The Washington times., 1931-11-26
What Pride?

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But in IS years the population
Of Japan has more than doubled
and no one, least of all The Chi
nese, can be proud and happy
about that little contribution to
human frequency The doubling
corresponds exactly with the III
PRODUCTION of Western civilization
into Japan. and in sense Com.
modore Perry of the United
States Navy, is responsible for the
present difficulties in Manchur'a.
He broke down the great gates
which Japan had shut against
the world; he let in our manutac-
tuIed goods and our machinery 10
manufacture other goods. And
al the same time he left The
gates open so that excess Japa-
nese could go out of their islands
and take Korea and Mancnurla.
I am not accusing the japanese
Of imperialism" or ruthlesSness.
They are doing what every "a.
ton has done before them. the
particular happiness of America
being that for a century its
spread and imperialism all took
place within it's own boundaries.
Harold NicolSon, in his ma 5terly
biography of his father, shows
that the aggressivenesS of Ger
many before the war was only
aggressive in comparison with the
stuffed lethargy OF Eng .and:
which had already swallowed al
It could digest, it lay in The 'Un,
cortented. and was infuriared by
the activity of Germany. which
had been kept out of al Ihe
feasts of the preceding 200 years
and was making up for it as fast
as it could.
Behind all these aggressions,
we are assured. lie huge masses
of population The pride OF Los
Angeles in being the lareSt city
named Los Angeles in the country
- is a factor in prosperity and de-
preSSions. in peace and n war.
The edicts of MuSsolini. the ap-
peals of French patriots, 20 ere
ate more and more sons. so that
the future will find them ore
pared, are also elements IN this
nurderous mathematics. They
are all extremely practical: but
If a Swiss should be able 20 prove
to us that his country had a
small population. every member
of which was healthy. intelligent
and happy, shouldn't know what
prideful answer to make for him.
Black Defeatism
To be sure. populations aren't
Increasing with the violent rapid
ity of the Victorian era any
more. Population checks :tSeif.
BY war. weakness before Plague
and a low birth rate population
adjusts itself. groaningly. to facts.
Only, as the process Is tedious
and discouraging, suggest Eh"
Suicide Clubs - Obviously if 20
pef cent of the populations OF
the principal European countries
had committed suicide in 1913
the war could have been avoided.
If harikari had become suddenly
popular in Japan last year there
might not have been any excess
population to provide for in Man
churia. AS for the next great in
tCrnational. universal and all cn1-
bracing war. hadn't we better all
commit suicide and avoid it alto
gether.
I haven't yet worked out the
effect of these large-Scale self
distinctions on our present in
duStrial decline. Roughly, the
producers ought to throw their
bodies to the fish while the
consumers lived and rnllltiolied:
at least I gather that what we
want is fresh activity from the
consumers in order tn exhaust
reserve stores so that production
can get going again. AS the
entire scheme is voluntary, we
will have to watch our suicides
carefully. Enthusiasts who
volunteer will have to prove
that they are 100 rer cent pro.
ducerS and practically incapable
of consuming a single item of
manufactured goods: otherwise
we should have to refuse them
a license to go under. And
there's no use writing me that
consumers and producers ere
identical. I've heard that one.
The New Despair
7 put this forward as a coun-
ter-move against the new
despair. Mr.. James D. Mooney,