The Washington times., 1915-07-15

no satisfactory answer has been found
to O question which has existed since
the time OF Newton. 1t is possible that
gravitation Is an electrical phenomenon,
as claimed. and again this may not be
the answer"
Captain Hoogewerff said the observa-
tory has had no recent communication
from Prof. See regarding his claimed
discovery, and the superintendent here
did not care to discuss the merits or
dement's of the See theories.
Briefly, Prof. See contends that gravi-
tation is an electrical phenomenon
which Is caused by elementary electrical
currents circulating about atoms Of
matter.
The theory of Prof. See Is an cxten-
sion and elaboration of physical laws
first demonstrated by the French
physicist Ampere ninety-fye years ago.
Ampere, whose name has been given TO
denote the unit of electrical current,
showed that two parallel currents Of
electricity. flowing sin the same direc-
ton. attract each other, but repel when
fiowing In opposite directions.
Electricity In Motion.
Much of the complicated electrical
machinery of the present day Is made
possible by the application of this prin-
cipie.
Prof. See goes far beyond this
hypothesis and asserts that the entire
universe Is governed by forces depend
ing upon electricity in notion,
The more atomic electrical currents
around one bbdy of matter flowing in
the same direction as the atomic cur
rar &c i,,a hpd he y,,Nro l,a
two bodies will be attracted, Prof. See
contends. and this mutual attraction is
nothing more nor less than gravity.
"Gravitation." Prof. See asserted,
docs not act instantly across space.
but is transmitted with the velocity of
to the earth in eight minutes"
Prof. See promised, according to st.
Louis dispatches. to make public next
September, some Of his own theories
and discoveries in this and other fields,
including the cause Of terrestrial magne-
tism, and the. periodic fluctuations de-
pendent Of the action of sun and moon
and other astronomical discoveries.
Is Not Astonishing.
Prof Walter I. slichter, director of
the electrical engineering department
Of the Graduate Engineering School OF
Columbia University, thus comments
on Prof. Sees theory:
"The statement of Prof. See that he
has discovered an explanation of the
law of gravitation and ascribing 1t to
electrical phenomena is not astonishing
in view of the progress of the modern
electrical theory. !nasmuch as we are
now told by reliable authorities tina. al
mater and enegry are the result, o!
electricel activity
DR.. Herschel G. Parker, professor o.
physics in Columbia, who was the
leader of the Parker-Bro Mt. Nc.
Kinley expedition Of 1910 and 1912, said
! 1T has been considered probable 70
some time that II the cause Of gravi
tation was ever discovered 1t would b,
of an electrical nature, and this an
nouncement of Prof. Sees, judging from
the outline which has been given Is
most reasonable one. because action a
a distance has never been accepted a!
satisfactory explanation of any fore,
in nature"
DIR. Arthur Goodspeed, chief instructor
In the department of physics ~ the Uni
Versity Of Pennsylvania. said he pu
little credence in the story as TO Prof
Sees discovery of the causes of gravi
tation.
"It is stated that a treatise on tn.
discovery has been in the hands of tn,
Royal Society of London for the las
five months" he said. "If that is a fact
then the Royal Society OF London ha
been remarkably successful In conceal
ing valuable information"