Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-06-10
PROPHESYING THE END
OF THE WAR.
By FREDERIC J. HAsK1N.

Italians are now much interested in
an ancient prophecy concerning the
end of the war. which has recently
been resurrected by the director of the
civic museum at Como. The prophecy
Is one Of a number made by an astron-
omer and prophet of tho seventeenth
century. who was famous for his I'M
canny perception and accuracy. A
great deal of Interpretation by modern
astronomers has been required to dis
cover its exact meaning, but everybody
Is pleased and delighted with the re-
suit.
The war is to end on August 2s of
this year, according to the best inter-
probation Of this prediction. which is
wrapped up in strange categorical die
ton.
This prophecy. of course. comedies
with that made by Lord Kitchener at
the beginning of the war when he said
II would last three years. But recent
official prophecies. unfortunately, seem
to indicate that both Lord Kitchener
and the seventeenth century astronomer
reichstag. Baron Won Bethman Hollweg
optimistically declared that Germany is
capable Of maintaining war for years
to come: and in Paris the French gov
eminent has said: ITO obtain final VIC
tory. 1t Is sufficient that France and her
allies know how to wait for 1t with in
exhaustible patience"
Prophecies Numerous.
Since the war began prophecies have
been numerous. Utterances made by
people ten and twenty years ago have
suddenly been remembered and brought
forward as evidence of their pre-
knowledge Of the war. In fact, the
demonstrating habit. which 10 merely
tolerated in times Of peace. has. during
the past two years. been cultivated and
ing the end of the war has been hope
fully accepted. Moreover. never was
Bible study SO popular. Nearly every
body is now familiar with the Book Of
Daniel and Revelation.
From this book several quotations
have already been presented to the pub
lilo as referring to the present war.
Among these is one which, properly in
terpreted. fixes the date of the end of
the war as January 81. 1918. The
southsr.s clergyman. who. after finding
many verses which clearly related to
the war, came to verse No. Is of Reeve
lation, chapter 10: There is wisdom.
Let him that hath understanding count
the number of the beast; for it is the
number of a man. and his number is
six hundred three score and six"
Tho clergyman figured that six hun
dred three score and six could not
mean years because that was not the
for that was the age of boy; there
fore, 1t must mean months. Reducing
this to years. he got flfty-fve and a
half years Believing that the beast
referred to represented the kaiser. his
next step was to find out how old the
was. The coincidence is inter-
esting, for the clergyman found that
the kaiser was born on the 9th of
January. 1859. and was therefore ex-
actly ffty-five and a half years old on
the day the war began.
Now, verse No. of the same chapter
says: And power was given unto
him to continue forty and two months"
Thus. the clergyman concludes, the war
will end on January 81. 1s1S-which is
tho kaisers birthday.
War Was Foretold.
OF the war. while numerous. are not SO
numerous as those predicting its occur
renee Nine Thcbes and Tolstoy are
two OF the better known 10 have created
astonishment by their fore
casts. The fact that Count Tolstoy was
pre tically dying when he made his pre-
diction has caused many people to regard
Il with supcrstitlous awe, but we are still
patiently waiting for the Napoleon from
The north" tho Monaghan Slav religious
and tho Latin hero OF art and
literature. Tolstoy's remarkable manu-
pcf1pt WAS not discovered by the public
until the war was far advanced, however.
and In the meantime hundreds Of better
had been issued. In the fall
n ira and the early part Of 1915. in fact
Il became the literary fad to have the
editor write a preface in ones books. call
ing attention to the wonderful insight of
The author. whose book was in the hands
" the publisher just month or six weeks
be fors the war.
Occasionaiiy. though. one comes upon a
prophecy which, by a coincidence or series
81 condolences. Ia indeed remarkable. II |
not startling. Such Is the forecast made
By n German astroioger OF the court of
William OF Germany. which is said to be
Inkon seriously by the German people.
The story goes that the first William
Isksd the astrologer II he would be King
81 Prussia. II was then 1873. Tba