The Washington times., 1932-02-01

then his writings on economics have created general
atmosphere important than the announcement Oh
a panacea for our troubles.
A few weeks ago l quoted few lines from forth
coming book: "The economic problem may be solved
within hundred years. The economic problem is not
the permanent problem of the human race | said
then that these words of profound meaning, that
they courageous at time when most people were
faithess and speculaed the problems which Keynes
would find fitting for the dignity of the human
mind. Now the book has been published Gt is called
Essays in Persuasion" and published by Harcourt,
Brace) and Keynes is there it pleasant for
to discover that not far out in my guess. For
all his croakngs says Keynes he still hopes and believes
that the day is not far off when the problem of want
and poverty and the economic struggle between classes
and nations will take the back seat where it belongs
and. the of the heart and head will be occu-
pied. by real probems-he problems of life and
of human relations, of creations and behavior and
religion"
An Urgent Author
Two men can say such things easily; the religious
prophet and the radical agtator Keynes is neither he
is moderately conservative, practical economist, de-
fender of capitalism, with reputation in prophecy
to uphold. That is why his statement is significant.
More significant still is this: That it at the end
of book which, according to the author himself has
been failure. eve could do with many failures
like this one For threeourths of the book the author
in hurry desperately anxious to convince his audi
in time He wanted to set them the right way
of revising the treaty. of treating the economic
plight of his country and of dropping the gold standard
We say that if his advice had been taken England
would have been saved We say that many of the
things he said must happen did happen.
am not recommending these essays "a book" They
written with far distinction than most literary
essays but they actions in the political life of
time. | recommend them chemist might recommend
bit of powder to clear up muddy solution, doctor
might recommend tonic. And for this suggest
that the last two sections politics and the future
should be taken first. The leading dea the thought
which is worth putting up in electric signs, is that
already have the and the technique for living
in stable and economically happy world, and all we
need to do is to create the organization to them
Thus Keynes says Il think that capitalism, wisely
aged can probably be made efficient for attaining
economic ends than any alternative system yet in sight,
The next step forward must from thought
Think, Think!
In the last essay Economic Possibilities for Our
Grandchildren" Keynes shows the direction of his
thought. He is opposed to two kinds of peSsmsm The
pessimsm of the revolutonares who think that things
are bad that nothing but violent change
and the pessmsm of the reactonares who consider the
balance of economic and social life precarous that
we must risk no experiments He s then opposed to
Russian Communism has made any contribution to
economic problems of intellectual interest scientific
value But opposed to change; he believes that
capitalism is in grave danger because of alien element
in it, the hereditary principle which accounts for the
weakness and stupidity of capitasm-'it is too much
dominated by third-generaton men"and he points out
that the oldest of mortal Institutions the Church. has
always kept itself free from the hereditary tant He
recognizes the value of wanting to make money;
and at the time hopes that will learn to spend
it more intelligently.