The Washington times., 1931-08-10
True to Type
BLUNDERS OF CAPITALISM
( MORE SERIOUS THAN
ITS CRIMES
-Rv GILBERT SELDES-


that the arch enemy of capitalism Russian communism,
is intellectually trying to initiate them They are
of production, chiefly and there are other
triumphs of comfort and the amenty of living which
France and England also anxious to experience.
every ten Years or so is forgotten IN the glory Of our
coming out of them; and if millions OF people ye pc
low the hunger line we still have in 1891 candidates M M
for the presidency, who began the children OF the
poor and the depressed.
A Capitalist Career
But stupidity of capitalism is another matter; 1T is
than crime, it is bunder' exactly applles
have recently been reading about Judge John Barton
Payne, the chairman of the American Red Cross, and
have been impressed by his career-a typical career
under capitalism, according to the defenders of the
system On his first job in little town in Virginia ne
earned $50 in entire year, and rose from tnat be-
ginning to position of commanding Importance The
United States Shipping Board and the railroads, when
the Government controlled them, placed him at the
top; four Presidents have honored him. II the untor
tunate problem of feeding starving men and women
and children had not become involved in politics. the
President had not earnestly supported the Red Cross
and the Red Cross had not earnestly supported the
President, Judge Paynes record would have Peen With
out black mark. ...
admitting for moment that ability to use the capi-
taist system, with all it's virtues and all its abuses,
not even be the most humane and Christian way to live
He defends the system he believes in the leadership
Of wealth and power and it is a good thing for this
A Snug Statement
But Judge Payne is quoted saying: IF the wealth
of the country were to be equally distributed it would
quickly finds its way back into the hands of the more
capable" Whether he said these exact words do not
know they are the commonplace of capitalist
ton and thousand Others altooike Judge Payne have
said them They are probably true words if you grant
the impossible assumption behind them. The assump-
tion is that such distribution of wealth could take
place. leaving the capitalist system of work for profit
intact If the wealth distributed and the country
remained capitalist in structure the ceverest business
man and the ceveret racketeer would certainly win back
the lions share.
Worse than this. If we're starving today and heard
Judge Payne make his prediction would answer Snce
you of yourself and your ability why not go
" ahead and distributor" The sum I should receive in
such distribution has been varousy estimated at from
$50 to $10OO-ust to encourage the others-and there
isn't Socialist or Communist above the fyweght class
who has ever seriously thought that distribution of
accumulated capital would be of the slightest use They
want the of productions obviously when they get
ther they will take away the capital with which to run
them. L.
In the Civil War
Since writing the above, have come across another,
somewhat less frank expression of the same attitude
Bruce Barton tells the story of group of Confederate
prisoners in Northern as who were permitted to leave
prison if they would join detachment of the United
States Army engaged against the Indians Each of the
soldiers received 5000 a sort of bonus and by the
time the battalion had reached the fighting ne almost
all of the money in the hands Of few men-the
slickest gamblers of the lot Mr. Barton sets this down
as ironc commentary equality.
1t part of my duty company clerk in the war
for democracy to make the payroll and distribute
average of $40 month to some 18O men, By the time
the last paid of these who had been most
for their money were coming back up the dusty
y SCreeC,
them so cents. They had been cleaned out at dice.
Obviously they were fools to play; obviously if they
had 10 times much they would have lost it; obviously
it wasn't worth botherng about them.
The Sergeants' Drag
Yet one thing bothered me because had two or
three brutal and rather sergeants, and these
sergeants used to compel the to play under threat
of unpleasant details and stoppage of furlough. And
when the sergeants lost they had little trick which
have never heard of since little invention of their
own, which they called drawback something
like that consisted of taking portion of the next
pot, no matter who This meant, simply, that
the sergeans could never be wiped out and they kept
the games going until they were heavy winners.
Rising From the Ranks
rise in the army Our company had a
kind, totally incompetent commanding officer who ap-
pointed men to every possible grade, including wag-
goner, although supposed to be motorized
anti-arcraft unit Of the 18O men, think only about
40 left without distinction slight raise
in pay. AS the recommendations for everything below
the rank of sergeant left to me, testify that
the grading based merit-as it seemed to us
and nothing else. would even say that half of the
men not qualified in intelligence character will
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