Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 15 December 1945 — Page 6

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| SCRIPPS = NOWARD | Give Light and the People Will Pind Their Own Way

HENRY W. MANZ

PEARL HARBOR TEMPERS

it would be unpardonable to allow the investigation to colla cre Like everything else connected with Pearl Harbor this probe has been sticky. It is almost impossible to pin down responsibility or to make flat judgments. That, of course, is not surprising. Too many have a partisan interest at stake. If they are not trying to protect themselves, or _ the army or navy, or the Roosevelt record, they are maneuvering for party political advantage. Under the circumstances, we have the utmost sympathy with Mr. Mitchell and his legal staff. Theirs has | been a thankless task, unsought and unrewarded. They E have done their best. But, surely, that does not relieve them of the responsibility of finishing the job, even though it will take much longer than they had supposed.

. ” » » - o M& MITCHELL complains that, with the original time almost exhausted, only eight of 60-odd witnesses have been heard. The inference is that some of the Republican members of the committee, engaging in cross-examination, of witnesses, have been obstructive. Except in minor cases, that inference is not justified in our opinion. On the contrary, the Republican cross-examination has contributed much to the investigation. 3 A thorough investigation could not have been completed ~ in the short time originally specified by the senate. Grant"ing that committee members have engaged in an unusual amount of cross-examination in relation to that of counsel, it has often appeared that the able legal staff was not large enough to handle the voluminous and frequently conflicting documentary evidence, SE i: The Pearl Harbor issue is more important than the © hurt feelings and flaring tempers that have contributed to this latest impasse. We respectfully sugges? that all parties give in a bit to restore harmony—that the overworked legal staff be enlarged, that Republican committee members work more closely with counsel, and that Chairman Barkley continue to function as an exceedingly fair presiding officer.

LET THEM KNOW HOW YOU FEEL

AS A self-appointed leader’ of opposition to the Hobbs anti-racketeering bill, which passed the house this week, Rep. Vito Marcantonio of New York asserts: “There isn’t any question that we can stop it in the ~ senate.” i 2 Mr. Marcantonio, elected on the American Labor party ticket, has been chiefly distinguished in congress for his tireless agility in following ‘each twist of the Communist party line. And, sure enough, an editorial in yesterday's edition of the Daily Worker, the Communist party’s New . York organ, proclaims: : : ; “Senate must kill Hobbs bill.” The Daily Worker calls on “the folks back home” to let senators know how they feel about this bill, which it terms “vicious . . . a threat to the very principle of. organized labor . . . disgraceful and sinister.” p: The Hobbs bill is no more vicious or sinister or ‘anti- . labor than “thou shalt not steal.” It is “pro” honest labor. t It specifically protects all legitimate activities of unions. i It says simply that “whoever” obstructs interstate commerce by robbery or extortion shall be guilty of a felony. . Thus it corrects a situation created by a 1942 supreme court © + decision that labor unions and their members, unlike other ~ persons and organizations, are specially exempted from | federal penalties for obstructing commerce by robbery and extortion, : * » = ® » =, . N ONE point the Communist organ is correct. The : folks at home should let senators know how they feel i about this bill. For there. is real danger that it will be allowed to die in a senate committee pigeonhole. : That was the fate of the same Hobbs bill after the . house passed it, 270 to 107, in 1943. And of the Smith amendments to the Wagner act after the house passed them, 258 to 129, in 1940. And of the Smith anti-strike bill after

the house passed it, 252 to 136, in 1941. i : - No committee should prevent the senate from consid- . ering any measure overwhelmingly favored by the other © branch of congress. . Ee The Hobbs bill has been referred to the senate judiciary ~ committee. The chairman of that committee is Senator Pat McCarran of Nevada. Its members are Democratic Senators Carl Hatch of New Mexico, JosephC, O'Mahoney ~ of Wyoming, Harley H. Kilgore of West Virginia, Abe’ Murdock of Utah, Ernest W. McFarland of Arizona, Burton * K. Wheeler of Montana, Charles 0. Andrews of Florida, . James,0. Eastland of Mississippi, and Republican Senators | Alexander Wiley of Wisconsin, William Langer of North |. Dakota, Homer Ferguson of Michigan, Chapman Revercomb

- Moore of Oklahoma and H. Alexander Smith of New Jersey. . They have heard from Mr. Marcantonio and the Daily ~ Worker. If you believe they should report out the Hobbs y bill for senate action, let them hear from you. Address +, them at the senate office building, Washington, D. C,

8 the worst of the winter closes in upon the nation, much ~ might be gained if more of us would pause to reflect

3 THE SEASON OF ACCIDENTS

ury-dealing accidents of many types is just beginning, ‘enough, reflection alone upon seasonal hazards n't prevent tragic accidents. Prevention requires action. ut reflection certainly couldn’t cause any of us to be less itious, and it us; consciously or unconsciousBy, to. | might beget the sort of action

the complacéat but natural feslsomething that befall the other fel.

THE Pearl Harbor senatorial investigation must go on. Mr. Mitchell and his associates on the committee's legal staff should reconsider their resignations. Chairman Barkley should withdraw his threat to quit. In any event,

over, and that the free-spending Americans brought

gets the highest rate for his money.

before the Inter-American conference next April at

come & “shield behind which crimes may be perAmerican state is adjudged guilty of such conduct,

of diplomatic recognition or even economic. sanctions. These two and perhaps similar proposals are

£0 to the heart of the act of Chapultepec signed last

publics to establish procedures to. meet threats or acts of aggression by one nation of this hemisphere against another, and suggests these alternatives:

right to the respect of its individuality and independence. In fact, says the declaration, “that respect for the personality, sovereignty and independence of each American state” constitutes the essence of our international order. « . :

which each of the 21 American republics prizes most highly is this right to its own national “personality.” And anything that tends to weaken that right has little chance of getting past the Rio or any other Inter-American conference. Tg

of West Virginia, Kenneth S, Wherry of Nebraska, E. H. |

would draw it. ow the fact that the preferred season for death-and- |

Into the refugee areas he went, to find men women who were interned by the Japs during war. Some of them were Americans, some some anti-Nazi Germans. All of them knew Shanghal, inside out. One was an expert on jade. Another ran a silk exporting business before the war.

Compiled Staff of Experts

WITH his staff of experts, Capt. Katz set up a store where G. I's could be sure they got what they paid for and that the price they paid was a fair one. Local merchants were invited to open booths in the G. I. Gift Store, but their prices and. their goods had to pass inspection by a group of bargainers who knew the angles. The G. 1's swarmed in. In the first four hours the store did $2000 worth of business. The gyp joints on Nanking rd. found out that the good old days were

“If we sell silk to a soldier, it's going to be real silk and not rayon. If he buys a Ming dynasty vase it's going to be Ming dynasty,” says Capt. Katz,

Profits Go to Fund

PROFITS from the G. I. Gift Store, which are small, go to the army's central welfare fund, to pay for entertainment for the enlisted men. Capt. Katz also got into the money exchange business. Three types of money are in common use here; U, 8. dollars—which everyone refers to as “gold,” Chinese national currency, or “CN,” and Chinese puppet currency, or “CRB.” “CRB” stands for Central Reserve bank, the puppet organization set up by the Japs. A U. 8. dollar buys up to $140,000 “CRB,” and from $700 to $1000 “CN,” the official currency of China. But* the trouble is, these rates vary from day to day. The opportunity for sharp traders to get rich quick by trading “CN” for U, 8. money at unfair rates of exchange is obvious. So Capt. Katz started a G. I. ‘money exchange. And-in each army post exchange, a G. I. can turn in his dollars for “CN” or “CRB” and be certain. he

a“ WORLD AFFAIRS—

k Hot Topic

By William Philip Simms

WASHINGTON, Dee. 15.—Both the - Uruguayan and Venezuelan proposals for intervention against an offending nation of this hemisphere are almost certain to come

Rio de Janeiro. And both are regarded as potential dynamite.

The Uruguayan thesis is that the well-known American doctrine of non-intervention in the domestic affairs of another must not be allowed to be-

petrated” against other 'countries. Whenever an

Uruguay proposes joint action against it by the rest of the American republics. Venezuela opposes the Uruguayan plan because it presupposes direct action or the use of force. Ine stead, Foreign Minister Carlos Morales suggests what might be called a policy of “repudiation” —withdrawal

bound to be hotly debated at the Rio meeting. They March in Mexico City.

'Peaceful Procedure Suggested’ PART II of the act calls on the American re-

“Recall of chiefs of diplomatic missions: breaking

of diplomatic relations; breaking of consular relations: breaking of postal telegraphic, telephonic and radiotelephone relations; interruption of economie, commercial and financial relations and. finally, the use of armed force to prevent or repel aggression.” -

But part I also declared that every state has the

Bolled down, this means that probably the thing

sucrow= | Hold Your Horses, Here Comes the Elephant! To5AY N tore China Gilis'{ ~~ = Ciliary TT

“lI wholly disagree with what. you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.” “MEN COULD BE SENT FROM JAPAN FASTER” By Mrs. Spencer, Indianapolis I fully agree with Mrs. Jean Cheek regarding our husbands. Those over there in the hell-hole of Japan want to come home just as bad as those that fought in Eu-

1 say they could be sent home faster or as fast as those

Hoosier Forum

“PEOPLE ARE OPPOSED TO YOUTH REGIMENTATION”" By James J. Cuilings, 107 8. Capitol ave. In reference to your editorial, “Don’t Let History Repeat,” let me

(Times readers are invited

these columns, relig troversies excluded. Because the volume received, letters fhoild bs limited to » words. Letters must Opinions set forth here are those of the writers, and publication in no way implies agreement with those The Times. The Times assumes no responsi-

bility for the return of manu.

Senator Austin and Rep. Wadsworth have as long as I can

“TRY LIVING ON $30 A MONTH IN THE CITY” By Mrs. M. D. W., Indianapolis To Mrs. P. Broebeck, Reelsville:

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by the foreign eco= It brought higher prices to the producers than those, allowed for domestic sales under OPA regue The exports totaled about 750 million board: fees. The average home requires about 10,000 feet, or less if 1t ‘goes into the lower cost units which the govern

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works of art and geniuses are difficult to understand. It is a measure of the intellectual genius of the French people that ordinary men and women can genuinely think of their leading artist as “Our dear Picasso.” X

With the exception of Russia, where intellectuals and

The export equivalent of 75000 to 100000 new | homes—the figures fixed by lumbermen—would be ' | clel 15 or 20 per cent of the 500,000 new units set as the / , industry's goal for 1946. : * THERE are FEA, the civilian production administration snd | the commerce ‘department are now reviewing appli | treating cance: cations for export licenses for the first quarter of 1046. It would be A demand that all exports be discontinued immedi. progress has t ately has been made of President Truman and Recons case. Quite th version Director John W. Snyder by the National Re« of years surg tail Cumber Dealers association, which contends thas techniq domestic markets will need all of this country’s pro we Age duction for at least the next six months. every advance ‘Matt u A Advi $ | tl hea H. R. NORTHUP, association secretéry-maneger, Aniing wid said no reply to the protest has been received. A$ Thus, the PEA offices, it was said the matter was under has benefited advisement. : : vances In “In the absence of any assurance that production made during will be improved before another 60 to 90 ‘days, it digi ds pen becomes highly important to the retail lumber ine | fonamides, dustry and to the entire construction industry that new control ¢ whatever lumber is produced be conserved to fill the infection, hav ‘critical needs of this country,” Mr. Northup's letter helptul in deal said, ! $ Use S N FEA's original program for 1945 called for the ex+ pina port of about one billion board feet but the end of SIMILARL the war and the suspension. of lend-lease aid ree ‘medication an sulted in the cutback to about 750 million feet. FEA surgeon deallr defended the original program on the ground that the he aking proposed exports represented only 3 to 4 per cent of Not only U. 8. production. been improved aasardlons of the percsnjate, any. uber going machines, par As lumber | be used by the ine | ages and delt for emergencies in housing: in this country,” considerable g p v : gp ‘| Hon this year is estimated at 38 billion : ; de volume likely to reach 30 billion if sone s are settied, > } 0 removed from NEW YOI canceled a part of Wheeler's “W prefabricated dwellings, | With the gift had been shipped book & war in’ Am ‘wards of near the : will o to th