Adventure Magazine Cover — page 193: what you’re looking at

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

Looking About they are making the debtor nations fear and hate us as much as if we were demand- ing and really getting every cent of it. Secretary Mellon’s statement, while plainly designed for its effect upon the public mind rather than for a full presentation of facts in their true relation and perspective, naive- ly admits remitting the greater part but de- manding the last pound of flesh our debtors could give up without dying on our hands. Like Shylock, our representatives seem to have forgotten that you can’t extract the pound of flesh without causing blood to flow. As to their duty to the people they repre- sent their record is no better, though quite in keeping with practical politics. In Mr. Mellon’s statement the righteous plea that there had been no warrant of expressed public opinion for the remitting of the re- mainder serves as key to the general situa- tion—and to the usual politician’s method of handling the people. Our representa- tives, including Congress, had the duty of making the best possible bargain for us— not necessarily the most Shylockian bar- gain, though most of them could see no other kind of bargain to be driven. There are only two courses open to a representa- tive. Either he must consider himself chosen to think and decide in place of those he represents or else he must consider him- self a mere mouthpiece in duty bound to vote and act only in accordance with the sentiments of those he represents. The common political practise is to shift back and forth, using as an excuse whichever of the two theories fits his convenience in a given case. In the debt case the greater part was remitted on the first theory, the remainder left unremitted on the second. HE various representatives, including all those involved in any way in the handling of the foreign debt question, are obviously not the ones who can repair the damage they have wrought. Even if ca- pable of recognizing the damage and of formulating proper remedy, any step they might take, however right, would be in the eyes of European peoples only officialdom’s recession from its former position, attribu- table to fear, insincerity or financial and selfish long-sightedness. At this stage the mere forgiveness of the remaining indebted- ness can accomplish comparatively little. The real results would come from the man- ner of forgiving. No manner can be suc- IQI cessful if it is not born of sincerity, unsel- fishness and a real desire for friendship and peace. Any movement to forgive these debts must originate among the American people themselves, our representatives be- ing used only to carry out our wishes and very carefully labeled as only the mouth- pieces of popular sentiment. The question now arises: “Are the Ameri- can people sufficiently generous, unselfish anc! brotherly to originate such a movement?” S ANNOUNCED in our last issue, Adventure is going to break away from the confusing magazine habit of having each issue dated a month ahead from the time it actually goes on sale. This December issue, for example, went on sale in November. We’re through with all that. Our January issues are going to’ appear in January. But what’s going to appear in December? The issues labeled December have already appeared and there won’t be a January issue until January. That little joker is one of the chief reasons why most of the magazines haven’t shaken free from this bad habit of dating ahead. Well, we’re going to overcome that difficulty by getting out an extra or special issue during December— on the 8th of the month but bearing the date of December 31. Regular subscribers will have it added to their subscription without extra cost and without changing the expiration date, and it will sell on the newsstands at the regular price. In “The Trail Ahead,’’ on the last page of this issue, you can find out what is going to be in jthis special number. Then we'll begin the year 1927 on the simple and sensible basis of hav- ing the January issues appear in January. There’s going to be another improvement. Our dates of issues are now the 8th and the 23rd. We'll simplify this matter too. Beginning with our January issues Adven- ture will go on sale the 1st and the 15th, the first of the month and the very middle of the month. These are the logical dates and the easiest to remember. So here is what to look for: On December 8, the special number, dated December 31 On January 1, the number dated January 1 On January 15, thenumber dated January 15 Here’s to simplicity and common sense. A. S. H. comiclbool CO