(Ed. Note--The Crimson does not necessarily endorse opinions expressed in printed communications. No attention will be paid to anonymous letters and only under special conditions, at the request of the writer, will names be withheld.)

To the editor of the CRIMSON:

"For truth--unlike the Roosevelt or the Hoover Administration--is eternal." Philosophically calm, thus concludes the communication, "Dissenting Zealots," published in yesterday's Mall columns. It certainly warms my heart to read such manifestations of benign simplicity, such expression of hopeful belief in our modern world or professed disillusionment. Just the day before yesterday, another communicant, writing from Idaho, in a criticism of one of Professor Frankfurter recent speeches, expressed the same sentiment. I have no quarrel with such beauties of thought and soul--I myself dare even hope that perhaps one day that world of Truth and Virtue, and absolute honesty of institutions shall be my abode. But I thought Truth (whatever we know about it) only existed in heaven. In fact, I am convinced of it, and I do object to anyone pulling this concept out of the divine realm and attempt to apply this sacred idea in defense of bankers and such, or a system of government.

The application of Truth, the notion in itself as a gauge for the criticism of our mundane institutions has nothing really objectionable, excepting that it is utterly fallacious and thus stupid. That is, you can not criticize, on a basis of Truth, the social legislation of any other of our country and speak in defense of banking as the author, of the letter published under the title "Dissenting Zealots," has attempted. You can not apply this Truth in the criticism of the legislative, political and economic efforts of the present Administration. The reason is obvious: Our very system of government has not a basis on that elusive Truth, and for that matter, neither had any other earthly government. The "system of free enterprise" as we like to call it, a legacy to the present Administration from the previous and so on, is in its purest state a system of parasitism--a system where an individual or group live on the labor of another or even nature. For example, the system of banking is maintained by the system of profits or surplus. To offer capital to the bank that it may speculate in turn, means that someone must have got a little more for something over its absolute and eternal value (what that may be) or, in other words, not the value according to Truth.

Well, let us accept the facts. In view of Truth, if we operated under its system there would be no banking houses, no government, because there would simply be no need for them, and you could always get a loan of ten bucks. But that is not our system. We have made parasitism respectable, banking legal, and capitalism glorious. So let's take what we have, accept our limitations, and not try, at least, for the impossible. Thus, when we criticize the legislation of the Administration, we can not defend the bankers on any idea of Truth for the system of Truth negates the existence of banking. For this reason such criticism is unfair and narrow, and especially stupid when an Administration is doing its darnedness to nullify certain of the discrepancies between banking and conditions as they are, between parasitism and Truth.

The most that we can hope for from any government is a compromise with Truth. In expecting miracles from our government, we must bear in mind that not EVEN Christ succeeded in making his much less complex society perfect according to his Truth. The men of our Administration might be spared some of the unjustness of such attacks as those described, and be given at least some appreciation and encouragement in their noble endeavors. Alfred M. Nittle '36.