Evening star., 1941-10-02
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
BIZ Thomas r. Henry.

The red planet Mars, star of war which
rose beside the full moon in the fateful
last days of summer two years ago when
the world was plunging into bloody tur-
moil, is paying one of its closest visits to
the earth in this generation during the
next few days.
At 2 am. Friday it will be 39,1320 900
miles away, as compared with 36,0330 900
! in 1899, but this slight disadvantage will
! be more than offset because it will rise
approximately 80 degrees higher in the
sky. Two years ago it hung low over the
horizon and was difficult to observe in
the haze of Northern Hemisphere
sWeltering in the summcr heat.
This week it will be the most brilliant
object in the sky, with the single excep-
ton of the moon. A telescope with
1OO-fold magnification will make it ap-
pear a third again larger than the full
moon as seen with the naked eye. On
NON6IlDeE IL IL Will SIdII an eastward
journey which will carry it completely
around the heavens before its next clos
est approach in 1943. By that time the
distance from the earth will have greatly
increased.
Observers report THAT details on the
face of the planet, believed to be the only
other possible abode of life in the solar
system, are much clearer than they have
been at other close approaches in this
generation.
AT its nearest distance the reflected
sunlight from Mars will require "a little
more than minutes to reach the earth.
Like the other plants, it has no light of
its own.
For the next few days observatorieS all
over the Northern Hemisphere will be
turning their telescopes on the planet in
an effort to get new facts on its greatest
mySteries-the supposedly geometrical
lines which appear on its surface and
which have been interpreted as canals"
and the changes of its color with sea-
sons.
1t is now generally admitted that there
may be life on Mars. but of low order.
The atmosphere is so thin and the cli
mate so severe that any high order of
animals or plants is almost inconceiv-
able
The red color is usually attributed to
the combination of oxygen with the iron
in its rocks. In other words, Mars is
'rusting to death"
n
Both the mustard gas of World War
days and the deadly lewisite developed in
the United States at the close of the war
can cause serious damage to crops.
For the past year there has been
rumor that the Germans possessed some
mysterious gas which might lay waste
great areas of countryside. Great
Britain'S Rothamsted Experimental Sta
ton, center of Englands agricultural
science, has just conducted experiments
on the actual effects of the two worst
gases known to be available and warned
farmers what to do in case OF emergency.
The report, by Sir John Russell, direc-
tor of the station, has just reached De-
partment of Agriculture officials here.
With either mustard gas or lewisite, he
says, extreme precautions are necessary.
The crops" he reports, become dis
colored or scorched in appearance. and
some Of the liquid may remain either on
the plant or on the soil. Mustard gas
has faint, rather onion-like smell, while
leWisite sometimes has the smell of ge
raniums. Farmers must keep human
beings and animals out of the affected
areas. ViSbly damaged crops should not
be fed to animals, though if grain crops
survive and continue to grow the expert
may advise that they can be used for
seed"
It is quite possible. DR.. John Russell
points out, that British farmers have
grown too contemptuous OF the danger
both from gases sprayed on the fields
from airplanes or distributed by burst
ing bombs.
Bombs dropped on the countryside to
date he says. now seem to be regarded
with contempt.
"A hole he says, "is quickly filled in
or a fence is soon mended and all signs
are removed. 1T didn't even kill rabbit
is a common phrase. There has been
great relief at finding that the much
vaunted terror has so little substance.
1t is possible that gas bombs in the fields
would be equally innocuous."
But, Sir John Russell stresses, there
has been as yet no effort to start
scorched-earth policy on the part of the
enemy and it is difficult to predict just
what the results might be. Spraying with
lewisite, it is pointed out, might be
especially serious on account of the dan
ger from arsenic poisoning if the crops
were eaten.
There also is danger, the report says
of disastrous fires in shocked grain
Organization of groups of fire watchers
in the country districts is urged.
No basis has been found for rumors of
a particular earth-scorching gas, one of
the chief constituents of which is some
heavy element which would cause it to
sink rapidly and hug the ground in the
form of a poisonous fog.
a.