DEEP IN THE HEARTS
OF MEN

Mary E. Waller

The author of "The Wood-Carver of Lym

pus" tells a story of real people, with real virtues and real failings, but instinct with the will to rise above their weaknesses. It has had five large printings, the last three being called for in rapid succession, indicating a steadily increasing popularity. $2.00

Macmillan

WILLARD STRAIGHT
Herbert Groly

The fascinating story of Willard Straight,
artist, soldier, financier, idealist, newspaper
correspondent, and builder of empires. $6.00

Putnam

THE LIFE AND TIMES
OF CLEOPATRA
Arthur Weigall

Since the days of Plutarch, this is the first
study of the fascinating Egyptian Queens to
be written in the light of truth and history.
Mr. Weigall has constructed a picture of the
Serpent of Old Nile widely different from
the romantic one of popular conception. Yet
it is one far more human, far more realistic
and charming than any of the traditional
conceptions. It is a fascinating and tragic
tale with the leading roles played by Caesar,
Marc Antony, Octavian and a little Queen
who was a good mother, a shrewd politician,
a fine linguist and a great lady.

MARIE ANTOINETTE
Hilaire Belloc

$5.00

Mr. Belloc sees the daughter of Maria
Theresa as the victim of circumstance and
a fate bred before she was born, in the cor-
ruption that honeycombed the court of the
Sun King. From the day she entered Stras-
bourg as the bride of a stupid, sickly, royal
boy, until the moment she mounted the scaf
fold like a common criminal, her story moves
with the rapidity and interest of a fine novel.
$5.00

THE GOLDEN BED
Wallace Irwin

A novel which deals with the rise of a "poor
white" boy and the decline of a great South-
ern family. As the two pass in their re
spective courses, Admah Holtz becomes en-
tangled in the lives of the wild and beautiful
Flora Lee Peake and her more sober sister
Margaret. The tale moves against a back-
ground of flux and change in a typical
American city, romantic and colorful in
conception and treatment.
$2.00

SCIENCE

Voices from Heaven

The attempt to radiocast a diver's voice from the seabottom having been successfully carried out in Philadelphia (TIME, Aug. 11), the Radio Corporation of America last week radiocasted the voice of an aeronaut, a mile above the earth.

a

An Army airplane from Mitchell Field, L. I., flew above Central Park, Manhattan. The airplane carried sending and receiving set and a similar set was erected in the park beneath. An officer in the sky then chatted with an officer on the ground. The receiving station on the ground amplified the aeronaut's words and the entire conversation of both men was sent by wire to the radio casting station of WJZ in Aeolian Hall, three miles away, and there put again on the air for radio fans to hear.

Road Safety

In France, a new type of safety device has been developed for automobile traffic. It was tried out at two dangerous crossings on the outskirts of Bordeaux, and in several weeks there was not a single accident at these places where accidents had previously been frequent.

The device uses a plate set in the Pavement. When an automobile passes over this, it makes an electrical contact. A large sign "DANGER" over the roadway is automatically lighted, giving the motorist a chance to slow down. similar sign on the cross-street also lights up to warn cross-traffic.

A Close Look

A

Those astronomers who specialize in planetary lore are enjoying a treat since Mars is now at its closest point to the earth. The actual date of nearest approach is Aug. 23. At this time the planet is only 35 million miles away as against a possible distance of about 63 million miles when the two planets are at opposite sides of their orbits. These approaches, such as the present, occur every 26 months or so, but there is a variation of some 2 million miles in the nearness depending on what part of their eliptical orbits the two planets may be at the moment of juxtaposition. When the two planets are "in opposition," as this is called, in last August the very best opportunity for observation is offered, although at that time only the south pole of Mars can be

seen.

As usual the flood of newspaper buncombe about Mars and its inhabitants appears. The actual knowledge of the planet is considerable, as astronomical knowledge goes, but the amount of con

jecture, most of it baseless, is 10,000 times greater.

Mars is the planet whose orbit lies just outside that of the earth. Its mass is about one-ninth that of the earth. Its atmosphere has probably less than one-seventh the density of that of the earth. Because of its smaller mass, its gravity is much less and objects on its surface weigh only about one-third as much as the same objects would on the surface of the earth. It has also distinct polar caps, which increase and decrease with seasonable variations. It has also no marked clouds in its atmosphere. It has no surface elevations probably not over 2,000 or 3,000 feet in altitude. It has no oceans. Its year or period of revolution is close to 687 days; its day is about 24 hours and 37 minutes. It has two satellites, very small, and very close to the planet, one of which rises and sets twice a day, one every other day. Because of the structure of its orbit there is a difference of about 40% in the amount of solar heat received by the planet in Summer and in Winter. Aside from this, on account of its light atmosphere, its temperature variations are great.

And then there are the canals. The presence of the major canals are fairly well established by a number of observations. The late Prof. Percival Lowell at his observatory at Flagstaff, Ariz., claimed the discovery of as many as 585 canals. Some of these are doubted as optical illusions. These supposed canals were estimated at 30 to 100 miles in width and Prof. Lowell believed them to be belts of irrigated He believed country close to canals. further that they were supplied with water by the melting of the polar caps, and thought he dectected changes in the darkness and color of the canals indicating the coming and going of the water and its effect on vegetation. The whole supposition that there is animal life on Mars rests on the fact that the alleged canals are absolutely straight, running along great arcs of the planet's surface. "How," it is asked, "could these canals have been made unless by intelligent beings?"

Those who doubt the existence of life on Mars are skeptical of the existence of the canals which Prof. Lowell so carefully mapped, and they point out that the light atmosphere, the extremes of heat and cold, the comparative absence of water (even if the polar caps consist of snow-and it is suggested that they may be congealed carbon dioxide-it is estimated that there is less water on Mars than there is in one of the larger of the Great Lakes) make life such as we know it impossible. But like the argument for "life," the argument against "life" is not conclusive.

This year astronomers are given an opportunity for an unusually close look, and we may hear new wonders.

MISCELLANY

"TIME brings all things."

Baby Chick

At Chicago, 500 poultrymen attente the ninth annual convention of the In ternational Baby Chick Association Edgewater Beach Hotel, received re ports from nine affiliated State Ba Chick Associations, unanimously ap proved the formation of Accredit Hatcheries, unanimously authorize their officers to eliminate dishones chick advertising, watched baby cha motion pictures at a baby chick dinner took bus rides, danced, bathed, pre sented their retiring President, Pro Harry R. Lewis, with a handson watch and Mrs. Lewis with an Eron mous bouquet, voted to hold their tert convention at Atlantic City.

"Extraordinary Deed"

At Newburyport, Mass., one M: Effie M. Beal received a letter fr. a the Society for the Prevention o Cruelty to Animals, concluding: "W therefore wish to present to you, in the name of our society, its medal as token of our admiration and high re gard for this extraordinary deed a humanity."

Mrs. Beal did her deed last Januar Sledding through the woods in Mame her husband came upon an old moth bear, shot her, discovered a tiny c between her paws. Mrs. Beal cried; "Just like my own baby," snatched t cub to her breast, took it home, suckle it with her own infant, reared it urt it became large and troublesome.

Said Arthur Brisbane, Hearst Ed itor: "Romubus and Remus, upside down."

Spartan

At North Adams, Mass., Josephite Luczynski, 68, caught her finger in a electric washing machine, extricated th mashed digit, trimmed up the jagge edges of the second joint with her scis sors, poured disinfectant on, bound attended to her housework.

Doubtful Dog

In Chicago, Bim Elbert, dog, was reported as being paid quarters an dimes for tidying the Elbert premises, for minding the Elbert car, for carr ing the Elbert market-basket, for gong, to bed promptly, for not whining barking or "playing with other dogs He was said to go to the bank with h weekly savings, deposit them with t teller, wait for his pass book, trot hor His balance was "$68 with no wit drawals." He was saving "against the infirmities of age."

The Bull Market
Probable Duration
and Extent

The averages of industrial stocks now show a rise of 10 points from the June low, when the Brookmire Economic Service advised the purchase of securities.

Is the advance nearly completed, or is there still an opportunity to make further profit by holding present commitments-is this the time to make additional purchases?

If you own stocks now-or are thinking of accumulating them at preesnt levels-don't fail to read the latest Brookmire Bulletin which discusses these questions thoroughly. Free on request-now.

BROOKMIRE

ECONOMIC SERVICE, Inc. 25 West 45th St., New York Please send me your latest Bulletin TM-46 "The Bull Market," Free.

Name

Address

ARE STOCKS A SALE AGAIN?

In January and February we persistently advised the sale of industrial stocks.

Following a decline of twelve points on the average, the market has again advanced to its approximate high levels of early 1924 and 1923.

SALES ADVISABLE?

Should the discerning investor take advantage of the return to peak levels of the last five years and sell? Or, do fundamental factors indicate a broad bull movement ahead, reaching materially higher levels?

These vital questions are discussed, and specific recommendations given, in an analysis of the general stock market and business situation, just prepared for our clients. A few copies are available for FREE distribution.

Simply ask for TM-A25 AMERICAN INSTITUTE of FINANCE

141 Milk Street, Boston, Mass.

Current Situation

Trade, now in the depths of Summer slack, faces a double speculation as to the Fall. Seasonal recovery is of course to be expected, but how far it will go remains an enigma. The basic soundness of economic conditions is undoubted and is creating wide optimism as to the future. But merchants and manufacturers would like to see something more than rosy prospects, and soon they will become impatient unless definitely auspicious signs develop, however faintly.

The second gamble is politics, now on the threshold of a lively Presidential campaign. The tendency has been to disregard the LaFollette movement as insignificant and unimportant, and to hold that Coolidge will win rather easily over Davis. Yet those who have taken pencil and paper, and attempted to discover just how the Republicans will get the electoral votes necessary for victory are not so certain of all this. As yet there has been no barometer-except perhaps grain prices-to register political sentiment in the country.

Shorter Hours

The completion of the first year since the twelve-hour day was "abolished" in the steel mills brought forth last week a number of surveys of the results. The conclusions arrived at, although different, of course, for different companies and localities, were roughly these:

1) That the twelve-hour day in the steel industry has almost completely disappeared.

2) That there are still a great many men, however, who work more than eight hours.

3) That the seven-day week is just as common as formerly, if not more so, especially where the eighthour day has replaced the twelvehour day. However, in most cases, the men are allowed to take one day off a week if they desire.

4) That the increase of personnel required and of cost has been slight, due to the superior efficiency of men working shorter hours.

5) That in many cases the same amount of production has been maintained with no increase of workmen, although hours are shorter.

6) That shorter hours have aided in improving morale.

7) That in some sections men complain because the amount of work offered is inadequate.

Standard Oil Dividends

Much of the reverence long held for Standard Oil companies by the investing public bids fair to depart after the recent spell of omitting dividends. In rapid succession directors of Atlantic Refining and Standard Oil of

Kansas have decided to give nothing to stockholders, which goes to sho that even Standard Oil companies are human and fallible.

Not so many months ago, some these companies were very much un der-capitalized. Atlantic Refining wa a conspicuous example. Surplus was out of all proportion to capital on the balance sheet. Also, political liberals in Washington, about that time, bega to demand a tax on corporate sur pluses. To avoid such an unpleasant occurrence, generous stock dividends became the order of the day. Atlan tic Refining, for example, declared 900% stock dividend. No longer was under-capitalization among Standard Oil companies.

SO

common

Unfortunately, conditions in the o business got steadily worse, owing to over-production. Nor has this tendency yet been checked. For the week ending Aug. 9, production of crude increased over the preceding week 5,850 barrels daily. Stocks of both crude and gasoline have become unusually great. Not until these stocks can be reduced and higher prices secured will any lavish dividend policies in the oil business be generally witnessed.

Record Loadings

One encouraging indication that business is not, on the whole, as bad as it is sometimes painted, was furnished by figures of freight car loadings for the week ending Aug. 2. The previous "peak" of freight traffic in this country for 1924, measured by car-loading statistics, had been dur ing the week ending Mar. 1, when 945,049 cars were loaded. From that point, loadings declined until for the week ending July 5 they were only 759,942. From that point a great recovery has been seen. The next week the loading figure leaped upward to 910,415, and, after advancing steadily each successive week, established a new high record for 1924 of 945,931 cars in the week ending Aug. 2-an increase of 19,872 cars over the previous week. To date, loadings of revenue freight have totaled 27,658,938 cars-not far behind the sensa tional figure of 28,979,703 during the corresponding period of 1923.

Analysis of loadings for the Aug. 2 week discloses the fact that grain and grain products increased 6,741 cars over the preceding week to 56,702 cars; livestock was down 777 cars at 26,468; coal decreased 1,192 to 144.865; ore rose 121 to 54,644; forest products rose 1,137 to 66,812, and merchandise and miscellaneous freight increased 1,434 to a total of 239,804

cars.

Increased loadings were common to all districts, but southern and southwestern roads were alone in sur