San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-01
MR.. WILSON'S MESSAGE

Only full reading of Woodrow Will
sons silence-breaking article, "The Road
Away From Revolution" would be COM
petent to show whether the advance
summaries had adequately represented
the thoughts which the former President
has thus undertaken to convey. To
those who associate him with political
enterprises, particularly with one Doliti-
cal enterprise, it may seem that the 1c-
viewers must have omitted something.
! The Associated Press summary, at least,
Mountains no definitely political reference
vhatever; the League of Nations, read
s have doubtless been quick to OBJ
rye, is not mentioned by either name
Slusion.
- IF such summaries are fairly compre-
hensive-if there has been no omission
OF important features-then one who
has himself considered present world
affairs in the light of history will have
little difficulty in accepting the burden
OF Mr.. Wilson's thought. What the
world needs, he says, is spiritual re-
generation.
his is by no means a new idea.
Indeed, THE LIGHT has expressed sub
stantially the same conviction several
times since the worlds battle flags were
furled. The great war, as the months
and years slip by, appears more and
more clearly to have been an exposure
OF long-accumulated evils rather than a
direct step in the direction OF righteous
ness. That step is yet to be taken; it
remains to be seen whether the war
was means toward such an end.
Materialism, it is now plain to see,
had been claiming more of mans time
and energies for several centuries. Mans
spiritual side seems to have been ex-
posed to some whitening influence The
exact identity of that influence has not
been Enthusiastically revealed. Possibly
it is a composite influence, compounded
of the very things that have promoted
what is popularity regarded as civiliza-
tion-the facilities for gaining wealth
and comfort, the visible, tangible, ma
terial products of minds highly trained
to the arts and sciences wherein man
displays and exercises and develops his
measurable skill.
Spiritual" does not necessarily refer
to the religious, albeit the intensely spir-
itual person most frequently resorts to
religion as means of self-expression.
But in such cases, historically, this ten
dency has led to excuses and sometimes
to vicious results. Here is another para
dox, another ironical commentary upon
human nature. We are always talking
about the happy medium" but seldom
in history, have we attained it; or, at
tanning it, we have not held it long.
Yet while it is true that the world is
suffering from lack OF spiritual inspira-
ton, and from an overdose of material
ism, Mr.. Wilson does not if his article
has been fairly summarized, offer any
constructive, practical means of gaining
relief. The work of government officials
is. or should be, intensely practical and
it is with governmental affairs that the
world naturally associates Woodrow
Wilson.
If something vital has been omitted
by the reviewers, or if, in case there has
been no such omission, Mr.. Wilson
meant to imply that the spiritual regen.
Grafton he prescribes could be brought
about through Americas participation II
The League of Nations, then the logic
of his message is open to attack. Had
the nations of Europe practiced at thc