Evening star., 1923-01-30
Snapshots.

America the savior of civilization
or the founder of a new one-may
one day be the new and greater
symbol of the Statue of Liberty in
New York harbor.
There are political students and
thinkers who see in the present
chaos of Europe convincing evidence
of the decline of what we call mod
ern civilization. They believe that
the war has hastened the passing OF
an era and that the final collapse is
at hand; that the thousand -year-old
edifice Of western culture iS crumblnS
to dust as in past epochs the proud
pillars of Rome, Greece and Egypt
totered and fell, when their destiny
was accomplished.
am not a pessimist, and L refuse
to believe that our civilization is in
deed laundering already And did
I believe il | would discourage such
somber predictions, for the law OF
suggestion is imutable. and TO dls-
seminate them is to facilitate and
hasten their realization. AS l have
explained and. / hope. demonstrated
every idea tends to become a realtE.
AS the sick man aggraVateS MS SICK
ness by dwelling upon it, ana the
aged shortens his DAYS bs lninN-
ing they are numbered; so natrons
and races hurry their own downfali
by allowing the suggestion of it to
sink into their souls.
Yet, were the light of European
culture to be extinguished, the torch
of civilization would still be kept
burning by America. Who can visit
this country without being persuaded
of it's fitness for such glorious
destiny?
American Superiority.
There has been much to impress
and astound me here, but one or the
vividest impressions l snail take
away with me will be the 1eellng
of having been among a new people,
a new people who have begun to
climb where others had stopped. and
whose best attachments have far out
stripped the best of other nations.
Why is this?- 1t must be because
load of traditions" born by the peo-
pies OF the old world, and her spirit
or genius was free to develop on
new and independent lines. Tradi-
tions" in this sense are nothing but
"suggestions" operating ceaselessly.
force, upon the whole population
through succeeding generations. OF
course, the. earlier generations OF
Americans were still under the in
fluence of their legacy, of traditions.
But the chain was broken. The vir-
gin forests were a fit cradle for the
birth Of a new nation and new
mind Autosuggestion would con-
tinue to mould them and their des-
TIMES. but it would flow from a fresh.
unsullied source emanating from the
unfathomable mystery of life to sup
ply humanity with the elements of
progress.
THAT America has built a new
foundation for her spiritual home,
nav. for a rev civilization, is proved
= nd S0r{21
tions and by her whole trend OF ma
tional thought today. although this
is not the place for a proper analysis
of them Reminiscent as they obvi-
ously must be of older ones, they,
nevertheless, differentiate widely
from them in most essentials There
are certain superficial resemblances,
but nothing like the fundamental
sameness of principles which strikes
one in all European countries.
Socially Far Ahead.
Compare the social conditions exist
ing in America with those pertaining
to other countries. They bristie Win
the world with its revolution and Its
declaration of liberty. equality. fra
ternity," and, for a time, they be-
came absolute realities-as absolute
as conditions then prevailing could
make them. And France stilI is a
good land to live in, for the princi-
plies she fought for are still q living
force. But America has carried those
principles further, has given them
new meaning and breathed into them
a vitality that renders them proof
against all passing shocks. In
Europe they are subject to eclipse,
because in the subconscious mind of
the people centuries of suggestions
have not yet been obiiterated. Europe
has, indeed, solved many social prob
IaI ffv,,A 70 Oof
the difficulties, the obsession of which
disturbs them still from time to time.
For instance, the struggle between
democracy and autocracy. America.