Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 13 June 1946 — Page 18

napolis Times Thursday, June 13, 1946 WALTER LECKRONE HENRY W. MANZ YURditor ‘Business Manager A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER Owned and published daily (except Sunday) by

Indianapolis Times Publishing Co., 214 W. Maryland st. Postal Zone 9. .

paper Alliance, NEA Service, and Audit Bureau of Circulations. Price in Marion County, 5 cents a copy; delivered by carrier, 20 cents a week. Mail rates in Indiana, $5 a year; all other states, U. 8. possessions, Canada and Mexico, 87 cents a . month, " RI-5551.

Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way

G. 0. P. STATE CONVENTION TODAY 2129 men and women of the Republican party ~* are assemtled in Indianapolis from over Indiana to seJeet their party's nominees for United States senator, judge of the supréme court, secretary of state and other offices. In theory these 2129 men and women represent the ‘Republican voters who chose them in the primary election, and will cast their ballots as they believe the voters desire. i In practice, the majority of these 2129 men and women probably will do just what Gov. Gates and his statehouse machine tell them to do, The candidate with statehouse O. K. is the candidate who will be nominated for each of the places om the ticket unless all of the political prophets are wrong. And in the process, men who have served their party loyally and against whom no charges of inefficiency in office

fact that they were good enough vote-getters to be elected. But they don’t fit in with the long-range plans of the statehouse crowd. In the convention today, one sees practical power polities in the nakedness of its complete domination of men and women who vote too often not as their consciences dictate, but as their political dictator directs them to vote. More power to the delegates who are unbossed and who today oppose the purge that is being staged from the governor’s office.

THAT VETO PRESIDENT TRUMAN'S veto of the Case labor bill was a friumph of inconsistency, false logic and bad judgment which we think he and the country will have profound reason to regret. And so was failure of the house of representatives to muster sufficient votes to over-ride the veto, Public sympathy had been with Mr. Truman in his labor troubles—up to then. He inherited a mess. He was handicapped by lack of law requiring responsible use of . power by unions and their leaders. Congress was slow—as he complained five months ago—to act either on legislation proposed by him or on measures of its own,

.. Member of United Press, Seripps-Howard News-

has been brought will be purged, purged regardless of the |

To Ake THAT

wh Oyez] Oyez! Oyez! ;

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Hoosier

Labor Have Selfish

- But congress finally did pass a measure of its own, | the Case bill. Mr. Truman has advocated some of its prin-|

been affected by this bill had it been law.”

That from the President who wants dangerously drastic emergency authority to draft workers and break strikes against the government.

private employers. They are capable, as we have just seen, of paralyzing the nation. They are truly the symptoms of grave disease within the body politic. And the Case bill— product of years of experience, many hearings and much debate—was the genuine attempt to deal with underlying causes, which are the irresponsible powers and special privi-

policies.

that veto. If so, it was foolish politics, for it lost him many friends and supporters. If labor leaders take it as evidence that the President fears to curb their powers it will invite further excesses and abuses, for which the previously sympathetic public will blame him.

In some parts of the message, Mr. Truman seemed to be strongly influenced by thestirades of Philip Murray and other union bosses, who of course always denounce any regulatory proposal. In other parts he argued that the Case bill didn't go far enough—that the problem calls for “a . more adequate and more inclusive solution.” His only constructive proposal was for a long study by a committee of congress, out of which might come further legislation “to bring about as great an equality as possible between the bargaining positions of labor and management,” coupled with “vigilance for the public welfare.” Such a committee, if not packed with congressmen determined to block any legislation, might do a useful job. But at best, as Mr. Truman admits, 1946 would be almost gone before it could report. Meanwhile, he would leave the country with no legal protection against labor turmoil except the emergency powers he has asked—if he gets them —and they cannot be used until strikes reach the dangerous stage of being “against the government.” Yet even now, Mr, Truman says, “strikes and lockouts

without which “the effects of ruinous inflation will be felt by every one of our citizens.” We believe the Case bill veto has greatly increased the probability that disastrous strikes ‘will continue to throttle production for many months to come,

IMPROVING CONGRESS THE senate has approved by a thumping majority the La Follette-Monroney bill to cut down the number of congressional committees, hire adequate staffs to help handle committee work, provide members with competent assistants to take care of those chores for the home folks, ~ 4nd otherwise “streamline” congress.

the provision increasing congressional pay to $15,000. With such 4 reorganization,” permitting more effective work, congressmen will be worth more pay. We hope the house roves the same bill. come almost to the place where 3 man must ome to afford to spend the time and money Mair, Nor does it attract the best sts in the government. remembered that this is only one phase none which ; An is the task of, overhaul

talent for

are the greatest handicaps to attaining vital production,” |

One reason for the large favorable vote probably is |

congress a8 a whole has

tional Association of Manufacturers,

Since being released from the service last Christmas, I have been!men who have never held elective ciples, and he now professes agreement with many of its | ocely following the pros and cons of these issues, which vitally affect’ office. Virtual clean-out of the nests objectives. Yet he vetoes it, with the strange statement every average returning veteran's future. I think The Times has been ot parasites who think of self inthat “it strikes at symptoms and ignores underlying causes |remarkably fair in its treatment of both sides of these controversial|siead of country. Of course, if suc-

+ +. not a single one of the recent major strikes would have problems. If a minority of labor would have newspapers throttled be-| cessful, |cause they champion the welfare of over a hundred million people, as some

{compared to the few hundred thou-

Isand involved in strikes in such vital

|industries as coal, railroads and

shipping, then it is demonstrating

Such strikes begin as controversies between unions and [a degree of selfishness that has no,

| place in our democratic form of govlernment. To want to tear down the lexecutive system of American busi[ness, as Mr, Hapgood implies, be-

{cause every good railroader can't’ draw a salary equal to its owners

: . ‘ land executive operators, smacks of ‘léges given to unions by biased laws and governmental |, o .ommunism, which even com-

munistic Russia can not achieve, I think the present deplorable

MR. TRUMAN will be accused of playing politics with | condition of the country stems from

just a plain overdose of selfishness and greed on the part of both ‘big” capital and “big” labor, with the prize being that hypothetical boom of the century which is supposed to follow world war II. Big organized labor insists on an over- | sized slice of the mythical proceeds, and capital wants the OPA bars down so it can get a big lead in capturing the supposed gravy, Give them both everything that they want and we'll spiral ourselves into a depression that will make the 30's look like soft living If the hundred million average people in the middle of this mess would squeeze every dime until it literally fights back for the next three months, “big” labor could take a few pay cuts and they, as well as everyone else, would be able to afford the luxuries as well as the™ecessities that our highly competitive system would be forced to supply at reasonable prices.

Carnival — By Dick Turner

"Both 'Big' Business and 'Big'

By E. W. Metzger, 5423 N, New Jersey St After reading the article by Powers Hapgood, Indianapolis Regional offset the stalemate caused by Director of the C. I. O, I am about as disgusted with his example of | politicians straddling the fence to labor leadership as 1 was when I read the first ad released by the Na- hold and get votes for continuing

"1 do not agree with a word that you say, but | will defend to the death your ‘right to say it." — Voltaire,

Forum

“CLEAN OUT ALL OFFICE HOLDERS AND START OVER” By Harry Barrett, 5750 Broadway Housewives of voting age can unite before November elections to

Motives"

| their tenure in office by voting for

it would put out of office good and true men and patriots. But on the other hand, at

«CUT SPEED OF CARS TO |the 1948 primary and election, our {real workers for the country’s best

- 1 » AVOID TRAFFIC SLAUGHTER | interests could be re-elected.

By A. J. Schneider, 504 W. Dr, Woodruff | pocsinly therédvould be chaos for Place. i 2 . short time, but eventually it Currently we are engaged in all would work out to the welfare of parts of the world in prosecuting the country, When you meet soindividuals who are accused of cially, in clubs, in P.-T. A. or other slaughtering thousands of innocent Batherings, see if this idea does not | go over, and, for the country’s good, las well as your own families, try to Right here at home thousands are clear the muddled condition we being slaughtered every day with! are now in. little or no attempt to stop the! slaughter or to fix the blame, “WHITNEY CANNOT CALL

I am referring to highway traffic STRIKE WITHOUT VOTE”

casualties, which have often been|BY Joseph P. Yakey, 3928 E. 3th st. compared to war casualties, with| Your editorial “Mr. Whitney-De-the weight on the traffic side. If mocracy-And Labor Laws,” causes

is true that more people are Mme to write you in protest. It is being killed and maimed in trafficivery evident that you do not un-| accidents than have been killed and derstand the cause of the late rail-| Mame in ne id isn't it high road strike. ime we. really got down to brass Do you, my dear editor, work|

tacks to change this picture? seven days a week, 52 weeks in the| It is a well known fact that two

BREIS ¢ . al d bined year for only severi days vacation are FE hh o om hes and are our demands unreasonable] ble po . o a 3 181- in asking that this vacation be inpercentage of our trafic acCi-|..qcaq 10 14 days a year. dents. These are speed and alcohol. | Is it not a fact that your printers | There is only one way to change receive time and one-half for Satur- | the speed picture. That is to engi- ay work and double time for Sun-| neer them down. We know that al- _.

day? This is true of many indusready the speed and horsepower of

tries, yet Mr. Whitney was in-| onr cars is too much for our roads structed by the railroad men only] and the volume .of traffic.

Should! ask for time and one-half for| not the automotive engineers recog- gunday and six specified holidays. nize this first? And if any aulo 1g that demand so far out of line? magnate orders his engineers to| pg the newspapers require an style more speed, or to refrain from | employee to report for work and engineering the speed downward t0|spend several hours hanging around a safe level, are they not. fully ashoyur place of business and not pay guilty as Hitler, or Himmier, or him? Yet when we ask to be paid Tojo, et al? [for attending “Book of Rules,” | “Safety Rules,” “Air Classes” and

s n »

people wit hout cause.

I

"Another nice feature as a Father's day qift, ma'am, is that i} ~~ chrries the easy budget plan, enabling him to scarcely

| “Periodic Examinations,” are we [ traitors? ’ Mr. Whitney has no more power

to call the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen out on strike than you have. This can only be done after a strike vote is taken, And it is the practice of the B. of R. T. to permit both members and nonmembers in train and yard service to express their own opinion. Once the strike ballot has been given it can only be recalled with the consent of all the general chairmen sitting in Grand Lodge session. In other words, Mr. Whitney is only an employee of the B. of R. T. and must do as he {is told just the same as your youngest cub reporter, As for our strike against the gov{ernment, is it not a fact that rail(road management is equally as {guilty because of their 14 months’ refusal to listen to our plea for relief. | Yet I hear no cry for vengeance | from you to be inflicted on the rail(road management. Please be fair in your presentation of this case. Give orr side a little front page publicity.

DAILY THOUGHT

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and. seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways: then will “<I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.— II Chronicles 7:14, " ” ” It is no humility for a man to think less of himself than he ought,

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IT'S OUR BUSINESS . . . By Donald D. Hoover

Tl.

Political Rule Comes From Apathy

IT'S OUR BUSINESS to look realistically at today's’ Republican state convention and know that the rank-and-file of Republican voters will Have absolutely nothing to do with the nomination of their

party's candidate for United States senator. iy The nomination will be dictated from the statehouse, in further extension of its political power . and the incumbent senator, Raymond Willis, is scheduled for the discard because one of the keymen of the statehouse machine has been selected to take his place as part of the long-term operation of Hoosier Republican polities. The convention is composed of men and women of prominence in their communities but most of them will take the nod from Governor Ralph Gates just as docilely as children without initiative of their own.

Precedent Discarded for Power SENATOR WILLIS has never set the world on fire as a statesman, and never would. He's a middle-of-the-roader whose record is outstanding in no sense he is, however, honest and industrious and means well. Political practice calls for ‘renomination of men like Senator Willis , . not dumping them unless their record has been such that it would hurt the party in the fall. Senator Willis, after all, did get the majority of the votes in the state when he was elected to the senate . . and has done little to alienate those who were for him before. Today’s convention demonstrates how little the voter actually has to do with the rule of his party, or with the selection of those who hold public office, Too frequently, he doesn't bother to vote in the primary election and it is there that political rule gets its stranglehold on the machinery of party and of government. y The precinct committeemen, keystone of party organization, are chosen in the primary. , . I'll wager

few readers know either, the name of the committes~ man of their party in their own precinct, or whether he was opposed for election last spring. But you can guarantee that the job-holders and politicians whose hold depends on those committeemen had a candidate in every precinct, : _ Nor could many folk mame many of the delegates to their party state convention for whom they voted « if they bothered to vote at all, But here again, the statehouse group amd the county groups paying allegiance to it had their candidates, One of Senator Willis’ weaknesses was that he didn’t have a slate of delegates committed to him entered in every Indiana precinct. 80 . . . the result is that at the Republican cone vention today and at the Democratic state convene tion to be held June 25 the nominations will be those which the prevailing machine organization desires. These conventions do not always take into consideration the records of those wha seek a place onthe fall tickets, nor their capacity for serving the public. They select men who will further the particular aims of the crowd in the saddle aims of today and aspirations of tomorrow.

Public Is Not Interested THERE WILL BE little actual participation in government by voters until they become interested enough to learn about the grass roots of their party . the men and women who are precinct Souiesmen and delegates to the state convene ons. : That is why revolts so seldom are successful over the long pull. “Reform” candidates may be nominated, and elected, but the basic control exercised through the committeemen and delegates seldom is challenged for many elections. And that is because the public isn’ really interested enough in the kind of government it has to do something about it. . Maybe return to the direct primary and its harde hitting ‘campaigning would stimulate their interest|

STATE CONVENTION . . . By Thomas L. Stokes

Will of People |

TO USE AN OLD SAW, coming here to Indianapolis from Washington is like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Washington was in a ferment, politically, and so is Indiana, as usual. A farewell view of Washington was the house of representatives listening, silently, to President Truman's veto of the Case bill, and then voting, sing-song, to uphold it. And a farewell noise was the incessant buzz of conversation all over town about the blow-up in the supreme court caused by that V-2 bomb hurled by Justice Jackson, like a minor Jove in a rage, all the way from Germany, at Justice Black.

Hoosier Politics a Fine Art

A LINK HBRE with Washington was supplied by Jim Watson, now 83, but like an old firehorse, coming out on the same train to sit in as the Republican state convention hand-picked a candidate for the U. 8. senatorial nomination. Hot delegates milled about the lobby of the Claypool hotel and slept three and four in every available room in town to prove that politicians can take anything, and love it. This seemed like no time to leave Washington, but there never is a time in these hectic days. However, sometimes it seems good to leave that cave of the winds and get out among the people to see what is what, if possible, to do what is facetiously called by Washington political correspondents “feeling the pulse.” ‘ There does, seriously, seem to be a need at this time for some understanding. It's hard to believe that what congress is doing, on such things for instance as OPA and the:draft, and failing to do on so many other things, really represents the people. But if the people are differently inclined from the trend of congress there's a failure somehow for them

s Flouted by Bosses

to make this known. Primaries to date show only negligible turn-overs. Whatever it is, it.is the purpose of this reporter to move around a bit in the next few weeks and try to find a clue, This seemed a gpod place to start because Indiana is in many ways typical, and a political show was ready-billed in the Republican state convention. This is one of the few states where senatorial cane didates are nominated by convention. The bosses, headed up in the machine of Governor Ralph Gates, some time ago hand-picked their candidate in Wile lam E. Jenner, a still young fellow who's been moving up the ladder and once served a brief, fill-in term as U. 8. senator. The bosses ditched aging Senator Willis, the incumbent. There is a progressive gentleman, Rep. Charles La Follette, who has made a fine record in the house, who decided to buck the machine. But in vain. In an open primary election he might have won. But the people didn’t have a look-in. There is plenty of under-surface discontent with the old political ways, the machine rule, in this state, But it seems to lack an outlet, a means of expression, People are fed up here, for example, with the liquor stake in politics. Senate Nomination Dictated REPUBLICANS INHERITED FROM the Demo crats of the Paul V. McNutt days a system which they have perpetuated. Requests for beer licenses from the state board first must be approved by the county chairman. This represents a nice piece of political graft and a nice way to build up a political machine. Here, in this senatorial situation, from which the people are barred, is one clue then tp how the will

of the peaple is flouted, all of which, in the end, is j

translated into what happens in Washington,

REFLECTIONS . . . By Robert C. Ruark ‘Nobody Could Be as Bad as Joe Is’

NEW YORK, June 13.—It is difficult to keep remembering that this is only a fist fight between a couple of young men—a sweaty scramble on June 19 that could be long and boresome or unsatisfyingly

swift in its finish. A stranger, dropped suddenly into Joe Louis’ train-

ing camp at Pompton Lakes, N. J., might easily con-"

fuse it with a meeting of the United Nations. It has the mark of an international clambake, and you are brought up short to learn that the fuss centers about the physical‘supremacy of Louis and Billy Conn.

International Atmosphere TWO BLACK GENTLEMEN with beards and red fezzes strolled the Jersey grass. A broadcast spat in Spanish to South America. Two French newspapermen whispered rapidly together. A knot of, questioners surrounded the London delegation. The audi-

| ence was specked with personalities.

The mystery is there--little groups of experts, huddled together and talking excitedly. Barred doors keep the press away from an aloof personage, not Gromyko, but a soft-spoken fellow whose fitness apparently finds equal footing in public interest with the atom bomb test and our relations with Russia. Behind guarded doors scientific-looking blokes vanished. After a few minutes, a spokesman appeared. He raised his hand, and silence dropped over the packed, humid room. His announcement: Joe Louis is in good condition, blood pressure okay, reflexes normal, heart action fine, weight 214. This intelligence was received with more gravity than if he had proclaimed that Mr. Truman had just axed the Case bill, or that both Mr. Justice Jackson and Mr Jus-

TODAY IN EUROPE . . . By

ROME, June 13.—No wild rejoicings have marked proclamation of the Italian republic, although there have been violent monarchist demonstrations. There's

still no president and no constitution. And the newlyelected constituent assembly has yet to meet. When it does, the grave and formidable -task of making a government and constitution will await it. : Ardent monarchists, of course, are disappointed at the outcome of the referendum. But the most sensible among them are consoling themselves by reflecting upon how difficult, if not impossible, the situation would have been if the monarchy had won by as narrow a majority as was voted, for the republic.

Monarchists Blame Vatican IF KING HUMBERT HAD received 57 per cent of the votes, he and his government would have been faced with the task of reconciling the remaining 43 per cent of the Italians to a form of government which they had decisively rejected. This would have involved very advanced and extreme forms of social legislation, A strongly leftist administration would have been inevitable. As things have turned out, the new republic must reconcile to itself the 43 per cent of the population who voted for the monarchy. The strong probability, therefore, is that there will be a far more right-wing government than if the plebiscite had gone the other way. I seems generally agreed that, if the “Christian Democrats had openly championed the cause of the monarchy, it would have prevailed. Bo out-and-out monarchists are bitter today toward Alcide de Gasperi, There's no doubt. that nearly all the leaders of the Christian Democrats voted for the monarchy. But the party did not sponsor the royalist cause because they thought it more important to beat the

though' it might rather puzzle him Ito do that.—Spurgéon. . :

hit

‘Communists than to save the monarchy. = Today,

. haa

tice Black had been heaved out of the supreme court, I spoke briefly with Frank Butler, a sports writer for the London Daily Express, and one of the half score of foreign correspondents here to cover the fight, “1 wrote a big of a long "un the other night,” Mr. Butler said. “Must have topped 1200 words. My sports editor cabled mé to keep it shorter, but the next day I received a cable from the editor. He said he'd played it two columns on the front page, with a carry-over to the back section, and that it was the best reading in the paper that day. Ruddy nice of him, I thought.” Decorum at Louis’ camp, is strictly observed. There is to be no unseemly noise, no cheering, while the champion fumbles with his sparmates. Smoking, by many signs, is prohibited in the indoor arena. Louis is unapproachable by large groups. A big press room, with telegraph facilities, speeds the massive wordage of about a hundred writers, including Swiss, French, British, and South American. (I missed the German gentlemen, each equipped with a Leica camera, who swarmed Joe's. quarters for: the gecond Schmeling fight.)

UN Sets Example : THERE 18 THE USUAL official disapproval. Abe Greene, the Trygve Lie of the National Boxing Asen., says of Louis: “He can’t be as bad as he looks, or he wouldn't be in the ring, He must be holding back. Nobody is as bad as Joe looks.” 1 don't know. Maybe. this unreality will boil down > yondering to an ordinary prizefight. But I keep won whether, if the #moing gets rough, the dissatisfied party won't crawl through the ropes and take a walk, It would be in the United Nations tradition.

Randolph Churchill

Has Italian Election Affected Vatican?

they could have successfully sponsored the monarchy without substantially injuripg their own majority. Equally, there are monarchists who are blaming the vatican far its lukewarm attitude. If it had openly packed the monarchy, the referendum would certainly have yielded the opposite result. ‘But I assume that the Vatican, with its age-long history and traditions, would not be likely to embark on gambles of this kind. The Papacy is heir to a tradition whereby no Pope would shape any policy on the caprice of one general election, : The Vatican, in these Italian elections, found ite self on the horns of an extremely awkward dilemma, 1t wanted the monarchy maintained but, if 'it openly campaigned for the monarchy, that would have stressed the essentially Italian character of the Papacy and the church—which it is the whole policy of the present Pope to avoid. The universality of the Catholic church, as evidenced by the recent creation of a large number of non-Italian cardinals, is the dominant theme of all current Catholic activity, .

Sound Long-Term Policy BY STANDING ALOOF, the Vatican has placed itself on the other horn of the dilemma. The mone archy has been defeated and, so far as the purely Italian Interests of the Vatican are concerned, the church is in my opinion isolated and weakened, The Vatican and the House of Savoy have acted as reciprocal forces creating equipoise in Rome, There have been times when they were in conflict but, until now, they have stood by each other in real emergency. ; s . Now the church of Rome, playing for world stakes, has allowed the monarchy to be voted down. There's no doubt that, from the point of view of long-term

interests and world position, the Vatican was right |

to play Jts hand. the way it did. On the othe; hand,

ground. in Italy,

a “

it certainly is going to feel a little jonely on its Home