Evening star., 1941-08-21
Advocates Restraint
Of Private Enterprise
Insists That Personal Freedom
Cun and Should Be Preserved
In Recognized Society
Bu Nathaniel PETER.

SSSsSay
By Nathaniel PETER.
(This is the fourth of series Of
articles by leading American writers
on the theme of the Williamstown
Institute of Human Relations, at
Williams College, August "a to 290
The world we want to live in is one
in which we can have assurance of two
things: Peace and economic security.
These alone do not make good life, of
course; but without them there is no
hope Of a good life, whatever else there
may be.
It is dangerous to oversimplify the
problems of civilization at any time in
history, but 1t is not oversimplifying too
much to say that in our time there are
only two great crucial problems-leaving
aside, of course, purely subjective indi-
vidual psychological problems and the
religious problem of mans relation to
the universe. These two problems are
war and the economic system.
In other words, what can we do to
prevent recurrent wars, what can we do
to prevent recurrent violent wrenches in
the organization of production and dis
tribution which deprive men of the
means of livelihood regardless of their
ability or willingness to work? These
are interrelated, to be sure. They are
very likely different phases of the same
problem. Preparations for war throw
the economic system off balance and
economic forces make for international
conflict Whether inseparable or not,
these two problems lie at the center of
modern civilization. For the ills OF mod
ern civilization there can be no cure
unless and until they are solved. OF
that central condition we can be sure, If
not of much else
In themselves they are not insoluble.
There is nothing inherent either in war
or in the economic system which puts
them Realistically beyond human con-
troll, as are death or the seasons or the
motion of the earth around the sun.
They are insoluble only If we insist that
nothing be changed. Whoever thinks
and acts on the assumption that we ever
can go back to the world and ways of
1910 or even 1880 is choosing form of
life in which we shall have intermittent
and ever more destructive wars, inter-
mittent and ever more paralyzing eco
nomic depressions, with unemployment
or fear of unemployment lying as dead
weight on every individuals conscious
ness.
We cannot 60 back, but we can 60
forward without revolution-not with
out changes that will be uncomfortable
to all and costly to many, but certainly
without revolution. We cannot 90 back
to a system of nations in little water
tight compartments, each supreme in
and unto itself, but we need not abolish
nationality. If there is not actual re-
gional organization of now independent
states, there will be at least restrictions
on the right of each state to prescribe
for itself economic rules, whether with
regard to currency, or tariffs, or control
of resources And we shall no longer
have unlimited exploitation of undevel-
oped territories or count on ever-increas-
ing foreign trade.
Nor can there be any longer unre-
stricted and unrestrained autonomy of
individual and private economic enter
prise There cannot be, if each nation
is not to be an economic law unto itself
Between totalitarianism and the right
of veto on private enterprise, exercised
by government in the general interest,
there is wide middle span, both in
manner and purpose.
Dictation is repellent, at least to Eng
disappearing peoples. Regulation and
restraint by common consent is not.
And regulation and restraint there must
be and will be. But it is not beyond the
inventiveness and ingenuity of modern
man to devise ways by which govern
ment can have the power to supervise
the larger economic activities without
at the same time having the power to
control personal conduct and to infringe
on the only aspects of freedom that mat
ter to civilized men-freedom of thought,
of expression of conscience