Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 25 May 1942 — Page 9

MONDAY, MAY 25, 1942

e Indiana, olis

Washington

WASHINGTON, May 25.—For you and me, the main fact about the big synthetic rubber program is . that it won't mean the slightest easing of the tire situation for non-essential uses. Every pound of synthetic that can be made in the next two years must go to the military. ‘Officials want to emphasize that. They are afraid the public may think the situation will improve because we are going to have more rubber, or because efforts are being made to increase gasoline transportation «into the east. The situation won't improve so far. as civilians are concerned. Rationing almost certainly will spread throughout the country within a few weeks—not to save gasoline but to save rubber. Gasoline rationing is the best method yet found for reducing the use of automobiles which is considered imperative. © The ‘government is trying to make the present stock of automobiles now in private hands last for the duration. No more tires can be supplied and present ones must run through. Furthermore it is easily possible that many private cars will be needed by the government before the war is over.

Will You Sell Your Car?

FOR INSTANCE officials here have heard of one enormous war plant, 40 miles or so from the nearest big city, which needs. 12,000 passenger automobiles now to haul defense workers from their homes to the plant. Busses and other forms of public conveyance can-

By. Raymond Clapper

situation may be overcome without having to appeal to private owners to sell their cars. But others like it ‘will be coming up from now on. It might be desirable for the government to begin now buying up automobiles from owners who wish] to sell. Let it form a Defense Workers’ Transportation Corp., buy up cars, assign them to local operating companies for filling gaps in defense plant transportation. : I have a car in good condition that they can have. Thousands ‘of people are in the same position, Certainly most two-car families might as well get" ‘rid of one car at least. It would be better to put such cars into needed use than to allow them to deteriorate while standing idle.

We're Left on Our Uppers

NO RESPONSIBLE official takes anything but a grim view of private car transportation. Joseph B. Eastman, director of defense transportation, is even ‘worried whether there will- be enough rubber to keep busses going. It isn't a matter of seizing your tires. What we are short of is transportation. The tires go with the car and both need to be conserved for imperative use. That is the basic consideration. It applies all over the country, whereas the gasoline shortage arises from oil transportation difficulty in the east. We were vulnerable because the whole nation was transporting itself on rubber entirely supplied from the southwest Pacific. When the Japs knocked that rubber out we were left on our uppers for transportation. If the axis had deliberately planned how to immobilize the United States it could not have hit upon a more practical way to do it, as one official was saying here.

PENSIONS NOT

HIKED TO MEET

State’s Aged Face Plight; Survey on Possible New Aid Begins.

.One of the most graphic examples of the old maxim that inflation hurts the little fellow the most can be found in the current plight

of thousands of aged Hoosiers who |i

are receiving old-age assistance.

In many Indiana counties, these people are receiving the same amount of money fhey received in 1938, before the prices of commodities began to rise. The average of the 70,458 old-age pensioners in Indiana today receives $19.16 a month, an increase of about 79 cents over what he re¢eived before the war began to send prices to their present pegged peaks. . Welfare Officials Worried

This 79 cents is all the state has

|| Sturdy Fliers Man Ships

y In Defense of Moscow,

Writer Finds.

By LELAND STOWE

coor LR A Tm

WITH THE SOVIET AIR FORCH OUTSIDE MOSCOW, May 25.—AsS we -drove up we saw a long row of planes lined up along the south ern edge of the field and more far across on the other side. gt It had been raining all morning

{land the drome was spotted with

patches of water. When we got closer we .could spot the Tomas= | hawks from their snarling sharks’ mouths just below their propellers and then the Kittyhawks with their pouter pigeon chests and then the sharp-nosed Airocobras with their tricycle wheels — American planes all down the line. Even under the sodden skies and

“¥| sitting on the soaked earth, they

, not be provided in sufficient form. That particular i a ¥ : With big American forces arriving in Ireland and the English public clamoring for invasion of the

continent. this scene may some day become a reality, Carrying full equipment, arms and ladders, troo of the Seottlsh command “invade” their own Scotland under a smoke men, King George witnessed ”

been able to give the average pensioner to meet the higher costs of living which’ in practically all coun-

looked good. Their pilots, alert, sturdy fellows, standing at atten= tion waiting for us, looked good,

‘ Ernie Pyle, in poor health for some time, has been forced to take a rest. However, he is expected to resume his daily column within a short time. :

Inside Indianapolis By Lowell Nussbaum

IT LOOKS LIKE we made a big mistake when we reported last month that Dr. Frank Wicks had gone to the same barber 27% years. Judge Heiny Goett informed us that was “nothing,” that he'd been having his hair cut by William F. Baase, 1248 S. East st., for 36 years. (The judge must have been 8 year old when he started.) We got in touch with Mr. Baase, who seems to be quite a. guy. Mr. Baase reports, for instance, that he’s been barbering on the South side since 1888; that his oldest customer, John Vollrath, started with him in 1892—a half’ century ago. ; “After the Corbett-Sullivan fight in 1892,” reports Mr. Baase, “I decided to cut my hair pompadour, and in 1894 I cut my own hair on a bet with a city fireman, Herman Ehlers . . . and I have been cutting my own hair ever since and still wear It pompadour.” We also learned that Mr. Baase learned to swim in the rocky bottoms at the Belt railroad bridge in 1882, that his favorite fishing lake is Manitou, that he won a fat man’s race in 1914, has been a member of the South Side Turner’s Pinochle club about 30 years, used to sing with the South Side Liederstaffel, and now is a proud great-grandfather.

Oh, yes, and he also'énce won a beer drinking: -

contest.

On the Way Back

THE SCRAPPER, new publication. of the general salvage section of the bureau of industrial conservation, carries a little item of interest locally. It follows: “Sixteen years ago, Schubert and Salzer, Chemnitz, Germany, provided the Real silk Co. with 87 large machines to ‘sock’ the country. In case the German firm sees this, they will be interested to

“Of course, they might go back in the form of guns.”

1807 W, Michigan st., was digging a victory garden

+ Incidentally, it’s date goes back to the year of the big

The machines made a total of 1.800,000 pounds of scrap, which is enough to make 48 medium tanks.

Around the Town

THE AUTHORITIES out at Ft. Harrison object to any mention of it, but the fact is that Dr. LaPenta, the local Italian consul, is still interned out at the fort. Because of the shortage of doctors, it’s reported, they've been using him as a laboratory worker at the hospital. . . . A couple of the 200 or so soldiers who have been quartered at the Antlers while in training at Allison were standing at the cigar counter when a well filled out veteran of World War I—now back in service asa lieutenant colonel—walked by. Said one of the soldiers: “We've got one of those retreads, too.” . . . Now that the new city directories are out, Miss Ethel Cleland, head of the business branch library, has begun collecting last year’s directories to swap with libraries in other cities for their last year’s directories. Chicago isn't included. The oldest, most dilapidated book in the branch is the Chicago directory. It’s a 1928 copy—the last published for the Windy City.

Remember the Flood?

BUD PURVIS, feature editor of the Washington H. S. Surveyor, reports that his uncle, Jack Price,

the other day and unearthed a 1913 license plate— Indiana 11,480. It's in perfect condition—quite a contrast to some of the plates issued only this year.

flood. . This bird-fighting-window thing can go on indefinitely, it seems. We're told, the William George Klein family, which now lives near New Salem, Ind, but gets back here every day or two, can’t sleep mornings because of a baltimore oriole and a cardinal red bird. The oriole sits and pecks at the window until it’s driven away; the the cardinal bangs - against the window with dive bombing tactics. And then

ties has increased drastically, some items being up as high as 40 per cent in northern Indiana. This problem is giving state welfare department officials a great deal of worry and they don’t know whether they will be able to do anything about it. Virgil Shepard, head of the oldage assistance department, has ordered a survey to be made of existing welfare department appropriations this month to determine if allowances cannot be increased.

Taxpayers Hold Back

On the other side of the ledger, of course—as welfare department officials well realize—are the taxpayers who are digging deeper and deeper to help Uncle Sam. And the welfare department officials are cognizant of the fact that

the taxpayers don’t feel able to pay

any more in taxes for old-age assistance. Department officials estimate that if the allowance for food were increased for the T700 pensioners in Indianapclis in proportion to the increase in food costs that it would necessitate a 2-cent raise in the city tax rate for that item alone.

County Average $19.70 a Month The maximum amount a pen-

sioner can get in JIndianapolis for food is $9 a month—the same as in 1938. And food costs here are up 24 per cent.

Under the Marion county sched-

ule which has been in effect since

1938 the maximum that an old-age pensioner can receive is $9 for food;

$240 for clothing; $8 for shelter;

$3 for fuel; $1 for health and 75 cents for insurance. The average local pensioner receives $19.70 a month, A large number of counties has

been able to increase allowances re-

the landing drill.

LARRABEE BID

To Have His Aid in Fall Campaign.

By DANIEL M. KIDNEY Times Staff Writer WASHINGTON, May 25. — Rep. William H. Larrabee (D. Ind.) who opposes Rep. Raymond S. Springer (R. Ind.) in the November election, declared today that he would be delighted to have Wendell L. Willkie return to the Democratic party and help with his (Larrabee’s) campaign. Rep. Larrabee is trying for the 10th district seat in congress, since the 11th, which he now represents, was abolished through the 1940 census and subsequent action by the Indiana legislature. “Since Mr. Willkie owns a chain of farms near Rushville in my district, it seems to me it would not be out of place for him to help with my election,” Rep. Larrabee asserted.

Calls Rival Isolationist “The 1940 G. O. P. presidential candidate used to be a Democrat and he repeatedly has said he would oppose any isolationist. My opponent has a 100 per cent record of isolationism up to the time Pearl Harbor was bombed.”

GIVEN WILLKIE]

Declares He Would Be Glad|

\

Home Defense Bulletin

From Marion county and Indianapolis offices of civilian defense World War memorial, 431 N. Meridian st. We have tried to make clear that Indianapolis is a logical fire target for enemy bombers and a highly vulnerable one. An enemy firebomber is an arsonist on a grand scale, and * knows where fires cause the most damage and are most difficult to combat. Weare concerned with the training of the thousands of civilians who will necessarily be called upon for action in such a crisis. It takes 25 hours of training to be a warden. It entails hard work. The question is if there is some competent individual willing to volunteer for this service to protect your home and family. Until that man comes forward, your home will be lacking in a protection it might need at any time.

BUTLER JOINS IN OFFICER COURSE

Students May Enlist for Preliminary Training, Stay in School.

6 ARE KILLED IN STATE TRAFFIC

Four Die in One Accident As Car Hits Culvert

Near La Porte.

Six more had been added to the state traffic toll today, as Marion county and Indianapolis enjoyed a deathless week-end. State traffic victims were:

MRS. HAZEL M. CONN, about 40, of Logansport, Ind.

MRS. GERTRUDE GERLACH, 39, and her 18-month-old-son, of Logansport. EARL GRONINGER, about 40, of Camden, Ind.

DONALD DANFORD, 14, son of Mr. and Mrs. Agnes Brutes of West Lafayette, Ind. :

RAYMOND E. CASTLE, 50, of Cincinnati. Mrs. Conn, Mrs. Gerlach and her son and Mr. Groninger were killed yesterday morning when their car crashed into a culvert on Road 6 about 15 miles south of La Porte, Ind. The car was driven by Mrs. Conn, who appatenuly had fallen asleep. Suspect Is Held

The Danford youth was killed by a hit-run driver. The boy was riding a bicycle with a companion. Two hours after the accident, Clayton M. Belsch, 38, of West Lafayette, was arrested and charged

too. Looking at them and those clean-lined fighter planes, we felt pretty well pleased, if the truth be told. : Ready for Action

These American aircraft , were lend-lease promises kept and de= livered in tangible form and they. had all been in action in the defense of Moscow—not much action yet, but ready for plenty more. Lieut. Col. Nestor Dimidov, coms mander of this Moscow defense squadron, escorted us around the field and introduced us to his ace pilots. Although the squadron mems= bers’ average age is 24, most of them wore medals and several of them, as many as three decorations. The American planes had been placed in expert hands and, when you ‘scrutinized the faces of these young officers, you had no doubt about that. They all had the luvok of veteran airmen who know their jobs—not cocky and show-offish— just all-fired competent.

‘Tomagawks’ Popular

The Lieutenant colonel told us that the Tomahawks had rendered valuable services. In fact, since January the “Tomagawks,” as the Russians call them, had shot down 29 Nazi planes out of a total of 86, which the squadron had bagged. Even so, he admitted that the

flying qualities, with the Kitty« hawks next. The Cobra, he said, closely resembled) tBeiRussian fight er plane named “Mig,” although the latter had a slightly higher speed at

. 121,000 feet.

While paying tribute to the exe cellent performance of the Airoe cobra, the lieutenant colonel cone fessed: “Yes, we do have better fighters than the Mig.” The Mig fighter does not have as heavy firepower as the Cobra, with its cannon

Cobras had the best technical and =

known the same machines are now on their way back comes the oriole. It’s a headache. - cently to keep up somewhat with with reckless homicide. and machine guns, but “we have

back, only this time in the form of war implements.

Dublin, 1942

LONDON, May 25.—For the first time since the outbreak of the war, Eire is feeling its effects. But there is no starvation. Dublin's gay lights, such a welcome change to visitors from wartime Britain, are dimmed now but still burning. Juicy steaks, plentiful butter, sugar and cream still await anyone with sufficient money to buy. But the average Irishman is feeling the pinch of war as he has not felt it until now. : Dublin streets are strangely empty of cars. No private motor-

ing is permitted but the streets

are thronged with bicycles, people on foot, horsedrawn side cars and busses. But its windows are full of meat, vegetables, oranges, Jemons and grapefruit—the latter items which long ago disdppeared from Britain. Beginning last Tuesday stricter rationing of gas was introduced. Instead of three hours at each meal-time, gas is only turned on from 5:30 to 8 o'clock in the morning, 11:30 to 1:30 at noon and 5 to 6 at night. This means doing all cooking and heating in those hours. It means four hot baths weekly instead of seven and it means careful planning of meals by housewives. No more stews, or tongues, which take hours of boiling.

Fuel Is Crux of Matter :

FUEL AND WHEAT are Eire’s principal shortages. Bread is rationed to seven ounces per person daily. “This is ample for a family of medium income but short for the poor, who depend so much on bread. The fuel shortage is affecting ‘the transportation of footstuffs. The 40-day drought, only recently ended, may have an unfortunate effect on Irish wheat. Experts

My Day

... WASHINGTON, Sunday—I returned here Friday in time to: welcome Mademoiselle Curie and to receive several people in the afternoon. Among them was Miss Terese Bonney, who ‘brought some very’ remarkable photographs as a gift to my husband for his library at Hyde Park. They were taken in various war-torn countries in Europe. I am keeping these photographs here for ‘a time to show to various people, because, some of them are really great contributions to the realization of what war brings in its wake, 1t is always a joy to have Mile. Curie here and it was extremely interesting to glean from her some of her impressions of the various countries she has visited on her

extraordinary trip. She has a map on which she has traced her

het outdlistaniced You many times.”

‘By Helen Kirkpatrick:

pointed out the two-inch high, slightly yellow blades and looked gloomy over the prospects. The rain may

have come too late.

But fuel is probably the crux of the matter. Trains are cut to a minimum and running fantastically late. Without transportation, it will be most difficult to feed out of the way places. there will always be plenty of potatoes.

The News Gets Around

WHILE THE EIRE government's viewpoint on American troops in northern Ireland is unchanged, there seems. to be quite a different attitude among the

Yet, say Eire efficials,

journeys, and some one at lunch today. yesterday, on looking’ over it, remarked to me: “She houses W

people. When I was there in February just after

the first troops had landed, the Irish were nervous. They wondered if the Americans were going ‘to invade.” They hoped they would tay north of the border. Premier Eamon de Valers protested against their presence. . Today: the government has ceased protesting, through its attitude remains the same. No mention has been permitted in Irish newspapers of the subsequent arrivals of troops. This was most striking last week when it was announced that the largest contingent of American troops yet to cross the Atlantic in the war had reached northern Ireland. Not until President Roosevelt mentioned it was word allowed in the Irish press and then only his statement. But news gets around in Eire and most people knew that the north was bristling with Americans.

“Why won't they let the Americans come down nn leave?” I heard this question on all sides. The only answer was that, since the Eire government protested against the Americans’ presence in the north, there was no reason why Americans should expect to be welcomed in the south. Nor, so long as Germans, Italians and Japs remain in Dublin, is it likely that the majority of the Americans would wish to go there.

By Eleanor Roosevelt

the variety and interest of her travels. One looks at this chic, well-groomed, delicate Frenchwoman and marvels at the calm with which she must. have faced many dangerous moments, and one 4s proud of women ! Yesterday afternoon I went to a tea given by the Democratic Women’s council, to which they had invited groups of war workers. They are planning a series of such teas in the hope that they will bring together women who might not otherwise meet, and

. Yesterday ‘evening we had some young jeopie dine with us. heen s Patricia Mountbatten came at, e will go back to England

troy scion tials SpHioG. to join|y

y of women workers on her owm country. er dinner, a number of government officials

receiving

the higher living costs but there are many populous counties such as Marion that have so far been unable to do anything about it, according to Mr. Shepard. Many Suffer Hardships “As a result of this situation, many of these old people are undergoing terrific hardships,” Mr. Shepard commented. During the past year, the number of persons receiving old-age pensions has grown by approximately 3400. This is due chiefly, welfare department officials say, to the act of the 1941 legislature removing ‘the liens which the welfare department in the past placed on the homsteads of aged persons receiving pensions. Now an aged needy person can obtain assistance without giving a lien on his home, if he owns one. Mr. Shepard pointed out that war production employment has affected very little the needy people over the age of 66 and that many of the children who might be able to support them have been thrown out of work temporarily by the shift from civilian to war production. Need More Investigators He said that the present welfare staff of 650 investigators were reinvestigating cases “as fast as they can” to determine if the persons assistance have . children able to support them but’ that a much larger number of investigators is needed to do te job ade-} quately. “But, of course, it is xi vcils impossible to get them now,” he added. State welfare department officials say that the matter of increasing allowances is up to the county welfare departments and that the situation should be given serious thought in drafting the new budgets.

JERSEY REPULSES ‘INVASION’ TESTS

ASBURY PARK, N. J, May 25

(U. P.).—Army officials said today|

that an “enemy invasion” of New Jersey from the sea had been repulsed. ;

A retired country doctor from New Palestine, Rep. Larrabee was the only Hoosier in either the senate or house who supported the administration’s pre-war preparedness policy almost 100 per cent. He voted both for the draft and its extension and cast the only vote from Indiana for the latter measure. He expects to predicate his campaign on that record, he declared. Pre-war Record Cited Outside of a vote for the first lend-lease appropriation, Rep. Springer’s record, like that of the other Republicans from Indiana and that of Rep. Louis Ludlow, Indianapolis Democrat, is completely pre-war isolationist. He voted against the Guam naval base, arms embargo, neutrality revision, military airplane appropriation, conscription, lend-lense authorization, draft extension, repeal of the ship arming ban and lifting of the belligerent zones. Rep. Larrabee’s only minus mark is on the Guam base, which he also opposed and which was not greatly pressed by the administration leadership.

GHORMLEY SETS UP NEW ZEALAND BASE

WELLINGTON, New Zealand, May 25 (U. P.).—Vice Admiral Robert Lee Ghormley, United States navy, commanding allied naval forces in the New Zealand area, arrived today to establish headquarters. Prime Minister Peter Fraser, who welcomed him at the railroad station, promised him the 100 per cent co-operation of New Zealand and arranged for him .to confer with the New Zealand war cabinet this afternoon.

Gasoline . rationing is in sight land Erwin G. (Cannonball) Baker

Butler university has joined the war department program for voluntary enlistment of college men for preliminary army officers’ training, M. O. Ross, Butler acting president, announced today. Men students enrolling under the plan will be classified in the army enlisted resetve corps and willbe permitted to remain in college until graduation.

May Request Own Branch

At the conclusion of their university work, the cadets will be assigned to that branch of the army

for which they are deemed best fitted and sent to a replacement center for additional training. Upon successful completion of the training the students will be commissionued second lieutenants. Before graduation, students may request assignment to, the branch of service they desire. "To enroll for the training, students must be citizens of the United States, over 18 years of age and physically qualifled under existing army regulations.

Faculty Adviser Chosen

Students enlisted under the plan may be called to active service as enlisted men if they fail to pass qualifying examinations, leave school, or in the event the war demands suc.1 action. Acting President Ross announced that he had appointed C. R. Maxam, registrar and director of placements, as faculty adviser for Butler students enrolled for the training.

HONOR LAWYER'S MEMORY A memorial meeting honoring the late Oren 8. Hack, Indianapolis attorney, will be held by the Indianapolis Bar association at 11 a. m. Homerton in the circuit sours room.

the motor,” he explairied as he elap- | orated onthe details. *

Mr. Castle was killed at Connersville Saturday when his motorcycle skidded and plunged into a ditch.

William Blaisdell, 69, of 325 Cable st., remained in g serious condition at City hospital today, following an accident in which he was struck by an auto Saturday night at Washington and Blackford sts. The driver of the car was not held.

” ” 2 Charles D. Mooney, 18, of 1214 Villa ave., was to appear in municipal court today to answer reckless driving charges after his car crashed into two parked autos yesterday at State ave. and Prospect st.” Five were injured in the accident, none seriously.

PUPILS VOW TO KEEP BUYING WAR STAMPS

Indiana school children, who are not yet in vacation, began mass pledging today to continue buying

| war stamps during the summer va-

cation months. Today was officially proclaimed as Summer Savings Pledge Day by Governor Schricker. Many schools of the city and state observed patriotic programs and children signed pledges to continue their war thrift through the summer. Some of the schools will observe the pledge day later this week and still others will make their pledges on the last day of school. John Strange school, in ‘Washington township, now has a total war stamp sale of more than $3000. At school 24, 600 pupils staged a patriotic parade around Lockefield Gardens, and pupils at school 76 are

“You must realize, 100, that this|™

50 Miles to a Gallon of Gas Is Goal of Device Under Study by Cannonball Baker

A trip from Indianapolis to Miami—1234 miles+for $6.76.

fighters which have a greater vole ume of firepower than the Cobra.” This simple statement perhaps goes far to explain the fact that = the Germans never have succeeded in getting more than 10 bombers over Moscow at any one time. The Soviet air force has developed the most modern models at exceptional pace since the second world war bes gan. Heinkel Is Vulnerable

Although the Russians do pose sess certain types which are defie nitely superior to the Airocobras, this American fighter already come . mands the respect of the Russian pilots. They assured us that the Nazis have only one fighter which 1is better than the Cobra—the Heine |kel-113 which the Germans do not use much “because it is very vul- - nerable. It has a faster takeoff and great maneuverability but is dangerously susceptible - to concentrated fire.” As for Messerschmitts, we were ase sured that the Cobras have the edge on them beyond the shadow of a doubt.

YEGGS LOOT TAVERN SAFE AND GET $1200

When he opened the Tunnel tave ern at 373 S. Illinois st. this morne ing, Chris Visha, co-owner, found that $1200 had been taken from the safe. Entry, he said, had been gained through a roof ventilator and the combination on the outer door of

box was jimmied and an undetere mined amount of money taken.

HOLD EVERYTHING

COLOSSAL FiM

the safe had been worked. A juke