The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-13
NICOLA TESLA, ExPANsIoNIsr.

Nicola Tesla is not romancer; he is a
honor. Whatever he has to say is listen
ed to with attention and respect by the
scientific as we'll as the commercial
world. No new9 discovery in the line of
applied electricity however novel, would
have surprised the civilized world into
an expression OF; 'astonishment
But when this bold pioneer opens up
the new century with the statement that
he believes the Inhabitants of either
Venus or Mars are endeavoring to COM
municate with us by means OF wireless
| telegraphy, the most credulous of the
| disciples of unlimited twentieth century
and inquire of his scientific friend. Does
| Tesla mean it2'
| Tesla says that his instruments which
are arranged to register the slightest
electrical influence have been strangely
disturbed, and by no mundane cause
which lie can discover. On tie contrary
| there seems los be Il relation between the
planet Venus and these phenomena.
While this ,tkeoTy of interplanetary
communication ise one on which thu
imagination can play itself tired, there
are yet certain facts the existence of
which might render the communica ton
possible iffj I
There is a vast difference between
disturbance of electrical Instruments
caused by some Influence of Venus and
the conclusion that the inhabitants of
that planet are 7tfying to communicate
with US. It IS in the latter conjecture
| that Nicola Tesla has allowed his desire
to create sensation 10 outrun his dig
nified scientific Judgment
A desire to communicate with the in
habitants of the earth pre-supposes on
/ the part of the children of Venus or Mars
a degree of intellectual advancement
similar if not superior to our own. This.
! they may have, as we do not possess a
monopoly of the intelligence of the uni
verse. They nay, in fact, be far superior
| to the children of earth in the know, edge
/ of the universe and its 1nhabitents. But
this condition, following the law Of evo-
luton can only exist under similar phys
| zeal conditions.
Neither Venus nor Mars has reached
the stage of evolved conditions existing
on earth. Granted that the same phys
zeal laws prevail on The other planets that
obtain on the earth, and we have no
reason 10 doubt it, the chances are vast
ly against the probability of SIMILAR in
| tellectual condition among the inhab-
itarts of these planets.
1t is possible that the evolution of IN
tellectual life began sooner On both Mars
and Venus, oif the former by reason OF
its age and Of tie latter by reason Of
its size, so that sthe Ma1tians and the
venusites Of tho Word may be allowed)
have now readIiedfhat stage where inter
planetary communication is to thcm as
the telegraph and the telephone is to
! u.s. Perhap4t they, are noting our
progress and testing US from time to
time 1t is possible that they have
limited knowledge of our wars, our COM
merce, and Or feat public enterprises
They may beTsignaiing for~more definite
information regafding the Boer war and
9nfsJfH
the situation in China. 1t Is possible that
they may have aaecome alarmed at the
rev policy Of the United States in gath
er:ng to itself foreign territory. and are
through Nicola Tesla sort of planetary
| Monroe doctrine. which will have the
effect of keeping Uncle Sam confined to
the earth. They may be-but why multi
ply conjectures? Nicola Tesla has opened
the gate for flood of stellar romance
Wierd tales of planet-journeys. strange