Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 16 December 1944 — Page 6
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"PAGE 6 Saturday, December 16, 1944
The Indianapolis Times
[Two Letters
WALTER LECKRONE Editor
(A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER)
ROY W. HOWARD President
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By John W: Hillman
TWO. LETTERS lie side by side on out desk today, ¢ One is from the California joint immigration committee, by “H, J. McClatchy, secretary, it reads: vo ] “That 50,000 young Chinese + were slain in one camp was told in a press dispatch to a legislative committee on Japanese, problems. The witness, for 26 years a ‘missionary in the Orient, told the committee he and his’ wife helped run a camp for several thousand refugees outside Nanking, : :
1
A WORLD “BILL OF RIGHTS”
A
day, 1326 leading Americans joined in demanding ar international bill of rights.
velt. They represent business; labor, the professions, arts
officials and 37 Catholic and Protestant bishops.
origin, lands with full rights.
homes elsewhere.
® ® = . BUT THE DECLARATION is not have suffered at the hands of the enemy. worldwide.
world, it declares: . “An international bill of human rights must be promul-
every race and creed and in“every country, the fundamental rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
It boldly faces and rejects the national “sovereignty” barrier, which hitherto has prevented -practical application of this ideal in undemocratic countries:
“No plea of sovereignty shall ever again be allowed to permit any nation to deprive those within its ‘borders of these fundamental rights on the claim that bigotry and persecution by a barbarous nation throws upon the peaceloving nations the burden of relief and redress. Therefore it is a matter of international concern to stamp out infractions of basic human rights.” s = = " a a " THIS IS a pedce aim of the American people and of our government, as stated in the Atlantic charter and the most basic of the four freedoms.
Nevertheless it would be naive to suppose that, after axis defeat, all of our allies will accept in practice the freedom to which they are committed nominally. For
tatorship, and Great Britain deprives subject peoples in India and elsewhere of these rights. . While the United States cannot force on others immediate and complete respect for basic human .rights, this declaration and the recent one by the Catholic bishops are most useful in asserting the unalterable American demand for civil liberties for all men.
GET ON WITH SOCIAL SECURITY
T is better to deal with a social problem than to keep alive a political issue. ) The Wagner-Murray-Dingell bills to expand social security have been agitated for 18' months—and for 18 sional pigeonhole.” The reason no progress has been made is that the legislation includes not only provisions for
“are bitterly opposed in influential quarters. Heretofore the attitude ot the legislation’s sponsors has been all-or-—hone.—And congress has taken none; :
eration of Labor, now suggests that this deadlock be broken by dividing the program into its separate parts and pressing each part on its own merits. Thus the proposal for health insurance, under which . workers could pay unexpected hospital and doctor bills,
would-be considered as a separate proposition. It would have a much better chance for adoption. - ” ” n nu » SO ALSO with the proposal, strongly backed by the 4 Republicans in the last campaign, to extend the protection
of old-age insurance to 20,000,000 Americans now excluded * from the system which covers only persons on the payrolls of private business enterprises. That would mean a lot to
farm workers, household servants and the employees of religious and charitable organizatior and local governments—who grow old as rapidly as other” Americans, and of whom just as large a percentage go into their declining years without means of support. And there is practically no opposition to this extension. Let's get on with the improvements that can be made, and leave the more controversial proposals for later debate.
OGDENSBURG’S GOOD IDEA THE end of the sixth war loan drive obviously does not end the need or desirability of buying war bonds, nor should it end regional and national efforts to stimulate such buying. And in the latter connection, it seems to us that the people of Ogdensburg, N..Y., have hit upon a schethe worth copying elsewhere. It is a sponsor system in which a. citizen selects a serv: + ice man or woman and undertakes the purchase of $500 worth of war bonds through his own buying and’ through solicitation of others. ; Rn When the bonds are bought the sponsor secures a “Win-the-War Certificate,” an engraved document issued in honor of the sponsored person in service, which lists: the names of purchasers on the back. The certificate is then sent to sponsored persons. ‘ ge e merit of this scheme is evident in the letters from | cipients which Ogdensburg sponsors have received. The | ertificate, a small but tangible evidence of home-front ap- , is welcomed by fighting men, the sponsors report.
/
OX the 153d anniversary of our own Bill of Rights yester-
The American Jewish committee is to be congratulated on bringing together the eminent signers of this declaration, approved by President Roose-
sciences, religion and government; including 172 public
Part of the purpose is to obtain redress for victims of Nazi despotism, regardless of race or creed or national They should be allowed to return to their native Those unable or unwilling to return to places of former terror should be aided to find -new This, as the document points out, can be made possible only through international agreement.
” s ” limited to those who Its range is Stressing the fact that recognition of the dignity and inviolability of the individual is the cornerstone of our civilization, and should be the basis of the post-war
gated to guarantee for every man, woman and child, of
“months that proposed legislation has rested in a congres-| |
which there is wide public support, but also changes which |
Rep. Dingell, following the lead of the American Fed-
professional men and women, the selt-employed, farmers, |
“The same authority reported thousands of girls, budding into womanhood, were taken and turned over to the Japanese soldiers for a week, after which those
\ speakgble. manner;
our laws, dual citizenship.”
'May It Be for the Best'
THE OTHER letter is addressed to Pfc. Bill Eggert, J| formerly of The Times sports staff, whose father is employed in our composing room, Dated Dec. 4, from Powell, Wyo. it says: “Dear Mr, Eggert: “A few days ago we were notified by the war de« partment that Pfc. Cike Kawana was killed in action somewhere in France on Nov, 6. He was wounded in Italy on July 5, 1944, and again. in France on Oct. 17, 1944, “As it was stated in his papers to notify his friends he made during his service in the U. 8. army. | So to his wishes, we take this means of fulfilling his | desires. “We appreciate all you have done for him, your unselfish interest in accommodating him while he was there at Ft. Harrison, and may it be for the best. Best regards, The Kawang Family. Pfc. Cike Kawana was a chauffeur for Bill Eggert while both were stationed at Ft. Harrison. They became friends,
"liked him at the Fort. Pfc. Cike Kawana was a second generation Japanese, . ’ ° He was also a good American.
They Will Be Held to Account
WE DO NOT condone the atrocities at Nanking, nor any of the rest- of the black record of Japanese bestiality, The men responsible are much less than human and they will be held to account, relentlessly and without mercy. We think they should be. And so, too, did Pfc, Cike Kawana. That is why he volunteered for combat service in the U. 8, army. That is why, twice wounded, he went back to fight in Italy and again in France. That is why he gave his life—that the unspeakable things that happened in Nanking should be avenged, and that the world might be free of such horrors. He died also that this country might be a place where boys like Pfc, Cike Kawana could have an equal chance, regandless of race, color or creed, Yet Pfc. Cike Kawana is one of “these monsters” who, our California letter says, should be denied citizenship in the country to which he gave so much. | Just how much the California joint immigration | committee and H. J. McClatchy have done to win the | war, to keep America safe and free, and to make the
instance, Russia, China and Brazil maintain forms of dic- | World better, we do not know. It may be considerable. lang have them run your business?
| But we are quite sure that they have not done as | much as Pfc. Cike Kawana,
— dD
WORLD AFFAIRS—
Stormy Career By William Philip Simms
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.—The odds .are better than even that Archibald MacLeish, about whom is raging a teapot tempest over his nomination as assistant secretary —erf-state-wil-continue-in-the-same— stormy role, if and when he is confirmed. \ The reason is that while the other five state department appointees—Mr Grew, Gen. Holmes, Mr, Clayton, Mr. Dunn and Mr. fe Rockefeller — are as typically “American as pumpkin pie, Mr. MacLeish is more on | the exotic side He would be at home on the Paris left pank and his record and leanings indicate that as assistant secretary of state, he probably would be headed toward more of the same hot water to which, by now, he is no doubt accustomed.
| For instance, Secretary of State Stettinius has just | restated that American policy is against any outside intervention in the domestic problems of the liberated countries. Presumably, it is equally opposed to ihedgling in the affairs of neutrals. In short, the United States plans to maintain a hands-off attitud in such matters. -
| "oe ' Conspicuous in Interventionists' Corner MR. MacLEISH has not always favored such-a policy. At a time when the Communist leader, Earl Browder, fellow travelers and others were extremely critical of the state department's Spanish policy; he was conspicuous in their corner. At the committee hearings, he told Senator Clark:'
‘TI felt that the Spanish civil war was a Fascist | and Nazi attack and represented a danger to liberal countries. , , . I didn't and don't believe that it was a war betwéen Communists and Fascists.”
| The conviction of neutral observers on the spot | as well as many leading Spanish Republicans was | | that democracy had very little to do with what happened in Spain after 1936. Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany on the one side and Communist Russia on the other clashed there in a test of power politics. In this country it was regarded as typical of the sort of thing which, by tradition, the American people wanted to stay out of
of
| Spanish Question Showing Signs of Life
TODAY THE SPANISH question is again showing signs of life. A demonstration is being organized for | edrly January at Madison Square’ Garden, New York, to urge the severerice of diplomatic relations and a boycott! of Spain. Much the same groups that «did their utmost to bring about American intervention in | the "30s are again going into getion. It is hardly an [ unfair question, therefore, to ask where Mr. MacLeish will stand this time,
All Europe, in fact, seems headed toward becoming one big Spam. Rightists, and leftists are at daggers { drawn over the larger part of the continent. Civil | war is under way or threatened iri Gréece. Yugoslavia, Belgium, Italy, Poland and other countries as, | one by one, they are liberated. And in every case, as in Spain, the trouble is ‘fundamentally the same. One of the first. comic strip characters was F. Opper’s “Happy. Hooligan.” Big of heart but none too bright, he was always rushing to somebody's rescue with ‘the cry, “I'll save youse!” But he always emerged with a black eye and minus his shirt and pants. : ' od
| Opinion on Capitol Hill, and éisewhere in the coun- y
try. seems strongly in favor of post-war collaboration with the rest of the united nations in. the hope
who survived were killed in the most cruel and une |°
“Yet we still permit these monsters to enjoy, under |.
Pfc. Cike Kawana was a good soldier. The boys
| right.
'
“The Glory That Was Greece!
3
The Hoosier Forum
1 wholly disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.—Voltaire. @ ;
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“TWO WRONGS DON'T MAKE A RIGHT” By L. R. Doll, 3445 Madison ave,
Referring to your recent editorial about the Minneapolis Petroleum Retailers becoming affiliated with the Teamsters Union. } You seem to think it O. K. for the union to compel the filling station owners to pay $250 a month and the union tell the oil men how to run their business. You think the filling station owners should be deprived of their rights and freedom for a mythical “mess of pottage” (the accent is on the mess). Would The Times be willing to pay tribute to the Teamsters union
Do you think that also would be “logical”? ’ What J. Caesar Petrillo's musiclans union did doesn't make it Two wrongs don't make a right. The independent oil men have saved the public billions of dollars with their price cutting in the last fifteen years. If it is your desire to pay 5c to 10c,” or more, for gasoline a gallon, just help put that plan into-effect. s s a8 “THE BRAIN HAD
THAT IN MIND” By Gene Engle, Indianapolis
This, my dear Verna Melton, is in—answer to your recent contribu= tion to the Hoosier Forum. I want you to answer some questions for me. Was it a C. I. O. or A. F. of L. official who told the navy that
with Douglas Aircraft plants because they would not need any more of the typé of navy planes built oy them? Or was it one of the] Washington, D. C. “Brains” Thousands of people were laid off al that time, and those people all being laid off at once kinda had al
of thousands of employees in other | plants throughout the country, That lay-off came as a sort of | anti-climax of one of the other “Brains'"" work or fight orders. Was it a C. I. O. or A. F. of L.| man who predicted the war would | be over by the beginning of cold | weather? Or was, it one of the| “Brains'” European ““{nspirations. that made that remark? That remark was also influential
(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 respansibility tor the return of manuscripts and cannot enter correspondence regarding them.)
in making war workers think of their families and their future security when the -“Brains'” -artificial prosperity—a result of all-out war production-—ended. Those men who have quit to enter jobs that will guarantee” them post-war security are not unpatriotic. They are a whole lot more patriotic and’ foresighted than our “Brains'” paper-work dreamers. These men believe in earning their living, not in being dependent upon a beneficent government dole that is turned on or off according to the numbers of votes involved.
Which of -the labor leaders was |
it who made .the “I did this, I did that, I asked for this, I said we could do that” speech? Of course that was a campaign speech, though. We should have
they. could cancel their contract jearned by the: other three cam-
paigns, that those papier-mache backed fireside chats are not to be taken literally. One of the “Brains” even put it legally when he said that “the thing you read doesnt necessarily mean what you read.” 1 guess the Big “Brain” had that in mind when he assured us that
direct effect on .the lack of effort |everything he had asked be done, Under the supervision of Mrs. Leona
“even to the "delivery of the small arms ammunition—evgn down to the last bullet.” » s 8 “YES, WE HAVE NO CIGARETS” By R E. Braun, Indianapolis
Page the Burlington Liars club— there are enough members among Indianapolis druggists, merchants and tobacco “deaiers-fo establish a
Side Glances=By Galbraith
sincerity and good taste of tise fake
* {didn't she keep her?
Liars club right here, second to none, Yes, we have no cigarets! Not for you, not even a packgge, but, for our special friends we have cartons, So sorry, says the druggist on Delaware st. No cigarets. Yet while you stand there debating hes
A o $.
POLITICAL SCE
Blunt Warning ~~
[By Thomas L. "Stokes
¢
- ‘WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.~One prominent government official has spoken out bluntly. and plainly against a “joker” put through congress which would permit war
war contracts—and consequently
edge and contacts—to go out after they leave the government and represent claimants against the : government. } Ee This is Comptroller General. Lindsay Warren, one-time house lehder, who is the agent. for congress as head of the general accounting office delegated to check expenditures of government departments, } He expressed his opposition and concern in a lete ter last May to Representative Sumners (D. Tex.), chairman of the house judiciary committee, in ref erence to a provision slipped into the 1943 revenue act,
Only One Exception Made 2
THAT PROVISION specifically exempted eme ployees of a number of departments and agencies from the ban in existing law, enacted in 1872, agains any. government employee prosecuting a claim against the United States aintil, two years after leaving gove ernment service. The revenue act provision made only one exception, that such former employees could not act for two years in matters which they personally had handled, but otherwise would have free rein, promptly upon leaving the government. Mr. Warren advocated repeal of this revenue act provision and substitution of a bill of Rep. Sattere field (D. Va.), which would forbid employees of gove ernment agencies or army and navy officers from accepting compensation, within two years after leave . ing the gbvernment in “prosecution of claims against the United States arising out of any contracts or: agreements for the procurement of supplies, materials, construction work, or services for the army, the navy, or any other agency of the government which were pending or entered into while the said officer or eme ployee was associated therewith.” The Satterfield bill was adopted in house and sene ate as an amendment to the 1944 war contract settles ment act, but was changed in conference later se that employees of any agency still could go out and prosecute claims immediately upon leaving the gove ernment, except for those they handled directly, im which cases they must wait two years,
Control Is Most Vitally Needed"
SPEAKING OF the earlier revenue act exemption, which: has been superseded by that in the contrac settlement act, Mr. Warren pointed out that the dee partments and agencies “are the principal purchasers of materials and supplies for war purposes—already costing billions of dollars.” He added, “I am firmly
of the opinion that the said law results in the ree moval of a restriction in ‘a class of cases where cone trol is most vitally needed.
quietly goes back in the prescription department and wraps up a carton in gift paper and sells it to, a particular friend or customer, So| sorry, says another druggist and you. know he’s lying because you stood in front of his stor as the cigaret truck drove up and delivered his supply of cigarets, and you saw them, Too much of this stuff goes on every day and we stand for it and we know. there are cigarets for all. There are lots of cigarets in
more. There are places where they can be purchased openly for $2 to $250 a carton. Then, too, how about the tobacco dealer who loaded his truck and drove to the stockyards and sold cartons for $1.65 a carton? If there,are cigarets for the black market, why aren't there plenty for local dealers so that they don't have to make bare-faced liars of themselves? Where are the OPA investigators that they don't crack down on these illegitimate dealers in cigarets or are they too busy polishing seats of chairs these cold days? Surely something can be done to save the reputations of our local merchants and to get us some smokes. If - this keeps up they eventually won't believe themselves. ” ” =
“DOING MORE THAN HER SHARE”
By Informed, Indianapolis Recently I read an article in this column concerning. the treatment and care that the dogs received at the city pound. I9peak, not as a {person who has made a couple of | visits tp the poupd, but one who spent two winters employed there
| Frankfqrt. Much credit is due Mrs. Frankfort for her care of the unwanted strays that roam the streets | of Indianapolis. The more pitiful! the stray, the more attention he received.
the heating system was found to be 'inadequate and a new heating plant |was installed. Of course this in-
weather. On two occasions, Mrs. Frankfort ‘took ‘two of her coats and wrapped two little dogs secure-
Naturally the coats were of no personal benefit to her thereafter, Now, I ask you, Mr, and Mrs. Public, {would you cal this unkind treatment? This is what I call unkind treatment: A proposed dog lover who seemingly has quite a bit of pity in her heart for “the little |stray dog” purchased a dog from {the pound and since she proclaimed so much sympathy for a poor little dog who had a cough and stated, she would like to have same, the superviser gave her this beautiful little toy collie with the understanding that she would give her proper medical attention. Two days later, this profound dog lover returned little “Penny” because she was too much trouble. If it’ was so - inhumane at the pound, why “Penny” lives teday, well gnd healthy because a true dog lover took her and gave her the necessary attention. Let us work with Mrs. Frankfort, not against her.
Indianapolis for $2 a carton or|
At the beginning of last winter, |
|stallation took a few days and the|$ whole building was ‘without heat, | but even this was not severe cold 3
ly in them before she left for home. |
“It is believed that great abuses can result by permitting former officers and employees of the gove ernment—fortified with information and knowledge gained as a result of their service with the governe ment—to become the agents and attorneys. for those who may have claims against it. “Aside from the fact that, in some instances, cere tain individuals might be instrumental in reviving claims which otherwise would lie dormrant, it is felt that such a practice generally is as morally -and ethically wrong as it. would be for an attorney for one client to become the attosney for his former client’s adversary, or for a judge to become counsel in the same case in which he had presided.”
Cites Experience After Last War
HE EXPLAINED that after the last war “there mushroomed into existence a great number of private organizations holding themselves out as able to offer special facilities in the adjustment of contracts, and representing or implying in many instances that their services' were of particular value by- reason of a former ‘connection of persons in these organizations with the government and intimating that their serve ices were indispensable’»to the contractors in order to secure a satisfactory settlement.” That practice became so bad that congress finally passed a law substantially identical to the Satterfield bill. . “Since,” he said, “the number of government supply contracts during world war I, and the amounts ine volved. were rather insignificant compared to the number and amounts of the financial obligations incurred by ‘the government during the present cone flict, it would appear evident that the necessity for such legislation at this time is correspondingly ine tensified.” Yet congress has acted in the reverse and opened the gates.
IN WASHINGTON—
There Isn't Any By Daniel M. Kidney
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16—AR that first-class searching for the original Atlantic charter was use less—there isn't any signed docue ment. . A United Press dispatch from London cleared up the question, The story pointed out that it would be impossible in England for Prime .Minister Churchill to sign such a declaration “without legislative approval.” ; Answering the question pro= pounded by Senator Chandler (D. Ky.) -"Where is the Atlantic charter, if any?”—the dispatch states: “There is no such official document, just as there is no official Magna €arta.” It goes on to explain: ’ “The Atlantic charter is a joint declaration and the nearest thing to the original document is a trane script approved by President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill. Neither signed it because they are constitutionally barred from doing so without legislative approval. Typewritten originals are kept
-at the White House and at No. 10 Downing Street.”
Appeared. in President's Message
BACK IN AUGUST, 1941, President Roosevelt seh a message to congress containing the dramatic story of his meeting with Mr, Churchill at sea and oute lining the problems they had discussed. in the President's message the entire joint statee ment, including the -Atlantic charter, appeared in direct quotation marks and at the close of the last ‘
point was the following, aiso in quotation marks: “(Signed) Franklin D. Roosevelt: A “(BSigned) Winston 8. Churchill.”
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