The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-08-13
By LIsToN NJ. OAK

nR. ROBERI A. MlLIlhAN, ~
" lacking "Stateism," by which he
means Communism, or collectivism
of any kind, in a recent radio broad
cast, reported in the N. Y. Times Of
August 7, claims the American
dream" is freedom and equal OPP
portunity for all.
DR.. Millikan is president Of the
California Institute Of Technology
and a prominent scientist. He knows
nothing whatever Of the social sci
ences, political economy, history or
sociology, as his speech proves. An
analysis will show that every state
ment he makes is unscientitlc.
He says that in America each
citizen has the possibility Of rising
to Just such a position Of power as
his own character, industry and ca
pacities should create for him. That
is to say, child born Of poverty
stricken Italian parents in a city
Stun, has Just the same opportunity
of rising to the position of power for
which his innate abilities fit him, as
is a child born of wealthy parents
on Park Avenue; he has the same
educational opportunities; the same
chance in life; he is not handicapped
by poverty of his family, nor is he
hindered in rising in the world by
lack of nourishing food, medical
care, etc in childhood. Millikan says
so, and Millikan is a great scientist.
America, says he is "a land in
which the opportunity of education
is denied to no one who has demon
strated his capacities to return to
society through that education what
it costs society TO give it to him"
In other words, the 2,225,000 chill
dren who, according to the U. S.
Commissioner of Education, were
deprived of school facilities in 1888,
did not demonstrate their capaci-
ties to return to society what 1t
cost society to educate them"
All you have to do to get an edu-
cation for your children is to prove
that they will return to society"
the cost of a college education. Sim
pie.
The U.S.A. is "a land in which
the standard of living is just as
high as is compatible with the total
productivity of the country" says
Millikan. Why is it then, that while
the productive capacity Of the US.A.
is sufficient to give an average in
come equivalent to $4,000 to every
man according to the late lamented
Technocrats, or $40, 1000 according to
certain prominent engineers and
economists in Columbia and Har-
var6 the actual income, according
to Millikan is about $500 per person?
Does $50 per year represent the
income that is compatible" with
the high industrial efficiency and
productivity which chronological
progress has made possible but
which the contradictions of capital
ism now make impossible?
MILLIKAN'S next statement, which
lu indicates his ignorance Of Amer
lean history, is that this is a land
that has so intelligent an elector-
ate that social changes can always
be brought about and can only be
brought about by constitutional bal
lot methods" American history is
replete with instances of social
changes brought about by other
means than the ballot: independence
from Britain could never have been
realized by the ballot; neither could
the abolition of slavery. The eight
hour working day, free public edu-
cation, the granting of free land in
the West (the Homestead Law, are
only three Of numerous progressive
social changes which were only rea-
lized by ballot after the masses of
the American people had demanded
them and fought for them and eX-
erted mass pressure upon the gov
eminent, often by means of mass
demonstrations accompanied by vio-
lence. The early history of these
American States, as well as recent
history, is filled with other instances
of struggles frequently accompanied
by riots and "rebellions," which
forced concession from the capitalist
government. No major social change,
in America or elsewhere, has ever
yet been accomplished by the ballot
alone.
Millikan resorts to the usual
super-patriotic tactic of maligning
foreigners for exerting evil infiu-
ences on us and thus weakening our
faith" in our ideals. The contrary