Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 25 May 1942 — Page 10

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Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way

MONDAY, MAY 25, 1942

HITLER GRABS FOR OIL HE battle of south Russia is building up, but it is still too early for either optimism or pessimism. Both the Russian advance around Kharkov and the German victory ‘ at Kerch are merely opening moves which depend on the ‘ follow-through. hi Neither side has gone all-out. Therefore the world and the actual combatants are almost as much in the dark as before regarding the relative striking power massing for the decisive summer campaigns on the 2000-mile front. Hitler's Kerch victory, admitted by Moscow, leaves “only a narrow strait between the Nazis and the Caucasus, with its rich booty of oil. But a major offensive there would be very risky now—the Crimea is a transportation bottleneck, and the Red fleet will dominate the Caucasus coast road until the Nazis take the by-passed Sevastapol naval base. : So the Kharkov front is more important. It controls . communications for both roads to the Caucasus—the minor " Kerch route and the major Rostov route from the north. If Russia can capture the highly strategic triangle of Khar-kov-Dniepropetrovsk-Mariupol, Hitler will be crippled. Meanwhile the Nazi threat is nothing for anyone to ‘take lightly. Timoshenko needs all the help the allies

_ can give him.

BETTER TO BROADEN THE BASE IF it be true, as reported, that congressional leaders are '* thinking of abandoning the plan to broaden the income tax base, then rank-and-file citizens had better pull down their hats for a fast sales-tax ride. There are only two ways of getting the revenue in the quantity required. One is by taxing more incomes at stiff rates. The other is by taxing the things people buy, at stiff rates. The former is the fairer method because it ‘proportions the burden to ability to pay. An example of how base-broadening reaches upward is found in the treasury’s estimate that reducing the exemptions to $600 for single persons and $1200 for married persons would bring in $100,000,000 of additional revenue from new taxpayers and at the same time take * $1,000,000,000 additional from incomes already taxable. The sales tax, to the contrary, recognizing no exemptions, would collect the major share from small incomes, because there are so many more such incomes, because in the aggregate they constitute the bulk of purchasing power, and because people with small incomes must spend almost all they ‘earn to buy the things that would be taxed. i % : ; a Before this war is over congress may have to use both forms of taxation, but a sales tax should be the last resort.

‘WHAT POLICY? PUBLICITY handout from the department of commerce announces joyfully: “The nation will be spared the major part of the inflationary price rise which so scourged it during World War I, through. the office of price administration’s effective freezing of general prices and especially the cost of living at the March price ceilings, according to an article in Survey of Current Business, monthly publication of the U. S. department of commerce.” The hallelujahs are premature. Price freezing is only one step in the president’s wartime economic program. It can’t succeed unless the other steps are taken—among them ~ anti-inflationary taxes and increased war bond buying, ‘which the handout stresses, and effective control of wages, which the handout does not mention.

”» ” #” 8 o 8 ME ROOSEVELT continues to speak of the government’s general wage policy. In line with it, he says, unwarranted increases by individual employers should be prevented. But what increases are unwarranted? Who is to draw what line where? In short, what is the government’s general wage policy ? : Does it mean that “there must be a drastic reduction in our standard of living,” that “you will have to forego “higher wages for your particular job for the duration of the war,” a8 the president said last month? Does it means that workers are free to negotiate increases, as the textile workers’ union has just done with the American Woolen Co., announcing its success as “the forerunner of a general wage increase in the woolen and worsted industry”? ; Does it mean, as WLB Chairman Davis intimates, that the board will grant. raises to the extent of 50 per cent of the cost-of-living increase, and order them paid in war bonds? Would this apply to workers whose weekly wages ‘have kept ahead of the: cost of living? Wouldn't it soon push costs to manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers through their price ceilings?. And what anti-inflationary effect would there be in paying raises in war bonds if those who got them simply stopped saving an equivalent amount of their present incomes? 8 o »

8 # ” THE questions could: go on and on, without answers. ~ For the truth is that there is no general wage policy, ‘and will be none until it is laid down in definite terms by the president or congress or both. And until a wage _ policy is laid down the price ceilings are about as secure as a henhouse roof in a Kansas cyclone.

WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR? )EOPLE are burning up fires. Control of speed would prevent this waste. The president has suggested a limit of 40 miles an ur. To that we would add that 30 miles is enough in sities. j

Why not make these limits universal and compulsory ?

ss should start the action. States and cities should

ia fades, $1 & yeah,

| sary to

Fair Enough By Westbrook Pegler

NEW YORK, May 25.— “Nobody is going to .destroy con-

the problems of ‘the time than most members of pither house. I am sure Clapper knows that greed of which he speaks is not confined to congress in Washington, but, although he once made expert investigation of nepotism in the house was to some extent responsible for the defeat of or more candidates for re-election, he has never, my knowledge, put: his finger on the true source this public disappbintment inthe high personalities of our government. ‘Yet, if we are going to repudiate this sort of thing it is not enough to attack nepotism in congress

and let it go at that.

Take the Whole Roosevelt Clan

JIMMY AND ELLIOTT ROOSEVELT are officers on active service in the war now and all honor to them for that, but long before there was any war these two young men, starting from scratch with the first election of their father, quickly leaped into that incometax group so heartily despised by the New Deal as being necessarily predatory, which embraces fewer than 50,000 Americans among the entire 130 million. Their sister, Anna, suddenly was touched with genius and, with: no professional experience in jour-

20 to of

nalism, became overnight one of the salary-aristocrats |

of the profession or business. Mrs. Roosevelt also developed unsuspected gifts of great commercial value and quickly ran her income up into the realm of diminishing returns. By the same precedent, a congressman may load the payrolls with his kin, regardless of the actual worth of their ability and services. Why not? It is legal, isn’t it?

None of It Is Actually Petty

CHARLES MICHELSON, the publicity man of the Democratic party, got a job at $20,000 a year from a big radio company which had delicate dealings with the communications commission, a New Deal bureau of political hue. Yet, while drawing this big salary from a private company, he remained a latch-key familiar to the White House. It was thought to be a small thing when Harold Ickes on two occasions tucked himself away in the naval hospital, contrary to law, at a rate which would not have paid for a pitcher-and-bowl bedroom in a flophouse, and mention of this was scoffed away as petty political faultfinding. But the white graft by congress, the $2600 jobs for the in-laws and nephews, which, as Clapper truly says, has impaired congressional prestige, is all petty stuff, too. No white graft, no personal exploitation of public office, no assumption of special privilege is petty, however small the amount involved. It is the example, the bad effect on the people’s respect for office that counts. Nor is it personal or political hatred which prompts such observations as these. They are prompted by pure political idealism.

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

Same Old Ghost By Major Al Williams

NEW YORK, May 25.—What'’s behind the wind now blowing from capitol hill about the vital decision between more battleships or more aircraft carriers? The old ghostly procession, bearing the banners for more and bigger and swifter battleships, is moving again. We are still building battleships, and that their building must be gouging deeply into our available resources seems evident from the recent protests of several alert members of congress. The same ghost stalks through the British naval war effort. Are we helpless to stop this death march of traditional seapower? Why can’t we boot this bat-tleship-building ghost into some junk yard and get on with the job of licking the axis. Must we waste time, money, materials and skilled labor on building these huge seapower mastodons of other wars? Must it always be' “more battleships” when what we need is more carriers and planes— more of the lighter, swifter warships fitted for this hit-and-run sea warfare? Whence, the priming charge for “more battleships”? I suspect—and Gen, Billy Mitchell actually said—that it is the big business heavy industries, whose forte is the building of the impressive but ineffective sea giants, working on congress through the usual lobbies.

What This War Has Proved

WHAT HAS ANY battleship done to date, in this war, except sink? They can’t move safely within range of shore-kased or carrier-based air forces. Where else can they be used? Carriers can go any place in any ocean where the water is deep enough. Suppose the Japs do have a bunch of battleships, and we match each of them with a carrier. Where are you placing your bets? If the Jap battleships catch any light warship force of ours unprotected by carriers, the jig is up for our force. But, with an abundance of sircraft carriers, such a situation could not develop. The incontrovertible record of this war at sea proves that one aircraft carrier can take care of

more than one battleship. We can win at sea with |

carriers, cruisers and destroyers, and those are the weapons into which we should put out precious time, materials and manpower.

So They Say—

We must show now by positive acts of eollabora-

tion with nations of like mind that we are prepared

to shoulder our full share of responsibilities for byilding a better world. —Secretary of State Cordell Hull.

. * »

Every candidate for the senate and house, to be elected, must be able to convince the voters that his election will assist in bringing the war to an early and successful conclusion.—Governor Dwight Griswold of Nebraska. * - * The winter campaign has been terrible, and the fuehrer suffered deeply for his troops, but he knew he must not yield.—Reichsmarshal—president of the Reichstag—Chief Huntsman Hermann Goering. g . * *

We must start our thinking with a cold, disagreeable, hard fact. That is, the economic measures neces-

i

The Hoosier Forum

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

“DOES CITY HAUL CINDERS FOR ITS INSPECTORS?” By C. A. H., Indianapolis I feel it is my duty as a citizen and taxpayer to report this matter. I wonder if the city has started hauling "cinders for its street inspectors. , I see on May 21st a load of cinders was put in this back yard and when I tried to see the number of the city truck, the driver when he backed out kept his hand over the truck number. Today, May 22d, two big trucks of cinders were dumped on this property. I saw the number 28 very plain, and department of city street commission. The man at this place is a street inspector. : Our alley below him needs fixing instead of private property. I don’t wish my name used unless a matter that goes to court. I don’t know if you are interested in this matter or not. The cinders are there and way up in his yard to be seen.

# » 2 “I DID NOT START THIS ARGUMENT—I WANT IT ENDED.” By A Mortgage Holder, Indianapolis Satisfied Renter, it would take no mind reader to see that one would not expect an apology from one so dead-set against another and so “prejudiced” (that is the word) as to land on anyone without knowing any of the circumstances. I did not start this argument and I want it ended, as my first article Was purely impersonal. But, in spite of your “tirade,”I still hold to my opinion that there should be “discrimination” shown between rich landlords (or ladies) and ones in my situation and I feel that is not an unpatriotic remark for I have the confidence in my government to feel that they do not wish people with mortgaged property to lose it because of inadequate rent any more than they wish to see renters imposed on, for I don’t think they are anxious to add any more

class. : The appointment of a rent administrator proves the need for “readjustment” and because of the

to their relief roles from either]

(Times readers are invited to express their views in these columns, religious conMake your letters short, so all can have a chance. Letters must be signed.)

troversies excluded.

consensus of many opinions that I had undercharged before my raise, my conscience is clear and therefore have no fear of an investigation, but will gladly abide by his judgment, as-I am a law abiding citizen. Your landlord is indeed “kind” (I am always ready to give credit where credit is due) if he did what you say but I still must say if his mortgage: is so big (as the size makes a difference) that his keeping it is a losing proposition I think he would be trying to do just what I am—to sell. As to my heelth, you know it doesn’t take much strength to write and try to defend oneself from unjust and uncalled for tirade. That was another missile that was no surprise but I wish no more “personal slings” as I was not addressing you at first. » ” » “SENATORS TOO GREEDY TO GIVE UP ONE LUXURY” By F. C. K., Indianapolis Ever since I read that the senate defeated Senator Downey's resolution to waive senators’ special privileges for an unlimited supply of gasoline because it would “injure their dignity” to do so, my ire has been so aroused that I am requesting the privilege of voicing my utter disgust with these senators.. At this time when the president and the boys fighting at the front are asking us at home to “go allout” in our efforts to assist them to win this war, the senators are concerned with their dignity and special privileges! This is just their way of saying they are too selfish, greedy and avaricious to give up one luxury while the boys are giving up their lives, and at a time when

we face a dire shortage of gasoline

Side Glances—By Galbraith |

ra

driving fo town to :

"| know it's a nice day for haying, but the crop w - show

=31' leva of cocktail bars . | women, and toeless shoes.

| have fo wait!

Nl |Ineighbors make home "1! |bathtub gin.

which should be conserved to carry food and other necessities. However, they know how to pass laws which will just about break the backs of the little people, but we are not complaining. It is better to make sacrifices now and for a few years than to sacrifice our liberty. It certainly does not help to increase the patriotic fervor of the general public to find this lack of patriotism in those who are put in the high places of our government and should lead by example. Their selfish attitude shall not be forgotten by the people at election time. » » » “GIVE BOYS A YEAR BEFORE FLYING BOMBERS”

By Mrs. H. W. Beck, Bargersville I agree with Mrs. W. M. Bullock shout so many of our boys being killed here at home learning to fly planes. A very large number of our boys are in the air corps and can win this war if the boys are given a year to learn how to operate these bombers.. Sure, youth can learn, but give them time to get their nerves in good working order so they can handle these big bombers with accuracy. All mothers who have boys in the air corps should ask to give their boy a longer time. These accidents that happen here are for want of more easier practice a. little longer. » 2 8 “WHAT DOES LEON REALLY THINK ABOUT WAGES?” By A..B. C., Indianapolis Now Leon Henderson says he didn’t tell a congressional committee he favors freezing wages as a part of the anti-inflationary plan. He merely urged*“stabilization.” Mr. Henderson's boss and mentor, the president, also stops short with “stabilization,” whatever that may mean. The price czar’s disclaimer came after there had been speculation whether he was exceeding Mr. Roosevelt's speed limit. They must have been a dumb lot of congressmen who understood that Mr. Henderson was for freezing, when really he was talking about “stabilization.” Or weren't they? What does Leon really think, among us girls? : t 4 ” 2 “MEN DON'T WANT WOMEN TO BE THAT WAY” By A. J. L., Columbus The last war led women

Prohibition led them to frequent speakeasies, help hubly and the brew and Repeal of prohibition brought an and tipsy fingernails

This war already has seen the

with enamel

further degeneration of our once-

esteemed weaker sex. . They are re-bobbing their hair; shortening their skirts; leaving. off and painting their legs.

Is it a thrill they are seeking? Are they trying to attract men-by

| |such base wiles? Don’t they rea- { |lize that men don’t want their

women to be that way? It’s far beyond me to understand or appreciate the psychology of modern women. I really would like to know how the women, themselves, reason this thing out. I'm afraid—or am I?—that I might not live to see what extreme radicalisms the next generation of girls will adopt when the next war breaks out. :

DAILY THOUGHT Where - treasure is, there

¥ UL ene——

1 to -bob| . 1: |their hair, shorten’ their skirts and | |start smoking cigarets.

t are women thinking ‘about?

8.

Iv Washington:

By Peter Edson

WASHINGTON, May 25. —Waste

paper salvage for victory campaign has actually produced a surplus, but don't stop collecting. Idea is to maintain the surplus. . . . Q4V is a new slogan meaning you .should perform your job “Quicker

for Victory.” .. . Red Cross has .-

sent a million hypodermic needles to Soviet. Russia. , . . Cashew nut & oil from India can no longer be : > used in brake linings except for armed services. . . . Stoppage on manufacture of blackhead squeezers saves 110,000 pounds of steel. . +» . The steel which used to go into manufac of barber shop and beauty shoppe furniture will 2 600 light tanks. . . . Hereafter penclis—the outs) not the leads—can be finished only in black, whit domestic earth colors and blue. No more yellows.’

Prices on Straight Drinks Frozen THREE THOUSAND HOLC examiners are making a national checkup on ;all building construction begun since April 9 for the: compliance section of WPB. . . Other new checkups include use of jeweled bearings and use of copper by silversmiths. . + , Prices on straight drinks are frozen, but prices on cocktails and mixed drinks are not. , . .. Wives of congressmen got a special explanation of price control from OPA officials. . . . Association of American Railroads warns you not to let your car stall on a grade crossing. You might wreck a train bearing war supplies.

An Electric Tricycle Next?

ARMAMENTS FOR sale to the government are exempt from price ceilings. . . . An electric tricycle operating on batteries has appeared in Sweden as one solution to the gas shortage. . . . Women are to be accepted for training as airport traffic directors. . « » Picked high school students are to get pilot training. . . . No more colored bed sheets after July 1. . « . Rubber restrictions may set maximum mileage on recapped tires at 5000 miles a year. . . . War expenditures may hit $4 billion a month for May. . . . Belts on nightgowns are limited to half-inch width,

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

NATION-WIDE gas rationing is predicted “to save rubber.” That

doesn’t make sense to people live"

ing next door to an oil refinery, unless the government intends to requisition all tires. And that is out, according to reports in the same papers that foretell gas rationing, : ; The people in the middle sece tion of the country, where gasoline is more than plentiful and where oil field output is still restricted, would be willing to give up their tires and their cars to Uncle Sam if they are needed to win the war, There's no question about that, The folks out here want this war to be a quick one. They want no punches pulled. They want a knockout blow and, if it takes their tires, those tires will be gladly sacrificed. But they don’t cotton to the notion that they should be forced to make unnecessary sacrifice in order to “get into the war spirit.” Hell and blazes!— they've already got into the war spirit. What's the matter with Washington that it doesn’t know that?

"No Sense in Letting Tires Rot"

EVERYONE IS CONVINCED there is a rubber shortage, Yet, where gas is abundant, the people see no sense in letting their tires rot in a garage when they can still have some fun out of them, and when there is so much need for business and life to go on. Confusion on this question ought to be cleared up.

If the government wants: the tires—well, here they are. But the common people still have a little sense left. They realize that, once a man’s tires are gone, there’ll be no more for some time. Only a half-wit would misuse them under the circumstances. Yet, unless the government takes it, even a half wit is entitled to the use of his property in our systém of life—or is he?

(Editor's Note: Unfortunately, Mrs. Ferguson, there's a great deal of evidence that people in the Middle West, who can get gasoline in abundance, are wearing out tires at an unnecessary rate. We're convinced the government doesn’t want tires to “rot in a garage” and doesn’t want te confiscate them, either, unless its need for them becomes urgent—as it may. But it does want them used wisely and conserved for what seems certain to be a long period without new tires. If middle-westerners’ war spirit would: inspire them to voluntary restriction of unnecessary drive ing, on a scale comparable to that imposed on easterners by gas rationing, your objections to nationwide gas ration. ing would be unanswerable.) .

Questions and Answers

(The Indianapolis Times Service Bureau Will answer any question of fact or information, mot involving extensive research. Write your 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. C.)

Q—What kind of sound is-made by London aire raid sirens? i A—One description states that they have a tone like the old-fashioned automobile horn, but not as harsh. The sirens sound from & low to a high pitch for one minute,’ to indicate an alert, and the all-clear sounds for two minutes on a single tone.

A—The Channel islands (Jersey, Guernsey, Alder= ney, Jethou, Sark and, Herm) lying off the northwest coast of France; weré occupied by the Germans in June, 1940. ch y : iE ‘ Q—=Should bird houses be painted? A—When a rustic finish is not desired, paint ene hances the appearance and improves. the weathering qualitits. Modest tones, such as brown, gray or dull green are generally preferred. Martin houses and others that are placed in exposed situations,’ may be painted white to reflect the heat.

Q—Where can I obtain a list of mining companies in South America? A—From the Commercial Intelligence Unit, Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Department of

Commerce, Washington, D. C. ‘The price is one dol-

lar per list for each country. ¢

Q—Does the instrument used to record earthquakes also record explosions caused by demolition bombs?

A—An explosion of sufficient force to cause a

vibration that ean be felt, may produce an illegible blur on a seismograph located a few miles away, but beyond approximately 10 miles the instrument would Q—What percentage of the pupils in public schools of the United States graduate from college? = A—Twenty-three out of every 1000 pupils in the

Q—What former British possessions in the English | Channel have been occupied by Germany?

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