Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 11 May 1944 — Page 16

states, 75 cents a month; others, $1 monthly,

@- RILEY 551

Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way

“PURPOSES ACCOMPLISHED” TURN ING the business of Montgomery Ward & Co. back to its owners this week, Secretary of Commerce Jesse Jones said the purposes for which the government seized it “have been accomplished.” : What purposes? Was it seized to compel Sewell Avery to obey an order of the War Labor Board? He hasn't obeyed it. Was it seized to stop a strike that was hindering the war effort? The strike had petered out of its own accord before the troops took over, and anyway it seems never to have interfered seriously even with the business of Montgomery Ward & Co. Was it seized to compel an employee election of a union bargaining agent? It was Mr. Avery who insisted on having such an election, and the government which refused to permit one, before the seizure. Was it seized to force a court test of the President's powers over spdustry in wartime? Attorney General Biddle evaded such a court test, both before and after the seizure, and none is now in sight. Was it seized to compel an employer to bargain with a union representing his employees? This employer never had refused to bargain with a union he knew to be representative of his employees. Was it seized to force the signing of the War Labor Board's pet “maintenance of membership” contract? No such contract has been signed. Mr. Avery has repeated his refusal to sign one, no legal authority has been cited under which he can be compelled to do so, and the President himself, in another case, has emphatically stated that "he has no authority to make anyone sign any contract, » » 8 » - ” : IF ANY of these were the purposes of the government, none has been: accomplished. The situation at Montgomery Ward & Co. today remains exactly the same as it was before Mr. Biddle took charge, except that the government itself has backed down from its refusal to hold an employee election. Yet these were the only possible purposes the government could have had which had even the slightest semblance of legal or moral justification. To suggest any others would be to suspect members of the President's cabinet of using their high offices improperly to carry on personal feuds with businessmen whose political views differ from their own, and we make no such suggestion. Still, one does wonder what Mr. Jones was talking about,

Mui, DEADLY THAN THE MALE

T remained for a woman reporter to challenge the com-mander-in-chief and President of these United States in his further and favorite function as professor of jour- | nalism. She was May Craig, of Portland, Maine.

g thi:

In the present case, the denial is due to fortunes of war and it is put to us that if rent, vanishing supply is to be replenished then must be a corresponding curtailment of the tion of some of the materials needed for the figh Under prohibition there was no question any shortage of grain or facilities and the majority of the people, particularly the demobilized war veterans, felt that they were victims of an organized and sadistic political minority’s pet prejudice, + But not even the bitterest opponent of the drys ever was silly enough to argue that whisky, rum, or gin was good for anyone except in illness, and then only in small doses, and the fight was waged on the issue that, subject to certain limitations, regulations and taxes, people should have a right to drink.

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‘Repeal Beyond Our Greatest Hopes'

MOREOVER, WHEN President Roosevelt was first elected, largely because, with fine timing and his alert political instinct, he promised repeal of the foul amendment, the common understanding was that the old corner saloon would never return and most of the citizens were willing to settle for a formula known as light wines, whatever they may be, and beer. Instead we got good, solid grog, on sale in some types of places which in the old pre-prohibition days never handled hard liquor, including even chaste and demure restaurants; and we have been pouring it on our breakfast food and squirting it on our lapels ever since. All that has stpod between us and all the liquor we can hold have heen the price and personal restraint which we possess if'@ontrasting proportions. This was repeal beyond our greatest hopes. Meanwhile, as this war has gone along, the soft drink trade has suffered much more than the liquor business, but with no noticeable protest or discontent, although I believe the ice cream soda and the chocolate malted milk were at least as strongly established in the appetites and habits. of the publie. |

‘Delicacies Are Sadly Diluted Nowadays’

THESE STRANGE delicacies, American inventions and institutions, are sadly diluted nowadays where they are to be had at all and many stores which sold them as specialties have simply had to close, although there has been no perceptible reduction in the number of saloons. They are regarded as luxuries, and for lack of first-class ingredients and because of the shortage of even the substitutes, the supply te the people is relatively meager and quite noticeably inferior. In their true form they are completely innocent and there never was any problem of Father, dear Father, <lushing ice cream sodas as the clock in the steeple struck one, because two of them was about the limit of the normal capacity and most customers were content with one at a sitting. Yet, no control board takes any notice of this denial, as is done in the case of liquor at the moment by various authorities, fearful of bootlegging; and, while one does hear much personal apprehension of a liquor drought and considerable talk of rising prices, due largely to taxation, those who have put soda fountain drinks out of their lives have submitted so quietly that they seem not even to realize that they are doing without. It seems to be accepted thought that the ingredients, particularly the cream, are somehow going to “the troops” or possibly to the Russians and the Greeks, and that this just has to be until better times.

‘Not Merely Occasional Drinks’

YET THESE were not merely occasional drinks. One chain of drug stores made its soda fountains enormously popular with an uncommonly rich choeolate malted milk served, for an innovation that was widely copied, in large, clean glasses, and the annual volume of the soda fountain business under normal conditions certainly gave it the dignity of an industry.

Incidentally, -in the story of the late Lt. Col.

The President had been asked about the Montgomery Ward affair, He had answered at length. In his answer he | had complained, also at length, that neither the press nor | the radio had reported the affair fully or adequately. He | discussed the various legalistic angles, and then permitted two direct quotations, after asserting that the points cov- | ered in his earlier remarks had not been covered by press | or radio. | Enter May Craig. And not with just a question, either. But with a declaration. She said she had read in the press | and heard over the radio every point made by the President up to his two direct quotations from this, his first press-radio conference since his return to Washington. The President's penchant for journalism is well known, not to say threadbare. It follows a usual course, sometimes good-natured, sometimes peevish; sometimes in sorrow, sometimes in anger—but always on the one theme, that the press is holding out on him, distorting, coloring. “All out of step but Jim.” But at long last somebody “called” the teacher. Who? A great, hig, hairy-chested, strong he-man? Not so. May Craig. Which might prove one or all of about four things— That even a man whose vocation is President and com-mander-in-chief and whose avocation is teaching journalism possibly can be wrong. Or, that May's memory may be wrong. Or, that Hell hath no fury like, etc. Or, that the female of the species is more deadly than the male. Anyway, it was a good party, and being news- | gatherers ourselves, and a bit fed up with being called distorters, we say “All Hail to May!"

JERSEY VIEWS WITH ALARM MONG the barber shop strategists and corner store commandos, there is a comfortable belief that one American can whip any ten Japanese-—a theory which finds little acceptance in the foxholes where there is a more abundant opportunity to test it out. But this widely prevalent home-front belief certainly does not seem to have extended to the Great Meadows section of New Jersey, where the presence of five inoffensive little Japanese-American farm laborers frightened an entre county out of its wits. But maybe it's not news that New Jersey scares easily. Orson Welles proved that, : ; ————

SPEAKING OF TAXES 3

E are intrigued by the story of the man in New York Whose state return showed that 'he owed no tax, and ‘Who sent the state income tax bureau a money order for $00.00. Trying to fathom his, reasoning, we have discarded Ys practical joking and relief, and have concluded man of patriotism and impeccable civic

Dyess, who escaped from the Philippines, it was related thaf one of his greatest desires on reaching the United States again was a chocolate malted milk. These are not necessarily unmanly delights.

So, if liquor must eventually be dealt with an eyedropper or vanish temporarily in the interests of the war effort, the case is hardly one to call for the release of supplies which may be needed for explosives, tires or other essentials. This is another minor deprivation of a non-essential civilian diet,

We The People

By Ruth Millett

THE WIFE of a serviceman has written me a defense of service wives who run around with other men while their husbands are away. She begins by saying how lonely they are and pointing out that nothing is done for their entertainment—though the servicemen have their USO clubs, their dances, ete. Which is all quite true. Then she points out what a demoralizing effect it has on a wife to read stories about married servicemen who get in the news because of a love affair that ends in a shooting—or in ‘quadruplets. She says it makes a wife wonder what her own husband is up to. Which is also probably true of some wives.

Confusing a Clear-Cut Issue

AND THEN she says that when a husband writes home about how much fun he. had on a party his wife begins to think she is silly to sit at home listening to the radio alone when she could be out on a party herself. Which is also probably true. But all of that is just confusing a clear cut issue with a lot of facts which really have nothing to do with the real question. And the real question for every serviceman’s wife is this: “Which is more important to me, holding my marriage together or having a good time and gete ting the masculine admiration I miss?” 1f the marriage i§ more important, then the only thing for a wife to do is play it safe by not running around with other men. It's really as simple as that. The only reason some wives confuse the issue is to give themselves an excuse for not waiting the war out,

So They Say—

OUR POLITICAL dissimilarities with Russia need not be the source of friction if we seek and find the many practical ways in which we can work to a common end.—Gov. Thomas BE. Dewey of New York. . * .

another year, It may even continue after War—

1% sees. It

fit—8enator Alben Barkley of

EL cep Se one life to give to his country

WE HAVE extended the life of the *OPA for | congress has the power to end it the day peace |

The Hoosier Forum

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

“FORGET IDEA OF FORCE” By James J. Cullings, 914 N. Delaware st. I would appreciate a few lines in the Forum. A little while ago I heard one of the big shots of Tyndall's Victory Committee say the reason they lost was because the people who believe in law enforcement did not vote, but all the gamblers and irresponsibles did. I am not in either class, but I did

vote and completely against the Tyndall slate. Why? I believe in strict enforcement of all laws by law, but otherwise no. There has been much unfavorable comment on the illegal arrests made by police under Mr. Tyndall in the vari-

ous papers. I could have been one of those people arrested without cause or reason. Mr. Tyndall took an oath of office to uphold the!

Victory Committee, Second, I am opposed to Tyndall’'s 8. 8. troops being stationed on the corners downtown on Monday nights telling the people when and where to walk. They are not| needed or wanted as many of them know. Third, I am opposed to any regulation of the rights of pedple in walking when and where they please at any time. The silly “no jaywalk” campaign is a hick town idea of a bunch of men who have always tried to control the destiny of the common people and the working class. I mean the Chamber of Commerce. When the police are on the coiners very few people pay any attention to traffic lights. That is real proef the people do not want] this ordinance and it should be] repealed. It is three times as dangerous to cross at the corner as before this ordinance. You, must watch the traffic light, the) officer and before going look to see | if all cars obey the law, Many do|

officer blew the whistle many would be hurt by the motorist who! runs up and clogs the sidewalk. It is much more safe to cross in| the middle of the block, but the. Mayor and the Chamber of Com-, merce want to speed up the traffic, by keeping people out of the street. That can be their only reason ex-| cept the military idea of making the people do what they want them!

(Times readers are invited to express their views in these columns, religious controversies excluded. Because of the volume received, letters 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 responsibility for the return of manuscripts and cannot enter core respondence regarding them.)

either in Italy or elsewhere would refuse to fight, What would happen to them? They would be court-martialed and their leaders shot. Green and Murray must have their pound of flesh regardless of what happens to our boys on the battlefield. The teamsters’ strike caused by its unfair treatment of its employees has-been settled. Who is responsible? Only one guess. #® » » “ACTION OF AVERY IS A CHALLENGE” By Elmer Johnson, 401 building Concerning the Montgomery Ward case, if this gigantic nation-wide retail store is not part of the war effort as Avery claims, it had better become a part “right quick.”

Board of Trade

to do when they want them to do it.

In this past election the people

Constitution and by permitting throughout the United States have ocation, the aim being to unleash these arrests. he has violated his shown they do not favor militarists a oath in my opinion. That is the first| ID Office by defeating most of however, to the understanding and |

| tempted

Avery tried to do in the business world what John JL. Lewis atin the labor movement. Lewis attempted a monstrous provstrike.

nation-wide Thanks,

| to palm off on us

| hot-bath canning epidemic,

reason why I voted against the

them. Mr. Tyndall should take not-| profound patriotism of the organice and forget the idea of force. ized labor movement and its lead-

Such Is the Way of Second Summers EVEN THE weather has conspired against the vice

-H to" flourish.” And 56 1 Host is an nid a

too, are most of ‘the gardens. The relaxing of rationing hasn't helped, it's easy to sympathize with Pegler's Mrs. George Spelvin who took an ax to her “little hoard” of home-grown and kitchen-canned vittles—we've even taken a few tentative swings at those 35 quarts of spinach that our own Mrs, Spelvin has been trying and four disgusted terriers ever since she was swept away by the contagion of thas

either, and

There May Be Lean Times Ahead

BUT THE disillusioned gardeners overlook the fach that the ration holiday on canned provender is largely

due to the fact that the gardens flourished last July, If it weren't for the nation’s backlog of food on the pantry shelves—and it's not all spinach—we'd still be cherishing our blue points, and we don't mean oysters.

It’s well to remember, too, that if we spend the summer in the hammock there'll be lean times ahead next winter. The need is still great, all the more so because many faint- gardeners will lose ine terest in their rutabagas because the late spring will reduce the yield of the commercial crops; And gardening is good for the soul—and the waiste line, Remember the fine creative enthusiasm that came when your first tomato ripened And how good that Golden Bantam tasted, five minutes from the patch to the pot? And the bright mornings when yoy hoed the beets before breakfast and pitied those sluggard neighbors who were still abed in the best part of the day? And how well you slept when, after a day of honest toll you eased your tired muscles onto the mattress? So don't let that second summer get yoy down, nor this soggy spring. The sun will shine again, and then the radishes will grow all the faster. Sharpen your hoe, and keep your rotenone dry, Let's keep those gardens green!

It is necessary in military affairs, ers, Lewis failed. but people are fed up on it in city, Avery, the John L. Lewis of big or public office affairs. It is Mr, business, launches his putsch in|

not and if you walked when the was jwritten—Ed.); Briggs, 10,000:

|den, 2300; Packard, 5000; Murray

Side | Glances—By Galbraith

Tyndall's fault that I voted against his complete slate, although I voted for him as mayor. I thought he would be a good mayor and I believed in his honesty but I eannot tolerate his military tactics in pub-! lic office. There is no use electing Republicans to the offjces if you are going to be dictated to as you have beén by the Democrats.

= 8 » “WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?” By W. B, Paul, 3551 Washingten bivd. Green, Murray and Perkins claim that only about , of 1 per cent of war production has been lost| through strikes, One-quarter of 1 per cent would be approximately 125,000 men on strike every day. A few strikes now current are Omar Bakery, 500 men (this strike has been settled since Mr. Paul's letter

Pullman, 3000; DeSoto, 2500: Republic Aircraft, 1200: W. L. Bor-

foremen, Hudson foremen, Kelsey-Hayes-MeGraw, 3500. The above are not all. Stoppage of work in many other plants results from the above strikes. Twenty thousand men are involved in strikes at this time in the Detroit area. Suppose 50,000 of our soldiers

the hope of winning to his side sections of businessmen large and small. It is a bold gamble in re-| lation to the coming national elec-| tion, and at a time when our soldiers are about to go into the greatest military action ever fought. The action of Avery is a challenge to capital and labor alike. The hand of our President should be strengthened. National unity is the paramount need of the hour. » ”n . “CONSISTENCY, THOU ART A JEWEL”

By T. W. Yeager, 2307 N. Pennsylvania st. There has been tremendous criticism made by your paper and| every Republican that J have] heard open his mouth regarding] the seizure of Montgomery Ward, misstatements, false statements, and political propaganda. Let's go back and review history and the! Republican party, When Andrew! Johnson refused to go along with! the Republican senate and congress | and annul all the southern confederacy and throw it back into territory instead of states and disfranchise all the whites from voting, they only lacked one’ vote of impeaching him, overrode his veto, elected all Negroes in the South, mortgaged it far more than it was worth and carried it to the North in carpet bags, That was all right. In the tead steel strike in the. "90s the steel corporation hired Pinker detectives, murdered the strikers like brutes that was all right, In the Pink and Cabin Creek coal strike of Pennsylvania, the Siberia of America, John W. Kern when elected senator as a Democrat, investigated and found that the coal company ran armored cars through there, murdered women and children and strikers, that was all right. When we had Hoovertown established when it was 10 degrees below sero on the banks of White river, women and children starving to death, no homes over their heads, that was all right.

Peace Questions By Ludwell Denny

WASHINGTON, May 11.—The inevitable debate over a “hard” versus “soft” peace has begun in . this country. It involves such basic questions as unconditional surrender and dismemberment of Germany. At the International Laboe Organization conference in FPhilae delphia various national delegations are in disagreement among themselves. Deputy Prime Min. ister Masaryk of Csechoslovakia has warned the conference that we must not repeat

tory gardeners—but such is the Way of second sume. ]

sooth

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“the very dangerous softness” of the last peace set- :

tlement. Ambassador Loudon of the Netherlands told a Columbus (0. audience this week that the present German generation can never be trusted by other Europeans. A group of Americans and of German refugees in this country has appealed for justice to the Germans victimised by Hitler, and another American group condemns this as a sentimental and dangerous approach. Meanwhile the Moscow press is warning agains alleged tendencies of appeasement of Germany, and at the same time it is calling for a redefinition of unconditional surrender—which in itself is considered in some quarters as a move to lighten the terms,

What ‘Unconditional Surrender’ Means

ALL OF WHICH provoked from Secretary of State Hull Tuesday the comment that he had heard of no

change in the official policy of unconditional sure -

render. He said he could not confirm European reports that those terms would be modified for axis satellites, It would be too much to say that this argumeng arises solely over a confusion in words and definitions, But that isa large part of it. Take “unconditional surrender.” ‘That does not mean, as so many seem to think, no terms, It means the terms shall be fixed by the victorious allies, Nor does it mean that the terms must be unjust or destroy the German people—Prime Minister Churchill has denied that the allies have such intentions, Likewise, the words “soft” and "hard” are used by different persons to mean different things. The Versailles settlement has been condemned as too easy and as too harsh, :

Are Terms Enforceable and Effective?

THE ONLY intelligent test, it seems to us, is whether the terms are enforceable and effective. A “hard” settlement which cannot be enforced becomes sel{-defeating, and therefore the “softest” peace,

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