The New York herald., 1921-08-21
YOUTH IN EUROPE
ENJOYS LIFE AS OLD
MEN WORK AT MAPS
Many Refuse to Bother Over
Silesia. Soyiets, Hunger
and the Reds.
BACK TO SIMPLE LIFE
Sir Philip Gibbs Calls Pow
erty Good Fun if Backed
by Right Spirit.
SEES EFFECT In FUTURE
Changes Caused by War Could
Be Bettered if Young
People Would Help.
SEES EFFECT IN FUTURE
BY SIR PHILIP GIBBS.

LONDON, Aug. 20.-There is no holi-
day for statesmen, diplomatists and
professional politicians while the
world is still full of unsettled prob
lens and the shadow of the Russian
famine grows darker over eastern Eu-
rope and all plying hearts. But
millions of lucky folk in many coun-
tries are putting all such cares aside
and are giving themselves up to the
simple life by any sea that breaks
on any coast
France is nightly interested in
the decision of Upper Silesia, but
French men and women laugh gayly
as they plunge into the little waves at
Dieppe, Trouville or Boulogne des-
pite whatever the line may be that is
drawn between the Poles and Ger
mans. The port of Antwerp is de-
ploring it's failing commerce, but all
along the Belgian coast youth dances
until the moonlight turns each ripple
to quicksilver.
In Italy the Red Communists and
the White Guards continue TO attack
one another in restaurant and tram
cars, but in hundreds of coves and
islets, aglitter in the golden sunshine,
brown nymphs are singing 10 the
tinkle of guitars. In England now
every stretch of sand is thronged
with holiday makers who seem to
know no care and have left their
troubles with their city clothes.
May BE Secret of Happiness.
1t seems to me that here is the Sc
cret of happiness that most people
are searching for in the toll of spirit
and sweat of mind with feverish am
bition. Perhaps in that new world
row being shaped by unknown forces
which men imagine they control hap
piness will return to human nature
by way Of simplicity
It is amusing to see how even our
millionaires and profiteers sicken OF
the luxury they have created and, for
some months in the year at least, put
Il away from them and try to get
near nature again in camps and in
bungalows, in shooting, in fishing and
in boating. All their financial Jug
Cling and all their anxious watching
of markets and prices, all their head
aches and sleepless nights in pursuit
OF power and wealth have led them
only to the realization that the good
life is in the woods and fields, close
TO earth and under the open sky, free
from luxuries.
Getting and spending we lay waste
our days, said one Il the wise old
poets. All the compl >2tions of mod
ern civilization are mere clog in the
main springs of human happiness II
they deprive us of contact with ma
ture and hinder simplicity of soul
and life. | have an idea that the i'm
mense calamities that have befallen
Europe are due to the violation of
that truth. The whole philosophy of
the modern world was directed to
false ideas Of progress and happiness?
Our industrial energy was intense,
hut 1t produced not greater individual
ioy but enormous cities of unhappy
people all fighting one another for
a greater share Of luxury that they
imagined to mean happiness.
poxvrtroaden Ripe for Revolt.
To the under dogs in many countries
we're denied not only any kind Of lux
ury but the most decent necessities,
SO that the spirit of bitterness and
revolt seethed among them. Yet oy
the pursuit OF false aims those who
succeed in this jungle Of conflict were
utterly unsatified with their success
and certainly were not happy
Looking back on the rich society
before the war not as one Of them
but as an observer who went among
them with watchful eyes, remember
crowds OF restless. bored people who
followed the drift of fashion from one
place 10 another. wallowed in all the
luxury that civilization had invented
and were mostly miserable War Itself
was tDelT way OI escape from DbIP-
dom. and apart from all political
crimes and rivalrics that war seems
to have been natures method OF pun
ishment upon society overcompli-
Gated, diseased by false ideas. too far
away in her monstrous ideas from her
earth and sky, too careless OF those
who labored unnaturally for other peo-
ple's luxury.
Whether that is 80 or not, and 10
not dogmatizc, II Is certain that the
effect Of the war will be to make life
In many countries simpler and more
primitive by sheer poverty. In some
countries like Russia and Austria lifc
has gone back to the simple old con-
hict with hunger and death. That Is
X an exaggeration of virtue and OF sim
plicity but perhaps the relative pow
\ erty that has come TO other countries
like England and France, at least to
the extent Of restricting futile luxu-
ries annihilating the class OF the idle
rich and making for general economy,
leading people back to the land and
simplifying life by greater need for