Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 22 September 1942 — Page 10

= 1ndiana, : u & Pr ss0ining :

= - nim sa ad he os 0 Pk oO | TUBSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 144 |

THE YES AND NO FRONT | ‘HERE will be rio second front this fall. That is what ~* the London dispatches tell us. They are inspired by ‘British officials and passed by British, Russian und Amer. jean censors. There will be a second front this fall. That was what we were told last month by the officially inspired dispatches, following the earlier Washington, London and Moscow official statements of a second-front understanding in the Molotov eonférences. This yes-and-no business, this NoW=you-sée:it-now-yot-don’t, is giving the American, British-and Russian publics the jitters. It is shaking morale on the home fronts. ° : That is too bad. For it is part of the necessary battle ‘of nerves. Of course it is aimed at Gérman nerves, riot at ours. If wé on the home front aré stupid enough to get "caught in the allied propaganda of eorifiision directed at Hitler, we can’t blame Roosevelt, Churehill or Stalin. : hb # = # 8 » HERE will be more, rather than less, of these conflicting reports to keep the enemy guessing. Just as it is a soldier's job to keep out of the line of fire of his own artillery, so it is the eivilian’s job not to get caught in his own government's propaganda barrdge. Victims of reporthock can be evén a worse liability than shéll-shock cases. It is as necessary for the public to steel itself against the kickback ‘of propaganda weapons as to. éotitrol its nerves : during an enemy air raid. Perhaps the best way to keep one’s head at such a time is to remember that fio official announcement or inspired story about battle plans can be wholly true. It may be a false clue to deceive the enemy; it may bé a half-truth, or it may be a truth with distorted emphasis to serve some special purpose. Even established facts ean be and usually are meaningless; or deceptive, Without thé key fact—which : is inevitably a military secret. Therefore thé intelligent citizen will put all official statements and dope stories regarding war plafis— whether for or against a second front—in the category of “interesting—if true.” Sa 2 = = ® 8 8 AKE the current Sebpazands that the second front has been postponed until spring: . (1) Chatehill tells commons that Russia is dissatisfied with aiid eta, and other British and Russian officials th are is a disagréémént becausé Britain dnd \: Jnitad SEMEN do not open the second front demanded jie vias by Stalin. (2) The Canadian government announces loss of twothirds of its men if the Dieppe raid, and hints this is too costly to justify a second front this fall. Remembering that all these stories come from official sources and pass official censorship before they get to the feader, the intelligent citizen ‘will ask himself several obvious questions, such as: ‘Why are allied officials so anxious to advertise 4 dafigerous split? - Why do they deliberately stress distnity when unity is essential? * If the Dieppe dress rehearsal is now called unsuccessful, why at the time was it officially proclaimed a 8iiccess? ‘The point is that most of these hints from high places tend to cancel out each other—as intended. Just as good a ease ‘of prophecy can be thade out for a4 Second front sooh, a8 for postponement-=-as intended. - + Let Hitler be the Neti of this battle of nerves==as

intended.

AT THE SOURCE

Wits congress debating new laws to contrél price infla- = tion, it is well to remember that the problem, though aggravated by demands of the farm afid labor bloés, is not created by them. "he basic cause of the inflation that threatens the countty id government Spending of borrowed money. Of courte war makes a vast amount of such spénding absolutely necessary. We must pour out multibillions to maintain and equip our fighting forees and to aid our allies. But a dollar borrowed and spént for other purposes his just the same inflationary effect as a dollar borrowed afid

spent for war. And it might be supposed that an adminis- |

tration which i8 80 alarmed because price ceilings are endangered would be making extraordinary éfforts to cut nonswar spending to the bohe—to deal with inflation, so far 48 it can, at the source. Yet in the tréasury’s statement of expenses and rec ipts for the period beginning July 1 and extending through ept. 18, we find these figures: "Last year—total expenses, $4,827,008,145; war spend: ing, $2,809,408,815. (The difference, $1,428,584,830, represents non-war spending.) his year—total expenses, $14,027,069,013; war spend8/427,051, (The differerice, $1,410,641,008, vep-

spending.) for that period went up $9,717,018, Avent down only Baa

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p the Nault yo 58 shiow thas bumpers inte Sie DE ie) C0 aia Vem he would want soiné assurdrce that they would not become merely an addition to some junk man’s private stock.

on passéngér éars or trucks, éitheér, for that matter; given reasohiable intélligent and decent driving, whieh certainly i not tos much 0 be asked, under. thé éircumstances. =

What So0d Are They?

ALTHOUGH THE PRESIDENT has propossd a pational speed limit of 85 miles an hour; in the inter<

terest is keeping many drivers down to 30 miles an hour or 25, At which rité a car should be well under coritrol and thé risk of éollision almost abolishéd.

collision of a moving édr doing 25 miiés an hour with a standing machiné 6r other stationery objéct and two eérs, méeting hea#fi-on, each making 25 miles an hour, would be reduced to scrap. Nobody ever expeéts 4 bumpér t6 withstand 4 héavy sho€k. Often, in stich crashes, thé front bumpers aré driven into the hoods. What purpose are thése bumpers serving, thén, beyond ornarhéntation and a doubtful assurance that in minor scrapés in parking they will preserve fhé paint work and symmetry of the fenders?

Why Play Around With Hairpins?

THERE IS NO sense in stimulating public interést 1fi 4 campaign to ¢ollect scrap unless the people cari sed the héaps rising before théir eyes. Bvery village green in the couritry should be héaped with automobile bumpers this week. In the aluminum dsive millions of households fumhagéd out old pots and kettles dnd tossed thém int6 thé wiré cages which were set up for this purpose. Then followed a resounding silence and sheepish ruthors that thé total Hadn't amotntéd to much and that much of it was not suitablé for conversion, anyway. But this great fund of virtually unemploydt good gteel cértainly anbunting to 300,000 tofis from thé

if the trucks, too, be strippéd of bumpéts, should not be: overlooked. It is there for the asking and the task of collection, which should be édsy. Two wee from now, & bumper on a ear could be madé in thé public mind a badge of a selfishriess and lack of patriotism. . It is nonsense to play around with old hairpins, paper clips and overall buttons with more than 300,000 tons of fine steel going.to waste and mocking

\a tragié natiohdl neeessity.

Editor's Note: The "views _expressed by columnists in (Hid néwipdper aid thelr Wil They. are nok 4 those. of THe Indidhdpalis Tifnes.

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The Second Front

By William Philip Simms

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 1 18 fiow clédr that unless secondfrofit aifférénces involving Mos¢oWw, London and Washington can be composéd without undue delay, they may easily develop into a dangerous rift. Winston Churchill's round-about journey to Moséow is now known to have been at ledst partly motivated by this cotisidération. That he failed to reach a coftiplete understanding with Josef Stalin is ddmittéd. Something else, thérefore, will have t6 Bé triéd—perHaps a Stalin-Roose-vélt mééting in Washington. In any event, say closé students of Soviet histéry, thifigs should not be allowed to arift.

The cleavage, unfortundtely, is not due merely to a lack of military unanimity. If it were only that, there would be less reason for anxiety. But it is far more serious, Moscow is charging “polities” with intérfering with a second front. Moscow has never trusted her allies, hénce the situation must pleasé Hitler tremendously. That every gfficial héré, from the président down, ¢ivil and mniilitary, is overwhelmingly for a séeond front is conimion knowledge. That théy want a sécona front &t once, if possible, is likewise fio Séeret. The only différéniceé aiiong thém—if afiy—is When and where such a front will be practiéablé. For most of thém agree that it would imperil the cause of the united natioh8 a8 a Whole, ifi€luding Russia, to attempt stich & front and fail.

Pasteards Just Aren't Needed

That Foreign Commissar Molotov was definitely | promised a Second front in western Europe in 1942 is fot likely. Anthony Eden told the House of Come mond on Jung 11 that “a full understanding reached between the two parties (Britain ahd Russia with fegard to the urgent task of creating a sécohd front ih Buropé in 1942.” Almost certainly the states ment wis Seating desigried to fool Hitler, but surély fiot Mf. Mo

like this: “We fecoghié the tifgent nécessily of & sécoiid front at this mbment, certainly for this year; ARd #s shail Geriainly provide Ghe if ut all possible That you can bank on.” : And there still May be a second ffont in 1042, The Hunde’ ofits, $14 Tay booth Jotfrsdw Maybe it won't come until 1943, he shats what j Super} went to Mossow to tell Stalin, Bilt certain:

to the friction among nioré than it will hel Auabiig glociusly st

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Thére is absolutely no practical need for bumpers |.

ests of the conservation of fuel and rubber, self-in- |.

However, no bumper would do arly good in a

passérigér cars alone afid éapablé of gréat addition, {

; Who must have bédn given the: Which is believed to have beén something. |

1 wholly

The Hoosier Forum

rée with what you say, but will defend to iid onih your right to say HeVoltairs,

disa

“YOU SOUND LIKE A Lrrie BOY WHO'S MAD” By Mrs. Mamie Lucid, 1517 8. Randolph st, ~ What's wrong with goltig to a tavern? A readér of The Forum

ks |84ys only migrates frequent them.

How do€s this person know - this. Doés he visit every tavern in thé staté? For every migrate fhis pérson can find in 4 tavern, I can find a Hoosier or maybe 10 of them. Good people, too! 1 can also find good citizens who aré migratés. I also kiow mahy Hooslérs who have migrated to othér Statés and I'm siuré they haven't récéivéd such a ride wélcome as we Hoosiers are giving migratés. This war is being fought for freedom. If a4 person can do better in another staté, why shouldn't hé go thére? You would, I'll bet. ot SOUESE, T've seefi some migrates who are utdésirable péople, but, aren’t there. many péople who are Hoosiér-born and biéd that you wouldn't want for, neighbors? : You sound like a little boy who is mad at anothér littlé boy and is taking His spite out on the world in géheral « «Or you could bé & dry. 2 & = “EITHER ENFORCE IT ALL THE WAY-<OR NOT AT ALL” By A Small Céal Desiér; Hidisnapolis. I run a small coal yard with two trucks. Now, I won't back a truck 6vér thé cufb with coal on it ‘cause it’s agyinst the law. Biit thé big yards back over thé curb dnd deliver the coal ahd no one says a word to them, but I parked on the left side of the street to wheel in ¢oal 6ne dity and two policemeén told me not t8 do it any more. They were real nileé about it; but said if] thelr boss éame by they would get & bawlifig-out becdusé I was parked

I sdw & truck ownéd by a big coal company back over the curb without a bbétd of any Kind afd two poliéé dars passed while he was tinloddihg, and neither ene stoppéd. Now; what I wait to khow is jlist who is allowed to back ovér the curb ihe who | isn’t I lose ‘custom-

(Times readérs aré invited to express their views in these columns, réligicus con. troversies excluded. Make your letters short, $6 all can have & chance. Letters must be signed.)

Stas j Sutuodmauna

ers every weék bécausé I won't back ovér the curb 1iké the other trucks do. Why not énforcé the law or let everybody back ovér the eufp? s & » “WE NEED PATROLMEN WALKING THE SIDEWALKS” By J. F. 8., Indianapétis: : The saféty board may considér Chief Morrissey “irréplacéable,” but most of the éitizéns think he has beeh in théré too 16hg HOW. We néeéd 4 man who will get patrolmen out walking the sidewalks, where they can see law violations. What an opportunity to savé gas and . fifes! An Indianapelis Home would not nééd resemble an armed camp in ah Africah jingle, if policemen walkéd beats. A nan on 4 night shift can expect to éoiié home and find his House rébbed and his wife attacked, and a Man ¢aléd to the army knows that hé is leaving his loved ones with ho protédtion from thugs and dégeneérates. ‘Wé néed a man who will hot let teéfi-Agé Hoodlums roam thé streets all night unmolested, a man who will not let vieibus criminal scum take eontrél of whole sections of oui éity. In other words, we need & néw chiét of

® . 8 “tROUBLE 18 PEGLER'S HARP HAS ONLY ONE STRING” By Paul B. Batlee, Holton, Although Westbrook Pegler is ab-

solutély unimpédchabl e in his exposure of the crooks'and corruption in the A. F. of L., I doubt that he

would favor an honest Jabor union

|exposéd 1 per cefit of the général

that was clots strong to éompel thé émployér to grafit 4 yearly living wage and decent working eon‘ditions, THe facts are Mr. Pégler hasn't

dishonésty, ignordancé, inhumanity and petty ldrcény that exists in the labor movement. What he has said of 1abor uhions éan be said of big

and little business, wherever the law doés rot regillate® dnd govéin the selfish, there one will find dishonesty. Can Peglér, 6r any Honest union, say organized religion, the public préss, the lawyer and his shyster tricks, tHe quackery of the medical profession, the pretentious and arrogance of educators, thé double dealing politicians act within the law, of perform decor@ing to the mofal éode and daré above criticism? Any objection to Mr. Pégiéi's mu§ié 18 that his harp Has ohly one string. If he would ddd the above along with the poverty of human nature and the failure and breakdown of our economic, moral and social life and tfeat it with the same persistance afd inténsity that he has his labor rhapsody he would become the friend of the A. F, of L. and the C. I. O. instead of the darling of the industrial and financial tycoons. An exposure of the aieed, selfishness, incompetence, dishonesty and indifferenc> of the farmers to the general welfaré would be a satisfactory note: Such a contribution to general education and clarifying the cause of our great debacle would be placing blamé on all these who, in the past, have been Held guiltless and would be sweet music to most ears.

‘8 » » / “WHAT G:. 0. P. NEEDS 18 A GOOD PSYCHIATRIST , , By Nat 1 Browa, §224 Mankeér: Politicians have played the lowSe jem of politics With the issue| innocen of absentee voting in evéry word of récord in the U. 8. A. The réasoh given for depriving our armed forcés of their votes in this war tops all for ‘its utter absurdity. “The pafrgo space is neéded for sométhihg élse,” we, the foters, are told, ‘What is more Jmportant to the hation and the war éffoft of more priceless to thé individual soldier

aid sailor than his vote? : Who can more intelligently and

constructively i ig Fl opin.

ion on thé conduet of

‘Russians have béén. fighting, also

Losing The War 1

By Leland Stowe 4

IE ca

Ee RE rE

knowing what théy are going after, in audacity— most eéspécially, in knowing what their objectives fire and in daring to také tremendous gambles for the sake of stupéndous rewards. On our side, there are still & gréat many allied soothsayers ingisting: ‘Time is on our side.” Time wis never on the side of Alexandér the Great, or Frederick the Great, or Napoleon, All the greatést conquerors of history took timé by the forélock— and so does Hitler. While some of our sarthchair strategists talk comfertingly about time, the Nes are battering'their way into the streets of Stalingrad and préparing 4 érushing offensivé against the Baku oilfields for late autumn and winter. :

Mistake, Mistake, Mistake

AFTER MORE THAN three years of c¢tonflict, what has | “time is on our side” hatvested for the allied éause? Southern Norwdy was lost because thé allies faiiea to use their air fortes offensivély against their foe's central artery wheré it was most exposéd/ Thé remainder of Norway was lost because thé dllies mide no effort to capture Trondheim, whiéh, if’ seized, would have saved all of northern Norway. The grave mistakés which. the allies éommitted In the Nérweéglan caniphigh have béefi repéatéd from | Flanders to Hongkong. Despite devastating aerial blows which the Nazis inflicted against allied naval vessels off Norway; and again at Crete, thé Prince of Wales and Repulse stéamed out of Singapore to thelr doom. The lessons of Norway remained ue héédeéd. In Midldya and Burma, an old-fashioned war was fought by old-fashioned means—and lost emphatie cally, then without Impressive compensations as te honor and glory. In the Philippines, American and Filipino troops fought with great distinction; it 18 true. On land, this single episode is the only Suealiting accomplish ment of the Anglo-American allies in the past 13 months of hostilities,

‘Shall We Strike Too Late?’ |

ALL OF THESE événts ahd these obsétvations are part of thé sameé picture. It all boils down te a very simple, brutal fact, When afé the British and Amériéans going to bégin t6 fight this war? When aré we going to begin 10 apply the lessons of three years of disaster? Whéh dré we going to céasé rélying on the Greéks, the Jugoslavs, the Chinese, and now, bn the Russians? 1f we drift blissfully along on the Mong-nourishiéd assurhption that timé i8 out ally, thé Einglish-spéake ing democracies may very well find themselves Suckédinto the completion of what is alfeddy most dans gerously far advanced—thé process of losing this war, Whilé they havé bBéen fighting for themselves, the ,- for us: But tie Riisslafis cannot fight our Frey torever—and only a nation of fools would éxpéct thém to éontinie doe ing that indefinitély, evén if théy' could. ‘The sands in the allied hour glass are altost ous, . In Britain and Afierica, mén of altion are sorely beciaa The Russians havé doné moré than théie share Bithér we shall stfiké sobri—or we shall strike too late,

Petér Edson is on vacation.

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

‘Big CAREFUL, Little Sistér™ i$ thé gist 6f much advice handed - out to girls who are in love with soldiers. Now wé have aiseovéred ‘that the #oldiers had béttés: be cateful, tod. Many localities re< pott frésh evidences ot 1

tion in this oe. | It's & nasty scoushtion, rls, and as usisad innocents will have to suffer for the few guilty. W enbugh éxamples of matrimonial perfidy have piled up, the hen a OW SUSDICIOUs of Shel OWA awSitien —and often without cause, ;

Teaching False Standards | -

THE SOLDIER WHO loves 4nd filés away with ho intention of showing himself to his dis lady again; ith he can help it, has given wartime a bad re tatioh. When gir walk off after the the a ve ing the bridegroonk with % mainténinhée Bill or a divarse Tou ia bay; the, course of deus Jove il be reugher than ever Since these aré not fairy tales, but facts, girls mignt as well start their growiig trying ' to understand that marriage shi

Th Buried a very ious itso ha 1 ven

more serious in war time than in days of : : drawbacks ¢ in builds ‘moral ‘sonoept of the ph tn pi}