The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, AUGUST 26th, 1924. THE MARS PROBLEM.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 August 1924, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, AUGUST 26th, 1924. THE MARS PROBLEM.

A gbe.it deal is appearing in the cables just now about- Mars. To us of this glofie thore is naturally a groat deal of “mystery” about Mars, and this lias aroused the deepest curiosity from all points of view. There is a particular ieason at this time why the planet should be occupying so much public attention. The Lyttelton "Times” re-

marks that tin* planet. Mars, in opposition and at its nearest approach to the earth for s century, is naturally an ohjeet of intense interest, not merely to tho hut (v]sq tf» the

masses of the people ill al l civilised communities. Mars is not the nearest of the | billets to the earth but is i: in many respects tin - - most interesting and it lias a .'•perial :mpoi tam o because, of all the planets, i: appears ;.I be the one most closely reproducing the conditions that- obtain or arc likely to obtain in the future upon the earth. It is hoped this year by the astronomers that for a few brief moments, at ally rate, they will be able to MS' till’ surface of Mars illuminated by the sun as though the planet were within a mile or two of the earth’s suiiaee, and if .so tremendous a development of astronomy should be possible, the mysteries of the strange markings on the surface of the planet should lie solved for ever. Mars is much older relatively Minn the earth, but it lias an atmosphere and presumably moisture on its surface, and there is reason to U'lieve that vegtation grows and fades with the seasons. In this surmise, ii it is only a surmise, is to lie loiind the reason for the intense study of the red planet. A see; tie may ask what possible benefit can lie conferred it] on the ) co| le of this earth by close inspection of the siirlarc of Mars; but. clearly, if a close inspection of that surface, reveals the presence on that surface of vegetation, similar to that of the earth or dissimilar, the fact will have been definitely established that some forms of life do exist in other worlds. Titer** is. of course, no reason to imagine that this planet, out. of all the systems of planets that fill the universe, should have been selected or should have been selected itself by accident. to be file one nursery of life: but we do not know positively that there is what we call life outside our own world and positive evidence of the existence of any form of life, high or law, on the surface of Mars, would dismiss for all time the idea that life i*. ill* l f.vrliisiv»* j of our own ] (tiwii proof of tlic 4*xi**t<.*H««» on Mars of life in any form, we should he able to advance confidently at once In the assumption that life in a highly developed form must exist there also. Smaller than the earth. Mars must have cooled from its original incandescence at a much earlier stage in the history of the universe than did the earth. At- an earlier stage, therefore, it must have presented conditions favourable to the appearance of life in some form or other, and millions <>!' years ago the life on Mars, if it exists ai all. must have passed through stages of development and evolution corresponding to those through which life has passed on the earth. If the researches of astronomers do not more than discover the key to the outermost door of the walls of mystery that guard the secrets of the other planets, mankind may at length be able to set foot on the path that leads fo the solution of the vast problem of life.