The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-01-13
Liberal Viewpoint
by DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES

4 TIE next twelve months probably will 90 far
Il toward settling the question of whether the
american future will follow the line of evolution
or that of revolution.
Nicholas Berdyaev in a work distinguished
by sweeping historical anaIogies, (The End of
Our Time, by Nicholas Berdyaev. Sheed & Ward
Inc S225) argues that the era of rationalisln
lnd1vldualism, liberalism and democracy and of
capitalism and Imperialism has come to an end
He predicts that the collapse Of the present
order VIII be followed by the general triumph
ot Christian socialism, which he regards as the
enc and crown Of all contemporary history" His
! book concludes with extensive analysis of
! Soviet philosophy. He is fiercely critical of the
SoVlets opposition to Christianity which he de-
SreS to transform into a revolutionary social
! force.
Most of the critics Of the new deal are re-
| dictionaries and Tories or extreme radicals
Francis Nelson is a radical individualist. once
prominently identified with the famous Freeman
magazine He is a combination of Jeffer-
sonlan and moderate follower of Henry
George. Mr.. Nelson is not worried about what
the new deal may do to our plutocrats, but he
recolls at the notion of RECOMMENDATION and So
clallsm. He also hates the city and urban
classes. With this background, he sails into
Messrs. Chase, Soule, Beard Tugweu and other
apostles Of social planning with great gusto
Control From the Top by Francis Nelson.
G. P Putnam's Sons $1.500.
From decidedly more Tory point of view.
Alva Lee jumps on the administration and de-
mands return to the fundamental verities
| (America Swings to the Left, by AIva Lee Dodd
Mead & Company, $3.50. He particularly is
severe in his criticism of imitation. Though Mr.
Lee is a voice from past which neither can
nor should be restored it would pay the admin
iStration to examine his structures for he does
| certainly point out number of minor incon-
SistencieS and errors of judgment.
|
MIR. SIMMER holds that the only way out
I'VE of the depression is to be found in increased
mass purchasing power CThe Forgotten Man, BY
E. c. Simmer. Patterson Publishing Co. ST.
But he has his own special plan for increasing
consumers power, namely, preventing Excess
slve capitalization, over-centralzation and mo-
nopoly in American economic life. In short, he
would like to turn us back to an era of decen-
tralized control of the advantages of centralized
production.
Some six or eight years ago Frank Tannen-
baum relinquished his earlier concentration
upon penology and labor problems and began
an intensive study of recent Mexican history
! He has already written the authoritative work
in English on the transformation Of Mexican
! agriculture as a result of the Mexican revolu-
! ton. The present volume is a comprehensive
and Well-rounded survey Of Mexican social evo-
luton peace by Revolution An Interpretation
of Mexico, by Frank Tannenbaum Columbia
/
hensive and factual than Ernest Gruening's en-
cyclopedic work. it Is a somewhat better unified
and more readable Interpretation. It demon
Strates that a social revolution can be carried
through without any vast amount of social chaos
and may prove at least passably and temporarily
successful without going the whole way into
| Communism.
| THERE have been very few satisfactory at
Il tempts to present the underlying philos-
ophy Of Communism The great majority of
/ books on this subject either have been fercely
antagonistic frantically devoted to this
philosophy. DR.. Brameld analyses the Com
munistic philosophy of contemporary Russia in
a competent and open-n1inded fashion CA
Philosophic Approach to Communism, by Theo-
dore B. H. Braneld, Phi. D. University of Chi
cago Press. $3.50.
He lays special stress upon the personality
and ideas Of Lenin. In the reviewers opinion.
Lenin energies a rather more impressive figure
| than Karl Marx. AT least, he stands head and
shoulders above most contemporary MarNans
in that he was able to be inspired by Marx with
out becoming parrot Of MARKHAM phraseology
or slave to every detail of MARKHAM dogma.
Now that we have recognized Russia, Amer
leans gradually may wake up to the fact that
Communism is something more than a passing
| economic vagary. When they do they will find
Dr.. Brameld's work a thoughtful guide to the
appreciation of one Of the dominant economic
PHILOSOPHERS of our age