The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-04-10

frame Of mind, am sure we can
time, up TO date with modern SC
production. The chief difficulty is
1t will require quite a little
change in the temper and educa-
ton Of the American people be-
fore they are willing to settle
down resolutely, steadfastly and
continuously to the job of max
ing such changes in social ma
chinery as they find necessary
after a process of trial and error.
At the present time, they are
so suspicious of each other, so GER
tain that the other fellow is CHS
cling at their expense that we in
Washington tend all too easily to
gain the impression that the
people of the United States are
packs of ravening wolves deter
mined to drag each other down.
OF course, when you get away
from Washington and the larger
cities, you lose this feeling very
rapidly.
l am certain that if we are to
continue with modern science and
the application of methods of
mass production, we must also
continue with the perfeCting Of
social machinery so as to balance
in a just way our consumptive
ability with our productive efforts.
I am sure this can be done in
- To rritya ,,o txrriro Y111IPh Of
the material things of life as we
had in 1929. But I am also sure
that if the spirit of man continues
to become narrower and more bit
ter, we can easily be forced into
terrible disaster far beyond the
worst that we saw in 1882.
ITO avoid this disaster requires
Il in my opinion a definite
change in the hearts Of men. l
am not discussing human ethics
but the attitude toward those i'm
material, intangible, unknowable
forces which, by faith, we believe
make for Righteousness and which
we customarily call God.
1t seems to me that the time is
almost here when we can say that
from the hard-headed material
point of view the Sermon on the
Mount is practical, provided our
hearts are truly permeated with
the doctrine of Jesus and our
minds are capable of formulating
social machines corresponding in
their precision with our mechani-
ical machines.
Our control over nature is such
that if the profit motive and the
monetary system did not interfere
unduly, it would be easily possible
to remove from all humanity
those great fears having to do
with lack of food, lack of shelter,
lack of employment, trouble in
case of sickness and restitution in
old age.
1t is a blot on American social
civilization that these fears have
not yet been removed. I know the
situation in Washington well
enough so that I feel the leaders
there would be the first to agree
with me that their efforts in this
direction are merely crude be-
ginningS.
They feel the necessity for
something well thought out that
will work in the long run, that
will dignity the most humble
laboring men and give them an
opportunity to feel that they are
a definite part of the scheme of
things and not mere hangers on.
THERE are those in Washing
Il ton who feel that the way
out is toward decentralization
They like the idea of small fac
tories out in the open country.
with the workers in those factories
living on small farms They like
the idea of fewer automobiles and
more horses. They want more
people on the land and fewer peo-
pie in the cities.
They want to see us get back
to the mode of life we enjoyed in
the eighties, claiming that there
is a spiritual enrichment which
comes from a more continuous
contact with the simple affairs of
daily life, on the soil or in the
small factory. These people would
like to frame laws to break up
the large corporations so that
there would be no nationwide
distribution system.
While I have great sympathy
with these people in many re-
spectS. and while there is a chance
they may be proved to be right,
nevertheless I feel definitely that
it is our destiny to GO ahead first
with the larger concept which in
wolves even more science and a
greater control over nature than
that which We now enjoy.
I feel that one of our great
lacks is courage and desire. COM
menSurate in their magnitude
with our scientific understanding.
In the twelfth chapter of Eccle-
siaSteS, you remember that pas
sage which reads:
Also when they shall be afraid