Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 26 December 1944 — Page 10

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“PAGE 10 Tuesday, December 26, 1944

ROY W. HOWARD President ;

‘WALTER LECKRONE Editor

(A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER)

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Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way

RILEY 5551

THE POPE ON PEACE AND FREEDOM VV ORLD statesmen can profit by a study of the Pope's It is a rare combination of spiritual aspiration and realistic insight concerning prob-

Christmas message.

Jems of the state and world peace.

His praise of democracy will not have the impact in this country as in lands where it is suspect and hated. Much of this European generation has come to look down Revival of the primitive “leader” idea was not limited to dupes of Musso-

on democracy as weak and unworkable.

lini and Hitler.

Most of Europe has been flirting with. totalitarianism The danger is that post-war Europe under the pressures of chaos and disillugjpnment will turn from defeated fascism to some new. form of the

in one form or another.

old tyranny.

Hence the importance of the Pope's appeal for democracy, based on civil liberties: “Such a demand cannot have any other meaning than to place the citizen ever more in the position to hold his own personal opinion, to express it and to make it prevail in a fashion conducive to common

good.”

BUT HE IS careful to differentiate between that representative popular government which protects the people’s liberties, and the mob which becomes the tool of the

dictator.

He is aware that totalitarian states professed democratic purposes in the beginning, and that their dictators “have ridden to power on the frenzied hope of the masses So he warns that the masses, when ‘théy are “an easy plaything in the hands of anyone who exploits their instincts” and when they are “reduced to the status of a mere machine,” become in fact the “enemy of true democracy and of its ideal of liberty and equality.” On the international side there must be a world organization of peace-loving states with power to prevent aggression. This, he says, is “a duty which brooks no delay, no

for fullest freedom.

hesitation, no subterfuge.”

Without joining advocates of a soft peace, the Pope In this he follows the Atlantic Charter. While “chastisement” can be inflicted on the aggressor by the society of states, “so that war will always be subject to the stigma of proscription,” the defeated peoples should have hope of equal rights “com-

insists that the settlement be just.

mensurate to their effective collaboration,” » » » . .

HE PUTS this plea on material as well as moral “To deny them that hope would be the-reverse of far-seeing wisdom; it would be to assume the grave responsibility of barring the way to a general liberation.” That, as we understand it, is also the policy of the While we require unconditional surrender of the aggressor, we have told the enemy peoples that we do not intend their destruction, We insist on controls adequate to prevent more of their aggression, we want them to have all the equal rights and opportunities of democratic and peaceful states as soon as they prove they are such—but not before. .

grounds:

American government and people.

' THE UNHAPPY IRISHMAN

£ IT may not be world-shaking news, but perhaps you'd care to know that Leland Holzer, a New York used car dealer known as “The Smiling Irishman,” has obtained a court order to restrain a former employee named John J. McDonald from doing business as “The Happy Irishman.” Last June Mr. Holzer tried but failed to get a similar order against Charles Juliano, who sells used cars as “The Laugh-

ing Irishman.”

While we're about it, we might as well pass on word that the “Shake Hands With the Dragon” Chinese restaurant has opened in Boston, and that a New York seafood house which has agreed to an OPA suspension for using butter and fats without turning in 90,084 ration points is

named “King of the Sea.”

BREAD UPON THE WATERS N 1918 congress appropriated $100,00Q to pay for carrying the mail by air from Washington to New York. succeeding 24 years, to mid-1942, the government ran up a deficit of $128,000,000 on airmail subsidies. the volume of business is so great that the postoffice de: partment is making a profit of $50,000,000 a year on air

mail. oe

Here is one subsidy that is paying rich dividends, not only in the larger postal revenues which will enable the government rapidly to get all its bait back, but also in the development of a lusty aviation industry that is making great contributions to the winning of the war and to Amer-

Te

‘ican commercial life.

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JAP STRATEGY

“THE enemy was forced to make the Mindoro landings due to the terrific pressure exerted by our victorious forces on Leyte island. The enemy was just squeezed out

of Leyte,” says Jap Gen. Masaharu Homma.

It appears that the Japs, by a stern threat to bury their nose in Gen. MacArthur's fist, compelled him to kick

them in the seat of the pants instead. .

OPEN SEASON

ONE QUESTION SETTLED, ANYWAY SIE MORTON SMART, manipulative’ surgeon to the k

HINGS are all in a dither at Louisiana State university, where good-night kisses by women students have been banned. It seems to us that in this day of manpower shortage any co-ed who can find a man on the cam

pus fo kiss Should be congratulated, not reprimanded. ; Ji

In the

But now

REFLECTIONS Nature Notes By Harry Hansen ~~

to consider the octopus, but a scientist says it has had a bad press and we ought to know that it missed the status of “brainy intelligence which distinguishes man” by only a vey narrow margin. I found that statement in Wiliam C, Beebe’s captivating anthology, “The Book of Natural~ ists,” which contains such grand reading that it lulled me into comi plete forgetfulness of what was going on in the war-ridden world. (Alfred A, Knopf, $3.50.) Just how narrowly the octopus missed playing a big role on earth is indicated by Gilbert C. Klingel, the scientist who wants a square deal for all octopi, “There is reason to believe they are the most keen-witted creatures in the ocean,” says he, “and had they déveloped an opposable thumb and fingers instead of suckers with which to manipulate various objects the entire course of the earth's existence might have been altered.” He makes out a good case, too, for the thumb, says he, is the most remarkable portion of man’s anatomy. “Literature, music, art, philosophy, religion, civilization {itself :are directly the result of man’s possession of this-digit.” Well, the octopus missed getting a thumb, and now look at it. In the Middle West, where I was born, the octopus was known chiefly as a trust that lived in Wall Street. Once, led on by a terrible picture of an octopus devouring horses and cows, I visited a sideshow of a county fair to gaze on an octopus. d suspected the showman of palming off ends of rotten rubber hose. But at Gibraltar, where the liners used to stop, I saw Spanish peddlers come alongside to sell green grapes, cigars and octopi. One was lying at the bottom of a boat; it was like the swollen head of a baby, rolling from side to side, attached to what looked like wet ropes. Somebody bought it, and it | was sent aboard in a basket to be cooked. I heard an argument start over which made. the better dish —the octopus of Genoa or that of Naples. - For my part, I prefer spaghetti, =

From Penguins to Scorpions

NOT ONLY does Mr. Klingel make out a good case for the octopus, but C, Murray Levick, who went to the Anfarctic with Capt. Scott, weaves a wonderful discription of the penguin in his icy habitat, staring at men down his nose and falling asleep when his | curiosity is satisfied, The penquin is obviously an object of interest | to everybody; the mating habits of the scorpion draw a smaller audience, even with J. Henry Fabre to describe them. But if you have never opened Maurice Maeterlick's “The Life of the Bee,” a surprise awaits you, for here is the chapter on the swarming of the bees, and” when the author's moody, mystica] plays are forgotten men will still reach for his incomparable book on the bee, It pays to have Willlam Beebe as a guide, for he is not a man to turn over to his secretary the job of snipping bits out of other people’s books. Mr. Beebe's anthology is a personally conducted version: He begins by describing the ancient days when insects and wild animals didn't have names and thinks with enthusiasm of the delight a lad would have had in discovering so many creatures for the first time.

Goes Direct to the Jungle

HE PICTURES Aristotle, making notes of what he observed and what he heard, in order to pass on his knowledge, and Pliny, mixing truth and fiction in a fabulous work that remained an authority well into the Middle Ages. He has no time for a monastic period that dealt in ahstract debate and ignored what we now call research--tp him this was a “method of simian science, offspring of conceit, sheer laziness and disregard of truth.” Mr. Beebe has gone direct to the jungle for evidence to back up his reading. But he proves, by his careful selection, that scientists are careful observers and good writers. “If I had the opportunity of dining and enjoying a long evening of conversation with anyone from past years,” says he, “Huxley would be almost first choice.” He tells why by printing Thomas H. Huxley's lecture to the working men of Norwich on a piece of chalk— the chalk that underlies England—relating it to the chalky mud of prehistoric times “vastly older than Adam himself,” in a talk that must have bewitched those working men,

WORLD AFFAIRS—

Back to Reality

By James Thrasher

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26.—1It is unfortunate that lives and territory and time must be lost to convince the allled nations that the war isn't over. But if the German. counter-attack -nas.-the ef-. fect of concentrating our attention on the task at hand, then the price may be no heavier than that incident to a victory, The enemy offensive may prove to be the last strong thrust that the Nazis can deliver, but certainly there was nothing half way about it, It showed us pointedly how short our war effort is of the all-out variety. No bombs have dropped on our factories, but German industry has beén bombed with mounting strength and frequency. Our people are safe, well fed and reasonably content, Great areas of German cities have been reduced to rubble, with a tremendous loss of life. Most of our business is making its biggest profit in years in spite of steep taxes. In Germany, the government-controlled industry has been driven underground or dispersed to home workshops. Millions of weary, despondent Germans, with the reluctant help of enslaved foreign “laborers, are producing German guns and munitions, Allled planes have strafed Nasi troops and coms munications as well as Nazi industry almost with. out opposition, Such first quality’ German troops as remain in the west are backed by a force of almost untrained youngsters and old. men who are really the last scrapings of the man-power barrel,

Troops Short of Several Essentials AND YET these German troops, supported by V-

to attack with a strength that bent the American lines back over territory that we had won yard by yard and street by street in the bitter weeks just past. Our troops have been short of several essentials, particularly amymunition, truck and tires. And these shortages have been blamed on war workers who leave essential jobs to seek Secure peacetime employment. But that, is only part of the story, a Over-optimism did not originate on the production line. It drifted down from above-—from some military leaders, from the political campaign's emphasis on post-war problems and promises, from industrial ex. ecutives' preoccupation with reconversion. Perhaps the current German move will now force us to face hard reality again. And perhaps this same

THIS MAY be a peculiar ume

The Hoosier Forum

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

‘OF SELF-RULE?”

bombs and the remnants of the Luftwaffe, were able |

“THEY WILL MAKE BETTER CITIZENS” By M. M., Indianapolis Our great President once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” and this can. also be applied to the growing belief that our boys returning from battle will be so changed, that they will not fit into civilian life. How ridiculous! We had a war in 1918. Our soldiers fought in that war and re-

their sons in the land they fought to protect, . The soldiers in this war will do the same. It will take time of course and tact on the part of us who stayed home and were protected. Some will return sick in mind as well as body, but time, kindness and consideration will heal their hurts. I have no fear but that they will make better citizens than we are and do more to hold a lasting peace. I have faith in youth. : » » »

“IS INDIA CAPABLE

By An Observer, Indianapolis

During the early phases of this] war and even now, and in the future, American people have been and will ~discuss whether India should be self-governed, or if it would not be wiser to let India go on for the present under England. The important question is whether or not India is capable of self rule. History has shown that thus far she is not. India has a population of about 380 millions—three | times that of the. United States and seven times that of England. Our attitude is that such a population should not be ruled by such a minority as England, but we forget that the whole British empire is controlled by England, «

the United States and the Philippines, or the Hawaiian islands and Cuba. ‘We all know what conditions

turned to establish homes and raise ~

._There is a like comparison with]

they were in before the United States took over control. In India the religious, racial and sanitary conditions were in a dis- |

over,

Mohammedans, These young men like to fight, and to them there is no difference in-whose army they fight, be it British or Japanese.

gusting state when the British took | Washington Carver There are 45 races and 140] languages spoken in India. The In- {who have already read the excellent dian army under British authority |biography of Dr. Carver by Rackis made up chiefly of Hindus and |

India was a country of internal |

(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 responsi bility for the return of manuscripts and cannot enter correspondence regarding them.)

revolutions, each prince or large landowner attempting to control India. They had such customs as burning a widow on a funeral pyre and marrying at a ridiculously early age until Great Britain, in 1929, had a law put through the Indian assembly forbidding girls under 14 to marry. England is using India's resources for England, but haven't we used. the Philippines and Cuba to our owl advantage? England has built colleges; school, railroads, highways, canals and dams for irrigation of the dry lands in India. England has established postal-service, telegraph and telephones, which were sorely needed. Great Britain has started India on the way to selfgovernment and is teaching India the democratic way of government. Isn't it better to have India a country which will contribute under British rule to the benefits of mankind until she is fully capable of self-government and to improve is civilization, than to have it deteriorate into the Black Ages? , #8» . “CARVER WEEK IS . A GOOD BEGINNING” By D. H., Indianapolis I have noticed with interest the proclamation by Governor Schricker the week of Jan. 5-12 as George week, Dr,

Carver was a Negro. Many of us

ham Holt know of his numerous contributions to the service of humanity. All of this has caused me to reflect that the so-called “Negro problem” is in reality a misnomer. Rather, to a large extent, it is the

Side Glances=By Galbraith

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“white man's problem,” because he, himself, has not yet become sufficiently civilized to accept his fellow man as a human being regardless of race, creed or color. The average Negro does not discriminate against people of other races. This does not imply that it is the “white man’s problem” alone, for the Negro must also share his part of the responsibility just as Dr. Carver did. That is what makes a democracy. How then shall we go about solving this “white man’s problem?” Is it not largely a program of education? Did we not lower our death rate of.that dreaded disease, tuberculosis, through public education? Does not the present war prove to us that there is no more deadly disease than racial hatred? The best place to begin such a program is.in the home, the school, or the church, where our basic attitudes are formed, How much do you or your child know about Dr, George Washington Carver, who was a scientist first and a Negro second? A George Washington Carver week is a good beginning. » » » “WE AMERICANS CAN BE PROUD” By Factfinder, Indianapolis

The framers of the federal Constitution would have been pleased beyond expectation, when they first set upon their ‘task, if they could have foreseen that no President in the next century and a half would serve longer than 16 years. Kings, at that time, ruled all the rest of the world, and, naturally, while many feared that a new king would .take the place of King George, who had been overthrown, many assumed and some hoped that a king would be enthroned as chief ruler of the Confederacy of the Thirteen Colonies. To One delegate to the Constitutional Convention ventured the opinion that the country ought, at least, to’ make an attempt to get along without a throne; another econceded that, in the end, there would

that the unwelcome event might be postponed as long .as possible,

the Federalist Party (ancestral party of the Whig and Republican parties), frankly proposed that the President should serve for life. Oliver Ellsworth, another Federalist from Connecticut, said it was doubtful {if “the most: eminent characters” could be coaxed to the presidency if they were to be “degraded” again to private citizenship. James Wilson, a delegate

to suggest that the people might be trusted to elect the chief magistrate, Some Presidents have been very mediocre and perhaps most of them have been only commonplace. However, we Americans can be proud that there never has been a President who intentionally betrayed his great trust, even though picked from the crowd and elected by the people, . ” ” “WHY NOT INVESTIGATE THE 1940 ELECTION?" By A. F., Indianapolis

Wonder why renegade Republican

have to be a crown, but he wished ||

Alexander Hamilton, leader of | #

from Pennsylvania, hardly dared}|.-.

Tea-For-Three By Thomas: L. Stokes

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26—One of the aspects of the current situa~ .- tion about which lots of people

ly conscious, ; and some .une pleasantly of the conduct of fore eign affairs—ours and others. The tea-for-three or three-fore tea technique is working itself “into an irritant. Especially when the three— Messrs. Roosevelt, Churchill’ and Stalin—seem to be having some difficulty getting together again, and with many things happening in the world about. which they should consult. The emphasis on their'meeting also suddenly brings the realization that sg much depends upon whether’ these three men Ay not so comforting to contemplate,

World Government Among Friends

SEVERAL THINGS have happened in the last few days to dramatize this highly personal sort of world diplomacy, a kind of world government among friends, with an occasional dillettante touch, .and too much of an atmosphere of good fellows getting together. One was the British-Russian accord on fhe pare tition of Poland, apparently with at least our tacit acquiescence after you get through the diplomatis. language of Secretary of State Stettinius’ statement. This, we suddenly discovered, had all been worked out behind closed doors at Tehran months and months ago, between two of the three men, with the third seemingly holding aloof and looking the other way. 5 3 } Ey On top of this came President Roosevelt's revela« tion that there was no dctual signed document eme bodying the Atlantic Charter, but only a handful of memoranda. That puts too informal a touch upon that dramatic meeting on a battleship at sea in the

J minds of people who like to have such agreements

more solid and substantial, properly signed and sealed, so that some day it might be on exhibit in a glass case at the Congressional Library like the constitution and other famous compacts,

Not So Important as Represented

THIS LACK of formality and signatures is really not so important as it has been represented in some quarters, particularly by lurking isolationists who are again beginning to poke up their heads and stick ous their tongues. For there was an agreement, a formal announcement proclaimed to the world, with subse quent approval of its principles by the members of the united nations. It did serve to lift subjugated peoples everywhere, to give them something about which to rally and on which to pin their hopes. After all, the British people have clung to and been governed by an unwritten constitution for cene turies, which has achieved a sanctity all own. It was the timing of the revelation, that the admission that there was no actual physical Atlantic Charter seemed to be a symbol of so many things that were happening—about Belgipm and Italy and Greece and finally Poland. It was all tog simultaneAnd as a matter of atmosphere—rather trivial, but a part of the current Washington scene—was the pep rally that Secretary Stettinius called to introduce his new “team’™ to employees of the state department, with appropriate accompaniment by the Marine band, It was all a bit college-like and Rover Boy-ish. Shades of ‘John Quincy Adams and John Hay and Charles Evans Hughes, and even Cordell Hull

What to Do About the Situation?

THESE ARE the impressions that a reporter gets pin moving about Washington these last few. days. ° What to do about Jhe situation? : A suggestion that “has been made which seems logical is that if the Big Three can’t conveniently get together, then the foreign secretaries should meet frequently so that there is some continuity in policy. It is suggested also that there should be frequent announcements so that the public keeps fairly current and does not wake up with a sudden shock te discover, long afterward, things that were done by means of states in.secret sessions away off somewhere over the horizon. . a As a matter of reporting, it might be said also that some members of the senate who have loyally supported President Roosevelt's general policy and are very earnest about the creation of an effective world organization are seriously ¢oncerned about the turn of affairs, and undoubtedly will bé heard from when the senate reconvenes in January. This comes from friends, not from enemies.

IN WASHINGTON Military Program By Daniel M: Kidney ~~

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26.—Wars time training has convinced army experts that a full year is needed to produce adequately prepared combat soldiers, So the latest war department statement on universal military training in peacetime emphasizes that it will take 52 weeks for every yourig man between 17 and 20 to become ga competent citizene soldier. how r BER THe purpose of universal preparation for combat,” the

training is “effective statement pointed out. “It is essential,” it sald, “that our .reserve come ponents constitute a properly balanced force capable of sustained- offensive preparation for combat,” the statement pointed out, - {nr ne “It is essential’ it said, “that our reserve come ponents constitute a properly balanced force capable

mediately following mobilization day. “To produce such a force our trainees under uni versal military training must be dispersed through air, ground and service units of all types ‘and maine tained in the correct proportions.” *

Training Objectives Outlined

TRAINING OBJECTIVES to. produce’ this “bale ance” are outlined as, 1. To provide such basic soldiers thoroughly quali« fled in their individual and team duties as are required to maintain adequate military forces during peace and to activate and mmintain such forces as would be ree quired during the first year.of war, : 2. To discover and earmark for furflier develop. ment the junior leaders and specialists required to

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