The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-02-23
NEWSPAPERS OPINIONS
PLAIN FOOLISHNESS

its greatness lies to large extent III the SOLO,
sound and substantial groundwork which our fore
fathers laid down for u.s. Tho longer | 1--we the
more firmly Pm convinced that those men had the
right idea about government and that the best
policy for us to maintain is to try to hold on TO
what they gave us. 49,.
Time brings about many changes. For one thing,
it brings about changes in religious interpretations
but there never can be change IN religious
fundamentals Time also may make it expedlent TO
make some changes in governmental lnterpreta-
tons but don't believe that we should change
our governmental fundamentals. And in that con-
nection friend of mine from the western part OF
the state recently sent me copy OF an editorial
which appeared not long ago in The London Sphere,
one of the great newspapers of England.
This editorial brings forth interesting facts.
1t says that the United States contains six per cent
of the worlds area and seven per cent of its popu-
lation That's not very much area and 1t isn't very
much population either, is it? Only six per cent
of the worlds and Per cent of its popu-
lation. But listen to this:
The United States normally consumes As per cent
of the worlds coffee SO per cent of its tin, Sc per
cent of its rubber u per cent of its sugar. " per
cent of its silk SO per cent of its COAL AZ cent
of its pig iron, Al per cent of its copper, and 50
per cent of its crude petroleum.
When you compare those figures with area
and population you can see that there is stagger
ing and surprising difference. But that isn't all.
The United States operates 60 per cent of the
worlds telephone and telegraph facilities, owns 80
per cent of the motor cars in use, operates 33 per
cent of the railroads. 1t produces 70 per cent of
the oil, 60 per cent of the wheat and cotton and
40 per cent of the lead and coal output of the
entire globe.
And them on top of all that, the editorial in this
British paper says. "The United States possesses
almost eleven billions of dollars in gold nearly
half of the worlds monetary metal 1t has two
thirds of civilizations banking resources. The pur-
chasing power of the population is greater than
that of the 500,000,OOO people in Europe and much
larger than that of the more than q billion Ash
atics."
think you will agree that those figures are
enough to make anybody sit up and take notice.
And then, after giving all of these Statistics the
editorial winds up with this very significant para
graph:
Irresponsible leadership which cannot translate
such bullying economy into assured prosperity Is
destitute of capacity. But pompous statesmen,
looking over the estate solemny declare that the
methods by which it was created all wrong,
ought to be abandoned, must be discarded that
the time has come to substitute political manage
ment for individual initiative and supervision.
There is only way to characterize that proposal
it is just foolishness'
And that's the editorial in its entirety. left out
only one word. Where it wound up by saying:
There is only way to characterize that pro-
posal it is just foohshness," there was another
word in front of foolishness, but the word isn't
popular the air. so we'll leave it out
Anyway l think you will agree that there Is
lot of sound common sense and logic In the opin-
ions as expressed Time changes lot of things,
but I'll never be able to see why we should dump
overheard the principles and precepts which have
made this country of ours the greatest in the world
and substitute lot of changes in alterations and
policies, as we'll as untried and dubious theories
Carl Goerch in State Magazine.