Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 9 July 1942 — Page 15

> 7 Inside Indianapolis By Lowell Nussbaum

THE BOYS on the war bonds: air cavalcade have been wondering how to keep their captured Messerschmitt warplane flying. It uses a peculiar type of spark plugs not made in this country, and the orig- . inal ones getting worn. Maj. Elmer McKesson, who pilots the Messerschmitt, solved the problem when he was being taken for an inspection (trip

through the Allison plant. There

he found an old German motor shipped here from England for study. It didn’t take him lo: to talk Allison's out of the plugs, either. , , , Lieut. T. B. Marxson, the Lafayette youth flying one of the planes in the cavalcade, revealed to us that the cavalcade fliers’ most uncomfortable moment is “when we see a ‘teen age boy heading for us to ask questions.” The youngsters, he said, really know their stuff about planes, * a8 a result of building models. And it’s mighty embarrassing to have some 10-year-old step up and correct your statements about your own plane, in front of a crowd. Yes sirree. :

Hard on the Foxes, Too

ONE OF OUR AGENTS was riding to work the other day with his neighbor, an insurance adjuster. A car with one of those fancy fox tails flying from the radiator ornament pulled alongside and the adjuster quickly swung to the curb and let the car pass.

“You know,” he confided, “one of the first questions an insurance office asks on a new risk is: ‘Does it have fox tails?’ They turn down plenty of fox tailers, figuring their owners are the reckless driving type.” A, .. Herbert J. Reade, the rent administrator, wanted some place from which to distribute the blanks landlords must fill out in triplicate for each piece of rental property. When he decided he'd like to use fire sta-

- forbidden narcotic—growing on the very lawn of the

tions, he asked Chief Fulmer for permission, and got a flat’ “NO.” The chief, we're told, said that during the registration of 18 to 20-year-olds, there were several bits of downright sabotage, ranging from the cutting of a fire hose to more serious incidents.

Wanted—Flock of Tepees

THE NEW BUREAU of information for community and war service, at 10 E, Market st. (Fr. 2826) has been doing a land office business in housing and rooms requests from service men and war workers and their families coming into Indianapolis. ‘The officials were momentarily startled the other day, Floyd Hunter tells us, by a request for accommodations for 40 Indian girls. They are coming from Kashena, Wis., for the 76th encampment of the G. A. R. They're still looking for accommodations.” Fortunately the encampment isn’t until Sept. 13. . . . Miss Edith Adams, who runs the ‘wine room at the I. A. C, is back from a vacation at Newton, a suburb of Boston. While she was there the town had a blackout. Quite impressive, she says.

Around the Town

CHESTER K. WATSON, the former state senator, was sworn in as OPA director for Fort Wayne last week. This week he was inducted into the armed forces. Next week? ... Glen Hillis, ill several months, is able to be up and around a bit now, according to reports, and is recuperating at Lake Mazxinkuckee. . « . Judy Canova, the hill billy radio and stage star who's been at the Circle this week, stopped in at Block's book shop early in the week and purchased an $18.50 map globe and a stock of books. The odd part about it is that the books were mostly cook hooks. ., . Have you heard the scandal at the courthouse? All the boys over there are talking about how Tom Bridges found a stalk of marihuana—a courthouse, Tsk! sheriff.

Ernie Pyle is in Ireland. His stories from the army camps there will start on or about next Monday. . . . Raymond Clapper has begun a month’s vacation.

Gandhi's Gesture

WASHINGTON, July 9—Ghandi’s modification of his hcstility to British and American troops in India may open the way for renewal of negotiations. His new proposal on its face is not promising. But it is at least an Indian move to break the dangerous deadlock. There also have been hints from London that the Tories, who still dictate empire policy, may be willing to offer more concessions than in the spring conference. Churchill needs an Indian settlement. Politically he has been

weakened much more by the series °

of British military defeats than the small number of opposition votes in commons last week indicates. Even a temporary solution of the Indian problem during this crisis would raise his batting average of leadership. On the military side the need for a settlement is even more imperative. Loss of Libya, decline of British seapower in the Mediterranean, German advances in southern Russia, reinforcement of axis invasion bases in Greece, Crete and Rhodes, have endangeréd the entire Middle East. And the Middle . East, as Churchill has warned so often, is the road to India. Hitler's advance from the west is an invitation for his Jap partner to move from the east in the pincers strategy so typical of axis offensives.

The Door Seems to Be Ajar

. MILITARY EVENTS of the last fortnight not only multiply the danger of invasion, but reduce the capacity of Britain and the united nations to defend India. More troops, equipment and planes, which might otherwise have reinforced India, are now needed in the battles for the Middle East. All of this has moved London to reorganize the Indian government. It has just granted Indians the office of minister of defense and a large majority on the viceroy’s council, plus two seats on the imperial war cabinet in London.

The Gas Plan

CLEVELAND, July 9.—Assuming that nation-wide gasoline rationing is in the cards, either now or after the fall elections, certain important lessons should be learned from the 10-week experiment which is approaching an end in the Atlantic seaboard states. ‘Let’s concede that the temporary system there was experi * mental, that Washington was attacking a mammoth task with inadequate experience and preparation. That is all the more reason why operations should have been watched with a most critical eye, in order that the permanent machinery—whether for the East alone or for the country as a whole —might be made sound and workable. Two major types of trouble were apparent in the East almost from the start. One was individual chiseling, selfish and often brazen, abetted by many filling stations. The other was maldistribution of the rationed gasoline supply.

Chiseling, being an obnoxious social offense in addition to its unpatriotic qualities, appears to be well

guarded against in the plan now supposed to become effective July 22.

Too Many Stepnirds?

EVERYBODY GETS an A card. Only local rationing boards, on specified types of authenticated

My Day

HYDE PARK, N. Y., Wednesday—Yesterday morning we had gn early but a gay breakfast at the apartment in New York City with two young guests. Then Miss Thompson and I caught the train for Hyde Park. Travel seems to be very heavy and I wondered if I

Howeéver, the agent caught sight of me, and as my check was all made out, he handed me my ticket without any delay. I found Mrs. Bruce Gould waitat the gate of the ther on

By Ludwell Denny

These reforms are not as important as they sound, since power remains with Commander-in-Chief Wavell instead of the defense minister, with the viceroy instead of the council, and with Churchill instead of the imperial war cabinet. Moreover, the Indian appointees are moderate nationalists and representatives of the native princes, rather than congress party leaders. Thus these British concessions will not be accepted as such by Gandhi or Nehru. Nevertheless, the new British gesture like the new Gandhi gesture creates a fresh opportunity for negotiations if the two disputants desire to utilize it.

It's Just Window-Dressing

IT IS SIGNIFICANT that Gandhi's change of policy is precisely on the sorest point for the U. S. and.China. By reaffirming his demand for immediate

Wonder if they've notified the

desert.

Tremendous pressure by Marshal Erwin Rommel’s German troop: prelude to the gigantic battle now being waged for Egypt. Here a avoid being hit by flying rocks and splinters as. an axis bomb falls n

ALLIES IN DEBT TO INDIAN ARMY

Swarthy Soldiers Fight on Many Fronts but Get Little Credit.

By A. T. STEELE

NEW DELHI, July 9.—India’s swarthy soldiers have shed gallons of blood for the united nations on nearly every world front but nobody has given them the credit they deserve. It is. an undoubted . fact

Indian freedom, while withdrawing his objection to|that were it not for the weight the

the use -of British and American troops for the duration of the war, Gandhi is bidding for the defense support of President Roosevelt and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. To the British, American and Chinese mind, Gandhi's new proposal—that others defend India with arms while Indians practice non-resistance, pay no war taxes, and have control—appears as impracticable as it is obviously illogical. But in all such negotiations there is much face-saving and windowdressing on both sides. If what Ghandi and the Indian majority really want is a maximum of security for the duration and a binding pledge of troop withdrawal after the

Indian army was able to throw into the crucial battles of Africa and the Far East, the allied position would be a great deal worse today. Again in the battle of Alexandria, the Indian army is in the thick of the fight “playing their role as No. 1 troubleshooters of this war. It is the old story. Wherever fighting is the bloodiest in Africa, or Asia, invariably there have been contingents of Indians at hand to fill the gaps and back up the British and often to take the full shock

war to permit self-determination and self-rule, it{of the enemy offensive.

should not be impossible for negotiators to find the formula of words to facilitate a settlement. The basic issue is whether Indie will co-operate

The Map Explains A look at the map will show you

sincerely and fully to win the war, which is'the|why the British have drawn so

price of freedom, and whether Britain will co-operate

sincerely and fully for Indian freedom. If there is

heavily on their Indian army.

ever genuine agreement on this twin question, the Indian divisions Can be moved up many other difficult Indian problems need not block [to the fighting lines in Africa and

adequate defense.

By S. Burton Heath

claims, are supposed to authorize more generous fuel

allowances.

Dealers, starting with full tanks, can refill them only as they turn in consumer coupons proving actual

rationed sales.

Asia in only a fraction of the time

and with only a fraction of the expenditure of shipping that it takes to transfer British forces around Africa from England. To top that the Indians are good fighters. Already the Indian army has grown to more than 1,000,000 men and several tens of thousands are being added monthly through re-

Unfortunately, unless the OPA gets public sup- cruitment 28 India has no system

port to convince the war production board, mal- a distribution of gasoline is going to be perpetuated a

Great numbers of troops , are distributed

under the new plan, for the ironic reason that .WPB|{proush Africa. and the Middle East

insists on including too many safeguards.

but: the bulk of the army is sta-

If the gasoline to be made available is properly tioned within India’s frontiers. .

computed, and the unit allowance for each coupon is fixed on that basis, there is no reason for Faioning

filling stations. It’s a Little Bit Crazy!

- Unique Fighting Foroe

The Indian army is unique among the world’s fighting forces in many ways. 'It is not a national army in the true sense. Its personnel is

DURING AND BECAUSE of the war, gasoline|selected not willy nilly from the

usage has changed. Workers have moved from their(general population of

India but

old homes to the mushroom seats of new or expanded largely from minority racial and

industries.

religious elements which the Brit-

But gasoline, under the system used in the East|ish count as dependable and loyal.

and proposed by the WPB to be retained, is distribToo much goes where criticize’ the Indian soldier as merit was needed last year, too little where it is needed |cenaries in British pay.

uted according to 1941 usage.

now.

Indian nationalists in fact often

Well, they are mercenaries in the sense that

In some communities rationing cards aren't worth|they are professional soldiers under the paper they are printed on, while in others dealers|British orders and subject to duty have no outlet for gasoline to which they are entitled.|anywhere the British may wish to If rationing is extended to the rest of the country,|send them. -

with this WPB-approved extra control, maldistribu-

But while they are not nation-

tion will get in its dirty work there, notwithstanding |alistic in the large sense, they do

the plentitude of petroleum in back yard wells.

By Eleanor Roosevelt

City and Miss Thompson and I worked on the mail

and did a number of things in the house. Finally, we went for a long walk, since I thought it was cool enough for the woods to be free of mosquitoes. : + I find that I am not the only person who is concerned about employment of older people. There is

an organization. called *“The Forty Plus,” which has

It originated, I think, in Boston. But the most recent letter I have

branches in many of the big cities.

had comes to me from Pittsburgh, Penn.

The president, Mr. George Sheridan, writes: “The

club was originally formed with the idea of relieving: a situation then thought to have been brought about by the depression and with the hope in mind that as conditions improved, the situation would automatically take care of itself and that men with the ability of our members would find no difficulty in securing positions. : * “To a certain extent this has been true, and we feel we have had good success, having placed 571

“men since our organization was formed in Pittsburgh |.

in July, 19, to the present. time; but we are still

have very intense loyalities—loyalty for their tribes and families, loyalty for their commanders, loyaltl for their religions and intense pride in the fighting traditions of their various: races,

HOLD EVERYTHING

Maj]. Gen. Charles L. Scott

eu-operated beautifully. »

U.' S. military observer in the’ Middle East, said British unit: Hl

rced ‘the British out of Libya as a ritish infantryman crouches low to

This dramatic picture was taken just as an R.'A. F. plane scored ' a direct bomb hit on a German tank. Clouds of desert sand mingle a supply column in the Libyan . with the flame and smoke from the tank, whose crew evidently met 8

fiery death.

Death strikes from the clouds and from behind every sand ridge. Here two British soldiers are seen treating an ambulance driver who escaped from his blazing vehicle (in the background). lance was hit in an axis attack on a royal army medical corps convoy in the last days of the battle of Libya. Red crosses appeared on all the vehicles.

The ambu-

bE age. The plane's crew all met death.

PLANE MAKERS

Materials Conserved . By Substitutes.

tories are saving large quantities « strategic materials by use of sul

search. num have ‘been saved in a sing!

war production council said. Although plastics have not ye

ing planes, the Douglas Aircraft Ci has found them satisfactory i cargo planes. The North American Aviation C| has substituted low grade steel 1c

| trainers,

LOS ANGELES, July 9 (U. P).-{ Southern California. aircraft fac)

stitutes developed in laboratory ref

: plane through the substitution | plastics and plywood, the airera’

been used.to replace metal in fight!

\ prayer. “0 pitiful Mother, watch over the

|! soul and body of David, of John and {Tom and the boy next door. . . .”

:' The voices kept up their: chant of prayer and in the mind of each was the. safety of a son, a sweetheart or «wife, a friend—those now serving in (the armed, forces of the United /| States. The scene was the grounds of the

‘| Carmelite monastery on Cold Spring One thousand ‘pounds of alumi}

road. The occasion was the opening | of the fourth annual outdoor -novena’ dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title,” Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Services Nightly Thousands of worshippers, Catho|He and non-Catholic, filled the grounds of the monastery. last night at the opening of the nine-day serv.|ice which will continue through next

¢| Thursday. The services, which will open each night at 8 o'clock, are ofi fered particularly for the men in «the armed services. The Rev. Fr. John B. Delaunay; Cc. S. C., director of the novens, dow

th Carmel Novena Opens,

SAVING METAL Dedicated to Service Men ER EE

Large Amount of Vilas people lifted their heads in

‘Tonight, benediction will be given by the Rev. Fr. James Hickey of SS. Peter and Paul cathedral; tomorrow night by the Rev. Fr, John Riedinger, Little Flower church; Saturday by the Rev. Fr. Thomas Finneran, superintendent of Cathedral high school: Sunday by the Rev. Fr. Bernard Sheridan, vice chancellor or the Indianapolis diocese; Monday by the Rev. ¥r. 8. E. Schmidtt, Delphi, Ind; Tuesday by the Rev. Fr. Michael Gorman, pastor -of St. Anthony’s church; and on Wednesday by the Rey. Fr. William Knapp, pastor of Holy Rosary church.

‘+! Use Prayer From War I The Rt. Rev. Msgr. Raymond Noll, vicar general of the diocese and rector of SS. Peter and Paul cathedral; will give the benediction on the.elosing night, Thursday. oa A special prayer for soldiers and sailors, used in England during the first world War, will be recited. Last month the Most Rev. Joseph Ritter, bishop: of Indianapolis, granted a new and special indulgence for its ecitation. From noori next Wednesday through Thursday, a special in-

ldulgence: may be gained for every| | visit to ‘the monastery chapel.

‘In case of rain any night during he avers, services "Will Be held.

EEYPT ARMIES WEAK IN TANKS

Lack of Noor S Stalls Both

“Sides in “Fight for

Nile and Suez.

By RICHARD MOWRER

Col ri ht, 1942, by The Indianapolis Tim i Plana The Chicago Dailv News. Inc on

ALAMEIN, Egypt, July 0.—The weakness on both sides in the tem= porarily stalled . battle of Egypé seems to be in armored strength,

It is -safe to say that if Field

Buf the enemy-.so far has not got the tanks, which are the backs bone of desert fighting, so he is waiting, shelling - British positions, shifting various divisions around from one zone to. another.

> Real Front Far Away

The British, likewise, are waiting to build up their armored strength, meantime shelling axis position and striking with their mobile columns. But, in fact, the real battle for Egypt right now is being waged fag from this front. ; It is being waged in. wi behind the lines where tanks . overhauled and repaired; on ro railroads and sealdnes over whic reinforcements must come; at p where fresh material must be loaded quickly and assembled readjusted to desert conditions. The enemy certainly has a b maintenance problem on his han since he brought up his whole a to the Alamein line.

Big Maintenance Problem

Besides the remnants of the G man ‘15th and 21st armored di sions and the 90th light infan division, there is the Italian armored division. as. well as th Sabrata, the Trento, the Pavia, Trieste, and the Trescia ¢ or ‘portions thereof. - The ‘Littorio: armored ‘now is also in. Libya, but of it seem to have been. olug up gaps in ‘other that it itself has not ° a tn ! division.