Omaha daily bee., 1916-02-22
Fascinating Puzzle Of Mars


Are they diEEing on Mars or is there nobody
dig7 The whole question Of tho eHstenee ana
the activities OF those Marian giants is again thrown
into the melting pot by recent report OF the ohrsc
tor Of the British Astronomical association, who ex-
the belief that the canals" Of Mars are opoa
Illusions.
And this report comes exactly at the moment
when Percival Lowell. the Flagstaff observatory
announces that the canals" in the northern hem
sphere OF the planet developing precisely In ac-
oordance with expcctatons based on the theory that
II IL supplied by the melting Of the polar SHOWS
which their Visibility.
This Is really one Of the interesting debates
Of time II intellectual duty for every m
teTecnt fnan being 10 pay attention TO g. There IS
that other world hanging above Ne IN the SKY, cr-
cling with us around the sun, with day and night
hitting over surface. Il spins its axis. just
they DO the surface OF globe. and In al
most exactly the period Of time twenty-four
hours) It's alternating seasons like ours though
each nearly twice long its surface s DIVIDED into
permanently marked regions which make IL resemble.
sHcopt the details OF outlines school globe Of the
earth. It's snowy alternately expand and contract
about each Of its poles. the phenomenon that
about the poles OF the earth though here the
melting is never extensive because. apparently
quantity Of IL vastly greater with US than
on Mar. All thase facts ABOUT which there is
virtually dispute.
The great question. then. Is: rs that earthlIke
planet inhabited notT' Not to take interest IN
that question would be simply stupid. Granted that
we cannot go To MaTs-at present; granted that we
cannot even oommunicate with Mars-at present; are
good for feeling interest in the aues
ton whstheT II " Inhabited world like ours7
And 20 communication we have made progress
IN the last twenty years which should make very
chary about denying the possibility Of extending COM
muncation anywhere. We know that the waves Of
light easily trayerse the great gulf Of space and that
electric everywhere and light and electricity
have proved themselves marvellous Ariels for
the other of them going at our bidding wherever
have tried to send them.
But this branch of the question Is for the future.
whether communicate with intelligent beings
another shore OF the ethereal ocean not we.
for the satisfaction OF intellectual curiosity which
s one Of the indces OF semidivinity want
know whethsr such beings there not there.
ufe IL what interests us. and wherever we the
slightest Indications Of its existence thrill Of cuTios
tty must ahrough us. together with desire TO
find out ali We can about Il. Suppose that Columbus,
after thoroushiy exploring America, had returned
with proof that Il entirely lifeless Europe would
have turned M back on the New World and not be-
ing able 60 IT, a. we see the nfeiess moon, would
in years have virtually forgotten its existence
But suppose. on the other hand. that Columbus had
back reporting that he had discovered simply
indications OF life in America. then Europe would
have rested until IT had found out whether
that life actually existed and what It like.
There the why Mars is vastly
interesting than the moon We find no indications Of
life the whatever life may once have adorned
IT, but Mars shows many features which know,
from our own experience. are associated with the
presence OF life.
The "canals" by the only features
Of this kind. They. in fact less mysteri-
and doubtful objects. II IS usually supposed by
those who not familiar with the subject that the
visible "canais' the actual irrigatne channels
in whose artificial construction Br Lowell believes
In fact Mr.. Ioweii's idea is that those channels
TOO small to be with telescope. and that
the "canais simply long. bands OF ir-
rigated land which become visible at certain
through the growth OF vegetatlon stimulated by the
supply Of water brought from the melting polar
II is fascinating theory. for II fills the imaaina-
tion With pictures OF gigantic engineering operations
going there. ~ means OF which the irrigation
maintained and extended.
Now Mr., Antonadi OF the british association AYERS
that the "canais" not Iowol asserts unbrokeu
lines extending thousands OF miles q great network
but that the appearance Of lines II produced by
a visual ilusion which combines large number Of
separated spots and the edges OF shaded regions into
The sssnblancs Of iinsas objects.
But ~ this be 30, II does not contravene the
assertion that these spots make their appearance
unti the polar have begun to dissolve and dis
appear In the hemisphcre corresponding 70 that in
which the spots are seen.
Mr. Lowell seems to have wen established the fact
that these things phenomena depending upon the
seasonal changes which 30 upon Mars Just as they
do upon the earth pven II no more can be proved
than that there water and air upon Mars enough
is thereby established 20 warrant the hypothesis that
there may be life.