Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 23 February 1945 — Page 18

‘The Indianapolis Times PAGE 18 ROY W. HOWARD

President

Owned and published daily (except Sunday) by Indianapolis Times Publishing Co. 214 W. Mary~land st. Postal Zone 8.

Member of United Press, Bcripps-Howard Newgpaper Alliance, NEA Service, and Audit Bureau of Circulations.

THE LIQUOR TAX THE proposal of tl double the tax on distilled liquor as a means of raising revenue for post-war construction examined carefully by the state leg

acte

becomes so excessive that consumers to other sources of supply.

ture

tion the state gress income tax—and it be that the cost of legal liquor may become prohibitive to the | factories. average buyer, : we may through high prices rather X very likely that “such a condition will bring again -the byproducts of prohibition: ing and corruption of law enforcement. legal liquor rises, bootlegging increases.

It is an econ not always yield the most revenue. there is a point of diminishing -returns—mw

oy s THE PRESENT federal tax on di per gallon, with the probability that it to $10 this summer. posed increase would make the tota or $3.02 per quart under the new federal and state rates.

Add this to the exp rs’ wholesalers’ and retailers’ mark-upg—not to men-!

Thus

Give Light and

REFLECTIONS hy = Ever So Humble

By Harry Hansen -

Friday, February 23, 1945 '

‘WALTER LECKRONE HENRY W. MANZ * Editor Business Manager

(A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER)

Price in Marion County, 5 cents a copy; delivered by carrier, 20 cents

a week. cannot provide for them,

visit the sites of their blasted homes, trying to pick bits of their possessions out of the rubble. This movement of mankind to its original homes is eternal, It takes place in the: flooded areas of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers no less than in devastated France. People belong where they know their way around and where their right to occupy a spot on the earth is recognized by their neighbors. : No doubt this trait has led Mary Loos and Walter Duranty to write a novel about the return of villagers to their town and the resumption of routine life in “Return to the Vineyard” (Doubleday, Doran, $2.50), What does human nature want most when life is resumed after a catastrophe? A hearth, an occupation; a partner, a home in which to rear children, find security and good fortune. This animates i the refugees who return to the place called Vineyard omic principle that the highest taxes do | and pick up the threads of their lives, ; : As in the case of prices, ¢ Strong feelings, stronger emotions, dominate the As Intl >’ | men and women—Peter and Joseph, who knew how to here the cost | prune the vines on which their prosperity depended. s ceasa to buy or turn | Timothy, who liked to make conquests of women and | dominate men, but who worked with tremendous en- | ergy. himself; Naomi, who was blind, and Anna, who | could see with her eyes but not with her heart; Elizabeth, the midwifé; Gabriel, the German, who ‘no longer wanted to be a German because he loved Leah, and Father Francis,

Mail rates in Indiana, $5 a year; all other states, U. S. possessions, Canada and Mexico, 87 cents a month.

«po « RILEY 5551

4 the People Will Find Their Own Way

he Republican policy committee to

is one that should be | gislature befpre it is en-

» o ” tilled spirits is $9 | will be increaséd The state tax now is $1.08, so the pro- | | fax $12.08 per gallon, | Emotional Adjustments Are Tangled

; THEY WERE DETERMINED to raise grapes and ense of production, plus the mantifac- | make wine, because that was their traditional occupation and their pride, but the town nearby, Marketown, would gladly have robbed them; and -the refugee repatriation board would have put them to work in

comes apparent |

Their emotional adjustments are many. Jealousy . ... | and passion tangle them up. Resentment at petti- ’ 1 q 11} =I" 8) | have prohibition - again prohil 1tion | coat rule rises among some of the men; others want than by statute. And it seems to hang the German; a few want to make secret hargains for the wine with exploiters in town. They AES ne 3 . | have to iron this out, as individuals and members of a Bootlegging, hijacking, moonshin- | community, and they do—with matings, forgiveness As the price of | and bloody defense of their own against the town

Under these cir- | gongs.

is a story of action and arguments based on

cumstances, the state is deprived of tax revenue, the pub- frustration and suppressed passions and of the gradual lic is expoted to an inferior product—rotgut whisky or bath- | change of these dissatisfied people into homebodies.

tub gin—and legitimate dealers and manufacturers lose * business. Evervone loses, in fact, except the criminal ele- | Europe where the Germans have been forced out; |

ment and its official accessories. | hence the distinctive local flavor of French, Italian or |

We doubt if anyone wants that to happen. And that is - what an over-grasping tax policy may well produce.

” » 2 = » » ANOTHER POINT to consider is the fact that the pro- | posed tax increase would raise the price of liquor in Ins | diana considerably above the levels in adjoining states. | Human nature being what it is, many purchasers in the |

The authors have made the setting general as if to indicate that this might take place anywhere in

{ Balkan life is missing. This weakens the story, but the emotional clashes { are probably true and likely to be encountered any- | where. It will be worth finding out how near the authors have come to reality when the actual accounts of repatriation are published.

WORLD AFFAIRS—

border counties will buy their liquor in Illinois, Ohio, Ken- |

tucky or Michigan, - Neighboring states will get the tax | Practical Test

revenue, not Indiana. i

The liquor business in this state is ‘willing te carry its | chare of the tax load. We believe it should. Little objec- |

By Marshall McNeil

tion was raised to the 50-cent tax increase originally pro- |

posed. But the industry believes, and with some justifica- | tion,.that a dollar is too much.

THE GLORIOUS MARINES

OR losses-on Iwo island will sober those who had con- | cluded, from the Luzon victories and the unchallenged | # sweep of our fleets into Tokyo waters, that the Japs are | weakening. . American military men never had that idea. | : Fa

WASHINGTON, Feb 23 — As the Inter-American conference gets under way at Mexico City, our good neighbor policy as it affects that nation is being tested in two places here. ' In one, the senate is

3 : Bo being

with Mexico, dividing the waters jo of the Rio Grande and the Colo- : i x rado river, with California oppps-

) : { ing the pact, and Texas favorBut even they, apparently; are somewhat surprised by the | ing it. ferocity of this battle. Adm. Halsey predicted that it | In the other, the government is being asked to

would not be as tough as Tawara. mand says it is the worst in the corps’ 168 years, which | is the most extreme description an American can think of. No immediate let-up is in sight. There is no front line or rear in the usual sense; that is, there is no spot on the five-mile island where our troops are safe from enemy fire. The Japs have the heights overlooking all of our hardwon positions, and are making use. of that advantage. All of which makes the American advance more reThe marines not only have lived up to their

markable.

heroic history, but have written a grim hew chapter of valor. Without cover of any kind, they have climbed the treacherous rocks under enemy fire from all sides and kept |

going.

EVERY POSSIBLE AID is being given our ground troops by the supporting services. Surface ships, ringing | the island, keep up a steady bombardment of enemy positions. Carrier planes follow the ground forces like protective | hawks, regardless of foul weather. So far the sea and | air patrol has been so complete that not a single Jap ship | or plane has broken through. virtually all American casualties on the island are being | removed at once to safety and care. Nobody will question the strategic negessity of this battle. To the Japs Iwo is a base which must be held at | all cost: to Americans it must be taken at all cost. is why the fighting is so bloody. miles north, are the last fixed sea defenses before Tokyo itself —only about 700 miles away. | will protect the flanks of our fleet operating in Jap home | waters. Iwo will give us air bases from which even medium | bombers can blast Japan, and from which fighter planes can escort Superfortresses. The fall of Iwo will shake the | enemy as nothing before. It's a job that must be done. It's"a job the marines | are doing with great glory. _,

POWER OF THE PRESS E SOMETIMES wonder whether we know our own strength. The other day. we administered .a gentle: ediforial bawling out to Maury Maverick, chairman of the Smaller War Plants Corp., for mailing to this and 49 other newspapers, at government expenses, "a long statement, of hig “views as an interested citizen” on why congressmen | materials, her own natural resources; thay the

~ Boy, did we get results! Maury has now sent Treas- | Secretary Morgenthau a personal check for $15 and | market for their fuel.

permit the export of additional Texas natural gas to industries at Monterrey, Mexico, and Texas is fighting this through its railroad commission, which regulates the oil and gas industry there. Month-long hearings onthe water treaty were concluded Wednesday by the senate foreign relations* committee. California, represented chiefly by Governor Ear] Warren and Senator "Sheridan Downey, argued that the treaty would deprive their state’ of water they secured in connection with the building of Boulder dam, The state asserted that it took on obligations as the result of the construction of Boulder, and that it cannot live up to its contracts if additional quantities of water are given to Mexico,

Federal Officials Defend Treaty

STATE DEPARTMENT and U. 8 bureau officials contended the treaty afforded Mexico ys a 8-8 i only . fair , treatment, and did not affect adversely American water rights. Texas, seeing the treaty as a means for insuring a steady supply of water to the state's rich Rio Grande valley, generally favored the agreement : The gas. problent 1s before the federal power commission. Reynosa Pipeline Co. of Corpus®Christi has applied for permission to 60,000,000 cubic feet of gas daily to a steel mill, a glass factory and other industries at Monterrey, which are already being served with about 30,000,000 cubic feet of Texas gas. ; Two of the three members of the state's railroad commiseiont have filed a brief with the power commission oppesing the export ‘project, saying “We are opposed to these large withdrawals of gas from Texas, which if continued before we can determine (1) the natural gas reserves of Texas and (2) the present and future needs, use and requirements in’ Texas for natural gas, could possibly cre ate a future shortage of natural gas in Texas, . . .

'No Use Kidding Ourselves’

“WHILE THE APPLICATION is for only 10 years, there is no use kidding ourselves, We would not at that time be able to cut off the gas without the most serious and untoward impact upon our rela tions with Mexico. After she had erected a great industrial economy from the supply of such gas, we would be called upon to continue the export of vast - quantities of gas. . . . “The U. 8. is not) required, even in proof of its

Now the marine com- |

rights

And not least important,

That Iwo and the Bonins, 100 |

Iwo, when captured, |

| own growth, and abridge the safety and comfort of

| respondingly benefit. In already furnishing 30,000,000 cubic feet of natural gas a day to Monterrey, Texas is doing-enough for that city.” : Advocates of the - Reynosa application contend there are ample supplies of gas in Texas; that Mexico

| . | is furnishing us with large quantities of strategic war

1 ; | Monterrey industries are producing things necessary | to the war effort there and here; and that owners of gad leases to be tapped by the line have no other

vat

ber saying that the mailing of that statement was a | . by his office, not authorized or approved by him. ay . t . cks doesn’t cover the expense to the government, | T Th P re id, he'll pay the rest; if it's more than enough, © : e ; oin

ce can be paid to the writer of the editorial.” line this munificent, if contingent, -offer. "The

his help. ,- : - evement—the flow of pride over our suc- | pgp: 5 loose from Maury Maverick and getting | on for the purpose of more and more war bonds! the United States—is all the reward EY i

Ti ody.

vemen . ¥

v *

0 plank.

De teil

NEWS DISPATCHES say that although Warsaw is a heap of ruins citizens are trickling ‘back, despite warnings that the military They

asked to approve a water treaty |

reclamation |

export a maximum of | po { feeling our men (and me, too) have|the working man a job unless he

| friendship and good wishes to Mexico, to limit its |

its own citizens that a neighboring country may cor- |

NO ONE CAN make a fool out of a ‘man without -” -. i ,. i > y THERE'S A COAL shortage—but the heat’s still

- AGAIN Geyman Field Marshal Kari'von Rundstedt |

The Hoosier Forum

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

| “THE PEOPLE ARE ENTITLED TO KNOW” 8s N. W., Indianapolis I am a home owner in Indian- | apolis, and interested in our city's | welfare. Will you please, or some lot the promoters of the slum clear-| {ance bill, tell me just how it is! | going to clear the slums? | Supposing the bill gets passed. | and forces a redevelopment district| upon us, and the commissioners are| appointed, and start in. Suppose | they decide upon a. blighted area, land decide to move out the inhabi- | |tants, and demolish the structures. | Now, where are those people going? Are they going to have to shift for | themselves, and scatter all over, set-| tling wherever they can? If so,| is that slum clearance, or is it slum scattering? | Nothing ,is said in the bill about how to handle such problems. | 1 have always thought it is the people who make up the slums, and not the houses. 1f I am right, then had we not better start at the cause of the trouble, and first educate the people to want better and sanitary living? if any, who are moved out of a {blighted area, in order to rebuild, will be financially able to meet the rentals. justified by the new building. I wonder. if this will lead fo "a subsidy for such people: ‘If so, Jwill this not mean additional tax for the people to pay? 1 wonder if the promoters .of this bill have conscientiously studied this whole question all the way through, and if so, where it is going to lead. The people are entitled to know before they are hitched to such a program. » ” » | | “OUR ERNIE HAS

| DONE IT AGAIN”

{By Mary O'Connell, 410 Traction Termi- | nal

three

{Times readers are invited to express their these columns, religious controversies excluded. Because

views in

of the volume received, letters should bs limited to 250 words, Letters must be signed. Opinions set forth hers are those of the writers, and publication in no way implies agreement with those The

Times assumes no responsi-

opinions by The Times.

bility for the return of manuscripts and cannot enter cbrrespondence regarding them.)

“THERE IS MORE THAN ONE SIDE”

“INDIANAPOLIS IS : AFFLICTED WITH BLIGHT” By T. McGuire, Indianapolis The Egyptians were visited with plagues, the Ancient Mariner wondered why he was cursed and now Indianapolis is afflicted with a disease called the blight. To make a better city for those who follow us, a fair diagnosis and the right treatment must be given this blight epidemic. First of all, we have a low-lying plot of ground not far from the river, subject to fogs. This region is given over to our life-giving industries, the slaughter houses, the paper mills, coke and gas plants, electric power houses and railroad yards. All of these places are large users of soft or bituminous coal which fouls the air and causes the given territory to be absolutely unfit for human habitation. It" is, however, highly fit and

By James R. Meitzler, Attica There is more than one side to this fair employment thing, So far as public jobs ‘are concerned, all

Certainly very few of those, men, other things being equal, no helicopter airport might be used

matter what their color, race or religion, should have equal rights to the job. But when you come to private employment that is quite another thing’ In a free country a man has a right to his prejudices. He has the right to choose, the right to discriminate. If you deny him that right you limit his freedom. And

even the persons who are discriminated against for their color, their race, their religion would, when

Jey are in position to use that free-

dom, rebel against its denial. “Birds of a feather flock together.” “The man who pays the fiddler calls the tune.” To those who wish

Our Ernie has done it again! For to outlaw the employer's right to vears other correspondents |choose whom he will pay his money

have been batting out column after |to, what about that law that forces

column on the Pacific war, but it took the Hoosier Wonderman with [the God-given gift of gab to put {into a few well-chosen words the

him to hire his labor of a labor monopply? :A law that forces him to. discriminate against the unorganized worker? A law that denies

| for, the Japs. Although I'm afraid pays tribute to a labor boss? The

| the cockroaches and mice will have

|closed ‘shop? You guys who would

{it in for Ernie after this, It’srather|outlaw discrimination for color, race

like the hog who got up-and-walked

land religion, are you for legalized

{away when a drunk lay down in the | discrimination against all men and

| ditch beside it.

{women outside the labor unions?

Side Glances=8y Galbraith

| |

on V

"They are watching for the mailman-=in their last letters my ~~ brothers prorised to send them some cigarefsl’ |,

< e

suitable for factory and commercial pursuits, with hundreds of millions |of dollars already invested and in- ! valuable lines of transportation and

other services long established. A]

{to great advantage for transit to 'and fro from our regular outlying | airports. ; With the natural and healthy {movement of our people to purer environments a few miles towards {the outskirts, it would be foolish to lask or expect heavy investors ih manufacturing to move their expen- | sive layouts, Therefore, if we cannot move the mountain away from Mahomet, why {not move Mahomet’s house away from the mountain? With our |'trackless. trolleys extended, the cen{ter of our human beehive, even {though eight or 10 miles from our | dwellings, would only be at most a 30 minute pleasant ride from our work. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that the near future will find all of us in a position to enlarge our services to our couutrymen, physically, morally and financially. The railways will be able to buy electric or other smokeless motive power to handle both freight and passengers inside our city limits. Our electric station can enlarge or. increase its output to take care of an increased demand for current, Our street railways would flourish and prosper. People’s health would improve and our town would become beautiful, Serve our people and our more healthy people will serve us by pbuilding a better city of happier homes and less delinquencies, » ” » “WHY 18 IT NECESSARY?” By Ivan ©. Clearwater, Indianapolis I noticed on the front page of The Times, Feb. 15, 1945, a United Press writeup headed, “Washington to Pass on Sinatra's Draft.” The dispatch went on to state that the crooner took a physical examination on Feb. 8 but his draft status had been referred from his local board {to authorities in’ Washington for a decision. i Now, will some kind-hearted person please advise why it is necessary for certain federal-authorities in Washington to pass on this draft status? Was the problem too delicate for his local draft board to handle? : Well, anyway, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he came out with a commission as crooner captain (maybe a brigadier general) of the bobby sox brigade,

DAILY THOUGHTS

1 know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open. door, and no man can shut fit: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my

3:8. gi ——

Inspiring Youth

| American people.

name —Revelation

By Thomas L. Stokes

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23. Cmdr, Harold Stassen came back | fronx the Pacific strengthened in ‘his ‘belief in the necessity of an international security organization to stop aggressors and to keep the. peace. : This was, as he explained it, for 4wo reasons: First, because of what he saw of war and its havoc; and, second, because of the demonstrated effectiveness of : - air and naval forces for policing, such as is planned for the projected .

organization to check aggression. It is with these strong convictions that ke will serve as a member of the American delegation to the united nations conference at San Francisco in late April,

[Invincible Spirit of American Youth'

CMDR. STASSEN has a great admiration for the young Americans fighting this war. “I don't believe you can have any conception,” he said, “of the invincible spirit of the wise-cracking, high-spirited young: American fighter.” s He told of his visit to a hospital. He talked to one youngster who had lost a leg. As he was leaving the young man looked up through the pulleys and contraptions about his bed with a broad, brave smile and said: ® “I'll see you back home in the states and Ml show ° you what you can do with a wooden leg." “It's the invincible spirit of American youth,” Cmdr. Stassen added, “and it should be used in peace as it is in war.” = 4

'Disturbing Voices Are Beginning’

THOUGH HE WILL attend the conference as a civilian; Cmdr. Stassen certainly will be a spokesman for these young Americans. He will be so recognized. He will carry the hopes of the young men for some machinery to keep the peace, so there will not be another one of these holocausts for their sons. It is inspiring to listen to the commander, himself still a young man at 38, and it has been inspiMng to see the general friendly reaction in this country to the Crimea conference from which came the decision to go forward with plans for a security organization at San Francisco. But the little disturbing voices are beginning to be heard = You hear them at the capitol, from the floor and in the lobbies, picking at this and that. The danger is that these voices add up, in time, and become a sort of angry chorus, with more noise than real substance when you consider the whole They form alliances and blocs, they seek reservations, just as happened 25 years ago when the League of Nations was defeated by the senate.

'Frank Confession on Record

THERE'S A FRANK confession of this on record by one of the participants in that battle 25 years ago—former Senator James E. Watson—which it is well to ponder now. In his autobiography Senator Watson tells how Senator Lodge (Mass), Republican leader and chairman of the foreign relations committee, called him in about 10 days after the senate began to debate the treaty of Versailles and asked him to be his special representative to organize the fight against the league. The Indiana senator writes of his talk with Mr. Lodget™ : “Senator,” I said to him, “I"don't-see how we are ever going to defeat this proposition. It appears to me that 80 per cent of the peoples are for it. Fully that percentage of the preachers are right now advocating it, churches are very largely favoring it, all the people who have been burdened and oppressed by this awful tragedy of war and who imagine this opens a way to build peace are for it, and 1 don't see how it is possible to defeat it. ’ “He turned to me and said: “‘Ah, my dear James, I do not proposes to try to beat it by direct frontal attack, but by the indirect method of reservations.'” Then he told the Indiana senator how he would propose reservations on this and that to attract sup-

| port from various groups.

It worked 25 years ago. It could work again, unless the people watch out.

IN WASHING TON—

Dog. Show Blues

) By Earl Richert 3

ahs,

WASHINGTON, Peb. 28.—The war committee on conventions is in the “dog house” with at least a segment of the nation’s dog fanciers because of its ruling that dog shows are trade shows. This means that only 'ocal dog shows may be held—shows involv--ing no out-of-town travel by either entries or exhibitors. will Judy, editor of Dog World, disagrees with the commit tee’'s classification of dog shows. He contends that they are sporting events and he has circularized dog clubs urging them to wire or write the committee to get the classification changed. While no direct statement is made in his circular letter, the inference is that if the committee could be persuaded to classify dog shows as sporting events they can be held as before. : “It is our suggestion that dog shows already scheduled ‘sit tight’ and await developments” said Mr. Judy. “Dag shows can still be held as local sporting events. f tions. should not be considered at this time.! No let-up until complete victory.” -

Field Trials Are Not Affected -

ODT OFFICIALS say that it has been decided that dog shows are trade shows and that is that. They point out that cattle, horse and horticultural shows have the same classification as dog shows. They admit, however, that field trials are classified “at the moment” as sporting events and as such are not subject to the trawel ban, “Dog show promoters” said an ODT official, “should approach their* problems not on the idea of getting around the trawel ban, but on the idea of co-operating fully in the interests of the war effort.

.| And about 90 per cent of them are.”

The ruling that dog shows are trade shows and as such should not be held except on a purely local basis was issued last week after the Westminster Kennel Club show was held fn Madison Square Garden, New York, It drew moms than 2600 entries from throughout the country and thousands of spectators.

So They Say—

IT 18 very simple. We need everything, especially

repaired. —Jean Monnet, Fremch government agent in the U. 8. Bin .

WE HAVE the (heating) oll but not the transpore

'triegd be true—Vaughan.

To God, thy countrie, and thy

raw material to get our industry and our harbors

By FREDE United Pre:

WASHING blonde ange! ~with six-fc of their s

Mr: Pefril The lawmt ing James his musiciar under ¢ their they * called enough to blush. Jar there.

THAT W little fat ma let-proof se who shall t where—Ilast mand by That was phonograph is ignoring “In. all service as ¢ Rep. Charl New Jersey,

- anything lik

“I guess

‘ing the san

that he did the United Clarence J. think Mr. F it. It is abo let him have

TWO BI house, both wind out of soon, One, by

" of ‘Oklahom!

to criminal in forcing t who don't f It devel that if a r: broadcast t! union band, equal numb to sit on ti full salary d

THE OTH Rep. Georg igan, woul Caesar from cational bro of the high Interlochen, James Ci students ha He also saic siclan who fiddle wou taken up.