Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-22
DREAM, BY ALL MEANS, BUT
WAKE IF YOU WANT REALITY!
Vision and Only Work viii
Make Il Come True

CROPS wouldn't come luxuriously out of
~ the ground, buildings wouldn't rise mag
nifcently against the sky, pictures wouldn't
appear on canvases if the people who have
to do with these things were content to sit
and dream endlessly of fields of grain in the
wind or towers in the sunlight or thrilling
color schemes done in paint
Everything worth while in this world
sprang from some ones dreams. But ac-
complishment meant--and still means-labor
and sweat. action and unremitting industry.
The Sesqui- Centennial has been dream
to Philadelphia, to the City Council. to
Congress and, indeed, to the country at
large. We have had time to imagine what
it will be like, how uniquely glorious it ought
to be in its forms and its significance.
One Of these bright days-and before very
long-the older nations Of the earth will
escape from their nightmare of violence and
antagonism and failure, and they will seek a
means TO reassert the nobler hopes and
meanings of their lives and their labors.
They will wish to give visible form to the
greatest Of their aspirations and to demon
strate. as beautifully as they can. the ideals
of remade world. What better meeting
STouiu 'oulu luey nave tHdH tHe pidce Ill
which the cradle Of their most passionate
hope was rocked?
We have talked dreamed. speeched and
imagined enough. The time has come to
wake up and devoutly hustle.
Americans are the most energetic people
in the world-when they want to be. Like
all other people. they like to postpone re-
alistic action. They wanted peace, victory,
normalcy. But they wanted to leave it to
Woodrow and they are leaving 1t to Warren,
just as Europe, desiring reason and justice
and peace. leaves it to George to go out and
do the sweating and remains at home-to
hope.
Similarly, In this city there seems to be
feeling that hope and speeches and director
general will be enough to create the greatest
international exposition Of all time.
That is delusion.
The fair project has advanced to the stage
at which it needs the dynamic force Of mo.
bilized and unanimous public sentiment be-
hind it. 1t needs the driving power of mass
resolution translated into daily action. 1t
needs concerted effort stubbornly exerted
night and day.
All the little squabbles and disagreements
Of the last six months are-in the past.
They ought to be forgotten. At least no
trace or memory of them should be per.
mitted to interfere with the smooth opera
tion of the reordcred plan. Some such
friction was inevitable and it did no HARM
So all people and all officials ought to begin
to think Of the fair as a reality and to con.
Germ themselves at once about practical re.
quirements.
When the collective spirit Of Philadelphia
is solidly behind the fair. the collective
spirit of Congress will get behind it and the
collective spirit of the country will arise
and labor for 1925.
A working organization with adequate
funds at its disposal is an immediate re.
quirement of the Sesqui Centennial project.
1t Is not too early to let the world know all
about the fair and all about It's central
meaning which is that civilization based
upon peace liberty and industry has come
to stay.
In every organization. large or small, in
Philadelphia there should be a committee
specially created to aid the general Sesaui-
found to make the free co operation of these
committees possible and certain.
The old Philadelphia habit of mass. meet
ings ought to be revived in order that the
collective sentiment Of these units and the
people they represent could find ready and
frequent expression.
We ought always to remember that no
project of international scope ever had
background so favoring as that which is
already prepared for the fair Of 1926. You
might almost say that the times demand
the fair
We know too we'll what havoc human
energy can do with the devices of modern
science 1t Is about time to prove that this
same energy, properly directed, can be
equally potent IN the service Of beauty and
utility. But from now on we shall have to
work as the farmer, the builder and the
artist works-systematically and hard and
| with the raw materials of the great plan.
In every home, in the mind Of every indi-
vidual, there ought to be some share of pride
and interest in this greatest effort Of the
city's life and a willingness to share at
least a little of the stress of a great com :
mon effort. II money is needed, we should
all help to find it.
The thing ought to take hold of the city s
very heart. For it may yet fall to us to
| complete in Philadelphia the work begun in
Washington, continued laboriously at yer-
sailles and attempted again at Genoa We
may at last convince all nations that peace
is best!