Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-14

velopment of certain things in the
European past. / have referred to the
reasons for the migrations in our direc-
ton. If we have developed our natural
resources by scientific Ineans-and this,
to NJ. Caillaux, is a grave error on our
partl-at least the scientific discoveries
on which our progress has been based
were, many of them. made in Europe.
The American temperament will never
understand why Europe. instead of
America, did not carry Europe to its
logical conclusion-still less, why Eu-
rope should be annoyed at us for finish
ing what Europe began. Time and
again, in more matters than the Pan
anna Canal, it has been the fate of the
United States to complete what Europe
thought of and left either half done
or bungled. It does not seem to us
good sportSmanship to blame us for
done If 1t could, or If it had had the
courage.
Examples Are Many.
The examples are many. In the last
100 years there has been no greater
benefactor of mankind, perhaps, than
Pasteur. That is, he is a benefactor in
so far as his discoveries are put to use.
In the United States I can buy
Pasteurized milk very easily for my chill
dren. In Paris it is hard to find it,
unless 1 buy 1t from an American
agency. Europe is dubious about our
skyscrapers in New York, yet In Paris
the Eiffel Tower stands, and monu-
ment is erected to NJ. Eiffel for his
engineering achievement. Somehow
this achievement seems better in the
eyes Of Europe because 1t is not put to
general use, as are our tall buildings.
No scientific discovery in recent years
has been much more brilliant than that
of radium by Nine. Curie. Almost any
first rate hospital in the United States
has more radium to work with than all
the hospitals Of France put together.
The radium with which Nine. Curie
now works, inadequate though 1t is for
her needs, was contributed as the gift
of American admirers.
To say that America is richer than
Europe is, think, merely to obscure
the issue. Since the war Europe is
badly handicapped. but the differences
which I am noticing were true before
the war. The sums of money involved
in all these matters are not prodigious.
yet If they seem so to the European,
we Americans feel that the civilization
which M. Caillaux thinks deplorably
has had for a long time the habit of
giving prodigally to education, to
science. to the arts. not only in. our
own land, but in Europe.
If M. Caillaux were willing to admit
all the facts he might confess that
Europe, even before the war, had ceased
to perpetuate its own civilization, that
its wealthy men failed to pay back what
they owed to the community as whole,
that its privileged classes withheld some
of their privileges from the working
classes which supported them, and that
this selfish behavior on the part OF
those Europeans who ought to have had
greater vision has produced on one
side of them a nation of workers who
have succeeded in getting access TO the
comforts and the graces of life, and on
the other side, Russia, exploding in the
effort TO get those same graces and
comforts.
Europe and Education.
Europe has never had the courage to
undertake popular education. Indi-
viduals have pleaded for It. but the in
tention behind the educational systems
of Europe, except now in Russia, has
been to keep the fortunate man in his
fortunate position in society, and to
keep the workman in his place. With
this intention embedded In the Euro
pean temperament, science in a prac-
tical form has been and will remain
unwelcome, because science. If applied,
would Immediately better the lot of the
worker. reduce his hours and supply
him with leisure.
The European fights off this dreadful
catastrophe, as M. Caillaux does. by
asking what good leisure will do to a
working man. Won't he fall a prey to
that dreadful thing, the cinema. or
won't he waste his time in q motor car?
OF course, the American feels that The
motive behind such questions, even II 1t
is unconscious. is childishly clear. To
us it seems no more dangerous for a
workman to own a motor car than for
M. Caillaux to own one. Perhaps M.
Caillaux goes to a theater instead OF to
the cinema. The workman would be
glad to do the same thing II he could
afford 1t. In the meantime, he crowds
the cinema. I don't think he has a
wide range of choice. AS far as nave
observed him, he works prodigiously
hard and receives III return wages too
small to provide any margin Tor INTEL
lectual or spiritual comforts.
Question Of MonOtOny.
The American Is ready to admit, as
said, that in our organization for pro-
duction there are certain monotonous
tasks. That monotony will sooner or
later be removed by other mechanical
inventions or by better organization.
The European workman has been
taught to dread the introduction OF
machines. Those who wish to keep him
down have whispered to him that with
.,,>r-, ,,oa ntina there iS likelv IN he less