Chapter 39

I am constantly admiring, chief,” said Adams, “the incredible productiveness of your new system, and the wonderful results of the freedom it permits. But I keep constantly having doubts about it too.”

“So I’ve noticed,” said Peter drily. “What are your doubts this time?”

“They go very deep. Isn’t this system, even conceding that it is enormously more productive than any collectivist system, selfish and acquisitive?”

“How?”

“Well, certainly it rewards selfishness and acquisitiveness.”

Chapter 40

IT was June 21, just five years from the day when Peter’s air force had landed in America. The date was now Independence Day, the biggest holiday in Freeworld. Peter had broadcast a radio talk on a hemispheric hookup at noon.

Now he and Adams were completely alone in the White House.

Chapter 41

HE had been deep under water, far down, and felt himself rising to the surface.... He opened his eyes reluctantly, from a sense of duty.

He was in bed, in a bare room flooded with sunshine. Standing at his side was a tall dark-haired girl, dressed in white, beautiful and smiling.

She stroked his head. “You had us all so worried, Your Highness.”

“Where am I?”

“You mustn’t talk. You’re in the Peter Uldanov Hospital. You’ve been unconscious for nearly three days.”

Chapter 42

I’M sorry,” said Adams, “but whatever caused the increase of prices, at least I tried everything to stop it. For example, I put maximum price ceilings on the necessaries of life—”

“I was coming to that,” said Peter. “Let’s take the case of beef.”

“I’m glad you pick beef,” said Adams, “because I acted with great boldness there. You remember that before the war beef was selling at only 50 cents a pound. I kept seeing it climb till it doubled to a goldgram a pound. Then I acted. I ordered the price rolled back to 50 cents a pound—”

“Why?”

Chapter 43

THERE were wild celebrations everywhere. For a few weeks the world was intoxicated with peace and liberty. Orators spoke as if humanity were about to enter the gates of paradise.

Peter shared at first in the general elation. But when he began to realize that everyone else was depending on him to justify these millennial hopes, the sense of responsibility fell back on him like a heavy weight.

Notes

The Translator.

The Conquest of Poverty

THE

Conquest

of

Poverty

HENRY HAZLITT

The Foundation for Economic Education, Inc.
Irvington-on-Hudson, New York 10533

The Conquest of Poverty

Copyright © 1996 by the Foundation for Economic Education, Inc.

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