Evening star., 1938-10-01


rive from the Nations production.
Governmental power has been exer-
clSed here in an attempt to bring
about a readjustment if not redis-
trlbution of income. Taxation has
been used for social purposes irrespec-
tive OF economic law or effectiveness.
Incentive has been interfered with.
Production has been irregular and
unemployment has been rising and
falling with fluctuation that has
caused an unparalleled feeling of in
security.
Under these circumstances, it would
not be unnatural if the coming session
of Congress brought new attitude,
influenced to no small degree by the
sensational example of strong forces
abroad, which, rather than come to
grips IN suicidal war, allowed the
light OF reason to play on the scene.
Lack of Morality.
Too much of government is now
adaNs enveloped in passion, anger and
irritation. The defense usually heard
from the political leaders is that thev
must attack basic conditions Of NAL
adjustment in order to awaken the
people to the need for mutual sacrifices
Ihe attack on selflshness, however.
while logical and natural in a political
world. has not been accompanied by
corresponding amount of morality on
the part Of the political personages
themselves.
When now Thomas E. Dewey, the
Republican nominee for Governor of
New York, says the biggest issue be-
lore the people of the country is
morality in public Office he touches
the very heart of present-day cur
rents Of suspicion, unrest and friction
between class groups.
There can be little doubt that
democracles everywhere have been
torn apart by class warfare and that
American democracy in recent years
has had its strength sapped by the
same process, so that there are actu-
ally people in the United States who
secretly admire what to them seems
the smooth efficiency of one-man gov
ernment and even Hitlerism in an
administrative sense.
Unhappily the Hitler program of
force and threats of force which has
been restrained by the calmer and
more intelligent use of reasoning power
by the British and French has its
counterpart here in the gradual con-
rentration OF economic power by
groups inside the United States.
Some of the national labor organiza-
tons have become more interested in
the accumulation of political and eco
nomic power than they have in work.
ing out in cooperative way the
problems of capitalism 1t may we'll
he that the use of or threat of force
seems TO them the only way by which
attention can be directed to abuses
hy other groups possessed of wealth
and economic power.
Processes of Reason.
But should the example of peace
made this week abroad result in a
corresponding respect for the processes
Of reason in the settlement of con-
troversies in domestic sense the
effect might be just as tremendous
here in forwarding the economic prog
1oSs of this country as political peace
between nations abroad may be in
creating stability out Of what was only
few days ago a terrible fear of
Inevitable chaos.
President Roosevelt. like Prime Min
1&ter Chamberlain. has the greatest
opportunity of his career. He can
mediate as between economic forces
in America and bring about mutual
concessions and mutual sacrifices in
the interest of making democracy
both efficient and effective. If the
political ambitions of governmental
officials could be sidetracked and the
greater objectives of domestic security
attained there would be plenty of op-
portunity in both political parties
for rewards to be distributed For,
while the majority party has had the
power. the minority party has not
had the constructive program which
would force the majority to bow to
better and more effective solutions
Again. if morality were impressed on
the politicians by the demand of an
aroused Nation. it would not be at
all surprising to see the same chal-
.lenee to the ingenuity of the leaders
Of all parties presented so that the
competition here would really develop
as between rival formulas for the
Peoples benefit rather than rival
schemes for the advancement Of in
tvidual ambitions.
(copyrsht, 1881