Travelling to a Land We Cannot See

Abstract

this wry tale comes to mind often when one observes the efforts which the Government of the United States is making to turn the development of atomic energy to good ends, and the frustrations and sorrows of the negotiations within the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission to which these efforts toward international control have now been reduced.

One day in a clearing in the forest, Confucius came upon a woman in deep mourning, wracked by sorrow. He learned that her son had just been eated by a tiger; and he attempted to console her, to make clear how unavailing her tears would be, to restore her composure. But when he left, he had barely reentered the forest, when the renewed sounds of weeping recalled him. “That is not all,” the woman said. “You see, my husband was eaten here a year ago by this same tiger.” Again Confucius attempted to console her and again he left only to hear renewed weeping. “Is that not all?” “Oh, no,” she said. “The year before that my father too was eaten by the tiger.” Confucius thought for a moment, and then said: “This would not seem to be a very salutary neighborhood. Why don’t you leave it?” The woman wrung her hands. “I know,” she said, “I know; but, you see, the government is so excellent.”