The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-03

'~AAN AOOA''
dawn of civilization to the year 1927 The great mgra-
tons of peoples due to the fact that the younger
generation suffered from the "wanderust" But there
have always been younger generations" Though,
ously enough Van Loon implies that this phenomenon
the younger generation" appears only occasionally
We have them always with us. But we have not al
ways had hordes of people wandering upon the earth
in search of places of settlement The fact that des
ication of the land set driving the tribes of Central
Asia forward to the Ouposts of civilization is not known
| to Van Loon.
He dsmisses the ancient world in few pages about
Mediterranean civilization. The facts of economic ge
ography unknown to him. AS far can be learned
from Van Loon the ancient civilizations pure
cidens. He doesn't mention the fact that they
sprang up in the great river valleys of the Nile the
Euphrates the Tigris and the Hwang-ho These rivers
do not appear in his map of the old world.
His treatment of subsequent history is equally as
Incompetent. To point out all the errors contained
would necesstate refutaon of the whole book sentence
by sentence. The crusades the result of the
greed of the christian Wanderers for pef but
the tomb of Christ and were caused by "the puritan
lMohammedans"
Wher Van Loon discusses the Reformation he does
not attribute it to the rise of the bourgeoise but to
Calvn's individual achievements. According to this
Historian" Cavinsm not the religious reflex of
rising capitalist class but itself the motive force
! IN history. Thus, page 62 we read
"For if it be conceded that reasonable freedom
and happiness of the average individual is the goal
toward which all civilization is striving then Calvin
deserves a special and prominent niche in that hall
| of fame which every sensible man erects in some
| secret corner of his BRAIN"
It is when he comes to his main topic America that
his historical method is revealed in all its subimty.
Here too it was the great and not social forces
that determined the of history His description
Of Washington is played down to the understanding Of
any Rabbit chairman of kwanis or rotary club.
Describing the attributes of Washington told:
"AIl in all fine gentleman. Not the sort you'd
slap on the back. No, not exactly. But # he de-
cided to go somewhere, you somehow or other de
cided that you would TT .e too. Leadership, they
called it. Well, he had it."
On page go and SO we read this pffle
"They strong of pronounced convictions.
"They knew what they wanted
"They dead serious"
Van Loon is ignorant of the geography of his
country that he imagnes Massachusetts Bay is
rounded by "snow covered mountains. Benjamin Frank
lin is depicted court jester, the wit of the re-
bellion."
On page 113 the author declares that he has read
Through all the popular volumes that have been
published these last twenty years the history of
country and all of them inadequate. He alone has
the correct system.
He is a modest man!
Every war in which the United States participated is
misnterpreted by Van Loon in fashion that would
disgrace high school boy were he to write such rot
in an essay contest
1t is when he comes to the close of his arduous his
torica abors that Van Looms stupidity is positively
delightful. The world is described great
flaeraton and the eminent fre-chief, Mr. Woodrow
Wilson, April sixth of the year 1917 caled out the
first of the engines few weeks later they made their
appearance upon the soil of Europe. few months
later they ready to start to work. Within
very short time the walls of Germany and Austria began
to crumble."
This noble act, extinguishing the fire in Europe, in
dcates future destiny. No longer isolated.
We have great historical mission ITO perform so
the readers of Van Looms hstory" left with the
admontion:
"For nation country, the fortunate strip
of land which call own by strange turn
of fate has been called upon to be the guardian of
mankind's future"
Thus the "popularzer" of history Van Loom winds up
his work with the dirty sermonzing of a pen valet of
Imperialism He wants America to rule the world 1t
is ambitious dream of empire that would make of
the government of Wall Street super-stae the ravager
Of all the earth.
This filthy fawnng before imperialism is the out
standing characteristic of this whole school of popu-
arzers" Durant concludes his "Story of Philosophy"
in the same servile vein when he says:
"But have become wealthy and wealth is the
prelude to art We like youths suddenly
disturbed and unbalanced, for time, by the sudden
growth and experience of puberty. But
maturity will Gomez minds will catch up with
bodies, culture with possessions Per-
haps there greater souls than Shahespeare's,
greater minds that Plato's, waiting to be born"
When we achieve the historical destiny depicted by
Van Loon, then benevolent ruling class devote
itself to developing Shakespeares and Patos to the
satisfaction of Will Durant
How much lower the lackeys of Imperialism sink
to gain the applause Of their masters?
H M WJCKS