Evening star., 1943-03-30
Those Who Work
Will Value Peace,
DR.. Mead Says
Anthropoiogist Talks
Before WOmen's
Democratic Club
BY GRETCHEN SMITH.


By GRETCHEN SMITH.
Americans who are now working
the hardest to win the war will be
the ones who will value the victory
most, DR.. Margaret Mead. author
and anthropologist, declared yester-
day.
Speaking before members of the
Woman's National Democratic Club
at the weekly luncheon meeting, DR.
Mead, whose most recent publica-
ton is And Keep Your Powder
Dry" analyzed Americans and some
of the characteristics which make
them different from other nationals.
Americans are taught from child
hood that they must succeed she de-
clared. "A child grows up with the
idea that If his parents approve, it
means he is good and if he is good,
it means he is success" she COM
mented. "On the other hand, If he
doesn't succeed, he is bad"
Much of this theory stems from
the early Puritans, who taught that
all should work hard and that by
working hard they would achieve
success, the anthropologist con-
tinued. This belief, she added, ap-
piled to the present war psychology
and the attitude of people towards
what they feel will be eventual VIC
tory.
Will Value What We Do.
"If we win the war we're going
to value what we get from what
we have put into it," DR.. Mead as
serted. Unless we get enough peo-
pie to think in terms OF winning
the war through hard work, we won't
value the victory when it is won" ,"
she added.
The speaker denounced the ma
tional attitude towards the victory
of 1918, which she declared was too
easy for the Americans. I'VE came
in at the last minute with fresh
troops and said to the others, You
couldn't have won without u.s. Vic
tory was too easy for us then and
we didn't make the most of it," she
declared.
I'VE will never have to suffer like
Europe in this war;" she continued,
but we can work as hard
DR.. Mead spoke of the satisfaction
of Americans who are participating
actively in the war effort. She told
of a factory in the Middle West
where they are launching ships in
the cornfields" and where mud Is so
thick that factory workers find it
difficult to reach their homes. These
people, she added, are experiencing
hardships and are uncomfortable
but they feel they are having a
part in winning the war.
Sees U. S. Fundamentally Moral.
Most Americans don't yet feel
they're in the war;" she declared,
land they won't feel that they've
contributed to winning it."
The anthropologist believes Amer
leans are fundamentally a moral
people and that they have sense
OF fair play" which applies even
to politics. She spoke of the atti-
tude of cheerful acceptance which
frequently marks the defeat of one
political party when it believes it is
time Ito let the others play" 1T
isn't because one feels the other
party represents the right cause but
that we are good sports" she COM
mented.
The speaker explained that her
belief that Americans are funda-
mont 1ly moral dooc MT y,,oop fpot
every one is good but that we think
people ought to be good
Asked her views on the possibility
of permanent peace following this
war, DR.. Mead said, War is an in
vention-it's an old invention; be-
cause we think it's old, we think it s
inevitable. We don't give up an in
vention until we get another one.
The invention that will replace war
is not found yet. But I think we
could find one now if we try hard
enough. We couldn't have done it
in 1918, but airplanes have made
the biggest difference"
Sees Eventual World Peace.
The speaker added that she be-
lieved a common language and the
drawing together of different coun-
tries through the medium of the
airplane would eventually make
world peace possible.
But every ones got to work" she
concluded. Work like fury"
DR.. Mead was introduced by Mrs.
Hale T. Shenafield, who presided in
the absence of Mrs. Curtis Shears,
president, and Mrs. Paul McNutt.
vice president, both of whom are
out of town.
Honor guests included Mrs. Fran
els Biddle. wife of the Attorney
General; DR.. Thelma Hunt, Mrs.
Edward Sturdevant, Mrs. Harold
Butler, Mrs. Frances Dixon. Mrs.
Florence Kerr, Miss Lorena Hickok,
Mrs. Harlan Fiske Stone, Mrs. Har-
ley Kilgore and Mrs. George E.
Stringfellow.