TOPICS OF THE TIMES

Southland Times, Issue 19256, 21 June 1921, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE TIMES

A notable contribution to the literature dealing with the moon is expected as the result of researches which Professor W. H. Pickering has been making with an 11-inch telescope in Jamaica. Addressing the Royal Astronomical Society recently, Sir William Christie, former Astronomer Royal, announced that he had persuaded Professor Pickering to visit England to give his results to the Royal Astronomical Society, and in the meantime he described his independent observations to prepare the ground by confirming from actual personal evidence the reality of the phenomena. Briefly the changes noted in certain “craters,” of which Aristillus and Eratosthenes were given as examples, indicate seasonal effects from day to day of our reckoning. This would correspond to intervals of a fortnight on the earth, in which we can frequently notice great changes. These have only been observed by concentrating attention on the bright part of the moon, whereas previously most of the craters have been observed chiefly when near the terminator, or shadow boundary. It is possible that these changes are evidence of vegetation, or of melting snow, although there has been so strong a presumption against the moon having any atmosphere of water or any such thing. Sir W. Christie himself admitted that he would not have believed in the markings unless he had seen them.

Russia is described as “an economic vacuum,” and her alleged vast gold hoards are characterised as mythical by the American Secretary of State, Mr C. E. Hughes, in a letter to Mr Samuel Gompers, the president of the American Federation of Labour. Mr Gompers asked for guidance on the question of trade relations with Russia, explaining that a great deal of propaganda has been circulated throughout the United States, the theme of which was that the demand for manufactured goods in Russia was so enormous and the purchasing power of the Russian Soviet Government so great, that it is impossible to determine the actual capacity of the Russian market to absorb foreign goods. Mr Gompers expressed scepticism about these statements, but stated that he was receiving so many letters asking for information as to the real truth of the matter, that he had decided to ask the Secretary of State to make public the information in possession of the Government about the condition of affairs in Russia. In reply, Mr Hughes, after giving the above description* of the situation, adds that, in the opinion of the Government, “no evidence exists that it is likely to be alleviated as long as the present economic and political system continues.” Mr Hughes agrees that there is “almost no limit to the amount and variety of the commodities needed in Russia,” but considers that the purchasing power of the country is now at its minimum, solely on account of the fact that the Soviet Government “has no credit.”