Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 23 December 1951 — Page 34

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* _ A‘SURIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER

ROY W. HOWARD WALTER LECKRONE = HENRY W, MANZ President |. Editor -Business Manager Sunday, Dec. 22, 1951

PAGE 34

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Give ight and the Peopla Will Find Their Own Woy

To Bill Oatis —On Christmas ,

NE of the annual assignments on a newspaper is writing “the Christmas piece,” to say a few words that will convey something of the spirit of the day. On some newspapers, the piece is written year after year by the same man. On others it is parceled out among the staff. It is entirely possible, then, that if a reporter named Rill Oatis were home in America today he would be sitting down to compose a Christmas piece. Bill Oatis cannot do «this; he has been in a Czechoslovakian prison since last April on trumped-up charges of #spionage. : Perhaps, then, it would be fitting to address this Chrismas piece to Bill Oatis. ’ It is a good time to tell Bill Oatis that Americans are ~outraged by his imprisonment and angered by our government’s namby-pamby efforts to get him out. It is a good time to tell Bill Oatis that he has not been forgotten, that we shall continue to light fires under the State Department and the White House in an effort to get action in his behalf. : ew, de SY ‘ IT IS A good time to tell Bill Oatis not to despair. It is a good time, too, to tell Bill Oatis to be proud— for he has much to be proud of. “For one thing, he can be proud of his profession. He is a man whose duty it was to find the truth and put it into print, with the assurance that truth eventually destroys all tyrants. Bill Oatis can be proud that he was so loyal to that duty that a tyrant arrested him, staged a mock trial and sent him to prison. a These thoughts, of course, will not unlock the door for Bill Oatis. But they can help him to bear his plight. And at this season of the year Bill Oatis, victim of a dictator, can take hope in reflecting on the ultimate fate of all dictators. :

‘Caught in the Rollers

NCE a red hot ingot is fed into the rolling mill of a steel plant, it becomes a helpless plaything of the relentless mechanism which flattens it into thin plate. This country, and its welfare, can be in the same position nine days hence if the steel strike threat is permitted to run its course. The government, through its mediation, mobilization and economic control agencies, is caught between the rollers of more inflation and a dangerous interruption in defense production. If steel prices and wages start a new inflationary trend, millions of Americans will be helplessly caught in the squeeze. Nobody ever wins in a strike, and no one will win in this one, if it comes off. Everybody will lose. o Ed “ . . ” s ONCE STARTED, strikes seldom are easily ended. If this one happens, it well could be the country’s most disastrous—because it will snap off rearmament at the, handle just as it is getting fairly under way. Defense Mobilizer Charles E. Wilson did not understate when he said a steel strike is “unthinkable. Yet official Washington seems to fear it is unstoppable, although common sense and.a reasonable respect for the nation’s peril ought to be enough to head it off. Roger Putnam, the new economic stabilizer, says a strike would be less costly than a new round of inflation. That's like saying strychnine is more fatal than arsenic.

We Aren't Russians

BRITISH military authority points out that a rifle company in the U. S. Army has 37 men whose primary jobs are cooking, signaling, driving or clerking while in a Soviet rifle company, all but two are there for one purpose only— to shoot at the enemy. : Because of this administrative economy, the Russians » can build 300 divisions out of 6,600.000 men. With the same number of men, the United States could form only 100 divisions. : * 5 It can not be denied that we are unduly wasteful in our use of military manpower. That could and should be corrected. But any adjustments which are made shnuld be based on American, not Russian standards. An army reflects a nation’s way of life, and the Amencan way is not the Rugsian way. The Russian army does not report casualties in grades lower than major and a private soldier is treated little better than an animal. We can eliminate some of the lost motion without having that kind of army.

Hitchhiking on Pensions

$ HEN old-age pensioners in Ohio opened their December pension letters, they found enclosed Christmas greetings from Gov. Frank J. Lausche and two other state officials. ; Some of the pensioners apparently thought it would have been nicer to have received the greetings and the checks separately. They told their newspapers about it. Now a spokesman for the Social Security Administration in Washington says that agency will “look into” the matter. Pensions to the needy are financed jointly by the state and federal governments. aa _This practice probably is not against the law, but i is another instance of pensioners being exploited by politicians, ;

Those Other Worms |

OST of us will go along with the Office of Price Stabili- _ zation’s decision to take controls off fried worms, a + delicacy to some gourmets. ; | It’s too bad though that more control can't be put on another variety of fried worm—the drunken driver—who is a particular menace to a happy holiday season,

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- The Indianapolis Times” No R

Press, Scripps-Howard Newsoaper Alliance. rv. / jee and Audit Bureau of Circulation. 4 Price on County. ‘cents a ecopy for dafly and 10e i for Bandy ie ivered by carrier daily and Sunday 35¢ 8 ¢ , onlg 25¢. Sunday only 10c. Mall rates in indians : daily and & day $1000 & year. daily. $5.00 a year. Sunday 3 only, 35.00: = and Mexico. daily, $110 a month. Sunday. 100 a copy. \ ¥ Telephone PL aza 5351

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Foster's Follies

NEW YORK—A California housewife won $25,000 for her Starlight Double Delight Chocolate Cake in a national bakeoff. Second grand prize of $10,000 was awarded for a chocolate marble bar. A naval reservist (male) won $3000.

If you are the type who finds fame is enticing, And financial gain is your goal, It's batter that matters, and spicing, and icing, For baking means making— a roll. The ivy no more twines the old college tower, The campus is idle and slow, The new cap and gown is all covered with flour— ‘Cause bakers now make all the dough.

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WHICH just goes to show that times do change. Today Horace Greeley's advice would probably be, “Go yeast, young man, go yeast.” Yessir, it takes a pretty smart cookie to-raise that kind of money these days. Even some of_ the best big league batters don’t take down 25 G's for a whole season’s mixings. If a fellow has all his marbles and isn’t nuttier than a Christmas fruit cake to start with, the thing to do is take off for the next bake-off and make off with some of: that heavy sugar.

But there is no truth to the

rumor that Sonja Henie is all .

steamed up about next year's event. Although it could be a cake-walk for pretty Miss Peaches - and - Cream, who is right at home with all kinds of icings. Trouble is there's some talk of limiting the entries to just one kind of cake. Upsidedown.

The Scandinavian Sugarplum hasn’t been pillor-ied for a pers formance since her Dad taught her to skate.

Maw, get yoah blueberry bonanza in that thar oven. And don’t spare the baking powder, woman. We gotta raise a lotta dough, right quick. Christmas is just around the corner.

= n 5

AUNTY COMMY SAYS: “See where Izvestia says the profit motive is gitting out of hand in the Ukraine, with fire departments, beekeepers, fishermen and others turning to sidelines to -pick up a little momd¥. Looks like all them Red proprets is proving a collective loss.”

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% HEH - HEH. HEADLINES: Christmas Glow Brightens Home Interior.” Unless it happens to be one Pop picked u at the office party. P P

‘“Yuletide Present Isn't Judged By Price Tag.” But the lovely lady will hope you leave the sales slip in the package— so she can make Wednesday morning’s exchange without a lot of trouble. “Yule Gift Hint: No Man Needs a Sixth Bathrobe.” And he can get along without even one of those blue, orange,

green, brown, slate and cerise neckties, » ” »

OUR OWN Helpful, Hints To Santa:

. For Premier Stalin: A gross of gremlins in-the Kremlin. For. Gen, Eisenhower—Maxim S8ilencers—custom-built to fit all his “helpful” friends.

For the U. 8. Far Eastern Alr Force — Rose - colored glasses—so0 they can’t distinguish any Yalu. For the man-who's-had-all-those - appointees-on-the-carpet-lately — A super-duper de luxe vacuum cleaner, with outsize bag. And for Santa himself—Radar equipment—to help him avoid all those TV antennas.

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CESNNNNANNNERNESES

MR. EDITOR: My New Testament, first - published at Rheims, A.D.-1582, translates the 14th verse, 2d chapter of St. Luke, “Glory to God in the highest; and on earth, peace to men of good will.” At Christmas time it is well to reflect and meditate on this song of the angels when they arinounced the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Today there seems to be a dire lack of good will among men. Instead of worshiping God as the angels bid us do, we seek to give glory to men, to set them on a pedestal. For example.’ Why blame a governor for what a state assembly did? A special assembly of this state wasted $100,000 of our money doing nothing. Another example is that of moneyminded legislators who have, against the will of the people, removed all control over prices and subjected our nation to the perils of inflation and then placed the blame on our President. = GB Se SEEMS to me folks we are a long ways from the spirit of our founders who had an implicit faith and trust in God. The material things God has given this land may prove to be a curse instead of a blessing, if misused. Could be, a humble acknowledgement of the Almighty God and His creation, would still work wonders of peace on earth to men of good will. Let's ask God to forgive us, every son and daughter of us; for seeking to profit by war. Why not ask God to humble us and by backing up our elected authorities, make it a strong and just nation under God, of the people, for the people and by- the people. : = + I feel sure if we forget the fabulous wonders of the dollar and give Gen. Vandenberg those jet planes he needs, which have unaccountably been held up for a year and a half, it would help a lot. And the only way I can sing the angels’ song at Christmas is that: Peace on earth is meant for men of goad will, who glorify God. All good Americans should be men of good will and not of that motley crowd of Christ killers. To have peace, we must deserve peace by being men of good, will. —Thomas M. McGuire, 3228 N. Kenwood Ave.

‘Tough Cop’ MR. EDITOR: : Yesterday morning, while sitting in the room at the terminal station looking over the morning paper and waiting for a friend to arrive from out of town, an Indianapolis police officer came up to me and asked what business I had there. Before I could answer; he told me to get going as this was no loafing place. He also asked where I lived, how long I had lived there and many other questions too numerous to mention, but he never even gave me the opportunity -to answer one of Hhis ‘questions. : For the benefit of this officer, I want him to know I am a retired farmer from Hancock County near Greenfield and I am not much afraid of a uniform. oo o oo . IF THIS is the way the Indianapolis police show courtesy to strangers I will stay in Green-

HOOSIER SKETCHBOOK

BEST

‘

SWITCH SIGNALS

£4

HOOSIER FORUM—‘Good Will’

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

. TENE Seen R EERE EERE O EERE EERIE ERE RRR ROS IARA ERROR RRR AN SARE IERN ERIN RRRRER ER RRERtItERNIRIER Rs It seared

- 5

NOT LONG ago one of the

that showed a group of union and management negotiators gitting around a bargaining table, The union spokesman saying:

a was

clause to take care of any increase in the cost of living that may be caused by the wage increase you have just given us.” > It was funny, but you'd hardly expect to meet it in a serious proposal in real life. We did, though, when we read . Emil Rieve's letter to President Truman the other day. Mr, Rieve was telling Mr. Truman what the CIO believes he'd better do in 1952. Mr. Rieve is president of the Textile Workers Union and chairman of the CIO's committee on economic policy. Mr. Rieve says there's danger of a lot of inflation next year—he means “more” inflation, of course—and he tells Mr. Truman he'd better strengthen price controls and rent controls to protect the people against that. ‘ Then he demands that President Truman get Congress to raise the minimum legal wage

cent. : s 2 =» THE WAGE AND HOUR law, under which this could be done, was passed back in 1938 quite frankly to create inflation. It fixed wages at 40 cents an hour and limited hours to 40 a week, with the deliberate intention of raising the cost

field the rest of my life. I do not believe many police officers are like this man.

I am just wondering why American citizens

"are driven out of public places for no cause

whatever and foreigners are brought in and shown all the courtesy in the world and even given places to live and a good position, while our old folks are expected to live on a small sum which would not even keep my dog in bones.

I know my dog has a better home than many of these poor folks-who are not permitted in your public buildings to get their fingers warm. If this police officer comes over to Greenfield some day and will let me know when he will be there, I will try to make it as unpleasant for him as he does the old folks here. —James Lowe, Greenfield.

‘Musician’s Blues’ MR. EDITOR:

It is high time the long-suffering musicians of Indianapolis had a spokesman to: tell the listening public of the agonies which the horntooters and key-plunkers go through. After a particularly nerve-wracking engagement, I feel very much in the mood to speak for the profession.

First of all, it should be known that the aforementioned agonies can be lessened and almost totally obliterated by some simply delivéered help on the part of the listener. Each musician would like it impressed on the dance at a party that applause is food and drink to him, It is of paramount importance.

It is so dreadfully discouraging to “knock yourself out” on a tune, and feel that it has been a success, only to complete the number to silence on the dancers’ part. It is such an easy thing to clap your hands together, and yet it pays dividends for not only the musicians, but yourself. If the band feels it is appreciated, it will work even harder and will produce better.

A soloist, whether he is a vocalist or instrumentalist, is apt to be more discouraged than the collective band if he is poorly received. So applaud for him, at least moderately, and tell the orchestra during intermission how you liked this or that number. Their work and, your pleasure will be better as a direct result. —A Singer, City.

FOR ALWAYS -

THE POETS say life is a breath . ... that fades so very soom . .. and dreams are made but to be broken ... when clouds dim the moon . . but really, I cannot agree ... with what the poets say . . . for since the time I found you, love, .. I've known a happy way ... to me life is a cup that’s full . . . of joy and ecstacy .. . and my dreams have been living dreams . . . for you belong to me . . . my life is full of meaning and . . . because of you my dear . . . each day is but a journey to . . . a heaven that is near . . . and when the time arrives to go . : .

our life will really start . . , together through

oJ [BICYUE TA SLED

entwined there heart to heart. —By Ben Burroughs.

sernity .. .

Vo ag AT

SANTA WILL YOU CHANGE THAT

AND THE ROLLER SKATES TO ICE

COTO NOTES oa deem Old King Canute Taug A Lesson About In

magazines carried a cartoon =

from 75 cents an hour to $1.25 an hour, an increase of 66 per,

-~ 8

and thus the selling prices, of as many things as possible. It could have had no other purpose, because it is not possible to raise wages by law—or to

_ lower them, either. The only

result hoped for from this law was to make the dollar paid to workers in wages worth less— or to make prices higher, which is the same thing. It didn’t work very well, because the second World War came on before it could have much effect and that caused inflation even faster than the trick law could. It did cost the United States a good many billions of dollars during the war in “overtime’” penalty pay (of 50%) for work beyond 40 hours

-on war supplies (for soldiers

who were not on a 40-hour week themselves). But we haven't paid that.

After the war inflation had -

pushed down the value of the working man’s dollar so fast that the dollar which before the war would buy a couple of hours work now would buy only 20 or 30 minutes. Prices, of course, had gone up so fast that this same dollar the worker found in his pay envelope wouldn't buy. as much as a half-dollar bought before. : » 2 s : AT THIS point Congress amended the law, last year, and raised the minimum wage to 75 cents an hour, a figure which still had no relation to reality, but which froze in permanently a part of the in-

flation: we already had.

Mr. Rieve now demands that it go up again, high enough this time to cause some more inflation, while at the same time he views with alarm the prospect of more inflation, and feels the government ought to do something about prices, and rent. It would make no difference at all to the man at work for wages, if this went to $1.25 an hour—or to $125.00 an hour. His pay would buy him no more at one figure than at the other. And no difference to his

employer, either. a = un IT WOULD make a difference, of course, to the man who lives on a pension. He'd probably starve. Because his pension would be the same number of dollars it had been before—and the dollars would be worth only a tiny fraction of what they had been worth. It would destroy, to whatever extent it worked, all the savings of everybody who has any savings,

FOR PROFIT—

onlay

Walter Leckrone

. : Ly y. ion’)

The United States own Bureau of Labor Statistics has some interesting figures on the subject. Figures which prove that neither unions nor statutes can raise wages, or have ever raised wages. We doubt if the government's “economists” have looked at them, though. ” » ”

FOR THE last 50 years the wages of industrial workers in this country, for instance have been 16 per cent of the retail price of the goods they made. That ratio has never varied by as much as half of 1 per cent, whether unions were small and few and weak, as in 1909, or large and strong and numerous, as in 1949. Their pay is still 16 per cent of the value of the goods they produce, on the average over all industry and the whole country. Why 16 per cent isn’t clear. Apparently there is some natural economic law at work there which sets— and holds—that figure. True, wages have gone up in the United States over that 50 years. They have gone up in direct ratio as production per man per hour has gone up. The man who in 1810, for

ifpuance, was producing $1, 0

rth of goods per hour was being paid 16 cents an hour: That same man, today, may be producing $10 worth of goods an hour—and his pay is $1.60. That's “real” wages, which have real buying power, as distinguished from dollar wages, which are meaningless because the dollar itself goes up and down in value. ” 5

MR. RIEVE would deal with all this by just having the government decree that prices couldn’t go up. King Canute, in the legend, tried the same deal when he went out to stop the ocean tides with a broom. It worked just as well. But we wouldn't be too much surprised to see Mr. Rieve's proposal adopted, and with a perfectly straight face, by our government. No Congresses likes to vote against “higher wages”, and few will oppose such moonshine even when they know better. Even a President can make political hay out of it. The thinking of economic illiterates is the major cause to_day of the most dangerous inflation this country has had in more than 100 years. Clearly we aren't anywhere near the end of it.

Egypt's Ruling Party Faces Scandal Charge

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22—Egyptian critics of that nation’s ruling WAFD Party say that scandal, corruption and nepotism would have destroyed the government—or that King Farouk would have thrown it out—if it had not

gone to bat against the British.

They say the government of Premier Mustafa Nahas Pasha did not force a showdown with the British to placate Egyptian nationalism, but because that was the only way to take the spotlight off the WAFD’s rottenness.” : And it worked, say the WAFD’s political foes, whose voices have been all but drowned out by the current furore and Cairo’s censorship. Egypt's internal crisis involves a woman—the wife of

By J. Hugh O'Donnell

- SLEET...

Premier Nahas Pasha; who has given him no children but plenty of political trouble.

IN 1985, the then 19-year-old Zenab El Walkil married Mustafa Nahas, who was 58 and leader of a mass political movement that wanted “Egypt for the Egyptians.”

The marriage was one of political convenience.

The girl Zenab was the daughter of a judge of modest means. She had not much education, but was gifted with a sharp. mind, and acquisitive in-

stinct and an appetite for influence.

Thus youthful Madame Nahas innocently began accepting gifts from her husband's con-

stituents, followers, friends and would-be friends.

8 8 o

IN 1936, Nahas signed the Suez Canal Zone treaty with the British (which he renounced this year as having been signed under duress).

- Thus strengthened by friend-

ship with Britain, he was able to resist any further demands by foreign nations for special privileges in Egypt. But his popularity wavered. The WAFD, was kept out of office from 1938 to 1942, while minority elements ruled. But In the face of the Hitler-Mus-solini drive of 1942, the British —who always regarded the WAFD as their best bet in Egypt—insisted upon Nahas’ return to power. In fact, they posted armored vehicles at the royal palace and told King Farouk: Nahas by 6 p. m. or else. .. o » n

SO NAHAS PASHA resumed power and Zenab again was the first lady of the land. It was a time of fat war contracts, black markets and sudden fortunes.

Like most such people, the

profit-takers didn’t know when - say WAFD's foes.

to « stop, Hence the current mess.

flation La

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SUNDA Washir 0

cover-up? Long ‘any sign responsible skepticism Here's If Pre; won't get © first-rate nn If the Justice De agencies u at taking c If Pre shake-up, General J.

guess.)

Note: If friends of Thomas Mu willing to le cabinet pos might last phy’s found | "

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» OBSTACL cover-up: Sen. Johr Del,) hasn't vate investi » much to say venes on Ja King Com enough to k next spring turned up ir resignation tin 0. Han alcohol uni and who wa put in by 1 John Dunia, Gov, Ear fornia crime work again western sca port last ye ing direct tc Bureau. It tion-wide sc efforts to s commisson watch on w tee does in |

” Military YOU'LL war prepar ing comm Sen. Lyndon —on front 1952. It will re Air Force, ° tion of mi and abroac fluence in ment pr: around Ar airplane tri ernment ex] officials.

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