Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 24 May 1944 — Page 10

Give Light and the People Witi Find Ther Own Wey

PRE-INVASION JITTERS THE pre-invasion jitters which afflict Europe and America are taking a peculiar form in this country. * There are constant rumors here that the invasion has been postponed. Variations include the dope that the only major blow will be delivered by Russia, or by Alexander from Italy or Southern France, or even up the Balkans from the Aegean sea. And the most extreme rumor has it that allied strategy has been reversed and now calls for defeat of Japan before Germany. Reason should refute these rumors. Though all things are possible in war, here are a few of the well-known reasons why long postponement of the western invasion is most unlikely: Major Anglo-American strength is concentrated in England. To redistribute that strength elsewhere would require many months, perhaps a year or more. To hold such giant forces in England merely as a bluff would not hurt but help Hitler by immobilizing our main armies. Though the English are determined to win complete victory whatever the cost, they have good cause to be war-weary and to press for European victory this year if possible. A western invasion soon has been pledged to the Russians so definitely, and after earlier misunderstandings on this same point, that the promise could not be broken now without jeopardizing the Big Three alliance upon which all hope of complete European victory hangs. » 2 J » » » IT 1S TRUE, of course, that there are already {three significant allied campaigns in Southern Europe—in Italy, Yugoslavia and Romania—and more are possible before the year is out. But those fronts are all outside the walls of Hitler's European fortress, battlegrounds chosen by him rather than by the allies. They are of value fo the allies to prevent Hitler concentration in the east and west and for purposes of attrition, but the knockout blows cannot be delivered so far from Germany. Many allied officials in Britain, Russia and the United States have stated that there will be a. western invasion soon, co-ordinated with atfacks from the east and south. We do not think that is just tall talk to frighten the enemy ~—the enemy is no coward. President Roosevelt yesterday in his lend-lease report told congress that “decisive battles are ahead.” He said that “united nations forces are now about to strike new and mightier blows at Nazi-occupied Europe from offensive bases in the west, the south and the east,” and that the Russian army is preparing “new blows that will be timed with our advances.” ’ The western invasion is no propaganda, no hoax. It is the biggest thing in this war or any other. It holds the fate of civilization—let none of us forget that. But the decision as to timing must be made by the military chiefs— not by civilian pressure. )

TIME FOR SALESMANSHIP

HIS country’s industries “must be provided in advance with large orders for goods of all kinds,” says Chairman Nelson of the war production board, to prevent serious depression and unemployment when the time comes for huge cutbacks in the output of munitions. We agree. Mr. Nelson, in his speech to the New York conference of inter-American development commissions, stressed the importance of building a backlog of orders from abroad. Domestic orders are even more important. As Henry J. Kaiser said recently: ; “Manufacturers can’t be sure they'll be able to carry out their post-war plans until they have .orders on the books. Bankers can’t be sure it's safe to lend money to finance industrial expansion until industry has orders. And workers can't be sure they're going to .have jobs until employers have orders.” The time has come, we think, for industry to start— in Mr. Kaiser's phrase—‘some bold, smart selling of goods to be delivered just as fast as they can be turned out after war contracts are finished.” Fear of government disapproval has been a deterrent to such activity, We hope Mr. Nelson's remarks mean that the government is now prepared to welcome aggressive salesmanship as a force that can prepare the way to abundant job-creating production for peace while industry completes its present task of producing abundantly for war. *

THE LINE TAKES ANOTHER TURN

HE Communist party of the United States has just taken a step that most of us can, for a change, applaud: It has committed suicide. But let us not be too sanguine. A commie organization is as multilived as a cat. Chop down any of the party’s organisms and it burgeons again under another name, smelling no sweeter than before. Indeed, to switch the metaphor once more, the ashes of the self-immolated Communist party have at once become the cradle of the Communist Political association, pledged to a fourth term and dedicated to “a more democratic” America. But (we're really wallowing in metaphor today) Comrade Browder keeps the bidding open. Unless full post-war employment is provided under capitalism, he says, “another system” may be required. He doesn’t say what system. Want to guess?

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y Westbrook Pegler |

‘No Less a Novice Than Dewey Is Today’

IN WORLD AFFAIRS Mr. Roosevelt was no less a novice than Thomas E. Dewey is today as to personal experience although, being a son of luxury living largely ona family fortune derived from natural resources, notably timber and coal, he had the advantage of some idle travel for pleasure in Europe. His service of five months altogether in Europe, in the summer of 1918, as inspector of the naval forces in France and Britain and, in 1919, in charge of the demobilization of those forces, was administrative, not political; and even if those few months had been devoted to deep study of European affairs, they hardly could have given any man a superior understanding. Some American journalists who served years abroad had conflicting opinions down to a few months befere the outbreak of the present war, many of them holding that Hitler was just blufing and would quit rattling his sword short of war. By contrast, the Dewey of today has been seeking the presidential nomination for about five years and has been studying world problems and this country’s | problems in relation to the rest of the world throughout that time because this has been a period of great | anxiety when anyone aspiring to the presidency must | be prepared. ’

‘Offered Himself as a Man Qualified’

WHEN MR. ROOSEVELT, in 1920, offered himself as a man qualified, in case of emergency to take over the job of head man at any time, he had had just three years’ service in state government in the role of state senator. The average session of the legislature is only three or four months, so young Senator Roosevelt's experience in this office, a minor and parttime job, would have been not more than one year all told. Governor Dewey's experience in government prior to his inauguration on Jan. 1, 1943, had been that of prosecutor and attorney in the course of which, naturally, he had to meet many constitutional problems. He was first, chief assistant United States district attorney for two years; then, for a term of about six months, an interim appointee of the judges of the federal court as district attorney. He then handled some tax cases for the federal government under Mr. Roosevelt's presidency, and next served by appointment of a Democratic governor as special prosecutor in New York for more than two years, Inasmuch as his investigations largely concerned civic corruption and evil conduct in labor organizations, (and labor organizations today are the most grievous domestic problem), it can be said that this experience, followed by four years more as district attorney of New York, must have given him an inside knowledge of the workings of government and politics, particularly in the relationship between unions on one hand and business and government on the other.

‘Experience as Governor Stressed’

WHEN MR. ROOSEVELT finally was elected President in 1932, he had served two terms as governor of New York, but they were two-year terms. Thus his experience as governor, which was stressed by his party as a special qualification, was only two years more than Dewey will have had in the same office should he be inaugurated President in January, 1945. As to whether Mr. Roosevelt was a better governor than Mr, Dewey, opinion will divide on strict party lines with little regard for the realities, for judgment and reason are befogged by partisanship. Still, the facts in the record show that Dewey will be almost four years older next inauguration day than Mr. Roosevelt was when he considered himself fit to tackle the job in an emergency in 1921, and will have served as governor the equivalent of one of Mr. Roosevelt's two terms which so pre-eminently qualified him for the highest office in the campaign of 1932.

We The People

By Ruth Millett

THE NEWS ITEM told about an Idaho woman who, when her car collided with one driven by a soldier, climbed out, took full blame for the accident and then said: “I want to thank you for not jumping out of your car and giving me the verbal dickens as most men would have.” The head over the story said, “Unusual Woman.” A man must have written that head. No woman reporter would have found anything unusual about a woman's expressing appreciation for a man's not. making a crack about a woman driver. That driving gag is not funny.

That Worn-Out Phrase

WOMEN ARE sick to death of that wisecrack. If men knew how tired they are of hearing it, they would never make it again, even though it does seem to give them a lot of satisfaction and to give their egos a boost. It is unusually annoying in these times when women are driving busses and trucks and tractors, and when a high ranking army officer is just as likely as not to have a uniformed girl driving h around, : :

mishap. She had the good fortune to collide with a soldier —who has probably seen enough girls and women driving around army camps to forget all about that worn-out phrase “a woman driver,”

So They Say— .

WHATEVER ARRANGEMENTS we may make for international order, we must never forget that unless it has behind it a force sufficient and ready to prevent its violatiom, sooner or later a Hitler, or a Tojo, or a Mussolini will rise up to challenge it~ British Ambassador Lord Halifax, * » * THE JAPS make up their minds on what we are going to do and then are surprised when we don't do it, That throws them into confusion and they are lost.—Lt, Col. Henry L. Shafer, back from Bougainville. ;

: ST % : se

THE BACKBONE of both Germany's world wars

Maybe that is why the Idaho woman didn’t hear } any “just like a woman” remark when she had her ['

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The Hoosier Forum

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

“YOU DON'T SPREAD IT THICK ENOUGH” By Mrs. Walter Haggerty, R. R. 6, Box 404. The same congressmen who voted against an honest soldier vote bill also voted against appropriations for lunches for school children. They voted for the Smith-Connally anti-labor bill and a bill which but taxes. for the rich and increased taxes for the farmer and workers. La Follette, a Republican senator, has voted for the people all the way. Ludlow, our other senator, has also. These two are deserving of the support of the people regardless of party politics. It’s no sin to scratch your ticket. Learn to scratch when you find an honest man ‘that is worth it. Indiana has two of the best senators we could possibly get anywhere, with the blatant voices of current The federal ballot which our carping, so melodious to the ears President tried to get through is!of Hitler and Hirohito. the only fair and honest way to| How the Firsters and the Frontinsure our soldiers’ vote scattered ers, the subverts and the perverts throughout the world. The truth is, | will whoop it up for Tommie.' The congress has given the soldier the haters amd the asinine, the bull“runaround” and politicians are headed gnd the fractional-brained, trying to back it up with athe high hats and the lunatic “smoke screen. Well, you don't|fringe, the devotees of greed and spread it thick enough. My, my, the votaries of disunity, the Averys, what money will do! Our congress- |the Nyes, the Clare Hoflmans and men likened Mr. Avery to a Paul | Gerald Smiths are all Republicans Revere and tried to make a heroin '44. There could be no claimers of him for his deflance of ouriof a reward for a bigot, a Fascist government and commander-in- or a crackpot who is not a rechief in wartime. The ride he took publican this year. wasn't even on horseback. So, we will re-elect Roosevelt, win Mr. Avery should be sent (of the war and face posterity uncourse, he would have to be carried ashamed. piggyback) to the front and used 2 = = at the army sees fit. Good Ameri- «LET'S STAND BY ny Sine their lives every |OUR PRESIDENT” - ” o “WE WILL RE-ELECT

(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 swords. 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 manuscripts and cannot enter correspondence regarding them.)

By Mrs. William Shipp, Indianapolis May I offer my sincere thanks to ROOSEVELT” {you for printing my articles in the By C, P, M., Indianapolis. | Hoosler Forum column? May I hope So Hoover's fair-haired boy, lit- that you wil] also print this one? I tle Tommie Dewey, is going to be Wish to inform a few ignorant peonominated for President! The ple that it would be better to write great engineer that successfully to you as I do than write letters,

| steered the country into the great|personal letters, to me about our

depression is now trying to head |President and sign those letters little Tommie’s mechanical ele- |“One Good American.” Others call phant toward the White House. If me by telephone and tell me that this engineering feat succeeds|our President isn't worth being asthen, as secretary of state, Hoover sassinated like Lincoln, Garfield and will engineer the steam roller of (a few others, cockeyed nationalism over the| Please inform all those people for hopes and prayers of millions of me that more people will read what fathers and mothers in America they have to say if they will write and throughout the world for such to your column what they have to a peace that, through the four |say to me. I think it would be very freedoms, will save America and wise to try to find the ones who other nations from another holo- speak so badly of our President— caust. well, let's see—I don’t know what With Hoover, the great founder of could be done with them. Yet, I multitudinous Hoovervilles, censor- think something should be done ing and editing Tommie's speeches| concerning the slanderous things as he has been doing, we will hear said of our President. Perhaps sendthe melancholy echoes from the ing them to the front might cure depths of the depression mingled them. So many of those kind of

Side Glances—By Galbraith

‘|this were done ‘there would be no

- | supplies over the Burma road. And, .| perhaps, the empire of Japan would

people speak of Hitlerism here in our land of the free, and they should be taught that what they are doing when they try to hinder the war effort would not be tolerated even by Hitler were he in command instead of one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known, Franklin D. Roosevelt,

President Roosevelt has four sons in the servicee Why do so many people talk as though it is his fault the war is not over or that we had to have our sons, husbands andy brothers and sisters leave their comfortable homes to go so far away? I'l] tell you why. It is because he, Roosevelt, would rather have his sons help to win the war on foreign soil than see our beauti{ful country blown to bits. | Again I say, let's all stand by our President, give him loyalty, lend our ‘sons and daughters to aid in bringing peace to all the world. It is ‘then and only then that those who! speak evil of our President will real- | |ize how truly great he is! - . # {“INDIANA REMAINS |A VIRGIN FIELD”

By Pfe. John J. McAleer, Army of the United States.

Mr. Anton Scherrer's recent article on the late George Ade, while | a fitting tribute to a distinguished American was, as well, a vehicle of criticism. Mr. Scherrer intruded upon the solemnity of his eulogy by fiercely tolling a bell for the repose of the soul of literary Boston and New England. To deny the remarkable virtues of the deans of American letters, Mr. Tarkington, Dreiser, Riley, Wallace, Meredith Nicholson and Mr. Ade is not the purpose of this letter. Indeed, it would be maximum stupidity to dispute so tangible a reality, but to attempt to relegate such brilliant figures as Adams, Robinson, Millay, Cummings Blackmur and the “mystical democrat,” Robert Frost, to a second niche to give these men place is certainly no less a folly. Of Hoosier bread cast on the ever ebbing and rising waters of American literature the American Guide series has these valuable observa- | tions to contribute: “One of the| nation's leading producers of light! fiction . . . Indiana's contribution to! the rhain stream of American liter-| ature might . . , have had greater) significance if Hoosier authors had applied their talents more to the problem of interpreting their native state and less to the creation of sentimental fiction . . . virtually all Indiana remains a virgin field for literary publication.” Certainly we all can, with Ingdiana, resent her impuissance, but surely, Mr, Scherrer, even in the most circumspect criticism, it cannot be glossed over. You, indeed, set down handsome boundaries when you. describe Indianapolis as the cultural center of America. I would appreciate publication of this challenge,

2 2 . “SUPREME COMMAND NEEDED IN BURMA” By H. L. Smith, Indianapolis In Italy the French, British, Polish and American soldiers, working together as a team, succeed. In Burma the Chinese, British and American armies advance at their own opportunity or will and do not succeed; or atleast to a great degree. The reason? They do not have a supreme commander. In my opinion the best high command would be a cabinet made up of American, British and Chinese generals of high merit. I believe once

Japs in Burma and China would be greatly relieved by a vast flow of

be under day and night aerial attack from recaptured Chinese bases. All this, I believe, would ‘be made possible by a unified allied command in Burma now, Think it over. Don't you think so, too? 3

DAILY THOUGHTS

Post-War Relations Deteriorated

AT THE END of the lash war relations between

the time the war debt ditkering began reaghed the state of name calling.

For unless top-flight statesmanship is { all round we shall fly apart again, Unless interBritish and inter-American interests can be drawn closer together and expanded into a durable association which will collaborate with other united nations we will quickly head into further international bedlam and bloodshed.

So the British frankly are worried, not about

the war itself for that is coming along well and victory seems almost in sight. But what does alarm them is what might happen after the war—

‘after the grand alliance achieves its first great

objective—defeat of the axis. They are worried over whether America will walk out on the proposed new league as she did on the old. They wonder what course the Soviet Union will pursue and how China,

| India, the Middle Bast and the South Pacific will | fit into the general picture.

| United States Holds the Key BRITAIN DOES NOT conceal her desire for a

closely integrated empire bloc, but she wholeheartedly accepts the stand of Canada’s Mackensie King who insists on a bigger or world association with the dominions as members. And while she contends that the Big Four—America, Russia, the Empire, and China—must underwrite the organization, other

peace-loving nations must all come in as well. Such

an organization is Britain's biggest hope of security. The alternative, her leaders hold, would be a world

split into a galaxy of huge and powerful but isolated

nations or blocs or balances of power, its separate way, sooner or Ia to with results fatal to us all. To an American, the most startling all this is that practitally everybody says the United States holds the key—or at least the United and Russia. What we do, they assert, will ‘determine

the shape of the post-war world. British, like everybody else, are beginning to worry about the coming switch over from war to peace. They are

thinking about jobs for returned soldiers thousand and one post-war social problems. But they ‘warn there is one thing bigger: It allies lack the will or the brains to organize world so it won't go into a tailspin after the armistice, the other things won't much matter, founder in the same leaky boat,

In Washington

By Peter Edson

WASHINGTON, May 34.—The mystery is why some smart Republican, or even just some Republican, ‘hasn't come along to lick this Roobevelt administration solely on its record in the handling of labor matters. No other argument should be needed, for as matters now stand a case can be made by labor, by management and by the public that these policies (a) do labor no good, (b) do management no good, and (c) do the public no good. Yes, it is admitted immediately that labor unions have made great gains in organisation, that wage payments have been increased (on borrowed money), that war production has been tremendous, and that manpower and time lost through strikes have been held down to ad average of a fraction of 1 per cent. But where are we now? Echo answers, right straight up in the air. What good there is in today's

labor and production situation is more attributable.

to the natural patriotic instincts of the people as a whole than it is to any brilliance in government handling of these matters. :

Take a Look at the Delays

TAKE A LOOK at the delays in cases before the national labor relations board, war labor board and other government agencies charged with these mat-

ters. Take this strike of the Feremen's association in the Detroit area. The foremen have thus far caught all the blame for interfering with war production, but they have been trying for two months to get their case handled by the government, and only after they struck did they get from the government the attention they were entitled to in the first place. Take the Big Steel case, now before a special panel of the war labor board. The case was certified for board action over four months ago. The Steelworkers’ union representatives have presented their argument, the representatives of the steel companies have presented their answer on only one of the 14 demands of the union. It will be months before the argument is settled. While the hearings drag on, there is supposed to be

in effect an agreement by the unions not to strike, :

This no-strike pledge was reaffirmed ‘by the Steelworkers at their annual convention in Cleveland a dew days ago,

More Than One a Day at U. S. Steel =

® YET LOOK at the strike records of the United ‘States Steel Corp. alone for the first four months of the year. It shows an amazing total .of 188 work stoppages on account of labor disturbances in 121

We will all

Paint ye and you’ to wash. not spot and wat ments,

aR ose .