The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-16
By Henrietta Gee

STRONOMY was an exact science long eefore our A alphabet was formed. Its traditions of thousands
 of years are observed now ey scientists in voyages of discovery which they make nightly through telescopes pointed heavenward Spanned by millions ef miles, the heavenly bodies are known to them only through puny telescopes best only few thousand feet nearer the heavens than the of the earth These heavenly eeaes are moving n space with such exactness thar 1T all fines planet reaching given place five minutes ahead of time according to his watch, he sets his watch forward, for he knows it is wrong.
 Reverence for tradition is easy to understand m view of this yet tradition is handicapping the study of as- tronemy according of the foremost authorities III this science. Occasionally, among the men who devote their to this study there is one who dares disregard traditional methods of observation and he brings his col leagues and the world material well worth his daring In our generation this pioneer is David Todd connected with the department Astronomy Amherst College for forty years Before his official retirement sxtyfve of age he had included in his classes many of the prem nent men of today among them the President of the United States.
 When lie was fifteen years old David Todd rsged up pair of glass and pasteboard specacles to have lock on his own at an eclipse of the taking place his home at Lake Ridge, New York That began period of  and probably includes interesting adventures than any ether living scientist can claim.
 Two months ago. fifty-four years after his first Oe servahon, David Todd rgged up radio machine in . laboratory in Washington D. C., that brought in what may be photographic messages from the planet Mars It is not the habit of scientists speak Of turn. When phenomenon has stood all the tests that can be devised the world is told what has happened Un
 
 checked and ali radio reception for the period from July A to September 24 has been surveyed the Mars Mes sages" that the Washington laboratory during the time when Mars was the earth going to be simply unauthorized When the survey is complete, the statement about them will be formally made by Dr. Todd
 While this checking-up process goes on Dr. Todd is in Washington pendng much of his time at the ebserva- tory at Georgetown University In the dome of the Ob- servaory high the gray buildings of the old Jesuit school! overlooking the wooded Potomac Valley, Dr. Todd discussed tire radio aAd it's connection with the study of the stars
 >~Througf hl radio we can learn than has been learned for years about the planets, says Dr. Todd Astronomy is lhe oldest science and the most elusive but with the discovery of radio principles may bridge the distance between ourselves and other worlds and learn within the few years facts about plane tary neghbcrs that astronomers have been puzzne oyer for thousands and thousands of years!
 Every one is interested in whether not there is life on any other planet comparable to life the earth Ii NC should s;aH.ish that such life exists other panets Mars particularly, would have established that ,rc s ill., after death but We would have increased the field of speculation along this line"
 Following ia thought asked Dr. Todd if many astronomers were atheists.