Recent Gains In American Civilization

RECENT GAINS IN AMERICAN CIVILISATION RECENT GAINS IN - AMERICAN CIVILIZATION BY A GROUP OF DISTINGUISHED CRITICS OF CONTEMPORARY LIFE EDITED BY KIRBY PAGE EDITOR OF quot TUB WORLD TOMORROW IftM W YORK HARCO0ET, BRACE AND COMPANY FOREWORD SMTJG contentment and sullen despair are equally perilous to society. Revolutions are caused more often by reactionaries than by agitators. If the privi leged groups remain blind to injustice and exploitation, they are sure to provoke their victims into violent re volt. If, on the other hand, those who are laboring for a new social order become convinced that success cannot be attained by peaceable means, they are likely to advo cate violence. Social progress is impeded alike by those ardent defenders of things-as-they-are who say that America is ninety-eight per cent all right, and by those extreme pessimists who despair of orderly change. All the contributors to this discussion are known as highly competent students and discerning critics in their respective fields. The chapters recording gains in the various areas have all been written by men and women who were selected because they are thoroughly critical of the existing order and who, accordingly, are not likely to indulge in facile optimism. There will nat urally be wide variations in opinion concerning the significance of the advances recorded, but there will be general agreement that the various interpretations have the ring of reality. Emphasis should be placed upon the fact that these writers are not attempting to draw up a balance sheet of the gains and losses in our civiliza FOREWORD tion, but instead are concentrating up an one part of the task. The latter phase of this evaluation isundertaken in the four concluding-chapters. Here we have stimulating critiques of Western civilization by the foremost Amer ican philosopher, a professor of Christian ethics with a wide experience and a sensitive conscience, a social scientist who is thoroughly familiar with European thought and culture, and a distinguished Oriental scholar. These four essays contain much food for thought and will doubtless provoke wide discussion throughout this country and in other lands. It will be obvious to the reader that this volume does not cover all phases of American life. There is one con spicuous omission which we deeply regret, A well-known dramatic critic had agreed to contribute a chapter deal ing with recent gains on the stage and screen, but was unable to get his manuscript ready in time for it to be included in the present volume. This is most unfortu nate as there is general agreement that very substantial pmgress is being made in the drama. Nevertheless, a sufficiently wide ra ge of interests is included to make uassible a rewarding survey of American civilization. ECRBT PAGE CONTENTS 1. RECENT GAINS IN GOVERNMENT . . . 1 Charles A. Beard 2. NEW OUTPOSTS OF BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY . 5 Stwart Chase 3. RECENT GAINS IN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS . 49 Mary van Kleeck 4. ADVANCES IN THE aUEST FOR PEACE . . 71 Norman Thomas 5. RECENT IMPROVEMENTS IN RACE RELATIONS 97 Charles S. Johnson 6-THE BRIGHT SIDE OF THE AMERICAN PRESS . 17 Oswald Garrison ViHard 7. EDUCATION GOES AHEAD . . . . 155 Dallas Lore Sharp 8. AMERICAN LITERATURE MOVES ON . . 188 Mary Austin 9 yn W INFLUENCES IN ART . . . . . 05 Rocfa ell Kent 10. REGENT ADVANCES IN SCIENCE . . . David Starr Jordan 11. KECKKTT GAINS IN RELIGION, .Emerson FosdicHe A C ITIQ. UE, OF AMJERIOAN CIVILIZATION quot Johsu Dewey CONTENTS 18. PROGRESS OR DECADENCE . . . . 277 Harry F. Ward 14. IS WESTERN CIVILIZATION WORTH SAVING . 305 Paul Arthur Schitpp 15. AN ORIENTAL EVALUATION OF MODERN CIV ILIZATION Masaharu Anesaki I. RECENT GAINS IN GOVERNMENT Charles A...