New-York tribune., 1917-06-24
New Conceptions Of Government

New Conceptions Of Government
The new test of the fitness Of men for
citizenship is their ability to grasp the
changed conceptions of government when
the war has made necessary. The sur
vival of democracy depends upon the quail
itv as well as upon the intensity OF the
patriotism Of the American public. And
patriotism has been broadened to include,
to degree never known before, the way in
which men conduct their business.
Eighteenth century individualism has lin
gered as a dogma of trade long after the
conditions Of modern life have rendered 1t
obsolete. In the present crisis 1t is men,
ace, second only to the German and his
secret agents, in its possibilities for ma
tional weakness and confusion. Pros
perity, according to the old tradition, was
a matter of public concern, but the con-
duct Of business was a matter of private
ipterest-outside the functions Of govern
ment. controlled not by the social will, but
by certain supposed economic laws, espe-
cially the claw of supply and demand"
A man might feel himself exceedingly
patriotic and yet see nothing inconsistent
or disloyal in turning a national crisis to
his own commercial advantage. It was
not unpatriotic, it was just good busi-
ness" to take advantage Of public need in
the time of war in order to increase ones
private fortune. The nation had the right
to call on men to give their lives IN its
defence, but to expect them to cut down
their profts-that would be meddling with
the very constitution Of the universe.
Even before the war this dualism Of
business and government had been found
wanting. In England it produced the
evils of the factory system, from which
the British people suffered quite as severe
" as they have since suffered at the hands
of the German. In every modern indus
trial nation it was the great problem Of
the last decade, the source Of class strife
and social unrest. II was at the bottom
of much Of that traditional "muddling
through" which has long characterized
the social and political activities of demo-
cratic nations. 1t had called forth the
criticism Of scientific students of our civ
ilization and the open hostility Of a host
Of agitators, cranks and reformers. Even
the literature and art of recent times have
felt the strain which resulted from the old
conception of government and business
and have been obsessed with the idea that
something was wrong with industrial
civilization.
Whatever else the war has done or may
do, it has made the larger conception Of
the function of government absolutely es
sential to national survival. War to-day
n is test of the entire strength of ma
tion in arms, and no nation can exert it
= full strength with uncontrolled prof
seekers plundering its own people behin'
the lines. Every Allied nation has fount
it necessary to modify the old conception
Of the relation Of government to bushes
before it could summon its forces for tn
serious business Of war. In every test tn
old system has broken down. Both Eng
land and France have found it as neces
sary TO mobilize industry as 20 mobiliz
their military forces. The social state ha
come to stay, and the United States cal
neither do its part in the war nor hold it
own in the peace which is to follow with
out adopting new conceptions Of gov
ernment.
Faced, as we are, with the task Of feed
ing half the world, with victory depending
on our handling Of the food and similar
economic problems, it would be crimina
neglect if we failed through stupid adher
ence to a wornout dogma which can onl!
result in giving enormous unearned wealth
to a few irresponsible dealers. The test Of
nations, as Of men, is their ability TO learr
the lessons Of experience and meet with
intelligent readjustments new situation:
as they come up. And the one great
lesson Of the war, second only to that Of
the menace Of Prussianism, is that Of the
menace Of the specuiator and the price
manipulator. Nothing less than courage
Gus and even drastic action Of the govern
ment in this matter viii guarantee victory
for the Allied armies nothing less vii
deliver US from the enemy inside the lines
nothing less will make Of US an organized
modern nation.
Army Week