Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-20
THIS AND THAT
BY; CHARLES 3. TRAcEWELL.

!, danger to the thinkers, so that 1t has
/ come to be an axiom OF the race that
such leaders will be scorried at first,
and come to recognition at last only
| through ian appreciation for the
eternal aims Of the human spirit
\ \ II II
There Is a continuity down the CEN
| turtles, chain of thought and serti-
ment whose links are indissolubly inter-
| twined. It has been likened to torch
| passed on from hand to hand, one car
| rying 1t. then failing. but handing 1t
to another before 1t falls.
This chain, this torch, this eternal
aim, Is the human desire to know, to
learn, to be. In It's latter phase IL often
| leads to what Einstein has called rill-
omened striving after power and lux
ury"
Even human conceptions of heaven
show power (God) and luxury streets
of gold there. It is only when men
forget their better aims and concen-
trate on attempts to emulate Divinity,
and to mass up for themselves luxury
beyond common sense, that they meet
the disapproval of the thoughtful.
These same thoughtful, whether sci-
enlist, executive or theologian, can see
in the midst of much wrongdoing the
clear eternal. aim of the human spirit,
which would keep all the best that man
kind has evolved, and 60 on to better
building in the future.
This divine task is at once inspiring
and perplexing to humanity, probably
as much SO to an Einstein or Spinoza
or Calico as to any one OF the mil
lions of sincere churchgoers of this or
any other land.
The way Is dark, indeed. along the
divine path which the Creator, In an
inscrutable manner. mapped out. There
are some landmarks, age-old, which
some seem to fear may disappear, never
to come again.
Mostly such fear seems groundless.
Whether one is killed by the latest ap-
pliances of war, or by the ancient meth
cd of a sharp knife through the heart,
the grief of those left behind will be
none the less sincere, and the same in
either case; word forms may change.
but human emotions never.
y X ~
Those who are stepped in selfshness,
who think only of themselves, may well
heed Prof Einstein's brief sermon.
| Are they merely wolves in the pack
of life, treading the path of prey, or
are they true human beings in the best
sense, with some appreciation for the
aims Of the human spirit?
Those who see injustice and let 1t pre-
vail, although they have the power to
make justice reign. need to ponder on
the unmathematical message Of Elm
stein.
| There has been q great how-dee do
about this man writing formulate no one
could underestimate least only dozen
men In the world could understand
but here Is message of very ordinary
symbols, which any one can understand
you meet to celebrate myth bear
! ing my name"
The scientist meant that the intent of
his work was more than its content,
even should later centuries bear out his
| findings to the letter.
| He is proudest of the fact that he
senses in himself human being who
has an appreciation for the eternal aims
of the human spirit; that he is link
| in the chain, hand which passes on
the torch of true knowledge and un-
Outstanding.
What makes him happy is that there
are thousands Of others, in every land,
| who are his brothers in the noble ex-
pertinent Of this world, and who ap-
preciate with him the high aims Of the
| spirit Of humanity.