Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 14 May 1942 — Page 16

AGE 16

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. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Woy

THURSDAY, MAY 14, 1043

ve NOT RIDICULOUS—TRAGIC (CONGRESSMAN HEBERT of Louisiana, who used to

be a newspaperman himself, proclaims that “unless something is done to curb that section of the press which

holds in ridicule the keystone of democracy, this govern-

ment is going to collapse.” Mr. Hebert is sore because newspapers told how members of congress had special clerks to issue them cards for all the gasoline they want to buy without delay, while ordinary citizens in Washington and other eastern cities stood in line for hours to get strict rationing coupons.

Well, “ridicule” isn’t the word. We think the congress- |. men who took those X-cards were very ‘wrong, very fool- |

ish, very selfish—but they weren't funny. They presented a tragic spectacle. And if this government collapses through lack of public confidence in the keystone of democracy which congress was meant to be, it won't be because the press ridicules congressmen, It will be because congressmen have earned the contempt of the people by grabbing special privileges—by refusing to accept for themselves the full burden of the sacrifices and hardships which they vote upon the citizens. whose faithful representatives and servants they are supposed to be.

. PRODUCE FACTS AND FIGURES

THE government has a big office of facts and figures, staffed with highly-paid researchers and writers who have access to sources of official information not available to the newspapers. The men of OFF and their chief, Archibald MacLeish, are lecturing press -and radio about what should be printed and broadcast to insure public support for the govern: ment in the war effort. We suggest a really useful job for OFF. Let it dig up and make public the facts and figures about shortages and rationing. Let it clear up the dreadful confusion—the welter of conflicting official statements, charges, claims and alibis— which is shaking public confidence in the government and creating resentment among the people. We have done our damndest to discover the truth about rubber, about sugar, about gasoline on the east coast. We believe, from the best information we can get, that there are serious shortages. Therefore we have urged our readers to conserve their tires and to co-operate cheerfully in sugar rationing. As to gasoline, we have said that even congressmen and government officials ought to accept the same short rations as ordinary taxpayers in Washington. and other eastern communities.

BUT what is the public to think— When the government’s office for emergency management asks newspapers to print articles entitled “The Truth About Rubber,” and the lawyer for the senate agriculture committee calls them “a bunch of tripe put out to scare the country unnecessarily”? When Rubber Co-ordinator Newhall says that everything possible is being done to increase synthetic rubber production, and Senator Norris charges that the war production board refuses to consider processes for making rubber cheaply from grain alcohol but shows “favoritism in awarding contracts to the big oil trusts”? - When a New York rubber dealer named Simpson keeps telling congressional committees that an efficient method of collection would bring in enough scrap rubber for both military and civilian needs, and nobody in the government either proves that he’s wrong or improves the method of scrap collection ? . ‘When one set of officials talks about requisitioning private cars and tires, and another set pooh-poohs the idea? When sugar rationing finally starts, after three months of postponements, and congressmen charge that it was never really necessary, but was ordered “as a war psychology move’ and to give the office of price administration “experience on rationing”? When citizens of eastern cities stand in line for hours _ to get coupons for three gallons of gasoline a week, and Ns congress has special clerks on duty to issue its members X-cards sntitling them to buy gas without limit?

. 8 » » . » # ‘ET the office of facts and figures justify its name. Let it produce facts that stand up, and figures that can’t be successfully challenged. Let it convince the people that they aren’t being pushed around just because somebody thinks it necessary to stimulate war consciousness, or some bureau wants rationing experience, or some selfish interest is making hay.

Fhe public doesn’t want propaganda. It wants the

A(SORRY RECORD R. C. T. MALAN, the present state superintendent of public instruction, has announced his intention of seeking renomination to that post. Dr. Malan should be defeated primarily because of his record on the issue of religious instruction in the public schools.

Indiana’s schools have built on the formula: that.

religious dogma has no part in the curriculum. But'Dr. ~ Malan has worked assiduously—and not always aboveboard toward breaking down this whole system. "On the one hand, he has consistently publicly denied he has any motive other than “investigation.” ‘And on the her, he has consistently agitated for this very thing, oring the protests of interested clergymen of many sects. ‘Dr. Malan’s whole record, in this particular case ‘has

ered by carrier, 1 outs

tos

Fair Enough

By Westbrook Pegler

government. Ft the semiite which has repeatedly blocked reforms. The senate is our reichstag, obedient to the

ernmental system of whieh they are, at the present writing, a very discreditable unit. They are, in a sense, ambassadors of their respective states at the

center of the national government, whereas the con- |

gressmen are intimately of the people and much more responsive to the popular will. The will of the people with regard to rackets and much other corruption in the unions was expressed twice in the lower house in the passage of bills which would have placed responsibility on'these irresponsible and, in many ‘ways, criminal power groups. Even Democrats in the lower house voted against the power of the White House and the political terrorists of the unions, but the senate has permitted

‘both bills to be smothered in the committee of labor

at the request of the administration,

"Proposed ‘Nothing Harmful"

WHAT DID. THESE bills propose? They proposed nothing harmful to labor. On the contrary, they ‘were designed to protect rank and file workers and the whole country from the union bosses and to frustrate the obvious design of the president's party to establish as a permanent power .a sub-government, richer in cash wealth than any other interest, and responsible to no authority but obedient to the president as it8 political protector. The connection between these unions, whose terroristic practices are well known and comparable to ‘those of Adolf Hitler's brown shirts and the governing party has finally been acknowledged by Attorney General Biddle. \ And, of course, all members of both houses of congress know the membership of the unions is largely captive and involuntary. Looking back now they can see that the so-called Wagner act; which was not the work of Senator Wagner at all but a party act, was used not so much to enable workers to select their bargaining agents as to drive thém into unions and, actually, to make them accept bargaining agents selected for them by the governing party.

“Superior In Character"

THE HOUSE HAS tried to break up this gigantic plot to destroy the American form of government and bleed the people of the money with which.to pay for their own chains, but the senate has thwarted ‘all attempts by the negative process of killing the bills in committee. Thus, most of the individual senators may escape responsibility for active participation in the ‘betrayal. In view of the record, the candidates for re-elec-tion to the lower house deserve intelligent hearing rather than mass repudiation by the voters. If a congressman did vote for these reforms his vote should be given consideration'and the fact should be considered also that the lower house is far superior to the senate in character and political honesty.

Round Two By William Philip Simms

WASHINGTON, May 14.—Japan is expected to strike again, strike soon and strike hard against the United States and Australia. If she doesn’t, she will lose the initiative by default and pave the way for her own doom. That, according to competent authorities ‘here, is a mistake which the Nipponese are not likely to make. Her naval strategists clearly foresaw the possible use of Australia as an allied base of attack against Japan's new order in Asia and warned that it would have to be broken up at any cost. This Japan will almost certainly try to do before long. It would, therefore, be a mistake for us to felicitate ourselves prematurely in a game which has really only just begun. The battle of the Coral sea appears to have been a victory of the first order for the allies. But it was in the nature of round one. Rounds two, three and maybe four, five and six are coming up and the trouncing the Japanese took in the Coral sea will make ‘hem slug all the more desperately. Just before Gen. Douglas MacArthur broke the news about the Coral sea, I quoted Admiral Tanetsugu Sosa, noted Japanese naval authority, on what the world might expect in the Pacific and how, thus far, things had gone pretty much as he predicted they would four months before Pearl Harbor.

May Be the Turning Point

I mention it again because it is well worth studying. In it the Japanese admiral made it quite clear that, in the event of war, the lines of communication between the United States and the southwest Pacifie would have to be cut or Japan would face defeat. Japan, he indicated, would never feel safe as long as

the united nations maintained a foothold east of India |

or west of Hawaii.

The battle of the Coral sea was plainly only the’

beginning of the efforts which Sosa said the Japanese would make to isolate the southwest Pacific from the United States. Unless and. until that effort is successful, or she thinks it is on the way to being, Japan will hardly dare commit herself to. any new major undertaking. Thus the battle of the Coral sea may have been the turning point in the war of the Pacific. But, by the same token, Japan will hardly be happy about it. She may be, and is, expected to try and try again desperately to cut the Anzac-American line. Otherwise it will become an ever-tightennig noose about ‘her greatly over-extended neck.

So. They Say—

Be of good cheer, or be it bad cheer it will make no

difference to us. We shall drive on to the end and |.

- 40. OF duty, Win or die.—Winston Churchill.

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES Arc De Triomphe!

The Hoosier Forum

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

“HOW CAN WE GET A LITTLE PLOWING DONE?” By A Reader, Indianapolis Through the press and radio we are being urged to plant victory gardens this spring, but can your paper, the readers or anyone please tell me how to get a little plowing done in order to set out a garden? We have interviewed dozens of private parties who are in that business, but it seems that with all the extra gardening being done, and so many men in service, they are just so busy that they can’t get around to us. We have been advised to get in touch with the department of agriculture, the county commissioner, the WPA, etc, but nobody seems able to tell us where we can find someone to do this little job. We have even tried to buy a tractor, and been advised that the manufacturers have sold their quota

.o| for this year, and suggesting that “|we get in touch with them again

‘next January. In the meantime, the ground is ‘standing idle, while we know that it is necessary to raise all the food possible, but will someone please tell us how?

» » t J “FITTING AND PROPER FOR BRADFORD TO RESIGN” By Harrison White, 218 E. St. Joseph st. Because Robert Tyndall, Republican nominee for mayor, had asked that the precinct committeemen recess their meeting for the election of a chairman for the Republican county committee until final results of the election were tabulated and

because precinct committeemen generally were led to believe by Mr. Bradford's organization that Tyndall was a defeated candidate, and in that belief went on with their election and did elect James Bradford as their chairman and since

people of Indianapolis, over the organization candidate, and the or-

Mr.. Tyndall was nominated by the

(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.)

ganization headed by Mr. Bradford is a defeated organization, it would be fitting, proper and in good grace if Mr. Bradford would make a bow and resign the chairmanship of the Republican county committee at this time. # t 4 » “SOME DAY THE FIRST-AIDER MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE” By a First-Aider, Indianapolis A great many jokes have been made about first-aid courses. Cartoons depicting the meek husband undergoing a splint-and-sling session so the little woman may have her required practical application; jokes about the man who only had

|a pain in his stomach to start with,

put after a fix-up session with a

first-aider was in such a weakened condition that he had to be rushed to the nearest hospital with little chance of recovery, and, worst of all, those who openly voice derision at any first-aider’s attempt to treat an injury or ailment, maintaining that such treatment is more injurious than if not given at all. T have just completed the standard Red Cross first-aid course, and it is my opinion that this is an exceptionally worthwhile course. It is extremely interesting, and there is no doubt in my mind that a lot of lives will be saved by those who have taken it. I firmly believe that every layman should take first-aid, if for no other reason than to learn about the make-up of the human body and its processes. In addition

to this, one learn how to diagnose

Side Glances=By Galbraith

and treat everything from a poisonous snake bite to a stroke of apoplexy, pending the arrival of a physician. Please, in the future, let’s have more respect for the efforts of the first-aider—some day he may save your life.

a8» “WHY KEEP YOUR PROPERTY IF IT'S SUCH A PAIN?”

By A Satisfied Renter, Indianapolis In answer to “Mortgage Holder” who is bewailing the fact that she isn’t making any money on her property, I have just this to say: Is it the fault of the government or landlords who have kept their property clear or the renters who live in your house that you have a mortgage on your house and have to meet your own payments?

How come you finally came to the conclusion that you had to raise your rent in order to make some money on your property—and then not until last September and March? Why did you hang onto your property all this time if it has been nothing but a headache to you?

There are many renters who had to sit back and accept increases in their rent, and in many cases pay much more rent than the houses they live in are worth.

Now the government steps in and orders rents set back to the level of last July 1st and are the landlords taking it on the chin? No, it reduces - their income just like the landlords reduced the renters’ income. You have probably guessed by now that I am in the renters’ class, but . . . I happen to be a renter with a very human and kind landlord who happens to have something in his head besides money grabbing. No, our rent has not been raised since 1939 and very little then after improvements were added. ; * =» » » “THIS PIECE OF BUSINESS IS SO DISREPUTABLE” By Louise Wood, 2502 N. Alabama st. I hope that you will have editorial comment upon the matter of the appointment.-by Mr. Roosevelt of Mr. Meaney to be federal judge for-the state of New Jersey. This piece of business is so plainly disreputable and is such an insult to a public which has been so generous in co-operating with this man’s ideas—yes, and methods. Too generous, if we are to retain our selfrespect and to dare to call our present conflict a crusade for the right. I understand that this appointment -must still: be ratified by the

‘|senate. Are we to allow it, or to

write to our senators to protest it? Say what we will, there is division among us, and it seems a

‘|healthful thing as one looks upon

things of this sort. I believe that those who traffic in the destinies of this land scarcely know, (from their statistics). how deep this feeling goes. Either this, or they feel entirely too secure for the good of those they profess to serve.

URSDAY, MAY 14, 1942

Dewey Again? By S. Burton Heath

CLEVELAND, May 14—Recent ~ maneuverings indicate a possibility that President Roosevelt’s home state may elect a Republican governor next November for the first time in two decades. Governor Lehman has taken himself out of the picture with a declination as final as any in politics since William Tecumseh . Sherman in 1884 declined a po« tential Republican nomination for president in words popularly quoted: “If nominated I will not accept; If elected I will not serve.” Thus, probably deliberately, Mr. Lehman has thrown the door wide open for ambitious New York Democrats to seek the party’s nomination. And in the opinion of political veterans, he has conceded defeat in his attempt to make his lieutenant-governor, Charles Poletti, his successor. Under such circumstances few doubt that Attorney General John J. Bennett Jr. has an inside track from which it will be hard for anybody to run him out. Bennett still possesses the qualifications for which he was selected originally; he is a New York City Catholic World War veteran with a Protestant-sounding name.

Does Not Approach Lehman

BUT BENNETT, WITH all his strength in his party, is not considered by students of politics to approach Governor Lehman in popular appeal. And Lehman managed to beat Thomas E. Dewey four years ago by less than 65,000 votes out of more than 4,700,000 cast. It appears to be taken for granted that Dewey is

going to be the Republican candidate. And, if the A

gubernatorial race proves to be between Tom Dewey and Jack Bennett, there are a lot of canny analysts who feel that Dewey will win, This possibility, and the logic behind it, is of nas tional. interest for two reasons. Pirst, because such a Democratic defeat in New York should not be interpreted as a repudiation of President Roosevelt's war policies. The conflict will be one of personalities and of relatively local issues, Second, because a Dewey victory unquestionably would set the stage for an attempt on his part to ob« tain the Republican presidential nomination in 1944; If he loses the governorship, his political star will drop fast. If he wins, the Democratic national come mand can guess what sort of opposition it will face two years from now.

Another Shortage

DONALD NELSON has called 4 shortage which most of us had not realized—which, in fact, we had been told we need not fear, a critical scarcity of construction lumber.

Notwithstanding the stoppage of civilian building, and the limitatioh upon war housing which has been.

imposed by shortages in other materials, we still are

in urgent need of more soft wood lumber than our.

loggers and mills have been producing. The moral would seem to be that we can’t take anything for granted in total war. from every pore.

Loose Talk

WE KNOW A MAN who has begun using his auto-.

mobile quite freely of late. For a time after the sale of tires was prohibited and gasoline became scarcer, he kept the car in the garage most of the time. Now. he has returned to normalcy. We asked him why. He said that judging from all.

the talk in Washington, his tires and possibly even.

his automobile’ would be confiscated soon. He proposes to get all the fun he can out of the car before he loses it.

So by a lot of loose talk this man has been in-,

duced to wear out tires, use up gasoline, and generally

to defeat the administration’s desire to promote con-.

servation.

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

“THERE WAS A growing move~

ment toward discriminatory legislation in the wountry prior to the

war,” says. Mary Dillon, president '

of the Brooklyn Borough Gas Co. and a darned good executive, according to reports. “Isn’t the fact that it is now dispensed with, and that men are being forced to give executive positions to women, proof that it was unnecessary?” This is too glib an answer to a hard question. I, for orfe, do not agree that the discrimination against which every ine telligent woman fought before war began was unnecessary, except in theoretical terms, It was the result of a bitter necessity which moved men to in< justice and tyranny—the necessity of earning a living themselves. ‘Women will be acting unintelligently if they take for granted their present eager welcome into industry and business. Abnormal war conditions are respons sible.

It Depends ‘on Vision

FOR MANY JOBS women are as well qualified a

men; for some, they are superior. ‘But unless an ale most incredible shortage of manpower follows the war, and if there is another great economic depres= sion, the very same conditions that existed in the 1930s will exist again. : I think many feminine leaders work too hard to advance their own causes and to establish themselves in places of power. This is not the way to build a good post-war world. Our help is certain to be needed in the reconstruction, but it should be given with a single purpose in view—the welfare of the world, itself, and not merely woman’s place in it. . ‘True, even in the United Sttaes men have not realized the problems of the modern woman. But we shall be acting with equal stupidity if we refuse to realize the problems of men. + /- Everything now, and everything to come, depends upon the vision and the efforts of the most intellis gent members of both sexes, so that men and women can work co-operatively at all their endeavors. And no good social order is built when too ‘many women resolve to do man’s work and neglect their own—or when too many men refuse to accept women in posi tions where their special talents give then the right to serve. i

1 Simms

Editor's Note: The views expressed by columnists " thts” newspaper are their own. They are not necessarily those of The Indianapolis Times. 4 fyi

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