THE SUN.
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The First l nstalment of "The MoonHoax'|^K [m
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON
> NE HUNDRED YEARS ago this
r mouth both America and Europe
0 were buzzing wit ii excitement. An
' English astronomer had invented
- a wonderful new telescope nnd
> with It tint] “made the most ex
1 ttaordlnary discoveries in every
planet of our solar system: had dis
covered planets in other solar sys
terns; had obtained a distinct view ot objects in
the moon, fully equal to that which the unaided
eye commands of terrestrial objects at the dis
tance of 100 yards; had affirmatively settled the
question whether this satellite be inhabited, and
by what order of beings; had firmly established
a new theory of rometnry phenomena ; and had
solved or corrected nearly every leading problem
of mathematical astronomy."
It was an American newspaper, the New York
Sun, which made this astounding revelation. The
Sun had been founded by Benjamin 11. Hay in
1S33 as the first of the penny newspapers in the
United States.
On August 21, 1S.T5, the second page of the
San carried tills small news item: "CEI.ESTIAL,
DISCOVERIES—The Edinburgh Courant says—
'\Ve have just learnt from an eminent publisher
in this city that Sir John Herschel at the Cape
of Good Hope, has made some astronomical dis
ooverles of the most wonderful description, by
means of an Immense telescope of an entirely
new principle.’" It was true that Sir John
Frederick William Herschel, the greatest astron
omer of Ills time, had gone to South Africa in
January, 1S1I4, and established an observatory
near Cape Town to complete the first telescopic
survey ever attempted of the whole surface of
the visible heavens. So that much of the story
was true.
On August 2r> three columns of the first page
of the Sun were devoted to an article which ap
peared under a modest headline of “GItKAT
ASTHONOMICAL DISCOVKltlKS—Lately Made
hy Sir John Ilerschel, LL.D. K.Il.S. Ac—At the
Cape of Good Hope." This article was credited
to the “Supplement to the Edinburgh Journal
of Science." It was true that there had once
been an Edinburgh Journal of Science but the
renders of the Sun did not know that it had
suspended publication several years previously.
This first article was devoted almost entirely
to a discussion of the Importance of Sir John's
discoveries. He had "paused several hours be
fore he commenced his observations, that be
might prepare his own mind for discoveries
which he knew would fill the minds of myriads
of his fellow men with astonishment. And well
might he pause! From the hour the first human
pair opened their eyes to the glories of the blue
firmament above them, there has been no ac
cession to human knowledge at all comparable
in sublime interest to that which he has been
the honored agent in supplying. Well might he
pause 1 lie was about to become the sole de
pository of wondrous secrets which had been
hid from the eyes of all men that had lived since
the birth of time."
All of which was an excellent "build-up" to
whet the Interest of the Sun’s readers in what
was to follow. Hut It did uot give any definite
Information about the astronomer's discoveries
so there was nothing for Its readers to get ex
cited about yet. But on August 20 the Sun print
ed four columns of vivid description of what
was to be seen on the moon. The astronomers
reported:
"In the shade of the woods on the southeast
ern side we beheld continuous herds of brown
quadrupeds, having all the external characteris
tics of the bison, hut more diminutive than any
species of the bos genus in our natural history.
Its tall was like that of our bns grunlens; but
in Its semi-circular horns, the hump on its shoul
ders, the depth of Its dewlap, and the length of
its shaggy hair, It closely resembled the species
to which we have compared It.
"It had, however, one widely distinctive fea
ture, which we afterward found common to
nearly every lunar quadruped we have discov
ered; namely, a remarkable fleshy appendage
over the eyes, crossing the whole breadth of the
forehead und united to the ears. We could most
distinctly perceive this hairy veil, which was
shaped like the upper front outline of the cap
known to the ladles as Mary Queen of Scots
cap, lifted and lowered by means of the ears. It
Immediately occurred to the acute mind of Dr.
Herschel thnt this was a providential contrivance
to protect the eyes of the animal from the great
extremes of light and darkness to which all the
Inhabitants of our side of the moon are peri
odically subjected.”
Ou that day the moon story In the Sun became
the talk of New York. But more was to follow
for the next day’s account introduced the Sun’s
readers to new regions of the moon—the Vaga
bond mountains, the Lake of Death, craters of
extinct volcanoes and luxurious forests divided
by open plains “in which waved an ocean of
verdure, and which were probably prairies like
those of North America.” Of animals there were
classified "nine species of mamalla and five of
Famous
Hoax a
Richard Adams
Locke
'/ Benjamin H.Dai)
Tounder cf The. Sun
✓
Edqar
A Poe
oviparia.” Hut the Sun s readers were waiting
eagerly to know if there was human life on the
distant planet, and on August 28 that curiosity
was satisfied. Tile astronomers were looking
upon the cliffs and crags of a new part of the
satellite: "But whilst gazing upon them we were
thrilled with astonishment to perceive four suc
cessive Hocks of birds descend with a slow, even
motion from the cliffs on the western side and
alight upon the plain. . . . About half of the first
party had passed from our canvas, hut of ull
the others we had a perfectly distinct and de
liberate view. They averaged four feet In
height, were covered, except on the face, with
short ami glossy copper-colored hair, and had
wings composed of a thin membrane, without
hair, lying snugly upon their backs, from the
top of the shoulders to the calves of the legs.
“The face, which was of a yellowish tlesh
color, was a slight Improvement upon that of
the orang-utan, being more open and intelligent
in its expression, and having a much greater ex
panse of forehead. The mouth, however, was
very prominent, though somewhat relieved by a
thick beard upon the lower jaw, nnd by lips
far more human than those of any species of the
Simla genus . . . These creatures were evidently
engaged in conversation; their gesticulation,
more particularly tlie varied action of the hands
nnd arms, appeared Impassioned nnd emphatic.
We hence inferred that they were rational be
ings, nnd, although not so high an order as oth
ers which we discovered the next month on the
shores of the Bay of Italnhows, that they were
capable of producing works of art and con
trivance . . . We scientifically denominated them
tlie vespertIllo-homo, or man-bat; and they are
doubtless innocent anil happy creatures.”
The Sun's circulation sky-rocketed to 15,000,
to 10,000, to 18,000—on up to 10,500, the “largest
of liny daily in the world.” Its press had to
run 10 hours a day to turn out enough papers
to meet the demand.
The next installment comprising 11,000 words
was printed on the three succeeding days. In it
was revealed the discovery of the great Temple
of the Moon, built of polished sapphire, with a
roof of some yellow metal, supported by columns
70 feet high and six feet In diameter. In the
valley of the temple a new set of man-bats was
discovered. Then one night, when the astron
omers finished work, they neglectfully left the
telescope facing the eastern horizon. The rising
sun burned a hole 15 feet in circumference
through the reflecting chamber, and ruined part
of the observatory. When the damage was re
paired the moon was Invisible, and the narrative
came to an end.
Although the story had ended, echoes of it
were being heard far outside the Sun’s circula
tion territory. In Paris the Sun articles were
translated into French and Issued as illustrated
pamphlets. The same thing was being done In
London, Glasgow—and even in Edinburgh, the
home of the fictitious “Supplement to the Edin
burgh Journal of Science”!
And then came revelation that the whole thing
was a gigantic hoax! A reporter on the New
York Journal of Commerce named Finn met a
reporter on the Sun named Richard Adams
Locke. Finn told Lg>cke that Ills editor had in
structed him to get extra copies of the Sun con
taining the moon story because the Journal of
Commerce was going to reprint it the next day.
"Don't print it right away," said Locke. “You
know, I wrote that story myself.”
Instead of being grateful for being saved from
printing the fake, the Journal of Commerce Im
mediately denounced the story as u hoax. Other
newspapers took up the cry.
Rut the Sun did not immediately confess how
it had fooled not only its own readers but al
most the whole scientific world. Finally on
September 10 it printed n long editorial discuss
ing the moon stories and mentioning the wide
spread interest they hud aroused. It said:
“Some persons of little faith but great good na
ture, who consider the ‘moon story,’ as it Is vul
garly called, an adroit Action of our own, are
quite of the opinion that this was the amiable
moral which the writer had In view. Other
readers, however, construe the whole as an
elaborate satire upon the monstrous fabrications
of the political press of the country and the vari
ous genera and species of its party editors. In
the blue goat with the single horn, mentioned
as it is In connection with the royal arms of
England, many persons' fancy they perceive the
characteristics of a notorious foreigner who Is
the supervising editor of one of our largest morn
ing papers." Tills “notorious foreigner” was
James Gordon Bennett, born In Scotland, who
had shocked not only the conservatives of New
York but some of his journalistic contemporaries
by the sensationalism of his lleraid.
The “Moon Hoax" had the curious effect of
spoiling a promising tale by a man destined to
become one of America's greatest writers. Edgar
Allen Poe had started a fanciful tale of a similar
nature under the title of “Hans Pfanll." But
when he “found that lie could add very little to
the minute nnd authentic account of Sir John
Herschel,” he tore up the second installment of
his story. In later years he took pleasure in
picking to pieces the Sun’s moon story. Be
wrote:
“That the public were misled, even for an in
stant, merely proves the gross Ignorance which,
10 or 12 years ago, was so prevalent on astro
nomical topics. And yet it was, on the whole,
the greatest hit In the way of sensation—of
merely popular sensation—ever made by any
similar fiction either in America or Europe.
Erom the epoch of the hoax, the Sun shone with
unmitigated splendor. Its success firmly estab
lished the‘penny system’ throughout the country,
and (through the Sun) consequently we are in
debted to the genius of Mr. Locke for one of
the most important steps ever yet taken in the
pathway of human progress."
If Poe's estimate Is correct, then Richard
Adams Locke Is deserving of better than the
obscurity Into which his name has sunk, except
when occasionally his famous hoax Is recalled.
He was horn September 22, 1800, at East Brent,
Somersetshire, England, and he wns a descendant
of John Locke, the famous English philosopher.
Locke wns educated by ills mother and by
private tutors until he was nineteen when he
entered Cambridge. As a student there he be
gan his writing as a contributor to the Bee, the
Imperial Magazine and other publications. Be
coming Interested in the experiment In democ
racy which was being tried by England's erst
while colonies across the Atlantic, he founded
the London Republican to spread the doctrines
of the new democracy. But It soon failed.
Devoting himself to literature and science, he
next established a periodical called the Cornu
copia. In the meantime he had married and
when the Cornucopia failed after six months he
resolved to seek his fortune In America. In
1832, accompanied by his wife and daughter, he
came to New York and went to work for Col.
William Watson Webb of the New York Courier
and Enquirer. While covering the murder trial
of a religious fakir named “Matthias the
Prophet,” Locke became acquainted with Benja
min II. Day, the founder of the Sun.
rinding that i.ocue was the best reporter
there. Day hired him to write a series of feature
stories on the religious fakir for the Sun. As
a result Webb discharged him for working “on
the side" for the lowly penny rival of his paper
and Locke was glad to go to work for Day as
an editorial writer on the Sun at $12 a week.
After the Matthias trial ended It was rather
a dull time for the New York newspapers. So
Locke went to Day with a plnn for “stirring up
something" and Day readily agreed to what his
star writer proposed. The result was the moon
story of a century ago, perhaps the most famous
hoax of all time and certainly the most impor
tant. For, If as Poe says, It (Irmly established
the cheap newspaper In this country then Ameri
cans, who enjoy the benefits derived from this
"university of the people," as the newspaper has
been called, can remember gratefully ltlchard
Adams Locke.
€> Western Newspaper Union.
Where Will Japan Strike Next?
By WILLIAM C. UTLEY
AMERICA for Americans, Eu
rope for Europeans—and
Asia for Asiatics. That is
the marching song, fig
uratively, of the Japanese army In
eastern Asia, and the theme song of
the drama of Imperialism that Is
unfolding today In the vast thea
ter of the Ear East.
To all appearances Its true mean
ing, In the eyes of America and Eu
ropean nations Is ‘‘East Asia (at
least) for the Japanese.
The rapidly expanding power of
Nippon In East Asia—which, for the
present means China—Is the result
of a nationalism which has been
Japan Backs Demands in China With Troops.
I growing steadily with the elvlliza
tion of its people and came to a
full awakening with the realization
of those people that they had “got
ten away with” the complete sub
jugation of Manchuria; the ever
increasing pressure of a spirited
population to make room for its
existence by enlarging Its bound
aries, and tlie self-discovery of a
people's genius for making all man
ner of commodities for which there
is a demand, at a cost low enough
to get the business.
Japan has conquered Manclmkuo
and Korea. She has an eye, it is
generally believed, upon the is
lands of the South Pacific. And she
has already established a virtual
protectorate over North China. How
far she will go and how soon, are
the answers to a question which all
►he rest of the world would give a
cookie to know.
If the Japanese have gained con
trol over the "heathen Chinee" they
have certainly also bewildered him.
For while the Japanese ministry
of foreign affairs shakes ills hand
with an attitude of paternal be
nevolence, the Japanese army
sneaks up behind him and kicks him
in the pants.
Foreign Minister Hlrota eulogizes
the Chinese leader, Gen. Chlang
Kalshek; army leaders Immediate
ly dub him a fake and a fraud. III
rota honors China by making an
embassy of the Japanese legation
in China; the army Immediately de
clares it's all news to them. While
Japan on one hand speaks of co
operation and the common good, Ja
pan on the other hand goes right
ahead with methods of out and out
coercion.
As an excuse for direct action,
the Japanese army cited banditry,
supposed to have been encouraged
V>y the Chinese, and the assassina
tion of two Chinese editors who
had been friendly toward the
Japanese policy. The army of Gen.
Yu Hsueh-Chung lias withdrawn
south of the Y’ellow river and the
Japanese army has moved in.
Japs Will Dominate.
Whatever government finally
emerges In the North China area.
It Is certain that It will be “guided”
by Japanese policy and expediency.
It Is doubtful, however. If any kind
of political union with Manchukuo
will ensue, for the two areas com
bined In one would be a package
mighty unwieldy to carry; the
Japanese believe that it will be
easier to administer them sep
arately.
Under the provisions of the Tang
ku treaty of two years ago, Chtna
north of the Yellow river has been
declared a demilitarized zone, but
It seems the only demilitarization
has been carried out by the Chi
nese in moving to the south and
west. The Japanese army Is still
there and Is completing occupa
tion of the province of Chahar,
which Is rich In Iron ore. This,
with the other three North China
provinces, Hopei, Shantung and
Shansi, will unite to form a new
territorial unit, completely divorced
from the Chinese national govern
ment and distinctly favorable In
its relations with Japan and Man
chukuo.
Chinese coal and Iron, and the
opportunity for cotton planting,
particularly In Hopei and Shan
tung, have been the Incentive for
most of the Japanese action; how
ever, It Is pointed out that the loss
of trade in other parts of China
as a result may offset these advan
tages. They become doubly Impor
tant when It Is considered that
Great Britain, America nnd other
powers may extend financial aid to
China.
Where Japan's Imperialism and
expansion will carry It next Is open
for conjecture. Japan Is, or was,
an “Island empire,’’ and to its south
In the Pacific are many Islands In
which It has enormous commercial
Interests.
After a statement like that we
In America are prone to think 1m
mediately of the Philippines, but
more Important to Jnpao are the
Netherlands Knst Indies, which
buy more goods from Japan than
does even China. Japan has an an
nual balance of trade with these
heavily populated Islands that Is
more than $35,000,000 in her favor.
As to the Philippines. Japan
make horrified gestures at the sug
gestion that her Interests there are
anything hut platonic. Certainly,
although defending the Philippines
from Japanese attack would be a
man's-size Job for America, the Jap
anese would venture no aggression
there so long as the Islands are
under the wing of American protec
tion.
Hut In 1945, according to the
present agreement, the Philippines
will get their complete political in
dependence. With American dom
ination will go the privilege of free
trade with the United States; In
fact during the next ten years the
tariff on Philippine goods coming
Into the United States will be an
nually Increased. If the economic
burden becomes too great for the
Philippines—and there are plenty
of those who say It will—the Is
lands may he forced to enter souio
sort of union that would give them
trade advantages with another large
power. That would be Japan.
Consider Russia.
It must he remembered that there
la another great power which has
something to say about the reap
portlonment of territory In East
Asia. That power is Soviet Russia,
with 200,000 fighting men and a
far superior air force north of Man
chukuo and across the Amur river.
The conflicting aims of these two
powers was not so serious when
Manchuria existed between them
to absorb the shocks. Now their
borders have moved right up against
one another. Already border skir
mishes, allegedly provoked by Jap
anese guns, have caused vigorous
protests from the Soviet ambassa
dor in Tokyo.
The Siberian army is far better
mechanized than the Japanese, Its
airplanes are modern and double
tile Japanese strength, and the Is
land of Japan itself is a perfect set
up for aerial destruction.
To offset tills, Japau will be mov
ing from interior lines, and admin
istration of a Japanese army cam
paign would be possible on a much
more concentrated basis, for Si
beria Is on the outside of a great,
curving, northern frontier of Man
chukuo. While Japanese re-enforee
ments could be moved In with com
parative celerity, because of the
proximity of the homeland and be
cause of far superior rail facilities,
it would take a much longer time
for the Red army to move replace
ments from Russia proper Into east
ern Siberia. These replacements
would have to come over one lone
railroad which Is notoriously ineffi
cient nnd easily susceptible to
crippling by an enemy force.
The Test May Come.
Sovlet-Japanese relations may
come a little more nearly to a head
next year when new contracts will
be discussed to permit Japanese
fishing off the Siberian and Kam
chatkan coasts. Only 10 pef cent
of the fish taken from the waters
bit on communistic hooks In 1927;
now half of them do. Perhaps the
red bait Is more enticing. At any
rate Japan now wants to pay its
rental of fisheries in yen Instead
of gold rubles and wants to base
the rentals on the number of fish
actually caught.
By consenting peaceably to the
waiver of its ownership rights In
the Chinese Eastern railway, Rus
sia Indicated that It was willing
to let Japan have something of a
free hand in Manchukuo. The nrea,
which Is three times as large ns
Japan Itself, is now administered—
and very ably, too—by the Japanese
army of occupation.
The Japanese policy In Manchu
kuo has been constructive. Rail
roads have been Increased In mile
age more than one-third In three
years. These have all been built
where they will make It easier to
divert to Japan much of the traffic
In goods which has passed through
Siberian cities, particularly Vladi
vostok, which now must depend al
most entirely upon Inland Siberia
for Its trade. New railroads planned
for construction will make even the
far reaches of Manchukuo readily
accessible to Japanese commerce.
Japan nlso built 4,500 miles of roads
In Manchukuo In 1033 and 1934, and
schedules call for 2,500 miles an
nually In the years to come.
Last year Manchukuo became Ja
pan's biggest export market, taking
18 per cent of the exported goods.
The value of these exports grew
from mqre than 75,000,000 yen In
1881 to more than 400,000,000 yen In
1034. This has confronted Japan
with a serious economic problem,
however, for If exports of goods to
Manchukuo have grown, so have
exports of capital. Japan's capital
investments there were 99,000,000
yen In 1932, 176,000,000 yen in 1033,
and 237,000,000 yen In 1934. The
cost of military occupation in Man
chukuo Is about 150,000,000 yen an
nually. A balance of trade will have
to be effected If Japanese Invest
ments are to be secure.
It Is not merely Mnnchukuo's
4,800,000,000 tons of coal reserves,
and the area's iron which Japan
wants. She Is honestly desirous of
maintaining more peaceful and civ
ilized conditions In Manchukuo,
where the preceding rule was cor
rupt and oppressive. While she has
admittedly improved the country,
she is not so popular with the na
tive population, probably because of
her desire to acquire more high
posts in the administration and In
business than is seemingly neces
sury.
America Chagrined.
Naturally, America has been chn
grlned by the Japanese abrogation
of novnl treaties and Insistence on
naval parity, and has been offended
by the Japanese policy of forcing
out foreign oil companies In Man
chukuo. We, along with Great Brit
ain and other nations, have been
provoked at her Interference In
China and visualize the suffering of
our trade. But Americans have only
about $200,000,000 Invested in China.
Great Britain has six times ns
much, Japan a little less than Great
Britain.
Our export sales to China In 1933
amounted to nearly $.12,000,000 or
approximately 3 per cent of our
total exports. We exported $143,
000,000 worth of goods to Japan In
the same year. If we were to go to
war with Japan the value of our
Chinese export business would van
ish in no time. The expense would
paralyze Japan economically and
destroy our best customer In Asia.
The Japanese people are probably
much more excited over our recent
naval maneuvers in the Taclflc than
we are over their policy In Asia.
Influenced by a press which speak!
only with the voice of Tokyo, they
feel that we plan to carry out out
Far Eastern policy with an armed
force, and thnt the fact that we de
mand a stronger navy than Japan’!
Is evidence thnt we want to hi
equipped to carry on an offensivi
In the Pacific and have no Inten
tion of fostering world peace bj
limitation of armaments.
Japan, with her withdrawal front
the league of Nations and her abro
gatlon of armament treaties, lint
openly showed her disgust and dls
Interestedness In European affairs
and her Intention to devote her ac
tivlties entirely to Asia. But sht
cannot forget Europe entirely, be
cause of the interests of Europeni
nations, particularly Great Brltuln
In her vicinity.
More than anything else Japai
fears an Anglo-American agreemen1
which would form a potential unloi
of the two greatest navies In thi
world. The great puzzle Is whethei
such action would avert or bring 01
a serious crisis.
Trouble which Is brewing In Eu
rope may come to a head, and If 1
does, this will command most of thi
attention of European powers. Ja
pan will then pursue her aggressivi
Asiatic policy more Intensely, ai
she did during and Immediately fol
lowing the war.
But Japan harbors no Illusions o
ruling the world. All she Is con
cerned about Is Asia, particular);
eastern Asia.
e Western Newspaper Union,