The New York herald., 1922-03-19

while hardly Enthusiastically his, is
not unlike his best. The well man
aged suspense of the plot is assured
ly like his work. There is also .
good deal in his RECENT writings, es-
pecially his latest book on Spiritual
ism, that suggests the thought of
this book, though one would hardly
expect him to have carried it to so
Wellsian an extreme. The some
what disparaging references to Spir-
itualism in the story may be an in
territorial red herring in the path.
And, lastly. one can easily see rea-
sons for his desire to use a pseu-
donym. 1t is difficult to believe the
book the work of any little known,
plain John Smith of letters, and 1t
is equally hard to pick out any other
well known Enghshmen capable Of
it,
The story is a fantastic mystery
novel dc lure 1t has the elements
of a veritable best seller merely as
a puzzle story But it is much more
than that. Behind the mask of en-
tertainment is a seriously conceived
vision of future possibilities; a scien-
tific, philosophic speculation. in terms
of fiction, as to what might happen
to mankind, even to the world it
self, as an outcome of quite possible
- lot
forces of nature; in the conceivable
uses of released atomic energy, un-
der human control. 1t should be
read in connection with the recent
statement by a Cambridge Univer-
sity professor that there is, poten-
tally, enough atomic power in
spoonful of water-if the hydrogen
in 1t could be harnessed-to amount
to many thousand horse power units
OF force. The concept of the book
is by no means n fantastic alb
surdity. 1t is the fiction of science,
but nevertheless scientific.
The Number ST" OF the story is
one of the missing elements in the
Chemists Periodic Table, number Ss
being radium. 1t is discovered by
British scientist. who also manages
to put il to work, devising means
for its control and application. Its
powers of destruction are almost be-
yond calculation. AS a minor ex-
pertinent its manipulation wipes out
the hideous Albert Memorial by
dropping little of it's energy" upon
1t from the air. (And this is sar-
donically Wellsian Souch) 1t is not
exploded. but is reduced. instan-
taneousIy, to a "conical heap" of
fine dust. marble, steel and stone.
transmitted also into a powder that
is, itself, chemically different to any
OF the original components. His
other experiments include the re-
moval, by murder, Of numerous un-
desirables whom he thinks in the
way of progrcss-a labor leader. an
American Presidential candidate.
D'Annunzio (under another name).
the Soviet leaders Of Russia. an OBJ
noxious Japanese baron and finally
Lloyd George. also under a thin
alias. But the reader should follow
the story. as a story. for himself.
It is worth while.
The central theme. however, is the
problem that presents itself to this
extraordinary scientist. His first
impulse is TO tell his discovery to
his own Government, but he real
fzes that no Govcrnment-and, in
fact, no single Individuals trust
worthy enough to own such a tre-
mendous secret. Clearly il will not
do to turn it loose on the world for
any one to play with. The result
would be simply universal destruc-
ton. So he is tempted TO assume
the role OF world regulator himself.
but soon realizes that he, too. Is not
big enough or wise enough to do
that. He therefore wipes out his
laboratory and himself, taking the
secret with him.
~I have come TO the conclusion"
says he. that the soul of man is
not yet sanctified to receive such
beauest-earth is still unsafe fer my
discovery"
Many scientists have most soberly
pointed out that the compIexity Of