Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 24 September 1943 — Page 22

'ARY mysteries shall, global strategy, and a unified Anglo-American command, have leaked to a confused public on the eve ‘of great offensives. Conflicting semi-officially inspired reports are injuring congressional morale, impugning the motives of dur major ally, and involving baneful army and navy politics of which our fighting services latterly have ‘been blessedly free. Only a factual statement by the president can prevent disastrous consequences. It should be prompt. : Meanwhile, there will be much less confusion and consternation among the public, congress and the armed gervices if certain fundamentals are remembered: The first is that the president as commander-in-chief has the right and duty to pick his commanders and to make _ military decisions for this nation. The second is that Gen. Marshall is not only an extremely able and popular officer,

to give his best wherever his chief commands. The third is that congress, in its joint responsibility for the conduct of the war, should not attempt to dictate military personnel or strategy but insist on results. The fourth is that there can be no Anglo-American decision on joint command or strategy which is not acceptable to both

parties.

ss & ss 8 =» has been official discussion for several weeks of a change in Gen. Marshall's status, despite the presi- _ dent's recent. and unusual act in renaming his army chief

of staff. The idea of making him allied commander of the |

Western European front, advanced last spring and revived more recently, is opposed by several powerful groups for warious reasons—mostly complimentary to the general. Some high army officers fear it would result in reorganization of the general staff at a crucial stage of the ‘war, causing inefficiency at best and at worst change in Marshall's proved policies and personnel. Some fear the air forces, liberated by Marshall, might not fare so well " under another. Others fear another chief of staff could not represent the army point of view so successfully on the joint and combined chiefs of staff committees, either in relation to a strong-willed president, or to the navy, or to the British. : ; Some high admirals fear another chief of staff could tot provide; at least at first, the close co-operation between army and navy commands that is so essential to victory. Other admirals fear Marshall's successor might be less - sympathetic to navy emphasis on the immediate importance of the Pacific. ! Over all is the realization that Marshall has achieved 8 unique position in public and congressional confidence. Both friends and critics of the president tend to give ‘Marshall credit for most of the successful military reorgan“zation and strategy. With Marshall out as chief of staff, "administration opponents in a political campaign year would © be more apt to challenge strategy as “amateur White House tactics” or “British-dictated policy.” And, in all the vital military issues before congress, such as fathers'-draft, Marshall can get more co-operation from congress than the president or anyone else. Finally, it is generally believed that Marshall himself has no great hankering for exchanging his strong position 8s a global strategist with the Anglo-American chiefs of staff for the field command on any single front. : » a =» » s e " ALL of which explains part of the apparent paradox that i Marshall's very popularity as U. S. army chief of staff _ produces such angry explosions when he is mentioned for allied commander on the western front. Rightly or wrongly, ~ the wide extent of this opposition has probably made ‘it ~ politically inexpedient—in congress and the armed services =for the president fo make this particular shift. But, at the same time, this extraordinary demonstration of Marshall's popularity has created the possibility of the greatest reform in conduct of the war—appointment of & global commander in chief of all Anglo-American forces. Only an American could be considered for world command; because America has more ships, more planes, more men

than Britain, and only Marshall —if any American—would{

be acceptable to Britain. If the job of global command for him is now, being ‘considered, As it seems to be, that promotion would be as popular as the first proposal was unpopular. For that would | mean increased Marshall control over the Anglo-American staffs, and his command of all fronts as well as the western

MAJESTY 18 GRACIOUSLY PLEASED...

omnipotent Mr. James Caesar Petrillo having grant‘ed the boon long withheld by him, the juke boxes will be able to give forth new sounds. het hia is a good thing, as d, not say. Some of our colleagues think ke box ought to be abolished by constitutional amendpresidential fiat, and the torch put to all those

far 4s the ears are

temples of swing aud croon that domi |

Vern

office confess to putting a nickel occasion. So we defer judgment. ast admit to a conviction that it

involving the future of Gen. Mar-

in our own country and, 3 round-robin of wife trading culminated in a his. torical political smash in which those who upheld an old-fashioned concépt of family abused from the “liberal” side for repudia example which would have reduced the family to status of the animals in'the barnyard. They were called “Tories,” “Reactionaries” and “Fascists.”

Loyalty Totally Ignored

INDEED, NOT even loyalty to the United States is now placed first in the program for the future which is presented to youth in the war. - Instead 1t is urged that this youth fight for a néw world and a list of objectives called freedoms the achievement of which would abrogate much of the fundamental human freedom or liberty on which American life is based. Men who have placed the United States first, and alone, have been: berated as friends of the enemy as though a narrow and exclusive devotion to their own country to the neglect of Siam or Ethiopia were somehow un-American. i Strangely, family loyalty, the Integrity of the home in which young Americans receive their teaching, example and inspiration, has been avoided as a topic too delicate or embarrassing for discussion. To stand by and rescue & wounded buddy in action is a

marriage and deprive children-of the leadership-and companionship of one parent and to sét them an intimate and deeply impressive example of selfish. ness is not even questionable conduct. :

Peculiar Radical Viewpoint

IN THE MORE radical areas of politics apostasy to a political belief or objective, or to the personality of a leader will be condemned as an unforgivable, personal crime by some persons who nevertheless see nothing worse in the repudiation of a marriage for casual, selfish reasons than the violation of a treaty for convenience by a European state, This war has greatly stimulated marriage among American youth and it is possible that the ratio of divorces established by civilians will be maintained by them. Certainly the political youth movement has not regarded family integrity as any of its business, But, fortunately, only a small proportion of this youth has ever had any contact with organised youth under planned political leadership and the majority, whether poor, middle class or rich, carry over into marriage the inspiration not of worldly, prominent

| personalities, but that of their own humdrum, loyal

parents in their little American homes.

~Reprinted From Collier's Magasirie WESTBROOK PEGLER, in his widely read syndicated column, has hammered for yedrs at the

| National Maritime union, among other things, This

is a seaman’s organization led by Joseph Curran, and Pegler insists that it is a Communist front, *

the N. M. U. leaders habitually content themselves with spreading personal abuse of Pegler—the old, familiar name-calling, character-assassination tactics for which the’ Communists in this country have long

in a delegation 10 the

great thing, but on the other hand, to call off a |

| For example, on .

managing editor to demand | | jhat Pegiers culuin be killed out of the paper for} 4 |

“You people better watch out” the delegation’ | |’ was by the New York Times to]

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' i . The Hoosier Forum : 1 wholly. disagree with what you say, but will : defend to the death your right to say it.—Voltaire.

By M. Mehl, Indianapolis Creat place, this America! A fellow can idly prattle on and on— and In turn I (and others) can say we've really our-“bellies’ full” of the . ++ chatter of Edward F. Maddox. Mister Editor, pu-leesze!!

‘a = '® “MARVELING AT STATEMENTS

"| OF SAFETY BOARD HEAD”

By An Observer, Indianapolis

-columns cannot help but marvel at

thé statements made by William H. Remy, president of the city board of safety, in his. constant speaking campaign before civic groups and churches wherein he ceaselessly chants the sing-song refrain that the Tyndall administration in stopping gambling had stopped crime in the community. _ For the first seven thonths of the year he was extremely loquacious expounding this theme éverywheré; for the last several months, howe ever, he has been silent, and ob servers thought perhaps he had found that he was very wrong and would be heard no more. Such was not to be, however, for on Monday, Sept. 20, 1943 . . . Remy is reported speaking before the Indianapolis Baptist conference at the First Baptist church declaiming this solemn thought: “Wherever gambling runs wide open, crime runs rampant along with it.” > : Seemingly Mr. Remy uttered a paradox, for crime indeed is running rampant in this community,

{although he says gambling is no

more, Onlookers of municipal affairs cannot help but notice the fallacy of Mr. Remy’s repeated statements. Monday, Sept.

speaking) . « » People here have no quarrel with Mr. Remy, but more and more of them are certain that someone is

Pegler and NMU. |

to express their views in these columns, religious controversies excluded, Because of the volume received, let: ters should be limited to 250 words. Letters must be signed. Opinions set forth here are those of the writers, and publication’ in no way implies agreement with those “opinions by The Times. The Times assumes no responsi bility for the return of manu. scripts and cannot enter cor respondence regarding them.)

—

tions and nothing else has caused? Jndeed, there are those who would venture to say that, although

Indianapolis crime conditions are higher than normal.” Look at the recent record, and the police work in connection therewith: WAC Killed at the Claypool (Unsolved) Acid Attack on Mrs. Rosemary Miller , . . (Unsolved). Assault and Rape of young moth-

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"+ » Urmecessary roughness and bru tailty in handling prisoners. . . . So come, Mr. Remy, stop childish chatter, this meaningless mumbling, that the conduct of the administration has re duced crime here. Why don't you lecture instead on expounding the following theses: 1. Although due to war conditions has lessened, yet

2. An explanation as to why the police department has

wer to your

disproven topic, you may be up

“UNGRATEFUL WRITING ABOUT PRESIDENT” By B., Indianapolis I have lived in Indianapo

hE lial 5 if

Might End War : THE POLITICAL ocollapsé of Nasidont,

just that and this fear is responsible for moves, especially in Italy.

prestige gone in Hungary, Rumania,

lites’ known to be on the point of gbandoning axis, the rush, when it comes, will probably

which will sweep the continent dam breaks. It is this break whic) servers believe may happen almost Soviet Russia is keenly alive to the si That is why she keeps hammering political bastions no less persistently at the military. the two, s ones are the weaker. organized the Free German ! and, through this medium, offered a generous to the German people if they would Full pages of “Pravda” regularly devoted to free Germany propaganda this 18 distribiitéd inside the Reich by Russian’ planes and the Moscow-directed undergroumd.” *

Need for Unity

THIS POLITICAL war may overthrow Hi his gangsters long before the allied armies German border. Certainly neither President . velt nor Prime Minister Churchill underestimate. nor does Secretary of State Hull or British : Minister Eden, all of whom are working like bea:

We the People

By Ruth Millett ~~

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might bring abotit the end of the war just ad a simie laf occurrence did in 1018. Hitler is sald to fear | his panicky

Hitler is making Italy a “horrible example” His |

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