Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-26
BY NORMAN ANGEL.

rich?" which / answered by another,
"Is America rich?" which seemed to
surprise him. Yet one can find in this
golden land very many who attack
bitterly what they term the myth Of
American prosperity. Their voice is not
heard in the newspapers much. though
some of the more independent organs
are beginning to give them hospitality:
1t Is not heard much in public at all,
for the sin against the Holy Ghost in
America Is to be "knocker." to be
But in private or semi-private one hears
the doubters often enough. Don't
quote me as saying 1t. but the truth is
business is extremely bad" is the kind
of remark that frank questions about
the state OF the country are likely to
elicit almost anywhere. any day.
Working Conditions.
Consider for a moment a few of the
flies in this amber" that are too OBJ
vious to be ignored. Nobody pretends
that the farmers as a whole are too
rich or indeed rich. Their widespread
insolvency is the problem which has be-
come the permanent ghost at the
American political banquets. Yet the
farmers still represent one-third of the
country-a very considerable qualifica-
! ton. therefore. to the alleged over
richness And on the industrial side
large sections of the greatest industries
notably textiles and coal-are in a
bad: certainly we'll over 100000 men
are without work. The small or mod
crate sized manufacturer. as distinct
from the big trustified concern. is in
very many cases having an extremely
hard time of it.
We hear very little of all this in the
press. but no one who cares to take the
trouble 10 get beneath the surface Of
things can doubt its reality for a mo-
ment; and informed Americans in their
frank and private moments do not
think Of denying it.
Yet it remains true that very great
sections of urban America-and one
should always distinguish between
urban and rural America. which have
different and distinct standards of life
are very much richer than they have
ever been before-richer than any large
masses Of folk have ever been before
No such standards Of life. made COM
mon to large multitudes. have been
previously known. What are those
standards doing 10 those who live b.
them? In the final balance is TIL,
wealth blessing or curse? Are these
people too rich?
II one had 10 give yes or no answer
TO that question--and usually the yes
or no. answer SO beloved Of the plain
man" is the falsest and most mislead-
ing it is possible 10 give-one would
have to answer no If certain evils are
arising as the result Of these riches. 1t
is not because the poSSeSsors are too
rich. bit because they are too foolish
TO use wealth we'll. People who make
ar Ill use of wealth would be just as
likely, taken in the mass. TO make a
worse use Of poverty. PoveTty-inSut-
ficient food. which makes us greedy. the
undernour:Shment Of children. their
undereducation. the drive OF oyerwork
the haunting fears of old-age desti,u-
ton. which makes lis cowardly. and all
the other Inherent and inseparab.e
nl.SerieS OF real poverty-is an evil in
ITSELF, Wealth is not an evil in itself
i. is thing Inherently good in itself
which may. however. be misused
through deficient discipline of the
human will. The remedy Is no; 10 go
| back 10 poverty and ;ss inseparabls
evils. but 10 add discipline 70 our
wealth.
Press Records Evils
II tie American newspapers tend -
hide American poverty. they tend 20
give an utterly diSproportionate place TO
the evils which. in part at least. may
fairly be attributed TO the new-found
wealth. The added power which this
careless fl.nging about OF money seems
10 have gwen 10 the whole underworld
OF ooosleggery, murder. theft. black
mail. graft-the open challenge some
times made by crime TO Law. the ter
rorization sometimes Of the court by
the criminal. the alliance sometimes OF
crime and poliiicS-all this looks. at Z
distance and as interpreted by tbs
American press Itself. appalling Bu,
Quantitatlyely. It's Importance is small
II hardly causes ripple on the normal
life Of the millions who so about their
daily tasks II there were 10 news
papers Chicago. as whole. would b.
completely unaware OF the gunmen sn6
the gangs. That. indeed. Is one OF -"
dangers Of the thing. An added cent ~
the street car fares. some irrcSuiar!.y
III street car service. something that al
fccied the daily convenience Of life
would move the millions lmmeaSurah.y
more than The ylieSt corruption that the
worst stores OF the new underworld
could reveal
II IS not these spectacular results %
the new wealth IL and i'll 81 far as
they are ceSultSl the performance Of
the bootlegger and the gunmaa--wh.cA
affect the lives Of the millions How
are the millions affected, Wha; IS the
Seamy side q! ths new golden age as i,
influences the lives Of Mr.. and Mrs
Babbiits
One paradox.cal feature Of the new
prosperity Is this, The business activity
and its big matsria, results are de-
Neloped by system which is rapidly
becoming stronger than the Wills "
those who operate II and Is III very
real sense 6epr.H!nS It's victims y! their
freedcm Take one factor ~ the SyS-
tenl~~tha; vast, organized SaleS,Nal$A,p,
which Is ths most characteristic element
Of the whole thing land Of which IN
Stallment BUYING IS lust ONE SeIAiil.