The Washington herald., 1915-01-10

pearinx suddenly into the blue without
any apparent reason? What could the
Martian possibly think Of the battle fleets
Of the warning nations II he is able to see
them?
It would be easy for the Martian to in
terpret our polar caps for his planet
stiH has caps of its own; and he Would
know what the waters at the. edges of
these caps mean, but 1t would be almost
impossible for him to believe that such
vast tracts Of blue could really be water
II some audacious interpreter on Mars
suggested that these tracts of blue were
water he would be answered by some one
showing him that these so called bodies
of water bordered vast tracts of sardy
deserts with no canals running into saem
for irrigation or navigation purposes. Even
the polar caps would be doubted because
they seem to extend far down into tenn
perate latitudes and on their recedence in
summer there would be seen no dark bOr-
dering seas as the result of their melting.
The vegetation instead Of unfolding at
the north and gradually extending south
wards would unfold In a contrary direc-
ton, appearing first In south temperate
latitudes and developing northward. The
perennial character of the vegetation in
the tropics would puzzle him.
Even II he recognized oases In the des-
erts of America and Africa, the results OF
wells or springs, he could not believe them
to be vegetation for he would detect no
irrfgating canals running into them.
He would come to the conclusion that
no creature could possibly exist on the
earth as the tremendous force Of gravita-
ton with great atmospheric pressure
would forbid the existence Of any organic
forms. And II some other Marian were
to suggest that the confusion on earth
at the present time was the result of
war and that different bodies Of men were
hurting lead and steel missiles at one an
other the Martian scientists would laugh
In scorn and say that with the force Of
gravitation on earth many times stronger
than that on Mars 1t would be impossible
for earth beings to invent engines pow
erful enough to overcome the great pull OF
gravitation that would be exerted on these
missiles.
At the same time there would be others
with more imagination than the scientists
who would insist that the earth beings
would develop powers great enough to
conquer the forces of nature arrayed
against them Just as Imaginative beings on
earth protest to doubling scientists that
the Martians are entirely able to conquer
the different difficulties met with on their
own planet.
The immense clouds yelling the earths
surface at times are unquestionably right
ly interpreted by the Martians yet at the
same time they would fail to understand
how the earth beings would be able 20
withstand the terrific impact of the falling
raindrops. II Martian were brought to
earth and we're struck by a raindrop It
would wound him as seriously as a bullet
wounds an earth being, for the Martian's
body is built to stand only the slightest
resistance. There might be some Martians
who would come to the conclusion that IL
the earth beings found it necessary to
fight wars that side would win which could
invent instruments to bring down rain on
the opposing fighters and to protect its
own forces by rain-proof armor. The
scientists would print statements to the
effect that there couldn't be any armies
on earth for while people could protect
themselves we'll enough from the crush
ing rain in cities covered over with rain
proof srmoF the men who would compose