Evening star., 1934-02-05

The purpose Of the articles to
which this is the introduction Is to
recount what I heard and what
saw, in terms Of the current problems
in everybody's mind.
At every turn my admiration for
the people Of the United States in
creased. Lulled by current classifica-
tions into cataloguing the inhabitants
as f1nanciers, industrialists, labor.
farmers, tradesmen, intellectuals and
morons, quickly made the discovery
that in native ability, intelligence,
information, courage, humor and in.
dependence there existed no such
categories.
Broken Victims.
There IS I submerged and pathetic
section Of weaklings and ignoramuses
in the slums OF the cities. and a small
minority Of poor creatures regimented
into an embittered pessimism in the
working quarters Of some Of the
great industries. But aside from
these broken victims Of society the
American citizen, whatever his walk
in life, Is an astounding exhibit.
There is no need to select. picked
them up on the road-youngSters
without . copper or an overcoat
blithely setting out across the conti-
nent-I found them camping in the
desert and panning gold in canyons.
Whether you talked with the highway
patrol or q grizzled fellow riding an
eight-horse pillow, the president Of the
Farmers and Merchants Bank or the
Communist agitator. it was all the
same. These things were universal
a strong, definite personality and q
complete equipment Of current in
formation.
The barber and the boy who
pumped out the gas knew as much
about the state Of the Union, the
budget, the sources Of income in his
town, the silver question, the number
of unemployed and the point OF view
of Milo Reno, as anybody else. The
newspapers, the radios, the mass
meetings and the orators have pro-
duced new world. almost unob-
served.
Six months Of intensive confer
ences. instructions, debates, working
an alert and vital people, have pro-
duced a population more accurately
informed and more capable Of judg-
ment than any other ever seen on
earth. 1 expected every man to view
the changing scene entirely in the
light of its effect on his own income.
Not at all. They talk in units. I
asked a mechanic in small town
in Idaho if the N. r. A. had helped
him any.
Details Of Economics.
"Why, yes" says he, 'it helps mo-
rale. But, Of course, our town de-
pends on the farmers income. This
comes from sugar beets." And off he
went into labyrynthine details OF the
world sugar situation, quotas. tariffs
and the Platt amendment
If any one believes those people
are to be led by experts" he is due
for an awakening. There are l20,-
100000 experts on the gold standard
and initiation in the United States.
There isn't schoolgirl so benighted
that she does not know the number
of unemployed in her country, and
many bellboy can tell you the ex-
tent OF the national debt. Any little
town in the country can produce q
dozen sturdy, stern-faced men we so
proudly call executives. They are
hardy-I almost said rugged. Why
we should assume that rugged in
dividual" is also a conservative stand
patter is mystery. Rugged they are,
and individualists. But by no means
to be herded, and not at all adverse
to any change, dangerous or no.
Outside of the derelicts I men
toned, I wish to record that on this
entire trip I saw precious few people
who appeared weak or discouraged,
stupid or uninteresting. Practically
all I talked with had been hard hit
by the depression-some merely to
the point OF discharging the chauf-
feur, and some to the point Of hit
ting the rails without the price Of q
coffee. But not one was really angry
and none seemed afraid. Theories,
complaints, criticisms, were plenty.
But I gave up my hunt for revolution
the third day.
II there is revolution Of another
kind, and think there Is, 1t lies In
the minds of men and not in the
realm of violence.
(Copyrtsht 1894. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance mc.j