Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 27 December 1950 — Page 12

The Jolisnapols Times

PAGE ~ Wednesday, Dec. 21, 1950

BEE i EE be SL Ma SE LE AI FHT rm

Telephone RI ley 5581 Give 14ght ond the People Wiki Pind Thew Olen Wey

Working for Stalin

ET America fight her own wars.” That is what Seripps-Howard reporter Ludwell Denny, ‘now in England, has heard men and women saying on the streets of London, in the pubs and clubs, even in the British Parliament. Anti-American feeling is growing, he finds. Its causes? “Fear is one. Frustration is another. Pride plays a part—hurt pride. And envy, too, though not as much as some super-sensitive Americans imagine. “To these understandable emotions, which move the public, are added in some cases commercial rivalry, ideological conflict, foreign-policy cleavages and plain partisan politics.” . = ” . ” » . » MR. DENNY, a seasoned observer, has made frequent long visits to Britain for many years. He has personal and family ties with that country. We may be sure he bas not overdrawn the mood he describes. His deep and Sympathetic understanding of Britain's plight would not permit that. Moreover, there is abundant evidence that this new anti-American attitude is not peculiar to Britain. The same cancerous growth is spreading throughout Europe, feeding on the havoc of two world wars and the fear of another. It is working for Stalin, driving a wedge between natural friends and undermining the alliance against munist aggression which Russia's own propaganda and intrigues have failed to destroy. ~~ The idea that the struggle presently dividing the world ig a conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States, in which other nations can be neutral, is sheer escapism. Poland and Czechoslovakia are living refutations of the lie that the United States is in any way responsible for Soviet aggression. America has become the principal target of that aggression only because America is the principal obstacle to its success.

o.oo." . 88 BUT IT is easier to diagnose this disease which is eating at the vitals of European character and courage than to prescribe a remedy. : It is an evil thing which invites retaliation in kind. If it continues, it will revive latent anti-British sentiment here and, with it, the assumption of American self-sufficiency which is called isolationism. In this case, however, it is more a matter of our friends isolating themselves. from us, by building barriers out of their own distress, than of America drawing back into the relative security of the Western Hemisphere. This infectious disease is destroying the unity of free nations in a time of grave peril. Unless its course is arrested, it will end in conquest and subjection for our friends: in

Europe. Arrested it must be, before irreparable damage -

has been done.

Here is a challenge to statesmanship and journalism,

and a personal challenge to every friend of freedom every‘where in the world.

Russian Stockpile Is Tip-Off

DISPATCH from Central Europe deserves thoughtful attention. It declares that Russia is building a sizable stockpile of war material in Bulgaria. Rumors along this line have been common for a long time, but this appears to be an authentic account. No one knows the real purpose of the stockpiling except the Russians themselves. It could be added material for Bulgarian forces poised on Tito's Yugoslav borders, though Bulgaria already has received considerable aid from Moscow. Arguing against this explanation is the fact that no Bulgarians are allowed anywhere in the stockpiling zones. The general conviction is Russia wants the material for her own forces, should the day come when she might either contribute to an assault on Tito, or push against Greece and Turkey. Reports like these—if substantiated—are the best gauge of Russian intentions.

Brainpower Snarls Manpower

AR or no war, this nation needs to husband its brainies manpower for the highly specialized tasks of medicine science, and similar skilled occupations. Much of this man power was wasted in World War IL The Selective Service agency is now trying to work ou a draft deferment policy that will direct men of high ments promise into the posts where they're badly needed. It i not an enviable assignment, Any careless plan wil run the risk of dividing our young men into “smart boys’ and “dumbbells.” It could also appear to make militar: service a punishment for scholastic dullness. Our keenest educational minds should attend to this problem without delay.

Hiss Faces His Last Chance NLY the Supreme Court stands between Alger Hiss

and prison. A federal appeals court upheld unanimously

his conviction for perjury in connection with alleged espionage activities for Russia in the 1930's, The appellate judges found that there was sufficient _ Independent evidence to support the broad charges made . against Hiss by Whittaker Chambers. Chambers was - vigorously attacked by Hiss as a witness who could not be believed, but the appeals court suggested that it was not unreasonable for ‘the Jury {0 believe his story—as it ~ apparently did. . ~The court fastened on one apect of the case which seemed to get too little attention during the two trials:

The patently false performance of Hiss in. identifying ;

Chambers by his teeth and voice after previously saying— ; at his picture—that he didn’t know him. n Here it's steeply uphill for Alger Hiss. He | evidence that fhaf Sts Jovem of Mogan.

West IRN still Plays

Dec. 27—Official American warn-

LONDON, cannot afford to ings are failing to produce a rearmament speed-

draw aid unless

Turtle

carry out the threat to with-

Des

up in Western Europe.

Instead, our Allies are delaying for two more

months at least, and probably

longer. . Alarmed by this slow mation and its effect and public opinion, Washington

on congressional ry talking tough to Reports that President

has sent a stiff, urgent message to Paris, to British Prime, Minister Clement Attlee, are unconfirmed. But American officials are repeating to the Allies the flat statements of Secretary of State Dean Acheson and Secretary of the Army Frank Pace to the Atlantic Powers’ conference at American ald is dependent on faster industrial and troop mobi-

following a similar

Brussels last week that

lization.

Unfortunately, European officials apparently do not believe this. They are obsessed with the old-idea that the "United States needs them more than they need her—that she therefore

‘But This Time It's for Peace

governments.

personally

provided 1 if and when failure of the proposed conference with Russia makes large rearmament necessary. Meanwhile rearmament an embarrassment at best and a provocation to Stalin at worst. The Western European said they were helpless without an American advance commitment to their defense. the United States responded with its first peacetime foreign military alliance in history, they complained that this increased their exposure to attack because America was unable to supply

they consider

governments at first

the required weapons for their troops and was

unwilling to put more American divisions on the continent before an attack. When Washington countered with a pledge to supply both weapons and troops as soon as

“| do not agree with a word that /Ou say, ul will defend to the death your ight to say i

‘Vord of an Engineer 3y A. J. Schneider, City.

ANYONE listening to former President Herbert Hoover could not but be impressed with the fact that Mr. Hoover had undoubtedly devoted much time to a patient study of the world situation—just the kind of a patient study that only an engineer could be expected to make. And because it comes from an engineer, rather than a double-talking career diplomat, or a big industrialist who seeks some advantage over or a professional politician, deep and prayerful consideration by everyone— especially those elected to represent us in Washington and to broadeast our determination to

others,

the world.

Just as the folmer President states, there is room for questioning whether we are not undertaking to spread ourselves too thin, throughout the world, to do any good-anywhere—and certainly no good at all at home. When one considers that both the French ind the British were able to throw close to a million trained troops into World War II, as wel! as to run their war plants round the clock to make war equipment, they could do as much If they are unwilling to repeat, to prowhy should we burden ourselves with both the expense, thé exhaustion of yur productive genius and resources, and wanton

again. tect themselves,

expending of our military manpower to protect these nations from the spread of communism. ® 4

it merits

INDEED, ofttimes, by their acts, one must wonder whether they really wish to be protected against communism. Just recently, the Egyptians—who have not fared too badly in our largesse—have announced the threat that they will turn to Russia unless this country forces the British out of the Sudan and the Suez Canal area, and send them some more money. Maybe it would be healthy for them to find out what flirting with Russia will mean to them. Why should we submit to blackmail? Furthermore, if the European nations want to play with fire and continue their Graustark-

ian nonsense about borders and tariff and

money differences, why must we be the ones to pull their chestnuts out of the fires? We have had for many years, boundaries, as well as two long borders be-

state lines, and other

tween this and other nations—and we get along

GERMANY . . . By Andrew Tully

U.S. Out to Sell Facts About the Reds

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27-The State Department may have to fall back on lecture tours by teams of Germans who have

fled the Soviet zone in its attempt to sell Western Germany on the urgent need for rearming against Communist aggression.

These

“I was there” lectures would be designed to hammer

nome to Germans who have never experienced Communist occu-

vation the cruel facts about iow miserable life can be inder the Reds. The plan still is in the study tage, but high officials here icknowledge that some such stiff jolt will be necessary. For no matter. what agreements are reached on diplomatic levels, the big job still is to convince the West Germans of the importance to them of the role they'll be asked to play in the defense of Europe.

» ” ® * RIGHT now, officials say, the only hard core of anticommunism is to be found among the residents of Berlin, who have seen the Communist type of government in action first-hand-—across the street in Russian East Berlin. Like the Finns these Berliners are a rough and tough lot, eager to join any crusade against the Reds. With Russians on their very doorstep, they'd be in a tough spot if war came, but the motto in Berlin these days is that every Berliner who dies will take two Russians ‘with him. Elsewhere in Germany, however—as elsewhere {n Europe the people's mood ranges from resignation to an outright attitude of appeasement. Having never had any contact with the Reds, they naturally aren't as emotional about the ‘threat

they feel that if they mind their own business the Russians won't bother them. As for the stories of persecution and atrocities in the Russian zone, they're inclined to discount ‘these as propaganda,

since they necessarily originate

from Allied sources. This is what has set the State Department to considering the lecture tour idea. Officials feel that if the West Germans hear these harrowing tales -—— and most of them are harrowing — from their own countrymen they'll believe them and take heed of their own danger. There are, of course, thousands of these so-called “defectors” — Germans who have escaped the Soviet zone in the past few years. And most of them are anxious to tell their stories. Under the proposed plan their lecture tours would be organized on a strictly German basis — with German officials handling all the details in order to avoid the propaganda taint which would be inevitable if thé Allies directed

. the program.

= » ”

THEY would visit not only

the large cities, but the vil-

lages as well, ment is

since appease-

arly po a Henley Dopule

among tradesmen in isolated areas nt impactof the post-war struggle. ~war struggle. Sty Nie vhstace fo be x

without the nonsense. Why can't the European nations do likewise? Then and only then, can they be relied upon to meet the issue of communism in frontal attack. Again, I say, maybe Mr. Hoover has something on the ball, offered. Maybe a tactical retreat from Korea, is better at this time, than to bump our noses - on something too solid for us to penetrate.

that has not before. been

SIDE GLANCES

COPR. 1960 BY NEA SERVICE, INC. T. M. REC. U. «. +... OFF.

“You'll find sitting with Junior no problem at all! Do you mind being murdered a few times?"

overcome, of course, is fear.

~ Many Germans’ attitude is that

When 4

2 not be interpreted as a price control order, nor

- itself whether to raise prices,

extreme mino: dent Truman and mitment.

thereafter has

line, even with our. help, we must all take the calculated Ro D4 risk of par- Bea tially rearm- Frank Pace ing the West «+» need more speed Germans to share their own and our joint defense. France objected. Four months were lost while France blocked Germany's participation and the West Germans maneuvered into position to prolong the bargaining on blackmail terms. At that point Stalin moved in. He attacked North Korea. Our defeat there revived the appeasement movement both in the Far East and Western Europe. He put the West German government on the spot with phony unity moves by his East German satellite. And he provided the Allies with a new excuse for delay by threatening action against West German rearmament and proposing a Big Four meeting. America’s speed-up effort failed at Brussels in face of the combination of Stalin strategy, Allied fears and West German bargaining. With West German rearmament trapped in long negotiations, with the Allies procrastinating, and with Allied wishful thinking’ about a Big Four meeting and settlement, the United States had to supply action, if any, 80 Washington dropped its requirement that European self-help must precede creation of a supreme military command and economic body. It designated Gen. Eisenhower as military chief and William Batt as the American representative on a new Allied production board. Thereby Washington played two of its few remaining trumps, not to win the game but simply to keep it going. It does not get adequate European forces for Gen. Eisenhower to command or increased European mobilization for Mr. Batt to integrate. It gets merely a paper military organization and a paper rearmament organization, plus the personal opportunity for Gen. Eisenhower and Mr. Batt to supplement

PRICES, WAGES .

ropean pre

and Italy.

But there is almost “no European ' capitals that a Tn Ph and press, generally, and the congressional Democratic majority as well as a Republican —approved the North Atlantic Treaty and

. By Peter Edson

ipower

: offset by the sweeplbg commit. : obi J ep A Bg. _' tion is making to counter withdrawal proposals, such as that made by Herbert Hoover. Administration statements and foreign press reports from Washington apparently convince Europeans that Mr, Hoover speaks only for an minority, and that in any event Presi-

the ‘congressional majority Wil stand by ihe North Atlantic Treaty com.

understanding in

minority most of the drive to

convert a paper pledge into military power on a specific condition: That others fully co-operate. Despite the recent Truman - Acheson - Pace warnings that America is dissatisfied with Eu-

ess performance to date, there

paredn is little realization in Britain and less on the continent that American patience is wearing perilously: thin, In their confused state European politicians know but underestimate Rule No. 1 of American foreign relations—the President proposes but the Congress disposes. To an extent Allied governments are aware of the danger of American withdrawal from Europe if they fail to co-operate fully, this being attributed almost solely to the inherent isolationism and fickleness of the American public, and to craven political demagogues who pander to that irresponsible emotionalism. They assume two men-— Mr. Truman and Defense Secretary George C. Marshall — are too influential, stubborn and wise to bow to such emotionalism, at least during next year.

Are They Kidding?

WHAT they do not seem to know—and what probably would shake them more than anything else—-is that some of President Truman's high political and military advisers, who have carried the torch for the North Atlantic Treaty organization, are beginning to question seriously whether many of our Allies have the will to prepare or to fight If attacked. That question is very pointed in the cases of France, Belgium

They won't let themselves believe, if the final answer to that question is negative, that Amer- -- ican officials far more powerful than Mr. Hoover will reduce aid to the minimum. In fairness to many European statesmen, however, it must be emphasized that they promise themselves, as well as us, that if Russia refuses to accept peaceful settlement in a Big . Four meeting or otherwise by spring, then they * will go all-out.

ESA Action Just a ‘Guidepost’

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27—Economic Stabilization Agency’s first general action in the price fleld should not be misunderstood. It should

as a price freeze, says ESA’s General Counsel Francis P. Whitehair. All the new agency tried to do was to set up a guide, or a formula by which any business firm could determine for

hold the line, or cut them back. ESA Administrator Alan Valentine had to begin some place, says Mr. Whitehair. This was

_ Mr. Whitehair gives an oversimplified example to show what is intended by the new price standards. Suppose some

Mr. Valentine company: made 5 per cent = had to start profits in the first three years : after the war, then suffered reverses in the

1949 recession which cut profits to 1 per cent. If in 1950 the company raised profits to 4 per them,

cent, ESA would have no interest in trying to cut back its prices. If, however, the company increased its prices so ‘that its profits shot up to 9 per cent, then ESA thinks it should consider cutting back its prices. As applied to wholesale or retail trade establishments, gross margins should not be increased above the June, 1950, level, unless the store's profits fall below the 1946-49 average. | Price lines should not be changed, says ESA. Inventories should not be marked up above costs. Prices should not be raised on forecast of future shortages. Individual items sold at a loss should be increased in price only enough to show a profit or to cover increased costs of wages and materials, whichever is lower. Because the new ESA standards have been based .on profit figures, there is bound to be some belief that the new price agency has in mind limitation of profits.

ESA spokesmen now say they have no intent to control profits. They insist that they want to preserve the free enterprise system. As Price Stabilization Director Michael V. DiSalle puts it, the new standards are not intended to limit profits earned by any company, except as to profits generated by price increases. There is no intention to control profits arising from increased volume of sales or greater efficiency resulting in cost reductions. In the present period of national emer gency, however, business is asked not to increase profits above the level made before the Korean War began. Voluntary compliance is all that is asked now, Net effect of the new pricing standards guide is expected to be a division of business houses into compliers and noncompliers. Now again there are expected to be violations. The next problem for ESA will bé to find the industries where violations are most fla. grant, and impose mandatory price ceilings on

This has been the pattern in handling the first freeze order on automobile prices. Counsel Whitehair makes clear that this auto ‘price roll back was a temporary measure, subject to later revision. making a start somewhere,

The start was an order to Ford and General Motors to roll back prices to Dec. 1 levels. Ford complied, General Motors refused, ~at first, but after a few days, complied. The action by General Motors in ordering is dealers ‘to store new cars, and not sell them, . could have been taken by ESA as an attempted evasion of price regulation. made a violation of one section of the Defense Production Act—402 (g)—although in another section—406—the law says: title shall be construed to require any person to sell any material or service . . .”

It will probably take a court test to clear up this apparent contradiction in the law.

ESA

Again it was a case of

This is clearly

“Nothing in this

and so forth.

By Galbraith DEAR BOSS . . . By Dan Kidney

foreign policy speech.

between the speeches already broadcast by Gov, Thomas E. Dewey of New York and former President Herbert Hoover. Twice his party's presidential nominee, Gov. Dewey urged greater unity and national preparedness, including total mobilization and a huge standing army to halt any further Sov. let aggressions and protect the tree world. Mr. Hoover advocated Western Hemisphere defense, unless and until the free world, particularly the Atlantic Pact countries, do more to protect. themselves. Sen. Taft indorsed neither

Republican Party's polley coms- : mittee. vali x "cs 8 HE INDICATED that the Hoover speech smacked too much of old-fashioned ‘‘isolationism.” He re

stuck on him, as was the case

ment. Thus, we may not be before U. §. entzy inte World

able to get any substantial War II.

New Foreign Policy

Speoch Hinted by Toh

“Mr. Republican” was justified by his great campaign victory, reportedly is home in Cincinnati cooking up a “middle-of-the-road”

According to the holiday dopesters, who remained around here, the Taft speech will try and set a GOP party line somewhere

Sen. Taft has given tacit approval to the administration's desire to stop communism, but has been sharply critical of the manner in which the President and Secretary of State Dean Acheson have gone about the business. ~ - 8. SEVERAL MONTHS ago, he condemned the proposal for large U. 8. forces in Europe, on

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