Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 16 March 1942 — Page 11
The Indianapolis Times
Ww. HOWARD RALPH BURKHOLDER MARK FERREE [dent Editor Business Mariger
“ SORIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER)
«= Howard News~ Alliance, NEA and Audit Bu-
Givy Light and the People Will Find Their Otom Woy
- MONDAY, MARCH 16, 1942
DON'T TELL MacARTHUR
Leaders of the United Auto Workers have just won
‘an arbitration decision in Detroit. It gives them double |
‘time in all General Motors plants when the men work on Sundays or holidays, even though this work is merely part of a 40-hour week. ~~ _ Where would they look if they met MacArthur?
> ¢
THE IDES OF MARCH | )
rN Act I, Caesar and his satellites encounter the sooth3 sayer, who cries out shrilly: “Beware the ides of March.” “He is a dreamer,” says Caesar, “let us leave him—pass.” i “~ And in Act III, on his last journey to the capitol, Caesar again crosses the path of the soothsayer, and jokes ‘with Him: “The ides of March are come.” And the soothsayer replies: “Aye, Caesar; but not gone.”
p ” o ” HE ides are come to 13 or 14 million Americans, more : than twice the number who paid federal income taxes last year. More voters than at any time in our history. are meeting the U. S. tax collector face to face. And the political repercussion is something wonderful to behold. Talk with any congressman and he will testify to the rank-and-file revolt on the economy issue. He will tell you that he is hearing from home as never before about the loose and easy spending, and from voters who previously had not bothered to complain of the extravagances. And what he hears convinces the average congressman that “beware the ides of March” is more than‘-an empty warning to the soft and slothful, gimme-gimme, spend-and-spend, elect-and-elect theory of government. It was no coincidence that the house of representatives, in the final day’s debate on the agriculture appropriation bill, cut out 48 million dollars, including a slash of 8 million in travel expenses. The members had heard from home on Pullman-car farming. i » AXPAYERS are not begrudging the money spent for war. They are willing to give till it hurts, and give ‘more. But they don’t want—and are telling their congressmen they don’t want—their money wasted maintaining fat payrolls in bureaus whose activities are no longer essential. © They don’t want their taxes spent by bureaucrats riding around on purposeless jaunts, at government expense, burning up gasoline and rubber and Weating out irreplaceable - automobiles, They're not earmarking their taxes to hire large staffs
8 # 8
of press agents and ghost writers, to publish bulletins and
pamphlets that are not read, to give needless advice to farmers or to counsel consumers on how to use freckle creams and avoid sunburn. They don’t want to pay for co-ordinators of bowling, ~or badminton, or horseshoe-pitching—or any other strength-through-joy boondoggle. Or to maintain in accustomed style ‘the NYA, or CCC, or WPA, or AAA, or any other madework, pump-priming, subsidy-paying alphabetical agency. ~ Taxpayers know the depression of the ’30s has. passed. And they are beginning to feel in their own purses and family budgets this new and different. ‘depression of the "40s.
s 8 =» EN congress broadened the income-tax base, it did something more than tap a source of much-needed ‘additional revenue. It doubled the number of citizens who ‘pay direct and visible taxes to the governmeni snd touched ‘the pocketbook nerve. -
Aye, the ides of March are come , . , but not gone.
™0 KINDS OF Ci COURAGE
CHIEF stock in trade of most professional patriots and Fourth of July orators is the word “courage.” With sweat on their brows, they wear themselves into a frenzy extolling the fearlessness of American heroes, ; _.. "But there are other kinds of courage, just as important, ust as laudable, Read this calm excerpt, from a letter ‘written by a mother to her son with the army guarding the
“All we can do is to be &s COUragecus as We can, under ‘whatever gircumastances, Our main thought, to save our cause eveh though we’ ourselves die. We all die sooner or later. A . soldier can give put little ‘thought to his actual life. What : © really counts is how he acquits himself during the few moments, _ days, years he does live during conflict, “And #0, if and when you do engage yourself in conflict, io. nob Waste & moment or thought in preserving your own life. Instead, see how much you can accomplish for your own Te and Sourgeously you may do your task, be
a oo 3 ores or Theo on aaa i
er ania E.Coli nb tr tion 3 Saud
Cleveland sporting know. Sports Rr didn’t index it. - Finally, the the city Tegreation defartivent yielded dhe a
live that you can look MacArthur in the ave” :
tributing more than money to the
qovie Hii od Feenbmdiedi |
| By lieu. Gon Per Lear
‘Make them work or fight’ strikes. But I do want to say this on behalf of soldier-man: The individual who is unwilling to we don't want picked up and sent to us to join combat troops. He isn't good enough. We don't want his spirit. And we don’t want his presence. . . “No, if you want to discipline make useful those that have refused to work faithfully with the
team, let labor battalions be formed for them. Let |
such men be given the job of building the highway to Alaska, or being put to work in Labrador, in Creenland. Draft them, yes; but our society of men béing trained to Spat sf die for their republic is not a reform school. Just as wé accept none but the physically fit, so we want none but the morally worthy.”
About Civilians’ Roles
“YOUR organization, that involves the complete civilian effort, is what will do more than any amount of cheering, entertaining and gift giving to give confidence to the soldier that the great American team is functioning. When this soldier sees that every household is organized against waste, is following & plan of conservation, is definitely coneffort, then he will hive grester pride and confidence tn the unity of our war eff
a \
About Winning the War
“YOUR SONS ARE being made into fighters. Their instructions may be varied and requires professional skill, but their mission is simple—~to destroy the enemy, on land, on the seas and in the air. - “FIGHTERS WILL WIN. “Their families at home, their neighbors around the corner, their teamworkers in the factories and on the farms, they, too, belong grimly, determinedly, unselfishly, in the ranks of the warriors of the _republic. They, too, must fight for every advantage that may be given their men and their allies on the battle fronts. At home, as greatly as on the seas, in the deserts, among the jungles, and over mountains and plains—FIGHTERS WILL WIN.”
Westbrook Pegler is on Vacation
Aviation By Maj. Al Williams
\
IT S8EEMS A SHAME that so little attention is paid the gallantry of the men who are fighting the “under” side of America’s “vertical flank” war. I mean the submarine captains and crews. All past wars were won and * lost by turning the enemy's horizcntal flank—npaturally horizontal because all the forces were fighting on the surface of the sea and land. While it is difficult to assimilate all the news of the sinkings of Jap warships and transports by America sub-sea forces, these lads are doing a grand job. You read that an American sub, operating alone or in the company of a few others, has sunk a Jap warship or transport far off in the Pacific. Piece this picture together and appreciate the daring of these undersea sailors, Housed in a fragile hull, cautiously avoiding eagle eyes aloft, skipper and crew sail under and on the water, braving the caprices of the sea for thousands of miles, The comradeship of common danger knits each ttle group into a relationship that defies domparison, lithlely they have picked their way through the ‘deepest water areas in the world; i. e, the Brooke deep, 10,000- 18,000 feet; the Tuscurora, the Swire deep, the Philippine deep, the Bailey, the Murray, the Nero deep—all ocean areas ranging better than 300 fathoms (18,000 feet). = - But thése things and hundreds of islands mean nothing to our “under flank” fighting men. Our subs are-cutting deeply into Japafi's tr and warship tonnage. No more indemitable fighting spirit can be found in any human heart. These men are hurting Japan below the water line—~where it counts,
Hit-and-Run Warfare
OUR NAVY, IN fighting a slashing frontier type of warfare on this distant ocean front, is truly hitting its stride, This. is the forte we expected -our navy people would quickly develop, and they are exceeding the estimates. “Hit and run” is a type of war taetic which appeals to the American, since it requires imagination extreme daring: And one bright angle is slowly developing; i. e.,
| the longer the Japs extend their sea lines of com-
munication, the harder it will be to protect them, and the greater the opportunities for our: ingenious sea commanders, ~ Hit-and-run is the standing order of strategy and tactis of this war. Until that conception is driven
{ home to those in high places, we can expect a con-
The Hoosier Forum
I wholly disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it—Voltaire.
“WAY TO FIGHT 18 IN OUR OWN ENVIRONS” By Raymond H. Stone, 531 E. 56th st.
There are some ways of conduct that have never changed. One is expressed in the quaint saying—the shortest way home is the longest way round. The natural way for Americans to fight is in their own environs. Germany fired on us first, Japan second and Italy third—so to speak. There is ‘one straightforward line of fighting to follow but it is the longest. That is to take a step at a time. We should station our army and navy on the waters and islands necessary between mid-oceans from pole to pole and systematically destroy every naval and merchant ship of Germany, Japan and Italy that approaches either North or South America. Keep this up on the spirit of Grant who said, “We will fight it out on this line if it takes all summer.” ” 2 2 “LET'S STOP ELECTING THE GIMME BOYS”
By Bert Wilhelm, 2106 S. Emerson ave. Tom Paine once said, “This is the time that tries men’s souls.” I say that this is the time that tries men’s patience. This would be inore likely to fit present conditions. ° If we decide to make angeffort te eliminate the “gimme” class in the future we must see to it that conservative men are nominated and elected at the coming primary
|election. Men who will stop giv-
ing public money to the “gimmies” and men who will put the om mies” to work.
We cannot do this by nominate the self-appointed candidate who will spend his time from now, until the by saying “gimme a vote” — “gimme your support” — “gimme a life lease on a job at the court house” while all the ‘while, under his (or her) breath saying; “gimme a chance to create more jobs for the ‘gimmies’ who elected me”—‘“gimme more time for golf and recrgation”—“gimme more salary and less responsibility”’—‘gimme, oh, gimmie a place on the organization slate.” We can relieve or correct condi-
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(Times readers are invited to express their views in these columns, religious controversies excluded, Make your letters short, so all can have a chance. Letters must -be signed.)
tions by selecting capable men and getting behind them at the primary election. We can make democracy work by worl ourselves and not leaving it to the fellow who is in it for what he can get out of it for himself and for his friends. 8 » ” “YOUR WAKE-UP EDITORIAL FULL OF RASH STATEMENTS”
»y 41582 Boule-
This week there™has appeared an editorial which I feel deserves comment, and in part severe criticism. . I refer, of course, to “Wake Up, America — It's Late.” The title is
Wm. Bruce Cameron, ard pl.
good and the general tone stimu-
lating, but I fear that in his zeal the writer overstepped the borders of truth and fact and turned to that ancient device of the propagandizing press, innuendo and emotionally toned wordage. LR J The most unfortunate statement, from my point of view, is the re‘mark -about the COC and the NYA. The implication clearly carried in these words is that the boys in both are a bunch of draft dodgers growing rich in idleness while effectively bankrupting Uncle Sam. You do not state it in such highly colored words as I just have, but that is what it is going to mean to the average, uncritical reader, What you have done is to make; a general condemnation of two general branches of your government, and of the young men aided by these. And you have backed these rash statements up with absolutely no facts. In rebuttal I will make specific statements, which you do not do. Is it too strong to say can not do? I know nothing of the CCC, but I am on the NYA. I am allowed
to work eight hours & month at 37%
Side Glances=By Galbraith
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SEEEEE
1 E§
cents an hour. A total of three dollars a month, Is that pampering? Also the implication is that we are hiding out under the NYA
“Iwhen we should be in the army.
It has certainly not been shown| that the NYA exempts anyone from the draft. While I have not checked my facts, I am reasonably sure that the same holds for the CCC. I could criticize other statements in the editorial similarly, but I believe these will serve sufficiently to clarify my point. . . . The press is no doubt the most powerful means of arousing public interest and producing action, For that very reason, it is the duty of every newspaperman to see to it that he does not allow his feelings, though they may be-sound, to lead him into rash statements. Many things are being said, and will be said, that their originators, if they
live to regret. Please do not allow yourself to be among those who say them. » # » “WRITE ABOUT SOMETHING YOU KNOW, MR. D.” By G. Wm. Cain, 2042 N. Olney st. It seems I'm being challenged to
rect spot as to politicians and lawyers. Merely stating that my opinjon was the same as Mr. H W, Daacke, wasn't enough for that worthy} so I'll do that now. I think we can do without them long enough to let them help us win this war. But I'll leave it to the selective service board to decide. However, my vote is to place them on the common and unimportant level. We have in store enough production of politicians to last a long time. Mr. Daacke wants me also to point out where he denied the. farmer his “just” portion in the field of production toward maintaining society, As for his writings before Feb, 24, I never read them or never noticed anything about them anyway, but the one of Feb. 24 I did. I read such examples of knowledge as “nature produces everything he (the farmer) garners, just as it does rough diamonds, coal, copper, trees,” etc, (remember nature needs no aid in producing these things). And the best of all, “Yes, they sure have, for if they had moved
|to Texas, nature would have pro-
vided three good crops to garner in
the same time it provided one crop in this locality.”
These two statements have been made by Mr. Daacke on the subject
lof farming or ‘classifying them in
the production system, Whether it is “nasty insinuations of ignorance” or whatever it is, it does not be-
" what : have read, MF. has convinced me that he
‘|eould surely find something to write| {about that he knows more Spout $han; farming.
have memory and conscience, willl’
place my point of view in one di-|
In proof of their youth theory Stonewall Jackson in the confederacy and about Lee and Joe Johnston, who were bebe oo for supreme command.
Remember, MacArthur Is Bil : ir THEY DWELL ON NAPOLEON, Wik: Bad. gms
of greater ‘wars. /They don’t remember MacArthur who is 61, but warn the president to recall that he, too, is of nearly that age. They rarely mention Ghengis Khan, who ‘Was probably the world’s greatest military genius and continued victorious into old age, Alexandet the Great is their classic example, but they don’t offen say that he was so handicapped by the follies of the young that he made an ass of himself in most of the known world and died, crocked ‘to the gills, before he had consolidated his conquests. Almost as many examples could be given on one side as the other. That doesn’t necessarily answer the argument th t in war the vigor and valor and imagination of youth have proved to be great assets, but it
| is a caution that youth alone is not enough.
There's More Than Age to It
THAT CAUTION is particularly ‘appropriate at the beginning of a war when few officers, either young or aging, have had a chance to prove what they have on the ball, exept; the 111s of annysl efisiensy reporis generally made out by older men and frequently based on the youngsters’ orthodoxy and devotion to tradition. The brash young Bolsheviks, as they are called— the innovators—usually get indifferent or adverse reports in the piping times of peace. It is best to ‘walt to see if a young man is also a good man before we go off half-cocked. Largely due to the clamor of columnists, we are getting new generals young enough to reduce the average age of high command to 48. Many of these appointments are excellent, but in some of them the candidate’s outstanding qualities are his lack of important war experience and his ability to say “yes, sir” and “very well, sir” with conviction. . All of this is only to remind you that in war you can’t take anything for granted. ; The qualities of a great general are the sum of all his characteristics—not just one of them.
A Woman's. Viewpoint By Mrs Walter Forguson
' THE DAUGHTERS: of the American Revolution have decided to meet this year in Chicago instead of in Washington. They are ‘wise. ‘There is no need for conventions to add to the confusion and crowding on the Potomac. An assemblage of oorsaged Daughters might have lent fragrance and color to the tity this spring, but the public {sin no mood for orchids just now. The R. A. R, owns a large and expensive hall here, and in normal times it is the logical place for their annual meetings, which have become a dear tradition with them. But this year I think they do a patriotic service by going elsewhere. And that goes for other organizations, masculine as well as feminine. .
Conditions Almost Fantastic
* CONDITIONS IN the District of Columbia are ‘abnormal until they border on the fantastic.’ One fact is obvious, The, overcrowding, the inconvenience to workers, the nerve tension visited upon inhabitants by a further influx of visitors, can add up to one ‘thing only—a slowing down of the war effort. It may not be necessary for women's clubs to ‘call off their conventions, but ‘it should be clear that they must not impose mass meetings where traffic congestion is out of } hotel rooms are unattaina cab and transfer systems are business and where eating overflowing all the time. - ar The desire to serve our country in th is widespread, intense and admirable; outside the capital can serve it best now by sta where they are until they are given to do. And this applies especially to clul Editor's Note: newspaper are. their own, . They are | of The Indianapolis Times, *
Quatlcns nd Answers
(The Indianapolis Times Serviss Duress will answer: any Hon, hh LHVRIVING ERISHANE Hes
Q—How tall. and Tow aay is Winston Churchill, and is it true that he Wag § ssven-months’ ebild? A—He was & seven-months’ baby and is 5 feet 8
inches tall and weighs about 236 pounds.