Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 19 September 1944 — Page 12

WALTER LECKRONE MARK FERREE Bditor : Business Manager (A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER)

Price in Marion County, 4 cents a copy; deliv. ered by carrier, aweek, ~~ / ‘Mail rates In Indl ana, $5 a year; adjoining states, 75 cents a month; others, $1 monthly.

RILEY 5551 Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way

FAIR WORDS FROM QUEBEC ~~ N O startling news came out of the Quebec conference. A The President and the prime minister. said Britain ~ would help America lick Japan—a promise made 13 months . ago at the first Quebec conference. The fact that the official statements were on the thin "side does not mean nothing was accomplished. Probably some secret agreements were made regarding German armistice terms after unconditional surrender, and the Polish-Russian dispute; and doubtless preparations were ~ made for a fall meeting with Stalin, All this is surmise, however, because the big two operate more and more in the dark—not only in military matters, where secrecy is essential, but also in interna- . tional policy which should not be kept from the public in a democracy. : : = » » ” » o THE COMBINED publicity efforts of the President and the prime minister to put the Pacific war into the spotlight is good politics in this country, and is in line with the recent Roosevelt visit to Pearl Harbor, There is the obvious implication that only the Roose-~yelt-Churehill team. can beat the Japs, but that is rather

“far-fetched in view of the fatal failure of both leaders to]

recognize the Jap menace in time to head it off. Actually, Britain will not get into the Pacific war fully much before “the kill,” to use the Churchill phrase, Apart from China, the United States will have to .do most of the job. The Quebec propaganda will be harmful if it lulls Americans into believing otherwise, = » » ” » ” OF COURSE, Britain intends to get in at the end, and Russia probably does also. Both have large interests in the Far East. : But, regardless of intent, there are two effective barriers to large British participation in the Pacific war during the decisive period ahead. : At least six months will be required after European peace for Britain to shift strength from west to east; and, assuming this is done by next spring, the monsoon season from May to October will prevent major campaigns in the southeast Asia area where Britain operates. 3 Moreover, there is the factor of war-weariness in England and the Churchill plan for considerable military demobilization and industrial reconversion as soon as Germany falls. 2 J o HELP IS NEEDED now in the Far East. China is desperate—her bases, which American bombers have been using to such good advantage, are being lost ¥o the enemy. Nimitz and MacArthur are sweeping across the Pacific . faster than anyone could have expected. But the failure of London and New Delhi to support Lord Louis Mountbatten’s command in southeast Asia is prolonging the war, despite Churchill's high promises at the first Quebec conference. One big blow struck by Mountbatten this fall would be worth 10. blows a year later. Quebec talk ‘may help re-elect Roosevelt but it will not crush Japan. '

MR. HILLMAN AT THE CROSSROADS

PEAKING with what may have been unintentional candor last week P. A. C.’s Sidney Hillman (“Clear every- ~ thing with Sidney”) gave the United Auto Workers convention some pretty concise directions on which way the United States ought.to go. He said: “The right hand fork is a wide road on which the National Association of Manufacturers, the Chamber of Commerce, the Farm Bureau and the Committee for Con- - gtitutional Government drive abreast with an escort of motorcycle pllice. It leads straight to the arid plain of ‘normalcy.’ ; “The other road is neither smooth nor straight. It runs up hill and down dale skirting the sides of many precipices and bumping along over stretches of bad pavement, but it leads eventually into the fertile valley of lasting peace and stable prosperity. I need not tell you much about this road for it is the only one which we have been traveling for the last 12 years under Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The P. A. C.*peoples’ program . . . points the way.” To the left, of course. The “rormal” America of busy ~ factories, jobs for everybody, prosperous farmers and the world’s highest wages arouses only contempt among Mr. Hillman’s Communist associates, and a free people, freely governing themselves under a constitution of their own choosing is to that alien ideology a thing of horror.

» » y o # ” HE'S RIGHT about that left fork he says we've been |

: following. It isn't smooth, and it definitely isn't straight. “It has, in the 12 years Mr. Hillman mentions bumped over . some mighty bad pavement and past plenty of precipices ~ —only we've learned to call them “emergencies.” It has ~ brought us so far, through raking leaves on WPA to waste ~ and idleness and debt and endless depression, and finally, fantastically unprepared into war—but nobody has ever seen the happy valley at the end of Mr. Hillman’s pink rainbow. - Thanks to that constitutional guarantee for which Mr. Hillman professes such scorn, it’s still a free country, though, and if anyone wants to follow a strange guide down an unmapped detour toward an unknown destination, it’s still hik privilege to do it. We'll stay on the main highway, ourselves, ® :

“THE people-are not going to swap a horse for a pony in "the middle of the i + + « Governor Henry F. Schricker, referring to the. fresidential election chances of vernor Thomas E. Dewey, in a speech at French Lick. Governor Dewey’s height: Slightly more than 5 feet, 8 ches; weight: 157 pounds, | Governor Schrick ght: 5 feet,

| By Joe Willams

18 cents |

solid ‘favorite, or stick’ out, as our literary friends quaintly describe the situation. They report that up to now there has been no

proposition but that the action in the state market is reasonably brisk. ; “As a matter of fact,”/puzzled one member of the

| literati, “only a modest amount of betting money has |

shown, and this goes for Roosevelt as well as no matter what you hear to the contrary.”

‘Suggests a Static Condifion'

THIS IS an interesting disclosure on the part of our scholarly friend and suggests a static ‘condition, or state of watchful waiting on both sides, uenced, possibly, by a feeling neither candidate yet thrown his Sunday punch, or else is working on a secret punch 'to be unveiled at a later strategic date. “Under the circumstances,” admits our friend, who ht be called the Billy Phelps of his profession, “the odds don't mean much. You must have some sort of odds to begin with, and 5 to 2, being ‘an attractive combination, substantial yet not showy, was settled on. Naturally, these odds will fluctuate in proportion to future betting, but right now they aren’t too significant.’ Well, experience in sports has taught us that odds as a guide to successful investment can be miserably misleading and that for the most part the surest way to lose your shirt is to blindly back the favorite. (Oops! Split the infinitive.) Indeed, there are times when the smart money can be awfully dumb.

Dewey,

‘Yet There Always Comes a Time'

THEY SAY Mr. Roosevelt delights in being referred to as the “champion,” and that is understandable. ‘We never saw one who didn’t, and we never protested his due, Yet there always comes a time When the champion Nnds himself stretched on canvas, lending ear to the blurred melodies of the

“birdies. And when this happens everybody Is

astounded. There is something about the position of a champion that dulls the critical senses. Or maybe lulls is the word. He is the champion, ergo, he must continue as such. You watch him in training. He has lost his speed, the power has gone from his punch, there is little vitality in his spirit. But soméhow you don't see this. And if you do you shrug and say, “Well, he’s still got enough left to ‘Whip the other guy.” - But honestly your mind's eye is filled with vivid flashes of the champion’s past triumphs, and it is the presence of these which routs the realities. You see him as he used to be; not as he is.

‘Stubbern Tendency to Underrate’

BUT TO get back to the betting odds and how they can murder you. Down through the years, from the days of John IL. Sullivan on up to the second Dempsey-Tunney fight, the champion was consistently the favorite in fights where the title changed hands, and by odds that ranged from 3-to-2 to 4-to-1, yet not once did the champion win. And so enduring were the memories associated with Dempsey as a younger fighter that even when he faced Tunney a second time his hold on popular illusion was such he was made a co-favorite with the man who had belted his brains out the year before. _ There is a stubborn tendency to underrate the challenger in all fields. This does not always apply to the champion himself, but it is the: almost unvarying disposition of his brain trusters and spokesmen, one in which the public seems eager to share, and these are the factors, grossly unscientific, which establish betting odds. The champion who accepts. them at face value often winds up in his corner mumbling, “What hit me?”

World Affairs

By

Henry

J. Taylor

QUEBEC, Sept. 19.— “There will be no questions,” President Roosevelt sald at the start of press conference which marked .the close of the international conference here. Then he added on behalf of his associates, Prime Minister Churchill and Canadian Prime Minister King: “I think we are all agreed that makes it rather nice for us.” Accordingly, no question could : be asked. The meeting ended in absolute silence from the press. . This Olympian atmosphere was the highlight of the conference. It was as real and forbidding as the steel-helmeted sentries themselves, and yet it is hard to express its impact, unless you have seen it grow, conference by conference, a¥ the war has grown older and the President has grown older with it. The current pattern of “leave it to me” began to expand after the White House directive which put the united nations food conference at Hot Springs, Va., in May, 1943, under wraps.

Delegates Bouhd to Silence

AT THE BERMUDA refugee conference, the White House decision was that each American delegate must sign a written agreement binding him net to discuss the problems or conclusions of the conference with anyone for an indefinite period afterwards, a unique provision strenuously opposed by some delegates. But the provision was invoked nevertheless and remains in force to this day. The united nations relief meeting at Atlantic City took place with similar detachment, followed by the various forms of exclusion which newspapermen found at the international monetary discussions at Bretton Woods. Then came Dumbarton Oaks, with American officials walking on eggs around the old mansion in an attempt to interpret Mr. Roosevelt's remote control of their words and acts from the detachment of the White House, with everyone—the delegates and public alike—left guessing whenever Mr. Roosevelt was unable to send down a tip on what should be said or done,

Olympian Atmosphere Was Evident

AT THE FIRST Quebec conference, 13 months ago, the Olympian atmosphere was evident. But the outstanding feature of the latest conference was Just how much the President's detachment and exclusion had intensified in te 13 months. The tipoff came in the press conferences held by the President’s spokesman, Stephen Early. The ref-

and touchy on evgn the most meaningless matters-+ such as whether Secretary Morgenthau was staying at the Citadel with the President, or living at the Chateau Frontenac with the generals and the ade mirals. Even Mr. Early finally apologized for his inability to ‘help very much” as the meetings drew to a closé . . Se Sitting on the terrace and invoking a rule of no questions from the press, the President himself gave the answer to what has happened in the past 13 months. His illnesses during. that time have left their mark, both on his appearance and manner. The, added “effect of the excitefgent and strain of on him is clear. . .. :

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AT THE OUTSET of his Pacific coast tour, which ‘takes him later to Portland, San Francisco and Los

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A 1 . | 3 SP The Hoosier Forum I wholly disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.—Voltaire.

‘federal government should produce the power,

“OPA ACTION IS URGENTLY NEEDED” ”

By Lt. Harry Goldstein, Army of U. 8. In my opinion, the eritical housing shortage in Indianapolis and other cities is an artificial situation, induced largély by inadequate OPA controls, Since rental ceilings are fixed, whereas sales prices of houses are not, landlords naturally prefer to sell rather than to rent, thereby profiting from unduly inflated values. The more houses that are thus removed from the rental fleld, the more critical the shortage. The fact that houses actually are available is amply evidenced by the huge number of newspaper advertisements carrying houses for sale, Compare this with the complete absence of houses for rent, a situation necessitating public offerings of bribes, bonuses and cash rewards for the privilege of renting houses. If OPA were to set price ceilings on the sale of houses, landlords would be less eager to sell and more eager to rent, and the housing shortage would be considerably relieved. : The sale prices could be determined on ‘the basis of allowing a small, graduated percentage gain over the previous purchase price, the percentage to decrease with length of time elapsed since previous purchase in order to protect the buyer against deterioration. OPA action is urgently needed if living conditions are to be made bearable for the families caught in the squeeze while thousands of houses “for sale” are kept unoccupied. : : .

“A SOLEMN RESPONSIBILITY”

By Miss Marguerite Dice, 3650 Washington blvd.

There has recently come to my notice the fact that some women (a minority, to be sure), in their ardor for Roosevelt, go so far as to place him in their thinking next to divinity. This is ominous, for it must not. be forgotten so soon that Hitler rode to power by a similar hysterical devotion that placed him next to God and to some distorted] minds in place of God. . Such a feeling on the part of

anyone in fhis country toward

(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 correspondence regarding them.)

Roosevelt or any other man is sacrilegious and un-American, It is an imported hysteria which has no

plage in this country where men and women are accustomed to look upon each other as equals, “Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed that he is grown so great?” Take a look at the record. He was first elected on a wave of anti-prohibition. His platform then denounced the bureaucracy of Hoover and promised relief. There are now 2200 bureaus. One of-his first acts was repudiation of the gold standard—a deliberate refusal to honor the pledge of the government of the United States to redeem its currency in gold. He has shown no more regard for the Constitution he ‘has sworn to uphold than for the previous commitments and revered precedents of our government. t+ He has made of his first two Congresses a rubber stamp. He tried to pack the Supreme Court with judges favorable to the New Deal. Failing in that, he ignored the precedent of keeping that oncerevered body non-political ‘and evenly partisan, by appointing to it only New Deal stooges. In the 259 Federal Courts, he has appointed 156 judges of which 153 are New Dealers. He has made of attorney general's office a apon by which to punish his enemies with little or no regard for law—e. g., Montgomery-ward; and a

“Haven't youwread that

el eam our coal

Side Glances—By Galbraith

- Lorn. 1984 BY REA SERVICE. NG, 7. M. RE. U. 8 PAY. OFF.

this winter? ~ What bett

_|meal for a marine who had been on

3 » » | | “HE'S A PRETTY | |OLD HORSE” -

good any more.

cloak for his {riends—e.g, Eal Browder, Harry Bridges, etc. The increasing power of the New Deal over organizations and individuals should give those who are believers in our form ‘of government grave apprehensions of the future if it is continued in power. The very recent act of his administration which will make Series E war savings bonds easily cashed is in line with countless other actions by which Roosevelt has used his public office tq curry political favor. Is it not time for all women to put aside hysterical emotionalism and vote this time according tw reason? Women, it is said in political circles in this state, will compose 90% of all political workers d will represent 65% of all voters in this state—easily a majority. If this is true, the woman vote may carry our country through the most critical period in the lifetime of most of us. It could save our free government from the pitfalls of Communism. A solemn responsibility rests upon all women in this election. Let every woman consider it a sacred obligation to register and to vote against an administration that has long ceased to be Democratic and has become in many respects un-Ameri-can, » » “ANYHOW, A PAT ON THE BACK” By He Certainly Is Right, Martinsville I'd like to shake the hand of the disabled veteran of world war II from Terre Haute who had an article in the Forum of Sept. 12. My husband drives a truck and picks up numerous: servicemen and he says it isn’t the boys that have been over there in actual battle that do all the griping—it’s the boys here in eamp, , Even without service bars or stripes, it isn’t hard to Sp between the ones who have across and the ones who haven't, Granted the boys in camps here have given up a lot—but how about a boy without an arm or leg or disabled totally? They don’t want sympathy or catering to or pity. All they ask is a chance to get back in their usual role of life to the best of their ability, : Neither are they insolent, but are grateful for everything that is done for them. My husband bought a

Guadalcanal. He had lost both legs and an arm (he had wooden legs), but he wouldn't take the money as a gift but took our name and ad(dress and mailed the money back to Us. He didn’t expect charity from anyone; As for soldiers giving their seats to elderly people in the bus—that’s laughable, It seems that when some of them put on uniforms, they forget all their mothers tried to teach them of courtesy. I stood up all the way to Indianapolis in a bus, holding my 6-month-old baby in my arms. Sure there were numerous soldiers seated. Maybe they were tired, I wouldn't know. Anyhow, a pat on the back to the disabled veteran for voicing what a lot of other people think. -

By Jimmy Hagen, 229 E. Ohio st, : What I would like to know is what is all of the griping about changing horses in’ the middle of the stream. ae I understand that when a horse gets to be around 16 years old, he is a pretty old horse and isn’t much

DAILY. THOUGHTS

‘And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.— Joshua 10:25. ch Smad

‘THE soul, secured iri her existarion; :

Angeles, he selected as his theme the need for an

Repeatedly he raised this quotation and scoffed at it

Promised Cabinet Post for West

ON THE POLITICAL side he recognized the cry . here for representation of the West in the high councils at Washington. He promised, if elected, a. cabinet post for the West, as well as representation in other high policy-making jobs. On the economie side he recognized the need of these people for power

«{-and~ water in’a region which pioneered in publie

power, against a heavily entrenched private utility interest, and which has made great advances In public power through the help of the New Deal, He sald he had always that gréat natural resources should be developed by the federal govern. ment for the benefit of all the people. But he stopped short on distribution of power by the federal govern ment. Ho wok he middle couse that while wit should be distributed according to the wishes of local communities. > . : The chief New Deal strength in this region is that the New Deal under President Roosevelt gave the people such magnificent benefactors as the Grand Coulee project in Washington and Bonneville in Oregon after four years of Republican resistance in Washington. This counts heavily with average folks in this section. : :

Future of War Industries Stressed

‘GOVERNOR DEWEY tried to make up for past lack of interest among Republicans in ° great projects as Grand expressing his interest

the war industries would be turned over monopolists,” which Governor Dewey labe of the most astonishing misrepresentations campaign.” .

In Washington

By Charles T. Lucey

WASHINGTON,

tended to have political value to Mr. Roosevelt then “the sword may cut both ways.” -r ;

Resentment at “outside interference” with an

American election, it was suggested, could make the

affair boomerang. 1 The prime minister spoke of the “blazing friends

.ship” of Mr. Roosevelt as they concluded their Quebes

meeting, and said that “if we can meet here another year we shall be able to tell you of what plans we made here,”

Emphasized Personal Relationship

THE INFERENCE taken by some here was that Mr. Churchill, well knowing Mr. Roosevelt is in the

‘midst of an election campaign, was not too coyly

letting out the idea that he would be happy to have Mr. Roosevelt President next year and back on the scene for another meeting. The British leader emphasized the personal, friends ly relationship theme with the word that “we have got to know each other so well that it makes the solue tion of these problems much simpler. All of the ordi nary communications facilities are but a blank wall compared to personal contacts.” * Supporters of Governor Thomas E. Dewey for the presidency had been speculating in advance as to the possibility of Mr. Churchill bestowing a political benes diction on Mr, Roosevelt. Typical of some of the comment here was that of Rep. Charles A. Halleck (R. Ind), chairman of the Republican congressional campaign cominittee. “The people of this country will resent any ate tempted interference with their right to select their own leaders,” he said. “They feel perfectly competent to do that themselves, and to judge for, themselves who can best t them when the interests of this country and the world are at stake” '

Democratic Course Is Uncertain 3 ANOTHER REPUBLICAN leader said that one of