Evening star., 1932-11-27
BY DIR. GEORGE w. HARTMANN,

Il previously established equilibrium
has been upset. A logician or
psychologist is therefore not SURPRISED
to find that the present economic crisis
which in the long run has spared NJ
naticn. no industry, and few individ'
uals, has also evoked more sober re-
Election upon the foundations OF oul
social order than has ever appeared
in so-called normal or relatively pros
perous times. As every one knows
this reflection has taken great variety
oi forms. depending in part upon the
quality of the brain producing the idea
and upon the financial status OF the
individual doing the thinking. The
long list of criticisms, Suggestions
panaceas and nostrums which have
been offered-and to some extent ac-
tually taken and followed-is impressive
evidence of more energetic mental proc
esses in the American public.
To an observer capable OF MAINTAIN
fng an attitude of dispassionate de-
fachment, the greatest obstacle to ell
Sectiye action-without which all
Thought is barren-is the fact that
those persons in positions of authority
who are capable of making quick
changes in our national machinery are
Sjust the ones who are least ahected
by an unfortunate and dangerous re-
duction in personal income. On the
other hand, those individuals who sui
Her most intensely and Immediately
drom the lack of balance in the busl-
mess mechanism are temporarily dis
nualified from viewing the total situa-
tion in perspective. The one group
lis deficient in motivation and the
bther is incapable of judicious ap-
hraisal. One is tempted to para
bhrase a famous philosophers sage re-
mark, IF age but could and youth
but new" into a more contemporary
form: IF power but would and misery
could"
Sees Scientists Restricted.
There is at least one group in So
Eiety. small in numbers but mighty
In influence, which Is peculiarly ssnsl-
tive to both factors. I am referring to
the research workers in all fields OF
science whether engaged in university,
governmental or industrial service.
They are people who represent the IN
hellectual and rational life OF man at
Its best, uncontaminated by perverSe
emotion, childish sentiment or stupid
prejudice. Wishful thinking. has no
place in scientific investigation, for
the facts will inevitably rise up to
srnite you if you yield to its lure.
Oddly enough, men of this caliber
are rarely appealed to for aid in really
vital issues. We look to them to en-
aaance tie minor conveniences and
comforts of civilization-for rustless
steel, q 'knockless" gasoline, radio
aInrnune to static" etc. But prob
lens far higher in any enlightened
scale of valueS-international peace,
unemployment, family welfare - are
calmly handed over to ill-trained poll
a1oodnrc' for rpliI-
tion
It is as though we had deliberately
restricted our first-rate minds to deal
ing with second-rate matters end left
the vaster concerns of ell mankind to
the blundering Incompetence OF inferior
insellectsl I am not one who believes
that all politicians are necessarily bad
or ell business men thieVng Scoundre-s
i'm fact, there is ample reason for
believing that the average mental
equipment of msn who hold pubic
office is far superior to the general lever
Of their constituencies and that the
heads of banks and tie directors Of cor
poraticns are on the whole sblcr than
thei- subordinstes. But even that does
not insure their adequate equipment
for such huge responsibilities. 1t is not
sufficiently reaSsuring to know that we
are being guided by the top quarter or
the top tenth of the population-the
prcblemS before US are big enough TO
daunt even the top hundredth of 1 per
cent of our citizenry!
See Research Workers Reluctant.
Too MANY persons when directing
kheir thoughts alcng these channels
assume there are cnly two horns to
the present dilemma-that one must
either continue the worlds business on
the basis of an imperfect capitalism or
else adopt the program OF dogmatlc
socialism or a fanatical Bolsh2vism.
The existence of a third possibility,
viz, the scientific regulation OF our
social and economic life. remains TN
suspected by most people. 1t may be,
as the specialists themselves are the
first to- maintain. that even our mes.
brilliant social scientists are not yet
prepared to take command of our ccm-
mon destinies But if they ere not
competent. who is? Much of the modest
and reluctant protestatlon of the re-
search worker is suggestive OF the
ardent teacher in training who vowed
she would never teach her subject
until she knew all about it; she never
taught!
Were it possible to saturate over
night our social fabric with the sclen-
tific viewpoint and method one nigh.
witness the following changes: Instead
of arguing about the merits and &c
merits of employment insurance
schemes one would test them under
controlled conditions using experiment
tai ard comparison group OF the KIND
the biologist employs when studying
the effects of drugs, dietary ccnstlt-
uents, etc, upon animal growth. Cor
responding circumstances in this iIlua-
traticn might involve randcm dl1lSlon
of all workers in a state or region into
two groups. one of which received the
benefit of the dole" Ga bad nam2 and
really misleading and another UAlch
lived without it. After a trial rerlo5
of 10 wears psychologists would be oi--
patched TO measure the intellectual! and
emotional changes which had occurred
in the personalities OF both group :,
SociolCgistS would determine the ClA-
ferences in family life, p2dI2trl-lanS the
relative state of child health. cyc. On
the basis Of these impartial 1incn21
one would then have some valid reason
for extending the incur2nce device be
cause OF its proved human worth or
rejecting it utterly because CT The
degeneration accompanying it. Con-
slider the revclut-on in human living
which would occur if all men could b.
taught to think in such terms ond
trained to try every dcbatsb!e issue by
sound techniques!
Biames Condition. on Ignorance.
For the time being we are watching
the curious spectacle Of a partially edu-
Gated popu,ace, convinced OF the merits
of science in purely indi7idual af-
fairs. bat dsrkly suspicious Of its in
trusion into social affairs. Science is
fine if it can build Us lenses which
compensate Tor our f2iling vision, bu.
when it tells US that underlourlsAei
youngsters cannot de"iVe the maximum
profit from their school work we ere
enraged, probably because We realz;
that an accusing finger has been point
ed at us. Sheer ignor2nce alone
responsible for this sorry state Of af'
fairs and it must increasingly become
.ie,. 70 tho.