Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 11 April 1951 — Page 16

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The Indianapolis Times

A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER

ROY W. HOWARD WALTER LECKRONE HENRY W. MANZ President

Editor Business Manager

PAGE 16 Wednesday, Apr. 11, 1951

nd published dally by indianspolis Times Publishmo God 14 Maryland St Postal Zone § Member of Phited Press. 8cripps-Howard Newspaper Alliance. NEA Servfce and Audit Bureau of Circulation

ce In Marion County 5 cents a copy for dally and 10¢ tor) BuRdar! delivered ‘by carrier daily and Sunday. 35¢ a week. daily only 25c, Sunday only 10c Mall rates in Indiana daily and Sunday. $1000 a vear. dally $500 a year. Sunday only, $5.00; all other states. U 8. possession. Canadas an Mexico. daily $1.10 8 month, Sunday. 100 s copy

Telephone RI ley 5551

Give IAght and the People Will Fina Ther Own Woy rs

Isn't There a Legal Way

To Enforce the Law?

HUTTING off his telephone certainly would curtail the business of a race bet bookie who operates by telephone. So, no doubt, would shutting off his city water, or his electric current, or his gas. And you really could drive him clear out if you could just fix it so no grocery would sell him any food, couldn't you? They do that with considerable success in various “iron curtain” countries for crimes such as voting the wrong ticket, or speaking out of turn, or being late for work at “the bomb factory. No trial, of course. Just cancel his ration card, and he’s through.

WELL, gambling is a crime here . . . and there are grounds for belief that criminals are not entitled to any such services. Criminals, that is. Up to today the Indiana Bell Telephone Company has shut off telephone service to 18 residences and offices in Indianapolis on the representation. to it by Prosecutor Frank Fairchild that these subscribers were taking bets on horse races in violation of the law. Apparently this is a part of a national telephone company policy, since similar action is going on in other cities all over the country. If these men are criminals, using these telephones to violate laws, the action would appear to be justified.

Are they? : So far Mr. Fairchild has not haled even one of them into any court, has filed no charges of crime against them, has obtained not one single conviction of crime. He merely tells the phone company he “knows” these are bookie joints, or suspects that they are . . . one of them apparently on the convincing evidence of an anonymous letter . . . and out come the telephones.

THERE have been reports that some of those affected plan to file suits in court to protect what they consider their right to have telephones. Mr. Fairchild says he is not disturbed about that because he has found a number of court decisions “upholding the right to curtail service for illegal operations.” . .Of course.. But up to now no one has bothered to establish that these are “illegal operations.” Suspicion, even by the Prosecuting Attorney, doesn’t make them such. : There is not even a legal charge pending against any of the persons from whom telephone service has been taken. If the Prosecutor has evidence of illegal operations it should be fairly easy to obtain convictions in the regular, legal manner. : If he doesn't have such evidence it should be fairly easy to get... since a gambling place is about as well concealed at any time as a downtown retail store.

IN PLAIN truth Mr. Fairchild has exactly the same legal right to order these phones shut off that he has to order water shut off from any home in this town... or the electricity from any office or factory. If that is legal he has the power to close down any business in the city, or drive the family out of any home, simply on his own statement that it is an “illegal operation.” And that, we submit, holds far more danger to this community than all the gambling that has gone on here since time began.

New Authority on Russia

AVING taken a second look at Britain's new Foreign Minister, Herbert Morrison, the London Economist has concluded it was right the first time in remarking when Mr. Morrison was appointed to succeed Ernest Bevin that he would be— “More pliable where Mr. Bevin was stubborn, ingenious where Mr. Bevin was forthright, and optimistic where Mr. Bevin was merely patient.” This observation was made following a review of Mr. Morrison's first major speech on foreign policy. In this talk Mr. Morrison said the rulers of the Soviet Union want to “join with the rest of the world in the great constructive tasks which await us all,” but offered no evidence whatever to support the statement. Nor did he in any way document his further opinion that the Soviet government does not wish to discuss the ‘smaller differences” but wishes to “go to the heart of the whole problem" of present tensions. This is precisely what the Soviets have refused to do, by insisting on talking about the “remilitarization” of Western Germany while declining to discuss the larger issue of Soviet aggression.

IN THE same optimistic vein, Mr. Morrison declared “This is a psychological moment to see if we cannot bring the fighting in Korea to an end.” But the new foreign minister gave no reason why the moment was particularly opportune. Which.led the economist to remark that “Mr. Morrison dealt with these matters in a manner which made no distinction between things he would like to happen and things which are likely to happen.” This British appraisal of Britain's new Foreign Minister should interest Americans, because the British Foreign Office has such a large voice in American policy under Secretary Acheson's regime. Mr. Morrison’s assurance that he understands the Russians recalls that Secretary Acheson held similar illusions some years ago when he was regarded as leader of the State Department's pro-Soviet bloc. His views in that regard have been tempered somewhat by hard experience. But the educational process was a painful ordeal for the rest of us and we can only hope that we won't have to go through the same thing again while Mr. Morrison is learning some of the facts

of lifa. iN \

RUSSIA AND AUSTRIA . . .

How Long Will Joe's Bear S

VIENNA, Apr. 11—Austria is facing the worst economic crisis since American aid first saved her from mass unemployment, starvation and revolution. Russia is still here in military occupation waiting to take advantage of any collapse. More American dollars can stave off catastrophe again, and probably will. But. without more self-help there will be recurring crises. And when Marshall aid ceases, as it must some day, there will be disaster. The billion dollars of foreign help poured in here since .the war has not enabled Austria to stand on her own feet. In nine months she has used up her European payments credit for a year, and the Marshall Plan fund is insufficient to see her through. Unemployment reached 10 per cent in the winter and is now 8 per cent, prices are rising fast, the raw materials short-

age is getting desperate and foreign markets are disappearing. .

Obvious Handicaps

AUSTRIA'S inherited handicaps are obvious: A poor country, carved up as an economic monstrosity: by the Allies after World War I, lacking adequate agricultural resources or raw materials, later grabbed and exploited by Hitler, and then partially destroyed by war. Russian rape of her occupied industries. An inefficient economic system with monopoly control of production, trade and labor by official

Year of the Big Wind

Rad

pa 1ICISM or Cee ARTHUR

‘Public Protection’ MF.. EDITOR:

After reading an article in The Times, Apr. 4, by Irving Leibowitz, I am writing this letter. Is there a law which stipulates that a car owner must carry public liability and property damage insurance? If not, why not? The cause for this letter stems from my bad luck recently. On Feb. 27 my T7-year-old daughter was struck by an automobile. Her arm was broken, teeth knocked out, bruised and bleeding she was taken to the hospital. Hospital and doctor bills amounted to approximately $350. The driver of the car had no insurance to cover the accident. On Mar. 28 my car was struck by another automobile. There was $600 damage to my car. Again the driver did not have insurance to cover my losses. >. Bb BOTH accidents were no fault of mine. In the first instance I had insurance to cover the nospital bill but not the doctor bills. In the second case I had $350 deductible insurance. I must pay $50 of the repair bill plus rental fees on another car. I use my car in my business and cannot be without one. All of this money I am forced to pay out, due to no fault of mine. Why are people allowed

SIDE GLANCES

"Why does she push us out.if they're only going to sit there

§ ead tak about the weather?"

By Ludwell Denny

“chambers” of commerce, agriculture and labor. And now the cold war and enforced Allied rearmament cut off the raw materials and credits she needs, and closed her main markets in Germany and the Soviet satellites. y Austria not only failed to prepare against such a possible storm, but also, even after it began in Korea she went on without battening down the hatches.

Remarkable Record

SHE WAS busy “proving” -how prosperous she was. And, indeed, some of the record was remarkable, Industrial production had risen from 88 per cent of prewar in April, 1948, when Marshall aid began, to 130 per cent in December, 1950. Her trade gap between imports and exports had been $300 million in 1949 but only half as wide in 1950. A nationwide official wage-price agreement had slowed down inflation, prevented strikes. Everybody except the Reds admitted that economic improvement was the fruit of Marshall aid. Even today the outward signs are of prosperity instead of crisis. The people are far better fed and clothed than in England. The pace is leisurely. We eat today. If more is needed tomorrow, it probably will be forthcoming from America. Few seem to care that Austria is living far beyond her means. In a sense that is understandable. With Russian troops here and so much of the country behind the Iron'Curtain, perhaps the future is too grim to think about.

By Talburt

ts DLR UT

HOOSIER FORUM—‘Carry Accident Insurance’

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

to own a car and not carry insurance to protect others whom they might injure? —Robert P. West, City

EDITOR'S NOTE: There is no law that requires a car owner to carry liability or property damage insurance. When a driver is involved in an accident in which damage is- caused he is required by law to post bond covering such damage and may be barred from driving, and his car barred from use until he does so. Liability insurance is acceptable bond in such cases.

SKINFLINT

HE placed the change upon the shelf . . . and countéd out each cent . . . to see exactly Just how much . . . he forcibly had spent . . . and then he frowned for I suppose. .. it didn’t tally right ... or meet with his approval for... this man was very tight . . . his face was drawn up like a bow ,.. and he was in great need . . . of something more than what he ate . . . he

needed a good feed . . . he never changed the.

suit he wore . . . and oh that awful shirt , . . he might as well throw it away . . . for it was filled with dirt . . . and though he'll die and leave his wealth . . . I guess he'll always stint

+. . for I suppose it's born In him . . . to be an old skinflint,

—By Ben Burroughs.

rectory, a 9x8-inch newssheet. Curtain of the Soviet satellite.

possible, guess what the lead item brags about this week—a balanced budget. Here is what it says: “Budget for 1951 was adopted by Sejm, Mar. 23, with support of all parliamentary parties (NOTE—by gad they had better) . . . revenue

for year is estimated at 55072 million zlotys ($13,993,000,000), expenditures at 51,892 million,

lion zlotys' fully guarantees stability of Polish currency, said Minister of Finance Konstanty Dabrowski in Sejm speech on budget. National income, which rose 21 per cent last year, will go up another 18.9 per cent in 1951, he said, predicting further risés in purchasing power of currency, number of savings accounts.” t ” ” ” SOUNDS almost like the old time campaigns here, for national thrift week There are other items which sound familiar to U. S. ears,

J Sree a ugar best

This general attitude is.one reason America has to supply so much Austrian food. Bix years after the Armistice, agricultural production is still 10 per cent below prewar, though there is a much larger population to feed. But what's the difference—as long as American grain flows in? The increase in industrial production, of which Austria is so proud, looks better than it is. To produce in 1950 the 30 per cent increase over prewar there were 44 per cent more workers employed. Productivity per man is now only 86 per cent of prewar—and that despite the adequate diet of the average worker, the new machinery and the flow of raw materials provided by Marshall Plan funds. Actually there is almost no incentive for the individual worker to produce more. He is the beneficiary and the victim of a welfare state-monopoly system in which there is little place for initiative and less for competitive endeavor. In fact, in many flelds free competition is a crime—Ilegally.

Little Invested

IF A LARGER portion of the American money had gone into capital investment, Austria would be in a much stronger position today, Of the billion dollars put in here since the Armistice only one-tenth has gone to capital investment. If more of the profits had been plowed bac into productive enterprise here, instead of allowed to fatten profiteers and leak out into their foreign bank accounts, Austria would not be so short of credit today. If fewer raw materials had been permitted to flow into Soviet satellite countries, they would be available here now. The fact that prices of imports have gone up 90 per cent, while her export prices have risen only 40 per cent, explains part of her financial trouble. But it makes even more inexplicable her failure to apply the brakes six or nine months ago. Among obvious emergency measures required are: Raise the discount rate—it has been 3% per cent compared with 8 per cent in West, Germany. Tighten import licenses to eliminate luxuries and restrict semiessentials. Unify and’ co-ordinate import license and foreign exchange systems to prevent flight of capital and leakage of profits. Credit controls. " Raw materials controls. Months late and only under severest pressure the government on Apr. 4 enacted five economic control laws. They relate to foreign trade, raw materials, food rationing and prices, and set up a new economic directorate. But they are little more than enabling legislation, plus a new board to do what earlier ones have failed to do.

"and resulting inefficiency.

tay In The Vienna Woods?

Apart from emergency measurse, basic economic reforms are necessary to make Austria self-supporting or to utilize American aid effectively. These include:

A better banking system, including separation of deposit.and investment banking, cheap government credit for farmers and small business, and re-establishment of a private capital market. Two banks—each influenced by a political -party—now dominate, Freeing the internal economy from monopoly Business generally operates on a cost-plus, low production, high mark-up system, Taxation is badly in need of reform. While rates are high theoretically, returns are propor-

SMI

tionately small and the burden unjustly distributed. Indirect taxes account for 53 per cent Of total tax revenues, compared with 15 per cent in the United States. The white-collar middle class is being wiped out.

Revenue lost by tax evasion is estimated by responsible experts as high as one-third of the total. The large class of farmers farés well. They are not taxed on actual income but on a low wartime price base which is about onefourth the current standard. The tragedy of Austria is that the billion dollars of American aid are gone with few lasting reforms to show for it, and that she probably never will get such an opportunity again to build economic independence. Whether she will use to better purpose the smaller sum and shorter period of American aid yet remaining, depends on a more realistic ‘policy in Vienna and a firmer policy in Washington.

BARGAIN STUFF . . . By Frederick C. Othman For $2 a Big Evergreen Forest?

WASHINGTON, Apr. 11—Biggest businessmen I know anything about are Ralph Whitmore and Harold Cowan of Los Angeles who cleaned up $100,000 net profit in 30 days in the Christmas tree ornament business. They also were indicted on charges of mail fraud last month, but I stiil get a bang out of the way they did business with the bargain hunters, in- \ cluding the Clerk of \ the House Judiciary Subcommittee. The government claims Ralph and Harold were crooks; they insist they were doing a legitimate business with a money - back guarantee; a jury (composed solely of those who do not trim Christmas trees) will decide.

Shortly before last Christmas this pair of genuine get-rich-quick experts advertised by spot announcements on radio stations across the

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‘The Death Trap’ MR. EDITOR: I note with much interest your editorial “Murder and Appeasement.” Having been a reader of The Times for the past 25 years, I most always read the editorials, but none have I found which were better expressed than that one. Having served in Word War I, and having one son on submarine duty in World War II, and with three sons at present in the service of their country, I feel that I have the right to express my sentiments. I feel that the fathers and mothers of this country should risé up “as ofie man, for our general and his army to have their freedom or for our boys to be brought out of Korea ... the death trap. I also agreed fully with ‘Mrs. Harry Stansherys’ letter of the same issue, regarding the draft and the exemption of college students. I feel that to be the most discriminating thing that our country has done because the majority of our boys have not the finances for a college education. Therefore, every boy, regardless of his social status, should be compelled to go when his call comes.—Ex-Service Man, New Castle

By Galbraith DEAR BOSS . .. By Dan Kidney

Polish Red Sheet Is Good for Laughs

WASHINGTON, Apr. 11—Each week the Polish Information

mune Square” on the

land their special Xmas offer: Send $1 and receive 85 of the most beautiful Christmas tree ornaments you've ever seen. Nobody knows for sure how many hundreds of thousands of people sent in their dollars for jingle-jangles, but each customer received a small pamphlet on a medium grade of paper, bearing. portraits of Santa Claus, large birds, bells, and candy sticks. The directions said for him to cut out these pictures, like paper dolls, and hang them on his tree. The congressional clerk figured he was cheated. So did numerous other people. Instead of asking for their dollar back, they complained to the Federal Communications Commission. Ralph and Harold in Los Angeles, meantime, were delighted to announce that they'd made $100,000 profit in 30 days and strictly legally, too, because they'd returned dollars to all who asked. The post office inspectors disagreed. Their theory was that the average man who'd been hornswoggled of a measly buck wouldn't even try to get it back.

A Special Bill

THE FCC, which had had its own troubles lately with an assortment of highbindery by aerial merchants, came up with a special bill designed to make radio fraud a crime in {ts own right. So the Judiciary Subcommittee, with the clerk who bought the paper dolls, took up the subject. Most radio advertising is on the up-and-up, but every now and again somebody offers a whopping bargain, like a forest of evergreen trees, carefully packed, for $2. This turns out to be a package of seeds. The Congressmen expressed sympathy for their clerk; they also were interested in patent medicines. . “Would this bill take care of Hadacol?” demanded Rep. Joseph R. Bryson (D. 8. C.). Benedict Cottone, the FCC lawyer, said he wasn't too certain about the radio claims for Hadaco). “It will cure anything in the world,” said Rep. Bryson. “Anything from dandruff to fallen arches,” added Rep. Robert L. Ramsay (D. W, Va.).

The Flim-Flam MR. COTTONE said this bill was intended more to stop people being sent something they

didn't think they ordered. “I know one of these patent medicine men who bought a big yacht,” Rep. Ramsay observed. ‘At least he was honest with himself. He christened it the Flim-flam.” % At this juncture, Mr. Cottone passed to the Congressmen sample Christmas tree ornaments from Los Angeles; Ralph and Harold will be saddened to-learn that they were not impressed. What happens next I have no idea, but I do believe that if I were a radio advertiser I'd send the people exactly what my announcer described. Even if I did offer a money-back guarantee.

“80th Southern Poland, his father a

Surplus of more than four bils

and Research Seryice, 250 W, 57th St. New York City, sends correspondents here, whose names are in the Congressional Di-

This gives the official view of what goes on behind the Iron

Obviously designed to capture any U. 8. popular viewpoint

acreage quotas to almost double the 1950 production of sugar and saving 50,000 zlotys in the wood working industry through elimination of waste. " ” 8 THE newspaper business is covered under the title “Who's Who" with this gem: . “New Warsaw Union Daily, Glos Pracy, runs promotion contest in which readers guess names of public figures shown in photos printed in each issue. Pictures are of labor champions widely publicized in Poland.” How the doctors are doing under the ne wregime is reported as follow: “Health ministry ruling gives physicians first choice in purchase of imported passenger autos, also special credit terms in connection with pay. ment . . . nation does not yet manufacture own cars, but industry is now being built.” There are reports on “International Youth Week” and

the ai af “Paris Com-

Anniversary of the Paris Commune.” In each of these items and a half dozen others, the Communist Party line—‘' ‘Peace at Stalin's Price’ is stressed. Perhaps the most bald, and corny, bit of this Russian propaganda is this: “Mothef of 2-year-old quadruplets, Maria Kupka, of Kato-

wice, said in recent newspaper

interview following Berlin session of World Peace Council that her hopes envisage university study by her children, not war. Of common folk in all countries, she sald—‘to impose peace, we need only close our ranks’ Mrs. Kupka's quads, 2 boys and 2 girls, are in good health.” ” . . THERE are some biographical notes . on Dr. Stanislaw Skreszewski, new Minister -of Foreign Affairs. He is a Ph.D. who was safe at the Kremlin when patriotic Poles were being decimated under the Nazi occupation. Such a great revolutionary couldn't be spared until the Stalinists took over the newssheet: “Some biographical notes on Dr. Stanislaw Skreszewski, new Minister of Foreign Affairs— born 1901 in Np =. in

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locomotive engineer, he studied science at Krakow’s Jagiellonian University, earned Ph.D. there. As student he was active In revolutionary movement, later became chairman of Krakow branch of Polish teachers union. ” ” ~ “DURING occupation by Nazis, Dr. Skreszewski was in USSR where he organized schools for Polish war refugees. In 1944 he headed education department of Polish Committee of National Liberation, then became minister of education in provisional government, later served as ambassador to France from 1945 to 1947.

During latter year he returned home to post of minister of education. In July, 1950, he became vice minister of foreign affairs and acted as foreign minister during frequent absences of Zygmunt Modzelewski, who resigned last month because of long illness. . +. Since 1948 unification of workers parties, Dr. Skreszewski has been member of Central Committee of United Workers Party.” _ : Obviously a man who knows which &ide his Red bread Is buttered on.

A ma Ban do oa RAG

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——

sior for

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