Washington telegraph., 1927-04-22
NERVOUSNESS

Great disasters have been caused
by nervous, eXcitabe people. A
crowded audience can be Drecipitated
into needless mob by little harm
less blaze and a lound mouthed. ex-
cited person shouting, "Firew With
out haste and with intelligent order
maintained any audience can get out
of a hall safely and without injury.
But, given the apparent danger. and
a nervous individual, and many folks
will be trampled to death unnecessari-
ly.
Confidence and common sense arc
depended upon everyday in many
walks of life to keep people from
organizing a deadly panic. In the
British Isles there are millions of peo-
pie who have to be fed. and most OF
their food comes from across the &C.
cans, thousands of miles away. Only
sufficient food is on hand n those is
lands to feed these millions six weeks
and if the transportation situation be-
came uncertain their lives would hC
endangered. However, these millions
go about their business everyday with
never a thought of starvation-they
have faith and confidence in the con
tinuance of their food supply, which
is reliance upon The skill! of theil
sailors and ability of their great in.
dustrialists.
Panics and disasters are occasion
ally encountered in the business
world. An unreasoning fear Is us.
ually at the background, stopping all
common sense and thinking. Let
somebody whisper an anonymous
word about a bank, for example and
a hundred depositors, who up TO that
time had reposed complete confidence
in the institutions and its officers will
be stampeded by fear of losing their
deposits, and start a run on the bank.
If these people wanted TO save theh
money, they adopt the very worst
possible way in which to do it. Many
bank. solvent and able, has been
rendered unable to meet demands up-
on it because of this wild rush. where
as without hurry and undue rush
every cent could have been provided
We recently heard an example OF
that kind of nervousness. A banl
was attacked by an anonymous critic
and from that day on there wor,
many of its patrons who forgot al
about its past record and fidelity nno
by helping in the demand for i'm.
mediate payment of its deposits gave
II task that few banks would be
able to meet. In forcing the issue,
these people forced the bank to 70.
fuse immediate payment of savings
accounts, yet made il more certain
than ever that some disaster might
occur. The bank was taken over by
another institution and its assets were
in good enough shape chat everybody
could be paid. If it had not been
rushed by nervous folk it would have
worked out its own course.
Excitement dulls reason and then
anything is apt to be done. Through
out the United States there have
been bank failures here and there.
Some of these could not have been
avoided in all probability, because the
management was vicious or careless,
but in many cases it was the result
of a general questioning and WINS
pering Many of these were managed
by capable and honest officials and
when this is the case there is seldom
any need for those who do busincss
with them to become panic-stricken
Yet, by giving way to nerves and
fears, these people did their c)m-
munities great harm. Business has
been hurt and losses entailcd which
were entirely unnecessary and should
not have occurred. Careful think
ing and moments reflection by those
concerned would have avoided tho
disaster