Evening star., 1939-06-18
By r. S. RICHARDSON.

hSAOC1<h, NdLl, June ll.-On
a quiet Sunday evening last October
thousands of people in the United
States were suddenly anic-stricken
by radio report that men from the
planet Mars had invaded the earth.
At that time Mars was 230, 900 900
miles away, almost the greatest dis
tance possible.
On Thursday. July 27, at pm, c.
S. T., Mars will be 5000, 900 miles
from the earth-closer than at any
time since 1924, and closer than it
will be again until 1855.
Men on the earth are now launch
ing a great "counter-attack" on
Mars. They are assaulting the red
planet with the most powerful
weapons of modern science-giant
telescopes, sensitive Photographic
plates, thermocouples and photo
electric cells. Astronomers are max
ing every effort to penetrate the
secrets of this mysterious world
while it is still at close range. In
particular, they are trying to answer
the question people have been ask
ing ever since that terrible moment
when they heard the Martians were
coming. That question is:
Just how much do scientists
really know about life on Mars?"
Known Facts Given.
Here are the known facts, accord
ing to the latest reports from the
'front.':
l. Mars is the only object in the
heavens within range of the worlds
largest telescope no win use-the
l0Oinch reflector on Mount Wilson,
Calif.-for which there is the Slight
est indication of life of any kind
at all.
2. There is good evidence for the
existence of vegetable life on Mars,
3. With the possible exception Of
the planet Venus. man would have
a better chance to survive on Mars,
with suitable artificial aids, than on
any other planet.
4. Some astronomers believe that
fine straight lines on Mars are
canals constructed by highly intel
ligent beings to bring water from
the melting polar SHOWS down over
the dry and arid surface. This
opinion is not shared by all astron-
omers. many of whom deny the ex-
istence of the canals or regard them
as a strange but natural surface
feature
At the poles of Mars are glistening
white caps that wax and wane with
the seasons. They are believed to
be thin layer of ice and snow,
perhaps but a few inches in depth.
These polar caps appear to be the
only source Of water supply for the
whole planet For there are no
oceans, seas or lakes on this DESC
late world.
Change in Color Noted.
With the approach of summer in
the Northern Hemisphere of Mars.
the north polar cap begins to shrink
and a dark border forms around it,
presumably due to a marshy region
formed by the melting snow and ice.
Next a gradual change can be no.
ticed in the color of the surface
nearby. From gray or brown it
slowly turns to green in the spring
and early summer. When autumn
comes the ground resumes it's gray
and brown again. This Is precisely
what would be expected to happen
If water from the polar cap had
flowed down over the dry soil. re-
viving vegetation. With the return
Of cold weather the plants die and
the ground loses its greenish tinge.
This idea seems very plausible at
first. But there is a fatal objection
in the way. Mars is slightly bulged
around his middle, so that a point
on the equator is % miles farther
from the center of the planet than
point at the pole. Water going
from the pole to the equator would
have to run % miles uphill-an i'm
possibility even on world as strange
as Mars. In other words, there is
no way that water can flow from the
poles by natural means alone.
1t is at this point that the canals
come in. In 1877 the keen-eyed
Italian astronomer Schiaparelli dis
covered network of fine straight
lines, peculiarly artificial in appear
ance, covering the entire globe. For
nine long years he was the only
person who could see them. But
later they became visible to many
others, until today more than 400
have been mapped and a few have
been photographed. At first Schia-
parelli had no idea what they might
be, and for want Of better name
to designate them he called them
canal.
Believed Actual Waterways.
Percival Lowell, an eminent
American astronomer who devoted
the greater part of his scientific life
to the study of Mars, finally became
convinced that these fine lines are
actual waterways. He built up a
theory of canals constructed by
beings of extraordinary intelligence
for the purpose of conveying water
from the melting snow caps down
to the equator and into the hemis-
phere where winter prevails. An
elaborate canal system would be
vital necessity on a world such as
Mars. Already five-eighths of the
surface Is red. barren desert. To
overcome gravitation, the water is
supposed to be forced along the
canals by numerous pumping sta
tions.
From the fact that the canal sys-
tenn covers the entire planet, it Is
argued that racial and political
differences on Mars must have been
settled long ago. Everything else
was forgotten as the entire popula-
ton became united in a last des-
perate struggle against the steadily
encroaching deserts.
1t must be emphasized that this
is only a theory. and one that has
not been accepted by all astrono-
mers. But it is a highly ingenious
one, and, if the line-like form of
the canals is admitted, explains the