The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-05-21
WORLDS PRESS
JEERS LACK OF
U. S. LEADERS
America ON Trial Because
of Failure to Put House
In Order
BY WILLIAM PHILIP sIATMS
seripps-Howard Foreixn Editor

WASHINGTON, May 2l.-The
United States Is on trial before the
world, according TO foreign press
opinion which is becoming increas-
ingly uncomplimentary as time
passes without our house being put
in order.
Lack Of leadership in politics or
in business; houndering around, in
stead OF facing the disagreeable
facts and doing something about it.
no matter how much It hurts; sur
rendering 70 an underworld Of
crooks, and other charges are flung
at us by observers abroad
AS a result Of the waning conf
dence people abroad have in the
ability of Americans promptly to
solve their problems, the flight from
the dollar continues with varying
degrees Of severity-and foreign
countries arc beginning TO take
steps to safeguard their own in
terests against possible repercus-
sions from the United States.
Premier Bennett Of Canada this
week announced that he plans TO
introduce a bill giving him virtually
dictatorial powers in any financial
emergency which might arise" on
this continent" during the summer
recess of parliament. He did not
mention the United States by
name. but the press made his
meaning clear.
political System on Trial.
In London, where Benefits re-
marks were interpreted as referring
10 this country, the Liberal News
Chronicle observed that while 1t is
incredible" that the United States
really should" be unable to recover;
it also is incredible how a nation
with such untold wealth at its COM
mand can be in this state at all"
It is not Americas wealth, how
ever, that is on trial, it adds, but
her political system. American
statesmen and business leaders
have not faced the music cas- the
facts undoubtedly warrant" hence
Qer present pIeNlCdAle4AJ.
Nothing should surprise from a
country where Capone is king" the
Echo De Paris contemptuously re-
marks. Whereupon, referring TO the
Lindbergh kidnapping and murder, 1t
adds: ITO understand all this, one
also must understand the extent Of
the moral disintegration of a large
part of the population Of the United
States"
"The Lindbergh tragedy" COM
ments the Manchester Guardian,
usually very friendly toward the
United States, served dramatically
to illustrate the defects of Ameri-
can civilization. When wealth is
the only social value, gangsters be-
come national heroes"
Homicide Rates Compared
We are reminded by the foreign
press that whereas Detroit, in 1928
20. had ass homicides, Windsor,
city of considerable size, just across
the river in Canada, did not have
any.
In 1928. another barbed para
graph sets forth. the homicide rate
for England and Wales amounted to
one-half of l per cent per 100000
population. For the United States
it was s.s per cent, or seventeen
times as bad.
Americas former high standing,
it is observed, seems to have SUI
fered a pretty general breakdown.
The nationwide contempt for
the most famous of all American
laws-the Volstead act-seems to
have led to disregard for all law.
Oncials high and low are in
volved in the let-down, foreigners
taunt. the police seldom get their
man." and the rich and powerful
underworld seems virtually immune.
1t also is pointed out that out OF
4Ol homicides in New York during
1928. only 122 persons were even in
dicted, but forty convicted and none
axorytpd