Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 21 May 1946 — Page 14

Owned and published daily (except Sunday) by Ingianapelis Tite Publishing Co. an W. Maryland st Postal Zon i Feil Member 8f United Press, Scripps-Howard News‘paper Alliance, NEA Service, and Audit Bureau of Circulations,

ered by carrier, 30 cents a week. . Mall rates in Indiana, $5 a year; all other states, U. 8. possessions, Canada and Mexico, 87 cents a month, : “ RI-5551, Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way

REVIVAL IN NIGHTSHIRTS

WE BELIEVE we've been around newspaper city rooms *¥ long enough to know a press agent when we see one, or even when we just see-his tracks. : The tracks are plainer than usual on all this recent flood of “news” about how the ku klux klan is rising again. The klan, we'd be willing to bet a slightly used bedsheet,

gi and as corny, as the myth of the chorus girl losing her _ jewels. But he got a lot of space and a lot of conversation out of a minimum of fiery crosses on an Atlanta hillside— i] after a similar build-up in Birmingham failed to come off 1 when not enough knights turned up with matches at the advertised hour. There are two groups of people, both fortunately small, who are interested in building up a klan revival. First, of course, there are the promoters, who hope to make some money out of memberships, as they did back in the gullible twenties. And there are the Communists;-and their dupes of various degree, who are interested in getting themselves "an enemy so vicious that décent folks will just naturally have to side with them against it. The first gang has the press agent. The second has The New Masses and the Daily Worker, and the rest of the pinkish publications which are currently shrieking the alarm, though not being very specific about it. : . OTH are as phony as a kluxer's oath. But, dangerously, both are contributing to the only chance the klan has for getting started again. After all, the people who joined the klan last time were not very bright, and these kleagles and wizards and dragons and what not still work on the theory that there's a new one born every minute. So if you should happen to hear about how applications for membership are swamping klan headquarters, and the klan is sweeping the country, and thousands are being inducted in awesome ritual—just remember that that is the oldest trick known to promoters for signing up suckers. Around here, we promise, there isn’t going to be anything secret about the ku klux klan that The Times can find out—including passwords, members’ names, mystic rites or the price of pillow cases. Meanwhil¢ we'll try to avoid even innocently helping to bring back to life an organization and a crew that we dislike just as intensely now as we did when we helped smash its power in Indiana .) years ago.

TIME TO THINK—USE IT HIS week of strike truce on thé railroads and in the coal fields is a breathing spell. It may be only that. At least it gives Americans a little time to think about where they are and where they may be going, . Never have this country’s people had so much to gain by co-operation, Prosperity, plenty, high real wages, generous profits, all are within grasp—or were. Productive effort, unimpeded, is the key, Nothing but production can halt the destruction of wages, profits and savings by inflation. Never have this country’s people had so much to lose by fighting over wealth not yet produced; wealth that never will be produced if the fighting persists.

In congress and the country there are those—a misguided minority, we believe—who actually would destroy labor's hard-won and essential rights.

Among workers and their supporters there are those— also a minority, we believe, despite the union leaders’ clamor—who would use all of labor's political and economic strength to prevent any legal regulation of labor’s tremendous power. Neither group speaks for America. At William Jewell college in Missouri, Mr. Truman yesterdiy was made a doctor of laws. A timely reminder, to the President and to us all, that ours must be and remain a government by laws and not by men if we are to continue a free people. »

THE great labor organizations demand that Mr. Truman fire his civilian production administrator, John D. Small, who last week advocated an emergency act to outlaw all strikes for six months. :

There is no danger that this proposal will be adopted— not this week. The country is not desperate enough for that ~not yet. A week or so more of coal strike, a few days of railroad strike, and the country might get desperate enough to try anything. Even now there is understandable reason why the official responsible for getting civilian goods produced, knowing the situation, might suggest a desperate remedy. Two months ago, before the coal strike began, Bernard M. Baruch told congress that a one-year moratorium on strikes, “preferably by agreement, otherwise hy law,” was neces-

sary to get the volume of steady production required to beat inflation.

At that time, in the first three months of 1946, labor department figures show that strikes had caused, directly, 54,700,000 man-days of idleness. That was more productive effort lost by labor strife in one quarter of this year than in any previous full year.on record. And the figures take no account of vast indirect losses in industries that could ~ not operate because others were strike-bound, Since March the situation has grown worse, the outlook blacker. = ~ Our system can not endure the rule of men—whether | labor or industry—who say, “we will have our way, free ff nt by law, no matter what it costs the country.” invite another system under which, as in GerHitler and in Russia under Stalin, there would and there would be no freedom for industry for anyone,

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have been making monkeys

Price in Marion County, § cents a copy; deliv |’

id has hired a korrespondent. His technique is as venerable, |

8 escaped from a New York pet back with bananas. Nothing un- |-

on En ea

TUT WE MUSTN'T BE TOO HAST YIT MAY BE JUST A FALSE ALARM!

Hoosier

say, but | your right

Forum

"| do not agree with a word that you

will defend to the death to say it." — Voltaire.

Draft Upsets Youth

in a peacetime army,

been pushed around long enough.

to go to school and by the time he was ready to graduate from high schoo] he and his parents had their

boy knew just what he was going to do, It has always been considered it was better for the morale | and future character of the boy to|

always know what he wanted to do and plan his future, Now along comes the war—which no one could avoid, The teen-age boy was snatched up out of school and out of homes and sent to camps to mingle with good and bad alike. But they went—the finest, bravest boys God ever -made. No kicks. They had been taught to call a spade a spade so they did their jobs and a swell job it was, too. Then came the peace. They were in the future again. They had something to look forward to again. Now our lawmakers come along] to make the law which our boys | were to abide by, but they toss it| around as though they are afraid, (could it be of future votes?) or as though they aren't sure what they are doing and the teen-ager doesn't know any more than he did a year

4 a'»® “IN STARVING EUROPE, WE WOULD TEACH LESSON”

By F. O. Hagen, 3804 Kenwood ave. I heartily agree with Mother of Two of Indianapolis and with Roy Lesher, recent contributors to the Forum, There is great danger in feeding

‘Congress Failure to Clarify

The American boy has been raised) | Khan was a smart boy.

minds and plans all laid and that!

!

&

s' Planning"

By T. L. H, Linton 1 am the mother of a teen-age boy who has been in army one] year. He was drafted out of school last year, was allowed to graduate yo unsin. siil) there must ve some~ and left the next week., He is one of those who hoped to get. out after| thing that doesn't meet the eye, 18 months, either go to school or in business with my husband. So I nt decided to write to the Hoosier Forum and voice my opinion and see 0. tO the trouble of bringing withow other people feel about some of the boys having to stay in so long

and clothing Europe. Old Genghis] When lie/ | took over the defeated he Killed] the men and boys and carried off| the women. Then his children and! his children’s children did not have | to fight that particular enemy again. Genghis was noted for his|

cruelty. My fellow contributors and

I wish to be even more cruel and let |

them die the slow death. Let's let!

them know that the penalty of!

starting and losing a war is freez-|

and warping of their little chil-| ing, starvation and the swelling dren's bodies. The fact that there! might still be some decent people | left in Europe should not be considered for if we feed them ‘there is a possibility that some of that food will filter into the hands of the Nazis. And we would rather starve five decent people than to feed one Nazi. In starving Europe we accomplish a number of things which will be to our benefit. We make the parents repent, we fix| the future generation so that they will be incapable, either mentally or physically, of carrying oh and making war. After this has been accomplished, I think 10 or 15 ‘years ought to do it up brown, we will be able to toss them a few crumbs and they will be yn a frame of mind where they can eat and not want to fight. Then we can sit back with a smile and say, “Genghis, you were a piker,” Indirectly we will also be able] to take care of these horrible union | problems we are having now and| cook John L.s goose. If we starve the world we won't live to sell them anything.

Carnival —By Dick Turner

TAT

musn't be discouraged!

ky i > Sk

"You

i It “stinks.”

“BAUER, PERSECUTION 18 NOT AMERICAN FAIR PLAY”

By Veteran of World War 1 and II, In. dianapolis

AS regards the ex-Sgt. Bauer case. Both the army and F. B. 1. have definitely nothing on

lor the justice department wouldn't

nesses from Europe to testify against him. Fritz Kuhn, Harry Bridges and

After watching the draft bill being pushed around for these past|others of their ilk definitely had several weeks, I was surprised to see our law-makers pass a law. such Plenty against them, still, did the as the stop-gap measure. It seems to me as though our teen-agers have |

justice department get all “het up”? No. So it looks like some brass and politicians are afraid of exposure and doing all to cover up. I'm a veteran of both wars and believe in fair play, but certainly this persecution isn't my idea of fair play, and also the opinion of many others, We all are certainly following the stench that the justice department is raising. Wouldn't you, or anyone else, have joined, sworn or promised anything to get away from Germany and the Nazis to save your neck. I certainly would. Plenty of others have, but nothing was done about it; in fact, they were commended. Of course they didn't take pictures of a stag party where our precious politicians were present, so that makes this case different, or does it? We all hope you and your staff can dig up the honest facts’ on this case and give this man a taste of American fair play instead of a brand of naziism as the army and the justice department are handing out to him and his wife, » » ”

“CITY WONT ACT ON

| STOPPED-UP SEWER”

By J. W. Troutman, 2828 N. Gladstone

Ave, I am a fisherman of the old school, an ardent disciple of Walton. And when a fellow goes fishing, he must have water to fish in. Well, I've got water. I have it up to my doorstep, over my garden, can't get out or in without hip boots, which, fortunately, I have a pair. The man next door north has a car in his garage that has water over the floor boards. He can't get to it to get it out, and even if he did it wouldn't run because the water is over the carburetor, The man right across the alley and three of his neighbors have seven feet of water ‘in their basements. Several hundred jars of canned goods that some housewife labored over a very hot stove to can are at this time. six feet under water, with no hopes of recovery in the near future, And I know how she feels about her loss because I have bought gravel, sand stone, dirt and centent for. my driveway and have had it washed out from the stregt to the alley no less than half a dozen times, The peaple -of this neighborhood are getting tired of wading water, and I'm getting tired of carrying people on my shoulders through this broad expanse of water that extends from 28th and Gladstone to 20th st, that we call Tyndall's lake. We have called every department in the city on aceount of thisgfewer being stopped up. Someone comes in a big yellow truck, looks at the water, backs up to 28th st. and that's the end of it. We are ‘all long time residents of this community and own our homes. Will you kindly. tell us how we can get something done about it? We are at the end of our patience fooling around with officials, engineers and street commissioners.

DAILY THOUGHT

I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye

ing ye shall be filled with bread;

You DO have a fine voice—girls *

and ye shall know that T am the Lord your God-Exodus 16:12,

IF heaven ends no supplies, The fairest blossom of the garden dies. ~Willlaip Browne. :

AN tS AS SARE

IT'S OUR BUSINESS . .. By Donald D. Hoover ~~ McNutt Has Sobered During Absence

IT'S OUR BUSINESS, in view of the prominence of Philippine affairs in the news, to realize the important part played in our Far East policy by Indiana’s Paul V. McNutt, high commissioner at Manila. Mr. McNutt was a visitor here last week, having come to the United States for a flying “visit with Brig. Gen. ‘Manuel Roxas, president-elect of the "Philippine commonwealth. One week - from today Gen, Roxas becomes president of the commonwealth . + « and on July 4, the commonwealth becomes a republic, free at last of foreign control, — Key Figure in Philippines : IN REHABILITATION of the war-torn islands, Mr. McNutt will have an historic role because he helped put the pressure on congress which resulted in beneficial tariff and reconstruction measures being passed and now is helping on the program, The former Indiana governor also is close to Roxas, whom he favored before last month's election «+ . at least privately . .. and has many other friends he made when he was high commissioner there before, from 1937 to 1939. In his present position . , and there are many Filipinos who hope he ‘will become first ambassador to the new Republic . . . his

"| administrative capabilities and experience will be of

great value in getting the republic off to a start that will reflect credit on the U. 8. in the Orient. McNutt is a man who is either liked intensely or disliked as heartily by his Hoosier associates . . . and many of them fail to grasp the job he has done on a national and international scale, This may be either because he has done them favors or denied them favors . . . or it may be because so often folks hate to see others get ahead, particularly if they appear at times- to have “grown too big for their britches.” McNutt's critics say he ‘has done just that. It was a different McNutt we'saw here last week . + . quite a contrast to the ebullient glamour boy of even ten years ago. Granted hé was tired from travelling and hard work, and from the responsibility of guiding the new Philippine president . . . but he

shall eat flesh, and in the morn- |

WASHINGTON, May 21, — We think we have troubles in this country, And we do—of a sort. A lingering coal strike that slowed us down just as we were stepping into record production, and still may do us further damage. The threat of a railroad

strike still hanging over our heads which, if it should materialize, would well-nigh paralyze us.

Compare Our Lot With Others

BUT OUR TROUBLES ARE puny compared to those of hundreds of millions of people elsewhere. It is hard fdr us to realize the misery in so many other parts of the world, even after we read the graphic report of Herbert Hoover. And even after we look at the ghastly pictures of starving children who, but for the grace of God, might be ours. The whole machinery of life is not only slowed down, but stopped dead in many other parts of the world, Cities are still in ruins, transportation strangled, production still only a trickle. Hunger and

Jhardship will leave its mark on future generations.

Here we live normally, despite our troubles. look small when you look at others. plenty to eat. Only one conclusion can be drawn from Mr. Hoover's report on the world food catastrophe. That is that this country, the most favorably situated in the world, must peel off a little more of its fat to help the rest of the world, our neighbors. We can give still more—of wheat and meat and fats —and still do most adequately, if government leaders take the necesary additional steps beyond those already taken. In doing this<and we should demahd in every way we can that it be done—there is one thing

They Here we have

NEW YORK, May 21.—There's a move to put matrimony on a 40-hour week in England today— with cash compensation for girls who say “I do,” and bonuses. for babies. That, I think, is overshooting the mark, even in & labor government. I will go along with the unionization of baseball, but when femininity in the broad sense becomes an organized commodity, you can step right up and call me scab.

Salary for Wives LONDON HASN'T HAD enough trouble—now it’s got a Married Women's association. Meeting jointly with another threat to world serenity, the Women of Westminster, this guild has declared that its members “hate housework,” and have asked for cash reimbursement for their labor in the nest. The money would be found in a married man’s income tax exemption. The fiscal forgiveness that the government allows a husband and father would be paid directly to the wife. This 1946 version of butter-and-egg money would automatically put the head of a family on the same financial footing with an unmarried rake who is willing to pay extra taxes for the privilege of staying single. A daughter of the late Elinor Glyn, Lady Wil liams, is pushing. the salary-for-wives proposition. Lady Williams’ mama used to write improbable tales of high-test amour on tiger skins, but daughter seems to have topped mama. I doubt if even one of Elinor’s heroines would have held out for overtime. "A tomato named Mrs. Edith SBummerskill, parliamentary secretary to the minister of food, is waiting “for the country to recognise my contribution as the mother of a tough son and daughter You gather that the doc thinks she has done something new and extraordinary.

PARIS, May 21.—If the Big Four foreign ministers, when they meet here again on June 15, are to have more success than they achieved at their recent meeting, it seems important that Britain, France and the United States should consider in advance what steps they will take if Russian intransigence again confronts them with failure, : Russian knowledge that the Western powers had an alternative scheme for the pacification and reconstruction of Europe without Russian co-operation would be the surest lever to promote a more conciliatory attitude by the Kremlin. Let us see, therefore, what possible steps are open to the Western allies if they are forced to admit there's no chance of any agreement with Russia on the peace treaties.

Can Act Without Moscow FIRST OF ALL, what can be done about Germany? Perhaps the most sensible suggestion to date is that just advanced by a Conservative back-bench member of the British parliament, Robert Boothby. Urging us to accept Russian annexation of eastern Germany as a fait accompli which cannot be done, Boothby suggests uniting the British, French and American zones into a Western European Federation. Boothby argues that .the countries of western ‘Europe cannot hope to survive in the modern world as separate and independent units. Equally, westtern Eutropé cannot prosper if Germany remains an economic slum. Therefore, he urges that all of western and southern Germany, whose industries are

be openly included in a western bloc. What of our other defeated enemy, Italy? Hare again we have thegpower to make our own decisions

essential to a revived European. economy, should

»

. was {hfinitely more serious and less full of conscious

charm,

He reflected by his seriousness, the contribution he has made in his present assignment and in his preceeding posts as chairman of the war manpower commission, social security administrator and other posts in President Roosevelt's inner circle. His friends .. , . and most of those at the siaall welcome held here for him were his friends . . . were impressed by oe soberness of his approach, as well as pleased a was an important intern > making. good at it, * “ tonal Neuse oa Among those at the welcome were Frank McHale, Democratic national committeeman from Indians whose astute poltical judgment has always been behind McNutt's operations at least here at home,

and Bowman L, Elder, prominent in part; in affairs of the American Legion, pry Pollas yi

Is Great Credit to State +

THESE TWO MEN are credited with much of McNutt’s spectacular rise from a Veteran of world war I and law professor at Indiana university , , up to the deanship of the law school there, state commander of the American Legion national exeot~ tive committeeman of that organization national Legion commander, bi > wiih Pleas Greenlee MeNutt’'s former g secre- , patronage tary and now Democratic state chairman ol not at the party. It is said he blames McNutt - ing gubernatorial ambitions, 0 18 oak MecNutt's opponents say he likes dictator methods Pela his friends sdy he put the state government on an efficiency basis after weak Republican administraHors Mii Stas income tax is cursed by some and Sed by others . . . it is credited with im state's financial position by all, proving tie Maybe McNutt has been too busy to take care of his home fences, or perhaps he has no more political ambifions in Indiana . . . perhaps he will go to New York to a big law practice. Whatever he does, we

should keep in mind that he Indiana. :

IN WASHINGTON + « « By Thomas L. Stokes | Resume Rationing in Current Crisis

more and more people are convinced is necessary, That is to resume rationing, so that our help may be orderly and practical, and so that we may pro tect ourselves from our own selfishness. In any res

-ductlon of our stocks—and already they are being

reduced—it is only fair to ration again so that everybody gets his share. It is generally conceded now that we made a mistake to abandon rationing. England never did, and has restricted her people even more severely. When the European food crisis was brought home to us some time ago, it was argued that a resumption of rationing was not needed as it could not be put inte effect in time to do any good for the immediate critical period of this spring and early summer, But this not not a temporary crisis, as Mr. Hoover and others point out. The threat of hunger for millions in the world will hang on—into next year, perhaps for five years. One of the major mistakes was to picture this as something temporary. However the situation may be analyzed, it is tragically serious.

Think About Children of Tomorrow

OUR STAKE is tremendous. Mr. Hoover said “reconstruction and peace in the world would go up in the flames of chaos if we fail.” That is strong language. Paralysis of government and .revolutions elsewhere would react upon our own democracy. There is no question about that.

Our people certainly seem ready to respond %o

whatever is required to do the job. Can our leaders put aside politics and lead we Can they forget about the coming eléction and think about the children of tomorrow, our own and those of parents all over the world?

REFLECTIONS . . . By Robert C. Ruark British Want to Organize Matrimony

Pardon my wistful old worldliness, but is there no romance left in this beat-up planet? Is the way of a man without a maid to be subjected to factfinding committees, and the question of father's breakfast eggs to be paraded before an arbitration board? Is motherhood to be held in abeyance while Dr. Summerskill determines the prevailing wage for the ‘rigors of childbirth?

It seems to me that true love is in for a beating

if the ardent swain, spreading his handkerchief on the floor, must intersperse a tribute to his lady's eyes with a statement of his ability to pay the standard rate for bedmaking and dishwashing, with overtime for ashtray emptying. Marriage, always a tricky undertaking, seems more and more permeated with risk if the responsibilities of wifehood are to be placed on a par with employeremployee relationships. Continual worry over whether the star of your soul is walking out, because of dissatisfaction with the wage scale, ‘and the daily expectance of pickets around the connubial cot, would be awfully wearing on the nerves. . -

Want No Joan L. Lewis THE LAST TIME I looked, marriage wes sup-

‘posed to be a fairly even deal, with the papa endow-

ing the mama with his worldly goods, and the mama

promising to stay home and fetch up & flock of

cannon fodder in return for a permanent endows ment—which, if disrupted, was to be replaced with alimony. Until somebody can figure out a way for the husband to have the babies, this marriage business is about as fair as it's apt to get. Even with its disadvantages, it's something I wouldn't like to see tied to a cash register, or subjected to the wishes of a Joan L. (for Laura) Lewis.

TODAY IN EUROPE . . . By Randolph Churchif Let's Exclude Russia and Go Ahead

without reference to Moscow. Britain, France and the United States can make peace with Italy tomor« row. And exclusion of Russia will matter to no one except Russia, ' There's no doubt that the minds of some of the American delegates to the recent Paris conference are working along these lines. If the western powers should decide that they must reach a settlement without Russia, it's essential that the smaller powers should be associated with the negotiations. It's also essential that a western bloc in Europe should be organized forthwith under British, French and Amer. fean leadership. For there could be mo hope of security or permanence in the settlements reached unless all the nations of western Europe united to defend them. : This solution, of course, accepts the fact that all of eastern Europe has been absorbed by Russia, Bu however much as we may dislike what Russia has done and is doing in eastern Europe, no one with an ounce of realism can honestly pretend that there are any ineans of persuading Russia to alter her policy in the zones occupied by the Red army. The Russians themselves regard this matter as undisoussable,

Must Find Way to Proceed RUSSIA HAS always insisted upon unity of action among the Big Four, The other powers, in the hope of winning Russian good-will, have accepted this principle, albeit with many doubts and misgi But, it's the Russians themselves who have made their own prineiple unworkable, 2 : If Russia insists on isolating herself from these who. would like to be her friends, we —— ef some way_of gotting om as best we onn without

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