The Wilmington morning star., 1946-06-12
MORE
LlPPMANN
FROM PAGE ONE

ration, is not what any one would
describe as inspired, or even as
good enough.
Why does this happen after a
war? Why does government de-
teriorate for a time? The explana-
tion is, I think, fairly clear, and in
= way r~eassuring. 1t is that a war
uses up one generation of leaders.
and some time must elepse before
the new generation is able and
ready to take over. In that inter
val affairs fall into the hands of
mel who were not needed or did
not feel they were needed to play
the kind of part in war which uses
men up.
The men who organized victory
in this war, and laid the founda-
tionS of what was to have been
the peace, are for the most part
gone out of public life. Only a few
remain. Some like Roosevelt and
Harry Hopkins are dead, some like
Mr.. Stimson, Mr.. Hull and Mr..
Ickes have resigned. OF the *
traordinarily able men who played
an indispensable part, though they
we're not in the highest posts, most
have gone back to private life,
arguing that they must tend to
their much neglected private af-
fairs but really because the Admin
istration did not insist upon keep
ing them. A few, like Forrestal,
Patterson, Acheson and Chester
Bowles, have been kept by promot-
ing them to higher posts which they
had so richly earned. But there are
dozens of other men who had just
what the government needs, and
we're just the right age for high
responsibility, and have been
elbowed out, or allowed to drift
away.
Thus the level of ability, and
Of dedication to public ends, has
dropped precipitately. If that does
not explain everything, it certainly
explains a great deal about why
things are not working out right.
Ii takes brains and character
which is something more than per-
sonal honesty and good intentions
to conduct this government. The
Administration is short of first
rate men, short of experienced and
educated men, short of men &C
Gus omed to responsibility and the
making of hard decisions.
But the country is not short OF
them. The reservoir is full to over
flowing with the men up to forty
Or even forty-five years of age who
would normally have been making
their way in politics and in public
life, and in journalism, and in all
the professions and trades, who
have been in the armed forces.
They have not yet quite gotten
over being discharged from the
Army, and living with mother-in-
law and finding out what has hap
pened while they were away. But
they will now be heard from. They
are the new generation, which
means that in a year or two -
probably not much sooner than
the Presidential election of 1913
both the old parties will receive
a TRANSMISSION of new blood.
What the new men will do no
one can now predict. Much will de-
pend upon how much of a muddle
the present caretakers make of our
domestic affairs and of the peace.
But one thing it is possible to
predict. They will not take the view
that nothing a be done because
nothing has been successfully done
by their predecessors. They will,
since their own future is before
them, feel sure that the way to
make things work better is for
them to replace the men who slip
ped into power when the best of the
older men had gone and the best
Of the new men were still at war.
The America we see today is not
the America of the war nor is it
the America of the future. Neither
Congress nor the Administration is
at the present time truly repre-
sentative of the people, Of their
purposes, and neither at home nor
abroad should any n who wishes
to see things truly think that the
American people are as little cap
able Of governing themselves az for
the time being theY seem to be.