Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-09

Armchair adventures are moved to
fine flights OF fancy by the tale OF the
three Americans who, wrecked In the
Pacific while on a treaSure-hunt, spent
six months on an uninhabtted island.
Indeed some of the comments inspired
by this involuntary adventure turn
caustic over the apparent lack OF ap-
probation displayed by the lucky three
who were able to exchange the trials
and tribulations Of civilization for the
romance of life on tiny isle, SOC miles
from nowhere and once the rendezvous
of pirates.
"There is an island complex In the
minds Of men," thinks the Cincinnati
Times Star, recalling stories of "fortu-
nate isles, sunken isles, Amazon isles,
satyr isles, pirate isles" and other SINH
lar resorts for the figures OF the imag1-
nation. That paper feels that the true
story of the three American adventures
who were rescued by julius Fle1Scn-
mann and his Cincinnati-named yacht
is a tale Of universal interest" Recall
ing that the island has Ducaneer mem
cries. the TimeS-Star continues: DAM
pier is supposed to have buried Spanish
gold on Cocos in 1888, little Wnhe
before his famished crew, farlng farther
west, plotted to kill and barbecue their
leaders. Rival English treaSure-hunting
expeditions took arms against each
other there In 1905. On that lonely
spot, net far above the equator, these
Americans, subsisting for half a year
upon wild hogs, fish, cocoanutS, DerrteS,g
oranges and lemons, have revealed an
other chapter of human adaptability
and the romance of trackiess seas:
"Oh. happy isle!" exclaims the Dan
bury Evening News, with the query.
what schoolboy does not envy them?"
The News continues: Think of the joy
of those six months! They heard no
radio advertisement; not one political
speech bored them; they heard no
mention Of Al Capone; prohibition was
no problem; Japan and China were
only words for the caStaWays; olsar-
mament wasn't in their thoughts; the
British elections didn't exist in the
Island of Cocos, and neither Mussollnl
nor Stain cast pall!"
Il Il ~
Referring to some "enterprising indi-
yiduals in recent years who have en-
deayored to go Robinson CruSoe one
better" the Miami Daily News finds a
difference between the two classes OF ex-
periences. declaring: "It Is one thing to
embark on such an adventure after
great deal of calm mental preparation,
with rescue always so close That one
merely needs to walk to it, and FAR differ
emit to be dropped suddenly On an aban-
doned island of the beaten track,
where food is scarce, rescue very doubt
FIJI and rain seemingly eternal. Some
one should step forward now and ask
the crew of the West Wind which 10
books they longed for most at that ter.
rifying moment, and inevitably 1t Will
be suggested that they wouldn't take
nnillion for their experience or million
to 20 through it again But we sus-
pect they would"
'"These men," remarks the SPRING
field (Mass) Union, were SO anxious TO
escape the paradise OF loneliness and re-
turn to civilization that they swan
through infested waters to the
boat that came TO their rescue" The
Union adds: Many will wonder why
they longed to get back to c1villzatlon'
with rent to pay, raucous radios, tele-
phones. traffic hazards, politics, rumors
IF war depressions; from life of ease,
with nothing to do but sleep, eat, swim,
fish. play improvised golf. hunt wild
animals and let their whiskerS grow.
They may be criticized for not knowing
how well OH they were, but the fact re-
mains that they were glad to get away
from their life Of ease and lack OF re-
snonsibility to the exactions, hazards,
forrnalities and inconveniences Of civ
ilization reputed to be tottering OF its
own dead weight"
proclaining that adventure In dis
tant parts of the sea has long been the
choice of youth, with castaway as the
particular hSro," the st. Louis Times
concludes that suddenly the young
person finds that the case Is not hope
less" for these thres were lost