Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-13

/ 1904 and becoming professor of philos-
ophy at Columbia University, Dewey
became leader of liberal reform In
other fields as well. BY his teaching
by his numerous articles and by his
direct personal influence he has urged
the social and economic reconstruction
demanded by his philosophy of democ-
racy.
According to him "a democracy Is
more than form of government; 1t Is
primarily a mode of associated living
OF conJoint communicated experience
The extension in space of the number
OF individuals who participate In an
interest so that each has to refer his
own action to that of others to give
point and direction to his own is equiv
alent to the breaking down of those
barriers OF class, race and national ter
ritory which kept men from perceiving
the full import of their activity"
Democracy and Education" D. 1Ol.)
Such an ideal commits Dewey to an
incessant warfare against all social bar
riers. He opposes all those factors which
tend to crystalline society into hard and
fast groups.
During the war he helped to counter
act historical intolerance and narrow
nationalism. At first he supported Will
sons war policy and the League of Ma
cloio dS nednS VI reaHSInS genuine
1nternationaliSm, but after the dis
closures Of Versailles he supported Sen
ator Borah's plan of outlawing war,
which led up to the Kellogg treaties.
Has Travelled Extensively.
In recent years he has travelled ex-
tenSively-to China Mexico, Turkey and
Russia-and everywhere he has con-
tributed notably to the mutual under
hot he loaA of
national movements In these countries
and American liberals. He made friends
with the Chinese Nationalist with Boil
SheViSt educational reformerS and with
similar radical leaders elsewhere, lend
ing them a sympathetic ear and then
presenting their aims and ideas to
America not as new gospels to be fol-
lowed slavishly, but as experiments to
be studied with interest and tolerance.
Wherever he went he was in the habit
of seeking the causes which make these
movements ineligible instead of pass
ing judgment upon them because their
PHILOSOPHERS are at fault.
The same willingness to listen and
understand characterizes Dewey's APP
proach to our political and economic
problems. He has never Identified him
self with conventional party or ism"
or with any radical sect, but prefers to
deal with issues as particular problems
in view of particular circumstances.
For a philosopher he has very few
principles, and what principles he has
are of understanding rather than of
Judgment. There is only one policy to
which he always adheres-he supports
whatever efforts are made to break
down those barriers of occupation,
wealth and culture which Segregate
social classes or conflne individuals
within artificial limits. Accordingly,
he has encouraged the minor groups
which from time to time have at
tempted to disrupt the artificial dis
tinctions among our conventional po-
litical parties and to focus attention
on specific issues.
Active in Cause Of Suffrage.
Together with Mrs. Dewey he was ac-
tive in the cause of woman suffrage. He
has also supported various organizations
which aim to humanize industry, to
educate laborers and in general to
widen the mental horizon and social
opportunities of the people. Above all
he has encouraged agencies of publicity
(such as the independent press, the
peoples lobby etc.), for ultimately his
faith in democracy rests on the edu-