SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ATTACKED 9 



EFFECT OF THE WILLIS STATEMENTS 



The essential effects of the Willis utterances were 

 as follows: 



1. The arousing of an unwarranted fear in the 

 minds of people in general. 



2. The causing of an unjust and undesirable finan- 

 cial burden in the shape of insurance rates to be 

 placed upon them. 



3. The propagation of a theory that the times of 

 earthquakes can be predicted. 



4. An assertion that the severity of an earthquake 

 may be predicted. 



5. The propagation of an unsubstantiated theory 

 of alternations of severe shocks between the Northern 

 and Southern districts of California.^ 



6. The asserted existence of an ever present men- 

 ace in the shape of a strain-producing pressure from 

 the south northward. 



7. An attempted application of the "elastic re- 

 bound" and "growing strains" theories to conditions in 

 California which do not exist. In general these prophe- 

 sies contain predictions of time, place and severity 

 that must all be questioned. 



SOME COMPARISONS 



That Southern California has been a land of moder- 

 ate seismic disturbances has long been known. The 

 facts that earth tremors have occurred and that they 

 may often recur hereafter has never disturbed us. 

 These phenomena have been considered of such second- 

 ary importatnce as dangers to life and property, that 

 the public, including men of all ranks and professions, 



