The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-09-23
NUTRITION AND
LABOR
THE NEED FOR
SOCIAL VISION

1t is very likely that there will be
many people who, after reading Mr..
Appleby'S articles on the program of
the United Nations Food Conference,
will feel that that program is full Of
high sounding phrases, Of good inten-
tiOns and noble goals, but is on the
whole too idealistic and impractical.
Our times are characterized by respec;
for practicality and realism. This is as
it should be, living as we do in Il
scientific age. 1t is also true that many
people under the cloak of fine phrases,
inspiring visions and great promises
have succeeded in fooling populations
into all kinds of foolish and destruc-
tive actions and costly delusionS.
1t is, of course, most important that
we be practical. The lessons of science
tell us that unless we have our feet
on the ground and our minds on real
problems, we shall just de kidding our
selves with a lot Of hopes and phrases
which will accomplish nothing but de
ception. Every intelligent man knows,
on the other hand, that this regard for
practically should not blind us to the
Importance of having social vision and
social detectives. Where would all our
science be if our country had not been
jectives expressed in the Bill of Rights
and their implementation as outlined
in the Constitution? Where would our
production and our democracy be il
we did not work on the belief that the
common man is entitled to the highest
standard of living that our technical
progress can afford. or if we believed,
as is done in many countries, that some
things, such as cars and radios, are
too luxurious for Il working man to
own? In other words, our very eco
nomic and high level of production and
distribution is due to our basic faith
in the common man and in democracy
Ii is in such respects that social vision
and idealiSm are extremely valuable
as stimuIants Without them people
will not have the courage to dare and
the ambition to challenge nature, OF
outwOrn modes of thought or the
shaclleS Of habit.
There has always been tendency
are educated or illiterate, to accept as
natural that to which they are accuS
toned and to look with suspicion upon
any schemes that are new, especially
| if those sound good. OF course we hav,
all had diSappointmentS in such mat
ters Besides, it is very easy for people
to be carried away with their visions
and lose touch with reality. But JUS
because people make mistakes we mus
not conclude that it is wiseSt to d,
nothing.
1t is for these reasons that proper
consideration must be given To the
program of the United Nations Con
ference on Food and Agriculture. Lee
no man be ashamed Of his skeptica
attitude. of his doubts and miStluStS
but ler him also look at the record O
history. There he will find that man i:
indeed lost without ideallsm or hope
and without faith. \ car must have al
engine. although it must also have
| brakes, and the program of the con
ference will have plenty of brake:
from all kinds of groups. But it is i'm
pOrtant that the common people realiZ'
the vast scope of the objectives ant
the great promise it holds in store fol
making food as important an item o.
| .;.,l "a, l.i, l.
ing water in any civilized community
nowadays.
Gro be continued