ROCKET, SPARE THE MOON

Evening Star, Issue 17319, 6 April 1920, Page 6

ROCKET, SPARE THE MOON

Referring to a recent, announcement from the Smithsonian Institute (U.S.A.) of a rocket with enough kick in it to carry it to the moon, Loudon ‘ Guardian ’ says ; “ This is a good enough beginning in all conscience, and promises some highly significant results, but there is more in our rocket than this. Its inventor is also toying with the idea that, having shot his bolt well out of the grasp, of this- stubborn old world into the moon he can provide a sufficient charge of ‘ brilliant flash powder ’ to show when it has got there. One of the prims intentions of the Smithsonian Institute, ns laid .down in its charter, is to ‘ stimulate men of talent to make original researches.’ This particular exploit certainly seems to fit the bill, in spite of Jules Verne’s cannon for reaching the moon, and Gilbert’s suggestion in 1 Princess Ida ’ that a telegraph _ wire to the same body might be one of the feats of an emancipated womanhood. “ Butsufficient' ‘ brilliant’' flash powder’ to be visible on the moon, even with the aid of ‘ a. powerful telescope,’ would make a nasty mass of quite a largo patch of a docent body that up to now has always proved a friendly enough alien. Hadn’t we better fire a preliminary shot across Selene’s bows, and give the poor thing a chance to surrender without actual damage to her complexion? ‘■‘Tiiis habit of bombarding other members of the solar system without notice does not go well with a League of Xationa. It 13 a. little too. like cosmic frightfulness.”' 1 *■ - - •