The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-09
PRESS ON THE EARTHQUAKE

1t takes an exceptionally violent ca tastrophe to shake it out of its calm. The recent earthquake, or series of ouakes, in Japan was of nature sui ficiently horrible to move the entire world to compassion and regret Even now, moro than B week after the first news came, there Is uncertainty how many met death in this gigantic dis aster. It may be more than two huE- dred thousand; it may be less. Mere exactness of figures will not detItsct from the worldwide feeling of awe and sympathy in the wake of natures ma Ggnant manifestation The sentiment in the United States at once displayed itself in prompt shipment of supplies and succor to the stricken cities, and in immediate subscription of hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Red Cross, which is at all times automati- cally charged with the duty of prompt ly conveying American relief to hu- man unfortunates no matter where they may<dwen-
 That earthquakes are no novelty in Japan is perhaps not realized by the average American, but the Philadel- phia Public Ledger says that Gin Japan records kept over a period of eight years showed 8,831 shocks, an average of three per day. Nippon is the land of shaking earth, but it is doubtful if it has ever known one as terrible, far reaching and devastating as that which laid Tokio, it's capital, and Yokohama, its. great seaport, in broken and blaz- ing ruin The most congested and the most modern part of Japan has been shaken, probably with great loss of life, due to collapsing of modern types of steel, concrete and stone structures. The old Japan kept to low and lightly constructed buildings; but civilization and industrialism made other demands and the Japanese met them" That the fatalities and destruction were not principally due to the modern type of construction, however, is the view of the Kansas City Star; "The fragile structure of Japanese buildings, es- pecially residences, and the inflamma- ble material used, afford little resist ance to assaults of the clements" :" Later dispatches told of wholesale loss ,f life of people entrapped by fire, which supports the theory of the Star. It is said that the highest of Japanese hn off
 ern type do not exceed five stories.
 The responsibility always felt by tho American people to bear aid in a mortal crisis is put into words by the Chicago Tribune: "In Japan's desoya- ton is Americas opportunity to provo friendship far greater than words. The friendship of diplomacy is weak thing, hanging upon phrases. A friend ship of deeds and of service now can reveal the heart of America to tho heart of Japan in manner which no treaty ever conceived could do. They have the worlds sincere pity. They must have the worlds help" Likewise the Atlanta Constitution: "While the heart of the world pours out it's sym pathy, the purses of the nationals of all countries will open literally to the great tasks of relief and rehabilita- tion." More cynical is the mood of the Memphis Commercial-Appea "0ur sympathies will go out to the stricken Japanese and our hands will do all they can to relieve their suffer- ing during the trying days that are. But in few, more weeks we will, no doubt, fall back into the same rut of suspicion, jealousies and hatred We will forget entirely that today it may be for Japan and tomorrow it may be for us. The spirit of mortal will con tinue to be proud without reason or explanation therefor"
 The Savannah News is moved to philosophical reflection: ''How quickly natural forces may undo what it has taken man many years to build. They sweep away his monuments, his home, his streets and parks, his laboriously constructed buildings, as easily as the 7 take his own life. One moment Tokio is beautiful city; the next it is n mass of cinders and wreckage. One day Yokohama is proud of it's great docks, it's mountains of silk awaiting export, its places for recreation, it's fine buildings, and the next 1t is a tumbledown ruin where mourners sit. When nature strikes such blows, it is time for men to put an end to quar- rels, and to learn to live together in peace-to stop thinking of making ruins and ending lives" In similar vein the Cleveland Plain Dealer: "Nothing can wipe out the memory CT soften the horror of such disaster or make good the tremendous loss cf life. It is some recompense, however, to know that in the face of such vis- itation national and racial groups are merged into a single brotherhood. The hope of the world even yet is that