Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 7 September 1945 — Page 22

e Indianapolis

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OUR TOWN—

PAGE 22 ° Friday, Sept. 7, 1945

Tonsorialist

ROY W. HOWARD WALTER LECKRONE ‘President Editor

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‘Circulations. a -

Give Light and the People Wili Fina Their Own Way

FIRST THINGS FIRST (CONGRESS cannot possibly act with intelligence, in the ext few months, on all the matters listed in President Truman's message. The document runs to about 18,000 words. Its 21 sub‘sections cover a whale of a lot of ground. It is notable for its hopefulness and good temper, its absence of peremptory tone, its plentiful evidence that Mr. Truman wants to work in partnership with legislative branch, not to be a boss. But as a program for the crucial days and weeks just ahead this long message seems to us unfor tunately diffuse and lacking in emphasis on first things first. The country’s most urgent needs are for thriving peacetime production and an abundance of peacetime jobs. | These two—production and jobs—are the master keys to almost all the problems forced forward by ‘the war's sudden ending. 2 - 1f we get them quickly, inflation and deflation will lage | ® theif terrors. Wartime controls can be removed soon, without risk of disaster. maintained. Farm prices can be supported. can fulfill its obligation to the veterans, Labor and management will find their differences easier to compose. Governments can afford essential public works. - Private capital can finance a vast home-building program. A strong America will be able to 0 help other countries back 40 their feet. And congressmen can safely raise their own salaries. * But if peacetime production and jobs are long delayed, all post-war problems will be difficult and some may prove insoluble.

RILEY 5551

The nation

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UNENRLOvENT compensation, whether or not state payments are supplemented by federal borrowed “money, is a poor substitute for jobs. Early passage of a full-employment law would help the present situation not at all. The government plainly is not prepared to make good on a guarantee of work- forall EI rehdeag the planning that would be necessary to créate millions of useful jobs. & The only agencies that can provide enough productive jobs—quickly—are industry and business. Thousands of - companies have made their plans to expand present enterprises or start new ones. They are eager to rush goods _ to the “hungry market” and, in the process, to employ on a far larger scale than before the war. “What we must do,” the message says, “is to assist industry to reconvert to peacetime production as quickly and effectively as possible,” Precisely so. But we wish ~ Mr. Truman had been more specific and emphatic about measures that can serve this all-important purpose. We , Wish he had urged congress to give such measures top "priority and, until they are cleared, to avoid getting snarled "in time-wasting controversy over less pressing proposals.

“Room for tax reduction at this time is limited.” It is, indeed. But there is plenty of room to cut government spending, and so to make larger tax reductions possible ~ soon. We wish Mr. Truman had come down harder on that’ point. And on the need to formulate and affirm promptly a tax philosophy that will encourage risk-taking, jobcreating enterprise. Few congressmen, we sispect. will wade all the way ~ through the President's message. We hope none of them will lose sight of the fact that jobs and production must be the first order of business.

REMEMBER THE PRISONERS!

ON'T read the state department report on Jap atroecities, or the stories of American prisoners now being released, unless you have steady nerves and a strong stomach. Our language has no words that can sum up the sadism and bestiality of these barbaric practices.

Among the cases covered in the 240 state department protests to Japan during the war, and now made public, are such as these: American prisoners buried alive, murdered with bayonets, mowed down with machine-guns, and the massacre of 150 at a time; Americans driven into a tunnel, soaked with gasoline and burned to death when flaming torches were thrown, A picked-up flier, who had parachuted to the sea, was beaten for two days and a night. Then he was put before a screaming audience of Jap soldiers and beheaded. Almost every American prisoner of the thousands now being mercifully liberated reports brutality, More than . +80 per cent of them need medical care, But we can be thankful that the day of release for the survivors is here, and that retribution is not far off. There will be no indiscriminate punishment, as feared by the Japs, for that is not the American way. But there will be courts-martial and criminal trials for all the guilty, high and low, and death punishment for all who deserve it. That has been promised by Secretary of State Byrnes and Supreme Commander MacArthur. And all of this, we hope, will be public, as part of apan’s mass education,

THEY COULDN'T WIN

HAT beat the Japs? The atomic bomb, American air power, Russia's entry into the war, our superior naval strength? Yes, all of these. And also the fighting spirit of men like Maj. Gregory Boyington, U. S. M. C. “Pappy” Boyington, marine flying ace, was shot down 19 months ago over Rabaul. He was wounded in the head, " neck, arms and ear, His ankle was broken. His life belt was shot full of holes and useless. He was strafed in the water by Jap planes. w Picked up by the Japs, he received no medical attention for 10 days. He was questioned day and night. He was beaten on the back and legs with a baseball bat ] igi on the jaw 300 times. He lost 65.pounds on the Japs’ starvation rations. But they couldn't kill “Pappy” Boyington, . They 3 Jot of meu Lie him, or the Spi which they

HENRY W. MANZ Business Manager

Workers’ buying power can be |

By Anton Scherrer

For style and sumptuousness, nothing in this town ever beat the . Bates House barber shop run by George L. Knox. the last decade of the 19th century. Mr. Knox had the first of everything around here. He introduced the “singe,” the “facial massage,” and the “egg shampoo.” Indeed, he brought the first manicurist to Indianapolis—at a time when a barber ;shop was the least likely place to find a woman. All of which is hard to reconcile when you learn that | Mr. Knox was sold in slavery when he was 3 years old, Mr. Knox's shop was on the Illinois st. side of the hotel and occupied a room about 40 by 60 or so feet. It looked a hundred times that size because of the mirrors in the place. Mr, Knox was a wizard with mirrors and knew more about the theatrical possibilities of reflecting surfaces than any man living at the time, Indeed, I doubt whether any man today knows half as much. ; Except for the street side, every wall of Mr. Knox's shop was lined with mirrors. The experience of entering the place and seeing yourself face to face made you conscious that you needed everything Mr, Knox had to offer. It worked the other way, too, When he got done with you, the mirrors made you believe that you were the best-looking man in Indianapolis. Lon Davidson once told me that the fabulous cost of Mr, Knox's mirrors paid for themselves in the course of the first year. (I'll get to Mr. Davidson in a minute.)

Caught 'Em Both Ways FACING EACH mirrored wall was a battery of seven chairs (maybe more) which made a total of at least 14 statjons. The rear wall was taken up with a battery of bootblacks and an entrance to the lobby of the hotel. Mr. Knox caught them coming and going. Getting a haircut, or even a shave, in the Bates

Knox sat immediately to the right of the street entrance beside a stand upon .which stood the busiest cash register in Indianapolis. He was an extraordinarily handsome Negro, about 50 years old when I first met him, with the most impressive head of white hair I ever hope to see. (Lon Davidson once told me that Mr. Knox treated. himself to an egg shampoo every morning before breakfast.) Mr, Knox never did any barbering himself. He officiated, and, by George, he looked the part. He always wore a Prince Albert coat, a pair of striped | pants and.a spotless white vest durliig-business houfs, It made a great impression when you entered his place, Indeed, it was not unlike a lively overture that held the promise of something good to come. Mr, Knox's regular greeting, I recall, was “Front” and immediately a boy from somewhere around the bootblack battery would rush forward to relieve you of your hat and coat. Immediately, too, every barber in the shop would rise to his full stature so that you could take your pick of them. It was a difficult choice at first, for one man looked as good as -the next one. Chair No, 1, which was nearest Mr. Knox's stand, was in charge of an august personage with white sideburns who looked for all the world like something oyt of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” .Chair No. 2 was in charge of Lon Davidson and TI usually hitchied up with him because he looked more like my generaHen... TS a Le

Tickets for Waiting SOMETIMES, which was more often than not,

every chair was occupied when you got there. -In that case, Mr, Knox gave you a ticket with a number on it.

RRA ER

tive of getting into the vacated chair or waiting for your favorite barber. I often waited an hour or more to get Mr. Davidson not only because he was a dandy barber, but also because he was a mighty good talker, Mr. Knox was also an amazing conversationalist, but, of course, he couldn't put up with me, a mere boy, when he had Jim Riley and Benjamin Harrison to talk to. Once I remember seeing Booker T. Washington in Mr. Knox's shop. He got the whole works and I recall that he preferred witch hazel to bay rum when the barber put it up to him. There wasn't a peep out of the cash register when Mr. Washington left the place arm in arm with Mr. Knox. Chair No. 1 took over in his absence, : Lon Davidson once told me tliat the Little Lord Fauntleroy period (circa 1887) ended in a harvest for Mr. Knox. Of course, it looked like bankruptcy in the beginning, said Mr. Dadivson, but Mr. Knox had a hunch that, sooner or later, the kids of Indianapolis would stage a revolution. When the revolution finally took place, it kept two porters busy collecting the debris. It was a poor Saturday if they didn't sweep up three tightly-packed bushel baskets of Indianapolis boys' curls, said Mr, Davidson.

WORLD AFFAIRS—

Apology

By Sidney B. Whipple TOKYO, Sept. 7.—I heard Prince

to the emperor and the emperors ancestors for having lost the war, In a 80-minute explanation of the low estate to which the empire had fallen, he made his report as prime minister to the house of peers. The legislative palace sits high above Tokyo. It is a magnificent building, untouched by war. The hall “of peers is a beautiful chamber paneled with carved walnut, elaborately fitted and equipped with blue, plush seats for the peers, The layout is somewhat similar in seating arrangement to our senate, except that behind the president's desk is a silk-lined recess inclosing a- purple and gold throne with the rising sun embroidered at the back.

All Courteous and Grave

IN MANY ways our senate might learn a few courtesies and some legislative gravity from the Japs. In the first place, all members were present when the session started promptly at 10 a m, Each member bowed low to the vacant throne. He settled down gravely in his seat awaiting the premiers appearance, The pages were girls who kowtowed respectfully when bringing messages to seated members, There were mo cloakroom conferences. No smoking. No conversation with colleagues. There was no deserting the chamber when proceedings became dull, although one or two elderly peers nodded during the premier's long address. However, the prince received strict attention throughout his talk. One bearded ancient used an ear trumpet which he was constantly ade Justing, since it kept falling apart. The peers included barons, viscounts, counts, marquises, priests and members of the royal family. Without exception they were, dressed in European fashion, There were several frock coats, ascot ties and gates-ajar collars, The prince appeared, bowed to the throne, advanced to the speaker's desk, bowed twice to the assemblage and read his speech in high-pitched, staccato tones which became monotonous after 10 minutes, He looks strong, carries himself erect in a soldierly manner, and has a firm, jutting jaw and vigorous vocal delivery, He looks capable of come manding respect and obedience.

Understatement Masterpiece

TRANSLATORS were courteous to visitors. During & 10-minute intermission they led us to a smok« ing room for tea and an explanation of the premiers speech, . He mentioned the atomic bomb as one ‘cause of

ity to cope with tremendous allied power gathering at the nation's doorstep ‘was the principal reasonifor the emperor's “benevolent, awe-striking decision to. bring peace to the world." Underneath the speech lay an undercurrent, warning the people that’ they must strictly obey

It attained the purple heights in‘

House barber shop was nothing short of a ritual, Mr, |»

When your number was called, you had the alterna--

| Naruhiko Higashi Kuni sapijogize

defeat but seemed to emphasize that Japanese inabil- |

| Many Things Can Happen While on Vacation

Hoosier

“SORRY, WE'RE ONLY HIRING MEN RIGHT NOW”

By Mrs, F. Kennedy, Shelbyville The place where I did war work is closed s0 1 went job hunting today. Every place I asked, the answer was, “Sorry, we're only hiring men right now.” I want the fellows who fought over there to have jobs, but I don't think the men who stayed here should be given all the preference. ‘Women worked, too.” When men get things at home, business or world affairs, THE aes RETR Ss hestitate to insist that women help them get straightened up. President Roosevelt did not hold for plutocracy or men only. ‘He vowed we were fighting for freedom, equality for alli Women were to work same as men at. the same prices. Because he is gone does not mean that ruling is changed. When at war sex was no obstacle. As far as thousands of us are concerned, the war ‘is still on. The war for a right to earn a living among a bunch of pigheaded men who have always had prejudice against women {n factories and other better paid jobs. We nave proved we have been unfairly kept at a disadvantage. Men's precedence should stop. I'll grant some women ire too rattle-headed but there are also some men who haven't enuogh brains to rattle. What do yuu think? Should we give up jobs we have worked so hard for to the men and go back to underpaid harder jobs? I can honestly say [| did my part to earn our freedom. My right to a job worth my time and effort. Men are not. backward when they nced our help. Well, now we need, not their’ help, but their acknow'e«gment of equality. Why should they nire men only?

- . on.» “BREADCAST LESSONS IN ENGLISH TO WORLD” By Mrs. Eldon Brons, Indianapolis

There appears to be much confusion in non-democratic countries as to just what a democracy is and why it might be most desirable. How could they learn except from the original? Hqw could the word be brought to them? The thought came to me, “How else, but by thie English language.” So few of the world’s billions know little or much of it. I suggest the following: short wave broadcasts several times daily of lessons on the English language. Repeat the courses and add advanced courses, also. Think what this would mean to the uninformed in Russia, China,

sudden surprise attack.

Forum

(Times readers are invited to express their views in these columns, religious con“froversies 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. + dility for the return of manu: scripts and cannot enter correspondence regarding them.)

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WHY LOOK FOR ALIBIS FOR PEARL HARBOR?"

By The Watchman, Indianapolis

Regardless of who was to blame for the disaster at Pearl Harbor, it will remain a valuable lesson for the future. The Japanese attack came as a complete surprise to our whole nation, with the possible exception otf a very few high officials. And the most logical conclusion is that even they were completely surprised that the attack came at Pearl Harbor. Let us assume that an attack was anticipated, and that it was expected to occur in the Philippines or the Dutch East Indies, our obvious strategy would naturally have been to get most of our fleet together at some far distant point where they would be safe from It is not unlikely that such reasoning was responsible for the concentration of our fleet at Pearl Harbor at the time of attack. This type of reasoning was logical, sound and practical from a purely naval standpoint, but it did not take into consideration the long range striking power of carrierbased aircraft and the possibility of secret movements of the alircraft carriers. We must remember that, as a nation, we were far behind in knowledge of the potency of air power as a naval weapon and had to learn the hard way— the way of. Pearl Harbor. But we took that blow and came back to land the kout punch. That is what counts in war. The Japs taught us the value of air power for naval warfare, Experience is the best teacher. We have all learned our lesson. Let's have no unseemly recriminations. Why look for alibis and seek to pin responsibility on any one person? We are all responsible. We were too sure of ourselves. Pear] Harbor has been avenged a hundred times. Let us never be caught so sadly unprepared again, Let us look for-ward--not backward. We are the

South America and others.

victors,

Side Glances=By Galbraith

“1 wally, disagree-with-what—— you say, but will defend to the

~|in" a few minutes; the real signifi-

| senseless way. Why does he use

your right to say it.”

“TO HAVE PEACE— FOLLOW THE GOLDEN RULE” By Robert H. Burford, 51 8. Chester We have all just lived through the most expensive half hour of recorded history—the surrender of the last axis power to the allied command. In listening to the broadcast of the actual proceedings it seemed incomprehensible that those few revolutions of the second hand of a clock could be the supreme Howe Which hundreds of millions of people have looked, hoped, prayed, lived and died for. The real

significance of such an event cannot be absorbed by our frail minds

cance lies in the suffering of millions trying to live when life seemed worse than death, in the memory of men’s unselfish acts of devotion to others at the cost of their own lives, in the thought of far too many homes damaged beyond repdir by the empty place of someone who would have been there but for this last half hour of formal surrender. The most expensive half hour in history and what have we bought with it? Peace, you say? Maybe. We hope so. But it is pretty much to expect out of people who car’t live as neighbors without scrapping, who can't lead worthwhile church organizations without having trouble within the groups, who can't even live in their own homes peaceably with their own families. No it's a lot to expect. Five thousand marirages and four thousand divorces in our Marion county last year, as I recall the figures, Can we expect nations to stay on amicable terms with each other wher right here ih our midst we can't find enough love to even bind a man and a woman in holy wedlock! . In Time for AN: 13 there is an article on the several philosophies of education—vocationalist, Deweyites. Hutchinsites, as Time’s editor terms them in one place. Should we educate youth for a job, should we have him spend his time in learning the wisdom of the ages, or should we help him adjust himself to the complex modern life? Each of these goals overlap to a great extent, and all are laudable, but there are some things that formal education cannot instill without the aid of parents, the church and everyone in general. Education, if it is to make peace, must do more than prepare a student for a job. It must do more than teach him the skill of science or literature or mathematics. It must teach- the student the basic principle of our democracy—that we must have tolerance if we are to have peace in the world or at home, We must all’ learn to live without making life difficult or unbearable for others. To have peace then is simply to follow the Master's admonishment in what we choose to call the Golden Rule. It does seem a big order but so does the establishment of a permanent world peace seem a large order. Tolerance must be taught by the teacher. Yes. But it can best be taught by all of us by trying always to treat our brother as we would want to be treated our-

~|selves. It has been horribly costly ;

to learn the value of tolerance; we must know its value to retain peace. an» “WHY DOES WATCHMAN HIDE HIS IDENTITY?” By E Leonard, 4635 Hinesley ave. I would just like to say a few words concerning The Watchman's latest letter to The Times. In my opinion he presents his point in a

>

the phrase “Watchman” to hide his identity? Is he ashamed to admit his identity?’ ‘His pbint needs more

: POLITICS —

‘| A. Wallace wrote his “Sixty Million Jobs.”

‘Brass Tacks’ By Daniel M. Kidney

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7.—David Cushman Coyle, New Deal philosopher and pioneer exponent of the “spend-to-save” theory of govern-

ment, is back in circulation here. ae! 42,500 off V He has an office in the commerce department, Industri which is headed by another New Deal philosopher; ° Secretary Wallace. Mr.«Coyle is on the Wallace By UNIT payroll, but at present he is “doing sone research More than 90 for a senate subcommittee,” he said today. - idle throughout t } He also. explained his two-year absence from ]abor-managemer 5 | Washington. -He has been in England with the office JR. over - problems of war information, to explain Americans to the IEEE oo. oo nle in

British, he said. cated the numb

“It was most enjoyable,” Mr.Coyle reported. “The 100,000 mark. . British just love New Dealers. It was nice to go The Detroit about lecturing and getting all expenses paid and counted ‘42.500 being buttered up by the British just for Saplaining to . Jobe. sr them why Americans chew gum. Unable to ke Famed as Philosopher * - | moving because DURING his two years there he wrote none of the from the stril little books which made him so famous as a New Hayes Wheel Cc Deal philosopher. In the pre-war days he turned Co. laid" off ap them ouf with such titles as “Brass Tacks,” “Waste,” employees and

plants through would shut down week laying off if parts were nc Automobile pr paralyzed at the Co., where a str idled 6000 produ troit area strike: additional 7000 i

“Un-Common Sense,” “Age Without Fear” and others, As a young engineer, who watched depression make many of his profession idle, Mr, Coyle began tub~-thumping for great government spending. Soon he was recognized as a top-flight New Deal philosopher who could write simply about what the late President Roosevelt called his. “left-of-center” pro-

re)

grams. He had turned out many volumes before Henry

On the latter figure, Mr, Coyle estimates that Wal- Some M lace is nearly 100° per cent right. He cited Senator The Consol Wagner's figures from the census bureau which esti- +, + Orange, Tex,

bound, despite 1 to-work movemse ' ers would start t Some 4000 ha turned to the p but the labor by the threat o among Wwhite-c Electric Corp. states. In a strike vo terms of the &

mated the U. 8. labor force at 60.5 million for 1950. “Secretary Wallace selected the right figure and we jolly well had better produce those jobs,” Mr. Coyle declared and added laughingly: ‘ “Change that ‘jolly well’ to ‘damn.’ It was those two years in England that caused me to use that.” Mr. Coyle is a phrase coiner and his handiwork may be popping out in New Deal speeches again soon. He used to urge that “more money be pumped into Main st. and less into Wall Street.” His theme in “Brass Tacks” was that the unemployed be used in increasing services.

I we USE Sh Increasing Se ei. MR Westinghouse | Workers in Right Place > VI © 1and, Baltimore “IN OUR own country,” he wrote, “the place for N. Y.: Newark, surplus farm workers is not in the factory; the place field, Mass.; for surplus factory workers is not on the farm. The Sharon and E: place for surplus workers is in the occupations that voted 8320 to 4

incentive pay b given hourly-g strike date was

provide health and recreation, art and education— in making parks and playgrounds, hospitals and schools, country clubs and good roads, clean rivers

and beautiful cities, ; tomorrow. * “Looked at from the national point of view, that r A total of is the rea] function of technological progress.” away from thei He beat Secretary Wallace to the draw in urg- 000 of them at ing the common man to interest himself in politics. ber Co. in Akro: “Politics is the key to power,” Mr. Coyle wrote in * © In Ft. Wayne at the Magr

“Brass Tacks,” “As the people become more certain of- what they want, they will grasp more firmly the political situation. “The possibility of plenty lies ahead. Behind is

struck for the over wage incre "There were

thie BRN tise ‘desire of a thousand generations. = necticut, Nos Slowly and with false starts, advancing and retreat- Georgia, “ no ing but with gradually increasing understanding, the ew, York and American people begin to move toward the Promised fie SEAMAN _ IN WASHINGTON— Seaman :1-c husband of M . S. East st, Is erger . base. in Shoen months in the He sailed on By Charles T. Lucey he Po WASHINGTON, Sept. 7.—Drives star, the Asiat for legislation to unify U. 8. land, the Philipps sea and ai - on ir forces in a single na is’ tHe father 1

tional defense department will get rolling soon in both senate and house. Senator Hill (D. Ala.) and Rep. Randolph (D. Va.), sponsors of bills to combine the fighting forces, announced today that they will propose hearings at the earliest possible date, Senator Hill said the Pearl Harbor reports had convinced him more strongly than ever that the army and navy must be brought into closer co-operation and that trouble- "making differences must be eliminated. Senator Thomas (D. Utah), chairman of the military affairs committee, has indicated readiness to take up the measure as sooni as he-and Senator Hill have worked out details. Top army and navy officials probably will be called to testify. Mr. Thomas said he believed that unification is “bound to come” sooner or later,

Report Believed Favorable

SENATOR HILL said he expects to ask that a special report on unification, made to the combined chiefs of staff by a committee of army and navy officers, be made public. The committee was headed by Lt. Gen. Harold L. George, chief of the army air transport command. Theater commanders all over the world were interviewed. Responsoble sources told “ the Scripps-Howard newspapers last week that this report favors anification. Already reports from the field are booming Gen. MacArthur or Gen. Eisenhower as first sécretary of national defense. Thus far the special report made to the joint chiefs has been kept secret, but congressional demands may blast it loose. House hearings on military unification may come either before a special post-war military police committee headed by Rep. Woodrum (D. Va.); or the committee on expenditures in the executiv departments, headed by Rep. Manasco (D. Ala.). 7 Chairman Manasco has promised early hearings on military reorganization in a letter to Rep. Randolph. Testifying on the general governmental reorganiza.tion bill, Comptroller General Lindsay Warren indicated a belief that President Truman would send a special message to congress on the subject of military unification, Mr. Truman is believed to favor a single defense force, and he has criticized army-navy quarreling in the past,

Vast Economies Seen MR. WARREN told the committee he believed “vast economies” would result if the army and navy « were merged. Many military men ‘and congre men ! favor the merger for strategic and operational rea- Win sons, The army and the army air forces are expected to favor combining land, sea and air forces, but the navy up to this time has opposed it. Rep. Randolph Wednesday described before the executive expenditures committe how he had tried without success for years to get hearings on his bills to unite the fighting forces. This is expected to change now, and some committee members announced they favor early hearings. Rep. Woodrum's post-war military policy committee heard testimony on the proposed armed forces wit harmy representatives generally admirals opposd. The committee but said only it “believed ne unite the two forces while

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