OCR Text |
Show r,, nnnw nrtVPP TTT Ml Population May Backslide To Low Intelligence Level ws&X By BAUKIIAGE Newt Analyst and Commentator. 'JTrf?S ' " u: ml When the Henry Wallace for president movement was launched in California it made a lot of Republicans happy just to think about it, although they never really believed that a third party was possible. (When I was in college a friend of mine wrote an essay entitled: "Why a Third Party Is Impossible in America." This was just before Teddy Roosevelt came out with his Bull Moosers in 1912). WASHINGTON. If Wallace were to become president of the United States it is unlikely that the "common man" whom he champions would have any more to fay about running the country than he does now. However, when Wallace says this is the century of the "common man," he isn't far wrong. The revolutions which have swept the world in the past decade cerThere are others, however, who while they may agree with Brown's tainly would not have been possible if they had postulation, question the methods not had the sup- now being used to develop these port of the peo- innate abilities. A very dim view of the situation ple. This support was not necessaris taken by Canon Bernard Iddings ily the result of Bell, educator, pastor, author and free choice, intelconsultant on education to the Episdecision copal bishop of Chicago. lectual or popular vote. He thinks Henry Wallace is corIn fact, for the rect in his description of the curcermost part rent century but he says: "It does tainly under Mus- not follow because the common man Franco, has suddenly been lifted into control solini, Hitler and Stalin that he is thereby automatically it was the op- made competent properly to exert control." He posite. Neverthethinks Wallace's less, they were definition ought to be expanded. Baukhage not revolutions of He says: "Ours is the century of the the upper classes. common adolescent perpetually Even in the case of Great Brit- man, of the common man unain's very mild revolution, which skilled in the art of living. Unwas the result of popular vote and a taught in the wisdom of the race, he free choice, the traditional po- is incompetent cither to rule or to litical and intellectual leaders were be ruled." swept out of office. Need Education Americans are committed to For Common Man the the idea that majority The canon isn't snobbish. He is should rule and the theory alnot looking down his canonical nose ways has been that the people at anybody. As a member of sowould be wise enough to select a person of sufficient Intelliciety he takes his share of the blame by saying that society has played gence, experience and Integrity to represent them at the Job of the common man a low trick "for which those who control education ruling. Of late, however, a number of are chiefly chargeable." Bell quotes the late Dr. William persons approaching the problem Rainey Harper's definition of an edfrom quite different angles, have ucated man: A man who by the educathe concern about expressed tion and training of the men available for the responsibility of carrying on the business of govern- n of ment. I have been assured by here who have been familiar with the personnel of congress over a number of years that we perhaps have as high type of men, mentally and morally, in congress today as we have ever had. In fact, I am told they are making excellent use of the greatly expanded sources of information on the issues they have to consider and are. therefore, better informed than any congress has ever been. Nevertheless, we hear from educators, from economists and statisticians, all sorts of dire warnings. One that has recently stirred up the press considerably was by Guy Irving Burch, head of the populaIt seems tion reference bureau. Burch read a survey made in England by Sir Cyril Burt at the request of the royal commission on population. As a result of his survey. Sir Cyril suggests that in 50 years the number of students of scholarship ability in Britain will be approximately halved and the number of feeble-mindealmost doubled. This conclusion was based on psychological tests and size of families in Britain. Francis Brown, staff associ-B'- e of the American Council on Education and tha. executive secretary of tut President's commission, doesn't quarrel with Huron's figures but he says: "Tins population-intelligenc- e report does riot give enough importance to the possibility of improving intelligence by education." In other words, if we broaden the ba.se of our teaching we can regain a lot of tie potential waste ir.a tonal that Uurc'.i has d.seove: ed. What the I'.urch report overlook" is hi"', says lr. Itr wn. "human intrMierncr never ha been ilevelt"l to its ft HeM among the gs'Mt masses of people. No vvav has been found accurately to measure the ultimate capabilities ot lite human mind." ld PRESIDENT MOURNS MOTHER'S DEATH . . . Mrs. Martha Ellen Truman, 94, ailing since last February when she fractured her hip, passed away quietly in her home at Grandview, Mo., while her son Harry, President of the United States, was flying to her from Wash, ington. Her last rites, simple as she would have wished, were held In the parlor of her home. NEWS REVIEW British Economy Menaced; Traffic Falalilics Slashed Like a kaleidoscope in which several apparently unrelated chips of glass shift suddenly from a meaningless jumble of color into an understandable pattern, so at least some of the whirling segments of the world's intricate economy have begun dropping into place to form a coherent unit. For masses of Americans, to whom economics could be boiled down into a matter of "you either have it or don't have it," the international hysteria of monies, credits, loans, spending, inflation at home and crises abroad began to take on some meaning. came a sudden of of hours Within a matter spate developments, starting In England and ending up on virtually every farm in America. Having no ostensible connection on the surface, each fresh turn of events was linked inexorably with preceding occurrences. To philosophers, as well as economists, it was a perfect chain of causes and effects. This is how it began: Field Marshal Viscount Mont- - DEATH ROAD: 1 gomery, chief of the British Im- perial general staff, suddenly was called home from a tour of the Far Safety Report I i!ri s j l Compared with 1946, death is takEast. ing a back seat on the nation's highreMontgomery returned to Great ways this year, the Britain to advise the government port of the National Safety council concerning drastic curtailment of has shown. LINCOLN'S SECRET PAPERS UNVEILED Dr. Percy C. Towell, the nation's military establishment, For the first six months of 1947 research expert in the manuscripts division or the library of congress, cost of which (3.6 billion dollars a the death toll stood is shown opening one of the safes containing private and state year) could no longer be borne by at 14,480. That figure is 9 per cent the threadbare British economy. papers of Abraham Lincoln. Documents were presented to the nation below the 15,890 fatalities recorded oy Robert Todd Lincoln, son of the martyred president, with the proIn London, Labor government for the same period last year. At viso that they would not be made public until 21 years after his officials, no longer able to stave the same time, travel was 11 per (Robert's) death. Looking on is Luther H. Evans, librarian of congress. off a frank admission, told the cent heavier this year. world that England's plight was to the safety council's According desperate, that the tight little isle report, 2,490 lives were lost during of ruin. June, which represents a 5 per cent was on the sharp brink Prime Minister Clement Attlee, as- Increase over the June, 1946, recsailed with charges of "bungling" ord. In view of the increased traffic, and "failure to act," nevertheless however, it was a marked improvewas given a vote of confidence when ment. I he sketched out a plan which would Even the larger cities in the naan extra tion were decreasing their traffic have British miners work f--4 hour each day to increase England's fatalities. New York whittled its ' coal production, key pillar in its deaths by 15 per cent and Los Aneconomic structure. geles by 16 per cent. Jacksonville, The British crisis was born out Fla., was tops on the record book of four factors: Shortage of Amerwith a 69 per cent decrease from ican dollars (the U. S. loan will 1946. Indication was that cities were have been used up by Christmas); becoming more traffic conscious. shortage of coal (not enough to permit industries to operate and re- INDONESIA: build stockpiles); shortage of manU.N. Looks power, and inflation. It was a matter of regret, the Morally weakened under the threat of domestic political and Dutch government said, that the economic crises, the London stock matter of the Dutch - Indonesian market broke swiftly, as sharp sell- fracas was being brought before the United Nations security council. ing hit all sections. To a few million other observers, And, although U. S. state department observers scoffed at the idea It was not so much a matter of that developments In England had regret as it was a surprise. U. N., produced a reaction over here, it it seemed, was even then overdue appeared to be something more in its action. Australia and India laid the probthan coincidence that: Shortly after London stocks lem before the council, where it 4. broke, wheat prices on the Chi immediately began to vie with the cago board of trade showed losses Balkan issue for priority of debate. cents of nine to nine and Although the Australian and Ina bushel, while corn and oats dian delegations told the council dropped off from three to four cents. that the strife between Dutch and Industrial stocks also receded some- Indonesian forces threatened world what on the New York stock ex- peace, a Dutch spokesman in Washington said U. N. had no jurischange. diction. At the same time, It became apSUMMER-WINTEWONDERLAND . . . It's all a matter of what Netherlands authorities insist on parent that the U. S. government, you want to do. At Sun Valley, Idaho's wonderland resort, the favofaced with high prices of grain and terming the struggle a Dutch "porite winter sport of skiing can be enjoyed In the summer, and the food and continued shortages lice action," designed to control revacationist also can take off his skis and go for a canoe ride or peabroad, would issue a call for an- bellious Indonesians who hate to rhaps a cool swim. other big wheat crop this year in- wait until 1949 to attain their indestead of reducing wheat production pendence as a sovereign state. The Indonesians, however, say that the goals as was planned previously. As the picture began to take Dutch are waging a colonial war shape, the dominating motif ap- and that it looks like imperialism peared to be economic insecurity. to them. r .nr.' - i semi-annu- ... y 2 s 4f Kjy hit Canon Bernard Iddings Bell . . unskilled . , . untaught . . ." ". d Dr. . . . Anything can happen at a baby scene taken this as witness during judging at a Los Angeles show, Lcland Dexter, contestant for the bluest competition. eves, went to sleep in midst of excitement and had to be judged in his carriage. kk HOW BLUE YOUR EYES ARE cross-countr- time he is 25 has a clear theory, formed in the light of human experience down the ages, of what constitutes a satisfying life, a significant life, and who by the age of 30 has a moral philosophy consonant with racial experience." Bell thinks that w'hat we do not do and what we ought to do to educate is, first, to give children a knowledge of the race's wisdom, Nation of Dvllardt imparting to them what they ought to know rather than teach them Seen in Future Burch has studied population sta- what they would like to study; secto teach children how to read, tistics for the United States from ond, listen to and speak the write, the standpoint of psychological English language; third, they must tests, educational attainment, eco- be taught decent manners, the nomic status and type of occupaof others; fourth, they must rights tion. He says: "We may reach the learn that honest and craftsmanlike general conclusion that the lowest achievement is the only door to sothird of our people in each one of cial fifth, teachers approval; these four categories has families must reverence for the unabout twice as large as those of seen "inspire and impart some objective the highest third." knowledge of what the various faiths And he concludes: about us are to do and teach." "As a voting participant in I wish that some smart statishelping to solve the many Inwould try to figure out if tician tricate problems of our complex the kind of education which civilization a dull and backward would give a man a high income individual Is almost as helpless likewise makes him fit to run a as an idiot. In fact, he may country as complicated as ours be more dangerous to democratin a world as complicated as ic institutions because be is ours. easily commanded by demagogues and dictators." This gives us quite a different picture of the century of the "common man." t 3 u farmers for fer'iliers. out approved soil and ( irry ig water conservation practices. Local detail nd of o the program are carried Hlf R V AAA To Resume Soil Program n e A'm one-four- th FARMERS BENEFIT WASHINGTON -- Extensive operations of the AAA soil conservation program were ordered resumed by the department of agriculture after congress finally approved a 2fi5 million dollar administrative fund for the setup. Administrative expenses a:e in addition to the liO.i million dollars which will o directly for pavt ;ents to farmers participating in practices. Inaugurated in early days of the NY 7. ! ear. the AAA Toram otters and C.l fl materiah. principally v3T- out by more than 100,000 farmer committeemen. The program was halted in May when the house voted to appropriate only 165 million dollars for the setup this year and to end it altogether next year. The AAA had worked out a 300 million dollar program and President Truman had recommended that amount in his budget to congress. Although the 255 million finally voted by congress is lower than the sum asked, the soil program is being resumed on the same basis as originally planned. The appropria tion for administrative expenses i. about 18 per cent less than last y&(F! b. r year. Bulk of the reduction jn personnel and other expenses will be absorbed in Washington and state offices, allowing local AAA offices retain most of their pre.-on-t ,atf A farmer may siijn up f(,r anv number of approved project.-- , but he is promised only a certain amount of money with the provision that he will get additional .ayrr.ents if any funds remain after all farm', erj have been paid their m;r:mum guarantees. The program will be cut dras'ic-illnext year. At insistence of the senate, however, the house a creed to go along with an appro; nation ci 150 million dollars for 1948. to y , SENATE signs 01 ended its hMnrv Vl-- ' lime In l' The 80th congress of the United State 7r,t M,ssi,,n er the senate, for the worked on int. Weary. in ,Hvn. -- i T,rl oW-le- r.. |