The Washington times., 1924-07-16
LEADERS
! Of TEN SLAVES
To FEARS
InteIlectuals Have Bowed Be-
fore ''Dictstes" Of the
Supernatural
b. MARGERY REX

BY MARGERY REX
Written for International News
Servic6.l
NEW YORK, July l6.- Supersti
ton has another slave.
Giovanni Papini has disappointed
America.
Long awaited az lecturer at
Columbia University, he has failed
that institution. scathing critic Of
things American, the great author,
notably Of the Life Of Chris, =
win continue to denounce us from
a distance.
The sayant II superstitious. The
teacher q . fraidcat.
Il he should come to the United
States death would surely claim
him just as 1t took OFF his dihtin.
Iguished countrywoman, Duse. That
= what the highly intellectual man
fears.
And he is by no means the first
person OF intellect or high position
to be victim OF superstition.
Belief in signs, talismans and
lucky numbers Is not confined to
the illiterate. Princes and their
professors, as well as poets and
peasants. hand down strange folk.
lore of countries.
Ghosts strut In full 'parapherna-
lila for the learned master OF the
house as readily az for his humble
lretairers.
Peasants are often afraid.
But 30 are the Papinis.
Egyptian Curse Upheld.
When Lord Carnarvon died Of an
insect bite, after exploring tho
tomb Of King Tut.ankh.Anen in
the Valley Of the Kings, many per
sons said he fell victim Of an
ancient Egyptian curse awaiting
those who desecrate tomba. Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle. famous au-
thor and student OF the occult. was
inclined to accept the superstitious
idea that the poison lay in the
curse and not in the bite.
Then there Is the weird gray
raven OF the EIysee Palace that
flutters around the French white
House every once in a while to
the intense horror Of the present
the bird called ana croaked wearilys
Shortly afterward the revolutionary
mobs made life a burden to the
Queen, and she was finally led TO
the guillotine.
Empress Eugenie saw the hate.
full gray bird, which she knew
''meant the girl no good" Since
Napoleon had such extremely hard
luck In his conquering business. It
Is reasonable to suppose that
Marie, his second wife, must have
really heard or seen the bird, as
she claimed, and Is responsible for
starting the superstition.
Popular Superstitions.
There IL scarcely anyone who
win not knock wood" after the
says, 81 have good job" or 'I
have written q new song which viii
knock them dead" or 81 just met
someone that is crazy about me. :"
because he fears, for some reason,
II he expresses pleasure or con-
fidence without paying the tribute
to superstition Of touching wood,
that something viii change the luck
from good to bad.
The late President Faure. OF
France, had q call from the raven
and later died in the notorious
Nine. Steinhell's apartment, which
made ever so many of the popu-
lace say, See, told you so!'' SO
II Is not surprising that when
Poincare. heard the winged visitor
croak few years ago that he ex-
pected trouble in double doses.
Superstition, q good authority
states, Is shat which others be-
lieve and what we do not" The
religion Of our friend, II differing
radically from our own, seems to
US a superstition.
"In the heart Of nearly every
human being" the Encyclopedias
Americana goes on savage or
civilized, exists q settled convic.
ton that he dwells in the midst
Of an unseen world peopled with
beings of strange powers, who
thwart the plans Of his own life
or assist him in his endeavors."