Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 25 September 1942 — Page 22

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Indianapolis ['imes or >. HOWARD RALPH BURKHOLDER psiden i % Editor, in U. 8. ‘Service / WALTER LECERONE . Editor

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> RILEY oa

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1042

“WE CAN LOSE THE WAR, PERIOD” WE are damn well losing this war, and no “buts.” As- ~~ sistant Secretary of Navy Bard says so—in precisely that inelegant but desperately honest language which every American can understand. ‘He cites our record of boast and bluster, of egotism and whistling i in the dark. "We started out with the “assumption that we could . lick any of our enemies in 60 days without skipping a full meal with dessert or missing a Sunday drive in the country. . After the unhappy realization that we had been cruelly outsmarted in the first inning of the war . . . our tradition of assuming ‘that everything about us was the biggest and the best furnished us with a compensatory reflex. We . fell into the bumptious practice of flexing imaginary muscles, and loudly proclaimed that as soon as we had completed an extensive course at the gymnasium we would get even - with our enemies. , .. _ “We are still losing this war. It will take all we've got to win—what are you going to do about it?” Ean * 8 0B . o . THAT is the truth. That is what we need to hear, everyone of us—every newspaper, every businessman, every * labor union, every farmer, every professional man, every housewife, every man and every woman in America. All _ of us can do more. We are indebted to Mr. Bard for putting it on the line that way. We hope he will not stop there. He should put it on the line to the administration. ® For obviously the public— even if it. gets perfect—can do nothing about much of the dangerous situation he describes. For instance: “The amiable self-deception of using percentages” to cover up failures. He will have to talk to the administration about that. “We have ‘been wrangling for months over a’ tax bill for 1942.” Rival economic and congressional groups are terribly at fault, as he says. But as much delay is due to the administration’s lack of decision and courage. , The rubber mess, the failure to extend gasoline rationing, the lack of a firm labor policy, the long delay in wageprice control to curb inflation, the unwillingness to draft 18 and 19-year-old. classes desired by, the army, the failure

to provide a unified command—the public feels these things

strongly, but it can do nothing. The administration has been stalling, and on some of these things it is still stalling until after election. = © If Mr, Bard will talk with the mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters and sweethearts of our forces, he will find that the American public is far ahead of the Washington leadership. And that, by the grace of God, is why America is not going to lose this war.

THE TAX ADJUSTMENT BOARD NHOUSANDS of Indianapolis and Marion county citizens are bewildered by the action of the county’s tax adjustment board in approving more than $10,000,000 of city and county appropriations “sight unseen.” What was it all about? Why, simply the frank despair

of those men who were frying to examine the budgets. |

‘We are just’ wasting our’ time,” said George Whelden. We ‘might just as well approve the whole works because . apparently ‘we're not going to make reductions anyway.” A And with that the board washed its hands of the whole * thing. . The truth of this’ situation is that the county’s tax Adjustment, machinery never has worked very well. . Ji iy iy THE core ge veaknets | is that appointive control ‘is in the 4 hands of the political officers who make the budgets. . In some smaller Indiana counties, the review system has worked well—worked well when the appointees were carefully selected. There can be no argument that the theory of local review of budgets by a committee of wellappointed citizens is an excellent one. .. . + But look at the basic makeup of this board. Who was chairman’? ‘Albert Walsman, business manager of City hospital. Who represented the schools? Roscoe Conkle, member of the school board. Who represented the county? George Sadlier, member of the county council. All of these

en are high type public servants, but all were there for:

purpose.” or Mr. Walsman was there t protect the city’s budget, Mz. Conkle to protect \he school budget, Mr. Sadlier to protect the county budgets. The result; Back-sératching. And despair by those even trying to question the figures. ma ae ! ‘% Ow 8 ; ¥ “HE result was almost inevitable. There are now demands being made that the tax adjustment machinery be reformed, that membership on the board be barred to any presentative of a government unit. . We agree with that point of view. ~~ ~~. Surely, it is possible to maintain the system of local w by obtaining the services of seven competent, unod citizens, unconnected with any taxing agepicy, and can Hive budgets the objective study Wey need.

BE Nao Orn a favor a peace that will make |x

$4 a year; adjoining |

ra | Fair ‘Enoug By Westbrook Pegler

' NEW YORK, Sept. 25.—I think

''I have read every word that has

been said in the move toward the

conscription or, if ‘you prefer, the .control of labor by the national

government in the interests of

total war, including Paul V. McNutt’s ideas on the subject and those of Frances Perkins, who quietly disagrees, but ‘nowhere have I found any commitment on the, key question® that will have to Tie. answered if wo comp to. the. 1ehor: compulsion, Do people thus called up for war work, assigned 10. wir tasks and. grdered fic ‘stay put, Dave io join the unions? Never mind the evasions. The question is does George Spelvin, Ameiiced, ordered to work in a war: plant at wages established by law or by executive power, and subject to penalty for refusal, have to join the union having jurisdiction and a contract with the employer in that place? When he is transferred from & job in Bayonne to another in Wichita, does he have to pay the Wichita local $60 as a transfer tax? . If so, let's have it. If mot, why doesn’t someone in the government lay that on the line?

'He Won't Be Pushed Around’

IF MR. SPELVIN, American, has to join the union and conform to union rules and discipline he is being forced into a political subsidiary of the governing political party which, naturally, is moving now: to re-elect itself again in 1944,

In that case, millions of citizens who are Repubs |

licans or anti-New Deal Democrats will find themselves compelled to contribute to the political funds of a party which they oppose and it is very likely that they will refuse. For refusing, they will be subject to expulsion from the unions and black-listed from all war jobs and, thus, it would seem to follow,

exposed: to punishment, including, perhaps, jail terms, |

as civilian slackers. Mr. Spelvin probably “won't - ‘refuse duty as a civilian worker under more or_less firm orders from the government, for the good of his country, but he isn’t likely to let anyone take “advantage of that willingness to herd him into an. irresponsible private organization having a power to tax his income and to. push him.aro ‘for: lese majeste to the business agent of the local. : ;

What Is the Score, Anyway?

UNIONS HAVE some pretty harsh ideas on the subject of union loyalty. Criticism of the locals big shot may be a very serious offense and the slightest show of inquisitiveness as to what is being done with the money is likely to be regarded as a dirty slander against the sacred honor of the finance committee whic: may be composed of a lot of burglars. Mr. Spelvin, however, is the kind of man who would be likely to criticise and.ask questions and for thai he would expose himself to expulsion, discharge from his war job and the charge of slackerism. If he doesn’t have to join the union, then is the government, going to see to it that the union lets him do kis stuff unmolested on the job and protect him from harassment in his home? is ‘it only those who join the unions, whether wiingiy or as the price of peace, who rate protection coercion and intirnidation?

An Odd Spot for the Unions

A CITIZEN serving his countty under compulsion is supposed to be free to do his job. Nobody would think of permitting the American Legion, for instance; ror would the Legion think of demanding the right to’ compel every soldier, sailor and marine to join its ranks. Still more. fantastic would be any suggestion that a soldier transferred from, say, Camp Lee, Va. to some post in ‘California be compelled to pay a transfer tax to the local Legion post in the California camp. Does that illustrate the idea? The question still has to be answered. ‘This begins to take on the look of a great development in the history of the union movement in the United States, For what good can a union do a worker ‘whose wages, hours and working conditions are established by the government, as boss, and if it isn’t in a position to do him any good why should he join?

Editor's Note: The views expressed by columnists tn this newspaper ‘are their own, They are not necessarily those of The Indianapolis Times,

Wrong-Way Petrillo

By S. Burton Heath

CLEVELAND, Sept. 25.—In a dispassionate, unvarnished statement of facts, Elmer Davis has made it clear that James Petrillo’s ban on musical records is a blow at. our war program—that notwithstanding Mr. Petrillo’s fair statements of intention sactually he is obstructing the fight against the axis. There are some hundreds of radio stations which could not exist without “canned music.” The office of war information uses these stations as outlets and would miss them if they were closed. Moréaver, our soldiers, sailors, marines and factory workers are obtaining valuable recreation from

juke box music in places that could not, by any

stretch of the imagination, be suspected of financial ability to hire musicians for personal appearances.

And surely Mr. Petrillo does not expect Tal ||

families to hire name orchestras when they feel the

urge to brizhten up the home with a bit of syncopa-'

tion or a few tunes from the classics. These arguments have validity and weight, but somehow they do not stir us as much, for example, ‘as the tale of the Mobile shipyard that was closed two days because the workmen objected to paying 3 eens a day ferry toll.

He'd Still Be Wrong oa

‘WE ARE PERTURBED by the strictly non-war usical records.

aspects of Mr, Petrillo’s ban on m ‘Mr, Petrillo is not fighting employers who have ni to e-handed, 1 hop heim union. He is at- » the: progress of technology. Sg The complaint of Mr. Petrillo ‘is

trany, ‘that | _ | mechsnization, which makes music available to those

- : gi The Hoosier Forum 1 wholly disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.—Voltaire.

“PEGLER’S ARTICLE ON BUMPERS SWELL IDEA” By RH. §8. R., Indianapolis I think Westbrook Pegler’s article on car bumpers is a swell idea. I am sure that every man owning

|& car would be glad to throw in the bumpers, providing some junkey|

didn’t get thém and sell them to the government or to the steel mills, Let's have 4 collection depot in every town just for ‘these bumpers | and let the army trucks ‘pick thenmi| up and carry them to the railroad for delivery to the mills. : I am sure that in this way there wouldn't be a bumper on any car. I hope you keep plugging this idea and if it goes over I will gladly donate mine, but only on condition that nobody makes any money on the deal.

° # # td

“HOW DID TAVERNS SURVIVE BEFORE VISITORS CAME?” By Wm. J. Donnelly, Newport

In Monday’s Forum, a holier-than-thou . . . reader made the statement that nearly all patrons of taverns were out-of-state workers who had come here in search of work, This reader left the impression that these men were the scum of the country and the sooner they were deported, the sooner the state would return to hormalcy. I wonder how the taverns survived before these out-of-the-state roisters ‘arrived? They were here before these men came. I'm quite sure none of the men brought taverns with them.. I believe a check would show they .are all owned by Indiana citizens who age not too obdurate to accept a profit from these guzzling vagabonds. The conduct of a tavern is a reflection on the owner, not the patrons. ‘Most of these men didn’t come here hunting work, but were sent or called here because of their skill in doing certain essential war work. They left good homes and families in their communities to do their bit in helping to win this war.

(T imes readers are invited - to express their views in these columns, religious con: troversies excluded. Make your letters short, so all can have a chance. Letters must be signed.)

Or does this reader realize we have a war on our hahds? wm Why do these men go to taverns? One trip to some Indiana churches where you are given a frozen smile and a dead fish handshake on Sunday, and an icy stare on Monday, is enough to cure you of a (making a habit of it. The tavern is the last resort to these men, a place where they can go and have a friendly conversation and a little human companionship. This is something not offered by other places of amusement, where the predominating theme is the doflar mark and the so-called amusement is dished out on assembly . methods with someone always breathing down your collar in an open hint that it is time for you to leave and give another sucker .a chance. Another reason these men .go to

. | taverns is to escape from the dingy,

grimy, cubbyhole of rooms they have to rent, and pay more for, than the whole house was worth m depression years. Before coming to Indians: I have

into the Forum and we do ~appreciate them. We are Americans, and should all stick together at a time like this. There is a destiny that makes us brothers, none goes his way alone. What we bring into the lives of others, comes back into our own. ...In these: troublesome times if we can make someone’s way a little brighter or a little easier we have not lived

in vain. 8 8

PROBLEM GO TOGETHER” By Ernest Dale Ritchie, Greenfield Since there is so ‘much being said about rationing I will put my two bits in. = : 5 Due to the fact that congress is going to ration gasoline in Indiana

as well as other states I should Mke

to say what I feel about this problem. Of course if gasoline rationing goes into effect I will do my best to abide by all the rules. To use my case as an example: I work in Anderson and live in Greenfield, a drive of about 21 miles one way. I drive six days each week and hail five men. There is no bus service to my plant. If I am cut short on gas, how will I get {c work 2nd also haul my men? Why can't the tire and car ration board of each community check on each driver as to how far he must go, how often and how much _gasoline he needs? If he is doing unnecessary “driving he should be rationed accord-

worked in several states and I often |ID8LY

wondered why bigoted, self-centered, narrow-minded, wide-mouth blowhards were always referred to as Hoosiers. Your anonymous reader has erased all doubt from my mind.

By A. F. BR, Columbus : Come on you migrates from Kentucky and Tennessee, three cheers for Margaret Stearns Reese. A few more Hoosiers like her and I believe we could whip the Japs. Once in a while a sensible letter finds its way |g0

Side Clncas=by Galbraith

' who otherwise could not have it, ¥ Wow win I

‘musicians oat of work. Assembly line methods made it an automobile with much less labor

ithe ¢ costs of the war, even. if it bankrupts her; | and &

I am afraid the gasoline rationing will cause much cohfusion ih defense cities. There is no bus service from most small towns. All of us who live ‘in smaller towns cannot move to the defense cities. Where would we live? Indianapolis, Muncie, Anderson are -all filled to capacity. -- It is almost impossible to find a house. . It seems to me the gasoline rationing and the housing situation go together and should be worked out “accordingly. x es 8 88% ; WHAT GOVERNOR NEEDS 18 A FRIENDLY LEGISLATURE" By Nat Twill, North Vernon.

‘his advisers now have good and rufciant cae for:

ond front before now will Unite States and Great Britain more than it will Russia,

ot | Inciden th are h to defend the western “GAS RATIONING, HOUSING = tally, they are helping

‘taxed within an’ inch o

Secor oA : id hon 3 # ol. ey : A y na

the day

after Pear] Harbor if that had heen: a

delaying what would . ohviously 3 -he to 1 Sn terest to do. : pet NR The cold fact. is that the failure blish a; secs home tod mart the United

It's aBloody Job ay

THERE 1S EXCELLENT reason to believe that it will not be very much longer before the Anglo-Ameri. cans strike. If so, Russia’s most trying days will be behind her, while ours. will lie ahead. For once we occupy northern France or the Low Countries—assuming that this is where the second front will be—Hitler will have to turn and face. ths new menace, whereupon all other fronts will become secondary. A thrust straight at Germany's heart will perforce-take first place. :

That the job of creating a real second front will

be a terrifically bloody one is clear. That is the lesson of history. The records show that every amphibian attack against a strongly defended shore has been extremely costly. . The raid on Dieppe is but the latest example. The Canadians lost 67 per cent of their men in nine hours. .

Only All-Out Drive Counts -

TO DEFEAT GERMANY in the first world war, (

France alone mobilized more than 7,000,000 men, Brite ain an equivalent number, and the United States more" than 4,000,000. This adds up.to 18 or 19 million sole: diers, at least half of whom were used in France. It may or may not take that many to lick the Nazis, But it will require millions of manpower and core responding quantities of ships, tanks, planes and other equipment. Mere raids will not help Russia—even if.

‘they are as large as that on Dieppe. Only.an all-out.

offensive, like that led by Marshal Foch in. 1918, can: hope to reach Berlin, = And anything less will nos.

bring the kind of victory needed by the united nations.

But, meanwhile, to qualify America’s armies as “mere bystanders,” as Moscow's English-language newspaper, The Moscow News, took occasion to do during Wendell Willkie’s visit to the Soviet capital, is not considered exactly helpful, .. i

It's Hardly Loafing

“AMERICAN FIGHTING MEN are in Great Britain and Ireland. They are in Iceland, Greenland and other islands of the Atlantic. They’are in Egypt,: equatorial Africa, the Sudan and the Middle East. They are fighting and dying to keep Russia’s lines ‘of ° supply open via the Atlantic, the Arctic and the Indian’ ocean. They are in the Pacific, but for which fact it 18 almost certain the Japs would now be in ‘Siberia, -

They are in China helping the long-suffering, uncom.

plaining Chinese hold the Jap at-bay.. They are i§ India—and if the Japs invadéd’ India they would - likely cut Russia’s supply route via the Persian gulf.

‘hemisphere, "This, for the fiewéah of all Whe drmies, can: hardly’

.| be called loafiiig.

Peter Edson Is on vacation.

A Woman’ s Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

. » A COMPARATIVELY NEW women’s. organization is Pro America. . It began in California, - Washington. snd Oregon several years ago as & local movement, 18. now national and has spread 10maby. other: states. ts chief purpose.is. io Keep. alive. wo-party system in. the: United; ‘ States, fr he Since our present governmens is -s0 overwhelmingly - its efforts may: now appear to be strongly Republican, But, under its by-laws, if a Republican: machine simi lar to. that which existed. before: 1933. oy built up again the members would be pledged :to work. against. it. A halanced political system is its: objective. It means to be ‘exactly what its name " America—and it is dedicated to . constitution. : “This is: merely a preface to. = at and state members -of Pro a are Natiaen) against some legal snarls emenating from the of internal revenue. x

A Good 'Goat' Theory Is Cound

THE LITTLE MATTER of un ance has béen used to frustrate thelr | at least it looks like it. Although hundreds a

workers, are unmolested in our that women of ‘Pro America are ury red tape. In spite of sii ‘muster, it a SXSanis

fits le ~. Now, there may. "ve. some" this procedure, but ‘the fact garded in many quarters: as ‘anti-new good “goat” theory. Let mequote you a

Democratip;

BE TR a a