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Show Howe About: Better Amusements Our Failing Minds Bernard Shaw , 1933, Bell Syndicate. WNTJ Service. By ED HOWE A LTHOUGH it Is said abroad Americans are the greatest idlers In the world, it has finally been agreed among ourselves we have been working too long hours, and that in future we must play more. And now the question comes up for discussion : What shall we do with our additional idle time? How find new enjoyments in our shiftless-ness? shiftless-ness? Why not try some new amusements? amuse-ments? Why not rub up our knowledge knowl-edge of finance, and less frequently become the victims of sharpers? Why not athletic clubs to chase outlaws, out-laws, now a real menace to our homes? And speaking of homes again, why not beautify them more, and add comfort heretofore lacking? lack-ing? Why not clubs of citizens to improve our public affairs? Half of us are dumb as to the real value of print: why not read more, and with greater discretion? Why not pay more attention to the joys and benefits of good health? Most of us gobble our food like pigs, and, lacking their digestion and shorter short-er years, have become so quarrelsome, quarrel-some, inefficient and dumpy that one-quarter of the population is now howling for public relief, with most of us looking on shamelessly and thinking It may be a good Idei for everybody. Do races inevitably run out? Is It hopeless to struggle for their improvement im-provement and continuance? It seems to me I am able to note a sad deterioration since the Civil war. Compare congress now with congress of 75 years ago, and how shabbily 1933 comes off ! There isn't a man of ability In the present congress con-gress (or cabinet, or Supreme court) to compare with dozens &ho might be named within ten years of 1858. The deterioration of race Is intellectual. in-tellectual. We are healthier now than ever before ; we have improved our lamps and our buggies, but have shamefully neglected our minds. It might well occur to every man that he Is doing well enough physically, physi-cally, but that his mind is failing. Bernard Shaw has his opinion of mankind, and expresses It publicly, Instead of privately, as most other men do. For this he Is cordially hated, although everybody knows his opinions of humanity are sound; at least, sounder than the opinions of other writing men. My relations with Bernard Shaw are excellent. I do not know him, or wish to know him, and never write him. I hear he Is polite enough to those who have good reason to call on or write him. During a recent journey at sea Shaw went on deck early one morning, morn-ing, and found an old man leaning Indifferently over the rail. "How does It come," Shaw asked, "that you are the only man on the ship who has not annoyed me?" "Because I do not want to isnow you, or talk to you," the man answered. an-swered. "Ever hear of me?" Shaw asked again. "1 know all about you," the man replied. "I have read nearly everything every-thing said about you, or you have written. 5Tou are one of my heroes. I admire you because of your Impudence Impu-dence In saying what you think of everybody and everything. I think the same things and am afraid to say them. You save me the trouble. I beg you to proceed with your walk." In one community I am familiar with, a young man of twenty stole an automobile and committed five highway robberies in a single hour. Probably he would have been going yet had not a tire exploded while driving too fast In looking for a sixth victim ; he may have had a bet with anothr thief he could score six In sixty minutes and establish es-tablish a record to hang up In the newspapers. . . . The present reign of lawlessness was not equaled on the Spanish Main. We are doing nothing about it but grumble and hide but finally we shall be compelled com-pelled to do something else. The reader of this may not count himself him-self a good man, but must realize sooner or later he Is doing a poor job of protecting his wife and children, chil-dren, to say nothing of the respect we have heretofore boasted of entertaining enter-taining for our country. Good and respectable citizens must realize the power of the majority and the shotgun, shot-gun, and that revolution of honest men is recommended In holy writ. I admit to considerable timidity, even cowardice, but conditions are becoming so bad I am willing to enlist en-list as a soldier or member of a vig-Il.'ince vig-Il.'ince committee; I can see no other way out. The Intellectual side of reform lins been settled ; we are ail agreed it is nerc-s.-ory. Now let us attend to the physlc-i side and bring it about. Our smartest peuple are not very ! smart; look at their advice at least i twice. Our best people are not very good ; watch o'lt when trading witt them. ... |