Evening star. [volume], April 11, 1955, Page A-10 *, Image 10

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MONDAY, April 11, ItU
Expensive Esthetic Considerations
The National Capital Planning Com
mission's stand on the issue of Potomac
bridge vs. Potomac tunnel is a sound one.
It has approved a bridge. It will study and
perhaps approve a tunnel, if the plans for
It are submitted. But it will take no part
In deciding whether, In view of certain
esthetic considerations, Congress should
spend S2B million more to dig a tunnel than
It would cost to build a bridge. That de
cision it is willing to leave to others.
The esthetic considerations—now valued
at S2B million—involve the proximity of the
proposed Constitution avenue bridge to the
Lincoln Memorial and the Memorial Bridge.
The Fine Arts Commission believes the
bridge would be an intrusion on the setting
of both. One reason the proposed new
bridge would be so near the Memorial
Bridge is that, if its site were moved up
stream, the bridge would then “intrude” on
the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Island.
There are a great many people who
prefer a beautiful bridge to a tunnel, and
who do not agree that a bridge would Injure
the setting either of the Lincoln Memorial
or the low-lying island presented to the
United States as a memorial to a great and
progressive President. If we have S2B mil
lion to play with, spending a fraction of it
to remove the hideous “temporary” build
ings defacing the Lincoln Memorial and its
surroundings in West Potomac Park would
be more appropriate than spending all of it
to burrow under the river.
Keep the Record Straight
A unanimous Second Circuit Court of
Appeals has upheld the recently enacted
Immunity statute in the case of William
Ludwig Ullman, and the legal question in
volved now moves on to the Supreme Court
for final determination.
Chief Judge Charles E. Clark wrote that
he concurred in the decision, “but regret
fully.” His regret presumably grew out of
his belief that the immunity statute tends
to dissipate the Fifth Amendment’s guar
antee against self-incrimination—a question
which still awaits final adjudication.
Chief Judge Clark, however, also wrote
this: “Practically, we know, no formal im
munity can protect a minority deviator from
society’s dooms when he departs from its
norms . . . Convictions so obtained (a pos
sible conviction of Ullman for perjury) and
punishment thus decreed cannot satisfy
either the needs or the ideology of a demo
cratic country committed to respect and
toleration for dissident minorities.”
It is hard to see how this rhetoric could
have any application to the real case against
William Ullman. A former Air Force major,
Ullman was brought before a Federal grand
jury Investigating a Washington wartime
espionage ring. Although granted immu
nity under the statute, he twice refused to
testify.
If this, in fact, did not grant him im
munity from self-incrimination, his con
viction for contempt of court cannot be per
mitted to stand. But this does not mean
that Ullman is a “minority deviator,” nor
that his case has anything to do with the
toleration of “dissident minorities.”
Canada's Fiscal Optimism
The Canadian Government is leading
from a confident estimate of the country’s
economic prospects in recommending a
broad program of tax reductions for the new
fiscal year. For although preliminary cal
culations for the 12 months to end next
March 30 indicate a modest deficit—sl6o
million—if the proposed lower tax rates are
adopted, the government foresees a steady
and substantial upward spiral of national
prosperity as justification for lowering the
tax burden. Briefly, the tax changes would
cut Individual income levies by an average
10 per cent, would reduce corporate Income
tax rates and would lower or cancel some
of the present excise taxes.
Basis for the Canadian optimism is a
projection of the gross national product—
the value of all goods and services. After
slumping very slightly last year from its
record high of 1953, this measurement of
national prosperity is expected to reach a
new peak of $26 billion in fiscal 1956, an
Increase of more than 5 per cent. Actually,
Canada’s slump last year was caused largely
by a wheat crop failure that resulted from
unusual weather conditions not expected to
prevail this year. In addition, certain trade
readjustments—with the United States and
abroad—hurt the Canadian situation tem
porarily but are believed under correction
now.
Broadly speaking, Canada is benefiting
from two Important economic developments.
One is the discovery and utilization of great
natural oil and mineral resources. Another
Is an industrialization that has made great
strides In the postwar years. Capital from
the United States has aided importantly In
A
this progress and the Dominion does, Indeed,
have real grounds for its optimistic view of
the future.
Sweet and Sour
The Kremlin has staged a mixed prop
aganda show of apparent conciliation and
toughness in its latest moves regarding an
Austrian settlement and Russia’s 20-year
treaties of friendship and alliance with
France and Britain. In the one case, there
has been a display of sweet reasonableness.
In the other, a kind of sour threatfulness
has been suggested. And the two things,
taken together, seem to add up to an effort
to befuddle the West with a simultaneous
demonstration of Soviet charm and Soviet
intimidation.
Thus, as far as Austria is concerned,
Foreign Minister Molotov—on the eve of his
Moscow talks with Chancellor Raab—has
personally declared to the top representa
tives of the Western Big Three that he
would regard as “unjust” any further delay
in concluding an Independence treaty for
that country. Further, piously ignoring the
fact that all the past delay has been caused
by Soviet intransigence, he has expressed
the “hope” that completion of such a treaty
will be possible “In the nearest future”—a
statement indicating that the Kremlin,
after having reneged for the past 10 years
on Its pledge to restore freedom to the
Austrians, may at last be willing to sign an
acceptable settlement.
However, lest anybody think that the
Soviet Union is getting soft, the Foreign
Ministry in Moscow—coincidentally with
Mr. Molotov’s remarks—has issued a state
ment declaring that the Kremlin has called
upon its rubber-stamp “parliament” to an
nul the treaties with France and Britain.
There is nothing surprising, of course, about
this action, nor does it seem to represent
more than a retaliatory propaganda ges
ture. After all, the two pacts—which were
worked out during the Second World War—
have been rather meaningless things for a
long time past. And their abrogation has
been expected ever since the Russians first
warned that they would scrap them, byway
of reprisal, if the French and British rati
fied the Paris accords on arming West Ger
many.
Actually, this abrogating action prob
ably will be followed by other moves along
the same line. These are likely to Include
showy measures to carry out the Kremlin’s
empty threat (empty because the thing
already exists) to organize a Red military
coalition against the “hostile” and “aggres
sive” Atlantic alliance, which is now to em
brace the West Germans. As a matter of
fact, despite the seeming conciliatoriness of
Mr. Molotov’s statement, on Austria, nobody
should be surprised if Mr. Raab’s visit to
Moscow turns out to be fruitless. For the
truth is that there is as yet no real evidence
that Soviet policy is any more sweet or any
less sour than it has always been, and the
uncharmed and unintimidated free Western
world must govern itself accordingly.
A Sure Hand in Iran
The slow revival of Iranian political
and economic stability has been transferred
to good hands with the selection of Hussein
"Ala as Premier. The former Ambassador
to Washington succeeds General Fazollah
Zahedi, retiring because of poor health
after 20 months of constructive effort to
rescue his country from the troubles which
developed under the extremely nationalistic
Premier Mossadegh.
The path ahead shows genuine promise
for Iran. Settlement of the long and costly
stalemate arising out of nationalization of
the country’s oil Industry and resources is
restoring the most important single source
of revenue to the government and assuring
the economy a foundation for recovery.
This in itself Is contributing to a new polit
ical tranquillity in the country. The current
orderly transfer of the premiership is in
striking contrast to the violence and near
anarchy that prevailed between 1950 and
1953. The fact that oil companies of four
Western powers, including the United
States, are joined in a contract to operate
the Iranian properties makes closer and
more friendly the relationships with the
West. The Communist Tudeh Party is not
now a serious menace.
In his long political and diplomatic
career, Mr. Ala has been a staunch friend
of the West and an effectively courageous
fighter against communism. It has been
predicted widely that Iran eventually will
join in the anti-Communist defense alli
ances that Turkey has negotiated with Paki
stan and Iraq. This development may be a
step nearer with Mr. Ala’s promotion.
Why Hunt Elsewhere?
Abandonment by the Central Intelli
gence Agency of plans for building a “little
Pentagon” near Langley, Virginia, opens the
way for serious consideration of a possible
site in redeveloped Southwest Washington.
It is reported that the CIA Is yet to be
“sold” on the Southwest location, largely
because of a fear that traffic difficulties
would be encountered by its employes.
Traffic problems—and more particu
larly the likelihood that the Federal Gov
ernment would have to pay for solving them
—were behind the decision to look elsewhere
than Langley for a CIA headquarters site.
It is said that among other locations under
study are Arlington Hall, present home of a
military security agency, near Arlington
boulevard and Glebe road, In Arlington, and
a tract of land in Alexandria at Shirley
highway and Seminary road. Anybody who
has had to contend with present rush-hour
traffic congestion on both Arlington boule
vard and Shirley highway can testify that
there would be some king-sized traffic
troubles for CIA in either of the aforemen
tioned locations.
Under the Zeckendorf plan, as tenta
tively approved, provision Is made not only
for a Federal office center in rebuilt South
west Washington but for adequate traffic
approaches, tied In with Potomac bridges,
downtown Washington and the Southwest
Freeway—part of an inner belt around the
congested district. It would be surprising
If the CIA building could not be accommo
dated In the Government center envisioned
for the new Southwest.
Sharp Pen Crosses With Slashing Sword
BY CHARLES YARBROUGH
A BEAUREGARD and a McDowell.
great-grandsons of the two gener
als who faced each other at First Ma
nassas, are amiable acquaintances two
blocks apart in Washington’s Wesley
Heights. Just for the record, they are
Pierre G. T. Beauregard, 4512 Lowell
street N.W., and Theodore N. McDowell,
3060 FoxhaU road N.W.
This bit of incidental Information la
omitted in a sweeping new biography
of Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard,
chivalric, courageous and arrogant
Confederate engineer-warrior who took
the doctrines of Napoleon and Jomini
to heart and to battle.
It appears to be the only omission.
Many authors have bracketed Beau
regard, but the man who’ seems to
have hit the target is T. Harry Wil
liams, professor of history #t Louisiana
State University. His just-released
“Beauregard: Napoleon in Gray”
(Louisiana State University Press)
deftly avoids prejudice, clears away the
hostility which the late Douglas South
all Freeman drew around the man
and tempers the adulation which Ham
ilton Basso had for him.
Credit—never the quality or quan
tity that Beauregard sought for him
self—is given, or rather laved. Profes
sor Williams’ criticism sometimes ap
pears harsh. But an obviously great
amount of research produces docu
mentation.
Beauregard, one of the eight full gen
erals in the Confederacy, saw action
in every phase of the Civil War, from
the time he ordered the first shot
against Fort Sumter.
First Manassas, an undeniable Con
federate victory, was fought on Beaure
gard's battle plan. So was the Mexi
can War’s successful storming of Cha
Letters to The Sta r...
UNESCO a Fiasco?
Congratulations to The Star for some
timely reporting on April 6 and to
Julian E. Williams for his most cogent
letter, ‘‘Unsold on One-World Idea,”
which appeared April 7 in The Star.
East and West appear to meet when
the Union of South Africa tells
UNESCO to go peddle its “one-world
propaganda” elsewhere. It was amusing
to find notice of UNESCO’s death in
South Africa reported on page C-6 of
an early edition of The Star (page C-6
was the “Obituary” page) on April 6.
Then, on April 7, Mr. Williams writes,
. it would be interesting to know
what the superintellectuals of UNESCO
are doing to educate the criminal
leaders of the Kremlin’s international
Communist conspiracy for living in a
world community.”
Hats off to the people of South Africa
and their Foreign Minister, E. N. Louw,
for the wise decision and prompt action.
They have shown us how to stop
UNESCO. Now. let’s help all free na
tions put an end to UNESCO’s one
world propaganda and put a stop to
the Kremlin's “fanatical international
conspirators.”
According to the Irving Salomon
“whitewash” report for UNESCO, the
Salomon delegation reported that: “The
delegates reaffirmed that the official
bodies and the personnel of UNESCO
observe the provisions of the UNESCO
constitution, which prohibits UNESCO
from interfering in matters within the
domestic jurisdiction of member states.”
In light of Foreign Minister Louw’s
report to the world of “UNESCO's
Interference in South Africa’s racial
policies,” what possible alibi can Mr.
Salomon and his distinguished dele
gates offer to the American people and
the Secretary of State to whom the
“whitewash” report was made?
Woodrow W. Bousman.
Chairman, Americanism Commis
sion. Department of Maryland.
American Legion.
Annuitants Not Pensioners
The recent letter by Seymour Schul
man entitled “No Sympathy for Pen
sioners,” was so filled with misstate
ments and untruths that I feel impelled
to correct some of these errors.
In the first place, both the terms
charity and pension are misnomers.
What retired Government employes re
ceive are annuities bought and paid for
during their years of service, just as
if they had been purchased from the
Ohio State Life Insurance Co. The
main difference is that the Government
is not trying to make millions off the
annuitants as do the big insurance com
panies.
From each bimonthly pay check of
each Government employe is deducted
an amount in payment on the annuity
to be received upon retirement. The
United States Government is obligated
to contribute its share toward the re
tirement fund. So far it has failed to
do so. Up to now all retirees have been
paid from funds contributed by them
selves—so it has cost the Government
nothing to date Os course, they are
liable to contribute their share, and
just recently a bill was introduced in
the House asking that the United States
Government appropriate a sum to ren
der the retirement fund sound finan
cially. So far this bill has not been
acted on.
Since Government employes are tax
payers, just as much as Mr. Schulman
is, they not only pay monthly for their
This and That . . . By ch or / es e. Traced
“Blow, blow, thou wintry wind,”
chanted Templeton Jones.
Just then the wind gave a great
“whoosh,” and open flew the casement
windows In the Jones’ kitchen.
It was the first time in 25 years that
such a thing had happened.
Hurricane Hazel, of unlamented
memory, didn’t manage to open those
windows.
Temp Jones went with a lifesaving
expression on his face and a hammer
in his hand, to bang the windows back
agaiu into the proper adjustment.
* *
Wind is nothing to monkey around
with, he found out.
The more he pulled and banged, the
harder the wind blew.
It was no help to know that, accord
ing to the screaming girl on the
Weather Bureau disc, the wind would
“diminish” tomorrow.
“Tomorrow never comes.” said T.
Jones, as he gave one last hammer
to the catch that is supposed to hold
the window.
He thought the house was cold, for
some reason, and it was
Another window in the attic had
been blown loose and the Jones family
was trying to heat all outdoors, as the
saying has It.
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GENERAL BEAUREGARD
A Star in the Stars and Bars?
pultepec. Many of his campaigns, or
the plans for them, were rejected by
higher command, rebuffs that sent the
irate general through unorthodox
annuities but, as taxpayers, contribute
to the portion paid by the Government.
It is a vicious and frequent political
misstatement of fact to refer to Gov
ernment employes as pensioners on the
taxpayer’s bounty. They earn their sal
aries and render a great and loyal
service to their Government and also
pay their just share of taxes to support
the Government.
Having besn an auditor and account
ant for over 30 years In the Bureau of
Internal Revenue, I am quite familiar
with the methods used by many tax
payers to evade payment of their just
taxes. Uncle Sam withholds the cor
rect amount due from his employes—
occasionally too much, which is always
refunded—so there Is small chance of
any tax evasion on the average em
ploye’s part. So I definitely assert that
they are not pensioners on the charity
of other taxpayers—but are annuitants
enjoying an annuity .for which they
have paid over the years, and are also
taxpayers contributing their just share
of Government expenses.
Inez Justus Guinan.
Polio Vaccine for Israel
My heart sickened when I read in
The Star. April 5, that the National
Foundation for Infantile Paralysis had
given 634 quarts of Salk vaccine to
Israel. Is that why I turned my porch
light on? Is that why I contributed at
the local motion-picture house? Is that
the reason my three preschool children
are facing this summer, the critical
time of year, without the Salk vaccine?
Who made this momentous decision to
single out Israel as the nation to re
ceive the vaccine, that my own children
should have, that America’s children
should have? It appears that the peo
ple in the National Foundation for In
fantile Paralysis, who are responsible,
consider the children of Israel more im
portant than mine or the children of
the hundreds of thousands of parents
like me who dug down at the sight or
thought of the helpless children of
America, and contributed that extra
bit in hopes of protecting their loved
ones.
If our representatives In government
want to investigate, let them look into
this gross injustice to the children of
America. Let them Inquire into why,
when the foundation put on their drive
for money, they didn’t make known the
fact that I was financing vaccine for
Israel's children but none for my own.
A. J. Smith.
* *
* Why do those in authority seem to
feel it more necessary to prevent polio
among foreign children than to protect
our own from its crippling effects? As
the mother of four children, I find It
hard to take the news that Israel is
to receive, free of charge, 634 quarts
of Salk vaccine with which to immunize
some 100,000 to 120,000 children, while
at the same time doctors in the United
States have been advised to conserve
their very limited supplies of the vac
cine by administering it only to young
sters in the 5-to-10-year bracket?
Only one of our four falls into that
category, and I am sure I speak for
many parents when I say that the next
polio fund plea will fall on deaf ears
while this kind of thing goes on. It is
a fine thing to help people everywhere,
but when it comes to depriving our
own to give to others, I find I don’t feel
very charitable.
Elizabeth M. Lowe.
By the time all the windows were
closed again and locked securely, Tem
pleton Jones had a renewed apprecia
tion of the power of wind.
"Cold fronts,” as the like phrases
used by weather forecasters, mean little
more to the average person than winds.
Nothing is more elemental, unless It
Is a tiger’s claws
Wind has away with it, no doubt
of that; it blows now and then, seldom
in a prolonged way; maybe if It kept
it up without diminishing one might
get used to it.
Instead, it calms down, pretends to
be nothing at all, then suddenly throws
itself at a house until the very floors
rock.
The man in the homes section said
every house should be spiked to Its
foundations, instead of just being placed
on them to hold itself down by its own
sheer weight.
* *
Jones would be willing to bet that
not a house in Washington is pegged
down; though, according to the article,
the spikes used cost only 25 cents apiece,
and the labor and cement would not
cost too much.
One thing, the National Capital has
been very fortunate.
We have had few big blows, and
channels with appeals. He wrote to his
Congressman. His running feud with
Jefferson Davis was a thing to behold.
Yet Beauregard s star which rose at
Manassas gleamed brightly through his
leadership at Shiloh, his successful de
fense of Charleston from attack by the
sea, his accurate predictions in the de
fenses of Petersburg and Richmond.
It was dimmed by the very paradox
of the man. A Southerner, imperious
and proud, he was also a Creole almost
alien to the Anglo-Saxon Confederacy.
The star even glittered—at least fi
nancially and socially—through the
South's reconstruction period when the
popular conception of a defeated gen
eral put him in clean, but threadbare
respectability.
Beauregard headed what now would
have been a virtual railroad dynasty
and then, with Jubal Early as his lieu
tenant, presided over the drawings of
the notorious Louisiana lottery. /
As adjutant general of Louisiana
later, he became concerned with the
accuracy and range of then-modern
rifles, an deven went so far as to pro
pose that, as a safety measure, future
battles should be fought at night. Then
he suggested a uniform—black in front
facing the enemy, phosphorescent in
the back to protect troops from their
own fire.
For all his foibles, his petulance and
with all his courage and battle shrewd
ness, he was still Beauregard at death
and the pomp of ceremony of the old
Confederacy turned out for him.
Beauregard designed the Confederate
battle flag—red field crossed by diag
onal blue bars with white stars.
Professor Williams leaves little doubt
that one of the white stars is Beaure
gard and little doubt that that is the
way Beauregard intended it.
Pen-names may be used if letters carry
writers’ correct names and addresses.
All letters are subject to condensation.
A Stand Now?
It is already past the eleventh hour
In the Far East. Every cease-fire In
the past has meant a gain for the
Communists. We cannot risk further
loss of face, friends and allies in the
Far East. Somewhere we must take a
stand. It had best be now, while there
Is yet a little time. The fate of our
children and our children's children
for a thousand years or perhaps for
ever depends on us now. There is only
one thing to do: We must defend what
is left of the free world in Asia now.
Some observers speak of our policy
becoming subservient to Chiang Kai
shek's aim in China. Even if that were
true (which is ridiculous), would that
be worse than being subservient to the
aims of the Communists as we have
been in the past?
Russell E. Hutchinson,
Diplomat at Work
The wily oriental gentlemen have met
their match in Secretary Dulles.
When Japan's Prime Minister Hato
yama asked for a high-level conference
between his Foreign Minister and Mr.
Dulles, hoping for a chance to sell the
new Prime Minister to the United
States and to persuade the United
States to let up on pressure to rearm
and to “understand” Japan's need to
trade with Red China and Russia, Mr.
Dulles refused. But he did it so polite
ly the Japanese couldn’t even get in
sulted. He carefully explained that it
took time to arrange such a conference,
and the Japanese had asked on too
short notice. He would be glad to con
sider a meeting for sometime in the
future.
Japan Is an ally and Hatoyama has
said he is pro-Western, but given en
couragement the word might change to
“neutral”. Mr. Dulles did well to refuse
Hatoyama’s hasty presumption, while
leaving the door open for discussion
and friendship. Accepting the request
would have been leaving the way open
for Hatoyama’s demands, giving him
power simply by hearing them. Re
fusing outright would have been indeed
an insult to a valuable friend. Mr.
Dulles has strengthened the United
States’ position in Japan, making it
clear that we are allies in protecting
the free world, not in playing “footsie”
with the Reds. Peggy Busick.
A Neglected Corner
Since this is cleanup time in Wash
ington, you may be interested in taking
a look at the northeast corner of Con
necticut avenue and Jocelyn street in
Chevy Chase, D. C. This is one of the
most attractive parts of the District.
The lot is surrounded by well-kept
houses and across the street is a large,
elegant home and a church.
Formerly a handsome house occupied
this lot. but last winter the property
changed hands, a wrecking company
came, knocked down the house, took
what fixtures they wanted and left the
debris iying there. That was three
months ago. Nobody has touched it
since. Complaints have been made to
the owner, the citizens’ association, and
the building inspector’s office, but noth
ing has happened.
See what an eyesore and a menace
this place Is, with rubble spilling over
the sidewalk, a refrigerator lying in the
open, etc. Connecticut avenue is a
gateway to the city. You can imagine
what an impression this place must
make on visitors.
Can't something be done about it?
Jocelynite.
such as we have had were very localized.
Jones recalls that about 30 years
ago, a small twister struck Silver Spring,
blowing off the roofs of six houses.
Then, another time, when Jones lived
in Georgetown, a smaller wind went
right over that community—residents
so saw it go—and struck the brick
house at the corner of Massachusetts
avenue and Twentieth street.
The wrecked railing or battlement
around a second-story window was
there for many years, to go only when
the whole house was torn down.
* *
Every autumn the wind makes itself
known to the Joneses.
It begins to rattle the west window
in the attic.
Jones will retire and be Just about
ready to go to sleep, when It will begin.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
"What’s that?” asks Templeton Jones.
Rat-a-tat-tat, says the window.
You know me, old pal.
Every fall I carry on this way. Rat
a-tat-tat!
“And tat to you,” sighs Templeton
Jones, as he gets out of bed and mashes
a small pad of paper Into a wad and
wearily ascends the attic steps.
There will be no deep, of course, If
he doesn’t
Swampy Jungle Rests
On Mountain Tops
Fantastic Reptiles Live
In Venezuela Sanctuary
BY THOMAS R. HENRY
HENRI PITTIER NATIONAL PARK,
Venezuela.—Here is one of the earth's
wonder spots—a swampy jungle on
mountain tops, shrouded almost con
stantly in heavy mist, where dwell some
of the most fantastic living animals.
It is a cloud forest, covering about
100 square miles, part of which has
been set aside as a rigidly restricted
sanctuary for the strange birds, rep
tiles, insects and worms that live in
its dark depths. It stands on top of
a tropical thorn forest.
This shrouded jungle is the Henri
Pittier National Park, or the “estacion
biolojica de Rancho Grande” in north
central Venezuela. It is named for a
former distinguished biologist of the
United States Agriculture Department,
the last years of whose life were spent
in the service of the South American
republic. Dr. Pittier long recognized
that the area contained a unique as
semblage of animals in a unique en
vironment and for years had urged
that it be set aside and rigidly pro
tected in the interests of science.
It is a “sub-tropical jungle.” as de
scribed by Dr. William H. Phelps, Ven
ezuela’s foremost ornithologist and one
of her foremost financiers, who has
taken a notable part in developing the
reserve for scientists. They have come
from all over the world, but only one
or two at a time. Other visitors are
rare. Perhaps it would be more accu
rate to say that it Is a three-storied
jungle—sub-tropical on top of semi
tropical on top of tropical. It is sub
tropical—more so. for example, than
any part of Florida—because of its
altitude, although it is only a few hun
dred miles north of the equator. It
is a mountain swamp because of a
weird meteorological phenomenon
which probably Is seen nowhere else
in the world in quite the same form.
This is the “shroud," or neblina.
Shroud of Gray Fog
It is a low, grey-white fog which
in late afternoon and the first half
of the night envelops the densely
forested hills and mountains. A
mountain range faces the sea. The
warm, humid air over the Caribbean
condenses against the cool, high
northern face of these mountains to
produce the shroud. Starting about
noon, it swirls and billows from the
north over the tree-covered summits
and falls lower and lower down the
slopes as the afternoon progresses.
Thus for a large part of each day
the place is wrapped in a white, ecto
plasmic blanket.
This phenomenon occurs every day
of the year and, while actual rain is
rare, the humidity is seldom below
80. Thus the mountain becomes es
sentially a swamp, with slopes well
adapted to jungle swamp forms of
vegetation.
Center of this eerie corner of the
world, just across the seaward-facing
slopes and six miles from the Carib
bean, is the "haunted castle”. It
would be a perfect setting for the
most spine-tingling tales of the
supernatural. For 27 years Juan
Vicente Gomez was Venezuela's dic
tator. From all the stories one'hears
about him, especially from children
and grandchildren of his political op
ponents. his dictatorship was one to
climax all dictatorships. His capital
was the army town of Maracay, about
20 miles from the present Rancho
Grande, on star-shaped Lake Val
encia.
Towards the end of his life the old
man began the construction of a
"super-hotel” in the middle of a
broad pass through the eastern spur
on the Andes from the sea to the
lake. The work was done by politi
cal prisoners. They were balled-and
chained, or wore leg irons. Overseers
with whips stood over them.
“Hotel” Building Abandoned
Shortly before Christmas in 1935 word
came from Maracay that the old dicta
tor had died in the night. The labor
ers cheered and wept with joy. They
threw down their picks and hammers.
The overseers, the source of their au
thority gone and fearing a perilous fu
ture, made no move to stop them. The
“hotel” was left half finished and aban
doned for a decade to black bats and
scarlet snakes.
Gomez’ reasons for building Rancho
Grande are debatable. Some 6ay he
was a man ahead of his time and in
tended it as a purely business enter
prise, the first of the extremely luxuri
ous winter hostelries for rich Americans
which now dot the Caribbean area.
Others say he had in mind a monar
chal court, a social center for his
regime. Still others maintain that he
intended it as an impregnable fort in
event of a successful revolution of
which he was in constant dread.
The architecture is that of a mediae
val Spanish stronghold and the place,
as designed, probably could have with
stood an attacking force for a long
time. It still is in about the state in
which it was left, largely roofless. Three
or four rooms have been fitted up as a
museum and there is a small apartment
for the director. The commander of
the military forces at Maracay also
has a small apartment which he some
times occupies over week ends.
It is highly doubtful that Rancho
Grande ever will be finished. It is good
enough as it stands for scientists and
ghosts, snakes, bats and violet tanagers.
Its appearance, especially when the
shroud is around it, only adds to the
eeriness of the reservation.
His Words Were True
A bitter journey through a wilderness
Os faltering faith and half-distrustful
prayer.
Then, at the tomb, an upsurge from
distress
To joy—at finding Him no longer
there.
Those who came weeping for the
Crucified
On that first Easter morning, sped
away
Spreading the heaven-sent message
far and wide,
Even to countless troubled hearts
today , —
"Lo, He is risen and His words were
true/’’
How while the bright bells ring and
lilies shed
Pure incense on the air, let souls renew
Their will to follow where His path
has led
Until one flag of brotherhood unfurled
Unite in peace a sick, bewildered world.
litas Barclay Kirby
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