Evening star., 1931-06-23
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
/. C.. M.

Dangers Of Obedience" New York:
Harpen g. Bros.
The best that even Harold Laski Is
able to pull out from the case he sets
here is hope. A hope that in some in
discriminate future the world, named
civilized. will better its understandings
and, upon that basis, will further such
accommodations as make for general
amenities and concordances in ali mat
ters that concern the whole. A hope
that Sorne fashion of World-state will
eventually stand in evidence of the ac-
cumulated good sense of mankind A
good sense founded upon centuries of
bitter evidence that serfdom of the
many to the few is, in the long run,
bad business, rotten politics, evil and
insecure government, also irreligion Of
blasphemous brand. The last item for
those who still cherish the idea that
governments are divine in origin and
fulf1llment. A single glance over the
world, by the least literate among us
would forbid assigning to superpower
such handicraft as is revealed at the
moment in the making and unmaking
of governments.
Mr.. Laski takes liberty up In his
hand, so to speak. He measures and
weighs and tests it, much as the
scientist treats his own specimens. Then
he fastenS 1t to man, external man, to
see how 1t affects the movements and
behaviors OF the individual. He passes
1t on into the mental chambers of his
specimen" noting the reactions of a
free mind upon the quality of thinking
and then upon the outer attitudes OF
the case in hand. A short road this
For In no time at all another steps up
and then others, till the company be-
comes a sizable group. A different
matter. The one of concern now. I'M
med1ately, in any grouping there comes
that manifestation of inequalities in
capacity, In readiness of adaptation
Unavoidable, ineffaceable and constant
diversities that breed superiorities
mental and physical on the one hand
leaving below, as sediment, the less
capable, the less receptive, the less
active.
Nature itself-whateve that may
mean-ordains these inequalities. Hu-
man nature, behaving in it's supreme
role of Self-interest, converts the sit
uation into grades of mankind, classes
of society, into the high and the low
into rulers and the ruled.
1t is an old story. Began cons ago.
this struggle for freedom, that wrack-
ing strain to get out from under the
yoke set upon majorities by the few,
favored by worth or luck. No doubt
that story began with couple of cave
men, each trying himself out on the
other for the possession of some trifle.
And then there started with the win
ner small dominances, inconsiderable,
but fine seed fer future tyrannies.
Tribes came to fight in the same way.
A conqueror and a conquered. Petty
nations were formed under the same
rule. These joined, for one advantage
or another, till kingdoms became the
order. And Gods anointed" sat upon
thrones looking. more or less benignly,
down upon the grades OF mankind that
Divinity had so thoughtfully assorted
for the convenience Of earthly SOW
ereigns. In the course of time
patriotism" began its mesmeric per-
formance And even the oppressed for
a period kissed the hands that smote
licked the chains that bound. The
world of the mind took general posses
sion. The most glorious-and most
dangerous-domain that time has. as
yet. created.
Yes, in substance, this is Mr.. Laski
talking, or I think it is. To be sure
he says it better than this. A mar
of keen intellect, turned naturally t.
iHOQSTn pOllllCSJ GApCi MAIALAA
that field, gifted, also, in a fortnight
way with the parts of speech thai
leaves no doubt whatever as to his
own theories and beliefs and programs
And so he moves forward, carrying
this idea of liberty into the realm OF
social power. But here, as in the po'
litical world and with the individual
there is no difference in effect. Again
inequalities of one sort or another
result in class distinctions, in grade
effects that-say what We will, resis'
as we may-are inherencies Of the sit
uation itself. That there are claSse:
is inevitable. That there should bt
class oppression is another matter anc
a remediable one.
And it is here that Mr.. Laski, tenta-
lively and without any great show o.
confidence, projects his conception o!
a world-state. The discussion leading
to such outcome is, to the reader In
terested in this subject, clarifying
one. A positive man, clear in hi:
thinking, and far-seeing. not only int
the historic past, but into the prop,
lematic future as well. A nne pooH
for the student and for the serious
reader.
The world-state is old in theory ant
fairly old as experiment. SO far, a
experiment, these have failed-sav
that they each may mark a mtleston
in human advance from utter ind1v1du
al SelfiShneSS grouped into societies
make-believe altruism. Just now owe
in Russia an experiment OF infinite I'M
portance is going on to declare Tn
equality of man. to liberate 160, 600 ,OO
people from the effects of despotism
Liberty is the goal. Freedom is tn
watchword. And when the experiment
falls far short of its high aim, or If /
does, it will SO fail because of the un
trained human qualities at the bottom
because Of the grim overreachlngS OF
pitiful deprived mass OF peaSantry SUD
denly released with their hatredS ant
resentmentS full upon them.
When the true leaven comes, and !
will come, 1t will be from the top down
ward, not from the bottom upward. Nc
this is not q hint toward religious set
tlement of the great political and eco
nomic debacle of the world. 1t is rathe
q conviction that wise men at the tol
will continue to do what many of then
are already doing, though unheralde'
and generally unrecognized. What thes
are doing in practical business righteous
ness for the economic adjustment OF al
interlocking system of work and wages
of industry and finance, OF sane AM
practical distributions based upon Serv
ice all along the line and OF SubStart1a
returns for such service. There will b
no gushing fountains Of industrial an,
economic largeSs. Not at all. Rathe
a seepage from the rich top downward
till the very last layer of human Societ
Is nurtured into competence and happi
ness. That is coming. That is alread
on its way in a measure that the ex
cited extremist fails to see or to admi
when he Goes see.
X \ 4
FORD: MEN AND METHODS. BY Ed
win P. Norwood. Photographs b.
Charles Sheeler. New York: Double
day, Doran & Co.
Not a word of theory, business o
humanitarian, within the covers of thi
book. Rather is it a terse, straight hi
of reporting on the case of that hug
| industrial plant run by Henry Ford TO