Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 16 September 1942 — Page 10

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Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1943

Im SOUNDS LIKE BUSINESS | "HERE is something refreshing about the way Indiana's | * newly appointed gasoline rationing head has started on his task. ' William + Aitchison is no professional bureaucrat. A long-time New Castle auto dealer and past president of the Indiana Automobile Dealers’ association, he gives every impression of giving Indiana a businesslike administration of the difficult job ahead. He went east to ‘study the rationing system there, scheduled to stay 10 dayé. He stayed two months! And back home again, Mr. Aitchison gives an impression of Re and maturity—of a man who knows the kind of job he has facing him and who is going to do his best, to Whip it.

.BEWARE DAKAR OR weeks Hitler has been reported trying to get hold of Dakar, the French African base which dominates the South Atlantic only 1600 miles from the Brazilian bulge. Washington has been reported “not alarmed.” Apparently its optimism has arisen from the belief that Hitler is too

he busy in Russia and Egypt, and that anyway Vichy will econ-

tinue to oppose Nazi occupation of Dakar. In our judgment such optimism! is dangerous. Obviously, nobody but Hitler knows wha he will do or.when. Therefore our strategists must be prepared for the worst. They failed to take that precaution in the case of the ‘Aleutians—the axis’ closest stepping stone in the Pacific. After that costly experience, there is even less excuse to ignore the axis’ closest Aflantic stepping stone, which is Dakar. Superficially, it may be said that the allies cannot guard ‘Dakar without spreading too thin in too many places. Actually, however, the allies are already in Africa up to their necks, and West Africa controls their major supply lines. by sea and air to China and India as well as to Egypt, the

Middle East, and Russia. It is a question of guarding what ;

we have = what we must keep. » » » 8 » / XV HEN the United States relieved Britain in Iceland, it was generally assumed that Britain would take Dakar —that she did not do so was one of the unfor Lunate blunders. The danger is greater now. Many of the factors which prevented Hitler from taking Dakar have changed. - He has won victories in south Russia and may soon be able to release more of his planes and men. The fact that allied supplies via West Africa help to block Rommel in Egypt is an added incentive for Hitler to use Dakar to cut that supply line. y It is precisely because they know Vichy cannot be trusted thatthe allies are now finishing the job of occupying Madagascar. That base is important, but not as much. 80 as Dakar. . ' Since Aug. 22, Hitler nes had a most urgent reason for using Dakar. On that day Brazil declared war. ‘Brazil's belligerency can be a great asset to the allies—but it could be a liability, instead, if the allies lost control of the South Atlantic. Dakar probably will make the ifference, one

way or the other. Don’t let the axis pull another Aleutian on us!

; 0 ICE again the newspapers of this community are pub- "| lishing daily the lists of places for voter registrations. Remember that you are not registered to vote if: ‘1. You have moved since the primary election, or 2. You are a new resident. ‘The deadline is midnight, Oct. 5th. But why wait until the last moment? 8

. GASOLINE ON THE FIRE : iC NGRESSMAN Steagall of Alabama, chairman of the house” banking committee, must be under the impresgon that a good big shot of price inflation is just what this country needs right now. ' We can think of no other explanation for the incredibly bad bill he has just introduced. The Brown Jil. now before he| senate and said to be what the administration wants, would be a start—a small start—in the right direction. The bill which Mr. Steagall has placed before the house would be a long leap in the wrong direction. $ . | It proposes to put a tight floor under farm prices and to jack up the present dangerously flexible iceilings over them. Its language is far from clear, but as-we read it the pe sident would be required to adjust farm prices further : ard as farm wages rise, and permitted. to adjust indusrial wages upward as farm prices rise. A surer method ndowing the vicious spiral with perpetual motion and ranteeing a Constantly rising cost of living could hardly be devised. : It ‘would be exattly as helpful, in the present crisis, as to'save a burning house by pouring on gasoline. record of congress in the battle against inflation is oor ‘enough ‘alrea ‘Congress has a chance to redeem Jf in the eyes of the country by acting firmly and wisely - ’ 7 Styely it won’t toss that chance away by falling for ny Blike this Steagall absurdity. =

~

LE SAM, EMPLOYER | [E United States News reports that as of June e 30 last, the executive department of the federal government | 7,754 ‘men and women directly on its payrolls, ex-

approximately four millions of soldiers, sailors, and 525,000 employees of the states, 931, 000 eliefe

$4 a year; adjoining

NEW YORK, Sept. 16.—A let- |.

ter from a New Dealer in Wash“ington tells me that from my “al. most daily mention of criminal infested unions, one is led to believe that all labor unions are full of crooks and that they are all run from Russia,” and adds

that everyone who gives the mat«|

ter - more than an instant’ thought knows better.” That statement is typical of New Deal mentality. It starts with a misrepresentation’ intended to lure ah opponent in debate ‘onto ground which he has never occupied and which cannot be defended. These dispatches have never suggested’ that all unions were full of crooks and that all of them were run from Russia. The constant contention has been that the A. F. of L. division of the union movement is infested with crooks and that the top leadership, meaning William Green, the executive council and

Joseph Padway, the general counsel, have given them| .

aid and comfort and have never raised a finger to throw them out. that the common criminal and the communist do not run together.

The Two Just Don't Mix

THE C. I. O. HAS some crooks, but is less deviled by them than by communists. The common crook fights the communists with a hot show of American patriotism because he realizes that they are smarter than he is and that once they get a foot in the door they may boost him out of his racket. He knows that while he is helling around with vhe rest of the criminal scum in the Miamis, where veral A. F. of L. bosses own voluptuous winter homes and many of them, do their winter drinking and gambling, the commy is scurrying around in the sleet back home, perhaps without a decent overcoat, trying to take over his union.

No New Dealer needs to be told which unions of |

the C. I. O. are\ dominated by communists. The Office Workers’ union put up a show of resentment some time ago when these dispatches pointed out that they were in a position to betray the office secrets of employers and that communists naturally would not hesitate to do so. -

Only a Few Crooks

THEY ORGANIZED a letter-writing and postcard campaign and challenged me prove a single instance of such betrayal. They shut up when it was proved that one of their membprs did steal office secrets from a branch of the John Lewis Mine Workers union and delivered them to the transport workers union. The dangerous possibilities existing in a union of telegraphers and other handlers of\ confidential messages under communist control sukely need no explanation, inasmuch as Attorney himself a New Dealer, has recognized ‘the hostility of the communists to the American government. New Dealers and unioneers are forever saying that there are only a few crooks in the A. F. of L. unions. The answer to that is that either they don’t know what they are talking about or they lie deliberately. :

'The Character of a Racket’

A. PF. of L. UNIONISM in Chicago, the second city of the United States, is a combination of the underworld rackets, including many of the veteran personnel of the old bootlegging mobs, gang politicians of the worst type, veteran union racketeers and a few professional phony Honest Johns who don’t steal but don’t prevent others from stealing. Jersey City and Newark are two other A. F. of L. political strongholds in which A. F. of L. unionism is as foul as the political machine of Frank Hague. In this area and along the Jersey waterfront conditions in the A. F. of L. are absolutely rotten, as any decent A, F. of L. leader will admit off the record but never for publication. Much of this has been told before and certainly enough has been told to show that the A. F. of L. has become, as these dispatches charged several years ago, a front for crooks operating under protection of laws and generous public sentiments intended to protect the workers from rapacious and otherwise cruel and stupid employers. They may be few in numbers compared to the ‘total of union officers, local, state and international, but they are, nevertheless, numerous and so highly placed that they give the A. F. of L. itself the character of a racket. On these propositions I stand.

The Nazi Rations By Paul Ghali

BERN, Sept. 16—Today’s announcement of increases in the German bread and meat rations provides Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels with first-class propaganda material on the eve

of Germany's. fourth war winter.

As of Oct. 19, the weekly meat

ration is to be raised from 300 to 350 grams (10% to 12% ounces) . for normal consumeérs while the bread ration, which was cut last April, is restored to the figure previously in. effect, 2250 grams (about five pounds) weekly. . Despite the blazoning of this news by the German press, the increases do not amount to much—Iless than two ounces of meat and about nine ounces of bread a week.: ~ According ‘to accounts in the. Swiss press today, the increases must be attributed to a harvest which has turned out better than was first expected after severe winter damage. Potato prospects are particularly good and should allow for considerably higher rations this winter. In Berlin, w¥ites the Neue Zuercher Zeitung, adults will get 4% kilos (almost 10 pounds). per week.

One Thing They Don't Mention

‘ANOTHER. FACTOR contributing to the improved situation, the Nazis state, is the large food supplies captured by the Wehrmacht during the Russian summer offensive. Furthermore, German sources claim, Germany now is counting on supplies from conquered eastern territories where the work of reorganization proceeds “satisfactorily.” One explanation for improvement in the German Tood situation not mentioned by the Nazis, according to reliable reports received by your correspondent,

8

But the point has also been made.

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The Hoosier Forum

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

“SOMETIMES I AM SORRY

I AM A WOMAN . . By Mabel Taylor, 4437 Kingsley dr. Lieut, Comm, Mildred McAfee certainly made a grand announcement when she said the navy means to make the WAVES feminine—not just in name but in looks. We need more women of her type, especially during these war days to help other women avoid the bad habit of becoming too masculinein their dress and mannerisms. . .. Isn't it embarrassing. for the ladies and men to point out the shortcomings of our weaker sex? Sometimes I am sorry I am a woman on that account... . Why can’t women and girls realize they are far more attractive when they dress in dainty frills and other feminine apparel and be more reserved in ‘manner? I'm not a religious crank, but I've always had the opinion that slacks were meant to be worn on the beach or at picnics or for other sports wear instead of street dress. Neither am I so radical about etiquet, but I've never thought it was good taste for a woman to smoke, swear or drink intoxicating liquors. What a hideous picture of the majority of modern women! * I hope it can be erased soon by the women themselves Without further assistance from the men. . » s 2 ‘POLITICS MUST JUSTIFY ITSELF THROUGH MERIT”

By John F. White, 2502 Park ave. The merit system ‘ (about which there has been considerable discussion lately, with conclusions favorable to “an open road for merit”), as applied to the transaction of public business, is usually so furiously opposed by many politicians (witness the recent mental upheaval by State Senator Claude S. McBride, in this case not making for instruction nor intelligent consideration, but rather for its amusing political stupidity) and the organized party workers, to seriously handicap the t system movement, though advocated by large numbers of citizens—possibly a majority of the voters, but lacking in means of expression. Notwithstanding this opposition by most of the politicians, however, and the general condemnation they

(Times readers are invited

to express their views in these columns, religious conMake your letters short, so all can

Letters must

troversies excluded.

have a chance. be signed.)

< “a.

are subjected to by merit system advocates—of which I am one—it is necessary, after all, to consider the politician just as another human being like the rest of us, and usually to be counted as an average loyal American citizen; and also to consider that: politics is an essential part of our representative democratic government.

But it is going to be—and is now -—that politicians must learn, as all independent-minded, common minerun, non-organization citizens, have already - learned, that it is necessary that higher grounds for party supremacy must be cultivated and occupied than that of so largely depending on the partisan spoils system to maintain party solidarity.

In fact, if partisan politics is to have continuous and - substantial standing, it must itself justify its ownself by merit—merit in their principles, policies, and in administration—with no party control

{over public employees having no

part in party policy, but who are paid by and are to serve the public honestly and efficiently, regardless of political or sectarian affiliation.

» # » “I GUESS I'LL JUST KEEP MY SCRAP, TOO” By Gene Engle, 1114 Newman st.

I have approximately 200 poufids of scrap metal, including an old cast iron laundry stove, and a recently replaced hot water heater storage tank. All good material that the country is apparently so short of I'd like to have it.taken away if— I knew it would go to the government, if I knew it would help the government to obtain more scrap metals, if I knew it would not just join the piles of scrap metals just laying around in every junk yard and going to waste. Today, Sunday, in 15 miles driv-

ing, I passed three “used auto parts”

Side Slencos=By Galbraith

is that they have requisitioned 8,000,000 quintals (a| | 30 quintal is 2.71 bushels) of this year’s French wheat| | gf

harvest although the French deficit already totals °10,000,000 quintals.

There is no doubt that today’s Nasi anno ent

indicates a slight improvement in the Reich's food| | situation, although it is observed here that Goebbels | expects foreign Sorrespondents in Betlin to wear rose-| {.

colored glasses. -

Editor's Note: The views vs expressed by. columnists in. this newspaper are their own. They are’ “mot mesessanily | those of The Indianapolis Timbs, :

So They Saves

A country 4s judged, to » large extent, by the great | | it produces.~Ray Goffman, newspaper fr

f

dealers and one junk dealer's yard. I would be safe in saying that in these “yards” I saw at least five tons of good scrap metal—old automobile frames, cast-iron stoves, tire rims, car doors and bodies, bolts, nuts, axles—I could go on for ‘a long time itemizing the various articles that Hirohito didn’t get his hands on yet, and Uncle Sam’ probably will never see either. If scrap metal is so scarce as the papers tell us it is, why is it still laying around town in junk yards?

Isn't Uncle Sam paying enough|.

money for it to loosen up the patriotism of our citizens? ‘Or are they waiting to hand it to Adolf, or the Mussol man, or the Rising Sun’s Sitting Bull? Guess I'll just keep my scrap, too. 4 » » »

“IT DOES NOT COST ONE

CENT TO BE : COURTEOUS” By Matha Mooney, 1434 ~ Delaware st., apt The writer is a daily listener to the pleadings of the radio program of the Indianapolis Railways for cooperation on the part of the passen=gers. Of course, there is no pledge of such a thing on the part of the operators of théir vehicles. Many times I have noted the insolence with ‘which the operators deal with the public. For instance, there are two old men operators on the Illinois streetcar who deem it a favor (according to thefr manner) to accept your tokens or fare—they extend their hand with an exceedingly great degree of pain and would not for the world give you a civil answer or an intelligent one—if you asked how to reach a certain destination on their line. I have known

“|them to ignore aged persons and

pass them up... . This, I would say, is a perfect example of their complete refusal to co-operate even with connecting lines. Last Tuesday I was a passenger on a crosstown bus (where the drivers are unusually courteous). As we approached Illinois and 30th st.,» the driver of the bus sounded his horn to the southbound Illinois car which was stopped for a signal light as well as taking on passengers. I approached the car from the east. The old man operator looked at me

and I called “Just a minute’-—but|

on he went, looking at me in absolute defiance. : The driver of the, crosstown bus on a return trip to the defense factory in which I am employed—and from which I was taking a few minutes to get downtown in a hurry on my noon hour—mentioned that he though that was some spirit of co-operation. But the crowning feature came last evening when a very courteous (seemingly) gentleman dressed in the uniform of the United States

(army entered the northbound bus

that .goes up. N. Delaware st. and asked the operator—whose number I secured—to please let him knew when he came to Delaware and 22d st. The operator's words: “I'll call it—from ‘then on you are, on

‘| your own.”

«+ + » Does the Indianapolis Railways want their operators to be this

way? Their actions certainly are contrary to the signs in the vehicles

~—gtating the operators have ‘been

picked for their courtesy, etc.: . Either they do not test these men for their courtesy—or: the word ds misunderstood ~~ or they are: not

“| fully aware of this type. treatment.

- The war did not bring all of this on. It existed before—and contittues

| now=to an even: greater degree, . . .

36 does mot: east the-gperator..a cent to be courteous, ;

DAILY THOUGHT

“And he shall planted by the r DA i ye hr, season; his leaf also’ shall not

wither; and whats

By William Philp Simms

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16.—To- - day, almost on the dot, the season of the big rains ends in Bengal and Assam, and the period of India’s deadly peril really begins. The British policy in India, therefore, will soon be put to the test. I"or weeks, large masses of Japanese troops have been on the move, though whither bound - is still not altogether clear. But the‘ odds greatly favor India as their. principal objective. Apparently Prime Minister Churchill shares this view. For last week he told the house of commons unconditionally that the Jap invasion “it not far off.” Nor did he seem disturbed. London's rose-tinted glasses, however; flhd no counterpdrt here. Too many observers remember what happened to British interests under the very guns of Singapore, Britain's “impregnable” Gibraltar of the Far East. And to Singapore itself, and Malaya and Burma. London was cheerful about the situgfion then, too.

Strabolgi Points to Alternative

WASHINGTON I8 NOT in the least inclined to minimize the difficulties of the British position, Quite as labor's Lord Winter declared at Cardiff, it is freely admitted that “this is no time for wavering and weakness.” Capitulation to the demands of Gandhi's congress party for immediate independence, as the Moslem Leaguers have made abundantly clear, would mean chaos-or even civil war, And that is unthinkable, if it can be avoided, in the face of impending invasion. But, Americans are asking, is there no alternative? Lord Strabolgi, a laborite peer, thinks there is, and "he is. not alone. Even among the Hindu majority, many leaders believe a compromise possible— especially if the United States, China and Russia lend their good offices. Lord Strabolgi said over the week-end that “we should swallow our pride and invite President Roosevelt to arbitrate.” Otherwise, he added, he feared a repetition of what happened in Burma, where important elements turned to the Japanese “after being rebuffed in London.”

Should Welcome Any Compromise

THERE IS EVERY reason to believe that most Americans, officials or othérwise, agree with Lord Strabolgi—-at least to the extent that London should not arbitrarily turn its back on any and all efforts leading toward a settlement. It may be something none of us likes to talk “about, but Anglo-Saxon prestige in Asia is not as high today as it once was, British prestige especially has suffered. . After all, Britain has already swallowed a considerable dose of pride since the war began. Palpably unable to defend her empire alone, she is more than glad to have the help of the United States and other outsiders—in Australia, in Egypt, the Middle East and elsewhere, including India. If the Indians and the British are sincere in their present claims, they should welcome any compromise which would, first, guarantee Indian independence

" immediately after the war and, second, leave them

both free to cope with the Japanese who are now waiting to spring.

Peter Edson is on vacation.

A Woman's Viewpoint ‘ By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

“BEFORE EUROPE can be turned’ into a continent of good will, ‘all the history books must be burned. There is not a single page of history which does not eontain a conscious or an unconscious falsehood. In their compilation the most enlightened people have been as guilty as the most fiercely chauvinistic. We are conditioned to hate almost from our cradles, Our schools should be designed to uproot this hate and replace it with understanding. Every six months or so I would take all the school children to the nearest frontiers. I would show them that, beyond the guards and barriers, the grass, the soil, the water, the clouds are all the same as our own; that the soldier who stands in front of his block house has the same eyes, lips and hair as they have themselves; that he reacts in the same way to pain and

pleasure.” *

The above paragraph is lifted ‘from the book “A Wreath for Europa” (Ives & Washburn), written by Paul Tabori, citizen of Budapest. It seems to me a very important paragraph.’ For, say what you will, there has never been a war during which so many people in every land thought and worried about the peace to follow.

Schools Can’ t Bear Burden Alone:

MR. TABORI GIVES a fine presentation of Europe during thé’ Great Truce-a Europe now. dead. Peppered with wise and witty sayings, his book. probes into the causes which have. Brought about present horrible effects. Since all decent Americans have been enraged at the sufferings of the Jews, we realize mote clearly that a studied educational tort pve has to be made in order to achieve such tolerarice and cruelty. tw 11 We know that the schools of ‘a country play an important role in these world tragedies. We also know that in this, as in other things, the na will look to the United States for guidance. And ous educational sins, too, are many. Yet our schools alone cannot ‘bear the heavy burden of educational responsibility. Certsinly the press, the radio, the moving picture industry do ‘as muci1 to influence the child mind as teacher or Parent. Qur own system of teaching history must be improved after the ‘war, If we really want to aid in the ereation of a just and free world.

Queshions sod Answers

(The indianapolis ‘Times Service Baier i aswer any ‘quéstion of fact or (nfarmétion, net Involving extensive ree search. Write your question clearly, sign name and address, inclose a three-cent postage stamp, Medical or lesal advice

cannot be given. The Times Washington Service ‘Bureau, ‘1018 Thirteenth st, Washingten, D. C.) Q—oan you furnish # formula for silk stocking preserva : A—Dissolve two teaspoRng of aluminum sulphate in half a pint of water. This 12 enough fds Wo slosh ings. ‘Wash them first in tepid water with good and rinse well. Then iminerse for 30 minutes in the aluminum sulphate solution and dry at room ture. Finally wash and rinse again as before and dry.

'Q—How can salt water be made fresh?

A—Salt water can be converted into steam by dis tillation, which is then condensed into water again.

Salt cannot’ be changed inte steam and-remaina‘as a

residue. Q-1s there more than one type of eictie fu nace?” i A—Electric furnace er Sivided in into

resistance. ro and in