DEDUNKING PANACEAS

Nothing could be more encouraging than the formation of a conservative radio league, called the Crusaders, which puts forth twice a week over a nationwide network a clear-cut, unanswerable debunkment of panaceas. Unfortunately the Crusaders attribute the ideas they expose, such as machine-caused unemployment, to economists in general, and not just to bad economists. That is to be expected when good economists do not make themselves heard among the great mass of people. But their unintellectual approach will be more effective by far then if they confused their listeners with too much theory.

Perhaps this very straight-forward, sound shallowness will save them from the fate of many efforts at high-brow education over the radio. One cannot educate fifty million people in time to prevent the deluge. Even college graduates, moreover, have been known not to understand the complications of the present economic situation. So a league of crusaders, fighting the obvious demagoguery which now abounds, appealing to American horse-sense, may be just the right weapon in the word-fight of the depression.

Sooner or later, as the depression continues, the American people will have to choose between drastic measures. The frame of mind upon which this choice depends is being created right now. All radio speeches help to create it. If there is still hope that American won't turn to the Longs and Coughlins, it lies in such movements as the Crusaders.