Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 5 September 1942 — Page 10

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qd RILEY 5551 Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way = :

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1042

ASSING THE BUCK HERE probably is more intelligence, experience and | savvy on the senate finance committee than on any ~ other committee in congress. But the treasury’s complex and involved “spending tax” plan proved too much for the finance senators. They couldn’t understand it, and rea- * soned, logically, that several million 3axpayers never would understand it either. . But you don’t have to be an Einstein to understand one thing the treasury experts accomplished. By tossing in

‘this complicated and utterly impossible “spending tax" as|

the only program the treasury could think of to raise needed revenue, the experts goaded the committee into taking the 3 initiative on a general sales tax. That's supposed to be «clever politics. The senators take the blame and political responsibility for originating the sales tax, and the treasury gets the revenue.

THE SPANISH SHELL GAME ASHINGTON and London want to believe that the | Spanish cabinet purge means Dictator Franco is swing- ~ ing pro-ally. Quite properly, they have been working many ~ months to weaken Hitler's hold on that strategic country, and may have accomplished something. But to assume too much from the latest Madrid shuffle would be dangerous. When the game is over, we must be sure that Franco’s Fascist dagger is in his pal Hitler's back instead of ours. Franco in the past has done everything possible to help the axis and hurt the democracies. Up to now Spanish belligerency would have been more of a liability than an asset to the axis, because of-the hunger, chaos, and low morale of that oppressed country. This fact, plus the inability of Franco to outbid Mussolini and Laval in the scramble for spoils, has kept Spain “neutral.” # # 8 ” ® » HE fate of Cairo and Dakar is likely to determine where Franco lands. If the axis completes its conquest of North Africa and the Near East, Franco probably will go on playing the axis game. Only if the allies defeat Rommel in Egypt, and take Dakar, is Franco apt to play the allied game. With these important qualifications, it is not unreasonable to assume with Washington and London that recent . events encourage Franco in a bit of discreet. flirtation with the allies—particularly Brazil's declaration of war, increas- * ing Latin American solidarity against axis and Franco fifth-columnists in this hemisphere, and the American re- - inforcement of allied forces in West Africa. These international developments occur just at the time Franco is having internal troubles. Besides popular unrest, there is the power struggle between Falange leaders | and the army. This explains, in part at least, the reorganization under which Franco has taken over personal control of the party from his pro-German brother-in-law foreign minister, and switched generals in the cabinet. : #8 = = ; # 5 = MOREOVER, there is an internal struggle between the ; unseated partly leaders and the now favored monarch-ist-church group. Meanwhile Spanish politics and policies are many ~ wheels within wheels—which ‘Hitler hitherto has been able to use. If Hitler is ready to launch another peace offensive, ~ as predicted by a British cabinet minister this week, maybe he is using Franco now as he has in the past. We must watch our step.

n

AND NONE TOO SOON HE cloak-and-suit industry has been ordered by the WPB'’s regional director in New York to reduce hy five

:

inches the length of the garment known as the “live, juke |

or jeep coat.” This is quite all right with us if, as we suspect, the “jive, juke or jeep coat” is part of the outfit known as the ~ “zoot suit,” currently in vogue ‘among male members ‘ of the strange sub-classification of the human race known variously as ‘“‘jitterbugs,” “hepcats” and “characters.” The ““zoot suit’s” coat hangs loosely almost to its wearers knees. Its trousers resemble a pair of deflated blimps in their upper portions and beconfe tight bands around the - ankles. The production of one “zoot suit” must require more material than is saved by leaving the cuffs off 867 pairs of ordinary pants, and the result achieved i is not, to say the very least, esthetic.

THE RIGHT TO BE A CUSTOMER ‘A LITTLE service here, please!” This characteristic American request doesn’t always get a very quick or good response these days, for every- | where new. and half-trained employees are taking the places of those who have gone into war plants or the armed forces. But the temporary loss of better service will be borne’ by the American people patiently. It is a small ‘thing to give up for victory. Defeat would mean the permanent Joss of “service.” would mean the spread of the totalitarian system under which a man stands i in line for state-issued goods, and then n’t get much. : Victory will mean the continuation and growth of the | te enterprise system, under which the customer i is boss, by which the average American gets more material ts and satisfaction than ancient kings could hagine,

iC RM-OR FOOD EXF DRD GUY TUGWELL is not endearing himself to: his Puerto Rican constituents by insistence upon using able cargo space to take rum barrels empty to the to the mainland. The territory wants food, . Tugwell ‘wants money for his reform proby selling

$4 a year; adjoining

Fair Enough

By Westbrook Pegler

/ 3% Se po

NEW YORK, Sept. 5—It has occurred to me in a dawning sort of way, that because our good friends and noble allies, the British, ‘have always suffered from some self-inflicted. inequalities

‘apparently, are determined to re- + form, some time, then, just to be good fellows or, perhaps, just to ape them, the people of the : United States should do likewise, even though our system has no serious defects. Goodness knows, Britain could do with a spot of reform

people and the ups and downs of our first families have been part of the fun of being American. In fact, until a few years ago, our people took no little pride in the fact that ours was, no kidding, the land of opportunity, whereas, in ‘Britain there, were upper, middle and lower classes who strictly kept their places. . True, they had their upstarts, but Sir Thomas Lipton never amounted to much after his friend, Edward, died and his vulgar pushfulness deeply grieved the middle class who knew he was no gentleman in the strange British meaning of the word and thought he cheapened their aristocracy.

We Run a Fast Wheel Over Here

highly respected as one of the gentlemen of New

an innkeeper, went in for swank and rode to the hounds yelling “Yoicks, yoicks, a thousand times yoicks” but he would confide that he had got his

a jass-mule hauling a baggage dray. Old Man Rockefeller had been a clerk and old

of the '90s were tearing up money only recently unearthed with the pickax in Califoriia, ‘Colorado and Nevada. . What am 1 driving at? Well, this, that we run a fast wheel in our country and new customers are always bellying up to the table to open opportunity, whereas; the British suffer from an inner snobbery which so far they have been unable to ) SongUer among themselves.

Compare the School Systeme

THEIR VERY SCHOOL system tells much of the story. Free, public education is -socially degrading and the man so educated has been, until now, almost irrevocably inferior to the alumni of their pay schools. Now, in our country, we spray education freely over the miner's son and: farmer's daughter and education is an industry, not a profession, in which the teacher has come to regard himself as a toiler on the as sembly line, repeating one operation in his field, year after year, and requiring union protection or its equivalent. That mass production makes competition harder for the educated because it means that the educated person is not an exception but just

average.

We've Been Doing All Right .

OF RECENT YEARS, to be sure, there has been a tendency toward snobbery in education which is best illustrated in our present day public life by the fact that not one member of our president's family, neither himself, his wife, nor any of his children, ever spent a day in a public school of the people. But that snobbery does not carry over into the world after school except as a Groton old boy may throw opportunities in the way of an old classmate, just as a man of Siwash or Indiana might. That {n't ‘veally snobbery. It is just a mild form of “¢lannishness. One of our worst troubles is a defect of our democracy itself. Thus a rascal who is a man of the people and knows their moods and weaknesses may rise to dangerous power and we have seen some alarming rogues in Louisiana, Jersey, Detroit and Boston “but, happily for our system and our freedom, so far, they expire or fall into rivalries and offset one another. ‘The truth is that we were doing all right and will do all right when the war is won if we don’t monkey with the system, even to put the British at their

ease with us. ae

=

Jap Strategy

By Ludwell Denny

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5. — A Jap attack on Siberia is expected by Washington and - Chungking. Gen, Stilwell, our commander in Asia, now on a mission to India, makes the same prediction. This assumption is based on four known facts: The Japs have withdrawn lafge forces from central China toward their Siberian border, where there is now. Aan estimated army of three-quarters of a million men. The puppet Foreign Minister Togo, father of the 1941 Jap-Soviet neutrality pact; has been dismissed by Dictator Tojo. Only two months of favorable weather remain before the dread Siberian winter closes in. Russia, desperately trying to stop the German advances, can spare no reinforcements for Siberian defense. So almost everything points to an attack on Siberia. But. if Japan does the expected, it. will be the first time. Before, when she was expected to invade Siberia; she took over Indo-China instead. When she was expected to invade Thailand, she struck at Pearl Harbor.

was expected to invade Australia, she ‘advanced on Midway and the Aleutians.

Maybe the Target Is Alaska NOW, WHEN SHE fs expected to attack Siberia

tralia, she may in fact be planning invasion of Alaska. Even assuming that Japan for the “first time is deliberately sacrificing her chief weapon of surprise, to take advantage of the obvious Siberian opening, there are still possibilities which mught defeat if.not prevent such an attack. Maybe the Russians will stop the Ciermans. Maybe the U. S. navy will find and sink her fleet which guards Japan's southern flank; or retake or cut off the Aleutian bases, which guard her northern’ flank ‘—our own stepping stones to Siberia. ‘Maybe enough American bombers can use the recaptured Chinese

lines. Much can happen in September The allies would be foolish not to prepare against an obvious Jap attack on Sieberia. They would be equally foolish not to watch for a surprise elsewhere. An thay S19 ok 30% 1 forget She costly Jusson al ‘this war that the defense is offense, = : Perhaps. we. can sheik frst this Gps,

So They Say—

we now nate ae tan 120 vm i productn | work and we're begging for more.-~J. Le 8, vies president, North Americas Aviation. | oh

and high-fence classifications and,

and she is welcome, but we are not a classified |

OUR OSCAR of the Waldorf was a waiter, but is |

York.” Our John McEntee Bowman struck it rich as|-

first view of New York through the gunsight ears of

man Ford a tinker and most of the dissolute snobs |

When she was expected to in- | vade India, she turned toward Australia. When she |

and India, and to continue her advance on Aus- |

bases opposite Japan to blast Tokyo and its supply | y

GETTING

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

“SELECTIVE SERVICE ACT

| NEEDS QVERHAULING”

By Raymond H. Stone, 531 E. 56th st. There is definitely a part of the next 60 days a desire on the part of

the unofficial public ‘to . express opinions on the war effort.

selective service act needs overhauling. :

president, pending the revision of that act by congress. : There is a second opinion that goes with the foregoing. That opinion is that revival of civilian enterprise should be encouraged from this point forward.

: ” ” ” “BINGO ISN'T HELPING OUR DEFENSE BOND SALES” By Merton A. Farlow, M. D., 1935 S. Emerson ave.

I notice that Marion county is falling down on its quota for defense bonds. : . Has it ever occurred to our people how much more money there might be for defense bonds in this locality if all bingo halls in this county were closed up? This is a form of gambling that many of our friends seem unable to resist and I feel that for their sakes and for the sake. of the war effort that attention should be called to this matter. I think we all realize that bingo is gambling the same as any other form of gambling. Many people go to bingo three or four times a week and spend on the average of $3 or $4 a night. This amounts to a tidy sum in a month. I am personally acquainted with people who spend $50 a month at bingo. Dal 2 s : 4 “LET LABOR HAVE A SHARE OF CREDIT, WHEN DUE?

By Wm. Martin, Local N 148 A M., 806 N. Delaware st. ‘No. Prawn

I believe Martin writes a ile too deep for you to understand, Mr. H.

The feeling is abroad that the}

. . Xi One opinion is thal a limit of three million. men ‘in ca at ‘any. one time should be placed the

(Times readers are invited to express their views in these columns, religious controversies excluded. Make your letters short, so all can have a chance. Letters must

be signed.)

H Fairmount, and 1am sure you wouldn't be a good candidate on a quiz- program for labor, for these

reasons: At no time did I mention union labor, or union officials in Washington, your conscience must hurt you, and being one of the Smith boys (of Virginia) or in the same frame of mind, you would grab at a chance to dig at labor. Mr. Fairmount, I wouldn’t want to represent you on anything, and I am sure you are no part of labor in which was made in my statement to The Times. Why is Pegler considered : as first on the list as anti-labor columnist by, lots of labor unions, you know. You said U. S. A. would probably go ‘the same route as France, over the falls, sold out by -racketeers. Shame on you, still eating three meals a day, and having the best things in life in our good America, ahd you mentioned France in reference to labor conditions in this country. Mr. Fairmount, for your information, there were no labor unions or labor unity in France ®t the time, or they wouldn’t have failed so easily, check that and scat. You say Pegler rides the slackers I never mentioned slackers, but will now. Why aren't you and Pegler in service? I served 26 months in the last war and ready if needed again. ' You say labor levels are pretty low at this time. I say anyone saying that is off the beam. Every day you can read where records are being broken in production lines, and still contend these workers de-

Side Glances—By Galbraith

like Pegler and you.

| ican posterity.

that the breeding of prostitutes,

| go to fight. We want to know hl ‘| families are safe and will

| |keep their heads above water on}: | the . present allotment from the | government war ' dependency bill?

| politicians, draft dodgers, and |birds as well as our f as| | those in’ plants and elsewhere in

serve thanks from America, instead of petty criticism from labor haters|

Again I repeat, read my“letter to The Times and if you find any reference to any union or union official, I will donate $50 to any cause

you suggest. The Indianapolis Times is very fair in granting us the right to express our. opinions; but ‘why you had to show your real feeling toward labor is beyond me. I again say labor is’ entitled to a pat on the back when they do. nore than just what they get paid for, instead of a kick in the pants by Pegler and ones that feel like you. 1 agree with you, wake up, but let labor have a share of credit, when due. Mr. Fairmount, if you owned a plant and the government asked you how many of these products can you build in six months and you replied, “My men will produce 50 units in six months” and your men proceed to produce 50 units in six ‘months, don’t you feel these men are entitled to praise instead of a kick in the pants? If a shipbuilder says, “My men will build a ship in 60 days,” and after giving up evenings at home with their beloved families, they build a ship in ‘30 days, you mean to say they don’t deserve a little thanks from all America, and you Mr. Fairmount, then I say something is wrong. Even Hitler gives thanks to his men for going-beyond the line of ordinary duty. Wake up, Mr. Fairmount. 2 8 = : “WE FATHERS WANT OUR FAMILIES TO BE SAFE” By Roger Andrews Freeman, 1515 Kelly st. I read today an article by the war department wherein they say married women with children will have to take care of themselves and children as best they can and suggest they work in war plants for | ‘support: ‘Now isn’t that nice considering the fact we are fighting for Amer-

With mothers of small children in war plants, children romping the streets half-fed, half-clothed, isn't

racketeers, bums and any other riff-raff? ¢ No; we ‘the American fathers don’t want that situation when we

whether we return or not. Rent - in Indianapolis averages more than $40 per month. How many mothers with children could

Aren’t our lives worth as much fighting to save to petit na ul

nations victory. children, printed on rice paper to make them thin =, enough to hide in school books.

titled “Three Men in a Boat.” it tells how Mussolini starts out in an old for his fleet. The tub flies over America, and they see the U. 8 war production, :

Hitler, impossible.” when I said I would conquer. the world.” Mussolini replies, “Neither did 1.” :

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5. — A - native of—well, say Java, Burma, - occupied China or even Japan itself, plodding along the road or coming into the streets of his nae - tive village after an American plane has passed over, may one = Of these days find at his feet a paper of matches of -the kind given away in the U. S. Wiiievdiy. package of cigarets. Matches in the. rest of the

‘world are a darn sight scarcer than they are here,

S50 the chances are even that the native will pick up this not-so-insignificant gift dropped out of the skies, Inspecting the matches he will find that the match cover presents a face of the typical toothy Jap, each of the matches being a tooth in the Jap jaw. There is a slogan, “Yank out Tojo’s teeth,” and, sure enough, every time a match is pulled from the

paper, a tooth disappears from the printed ‘face. .

This novel notion is supposed to be one of the latest touches of putting over propaganda in’ foreign lands. - There are similar striking ideas, to match that, for distribution-in other lands. Cracks at Laval for France, gags on Mussolini for Italy and you know who for Germany.

Kidding the Axis Along

THE PROPAGANDA, of course, isn’t confined ‘to matches. There are reproductions of Henry Wallace's speech advocating’ a world in which everyone will have a bottle of milk a day, printed in little booklets, There are statistics on American resources and Amerfcan war preduction, illustrated by cartoons * and gaged-up graphs, indicating the eventual united There are pretty little stories for the

One ‘of these children’s stories for grown-ups . is In simple language tub to look He picks up Hitler, and later Tojo,

“I know that the Americans are deaf” cracks “because I told them such production was Later he says, “Nobody believed me To which

Anyway, they finally fing Mussolini's fleet—at the bottom of the ocean.

But That's Not All.

ALL’ THIS, AND a lot more that can’t be told about, is the work of the overseas publications burean of the office of war information. But the job of telling the world—particularly the deutral countries which are potential allies—can't all be done by radio or by dropping leaflets or safety matches out of a plane. A lot of it has to be direct contact work and for that job this overseas branch of OWI has set up an outpost bureau which has established offices all over the world, Into places like Turkey, for instance, go Amer icans whose job it is to spread the American story through established media in that country. One of the strangest assignments given by this overseas branch was to open an “outpost office” in London, to help explain and interpret the American war effort to the British. If the British have to be sold on the benefits they are receiving from lend lease, you can see how difficult the job would be in Brazzaville or Burma. ¥

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

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson ”

’ 8

WAR’ BRIDES are a problem to themselves, their families and their nation. Since their number increases monthly, the discussion of those problems by Dr. Paul Poe © penoe, director of the American + Institute of Family Relations, in - the current Ladies Home Journal, is an important bit of writing. Significantly, Dr. Popenoe goes _ against popular trends when he advises girls to live apart from their own families, ‘if - possible, and to cultivate a closer relationship with their husbands’ people. In plain words, leave mother and become better acquainted with mother-in-law. ' : We can see how sensible such advice is, when we consider that all brides and bridegrooms are strangers to. each other. Even long courtships do not help much. Every girl has to learn to know her husband before she can feel adjusted to marriage.‘ Consequently the war bride, whose brief’ Honeymoon leaves her still a mental and spiritual stranger to her ‘mate, must get her information about ‘him from the only logical source—his family.

War Work Best Occupation

THERE SHE WILL find out what kind of a little boy he was, becoming familiar with his dear mischiets which are so cherished and so gladly related by mothe ers; in time, she will see him as he is, a creature of - queer dislikes and strange whims, but a creature beloved, and therefore one to be honored. Dr. Popenoe believes this. intimate knowledge of the . husband’s background is necessary to the future ade justment of the couple when the real ‘marriage begins, War work, he thinks, is the best occupation for the soldier's bride, since it will give her the feeling of standing steadfastly beside her fighter and reveal the problem ' which confronts the breadwinner of the family. Also, if she can make a little home for hersel during the man’s absence, so much the better. The experience will prove valuable afterward. In this respect the war bride. has the advantage over all others—she can practice up and master home-making problems while her husband is gone, and so Surprise him with her genus » when \ Be sommes Back. . |

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