The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-03
JUST OF MONEY
 TO CAUSE FALL
Pc..-ner Scores The Money 'VOrshipers In Uni
 ted States ~

T. it through lust of money that American civilization will fall?
 This question is asked by Frederick Palmer who savagely scores the money A-- iippers or 'money-muckers" who e and talk only in terms of their EHnk accounts.
 AIr. Palmer points to Mrs. Dia- I nds-in-the morning. who tells of how tch money she had spent at Palm j .ach and of how much she is going to spend in Europe this summer, and to the man who remarks of the recent senatorial investigation All this noise was because somebody made some money, and that made people sore who were not in on the deal. Isn't that what everybody is after-money"
 Writing in the August issue of Har- per's Magazine, Mir. Palmer says:
 We who were supposed to be the largest winners in the war may find ourselves the heaviest losers if the fats continue to have their waY-which they will not. The war had made us fat ter, given us more rlOney than any na- tion in all history. Should not our elders then have paused as they real ized how we'll off we were, to consider the danger of adipose and how to keep lean and strong in order to get the most possible for the future out of our treas ure-trove?
 No, we must have more and more of the source of our power, which was money. More and more money! We kn1 (. oc goods to a world that must first earn the wherewithal for payment; we would take the shipping of the world from lean competitors who must work cheap.
 After thinking in terms of the whole we had the sharp reaction of thinking only of our individual fortunes. Rep aration, public and private, was the first needs, and money was the token of reparation in u debt-burdened world. The way to keep step with the profess sion was to increase 'one's income. So- ciql groups based upon occupations, education, wealth, intellect, tastes, in- heritance and pastimes-which had been broken down by the common ef- fort of war-were formed upon a money rating.
 Tn quarters that hitherto had been captious in such matters there was less inclination to question the origin of a bank account, even though it had come from bootlegging. Those who choose might wear their diamonds in the morning again. All to whom the money standard had been supreme were enjoying the sun again after the eclipse. One result was that public extravaganza accompanied private ex- travagance, which is a poor way to make separations"
 Mir. Palmer declares that to anyone who accuses him of merely calling Americans dollar-chasers again, the an- swer is obvious:
 Americans are the most generous of peoples with their money. We give largess, from tips to endowments, with out stint. This, however, may be only an exhibition of money as power, fur ther confirmation of our weakness for the money-standard. Seeking money as a means to comfort and for better edu- cation is one thing. Quite another is seeking money for display and as proof that we are keeping the pace, when many of us honestly get more en- joyment and satisfaction when we meas ure by other tandards-standard which champion both thrift and pros- perity.
 Thrift means individual independ- ence to lead your own life; to care for those dependent upon you; to hold the freedom of your views; to contribute your share of service and to preserve the fine quality of your self-respect,