Indianapolis Times, Volume 43, Number 171, Indianapolis, Marion County, 26 November 1931 — Page 4

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StK I P P J - M OW AMD

Thanksgiving Day Three hundred and ten years ago a little group of impoverished, but courageous, men and women gave thanks to their God that they had a store of corn which would enable them to live until another sun of summer brought more food. v They were thankful that they had the right to worship as they pleased, to be free from the crushing power of monarchial tyranny which had ruled their lives upon another continent. Because they had a faith for which they were ready to suffer and die, they had journeyed to anew wilderness, of whose dangers and menaces they knew but little, in order to maintain that faith. They believed that freedom from oppression was their only safeguard—freedom found in flight from power. Life was resolved into its simplest terms of food, clothing and shelter. Their first year had given them but a scant supply of food and clothing. The shelter was primitive. They had known hunger. So Thanksgiving came when they knew that the winter would see no deaths in their little circle because of lack of food. Each year this nation celebrates this custom and it has become a season of satisfaction and of jollity. The religious part of the picture has faded somewhat. There has been more of celebration with extra foods, games, entertainment. This year it should be a day of examination, not spent in a search for causes of thankfulness but in a journey of discovery into the facts of life and what may be needed to preserve the priceless liberty for which the Puritans sacrificed so much. To the jobless there may come the same thought that came to the Puritans—that this year there will be food enough for all and that, through high-pres-sure charity appeals, enough funds have been collected to care for those who, as willing to work as were men of 300 years ago, can find no work and no longer have the open forest as a haven. To the nation at large will come the thought that food supplies are plentiful, too plentiful say some of the statesmen who attempt to place the cause of unemployment on “overproduction.” But the spectacle of a condition in this land where very many would be compelled to accept the products of another's toil or die never haunted the dreams of the first founders of this day. In that day there was a democracy of the material things of life that united them in a solid front against any common enemies. They shared w'hat they had in a spirit of brotherhood. not under the compulsion of fear. It is a far journey from a primitive hut in a forest to great apartment houses, from the cry of a wolf to the music of a radio, from horseback to airplane, from the yoke of oxen to the super power plant which moves whirling machines that toss out so rapidly all the necessities and comforts of life. But there has been no destruction of the great truth that all the material things of life are but the bulwark for faith, the bulwark for desire of liberty. Can liberty endure if many men are refused the right to earn their own living, to be able to proclaim their equality? If you have a job today, it might be well to ask yourself if the right to a job should not be safeguarded. If there is enough thought by enough men and women on the subject, next year may see a happier Thanksgiving. , Just as those others conquered the harness of nature, men will finally make conquests of the caverns of greed—and be really and truly free.

Up from Obscurity One of our favorite traditions is the belief that only in the United States can the son of poor parents rise to the highest positions in the land. The “log cabin to the White has convinced us that this is true. Only America holds opportunity for the underdog. To a certain extent this is true. But there are more exceptions than we generally suppose; and a recent dispatch from Paris by an American newspaper man contains some information that is apt to be surprising. Europe, this writer points out, is today very largely ruled by men who came from the lower strata of the population. In England, of course, there is Ramsay MacDonald, brought up in the bleak poverty of a Scottish village, and now prime minister of the empire. Paralleling his case is that of another famous English prime minister, Lloyd George, who was a penniless orphan and who was reared by a shoemaker. In France, Premier Laval was the son of a butcher. His family was so poor that he had a hard time getting an education. Foreign Minister Briand, similarly was the son of exceedingly poor parents. Former Premier Herriot is another who came from a poor family. Chancellor Heinrich Bruening of Germany did not come from a poverty-stricken family, but his people belonged to the lower middle class. In Czechoslovakia Thomas Masaryk is president, the son of a blacksmith; and another blacksmith's son who rose to power is none other than Benito Mussolini himself. Russia, of course, is ruled by men who came up from the depths, and has been, ever since the revolution. This list is rather impressive. To be sure, it probably is perfectly true that opportunity still is greater on this side of the Atlantic than in Europe. The son of poor parents has more chances. But it is quite obvious that the avenues to fame and riches are by no means closed to him on the other side of the ocean. Europe’s so-called‘ruling class is by no means the closed corporation we generally suppose. Worst Depression? The head of a large life insurance company recently took up arms against the prevailing notion that the current depression has been the worst one in American history. Speaking to a writer for the Magazine of Wall Street, he declared: “In 1839, every single bank in the United States outside of New England closed its doors. On May 10 of that year every bank in New York City closed. . . In 1873 there were 3,000,000 men out of work in a population of 40,000,000, 89 railroads went into the hands of receivers, and 300 oi 307 iron and steel plants absolutely shut down. As for 1893, I remember it distinctly, and I want to tell you that as a nation we are in ease now compared with what we went through then.” Oold comfort? Perhaps. But it doesn’t hurt to be that our condition not’only could be, but in *the past has been, a great deal worse than now.

The Indianapolis Times . (A BCKIFFS-HOWABU NEWSi’APEK) Owned and published daily (except Sunday) by The Indianapolis Times Publishing Cos., 214-220 West Maryland Street. Indianapolis, Ind. Price in Marion County, 2 cents a copy; elsewhere, 3 cents —delivered by carrier. 12 cents a week. Mail subscription rates in Indiana. $3 a year: outside of Indiana. 65 cents a month. BOYD GURLEY. ROY W. EARL D. BAKER. Editor President Business Manager PHONE—Riley 8681 THURSDAY. NOV. 26. 1931. Member of United Press, Serippa-Howard Newspaper Alliance, Newspaper Enterprise Association. Newspaper Information Service and Audit Bureau of Circulations. “Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way.”

The Wilson Film Whatever opinion you may hold concerning the policies of Woodrow Wilson, you will recall that he lived through one of the most important phases of our history. It is not too much to say that he made history. On Saturday at Keith’s theater there will be presented the imperishable record of history in the making, a moving picture of the many scenes in the life of the man who left his impress not only upon this country, but upon the entire world, and perhaps upon all history to come. History, in bound volumes and the printed word, may or may not be convincing. In pictured form it leaves its impress indelibly upon the mind. It is unfortunate that this great invention did not come sooner to the world. It might have helped to prevent some of the tragedies. What would you not give to be able to look upon the great scene when brave men took their lives in their hands as they signed the Declaration of Independence? What would it be worth to the world to catch the expression of Lincoln as he signed the great Emancipation and abolished human slavery? Would the people so lightly accept the word liberty as something in a dictionary, could they look again and again with each new generation upon Jefferson as he wrote the Bill of Rights It is because The Times believes that every citizen, and certainly every child, should have a more intimate knowledge of the life of Woodrow Wilson that it has arranged for the presentation of this film on Saturday. Any profits that may come will go to the emergency work committee. Here was a man who had lifted the entire world to the very heights of moral enthusiasm for causes. Here was a man who hated war and yet wa-5. compelled to wage the greatest of all wars. Here was a man who left a professor’s chambers to become a world leader. Here is history, recorded in its making. Inasmuch as every citizen, whether he wishes it or not, is also compelled to make history, the film is worth consideration.

The World Does Move Gloom-mongers may have plenty of ammunition for their big guns, but the case of Margaret Sanger should cheer those who seek evidence that the world is on the move. As an ardent radical, Mrs. Sanger started the “Woman Rebel” back in 1912. It carried articles on the birth control movement. Shortly after war broke out in 1914, Mrs. Sanger was arrested. She had to flee to Europe as an exile. She returned and founded the first birth control clinic in 1916. This was raided quickly. Mrs. Sanger was arrested as a “public nuisance” and sentenced to thirty days in the New York City workhouse. In 1921, a mass meeting was arranged in New York City as the concluding session of the first American Conference on Birth Control. The meeting was closed by policemen acting as ecclesiastical suggestion, without knowledge or orders of the police department., Mrs. Sanger fought her way to the stage, only to be arrested and dragged away. She was freed by Magistrate Joseph Corrigan, who acted with characteristic courage and independence. In 1929, her birth control clinic was raided by police under orders from Grover Whalen. Ecclesiastical pressure still was at the bottom of the persecution. Stool pigeons were employed. The records of the clinic were seized. This time, popular support and brilliant legal defense allowed Mrs. Sanger to score a victory. Now, in the autumn of 1931, Mrs. Sanger has been awarded the first medal granted by the American Woman's Association “to the woman in the metropolitan area who has attained distinction in the arts, science, business, or professions.” This association is no collection of short-haired females of Muscovite leanings. Its president is none other than Anne Morgan. The committee of award was made up of such justly distinguished women of affairs as Miss Lena Phillips, president of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women; Dr. Adele Bildersee, Dr. Lillian M. Gilbreth, Miss Mary Dillon, and Miss Virginia Roderick. Miss Morgan declared that in selecting Mrs. Sanger the committee “wanted to pick a woman who had the courage to look ahead and give generations to come something to be grateful for.” This is not so bad for a crusader who, only sixteen years ago, was an outcast and an exile; and who was regarded as legitimate prey for wanton police invasion only two years back. Others, such as Dr. Abraham Jacoby, Dr. William J. Robinson, and Mary Ware Dennett, share with Mrs. Sanger the credit for getting the birth control movement under way in this country. But Mrs. Sanger’s name best symbolizes the cause, and liberals will rejoice in this magnificent vindication of her courage and sincerity. Experts say this isn’t the worst depression this country has known. But everybody will admit it’s the best.

i Just Every Day Sense BY MRS. WALTER FERGUSON

WHY,” inquires a peevish reader, “do you begrudge the soldier who always dies poor a litle hard-earned glory?” In the first place, I begrudge the soldier nothing. 3ut I often wonder what we mean by this thing we 'all ‘‘glory,” the reward we are so eager to have young men risk their lives to attain. The dust that occupies the Unknown Soldier’s grave is getting a great deal of glory. Each year •visiting officials put large stiff wreaths upon that tomb and presidents and patriots read orations over those ashes. Yet, to me, the glory for the spirit that once animated that clay is not worth caring about. And I do not think that all those lives spent so uselessly in 1914 can be paid for by any amount of glory that this or any future generation can render them. The crosses mark their graves, that is all. # tt a WHEN we begin to analyze what we mean by this much overused word, as applied to war, we shall find that we like it because with it go the drums and the excitement, and all these things cause us to feel uplifted and patriotic. It provides an outlet for individual emotions. The people who stay at home during wars always get the major kick out of its glories. And this word is more belived of politicians than of private. T* would be more to the point if we could decide to give up the glorification business for a while and contemplate seriously the bosh that it camouflages. It’s the kind of thing that is easy to talk about and sob over, but the young man who lies dying with all his bright future destroyed, I imagine the word would have an empty sound. And to the maimed man, doomed to spend his days on a hospital bed, it might be entirely meaningless. |

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

M. E. Tracy SAYS:

I We're Not in Such Bad Shape if Only We Had Sense Enough to Realize it. GIVEN an unpopular law which it is profitable to violate and the stage has been set for all kinds of trouble. Sometimes the ensuing fracas rej suits in reform; sometimes in revoI lution. At the beginning, about all ! you can be sure of is a fracas. Time was when Americans had plenty of beer, but wanted tea. Just j now they have plenty of tea, but j want beer. We like to believe tnat prohibition | has confronted us with something big and unprecedented, but that’s only pride, coupled with ignorance. Except as liquor is the issue and bootlegging the method, it’s old stuff. New York City wasn’t 90 years old and hadn’t reached a population of 5,000 before it learned the art of smuggling and the cost of political corruption. The community had grown rich and prosperous enough to want all the good things from India which it could not get, except at an exorbitant price because of the navigation acts. To beat the British monopoly, it encouraged pirates, or “Red Sea men,” as they were called, and thus had Its first run-in with graft, racketeering, and gang rule. * tt tt tt Another ‘Abolition’ Farce IN spite of all their wisdom and courage, our forefathers endeavored to solve the slave problem by “abolishing the trade.” A fifty-year farce followed with the Middle Passage fairly boiling to the rush of Yankee slave-runners and with such fights and forays as make the present show look like 30 cents. Pouring a little liquor down the sink spout to escape dry agents doesn’t sound so impressive when compared to tying human beings to a chain cable, six feet apart, and running them overboard. And there was the “whisky rebellion” in western Pennsylvania, which Washington though important enough to call out 15,000 men. The country’s population was but little more than 3,000,000 at the time, which means that if we were to mobilize a proportionately large army, we would have 500,000 men in the field. That would be going some, wouldn’t it? That’s the kind of tune the old boys danced to, however, without losing their heads. tt tt Sounds Like Communism Massachusetts put down the Shays rebellion, with no assistance from the Federal government, though she had to muster 4,000 men, and though a major engagement was threatened for days. Incidentally, Shays and his crowd had a great deal in common with many of today’s so-called radicals. It was their contention that everybody should be given an equal share in the spoil, that property should be taken over by the state and divided and that all distinctions rising from an unequal distribution of wealth should be wiped, out. Sounds something like Communism, doesn’t it? You don’t have to go to history to prove that this country is not in such bad shape. All you have to do is read the news from Europe. Suppose we had a standing army like that of France, or a dole system like that of England, or a debt like that of Germany, or such a percentage of crippled soldiers to support as all of them? tt tt tt We're Not So Bad Off AS a matter of common sense, we Americans are not up against much of anything compared to lots of other people in the present, or our own people in the past. Asa matter of common sense, most of our problems would take care of themselves but for a corrupt attitude on the part of some politicians and a cry-baby attitude on the part of some business men. Two hundred thousand policemen, and can’t handle a few gangsters; a gold reserve of nearly $5,000,000,000, and can’t start anything; too much wheat on hand, while China starves, and too much silver, which China needs, and can’t think of any way out. It’s a wonder that men like Washington, Jackson, and Lincoln, who faced real problems, don’t turn over in their graves.

m TODAY #9 -7 f IS THE- Vs . WORLD WAR \ ANNIVERSARY

RUSS ABOLISH TITLES November 26 ON Nov. 26, 1917, the Maximalist commissioners made public a decree abolishing all class titles, distinctions and privileges, and demanded that all corporate property be handed over to the state. Henceforward, officers were to be elected by the men. Colonels and their orderlies changed places; officers of many years’ experience were made to clean stables; and although the Soviets were opposed to the death penalty, they had no hesitancy in its application to officers. The British advanced their line before Bullecourt and captured a number of German trenches. French and British infantry and artillery reached the Italian northern line after an eight-day march, covering fifteen miles a day. France and Italy ordered their Swiss frontiers closed. British cavalry captured Bittir station, three miles west of Jerusalem. President Wilson issued a proclamation barring enemy aliens ! from within 100 yards of the New York City waterfront, and announced that the alcoholic content of beer would be cut to 3 per cent, and the volume of grain used cut to 70 per cent. Where is the “Island of Real"? It is an island in the St. Lawrence river, off the northeast end of the island of Orleans, in the province of Quebec, Canada, and also bears the French name, Isle aux Reaux. What does votive mean? “Given or consecrated in fulfillment of a vow.”

1 j

DAILY HEALTH SERVICE Child’s Desire for Candy Is Natural

BY DR. MORRIS FISHBEIN Editor Journal of the American Medical Association and of Hygeia. the Health Magazine. THE conception that candy and sweets are a serious menace to child health, is based upon years of belief by both physicians and parents. For years it has been thought that the eating of candy was the cause of detail cares. More recent evidence indicates that proper feeding of vitamins A, C and D, and proper amounts of calcium and phosphorus in the diet, are far more important in relationship to dental caries than could be the eating of sugar and sweets. Dr. A. A. Osman presented the subject before the section of odon-

IT SEEMS TO ME ** "SSST

IT was a man in a speakesy who gave me the advice. But I can’t seem tc remember which speakeasy or what man. At any rate, I was asking him the secret of his success. And he replied, “Introspection.” Os course, that didn’t get either of us very far. But with the next round he grew more specific and said: “Heywood, it’s like this: Once a year I sit down and write myself a letter. And in this letter I give myself good advice of one sort and another. Then I take it out and post it. And when it comes I read it over very carefully. And some of the counsel does stick.” I don’t intend to waste a two-cent stamp on myself in that manner. It will be more effective if I make this communication from Broun to Broun an open one. Here goes. tt tt tt If Not Delivered in 5 Days “T'VEAR HEYWOOD:— U “You make me pretty sick. I don’t like the way you’re running my liie. You seem to believe that there is no middle ground between being a Puritan and an utter idiot. The fact that the doctrines of Cotton Mather were a shade too strict is no reason why you should go to a night club every morning. “In all honesty, I can say that a cocktail a day is bad for no man. Medical testimony and my own experience confirm this. There might even be two on special occasions, such as birthdays, public holidays, gloomy days and bright ones. But why must you go on to three or even four? “I can remember that only a few years ago you trained down and threw the lie in to the teeth of all who called you fat. Possibly you overdid it a little. It seemed to me

Questions and Answers

When is the proper time to harvest corn for silage? Ordinarily corn should be harvested for the silo about a week or ten days before it would be cut for shocking; that is, when about 90 per cent of the kernels are dented and at least 75 per cent are hardened, so that no milk can be squeezed out. At this time the lower leaves on the stalk are turning brown and the green com fodder contains Cos to 70 per cent moisture, which is sufficient for silage. Silage from corn containing moisture enough for proper preservation is more palatable than that made from com so mature as to require the addition of water. How many motions has the earth? So far as is known, the earth has four motions: Rotation on its axis; revolution around the sun; precession of the equinoxes, a slow wabble of the pole of the spinning earth, like the wobble of a spinning top, which requires something more than 25,000 years to complete, and motion through space together with the sun and all tne attendant planets, toward a point in the constellation Hercules. Where is the Suwanee river? It rises in the Okefinokee swamp, in south Georgia, and flows southwest, emptying into the Gulf of Mexico, twelve miles north of Ce-

An Optical Illusion

tology of the Royal Society of Medicine in Great Britain. He pointed out that the child which is growing rapidly requires more carbohyrate to provide for its energy and muscular output than does the adult. He pointed out that the harmful results of depriving the child of carbohydrates in the form of sugar and sweets might outweigh greatly any possible harm that might be caused to the teeth by including a proper quantity of sugar in the diet. The desire of the average child for sweets may be simply the natural expression of the call by its cells due to fatigue or to its growing body for additional carbohydrates. The determination of how much

that perhaps you became a shade cadaverous. “By now that danger has carefully been averted. Unless you limit yourself to three substantial meals a day, I refuse to accept any responsibility for your figure. A man who breakfasts at 12 has no business with lunch. Also that prebreakfast repast just before going to bed is a mistake. “While I do not expect to convert you to early hours, there is no getting away from the fact that you ought to be asleep by 5 every morning instead of racketing around and eating fried oysters. In the end they will get you. a u a Making It My Business “T'xON’T say that all this is none J -J of my busines. The mode of life a man leads must be reflected in his work. And your work is very much my business. Think back and answer an honest question truthfully. Have you, within the last two months, actually given hard and deliberate thought to any piece which you have written? “I thought not. Since vanity is among your qualities, I have no intention of trying to tell you that everything you do is bad. I have enjoyed several of your essays. But there is no getting away from the fact that with advancing years you tend to become a little repetitious. “Several things in the column have had a vaguely familiar ring. ‘Vaguely’ is giving you all the best of the breaks. It would be an excellent idea for you to burn up the box in which you keep those old clippings of yours. For a Week at Least “ A S a particular favor to me, will you please abstain from writing any more columns about your

dar Keys, Fla., after a course of 240 miles. The scenery along its banks is attractive, and the river is celebrated throughout the country by the song, “Old Folks at Home.” Did the tariff act of 1930 put a duty on wood and grain alcohol? The act imposes a duty of 18 cents per gallon on methyl or wood alcohol and 15 cents per gallon on ethyl (grain) alcohol for non-beve-rage purposes. Who was the husband of Empress Eugenie? Napoleon 111. Does an alien man acquire American citizenship by marrying a woman citizen of the United States? No. What is the average weight and height of girls of eleven years? The average weight is 68.8 pounds and the average height is 53.5 inches. What is the origin and meaning of the naihe Baias? It is a Hungarian name, from the Latin, and means a babbler. What city in the United States has the greatest area? Los Angeles, Cal., by repeated annexation of territory, is now the largest city In area in thp United States and contains, 442.5 square miles. n.

sugar may be necessary for the child is, of course, a matter of dietetic computation. Parents must learn the caloric values of various foods and make certain that the child’s intake of energy-providing material is sufficient to meet its needs. It is, howpver, essential to choose the right kind of carbohydrate in feeding the child. It must be realized that cereals, potatoes and most vegetables provide considerable amounts of carbohydrates, and that sweets vary in their nature. Substances that are extremely sticky and hard to chew may be very bad for the teeth and the gums. Hard candies, such as the usual lollypop or all-day sucker, are in general preferable.

Ideals and opinions expressed in this column are those of one of America’s most interesting writers and are presented without regard to their agreement or disagreement with the editorial attitude of this paper.—The Editor.

painting? That you should go on with your art is entirely satisfactory to me, but why talk abou it? Even if it is of no value, which I feel sure is the case, there is no reason why you should not take it seriously. To joke about a thing concerning which one feels strongly dissipates energy. Defensive mechanism is always a cumbersome process, and it takes heavy toll from all who use it. “One thing more on this subject. Tradition holds that amateur painters who give their pictures to helpless friends or compel visitors to look a# the latest experiment are among the world’s worst bores. Tradition is right. Amateur art should begin in the attic and stay there. Tradition also is right about amateur acting. “However, I imagine you still have sense enough to realize that newspaper writing is your chief occupation. Asa humorist I can not hand you much. Os course, you occasionally do a piece which makes me laugh. With 365 days in each year at which to shoot it would be remarkable to see a man miss all the time. If the mood comes to be funny let it ride. But don’t strain after these effects. You are no natural comic. n n tt The Tap Runs Dry “T LIKE you much the best when A you get mad about something. That spirit can’t be turned on like hot water. No, it might be better to say that is very like turning on the hot water. Usually there isn’t any. “What I mean is that I don’t expect you to get up in the morning and try to dig up some theme to set you boiling. A piece in which a man is trying to whip himself up to interesting anger is just as flat as forced humor. “You are by no means free from a disposition to turn qaint and antic. This can be blamed upon that man who said that you reminded him of Chesterton. And you misunderstood his intent. He was talking of the figure. Reduce it and oblige your friend”— (Oopyrisrht, 1931. by The Times)

Good, Dunked or Not f a rhZ b i Ul f let !? te J mg . how t 0 make all kinds—buttermilk doughnuts chocolate doughnuts, date doughnuts, raised doughnuts, old fnc™ Shl i UtS ’ £ lain doughnuts, regular crullers, maple crull? rs ; old fashioned crullers, old fashioned raised cakes Pennsylvania cinnamon buns, a dozen different kinds of fritters and another dozen kinds of muffins. The family will appreciate them and you will have anew batch of useful recipes to add to your cookbook collection. Fill out the coupon below and send for this bulletin: CLIP COUPON HERE Dept 155, Washington Bureau, The Indianapolis Times 1322 New York avenue, Washington, D. C. ° f th * bulletln . CRULLERS. RAISED CAKES AND MUFFINS, and enclose herewith 5 cents in coin, or loose uncancelled. United States postage stamps to cover return postage and nandling costs. Name Street and No City state I am a reader of The Indianapolis Times. (Code NoJ

.NOV. 26, 1931

SCIENCE BY DAVID DIETZ _

*Convention" of Mercury, Venus and Mars in Western Sky Renews Speculation on Their Chances of Supporting Life. LOOKING at the western sky as the sun sets any afternoon during the last week, you might, have seen a triangle of star-like objects showing faintly amid the rays of the dying sun. The three are planets—Mercury, Venus and Mars brothers and sisters of the earth, who are apparently holding a convention in the western sky. The event, which is rather infrequent, is known as a triple conjunction. A simple conjunction, in which two planets appear close together, occurs more frequently. Os course, in all cases the planets are actually millions of miles apart. They appear close together only in the line of sight. The three planets could be distinguished by their relative brightness. Venus ranks first, Mars next and Mecury last. Normally, only Mars has a ruddy color, but all' astronomical objects have a tendency to take on a reddish hue when near the horizon, just as the setting sun looks red. This is due to the effect of the atmosphere upon the various wave-lengths of light. The conjunction no longer is visible because on Wednesday the apparent position of the planets came so close to the setting sun as to render them invisible. tt tt tt Life on Other Planets? AS one gazes upon these planets, the natural question which comes to mind is whether or not they are inhabited. Are they cold lifeless bodies like our own moon or do they support plants and animals? Have they civilizations, and if so what kind? These are interesting questions, but ones which the astronomer is not prepared to answer in any detail. Let us see why. For the moment let us imagine ourselves transported to any of these other planets and looking back upon the earth. We would then see the earth shinning in the sky as now we see the other planets. We also would see our moon as a star-like object, smaller than the erath and circling around it. It would not be possible for us, however, to detect evidences of human activity upon the earth. The existence of life on earth would have to be inferred from changes in appearance which indicated clouds; from changes in color indicating winter snow and summer foilage; and from thermocouple measurements of temperature and from spectroscopic evidence of oxy? gen and water vapor. This is worth keeping in mind when we weigh the possibility of other planets being inhabitated. Now as to life upon he planets. Let us discuss Mercury first. Mercury, smallest of planets, is a’sd nearest to the sun Those are two of the chief reasons for believing that there is no life upon Mercury. It is probably too small to hold an atmosphere. It is probably too licit for life as we know it. Thermocouple measurements indicate a surface temperature of 350 degrees, Centigrade, a temperature high enough to melt lead. o a Venus Size of Earth VENUS and Mars present bigger problems than Mercury. Most of the talk centers about the chances of life on Mars but many astronomers thfnk that conditions are more favorable on Venus. Dr. Seth B. Nicholson, one of the astronomers at the Mt. Wilson observatory, says that if he had to take his chances of living on either of the planets, he would choose Venus. Venus is about the size of the earth. Mars is about half the size of the earth. Venus is closer to the sun than we are, Mars is further from the sun. Most astronomers today are more or less in agreement that Mars looks as if it could suport life. The appearance of the planet changes with the seasons in such a way as to suggest vegetation. Another marked phenomenon is the expanding and shrinking of the white polar caps with the change in seasons. It looks very much like the melting and freezing of an ice cap. The thermocouple indicates reasonable temperatures in the daytime, but very cold ones at night. There is some spectroscopic evidence for water and oxygen. It is not possible to observe the surface of Venus. Dense, heavy white clouds hide the surface from dur view. Many astronomers, however, think it very'likely that oxygen, water vapor and favorable temperatures may exist beneath the clouds.

Daily Thought

Cursed by their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel. —Genesis 49:7. He that would be angry and sin not must not be angry with anything but sin.—Seeker.