Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-14
BY JOHN ERSKINE,
The Famous Author,

Gently, is important not only
because 1t comes from a man OF his
ability and knowledge Of the world, but
because it represents a point. of view
frequently expressed nowadays in
Europe and particularly in France. He
says bluntly that civilization is dying
and that it's death knell has been
sounded by the prosperity of the United
States. On the Paris bookstalls one can
pick up more than one volume which
says the same thing at greater length.
The complaint is not that Europe has
changed, but that the United States has
arrived. While Europe controlled the
destinies of the world, or while 1t still
could think it did, the course of civili-
cation seemed to these critics normal
and satisfactory. but from the moment
the immense power of America was
realized civilization has seemed on the
rocks.
Understand Depression.
When we consider all that Europe
lost in the last war we understand why
Europeans should temporarily be de-
pressed and should have a poignant
searching Of heart over the future of
the whole Western world. To watch
with equanimity the good fortune of
ones neighbor in a moment of ones
own distress Is hard; the American
with any Imagination will admit that
If he we're in the Europeans place he,
too. would probably think that fortune
was unfair, that the neighbor had
prospered more than he deserved But
even those who are lovers of Europe,
and especially of France, will wonder
why a man so intelligent as M. Caillaux
should care to- publish his article here
In an American journal. If We are all
victims of vast economical and pSycho-
logical tendencies, as he indicates what
good will 1t do to tell us We are going
the wrong way? Or does he think we
are naughty children who, il properly
scolded, might reform? Or can 1t be
that he wishes to irritate us to the
point where We shall express our own
criticisms of Europe? For, of course,
the fact that the United States exists
at all Is to some extent a criticism of
Europe.
When we go back to the old country
on our vacations We Americans express
readily our delight in the beautiful
things which Europe has and which we
have not. And certain aspects of Euro
pean life we enjoy for some particular
flavor or charm. even though we have
them here at home and in more per-
fected state.
Our Delight Sincere.
Our delight in the old country is sin
cere, but it is sometimes misinterpreted.
Our European friends perhaps get the
impression that because of our affection
for this land we think little of our own.
Certainly they often speak to us as
though they pitied our enforced sojourn
in a savage country and would be very
glad at any time to exchange what each
has little too much of-some of their
culture for some of our gold. They are
naive enough not to consider this con-
trast insulting I doubt II the Ameri-
can is less sensitive than other human
beings. Perhaps ne deserves some praise
for suppressing his inevitable resent
1nent of the condescension of the Euro
pean-a condescension which is posi-
bic, he knows. only because the Euro
pean refuses to remember history and
for the most part Is dismally ignorant
Of what is going on in America.
The history which the European for
gets is simply this: That America is
composed Of people who found European
civilization unsatisfactory. Some few
after trying the new country have pre-
ferred to return, but this minority has
been negligible. Most Of us are glad our
parents or ancestors brought the family
over, and We are not surprised that
Europeans, in spite of their criticisms,
still wish to leave and come to us in
such numbers that we are sometimes
considered cruel for setting limits TO
their migration.
Speaks for One Class.
OF course, those who wish to come
are not the people who write the criti-
cisrns Of us. If M. Caillaux wished to
be quite fair he should explain that he
speaks for the class who have managed
to stay on top and to skim the cream
Of European civilization. Those who
migrated to the United States are the
poor, the workers, who have not been
we'll treated by the class for whom M.
Caillaux speaks. M. Caillaux's article is
warning to them that they are going
the wrong way; that they should stay
In Europe and remain restricted in their
ambition, undereducated, underpaid and
overworked. They will probably con-
tinue to leave Europe, where. the bene-
! fits of civilization have largely been
denied them.
/ The lovely things which the tourist
! admired In the Old World were for the
! rich and well born. Any working man
with a keen mind would ask himself
! why he, too, should not have educa-
/ ton, a home with some comfort and
! sanitation, a share in the enjoyment of
arts, facilities within reason for travel
these questions have come, and still
! wish to come to a land where a work.
ing man can have these things.
But M. Caillaux thinks this is all very
wrong. However excellent these privi-
leges we're for the rich and the we'll
born in Europe, he thinks they will
have distressing effects upon the work.
men In our country. and by contagion
upon the workmen in other lands. In
other words, prosperity for the work
men of the United States will, in M.
Caillaux's opinion, drag down civiliza-
ton.
J. CaiIlaux Argument.
M Caillaux's argument is as follows:
The modern world, under the leader
ship of the United States, wants mate
rial prosperity. To achieve this result
the world must produce. In order to
produce America has developed organi-
cation. Organization, according to M.
Caillaux, is equivalent to Taylorization.
Therefore, says M. Caillaux,sthe life OF
the workman Is unbearably monotonous,
and shortly the working classes and the
others dragged down by them are to be
"engulfed in the general sloth and
ignorance"
. Certainly there is monotony in some
phases of organized production. Some
tasks In modern manufacturing are
soul deadening. It Is duty OF Amer1-
can civilization to remove these mo-
notonies. But II Mr.. Caillaux thinks that
what he calls APPROPRIATION character
ICES the life Of the American workman
he simply knows too little about the
! country to pretend to Judge US.
In the country as whole, the rural
districts as well as the cities, we have
a class of carpenters, masons, plumbers
! and other craftsmen who not only are
! Ear more prosperous In material ways
| than they possibly could be IN Europe,
but who also enjoy level OF education