Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-04-28
WE SHALL LIVE THRo]UcH n.

It$Would be possible to compile iron. current
essays, articles and SO forth an imposing list IF
fairs OF the world are in an utterly hopeless state,
and that It can be but a avery short time before the
whole thing flies topieces.4 &#S; AaMEa
Beginning. for instance with the Versailles,
treaty, we find that that document is 4 record of the
most amazing stupidity ever perpetrated by man;
that the people who framed it exhibited the grossest,
of the elementary principles Of public
policy that the treaty provisions are clumsy, COM
and quite certain within a very short time
to result in another great war. Continuing, we find
that ever since the conference which framed that
treaty, the world has been cursed by being subjected
to the meddlesome interference of a lot of incom-1
petents who, undertaking TO mend its affairs,
n1uddle everything that they touched. Coming
down to the immediate present we see the Genoa
conference in the throes of dissolution, with the
representatives Of all the participating nations
and caterwauling at each other, each group
trying to grab something at the expense of all the
others. and not a man in the entire list exhibiting
even the most primitive forms Of craftsmanship.
Reading all these dismal comments and hope
less prophecies, one wonders if there are no capable
people left i'll the world, and if there are any, by
what mischance it came about that all the capable
ones have remained at home and permitted the most
hopelessly incapable of the entire lot to tackle the
settlement of the worlds affairs.
1t we should continue our inspection and extend
it into other fields, the industrial field, for instance,
we should find an equally hopeless situation, there.
Leaving out OF account the labor, transportation
and other troubles which are so apparent that any
one can perceive them, a visit to any factory. even
Mr.. Ford's, would reveal an amazing lot; of incom-
petence and waste. Foremen, managers and work.
men work at cross purposes. Machinery, even in
the best institutions, is installed in ways which can
at once be shown to be defective. Stuff is carted
and back to. no purpose. Two men are re-
CURED to do the work of one. Labor is wasted in
useless correspondence. One could prepare a bill
OF, particulars, each item of which would be beyond
which, standing by itself could fairly be ac-
cepted as proof that the industrial system of the
country has fallen into hands SO incompetent that
must go to wreck and ruin within a few weeks.
with the result that humanity must return to the
stone age and start all over again.
l isn't really as bad as all that. There are de-
tects in the industrial system, it is true. There are
men IN charge of important business who do not
know it all, and who make plumbers, some Of them
surprising, when one looks back upon them. But
IN one way or other, the system is worrying along.
Little by little it is making progress. There are
really some very capable men connected with II.
And the prospect is that in spite of occasional
gloomy predictions, the thing will last for some time
and perform service for a good many generations.
Similarly, when we view the works situation.
may. console ourselves with the thought that not
quite everything that has; been done is wrong, and if
watch closely we may occasionally, find in the
and the actions of individuals in impor-
tant positions flashes of real ability, of courage, re-
sourcefulness, of broad vision, and even of unselfsh-
ness. Therefore let Us cheer up. In any case, the
men who are trying TO do things are probably as
capable as those who are throwing bricks at them.