The Charlotte News

Monday, November 14, 1938

FIVE EDITORIALS

Site Ed. Note: Re the resources mentioned within North Carolina in "Business Opportunities", it should be noted that peridotite is, by any other color, olivine, which used to be called chrysolite. Go figure.

"Men in Fear" and "Fall of a City" combine to form an altogether propitious piece. Indeed, would Hitler exact such bloody and tortured revenge for the attempt on his life via the bombing of his office in 1944. Yet, his own ultimate revenge upon himself would be but a year thereafter in coming. The spirits of the dead catch up ultimately to any murderer.

For Joshua fi't the Battle of Berlin... which didn't end until 1989.

This also from the editorial page this date, a lesson in over-planning of anything, especially that best left to the good graces of common sense of individuals to resolve their own destiny on their own good time and ingenuity. Wouldn't it be refreshing someday to see assets of the government turned over to those in need, not paternalistically through some stooge local bureaucrat out either to make a buck or achieve some future social standing or favor by favoring certain contractors and the like, that the individuals in need might collectively design their own community, with help from the Planners only as requested, disbursement made only by showing of proper progress toward building the desired community, that desired by those in need, after planning it themselves?

Ah well, there are those who do not wish any such project of government grant to the needy to succeed for fear the idea of some vague Utopia might become catching, causing the top earners to be less so. These are usually the same corporatistas and their minions who regularly receive government contracts and subsidies to maintain their rich homes in the suburbs. The same giant corporatistas who are currently employed by the government on closed, no-bid contracts to rebuild N.O.? Go figure.

Drying Wash At Greenbelt

By Merle Thorpe in Nation's Business

The dream-child of Professor Tugwell was Greenbelt, a model community twelve miles from Washington of some 900 homes to provide the abundant life for the underprivileged. It was likewise to be a yardstick and expose the greed and inefficiency of private business.

Men of Vision were called in--Social Engineers, Planners, Builders, outriders of the March of Progress. Blueprints were drawn, conferences, surveys, a thousand press releases. An army like that which labored over the Hanging Gardens of Babylon was requisitioned from the WPA. The great project was two years in the building. Before its finish, Professor Tugwell, the father of "Tugwelltown," had decamped and taken up the money-grubbing job of selling molasses.

NO RENT ON "SOCIAL ASSETS"

It had cost the real home-builders of America a pretty penny in taxes--$16,000 a home unit. The Planners reduced this on the books to $5,423, crediting more than half to "social assets," which the taxpayer nevertheless paid, and the monthly rents were fixed from $18 to $41 a home. Social workers interviewed, analyzed the applicants and carefully picked the chosen ones.

But from the start the Planners found Nature not co-operative. Notwithstanding an outlay of $531,000 for planning and direct administration, plus $1,921,000 for top thinking or "Washington overhead," the model yardstick was several inches short. The artificial lake, to be a center for swimming, boating and fishing, alas! disappointed on all scores. A high bacteria count stopped all swimmers. It was stocked with 20,000 fish--the President himself attending the ceremonial occasion--but the fish died. No boats have yet made their appearance.

THE PLANNERS OVERLOOKED SOME THINGS

Nor were the Planners immune to the "extras" which have beset every home-builder since Adam. There were difficulties about the screens and ventilation, the walls leaked, water spigots were on the wrong side and hose had to be carried through the house or over the roof. Transportation facilities had to be extended to a "through" bus service--taxpayers putting up the difference in fares.

Forgetting the profit system from whence their blessings came, the tenants--70 per cent Government employees--were persuaded by the Planners to set up co-operative medicine, a co-operative theater, a co-operative grocery.

Buffeted by Nature, the Planners fared little better from Human Nature. Home-loving instincts rebelled and regulations against children playing on the lawns. Some families wanted extra beds, another violation of the rules. Human nature won its fight for that Freedom to own a cat or dog, and registered its opinion of the rule requiring a communal license to dig in flower beds, and against the fine of 25 cents for a pass key when its own had been mislaid.

A MASTERLY SOLUTION

Events leading up to the fateful September 29 grew from a regulation that all washing should be removed from the close-lines by 4:30. No weary $35 a month renter of a $16,000 house was to have his esthetic sense violated by sight of silk pajamas flapping in the breeze.

Now, the Potomac country is noted for its damp and muggy days. No Planning could prevent these from falling on Mondays. So housewives had to scurry out at 4:29 to bring in undried wash. The inconvenience became intolerable. Underneath discontent seethed and threatened to become open revolt. Domestic revolution reared its ugly head.

But diplomacy turned the trick. Peace was bought. Secretary Wallace, who had donned the Tugwell mantle, paid the price. He ordered electric dryers installed.

That is not quite correct. Secretary Wallace did not pay, he only acted for the taxpayers. And those million taxpayers who feel they cannot afford electric dryers of their own, can sleep contentedly in the thought that their representatives in Washington will carry on to the bitter end that their mandate of a more abundant life shall be fulfilled.

Coalition of Losers

Two things are common to the progressives that Mayor La Guardia is gathering around him as, everybody thinks, the nucleus of a new party. One is that without exception they believe with Roosevelt in more and more government at greater and greater expense. The other is that they've all just been handed a larruping by the voters.

Take a look. Murphy of Michigan--defeated for re-election. Bulkley of Ohio--defeated for re-election. Lewis of CIO--badly battered politically both in Pennsylvania's primary and election. La Follette of Wisconsin--out on his ear, and with him a progressive third party movement of his own proprietorship.

By these dual qualifications, a large group is eligible for charter membership in the new liberal aggregation. Maverick of Texas, Johnston of South Carolina, Lewis of Maryland--and a host of others. But what they may hope to gain by throwing in their lots with other politicians-reject, does not yet appear. Certainly the first effect on the Democratic Party, from which the majority of them are drawn, would be to hand the next election to the Republicans on a silver platter. It wouldn't even serve the purpose of giving the country a clearer choice between liberalism, moderation and conservativeness, for the reason that the left would derive its strength mainly from the center, leaving the right unimpaired.

Hull Wins His Point

That persistent fellow Cordell Hull has finally got a settlement out of Mexico for farm lands stolen from Americans. It isn't much of a settlement. Mexico only promises to start making payments, and how little Mexican promises are worth may be deduced from the fact that previous settlements, tediously reached, have long gone by default. Furthermore, the size of American claims for farm lands is only a bagatelle compared to the value of expropriated oil wells. Truth is about the oil wells that Mexico simply couldn't begin to pay, and that any settlement would be solely a matter of principle.

That is true likewise about the farm lands, but the principle is dear to Cordell Hull and its acceptance by Mexico vital to Pan-American relations. He never questioned Mexico's right to exercise eminence of domain, but he went to the mat with Signor Cardenas and his revolutionary government on the point of compensation.

And thus he has succeeded in establishing the Anglo-Saxon code over the Latin code in inter-American transactions. He has done so without cracking down and without jeopardizing the good neighborliness which becomes more important with every new development in Europe. In fact, he has quietly got Mexico to agree that property rights have equivalent standing to human rights in spite of much radical talk in his own home circles that the two are not comparable.

Men in Fear

Behind the thing that has been taking place in Germany lies a ruthless will to rule, obviously. But behind it there probably also lies naked terror. These are the acts of men who are desperately afraid for the safety of their own precious hides.

At the elbows of Hitler, Goering & Co. stalk unseen presences, whispering, "Look Hitler, look Goering, what has happened to Von Rath. Tomorrow it may be your turn. Remember Nero, Caligula, the great Caesar, the Viconti weltering in his blood on the floor of the church at Milan? All over Germany, all over the Western world, more men are probably plotting your destruction than have ever before schemed against tyrants. You are ringed around with bayonets. When you pass in the street soldiers stand before the crowds with orders to shoot down everybody if a single man raises a finger against you. But you are not safe. Brains are cunning things. And one of these days one of them may very well contrive a scheme that will break through the barriers and send you screaming into doom. So you must attempt to make the price so frightful that no one will be willing to pay it. Not merely the death of the man who strikes you but wholesale misery for all those to whom he is bound by ties of affection and loyalty--all those whom he seeks to serve in cutting you down."

Well, maybe it will work--that method. But all the evidence of history runs against it.

Site Ed. Note: The ellipsed verses below are as bracketed:

"[And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rearward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.] And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout. [So the ark of the Lord compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp. And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord.] And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns..."

The Fall of a City

And Joshua, the son of Nun, called the priests and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord. And he said unto the people, Pass on and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord... And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, or make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout...

And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew with the trumpets, and the armed men went before them; but the rearward came after the ark of the Lord, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into camp: so they did six days.

And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city. So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpets and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

Business Opportunities

Of the twelve principle non-ferrous metals used in steel making, five come wholly or in large part from other countries. So says Steel Facts, a publication of the industry. Nearly all the chromium, cobalt, manganese, nickel and tin have to be imported.

If you're looking for minerals, chances are you can find them in North Carolina. In this state, more than 300, all the way from actinolite to zoisite, are found, some of them in commercial quantities, others only as samples of an experimentive Nature. Manganese deposits, for example, are frequent in mountainous regions. There is even a concentration plant, but net production between 1929 and 1935 consisted of a couple of carloads shipped to Birmingham.

Tin? Sure, there is tin in North Carolina. Near Lincolnton, there is a tin mine with well-defined bodies of tin-bearing ore. Nickel? There is a deposit of low-grade ore in Jackson County, and an outcrop of peridotite containing nickel minerals near Addie on the Southern Railroad.

There are several areas where chromium is found in promising quantities. And indeed, the only one of the missing steel-making minerals we seem to lack entirely is cobalt. Anybody recollect seeing any cobalt?

There is no guarantee, of course, simply because the needed mineral is found in sample quantities, that it exists in larger, commercially-useful bodies. Nevertheless, there are the steel makers importing five useful metals, and here's North Carolina with traces or more of four of them.

 


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