Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 30 June 1945 — Page 6

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1e- Indianapolis Times AGE 6 _ Saturday, June 30, 1945 .

HENRY W, MANZ Business Manager

(A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER)

Y W. HOWARD WALTER LECKRONE iden! © Editor

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

Mail rates in Indiana, $5 a year; all other states, U. 8. possessions, Canada and Mexico, 87 cents a

month. — fos, and Audit Bureau of : ] tions. a © RILEY 5551 8 Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way

OPA’S HOT POTATOES \PA’s drive against the little retail grocers who get more than legal prices for potatoes hasn't noticeably im- . proved the potato market here, but it has pointed rather | plainly to two logical assumptions: FIRST—That there is a big, organized potato black market from which these retailers themselves have to buy, and, SECOND—That its operators are powerful enough, and sinister enough, to have these small grocers in terror of testifying against it. In the past few days a considerable number of small | grocerymen have been haled before an OPA tribunal— which is prosecutor and witness and jury and judge, all in one—and fined for over-ceiling sales of potatoes. Not oneiof them has been willing to tell where he bought his potatoes—also at illegal prices. Some have said they didn't dare tell. OPA'’s failure to go after the source of this racket has pretty well convinced the small retailers that it is too powerful for OPA to tackle, too, and the whole produce business reeks with tales of pay-offs and intimidations, which may have been started by the racketeers themselves. If OPA is really serious about the potato black market, we suggest that the-place to stop it is where it starts, | not where it ends.

| THE PRESIDENCY

: qualify President Truman, Henry Morgenthau J r. would "become President of the United States. : That is because there is no vice president, and, since | Wednesday’s resignation of Mr. Stettinius, no secretary of state.’ So under the law the line of succession passes down to the next cabinet officer, the secretary of the treasury. The law doesn’t make sense. Mr. Morgenthau, for instance, is head of the treasury department because the late President Roosevelt wanted his friend and neighbor for that particular job. Mr. Roosevelt didn't choose Mr. Morgenthau for a potential President. Nor did Mr. Truman choose him for that role. Mr. Truman, in fact, has made it clear that he doesn’t want to choose a possible successor. Before accepting Mr. Stettinius’ resignation and preparing to name a new secretary of state, Mr. Truman asked congress to enact legislation changing the line of succession so that the.presidency would pass to the speaker of the house of representatives. ‘As Mr. Truman pointed out, the speaker is elevated to his high position of leadership in the national legislature by the free choice of his colleagues who in turn are elected by the people of their districts every two years. Therefore the speaker's selection, more than the selection of any other government official aside from the President and vice president, stems" directly from the people.

s ” o " »” o THE HOUSE has acted favorably on a bill embodying Mr. Truman's proposal, but no action has been taken yet by the senate. In normal times, with an elected vice president in office, it would be appropriate for congress to take plenty of time to study and debate and deliberate to perfect

J the best possible law jof succession.

But this is an emergency. A situation has arisen which was not envisioned when the present law was passed. We think the senate should enact Mr. Truman's line-of-succession proposal promptly, without further debate—as an emergency measure. Mr. Truman, according to all reports, enjoys good health and is well guarded by the secret sérvice, so it is hardly possible that anything untoward will happen to him. And we pray nothing will. But it is barely possible that something might. And the

senate should take no risk, however remote. ” n » » » ”

MR. TRUMAN'S proposal on its face is more logical than the present law. And it meets the immediate situation. We hope Mr. Truman's plan will be adopted without delay, and, having taken out’ that prudent political insurance, undertake a long-range study and general revision of the succession law. For instance, there is the question of who would become President, should the elected President and vice president both die between election day and inauguration day—a contingency not provided for in existing law, but not now an immediate problem. We believe Mr. Morgenthau wotld like to see the Truman succession plan approved as the best plan in sight. Mr. Morgenthau is not a man who would like to have the world’s heaviest responsibility thrust upon him by accident. We have a hunch, too, that whoever is nrominated for secretary of state would like to see congress clear away the presidential succession issue first, so that his confirmation by the senate can be considered on his qualifications for the state department job, without political repercussions running to his availability as a potential President, v This clearly is an emergency calling for immediate action, :

©

MYSTERY OF THE MISSING BOTTLE

seems that contemplation of wonderful post-war things to come may divert us from our present necessary duties. In fact, the nation’s dairyaen and bottle makers tell us that it’s already happening, in the prosaic matter of milk bottles. And they're worried. « Maybe we've been reading too much about those post-V-J-day square milk bottles, or the beer hottles the dealer

won't want back. At any rate, the milk and bottle people |

‘estimate that Americans are holding out some 25,000,000 bottles in kitchens and behind store counters. That's bad, for several reasons. One thing, the war food administration says that we, the people, are using 25 per cent more milk than before the war. That .takes

anything were to happen in the next few days to dis- |

bottles. And this is the time of year for Bossie’s milk

dividends. That takes bottles, too. Besides, the life of the average milk bottle is only t 40 trips from dairy to customer. And distributors

in the works for every one in your ice box.

1INt;

purveyors of Grade A cry: “If

ot

ls REFLECTIONS—

Big Fights By Joe ‘Williams

NEW YORK, June 30.—What the mob misses most on the menu of war rationed sports is the big fight, the anndfal “Battle of the Century” which old Tex Rickard and than Mike Jacobs promoted with garish and gaudy gestures. 7 There is nothing like a big fight to get the mob steamed up, the critics confused and the customers hysterical. A big fight carries. more emotional pull than the Derby, the world series or a Notre DameArmy game, Perhaps because it is essentially primitive and we aren't too far away from the Stone Age. Anyway, we haven't had a big fight for some time. The last to pass as such was Louis and Nova in September, 1941. that Louis had his title on. the line. Tangle Foot Nova went out in six. Still, it had all the trappings which go to make a big fight a unique show; the lurid ballyhoo, the grubby training camp routine, the itinerant néws hounds, the mad dash for the high priced seats. sYou got so accustomed to those things you took them in stride. It wasn't until they disappeared from the sporting scene that you suddenly realized you miss them.

They Have to'Be Big

THE BIG FIGHT always has to feature heavyweights. All the others somehow are secondary And, of course, you can't have a big fight when your champion isn't around. That would be Louls and he hasn't had the gloves on in public since March, 1942. When he’ll put ‘em on again is a guess. Apparently, it won't be this year. It takes a lively, imaginative manager to make a big fight interesting and exciting. That is, in advance. Jack Kearns, when he had Dempsey, was one of the best. The mob still talks about the Atlantic City camp where the old man-mauler prepped for Carpentier. From all accounts this topped. them all. As Kearns sald: “We did everything but cook opium in the hotel lobby.” Jack Curley. was closer to wrestling than fighting. He was a good man to have around a big fight camp. Curley had a news sense and this, coupled with his rich background in sports, made him valuable to the news hounds. In later years Joe Jacobs was a sprightly character around a fight camp and a good source of news.

The Build-Up for Customers

RICKARD USED plants, or stooges, to develop controversial angles and Jacobs does the same thing today. The only time you need a plant, or a stooge, is when your show is not moving, when it shapes up as too one sided. This was the case when Tunney was getting ready for Heeney. Everybody in town knew this had to be a soft touch for Mr. Five Foot Shelf and the apathy of the customers was spectacular! Heeney’s last work out was set for a Sunday. There must have been a hundred news hounds out that day. Rickard's plant, or stooge, for the occasion was none other than Dempsey, who sat at the ringside peering intently at the proceedings. They were pretty dull. Heeney never looked worse. Undaunted, Dempsey turned to the news hounds and bravely said: “I give Heeney a real good chance. In fact, I won't be surprised if he stops Tunney.” No old fighter ever stood up so gallantly for a promoter.

customers. Rickard and his associates in the Garden blew better than $300,000 on the fight, an all time high for fistic losses. Dumb Dan Morgan is Jacobs’ most active plant, or stooge, or maybe it would be more charitable to say he is simply an incurable optimist. At any rate, Mr. Morgan is always around to tell you how under rated the under dog in the betting is. Mr. Morgan does it with gestures, too. He takes his stance, feints, throws a swooshing punch ‘and says: “That's how he'll win and don’t forget I told you so.” It is seldom necessary to try to remember,

2 WORLD AFFAIRS— ~

° Ruhr Coal

By John W. Love

WASHINGTON, June 30.—Formation of an inter-allied reconstruction board or council for Europe is being discussed here as a “means of handling the baffling complications met in getting western European industry going again. Such a council would take immediate charge of the problem which underlies all others in continental reconstruction at the moment, that of supplying the western countries with coal. The difficulties in coal mining and distribution, in fact, are said to be compelling the formation of the new intergovernmental body.” If Prime Minister Churchill appoints Field Marshal Montgomery coal administrator for the Ruhr, as he is reported to have been requested to do by President Truman, Montgomery would work directly under the proposed board, It would take the place of the recently-formed emergency European economic committee, also an intergovernmental organization, which is operating on authority too far below the top policy levels to give what is regarded as satisfactory results.

Fits Baruch Proposal

A BOARD of this type would serve the preliminary purposes of the supreme economic reconstruction council which Bernard Baruch suggested last week. Such a council, he said, should “co-ordinate the many aspects of European reconstruction with the German settlement, reparations and other problems.” “We need,” says one governmental executive concerned with such questions, “a Gen, Eisenhower of economics, a Baruch of 20 years ago.” | he would be chairman of the projected commission, with prestige and energy enough to carry sufficient weight with the membership, made up as it is likely to be of representatives of several nations, not all of them co-operative in these difficult problems. The French, in particular, are said to be “bureaucratic and jurisdictional” in such intergovernmental efforts, An example of the technical matters such as a board would handle is the supply of pit props for the coal mines of the Ruhr valley., These mines are in the British zone of occupation; the wooden props, or posts which support the mine roof, would probably come from the American zone, and the coal might be shipped to France, which is now getting less than half the coal it needs. But until the props can be supplied, the coal can’t be got out of the mines.

Industry Starts With Coal

COAL MUST be mined and delivered before. the textile plants can make cloth for clothing or the flour mills grind grain for food. Or the railroads deliver | emergency food supplies. Coal is needed to make | steel to build the cars to haul the coal, and a shortage of cars is one of the most serious difficulties, It is not yet foremost, however, because the labor is not yet available to run all the western German mines which are capable of early.operation. It con-

miners recruited in other countries and these men have left the mines. Not enough former German miners have yet been sorted out of the former German army in the prison camps. » It is estimated that 300,000 miners are needed in the German mines, and that the properties could be brought up to 80 per cent of normal operation if the men could be found, housed and transported daily to the mines. The production is still no more than about 5 per cent, -however, and it is not expected to get much above 30 per cent for another year, Homes of miners have been destroyed in large numbers by the air raids, Same for the railroads which took them to the mine moutn. Food is also scarce in-the mining districts,

supplies would have to be" d somehow before

That was a big one only to the extent |.

It was a noble effort but it had no effect on the® We are wondering why

Hoosier

“LET'S ELECT MEN WHO WORK FOR THE PEOPLE” By W. Hale, Crawfordsville Attention Democrats, Republicans, Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legions. When senators and congressmen get to where they cannot live on 10 to 15 thousand dollars a year, and vote themselves an extra 25 hundred dollars a year— non taxable—I think it is time to clean house and place men in office that can live on that sum. they lowered the $1200 tax for man and wife to $1000, now we know why they had to lower that figure so as to get more tax from the poor people so as to get that extra $2500 non taxable sum for- themselves. Sev-enty-five per cent of the people are | trying to get by on from seven to eight hundred dollars a year. If they can live on that sum, these men can certainly live on 10 thousand and still have a good nest egg. ! It seems to me a poor time to! be voting themselves such a large sum, when poor people are borrowing money to pay the tax already necessary to pay. We are going to have thousands of poor kids com-| ing back limbless, blind, that will need all the support we can give them. No doubt these senators and | congressmen knew that, so they, wanted to feather their nest before these poor kids get back. No doubt |

i { i

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

Forum

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

bank account, I think it is time to clean house and place men in office who can live on that amount, and repeal some of these tomfool laws which they have passed. Come on Democrats, Republicans, Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legions. Give up party, let 1s join hands, put out a new ticket, call it the “clean up ticket” for next election. Lead the way, vets and American Legion, place men on the ticket that will be interested in the welfare of the common people and let us Republicans and Democrats get behind them and place new material in office, from Washington down to some state officials, who will cut out a lot of this red tape and graft, pass

i y ficial fails to that is why they had to parley so ® }aW that when any o long about ghia these poor kids|d0 the right thing’ he shall be relled at once, and we will get

a little old measly Sum of $300 when 2

heights that their ability and efforts will carry them. Free enterprise is merely the outward expression of the souls of free men. It does not “control money.” Anyone over two feet high should know that the control of money lies with congress, and with the taxing and loaning agencies set up in the government. Anyone knows that the agencies “rob Peter” who is a worker and a producer and distribute the loot to Paul who may be a loafer and a bum. Don’t blame that on “free enterprise.” “Free enterprise” is simply that freedom that allows men to select projects or ambitions of their own choice and by earnestness, courage, sacrifice and hard work develop their lives to the best of their ability for the reward and position that society .decrees that they deserve. When that freedom ° of the individual disappears, all of our freedoms have gone also. When men who are born as individuals land die as individuals cannot live |as individuals, it is folly to talk of freedom of anything. 5 8 ” “WHY NOT COMPULSORY TRAINING FOR ADULTS” By Mrs. H., Indianapolis Mrs! M. and others who are always writing in about mothers, children and their delinquency, well, if {it were good advice mothers would

appreciate it, but as it is just plain]

Gadget Hunt

griping, I will say what I think. | Until a child enters school he thinks and does as he is taught by

Presumably |

sisted during the war chiefly of German captives or

All these facilities and |

coal production could be brought. up. A commission |

they get back to help them get started again in life. |

I saw in the paper sevaral.months ago where they were going to cut out the $5 windshield sticker, which | eant more bread and butter for| hundreds of poor kids whose dads have little old Ford trucks hauling trash and ashes, trying to feed their | babies. That $5 stuck on the wind{shield of his truck, which is one of | |the biggest grafts ever heaped on (the public, represents food for the pood dads and their babies. But] no such good luck. We still have the sticker, which means that you poor dads are going | to have to skimp those babies a few | more loaves of bread and milk so as|

increase some of ,these poor old!

to pay these poor hard-up senators | and -congressmen that extra $2500] non taxable salary they voted them- | selves. If they had voted a bill to|their own choosing.

people paychecks or a bill to help these poor boys when they get home, | we would all say Amen. But when| it comes to voting big salaries—non | equality, although it does defend | taxable—to swell their own large|the rights of ‘all to arise to any senator for such an idea. What's

somewhere. 2 his mother. After he or she en-

3 t hool and i tact “OUR COUNTRY IS REPUBLIC, | ¢'S Schoo’ anc comes In con‘at

POLITICAL SCENE— Parting Gift By Peter Edson

WASHINGTON, June -30.—The 1700-odd employees of theigdepartment of labor sald goodby to retiring Secretary Frances Perkins ™ in the Green rooms of the depart- ‘ ment auditorium the other afternoon, and though nobody cried, emotion wasn't absent. Just to show you what an event it was, Madam Perkins did not wear a tricorne hat, Instead she had on a black sailor number with broad white ruching ons the brim. She looked real: nice and as one of her associates said, she was more relaxed than she had been at any time since she took the job, 12 years, three months and 20-some days before. You'd be, too. . Oaly a few of the 1700 employees who filed by to shake Miss Perkins’ hand and hear her say goodby and thank you had been in the department that long, but they all threw her this farewell party. They took up a collection and got $375, or nearly

two bits per employee, with which to buy her a .

going-away present. There was quite an argument about what to give Miss Perkins as a going-away present. The men were all for giving her pearls. But the women said she had pearls—wore 'em all the time. The men probably had never noticed that but she did have a double strand at the going-away party.

Miss J. Takes Over

THE COMMITTEE finally decided to have the question put up to Madam Perkins herself. This delicate mission was entrusted to Miss J., which is all anybody ever calls the secretary's administrative assistant, red-headed Frances Jurkowitz. At first Miss Perkins said she didn't want anything, but when Miss J. told her the money was allggollected and she had to pick something, Miss Perkins said what she would really like was an air conditioning unit for her apartment, Well, the committee went to work on that and though they moved heaven and earth they couldn't move WPB—the old meanies—to give with a priority on an air conditioner for Miss Perkins’ golng-away present. So if some manufacturer of air conditioners or some labor union that makes them reads this, why they ought to be ashamed of themselves and see to it that Miss Perkins gets her last wish, WPB priority or no WPB priority. Maybe somebody should take up another collection. Anyway, when the committee found they couldn’ get an air conditioner for Miss Perkins’ going-away present they went back to Miss J. and Miss J. went back to Miss P. to see what did she want next. Then Miss Perkins came up with the idea thas she hadn't had any new luggage since she came to Washington 12 years ago, or she might be needing a new typewriter after June 30. She probably never thought she would get both, but that's how much the employees of the department of labor think of their Miss Perkins. They got her not only one handbag, which is par in going-away presents, they got her three, big, little and medium-sized. It took a good bit of wire-pulling to get the priority for even the new typewriter, but the departe ment of labor employees. never give up on any project, once they start, except maybe the first time. So there was a typewriter on exhibit at Miss Perkins’ going-away party, along with the three-piece matched luggage set and—this‘is the best part yet—a $50 war bond which the committee had ‘enough money lef§ over to buy. Lucky Miss Perkins got that too.

Only a Stand-In

ON CLOSE inspection, the typewriter looked pretty °

well beat up and second-hand, but there was a sign

on the roller which read: “This is not a new machine but it was loaned for the presentation ceremonies, A new Remsington standard typewriter was shipped from the factory on June 25 by express to replace this one on arrival” Miss Perkins will pack her new matched bags and on leaving Washington will go to Maine for the first vacation she has had in 12 years. She will then sit down at her new typewriter and make an ane nouncement of what she will do next. The bond she intends to save.

IN WASHING TON—

By Marshall McNeil

WASHINGTON, June 30.— An

NOT DEMOCRACY” with the public, he does as he sees

By Voice in the Crowd, Indianapolis Mrs. Haggerty believes that ihe lin his daily living is a lesson and | children should take the Initiative ong he is likely to repeat in word| in forming our national policies and |. action. And I firmly believe in| she is “willing to follow them.” In|qrder to train children, adults must that event she should follow the sey the example, in public as well 7-year-olds as it is evident that the, jn the home, And as far as comByoatucios Soa lead too, fash a pulsory treing, why not give compace for her. 1s e ulsor raining in some way to “democracy” and that “free enter- adults as well if it is so good for prise bey no Feed tor 3 Jeary [oe it might serve its purpose to is not double talk; it is “baby talk.” |the old as well. It might do some This country is not a democracy, of us, myself and persons like you, it was not intended to be and it is|lots of good. not wanted to be by any American | y % who understands our principles. Our | “WHAT'S WRONG WITH country is a republic, ruled by the NAVY UNIFORMS?” voters through representatives of |By M. C., Arcadia It is founded| In James Thrasher's column of on the principle of “equal rights” to|last Monday he told of a brilliant all, “special privileges” to none, It |idea of Senator William Langer. recognizes the equality of the rights Senator Langer proposes to change to men, but it does recognize social the style of the navy uniforms. Someone should congratulate the

Side Glances—By Galbraith

wrong with the navy uniform anyway? This idea would mean the changing of millions of un!forms

COPR. 1948 BY NEA SERVICE, INC. T, Mi REQ. U. 8. PAT, OFF. 3

which wouldn't help the shortages of materials any. Obviously the Senator wished to get his name in the paper, and had to pick on the navy uniforms to do it. I should think that the senator would have more important things to do. Besides, let the navy do the deciding if they want their uniforms changed.

~ —

” ” ” “WE HAVE AS GOOD MANNERS AS ADULTS” By Barbara Enochs, Indianapolis I am one of the school-age that Mrs. M. sald didn’t have any manners. I don't think it's fair of the adults to ask the children to give up their seats. After all we pay fare also. Some of us have jobs and are just as tired as older people. Also we get out of school about the time everyone. is getting off work, We are tired, but we would give up our seats to someone that was helpless to stand. . I have. never seen a girl or boy that doesn’t offer a seat to an old and helpless person, but not. to someone that would have gotten |home before the busses start to get crowded. I think we have as good manners, accordingly, as the adults have. Of course, there are a few exceptions. But, please, don't judge all of us like that.

DAILY THOUGHT In all labor there is profit; but |

do have to be

"But why can't | use rouge, lipstick and powder, Mom? How old

ore | can go around like a

human being?

‘the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.—Proverbs 15:23. 4

others do on the street or where | trial experts is scouring Germany

|he happens to meet good and bad| go. soientific information that can

‘al-| the

American-British team of indus-

be used against the Japs, and already some discoveries of “considerable value” have been made, Will Clayton, assistant secretary of state, told a senate committee. After the war, all Nazi technological information will be made available to the United Nations, 5 This will take away from Germans the club they ten used to force expansion dof their cartels, pow: erful international instruments of German aggrese sion. : Germany will be permitted only such organized research as will not contribute to its future wap potential. Mr. Clayton did not merition them, but presume ably United Nations military men are interested in German explosives, V-bombs, jet planes, ersatz prode ucts, and metallurgical processes. :

Bar to International Cartels

“WE INTEND,” he said, “to secure the full dise closuré of all existing Germany technology and ine tention for the benefit of the United Nations.

“Through seizure by the governments of the United Nations of German-owned patent rights on inventions developed before and during the war, we shall be able to withhold from German nationals the usual technological assets which have proved to be the main inducements for other parties to join the Germans in international cartel arrangements. “We intend to allow organized research and invene tion in Germany during the period of military occue pation only when we are fully satisfied that such ree search will not contribute to Germany's future wae potential.” ‘ Explaining that our alien property custodian had taken over all U. 8. patents formerly owned or cone trolled by the enemy, Mr. Clayton said final disposie tion of these depends upon congressional action, But he said that he believed the general attitude of United Nations governments would be to “prevent such assets from again coming within the control of German nationals.

War Boomed Research

HE SAID the war caused an “immense accelerae tion” in industrial and scientific research in Germany, and that the United Nations have “an equitable claim” against all Nazi inventions made during the

war. This is because such research and development was aimed at overthrowing the U, 8. and its allies, “This government,” Mr. Clayton said, “in conjunce tion with the British has dispatched to Germany a

¥

quire all technological infdrmation available in Gere many which could be used in the prosecution of the .war against Japan. wl “Although these groups will be primarily cone cerned in acquiring those instruments, apparatus and processes which are usually defined as war matiial, it is well known that the extent and scope of modern war is such that almost all technological inventions

are relevant to its successful prosecution. - 3

from our missions in. Germany which indicates that scientific information of considerable value is being. obtained.” oii a rl yal le Wy . Mr. Claylon added that “naturally”. large part

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group of industrial experts whose task it is to ace.

“We have already begun to receive information

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