Evening star., 1933-04-03
Spirit of California Lauded
AS Quake Results Are Seen

took all by surprise, as such major DEM
onstrations always do, and for most Of
the population 1t was q new experience,
but the area lost no time in pulling
itself together. Perhaps one Of the
principal reasons for this quick recovery
Is the fact that Southern California Ia
populated largely by people from other
sections Of the country who, before
coming here, have had considerable
previous experience with Dame Nature
in the prima donna mood Tornado,
electric storm, cloudburst and even the
extremes Of heat and cold, to all Of
which this area Is singularly immune,
all wreak more havoc In the course of
year and take larger toll of life.
The tornado, twister. cyclone and even
severe windstorm cleave paths Of vary
ing length and breadth and Of almost
complete destruction. It Is only
natural to assume that an area peo-
pied by men and women who have
spent a portion of their lives in sec
tions visited yearly by either or all Of
these hazards, a people who in many
cases have come to Southern California
to escape them, should refuse to be-
come panic-stricken at an earthquake"
Within day after the shock" says
the Oakland Tribune, business shops
were open and commerce was proceed
ing. Long Beach reports flood Of new
building permits and a steady dwindling
of the tent population. In the DISPOSE
ton to summon the best of expert ad-
vice as to construction for the future
and in the publication of the report OF
the unprejudiced scientists which show
the shock itself was not a major one.
the Southland. without minimizing the
damage sustained, has informed the
public Of defects and rallied support to
q program to minimize possibilities Of
damage in the future"
Quoting preliminary reports of the
earthquake as showing that though
modern brick buildings Of three and
four stories went through the experience
without suffering material damage,
there we're many old brick buildings in
the district" the New York Sun points
out that because of the effect of the
repeated shocks on these buildings, it
is reported that brick masonry received
q black mark" The Sun adds: Small
frame houses in general suffered little
material damage. Buildings of con-
crete masonry, In general, we're only
superficially damaged: all the principal
structural frame buildings were es-
sentially undamaged, and this was as
true Of those built of structural steel
as of those built of reinforced concrete"
That paper also refers to the fact that
II the shock had come a few hours
earlier, 'loSs of life would have been
appalling in the schools"
A State measure for investigation of
the schools of Los Angeles County, di-
rected to the question of responsibility
for construction faults. is discussed by
the San Francisco Chronicle, with a
demand for investigation of the schools
OF the whole State, ito make sure that
none of the other counties will some
day find themselves in the position of
Los Angeles Noting an expert state
ment that architectural work placed
over school entrances caused much of
the damage" the Milwaukee Sentinel
concludes that competent architects
and engineers should have seen that
mistake" The Boise Idaho Statesman
feels that ''it Is difficult to cast aside
the suspicion OF graft and corrup-
tion," while the Toledo Blade feels
that. ''as new school buildings fen an
Long Beach. the reason may be found
In human error and human greed"