Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-09-26
BEHIND
The News
By Paul
MaIIon

feSSor made a speech at Cleve-
land last week saying truly that
claims of superiority for people
based on racial purity" are bio
logical rote.
That is no news. 1t has often
been stressed. He was speaking
post-mortem on the politics
Hitler played in Germany trying
10 build up the notion that the
Nordics are a pure strain" and
therefore greater as a race, just
TO get them to fight harder for
him and his cause. His tactics
deceived few.
The victorious march Of our
armies on Berlin is sufficient
current proof TO the unthinking
of what reasonable men have
long known about the superior
ity' of the Germans.
But does this make us bio
logically superior? The Rus
slams also are driving upon Ber-
lin and have gone a greater dis
lance.
III truth, these developments
reflect the activity, energy. skill
and production of our winning
nations. They have nothing to
do with biology.
Yet in this constant reitera-
ton of simple biology truths,
among speakers who get in the
daily news, / have seen no one
point out that there are certain
differences, certain superiorities
among nations as well as among
men.
THE Germans made a pretty
l. good grade of steel before
the war. They showed excep-
tional skill and energy in con-
irving and fighting this war.
Some of their philosophers are
popular in this country-and in
deed in Russia tMr. Karl Marx,
for one).
1 have heard people attribute
these successes to "the German
mind" But it was the German
mind which made the biggest
plumbers of the last 20 years
now leading to their destruc-
ton.
What then makes a nation, a
race or a people superior? Well,
obviously, there are differences
of superiority between people.
In this country for instance.
tho Declaration of Independence
said all are created free and
equal before the law, but it is an
acknowledged fact that no two
people are precisely equal. In
all the history Of the world in
any country, no two persons ex-
listed who had precisely the same
personality or were exactly
equal in mentality, ability,
energy.
Some like work, some don't.
Some cheat, some do not. Even
twins differ essentially in their
beings. The natural endowment
of men at birth is variously in
fluenced by their experiences in
life.
These men are the standards
by which men judge each other
as superior or inferior. the natu-
raj standards of ability evident
in themselves. Exactly the same
differences exist in nations as in
men. When the average indi-
vidual ability is high, the people
or nations are obviously supe-
rior.
IT SEEMS TO me. therefore,
l. some one ought to be making
speeches stressing the need for
higher intellectual standards in
the country, the need of de-
veloping better workmanship,
inspiring greater ability. pro-
noting greater individual and
national energy.
That is the only way we can
keep our nation superior in the
pos twar world. Armaments
alone will not do it. Some one
will always come along with a
better gun, unless we maintain
a superior ability to create one.
That force of higher practi-
cahsm must always be behind
our ornaments, as well as our
lives.
The responsibility for perpet-
uating our historic idealism
rests on leadership because the
people will do no better than
their leaders. No matter what
their constitution, their attitude
toward tolerance and equality,
their arms or whatever else.
they will be no more superior
than their standards. / would
like to read some speeches about
that.
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