Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 13 September 1945 — Page 20

he Indianapolis Times

"PAGE 20

ROY W. HOWARD | President’ %

Thursday, Sept. 13, 1945

WALTER LECKRONE HENRY W. MANZ Editor Business Manager

{A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER)

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i's Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way

THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW

Cy Controller McGoldrick. of New York must be an n unorthodox sort of municipal officer. He proposes that, instead of waiting for federal aid, the city start work right away on 37 post-war public works projects costing 84 million dollars. All the projects, Mr. McGoldrick says, have had repeated board of estimate approval. Land has been acquired for all but one. Plans are 95 to 100 per cent complete. Starting them now wouldn't bar federal grants—when and if made available—for other city projects. Congress is unlikely, he adds, to adopt any program of aid to state and local post-war projects “for months to come.” But the peak of reconversion unemployment is coming fast. So6 he thinks New York should get busy and do its part to “provide jobs when the need is greatest.” The fact that Mr. McGoldrick is running for re-election may have something to do with his proposal. But if advocating local improvements without money from the federal treasury were a vote-winning tactic, we'd expect to hear city officials all over the country making such proposals. And we don’t. . And haven't for years. Anyway, Mr. McGoldrick’s remarks remind us that a full employment bill is before congress. ‘If passed, its advocates say, it will work thus: The President will forecast each year the number of jobs the country is going to need, If he decides that business and industry can't provide that many, he will tell congress, Congress will then vote money for public works, etc., to close the job gap. » ” WELL, for nigh on four years the whole country has known that a period of job gap, while industry was reconverting, would follow the war. Has congress provided public works to start quickly and fill that gap? It has not. Though often prodded by Presidents Roosevelt and Truman, congress has not even let the state and local governments know how much federal aid, if any, they can expect for their post-war public works. And if Mr, McGoldrick is correct—as we'll wager he is—congress won't let them know “for months to come.” Meanwhile, many of them will do nothing. ; Some people believe that passing the full employment bill would change everything. Some people believe that, ~ with that bill made law, congress would always heed storm ~ warnings and act wisely in plenty of time to head off threatened unemployment. Well, faith that miracles can be worked by passing a law is a wonderful thing.

POLITICS AND PEARL HARBOR

THE partisanship which marked the house debate on the Pearl Harbor measure should not be allowed to mar the investigation itself. If the joint congressional committee of inquiry cannot be objective, the results will be as unsatisfactory as the army and navy reports or probably much worse. The Democrats would have been wise to grant the Republicans equal representation on the committee before they asked it. The country would like to assume that those ~ who serve on the committee will not be acting as Republicans or Democrats but as Americans. Certainly the ~ administration could have put itself in a much stronger position with the public if it had not insisted on control of the committee. Under the circumstances, the administration has an added duty to put on the investigating body only members of the highest quality, This thing is far too serious for

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_ partisan plays by anybody. ‘

TOY OUTLOOK: GLOOMY

SANTA CLAUS is feeling pretty glum. He has sent word to the editor that toys won't be much more plentiful this Christmas than last, Seems he can't get enough ma- - terials in time to meet the demand. He tried to lend-lease a big bag of mechanical toys and electric trains. But the toy manufacturers of the U. S. A. shook their heads. Not enough metals, they said. It's the same with velocipedes. ‘Dolls are in the doldrums, There may be a few more this Christmas, but shortage of wigs, glue and other things is holding down the doll population. Any girl can tell you a doll is known by the dress she wears. Sad part of that is that textiles are so scarce a doll hardly knows what she'll put on next December, if anything, ' "Santa, however, had one cheery note. He said: “I'm going to have a lot of dads and big brothers home by Christmas.”

ONCE IS ENOUGH

PRESIDENT Truman's first ‘peacetime message to congress contained, according to various estimates, from 16,000 to nearly 20,000 words. Anyway, it was one of the longest in history, We wonder why it was thought necessary to print this ponderous missive twice in the same issue of the Congressional Record—first under the proceedings of the Senate and again under proceedings of the house. Publication of the Congressional Record costs about $55 ‘a page. The two printings of Mr. Truman's message filled 22 pages and a little over, A single printing surely would have satisfied the author and everyone else. And upwards of $600 would have been saved for the taxpayers, A small economy, to be sure. But one that could be multiplied many times every year if the senators and representatives would agree that one appearance in the Record is enough for any public document,

DUCKS AND PEOPLE

i ‘WiLp DUCKS must be like people. Like the woman who joyously buys a hat, only to decide the next day that . she looks a fright in it. Like the man who purchases a ~ house; fey discevers that the cellar floods with every rain. Like couples who marry in happy haste and spend the rest of their lives reperiting. Ducks must be like that. J - Because, when ducks see the surface of white limeone on the Morristow Au airport, they mistake it for w glance, the ducks, tithe dive ‘ 's no way fc

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summer can start any time now. Rural midwesterners allow as how you can look for Indian sum- . mer right after the middle of September. True, it may not come that early. Often it's in October. Like as not, there could be a spell in- November, if the weather broke just right; But midwesterners cannot agree with fellows who

come as late as the latter days of October or in November. Weather doesn't have to do anything. It behaves as it pleases. : After all, a man who studies the weather every day from his barn door ought to know as much about It as anybody, especially if his living depends largely on weather conditions. That's the clincher in the midwest argument. Farmers- and book writers generally agree, however, that Indian summer may be expected in the fall right after an unseasonable nip of winter, First, there should be a drop in temperature and perhaps a dash of storm. A person should feel that now summer is gone and we'll have to expect more raw days than pleasant ones. 4

Then Comes the Day

THEN ‘comes a day when the wind goes down. The clouds vanish and the mercury nudges higher, The sun gets sleepy in the sky and a haze drowses as far as a man can see, The autumn grass stands coarse and there's a dry silence in the thickets. Trees and their turning leaves hold still and those at a distance look soft in the haze. In the barnyards the stock moves slowly and only the hens make a noise. The cordwood is cut and the hay's in the mow, This would be Indian summer. Of course, Indian summer comes to cities, too; and it can be found in the big parks if the view 1s expansive enough and if smoke and grime don't mar the- air. Sometimes a city person can sense its presence, although he seldom can be quite sure. And he’s forever missing the silence that should brood over the Indian summer scene. Weathermen say they never have defined the term Indian summer, Apparently the phrase just grew up among the people of North America. But for all its picturesque name, Indian summer is real and not an idle legend like Groundhog day. The weathermen are pretty emphatic about that, : Their records show it is an erratic season. In fact, about one fourth of the autumns so far studied haven't had any Indian summer at all. - The other three-fourths have had from one to three periods which might qualify as Indian summer,

Time of Season Varies

THE season may last for a day or it may continue several weeks. Some early settlers called it second summer; And a few sald it got its name from the fact that it was deceptive—it lulled you into a summer trance and then wham! You had pneumonia from a -sudden change. Treacherous as a Redskin, they insisted. Early settlers had a name for the wintry squawls preceding Indian summer. They called them Squaw winter, because they were so ornery, For those who like technical detail, the weathermen submit this explanation of Indian summer: “It is the-result of a strong, persistent high ‘atmospheric pressure along the Gulf and south Atlantic coast, This high pressure forces - cyclonic, or widespread, storms to take a more northerly course than usual, and their centers to pass along the northern boundary of the United States. Thus an almost continuous flow of warm, vaporous air is drawn north.” The haze is attributed to dust, smoke and particles of dead leaves which remain suspended in the air because there is no rain to wash them out. For a time the haze was blamed on Indian fires. That explanation isn't much good any more.

WORLD AFFAIRS—

Korean Knot By William Philip Simms

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13.—The report of a secret understanding at Yalta affecting Korea refused to stay put. Did Roosevelt, Churchill . and Stalin, itis asked in congress and elsewhere, agree that no commitments regarding Korea would be made until after the Japanese surrender? There may be a perfectly satisfactory answer to that question. Thus far, however, none has been offered. The state department has denied it has made any commitments contrary to the Cairo declaration, but that might well be a diplomatic evasion. The declaration of Cairo, signed by President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek said that the United States, Great Britain and China were “determined that in due course Korea shall become free and independent,” The reported secret agreement with Russia, there fore, would not be contrary to that pledge. It would mean, however, that the status of Korea must remain in doubt until Russia has spoken and many Koreans are convinced that Russia intends Korea shall come within her sphere of influence. Japan annexed Korea because she said it was “a pistol pointed at her Russia may now reverse that saying and apply it to herself.

Fear 'Far Eastern Poland’

THUS KOREANS fear their country may become a Far Eastern Poland. Russia, of course, claims pres ent-day Poland is “free and independent” with a democratic; representative government, And thus far, at least, both Britain and the United States have acquiesced in the Soviet point of view. Do they in. tend to follow the same policy with regard to Korea? Until lately the ‘idea that the United States could strike secret bargains with foreign powers somehow seeded absurd. Our system of treaty ratification precluded valid arrangements of that kind. Now even the most democratic-minded Americans are not so certain, At least three secret deals thus far have come to light: One was to give Russia three votes in the new League of Nations. The second concerned the new boundaries between Poland and Germany as demanded by Russia. The third was to give Russia the southern half of Sakhalin and the Kuriles, Were there others, it is now asked, including one about Korea? Events in that country now make. the question pertinent. The Russians have occupied northern Korea, the Americans the south. Under the Rus slans, it is reported, “executive committees,” composed of Koreans, are being set up. That has been standard

Réd Army, including Poland.

Hodge Already Has Trouble

In the American zone, Lt. Gen, John R. Hodge is already having trouble. For the present—presumably only until replacements can be found—he is retaining Japanese in key positions and this Koreans violently dislike. Demonstrations have been reported. Three manifestations have been reported. These manifestations can hardly speed the day when Koreans will be master in their own house. On the contrary. It has been many decades since they enjoyed self rule. They now lack training. The Japs saw to that. Above all, lack the Organization to pick up instantly and carry on where the Japs left off. ‘ Even the French, schooled as they are in democritic government, are experiencing tremendous difficulties after only five years of German rule. America is traditionally Korea's friend—perhaps her only entirely disinterested one. Koreans, therefore, should

for | their

THE argument about . Indian

contend in big books that Indian summer has to |

practice in European countries taken over by the |

| ASSUME

THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WAR,

SIGNED =

Hoosier “LET BRASS HATS TRY LIVING ON ARMY PAY”

By Nora Meredith, 2154 N. DeQuincy st. The draft must continue. If we

must maintain an army it should be done with men who have not spent enough time in the war for their nerves to be war weary. Our

boys who have been in this war game for a year, having spent that time overseas, are justified in wanting to be out of it all. There is no such thing as- an essential war worker now so we should let some of them do their bit for their country. Then we have the boys who dodged the draft all during war time, with all kinds of alibis, they should be able to show us how brave they are now that there is no danger of losing any skin, How about the brass hats who can think of all the reasons why the boys who are in must stay in. Let them try living on a soldier's pay. Let the ones who escaped last war, and this war so far, do the mopping up. Our fellows who have been in this fight for a year, regardless of the point system, have done their duty, I will quote a few lines from a letter written by a serviceman who has been in this man's army for three years, two years of that was spent in the God forsaken hole called the Aleutians, Quote, “Now that all the shouting’s over, I suppose they'll forget all about the men under arms. If they don’t keep it up I may as well get myself set to rot away up here. I'm sure there's plenty of those essential workers, who, now that it's all over, won't be afraid to go over. That is if they can stop counting their money for awhile. Guess there was plenty of them who were sorry to hear that it came to an end. I made seventy-five a month—how long did it take them to earn that? Yeah, things were sure rough, no gas, no tires, no meat—not unless you knew where to get them. I've had three years of hell. Other guys haye had more. How much longer do we have to say “yes, sir,” “no, sfr.” And wear this monkey suit while they're home lounging in their flannels? What a hard time I'm geing to have explaining to people that the world isn't being handed to me on a silver platter via the G. I, bill of rights. I've been getting the dirty end of something for three years Essential—-they must have had the mills working’ for 32 hours a day to turn out all that wale for the public's eyes. Show me a red-blooded American and I'll show you a man

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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 entef correspondence regarding them.)

with his nest feathered with greenbacks!” Must we have our boys feel this way about the folks at home? Is it necessary for some of the boys to do all the fighting all the time? No, It isn't. Home means a great deal to our boys, whether they spent it facing the enemy or trying to keep the enemy. out of our country, I say let the others show us the kind of soldiers they can be in taking the place of some fellow who is already war weary from fighting our battles,

» » ” “IS IT FAIR TO RELEASE® SINGLE MEN IN SERVICE?” From 2 G. 1. to a G. I, Indianapolis. I just read anarticle by a Service Man, Indianapolis. The question was, “Is it fair to release single men?” I myself am single, so this did make my blood pressure rise just a little, I-was drafted when I was 21 and now am 25, Twenty-five doesn’t sound so old to many, but when you spend over three years in the arm and almost two of it in someone else's country you age pretty fast. I have two brothers in the service who are single; one in the marines and one in the fleld artillery who is still cleaning up in France and Germany. Brother, if you think we three guys want to marry at 40, youre off your nut. I also have a brother who is a marine and married. He has sweated out the Japs for 31 months down there and don't you think -he would like to get a dis charge? You can bet your life he sweated a heck of a lot more for his 80 than you have for your 36. The second brother in the marines had to get a hole shot through him to get five of those precious 38 he has. Bure he is still alive to raise that family he no doubt wants WHEN he gets out. By the way, are those pre-war bread snappers you have?

Side Glances—By Galbraith

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

“FEW WEALTHY ATTAIN MUCH KNOWLEDGE”

By Si Moore, Indianapolis The most difficult and tiring work

11s mental work, and for that reason

you find few so-called royalty and wealthy persons who attain much knowledge. They go on the theory that they do not have to work. And of course that accounts for the muddle which is made of government, religion and industry, Today our governments are handled by ruling houses who claim office by right of succession, or by those who buy their election by means of inherited wealth or through the favors granted them by wealthy friends. Few who have toiled through years of scientific study ever grace the plush cushions of power. How different would be the trend of history if this were not the case. Imagine a Germany with Einstein as premier instead of a moron like Hitler. Imagine a Japan with a Dr. Kitataso—who discovered the virus of tetanus—running that country instead of a dimwit who thinks he is the Almighty. The doctors, engineers, chemists, mathematicians and others who spend their time delving into the secrets of nature usually come up with something for the good of mankind, until they are drafted for war, when their knowledge is turned to the business of killing. The ones who hatch the wars in their smelly halls of state would not get very far were it not for the help of those who figure out the guns, “powder and what not for carrying on mass murder. We educated Japs and Germans here in military science, and we sent engineers to build war factories and fortifications for them. We were being good neighbors and all such as that there. We did not want to be isolationists. Figure that one out. The emperor of Japan owns the empire and is its religious head, 80 you can imagine what a bright religion they have. It seems to be okay for the boss, but hard on the bellevers. Buf the Atlantic Charter speaks of freedom of religion, so the Japs probably think theirs will save them. Russia owns its factories, 80 of course no one benefits by them except the ruling class. That's the way some want things things here, Tie the worker to his job, and let the government own the job,

” . » “COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AFRAID TO COMPETE?" By Henry W. Reger, Indianapolis What's wrong with the commissioned officers in the service that they demand a priority on the better positions in civilian life? Are they afraid to compete on an equitable base with the general run of enlisted men? | It would seem to me that some of our officers didn’t earn or deserve the commission they held in service, and are attempting to use the same means .and methods to get along in civilian life that they Jed to elevate themselves in army e. I am sure all right thinking Americans would insist on equal changes for all and special privileges for none.

a. “HAVE WE NOT DONE OUR PART?” aia McOldham Ward, Frankfuri-on-

From an Indianapolis boy who has spent two years overseas, I am

* |sure there are many other Indiana

boys besides myself who would love the opportunity of living in Indiana Have we not done our part

without occupying Germany? We as if it's only fair that others

feel help. We fully realize the job has to be done,

DAILY THOUGHT

= New Deal :

: By Thomas L. Stokes

#| philosophy. It is basically new deal.

| acter.

POLITICS—

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13.—Harry Truman has revealed his political

Republicans now have something specific at which to strike. It's all

§ | there in black and white, in detail, in his message to

congress. It's plain. It's positive. It covers not only

‘the immediate present, but considerable of the future,

Yet, despite that, Republicans still aré somewhat stumped as how to proceed, now that the political season has opened, and far ahead of time. For there's something more they find they must contend with. It's. the man, Harry Truman, the sort of fellow he is. In the few months since he’s been President a character has been created for the American people. A definite type has emerged. . We had that experience once before in fairly recent political history. Calvin Coolidge was a charIt was hard for somie people here, watching him as a negative sort of President, to understand his hold on the American people. Yet he had it.

A Personality Problem . THIS 18 not to compare Harry Truman with Calvin Coolidge. They are different in many respects. But. they are identical in a sort of homely quality. And they are identical in that they are strictly American types—‘‘characters.” Democrats were unable to break what they called “the Coolidge myth.” Republicans find they are up against a personality problem as they try to figure how to get at Harry Truman. Franklin D, Roosevelt was sort of jovian, as was Winston Churchill. He stalked through the clouds and tossed the thunderbolt about. There was a heroic quality about him suited to the times, suited to the crisis of a great domestic emergency and the following crisis of war. But the people get tired of that. The war is over. And now we have “Good Old Harry,” as you heard them referring to him fondly in the crowd at the ball game the other afternoon. “Good Old Harry.” “They like him. They say, ‘He is one of us'.” The President is also helped by the fact that if there hadn't been a fellow a good deal like Harry Truman to succeed the late Mr. elt, the people propably would. have tried to gake whoever it was something like that image. For/that’s what they were looking for after the ordeal of war. Maybe Franklin D. Roosevelt knew what he was about in picking his successor, as the legend goes around here, :

Can't Get Mad at Him" IT'S HARD to get mad at Harry Truman. It's hard to make him the sort of villain some people created for themselves in Franklin D. Roosevelt. President Truman, himself, has done much to assist the change of atmosphere and psychology. The “Brain Trust,” always a target, has disappeared for more solid and sober-minded gentlemen, many of them from congress. } Personally, as a political figure, he is helped, too, by the fact that conservatives carinot be boiled up into a great fever about him because they trust that congress will stop too much new dealism, while to New Dealers and Progressives he has the efficiency of his own record and beliefs. Republicans know they are up against a tough one in “Good Old Harry.”

IN WASHINGTON—

Billions By Charles T. Lucey

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12—Un less President Truman and congress crack down on a lot of big spending proposals, the U. S. is headed for a galloping federal budget that

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fore the war, : A “normal” prewar budget might have run about $5 billion, but now such a conservative as Senator Taft (R. O.) merely “hopes” to see it held, post-war, to $20 billion. Total spending that has been proposed might run easily to $50 billion a year, he told the senate yesterday. Brookings Institution has estimated a minimum federal budget of nearly $19 billion and a maximum of nearly $26 billion, with $22 billion the probable figure. Treasury Secretary Vinson came along a few days ago with an estimate of $25 billion annually. But even spending on that scale doesn’t take in the kind being talked about in congress. Rep. Rankin (D. Miss.) has a bill providing $1040 annual bonus to veterans of 90 days or more, and this might cost $12 to $13 billion. Mr. Rankin says he’s going to push it, and no one knows yet how much steam will be generated for it. Mr, Truman called for a public works program in his message to congress last week, proposing no amount. Public Works Administrator Phillip B.

No cost breakdown is mentioned, but in early New Deal days it used to be about 50-50 between Washing~ ton and the local government. That, if congress went along, might mean $2% billion.

New Federal Building CONGRESS early this year authorized a rivers and harbors program of more than $300 million, and another $500 million program may be advanced be--fore long. President Truman's message included a program of new federal buildings. Plans are ready for $500 ‘million of such construction. ~ : More than a billion dollars worth of flood control and. reclamation projects have been authorized for the Missouri river valley area. A senate committee next week will take up consideration of the so-called Missouri valley bill. That would double the billion cost, it is believed, Mr, Truman's message also mentioned developments modeled on Tennessee Valley Authority for the

‘| Columbia and Arkansas rivers and the Central valley

of California, He plans a message urging the St. Lawrence seaway and hydroelectric development, which would cost this country an estimated $200 million. Senator McCarran has a $100-million-a-year airport construction program now before the senate, but attempts are being made to chop it in half, A proposal for a 30-hour work week for federal employees, presumably with 40 hours’ pay, is estimated to cost $500 million annually, Another $500 million has been set aside from lend« lease funds for price support of farm commodities. President Truman in his -message recommended that congress release $1; billion for a highway program authorized last year. A veterans’ bill provides $500 million for hospital construction,

On the Foreign Side MR. TRUMAN recommended another $25 million appropriation for the inter-American highway in Central America. All this is domestic spending. Much of it will come soon; some, such as the proposed river valley authorities, may be a long way off, ' Then, on the foreign side, commitments may run close to $14 billion. Our share in the Bretton Woods bank and stabilization fund would be about $6 billion. has authority to lend $314 ) be asked to provide another $1,800,000,000 for the United Nations relief and readministration. !

‘habilitation a “regular budget” of about $200 billion, interest on the public debt would be, about $6 billion; $3 billion;

Military. expenditures have been estimated at but, that's hardly more than a

ad guess until mili-

even professional big spenders never envisioned bes

Fleming sees a place for a $5 billion annual program.

~ THURSDA ~ MRS. MAG!

\ Services for Mr ~ yesident, of Indie will be held at 1 Brothers Central Se ——————

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