OXYGEN ON MARS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 610, 13 September 1909, Page 9

OXYGEN ON MARS.

NO PROOF OP LIFE. ' '. (By CurrfiSDOndtjn.t.l ' Auckland, September 11. '.With 'regard fo.tk'6 cablegram about oxygen on Mars, Professor .'.Thomas, of Auckland Uni-versity,-said, jvhen. interviewed, that Professor LowollV discovery . did - not . necessarily mean, ■that-the atmosphere.on Mars was,the sanio as. on the earth. ..' •'Tho atmosphere of the earth," ho'went on.to say, "oonsists'bf praetically'oheIfth of .oxygen.only. .'X'o speak;of Marsha's having Kn. oxygon atmospharo implies that its atmosphere, consists mainly, of oxygen., .If what Professor' iowell has discovered is . atmosphere, containing,, oxygenVW Mars, tho .cablegram, would, no doubt, 'have said so. (The'cablegram in*its original skeleton, form simply "said, that tho professor had oxygin atmosphere .Mars.") . .' -. ..; Professor : Thomas was asked:-If there, is. a. greater'porcentageof. oxygen In the atmosphere on?Mars,-whatdoes, that mean? . IToes it mean that-/thero' is life there? '■■ ' ',"TVell, : : ta : begin - with," replied Professor' .'{homas,- "ii"shows- that Mars ;i$ cnpablo of supporting, life sneh' as ;..we.;know. it ,on this earth. . Oxygen is absolutely 'essential"for'.tho existence'of .both 'onlipal and vegetable lifo on "the earth, ;It is/ no real. evidenco in; the 1 point whatever.; . All'it'shows'is that Mars ,is eapalili of sustaining but' it , does not, show, that' thero. .is ■: lifo, there. There ,is room for /.differences,' of - Opinion as to ' the significance of' the c&nahj. Some people imagine because, .they, are there ;• t.hat '.they! were mi\de by ,the ,inhabitants on Mars. The'only cvldenco wo. really havo of thi'-presence; of life 'on 'Mars, is! tho existence!,:of ..these canals 1 ,; which. 'we. 'cannot interpret.' '• / '• .; "I; think it is extremely interesting and I regard'it; as;an important point in connection with ' the ; possible presence:. of" life on 'Mars, but' it .certainly Ycannot be regarded as' proof that there is lifo there." ' '