Evening star., 1933-11-05

After Fifteen Years?
BY H. M. TOMLINSON.

0y II. M. IOmAANSONs
T r HERE we are at last, in a year
when 1t Is necessary to explain
that this Is the anniversary OF
i i the day when the last shell ex-
ploded in a great war to end
war and to make the world safe Tor
democracy. The heroic phrases OF the
war have joined the missing" For
what do they mean to young people.
to the generation to whom they should
be of main importance?
Some observers say they mean moth
ing to them, except nonsense. What
but nonsense. when louts and intel
lectuals together care no more for
democracy than they do for wig stands?
And others, who heard the burst OF
that last shell, and hoped 1t really
signaled the end Of an obscene outrage
on the intelligence, are now hauntfa
by the cynical thought that the lesson
Of history Is that there is no lesson IN
history. But we resist that thought.
Though we 60 down in the forlorn and
ultimate ditch, We pray our cheerful
ness may survive. 1t Is neces, ary to
believe, il work of all kinds is to be
continued, that man Is at times open
to the appeal of reason.
Let us admit that history Is without
remembered lessons: yet common opin-
ion may still be changed. 1t may be
changed for the worse; but its muta-
| bility, with a chance OF better luck
next time, remains. don't know about
America, but in Europe. too con-
spicuous number of young men, who
were infants when the armistice came
over the backgrounds as belated ar
rival OF sanity, have developed an acute
Inflammation of the brain. which they
regard as doctrine, and they allay the
fever with martial exercises while wear
ing colored shirts In uniformity.
Gun Only Useful Argument.
They think, in their present condi-
ton. that common sense. should be
clubbed as a vice; should the question
ing face Of reason confront them. they
smash 1t: they are sure that the only
useful argument Is gun. With that
as an argument, the other fellow is Ger
tain to allow you to take what you
want They know that liberty and
government by Parliament are "putri-
flying corpses." The inspired counselors
to whom these young men give chief
heed are those who assure them that
ruthlessness with gun Is sign both
of divine favor and purpose. To them
this is more obvious than it is to US,
for their god Is national god, un-
movable by unsympathetic aliens.
Does that sound loony? Well, a chair
Of war has been founded in German
university, maybe because OF the fact
that war Is without any chairs worth
mentioning. In textbook on this
subject, for boys over q, q German
professor, who admits all the horrors OF
war. advocates the poisoning Of wells
and the use of plague rats and the virus
Of typhus as legitimate instruments in
war and proofs Of the willingness OF
divine aid And 1t Is possible these
evils are not worse than phossene or
to snst
man children get this stun TO-DAY BE-
fore the midday rush for the Ice cream,
cones. They are to grow up wearing
steel helmets.
Signs Are General.
It was recently announced in Berlin,
by a government ofllcial. that the Ger
man nation has made the first revolt
In history against the intellectual out.
look which followed the fall OF
together. there is evidence to show that
a form Of lunacy possesses mankind for
the moment AS the symptoms exist,
even men OF peace must carefully note
them. However, they could hardly fali
to notice them for here Is mental
phenomenon, bearing fine names &C
corriine to taste, which is manifest from
Tokio round the globe. 1t Is not only
to be seen in Germany. The signs OF
1t are general.
mots under an tnscrutable impulse
sometines will march and march, with
unshakable courage and resolution, I'LL
thew march into the sea and drown.
There appears to be no reason Tor tnls
indomitable marmotism, and 1t does the
poor things no good.
And now we observe in hosts OF men
and women everywhere growing I'M
patience with reason, dismissal OF
Justice as a weakness Of the head ana
an ugly abuse of the finer virtues ana
values because these are subverslVe OF
national aims and unpatriouc are
things obstinate-do they still refuse 10
70 our way? Break them up! Because
the use of force has proved, somehow, to
have the very devil In TRY anotner
method? No. Use more force. What-
ever NAV occasion the impulse which
drives to elf-destruction the armies OF
resolute marmots, there Is plainly a
reason for the fears and follies which
have arisen In mankind to the enorm1ty
of a general mania. The world is IN
desperate plight, and plight. II we
may Judge from the pronouncements OF
statesmen and experts. which Is mex
plicable and very likely Is not TO be
solved. Despair. when it notes the calm
ness Of law and reason, Is likely to go
into destructive frenzy.
Had Better Sit Quiet.
What are we going to do about it? I
think we had better sit quiet. 1t Is no
more useful than 1t ever was to answer
a fool according to his folly. We had
better wait. Hysteria and ecstasy ex-
hause the invalids, If given . fair length
Of time; and hysteria as symptom OF
national invalidism is not likely to last
quite 50 long as the inevitable bank
ruptcy which will follow. The frenzy
may pass the sooner If not aggravated.
When we resist evil violently we merely
show we are infected by 1t. The evil Is
prolonged. Should all the world go
crazy together, peace will become no
easier to hatch anew than dodo.
Whoever needs reminding today that
another general war would fill the fac
tories and workshops Of the white race
with cobwebs more durable than the
present problem Of unemployment must
be 4 Rip Van Wrinkle not awake yet.
We may, should our opinions and do
ings make that war inevitable-and
universal war it very certainly would
be-resien ourselves to contemplating
the victorious vine binding the wrecked
propeller of the last airplane. and the
bats not only in the belfries. but hang
ing to the pulpits and undisturbed by
the engine sheds; and the survivors OF
our race. unaided by hospitals, free to
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