Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 21 December 1950 — Page 24

“The Indianapolis Times

Sa ROY W. HOWARD WALTER LECKRONE HENRY W. MANZ President Ye itor Busi

Eq 5 ness Manager PAGE 24 . Thursday, Dec. 21, 1950

S00 pune 83 Be’ Ponta) Zone §. Member of Scripps-Howard Newspaper Allisnce NEA Serv ies and Audit Bureau of Cireuiations S Price Cou ents a copy for Gal oe ter ay: oF carrier aatly and ound. De week. . 25¢. Sunday only 10e Mail rates in indians enter HO Ja SR "EN ghz, $5 g00 oi einer shih Sundsy. 10° a SOY 4 Telephone RI ley 5551

Give IAght and the Peopis Will Ping Thew Vwn Wey

‘Just My Job..." JAMES WALLACE, the Indianapolis fireman who risked his own safety to rescue the body of a man from A ‘on White River in the midst of a frigid snow-storm y afternoon was pretty modest about it afterward. “Don’t make a hero out of me,” he said. “It was just part of my job.” : Both what he did, and what he said, were in the finest “$radition of the department. Taking risks is, indeed, a part of their job, and they do it right along, week-after week in fighting fires and in saving lives and property. That doesn’t paake it-any less courageous, though. They never ask, and seldom get, any public recognition of such deeds. “That, we hope they realize, doesn’t mean that the rest of us don’t appreciate what they do. The facts are Indianapolis is honestly proud of its fire department and the men in it. Mr. Wallace has just given us reason to be more so. *

Warning to Europe

HERBERT HOOVER'S appraisal of the world situation last night contained a clear warning to the United Nations, and particularly to our Allies in Europe; that they cannot expect continuing assistance from the American people unless they show a willingness to help themselves. We can, with our own air and naval forces, so control the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans that there can be no possible invasion of the Western Hemisphere by Communist armies, Mr. Hoover said. : . Continental Europe has not developed the unity of purpose and the will power necess«’y for its own defense, despite three years of American assistance. Minds of leaders there are confused with fears and disunities. They exclude Spain from their defense Councils, although she has the will and the means to fight. They “haggle” with Germany, as Mr. Hoover remarked, although she is their frontier. And Britain is flirting with Communist China. ‘ » - - THE United: Nations is in a fog of debate and indecision as to “whether to appease or not to appease.” At the very least, as the former President asserted, the United Nations should declare Communist China an aggressor, call upon its members to cease supplying the Chinese Reds with anything that can aid their military operations and adopt a resolution condemning the infamous Communist lies about the United States. That, surely, is not asking very much. Mr. Hoover commended President TrumasTor his resolute refusal to be a party to any kind of appeasement, and

The conference at Brussels this week set up what was called a program for a strong, unified army to defend : Western Europe against communism. But, until the vacile lating governments in London, Paris aftd other European capitals move decisively to create their respective forces, they have no right to ask further American assistance. Armed Communists cannot be turned back by blueprints and vague promises.

MR. HOOVER'S thesis that preservation of the Western Hemisphere as the “Gibraltar of Western civilization” should be the foundation of American policy may be termed “isolationism.” It is that only in the sense that a nation could be isolated by events beyond its own control. If Europeans cannot overcome their own trend toward" defeatism, America need not succumb to it. If ‘we are left - an island of strength in a sea of weakness and despair, it will be through no fault or decision of ours, but only because we have been deserted by those who have surrendered to "apathy and frustration.

A General, No Army : GEN EISENHOWER has been appointed Supreme Commander of the North Atlantic Armed Forces, in Europe. That is an impressive title for the head of an army which exists only on paper, except for the token Allied Occu-~ pational Forces now in Germany. : : Unfortunately, only the uninformed will be jmpressed by it. Stalin, who thinks in terms of armed divisions, will interpret the appointigent as the empty gesture which under present circumstances it is. Gen. Eisenhower's mission is to defend Western Europe against a Communist attack. To do that he has less than seven divisions. : Russia has 30 divisions in East Germany and 145 in the Soviet Union. The Soviet satellites are believed to have some 60 more. ] The North Atlantic Powers are talking in terms of an army of 55 or 60 divisions, totaling 750,000 men, which would include 150,000 Germans. But it is known in advance that the Germans will not join in the program under the conditions which have been imposed. And there is a general tendency to do nothing until another effort has been made to reach an understanding with Moscow. Meanwhile, our Allies want the United States to send additional American troops to Europe. Obviously, if Germany is not to become another Korea, the American trooops there should be withdrawn or’ reinforced. But for political and psychological reasons, as well as military considerations, the United States cannot afford to have the North Atlantic Army become a predominantly American force. oy

rope that the United States wants to use the European continent for a showdown battlefield with Russia, to save American cities from battle damage. Nothing more should be done to encourage that idea. :

In considering assignment of additional troops to Eument should insist-—as a minimum—that and West Germans each match us man

REELS

.n : EVEN NOW . the idea has won wide acceptance in Eu-

inforcements we send to Europe under the.

BRUSSELS, Dec. 21--The Allies have agreed in principle on an integrated Western defense force, including Germany, under the supreme command of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, and on more economic boards, but. virtually all the

troublesome details of how and when are still

undecided. Exaggerated reports of agreements have been provoked by the deliberately vague North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) commu-

* nique to permit conflicting private interpreta-

tions by 12 different delegations for home consumption. *

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Allies Agreed On Western The ry purpose of the

Come On, Boys, Shed the Gloves

primary purpose

ge5 gt > conference agreed on ha Germany

in name soon, but there may be under another name if necessity requires.

a nd { e 1 —h ATAURT—

BIG DOME STUFF . . . By Frederick C. Othman

Here's a Fast ‘Recap’ of 1950—

» WASHINGTON, Dec. 21—This is the season when the big domes in my business write learned essays about the meaning of 1950. Their general idea seems to be that it could have been better. 4 3 It has long been my opinion that they turn out these year-end reviews so they'll have more time for their Christmas shopping. Next week they will start writing their predictions for 1951; guess is they will see nothing good in their crystal balls, This probable gloom I ascribe to the fact that they will be suffer-. fing fromhangovers. 1 mean if they can do it, so can L

With no further introduction, here is my own personal survey of the year, which struck me as downright cockeyed. We sold the Chinese Communists copper so they could make bullets to shoot at us; they peddied us tungsten so we could build shells

to lob at them. Congress hired some of the greatest architects in America to design the new lawmaking chambers. These artists came up with blue brocade and bleached walnut for the House. : A Speaker Sam Rayburn took one look and didn’t like it. He denies Issuing any orders, but

SIDE GLANCES

5 By Galbraith

the President may be sure of the overwhelming support of : 27 2 the American people on that issue. : As 8 far ] 051 Well, Who Knows?

workmen tore out the light woodwork and dyed it dark. The mighty room now is nearly finished and if it only had a few potted palms in the “corners it would look like a 1910 funeral parlor. The statesman started early in the year arguing about whether maybe they shouldn't disperse Washington to the suburbs in case of atom bombing. They're still arguing. The problem seems to be that a Congressman can't take steps to protect his own hide, so long as he hasn't done the same for the folks back home. This same matter of ‘ethics didn’t bother th Russkies. : At their Embassy on 16th St. they put in fire hoses on every floor and, allegedly, a bomb shelter in the cellar. This latter can’t be confirmed because, as usual, they aren't talking. I wonder whose bombers they think may set their yellow brick mansion on fire. / The attempted assassination of President Truman was. tragic, goodness knows, but I couldn't help smiling at the mental picture of the Chief Executive in his underwear peering out the upstairs window to see what the shooting was about. Since then the powers-that-be _ installed speciai’screens on his windows. Not only are they bulletproof, but outsiders can’t see. through ‘em, .

Town's Packed

THE TOWN filled up with ! businessmen baffled in the toils of the government; restaurants became jammed ag as in wartime, and hotel clerks once more started turning away customers. An enterprising citizen advertised a guide service for industrial big shots lost in the marble corridors. : Prime steaks in the town’s best grocery sold for $1.65 a pound; eating became such an expensive habit I decided to go on a diet. The only trouble seems to be that rabbit food costs as much as pork chops and I don't suppose there's any way a fellow can win.

perts here as inevitable.

Already the government's meat experts have been fooled completely by the course of beef prices since the outbreak of war in Korea. . " .

fiad expected beef

cause pres.

Price Administrator Michael DiSalle says the current study of meat prices does not mean that ceilings are imminent. But the signs are ominous, particularly on beef.

agreed on an integrated

by bars of public opinion and political expedience from which they cannot escape overnight. Reluctantly, though nonetheless adamantly, they insist they must be given time to produce the rearmament speed-up urged by America. They want time to convince the voters there's more security in arms than appeasement, that butter must be sacrificed for guns, that German rearmament is only a future risk compared with the larger immediate menace of Soviet aggression, that the chance of rearmament provoking Soviet attack is far less than the chance of Allied preparedness Mrevesting World War. ® EUROPEAN delegates insist it’s an unavoidable and temporary delay, a matter of a few months, and may save time in the end. They point out that the conference, though unable to

settle things, approves of several steps new being taken which may produce results, These

are: ONE. A Big Four Conference with Russia. Unless Russia unexpectedly accepts a fair and peaceful world settlement, then the European publics may be convinced quickly that all-out preparedness and a temporary sacrifice of living standards are the price of survival

of agreement there, because the dispute is largely academic, y ; in :

tion in selfdefense and joint European defense. Actual equality is now impossible be-

enfly West Germany is disarmed and demobilized | and, in any case and un-’ der any

terms, cannot physically \ tH « + + & major request

match the Al1ied Nations

militarily for years. Regardless of any theoretic bargain now, the actual tempo of German rearmament will be largely determined by events in the unpredictable future. 4

“| do not agree with a word that you say, but Let's Be Honest By Robert Eisenhut, City IF 1 were a journalist, possibly I could use more carefully picked words, but words would not change the feeling in my heart . . . the feeling of despair, not because as ‘a nation we cannot protect ourselves, but what about the hurdle after hurdle that has been placed in our path. Our sons are dying in Korea, partly because some Americans have been shipping and continue to ship, the sinews of war to our enemies. Think of the boys it kills. © But after all one has to make a living.

1 heard certain steps could not be taken .

before the last election. because it might lose votes. There were a lot of votes lost in Korea, but the lives were lost along with the votes.

MOST of the same State Department officials who, by poor planning, helped to create the debacle are still there. What is ahother life more or less as long as it isn’t mine? The Chinese Nationalists want to fight, but we can't let them. Our boys will show those Commies even if there are possibly 3 billion of them. On Formosa and the Chinese mainland there may be a million or more. This could possibly change the whole war, It certainly would save some of our sons . .. but we seem to be fixing things behind the scenes of diplomacy to stave off disaster just a while longer. Then maybe we can arrange to kill

THE EXPERTS SAY . . . By Earl Richer} Predict Meat Price Ceilings Inevitable Ln

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 — Government ceilings on meat prices, whether this month or mext spring, are regarded by ex-

Force, But Details

ing at a rate of more than two million a year and with prospects for a long period of full employment, a good market seems assured for all the beef Pa

their pre-Korea levels except

omic base for joint industrial mobilization n or t. ind m 5 FIVE: Gen. Joint mss meanwhile, making spot surveys of West European tary resources as a basis for his recommendations on how to organize the integrated forces. His decisions will have powerful influence on all Allied governments—influence which Secretary of State Dean Acheson could not wield here at best, and certainly did not wield under the Republican Party sentence of dismissal. ail db Ay :

HOWEVER much logic there is in these reasons given by European delegates to justify this. conference's postponement of specific speed-up measures, other than Gen. Eisenhower's appointment and more econoniic beards, one stark fact remains: ~Europe is not much nearer preparedness than when ‘it joined in the “Western Union” military federation nearly three years ago, or when that was broadened into the high sounding NATO. Despite repeated conferences and almost constant negotiations on many levels, most defense is still talk, most divisions are still on paper and most tanks, armor and planes are not even on order. / - Whoever else this may fodl, it will not fool Stalin, who planned it that way. eS

THE present state of continuing Allied une preparedness remains an invitation to further Red aggression by a satellite in Europe and the Mideast, as in Korea and the Far East, or it required, by direct use of giant Russian armies and air force. Only major deterrent to larger Soviet aggression—as = European delegates here freely admit—has been America’s superiority in atomic weapons. To that is now added Amerjca’s new efforts under the proclamation of emergency, which also profoundly impressed the conference. And yet. America’s atomic superiority and new mobilization orders did not Mmpress the conference enough to follow her leadership. Why? Not only or chiefly because of Mr, Acheson’s insecure position a home. $e ©

DEEPER causes are; Fear of American fickleness. Unwillingness of some politicians to risk their jobs by getting ahead of their uninformed and fear-stricken publics. And, in most cases, the sheer weari< ness of old men whose service in two devastating wars and this long cold war has left them drained of drive and incapable of daring. The tragedy of this inadequate conference Is not that these ministers and their countries will refuse to fight if it comes to that—they will fight. It's that their indecision increases

the danger of attack and makes any war so ~

much longer and so much harder to win. There is hope only if America’s atomic edge and vast productive power are sufficient to stay Stalii’s hand long enough for our Allies to go all out. None in the West can be sure of that, Maybe Stalin himself does not know yet.

gas SA . — rik

I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Americans a little faster—old folks and chil. dren, too. I have several million “brothers” who would like to see their parents, sons and daughters safe, but with present diplomacy there seems to be only a one-way road. At the end is no rainbow, but how can I change it?

We Need to Unite By Edward P. Maddox, 2007 College Ave. NOW that we are beginning to get serious about the Red menace to world peace and free-

dom, I want to offer some suggestions as a cone tribution to the defense of human freedom. I liked the tone of Mr. Truman's talk to our people of the serious menace we face. His call for calmness and courage was in the finest of American traditions and should be continued in the face of every eventuality. The first great discrepancy in our world wide defense against Communist aggression is the lack of the proper and vitally necessary spirit of unity. Those nations willing to fight to remain free from Communist slavery must _ quit quibbling and get together on a program of mutual defense. We must fight as comrades and allies or be defé@heéd as the result of no common defense for a common cause. The second great, immediate need is for

all. men of all nations, ready to fight in this -

battle, to preserve human freedom, be immediately considered as one mighty army of crue saders for freedom, regardless of race, creed or color. Let-us close ranks and unite all of our spiritual, militdry and industrial, power to meet this Communist monster.

cent above June 15 prices, Chuck roast is up.6.1 per cent; sliced bacon, 5.7 per cent, and veal cutlets, 4.2 per cent,

» - ALLAN = KLINE, president of the American Farm Bureau,

will be filled and the meat counters left bare if price ceilings are :

and

which farmers are getting full are down the most, 11.2 The other - parity or.more. . per cent under June 15 prices. ment is eof hi oH now are getting Salt pork is up the most, being bound’ to go up and the govprices equivalent to 140 per 8.7 per cent above pre-Korea ernment cannot control the cent of parity on beef cattle, prices. Next is hamburger, wages of workers in the auto 141 ber’ vent_om: vel 4nd 13 iin the 60.2 cents a pound * industry, for example, if it I ng To er erage price being 6.8 per Permits meat to soar, cen ; chickens, 75 per Ba S$ . : Soll, 04 TUINEYA: 88 pt oot rb are so | og 2 L Brices good and ACCORDING to a natural-

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