Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 24 November 1942 — Page 12

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haps the president is saving him for the ~~ food director.

\' foreign relief is a service. U. ' postwar policies, t!

AGE 12 _ i : The Indianapolis Times

ROY W. HOWARD RALPH BURKHOLDER ‘President Editor, in U. 8. Service “MARK FERR)} WALTER LECKRONE Business Mana :r Editor (A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER)

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Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way

paper Alliance, NEA

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 19423

DON'T JUST TELL EM; SELL EM

STARIN G at you in blackface type as you reach the place where you sign your fuel rationing, tire registration or other bureaucratic blank is the following language: Section 35 (A) of the United States criminal code makes it a criminal offense, punishable by a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment, $10,000 fine, or both, to make a false statement or representation to #.y department or agency of the United States as to any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or .» @gency of the United States. ‘* Reading that, you may recall the Gilbert and Sullivan line about makiny the punishment fit the crime. Under

of the “10-and-10” cl: use, by a mere inaccuracy in the meas-

urement of a bedroom or the copying of a serial number from a tire you 4 potentially liable to a stay in the jailhouse longer than the average stretch given for burglary, mayhem, embezzleinent, felonious assault or homicide. So you get sore at your government’s assumption that you are going to cheat your country in its time of tragic stress. But you go ahead and sign, and take your chance, after having done your best to be accurate, realizing the while that juries ornerally are just. But you don’t like the implications. We think tho ’s about the average citizen's reaction to the workings of bureaucracy in this wartime. But it isn’t a good reaction in 'erms of morale. : ss a (= ® 8 =» OF course, there must be rationing and tire registration and many other regulations—and penalties for violation. : : But we believ: that, over all, there is too much of the

~ we'll-tell-you and “oo little of the we’ll-sell-you; too much of

the crackdown tec! nique; too little of the appeal to reason and too much of tla threat of force. As Thomas L. Stokes says, “if the bureaicrats put more faith in the people’s good sense and their desire to co-operate,” we would get along better. : ; ; The “10-and-10” example is cited as just one of the things that gets John Q. Citizen's dander up. The clause from the criminal code would still exist even if it weren't flaunted in his face just before he arrives at the dotted line. He would know, ithout having to be slapped with a threat of the maxinium, that failure to comply would naturally bring a penalty. The insertion of the-*10-and-10” is among other things an insult to his intelligence. The American people if told the why, and dealt with courteously, will go the limit with any sacrifice. But they're hell on wheels whenever they get to thinking that they are being pushed a) ound for practice by somebody who just

wants to show his authority.

So, as a tip to {he bureaucrats, knock politely and you'll get results; don’t hang on the door and yell, “Open in the name of the law!” il Nor DIRECTOR LEHMAN OF FOREIGN RELIEF HE president’s appointment of a director of foreign relief and reh:hilitation comes none too soon. Several

governmental agencies have been working on the many-sided problem. There has been considerable confusion and over-

lapping, and no clear policy. The A. E. F. occupation of

North Africa neces: itates action. At the same {ime this rapid development abroad increases the need for a domestic food administration. Despite domestic food rationing, the serious farm manpower problem, increased food demands from our armed services and from our allies, plus requirements of an estimated half

billion people in the postwar rehabilitation areas, the presi-

dent has not yet named an American food co-ordinator,

‘Unless that is done soon, the new director of foreign relief

may have no food {o distribute. : The president's choice of Governor Lehman of New

York for the foreign relief job will be generally applauded. |

Mr. Lehman's reco: d as head of our most populous state for 10 years demonstrites his executive ability. His experience as an army supply officer in the last war, and his long and wide contact vith social services of many kinds will help him. At the same {ime there naturally is some disappointment that Herbert {oover was not chosen for this job. The ex-president carrie a similar responsibility during the last war with notable success. For the last two years he has led the public movi ment in favor of European relief. Peroffice of domestic

2 8 x 8 8 8 :

r'YOVERNOR LEIIMAN, who is resigning his Albany post on Dec. 3, say: his first step will be to set up a Wash-

| | ington organization, This should not mean another multiplication of agencics, but a co-ordination that will eliminate Some. :

Aside from the organizational problem, he will run into

¥ . the pulling and hailing over policy which so often delays

action in Washing! tic conflict of opin ment with Britain. Such disagrecments are probably inevitable, because olitical weapon as well as a humanitarian re is allied agreement on ‘war aims and ere will continue to be sincere differences opinion over distribution of relief. . The fact that relief is a war weapon is recognized by vernor Lehman's statement that— “The president's program of relief and rehabilitation another step wich will make it possible for the United

m. In this case there is not only domeson and interests, but also lack of agree-

Until the

nder an immeciite and effective further contribution to e winning of the war and the solution of postwar ems” ; : We have every reason to believe that Herbert Lehman in will pr: ve to be Mr. Rogsevelf's “good right arn ARE A

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Fair Enough

By Westbrook Pegler

NEW YORK, Nov. 24—The gasoline rationing system is infested with some serious imperfections which, in the jargon of the automotive engineer would be called bugs and, in the terminology of the New Deal would be called gross inequalities. : For one thing, not all cars give equal mileage per gallon. An eight-cylinder job burns more fuel than a six; a road-heavy job burns more than a light, nimble trick and a wheezing jalloppy more than a car whose engine is young or kept in good repair. People are stuck for the duration with the cars they were caught with when war came and the ratio of mileage which they can squeeze out of the ration that was established then. It would drive the rationing board crazy to equalize matters in this respect, for these people are not engineers nor have they the time to conduct road tests, but the inequality is there just the same.

"My Fine Grasp of the Subject"

IT IS POPULARLY believed that there is a variation of mileage in the various brands and flavors, of gasoline but that probably is just a myth or so 11

a difference as to be not worth considering because

the same methods and material are available to all the big producers. However, this much certainly is true nowadays, that the fuel available for the public is inferior to that which was commotly sold in normal times and inferior fuel gives less mileage. There is no inequality here, however, and I mention this only to anticipate an irrelevant question to show my fine grasp of the subject. Many individuals have a ration card who do not need individual motor transportation at all. A person living in the City of New York, for example, and whose business is exclusively in New York, can attend to all his necessary travel by subway, elevated or bus. In the suburbs which stretch 'way to hell and gene in three directions from town, those who live within walking distance, say half a mile, of the railroad station or the feeder bus line which goes to the station, don’t necessarily require cars.

"Give Me Some Proof!"

IF THE SHOPPING center is a mile or so away or the school bus is beyond walking distance for the kids, that is something else again. Now, down in the southwest it would seem from this distance that it will be simply impossible for the people to get by on the allowance which they are intended to have and must be allowed an adjustment by their local boards in recognition of the fact that, law or no law, if they don’t get more they will be stranded. Down where towns and trading posts are as far as 40 miles apart and there are no store deliveries of food and other necessities the A ration and the B ration only mock the necessity. I have no sympathy with the suspicion that the extension of rationing is unnecessary and has been done for political and psychological reasons or is due to some incompetence way back. Give me some proof and I will run a temperature, but up to now I freely believe, as I think most people do, that the reason for the rationing in most areas is that gasoline is hard to get and that another, overall’ reason which applies everywhere is that we have got to stretch our rubber until it is possible to feed our old tires back into circulation with new treads and begin the distribution of our new synthetic tires.

We the Women

By Ruth Millett

HASN'T THERE been enough silly chatter about women staying pretty and feminine in order to keep up men’s morale? Of all phe stuff and nonsense. If our men’s fighting morale depends on how we women look, Heaven protect us from the axis. Yes, it’s ridiculous, isn’t it— pretending that by looking pretty we women will be centributing to the war effort? Why don’t we quit trying to kid ourselves? After all, we don’t need any better reason for staying as feminine and pretty as possible than the time-hon-ored one of making ourselves attractive to men,

Men Don't Primp for Girls

THAT'S PART of being a woman— a part there is no sense in ignoring until necessary. If we ever have to shoulder guns like the Chinese women—then we won't be able to do.much about looking pretty. But there’s no reason now why most of us can’t look as well as we ever did. So let’s stop making silly alibis for trying to look as well as we can. You don’t hear men telling each other to go on getting ‘their shoes shined, to take time to shave, to spend money on haircuts, and to wear a clean shjrt every day because they.have to keep up women’s morale.

They haven't decided that just because there is a’

war they either have to go around looking like hobos or find a noble sounding reason for not—and neither should we. We're staying as pretty as possible to keep our men interested—not just to keep up their morale, and what’s so odd about that?

American Harvest By Stephen Ellis

WHAT WITH Christmas just around the corner and holiday shopping the usual program, I thought I'd mention 544 pages of real pleasure for your consideration. The title is “American Harvest.” The editors are Allen Tate and John Peale Bishop. In these 544 pages you'll find 62 different items for your pleasure, beginning with Ernest Hemingway (The Undefeated), going on to Sherwood Anderson (The Egg), then on to Stephen Vincent-Benet (The Devil and Daniel Webster), Willa Ggther (The Sculptor’s Funeral), Ring Lardner, John Dos Passos, James Thurber, Erskine Caldwell and on and on. | You can find practically every great name in recent American letters in this book—Thomas Wolfe, Conrad Aiken, T. 8, Elliott, Edwin| Arlington Robinson, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Mark Van Doren, Van. Wyck Brooks, William Faulkner, Archibald MacLeish, Carl Sandburg.

It's ‘Right on theBeam'

THE ULTRA-MODERNS haven't been neglected by a long shot. You're given William Saroyan’s “The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse,” and John Steinbeck’s “The Red Pony,” to mention only a: few. Messrs. Tate and Bishop have not only done a magnificent job of collecting, they have added what every anthology needs—a section called “Biographical Notes,” the thumbnail sketches of the authors. The period covered by this book is from 1920 to 1940 and therefore it has the virtue of being something “on the beam,” to use a modern vulgarism. I recommend this one to you very highly—either for your own shelves, or as a holiday token of your esteem. : ! Allen Tate and

AMERICAN HARVEST, edited John

Right in Der F

J

The Hoosier Forum

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

“YOU CAN'T FORCE SOUTH TO CHANGE ITS IDEAS” By Mrs. Bobbye M. Colyar, 1736 Berwick In a current issue of one of our favorite magazines there is an article on the Negro situation. It is mindful of the filibuster on the poll tax question. I believe in freedom of all peoples. That freedom should have the right to like and dislike. , . . I happen to dislike the attitude of many people in trying to make the southerner change his mind about the Negroes. The South doesn’t bother anybody and doesn’t try to force its likes or dislikes on the rest of our country. As an example, the South tries to retain the dignity and purity of its race of non-industrialists, and as persistently the North has tried to break the South up and form it into a pattern of itself. Each section of our wonderful free land has its own habits, mannerisms, likes and dislikes, and as long as they don’t hurt the other sections of our country let us have them. In short, because I'm a southerner, and say you-all, don't try to make me say you-ins, because youre a northerner. After all, we're fighting the war right now for the preservation of the Bill of Rights. 2 ” 8 “THOSE BIG PILES OF SCRAP WON'T LAST VERY LONG” By Kittie Lee, Indianapolis To D. I. H, who asked in the Nov. 20 Times “Why the commotion about a shortage of rubber?” A few things are explained for your benefit below. In your letter you first mentioned the scrap “just rotting away in auto graveyards.” It has been explained to the public several times just why these heaps are disappearing so slowly. It takes time to take them apart and salvage the good from them. They will be taken care of as soon as they can be handled. Next you mentioned tires. Sure, many warehouses probably have tires stored away. Several hundred as you stated, most likely. But

(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)

how long will a few hundred tires last when it's millions that are being needed? And where did you hear that a gasoline shortage was the reason for rationing it? ,.. To all you Americans: Those big piles of scrap metal won't last long at the rate our factories are going, so keep piling. it on. Every day something will wear out or break down and then it will be scrap, too. So keep on looking. It won't go to waste, I assure you. 8 » ” “LABOR HAD BETTER CLEAN ITS OWN HOUSE NOW” By Nyarren A. Benedict Jr., 2919 Madison

Everyone who believes strongly in the principles of organized labor (and I do) should insist on a thoroughgoing housecleaning of the labor movement, Undoubtedly, the country has profited mightily in the past 10 years because of the improved working and living conditions of millions of Americans. In the postwar period ahead we need a strong and able labor leadership for the painful readjustment problems to come. But the labor movement, and especially the officials, have gone to excesses. Often the leaders are unprincipled thugs, perhaps with criminal records, who have shamelessly exploited the members, employers and the public generally. Not infrequently they have interfered dangerously with’ our war production effort. Sometimes these labor leaders draw fabulous - salaries, run. their unions in a thoroughly gangster

fashion and double-cross everyone

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hay

Side Glances—By Galbraith

cond! toe vn sence me. v.u'oen. 0.0 , OFF, | "Don't worry if you slip, Henry—it would be a dandy first aid

l=24

thermore, the union members are powerless in regulating or removing them. Now the general public, including many labor union members, are getting fed up with all this. They have voted many a pro-labor public official out and a labor-hater in. This trend, continued in 1944, can put in congress and our legislatures men who can, and would like to, undo almost overnight all that has been accomplished by labor unions in the past decade. It's a case of the labor unions cleaning house now or having the labor union haters do it for them. Should the latter do the job it would be a sorry day for the union movement, ss 8 =»

“PSYCHOLOGICAL FRONT OPEN AT ALL TIMES”

By R.S, F, Indianabolis. Is there any common sense left in the world? Do men really want to die when there is doubt in their minds whether their death will benefit their country? The united nations must raise that doubt in the minds of the axis peoples. We know the German soldier's death will not benefit his country. We know his family cannot help. by being bombed out. But they have been taught that we are out to annihilate them; that their leaders are national saviors, their soldiers born to die for the fatherland. How can we get this nonsense out of their heads—now, before we have to kill most of them, or they most of us? We already have taken two great steps—assured them against mass reprisals and offered the Atlantic charter as the foundation of a new world. We must now break through the walls of axis censorship and make our purposes clear to the people. With every ton of bombs, a tenth of a ton of propaganda! Not mere handbills, but pamphlets packed with solid truth about the new world order that will be established as soon as Nazi leaders are ousted. A second front is being created. The psychological front is open at all times. It alone holds the possibility of victory with a minimum of the technique of the slaughterhouse. » ” ” TRIFLES COULD YIELD PLENTY OF SCRAP

By Mrs. R. K,, Indianapolis.

have countless trifles—old steel nail files, old scissors that we have always meant to throw away. We have needles; crochet needles and knitting needles that are bent and useless. Our machine drawers and

kitchen drawers hold ever so many discarded gadgets that we are going to dump once we get around to it. Why not have the school children’s trifle collection squad? They could bring these trifles to school and collections could be made by some authorized committee. The children could canvass their neighborhoods and collect from those homes where there are no children.

DAILY THOUGHT

Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, mine anger and my

place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be 20..

In Washington

they come in contact with. Fur- i

Around the house we mothers

fury shall be poured out upon this

By Peter Edson

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24—OPA will not ration the 300,000 used cars now on sale. . . . Car dealers are not permitted to add storage charges to prices of new cars being rationed. . . . Only 300,000 ice boxes and no mechanical refrige erators will be manufactured for civilans next year. ... Cork discs for bottle caps are now under control. . . . A drive is on fo reduce America’s 500 million ton annual lumber waste in sawdust and scrap. . . . Only 40,000 women are now employed by U. S. railroads as against 100,000 in the last war. ., . Street cars and interurban lines are exempt from railroad schedule freezing. . .. Slaughter houses are preparing to handle the biggest hog run on record in December and January, which may necessitate issuance of permits to farmers telling them when they may market. : ;

No Coffee in 'C’ Rations

POWDERED LEMON juice and powdered cocoa have been substituted for coffee in two of the three army emergency “C” rations. ... State price administration officials are authorized to set local ceiling prices on cordwood in areas where there are shortages. . , . Anyone leasing a motor: vehicle for more than seven days must obtain a certificate of war necessity. . . All circuses must be off the road by Dec. 1, as a transe portation conservation measure. . , . Farmers have been asked to increase spring pig farrowings 10 per

year.

The Reason for Coffee Ban

NO SALES OF coffee are being made to consumers between Nov. 22 and 29, to permit stores to build Jp inventories. . . . Shortage of metal containers for drugs is greater than shortage of the drugs theme selves. . . . Converting your passenger car into a come

mercial vehicle to get more gas won't do any good, . « « To relieve a shortage, permission will be given to manufacture more coal and wood heating stoves, up to Jan. 1.

NLRB Headache By E. A Evans

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24.~=

Relations Board declined today to comment on charges by William Green, president of the A. F. of L, that they are responsible for “the outstanding axis victory of the month.” But there is every indication that they intend to stand pat on their order for hearings on a come _y * plaint that three of Henry J, Kaiser's west coast shipyards have engaged in unfair labor practices. This was the order that angered Mr. Green, who said the A. F. of L. would carry protests to “the highest officials of our government” and, if these produce no action, will ask congress for legislation to throw the present NLRB members out of office. The board's position is that it is following the Wagner act—which it was created to enforce, and that if hearings show the law has not been violated the complaint will be dismissed.

A Grade-A Dilemmal

IT IS KNOWN, however, that the board acted only after trying vainly for many months to persuade the A. F. of L. and the C. I. O. to settle the inter-union controversy out of which the complaint grew. The

board, in other words, sought a way out that would avoid trouble for Kalser, but finally decided that it

could not legally ignore charges by the C. I. O. ship= building workers. These charges are that the Kaiser yards—two in Portland, Ore., and one in Vancouver, Wash.—entered into closed-shop contracts with 16 A. F. of L, unions in May, 1941, at a time when one yard had no em= ployees and the others had less than one per cent of

a few months. The Wagner act, NLRB Chairman H. A. Millis declared, makes a closed-shop contract illegal unless at least a majority of employees have designated the union concerned as their bargaining agent. If the C. I O's charges are substantiated, the NLRB's normal procedure would be to outlaw the present cone tracts and order an employee election to determine whether a majority wants. to be represented by A. Fs of L.or C. 1. O. If, as Mr. Green intimated, the matter is carried to the White House, Mr. Roosevelt is going to have a tough problem on his hands. Interesting, what?

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

of The Indianapolis Times, lt

Hitler's Dilemma By William Philip Simms

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24.—Tha8 the fighting in Tunisia will be de cisive for Hitler is the opinion not only in competent quarters here, but also in Berlin. So says Stocke holm, probably the best-posted neutral capital on what is hape pening inside Germany. This does not mean that quale ified observers believe an axis dee

. by an early collapse of Germany, By decisive they mean that, for Hitler, defeat in North Africa would completely alter the whole course of the war, forcing him to revise his plans from start

when and where they want, not when and where he wants as has been the case up to now. Failure to hold Tunisia means that the Mediter< ranean will be opened up to the allies, Italy will be bombed to a pulp, and Germany will be exposed $o invasion via France, Italy or the Balkans. !

'Big Things’ Are Impending | ko SMALL WONDER, then, that Stockholm reports mounting tension in Germany, where, it is said, “big things” are believed to be impending. All things being equal, a German drive through: Spain would be the most logical move, because suoe cess in that direction would net Hitler enormous dividends. If he could get across the straits of Gi braltar and throw. the Americans out of French Morocco, our forces in North Africa ld be dane gerously isolated. : : RE £ But Hitler might not have his way. Franco has clearly said he will fight whichever side violates his

attack Spain, this can mean only one

: thing: will in effect join. the al is 1x

d often turns to) age, Tun

Members of the National Labor

feat in Tunisia would be followed

to finish. The allies are now forcing Hitler to fight

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cent and market hogs 10 pounds heavier than last YY

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the thousands of workers they expected to hire in

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neutrality, Inasmuch as the allies do not intend o pit 3