anaheim-gazette 1931-11-12

THE ANAHEIM GAZETTE HENRY KUCHEL, Editor and Publisher ESTABLISHED 1870 ISSUED EVERY THURSDAY SUBSCRIPTION PER YEAR ... $2.00 BIX MONTHS ... 1.00 Entered at the Anaheim, California Postoffice as second-class matter. ARMISTICE DAY Thirteen years ago the greatest war in all history came to a sudden termination with the declaration of the Armistice on November 11, 1918. The hopes of the world ran high. This was to be the last of war. The Peace Treaty was to be such a masterpiece of statesmanship that all future grounds for war would be eliminated. Our soldiers came back from France with the feeling that they had played a vicorous part in a war to end war. After thirteen years, how far has the world got toward ending war? Every nation in the world, including our own, is staggering under a crushing burden of taxation to maintain greater armies and navies than ever before. As we write this the machinery set up by the Treaty of Versailles for the prevention of war is being subjected to its first serious test, and it is still in doubt whether war between Japan and China can be averted. President Hoover's effort to reduce the cost of keeping up a larger navy than we are likely to have use for has aroused a storm of protest on the part of people who fail to realize that preparation for war always breeds war. It is absurd to believe that any nation can train hundreds of thousands of fighting men and not create a "war party" which will welcome any excuse to put this military and naval training into practice. There are circumstances under which no nation can refuse to go to war, just as there are circumstances under which a man must fight whether he wishes to or not, but those circumstances so seldom arise, and their consequences when they do arise are so war between Japan and China can be averted. President Hoover's effort to reduce the cost of keeping up a larger navy than we are ever likely to have use for has aroused a storm of protest on the part of people who fail to realize that preparation for war always breeds war. It is absurd to believe that any nation can train hundreds of thousands of fighting men and not create a "war party" which will welcome any excuse to put this military and naval training into practice. There are circumstances under which no nation can refuse to go to war, just as there are circumstances under which a man must fight whether he wishes to or not, but those circumstances so seldom arise, and their consequences when they do arise are so disastrous even to the victor, that the sober thought of the whole world is turning more and more against war as a means of settling international disputes. When war was merely a glorious adventure for youthful fighters, and had no serious effect upon the rest of the population, it had a romantic appeal. But war today touches every man, woman and child, and we believe that we are expressing the thought of those who participated in the last war, as well as of the vast majority of others, when we hope that our country shall never again have to go to war. THE THIMBLERIGGERS ARE STILL AT IT When Congress passed the Liberty Loan acts, it provided that portions of the borrowing thus made from the American people, might be invested in the bands of foreign nations then associated in the World War with the United States. The Liberty Loan bonds were then sold to the American people under this representation. Unfortunately, bonds of the Allies were not taken, but demand notes or mere verbal agreements to pay. After the war the drive for the cancellation of American loans to Europe was begun by private interests which had made loans to these countries at higher rates of interest, which could most easily be made good by taking money out of the pockets of American people by way of these cancellations. To illustrate how completely the American people were fooled at that time it was represented that France had been bankrupted by the war and was unable to pay. We forgave all of the French debt except that which represented advances after the Armistice. Today France has a larger gold reserve in proportion to her population than any other nation, has no unemployment and is the most prosperous nation, next to the United States, in the world. Now the ballyhool for complete cancellation is on, despite the fact that the World War cost the United States more than it did any other country in the world, and we are suffering the after-effects of that great waste. The leaders in the movement again are the international bankers who have made big and profitable loans in Europe, which they are not proposing to remit or reduce. Their following is among befuddled altruists and idealists who imagine they are serving some good cause, rather than playing the dupe to commercial exploiters. It is about time for Americans to begin a return to common sense. After all, it is clear, we are not in position to carry the whole world on our backs. The business of American statesmanship and of American patriotism is to see that our country and its people get fair play. The international bankers have already got this country into such a fix that the job of looking after its welfare looks big enough. And looking after its welfare is the most important service we can do for the rest of the world, for if America goes down, the rest of the world will go down with her. H. G. Wells died won in England York Times. Then never knows where HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF "It is a gloomy moment in history. Not for many years—not in the lifetime of most men who read this paper—has there been so much grave and deep apprehension; never has the future seemed so incalculable as at this time. In our own country there is universal commercial prostration and panic, and thousands of our poorest fellow-citizens are turned out against the approaching winter without employment, and without the prospect of it. "In France the political caldron seethes and bubbles with uncertainty; Russia hangs, as usual, like a cloud, dark and silent, upon the horizon of Europe; while all the energies, resources and influences of the British Empire are sorely tried, and are yet to be tried more sorely, in coping with the best and deadly Indian insurrection, and with its disturbed relations in China. "It is solemn moment, and no man can feel an indifference (which, happily, no man pretends to feel) in the issue of events. "Of our own troubles no man can see the end. They are fortunately, as yet, mainly commercial and if we are only to lose money, and by painful poverty to be taught wisdom—the wisdom of honor, of faith, of sympathy and of charity—no man need seriously to despair. And yet the very haste to be rich, which is the occasion of this widespread calamity, has also tended to destroy the moral forces with which we are to resist and subdue the calamity." The paragraphs quoted above were not written yesterday, although they are very much the same sort of things that many people are saying today. They were printed in Harper's Weekly on October 10, 1857, seventy-four years ago. If in these seventy-four years there had been no change we would have good ground for pessimism now. But everybody knows that during most of that time this country has experienced good times, steadily getting better. What happened before will happen again. From all that we can see and hear we believe that the worst of the present situation is over and that conditions are on the mend. And we are certain that the pessimists who are still frightened out of their wits have no more basis for their gloom than did our grandfathers in 1857. ANAHEIM GAZETTE Queen of Dairy Show Viola Henry, Norwich, N. Y., 18, sophomore at Cornell, won from 500 other contestants. Her father is a farmer. Came to Meet Hoover Premier Pierre Laval, of France, accepted the President's invitation to run over and help him plan methods to beat the world's depression. Cat Walks 228 Miles Tommy was left behind in Ridgerville, Ind., where his little mistress, Gloria Meehan, spent her vacation, and walked back home to Dearborn, Mich., in 31 days. Bruce Barton Looks at Ways of Life WINDOW DRESSING DUMMIES On my first business job it was necessary for me to call one day at the office of a bankrupt company which had sold in small units all over the country. Its literature had followed the familiar pattern, pointing out how much you would be worth if you invested one dollar in telephone stock in 1895, or if Ford had asked you to lend him a plough in 1900. Perhaps the officers were irresponsible rather than deliberately crooked. They were sure that their enterprise was destined to make fortunes for every one associated with it, and they backed their judgment with their own money. But that did not mitigate the scarcely had the project been announced than a food products concern donated 25,000 cans. Farmers were prompt in offering surplus fruit and vegetables. A force of unemployed has been assembled to gather the supplies, and trucks have been donated for the hauling. One of the best pieces of luck was the donation of a plant formerly used for a canning company, and this was followed by offers of experts to direct the operation. Several tin and steel companies have donated enough tin to make 250,000 cans, and the latter are being manufactured free of charge. An oil company has donated 5000 gallons of gasoline for operating trucks to do the work. The real set originally was 1,000,000 cans; there are some who believe that it will be exceeded, as the industry is now being extended upon a cooperative basis to surrounding counties. A big list to latest reports the Democrat is around $769,000. Well, if the bear never get discouraged at that, all they have to do is to look at Ger- Short Essays On Popular Topics PRESIDENTIAL RELIEF By WALTER S. GIFFORD President of American Telephone & Telegraph and Director of President Hoovers Orzaplization on Unemployment Relief While a great many employees are working only part time, a high percentage of those gainfully employed are working full time, either on full wages and salaries, or with reductions no greater than the decrease in the cost of living. They constitute a most important part of the buying public and are a main source of work. They can, if they will, repair their houses, improve their places, give work or buy things which give work in manufacture. Business, big or little, can spread Itss literature had followed the familiar pattern, pointing out how much you would be worth if you invested one dollar in telephone stock in 1895, or if Ford had asked you to lend him a nickel in 1900. Perhaps the officers were irresponsible rather than deliberately crooked. They were sure that their enterprise was destined to make fortunes for every one associated with it, and they backed their judgment with their own money. But that did not mitigate the sufferings of the people who crowded the office on the day of my call. A station agent and his faded little wife from a country town in Pennsylvania. They had invested $15,000, their savings of a lifetime. A poor preacher from South Carolina. The $6,000 which he had saved by incredible economies had been his only bulwark against the poorhouse. A school teacher; a dentist; many men whose gnarled hands and bent backs were eloquent of heavy burdens. They wept; they cursed; they threatened, but it did no good. No one of them ever recovered a cent. Walking away from all that tragedy I resolved never to be associated with any company which financed itself by selling stocks to the public, not even if George Baker were the president and J.P. Morgan the sales manager. Everybody whose name gets advertised a little is invited to go on boards of directors. It has happened even to me I have a nice form letter that says "no." To be on the board of a business with which you are not intimately connected means that you attend a meeting once a month, vote on a lot of things that you know nothing about, receive $10 or $20, and go away. The public reading your name, believes that you are directing. Actually you are not. In England most boards are made up of the man actually conducting the business. Once a year the chairman has to stand up before the stockholders and answer questions about every detail of the operations. In this country the habit of being a director is a piece of business vanity. A man with a lot of directorships after his name thinks of himself as a "bite shot." Many of these famous dummies have lost money and sleep during depression. It will be interesting to see whether the return of good times will not bring many resignations. Directors should direct. Window pressing dummies should go out. H.G.Wells domes that conserved won in England, according to the New York Times. There is one sociologist who never knows when he is kicked. PITTSBURG PUTS UP FOOD Canning of surplus food for the needy has taken hold of Pittsburgh to an unemployment Relief While a great many employees are working only part time, a high percentage of those gainfully employed are working full time, either on full wages and salaries, or with reductions no greater than the decrease in the cost of living. They constitute a most important part of the buying public and are a main source of work. They can if they will, repair their houses, improve their places, give work or buy things which give work in manufacture. Business, big or little, can spread out its available work so as to make it go around to the greatest number; and it should, under present conditions, make special effort to sell its goods, but, broadly speaking, it can't give additional work unless the consumer buys its products. If the public buys neither work nor goods it is the public that is charging men. If the public buys work and goods it is the public that is hiring men. *** The President's organization is set up to help all agencies—local, State and national—concerned with unemployment relief activities. It is not raising a national fund or a fund of any character. One way to help the railroad passenger traffic would be to equip all automobiles with radio. STANDARD OF MEASURE The basic standard of measure, guarded like some sacred emblem in the vaults of the Bureau of Standards at Washington, is about to be taken from its resting place: It has seen the light of day and has been consulted but three times in the last fourteen years. This official court of last appeal in questions of measurements, known cryptically as "No. 27," consists of a bar of platinum exactly one meter in length. There is no appeal from its decision. The famous "No. 27" is exactly the same length as the standard meter enshrined at Paris, which is the international standard of the civilized world. There are four such standard meters at Washington, all carefully guarded. These bars are composed of 90 percent platinum and 10 percent iridium, a combination which has been found to prove more dependable than any other. The present removal of "No. 27" from the vault in which it is guarded is to test the accuracy of the three standard meters in regular use at Washington. These three meters are also carefully guarded, but they are exposed to the wear and tear of regular use. The check-up is made about once in five years, with microscopic accuracy, allowance being made for the possible effects of temperature and other variations. After the test, the basic standard meter will be returned to its vault. The importance of preserving this absolute standard of accuracy in measurement can readily be appreciated. pression. It will be interesting to see whether the return of good things will not bring many resignations. Directors should direct. Window dressing dummies should go out. H. G. Wells denies that conscientious won in England, according to the New York Times. There is one socialist who never knows when he is kicked. PITTSBURG PUTS UP FOOD Canning of surplus food for the needy has taken hold of Pittsburgh to an exceptional extent, and Harry L. Miller, general chairman of the committee in charge, is developing a plan to present to the government for use of some of its surplus wheat. Now if Uncle Arthur Henderson, England's most celebrated kame duck since the recent election, only lived in the United States, he could get a job on the government commission. I NEVER SAW YOU LOOKING AT NEWSPAPERS, BUB I DON'T THINK YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT'S GOIN' ON IN THE WORLD I BET YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO ANY OF OUR DIPLOMATS AND STATESMEN ARE, OR WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE OBSERVATIONS OMEN OF GOOD WILL A short while ago in Berlin thousands of men, representing the working classes, paraded through the streets and held a mass meeting, in honor of their cause for recognition. And there was no disturbance of any kind; not even a fist fight. PASTE THIS IN YOUR HAT Many people have given reasons for the depression that has gripped the world, including the good old U. S. A. But this bad business can be straightened out only on the basis of supply and demand. You may talk about it all you want to, but that's the cold fact. Just after the world war people lived beyond their means and many are trying to do the same thing now. But it wont do. People lived abnormally. They have got to get down to the earth and brass tacks and start all over again. And, by the way, don't gamble on margin. JUST LIKE DYNAMITE Say, do you know what buying on margin means? It gives a feller the heebee jeebees. If you put down a certain amount of cash to buy stock, and owe the broker about 60 percent of what you are gambling with, and should the stock you bought drop away down in price, you are due for an awful jolt, and a headache. ALL WASHED UP A cabaret entertainer went over to a foreign city with a crew of gloom chasers to give some shows, but it seems they were unable to land. From all accounts it appears the natives there have worked over all the claims and it was no use of trying to get any more pay dirt from the diggings that have been threshed out for lo these many moons. It is reported all the girls had return tickets and there was no need of using the roller skates. THOSE WHO DANCE MUST PAY THE FIDDLE An actor was haled into court. He was 195 weeks back in alimony payments to the ex-wife, of $250 per month. He has remarried. So has the wife. He gets $350 a week when he works. The wife is said to be wealthy. He asked the Judge to help straighten out the matrimonial cross-word puzzle. In the meantime it is reported the husband is getting wrinkles in the THOSE WHO DANCE MUST PAY THE FIDDLE An actor was haled into court. He was 195 weeks back in alimony payments to the ex-wife, of $250 per month. He has remarried. So has the wife. He gets $350 a week when he works. The wife is said to be wealthy. He has asked the Judge to help straighten out the matrimonial cross-word puzzle. In the meantime it is reported the husband is getting wrinkles in the face and dark blue spots under the eyes; and is trying to figure out how you can drive a square plug into a round hole. OH. WELL, THATS' A HORSE OF ANOTHER COLOR If those hard working American gals, who went across the big pond to show the folks over there what a real party looked like, had been heiresses with a bank roll in their own right, do you think the mayor would have given them the key to the city. Of course, if they had been rich and lovesick, perhaps, the counts and no-counts would have been out en masse to see that they got ashore. Anyway the girls had a sea voyage and if they didn't get sick it wasn't so bad. MR. BAILIFF; OH, MR. BAILIFF; OH, WHERE ARE YOU, MR. BAILIFF? It is reported, that when a man, accused of a murder, was held to answer in a court in another county the other day, and then admitted to bail, there was loud clapping of hands among the audience, and also that the folks cheered. SAVING THE MOTH BALLS,'ER, WHAT? An actress has said that when she passes all of her plays will be destroyed. LAST STOP! EVERYBODY OUT Another actress is quoted as saying she wants to quit pitchers and go in for private life away back in the mountains where there are no telephones or newspaper fellers. THINGS GO AROUND JUST THE SAME Some people complain about lack of interest at elections. Politics and bond issues are getting dry as a bone. Anyhow, what's the difference if 50 percent, or 75 percent, or any other perfect of the people vote. It's all right—if there is no shenanigan. AND THEN THE COWS CAME HOME A strange thing happened in a town in another county there awhile ago. A man got on the ticket for a Judicial position. Then he was accused of a murder. He had a hearing in court the day of the election. He must have had a lot of friends. He got over 60,000 votes. But his opponent got more. He was defeated. And he was held to answer. And let out on bail. And, oh, the panning! IT CLOUDED UP, BUT IT DIDN'T RAIN When a charming and delectable young lady entertainer went to Paree to show the natives how to step, the big headman refused to let her off the boat. A gallant young man over there offered to marry the young lady so she could get ashore. But the lady countered by saying, she already had considerable expenses and didn't care to take on any more. IT CLOUDED UP, BUT IT DIDN'T RAIN When a charming and delectable young lady entertainer went to Paree to show the natives how to step, the big headman refused to let her off the boat. A gallant young man over there offered to marry the young lady so she could get ashore. But the lady countered by saying, she already had considerable expenses and didn't care to take on any more. NO ONE TO BLAME, BUT HIMSELF Speaking about depressions there is the guy away out on a desert road in a fine car and no gas in the tank. And the fella with a T-bone appetite and only enough change to buy a piece of meat just back of the horns. BOTH SHORT AND SWEET The trouble with a lot of folks is they try to live by their wits and gamble. They flit about like a butterfly, and often the blackbirds get them. AIN'T PRINTERS INK WONDERFUL A man is suing an editor for five million dollars for libel. If the editor loses and has to pay that sum it might nick his bank roll considerable. And yet again if the editor has five million dollars what is he doing with a newspaper? However, if he wound-ed the man's feelings to the extent of five million dollars he must have printed something that hurt like the dickens. FILLING A LONG FELT WANT A man is credited with writing 10,000 poems, and he is still going strong. PUBLICITY JUST AROUND THE CORNER A charming and vicious actress recently divorced her husband, who happened to be a newspaper man, saying she didn't need any more press agent stuff. Of course, maybe there were other grounds for the separation. And believe it or not the lady turns around and notifies an expectant and palpitating public that she is engaged to marry again, and lo and behold the lucky swain is also a newspaper man. And the publicity keeps flowing in, and perhaps will continue after the new wedding bells cease ringing. A Kansas editor arises to say that the only thing left to do with this country is to get the Indians drunk again and give it back to them. But after looking it over, the Indians would be too smart to take it.