DISCOVERY 



199 



in another planet, the allegory is obvious. The planet 

 into which the " Earthlings " are caught up by the 

 exploit of two Utopian scientists is one in which the 

 " Age of Confusion " has been left behind several 

 thousands of years ago. In this planet long-distance 

 travelling is done in sUent flying machines ; speech 

 and conversation are carried on by means of trans- 

 mitting thought from mind to mind, languaged diffi- 

 culties being thus avoided ; labour-saving methods 

 have reduced heavy and laborious work to its minimum ; 

 war and disease, injustice and fear, have been com- 

 pletely banished ; the inhabitants have set their minds 

 and bodies free to probe into the universe outside their 

 own world. Into the narrative and details of this 

 book we cannot go ; the " Earthlings " introduce 

 disease and war into it, but both are combated success- 

 fuUv and. like Adam and Eve, the " Earthlings " are 

 sent back from this paradise to their own planet. Many 

 an " earthling " will throw mud at Mr. Wells's Utopia, 

 and scientists may not agree that all its exploits in 

 chemistry, physics, and engineering will ever be 

 feasible. But it is a great book all the same, for it 

 contains a striking analysis of our present Age of 

 Confusion, and its forecast of the future is a triumph 

 of the human intellect. We believe that we are strug- 

 gling slowh' and painfull}' out of an Age of Confusion, 

 and that science, in the widest meaning of the word, is 

 already in the vanguard. Atlantis may never emerge 

 before the eyes of adventurers in the Pacific ; we are 

 all adventurers, and Atlantis is gradually — very 

 gradually — rising in our midst. 



News of the Month 



TWO NEW VOLCANIC ISLANDS 



Of the many instances of earth disturbances this year 

 one of the most extraordinary is the recent formation of 

 two small volcanic islands in the China Sea. The Geogra- 

 phical Journal for July publishes reports on these remark- 

 able phenomena. The first report was written by 

 Captain Horikawa of the Wakasa-Maru. During the 

 voyage of this vessel between Hong-Kong and Singapore 

 the peak of Pulo Cecir de Mar " bearing 298 degrees at a 

 distance of 7^ miles " was passed at 3.20 p.m. on March 2. 

 I A long range of white smoke was noticed (ascending from 

 I the sea) by the second officer. The captain altered his 

 course in the direction of the smoke, thinking that it 

 ] was a tank-ship on lire ; but on ascertaining that the 

 I phenomenon was due to volcanic action, he put his ship 

 back on her original course at 5.45 p.m. and passed the 

 smoke at about 3f miles off. " The sea surface in the 

 neighbourhood of the volcanic action was much dis- 

 turbed, but could not be well seen. A cloud of grey 

 vapour rose to some height, and made a long range of 

 clouds in the blue sky extending to the horizon to leeward. 

 At intervals a large mass of gas appeared above the 



disturbed surface of the sea. Sea-water with ashes fell 

 from it on its first appearance, and it then ascended with 

 great speed, growing larger as it rose and balloon-shape, 

 becoming eventually like a large mass of cumulus 

 cloud and following the range of clouds which had been 

 blown to leeward. The height was estimated at 7,000 

 feet." 



As a result of Captain Horikawa's report, H.M.S. 

 Carlisle made a passing examination of the sea in the 

 region of the disturbance during her voyage from Singa- 

 pore to Mirs Bay. This took place on Marcli S, that is, 

 six days later than the first sighting of the phenomenon ; 

 and Captain Dickens, R.N., after sighting the column of 

 \-apour, closed in nearer and discovered that an island of 

 a horseshoe shape, rising at the W.S.W. end to a height 

 of about 80-100 feet, had been formed. 



Since Captain Dickens's report an Admiralty Notice, 

 based on a report from H.il. Surveying Ship Iroquois, 

 dated May 13, has been issued. On this date the volcano 

 was still active and the island had grown to a height of 

 97 feet. Moreover, a second volcanic island had been 

 formed 2 miles south of the first ; this was still in eruption 

 and about i foot in height. A shoal-bank, 12 fathoms 

 under water, was also discovered a mile south-east of the 

 first island. 



One of the most interesting points about these volcanic 

 activities, as The Geographical Journal observes, is that 

 they are " a long way removed from any recent volcanoes." 

 The whole phenomenon raises many questions, such as, 

 " Will these islands subside into the sea again or, just as 

 likely, will they cool down and will it be possible to land 

 on them ? 



That the surface of the earth is in a more disturbed 

 condition than it has been for a great number of years 

 there is no doubt. The disturbances off the coast of 

 Chile last year, and the strange phenomena in Kamchatka, 

 widespread earthquakes in China, and the eruption of 

 Etna, all in the first six months of this year, must surely 

 in some waj- be related to one another. 



THE CINEMA IN THE UNITED STATES 



The enormous growth of the cinema industry in the 

 United States is amply illustrated by statistics recently 

 issued by the Motion Picture Directory of New York. 

 They reveal the fact that there are approximately 18,000 

 moving-picture theatres in the whole country, providing 

 a total seating accommodation of from 8 to 10 millions. 

 It is estimated that at least 50,000,000 Americans attend 

 the cinema each week, and that sometimes attendances 

 rise to r5, 000, 000 a day. 



We believe that the day is not far distant when the 

 Cinema and Wireless Broadcasting will usurp the present 

 position of the daily press in supplying the public with 

 its news. Experiments are also on foot for reproducing 

 films by wireless. We can only hope that both industries 

 will realise their enormous power over the minds and 

 emotions of humanity and attempt to follow more con- 

 scientious principles and interpret news with less bias 

 than many of the present newspapers existing in this 

 world. 



