Evening star., 1948-03-05
Group Interests Condemned

To the Editor of The Star: e.
Today We Americans are drifting into the
pitfalI into which European countries plunged
some years ago. namely, the formation of
distinct parties to accomplish group or other
selfish purposes. In some OF the European
countries there were, before the war, as many
as dozen parties. all pulling for some special
group interest. The common public interest,
which must be regarded and respected, If
country is to continue on a peaceful course,
had long since been discarded, and is one Of
the bases OF the constant turmoil in that
unhappy sector of the world, and will be its
complete undoing If 1t is not discarded.
Our press daily refers to some group action,
action ignoring the long term or common in
terest 1t tells of the politicians catering to this
or that group interest, irrespective Of what
the long term interest of the country may be.
1t seems that few of our politicians are willing
to sacrifice themselves for the common good
the real ONCE of statesman, as distinguished
from that Of = politician when that word is
used in an invidious sense, as must be the case,
mostly, in late years.
GEORGE W. WILLIAMS.
Egyptians Civilized in 10000 B. c.?
To the Editor of The Star:
The editorial published March under the
caption, The Oldest Civilizati tion," is interest
ing because it relates to the grandest story of
all, that of the rise of mankind from savagery
to civilization, undergoing what Dr.. James
Henry Breasted called 1.-The great trans
formation" and thereby creating something
new: The world Of moral values. But Won
der if there is not some confusion of dates
A Ioor nf civil otiopSo rocpnt1v
have been reported but the reports seem to
overlook certain facts.
When you consider that our present calen-
dar, introduced to the Greco-Roman world by
julius Caesar and reformed by Pope Gregory
XIII, in February, 1882. was put into operation
by the Egyptians in 1896 Be, you begin to
look askance upon claims OF chronological
priority made for civilizations estimated to
have arisen about 1000 BIC, or even earlier
by 1000 years.
The year 1896 BIC. is historys earliest re-
corded date. But it argues the existence Of
much earlier high state OF civilization. For the
working out of . solar calendar requires .
long period of observation of celestial phe-
nomena, the keeping of accurate records there
of, and no little skill in mathematics. 1t Is
quite an intellectual feat. There are peoples
living today who never did work 1t out (e.g,
the Chnese). Our own solar calendar proves
that Egyptian civilization antedated 1926 by
many centuries, with emphasis on the many.
In the Nile Delta, broken brick and pottery
have been brought up from depth of 80
feet 1t is known that the Nile deposits silt
at the rate of As inches in 100 years. Ninety
feet Is 1880 inches. Divide that by IS and
you have your answer in centuries 1t is $40.
So We know that rs early as approximately
$4,000 years ago the Egyptians were civilized
enough to be making brick and pottery. Knock
Oh the small matter of 1000 years to cover
errors If you like, and you still have 10000
years That makes any civilization which be-
gan anywhere around 1000 or 5000, or 5000
years ago look like the merest parvenu
A. A. WILLIAMSON.