OVERSEAS OPINIONS

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 35, 4 November 1933, Page 20

OVERSEAS OPINIONS

What is Inflation? . , ~ “if a Government, by legislation which removes obstacles to trade, thereby stimulates demand, and rise in consequence, that is not inflationary. If, however; the Government itself, and not the private business man, borrows in the market and embarks on ‘capital’ expenditure on a unusually large scare, what do we ull it? We can usually call-it shockingly bad public finance.’ But that is not.the point. The important feature is that it seldom has any permanent net effect on the credit situation; so long as it done within the limits of ordinary financing, it is not enough to overcome the friction of a stagnant business position. Normally, therefore, Government expenditure is not properly described as inflationary (unless it is carried out in a time of high business activity). It becomes definitely inlationary, however, if the ordinary channels of credit are in any way stiaincd in order to provide the necessary money. In such a situation, the foundations are laid for a serious modification of the credit structure and an immediate rising tendency in prices without necessarily any direct expansion in private demand.”—“Financial lime» (London).

A German Idea. “German banks are willing to start new industries and leave money in them under control for inany years. English banks, rightly, I think, regard this as not their function, and keep their resources more liquid. Luc there does seem a need for easier facilities for the financing of approved inventions and other new industries at an early stage, before they are npe for a public appeal,” writes Sir William Cecil Dampier in “Lloyds Bank Monthly.” Perhaps a corporation under the common control of the 19jnt stock banks might undertake this work. A committee of men of science miriit advise, or recommend someone who could advise, on the mere technical soundness of new ideas. They would not be fitted or expected torieal with the economic prospects, whlc could only be estimated by busmess men conversant with the particular du “try involved. By some such interlocking scheme, new industries nece. sary in times when old ones are depressed and savings super-abundant—-might be helped into being. Private Gain or Service?

“It is not too much to say that under modern conditions as a whole, and of industry in particu lar. depend alike upon the vigour of unimpeded individual and fundamental thought, and upon loyalty to an ideal of service. Scientific workers have a great part to play in establishing a Sew world order, in assisting mankind to regain control over the main forces threatening the disruption of society. That part cannot be played, however, if their freedom of thought, of speech, and of teaching is restricted, or thenloyalty to unselfish ideals of disinterested service seduced, by national or nnv other sectional claims, lhe world is entitled to look to scientific workers for help, but that help cannot be riven on terms which deny their allegiance to the supreme claims of truth for unrelenting, wholehearted and unselfish service.’—Sir Richaid Gregory, in "Nature.”

Demand for Self-less Service. “My own conviction is that nothing is going to stop mechanical progress, but it has become most important that side by side with the exercise of invention there should be the application of equal brain-power to an effort to effect an adjustment of modern conditions, such as will make life tolerable,” says Dr W. W. Vaughan, formerly headmaster of Rugby, in the “Daily Telegraph.” “One difficulty is that while big rewards go to people who bring out and apply mechanical invention, little material benefit is available for those who are endeavouring to think out the possible ultimate effects of the processes in operation. On the. other hand, we have reached a stage in our progress when humanity needs unselfish .service devoted to unravelling problems created by our economic and industrial conditions. Such unselfish service is becoming more and more necessary.” England Salutes Autumn.

“And with a quiet remark that the days are closing in, the mistress of the house draws the curtains across the windows through which the sun has poured its golden splendour the livelong summer. There is wistfulness in the air, of course —only an everlasting June would satisfy us—but no one is tearful, no one is knocking the breast because the fall of the year litis arrived,” adds a leader writer in the “Liverpool Post.” Only the churl, like a greedy boy who does not know when he has had enough, would grumble that the feast, of blue skies, sunburn, and roses is finished. And at last we perceive what the healthier observers of life have always told us at this season —that the fading of the leaf and melancholy are not co-relative after all, any more than, if we could but know, the climax of mortal existence is necessarily a thing of melancholy. Shakespeare knew:

Fear no more the heat o’ the sun, Nor the stormy winter's rages; Thou thy earthly course hast run, Home hast gone, and ta'cn thy wages.

The Nazi Terrorists.

“The remarkable growth of the Nazi movement in Germany is a phenomenon which few Englishmen are able to understand. The injustices inflicted upqn Germany by the terms of the Peace Treaty, the failure of the Great Powers to redress her grievances and to implement their pledges in regard to disarmament, and, perhaps, as much as anything, the economic depression and the closing of opportunities for the educated classes, have made the German people desperate and responsive to a leader who voiced their feelings and offered a programme of relief. The Nazi revolution, like all revolutions, lias been accompanied by terrorism and the suppression of freedom of speech and of the Press. A revolution cannot permanently establish itself unless it suppresses all counter-revolutionary parties and organisations. But the Nazi revolution has carried terrorism and suppression far beyond what seemed to be necessary to maintain its authority. The persecution of the Jews and the torture which has been inflicted upon them have aroused intense indignation throughout the world and alienated a good deal of the friendly feeling toward Germany and sympathy with her’grievances.”—Viscount Snowden.

English for the World. “It is evident that, with the rapid increase of means of travel and of personal intercourse throughout the world, the principal problem of language will be to facilitate the general communication of ideas between men of different races,” writes Sir Richard A. S. Paget in the ‘Bookman, in a prophecy concerning the position ot language a century hence. The greatest handicap to the general use of English to-day is the irrational nature of its spelling; this will have to be revised, so that the written word indicates how the spoken word is to be pronounced. English also suffers from .the fact that —in common with all other languages —it is as yet a wild growth which has not been rationalised. If our language is systematically pruned of its relics of barbarism —both as to spelling and structure^—it will become bn its merits the universal language ot this planet. alking Fight.

“The question at the moment is whether you are going to have a Gov ernment of the people, by the people, for the people, or whether you are going to have a Government controlled by an individual who appoints himself. If these people want to try to make it a question of force I would ask them to pause and remember that if we wanted to match them by force it would be ten to one on our side.”—Mr. de Valera. For the Cliildren.

“The annual report of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children is one of those ‘human documents’ which shed a revealing light on the dark places of human life,” says the “Western Daily Press.’ "The activities of, the Society are conducted to a great extent behind the scenes, a fact which may.obscure from the public view the magnificent work it is doing on behalf of the chilli life all, over the country. Any idea that its ministrations are wasted or unwanted is dispelled by a perusal of the. report for last year which shows that, crueltv to children is very far'from extinct in the land. Actually the total of cases dealt with during 193233 was exceeded only five times in the history of the Society. The percentage of cases of violence stood higher than for twenty-eight years. The figures of neglect, ill-treatment and corruption of morals all showed appreciable increases.”

The Slum Dweller. "The slum dweller has a subtle and virulent progeny of evil in mans body, and though we abolish the slum and re-house its inhabitants we must not expect immediate release,” says Sir George Newman. “For the slum-dweller will carry with him to the new house the physical disabilities and social habits in which we have bred him.' Even rehoused, he may soon die. not of the new house, but of the old shim nnd the old habits and the weakened stamina and disease thus engendered, and to live and flourish in the new house he must become acclimatised to his altered environment.”

Art and Ugliness. “In our own age there is probably as much conscious appreciation of natural beauty as at any earlier period, and certainly more appreciation of the beauty of the human form than in the early' Middle Ages, though industrialism, with its unnatural conditions, produced ugly types of humanity. At present there is not much creative art of the highest quality in literature, painting, or sculpture, and the almost instinctive graciousness of the old architecture has, since the industrial revolution, given place to an unsightliness never before seen in the dwellings of civilised men. The recovery from the age of bad taste is in progress, but it is painful and somewhat artificial. Our civilisation seems no longer to express itself naturally in beautiful forms. As for the deliberate ugliness of much modern sculpture and painting I can only regard it as a disease, and hope that the evil fashion will soon pass away. It aims, we are told, at ‘expressiveness,’ disregarding all accepted standards of beauty. Unfortunately, what it expresses is barbarous and repulsive.”—Dean Inge.

Waiting For a Leader. “The world is waiting for a leader, and no country seems to have the man. The world, in fact, is waiting for England to give it a lead toward the restoration so badly needed. To-day’s evils are brought about by service being left out of the calculations. Instead of service we .see pleasure. Cocktail parties do not improve the country. They only increase the difficulties and delay improvement. Statesmen to-day do not listen until they are kicked or pushed by democracy; they lack the courage to tell the facts, and do cocktails improve them? No!”—Sir George T’aish. the economist.

German Self-praise. “An anthology of German self-praise was in circulation before the war. and many people thought it to be a malicious invention," writes Mr. J. A. Spender, in the “News-Chronicle.” “It seemed impossible that, sane' people could proclaim themselves to be the salt of the earth, the supreme apostles of Kultnr, the sons of thunder, the special favourites of their own German God, and the appointed dispensers of his terrible medicine of war. Yet it was all true and authentic, and it has all come to life again in the Germany of Hitler and Goering. In those days the ex-Kaiser's speeches with their appeals to shining armour, dry powder, mailed fists seemed to go to the limits of theatrical burlesque, but they are far outdone in the oratory of the Nazi."

University Men in Business. “For the exceptionally capable lad carving out his own career a university training might be a positive disadvantage as far as commercial success is concerned, in that it postpones the time of his entry into business. Nor should the business youth stay too long in the haunts of learning. He may catch in that, infections air certain qualities, in themselves admirable. at the expense of others which are, for business, more important, or indeed vital. The fact of having been to a university, even Oxford or Cambridge, cuts no ice if personality and intelligence are lacking. Athletic glory is illusory and cultural interests have little or no relevance to business. The main advantage of university training, apart from mental training, was the development of character in the students’ communal life.”—Professor 11. Stewart, of University College, Nottingham.