The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-01-23
(London Globe)

The war has had remarkable eff
feet in increasing superstition in a
variety OF phases, as well as in great
ly stimulating the universal desire to
lift the veil that separates the visible
from the unseen world. The extent
to which this desire has gripped a
large portion Of the public is seen in
the unprecedented prosperity of that
numerous body of charlatans who pro-
fess to tell fortunes, and to act as in
termedaries between their credulous
clients and those who have fallen.
OF all the forms of superstition &C
centuated by the war, the most uni
versal is the belief in charms, mas
cots, and talismans of every descrip
ton. Many charms, of course, are Of
religious nature, bestowed on our
soldiers in all piety and seriousness
by members Of he Roman Catholic
faith. Some, indeed, who are not of
the Roman persuasion, also reverently
treasure sacred relic as a talisman,
and the Rev. w. J. Dawson. in a note
to his sons letters. recently published
under the title of Khaki Courage,
narrates how Lieutenant Coningsby
Dawson wrote asking if they could
not send him something to hang
round his neck for luck" In response
his father sent him a small bronze
cross Of Francis of Assist, one of four
he had received from the monks when
visiting Assist many years ago, with
the assurance that those who wore
them were securely defended in all
peril by the efficacious prayers of ST
Francis. The young officer strung the
cross round his neck. and in a sub
sequent letter we read: "Was it this
cross the other night that accounted
for my luck? l was in a gun-pit when
shell landed, killing a man only a
foot from me and wounding three
others. ! and the sergeant were the
only two to get out all right" And
many similar stories of happy faith
in the luck-bringing mascot might be
quoted.
Editor Points Out Trend
An interesting expression of opinion
on this topic was given to a Globe rep
resentative by Ralph Shirley, the edit
or of the Occult Review. who enjoys
unique position for gauging the trend
of public though in such matters "Ev-
cry war" said Mr.. Shirley, tends to
an outburst of superstition. 1t has al
ways been the case that when thera
was a great crisis in the world, people
have realized their own impotence in
the face of fate, and have looked round
for outside help; hence we see the
popularity of charms. There was an
outburst of superstition In Athens at
the time Of the great plague"
In reply to a question as to whether
he thought there was a greater de-
mand than ever for books dealing with
the occult Mr.. Shirley said he be-
lieved that the sale of occult literature
had recently not been so great as be-
fore the var, but interest in psychical
research had been quickened immense
ly. People were beginning to believe
in 1t before the outbreak of the present
conflict, and hence the phenomenal
sales Of books on such subjects.
There is a great anxiety" he said,
ito know whether another world does
exist, and whether ones relatives can
be communicated with. and it Is this
desire, l believe, which accounts for
SO many people flocking to the So
called fortune tellers'"
Passing to the popular belief in
omens and portents, Mr.. Shirley re-
called how greedily these were swal-
lowed at the opening of the war, in
stancing the story of the angels at
Mons and similar tales that hailed
from Russia. He had been at the pains
himself to collect the records from the
press of several remarkable incidenty
that happened before the war which,
in the light of subsequent events,
assumed the significance of omens.
Thus, at the celebration of Sedan day
on September /, 1911. in the Saxon
town of Artern, hundreds of the in
habitants were gathered in the square,
in the center of which is Bismarck's
statue, when suddenly the sword
dropped from the statues hand and
fell noisily to the ground. The fall of
the sword was followed Immediately
by that of the sword-arm of the i'm
peria chancellor. In the following
year the Balkan war. the precursor Of
the present crisis, broke out.
Etatue Overthrow.
About the same time, or shortly af
forwards, as the result Of the earth
quake that took place on the CONT
nent Of Europe, a colossal statue of
Germania at Constantinople was over
thrown. An even more significant re-
suit of the earthquake was the rending
of the solid masonry Of the towers of
the Burg Eiohenzollern. the ancestral
castle of the reigning house.
An incident which was regarded at
the time as an omen of dire evil for
Belgium was the cracking Of the fam
Gus Rouland bell in the belfry at
Client, as it had been held for many
centuries to symbolic the spirit of
Flemish liberty. When being rung one
day the bell cracked and broke in
two. Another interesting incident
which may be included in these war
omens is recorded by Mr.. Shirley con-
corning the Lake Of Blood, near Luz |