V.gabond Editorials

Bv Jack Dionne

Believe it or not, it looks like the tide has turned ! Stay in there and pitch, and if you know any good prayerssay them!

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"Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." The truth is that peace and plenty is our normal state; that for several years we have been sadly sub-normal; that we are entitled to a return of health; that the world is weary of her vestments of sadness, and ready to greet the sunlight of prosperity; there are many definite and fundamental signs to indicate that we are climbing the hill.

our greatest drawbackn* ln.nr*n thinking of so many thinking people. Some of the finest intellects I know are absolutely submerged in a sea of pessimism created of their own intentness and concentration upon a lot of definite, specific, physical things of tragic financial character. Their firmament is so blackened by their own absorption in things that are black that they effectually blot out the spiritual things that might lighten their road and their load.

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They are tragically combating those two awful eternities-yesterday and tomorrow. And those two days will break down the strongest of us. No use talking, friends, in times of tragic trouble you've got to turn to something that you can't figure with a pencil, or weigh in a scale. And if you can't do that, you ARE in trouble, truly.

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This sort of unfortunate folks-and all the rest of us as well-can find much comfort and consolation in a little daily contemplation of THIS portion of "The Game Guy's Prayer" that was printed not long ago in these columns: "Oh Lord, help me to understand that You won't let anything come my way that You and I together can't handle." For THAT is where we-the strongest of us-must find relief ; in the simple, child-like understanding that in this fight against the fogs of depression, we don't have to fight alone.

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That mighty Intelligence-whatever you want to call it -that made us, and made everything, is still on the job, still RUNNING THE JOB. When we quit trying to run it ourselves, and begi4 realizing that the job is in good hands-regaq$less of how black it looks through our own darkened glasses-the great weight of personal responsibility drops from our shoulders, and relief comes. People who acknowledge that partnership don't jump out of windows. rt tl. !N( rf** rl. {3 rt

The biggest reason why we'll come out of this depression much quicker than mo6t prognosticators claim, is because of the high morale of the nation. After nearly three years of the worst depression we have ever known we find that there have been fewer riots and less radical disturbances than in any previous panic. As a matter of fact outward evidences of radical activities are even less than in normal times. Splendid, isn't it?

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One of the best remarks of the season comes from a man who was reciting how universally the farmers of the entire country are raising food stuff and canning it for their own consumptio4. He said that never in history have the farmers of the United States had so much food stuff on their shelves. But they have no cash to buy clothes. "Yes sir," he said, "We're going to have the fattest, nakedest bunch of farmers in this country this winter that ever was seen."

A lumber friend writes me that his wife overheard this one. A farm woman was exchanging a basket of eggs for groceries at the country store, and when she saw how little she was getting in exchange for her eggs, she plaintively remarked: "I don't see why they had to have this depression just at a time when we farmers are having such hard times too."

They tell me that there hasn't been a bank failure in Canada for ten years. Looks to me like Congress might have investigated the why's of THAT situation to rnighty good advantage. Bank failures do more to intensify depressions than any other aggregate group of causes.

One of the most famous of American aero and auto engineers predicts that the small car era is just at hand, trshered in by depression conditions. He says that cars can and will be built with more passenger room, greater comfort, greater acceleration, much reduced gas consumption-and for very little money. Didn't I say there are compensations?

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