a VTHE MiClIGAN DAILY C,14r ALtd ,tan uu &tt Washington Merry-Go-Round By DREW PEARSON and ROBERT S. ALLEN GRIN AND BEAR IT By Lichty ches in charge of research on post- war problems. wall Edited and managed by students of the University of Michigan under the authority of the Board in Control of Student Publications. Published every morning except Monday during the University year and Summer Session. Member of the Associated Press The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this 1Wspaper. All rights of -republication of all other matters herein also reserved., Entered at the Post Office at Ann Arbor, Michigan, as second class mail matter., Subscriptions during the regular school year by car- rier $4.00, by mail $5.00. AEPRESENTHO FOR NATIONAL ADVRTdING BY National Advertising Service, Inc. College Pbtisers Representative 420 MADSON AVE.NEW YORK. N. Y. ScICo " BOSTON *"Los ANGE s«SAN FRANCISCO Member, Associated Collegiate Press, 1941-42 Editorial Staff Emile Gele . . . . . . Managing Editor Alvin Dann . . . .Editorial Director David Lachenbruch . . . . City Editor Jay McCormick . . .Associate Editor Gerald E. Burns . . . . . Associate Editor Hal Wilson . . . . . Sports Editor Janet Hooker . . . . . Women's Editor Grace Miller . . Assstant Women's Editor Virginia Mitchell . . . Exeange Editor Business Staff Daniel H. Huyett . . . . Business Manager James B. Collins . Associate Business Manager Louise Carpenter . . Women's Advertising Manager Evelyn Wright . . Women's Business Manager NIGHT EDITOR: ROBERT MANTHO The editorials published in The Michigan Daily are written by members of The Daily staff and represent the views of the writers only. NAM's Sales Tax Labeled Unjust C ONGRESSIONAL outbursts about the tax program stick to funda- mentals as water sticks to a duck's back. And whether our Representatives and Sena- tors realize it or not, the hard fact remains that all wartime tax proposals must be considered in the light of four basic objectives if they are to be considered realistically and in line with the nation's best interests. These objectives are: 1. Provision of every cent needed to wage total war. 2. Destruction of the inflation spiral. 3. Distribution of the economic burden effi- ciently and fairly. 4. Smooth transition to the post-war economy. To the discredit of both Congress and the press, a great deal of favorable publicity has been given to the sales-tax "solution" proposed by the National Association of Manufacturers. Conceivably, the NAM plan, which would in effect reduce the already-low corporate tax schedules and substitute for them a general eight percent sales tax, would contribute heavily to financing the war effort. Further, because it would cut so deeply into the consumption of the low-income groups, it might check and possibly halt the inflation spiral. But of vital importance is the fact that the NAM plan would incur the people's anger, for it would in no way operate to distribute the taxation burden either efficiently or equitably. Possibly the fear of a Treasury official that "the increase in price resulting from a sales tax may be larger than the tax itself," is exagger- ated, but does the NAM dare deny: 1. That the sales tax hits rich and poor alike and thus violates the just principle of "ability to pay?" Randolph Paul, tax adviser to Secretary Morgenthau, points out than an over-all retail sales tax would take one percent of a $500 annual income, while taking only .59 percent of the $2,000-$2,500 level, .49 percent of the $4,000- $5,000 level and a mere .27 percent of $10,000 and over. 2. That the NAM has little justification for asking an eight percent sales tax and lower corporation taxes when we consider the recent report of the Federal Reserve Board? It showed that 629 of the largest industrial corporations earned net profits, after taxation, of $1,465,- 000,000 in 1939; $1,818,000,000 in 1940 and $2,181,000,000 in 1941-an increase of 50 percent. To prove NAM's eagerness to cooperate with the war effort and the Treasury's plan based on "ability to pay," spokesman J. Cheever Cow- din said: "The Treasury plan would create a danger of slackened war production." Does the NAM dare deny that a nation striv- ing to defeat the forces of Fascism cannot let the special interests of pressure groups threaten national unity and the very ideals of justice for which we are fighting? When victory is won, the United States must be in the strongest possible position to translate that victory into a healthy post-war society. And an economic system laden with inequality, such as would result from the NAM plan, would help nullify the gains that free men died for, and would rencpr ternseitaiont n efficient WASHINGTON-Inside fact about the cur-' rent quarrel over inflation and the farm bill is that sage old Bernie Baruch long ago warned the President, Leon Henderson and the inner cir- The Reply Chiur]i'sh by TOUCHSTONE FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS the detec- tive story has kept cropping up in conversa- tions here and there. First it was The Turn of the Screw, Henry James' chiller, which I read, and people told me about so much that I didn't see so much as a single face at the window, and slept like a babe the rest of the night after I read it. Then I got talking to a writer who said he'd like to write one some time and have all the clues point to one man, and at the end of the book have him guilty. Also the matter of puzzle interest came under some discussion. Appar- ently there are some people who absolutely never know who dunnit until, as the inimitable Joseph Walker puts it, "the magistrate settles back in an easy chair and says 'I have gathered all of you here tonight because you are in some way connected with the murder of Johnathan (Har- old, Count, Joseph) Marlborough. In this room, apprehensive, but attempting to conceal his guilt, sits the murderer!' " Then night before last it was Nero Wolfe, solving tetanus in about forty thousand words, and yesterday, office talk about the latest torch killing, which is very gruesome stuff indeed, and must go unsolved for the nonce. So, bowing to the inevitable, I shall now discourse briefly on the detective story in its ideal form. THE DETECTIVE STORY-not to be confused with the horror or fantastic story about which I have already written-appears in several stock forms. These are, the country estate murder, with a character list including one parson, one magistrate, several week-end guests at the manor, a constable for comic effect, and the detective named Anthony; next is the big city, 3r sophisticated murder, which emphasizes infor- mational value and good living, and centers around a dilettante who raises orchids-you will note the lingering effect of Nero Wolfe here- or collects first editions, or likes women, or in the more famous of these efforts, plays the vio- lin, and has a man who writes and admires, usu- ally a literate doctor, to chronicle events, a police sergeant, an inspector who is usually not such a bad egg though misguided, several millionaires, and a cad playboy who did not kill the victim though it often appears so, and a houseboy who has been with Vance, Queen, Wolfe, for years, and makes the best Hungarian goulash in the world. THEN, and here is my favorite of all the lot, there is the killer diller chiller, usually located along the waterfront of London or New York, with luxuriously appointed suites in the attics of apparently, deserted warehouses, fogs on the Thames, and sinister orientals. The killings are numerous, but the tortures are the more interest- ing, and the Circassian slave girl. Few are those who can really do this sort of thing. There seems always to be the impulse to make a great work of the detective story, to lend it plausibility, or sig- nificance of some sort, but where, as in the case of Sax Rohmer or the late Edgar Wallace, all pretense is abandoned, the results are far above the elaborate machinations of the realistic school. There are other variations on these themes-including the increasingly popular lady detectives as found in the work of that up and comer, Mary Roberts Rinehart, or Leslie Ford; they are all right too. Charles Lamb made the original crack about the best puns being the worst ones, and to his idea, I can only add a same here, Charley. Let's take this up at a subsequent meeting. So long until soon. "iron ration"-the primary necessities of life- to all. Whatever the plan agreed upon, corpora- tion taxes should not be cut, because in addition to the resulting inequality, new inducement will be offered to private investment. This is exactly the opposite condition needed in a wartime economy. Even if a sales tax is imposed-against the will and better judgment of the people-there is still- no sound reason for lowering the corpora- tion tax. Better than a sales tax, though still not satisfactory, is the proposal for an increased, social security tax. This would at least offer something in return. Competent students of the problem stand firmly convinced that the United States can accomplish all four fundamental objectives speedily by adopdiflg a plan which would do these things, painful though they may appear: 1. Sharply increase and spread both corpora- tion and personal income taxes, making them much more progressive in character. 2. Establish thoroughgoing price, wage andl rent control. 3. Greatly expand the purchase of defense bonds through a comprehensive system of forced savings. 4. Create an effective and complete rationing system. This program would pay for the war because the government would adjust the tax intake to the amount required. Inflatibn would die when these drastic eco- nomic controls are applied. Progressive taxation would distribute the bur- den efficiently and fairly. Rationing would allot cle that they could not stop inflation if they put the brake only on prices. "Price-fixing is like a four-legged chair," Ba- ruch warned them. "It won't stand on two legs or even three." There is no use regulating consumer prices, he said, unless you also regulate profits, also wages, also farm prices. If one of them gets out of hand, the others will too. Baruch, who was head of the War Industries Board in the last war, has been harping on this point for months. He urged Congress more than a year ago to adopt a very high excess profits tax to take away all the war profits from indus- try; and at the same time he urged the President to clamp down on wages as well as prices. The President actually got a little irritated at Baruch's pounding away on this theme. Today, however, chief resentment of the farm belt is not so much against Roosevelt's urging that farm prices be kept down, but over the fact that labor's income has skyrocketed while the farmer's hasn't. Furthermore, the farmer com- plains that he has to pay a lot more for his labor -when he can get it at all-but he can't increase his farm prices proportionately. What's Wrong With !ousing? Congressional investigators probing into de- fense housing conditions the other day ran across some interesting data regarding Charles F. Palmer, ex-coordinator of Defense Housing. They discovered that in 1935 Palmer had al- most been asked to resign from a local housing project in Atlanta, Ga., because he split archi- tects' and real estate commissions of $60,000. Palmer was not then employed by the Govern- ment, and the split commissions were to com- pensate him for work he had done in promoting a low-cost housing project, later completed by the Public Works Administration. However, the PWA Division of Investigation, after probing the matter, "recommended that the Housing Division exercise caution to see that split commissions do not prevail on any housing project in the future." Also, A. R. Clas, Director of PWA housing, reported as follows regarding Palmer: "The report does not disclose any dishonesty on Mr. Palmer's part . . . but it has cast a doubt in my mind of Mr. Palmer's unselfish interest in the projects, and thus I am not sure of his mo-. tives in urging local control of the management. "I have felt for some time that the Commit- tee (in Atlanta) as a result of Mr. Palmer's activities has been making no effort to reconcile the difficulties between the city and the Govern- ment, but rather using the objections as a club to induce the Government to turn over such profits to it . . . I do not believe it is desirable to ask for Mr. Palmer's resignation at this time, although I feel the committee would function better without him." Most significant fact is that despite this, the reorganized Public Works Administration actu- ally promoted Palmer to the vitally important job of Defense Housing Coordinator where he has served until recently. Finally, however, he was eased out of the housing picture by a trip to inspect housing in England. "Mom's saving sugar, Pop's fussing over his tires, sis is hoarding her silk stockings-everybody in the family's doing war work but me!" DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN L TTCRS TO TED EDITOR Minneapolis Sedition Trials To the Editor: A BLOT upon the record of democracy in America is the conviction and sentencing to prison of eighteen militant labor leaders in Minneapolis on the charge of advocating the overthrow of the government by armed revolu- tion. This matter is well covered by Dale Kramer in the current issue of Harpers magazine on "The Dunne Boys of Minneapolis." The Dunne brothers are probably the best known of the militant labor leaders in the Amer- ican northwest. They have been active in the trade union and political activities in that area since the first World War. But the climax of their activity was reached in 1934 and the years following when they successfully organized the truck drivers of Minneapolis into an industrial union, and by intensive campaigning in eleven Midwestern states brought over two hundred thousand drivers into their union. BUT DAN TOBIN, old time president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, whose salary was raised from $20,000 to $30,000 per year, did not wart ''radicals" in the Union,, and wanted it split up into smaller crafts instead of being unified on the industrial basis. Anti- cipating expulsion of the Dunne boys by the bureaucracy, the teamsters left Tobin's A. F. of L. for the C.I.O. early in 1941. But this left Tobin with no union. Having been labor chairman of the Democratic National Committee in the last three Presidential capipaigns--he then appealed to Roosevelt to investigate the matter, particu- larly as the Dunne brothers were leaders of the "radical" Socialist Workers Party-a party fol- lowing the political line of Leon Trotsky, Rus- sian revolutionist, who was assassinated in 1940 in Mexico City, and which criticizes the war as being essentially an imperialistic conflict. The Dunne brothers, while not denying their belief in the desirability of a working class revo- lution in the United States, claim that the re- sultant FBI investigation, the trial and convic- THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 1942 VOL. LII. No. 122 Publication in the Daily Official Bulletin i' constructive notie to all members, of the Unversty Notices Persons on the University payroll may hereafter, until further notice, purchase defense savings bonds through deductions from salary pay- ments. These deductions must be in amounts of $3.75 or multiples there- of. The University will on request make such deductions and hold them until they amount to $18.75 or the multiple thereof named by the pur- chaser. When such accumulation is reached, the University will purchase the proper defense bond (Series E, ten-year appreciation bond) which will be delivered to the purchaser either directly or through one of the I local banks. The installment arrange- ment herein described makes it pos- sible for anyone to carry out with the least possible effort on his or her part the patriotic purpose of sup- porting the Government during the war by the purchase of defense bonds. Blanks authorizing the pay- roll deductions may be had at the Cashier's Office, South Wing of University Hall, the Cashier's Office on floor one at the University Hos- pital, or at the office of the Super- intendent of Buildings and Grounds. The orders for deductions from payroll herein provided for may be cancelled at any time at the discre- tion of the signer thereof, in which case any accumulations not suffi- cient for the purchase of a bond will be returned. Shirley W. Smith Freshmen in the College of Litera- ture, Science, and the Arts may ob- tain their five-week progress reports in the Academic Counselors' Office, Room 108 Masor Hall, from 8 to 12 a.m. and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. according to the following schedule: Surnames beginning P through Z, Thursday, March 19. Surnames beginning A through O, Friday, March 20. Arthur Van Duren, Chairman, Academic Counselors Prospective Applicants for the Com- bined Curricula: Students of the Col- lege of Literature, Science and the Arts wishing to apply for admission to one of the combined curricula for September 1942 should fill out ap- plications for such admission as soon as possible in Room 1210 Angell Hall. The final date for application is Ap- ril 20, 1942, but early application is advisable. Pre-medical students should please note that application for admission to the Medical School s not application for admission to th e Combined Curricuum. A separate application should be made out for the consideration of the Committee on Combined Curricula. Edward 1. Kraus Faculty of the Department of Physical Education and Athletics: A meeting of the Faculty of the De- partment of Physical Education and Athletics will be held Friday eve- ning, March 20, at 7:30 in the Wo- men's Athletic Building, Palmer Field. It. O. Crisler, Chairman Fellowship in Religion: The Mar- garet Kraus Ramsdell Fellowship en- ables one Michigan student to pursue graduate study in Religion. Secure application blanks at Rackham School of Graduate Study. be obtained in Room 15, Barbourt Gymnasium, Tuesday and Thurs- day, 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Academic Notices Students, College of Literature, r Science, and the Arts: Courses drop-s ped after Saturday, March 21, by students other than freshmen will ben recorded with the grade of E. Fresh- men (students with less than 24 hours of credit) may drop courses withoutt penalty through the eighth week.t Exceptions to these regulations may be made only because of extraor- dinary circumstances, such as serious or long-continued illness. E. A. Walter School of Education Students, other thag freshmen: Courses drop- ped after Saturday, March 21, will be recorded with the grade of E, ex- cept under extraordinary circum- stances. No course is considered offi- cially dropped unless it has been re-6 ported in the office of the Registrar, Room 4 University Hall. Anthropology 162 will not meet to-t day.c Anthropology 101 will not meet to- day yM. Titiev Kothe-Hildner Sophomore compe- tition to be held Thursday, March 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m. in Room 301 U.H. 1 Bronson-Thomas Prize Competitiont will be held on Monday, March 23, 2:00-5:00 p.m. in Room 203 U.H. Physical Education for Women: Registration for the outdoor seasonE will be held in Barbour Gymnasium1 on: Friday, March 20, 8:00 to 12:00 ( and 1:00 to 5:00; Saturday, March 21, 8:00 to 12:00. Concerts Carillon Programs: The bell cham- ber of the. Burton Memorial Tower will be open to visitors interested in observing the playing of the carillon from 12 noon to 12:15 p.m. daily1 through Friday of this week, ata which time Professor Percival Price, University Carillonneur, will present an informal program. r Exhibitions Exhibition: An Introduction to Architecture. An elaborate educa- tional exhibition produced by the Ann Arbor Art Association in collab- oration with the College of Architec- ture and Design. This exhibition is intended to give the layman a better understanding of the meaning of architecture, to demonstrate the modern techniques of museum dis- play of visual materials as instru- ments of education, and for its ap- peal to those interested in art. The Rackham Galleries, from March 19 through April 1. Open daily, 2-5 and 7-10 except Sundays. The public is cordially invited. Lectures Pierre Van Paassen, foreign corres- pondent and novelist, lectures tonight at Hill Auditorium at 8:15. This lee- ture is sponsored by the Michigan Alumnae Club of Ann Arbor. Pro- ceeds will go to the Student War Emergency Fund. Tickets will be on sale at the box office today from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Dr. Margaret Mead will give two lectures on "Marriage in War Time" Thursday and Friday afternoons at 4:15 p.m. in the Rackham Lecture Hall. Students having tickets to the Marriai Reat insm Seris will h nad- Events Today The Society of Automotive Engin- eers will meet tonight at 7:45 in the Michigan Union. Mr. Joseph Gech- elin, Technical Editor of the Chilton Publications, will present an illus- trated lecture, "The Future of the Automobile and War Production." All engineers are invited. La Sociedad Hispanica will present Mr. Hartweg as the next lecturer to- day at 4:15 p.m. in Room D, Alumni MWemorial Hall. He will speak on "Mexico Meridional." Attention Speech Societies: Delta Sigma Rho, Sigma Rho Tau, Alpha Nu, Zeta Phi Eta and Athena invite you to hear Professor Howard Erh- mann speak on "The Causes of the Present War" tonight at 9:00 in the Kalamazoo Room of the League. American Institute of Electrical Engineers will meet tonight at 8:00 in the Union. Major Renner of the Military Science Department . will speak on "Ordnance in the Army." Refreshments. Varsity Glee Club: Important re- hearsal tonight at 7:30. Those who have flashlights are asked to bring them to rehearsal. Graduate Coffee Hour today, 4:30- 6:00 p~m in the Rackham School. All faculty members and graduate stu- dents are welcome. Michigan Sailing Club will have a business meeting this evening at 7:45 in room 318 of the Union. All mem- bers please attend. The Seminar on Th Bases of a Just and Durable Peace will be led by Mr. Bradford Abernethy, who is in charge of research on that subject for the Federal Council of Churches tonight at 7:30 in Lane Hall. Orientation Advisors:'All men stu- dents interested in serving as ori- entation advisers next fall report to room 304 of the Union between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. today. La Sociedad Hispanica will not meet this evening. JGP Make-up committee meeting today at 5:00 at the League. At- tendance is compulsory. Coming Events Women of the University Faculty: The dinner will be at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 20, at the Michigan Union. Reservations must be sent to Dr. Alvalyn E. Woodward before Thursday noon. German Table for Faculty Mem- bers will meet Monday at 12:10 p.m. in the Founders' Room Michigan Un- ion. Members of all departments are cordially invited. There will be a brief talk on "Mathematische Para- doxien," by Mr. G. Y. Rainich. French Round Table, International Center, will meet on Friday, March 20, at 8:00 p.m. in Room 23. Dr. George Kiss will lead the discussion. His topic will be "The Far North." Anyone able to carry on a conversa- tion in French is welcome to attend. The Suomi Club will have a skat- ing party Saturday afternoon, March 21, at the Coliseum. Members de- siring to go as a group, please meet at 2:15 p.m. at the International Center. The regular meeting of the Suomi Club will be held Saturday evening at 8:00 in the International Center. Michigan Outing Club will have a breakfast horseback ride Sunday morning. The group will leave from Hill Auditorium promptly at 9:00. Fee for ride and breakfast. All stu- dents are welcome but reservations must be made before Friday by call- ing either Dan Saulson (9818) or Lib- by Mahlman (2-2539). Only persons making reservations in advance may attend. Public Uealth Students: A party for the students in the School of Public Health will be held on Saturday eve- ning, March 21, at 8:30 in the As- sembly Hall, third floor, of the Rack- ham Building. There will be games and dancing, and all students are urged to be present. Graduate Square Dance, sponsored by the Council and Outing Club, on Saturday night, 9:00-12:00, in the Outing Club Room of the Rackham Building. All graduate students wel- come. Instruction. Refreshments. The Disciples Guild will have open house at the Guild House, following the lecture at Rackham Hall, on Friday night from 9:30 to 12:00 o'clock. Mendelssohn's Oratorio "Elijah" will be presented by the Senior Choir of the First Methodist Church on Palm Sunday evening, March 29, at 8:00 in the Sanctuary. Soloists: Bonnie Ruth Van Deursen, Soprano; Beatrice Brody Larsen, Contralto; Avery Crew, Tenor; Mark Bills, Bari- tone; and Beatrice Nesbitt Ruthven, Soprano. Mary Porter Gwnn is or- ganist, and Professor Hardin Van Deursen of the School of Music is Director. The public is invited. :I