Evening star., 1936-06-16

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the revolution of the intellectuals
ended in chaos. The Russian revolu-
tion was made, not by the prole-
tariat, but by students. Its most scin-
tillating mind, its most potent pen,
was Leon Trosky's-but where Is he
now? One needs only to read the
conversation which took place two
years ago between H. G. Wells and
Stain to see mind incredibly mobile
and vivacious In conflict with one
which has only learned one thing.
But Hollywood records the shape
of Things to Come" for the astonish-
ment of moviegoers while Stain molds
their form. Russia's contemporary
heroes are Stain, the man Of steel;
Kalinin, the man OF the folk: Voro-
.shilov, the man of arms, and Sta
khanoff, the young mechanic.
One monumental exception and
only one rises out of our times. His
name was Nicolai Lenin.
Rule World Wide.
Obviously it is an error TO conhne
bl4io OSAAoCA1\J W ally o4IC ShbcSO4J ct
political organizations. II goes on in
side all of them.
The finest mental organism, the
most penetrating brain in the British
Labor party is that of Sir Stafford
Cripps. For that matter his is one
of the best heads in Parliament. But
Herbert Morrison, the London Cock
ney, has more resonance amongst
British workers. The most modern
man among the British Tories is Wal
ter Elliot. minister of agriculture, but
Stanley Baldwin survives what would
be Elliots political demise. The most
flashing intelligence amongst our
small coterie of American Marxians
is Benjamin Stolberg's, but American
radicals follow Earl Browder, nice
little fellow from Kansas.
Our universities have turned out
scores of experts on sociology, econom-
les and labor, but the looming figure
in the American labor movement is
that of John Lewis, ex-iron puddler.
The Republican party has men of
more proven intellectual capacity than
Gov. Landon, but the Young Turks,
the only group in the party who seem
to have political instinct, choose him
as their candidate, and prepare to
present him to the American people
as simple soul.
Applaud Brain Trust Defeat.
Their instinct is sound. For if the
American people in November turn
away from Roosevelt, 1t will not be
because a majority Of them hate the
obiectiyes of the New Deal. 1t will
not be because they see in the Repuh-
Iican platform new charter Of liber-
ties. If they do they have better
eyes than ] do). II will not be be-
cause the Supreme Court has been
flouted. The Supreme Court has not,
As it happens, been fouted, but has
repeatedly fouted the American Con-
gress and the administration. And
when 1t declared against the consti-
tutionality of measure passed by
numerous States, through the organ
ized will of the people. Republicans as
we'll ss Democrats felt and expressed
their outrage What so many ap-
plauded in previous Supreme Court
decisions was the defeat of the brain
trust. And il Mr., Roosevelt is de-
feated in November it will be because
so many Americans hate, fear. dis
trust. Or are merely vaguely uneasy
about the little group of intellectusls
surrounding the President, and about
the influence which they have on him.
If he is defeated ii will be the triumph
Of the University OF Minnesota. or
even of Yale. over Harvard College
and Harvard Law School.
WHY? Why this hatred of the intel
lectuals? Why this virulent distrust
of Rexford Tugwell, who is an ex-
tremely personable young man who
never really picked pocket? Is it
merely-as so many intellectuals
think-the revolt of the simple
minded, the moronic, the uncivilized
against the men of ideas? Or is there
something wrong with the intellec-
tusls? The question seems worth
thinking about in another column.
Copyright 1887