Evening star., 1932-08-23
The Sin of Optimism.

It Is an interesting commentary on
the accepted traditions OF American
politics that one who heard Secretary
of Commerce Chapin's address last
night In The Stars National RADIO
Forum must instinctively have felt tha1
the Secretary was committing the
prieyous sin of being optimistic. For
he was optimistic and he felt that the
future still holds promise Of recovery.
And could anything be more rash than
to make such statements during a cam
paign year and thus lay himself Wloe
open to the cleverly thrown darts OF
those who hold other political faith?
The Secretary, for instance, IS hope
full that from the various elements OF
the reconstruction program there Will
come a rising tide Of employment; that
a rebirth of confidence and of the fight
ing spirit of America is even now notice
able; that while the situation has
placed American business on the de-
fensiye the time has arrived for the
launching of a widespread offensive;
that while a tendency In foreign ma
Mons to increase their industrialism
has cut off former markets, this same
tndustrialization will increase purchas-
ing power from abroad. Such state
ments, of course, furnish the cue for
replies from the political critics. "Oh,
yeah?" What about the millions OF
Americans now out Of work, the mil
lions who have lost their savings and
their homes, the fact that there Is soon
to be "just another White House con-
ference" and that the real reason we
have lost our foreign markets Is be-
cause the American tariff has suspend
ed the normal interchange of goods?
One can almost believe that the Sec
retary carefully culled his speech for
any word or phrase that might be
thrown back at him later when the
country has gone completely to the dogs
and all hope has vanished and every
man has been reduced to pauperism
He must have argued with himself as to
whether it would not be politically ex-
pedient for the new Secretary Of Com
merce to appear before the microphone
in mourning raiment and to tell the
people Of the United States just how
bad off they are; that while everything
it is true, has not gone completely to
Dot. the indications are that everything
soon win, and that until Congress can
get around to the business Of extending
regulation over most forms Of barter
and sale, outlawing gold bricks and max
ing it law that before buying anything
the customer must be plainly warned
that the transaction is apt to be dlsad-
vantageous, hope cannot and will not be
allowed to spring within the human
breast.
Such a form OF leadership, at this
season of the year, would probably meet
the test of winning the appreciation
of the opposition. For the new leader
ship, If one may judge by the cur
rent topics of the day, should nevei
make the mistake Of publicly espous,
ing the doctrine that things are look
ing up. Craftsmanship should find ex,
preston from the tongues of those wht
are so overcome with all the wrong
and the evil of the world that words
of hope are Stunned as a snare ane
delusion.
America is on the way to win thi!
dght!" said Mr.. Chaplin. But suppose
an earthquake should enguh America
tomorrow and the Atlantic and Pa
ciic Oceans held reunion somewhere
around Kansas City; or suppose anothel
economic holocaust should raze th'
financial and industrial structure OF thu
Nation and nothing but empty she'll
remained? How rancidly ironical Mr.
Chapin's words would sound then! Wha
a mistake it would have been for hin
ever to have uttered them!