The Press., 1922-10-05
WAR NEVER ENDS
Mankind Dare Not for a Moment
 'Iet Up" on Germs.
Sanitation Advances, but the Ingenious
 Microbe Invariably Robs Up In Another Way.

If you studied arithmetic from one of those Old-fashioned textbooks, you will remember the famous hunter who pursued the rabbit and gained during successive equal periods of time one half the distance that separated him from the rabbit. If you later de- velOped taste for allegOry, it prob ably occurred to you that this unend- ing pursuit was appropriately sym bOlic of humanECy, in pursuit of its ideals. The goal is never reached. even though constant progress is recorded.
 There is. for instance, mans struggle to Subdue his environment to his own ends. The beasts of the field are no longer general menace; i; savage tribes are largely subdued !; men are endeavOring now to prevent armed clashes between civilized na- tiOns. But the enemies of mankind are unwearying in their attacks upon him. If the birds, for example, should for some reason cease for d season to perform their mission of destroying insects, it is stated by some scientists, man would give over the planet to the thousand and-one varieties of insects that war against him.
 There are some individuals in this world who take this struggle seriously some who take it more seriously and some who take it most seriously. You have met, perhaps, some of the third class. These use their napkins to wipe the silver at a social dinner table, spread newspapers over the parlOr car seats and hold their hand kerchiefs over their noses when they ride in the subway. They are those who fear that some germ will get 'em yet
 The germ peril and it's avoidance is one of the triumphs of modern thought. It has developed into a science, called sanitation. Through It's findings many old friends have met disfavOr Yet. as we study it's dicta many old and close friends seem doomed to destruction and the pursuit of health and happiness, pestered al ways hy the wolf pack of germs, be- comes longer and longer and more and more perilOus.
 The public drinking cup. the public towel, the public brush and comb, dear to our grandparents, are doomed by the sanitation expert. The individual laundered fowl. fresh from & cabinet, seemed to answer his demand. But the individual towel had been in use only a short time when 1t was dis covered that the ironing that was sup posed to sterilize the towel did not kill the germs that carry bOils.
 Paper towels were soon thereafter introduced, and the public was once more convinced that the last word in sanitation had been said. But again some inQuisitive scientists made an and handles which one had to touch to obtain paper towel were occupied by millions of germs.
 To cope with this situation cab inet holder was invented which made 1t unnecessary for the user to touch any sort of a knob or handle in order to get his towel. Now, some one says there is probably a germ in the wood from which the cabinet is made.
 There's no rest for the weary. So far as any one knows, that hunter is still pursuing that rabbit and still gaining on him. He has all of hu- manity's irrepressible optimism. And so far as any one knows it will prob ably take the ingenious microbes only a year or two to hit upon some method of rendering any sanitary de- vice archaic.