The Washington times., 1920-09-04
Today
My ldealism Fails.
"A Wall Street Clerk.
Quaint Japanese Gods.
Workmen's Agreements.
BRISB
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tho gigantic American Exchange
Bank, with its hundred and seven
ty-fve millions, sends to his friends
monthly letter Of information
meditation, prognostication, affir-
nation, optimism, and warning.
This month, wandering far from
Wall Streets vocabulary, MI
Clarke uses expressions such rs
"cApitalistic system" once USED
only by raging radicals. he says
''The cspitalistic system OF IN
dustry is even theoretically su-
perior to the best of the ideai'siH
systems"
The French and American re-
publics and the English and Italian
imitation monarchies are all, four
in the "capitalistic system OF IN
dustry' stage, and Mr.. Clarkes
statement is true. No "idealistic
system" ever succeeds. By the
time 1t succeeds, men no longer
call 1t "idealistic."
Aristotle, as wise in his day as
Clarke in his, said there could De
no civilization without slavery.
Slaves were necessary that su-
perior minds might have leisure
for superior thinking.
Aristotle was right in his day,
wrong later, when machines took
the place of slaves-including hu-
man machines, twelve and fourteen
years old, that work In factories.
Mr.. Clarke Is sincere in his belief
that the "capitalistic system" Is the
only good one, now or hereafter.
But, like Aristotle, Mr.. Clarke may
be mistaken.
A Wall street clerk, earning $SS
Z week, with a family OF six, testl-
flying at a Government investiga-
ton, said that an apartment cost
ing formerly $30 month now costs
from $50 to $50. Unable to find .
home that he could pay for on his
salary, he had moved to a dark
basement, and the janitor was try
ing to put him out because he had
five children.
Mr.. Clarke, who through all his
life, like his father before him, has
worked as hard as any slave OF
modern business responsibility, is
right in his statement that the
"capitalistic system is the best
system developed-thus far.
That Wall street clerk would be
right IL he said that the human
race OUGHT to find better sys-
tenn, one that would let him take
!, his wife and five children out OF
the dark basement into the sun
light. :,
God may forgive you said
Ffchte, "for depriving children of
bread that costs money. He Will
NOT forgive you for depriving them
Of free air and sunlight" ~
Kensuke Ando, Mayor OF Kyoto,
in an address of welcome to Ameri-
can Congressman, said, "The
Americans and the Japanese are
equally sons of the gods, there
fore love should rule both" Most
polite Japanese greeting from .
gentleman whose Emperor is Of
/hcially related to all the Celestial
bodies. But the one God OF the
American Congressman and the
various gods of the japanese are
not exactly alike.
If American statesmen will read
up on some of the japanese gods
and their methods, they will learn
that the highly intelligent sons of
those gods will bear watching.
Japanese that are "sons" and
followers of gentle self-sacrificing
Gotama, who let the mother IT,
gress eat him, to make milk for her
young, we do not fear. But the
Japanese have a queer assortment
Of gods. Some of their Shinto
gods, devil gods, fox and tiger
gods, might have japanese sons not
exactly desirable among the peace
full people of California.
Workmen demand the right of
collective bargaining" They de-
nounce, justly, corporations, fed
eral judges, and others that re-
fuse to meet authorized repre-
sentatives of workmen.
= If, however, workmen want "col-
lective bargaining" to be more
than a joke, they must keep to
bargains that their represent
atives make.
Leaders Of coal miners sign an
agreement. The miners stop work,
taking a vacation" no coal for
the public.
Street car workers in Brooklyn,
city OF two millions, enter into GER
tain agreements through their
leaders. They break the agree
ments, stop all cars in the night,
without an hours warning. Two
million people walk. II workers
think that is the way to promote
collective bargaining" and obtain
the sympathy Of the public. the
workers are mistaken. Union la
Dor is mistaken, also, IL II imag-
ines IL can go far WITHOUT pub
lie support.
I'VE love you and wish you well
in your fight on Russia, but do not
seize any Russian territory" said
0nrrctory ~ Sfate Colhy to poIand