The Washington times., 1931-09-24
BraiIsford's Explanation

|
written about month ago by H. n Bralsord and pub
lshed in the September Is issue of the New Repuohc
Mr. Brailsford is unreconced to the betraya OF the
Labor party by Macdonald he roundly, tnat the
previous crisis in England solved by the formation OF
national government, which has now virtually 1alleo
was not brought about by the dole His explanation mas
the great virtue of being clear it may be partial IN ootn
of the word but recounts facts most OF us can
understand. r
billion dollars to Germany and Austria, and that TINS
half billion wasn't theirs to lend; 1t was not brtsn
money What they did was to borrow from france AZ
per cent and lend to Germany at or per cent
Correct persons call this transaction MagnanmY 10
fallen foe.
the banks of Vienna Berlin and London as Alpine chmo
ers tied together by rope two had tumoleo mus
thew not drag the other down. Accordingly the French
in their prudence withdrew their deposits from London
there on the bank -
Mr. Brailsford has been for years supremely fine
journalist; he can reduce complex situations to simple
terms His point in the article is that the British work
ing has been sacrificed to save the tlnancler ne
It was that "the bankers will continue to borrow at
and lend at g." He missed only little pont-the pos
sibity that no will lend to the bankers even at j.
Although he is not ignorant he is, hike u.s. helpless
"Oh, Yeah!' Again
Several weeks ago sauted the phrase, "Oh, yeah; as
peculiarly American, highly expressive and typical OF
kind of sarcastic anti-bunk in the American mind which
q was thoroughly praseworthy. When Miss Edna Ferber
came home from Europe and took the birch rod to Amer
can youth because its conversation was restricted to
this single phrase, | not affronted In fact Miss
Ferbers criticism of American youth was such nat
uraI for editorial comment, ready made for indg
nant reply that it left me dumb.
1t happens that this is of the occasions when the
comment on a statement is important than the
statement itself To say that American young people
are not interested in philosophy and world affairs that
they do not discuss the arts freely and wisely as
French garage helpers that they have "a mental age of
twelve" and given to slang and catch phrases
of this is old stuff But the fact that the old stuff
doesn't go any more-that is enlghtenng
No More Disprase
We have gone through stage of almost vicious dis
praise of ourselves and 10 years Tor ve) the
voyager from Europe who told that Americans are
all moral epers and aesthetic outcasts of
great big hand Incidentally these critics would have
sneered at the phrase but they accepted the hand when
it bearing lecture contracts and offers from edl
tOrs.) That is now; the boom time for criticism
has passed. Well all have to work for our living.
impressed by the circumstance that intelectuals
inhosptable to Miss Ferber Patriots naturally
the right crtcSe for themselves But the enlightened
and the superior also turned thumbs down the Fer
berian thunderbOs. Miss Ferber is of the most
painstakng and skllfu novelsts have-that is her
field What is she knows that when manufacturers
speak of diplomacy and brokers art they usually are
off the mark Purely a human being then she mocks
at the millions of young people who read her works. and
abuses their intelligence.
1t hardly matters whether her attack is iustifiable
not. think it is not, because all general statements
about youth citizens of other countries and
cry out for figures and facts My experience
that writer's congregate with other writer's with paint
and actors with whatever rich and women
for the arts to patrOnze the and this
section which has another and brighter phrase
~oh, yeah" is extremely deceptiveS