davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-04
No Room for HoodIums

LII Detroit was shocked at the wanton hlt-run killing
"A of 5year-old kindergarten pupil last Friday by
gang of young toughs. Subsequent investigation and
arrests indicate the ht-run killers are hoodums of the
most irresponsible type Two of the suspects were on
parole for automobile thefs at the time of last Fridays
tragedy and another stolen which caused that
tragedy
Detroit the whole pretty orderly city. On the
whole is gratfyingy free of the neghborhood gangs
that infest many American cities
This is due large degree to alert police who
trained to break up street corner gangs the minute they
become ruffianly
The young involved in last weeks killing of the
little boy said be holdover members of west side
gang that a nuisance for time in the Myrtle
street section.
Police harassed the Myrtle street gang and eventually
dispersed it by wholesale arrests and death inflicted
by policeman during gun battle with the hoodums.
The police deserve congratuation for their drastic
treatment of neghborhood gangsters They should con-
tinue this rough tough method of curing hoodums.
They should continue it so enthusiastically that all
young hoodums will understand with their stunted
mentalities that there is no room for them in Detroit
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-04
Connolly Answers

l. fal Cheap thin cigar; tb) un-
skilled laborer in China; (c)
hobgoblin.
2. ta) Director of Selective Service
System; OBJ basSo at Metro
politan Opera; (c) England IS
minister of labor.
3. "a Rawdon Crawley; tb)
Petruchio; (c) Clym Yeobright
4. fa) Right: OBJ wrong. twenty
Z seventh; (c) wrong. fifth.
). ta) Yes; OBJ no. tea; (c) yes.
6. ta) Mid pleasures and palaces
though we may roam: tb)
"Oh. say can you see, by the
dawn'S early light; (c) My
country It's of thee"
7. tal Commonly recognized di-
vision of a word: (b) dessert
of cream and wine: (c) a com.
pendulum containing abstracts
readings Of course of study, etc
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-04
eJNDan First Problem

4 MERICA should not enter the present war
"A unless provoked by Japan to point
where our national honor is at stake.
Such a declaration of war might bring us
indirectly into the European conflict. 1t
would seem that Japan is our first problem,
as the other Axis partners are pretty well
tied up with their own troubles.
America should follow a course that is
in the best interests of America first. If by
aiding Britain We are doing it for the sole
purpose of aiding ourselves, then that is the
course we should pursue.
After all, who is going to worry about
our best interests if we don't?
Germany so far has not given us sufficient
reason to cross the ocean to fight her.
She has given us very good reason, how
ever, to prepare for the worst.
j. GORDON CAMFTELD,
29636 Harper avenue,
st. Clair Shores.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-04
'HoratioAIqer
Knudsen'
By BENJAMIN DE CASSEREs

WHEN we say, IT'S Horatio
" Alger story" it is more
than just a story" The Horatio
Alger from newsboy to
riches"-have always been real
facts of everyday life. Like all
folks myths, this Alger myth"
is visible and actual.
In 1899, for instance, an i'm
migrant youth from Denmark
landed in New York with only
$50 in his pocket. He worked at
riveting and boilermaking. He
was a bench hand at this and
that.
In 1911 he became a produc-
ton manager for Henry Ford.
In 1922 he had charge of a divi-
sion of General Motors.
Not so very long ago he
chucked up a yearly salary of
well into six figures with General
Motors and took job at 81
year at the request of the Presi-
dent of the United States. His
business was TO produce war ma
terials for his adopted country.
Now he is the boss of defense
production-the man on whom a
whole nation depends.
OF course, it's William S.
Knudsen. Well, Bill" didn't
exactly black shoes or sell pa
pers on the streets of New York,
like some of the Horatio Alger
boys. but there is no more ex-
hilarating or incredible parable
of the American way in all AL
gers books than you'll find in
the rise of Bill" Knudsen. And
there are hundreds of thousands
of such immigrants and native
born Americans. call him Ste
phen Girard or Abraham Lincoln
or Andrew Carnegie or William
S. Knudsen or Alexander Hamil-
ton-little matter.
Such things can happen only
in a free ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
country. where initiative. enter
prise and profit motive are un-
hampered except by the common
law.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-04

their European markets. Po-
tatoes had a small crop last
year, so the reduction this year
is just getting their price back
to normal.
Thus there seems to be an
adequate answer available for
everything so far.
VERY little gouging. war;
' profiteering. boarding. etc.,
is being complained of yet. This
seems to be the stage when the
butcher just leaves a little extra
fat on, or gets his thumb caught
in the scales, or the restaurant
starts chinching on the size of
portions served.
Some tinkering in butter, pork
and sugar by spectators has
been evident recently, but the
fiurries died.
The only place where restau-
rant prices have developed symp-
toms of unjust expansion is in
Washington. This is known as "a
sucker market" People are pour
ing in here in the defense boom,
and the restaurant proprietors
apparently hit the mimeograph
m achine blindfolded, figuring
any one who can afford to come
to Washington must have money.
COME readers and editors have
~ inquired about my personal
opinion as to whether the Presi-
dents sell-lease-lend-giveaway
bill should be defeated or de-
layed. 1t is the policy of this
column to tell what the world
is doing. not what it should do.
Advice is the only commodity
the value of which will not rise
in a war-torn world. My opinion,
for whatever it is worth, is this:
The bill is more than half
what its strongest opponents
have contended-blanket legisla-
ton, almost unlimited in its
vague scope. Worst of all, it
fails to give the people any idea
of how little or how much it
may cost them Inc money or
lives.
Yet. defeat or delay would be
a dire mistake, for reasons other
than those mentioned in the con-
gressional debate.
THE course charted in blank
i by the bill was entered upon
by Mr.. Roosevelt before election.
1t was fixed when he trans
ferred the destroyers. That was
the first overt act of war. If
his course was wrong, that was
the time to stop 1t. Instead,
both he and the course have
been overwhelmingly approved
and the course expanded.
To stop the course now, or to
hinder its success by amend
ments, would leave this country
in a World War crisis with dis
credited President and a dis
credited policy. 1t would be
suicide.
The alternative, therefore, is
clearly more dangerous than the
bill. What the country must
have now is success for the
adopted course. 1t cannot af-
ford to seek anything else, or
use any less than its utmost
energy. We must win.
Distributed by King Features synd.. Inc
Reproduction In whole or In part
strictly prohibited.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-04
Ask II. 8. Enter War

IVES, America should enter the European
war if necessary to keep Americas liberty
and freedom
Whether we aid England or not, we will
be in this war the same as the World War, as
long as Hitler is head of the Germany army.
Hitler wants to rule the world.
America should aid England all she can
because if it was America in Engiand,s place,
she would be the first to come to our aid
regardless of her own dangers.
From the way some are fighting against
the lend-lease bill, they must want to see
America lose her freedom and be headed by
1 know if America aids England with
soldiers and sailors it would mean sending
quite few of my relations to fight, but they
would be the first to want to go to our
countrys sister in distress.
MRS. NELLIE G. ELGIE,
= ZOOS LynnwOod,
Saginaw, Mich.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-04
Food Price Rise Worries
Washington Inner Circles
BY PAUL MALLON

WASHINGTON. March A.
w The way the grocery bill is
creeping up on the housewife
has drawn no public pronounce
ments but plenty of inner at
tention from the government
watchers. Food prices are not
dangerously lofty yet, but some
basic items such as meats,
poultry, eggs, have sneaked up
tremendously, and the worst of
it is they are going much
higher.
Careful, selective buying
tavoidance of the highest priced
meats is about the only effec-
tive thing any one around here
can think of to do yet.
The impression is popular that
the government is causing much
of the trouble with its wholesale
purchases of foods for the new
army. but the government au-
thorities say this cannot be true.
The size of the army has not
yet been increased sufficiently
to be a major influence.
CONSIDER pork chops. They
" were up 10 per cent last
January IS from the same date
a year ago. There is every pros
pect they will go to 40-45 cents
a pound this Summer and will
cost as much as beef.
This, they say, is because the
corn-hog price ratio has been
unfavorable for the past IA
months. When corn prices get
up to certain point. it becomes
more profitable for farmers to
sell the corn rather than feed it
to the hogs and sell the pork.
Hog production shrinks.
The corn price has been high
because the 1888 Farm Act
fixed the loan rate at an arbi-
trary point. 1t now works out
about 81 cents a bushel at coun-
try points. AS a result the
Spring pig crop last year was 9
per cent below the previous
Spring; the crop last Fall was
II per cent below the previous
Fall.
If the corn loan rate was
geared to hog prices or con-
sumner demand the price of pork
chops now would not be so high.
POUND steak was up 1875 per
IL cent this January Is over
a year ago; roasting chickens 13
per cent; rib roast IL; sliced
bacon IS; whole hams. z; veal
outlet 6.5; eggs 9; apples, 15.5;
orangesv10 per cent.
On the down side in the same
period were potatoes, off 13 per
cent; coffee down SIS; sugar 5
flour Z; white bread IS.
These changes were all due to
special situations like pork. As
to beef and veal. the cattle pop
ulation of the country was seri-
onsly depleted in the 1884
drought and the difference has
not yet been made up tsay the
government authorities).
Agriculture Secretary Wick
ard has been urging cattlemen
to sell at high prevailing prices.
which means the price of beef is
not going to be very much lower
any time soon. Cattle must be
kept and bred if the cattle
population is TO be restored.
Coffee and sugar are cheaper
because Brazil and Cuba lost
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-04
PAUL BRUHL,
Box 1856,
Highland Park, Mich.
TO THE EDITOR:

TO THE EDITOR:
/ INCOLN'S favorite aphorism
~ was that you can't fool all
the people all the time. But the
shrewd politician has discovered
that he can get good picking
simply by fooling the majority.
This nation should feel called
upon to express its appreciation
to Mr.. Paul Mallon for his letter
published in the Times of Febru-
airy 20. That letter shows how
easy it is for a vast majority of
the people virtually to throw to
the winds vast~biflions of dollars,
under the impression that they
were aiding the needy.
Practically speaking, II shows
the necessity of a scientific adj
fisery- commission.
England'S claim upon charity
should DE computed upon
basis by which she secured the
gold and diamond mines of
South Africa.
r. FITZGERALD GIBBS,
1000 Nitherell street.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-04
Re-estabIish Safeguards

ROOSEVELT was elected on the promise to
N keep us out of war; Former Ambassador
Kennedy says this is not our war. At least
IS per cent of the people remember being
duped in 1917 and do not want war.
The New Dealers have already become I'M
neutral by furnishing one side with war ma
terials, and now. D.. demands that
Congress pass the lease-lend bill, which gives
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-04

him unconstitutional and dictatorial power to
involve us in war. A good man would not ask
for such power and bad man should not
have it.
If Congress violates it's oath of allegiance
to the Constitution by passing that so-called
1776 Bill, the sovereign people must rise up
and re-establish the safeguards of liberty
which our forefathers won in 1875.
GEORGE APOSTLES,
1916 East Jefferson avenue.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-04
An American OGPU

THE alert coumnist and news commentator Mr. Paul
Mallon, recently disclosed that the House of Repre-
sentatives has under consideration to
pish the following purpose
To permit "any executive department of the United
States" to record telephone telegraph radio and any
other similar messages or communications.
Enactment of this would legalize the practice
commonly known wire tapping which has been under
government ban for some time past
THE asserted objective of the to restore to
federal law enforcement agencies the right to obtain
evidence against criminals by tapping communications
But Mr.. Maon notes that the authorization is so
broad to include government agencies not remotely
connected with law enforcement and to egalize wire
tapping for purposes other than the detection of criminals
Including political purposes.
Mr. Malon seems to think there is the making of
American OGPU in this and Mr. Malon is distressingy
RIGHT
The principal law enforcement agency of the federal
Director Edgar Hoover of the bureau the practice
of wire tapping may be usefuy and wisely legazed only
if it is LIMITED TO MAJOR CRIMES.
SPECIFICALLY, Mr.. Hoover testified before sub
- committee of the House judiciary committee which
is considering the wire tapping that he favors
the device only when is employed for the solution OF
crimes involving espionage, sabotage, kidnapping and
extortion
He declared himself opposed to uncontrolled and
unrestrained wire tapping by law enforcement ocers
If there is recognition of the need for such restraint
and limitation among law enforcement officers them
selves in order that injustice not arise from criminal
lnVeSLSduOn
and alarm the prospect of surrepttious political
investigation?
1.-THE truly vicious scope of the proposal" says Mr.
Maon evident in the fact that provides penalties
for government officers who tap the wires of innocent
men for purely political purposes
WHY does not the House of Representatives when it
w undertakes to create powers and legaize methods
for specified department of the government, confne
itself the needs and problems of that department!
Why does not the House, BEFORE it undertakes to
enact laws affecting specified department, consult the
heads of that department and ascertain their competent
views?
Perhaps the Bureau of Investigation, under its
present leadership could have unlimited powers and be
relied upon exercise them nteigenty and reasonably
and not degenerate into agency of persecution.
But why, in the guise of giving the Bureau OF In
vestgation free hand-and in fact much freer hand
than it asks for deses-should the House similarly
empower other government departments for other
purposes?
THE legalzation of wire tapping, within the careful
limits suggested by Mr. Hoover, should undoubtedly
have consideration by Congress- for the government should
deliberately impair the law enforcement agencies upon
which the public depends for protection against criminals
But it should not be extended in manner to imperii
every citizen in his home his place of business and IN the
normal pursuit Of his honest activities of daily life
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-04

InIs COtuifin. otuu w A<Sss>s
Editor, The Detroit Times. You
MUST sign your name and ad-
dress; otherwise your letter will
not be printed.
TO THE EDITOR:
I WORKED on my income tax
i over the weekend. It's a
tough job this year; it's getting
tougher every year, and don't
seem to be able TO get to a sat
isfactory final figure, although
I've done my best TO white 1t
down.
Got headache out of il this
time and had to talk TO myself
TO get back to normally by re-
calling the things our govern
ment has promised TO do for us
If we'd vote them back into
power.
Well. they got back into
power, but before they are going
to do some things for us they
are going TO see that freedom is
kept out of chains all over the
world at the slight cost of sew
eral additional billions which
will certainly give me a nerv-
GUS breakdown when l figure my
income tax next year.
However, l get little COM
fort and consolation out of
memories about taxes of other
continents and countrie s.
TAXES WHICH WE HAVEN'T
GOT AS YET. OF course, l
don't want to think about Pata-
gonia-worked there Is years
ago in an oil field. Made $40
a day and paid no income tax,
no sales tax. no security tax, no
tax on cigarets, liquor, wine or
beer.
There were no taxes at all,
just customs duties, and we
could spend all our money our
selves, and didn't have to let the
politicians do it. Well, that was
Patagonia, and who knows per-
haps today civilization has
caught up with Patagonia, too.
But take Paris, for instance.
The last time / saw Paris taxes
looked at me from every win
dow pane and every sign FOR
RENT. Yes, sir! They are tax
ing windows over there. If
you've got them this - (wide)
you pay so much; if you've got
them narrow, well, you pay a
little.
l believe one window in each
house is taX-eXempt; for the
rest you pay. If you want to
rent your room or garage or
sell your parrot or peraHbulater,
you'll pay a tax before you can
tack up your sign.
If you want to run for office
in your community or commune
and hang up your ads you'll
have to buy tax stamps first and
paste one to every poster. At
one time they taxed rubber heels
in France, silk panties, ink and
tNCll Tie Olutiilb tiidt . bSC0 iOi
whitening your wash.
Then l got to thinking of Rus
STA. Yes, I've been there. What
a country. Don't care to COM
NIT myself if they are making
go of it or not, / mean of their
economic life, but they are GER
tainly masters of taxation.
There's a sales tax on every
thing. Not per cent or 10 per
cent or 20 per cent. No, not
that low, but much. much
higher
If you pay 60 cents for
pound of steak you'll pay an
other 40 cents in sales tax to
the government.
Cotton goods are taxed 80 per
cent, canned goods up to 20 per
cent, cheese from 20 to 80 per
cent, ice cream 33 per cent, tot
let soap 20 per cent. mirrors 40
per cent, but spinach-spinach
popularized by good old Pop
eye, has only a tax slapped on
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-04
Quiz Answers

1. The tsetse fly.
2. Hawaii.
8. You would be mentally de.
pressed and you would be in
Kentucky.
a. Sodium chloride is common
table salt.
5. Calculus.
S. The Diesel engine.
7. They were all admirals OF the
British Navy.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-04
BY CARRIER
YEARLY

tForeign Rates on Application
All money sent at senders risk. Do not
Sind cash or stamps. All checks. drafts
and money orders should be made payable
to THE TIMES PUBLISHING COMPANY.
international News Service has the exciu-
sive rights TO use for reproduction In any
form all news dispatches credited to II or
not otherwise credited In this paper.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-04

That described the old diplomacy pretty well because all
the ambassadors lost sight of the fact that the
function of diplomacy advantages for
nation without arousing the jealousy your competitors
ssvtYs
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-04
BAERING DOWN ON The NEWS:
Handle Without Care
BY ARTHUR (BUGS) BAER

guess this kind Of world trouble just about the
finish of diplomacy because nobodys going to trust anybody
any further than they throw iron bull by paper
tail.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-04
BY HUGH S. JOHNSON

THE management of the labor
= aspect in the defense prob
lem - confidentially, it stinks.
Mr.. Knudsen and Mr.. Hillman.
the Janus-headed duality which
is managing industrial mobiliza-
ton, have testified that all is
sweetness and light on the labor
front.
They may think so, but hardly
any one else in even remote
touch with the situation does.
There is being circulated one
estimate of $4,000 man-days
lost on defense contracts alone
during January and February.
Unquestionably, impor tant
sabotage is being used in organi-
rational efforts and attempts to
increase wages.
This is notably true in some
key steel plants in dispute where
the percentage of spoiled work
is rising rapidly and unusually.
Conducting and pouring off an
open hearth heat" of molten
steel may look like a massive
and rough-and-ready operation.
Actually it is one of extreme
delicacy in which it is easy with
out detection to spoil not only
the ingot but the furnace itself.
This is going on. 1t is very
costly and destructive. IT creates
delays throughout the whole
production process.
1t is inconceivable that the
government and public can stand
for that. The whole coal indus
try and much of the steel in
dustry is threatened with
strikes.
MANAGEMENT in some cases
M is far from cooperative.
The only method to deal with
this yet made legally available
to the President. or his two
headed boy in OPM, is to COM
mandeer The plant.
That means that government
takes il over and runs ii as an
arsenal is run. which in turn
means that labor in that plant
is working for government di-
rectly. The right TO sabotage
and strike against the govern
ment is something else again for
labor leaders to consider.
Communicating plant means
paying full value for 1t. 1t also
means getting competent man.
agement and staff. Neither Of
these results is easy to attain.
That is something else again for
government to consider.
The threat to do that has been
limited. In at least two in
stances the plant management
has said, "All right. come and
take us over" but nothing has
happened.
This won't do. The whole sys-
tenn of control fails if bluffs are
made and not carried through.
A LII this is being shushed. II
"A has been badly managed
from the beginning. 1t was gen.
orally understood between Presi-
dent Wilson. AFL President
Samuel Gompers and industry
that the status quo ante" as
between labor and management
should remain in defense indus
tries.
Thus, except as rising costs Of
living justified higher wages and
the governments two labor
boards decided, neither manage
ment nor labor was to use the
defense crisis to take advantage
of the others.
At the first defiance of this
policy, which happened to occur
at the same TIME on the part
of one labor union at one place
and one group of manufacturers
at another. the government
moved decisively and promptly.
1t decreed the discharge of the
recalcitrant workers. 1t com.
Wandered the recalci a n t
plant. That was that-for the
duration. No such policy is
working now.
ORDERS emanating from both
y the navy department and
the maritime- commission
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-04
Government
Labor Policy
Criticized
Shush Shush Treatment
Worries The General
D ETR OFT

1.-THE opinions sxprsssed by
General Johnson are not neees-
sariiy those Of The Detroit
Times.)
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-04

That's been going for saw 1t myself back over
10 years ago in 1881 when / wrote:
international diplomacy Is that artistic touch that pulls
out handful Of your whkes and them asteuly
in the piano. - w..