The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-11-08


 EdsOn If c Ministry of Fun and SO forth were to be set up, this department, with tongue wad- ded in cheek, would like to suggest that the Mein Kampf" for propa- gandizing the faith of frolicsome- ness should be the prophecies ot Nostradamus. Maybe you're already up on this cult, but 1t was only last Sunday that the Washington, D. O.. supporters of the Free French hired themselves a hall and held Q benefit meeting during the course of whicl, 6 man made Q speech telling how this Nostradanius, way back about 1850, prophesied the rise and fall of the League of Nations, the com ing of Hitler and Mussolini, the building and capture of the Maginot line, the emergence of Petain, the part Q second A. D. P. would play, and-no kidding-the rise of the du Pont family as makers of munitions that would save the world.
 MEETING
 FOR MITTENS
 The meeting must have been . success, for the benefit raised $lI3.6o to buy wool to be knitted into things that could be sent to the Free French soldiers in Africa. What par- ticularly interested the Free French supporters In Washington, however, was the revelation that NostradaYnus had also predicted the coming of General Charles dc daulle.
 Against e background of potted palms and oak leaves dipped in henna dye, the speaker stood at 6 rostruil over which fell the tri- color in graceful folds with the Stars and Stripes on the left and the union jack on the right. He told how Nostradamus said 1t was all going to end. To let you in on the secret without further ado, the end isn't going to come till June, le5i, but when you consider that dce.er of medicine could write cryp- tic verses which would predict these things 400 years ago, you have to admit he was pretty good. The coun- try needs more men like this In government.
 Nostradamus wrote his stuff In quatrains. He was Q mystic sage, as well as doctor. His real name was Michael do Notre Dame, from whence Nostradamus. From his father he had inherited certain cryptic Egyptian words and these, with his natural born clairvoyance and Q few hypnotic drugs, enabled him to write these verses.
 Much that Nostradnmus wrote is still unintellihle. He used puns and anagraniS. PARIS he called STRAP. HITLER he calls HESTER. It's per- missible to change one letter in nn anagram, like cheating at solitaire, but NostradanauS got the word HESTER honestly. The old name of the Danube was the Mister, and that also went for e man of the Danube country. Hence Hitler, The du Pont family comes Into 1t through refer. enee to material du pont" which would be brought from the land of the farthest west. Aeroplanes were easy for him to predict as "mechan. isnas of flying fire" If more of these things could be figured out q lot more of Nostradamus would be made clear.
 ENTER
 DE GAULLE
 But old Nostradamus must have been pretty smart ct that for, ac- cording to his interpreters, q Free French translation of what he wrote figures out like this:
 The eastern wall (Maglnot line) will be conquered by shining metal (gold and fifth column bribery), and the enemy shall be at the gates of Strap (Paris) in seven days. He who is empty and vain (MussollniJ will come to rule land, raising a force in c march from Milan (Fascist march on Rome). But the red policy shall prevail (Commun- ist revolution).
 After the Republic shall be seen no more (fall of FTance) there shall be an aged leader (Petaln). But the coming of ail unsubdued leader Is heralded Chats dc oauiie) who shall not succumb to the invader. He will be established In Africa, come to Italy, cross the Alps and drive the invaders (oermany) back to their land. The red lConmunisrn) will spread to the republic (Erance) but hold onto your hats, boys - ir June, i0Bi, Q Bourbon prince will be crowned Henry the Fifth and peace will reign after force from the land of the faFthest west (second A. D. F) lands at Chalons and fights Q battle ct Biois.
 That's what the man said, any, way.