman, Patrick © H: And it's quite & story. it holds you ténse and excited.

writing man, with a touch that makes éven the most ‘Borrible HE an episode and not a shock. : . His hero is a tragic figure; George Bone, with schirzophrenia—split personality. In his moments, George Bone is a pathetie, deluded J lishman chasing a woman not worth & When “Click!” the curtain drops éver his a scheming, clear-thinking individual, mutdér of the girl who has ruined his life. step, Mr. Hamilton takes George Bone from erisis—and the last one. Powerful fiction.

Lincoln in Pictures

THIS 18 A slightly belated, but nene the less

enthusiastic, cheer for Stefan Lorant’s Pluie arta tive book, “Lincoln: His Life in Photographs.”

The photographs, the printing, the organidation gi

are all superb. It is not only the story of Lincoln’s life, it is the story of Lincoln’s era, the story ef the civil war, the story of Booth, and all that goes with it. If you have children in your family, I urge you to add this volume to your list of family books. Its 4 magnificent job. get

Chronicle of the Pueblos.

AND TALKING ABOUT picture books, there. is “The Pueblos,” by Laura Gilpin. It is another in the series by Hastings House, the publisher wha is plo neering in this type of volume. Hastings has done a remarkable job in the last few years with its series

on thé Americas and this latest is very much oH & ms :

with the others. “The Pueblos” is a camera chronicle of that South\western civilization, more than adequately explained lin the textual matter. | The point about this one is that Miss. Gilpin's

| photography is really something to write about. Take

a look for yourself. by Pairick Hamilton, n “pages,

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

5

astings House, N

and ext, ike on t ted 3 Sock

THIS IS THE story of Miriam, another brave Englishwoman, Ours was one of those “ships that pass in the nigh " meetings which leave lasting impressions. London-born, educated at Cambridge, she was just past 15° when the last war started. . about her age, she became a VAD, so her nursing career started:'in reverse. She had her \eriegos before her training. TH heat A small income enabled her to visit in the States where she quickly made friends, and destiny finally set her down at Charlotte, N. C. After the'de~ pression had gobbled up her income she worked Yor a living, this time buying a home in the mountsins where she learned the ‘art of weaving and made a success of it. : Much later romance came along and ina ‘opular story-book. fashion.

How Fate Works

ONE DAY MIRIAM picked up a newspaper and read in it the letter of a man who expressed himself wrathfully about Britain. Mad as hops, she sent. in a reply which he saw and which must have interested

him, since he started a correspondence with her, came

to see her and asked her to marry him. Chtis lived {fn Minnesota, and finally persuaded Miriam to come

west. There she returned to her first occupation, doing practical nursing while she applied: for oliinatithip papers. . - One unfortunate day Chris suffered a fall which forced him to spend months in a hospital cast; Miriam helped care for him and upon his recovery wedded hopes bloomed once more. Miriam said what she thought would be & last goodby to Carolina and headed again for Minnesota, this time to visit Chris’ family, after which it would be heigh-ho for Florida and honeymoohing,

But fate willed otherwise, ‘This time penumonia

struck down the bridegroom, and within 24 hours Chris was dead. The stunning blow fell in Jantsry, 1942. Now Miriam, whité-faced and smiling above a white uniform, works alone. Her family ih England cannot come to her; she cannot go to them, * Thus a woman who says she will never marry earns her bread in the homes of others, ‘mothering the babies of other women. Bright, brave, gallant Mitism, I salute you, dauntless soldier in the battle of lite,

=

Questions and Answers

(The Indianapolis Times Service Bureas wm ay question of fact or information. mot invélving search. Write vour auestion clearly. a ro. inclose a three-cent postage stamp. Med or legal Finfiirt cannot be given, Address. The Times d Bureau. 1018 Thirteenth St. Washington, D. Waniscin

A— Q-=Which city in the United States enacted mo first blackout ordinance? A-Beattle, which adopted such a measure: about a year ago, preparatory to a practice air-raid drill.

Q—What does the term “potato masher” signify

in the present war? A—A Russian hand grenade.

Q—+What causes a creaking stairway, ee

it be remedied? A—Usually it is caused by the

Harry Pidgeon completed a four-year around the world alone in a 34-foot yawl in 19 a. A Ping Mon’ smttmes 8

TCC Uf Ut Shi antings of Spa is hegvy, Sagiren. simply means hoary S065 ~~ Q—Where is “The Garden of Allah” -Hichen’s novel of that title? A~The scene is laid in North Africa, | Sahara Desert is called “The Garden of Allah

* Q—Who announced the abdication of Edward to the British House pf COtmORSE..

The author is: young

mii FR SN WO elt

Happy-hearted