Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-11-12
Higghlights on the Wide World
Excerpts From Newspapers of Other Lands

OoLOGNE GAzETTE.-Morgen.
stern, the modern poet and wit
relates in enc of his divertine
- compositions how Korf was
run over by motor car, and
having to lie long time in the hos
pital, had plenty of leisure to reflect
upon his misfortune These medita-
tons led him ultimately to the convic-
ton that the motor car had no right
to be at the point where the accident
happened, and that If it had not been
where 1t had no right to be he would
not have been run over
We'll so schliesst er messerscharf.
! Mlsns SCI sem kann: was nieht sein DART"
Nothing can happen that ought not
And SO Korf derives what comfort
ne can from imagining that he had
not been run over at all
This same cheering doctrine has
been adopted in Russia-the land where
there are no calamitieS or accidents
An earthquake would be admitted,
should one occur, but nothing else ex-
cept, perhaps, one railroad wreck a
year when in reality there are scores.
Strange, this reticence on the part of
the Russians But they are unwilling
that any notion that all is not well in
the U. S. s r. should reach the outside
world. And so reports of mischances or
cataStrophes, Of small import or great,
are either not sent forth at all, or are
so poDiated that rather serious and
dreadful mischanceS would never be
recognized from their mild descriptions.
In Moscow there had been a long
spell of dry, hot weather. And then,
one day, the regimental barracks adj
joining new ball-bearing factory burns
down. Vast clouds of black smoke roll
heavenward. The factory is in danger
flames envelop its walls-panes in the
windows crack with the heat-and the
firemen devote all their efforts to saw
ing that valuable building. The bar
racks Of the poor soldiery, their only
shelter, is allowed to be consumed with
the flames. Six thousand men are
homeless, II this old, wretched, vermin
infested barn could properly be called
a home. The factory, too, is badly
damaged.
On one side destruction the
other, misery.
There may be information in the
Russian newspapers regarding these
reVerses, but for the foreign press there
Is none. There is a censor for tele-
grams in Moscow, and he will not con-
cede that such happenings can have
any interest for foreign journals. Pos
Sibly the destruction of the barracks
may be acknowledged, but the damage
to the ball-bearing factory-no, that
cannot bel
A street car Is derailed and turns
over on sharp curve in the Theater
Square; some people are killed, and
many wounded. There is a confusion
of splintered wood, broken glass, bleed
ing bodies and screaming women. The
foreign correspondent promptly writes a
telegram to his paper. to arouse SYM
pathetic interest. But the telegram
never leaves Moscow He is officially
advised that the accident does not war
rant such lurid description Only a
few were injured, and but slightly
Crimes, accidents, disasters, unfortu-
nately not few. are matters only of local
concern. No need to bruit these en-
barrassing contingencies throughout the
world. Other countries have their
troubles, too. Korf's logic holds good
here. Things that ought not to happen
may be comfortably considered as not
having happened. A little imagination
can work wondersl And Russia, there
fore, is the land where there are no
misfortunesl