Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 10 November 1942 — Page 12

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Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1942

A GREAT SECRETARY OF STATE HE same man who outguessed most of the administra- " tion last fall, warning that Japan would attack us before Germany, is largely responsible for the initial success of our North African offensive. His name is Hull. And he has been without honor too long among the bright boys - in

Washington. Because our secretary of state had the brains to keep contact with France and her African colonies through diplomatic representation, he was smeared as an “appeaser,” a “Fascist,” who should resign or be fired by the president. Today—thanks to the Hull policy of maintaining friendship with the French people, even at the price of recognizing the Petain-Laval regime—most Frenchmen at home and in Africa welcome instead of oppose the American offensive of liberation. Without that widespread French confidence in the United States, our African offensive could not have been undertaken—it would have tied up allied forces many times as large as those.now fighting the pro-Nazi minority. The quick surrender of Algiers followed the reported refusal of many French forces, including the all-important air corps, to fight Americans. Even in Morocco, center of Nazi control, there have been democratic pro-American uprisings.

» 2 » ” 8 2 S Secretary Hull now publicly explains to his slanderers inside and outside the administration, he achieved five results by keeping American diplomatic and military repre-

sentatives in France and Africa:

1. Prepared the way for this offensive. 2. Watched Nazi activity. 3. Encouraged anti-Nazi French leadership. 4. Nourished democratic hope in the French people. 5. Prevented Vichy’s delivery of French warships to Hitler, and other Vichy aid to the axis, until the allies were ready.

The fact that France's hero, Gen. Giraud, who escaped from the Nazis, has come over to the allied side along with so many others is added proof that the Hull policy worked. In the words of Francois Briere, who resigned yesterday as Vichy counsel at Boston: “I consider that the American offensive in French Africa cannot be interpreted as an aggression but is, on the contrary, a first step for the liberation of France. 1 have seen during the summer several French people coming from France, and they told me of the complete confidence of the overwhelming majority of the French people in the United States to save France.” This newspaper, which always has shared the admiration of rank-and-file Americans for our great secretary of state, congratulates him on another hard job well done.

SEMPER FIDELIS

HE United States marine corps is 167 years old today.

No words of ours could do justice to the proud history of America’s soldiers of the sea.

Since Nov. 10, 1775, the marines have spoken for themselves by eloquent deeds. “Always faithful,” they have al- ~ ways deserved the gratitude, the admiration, the affection of their country. And the greatest tribute paid to them today is their country’s unquestioning expectation that they always will

EXPERT TESTIMONY

HERE are more than 2,600,000 civilian employees on the payroll of the federal government. Many observers believe this is far more employees than the government needs —=s0 many more that the overcrowding in bureaucracy prevents efficient work and interferes with the conduct of the ~war. The Washington Daily News asked five rank-and-file employes in greatly expanded agencies at the capital what they think. Here are their replies:

1. ‘A 26-year-old war department worker from New York—*Besides a lack of opportunity, there's never enough work in my department to go around.”

2. A 26-year-old native Washingtonian in the war department—“We ‘work’ so hard I have to spend every other Sunday at the office, but all I do is read three Sunday news‘papers thoroughly. I've tried three times to quit, but they

tell me they’ll attach ‘with prejudice’ to my civil service

rating if I do. A lot of it’s the army officer supervisors. They're stubborn and unreasonable and won’t listen to civilian supervisors.”

8. A 24-year-old civil engineer from Missouri in the coast and geodetic survey—“Any imbecile with a minimum of muscular control could do my job. They hired me * as an artistic’ lithographer at the $1660 semi-professional salary and now 1 spend all day tracing contour lines from ~ one map to another. It has great occupational therapy. possibilities, but I can’t use them. I've tried to quit but they won't let me go.”

4. A 80-year-old navy department employee from Cleve- ; land—“You could fire 30 per cent of the department and still get the work doné. Nobody wants to take responsi-

bility and nobody wants to give orders. Because the super- |

visor wants to make a good impression she and her clerks do all the work while everybody else sits around.” ~ B. A 23-year-old civil service commission worker from Wisconsin—‘“Honestly, it’s almost enough to make a reonary out of me. I took an exam in journalism and was as a junior professional assistant. Now all I do is file, ‘grade a few tests and try to look busy the rest of the time. When I mentioned quitting my supervisor said she didn’t think it was very patriotic of me, bat 1 sold her, ‘Where ]

Fai Fro

By Westbrook Pegler

NEW YORK, Nov. 10.—~Yes, he was all American, all right, as so many of his eulogists have said, but George M. Cohan should be remembered for another quality, too. The little song and dance man, as he continued to be called long after he had become a great actor and playwright, was clean, too. His decency was not aggressive nor did he wear a white lawn tie and a long-faced piety but he just had no liking for smut or filth, either sly or outspoken and he was, for this reason ,in his last days, out of date on Broadway. His example did not prevail Beginning with “What Price Glory” in which, for the first time, dirty language was hurled at the people, and continuing down through the raw obscenities of “Tobacco Road” and the burlesque shows which, in his days were known to the profession as louse opera, the stage has gradually degenerated. There came a day, a few years ago, when a New York congressman invited to a hearing in Washington a producer of the vilest sort of exhibitions, and permitted a congressional hearing to be used as a forum for propaganda to the effect that such revolting shows were a new and characteristic American art form,

He Was Incapable of Nastiness

THAT WAS TOO MUCH for even the depraved taste of .the people and the careless tolerance of the public officials of that time and the producer and his art form were temporarily driven out of business. But the public appetite for dirt has not been satisfied. Joe Cook, who, like Cohan, was clean just because he was decent, retired because of illness but he, too, was outspoken and couldn’t compete. Of one of the current great successes on Broadway, a louse opera disguised as a revue, a very conservative Yankee who had taken his wife to the theater in New York, said: “Oh, it is absolutely rotten but if you just relax you will enjoy it because it is terribly funny.” Cohan was no prig nor did he censure others in the business who wallowed in dirt but he was incapable of nastiness, himself. There you had the expression of his great tolerance which revealed itself also in his friendships.

Equity Strike His Only Bitter Day

THE ONLY REALLY bitter experience of his career was his disappointment with a number of other actors who joined the Equity strike just after the war. In that strife he was angrily and unjustly abused by the striking actor, including some shameless ingrates who were deeply in his debt and, cut to the heart, he quit the Friars and the Lambs and announced that he was quitting the theater, too, Probably to his dying day, he resented, in principle, the violation of their fat contracts by many players who went on in submission to the harassment of the pickets who protected their own futures with a proviso that if Equity won the strike the union would insist on amnesty for all contract jumpers. In a day when actors were clannish and very temperamental, Cohan’s dressing room was a sort of town pump. People would just drop in to see him, bringing total strangers to shake the great man’s hand and see an actor with the paint on, and Cohan would relax and talk baseball or whatever else was going

.until time to go back to the stage when he would

snap back into character. - That Americanism of his, which once was derided as flag-waving and later came to be recognized as the real thing, undoubtedly welled out of his ability and self-confidence and his independence. He was the cocky kind of American who could make his own way on his own ability.

Editor’s Note: newspaper are their own, of The Indianapolis Times.

The views expressed by columnists in this They are not necessarily those

Carrier Planes By Major Al Williams

NEW YORK, Nov. 10.—Before the war airmen said that 1 trow waterways, such as the North sea and the Mediterranean, would soon be cleared of aircraft carriers. By narrow waterways we meant any stretch of ocean within the range of land-based forces. This forecast has been verified by events. There is much talk about : the relative performances of land- " based and carrier-based - singleseater fighters. For purposes of this discussion, let’s take an outstanding plane in each category — the British Spitfire, representing the shore-based fighter, and our own Grumman Wildcat as the best of the carrier-based breed. The land plane fighter is lighter, both in total weight and in pounds per horsepower, because its structure is not called upon to withstand the strains of being snubbed down to zero speed in landing. It comes in, touches tHe ground lightly and, beyond checking its ground speed by application of brakes, it is permitted to run freely. - But the carrier fighter must be snubbed down by deck-arresting gear from about 30 to 40 miles an hour to zero in a distance of approximately 20 feet.

Less Speed—Less Climb

THIS 30 TO 40 miles an hour is by no means the minimum landing speed of the plane. It may have a landing speed of about 70 miles an hour. But, when landings are being made, the carrier is turned into the prevailing wind and driven at about 25 miles an hour. This means that there is a wind sweeping over the deck at 25 miles an hour, plus whatever wind strength happens to be prevailing—say 10 or 15 miles an hour. Say the plane comes in with a 7T0-mile-per-hour reading on its airspeed indicator. It touches the carner deck at the relative speed ot only about 30 miles an hour. But stopping some 8000 pounds traveling at 30 miles an hour, without breaking the plane into smithereens and crushing its landing gear, means that 30 times 8000, or 240,000 foot-pounds of energy, must be absorbed. This means heavier landing gear and structure throughout for the varrier plane as compared to the land plane. \ Also, the carrier fighter operating over water must have flotation gear and a landing gear hook on its tail for catching the deck-arresting gear cables. This extra weight means less speed and far less climbing rate,

In short, the best carrier fighter is 50 to 60 miles an hour slower than the best land-based fighter.

Relative piloting skill and determination vary,

greatly with the individual. that the best types of carrier fighters in performance to the best - types o fighters.

But the main point is re inferior land-based

So They Say—

We in American must be full of admiration (for

British women). One of the most difficult tasks we face is to make women think internationally.—Mrs. Roosevelt.

ie a” * iE We will have tires for everybody when we have the tires and not before—~Rubber Administrator Wil. liam M. Jeffers.

The Hoosier Forum

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

“I WANT TO COMPLIMENT WESTBROOK PEGLER AGAIN” By Mattie Withers, 1525 N. Arsenal ave. Again I want to compliment Westbrook Pegler on his writings. This time I refer to his piece last Saturday. Mr, Pegler bases his statements on actual facts and not surmises. In my opinion no writer could be more fair or straightforward. And again was his final paragraph a ringer: “And Col. Frank Knox should be not merely asked, but compelled by congress to explain the exception to the practice of the navy in permitting a person holding a navy commission to participate in any attack so plainly consistent with the Communist infiltration into American government.” All praise to Westbrook Pegler, os 2 8 “IT TAKES A REAL MAN TO REFUSE A DRINK” By Mrs. T. G., Indianapolis Just a word about the beer and liquor question. Now I think we all have confidence in our boys in camp that they can act like men, but if you can show me a man that drinks and can still be a man, I haven't seen that one yet. And it would be better if our army was a Sunday school with every soldier a Godly man, they wouldn't crave a cigaret or a drink, and God would help us win this war. It takes a real man to refuse a drink. 2 2 2 “DON’T OVERPLAY THE HAND, YOU WINNING CANDIDATES” By James D. Williams, R. R. 1A, Franklin To the hilarious celebrants who swiped Gov. Schricker’s picture and decorated it with “We hold the cards now.” So you little boys think you have a good playing hand, do you? I hope so but don’t overplay this hand. What took place election day can happen again and if you don’t know why we changed things, let something like you little two-bit

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

be signed)

politicians pulled off take place time and again. We are sick of this nonsense such as fighting men like Gov. Schricker, graft, lying and what have you. What we want now is men that are capable of the office. Men that will work with men, not pulling against each other. . . Come on, G. O. P., you're on your last leg, too. ” 8 8 “HOW ABOUT GETTING THE DR. I. Q. SHOW HERE?” By William Murphy, 1088 W. Morris st. How about using the Forum for some other purpose than petty griping for a change? Getting the Dr. I. Q. show here would be a wholesale way. in which to blow off some of this pent-up

steam. This program has the distinction of being the top-ranking radio performance of its kind and has been a civic doost to every city in which it showed besides filling the theater in which it was booked to more than capacity, a situation- which would more than help some of our leading theaters here. The’ writer caught up-with the show in Milwaukee on Sept. 2d and threw the doctor for a $25 loss. I surmise that there are quite a number of people .in the city who would like to extract some of the worthy doctor’s silver dollars so let’s try to get him here. What say? ” ” 2 “THE GAS RATIONING IS ALL UNCALLED FOR”

By. Herman A. VanWiller, 366 N. Addison

= gas rationing is all uncalled for. There is plenty of gas and oil in the state of Indiana. When the

Side Glances—By Galbraith

= JY NEA SERVICE, INC.

"Now you can't: ‘complain and be raistEetter said or ~~ not used for six months was scrap, so | tured in all your hammers, screwdrivers ‘and other tools!"

| you will realize that the result would

| © |“The Star-Spangled Banner,” so that | when we are requested to stand

| | to hit those high notes.

gas is rationed just stop and think how much tax is knocked out. There is four cents which goes to the state of Indiana for the upkeep of the roads and highways which are used in transporting war material from plant to plant and our boys. There is one cent U. S. tax which helps pay the nation’s debts. I suggest instead of rationing gas, let the boy and car owners have

caught driving over 35 miles per hour, charge him an extra $2 fine for the war funds to help pay the

‘|national war debt and for the third {8 offense, take his license away for|@§

90 days, and if caught after that, take his license for the duration. 2 ” 2 “THERE ARE WORSE THINGS THAN BEING AN EX-CONVICT” By Haze Hurd, 830 S. Addison st. I read the letter written by Mrs. Rose Jackson of Oct. 13, 1942, and I could not believe my eyes so I read it over several times and tried to think what manner of a person this is. I wish .to say, Mrs. Jackson, I am not-an ex-convict. But I am sure that all convicts are some mother and father’s boy. And I have assisted some convicts out of the penitentiary and don’t consider my efforts wasted. I just don’t understand some people. I think there is worse things in this world than being an exconvict. I'd rather be a friend to the man or woman that is down. . . . I guess if someone would ask you, do you believe the Bible, you would say yes, sure I do. Let’s see if you believe the verses from St. Matthew, 25th chapter, 31 to 46

verses. 8 ” ‘»

“G. 0. P. VICTORY SIMPLY THE

RESULT OF PROSPERITY” By Leon Fisher, Indianapolis

sult of the last election is a rebuke of the administration’s way of conducting the war or the New Deal. The Republican victory is simply the result of the present prosperity. Compare the vote with that of two years and four years ago and

probably have been quite different if the voters of the south side and west side wards had gone to the polls. Alas, they were too busy in shops and factories to exercise their right. As usual, everyone expe‘ted the other man to do it, Tie same situation existed in hundreds of other industrial territories. If a real plebiscite could be held you would find that the people are still behind the administration. = » ” “COULD MELODY FOR ANTHEM BE REWRITTEN?” By an Indianapolis Mother Is it going against tradition or would it be possible to rewrite the melody to our national anthem,

up and sing it in the movies or anywhere else we may respond like true Americans? I always feel ashamed when I hear so few people, myself included, respond to this request, but it takes a trained singer

Why can’t we have those stirring words put to a tune that we all can sing and put our whole heart and soul into doing a good job?

DAILY THOUGHT

Because it is written, be ye holy: for I am holy.—Peter 1:16.

HOLINESS is the architectural

His living temple.—Spurgeon.,

Bs vig temple—Spwrgeon.

as much as they need and put an| extra 2 cents per gallon for the| duration of the war and everyone| 3

It is nonsense to say that the re- |

ashington

By Peter Edson

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10—AR the pre-election polls of public opinion having predicted the Democrats would maintain their controls of congress by ample margins, the next step is to take a post-election poll to find out why the pre-election polls went wrong. . . . Election post-mortems L will probably last as long as the ’ war. The voters obviously didn’t like what has been going on, but whether they were registering their disapproval of military and naval setbacks or whether they were registering disapproval of civilian matters—price ceilings, rationing, lack of manpower, shutdown of small business, farm revolt, higher taxes—those are

U

-the: things every politician would like to know

and has no way to find out. . The eleetion proved Roosevelt right in one respect—the country certainly is way ahead of Washington. Instinctively the American people seem to know when things aren't going right.

Norris Is Saddest Spectacle

SADDEST LAME DUCK: spectacle of the.election is of course Senator George Norris of Nebraska, a Progressive caught in a three-way election trafic jam. And by the way, since there's a vacancy on the - Supreme Court, why wouldn't Uncle George be a good man for the job, even if he is over 70? 2 8 &

THIS ELECTION makes good the old saw that the ‘American people may never vote “for” any issue but they do vote “against” when things go wrong. This was one of the biggest little protest votes in history, : » ” 8 Re-election of Ham Fish, Clare Hoffman and

nearly every other isolationist proves that pre-Pearl Harbor views and voting records didn’t mean a thing.

Y

Here's the Basis for a Split

IF THE RESULT of the election can be attributed in any degree to a revolt of the farmers, the farm bloc congressmen who balked at parity ceilings on } farm prices will be able to say, “We warned you!” and no doubt will, ” ” 2

AT ANY RATE, here is the basis for a split in the Democratic party over administration policy on the conduct of the war. It will be a split over policy as dictated by the executive end of the administration in opposition to policy as the legislative end of the administration would like to have it. ” 2 2 Just the same, any talk of a fourth term should now be stilled.

8 8 8

But to think that two years ago, everyone was ade mitting that the Republican party was dead.

A Woman's Viewpoint By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

ANOTHER BATCH OF “morale building material” out of Washington this morning. It comes - regularly, urging stiffening of cie vilian backbones, more bond buye ing, more help with the war efe fort. It also begs us to trust our leaders.

God knows we're trying to. And, generally speaking, I believe -our people display an almost childe like trust in the face of all the confusing admonitions hurled at them by those see lected to rule and guide us. Two events have hurt civilian morale, and it will take a lot more of those nicely turned phrases to undo their effects. The first is the recent statement by Gen. Mace Arthur in which he denied an interest in politics. This was a most unfortunate pronouncement, not bee cause of what the general said, but because of the ime plications behind his need for saying it.

'l Hope He Does Have It!

WHY SHOULD A military leader have to take time from his job of fighting a war in order to assure the people that he has no political ambitions? As for me, I hope Gen. MacArthur does have political ambitions. I hope very many men who are fighting this war for us have them. Because these men know that, unless the war is won, no such ame bitions will ever be realized. In a healthy and floure ishing republic every leader can afford to hold poe litical ambitions, so long as he doesn’t put them ahead of his main job. The need for changing admirals in the middle of a terrible battle was also a blow to civilian spirits, but it may have a good effect later. At least it should forever spike the worn-out notion, heard with tires some repetitiousness in every campaign, about the peril of changing political horses in midstream. : That phrase, we can hope, is now obsolete—and good riddance.

: j | Questions and Answers

(The Indianapolis Times Service Buream will answer say question of fact or information, mot involving extensive ree search. Write your question clearly, sign name and address, inclose a three-cent postage stamp, Medical or legal advices cannot be given, Address The Times Washington Service x Bureau, 1013 ‘Thirteenth St., Washington, D. C.) /

Q—I have a pair of binoculars I want to donate to the navy. How shall I proceed? A—The navy at present is accepting two sizes and two makes of binoculars. They are 6x30 and 7x50, manufactured either by Bausch and Lomb, or Zeiss, If your binoculars meet this description, pack them carefully and send them to the Naval Observatory, Washington, D. C., with an identification tag stating your name and address. If they are accepted, the navy department will send you one dollar as a rental fee. The navy is not permitted either to buy the binoculars or to accept them as an outright gift, If your binoculars are not of the designated type, you should - write to the above address describing them and offering them for future service, as it may be necessury for the navy to use other types later, and they will thus have a record of Instruments available.

Q—How ties oil can 1 Japan get from the Nether- | lands Indies?

~ A—No definite figrues are available, but expert opinion is that Japan will get little or no oil from the conquered fields for a long time, Even if she obtains the help of German technicians, it is doubtful whether she can restore the devastated wells as long as allied air forces operate in the Suvuthern Pacific,

Q—How much mail is delivered to the White House daily? Does the president read any of it? £ A—Between three and four thousand pieces of mail are delivered daily at the White House. President Roosevelt personally reads a few important communications that are brought to his attention by his staff of secretaries.

Q—Who built the Great Wall of China? A- Tt was erected by Emperor Chin the Pirst (246-210 B.C), who united and strengthened already existing walls, as a rampart of defense against invaders. The wall was built by forced labor, and the legend is that 200,000 convicts with iron collars about their necks worked until they died in their

tracks, and their bodies. were then tossed