Evening star., 1932-01-02
Highligghts on the Wide World
Excerpts From Newspapers of Other Lands

tributing the destruction Of our city
last Spring to the earthquake and not
the flames. Even on the basis of this
technicality. there is no equity in
urging such reputation, for In the
case Of Managua the quake may be
said just as truly to have precipitated
the final catastrophe wrought by the
fire as if 1t had been instead, a lighted
match accidentally dropped into a heap
of straw. Had there been no fire
many would not have sought to realize
on their policies. But there was a
fire and its cause was the earthquake
not the match-and so policyholders
Justly feel entitled 10 be paid.
y y
Unsafe Vehicles
Banned to Protect Public.
El Universal, Mexico.-Unsafe and
antiquated vehicles are to be barred
the use of the streets by order of the
Consejo Concultivo Consulting Coun-
ciD of the city. Trucks, automobiles,
busseS and horse-draWn conveyances
must all submit to periodical inspec-
tionS to make sure that they offer no
potential jeopardieS, through weakness
case of private vehicles, to the owners
and drivers. Besides increasing the
safety factor In traffic, the relegation
of many unsightly vehicles to oblivion
will greatly enhance the dignity and
beauty of the thoroughfares. Many of
these equipages have long been an of
fense to our eyes.
X X X y
Cook Book" Gives
Formulas for Poison Gases.
Berliner Tageblatt-Herr Stoltzen-
berg, the manufacturer Of Hamburg,
widely known through the series of
ead-poisoning mischances in his fac
tory, in 1928, a short time ago pub
lished, in his own print shop, series
of essays entitled Prescriptions for
Potent PoiSons."
This booklet of 10 pages, which at
first was sold for the high price OF
more than 20 marks, is nothing less
than q cook book" for the manufac-
turing of deadly campaign gases; q
kitchen guide for the concoction of
aSphyXiating vaporS, enabling every
amateurish dilettante to produce these
peStilences in the privacy Of his own
dwelling
All of which goes to show that the
phenomena of gases and poisons did
not cease to have their charm and in
terest when the war ended and that
the frightfulness of that epoch is apt
to be revived on larger or smaller
scale when the noviceS in chemistry,
residing in every dwelling, or apart
ment house, begin to get their hands
proficient in the new art. For Herr
Stoltzenberg is not satisfied with dis
tributing new formulas for poison gas
at a very attractive figure. He supple
ments his "coOk book" with price
list which quotes the necessary in
gradients at quite reasonable rates and
enumerates the utensils reqtired which
he also is in a position to furnish at
short notice. Ali that one has to do,
therefore, after procuring the chem
icals and the retorts, cauldrons, tanks,
crucibler reservoirs, etc, is to follow
carefully the instructions in Herr
Stoltzenberg's handy compendlum ana
the result will be "Blue-A' Green-X,
"Yellow-X," or LewiSite, according TO
II NAV be remarked here, however,
that the prices on Herr Stoltzenberg's
cooking apDaratus are about flve times
as much as a laboratory chemist would
expect tn nav for the same articles
and so The domestic concocting Of
poison aas NAV be comparatively re-
stricted desnite the fact that Herr
StoItzenhero now virtually gives away
his Cook Rook" However, an expert
rnenter who has a laboratory already
equipped would be aoie 10 tnaks oceans @
of most any variety OF poison gas very
reasonably.