Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 29 March 1951 — Page 24

“The Indianapolis Times SS

ROY W. HOWARD WALTER LECKRONE HENRY W. MANZ President Editor Business Manager

A SCORIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER

PAGE 24 Thursday, Mar. 29, 1951

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Give Tight and the People Will Find Their Own Way

Morals in Government EN. FULBRIGHT of Arkansas, chairman of the committee investigating “favoritism and influence” in the Reconstruction Finance Corp., has voiced the thoughts of many other troubled Americans. He is deeply, and rightly, concerned about how to restore and maintain ethical standards in the government's conduct of public affairs. - At the investigation's very start, he has told the Senate in a notable speech, his committee was forced to realize that it was up against not simply a legal or legislative problem, but a moral problem, created by those who seek or grant favors which “offend the spirit of the law but do not violate its letter.” % Ostensibly reputable businessmen, operating through “clever, knavishtawyers” who knew like rats “how to get the bait without getting caught,” had suborned men inside

the government. " ” un . » # LJ

RESPECTED figures in their communities, members ‘of the privileged minority, walking the earth lordly and secure, had used the RFC as a dumping ground for their own mistakes of judgment. The question of the moral strength of_our people and of integrity in the government, Sen. Fulbright continued, is no mere internal, domestic matter. Without confidence in their government, the people will not make the sacrifices necessary to oppose Russia successfully. History teaches that more great civilizations have been destroyed by domestic corruption than by external aggression. Scandals in our government are not new. What seems new about the current scandals is “the moral blindness or

"+" ‘callousness which allows those in responsible positions to

accept the practices which the facts reveal. .. . We are in a tragic position if the standard by which’ we measure the integrity of a man in public life is that he keep within the letter of the law.” The Senator named no names. Yet, as those who have followed the good work of his committee know, the President of the United States himself has appeared to take the position that what has gone on in the RFC was not wrong because it has not been proved illegal.

~ n [J MEMBERS of Mr. Truman's official family, men high in his party's councils, have been named repeatedly as users of influence in connection with dubious loans. But these men have not gone before the committee to defend their records and reputations. And Mr. Truman has not required them to testify. What should be done? Sen. Fulbright suggests that Congress designate a commission of° eminent private citizens to consider the whole problem of ethical standards in public affairs and to formulate anew principles which, he hopes, would “strengthen the faith of all decent men in our democratic society.” Perhaps, as he concedes, it is a naive suggestion. Perhaps it is “thoroughly Utopian to expect, or even hope for, an improvement in the moral climate of Washington.” But the problem is real and terrible. And Sen. Fulbright deserves great credit for facing it with courage and candor.

Let Britain Take Over HE joint- chiefs of staff have instructed Gen. MacArthur to clear all future statements of a political nature with official Washington. Thus the General, who has been fighting with his hands tied, now has been gagged as well. This is strictly unofficial, of course, and is credited only to the familiar “authoritative source.” No one in high official position seems. to have the temerity to take direct issue with Gen. MacArthur and meet him in the open on equal terms. To do that would be playing with dynamite. So another effort is being made to cut the General down to size by unofficial statements inspired by official seurces. The diplomats are angry becaus2 Gen. MacArthur has been trying to forge them to make an articulate statement of the United Natidns war aims and say how they are to be accomplished. There has been a studied silence on that score since Red China's intervention last November.

SUCH A statement is long overdue "and cannot safely be withheld much longer. When Gen. MacArthur first crossed the 38th Parallel, some months ago, it was under authority of the Britishsponsored resolution, passed by the United®Nations assembly on Oct. 7, which directed him to take “all appropriate steps... to insure conditions of stability throughout Korea.” That was universally interpreted as meaning North Korea as well as South. This resolution has not been repealed or modified. Yet the British now take the position that the General cannot again cross the Parallel without Allied consultations. Meanwhile, to confound existing confusion, an official French declaration has been made that the ‘““one purpose of the United Nations” has been to ‘‘resist aggression, not to win a war.” A soldier in the field could not be expected to make sense out of that.

un " on » " NOR IS there any immediate promise of a clarification of Korean War issues. According to the United Press, the statement of war aims which our State Department has prepared and is circulating among the 13 nations contributing to the fighting, “clearly indicates United Nations willingness fo end the war on honorable terms drafted by the United Nations, reaffirming the United Nations intention to continue the fight against aggression if peace negotiations cannot be started, and does not, as Gen. MacArthur implied, threaten to extend the war into China.” All of that has been stated again and again, and what has it accomplished other than to encourage the Communists to new adventures? It was just this kind of “prettyplease” eye-wash that invited Red China's interyention in the first instance. Since it is the British who have insisted that this war “be conducted in such a way as not to offend the Chinese Communists, why not ask Britain to take it over, with ‘British troops under a British commander. Britain, the

“principal sponsor of the appeasement policy, should be will-

ing to take responsibility for it. .

« -

‘GUINEA PIG . . . By Jim G. Lucas

How Does Red Fighting In

WASHINGTON, Mar. 29 -— We're learning more and more about how the Communists have fought in Korea and it's pretty primitive, . The North Korean People's Army--with .which they expected to win a blitz in a few weeks--is our guinea pig. As an army, it was destroyed in October, The Chinese tried to reorganize it.in Manchuria, but. jt has never had more than 100,000 to 120,000 poorly trained recruits since its annihilation last fall. Its failure to win battles has forced the Chinese to stay in Korea. Originally, they planned to turn the job over ‘to the North Koreans after we were driven south of the 38th Parallel “> BB BECAUSE the People’s Army was trained by the Russians and patterned after the Red Army-—tailored, of course, to fit circumstances under which it would fight — how it has operated and what happened to it is of real interest to Americans. : Because we have a head count on the North Korein Army, we know precisely what happened,

It started the war with 360,000 well-trained

men. On that number, we inflicted 170,000 casu-

SENATE . . . By James Daniel

Can Maybank Fulfill Pledge?

WASHINGTON, Mar, 29 -- Some Senators fear that Sen. Burnet R, Maybank, (D. 8. C.), has bitten off more than he can prove in his current tilt at the Defense Production Administration’s handling of tax concessions voted last year to industries expanding for defense. Sen. Maybank is chairman of a joint committee of five Senators and five Representatives recently set up to look into the administration of the 1950 defense production act, with a view to suggesting changes when it comes up for renewal this summer, A few days ago, in language intimat-

pose, Mr. Maybank pledged to investigate the DPA for evidence of abuse, fa-

Sen. Maybank «+. on hot spot?

voritism and lack of consultation with groups other than industry. :

Today it was learned that no committee staff work had been performed before Sen. Maybank started talking. . This contrasts with the Fulbright committée’s months of closed hearings and staff investigations before the public learned af the RFC scandals. Some other members of the committee are now saying that Sen. Maybank spoke only for himself. During World War II the government built many war plants and leased them fo established or new companies to operate. After the war the plants were sold, sometimes at book value, ssometimes for far less, to the operators or to other companies. In steel and aluminum particularly, there were bitter controversies over the disposal of war plants. Last summer, Congress decided to avoid the headaches of government financing, leasing and disposal by permitting industries, at the option of government administrators, to finance their own expansion out of current profits, which would mostly go to the Treasury in taxes anyway.

Rapid Write-Offs ORDINARILY, cost of new plants or equipment is deducted from profits, before computing taxes, over 15 or 20 years. The Defense Production Act permitted approved companies to write off - defense plant expansion costs &s quickly as five years. The granters of the privilege- W. Stuart Symington’s National Security Resources Board before January and W. H. Harrison's DPA since — were supposed to view each request for fast authorization if the light of: How much of this investment would be commercially useless five vears from now if there's no war, and how much would still have a peacetime use? : It has been reported to the Maybank committee that some industries got the tax writeoff privileges for plant expansions which they would have made anyway. Also, that the definition of a defense facility has been quite elastic. Sen. Mavbank specifically questioned three

“types of rapid write-offs permitted—ecotton gins,

freight cars and cement factories. Defense Mobilizer Charles FE. Wilsen, who is Mr. Harrison's boss, told a press conference Tuesday he had no intention -ef reversing any of the decisions which up to now have granted $3 billion in tax concessions, unless ordered to by Congress. Nobody, he said, will make any undue profit as a result of the amortization program.

What Others Say

WE must consider the possibilities of having the world turn against us or supporting us.

—Atom scientist Dr. Harold C. Urey, on whether to use the atom bomb in Korea

COMMUNMM is committing suicide by continuing the struggle in North Korea.

—Dr. Toyohiko Kagawa, internationallyknown Japanese’ Christian leader.

SIDE GLANCES

Jae

COPR. 1951 BY NEA SERVICE, WC. ¥. M. REQ. 1. & PAT. OFF.

"My wife fooled me this yaar!

ing another RFC ex-.

neh — zn ER > }

She started housecleaning yes. terday, and | had that business trip set for April!"

ine

ois alties. Another 135,000 surrendered. About 60,000 got away. About 25,000 still are behind our lines, either hiding out or fighting as guerrillas, The interesting thing, however, is that the North Koreans used half of their army behind the lines. Even when we were penned in the Pusan Perimeter, the enemy's combat strength fluctuated between 180,000 and 200,000 men.

That represented 12 divisions of 15,000 men each, » vo

<9 9 BUT IT also means that the Reds had another 12 divisions running their lines of supply

and communications, holding guns on the civilians, they forced to do the real ‘work. We

never saw those divisions until we landed at’

Inchon and swept them up. The Reds’ difficulty in supplying their front line: men--and the unusually large number of divisions diverted to that task--may explain why their massive offensives suddenly peter out. To some extent, that is true of the Russian Army. While it is slightly more mobile than satellite armies, it still depends on horses and

The Rat Hole

amnion ode AL RAVRYT

oe +

Stack Up With Modern Warfare?

other more primitive forms of transpert. During World War II, the Russians advanced in jumps, rolling 40 to 50 miles and then waiting for weeks until their supplies could be brought up, In general, the quality and design of Soviet weapons is good and compares well with ours. The U. 8. division has almost twice as many individual weapons—pistols, machine guns and rifles—as a Soviet division. However, thre Soviet division has more submachine guns. > > AN AMERICAN division has about 15 per cent more automatic rifles, light and heavy machine guns. We have 15 times as many 50-caliber submachine guns as a Soviet division. These guns, though intended primarily as anti-aircraft protection for trucks, jeeps and other vehicles, have been effective as ground weapons. The two armies have different types of mortars. Although a U. 8. division has about 45 per cent more mortars than a Boviet division, the Soviets have more heavy mortars. They use them tactically in much the same way we use howitzers of similar caliber,

By EE ED

DENTAL NOTES . . . By Frederick C. Othman

Careful What You Eat, Son—

WASHINGTON, Mar. 29 There was a little piece in the papers the other day quoting the government's head dentist as saying that chewing tobacco is a good way to Keep your teeth in prime condition. H-m-m-m-m. I was in the midst of a serious travail with my own dentist at _e—— the time (he intends to do some more grinding on me tomorrow) -— and it

looked as though a 15-cent plug of tobacco might be a simpler cure. So I did a little research and 1 can report that chewing tobacco

keeps teeth healthy. It also wears ’‘em out. Dr. Bruce D. Forsyth, boss dentist of the Public Health Service, is my authority. Dr. Forsyth, it developed, went to the House Ways and Means Committee to justify the money he wanted to improve the nation’s choppers, which are in a bad way. Why, said he, the Veterans Administration al )ne spends $40 million a year on the teeth of its Clients So the statesmen and the dentist just naturally got to talking about teeth; chewing tobacco was incidental, and here's your chance to learn something—without even opening your mouth—about avoiding the dental chair. Take the people of Colorado Springs, Colo. The have 75 per cent fewer cavities in their teeth than the rest of us unfortunates. is because the water they drink naturally is fluorinated, Dr. Forsyth said. So-now the powers-that-be in 450 other cities are dosing the local drinking water with sodium fluosilicate at a cost of 4 cents per year per resident. The results are excellent, except for the fact that to benefit a fellow has to drink this doctored water from babyhood on. This

= = = =

no A) ERS

WASHINGTON, Mar. 29

the bureaucrats’ union, he was careless about this vital part of his six-foot-four frame. He spoke respectfully of the union leaders, banded together in the United Labor Policy Committee, who sometimes have declared that President Truman should fire the man they portray as the chief of the “big business clique” in _ he's the boss « control of defense mobilization policies. But so far as running the program fs concerned, Mr. Wilson didn’t give an finch in identifying who's boss of this effort. Under the President, he is. How about that labor-man-agement committee the union leaders have heen demanding? Mr. Wilson said he believed that Dr. Arthur 8. Flemming has {t well on the way toward

Mr. Wilson

This

means that old codgers like me are out of luck. Rep. E. H. Hedrick, (D. W, Va.), who also is a physician, wondered if mouth washes were any ald in preventing teeth from erumbling. “Psychologically, only,” replied Dr. Forsyth. “Which do you recommend?” insisted Rep. Hedrick. . “Salt and soda are as good as any,” replied Dr. Forsyth. “How about adding a little sugar?” asked the congressional medico. “No, no,” exclaimed the boss dentist. “The sugar is supposed to soften up the lining of the mucous membrane,” suggested Rep. Hedrick. “Now, what about tobacco?” “Smoking, or chewing?” countered Dr, Forsyth.

Acid Is Bad “EITHER ONE,” said Rep. Hedrick. “Chewing, yes,” said the doc. “In some cases tooth decay is arrested by using chewing tobacco. We don't know whether it is the tobacco, or the cleansing of the teeth by the chewing.” ’ “The germs donot like the presence of the tobacco juice,” suggested the gentleman from West Virginia. } True, said Dr. Forsyth. Then he took all the joy out of it. “I have seen some tobacco chewers with their teeth worn right down to the gums by the abrasives in the tobacco,” he said. Rep. Hedrick wondered what about cola drinks, which he said contained phosphoric acid. Drop a tooth into that, he said, and it disappears. Dr. Forsyth said any kind of acid was bad for teeth, including citric. “I have seen a boy of about 9 who had been sucking lemons and it looked as though he had used a knife and sort of sliced off layers of the enamel; perfectly polished, but it was just disappearing,” he continued. Moral, if any: Your dentist will get you yet.

By Galbraith U. S. AND LABOR . . . By Fred Perkins

Wilson’s Not Afraid to Stick Out His Neck

THE TOTAL number of field artillery pieces in one of our divisions not only exceeds the So-

. viet's by 60 per cent, but the weapons are of

Talburt

heavier caliber. The Soviet division has nothing to match our recoilless guns. We have twice as many anti-aircraft guns per division as the Soviets. A Soviet division has 50 anti-tank guns, we have none, But we have a clear superiority in rocket launchers—almost four times as many. . ® * 2

ON PAPER, at least, a U. 8. division has an advantage in tanks—more than twice as many as the Soviets have tanks and self-propelled guns. Our divisions have 18,000 men, a Red division has 11,000. An American division has 140 medium tanks, a Red division, 44. Of 105-milimeter howitzers, we have 54 to the Reds’ 23: Over-all, the Army contends that one of our divisions has 1.5 times the firepower of a Russian division and considerably more than any satellite division.

Hoosiér Forum

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

‘Two Bucks a Throw’ MR. EDITOR:

There are a lot of guys who say we shouldn't want something for nothing, that it's a poor outlook. People who buy stocks on the stock market like to get something for nothing in the way of stocks going up and selling while they are up, don't they? Why not the. gambler who can’t afford but two bucks a throw. I never get something for nothing. I worked all my life only I have better things now than when we had the “soup kitchen” outlook, and the “bread line” outlook. So if these days are the ‘“somaething for nothing” days, they are for me. It's a shame that Kefauver witch-hunt didn’t get started years and years ago. Just think of

all that kind of graft and bribe business that has been going on for years. We wouldn't have enough jails in the country to put away politicians of both parties, would we? It's a ‘shame that Dewey and O'Dwyer have to be the goats. i Why try to make this a blue law state. It's bad enough now. Soon I'll be afraid to g0 out on Sunday for fear I'll be arrested Sounds Russian like to me. My brother in Korea would have a fit if he knew what they are trying to put across in this country. He fights for freedom, and it sounds to me little by little it's being taken away. I'm respectable. I work every day, go to church on Sundays, pay my bills, own my home, my car, don’t owe anybody, mind my own business, love my country What's wrong with me playing a pony now and then? I don’t get it. Nobody-peints a gun at me and says, “Here, bud, you have to play that pony.” No, I do it because 1 like to do it. You think I should knit and bake cakes? Not me. I'm a red-blooded American, not a white-livered species.

AENNESERTRRNRSIRINNNY,

Pascananssseasasensnane®

—Tom Duncan, A Gambler, City.

MR. EDITOR:

. .. The time worn phrases are old hut true, People have gambled since Noah was on earth and if we can come hack 100 vears from now, they'll still be gambling. I didn't say they should, but I'm not dumb enough to think they won't. Just like when they put Capone on ice. That was to be the end of gangsters. Upon reading the papers, I see that another has taken his place. Name of Costello. Put Costello away, and there’ll be another to take his place. History repeats, even bad history. Stop gambling, I mean try to. Prohibition sure stopped drinking, didn’t it? There never were SO many gang wars as there were in those days and there are more drinkers now because of it than ever before. The state and city get taxes from gamblers the same as from the nicey-nice people. Gamblers eat, drink, live in houses, wear clothes, buy cars, buy homes, pay taxes the same as their lillywhite friends. Whenever you tell the American’ people they can't do anything, you're barking up the wrong: tree. That's just when they will, —Al Jones, City,

FOSTER'S FOLLIES

WALNUT CREEK, Cal.—Two well-dressed young men, after selecting the five best TV gets in the store, said they would return. That night the five sets were stolen,

The best was not the least too good, No quality too fine. When they returned (they said they would), They should have left this line:

“The pictures are the best we've seen; “The tones the best we'vé heard. “And so vour stock we've coma to screen— “We always keep our word!”

Mobilization Boss Charles E. Wilson's latest description of himself was “just another bureaucrat” -—and then he demonstrated he doesn’t meet the specifications. .One characteristic of the bureaucrat, Washington style, is never to stick the neck out in invitation for the ax. press conference Tuesday, when Mr. Wilson attempted to join

But in a

organization, and he thought that ‘labor people” will serve on it. But it will not have veto power and will not make policy --only recommendations or suggestions, If there's a difference of opinion, Mr. Wilson said, “I'll take the final responsibility.”

” n ” AND that National Mobilization Advisory Committee President Truman has just created by executive order? Mr. Wilson said he understood that names of the 16 members —representing labor, agriculture, business and the public-—are being considered by the White House, and he thought this committee will serve a useful purpose. But, he particularized, “I'll be chairman of that committee.” He said he would transmit its recommendations to his only superior—Mr. Truman. Mr. Wilson may have offended some of his former associates among big industrialists: tion to encourage building of new defense plants, he declared, “We certainly don't

Discussing tax amortiza-

I started in little business, got

‘quit

want to see anybody profit heyond the absolute necessities, and nobody will make an undue profit So far as we can control the situation.” :

” "8 HE DECLINED to paint a brighter picture of anti-infla-tion efforts than he could see through his eyeglasses -— which are not rose-tinted. He said, “I see a lot of discouragement,” but he later tempered that with, ‘There are good signs and there are bad signs. There are signs that we have done some good, that the spiral trend of prices has been arrested to some extent—I1 wish, to a greater extent.” The meeting ranged from high: good humor to a situation in which Mr. Wilson almost lost his temper and talked pretty loudly. The anger was produced by

questions about .Mr. Wilson's “big business’ connections and .

whether he still owns a batch of stock in his former company, General Electric.

- ” » “SURE,” exploded Mr. Wilgon, “I came from big business.

into medium business, and then into big business. Which I have for public service. I'm no longer of hig business, but I'm proud of American big

business, and proud of General Electric.

“About my General Electria stock, every dollar I have is in it. So what?” Mr. Wilson said his offer to accept armothinee from organized labor to be one of his assistants, on a par with his other top advisers, is still open. But it was clear that when and if the union man is named he will be an adviser and not in control of policy. Mr. Wilson will still be at the controls, barring an unexpected change of Mr. Truman's mind.

A BANK

A BANK is where we store our dough , , , while saving for the day . . . when we can take it easy and , , . just sort of have our way . .. then, too, it offers. to each one , . . a safe and friendly hand . . . in giving us some good advice «+. if we should purchase land . , . it is the place where homes are born..,and dreams

“are made so real , , , through -

systematic thriftiness { , . we lay the golden keel . . . and last hut by all means not least + +» It is the safest bet , . . If circumstances force a to ease a slight regret.

—By Ben Burroughs,

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