WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 149, 23 March 1928, Page 10

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

NOTES AT RANDOM

(By

T.D.H.)

Au Italian scientist has started foretelling earthquakes—but he doesn’t seem to have any pills ready to cure them.

Signor Bendandi, of Italy, who predicts earthquakes in various parts of the world within the next day or so, claims that his tips in l'J27 came off successfully, if that is the right word to use. What this gentleman bases his predictions on is not quite clear, but it seems to be sun spots. Europe’s most noted earthquake predicter has been the Abbe Moreaux, of the Observatory of Bruges, in Belgium. Much more, as a rule, has been heard of the learned Abbe’s predictions after the event than before them. He worked largely on the sun spot theory. Sun spots are blamed tor the weather nowadays, so why not for earthquakes as well.

In a little while, no doubt, American criminal lawyers, with millionaire clients in danger of the electric chair, will discover that their crimes were due to sun spots—and no American jury would ever dream of finding a millionaire guilty of anything, surely, when it was demonstrated that solar activity had upset bis balance and caused him to hit his wife over the head with the poker, instead of merely throwing the dinner plates at her. Whether Signor Bendandi bases his earthquake predictions on sun spots is not definitely stated, but there seem to be plenty of sun spots visible at present, as Air. G. V. Hudson reported the other day.

It is stated that the Abbe Moreaux the day before the great San Francisco earthquake in 1906 published in the Paris edition of the “New York Herald” a warning of that. event. The abbe is said also to have foretold the Messina earthquake several days in advance. During the wat, like most of the people of Belgium, he was busy with more imemdiate troubles than spotting earthquakes due in foreign parts, but it is claimed that he has accurately foretold all the big post-war shakes. Whether the abbe has ever predicted earthquakes that have failed to arrive, and what is his batting average are points on which the articles about the reverend gentleman are unfortunately silent. « « « Professor Omori of Japan is said to have been another successful earthquake prophet. In March, 1922, he is stated to have forecast seven shocks in Japan within six years, and the great Tokio shake of 1923 followed. Six years, however, gives a pretty wide margin for something or other to occur in a country so subject to quakes as Japan. Heavy rainfall and the absence of severe shakes were apparently leading factors on which Professor Omori based his prediction. The professor is claimed also to have predicted tiie San Francisco and Chilian earthquakes of 1906, but with what exactitude does not appear from the matter at hand. Nor is it very clear how much the sufferers by those disasters could have benefited from his prophecies.

With Signor Bendandi cheering us up with predictions of earthquakes this month and next it is interesting to recall that the industrious gentleman who has been discovering the secrets of the future by measuring the inside of the Great Pyramid has some great event preliminary to the end of the world due for Alav 29. The next month or two thus promises to be eventful, and The Dominion should be ordered in advance. >So far as we can gather (from the Pyramid plan the end of the earth Happens along about August 19 or 20, 1953. Meanwhile something rather worse than the late war seems to be due on May 29. and will carry on. until September 16, 1936.

When the pyramid prophets started cut measuring its passages they got along nicely with 4001 B.C. down at the bottom corner-stone for the startingoff point in accordance with Bishop Ussher’s marginal note in the Authorised Version of the Scriptures. The scale was determined as a “pyramid inch to a vear. Unluckily, nothing showed up for the Great War on this scale, but it was found to fit in very mcelv if the scale at a certain point was changed to a month to a “pyramid inch.” There seems to have been a lot of events in mankind’s history since 4004. B.C. with nothing to indicate them inside the Great 'Pyramid, hut the pyramid exnerts apparently have felt that the Great War anvhow deserved a start, even.it the scale had to be changed to get it in.

One of life’s little mysteries is just how much better off everybody is going to be for knowing that the earth is due to end up on August 19-20, 1953, or any other date. It will be a momentous event, no doubt, when it arrives, but it takes a lot more faith than we can muster up to believe that the pyramid experts will receive preferential treatment in the next world for being all dressed up and waiting on the roof on the night of August 19-20, 1953.

Immense sums are expended by business houses in the United States each year in inducing people to throw away articles still useful and buy something else in their place. Thousands of homes, for instance, have discarded sound saucepans because thev were not bright yellow, and thus did not give the desired “accent” in the kitchen colour scheme. “Art principles in selling” are now all the vogue, and the whole country is infected to such an extent by the beauty fever that nothing will stop

The magnificent achievements of advertising art in the United States are well known to everyone who picks up an American magazine. It is interesting to iearn that the manufacturer is nowconsidered to have just about caught up on their art advertisements. This 1 was not the case for some years, for customers were disappointed when they ■ ordered the exquisite breakfast hood ; pictured in brilliant colours on a shiny, appetising page and found it to be the ■ same old “hav.” Now, it is reported,, this is all altered. Designers, chemists,, and in fact all kinds c*f experts have been called in to make the product ■ come up to its picture, and soon, it is promised, everything will be as good ■ as it looks in' the picture. Thus the • world moves on. Caller: “Aly husband is a hypochon- ’ dtiac.” „ , . .1 “How nice! Aline is a Rotarian and a Druid.” Difficult Customer: “T can’t remember the name of the car I want—l think it starts with ‘T.’ ” Exasperated Salesman: “Aladam, all cur cars start with petrol.” SO. WE’LL GO NO MORE A ROVING. So. we’ll go no more a roving So late into the night, Though the heart be still as loving, And the moon be still as bright. For the sword outwears its sheath, And the soul wears out the breast, And the heart must pause to breathe, And love itself have rest. Thotmh the night was made for loving, And the dav returns too soon, Yet we’ll "o no more a roving By the light of the moon. 1 ° —Byron.