Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 6 October 1950 — Page 24
~The Indianapolis Times
Friday, Oct. 6, 1950
A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER
PAGE 24
ice and Audit Bureau ’ Price In Marion . § Senile & SOPY ime Gall ang oe ex dally only, Boe. i oan. ST rates in CHT SET Telephone RI ley 5551
Give [Aght and the People Will Pins Thew Dn way
Week-End News
MILLIONS of Americans will get smaller pay checks this
week-end. Their employers will withhold more money, as the new federal tax law requires, to help the government pay for war and for preparedness against future war.
But the new law is only a starter. Still higher taxes will
be needed to “pay as we go” for even the gradual preparedness program thus far planned by the government. How much more the government wants probably will be made known after election day.
- - ~ ~ . » § THE average taxpayer will bear a very heavy burden cheerfully if he is convinced that it is necessary. If he is convinced that “pay-as-we-go” taxation, plus courageous government policies, will prevent inflation from destroying the value of money he earns and money hé has saved. That the money the government takes from him will be spent wisely for adequate national security and other neces- * sary government activities. And that the government is not taking his money to be squandered on nonessential activities or wasted by inefficiency. The government can more consistently call on its taxpaying citizens for sacrifice if it will do some sacrificing on its own hook by really cutting down nondefense spending.
- = " . ~ PRESIDENT TRUMAN may soon give us some idea of how far the government is willing to go in that direction. Congress ordered him to cut at least $550 million from nondefense items in the $36.1 billion omnibus appropriation bill which he signed on Sept. 6. Mr. Truman complained, with justice, that Congress was passing the economy buck to him instead of doing its own duty. : But he told his Budget Bureau to figure out where the ordered cutting should be done.
A report from the Budget Bureau is due this week-end.
Let's hope it will show deep slashes into political pork and peacetime spending. That would be cheering news for the millions of taxpayers who get smaller pay checks.
Stassen’s New Approach HERE is a notdble—and inexplicable-s-contrast between Harold Stassen’s ideas of last August for dealing with Russia and the ones he advanced this week. Previously he favored our handing a virtual ultimatum to Moscow, by resolution of Congress and through the United Nations, warning that the Kremlin would be “held directly responsible for any further aggressions. Now he announces he is ready to lead a delegation of private citizens to Moscow to explore avenues to peace and personally appeal to Premier Stalin to “stop the drift
toward war.” » » » . ».
Lo. HE bases his mew apprpach on the convictions that (1) the Soviet rulers are presently re-examining their own world policies, and that (2) it's important they get an expression from the political party not in power in the United States—that is, the Republicans. « Of his earlier suggestions, The Times said they were sound and realistic. The same can hardly be said of his “atest proposal. -Tt would be nice to think Stalin might need a Republican plea for peace as enunciated by the former Minnesota governor, but it's more likely the Kremlin would understand better the language of a unified nation’s ultimatum—with sound evidence that we were prepared to back: it up.
Bad Yardstick GEN MacARTHUR'S genius as a military strategist cannot be disputed.’ You need only to look at a map of our tiny beachhead in Korea on Sept. 3, the blackest day of the war when the Reds were barely 30 miles from Pusan. Then look at to-
day's map, with the Allied forces well beyond the 38th -
Parallel and all South Korea secure in their hands—thanks to the MacArthur-directed landing at Inchon. Yet, when Gen. MacArthur's name came up recently in conversation, we heard a college student say bitterly:
“Phat Fascist! He's no good.” Too young to have fought
in. Warld War II, this boy's opinion of Gen. MacArthur could have been formed only from the hearsay of his associates or from some printed smear. Countless other Americans have formed their opinions the same way.
and the near-left. But what we dislike most to see is what appears to be a growing tendency to classify every man into left-right categories. No matter how eminent his achievement, too often he’s either “no good” or “all right” depending on the reputed complexion of his politics. 1t is, we fear, a sad commentary on the passing of a traditional American trait of open-mindedness.
Ordeal by Lattimore OVEN LATTIMORE, whose bright ideas about the Far East are frequently blinding, has projected a brand-new beam of thought. : : :
He says President Truman should take a trip to India for a meeting with Premier Nehru as “a move to win the’
support and alliance of free Asia.” The fact that Mr. Nehru hasn't invited Mr. Truman should make no never mind—Mr. Lattimore says the President should propose the conference.
» ” . » - . NOT only that, he tells the President just how to go.
Mr. Truman should make the trip across the Atlantic, because to cross the Pacific would “emphasize the separation between Asia and Europe.” Whatever that means. We wonder what words of wisdom Mr. Nehru would “have for the President of the United States that might have prompted Mr. Lattimore's suggestion. Is it just by coinci-
. denve that India under Nehru is getting along remarkably
‘SIDE GLANCES
5 2 = ® "Cw. ; "IT'S true Gen. MacArthur is widely hated on the left,
H
Face on the Bar Room Flo
STRATEGY IN ASIA . . . By Ludwell Denny
Red China Seen Dodging ‘War’
WASHINGTON, Oct. 8—Officials here still are guessing that Red China will not intervene directly in the Korean War, despite Peking threats and reported large troop movements from Manchuria southward. g ; But they expect the indirect military aid to continue, and perhaps even increase. That is in the form of so-called Korean units of the Red Chinese army, plus Russian supplies.
Guerrilla Warfare
SUCH Red help will be forthcoming not only to enable the retreating North Koréan army to defend the Communist capital and the Pyong-yang-Wonsan line across the Korean neck. Also it presumably will furnish reinforcements and arms for guerrilla warfare almost indefinitely. This guerrilla pattern is the one followed by the Red Chinese themselves when cornered first by the Japanese and later by the Chinese Nationalists. And it is the strategy used by Stalin in Greece. ¢ ~The fact that this ruse —of a defeated army fading into the mountains as guerrillas, instead ‘of making a last death stand or surrendering is a Red favorite is not the only reason Wash-
ington thinks Peking will go on with the in- _ direct method. ; 3 The main reason is that Red China has noth-
Ing to gain and everything to lose by direct intervention in Korea. : It. would involve her in a war with the United States. She is not prepared for that. Although American troops if attacked by a Red China
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6-The Federal Communications Commission has worked itself into
a position where it apparently has no choice
but to come out soon with a clearcut indorse-
ment of the Columbia Broadcasting System's
color television standards. 3 Unless the commission backs down from its previous stand, this means that commercial color television may be starting about Jan. 1,
These possibilities have turned a spotlight ° —on the man responsible for Columbia's color
system. He is Dr. Peter C. Goldmark; director of CBS laboratories, who was promoted last month to a CBS vice presidency.
Born in Hungary
DR. GOLDMARK is 43, looks at least five years younger and could pass for a junior -instructor on any American campus. Hungarianborn, he came to this country early in the depression and in 1936 landed a job with the engineering staff of CBS. | A musician himself (piano and cello), he decided some years ago that after half a century it was time to overhaul the standard 78 rpm phonograph record and developed the longplaying record as his gift to other music lovers. He admits it played hob temporarily with" the ‘record business, including CBS sales, but he contends the improvement was worth it.
. freer than the East
By Galbraith
army in Korea might not be able to penetrate deep into China, the U. 8. Navy could easily blockade and destroy her ports and the U, 8. Air Force could wipe out what little is left of her interior communications and industries.
The Peking dictatorship is already up to its
neck in almost insoluble economic problems, as a result of long years of war devastation and of Communist mismanagement after seizing control. A war with the United States would be the last straw. Even if Red China aggression in Korea did not precipitate such anticipated military reprisals by the United States and United Nations, it would destroy Peking's chance to get membership in the United Nations. That would be a serious blow.
The Big Prize
BUT once she gets a veto seat on the Security Council, she can prevent—or at least obstruct any United Nations sanctions against her future
aggressions in Formosa or elsewhere. That is a
prize worth waiting for, f Finally, a Red China adventure in Korea now «would make her an absolute dependent of Stalin. In the scale of satellite slavery, Red China because of size and geography is still somewhat r states— Mao can diéker with India’s Nehru and other non-Reds, and even bargain a little with Stalin. Only a stupid Mao would let Stalin force him into the Korean War now. Old China hands here rate Mao as vicious but not stupid.
PROGRESS OF SCIENCE . . . By James Daniel
‘Color TV May Start About Jan. 1
His color television system, which the Communications Commission had a chance to adopt three years ago, before TV reached the present stage of seven million sets in operation, is
" another case, he says, of putting progress and public interest ahead of a temporary dislocation
of the electronics industry.
Color at any time will dislocate the television
industry. Dr. Goldmark believes the earlier thé
—change is made the less the dislocation. He also
believes his system will cause the least inconvenience to broadcasters, advertisers and the public. : 3 The FCC decided that Dr. Goldmark's method is, in its opinion, the best one. Evidence at months of hearings indicated it can be most sheaply and satisfactorily grafted onto existing sets.
Color Programs
IF FCC gives it final ap oval, + . t 1 “a? Dr. Goldmark figures that within three months there will be 20 hours of color programs fn New York and in other networked cities where station owners choose to carry it. Color time will increase as new sets increase and old
_ones are adapted- to take CBS color programs
as black and white or adapted and converted to ‘take them as color. : :
THE new band leader of today got his poTom Pendergast and
off today. Apparently, the one thing old Tom forgot to teach him was to keep a baton ‘In his mouth when he felt an urge to talk about Red herrings, good Old Joe, the Marines, etc. However, the same old political tune is still being played, aithough the words have been changed. Now if you disagree, ‘you certainly must be following the Soviet type of propaganda.” That
Certain columnists and tators seem to have a self-induced
want of a better term). For the information of these easily selfconvinced professional patriots, genuine liberals have always and still do consider themselves the real Americans, in view of the révolutionary established by the
.
such things have always been, by reactionary
vantage. Under cover of a bogus patriotism these
groups advocate violation of Constitutional rights as a defense against liberal principles. True liberals advocate removal of the causes of social, economic and political radicalism as the logical and effective antidote to extremes
movements, s
DEAR BOSS . . . By Dan Kidney
Price Control May Be Big Issue
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6—Dear Boss—One the factors which elected the Republican 80th Congress in 1946 was failure of the Truman administration to move fast enough to suit the voters in removing price controls and killing OPA. Some Democrats now are speculating on the possibility of being defeated again in this offelection on exactly the opposite premise,
Democratic 81st Congress. Rep. Andrew Jacobs, Indianapolis Democrat, fs among those who think that controls should be imposed now before the “galloping inflation” gets completely out of hand. He said so today in a letter addressed to President Truman at the White House. It reads: :
Disastrous Inflation “UNLESS price-wage controls are invoked the inadequacy of private and public budgets will create disastrous inflation. : “The cost of armament is now skyrocketing. Living costs, already rising, are certain to gain momentum. And a roll back after increases attach to goods rapidly changing hands is well nigh impossible. : “As ‘Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson said Sept. 22, ‘rising prices are making our defense cost calculations empty, tentative guesses.’ ; “I believe we are agreed, Mr. President, that “pay as we go” is necessary to relieve inflationary pressures. : “I believe such controls should provide processes for cases, but such cases should be strictly judged. ; Ta “But 1 believe controls are now nechssary and I hope you will give serious consideration to imposing them immediately.” ;
Judge Ferdinand Pecora, who is running for mayor on the Demotratic and Liberal Party tickets in New York City, sent a “telegram to the President stressing the rg of invoking
“I fully realize Congress has equipped you with a difficult economic stabilization law. However, I most urgently request you to take earliest possible action to hold down rising price-levels,
“Tighten Controls’. .
“YIGOROUS governmental action is needed to protect our 8,000,000 consumers—particularly salaried workers and civil-service employees, in fixed and low-income brackeéts—from skyrocketing prices. Urge your serious consideration to tightening allocations and priority orders to
» prevent seepage of goods inte gray market, and
tightening of credit controls. Also urge you recommend to Congress when it reconvenes next month revision of stabilization law to clarify it and make it more workable in interests of protecting consumers.” With the President taking an 8-day cruise
are brought to his immediate attention.
More Cash Needed #
_ MEANWHILE the cost of défense has mounted so that the Armed Services. Committes has been asked to make additional miulti-million-dollar appropriations. Chairman Carl Vinson (D. Ga.) of the committee summed it up this way: “Let's not kid ourselves. Congress has a choife of seeing these programs cut, or coming up with additional appropriations to meet these rising costs.”
DEFENSE STOCKPILING . . . By Earl Richert
Pepper Shortage
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6—Black pepper prices
are 1800 per cent above OPA days because of a
world-wide shortage. “ And the government has a stockpile it no longer regards as essential because substitutes
have been found.
But the Munitions Board, which holds the black pepper stockpile, has no thought of releasing it to try to drive down the retail price. Munitions Board officials contend that, in the first place, the stockpile is not large enough to force lower prices.
No Price. Control
IN THE second place, it is argued, the stockpiling program was set up with no thought of controlling prices and, therefore, the price is no concern of the board's. :
until six months after publication of its intention and notification of both military committees of Co However, President Truman can release it at any time by executive order.
Government officials who study cost-of-liv- -
ing data dispute privately the Munitions Board argument that release of the government pepper
_ would not drive prices down. They say the mere
announcement ‘that the government would put
* the pepper on the open market would send prices
down some, perhaps considerably. As it is, peace prospects have caused wholesale prices for unground pepper to decline re--y. But this has not yet been reflected at retail. 3 Ry :
Today, the housewife pays an average of 95
‘cents for a four-ounce can of black pepper—an
increase of nearly 42 per cent over the 67-cent average price before Korea. Today's 95-cent price also is more than 100
NATIONAL SACRIFICE . . . By Peter Edson
Hard Squeeze Seen Under New Defense Act
.
Zooms Prices per cent above the 4T-cent-per-can price of a year ago. no > The pepper story is one of war devastation of the principal -prewar supply areas in. the These areas have nevel got- . The U. 8. now is importing only 25 million pounds annually as compared with between 40 and 50 million pounds before World War II. The meat industry takes about half of pepper imports. : About four-fifths of our pepper now is coming from India, a country which before the last war consumed all she produced and also imported some, The high prices have induced India to export some of her crop, which this year is much smaller than last, When the stockpiling am was set up, the government began to accumulate a large
supply of black pepper on the ground that it . was an essential item for preserving and Tavor-
ing food for the armed forces. -
BUT last January it was decided to stop buying pepper because research had shown substi. tutes could be used. Munitions Board officials won't say how long ‘they intend to keep the now nonessential pepper or what they plan to do with it. At today's prices, they could make a good profit for the government. : How much the price of pepper has gone up is shown by a comparison with OPA days.
- Throughout most of the war, raw pepper prices
were held at about 10 cents a pound at wholesale. Currently, they are $1.90. : “ Average prices last year, when the government did most of its buying, were $1.06 a pound. ;
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 — There is some cause to wonder
wt ® whether this country knows what it let itself in for under the — . “Defense Production Act of 1950,” passed by Congress early in September. : x A lot of things were authorized under that &ct which haven't - begun to happen yet. When they do begin to happen, there may Fr” be much loud squealing of the : ; type there was against OPA,
agencies of the last war. is “Title III-—-Expansion of The only part of this act Productive Capacity and SupJ" This is to all intents
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IT WILL be handled a little different this time. Instead of an “Uncle Jesse” Jones as fed-
tor mak-~
merce, r terior will do the planning. Reconstruction Finance Corporation will be just the fiscal
agent, out the orders of the other three. W. Stuart Sy , chair-
THREE other unknown offi-
cials, any one or more of whom -
dent “any day now, will be worth watching. These will be a director of Economic Stabil-
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THE NEW defense produc-
tion act says prices can’t be .
In spite of rising living costs, the Truman administration is not yet ready to move all-out
on the anti-inflationary front,
authorized no expenditures for subsidies, and prices can't be rolled back without subsidies. ' Rent controls expire
- Dee. 31, and the cost of Hving line can’t be held without rent -
gi as x = = ALSO there is no machinery to the “regulations an
wearing, stri « legs. Twin