Evening Star Newspaper, July 5, 1931, Page 57

Nearing the seventy-ninth birth- day of an eventful life, Dr. van Dyke, “The Grand Old Man of Princeton,” known the world over for his writings, his scholarly at- tainments and his fine humanity, here holds up a shining beacon to light the way out of adversity and widespread depression, Coming as a message to America at the week end celebration of the Na- tion’s natal day, Dr. Van Dyke calls for common sense in solution of our ills and expresses the belief “that American courage, hopeful- ness, idealism, intelligence and grit will bring us out, chastened but not broken, into a nmew and saner time of true prosperity.” HERE is no good reason why this ques- tion, “What's ahead for America?"” should be put to me. A plain preacher, a writer of stories, poeins and essays, is not likely to be an expert on in- dustry, agriculture or finance. He is pot qualified to speak with any authority. If I have any views about the hard times through which our country is passing they are personal and have no more value than the views of any other private person who thinks seriously about the present and future welfare of America —and, let me add, of the rest of the world. With this clear understanding I am willing to tell you how things look to me. Our first and greatest need is to face the facts and ask what they mean, The present depression, which has brought unemployment and suffering to so many of our citizens, is a sad and pitiful thing. But there is nothing unnatural about it. We have had crises of distress before this. After a wild spree people must expect what the Germans call “Katzen- jammer.” In our classic slang it is called a “hangover.” It is not a catastrophe; it is a eorrective. The first fact which we must face is not “a new world,” but the same old world of imperfect human beings, working under new conditions. When the founders of the republic wrought & democratic nation in a doubting world they set up a standard of liberty which has been a light to the peoples of the earth. HE Government our fathers erected has survived the shock of civil war, It has remained unshaken by world-wide winds of revolution. A loose confederation of 3,000,000 peoples has grown into a nation of more than 120,000,000, with no essential change in the spirit or form of the Government which the founders created. They lived in a simple world of small farms and small business, of handcraft and hard physical labor. This simple form of economy is disappearing. Life, which ran undisturbed for centuries in the same grooves, is now being transformed by science and invention. We live today in a world of new habits, new wants, new jobs and new industries, which tomorrow will perhaps be outmoded by‘l. whole series of new inventions from the laboratories of science. THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, JULY 5, 1931 WHAT'S AHEAD FOR AMERICA ? Princeton’s Famous Author, Educator and Diplomat Tells How to Endure, Survive and Emerge Triumphant From the Slough of Depression. BY DR. HENRY VAN DYKE. As Told to Harry Goldberg. HE speed of the change has disturbed our economic life. We have just emerged from an amazing period of prosperity, and now a new and serious challenge is made to our ideals of government. “What do I mean by that?” I am asked. “Russian Communism? The so-called Red Menace?"” Yes, that is precisely what I mean. The Soviet Republic is not a republic at all. It is a dictatorship. It has three articles in its creed: Confiscation of capital, conscription of labor, repression of religion. All three of these flatly contradict and threaten our basic Ameri- can principles: Protection of property, liberty of labor and freedom of conscience. The bolshevists in Russia and their imitators here deny that republican democracy is any longer competent to carry on the work of civilization. But it is a funny thing that Russia has to send to this despised republic for com- petent inventors and managers to carry on her new gigantic industries. Another funny thing is that American labor- ers do not seem anxious to emigrate to Russia. They appear to prefer liberty, with all its dif- ficulties and drawbacks, to that form of serfdom in which the iron-handed state dominates every activity of the citizen. The funniest thing of all is that the new Soviet plan has resulted in scarcity and privation at home and a surplus for sale abroad at cut prices which demoralizes the markets of the world. This hardly com- mends the plan to other nations. Do I think America is likely to go Com- munistic? No! Of course, nobody can predict with cer- tainty. But there seems to be something in the rank and file of Americans which favors the Jeffersonian idea that the best government is that which governs least. Plain Americans like to choose their work and keep their savings. Under Communism this would not be possible. THE trouble at present is that there is not enough work to keep them all employed and that the value of savings has been largely diminished. Ben Franklin said: “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Not always. Suppose the power of your penny shrinks. Then a penny saved may mean one cent lost. Has anybody noticed that the wages of capital (commonly called interest) have gone down more than the wages of labor? Significant fact! It indicates a vital connection between labor and capital—not a relation of hostility, but a tie of common fellowship. This is what we need to protect and promote. Do I think of any particular thing which would help us in this direction? Yes, I think of two things which I reckon would be of great assistance. First, a more humane spirit in the conduct of business. Labor is not a mere commodity; it is a living factor. The health and happiness of the laborer and his family are essential elements of real na- tional wealth. He is not a mere hand” in field or factory. He is a brother-man. This is the teaching of religion. It is up to the preachers of all the churches to drive it home to the minds as well as the hearts of men. I like the way the Pope did this in his recent encyclical. The second thing that will help us is a spe- cial kind of leadership in national matters. We need, and we are beginning to get, leadership which is trained in the handling of large affairs; experts who understand the intricate currents of industry and international trade; men who have the courage and the intellectual power to modify traditional methods and policies, if necessary, in order to achieve the welfare of the public. As an army and a ship require officers so & republic requires leaders equipped with special knowledge of their tasks and trained by the discipline of self-mastery for the wise exercise of power. Government, which is the making and the execution of laws, is no child’s play, no lucky trick of dominance to be picked up by any man who has a pile of money, a gift of the gab or a way of mixing with the crowd. It is a science, an art, a philosophy, demanding par- ticular fitness in the men to whom it is in- trusted. How shall these men be found? Not by heredity, says the republic, for heredity is a shifty goddess bringing forth strange and often malformed offspring. Not by environment, the sanction of class or caste, for this method mistakes the glitter for the gold. But by the free will of the people, for this is not only the safest but the fairest and the sanest way. That on the whole it works well we may see by comparing the succession of Amercian Presidents with the lines of heirs—apparent, presumptive or actual—of any royal house in Europe or Asia. In spite of popular whims and delusions, in spite of class animosities and regional jealousies, it has preserved for us that great ideal which Daniel Webster, anticipating Lincoln, proclaimed to the Senate in 1830: “A Government made for the people, made by the people and an- swerable to the people.” This is what Grover Cleveland meant by his afirmation that “in the long run you can trust the honest judgment of the rank and file.” Don’t forget “the long run.” To enable the people to make a wise choice, men must come forward who have until now avoided the political arena. Science and in- dustry must contribute manpower and trained leadership to the forces of Government. But I am thinking less of political activity than of industrial leadership. Let us hope that the day of the bold buccaneer whose policy was described in the phrase “The public be damned” (whether he sald it or not) has passed. 5 — Present depression, says Dr. van Dyke, is a “hang-over.” It is not & catastrophe; it is a corrective, Good will, common sense and mutual helpfulness will enable us to pass through this depressed val- ley without panic. Speed of change has disturbed our economic life. We live today in a world of new habits, new wants, new jobs and new indus- tries. Two things are needed: 1. A more humane spirit in the conduct of business. Labor is not a mere commodity; it is a living factor. The health and happiness of the laborer and his family are essential elements of real national wealth. 2. We need, too, a special kind of leadership in national affairs. Science and industry must con- tribute manpower and trained leadership to the forces of goverm- ment. The great aggregations of franchises, public utilities and near-monopolies gathered in huge organizations today by force of circumstance and public need have been converted into in- dustrial enterprises which are quasi-public in nature. With this change there has been evolved in the seats of management & Dew type of industrial leader. Representing scattered ownership of lawe abiding citizens and not a sole proprietorship; organizing the jobs of thousands of men and women; sensitive to the wants of the public, the new managers of industry are recognizing the social obligations inherent in their exercise of industrial power. They are learning that they share with political executives responsi= bility for the welfare of the Nation. How long will it take this new leadership ta bring us out of our present confusion and de= pression? God knows. I can only guess. But, mean< time, it seems to me that we ought to carry on with our work, if we have any, and do our best to reap “the sweet uses of adversity,” which Beacon called the blessing of the New Testament. We cannot get rid of hard times by boasting or by boosting. But we can get the better of them by cutting down our per= sonal luxuries and enlarging our charities. Wages should be the last thing to come down, A starving neighbor is a reproach as well as & danger. But if it costs 200 cents to make & dollar watch, you can’t keep on very long sell« ing those watches for a dollar each. One political party cannot be saddled with the responsibility for hard times, nor can ane other be expected to improve conditions greatly. I have never cared much for the question, “Whose fault is it?” It seems to me as far more important to ask: “How can we cure it?"” None of the new so-called panaceas in politics, philosophy or religion appeal to me, f Good will, common sense and mutual help< fulness will enable us to pass through this dee pressed valley without panic. And “in the long run,” as Grover Cleveland phrased it, I reckon that American courage, hopefulness, idealism, intelligence and grit will bring us out, chastened but not broken, into a new and saner time-of true prosperity, earned by the free labor of all and fairly shired by all according to the service they have rendered to the commonwealth, (Copyright. 1931.) ‘