The Washington herald., 1922-03-19
Gibbs Says Prophets Of Woe
Point to Doom of America
Sir Philip, Amazed by Gloomy Forebodings
Sees Grain of Truth in Sense of Under
lying Dangers to Liberty.

who challenge the whole system OF
civilization In the disaster owing
to an excess of luxury. a wild
standard of pleasure, and an in
equality of wealth, which cannot
be maintained much longer because
the consequences of world war, and
a creeping paralysis OF world trade,
will rob the United States of that
margin and surplus of wealth which
was so quickly gained, and seemed
so enduring, during the years of
national expansion.
1t is astonishing how in my trav-
els during the last two months so
many people have come to me with
distressful tales, with serious fore
bodings: telephone ring. a
stranger on the mezzanine floor. or
another visitor to NY bedroom be-
tween one lecture and another, and
then l am face to face with a new
prophet who foresees the political
downfall or the moral upheaval Of
the United states.
Others Fear Labor Troubles.
The intolerance and brutality of
capital to. labor is the theme of
some of these visitors, and they
coptrast-too favorably perhaps
the easy tolerance of English Gov
ernment. the compromise I'm English
life, the broadmindedness of the
English press in giving a fair deal
to labor problems and points of
views with the autocracy of state
control. the crushing OF invividual-
ism by state discipline, (witness
prohibitionD in this country. Like
my friend with his tale of doom
frnIfhl q
ahead il labor in the United States
Is driven to work underground be-
cause it is denied free ventilation
of ideas. and il the individual is
regarded as a rebel to the state
when he refuses to obey laws which
were imposed upon him without his
consent and against his will.
CrIticise Law Restraints.
There are too many laws" say
some of the critics. There is no
longer respect f9T law" say Others
because they ompose restraints
able beings" which being in
shouldn't a man have a drink II
he wants one" or why should he
be debarred from buying cigarettes
in Nebraska"
The American "happer" is an
other cause of impending doom, it
appears to these American critics
of American life. She is not going
to be the mother of good men. She
is a heartless little hussy (poor
darlingD and her painted cheek
against the clean-shaven jaw of the
undergraduate in the jazz-dance is
as false in its color as the hue OF
her heart. and she is dancing with
him to perdition.
Mliitarism is getting its hold
upon the younger generation say
other men. A tide of imperialism is
beginning to creep up in spite of
the Washington conference and the
Root resolutions, is the view of
other minds. studying the tenden-
cies of the time.
might extend my list of prophe-
cies as I have heard them in this
city or that, but 1 have written
enough to show that here in the
United States, anxious voices un-
heard above the cheerful traffic of
its life, melancholy amidst the
boisterous noise Of its activity. un-
heard by the masses which make
up public opinion, are speaking
words now and then in moments Of
self revelation which sound
strangely to a man like myself i'm
pressed by the energy. the vitality.
the cheerfulness. the enormous self
confidence, the tremendous all
effacing optimism of the American
people as a whole.
They speak too darkly, those
prophets OF woe. Yet. is there any
grain of truth in their sense OF
underlying dangers-danger to in
dividual liberty in this land Of
liberty. danger to the old standard
of life and luxury. danger to eco
nomic health and security. I do not
know would like to know,
(CopyriRht 1922