The Washington times., 1931-08-24
True to Type
ARE AMERICAN LEADERS
LOOKING FOR MAMMA
FROM HEAVEN?
Ry GILBERT SELDES-

1t would be interesting to discover exactly what pic
ture is formed in the minds of people by such phrase
as he return of prosperity and if true report could
be made something of Importance might be learned. To
number of people, number growing larger as time
goes on, the words mean definitely thing-having
job with permanent prospects, with enough money each
week to pay for food and lodging The ones whose minds
should like to examine of another cassthe manu-
facturers and bankers, the politicians and statesmen,
the writer's economics
Headline in Day Dreams
Do they, like most of us, dream of looking at the
morning paper some fine sunny day, and reading in
bold, black type Prosperity Returns Today do they
imagine that the thing will happen dramatically bril-
anty like Lndberghs transatlantic flight but without
the preparation; do they expect mama from Heaven
or some modern equivalent in miracles?
! say "hke most of u.s." although do not mean that
most of foolish politicians and economists.
Asked seriously to say how prosperity would return,
would stammer, quote prominent man. fall back
whatever economics absorbed in college, and confess
that didn't know. But the day dream would remain,
and most of those whom / have questioned about it
agree that something supernatural and spectacular is
what they are secretly awaiting
"a False Dawn
That is why the moratorium for Germany gave such
satisfaction, and then led to disappointment 1t
our seven-column morning, but it dwndled, largely
through French influence into financial maneuver we
did not understand The yearning for the drastic
and the meodramatic makes applaud Western
Governors who close down oil wells in order to put up
prices although why should rejoice in higher prices
with the slow processes of economic law, and the Gov
ernmen to follow the old corporation system and
grant us dividend of three dollar bills for every
we now have, should accept with gee and think
selves three times rich. The thing hardly
bear to contemplate is working three four years in
desperate endeavor to become half rich
three years ago.
|FnfantiIe Minds
The important thing is to know what kinds of mind
exist in our leaders and governors because if they
OF the spectacular school ourselves begged
for good We may hope that they will do something
the grand scale; but to whom they looking for help?
hesitate to suggest but they remind me Of the circle
of crooks in Nasts famous cartoon, each pointing
his thumb at the other to shift the blame Psychologist
ally Europe better off than are, because have
been richer and satisfactory scapegoat-so
ought to be competent savior. But is Mr. Hoover look
ing to Germany for aid China chastity skipping
Russia, country not fit for American President
to think about, even if it would buy few hundred
million dollars worth of manufactured goods and give
few hundred thousand men jobs)?
The idea that we have to what possess is
offensive to that have prettfied the Biblical
sentence passed upon and usually say that must
bread Gin the sweat of brow the original
is downright-it says in the sweat of face And
hate it, passionately We'd rather find money in the
streets.