Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 19 August 1943 — Page 17

Hoosier Vagabond

IN SICILY y ‘who ‘have followed’ this a pen pointed’ mainly at the common soldier— let th known G. I.—for lo, these many months, and +3 e exalted ‘high command shift for itself, ' But now for the next few days we are going to reverse things and write about the American general. This is because he is pretty important but not very well known to ' the public, and because I thought you might feel a little better if you knew what kind ‘of man was in direct charge of your boys who have been doing the fighting in Sicily. The man speak of is Lt. Gen. Omar ‘Nelson Bradley, who is the head of a corps of the United Ste Gen. Bradley is: what you might call : rd in the American command over here. Gen, Eisenhower is at the top of everything, Lt, Gen. George 8. Patton Jr. is the head man for our forces in Sisily; “And Lt. Gen.‘ Bradley commands the corps Which has heen making the main effort. I make no bones about that fact that I am a tre- & us admirer of Gen. Bradley.

Came to Africa. in February

‘GEN. ADLEY came to Africa .in mid-February and join the front-line troops at Gafsa, in central Tunisia, during the bitter fighting at El Guettar. He Ration." corps commander then, under Gen.’ n.

¢ | After

(By. Wireless. yond all column know, we have

~ States army.

ettar Gen. Patton was called back to the preparations for the Sicilian invasion, en, Bradley. was put in command of a corps for th Soal great phase of our fight in northern Tunisia. 2 dled that campaign so well that after it

] was ‘was promoted to lieutenant general, given

AUG. 19, 1943

‘a distinguished setvice medal, and decorated twice by the French, He has continued to d a corps through the Sicilian campaign, and again -he has handled it with distinction, Nobody knows what lies ahead for him, but. we who have seen him work cannot believe that his ‘path leads-anywhere but upward. When Gen. Bradley" fitst showed up at Gafsa he hardly said a word for two weeks, He just worked around absorbing everything and getting acquainted, ‘telling everybody to keep on doing his job just as he had been doing. ‘In fact, he hasn't said very much right up to ‘this. moment. Yet after a few weeks his infiuence: began to be felt, and gradually, before anyone was hardly aware of it, he had this corps in the palm of his hand, and every man in it would now go to hell and back again for him.

Simplicity—-and Vice Versa en

ONE DAY a colonel stopped. me under a tree and said this about the general: “He has the greatness of simplicity and “the simplicity of greatness.” . ; A second lieutenant friend of mine who has served with the: Canadians and been twice decorated for bravery told me Chis: “He is the finest officer, without exception, that I have ever served under.” And new and then you'll hear a correspondent remark something like this: “Say, that" Bradley is my man. I think he’s an old fox.” But: Gen. Bradley isn't an old fox at all. He is too direct to be a fox. If he has two outstanding traits they are simplicity and honesty, He is just what he] is, and that happens to be a plain Middle Westerner with common sense and common honesty who has studied and practiced all his adult life for the job he is doing now. And he is doing it in just the same calm way he would play a game of bridge or drive a car to the station.

Inside Indianapolis By Lowell Nussbaum

L."W. LEWIS, 633 Division st., has a short-snorter dollar bill which he received in change and which he’s willing to return to the original owner, "About the only signature. he can make out is “Bill Cart.” After

the names is the notation: “Passengers in plane landed Patterson field, N. J.,, May 20, 1943,” presumably after an Atlantic ‘hop. . .|. We hear quite a few dogs have n burned severe"ly by contact with calcium chloride sprinkled on [unimproved streets by the city to lay the dust. Out at 37th and ord, an Irish setter and a boxer | pup were severely blistered. Dr, J. T. Redmon, the veterinarian, said he has treated several dogs similarly burned. If : your dog gets calcium chloride on Lt him, wash quickly and apply a solution, then vaseline as first aid, Doc said. . . . The Marmon-Herrington. News, plant publication, is our source for the. following: verheard in Plant Transportation Committee Chairman Bill, Klett’s office: ‘My tires aren't so good. e air has begun to show through.’” :

That Good Fudge

SOMETHING GOOD is going to be missing from the Wabash st. Service Men’s center for the next two or three months. It’s that rich, creamy fudge that rs. Adolph Seidensticker, wife of the postmaster, has ‘been whipping up for the boys. She’s been making 18 or '20 pounds a week and sending it down with Ida Make Oakley of the, OCD motor corps. The boys adore it. Often, some of them will ask: “Say, isn’t it about time for the postmaster’s wife* to make some more of that fudge?” But Mrs, Seidensticker is going east for a couple of months to rest and visit relatives in Pennsylvania and New York. So, no more for a while. Maybe someone else. will volunteer. to substitute. , . . Garfield park is a popular meeting place for model airplane “pugs.” Large. crowds gather Sundays to watch grown “boys” fly gas motored models, held in {leash with wires. Last Sunday, a wire broke on cne

Prestige in Asia

NEW DELHI, Aug. 19 Allied prestige in the countries of Asia is gaining ground with each successive allied victory on the battlefields of Burope. ‘This process has only ‘begun, but we are on the way &t least, to repairing the huge damage inflicted on the white man’s standing in the Orient by the dazzling Jap military conquests in the month following Pearl Harbor. Nevertheless, allied arms will have to make a great deal more progress in both Europe and Asia before Asia's millions are convinced that Japan isedoomed to certain defeat. Our propaganda program in most parts of occupied Asia has been sterile. The majority of American observers on the spot believe it will fefnain so until the united nations are able to present a clearly enunciated program for the political future of the Asiatic peoples. Meanwhile, our most potent sources of prestige in 3 is must stem irom the growing respect for allied jlitary progress and the realization in most of the "occupied countries that, whatever may be the allies post-war program in Asia, it could not be as bad as what the Japanese have: brought them under the of a “new order.” rn results from the switch’ in allied fortunes

already are plainly evident:

Thdia’s Hopes Fading :

IN INDIA, our European successes have just about demolished any hope : that the Indian nationalists y have had of profiting from a close war to force te British to acquiesce in their demands. Their bittertiess has not diminished but their helplessness and resignation have increased.’

My Day

y HYDE PARK, Wednesday —T have just. been reading. a’ book called: “Khaki Is More Than a Color,” by ‘Sgt. M. H. E. Marsden. He tells the story of the boy, any boy, when he goes in, how he adjusts to the new be Teele way of life, how he learns to drill and to use a rifle. It is an excel-

lent commentary on the fact that

we did not bring up a generation of young mento conquer the world. It is the story of about the ups and downs ‘of our men in training. “There is none of the excitement that comes in a book when a man is telling his. actual fighting experiences. Here is a boy who loves music, who makes the remark when he goes on leave: “At, dinner. it. seemed Strange. to see ‘the

“worid,

in our democratic American army, how .

model and it crashed to earth, wrecking itself. “Pilot

escaped uninjured,” its owner quipped wryly.

Gone Fishing

SIGN ON A FILLING station on_38th between Capitol and Illinois Tuesday: “Gone fishing. Be hack Thursday.” Wonder what the boss would say if we tried that some, Tuesday instead of wfiting a column. Maybe we dood it. . . . The state health board’s weekly bulletin, “Bill O’ Health,” reports that Mrs. Rose Raff, weights and measures secretary, was stymied recently “when a woman telephoned to inquire the definition of a ‘lug’ Now Rosie (we quote) thought a lug was a person who stood little higher than a'worm, and other

unspeakable things, so she pleaded ignorance. Later|"

when she referred to ‘Webster, she was surprised to find that a lug was an old measure of length, varying from 15 to 20 feet and was sometimes called a rod or perch.” . , | Mexican chewing gum is the newest jaw exerciser on the market. It tastes very much like the standard variety.

Around the Town

SEEN ON ILLINOIS ST. yesterday: E. W. (Steve) Harter, “man about town,” all dressed up and carrying a minnow bucket which he was opening at every opportunity to Show friends a 4%-pound smallmouth bass, on ice, which he caught in the Tippecanoe river. He explained he was on his way to show it to Dr. Joe Kernel. . . . One of the WAVE recruiters called up while we were gone yesterday and left word we had pulled a terrible boner. We said Hunter college, where WAVES train, was on Long Island, whereas it’s in the Bronx. So it’s in the Bronx. ... ., The nine officers and enlisted men who arrived here yesterday to present “Action Overhead”—the army's free chemical warfare demonstration—at Victory field tonight brought with them from Dayton a pressing problem in the form of 34 large bundles of dirty clothes. Overnight laundry service is a thing of the past, but with the co-operation of the Indianapolis Laundry association and. its secretary, Blaine Miller, the boys will leave here with clean clothing. It took the co-opera-tion of five laundries to do the Job—Excelsior, Crown, Best Grand, Progress and United.’

Hy A. T. Steele

In China, good news from Europe and the South Pacific undoubtedly is , having a most important | bolstering influence upon its difficult and dangerous

internal situation.: China’s experiences would almost

be unbearable were the country not convinced that the allies are winning the war and that the end, as Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek .indicated in a recent speech, at last is in sight. There is evidence: that the news of allied war gains is filtering even into some Japanese-controlled regions of the Far East and making the Jap task more difficult. In occupied China, the remarkably efficient “bamboo wireless” is: defying Jap attempts to keep the people in the dark about world happenings. In “Burma, certain amounts of truth about the war filter across the frontier from India. In Thailand ard French Indo-China, listening to allied broadcasts is still a popular indoor sport.

Jap Control Is Tight

IN OTHER occupied territories of the Orient, tight Jap control makes it almost impossible for the allies to present their case, though recent long distance raids by Gen. Douglas MacArthur's bombers against vital targets in the Dutch East Indics must be giving Indonesians a little ‘food for thought. In the absence of any comprehensive Pacific charter supported by the combined backing of - united nations, statements of individual British and American men on: Asia’s: political future have ceased to have much propaganda value in this part of the For instance, President Roosevelt's recent speech pledging respect for the right of all peoples to ch the’ form of government under which they will live, created scarcely a ripple here in India. Such a declaration a year ago would have .been headline news.

By Eleanor Roosevelt

Vartonks; sometimes being told like-children what to eat by top sergeants, who do not do it quite as gently as it was done at home when they were young. Once grown accustomed to living with an army of men around them, they say to themselves when they go home, as Sgt. Marsden does, “I suppose that in time I will get used to living with so few people in my life.” These men grow very close and yet; when they have to separate, that is accepted as part of the fortunes of war. Perhaps the deepest lesson of all is that a, man stands by himself. on. his own feet: and carries his own burdens.

Christmas in camp and ‘the Enowlbdge that now they are trained and the closing words of the book

By Ernie Pole

- Students Engrossed in ; War Work.

Marion county's public ‘ school children who will return to the classroom Sept. 7 were “never as earnest, never did so much,” to use a quote of DeWitt S. Morgan, superintendent of public schools. Last year the enrollment in city and county schools was 70,000. This year school officials do not know exactly what the enrollmers will be, This summer thousands of high school age children have been working in war jobs and non-essen-tial industries. Two and a_ half times more work permits were issued this summer than last—a total of 5449 to city students. Some of these students will - not return to school. Thousands Employed

Over 12,000 new permits and several thousand renewals of old ones have been granted since last September. About 35 per cent of rural pupils are working on farms, but permits for other work are not granted. School officials said they would not be able to tell how many students entering school this fall would spend part of their time working in industry. City schools have instituted night courses for students who work during the day. Begun last year, the classes will be held at Manual and Crispus Attucks high schools. County schools do not have night courses, but Superintendent H. F. Griffey said that war-working children could make up work in summer school.

Emergency On

“An emergency is on,” DeWitt S. Morgan, . superintendent of city schools, said. “But there is only one time to get an education—during school age years. However, we are making every possible adjustment to aid the war effort. 4 Increased studying ‘and working may seem conflicting, however, as Mr. Morgan stated, “children never were as earnest, never carried as much work.” The growing effort of the’ county’s youth to contribute to victory also may appear to conflict with reports of alarming figures on. juvenile delinquency. “We must not concentrate so much on the relatively small amount of delinquency, a rather on making our fine. “better,” Mr. Morgan said. “The antidote to delinquency is wholesome activity.”

Teachers Plentiful

‘Teacher shortage? No, there are plenty of teachers, the two superintendents said. “I even have 30 or 40 I would like to give away,” Mr. Griffey said. “The real shortage is nurses, doctors and dentists,” he explained. Indianapolis schools have lost. 75 men ‘and women to the armed forces and 20 to special government assignments, and there won't be as many beginning teachers this fall, but the surplus will take care of the situation. Besides the accelerated progranis and pre-induction courses for boys, school children may expect a longer school year and slightly shorter vacations, Some county schools—Pike, Wayne,. Decatur, Perry and Franklin townships—will meet for only eight months, however. Delay. Closing

Most schools will close on June 16, a week later than last year. One of the most important contributions to Uncle Sam since the war has been 4-H club activities, according to Mr. Morgan and Mr. Griffey. A 150 per cent. increase in membership has been noted. : Over 900. girls belong to the clubs in Indianapolis alone, ‘and ‘one boys’ club. in cooking was started this summer at school 78. Sewing and canning programs have contributed | .. greatly to the war effort. “Another important part of our scheol program is the day care service for children of war working mothers,” William A. Hacker, assistant = superintendent of schools and social service chairman, said. Five Day Centers Five day care cenfers at schools 3, 60, 10, 17 and 20 took care of 127 6 to 14-year-olds this summer. The

throughout the winter. School children. also are doing their share of ‘selling war bonds. Over $500,000" in bonds were sold through the schools last year. ‘The safety program as part of the war effort will be stressed at the seventh annual school safety patrol

DE lls

they know they are off. No exact time is set, but it soon and they have a sense of plunging into oupd Ty Veith and.Jaid iv en the X hear if there now ticking away. he & before what? = Béfore the grea some boys wil return and some

10 BEGN oY ? YEARONSEPT.7)

Enrollment in Doubt With|

Sparkling bay in the ‘Russell Islands becomes. an “old swimmin’ Liole” for American troops who occupied this palm-clustered group of isles in the Solomons. Halfway between Guadalcanal and New Georgia, the Russells are typical. of the. South Pasite islands where our forces are based or: fighting,

Russell Islands olplaiis have hung out their shingle so American soldiers there will know where: to find them. Lf. Col John P. McGuire, “senior ‘partner” of the firm of Padre, Inc., sits before the chaplain

tent, left.

Some of the soldiers have turned cowboy to herd Russell Islands cattle,” like thé! Longhorns at

right. An army slaughter house here has turmed some 600 head into’ hambutgers and" steaks, a As

Coming Up: A Fight for More Security—No. 4

$0 ‘ ig

mb i’

Federal Medical Aid for Low Incomes:

Is Major Issue in Social Benefits Plan

This is the fourth of six articles on proposed new Social Security legislation.

By FRED W. PERKINS Times Special Writer WASHINGTON, Aug. 19.—The Wagner-Murray-Dingell bill, now pending in- congress and proposing a great extension of the Social Security system, uses 19 of its 90. pages to outline legislatively what it calls “federal medical, hospitdlization and related benefits”—an enterprise which some opponents describe as “socialized medicine,” and which an unfriendly organization of physicians calls “totalitarian medicine.”

This is probably the most con-

troversial part of the bill, ‘Its advocates see in'it a blessing for the millions of low-income families whose’ members delay or neglect visits to. physicians and hospitals because of the cost. Its foes say it ‘would “abolish private medical practice” and set up a vast new bureaucracy under which the head’ of the public health service, with three billion dollars a year to spend, would eventually become the employer of all the physicians in the country and ther controller of all hospifal beds. “For the doctor,” says the National physicians’ Committee. for the Extension of Medical Service, “state medicine means abject slavery—the necessity of catering to the ward committeeman or the precinct captain rather than to the needs ‘of ‘the "human beings who are. his patients.”

HOWEVER, doctors are divided. Some nationally prominent physicians support the general principles: of this proposed legislation, an d “through their Committee ‘of Physicians for the Improvement of Medical Care, Inc, have said it “provides a framework and a basis for discussion‘ from which it“is sincerely hoped that a. constructive program for: improved medical and health care of the American people may be developed.” Dr. George E. Bigge, social. security“ board member, says: “There is nothing in our rec-

ommendations, or so far as I can

see in the Wagner-Murray-Ding-ell bill, which would in any way affect the doctor or the hospital

-in their relations with their pa-

tients. The purpose of the proposal is simply to make sure that patients will have the money with which to pay their bills. I can see no reason why any physician should object to that.”

The American Federation of

Labor description of the proposed new health-insurance program is that it would extend “medical and hospital care to all persons covered under old-age and survivors’ insurance and for

their dependents. The benefits.

include necessary general and special. medical services, hospitalization, and related medical services, supplies and commodities, Technical and professional

administration is lodged with the.

U. S. public ‘health service. ... “The bill assures free choice of

program is expected to continue|

THIS CURIOUS WORLD

By William Ferguson

RADAR BEAMS, AFTER THE WAR, WILL HELP ‘SCIENTISTS LOCATE “CELESTIAL FL/u eon MINOR PLANETS THAT WANDER ‘ABOUT EARTH FAR OUT IN SPACE.

“THE PRT IN "EARLY ~ SPRING, MN TREES, ©THE SECOND, “INALATE SPRING, Tm ; - AND THE Last, IN LATE SUMMER, wy : FROM, WEEDS.

COPR. 1943

BY NEA SERVICE. INC. T MRE PAT. OFF

a} immediately, for it ‘says:

any regularly. licensed general practitioner, arrangements for use of Specialists’ services, and vari .d s, with. emphasis.on maintenance and. development of : the

vision for grants to - aid medical education and research. pid ne RR THE National Physicians’ committee ‘declares, “The. provisions are ‘so. sweeping that, if enacted into ‘ law, the entire system of American medical care would be destroyed.” This committee says the bill would place in the hands of one central authority, the surgeon general of the U. S. public health service, “authority (1) to hire doctors and establish rates of pay, possibly for all doctors; (2) ‘establish ‘fee schedules for services; (3) . establish qualifica~ tions for: specialists; (4) determine the number of individuals for whom’ any physician may provide service; . (5). determine arbitrarily. what “hospitals or clinics may provide service for patients.” - ‘Says the APL committeé on social ‘sécurity, “We have no desire . to -interfere in the scientific matters of the medical profession, - in’ which . doctors alone are competent, but we’ are concerned to make medical care available to those who need it.” As to. the other "end of the plan, the AFL committee . says, “Voluntary hospitalization covers around 10- million people, while hospitalization insurance ‘under social security: should cover something like 80 to 100 million.” a » » APPARENTLY .the AF. of L. doesn’t expect to get this benefit ‘Of course’ the nation cannot put a comprehensive ' national ‘ medicalcare program into, actual operation during the war while so many doctors are with the armed" forces, but: we: can begin to lay plans and build up the insurance end.” It says-also: “A hundred years ago, after we had achieved universal ‘manhood suffrage, the American labor movement. struggled to secure universal public education. ' That’ education. has been: a .source of our national strength. Now that we have'begun to" build social security we can further. strengthen our nation by a program of national health through medical-care insurance. xis

. NEXT: Ald for the Disabled:

HEADS K. C. THIRD, TIME

CLEVELARD, ‘Aug. 19 (U. P).— Praneis *P. ‘Matthews of Omaha,

-|Néb., today began his" third two- || | year term as supreme knight of the |

| Knights of Columbus following his

|rencloction at. the

Gist annual

| lis Triumph “for Seaves;

Will Lengthen- U.S. Pacific Arm: bl 2

By B. J. McQUAID Cd nen AN ‘ADVANCED AMPHIBIOUS FORCE BASE IN THE SOLOMONS, July: 20 . (Delayed) —Segl airfield, our first major base on ‘the island of New Georgia, was put into full operation yesterday: It was a triumph for the Seabee construction battalions and will ‘tremendously step up

is Times Inc:

there since «the Sor eighth day after ‘Mr. McQuaid the Seabees landed.. Now, howe ever,. our: planes will - base: there more or less. permanently until Munda field is in our possession. Fighter command authorities with whom- I talked over this week-end told me that the use of Segi aire drome would" instantly and prose foundly influence the air campaign, “As soon as we get Segi going full blast,” Maj. Condon said to: the writer, “the toughest part. of the pressure will be off. It will enor= mously ease the demands on our planes, pilots and fuel stocks.”

It’s Been’ Tough

It has been a tough problem te keep - adequate fighter umbrellas over our New Georgia and Rendova ground forces while they established beachheads, deployed forces and formed jumping off lines for the big push against Munda field. There is probably no comparable record in

numbers of planes in continual daily operation. dn the skies more than 150 miles away ‘from, nearest availe able landing fields. ' We now:have som here with" ranges | ent to ace complish such a y:and reserve power to fight and ‘screeht: for long periods.” Co-ordinating the employ= ment of these long and short-range types has presented enormous tech nical difficulties. Success of the effort is. partly due

fighter. planes

methods of remunerating

quality of medical care, and pro--

to the unique organization whereby Marine Gen, Francis ‘Patrick Mul=

have Farr the- strainer hour after

intervals and under conditions that would make nervous wrecks of most people. Shun Wild ‘Goose Chases -

Naval commanders—especially ship and task force commanders—testify to the “magnificence” of air covs erage afforded them, as well as ground troops, by the aviators. One of the things that has most ims

has been the heroic self-control with which the pilots stick to their job of keeping an umbrella over their brothers-in-arms and refuse to let the Japs lead them off on wild goose chases. They have several times stube bornly clung to the troops and vése sels consigned to ‘their protection, and refused: the bait, held: out by Zeros which tried to lure them into dogfights so that high-level or ‘dive bombers could sneak in and ‘wreak destruction. “My hat's off to those aviators,* a veteran high-ranking naval offie cer .attached to the amphibious force staff. of the South Pacifie command told me today. “They have done a really outstanding job, For the first time, it seems to me, we are all functioning as:a team, You know, I used to think those aviators a little on ‘the collegiate side, but I take it- all back. - Either 1 was wrong before, or they have grown up.. Anyway, they are doe ing a. man-sized job.”

YANKS BLAST WP BURMA RAIL YARDS

NEW DELHI, Aug. 18 (U. P.)— American Liberators severely dame aged railway yards and: storage buildings at Prome in" southern

| Burma yesterday, while Billy Mitch

ells sank two river boats and dame aged port installations. at Katha and Bhamo in attacks on the upper Irrawaddy river, a U. 8. ‘air force communique announced today. All planes’ returned safely from these raids. The entire crew.of a plane reported missing Aug: Ly are Tived back. at its, base.

this war of the feat of keeping such

hour of combat flying without rest-

pressed the ground and sea forces