The Washington times., 1923-01-29
BABSON OFFERS
P|ETY AS KEY
To PEACE
''Priests Rather Than Police
men" Hold Worlds Security,
Economist Declares.

''Priests rather than policemen are
responsible for the security Of your
family, and the security Of your
property depends on the preachers
rather than on the bankers. More
than this, the security of the world
depends upon the philosophy Of the
nations rather than upon the agree
mentS of nations"
This is the view of Roger w. Bah
son, noted prophet of economies, as
expressed at the lecture on Europe
Needs Religion More Than Repara-
tions.''
1.-THE security Of everybody and
said, whether a house or a bank
book, whether pig or kit Of tools
depends not upon Congress or
courts, but upon the philosophy and
principles actuating our people-in
short. upon our religion.
1--WE look upon stock certificates,
mortgages, ETC., as if they were Of
real value. They have absolutely no
value of themselves. Their value de-
ponds wholly on the honesty of the
lawyers who draw the papers, on the
integrity of the clerks who copy the
records, on the honor of the Off
cials who sign the documents, on
the courage of the courts which
must inforce the claim, and finally
on the righteousness of the COM
munity, which is the basis of all.
Europe needs religion more than
reparations.
All Problems Religious.
al am not so much interested in
what we have now as I am in pro-
ducing more. If production stopped
today there would not be enough
already produced to keep us alive
twelve months. We should starve
for lack of food, freeze for lack of
coal, and suffer in numberless other
ways. The things that we already
have seems important; but they
would amount to nothing If divided
up among all the people. Hence, all
sensible men are interested in pro-
viding more things rather than in
struggling over redivision of the
things already existing. Statistics
show that motives-not desires-are
the cause of 80 per cent of the pro-
duction Of today. The qualities of
faith, courage, hope, service and en-
terprise, are qualities which religion
has developed. The problem of the
cost of living is a religious problem
rather than an economic problem
and can be solved only as people
cease to be selfish and become i'm
bued with the spirit Of service.
Business today is at the parting
or the ways. Crops are good, wages
are fair and money is plentiful
Everyone willing to work is en-
ployed. the railroads have more than
they can haul. and the demand for
10 Vak Ii
men are fearful of panic or another
collapse. What is the reason for
this fear? This fear is due to the
knowledge that a great mass Of |
people have the wrong philosophy
today. We become extravagant,
careless and selfish during good
times. We then forget God and feel
confident in our own strength; we
seek profits rather than service and
are interested in consuming rather
than producing. Only revival of
religion in Europe and America can
make good times continue and
etraighten out the European tangle.
AS Compass to the Shop.
1.-THE solution of our great indus
trial problems will be brought
about only through the develop T!
ment of sound religions. We have
been taught to believe that legisla- |
alton holds the key to the situation. |
Our experiences of the past two
years show clearly that the indus
trial problem cannot be solved
through legislation. The same
thing applies to financial, social
and all other ills. There is no
shortcut solution to any Of these
problems. The solution will come
only through the growth of re-
iigion in influence and power. We
must rescue the nation from the
INSCRIPTIONS politician, the selfish
promoter, and the shortsighted en-
ployer and wage worker.
True religion is to civilization
what a compass is to a ship or a
steering wheel is to an automobile.
AS business man. I urge my as
sociates to get behind the churches.
They alone provide the only solu-