Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 19 March 1942 — Page 16

1e Indianapolis Times|

ROY W. HOWARD RALPH BURKHOLDER - MARE FERREE President Fret Editor Business Manager (A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER)

Fubiuting ES W.. Member of United Pres, s

Scripps - Howard News-: Bevin and. Aud NEA Audit Bureau of

Give Light ond the People Wik Find Their Own Way

THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 1943

MACARTHUR CAN'T MAKE MIRACLES MAC ARTHUR is our best and most popular general. But he is not a miracle-maker. The sooner all of us get this straight the better for victory. We think MacArthur can cope with the enemy.

month endows him with magic powers and the next crucifies him for failing to do the impossible. : “Victory in war results from no mysterious alchemy or wizardry but depends entirely upon the concentration of superior force at the critical points of combat.” This is MacArthur's own statement. It is not original fwith him. It is the same “git-thar-fustest-with-the-mostest” which has been repeated over and over again:by the military geniuses of history, and ignored over and: over again . by miracle-hoping civilians and politicians, s 2» s 8 @ ALL this talk about a “quick offensive” and “rolling back the Japs to Tokyo,” which greets the announcement of MacArthur's promotion, is as unfair to him as it' is dangerous to public morale. To expect a successful offensive immediately from ‘Australia is as silly as to have demanded that his small force drive the Japs out of the Philippines. : Certainly MacArthur can take the offensive. But not tomorrow. Not until he is given “the concentration of su- _ perior force.” Whether that is one month, or six, or never, depends on others than MacArthur. It depends first on the Roosevelt-Churchill priority ~ policy, and conflicting demands of other world fronts. It depends next on the navy’s and the merchant marine’s ability to deliver the goods, after they: have been produced and allocated. It depends also on Australia’ # ability to furnish most of the troops. . And it depends on President Roosevelt and Prime Ministers Churchill and: Curtin curbing national jealousies and service rivalries, which weakened Wavell’s ill-fated supreme command of the southwest Pacific. Until the new supreme commander gets superior force of manpower and machine power, he may repeat the daring raids of his brilliant Philippine defense but he cannot be expected to wipe out the Japs.

: THINGS YOU SHOULD No

or football games, but hm area few things we are not doing which hurry .the day when we. can toot the whistles and ring the bells: For every 24 autos we are NOT making, we have saved enough rubber and. steel for a 27-ton tank; for each automobile we are NOT making, we have saved enough tin to coat 1000 cans in: which to pack food for the armed services; for every 700 automobiles we are NOT making, we have saved enough aluminum to make one fighter plane. Are you still down in.the mouth about having to take to foot, or bus, or even to horse?.

FATHER COUGHLIN AND OUR WAR

(From The Cincinnati Post)

HERE is a publication printed in America and sold on Cincinnati's streets and on the steps of some churches which: . Praises Hitler for letting: the French “carry on in part of their nation and thereby retain part of their self-respect.” Affirms that. the Nipponese war lords’ policy of “Asia for the Asiatics . . . is nothing more than an expression of our own Monroe Doctrine.” : Says that Germany is the innocent victim of a “sacred war declared against her nine years ago by the Jews.” . Declares that the idea of an allied offensive is “Moscowborn” and, if attempted, “will produce a defeat abroad and #he liquidation of Americanism at home.” ® 8 = 8 8 8 A 25 HAT publication is Father Coughlin’s “Social Justice.” The examples given above are only a few of his preachments selected at random, but they give you the idea. Father Coughlin could not be doing a better job for Joseph Goebbels if he were being paid a million dollars a year in Nazi gold. This is war. The stake is America’ s independence and the preservation of our democratic beliefs and practices. It may cost the lives of many thousands of American soldiers and sailors to win this war. It will cost many billions of dollars, severe sacrifices to civilians and Sjsruption ~ of the normal life of this nation. Loyal Americans say the cause Is worth any price we must pay. ; ; Father Coughlin dissents.

FOR A FREE PRESS

AT a time when civil liberties are curtailed by the’ exigencies of world war, there is encouragement in the Louisiana supreme court’s decision dismissing contempt " -against New Orleans newspapers. Too unquestioningly, some of us fear, the nation’s press permitting bureaucracy to dictate what shall and shall ot be printed, . Every responsible newspaper editor shrinks from the dread responsibility of publishing war and proion data which, ‘official Washington thinks might help axis. gn Under stich. restictions, the spotlight of publicity may

kept off of incompetence and corruption. This makes dt |

ly Zdtimetative that where no confidential facts are con- , the newspapers’ should remain Sommlesely free to 2 official action.

WILL BE GIRLS

A New Russia By A..T. Steele

battlefront to the Pacific but the great part of the new development. is going on in the area between the Volga basin and Lake Baikal—a region roughly 2000 miles deep.

‘No Longer the "Wild West"

know he cannot survive a fickle public opinion, which one |.

INDUSTRIALLY, THE main concentration of new and transplanted enterprises is growing up along the Ural mountains.’ But there is tremendous expansion, too, in the Kuznetz basin, situated in middle Siberia. .Russia’s belt-of maximum security embraces much of the: Volga basin, Siberia, the Urals, the grasslands of Kazakhstan and such small but important middleAsian “republics as = Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kirghizia. All are infused with intense new vitality as a result of the war. Consider Uzbekistan gnd its capital, Tashkent, once a primitive frontier area, later the “wild west” of bolshevik Russia, and now a sanctuary for numerous institutes, cultural organizations and factories from war-stricken districts. Tashkent’s population has swollen enormously.

Changing 100,000 Acres of Desert

' UNIQUELY’ BOLSHEVIK are the methods employed in the construction. of the northern Tashkent canal and dam—a project involving the excavation of more than: 3,000,000 cubic yards of earth and due for completion on April 8, less than three months after its beginning. Laboring under the glare of floodlights by night and the glitter of the desert sun by day, a pick-and-shovel army of 15,000 peasants and city workers, divided into competitive brigades, is exhorted to the utmost effort by Communist agitators and Soviet officials. .Each Sunday trainloads and truck caravans ‘of housewives and other city dwellers, accompanied by. an orchestra, come down from Tashkent to contribute a day of labor to the community project. They start shoveling at 3 o'clock in the morning and work until sundown. : Sie More than 100,000 acres of desert will be watered through harnessing the Bozsu river. That is the new Russia. :

Westbrook Pegler is on Vacation

Britain's Rations By Helen Kilgaind,

LONDON, March 1, = Coal, electricity and gas are to be ra-

-- tioned -and: the clothes ration is: to.

be: further reduced, Hugh Dalton, _ president of the board of trade, has just told parliament. Whereas in the current “ra- - tion year” Britons have enjoyed a clothes quota of 66 coupons, from June 1 they will have to make 60 : coupons cover a period of 14 ‘months. Rations thus will have been reduced by 15 coupons a person. In the case of men, that means one pair of shoes and on: tie less in the next ration year; for women,

reduction of one pair of shoes, one pair of gloves, hy

pairs of stockings and one slip. Double-breasted suits and cuffs on trousers and

| codts are definitely forbidden, whether ready-made or

made to order.

Biggest Item: Stockings

THOSE WHO CAN keep their clothes in good repair will emerge from the.new year of restriction in better shape than the indolent or helpless. The latter category comprises not of cripples, as might be supposed, but those: women whose work leaves them no time for doing their own laundry and mending and men who have no wives or servants to do their mending for them. Probably no worse than most commercial laundries the world over, those in England are, nevertheless, hard on clothes and this is today’s tragedy. Among people moderately well off, the men have

;been the most economical in the use of coupons and

if ‘their wives have not-used their surpluses they will

reach the new year with.coupons to spare.

Women, incidentally, have found that stockings take the greatest toll of ‘coupons—one pair, whether of silk or cotton, cost two coupons;

So They Say—

The on the Cressy, Russia.

whole . outcome of. World War II may turn Soviet ‘Union’s ability to carry on.—George American Stologiat, recently returned from *

If it were: not for our civilian defense, - there

would be no London, and Great Britain would not be in the war today—~Thomas F. McManamon, London fire battalion chief to U. 8. civilian defense

. group.

In a thousand communities, and in 30 million kitchens, men ‘and women create the real sinews of victory—the strength and vigor of the whole people—~ Paul V. McNutt to the Nutrition. Foundation,

* * .

Tho. pulls will not waver : in. iia determination Su 3 es Fevduclion oe Way) or SHO Donald M. Nelson.

Hold on. I am coming. Callahan.—Message hand-'

ed telegraph company at Lynn, Mass, for Gen. MacArtin by JOUsg Sn entering dung. .

J. . * tn war there. is never enough of anything —Dr. T. V. Soong, Sopng::Toreign minister. of. China, te te -

Australiahs must be awaré of the fact that it will

be impossible: for Australia to defend: herself against |

our invincible forces. —Premier Tojo of Japan. ew ; The tssue of the war is not economic or political. What is at stake is the soli of man, whether it EE avert me ey. Tam H, Cockbuen, ;moderafar of the; Church 'of Sootiand. :

The time may nok be fer off when it wil be A assign’ th

I wholly

The Hoosier Forum

disagree with what you say,

defend to the death your right to say it.—Voltaire.

but will

“IF WE DO NOT HEED, WE ARE BEATEN!” By Col. Roscoe Turner, Municipal Airport Your editorial “Wake Up America, It’s Late!,” is, without doubt, the finest piece of writing I have seen printed in any part of the United States. It is too bad that every human being in this great country. of - ours can’t read this marvelous piece of editorial work; it tells the truth, and puts it in such plain language that it is easily understood by everybody. -I.certainly hope that you can get other newspapers throughout - the country to reprint this editorial, and if the people of the United States do not heed this message, Wwe ‘are beaten, and there is nothing in the world to keep us from being overrun by the enemy! : ! 2 8 = “ARTICLE A TRIBUTE TO AMERICAN DEMOCRACY” By Graydon Collier, Anderson, Indiana Your timely editorial printed across the.top of your last evening paper should be run in the same a |Place every day, on every edition, until it is changed to either a 48 or 60-hour week. I would also suggest a “gilt-edge” copy ‘be sent our great white father, the commander-in-chief of all armed bodies of these United States who sits in the tall seat in the White House in Washington. Such an article: as yours is a tribute to American democracy. 'It should appear in the same position on every paper in. the land. 2 ” 8 “I SUPPOSE YOU WOULD SEND US OVER THE HILL" By C. M., Indianapolis I read with great gusto your editorial of “Wake Up, It's La Also this p. m., The “Ides of March” in which you condemn the NYA, CCC, WPA, AAA. I have no knowledge of .the four you speak of, only WPA. What. would you:do with us group of Americans? I suppose send us over the hill. ' As everyone %nows, if ‘you have a few gray hairs, if any left, you cannot get any work. If you don’t believe it, just name the

hy (Times: readers. are invited to express their’ views. in ‘these columns, religious: cone troversies excluded. Make your letters short, so-all*can have a'chance. Letters must . be signed.)

day. I will come to your office for you and we will start out. ‘But we will have to walk. And as. for wage, we get 48¢ an hour and since last November we never; more than 48 down to 24 hours. a two weeks. Does that seem bankruptcy for U. S. and ‘we don’t boondoggle either. Out in: mud,; snow, heat, etc. 1 we don't get in our time, we don’t eat. Can: you use a good man at your office? -If you can, I will drop WPA like a’ hot potato .and there are many like me, ns 8 “DO YOU WANT LABOR TO BE SLAVES?”

By Harry Crane, 1246 Oliver ave. ‘In your recent editorials on the overtime situation and pay for overtime you mention how France has to work for the Germans. Do you want American labor to be slaves, too? I'll admit there are some very unreasonable demands being ‘made, but if you will also- admit that -all of ‘labor is not’ in favor of these but are forced to-ride along with the racketeers at the top, who are ruling the ‘labor situation. Then comes the employer profiteers who don’t want to pay labor a fair share of their production. I suppose they would like to make labor work 15 to 18 ‘hours: without overtime: pay. If they: want to. work - overtime, let them pay the men alittle of the gravy they. are: getting. Now if there is a shortage of labor why is there a need of an appropriation to- help the unemployed, why the WPA," COC’ and a number of things? Why not give them jobs in private inddstries? Why not put the old men back on

their jobs, men who could do a

Side Glances— By -Galbraith

EF EiLE. i

TH] ile

damn sight. better day’s work, and would, than any young buck. Give us a job. 8 8 8 “GIVE US MORE %" PEGLER AND JOHNSON” By C. W. Wainright, R. R. 12, Box 217 I concur with W, B. Paul a hun-

.| ded per cent in his letter of March

14 with reference to cutting out Eleanor’s “My Day.” If nothing else Eleanor’s disgraceful boondoggle of the OCD was enough to wake up any real-

thinking American to the golden racket she has made of her husband’s office, so why impose on the readers ‘of your good: paper with any more of “My Day” column? “Give us more of Pegler and Gen. Johnson’s stuff. They have the future of our great country and its safety uppermost in their columns. More of the Modern Barbara

.| Pritchie cartoons in place of Elea-

nor’s “My Day.” Let Eleanor stay home where she belongs and make an effort to add dignity to her husband’s office as

done. , . . 8 8 8

“JOHNSON HAS WONDERFUL DIVERSIFIED KNOWLEDGE” By W. E. Rosen, Jamestown With reference to Mr. W. B. Paul in The Times’ issue of the 14th: I ‘heartily agree with you; so am I fed up on it. What's all the grinning about—no reason for it. I think The Times is a swell paper and I enjoy reading the commentators, especially Gen. Johnson. He has a wonderful diversified knowledge and can put it out. But that “My Day,” I cover it over with my hand so I can read the piece

above it. 2 8.8

“OBJECTS TO WOMEN IN ARMY.CAMPS” By Mrs. M..R. Strance; Coal City I have heard that they are going to put women in camps to help entertain the boys in service. I think that is the worst thing on earth for our boys. . , . 1 think the decent people that have worked so hard to

‘Taise their s right could do something about such a_ disgrace as

this. , 5 « , a 8 8

“WE WILL HAVE TO FIGHT LABOR, THEN THE FARMER”

. |By W. Cash, 305 N. Chester st:

We have a ‘large-sized war on hand and if we, lick the Japs and Hitler we will have to start at home. We will have to fight labor first,

Ef, 8 E lL Ch

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the First Ladies ¢f the past have

Fad ey

Sa ys—

WASHINGTON, ‘March 19. We are going on a sugar ration and the price of sugar is higher than a cat’s back—higher than at any recent time since the great 4inflation of 1920. Of course this argues a great shortage of available supply, but . such is not the case. The world’s greatest supply of sugar comes from Cuba, where al« most 6,000,000 tons were raised in their hey-day of 1929. Our other Sources were Puerto Rico, Hawaii and until recently thé Philip= pines. We raised in the United States at the maximum 2,300,000 tons or about 80 per cént of all in 1939, It was also about 90 per cent of the production of Cuba, Puerto Rico and Hawaii. : But we did not permit the full production of these island associates of ours to come in freely. We have even sometimes treated Hawaii as though she were not part of the United States in this regard.

Necromancy, That's What It Is

BY VARIOUS DEVICES of quotas and tariffs on this off-shore sugar throughout these years, we have sought to inflate the price to American. farmers in the beet sugar states and Louisiana (cane sugar) in order artificially to create a higher market. It was something like our buying almost useless silver at artificially inflated prices for the purpose of politically appeasing the sparsely settled silver producing states or putting an excise tax on the

‘| importation of the strategic material, copper.

We even went to the point of putting our doe mestic production of beet and cane sugar on a quota system to cut the production and thus, by creating an artificial domestic shortage, increase the - price to the American consumer. With all that, the consumer is now to go on a sugar ration, notwithstanding that there is now no real shortage even of domestic sugar. Something of this same necromancy is true of petroleum. We not only have plenty of petroleum actually flowing for our own uses, but we have a vast but unknown quantity of it “pinched-in” the ground to avoid over-production and waste,

The Consumer Is the Goat

MR. JESSE JONES will doubtless spend some une comfortable moments explaining why we didn’t get into our stocks at least a year’s supply of rubber and tin before the ocean routes were closed. As it is, there is a good deal of doubt whether the “scorched earth” policy was applied effectively by: the united nations in the Dutch East Indies to the lost oil, rubber and tin sources. We used to take 60 per cent of the output of the two latter. A rubber tree produces between three and four pounds of rubber in a year. You can’t destroy a tin deposit and no hastily retreating army could destroy 100,000 rubber trees, not to mention many times that number. Japan now doubtless has all the tin, rubber and oil she needs and we don't. So Mr. Jones will also have to explain why, when authorized, he established, for Bolivian tin ore, only one little tea-pot smelter at his home town of Houston for a Dutchman, and let the rest of the ore go to: England to be smelted. The goat in’all our conservation measures, whethep for sugar, rubber, tin, copper, oil or what not, seems to be the American consumer, and Yankee ingenuity and invention is taking a holiday “for the duration.”

Editor's Note: The views expressed by columnists in this newspaper are their own, They are net necessarily those - of The Indianavolis Times,

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson ;

IT SEEMS LIKELY that American women will soon be conscripted for noncombatant army service. As national danger in creases, approval for the: Rogers bill grows. This is in line with modern military attitude which regards every civilian as a soldier. There is no longer any doubt as to the need for women’s help, A recent survey by the census bureau estimates that the emergency may call for seven million to replace men in defense industries. Well and good; the women won't object. However, it is to be earnestly hoped we shall use discretion and intelligence in placing these new feminine workers, Certainly-the younger fry who have been favored in office and clerical johs must be moved out into industrial areas where their quicker hands, eyes and brains can accomplish more in a shorter time.

Let's Utilize Their Power

AT THE MOMENT we have a very large number: of middle-aged women who, insofar as capacity is concerned, are actually in their working prime. They were fofced to remain idle because business wanted

ol cute young things to decorate its offices, or because

these women had considered marriage and homemaking as their career. . With the rise of the youth movement, a person past 40 found herself definitely shelved; she was made to feel too old and battered for public service. Now it seems there is work for all. This neces sity will release thousands of housewives whose life work was finished when their children grew up and left home, or who have merely settled down to domestic inertia. Most of them are eager to share in the war effort. Their energy and intelligence represent a tremendous power which should be utilized, now and in the future, ,

Questions and Answers

(The indianapolis Times Service Bureau will answer any

’

A—Shakespeare's “King Henry VL” Part II, Act

III, Scene 2. Q—Does the fair labor act require eme

standards yiosets to pay. employes ur ti ofan legal bole

a iio ts ha to compel an employer to pay Bis etpployess fot Een worked. Only

3 if