AMERICA TO-DAY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21090, 16 July 1938, Page 7

AMERICA TO-DAY

DOMESTIC PROBLEMS Views Of Professor B. G. Alexander

“I do not see any hope for improvement in the economic situation in the United States until after the next presidential election," sa’id Professor B. G. Alexander, of Le Moyne University, in the course of an address at the Boys’ High School last night. The title of the Professor’s address was "Let’s Look at America—Some Domestic Problems.” The speaker was introduced by Cr. H. J. Mathers, who apologised for the unavoidable absence of both the Mayor and the Deputy-Mayor. The Professor expressed his views regarding the situation in America after he had discussed at some length political and economic situations over the last 10 years. At the outset he intimated that he was a strong believer in President Roosevelt and had tremendous faith in him. The people in this country had probably heard a good deal of criticism of the N.R.A., or New Recovery Administration, and that had come from people who had the wherewithal to go touring. These tourists represented the moneyed people on whose toes President Roosevelt had trodden. The President was a rich man, but by the rich he was regarded as a traitor. But was he a traitor to capitalism? The fact that the Communists called him a Fascist and the Royalists called him Red indicated that there were two sides to the question. The speaker recalled the stock market crash In 1929, and said that little was it realised at the time that it was the commencement of the depression of 1930-31. The depression meant not only economic insecurity in the United States, but possibly it distributed the mental balance of the American people. President Hoover tried to do something to effect an improvement, but he failed because the Democratic Congress would not permit him to do anything. Outlook Transformed

Professor Alexander went on to say that Mr Roosevelt became president, and he gained the respect of the people because he dared to do things. He gave a fireside chat to the nation, and it was a fireside warning. Gradually he transformed the outlook of the people and gave them confidence. He ini spired them to paddle round when they were in danger of sinking and he introduced his New Deal. Later a Supreme Court ruling was responsible for the throwing out of the N.R.A. structure. National recovery meant higher wages and limitation of hours of work. The people received more money which went in paying debts incurred during the depression. But the business people were not satisfied. They were not losing money, but they forced up the prices, and that was the primary cause of the backwash of the depression. Had they held off six months everything would have been all right. There was no investment, and no initiative and enterprise, and conditions were becoming worse. He saw no hope of improvement until after the next presidential election, and he hoped President Roosevelt would consent to contest the presidency for a third term. The speaker said that he believed in capital, in free enterprise and in private prosperity. His only complaint against the capitalists was that he was not one of them. In 1931 America was on the verge of serious social disorders, but she came through the dangerous period, and he believed that the country’s salvation lay in President Roosevelt. He upheld private enterprise, even though at the moment he appeared to be doing just the opposite. If President Roosevelt did not stand again, then the speaker did not know of another Democrat who was big enough for the job. A Congressional election was coming on in November, and the indications were that President Roosevelt’s supporters would be returned. Rise of Negro Race Professor Alexander is the manager of a debating team from Le Moyne University, which is touring New Zealand. The members of the team are James S. Byas and Charles W. Gilton, and earlier in the evening they also addressed the gathering. Mr Byas spoke first, and gave a comprehensive outline of the contributions of the negro race to American culture. He traced the history of the race from 1619, when a Dutch trader brought negroes from West Africa and sold them into slavery in America. For the next 300 years almost they had suffered untold hardships. The time came when the negro began to question his status and this led to insurrections, which were not altogether successful, and served to tighten the reins. The speaker dealt with some of the factors which led up to the Civil War, which was won by the North, and this was the starting point in securing freedom for the negroes. As time passed they secured full rights of American citizenship, and since that time had made many notable contributions to science, art, music, literature and sport. Mr Byas mentioned several notable negro doctors, singers and athletes, and said that since these men and women had shown themselves capable of learning the arts and sciences a new attitude to the negro race had been apparent. They were being looked on with pity, but they did not wish to be pitied. They wanted to be regarded as men, capable of taking their places with other men in all spheres. Mr Gilton said that the negro had for a long time been regarded as an inferior man, but could they point to Jesse Owens or Joe Louis and say that they were inferior men? In America there were 531 Congressmen, and only one of that number was a negro, in spite of the fact that the negroes constituted one-tenth of the population. They would not be content until they had one-tenth of the total representatives in the Congress. The greatest shortcoming of the negro at the present time was laziness, but they were making strenuous efforts to overcome this. He had been asked what part “Father” Devine played in the religious life of the American negroes, and he could say that it was a very small part. He had a following in New York and in Los Angeles, but nowhere else. Religion had been the greatest salvation the American negro had had. On the motion of Dr. Morriston Thomas, of Chicago, who arrived in Timaru on Thursday, the speakers were accorded a vote of thanks. Yesterday Professor Alexander and

Messrs Byas and Gilton were the guests of the South Canterbury Junior Chamber of Commerce at luncheon. The visitors were welcomed by the president (Mr C. Ballantyne) and by the president of the Senior Chamber (Mr E. Darroch). All three of the visitors briefly addressed the gathering. The visitors also delivered addresses at the Boys’ High School yesterday morning.