Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 11 June 1942 — Page 16

PAGE 18

‘The Indianapolis Times

RALPH BURKHOLDER MARK FERREE Editor Business Manager

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«ES RILEY 551

Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way

THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 1942

GETTING A RUBBER FACT

WILL be a great relief to the American people if even one fact about the rubber problem can be established definitely and removed from the field of guesswork, speculation, claim and denial. Therefore, they should welcome President Roosevelt's announcement that he intends to find out, once for all, how much scrap rubber there is. And they should co-operate enthusiastically in whatever plan he evolves for collecting this scrap rubber and making it available for reclaiming and use. It will have to be a much better plan than the one under which collections have been dwindling ever since Pearl Harbor. But whatever it involves, everyone whose help is needed in it ought to pitch in with determination to make it completely successful. Estimates of the amount have ranged from less than half a million tons to 10 million tons. The higher figure is ridiculous on its face, but members of congress and others have made it the basis for charges that the whole rubber shortage is a “myth” and a “monopolistic plot.” Probably more than any one other thing, the scraprubber controversy has weakened public confidence in the government agencies and officials which are charged with responsibility for bringing the country safely through the erisis caused by Japanese seizure of most of the world’s sources of natural rubber. Let us hope the president can end that controversy forever.

BATTLE OF THE ALEUTIANS

HE Japs claim to have occupied some of our western Aleutian islands, stepping stones to Dutch Harbor and other Alaskan bases. Our navy department denies that the Japs have occupied any of the inhabited islands. That leaves open the question of uninhabited places. If true, there is no apparent reason why the navy should suppress the fact. But the navy probably does not, have complete reports on all islands. Admiral King says he does not ask commanders in the midst of battle to stop and make reports. A Japanese landing on an isolated and fog-bound uninhabited island in such a strategic area would be troublesome to us, but they would have to have a real base to be dangerous. It is not easy to build or to supply bases on those islands, as we have learned. Presumably the enemy could not create such a vital base without being discovered and destroyed by our Dutch Harbor patrols in safe time. Of course the extent of our preparedness in the form of landing fields and patrols in the western Aleutians is a military secret. Unfortunately we have no major base there. But we would still have a much better chance of developing one

than the Japs, even if they were in temporary possession |

‘By Norman E. Isaacs MEANWHILE Tokyo and Washington seem to agree that |

| a “viee district” problem in Indianapolis and there | will be considerably more talk about it as more and

of some small point.

r » = = = ”

the battle of the Aleutians is still on. Maybe that means the defenders were unable to deal with the Japs there as well as at Midway, because of north- ' ern weather conditions. Or it may mean that the enemy is sending heavy reinforcements into the Aleutian battle, in contrast to his hasty departure from Midway. In any case, there is every reason to suppose that Japan’s attacking force is still strong, and that it will be used repeatedly against the Hawaii-Midway-Dutch Harbor line. Admiral Nimitz has made this clear to the American : public, even refusing to use the word “defeat” for what happened to the Japs at Midway. Americans must understand by this time that holding the main Hawaii-Midway-Dutch Harbor line is a life-and-death matter for the United States. That life line should be constantly reinforced for defense and offense—particularly by air power, the determining factor in the battles of Midway, of the Coral sea, the Java sea, the China sea, Pearl Harbor, and most of the other naval battles of this war. In the allocation of American supplies and forces, the Hawaiian line rates priority.

MUSIC HATH CHARMS

THIS ought to be good. If the succession of 1000-plane raids hasn't done the job, German morale should be shot seon after we start dumping grand pianos, E-flat alto horns, bell lyres, 14-inch Chinese crash cymbals, euphoniums, piccolos and B-flat trumpets on Berlin, Tokyo and Rome, The brass bands and symphony orchestras won't fall on the axis quite in their original forms. Rather, they will appear as shells and bombs made from metals which no longer are going into musical instruments. Now that the manufacture of musical instruments is banned, it is pleasant to toy with the possibilities. A plane equipped with precision instruments made by brass horn experts will tow a glider manufactured by a piano house. The pilot will have received preliminary training with blowers made by a pipe-organ fabricator. He will drop demolition bombs made with steel and copper, incendiary bombs made with magnesium originally destined for musical instruments. And charming music it will be, to all but the axis.

THE TWO SYSTEMS

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Fair Enough

By Westbrook Pegler

NEW YORK, June 11. — The case of Joe Louis, who owes an income tax of $117,000 and wants a chance to earn the money this summer, ere he settles down to serious soldiering, is unique and special, and calls for special treatment. He who accepts a faver from another puts himself under to return the favor, and navy have acvaluable favors from favor which he

under no obligation to do this and the arrangement by which the government accepted the favor was very irregular and, taken as a precedent, would lead to very troublesome complications. Therefore the whole affair is a special case and has no precedent. But the deal cannot be regarded as closed until Louis has had his chance to earn as much as he can in a fight for his own benefit. After that, there should be an end to such irregular dealings, and men holding commissions in any of the services should be put to service duties exclusively or, if they are unfit for any such duties appropriate to their rank, washed out.

Good Outweighs All Objections

THE LOUIS AFFAIR was not a mistake. The good that Louis did outweighs any objections and the only threat of ill effects exists in the possibility that the army will stand on a decision to refuse the return favor. It takes no tax accountant to see that even if he pe allowed to fight Louis probably will be unable to reduce his tax debt much. The new money will be taxable as new income in very high and, perhaps, confiscatory brackets. He would seem to have had bad management in his tax affairs, for most individuals with large incomes realize that a great portion of the money which they receive simply isn’t theirs and must be set aside as though it had come to them earmarked for the federal and state treasuries. But if Louis is allowed to fight, then that should be an end of such business, because doctors, attorneys, singers, actors and writers in the services can claim that they are capable of conducting profitable sidelines in their spare time and the difficulties which would arise should they have that privilege are easily foreseen.

Let's Oust the Fakers

NO OFFICER WHO had been called Into active service, however fictitious and remote from the realities of war, should be permitted to conduct a newspaper column or a personal radio program, either as official duty or as a private occupation for private income. These are not military activities and the fighting forces cannot afford to confer rank on any civilian with the understanding that he shall be excused from all risk and service and merely masquerade in uniform. The award of a commission to any individual whose sole official duty is fo promote entertainments to raise money for service charities, and even that only a part-time job, is an affront to all genuine officers and enlisted men, and the precedent has caused deep disgust and much bitterness among honorable officers, who are wholly in the service, and their families. Anyone holding a commission should be assigned to genuine military or naval duty appropriate to his rank and if he is notoriously incapable of any duty and morally discreditable to the service he should be decommissioned at once.

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

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

Frankly Speaking

THERE HAS BEEN sone discussion recently about

more soldiers become concentrated in this area. One thing must be remembered. In a city as large as this one, it is impossible to have vice completely under control. Houses of prostitution will spring up regardless of how vigilant a city administration can be. It is the considered judgment of a great many able individuals that Indianapolis does not have a serious problem of this kind. We have not had one for the last two or three years. Yes, we do have some vice here, but it is not extensive and it is fairly well watched by the police department. Yes, there are street walkers. But they are not many and the police manage to harry and disturb them so that they are unable to ply their trade very effectively.

A Problem for Every Citizen

THE PROBLEM OF vice districts is by no means the sole worry of the military guthorities and the police department. It is a problem which concerns every citizen. It is one of the major ways in which the U. S. 0. and other service organizations serve the country. Soldiers off for a day's leave are lonely men. You can see them every day in downtown Indianapolis, many of them strolling aimlessly, looking in store windows, glancing about eagerly for a friendly nod from a passerby. It is perfectly natural for a woman to go through the downtown section without smiling at soldiers, but the men have no such problem. It won’t hurt them to pass a word with the mén in service. But this, after all, is beside the point. The more we develop our recreational centers for the soldiers, the more attractive we can make their visits to town, the less reason there will be for vice districts. Let us make available to the soidiers everything we can: The golf courses, the swimming pools, the movies, etc. Then we'll be settling our problem.

So They Say—

The wholehearted way in which Americans have accepted and supported the nation’s rationing and price control program is something which should stir everyone's pride. —Leon Henderson.

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Little by little the fact that we at home are in a vital part of the war is sinking in—Defense Transportation Director Joseph B. Eastman.

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It is not complimentary to our local communities that big-shot gamblers and corrupt mayors can be caught only by the FBI.—Wilbur La Roe of national committee on social education.

What difference is there between a person in a bathing suit on a beach and on a street 150 feet away.

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THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES West of Midway

® The Hoosier Forum 1 wholly disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.—Voltaire,

“C. OF C. FINDING OUT WHAT WE'VE KNOWN” By a Contractor, Indianapolis, Congratulations to The Times for your magnificent editorial today on the county commissioners. Those of us who have tried to do business with the county commissioners have

known for a long time the things that the water company and the chamber of commerce are just finding out. . ., ” 2 . “MOTORCYCLE HATER OUGHT TO MOVE INTO WOODS” By Mrs. Horace Byard and Mrs. Glendon Wenning, Exefer ave. in answer to the motorcycle editorial written by a “quiet neighbor” I wish to express some opinions of the motorcyclists and their wives.

In times of gas and tire rationing a motorcycle is the means by which our husbands will attend their work in defense industries. Since it is impossible to ride these without making a certain amount of noise and since our husbands work at night, they have tried to be as thoughtful as possible. However, when a few of these “quiet neigh pors” made numerous complaints to police, ete., for pleasure riding the cycles in the daytime, that was too much. So we investigated and everything we were doing was perfectly legal. This “quiet neighbor” calls the riders “certain hare-brained individuals and motorcycle maniacs.” Most of the riders we know and we ourselves at least have the sense to invest our money in homes of our own. There are a lot of disturbing noises in any neighborhood besides the purr of a good running cycle. If this “quiet neighbor” were as smart as he thinks himself to be, he certainly would be a little more broad-minded. If he can’t change himself, then he certainly can’t change the ways of living conditions of every other person on the street to suit his own whims. If the numerous noises (including the motorcycles) disturb him so tremendously we would suggest he live in the center of some deserted back-woods.

(Times readers are invited their these columns, religious conMake

your letters short, so all can

to express views in

troversies excluded.

have a chance. Letters must

“be signed.)

“SOME OF OUR POLICE BELONG IN THE ARMY” By A Brookside ave. Taxpayer Here is an article and if you print it, it will surprise me very much. I am a taxpayer and I have lived

in this, our beautiful city, for about 20 years. I pay my bills and try to be a good ctizen. Our police department is one of the best in the country, for which everyone of us ought to be proud. But there are always a few good and bad to almost anything, On the first part of this month about 2:30 a. m. a neighbor of mine called the police and they, of course, came to my home and knocked on the door. 1 answered the door only to be greeted by “What the h - - - goes on here?” They started to go through my home, stating as they did that the neighbors called them on a disturbing the peace charge. I asked one of them that was supposed to act like a gentleman if he had a search warrant and without warning, this officer took his club] and knocked me down (this I can prove, as I have many witnesses), this officer not knowing who I was or if I made the trouble that they were sent to stop. I suggest that this he-man be placed in service where he can fight the Japs, for they sure need his kind over there.

2 # 2 “THE GOOD BOOK SHOULD NEVER BE CONTROVERSIAL” By Mrs. RB. W. Clift, Mooresville To every question that arises, whether religious, political or otherwise, some big shot ignominously arises to thwart any effort that is made to disconnect he or she from their chosen field.

The Bible, Mr. Norman Isaacs of

Side Glances=By Galbraith

“Frankly Speaking,” and Mr. Mobley, secretary of the Seventh Day Adventists, should be just as essential to the education as the three Rs. Just as well discontinue the ageold practice of hearing the nightly prayers of our little ones as place a complaint against teaching the Bible in our schools. Teaching dancing lessons and track where they run around half nude is more loaded with TNT than a Bible. If it is a denominational objection why not compromise by only teaching the Ten Commandments, twelfth chapter of Romans and the Lord's Prayer. I believe they are found in most nigh all Bibles. . . . If there were a hard and fast law that started the children from the first grade, through the senior year in high school, to study the Bible the same as history or mathematics I can't see why the plan would be so explosive. Why banish the study of the word of God from the schools when it is that same word of God that carires them safely to and from the place where they get the education to read it? I always understood that the christian element were God-fearing, it seems there is a mistake on that. The good book should never be controversial as to where it should pe taught, it should be born and reared with each individual. Few ever see between the covers. ” » ” “WHAT ABOUT ALL OTHER LAWS, MR. SALLEE?” By O. B. Beck, 532 E. Morris st. In a letter published June 9th in the Forum, I note a Mr. Guy D. Sallee accuses Gen. Tyndall of violating the state laws. 1 will accompany Mr. Sallee to the state library at any time and show him several state laws that are being violated by our present state, county and city officials—but, of course, that is different. \ Let's form a citizen's committee, Mr. Sallee, and go before our governor and find out why the state laws are not being enforced, not just one, but all of them, Let's clean house before we invite Gen. Tyndall to take over as our honorable mayor this fall. And in the meantime, Mr. Sallee, consult Burns’ Indiana Statutes, vol. 4 “Criminal Code” and on page 123 of the December, 1941, supplemerit under 10-2326 you will find plenty of material to lay before your governor on gambling and other rackets which are thriving no end at the present in the state of Indiana . . , and you accuse an honorable patriotic citizen of the highest caliber of violating a state law. Gen. Tyndall at least knows what to do when the American flag goes by. ” ” ” “PERMIT 25 PER CENT OF TAXES IN WAR BONDS” By Fred L. Schmidt It is my suggestion that the federal government as well as state and perhaps also municipal governments, permit the people to pay 25 per cent of their taxes in war bonds. A large part of the people, especially those of the middle and working} classes, would start immediately to set aside 25 per cent of their taxes, due next year and greatly increased, by continuously buying war bonds and stamps, This would also enable the government to receive now a part of the taxes which are not due to be paid until next year.

DAILY THOUGHT

Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.— Luke 22:46.

In Washington

By Peter Edson

* WASHINGTON, June 11.~The supreme court, in its hurry to get away on that nice long summer vacation, left behind it three wagehour law decisions that will have the labor lawyers scratching their heads until long after the nine young men get back on the job in October. As far as the wage-hour division of the department of labor is concerned, it has been thrown into almost complete cone fusion because, from its point of view, two of the decisions simply can’t be reconciled. On June 1 the court handed down its opinion in the so-called Kirschbaum case. The effect of the de cision was to classify as employed in interstate come merce, and therefore eligible for wage-hour law minie mum benefits, all maintenance men like janitors, watchmen, elevator operators, building engineers and messengers. The general principle established is that an eme ployer doesn’t have to have physical contact with the goods going into interstate commerce in order to be subject to the law's provisions. For instance, a builde ing owner whose tenants are engaged in interstate commerce is considered to be in interstate commerce himself. ;

The Overtime Ruling

THE KIRSCHBAUM decision's implications are even greater: " Local utilities selling gas or power to a manufac= turer of goods going into interstate commerce would also be included, even though none of the electrio power or gas sold by the utility went out of the state, Employees hired by advertising agencies would be covered if the goods advertised—not necessarily the ads themselves—cross®X state lines. And so on. Then, in the Overnight Motor Transportaton Cao, case, the court held that the wage-hour law provides for compulsory payment of time-and-a-half for overe time, whether the employee is making well above the minimum wage set by the law, or not. The Overnight company contended that compulsory time-and-a-half need not be paid for overtime if the employee’s regular pay amounted to as much as or more than the minimum 40 gents an hour for 40 hours plus 60 cents for the overtime. Thus, if a man's regular wage were $40 a week, he

wouldn't have to be paid overtime if he worked a 50hour week, because 40 hours at 40 cents plus 10 hours

at 60 cents adds up to only $22. But the court said in effect, no, the man should be paid $40 for his first 40 hours, plus overtime for 10 hours at the rate of $1.50 an hour, or $15. This is the way overtime has usually been computed, so there was no great surprise or shock in that,

Comes Confusion—

BUT ALONG COMES the cast of the A. B. Bele Corp., publishers of the Dallas News, The Belo corporation had taken the trouble to work out a contract with its employees to do practically the same thing the Overnight company tried to do, without contract, Under the Belo contract the employees were guars anteed a certain minimum salary, in excess of the minimums of wage-hour law. For every hour the employee worked, he was credited with one-sixtieth of his base pay. The one-sixtieth part was purely optional and the fraction could have been one-fiftieth or one-hundredth or anything. Anyway, if the employee worked only 40 hours, he still got his minimum base pay. Say it was $60 a week. But if he worked 50 hours or 60 hours, he still got only $60, and his overtime didn’t begin till he had worked more than 60 hours. Well, in the Belo decision, the Supreme court ruled this practice okay. And if you can reconcile that opinion with the Overnight opinion, you belong on the Supreme cours yourself,

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

“WHAT ABOUT all the patien§ little people who stand in line, ride the miserable busses, stand in line and ride back? They deserve some praise.” After a year’s experience in Washington war work, Francis Hunt reminds us of something we must never forget—the grit of all the patient little people in the land. Without them the war efe fort would bog down at the nae tional capital. They endure discomfort, weariness and nerve strain. All honor, praise and gratitude to them forevermore. The same kind of “little people” toil in every other part of the country at all sorts of tiresome jobs. They give up small pleasures in order to buy bonds; they submit to grinding taxes and they say farewell to their sons with fortitude. Why can't they be given the lion's share of pub« lieity? Why isn’t their example made the true ine spiration for our military effort, since it springs from the heart of the U. S. A.?

Cut Out the Vocal Fireworks

THERE 1S A GROWING feeling that the war has turned into a magnificent grandstand play for the big shots. One hears murmurs about it. The little people who want to get the job over with are fed up with its glamour aspects. y The stars of movie, radio and newspaper land aren't the proper ones to urge sacrifices on the small fry. They're too rich and too famous, and since their wealth and fame derive always from publicity, it is rightfully resented that the war should be used for the purpose of publicizing the already notable notables. Perhaps this is an unjust attitude so far as cere tain members of these professions are concerned, but surey the past buildup by press agents doesn’t put Hollywood at the head of any moral parades. Many a person moving over the land urging bond buying can't qualify as a patriotic leader, if we judge him by his past behavior. And while we're on the subject, there's too much shouting at us over the radio. We're tired of the “pep talks.” Let's cut out the vocal fireworks and get ta work,

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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 » three-cent postage stamp. Medical or legal advice cannot be given, Address The Times Washington Service Bureau, 1013 Thirteenth St., Washington, D. C.) Y

Q—Is it legal for a tailor to put cuffs on trousers bought in a store? : A—The order of the WPB forbids any person te tailor cuffs upon trousers bought in a retail store, Severe penalties are prescribed for violation of thig order. :

Q-—Do fish hiberate like bears?

A~—No; but cold-water fishes do become more of dormant during very cold weather. At that time