Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 18 June 1952 — Page 22

The Indianapolis Times 7o¥ a WALTER LECKRONE HENRY TW. WANG

Business PAGE 22 Wednesday, June 18, 1952

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Telephone PL aza 5551 Give Light and the People Will Find Ther Own Wey

Kowtowing to Stalin A FEW DAYS ago the governments of France and West ** Germany agreed with Britain and the United States apon terms of a German peace settlement arid plans for German rearmament. : Prompt ratification of the two treaties formalizing these agreements was to be sought. Upon this assumption, the U. S.—always too-ready in putting its money on the line—began placing lucrative de“ense orders in France, to lessen the anticipated strain on the French economy. Now the French and West Germans want to delay any action on their part after another con‘erence with Russia. That puts us back on the same old merry-go-round we have been riding since 1945—with Stalin calling the turn. Some of our Allies appear to be the victims of a Soviet hypnosis, which recurs every time they are on the point of taking a positive stép toward organizing against the threat of Red aggression. When the Red czar looks in their direction they freeze into immobility, like a rabbit confronted by 1 rattlesnake. !

» . » » DWIGHT EISENHOWER must have had this familiar phenomenon in mind when he told a Denver audience he was not one of those who believes “all Russians are 14 feet high.” : We have no reason to fear the might of the Soviet Union if we are deserving of our heritage of freedom and are willing to work to maintain it, he said. That is sound counsel, because a great deal of our trouble has been of our own making. With the most inventive minds, the best productive brains and the greatest industrial organization on earth we are allowing the Russians to turn out more planes than we are because our government has gone soft at the top. This same weakness and indecision explains why Stalin can outmaneuver us with our own Allies. Former British Premier Clement Attlee, one of the victims of Stalin's evil eye, persuaded President Truman to adopt a defensive role in the Korean War. The Chinese Reds have been thumbing their noses at us ever since, because we have made it appear we are afraid of them. Even the Japanese are beginning to look askance at us because we have let nations push us around which they defeated with ease when they were on the march.

~ ” ” » » DWIGHT "EISENHOWER has lived with this international problem and understands it. He knows ground is being lost because of indecision and appeasement. He knows battles aren't won on the defensive. : He isn't afraid of the Russians, or anyone else—not because he knows them, which he dces, but because he "knows America and has faith in Americans. He did not lose that faith when he went to Europe--as so many Americans do. Given the leadership Dwight Eisenhower can provide, the United States will have nothing to fear. All our ship of state lacks is vision on the bridge and a firm hand at the helm. 3 There's nothing wrong with this country which the election in November can't cure,

Our Newest Ship

"THE SS United States is a sea-going beauty that ought to fill every American with pride. She's the biggest ship ever built in this country and the fastest commercial liner afloat. Designed for quick conversion to a troop transport, she will be able to carry 14,000 fully equipped soldiers—a shade less than a full infantry division. It is a pity that completion of the great vessel should be marred by a controversy containing ugly overtones and charges of “improprieties” in the contract under which she was built. : Briefly, the history of the SS United States is this. She cost more than $70 million to build. Of this, the United

EEE CEE RL

States Lines will pay $28 million, The balance of the cost will be made up in subsidies paid by the government. National defense features of the ship, written into the specifications by the Navy, account for $27 million of the subsidy. The rest of the government's share was paid to make up the difference in the cost of building the ship in an American yard and what she wauld have cost in a foreign yard.

» ~ ~ “ ~ » ALMOST on the eve of the ship's scheduled delivery, Comptroller General Lindsay Warren filed a 41-page obJection to the government subsidies and to some features of the contract. He said the United States Lines was not paying a big enough share of the cost and that the contract should be renegotiated. Commerce Secretary Charles Sawyer replied that he and his lawyers felt that the contract was “legal and binding” and should not be reopened. United States Lines officials also refused to reopen the contract. They pointed out that their firm was forever barred from profiting from sale of the vessel and that the government could take over the ship “within 30 minutes” in time of emergency. They added that U. S. Lines had lived up to its end of the contract and expected the government to do likewise and deliver the ship June 20 as scheduled. Any question of legality of the contract, they suggested, could be determined in the courts after the ship is delivered.

The Reds Unmasked BX SHOOTING down an unarmed Swedish plane over the ‘Baltic Sea, and the brutal eviction of German villagers from their homes to establish a so-called “frontier security belt,” the Russian imperialists have unmasked themselves. When an American plane was shot down near the Soviet border, it was easy enough to make the gullible believe that it might have been guilty of an invasion of Russian security: But no one in Europe is likely to believe the Swedes had any mischief in mind.

And when angry German farmers, armed only with

{Xes a1 gcyihen, stood of the Red police Patrols in defense

-

DEAR BOSS . . . By Daniel Kidney

Social Security Votes Change

WASHINGTON, June 18—Hoosier Republicans, who have been harassed by mail from oldage pensioners ever since they voted against a $5 monthly increase, got a second chance and all but one took advantage of it.

This time the solo-flight freshman was not Rep. Charles B. Brownson, Indianapolis, but E. Ross Adair, Ft. Wayne, He was one of but 22 Congressmen who voted “nay,” when the revamped social security bill, with the $5 monthly pension increase, went whooping through the House with 360 voting “yea.” Rep. Charles B. Halleck, Rensselaer Repubican and active House minority leader, led the fight against the bill when it was previously defeated. ‘A section of it, regarding disability payments, had been condemned by the American Medical Association lobby as being “socialized medicine.”

Objections Removed

AFTER Mr. Halleck joined the joint House Republican-Democrat leadership in voting to suspend the rules (two-thirds of those present required) and put the bill across yesterday, he said that nearly all of the objectionable features had been removed. Nevertheless, the AMA did not approve. Recognizing that the five freshmen Republicans elected in 1950 owe a debt to the doctors, Mr. Halleck also pointed out that the Senate could remove what remains objectionable. If they do not do so, the House could send the bill back to conference to satisfy the AMA demands. But there are more old folks than doctors voting in Indiana, and the $5 payment proved over-riding. The two Democrats, Reps. Ray Madden, Gary, and Winfield K. Denton, Evansville, always had been for it. - There were two Republican absentees when the bill was defeated. They were Mr. Brownson and Rep. Cecil Harden, Covington, Republican National Committewoman from Indiana. She

was addressing Sixth District postal employees :

at Turkey Run on that day and Mr, Brownson the Young Republicans at Butler University. On ‘Yea’ Side BOTH were on hand to say “yea,” when the roll-call came yesterday. Previous “nay” voters, who changed their mind on this second round, included Mr. Halleck and Reps. Shepard J. Crumpacker, South Bénd; John V. Beamer, Wabash; William G. Bray, Martinsville; Earl Wil. son, Bedford. and Ralph Harvey, New Castle. Explaining his vote against the bill, Mr, Adair said: “I do feel that $5 per month is little enough increase for old-age pensioners. But I also felt that the objections raised in the first instance had not been fully eliminated when the measure came back to the floor. Therefore I saw no reason not to continue to vote against its passage.” Mr. Crumpacker said he thought “at least 90 per cent of the AMA objections” had been met in the rewritten measure, “I do not think that the doctors or any other group can always expect everything,” he added.

Craig at Luncheon

THE GOP Congressmen had talked the bill over at a luncheon with George Craig, Indianapolis attorney and the party's candidate for Governor. He was here on AMA business, being the doctors’ attorney on a medical advisory committee on Veterans Administration medical treatment, Mr. Craig explained. He is not an AMA lobbyist and had nothing to do with the bill, he declared. The Republican Congressmen reported that they had merely talked it over in Mr. Craig's presence. Dr. Norman Booher, Indianapolis, also was here with the American Legion's branch of the advisory group. After their meetings, Mr. Craig moved on to New York to attend an Insurance Council meeting. Before he became past national commander of the Legion, Mr. Craig was practicing law in his home town of Brazil.

What Others Say—

WITH fiendish cleverness they (the Commusnists) exploit every grievance, every class, racial and religious division.—Sen. Estes Kefauver (D. Tenn.). d > o THE Kremlin bombards the world with cries of “peace” and the Kremlin brings on war at every point she can.—President Harry Truman,

FREE ENTERPRISE . . . By Peter Edson

Steel Lawyer Fights Against Board Rule

, at the Maritime Commission.

And in fhe

Meantime—

’

FIGURES BACKFIRE . . . By Frederick C. Othman Gets Division and Multiplication

WASHINGTON, June 18—The time has come to consider the sorry tale of the wasted millions ere the records seem to have got chopped up in an electric fan. The retired admirals lost a couple of millions of dollars’ worth of stuff in their own warehouses.

And one of their experts—the real villain in this piece—gomehow punched ‘the wrong button on his calculating machine when he was trying to figure out how big federal subsidies should be to the builders of ships. Along came our Controller General Lindsay Warren, of the bushy haircut and the bulldog jaw, who is as inevitable as fate. Where, he demanded to know, was the foolproof bookkeeping system the central accounting office. had fixed up for the bureaucratic old salts? Nobody seemed to know. Mr. Warren's sleuths finally located this document in the back of a bookshelf, covered with the dust of years. They also discovered that the management didn’t even realize it had an inventory of ship fittings in one warehouse worth $2.6 billion. They learned further that the commission had bought and sold nearly $1 billion worth of stuff without keeping any records.

Fires Commissioners

THINGS WERE so bad that in 1950 President Truman fired the commissioners and replaced them with a maritime administration operating out of the Commerce Department. Let us not forget the gent who pushed the wrong button. His calculations went into the figuring of the cost of the two superliners, the 8S, S. Independence and the 8. 8, Constitution. You remember, he meant to divide, but he actually multiplied. So there was Controller Warren telling the House Merchant Marine Subcommittee what happened: The price of the two ships came to $46,830,~

SIDE GLANCES

Tables Mixed Up onU.S. Ship Cost

000, of which the government was to pay $22,900,000 and the American Export Lines, which signed a contract to buy them, $23,900,000. Then Lindsay's accountants began snooping in the bales of-paper the admirals sald were their records and the new Maritime Administration decided to rewrite that contract. It did, too. Knocked $10,600,000 off the cost to us taxpayers. Well, sir, this made American Export Lines sore. You can’t much blame ‘em. As they put it, how can you do business with a fellow like Uncle Sam who signs a contract at one price and then changes his mind? Most of the Congressmen were inclined to go along with this idea. So was the new Maritime Administration, It said, in effect, that watchdog Warren's experts had influenced its own specialists to knock down the price.

‘All Fired Up’

TALK ABOUT angry! You should have seen our Controller. He said if the admirals had been careful in the first place, or at least knew how to run an adding machine, the original contract would have been OK. But they messed it up and, said he, under the law, it consequently was illegal. He doesn't intend to change his mind, whether American Export buys those ships or not. ' And another thing, he said. This new liner, United States, now undergoing speed trials which apparently will make it queen of the seas, involves some bookkeeping that doesn't exactly suit him. He said if the Secretary of Commerce insists on selling this ship at the price set, the taxpayers will be cheated and the United States Lines will get only a tainted title. That's because he never gives up. He has ruled, the law’s on his side and as a common, garden-variety taxpayer, myself, 1 figure Mr. Warren's a handy fellow to have around.

Hoosier Forum

*] do not with a word that you say, but | wil to the death your

right to say it."

Dialogues : MR. EDITOR: Suppose Generals of the Army Eisenhower and MacArthur should meet in Chicago at the Republican National Convention in July. » IKE—"Good morning, Mac. For what are you up so early? MAC—"“Hello, Ike. I got up early to go over my keynote speech,” but these hotel rooms are sure hot. I came out for some fresh air under a shade tree. My conscience just will not let me mention my friend, Bob Taft.” IKE—"I shouldn't think you would worry in view of the Taft steamroller system in the southern delegate situation and in the Republican convention organization.” MAC—"By the way, those were Democrats masking as Republicans down in Texas.” IKE—"“May I correct Avy Mac? We are oe I Republican majority in Texas. How Jeg) Repu Party to be rebuilt unless independ ents and dissatisfied Democrats are welcome, es«

- pecially in the South. I do appreciate the in-

dorsement of the 8 on the basis of character and of MAO—"How come you are running for Presi. dent?” . : IKE—"“First, may I ask, how come you are keynoting this convention?” : MAC—“Oh, I have a sincere and an earnest desire to help the nation, the world and the party wherever and whenever I can.” JKE—"1'am running for President for the same reason. By the way, Mac, I see through the papers your friend, Bob Taft, claims to be a ‘No Deal’ candidate also.” ; MAOC—"“And that is the way I feel about him.” IKE—“T don't wish to disillusion you, but just the other day Bob offered me a deal on the southern situation.” MAC—"1 don’t like ‘me-too-ism.’” HKE—"“Bob is sure ‘me-tooing’ on the ‘No Deal’ statement, Now, who is the e-too-er’'? Republicans have thought for the pas 20 years the New Dealers were 100% wrong. Possibly they are, but the farmer-labor population had been grouping for consideration and for leader~ ship. The FED New Deal was the temporary answer and it may be the permanent answer unless we Republicans wake up.” ’ * o *

MAC—"Yes, yes. Go on.” IKE—“We must adequately satisfy the farms ers and the workers. When they are satisfied and prosperous we are all satisfied and pros perous, including the business and professional people.” ; ; MAC—"“But this means socialism.” IKE—“Absolutely, no. It is a matter of ats titude rather than of policy.” MAC—“There goes your ‘No Dealism.’”} IKE—"“You old peckerwood, we never did see eye to eye.” —C. H. Hopper, 310 > Illinois St. City, ® * :

Scripps-Howard Newspapers achievement.” .

Prefers Real Thing

MR. EDITOR: I note your editorial in The Times stating

that Scripps-Howard papers are for Ike. I wonder how much international bankers gold your papers got for this. The New Dealers have been corrupt enough in the past, but Ike's gang seems worse than ever. I, an old Republican, will not vote for Ike. If we want or will get New Deal we might as well take the original New Dealers, alleged Democrats. . This Ike gang will make enough Repubficans mad and disgusted. They will either not vote or vote for somebody other than Ike, Since your newspaper is New Deal, I suggest you stick to nominating your New Deal candidate. We Republicans can nominate our

own candidate. —A Republican, City.

He's Certain

MR. EDITOR: ' The would-be Republican, Wayne Morse of Oregon, came out against Taft today. Also the Scripps-Howard newspapers will support the

great Ike. . The two decisions will about nominate Taft, Thanks. A Taft Adherent, City

ECONOMIC PLANS . . . By Clyde Farnsworth

Greece Faces Either Recovery or Ruin

WASHINGTON, June 18-—-Clarence B. Randall, 61-year-old president of Inland Steel Co., looks more like a college professor or a minister than the Harvard lawyer and iron master that he really is. Yet he is something of a teacher and a preacher, too. The lesson and the sermon he. delivers most often is on saving the free enterprise system. He thinks it is on trial before the world and possibly fighting a rear-guard action. Mr. Randall first leaped into national prominence as the new apostle and philosopher of American business during the 1049 steel strike over pensions, Appearing before a three-man presidential board named to investigate this dispute, Mr, Randall declared: “When the President announced this board, it was an

. industrial revolution in Ameri-

ca. Collective bargaining has

_ been destroyed. It has been

replaced by the President.

» ” M “AND IF THIS union strate egy works this time, collective

bargaining will never come back, The precedent here established, reflecting similar

attempts made in 1948, would commit us to boards and government wage fixing forever.” How right Mr. Randall has been in that prediction thus far is shown by recent experience in the new steel wage case.’ In this dispute, Mr. Randall was radio and television spokesman for the entire steel industry in

tional and fundamental free. dom questions involved,

=» ~ = CLARENCE RANDALL has been expounding and developing his ideas on management and labor relations over the past five years. He has made a number of speeches to industrial groups. He has written a4 number of articles for magazines, He has a book coming out soon, collecting his best pleces and adding some new ones. A review of his public utterances — which he insists on writing himself, without benefit of a ghost—can be made to show that he is an extreme liberal on some things, an extreme conservative on others. “We know so little about. the mass behavior of human be-

ings,” Mr. Randall confessed

in a speech before Controllers’ Institute two years ago. “Why will a fine American who loves his family and goes to church + + take two feet of gaspipe and lay it across another's head on the picket line? . “The old school of thought in industry was an increase in pay did it all. It doesn’t. All of the great area of motivation as distinguished from pay is

¢

almost a closed book to us

in industry.” Writing in the Atlantie Monthly; Mr. Randall had declared earlier: "Those who champion the right of free workers to strike must likewise champion the right of free men in management to say ‘No’ in the face of a strike.”

we have to resolve th general ? Will there Slapuntat “Randall declares Another repress adit i pr fh DR pn a. ten... he relationship.” he sal. ame searching rhe vod

"We're supposed to be the heroes, but that my sister and she can't cook a lick!"

If there had been free ‘bare

gaining in the present steel dispute, without government interference, Mr. Randall believes steel prices might have ade vanced about $5 or $6 a ton, had the unions accepted management’s best offer of a 12% cents-an-hour increase. But he does not believe that steel price

‘rise could hold for long.

“There is no shortage of steel,” he asserts. It will take some time to absorb present over-expanded steel production capacity. Warehouses are full of consumers’ goods that have been over-produced. . Is the country headed for

uy is marrying

which he does not know the

full answers. He points, how-

ever, to the fact that textile workers have voluntarily taken

wage cuts. Stores in many steel towns, be says, have been hard hit. Families haven't been spending. They have been saving— partially through fear of another strike, like that of 1949,

ATHENS, June 18—Greece is tottering on a chasm of economic collapse and communism despite more than $2 billion in U. 8. aid. There is no doubt without this help. Greece would have been lost to the Western world a long time ago. But, the nation’s 7.6 million people (considerably less than New York City) have used up the $2 billion and still remain deep in the hole.

What then has this huge" American investment bought? First, American aid was largely instrumental in delivering Greece from the Communists in the civil war of 194649. Second, and vitally important, U. 8. dollars have financed Greece’s tough 140,-000-man army—the southern hinge of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) defense system. » » . BUT IN HELPING to assure Greek freedom, the U. 8. also has helped assure a conf.sion of political thinking, political

rivals, bureaucracy, governmental weakness, ineptitude and worse,

Only very recently, after countless millions of American dollars had been frittered away in an inflation-ridden economy, has there been a faint suggestion that the U, S. i an the weak-willed reek government is stiffening. In Mutual Security Administration circles there has been renewed talk of economic stabilization. The Greek government itself has made a few motions in this direction— tightening up credits hitherto

granted on a come-and-get-it

much more to help itself, but it can't go it alone. We can pare down American help, but we can't eliminate it—and still have Greece on our side.” ~ » - BUT JUST HOW much earnest effort can be expected of the Greek government is dubious. Cabinets here are not noted for long life or longrange planning, and they find it hard to clamp down. It has® been easier just to let Amerie can aid go on supplying about one-third of Greece's national income.

If the present liberal-center coalifion—in office since September—has any great success at economic reform, it will be most remarkable, Several coalitions ago — February, 1951, to be exact-—the government in power went so far as to issue a statement jointly with the aid mission (then ECA) proposing the very measures now being talked about.

Last fall the gavernment, trying to look alive to the economic threat, had one of Greece's foremost economists, Kyriakos Varvaressos, study the economic situation and make recommendations. His report says in part: g ~ - ” “GREECE WILL always ree main a poor country. It is plagued with a shortage of arable land, poor quality of soil and generally low

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