Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 29 August 1952 — Page 20

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‘The Indianapolis Times

ROY W, HOWARD WALTER LECKRONE HENRY W. MANZ President Editor Business Manager

PAGE 20 Friday, Aug. 29, 1952

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This Small World

(ORCHIDS to the U. S. Air Force for helping to fly 9000 Moslems, stranded at the Beirut Airport, to Mecca for the annual pilgrimage to the birthplace of the prophet Mohammed. The pilgrims are from all parts of the Moslem world, including Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan and Senegal. This good neighbor act will be worth every cent it costs because of its contribution toward better understanding between the Christian and Moslem worlds. Every true member of the Moslem faith takes a vow to visit the Holy City of Mecca at least once in his lifetime. Such pilgrimages usually include visits to the tomb of the Prophet in Medina as well. This month, which is the last month of the Mohammedan year; is favored because it. includes the Id Al Idha festival, commemorating Abraham’s attempt to sacrifice his son, lsaac, to the Lord. American oil development in Saudi Arabia was indirectly responsible for the mammoth pilgrimages to Mecca and Medina this year. The Saudi Arabian government formerly assessed a head tax of $100 against each pilgrim, and the money from this tax was one of that government's major sources of revenue. The tax was lifted this year because the government's coffers are overflowing from oil royalties paid by the Arabian American Oil Co. This circumstance, which found 9000 pilgrims stranded at the Beirut Airport, indicates what a small and intimate community the world has become,”and the chain reactions which can result from apparently isolated developments. And while we're discussing the Middle East, there comes to mind—

THE OIL INVESTIGATION

The U. 8. government is investigating American oil companies operating in the highly explosive Middle East. If theSe companies have done anything which warrants criminal or civil action on the part of the government, the law should take its course. But is the situation such that it cannot be settled out of court, without inviting international complications? Inasmuch as the contemplated action is based upon a report made by the Federal Trade Commission more than a year ago, which only now has been made public upon the insistence of Sen. Sparkman, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, the whole proceeding naturally is suspect. There is no disposition on our part to countenance any wrong doing. But we trust that one of this country’s most important investments abroad is not being jeopardized simply to make votes for the Democrats.

This Will Pay Off

THERE'S NOTHING like a little publicity to keep a public office on its toes. Even honest public officials sometimes get careless of the public's interest when the chances of the public finding out are nil, or nearly so. Dishonest officials can get away with murder.

Getting away with murder properly describes some of the things that have gone on in Uncle Sam’s Internal Revenue Bureau in the past.

Income tax returns are secret, and rightly so. So long as a taxpayer files an honest, forthright report, he is entitled to privacy. ’ But’ when he hasn't paid what he owes, it's another question. Most taxpayers are scrupulous about their returns. They do their best to pay what they legitimately owe. Most employees of the Internal Revenue Bureau are just as scrupulous about examining these reports. They do their best to collect what's coming to the government and to be fair with the taxpayer. But not all taxpayers and, in the past, not all Internal Revenue officials, were so conscientious. So the bureau got into trouble. o

One way it got into trouble was secretly compromising claims. against delinquent taxpayers. Some of the settlements have appeared to be ridiculously low and some exemployees were much too immediately involved.

President Truman has ordered the files on all compromise cases opened to public inspection. These files will tell who settled for how much and why.

Taxpayers who pay in full are entitled to know why somebody else doesn't.

This ought to help keep a lot of noses clean.

Booming Territories

HE GREAT aluminum plant to be built in Alaska will be one of the most remarkable engineering projects in the world. It will cost $400 million, and will involve damming the mighty Yukon, enormous tunnels under the mountains, two underground powerhouses and the other facilities required to generate the vast amount of power necessary to make this important metal.

The proposed plant will itself employ enough people to support a new city of 20,000 people — almost as many. as Alaska’s “big town” of Anchorage — and will do much to put Alaska on a sound economic basis.

In Honolulu, the Chamber of Commerce reported that the Territory of Hawaii did $1.5 billion worth of business last yeartand its trade, production and, property values now exceed those of 29 of our 48 states. It has only 7000 unemployed, and its half-million people have 155,000 automobiles, 109,000 telephones and a good standard of living generally. Its three big industries—sugar, pineapples and tourists—all are booming and its Tourist Bureau is spending $1 million on promotion this year. This impressive growth and progress in Alaska and, Hawaii is convincing evidence that they are going concerns. It should help persuade the Congress that will be elected in November that they are entirely ready for the tesponsibilities of statehood, and that it should be granted them immediately, T =

U.S.-SPAIN NEGOTIATIONS . . . By Ludwell Denny

WASHINGTON — Gen, Franco will miss the boat unless he changes his attitude in the negotiations for American economic and military ald in exchange for naval and air bases. + The U. 8. government wants to deal, and has been trying seriously for several months. But the Spanish dictator insists on impossible terms. The range of disagreement is wide. It involves the amount of American aid, and how that 1s to be psed and inspected, as well as our privileges and rights to the bases. There is the usual conflict in which each party tries to get as good a deal for itself as possible. Our government has that experience in most of "the countries with which it has aid relations, As a result it {s accustomed to makIng concessions and compromises, and i= prepared to do go in Spain. : But the Spanish case presents new and special problems which are very difficult to handle. One is the problem of face. The Fascist dic-

OIL DEAL . . . By Clyde Farnsworth Cities Service Head Aids Iran

WASHINGTON-—The world's mightiest invalld, Premier Mohammed Mossadegh of tran, may at last he getting his way: To have the United States step into Britain's shoes and run Iran's nationalized oll industry has been at the back of Mossadegn's grizzled head ever since he started giving the Anglo-

Iranian Ofl Co. a hard time more than a year ARO.

His blunt reasoning was that if the United States regards the Mossadegh-made ofl crisis as such a grave threat to the security of the free world, we had better put the Iranian ofl industry back In business. The United States hus resisted this over-the-barrel logic, agreeing with Britain (major-

ity owner of Anglo-Iranian), that it’s wrong to condone one-sided tearing up of International contracts, that expropriation without agreed compensation is unjust and, above all, that the Iranlan-type nationalization might prove infectious if it works.

No Compromise Reached

REPEATED efforts at British-Iranian compromise have gone round and round and finally bogged down on Mossadegh's refusal (1) to let British oil men have anything to do with production in Iran and (2) to allow any adminIstration of the industry that would top the new Iranian National Oil Co. This is the background against which the mysterious Tehran mission of W. Alton Jones, presiednt of the Cities Service Co., must be viewed. In his absence, the firm's New York headquarters is “certain Mr. Jones’ only motive would be a desire to make any contribution he could toward the solution of a difficult world problem.” Just what contribution to a settlement he might be prepared to make is secret. But he seems to have gone to Iran with at least the blessing of the American government ~though it is denied he represented this government in any way. Two or three weeks ago Mr. Jones conferred with “several of our people,” sald Michael J. McDermott, State Department spokesman. “He is in no way representing the American government. He 1s going as an individual, and in Iran they have announced that Mr. Mossadegh invited him when Mr. Mossadegh was over here some time ago,” said Mr. McDermott.

Inspects Refineries

MR. JONES undertook his mission without any objections by the department, the spokesman conceded, On the other hand, he said, the department does not encourage the entry of an American concern into the Iranian oil industry. Whether the British were informed of the Jones mission before or after it started, Mr. McDermott refused to say. “You ask them,” he replied. The Cities Service head paid a 15-minute call on President Truman on Aug. 13. He was accompanied by Interior Secretary Oscar L. Chapman. Secretary Chapman, in New York, refused by telephone to comment on the Jones mission or his relation to it, except to say that “Mr. Jones is on my advisory council, the National Petroleum Council.” . Meanwhile in Iran, Premier Mossadegh's guest was flown to Abadan for an inspection of the world's largest—and most non-productive refinery. ” : Tehran newspapers expressed belief that Cities Service would agree to manage and market Iranian oil production.

‘PROPER ATTITUDE

OUR happiness depends upon . . . the real ability . . . to form the proper attitude ... on things that come to be . . . within ourselves we hold the key . .. that opens up the door« .. to let the sunshine in our hearts . , . or shun it evermore . . . we are the masters of our fate ... on us it all depends . .. for we can take the good from life . . . and detour rocky bends .-: . for when our attitude is right . . . things seem to roll along ... and we are always able to . . . whistle and sing a song . .. so with that thought in mind dear friend . . . look up when troubles call . . . for with the proper attitude . .. I know

you'll never fall. —By Ben Burroughs.

tatorship is super-sensitive in dealing with a democracy, and feels the necessity of scoring prestige victories. Hence the anti-American propaganda. Even apart from complicating aspects of the dictatorship, Spanish pride always has been a potent force. A second factor is Spain's ong Isolation from the rest of Europe and the Western Allies. This has resulted not only in a kind of antiforeign tomplex, but also a genuine lack of information and comprehension regarding realities of the international situation. Whether for these or other reasons, Franco has a fantastic approach. He thinks—as hig puppet press reiterates that Western Europe cannot be defended without him, and therefore that he is far more important to us than we aye to him. So, instead of negotiating on the basis of facts, he makes demands on the basis of delusions.

One demand is that he shall have so-called equality of treatment with members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Spain cannot be a member of NATO. Franco is unacceptable to most of the other members, and he says he does not want to be a member. He does” not trust major NATO members, such as France and Britain, Moreover, he is unwilling to accept the mutual responsibilities for protecting nations he hates. He will not give Gen. Matthew Ridgway, NATO Commander, control of the Spanish Army for use where and when needed. ; Even in the separate American-Spanish deal, which he wants, we would pay for building or improving naval bases and airfields but he would retain control. We would modernize his railroads and communications and equip his army, to enable Spain to defend herself if attacked—and for Franco to put down internal revolt—But without reciprocal Spanish obliga-

O. K.—Keep Your Head in the Clouds

CARRIED AWAY BY IT—

: GROUND

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TO THE POINT . . . By Frederick C. Othman

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Tax Scandal Whitewash Blasts

Make Bureaucrat’s Ears Anemic

WABSHINGTON-—After 23 years as a bureaucrat a fellow’s inclined to stay out of trouble by doing what the boss says and following the rules to the letter. When this system occasionally goes haywire, the blood drains out of his face and even his ears turn white, Such a white-eared one is Ellis N. Slack, who'd survived more than two decades at the Justice Department without ever getting in a jam and eventually succeeded the old sweet thing, T. Lamar Caudle, as acting assistant attorney general in charge of taxes. Prosecuting tax cheaters was Ellis’ business. If the tax collectors, themselves, were crooked, that ‘was in another department and Ellis never bothered his partially bald head about em. So now we must go back to last year in St. Louis, where U. 8. District Judge George Moore knew doggoned well Collector of Internal Revenue James P. Finnegan was a thief. All the white-thatched Judge Moore had to do was prove it.

He Got Slack

HE CHARGED a 23-man grand jury with looking into the hocus-pocus at Finnegan's office, while the district attorney appealed to Washington for help. What he got was Mr. Slack, feeling unhappy because he'd had to take an airplane to 8t. Louis. Mr. Slack prefers trains, Mr. Slack knew Collector Finnegan was a crook. He could feel it in his bones, just walking down 12th St. But, of course, that was none of his business. So he explained about 15 tax cases to the jurors and all of 'em looked okay to him. Next thing you know, the grand jury had written a report to Judge Moore saying all was

INFLATION NOTE . . . By Andrew Tully

Three-Week Vacationin U. S. for a Visiting VIP Costs Taxpayers $25,000 Plus Transportation

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WASHINGTON -- Foyelgn dignitaries visiting the United States may have to rough it a little next year—their visits arewetting too expensive. Like anything else, this business of entertaining VIP's has been hit by inflation. The ‘deluxe, red-carpet, three-weeks' tour of the country, which cost the U. 8. taxpayer only about $20,000 back in 1948, now costs $25,000. Moreover, that doesn't include the cost of transportation—usually a four-motor airplane furnished by the Air Force. The Air Force charges the State Department $175 a flying hour for this service,

plus $175 for every day the’

plane spends on the ground between hops. ” = 8 FOR A three-week tour of the U. 8, this runs up to an additional $15,000 or so—and if the plane is sent to bring the VIP over here and then back again, you have to chalk up another $7000. a Trouble 1s, the State Department hates to get a guy over here and then just show him Washington and New

York because-it figures neither city is typical of the country. The Shah of Iran, for instance, visited both those cities, plus Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston and the TVA in Tennessee.

” ” » o WHAT sends the cost of such a tour mounting, of course, is the horde of people the VIP usually drags along. This entourage generally includes his wife, if he has one, his ambassador and the ambassador's wife, two secretaries, a valet, a maid and a private cop. In addition, we send along a protocol expert, our ambassador tothe visitor's country, a military aide to return salutes at such places as West Point and Annapolis, a press agent and a State Department dick. Another big item is the state dinner President Truman has to give for every real big shot who drops in. About 40 or 50 free loaders gets bids to these shindigs and the tab generally runs to $1000—which includes cocktails before dinner, wine, cigars and cigarets, flowers and hat check fees. A state

lunch can be bought for half

as much.

The total cost, too, depends on what kind of a visitor we're entertaining. According to protocol, there are three grades of foreign visitations — and the taxpayer has to pick up the check for the first two. There is, first, the state visit, usually by the head of a state, personally invited here by the President. He put up overnight at the White House and gets a state dinner. » n 8 THERE IS the official’ visitor, who is not a head of state but still some punkins. The President tosses him a dinner, too, but doesn’t give him a free bed at the White House. Finally, there is the unofficial visitor, who comes here on his own and pays his own way. But if he is a head of a state, or a Prime Minister or, sometimes, even a Foreign Minister, Mr. Truman has him in to lunch. Less exalted unofficial visitors are taken care of by a lower echelon—a visiting Finance Minister, for instance,

. would be wined and dined by

Treasury Secretary John W. Snyder, King Feisal of Iraq. now iff this country, is not a state vis-

- -

fine in the tax-collection business. By now, Mr. Slack was back in Washington; the district attorney read this document to him before the judge had seen it, or the jurors signed it. Mr. Slack called it excellent. He denied, as charged ‘by some of the jurors, he said this report was exactly what he wanted. The document went to the. judge and he almost blew his topper. He lambasted Washington, the district attorney, Mr. Slack, and all hands connected with the sorry proceedings and he told those jurors to go back to work. They did. Soon they’d indicted 40 alleged tax cheaters, including Collector Finnegan, who later was sentenced to two years.

The Blue Book

ALL THIS the inoffensive-looking Mr. Slack in his gray suit and red bow tie, told the investigating subcommittee of Rep. Frank L. Chelf, (D. Ky.). He was sitting there with a half smile on his lips, when Committee Attorney Robert Collier picked up a blue-bound booklet and began to read in a loud, clear voice. This was a deposition from Judge Moore, who felt it wouldn't be dignified for him to testify in person, In it he told how he'd tried in vain to get J. Howard McGrath, then the attorney general, to promise co-operation in the cleanup of the taxcollection business, He quoted Mr. Slack as saying to another lawyer the judge may have located some smoke, but would find. no fire. The judge went on to say that the district attorney, now dead, said Mr. Slack asked for the jurors’ whitewash report and that when it was read to him, he said: “It was short and

definite and to the point, and should bring:

the whole thing to a close.”

SIDE GLANCES

ftor because Iraq has a Regent and Feisal thus is not technically a head of a state. As an official visitor, here on President Truman's invitation, he goes and comes at the taxpayers’ expense, however. The Shah of Iran was a state visitor, as was Queen Juliana of The Netherlands. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Regent Philip were a kind of twilight case; Elizabeth was not a head of state when she came here, but they stayed with President Truman at Blair House because that's the way Mr. Truman wanted it.

Barbs—

A RUNAWAY team stopped at a red light in a Georgia town. What do they mean, man is a superior animal? ”n ” s VACATION is when folks take time off from business to get into the pink and wind up in the red.

- - » : : ._ BOME folks count to ten beiors they start a fight. Promoters count to several thousand.

Franco Wants To Dictate Terms For U.S. Bases |

tions for defense of the U. 8. or American interests. Franco will never get: top priority for scarce American military supplies. or equality with such strategic spots as Korea, Germany, Turkey, England. Nor will he get wholesale economic aid, without submitting to the same safeguard regulations which all other nations accepted, but which he rejects as American interferénce in his totalitarian system. His bargaining power, instead of increasing as he believes, is waning. The global total ot American aid is diminishing, while the needs and requests of our Allies grow. As a late comer at the end of the line, he is in no position to dictate terms. ' 80 he is in danger of outsmarting himself, That would be unfortunate for us, but far worse for him and for the Spanish people who deserve a better lot.

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Hoosier Forum

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The Chosen Few

MR. EDITOR: Please let me have this Mr, Leo Allen of ‘Shelbyville, whose letter was printed in the Hoosiér Forum on Aug. 7, for just a few moments. How long I've waited for such an opportunity. He seems unhappy because, as a union official, he has had to sign a non-Communist affidavit seven times and each year has to mimeograph 250 statements. He doesn’t realize how lucky he is.

I am a small businessman, a very small one, with an income probably no more than Mr. Allen's. Yet I work untold hours supplying government information and, in addition, have to contribute to the social security of my employees without benefit to myself. In addition, I am forced to act as tax collector. >- 4

MR. ALLEN HAS gone a long way to find a complaint, for if there was ever a chosen few, union members are the ones. Personally, I would be happy to sign a non-Communist affidavit 365 times a year rather than have slave labor and government ownership with all that goes with it and I think Mr. Allen would too, if he could just get his thinking apparatus working. na finally, he gets to those terrible conditions of 1932. Just how many died of starvation during that terrible period, and how many boys were killed on foreign soil under orders of our government here at home in the following 20 years? © Why do agents of foreign governments who are killing our boys occupy such prominent places in your union and in our government? Why must our prosperity be blood-soaked and paid for in high prices? Why must we tolerate corruption in our government? If yoy can answer, all these questions and still win the election, you will deserve the victory.

Boosts Adlai

MR. EDITOR: Up to now I have been silent about expressing my views to a newspaper column. But now I think the time has come for me to do it. I am writing on the Ike-Adlai situation. I think Adlai is your boy. Because he represents the party of “the common man.” This country is made up of about 125 million “common men” and, naturally, they control the vote. The Republicans are the party of the rich. Under leadership of the Republicans the rich will get richer and the “common man” will go to the dogs. If you'll remember it was the same party who fought against social security in 1935. Eisenhower is a man of no political background. He hasn't even run for city dogcatcher, But now he wants to be President. The Democratic Party is the party of the people. God must have loved the common man. He made so many of them. Maybe someone will think twice before he pins on his “I Like Ike” button.

—Richard Holden, Greenfield.

-Look at the Clock

MR. EDITOR: ’ Can't you see that boy, up front in Korea, in mud and rain, needing a pint of blood and the medic has none. Or if he has, not enough. Why? Because we at home are too busy or afraid it “might hurt, or you'll lose a day’s work or pleasure.” Look at the clock. Maybe in the past hour a relative of yours or a neighbor or a friend's son has been wounded and needs that pint you failed to give. If this war lasts long enough and spreads, say to the U. S, A., you could be the one to need that pint of blood that someone failed to give. From 1776 to date, over 1 million soldiers, sailors and Marines have died to preserve our country that we might live in peace and happiness. Now the least you and I can do is donate a pint of blood whenever possible, Just call your local Red Cross Chapter and make a date to help a chap who has already helped you. It will take less than an hour, doesn’t cost you a cent, doesn’t hurt, and the chances are one to a thousand you will feel no ill effects.

—R. R. Byers, City.

-—John A. Friend, Greencastle

By Galbraith

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