Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-20

kaleidoscope. 1t looked like confusion
worse confounded. Many thought the
only solution was a minister of NUM-
tions with autocratic powers. I confess
that then rather hoped one would be
appointed. But as matters progressed
I began to realize that in all that weller
of confusion there were a great many
men of brains and ability and that their
combined efforts and initiative resulted
In few errors and on the whole very
effective action. And I realize even
more now than I did then that there
was an immense amount of essential
information and knowledge and wisdom
that finally was brought to bear on the
conduct of the war that never could
have been obtained in any other way.
"In a democracy programs are not
fixed and orders are not given. The
action of the. nation is not limited by
the knowledge and the detectives of
few, with the rest, like the light brigade,
not to reason why but to do and die
The result is that the initiative of the
mass of the people is stimulated and
their knowledge is not thrown away.
The accumulated energy and knowledge
of all the people gradually comes to-
gether through thousands OF discussions
until a line of conduct tested from all
support and understanding Of the
people who will make it work, not as
If it were a routine order, but as
thing which is part and parcel OF their
own convictions.
1.-THE Russian war effort was run by
an autocracy because Russia was an
uneducated country. The Russian war
effort failed in technique, in knowledge
and in popular support. Ours was
democratic effort-and it succeeded. But
as it was a democratic war it was
drama without the heroes characteristic
of the historic past. That did not arise
because there were not men of as great
ability as heretofore, but because so
many of ability co-operated that none
stood out alone.
THE present situation brings to my
mind another incident that happened
in Washington in war time. A gentle
man of considerable ability engaged in
war work got into a critical state OF
mind, as some of our people are now.
He went into another war workers
Office, sat down and with great force
and eloquence damned the President,
the cabinet, the generals, the admirals,
the food administration, and every other
agency that was struggling with the
war and wound up with the statement
JkldG 1le was BOlIlS W lCo4shs
His friends only comment was:
Whose war is this you are going
to resign from?'
THAT is a pertinent question now.
Whose depression is this? IT, as has
been said, a fundamental cause of it
is greed, who are they that did not add
their part to the picture? This is a
democracy of blames as we'll as oppor-
tunity. We were all in it-fiapper,
financier, newspaper man and manu-
facturers, laborers and politicians. 1t
Is true that its evil effects do not fall
on all equally, but the evil effects have
been pretty widely distributed never
theless. Fixing the blame is the oc-
cupation of the people who have lost
their nerve. Finding the causes and
planning the future is the part for the
constructive-mi people.
Some Flying Backward.
And we have with us also those who
want to return to the good old times.
They are of the order of the Wufus
birds. AS you know. these interesting
birds fly backward to keep the wind
out of their eyes and they are not in
terested in where they are going, but
only in where they have been.
And then there are those who shout
from the housetops that If we do not
take their particular medicine the
bolsheviks will get us. These folk,
unlike the Wufus birds. want to go
somewhere. They want us to progress.
but they want US to progress from
terror rather than by conviction. These
people are all wrong The Wufus birds
and alarmists are talking to the wrong
people. The American people are not
looking backward, they are not afraid,
and no one can direct them by threats.
We have a far more impelltng and
higher motive to continue TO improve
American life. We believe in 1t. We
have the same determination to improve
the lot of mankind that our forefathers
had. We are not as a Nation conserva-
tive If conservatism means content
merely to keep what we have. Neither
our ambitions nor our imaginationS are
dead and we intend to go much further
forward from where we are now or even
from where we were just before this
depression. And we shall do it by our
own particular methods.
Are we getting anywhere? I think so.
"In this depression the American
people have decided that in so far as
it is possible, the people least able to
bear depression shall no longer bear
practically the whole brunt of it. That
is more important than anything most
autocrats or most laws ever accomplish.
BY the democratic process we have
concluded that the democratic idea of
the greatest mutual good for the great
est number is accepted as it has never
been before and that it has come
nearer working than ever heretofore.
I'VE like to see wage scales main
tanned as they have in this. 1t is true
of a high standard Of living for all.
That was not always so. That Is the
result of the vision of possibilities which
capitalistic industrialism has opened to
us. That is not only the general desire,
but those in position to do so have
made unprecedented efforts TO make
that desire a reality. In no other cycle
of this kind have wages ever been MAIN
tanned as they have in this. 1t Is true,
all wage scales have not been main
tanned. It Is likewise true that where
the wage scales have stayed up in
many places full time has not been
maintained. Although the present scale
of wages would be equivalent to large
increase If commodity prices and the
cost Of living should stay down, we
ought, I believe, to make every effort to
maintain the wage scale.
Problems AIIeviated.
Moreover. the standards OF social
welfare work are now based upon a
standard of living unheard of no further
back than the panic of 1898. AS bad as
unemployment has been this Winter, the
problems it presented have been
alleviated by social welfare agencies and
governmental agencies in a way that
has kept distress far above the starva-
ton level that used to obtain. And this
could not have been done without the
margins of prosperity accumulated
under our industrial system. 1 do not
say that we have accomplished good
result, for my hope of the future is as
high as yours and I do not believe that
the word good can be associated with
the present unemployment situation,
but ! do want to say that it is both in
nhiectiNa and accomplishment better