Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 21 July 1942 — Page 10

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The Indianapolis Times

“ROY W. HOWARD

RALPH BURKHOLDER MARK FERREE Editor Business Manager (A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER)

President

@ Owned and published © dally (except Sunday) by The Indianapolis Times Publishing Co., 214 W. Maryland st.

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Price in Marion County, 3 cents a copy; delivered by carrier, 15 cents a week.

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po RILEY 5551

Give Light and the Feople Will Find Their Own Way

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TUESDAY, JULY 21, 1942

THE TRAGEDY OF LAWMAKING

LL of us are suffering today from shock—the shock resulting from yesterday's tragedy at Washington and Meridian sts., when an automobile plunged over the side- - walk and careened into the crowds of passers-by. A little boy downtown to “meet Daddy,” and the mother of a soldier on her way home after buying railroad tickets to visit him, are both dead. Fifteen other persons are under treatment for their injuries, two of them still in critical condition. The driver of the automobile is said by law enforcement officials to be subject to epileptic seizures. Indeed, City hospital reports treating him for just that only a - month ago. Let us not, in anger and in heat, use this man as the scapegoat. He is simply a symbol of a far greater tragedy —the tragedy of stupid, narrow lawmaking, of a driver's license law which was designed not to protect citizens, but merely to tap a new source of revenue. : ” ” ” » » 2 } HAT is really the story of what happened yesterday afternoon. The Indiana driver's license law calls for no physical examinations. It calls for no driving tests for the hundreds of thousands who applied in the first few years of the system. It calls only for the filling out of a form—and the payment of 50 cents. . And there you have it. Pay your 50 cents and get your driver’s license! We need no blame-placing: We need only to realize the enormity of this problem—and to act upon it. We call upon both major parties to declare themselves right now for drastic overhauling of our entire driver's license system. We cannot continue to sacrifice the lives of our people, of men and women and children. And if this must be a political issue this November, so be it.

BOOMERANG PROPAGANDA

“K 0GDA zhe budet vtoroy ?” That is the question asked every day by the hardpressed troops on the Russian front. They are not the only ones who want to know “When will there be a second front?” But they are the ones who ‘matter most. For they have been doing most of the fighting, and anything which undermines their morale is as dangerous for the other allies as for Russia. | Of course all this talk gbout opening a western European front to relieve the Russians may have been nothing more than a hoax, part of the war of nerves to worry Hitler and force him to keep extra armies in France and the low countries. If so, it has failed. Hitler has been sending heavy reinforcements to the Russian and African fronts—even to the point of withdrawing several divisions from France, as proved by the capture of such troops in the Don battle. It not only has failed ; it has boomeranged, shaking the nerves of the Russians more than the Germans’.

» » » - i #

HIS newspaper is not among the large number in the United States and Britain demanding an immediate western European land front. Like everyone else we see the dire need of such a diversion, but no civilian can have “the military information requisite for the fatal decision as "to how and when. The commander-in-chief must make such decisions.

Nevertheless, we have a definite opinion of the official |;

propaganda on this subject. The only way to wage a military offensive is to fight it and not talk it. If there is going to be one, we do not think that information should be given to the enemy. If there is not going to be one, we do not think the people should be deceived. The net result of this unfulfilled official propaganda to date is to injure American and British civilian morale, and Russian military morale. That is bad, even if a second front is opened successfully tomorrow.

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TWO BILLIONS SHORT

LAY aside, for the moment, all controversies over the various provisions of the tax bill which the house has just passed. Consider only this one point: It falls some two billion dollars short of what the treasury said was the minimum of additional revenue required. “" "Where can that two billions be obtained ? It can’t be obtained by hiking the rates of business ‘taxes. These rates in the house bill are already so high that they will bankrupt thousands of firms, unless some ‘allowance is made for paying debts. © It can’t be obtained merely by stiffening the rates on the upper brackets of individual incomes, There isn’t that ,much cream left to skim. ; The only place that much untaxed money can be found is in the pockets of rank-and-file citizens. The better way to get it is to broaden the income-tax base, and take from each of us in proportion to ability to pay. i Another way is by a sales tax. That now seems to be politically the most popular course. Even so, those who are thinking more about winning the election than winning the war contend that nothing should be done until after November. They're still talking politics as usual—seven

x “and a half months after Pearl Harbor.

But we believe that the people, who are going to have to pay the bills anyway, would rather have congress enact a real war tax program now, one that will stand for the

: duration.

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TURN ON THE HOSE! Tes quite a lot of conversation about liquid leg * make-up. Oh, well, it will al come out in the wash.

Fair Enough By Westbrook Pegler -

NEW YORK, July 21.—Dummy Spelvin, the son of George Spelvin, American, walked into the family bower last night wearing the uniform of a lieutenant-commander of the navy and the old gent leaped up to bar the door and pull the blinds. “Dummy, you dummy,” the old man yelled, “climb out of that lion-tamer’s suit and put on your store clothes! Take that masto the costume guy! You can get

quérade .outfit back They will slap you in ghe boob for

pinched for that! 20 years!” “Grab hold. of yourself,” said the dummy. “Bring yourself under control. It ain’t disgraceful that the Spelvins have. got a lieutenant-commander of our glorious navy in the family. All I ever heard about you and all those dumb uncles of mine, about the best you cquld do was buck sergeant or seaman-first. This isn’t any hired suit. I am buying it on time from a very stylish society tailor out of my salary as a commissioned officer of the armed forces of our beloved ‘country and I am getting very good dough pesides because when you are an officer like me you have got to hang around swell society joints at night

runs into money.” : "| Do My Specialty in New York"

“1 AM A SPECIALIST in the navy,” said Dummy. “The navy is swell for specialists because if you make lieutenant-commander then they got too much sense to ever put you on a boat because you will get in everybody's way and cause confusion. I just hang around New York or Washington and do my specialty for democracy against the barbarian hordes of the djctatorial aggressors.” “But,” the old man said, “how come you are a lieutenant-commander, even higher than Butch O'Hara was when he shot down all them Japs and higher than all them boys on the Houston and the Lexington when you never even rowed a boat in the park and you got seasick on the Staten Island ferry?” “I am a lieutenant-commander,” the dummy said, “because my old man’s son is one smart dummy. I heard where you could be an officer if you go around’ raising dough for the navy relief and fearlessly denouncing people that they are a lot of lousy Quislings and fifth columnists on the radio and that is why you have become the father of a lieutenant-commander of our glorious navy.”

"Giving Myself Without Stint"

“I BROADCAST, Paw,” went on Dummy, “and anyone that doesn’t like the New Deal or stabs our beloved country in the back by disrupting the war effort by criticizing somebody like Harry Bridges, why then I give it to them fearlessly over the air and that helps to win the war more than if I was in the army in Australia or some of those places. “And then sometimes I get some prize fighter to get into the ring and get his brains knocked out for nothing and give the money to the relief and so then I tell the public over the air all about how I lined up this show for my beloved country and freedom all over the world because I am so patriotic or maybe I round up a lot of good-looking dames and we take a trip on the road and they give the public a good flash of legs and kiss the mayor and we sell a lot of war bonds and everybody cheers me because I am giving myself without stint to my country.” : “But,” said old man Spelvin, “don’t any of them Americans you call lousy traitorous Quisling Nazi rats ever take any pops at you for saying like that about loyal citizens?” " : “No,” the dummy said, “I told you I wasn't no dummy, so I got bodyguards from the FBI to protect me from spies and traitors who want to put me out of the way so Hitler can win the war.” “And you are sure they can’t pinch you for wearing that suit?” the old man persisted. “Hell, no,” the dummy said. “In fact, I can get other guys pinched if they pop off because I.will tell the intelligence and the FBI that they are disloyal traitorous rats if they open their trap.”

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

Gold Braid's Test

By S. Burton Heath

CLEVELAND, July 21.— When Elmer Davis went to Washington to become czar over war publicity, few newsmen doubted that he would come into conflict with the war and navy departments—or, specifically, with the generals and the admirals. The controversy came more promptly than most had expected. Mr. Davis had not even had time , to accomplish administrative revisions before the trial of eight Nazi saboteurs began before a special military commission appointed by the President and headed by Maj.-Gen. Frank R. McCoy. { Original detailed publicity on the capture of these submarine-borne enemies was broadcast, 'foclishly we believe, by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.

Before the trial commenced Mr. Davis pyomised newspapermen he would make available daily a censored report on proceedings, including as many facts as would not be of aid to the enemy. But General McCoy, presumably with the approval of his fellow officers on the commission, arbitrarily, curtly—in fact, very uncivilly—snubbed Mr. Davis and ignored Attorney General Biddle. Thus the issue was joined.

It's No Mere Technicalitty 5

ONE CONDITION UNDER which Mr. Davis took the job was that army and navy publicity should fall within .his jurisdiction. The presidential order made that clear. Now we must wait and ste whether President Roosevelt is going to support Mr. Davis, and kick the high horses out from under the brass hats, or whether the military is superior to the civil authority. This is no mere technicality. One of the greatest reasons Elmer Davis or somehody like him was needed in Washington was because the arm; and the navy were doing two of the worst public relations job on record—infinitely inferior to that of civilian war agencies. We hope that Mr. Roosevelt will stand firmly back of Mr. Davis, give him the authority he was promised, hold him fully responsible for using it wisely, and send him back to civilian life if he fails. Somebody who doesn’t know where West Point and Annapolis are is needed to bring order into the present public relations chaos. There is reason to believe that Mr. Davis may possess the capacity. Is he going to have the authority, or to. be strangled in gold braid? i

So They Say—

The final defeat of Japan will start at sea and end on land. Her depredations in the South Seas will prove the prelude to her disaster.—Chiang Kai-shek, Chinese generalissimo.: re ets

What is the equation between the planes sent to

grad and Moscow?—Dean Acheson, assistant secretary

and scuffle with’ the ‘exclusive debutantes and that |

{cases might hurt his chances for

Russia and those figures in the snow between Lenin-

I wholly

disagre:

® - sier Forum ree with what you say, but will defend to the doch your right to say it.—Voltaire.

“I8§ CRIMINAL COURT JUDGE

By Dr. H. P. 8., Indianapolis

I noticed in the papers recently that a Bessie Gipprich had been arrested April 2 and fined $300 by Judge John L. Niblack and sentenced to 60 days in the women’s prison. That she appealed the case and was found not guilty by “Special Judge” Charles W. Holder in the criminal court. A couple of months ago I believe I remember a gambler was arrested, fined and sentenced by Judge Niblack, only to have the case appealed, sent to the criminal! court where “Special Judge” Holder knocked off the sentgnce to the state farm, and about the same time, another gambler whose name, has appeared in the papers from time to time who also had been

found guilty in Judge Niblack’s|"

court, appealed and was found nof guilty in the criminal court, presided over by a “Special Judge.”... What interests me is why the duly elected criminal court judge sidesteps, these cases and allows a “Special Judge” to preside. Is the criminal court judge afraid such

election to the office he seeks this fall? » ” ” “MR. BLUE COULD START HIS SNOOPING IN COUNTY”

By A Curious Citizen, Indianapolis.

sending his investigators out snooping around the city again. I wonder why? Mr. Blue could better confine himself to his office and diligently prosecute his business than sticking his nose within the city limits. Not that there aren't violations in Indianapolis, but Mr. Blue could start first in the county, with some great success. - ” ”® 2 “NEXT TIME REMEMBER US, THE VETS OF WAR NO. 1”

By Charles D. Christie, 2847 N. LaSalle st. Myself and all the World ‘War vets of war No. 1 wish to thank you for overlooking us in the parade. I guess you were one of the many that could not remove your hat or get on your feet while the flag passed by.

SIDESTEPPING THESE CASES?” |

So Prosecutor Sherwood Blue is

., The Sons of Veterans of Foreign

"Another order of peas, quick! I'm’l

bring up reinforcem

{livlas readers are invited to | epress their views in thee columns, religious con-

excluded. Make

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chance. Letters must

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inaiched in the parade with s. That's the flag that yi ignored. That's the story ‘¢roes after this war (just ike remember us, the ones to keep us out of this ee if the American men ‘tention just for the col- © us, but for the flag and ‘als for. Cn ox oa [HG TO CURE POLICE PELESS JOB!” shbein, 219 N. Alabama st.

‘name of V. R. Rupp of st. for his effort (futile ust be) to do something etty larceny shakedown our local police authorr so-called enforcement es. One could, if he so e 16 pages on this subt repeat himself once, the present any effort these conditions is like ir head against a stone Spesn’t hurt the ‘wall, but your head like the very i 8

a police order is issued in traffic rules in a new sich as prohibiting left Sertain corner where they ted before, the first actraffic department is to 1 icbuple of motorcycle offigine unobserved spot, for the purposé of catching the “sucki ithey have violated the

ect of the traffic rules event accidents and to operation of traffic, pj. be more logical to station the officer at the intersection, in plain sight, so that he could warn possible | offinders in advance of their vio atit:g the order? After all, police d¢pariments are for the prevention if |¢rime and misdemeanor as much as ‘or apprehension of of-

c war—]| have to

that beer out of warm paper cups

| string. Leave this strainer on till

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fenders. But of course that wouldn't bring $2 a throw into the coffers. Incidentally one of Chief Morrissey’s able officers who was stationed at New York and Sherman drive the other evening was very indignant of my flouting of his authority while he was writing out a ticket for me for violating the left turn order at that intersection. My flouting consisted of getting out of my car to kid with him a little bit while he was writing out the ticket. After all, I am entitled to a little kidding for my two bucks, but his indignance at my daring to open my mouth was a threat that “any more of your wisecracks and I'll call the wagon and. ride you down.” What he was going to charge me with, only he and Heaven ‘know. Surely, I wasn’t in any way interfering with him in the performance of his duty. However, as I have said before, it is only butting your head against the wall. . . . Incidentally, when parking spdce in the downtown district is at such a premium, why are so many spaces marked off with the yellow no parking signs? I realize that protection must be given to fire plugs and to a certain amount of space at intersections of streets, but perhaps it might do some good to call attention to the entire city block on the east side of Capitol ave. between Washington and Maryland sts. True enough there are a lot of driveways leading off of this block, which formerly were entrances to the parking lot which covers almost the entire length of the block. However, in order to gain more parking space, a long line of posts connected by a heavy cable, ghd a line of 12x12 timbers at the bottom are stretched the -entire length -of the lot and they prevent these driveways from ever being used. But then if parking was allowed in that block that would be 10 to 15 more cars that wouldn’t have to use the parking lot, apd that would really be ba-a-a-d. . . ” EJ ” «SHUCKS! NOW WE HAVE TO USE WARM PAPER CUPS!” By “Mr. Baseball,” Indianapolis. For shame, Indianapolis baseball fans. Throwing beer and pop bottles at umpires out at Victory Field when they make a bum decision! Not that throwing ‘em isn’t all right when the ump goes to sleep, but do you realize we've got to drink

for the rest of the season? Please give us another chance, Mr. Schilensker. # # 2 HOUSEWIFE TELLS HOW SHE SAVES GREASE’ By a Housewife . I have. a method of saving waste grease that is so simple it requires no extra dishwashing. Simply cut a piece of cloth (to serve as a strainer) to fit the top of a clean coffee tin. Tie securely with a?

the can is full. The cover will fit right over the cloth. Keep in a convenient place and use. frequently while cooking to catch every drop of waste grease. I also have a seldom used frying pan that has a tendency to rust in which I render “over a low flame unusable scraps—bacon rind, etc. I do not wash this pan every time, as the thin film of greace serves to prevent rust. At the end of the day even the most scrupulous home maker will find she has salvaged at least a tablespoonful of grease for Uncle Sam.

DAILY THOUGHT

Remember, O Lord, Thy tendér mercies and Thy loving kindnesses; for they have been ever of old.—Psalms 25:6.

Being all fashioned of the selfsame dust, as well as just.

Let us be merciful

*

—Longfellow, |

In Washington By Peter Edson

WASHINGTON, July 21.—The war manpower business apparently is getting in such a jam that eventually it will have to be reorganized as drastically as the war production machinery was last January, or else a broad program of legislation to draft manpower for civilian jobs may have to be considered. In case the latter course is decided upon, look out. Congress might be reluctant to take away the rights of the citizenry to work where they chose, unless the public could in some way express its willingness to be drafted and moved aibund where needed in a mass, “Show me the job and lead me to it!” demonstration. The war manpower commission apparently has no authority other than ta, issue directives or statements of policy and call conferences and committee meetings. In case of a showdown on some critical labor “supply problem, the cleanup of the situation would have to be done by war production board, selective service, Army, navy or maritime commission. All these have broad powers and real authority.e WPB, for instance, can withhold materials from a plant that pirates labor. Army and navy can take over plants and run them. Selective service can tell a man who is willing to go in the army that he can do his country more good by staying at some highly skilled job in a critical industry, and thus keep him out of service.

It Threatens to Break Down

AT PRESENT, EVERYTHING the manpower commission has done has been put on a basis of patriotism and voluntary co-operation. If there are two war production industries in a given area competing for labor the manpower commission would recom mend that the industries get together and settle the problem. ® there is a scarcity of workers for a war induggy and a surplus of workers in a non-essential industry, all the manpower commission could do would be to appeal through its U. S. employment service to the workers’ patriotism to shift to the more critical job. Such democratic methods may work in normal times, but with labor supply becoming more and more critical, this easy, free flow functioning of hiring threatens to bog down. Eventually, the government must decide whether it will permit the bogdown, or will say, “Hey you! You'll work over there!” It may add a “Please!” and a “Thank you!” bu: compliance will be mandatory.

Can Directives Do Trick?

MANPOWER COMMISSION Chairman Paul V. McNutt issues glowing statements about how every agency is working closely together, co-operation is wonderful and employment in war production has risen to 12.5 million. Governor McNutt has just issued a new statement of policy to prevent pirating of war workers, admittedly the toughest of the labor problems in war production areas. The statement provides that management-labor committees may be set up in designated critical areas to handle things.* . These committees may work, but they do not have behind them the legal authority of the draft boards or the rationing boards. Each manpower committee will consist of an equal number of union men and representatives from management, with a non-voting —get that—chairman from the area government MPC organization. You'll have to wait to see how they function.

A Woman's Viewpoint * By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

A ROSALIE LIVES in San il de Fonso, a little Indian village not far from Santa Fe, N. M. She was born in the pueblo. All her life has been spent there. In her low adobe-house, after the household chcres are -doney, she sits polishing her pottery. Tourists poke their heads into her | room and ask foolish questions. She smiles and answers as best she can. Her talents include the creation of lovely jars and vases, the arts of housewifery and the mothering of five children. She speaks three Iafiuages~ English, Spanish and Tewa, her native Int tongue. . Her patience is like that of a tree. There is a tranquility and a synchronization to all her movements, and out of her eyes looks the primitive wisdom of those who have always lived close to the earth and who find that God dwells there. The village drowses in the noonday warmth. Its men are away working in the fields. The women occupy themselves with indoor tasks. : “How peaceful it is here,” we might say to one another, “How far away war seems,” But we would not know what we were saying.

How Wrong We Can Be

FCR ROSALIE SITS near her narrow window, with slow hands moving rythmically over the jar she polishes, and thinks of her boy who is off somewhere. with American troops. He is her first born and sh& knows he fights for something the white man believes in, even though she cannot always understand the white man’s ways. “Wars are a part of life,” she says, after insistent and perhaps fude questions. “Yes, we have heard from our son. He says he is happy where he is.” And then, after a long silence, she adds with a wan smile, “I think maybe he says that to make me feel better.” Oh, strange, dark woman, what wouldn't we give to see inside your heart and be able to read your secret thoughts—to understand you. One, thing is sure, you share the common burden and the common glory of motherhood. Old as the rocks is your past, for you are an American whose roots go deepest into this soil. And who are we— upstarts and intruders—that we should presume to think, because quiet reigns in your pueblo, that you have known Peace?

Questions and Answers

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

' Q—Does lightning have a tendency to “follow drafts? : ; A—There is little foundation for this popular belief. Lightning follows the line of least resistance to the earth, and would not turn from its normal { course to run horizontally because a door or window is open. Q—Does Canada have any rent control? A—Canada has placed a ceiling over all housing rents in the Dominion, which are established by means of a maximum rent date. Q—Was Matthew Calbraith Perry, who was ink strumental in establishing diplomatic and trade relations with Japan, related to Oliver Hazard Perry, the hero of the Battle of Lake Erie? . A—~They were brothers,