The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-09-15
After Many
Years
This Column Starts
On us Tenth Year
Has Seen Hitler and
The New Deal Grow
What Happens Next
We Do Not Know
BY r. T. SHORT

fNHH~
~ r. 7. SHORT
TUNE marches on. The cal
i endsr reminds that this col
umn marks the beginning Of
the tenth year Of the return 10
The Tacoms Tines after many
years. To he exact. the time
was a few days more than q
years.
When this column appeared
In the Times the first time,
Sept. i5. 1898, we were hopeful
that the prosperity which had
suddenly left us a couple Of
years before was lurking ooyly
around the corner only waiting
10 be grabbed. We kidded our
selves with that thought a
couple OF years longer and then
settled down to make the most
Of q bad situation.
President Roosevelt's recovery
program was having a hard time
getting underway because so
many persons refused to be good
sports with each other. The
NRA and the AAA unquestion-
ably checked the decline but
took an awful beating. WPA,
PWA, CCC, NRA and other
agencies came along to plug
other leaks in the national eco
nomic dixie. All were bitterly
fought both by selfish inter-
ests and reactionaries. a few
Of whom honestly believed that
the whole recovery program was
the beginning of the end of the
American way Of life and con-
stitutional government.
Nobody realized, then, that
In less than 10 years, develop
ments beyond the control OF
the United States government
would operate to throw the
bill Of rights into the ash can,
almost. On the other hand,
the agencies which were 90
bitterly resented by q strong
minority group had strength
ened us so that we were the
better able To meet the blow.
In the city Of Tacoma and
all over the state Of Washing
ton there are public utilities
and much needed community
structures that could not have
been provided - hardly even
IN normal times-uithout the
assistance Of the recovery agen-
eiea,
When the first column appear
cared the Nan movement was
Just getting under way in Ger
many under the new leader,
Adolph Hitler, one day no.
body and the next day shaping
the affairs of a great nation.
Generally speaking, the rest of
the world looked upon the Hitler
movement as a break for the
German nation.
Hitler's declarations to the
world very plainly said that
the objective of the Nazi move
ment was restoration OF Ger
many to the place among the
nations she occupied before
World War No. /. And what
was desired for Germany more
than all else was TO live at peace
with the rest of the world.
II 10 doubtful IL even many
Of the I-told-you-so folks real
lied then that the new Ger
man movement WAS the be-
ginning Of . world catastrophe
and that the United States
would be caught In the center
Of the whirlpool. Today we
are In up to our necks. Ahead
Of M there II a long and peril
Gus swim with the odds not
yet altogether tipping In our
favor.
In September, 1888, there were
come grounds that warranted
prediction of what the years
might bring. Today those
grounds have been swept away
and it's an unwise prophet who
bets on his own predictions.
The best bet is hope backed by
sincere and about effort.
Since the writer awaited-it
must be confessed not without
q bit of anxiety - the reader
reaction 10 After Many Years.
there has been a change In per
sonsl outlook. Then there was
o disposition 10 try very hard
10 keep off the record the fact
that an encroschment had been
made on the last decade Of the
three score and ten. Years were
something 10 be avoided.
Today there il a sort 81
snobbish pride In the fact that
the third year Of borrowed
time IL well on the way. The
next and succeeding year, are
awaited with expectancy, not
only for the strange things
that may happen in the world
hut also for what may be ar-