THE DECAY OF TRUTH

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 60, 8 September 1937, Page 10

THE DECAY OF TRUTH

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Saturday's editorial of the title "The Decay of Truth" is a tribute, first, to the writer's spiritual diagnosis of the world's troubles, and, second, a pointer to the remedy which must be tak-an to put them right.

Today's news gives further point to the decay of truth in the national and international spheres. President Roosevelt says that mistakes made between his Government and Labour have been dus to. "mental distrust and bitter recriminations." Piracy in the Mediterranean deepens suspicion in the motives of certain countries. The Japanese Emperor says that "Japan is solicitous for the attainment of peace by mutual co-operation in .China, which failed to understand Japan's true intentions." The meeting of Mussolini and Hitler is going to be a "decisive factor in the peace and equilibrium of Europe." So the superstructure of falsehood and mixed motives, wirelessed and telegraphed to all parts of the world, goes up to dizzy" heights. Your editorial makes it clear that the roots of this decay lie in human nature. The reasons why national leaders do not keep faith are at least these: (1) others do not keep faith with them; (2) national welfare or "succ. -." justifies it; (3) those whom they rule or represent do not demand it. The moral bankruptcy of the nations' is the reflection of the moral bankruptcy of ordinary men arid women. As somebody has put it It's Tom. Dick's, mid Harry's sin J'lint's 'got us to tho mess we're in. It is. interesting to note that Mussolini believes that human nature cannot be changed. In his autobiography he writes: "There is no revolution that can change the nature' of man." • It is easy (and logical) to account for Abyssinia on such philosophic'premises as this, and almost as easy to foretell the kind of "peace and equilibrium" that the dictators envisage for Europe. The call, Sir, is for a new leadership: a leadership that builds on sure foundations—the foundation, for a start, of absolute honesty; a leadership that refuses to indulge in political or national dissimulation because of the innate conviction that the welfare of mankind can never be assured that way; a leadership that is prepared to admit that human intelligence and ingenuity have not found the way out but that God has a plan and that perhaps one of the very conditions for ascertaining that plan is the foundation named above. The Rt. Hon. } Ernest Brown, Minister of Labour in the British Cabinet,, was reported four weeks ago as saying: "The greatest possible service is being done to the nations at this critical time by those who insist upon the necessity of listening to God." This is the kind of new leadership, Sir, that will cut across the forces of materialism and moral dry rot, reverse the drift to chaos, and supply leaders to the Empire and world who can bring in a new order. —I am, etc., MAURICE R. HODDER.