Evening star., 1934-01-03
Quo Vadis 7

!
exactly what 1t is. Various guesses, OF
course. have been offered. including
that of a peaceful social revolution"
thoroughgoing reconstruction OF
society. Under the banner OF the new
deal, more than one accredited spokes-
man for the administration has sug-
gested, the old order is being eliml-
mated and In It's place a more equitable
system is being set up in the interests
of the Forgotten Man. The President,
however, has been much more cau-
tious than certain Of his representa-
tives; he has confessed, with admirable
candor, that he does not know exactly
what the goal Of his striving may be;
he has developed no blueprint panacea,
no pattern of victory; he admits. freely
and frankly. that the ultimate end of
the experiment over which he presides
is only dimly glimpsed. Meanwhile, the
multiudes are marching along to-
gether," but none can tell with conf
dence toward what.
Perhaps, in the circumstances, 1t Is
! Just as we'll that there Is no rigid
plan Of campaign, no fixed Zion to
be reached. Granted that 1t Is a way
out Of the depression that is demanded,
| it Is not likely that all classes could
or would agree upon the same theory
Of the right course to be attempted
in the struggle back to prosperity. The
Communist, for example. believes in
dictatorship Of the proletariat, the So
cialist In an arbitrary redistribution
of social wealth and In the ownership
| of the tools of production by the
masses, the single-taxer IN the COM
munal control of land, the trade
unionist in the guild concept Of indus
trial management. All are meaSurably
sincere and honest in their idealism.
| but not all recognize in the Presidents
| philosophy the dogmas Of radicalism
| they severally or collectively favor On
| the opposite extreme there are the con-
firmed individualists who give their ad-
herence to the traditional faith in per-
Sonal economic salvation and look
askance on doles and allotments, the
! appropriation Of the hard-working and
thrifty in behalf Of the wilfully idle
and improvident; the professional Or
ders of cultivated men and women who
are concerned to preserve the highest
cultural standards OF civilization; the
pragmatiSts who prefer well proven
processes to expedients; the advanced
nationalists who instinctively distrust
political and social reforms of alien
origin, and the naturally conservative
minority which is skeptical Of drastic
changes of any kind and has doubts
about the efficiency of any activity
which lies beyond the normal line of
social evolution. And these elements
of the population are quite as humane,
quite as generous and quite as hon
orable as their more optimistic neigh
bors. The President has appealed for
their help just as he has asked for
that of the so-Called liberals" He
las drawn no party boundaries; he has
! solicited the support of the entire Ma
ton, regardless of group or class align
ment.
1t may be that he realizes how ex-
ceedingly difficult it is for Americans
consciously to regiment their thought.
The training, the education and the
experience Of the people have been in
! dlVldualiStic, rather than socialistic
The whole significance of democracy
and the whole meaning of representa-
! tive government In the United States
have been contrary to the theory of
even benign dictatorship. The ap-
| proved common concept Of life has been
one Of individual character, personal
sovereignty personal responsibility, per-
sonal merit and personal achievement.
Not even the sorrows Of the worldwide
economic slump have swept away the
self-reliance, the -sufficiency of
thousands of ordinary men and women.
On the contrary, the emergency has
confirmed them in their desire to solve
their own problems, and the President
has commended them for their courage
| and their confidence
! An expansion of the philanthropic
doctrine of mutual aid almost surely
is taking place, and it may be that
fact which prompts the notion of
peaceful social revolution" But a
more truly accurate judgment, it would
seem, would be that the thing that is
happening in the United States today Is
rather a general quest for verify, a
popular search for reality in the
Nations dilemma On every hand an
atmosphere of inquiry prevails; men
End women, as never before, are trying
to understand the facts of political
economic and social philosophy. Aspira-
ton, then, appears to be the most
significant characteristic Of the times.
1t may be that what the people are
moving toward is the establishment of
a new national spirit.