The Washington times., 1922-06-25
By GUGL MO FERRERO
ss (FannOus Italian HstOriaR)
Railroads Of Europe Suffering From Severe Malay Of 0c
dental Civilization Hangs This Mysterious nlncssMans Con-
quest of the Earth Hangs on Thread.

The conquest Of earth II sus-
pended. Railroads are no longer
being built. Many OF those already
built are rustins from disuss and
lack OF care. q
In Russia ths railroads which
were the consuming pride Of the
last century are the prey Of de-
vsstating negotiations. In EUROPE
the population can no longer null
tiply and enrich itself ~ in the
fifty preceding years.
America II precociousiy aging.
Africa again becomes black. Space.
which seemed vaiquished, is again
to have its iong-delayed revensei
-'But that would bs barbarisml
10 II possible to return to savag-
ery7" cry those believing In Him
ited and eternal progress.
Yes, for our epoch transporta-
ton 10 the emblem OF progress.
That which menaces transportation
At the same time appears to men
ace the security and the future Of
the universe. A world whose tIains
slow up In travel seems to M .
world in decadence.
: However. things are not 90 sim
pie and It would b dangerous to
measure the position OF civilization
exclusively by the time tables Of
the railroad companies. #t
DID you ever notice. for instance,
that even before the world, al.
though We believed implicitly In
the eternal progress Of civilization.
we were already lamentins the
decadence Of things: Of beauty. Of
morals. Of wisdom. Of authority, all
tha. which we can call sacred prop
ertyf !
We oscillate perpetually. without
understanding why. between the
pride Of progress and the despair
Of progress and the despair of de-
cline. without ever deciding
whether we are heading toward the
better or the worse.
Why? Simply because We 80 to
ward both at one and the same
time! Led heiplessly by the Jug
gernauts Of transportation we have
ourselves created. We are taken to
the submits Of human endeavor
and to the depths Of human de-
cline. ..,
Those things which we call mod.
ern civilization" are governed by
the same laws and all human
things; they cannot gain in distance
without losing In depth. ..-..s.
The Greek civilization before
Alexander was the most memoir
able example Of intensive civiliza-
ton. Who has visited Msridonai.
Italy. Greece. the Archipelago and
Asia Minor. knows how poor were
the lands and how limited the
scope was Of this early civilization.
How could the Greeks live. with
the feeble means Of transportation
which they possessed? II is diff
cult to understand.
GREEKS GREAT CREATORS.
Think-the America Of the Gre
clan world was Sicily! And yet Il
was in this nutshell that were
Graded the original arts-scuip.
ture. literature, architecture, phil
osophy and sciencei
Not only did the Greeks live, but
they created 20 many beautiful and
wonderful things that their works
will live to the end Of time.
The Roman empire was In an.
tiquity the most memorable ex.
ample of extensive civilization
During the two first centuries Of
our era the Romanism and HELEN
ism were founded and spread over
the face Of . great empire, but In
doing % they became diluted and
lost part Of their original force.
How many times in history 10
reproduced this succession of two
civilizations! p.
1t 10 now the eternal adventure
Of an civilizations which repeats
itself, immeasureably mangnified,
in q century OF gigantic proper
tions.
We are once again victims of an
Illusion Of seif.pride when we
imagine that We have conquered
space for eternity and that hence.
forth nothing may stop the exten.
sion Of our interests and the Dc.
veiopment OF our earth.
We have multiplied ana spread
throughout the world the proper.
ties Of life; we have therefore pro.
sressed. many Of these properties
have deteriorated, therefore We
have declined.
g There is the simple key to the
great mystery.
Idaho Convicts Are
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