THE FORGOTTEN MAN

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19314, 15 October 1932, Page 6

THE FORGOTTEN MAN

AMERICA’S NEW PROBLEM. In the phrase, “America’s Forgotten Man,” there is something which recalls the infinite pathos of “the Unknown Warrior.” Go where you will in the United States to-day, you will hear more talk of “the Forgotten Man” than about anything else (writes Percy S. Bullen). “The Forgotten Man” was the subject of a plea for national consideration recently at Chicago by Governor Franklin Roosevelt. The phrase sprang into popularity spontaneously, nobody knows how or where, but it was immediately accepted as expressing the real tragedy of America to-day. During the last few weeks I have spent many days with “the Forgotten Man” and his family. Normally there are 48,000,000 workers in America.

Making allowance for part time, the unemployment total now exceeds 11,000,000, and the dependents are variously estimated between 20,000,000 and 30,000.000.

“The Forgotten Man,” as we understand the phrase, is not merely a symbol of the man or woman wanting work, but exf the nation’s sufferings following a great era of prosperity, extravagance, and unbridled speculation, in which every Tom, Dick, and Harry, and even the office-boy, took part.

“The Forgotten Man,” as I have met him in the big cities, and more especially the little towns and villages, represents millions of the middle-class who have lost heavily in the big slump —their mortgaged homes and their motor-cars. He stands for men and women throughout the country who have lost the frugal savings of a lifetime, and who confront the winter with the deepest concern. He stands for a great army of women without a job, and very often penniless, in the nation’s greatest crisis since the Civil War.

Finally, he represents the wealthy, even some millionaires, who have “gone broke.” The latter are “the new poor,” and must not be ignored, even if sympathy for “the new poor” is less poignant than for the normally poor.

The Forgotten Men are doing' some deep thinking nowadays. Their fundamental proposition is that any system of society or government which permits the unemployment of so many millions of worthy citizens, and makes no statutory provision for their systematic relief, is in need of repair. They do not ask for charity, and most of them still believe that American conditions are better than those of any other peoples. Next, one observes that there is much doubt and confusion regarding the political carpenters who are to construct a new platform of government. Unless prosperity returns in a few months, and of this there is no real evidence, Mr Hoover’s party—the Republicans—will suffer badly. On the other hand, the alleged failure of one party to provide a safe anchorage for the people excites no vast hopes in the promises of the Democrats! The chief difference between the two major parties, according to the average voter, is hardly discernible. In foreign politics they are pretty well identical. In domestic politics both are equally responsible for the iniquities of high tariffs. To sum up. There is a growing ten-

dency amongst the rank and file of the American electorate to regard both political organisations as mere machines to secure power. The Republicans are in power to-day; the Democrats to-morrow. Both are equally inspired as “professional politicians” to seize the spoils of office for themselves and followers. Of such spoils there is a rapidly increasing variety. In the United States there is one paid office-holder in every six adults of the population. Politics is a trade, and not a very clean trade. Meantime, “the Forgotten Man,” it is complained, is—just foi'gotten. In November next Republicans and Democrats battle for victory in the Presidential elections. The betting on Hoover and Roosevelt is just about even, with slight odds, perhaps, on the Democratic candidate. because the party in power will be held by some to be responsible for what the facetious call “Hoover prosperity.” Such prosperity means, according to Hoover’s critics, “There will be no destitution in Belgium!” It is the view of many good judges that the balance of the scales will be turned in November by the votes of the Forgotten Man. To him both sides are catering with promises of vast economy in government, a modification of the Prohibition Law. and a complete survey of social conditions, followed by legislation to end “the disgrace of 1932.” There is another view of the election. It is that the Republicans, who secured 21,392.190 votes in 1928. and the Democrats, who received 15,016,443 votes, will both suffer from greatly increased polls by Socialists and Communists. At the last election Norman Thomas, the Socialist, polled 267.420 votes, and \V. Z. Foster, Communist 48,770.

This year Thomas, able, honest, and eloquent, may poll 2,000.000 Socialist votes, and such a result is freely predicted by his friends. The Comunists are very active, but outside a few districts have no real support. So far as one can judge, the average American is reasonably confident that good times will return, and with the first- signs of prosperity he will once again leave “politics” to the professionals. The social structure will be improved as a result of the depression, but it will not be substantially different from that which existed in the States in the “good old days of 1929.”