Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 13 April 1942 — Page 10
PAGE 10
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«> RILEY 8551
Give LAght and he Peopie Will Find Their Own Wap
MONDAY, APRIL 13, 1942
THE OVER-ALL CEILING
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT is reported to be preparing a message to congress concerning prices, profits, wages, calaries and taxes—with a view to taking prompt and effective action to curb inflation. It is not too soon. The steady climb in living costs and the speculative price rises of the last four months are warnings of more serious trouble ahead. The multi-billions being poured out for war supplies, the consequent big bulge of spendable money, the diminishing quantity of goods available for civilian purchase, are bringing to bear forces which cannot be offset by halfway measures. Piecemeal price-fixing has helped some. But— If living costs are to be held to a point where living standards will be bearable for a majority of American families. If the costs of the war are to be kept within manageable limits. If the public debt is to be restricted to an amount which our post-war economy can carry. If our price structure is to remain low enough to enable us to win the peace after we have won the war— If these requirements are to be met, the government must move quickly to establish an over-all price ceiling. And to maintain such a ceiling, the government must also regulate all the elements of cost that go into the price of finished goods—the prices of raw materials, including farm products, and the wages, salaries, bonuses and profits of those who produce the goods. We are glad to learn the president is moving in on this critica! problem. One of the first resuits should be to put SO! 1 behind that war tax bill.
EUROPE’'S SILENT ARMIES A HILE American and British chiefs oi staft in London discuss the possibility of opening an allied front in Europe against Hitler, many silent armies of the conquered slowly are forming behind the Nazi lines from the northern tip of Norway to the southern isles of Greece. Only in the mountain reaches of Jugoslavia, where organized Serbs and Montenegrin patriote attack in military formation, are these peoples’ armies strong enough in weapons to fight in the open. Nevertheless, the war these others wage against the Nazis is real and deadly.
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Price in Marion Coun- |
In occupied France they pick off high German officers and agents, destroy bridges and ammunition dumps, | sabotage armament factories, wreck military trains and | communications. They signal to allied planes. That silent sabotage and terror is duplicated in every invaded country—in Belgium, Holland, Denmark, in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Greece.
Norway adds the dead weight of mass non-cooperation against the German forces and the Quisling government. The entire Norwegian church is in revolt. Fifth-column tactics, which helped Hitler overrun Europe and now help Japan in Asia, may yet prove the boomerang which destroys the axis. For most of conquered Europe is becoming a vast | allied fifth-column movement for freedom.
GOODBY MR. CRIPPS? EMPORARY failure of the Indian-British unity negotia- | tions ig probably not a case of goodby Mr. Cripps. Neither the problem itself, nor the British cabinet
minister who hag tried so sincerely to solve it, is eliminated §
from the war picture. There must be continuing attempts at greater co-operation in the defense effort, and Sir Stafford | is recognized in both England and India as the best man | for that job. Two things at least have been accomplished, both | important.
| looked.
|
The Indian people have been partially awakened to!
By Westbrook Pegler
TUCSON, Ariz, April 13.—Here are some social and personal notes about some officials of the International Union of Operating Engineers, an A. F. of L. group eémbracing the men who operate digging and hoisting machinery on construction jobs. Harry D. Jones of Akron, O, the boss of the locals in that area and a vice president of the Ohio State Federation of Labor, who has been a dirty criminal practically all his life, has lost his appeal and has matriculated at Ohio State penitentiary in Columbus for some postgraduate work in the studies which prepared him for his distinguished career as a unioneer.
Brother Jones hired two poor saps from Oklahoma to blow up some buildings under construction in which C. I. O. workers got the jobs which, otherwise, might have gone to his union. These brothers mistimed one of their firecrackers and it killed one of them. Before that, Brother Jones had procured the destruction by a bomb of a steam shovel on another job, but he was not tried for that one. Brother Jones had run up a record of four convictions in preparing himself for his position as a colleague of Brother Willlam Green in union leadership. One was a small larceny job; in another he stole a horse and buggy and thereafter he was convicted of sexual offenses against two young children.
Why, an Enemy of Labor, of Course!
HE GOT THREE consecutive sentences of from one to seven years each on the present charge, surrendered on March 11 and is now No. 79182 in that type of institution in which &0 many other prominent unioneers received their training. Brother Jones’ fellow unioneers in Akron fronted for him promptly when he was arrested and denounced Alva J. Russell, the county prosecutor, as an enemy of labor. Nevertheless, because of the heat, they had to pay lip service to the law and so said they would co-operate fully in running down the dastardly dastards who had done this evil thing which, of course, they heartily deplored. However, they never did anything to help Mr. Russell and he got the conviction. This fun in Ohio followed by a few weeks the dismissal in Syracuse, N. Y., of an indictment against Joe Fay, one of the vice presidents of the international or parent union, for slugging a minor official of one of the upstate locals named Orville warner,
Stick Around, Chums
FAY 18 A dangerous drunk who has been getting away with union rackets for years in collaboration with: the mob of candle-burners who follow Frank Hague in Jersey and it was he who slugged David Dubinsky of the garment workers that time when the A F. of L. was holding its annual convention in New Orleans. Fay took personal offense at Dave's proposal that racketeers like him be eliminated. He kicked the whey out of Warner and got himself indicted on a felony charge good for five years and this time our hoodlum friend was really scared. But he hired a mess of very distinguished and expensive counsel and on the day of the trial, well, what do you know? Brother Warner he ain't there to press the charge. Nope, Brother Warner is absent, so when one of the distinguished lawyers had the cold, unsmiling gall to tell the court that the gorilla's services as a unioneer are vital to the national defense, why, the judge he turned Fay loose. But stick around, because one of these days the whole story of this mob of political unioneers will curl your hair. Qov. L.ehman hag turned loose the New York state attorney general's office on Joe Moreschi's crooked mob who run the hod carriers’ racket, and if Gov. Lehman is really shooting, the same investigation can turn up the Fay mob which is deep in the crooked politics of New York City, because Fay's mob and Moreschi's work together like the axis.
Our Production
By Gen. Hugh S. Johnson
WASHINGTON, April 18. — A good deal is being said nowadays about how much farther along war production is today than it was in the same elapsed time after we declared war ih 1017 with some hint that our WPB is that much better than the war industries board. It 1s a pain in the neck. In the first place, why shouldn't we be further ahead? We had the lessons of the allies’ and enemies’ experience for almost three vears to go on. The allies had the later experience and methods of the war industries board already partly blocked out and we had sent missions
| overseas to learn what they were doing.
Most important of all, is a point frequently overWe soon found out that, whereas the allies had reached the peak of their manpower, we were nowhere near ours, They had more arms-making
the immediate threat of Japanese conquest; they are now | cupacity than they knew what to do with. What
more defense-conscious than three weeks ago. Under pressure of events and negotiations, nationalist leader, Nehru, taking a attitude in rallying the Hindus to “full and complete resistance.” The Gandhi gospel of passive resistance, though still widespread, is less dominant than before. The London government, by making the Cripps compromise offers and efforts, has strengthened the unity of the united nations. . - . - ® ® ALANCED against this gain, there is a flare-up of Indian resentment against America. Nehru says he never asked President Roosevelt or any other outsider to intervene, and he objects to the American press’ allegedly patronizing advice. Nehru can be excused a few unkindly cracks for home consumption. But it would be a mistake for Indians to forget fundamentals in their American relations. Americans, in their profound sympathy for Indian freedom, have too many problems of their own to mix in the complicated Indian problem for the fun of it. India cannot ask us to sacrifice to her the planes and guns and ships, desperately needed closer home, and at the game time expect us to remain indifferent. India cannot have it both ways: Either she ig willing to fight for herself, and thus earn the right to share American weapons needed here and elsewhere; or she does not want our help against Japan. Britain and all the united nations, particularly China, would suffer from Japanese conquest of India. But India would suffer a million times more. And since that is the issue—the issue of blood and rape and death and slavery for Indians under Japanese conquest—we believe the nationalists will yet be willing to fight for the
ig
more vigorous |
| they needed most from us was principally raw ma-
| teriale for both their arms and ours. We had it in
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i i
freedom they have preached so long. But | nokhithg
the | plenty but we did not have the factories to convert
it into finished arms It so happened, therefore. that we sent them the steel, chemicals and food that they needed to make arms and bought from them most of our artillery, a lot of our ammunition and nearly all our airplanes
"Too Little and Too Late"
THIS IS NOT to belittle the American cfiort. Without our raw materials the allies could not hav. held. There were more American soldiers in the A E F than the B. E F ever had in France at any ohe time. The American navy made it possible for them to get there. It kept the sea-lanes open and made practicable the North sea mine barrage American money also financed the latter part of the war for the allies. It is unfair to say that we won the war for them, but it is no more than justice to say that we made their victory possible and that, without us, they could not have prevailed. It is perhaps a bootless discussion, but when men of the present war-generation go out of the way to say that we are now farther along than we were last time at this stage of industrial preparation they should know their facts. The most telling charge against then is that, with the experience of the last war all documented and prepared before their eyes, they are not at least two years more advanced. They have permitted the ex perience of a quarter century ago to pass for nothing. When they did adept it, they did so without under standing hearts, with closed eyes, and “too littte and too late” The less said about all this the better. Let's buckle-to and do the job now. The is what the country needs and expects.
So They Say—
The Bataan force went out as it would have |
wished —fighting to the end of its flickering, forlorn
hope. No army has ever done so much with so little. |
«Gen. MacArthur,
. . . but praiss for the men who ha . the story ©
Ba sto
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INDIANAPOLIS TIMES | “Hello—-Sweden? How's Things With You?”
= 4
Fr ——
The Hoosier Forum
I wholly disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.—Voltaire.
“DOG LAW SHOULD TAKE DOG INTO CONSIDERATION” By J. W., Shelbyville + + + I, t00, think there should be a law concerning dogs. But my idea is that everyone should prove that he has a fenced-in, fairly big yard
to keep his dog in before he would be allowed to have one. This law would not only take into consideration the neighbor's flower bed but the dog's life as well. Doesn't this sound more logical? The writer of the letter of April 4th claimed not to be a dog hater. And he said he could not resist a friendly pat on a dog's head if one came up to him with tail wagging. I wonder what sort of a pat it would be. It would surely be one with a ball bat. s LJ 2 “DIES COMMITTEE PART OF FASCIST FORCES” By Donald Grant, West Lafayeite I think that your reference to the work of the Dies committee in the exposing and prosecution of William Dudley Pelley in the April 4 article on Pelley's arrest was extremely misleading. Your article implied that the Dies committee had been active in the exposing of Pelley. The very fact, stated in your article, that Pelley was called before the Dies committee two years ago, only to be released again, should indicate the slight degree of real seriousness of the committee's summons to Pelley. It is interesting to note that Pelley was called in February of 1940, just before the Dies committee's annual plea for appropriations. This is the month when it always interrupts ite prosecutions of labor unions and other anti-Faseists to make a loud, brief show for the public of exposing real Fascists like Pelley. The few statements the Dies committee felt constrained to make to the public on the obvious Fascist character of Pelley's activities, should not obscure the fact, as they were intended to do, that Dies then released Pelley and has not bothered him since, , . « Dies can be cone sidered only as having heen actually reluctant to prosecute Pelley, or
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even as having been anxious to protect Pelley by investigating him and dismissing him; in effect, clearing him. This is true of Dies committee handling of the scores of other native Fascists, from Viereck and Deatherage to Father Coughlin— all of whom it has either ignored or has summoned—and released. You referred in your article to the fact that Pelley “praised the work of the (Dier) committee This praise of Dies from the mouth of Pelley, and Dies actual protec tion of Pelley, seem to bear out the recent charges of Rep. Eliot of Mass. and Vice-President Wallace that the Dies committee, for all effective purposes, is part. of the organized Fascist forces in America; that, at least in effect, it is protecting the fifth column in this country and is attempting to weaken the anti Fascist forces that are such a threat to Hitler,
. ® ” “GLARING EVIDENCE OF LAZINESS OR GREED” By FE. W. Aue, 204 8. Harris ave. When are our city officials going to show a little foresight? Wanted: One mayor or one councilman or somebody to houseclean Indianapeolis as thoroughly as every housewife does her home each spring. Dirty streets, littered sidewalks, trashy alleys, chuckholes, inadequate sewers—all are glaring evidence of somebody's laziness or greed.
The other problem is street parking, Any good housekeeper keeps her housewares in closets when not in use. Why can't “city keepers” make people put their cars in lots or garages when not in use? No building permits should be {issued whatsoever, for residence, apart
Side Glances=By Galbraith
{ vv ER" SIREN Hy i 3 |
3
"We are so proud of
ment, or business until there was proof of adequate parking facilities.
An example of poor city planning is on Pennsylvania st. near the central library, An amusement center was allowed to be built near the library, which is already surrounded by apartments and business houses, so that persons wishing to use the library can never find a place to park within several blocks. Why can't we have a law: For every house, an adequate garage; for every business firm, a lot or an inside garage commensurate with its expected quota of customers. It can be done, It must be done. Especially in congested areas where parking on both sides of the street does not leave room enough for two cars to pass each other,
” ” ” “NEGROES ALSO WANT TO SEE JUSTICE DONE” By M. M. Burking, Indianapolis In answer to H. E. Marshall's letter of April Tth:
You were quite right when you said we should stand united or else we will fall; and the sooner your race learns that, the better off it will be. But I must say they're not progressing very rapidly along those lines. A good example of this is the job situation. We go to get a job, pass all the requirements and finally put in a personal appearance and what happens? We are immediately turned down. Why? Not because of our lack of brains or intelligence or our inability to do the job, but merely because of the color of our skins. If that is not race discrimination, H. E. Marshall, I atk you to give me a definitioh for it.
And in mention of the Little Rock incident, if you know of one case where a white man was ever treated so badly for such a trivial reason, I wish you would be kind enough to have it reprinted. I would sincerely love to read it. The Negro race of America would like nothing better than to see this great nation a united nation, but we alto want to see justice done. The justice that vas promised to us in the Bill of Rights, equal justice to all, regardless to race, color or creed. And, H. BE. Marshall, when this is done, then we will have a united nation. A nation of which we all can love and be proud of. ® nn “IF THAT BE TREASON MAKE THE MOST OF IT” By Edward F. Maddox, 050 W. 28th st. Maybe it's because my great grandfather was an Irishman that I emphasize freedom and independence and abhor and fear regimentation so deeply. The spirit of Patrick Henry who also was an Irishman and a true American animated the people of 1776 and his battle cry was, “Give me liberty or give me death.” If it was necessary to win the war to draft us all, of course I would favor such measures, but I say it is not necessary. The poor dumb, scared, simple minded, easily duped victims of a planned scheme to ease us into a left wing copy of the very dictator systems all true Americans abhor, in panic and in ignorance aré falling for the propaganda that we, the people of the United States, must give up our freedom in order to save it for others. Bunk! “If that be treason, make the most of it.”
DAILY THOUGHT
‘ model airplanes as quickly as possible. | needed to train army, navy and civillan personnel
In Washington
By Peter Edson
WASHINGTON, April 13.— When the Japanese delivered their infamous blow on Dec. 7, contrac= tors who were building naval stations on Wake and Guam had about 1400 civilian empioyees on the two jobs, largely workmen recruited from the western U. S. Only a few of these workmen were killed or injured. The majority presumably were transferred’ to Japan as prisoners of war. About half of these workmen were young and single, but the others were family men with depend ents living in the United States. For December, January and February, the employers paid the wages of ‘these men to their families. The contracts being cost-plus affairs, the navy is paying these wages in the long run. In March, however, payments from the navy cone tractors were discontinued. In their place were sube stituted benefit payments which came from a five-million-dollar fund set aside by the president from his emergency money, to provide temporary aid necessitated. by enemy action affecting American civilians outside the U. S, other than aliens and dependents of men in service,
A Scale for the Future
THE JOB OF passing out these benefits was given to the old age and survivors’ insurance bureau of the’ social security board which investigated all the claims and set up this scale of benefit payments: For a wife or widow, not less than $30 and not more than $45 per month, depending on the man’s salary. For each child, not less than $10 and not more than $15. For one parent who had been at least half dependent, not less than $20 and not more than $30; for a second parent, not less than $15 and not more than $22.50. Maximum payments for the dependents of any one" person, from $66.67 to not more than $85, wife, widow and children being given preference over parents in all payments, Nearly 1100 dependents of some 700 of the Wake and Guam workmen are now receiving these paye ments. This scale of benefits is based on the payments made by the old age and survivors’ insurance bureau in its regular course of business.
Far-Reaching Legislation
THIS IS TEMPORARY, emergency payments, but it also is the scale called for in a bill introduced by" Senator Claude Pepper of Florida, and now pending in congress for relief of civilian distress arising out of the present war. In other words this is the scale: which it is proposed to pay the dependents of Amer<’ itan citizens who may be killed, injured or taken’ prisoner as a result of enemy action—bombings, raids, or all-out offensives—against any point on the conti=nental United States, its possessions and territories, It is the most far-reaching piece of benefit legisla-" tion ever considered by any country in time of war. Administration of this act is put in the hands of" the federal security administrator—Paul V, McNutt at present=-and it would further strengthen the posi-: tion of FSA as being the big social benefit agency of the government. No limitation is put upon the ex-° penditures and it is impossible to estimate what the costs will be, for no one can anticipate how many civilians are going to be killed or injuréd in the war, The bill goes far beyond mere personal injury, how= ever, in that it authorizes assistance to civilians who have suffered loss of or damage to their clothing, tools, living quarters, furniture, and real or personal property. What this amounts to is that if a bomb fragment rips the seat out of your breeches or culottes, as the sex may be, you'll be able to file a claim and probably collect from your big-hearted Uncle Sam, whe" would also pay your hospital bills if the bomb bites into you.
A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson
MULTITUDES OF parents’ heaved sighs of relief at the newsthat the treasury department recommends tax exemption for college costs. Boys and girls inschool, who have been listed as - independent at 18, would thus beregarded as dependents until they: have reached 21. The strange: thing is that this injustice has not been corrected long ago. Recently several educators testie fied in favor of the administration's pet project NYA-—before the senate education and labor come mittee. There is no reason to feel that these men and women were at all insincere in their conviction that worthy young people should be helped to become trained and educated citizens. But if tHat goes for NYA, it ought to go doublefor the taxpayer who tries his darndest to put his own childrén through college without government aid.
It Seems Pretty Screwy
IT WOULD BE gross exaggeration to claim that some youngsters are forced to apply to NYA because their dads have to put all the extra. money into the public treasury. But it won't be far-fetched long, if our tax bills keep mounting.
Certainly, from the parental viewpoint, the 18-year-olds are still very, very dependent. If you don't think so, consult the man who owns one. Not only that, they are exactly twice as expensive as to upkeep as they were before, because they are in college. NYA figures show that one can’t have the advantages of higher learning on a pittance. Many an anxious dad found it out long before the governe ment did. At any rate, with public sensitivity to taxation increasing, certain discrepancies in our present laws may be due for correction. It seems pretty screwy to bleed the individual taxpayer, so that he finds it impossible to send his own brood through the university, because Mr. Aubrey Williams can be supplied with funds to keep other people’s children there.
The views expressed by columnists in this
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newspaper are their own, of The Indianapolis Times.
Questions and Answers
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Q—Why is the U. S. navy asking for model air- . planes? A—The navy has invited home craftsmen to help immediately with a project to build at least 500,000 . ‘They are .
in aircraft recognition and range estimation in gun-
nery practice, Local superintendents of schools have been authorized to distribute the working plans of the
d the cost of living advance in the |