Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-09

Washington, Jan. 7.--Al Of the
latest scientific dope on that most in
terestlng OF all planets. Mars, is CON
veniently gathered together IN re-
cent publication on the subject by
Professor William n. Pickering. who
has charge OF the Harvard Astr0nom-
! lcal station In Jamaica, and who nas
DEVOTED much Of his time to looking
ut Mars through telescope and spec
uiatlng about conditions on the sistei
planet.
Like most strictly scientific revela
tons. what Professor Pickering has 70
say is somewhat disiliusioning 20 the
layman. Mars has hsld high place In
the popular Imagination for long
time. IT has been generally assumed
that Mars is inhabited by intelligent
beings. something Ike men. How these
beings differ from iis and how they re-
sernble us. whether we can hope ever
TO communicate with tnem-these
questions fire even the dullest imag-
ination. Ali sorts cf fantasies have
been based on imagined visits Of
Martinns to the world. or Of inhabi-
,ants OF the world 70 Mars.
Whether Mars is Inhabited By in
teiligcnt beings II highly debatable
question, az Professor Pickering
shows, but Il is extremely probable
that life in some form exists on Mars
That alone is enough 10 keep human
curiosity about II at the highest pitch
: Men have been squirting at Mars foi
centuries. finding out more and mor'
about II as their instruments inSprov
, ed. There Is now an association o
} Martian observers who look at tn
, planet from all different parts Of tn
, earth and exchange observations an
; opinions. Professor Pickering himsel
has worked out IN theory a giant hell
, ograph by means OF which Il woul
; be possible 10 signal the inhabitant
( of Mars, provided they are inteiligen
. beings with as much power OF sigh
1 as we have.
: A Trip TO Mars.
c The time may yet come when v
: will get daily communications fror
q Mars. After all. at times II is only 35
= 900, 900 miles away. Should a mean
n OF travelling through interstella
space with a supply OF canned oxvge
n ever he perfected as II well might. a
Il expedition TO Mars would doubles
: be launched. An aeroplane traveliin
v at the rate OF one hundred miles a
! hour might reach Mars In about fort
y years, providing Il set out at the rigf
,s time. The chief Of the expedition.
!, youth Of twenty. would carry wit
him few promising infants OF bot
" sexes, aged about one year. The.
would be men and women at n
~ height OF their maturity when Ma
ie was reached. They would do the oI
re serving. and their progeny would ca
re ry the dope back TO earth, alor
4 with a delegation of Martisns. tt
m entire operation need not consun
to more than three generations.
is II Is only fair to add that Profess
so Pickering is not responsible for al
OF the above speculations. He did i
tvent the signaling system, IL is tru
but he does not seem TO be at all su
that there is anyone on Mars wor
corresponding with.
Although the scientists have Il
greatest difficulty In ascertalnii
what kind of life there is on Mar
~ they are able to supply a surprisi,
PC amount OF information as TO liyir
e. condl tons there. When the Marti;
n expedition sets sail. science VIII prob
40 bly, not be able TO tell the membe
Ice what sort of creatures they viii e
re counter. but they will be able to I