Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 11 December 1947 — Page 26

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; The Fadianapolis Times

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HENRY W. MANZ . Business Mapager

26 Thursday, Dec. 11, 1947 A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER

‘W. HOWARD *~ WALTER LECKRONE

Ee . * Owned and published dally except Sunday) by ' Indianapolis Times Publishing Co, 214 W. Maryland St.‘ Postal Zone 9. - : Member of United Press, Scripps-Howard News. paper Alliance, NEA Service, and Audit Bureau of Cireulations. Price in Marion County, § cents a copy; delivered by carrier, 25¢ a week. Mail rates in Indiana, $5 a year; all other states, U. 8B. possessions, Canada ‘and Mexico, $1.10 a month, Telephone RI ley 5551, Give Light and the People Wili Fina Thew Uswen Way

France Wins a Battle

HE government has broken the French general strike. Red leaders have ordered their followers back to work. The Communists say a shortage of funds forced an end to the month-long struggle. Actually they never lack funds in France, or elsewhere, so long as the Kremlin wants the money spent.’ The strike was called off because it was petering out. More than half of the two million strikers of a week ago already had gone back. When the cabinet rushed through sweeping security legislation and called up a quarter of a million army reservists to enforce order, the Reds no longer could keep the factories and mines closed. Great credit is due Premier Schuman and his new | coalition government. They might: have drifted and done | nothing. They might have bowed to Red demands, as even | Gen. De Gaulle did in the early post-war period. Instead they compromised no major principle. They might have made the cities of France flow with blood in the civil war the Reds were trying to provoke. Instead their firmness was tempered with restraint, curbing the Communists without victimizing orderly strikers. As a result France, at the beginning of a winter of severe suffering and strain, has a stronger and more respected government than she has had in a long while. It is easy, however, to overestimate the results. One battle has been won, but the war will go on. By holding their own under Red attack the democratic forces have gained time rather than ground. The basic economic problems and political hazards remain, and in some respects are worse than a month ago. . Much depends on how France in self-help, and the American Congress in acting on the Marshall Plan, use the precious time won by smashing this particular Moscow offensive, ; =

A Big Difference

ANY people seem to think that “economic planning” and “planned economy” are two names for the same thing. They aren't. Economic planning, good or bad, is something everybody does. If you figure out a way to save money, that’s an economic plan—usually a good one. If you decide to risk spending more than you earn for a while, hoping to make up for it later, that's also an economic plan—often a bad one. 1 Successful business firms give much thought to economic planning; less successful ones, not so much. Business associations, labor unions, farm organizations all engage in economic planning. So, of course, does the federal government. It should plan its activities in such a way as to contribute most to, and subtract least from, the people's welfare. (Its success in this effort is not always complete.) But a planned economy is an economic plan for the people by government, and substituted- for the people's planning. The planned-economy theory has a lot of appeal. Millions of people, doing their own economic planning, are bound to make many mistakes. So, it is argued, why shouldn't government make a master plan for everybody, and eliminate the mistakes? :

" . . . » » BUT WE think there are fatal flaws in this theory. A few hundred men in government, who would make the master plan, wouldn't be wiser than everybody. They, too, could make mistakes and the consequences could be disastrous. But millions of people, planning for themselves, don’t all make the same mistakes at the same time. And | their errors tend to cancel each other out. } Furthermore, if even wise planned economy is to work, the people must conform to the plan. Suppose some of them don't want to. How can they be brought into line—unless

i In Tune With the Times

'COLLECTORS' ITEM'

_ 1 am éxtremely envious (hateful word) of some of my friends. They collect books, fine books, "magnificent and beautiful things so beaitiful, indeed, that it is not really prudent to trust ‘me with them. The binding are leather, or. parchment, or linen,” cunningly tooled .and stamped with gold; the paper is hand-made; and the fine, wide‘margined pages have been designed by artists in type. They are “collectors’ items” works of art to be viewed with awé and covetousness; and, though I tell myself that they are too fine to read, I don't really mean that, What I mean is that I would not dare to underline a passage in such a book, or to argue with the author by way of pencil-scribbled notes all over those lovely margins. I couldn't put a white vellum Montaigne into my overcoat pocket for streetcar reading. The old pipes, tobacco crumbs, paper-clips, stub pencils and ashes would be too much for it. I couldn't leave it in my office desk, for the smoke from the railroad switch would finish whatever the coat-pocket had left unscathed. Finally, after such adventures, I would not dare to return it (when I have a book like that you can be sure that it has been borrowed) for the owner would surely kill me! : Of course it would be fine to own two copies of every book, one to look at and one to read, but budgetary difficulties generally make that impossible. Clear type, good margins, durable bindIngs, convenient size, those one must have. The rest is luxury, to be put firmly to one side until that perennially deferred day of days when I, too, can start buying “collectors’ items.” ~FRANCIS H. ENSLEY. ® 4 Autos, like people, don’t get anywhere during the cold days just stalling around. * © ©

IF WE HAD OUR CHOICE

A little bird whistled, “Cheer up! Cheer up! I'm happy, I almost could shout.” A little frog grumbled, “Go on! Go onl What's there to be happy about?” The little bird whistled, “Be gay! Be gay! You could be if you would try.” The little frog answered, “Ho hum! Ho hum! I'd whistle if I could fly.” Now which would you be, a bird, or a frog? Live in a tree or dwell in a bog?

-E. 8. BARBER. ® oo An office seems to- he the handiest place for people,.to look for sleep they lost the night before. > ¢ o

HUMMING WIRES

Ring. ring went the telephone, Is there anyone at home? Who ean tell what news it brings? Could be quite a number of things. Then the op'rator with a smile Bays, “Hello, please wait a while,” Voices from those gone to roam = Give the word, “We're coming home.” ~ALICE M. SCHEFFLER. * & ¢

RATIOCINATION

Love's an effulgence of life Like unto the rainbow’s gold— So impetuous and gay, Raison detre, I'd say. To the Tyro, there's no doubt— Casting saplence much aside, Love is quite the real nepenthe, Animating every fancy. Love is gold without the dross: "Ah! but comes the Dayspring— Love is now an ephemera That's never known a euthansia.

=DR. H. LaTELLE GREGORY. * 4 o

FOSTER'S FOLLIES (“Albany—Poll Shows Boss Is No Help to His Secretary.”) In their poll, “For Bosses Only,” As their sad lot they reveal, Secretaries lorn and lonely, List fine points for “Boss Ideal.” Ladies, please retain your senses! Any man with those fine traits, Will need no amanuensis— He's within the Pearly Gates!

IN WASHINGTON . . . By Peter Edson

Figures Awaited

House.

bition.

On Aid to Britain

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11—The secret of how much Marshall Plan ald is scheduled for Great Britain will be let out of ‘the bag soon. It will show that the British will want nearly $10 billion over the next four years. Requirements from the U. 8. will be in the nature of

by government power to tell them what they must make, where they must work, what they can sell or buy? And | then what becomes of individual freedom? We have seen individual freedom go down in the planned economies of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Communist Russia. We see Britain trying to reconcile freedom with planned economy. We see America, not with perfect conditions, but with far higher living standards than any other country has ever attained, and with this world’s best hope for saving individual freedom. We have made mistakes in our individual economic planning, but we haven't yet made the tragic mistake of adopting a planned economy.

Easy to Stop

THE State Police tell us that check forgers get in some of their most prolific work around the Christmas holidays. Bogus check writing has increased about 75 per cent in the state. There are several reasons. Clerks are busy. People needing money are more likely to yield to criminal impulses under the pressure of the yule season. Then there are professionals who capitalize on the confusion of the holiday buying rush. : Bad check writers are easy to catch. All that is required is a little extra precaution. Absolute identity of the in- | dividual offering the check, plus a quick glance at the credit ! records, usually will do the job. But until these precautions are taken, Hoosiers will continue to pass out something like a million dollars a year to those who nibble away at the gullibility of busy store clerks and cashiers,

$5.8 billion. From Canada and the rest of North and South America, large part of this latter amount,

billion loan to Britain, are laying for the exact figures on new British requirements. They have charged openly that much of the first loan was wasted and allowed to go down the drain. If cuts are made in the Marshall Plan for economy's sake, or for political reasons, -the

British lion's share. Exact amounts for British requirements will be revealed when the President's message and State Department documents, supporting the long-range European Recovery Program, go to Congress. They

pean nations and Western Germany,

British Get Most of First-Year Aid

IN THE INITIAL Paris report of the 16 nations, a country-by-

under the Marshall Plan. billion worth of imports from North and South America, Britain's share was given as $2.63 billion—roughly 28.5 per cent. The French share was given as $1.76 billion, or 9-per cent. Western

$930 millions, or 10 per cent. These four countries would thus account for 70 per cent of all the aid furnished. The British share is over a third of this, >

their requirements for second, third and fourth years has puzzled

ment may be one reason. One reason given for not releasing 1949-1951 estimates is a desire to present the Marshall Plan as a European recovery job. covering the whole continent. It was hoped to avoid the impression that the plan was for scattered and unco-ordinated aid to 16 nations individually.

Unofficial Estimates 30 to 40%

ANOTHER FACTOR was the difficulty in predicting what the price, supply and political situations would be so far ahead. The Europeans did present totals for those years, however. Unless those totals were simply pulled out of the air, they must have been based on estimates of what each country would need. Unofficial estimates of the British share for all four years vary

Money Talks in Russia THE Voice of America reports the Russian people started runs on banks when they learned something was -about

to happen to the ruble. Those who could apparently with- |

drew their savings and started buying goods. After 20 years or so of trying to make intellectual robots out of the Russians, it must come as a profound shock to Soviet leaders to discover that, in a prisis, the

Russians behave like people. And to add humiliation to | TOTALS ....$580 {

the shock, they appear to be acting like—of all ‘people— capitalistic people.

per cent of the total as the basis for British requirements from North | and South America, the figures break down lke this:

From . From Rest of Total From | Year United States American Conlinent American Continent (billion) (billion) (billion) | 140 ccciiiee tm $092 $ 263 1040 ...eei... 150 110 ’ 260 F000 ...0000e 138 1.08 244 Wa ee. 110 2.38 un $10.00

Because of price changes up or down, good or bad weather, congressional cuts and world upheavals, final figures may vary consider-

! ably. They may be as high as $15 billion or as low as $5 billion.

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| This Year's Yule Log

NATIONAL AFFAIRS . . . By Marquis Childs

The New South Has a New Look

NEW ORLEANS, Dec, 11—The new look of the new South is evident in this old cif¥, happening in New Orleans is typical 2of the change that is transforming a whole region. lingers on, but the magnolias and are today strictly a tourist attraction. The goal is to make, the commerce and industry of the w sissippi- Valley, The city is to-become again the great port that it was a century ago. have been made already. unmistakably Southern, the boosters talk with the fine ardor of a Midwestern Chamber of Commerce. They are justifiably proud of their International Beveral floors of a downtown office building have been converted info a handsome club which 1s a center for trade with Latin America. emphasis has been put on the link with New Or= leans’ next-door neighbors in Central America.

Changes Speeded by War

REPRESENTATIVES of the port of New Orleans, including the city’s aggressive young Mayor De Lesseps 8S. Morrison, have made goodwill tours to Central America to stir up business. 1500 members instead of the anticipated 500. headquarters for Central American visitors, who are received with flattering cordiality. The target is not Latin America alone. The boosters point to a new steamship line: linking Manila and New Orleans. There is no limit on their am-

The changes occurring throughout the South are less obvious but no less significant. They were speeded up by World War II and the vast upheaval in the pattern of living that came with it. South lost population to the industry in the South. Former sharecroppers and tenant farmers are on the assembly line, and it is not likely they will ever go back to the farm. As a result of this population movement, Southern agriculture is being mechanized at an unprecedented

——— oo rT EW 4a po Si of \ WE

~% | "1 do not agree vith a word that you say, but |

" , 8 4 ‘One-Way We Can Help Ourselves By A.A B, City . Th _ Statistics show that, at the present time, the group which fis suffering the greatest from high prices is the white collar worker. His critics will say that it is his own fault and that he should be producing something. Probably this is true, now.” Within a few months we shall move out of a sellers market and move into @ buyers market. At that time production will no longer be a problem. Instead we will have to improve designs, increase efficiency and step up our selling methods. Then we white collar workers will come into our own. Meanwhile we cannot be switching back and forth in jobs but usually select something we like and stay with it. ' Meanwhile as & group we are sadly neglected. It should be recognized that government policies are almost totally influenced by lobbies, which exert pressure to have laws passed benefiting their particular group. Their representatives are required to list their expenses and the group for whom they lobby, 50 it is no secret. Everybody has a lobby: The real estate brokers, the National Association of Mnufacturers, dairy farmers, wheat growers, wool growers, sugar growers, and of course the largest are labor unions. Most white collar workers don't belong to a “union because they feel that they are smart enough to get their own raises and advances. However, we should realize that there is no one protecting our interests in Washington. There is a way, however. « Each election time we have a very valuable possessionl that all politicians want. It is our vote. They make all kinds of promises to get it, then return and are naturally Jnfluenced by those who continue to contact them, which most of us do not do.

The newspapers .print information which affects us all. When we read about the government having 61 million dozen eggs they bought to keep the price high, or taxes on oleomargarine, or anything that helps minority groups, we should

rate. What is

The melody the crinolines

sharecropper.

us of wer Mis-

ew Orleans th

Bome big strides Although the accent is

close to raw materials.

financed in the South, These changes are

Special

feated in Mississippi.

International House has It is

ward in its own way. a flaming radical. Far from it.

light on the crepe myrtles.

The rural North and to new region.

region.

Side Glances—By Galbraith

$4.2 billion. The U. 8. will probably be asked to furnish dollars for a |

Senate and congressional leaders, who opposed the original $3.75

critics of European ald believe that reductions can be made in the |

will give country-by-country estimates for the 16 co-operating Euro- |

country breakdown was given for only the first year of operatiohs | Of total estimated requirements for $9.2 |

Germany's share was $1.15 billion, or 125 per cent. Italy's share was |

Why the British have been so reluctant to give out estimates on |

many Washington observers. Fear of stirring up anti-British senti- |

from 30 to 40 per cent. But taking the lower, 1048 figure of 28.5 |

For example, rice in Louisiana and Arkansas | is now largely harvested by combines and is dried | artificially by dryers installed in recent years. This is bringing changes in the status of the With attractive employmenj available in the cities, he cannot be persuaded to stay on the farm without some real inducements. general rise in the level of living. the Jeeter Lesters of Tobacco Road are pot up to operating the costly machines of modern agriculture.

Potentialities of Greatness

MOST SIGNIFICANT of all, industry is locating plants in small communities throughout the South— Often these are small branch plants of Northern firms but many are new ventures

inevitably reflected in the politics of the South. Compared region by region, the South has one of the ablest representatives in Congress. It was no accident that Bilboism was de-

John C. Stennis—who defeated Rep. John E. Rankin for the late Bilbo’s Senate seat—is an able citizen who believes that the South will move forThat does not mean he is It does mean, however, that change is possible and that the South is not forever condemned to sowbelly and to moon-

In the new South such relics as Tennessee's anclent Sen. Kenneth McKellar seem out of place. Again, it was not accident that Mr. McKellar was one of the half dozen Senators to vote against the European stop-gap- aid program. The leaders of the new South know that America cannot slam the door on the rest of the world. They know that world trade is essential to the future development of their

In the past, great men and great statesmen came out of the South. There are potentialities of greatness in the new currents that are now stirring this

COPR. 1047 BY SERVICE, INC. 7. M. RED. U. 8. PAT. OFF.

"That old bird's all mixed up—he said, 'l got your letter, little man,’ but | didn't write him any!"

Part of the total will be on a loan basis, part an outright grant. But it should be noted that repayment of the original $3.75 billion loan is not due to begin until 1952. Repayment in 50 years is called for, with interest at 2 per cent when the British can find the dollars, When they can't, the interest is waived.

Terms on repayment of loans under the Marshall Plan have yet to |

May Decide to Use Force , ;

be written and approved by Congress. In the best possible light, future advances to Britain have to be considered as investments to keep the British going so they can eventually pay off their debts by the year 2000 A. D.

Barbs 8G

Ten thousand one hundred seven college students want to become teachers. Haven't they heard about the pay? » ~ " Le ” . . Some bins have coal—others haven't. For once it's the has bin that's sitting pretty, olen - . . 2 . . ~ Elevator operators in a Kansas town struck. We can think of other uplifters we'd rather see walk out.

: ® a = ® & = : Men at a western college have been taking sursemaid jobs. The coeds might start stoking fraternity house Turaces: ; . | Gy Be ; ” ] A health expert says the best place to kiss a girl is on her photegraph. We can't quite picture that. .

oo )

12-1]

| | |

cut it out and mail to our congressmen and tell

them we don't lke it. Otherwise, how do they know how you feel? .

That is the only way we can help ourselves without a lobby. o 4% o

Opposes Change in Party Law By Alma Bender, Zionsville,

A letter from Richard E. Miller recently suggested that the primary law be changed so that any voter could vote for the candidates of any party. I think perhaps he is not familiar with the history of political parties—perhaps not even . with the reasons why we have parties and the duties of the parties in olr system of government. But. what would happen under that system would be that the Republican organization would vote in the Democratic party and pick the weakest candidates for it, so they would be easy to beat in the fall, and the Democratic .organization would vote in the Republican primary, and pick the weakest candidates for it, with the same idea in mind. Corrupt party machines have always done that wherever it was easy to do. . You can win any election if you can have poor enough candidates on the other side. Most of our laws governing the primary were written to prevent that from happening, by giving the party the right to challenge voters whom. they suspect of such intentions. ‘The first result of making it easy and legal to pick each other's

It means a What is more,

both tickets. ® 4 0

‘What Good Does It Do Me?" By Gene Engle, 4163 8S. Otterbein, City. : The government is still paying farmers not to grow prdducts that are scarce in the world market. What good does it do me to refuse to pay the present price for eggs, if the government takes my share of taxes to buy as many as I don't buy to keep prices up? Well, it's time for me to go eam my share of the money used by my government to keep up the price of the things I'd like to eat if I could afford to pay the price the government thinks I should.

WORLD AFFAIRS . . . By William Philip Simms Russia May Break With France, Italy

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11—A break this winter between Russia on the one hand and France and Italy on the other would not surprise observers here. Stalin and the other 13 men of the Kremlin are playing for all Europe as-their immediate stakes. The smaller nations are regarded as mere pawns.

If the Big Four foreign ministers’ meeting in London fafls—and —

the cdds are better than even that it will—the Kremlin is expected to stiffen its attitude toward the rest of the world, but especially the European continent. If the meeting breaks down, it means the world has been cut in two. Russia, therefore, can be expected to throw her weight around more than ever in order to frighten as many nations as possible in her camp, or into remaining in her camp. 3

Petkov Murder Wasn't Stupid |

" THE PEOPLE of Finland, Czechoslovakia and Austria, for example, recently have showed an inclination to face up to the Communists. Russia may feel the need of a demonstration to scare such countries back into line. The Communist murder of the Bulgarian peasant leader Petkov was not just a stupid murder. It was to terrify anti-Communist leaders throughout Europe. In effect, the Reds paraded Petkov's head on a pikestaff through the streets- of every city on the continent, with a placard saying: “Watch you step! This may happen to you!” It was a warning that, in a showdown, neither the United States nor Britain nor the United Nations can help the nation or the individual Moscow singles out, . The French government is showing great courage and surprising firmness in dealing with Moscow's fifth column, Up to now the Communists’ cold war against France has failed. Since 1045, the Russians there have enjoyed what amounted to extraterritorial status. Soviet agents have abused that privilege by helping to foment

strikes and conspiring with French .Communists: to overthrow the

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government. Forced to correct this intolerable situation, France is now threatened by Moscow in retaliation. Moscow has broken off trade negotiations with Paris and ordered home a French repatriation mission in Moscow.

FRANCE HAS got the better of the Communist minority which has been trying to seize the power there, and the Red dictatorship in Moscow is furious. Russia's next move will be awaited with the utmost interest. She may decide to use force. If she does, she suddenly may shift emphasis to Italy. France could call out a million fairly trained troops in case of need and Italy could not put 50,000 into the field. On the other hand, next to Italy is Yugoslavia with a large, rigidly disciplined army. To the Communist fifth column in Italy have been added Yugoslav and Russian drill masters. A partisan army, therefore, is already in existence.in Italy and its leader, Luigi Longo, ~ brazenly ‘reviews "elements of it in the public streets as it marches shouting “Death to Gasperi!” “Down With American Imperialism!” and “Long Live Stalin!” ° Soviet agents are working on the idea of a comintern or Red

army, for use wherever Moscow may need it.

Of the two, Italy is apparently the more vugierable..Once she has been taken over, the Red army front be on the French border. If the French Communists staged a ate Ui of ode nications from Moscow to the gates of Paris would be v i

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