w ould h e s ita te ver m a k in g a p ro T h a t any p o litic a l m o tiv a tio n lie s b e h in d th e R u ssian h a il is m o st u n lik e ly . T h is so m eh o w m ak es th e p h en o m en o n , if i t i* a c tu a lly a w eap o n of w ar, m o re te rrify in g . I t h a s a n im p e rso n a l, em o tio n less q u a lity th a t d isre g a rd * p a in fu lly b u ilt u p th ro u g h th e cen - I t re s e m b le d th e a c tio n s o f t h e S oviets in th e fa ll o f 1939, w h e n th o u sa n d s of P o le s fled in to R u s- sia to e scap e fro m th e Nazis. M any of th e m w e re p ro fe ssio n a l m e n a n d in te lle c tu a ls w ith th e i r fam - ilies. T h e y w e re p u t in f o r e s t cam ps in th e d ea d of w in te r w ith p itifu lly in a d e q u a te c lo th in g a n d food, an d th e y d ied fn an a v e ra g e of th r e e w eeks. T h e re w as no spe cial h o stility to w a rd th e s e p eo p le, b u t th e r e w as no p lace f o r th e m to go and in th e cam ps th e y con- tr ib u te d little w ork b e fo re th e y B EA RIN G ON th e m y ste ry o f th e flying bo m b s is a m isu n d e r- s ta n d in g as to w h a t h a p p e n e d o n th e isla n d of P e e n e m u n d e , w h ich was one o f th e c h ie f c e n te rs f r G e rm a n e x p e rim e n ts w ith ro c k e ts. I n th is co lu m n , in th e Reader*# Digest a n d e lse w h e re in th e U n ite d S ta te s, i t h as b e e n w id ely p rin te d on w h a t seem ed good in fo rm a tio n th a t in sta lla tio n s a t P e e n e m u n d e w ere d e stro y e d by b o m b in g a t tacks. T h a t is n o t tr u e . T h e U n it ed S ta te s s tra te g ic b o m b in g su r- vey d e te rm in e d t h a t v e ry li tt le dam age w as do n e a t P e e n e m u n d e . le a r n e d t h a t th e R u ssian s to o k P e e n e m u n d e alm o st in ta c t. T h e y also c a p tu re d a n u m b e r of G e r m an sc ie n tists who w e re a ctiv e in p ro m o tin g g u id e d m issile a n d ro c k e t re s e a rc h . T h e U n ite d S ta te s g o t its sh a re of th e s e sc ie n tists, m an y of w hom a re now in A m erica. B u t th e S oviets also sh a re d in th is s tra n g e spoil of w ar an d th e i r c a p tu r e d sc ie n tists a re now said to be w o rk - ing fo r th e m . T h ese e x p e rts m ay be te a c h in g th e R u ssian s w h a t th ey know a n d t h a t m ay be th e jex p la n a tio n fo r th e m y ste rio u s ! firew orks. P sy ch o lo g ists do not, of co u rse, d isc o u n t th e re m a rk a b le sugges- tib ility of th e h u m an m in d in p e rio d s of g re a t stre ss . B efo re th e ris e of N azism , w ith its s in is te r ac- co m p a n im e n t of m ass hypn o sis, w e lik e d to th in k we w e re liv in g in a n ge of re a so n an d co u ld n o t b e to u c h e d by sp e lls a n d h y s te ria th a t fo rm e rly sw ep t w hole p o p u la tio n s. In th e y e a r 1000 la r g e n u m b e rs o f E u ro p e a n s b ecam e co n v in ce d t h a t the w o rld w as e n d in g a n d s tra n g e fo rm s o f m ass h y ste ria o c c u rre d th ro u g h o u t th e C o n tin e n t. P e rh a p s th e R u ssia n h a il w as only a stra y m e te o r o r tw o m ag n i- fied by tra g ic fe a rs. th a t fe e d o n th e m y s te rie s of science. How m an y y e a rs m u s t p ass b e fo re w e can ho p e to see th e peo p les of th e w orld b a c k to an y th in g lik e