Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 19 December 1942 — Page 10
Editor, in U. 8. Service’ | WALTER LECKRONE ,
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a RILEY 5551
Give Light and the People will Fina Thetr Own Way
Tr Alliance, NEA ce, and Audit Buof Circulations.
SATURRAY, DECEMBER 19, 1943
IT’S A MESS, ISN'T IT? "HE whole story hasn't yet been told of the sudden crackdown on A, B and C gasoline ration cards in Atlantic coast states. The action was taken on the ground that; due to a military emergency, the gas shipped to the Eastern seaboard, being more urgently needed in North Africa, * must be diverted to that vital war theater. : . On an issue of priority between front-line fighting for and civilians in any home area, there can be no ~ question; the fighting men come first. - To the shooting front, the home front remains secondary. ' However, it ought to be said that the way Washington officials handled this suspension order was _nat calculated lo; give the public the impression that they” knew exactly at they were doing. Granted that huge quantities of oline are needed in North Africa, didn’t Washington : off cials know that before Thursday night? Couldn't they "have planned ahead, and gradually reduced the rations of A gud B and C cards in the East? ” » @ » » # AM look at the way the news was broken to the public: Early Thursday night Washington reporters were summoped to the office of war information for an “important announcement.” “A” cards were to be suspended. For hours the reportgrs waited. An official of the office of petroleum administration couldn’t agree with an official of the office of price administration on the phraseology of a public announcement. So,-at midnight, the waiting reporters were told there would be no suspension of. _ “A” cards that night. i.. Meanwhile the news leaked out. Then, on Friday ‘morning—while A-card holders were lined up in every 3 service station in 17 eastern states trying get the last per-
;
. missible gallon—came the big surprise. It was announced :
2 ‘that not only A cards, but B and C cards too, would be nonnegotiable at the gas stations until further notice. : Then, late Friday evening, came the announcement * that the OPA hoped to modify the suspension order Sunday night. If that goes through, most people i in the east should "be able to get to work Monday morning. But that will leave it far from clear that the complete Suspension served any useful purpose at all. For, because of this evidence’ of jitters i in: Washington, Tore gasoline probably was sold in jhe few hours on Friday tan would have been sold otherwise jin. several days. . If theultimate telling of the. Tithe mixup: was: due to. maladministration; the public will 2 * dkely insist that some. heads must roll.
LEON HENDERSON RESIGNS
is, as President Roosevelt says, “an exceedingly difficult - and thankless task” from which Leon Henderson has 1 ju st resigned. We don’t wonder that Mr. Henderson is suffering from a lame back and impaired eyesight. The load of work he | has been carrying, the volume of_ criticism and complaint
=“
- news
man long ago. i He didn’t expect his job as price-controller and rationer-in-chief to make him popular, but we think he didn’t deserve all the unpopularity that came his way. He made mistakes—but no more, perhaps, than the allowable quota for an unprecedented and terribly complex assignment. The most costly of them, ‘probably, was due to loyalty. He continued to bow to administration policy exempting labor's wages from control long after it became evident
+ trol of farm prices, and so no effective control of inflation. Thereby he lost precious time. He: might have been more diplomatic in his dealing with the public and with congress. He might have done “many things in different ways. But we believe he did his best to get results, and he has earned a period of rest and recuperation. # » » # 8. 8 will be said that his going relieves the administration of a heavy liability. That remains ‘to be seen. Mn Henderson's achievements will be judged, finally, by,those f his successor, whether that is defeated Senator Prentiss. Brown of Michigan or someone élse. * [If the new man lets prices run away, if he fails to do he | rationing properly, the country is likely to look back on the Henderson regime as ‘the good old days.” ‘For price control and rationing of many commodities ge sssental. Criticism aimed at the method used, and deed to bring about improvements in them, serves a useful e. ‘But a whole lot of the criticism heaped on Leon Henerson has been. inspired by the desire of special interests |
Let those motives succeed, and we think 15207 of those ho are rejoicing at Mr. Henderson's resignation” will soon wishing he were back on the job with a strong back and
en eyes,
i
P OWER MONKEY BUSINESS
x VE HEN Manpower Boss Paul V. MeNutt boldly announces Vv
5 NY A. The old congress oh CCC. sholish NYA That
whole. stiry veveals:that
reaching his desk, would have broken down a less dogged
that without wage control there could be no effective con-
Fair Enough
By Westbrook Pegler
NEW YORK, Dec. 19.—Well, ‘like I said before, they are. strictly all right and I slways tip my hat to them and treat them with all
and vulgar: expressions where a meniber of their sex might hear me but after all that donee ‘mesn you have got to let them muddle into affairs that are absolutely none of their business, like running a ball club. Because poor old Eddie Deezanose, our business
fellows you would ever meet but after Charlie Dissenat got the job to manage our club that year and the first thing you know he brings his wife into the dugout, well things got so bad that Eddie went
She brought in Professor Weenie to be the head umpire and interpret the rules differently from the way they always were, and this Bulgarian economist, named Boris Pantzoff, he got up the idea to increase attendance by giving a premium of $1.25 with every 50-cent ticket in the bleachers.
if a person bought a hot dog for a dime, well, instead of giving you a paper napkin it would be wrapped up in a dollar bill to save paper because people would throw away a paper napkin but you naturally wouldn't throw away a dollar bill,
Hot Dogs Knee Deep All Around
Pantzoff, they looked over the league and decided the reason Philadelphia was always dragging in eighth place was because the manageemht did not have no social consciousness and they said because our club was rich and strong it was our duty to help by giving their customers the same advantages. Well, up to then, they always used to say all the customers you could draw in Philadelphia even with a double-header and subpenaes from the court, why you wouldn't have enough for a game of rummy. But when they heard about this new idea well they came a-running from all the way up-to Newark and down to Wilmington and every day was like a world series. They would buy a whole armful of hot dogs at a time and that first day I seen the president of the Philadelphia club sitting in a box laughing his head off and hot dogs knee-deep all around him: She said ‘the way she figured it, you can’t live fori yourself alone but you have to live for other people or else they will get discouraged and feel bad and after they feel so bad they can’t feel any worse they will-get mad and pick up a club and beat you over the head.
Done Our Duty Even if Busted
“THE WORLD IS FULL of peaks and valleys,” she said to me, “and ‘our club is a peak and theirs is a valley, so we must level off the peaks and .fill. up the valleys and make it a bettgr world, ’ “The way I mean,” she said, “Philadelphia is’ like Africa or India because they are valleys, too. It is our duty to supply them with sirloin. steaks and their choice of three kinds of cereal with cream and pie a la mode because we have so much and they haven't got any. Then we will feel fine all over because we have done our duty even if we are busted. and hungry ourselves.” . Well, I am telling you, our club tore up around &
- million bucks before the end of the season just paying
premiums on bleacher admissions and wrapping up club had the worst record of all time. They only
by liberalizing . the rule book so a pop foul it goes. for a home run- if the hitter intended to hit a
T homer.
I always agreed that she was a very-nice. lady, personally, but somehow, around the ball club she often got on my nerves. I certainly know what I would have done if I was the manager and my old lady didn’t have any better.sense than to mess in my business.
At Peace Table
By William Philip Simms
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19.—To ‘forestall civil war and unprecedented bloodshed inside the occupied countries of Europe, some authorities here believe the allies should at once lay down a general rule that interim governments set up by force within these states will not be recognized at the peace table. Some of the best-posted Euro« peans with whom I have talked are convinced that only by positive action at the earliest possible moment can the united nations establish their authority and avert' the disastrous consequences of the civil strife now threatening. The move suggested above would be a sort of wartime corollary to the Hoover-Stimson doctrine promul« gated in 193%/when Japan invaded Manchuria. The United States then announced—and the principal nations later adhered to the policy—that it would not recognize the acquisition gf territory which might be
.| obtained by aggression.
Troubles Simmer in Several Places JUGOSLAVIA AND FRANCE, to mention but two, civil war. A similar situation may be brewing among
the French. Troubles of a similar nature are sinmering pretty
| much throughout occupied territory
Should the trend become a habit the armistice would find Europe a vast cockpit of civil’ wars, massacres and bloody anarchy,
/
College Crisis
By S. Burton Heath +
ut |
WASHINGTON, | is no blinking the that this war is hitting American colleges hard already, and may easily destroy many of the financially
theory that sound democracy rests eral ce,
faults, they have contributed - mightily to making democracy
due TEEPECL ADA Mev ee et
‘manager, was one of the sweetest, kind-heartedest |
out of his mind and ate up a bar of soap and : | committed . suicide. :
THEN, BETWEEN SHE and old Weenie and |
dogs in singles and still, when it was over, the ball |
win 22 ail season, and old Weenie he give them four. f percent participation? - I thittk not.
.| this manner. Therefore, when they
‘relieving = congestion during the
are cases in point. In Jugoslavia there is already.
10-There ||
.weak. That would be a major : tragedy. This nation is committed to the 1 on'a relatively high level of gen- g : Colleges do fot create intelli= H gence. They are not absolutely essential to the | cultivation of native intelligence, But with all their |
work Jere while 15 was falling In so: many. 1 i
: > 4 And Mrs. Dissenat, she thought up the one that | '¢
: oy 3
“3 ikl
The Hoosier Foru
I wholly disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.—Voltaire.
“SOMETHING OF WHICH WE CAN BE PROUD” By An American
This is: to add to the discussion concerning soldiers of the U. S. army buying war bonds and- stamps. I believe you will find members of our argled forces are not compelled to invest in war bonds: or stamps.
to attain 100 per cent participation; in this: program. . If you had a boy in the service would you want him to prevent his unit: from achieving its goal of 100
It is a practical certainty all of
the boys are only too glad to invest}
im this savings plan and at the same time a big boost toward victory is given. . | I heartily agree they should not oe required to spend even a portion of their well-deserved earnings in
voluntarily make this additional contribution to help themselves and their country, it is something to which all of us can point with pride.
» » ” “A SUGGESTION FOR RELIEVING TROLLEYS” By G. W., Indianapolis Being a daily rider on the In-
dianapolis railways system, I feel|
qualified to make a suggestion for
morning hours. I reside in the northwest ‘section of the city and.ride the NorthwesterfA trolley. My working hours begin at 8:30 a. m. I leave my home at 7:45 and take a trolley which leaves 34th and Clifton sts. about 8 o'clock: Beginning, at 27th and Clifton sts., they -start picking up Crispus Attucks pupils and there have been as many as 50 pupils on that trolley at that time, The writer personally counted 30 pupils who boarded the trolley at Rader and Annewe sts. on 27th st. one ‘morng We realize these children have to get ‘to school, However, there are
many, many working people | who
are absolutely unable to get on a
However, the unit com-| manders urge their men to attempt
‘They had better: look out.
trolley after it leaves 27th and
Times readers afe invited their these columns, religious 'con- : excluded, Make your letters short, so all can
to express ‘views in
troveries
have-a chance. Letters must
be signed) 1:
Northwestern ave. because of the huge number of school children who ride at that time. . . . - Why cannot some arrangement be made to transport pupils to school uring the early morning
hours by special busses? Let. the
busses make more than one trip, if necessary, and take the children {that way. It would’ certainly relieve the great congestion on the Northwestern line at that hour, give working people an opportunity for better transportation and would also be better for the children, who could be taken to the school building. The route could. go south on Northwestern ave. to 16th and down West st. There are few, if any, pupils boarding the trolley after it leaves 21st and Northwestern. The congestion is from 27th and Clifton .to Fall Creek, and it is serious. : . nn “WE SHALL GO ON IGNORING MEN” By W. M, H., Indianapolis The men in general kick about women and girls wearing slacks but who wants to be gensral these days? It shows an attitude reminiscent of cave man days and for these days
it clearly shows a complex ‘and
people with complexes are supposed to have their brain analyzed. ... Slacks are comfartable and warm for winter as you men well know. Now what is it you think we women are doing to you? We do work at your jobs for our country and we train for OCD and that requires slacks. ; Let me tell you, women know what they are doing and they haven't thought it important to ask
Side Glances —By Galbraith
“WHY SHO! LDN'T WE
‘and earnestly
. {: | WORK, HEL! 1 | ny Aenea r. 6
Hier their pe
the men ah ut it. They thought you had as in ich sense-as they have. You will j st have to get yourselves ‘adjus »d and the smartest one won't'r sed any adjustments. We shall go n ignoring you.
¢ » 2
WANT A R/ (SE? By a Railroad: , Indianapolis
In answer o your editorial in The Times on th 15th of December. I used. to. Jone to: the brotherhood of rail ay clerks, working in the U. §. m i} foom at. the union station. ‘We -0f a 10-cent an hour raise all rig . anfl ‘at the présent time are bei: ; paid $5.31 a day for eight hours ' ark, six days a week. Now is: that like these fo: I quit the: locomotive 1 $7.35 a day We don’t get Saturday ‘or day. We do day is. Workers i receive time over 40 hour Sunday. . Th from ~ $60. ‘to prove that, for a seven-d pension is $49.81, Why shoulc
a man with a family? and got a job as a eman. We get paid or eight’ hours work. time and one-half on iouble time on Sun'‘t ‘know what a holi-
our defense plants ‘nd one-half for work and ‘double time on average worker gets $70 a week. I can 0. We make $51.45 y week and after our ken out, we receive
1% we want a raise? ® = I HEAR URMUR” 342 E. 12th st. ember issue. of the
“YOU DO N( MOTHERS By L. Stafford, In the De Readers Dige: articles desc rible ‘sufferir :s horrible thin: portion of ths one sadly cer of some of ou ica who have ing of any ki But altho! may. never : country, they were not for How can vw: are our own the boys are n sacrifice? A mother ‘s
ing some of the ter-
that have been the saople in Europe. And iclers the carelessness people here in Amer-. carcely known suffera. 4 ‘bh these conditions tually exist in our would speedily, if it ur brave boys feel that our lives 0 ‘use selfishly when aking such a supreme
ic to me, “Some tell me that+I ta ¢ this war. too .seriously, we will vin this war. It will come her .” But this mother swers, “I h: 'e a boy in this war.” mother’s anguish is too great to describe w/ 'n her boy goes away. And yet:you io not hear mothers murmur. It’s oo big Yo talk about,
:Imuch, +... .°
Let us pra: pray. $8 E GOOD N" % naway, 2406 Southeastern
“KEEP UP T
ave,
I wish to ¢o gratuite two people
Helen Videbeck, the
«ad, fash it in" their
»vn to cash it in.
ctory . cond campaign such | - iy to buy those peo{1satisfied with our Thy ticket to Berlin
or
THOUGHT
Hannibal
ving wages in times
« there are two. short |
: the unbelievably |.an
for our boys, really
ote thoughts and ;
wep up the = good ;
wighbor's face and| whout gas rationing | Ed Bayless Jrs 4-8) . I would }
By Thomas L. ‘Stokes
“At 6 of ‘a morning it broke, like a hoarse night watchman, into ‘homes groggy with the deep sleep that follows dawn, and echoed, like the mournful blast of a departing Seamboah, Sls the but’
for many people ternational Shoe Co. “At 9 p.m ft warning for all chil
“in recent : ) 4Just’ a custom. Children 16 years old now think they are grown up. We haven't enforced it." 14 The curfew seemed eternal, like “the river. “that : moves sedately below the blaff. ra But Hannibal has gone to war, like the A o America. The curfew whistle might be with the air-raid siren. So the curfew wa 4
Taking Rationing in Good Spirit”
HANNIBAL IS AT WAR. It is organized for civilian defense. If had its first test blackout a few nights ago. y Right now the city is in the midst of gasoline and fuel oil rationing, and this includes the surrounding countryside with its farm folk. - And all in all, in spite of difficulties, everybody seems to be taking it in -good spirit, with co-opera-tion between officials and the people to demonstrate what a typicaj community in mid-America can do. All of which seems to challenge some of the squawks that go up elsewhere, Hannibal is not only ‘the home town of Mark Twain, as one is reminded constantly, and of Donald - M. Nelson, WPB chairman. but also of the late Rear Admiral Robert E. Coontz, one-time chief of naval operations, who once told a congressional committee that people in Hannibal never knew anything about the 1879 depression, so isolated was this part o ‘the country in those days. Hannibal is not isolated now. It is very close to such strange places as Guadalcanal, New Guinea, Tunisia. For the bays who used to play along. the river, even as did Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, are in those faraway spots. :
Also a Victim of Bureaucracy
PERHAPS THAT MAKES folks at home more willing to sacrifice, to do the best they can with regulations that seem onerous, to understand that nation-wide rationing is gding to be trying no mate ter how- well it's done, but that it is: necessary it all the people are to get their share of the essentials,
, Hannibal, like other places, has been a victim of Washington bureaucracy. The mayor sees it in OCD, to which he gives much time. After they. got their control system seh up ace’ cording to specifications, the specifications were changed. Officials descended upon them from state headquarters and wanted a very elaborate telephone warning system, like a big city’s. They averted this by a simpler system of their own. His office is showe ered with instructions and- booklets, some of them in conflict. ; But he has a philosophical attitude. “They have so many’ people—they have to keep them busy, I guess.” “It was the same way in the last war,” te added. “When I was in the army. I saw it. We wasted all sorts of things. That's what happens in a war”
Tire Saving By John W. Love
CLEVELAND, Dec. 19.—Nothing that everybody has to do can be arranged very scientifically, and. that, I suppose, is why the rations ing of gasoline fits its purpose no more accurately than it does, Or any other kind of rationing. In winter, for ‘example, we northerners could be allowed to drive faster than we do, so far as the life of the tire is concerned. ' But southerners might resent the discrimination; and anyway the weather will warm up ‘eventually, so we have to be standardized. . 1 have seen the dats of some tire engineers which show that the tire life of a car running at 75 miles hour in a temperature of 25 degrees is about the same as. that on a car driven at 39 m. p. h. at 70 degrees. As for the upper temperatures, ‘80 and ahdve, a speed limit of 30. m. p. h. would be about Hight® Maybe we'll be pulled down to it next July, but more likely to two gallons a week.
Misalignment Brings Worst Wear
MORE WEARING than speed, however, is mis. alignment of front wheels, An automobile man con- | firms the suspicion that rotating the tires from back to front and crosswise may actually conceal the effects of misalignment. The front wheels of a new. caf, he sald, are slightly | misaligned in order to improve their steering. Pigeontoed wheels hold the road better. There aré many adjustments which can be made on wheels, and the adjustment for the toeing of the tire is only one of them. A complete job of adjust
ment might cost $18 or thereabouts, but he says the
only. one which would directly save Tubber. can iii performed in about an. Ou. j
We the Worman.,
By Ruth Millett
if women hang on to the place they a making | r themselves in today’s world. dee ~ Unless women let let. themselves be.
wl ne nn er—i