MESSAGES FROM MARS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16036, 29 January 1920, Page 5

MESSAGES FROM MARS.

MARCONI’S SPECULATIONS.

PUBLIC INTEREST INCREASING

WHAT EXPERTS SAY.

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association., Received January 29, 9.5 a.m. LONDON, Jan. 28,

Public interest is increasing in Marconi’s speculations., Scientists and other experts are freely discussing and speculating on the subject. Major MacCallum, superintendnig engineer at Marconi House, states that he believes the interruptions are coming too frequently to be accidental, but, he asks, if emanating from the moon or Mars, why are they coming in Morse? Major MacCallum suggests the interesting theory that the Martians are probably in a more advanced stage of civilisation than the earth, and perhaps have been experimenting with wireless for hundreds of years. An extra sensative Martian record may have picked up our code messages and worked them out, as we did the German messages of war, and are now trying to get in touch with the earth at regular intervals. Major MacCallum advises careful investigation and exact records, in order to make certain. He adds that Mars could certainly overcome distance with a sufficiently powerful transmitter, travelling 186,000 miles per second. Professor Norman Lockyer declares that the planetary signals are not impossible. Professor Soddy says that Marconi’s communication is obviously of the greatest interest. Professor Knobel points out that we have no ground for believing that Hertzian waves travel through celestial space.

Professor E. Maunder disbelieves the possibility of planetary communication, and favours the theory of magnetic disturbances in the sun.

Professor S. Turner considers that the signals are probably from somewhere in the solar system, but not necessarily from intelligent life, though he thinks it highly probable that life exists in other bodies of the solar system. Commander Slee, of the Naval Wireless, does not deny the possibility of a great advance in wireless, which opens up a vast field for research.

Professor Flammarian, interviewed in Paris for the Daily Mial, while agreeing that the Marconi interruptions are possibly due to disturbances in the sun, adds that perhaps Mars has been sending out signals for centuries, we not knowing how to reply.