Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 13 October 1944 — Page 20

MARK FER REE 5 Business Manager

(A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER)

Price in Marion Couns |

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) RILEY 5851 Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way

FAIR PLAY IN THE CAMPAIGN

"HE furore over the disposition of the funds being collected by the Republican Victory committee from city employees suggests that perhaps some of the local Republicans may have sneaked a look at the campaign manual

of the Political Action Committee which admonishes its followers that “Politics is the science of who gets what

and how.” . With the announcement yesterday that the surplus, after the committee's financial responsibilities have been

met, would be turned over to the regular county organiza- |

tion, it appears that the question of “who gets what” has been settled, more or less to the satisfaction of all involved. But we are more concerned with that “and how” question. * There have been suggestions that “the heat” has been turned on employees at the Hall, that they have been told unofficially to come across with $100 or a week’s pay or else. i That, we believe, is wrong. And we are glad that Mayor Tyndall has reiterated his previous statements that all contributions are voluntary, and that no city employee is under obligations to give to the party’s campaign fund. We believe the mayor means it and we hope that fact is impressed on all city employees, and particularly on those who are making the collections. ” » . ” » 8 WE OPPOSED the Democratic Two Per Cent Club, back in the days of the McNutt administration. We oppose just as strenuously any effort on the part of Republican politicians to shake down the office-holders of their party. Each comes too dangerously near being a subsidy to a political cause from the public treasury. The personnel regulations recently adopted by the city administration outlawed political activity on city time and banned enforced assessments, or party contributions. Those regulations should be made to stick. In common with a number of leading civic groups, we fought for increases in the municipal pay schedules. We favored them in order to improve city services, not to provide funds for the coffers of the Republican, or any other, party. If an office-holder wishes to make a contribution, that is his privilege as a private citizen. But if the contributions are voluntary, it would seem that an official or semi-official ““collection” would be unnecessary.

FURTHERMORE, we believe that it is poor taste and

bad ethics for public buildings to be used for the display of |.

candidates’ pictures. If the Columbia Club wishes to adorn

its facade with photos of Dewey and Bricker, that is its |S

‘right, It is a private organization, the majority of whose members are Republicans. But the city hall does not belong to the administration in power, nor to its party. It belongs to all the citizens of Indianapolis, Democrats as well as Republicans, and it should not be used for partisan purposes. The Republicans have ample precedent, to be sure, for displaying political portraits on public property. We well remember four years ago when almost every window in the courthouse carried a picture of President Roosevelt. It is an old Hoosier custom, but we still don’t like it. And we doubt if it is good politics. Unquestionably it offends independent voters to an extent that more than cancels any few votes it might conceivably gain. An election is an American institution. Fair play should prevail. :

- a

AN EASY WAY

N the current issue of International Teamster, organ of the Teamsters union, President Dan Tobin rails against the law- which forbids direct campaign contributions from the funds of labor unions or corporations. The philosophy of the law is that no man or group shoyld use other people's money for political purposes. Mr. Tobin announces that he intends to work for a change in this “intolerable and unjust law.” His idea of a change is to advocate that labor unions be excluded from “its poisonous purposes.” That's how labor unions got out from under the antitrust law—amended it so that it does not apply to them. But that seems to be an endless process, patching up

one law after another so they ,won’t apply to labor unions. We suggest to Mr. Tobin a siffiple method. Just amend the constitution so that congress ‘shall pass no law restricting any activity which any labor-union official wishes to engage in. That would do the whole job in one stroke. And that's what Mr, Tobin wants, isn’t it? That's the ultimate of the legislative formula he. is advocating. : : : : And that, incidentally, is what Mr. Petrillo seems to think the constitution already provides. So far the government has given him no reason to think otherwise.

MR. ROOSEVELT SAID—

“ON Dec. 3, 1930, the President estimated that the following summer there would be a deficit of $180,000,000, but that in the summer of 1932 there would be a profit of $30,000,000, or a total estimated deficit for-the two years of $150,000,000. Now 1 am going to give you good people a real shock.: Instead of the government running _ into the red for those two years to the tune of $150,000,000

the deficit on June 30, 1933 was for the two fiscal years, ;

_ three and three-quarters biflion dollars.” He said that in 1932, about Hoover deficits. Thereafter, in seven successive peacetime years, President elt incurred federal deficits totaling $23,940,000,000

averaging nearly §3,500,000,000 a year.

—_ |Pro Patria

| desirable.

By John W. Hillman

ONE OF the tragedies of war is its inequality of sacrifice. © We have referred before to the signs along the highways in the E north wood: “When timber burns, ~ everybody loses.” ‘In the larger sense, that is true of war—everybody loses. But in a personal way, some suffer much more than others. | In this ghastly lottery, some families lose everything, some are relatively untouched. Not only is this true of a particular war, but it extends over the years. With a span of 25 years of peace, many of the boys who are fighting in this war are sons of fathers who served in the first world war--while those past military age frequently come from families unscathed in 1817 and ’18. This is no reflection on the patriotism of those concerned; it merely is one of the accidents of time and chance, In this war, moreover, such families as the "Sullivans have lost all théir sons while others with an equal number in the service have not suffered a single casualty. There is nothing logical nor equal about war. .

| American Tradition Is Different

THE MOST RECENT example of how the misfortunes of war may single out a particular household is the story of Mr. and Mrs. Alben Borgstrom of Tremonton, Utah. They have lost four sons, In Germany, the parents of four sons who died in battle—and there must be many such—would have received a medal from Hitler and a homily on the glory of dying for the fatherland. But that is not the American tradition. : To the Borgstroms, who have already given so much, the commandant of the marine corps sent something infinitely more precious than any golden token—he gave them back their only surviving son, Victor Borgstrom. The honorable discharge ordered for the last of the Borgstroms is but a small expression of the sympathy and gratitude of this nation, a recognition that the Borgstroms already have done more than their share,

Born to Live, Not Die in Battle

IT IS something more, too. It is a recognition that American boys are born to live, not to die on the field of battle. It is an acknowledgment that the American ideal is for each to bear his part, and no more; that this is a nation that Seeks justice, insofar as it is possible, even in the unequal apportionment of the hazards and heartaches of war. And it is an expression of the humanity and regard for the individual which is grounded in our national creed. America has a heart, and it is touched by the knowledge that the Borgstroms will have one son left to carry on their names and their hopes. They have given enough, We can ask no more. Four sons gone. Four sons filled with life and dreams and promise. What a price for one father and mother to pay. And the Borgstroms are but one family of the many who have paid, in greater or in less degree, the fearful cost of war. Compared with that, who of us can say that he has done his share? Who of us but should ask himself: Have I done enough?

WORLD AFFAIRS—

. : ’ Pawns in a Game By William Philip Simms

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13.—It is probably no exaggeration to say that the final success or failure of the post-war security organization blueprinted at Dumbarton Oaks depends largely on the outcome of the Churchill-Stalin meeting in Moscow. If Eastern, Central and Southeastern Europe, is to be partitioned and millions of people redistrib-

gimes imposed by other countries, the peace will not endure, however perfect the Big Four’s plans may be on paper. For years before the first world war, I used to cross Place de la Concorde, in Paris, almost daily. In one corner of the square were figures representing Lisle and Strasburg. And always—summer or winter, rain or shine—on the Strasburg figure were draped garlands of crepe and flowers in memory of the lost Alsace.

'That Hurt More Than All Else’

LIKE A HOT FLAME deep inside every French man or woman that memory burned unceasingly, for in every school children learned to hate Germany for having annexed Alsace-Lorraine. Somehow that hurt more than all else... ©. Re Today, a dozen Alsace-Lorraines may be in the making in Europe. Certain of the Big Four appear determined to shift frontiers and populations about with little regard for what it may do to the peace 10, 20, 30 years hence. Here in Washington, more and more congressmen are refreshing their minds on Woodrow Wilson. More of them are beginning to admit thhat it was not what he said that was wrong. Most of the trouble with the last peace was that neither people nor nations did as he said.

‘No: Special or Separate Interest’

WILSON DECLARED that “no special or separate interest of any single nation or group of nations can be made the basis” of a lasting peace settlement, He said that each part of the settlement “must be based upon the essential justice of that particular case and upon such adjustments as are most likely to bring peace that will be permanent.” Soa “Peoples and provinces,” ‘he said, “are not to be bartered about from sovereignty to sovereignty as it they were chattels or pawns in a game” Instead, “every territorial adjustment must be made in the interest and for the benefit of the populations con-

.| cerned, and not as a part of any mere adjustment or

compromise of claims amongst rival states.”

'Bad Peace Would Not Last’

WILSON WAS in favor of according the utmost satisfaction to all “well-defined national aspirations.” But, he insisted, the peace-makers could only grant that which could be accorded “without introducing new, or perpetuating old, elements of discord . . . Likely, in time, to break the peace of Europe and consequently of the world.” Z It cen be taken for granted that Stalin and Churchill are discussing problems such as these. Frontier rectifications are not only inevitable but probably

“I 'must be made aware of what war means. That would

only be ordinary justice. But any peace based upon

the expense of our Polish and other allies, would be a bad peace because it would not last,

So They Say—

IF ANYONE cries on my shoulder over lend-lease I always say that for every $100,000000 we gave them we saved 100,000 soldiers’ lives. Even if we never get any of it back 1t will be money well spent—Harry de * am * 2 3 ONE AND A HALF-to two years after the defeat

‘of Germany is considered the absolute minimum (for Japan's defeat) —OWI report. ;

. gn

uted and forced to-live under re--

Certainly the German people, this time,

.arrive after a regular day's work to turn their talen

\ Th

e Hoosier Forum

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

“NEAT SOLUTION OF CONTROVERSY” By J. Dinny, Columbus I suggest that President Roosevelt could settle the controversy over his friend, Mr. Browder, by appointing that man head of some kind of a New Deal prison reform bureau, And Senator Truman's good friend, one Tom Pendergast, might be appointed to serve with Mr. Browder. These two men would make a great

Both have so much first-hand “inside” knowledge of prisons. And Mr. Browder might do well on a “pardon” board, too. Of course this is only a suggestion, but it does seem to’ be a neat solution of the con- | troversy. s 2 “ACCIDENTS ARE OF TWO KINDS” By T. McGuire, Indianapolis

An investigation of the recent C. & E; 1. wreck placed no blame. So far as I can learn, merely called it an accident. Accidents are off two kinds, preventable and unpreventahle. Allowing as I always do for the direct responsibility and the division of authority involved in train wrecks where train orders are involved, I firmly believe this wreck could have been prevented. Like one of our outspoken senators, who noted this accident and censored the interstate commerce commission, I feel sure that in a larger sense they are to blame for allowing the careless practice of “Hand on No. 19 Orders” to supersede or take the place of the old reliable “Positive Stop and Sign for No. 31 Orders.” a No one seems to know whether or not the south-bound engineer got his copy of the order to meet the express at Atherton (as so often has happened in the history of railroading). The easy way.is to shift the responsibility and blame the dead engineer. You see he

tean't defend himself. —— =

It seems to be well established that the other two men directly responsible for the safety of the train were busy collecting fares from a traveling public who cared little for the excess load they were placing on the shoulders of these old featherbedding railway workers. The orders were probably given to them at Clinton, a town of about 5000, where a full minute of 60 long seconds could have been used by the engineer and conductor going to the operator's office and signing for a good old safe form

combination for such a bureau.

(Times readers are invited 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 manuscripts and cannot enter correspondence regarding them.)

No. 31 order. The operator, the conductor, the engineer, all three would have had an exact understanding of the dispatcher’'s absolute meet order. I can’t believe all of these men would have failed to prevent the loss of 30 lives. A return to proven safe practice is indicated for the prevention of numerous collisions of this kind and I still feel the I. C. C. is guilty of gross neglect.

Perhaps too many of us fast. p

living, speed-loving Americans are also to blame for desiring speed at the sacrifice of the other fellow’s safety. » ” » “DON'T BLAME OUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF” By William J. Riley, Indianapolis Don’t blame our commander in chief or Tobin for what happened to the shoe salesman, or what ever Le was befcre he entered the service, or make false statements, Mr. F. M. Harrett. The real navy doesn’t go for your line and please leave us out of your arguments and vote the way you want to. We will vote the way we feel that is right. I have been in a branch of the

navy for the past five years and I

tihnk my mates are too busy winning a war to drag us into party feuds. As for Tobin, there is one of the straightest-shooters in unions as he gave me quite a few breaks beside keeping up the war effort and donating war supplies. You want to be sure you know what you are talking, and if you lived around a station, you would probably know what I am talking about, so please lay off the armed forces. We have our choice to pick from and both are good Americans. If you are a Re-

Side Glances—By Galbraith

excessive measures, whether against our enemies, or at.

: "Al Tvg-seen is pictures of those foreign hussies kissing our soldiers, and | can't help thinking how Bob always wants® ~~ Louie bo je the thick of things!" ~~ =

| representing themselves as Socialists

publican or Democrat, vote according, or probably you don't know the world is made up of people of all beliefs. I am a little guy myself and I worked myself up to third grade pay, and I have always found that as long as you don't hold a chip on your shoulder, you won't have it knocked off. If Roosevelt or Dewey is elected, well, he is your and my commander in chief and we'll not hold prejudices against either man. Let us have it the American way for that is the reason we are fighting today. s “GRANT PEACE IN OUR DAY” By Albert J. Voigt, Indianapolis The disgracefully riotous demonstrations which greeted the announcement of the Armistice in November, 1918, should not be repeated whenever the hoped-for day arrives and the roar of battle ceases in Europe. The announcement of peace should be observed in a man-1

ner compatible with the importance of the event, Throughout the country individuals and organizations have exressed the opinion that the an-

nouncement of the armistice after the last battle has been fought should find the nation prepared to observe in a dignified manner the successful conclusion of the war. The event referred to will be of

such evident importance in the his-| |

tory of mankind that it should not be desecrated by boisterous demonstrations and outbursts of unrestricted emotions. Let us, when

that fortunate day has arrived, re-| |

joice that the long years of shedding of human blood and the

slaughter of hundreds of thousands] ¢

of combatants and non-combatants have at last come to an end. Let us assemble in our churches and at the firesides of our homes, and engage in humble prayer beseeching

the Lord that He forgave mankind!

for having rebelled against His law. . To the shame of Christian nations it has been said, that while they are at war the pagans are at peace. Let us implore God that He may forgive us, grant peace in our day and for generations to come, f J ¥ » “SO NORMAN THOMAS HAS DECLINED” By Charles Ginsberg, Indianapolis So Norman Thomas has declined to debate: with Edward A. Teichert, Socialist Labor party candidate for President. ' If Mr. Thomas would have simply declined to debate, or if he had ignored the challenge as he did 12 years ago:it would not have been as ridiculous as his current stand in which he suggests a possible debate “after the campaign is cover.” In challenging Norman Thomas to a debate, the Socialist Labor party's candidate very properly said that “it (the debate) would do much to clarify the minds of bewildered workers as to which of the parties

has a moral claim to that honored name.” Thomas’ refusal to debate before the campaign is over is certainly no contribution to the clarification of the confusion that is created by the anomaly of two men representing themselves as Socialist candi~ dates for President of the United States in this campaign. If anything, Mr. Thomas is permitting the confusion to be worse confounded. Maybe I'm wrong, but could it be that Norman Thomas has concluded that the record of his is such that a public debate with: the Socialist Labor party would reveal the so-called Socialist party in all its reformistic nakedness? Could be.

DAILY THOUGHTS

If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee and make the habitation of

promotion

statesmen

everybody. Here come well-wishers they have just the piece of advice Tom to win, Here come men with campaign songs, lime ericks and slogans, men also sure they have just the touch needed to set the country afire vr

Endless Detail and Planning

SEEN HERE, a campaign isn’t just one big entity, but it breaks down into dozens of small campaigns of endless detail and planning. There is a publicity die - vision, a radio division, a women’s divison, a speakers" bureau and special sections for foreign language’ § groups and hewspapers, for Negroes, for research, fog the handling of a huge volume of correspondence, and $0 on, This kind of campaign doesn’t call for the kind political hangers-on and hacks who used to aboard the payroll, but instead for smart lawy executives and writers. Many aren't paid at

of limb

ers and all but ts to electing their candidate. . Rd Mr. Brownell's own day begins fairly early and often goes to 1 o'clock the next morning. From all over the country he handles telephone calls from sta chairmen and national committeemen who need decision ‘that only he or Russ Sprague, or one or two - others can give. Always he is in close touch with Governor Dewey, There is a daily press conference, he must talk ofteny with party money raisers to know the financial state of things, he must see people who have come to see others but who would, of course, be pleased at having a few minutes with the national chairman. He mus$" meet his division chiefs, and frequently board a plane ' for field meetings in important states. :

Trappings of Old Campaigns Gone

WALTER HOVING, Archie O. Dawson and J. Ede ward Lumbard, assistant campaign chairmen, act ag screens for Mr. Brownell, sifting out the important from the trivial. Again, here, Mr. Brownell has chosen not men with the age of past campaigns on their shoulders, but relatively young men from law or business. A lot of the trappings of old campaigns are gone, The war-has put a crimp in the voluminous pamse. phleteering of other days. Intsead, there's a small tabloid being turned out on newsprint, six issues for the campaign, under the title, “It's Time to Change there are a speaker's manuel, “What to Talk About,” and brief biographies of Messrs. Dewey and Bricker, The correspondence section handles hundreds of * letters daily. All that come in, save scurrilous ones, s are answered. There are 15 correspondence men, all volunteers, mostly young lawyers, who show up in the evening to dictate answers. And a staff of secree taries from New York offices, also volunteers, who arrive, after a quick sandwich, to take dictation fop hours. It's all part of the political parade that every four years.

comes

IN WASHINGTON— |

Short Wave

By Henry J. Taylor

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13.—Tese timony of Elmer Davis before the

radio matters, recalled today & weird assortment of information uncovered by congressional heare ings on Short Wave Research, Inc, This organization was the brain child of James P. Warburg, then an official in the office of the coe ordinator of information, later in " 3 the office of war information (which Mr. Davis heads) and now a member of the New York Political Action Committee. One ‘of the purposes of Short Wave Research was to avoid the then existing civil service restrictions on “the government's employment of aliens. : The government, by contract, poured $535,000 into Short Wve Research, which spent nearly all the monesChiring aliens as script writers, broadcasters and pamphleteers. The co-ordinator of information could not, under the law, have hired these aliens directly.

Paid With Unvouchered Funds

SHORT WAVE RESEARCH grew out of an organe ization dealing with the problems of European refue gees—the International Co-ordination < Council, ‘of which David E. Seiferheld, New York manufacturer, was treasurer. The council published a periodical under the direction of Karl Frank, alias Willi Mueller, former. German Communist, who fled from Berlin to Prague, to Paris, and then-to-the United States, Miss Ingrid Warburg, James Warburg's cousin, and also a German refugee, helped bring Karl Frank to this country, Prank now writes under the name of Paul Hagen, Under Mr. Warburg's wing, Paul Hagen, his wife, Anna Caples, Mr. Seiferheld and Mrs, Marya Blow, another from the International Co-ordination Council, formed Short Wave Research, Oct. 15, 1941. That organization then obtained a contract through Mr, Warburg of the co-ordinater of information office, Thereafter Short Wave was paid with “uhvouchered presidential funds. When the office of the co-ordinator of informae tion was dissolved, July 16, 1942, Short Wave made a new contract with Mr. Warburg, who then had moved to the office of war information. Te

Retroactive Salaries Granted

THE NEW CONTRACT provided for 19 kinds of service from Short Wave, chiefly propaganda work, Retroactive salaries were paid to Mrs. Blow as presie dent and Francis Keene, secretary, although the bye laws of the organization prohibited them. Wave was dissolved May 31, 1943, after government regulations about placing aliens on the federal payroll were relaxed. During its life Short Wave issued 2000 vouchers to aliens. After it dissolved more than half of its workers went to jobs in OWL. | Of the $535,000 the government paid Short Wave, $474,000 went to aliens whom the government could not have employed directly. : ; When it dissolved, Short Wave had approximately $35,000 “surplus.” It disbursed substantial parts of that sum to such organizations as the International Co-Ordjination Council (with Mr. Seiferheld the treass urer of both), and to the American Friends of Gere man Freedom, ih which Seiferheld and Hagen also