Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 23 January 1952 — Page 13

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Inside Indianapolis

By Ed Sovola

MAYOR'S OFFICE: Time, 8 a. m. Doors locked, ‘curtains drawn. and sharp taps on the glass went unheeded. Nobody home. 8:03— Went over to the Traffic Engineer’ Divi-

>

sion, and the man behind the desk said the Mayor's office generally opened at 8. 8:05 — Woman. at information desk said,

“Somebody will be there.in a few minutes.” - 8:12—Mailman tried both doors and the U. S. mail went through the door. Just as the letters went through, one end of the brass slot slipped a couple of inches. Didn't look good at all. 8:23 Sitting on a step of the ladder against the wall next to the Mayor's office ‘wasn’t com--fortable, Stenographer Mrs. Frances Pease nodded ‘and smiled at me and remarked, “Looks like our mailbox is coming apart.” I nodded. 8:23'; Mrs. Pease nudged the slot into place with her foot and entered. I was right behing her. an

bon

8:30—MRS. PEASE appeared from the inner

office rubbing her hands and asked, “Now, what ig it you want?” 1 answered, “Nuthin'.” 8:32—-8gt. Phil Sanders, Mayor's chauffeur, bhreezed in. Car parked outside. 5:35 -- Harrison Miller, executive secretary, greeted «everyone. in the office. I said, ‘Good morning." 8:36 Mrs. Pease told Mr. Miller about the

mail slot and then picked the mail off the floor. 8:37—8gt. Sanders announced he was going to get a cup of coffee. Mr, Miller asked, “Fast cup?” No answer,

MAYOR'S OFFICE—Sgt. Phil Sanders relaxes.

Some mornings are duller than others.

It Happened Last Night

By Earl Wilson

NEW YORK, Jan. Barbara Payton and Franchot Tone were ice cold to me. “That was an awful thing you Barbara spoke through tight lips. “Why . ..it was just a little joke, I said. “It wasn't nice.” Franchot looked down at the table. 1 apologized. Several times. Sincerely. It was just a little gag. Still . ., They sat close to each

no

—D

printed.”

other. Seemingly glad to be together. Once her hand went up to his arm. _.She looked e¢lose to tears.

“I'm glad our children can't read all the lies, Barbara said. “Haven't you got a son?” That hit me. I saw the case differently. Why had I had to be a wise guy and make their problem worse with - a bum joke? They were orderly. Well-behaved, Handsome. I apologized some more. “Somebody,” said Franchot, softening, defrosting the atmosphere, “wrote that my was having fights at school about this. “I called him up from here.” His son said, “Fights? Why, about?” , ; I almost had tears in my own eyes. After more of my apologies for being so thoughtless, we shook hands. “Good night, Earl,” they said.

and boy

Daddy, what

They went that night to see “Point of No Return.” It was “Franchot Cohen,” the company manager, who got them tickets.

Franchot Cohen, who's short and paunchy, is really Abe Cohen. Ted Husing and Toots Shor nicknamed him years ago. Franchot Cohen says Franchot Tone is one of the finest men he's ever met. It's funny hearing them greet each other, “Why, nello, Frarichot.” Sometimes, though, draws himself up to his Tone. Why, he's an imposter—

in jest, Franchot Cohen 0-5 and says, “Franchot impersonating me!”

Well, I hope the Tones forgive me, now. I really do. “THE ONLY one Margaret Truman hasn't

heen linked with is a Siamese twin'"—L. Ashen-

Americana By Robert C. Ruark

NEW YORK, Jan. 23—More in poverty than in hunger, the lady who looks after the larder at our house prepared a surprise for the master the other evening: Whale steak. More in hunger than in confidence, the master ate some.’ Hmmmm. The best thing about. whale tenderloin is that it sells for 98 cents a pound, and the pound contains no bone, no fat, no gristle. The average Norwegian fin whale will relinquish about three tons of tenderloin, sometimes as much as four. This puts the whale considerably outside the steer class as a yielder of clear meat, but I am afraid the whale will never completely replace the cow unless they start transfusing a little Eskimo into our bloodlines.

THEY SAY that whale steak does fishy. To me it tastes fishy—not very fishy, but 4s fishy as a mallard duck that has forgotten its table manners, as fishy as fish that has conceivably been finished off on wheat. Served with lots of onions, I suppose whale's fishy taint is mild enough to surrender to the stronger oniony

not taste

Whale steak looks great, though. It chars on top like a good sirloin ($1.38 a pound, bone and fat and gristle inclusive) and is pink but faintly coarse inside. It is not so tender as you would imagine, but a lot: more succulent than some of the economy cuts we've had around here in the past few years. The dogs thought it was fine.

I EXPECT that the whale, as steady provender, might prove more acceptable as a meat course if you did not move into the fray. with foreknowledge of “what you were about to receive. I ate a dish composed mostly of .sheep’s eyes one time, in Morocco, and did not suffer acutely until later, when somebody tipped me to the nature of the specialty. At that they were no more visually repulsive than oysters, At one time or another°I have sampled both goat and ‘hofse, and found them swallowable if not palate-tickling, and I have reason to believe that an old Swahili cook once palmed off a zebra chop on me when eatin’-meat was low in the kitchen tent, It was pretty fat but not bad if you were. hungry enough. And they said that during the war in France a fair fricassee could be-(and was) composed of cat, The thought strikes ugpleasantly every

- time I eat in a French restaurant, because you the French cgn gussy 8p. an old"

known how bane. with sauces. : Ae =

ronment. have placed red meat and

“ , -

A Ty ical Morning In Mayor's Office

8:39=Radiator began to. act up. Sounded as if ‘four piece’ workers were "hitting" it with hammers: : ; % 8:40—Mr. Miller took hig coat off. 8:53—An employee of the legal walked into Mr. Miller's office. a 8:45—A WOMAN with a few papers in her hand came in and talked to Mrs, Pease. Shortly the two giggled and commented on the “sharp” socks someone had. From where I sat, I couldn't tell whether Mr. Miller or the guy from the legal department had -them on. My guess is the legal department. 8:56—Sgt. greeting of the morning was mare cheerful, have been the coffee. 8.57! —8Sgt. Sanders prepared to leave again.

department

Sanders returned, and his second Must

Mrs. Pease asked, “Leaving us again?’ Sgt. Sanders said, “I guess.” 8:58 —Mrs. Pease changed the date on the

perpetual calendar. 9:05-—Man from the legal department and Mr. Miller walked out of the office. “Cup of coffee?” asked Mr. Miller. I declined the invitation. Both men went out, 9:19—Mayor Clark came in and was followed by Sgt. Sanders. The Mayor appeared in good spirits and inquired about my health and purpose of my presence. No comment. Oh, he also invited me into his office. 9:20—Except for two elephants ons the desk the office hadn't changed much from the last time I was there. I went out quickly when a visitor appeared in the door. Sb 0b 9:21—MRS. PEASE told a maintenance man about the mail slot.

9:22—A short man hurried to the desk and asked, “Clark in?” He was told the Mayor was .’busy. “I'll be back,” said the man.

‘unless you ent to.

on the stage again.

9:26—Mr. Miller returned and: reception room by a side door. Frightened me a little. I was watching the front entrance. 9:45—Dull morning. I checked the thermometer and the room temperature was 76. 9:47—Mr. Miller sharpened three pencils.

entened the

9:57—Mayor Clark left the -office and said he .

was going to a finance meeting. 10:15—Man came in and asked Mayor. He left, 10:32—Pigeon landed on the window sill. 11:05—Man walked in and walked out. 11:07—Sgt. Sanders left.

’ oe Da De

11:30—MR. MILLER stepped into the reception room and sat next to me. I handed him the office copy of The Indianapolis Times and he began reading. The front page, yet. Mrs. Pease called him to the phone. 11:35—Mr. Miller made a hit of noise going through the desk drawers. 11:58—A well-dressed young man asked for Sgt. Sanders. Out. He left. 12 noon. I left. Fellow citizen, you have just read an eye-witness report of a morning in the Mayor's office. It comes to you as a public service. Ah, me.

to see the

Apology to the Tones For a Misplaced Joke

dorf, the Bronx. . . to say when “Nina”

. Gloria Swanson was—heard closed, "I'll never set foot I'll stick to ‘tHe movies and dress husiness from now on.” . Jackie Gleason and Lee Myers flew . from * Saratoga to Albany to hear . Charlie Spivack., then to Mon- , treal to hear Jimmy Dorsey. « Jimmy, at the end of two days’ revelry, sent them a present — two bottles of scotch and two tickets back to New York. . Speaking of bottles, I gave my 4 own My Girl Friday a new name—"“My Girl Thirsty.”

CET

THE MIDNIGHT EARL... I nominate wonderful little Jimmy Savo—who opened at the Plaza Persian Room with § Rolly Rolls—as the greatest ¢ cafe performer in town. His “Some ‘Contagious Evening” song, about meeting a gal with a cold—"“and you will be sneezing, again and again”— g§ is sensational material. Says i! Jimmy of another babe: “She's just like an old book—her binding’'s loose, her appendix is out, and she's been on the # shelf too long.”

NEW: FEUD: Red Skelton and Cid Caesar (Red accusing Sid of material-swiping). . . Doris Duke dined in Toots Shor’s with a man she called “Sporty.” It's not true that she asked Toots for a loan... , . Julia Adams is one of the “new figures.” She's in “Bend of the River,” in which Arthur Kennedy does an Academy Award job. Today's corn: Minnie Pearl purports that she was told to use her head so she became a hat model.

Julia Adams

Try Whale Steak For Real Treat

friends of Harry Truman, and a man is lucky to find a slab of whale on his table. The Eskimos and the Scandinavians have thrived on it for years, and seem inordinately healthy. Whale cutlets are fine for slimming, too, which should make them readily acceptable to all women, everywhere. Dames will eat anything, including rope salad dusted with Paris green, if they suspect it will pare a pound off the posterior. I have come to accept cheerfully anything that is placed before me these days, so long as you can chew it and it ain't eggplant. Between the high cost of old-fashioned groceries and the recurrent reducing fads, the evening meal is a constant surprise. One week it's nothing but pig, from feet to flight deck, and the next week it's grass and cottage cheese, according to the latest in dietary theory and store-window specials.

. . de idnoiN

IN MY MOMENTARY tranquillity I now consider the whale as man's best friend, for doés he not give us sperm oil, corset stays, fertilizer, perfume from ambergris, and, finally, hamburger? I will continue to eat him so long as he sticks around the bu®k mark per pound, with only one brief complaint. I do wish that Mama would continue to announce dinner with “Come and get it!” or “Soup’s on!” instead of “Thar she blows!”

Dishing the Dirt By Marguerite Smith -

Q—Can you tell me how to care for Christmas cactus? The leaves seem to be shriveling. Do 1 put it away after blooming like the Christmas lilies? Mrs. C. V. Shipman, Fairland. A-—The Christmas cactus is an old fuss of a plant. If leaves shrivel, you may have given too tittle water. But more likely, it was too much. Just the other day a most successful grower of this delightful bratty “plant told me how theirs dropped its buds (but not its full-blown fuchsia-

Read Marguerite- Smith's Garden Column in The Sunday Times

like blossoms) just because they —— it from the southeast window it preferred to an east win-

dow, Air and temperature were exactly the same.

So first, remember this is not a desert cactus. Its

_original happy home was in Brazil where it grows

in trees (note those little aerial roots). After flowers ~re done, ease up on water. Light shade outdoors after weather is warm will probably suit it best. One .grower says she gets best results

. when she keeps hers entirely dry during October. * In November she wakes it up with water ‘once a BRUT we must not cavil at our lot today. The

week; liquid fertilizer every 10 days. Don't repot

t At may | Laine) do Yery well

“

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23

, 1952 -°

'he Indianapolis Times

a ‘PAGE 13

Thousands Watch 31 Million Fire

—Times Photo by Dean Timmerman

A WHOPPER—Firemen bombard smoke and flame in Block's and Hanover's stores yesterday as thousands watch. Photographer shot from fourth floor of L. S. Ayres & Co. Ten firemen were injured. Loss was estimated at $1 milion.

‘WE RUSSIANS CAN'T BE TRUSTED’

When Stalin Dies— What Then?

By RICHARD C.

HOTTELET

URING my extraordinary interview with Maxim Litvinov, he dismissed my hope that the world outlook

might perhaps not be as bad as he had painted it.

His

views were positive and emphatic.

In Litvinov’'s death would not alter the course of Soviet policy. Nor did he seriously consider the possipility that pressure inside Russia could change the government or its objectives by revolution. There #3 perhaps no more sensitive subject in Russia than the person of Stalin. His name is seldom mentioned without an attitude that approaches awe. Put bluntly, Stalin” is the closest thing to 3od recognized by the Soviet state. The propaganda machine does not acknowledge that Stalin will one day die. When my conversation with Litvinov on that hot June “day in 1946 turned to the prospects after Stalin's death and the chances of revolution I began to sweat in earnest. v ..,The august name of Stalin Was never mentioned by either of us. Nor did Litvinov use the words “revolution” and “Russia” in the same sentence. But I was well aware that if the room were wired for sound, only a low grade moron would fail to get “the point in’ the first 10 seconds. ” ” THE MATTER of succession came up in this way. Litvinov, who described the outlook as bad, had expressed the opinion that’ differences between East

and West seemed to have gone too far to be reconciled. He had established the root cause as Moscow's belief in inevitable conflict between the Communist and capitalist worlds. He had: deplored the Kremling “conservatism” and its herence to the idea of security An terms of square miles. I suggested that if Mos-

cow could not be persuaded

or mollified perhaps it could bo suwalled §, 1pm the ques-,

opinion Stalin's -

ad-

Editor's Note: This is the third chapter in a series describing the astonishing interview given to an Ameri can newsman by a top ranking Russian diplomat. The diplomat was Maxim Litvinov, former Soviet foreign minister. The newsman was Richard C. Hottelet, foreign correspondent for the Columbia Broadcasting System. The year us vinov, then deputy minister, was being shelved by Stalin To have published the interview then would have been Litvinov's death warrant, Since Moscow announced Lit vinov's death last Jan. 2," Mr, Hottelet feels free to write the interview and tell the story behind it. Soon after the conversation with Litvinov, Mr. Hottelet prepared a report of it and turned it over to the American State Department. !

1946. L.it-

tion to Litvinov in these words: ‘What are the chances of postponing conflict between East and West * long .enough to allow new and younger men, who are not laboring under the obsolete geographical concept of security, to grow up and take over?” He dismissed the question with a wave of his hand. * “What difference does it make?” he asked, as though to gay for Heaven's sake, use . your head. " “What difference does it make if the young men~ are educated intensively in the pres cise spirit of the old?” - ” ” PLAINIY, he did not expect any improvement should “the ; Majenkovs, Ferny and Diner

No. 3—

fanatical take over. But if word got around that the Kremlin's policy was driving Russia and the world toward inevitable ruin, might despair not rouse internal opposition? Litvinov answered that at some length.

Litvinov recalled that during ‘my days in Germany, I had some knowledge of life under a dictatorship. As before, he spoke slowly, breathing asthmatically.

young fogeys

“We must not forget,” he said, “that the German and Italian people did not revolt even in the face of the most dreadful and hopeless punishment. In 1792 the French pen-

ple could storm arsenals, muskets and make revolution. But today the people would need artillery, tanks, radio stations, printing presses—all of - which are held tightly in the hands of any totalitarian state, That Is why it would be terribly difficult, for instance, to dislodge , .. Franco.” He paused a bit longer than usual between the last two words, but neither his face nor his voice changed expression. To illustrate his point further Litvinov continued: . 8 -N ” “EVEN during the war, in my opinion, the activities of the various underground movements—in France and elsehere—have been greatly exaggerated. The only place where the Germans were caused any serious inconvenience was

grab

, In Yugoslavia.”

I ‘should have asked him about the partisans in Russia but I remember not wanting to do any prodding which might bring him up short in this dangerous discussion. , Litvinov wefit back to public opinion. “I often wonder," he declared, “when I read ‘reports of British and American’ correspondents “who say, ‘The ‘Russian people think so and %0," what people? Whom do _ they see” No one.

“On the other hand.” he

‘muged, “by following yg ‘the

propaganda machine puts into men's: minds one can judge what any thinking is likely to arrive at.” I thought I might point out that popular revolution against a determined dictatorship is indeed difficult, but what about a coupe d’ etat inside the ruling

clique? “No,” Litvinov replied, “even for a palace revolution one

would need the support of the army and the police.” ” un ” . I BEGAN to discuss Germany. Litvinov declared; “Of all the single problems in the world today Germany is the greatest problem.” What would happen there, I probed. Litvinov answered readily. This was in June 1946, when the western military governors in Germany were still plugging away at Four Power co-opera-tion and unification under the Potsdam agreement. Litvinov had manifestly long since kissed off the “agreement” reached at Potsdam. “Germany will obviously he

broken into twe parts,” he said drily. Couldn’t some other solution be found, I asked, ‘since

hoth sides professed a desire to unify Germany? Litvinov azain, with matter-of-fact prophesy: “Each side wants a unified Germany—under its control.” What effect would this great power - struggle have on the Germans themselves? Could it stir up resistance, or even an underground. - Litvinov was less definite contingency. “It's possible,

skeptical, but in rejecting this

“of course,” he said, “because the oppressors are foreign. and the people could reckon with the support of the polire. What's more, they probably could count on

wgecret help from either fide of

the oc eypaiion,s EY

THE Soviet Deputy Foreign . Minister: could speak with. au--thority for his: side, at ‘least.

Years later 1 was sorry I_ had

not asked him about Korea. -

- breathing

My interview with Litvinov lasted nearly an hour, 1 left his office puzzled and excited.

I half expected to be 'arrested on the street. Having the story was uncomfortable enough. Writing it was out of the question. The censor would have killed the broadcast and the secret police would have taken care of Litvinov.

As for myself, Hitler's Gese tapo had hooked me on “suspicion of espionage” five years before; and forever disabused me of the’ notion that nothing could happen to me because I was an American correspondent, zn ” a an NEXT DAY, I went around to the American Embassy and talked it over with John Davies, the brilliant First Secretary, with whom I had discussed a line of questioning before I saw

Litvinov. He agreed that pube lication was too risky. But the material was secretly rushed to Secretary of State Byrnes who

again was wrestling with Foreign Minister Molotov in Paris, It had the effect Litvinov undoubtedly meant it to have. During the next few days T braced myself for the. news’ that Litvinov had died suddenly or been killed in an accident. But he lived long enough to persuade me that either his office had not been wired for sound or the dictaphone "had broken down. The mystery of why Litvinov had spoken out in this way to a complete stranger remained. As 1 left his office his heavy almost turned to sighs as he urged me repeatedly to take his remarks as the in-

dividual opinions of a private:

citizen. At no time, as -best-1 can remember, did he ask me to Keep anything off the record. The mystery was -at- least partially. cleared up two months later. (Copyright,

1952. by United” Peature

Syndicate, Inc.) © TOMORROW: Why Lite, vinoy Warned the Free World . Against His Own Country. Be

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