Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-05-05
Our Official Humbus


most effectively 10 ytife public discussonor criticism,
il the word be cFrcof official decisions and policies
That doyiceConsists simply IN saying authoritatyely
that the department or inc navy department or the
state department the Office of Price Administration,
necessarily knows more about the subject involved than
anybody else could possibly knoW-the implication beng
obviously that the press and the people must accept the
decisions that made for them when they feel
that the official judgment may be gneVousiy wrong
THE device was applied when the Philippines were be-
sieged and the people were wondering why no help
was sent to Gen. Wainwright
The device was applied when the Japanese seized
two of our Islands the Aeutians and nc effort
apparently made TO get the islands back.
The device is applied every time Gen. Macarthur, or
Foreign Minister Evat of Australia, calls attention to
grave and increasing peril in the South Pacific and appeals
for one days output month OF our huge ornaments
production.
Domesticaly, the device is necessarily applied with
respect to food and gasoline ratoning the manufac
ture Of synthetic rubber the refugee problem,
to international commitments, or to scores OF other
matters
In fact the device is invoked so regularly that has
become the chief maxim of government in this country
serving only shield military secrets, but also
ing protective coloraton for otficiadom every time
a bunder is made or moot question arises.
THE American people have grown conscious of this
i censorious device but only vaguely So And it has
remained for Chinese publcist the distinguished Dr.
Lin Yutang to bring it clearly into view
This noted scholar subjected the device to searching
analysis address before the Yale Club in New York
City, Facts Versus Principles
Declaring himself to be puzzled by phenomenon
policy succeeds often in lodging public opinion pr.
Lin Yutang said
direct conflict have tried to observe by what methods
and what terms ii is possible for state department
TO GO AROUND THE F., Will OF THE h,d PEOPLE or n: .,
America have been FORCED INTO ACQUIESCENCE
and SURRENDER OF JUDGMENT?
uJNyARIABLY, find the answer lies in the following
| formula: -
Your state department has ALL THE FACTS, while
the people haven't got them AND THE PEOPLE HAD
BETTER STOP TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY
DON'T KNOW.
This is very serious for it means that faith in
the common mans judgment-and, therefore, in democ-
racy-is shaking
What is the use of freedom of speech if believe
THE PEOPLE HAVE NOTHING TO SAY?'
IN SEEKING to Challenge the adequacy of the PROPOSE
i ton that possession of facts is a good excuse for
ignoring prncipcS Dr. Lin Yutang evidently discovered
the origin well the nature of this combination of
political egerdemain and public confusion
What then" he asked "are THE FACTS when
your government says they have all of them?
Are they comparable to SCIENTIFIC FACTS, and
Ii not, what they?
For have discovered that the matter be traced
to the regard for facts which comes from scientific
training.
the people into surrender of all judgment.
LTHOUGH this in itself has nothing to do with
a natural science the unquestionng respect for facts
Is derived from it,
by claiming exclusive possession of certain facts
the prestige of science transferred at to the state
department and halo of sanctity descends upon it,
I'VE are thereby confused; dare not trust our
selves.
1T has sometimes seemed to me that we don't need
the four freedoms but only ONE FREEDOM, and that
is FREEDOM FROM HUMBUG.
CD EMEMBER only thing: The experts have all
y the FACTS while the people have all the JUDO
MENT.
This faith must not be shaken for, when it is
shaken democracy falls into the hands of the experts
and when democracy falls into the hands of the experts
democracy just FALLS
a." In the realm of complicated politics, the FACTS
always many-sded and muti-cOlored and the only
thing be CERTAIN ABOUT are PRINCIPLES
and IDEAS =.
I'VE constantly told that WE DON'T KNOW.
This is OmnOus for democracy.
81 DISLIKE and disrust the experts and would rather
l rely on the Iaymans sense of judgment.
a layman is who suggests that thing MUST
BE DONE and expert is a who knows exactly
how thing CANNOT he done.
AN expert is specialist in thing and moron