Life — January 19, 1922 — page 16: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

JANUARY 19, 1922 “While there is Life there's Hope” Published by LIFE PUBLISHING COMPANY Vol. 79 No. 2046 London Offices, Rolls House, Breams Bldgs., London, E. C. A® EW Year's San card was em- bellished with a picture of Jonah emerging from the whale and said: “When down in the mouth and inclined to blubber, remem- ber Jonah. He came out all right.” The year opens in a fashion to make that timely counsel. There has been some dejection because some hopes that were based on the fine running start of Secretary Hughes at the Armament Conference have not yet been ful- filled. The score has not been quite as big as was hoped. France has seemed to be naughty. So far as France is represented by her politicians, she is liable at times to present that ap- pearance. So are other countries, but particularly France. France, as ex- pressed by her government, is highly realistic and very little touched by spiritual emotions of any kind. She is out for a bargain, a stickler for details, and rather rampageous in her demands. But we do not rely on the emotions of politicians to get the world in order again. The main reliance is on the compelling power of the facts of con- temporary life. What must be, will be. France may be refractory, but she is not crazy, and back in France there are a lot of people who know about war, and who do not want another, and are more ambitious to live their lives out and raise their families in peace, than they are for national glory or any form of nationalistic bumptiousness. Reac- tion after action is the rule, and a de- gree of reaction is usually wholesome. When France hangs back from what other countries want, the final result may be to bring about a more compre- hensive association of the nations than could be arranged at Washington. France is this and France is that, and you can put in the adjectives to suit 598 Madison Avenue, New York yourself, but remember that France has had a disappointment in that the Paris plan to make Great Britain and the United States insurers of her safety went to smash in our Senate, and the League which might have reassured her came out weaker than she expected by a highly important factor. France has the same need of a Europe that will function that the rest of the world has. In the end that need should govern her politics. pee TOTHING in this world is com- pletely good; no man, no book, no plan, no political efi Out of the man or the book or the plan or the pur- pose one has to get what he can and go on with it. There will be wonder- ful powers in a man, geared to vanity or obstinacy or laziness, or some other disappointing characteristic. There will be a good idea and an illuminating stretch of story in a book that will run on to futility and babble. There will be admirable points in a plan, and dis- appointment in its execution. All that belongs in the day’s work. Fallible we are, fallible we shall continue to be while we live in human bodies and doubtless for long afterwards. The im- portant thing is never to say die while life is left in us; never to give up be- cause we fall short of perfection. We always will fall short of it in all our efforts. We always will fall down more or less on our jobs, but we get no re- lease from the obligation to get up and go on with them. The Conference has done very much, though it has not introduced the mil- lennium. Let us be thankful for what it has accomplished, and be ready to go on with the next step. N the interest of a school discussion, a Wisconsin lady sends in these questions : “Is the reduction of national arma- ments to a police status within a period of ten years the best usable means whereby the peace of the world may be secured permanently ? “Also, are we ready, psychologically, religiously, and economically for such reduction ? “Tf not, what could be considered as a more practicable plan?” The reduction of national armament to a police status will not secure the peace of the world permanently or otherwise, but it is a good step and per- haps the best practicable means towards that condition. It will save a lot of money and that is helpful. Whether we are ready for such a re- duction a little time is likely to show. It depends partly upon what “we” com- prehends. Some nations seem to be ready, others not. We in the United States like the idea very much. Great Britain likes it. France is more doubt- ful about it. Japan seems to like it, es- pecially on its economical side, but in all the countries there are some who like it and some who don’t. In our country William Hearst is a good ex- ainple of the opposition. As to what could be considered a more practicable plan, the important word is “practicable.” Allowing that the League of Nations was a better plan in its general intention and scope, for us it turned out not to be practicable, and no plan to secure the peace of the world is good enough which does not include the United States. The best feature of comicbooks.com