(NOTE: My sincere apologies are due FJA for the position of his article so far toward the back of SPACEWAYS. This was unavoidable, due to a slight delay the article received in being sent from Maine to Maryland; while the article was travelling it beca me necessary to begin work on the first pages of SPACEWAYS, and naturally I had to wait until I received the article before I could put it in. However, if at any time FJA favors us with something else, it will certainly be given a much more prominent plac e. The following is presented in Ackermanese, which most of you probably thought took a back seat when IMAGINATION did its disappearing act. Also, all Esperanto words are underlined. The meaning of the majority of them, even if you don't know the "Tung of Tomoro"; but if you are in doubt about any of them drop us a line and we'll translate next issue. HW)
WHITHER ROCKETRY? "Flite Otherworldsward" is the translated title of the latest work on the subject, a well-printed 32-pg bklet from the Esperanto-Eldonejo of J Muusses, Purmerend Niederland, originly written in the Universalanguage by Ernest G Dodge, US Govt employee in Wn DC, author of "Measurement of the Universe".
So interesa did I find the reading of this forecast of the future of travel transspacial, appropriately presented in the Tung of Tomoro, that on 2 occasions I was carryd beyond my destination while on a tramo.
The author believes our human race will b able to survive long as the solar sistemo has a refuge to offer it. This, because of man's yet unevolved capabilitys to become ruler, not remain servant -- thence guardian of worlds, not prisoner on one planet ...
Step by step Sinjoro Dodge skilfully leads the lay-reader from the primitive triumf of successfully navigating a small expanse of sea to the profecy of the greatest glory to b: THE CONQUEST OF SPACE!
"Absurditys of the Fastasiacs" he classifys the unscientific car-shot-from-cannon processes employd by Verne in "To the Moon & Around It", in "The War of the Worlds" by HGWells; HG's mythical gravity-screen substance, Cavorite; Jno Jacob Astor's ("Voya ge in Other Worlds") imaginary Apergy; even Edgar Rice Burroughs in comes for criticism for his "quasi-physical method for sudden transport" from one world to another. Quite cleverly Dodge declares that such ideas can cause either a fairy-land or fooey-la nd feeling! RAKETOJ, he assures, r the "sola solvo" -- the sole solution.
Strato-flites, rocket fuels, miraks -- all the wellknown (to stfans) items r enumerated. Mentiond is Britta bk "Raketoj Traspacaj" ("Rockets thru Space") by PECleator; the work of Profesoroj Oberth, Esnault-Pelterie, Goddard. In 1935, he tells, already existed 10 interplanetary societys, to b found in Granda Britio, Nederlando, in Deutschland, France, the USSR & 3 in USA.
The attack on the infinite is not a pastime for individuals, he states, millionaires not yet even an enterprise for ordinary scientific assns or universitys. Rather it is a co-operative undertaking for Mankind United, and enlitend homo sapiens that can comprehend clearly how much nobler it is to fite against the unconquerd forces of physical nature than to murder en masse its own kind ...
Such side issues r discust as the total disapearance of weight in free space; temperature-troubles; menace of meteroids ...
What kind of world is MARS -- is there, possibly, life there -- Coud earthmen colonize the ruddy world? VENUS -- "Planedo de Mistero, la Vespera Stelo" .... "Planet of mystery, the Evening Star". Establishment of new civilization subsurface on our satellite ...
Chapt. II outlines the 11 stages of evolution, as Dodge anticipates them, thru which the attempts to span the spaceways to other planets will progress -- r progressing -- to success.
Data entry by Judy Bemis
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