Evening star., 1931-12-26

dress before
group of insurance leaders, Mr.. At
wood said, among other things:
II want to say most emphatically
that present conditions do not warrant
the pessimism which still exists, nor
did conditions warrant the still greater
peSSimim that existed a few weeks
ago. This country is not on the brink
of revolution, neither the country nor
the economic order which has de-
veloped herein, is about to topple over
into the abyss, and despite many seri-
Gus problems to solve there are no real
signs that our national virility has
vanished to the point where a slow
decline Of civilization is setting in. Far
too many people have been talking
about breakdown, but the real break
down has been in their own common
sense, perspective and courage. We are
still in a depression all right, terrible
depression, but if history means any,
thing this is a period of convalescence,
painful but necessary and wholesome.
What people mistake for breakdown, for
cataclySm, is merely the effort of a
vastly complicated and interdependent
economic and social machine to re-
gain its poise, its balance and equil-
ibrium.
Business Moves Two Ways.
"Just because we no longer live in
FOOLS paradise, just because we have
come pretty far down from a level
which never had any shadow of just1-
hcat1on Is no reason to lose our nerve
or become hysterical. Time and again
people have asked me what I thought
OF this depression and always answer
that my real worry lest the country
was going haywire was in the Winter,
Summer and Spring of 1929, not now"
As long as the great mass of men
and women carry on their daily tasks
with anything like the faith, courage
and loyalty which has characterized
them in the past, We have enormous
recuperative powers in this country,
which are sure to make themselves felt.
Prices can go up as we'll as down,
business can increase as well as de-
crease. All price movements carry
with them the illusion of continuance,
yet If we know anything positive in
this world it is that these movements
do not last. All of us tend to confuse
vexing but temporary troubles with a
false idea of permanence. But this is
q world of change.
Speaking broadly, our troubles do
not last; nor is the worst any more
likely to happen than the best.
CeeS better Times Ahead.
Il believe that many of our worst
troubles will pass before very long,
though there are many foolish people
alive today, people of the type who
may be illustrated by the story of the
Two sisters, II I may be permitted to
descend for moment from the plane
OF the serious to the ridiculous. A
woman phoned her sister Qet us call
her Tessie) telling her to sell all her
stocks because England had gone on
the gold standard No interrupted
her husband, off the gold standard
On, 1t doesn't make any difference
said the woman, 'Tessie would be lust
as scared either way
ALSO, We wouldn't have had so
much trouble if it hadn't been for the
hoarders, especially those of the higher
class who took money out of perfectly
good banks, from some of the best in
the country, and put it in safe deposit
boxes, on the absurd supposition that
their money would be worth anything
II the whole American financial and
banking system collapsed. Those who
Withdrew smaller sums might at least
have had the sense to put it into the
Postal Savings, so that it would be re-
deposited in local banks and not with
drawn from circulation.
SO. in conclusion, repeat that what
we need are not grandioSe, super
schemes. panaceas and plan, but sane
progress toward security and stability"
Mr.. Atwood concluded.
Bank Declares Dividend.
At meeting of the board of directors
OF the Security Savings e. Commercial
Bank, held today, the regular quarterly
dividend of per cent was declared
payable December 81 to stockholders
of record of December "a.
The board Of directors of the National
Capital Bank at its regular weekly
meeting declared the usual semi-annua1
dividend OF S per cent on the capital
stock OF the bank, payable on Decen-
Der 81.
The board of directors of the Fidelity
Plan Corporation, 1409 L street north
west, at the last meeting declared the
regular quarterly dividend of SITS per
share on the preferred stock, PAYABLE
January 4. E. E. Perkins, president of
the Bank of Bowie, was elected to the
board. w 'Aie
The directors, officers and emnloves
OF the Federal-American National Rank
d Trust Co. sent a large number of
CHRISTMAS baskets to families which
tney happened to know were in special
need at this time. The distribution
Drought a great deal of happiness.
washington banks were all omen as
usual today and will be on Januarv
2, although the Washington STOCK
Exchange followed New Yorks lead and
was closed AS''N oAAe