Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 27 February 1943 — Page 10

The Indianapolis Times

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1043

“GET McNUTT”—THEN WHAT?

HE “get McNutt” movement in congress is neither intelligent nor fair. Mr. McNutt is more a victim of general muddling than he is the cause of the specific manpower muddle, which congress has had a full share in producing. His work as war manpower chairman is unsatisfactory on many counts. He was not the best possible selection for that job. His known political ambitions were certain to make him the target for Washington snipers, as he has been. But we have seen no reason to question the sincerity of his desire to do a good job. He has been hopelessly handicapped by lack of adequate authority and adequate machinery. For instance, the United States employment service must be the main cog of any successful plan for’ placing manpower where it can serve the war effort most usefully. But congress, much more than Mr. McNutt, is to blame for that agency’s disorganization, inefficiency and shattered ‘morale. Congress ordered the arrangement which compels divided loyalty in the USES staff and has kept that staff ‘underpaid and dissatisfied, and congress is now refusing ‘Mr. McNutt funds to repair the damage. » » » » » » (CONGRESSMEN criticize him for trying to enforce a “work or fight” order of his own, without authority of law. The difficulty of enforcing it is illustrated by an official report from the Philadelphia area. There, 15,977 persons were notified to get in touch with USES offices for "transfer from non-essential to war jobs. Only 8509 responded, and 3300 of them refused to be transferred, while 676 men willing to change jobs were rejected by the war - plants to which they were referred. But congress has failed to provide an enforceable law. It was thought that placing the selective service as .well as the manpower commission under Mr. McNutt might ‘mean better co-ordination. It hasn't helped much. Mr. McNutt now has full responsibility for managing manpower, but no authority over many of the elements of his problem. The “get McNutt’ movement may succeed, and another man or group may be given the manpower assignment, possibly under a new Srangemont for which glowing promises will be made. rangement will work well until : there is SE a¥ the very top of the government. ; The man responsible for managing manpower should | be a member of a real war cabinet, along with the men re- _ | sponsible for other phases of the war program on the fight- * Ing fronts and the home front. They should meet regularly : with the president, explain to him the conflicts that handi- ' cap their individual efforts, and get his prompt decisions ; to settle the conflicts and let work proceed.

3

: FINNISH PEACE FEELERS § AMERICAS deep sympathy for Finland will not be increased by reports that part of the price she is asking - for withdrawal from the war is an American guarantee of her settlement. Whatever may be the solution of her difficult problem, that definitely is not it. The future security of Finland, as of other small European states, depends on the collective security of Europe. America can co-operate with such a united Europe for world peace and prosperity, but we cannot create an orderly “and democratic Europe or police it. That is Europe's primary ‘job. 4 : Finland, when caught between Germany and Russia, chose to fight with Hitler against Russia—not because she wanted to, but because that seemed to her the lesser of two evils. Though Britain declared war on her as Hitler's “ally,” the United States continued friendly relations in the hope that she would find some way of withdrawing : from Nazi clutches. And that is what she is trying to do— ; . now that Hitler is losing the war, and now that Russia is 23 q about ready for a counter-offensive on the northern front.

a * » = 2 x = ha QUT of all the confusion, one thing is clear. The sooner Finland makes peace the better for her. Her military * bargaining power is almost nil. And the political bargaining power in her behalf of her real friends, the United States N and Britain, decreases every day of her association with Hitler. This is not changed by the cruel fact that it is hard for

her to extricate herself. The 100,000 or so Nazi troops, + which she admitted into her country, are in the north; and

oN Germany is to the south. She faces starvation, and must

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have allied food if she breaks with Germany. And there small but powerful Finnish minority—though presumably less powerful with the forthcoming cabinet reorganization— which is pro-Nazi. But if Finland makes the break soon, she will get all the help Britain and the United States can properly give her. In the long run her best future probably is in some degree of union with Sweden and, in turn, as part of a strong democratic European federation.

THE ALLIES NEED INDIA PRIME MINISTER CHURCHILL has refused fo grant unconditional release to the fasting Gandhi. We think he is right in saying ‘there can be no justification for dis-

crimination between Mr. Gandhi and other congress lead- ” But he is wrong, in our judgment, in his continued sal to join in negotiations for a settlement of the disite between Britain and India, ~The issue is not Gandhi but united war effort, The dlock is a serious barrier to allied victory in the Far st. As such it cannot be ignored. Victory either comes t, or it doesn’t. ‘And a compromise settlement of this quarrel is a cheap price to pay for victory, compared h all the horrible cost in lives and sacrifice poured out the united nations.

™

Fair Enough

By Westbrook Pegler

NEW YORK, Feb. 27. — The Nazis of late have revived their early propaganda to the effect that they stand between the free peoples and communism. By some this has been interpreted as a sign of weakness and fear and the Communists themselves in this country are denouncing it as an attempt to divide the united nations, as it certainly is. But better for American purposes than any attempt to distinguish between naziism and communism, which are equally brutal, treacherous and fatal to freedom, would be a sort of refresher course on the perfidies of the Hitler state, some of the details of which may have faded from mind in the confusion and shocks of the war. Hitler organized a conspiracy against the hospitality, trust and safety of other nations, no less evil but no more so, than the Communist party. Germans living abroad were held to be Germans nevertheless forever, even though they had acquired citizenship and the rights and privileges thereof in their adopted countries.

Marched Against Helpless

THEY WERE BROUGHT back to Germany for reunions and indoctrination and, impressed by the brutal muscularity of Hitler's brown shirts and then of his troops, they went forth again, regarding themselves as a chosen people whose honor was above the requirements of honor as civilized people understood it. Every low and evil trick and trait which Hitler’s propaganda attributed to the Jews was practiced as the national program of the master race. The Nazis whined for sympathy, they disarmed their selected victims with gestures of hearty friendship, they borrowed with no intention to pay, they pinched off and stole properties and earnings of foreign investors, they bribed traitors in Austria, Czechoslovakia and Norway to betray their countries and in the end, convinced that they were now ready to master the world by war, they marched against small and helpless nations in sudden assaults in which the bravery was all on the side of the victims.

Remember Schuschnigg

SCHUSCHNIGG OF AUSTRIA was invited to a parley and seized, and God only knows what Hitler did with him. In a matter of hours, the Nazis swept into a defenseless country and took it, as the saying went, by phone. The ghastly cruelties inflicted on the Jews, not only in Germany, but wherever the Nazis went, have lost some of their impressiveness first because time heals horror and, second, because the greater blood-

letting of the actual war has decentralized the suf-

fering. Yet, so insistent and strong was the early Hitler anti-Jewish propaganda, identifying Jewishness with bolshevism, that there are Americans who forget that Hitlerism is the very essence of all the perfidies which he charged to them. There came a time when President Roosevelt, perhaps hoping to prevent war, but more “likely for the sake of the black record of Hitlerism, asked Hitler to give assurances that he would not attack a long list of independent, peaceful and smaller nations, to which Hitler replied by asking each in turn whether it stood in fear of attack.

First Things Come First

MOST OF THEM gave frightened answers that they relied on his appearances of friendship, but one by one most of them were attacked, overrun and overwhelmed. Communism is, for a fact, a menace to the United States as this government, even under the New Deal, perhaps to its embarrassment, has acknowledged, but that does not mean that Hitlerism would protect this or any other nation from communism. That is a defense which the people of this country must undertake for themselves and, in the long run, the reviled and derided Dies committee of congress’ will be recognized as an early and efTective fighter against the menace. Hitler happens to be the military enemy of the moment and first things come first.

In Washington

By Peter Edson

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27. —President Roosevelt's indication that an exploratory united nations conference on post-war food supplies might be held sometime this spring points up consideration of how this critical problem of feeding Europe is to be handled this time. Relief for Europe cost the United States 2.3 billion dollars after the last war. The 300 million dollars was private funds—Red Cross, Quakers, Near East Relief and the like. The 2 billion dollars was government money, and the U. S. contribution represented approximately 85 per cent of all the relief handed out, the remaining 15 per cent coming from Great Britain and other countries. Theoretically, this 2 billion dollars worth of food relief was sold. The ex-enemy countries had to pay cash and did buy about 500 million dollars worth of surplus American wheat for which farmers had been paid $2 a bushel by act of congress. Liberated countries and the allied nations that needed relief got food on credit and that added about 1.4 billion dollars to the war debts which were never collected.

Pantry of Democracy.

THE TOTAI SHIPMENT of foods to Europe after world war I were 6.7 million tons, three-fourths of it cereals and sugar. Up. to Jan. 1, 1943, lend-lease shipments of food to united nations eouniries have reached 4.6 million tons or nearly two-thirds of the first post-war relief load. Less than a fourth of the lend-lease shipments have been grains and. sugar, the bulk being meats, dairy products, fruits—in short, vitamins, There you have the principal difference, aside from quantity, between feeding Europe after the last war and feeding the world after this one. Heavy wartime drains on U. S. food supplies, making this country the pantry as well as the arsenal of democracy, mean simply that when this war is over, the United States will not have the food surpluses she had in 1918-19 and lead to a conclusion

that feeding Europe after this war is a job for the |

united nations as a whole,

Political Danger Ahead

IT IS IN the execution of any united nations program that political danger lies. The refugee governments seated in London represent only people who got out of Europe ahead of the Nazis. It is entirely

possible that the people who had to stay'héme and |

A A

The Hoosier Forum

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

“WHAT'S MORE BENEFICIAL TO OUR CITY?” By Harry J. Gasper, 903 E. 11th st. Boy! Oh, boy!" What's more uplifting, invigorating and beneficial to our no mean city than a nice inter-party political fight. We have on one side Chief Beeker bowling over the penny ante poker games and corner pool rooms and

then not to. be outdone, along comes Mr. Blue, who with an extra $25,000 appropriation for help before the legislature, knocks off one of the reputed largest pool ticket manufactucers in the Middle West. It's just too bad Sherwood could not save this one for the circuit court race in ’44 but politics is politics.

commissioners to plug up some of

' {the holes in our city streets, this

for sure would be Utopia. P. 8S. I hope this can be worked out without taking any glory from the mayor's close political adviser, “Chuckhole Charlie.” » ® x 2 “SCHOOL 15 RATIONING

BOARD DESERVES PRAISE” By Mrs. Housewife, Indianapolis

Let me praise the work of the rationing . board at school 15 on East Michigan st. The cheerfulness at their work and willingness impressed me very much and deserves much publicity.

” ” » “AGAIN LIQUOR GUZZLERS HAVE THEIR WAY” By Mrs. H. M. W., Indianapolis

So once again the liquor guzzling population of Indianapolis has had their way. ’ It certainly is a shame and disgrace to think that the right kind of people never seem to get anywhere in this world of wickedness. Not even allowed the privilege of voting their part of this vice corrupted city dry. Satan sure is walking with his kind because liquor is Satan’s hobby. It seems mighty strange to me that no law is ever passed to make this a better world. No wonder we are in such a big war. God is trying in every way to bring people to their senses. To think of the terrible misery, expense and lowdown conditions caused by liquor and those stuff shirts and their crowd vote for the nasty stuff. We sure have a fine bunch of lawmakers. The world will never be any better as long as the ones in power have such rotten minds (or would money have something to do with it, or maybe politics?). 5 Wouldn't it be swell if we people

Now if we could get the county.

(Times readers are invited to express their views in these columns, religious controversies excluded. Because of the volume received, letters must be limited to 250 words. Letters must be signed.)

who are trying so hard for better conditions could change places with! those so important ones? I live by a tavern and no one has to tell me what they are. ” 2 ” “IS RICKENBACKER A CONTENDER FOR OFFICE?” By J. Haggerty, R. R. 6, Box 494 Many among us often wonder if our own Eddie Rickenbacker’s criticisms of the way the President and other equally competent Washington officials are running the war mark him as a possible contender for political honors after the war. His recent comments concerning the President's limitation of salaries and running of the production front take on the aspects of disrupting rather than urging unity of our “total war” effort. " His vigorous opposition to Roosevelt’s third term comes at a time when it seems frivolous to criticize while our sons are dying on the field of battle, and may I venture to say that there are many of our own boys who have performed far

more heroic deeds than Eddie's which never make the headlines. These hoys most certainly would be satisfied with $2500 a year rather than Rickenbacker’s proposed salary exceeding $25,000. Any normal man could have 50 dependents and still live luxuriously on $25,000 a year. In closing, may I add enly that if Rickenbacker is as firm a believer in the Bible as he claims, then he must have read the place where it says, in effect, “A camel has as much chance of passing through the eye of a needle as a rich man has of getting into heaven.” A subscriber of many years to your paper. ; 2 x = “VOICE IDEAS WON'T FEED THE BABY” By Mrs. Carroll Collins, Indianapolis Voice in the Crowd: : It could not have been a very large crowd for a man to have such

small ideas. Anonymous letters al-

Side Slances—By Galbraith

take it will have something to say about their-govern- |- | '* “3,

ment when this war is over, and the refigee govern- | |

ments may or may not in every case be ‘the Tiling faction. The question is whether to insist that all American

relief and rehabilitation be ladled out by American | field service men in post-war Europe where they

may have a voice in shaping the future of those countries, or whether this problem can be handled by international relief agencies—the first step, perhaps, toward the creation of an international police | force which might maintain order in this post-war be Let the isolationists chew on that one for a Ww. -

ways make me see red for they don’t carry convictions. Child labor laws, safety laws, compensation laws and sanitary laws have been passed through the efforts of union labor. Not by the employer. Of course, machinery has helped the laboring man but the employer has derived the most from | that, too. Would you go to a man’s enemy for the truth about him? You spoke of Ford. Well, that put you in a category with him. He even refused to co-operate with the government in the NRA. Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Every employer belongs to organizations for his own protection, whether it be Better Business, C. of C., Merchants or others. The laboring man should fold his hands and wait with baited breath for the ax to fall, according to your views. Any time you have to spare, if you will allow. me to continue my work, I'll be glad to explain with the simple method of two and two makes four, just what good the unions have done for the working man. No matter if a man ever belonged to a union or not, he has

derived benefits from other men’s|.

efforts in the union organizations. Voice, every country in the axis has had and kept labor's back to the wall. They began their dastardly scourge by fighting labor, then religion. Finally, they either

death. What marvelous ideas you have

name. . . . Your ideas won't feed the baby. Wake up and don’t fight labor. Help them, for they have

shoot the rest or starve them. to}

about labor and machinery, but no |!

Frankly Speak

| By Norman E. Isaacs

FOR THE MOMENT, of the merit law seems been solved very neatly legislature. There is sc however, among many su of the system whether mi be able to live through &h legislature. The law itself simply € method of nonpolitical employees. 1t gives the board limited powers truth of the matter is that the pay sche hours and the working conditions are such that Gorrell, member of the state prison board, has the state of Indiana a “modern Simon Legree.” The personnel board has been unable to evs proach the worst private business in hours and that is one of the principal reasons it is

| with not doing its job. The question, therefore, |

to be not one of merit at all, but one of working ditions. : How Union Operates

THE LEGISLATURE has found itself mostly S picious of the union which encompasses the tional employees—the American Federation of County and Municipal Employees. The leader of ‘the union in the state is Hans Rie mer, the state prison’s supervisor of inmate w a graduate of .Indiana university, a career man in government. Riemer argues that the employees were forced to the union since not a single individual or organization has ever done anything tangible for the workers. He points, too, to the fact that the unten is a constitutionally nonstriking one. The dues in the union are $1 a month. Of this amount, 30 cents is paid directly to the union's. international. Of this 30 cents, says the union, & cent and a half is paid directly to the parent A. F, of L., roughly 5 cents goes to the union's civil service department, another 5 cents to the research department, 10 cents for organizational work, and the remainder for administrative expense. Of the 70 cents remaining, the Indiana members allot: 50 cents to the state council of the union for its organizational, research and legislative expenses. Of the 20 cents remaining, the locals pay their individual central labor boards 3 cents, put 4 cents into the | state federation of labor and keep 13 cents for their own expenses.

Next Two Years Critical

THE UNION is interested in merit, but hardly: as a primary issue. They like the merit law because it gives tenure to their jobs, but they take the position that the merit law has not served to improve pay, hours or working conditions,

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The next {wo years are concededly going to be

among the worst in manpower shortage Dp Private industry simply cannot get the help. lows, then, that the state will find it in hard. : That being true, our state institutions are li in for a terrible siege. You cannot let 23,000 unfortunates shift for themselves. You have to have some 3000 people to take care of them. And whether you can get 3000 competent people to take these jo at the pay and hours is doubtful. a With merit operating, the merit system is certain to get all the blame. That is why so many friends of merit believe it is doomed, no matter what th legislature does. - j Merit cannot avoid the impact tha is coming. 1 can only soften it. 3 The only moral to merit: When the house this ° week cut out the appropriation for the merit system, five guards quit at the state prison. Result: Five openings. Today. COLES

Our Hoosiers By Daniel M. Kidney

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2. Red haired Rep. Charles M, Evansville Republican, “returned here from a visit back home and told his colleagues that i ionism is dying, if not dead, in diana. A Wendell L. Willkie internationalist in his own thinking, Mr. ‘LaFollette hazarded the predietion

helped you, whether you know it or not, ” ” »

“ENJOYED ARTICLES OF BROMFIELD AND WICKARD” By Edward F, New, 1303 Inland bldg. I enjoyed the articles published in The Times by Bromfield and answered by Wickard. It looks a little like a dogfall, but this and many other services of The. Times ought to help wake us up to a reasonably fair evaluation of the true situation. The indictment of Bromfield was that nothing has been ‘done (except

by Wickard seems to be what is| known as a plea of “confession and avoidance” in this: That while Bromfield has undoubtedly overstated the case, yet we have done something. Look, “three million unskilled workers obviously are better than no workers at all.” Crops still unharvested? True, but “as at this date there is no shortage of soybean crushing facilities.” Dairy cows sold for lack of help? “True, but (confession and avoid-

bungling) ; the answer to the charge |.

that the new viewpoint in fhe state soon will be reflected among other Hoosier congressmen. Thus far his eight Republican colleagues have not. shared his ideas along this line. Mr. LaFollette’s new enthusiasm is predicated on two meetings at which he talked while in the state. One was a G. O. P, rally for Governor Harold of Minnesota at Evansville and the other was a me ing of the Indiana Committee for Victory at se, © lumbia club in Indianapolis. =

'Of Presidential Stature’

PLEASED WITH his visit with Governor Si Mr. LaFollette had the highest praise for the ; Minnesotan and declared that “he is of presidenti stature.” “Governor Stassén is in dead earnest about ‘war and the kind of peace that is to follow,” Follette said. “He is going inte the navy with litical aspirations laid aside for the duration. have met a more sincere man.” Declaring that he did not know whether Mr. ¥ kie might switch his voting residence from New city to Rushville and become a native sen pre candidate from Indiana in 1944, Mr. LaFollette this regarding the 1940 G. O. P. leader's latest

to the state:

“Mr. Willkie was given a great ovation by publicans when he spoke in Indianapolis. The ness against him seems to have about died myself always have admired and supported }

| By: Lillian Dinechart, Indianapolis

% | baitle of the fourth term!

“Yeslerdey. you loved rev ody it's aa Tenatrow it'll be. Dick~ | know how you feel! | had an awful time mali up my - mind about your grandpal

ance) many cows have been saved. Also, dairy cows arelreally on the increase over last yedr” and so on. The articles remind one somewhat of an old-fashioned debate on “which is the more valuable the horse or the cow.” It's not a de-

be worthless trying to do a horse's assignment. So with the Bromfield and Wickard argument, has Wickard done “too little as usual” as Ernie says, or just how long is a string? > » » 2

“SIDETRACK WAR FOR FOURTH.TERM FIGHT?”

So now we shall sidetrack fight-| ing the war and engage in the ‘Which will give Shickelgruber great satisfaction.

|= Are we ‘about to establish the

Roosevelt dynasty, or will the Re-

publicans drep their private feuds

ng come through?

DAILY THOUGHT

© Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and

_ maintain their cause—I Kings.

8:45. SO A GOOD prayer, though often

-|used, ‘is still fresh and fair in the | ears and eyes of Heaven.—Fuller. [a

planning a real necessity. make quick meals mare difficult.

We the Women By Ruth Millet

batable subject. They are both]: | valuable. A cow is much more val-!: uable for milk, while the cow would |

-

FOOD RATIONING is women back inte the ki whether they like it or not. goes for the working wife as as the stay-at-home. = Gone are the days woman could stop: by the ¢ tessen or gracery on her way - from the office or a bridge pick up the makings of a mes have ‘it on the table het fairly appetizing in hait Precious sation coupons are going to make They are also

And since so little can be bought by

‘system many more women are going to have their summers canning, If they work ou

home, that just means that Saturday and

"have to be spent in the kitchen, putting up ul vegetables for the winter months. a

‘Horse and Buggy Life

ONCE MORE THE kitchen is going to Togt unpoetant rom In tue holwe: £3