Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-08-12
One Yards+ick
To Measure
Civilization
Customs and LIB erty
60 Up or Down
By BENJAMIN DE CASSEREs
THOUGHTZAPOPPIN:

There is one way 10 measure
progress or civilization. If
there is a decrease in cruel Gus
toms and an increase In
personal liberties, we are prog
ressing and becoming more
civilized.
If there is an increase in cruel
customs and a decrease In per-
sonal liberties, we are going
backward.
There is no other gauge.
IN THE -four freedoms" pro-
l. gram OF President Roosevelt,
the most remarkable part OF it
is his intention OF Kidding the
world Of fear.
Now. fear is the greatest
motive in life. 1t goes to the
roots OF the living universe. All
movement. all betterment, all
progress" all ideals, all
escapes in fact. all that we
or the animals, the birds. the
insects or the fishes do is
grounded on fear.
/ wish the President would
more fully explain how he is
going to get rid of an instinct
that is in our blood, our brains
and our nerves and has been
there since the foundations of
abe planet, or at least since life
appeared on it.
Think it over. Mr.. President.
THERE is a curious parallel
L between Carthage and Ger
many and Hitler and Hannibal.
Carthage after being licked
raised up Hannibal.
The latter crossed over into
Europe. swept all before him.
looted right and left and came
down TO he gates Of Rome. But
he never got in. His army was
harried 10 death. IL was called
the Fabian policy OF hit-and-run.
Hannibal returned TO Carthage
like Napoleon returned from
Moscow-head on his chest.
Finally Carthage was crushed
by Scipio Africanus.
It's the same tale with all
world-conquerors - Carriages.
MoScows, aterloos and
Marines.
I MIGHT concede that IL men
i were not cunning. ambitious.
Self-Seeking. combative and did
not love power and money above
all things mild form of social
ism would be a good thing.
Socialism. however. at the
best. must be bureaucratic and
would be compelled TO suppress
opposition by force. Men with
out the above-named traits
would be angels. And any form
OF socialism would corrupt
angelS-so like Br'er Rabbit.
we come out by the same hole
We went in al"
What. by the way. has gov
eminent done better than tho
things tho Individual has accom-
phShcd7
Answer: Made war and en-
shaved peoples. That no ind-
Nidual can do without the help
OF a government aided by a
GcStapo or an OGPU.
IVES. we had a grabber OF real
estate on large scale
and only one. His name was
James *. Polk and he was pres
ident Of the United States about
a century ago.
Polk served four years in tho
White House. finishing his single
term in 1S49. From 1876 TO
1S4S he had his Mexican War.
for Polk was of the war party,
an imperialist.
Texas was already in the
Union before Polk was elected.
but il was Polk who stirred up
California 10 set up an indie
pendent government and TO re-
volt against Mexico. Then came
the war. Lincoln was against
IT, and General Grant. who
fought in that war, later said:
~ do not think there was
ever n more wicked war"
DOLK'S imperialism" gave Tie
Il California. Arizona. New
Mexico and big hunks Of several
other states. In return, we gave
Mexico Sl5,000,O00.
do not say that we ought
tc condemn Polk. for that's the
way countries are built up. but
when we become too SNUG about
ourselves il is good TO look up
the presidential term of James
X. Polk and the story of i'm
perialist America.
And, further. / believe that
Texas. California. New Mexico.
Arizona. etc, are better off with
Uncle Sam than with Mexico.
with all due respect TO our
neighbor below the Rio Grande.
Connolly Answers
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