Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 8 December 1944 — Page 21

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Fun at the Front * * (Erie Pyle is on vacation. n but bia dispatcbies from the Pacific front will be

WITH THE 9TH ARMY, FORCES IN THE ROER RIVER SECTOR, Dec. 8—British Tommies are cheering their heads off over the announcement of new

furlough ‘plans under which nearly all of them will get ‘a one-week leave at home in the next few months.

Meanwhile, . Yanks, who have fought their grim way through the Siegfried line and are now facing the perhaps grimmer obstacle of the swollen Roer river, must. be content “with 48-hour visits to recreation centers within artillery. range of the front. These establishments, comparatively new on the Western front, have been set up at cqrps and divisional levels within a short jeep-ride of the most advanced frontline positions. They have been in operation in the 9th army area for a little more than a month now. Yesterday I lunched at a typical one, operated by the 19th corps in an ancient Dutch village near the German border, Though the village is closer to the front than some which have been shelled by the enemy it has escaped war's ravages. The center is located in a clean, comfortable old Dutch hotel where every man gets a comfortable bed and facilities for taking hot baths in real tubs. The meals are the best that the army can provide, .cooked by a Dutch kitchen staff who pride themselves in their ability to make the most of army rations.

Latest American Films

THE PROGRAM of organized entertainment there includes the latest American films, U. 8. O. shows, and afternoon tea dances at which a selected group of 50 of the town’s attractive young women appear faithfully each day. The center is run by medical men and special service troops with a small staff of hard-working Red Cross girls, who have coffee and doughnuts available at odd hours between meals. Practically 100 per cent non-alcoholic, Dutch beer, is also obtainable. The lads are allowed to do pretty much as they please, at the center—which may be one of the main reasons for its enormous popularity. Actually there

Inside Indianapolis By Lowell Nussbaum

THE FOLKS up at the Indiana State C. of C. have a mystery on their hands. The $64 question is: Who bought a $10 corset at Block’s on Nov. 21 and charged the bill to the state chamber? First the

ghamber knew of it was when the bill arrived. . . . Miss Alberta Kriech, 1657 8, Talbot st, was delighted when the mailman brought her four orchids, all on one stem, direct from Trinidad. They were sent airmail on Dec. 2 and arrived on Dec. 5. The sender was Cpl Elmer PF. Heinzelman, New Alsace, Ind. , . . Danny Merrell, 7, made a paper airplane several weeks ago and insisted that his mother send it to his father, Major Basil M. Merrell, with the medical x,corps in India. The youngster was surprised and delighted the other day when the paper airplane came back home with the notation: “This airplane has been half way ‘round the world and back again.” The Merrells live at 8317 N. Colorado. . , . Harry G. Gorman, executive director of the Boys’ Club association, arrived home about 11 p. m. Monday evening and found a stray dog in the yard. Mr. Gorman took it into his home, He let it out the next morning, thinking that after so much kindness it would return. But it didn’t. A little later, he picked up the paper and found a classified ad describing this dog and offering a ‘liberal reward. Ungrateful of the dog not to give his benefactor a chance at the reward.

Hello! I= This 1945? MRS. LUCILLE A. HUBBS, who teaches com=merce at Tech, shouldn't have any difficulty remembering her phone number next year. The number is MA. 1945. . . . The Shortridge Echo reports that the P. U. G. 8. club girls have opened a packagewrapping counter in Wasson’s Monument, circle store for the benefit of service men and women. The hours: 3:30 to 5:30 p. m. daily and on Saturdays.

America Flies

FOR THE FIRST TIME in aviation history, free flying models of fighter planes, remote-controlled, are under-going aerodynamic tests which will result in tremendous savings of dollars, working hours and even lives of pilots. Prior to completion of an 80-foot concrete tower containing a huge vertical wind tunnel by the air technical service command at Wright field, Dayton, only fixed models could be tested. With the new vertical tunnel completed, airplane spin characteristics, terminal velocity studies, parachute research and experiments with helicopter rctor blades now are possible, And the tests are being made on future AAF planes still in the blue print stage. Model planes, built to an amuzingly accurate scale from designer's specifications, are literally thrown from the balcony into the airflow of the new tunnel. This. airflow sweeps upward at a predetermined speed sufficient to maintain the mintature,

“Duplicates Actual Flight

WHAT HAPPENS from that point on is described as follows: : _ The small model spins, dives and climbs in the airstream, exactly as though an experienced test pilot was at the controls.

It has aelerons, rudder, elevators and even flaps—.

a complete set of controls—which are operated with precision through a remote control mechanism. This

My Day

NEW YORK, Thursday.~This is Pearl Harbor day, and for three long years, now, we have been at war. The summary of war news makes us realize we have come in military power

By B. J. Mc Quaid

have been almost no abuses of the easy-going attitude of the center's, authorities. : The singular sobriety and seriousness with: which the troops: were enjoying themselves, impressed your correspondent, After lunch the boys clustered in small groups on the veranda,.talking quietly together, or. reading magazines.’ There was no hilarity, no boisterousness and little laughter. -But everyone was emphatic that he was having the best time he ever had in his life, G. Is Like It “THIS iS the kind of place'I would like to spend my whole 30-day furlough in,” said 23-year-old Cpl. Boyd Potter, Appleton, Wis, and his buddies, Cpls. Richard Bishop, Springfield, Mass., and Arthur Johnson, Fremont, Ohio, nodded agreement. In another group I found a tank corporal, Thomas Snyder, Baltimore, Md., and three infantrymen; Sgt. Gerritt Van Otterloo, Rock Valley, Iowa; Pfc. Joseph Sykora, Corpus Christi, Tex., and Pfc. William Creeger, Marion, Va, Otterloo had arrived in France on D-day, the others a few days later. Not one had slept in a real bed with sheets from the time they landed until they arrived at the rest center. They represented a small handful of lucky survivors of divisions which had been in the line from Normandy on, and in which the original personnel has undergone an enormous turnover. . “The time they can be kept here gives them a good rest physically, but it is not really long enough to get their minds off the war or to permit them to

become interested in hell-raising,” said Capt, Charles|:

Consolo, Bellevue, Ohio, who commands the center. “It is significant that the most popular feature of our program is the simple little news commentary given each day by an intelligence major, who comes over from corps headquarters and reviews the situation on the entire Western front as well as those on the ‘Russian and Pacific fronts. You can't imagine what a treat that is to these men. It always surprises us how little they know about the progress of the war as a whole, and how eager they are to hear of it. They know they have been fighting Jerry and licking him in their own little sectors, but they are pathetic~ ally ignorant of the overall picture.

(Copyright, 1944, by The Indianapolis Times and the Chicago Daily News, Ine.) .

. . . Dr. Frank Elliott, dean of administration at I. U,, sends in a clipping from The Times of Nov. 30. It's a story about Indiana's post-war institution development program. - The story says, in part: “... projects at the state’s two universities and two teachers’ colleges and its 20 other (get this) penal and charity institution.” Says Dr. Elliott: “This bears out my contention that our colleges should do more advertising.” . , . Old Inside pulled a boner in yesterday's column. In listing the governors under which a certain state employee had worked, we mentioned “Governor Bush.” Is our face red! We referred to the lieutenant governor who served out Governor McCray's term—Emmett Branch. In other words, it wasn't the whole Bush--just a Branch. , ... The committee arranging Manual High School's Golden anniversary party Feb. 16 and 17 would like to get word of the affair to every alumnus, particularly those in the services. It would be nice if those unable to be present would send in letters telling all about themselves. The letters then could- be read at the celebration. Class reunions are scheduled at the school Feb. 16, and a banquet and dance at the Scottish Rite Feb. 17.

Good Deed Dept.

OUR HELPING HAND department has received two requests for pneumatic mattresses for servicemen. They're almost impossible to find, nowadays: One-is-sought -by Mrs: - George R.-Doherty, 1227 Berwyck. It's for a relative, Capt. Raymond Doherty, in Belgium. He had one but it was burned two years ago, and he’s been trying to find another ever since. The other's for Ensign Lloyd G. Rossebo, 420 E. 28th. He's aboard an LST boat off New Guinea, and it gets up to 120, or thereabouts, in the daytime. With a pneumatic mattress, he can sleep on deck at night and take advantage of what breeze there is. His mother is Mrs. George Rossebo. . / . The young.sters running the Boogie Bucket teen canteen, on Bellefontaine, have sent out an SOS for some games, such as monopoly, checkers, card games, etc., for the canteen. If anyone has a game suitable for youngsters and would like to donate it, phone RI. 1222 or LI. 7978, and ask for Mrs. O. K. Shirley. The youngsters also would like to buy a coke cooler.

By Max B. Cook

comprises 12-inch solid copper cables banded together to circle the inner wall of the test chamber, magnetically activating the controls in the model plane. As power running through the copper rings is shut on or off, the position of the magnetized controls on the model: is changed and the flight pattern is varied at will by the operator on the balcony. When the test is completed and the airstream stopped, the model drops into a nylon net stretched across the base of the test section.

Every Motion Photographed

SYNCHRONIZED motion picture cameras located at the top and side of the test section record every motion and reaction of the model. Viewing this film later, ATSC engineers anticipate the performance of a new plane, detect designing errors and thus save thousands in dollars and working hours. The wooden models are practically perfect in design. Wingspread ranges from two to three feet, approximately 1/30 that of a full-scale plane. They are accurate within 1/100 of an inch and balanced by weights to within 1/10 of a gram, The test chamber and operational heart of the tunnel is a 12-foot cylinder, The upward airstream is sucked through the test chamber and returned down an annular air passage between the inner cylinder and outside concrete walls of the building by a four-bladed wooden propeller, 16 feet in diameter. The propeller is turned by an 1100-horsepower electric motor mounted above a .fan-like prop at the top of the tunnel. A controllable pitch arrangement on the propeller produces vgriations in the airstream of from almost zero to more than 100 miles per hour, thus making motor speed changes unnecessary.

By Eleanor Roosevelt

of the past campaign. People met each other who had not before known of each other’s problems and interests. There seems to be a real desire to con-

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works out into real sctivity in civic affairs, interest in all problems, local, state and na-

tional, as they arise, it will certainly be a very great

gain to democracy as a whole, I have received a copy of the American Bible society's statement of the war and postrequirements for the Bible,

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~The Indianapolis

imes

SECOND SECGTION

EAVEN'S answer to a maiden’s prayer came in the shape of a modified safety bicycle put together in a way that it enabled ladies to ride with little change in their attire. Up until then women had no choice but to ride wheels especially designed for men. This was a physical feat that called for the wearing of bifurcated garments. In short—pants. Mrs. John Candee Dean, who had ‘the least earthbound mind of her time, could not wait for the birth of the female bicycle. Which explains why she was fhe first in Indianapolis to wear the costume recommended for women by the National Bicycle association in 1894. It was made of heavy dark gray suiting lined with black sateen. The pants represented a compromise; a'combination of two opposing systems involving sacrifice of a part of each. In this case, of a pair of occidental knickerbockers and of a pair of oriental bloomers. A tailor-made jacket with three pockets (one for hair pins), a white shirtwaist, gray leggings, a gray cap, a similarly colored veil and a pair of gray gloves completed the ensemble. The color scheme was not unlike that of Whistler's “Nocturnes,” which enjoyed considerable popularity af; the time, n ” » MRS. DEAN continued to wear this “costume even after the woman's wheel made its appearance. She would have none of it,

A man’s bicycle, she insisted, was easier to ride for two reasons: * 1. Because of its lighter weight. ' 2. Because of the location of its saddle. : The fact that the male bicycle had its saddle directly over the pedals gave a much better position for her feet, she said. Mrs. Dean, it appears, spent a good part of her life worrying about the condition of women’s feet. In support of which there is the indisputable fact that she— and she alone—was the originator of the “rainy-day skirt.” J » ” THIS WAS an invention born of an adventure in the winter of 1893. On that occasion, Mrs. Dean

inadvertently picked a snowy day to do her shopping with the result that she got both ankles soaked. It sent her to bed with a nasty cold, Back on her feet, she vowed that never again would she wear long skirts in wet weather. To ascertain the precise length of the rainy-day skirt (sometimes labeled the “storm dress”), Mrs. Dean had to do a lot of figuring. Some of it was in the realm of higher mathematics. I don’t remember all the details, but I distinctly recall that finally she hit upon an equation. The solution of this depended on certain rhythmical relations of the human form divine. » » »

IN MRS. DEAN'S case, it worked out that a skirt ending three inches below her knees looked just about right. As for the rest of the skirt, it was made of waterproof blue serge which, because of its impervious quality, cost $3 a yard. The skirt around the knees was lined with the most expensive quality of silk, The theory of this, was that with so much kneeaction, a cheaper lining would go to pieces mighty fast. In a forthright interview at the time, possibly the frankest delivered in Queen Victoria's reign, Mrs. Dean went on record that she wasn't a woman to, take chances with a cheaper lining. It opened our eyes, you bet, Up until then we kids weren't supposed to know that women had legs. ” » » NOR WAS Mrs. Dean a woman to stop with a skirt. She ended up with a complete rainy-day costume. In addition to the abbreviated skirt, the outfit included a pair of dark blue waterproof leggings extending to the knees, Oxford shoes with three-ply heavy soles, and a tiny Tyrolean hat with a blue feather, She also wore an ubiquitous white shirtwaist, a dark blue veil, a dark blue silk umbrella and a pair of dark blue gloves. For warm days she advised taking along an Eton (blue) jacket and a longer (blue) coat for colder The color scheme resembled

THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS—

Fads and

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1944

A group of Indianapolis bicyclists about to start a “run” (circa 1895). By this time everybody, except Carl Fisher, wag riding. a wheel known as the “safety.” The building portrayed was the bicycle shop and “riding academy” of Harry T. Hearsey on N, Pennsylvania st., the site of the “Town Pump” (see yesterday's Originally the bpilding was a roller skating rink. It was torn down (circa 1901) to make room

piece). for the Federal building.

something subsequently known as Picasso's “blue period.” That is why we old-timers don't

(turn handsprings every time

something advertised as “original” turns up. We've seen everything there is to see. ’ » » » .MRS. DEAN’S experience was that of all prophets since the beginning of time, Her rainy-day costume didn't impress Indianapolis women worth a cent, and neither did her bicycle get-up. Not even after it was common knowledge that Mrs. Dean’s bicycle outfit enabled her to ride 20 miles in two hours without feeling sore in the joints. As a matter of fact, bloomers never made much headway in Indianapolis—not visibly, anyway. -After the appearance of the female bicycle, most women, when they went wheeling, wore a dark blue skirt cut rather short (but never above the shoe tops), dark blue gaiters (before the appearance of the “bicycle shoe”), a white shirtwaist, a Norfolk jacket and some kind of headgear in the selection of which they expressed their individuality, Close-fitting caps were the rule, but occasionally Alpine and sail« or hats were seen. ’ > ® = =

MRS. HENRY SCHURMANN and Miss May Johnson, for ine stance, nearly always wore gray Alpine hats, Mrs. James Robert McKee, on the other hand, went in for sailor hats. One summer, indeed, I saw Mrs, McKee wearing a bicycle costume consisting of a black skirt, a black and white shirtwaist, a black sailor hat and a black veil. It was the only bicycle costume of its kind in Indianapolis. Everything was cleared up when some time later that same summer I learned that Mrs, McKee was still in mourning for her mother, Mrs. Benjamin Harrison, ” » »

MOST OF the girls who went to Mrs. May Wright Sewall’s Classical School wore the same blue bicycle costume with one additional detail—a “bicycle belt” which made its appearance sometime around 1896. Attached to the belt was a little bag designed (I guess) to hold the dozen little things without which a girl can't possibly get along. The bag looked suspiciously like a canteen which was probably why the bicycle belt got off to a bad and notorious start. Apparently, however, it had Mrs. Sewall’s unqualified approval. Mrs, Sewall, a stickler for propriety, was an enthusiastic advocate. of riding, More than once she went on record that, if she ever found the time, she, too, would learn to ride a wheel, I can’t recall ever having seen her on a bicycle. However, I wouldn't have forgotten it if I had, you bet. ® » » . FOR A WHILE, too (it was in Grover .Cleveland’s second administration) certain women bicyclists took to wearing white sweaters. The general effect wasn't bad and certainly more authentic than the padded performances of Hollywood today, Fifty years ago when 1 was a boy one could believe what one could see. The women who couldn't qualify for sweaters wore a contraption known as the “bicycle corset,” a mechanical wonder of 1897. That was just about the same time the “hygienic saddle” made its appearance. a The most comfortable bicycle corset came from Paris. It was the most comfortable because it

Sup

,OUR TOWN: ‘BICYCLE DAYS,' NO: 2 . . . By Anton Scherrer

erstitions of the ‘90's

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was adjustable, The silk elastic bands which ran over the shoulders were provided with a series of little holes and eyelets which made it possible to tighten or loosen the corset as required. Get it? Funny what a kid can pick up just by watching show windows. - » .

AS FOR the “hygienic saddle,” it enabled everybody to ride no matter how weirdly they were put together anatomically. Curiously enough, most of the hygienic saddles were invented by physicians. “Dr. Brown's hygienjc saddle,” the one I remember best, was carved of wood. It was padded with hair felt, and covered with leather. Not a sign of a spring anywhere. It cost $10, quite an item when it came to equipping a triplet. Contrary to general belief; the hygienic saddle was not designed for women alone. In support of which I exhibit the old-time bicycle racers who almost always sat on hygienic saddles. Like as not Dr. Brown's. Indeed, it wouldn't surprise me to learn some day that bicycling translated a suspicion into a universal truth. Namely, that men have seats every bit as sensitive as those of women, » 1 ” THE INVENTION of the bicycle corset and of the hygienic saddle disposed of organic troubles, so far as bicycle riding was concerned, After that, invention took a more decorative turn. As good an example as any, and certainly the most ornamental, was the “bicycle bang” which made its appearance in 1898. It was invented to get even with the wind, heat and rain, any one of which could play heck with & woman's hair, The bicycle bang was made of human hair matching that of the wearer. It was fastened to the head in some mysterious way with a million little pins. The curl was chemically treat< ed. No ordinary adventure could uncurl it. This time I got my information first hand and not by way of show windows, , 8 8

WHEN THE women’s wheel was invented and boys and girls learned to ride together, bicycling in Indianapolis’ came to be governed by a rigid code of etiquette, “A gentleman,” said the Emily Post of the time, “should never mount until the lady with whom he is riding is settled in the saddle. When practicable, they should ride abreast, the lady always on the right side, “At the conclusion of the ride, the man should first dismount that he may relieve his companion of her wheel, But a gentleman must never assist a lady to mount.” All of which explains why men ,of 70, or thereabouts, seldom if ever help women to get on Indianapolis streetcars today. Hell, it's the way we were brought up, n » . THEN, TOO, we had our bicycle superstitions, They were significant not so much because of an irrational fear of the unknown,

But rather because of a reveren- -

tial respect for the behavior of little boys and dogs. I happen to remember two: To see a small boy fingering a sling-shot predicted .a puncture, sure as shootin’, , ., To be chased by a yellow dog frothing at the mouth was an infallible sign of an impending fall, Little, if anything, remains of the bicycle superstitions, 3 They turned out to be as

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ephemeral and transitory as the flower (or bug) that lasts but a day. » » » ON THE OTHER hand, certain customs. survive. For example, our present practice. of running in herds, sometimes cited as our penchant for gregariousness, has its roots in the Nineties. Colloquially, the herd was known as the “bicycle club.” I guess we must have had a hun-'| dred or more. Every: texture of society was represented. . The clerks of the New York Store, some 40 of them, had their own club. So did the ladies of the Propylaesum. The latter group, by the way, denounced the wearing of bloomers. They denounced with such vehemence, indeed, that they made it a condition of the

MOST OF the clubs were predicated on pride and prejudice. Prize examples of pride were the clubs whose membership was limited to: 1. Teachers of the public school system, 2. Members of religious sects (the Methodists were surprisingly good riders). 3. Soldiers of the light infantry corps, a war-like group that did a lot, to elevate culture in Indi-

Prize examples of prejudice were the clubs whose membership _ was limited to riders of specific wheels, The Waverley, Columbia, Ram= bler, Victor, Ben Hur and Outing clubs, to name only a few, were of this type. They had mottoes like the crusaders of old, which is to say that they carried messages suggesting righteous principles. The messages could always be traced to the advertising man employed by the bicycle manufacturer, Examples: The Sterling club (“built like a watch”); the Barnes club (“like a trusted steed”); the Pierce club (“a study in vibration”). ” » » WHEN ALL other resources . were exhausted, bicycle clubs were organized because of the complexion of their riders. First to appear wds a club whose membership was limited to girls born with blond hair. Only genuine, - unadulterated specimens were accepted, This was followed by a club made up entirely of brunets. The waiting list of this club was so great that finally only girls with sultry purplish-black hair were initiated, . When the red-heads organized, it gave rise to another bicycle” superstition. Something to the effect that it was mighty lucky to run across a girl whose hair approximated the color “of the longest wave of the visible spectrum, The Implication was greatly over-rated as I discovered for myself. In my own case, it was Just as lucky, and certainly less complicated; to meet a blond or a brunet. ' = ' a ¥y ¥ on IT IS fair to say, I think, that America survived the administrations of Harding, Coolidge and Hoover largely because of men whose energy was built up by the bicycle. The corollary of this 1s, of course, that nothing has contributed more to the fix we are in today than the automobile. The bicycle meant exercise. The automobile -does not. . Even less well known is the fact

(Continued on Page 32)

By. Laurene Rose Dieh)

PAGE 21

Tomorrow's Job=—— Johnston Says Steadier Jobs Help Business

By EDWARD E. EVANS WASHINGTON, Dec. 8.--Eric Johnston, president of the United States Chamber of Commerce, made a thoughtful speech in Milwaukee Wednesday night about steadier jobs. He said that business and. ine dustry must put far more brains and energy into providing stable employ-"' ment for their workers, as a simple matter of good business. For une less they make voluntary progress toward solving the problem of temporary or peri- ° odic unemployment, they may find an annual-wage scheme forced on them by government order, with unfortunate consequences to all, ' Mr. Johmston made it clear that he favors the yearly wage where conditions make it possible: Many businesses, -he pointed out, are so stable over the months and the years that they are now hiring all or most of their employees on an annual basis, . & 8 THE demand for wages by the year, he said, is a natumal one, because “whether a man works throughout’ the year or not, he nevertheless eats every day, his rent is due every month, and his other living expenses continue.” » But there are numerous industries whose operations are so irregular, due to circumstances beyond their control, that they cannot guarantee wages by the year. Even they, however, can do far more than they have done to make employment steadier. “There are thousands of ways in which industry can take positiv action.” » » * » ‘ SINCE there is no one cause of unemployment, there is no one

lieves that no single plan, whether orginated by business or government, could possibly be made to fit all conditions, : Yet any business enterprise can try to develop a plan for steadier jobs that will fit its own conditions, and he urged that this effort be made by the topmost management of every concern in the country, ‘

We hope that advice will be

which have already adopted sincere employment-stabilizing plans have found that they return high dividents in worker morale, in good industrial relations and in dollar profits.

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We, the Women ‘White Books' Keep Track of

The Courteous

" By RUTH MILLETT A SALES expert recently told

tradesmen who go in for smart ¢racks to customers who ask for scarce items .are cutting their own throats, because a lot of customers are keeping a “black book” of such insults —and are going to consult it when the war is over and they are deciding where to trade. He's right. But it should be pointed out for the sake of the firms that have continued in wartime to give courteous, considerate, even though perhaps limited service that customers are keeping “white books” too. ” » »

AND in those books they are keeping track of the places where “I'm sorry” eases refusals, and where “thank you” isn't a discarded phrase.

They are keeping track of the places where their business is obviously appreciated--even when demand exceeds supply. And of the places that give as much service as possible, instead of using the war as an excuse for unnecessary careless or sloppy service. They have in their white books the restaurants that don’t turn up their noses at guests with chil«

rettes are put out on counters ih." stead of being hidden for favorite customers a. 8. 8 THE white books as ‘well as the black books are going to guide shoppers when the war is over, While it is human nature to re-

“remedy, and Mr. Johnston be-

widely followed. Companies

a group of retail grocers that

dren, and the places where ciga- .