The Washington times., 1932-12-29

for him because the influenza is HAA
more important than the |
simply refuse to be defeatist about
this country and about the capitalist -.~ ~~
system, which may yet prove itself ~ ~
extraordinarily adaptable and may develop into far
better way of living than any we have known. How
ever still suffused with holiday spirit let my
spondent have his noting that he as an intellectual
is far radical than the aborers who have written
me before. What follows is half of his letter. l will
return to the rest later
Not System
Il have recently read the letters of Worker and Mr.
Averne with much interest" writes D. S. "Now, Mr.
Seldes, there is only thing have been wondering
about. You still pose adherent of the present
economic system, though veritaby, how any state
chaotic the in which find ourselves today can
be called system is beyond understanding The
system implies semblance of order We have
been staggering on this way now for three To
many it has seemed like three centuries There
Is no sign OF let up How there be? The funda-
mental of difficulties still exists There is
always that garing disparity between the products of
labor and its returns that inequality of distrbu
ton The hypocrtica drone of wefiled stomachs with
their optimistic predictions cannot drown this fact
Nor be submerged by the chatterng drive of
economists and politicians building up economic faacie
arguing high tariffs and lows tariffs initiation and
detatlon banking reform, war debts, beer and what
not No, Mr.. Seldes, matter how hard we try to
avoid them fundamentals will always come back to stare
us in the face.
The World Does Move
ut is pity that the world moves so slowly No STU
dent of economic affairs and social trends doubts bt
that the future must bring complete State ownership of
the means of production. Yet stubbornly cling to
Jettersonan agrarian economic philosophy that became
outmoded when the first factory built This the
tragedy of America in 1882.
Thus the problem longer is of doubt as to
Whetner cnange necessary but doubt to how long
it will be in coming about The fact that most people
have not yet become reconcied to the new economics
serves to mint of the of difficulties
The capitalist stands, of course as the wachman of the
present order, the middle class business man having
either disappeared entirely being right in the
process of eradication.
Since individuals react only to dire necessity we will
have to wait until there are enough emnv stomachs in
the ranks before change be brought about-be it
either through the ballot through force At present
the man in the street is still accustomed to think in the
when the depression ends
Will Santa Return?
He has not yet forgotten the years of plenty and
sees why Santa Claus having once visited u.s.
ne should not do so again. in spite of the fact that
Santas last visit due to very unusual set of cir
cumsances Nor does he take into account the fact that
the present panic different from those of the past in
two fundamental respects-frst it has been marked by
the collapse of American export trade (thus we can no
longer prosper at the expense of Europe and second
we are no longer an expanding nation and thus cannot
look Tor decided upturn in construction operations
which has always marked the ending of past depressons
Roman Holidays
t strikes that the plight of the poor today offers
satirical analogy to the plight of the Roman rabbe in
Then If the masses had bread and the they were
satisfied. These they demanded, and with these the
rulers and patrons of the nobility took to furnish
them for the welfare of their heads Today care is
being taken that none in the u S. shall starve
II do not wish to any aspersions on the phan-
thropical motives of Americas money magnates but per-
haps their magnanimity is due than little to
secret desire to prevent precarous situation from
developing. Certainly, many of our industrial mogus
whose fortunes rotting away in bank vaults must
experience feeling honestly akin to sheepishness
or downright embarrassment than to sympathy when
they behold on our downtown streets of the gaunt
spectres that men,"