Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 20 June 1952 — Page 22

"The Indianapolis Times

A SURIFFS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER : , WALTER LECKRONE HENRY W. MANS ROY W. HOWARD

T PAGE 22 Friday, June 20, 1952

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Telephone PL aza 8568) Give Light and the Pesple Will Find Ther Own Wey

The Steel Strike Hits Home

FOR 3000 INDIANAPOLIS families the steel strike began today. It began, for them, when the Chevrolet plant here had to shut down for lack of steel. The same paralysis is creeping into the building industry and a score of others. Thousands upon thousands of American workers, who" have no dispute with their employers and no desire to leave their jobs, now suffer its effects along with the steelworkers themselves. Disrega the loss to business, and the loss to American a the loss already taken by American workers themselves from this steel strike is so staggering that it is doubtful if any settlement ever could recover it for them. There is not a single issue in it that could not be settled by normal bargaining between employers and employees—if they were allowed to use it. ~~ They have not been, and they are not now.

THE INTERFERENCE has been political and the reasons for this strike are essentially political. The Truman administration, for political purposes of its own in a year of national elections, simply abrogated collective bargaining, undertook to dictate a settlement itself. ’ + - Both sides, as always in labor negotiations, demanded more than they expected to get—the union more wages, the steel makers higher prices. t Instead of the usual compromise, which settles sands of ‘such issues in America every year, the political administration first blocked a negotiated pay increase through its control over steel prices, then “recommended” a pay raise substantially higher than the union itself was then asking. And it added to that such gimmicks as compulsory union membership, which it. has no legal right even to propose. . Falling to get his terms accepted, President Truman tried to impose them by force. That failed, too, when the Supreme Court ruled his action illegal. The strike then became inevitable.

ACTUALLY THE PARTIES to this dispute are not very far apart today. Near enough, at least, that a reasonable compromise almost certainly could be made quickly. The only issue of real importance that remains is the issue of compulsory union membership.

The members of the striking workers union have not voted on whether they want to strike or aceept the offer they have —a right existing law grants hh . President Truman, for political reasons, has refused to follow that law. He doesn’t like the men who wrote it, nor the Congress which passed it. The Indianapolis workers, most of them loyal union members themselves, who are being laid off today, have not even been asked whether they consider it worth going without pay for a few weeks in order to force a handful of men to join a union they do not wish to join. American-style collective bargaining might have settled this steel dispute many weeks ago.

Collective bargaining hasn't failed, in this. It just hasn't been permitted.

of

You Add It Up

IN SPITE of everything, there may be a few who will think that maybe there is a remote chance that the Russian planes which shot down the Swedish plane actually were fired on first, as the Russians say. But consider a few simple statistics— The Swedish plane was a Catalina (PBY). The two Russian planes were MIG 15s. The Catalina’s top speed is 130 miles per hour. ° The MIG's top speed is around 640 miles per hour. Practical firing range for air combat probably is around a thousand yards, depending on the type of gun. How can a plane that can’t fly over 130 mph get close enough to shoot at a plane which can fly 640 mph, ‘The Russians say the Catalina was over Russian terri- % tory. The Catalina hit the sea 60 miles out. If it had been over Russian territory, it would have taken it a half hour to get to the spot where it was ditched. So, any lingering belief that the Russians are not their usual lying selves must be based on the notion that the calm and careful Swedes, who stayed out of World War II entirely, Me attacking, all by themselves, modern Russian fighter planes with unarmed prewar flying boats. That doesn’t sound like the Swedes.

Overdue Cleanup

THE UNITED NATIONS is quietly getting rid of a number of American Communists who have been em. ployed at its headquarters in New York. Apparently 30 or more will have been fired when the housecleaning is completed. It is easy to understand why these American Reds sought jobs in the United Nations in the first plage. It is not so easy to understand how they got them, or why they were not fired before now.

Bit OF Too Much

NY WASHINGTON, a policeman was fined $200 after + entering a tavern while off duty and pinching waitresses, “patting” bongo drums, performing an impromptu dance - and scuffing with the bartender. : Sut (FL Sh Solisman got. 4 brvken tooth. He explained to his superiors e it while biting his finger. nails. His superiors didn't believe him.

biting his fingernails.

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DEAR BOSS... By Dan Kidney

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Mixed Politics

Behind ICC Job

WASHINGTON, June 20—A one-time Indianapolis Times copyboy, who grew up and turned lawyer, has been nominated for one of the top bureaucracy spots here.

He is a Hoosier Republican who knows the mocrats.

- right De

President Truman sent the name of Martin Kelso Elliott of Indiana to the Senate for confirmation as an Interstate Commerce Commissioner, It is e to get a prompt okay from the Senate Interstate Commerce ite tee of which Sen. Homer E. Capehart (R. Ind.) is a member. There will be no objection from Sen. Willlam E, Jenner (R. Ind) because he brought “Kelso” Elliott here as assistant coun-

sel on a Senate investiga committee duri the Republican 80th ling ud But the that Kelso Elliott nomi.

ney. And an even closer relationship with Mr. Me. assistant from Indianapolis, former J Joseph Howard, latter was at one time a member of the same law firm as Mr. Biliott. So Mar. on County Democratic Chairman David Lewis.

80 was Republican Mayor Alex Clark of Indianapolis,

Flying Colors

WITH ALL of that support on both sides of the political fence, (which tn Indiana bears no resemblance to an iron curtain), Mr. Elliott is sure to come with flying colors. Another fellow- who

having a compatriot on the ICC is Frank Me-

Carthy, able lobbyist for the Pennsylvania Railroad, where he has the title of pres le to the vice president. Nor is there apt to be any objection from Frank B. McHale, who, although déposed as long-time Democratic national committeeman, remains Mr. McKinney's buddy and a director of the Nickel Plate, Rep. William Bray, Republican, Martinsville, denies that all this adds up to an bipartisan squeeze play. He ts out that the new ICC Senimissloner 1s Jog of ener Elliott, one . 8. Attorney now a utgan County us Judge, and always outstand ngly a Re“It 18 like father like son in the case of Kelso,” Mr. Bray, who counts the Elliott family as being all Martinsville men, declared. “There will be no bipartisanship plays him. Hp will do a good job on the commission

and will be one of the bli 0 wil he Rpg can commissioners,

$15,000 Salary

THE LAW requires that no more than six of 11 commissioners can be from the same political party. Mr. Biliott was nominated to fill the unexpired term of, Commissioner Clyde B. Aitchison, who is retiring under the 85 age limit rule. The term extends to Dee. 31, 19586, and the salary 1s $15,000. : Mr: Elliott 1a 44. He was quietly married in Indianapolis last New Year's Day by Judge Walter Pritchard. His bride is secretary to Sen, James B. Murray (D. Mont.). He met her while workifig on Capitol Hill for Senator Jenher's subcommittee on privileges and elections. He was assistant to Chief Counsel Nelson Deranian, who was on leave from the office of the late Robert W. Lyons law firm here. The subcommittee investigated the elections of Democratic Senators in Maryland and West Virginia and both were seated. They are Sens. Herbert R. 0'Conor (D. Ma.) and Harley M. Kilgore (D. W. Va.). After Mr. Lyons’ death, Mr. Elliott Joined Mr. Deranian in the office here. In World War II, he rose from private to lfeutenant colonel and handled the death penalty review cases in the European theater.

Under Eisenhower

AB STAFF OFFICER with the judge advocate general, he was under the direct command of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. “He was a great officer and good guy,” Mr. Elliott said. But he declined to comment on Ike the presidential candidate. Mr. Elliot is a graduate of Shortridge High School, worked for The Times during vacations, graduated from DePauw University and then Harvard law school: He will be the second Hoosier Republican to serve on ICC in recent years. The other was late Commissioner George Barnard, who had been appointed by President Roosevelt upon Fescmmendation of the late Sen. Frederick Van Ss. ¥

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PUT UP OR SHUT UP . . . By Frederick C. Othman

Sen. Kem and Brannan in Heated Verbal War on Farm Aid Votes

WABHINGTON, June 20--You want to hear on a hot afternoon some really high-class snarling? I'm not talking about tigers: The buildup to the big blowoff started months ago when Sen. James P. Kem, the white-haired Republican from Kansas City, Mo., said if President Truman never did anything else, he ought to fire his Secretary of Agriculture, the Hon, Charles F. Brannan. This made the Hon. Charles so sore that his bald spot turned pink and he shot off a letter in which he said Sen. Kem was a bum insofar as farmers are concerned. In so many words he charged that the gentleman from Missouri was against everything that was good for rural America. The Senator said this was libel; he said the Hon. Charles had better put up, or shut up. The Secretary retorted that in 31 times at bat on farm legislation, S8en. Kem had voted the wrong way. The latter demanded that Mr. Brannan present himself before the Senate Agriculture Committee for cross-examination. The Hon. Charles arrived, looking grim and furiously chewing gum, which he soon deposited in a senatorial cuspidor. He said he wasn't taking back anything he said.

Lists Own Farm Votes

“I HAVE little interest in what you say as an individual,” replied Sen. K., “but in what you say as the Secretary of Agriculture. You wanted to make a hit-and-run and I don’t propose to let you get away with it.” Mr. Brannan said he did not, either, sir. Sen. Kem listed a number of his own farm votes in which he's agreed with Democratic stalwarts, the President, and even Mr. Brannan, himself. Eventually, the Secretary cried: “Do you mean you want me removed because I uphold farm supports?” “I made it clear you should be fired because of fraud, corruption and mismanagement in your department,” roared Sen. Kem. " “That is one of the most unfair things I ever heard” the Hon. Charles roared back. “Are you accusing me of fraud?”

“Not personally,” snapped Sen. Kem. “But there has been fraud in your department and I am accusing you of mismanagement. Gross mismanagement.” - . Chairman Allen J, Ellender (D. La.) pleaded with the snarlers to take it a little easier; he said he was tired. “I think,” commented Sen. George D. Aiken (R. Vt), “that the Senator and the Secretary have made it plain they'd like to remove each other from office.”

Sen. Aiken Explodes

CAME THEN some more minor-key insults and then the Secretary got into a lengthy explanation of why he believed flexible price supports, as voted by the Senate a couple of years ago, were unfair, Sen. Aiken gaid Mr. Brannan, himself, had supported them. Mr. Brannan said he hadn't. This caused the ordinarily gentle Sen. Aiken to explode: :

“What In the world is the use of you coming up here and trying to sidestep? Don’t do it, or you'll prove the truth of the Senator from Mis-' souri’s contention.” Mr. Brannan flushed red, breathed hard, and said nothing. Sen. Edward J. Thye (R. Minn.) took over. Said it looked to him like his colleague had voted consistently in the best in terests of the farmer. “But here's a man (Sen. Kem) who sets himself up as an expert on cabinet officers,” interrupted the Secretary. Maybe so, but the fact remains that Sen. Kem voted time and again with other friends of the farmers, insisted Sen. Thye. “You are in a very embarrassing position here this morning, Mr, Secretary,” he said. “I haven't charged Sen. Kem with anything,” said the Hon. Charlie. “Wait a minute,” shouted the Senator, “You have .chatged me with being against the best interests of the farmers, and that is serious.” I got out of there while the getting was good; afrald IT might get hit by a flying singleree, :

I went

g3°BER fife) Efasit fits fRaeit 5 5 ~soi3ak eke fs ;

Two months ago we insulated and had asbestos siding installed. Also other remodel

ing. A total of $1300. Now the furnace needs

to be replaced and the basement remodeled, but the people who live in the house can't find a place under $100 or $120 per month. We make payments of $20 more on the month than the rent we collect. The place is a burden to us and we'd like to sell, but we refuse to set our tenants out without a place to go.

: ® © WHEN I WENT to the OPS after getting the former registration, the girl at the desk raised her voice loud enough for everyone to hear and really bawled oF out, The idea of charging so much. 0 We have other rental property which was just vacated and the tenant left owing rent. We moved our furniture out $0 they could move theirs in and our furniture was tuined this winter, but that’s tough luck as far as the tenant and OPS is concerned. ; I believe the good tenants should stick up for us landlords. It will cost about $300 to replace our furniture so the second house will be in shape to rerent. We only collected $350 from the last tenant and it took better than $300 to get the house livable, so you can see what me make on our property. If it wasn’t for one apartment we have who are the best of tenants, we would sink deeper and deeper. Thank you for reporting the facts.

~A Property Owner, City.

From Within MR. EDITOR:

In high places as well as low places, many people are asking what is the matter with Bove ernment, They are saying if 50 per cent of the smear being handed back and forth is true, neither the Democrat nor Republican Party is cas pable of being in charge of the govérnment. Legislators—Democrats and Republicans—if we are voted a return to the legislature, what are we going to do about this evil monstrosity in government? It is not a Democrat of a Republican proposition, It is a legislative responsibility to remove this lobbyist factionalism in our state and federal government once a gove ernment of the people. .

IT IS NO wonder one of the very few great minds in the world recently said: “It is alarme ing the number of American voters who are drifting toward dictatorial powers.” The great Lincoln once said: “If this governs ment of the people is ever déstroyed it will be destroyed from within and not from without.” Another world leader recently said: “The rottenness in my government is delivering my country to the Communists.” Legislators, it is the eleventh hour of darkness. Will we accept our responsibility in prin< ¢iple, and restore the government to the people? ~The Traitor, City.

Columbia's Cheap?

MR. EDITOR: The overt acts of the Scripps-Howard chain of sheets indicate the close formation of said chain to the criminals of the labor unions. Said chain has adopted Gen. Eisefthower for President. Sen. Taft has more capacity, more intelligence, more administrative ability in his little finger than your candidate has in his entire make-up. For the sake of circulation only, that is your purpose in adopting Mr. Eisenhower for Presi. dent. Your chain has not the guts, the courage to support a real man, a real, intelligent candi. date such as the Hon. Robert A. Taft. Gen. Eisenhower did nothing to the shysters while at his post at that cheap college, Colums bia. He failed in the NATO assighment. His Detroit speech was a flop. Yet your sheets support a candidate whose record has shown he is totally incapacitated for the position.

~William A, Poe, 343 Mass. Ave, City

No wonder. A man that bysy didn't have time to be -

EUROPE . . . By R. H. Shackford

Long Delay Is Urged In Parley With Russ

BONN, June 20-—The West German government has warned the United States, Britain and France that ‘a fourpower conference with the Russians now might destroy all chances for German rearmament, Chancellor Konrad Adenauer still favors another meeting between the West and Russia to test the sincerity of the Kremlin's professed desire to reunite all Germany. But timing of such a conference is all-important. And the consensus here is that the time certainly is not now, and probably not this summer. . . - MR. ADENAUER wants to defer such a step until after the Bundestag here ratifies not only the European army treaty (which includes a go-ahead for 12 German divisions) but Also the treaty which contains new agreements between West Germany and the Allies, In return for such a delay. the Adenauer government is promising to try to push ratification of the treaties through

the Bundestag before its sum-¢

mer recess in early August, and thinks chances are fairly good. If the recent French suggestion for an early four power meeting of the various Russian and Allied high commissioners for Germany or their deputies should be adopted, officials here fear ratification by the Bundestag will be delayed many months--probably until after the elections late next year. Worse still, they might never reach the Bundestag at all, the West has been told. * 8 = THUS, the next Western note to Russia likely will try to prolong the note-exchang-ing stage. It may press the Kremlin. again to clarify its ideas on German elections and seek assurances of a clean-cut definition of what a four power ‘would discuss, Even the to Allied sources here, have changed their views consider

according’

ably in the last few days. Last week, the French cabinet insisted that a four power conference be held now. The French argument was that a four power meeting was almost certain to be unsuccessful. Such a result might be a blessing, the French felt, because it would make treaty

ratification by the parliaments easier,

. 2 ” “SEE, the Russians don't really want an honest settlement,” the Allied governments could tell the people after an unsuccessful conference. “It Is just Soviet propaganda.” West German officials take quite a different view. They fear an unsuccessful four power meeting could be used by the Russians to intimidate West Europe with threats that ratificAtion of the German treaties would be a political impossibility, Officials are certain that would be the effect here, where West Germans sit cheek-by-jowl with the Russian the Elbe River, and hslans still enslave nearly 20 million East Germans.

» » ” THE SOVIET might or might not be prepared to carry out some of its threats. That wouldn't matter, Russia would growl through Vishinsky or Gromyko so menacingly that West Europeans might decide

the whole German rearmament |

project. was too dangerous to take a chance. There's no basic change in the general desire by all here for a meeting with the Russlans—sometime. But there's a growing sentiment that this isn’t the time. The U. 8. would like to see treaty ratification by all European countries first. But sentiment for another meeting with the Russians is so strong in many sections of Germany, France and Britain that delay German ratification

seems to be & major hope now.

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SIDE GLANCES By Galbraith

. *20 TM Reg. U8 Pas ON Tope. 1962 by NEA Servies, he

"Mother sent me over to borrow a cup of sugar—and maybe a few cookies or a piece of piel”

What, Others Say—

IT WAS easy to get married, but getting unhitched was a lot of trouble. 80 I never bothered.—Robert L. James, admitting he had six wives.

WITH all that money (80 billion dollars for defense) being pumped into our economy, many prices would go up if controls were lifted.—Sen. Burnet Maybank (D. 8.C.).

I CANNOT and will not cut my conscience to fit this year's fashions.—Writer Lillian Hellman, réfusing to testify whether she ever was a Communist.

BASEBALL did not come before Congress with clean hands. ~Congressman Patrick J, Hillings (R. Cal.).

THE WOMAN who can throw anything on and look right Just doesn’t exist—Hollywood costume designer Kate Lason.

PE PAMBRICANS ate 3a tense and keyed up it is limpossible evn to put them to sleep with a sermon.—Dr. Norman Vincent Peale,

WHEN you're something evil you're not going to beat It By Keeping SUR ADGGR Ire Gers Duvighe br Brslis

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STEELWORKERS . . . By William Jacobs

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Strikers Are Facing Tight Cash Squeeze

PITTSBURGH, June 20—The “big hitch” is on here as idle steelworkers tighten their belts and swélter through their third strike week. Their last pay was June 6 and even the pennies have been squeezed out of that one. The next one may be a long

“time coming. So the mill work-

ers are on the make for “tideover” money. From painting to plumbing, the strikers are taking all sorts of part-time jobs, The big problem with most of them is food for the famfly. Other bills will just have to wait,

BOW IS the average steelworker fixed for a long walkout? “Don't make me laugh” growls Hugh Parker, 23 years a steelworker. “Where did you ever see a mill worker who could stand to lose a day's pay. “We've been out two weeks and already I'm two months in the hole.”

Men who have no families

aren't so eager to return as _

the others. Take Kelly Johnsoh, A casting grinder: . “They can stay out until-the mills rust, for my money,” he snaps. “I can get by, with nobody to support. It's rough on some of the fellows with

kids all around the table, though.”

. . »

“BUT WE'RE still eating the same,” laughs Andrew Toth, who has four youngsters. “Only it's on credit.” Many housewives are more anxious than their husbands for the strike to end. A sampling of strikers in mill towns around here indicates most of them would phe.

pay boost back to Apr. 1. Some wotlld get more, so that the average would come to 16 cents an hour. The Wage Stabilization Board recommended an ine crease of 12% cents an hour back to Jan. 1, plus 21% cents more on July 1 and again next Jan. 1—for a total of 17% cents. » os ” MANY OF the strikers are uncertain about what's hold ing up an agreement. A lot of them feel “fringe benefits”

are responsible, but others say °

it's the union shop demand. Members of the CIO United Steelworkers would like to see non-members compelled to join the union so they would have to pay dues. But most of them apparently aren't willing to prolong a strike just,to. win this concession. How about the President use ing the Taft-Hartley law to get production going again?

an # MOST STRIKERS indicated

, they'd go back to the mills in

that event—but they wouldn't like it. Their sentiments were summed up by Robert Kurtz, a craneman, “Invoking the Taft-Hartley law now would impose a big handicap on the workers,” he says. “The companies would continue making their regular profits while we would have. to take pot luck for 80 days.” Though there is some dis satisfaction with union Presi dent Philip Murray, he still holds the confidence of most of his men, ss 0»

NEVERTHELESS, the strik-

ers are getting restless about

the drawn-out negotiations. “The best way to reach a settlement now,” declares Mr, Kurtz, in echo! the feelings of many of his coworkers, “is

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