The Washington times., 1932-02-04
Not Positively


fellows. GILBERT sEiOEs
Not Positively
1t was quite extraordinary that Is years earlier when
the bigger and better animals had stopped eating one
another all the beasts got together and decided that
these mutual eatngs were against public policy For
thing the side that ate NEST of its opponents
usually got fearfully sick. The ants, black and red
nodded their agreement but it they did not say
Positively" Perhaps the word didn't exist in the red
ant language, and the black ants were busy at the
moment
Help Wanted
STILL it seemed strange that when they decided to
start eating again they should be able to do the world
so much good It almost too good to be true. The
moment the red ants started after the black they
needed variety of things. They needed, shall say
quantities of straw, because they always used straw
to knock down black ants before eating them. And the
black ants needed perhaps buttons because they used
buttons as shields against the straws. And, by
Incidence, eagle suffering from glu of straw
it had much straw that the srawgroWers starV
ing. And there the lions oversupply of buttons
Besides both red and black ants fed little grains of
wheat of which there far too much in the world
and for stimulation going into battle, both sides
used tiny dark seeds which were grown millions of
yards away and had to be carried by boats and trains
And, oddly enough, there plenty of wood and ore
to make the little boats and the trains, and men ready
to put them together.
You would have thought, then, that the other animals
would have done their best to bad blood between
the red ants and the black all the red
ate the black nearly, at the same
time all the red ants, nearly ALL eaten half
eaten by the bac-even then who cares? None of the
ants had suffered much in the eating contest of Is
years ago; let them have their chance.
Not Success
It was terribly unofficial eating contest up to GER
tain point Some of the other animals had great meet
ing and shook their heads; the bald eagle shook its
claws But the struggle between the black ants and the
red ants good business it nobodys business
The amazing thing is that didn't turn out awfuly
the end A few eagletS and lion cubs and the
like had been visiting the black ants and in the scung
of these had been hurt and their dens and burrows
had been smashed Their parents had to protect them
.. .one word led to another and presently all the
animals eating another again.
Not So Human
There was, to be sure, moment when it seemed pos
sble that the eating contest would be limited to the
two ants. But shucks! the thing got out of hand.
Animals lack human intelligence; they don't know when
they we'll off, And the moment they hear cry of
triumph they to the spot peer about, make them
selves officious and presently eating being eaten
themselves.
That is the difference between animals and human
beings The human beings the masters of creation
the highest level to which divine power has reached on
earth. That is why like that between the ants
could never happen between Japan and China, and
if it did happen human beings would be too noble to
take advantage of it and too intelligent to be drawn
into it. What comfort it is, little ones to be human
being instead of black ant, red