Evening star., 1944-09-12
This and That
By Charles Z. TrdceUell.
ARLINGTON, Va.


Dear Sir:
Your recent article on bats came at
a very opportune time rs we we're en-
tertaining one that evening. He few
around the living room and finally lit
on one of the curtains. One OF the
cats climbed up the curtain and caught
him. He squealed like q mouse as she
carried him out to the glassed-in porch
and dropped him. We closed him up
out there and thought he was gone the
next morning. as We could find him no
where. But that night after dark out
he sailed again from his hiding place.
A man who has had considerable ex-
perience with bats said the best way to
get rid Of them was to close them up
in one room and leave a window open
and eventually they would fly out. We
got him on the porch again that night,
closed it of from the living room and
opened the screens. He must have flown
out during the night as that was the
last we saw of him.
Very truly yours, r. r."
We are glad that this correspondent
took this means Of getting rid of the bat.
some very good persons-never thinks Of
anything but killing the creature.
There is too much killing in the
world, as it Is.
One has but to think OF human
slaughter, as exemplified in wars. and
then add to 1t all the animals trapped
and killed for furs, and all the living
things killed for food, to realize some-
thing of the immensity Of the killing
done by man.
This is, of course, our animal heritage.
But killing, with the poor brutes, is
the only way many Of them know to get
something to eat.
With us it is or ought to be different
We know ways of getting food without
killing. Protein may be derived from
eggs and milk. and is found to some
extent in all vegetables and cereals. We
would have to eat more food, but the
bulk ought to be good for us.
Yet any one who advocates the disuse
of animals as foodstuffs is looked upon
as crank of the first water. At the
least he is regarded as a harmless
wight who somehow allows his senti-
ments to run away with him.
The truth Is. it would seem. that men
like to kill. (This includes the female
OF the species, too) At times it seems
TO be necessary to kill as when at
tackled. All ones humanitarian in
stincts, if any, go overheard when some
one comes running at you with murder
In his eyes, and this whether it is
blood-thirsty individual or blood
thirsty nation.
Then the red welter of SLAUGHTER
comes into ones heart and ones mind.
Nature has seen to that. It is partly
physical phenomenon, now very accu-
rately traced and described by scien-
lists. Partly it is mental, partly it Is
Supermental, or instinct, running back
through the ages. Without it, we would
not be here. If we ever lose it, we will
become slaves OF those who have not
lost it,
But with bats in the house at night
1t is entirely different. They are man,
mails out of place, it is true, but that is
no reason for Staying them. 1t is much
better to let them find their way out, or
to knock them down and carry them out
The spectacle of an intelligent human
stomping on them or beating them to
death with broom or baseball bat is
not necessary at all. How can we ever
have universal peace, If we cannot
recognize the good the harmless bat
does?
Outdoors, where he belongs. he con-
sumes hundreds of inimical insects. Our
real warfare should be against insects
If we do not devote more of our in
telligence, time and money to their de-
struction, they will conquer us someday.
Eminent scientists have told us this for
years. but we have paid no attention to
them. 1--WE were told of the japanese
menace for years-and we paid no at
tention to that, either)
Let us fight and kill insects and rats,
and other creatures which are really de-
structive to us. but let us let alone
the necessary innocent bat. which is
really one of the wonders of the world,
mammal which could fly thousands Of
years before humans got around to 1t.
r ~