Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 7 April 1942 — Page 12

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| ROY W. HOWARD RALPH BURKHOLDER

PAGE 12

The Indianapolis Times Fair Enough

Editor Business Manager (A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER)

President

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TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1942

ROOSEVELT AND RUSSIA ARELY has the president's foresight been demonstrated more effectively than in his recent order giving Russia priority in our foreign shipments. Next to our undebatable responsibility for supplying our own major bases of Hawaii, Alaska, Panama and the Caribbean, the Russian front should have first call now— rather than Africa, for instance, which has taken so much in the past. More than American good faith and Russian morale are involved. The most important battles on the most decisive front are in the balance. Every day during the last fortnight has added new evidence to the Roosevelt-Churchill belief that Hitler's eastern drive this spring will be the biggest ever. It is axiomatic that the war cannot be won without destroying Hitler's army. The Russian front is the only one on which this necessary process is going forward. Even if Hitler were not launching a spring offensive there, allied strategy would require a maximum of activity on that 1200-mile line, = a ” ”

UT the discouraging truth is that Russia and the allies are not as well fixed for the spring campaign as hoped. After a winter campaign described by MacArthur and others as the greatest in history, the Russians slowed down. Whatever the other reasons, failure of the United States to deliver promised supplies weakened the Red army at the moment it had the Germans on the run. So today the Nazis—despite their heavy losses—hold the major bases for the spring campaign. Novgorod, Staraya Russa, Rzhev, Smolensk, Orel, Kharkov and the Crimean bases, were ‘“‘about to fall” six weeks ago. Today they are still Hitler's advance line. Since Hitler retains the bases and Stalin has the superior manpower, the outcome may be determined by mechanized equipment—destruction of Nazi supplies and increase of Russian supplies. Britain, by the biggest allied bombing raids of the war, is destroying Nazi production in French and German industrial centers. Britain and the United States are rushing huge supply convoys around the north cape of Norway to the Russian ports of Murmansk and Archangel. This. in turn, has created a new front in the north— a sea front, with Hitler concentrating naval strength along the allied convoy lane, which may at any time grow into a land front in the Narvik area. Britain's ability to keep the northern supply line open and flowing, and to attack Hitler on his Norwegian flank

MARK FERREE |

as Moscow desires, will depend a lot on the president's priority order.

NO STRIKES ON SHIPS

HE U. S. supreme court has held, in a 5-to-4 decision, | that strikes by seamen on a ship away from its home | port are mutinous, and are not protected by the national labor relations act, even though the vessel is in an American harbor. We think this is an obviously necessary finding. A captain responsible for the safety of ship, passengers, crew and cargo must command and the seamen must obey. Even if the ship is tied up at a friendly pier the law does not permit seamen to strike against alleged unfair labor practices of the shipowners, for an untended vessel is not certainly “safe.” If that law is to be changed, Justice Byrnes says, it must be changed by congress, not by the courts. We think it should not be changed—surely not in these times. But shipowners must not take advantage of this decision to impose on their seamen, or to deny them the right of collective bargaining. If they do, the seamen’s unions will be provided with a thoroughly sound basis for demanding legislative protection.

THE BRITISH ARE BRAVE

HE British complain so much about failures of their admirals and generals—the right of criticism still being freer in England than any country in the world—some Americans are getting the cockeyed notion that the Briton is not much of a fighting man. It is rather late to remind anvone that the people of these small British Isles did not push their flag around the world by being softies; that the battle record of a century and a half is largely a history of British heroism; that the British are brave even when unarmed, as they proved in standing up under the most terrible of all bombings. In most countries the feats of heroism of troopers and tars are made more of than in" England precisely because the English don’t advertise it. They just take it for granted.

LET'S NOT SET THE WORLD ON FIRE

HE National Board of Fire Underwriters reports fire losses in the United States during January and February totaled $66,384,000, or 26 per cent more than in 1941 for the same period. If that doesn’t make you burn, maybe this will: . ‘ The waste of that smoke and flame represents enough eash to outfit almost 300,000 soldiers, or build 1500 fighter planes. And what we couldn’t do with 1500 fighter planes in the Philippines or Australia right now!

HOW TRUE

By Westbrook Pegler

NEW YORK, April 7. — The Communists, aided by the usual crowd of horn-rimmed intellectual

tag-alongs, are running another of their familiar campaigns in the interest of Earl Browder, general secretary of the party, who is serving four years in Atlanta for swearing falsely in his application for an American passport. It is contended that this sentence is excessive and a travesty on justice, and that Browder was sentenced in part for his political convictions. These are some forth-right Red Communists in the agitation, which is efficiently organized and financed like the lucrative Tom Mooney campaign which kept so many comrades in comfort sb many years, but there are mpre of the yellow type who lack the courage to join the party and submit to the controls and exactions of party discipline. > This type is composed mostly of soft-handed law- g yers, singers, teachers, preachers and literary nonentities who find in such activities a means of obtaining that personal publicity on which their hungry vanity feeds. There are also among this group individuals who might be accurately described as boudoir radicals, white and colored, a type who use political and social radicalism as an excuse for licentious eonduct.

This Is Our Own Affair

BECAUSE OF OUR military collaboration with Soviet Russia, the case against Browder is somewhat embarrassed in these days of war, but that fact just calls for a little more firmness and self-respect. Browder and his party have repeatedly disclaimed any ccnnection with the Soviet government and he is an American citizen, convicted in an American court, after a fair trial, of an offense against an American law. Thus the case is strictly our own affair. We would not think of intruding in a similar case in which a Russian subject was sentenced for an offense against Russian law, even though such an offender probably would have been put to death by a firing squad. It should be remembered also that when Browder was tried he was not, as his campaign publicity now says he is, “America’s leading anti-fascist,” but an active pro-axis collaborationist and leader of a force which was promoting sabotage of the American re-

‘armament effort.

What About Fritz Kuhn?

HIS PARTY, AT that time and up to .last June when Hitler attacked Russia, was responsible for very harmful strikes at Allis-Chalmers, North American, and elsewhere, in which the people of the United States were trying to build tools of war, for lack of which not only Americans but Russians now are dying on many fields. The policy of his political group was vigorously seditious and traitorous, and his influence was exerted in the interest of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. And the fact still remains that the sentence does not exceed the law. In a similar but more painful case, Al Capone got nine years, most of it in Alcatraz, where he served his time the hard way, for income tax evasion, and most of us figured that this was one way to get hunk for a great many other crimes. The Communist party didn’t go to bat for Capone, however. Nor did the honorable Wendell Willkie agitate himself over an assumption that he was being punished for other charges unproved in court. There is nothing to the description of Browder as our leading anti-fascist. He was for a long time and in a dangerous period of preparation which may yet prove to have been decisive against us, one of the most destructive pro-fascists in the United States. He deserves no more consideration from the American president or people than his former collaborator in the axis cause, Fritz Kuhn, who also and with equal truth, might claim that he was nailed on an irrelevant technicality and sentenced for his political convietions.

Russia Is Ready!

By A. T. Steele

KUIBYSHEV., April 7—All indications are that the Russians are well prepared against any supreme Nazi effort to reach the oil treasures of the Caucasus this spring and summer. Although the Russians still hold the initiative in the Ukraine and for some weeks have been harrassing stubborn German strongholds in the vicinity of Kharkov and Stalino, there need be no . fear that they have neglected their rear or failed to prepare defense along the highroads to the Caucasus to cope with any possible shift in the situation. And it would be a mistake to suppose that they have not brought into position. all the reserves of men, tanks and artillery that can be spared for that all important sector. The Russians are cognizant of the danger to that area. where warm winds and rain are fast dissolving the remaining patches of snow and hardening the terrain for a large-scale movement of combat machinery. The end of the Ukrainian thaw is only two or three weeks distant.

Decisive Months Just Ahead

SINCE THE appointment of Russia's abiest commander, Marsha] Semyon Timoshenko, to direct the southern armies, the Russians have labored mightily to correct the weaknesses exposed in last year’s fighting. In short. the Germans in the Ukraine are up against a more deeply entrenched enemy, a numerically stronger enemy, a better led enemy and a vastly more experienced enemy than in the summer of last

r. That the German sfgoke, if it comes, will be of tremendous proportions is a foregone conclusion, for the importance of Caucasian oil to Germany's war effort never bulked so large as now. The conviction grows that the battles of the coming spring and summer in the valleys of the Dnieper and the Don will be among the most sanguinary and most decisive of the war. 5 All Russia realizes that the decisive months of this war lie just ahead. Soviet leaders and the Soviet press have never ceased reiterating the belief that the ‘outcome of the Russo-German war will be Hecided this year and that the spring and summer will

be the most important periods. .

So They Say—

We in Bondon, as the bombs have fallen upon us, |

have learned not to hate the Germans although we hate what they do.—The Rev. Michael Coleman, vicar of All-Hallows church, London.

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If the men of Australia fight as well as they argue, |

we are certain of victory.—Gen. Douglas MacArthur, at dinner given for him by Australian parliament.

The American people are resentful and humiliated at being kicked around in this war.—Clarence B. Kelland, Republican national committee publicity director.

* * Ww

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

He Also Seem

bo EB RNRS

TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1942

to Have Stuff on Hon. Ball

I wholly - defend to

The Hoosier Forum

disagree with what you say, but will

France Turns By Wm. H. Stoneman

LONDON, April 7.-Reports from both occupied and unoccue pied France confirm the fact that pro-allied feeling is growing throughout the country and that both the Germans and their: French henchmen are completely. stumped by the development. ; The recent jockeyings in Vichy, Paris and Berlin itself apparently" have been dictated by a frantie: desire on the part of the Germans" to check the growth of French feeling against them: and by the hope of the French traitors to capitalize on the desire. : 8 on Pierre Laval, Anatole De Monzie, Marcel Deat, Fernand De Brinon, Jean Mistler (former president ofthe foreign affairs committee of the chamber of. deputies) and the notorious minister of the interior, Pierre Pucheu, are all tangled up in the struggle for power. : According to information here this pro-allied. feeleing has been stimulated enormously by British come. mando raids and air assaults on French factories. working for the Germans. »

Nazis Virtually Helpless

IT IS KNOWN that the Germans failed utterly in their attempt to use the Renault (auto works) raid to stir up anti-British feeling and that relatives of people who had died in that raid, and others who had suffered, refused on many occasions to speak on the Nazi-controlled radio. : The Nazis are virtually helpless against this steady growth of viplent feeling and for once sheer cruelty and bluster is of no assistance. While they must be tempted to punish France by occupying the entire country, that would, in fact, be mare of a punishment, for the Germans themselves than for the people now ;ruled by Vichy. : Operations elsewhere require every available soldier and the British program of commando raids has already embarrassed the invaders by making them strengthen all the coastal areas from Spain ta: Narvik. The last thing they can desire would be to waste a dozen divisions on the occupation of further French territory.

RAF Does the Speaking :

ALLIED DIPLOMATIC action in connection with: Vichy is largely in the hands of Washington and the: British long since decided to let the American state: department more or less have its way. Still it is felt,. however, that in the circumstances Washington might® be much firmer with Vichy. ; It appears obvious to the British that Vichy prizes: its maintenance of relations with the United States:

the death your right to say it.—Voltaire.

“AT LAST! MR. WINCHELL_ ELIMINATES HIMSELF!”

By A Hoosier, Columbus

Several of us, listening to a radio broadcast the other evening, noted that Walter Winchell said that “We reed more Gen. MacArthurs and fewer general nuisances.” This would eliminate Mr. Winchell on both counts—not to mention a number of other counts on which he could well be eliminated. However, since these two are his own suggestions, they will serve the purpose admirably. At last! 2 2 2 “YOU CAN'T EVADE ISSUE BY CLOSING YOUR EYES” By George W. Davis, 50% Montgomery st. Shelbyville In answer to an article by D. M. Reece, New Castle, I can only say this: You cannot evade the issue by closing your eyes to the conspicuous wrongs and faults which I mentioned an dwhich stink to high heaven. Constructive criticism is democracy’s greatest strength. Industry is controlled and conscripted by law; so are our soldier boys. Labor unions with irresponsible communistic leaders are not. This great wave of indignation and condemnation by 60 million unorganized workers is not alone against high pressure, crooked labor leaders, but crooked industry, non-defense spending, boondoggling, table tennis co-ordinators, glide dancers, NYA, CCC, pensions for congressmen, all special privilege and pressure groups, cheap politicians, weak-kneed vote soliciting congressmen. There is no quarrel with the rank| and file union worker or non-union worker or any decent, responsible patriotic leader. But when both C. 1. O. and A F. of L. leaders continually defy and warn the government, congressmen and all other officials not to pass any laws controlling labor’s leaders, acts, wishes and demands, it goes far beyond intimidation an dcoercion. It is seition and treason. : This stan and position makes them bigger than the government. They are following in the same footsteps of the I. W. W. and K. K K. whose motto was “we are the law.” Some of these leaders think and say as much today. . ..

(Times readers are invited to express their

these columns, religious conMake

your letters short, so all can

to petition and criticize. » 2 ” “GRANDSTAND PLAY FOR THE SUPPORT OF NEGROES” By H. E. Marshall, 306 E. St. Joseph st.

views in

troversies excluded. have a chance. Letters must

be signed.) people.

Public gets enough those who have

constitutional and God-given right

In the Times of March 31st, the C. I. O. union made a grandstand play for the support of the colored

Don’t be misled by what they say

as its only link to independence and there is, conseequently, little or no danger that Vichy would reply: to sterner treatment by breaking off relations. The British, for their part, are saying what they’ have to say to France with deeds. Night before last the R. A. F. again smashed at puppet France face: tories by bombing the Gnome-Rhone works at Genne«villiers. This factory and another Gnome-Rhone plant: at Limoges have been producing Gnome-Rhone “14-R"-aircooled motors. This was the fifth raid against: French motor works since the beginning of thecampaign. The Renault and Matford plants hear: Paris were the previous victims.

by The Indianapolis Times and The

abused the power given them and ambitious, greedy politicians will be cleaned from the slate. Conditions

may be all right in your little town of New Castle, I may be wrong and ignorant, as you claim, but if I am, 60 million more are with me and while it may not have been necessary to blackjack anyone in New Castle, you do know and so do I and so do millions of other citizens that in Detroit and many other larger cities these things have happened and recently. I have seen thousands of autos destroyed, tires cut and the clothing of the wives and daughters cut and slashed on the streets of Detroit. This while the men were working

about there being discrimination against the colored man in the army. This is not true and the piece written in question or anything like it should never have been allowed in print, as all they are trying to do is stir up racial hatred. The case in question cited trouble in Little Rock. If there really was trouble it could and does happen to the white boys, too. But when a white man or soldier has the same

it, as in either case it usually proves out there has been insubordination on the part of the man whether he be black or white. But in this case the 'C. I. O. writer bounced upon this Little Rock incident and is playing it up for the sole benefit of the C. I. O. and not. for the bene-

experience there is little said about| §

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

\ . THE WAR department got ane: other headache when Cupid inevaded Australia. It seems that our friendly inflitration is fast hee coming matrimonial entanglement, As one resident colonel puts it,: “The united nations’ hope for a: fusion of the allied countries is: becoming reality.” : At any rate, American men and: Australian girls are getting mare:

Tomorrow is coming. When John

an many of them union workers but who refused to strike and refused to take further orders from irresponsible leaders. Some of them are in Washington now, hobnobbing and advising and are being listened to by some of our vote-getting congressmen. . . . fees and dues are in New Castle but you show a woeful lack of knowledge in what is going on in other parts of the country. In Charlestown, Burns City, Columbus and hundreds of other defense projects, grafting, chiseling, high pressure organizers were there ahead of the government and the initiation fees range from $50 to $300 and there is nothing or no law to prevent them from raising it to #1000 tomorrow and to close their bapks to all new members any time they see fit. There union leaders from top to botto mare unanimously in favor of laws curbing everything ‘and everybody except themselves. The “keep quiet” order from Washington is not going to stop the protests facing congress or to stop the people from exercising their

fit of the colored race. ... It seems to me we are having

in this country without having a

up trouble. . .. Let’s stay free from the C. I. O, A. F. of L., Hitler and Japan by all pulling together. All the colored and white Americans. The saying, “United we stand, divided we fall,” still holds good. : ” 2 ” “BETTER PARENTS MAKE BETTER CHILDREN” By W. H. Richards, 127 E. New York st. We read every day of an alarming increase in juvenile crime and nobody seems to be able to suggest a remedy. The answer is that to remove a bad condition, look to the cause and remove that. Saturday I was in a large grocery store. There was a crowd and several clerks were busy. A boy of about 4 was strolling about the store, handling canned goods and

Side Glances=By Galbraith

other articles that were displayed on tables. The mother called to him, “Now stop that and come here. Come here I say.” Then she turned her back. The child kept on, taking

no notice o her command. Again she called to him telling him to come to her, but still no notice on his part. She let him do as he pleased. I stood right behind the mother and I spoke to a bystander loud enough for the mother to hear. “If that child is not taught obedience to proper authority now, he will be a problem for the police to handle in a few more years.” . .. The disgraceful occurrénce now in court of a mother whipping a teacher who has only done her duty in an effort to give to her son some training that a mother should have given him several years ago. This pampered darling runs home to his mother and she, instead of telling him that he should have behaved himself so that the teacher would not be obliged to correct him, flies into a rage and rushes to the school to wreck vengeance on the teacher that has dared to restrain her darling Danny. ... - Better parents make better children and to prevent a new generation of criminals parents should be made to go to school and be taught how to train a child rightly.

|| DAILY THOUGHT wrath; but grievous words stir up

enough trouble unifying the people

lot of rabble rousers trying to stir

| and $300 a month for hostesses who are employed in

ried in such numbers that social: eaders, churchmen and military men there express: concern about sentimental trends in this particular: war effort. : Everybody says we should be thankful we are so; far removed from battles and bloodshed. Nobody: disagrees, but how about our girls? Every American: soldier who finds romance and a wife in Australia: makes one more spinster in the U. 8. A, and we don’t: like. that, even though we know that spinsters and: pensions are the aftermath of every war, :

Only Wise Counsel Can Help

THE ADULT whose romance ran a slow, ordinary: course in peace intervals cannot understand and pere: haps should not be free about offering advice to ware: torn young people. Those who live amid dangers: snatch the sweets at hand, and who blames them? The man who may die tomorrow doesn’t worry: about conventions, and the girl who must say goode: by to her sweetheart in a few days or weeks turns a deaf ear to Mrs. Grundy’s grumblings. ; Therefore upon mature Americans rests a heavy: load of responsibility. They must try, as never bee: fore, to understand and to guide the young For tha; young feel, as we cannot, the bitter brevity of life,? They have no sense of time for they live fiercely in® today, whereas their elders abide also in their yestere: days, and have a better chance to greet tomorrows. = This war will cause many matrimonial catastroe: phes. Sudden marriage is always risky. But a gene: eration that is risking its life will not be moved by: sermons from us. Only the wisest counsel can help: them, : :

2 £

URES

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

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Questions and Answers

(The indianapolis Times Service Bureau will answer any auestion of fact or information, not involving extensive ree search. Write vour 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. 1013 Thirteenth St. Washington D, Co

1 dl ato Hf

Q—What proportion of industrial goods made Im} the United States in 1942 ‘will be for military pure: poses? : A-About 53 per cent.

Q—1Is Buddhism on the decline in China? A—The spread of communism in the Chineses army has led to the taking over of many Buddhist: temples for military and industrial purposes, and s Buddhism has been hard hit in many parts of thecountry. : Q—What causes the hissing sound when a vace: uum-sealed can is opened? A-—With one exception, the hissing sound Is°® caused by air rushing into the can. The exception is with vacuum-packed coffee. Sometimes the coffees * generates gas after it has been packed and sealed, : and when the can is opened the sound is caused by escaping gas. Q-—What is the average pay for air hostesses? A—Ordinarily they are paid $120 a month while traihing and when they begin service, and sometimes maintenance is added. Pay may range up to $200 :

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