DR. JOHNSON ON THE WORLD CRISIS [To the Editor of
THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—In The Spectator of February 10th, you published a remarkable article by Sir Evelyn Wrench. In one paragraph he writes : " Our present system of distribution . . . admits a surfeit of necessities in one place, and starvation'in another. . . . We are trying to run the twentieth-century world with eighteenth-century minds." I would like to draw attention to a remarkable prophecy by an eighteenth-century sage on our present calamities. Dr. Samuel Johnson put his finger upon the secret of all our present woes. Countries, both East and West, have become industrialized. Even India and China are rapidly being industrialized. (How the old Tory must be chuckling to-day as he looks down at America.) All nations have become traders, and the country which has brought trade to its " greatest perfection " —is America. And now look at it. Boswell in his Tour to the Hebrides reports a remarkable saying of Dr. Johnson : " I would never have any man to sell land, to throw money into the funds as is often done, or to try any other species of trade. Depend upon it, this rage of trade will destroy itself. You and I shall not see it., but the time will come when there will be an end of it.. Trade is like gaming. If a whole company are gamesters play must cease : for there is nothing to be won. When all nations are traders there is nothing to be gained by trade, and it will stop first where it is brought to the greatest perfection." &c., &c.
The philosopher was perfectly right. In America, trade came to a " stop first," because there—" it was brought to the greatest perfection.". In Europe, " trade is like gaming," and " the -whole company are gamesters " and " play has ceased." Is it not a strange coincidence ? Europe and especially America have justified Samuel Johnson.—I am,
Previous page
