Evening star., 1927-11-22
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

yet this has nothing to do with the
League Of Nations and it is not GOV.
cred by the Monroe Doctrine.
| X x 4
The motto of the Knights of the
Golden Fleece is inspiring-to Latin
scholars. 1t is "Pretium laborum non
vile. which, being interpreted, means
The reward of labor is not cheap"
| Ihat does not refer to high wages of
unionists. The slogan was meant to
inspire the early knights with the idea
that 1t they hustled they would reap
rich reWards--or at least their SOW.
| ereiSnS would.
| Ihe order was founded by Philip III,
Duke of Burgundy and the Neither.
lands. at Bruges, in 1929, to celebrate
MS marriage with Isabella, daughter
or King John l of Portugal. II was
an order of highest rank, with the
original membership of only "a
knights. Today neither Portugal nor
| the Netherlands has any connection
with it. The golden fleece" was the
skin of eoat-a mythical goat of an.
cient Greek mythology. goat with
wings of gold, which could outf1y anv
| modern aviator ace. That symbolic
animal was chosen because it repre-.
sented ancient chivalry.
| History relates that Jason had lost
ms throne, even as William of Two
Ewes, and he sought to regain it. The
gods told him that he could never
weld scepter until he brought back
the golden fleece, of unmeasured value.
| which nung in the treasure room of his
| powerful grandfather, King Cretheus.
so one of Jason's volunteer heroes
named Argus built great ship, under
the guidance Of the goddess of wis.
oom, Athena. and he named it the
ArSo: In that vessel band of heroes
salled 10 Cretheus' capital and offered
10 trade golden treasures for that
punch of goat hair. That was the
first Argonaut.
King Cretheus cunningly agreed to
surrender the fleece, provided the
Claimants would participate in a bull.
nsht with two fierce bulls which
pfeathed fire, tame the bulls and
hllcn them to plow, with which they
must ploW an acre and sow it with
| dragons teeth. The teeth would come
| up as armed warriors, whom the seek.
ers Tor the golden fleece must slav or
be slain by them.
Inc bullfight must have appealed
| 10 opaniards, but the fighting against
dragons teeth may have a deeper sig.
l1lilcance n TO-DAY for the ex-kings and
, Jason, the hero who sought the
golden fleece, and with it his Kingdom
was IN despair at the prospect OF
1eath hghting the warriors of the
dragons teeth. until Medea. the
daughter Of Cretheus, sent him com.
forting message bidding him to take
courage. to throw the teeth behind
MN and when they grew into war
! riors just to toss stone among
| them: That would end his troubles
tor the warriors then would turn to
| nghtlng each other until they were
| all DESTROYED.
x X X
Now that the scheme of the Span.
ish bullflght which is being planned
| by King Alfonso? Will the dethroned
Kings throw stones at the nations and
set them to opposing each other until
the golden fleece is won and thrones
! regained?
III Alfonso were a more formidable
| King himself one might we'll fear
that he was conspiring with the mod
ern dethroned princes to pull the
wool over the eyes" of the nations.
but who can conceive that Of Alfonso?
Is he a bolshevik?
Will Wilhelm dare leave Holland
Cor the Spanish feast? Out Of bounds
Will King George and the Kings and
vikings of Europe dare leave their
thrones to seek castles in Spain?
\nd If they do. and il and when
"1mebody tosses a stone or IAN apple
discord" into the worlds defenses,
. will the nations turn to rend each
other, instead Of protecting the peace
II humanity?
At all events. prudence warns
Sainst disarminS before seeing in
929 what becomes Of the golden
ieece and the dragons teeth of COM
lunistic ''internationaiism"
Copyright 1927 by Paul V. Colns.)