The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-01-17
The "Thirties."
(New York Times.)

There is intention here to revive the con- troversy which tried mems souls approximately twenty nine years ago over just when the nine teenth century came to an end and the twentieth century began. Today it is probably conceded on all sides that the present century began on Jan l, 1901, and not Jan l. 1900 as many people maintained. Let it be similarly admitted that the third decade of the twentieth century has still a year to run. Nevertheless, it is only a pedant who will insist classifying the civilization of the twelve months beginning next Wednesday with the nine years preceding. Beginning next week the year will be written 1930 Its civilization generations morals manners, books and pictures and music will be spoken of as part of the history of the '3Os even if in strict chronology we continue to live for another year in the POS.
 Among the changes in the national life and temper that have marked the year since the Armis- tice, characteristic feature is this chronolioca1 sef-consciousness The past in these United States was aware of the existence of two generations an oo ana young It was not acutely aware of an old Generation and Young Generation It cer- talnly never dreamed of so swift a succession of generations as has marked the period of the POS Into this decade there have apparently been mack ed III the world of literature art and creative thinking as a whole three or four "generations Gehuemen or 5O engaged in deploring the beliefs ana pehaVlor Of the young generation as set forth Ill pooK one recalls reading in 1927 are al the tune being nonpulsed to learn that the generation oI l92f IS not group of rebels but cabal of re- actionaries-from the standpoint of 1929
 1ile pfacUlce and the nomenclature came from Europe Of all nations the Continent it is pre- eSeg the anarchic and shiftless slavs who carried to an extreme the Systematization of social and lit eraIy movements by decades A history of Russian literature ~ or Russian liberal movements in the nineteenth century almost invariably tells it's story III terms or the '30s the 40s the sos the '6Os and W ele US This IS much more particularistic than ele nearly seventy years of Victorianism which tue Bfltlsh subdivide into Early Mid and Late or even .iiah the successive Romantcism Neo- Classic iSm Naturallsm, Symbolism and other isms of tbe ffeheh Tn the nineteenth century
 we ln turn have gone the Russians one oe'1er ana reduced the cycle of Generations and movements to half a dozen years and less if is y aiay haelohal temperament and partly twentieth century tempo, as against nineteenth centrv wo are stl plt awkward in speaking of our '2Os o,,r ase" age our Youth Movement our Revolutions. It IS to pc expected of ate-comers Our POS if has been pointed out correspond closely to Eurones ,oos oi the last century In catching up one naturally sets plC oreathiesS. That the '3Os will be more Seoate than the POS because we shall be less self cohscious IS one Of the probabilities But prophecy IS eXtrahazardous in view of what the relativitv ana quantum science of the late POS has alreadv aoiie eo personalities and possibilities in nature