Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 28 May 1942 — Page 16

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PAGE 16 The Indianapolis Times

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THURSDAY, MAY 28, 1942

FAITH, OPTIMISM AND RUBBER PTIMISM is fine in its place, but that place isn't the rubber situation. All thorough investigations seem to reach much the same conclusion stated last week by four leading war agency officials— Production Chief Nelson, Rubber Co-ordinator Newhall, Transportation Director Eastman, Price Administrator Henderson—that: “There is little real basis for optimism . . . the facts as we see them are grim, and we need 100 per cent co-opera-tion in conservation measures. . . . Worst of all, the optimistic stories may keep us from realizing what we are up against until it is too late.” Many middle-western congressmen, to be sure, are resolving that the rubber shortage doesn't justify nationwide gasoline rationing. But the Truman committee of the senate, after long and careful study, warns the average motorist not to expect new rubber for his car for at least three years. Senator Truman asserts that “driving must be curtailed” on the basis of the present outlook, and that “national gasoline rationing on a sensible basis must be given serious consideration.” The Brookings Institution, a highly reliable research organization, concludes that immediate gas rationing on a national basis offers the only “reasonable prospect” of averting a breakdown in essential automobile transporta-

tion. s 4 2 s

2 = A GAINST that background President Roosevelt has made a few cheery remarks to his press conference, their effect being that he doesn’t see too much reason for alarm; that technicians are working on two or three types of rubberless tires which would permit speeds of 30 or 35 miles an hour; that he hopes some kind of a substitute will be developed before present tires wear out. Of course everybody hopes that. But the four officials who made the gloomy statement said they had taken into account all known efforts to develop substitutes and new processes. And while several big rubber firms and the Ford Motor Co. have announced that they are trying to make reasonably satisfactory tires without rubber, they have cautioned the public not to count on success of the experiments. The public will co-operate in rubber conservation measures, even to the extent of gas rationing in areas where there is abundant gasoline, if it has faith that it is being told the truth. But how can there be faith when contradictory statements keep coming out of Washington— when the responsible officials ordered by the president to find the facts call them grim and warn against optimistic stories, and the president himself goes in for optimism?

ANOTHER “SECOND” FRONT

ITLER has opened a second front while the allies were talking about it. But the Nazi drive in Libya may not prove as bad as it sounds. : After all, allied strategy is to force Hitler to fight on as many fronts as possible so he cannot concentrate for a break-through to Russia oil in the Caucasus. Now, if the allies attack in western or northern Europe, that will make a third front, which is hardly the way Hitler wants it. The experts, as usual, are divided as to Hitler's purpose. Some think he intends to take Suez. Others think this is a feint to draw allied forces out of the Middle East, so he can invade the Levant in a pincers movement against the Caucasus. Others say he is trying to prevent allied invasion of alt, or to prepare for axis control of French bages and eet. Still others think he is trying to divert the allies from

« an invasion of Norway or the low countries.

Maybe all this allied talk about striking at Hitler from England is getting on his nerves. We hope so. Certainly it is hard to understand on any other basis. The vast publicity which Britain is giving to her invasion plans, and particularly to the arrival of two top U. S. army and navy missions in London, is a unique way to prepare an offensive. But perhaps this over-advertised surprise covers secrets which are limelighted less.

NO APPEAL UT of progressive Wisconsin comes one of the weirdest court decisions we ever read. There a Wausau judge released a man who left his 2-year-old daughter in a farmyard all night, where she froze to death. The man, a one-time district attorney, and his wife both were drunk. (Intoxicated seems too mild.) The judge said he could not see that such drunkenness indicated “utter and wanton disregard for the rights of others.” Therefore, he held, no manslaughter was committed against the child. If a defendant has been wrongly convicted he can appeal. When a judge makes a decision like this against the state, which is society, there is no recourse. This man and his wife are free to live happily ever after in Wisconsin— if they can.

HOW DEAR TO OUR HEARTS—

NCE upon a time, many and many a year ago, men did not wear pajamas when they went to bed. They wore nightshirts. Nightshirts are long—usually—and shapeless. Except that they are made from a softer material, they look and feel little different than oversized grain bags with sleeves. The WPB toyed with the idea of shifting all men from pajamas to nightshirts until we beat Hitler. They may have thought we would hustle that much more to finish the job. But calmer, kindlier second thought intervened. They'll take the frills off our pajamas, but they won't sentence us to nightshirts. The ultimate in indignity has not been achieved,

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Fair Enough

By Westbrook Pegler

NEW YORK, May 28.—It will be hard for Americans to unlearn some civilized affectations which developed out of sportsmanship, itself an artificial thing, but the sooner we understand as a people and a nation that there is nothing but our own inhibitions to restrain us from the use of methods we abhor the sooner we will come to evens with the enemy. From Camp Meade, Md., comes word of a man who has been mentioned several times recently as a master and teacher of all the dirty tricks that a reasonably strong and agile man with two hands and feet is capable of. Francois Eliscu, described as professor of physical education at New York and Columbia universities, has been teaching a group of student officers to make use of all their physical equipment, aside from their military weapons, in personal combat and his problem first would seem to me to be to strike off the sentimental handcuffs which restrict Americans and Britons and their offshoots to the observance of a code. Only after that he may proceed with his instruetions.

Let's Forget the Rules!

AMERICANS, BY INSTINCT, refrain from kicking in a fight because, according to the code it is not the sporting thing to do. Neither do we scratch, bite, knee, gouge or tramp on the face or abdomen of a man when he is down or clout a potential and probable enemy first lick with a bottle while his hands are at his sides except in the very lowest, and highest saloons. These are restraints which should be reserved only for formal tests of tkill under sporting conditions in which it is understood that rules apply and that he who violates the same is a cad, egad. But that is not fighting and in fighting a man should be allowed, indeed expected, to do his best to win. In open country, the soldier who can find a sizable rock within reach, surely serves himself and his country ill if he refrain from tapping a German or

Jap stoutly on the skull with same merely because 2

something whispers that it isn’t done.

Remember the Studded War Club?

GERMANS IN THE other war reintroduced the studded war club as an emphatic and silent weapon which it was until the adoption of the steel helmet which, of course, rang like a gong and tended to deaden the impact. The use of this silencer showed, however, that the Germans had not lost sight of the central idea of fighting which is to fight and mind no rules but those for safety. The boxer is pathetic in his restraints and postures in a fight with a man of equal strength operating all-out as the British say. Will Evans, the old American league umpire, learned that one day in Washington, when a chal= lenge passed in a dispute with Ty Cobb who also fought with abandon and only to win. Meeting Cobb under the stands after the game according to appointment, Evans, an excellent boxer, struck a picture-attitude and Cobb grabbed him by the necktie, yanked him off balance, drummed his head against a stanchion and won so quickly that Evans had to read about it in the Police Gazette to learn how it happened.

Are We Over-Civilized?

AS TO DIPLOMACY and international relations I shrink from advising my betters, but as to the rules of civilized warfare, I would conjure them that these exist only in the books and in the imagination of naive civilians. If there is any weapon, however inhuman, that the United States could use (0 win this war today but isn't using out of respect for the opinions of the Germans, the Japs or posterity, whether the same be gas, fire or any pestilence that could be confined to the enemy, we are victims of over-civilization. The Germans and Japanese will use any weapon or method which they think will win the war and I trust that we will too. Afterward, of course, we should say they used it first,

Confusion Worse — By S. Burton Heath

CLEVELAND, May 28 —Washington is a very, very busy city. Everybody there, with unimportant exceptions, is working night and day to put over the most gigantic war program ever conceived. Officials, like their subordinates, are harried and weary. It is understandable that at times they should become careless or temperamental or both. Conceding this, and all that it implies, nevertheless we must reiterate and emphasize that Washington's public relations are deteriorating so rapidly as to constitute a menace to public morale. The last time this was pointed out, using the gasoline rationing tragi-comedy as illustration, President Roosevelt blamed the press. He said the correspondents’ two-to-five gallon a week prediction was a guess —intelligent, perhaps, but nevertheless a guess. The fact was that the prediction came from a source in the office of price administration which proved to be accurate. The ration started at three gallons. Harold Ickes and Leon Henderson, with their statement that rationing would be less rigorous than predicted in news stories, were made to look more than a little foolish. So was the president, with his attempt to blame the press.

A Decision Is Needed—Soon

THIS NOW 18 history. It should not be revived but for the more recent and more harmful flurry over optimism about military operations. The army and navy joined in a statement which startled the betterinformed observers with its cheerfulness, The secretary of state said that the war might be over sooner than we expected, without saying whose expectations he had in mind, or how pessimistic they had been. These things were timed, presumably by accident, to coincide with reports of correspondents releasefl from internment in Germany and Italy, who told about the internal difficulties confronting Hitler and Mussolini. Then “a high official,” Secretary Hull and finally the president had to dash cold water on the public, so that we wouldn't consider the war already won. One who follows these situations closely cannot escape feeling that the self-contradiction in the government’s news “policy” arises from confusion of goals. Bverybody, from the president down, is anxious to keep us at fever heat in the production, recruiting, fighting programs. Therefore we must not become too optimistic. But also, being very human and not at all unpolitical, they want to appear to be doing a splendid job of armament and of fighting, so we are not permitted to know about the very black spots that exist. Soon—very soon—a decision must be made. Shall we win this war, or make and save reputations? Is armament more important, or the autumn elections?

So They Say—

The Willow Run bomber plant is an invitation for Adolf Hitler to commit suicide.—Charles E. Sorenson, motor company executive. » LJ

I figured it was tana faster ot Ll,

Sie oe

. duty.—Jay T. Ansberry, Clevein Army,

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THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES ___ The Busy Commuter

I wholly defend to

The Hoosier Forum

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

“YES, LET'S MAKE ROOM FOR SOMETHING ELSE” By a Satisfied Renter, Indianapolis Strange as it may seem, Mortgage Holder, I agree with you that the time has come to end this little feud. Your first letter laid the foundation for this argument and we both carried it through. We are all entitled to our own opinions, and I for one will stick to mine. Now that we have had our say, let's make room in the Hoosier Forum for more important items.

g 4 4 “CONSIDER THREE-FIFTHS MAKING UNDER $30 A WEEK”

By A Consumer, Indianapolis {

The price of food-stuffs are still extremely high in comparison to the earning power of the greatest per cent of wage earners, for only approximately two-fifths of our workers make over $30 a week.

Bverybody is not a defense worker making over $30 a week; threefifths of our workers make less than $30 and very nearly all of the country’s largest families are in this low income bracket. They supply our country with the greatest part of our manpower and are less appreciated by our government and economists. It is high time that more consideration should be given to these less-than-$30-a-week workers. The ceilings of prices should be lowered to a proportion of these less-than-$30-a-week budgets. ¥ & 4 “LIMIT ALL PHONE CALLS TO THREE MINUTES .. . By Lloyd Nevada, 1614 Union st. After reading the Forum tonight, I went to bed with the cramps. The whole world is wrong—The inspectors get too many cinders— I want this argument ended— Senators too greedy to give up luxury—And what does Leon think of wages—And men don't want women to be that way—I do want to say my blood pressure is up so high that my operation hurts me. Went to bed and cried till my pillow was wet over those women who come over and ask to use my phone for a couple minutes. . . .

his employer with only name, ad-

(Times readers are invited dress, nationality and a number to

to express their views in correspond to the serial number on these columns, religious cons the birth certificate on file with the 2 g government. White cards could be troversies excluded. Make [given to Americans and pink or

some other colored cards to aliens. The social security board must have this anyway, before it pays old-age pensions, so why not get it now, and also protect the worker at the same time. What more could an employer ask for than a card issued by the government that ok'd your birth certificate? I think every worker should write their senator or congressman asking for a law similar to this suggestion. Incidentally, I was surprised to learn from one of our congressmen a few days ago that there is no regulation of the war department requiring the presentation of a birth certificate as a prerequisite for employment. This seems to be a regulation of the employers only.

your letters short, so all can have a chance. Letters must be signed.)

utes to a half hour, talking about “Jimmy's cold, my operation, my husband went fishing today, and I'm cleaning house, oh, you never saw so much dirt, the paper hanger is coming tomorrow, how I hate paper hangers, they are so mussy, oh yes, I forgot to tell you, blab— blab—blab.” We have boys in service, maybe they may want to call home and say hello ma, hello pa. Maybe you want a doctor or there is a fire and you cannot get through because of a couple of hags blabbing. . A oss th y 5 8 I am in favoring of limiting calls to three minutes. That will give “MEN WEAKER IN MANY phone owners a chance to use their | WAYS THAN WOMEN” own phones and the government to | py a. Taylor, 4437 Kingsley dr, get urgent calls through. I've threatened to put the top of wv ¥ 4 this subject of women being called

“GOVERNMENT SHOULD 0. K. the weaker sex many times and I BIRTH CERTIFICATES" think now is just as good a time By Willis CO. Ralston, 841 Buchanan st. a there has only been one This letter is in regards to a ques-

side, Well, here's the other, for a tion which the readers of The Times change. and to break the tradition. seems to overlook or ignore, which| Suppose you ask yourselves these seems to me is very important or|questions: will be just as soon as this war is| 1. How does it come that a woman over, especially to the men over 30. is able to take a man’s place in a

which the most of our employers are! state? forcing upon the workers. 2. Where do all the “hen pecked” Every worker who gives his em-|husbands come from? ployer a birth certificate is just| 3. Why does a prospective father signing his or her release papers in| get himself in such a lather walkadvance. These birth certificates or ing the floor at a maternity hospital records made off them will be kept| when his wife enters the delivery as references and each employer | room without showing so much anxwill weed out his older employees iety? just as soon as this war is over, and| 4 What would become of the young men become plentiful again.|world if there weren't enough deHere is my suggestion: cent women to control the men who That all birth certificates, instead |are inclined to be disrespectful and of being givén to the employer or insulting? factory head, be turned over to the| Now, don’t you believe there are Social Security board or a special {men weaker, mentally, physically board set up by the government, |and morally than some women? Sure and cards, similar to social security | you do. Only the men hate to admit

They call up and visit from 15 min-

cards, be given the worker to give it.

Side Glances=By Galbraith

” ” os “WHY WASTE TIME AND EFFORT, MR. COLUMBUS?” By Mary Brooks, 418 E. 15th st., No, 8

"I'm worried about grandpa—he he asked me yesterda

fo havg one's face liftedl"

In yesterday's column a Mr. A, J. L., Columbus, wrote a short letter about women and their ways of living. > Naturally, Mr. Columbus, the sight of above-the-knee dresses (unless on school girls), bare and painted legs, tipsy women and drug store cowgirls are repulsive to even me. Though I smoke, wear makeup and paint my nails; Why? Because, sir, I enjoy smoking and makeup (not too heavily applied) I think is essential to any woman's appearance. Now, Mr. Columbus, I assure you that some women carry their trend of clothing a little too far but don’t you think that you and I and every other man, woman and child under the red, white and blue should concentrate on there not being any next war as you so undoubtedly mentioned. Because every genera tion will be different and have their own trend of fashion whether we approve or not. As for the drinking you mentioned, I agree that a bar room is no place for a woman unescorted. But, Mr. Columbus, they will in dulge so why waste time and effort. It is fruitless.

DAILY THOUGHT

My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live—Job 27:6.

BUT "TWAS a maxim he had often tried, that right was right, and there he would abide~Crabb

knows he's too old to enlist, but y if it cost very much

I refer to the birth certificate racket | factory and even as governor of a

THURSDAY, HY, 3, 19

In Washington By Peter Edson |

WASHINGTON, May 28. == Those wails of anguish you're now hearing from one-third of the American motorists who are have ing to get along under gas rations ing are just a whisper. Gasoline and tires and automobiles and sugar and bicycles aren't the only things that can be rationed, and typewriters, kitchen stoves, washe ing machines, radios, refrigerators, § new houses and such items are not the only ones on which production can be frozen with rationing the eventual result. It would be a fallacy to say that the back-room boys of the OPA have a lot of R-days marked on the calendars, with new plans all drawn up and ready to issue for rationing half the commodities in the store, or even a quarter of them or 1 per cent. Officially, OPA won't even admit that it knows the date for the second sugar registration, Nor is the form of the next rationing book decided on, nor the quantity of gasoline to be allowed in the rationing areas after July 1. The policy now is to see how gasoline and sugar rationing work out, learn whatever lessons there are to be learned from this experience and by thus feeling the way, go on from there.

More R-Days Coming

TO ANNOUNCE NOW a list of items that might be rationed would simply be to start a lot of runs on the stores, and that is just what must be avoided, Almost every shortage that has been specifically mene tioned thus far has brought on one of these buying sprees, as, for example, the silk stocking and razor blade stampedes, It wouid be naive indeed, however, to think for a minute that the United States could get through the war with no more rationing. You can expect to stand in line every so often for another registration. If the next rationing book were to be issued immediately, standing in line might not be necessary, for the ndriaes and addresses of all sugar consumers were taken on that first registration and new books could be mailed out. But if the next registration isn't called for six months or so, there will have been so many shifts in the population that the first sugar registration will be worthless. You may therefore safely reconcile yourself to registering for something or other every few months, for the duration of the war,

And the Point System—

THERE IS ONE form of rationing which the United States hasn't experienced yet, but which the British can tell us all about, and which we may have to come to. This is the “point system.” It was de vised to avoid regimenting sales of certain commodi~ ties too rigidly and to give purchasers a bit of a choice, in place of telling them, “You WILL eat 12 cans of salmon in 1943” or “You WILL buy a new vest and not a new overcoat.” Under the point system, every consumer is given a book of stamps representing points, and every variety of canned fish or every item of clothing to be rationed is given a point value. A can of salmon 4 points, sardines 8 points, lobster 12 points, caviar 24 points. Supposing the canned fish allowance per pers son were set at 48 points per month, The purchaser could have his. choice of one can of each, or 12 cans of salmon, or six cans of sardines, or two cans of caviar, or one can of caviar and two of lobster, de= pending on his taste. In clothes, suppose you were allowed 66 points. a year, as the British are. A suit would be worth 32 points, pants 8 points, skirts 6 points, and so on. Dollar prices of commodities make no difference under this point system, and as a ‘matter of fact, the point coupons make a second currency. A $2.49 pair of slacks and a $10 pair of slacks is each worth eight points in the eyes of the rationing board and a coupon book. A

The views expressed by columnists in this They are not necessarily Lhose

Editor’s Note: newspaper are their own. of The Indianapolis Times,

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

I HAD A LUMP in my throat when I read Mrs. Roosévelt's com= ment cn the appropriation cuts for NYA and CCC. “I cannot believe,” she writes, “that a majority of the people of this country really want this com= paratively small expenditure which meant so much to so many young people cut at the present time.” a Dear First Lady with the tende s er heart, of course the majority of the people hate to see the wrecking of these humane experiments. But they know that, unless we cut out some of the little expenditures, we shall not be able to pay the big bills which have to be met soon. It is infinitely regrettable that our country and the world should be using all resources to wage war, but that is the grim Yact. Security of any kind is incompatible with war. We cannot win one and maintain the other, even though we shall continue to hope that afterward we can go back to decent, gentler ways of living. . Even then, present plans may not work out. This war may leave us with such tremendous adjustments to be made that we shall never again see the renewal of the old patterns of living, And, if we expect to be a major world power, we shall have to breed people who don't say “gimme’—who will expect to support their government instead of having it support them,

Justice Better Than Charity

BEFORI THE WAR began we were headed in the wrong direction. We were being taught spendthriff habits, and today we face the grim necessity of drastic saving. We are rationed on sugar now, yet last year farmers in the west were paid by the government to plow up their sugar beet crops. Far too many of our people were encouraged to look to Uncle Sam for help. Now Uncle Sam asks us to give him our all. So these adjustments will go deeper than kindness to the people by the ruling classes. Charity is wonder ful but justice is better. And, since the struggle is an imperative need in the development of national chars acter, we can only hope that the young people who have been deprived of an academic education will re« solve to become useful, intelligent beings without it, and to think more of their hearts than their heads, After all, a very great deal of our past academies education seems to have resulted in intellectual chaos,

Questions and Answers

(The Indianapolis Times Service Bureau will answer any question of fact or information, not involving extensive ree search. Write your question clearly, sign name and address, inclose a three-cent postage stamp. Medical or legal sdvice cannot be given. Address The Times Washington Service Bureau, 1013 Thirteenth St, Washington, D. ©.)

@-—-Which states have the largest number of schools of college or university grade? A-~New York has 105; California has 104; Illinois, 102. Pennsylvania, 97; and Texas, 91,

Q—Why is the name Filipino spelled with an F and the name of the Philippine Islands with a Ph? A-The Philippine Islands were originally named Isles Filipinas by the Spanish in honor of their king, Philip II. The Spanish F was retained in the term for the natives, but English speaking peoples use the Ih for the islands in conformity with their spelling 135 PEE OP] By f 3

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