Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 29 May 1943 — Page 10

ih Indianapolis Times

«% RALPH BURKHOLDER ‘Editor, in U. 8. Service WALTER LECKRONE Editor

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5 Give Light and the People wit Find Their Own Way

SATURDAY, MAY 29, 1943

i }

NTY.FIVE years ago the young and vigorous veterans of a great war proclaimed a national day of memo‘for the purpose of strewing with flowers. . . the raves ' comrades who died in defense of their country . .. Most of these veterans are gone, now, and the few who left are neither young nor vigorous. A man who was years old when their great war ended would be 90 today. the Grand Army of the Republic has itself become a memBut their day of memorial has become an American itution—a time when Americans pay reverent tribute he glorious dead of all wars and strew with flowers the aves of all who have fought for this country. Many a grave of an honored warrior will be bare of 8 on this Memorial day of 1943—new graves in disesert and jungle and ocean. To their memory, too, this * is dedicated in the midst of war—to the heroes of taan and Morocco and the convoy route to Murmansk less than® to those of Gettysburg and San Juan and uteau Thierry. 8» » Mh ; HERE will be little holiday spirit this year. The grass is growing green on the speedway track, and the drone otors over Indianapolis comes only from a passing ware in 1943. There will be few excursions, not many picS, very little amusement. Most of us will be hard at rk, forging weapons to make certain that the cause for ich they died shall not be lost. Many of us will be der at work than on ordinary days, giving an extra hour, added effort, or a little more sacrifice toward the victory » which these men gave everything. There can be 1 no better mefmotial than that.

How nearly the new arrangement meets that need will easier to judge three or four months hence. We hope nestly that it will justify the most optimistic¥expectafor the mext three or four months seem likely to be ive ones on the home front. Mr. Roosevelt achieved erpiece of understatement when he said: ‘We are entering a phase of the war effort when we t streamline vur activities, avoid duplication and overping, eliminate interdepartmental friction, make deciwith dispatch, and keep our military machine and ssential civilian economy running in team and at high ” Most of us thought we had elered that phase on the : of Pearl Harbor, and many of us believe we have been through it under inexcusably heavy handicaps of 2 authority and divided responsibility. There is eviderice to that effect lon every hand—in the ent sad state of the effort to coftr ‘ol prices, in the faulty ibution of food, in the growing rebellion of organized against wage controls, in the rising complaints that civilian economy is being needlessly punished, in the ous attempts by congress to impose reorganization es of its own. Eos 2» RECTOR BYRNES has a lot of lost ground to recover. “As we understand the order, he becomes a sort of ty president, advised by a committee whose members War Secretary Stimson, Navy Secretary Knox, ChairHopkins of the munitions ‘assignment board, Chair‘Nelson of the war production board and Justice Vinson, director of economic stabilization.

un 8 2

He apparently is authorized to exercise the president’s

over most branches of the war program except the fighting, including the b government departments and agencies. i dn paper, at least, that is a long step forward. In much will depend on the courage and skill of Diyrnes, and more on Mr. Roosevelt's willingness to him up in the tremendously di ficult situations certain ise if he undertakes to do | things that urgently ng. ithout a more courageous fischl policy, for example, ttle against inflation will be lost. | ‘Mr. Byrnes and Vinson should insist that congress impose heavier d compulsory savings, getting most of the addimoney out of the under-$5000 income brackets, where ‘the dangerous excess purcliasing power lies. If ) that, will the president support them, or will he tary f Messen” and the treasury override their ”

2 8 x Mr. Roosevelt continue to deal directly with the labor leaders, over the heads of Mr. Byrnes and ttee, on matters involving wages, use of civilian and the like? Will chiefs of departments and who may be aggrieved by Mr. Byrnes’ settlements tional quarrels be able to go to the president and pu president reversed?

| wers to such questions will deers. whether |

war Hobilisstion is a genuine solution for war-

it delegations of vast authority heralded their. fine purposes fail.

ower to settle disputes be- |

Fair Enough

By Westbrook: Pegler

SAN DIEGO, Cal, May 29.— Joseph Curran, president of the National Maritime union, which faithfully follows the party line, has written me a long letter in reply to my comments on his draft deferment and other matters. He asks that, in fairness, his statement be published, and I am delighted to comply, not only because I am very fair, but because he puts up some inviting targets which I will blow down in further essays. © Curran, or, perhaps, Victor Weingarten, another bluff sailor who released the letter under the title of assistant pullic relations director of the union, is very long-winded, however, so I must allow myself the liberty of condensing the letter. As an old-time press association pony editor, I believe I can do this

without injury to the truth or injustice to these two |:

old salts. They say my comments contained several misstatements and omissions and doubt that I will print their verison. They say Curran didn’t ask deferment and, that this was done by the union in his absence. Curran then told the union to ask his draft board to let him serve as a merchant sailor because he is a skilled seaman, and thought, he could be more useful at sea. The board, however, did defer him so that he could continue his job of “keeping our merchant ships manned.”

Accused of Overlooking 'Facts'

THE SAY merchant service messboys do not get $100 a week from the government but $87.50 a month plus $100 a month while at sea. They get no extra pay or bonus in port. They say Admiral Land of the war shipping administration says merchant seamen average $57 a week, but themselves insist that unlicensed sailors average only $33 a week, for a maximum of eight months’ employment per year. In peacetime they “virtually starved, working an average of four to six months.” They say I should have mentioned that 4198 merchant seamen have died “in the service of their country” and the “fact” that the powners- made a profit of $26,974,176 for 80 trips to the Red sea and the Persian gulf with lend-lease supplies. I am accused of overlooking “the fact” that the WSA has given contracts to the shipowners complete with bonuses and cost-plus clauses which relieve them

of all responsibility for delays and poor loading.

“which have already cost many lives and cargoes because of negligence.”

“Under their arrangements,” the letter says, “these:

owners will, just as they did in the last war, receive their vessels for a song.” I am sorry for this jerky style, but I am boiling an awful lot of language of this letter in order to present the arguments in my. allotted spread of white paper.

'Omissions’ Are Listed

WELL, I “omit the fact” that since Pearl Harbor no ship “in our jurisdiction” has been delayed in sailing and that some union sailors have been torpedoed as many as nine times. I “omit the fact” that the N. M. U. replaced other organizations in which racketeers stole the men’s money and allowed “no democracy.” The N. M. U. makes quarterly financial reports, strikes are called only by referendum and there has been none during the war. Candidates are elected by secret ballot under supervision of the Honest Bailot association, and records and pictures of candidates appear in the official publication during campaigns. I failed to say that the civilian union sailors have to keep their families, buy their clothes, pay taxes and

maintain themselves during unemployment on their |»

$33 a week or that WSA allowed the shipowners to write off as overhead $1,200,000 which they gave to the United Seamen’s Service, the merchant marine’s equivalent of the U. S. O. “with much fanfare.” Curran and/or Weingarten says or say that Curran always favored war against fascism. He was against Mussolini's Ethiopian expedition and Japan's invasion of China and the letter says “We seamen” fought inst delivery of scrap to Japan and “were almost jailed” in 1935 when they and Harry Bridges’ West coast longshoremen tried to boycott shipments which since have been fired back at our troops.

'In Favor of Fighting Fascism

HE WAS in favor of fighting fascism when Franco, with the help of Mussolini and Hitler, used

Spain as a trial ground for this war and when Czech- |

oslovakia was dismembered “because Chamberlain and the appeaser crowd were busy sellmg their countries down the river in the hope that Hitler would move east and leave them alone.” oT “In my opinion,” meaning Curran’s, “this did not become a people’s war until the Soviet~Union was

attacked and the government of Britain, under Mr. |. .

Churchill, pledged all of its resources to destroy the Fascist armies. And, even with the efforts of President Roosevelt, Mr. Churchill and the Soviet Union

| and other united nations for an all-out war against

fascism, there are still some who balk against our collective security program just as they balked in the" days of Spain, China and Ethiopia.” In closing, the letter says, “I am bringing these things to your attention because I believe an accurate reporter interested in getting the facts would want to know them. “I am sending this letter to you because during a recent discussion one said if given the facts you would present them.” ~ .1 believe this condensation does tilly present Curran’s contentions.

We the People By Ruth Millett

YOU REMEMBER don’t you? He is the 3-year-old son of one of this war’s first heroes, Capt. Colin P. Kelly Jr, who was posthumously awarded the distinguished service cross for sinking the Japanese battleship Haruna. Well, Corky's mother, who re-

“Corky »

cently took a job in a California |

war plant, kept ing into “No Children” signs 1 looking for a quarters for herself and Corky. When she recently made her predicament public she was offered numerous places to live. After all, Corky was not just any little boy. Not only was his father a war hero, but Corky was famous in his own right, having been nominated to West Point in 1956 by President Roosevelt himself.

‘So, Corky has a place to live.

But there are a lot of other boys Corky’s age, whose

mothers are married to servicemen whose names aren’t familiar to house and apartment owners.

Other Fighters rave ' Sons, Too

THEY HAVEN'T yet had a chance to become heroes—perhaps theyll never be heroes. So, their wives are still running into “No Children” sighs when they look for places to live—and the home and apartment owners who put up such signs make no exceptions for them: Your father has to be a national hero before ihe “No Children” bans are lifted, Junior. If all he has done is to leave his home and family and give. a Jjob.or profession to fight for democ-

out, of luck. That |

en she went |

THE Pm APOTTS TIMES "These Dead Shall Not Have Died In. Vain’

The Hoosier Forum

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

“IN REGARD TO SAFETY ZONE ORDINANCE” By Jesse Johnson, 1036 N. Illinois st.

In regard to streetcar and railway busses displaying signs of the no smoking ordinance in a public conveyance, there is also another ordinance, I believe passed over the honorable mayor's veto, making it an offense to pass on the inner side of a safety zone, which rushed traffic through downtown but hampered streetcars and busses to a certain imaginary extent . . . what I wish to know has the Indianapolis Railways a representative on city council who is stronger than our honorable mayor, or if that is too personal, have they a representative on the city council? ” » ” “PROOF OF PUDDING ISN'T BY READING RECIPE” By Edward F, Maddox, 959 W. 28th st. To Mr. Zufall: What socialism is speaks so loud we can’t hear nor believe what you say in its defense. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, not by reading the recipe. So . .. I give you Stalin’s Soviet Socialist republics and Hitler's national socialism as plain and positive proof that my definition of socialism is the only correct one. Read history , . . recent history. Be guided by facts, not theories or professed doctrines. If you want Christianity, follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, not Karl Marx. Marx was an atheist. He is the prophet and priest of socialism. He said, “Religion is the opium of the people.” “You cannot serve two masters”| . A bitter pill, like socialism, must be sugar-coated to get it down the throats of the people. My definition of socialism is based on what it is, not what it says. You can’t hide the truth any longer. 2 ” 8 WAKE UP, AMERICA, STOP DAY-DREAMING By W. F., Indianapolis. Now, as never before in ‘the entire history of this war, is the time when we must think sanely and act the same way. We have people in this nation

{who need very little encourage-

ment to start celebrating a “world-

(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.)

wide victory” each and every time some allied troops make a slight gain. True, -the Tunisian victory was a splendid victory.

But right now we should make

every effort possible to stop all this insane talk of the war ending by Christmas, 1943. The African campaign was just a preliminary bout. The main bout will take place when we attempt to invade Germany on their home ‘Jot. We know from the experience we gained in actual warfare just how tough the German is when his home is in danger. The Russian is an example of that. His history in the last war shows that at home he was a lion, but when he left the home lot, he was a total bust. While Italy may lie down, after a token resistance, I am sure that our generals in the field do not expect to have any walkaway, or pushover, for Germany has for the past several years gradually taken over the command of the Italian army and many of her officers are in Italy, at the head of this “pushover” army. Then on the other side of the U. 8S A is the yellow peril and it is real. Wake up, dreaming.

America, stop day-

® =n “OFFICER ON BUS

SMOKES A CIGAR” By Vincent Leigh, 436 E. Sumner rd. Usually the Indianapolis police force upholds its reputation pretty well, but it seems to be making a slipup on the new smoking ordi‘nance. The Students at Butler university were requested to refrain from smoking on public conveyances several months ago, and they seem to be co-operating very well. On Monday, May 24, several of us students were shocked to see an

Side Glances—By Galbraith

|

officer of the law—in uniform— board the Circle-bound N. Meridian bus with a large, smelly cigar clenched between his teeth. He sat down and continued to puff away on his stogie, One of the coeds who was also on the bus went so far as to casually point to one of the two “No Smoking” signs which were pasted on the windows. The patrolman . . . {looked at her with rdised eyebrows jE continued to send up clouds of blue smoke. As soon as the bus reached New York and Meridian sts., (the officer put his cigar out. As to the very diligent Patrolman Dunwoody and his proclamation of May 26, 1943 (The Indiahapolis Times): If he wants to really be fair, I invite him to pinch his own colleague, If the cops who are supposed to enforce such ordinances

ww

Our Hooders fe By Daniel M. Kidney -

WASHINGTON, May 29. Marty tin Miller, who represents 't Brotherhood: of Railroad Traine men here, if ready to testify that the Hobbs anti-racketeering® bill .is so loosely drawn that a train crew could be prosecuted if the train didn’t arrive on time. Coming originally from Terre Haute, Mr. Miller long has been a legislative representative for his union. He spent many years representing the organization at sessions of the Indiana state legislature and has been their representative here for several years, Passed by the house, th® Hobbs bill now is in the senate. judiciary committee. Senator Frederick Vane Nuys (D. Ind.) is the committee chairman and proms ised a C. I. O. delegation from Indiana that he woul see that hearings are held. He appointed Senato Joseph C. O'Mahoney (D, Wyo.) chairman of the subcommittee to conduct them. In support of his contention that the bill is badl drawn, Mr. Miller made public a letter from Presi= dent A. F. Whitney of the Brotherhood of Railrgad Trainmen. The letter was addressed to Se i VanNuys and reads, in part, as follows: “Rep. Sam Hobbs (D, Ala.) in Kis efforts to shackle labor, seeks to create a new body of lapor law and threatens to impair workers’ morale, thereby impeding the war effort...

'No Public’ Hearings Held'

“NO PUBLI(¢ HEARINGS were had on this bill in) the house, either before the judiciary or rules come mittee. , “The orovitions of the bill, particularly Title I, are designed to throttle all forms of legitimate labor

union activities, even those on which our highest tribunal has placed its approval, as in the case of Thornhill vs. Alabama, wherein it was declared that “the dissemination of information concerning the facts of a labor dispute must be regarded as within the area of free discussion that is. guaranteed by the constitution.’ “Occasionally, untoward incidents occur on picket lines. These are usually minor breaches of the peace and can be prosecuted under local laws. Serious disturbances have occurred on picket lines which have been deliberately brought about, and can again be caused by ‘agents provocateurs’ of reactionary eme ployers. There is ample evidence on this subject in the files of the senate committee on edueation and labor, “Under the Hobbs hill, serious breaches of the peace, induced by professional labor-baiters, could result in the punishmént of “innocent workers by hostile prosecutors and judges. ‘Drawn to Terrorize Labor’ “THE SEVERE PENALTIES prescribed in the bill, 20 years imprisonment, léads us to believe that the bill has been drafted to terrorize legitimate labor unions; .otherwise, why this extreme punishment? ° “We are convinced by the background of the Hobbs bill that this nefarious measure shows a clear ine tent to terrorize and destroy organized labor, rather than to prevent racketeering. . + “Certainly, the Brotherhood of ‘Railroad Trainmen and its officers and members would have ‘no fear of legislation directed at racketeers. > 4 “Title II could be so construed as to bring within the scope of its penal provisions innocent, conscientious trainmen. There are daily many delays to trains of all kinds. Some are due to the congestion caused by the volume of present-day traffic. Many delays are caused by managerial inefficiency. “It is conceivable that the responsibility for some delay might be shifted to a worker, and criminal

violate the law themselves, why aren’t other people justified in the

intent charged under the provisions of this bill.”

violation? , . .

"i. [1 “MOTHERS ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS TO FACE” By Mrs. H. D. B., Indianapolis. I am the mother of a year-old baby and I wish to write in regard to the letter of Mrs. W. C. P. You say it isn’t fair to give meat stamps to babies and small children when a man is working 10 hours a night and must do without meat in his lunch because there are only two in the family. I know of a lot of people with only two in the family and they get along on their red stamps and fix. lunches too. + There are only two in our family besides the baby, and my husband and I could use every one of our canned goods stamps but—our baby uses two and one-half cans of baby food a day and sometimes more. This takes at least 75 points a month and he is only allowed 48. I'm not even counting the juices he drinks and they take points too, you know. The only meat stamps he uses are for the small amount of bacon and butter that he eats. I would gladly exchenge red stamps for blue ones if that were possible, but since it isn't we do run a little short of canned goods sometimes. So you see, Mrs. W. C. P., we mothers also have our problems to face, but we just have to do the best we can. Here's hoping we won't have to have rationing very long. ” ” EJ “GOOD LUCK TO YOU, PATROLMAN DUNWOODY” By Lester Wilson, 1621 Carrollton ave. Hats off to Patrolman Dunwoody for his arrest of the first cigaret smoker on a trolley. I hope he gets his share of the rest. For anyone who is such a slave to cigarets that they can’t do withcut them for a short bus, trolley or streetcar ride should be arrested and who in the world wants to ride any kind of passenger carrying vehicle in a cloud of second hand cigaret smoke. I hope soon they pass a law against smoking . . . at luncheon counters, for those of us who hate the filthy things can’t sit down at a lunch counter in town anywhere and eat a decent meal without someone, and mostly women, puffing smoke backward and forward across your plate. . . . So, good luck to you Patrolman Dunwoody, keep up the good work. Of course, you have enemies, for anyone who is doing the Sight 1 Shine preachers in

pl Tove om aches tn the

‘| trying to get people to do what is

right in the law of God and in His sight. ‘I am for you, carry on.

DAILY THOUGHTS

My son, hear: the instruction of thy father, and forsake ‘not the

law of of thy other Povle 1:8.

" unsettled cases piles up and strikes are ten

In Washington

By Peter Edson

WASHINGTON, May 29.—Anye thing constructive obtained from the war labor board from here on in should be considered strictly as so much windfall gain, on bore rowed time. For the sad fact ig that the poor, battered board, sincere and conscientious as it is, hard as it has tried, has been backed against the wall by a combination of sternal and. exe ternal forces tending—to put“ it prettily——to impair its effectiveness. How it can last much longer in its present form is hard to figure. Twice recently, and several times before, the board has threatened to resign in a bunch. First crisis was on jurisdiction over railway labor disputes. The board's own threatened “strike” on this issue got results, and the president did award to former Economic Stabilization Director’ Byrnes aue thority to deal with railway wage cases, with a side order to the railway labor national mediation board panels to make their decisions in keeping with WLB policies. The board thereupon assumed Jurisdiction over all labor cases. In other words, the war labor voard went oug¥ begging for trouble in insisting that the railroad Tabot : wage cases be tied in with its efforts.

Hold-the-Line' Surprise

SECOND THREATENED walkout of the war lahop board was over the president’s “hold-thesline order of April 8. This order came with as much surprise to WLB as it did to the country. = Lawyer Ben Cohen, of the old Tommy Corcorane Ben Cohen team, is generally given credit for have ing drafted the order. Cohen is now counsel for Mr, Byrnes. WLB, manpower and war food administra tion chiefs were not consulted on any of its provie sions, though the order affects all three. ~“WLB, being particularly stymied by the wage freeze in section two, was ready to throw in the sponge and quit. Pressure was applied to keep the board funce tioning, but ever since the order, the ‘board has been trying to establish what the “going rates” are for work in all occupations and all labor market areas, so that limits could be determined for raising sube standard wages, as directed by the order. Much more time will be required to make those determinations, and in the meanwhile the backlog of to multiply in protest over the inability of the board to get out from under.

Backlogs Breed Defiance

REGIONAL WLB offices have a backlog of some 17,000 voluntary cases waiting to be handled. These _ are the cases in which employer and employee agrees” to an increase within the Little Steel formula, Dise pute cases in the regional offices number about 1000 waiting for action. - In Washington the backlog may be 8000 cases, but that will include 7000 or so voluntary cases already handled by regional boards and merely sent to nae tional board headquarters for review by mists, John L. Lewis has succeeded in defying the ag and that ope thing has backed it to the wall. Maybe it is wrong for one citizen to defy his government and back it against the wall, but that is an accessory after the fact, as the lawyers say. If Lewis fuse -to accept the board's ‘d¥ders, why can't The rubber workers in Akron did it, in

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