Evening star., 1951-08-31
By the Associated Press


my native State for a most dis
Itinguished honor at this celebra.
ton of Iowa'S centennial.
In view of our serious Nationa
situation I would like on this oc.
caSion to review a few things fol
you to think about. They are
mainly related to honor in public
life. Let me say at once that honor
lis not exclusive property Of any
political party.
I may start with the idea that
all things In government which
bear the prefix new" are not
necessarily new. They may not al
of them even be good. Truly every
generation discovers the world all
new again and knows it can i'm
prove it. It is d good thing that
they door our race would shrink
in vitality and grow senile.
Each generation also wants tc
find out for itself that the stove
lis hot. A renewal of that sort oi
information is valuable.
But we have oyerworked this
word new" in trying to get out OF
this age Of misery from our 81
years of hot and cold wars, with
intervals Of hot and cold peace.
Made ''New" IA Times.
In this period we have either
been cured ~or made over new
about IA times. We have had the
new order, the new freedom, the
new day, the new era, the new
outlook, the new epoch, the new
economy, the new dawn, the new
deal, the new religion, the new
the new war and sew
|eral new foreign policies. None OF
these were really new" dis
'coveries. And the New Testament
is too often omitted. After each
new" we have relapse and take
anothher pill, labelled new"
Some of these something's new
have value. Too many have been
false signposts on the road of ma
tional progress. Some point to
will-o'-wisps Of security not to be
had on this earth. Some lead the
Nation over the precipice of in
flation and socialism. Some just
lead to the land of make-believe,
Certainly some of them are tainted
with untruth and a diluted intel
lectual honesty.
The word new" applies better
to physical things than to human
forces. Indeed when the sun rises
in the morning we hail 1t as
new day. But it Is a false analogy
in the march of civilization.
Most Of our chores for the new
day were assigned the night be-
fore. Our abilities to perform
them were formed not only last
year but over centuries or even
geologic time. If the new day has
no link with yesterday we would
be without know-how and morals
today. The loss Of that line can
bring chaos to the whole economic,
the moral and the spiritual world.
Delay on New Shape Urged.
AS an aside, suggest at least
we adjourn trying to make
America over into some other
shape until we get out of this cold
or hot war. Our present crisis
is dangerous enough to require one
undertaking purpose
in Washington.
Many of our so-called social and
economic gains will go by the
board. anyway, if this hot and cold
war keeps up. After all, the great
social gains of the last century
were a mixture of liberty, compass
sion, unlimited meat. automobiles
and washing machines. These are
at least getting scarcer.
There will be plenty Of time to
our muscles on new" ex-
periments after these violent
changes in international tempera-
ture are survived. And these pro-
grams of making America over add
an especially destructive new
that is new taxes.
Think about it.
The practical thing we can do
If we really want to make the
world over again Is to try out the
word "old" for a while. There
are some old things that made this
country.
There is the old virtue of re-
Iigious faith.
There are the old virtues of in
tegrity and the whole truth.
There is the old virtue of in
corruptible service and honor in
public Office.
There are the old virtues of
economy in government. of self
thrift and individual lib
erty.
Old Ideas inexpensive
There are the old virtues of
real love of country
md willingness to sacrifice for it.
These "old" ideas are very in
They even would help
win hot and cold wars.
I realize that such suggestions
will raise that cuss word "reac-
;ionary," but some of these old
,hings are slipping badly in Ameri-
:an life. And if they slip too far,
;he lights will go out Of America,
even if we win these cold and hot
vars.
Think about it.
We might explore some of the
;hings that have happened to the
Did virtues of integrity, truth, and
honor in public life. During the
recent past we have had a flood
If exposures by congressional COM
nittees, by State legislatures, by
grand jurieS in scores of cities, and
the press.
A few days more than ITS
years ago, the Sc members of the
Continental Congress Of the
United States unanimously de-
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