Evening star., 1938-10-02

lIlcN llOt oiliy ldth oPPAiSoUAhts, Ddt
even meaning As said, his argument
is too long to trace here, but it boils
it self down to a defense of the status
quo in this country. on the simple
ungainsayable grounds that that status;
with all of its faults, has worked to the
end of human welfare better than any
system as yet tried out by an organized
society.
How obvious this is. too! How plain.
how instantly comprehensive to any,
one with even normal faculties! The
reviewer has often commented on
it. She has been moved to wonder
more than once by our strange apollo
getic attitude toward our own super
iority, by the almost masochistic will
ingness which we have to publicize
and deplore our shortcomings. There
would seem to be only one explanation
for this trait. 1t is that the we'll
known social conscience" among
us has reached a highly-developed
state; We are constantly being horri-
fed by conditions which are not
tenth as bad as those which, in most
Of the other civilized nations of the
world are calmly taken for granted
as permanent and incurable.
It is admirable OF us, of course.
to feel so. But we err in looking to
our neighbors for direction as to
remedies. They are in no position
to give it. least of all the communists.
Indeed, one of the first acts of the
Lenin regime in Russia was to call
upon American scientists and engi-
neers to teach, in the proletarain
paradise. the capitalist method of
manufacturing and distributing goods.
More over, the tide of immigration,
in spite Of our restricting laws. is
still toward the West. Our neighbors
who have 50 much to teach us. obvi-
ously prefer to do their instructing
on our home base. The reason can
only be that we allow them. They
are free here to say their say. In
the enlightened lands from which
they came, such criticism would-if
We are to believe their own statements
land them inextricably in concentra-
ton camps.
Mr.. Follett's vigorous and summary
disposition Of this nonsense cannot be
too highly praised. If our magazines
insist on publishing pieces on COM
munism. then at least let them deal
with the subject realistically.
WALTER LIPPMANN, to be sure, in
his fine book, The Good So
ciety," did seek to discover what the
practical workings OF collectivism
would be, if such a system were to be
imposed upon Americas traditionally
free commerce. But Mr.. Lippmann
wrote poetry; Mr. Lippmann wrote
beautiful dirge. To the length Of sew
eral hundred pages he keened over
the passing Of our vigorous competi-
tive tradition, weaving lovely, desolate,
woe-begone sentences about his theme
until a reader could do no more than
rock back and forth in his seat and
moan, from time, to time, "Amen!'
Mr.. Follett has a stouter punch. He
roars, more or less. And who will say
that good roar is not heartening?
There have been times, indeed. when
this reviewer, having gone through her
due examination of the weeks output
of schemes to save civilization, as set
forth by socio-economico-politico gen.
Uses. has rushed incontinently to the
ZOO and posted herself before the lions
cage and waited there to be cheered
and encouraged by the sight of forth
right honest wrath. Something-any-
No-there Is no harm
in q substantial roar. But how few
the lions are these days. to be sure!
How often one detects. under a majes-
tic tawny coat. the dreary monotonous
braying Of the jackass. How often
yes. Nor has 1t helped matters in
any respect that jackasses have been
taught TO write.
RUT speaking Of lions, H. L. Mencken
appears this month in a grievous
light in the American Mercury. that
periodical of his own sponsoring. 1t
would seem that the Mercury, some
months back. offended the presiding
spirits Of the American Civil Liberties
Union; it published an article by Har-
old Lord Varney, in which Mr.. Varney
held up his finger and pointed nastily
to the aforesaid Union and cried,
Red"
Straightaway then the Union was
reduced to hysteria by 50 awful an
accusation. It told the Mercury that
something had to be done to restore it,